Noise reduction apparatus for digital camera

1. A noise reduction apparatus for a digital camera which has an imager for imaging a photographic subject, comprising:

a dark exposure processor that performs two dark exposure operations including a primary dark exposure operation and a secondary dark exposure operation to obtain corresponding two dark output values for each picture element of the imager, in which the photographic subject is imaged, under a condition where the imager is shaded, after a normal exposure operation in which the photographic subject is imaged;

a representative value calculating processor that calculates a representative value for the primary dark exposure operation and the secondary dark exposure operation, based on the two dark output values;

a ratio calculating processor that calculates a ratio of each calculated representative value by dividing the representative value for the primary dark exposure operation by the representative value for the secondary dark exposure operation;

a noise component calculating processor that calculates noise components caused by a dark current in each said picture element of the imager in said normal exposure operation, on the basis of said ratio; and

a noise reducing processor that reduces said noise components from respective output values of each said picture element in said normal exposure operation.

2. The noise reduction apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein time lengths of the two dark exposure operations are the same.

3. The noise reduction apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the time length of each said dark exposure operation is half of a time length of said normal exposure operation.

4. The noise reduction apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an exposure time judging processor that judges whether a time length of said normal exposure operation is shorter than or equal to a first standard time which is set in said digital camera;

wherein said dark exposure processor performs the two dark exposure operations, when it is judged that said time length of said normal exposure operation is longer than said first standard time, by said exposure time judging processor;

wherein said representative value calculating processor calculates said representative value, when it is judged that said time length of said normal exposure operation is longer than said first standard time, by said exposure time judging processor;

wherein said ratio calculating processor calculates said ratio, when it is judged that said time length of said normal exposure operation is longer than said first standard time, by said exposure time judging processor;

wherein said noise component calculating processor calculates said noise components, when it is judged that said time length of said normal exposure operation is longer than said first standard time, by said exposure time judging processor; and

wherein said noise reducing processor reduces said noise components from respective said output values, when it is judged that said time length of said normal exposure operation is longer than said first standard time, by said exposure time judging processor.

5. The noise reduction apparatus according to claim 4 ,

wherein said dark exposure processor performs said dark exposure operation only once, after said normal exposure operation, for a same length of time as said time length of said normal exposure operation, when it is judged that said time length of said normal exposure operation is shorter than or equal to said first standard time, by said exposure time judging processor; and

wherein said noise component calculating processor calculates noise components of each picture element of the imager in said normal exposure operation, on the basis of the dark current of each picture element of the imager in said single dark exposure operation, when it is judged that said time length of said normal exposure operation is shorter than or equal to said first standard time, by said exposure time judging processor.

6. The noise reduction apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein a length of said first standard time is 60 seconds.

7. The noise reduction apparatus according to claim 5 ,

wherein said exposure time judging processor judges whether said time length of said normal exposure operation is shorter than or equal to a second standard time which is shorter than said first standard time, and which is set in said digital camera;

wherein said dark exposure processor does not carry out said dark exposure, when it is judged that the length of said normal exposure time is shorter than or equal to said second standard time, by said exposure time judging processor;

wherein said noise component calculating processor does not calculate said noise components in said normal exposure operation, when it is judged that said normal exposure time is shorter than or equal to said second standard time, by said exposure time judging processor; and

wherein said noise reducing processor does not reduce said noise components in said normal exposure operation from said respective output values of each said picture element in said normal exposure operation, when it is judged that said normal exposure time is shorter than or equal to said second standard time, by said exposure time judging processor.

8. The noise reduction apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein a length of said second standard time is 1 second.

9. The noise reduction apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said representative values equal mean values of the two dark output values of at least one picture element of the imager.

10. A method for reducing noise in a digital camera which has an imager for imaging a photographic subject, comprising:

imaging the photographic subject as a normal exposure operation;

imaging, when the imager is shaded, two dark exposure operations, including a primary dark exposure operation and a secondary dark exposure operation, to obtain corresponding two dark output values for each picture element of the imager, after said normal exposure operation;

calculating, for each dark exposure operation, a ratio of a representative value by dividing a first representative value for the primary dark exposure operation by a second representative value for the secondary dark exposure operation, the first and second representative values being calculated on the basis of the two dark output values;

calculating noise components caused by a dark current of each picture element of the imager in said normal exposure operation on the basis of said calculated ratio; and

reducing said noise components in said normal exposure operation from respective output values of each said picture element in said normal exposure operation.

11. A digital camera which uses an imager for imaging a photographic subject, said digital camera performing two dark exposure operations including a primary dark exposure operation and a secondary dark exposure operation, to obtain corresponding two dark output values for each picture element of the imager , in which the photographic subject is imaged, while the imager is shaded, after a normal exposure operation in which the photographic subject is imaged; calculating a representative value for each dark exposure operation, based on the two dark output values; calculating, for each dark exposure operation, a ratio of a representative value by dividing the representative value for the primary dark exposure operation by the representative value for the secondary dark exposure operation; calculating noise components caused by a dark current in each said picture element of the imager in said normal exposure operation on the basis of said ratio; and reducing said noise components from respective output values of each said picture element, produced in said normal exposure operation.