Image photographing apparatus and image processing method

• US 20050046702A1
• Filed: 07/29/2004
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hirota, Makoto, Katayama, Akihiro, Yamanaka, Kuniyasu
• Granted Patent: US 7,511,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/205 Image-based rendering

Abstract

In an image generation apparatus capable of generating an image of an arbitrary view point, to enable a user to easily set a view point position of a reconstructed image in an actual space, there are provided an image photographing means for photographing an image; a position/orientation measurement means for measuring position and orientation when photographing the image; a reconstruction view point position setting means for setting a view point position of a reconstruction image; and a reconstruction means for reconstructing an image according to the view point position set by the reconstruction view point position setting means, by using beam information included in the image photographed by the image photographing means.

Claims

1. An image photographing apparatus comprising:

an image photographing unit adapted to photograph an image;

a position/orientation measurement unit adapted to measure position and orientation when photographing the image;

a reconstruction view point position setting unit adapted to set a view point position of a reconstruction image; and

a reconstruction unit adapted to reconstruct an image according to the view point position set by said reconstruction view point position setting unit, by using beam information included in the image photographed by said image photographing unit.

2. An image photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reconstruction view point position setting unit determines the view point position of the reconstruction image from the images photographed at plural points.

3. An image photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said reconstruction view point position setting unit displays the image photographed by setting said image photographing apparatus so that an optical axis passes through the view point position of the reconstruction image, the image photographed at a different position, and a locus of the optical axis of a camera of photographing the images, and

said reconstruction view point position setting unit sets the view point position of the reconstruction image by designating a point on the locus.

4. An image photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image photographing unit includes a camera having two or more lenses.

5. An image photographing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a display unit capable of being stereographically observed.

6. An image processing method comprising:

an image input step of inputting an image photographed by a photographing unit;

a position/orientation information input step of inputting a measured result of position and orientation of the photographing unit;

a reconstruction view point position setting step of setting a view point position of a reconstruction image according to a user instruction; and

a reconstruction step of reconstructing an image according to the view point position set in said reconstruction view point position setting step, by using beam information included in the image photographed by the image photographing unit.

7. A storage medium which stores a control program for achieving by a computer an image processing method comprising:

an image input step of inputting an image photographed by a photographing unit;

a position/orientation information input step of inputting a measured result of position and orientation of the photographing unit;

a reconstruction view point position setting step of setting a view point position of a reconstruction image according to a user instruction; and

a reconstruction step of reconstructing an image according to the view point position set in said reconstruction view point position setting step, by using beam information included in the image photographed by the image photographing unit.

8. A control program for achieving by a computer an image processing method comprising:

an image input step of inputting an image photographed by a photographing unit;

a position/orientation information input step of inputting a measured result of position and orientation of the photographing unit;

a reconstruction view point position setting step of setting a view point position of a reconstruction image according to a user instruction; and

a reconstruction step of reconstructing an image according to the view point position set in said reconstruction view point position setting step, by using beam information included in the image photographed by the image photographing unit.