INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20120207368A1
• Filed: 10/18/2010
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Ryo, Satoh, Kiyohide, Endo, Takaaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,908,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10072 Tomographic images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10132 Ultrasound image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30068 Mammography; Breast
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/344 involving models

Abstract

An information processing apparatus for deforming an original image includes an obtaining unit configured to obtain a deformation rule by associating a movement of a feature area caused by deformation of the original image with the deformation, and a deformation unit configured to deform the original image in accordance with the deformation rule, using, as a condition of constraint, position information about a feature area of the target image and a corresponding area of the original image.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for executing a process for deforming a shape of an original image so as to approximate a shape of a target image, comprising:

an obtaining unit configured to obtain a deformation rule by associating a movement of a feature area caused by deformation of the original image with the deformation; and

a deformation unit configured to deform the original image in accordance with the deformation rule, using, as a condition of constraint, position information about a feature area of the target image and a corresponding area of the original image.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the obtaining unit includes

a first shape obtaining unit configured to obtain information regarding a shape of the original image obtained under a first deformation condition,

a second shape obtaining unit configured to obtain information regarding a shape of the target image obtained under a second deformation condition,

a first feature point position obtaining unit configured to obtain position information about the feature area of the original image under the first deformation condition,

a second feature point position obtaining unit configured to obtain position information about the feature area of the target image under the second deformation condition, and

a deformed-shape model generation unit configured to generate a deformed-shape model of the original image from deformed shapes of the original image corresponding to a plurality of parameters and position information about the feature area associated with the deformed shapes, and

wherein the deformation unit includes a deformation estimation unit configured to estimate deformation of a shape of the original image under the second deformation condition to the shape of the target image, based on the deformed-shape model using, as a condition of constrain, the position information about the feature area of the original image under the first deformation condition and the position information about the feature area of the target image under the second deformation condition.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second shape obtaining unit is configured to further obtain information regarding a portion of the shape of the target image, and

wherein the deformation estimation unit estimates the deformation to the shape of the target image, further based on the information regarding the portion of the shape of the target image obtained by the second shape obtaining unit.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

an image obtaining unit configured to obtain an image, as the original image, by capturing an image of a target object under the first deformation condition; and

a deformed image generation unit configured to deform the image obtained by the image obtaining unit based on the deformation estimated by the deformation estimation unit, wherein at least one of the first shape obtaining unit and the first feature point obtaining unit obtains predetermined information from the image obtained by the image obtaining unit.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the target object comprises a human breast, and a feature area of the target object includes at least a human nipple.

6. An information processing method for executing a process for deforming a shape of an original image so as to approximate a shape of a target image, comprising:

an obtaining step of obtaining a deformation rule by associating a movement of a feature area caused by deformation of the original image with the deformation; and

a deforming step of deforming the original image in accordance with the deformation rule, using, as a condition of constraint, position information about a feature area of the target image and a corresponding area of the original image.

8. A computer-readable medium storing thereon a computer-executable program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method according to claim 6.

7. An information processing method for executing a process for deforming a shape of an original image so as to approximate a shape of a target image, comprising:

an obtaining step of obtaining position information about a plurality of areas into which the original image is divided; and

a deforming step of deforming the original image by making a position of a feature area of the target image and a position of a corresponding area of the original image match and by changing the position information about the plurality of areas.