IMAGE DISPLAY DEVICE, IMAGE DISPLAY METHOD, AND IMAGE DISPLAY PROGRAM

• US 20110249862A1
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: TOKIKURA, Munehiro, Aizu, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,644,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20016 Hierarchical, coarse-to-fine, multiscale or multiresolution image processing; Pyramid transform
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30201 Face
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an image display device that displays acquired image frames includes: an image processing unit that detects a location of a target in a first image frame among the image frames and generates a first predicted location of the target in a second image frame acquired at a first time when a predetermined number of frames or predetermined period of time has passed since the first image frame is acquired; a script processing unit that generates at least one tracking image that starts from the location of the target in the first image frame and heads toward the first predicted location in the second image frame; a synthesis unit that generates combined images where the at least one tracking image is put on image frames between the first and second image frame; and a display unit that displays the combined images.

Claims

1. An image display device that displays acquired image frames, comprising:

an image processing unit that detects a location of a target in a first image frame among the image frames and generates a first predicted location of the target in a second image frame acquired at a first time when a predetermined number of frames or predetermined period of time has passed since the first image frame is acquired;

a script processing unit that generates at least one tracking image that starts from the location of the target in the first image frame and heads toward the first predicted location in the second image frame;

a synthesis unit that generates combined images where the at least one tracking image is put on image frames between first and second image frame; and

a display unit that displays the combined images.

2. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein:

the image processing unit detects the target in a third image frame acquired at a second time that is between the time when the first image frame is acquired and the first time and generates a second predicted location of the target in the second image frame;

the script processing unit generates, when a difference between the second and first predicted locations exceeds a predetermined threshold value, at least one tracking image that starts from the location of the target in the third image frame and heads toward the second predicted location in the second image frame; and

the synthesis unit generates combined images where the at least one tracking image is put on the images between third and second image frame.

3. The image display device according to claim 2, wherein

when the image processing unit cannot detect the target from acquired image frames for a predetermined period of time, the script processing unit ends a process of generating the tracking image.

4. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein:

the first predicted location is included in a prediction parameter;

the image processing unit generates the prediction parameter that further includes a motion pattern representing how the target moves from the location of the target in the first image frame to the first predicted location; and

the script processing unit generates the tracking image in accordance with the motion pattern.

5. The image display device according to claim 4, wherein

the image processing unit generates the prediction parameter that further includes a target ID that is unique to the detected target.

6. An image display method that makes an image display device display acquired image frames, comprising:

an image processing step at which an image processing unit detects a location of a target in a first image frame among the image frames and generates a first predicted location of the target in a second image frame acquired at a first time when a predetermined number of frames or predetermined period of time has passed since the first image frame is acquired;

a script processing step at which a script processing unit generates at least one tracking image that starts from the location of the target in the first image frame and heads toward the first predicted location;

a synthesis step at which a synthesis unit generates combined images where the at least one tracking image is put on the image frames between first and second image frame; and

a display step at which a display unit displays the combined images.

7. An image display program that causes a computer to function as image display means for displaying acquired image frames on a screen of an image display device and to function as:

image processing means for detecting a location of a target in a first image frame among the image frames and generating a first predicted location of the target in a second image frame acquired at a first time when a predetermined number of frames or predetermined period of time has passed since the first image frame is acquired;

script processing means for generating the at least one tracking image that starts from the location of the target in the first image frame and heads toward the first predicted location;

synthesis means for generating combined images where the at least one tracking image is put on between the first and second image frame; and

display means for displaying the combined images.