Patent ID: 8130288

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: an effective pixel portion that accumulates an amount of first electric charge corresponding to an intensity of incident light from a subject; a shaded pixel portion that accumulates an amount of second electric charge, where the incident light is shaded from the subject; a QV conversion part or parts operative to convert said first and second electric charges into analog signals, respectively; a signal processing section that processes said analog signals to generate an analog output signal; an A/D conversion section that converts said analog output signal into a digital output signal; a noise determination section that determines a noise level from said digital output signal; a brightness measuring section that measures brightness information in a predetermined region of said subject from said digital output signal based on said first electric charge; a target value setting section that sets a black level target value for said analog output signal or said digital output signal based on said noise level and said brightness information; and a black level setting section that sets a black level for said analog output signal or said digital output signal based on said black level target value; wherein said analog output signal or said digital output signal is corrected based on said black level.