Abstract: The process captures a plurality of images under a light source whose luminance varies over time, such as a fluorescent lamp, under such an imaging condition that a plurality of images that are different from one another in terms of light source conditions can be captured (S11). The process detects a temporal luminance variation from the plurality of captured images (S12), estimates a shadow area by using the temporal luminance variation (S13), and performs an image process such as a process of synthesizing a linearized image or an image segmentation based on optical characteristics (S14).

Abstract: For a first region being a portion of a storage section (202), a read-out pulse produced by a progressive scanning shift register (206) is used to perform a progressive read-out operation of reading out signals from all rows of image-storing pixels (221). For a second region including an entire region other than the first region, a read-out pulse produced by a skip scanning shift register (205) is used to perform a skip read-out operation of reading out signals from intermittently-selected rows of image-storing pixels (221). The progressive scanning shift register (206) produces the read-out pulse so that the first region moves every frame and an entire region of the storage section (202) is scanned over a plurality of frames.

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: An albedo estimating section produces an albedo image of an object from an original image captured by an image-capturing section by using light source information estimated by a light source information estimating section and shape information of the object obtained by a shape information obtaining section. An albedo super-resolution section performs super-resolution of the albedo image according to a conversion rule obtained from an albedo DB. A super-resolution section produces a high-resolution image obtained by performing super-resolution of the original image by using the super-resolution albedo image, the light source information and the shape information.

Abstract: A shadow portion is distinguished in a given image (S2 to S6). On the shadow portion, a conversion process based on the brightness value of a pixel is performed (S7), while on a portion other than the shadow portion, a conversion process based on the surface normal parameter which represents the surface normal of a photograph subject is performed (S8 and S9).

Abstract: An enhancing degree for sharpness enhancing is determined as a parameter for enhancing the sharpness of the input image by using at least one of information about a subject included in the input image and information about the display for displaying the input image. By using the enhancing degree determined, color distribution is controlled on a first principal component analysis axis obtained by analysis based on a principal component analysis in a color space.

Abstract: An interpolated image obtained by enlarging and interpolating an image (IN) is subjected to predetermined vector transformation to calculate an image feature vector. Also, a characteristic of a subject is obtained to calculate a physical characteristic parameter of the interpolated image. The physical characteristic parameter is used to transform the image feature vector to sharpen the interpolated image. The transformed image feature vector is subjected to transformation inverse to the predetermined vector transformation to generate an enlarged image (ELI).

Abstract: An image feature analyzing section performs an image feature analysis with respect to an input image to output an image feature vector. A parameter output section stores a plurality of image feature vectors and a plurality of parameters corresponding to the respective image feature vectors and outputs an original parameter value corresponding to an image feature vector. A parameter operation setting section determines contents of an operation of an illumination equation parameter, depending on a prescribed image conversion. A parameter operating section operates the original parameter value in accordance with a prescription of the parameter operation setting section, to obtain a new parameter value. An image generating section generates an output image based on the new parameter value.

Abstract: An information display device and an information processor for performing, in the case where an image is delivered to information terminals such as a mobile phone varied in display, optimum image processing in accordance with performance of the display of each of the information terminals and content information including a material and an object distance contained in the image in addition to a framework of a color conversion by a color management technology. The information display device and the information processor are also capable of changing parameters of the image processing in accordance with a user image preference and an image texture input by the user.

Abstract: When an image inputted is displayed on the display, determined is an enhancing degree as a parameter for enhancing the sharpness of the input image by using at least one of information about a subject included in the input image and information about the display for displaying the input image. By using the enhancing degree determined, color distribution is controlled on a first principal component analysis axis obtained by analysis based on a principal component analysis in a color space. Furthermore, the texture of the subject is magnified in size and again mapped onto the subject. Due to this, the input image can be enhancement-processed to a well texture feeling easy to view.

Abstract: When an image inputted is displayed on the display, determined is an enhancing degree as a parameter for enhancing the sharpness of the input image by using at least one of information about a subject included in the input image and information about the display for displaying the input image. By using the enhancing degree determined, color distribution is controlled on a first principal component analysis axis obtained by analysis based on a principal component analysis in a color space. Furthermore, the texture of the subject is magnified in size and again mapped onto the subject. Due to this, the input image can be enhancement-processed to a well texture feeling easy to view.

Abstract: In a robot operation terminal, a storage unit has a group-belonging article table that indicates articles belonging to each of groups. Upon receipt of operation information indicating an operation to be instructed to the robot through an input unit, when this operation information specifies a group as its operation subject, a conversion unit converts this group to articles belonging to the group in the operation information by reference to the group-belonging article table. Thus, the instruction of an operation is made simpler, thereby reducing the occurrence of a human error.

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: A polarized image acquisition section shoots a subject through a polarizing element operable to set principal axes of which directions are different from each other. An incident plane specifying section specifies an incident plane of each pixel, and an incident angle computation section computes an incident angle of each pixel. A classifying section clusters pixels similar to each other in both incident plane and incident angel. A reflection component separation section performs reflection component separation on each clustered pixel set on the assumption of probabilistic independence between the diffuse reflection component and the specular reflection component.

Abstract: A recording process records low-resolution video data while obtaining a high-resolution image in a window region being a portion of an entire image. Then, the process learns, as a resolution conversion rule, a resolution increasing parameter by using the high-resolution image. In a resolution increasing process, the resolution of the recorded low-resolution video data is increased by using the resolution increasing parameter learned in the recording process.

Abstract: An image feature analyzing section performs an image feature analysis with respect to an input image to output an image feature vector. A parameter output section stores a plurality of image feature vectors and a plurality of parameters corresponding to the respective image feature vectors and outputs an original parameter value corresponding to an image feature vector. A parameter operation setting section determines contents of an operation of an illumination equation parameter, depending on a prescribed image conversion. A parameter operating section operates the original parameter value in accordance with a prescription of the parameter operation setting section, to obtain a new parameter value. An image generating section generates an output image based on the new parameter value.

Abstract: An image feature analysis section performs image feature analysis of an input image to generate an image feature quantity independent from image coordinates. An image content densification section information densifies the image feature quantity to generate a densified image feature quantity. An image generation section generates, based on the densified image feature quantity, an image in which the information content of the input image is densified.

Abstract: The present invention provides a display control method and a display control device capable of detecting a position and an orientation of an apparatus by a simple structure and controlling a display of a displayed image based on the detected position and orientation of the apparatus with ease. Two cameras are mounted on the apparatus. A user holds the apparatus in the hand, captures, by a first camera, a first image including the face of the user, and captures, by a second camera, a second image including a scene opposite to the user. A display control unit extracts features of the face from the first image and extracts scene feature points from the second image. Then, the display control unit compares the extracted results with reference graphics and the like, and calculates a user-to-apparatus distance ro and angles ?o, ?o which indicate a direction to the apparatus, and controls the display of the displayed image based on the calculated distance ro and angles ?o, ?o.

Abstract: An image display device includes a distance detecting unit for detecting a distance from an outputting signal out of a sensor unit to a viewer, an angle detecting unit for detecting an angle of the outputting signal out of the sensor unit relative to a holding position by a viewer, an approaching state detecting unit for detecting a state how the viewer is approaching the image display device, a display switching controlling unit for displaying an image on an image display unit by obtaining the image based on the detecting result of the approaching state detecting unit, a marker generating unit for generating a marker image to display an approaching position on the image to the viewer, and a sending/receiving unit for sending and receiving necessary image data to and from a magnified image database and a tilt variation close-up image database.

Abstract: A shadow portion is distinguished in a given image (S2 to S6). On the shadow portion, a conversion process based on the brightness value of a pixel is performed (S7), while on a portion other than the shadow portion, a conversion process based on the surface normal parameter which represents the surface normal of a photograph subject is performed (S8 and S9).