Image generation apparatus and image generation method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10284776-B2
Application number	US-201114354683-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2011
Priority date	Nov 7, 2011
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

A region-of-interest setting portion sets, during image pickup, a region of interest in an image picked up using a camera built in portable equipment. A component image generation unit generates a component image in which, with the image picked up using the camera built in the portable equipment, posture information of the portable equipment and the region-of-interest information set by the region-of-interest setting portion are associated. A panoramic image generation unit combines a plurality of component images between which the posture of the portable equipment is different to generate a synthesis image.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image generation apparatus, comprising:
a region-of-interest setting portion configured to receive a manual user instruction to set a region of interest for a plurality of sequential images captured using a camera built in portable equipment, where the region of interest is a sub-area within each of the plurality of sequential images;
a posture detection portion configured to determine a plurality of three-axis inclinations of the portable equipment, as posture information, during capture of the plurality of sequential images;
a component image generation unit configured to generate a plurality of component images from the plurality of sequential images such that the posture information and the region-of-interest are associated with the plurality of component images;
a synthesis image generation unit configured to combine the plurality of component images to generate a panoramic image in accordance with specialized processing as a function of the region of interest;
a facial expression decision portion configured to decide a facial expression of a camera operator picked up by the camera built in the portable equipment; and
a degree-of-interest setting portion configured to set a degree of interest in response to the facial expression of the camera operator decided by the facial expression decision portion when the region-of-interest is not set by manual user instruction to the region-of-interest setting portion, and sets the region-of-interest based on the facial expression.

2. The image generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the region-of-interest setting portion receives information of a region of interest designated to a picked up image displayed on a display of the portable equipment through a touch panel and sets the region of interest.

3. The image generation apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a facial expression decision portion configured to decide a facial expression of a camera operator picked up by the camera built in the portable equipment; and
a degree-of-interest setting portion configured to set a degree of interest to the region of interest in response to the facial expression of the camera operator decided by the facial expression decision portion.

4. The image generation apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a voice recognition portion configured to recognize a voice of a camera operator acquired by the camera built in the portable equipment; and
a tag setting portion configured to set a tag based on the voice acquired by the voice recognition portion to the region of interest.

5. The image generation apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a camera operator detection portion configured to detect a camera operator whose image is picked up by the camera built in the portable equipment;
the region-of-interest setting portion setting a region of the camera operator detected by the camera operator detection portion as the region of interest.

6. The image generation apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a display unit configured to display, when the panoramic image is to be displayed, the region of interest set to the synthesis image so as to be positioned at the center of the display of the portable equipment.

7. An image generation method, comprising:
receiving a manual user instruction to set a region of interest for a plurality of sequential images captured using a camera built in portable equipment, where the region of interest is a sub-area within each of the plurality of sequential images;
determining a plurality of three-axis inclinations of the portable equipment, as posture information, during capture of the plurality of sequential images;
generating a plurality of component images from the plurality of sequential images such that the posture information and the region-of-interest are associated with the plurality of component images;
combining the plurality of component images to generate a panoramic image in accordance with specialized processing as a function of the region of interest;
deciding a facial expression of a camera operator picked up by the camera built in the portable equipment; and
setting a degree of interest in response to the facial expression of the camera operator decided by the facial expression decision portion when the region-of-interest is not set by manual user instruction to the region-of-interest setting portion, and sets the region-of-interest based on the facial expression.

8. A non-transitory, computer-readable recording medium storing a program, the program causing a computer to implement:
a region-of-interest setting portion configured to receive a manual user instruction to set a region of interest for a plurality of sequential images captured using a camera built in portable equipment, where the region of interest is a sub-area within each of the plurality of sequential images;
a posture detection portion configured to determine a plurality of three-axis inclinations of the portable equipment, as posture information, during capture of the plurality of sequential images;
a component image generation unit configured to generate a plurality of component images from the plurality of sequential images such that the posture information and the region-of-interest are associated with the plurality of component images;
a synthesis image generation unit configured to combine the plurality of component images to generate a panoramic image in accordance with specialized processing as a function of the region of interest;
a facial expression decision portion configured to decide a facial expression of a camera operator picked up by the camera built in the portable equipment; and
a degree-of-interest setting portion configured to set a degree of interest in response to the facial expression of the camera operator decided by the facial expression decision portion when the region-of-interest is not set by manual user instruction to the region-of-interest setting portion, and sets the region-of-interest based on the facial expression.

9. The image generation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the user instruction to set the region of interest for the plurality of sequential images and the region of interest is set before the plurality of component images are combined to generate the panoramic image.

Assignees

• Hirata Shinichi
• Furumura Kyoko
• Yamagishi Takeshi
• Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc

Inventors

• Hirata Shinichi
• Furumura Kyoko
• Yamagishi Takeshi

Classifications

• H04N13/111

  Transformation of image signals corresponding to virtual viewpoints, e.g. spatial image interpolation · CPC title

• H04N23/698 Primary

  for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture · CPC title

• H04N23/62

  Control of parameters via user interfaces · CPC title

• H04N13/246

  Calibration of cameras · CPC title

• G03B37/02 Primary

  with scanning movement of lens or cameras · CPC title