Image processing apparatus and method, information processing apparatus and method, recording medium, and program

• US 7,561,207 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kondo, Tetsujiro, Kobayashi, Naoki, Ando, Kazutaka, Fujii, Takeyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz; David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESIR, JEAN WICEL
• Application Number:
  US11/190,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20060023122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 348/561, 348/704, 348/581, 348/576, 348/240.99, 345/660, 345/472, 715/800, 715/815, 382/298, 382/299, 358/1.2, 358/451
• US Class Current: 348/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/04 for receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4318 by altering the content in the rendering process, e.g. blanking, blurring or masking an image region image enhancement or restoration in general G06T5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4854 for modifying image parameters, e.g. image brightness, contrast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/14 Picture signal circuitry for video frequency region cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/60 for the sound signals

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes storage means for storing an adjusted value previously set by a user for an output state of information and prediction means for predicting a prediction value for adjustment of the output state in accordance with the stored adjusted value.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a storage device configured to store an adjusted value previously set by a user for an output state of information;

a prediction device configured to predict a prediction value for adjustment of the output state in accordance with the stored adjusted value; and

an adjusting device configured to adjust an adjustable range for the output state based on the prediction value, wherein

the adjusting device adjusts the adjustable range for the output state such that the prediction value is located at the approximate center of the adjustable range.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a setting device, wherein:

the storage device stores the adjusted value previously set by the user for each of a zoom factor and an image quality of an image;

when the user designates a zoom factor, the prediction device predicts the prediction value for adjustment of the image quality corresponding to the designated zoom factor in accordance with the stored adjusted value; and

the setting device is configured to set the designated zoom factor and the prediction value.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the prediction device predicts the prediction value by weighting the previously set adjusted value on the basis of a date.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the prediction device predicts the prediction value based on a primary approximate line in which the total sum of square errors with respect to adjusted values previously set by the user is the minimum.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the adjusting device adjusts the adjustable range for the image quality such that the prediction value is located at the approximate center of the adjustable range.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the storage device stores a first adjusted value and a second adjusted value as adjusted values of the image quality;

the prediction device predicts a prediction value of the first adjusted value and a prediction value of the second adjusted value corresponding to the designated zoom factor; and

the adjusting device adjusts the adjustable range for the image quality such that the prediction value of the first adjusted value is located at the approximate center of the adjustable range and that the prediction value of the second adjusted value is located at the approximate center of the adjustable range.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first adjusted value and the second adjusted value are a resolution and a degree of noise rejection, respectively, for resolution creation processing.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the storage device stores a first adjusted value, a second adjusted value, and a third adjusted value set by the user;

the prediction device predicts a prediction value of the second adjusted value and a prediction value of the third adjusted value when the first adjusted value is set; and

the adjusting device adjusts the adjustable range for the output state such that the prediction value of the second adjusted value is located at the approximate center of the adjustable range and that the prediction value of the third adjusted value is located at the approximate center of the adjustable range.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:

the information includes an image;

the first adjusted value includes a zoom factor of the image;

the second adjusted value includes a resolution of the image for resolution creation processing; and

the third adjusted value includes a degree of noise rejection of the image for the resolution creation processing.

10. An information processing method comprising:

storing an adjusted value previously set by a user for an output state of information;

predicting a prediction value for adjustment of the output state in accordance with the stored adjusted value;

adjusting an adjustable range for the output state based on the prediction value; and

adjusting an adjustable range for the output state such that the prediction value is located at the approximate center of the adjustable range.

11. The information processing method according to claim 10, further comprising:

setting a designated zoom factor and the prediction value, wherein;

the adjusted value previously set by the user for each of a zoom factor and an image quality of an image is stored during the storing; and

when the user designates the zoom factor, the prediction value for adjustment of the image quality corresponding to the designated zoom factor is predicted by the predicting in accordance with the stored adjusted value.

12. The information processing method according to claim 10, wherein:

a first adjusted value, a second adjusted value, and a third adjusted value set by the user are stored during the storing;

a prediction value of the second adjusted value and a prediction value of the third adjusted value when the first adjusted value is set are predicted by the predicting; and

the adjustable range for the output state is adjusted by the adjusting such that the prediction value of the second adjusted value is located at the approximate center of the adjustable range and that the prediction value of the third adjusted value is located at the approximate center of the adjustable range.

13. A recording medium on which a computer-readable program is recorded, the program comprising:

storing an adjusted value previously set by a user for an output state of information;

predicting a prediction value for adjustment of the output state in accordance with the stored adjusted value;

adjusting an adjustable range for the output state based on the prediction value; and

adjusting an adjustable range for the output state such that the prediction value is located at the approximate center of the adjustable range.

14. An information processing apparatus comprising:

storage means for storing an adjusted value previously set by a user for an output state of information;

prediction means for predicting a prediction value for adjustment of the output state in accordance with the stored adjusted value; and

adjusting means for adjusting an adjustable range for the output state based on the prediction value;

wherein

the adjusting means adjusts the adjustable range for the output state such that the prediction value is located at the approximate center of the adjustable range.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a setting means, wherein:

the storage means stores the adjusted value previously set by the user for each of a zoom factor and an image quality of an image;

when the user designates a zoom factor, the prediction means predicts the prediction value for adjustment of the image quality corresponding to the designated zoom factor in accordance with the stored adjusted value; and

the setting means sets the designated zoom factor and the prediction value.