IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD FOR ADAPTIVELY FILTERING IMAGE DATA

An image processing method for filtering image data, which is constituted with a plurality of pixels, at each pixel position by using pixel values indicated by pixels present within a predetermined range containing a target pixel, includes: determining two arguments that are a first argument defined by a spatial distance from the target pixel and a second argument defined by a difference in signal intensity relative to the target pixel, in correspondence to each of the pixels present within the predetermined range; obtaining a weighting coefficient to be used when filtering each of the pixels present within the predetermined range, based upon a single integrated argument represented by a product of the first argument and the second argument; and filtering the image data by using a filter coefficient corresponding to the weighting coefficient having been obtained.