Imager processing a captured image
AssigneePentax Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd.
InventorSaki Shimizu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An endoscope is provided having an imaging sensor, a focusing lens, and an image processor. The imaging sensor converts an optical image to an output image signal. The focusing lens focuses on an object. The image processor calculates a contrast value based on the image signal while the focusing lens moves to focus on an object, and in the case where the image processor detects a region in which the amount of variation in the contrast value is within a predetermined range, while the focusing lens moves in a close range around a focusing point the image processor processes at least one output image in which either the image has been cropped to exclude the region, an ornament has been added to the region, or the region has been softened.
Claims20
An imager comprising:
- an imaging sensor that converts an optical image to an output image signal;
- a focusing lens that focuses on an object;
- and
- an image processor that calculates a contrast value based on the image signal while said focusing lens moves to focus on an object;
- and
- when said image processor detects a region in which the amount of variation in the contrast value is within a predetermined focus range, while said focusing lens moves in a close focus range around a focusing point, said image processor processing at least one output image by performing at least two of a cropping operation to exclude the region, an adding operation to add an ornament to the region and a softening operation to soften the region.
An imager comprising:
- an imaging sensor that converts an optical image to an output image signal;
- a focusing lens that focuses on an object;
- and
- an image processor that calculates a contrast value based on the image signal while said focusing lens moves to focus on an object;
- and
- wherein, when said image processor detects a region in which the amount of variation in the contrast value is within a predetermined focus range, while said focusing lens moves in a close focus range around a focusing point, said image processor processing at least one output image in which either the image has been cropped to exclude the region, an ornament has been added to the region, or the region has been softened;
- and
- when said image processor processes at least one output image in which the image has been cropped to exclude the region, the image processor sets an operation mode of the imager to a cropping mode before a complete depression of a release button, and crops the image to exclude the region after the complete depression of the release button.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.