IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,555,202
Granted Patent B2
US 12,555,202 · App. 17/975,287 · Granted Feb 17, 2026

Image processing apparatus and image processing method

Inventor: Akira Kano (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
G06T5/70G06T5/20G06T5/80H04N5/2621G06T2200/24
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,555,202
App. No.
17/975,287
Granted
Feb 17, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image processing apparatus applies, to an input image, image restoration processing for correcting bokeh caused by a characteristic of an imaging optical system used to capture the input image. The image processing apparatus may further add a predetermined effect to a high luminance portion satisfying a predetermined condition in the input image to which the image restoration processing has been applied. The image processing apparatus has capabilities both correcting bokeh caused by an aberration in an optical system while keeping bokeh as photographic expression.

Claims (33)

1 . An image processing apparatus comprising:

one or more processors, when executing a program stored in a memory, function as:

a restoration unit configured to apply, to an input image, image restoration processing for correcting bokeh caused by a characteristic of an imaging optical system used to capture the input image, based on settings of the image restoration including a setting regarding whether to add a predetermined effect to the input image to which the image restoration processing has been applied, wherein the predetermined effect is related to a photographic expression that is corrected by the image restoration process; and

an application unit configured to add the predetermined effect to a high luminance portion satisfying a first predetermined condition in the input image to which the image restoration processing has been applied, in a case where the settings of the image restoration include a setting indicating that the predetermined effect to be added to the input image to which the image restoration processing has been applied.

2 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the application unit adds a symmetrical bokeh effect to the high luminance portion.

3 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the application unit adds a light beam pattern or a star pattern to the high luminance portion.

4 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the application unit adds the predetermined effect by taking the characteristic of the imaging optical system into account.

5 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein

larger aberrations of the imaging optical system are directly related to the strength of the predetermined effect to be added by the application unit.

6 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein

the application unit does not add the predetermined effect in a case where a size of an aberration in the imaging optical system satisfies a second predetermined condition, even if the settings of the image restoration include the setting indicating that the predetermined effect to be added to the input image to which the image restoration processing has been applied.

7 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the restoration unit applies the image restoration processing to the input image by applying, to the input image, a filter based on the characteristic of the imaging optical system.

8 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the restoration unit applies the image restoration processing to the input image by inputting the input image into a trained machine learning model.

9 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors, when executing the program, further function as:

a provision unit configured to provide a user interface that allows a user to set whether or not to apply the image restoration processing and set whether or not to add the predetermined effect.

10 . An image capture apparatus comprising:

an image sensor; and

an image processing apparatus,

wherein the image processing apparatus comprising:

one or more processors, when executing a program stored in a memory, function as:

a restoration unit configured to apply, to an input image captured by the image sensor, image restoration processing for correcting bokeh caused by a characteristic of an imaging optical system used to capture the input image, based on settings of the image restoration including a setting regarding whether to add a predetermined effect to the input image to which the image restoration processing has been applied, wherein the predetermined effect is related to a photographic expression that is corrected by the image restoration process; and

an application unit configured to add the predetermined effect to a high luminance portion satisfying a predetermined condition in the input image to which the image restoration processing has been applied, in a case where the settings of the image restoration include a setting indicating that the predetermined effect to be added to the input image to which the image restoration processing has been applied.

11 . An image processing method executed by an image processing apparatus comprising:

applying, to an input image, image restoration processing for correcting bokeh caused by a characteristic of an imaging optical system used to capture the input image, based on settings of the image restoration including a setting regarding whether to add a predetermined effect to the input image to which the image restoration processing has been applied, wherein the predetermined effect is related to a photographic expression that is corrected by the image restoration process; and

adding the predetermined effect to a high luminance portion satisfying a predetermined condition in the input image to which the image restoration processing has been applied, in a case where the settings of the image restoration include a setting indicating that the predetermined effect to be added to the input image to which the image restoration processing has been applied.

12 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a program for causing, when executed by one or more processor, the one or more processors to function as an image processing apparatus comprising:

a restoration unit configured to apply, to an input image, image restoration processing for correcting bokeh caused by a characteristic of an imaging optical system used to capture the input image, based on settings of the image restoration including a setting regarding whether to add a predetermined effect to the input image to which the image restoration processing has been applied, wherein the predetermined effect is related to a photographic expression that is corrected by the image restoration process; and

an application unit configured to add the predetermined effect to a high luminance portion satisfying a predetermined condition in the input image to which the image restoration processing has been applied, in a case where the settings of the image restoration include a setting indicating that the predetermined effect to be added to the input image to which the image restoration processing has been applied.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 7, 2022
From: KANO, AKIRA
To: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 062003/0116 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-181437 · Nov 5, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230146844A1 · May 11, 2023
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