Image processing apparatus and method

• US 20020126913A1
• Filed: 03/28/2001
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Katayama, Akihiro, Kotake, Daisuke
• Granted Patent: US 7,120,313 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/282
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/20 Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/205 Image-based rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction

Abstract

Plural pieces of frame data are generated and held based on image data obtained by capturing images while moving a plurality of capture devices for capturing images in different directions. A frame data group containing consecutive pieces of frame data determined to have been captured at practically the same position can be extracted from the plural pieces of held frame data. Frame data is deleted from the extracted frame data such that one piece of frame data can exist as the data captured at one position. Thus, when the frame data corresponding to a plurality of positions on a map is stored, thinned frame data is stored after being associated with the corresponding position on the map. Therefore, when virtual space in a walk-through system is designed using an IBR technology, panoramic images for reproduction of the virtual space can be efficiently generated and held.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

holding means for holding plural pieces of frame data obtained from image data input at a plurality of positions;

extraction means for extracting frame data determined to have been captured at substantially a same position from said plural pieces of frame data held by said holding means;

deletion means for deleting frame data overlapping another piece of frame data extracted by said extraction means; and

storage means for storing, after associating with a position on a map, frame data remaining after a deleting process performed by said deletion means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said holding means stores each of the plural pieces of frame data associated with position data indicating a position at which each piece of frame data is captured, and

said extraction means extracts frame data matching in position data.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein said position data is obtained based on GPS.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein said image data is captured with a plurality of moving capture devices for capturing different directions, and

said position data is obtained from a distance meter for measuring a moving distance of a moving object which moves with said plurality of capture devices.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

setting means for setting sampling intervals of frame data,

wherein said extraction means extracts a frame data for which a distance obtained by position data is shorter than a distance corresponding to the sampling intervals set by said setting means.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said holding means stores each of the plural pieces of frame data associated with speed data obtained when each piece of frame data is captured, and

said extraction means extracts a frame data group comprising frame data indicating a stop of movement according to the speed data.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising determination means for comparing two pieces of frame data and determining whether or not the two pieces of frame data have been captured at a same position,

wherein said extraction means extracts frame data determined by said determination means to have been captured at the same position.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein said determination means computes least squares error between two pieces of frame data, and determines that the two pieces of frame data match each other when the computed least squares error is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein said determination means computes a relative distance between two pieces of frame data based on corresponding points of the two pieces of frame data, and determines that the two pieces of frame data match each other when the computed relative distance is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein said image data is captured while a plurality of capture devices are moving when capturing images in different directions, and

said frame data adopted by said determination means is obtained by a capture device facing in a direction vertical to a moving direction.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

setting means for setting sampling intervals of frame data;

obtaining means for obtaining a frame data group captured along a line between two points on a map;

computation means for computing a number of pieces of frame data to be existing in the line between the two points based on the distance between the two points and the sampling intervals; and

thinning means for performing a thinning process on the plural pieces of frame data obtained by said obtaining means such that a number of pieces of frame data computed by said computation means can be obtained.

13. The method according to claim 12,

wherein said holding means stores each of the plural pieces of frame data associated with position data indicating a position at which each piece of frame data is captured, and

said extracting step extracts frame data matching in position data.

14. The method according to claim 13,

wherein said position data is obtained based on GPS.

15. The method according to claim 13,

where said image data is captured with a plurality of moving capture devices for capturing different directions, and

said position data is obtained from a distance meter for measuring a moving distance of a moving object which moves with said plurality of capture devices.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of:

setting sampling intervals of frame data,

wherein said extracting step extracts a frame data for which a distance obtained by position data is shorter than a distance corresponding to the sampling intervals set in said setting step.

17. The method according to claim 12,

wherein said holding means stores each of the plural pieces of frame data associated with speed data obtained when each piece of frame data is captured, and

said extracting step extracts frame data indicating a stop of movement according to the speed data.

18. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of:

comparing two pieces of frame data and determining whether or not the two pieces of frame data have been captured at a same position,

wherein said extracting step extracts frame data determined in said determining step to have been captured at the same position.

19. The method according to claim 18,

wherein said determining step computes least squares error between two pieces of frame data, and determines that the two pieces of frame data match each other when the computed least squares error is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.

20. The method according to claim 18,

wherein said determining step computes a relative distance between two pieces of frame data based on corresponding points of the two pieces of frame data, and determines that the two pieces of frame data match each other when the computed relative distance is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.

21. The method according to claim 18,

wherein said image data is captured while a plurality of capture devices are moving when capturing images in different directions, and

said frame data adopted by said determination means is obtained by a capture device facing in a direction vertical to a moving direction.

22. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

setting sampling intervals of frame data;

obtaining a frame data group captured along a line between two points on a map;

computing a number of pieces of frame data to be existing in the line between the two points based on the distance between the two points and the sampling intervals; and

performing a thinning process on a frame data group obtained in said obtaining step such that a number of pieces of frame data computed in said computing step can be obtained.

12. An image processing method, comprising the steps of:

extracting frame data determined to have been captured at substantially a same position obtained from holding means which holds plural pieces of frame data obtained from image data captured by a plurality of capture devices;

deleting frame data overlapping another piece of frame data extracted in an extracting step; and

storing frame data remaining after said deleting step, after associating with a position on a map.

23. A computer-executable program, comprising:

a code of an extracting step of extracting frame data determined to have been captured at substantially a same position obtained from holding means which holds plural pieces of frame data obtained from image data captured by a plurality of capture devices;

a code of a deleting step of deleting frame data overlapping another piece of frame data extracted in an extracting step; and

a code of a storing step of storing, after associating with a position on a map, frame data remaining after said deleting step.

24. A storage medium storing a computer-executable program, wherein said program comprises:

a code of an extracting step of extracting frame data determined to have been captured at substantially a same position obtained from holding means which holds plural pieces of frame data obtained from image data captured by a plurality of capture devices;

a code of a deleting step of deleting frame data overlapping another piece of frame data extracted in an extracting step; and

a code of a storing step of storing, after associating with a position on a map, frame data remaining after said deleting step.