Information processing apparatus and method as well as medium

• US 6,801,653 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2000
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshigahara, Takayuki, Yokoyama, Atsushi, Wu, Weiguo, Ushiro, Teruyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dastouri, Mehrdad
• Application Number:
  US09/626,823
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 382/154, 382/195, 382/199, 382/209, 382/218, 382/217, 382/278, 382/286, 382/293, 382/307, 382/308, 375/240.03, 375/240
• US Class Current: 382/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/30 Determination of transform parameters for the alignment of images, i.e. image registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/147 Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/757 Matching configurations of points or features
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/759 Region-based matching

Abstract

The invention provides an image processing apparatus and method as well as a medium by which a corresponding point can be found out and matching between images can be performed with a higher degree of accuracy. A template deformation section produces a plurality of deformed templates by linear interpolation from a template inputted thereto from a template setting section and inputs the deformed templates to a plurality of matching operation sections. The matching operation sections use an image of an epipolar line from among reference images stored in image memories and the deformed templates to perform template matching on the epipolar line. Selection sections determine one of the deformed templates which exhibits the highest similarity degree from results of the template matching and determine coordinate values then as a parallax.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

first inputting means for inputting an image picked up by a base image pickup apparatus as a base image;

second inputting means for inputting at least one image picked up by at least one reference image pickup apparatus disposed at a different visual point from the base image pickup apparatus as a reference image or images;

setting means for setting an arbitrary object pixel and peripheral pixels around the object pixel from among pixels of the base image as a template;

production means for producing a plurality of deformed templates via linear interpolation based on a shape of the template set by said setting means; and

calculation means for determining a corresponding point or points of the reference image or images on an associated epipolar line using the deformed templates to calculate a corresponding relationship of the reference image or images to the base image, wherein said calculation means calculates similarity degrees of the deformed templates at pixels of the reference image or images and extracts and sets a coordinate point which exhibits a highest correlation from among the calculated similarity degrees as a corresponding point.

2. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said production means varies an aspect ratio of the template to produce the plurality of deformed templates.

3. An image processing method, comprising:

a first inputting step of inputting an image picked up by a base image pickup apparatus as a base image;

a second inputting step of inputting at least one image picked up by at least one reference image pickup apparatus disposed at a different visual point from the base image pickup apparatus as a reference image or images;

a setting step of setting an arbitrary object pixel and peripheral pixels around the object pixel from among pixels of the base image as a template;

a production step of producing a plurality of deformed templates via linear interpolation based on a shape of the template set by the processing in the setting step; and

a calculation step of determining a corresponding point or points of the reference image or images on an associated epipolar line using the deformed templates to calculate a corresponding relationship of the reference image or images to the base image, wherein the calculation step calculates similarity degrees of the deformed templates at pixels of the reference image or images and extracts and sets a coordinate point which exhibits a highest correlation from among the calculated similarity degrees as a corresponding point.

4. An image processing method according to claims 3, wherein the production step varies an aspect ratio of the template to produce the plurality of deformed templates.

5. A medium for causing a computer to execute a program which includes:

a first inputting step of inputting an image picked up by a base image pickup apparatus as a base image;

a second inputting step of inputting at least one image picked up by at least one reference image pickup apparatus disposed at a different visual point from the base image pickup apparatus as a reference image or images;

a setting step of setting an arbitrary object pixel and peripheral pixels around the object pixel from among pixels of the base image as a template;

a production step of producing a plurality of deformed templates via linear interpolation based on a shape of the template set by the processing in the setting step; and

a calculation step of determining a corresponding point or points of the reference image or images using the deformed templates to calculate a corresponding relationship of the reference image or images to the base image, wherein the calculation step calculates similarity degrees of the deformed templates at pixels of the reference image or images and extracts and sets a coordinate point which exhibits a highest correlation from among the calculated similarity degrees as a corresponding point.

6. A medium for causing a computer to execute a program according to claim 5, wherein the production step varies an aspect ratio of the template to produce the plurality of deformed templates.