Image processing method and apparatus

• US 7,116,813 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Funahashi, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V.
• Application Number:
  US10/737,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20040131240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 382/131, 382/132, 382/151, 382/201, 382/294, 382/295, 382/296, 382/297, 382/298, 382/287, 378/62, 378/162, 378/163, 378/182, 600/429, 606/130, 358/451, 250/584
• US Class Current: 382/132
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods

Abstract

In an image processing method, a direction transforming process is performed on an image signal representing an image and in accordance with information giving specifics about an image recording technique. In cases where a marker pattern, which is represented by a marker signal, is to be appended to the image represented by the image signal, the direction and the appending position of the marker signal are determined in accordance with the information giving specifics about the image recording technique. The marker signal is appended to the image signal in accordance with the thus determined direction and the thus determined appending position of the marker signal. The marker signal is thus appended to the image signal in an appropriate state in accordance with the specifics about the image recording technique.

Claims

1. An image processing method, in which a direction transforming process is performed on an image signal representing an image and in accordance with information giving specifics about an image recording technique, and in which a marker pattern represented by a marker signal is appended to the image represented by the image signal, the method comprising the steps of:

i) determining a direction of the marker signal and an appending position of the marker signal in accordance with the information giving specifics about the image recording technique, and

ii) appending the marker signal to the image signal in accordance with the thus determined direction of the marker signal and the thus determined appending position of the marker signal.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein a size of the marker signal is altered in accordance with a size of the image, which is represented by the image signal, and/or a read-out density, with which the image signal was obtained.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein a marker signal representing a marker pattern having a size adapting to a size of the image, which is represented by the image signal, and/or a read-out density, with which the image signal was obtained, is selected from a plurality of marker signals, which represent marker patterns having different sizes and having been prepared previously, and

the direction and the appending position of the thus selected marker signal are determined.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 or 3 wherein, in cases where a signal value of the marker signal and signal values of image signal components of the image signal, which image signal components correspond to the position in the vicinity of the appending position of the marker signal, approximately coincide with each other, the signal value of the marker signal and/or the signal values of the image signal components of the image signal, which image signal components correspond to the position in the vicinity of the appending position of the marker signal, are altered.

25. An image processing method according to claim 1, wherein said image signal representing an image is an output of an image read out device obtaining signal information from a recording medium.

26. An image processing method according to claim 25, wherein said image signal representing an image is irradiated from a stimulable phosphor sheet.

27. An image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the direction transforming process comprises a process for reversing and/or rotating the image signal, wherein an image seen from a desired direction can be obtained when an image is reproduced from the image signal having been obtained from the process.

28. An image processing method according to claim 27, wherein rotating the image signal comprises an operation for rotating the image, which is represented by the image signal, by desired angle around the center of gravity of an image.

29. An image processing method according to claim 27, wherein reversing comprises an operation for reversing the image, which is represented by the image signal, symmetrically with respect to an axis.

30. An image processing method according to claim 1, wherein appending a marker signal to an image signal comprises replacing the image signal components of the image signal, which correspond to the position to be appended with the marker pattern, by the marker signal.

31. An image processing method according to claim 1, wherein appending a marker signal to an image signal comprises appending the marker signal to the image signal as an overlay signal for the image signal.

32. An image processing method according to claim 2, wherein the marker signal is altered according to the ratio between the length of the longer side of an image, which is represented by the image signal, and the length of the longer side of the image having a predetermined size.

33. An image processing method according to claim 2, wherein the marker signal is altered by adding a predetermined value to the signal values of said image signal components of the direction-transformed image signal.

34. An image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the marker signal is appended to the image signal according to information giving specifics about an image recording technique from an identification terminal, wherein said identification terminal provides information to a determination means which determines a direction of the marker signal and an appending position of the marker signal in accordance with the information from the identification terminal, and the determination means is provided with a marker signal which is stored in a memory.

35. An image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the marker signal is appended to the image signal according to information giving specifics about an image recording technique, wherein said information is used to determine a direction of the marker signal and an appending position of the marker signal in accordance with said information, and the determination means is provided with a marker signal which is stored in a memory.

36. A method according to claim 2, wherein said marker signal aligns the image in order to properly orient the image.

5. An image processing method, in which a direction transforming process is performed on an image signal representing an image and in accordance with information giving specifics about an image recording technique, and in which a marker pattern represented by a marker signal is appended to the image represented by the image signal, the method comprising the steps of:

i) performing the direction transforming process on the image signal,

ii) displaying an image, which is represented by the image signal having been subjected to the direction transforming process, together with a pointer, which indicates an arbitrary position on the image, on displaying means,

iii) altering the direction of the marker signal in accordance with the information giving specifics about the image recording technique,

iv) altering the shape of the pointer to a shape of a marker pattern, which is represented by the altered marker signal,

v) altering the position of the marker pattern on the image in accordance with a pointer position altering instruction, and

vi) appending the marker signal to the image signal in accordance with a marker pattern appending instruction given at a desired position on the image displayed on the displaying means.

6. A method as defined in claim 5 wherein a size of the marker signal is altered in accordance with a size of the image, which is represented by the image signal, and/or a read-out density, with which the image signal was obtained.

7. A method as defined in claim 5 wherein a marker signal representing a marker pattern having a size adapting to a size of the image, which is represented by the image signal, and/or a read-out density, with which the image signal was obtained, is selected from a plurality of marker signals, which represent marker patterns having different sizes and having been prepared previously, and

the direction of the thus selected marker signal is altered.

8. A method as defined in claim 5 or 7 wherein, in cases where a signal value of the marker signal and signal values of image signal components of the image signal, which image signal components correspond to the position in the vicinity of the appending position of the marker signal, approximately coincide with each other, the signal value of the marker signal and/or the signal values of the image signal components of the image signal, which image signal components correspond to the position in the vicinity of the appending position of the marker signal, are altered.

37. An image processing method according to claim 5, wherein said pointer is an arrow.

9. An image processing apparatus, which is provided with direction transforming means for performing a direction transforming process on an image signal representing an image and in accordance with information giving specifics about an image recording technique, and in which a marker pattern represented by a marker signal is appended to the image represented by the image signal, the apparatus comprising:

i) determination means for determining a direction of the marker signal and an appending position of the marker signal in accordance with the information giving specifics about the image recording technique, and

ii) marker signal appending means for appending the marker signal to the image signal in accordance with the thus determined direction of the marker signal and the thus determined appending position of the marker signal.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein the determination means alters a size of the marker signal in accordance with a size of the image, which is represented by the image signal, and/or a read-out density, with which the image signal was obtained.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein the apparatus further comprises storage means for storing a plurality of marker signals, which represent marker patterns having different sizes and having been prepared previously, and selection means for selecting a marker signal representing a marker pattern having a size adapting to a size of the image, which is represented by the image signal, and/or a read-out density, with which the image signal was obtained, the selection being made from the plurality of the marker signals, which represent the marker patterns having different sizes and have been stored in the storage means, and

the determination means determines the direction and the appending position of the thus selected marker signal.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 or 11 further comprising signal value altering means for operating such that, in cases where a signal value of the marker signal and signal values of image signal components of the image signal, which image signal components correspond to the position in the vicinity of the appending position of the marker signal, approximately coincide with each other, the signal value altering means alters the signal value of the marker signal and/or the signal values of the image signal components of the image signal, which image signal components correspond to the position in the vicinity of the appending position of the marker signal.

13. An image processing apparatus, which is provided with direction transforming means for performing a direction transforming process on an image signal representing an image and in accordance with information giving specifics about an image recording technique, the apparatus comprising:

i) displaying means for displaying an image, which is represented by the image signal having been subjected to the direction transforming process performed by the direction transforming means, together with a pointer, which indicates an arbitrary position on the image,

ii) marker signal altering means for altering a direction of a marker signal, which represents a marker pattern to be appended to the image represented by the image signal, in accordance with the information giving specifics about the image recording technique,

iii) pointer altering means for altering the shape of the pointer to a shape of a marker pattern, which is represented by the altered marker signal,

iv) position altering means for altering the position of the marker pattern on the image in accordance with a pointer position altering instruction, and

v) marker signal appending means for appending the marker signal to the image signal in accordance with a marker pattern appending instruction given at a desired position on the image displayed on the displaying means.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein the determination means alters a size of the marker signal in accordance with a size of the image, which is represented by the image signal, and/or a read-out density, with which the image signal was obtained.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein the apparatus further comprises storage means for storing a plurality of marker signals, which represent marker patterns having different sizes and having been prepared previously, and selection means for selecting a marker signal representing a marker pattern having a size adapting to a size of the image, which is represented by the image signal, and/or a read-out density, with which the image signal was obtained, the selection being made from the plurality of the marker signals, which represent the marker patterns having different sizes and have been stored in the storage means, and

the marker signal altering means alters the direction of the thus selected marker signal.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 13 or 15 further comprising signal value altering means for operating such that, in cases where a signal value of the marker signal and signal values of image signal components of the image signal, which image signal components correspond to the position in the vicinity of the appending position of the marker signal, approximately coincide with each other, the signal value altering means alters the signal value of the marker signal and/or the signal values of the image signal components of the image signal, which image signal components correspond to the position in the vicinity of the appending position of the marker signal.

17. A recording medium, on which a program for causing a computer to execute an image processing method has been recorded and from which the computer is capable of reading the program, the image processing method comprising performing a direction transforming process on an image signal representing an image and in accordance with information giving specifics about an image recording technique, and appending a marker pattern represented by a marker signal to the image represented by the image signal,

wherein the program comprises the procedures for:

i) determining a direction of the marker signal and an appending position of the marker signal in accordance with the information giving specifics about the image recording technique, and

ii) appending the marker signal to the image signal in accordance with the thus determined direction of the marker signal and the thus determined appending position of the marker signal.

18. A recording medium as defined in claim 17 wherein the program further comprises the procedure for altering a size of the marker signal in accordance with a size of the image, which is represented by the image signal, and/or a read-out density, with which the image signal was obtained.

19. A recording medium as defined in claim 17 wherein the program further comprises the procedure for selecting a marker signal representing a marker pattern having a size adapting to a size of the image, which is represented by the image signal, and/or a read-out density, with which the image signal was obtained, the selection being made from a plurality of marker signals, which represent marker patterns having different sizes and having been prepare previously, and the procedure for the determination is a procedure for determining the direction and the appending position of the thus selected marker signal.

20. A recording medium as defined in claim 17 or 19 wherein the program further comprises the procedure for operating such that, in cases where a signal value of the marker signal and signal values of image signal components of the image signal, which image signal components correspond to the position in the vicinity of the appending position of the marker signal, approximately coincide with each other, the signal value of the marker signal and/or the signal values of the image signal components of the image signal, which image signal components correspond to the position in the vicinity of the appending position of the marker signal, are altered.

21. A recording medium, on which a program for causing a computer to execute an image processing method has been recorded and from which the computer is capable of reading the program, the image processing method comprising performing a direction transforming process on an image signal representing an image and in accordance with information giving specifics about an image recording technique, and appending a marker pattern represented by a marker signal to the image represented by the image signal,

wherein the program comprises the procedures for:

i) performing the direction transforming process on the image signal,

ii) displaying an image, which is represented by the image signal having been subjected to the direction transforming process, together with a pointer, which indicates an arbitrary position on the image, on displaying means,

iii) altering the direction of the marker signal in accordance with the information giving specifics about the image recording technique,

iv) altering the shape of the pointer to a shape of a marker pattern, which is represented by the altered marker signal,

v) altering the position of the marker pattern on the image in accordance with a pointer position altering instruction, and

vi) appending the marker signal to the image signal in accordance with a marker pattern appending instruction given at a desired position on the image displayed on the displaying means.

22. A recording medium as defined in claim 21 wherein the program further comprises the procedure for altering a size of the marker signal in accordance with a size of the image, which is represented by the image signal, and/or a read-out density, with which the image signal was obtained.

23. A recording medium as defined in claim 21 wherein the program further comprises the procedure for selecting a marker signal representing a marker pattern having a size adapting to a size of the image, which is represented by the image signal, and/or a read-out density, with which the image signal was obtained, the selection being made from a plurality of marker signals, which represent marker patterns having different sizes and having been prepared previously, and

the procedure for altering the direction of the marker signal is a procedure for altering the direction of the thus selected marker signal.

24. A recording medium as defined in claim 21 or 23 wherein the program further comprises the procedure for operating such that, in cases where a signal value of the marker signal and signal values of image signal components of the image signal, which image signal components correspond to the position in the vicinity of the appending position of the marker signal, approximately coincide with each other, the signal value of the marker signal and/or the signal values of the image signal components of the image signal, which image signal components correspond to the position in the vicinity of the appending position of the marker signal, are altered.

38. An image processing method appending a marker signal to an image signal comprising:

performing a direction transforming process on an electronic image signal representing an image and in accordance with information giving specifics about an image recording technique;

appending an electronic marker pattern represented by the marker signal to an image represented by the electronic image signal; and

determining a direction of the marker signal and an appending position of the marker signal in accordance with the information giving specifics about the image recording technique,

wherein the marker signal is appended to the image signal in accordance with the thus determined direction of the marker signal and the thus determined appending position of the marker signal.

39. An image processing apparatus in which a marker pattern represented by a marker signal is appended to the image represented by the image signal comprising:

direction transforming means for performing a direction transforming process on an image signal representing an image and in accordance with information giving specifics about an image recording technique, and in which a marker pattern represented by a marker signal is appended to the image represented by the image signal,

determination means for determining a direction of the marker signal and an appending position of the marker signal in accordance with the information giving specifics about the image recording technique, and

marker signal appending means for appending the marker signal to the image signal in accordance with the thus determined direction of the marker signal and the thus determined appending position of the marker signal.

40. A recording medium, on which a program for causing a computer to execute an image processing method has been recorded and from which the computer is capable of reading the program, wherein the program comprises the procedures for:

performing a direction transforming process on an image signal representing an image and in accordance with information giving specifics about an image recording technique, and appending a marker pattern represented by a marker signal to the image represented by the image signal,

determining a direction of the marker signal and an appending position of the marker signal in accordance with the information giving specifics about the image recording technique, and

appending the marker signal to the image signal in accordance with the thus determined direction of the marker signal and the thus determined appending position of the marker signal.