Image processing apparatus and method, and image sensing apparatus

• US 20060029292A1
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hagiwara, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,433,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/296
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/242 by image rotation, e.g. by 90 degrees

Abstract

Disclosed is an image processing method for processing image data that has been captured by an image sensing apparatus having an image sensing device in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are arrayed two-dimensionally for outputting an electric signal in accordance with an incident amount of light. According to the method, attitude information representing the attitude of the image sensing apparatus is input and, in a case where the input attitude information of the image sensing apparatus indicates an attitude that has been specified in advance, the image data is subjected to rotation processing, which conforms to the attitude specified in advance, successively in units of a prescribed number of pixels divided into a plurality of areas.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus for processing image data that has been captured by an image sensing apparatus having a two-dimensional image sensing device, said apparatus comprising:

an attitude information input unit that inputs attitude information representing the attitude of the image sensing apparatus; and

a rotating unit which, in a case where the attitude information of the image sensing apparatus that has been input by said attitude information input unit indicates an attitude that has been specified in advance, subjects the image data to rotation processing, which conforms to the attitude specified in advance, successively in units of a prescribed number of pixels corresponding to divided areas of the image data.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the attitude specified in advance is an attitude in which the image sensing apparatus has been rotated clockwise through at least any one of 900, 180°

and 270°

relative to a reference attitude.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a memory that stores one frame of image data that is output from the image sensing apparatus;

wherein in a case where the attitude information indicates the attitude specified in advance, said rotating unit reads out image data, which has been stored in said memory, in order in the units of the prescribed number of pixels in a direction from the top to the bottom of an image represented by the image data, and applies rotation processing to the image data in the units of the prescribed number of pixels read out.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein in a case where the attitude information indicates a reference attitude, said rotating unit reads out the image data in order in the units of the prescribed number of pixels in the direction from the top to the bottom of the image in an order different from the read-out order in a case where the attitude information indicates the attitude specified in advance, and outputs the image data as is without executing rotation processing.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said rotating unit includes:

a first storage unit that has a capacity, which is equivalent to the unit of the prescribed number of pixels, for storing image data in an amount equivalent to the unit of the prescribed number of pixels before the rotation processing is executed; and

a second storage unit that has a capacity, which is equivalent to the unit of the prescribed number of pixels, for storing image data after the rotation processing has been applied thereto.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an encoding unit that successively encodes the image data, which has been processed by said rotating unit, in the units of the prescribed number of pixels.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a storage unit that stores image data that has been encoded by said encoding unit.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit that successively stores image data, which has been processed by said rotating unit, on a storage medium in the units of the prescribed number of pixels.

9. An image sensing apparatus having a two-dimensional image sensing device, comprising:

an attitude detecting unit that detects the attitude of the image sensing apparatus; and

a rotating unit which, in a case where the attitude of the image sensing apparatus that has been detected by said attitude detecting unit indicates an attitude that has been specified in advance, subjects the image data to rotation processing, which conforms to the attitude specified in advance, successively in units of a prescribed number of pixels corresponding to divided areas of the image data.

10. An image processing method for processing image data that has been captured by an image sensing apparatus having two-dimensional image sensing device, said method comprising:

inputting attitude information representing the attitude of the image sensing apparatus; and

in a case where the attitude information of the image sensing apparatus indicates an attitude that has been specified in advance, subjecting the image data to rotation processing, which conforms to the attitude specified in advance, successively in units of a prescribed number of pixels corresponding to divided areas of the image data.

11. A computer-readable recording medium on which has been recorded a program for causing the image processing method set forth in claim 10 to be executed by a computer.