Image generating apparatus, image generating method, and program

• US 10,186,013 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2014
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nara Institute of Science and Technology, National University Corporation, Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nara Institute of Science and Technology, National University Corporation, Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Daisuke, Kawai, Norihiko, Sato, Tomokazu, Yokoya, Naokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jonathan S
• Application Number:
  US15/037,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20160300323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/12 Panospheric to cylindrical image transformations

Abstract

An image generating apparatus for generating an output image based on an input panorama image, includes a parameter input unit inputting an output range parameter and a correction parameter, the output range parameter designating an output range in the panorama image, the correction parameter designating a correction part to be corrected in the output image; and an image correction unit correcting the correction part designated by the correction parameter in the output image. Further, the image correction unit calculates a similarity between the correction part and peripheral pixels and corrects the correction part based on the similarity and the peripheral pixels, and the output image is generated from the output range of the panorama image and is the panorama image corrected by the correction.

Claims

1. An image generating apparatus for generating an output image based on an input panorama image, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory including a program that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

input an output range parameter and a correction parameter, the output range parameter designating an output range in the panorama image, the correction parameter designating a correction part that is to be masked in the output image,

mask the correction part designated by the correction parameter in the output image,

calculate a similarity between the correction part and peripheral pixels and mask the correction part in the output image based on the similarity and the peripheral pixels,

generate the output image from the output range of the panorama image, the output range being designated by the output range parameter, and the output image is the panorama image in which the correction part is deleted through the correction,

set a first projection surface indicating a surface of a range to be output to the output image,

set a second projection surface formed by moving the first projection surface to an area indicated by the output range parameter,

set first coordinates on the first projection surface,

set second coordinates, which correspond to the first coordinates, on the second projection surface,

set a sphere inscribed in the first projection surface and the second projection surface, and

calculate a distance between the first coordinates on the first projection surface and the second coordinates on the second projection surface based on an arc length calculated based on a radius of the sphere and a length of one side of the first projection surface.

2. The image generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein execution of the program further causes the processor to calculate the similarity more than once by using a number of pixels or a resolution of the output image or the output image whose direction has been changed.

3. The image generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein execution of the program further causes the processor to change the output range based on a ratio of the correction part to the output range.

4. The image generating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the change of the output range is to enlarge the output range.

5. The image generating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the change of the output range is to decrease a number of pixels of the output range.

6. The image generating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the change of the output range is to change a number of pixels of the output range to be equal or substantially equal to a resolution of the panorama image.

7. The image generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein execution of the program further causes the processor to correct the correction part in the output image more than once while determining whether to further correct before each correction based on a number of pixels of the output image.

10. The image generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor determines whether the first coordinates are in the output range based on the following formula:

d≤

arc tan(√

{square root over (2·

SR)})

in which 2·

SR denotes the length of the projection surface, and

in the case where the condition of the formula is satisfied, the processor determines that the first coordinates are within the output range, and includes the first coordinates in the correction part; and

in the case where the condition of the formula is not satisfied, the processor determines that the first coordinates are not within the output range, and excludes the first coordinates from the correction part.

8. An image generating method of generating an output image based on an input panorama image, comprising:

a parameter input step of inputting an output range parameter and a correction parameter, the output range parameter designating an output range in the panorama image, the correction parameter designating a correction part that is to be masked in the output image; and

an image correction step of masking the correction part designated by the correction parameter in the output image, wherein

in the image correction step, a similarity between the correction part and peripheral pixels is calculated, and the correction part in the output image is masked based on the similarity and the peripheral pixels,

the output image is generated from the output range of the panorama image, the output range being designated by the output range parameter, and the output image is the panorama image in which the correction part is deleted through the correction,

a first projection surface is set, the first projection surface indicating a surface of a range to be output to the output image,

a second projection surface formed by moving the first projection surface to an area indicated by the output range parameter,

first coordinates are set on the first projection surface,

second coordinates, which correspond to the first coordinates, are set on the second projection surface,

a sphere is inscribed in the first projection surface and the second projection surface, and

a distance between the first coordinates on the first projection surface and the second coordinates on the second projection surface is calculated based on an arc length calculated based on a radius of the sphere and a length of one side of the first projection surface.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having stored therein a program for causing a computer to perform an image generating method of generating an output image based on an input panorama image, the image generating method including:

a parameter input step of inputting an output range parameter and a correction parameter, the output range parameter designating an output range in the panorama image, the correction parameter designating a correction part that is to be masked in the output image; and

an image correction step of masking and deleting the correction part designated by the correction parameter in the output image, wherein

in the image correction step, a similarity between the correction part and peripheral pixels is calculated, and the correction part in the output image is masked based on the similarity and the peripheral pixels,

the output image is generated from the output range of the panorama image, the output range being designated by the output range parameter, and the output image is the panorama image in which the correction part is deleted through the correction,

a first projection surface is set, the first projection surface indicating a surface of a range to be output to the output image,

a second projection surface formed by moving the first projection surface to an area indicated by the output range parameter,

first coordinates are set on the first projection surface,

second coordinates, which correspond to the first coordinates, are set on the second projection surface,

a sphere is inscribed in the first projection surface and the second projection surface, and

a distance between the first coordinates on the first projection surface and the second coordinates on the second projection surface is calculated based on an arc length calculated based on a radius of the sphere and a length of one side of the first projection surface.