Adapted piecewise linear processing device

Abstract

A piecewise linear processing device applies different amplification rates according to a general environment and a low luminance environment where much noise exists. The piecewise linear processing device includes a knee point storing unit configured to store a user's default setting value and low luminance setting value; a luminance detecting unit configured to detect a noisy environment to output a current luminance information signal and a maximum luminance information signal; an adaptive knee point supply unit configured to receive the default setting value, the low luminance setting value, the current luminance information signal, and the maximum luminance information signal to supply a adjusted adaptive knee point according to a degree of noise; and a piecewise linear processing unit configured to apply a section amplification rate to an input data on the basis of a region corresponding to the adaptive knee point.

1 . An image processing system comprising:
 a first unit configured to:
 receive a plurality of values that define input data amplification settings over a range of input data levels; and 
 adjust the plurality of values to determine a plurality of adaptive knee points using an up-code, a down-code, and a degree of environmental noise. 
   
     
     
         2 . The image processing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second unit configured to amplify the input data according to the plurality of adaptive knee points to generate output data. 
     
     
         3 . The image processing system of  claim 2 , further comprising a third unit configured to:
 store the plurality of values; and   provide the plurality of values to the first unit.   
     
     
         4 . The image processing system of  claim 1 , wherein the degree of environmental noise corresponds to a current luminance. 
     
     
         5 . The image processing system of  claim 4 , wherein the image processing system is configured to determine the current luminance according to a current exposure time. 
     
     
         6 . An image processing system comprising:
 a first unit configured to:
 receive a first piecewise curve; 
 determine a second piecewise curve according to an up-code and a down-code; and 
 determine an adaptive knee point curve between the first piecewise curve and the second piecewise curve according to a degree of environmental noise, wherein the adaptive knee point curve defines amplification settings for amplifying input data to form output data. 
   
     
     
         7 . The image processing system of  claim 6 , further comprising a second unit configured to amplify the input data according to the adaptive knee point curve to generate the output data. 
     
     
         8 . The image processing system of  claim 7 , further comprising a third unit configured to:
 store the first piecewise curve; and   provide the first piecewise curve to the first unit.   
     
     
         9 . The image processing system of  claim 6 , wherein the degree of environmental noise corresponds to a current luminance. 
     
     
         10 . The image processing system of  claim 9 , wherein the image processing system is configured to determine the current luminance according to a current exposure time. 
     
     
         11 . The image processing system of  claim 6 , wherein the second piecewise curve has a slope that is constant. 
     
     
         12 . The image processing system of  claim 11 , wherein the slope is proportional to the up-code, the down-code, a maximum range of the input data and a maximum range of the output data. 
     
     
         13 . A method for processing image data, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a first unit, a first piecewise curve;   determining, by the first unit, a second piecewise curve according to an up-code and a down-code; and   determining, by the first unit, an adaptive knee point curve between the first piecewise curve and the second piecewise curve according to a degree of environmental noise, wherein the adaptive knee point curve defines amplification settings for amplifying input data to form output data.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising amplifying, with a second unit, the input data according to the adaptive knee point curve to generate the output data. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 storing, with a third unit, the first piecewise curve; and   providing, by the third unit, the first piecewise curve to the first unit.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the degree of environmental noise corresponds to a current luminance. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising determining the current luminance according to a current exposure time. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the second piecewise curve has a slope that is constant. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the slope is proportional to the up-code, the down-code, a maximum range of the input data and a maximum range of the output data.