Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and storage medium

• US 9,864,899 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2016
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuhashi, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunphy, David F
• Application Number:
  US15/233,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20170053183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/96 Management of image or video recognition tasks
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/10 Recognition assisted with metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/12 Acquisition of 3D measurements of objects

Abstract

There is provided an image processing apparatus. An image data acquisition unit acquires a plurality of image data items each containing one or more objects. A position acquisition unit acquires respective positions, in a depth direction, of a plurality of objects contained in the plurality of image data items. An object recognition unit performs, with respect to each of the plurality of objects, object recognition processing of detecting a corresponding object candidate from among a plurality of object candidates. The object recognition unit performs the object recognition processing, based on the respective positions of the plurality of objects in the depth direction, in such a manner that the closer to a front side an object is located, the more preferentially the object recognition processing of that object is performed.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image data acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of image data items each containing one or more objects;

a position acquisition unit configured to acquire respective positions, in a depth direction, of a plurality of objects contained in the plurality of image data items; and

an object recognition unit configured to perform, with respect to each of the plurality of objects, object recognition processing of detecting a corresponding object candidate from among a plurality of object candidates,

wherein the object recognition unit performs the object recognition processing, based on the respective positions of the plurality of objects in the depth direction, in such a manner that the closer to a front side an object is located, the more preferentially the object recognition processing of that object is performed.

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

a reception unit configured to receive a search instruction regarding, as a search target, an object corresponding to one of the plurality of object candidates; and

a search unit configured to search for, from the plurality of image data items, an image data item containing the search target object, based on a result of the object recognition processing with respect to each of the plurality of objects,

wherein the search unit starts the search in response to the search instruction regardless of whether or not the object recognition processing with respect to all of the plurality of objects is complete, and if an object with respect to which the object recognition processing is not yet complete is present, the search is performed concurrently with the object recognition processing.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a display unit configured to display, as a search result, information indicating an image data item found by the search unit,

wherein, when the search unit is performing the search concurrently with the object recognition processing, the display unit performs the display concurrently with the object recognition processing.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein, if the object recognition processing with respect to all of the plurality of objects is complete at the start of the search, the display unit displays the search result in such a manner that search result is arranged in an order from a front side to a back side with respect to the position of the search target object in the depth direction.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the object recognition unit generates object management information that associates the object candidate detected by the object recognition processing with an image data item containing an object corresponding to the object candidate.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the search unit performs the search based on the object management information.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the search instruction includes a search range with respect to a position in the depth direction, and

the search unit searches for an image data item containing the search target object at a position in the depth direction, the position being within the search range.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the position acquisition unit acquires the respective positions of the plurality of objects in the depth direction in units of rows each associating a predetermined position range with a single position.

9. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image data acquisition unit configured to acquire an image data item containing a plurality of objects;

a position acquisition unit configured to acquire respective positions, in a depth direction, of the plurality of objects; and

an object recognition unit configured to perform, with respect to each of the plurality of objects, object recognition processing of detecting a corresponding object candidate from among a plurality of object candidates,

wherein the object recognition unit performs the object recognition processing, based on the respective positions of the plurality of objects in the depth direction, in such a manner that the closer to a front side an object is located, the more preferentially the object recognition processing of that object is performed.

10. An image processing method by an image processing apparatus, comprising:

acquiring a plurality of image data items each containing one or more objects;

acquiring respective positions, in a depth direction, of a plurality of objects contained in the plurality of image data items; and

performing, with respect to each of the plurality of objects, object recognition processing of detecting a corresponding object candidate from among a plurality of object candidates,

wherein the performing performs the object recognition processing, based on the respective positions of the plurality of objects in the depth direction, in such a manner that the closer to a front side an object is located, the more preferentially the object recognition processing of that object is performed.

11. An image processing method by an image processing apparatus, comprising:

acquiring an image data item containing a plurality of objects;

acquiring respective positions, in a depth direction, of the plurality of objects; and

performing, with respect to each of the plurality of objects, object recognition processing of detecting a corresponding object candidate from among a plurality of object candidates,

wherein the performing performs the object recognition processing, based on the respective positions of the plurality of objects in the depth direction, in such a manner that the closer to a front side an object is located, the more preferentially the object recognition processing of that object is performed.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a program for causing a computer to execute an image processing method comprising:

acquiring a plurality of image data items each containing one or more objects;

acquiring respective positions, in a depth direction, of a plurality of objects contained in the plurality of image data items; and

performing, with respect to each of the plurality of objects, object recognition processing of detecting a corresponding object candidate from among a plurality of object candidates,

wherein the performing performs the object recognition processing, based on the respective positions of the plurality of objects in the depth direction, in such a manner that the closer to a front side an object is located, the more preferentially the object recognition processing of that object is performed.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a program for causing a computer to execute an image processing method comprising:

acquiring an image data item containing a plurality of objects;

acquiring respective positions, in a depth direction, of the plurality of objects; and

performing, with respect to each of the plurality of objects, object recognition processing of detecting a corresponding object candidate from among a plurality of object candidates,

wherein the performing performs the object recognition processing, based on the respective positions of the plurality of objects in the depth direction, in such a manner that the closer to a front side an object is located, the more preferentially the object recognition processing of that object is performed.