Abstract: There is provided an exposure determining device that determines whether exposure of an image represented by image data is appropriate. The exposure determining device includes a first evaluation value deriving unit that derives a maximum luminance reference value for each of blocks obtained by dividing the image into a plurality of blocks of the image data on the basis of luminance values of pixels constituting each block, and derives a first evaluation value for the image on the basis of the derived maximum luminance reference values for the blocks, and an exposure determining unit that determines whether exposure of the image is appropriate, on the basis of the derived first evaluation value.

Abstract: Image processing apparatus and methods are provided for detecting coordinate positions of characteristic portions of a face image in a target image. A method includes identifying a face area of the target image, determining initial coordinate positions for the characteristic portions, determining corrected coordinate positions for the characteristic portions by modifying the initial coordinate positions or previously generated corrected coordinate positions, and identifying the corrected coordinate positions as the coordinate positions of the characteristic portions of the face image.

Abstract: Image processing apparatus and methods are provided for specifying the positions of predetermined characteristic portions of a face image. A method includes determining an initial disposition of characteristic points in a target face image, applying a transformation to at least one of the target face image or the reference face image, and updating the disposition of the characteristic points in response to a comparison between at least one of the transformed target face image and the reference face image or the target face image and the transformed reference face image.

Abstract: In order to detect an orientation of a human face included in an image consisted of a plurality of pixels, a face region is determined within the image so as to include the human face. A plurality of detecting regions are set so as to be adjacent to the face region. A plurality of first amounts are acquired. Each of the first amount is characteristic to one of the detecting regions. The first amounts are compared to each other to judge the orientation.

Abstract: When a printing device inputs image data from a memory card, the printing device prints an order sheet whereon are arranged a chart of the image data and setting entry fields for filling in a variety of settings for generating a movie based on these image data. The user uses various marking fields provided on the order sheet to specify the display times for the various image data and the effects to be performed on the various image data. When the printing device uses a scanner to read in the filled-out order sheet, movie data is generated based on the content that is set using this order sheet. The user is able to generate movies easily using this type of printing device.

Abstract: An image processing device that joins together multiple scenes extracted from a video image, wherein scene information that indicates characteristics of the multiple scenes is extracted from multiple frame images that comprise the video image, where, when two scenes are to be joined together multiple types of transition effects to be used in the changing of the scenes is stored in advance, and a specific transition effect is selected, based on the extracted scene information, from the transition effects that have been stored in advance. For example, effects such as a slide or a wipe are selected based on the characteristics of the video image, such as the direction of movement of an object. The specific transition effect that has been selected is used to join together the two scenes. The result is that it is possible to set up effective scene changes to enable each scene to be joined together.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus. A face area detecting unit detects a face area corresponding to a face image in a target image. An organ area detecting unit detects an organ area corresponding to a facial organ image in the face area. An organ detection omission ratio, which is a probability that the organ area detecting unit does not detect the facial organ image as the organ area, is smaller than a face detection omission ratio, which is a probability that the face area detecting unit does not detect the face image as the face area.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus. A face area detecting unit detects a face area corresponding to a face image in a target image. A detection condition setting unit sets a detection condition for specifying a range of at least one of the number, sizes and positions of organ areas to be detected upon detection of the organ area corresponding to a facial organ image in the face area on the basis of a detection result of the face area. An organ area detecting unit detects the organ area satisfying the set detection condition.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus. An application identification information acquisition unit acquires application identification information that identifies an application of detection results of a face area corresponding to the image of a face in a target image. A condition setting unit sets a condition, relating to an angle of the face to be represented in the face area, based on the application identification information. A face area detection unit detects the face area corresponding to the image of the face satisfying the set condition, based on image data representing the target image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a face area detecting unit detects a face area corresponding to a face image in a target image; an image generating unit that generates an organ detecting image including the face image which is inclined in a predetermined angular range in an image plane on the basis of the detection result of the face area; and an organ area detecting unit that detects an organ area corresponding to a facial organ image in the face area on the basis of image data indicating the organ detecting image.

Abstract: Provided is an image output method of outputting predetermined image data from plural pieces of image data, the method including: acquiring a group including plural pieces of image data which are similar to each other; detecting a face turning angle with respect to a face image plane included in an image indicated by each image data belonging to the same group and a face rotation angle indicating a rotation angle in the face image plane; and outputting image data, in which the face turning angle and the face rotation angle are smaller than those of other image data, among the image data belonging to the same group.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus that selects at least one photo image out of a plurality of photo images. A face area determining unit detects whether or not there is a face in each photo image and determines a face area of the face, if any, detected in each photo image. An image evaluation processing unit calculates a first edge amount pertaining to the face area detected in each photo image. An image selecting unit selects a photo image from among the plurality of photo images on the basis of the first edge amount of each photo image.

Abstract: An image data analyzing device that reads and analyzes image data includes a number-of-blurred-pixels detecting unit that detects a number of blurred pixels, which is a number of pixels indicating blur width of a contour in an image represented by the image data, a number-of-image-pixels acquiring unit that acquires a number of image pixels, which is a number of pixels related to a size of the image represented by the image data, and an upper-limit-output-size determining unit that determines, on a basis of the number of blurred pixels and the number of image pixels of the image data, an allowable upper limit output size of an image outputted by using the image data.

Abstract: An image display device used for checking an image represented by digital image data includes a display section that displays the image and checking information used for checking the image, an image display control section that displays the image on the display section based on the digital image data, a checking line segment designation section that allows designation of a checking line segment, which is a series of checking places in the image, on the display section on which the image is displayed, and a checking information display control section that displays a changing condition of the digital image data along the checking line segment on the display section as the checking information.

Abstract: An image display apparatus displays a digital image on a confirmation screen. The image display apparatus includes a blur variance value acquisition unit that acquires a blur variance value, which is an index relating to a difference in amount of blur between images obtained when the digital image is printed out and when the digital image is displayed on the confirmation screen, a blur amount variance correction unit that corrects the difference in amount of blur for the digital image displayed on the confirmation screen according to the blur variance value with respect to the digital image printed out, and an image display unit that displays the digital image for which the difference in amount of blur has been corrected on the confirmation screen.

Abstract: The image heating apparatus includes a flexible sleeve including a stainless base layer; a heater being in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the flexible sleeve; and an elastic roller being in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the flexible sleeve and forming a nip portion with the heater, in which: a recording material bearing an image is heated while being pinched and conveyed at the nip portion; and the stainless base layer has an outer diameter of 18 mm to 24 mm and a thickness of 25 ?m to 30 ?m, and includes an outer circumferential surface being subjected to a blasting process. Bu the present invention, an image heating apparatus is capable of ensuring durability and a flexible sleeve used for the image heating apparatus.

Abstract: The focusing information visualization system of the invention extracts an edge having an edge intensity of not less than a first reference value Th1 and an edge width of not greater than a second reference value Th2 in a photographic image and displays the extracted edge in a preset color at a position of the edge extraction to be overlapped with the original photographic image on a screen. A focused area defined by the extracted edge is displayed as N divisional areas. In response to a user's operational specification of one divisional area among the N divisional areas, an enlarged photographic image corresponding to the specified divisional area at a desired magnification ratio is displayed on the screen. This arrangement adopts the automatic rough judgment and the user's final visual check to accurately recognize the focusing status of the photographic image.

Abstract: An image processing device that joins together multiple scenes extracted from a video image, wherein scene information that indicates characteristics of the multiple scenes is extracted from multiple frame images that comprise the video image, where, when two scenes are to be joined together multiple types of transition effects to be used in the changing of the scenes is stored in advance, and a specific transition effect is selected, based on the extracted scene information, from the transition effects that have been stored in advance. For example, effects such as a slide or a wipe are selected based on the characteristics of the video image, such as the direction of movement of an object. The specific transition effect that has been selected is used to join together the two scenes. The result is that it is possible to set up effective scene changes to enable each scene to be joined together.

Abstract: With a minimal process load, to determine level of the image of an image data file, for image data files of a format that saves images in the form of coefficients of discrete frequency components. Image data that includes a plurality of coefficients representing the pattern of change of color of the image are acquired (Step S10). Multiple sets of basic pattern data that respectively include a plurality of basic coefficients representing basic patterns of color change are prepared. Then, based on a comparison of the two, one set of selected basic pattern data is selected from among the multiple sets of basic pattern data (Step S20). Subsequently, the blur level of the image of the image data is calculated, based on the basic blur level associated with the selected basic pattern data (S30-S70).

Abstract: A technology for making determinations as to whether the image of an image data file is blurred, with low processing load, is provided. First, photographic image data PID containing pixel color information, as well as thumbnail image data for the photographic image data, are prepared. A specific pixel is then selected from among the pixels of the thumbnail image data. Specifically, on the basis of data of a pixel under examination and data of a pixel neighboring the pixel under examination, it is determined whether the pixel under examination should be designated as the specific pixel. Then, for a specific region Ape which is a region constituting part of the photographic image data PID and which corresponds to the specific pixel of the thumbnail image data, analysis of the photographic image PID is carried out, and a localized blur level that represents indistinctness of the image in the specific region Ape is calculated.