Image processing apparatus that obtains color and polarization information

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a color and polarization obtaining section including a color separation element for separating incident light into light rays in multiple different colors and a plurality of image capture elements that receive the light rays in multiple different colors produced by the color separation element;
• polarization information processing section for obtaining polarization information based on the outputs of the image capture elements;
• and
• color information processing section for getting average color intensity information based on the outputs of the image capture elements,
• wherein the image capture elements include at least one high-resolution image capture element for obtaining a high-resolution single-color image based on a light ray in a first color that is included in the multiple different colors separated, and at least one low-resolution image capture element for obtaining a low-resolution image based on a light ray in a second color that is also included in the multiple different colors separated, and
• wherein the low-resolution image capture element includes a patterned polarizer in which a number of polarizer units, of which the polarization transmission planes are defined in mutually different directions, are arranged adjacent to each other, and
• wherein the polarization information processing section obtains the polarization information by integrating together the intensities of the light rays that have been transmitted through the polarizer units.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a color and polarization obtaining section including a color separation element for separating incident light into light rays in multiple different colors, a plurality of polarization beam splitters that receive the light rays in multiple different colors that have been produced by the color separation element, and a plurality of image capture elements that includes a pair of image capture elements for receiving light rays that have been reflected from, or transmitted through, the respective polarization beam splitters;
• a polarization information processing section for obtaining polarization information based on the outputs of the image capture elements;
• and
• a color information processing section for getting average color intensity information based on the outputs of the image capture elements,
• wherein the polarization information processing section obtains the polarization information by integrating together the intensities of the light rays that have been incident on the image capture elements.

An image input method comprising the steps of:

• obtaining measured values of color polarization information for R, G and B images;
• integrating together the intensities of the color images in mutually different polarization states into an intensity for a single color using a correction coefficient;
• approximating a variation in intensity, which has been integrated on a pixel-by-pixel basis, as a sinusoidal function;
• generating a degree-of-polarization image based on the maximum and minimum values of the sinusoidal function;
• and
• calculating the average intensity of the R, G and B images, thereby generating a color intensity image.