Image transfer and motion picture clipping process using outline of image

• US 20070217700A1
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nagasaka, Fumio
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,105 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/103 Selection of coding mode or of prediction mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/142 Detection of scene cut or scene change
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/503 involving temporal prediction adaptive coding with adaptive selection between spatial and temporal predictive coding H04N19/107; adaptive coding with adaptive selection among a plurality of temporal predictive coding modes H04N19/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/147 Scene change detection

Abstract

An image transmission apparatus comprises an outline extraction processor, a selector, and a transmission module. The outline extraction processor extracts an outline of a specific-type image element in each of the image frames and to create outline data, based on image data representing the image frames. The selector selects the image data or the outline data for each image frame for transmission to an external receiving device. An image processing apparatus in another embodiment comprises an outline extraction processor, a scene change determination module, and a clipping processor. The scene change determination module determines that a scene change is occurred between two image frames when an amount of change between the outlines in the two image frames exceeds a prescribed threshold value. The clipping processor creates clipped motion picture data representing multiple image clips which are obtained by dividing the motion picture between two image frames when the determination that a scene change has occurred between the two image frames is made.

Claims

1. An image transmission apparatus for transmitting multiple image frames, comprising:

an outline extraction processor configured to extract an outline of a specific-type image element in each of the image frames and to create outline data, based on image data representing the image frames;

a selector configured to select the image data or the outline data for each image frame; and

a transmission module configured to transmit the selected data to an external receiving device.

2. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the selector determines whether a scene change is occurred or not, selects the image data if a scene change is occurred, and selects the outline data if a scene change is not occurred.

3. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the selector determines whether a scene change is occurred or not based on a change in a direction of an outline vector indicating a direction defined by the outline.

4. An image transmission/receipt system for transmitting and receiving multiple image frames, comprising:

the image transmission apparatus according to claim 1; and

an image receiving apparatus for receiving data transmitted from the image transmission apparatus, and reproducing images from the received data, wherein;

the image receiving apparatus comprises;

an image reconstruction module configured to reconstruct image frames from the image data and the outline data; and

the image reconstruction unit (i) reproduces an image frame based on the image data when the image data is received, and (ii) determines pixel values in the outline by executing rendering within the outline expressed by the outline data, thereby creating an image frame when the outline data is received.

5. A method for transmitting multiple image frames to an external receiving apparatus, comprising the steps of:

(a) extracting an outline of a specific-type image element in each of the image frames and to create outline data, based on image data representing the image frames;

(b) selecting the image data or the outline data for each image frame; and

(c) transmitting the selected data to an external receiving device.

6. An image processing apparatus for dividing a motion picture into multiple motion picture clips, comprising:

an outline extraction processor configured to extract an outline of a specific-type image element in each image frame of the motion picture and to create outline data, based on image data representing the image frames of the motion picture;

a scene change determination module configured to determine that a scene change is occurred between two image frames when an amount of change between the outlines in the two image frames exceeds a prescribed threshold value; and

a clipping processor configured to create clipped motion picture data representing multiple image clips which are obtained by dividing the motion picture between two image frames when the determination that a scene change has occurred between the two image frames is made.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the scene change determination module uses, as the amount of change in the outlines, an amount of change in directions of outline direction vectors indicating directions defined by the outlines.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the specific-type image element is a face region of a person and the clipping processor describes, in the clipped motion picture data, information identifying an image frame that includes a front of a face.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the scene change determination module determines whether or not a scene change has occurred using prescribed parameters other than the amount of change between the outlines, in addition to the amount of change between the outlines.

10. (canceled)