Image processing apparatus and associated methodology for blurring digital images

A method of processing an image of an image processing apparatus, the method comprising:

• receiving input of first image data obtained by shooting a subject in a first optical-system state of an imaging device, and second image data obtained by shooting the subject in a second optical-system state of the imaging device with a blur state different from a blur state of the first image data;
• and
• calculating distance information corresponding to a position in a depth direction of a subject on the basis of the first image data and the second image data,
• wherein the distance information is calculated based on a number of times a blurring processing is performed on the first image data
• wherein the blurring processing is performed by adding a blur to subjects other than those in a foreground of the first image data by a filter.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions thereon that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform an image processing method comprising:

• receiving input of first image data obtained by shooting a subject in a first optical-system state of an imaging device, and second image data obtained by shooting the subject in a second optical-system state of the imaging device with a blur state different from a blur state of the first image data;
• and
• calculating distance information corresponding to a position in a depth direction of a subject on the basis of the first image data and the second image data,
• wherein the distance information is calculated based on a number of times a blurring processing is performed on the first image data,
• wherein the blurring processing is performed by adding a blur to the first image data or the second image data by a low-pass filter, wherein a cut-off frequency of the low-pass filter changes with the distance information.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• circuitry configured to:
• receive input of first image data obtained by shooting a subject in a first optical-system state of an imaging device, and second image data obtained by shooting the subject in a second optical-system state of the imaging device with a blur state different from a blur state of the first image data;
• calculate distance information corresponding to a position in a depth direction of a subject based on the first image data and the second image data, wherein the distance information is calculated based on a number of times a blurring processing is performed on the first image data;
• and
• perform the blurring processing to add a blur to the first image data selectively using a first filter when an image height is less than a predetermined height and a second filter when the image height is greater than the predetermined height.