Image shake correction image processing apparatus and program

• US 7,595,818 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2006
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2005
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Shimizu, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannett; James M
• Application Number:
  US11/592,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20070103556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 348/208.99, 348/208.4, 348/208.14
• US Class Current: 348/208.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6811 based on the image signal

Abstract

An image processing apparatus comprising: a block selector that selects one of blocks that contain an amount of features, larger than a predetermined amount of features, from among a plurality of blocks which compose a particular one of a plurality of frames of a moving image of a subject; a motion calculator that calculates a motion vector of each of blocks of a second particular one of the plurality of frames next to the first-mentioned particular frame and corresponding to a respective one of the selected blocks; a displacement calculator that calculates a displacement of the second particular frame based on the calculated motion vectors; and an image shake corrector that corrects an image shake in the moving image based on the calculated displacement.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a feature detector that detects features of an image in each of a plurality of blocks that form each of a plurality of frames which in turn compose a moving image of a subject;

a block selector that selects blocks of a first one of the frames that contain an amount of the detected features that is larger than a predetermined amount;

a motion calculator that calculates a motion of respective blocks of a following second one of the frames which correspond to the selected blocks of the first one of the frames;

a total motion vector calculator that calculates a total motion vector of the second one of the frames based on the calculated motions of the respective blocks;

an image shake corrector that corrects an image shake in the moving image based on the total motion vector calculated by the total motion vector calculator; and

an encoder which encodes the moving image corrected by the image shake corrector for display;

wherein the feature detector and the encoder are controlled to operate in parallel.

2. The image processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the feature detector and the motion calculator is controlled to operate such that a received amount of image data to be processed does not exceed a predetermined amount.

3. An image processing method comprising:

detecting, using an image processor, features of an image in each of a plurality of blocks that form each of a plurality of frames which in turn compose a moving image of a subject;

selecting blocks of a first one of the frames that contain an amount of the detected features that is larger than a predetermined amount;

calculating a motion of respective blocks of a following second one of the frames which correspond to the selected blocks of the first one of the frames;

calculating a total motion vector of the second one of the frames based on the calculated motions of the respective blocks;

correcting an image shake in the moving image based on the calculated total motion vector;

encoding the corrected moving image for display; and

controlling the detecting and encoding operations to be performed in parallel.

4. A computer readable medium having stored thereon a program for performing functions comprising:

detecting, using an image processor, features of an image in each of a plurality of blocks that form each of a plurality of frames which in turn compose a moving image of a subject picked up by an image capture apparatus;

selecting blocks of a first one of the frames that contain an amount of the detected features that is larger than a predetermined amount;

calculating a motion of respective blocks of a following second one of the frames which correspond to the selected blocks of the first one of the frames;

calculating a total motion vector of the second one of the frames based on the calculated motions of the respective blocks;

correcting an image shake in the moving image based on the calculated total motion vector;

encoding the corrected moving image for display; and

controlling the detecting and encoding operations to be performed in parallel.