Image processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9432575-B2
Application number	US-201414286848-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2014
Priority date	Jun 28, 2013
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes an identification unit configured to identify a main subject region and a background region different from the main subject region with respect to a plurality of images captured by an image capturing unit, a composition unit configured to align the main subject regions of the plurality of images and to generate a composite image in which predetermined blur processing is applied to the background region, a detection unit configured to detect an amount of movement of the background region between the plurality of images based on an image of the background region or information about shaking of the image capturing unit with respect to the plurality of images, and a control unit configured to control an amount of blurring in the blur processing based on the amount of movement of the background region between the plurality of images detected by the detection unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:
a memory;
a processor coupled to the memory which executes the following:
identifying a main subject region and a background region different from the main subject region with respect to a plurality of images captured by an image capturing unit;
aligning the main subject regions of the plurality of images and to generate a composite image in which predetermined blur processing is applied to the background region;
detecting an amount of movement of the background region between the plurality of images;
controlling an amount of blurring in the blur processing based on the amount of movement of the background region between the plurality of images detected; and
generating a first composite image into which the plurality of images aligned with reference to the main subject region are combined and a second composite image to which blur processing to blur the background region of the first composite image is applied, and combines the first composite image and the second composite image based on the main subject region.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising setting an amount of streaming of the background region in the composite image,
controlling the number of images to be combined based on the amount of streaming.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the amount of streaming includes information corresponding to an equivalent shutter speed in the composite image, and
controlling the number of images to be combined such that a total of shutter speeds of the images to be combined becomes equal to the shutter speed.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the amount of streaming includes information corresponding to a breadth of streaming of the background region in the composite image,
controlling the number of images to be combined based on the amount of movement of the background region and the amount of streaming.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising setting an amount of streaming of the background region in the composite image,
combining images to which blur processing is applied at respective amounts of blurring based on the amount of movement of the background region between images in the plurality of images, and
controlling the amount of blurring to be applied to the background region in the plurality of images based on the amount of movement of the background region detected and the amount of streaming.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising performing the blur processing at such an amount of blurring as to interpolate for an interval between the corresponding background regions in combining the plurality of images based on the amount of movement of the background region.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising performing the blur processing via a low-pass filter having a number of taps corresponding to the amount of blurring.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising applying the low-pass filter while varying a coefficient within each tap for each region of the composite image.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising detecting the amount of movement of the background region between the plurality of images based on an image of the background region or information about shaking of the image capturing unit with respect to the plurality of images.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising generating a third composite image by mainly using the first composite image for a region corresponding to the main subject region and mainly using the second composite image for a region corresponding to the background region.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising generating the composite image by applying blur processing to the plurality of images at respective amounts of blurring set for the plurality of images and then combining the plurality of images.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising detecting motion vectors between the plurality of images and detects the amount of movement of the background region based on the motion vectors.

13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising detecting the amount of movement of the background region based on information about shaking of the image capturing unit.

14. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising calculating motion vectors between the plurality of images and identifies the main subject region based on the motion vectors.

15. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising identifying the main subject region based on information about shaking of the image capturing unit.

16. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying the plurality of images on a display medium; and
detecting a touch operation on an image displayed on the display medium,
setting an amount of streaming of the background region in the composite image based on the touch operation detected.

17. An image processing apparatus method:
identifying a main subject region and a background region different from the main subject region with respect to a plurality of images captured by an image capturing unit;
aligning the main subject regions of the plurality of images and generating a composite image in which predetermined blur processing is applied to the background region;
detecting an amount of movement of the background region between the plurality of images based on an image of the background region or information about shaking of the image capturing unit with respect to the plurality of images; and
controlling an amount of blurring in the blur processing based on the detected amount of movement of the background region between the plurality of images,
wherein the composition unit generates a first composite image into which the plurality of images aligned with reference to the main subject region are combined and a second composite image to which blur processing to blur the background region of the first composite image is applied, and combines the first composite image and the second composite image based on the main subject region.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the image processing method according to claim 17 .

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Kuchiki Hiroaki

Classifications

• H04N23/683

  performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory · CPC title

• H04N23/6815

  by distinguishing pan or tilt from motion · CPC title

• H04N23/951 Primary

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

• H04N23/6812

  based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors · CPC title

• H04N5/2621 Primary

  Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability · CPC title