Picture processing apparatus, picture processing method, picture pickup apparatus, and program

• US 20060044402A1
• Filed: 08/11/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ihara, Keigo, Lu, Caoyi, Takahashi, Eiji, Maruyama, Hiroyuki, Segawa, Machiko, Aoyama, Ryu, Matsushita, Nobuyuki, Murata, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 7,474,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.990
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence

Abstract

A picture processing apparatus is disclosed which processes pictures showing subjects wearing devices each assigned identification information. The picture processing apparatus includes: an acquiring mechanism acquiring a first picture sequence formed by the pictures showing the subjects wearing the devices, and a time series of the identification information assigned to the devices; and a clustering mechanism which, based on how the time series acquired by the acquiring mechanism is linked according to the identification information, links together scenes constituting the first picture sequence, the scenes having been picked up at corresponding points in time.

Claims

1. A picture processing apparatus for processing pictures showing subjects wearing devices each assigned identification information, said picture processing apparatus comprising:

acquiring means for acquiring a first picture sequence formed by the pictures showing said subjects wearing said devices, and a time series of said identification information assigned to said devices; and

clustering means which, based on how said time series acquired by said acquiring means is linked according to said identification information, links together scenes constituting said first picture sequence, said scenes having been picked up at corresponding points in time.

2. The picture processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said acquiring means acquires said time series of said identification information from a second picture sequence having been picked up and recognized.

3. The picture processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said clustering means links said time series of said identification information into a single cluster in which said identification information continues over a predetermined time interval and belongs to one category.

4. The picture processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising reproducing means for reproducing, from among the scenes constituting said first picture sequence, those scenes which constitute part of said first picture sequence and which were picked up over the time interval corresponding to said single cluster.

5. The picture processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said reproducing means reproduces the scenes which constitute said first picture sequence and which were picked up over the time intervals corresponding to a plurality of clusters formed by the time series of said identification information belonging to the same category.

6. The picture processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising distribution displaying means for displaying a time-base distribution of the scenes which constitute said first picture sequence and which were picked up over the time interval corresponding to said single cluster, said time-base distribution of said scenes being displayed in a position different from that in which the scene reproduced by said reproducing means is being displayed.

7. The picture processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said reproducing means reproduces the scene selected from said time-base distribution displayed by said distribution displaying means.

8. The picture processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said clustering means links into a second cluster the time series of said identification information belonging to the same category as that of the time series of said identification information constituting said single cluster regarded as a first cluster.

9. The picture processing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

reproducing means for reproducing said first picture sequence; and

displaying means which, during reproduction of a first scene constituting part of said first picture sequence picked up over the time interval corresponding to said first cluster, reproduces a second scene constituting part of said first picture sequence picked up over the time interval corresponding to said second cluster, said second scene being displayed in a position different from that in which said first scene is being displayed.

10. The picture processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said displaying means displays a plurality of the second scenes.

11. The picture processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said reproducing means starts reproducing said second scene displayed by said displaying means when said second scene is selected by a user.

12. The picture processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising creating means for creating meta data representative of how said scenes constituting said first picture sequence are linked together.

13. A picture processing method for processing pictures showing subjects wearing devices each assigned identification information, said picture processing method comprising the steps of:

acquiring a picture sequence formed by the pictures showing said subjects wearing said devices, and a time series of said identification information assigned to said devices; and

linking together scenes constituting said picture sequence based on how said time series acquired in said acquiring step is linked according to said identification information, said scenes having been picked up at corresponding points in time.

14. A program for causing a computer to process pictures showing subjects wearing devices each assigned identification information, said program causing said computer to execute a procedure comprising the steps of:

acquiring a picture sequence formed by the pictures showing said subjects wearing said devices, and a time series of said identification information assigned to said devices; and

linking together scenes constituting said picture sequence based on how said time series acquired in said acquiring step is linked according to said identification information, said scenes having been picked up at corresponding points in time.

15. A picture pickup apparatus for processing pictures showing subjects wearing devices each assigned identification information, said picture pickup apparatus comprising:

picture pickup means;

acquiring means for acquiring a picture sequence picked up by said picture pickup means and formed by the pictures showing said subjects wearing said devices, and a time series of said identification information assigned to said devices; and

clustering means which, based on how said time series acquired by said acquiring means is linked according to said identification information, links together scenes constituting said picture sequence, said scenes having been picked up at corresponding points in time.