IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20070053614A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sato, Hiroshi, Mitarai, Yusuke, Mori, Katsuhiko, Kato, Masami
• Granted Patent: US 7,796,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/299
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/2504 Coarse or fine approaches, e.g. resolution of ambiguities or multiscale approaches
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation

Abstract

An image processing apparatus having an image sensing unit and a subject detection unit for performing a process of detecting a subject in an image inputted from said image sensing unit, has a detection size operation unit that sets a resolution of a target object to be detected by the subject detection unit, and an image conversion unit that converts a resolution of the input image, based on the resolution of the target object set by the detection size operation unit. The subject detection unit performs the process of detecting the subject in the image whose resolution has been converted by the image conversion unit.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus having an image input unit and a detection unit for performing a process of detecting a predetermined target object in an image inputted from said image input unit, comprising:

a size changing unit that sets a resolution of the target object to be detected by said detection unit; and

a resolution conversion unit that converts a resolution of said input image based on the resolution of the target object set by said size changing unit,

wherein said detection unit performs said process of detecting the target object in the image whose resolution has been converted by said resolution conversion unit.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said resolution conversion unit converts said input image into images of a plurality of different resolutions.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said resolution conversion unit further limits the resolution to be converted based on size robustness of a detection method adopted by said detection unit.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a processing time acquisition unit that acquires a predicted processing time which is required for detecting the target object by said detection unit, based on the resolution of the target object set by said size changing unit and the resolution of the image which has been converted by said resolution conversion unit.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising a display unit,

wherein the resolution of the target object set by said size changing unit and the predicted processing time acquired by said processing time acquisition unit are displayed on said display unit.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each time the resolution of the target object is changed by said size changing unit, the display of the resolution of the target object and the predicted processing time is updated.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if a plurality of the target objects of different resolutions are detected in near areas in the image by said detection unit, the target object of the resolution which is nearest to the resolution of the target object set by said size changing unit is selected.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a control unit that, when the resolution of the target object is changed by said size changing unit, controls the changed resolution of the target object to fall within a range of size at which the detection process can be performed by said detection unit.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the resolution of the target object set by said size changing unit is out of a range of size at which the detection process can be performed by said detection unit, it is controlled so that the detection process by said detection unit is not performed.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a zoom operation unit used for changing a zoom amount,

wherein if said zoom amount has been changed, said size changing unit changes the resolution of the target object in proportion to said zoom amount.

11. An image processing apparatus having an image input unit and a detection unit for performing a process of detecting a predetermined target object in an image inputted from said image input unit, comprising:

a size changing unit that sets a size of the target object to be detected by said detection unit;

a processing time acquisition unit that acquires a predicted processing time which is required for detecting the target object by said detection unit, based on the size of the target object set by said size changing unit; and

a notification unit that notifies the predicted processing time acquired by said processing time acquisition unit.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said notification unit is a display unit, and said display unit displays the size of the target object set by said size changing unit and the predicted processing time acquired by said processing time acquisition unit.

25. An image processing apparatus readable storage medium having stored thereon a program which is executable by an image processing apparatus, the program having a program code for realizing the image processing method according to claim 11.

13. An image processing method comprising:

an image input step;

a detection step of performing a process of detecting a predetermined target object in an image inputted at said image input step;

a size changing step of setting a resolution of the target object to be detected at said detection step; and

a resolution conversion step of converting a resolution of said input image, based on the resolution of the target object set at said size changing step,

wherein said detection step performs said process of detecting the target object in the image whose resolution has been converted at said resolution conversion step.

14. The image processing method according to claim 13, wherein said resolution conversion step converts said input image into images of a plurality of different resolutions.

15. The image processing method according to claim 13, wherein said resolution conversion step further limits the resolution to be converted based on size robustness of a detection method adopted at said detection step.

16. The image processing method according to claim 13 further comprising a processing time acquisition step of acquiring a predicted processing time which is required for detecting the target object at said detection step, based on the resolution of the target object set at said size changing step and the resolution of the image which has been converted at said resolution conversion step.

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

a display step of displaying the resolution of the target object set at said size changing step and the predicted processing time acquired at said processing time acquisition step on a display unit.

18. The image processing method according to claim 17 further comprising:

an update step of, each time the resolution of the target object is changed at said size changing step, updating the display of the resolution of the target object and the predicted processing time.

19. The image processing method according to claim 13 further comprising a step of, if a plurality of the target objects of different resolutions are detected in near areas in the image at said detection step, selecting the target object of the resolution which is nearest to the resolution of the target object set at said size changing step.

20. The image processing method according to claim 13, wherein when the resolution of the target object is changed at said size changing step, the changed resolution of the target object is controlled to fall within a range of size at which the detection process can be performed at said detection step.

21. The image processing method according to claim 13, wherein if the resolution of the target object set at said size changing step is out of a range of size at which the detection process can be performed at said detection step, it is controlled so that the detection process at said detection step is not performed.

22. The image processing method according to claim 13, further comprising:

a step of changing a zoom amount; and

a step of, if said zoom amount has been changed, changing the predetermined size in proportion to said zoom amount.

23. An image processing method comprising:

an image input step;

a detection step of performing a process of detecting a predetermined target object in an image inputted at said image input step;

a size changing step of setting a size of the target object to be detected at said detection step;

a processing time acquisition step of acquiring a predicted processing time which is required for detecting the target object at said detection step, based on the size of the target object set at said size changing step; and

a notification step of notifying the predicted processing time acquired at said processing time acquisition step.

24. The image processing method according to claim 23, wherein the size of the target object set at said size changing step and the predicted processing time acquired at said processing time acquisition step are displayed at said notification step.