Abstract: High-precision normal information on the surface of a subject is generated by capturing an image of the subject. A normal information generating device captures the image of the subject and thereby passively generates normal information on the surface of the subject. The normal information generating device includes: a stereo polarization image capturing section for receiving a plurality of polarized light beams of different polarization directions at different viewpoint positions and obtaining a plurality of polarization images of different viewpoint positions; and a normal information generating section for estimating a normal direction vector of the subject based on the plurality of polarization images of different viewpoint positions.

Abstract: Provided is an image generation device generating a high-quality image of an object under a pseudo light source at any desired position, based on geometric parameters generated from a low-quality image of the object. The image generation device includes: a geometric parameter calculation unit (102) that calculates a first geometric parameter regarding a shape of a surface from light source position, viewpoint position, and geometric normal information regarding the shape; a high-resolution database unit (103) that stores an exemplum indicating a mesostructure of a portion of the surface and has a spatial resolution higher than the geometric normal information; an exemplum expansion unit (104) that increases the exempla to be spatially expanded; a geometric parameter modification unit (105) that modifies the first geometric parameter using the increased exempla; and an image generation unit (106) that generates an output image by applying the modified geometric parameter to a reflection model.

Abstract: The image processing device performs processing on a shadow in an image of an object, and includes: an image information obtaining unit obtaining information about an image of the object, the information including luminance information about luminance of light from the object and polarization information about polarization of the light from the object; a shadow area extracting unit extracting an attached shadow area and a cast shadow area from the image of the object based on the luminance information and the polarization information, the attached shadow area appearing on the surface of the object depending on an angle of incidence light, and the cast shadow area appearing on the surface of a material body other than the object when the light is blocked by the object; and an output unit outputting information identifying the attached shadow area and cast shadow area.

Abstract: In a learning process, first, images having different resolutions are obtained from a target region of the subject (S101). Further, the subject characteristic of the target region is obtained (S102). Then, the resolution conversion rules are learned from the images having different resolutions, and those are recorded to a storage device along with the subject characteristics (S103). When converting the resolutions, the resolution conversion rules learned for the corresponding subject characteristics are applied to each region of the original image so as to convert the resolutions of the original image.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus that includes a color and polarization image capturing section 201, a whole sky polarization map getting section 202, a weather determining section 203, a fine-weather sky part separating section 204, a cloudy-weather normal estimating section 207, and a pseudo 3D image generating section 208. The apparatus obtains polarization information outdoors with the polarization state of the sky taken into account, and estimates surface normal information at an object's surface on a two-dimensional image, thereby generating a surface normal image. Using that normal image, the apparatus divides the object into multiple ranges, extracts three-dimensional information and generates a viewpoint changed image, thereby generating a pseudo 3D image.

Abstract: An imaging device condition determination section determines whether a condition of an imaging device is suitable for obtaining light source information. When it is determined to be suitable, a light source image obtaining section obtains a light source image by the imaging device. A first imaging device information obtaining section obtains first imaging device information representing the condition of the imaging device at a point in time when the light source image is obtained. A second imaging device information obtaining section obtains second imaging device information representing the condition of the imaging device at a time of actual image capturing. A light source information estimating section estimates light source information at the time of image capturing by using the light source image and the first and second imaging device information.

Abstract: A polarization camera that can capture polarization images and a color image at the same time is used. Specifically, a clear sky polarization image, which provides information about the polarization of a part of the sky, is captured by a clear sky polarization image capturing section 100. And by reference to the information provided by a sun position determining section 1301 that determines the sun's position at the time of shooting, a camera direction estimating section 101 determines in what direction and in what area of the whole sky the clear sky polarization image is located as a polarization pattern. Finally, information about what direction or orientation on the globe the camera (image capture device) is now facing is output. In this manner, the direction of the camera and the relative position of the camera with respect to the sun can be known without providing a sensor separately and without capturing the whole sky or the sun.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus (107-1) which captures an image of an object moving in a space where a light source (109) is placed, the light source emitting light whose intensity varies in a predetermined cycle, the imaging capturing apparatus includes: an imaging device (102-1) for capturing the image of the object and the light from the light source (109); a signal processing unit (103-1) for generating, from a signal outputted from the imaging device (102-1), an image signal that includes a picture sequence synchronized with an imaging apparatus drive signal obtained from the outside; and a phase difference detection unit (105-1), a phase different adjustment unit (106-1), and a drive signal generation unit (104-1), for generating a signal that is synchronized with the intensity variations of the light from the light source (109) which is captured by the imaging device (102-1), and outputting, as the imaging-apparatus drive signal, the generated signal into the signal processing unit (103-1).

Abstract: An image processing apparatus captures an object's image and separates the object's image into multiple components. The apparatus includes: a light projecting section 101 for projecting light emitted from a light source toward the object; a color and polarization obtaining section 102 for getting a color polarized image of the object; a polarization information processing section 104 for generating color and polarization information based on an association between the intensity of the light that has been transmitted through a polarizer with three or more polarization principal axis directions and the polarization principal axis directions for each of unit pixels that form the color polarized image; a light source color information collecting section 105 for collecting color information of the light source; and an image component separating section 106 for separating the color image into multiple components based on the polarization information and the color information of the light source.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a polarized image is captured, a variation in its light intensity is approximated with a sinusoidal function, and then the object is spatially divided into a specular reflection area (S-area) and a diffuse reflection area (D-area) in Step S402 of dividing a reflection area. Information about the object's refractive index is entered in Step S405, thereby obtaining surface normals by mutually different techniques in Steps S406 and S407, respectively. Finally, in Steps S410 and S411, the two normals are matched to each other in the vicinity of the boundary between the S- and D-areas.

Abstract: High-precision normal information on the surface of a subject is generated by capturing an image of the subject. A normal information generating device captures the image of the subject and thereby passively generates normal information on the surface of the subject. The normal information generating device includes: a stereo polarization image capturing section for receiving a plurality of polarized light beams of different polarization directions at different viewpoint positions and obtaining a plurality of polarization images of different viewpoint positions; and a normal information generating section for estimating a normal direction vector of the subject based on the plurality of polarization images of different viewpoint positions.

Abstract: A polarization image capturing section 103 obtains a first polarization image containing polarization information. A polarization information obtaining section 104 obtains first polarization information from the first polarization image. An illumination control section 102 changes an illumination section 101 and again obtains a second polarization image by means of the polarization image capturing section 103. The polarization information obtaining section 104 obtains second polarization information from the second polarization image. A light source dependency estimation section 105 obtains light source dependency from the first and second polarization information obtained from the first and second polarization images. An area dividing section 106 performs an area division by using the polarization information and light source dependency information.

Abstract: A multi-color image processor according to the present invention includes an image capturing section 101 and a signal processing section 104. The image capturing section 101 includes a color separating section 10 for separating visible radiation into at least two light rays with first- and second-color components, respectively, and first and second imagers 12 and 14 that receive the light rays with the first- and second-color components. The image capturing section 101 gets images with the first- and second-color components by making the first imager 12 decimate pixels to read, but making the second imager 14 read every pixel, on a field-by-field basis on respective arrangements of pixels of the first and second imagers 12 and 14.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a single-chip color image capture element that has a color mosaic filter 201 and a patterned polarizer 202 in which a number of polarizer units, having polarization transmission planes defining at least three different angles, are provided for multiple pixels of the same color (G) in the color mosaic filter 201.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a polarized image is captured, a variation in its light intensity is approximated with a sinusoidal function, and then the object is spatially divided into a specular reflection area (S-area) and a diffuse reflection area (D-area) in Step S402 of dividing a reflection area. Information about the object's refractive index is entered in Step S405, thereby obtaining surface normals by mutually different techniques in Steps S406 and S407, respectively. Finally, in Steps S410 and S411, the two normals are matched to each other in the vicinity of the boundary between the S- and D-areas.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes: a color and polarization obtaining section 101 including a single-chip color image capture element with a color mosaic filter and a patterned polarizer in which a number of polarizer units, of which the polarization transmission planes define mutually different angles, are arranged adjacent to each other within each single color pixel; a color information processing section 102 for getting average color intensity information by averaging the intensities of the light rays that have been transmitted through the polarizer units within each said single color pixel; and a polarization information processing section 103 for approximating, as a sinusoidal function, a relation between the intensity of light rays that have been transmitted through the polarizer units within each said single color pixel and the angles of the polarization transmission planes of the polarizer units.

Abstract: The normal vector information generating device generates normal vector information on the surface of an object, and includes: an image information obtaining unit obtaining information about an image of the object, the information including luminance information about luminance of light from the object and polarization information about polarization of the light; a shadow area extracting unit extracting an attached shadow area and a cast shadow area from the image based on the luminance information and the polarization information, the attached shadow area appearing on the surface of the object depending on an angle of incidence light, and the cast shadow area appearing on the surface of a material body when the light is blocked by the object; and a normal vector information generating unit generating normal vector information identifying a normal vector on the surface of the object in the attached shadow area using the polarization information.

Abstract: It is possible to realize a novel video processing device that can utilize the compatibility between the spaces of an encoded image in an xvYCC system with a wide color gamut and an encoded image in the conventional YCbCr system. The video signal processing device (100) detects the type of the recording medium with a video medium type detection portion (104), obtains the color gamut of the video signal with a video color gamut obtaining portion (103), determines a color adjustment parameter with a color adjustment parameter determining portion (106), performs color adjustment on the video signal with a video color adjustment portion (102) based on that parameter, records the color-adjusted video signal to the recording medium.

Abstract: To provide an image-capturing apparatus and an image-capturing method which keeps, even when an object or a photographer moves, the object-missing capturing to a minimum and which allows recording for a longer period of time.

Abstract: An imaging device condition determination section determines whether a condition of an imaging device is suitable for obtaining light source information. When it is determined to be suitable, a light source image obtaining section obtains a light source image by the imaging device. A first imaging device information obtaining section obtains first imaging device information representing the condition of the imaging device at a point in time when the light source image is obtained. A second imaging device information obtaining section obtains second imaging device information representing the condition of the imaging device at a time of actual image capturing. A light source information estimating section estimates light source information at the time of image capturing by using the light source image and the first and second imaging device information.