Image processing apparatus, and non-transitory computer readable medium for reducing undesirable effect during image capturing

1. An image processing apparatus comprising a processor configured to:

receive a first image that is captured with an object irradiated with light from a light irradiating unit and a second image that is captured with the object not irradiated with light from the light irradiating unit wherein the first image and the second image are consecutively captured;

adjust brightness of a whole area of the second image based on brightness of the first image to generate an adjusted second image, wherein a difference between brightness at a specific location in the first image and brightness at a corresponding specific location in the adjusted second image is within a predetermined range, and

replace in the first image a pixel value of a pixel that has higher brightness than a pixel in the adjusted second image with a pixel value of the pixel in the adjusted second image to generate a composite image.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor generates the composite image by selecting the pixel value of the pixel in the first image or the pixel value of the pixel in the adjusted second image, whichever is lower in brightness.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the processor adjusts the brightness of the whole area of the second image such that a mean value of brightness at a plurality of specific locations in the first image is approximately equal to a mean value of brightness at a plurality of corresponding specific locations in the adjusted second image.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein each of the specific locations in the first image is off a central region of the first image and each of the specific locations in the adjusted second image is off a central region of the adjusted second image.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:

an imaging unit that captures an image of the object; and

the light irradiating unit that irradiates the object with light when the imaging unit captures the image of the object.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor generates the composite image by replacing in the first image a pixel value of a pixel in a target region to be replaced and a pixel value of a pixel in a region surrounding the target region with a value that is calculated using the pixel value of the pixel in the first image and the pixel value of the pixel in the adjusted second image.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the processor adjusts the brightness of the whole area of the second image such that a mean value of brightness at a plurality of specific locations in the first image is approximately equal to a mean value of brightness at a plurality of corresponding specific locations in the adjusted second image.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein each of the specific locations in the first image is off a central region of the first image and each of the specific locations in the adjusted second image is off a central region of the adjusted second image.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising:

an imaging unit that captures an image of the object; and

the light irradiating unit that irradiates the object with light when the imaging unit captures the image of the object.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor adjusts the brightness of the whole area of the second image such that a mean value of brightness at a plurality of specific locations in the first image is approximately equal to a mean value of brightness at a plurality of corresponding specific locations in the adjusted second image.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein each of the specific locations in the first image is off a central region of the first image and each of the specific locations in the adjusted second image is off a central region of the adjusted second image.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor adjusts the brightness of the whole area of the second image such that a mean value of brightness at a plurality of specific locations in the first image is approximately equal to a mean value of brightness at a plurality of corresponding specific locations in the adjusted second image.

13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein each of the specific locations in the first image is off a central region of the first image and each of the specific locations in the adjusted second image is off a central region of the adjusted second image.

14. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an imaging unit that captures an image of the object; and

the light irradiating unit that irradiates the object with light when the imaging unit captures the image of the object.

15. The image processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the imaging unit captures the image with the object not irradiated with light from the light irradiating unit after the imaging unit captures the image with the object irradiated with light from the light irradiating unit.

16. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an imaging unit that captures an image of the object; and

the light irradiating unit that irradiates the object with light when the imaging unit captures the image of the object.

17. The image processing apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the imaging unit captures the image with the object not irradiated with light from the light irradiating unit after the imaging unit captures the image with the object irradiated with light from the light irradiating unit.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for processing an image, the process comprising:

receiving a first image that is captured with an object irradiated with light and a second image that is captured with the object not irradiated with light, wherein the first image and the second image are consecutively captured;

adjusting brightness of a whole area of the second image based on brightness of the first image to generate an adjusted second image, wherein a difference between brightness at a specific location in the first image and brightness at a corresponding specific location in the adjusted second image is within a predetermined range, and

replacing in the first image a pixel value of a pixel that has higher brightness than a pixel in the adjusted second image with a pixel value of the pixel in the adjusted second image to generate a composite image.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for processing an image, the process comprising:

capturing a second image with an object not irradiated with light after a first image is captured with the object irradiated with light, wherein the first image and the second image are consecutively captured; and

adjusting brightness of a whole area of the second image based on brightness of the first image to generate an adjusted second image, wherein a difference between brightness at a specific location in the first image and brightness at a corresponding specific location in the adjusted second image is within a predetermined range, and

replacing in the first image a pixel value of a pixel that has higher brightness than a pixel in the adjusted second image with a pixel value of the pixel in the adjusted second image to generate a composite image.