Abstract: An image signal is input from an image input unit and is divided into different spatial frequency bands by applying a discrete wavelet transform thereto using a discrete wavelet transformation unit. On the basis of values of spatial frequency components, a region-of-interest extracts a region of interest by obtaining a distribution of motion vectors in the input image. A quantization unit applies quantization processing to the extracted region of interest and different quantization processing to other regions, and an encoder encodes the quantized image signal. Alternatively, motion of an image contained in the input image may be detected and the region of interest may be obtained based upon motion of this image.

Abstract: A technique for automatically extracting a region of interest from a set of a plurality of images includes a scheme exploiting a motion vector, and a scheme based on an active contour model. But these schemes suffer various problems (e.g., detection resolution and precision are low, resolutions in units of pixels cannot be obtained, versatility is poor, and so forth). To solve these problems, when initial contour information in an image sensed at reference time is input, a feature point selector selects a plurality of feature points from its contour line, and stores the connectivity between these feature points in a memory. A corresponding point seeker seeks a plurality of corresponding points, which respectively correspond to the plurality of selected feature points, from an image to be sought, which is sensed at another time, and the contour between the plurality of found corresponding points is extracted on the basis of the stored connectivity.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus includes an image input unit (100) for inputting an image, a detection unit (200) for detecting a state of movement of the image input unit (100) in an image input operation, a storage unit (310, 9000) for storing a plurality of images input by the image input unit (100) and movement information corresponding to the state of movement detected by the detection unit (200), and an image generating unit (320) for generating an image from an arbitrary viewpoint position on the basis of the plurality of images and the movement information stored in the storage unit.

Abstract: A movement vector detecting device is provided with a movement vector detecting circuit for detecting a movement vector in each of blocks obtained by dividing an image frame, an edge number detecting circuit for detecting the number of edges in each of the blocks, and an evaluation circuit for evaluating the reliability of the movement vector value detected by the movement vector detecting circiut, based on the number of edges detected by the edge number detecting circuit.

Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide a simple and accurate process for extracting an object from an image, which is used to impose a great load for an operator. According to the present invention, an image processing apparatus comprises an object extracting unit, for performing a predetermined process for image data for a position or an area that is designated and for extracting a specific object from an image, an outline part deciding unit, for selecting and authenticating an arbitrary segment of an outline obtained by the extracting unit, and an outline synthesis unit, for linking and synthesizing together the outline segments that are authenticated. Since a closed curve is formed by synthesizing the outline segments obtained by repeating the above process, and the outline of the object is thus determined, the outline segment that is extracted from the image and matches the correct outline of the object is sequentially selected and authenticated.

Abstract: When a dispersion value of a shading value is equal to or more than a threshold value in the neighborhood of a standard point, it is determined that an image pattern has a texture dominant characteristic. When the value is less than the threshold value, a change of the shading value is determined to be moderate (S11). When the dispersion value is equal to or more than the threshold value (S11), a texture characteristic amount is loaded (S12), a characteristic amount suitable for area growth (e.g., texture energy) is calculated (S13), and a distance DT concerning the texture characteristic amount is obtained (S14). When the dispersion value is less than the threshold value (S11), a color component characteristic amount is loaded (S16), a characteristic amount suitable for the area growth (e.g., a characteristic vector obtained from a local histogram concerning a color component or a list of representative color components) is extracted (S17), and a distance DC concerning the color component is obtained (S18).

Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide a simple and accurate process for extracting an object from an image, which is used to impose a great load for an operator. According to the present invention, an image processing apparatus comprises an object extracting unit, for performing a predetermined process for image data for a position or an area that is designated and for extracting a specific object from an image, an outline part deciding unit, for selecting and authenticating an arbitrary segment of an outline obtained by the extracting unit, and an outline synthesis unit, for linking and synthesizing together the outline segments that are authenticated. Since a closed curve is formed by synthesizing the outline segments obtained by repeating the above process, and the outline of the object is thus determined, the outline segment that is extracted from the image and matches the correct outline of the object is sequentially selected and authenticated.

Abstract: There is disclosed an image processing apparatus. A contour interval intended to be extracted is designated (S1). A start point designated in S1 is used as the initial position of an attended point, and an end point is set as a target point of contour tracing (S2). A positional relation of the attended point and the target point is calculated (S3). A blind mask for blinding pixels in the vicinity of the attended point is prepared (S4). This mask processing permits a considerably free contour line tracing, while setting a restriction to securely converge to the target point. The pixel with the maximum edge strength is searched for from the pixels in the vicinity of the attended point (S5), and the searched contour pixel is set as a new attended point (S6). The operation is repeated from S3 to S6 until the new attended point reaches the target point (S7).

Abstract: The image of a processing target is input. A feature quantity extraction device obtains a feature quantity distribution of the input image, and makes it binary. When desired template data is selected by a user, a template data generation device automatically generates a plurality of template sets different in size from each other from the selected template data. A template scan device raster-scans each template on the respective images with a predetermined sampling pitch according to the size, and obtains the first shape fit at each position. When the user instructs start of extraction execution processing, a template figure element deformation device shifts the representative point of a figure element constituting the template figure within the shift range, and generates a new curve segment interconnecting the representative points after shift.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus in which a plurality of images obtained by photographing a three-dimensional object from a plurality of viewpoints are integrated by using image-pickup parameters such as position, pose, focal lengths, and aberration information of a camera at these viewpoints, thereby integrating shapes at arbitrary viewpoints of the three-dimensional object.

Abstract: Combined boards are taught that comprise a second board substrate (12) having a through bore (14) formed therein, a first board substrate (10), and a connector pin (40, 50) received in the through bore (14) of the second board substrate (12). The first and second board substrates overlap such that the through bore (14) of the second board substrate (12) is covered by a first surface (10b) of the first board substrate (10). The connector pin is fusion bonded to a circumferential surface of the through bore (14) and the first surface (10b) of the first board substrate (10).

Abstract: There is provided configuration for enabling extraction of the concerned area with simple operations. An arbitrary position within the desired concerned area is designated by the position designation means, and the pixel color of the designated position is stored in the memory. The tolerable color difference setting means sets the initial color difference from the pixel color of the designated position as 0. The pixel group (within tolerable color difference) extraction means extracts the pixels within the tolerable color difference from all the pixels. The adjacent pixel group (within tolerable color difference) selective display means selectively displays the pixel group including the pixel of the designated position, based on the result of extraction by the extraction means. At each execution by the selective display means, the tolerable color difference setting means increases the tolerable color difference. Thereafter the extraction means and the selective display means repeat the execution.

Abstract: A technique for automatically extracting a region of interest from a set of a plurality of images includes a scheme exploiting a motion vector, and a scheme based on an active contour model. But these schemes suffer various problems (e.g., detection resolution and precision are low, resolutions in units of pixels cannot be obtained, versatility is poor, and so forth). To solve these problems, when initial contour information in an image sensed at reference time is input, a feature point selector selects a plurality of feature points from its contour line, and stores the connectivity between these feature points in a memory. A corresponding point seeker seeks a plurality of corresponding points, which respectively correspond to the plurality of selected feature points, from an image to be sought, which is sensed at another time, and the contour between the plurality of found corresponding points is extracted on the basis of the stored connectivity.

Abstract: For facilitating the search of corresponding points in plural images obtained from plural image pickup systems, in obtaining left and right images from left and right image pickup systems and searching two corresponding points in the two images by a corresponding point extraction unit, the search range thereof is determined according to the phototaking parameters of the image pickup systems. The paired corresponding points, thus extracted, are synthesized, in a synthesis/conversion unit, into a panoramic image or a high definition image. Thus achieved are a reduction in the search time and an improvement in the precision of search.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprising a signal conversion circuit for changing input/output characteristics in accordance with a shift position of an image is arranged between a detection circuit for detecting a relative movement between a camera and an object to be photographed and an image shift circuit for shifting the image in accordance with a detection result of the detection circuit.

Abstract: An apparatus is arranged to have two cameras set at a predetermined angle of convergence, image motion vector extracting portions each for extracting motion vectors between predetermined frames from images obtained in time series from the respective cameras, a stereoscopic parallax extracting portion for extracting a stereoscopic parallax between the predetermined frames, and a portion for obtaining final motion vectors or distance information from the motion vectors extracted by the respective motion vector extracting portions and the stereoscopic parallax extracted by the stereoscopic parallax extracting portion.

Abstract: A shakeproof camera includes a focus detection circuit for detecting a focus state from an image pickup signal output from an image pickup element, a luminance detection circuit for detecting a luminance from the image pickup signal, a shake detection circuit for detecting a shake vector of an image from the image pickup signal, and a control circuit for fetching outputs from the above detection circuits and performing focus control, exposure control, and shakeproof control. The detection circuits outputs the detection results during a vertical blanking period. The control circuit preferentially performs an arithmetic operation for shakeproof control on the basis of an output from the shake detection circuit and then performs other control operations.

Abstract: An image processing system comprises an image shifting circuit for shifting an image by processing an input video signal, a scene-change detecting circuit for detecting the presence or absence of a scene change in the input video signal, and a control circuit for controlling the amount in which the image is shifted by the image shifting circuit, according to the presence or absence of the scene change detected by the scene-change detecting circuit.

Abstract: An apparatus has a multi-eye image pickup apparatus comprising left and right image pickup systems for picking up two images, left and right image memories for storing the left and right images picked up by the left and right image pickup systems, a corresponding point extracting portion for determining a partial image common to the left and right images from the left and right images stored in the left and right image memories, a combining conversion portion and a combined image memory for combining the left and right images to form an image, based on the result of determination by the corresponding point extracting portion, and an image outputting portion for separating the image combined by the combining conversion portion and then stored in the combined image memory, into separate images to output the separate images as images for constructing a panorama image.

Abstract: A movement detection apparatus comprises a first circuit for detecting a difference signal between first and second image signals, a second circuit for integrating the difference signal detected by the first circuit, a third circuit for detecting respective image signal levels of the first and second image signals when the image signals reach a predetermined level, a fourth circuit for detecting a difference signal of plural detection results given by the third circuit, and a fifth circuit for dividing the second circuit output signal by the fourth circuit output signal to detect a signal corresponding to image movement.