Image processing apparatus and image processing method

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

a signal converter for converting a color image into a luminance signal and a color difference signal; and

a false color removal section for performing false color removal processing based on the luminance signal and the color difference signal, the false color removal section comprising an edge intensity calculator for calculating the edge intensity based on the luminance signal, a modulation factor determination section for determining the degree of modulation based on the edge intensity, and a color difference signal modulator for modulating the color difference signal based on the degree of modulation,

wherein the false color removal section modulates the color difference signal such that a signal value of the color difference signal becomes smaller as an edge intensity, calculated based on the luminance signal, becomes larger,

wherein the edge intensity calculator determines whether the edge intensity is i) lower than a first threshold th 1 , ii) between the first threshold th 1 and a second threshold th 2 that is larger than the first threshold th 1 , or iii) higher than the second threshold th 2 ,

wherein the modulation factor determination section determines a modulation factor satisfying modulation minimum value k≦modulation factor K ≦1 (0≦k≦K) based on a determination result of the edge intensity calculator, so that the modulation factor K=1 when the edge intensity is lower than the first threshold th 1 ,

the modulation factor K being determined in accordance with the edge intensity to satisfy modulation minimum value k≦modulation factor K ≦1 when the edge intensity is between the first threshold th 1 and the second threshold th 2 , and

the modulation factor K=modulation minimum value k when the edge intensity is higher than the second threshold th 2 , and

wherein the color difference signal modulator multiplies a value of the color difference signal by the modulation factor when the color difference signal is smaller than a prescribed threshold to obtain a modulated color difference signal.

2. An image processing method for removing false color appearing on a color image, comprising:

converting the color image into a luminance signal and a color difference signal;

calculating edge intensity of a target pixel based on luminance signals of the target pixel and peripheral pixels;

modulating the color difference signal based on the edge intensity of the target pixel;

determining whether the edge intensity is i) lower than a first threshold th 1 , ii) between the first threshold th 1 and a second threshold th 2 that is larger than the first threshold th 1 , or iii) higher than the second threshold th 2 ;

determining a modulation factor K satisfying modulation minimum value k modulation factor K≦(0≦k≦1) based on a determination result; and

calculating a modulated color difference signal by multiplying the color difference signal of the target pixel by the modulation factor K,

wherein the calculating a modulated color difference signal calculates the modulated color difference signal with the modulation factor K=1 when the edge intensity is lower than the first threshold th 1 , calculates the modulated color difference signal with the modulation factor K satisfying modulation minimum value k<modulation factor K<1 when the edge intensity is between the first threshold th 1 and the second threshold th 2 , and calculates the modulated color difference signal with the modulation factor K=modulation minimum value k when the edge intensity is higher than the second threshold th 2 .

3. The image processing method according to claim 2 , wherein the modulating step modulates only a color difference signal in the target pixel having a value smaller than a prescribed threshold.