Image processing method and image processing apparatus

• US 20060044327A1
• Filed: 06/01/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ohshima, Toshikazu, Tanimura, Kaname, Okuno, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,022,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/626
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042

Abstract

Whether or not a masking portion is to be masked is set for an image of each individual object. A first image of a virtual object which is set not to be masked is generated (step S305). A second image formed by masking a masking portion in an image of a virtual object which is set to be masked is generated. A third image formed by superimposing the first and second images is generated, and an image formed by superimposing the third image on an image on a physical space is generated (step S309).

Claims

1. An image processing method comprising:

a physical image acquisition step of acquiring an image of a physical space;

a viewpoint position/orientation acquisition step of acquiring a position/orientation of a viewpoint;

a virtual image generation step of generating an image of a virtual space according to the position/orientation the viewpoint using virtual object information;

a detection step of detecting a specific object area;

a masking process step of applying a masking process to the image of the virtual space in accordance with the detected object area;

a composition step of compositing the image of the physical space and the image of the virtual space to which the masking process has been applied; and

a control step of controlling the masking process in accordance with the masking process control information included in the virtual object information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the masking process control information is managed for each virtual object together with model information, and

control of the masking process is done for each virtual object.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the masking process control information can be dynamically changed.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the masking process control information is set in accordance with a distance between the viewpoint position and a position of the virtual object.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the masking process control information can be set in accordance with a user'"'"'s instruction.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detection step includes a step of detecting the specific object area from the physical image.

9. A program characterized by making a computer implement an image processing method of claim 1.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program of claim 9.

7. An image processing method of superimposing an image of a virtual object onto an image of a physical space, comprising:

a setting step of setting for an image of each individual virtual object whether or not a masking portion is to be masked;

a first generation step of generating an image of the virtual object which is set not to be masked in the setting step;

a masking area setting step of setting a masking area; and

a second generation step of generating an image obtained by masking the masking portion in the image of the virtual object, which is set to be masked in the setting step, in accordance with the masking area.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the setting step includes a step of setting not to mask the masking portion, with regard to a virtual object, within a time of emphasis display of an image of that virtual object.

11. An image processing apparatus comprising:

physical image acquisition unit adapted to acquire an image of a physical space;

viewpoint position/orientation acquisition unit adapted to acquire a position/orientation of a viewpoint;

virtual image generation unit adapted to generate an image of a virtual space according to the position/orientation of the viewpoint using virtual object information;

detection unit adapted to detect a specific object area;

masking process unit adapted to apply a masking process to the image of the virtual space in accordance with the detected object area;

composition unit adapted to composite the image of the physical space and the image of the virtual space to which the masking process has been applied; and

control unit adapted to control the masking process in accordance with the masking process control information included in the virtual object information.

12. An image processing apparatus for superimposing an image of a virtual object onto an image of a physical space, comprising:

setting unit adapted to set for an image of each individual virtual object whether or not a masking portion is to be masked;

first generation unit adapted to generate an image of the virtual object which is set not to be masked by said setting unit;

masking area setting unit adapted to set a masking area; and

second generation unit adapted to generate an image obtained by masking the masking portion in the image of the virtual object, which is set to be masked by said setting unit, in accordance with the masking area.