Image processing apparatus and method, recording medium, and program

• US 20060215882A1
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Ando, Tanichi, Ota, Shunji
• Application Number:
  US11/375,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20060215882A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/70 Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/741 by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/20 Circuitry for controlling amplitude response

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to allow easier acquisition of image data having the necessary luminosity range. The pixel value distribution detecting unit detects the distribution of the pixel values of the input image data, constituted by pixel values that are substantially proportional to the logarithm of the quantity of incident light. The extraction range setting means sets one or more extraction ranges, which are ranges of predetermined pixel values and have the same width, on the basis of the distribution of the pixel values of the input image data. The image extraction unit produces processed image data by extracting pixels having pixel values contained in the extraction ranges from the input image data, and supplies the processed image data thus produced to the image detecting unit. The present invention can be used in image detection devices.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

range setting means for setting one or more extraction ranges constituting first ranges having not more than a specified first width of pixel values of first pixel data that is input; and

image data production means for producing one or more sets of second image data by extracting pixels having pixel values contained in the extraction ranges from the first image data.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising distribution detection means for detecting the distribution of the pixel values of the input first image data, wherein,

the range setting means sets the extraction ranges on the basis of the distribution of the pixel values of the first image data.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the extraction ranges include the first ranges which are centered on mean values of the pixel values of the first image data.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the extraction ranges include the first ranges which are centered on mean values of the pixel values of the images of specified regions within the first image data.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the extraction ranges include the first ranges which are centered on the pixel values for which the number of pixels reaches a maximum in the distribution of the pixel values of the first image data.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

in cases where pixel values not contained in the extraction ranges exist among pixel values for which the number of pixels is equal to or greater than a specified threshold value in the distribution of the pixel values of the first image data, the range setting means further sets the extraction ranges constituting the first ranges which are centered on the pixel values for which the number of pixels reaches a maximum among pixel values not contained in the extraction ranges.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

in cases where pixel values not contained in the extraction ranges exist among pixel values for which the number of pixels is equal to or greater than the threshold value in the distribution of the pixel values of the first image data, the range setting means repeatedly sets the extraction ranges constituting the first ranges which are centered on the pixel values for which the number of pixels reaches a maximum among pixel values not contained in the extraction ranges until the pixel values for which the number of pixels is equal to or greater than the threshold value are contained in one of the extraction ranges.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

in cases where a second range of pixel values, which is a range of pixel values including the mean value of the pixel values of the first image data, and in which the number of pixels is continuously equal to or greater than a specified threshold value, exceeds the first width, the range setting means sets the extraction ranges so that a plurality of the contiguous extraction ranges as a whole include the second range, and

in cases where the second range is equal to or less than the first width, the range setting means sets the extraction ranges constituting the first ranges which are centered on the mean values of the pixel values of the first image data.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

in cases where pixel values that are not contained in the extraction ranges exist among the pixel values for which the number of pixels is equal to or greater than the threshold value in the distribution of the pixel values of the first image data, the range setting means further sets the extraction ranges constituting the first ranges which are centered on pixel values for which the number of pixels reaches a maximum among the pixel values not contained in the extraction ranges.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

in cases where pixel values that are not contained in the extraction ranges exist among the pixel values for which the number of pixels is equal to or greater than the threshold value in the distribution of the pixel values of the first image data, the range setting means repeatedly sets the extraction ranges constituting the first ranges which are centered on pixel values for which the number of pixels reaches a maximum among the pixel values not contained in the extraction ranges until the pixel values for which the number of pixels is equal to or greater than the threshold value are contained in one of the extraction ranges.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the range setting means is devised so that in cases where a second range of pixel values, which is a range including the pixel values for which the number of pixels reaches a maximum in the distribution of the pixel values of the first image data, and in which the number of pixels is continuously equal to or greater than a specified threshold value, exceeds the first width, the range setting means sets the extraction ranges so that a plurality of the contiguous extraction ranges as a whole include the second range, and

in cases where the second range is equal to or less than the first width, the range setting means sets the extraction ranges constituting the first ranges which are centered on the pixel values for which the number of pixels reaches a maximum in the distribution of the pixel values of the first image data.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

in cases where pixel values that are not contained in the extraction ranges exist among the pixel values for which the number of pixels is equal to or greater than the threshold value in the distribution of the pixel values of the first image data, the range setting means further sets the extraction ranges constituting the first ranges which are centered on pixel values for which the number of pixels reaches a maximum among the pixel values not contained in the extraction ranges.

13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

in cases where pixel values that are not contained in the extraction ranges exist among the pixel values for which the number of pixels is equal to or greater than the threshold value in the distribution of the pixel values of the first image data, the range setting means repeatedly sets the extraction ranges constituting the first ranges which are centered on pixel values for which the number of pixels reaches a maximum among the pixel values not contained in the extraction ranges until the pixel values for which the number of pixels is equal to or greater than the threshold value are contained in one of the extraction ranges.

14. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

in cases where the second range between the minimum and maximum values of the pixel values for which the number of pixels is equal to or greater than a specified threshold value in the distribution of the pixel values of the first image data exceeds the first width, the range setting means sets the extraction ranges so that a plurality of the contiguous extraction ranges as a whole include the second range, and in cases where the second range is equal to or less than the first width, the range setting means sets the extraction ranges constituting the first ranges which include the second range.

15. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

in cases where the second ranges exceed the first width for respective second ranges in which pixel values for which the number of pixels is equal to or greater than a specified threshold value in the distribution of the pixel values of the first image data continue over at least a specified second width of the pixel values, the range setting means sets the extraction ranges so that a plurality of the contiguous extraction ranges as a whole include the second ranges, and

in cases where the second ranges are equal to or less than the first width, the range setting means sets the extraction ranges constituting the first ranges which include the second ranges.

16. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the range setting means sets the extraction ranges constituting the first ranges in which the second range between the minimum and maximum values that can be adopted by the pixel values of the first image data is divided into the first widths.

17. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising photographed object detection means for detecting specified objects of imaging within the second image data.

18. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dynamic range of the luminosity of the first image data is 70 dB or greater.

19. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first image data is output by an image pickup apparatus having a logarithm conversion type image pickup element which outputs pixel values that are substantially proportional to the logarithm of the quantity of incident light, in use of sub-threshold characteristics of a semiconductor.

20. An image processing method comprising:

a range setting step for setting one or more extraction ranges that are equal to or less than a specified width of pixel values of first image data that is input; and

an image data production step in which one or more sets of second image data are produced by extracting pixels whose pixel values are contained in the extraction ranges, from the first image data.

21. A program comprising:

a range setting step for setting one or more extraction ranges that are equal to or less than a specified width of pixel values of first image data that is input; and

an image data production step in which one or more sets of second image data are produced by extracting pixels whose pixel values are contained in the extraction ranges, from the first image data.

22. A recording medium on which the program according to claim 21 is recorded.