Abstract: An apparatus and method for separating a background image and an object image. The apparatus comprises an area specifying unit for specifying areas of the image. The area specifying unit specifies, in a first period-of time, an uncovered background area in which foreground object components and background object components are mixed. The area specifying unit specifies, in a second period of time, a foreground area consisting of only the foreground object components and a background area consisting of only the background object components. The area specifying unit specifies, in a third period of time, a covered background area in which the foreground object components and the background object components are mixed. A mixture-ratio calculator detects a mixture ratio indicating a ratio of the foreground object components and the background object components. A separator separates the pixel data into the foreground object components and the background object components based on the mixture ratio.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to make it possible to detect the mixture state of an image. An area specifying unit 103 specifies, in correspondence with image data, a mixed area in which foreground object components forming a foreground object and background object components forming a background object are mixed and a non-mixed area formed of a foreground area consisting of only the foreground object components and a background area consisting of only the background object components. A mixture-ratio calculator 104 estimates, based on the ratio of the width of the mixed area in a predetermined direction with respect to the moving direction of the foreground object, the width of the mixed area being specified by the area information, to the distance from the position of a designated pixel to the edge of the mixed area in the predetermined direction, the mixture ratio indicating the ratio of the foreground object components and the background object components of the designated pixel.

Abstract: With the present invention, data continuity is used at the time of converting an input image into high-quality image data with higher quality than the input image data, to obtain processing results which are more accurate and have higher precision. A class tap extracting unit (902) and prediction tap extracting unit (906) extract a class tap and prediction tap based on data continuity of multiple perimeter pixels corresponding to a pixel of interest in the input image, detected by a data continuity detecting unit (901).

Abstract: The present invention enables processing results which are more accurate and which have higher precision as to events of the real world to be obtained. (An inverse gamma correction unit 5001 applies inverse gamma correction to an input image wherein light signals of the actual world have been projected and a part of the continuity of the light signals of the actual world has been lost, and which has been subjected to gamma correction. A data continuity detecting unit 101 detects, in the input image subjected to inverse gamma correction, data continuity corresponding to the continuity of light signals of the real world. An actual world estimating unit 102 estimates the light signals by estimating the continuity of the light signals of the real world, based on the data continuity. An image generating unit 103 generates an output image from the estimated light signals.

Abstract: A motion-vector-setting section (31) sets a first motion vector in units of pixel in a target image. An exposure-time-ratio-setting section (32) sets in units of image an exposure time ratio that is a ratio between a time interval of the target image and a period of exposure time. A motion-blur-amount-setting section (33) sets a motion blur amount in units of pixel based on the exposure time ratio and the first motion vector. Based on the motion amount, a processing-region-setting section (36) sets processing regions as well as a processing-coefficient-setting section (37) sets processing coefficients. A pixel-value-generating section (38) generates pixel values that correspond to the target pixel from pixel values in the processing region and the processing coefficients. A motion-blur-adding section (41) adds a motion blur to an image containing the pixel value generated based on an input second motion vector and the first motion vector.

Abstract: With the present invention, data continuity is used at the time of converting an input image into high-quality image data with higher quality than the input image data, to obtain processing results which are more accurate and have higher precision. A class tap extracting unit (902) and prediction tap extracting unit (906) extract a class tap and prediction tap based on data continuity of multiple perimeter pixels corresponding to a pixel of interest in the input image, detected by a data continuity detecting unit (901).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a picture processing apparatus that allows detection of an area in which a plurality of objects, such as a background picture and a picture of a moving object, is mixed. A background picture generation unit 121 generates a background picture based on picture data. A binary object picture extraction unit 121 detects a correlation value between each pixel in picture data of a frame under consideration and a pixel in the background picture at a position corresponding to the pixel in the picture data of the frame under consideration. A temporal change detection unit 123 detects a mixed area in the frame under consideration, in which a plurality of real-world objects is mixed, based on a temporal change of the correlation value at each pixel position. The present invention can be applied to a picture processing apparatus that takes difference between a signal detected by a sensor and the real world into consideration.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing device enabling detection of a mixture ratio indicating the state of mixture between multiple objects. A contour region information generating unit 421 and a normal equation generating unit 422 extracts contour region pixel data within a frame of interest positioned at a contour region with approximately a same mixture ratio, extracts corresponding pixel data from a frame different to the frame of interest, extracting background pixel data corresponding to the contour region pixel data or the corresponding pixel data, and generating an equation wherein the mixture ratio is an unknown number, based on region specifying information specifying a non-mixed region made up of a foreground region and background region and a mixed region. A least square approximation unit 423 detects the mixture ratio by solving the equation. The present invention can be applied to signals processing devices for processing image signals.

Abstract: In a communication system having at least three communication devices communicating with each other, a seating-order determination device for generating seating-order information for information sent from each communication device and for transmitting the seating-order information to each communication device is provided. Each communication device controls the output position of each information according to the seating-order information to output the information sent from the other communication devices in a seating order corresponding to the seating-order information. The seating order is always automatically changed to the most appropriate condition according to the progress of a conference and the state of conversations to provide the user with a comfortable conference environment and a comfortable communication environment.

Abstract: A motion-vector-setting section (31) sets a motion vector in units of pixel in a target image. Based on the motion vector, a target-pixel-setting section (35) sets a target pixel for each image in plural images to be processed. A motion-blur-amount-setting section (33) sets a motion blur amount in units of pixel based on the motion vector and the exposure-time ratio set in units of image in the exposure-time-ratio-setting section (32). A processing-region-setting section (36) sets processing regions corresponding to the target pixel for each of the plural images based on the motion blur amount. A processing-coefficient-setting section (37) sets processing coefficients based on the motion blur amount.

Abstract: A shooting-information-detecting section (31) detects shooting information from an image pick-up section (10). A motion-detecting section (33) detects a motion direction of an image on an overall screen based on a motion direction of the image pick-up section contained in the shooting information. A processing-region-setting section (36) sets a processing region in at least any one of a predicted target image and a peripheral image thereof, which correspond to a target pixel in the predicted target image. A processing-coefficient-setting section (37) sets a motion-blur-removing-processing coefficient that corresponds to the motion direction detected in the motion-detecting section (33). A pixel-value-generating section (38) generates a pixel value that corresponds to the target pixel based on a pixel value of a pixel in the processing region set in the processing-region-setting section (36) and the processing coefficient set in the processing-coefficient-setting section (37).

Abstract: The present invention aims to recognize the mixture state of images. An area specifying unit 103 specifies a mixed area in which foreground object components which form a foreground object and background object components which form a background object are mixed. An estimated-mixture-ratio calculator 104 detects, in correspondence with the image data, the mixture ratio indicating the ratio of the mixture of the foreground object components to the mixture of the background object components in the mixed area in which the foreground object components and the background object components are mixed. At least one of the area specifying unit 103 and the estimated-mixture-ratio calculator 104 performs image processing on the basis of a plurality of types of components. The present invention can be applied to an image processing apparatus.

Abstract: A motion-setting section (61) sets a motion amount and a motion direction for obtaining processing coefficients. A student-image-generating section (62) generates student images obtained by adding a motion blur to a teacher image not only based on the set motion amount and the set motion direction but also by changing at least one of the motion amount and motion direction in a specific ratio and student images obtained by adding no motion blur to the teacher image. A prediction-tap-extracting section (64) extracts, in order to extract a main term that mainly contains component of the target pixel, at least a pixel value of pixel in the student image whose space position roughly agrees with space position of the target pixel in the teacher image.

Abstract: In a communication system having at least three communication devices communicating with each other, a seating-order determination device for generating seating-order information for information sent from each communication device and for transmitting the seating-order information to each communication device is provided. Each communication device controls the output position of each information according to the seating-order information to output the information sent from the other communication devices in a seating order corresponding to the seating-order information. The seating order is always automatically changed to the most appropriate condition according to the progress of a conference and the state of conversations to provide the user with a comfortable conference environment and a comfortable communication environment.

Abstract: In this invention, a transmit/receive section 34 receives, from monitor, request for transmission of picture image through network and transmits, to the monitor, the entirety or a portion of picture image from which distortion has been eliminated. A memory section 33 stores picture image inputted from an image pick-up unit. An arithmetic section 32 selects the entirety or a portion of picture image stored in the memory section 33 in correspondence with request that the transmit/receive section 34 has received. A picture processing section 36 converts the entirety or a portion of picture image selected by the arithmetic section 32 into picture image from which distortion has been eliminated.

Abstract: The present invention allows the amount of movement indicating the movement of an object within an exposure period to be obtained. An estimated-mixture-ratio processor 401 calculates an estimated mixture ratio for each pixel and an estimated motion vector by a calculation corresponding to a model of a covered background area, and sends the calculated estimated mixture ratio and the calculated estimated motion vector to a mixture-ratio determining portion 403. An estimated-mixture-ratio processor 402 calculates an estimated mixture ratio for each pixel and an estimated motion vector by a calculation corresponding to a model of an uncovered background area, and sends the calculated estimated mixture ratio and the calculated estimated motion vector to the mixture-ratio determining portion 403.

Abstract: The present invention allows an image to be processed corresponding to the mixture of a background image and an image of a moving object. A region specifying unit specifies a mixed region wherein foreground object components making up foreground objects and background object components making up background objects are mixed, and a non-mixed region configured of one of foreground object components making up foreground objects or background object components making up background objects, and outputs region information corresponding to the results of specifying. A region processing unit 5001 processes input images for each of the regions specified by the region information. The present invention can be applied to image processing devices for processing images.

Abstract: A target-pixel-setting section (31) sets a target pixel in a target image to be predicted. A motion-direction-detecting section (32) detects a motion direction corresponding to the target pixel. A pixel-value-extracting section (36) extracts from peripheral images corresponding to the target image, in order to extract a main term that mainly contains component of the target pixel in a moving object that encounters a motion blur in the peripheral images, at least pixel values of pixels in the peripheral images whose space position roughly agree with space position of the target pixel. A processing-coefficient-setting section (37a) sets a specific motion-blur-removing-processing coefficient.

Abstract: An image processing device and method, where the image processing device includes a continuity region detector configured to detect a region having data continuity within image data made up of a plurality of pixels acquired by light signals of a real world being cast upon a plurality of detecting elements each having spatio-temporal integration effects, and a real world estimating unit configured to estimate the light signals by estimating a continuity of the real world light signals which have been lost.

Abstract: An image processing device, method, and program capable of obtaining processing results which are even more accurate and even more precise as to events in the real world by taking into consideration the real world where data has been acquired. The image processing device may include a computer configured to calculate a product-sum coefficient and a recorder configured to record the product-sum coefficient. The image processing device may also include a data continuity detector, a recorder, and a real world estimating unit.