Image processing apparatus, image processing method and computer readable information recording medium

• US 8,687,846 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Shimizu, Masayoshi, Kobayashi, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Koziol, Stephen R
• Assistant Examiner(s): GILLIARD, DELOMIA L
• Application Number:
  US13/137,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20120128202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6845 by combination of a plurality of images sequentially taken

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes an obtaining part configured to obtain a plurality of images including a photographing object photographed by a photographing part; a determination part configured to detects a shift in position between a first image and a second image included in the plurality of images obtained by the obtaining part, and determine whether the first image is suitable for being superposed to the second image; a selection part configured to select a certain number of images from the plurality of images based on a determination result of the determination part; and a synthesis part configured to synthesize the certain number of images selected by the selection part.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a photographing part configured to photograph a photographing object;

an obtaining part configured to obtain a plurality of images including the photographing object photographed by the photographing part;

a determination part configured to determine whether a certain number of images included in each of a plurality of combinations of images are suitable for being superposed;

a selection part configured to select one combination from the plurality of combinations of images determined to be suitable for being superposed; and

a synthesis part configured to synthesize the certain number of images included in the one combination selected by the selection part,

wherein the determination part is configured to determine whether the certain number of images are suitable for being superposed by obtaining a level difference at each position of pixels included in the plurality of combinations of images and comparing the level difference with a threshold, and

wherein the threshold is changed according to an edge intensity between adjacent pixels of the pixels included in the plurality of combinations of images.

2. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

in a case where the certain number of images are selected, the selection part is configured to output a control signal for finishing photographing of the photographing object to the photographing part.

3. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the determination part is configured to obtain a level difference between a first pixel in the first image and a second pixel in the second image at a position corresponding to a position of the first pixel, and count the number of pixels whose level difference is larger than a threshold that is changed according to an edge intensity between of the first image and the second image, and

the selection part is configured to select the certain number of images based on the number of pixels that are counted by the determination part.

4. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein

the determination part is configured to carry out a separate dot removal process on each of pixels having the level difference larger than the threshold, and then carry out counting.

5. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the determination part is configured to detect the shift in position between the first image and the second image, extracts feature points of the images, and determine whether the first image is suitable for superposition based on an extraction result.

6. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein

the determination part is configured to count the number of the feature points, and

the selection part is configured to select the certain number of images based on a count value obtained from the counting carried out by the determination part.

7. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein

the determination part is configured to calculate intensities of the feature points, and carries out counting on the feature points that are weighted by the intensities, and

the selection part is configured to select the certain number of images based on a count value obtained from the counting carried out by the determination part.

8. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein

the determination part is configured to obtain motion vectors of the feature points between the first image and the second image, and count the number of the motion vectors, and

the selection part is configured to select the certain number of images based on a count value obtained from the counting carried out by the determination part.

9. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein

based on a plurality of feature points in the first image and a plurality of feature points in the second image, the determination part is configured to calculate respective motion vectors of the plurality of feature points, and carry out determination based on a distribution of magnitudes and a distribution of directions of the respective motion vectors.

10. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein

the determination part is configured to calculate motion vectors of the feature points between the images, and an average motion vector that is an average of the motion vectors, and count the number of coincidences between the average motion vector and the motion vectors, and

the selection part is configured to select the certain number of images based on a count value obtained from counting carried out by the determination part.

13. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the certain number of images included in the one combination includes non-successive images.

11. An image processing method in an image processing apparatus comprising:

obtaining a plurality of images including a photographing object photographed by a photographing part;

determining whether a certain number of images included in each of a plurality of combinations of images are suitable for being superposed;

selecting one combination from the plurality of combinations of images determined to be suitable for being superposed; and

synthesizing the certain number of images included in the one combination selected by the selecting,

wherein the determining determines whether the certain number of images are suitable for being superposed by obtaining a level difference at each position of pixels included in the plurality of combinations of images and comparing the level difference with a threshold, and

wherein the threshold is changed according to an edge intensity between adjacent pixels of the pixels included in the plurality of combinations of images.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the certain number of images included in the one combination includes non-successive images.

12. A computer readable information non-transitory recording medium tangibly embodying an image processing program which, when executed by a computer processor, performs an image processing method used by an image processing apparatus, the method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of images including a photographing object photographed by a photographing part;

determining whether a certain number of images included in each of a plurality of combinations of images are suitable for being superposed;

selecting one combination from the plurality of combinations of images determined to be suitable for being superposed; and

synthesizing the certain number of images included in the one combination selected by the selecting,

wherein the determining determines whether the certain number of images are suitable for being superposed by obtaining a level difference at each position of pixels included in the plurality of combinations of images and comparing the level difference with a threshold, and

wherein the threshold is changed according to an edge intensity between adjacent pixels of the pixels included in the plurality of combinations of images.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the certain number of images included in the one combination includes non-successive images.