IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND PROGRAM

• US 20100074530A1
• Filed: 09/24/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsushita, Masahiro, Magai, Koichi, Shiiyama, Hirotaka, Sohma, Hidetomo
• Granted Patent: US 8,416,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/195
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour

Abstract

An image processing method performs reduction processing on an input image to acquire a reduced image, extracts a feature point from a group of images including the input image and one or more of the reduced images, determines as a matched feature point the feature point extracted from a matching position in each of two or more images in the group of images, calculates a local feature quantity of the matched feature point determined by the determination unit, and registers the calculated local feature quantity as a local feature quantity of the input image.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus configured to receive a plurality of input images, the image processing apparatus comprising:

a conversion unit configured to perform reduction processing on a first input image to generate a reduced image;

an extraction unit configured to extract a first feature point from the first input image;

an extraction and determination unit configured to extract a second feature point from a position in each of two or more input images from a group of images including the plurality of input images and the reduced image, the position of the second feature point corresponding to a position in the first input image of the first feature point; and

a calculation and registration unit configured to calculate a local feature quantity of the second feature point extracted by the extraction and determination unit and to register the calculated local feature quantity as a local feature quantity of the first input image.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the extraction and determination unit is further configured:

to extract a coordinate of the feature point from the reduced image;

to convert the feature point into a coordinate of the first input image; and

to determine the second feature point coordinates by extracting a combination of feature points with coordinates within a predetermined distance from each other.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the calculation and registration unit is configured to register only the local feature quantity of the second feature point.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit configured to store the local feature quantity; and

a comparison unit configured to compare the local feature quantity calculated with respect to the first input image with local feature quantities stored in the storage unit.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a search unit configure to search for the local feature quantities in the group of images that are similar to the local feature quantity of the first input image in the storage unit using a result by the comparison unit.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the calculation and registration unit is configured to register only the local feature quantity of the feature point extracted from an input image reduced many times by the conversion unit.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the local feature quantity comprises at least one quantity from a group comprising at least brightness and colour of the feature point.

8. An image processing method for processing a plurality of input images, the method comprising:

performing reduction processing on a first input image to generate a reduced image;

extracting a first feature point from the first input image;

extracting a second feature point from a position in each of two or more further images from a group of images including the plurality of input images and the reduced image, the position of the second feature point corresponding to a position in the first input image of the first feature point; and

calculating a local feature quantity of the second feature point and registering the calculated local feature quantity as a local feature quantity of the first input image.

9. A program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to execute a method for processing a plurality of input images, the method comprising:

performing reduction processing on a first input image to generate a reduced image;

extracting a first feature point from the first input image;

extracting a second feature point from a position in each of two or more further images from a group of images including the plurality of input images and the reduced image, the position of the second feature point corresponding to a position in the first input image of the first feature point; and

calculating a local feature quantity of the second feature point and registering the calculated local feature quantity as a local feature quantity of the first input image.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to execute a method for processing a plurality of input images, the method comprising:

performing reduction processing on a first input image to generate a reduced image;

extracting a first feature point from the first input image;

extracting a second feature point from a position in each of two or more further images from a group of images including the plurality of input images and the reduced image, the position of the second feature point corresponding to a position in the first input image of the first feature point; and

calculating a local feature quantity of the second feature point and registering the calculated local feature quantity as a local feature quantity of the first input image.