Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an imaging unit that acquires a first image by capturing an object at a first focusing position, and acquires a second image after acquiring the first image, by capturing the object at a second focusing position different from the first. The second image has different blur than the first image. A depth information determination unit determines depth information of the object on the basis of a difference in blur between the first image and the second image. A focusing position setting unit sets a focus movement amount that is a difference between the first focusing position and the second focusing position, in accordance with an F-number of the imaging unit. The second focusing position is set such that an absolute value of the focus movement amount is larger when the F-number is large, as compared to when the F-number is relatively small.

Abstract: A distance measurement method for calculating distance information from a first image and a second image that are image-captured with different image-capturing parameters. A setting step sets a first local region located in the first image including a distance calculation target pixel, and a second local region located in the second image corresponding to the first local region. An extraction step extracts a plurality of shift regions, which are regions of which a shift amount from the second local region is within a predetermined range. A correlation value is calculated between the first local region and each of the plurality of shift regions. A decision step determines a correlation value used for calculating distance information, based on the plurality of correlation values calculated in the first calculation step. The distance information on the distance calculation target pixel is calculated, based on the correlation value determined in the decision step.

Abstract: A distance measurement apparatus that calculates distance information based on first and second images, includes a first calculation unit that calculates, for each pixel to which distance calculation is performed, distance information corresponding to the pixel on the basis of a local area of a number of local areas in the first image, including the pixel, and a local area of a number of local areas in the second image, corresponding to the local area in the first image; a second calculation unit that calculates a non-similarity value between the local area in the first image and the local area in the second image; a determination unit that determines whether the non-similarity value is greater than a threshold; and a third calculation unit that calculates a ratio of the number of local areas for which the non-similarity value is determined to be greater than the threshold in a predetermined area to the number of local areas in the predetermined area.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises a corresponding point determining unit configured to, for a plurality of points contained in a first image, search a second image for corresponding points; a transformation coefficient calculating unit configured to divide the plurality of corresponding points into groups, based on amounts of misalignment between the images at the corresponding points, and configured to calculates a coordinate transformation coefficient for each of the groups; and an image synthesizing unit configured to generate a synthesis image, using a plurality of the coordinate transformation coefficients and the second image.

Abstract: A motion information acquiring apparatus includes: a lighting device that illuminates an object at the same time with first intensity-modulated light, second intensity-modulated light, and constant illumination light, wherein the first and second intensity-modulated light are intensity modulated with reference signals having substantially same wavelength but different phase; an image generator that generates first to third images corresponding to the first intensity-modulated light, the second intensity-modulated light, and the constant illumination light; and a motion information acquirer that acquires motion information in the images on the basis of the first to third images.

Abstract: Provided is an image processing apparatus for detecting a sky region based on a color image and a depth image, having: a first generator configured to generate a first provisional sky map based on pixel values of the color image; and an integrator configured to generate a sky map based on the first provisional sky map and depth values of the depth image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises a corresponding point determining unit configured to, for a plurality of points contained in a first image, search a second image for corresponding points; a transformation coefficient calculating unit configured to divide the plurality of corresponding points into groups, based on amounts of misalignment between the images at the corresponding points, and configured to calculates a coordinate transformation coefficient for each of the groups; and an image synthesizing unit configured to generate a synthesis image, using a plurality of the coordinate transformation coefficients and the second image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprising: an image acquisition unit configured to acquire an image; a depth map acquisition unit configured to acquire a depth map corresponding to the image; a refinement unit configured to detect a saliency region from the image and to refine the depth map on the basis of the saliency region, the saliency region being a region on which a person tends to focus; and an image processing unit configured to apply image processing to the image using the depth map refined by the refinement unit.

Abstract: A depth measurement apparatus that calculates depth information of an object based on a first color image and a second color image, includes: a depth calculator adapted to calculate depth information of a target pixel in a color plane, using the two color images; and an evaluator adapted to calculate, for each color plane, an evaluation value to indicate a confidence coefficient of the depth information in the target pixel, wherein the depth calculator is further adapted to determine, based on the evaluation value, a color plane from which the depth information of the target pixel is calculated.

Abstract: Provided is a depth measurement apparatus that measures depth information on a subject by using a plurality of images taken under different imaging parameters and having different blurs, the depth measurement apparatus including a spatial frequency determination unit that determines a spatial frequency band from a spatial frequency present in at least one of the plurality of images, an image comparison unit that compares the plurality of images by using the component of the spatial frequency band of the plurality of images and outputs a depth dependence value dependent on the depth of the subject, and a depth calculation unit that calculates the depth from the depth dependence value and the spatial frequency band.

Abstract: A depth measurement apparatus for calculating depth information on an object, using one color image, including: a selection unit adapted to select, from a plurality of color planes of the color image, at least two color planes with different image formation positions; an adjusting unit adapted to adjust a luminance difference between the selected color planes; and a calculation unit adapted to calculate the depth information using a difference in blur between the adjusted color planes.

Abstract: A depth measurement apparatus calculates depth information on a subject in an image by using a plurality of images having different blurs taken under different imaging parameters, and includes a region segmentation unit that segments at least one of the images into regions based on an image feature amount, wherein in each of the regions pixels are presumed to be substantially equal in depth to the subject, and a depth calculation unit that calculates a depth for each region resulting from the segmentation by the region segmentation unit and serving as a processing target region for depth calculation, and sets the calculated depth as the depth of the processing target region.

Abstract: A distance measurement apparatus having: a setting unit configured to set a first local region in a first image including a target pixel, and a second local region in a second image corresponding to the first local region; an extraction unit configured to extract a plurality of shift regions; a first calculation unit configured to calculate a correlation value between the first local region and each of the plurality of shift regions; a decision unit configured to determine a correlation value used for calculating the distance information, based on the plurality of correlation values calculated by the first calculation unit; and a second calculation unit configured to calculate the distance information on the distance calculation target pixel, based on the correlation value determined by the first decision unit.

Abstract: A distance measurement apparatus that calculates distance information based on a first and second images, including: a first calculation unit that calculates, for each pixel for distance calculation, distance information on the pixel on the basis of a local area in the first image including the pixel and a local area in the second image corresponding to the local area in the first image; a second calculation unit that calculates a non-similarity between the local area in the first image and the local area in the second image; a determination unit that determines whether the non-similarity is higher than a threshold; and a third calculation unit that calculates a ratio of the number of local areas for which the non-similarity is determined to be higher than the threshold in a predetermined area to the number of local areas in the predetermined area.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup element configured to provide a photoelectric conversion to an optical image formed by an image pickup optical system, a correlation image acquirer configured to obtain a product between a pixel value of an image output from the image pickup element and a representative value of a reference signal that fluctuates during an exposure time period for each of a plurality of divided time periods made by dividing the exposure time period by a predetermined division number, and a correlation image calculator configured to obtain an output from the image pickup element and to calculate a sum of the product for the exposure time period as a correlation image.

Abstract: The image processing apparatus includes an estimator configured to estimate an amount of a color blur of each of multiple color components included in a color image, and a processor configured to perform a color blur reduction process to reduce, from the color image, the color blur of each color component by using the estimated amount of the color blur thereof. The apparatus further includes a decider configured to acquire a hue formed by the color blurs of the color components and to decide, depending on the hue, an order of the color components on which the color blur reduction processes are performed.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for correcting, on the basis of an image and a depth map corresponding to the image, the depth map, includes: a detection unit that detects an object included in the image; a determination unit that determines whether a size of the object detected by the detection unit is a threshold or less; and a correction unit that corrects a distance in a target area which corresponds to an area of the object in the depth map, when the size of the detected object is the threshold or less.

Abstract: Depth information of an object is determined on the basis of a difference in blur between a first image captured at a first focusing position and a second image captured at a second focusing position. A focus movement amount which is a difference between the first focusing position and the second focusing position is set in accordance with an F-number of an imaging optical system. The second focusing position may be set in such a manner that an absolute value of the focus movement amount is larger when the F-number is large, compared to when the F-number is relatively small.

Abstract: A distance measuring apparatus that calculates an subject distance from a plurality of images having different degrees of a blur, comprises an area setting unit configured to set ranging target areas in corresponding coordinate positions in the plurality of images, respectively; a feature value calculating unit configured to calculate, for each of the ranging target areas set in the plurality of images, a feature value of the ranging target area; and a distance calculating unit configured to calculate an subject distance in the ranging target area based on a plurality of feature values calculated for the ranging target areas.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprising: an image acquisition unit configured to acquire an image; a depth map acquisition unit configured to acquire a depth map corresponding to the image; a refinement unit configured to detect a saliency region from the image and to refine the depth map on the basis of the saliency region, the saliency region being a region on which a person tends to focus; and an image processing unit configured to apply image processing to the image using the depth map refined by the refinement unit.