# US 2013/0155219 A1 · Image processing apparatus

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- Number: US 2013/0155219 A1
- Document ID: US20130155219A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/693,616
- Filed: 2012-12-04
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-07
- Assignees: Olympus Corporation
- Inventors: Masashi OKABE
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130155219A1

## CPC

- G02B 21/365: {Control or image processing arrangements for digital or video microscopes (G02B21/361, G02B21/362 take precedence)}
- G06T 5/50: using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
- G06T 5/94: based on local image properties, e.g. for local contrast enhancement
- G06T 2207/10056: Microscopic image
- G06T 2207/10144: Varying exposure
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

Optimal shading correction is achieved even when exposure times are different. An apparatus includes a section that stores a γ property of an image pickup device, a section that stores a shading pattern acquired by the image pickup device, and a first exposure time, a section that stores image data acquired by the image pickup device and a second exposure time, a section that calculates a pre-correction pattern, based on the stored shading pattern and the stored γ property, a section that calculates a revised pattern by performing γ correction for the calculated pre-correction pattern after multiplying the calculated pre-correction pattern by a ratio of the second exposure time to the first exposure time, and a section that performs shading correction for the stored image data by using the calculated revised pattern.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image processing apparatus, comprising:
a γ property storing section that stores a γ property of image pickup device;
a shading data storing section that stores a shading pattern acquired by the image pickup device, and a first exposure time at a time of acquiring the shading pattern;
an image information storing section that stores image data acquired by the image pickup device, and a second exposure time at a time of acquiring the image data;
a pre-correction pattern calculating section that calculates a pre-correction pattern which is a shading pattern before γ correction, based on the shading pattern stored in the shading data storing section and the γ property stored in the γ property storing section;
a revised pattern calculating section that calculates a revised pattern by performing γ correction for the pre-correction pattern calculated by the pre-correction pattern calculating section after multiplying the pre-correction pattern calculated by the pre-correction pattern calculating section by a ratio of the second exposure time to the first exposure time; and
a shading correcting section that performs shading correction for the image data stored in the image information storing section by using the revised pattern calculated by the revised pattern calculating section.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a γ property acquiring section that acquires the γ property of the image pickup device,
wherein the γ property storing section stores the γ property acquired by the γ property acquiring section.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a γ property selecting section that allows an operator to select the γ property of the image pickup device,
wherein the γ property storing section stores the γ property selected by the γ property selecting section.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a γ property estimating section that estimates the γ property of the image pickup device from a relation of an exposure time and a luminance value based on luminance values of a plurality of images obtained by switching the exposure time of the image pickup device,
wherein the γ property storing section stores the γ property estimated by the γ property estimating section.

### Claim 5

An image processing apparatus, comprising:
a γ property storing section that stores a γ property of image pickup device;
a pre-correction pattern calculating section that calculates a pre-correction pattern which is a shading pattern before γ correction, based on a shading pattern acquired by the image pickup device and the γ property stored in the γ property storing section;
a shading data storing section that stores the pre-correction pattern calculated by the pre-correction pattern calculating section, and a first exposure time at a time of acquiring the shading pattern;
an image information storing section that stores image data acquired by the image pickup device, and a second exposure time at a time of acquiring the image data;
a revised pattern calculating section that calculates a revised pattern by performing γ correction for the pre-correction pattern stored in the shading data storing section after multiplying the pre-correction pattern stored in the shading data storing section by a ratio of the second exposure time to the first exposure time; and
a shading correcting section that performs shading correction for the image data stored in the image information storing section by using the revised pattern calculated by the revised pattern calculating section.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:
a γ property acquiring section that acquires the γ property of the image pickup device,
wherein the γ property storing section stores the γ property acquired by the γ property acquiring section.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:
a γ property selecting section that allows an operator to select the γ property of the image pickup device,
wherein the γ property storing section stores the γ property selected by the γ property selecting section.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:
a γ property estimating section that estimates the γ property of the image pickup device from a relation of an exposure time and a luminance value based on luminance values of a plurality of images obtained by switching the exposure time of the image pickup device,
wherein the γ property storing section stores the γ property estimated by the γ property estimating section.