Method and apparatus for image processing using a template image

• US 7,050,095 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2002
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation), Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation), Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Toba, Akira, Toyofuku, Toshiyuki, Yokokawa, Ko, Dotsubo, Nobuhide, Haruki, Toshinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Ngoc-Yen
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LUONG TRUNG
• Application Number:
  US10/131,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20020122118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 348/169, 348/218.1, 348/222.1, 348/231.6, 348/239, 348/586, 348/598, 348/254, 382/209, 382/217, 382/233, 382/254, 382/248, 382/274, 382/284, 358/909.1, 358/450
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3871 the composed originals being of different kinds, e.g. low- and high-resolution originals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects
• 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 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding

Abstract

A digital camera includes a memory card. The memory card is previously recorded with template image data that has been subjected to conversion of Y-data effective range and JPEG compressing. A CPU expands this template image data by a JPEG method, and then subjects only expanded data greater than a predetermined value to effective-range conversion that is reverse to the above. The CPU composites the template image data thus obtained with photographed image data, thereby creating composite image data.

Claims

1. An image compositing method, comprising the steps of:

(a) subjecting to an expanding process template image data created by a first converting process and a compressing process being performed in this order;

(b) subjecting to a second converting process template image data created by the expanding process in said step (a); and

(c) compositing template image data created by the second converting process in said step (b) with photographed image data, wherein the first converting process includes a dividing process for dividing a raw data value by a first numeral, and an adding process for adding a second numeral to a divided value obtained by the dividing process, and the second converting process includes a subtracting process for subtracting the second numeral from a data value, and a multiplying process for multiplying a subtracted value obtained by the subtracting process by the first numeral.

2. An image compositing method according to claim 1, wherein the compressing process and the expanding process are performed in accordance with a JPEG format.

3. An image compositing method according to claim 1, wherein the template image data includes luminance data, and the luminance data is subjected to the first converting process.

4. A digital camera, comprising:

an expander for subjecting to an expanding process template image data created by a first converting process and a compressing process being performed in this order;

a processor for subjecting to a second converting process template image data created by the expanding process of said expander; and

a compositor for compositing template image data created by the second converting process of said processor with photographed image data, wherein the first converting process is a process of dividing a raw data value by a first numeral and adding a second numeral to the divided value, and the second converting process is a process of subtracting the second numeral from a data value and multiplying the subtracted value by the first numeral.

5. A digital camera according to claim 4, wherein said second converting process further includes a changing process for changing a subtracted value less than zero to zero.

6. A digital camera according to claim 4, wherein the compressing process and the expanding process are performed in accordance with a JPEG format.

7. A digital camera according to claim 4, wherein the template image data includes luminance data which is subjected to the first converting process.

8. A digital camera according to claim 4, wherein said processor includes a comparer for comparing a value of each pixel data forming the template image data with a threshold value, and a converting executor for subjecting to the second converting process pixel data having a data value which is equal to or more than the threshold value.