Image processing method and apparatus

An image processing apparatus, wherein a visible image is reproduced from digital image signals representing a photographic image, the image processing apparatus comprising:

• i) a plurality of kinds of low-pass filters, each of which creates an unsharp image having a different mask size from the digital image signals, wherein the mask size of the unsharp image created by each of the plurality of kinds of low-pass filters is set such that a diameter of a half value width of the mask size on a film become a size proportional to a film size;
• ii) low-pass filter selector for selecting a low-pass filter having a mask size corresponding to pixel density of an image to be reproduced from said plurality of types of the low-pass filters;
• iii) unsharp image signal creator for creating unsharp image signals representing the unsharp image of the photographic image using said selected low-pass filter;
• iv) subtractor for obtaining difference signals by carrying out subtraction between signals relating to pixels which correspond to the digital image signals and the unsharp image signals;
• v) image processor adapted to obtain processed image signals for reproducing the visible image by subjecting the difference signals to predetermined image processing and set processing conditions for compressing or expanding a low image density portion and/or a high image density portion of said image without changing an intermediate density portion of said image.

An image processing method of subjecting input image information photoelectrically read out by an image reading apparatus to image processing and arranging the input image information as output image information used to record an image, wherein image processing conditions for obtaining output image information are set from prescanned image information having a resolution which is lower than that of the input Image information as well as the prescanned image information is processed in accordance with the thus set image processing conditions and displayed on a monitor, the image processing conditions are adjusted by testing the image displayed on the monitor when necessary, and output image information is obtained by subjecting the input image information to image processing in accordance with the thus set or adjusted image processing conditions, the method comprising:

• i) creating unsharp image information which is formed by making an image carried by the input image information unsharp, when necessary, and applying a dodging effect to thus obtained output image information by processing the input image information with the unsharp image information, wherein the processing includes applying unsharp image information to color signals of the input image information;
• and
• ii) subjecting, when the dodging effect is applied to the output image information, the prescanned image information to processing similar to that applied to the input image information for the application of the dodging effect thereto and displaying the prescanned image information to which the dodging effect is applied on the monitor,
• wherein said processing changes a low image density portion of said image and/or a high image density portion of said image without changing an intermediate portion of said image.

An image processing apparatus for subjecting input image information photoelectrically read out by an image reading apparatus to image processing and arranging the input image information as output image information used to record an image, comprising:

• i) setting device adapted to set image processing conditions, wherein the setting device applies unsharp luminance information to color signals of input image information, for obtaining output image information from prescanned image information having a resolution which is lower than that of the input image information and said image processing conditions allow changing a low image density position of said image and/or a high image density portion of said image without changing an intermediate portion of said image;
• ii) adjustment device adapted to adjust the image processing conditions set by said selling device;
• iii) display image processor adapted to subject the prescanned image information to predetermined image processing in accordance with the image processing conditions set by said setting device and further adjusted by said adjustment device, when necessary, to arrange the prescanned image information as display image information;
• iv) a monitor for displaying the image information processed by said display image processor thereon;
• and
• v) output image processing device adapted to subject the input image information to image processing in accordance with the image processing conditions which are set by said setting device and further adjusted by said adjustment device and creating unsharp image information which is formed by making an image carried by the input image information unsharp, when necessary, and processing the input image information with the unsharp image information to thereby apply a dodging effect to thus obtained output image information and arranging the input image information as output image information,
• wherein said display image processor comprises dodging effect applicator for subjecting, when the dodging effect is applied to the output image information, the prescanned image information to processing similar to that applied to the input image information for the application of the dodging effect thereto and arranging the prescanned image information as display image information to which the dodging effect is applied.

An image processing method of subjecting image information photoelectrically read out by an image reading apparatus to image processing and arranging the image information as output image information used to record an image, comprising:

• determining image density characteristics from the image information;
• applying luminance information derived from the image information to color signals of the image information to generate a second image information;
• setting processing conditions using the second image information for independently and non-linearly compressing or expanding the low image density portion and/or the high image density portion of the image, respectively without changing the intermediate image density portion of the image in accordance with the image information and the determined image density characteristics;
• and
• creating output image information by carrying out image processing in accordance with the processing conditions.

An image processing apparatus for subjecting image information photoelectrically read out by an image reading apparatus to image processing and arranging the image information as output image information used to record an image, comprising:

• determination device adapted to determine image density characteristics from the image information;
• setting device adapted to set processing conditions, wherein luminance information derived from the image information is applied to color signals of the image information under which the dark portion and/or the bright portion of the image is independently and non-linearly compressed or expanded, respectively without changing the intermediate image density portion of the image from the image information and the result of determination;
• and
• processing device adapted to carry out processing in accordance with the processing conditions set by said setting device to thereby obtain output image information.

An image processing method comprising:

• determining image density characteristics from image information;
• processing said image information and generating a first digital image signal and a second digital image signal wherein each of said signals are color signals;
• generating unsharp image signals from said second digital image signal;
• applying said unsharp digital image signal to each of the color signals of the first digital image signal to setting processing conditions for independently and non-linearly compressing or expanding a low image density portion and/or a high image density portion of said image, respectively, without changing an intermediate image density portion of the image in accordance with said image information and said image density characteristics;
• and
• creating output image information by carrying out image processing in accordance with said processing conditions.

An image processing apparatus for subjecting image information photoelectrically read out by an image reading apparatus to image processing and arranging the image information as output image information used to record an image, comprising:

• a first matrix processor that uses said image information and generates a first digital image signal and a second digital image signal wherein each of said signals are color signals;
• a second matrix processor adapted to transform said second digital image signal into a luminance signal;
• an unsharp image signal processor which transforms said luminance signal into an unsharp image signal;
• and
• a setting device adapted to utilize said unsharp image signal and said first digital image signal, wherein the unsharp image signal is applied to the color signals of the first digital image signal to setting processing conditions so a dark portion and/or a bright portion of said image is independently and non-linearly compressed or expanded, respectively without changing an intermediate image density portion of said image from said image information.

An image processor for processing a digital image signal representative of an image comprising:

• a first matrix adapted to receive the digital image signal and generate a first signal and a second signal;
• a first processor adapted to process said second signal and generate an unsharp image signal;
• and
• a second processor adapted to utilize said first signal and said unsharp image signal, wherein the unsharp image signal is applied to color signals of the first signal to set processing conditions so areas of low image density and/or high image density may be independently and non-linearly compressed or expanded, respectively without changing an intermediate image density of the image.

An image processing method for subjecting image information photoelectrically read out by an image reading apparatus to image processing and arranging the image information as output image information used to record an image, comprising:

• generating a digital image signal from said image information;
• obtaining a low-frequency image signal using said generated digital image signal;
• subjecting said low-frequency image signal to dynamic range adjustment processing;
• obtaining a difference signal by subtracting said subjected low-frequency image signal subjected to dynamic range adjustment processing from said generated digital image signal;
• and
• obtaining a processed image signal by subjecting said difference signal to predetermined image processing.

An image processing apparatus for subjecting image information photoelectrically read out by an image reading apparatus to image processing and arranging the image information as output image information used to record an image, comprising:

• a converter for generating a digital image signal from said image information;
• a low-pass filter for obtaining a low-frequency image signal from said digital image signal;
• a dynamic range adjustment device for subjecting said low-frequency image signal to dynamic range adjustment;
• a subtractor for obtaining a difference signal by carrying out subtraction between said generated digital image signal and said subjected low-frequency image signal from said dynamic range adjustment device;
• and
• a processor for obtaining a processed image signal by subjecting said difference signal to predetermined image processing.