JP2009116899A - Image comparing device, image comparing method, image comparing program, photographing device and photographing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To quickly and accurately specify an image for search which shows the same object as an examination image. <P>SOLUTION: The image comparing device 100 compares the examination image to be examined with the image for search which shows a predetermined search object, includes a search image providing section 128 that can provide a plurality of images for search on the same search object; an image acquisition section 108 for acquiring object state information on the state of the object in the examination image when taken and selectively acquiring one or more images for search corresponding to the acquired object state information, from the search image providing section 128; and an image specifying section 126 for specifying the image for search having the same object as the examined image by comparing each of the one or more images for search acquired by the image acquisition section 108, with the examination image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image comparison device, an image comparison method, an image comparison program, an imaging device, and an imaging method. In particular, the present invention relates to an image comparison device, an image comparison method, an image comparison program, an imaging device, and an imaging method that compare an inspection image that is an inspection target with a search image that is determined in advance.

  Conventionally, as a method for specifying a subject of an inspection image to be inspected, a method of collating a search image obtained by photographing a known subject with an inspection image is known. According to such a conventional method, when the subject is photographed under the same environment or conditions, whether the subject of the test image and the search image is the same with a relatively high probability. I was able to judge whether or not.

  However, even when the same subject is being photographed, if the state of the subject such as the direction of the subject and the illumination direction at the time of photographing differ between the inspection image and the search image, the subject in the inspection image and the search image Therefore, it may be difficult to draw a conclusion that even if two images are collated, the same subject is photographed.

  As a method for solving the above-described problem, for example, a plurality of search images obtained by photographing a subject under various conditions may be prepared in advance, and each search image may be compared with an inspection image. In the method, there is a problem that the verification time becomes long. In addition, when there are a plurality of subjects that are to be specified, the inspection image and the search image may differ depending on the orientation of the subject at the time of shooting and the lighting conditions, even though a completely different subject is shot. May be similar to each other and it may be erroneously determined that each image is taken of the same subject.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image comparison device, an image comparison method, an image comparison program, an imaging device, and an imaging method that can solve the above-described problems. This object is achieved by a combination of features described in the independent claims. The dependent claims define further advantageous specific examples of the present invention.

  That is, the image comparison apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention is an image comparison apparatus that compares an inspection image that is an inspection object with a search image that includes a predetermined search object, and the same search A search image providing unit that can provide a plurality of different search images for the target, and subject state information related to a state at the time of shooting of the subject in the inspection image, and one or more corresponding to the acquired subject state information An image acquisition unit that selectively acquires a search image from the search image providing unit and one or more search images acquired by the image acquisition unit are compared with the inspection image, so that the inspection image and the subject are the same. An image specifying unit that specifies a search image.

  In the above image comparison device, the image acquisition unit may acquire subject state information from incidental information that is acquired when the inspection image is captured and attached to the inspection image. The image acquisition unit acquires the illumination condition of the subject at the time of shooting as the subject state information, and the search target search image illuminated under substantially the same condition as the illumination condition is obtained from the search image providing unit. It may be obtained. In particular, the image state acquisition unit acquires, as an illumination condition, the illumination direction in which the subject is illuminated at the time of shooting, and searches for the search target search image that is illuminated from the substantially same direction as the illumination direction. It is preferable to acquire from a provision part. In addition, the image acquisition unit acquires the subject direction in which the subject is facing as subject state information, and searches the search image providing unit for a search target search image facing substantially the same direction as the subject direction. It may be obtained.

  The image comparison apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a color temperature acquisition unit that acquires a color temperature of a light source that illuminates a subject at the time of shooting, and a color temperature acquired by the color temperature acquisition unit. You may further provide the color adjustment part which adjusts the hue of the image for a search so that it may become the image of the search object illuminated with the light source which has the same color temperature.

  In the image comparison device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the search image providing unit stores a plurality of search images divided into a plurality of image groups based on the state at the time of shooting of the search target. The image acquisition unit may select one of the plurality of image groups based on the subject state information and acquire a search image from the selected image group. In addition, the image comparison apparatus includes a focus state acquisition unit that acquires a focus state of the inspection image, and a focus that adjusts a focus state of the search image acquired by the image acquisition unit based on the focus state of the inspection image. A state adjusting unit, and the image specifying unit may compare the search image after the in-focus state is adjusted with the inspection image. Further, in the image comparison apparatus, the search image providing unit generates a search target search image that is in the same state as the subject based on the subject information information acquired by the image acquisition unit, and generates the search image. It may be provided to the image acquisition unit.

  The method according to the second aspect of the present invention is an image comparison method for comparing an inspection image that is an inspection object with a search image that is a predetermined search object, and at the time of photographing a subject that appears in the inspection image Each of each of the one or more search images and an image acquisition stage of acquiring subject state information relating to the state of the image and selectively acquiring one or more search images corresponding to the acquired subject state information from the search image providing unit Is compared with the inspection image, and an image specifying step of specifying a search image having the same subject as the inspection image is provided.

  A program according to a third aspect of the present invention is an image comparison program that causes a computer to realize a function of comparing an inspection image that is an inspection object with a search image that is a predetermined search object. An image acquisition function for acquiring subject state information relating to a state at the time of shooting of a photographed subject and selectively acquiring one or more search images corresponding to the acquired subject state information from the search image providing unit; By comparing each of the above search images with the inspection image, the computer is caused to realize an image specifying function for specifying the search image and the search image having the same subject.

  That is, an imaging device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention includes an imaging unit that captures an object and outputs an object image, an illumination direction detection unit that detects an illumination direction in which the object was illuminated at the time of imaging, and an object image And a recording unit that records the information on the recording medium in association with the illumination direction.

  The photographing method according to the fifth aspect of the present invention includes a photographing step of photographing a subject and outputting a subject image, an illumination direction detecting step of detecting an illumination direction in which the subject was illuminated at the time of photographing, a subject image, and And an image storage stage for storing the illumination directions in association with each other.

  The above summary of the invention does not enumerate all the necessary features of the present invention, and sub-combinations of these feature groups can also be the invention.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the invention. However, the following embodiments do not limit the claimed invention, and all combinations of features described in the embodiments are the solution of the invention. It is not always essential to the means.

  FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an image comparison apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The image comparison apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment compares an inspection image that is an inspection target with a search image in which a predetermined search target is reflected, and thereby a search in which the same subject as the inspection image is captured. This is a device for specifying a business image.

  The image comparison apparatus 100 includes an inspection image storage unit 102, a search image providing unit 128, and an image acquisition unit 108.

  The inspection image storage unit 102 stores the inspection image 104 to be inspected and the incidental information 106 of the inspection image in association with each other. The inspection image 104 may be, for example, an image obtained by reading a photograph printed on photographic paper with a scanner, an image taken with a digital camera, or via the Internet. The image may be provided by any web server. The accompanying information 106 is information related to the state at the time of shooting of the subject shown in the inspection image 104. In the present embodiment, the auxiliary information 106 is an illumination direction indicating a state in which the subject is illuminated, and a color temperature of a light source that is illuminating the subject.

  The search image providing unit 128 provides the image acquisition unit 108 with a search image that is a search target image to be searched among the inspection images. Here, the search target is, for example, a specific person's face. The search image providing unit 128 of this embodiment includes a search image database 130 that stores a plurality of search images by classifying them into a plurality of image groups.

  The image acquisition unit 108 acquires subject state information that is a state at the time of shooting of the subject shown in the inspection image 104, and selects one or more search images corresponding to the acquired subject state information from the search image providing unit. To extract. The image acquisition unit 108 of this embodiment includes an illumination direction acquisition unit 110 for acquiring subject state information and a subject direction acquisition unit 112. The illumination direction acquisition unit 110 acquires the illumination direction from the incidental information 106 stored in the inspection image storage unit 102. In addition, the subject orientation acquisition unit 112 acquires the inspection image 104 and specifies the orientation of a predetermined subject such as a human face that is captured in the inspection image 104. The subject orientation acquisition unit 112 according to the present embodiment identifies a region that is a skin color region and includes a hue point corresponding to a human eye as a human face, and further corresponds to an eye in the region. Determine whether the face is facing the front or the left or right based on whether there are two points at the target position on the left or right side, or only one on either side. To do.

  The image acquisition unit 108 further includes an image group selection unit 114 and a search image extraction unit 118. The image group selection unit 114 receives the subject state information, that is, the illumination direction and the subject direction, from the illumination direction acquisition unit 110 and the subject direction acquisition unit 112. Then, the image group selection unit 114 selects one of the image groups stored in the search image providing unit 128 based on the received subject state information. On the other hand, the search image extraction unit 116 extracts a search image belonging to the image group selected by the image group selection unit 114 from the search image providing unit 128.

  In addition to the functional units described above, the image comparison apparatus 100 further includes a color temperature acquisition unit 118, a color adjustment unit 122, a focus state specifying unit 120, a focus state adjusting unit 124, and an image specifying unit 126.

  The color temperature acquisition unit 118 acquires the color temperature of the light source that illuminates the subject of the inspection image 104 from the auxiliary information 106 stored in the inspection image storage unit 102.

  The color adjustment unit 122 searches for the search image extracted by the search image extraction unit 116 so that the search target image is illuminated by a light source having substantially the same color temperature as the color temperature acquired by the color temperature acquisition unit 118. Adjust the hue of the image.

  The focus state specifying unit 120 acquires the test image 104 from the test image storage unit 102 and specifies the focus state of the test image 104 by analyzing the spatial frequency of the test image 104, for example.

  The focus state adjustment unit 124 determines the focus state of the search image extracted by the search image extraction unit 116 so that the focus state is substantially the same as the focus state specified by the focus state specifying unit 120. adjust.

  The image specifying unit 126 compares the search image adjusted by the in-focus state adjusting unit 124 with the inspection image 104 and determines whether or not the search object is included in the inspection image. Thereby, the image specifying unit 126 specifies a search image whose subject is the same as the inspection image 104.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of information stored in the search image database 130. In the illustrated example, the search image database 130 includes a plurality of search images (faces a11 to a33) in which the face a appears in different states and a face b different from the face a in different states. A plurality of search images (face b11 to face b33) are stored. The search image database 130 stores the plurality of search images by dividing them into a plurality of image groups based on the state at the time of shooting of the search target. In the case of the present embodiment, the search image database 130 indicates whether the illumination is illuminating the search target from the left side, the front side, or the right side of the image, and the search target shown in the search image is in the image. The search images are classified and stored in nine different image groups depending on whether the direction is left, front, or right.

  The image group selection unit 114 described above has an illumination direction substantially the same as the illumination direction acquired by the illumination direction acquisition unit 110 and the subject direction acquisition unit 112 from the image groups stored in the search image database 130. The image group classified into the search target direction substantially the same as the acquired subject direction is selected. Here, that the illumination directions are substantially the same means that the two illumination directions match within a predetermined allowable range. Similarly, the directions being substantially the same means that the two directions match within a predetermined allowable range.

  The search image extraction unit 116 extracts search images belonging to the image group selected by the image group selection unit 114. For example, when the image group selection unit 114 selects the image group G1, the search image extraction unit 116 extracts search images of the face a11 and the face b11 belonging to the image group G1.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the image comparison apparatus 100. In the image comparison apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, first, the illumination direction acquisition unit 110 acquires the illumination direction of the subject in the inspection image 104 from the auxiliary information 106 stored in the inspection image storage unit 102 (S102). Next, the subject orientation acquisition unit 112 acquires the inspection image 104 from the inspection image storage unit 102, and further analyzes the acquired inspection image 104 to acquire the orientation of the subject shown in the inspection image 104 (S104). ).

  Next, the image group selection unit 114 selects a plurality of image groups stored in the subject image database 130 based on the illumination direction acquired by the illumination direction acquisition unit 110 and the subject direction acquired by the subject direction acquisition unit 112. At least one of them is selected (S106). Further, the search image extraction unit 116 extracts search images belonging to the image group selected in S106 from the search image database 130 (S108).

  Next, the color temperature acquisition unit 118 acquires the color temperature of the light source illuminating the subject of the inspection image 104 from the auxiliary information 106 stored in the inspection image storage unit 102 and inputs the color temperature to the color adjustment unit 122 ( S110). The color adjustment unit 122 adjusts the hue of the search image extracted by the search image extraction unit 116 based on the input color temperature (S124).

  Next, the focus state specifying unit 120 acquires the test image 104 from the test image storage unit 102, and specifies the focus state of the test image 104 (S114). Further, the in-focus state adjusting unit 124 adjusts the in-focus state of the search image after the color adjusting unit 122 performs color adjustment based on the in-focus state specified by the in-focus state specifying unit 120 (S116). ).

  Finally, the image specifying unit 126 compares the search image after the focused state is adjusted by the focused state adjusting unit 124 with the inspection image 104. This comparison is performed for all search images extracted by the search image extraction unit 116 in S108. Then, the image specifying unit 126 specifies a search image having a search target that matches the subject shown in the inspection image 104 by the above comparison (S118).

  As described above, the image comparison apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment searches a plurality of search images stored in the search image database 130 for a search target that is in the same state as the subject of the inspection image 104. An image for search, in other words, a search target image that looks the same as the subject in the inspection image 104 is selectively extracted and compared with the inspection image 104. Therefore, the image comparison apparatus 100 can shorten the comparison time by suppressing the number of search images to be compared with the inspection image 104. Further, the image comparison apparatus 100 is an image for search that is in a state completely different from the subject in the inspection image 104, that is, the search target is directed in a completely different direction, or the direction in which the search target is illuminated is completely different. Since the image accidentally resembles the inspection image 104, it is not determined that the two images are obtained by photographing the same subject.

  FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the imaging apparatus 200 that captures the inspection image 104. The imaging apparatus 200 is a digital still camera, for example, and includes an imaging unit 202, an illumination direction acquisition unit 204, and a recording unit 206. The imaging unit 202 captures the subject to generate the inspection image 104 and specifies the color temperature of the light source that has illuminated the photographed subject. The illumination direction acquisition unit 204 detects the direction in which the subject photographed by the photographing unit 202 is illuminated at the time of photographing. The illumination direction acquisition unit 204 may be an input device that allows a photographer to manually input the illumination direction. For example, the subject specified via a fisheye lens provided on the top surface of the imaging device 200 may be used. May be a device that obtains the illumination direction of the subject based on the position of the light source that illuminates the light and the photographing direction of the photographing unit 202 (for example, the optical axis direction of the photographing optical system). The recording unit 206 records the inspection image 104 generated by the imaging unit 202 in, for example, a semiconductor memory that can be attached to and detached from the imaging device 200. The recording unit 206 records the color temperature specified by the photographing unit 202 and the illumination direction acquired by the illumination direction acquisition unit 204 as incidental information 106 in association with the inspection image 104. As described above, when photographing is performed using the photographing apparatus 200, it is easy to record the illumination direction of the subject at the time of photographing in association with the inspection image 104.

  FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of the image comparison apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. However, the same functional parts as those already described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  The image comparison apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment further includes a weather database 140, the content of the incidental information 106 stored in the examination image storage unit 102 is different from the incidental information 106 in FIG. 1, and an illumination direction acquisition unit. 110 differs from the image comparison apparatus 100 of the first embodiment in that the processing content of the process 110 is different from the illumination direction acquisition unit 110 of FIG. In other respects, the image comparison device 100 of the second embodiment is the same as the image comparison device 100 of the first embodiment.

  The supplementary information 106 of this embodiment includes the shooting date / time, shooting direction, strobe usage information, and color temperature. The shooting date and time is the date and time when the inspection image 104 corresponding to the supplementary information 106 was shot. The shooting direction is the direction in which the subject is positioned with respect to the shooting device when the inspection image 104 is shot. The strobe use information is information indicating whether or not a strobe is used when the inspection image 104 is captured. The color temperature is the color temperature of the light source that illuminates the subject of the inspection image 104 at the time of shooting.

  The weather database 140 stores information on past weather in association with the date, for example, the weather on March 14, 2001 is fine, the sunrise is 5:52, and the sunset is 17:48.

  The illumination direction acquisition unit 110 obtains the illumination direction of the subject in the inspection image 104 based on the incidental information 106 and information stored in the weather database 140. For example, if the incidental information 106 indicates that the shooting date and time is 13:00 on March 14, 2001, the shooting direction is north, and the strobe is not used, the illumination direction acquisition unit 110 sets the day when the weather is sunny. Since the subject is photographed with the sun behind, it is determined that the subject of the inspection image 104 is illuminated from the front. Further, for example, if the incidental information 106 indicates that the shooting date is March 14, 2001, 21:00, and strobe is used, strobe shooting is performed after sunset. In this case, the illumination direction acquisition unit 110 is also used. Determines that the subject of the inspection image 104 is illuminated from the front. The illumination direction acquisition unit 110 inputs the illumination direction obtained as described above to the image group selection unit 114, and the image group selection unit 114 receives the input illumination direction as described in the first embodiment. Select an image group based on.

  FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of the image comparison apparatus 100 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described, but the same functional parts as those already described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  The image comparison apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is different from the image comparison apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment in the content of the image acquisition unit 108 and the content of the search image providing unit 128. That is, the image acquisition unit 108 of the present embodiment includes the condition specifying unit 150 and the generated image acquisition unit 152 instead of the image group selection unit 114 and the search image extraction unit 116. Is different. The search image providing unit 128 according to the present embodiment is different from the search image providing unit 128 according to the first embodiment in that the search image providing unit 128 includes a basic data storage unit 158 and an image generation unit 156 instead of the search image database 130. Yes. In other respects, the image comparison apparatus 100 of the present embodiment is the same as the image comparison apparatus 100 of the first embodiment.

  The image generation unit 156 included in the search image providing unit 128 generates a search image to be searched by computer simulation. Further, the basic data storage unit 158 stores basic data necessary for the image generation unit 156 to generate a search image. The basic data includes, for example, information on the shape of the search target including the configuration of the movable part, and information on the surface characteristics such as the surface color and gloss of the search target.

  The condition designation unit 150 included in the image acquisition unit 108 designates the search image condition to be generated in the image generation unit 156. In the present embodiment, the condition specifying unit 150 is illuminated from substantially the same direction as the illumination direction acquired by the illumination direction acquisition unit 110 and is substantially the same as the direction of the subject acquired by the subject direction acquisition unit 112. Designation is made on the condition that a search target image to be directed is generated. The generated image acquisition unit 152 acquires the search target image generated by the image generation unit 156 as a result of the condition specification unit 150 specifying the condition, and transmits the search target image to the color adjustment unit 122.

  As described above, since the image comparison apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment generates a search image from the shape information or the like of the search target, a plurality of search images are prepared in advance as in the image comparison apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. There is no need to do. Further, in the image comparison apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, when the search image corresponding to the direction of the subject and the illumination direction in the inspection image 104 is not prepared in advance in the search image database 130, the search image 104 and the search image are searched. However, the image comparison apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment does not cause such a problem.

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the image comparison apparatus 100 according to the present invention. The image comparison apparatus includes a CPU 304 and a ROM 308 and a RAM 310 that store programs to be executed by the CPU 304. Further, the image comparison apparatus 100 includes an input device 314 such as a keyboard that allows a user to input various instructions, and an output device 316 that is a display that can display a result of comparing images, for example. The image comparison apparatus 100 further includes a hard disk drive 312 that stores images, programs, and the like, and a floppy disk drive 306 that reads / writes data from / to the floppy disk 302.

  The CPU 304 executes the program stored in the ROM 308 or the RAM 310, thereby realizing the function of each functional unit described in FIG. 1, FIG. 5, or FIG. A program to be executed by the CPU 304 may be stored in the ROM 308 or the hard disk drive 312 in advance, or may be provided by the floppy disk 302. Note that the floppy disk 302 is an example of a recording medium that records a computer-readable program, and the program to be executed by the CPU 304 is an optical recording such as a CD-ROM or a DVD instead of the floppy disk 302. It may be provided by a medium, a magnetic recording medium such as an MD, or a semiconductor memory such as an IC card.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated using embodiment, the technical scope of this invention is not limited to the range as described in the said embodiment. Various modifications or improvements can be added to the above embodiment. It is apparent from the scope of the claims that the embodiments added with such changes or improvements can be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, an image comparison device, an image comparison method, an image comparison program, and an imaging device that quickly and accurately specify a search image that captures the same subject as the inspection image. And a photographing method can be provided.

1 is a functional block diagram of an image comparison device 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the information stored in the search image database. 3 is a flowchart showing processing contents of the image comparison apparatus 100. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of an imaging apparatus 200 that captures an inspection image 104. It is a functional block diagram of the image comparison apparatus 100 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a functional block diagram of the image comparison apparatus 100 which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of the image comparison apparatus 100 which concerns on this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Image comparison apparatus 104 Test | inspection image 106 Additional information 108 Image acquisition part 114 Image group selection part 120 Focus state specific | specification part 122 Color adjustment part 124 Focus state adjustment part 126 Image specification part 128 Search image providing part 200 Image capturing apparatus 202 Unit 204 illumination direction acquisition unit 206 recording unit

Claims (4)

A shooting unit for shooting a subject and outputting a subject image;
An illumination direction acquisition unit that detects an illumination direction in which the subject was illuminated at the time of shooting;
An imaging apparatus comprising: a recording unit that records the subject image and the illumination direction in association with each other on a recording medium.   The photographing according to claim 1, wherein the illumination direction acquisition unit obtains the illumination direction based on a position of a light source specified through a fisheye lens provided on a top surface of the photographing device and a photographing direction of the photographing unit. apparatus.   The photographing unit generates the subject image and specifies a color temperature of a light source that illuminates the subject,
  The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording unit records the color temperature on the recording medium in association with the subject image. A shooting stage for shooting a subject and outputting a subject image;
An illumination direction acquisition step of detecting an illumination direction in which the subject was illuminated at the time of shooting;
An image storage method comprising: storing the subject image and the illumination direction in association with each other.

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