Image processing apparatus and image processing method

• US 20060013472A1
• Filed: 10/01/2004
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Kagitani, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 7,529,401 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10012 Stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/366 using viewer tracking

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes an image input unit that inputs binocular stereoscopic image data including plane image data for both eyes from an arbitrarily set viewpoint, a plane-image creating unit that creates plane image data based on the binocular stereoscopic image data, a distance determining unit that determines distances from a single viewpoint at the time of viewing a binocular stereoscopic image based on the binocular stereoscopic image data to each of a plurality of points in a three-dimensional space, an image correcting unit that corrects the plane image data using distance information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space, and an image output unit that outputs the plane image data.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image input unit that inputs binocular stereoscopic image data including plane image data for a left eye and a right eye from an arbitrarily set viewpoint;

a plane-image creating unit that creates plane image data based on the binocular stereoscopic image data input;

a distance determining unit that determines distances from a single viewpoint at the time of viewing a binocular stereoscopic image based on the binocular stereoscopic image data to each of a plurality of points in a three-dimensional space;

an image correcting unit that corrects the plane image data using distance information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space determined; and

an image output unit that outputs the plane image data corrected.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image correcting unit corrects the plane image data using different correcting data for the each of the points in the three-dimensional space with a different distance.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit that stores the correcting data corresponding to a plurality of distance ranges to be viewed;

a distance-range determining unit that determines which of the points in the three-dimensional space belongs to which of the distance ranges to be viewed from a single viewpoint at the time of viewing the binocular stereoscopic image based on the binocular stereoscopic image data; and

a selecting unit that selects the correcting data corresponding to the distance ranges of the points in the three-dimensional space determined by the distance-range determining unit from among the correcting data stored, wherein

the image correcting unit corrects the plane image data using the correcting data selected.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image correcting unit performs a color correction.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image correcting unit performs a sharpness correction.

6. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image input unit that inputs binocular stereoscopic image data including plane image data for a left eye and a right eye from an arbitrarily set viewpoint;

a plane-image creating unit that creates plane image data based on the binocular stereoscopic image data input;

a distance determining unit that determines distances from a single viewpoint at the time of viewing a binocular stereoscopic image based on the binocular stereoscopic image data to each of a plurality of points in a three-dimensional space;

a color-information determining unit that determines color information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space;

an image correcting unit that corrects the plane image data; and

an image output unit that outputs the plane image data corrected, wherein

the image correcting unit corrects the plane image data using distance information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space determined and the color information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space determined.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the image correcting unit performs a color correction.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the image correcting unit performs the color correction based on a color that is ideally conceived by human beings with a specific object.

9. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image input unit that inputs binocular stereoscopic image data including plane image data for a left eye and a right eye from an arbitrarily set viewpoint;

a plane-image creating unit that creates plane image data based on the binocular stereoscopic image data input;

a distance determining unit that determines distances from a single viewpoint at the time of viewing a binocular stereoscopic image based on the binocular stereoscopic image data to each of a plurality of points in a three-dimensional space;

a color-information determining unit that determines color information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space;

an object determining unit that determines an attribute of an object in the plane image using distance information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space determined and the color information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space determined;

an image correcting unit that corrects the plane image data; and

an image output unit that outputs the plane image data corrected, wherein

the image correcting unit performs a different correction for each of the objects determined by the object determining unit.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a storage unit that stores correcting data corresponding to a plurality of the objects determined; and

a selecting unit that selects the correcting data corresponding to the object determined from among the correcting data stored, wherein

the image correcting unit corrects the plane image data using the correcting data selected.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the image correcting unit performs a color correction.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the image correcting unit performs the color correction based on a color that is ideally conceived by human beings with a specific object.

13. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image input unit that inputs binocular stereoscopic image data including plane image data for a left eye and a right eye from an arbitrarily set viewpoint;

a plane-image creating unit that creates plane image data based on the binocular stereoscopic image data input;

a distance determining unit that determines distances from a single viewpoint at the time of viewing a binocular stereoscopic image based on the binocular stereoscopic image data to each of a plurality of points in a three-dimensional space;

a color-information determining unit that determines color information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space;

an object determining unit that determines an attribute of an object in the plane image using distance information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space determined and the color information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space determined;

an image-type determining unit that determines an image type based on a spatial layout of each of the objects determined by the object determining unit;

an image correcting unit that corrects the plane image data; and

an image output unit that outputs the plane image data corrected, wherein

the image correcting unit performs a different correction for each of the image types determined.

14. The image processing apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

a storage unit that stores correcting data corresponding to a plurality of the image types determined; and

a selecting unit that selects the correcting data corresponding to the image type determined from among the correcting data stored, wherein

the image correcting unit corrects the plane image data using the correcting data selected.

15. The image processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the image correcting unit performs a color correction.

16. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image input unit that inputs binocular stereoscopic image data including plane image data for a left eye and a right eye from an arbitrarily set viewpoint;

a plane-image creating unit that creates plane image data based on the binocular stereoscopic image data input;

a distance determining unit that determines distances from a single viewpoint at the time of viewing a binocular stereoscopic image based on the binocular stereoscopic image data to each of a plurality of points in a three-dimensional space;

a color-information determining unit that determines color information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space;

an object determining unit that determines an attribute of an object in the plane image using distance information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space determined and the color information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space determined;

a main-object determining unit that determines a main object from among the objects determined by the object determining unit;

an image-type determining unit that determines an image type based on a spatial layout of each of the objects determined;

an image correcting unit that corrects the plane image data; and

an image output unit that outputs the plane image data corrected, wherein

the image correcting unit performs a different correction for each of combinations of a type of the main object and the image type.

17. The image processing apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

a storage unit that stores correcting data corresponding to a plurality of the combinations;

a selecting unit that selects the correcting data corresponding to the combination of the type of the main object determined and the image type determined from among the correcting data stored, wherein

the image correcting unit corrects the plane image data using the correcting data selected.

18. The image processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the image correcting unit performs a color correction.

19. The image processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein when the main object determined is a specific object, the image correcting unit performs the color correction based on a color that is ideally conceived by human beings with the specific object.

20. An image processing method comprising:

inputting binocular stereoscopic image data including plane image data for a left eye and a right eye from an arbitrarily set viewpoint;

creating plane image data based on the binocular stereoscopic image data input;

determining distances from a single viewpoint at the time of viewing a binocular stereoscopic image based on the binocular stereoscopic image data to each of a plurality of points in a three-dimensional space;

correcting the plane image data; and

outputting the plane image data corrected, wherein

the correcting includes correcting the plane image data using distance information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space determined.

21. The image processing method according to claim 20, wherein the correcting includes correcting the plane image data using different correcting data for the each of the points in the three-dimensional space with a different distance.

22. The image processing method according to claim 20, further comprising:

storing the correcting data corresponding to a plurality of distance ranges to be viewed;

determining which of the points in the three-dimensional space belongs to which of the distance ranges to be viewed from a single viewpoint at the time of viewing the binocular stereoscopic image based on the binocular stereoscopic image data; and

selecting the correcting data corresponding to the distance ranges of the points in the three-dimensional space determined from among the correcting data stored, wherein

the correcting includes correcting the plane image data using the correcting data selected.

23. The image processing method according to claim 20, wherein the correcting includes correcting a color of the image data.

24. The image processing method according to claim 20, wherein the correcting includes correcting a sharpness of the image data.

25. An image processing method comprising:

inputting binocular stereoscopic image data including plane image data for a left eye and a right eye from an arbitrarily set viewpoint;

creating plane image data based on the binocular stereoscopic image data input;

determining distances from a single viewpoint at the time of viewing a binocular stereoscopic image based on the binocular stereoscopic image data to each of a plurality of points in a three-dimensional space;

determining color information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space;

correcting the plane image data; and

outputting the plane image data corrected, wherein

the correcting includes correcting the plane image data using distance information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space determined and the color information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space determined.

26. The image processing method according to claim 25, wherein the correcting includes correcting a color of the image data.

27. The image processing method according to claim 26, wherein the correcting includes correcting the color of the image data based on a color that is ideally conceived by human beings with a specific object.

28. An image processing method comprising:

inputting binocular stereoscopic image data including plane image data for a left eye and a right eye from an arbitrarily set viewpoint;

creating plane image data based on the binocular stereoscopic image data input;

determining distances from a single viewpoint at the time of viewing a binocular stereoscopic image based on the binocular stereoscopic image data to each of a plurality of points in a three-dimensional space;

determining color information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space;

determining an attribute of an object in the plane image using distance information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space determined and the color information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space determined;

correcting the plane image data; and

outputting the plane image data corrected, wherein

the correcting includes correcting the plane image data differently for each of the objects determined.

29. The image processing method according to claim 28, further comprising:

storing correcting data corresponding to a plurality of the objects determined; and

selecting the correcting data corresponding to the object determined from among the correcting data stored, wherein

the correcting includes correcting the plane image data using the correcting data selected.

30. The image processing method according to claim 28, wherein the correcting includes correcting a color of the image data

31. The image processing method according to claim 30, wherein the correcting includes correcting the color of the image data based on a color that is ideally conceived by human beings with a specific object.

32. An image processing method comprising:

inputting binocular stereoscopic image data including plane image data for a left eye and a right eye from an arbitrarily set viewpoint;

creating plane image data based on the binocular stereoscopic image data input;

determining distances from a single viewpoint at the time of viewing a binocular stereoscopic image based on the binocular stereoscopic image data to each of a plurality of points in a three-dimensional space;

determining color information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space;

determining an attribute of an object in the plane image using distance information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space determined and the color information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space determined;

determining an image type based on a spatial layout of each of the objects determined;

correcting the plane image data; and

outputting the plane image data corrected, wherein

the correcting includes correcting the plane image data differently for each of the image types determined.

33. The image processing method according to claim 32, further comprising:

storing correcting data corresponding to a plurality of the image types determined; and

selecting the correcting data corresponding to the image type determined from among the correcting data stored, wherein

the correcting includes correcting the plane image data using the correcting data selected.

34. The image processing method according to claim 32, wherein the correcting includes correcting a color of the image data.

35. An image processing method comprising:

inputting binocular stereoscopic image data including plane image data for a left eye and a right eye from an arbitrarily set viewpoint;

creating plane image data based on the binocular stereoscopic image data input;

determining distances from a single viewpoint at the time of viewing a binocular stereoscopic image based on the binocular stereoscopic image data to each of a plurality of points in a three-dimensional space;

determining color information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space;

determining an attribute of an object in the plane image using distance information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space determined and the color information about the each of the points in the three-dimensional space determined;

determining a main object from among the objects determined;

determining an image type based on a spatial layout of each of the objects determined;

correcting the plane image data; and

outputting the plane image data corrected, wherein

the correcting includes correcting the plane image data differently for each of combinations of a type of the main object and the image type.

36. The image processing method according to claim 35, further comprising:

storing correcting data corresponding to a plurality of the combinations;

selecting the correcting data corresponding to the combination of the type of the main object determined and the image type determined from among the correcting data stored, wherein

the correcting includes correcting the plane image data using the correcting data selected.

37. The image processing method according to claim 35, wherein the correcting includes correcting a color of the image data.

38. The image processing method according to claim 37, wherein when the main object determined is a specific object, the correcting includes correcting the color of the image data based on a color that is ideally conceived by human beings with a specific object.