Nikon Corporation

Michihiro Tamune

Masahiro Suzuki

Masahiro Juen

Zhe-Hong Chen

Yutaka Tsuda

A CCD captures a subject image passed through a taking lens and an image processing circuit performs various types of image pre-treatment including gamma correction and white balance on image data corresponding to n lines&#xd7;m rows output by the CCD. The image processing circuit performs format processing on the data which are then compressed at a compression circuit. The white balance adjustment is implemented in line sequence at a line processing circuit which engages in signal processing in pixel sequence in units of individual lines in the output from the CCD. The image data having undergone the pre-treatment are subjected to format processing prior to JPEG compression, at a block processing circuit that engages in signal processing in units of individual blocks each ranging over an n&#xd7;m (N&#x3e;n, M&#x3e;m) block. The signal processing is performed in block sequence.

Digital camera and storage medium for image signal processing for white balance control

A CCD captures a subject image having passed through a taking lens and an image processing circuit performs various types of image pre-treatment including gamma correction and white balance on image data corresponding to n lines&#xd7;m rows output by the CCD. The image processing circuit also performs format processing on the data. The data are then compressed at a compression circuit. The white balance adjustment and the like are implemented in line sequence at a line processing circuit which engages in signal processing in pixel sequence in units of individual lines in the output from the CCD. The image data having undergone the pre-treatment are then subjected to format processing prior to JPEG compression, at a block processing circuit that engages in signal processing in units of individual blocks each ranging over an n&#xd7;m (N&#x3e;n, M&#x3e;m) block. In other words, the signal processing is performed in block sequence.

Digital camera, storage medium for image signal processing, carrier wave and electronic camera

An electronic still camera is provided with a photographic image capturing device that outputs image data by capturing a subject image passing through a taking lens, an analytic image capturing device provided at a position adjacent to the position that is conjugate with the photographic image capturing device relative to the taking lens that receives light forming the subject image and outputs image data for scene analysis, an analyzing circuit that performs scene analysis of the subject image based upon the image data for scene analysis output by the analytic image capturing device and an image processing circuit that performs image processing based upon the results of the scene analysis output by the analyzing circuit. The gradation curve, and the R gain and the B gain for white balance adjustment are determined based upon the results of the scene analysis using the image data for scene analysis output by the image capturing device for scene analysis provided separately from the photographic image capturing device.

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Kawasaki, Japan

Michihiro Tamune