Abstract: There is provided an image combining apparatus comprising an image input unit for entering photographed images, an image memory for temporarily storing the entered images, a corresponding point extracting unit for extracting the corresponding point information between the images stored in the image memory, a photographing method discriminating unit for discriminating the photographing method at the photographing operation based on the extracted corresponding point information, a combination process unit for appropriately combining the images according to the discriminated photographing method, and a combined image memory for storing the combined image. The corresponding point extraction unit extracts the corresponding points between two images, and the photographing method discrimination unit discriminates whether the translational photographing method or the panning photographing method is used. The combination process unit executes combination of the images, based on the discriminated photographing method.

Abstract: A three-dimensional information processing apparatus for obtaining three-dimensional information from an object having a three-dimensional shape, and performing predetermined information processing, comprises: a camera for sensing images of the object from a plurality of coordinate positions using an image sensing system having one or a plurality of optical systems. A plurality of depth information are extracted from image sensing related information sensed by the camera at the plurality of coordinate positions, and the plurality of extracted depth information are converted and unified into depth information expressed by a unified coordinate system.

Abstract: This invention relates to an image processing method for precisely and automatically recognizing a specific image extraction region to be divided from an input image, and extracting the specific image extraction region. Thresholding is done for intensity differences of edge data obtained from the input data to extract difference edge data. A main extraction region is estimated from the outermost contour line extracted based on the extraction result of the difference edge data. Thresholding or the like is done in units of pixels of the input image to extract an initial region. Extraction region determination processing is done for extracting an accurate target region by combining the main extraction region and initial region.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical information reproducing method of detecting a record mark formed in an optical information recording medium and generating a reproduced signal, comprising the steps of: detecting a mark length of each record mark on basis of a reproduced signal, and correcting the reproduced signal by a correction amount corresponding to the detected mark length, and an optical information reproducing apparatus for detecting a record mark formed in an optical information recording medium and generating a reproduced signal, comprising: a detection circuit for detecting a mark length of each record mark on basis of a reproduced signal, and a correction circuit for correcting the reproduced signal by a correction amount corresponding to the detected mark length.

Abstract: This invention relates to an image processing method for precisely and automatically recognizing a specific image extraction region to be divided from an input image, and extracting the specific image extraction region. Thresholding is done for intensity differences of edge data obtained from the input data to extract difference edge data. A main extraction region is estimated from the outermost contour line extracted based on the extraction result of the difference edge data. Thresholding or the like is done in units of pixels of the input image to extract an initial region. Extraction region determination processing is done for extracting an accurate target region by combining the main extraction region and initial region.

Abstract: There is disclosed an image combining apparatus for generating a single image by combining a plurality of sensed images. When the panoramic image sensing mode is set, the image sensing angle is detected, and is stored together with a plurality of sensed image obtained in the panoramic image sensing mode. Upon combining the plurality of sensed images, a combining method is adaptively selected on the basis of the angle information.

Abstract: A three-dimensional information processing apparatus for obtaining three-dimensional information from an object having a three-dimensional shape, and performing predetermined information processing, comprises: a camera for sensing images of the object from a plurality of coordinate positions using an image sensing system having one or a plurality of optical systems. A plurality of depth information are extracted from image sensing related information sensed by the camera at the plurality of coordinate positions, and the plurality of extracted depth information are converted and unified into depth information expressed by a unified coordinate system.

Abstract: Disclosed are an image synthesis apparatus and an image synthesis method. According to the present invention, an image synthesis apparatus, for synthesizing a plurality of images to generate a synthesis image, selects for an image synthesis unit two or more images from among a plurality of images, and stores image information for the selected images, employs the stored image information to generate coordinate transformation parameters that are used to set a positional relationship for the selected images before these images are synthesized to obtain a single image, changes the generated coordinate transformation parameters by using as a reference a position location for an arbitrary image selected from among the plurality of images, provides the resultant coordinate transformation parameters as image synthesis information, and synthesizes the images in accordance with the image synthesis information.

Abstract: Images sensed through object lenses 100R and 100L, having zoom lenses, with image sensors 102R and 102L are processed by image signal processors 104R and 104L, and an image of an object in each of the sensed images is separated from a background image on the basis of the processed image signals. The separated image signals representing the image of the object enter the image processor 220, where a three-dimensional shape of the object is extracted on the basis of parameters used upon sensing the images. The parameters are automatically adjusted so that images of the object fall within the both image sensing areas of the image sensors 102R and 102L and that they fall within the both focal depths of the image sensors 102R and 102L.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of extracting the region of a subject image from an input image including the subject image. A subject region mask for masking the region of the subject image is generated, and the contour of the subject region mask is shaped. After local regions for correcting the contour shaped by contour shaping are set on the basis of information of the contour of the subject region mask before and after contour shaping, the contour of the shaped subject region mask is corrected within the set local regions.

Abstract: There is disclosed an image combining apparatus for generating a single image by combining a plurality of sensed images. When the panoramic image sensing mode is set, the image sensing angle is detected, and is stored together with a plurality of sensed image obtained in the panoramic image sensing mode. Upon combining the plurality of sensed images, a combining method is adaptively selected on the basis of the angle information.

Abstract: A three-dimensional information processing apparatus for obtaining three-dimensional information from an object having a three-dimensional shape, and performing predetermined information processing, comprises: a camera for sensing images of the object from a plurality of coordinate positions using an image sensing system having one or a plurality of optical systems. A plurality of depth information are extracted from image sensing related information sensed by the camera at the plurality of coordinate positions, and the plurality of extracted depth information are converted and unified into depth information expressed by a unified coordinate system.

Abstract: An image synthesizing system comprising a digital camera and a personal computer. When a first image is picked up by the camera, the personal computer takes the image sensed by the camera and a reduced image of the picked-up image. While the camera is moving, the camera sequentially sends reduced images to the personal computer, and the personal computer inputs the reduced images. The personal computer determines whether an image which is currently sensed by the camera is suitable for being synthesized into a panoramic image or not on the basis of an overlapping area between the first reduced image and a current reduced image, and a determined result is notified to a user.

Abstract: An image recording and reproducing apparatus includes a recording processing unit for receiving video signals in at least two different modes, and for recording the received video signals together with mode signals indicating the mode of the video signals. A signal reading unit reads a video signal and the corresponding mode signal recorded by the recording processing unit, and a detecting unit detects the mode of the video signal from the mode signal read by the signal reading unit. A generation unit generates a signal based on the video signal in accordance with the detected mode of the video signal such that the generated signal has a format that corresponds to the mode of the video signal.

Abstract: An image combine apparatus for combining a plurality of images to generate a panoramic image. The image combine apparatus identifies an overlapping region of two inputted images and determines a boundary of the two images. The image combine apparatus then sets a tone correction area having a predetermined width such that the boundary of the two images is the center of the area, and performs tone correction within the area. The image combine apparatus performs linear tone correction in accordance with a distance between a pixel and the boundary. In the neighbor of the boundary of the two images within the tone correction area, density of the image gradually changes, thus a combined image whose boundary of the two images is inconspicuous is obtained.

Abstract: For providing a compact, light, and cheap image pickup apparatus capable of attaining both a stereoscopic image and a high-definition plane image by itself, a changeover optical unit is provided with both a function to attain a stereoscopic image by guiding beams captured through objective lenses to respective CCDs and a function to attain a plane image by splitting the beam captured through the objective lens into two beams and guiding the two beams to the CCDs whereby the stereoscopic image and the high-definition plane image can be attained by proper changeover between these functions.

Abstract: To realize a multi-eye image pickup apparatus which can perform proper exposure for each of a plurality of image pickup devices, the multi-eye image pickup apparatus having a plurality of image pickup devices is arranged to have an exposure amount controlling device provided for each of the image pickup devices, for controlling an exposure amount, and a control unit for determining an exposure amount of each exposure amount controlling device, based on photometric values of pickup images obtained by the plurality of image pickup devices or based on photometric values of split images obtained by splitting each of the pickup images into a plurality of zones.

Abstract: Disclosed is a multieye imaging apparatus for imaging an image field including an overlapped area by controlling a plurality of pick-up-image systems for obtaining an image having a desired aspect ratio that is different from an image obtained from a pick-up-image optical system. The multieye imaging apparatus has an image correlation processing unit for effecting a correlation operation from image signals obtained from a plurality of pick-up-image systems. The apparatus also has an image synthesizing processing unit for joining the other image on the basis of one image from the image signals relative to the correlation operation performed by the image correlation processing unit.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus comprising plural image taking systems for taking the image of an object and outputting image signals, a memory circuit for storing plural image signals output from the plural image pickup systems, a convergence angle setting unit for setting the convergence angle of the plural image pickup systems, and a trimming circuit for extracting, from each of the plural image signals stored in the memory circuit, the signal of a portion corresponding to the convergence angle set by the convergence angle setting unit.

Abstract: In a stereoscopic image pick-up mode and an aspect ratio change/panoramic image pick-up mode by a multi-eye image pick-up apparatus, information is displayed such that a photographer can intuitively grasp various image pick-up conditions.A multi-eye image pick-up apparatus having a plurality of image pick-up optical systems includes an operation processing portion for receiving signals of position information obtained by an encoder and a rotational angle encoder provided to each image pick-up optical system, and a slide mechanism to calculate the image pick-up conditions and the display position of a figure representing the image pick-up state to be displayed in a finder, and a finder screen image producing portion for producing, from a calculation result, a video signal to be displayed in the finder.