Image Processing Method, Image Processing Program, Image Processing Device, and Imaging Device

• US 20090052788A1
• Filed: 11/01/2006
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Doida, Shigeru
• Granted Patent: US 8,526,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/145 Movement estimation for video coding H04N19/51

Abstract

An image-processing method is characterized by including a searching operation of searching for a local motion vector from each of blocks in the plural images, an electing operation of electing a representative motion vector from the local motion vectors of the respective blocks, and an approximating operation of approximating a motion vector distribution on the images based on the representative motion vector in order to detect motion between plural images with high precision without increasing the number of blocks made by dividing an image. In addition, when an approximate surface thereof is a plane, the operation amount for approximating the motion vector distribution and the information amount for representing the motion vector distribution can be minimized.

Claims

1. An image-processing method which detects motion between plural images, the method comprising:

a searching operation of searching for a local motion vector from each of blocks in the plural images;

an electing operation of electing a representative motion vector from the local motion vectors of said respective blocks; and

an approximating operation of approximating a motion vector distribution on said images based on said representative motion vector.

2. The image-processing method according to claim 1, wherein:

at least three of said representative motion vectors are elected; and

said motion vector distribution is approximated by a linear function of a position on said images.

3. The image-processing method according to claim 1, wherein two types of projected data made by adding in two directions feature quantities of reference areas in said blocks are used in searches of said respective blocks.

4. The image-processing method according to claim 3, wherein two types of cumulative added images are created in advance, which are made by cumulatively adding in said two directions the feature quantities of said blocks, and said two types of projected data are created from a part of said two types of cumulative added images, in searches of said respective blocks.

5. The image-processing method according to claim 1, wherein a calculating processing of said motion vector distribution by said searching operation, said electing operation, and said approximating operation is performed on plural coarse images made by performing resolution-reducing conversion of said plural images.

6. The image-processing method according to claim 5, further comprising a re-detecting operation of detecting, using said motion vector distribution calculated from said plural coarse images, motion between plural detailed images before being subjected to said resolution-reducing conversion.

7. The image-processing method according to claim 6, further comprising a composing operation of position-adjusting and composing said plural detailed images based on said detected motion.

8. A computer-readable recording medium storing an image-processing program configured to cause a computer to execute the image-processing method according to claim 1.

9. An image-processing apparatus comprising a unit which executes the image-processing method according to claim 1.

10. An imaging apparatus, comprising:

an imaging unit capable of continuously imaging a subject to obtain plural images; and

the image-processing apparatus according to claim 9.

11. An image-processing method which searches for a motion vector between plural images, the method comprising a calculating operation of calculating a correlation between reference areas in said plural images while shifting positions of the reference areas between said images, wherein a correlation between two types of projected data made by adding in two directions feature quantities of said reference areas is calculated as the correlation between said reference areas.

12. The image-processing method according to claim 11, wherein in said calculating operation, two types of cumulative added images are created in advance, which are made by cumulatively adding in said two directions the feature quantities of said reference areas, and said two types of projected data are created from a part of said two types of cumulative added images.

13. The image-processing method according to claim 11, wherein the feature quantities of said reference areas are extracted by performing two or more processings on said reference areas.

14. The image-processing method according to claim 13, wherein one of said two or more processings is an edge-detecting filter processing.

15. The image-processing method according to claim 11, wherein said motion vector is a motion vector of a block made by dividing said images.

16. The image-processing method according to claim 11, wherein said motion vector is a motion vector of said entire images.

17. A computer-readable recording medium storing an image-processing program configured to cause a computer to execute the image-processing method according to claim 11.

18. An image-processing apparatus comprising a unit which executes the image-processing method according to claim 11.

19. An imaging apparatus, comprising:

an imaging unit capable of continuously imaging a subject to obtain plural images; and

the image-processing apparatus according to claim 18.