Image processing method and device, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9208396-B2
Application number	US-201313754094-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2013
Priority date	Feb 28, 2012
Publication date	Dec 8, 2015
Grant date	Dec 8, 2015

Abstract

In image processing of multi-viewpoint image data including image data captured with different focal lengths, an image of high quality, distance information with high precision, etc., are obtained by utilizing image data with different angles of view (focal lengths). An image processing device for generating combined image data using multi-viewpoint image data including image data acquired with different focal lengths, includes a resolution converting unit configured to perform resolution conversion for at least part of image data in multi-viewpoint image data in accordance with a focal length to be output and an image combining unit configured to generate combined image data with the focal length to be output using the resolution-converted image data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image processing device for generating combined image data using multi-viewpoint image data including image data acquired with different focal lengths, the image processing device comprising:
a resolution converting unit configured to perform resolution conversion for at least part of image data in multi-viewpoint image data in accordance with a focal length to be output; and
an image combining unit configured to generate combined image data with the focal length to be output using the resolution-converted image data,
wherein at least part of image data is image data acquired with a focal length shorter than the focal length to be output, and
wherein the resolution converting unit performs resolution conversion accompanied by enlargement for the image data acquired with the shorter focal length.

2. An image processing device for generating combined image data using multi-viewpoint image data including image data acquired with different focal lengths, the image processing device comprising:
a resolution converting unit configured to perform resolution conversion for at least part of image data in multi-viewpoint image data in accordance with a focal length to be output; and
an image combining unit configured to generate combined image data with the focal length to be output using the resolution-converted image data,
wherein at least part of image data is image data acquired with a focal length greater than the focal length to be output, and
wherein the resolution converting unit performs resolution conversion accompanied by reduction for the image data acquired with the greater focal length.

3. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the image combining unit generates the combined image data by applying a filter to the multi-viewpoint image data to weight and add the multi-viewpoint image data based on information of a focus position to be output.

4. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the multi- viewpoint image data is image data acquired by an image capturing device having two or more kinds of focal lengths and capable of simultaneously capturing a plurality of images from different viewpoints.

5. The image processing device according to claim 4 , wherein the image capturing device capable of simultaneously capturing a plurality of images from different viewpoints is a camera array with different focal points or a plenoptic camera with different focal points.

6. An image processing method for generating combined image data using multi-viewpoint image data including image data captured with different focal lengths, the image processing method comprising the steps of:
performing resolution conversion for at least part of image data in the multi-viewpoint image data in accordance with a focal length to be output; and
generating combined image data with the focal length to be output using the resolution- converted image data,
wherein at least part of image data is image data acquired with a focal length shorter than the focal length to be output, and
wherein, in the resolution converting step, resolution conversion is accompanied by performing enlargement for the image data acquired with the shorter focal length.

7. A program stored in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium for causing a computer to perform an image processing method for generating combined image data using multi-viewpoint image data including image data captured with different focal lengths, the image processing method comprising the steps of:
performing resolution conversion for at least part of image data in the multi-viewpoint image data in accordance with a focal length to be output; and
generating combined image data with the focal length to be output using the resolution- converted image data,
wherein at least part of image data is image data acquired with a focal length greater than the focal length to be output, and
wherein, in the resolution converting step, resolution conversion is accompanied by performing reduction for the image data acquired with the greater focal length.

8. An image processing method for generating combined image data using multi-viewpoint image data including image data captured with different focal lengths, the image processing method comprising the steps of:
performing resolution conversion for at least part of image data in multi-viewpoint image data in accordance with a focal length to be output; and
generating combined image data with the focal length to be output using the resolution- converted image data,
wherein the at least part of image data is image data acquired with a focal length greater than the focal length to be output, and
wherein, in the resolution converting step, the resolution conversion is accompanied by performing reduction for the image data acquired with the greater focal length.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Nishiyama Tomohiro

Classifications

• G06T5/50 Primary

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

• H04N23/951

  by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio · CPC title

• H04N5/23232

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N13/0242

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06T2207/20221

  Image fusion; Image merging · CPC title