Patent ID: 8391635

Claim:
A noise removal device that removes noise from an image signal, comprising: a separation unit that separates the image signal into at least two subband signals; a noise estimation unit that estimates a noise amount of a pixel of at least one of the subband signals; a parameter setting unit that sets a plurality of coring ranges in relation to at least one of the subband signals, the coring ranges being ranges of signal values of subband signals to be subjected to coring processing within the subband signals; and a coring unit that performs the coring processing on the at least one of the subband signals based on the plurality of coring ranges; wherein the parameter setting unit includes a color difference/color sum calculation unit that calculates at least one of a color difference and a color sum using signal values in a region within the at least one of the subband signals; wherein the parameter setting unit adjusts the plurality of coring ranges based on the noise amount and the at least one of the color difference and the color sum; wherein the parameter setting unit sets a first fixed output value for a first coring range in the plurality of coring ranges in relation to the at least one of the subband signals, and sets a second fixed output value for a second coring range in the plurality of coring ranges in relation to the at least one of the subband signals; and wherein the coring unit: transforms signal values belonging to the first coring range within the at least one of the subband signals into the first fixed output value, transforms signal values belonging to the second coring range within the at least one of the subband signals into the second fixed output value, and corrects signal values that do not belong to any one of the plurality of coring ranges in relation to the at least one of the subband signals.