Image processing method

• US 7,421,154 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kinjo, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): COUSO, YON JUNG
• Application Number:
  US10/875,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20040236791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 382/305, 382/282, 382/286, 382/291, 382/203, 382/218, 382/219, 382/283, 382/295, 382/296, 707/3, 707/6, 707/7
• US Class Current: 382/305
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/44 Local feature extraction by analysis of parts of the pattern, e.g. by detecting edges, contours, loops, corners, strokes or intersections; Connectivity analysis, e.g. of connected components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

The image searching method extracts or recognizes specific information for an image that exists in the image and/or accompanies it, allows either the specific information itself or related information thereof to be appendant to image data for the image, stores the image data as well as either information appendant to the image data as accessory information in a database, designates at least a portion of the accessory information as a searching condition, searches through the database under the designated searching condition, determines a degree of agreement with the accessory information appendant to a selected image data and reads an image having the degree of agreement not lower than a predetermined value. The image processing method utilizes the image searching method. These methods are capable of efficient image detection or search using as a key specific information such as the shape of subjects.

Claims

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

extracting specific figures or specific subjects from each of a plurality of image frames within a single order;

comparing the image frames by comparing positions and sizes of said specific figures or subjects;

finding similar image frames that have degree of similarity of the positions and sizes of said specific figures or subjects being not lower than a predetermined value; and

performing image processing of said similar image frames to yield prints that are finished to have quality within a predetermined range.

2. The image processing method of claim 1, wherein the prints are finished to have uniformity in finishing color.

3. The image processing method of claim 2, wherein the prints are further finished to have uniformity in finishing density.

4. An image processing method, comprising the steps of:

extracting specific figures or specific subjects from a plurality of image frames within a single order, to generate accessory information;

searching the plurality of image frames with at least a portion of the accessory information to find similar image frames that arc similar in positions and sizes of specific figures or specific subjects; and

performing image processing of similar image frames to yield prints that are finished to have quality within a predetermined range,

wherein the similar image frames comprises a first image frame and a second image frame, and

a degree of agreement of at least a portion of accessory information of the first image frame and at least a portion of accessory information of the second image frame, is not lower than a predetermined value.

5. The image processing method of claim 4, wherein the prints are finished to have uniformity in finishing color.

6. The image processing method of claim 5, wherein the prints are further finished to have uniformity in finishing density.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the position or size of specific figures are determined in relation to a position or size of specific figures in relation to another frame.