Image processing program, image processing apparatus, image processing method and image processing system

• US 8,401,237 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2010
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Imai, Daiji, Okumura, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Samir
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, TOTAM HA
• Application Number:
  US12/816,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20110222735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 382/155, 382/156, 382/159, 382/160, 382/224, 382/228
• US Class Current: 382/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation

Abstract

As to each section making up of an original image, a CPU of an image processing apparatus calculates a distance from a predetermined position, for example, a center of the original image to a center of the section, sets a probability in accordance with the calculated distance, determines whether or not the section is a section where an object is to be drawn according to the set probability, and draws an object in each section which is determined as a section to be drawn.

Claims

1. A non-transitory storage medium storing an image processing program, wherein said image processing program causes a computer of an image processing apparatus to provide functionality comprising:

a distance calculator which calculates a distance from a predetermined position on an image to each position on said image;

a probability setter which sets a probability in correspondence with the distance calculated by said distance calculator as to each of said positions;

a position-to-be drawn determiner which determines whether or not the position becomes a position-to-be drawn at which a predetermined drawing is to be performed according to the probability set by said probability setter as to each of said positions; and

a drawer which performs said predetermined drawing on each position which is determined as a position-to-be drawn by said position-to-be drawn determiner.

2. The non-transitory storage medium storing an image processing program according to claim 1, wherein

said predetermined position is a central position of said image, and

said probability setter sets a high probability as the distance calculated by said distance calculator is large.

3. The non-transitory storage medium storing an image processing program according to claim 1, wherein

said image is made up of a plurality of sections each including two or more pixels,

said distance calculator calculates a distance from the predetermined position on said image to each section on said image,

said probability setter sets a probability in correspondence with the distance to said section calculated by said distance calculator as to each of said sections,

said position-to-be drawn determiner determines whether or not said section becomes a position-to-be drawn at which a predetermined drawing is to be performed according to the probability set by said probability setter as to each of said sections, and

said drawer performs said predetermined drawing once on each position which is determined as a position-to-be drawn by said position-to-be drawn determiner.

4. The non-transitory storage medium storing an image processing program according to claim 1, wherein said image processing program causes the computer of said image processing apparatus to provide further functionality comprising:

an object selector which selects an object to be drawn at each position from a plurality of objects being different in kind; and

a probability corrector which corrects said probability set by said probability setter depending on the kind of the object selected by said object selector, and

said position-to-be drawn determiner determines whether or not the position becomes a position-to-be drawn at which the predetermined drawing is to be performed according to the probability corrected by said probability corrector as to each of said positions.

5. The non-transitory storage medium storing an image processing program according to claim 1, wherein said image processing program causes the computer of said image processing apparatus to provide further functionality comprising:

an additive color value calculator which calculates an additive color value in correspondence with the distance calculated by said distance calculator; and

an additive color value adder which adds the additive color value calculated by said additive color value calculator to at least one color component at each of said positions.

6. The non-transitory storage medium storing an image processing program according to claim 5, wherein

said additive color value calculator increases the additive color value as the distance calculated by said distance calculator is large.

7. The non-transitory storage medium storing an image processing program according to claim 1, wherein said image processing program causes the computer of said image processing apparatus to provide further functionality comprising:

an outputter which outputs said image which has undergone said predetermined drawing by said drawer; and

an execution controller which performs a series of image processing by said distance calculator or by said outputter on said image which has not yet undergone said predetermined drawing every time that an execution instruction is issued.

8. The non-transitory storage medium storing an image processing program according to claim 7, wherein said image processing program causes the computer of said image processing apparatus to further provide functionality comprising:

a storage which stores said image which has already undergone said predetermined drawing when a saving instruction is issued with said image which has already undergone said predetermined drawing output.

9. The non-transitory storage medium storing an image processing program according to claim 3, wherein

said distance calculator further calculates a distance from the predetermined position of said image to each pixel of said image,

said image processing program causes the computer of said image processing apparatus to provide further functionality comprising:

an additive color value calculator which calculates an additive color value in correspondence with the distance to each pixel calculated by said distance calculator; and

an additive color value adder which adds the additive color value calculated by said additive color value calculator to at least one color component of each of said pixels.

10. The non-transitory storage medium storing an image processing program according to claim 1, wherein

said image processing apparatus further comprises an imager,

said image processing program causes the computer of said image processing apparatus to provide further functionality comprising:

an image reader which reads an image imaged by said imager, and

said distance calculator calculates a distance from the predetermined position on the image read by said image reader to each position on said image.

21. The non-transitory storage medium storing an image processing program according to claim 1, wherein

said predetermined position is a central position of said image, and

said probability setter sets a higher probability as the distance calculated by said distance calculator becomes larger.

22. The non-transitory storage medium storing an image processing program according to claim 5, wherein

said additive color value calculator increases the additive color value as the distance calculated by said distance calculator becomes larger.

11. An image processing system, comprising:

a distance calculator which calculates a distance from a predetermined position on an image to each position on said image;

a probability setter which sets a probability in correspondence with the distance calculated by said distance calculator as to each of said positions;

a position-to-be drawn determiner, including at least one computer processor, which determines whether or not the position becomes a position-to-be drawn at which a predetermined drawing is to be performed according to the probability set by said probability setter as to each of said positions; and

a drawer which performs said predetermined drawing on each position which is determined as a position-to-be drawn by said position-to-be drawn determiner.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein

said predetermined position is a central position of said image, and

said probability setter sets a higher probability as the distance calculated by said distance calculator becomes larger.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein

said image is made up of a plurality of sections each including two or more pixels,

said distance calculator is configured to calculate a distance from the predetermined position on said image to each section on said image,

said probability setter is configured to set a probability in correspondence with the distance to said section calculated by said distance calculator as to each of said sections,

said position-to-be drawn determiner is configured to determine whether or not said section becomes a position-to-be drawn at which a predetermined drawing is to be performed according to the probability set by said probability setter as to each of said sections, and

said drawer is configured to perform said predetermined drawing once on each position which is determined as a position-to-be drawn by said position-to-be drawn determiner.

16. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

an object selector configured to select an object to be drawn at each position from a plurality of objects being different in kind; and

a probability corrector configured to correct said probability set by said probability setter depending on the kind of the object selected by said object selector, wherein

said position-to-be drawn determiner is configured to determine whether or not the position becomes a position-to-be drawn at which the predetermined drawing is to be performed according to the probability corrected by said probability corrector as to each of said positions.

17. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

an additive color value calculator configured to calculate an additive color value in correspondence with the distance calculated by said distance calculator; and

an additive color value adder is configured to add the additive color value calculated by said additive color value calculator to at least one color component at each of said positions.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein

said additive color value calculator is configured to increase the additive color value as the distance calculated by said distance calculator becomes larger.

19. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

an outputter configured to output said image which has undergone said predetermined drawing by said drawer; and

an execution controller configured to perform a series of image processing by said distance calculator or by said outputter on said image which has not yet undergone said predetermined drawing every time that an execution instruction is issued.

20. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

an image reader is configured to read an image imaged by said imager, wherein

said distance calculator is configured to calculate a distance from the predetermined position on the image read by said image reader to each position on said image.

12. An image processing method, comprising:

a distance calculating step of calculating a distance from a predetermined position on an image to each position on said image;

a probability setting step of setting a probability in correspondence with the distance calculated by said distance calculating step as to each of said positions;

a position-to-be drawn determining step of determining, using at least one computer processor, whether or not the position becomes a position-to-be drawn at which a predetermined drawing is to be performed according to the probability set by said probability setting step as to each of said positions; and

a drawing step of performing said predetermined drawing on each position which is determined as a position-to-be drawn by said position-to-be drawn determining step.

13. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an input configured to receive an image; and

a computer processing system, including at least one computer processor, configured to at least;

calculate a distance from a predetermined position on the image to each position on said image;

set a probability in correspondence with the calculated distance to each of said positions;

determine whether or not the position becomes a position-to-be drawn at which a predetermined drawing is to be performed according to the set probability as to each of said positions; and

perform said predetermined drawing on each position which is determined as a position-to-be drawn by the determination.