IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS
One embodiment of the present invention provides an image processing method, the method comprising: acquiring a plurality of viewpoint images; generating a contrast distribution from the plurality of viewpoint images; and generating an output image by performing image processing in accordance with the contrast distribution with respect to an image based on the plurality of viewpoint images.
1 - 18 . (canceled)
19 . An image processing method comprising:
acquiring a plurality of viewpoint images;
generating a plurality of modified viewpoint images by performing processing for expanding difference between the plurality of viewpoint images in every pixel of the plurality of viewpoint images and sharpening parallax, or reducing difference between the plurality of viewpoint images and smoothing the parallax; and
generating an output image from the plurality of modified viewpoint images.
20 . The image processing method according to claim 19 , wherein the processing for expanding the difference between the plurality of viewpoint images and sharpening the parallax, or reducing the difference between the plurality of viewpoint images and smoothing the parallax is performed by a calculation between signals output by each unit of a plurality of photoelectric conversion units included in each of the pixels.
21 . The image processing method according to claim 19 , wherein the output image is generated by shifting and summing the plurality of modified viewpoint images.
22 . The image processing method according to claim 19 , wherein processing for expanding sizes of the plurality of modified viewpoint images is performed.
23 - 24 . (canceled)
25 . An image pickup apparatus comprising:
an imaging element in which a plurality of pixels provided with a plurality of sub pixels for receiving light flux passing through different partial pupil areas in a focusing optical system are arrayed; and
at least one processor and at least one memory functioning as:
a viewpoint image generating unit configured to generate a plurality of viewpoint images in every area of the different partial pupil areas from an input image acquired from the imaging element;
a captured image generating unit configured to generate a captured image in accordance with a pupil area in which the different partial pupil areas are synthesized from the input image;
a contrast distribution generating unit configured to generate contrast distribution from the plurality of viewpoint images; and
an output image generating unit configured to generate an output image by performing image processing in accordance with the contrast distribution with respect to an image based on the plurality of viewpoint images.