Patentable/Patents/US-9270881
US-9270881

Image processing device, image processing method and recording medium capable of generating a wide-range image

PublishedFebruary 23, 2016
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Inventorsnot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

An image acquisition unit 52 acquires images consecutively captured while an image capture range is moved in a predetermined direction. A face detection unit 53 detects same subject images from the images acquired. A facial expression determination unit 55 calculates evaluation values of each of the same subject images detected. A facial expression decision unit 56 decides, as a combination target, a specific subject image from the same subject images, based on the evaluation values calculated. A combination unit 58 generates a wide-range image by combining the subject image decided as the combination target with the images sequentially acquired by the image acquisition unit 52.

Patent Claims
7 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. An image processing device, comprising: an image acquisition unit that acquires images consecutively captured, while an image capture range is moved in a predetermined direction; a detection unit that detects same subject images from the images acquired by the image acquisition unit; a calculation unit that calculates evaluation values of the same subject images detected by the detection unit; a decision unit that decides, as a combination target, a specific subject image from the same subject images, based on the evaluation values calculated by the calculation unit; and a generation unit that generates a wide-range image by combining the specific subject image decided as the combination target by the decision unit with the images acquired by the acquisition unit, such that the specific subject image decided as the combination target by the decision unit is included in the wide-range image, and such that another subject image among the same subject images which is not decided as the combination target by the decision unit is not used in generating the wide-range image.

2

2. The image processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a subject extraction unit that extracts a subject region from the same subject images; and a subject alteration unit that alters the subject region extracted by the subject extraction unit, excluding a subject region corresponding to the specific subject image, to be the specific subject image, wherein the generation unit generates the wide-range image by combining the specific subject image with the acquired images.

3

3. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition unit acquires images which include a plurality of the same subject images, wherein the detection unit detects the plurality of the same subject images from the acquired images, wherein the calculation unit calculates evaluation values of the plurality of the same subject images detected by the detection unit, wherein the decision unit decides a plurality of specific subject images as combination targets from the plurality of the same subject images, based on the evaluation values of the plurality of the same subject images calculated by the calculation unit; and the generation unit generates a wide-range image by combining the specific subject images decided as the combination targets with the images acquired by the acquisition unit.

4

4. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the subject image is an image centered around a face region.

5

5. The image processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising an imaging unit, wherein the image acquisition unit acquires images captured by the imaging unit.

6

6. A method for processing images by an image processing device, the method comprising: acquiring images consecutively captured while an image capture range is moved in a predetermined direction; detecting same subject images from the acquired images; calculating an evaluation value of each of the detected subject images; deciding, as a combination target, a specific subject image from the same subject images, based on the calculated evaluation values; and generating a wide-range image by combining the specific subject image decided as the combination target with the acquired images, such that the specific subject image decided as the combination target is included in the wide-range image, and such that another subject image among the same subject images which is not decided as the combination target is not used in generating the wide-range image.

7

7. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having stored thereon a program that is executable by a computer to cause the computer to function as: an image acquisition unit that acquires images consecutively captured by an imaging unit moving in a predetermined direction; a detection unit that detects same subject images from the images acquired by the image acquisition unit; a calculation unit that calculates an evaluation value of each subject images detected by the detection unit; a decision unit that decides, as a combination target, a specific subject image from a plurality of the same subject images, based on the evaluation values calculated by the calculation unit; and a generation unit that generates a wide-range image by combining the specific subject image decided as the combination target by the decision unit with the acquired images, such that the specific subject image decided as the combination target by the decision unit is included in the wide-range image, and such that another subject image among the same subject images which is not decided as the combination target by the decision unit is not used in generating the wide-range image.

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Patent Metadata

Filing Date

September 28, 2012

Publication Date

February 23, 2016

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