Image capturing apparatus having a γ-characteristic corrector and/or image geometric distortion correction

An image capturing apparatus comprising:

• an image pickup device which photoelectrically picks up a light image of an object to generate image data including a number of pixel data;
• a block setter which sets a plurality of blocks over the number of pixel data;
• a γ-characteristic setter which sets a γ-characteristic for each block based on pixel data, included in its block;
• a γ-characteristic corrector which corrects pixel data of each block in accordance with the set γ-characteristic, the image data including a perspective geometric distortion after the γ-characteristic corrector corrects pixel data of each block;
• and
• an image geometric distortion corrector which corrects the γ-characteristic corrected image data which includes the perspective geometric distortion.

An image capturing apparatus comprising:

• a taking lens having changeable image capturing magnifications;
• a detector which detects an image capturing magnification of the taking lens;
• an image pickup device which photoelectrically picks up a light image of an object passed through the taking lens to generate image data including a number of pixel data;
• a block setter which sets a plurality of blocks over the number of pixel data;
• a block size setter which sets a size of each block based on a detected image capturing magnification;
• a γ-characteristic setter which sets a γ-characteristic for each block;
• and
• a γ-characteristic corrector which corrects pixel data of each block in accordance with the set γ-characteristic.

An image capturing apparatus comprising:

• an image pickup device which photoelectrically picks up an light image of an object to generate image data including a number of pixel data;
• an image geometric distortion corrector which corrects a perspective geometric distortion included in the image data;
• a block setter which sets a plurality of blocks over the image data having been corrected by the image geometric distortion corrector;
• a γ-characteristic setter which sets a γ-characteristic for each block based on pixel data included in its block;
• and
• a γ-characteristic corrector which corrects a pixel data of each block in accordance with the set γ-characteristic.

An image capturing apparatus comprising:

• an image pickup device which photoelectrically picks up a light image of an object to generate image data including a number of pixel data;
• a taking lens which focuses the light image onto an image pickup surface of the image pickup device;
• a distance meter which meters a distance to the object;
• a calculator which calculates a distribution of image capturing magnifications within a specified portion of the surface of the object based on a focal length of the taking lens and an object distance metered by the distance meter;
• a block setter which sets a plurality of blocks over image data generated by the image pickup device, the plurality of blocks respectively having different sizes in accordance with image capturing magnifications;
• a γ-characteristic setter which sets a γ-characteristic for each block based on pixel data included in its block;
• a γ-characteristic corrector which corrects pixel data of each block in accordance with the set γ-characteristic, the γ-characteristic corrected image data including a geometric distortion that is caused by an oblique image capture;
• and
• an image geometric distortion corrector which corrects, based on a calculated distribution of image capturing magnifications, the geometric distortion of the γ-characteristic corrected image data.

A method for processing image data generated by an image pickup device, the image data including a number of pixel data, the method comprising the steps of:

• setting a plurality of blocks over the number of pixel data;
• setting a first γ-characteristic for pixel data at a center position of each block based on pixel data included in its block;
• setting second γ-characteristics for pixel data at other positions than the center position of each block based on set first γ-characteristics;
• and
• correcting pixel data of each block in accordance with the set first and second γ-characteristics.

A method for processing image data generated by an image pickup device, the image data including a number of pixel data, the method comprising the steps of:

• setting a plurality of blocks over the number of pixel data;
• setting a γ-characteristic for each block based on pixel data included in its block;
• correcting pixel data of each block in accordance with the set γ-characteristic, the image data including a perspective geometric distortion;
• and
• correcting the γ-characteristic corrected image data which includes the perspective geometric distortion is created.

A method for processing image data which is generated by an image pickup device photoelectrically picking up a light image of an object through a taking lens having changeable image capturing magnifications, the image data including a number of pixel data, the method comprising the steps of:

• detecting an image capturing magnification of the taking lens;
• setting a plurality of blocks over the number of pixel data;
• setting a size of each block based on a detected image capturing magnification;
• setting a γ-characteristic for each block;
• and
• correcting pixel data of each block in accordance with the set γ-characteristic.

A method for processing image data generated by an image pickup device, the image data including a number of pixel data, the method comprising the steps of:

• correcting a perspective geometric distortion included in the image data;
• setting a plurality of blocks over the corrected image data;
• setting a γ-characteristic for each block based on pixel data included in its block;
• and
• correcting pixel data of each block in accordance with the set γ-characteristic.

A method for processing image data which is generated by an image pickup device photoelectrically picking up a light image of an object through a taking lens having a focal length, the image data including a number of pixel data, the method comprising the steps of:

• metering a distance to an object;
• calculating a distribution of image capturing magnifications within a specified portion of a surface of the object based on a focal length of the taking lens and a metered object distance;
• setting a plurality of blocks over the number of pixel data, the plurality of blocks respectively having different sizes in accordance with image capturing magnifications;
• setting a γ-characteristic for each block based on pixel data included in its block;
• correcting pixel data of each block in accordance with the set γ-characteristic, the γ-characteristic corrected image data including a geometric distortion that is caused by an oblique image capture;
• and
• correcting, based on a calculated distribution of image capturing magnifications, the geometric distortion of γ-characteristic corrected image data.