# US 2025/0147273 A1 · Image processing method, image processing device, and image pickup apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0147273 A1 - Document ID: US20250147273A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 19/016,118 - Filed: 2025-01-10 - Published: 2025-05-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-10 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Koichi Fukuda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250147273A1 ## CPC - G02B 7/34: using different areas in a pupil plane - G02B 7/36: using image sharpness techniques {, e.g. image processing techniques for generating autofocus signals (image data processing per se G06T; in cameras having a solid state image sensor H04N23/67)} - G06T 5/50: using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction - G06T 5/70: Denoising; Smoothing - G06T 5/73: Deblurring; Sharpening - H04N 23/673: {based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method} - G03B 13/36: Autofocus systems - G06T 2207/10024: Color image - G06T 2207/10052: Images from lightfield camera - G06T 2207/20221: Image fusion; Image merging - G06T 2207/30201: Face - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D) ## Abstract One embodiment of the present invention provides an image processing method, the method comprising: acquiring a plurality of viewpoint images; generating a contrast distribution from the plurality of viewpoint images; and generating an output image by performing image processing in accordance with the contrast distribution with respect to an image based on the plurality of viewpoint images. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image processing method comprising: acquiring a plurality of viewpoint images; generating a contrast distribution from the plurality of viewpoint images; and generating an output image by performing image processing in accordance with the contrast distribution with respect to an image based on the plurality of viewpoint images. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the contrast distribution is generated in accordance with the difference between the contrast of every image of the plurality of viewpoint images. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the image processing is performed more intensively in an area with a small difference between the contrast in every image of the plurality of viewpoint images than in an area with a large difference therebetween. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the image processing is processing for sharpening, processing for smoothing, or combined processing thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image processing method according to claim 1, the method further comprising: generating, from the plurality of viewpoint images, image shift amount distribution indicating distribution of an image shift amount between the viewpoint images or defocus amount distribution indicating distribution of a defocus amount of an object in the viewpoint images, wherein the image processing is performed based on the image shift amount distribution or the defocus amount distribution. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The image processing method according to claim 5, wherein processing for sharpening is performed as the image processing more intensively in an area with a small difference from a criterion of the image shift amount distribution or the defocus amount distribution than in an area with a large difference therefrom. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The image processing method according to claim 5, wherein processing for smoothing is performed as the image processing more intensively in an area with a large difference from a criterion of the image shift amount distribution or the defocus amount distribution than in an area with a small difference therefrom. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The image processing method according to claim 5, wherein processing for sharpening is performed as the image processing in the area with a small difference from a criterion of the image shift amount distribution or the defocus amount distribution, and processing for smoothing is performed as the image processing in the area with a large difference therefrom. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the image processing is processing for modifying saturation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein, in a synthesis image made by synthesizing the plurality of viewpoint images, a synthesis contrast distribution is generated larger in an area with a lot of space frequency components in a predetermined space frequency band than in an area with less space frequency components thereof. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the contrast distribution is larger in an area with a high brightness of the synthesis image than in an area with low brightness thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the contrast distribution is larger in an area with a small difference between the contrast of every image of the plurality of viewpoint images than in an area with a large difference between the contrast. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the image processing is performed more intensively in an area with a large contrast distribution than in an area with a small contrast distribution. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the contrast distribution is stored in a storage medium. ### Claim 15 (depends on 5) The image processing method according to claim 5, wherein the image shift amount distribution is generated in an area in which the contrast distribution is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. ### Claim 16 (depends on 5) The image processing method according to claim 5, wherein the image shift amount distribution is stored in a storage medium. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The image processing method according to claim 10, wherein the synthesis image is generated by multiplying a weighting coefficient by every image of the plurality of viewpoint images. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of viewpoint images are generated from an input image acquired by an imaging element in which a plurality of pixels provided with a plurality of photoelectric conversion units for receiving light flux passing through different partial pupil areas in a focusing optical system are arrayed. ### Claim 19 An image processing method comprising: acquiring a plurality of viewpoint images; generating a plurality of modified viewpoint images by performing processing for expanding difference between the plurality of viewpoint images in every pixel of the plurality of viewpoint images and sharpening parallax, or reducing difference between the plurality of viewpoint images and smoothing the parallax; and generating an output image from the plurality of modified viewpoint images. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The image processing method according to claim 19, wherein the processing for expanding the difference between the plurality of viewpoint images and sharpening the parallax, or reducing the difference between the plurality of viewpoint images and smoothing the parallax is performed by a calculation between signals output by each unit of a plurality of photoelectric conversion units included in each of the pixels. ### Claim at position 21 21-25. (canceled)