To enable a good HDR image or video coding technology, being able to yield high dynamic range images as well as low dynamic range images, we invented a method of encoding a high dynamic range image (M_HDR), comprising the steps of:

converting the high dynamic range image to an image of lower luminance dynamic range (LDR_o) by applying a) scaling the high dynamic range image to a predetermined scale of the luma axis such as [0,1], b) applying a sensitivity tone mapping which changes the brightnesses of pixel colors falling within at least a subrange comprising the darker colors in the high dynamic range image, c) applying a gamma function, and d) applying an arbitrary monotonically increasing function mapping the lumas resulting from performing the steps b and c to output lumas of the lower dynamic range image (LDR_o); and

outputting in an image signal (S_im) a codification of the pixel colors of the lower luminance dynamic range image (LDR_o), and

outputting in the image signal (S_im) values encoding the functional behavior of the above color conversions as metadata, or values for the inverse functions, which metadata allows to reconstruct a high dynamic range image (Rec_HDR) from the lower luminance dynamic range image (LDR_o).

An image processing apparatus includes a restrictive condition storage unit in which at least one restrictive condition, which is to be applied to an image to be output and acquired from a subject, is stored, an accepting unit that accepts an image that is obtained by shooting the subject and has at least one field, an image changing unit that applies the at least one restrictive condition to the at least one field of the image accepted by the accepting unit, changes the at least one field so that it satisfies the at least one restrictive condition, and acquires at least one new field, and an image output unit that outputs the at least one field acquired by the image changing unit, enabling an image having an overall balance to be output.

An image processing apparatus includes a restrictive condition storage unit in which at least one restrictive condition, which is to be applied to an image to be output and acquired from a subject, is stored, an accepting unit that accepts an image that is obtained by shooting the subject and has at least one field, an image changing unit that applies the at least one restrictive condition to the at least one field of the image accepted by the accepting unit, changes the at least one field so that it satisfies the at least one restrictive condition, and acquires at least one new field, and an image output unit that outputs the at least one field acquired by the image changing unit, enabling an image having an overall balance to be output.

An image processing apparatus includes: a first acquiring unit configured to acquire first image data; a second acquiring unit configured to acquire information related to a first exposure value; a setting unit configured to set any of a plurality of display modes; and a generating unit configured to generate second image data from the first image data, wherein in a case where a first display mode has been set, the generating unit generates second image data having brightness corresponding to the first exposure value, in a case where a second display mode has been set, the generating unit generates second image data having brightness corresponding to a second exposure value, and the second exposure value used in the second display mode is changeable in accordance with a user instruction.

Dual cameras that simultaneously capture RGB and IR images of a scene can be used to remove glare from the RGB image, transformed to a YUV image, by substituting a glare region in the luminance component of the YUV image with the pixel values in a corresponding region of the IR image. Further, color information in the glare region may be adjusted by averaging over or extrapolating from the color information in the surrounding region.

A image acquisition device including a connection section having an opening; an optical-path switching unit that changes an optical path of light entering from the opening; and two image acquisition elements. The optical-path switching unit includes two parallel reflective surfaces disposed with a distance therebetween and is swivelable about a swivel axis such that the reflective surface is insertable into and withdrawable from an incident optical axis. The first image acquisition element is disposed on the incident optical axis at the opposite side of the opening with the optical-path switching unit interposed therebetween. The second image acquisition element is disposed at a position where the second image acquisition element acquires an image of the light that has been deflected by the two reflective surfaces and is tilted about central axes of the two image acquisition elements relative to a straight line extending orthogonally to the central axes.

A method for wide dynamic range imaging is illustrated. A region mapping operation having steps as follows is applied to an image using a plurality of region mapping curves for compensating different luminance associated with a plurality of regions in the image. A low frequency image is obtained. A reference value for each region in the image is obtained according to the low frequency image. One region mapping curve is selected according to the reference value of the region. A gain curve is obtained according to the selected region mapping curve, a gain value of a pixel value or a luminance value of the region is obtained according to the gain curve, an adjusted gain value is obtained according to the luminance corresponding to the pixel value, and the pixel value is adjusted according to the luminance value, the gain value, and the adjusted gain value.

A method for wide dynamic range imaging is illustrated. A region mapping operation having steps as follows is applied to an image using a plurality of region mapping curves for compensating different luminance associated with a plurality of regions in the image. A low frequency image is obtained. A reference value for each region in the image is obtained according to the low frequency image. One region mapping curve is selected according to the reference value of the region. A gain curve is obtained according to the selected region mapping curve, a gain value of a pixel value or a luminance value of the region is obtained according to the gain curve, an adjusted gain value is obtained according to the luminance corresponding to the pixel value, and the pixel value is adjusted according to the luminance value, the gain value, and the adjusted gain value.

[Solving Means] An image processing apparatus includes an image processor. The image processor inputs image data, determines an amount of motion within an image on the basis of the image data, and corrects and outputs a luminance of the image data such that a contrast of an object whose amount of motion is large increases.

Disclosed is a signal processing device and an image display apparatus including the same. In the signal processing device and the image display apparatus according to the present disclosure, a High Dynamic Range (HDR) processor receives an image signal and adjust a luminance of the image signal, and a reduction unit configured to amplify the adjusted luminance of the image signal and increase a resolution of the grayscale of the image signal to generate an enhanced image signal, wherein the enhanced image signal provides an increased luminance and grayscale resolution of the image signal while maintaining high dynamic range within the displayed HDR image. Accordingly, expression of high grayscale of a received image may improve.