Image processing apparatus and method, and image pickup apparatus

An image processing method for use with an image processing apparatus for processing image data which is formed of a predetermined number of pixel data, having a plurality of types of components at the same pixel position, obtained by an image-capturing device including a predetermined number of pixels, the pixels having a time integrating function, said image processing method comprising:

• an area specifying step of specifying, in correspondence with said image data, a mixed area in which foreground object components which form a foreground object and background object components which form a background object are mixed;
• a mixture-ratio detection step of detecting, in correspondence with said image data, the mixture ratio indicating the ratio of the mixture of said foreground object components to the mixture of said background object components in a mixed area in which said foreground object components and said background object components are mixed;
• and
• an output control step of controlling the output of said detected mixture ratio, wherein at least one of said area specifying step and said mixture-ratio detection step performs image processing on the basis of said plurality of types of components
• wherein the plurality of types of components at the same pixel position refers to an individual signal, including a luminance signal, a color-difference signal, or an RGB signal in the component signal.

A program stored in a computer-readable medium, the program, when executed by a computer being used to process image data which is formed of a predetermined number of pixel data, having a plurality of types of components at the same pixel position, obtained by an image-capturing device including a predetermined number of pixels, the pixels having a time integrating function:

• an area specifying step of specifying, in correspondence with said image data, a mixed area in which foreground object components which form a foreground object and background object components which form a background object are mixed;
• a mixture-ratio detection step of detecting, in correspondence with said image data, the mixture ratio indicating the ratio of the mixture of said foreground object components to the mixture of said background object in a mixed area in which said foreground object components and said background object components are mixed;
• and
• an output control step of controlling the output of said detected mixture ratio, wherein, in at least one of said area specifying step and said mixture-ratio detection step, image processing is performed on the basis of said plurality of types of components,
• wherein the plurality of types of components at the same pixel position refers to an individual signal, including a luminance signal, a color-difference signal, or an RGB signal in the component signal.

An image-capturing apparatus comprising:

• an image-capturing unit configured to output a subject image captured by an image-capturing device including a predetermined number of pixels, the pixels having a time integrating function, as image data which is formed of a predetermined number of pixel data having a plurality of types of components at the same pixel position;
• an area specifying unit configured to specify, in correspondence with said image data, a mixed area in which foreground object components which form a foreground object and background object components which form a background object are mixed;
• and
• a mixture-ratio detection unit configured to detect, in correspondence with said image data, the mixture ratio indicating the ratio of the mixture of said foreground object components to the mixture of said background object components in a mixed area in which said foreground object components and said background object components are mixed,
• wherein at least one of said area specifying unit and said mixture-ratio detection unit performs image processing on the basis of said plurality of types of components,
• wherein the plurality of types of components at the same pixel position refers to an individual signal, including a luminance signal, a color-difference signal, or an RGB signal in the component signal.

An image processing apparatus for processing image data which is formed of a predetermined number of pixel data, having a plurality of types of components at the same pixel position, obtained by an image-capturing device including a predetermined number of pixels, the pixels having a time integrating function, said image processing apparatus comprising:

• an image data obtaining unit configured to obtain said image data;
• and
• a processing performing unit configured to perform, on the basis of said plurality of types of components of said obtained image data, one of processings of
• (i) an area specifying step of specifying, in correspondence with said image data, a mixed area in which foreground object components which form a foreground object and background object components which form a background object are mixed and
• (ii) a mixture-ratio detection step of detecting, in correspondence with said image data, the mixture ratio indicating the ratio of the mixture of said foreground object components to the mixture of said background object components in a mixed area in which said foreground object components and said background object components are mixed,
• wherein the plurality of types of components at the same pixel position refers to an individual signal, including a luminance signal, a color-difference signal, or an RGB signal in the component signal.

An image processing method for processing image data which is formed of a predetermined number of pixel data, having a plurality of types of components at the same pixel position, obtained by an image-capturing device including a predetermined number of pixels, the pixels having a time integrating function, said image processing method comprising:

• an image data obtaining step of obtaining said image data;
• and
• a processing performing step of performing, on the basis of said plurality of types of components of said obtained image data, one of processings of
• (i) an area specifying step of specifying, in correspondence with said image data, a mixed area in which foreground object components which form a foreground object and background object components which form a background object are mixed and
• (ii) a mixture-ratio detection step of detecting, in correspondence with said image data, the mixture ratio indicating the ratio of the mixture of said foreground object components to the mixture of said background object components in a mixed area in which said foreground object components and said background object components are mixed,
• wherein the plurality of types of components at the same pixel position refers to an individual signal, including a luminance signal, a color-difference signal, or an RGB signal in the component signal.

A program stored in a computer-readable medium, the program when executed by a computer being used to process image data which is formed of a predetermined number of pixel data, having a plurality of types of components at the same pixel position, obtained by an image-capturing device including a predetermined number of pixels, the pixels having a time integrating function:

• an image data obtaining step of obtaining said image data;
• and
• a processing performing step of performing, on the basis of said plurality of types of components of said obtained image data, one of processings of:
• (i) an area specifying step of specifying, in correspondence with said image data, a mixed area in which foreground object components which form a foreground object and background object components which form a background object are mixed and
• (ii) a mixture-ratio detection step of detecting, in correspondence with said image data, the mixture ratio indicating the ratio of the mixture of said foreground object components to the mixture of said background object components in a mixed area in which said foreground object components and said background object components are mixed,
• wherein the plurality of types of components at the same pixel position refers to an individual signal, including a luminance signal, a color-difference signal, or an RGB signal in the component signal.

An image-capturing apparatus comprising:

• an image-capturing unit configured to output a subject image captured by an image-capturing device including a predetermined number of pixels, the pixels having a time integrating function, as image data which is formed of a predetermined number of pixel data having a plurality of types of components at the same pixel position;
• and
• a processing performing unit configured to perform, on the basis of said plurality of types of components of said image data, one of processings of
• (i) an area specifying step of specifying, in correspondence with said image data, a mixed area in which foreground object components which form a foreground object and background object components which form a background object are mixed and
• (ii) a mixture-ratio detection step of detecting, in correspondence with said image data, the mixture ratio indicating the ratio of the mixture of said foreground object components to the mixture of said background object components in a mixed area in which said foreground object components and said background object components are mixed,
• wherein the plurality of types of components at the same pixel position refers to an individual signal, including a luminance signal, a color-difference signal, or an RGB signal in the component signal.