Image selection support system for supporting selection of well-photographed image from plural images

• US 20020181784A1
• Filed: 05/30/2002
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation, The Reinforced Earth Company (VINCI SA)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Shiratani, Fumiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,433,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

A feature area extracting section extracts an area having a unique feature in an image input to an image selection support apparatus. A specific area feature collating and determining section determines whether or not the area having a feature and extracted by the feature area extracting section is a specific area. A specific area image reading section decides a rectangular area including the specific area, and reads image information of the rectangular area. The specific area image reading section has at least one of an enlargement displaying section which enlarges and displays the image information read by the specific area image reading section, a thumbnail display section which reduces and displays the input image, and an original image displaying section which enlarges and displays the input image.

Claims

1. An image selection support apparatus comprising:

an image inputting section which inputs an image;

a feature area extracting section which extracts an area having a unique feature in the image input by the image inputting section;

a specific area feature collating and determining section which determines whether the area having a feature and extracted by the feature area extracting section is a specific area;

an image registration analyzing section comprised of a specific area inclusion area deciding/storing section which decides a rectangular area including the specific area and stores positions of vertices thereof in a memory;

a specific area inclusion area reading section which reads the positions of the vertices of the rectangular area including the specific area stored in the memory by the specific area inclusion area deciding/storing section;

an enlargement displaying section which enlarges and displays the specific area inclusion area read by the reading section;

a thumbnail display section which reduces and displays the image input by the image inputting section;

an image displaying section comprised of an original image displaying section enlarging and displaying the image input by the image inputting section;

an image selecting section, which allows a user to select a desired image; and

a selected image storing section which stores in a memory the image desired by the user and selected by the image selecting section.

2. An image selection support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image registration analyzing section further comprises:

an area dividing section which divides an image into units having meaning;

a feature amount extracting section which extracts a physical feature amount of each of the areas divided by the area dividing section;

a similarity determining section which determines similarities of the feature amounts extracted by the feature amount extracting section and feature amounts of other images; and

an image display order deciding and storing section which decides a display order such that the images determined as being similar by the similarity determining section are displayed close to one another, and stores the display order in a memory,

wherein the image displaying section further comprises an image display order reading section which reads the display order of the images stored in the memory by the display order determining and storing section.

3. An image selection support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image registration analyzing section further comprises:

an area dividing section which divides an image into units having meaning;

a feature amount extracting section which extracts a physical feature amount of each of the areas divided by the area dividing section;

an image photographed state evaluating section which determines the goodness/poorness of the photography of each of the areas divided by the area dividing section, on the basis of the feature amounts extracted by the feature amount extracting section; and

an image display order deciding and storing section which decides a display order such that the images are displayed in accordance with the goodness/poorness of the photography of the respective areas evaluated by the image photographed state evaluating section, and stores the display order in a memory,

wherein the image displaying section further comprises an image display order reading section which reads the display order of the images stored in the memory by the display order determining and storing section.

4. An image selection support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image registration analyzing section comprises an orientation determining section which determines top/bottom orientation of an image, and the image displaying section comprises an image rotating converting section which rotates an image by 90°

to the right or the left, on the basis of the output of the orientation determining section.

5. An image selection support method comprising:

inputting an image;

extracting an area having a unique feature within the input image;

determining whether the extracted area having the feature is a specific area;

deciding a rectangular area including the specific area, and storing positions of vertices thereof in a first memory area;

reading the positions of the vertices of the rectangular area including the specific area stored in the first memory area;

enlarging and displaying the read specific area inclusion area;

reducing the input image and displaying a thumbnail image;

enlarging the input image and displaying the original image;

user-selecting a desired image; and

storing, in a second memory area, the desired image selected by the user.

6. An image selection support method according to claim 5, wherein a rectangular area including the specific area is determined and positions of vertices of the rectangular area are stored in a first memory area, said method comprising:

dividing an image into units having meaning;

extracting a physical feature amount of each of the divided areas;

determining similarities of the extracted feature amounts and feature amounts of other images; and

deciding a display order such that images determined as being similar are displayed close to one another, and storing the display order in the first memory area.

7. An image selection support method according to claim 5, wherein a rectangular area including the specific area is determined, and positions of vertices of the rectangular area are stored in a first memory area, said method comprising:

dividing an image into units having meaning;

determining and evaluating the goodness/poorness of the photography of each of the divided areas; and

deciding a display order such that the images are displayed in accordance with the goodness/poorness of the photography of the respective determined and evaluated areas, and storing the display order in the first memory area, and

displaying the original image comprises reading the display order of the images stored in the first memory area.

8. An image selection support method according to claim 5, wherein a rectangular area including the specific area, is determined and positions of vertices of the rectangular area are stored in a first memory area, said method comprising:

determining top/bottom orientation of an image, and

displaying the original image comprises;

rotating an image by 90°

to the right or the left, on the basis of the output of the orientation determination.

9. A computer readable program to support image selection by a computer, comprising:

a first computer readable program which makes the computer execute an image inputting step of inputting an image;

a second computer readable program which makes the computer execute a feature area extracting step of extracting an area having a unique feature within the image input in the image inputting step;

a third computer readable program which makes the computer execute a specific area feature collating step of determining whether or not the area having the feature and extracted in the feature area extracting step is a specific area;

a fourth computer readable program which makes the computer execute an image registration analyzing step comprised of a specific area inclusion area deciding/storing step of deciding a rectangular area including the specific area and storing positions of vertices thereof in a first memory area;

a fifth computer readable program which makes the computer execute a specific area inclusion area reading step of reading the positions of the vertices of the rectangular area including the specific area stored in the first memory area by the specific area inclusion area deciding/storing step;

a sixth computer readable program which makes the computer execute an enlargement displaying step of enlarging and displaying the specific area inclusion area read by the reading step;

a seventh computer readable program which makes the computer execute a thumbnail display step of reducing and displaying the image input by the image inputting step;

an eighth computer readable program which makes the computer execute an image displaying step comprised of an original image displaying step of enlarging and displaying the image input by the image inputting step;

a ninth computer readable program which makes the computer execute an image selecting step, which allows a user to select a desired image; and

a tenth computer readable program which makes the computer execute a selected image storing step of storing in a second memory area the image desired by the user and selected by the image selecting step.

10. A computer readable program according to claim 9, wherein

the fourth computer readable program which makes the computer execute an image registration analyzing step comprises:

an eleventh computer readable program which makes the computer execute an area dividing step of dividing an image into units having meaning;

a twelfth computer readable program which makes the computer execute a feature amount extracting step of extracting a physical feature amount of each of the areas divided by the area dividing step;

a thirteenth computer readable program which makes the computer execute a similarity determining step of determining similarities of the feature amounts extracted by the feature amount extracting step and feature amounts of other images; and

a fourteenth computer readable program which makes the computer execute an image display order deciding and storing step of deciding a display order such that the images determined as being similar by the similarity determining step are displayed close to one another, and storing the display order in the first memory area,

the eighth computer readable program which makes the computer execute the image displaying step comprising;

a fifteenth computer readable program which makes the computer execute an image display order reading step of reading the display order of the images stored in the first memory area by the display order determining and storing step.

11. A computer readable program according to claim 9, wherein the fourth computer readable program which makes the computer execute the image registration analyzing step comprises:

an eleventh computer readable program which makes the computer execute an area dividing step of dividing an image into units having meaning;

a twelfth computer readable program which makes the computer execute an image photographed state evaluating step of determining the goodness/poorness of the photography of each of the areas divided by the area dividing step; and

a thirteenth computer readable program which makes the computer execute an image display order deciding and storing step of deciding a display order such that the images are displayed in accordance with the goodness/poorness of the photography of the respective areas evaluated by the image photographed state evaluating step, and storing the display order in the first memory area, and

the eighth computer readable program which makes the computer execute the image displaying step comprises;

a fourteenth computer readable program which makes the computer execute an image display order reading step of reading the display order of the images stored in the first memory area by the display order determining and storing step.

12. A computer readable program according to claim 9, wherein

the fourth computer readable program which makes the computer execute the image registration analyzing step comprises:

an eleventh computer readable program which makes the computer execute an orientation determining step of determining top/bottom orientation of an image, and

the eighth computer readable program which makes the computer execute the image displaying step comprises;

a twelfth computer readable program which makes the computer execute an image rotating converting step of rotating an image by 90°

to the right or the left, on the basis of the output of the orientation determining step.

14. An image selection support apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the specific area image reading section further comprises at least one of:

an enlargement displaying section which enlarges and displays the image information read by the specific area image reading section;

a thumbnail display section which reduces and displays the input image; and

an original image displaying section which enlarges and displays the input image.

13. An image selection support apparatus comprising:

a feature area extracting section which extracts an area having a unique feature in an image input to the image selection support apparatus;

a specific area feature collating and determining section which determines whether the area having a feature and extracted by the feature area extracting section is a specific area; and

a specific area image reading section which decides a rectangular area including the specific area, and reads image information of the rectangular area.

15. An image selection support method comprising:

extracting an area having a unique feature in an input image;

determining whether or not the extracted area having a feature is a specific area; and

deciding a rectangular area including the specific area, and reading image information of the rectangular area.

16. A computer readable program to support image selection by a computer, comprising:

a first computer readable program which makes the computer execute a feature area extracting step of extracting an area having a unique feature in an input image;

a second computer readable program which makes the computer execute a specific area feature collating step of determining whether the area having a feature and extracted by the feature area extracting step is a specific area; and

a third computer readable program which makes the computer execute a specific area image reading step of deciding a rectangular area including the specific area, and reading image information of the rectangular area.