Method and apparatus for image processing

• US 7,133,658 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2003
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sovereign Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fuchigami, Ikuo, Fukumiya, Eiji, Nishi, Takaaki, Matsuo, Hideaki, Imagawa, Kazuyuki, Kajita, Satoshi, Iwasa, Katsuhiro, Kataoka, Tomonori
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, CongVan
• Application Number:
  US10/698,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20040131278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 382/284, 382/216, 382/117, 382/118, 382/100, 358/537, 455/403, 455/414.1, 455/456.6, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2
• US Class Current: 455/403
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

The position of a body part area for a personal image in an input image is detected. According to the position of the detected body part area, the position of the origin of a coordinate system for an ornament image is defined. Based on the position of the defined origin, an ornament-arranged input image is outputted. When the personal image moves in the input image, the ornament image also moves by following the movement of the personal image. Even when both the personal image and ornament image move, the ornament image can be made not to interfere with the personal image. Therefore, the personal image can be clearly displayed. Moreover, the input image can be made to look more interesting by synchronizing the movement of the ornament image with the movement of the personal image.

Claims

1. An image processing method comprising:

detecting a position of a human body part area in an input image including a human body image;

determining a point of origin of a local coordinate system of an ornament image having a move locus according to the detected position of the human body part area in the input image;

determining arrangement information of the ornament image according to the determined point of origin and the move locus;

generating an output image by composing the ornament image and the input image based on the determined arrangement information; and

outputting the generated output image.

2. An image processing method as defined in claim 1, wherein said outputting comprises outputting an image data of the generated output image.

3. An image processing method as defined in claim 1, wherein said outputting comprises outputting an image data relating the ornament image to the input image.

4. An image processing method as defined in claim 3, wherein the ornament image and the input image are related by using a meta-file.

5. An image processing method as defined in claim 4, wherein a form of the meta-file is Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language.

6. An image processing method as defined in claim 1, wherein, when an ornament image collides with the human body part area, a moving direction of the ornament image is altered so as to move the ornament image away from the human body part area.

7. An image processing method as defined in claim 1, wherein the human body part area is a face part area of a person as a photographic object.

8. An image processing method comprising:

detecting a size of a human body part area in an input image including a human body image;

determining a scale of a local coordinate system of an ornament image having a move locus according to the detected size of the human body part area;

input image; and

determining arrangement information of the ornament image according to the determined scale of the local coordinate system of the ornament image and the move locus;

generating an output image by composing the ornament image and the input image based on the determined arrangement information; and

outputting the generated output image.

9. An image processing method comprising:

detecting a rotation amount of a human body part area, the rotation being in-plane of an input image including a human body image;

defining a rotation amount of a local coordinate system of an ornament image having a move locus according to the detected rotation amount of the human body part area;

determining arrangement information of the ornament image according to the defined rotation amount of the local coordinate system of the ornament image and the move locus;

generating an output image by composing the ornament image and the input image based on the determined arrangement information; and

outputting the generated output image.

10. An image processing method comprising:

detecting a rotation amount of a human body part area, the rotation being off-plane of an input image including a human body image;

defining a rotation amount of a local coordinate system of an ornament image having a move locus according to the detected rotation amount of the human body part area;

determining arrangement information of the ornament image according to the defined rotation amount of the local coordinate system of the ornament image and the move locus;

generating an output image by composing the ornament image and the input image based on the determined arrangement information; and

outputting the generated output image.

11. An image processing method comprising:

detecting a human body part area in an input image including a human body image;

defining opacity of an ornament image having a move locus, the opacity of the ornament image in a foreground area of the ornament image with respect to the detected human body part area being different from the opacity of the ornament image in a background area of the ornament image with respect to the detected human body part area;

determining arrangement information of the ornament image according to the defined opacity of the ornament image and the move locus;

generating an output image by composing the ornament image and the input image based on the determined arrangement information; and

outputting the generated output image.

12. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an input image storing unit operable to store an input image including a human body image;

a template storing unit operable to store at least one template of a human body part area;

a detecting unit operable to detect the human body part area out of the input image stored in said input image storing unit, said detecting unit being operable to use the at least one template of the human body part area stored in said template storing unit to detect the human body part area;

an ornament image information storing unit operable to store ornament image information; and

an ornament arranging unit operable to define ornament arrangement information, in harmony with a change of the human body part area detected by said detecting unit.

13. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 12, further comprising a composing unit operable to generate an output image by composing the ornament image and the input image, based on the ornament arrangement information defined by said ornament arranging unit.

14. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein:

said detecting unit is operable to detect a rotation amount of a human body part area, the rotation being in-plane of an input image; and

said ornament arranging unit is operable to define ornament arrangement information, in harmony with a change of the rotation amount of the human body part area detected by said detecting unit.

15. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein:

said detecting unit is operable to detect a rotation amount of a human body part area, the rotation being off-plane of an input image, and

said ornament arranging unit is operable to define ornament arrangement information, in harmony with a change of the rotation amount of the human body part area detected by said detecting unit.

16. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the ornament image information comprises a transform property and ornament image data, the transform property being related to the ornament image data.

17. An image processing apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the ornament image information comprises mask data and ornament image data, the mask data being related to the ornament image data.