Image composition apparatus, image retrieval method, and storage medium storing program

• US 8,995,750 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Ogishima, Kiyoshi, Matsumoto, Yoshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): ENTEZARI, MICHELLE M
• Application Number:
  US13/247,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20120082369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 382/285
• US Class Current: 382/154
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

There is provided an image composition apparatus including a parallax deriving unit configured to derive a parallax of one area in a background image, the one area corresponding to one object in the background image, an image selection unit configured to select an image which has a parallax different from the parallax of the one area in the background image, as a material image, from a plurality of three-dimensional images, each of which is viewed as a specific object in a three-dimensional manner, and an image composition unit configured to superpose the material image selected by the image selection unit on the background image.

Claims

1. An image composition apparatus comprising:

a parallax deriving unit configured to derive a parallax of each of a first area and a second area in a background image, wherein the first area corresponds to a first object in the background image and the second area corresponds to a second object in the background image;

an image retrieving unit configured to retrieve, based on a designated position within the background image, as a material image, an image which is suitable for being superposed on the background image from among a plurality of three-dimensional images, each of which is viewed as a specific object in a three-dimensional manner; and

an image composition unit configured to superpose the retrieved material image on the background image,

wherein when the parallax of the first area in the background image is smaller than the parallax of the second area in the background image and when the designated position is located within the first area, the image retrieving unit excludes a given image which is from among the plurality of three-dimensional images and which does not satisfy a given condition and retrieves, as the material image, the image which satisfies said given condition, wherein said given condition requires that said image has a parallax larger than the parallax of the first area in the background image and smaller than the parallax of the second area in the background image, and has one of (i) a size and (ii) a size and a shape, that is capable of being arranged such that the image does not overlap with the second area in the background image.

2. An image composition apparatus comprising:

a parallax deriving unit configured to derive a parallax of each of a first area and a second area in a background image, wherein the first area corresponds to a first object in the background image and the second area corresponds to a second object in the background image;

an image retrieving unit configured to retrieve, based on a designated position in the background image, as a material image, an image which is suitable for being superposed on the background image from among a plurality of three-dimensional images, each of which is viewed as a specific object in a three-dimensional manner; and

an image composition unit configured to superpose the retrieved material image on the background image,

wherein when the designated position is located in the first area, the image retrieving unit excludes a given image which is from among the plurality of three-dimensional images and which does not satisfy a given condition and retrieves, as the material image, the image which satisfies said given condition, wherein said given condition requires that said image has a parallax larger than the parallax of both of the first area and the second area in the background image, and which has one of (i) a size and (ii) a size and a shape, that falls within a whole area of the background image.

3. An image retrieval method comprising:

deriving a parallax of each of a first area and a second area in a background image, wherein the first area corresponds to a first object in the background image and the second area corresponds to a second object in the background image;

retrieving, based on a designated position within the background image, as a material image, an image which is suitable for being superposed on the background image from among a plurality of three-dimensional images, each of which is viewed as a specific object in a three-dimensional manner; and

superposing the retrieved material image on the background image,

wherein when the parallax of the first area in the background image is smaller than the parallax of the second area in the background image and when the designated position is located within the first area, a given image which is from among the plurality of three-dimensional images and which does not satisfy a given condition is excluded during the retrieving and the image which satisfies said given condition is retrieved as the material image, wherein said given condition requires that the image has a parallax larger than the parallax of the first area in the background image and smaller than the parallax of the second area in the background image, and has a size that is capable of being arranged such that the image does not overlap with the second area in the background image.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a program code stored thereon for causing a computer to perform image retrieval, the program code causing the computer to perform functions comprising:

deriving a parallax of each of a first area and a second area in a background image, wherein the first area corresponds to a first object in the background image and the second area corresponds to a second object in the background image;

retrieving, based on a designated position within the background image, as a material image, an image which is suitable for being superposed on the background image from among a plurality of three-dimensional images, each of which is viewed as a specific object in a three-dimensional manner; and

superposing the retrieved material image on the background image,

wherein when the parallax of the first area in the background image is smaller than the parallax of the second area in the background image and when the designated position is located within the first area, a given image which is from among the plurality of three-dimensional images and which does not satisfy a given condition is excluded during the retrieving and the image which satisfies said given condition is retrieved as the material image, wherein said given condition requires that the image has a parallax larger than the parallax of the first area in the background image and smaller than the parallax of the second area in the background image, and has a size that is capable of being arranged such that the image does not overlap with the second area in the background image.

5. An image composition apparatus comprising:

a display unit configured to display a background image;

a parallax deriving unit configured to derive a parallax of each of a plurality of areas in the background image, wherein each of the plurality of areas corresponds to each of a plurality of objects in the background image;

an image retrieving unit configured to retrieve, based on a designated position in the background image, as a material image, an image which is suitable for being superposed on the designated position in the background image from among a plurality of three-dimensional images, each of which is viewed as a specific object in a three-dimensional manner; and

an image composition unit configured to superpose the retrieved material image on the background image,

wherein when the designated position is located in a first one of the plurality of areas, the image retrieving unit excludes a given image which is from among the plurality of three-dimensional images and which does not satisfy a given condition and retrieves, as the material image, the image which satisfies said given condition, wherein said given condition requires that the image has a parallax larger than one of (i) the parallax of each of the plurality of areas, and (ii) a parallax of the background image at the designated position.