Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025348983-A1
Application number	US-202519197722-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 2, 2025
Priority date	May 7, 2024
Publication date	Nov 13, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes at least one memory storing instructions and at least one processor, wherein execution of the stored instructions causes the at least one processor and the at least one memory to segment an input image into a plurality of regions, obtain subject distance information about a subject distance for each of the plurality of regions, perform a correction process for correcting fluctuation in the input image caused by atmospheric refraction of light, on each of the plurality of regions, and determine a correction intensity of the correction process for each of the plurality of regions based on the subject distance information about a corresponding region of the plurality of regions, wherein the determined correction intensities are different in at least two regions where the subject distance information differs between the at least two regions, among the plurality of regions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image processing apparatus, comprising:
at least one memory storing instructions; and at least one processor, wherein execution of the stored instructions causes the at least one processor and the at least one memory to: segment an input image into a plurality of regions; obtain subject distance information about a subject distance for each of the plurality of regions; perform a correction process for correcting fluctuation in the input image caused by atmospheric refraction of light, on each of the plurality of regions; and determine a correction intensity of the correction process for each of the plurality of regions based on the subject distance information about a corresponding region of the plurality of regions, wherein the determined correction intensities are different in at least two regions where the subject distance information differs between the at least two regions, among the plurality of regions.

2 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein execution of the stored instructions further causes the at least one processor and the at least one memory to group the plurality of regions based on the subject distance information about each region.

3 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the subject distance information about each region indicates a distance between an imaging unit and a subject.

4 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein, in each of the plurality of regions, the determined correction intensity is higher for a greater distance between the imaging unit and the subject.

5 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein, in each of the plurality of regions, the determined correction intensity is lower for a shorter distance between the imaging unit and the subject.

6 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the correction intensity is determined for each of the groups formed by grouping based on the subject distance information corresponding to a corresponding group of the groups formed by the grouping.

7 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the subject distance information about each region indicates a defocus amount in the input image.

8 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein, among the plurality of regions, regions where the subject distance information is substantially the same among the regions, are grouped into one group.

9 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein execution of the stored instructions further causes the at least one processor and the at least one memory to identify a region corresponding to a background of the input image among the plurality of regions, and wherein the correction intensity for each of the plurality of regions is determined so that a correction intensity of the region identified as the background is lower than correction intensities of the regions other than the region identified as the background.

10 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the region corresponding to the background is identified based on the subject distance information about each of the plurality of regions.

11 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein whether a distance between an imaging unit and a subject is greater than a predetermined distance is determined for each of the plurality of regions based on the subject distance information about a corresponding region of the plurality of regions, and wherein a region for which it is determined that the distance between the imaging unit and the subject is greater than the predetermined distance is identified as the region corresponding to the background.

12 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein information about the fluctuation in the input image is obtained based on a difference between the input image and at least one image input before or after the input image, and wherein the correction intensity is determined for each of the plurality of regions based on the information about the fluctuation.

13 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, among the plurality of regions, in at least two regions where the subject distance information is the same among the at least two regions, the correction intensities determined for the at least two regions are the same.

14 . A image processing method comprising:
segmenting an input image into a plurality of regions; obtaining subject distance information about a subject distance for each of the plurality of regions; performing a correction process for correcting fluctuation in the input image caused by atmospheric refraction of light, on each of the plurality of regions; and determining a correction intensity of the correction process for each of the plurality of regions based on the subject distance information about a corresponding region of the plurality of regions, wherein the determined correction intensities are different in at least two regions where the subject distance information differs between the at least two regions, among the plurality of regions.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to execute a method, the method comprising:
segmenting an input image into a plurality of regions; obtaining subject distance information about a subject distance for each of the plurality of regions; performing a correction process for correcting fluctuation in the input image caused by atmospheric refraction of light, on each of the plurality of regions; and determining a correction intensity of the correction process for each of the plurality of regions based on the subject distance information about a corresponding region of the plurality of regions, wherein the determined correction intensities are different in at least two regions where the subject distance information differs between the at least two regions, among the plurality of regions.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Tsuji Tatsuya
• Nishio Taisuke
• Sato Natsuko
• Yamamoto Masashi

Classifications

• G06T5/50

  using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction · CPC title

• G06T5/73

  Deblurring; Sharpening · CPC title

• G06T5/70

  Denoising; Smoothing · CPC title

• G01S17/08 Primary

  for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48) · CPC title

• G06T7/11

  Region-based segmentation · CPC title