Image processing apparatus and image processing method

• US 9,495,757 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2014
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagaoka, Eiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bekele, Mekonen
• Application Number:
  US14/225,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20140294301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 382/173, 382/275, 382/103, 382/159, 345/158, 345/420
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20021 Dividing image into blocks, subimages or windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20036 Morphological image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20104 Interactive definition of region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/155 involving morphological operators

Abstract

In the image processing apparatus, the control unit generates a plurality of divided regions by dividing the image in accordance with similarity calculated based on pixel values and pixel locations, and identifies a selection range constituted by one or more of the plurality of divided regions in accordance with the selection operation received by the input unit. The control unit performs erosion processing with respect to the selection range by reducing a number of pixels constituting the selection range, and performs dilation processing with respect to the selection range resulting from the erosion processing by increasing the number of pixels constituting the selection range resulting from the erosion processing. The number of pixels constituting the selection range resulting from the dilation processing is greater than the number of pixels constituting the selection range before the erosion processing.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus that performs region designation with respect to a displayed image, the image processing apparatus comprising:

a display device to display an image constituted by a predetermined number of pixels;

an input device configured to receive a selection operation with respect to the image; and

a processor programmed to control the display device and the input device, the processor being further configured to;

generate a plurality of divided regions by dividing the image in accordance with similarity calculated based on pixel values and pixel locations;

identify a selection range constituted by one or more of the plurality of divided regions in accordance with the selection operation received by the input device;

perform erosion processing with respect to the selection range by reducing a number of pixels constituting the selection range; and

perform dilation processing with respect to the selection range resulting from the erosion processing by increasing the number of pixels constituting the selection range resulting from the erosion processing,

the number of pixels constituting the selection range resulting from the dilation processing being greater than the number of pixels constituting the selection range before the erosion processing and wherein,

the processor is programmed to perform the erosion processing with respect to the selection range for a first number of times, and perform the dilation processing with respect to the selection range resulting from the erosion processing for a second number of times, the second number being greater than the first number.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the processor is programmed to remove an image subject in the selection range resulting from the dilation processing by changing the pixel values in the selection range resulting from the dilation processing.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the processor is programmed to identify the selection range by performing, before the erosion processing, binary image processing that discriminates pixels constituting the identified one or more of the plurality of divided regions from pixels constituting other regions than the identified one or more of the plurality of divided regions.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the processor is programmed to generate the plurality of divided regions by repeatedly dividing the image in accordance with the similarity calculated based on pixel values and pixel locations.

5. An image processing apparatus that performs region designation with respect to a displayed image, the image processing apparatus comprising:

a display device to display an image constituted by a predetermined number of pixels;

an input device configured to receive a selection operation with respect to the image; and

a processor programmed to control the display device and the input device, the processor being further configured to;

generate a plurality of divided regions by dividing the image in accordance with similarity calculated based on pixel values and pixel locations;

identify a selection range constituted by one or more of the plurality of divided regions in accordance with the selection operation received by the input device;

perform erosion processing with respect to the selection range by reducing a number of pixels constituting the selection range;

perform dilation processing with respect to the selection range resulting from the erosion processing by increasing the number of pixels constituting the selection range resulting from the erosion processing,

the number of pixels constituting the selection range resulting from the dilation processing being greater than the number of pixels constituting the selection range before the erosion processing and wherein,

the plurality of divided regions being generated by the processor makes one or more pixels that belong to the one or more of the plurality of divided regions selected by the selection operation and are not continuous to the identified selection range.

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

the processor is programmed to except the one or more pixels that are not continuous to the identified selection range from one or more pixels that belongs to the one or more of the plurality of divided regions selected by the selection operation by performing the erosion processing.

7. An image processing method for performing region designation with respect to an image displayed on a display device, the image processing method including:

displaying an image constituted by a predetermined number of pixels;

receiving a selection operation with respect to the image;

controlling the display device and an input device, a processor further;

generating a plurality of divided regions by dividing the image in accordance with similarity calculated based on pixel values and pixel locations;

identifying a selection range constituted by one or more of the plurality of divided regions in accordance with a selection operation;

performing erosion processing with respect to the selection range by reducing a number of pixels constituting the selection range; and

performing dilation processing with respect to the selection range resulting from the erosion processing by increasing the number of pixels constituting the selection range resulting from the erosion processing,

the number of pixels constituting the selection range resulting from the dilation processing being greater than the number of pixels constituting the selection range before the erosion processing; and

performing the erosion processing with respect to the selection range for a first number of times, and performing the dilation processing with respect to the selection range resulting from the erosion processing for a second number of times, the second number being greater than the first number.