IMAGE SYNTHESIZING DEVICE, IMAGE SYNTHESIZING METHOD AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM

• US 20120019686A1
• Filed: 07/20/2011
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: MANABE, Yoshitsugu
• Application Number:
  US13/187,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20120019686A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10144 Varying exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20201 Motion blur correction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20208 High dynamic range [HDR] image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20221 Image fusion; Image merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/92 based on global image properties
• 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 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2621 Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing

Abstract

There is provided an image synthesizing device. The device includes: an image capturing unit configured to capture a plurality of images that are temporally continuous; an image generator configured to generate a single synthesized image by adding pixels of the plurality of images; a first difference obtaining unit configured to obtain differences between the plurality of images on pixel-by-pixel basis for each of the plurality images; and a blending unit configured to employ the differences between the plurality of images as transparency information and blend the transparency information into the synthesized image.

Claims

1. An image synthesizing device comprising:

an image capturing unit configured to capture a plurality of images that are temporally continuous;

an image generator configured to generate a single synthesized image by adding pixels of the plurality of images;

a first difference obtaining unit configured to obtain differences between the plurality of images on pixel-by-pixel basis for each of the plurality images; and

a blending unit configured to employ the differences between the plurality of images as transparency information and blend the transparency information into the synthesized image.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a selector configured to select a reference image for the synthesized image, from among the plurality of images,

wherein the first difference obtaining unit is configured to obtain differences between the reference image and remaining images except the reference image on pixel-by-pixel basis for each of the remaining images, so as to obtain a maximum value of the difference for each of the remaining images.

3. The device according to claim 1,

wherein capture angles of the respective captured images are substantially same, and exposure conditions of the respective captured images are different from each other,

the device further comprising:

a gain controller configured to increase brightness gain of a first image of the plurality of images such that an exposure condition of the first image is equivalent to that of a second image of the plurality of images, wherein an exposure amount of the first image is smaller than that of the second image, and

wherein the first difference obtaining unit is configured to obtain differences between the first image and the second image.

4. The device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a moving object region detector configured to detect the differences between the plurality of images, as a moving object region;

a replacement unit configured to replace a moving object region of the second image with a moving objection region of the first image;

a second difference obtaining unit configured to obtain differences on pixel-pixel basis between the first image and the second image in the moving object region, so as to obtain a maximum value of the difference, and

wherein the blending unit is configured to calculate transparency information by averaging the differences between the first image and the second image and blend the transparency information into the replaced image.

5. The device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a generator configured to generate a single image by adding and synthesizing the blended image and the first image.

6. The device according to claim 1,

wherein the blending unit is configured to average the differences between the plurality of images, and increase a contrast of the synthesized image based on the averaged differences.

7. The device according to claim 1,

wherein the blending unit is configured to average the differences between the plurality of images, and a smooth the synthesized image based on the averaged differences.

8. The device according to claim 1,

wherein the image capturing unit comprises an imaging device.

9. The image device according to claim 1,

wherein capture angles of the respective captured images are substantially same.

10. An image synthesizing method comprising:

(a) capturing a plurality of images that are temporally continuous;

(b) generating a single synthesized image by adding pixels of the plurality of images;

(c) obtaining differences between the plurality of images on pixel-by-pixel basis for each of the plurality images; and

(d) employing the differences between the plurality of images as transparency information and blending the transparency information into the synthesized image.

11. A computer-readable medium storing a program for causing the computer to perform operations comprising:

(a) capturing a plurality of images that are temporally continuous;

(b) generating a single synthesized image by adding pixels of the plurality of images;

(c) obtaining differences between the plurality of images on pixel-by-pixel basis for each of the plurality images; and

(d) employing the differences between the plurality of images as transparency information and blending the transparency information into the synthesized image.