JP2720974B2 - Image information processing device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image information processing apparatus, for example, to an image information processing apparatus capable of easily creating a panoramic photograph.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, there is a desire to take a picture with a field of view as wide as possible, and a panoramic camera capable of taking a panoramic picture with a so-called 360 ° field of view has been developed.

The configuration of this camera will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 201 denotes a motor, and a rubber belt 202 is fixed to an upper end of the motor. 203 is the drive shaft of the motor,
A disk-shaped member 204 having a metal columnar protrusion is attached thereto and is rotated. A part of the disk-shaped member 204 is a cut window 205, and the rubber belt 202 is exposed from the window 205.

FIG. 3 shows an actual operation, wherein 301 is a film supply side magazine, 302 is a take-up side magazine, 303 is a film, 304 is a rubber roller for pressing the film strongly against the rubber belt 202, and both are members. It is attached to the edge of the 204 disk-shaped part. Note that the motor 201 also winds up the axis of the magazine 302.

In this state, as the motor 201 rotates in the direction of the arrow, the film 303 is pressed against the rubber belt 202 by the rubber roller 304, so that the film is sequentially sent from the magazine 301.

A photographing lens 305 and a slit 306 are mounted on the columnar portion of the member 204. The slit exposure is performed by rotating the member 204, and the film is wound up in synchronization with the exposure.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, such a conventional panoramic camera uses a silver halide film, and a captured image cannot be confirmed immediately after photographing, editing is difficult, and large-size photographic paper is expensive. There are drawbacks such as

An object of the present invention is to provide an image information processing apparatus which solves the above problems.

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention detects a motion vector based on a plurality of memories storing different input image information and a displacement of an image among the plurality of image information stored in the memory. A motion vector detecting means for controlling reading of the image information from the memory based on a direction and an amount of displacement corresponding to the motion vector detected by the motion vector detecting means when reading and synthesizing the image information from the memory; And image synthesizing means for synthesizing.

[Operation] According to the present invention, in synthesizing images stored in a plurality of memories, a motion vector between images to be synthesized stored in each memory is obtained, and from each memory based on the motion vector, By controlling the readout range of the image information, images are synthesized.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 best illustrates the features of the invention.
In the figure, reference numeral 101 denotes a TV / VTR camera, and reference numeral 102 denotes an A / D converter that converts a video signal obtained by the camera 101 into a digital signal. Reference numeral 103 denotes a switch for distributing the output of the A / D converter 102 to one of the three frame memories 104 to 106 at the next stage. Each of the frame memories 104 to 106 has a capacity of one frame, and can be rewritten in a 1/10 second cycle. In other words, the video captured at the 1/30 second cycle of one frame and A / D converted is
The data is written to the first frame memory 104, the second frame memory 105, the third frame memory 106, and again to the first frame memory 104 in a 1/10 second repetition cycle. Reference numerals 107 and 108 denote switches. The switch 107 temporally displays images of two memories other than the memory being written among the three frame memories of the first frame memory 104, the second frame memory 105, and the third frame memory 106. Select the newer one and 108 select the older one.

Reference numeral 109 denotes a motion vector detection unit that detects the movement amount of the camera by detecting the motion between the images input through the switches 107 and 108. Reference numeral 110 denotes data indicating the amount of movement of the camera obtained by the motion vector detection unit 109, and reference numeral 111 denotes three frame memories 104, 105, and 106.
And a memory control unit that manages addresses of the panoramic memory 116, and 112, 113, 114 are frame memories 104, 105, 1
06 is an address data line for controlling each.

The configuration of the motion vector detection unit 109 is not particularly limited, and generally known methods, for example, “motion detection by iterative gradient method” (IEICE Technical Report IE83-93), “MUSE
Motion vector detecting device ”(TV Technical Report TEBS103-5).

Reference numeral 115 denotes a signal processing unit which converts a YC-separated YC signal into an R, G, B or Y, M, C, Bk signal from a digital video signal input from a memory through a switch 107; And a series of processes such as masking, UCR, etc.

Reference numeral 116 denotes a buffer memory for temporarily storing the synthesized panorama image signal and outputting the signal to the printer 119. Reference numeral 117 denotes an address control line of the panorama memory 116, which is output from the memory control unit 111. Thereby, the motion vector detecting unit 10
An image corresponding to the camera movement based on the value detected by 9 is written into the panoramic memory 116 and synthesized. Reference numeral 118 denotes an output data line of the synthesized panoramic image signal, which is output to the color printer 119. However, the signal form of the output line 118 depends on the color printer 119, and is usually a four-color signal of Y, M, C, and Bk, and is often binary or 8-bit data.

Here, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

401, 402, 403... 404 are images captured by the camera 101, 401 is the first frame, and 1
.., 402, 403... Every 30 seconds, and 404 is the last frame.

Reference numeral 405 denotes a combined image to be combined with the panorama memory 116.

First, the first frame is stored in the composite image 405 up to the position 406. The difference between the next video images 401 and 402 is detected by the motion vector detection unit 109, and the video signal corresponding to the movement amount based on the detected value is transmitted to the frame memory 1 by the memory control unit 111.
Read from 04 or 105 or 106, and at the same time,
The address of the panorama memory 116 is controlled by the control line 117, and the video signal is stored up to the position of 407.

Such an operation is repeated until the image in the frame memory 404 is written in the panorama memory 405.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 409 indicates the direction of the scanning line.
In the frame memories 104, 105, and 106, the scanning directions of writing and reading are different by 90 °, but this is because the memory control unit 11
There is no problem because address conversion is performed in 1.

Although the above embodiment shows a case where the camera 101 is moved in the same direction with respect to the scanning line, FIG. 5 shows an embodiment in which the camera 101 is moved in the vertical direction with respect to the scanning line of the camera 101. In this case, the load on the address control at the time of writing to and reading from the frame memories 104, 105, and 106 in the memory control unit 111 is somewhat reduced.

In FIG. 5, 501, 502, 503, 504 are images taken in the frame memories 104, 105, 106 as in FIG. Indicates the direction of the scanning line of the camera 101.

Further, in the present embodiment, the description has been made in the general field of a TV camera or a video camera, but there is no particular limitation as long as the same video can be obtained. For example, a signal from a video tape, a signal from a still video system, and a high-definition TV signal that has recently attracted attention for its high definition are conceivable.

Further, it goes without saying that the output is not limited to a color printer, but can be output from a film or the like.

The panoramic memory is a buffer memory, and is unnecessary if the output device can operate in real time.

As described above, a signal from a camera such as a TV or VTR, a video tape reproduction signal, or the like is used as input information, and a movement amount is detected in response to the input information, and a panorama image is synthesized according to the movement amount. It is possible to obtain a panoramic image.
It is no longer necessary to precisely control the amount of film winding and the amount of rotation of the camera body as in the prior art, and it is also possible to perform manual shooting.

In addition, by recording the video of such a camera on a VTR, later editing and the like become easy.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, a panoramic image can be obtained by a very simple operation. In addition, since motion is detected between images to be combined, the consistency between the images to be combined is extremely good, and high-accuracy image combining can be realized. In addition to the means, it is not necessary to provide a camera or the like for motion detection, and the field of view of the camera may be an angle of view suitable for image input, and the configuration is simple and control is easy.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views showing a conventional example, FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation concept of the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation concept of FIG. 101 …… TV camera, 102 …… A / D converter, 104,105,106 ……
Frame memory, 109 ... Motion vector detector, 116 ...
Panorama memory, 119 ... color printer.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A plurality of memories for storing input different image information; a motion vector detecting means for detecting a motion vector based on an image displacement between the plurality of image information stored in the memory; In reading and synthesizing the image information, the image synthesizing unit controls reading of the image information from the memory based on a direction and a displacement amount according to the motion vector detected by the motion vector detecting unit, and synthesizes the image information. An image information processing apparatus, comprising: