JP5453858B2 - Image composition device and image composition program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image composition apparatus and an image composition program that synthesize a plurality of pieces of image information to generate high-resolution image information.

  Conventionally, various processing techniques for image data have been proposed. As an example of the image data processing technique, there is a super-resolution technique for generating a higher resolution image data by combining a plurality of low resolution image data.

  Various proposals have been made for this super-resolution technique. For example, when combining a plurality of image data, there is a technique for correcting a shift between the image data of the combination source. By using a technique for correcting this shift, it is possible to detect the correspondence between pixels of a plurality of image data at the sub-pixel level. Thereby, the pixel value of the image data after the synthesis can be calculated based on the pixel value for each pixel of the image data at the synthesis source, which is regarded as the vicinity of each pixel of the image data after the synthesis.

  However, the conventional super-resolution technique is based on the assumption that all areas of the original image data of the composition source are suitable for composition. For this reason, the synthesized image data has a higher resolution than the original image, but the image quality is not always improved. For example, of the four image data of the composition source, one is image data captured with appropriate exposure, and the other three are image data captured with overexposure. In addition, if these four pieces of image data are combined to generate image data having a double resolution without considering pixel shift between the image data, the pixels of the image data captured with appropriate exposure are combined. This is one-fourth of the ratio in the subsequent image data. That is, overexposed composite image data is generated for the entire image data.

  Therefore, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, a technique is proposed in which frame images used for synthesis are selected according to a predetermined standard. If this technique is applied, image data that does not satisfy a predetermined standard is not subject to synthesis, and deterioration in image quality can be suppressed.

  However, even when the entire image data satisfies a predetermined criterion, there may be a region where the image quality is locally insufficient, for example, a blacked out region or a whiteout region exists. When such image data is to be synthesized, there is a problem that only a part of the image quality is improved and the image quality is locally degraded.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image composition device and an image composition program that suppress deterioration in image quality.

In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, an image composition device according to the present invention includes an image input unit that inputs a plurality of input image information, and color, brightness, and Dividing means for dividing each of the partial regions in which at least one of edges and textures is similar, and brightness, contrast height, and sharpness for each of the divided partial regions of each of the input image information , And a calculation means for calculating an evaluation value indicating at least one of the hues, and a pixel and a position defined as a reference in the composite image data when the plurality of input image information are combined corresponding, the reciprocal of the distance from the first pixel of the input image information, the said evaluation value, which is calculated for each pixel by the product according to the parameters of the partial area that exists at a distance from the first pixel The part Combining means for combining pixel values for each of the plurality of input image data and generating composite image data having a larger number of pixels than the input image data, using as weighting for the pixel values of each pixel included in the area; It is characterized by having.

The image composition program according to the present invention includes an image input step of inputting a plurality of input image information, and any one or more of color, luminance, edge, and texture for each of the input image information. A division step of dividing each of the similar partial areas, and evaluation of any one or more of brightness, contrast height, sharpness, and hue for each of the divided partial areas of the input image information A first pixel of the input image information in which a position corresponding to a pixel determined as a reference in the combined image data when the plurality of input image information is combined corresponds to a calculation step of calculating an evaluation value indicating each pixel and the reciprocal of the distance, and the evaluation value of the partial area that exists at a distance from the first pixel, the parameters calculated for each pixel by the product due to, included in the partial region from Used as a weighting for the pixel value, wherein the plurality of synthesized pixel values of each input image data, a synthesizing step for generating the number of pixels from the input image data is large composite image data, it causes the computer to execute.

  According to the present invention, there is an effect of suppressing deterioration in image quality of composite image information having a large number of pixels generated by combining input image data.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image composition system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the image composition device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a scene photographed as an image data generation target. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a plurality of image data selected by the image selection unit of the image synthesizing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a table structure of the evaluation value storage unit of the image composition device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an overall processing procedure in the image composition apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a process procedure for dividing each image data and calculating an evaluation value in the area dividing unit and the evaluation value calculating unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of image data combining processing in the image combining unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a correspondence relationship between the relative position of each pixel, the pixel value of the pixel, and the evaluation value of the partial region including the pixel, which are synthesized as the target pixel by the image synthesis unit. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating pixel values calculated for each calculation method. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image composition system according to the first modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a digital still camera 1300 according to the second modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image composition device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing image data divided for each partial area by the area dividing unit according to the second embodiment. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a table structure of the evaluation value storage unit according to the second embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the image composition apparatus.

  Exemplary embodiments of an image composition apparatus and an image composition program according to the present invention will be explained below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the embodiment described below, an image composition apparatus using a PC (Personal Computer) will be described. However, the image composition apparatus is not limited to a PC, and an image forming apparatus such as a printer, an office device, etc. You may apply to various apparatuses.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image composition system according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the image composition system according to the present embodiment includes an image composition device 100, a database 160, a printer 170, and a network 150 that connects them.

  The database 160 stores image data to be combined. The database 160 transmits / receives image data to / from the image composition apparatus 100 and the printer 170.

  The printer 170 prints the image data transmitted from the image composition device 100 or the database 160 on a recording medium such as recording paper. Next, the image composition device 100 will be described.

  The image synthesizing apparatus 100 performs a control of synthesizing the image data groups stored in the database 160 to generate high-resolution image data and printing from the printer 170. The image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is an example in which a PC (Personal Computer) is applied as hardware.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the image composition device 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in this figure, the image synthesizing apparatus 100 includes an image storage unit 101, an image input unit 102, an image selection unit 103, a reference image selection unit 104, an area division unit 105, and an evaluation value calculation unit 106. And an evaluation value storage unit 107, an image synthesis unit 108, and an image output unit 109, which synthesize the input image data to generate and output high-definition synthesized image data.

  The image input unit 102 performs input processing of image data used for composition from the database 160 via the network 150. In the present embodiment, the image data is acquired from the database 160, but may be acquired from another device or the image composition device 100.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a scene photographed as an image data generation target. The scene shown in FIG. 3 is composed of the sea, a ship floating in the sea, a front mountain, a rear mountain, the sky, or a cloud. In the image composition device 100 according to the present embodiment, a plurality of image data obtained by capturing the scene shown in FIG. 3 is composed.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the image selection unit 103 selects image data suitable for synthesis from a plurality of image data input by the image input unit 102. The image selection unit 103 selects, for each input image data, image data that satisfies a predetermined standard for the entire image data as a synthesis target. As a method for selecting the image data, for example, various methods such as a method disclosed in International Publication No. 2004/093011 may be used.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a plurality of image data selected by the image selection unit 103. Assume that the image data from the first image data to the fourth image data shown in FIG. The first image data to the fourth image data shown in FIG. 4 are image data obtained by capturing the scene shown in FIG. 3, but they are in a slightly shifted positional relationship and satisfy a predetermined standard as the whole image data. However, it is assumed that the detailed exposure conditions and the focused position are different.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the image storage unit 101 temporarily stores the image data selected by the image selection unit 103 as being suitable for composition.

  The reference image selection unit 104 selects image data serving as a reference at the time of composition from image data (for example, first image data to fourth image data) stored in the image storage unit 101. Any method may be used as a method for selecting image data as a reference at the time of synthesis. For example, image data that has the largest overlapping range with other image data is selected, or image data that is first input by the image input unit 102 is selected from the image data selected by the image selection unit 103. May be. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the first image data is selected as the reference image data.

  The area dividing unit 105 divides each image data stored in the image storage unit 101 into partial areas based on a predetermined standard. In the present embodiment, the region dividing unit 105 extracts a partial region (a set of pixels having similar characteristics such as color) from the reference image data, and then determines that it is the same as the extracted partial region. Each image data is divided for each region. As a standard for extracting a set of pixels having similar characteristics, any standard can be used regardless of a known standard. For example, the standard is based on parameters such as color, luminance, or edge of image data. It is conceivable to extract each region determined to have a feature to be detected.

  The area dividing unit 105 according to the present embodiment uses the first image data, which is the reference image data, from the sea (A0001), the mountain (front) (A0002), the mountain (rear) (A0003), the cloud (A0004), And five partial regions of the sky (A0005) can be extracted. It is assumed that the area dividing unit 105 determines a ship floating in the sea as an area included in the same area as the sea. Then, the area dividing unit 105 divides the first image data into these five partial areas.

  Subsequently, the area dividing unit 105 performs image data of the fourth image data from the remaining second image data (hereinafter, image data to be combined and image data other than the reference image data is referred to as material image data). Is also divided into partial areas by the same processing. The area dividing unit 105 refers to the partial area extraction result of the reference image data when dividing the material image data into partial areas. For example, since the reference image data divides the sea and the ship floating in the sea as the same region, even if the region dividing unit 105 extracts the ship and the sea floating in the sea as separate regions in the material image data, The ship and the sea are determined to be the same area according to the reference image data.

  Then, the area dividing unit 105 assigns the same area ID as the partial area of the reference image data to the same area as the partial area extracted from the reference image data. As for the second image data to the fourth image data, similarly to the first image data, the sea (A0001), the mountain (front) (A0002), the mountain (rear) (A0003), and the cloud (A0004) And the sky (A0005).

  The evaluation value calculation unit 106 evaluates the image quality for each image data included in the divided partial area in each image data (first image data to fourth image data) stored in the image storage unit 101. An evaluation value is calculated. Any method for evaluating image quality may be used regardless of a known method. As a reference for evaluating the image quality of the evaluation value calculation unit 106 according to the present embodiment, brightness, contrast height, sharpness, hue, and the like in the partial area are used. For example, if the sharpness is high, the evaluation value is high as a focus. Note that the evaluation criteria must be uniform for all image data.

  The evaluation value calculation unit 106 according to the present embodiment calculates an evaluation value for a partial region included in the reference image data, and then calculates an evaluation value for each partial region for other material image data. After calculating the evaluation value, the evaluation value calculation unit 106 stores the evaluation value in association with the partial area of each image data in the evaluation value storage unit 107.

  The evaluation value storage unit 107 stores an evaluation value for each partial area of each image data. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the table structure of the evaluation value storage unit 107. As shown in FIG. 5, the evaluation value storage unit 107 stores a partial area ID for identifying a partial area and an evaluation value of each image data in association with each other. In the example illustrated in FIG. 5, the evaluation value range is 0 to 1, and the higher the value, the higher the image quality.

  In the example of the evaluation value storage unit 107 illustrated in FIG. 5, it can be confirmed that the first image data has a high evaluation value in the area A0002 indicating the mountain ahead. Therefore, in the first image data, it is presumed that the image data was captured while focusing on the front mountain. Also in the material image data, since the partial region having a high evaluation value (image quality) differs for each material image data and reference image data, it is estimated that the focused object differs for each image data.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the image composition unit 108 uses the evaluation value for each partial region as a weight, and converts the pixel value of each pixel included in the partial region into a plurality of input image data (reference image data and material image data). And composite image data having a larger number of pixels than the reference image data and the material image data is generated. The detailed processing procedure will be described later.

  The image output unit 109 outputs the high-resolution composite image data combined by the image combining unit 108 to the printer 170. The output destination is not limited to the printer 170 and may be output to the database 160.

  Next, overall processing in the image composition device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure of the above-described processing in the image composition device 100 according to the present embodiment.

  The image input unit 102 performs an input process on an image data group used for composition (step S601). The image data group to be input is an image data group designated by the user. The image data group here may be a plurality of still images or a plurality of frames of moving images.

  Next, the image selection unit 103 reads image data one by one from the input image data group (step S602). Thereafter, the image selection unit 103 determines whether or not the read image data is image data suitable for synthesis (step S603).

  When the image selection unit 103 determines image data suitable for synthesis (step S603: Yes), the image data is stored in the image storage unit 101 (step S604). On the other hand, when it is determined that the image data is not suitable for synthesis (step S603: No), the image data is not processed.

  Thereafter, the image selection unit 103 determines whether all the image data included in the designated image data group has been read (step S605). If it is determined that all image data has not been read (step S605: No), the image selection unit 103 returns to step S602 and reads the next image data. When it is determined that all the image data has been read (step S605: Yes), the process proceeds to step S606. The image data used for composition is selected by the processing of steps S602 to S605.

  Thereafter, the reference image selection unit 104 selects reference image data from the image data (image data suitable for synthesis) stored in the image storage unit 101 (step S606).

  Then, the area dividing unit 105 divides the reference image data for each partial area, and the evaluation value calculation unit 106 evaluates the image quality for each partial area of the divided reference image data, and then identifies the partial area. The ID and the evaluation value are associated with each other and stored in the evaluation value storage unit 107 (step S607). When storing, the partial area is stored so that it can be recognized that it is a partial area of the reference image data. The detailed processing procedure will be described later.

  Subsequently, the area dividing unit 105 reads out the material image data stored in the image storage unit 101 one by one (step S608). Then, the region dividing unit 105 divides the material image data for each partial region in the same manner as the reference image data, and the evaluation value calculating unit 106 evaluates the image quality for each partial region of the divided material image data, The partial area ID for identifying the partial area is associated with the evaluation value and stored in the evaluation value storage unit 107 (step S609). When storing, the partial area is stored so that it can be recognized as a partial area of the material image data. The detailed processing procedure will be described later.

  Thereafter, the region dividing unit 105 determines whether or not the region division and evaluation value calculation have been completed for all the material image data stored in the image storage unit 101 (step S610). When it is determined that the reading and evaluation are not completed (step S610: No), the process is started again from step S608.

  On the other hand, when the area dividing unit 105 determines that the area division and the calculation of the evaluation value have been completed for all the material image data (step S610: Yes), the reference image data and the material image data are combined, and the reference Composite image data having a higher resolution than the image data and the material image data is generated (step S611).

  Thereafter, the image output unit 109 outputs the high-resolution composite image data combined by the image combining unit 108 to the printer 170 (step S612).

  Next, the processing procedure of the division processing and evaluation value calculation of each image data in the region division unit 105 and the evaluation value calculation unit 106 shown in step S606 or step S609 of FIG. 6 will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a procedure of the above-described processing in the area dividing unit 105 and the evaluation value calculating unit 106 according to the present embodiment.

  First, the area dividing unit 105 divides the reference image data or the material image data for each partial area having similar characteristics (step S701). As an example of the feature standard for dividing, for example, a color, a texture, and the like can be considered. In addition, when the region dividing unit 105 determines that the edge has continuity, the region dividing unit 105 may determine that the edge is a boundary of the region and perform region division using the edge as a boundary. Further, the area dividing unit 105 may determine an area close to the depth as a partial area based on the depth of the image captured as the image data, and may divide the partial area.

  Subsequently, the evaluation value calculation unit 106 evaluates the image quality for each partial region of the reference image data or the material image data, and calculates an evaluation value (step S702).

  Then, the evaluation value calculation unit 106 stores the calculated evaluation value for each partial region in the evaluation value storage unit 107 in association with the partial region ID for identifying the partial region and the original image data (step S703). .

  Next, the image data composition processing in the image composition unit 108 shown in step S611 of FIG. 6 will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the above-described processing procedure in the image composition unit 108 according to the present embodiment.

  First, the image composition unit 108 prepares empty composite image data with a size that matches the resolution of the composited image data (step S801).

  Next, the image composition unit 108 identifies a target pixel of the composite image data (step S802).

  Thereafter, the image composition unit 108 extracts the pixel value of the pixel corresponding to the vicinity of the target pixel from each of the reference image data and the material image data (step S803).

  Then, for each of the reference image data and the material image data, the image composition unit 108 reads the evaluation value of the partial region including the above-described pixel corresponding to the vicinity of the target pixel from the evaluation value storage unit 107 (step S804). ).

  Next, for each of the reference image data and the material image data, the image composition unit 108 uses the distance of each extracted pixel to the target pixel and the evaluation value of the partial area including the extracted pixel, A complementary function representing an estimated distribution of neighboring pixel values is obtained (step S805).

  Thereafter, the image composition unit 108 calculates the pixel value of the pixel of interest using the obtained complementary function (step S806).

  Then, the image composition unit 108 determines whether or not the pixel value has been calculated using all the pixels included in the composite image data as the target pixel (step S807). If it is determined that it has not been calculated (step S807: No), the process starts again from step S802.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the pixel values have been calculated for all the pixels (step S807: Yes), the process ends.

  In the image composition device 100 according to the present embodiment, high-resolution composite image data is generated by the above-described processing procedure.

  Next, an example of calculating the pixel value of a certain target pixel in the composite image data by the image composition unit 108 will be described. In order to simplify the description, the coordinates of the image data are limited to one dimension.

  In FIG. 9, the image composition unit 108 extracts the relative position of the pixel extracted as the vicinity of the target pixel from the first image data to the fourth image data, the pixel value of the extracted pixel, and the extracted pixel. It is the figure which showed the corresponding relationship with the evaluation value of the partial area | region containing. The relative position is a relative position based on the target pixel. In other words, the pixel existing at the relative position in the first column has the pixel value in the second column and belongs to the attribute having the evaluation value in the third column. In addition, among the pixel values illustrated in FIG. 9, the pixel value of the pixel associated with the high evaluation value and the closest relative position is “92”. Therefore, it is considered that the pixel value of the target pixel is desirably a value close to “92”.

  Regardless of this embodiment, there are various methods for calculating the pixel value of the target pixel from these pixel values. Therefore, as a pixel value calculation method, a simple average value calculation, a calculation using the reciprocal of the distance as weighting, and a calculation using the reciprocal of the distance and the evaluation value as weighting will be considered. In the present embodiment, calculation is applied using the reciprocal of the distance and the evaluation value as weights.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating pixel values calculated for each of the above-described calculation methods. When the average value is simply calculated as in the example shown in FIG. 10, the pixel value is “108”, which is greatly deviated from the desired value due to the influence of the pixel having a relatively long distance or the pixel having a low evaluation value. Value.

  Next, in the complementary method using the reciprocal of the distance as a weight, the pixel value is “99”. That is, since the influence of pixels that are relatively far from each other can be suppressed, it can be confirmed that the value is more desirable than the average value.

  On the other hand, in the complementing method using the product of the reciprocal of the distance and the evaluation value as the weight performed by the image composition unit 108 according to the present embodiment, the pixel value is “97”. In this way, it can be confirmed that the value approaches the desired value as compared with the two methods described above. That is, in this embodiment, an interpolation method using the evaluation value as a weight is used. Since the evaluation value indicates the level of image quality of the image data, the pixel value associated with the low evaluation value can be regarded as having low reliability.

  In the image composition unit 108 according to the present embodiment, the influence of the pixel value having low reliability can be suppressed relatively low by using the above-described interpolation method to link the image quality and the weight.

  In the above description, the simple method is used among the complementary methods using the evaluation value indicating the image quality as a weight. However, generally used bilinear and bicubic methods are combined as a complementary method. Also good. Alternatively, the pixel value of the target pixel may be calculated using only pixel values that are equal to or higher than a certain evaluation value, instead of calculating the pixel value of the target pixel using all pixel values in the vicinity. Furthermore, it is considered effective to calculate an evaluation value for each image quality evaluation index and use a combination of a plurality of evaluation values.

  In the image composition device 100 according to the present embodiment, by providing the above-described configuration, it is possible to relatively reduce the weight related to the pixel value of the pixel with low reliability, and therefore it is possible to generate composite image data with higher image quality. Can be obtained.

  That is, in the image composition device 100 according to the present embodiment, the higher the partial region evaluation value (higher the image quality), the greater the weight. Therefore, when compositing, pixels belonging to the partial region with higher image quality are given priority. As a result, the synthesized image data with higher image quality can be generated. In other words, in the image synthesizing apparatus 100, a pixel in a partial area with high image quality is preferentially used for calculating a pixel value of a certain pixel after synthesis, and thus is higher than the case where an equivalent weight is given to all the reference pixels. An image quality composite result can be obtained.

  Moreover, it is not limited to each embodiment mentioned above, The various deformation | transformation which is illustrated below is possible.

  In the first embodiment described above, the image data is acquired from the database 160, but the acquisition source is not limited to the database 160.

(Modification 1 of the first embodiment)
Therefore, as a first modification of the first embodiment, an example in which the input destination of image data is a digital camera will be described. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image composition system according to the present modification.

  As shown in FIG. 11, in the image composition system according to this modification, a digital camera 1201, an image composition device 1203, and a storage device 1202 are connected via a network 150.

  The digital camera 1201 outputs the captured image data to the image composition device 1203. The digital camera 1201 may shoot not only still image data but also moving image data. When shooting moving image data, individual frames or frames having a predetermined time interval are used as image data to be synthesized. When the digital camera 1201 continuously captures still images, a plurality of continuously captured image data is used as image data to be combined.

  The storage device 1202 stores the composite image data input from the image composition device 100. Further, the storage device 1202 may store image data not only in an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) but also in a removable recording medium such as a memory card or an optical disk.

  The image composition device 1203 is the same as the image composition device 100 of the first embodiment except that the input source of the image data to be combined is the digital camera 1201 and the output destination of the composite image data is the storage device 1202. Since the configuration is provided, the description is omitted. The image composition device 1203 according to the present modification can obtain the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

(Modification 2 of the first embodiment)
In addition to the PC, various devices can be considered as devices to which the image composition device is applied. Therefore, as a modification, an example in which the image composition device is applied to a digital still camera will be described.

  FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital still camera 1300 according to this modification. As shown in FIG. 12, the digital still camera 1300 includes an image pickup unit 1301, an image composition unit 1302, and a card I / F 1303.

  The imaging unit 1301 captures image data using an optical system (not shown), a CCD, or the like. Image data captured by the imaging unit 1301 includes not only still image data but also moving image data.

  The image composition unit 1302 is assumed to have the same configuration as the image composition apparatus 100 of the first embodiment, and a description thereof is omitted. Then, the image synthesis unit 1302 synthesizes a plurality of image data captured by the imaging unit 1301 by the same process as in the first embodiment, generates higher-resolution composite image data, and generates the generated composite image data Is output to the card I / F 1303.

  The card I / F 1303 writes input composite image data to the connected card memory 1304.

  The digital still camera 1300 according to the present modified example combines high-resolution image data by combining a plurality of image data even when a lower-resolution sensor or an inexpensive optical system is applied to the imaging unit 1301. Can be generated.

(Second Embodiment)
In the image synthesizing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, the example in which a set of pixels having similar features is divided into partial areas when extracting the partial areas of the image data has been described. However, the partial area to be divided is not limited to each set of pixels having similar characteristics. Therefore, an example in which the image composition apparatus according to the second embodiment divides into regions of a predetermined size will be described.

  By the way, in the first embodiment, image data is divided for each partial region having similar characteristics. This is based on the assumption that the image quality is constant in regions with similar characteristics. However, such an image data dividing method has a high calculation cost and may include erroneous identification. On the other hand, in the image composition device 1400 according to the present embodiment, the image data is divided into tiles with a preset size or division number. Thereby, the calculation cost regarding a division | segmentation can be reduced.

  FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image composition device 1400 according to the second embodiment. The image composition device 1400 is different from the image composition device 100 according to the first embodiment described above in that the configuration is changed to an area division unit 1401 that is different in processing from the region division unit 105. In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The area dividing unit 1401 divides each image data stored in the image storage unit 101 into partial areas having a predetermined size. Moreover, it is not limited to dividing into a predetermined size, but may be divided into a predetermined number of divisions. Even when dividing by a predetermined number of divisions, the same effect as that obtained by dividing at a predetermined size can be obtained.

  FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing image data divided for each partial area by the area dividing unit 1401. As shown in FIG. 14, the area dividing unit 1401 divides image data to be combined into tiles.

  Then, after the evaluation value is calculated for each partial region by the evaluation value calculation unit 106, the evaluation value for each partial region is stored in the evaluation value storage unit 1402.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the table structure of the evaluation value storage unit 1402. As illustrated in FIG. 15, the evaluation value storage unit 1402 stores a partial area ID for identifying a partial area and an evaluation value of each image data in association with each other. Assume that the evaluation value storage unit 1402 stores records in which the above-described values are associated with the number of divided partial areas.

  Thereafter, the image composition unit 108 generates composite image data after using the evaluation value for each partial region as a weight. The synthesizing method is the same as in the first embodiment, and a description thereof is omitted.

  In the image composition device 1400 according to the present embodiment, the region dividing unit 1401 performs the above-described division, so that the calculation cost related to the division method can be reduced and the adverse effects due to misidentification can be reduced. Thereby, synthetic image data can be generated at higher speed.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the image composition device (100, 1400). The image composition apparatus (100, 1400) according to the above-described embodiment includes a CPU 1501, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 1502, a RAM 1503, a communication interface (I / F) 1504 that communicates with an external device, a keyboard, a mouse, and the like. Input device 1505, and has a hardware configuration using a normal computer.

  An image composition program executed by the image composition apparatus (100, 1400) according to the above-described embodiment is a file in an installable format or an executable format, and is a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, The program is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk).

  The image composition program executed by the image composition apparatus (100, 1400) according to the above-described embodiment is provided by being stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and downloaded via the network. You may comprise. Further, the image composition program executed by the image composition apparatus (100, 1400) according to the present embodiment may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

  In addition, the image composition program executed by the image composition apparatus (100, 1400) according to the above-described embodiment may be provided by being incorporated in advance in a ROM or the like.

  The image composition program executed by the image composition apparatus (100, 1400) of the above-described embodiment includes the above-described units (image input unit, image selection unit, reference image selection unit, region division unit, evaluation calculation unit, image synthesis unit). Module, and an image output unit). As actual hardware, a CPU (processor) reads an image synthesis program from the storage medium and executes it to load each unit on the main storage device. The image input unit, the image selection unit, the reference image selection unit, the region division unit, the evaluation calculation unit, the image synthesis unit, and the image output unit are generated on the main storage device.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100, 1400 Image composition apparatus 101 Image memory | storage part 102 Image input part 103 Image selection part 104 Reference | standard image selection part 105,1401 Area division part 106 Evaluation value calculation part 107,1402 Evaluation value storage part 108 Image composition part 109 Image output part 150 Network 160 Database 170 Printer 1201 Digital camera 1202 Storage device 1203 Image composition device 1300 Digital still camera 1301 Imaging unit 1302 Image composition unit 1303 Card I / F
1304 Card memory 1501 CPU
1502 ROM
1503 RAM
1504 Communication interface I / F
1505 input device

International Publication No. 2004/093011

Claims (2)

Image input means for inputting a plurality of input image information;
A dividing unit that divides the input image information into partial areas in which any one or more of color, luminance, edge, and texture are similar;
Calculating means for calculating an evaluation value indicating any one or more of brightness, contrast height, sharpness, and hue for each of the divided partial areas of the input image information;
The reciprocal of the distance from the first pixel of the input image information, the position of which corresponds to the pixel determined as a reference in the composite image data when the plurality of input image information are combined , and the first pixel the parameters calculated for each pixel in the evaluation value and, due to the product of the partial area that exists at a distance from, be used as a weight for the pixel values of the pixels included in the partial area, the plurality of input images Combining means for combining pixel values for each data and generating combined image data having a larger number of pixels than the input image data;
An image composition device comprising: An image input step for inputting a plurality of input image information;
A division step for dividing each of the input image information into partial regions in which any one or more of color, luminance, edge, and texture are similar;
A calculation step of calculating an evaluation value indicating any one or more of brightness, contrast height, sharpness, and hue for each of the divided partial areas of the input image information;
The reciprocal of the distance from the first pixel of the input image information, the position of which corresponds to the pixel determined as a reference in the composite image data when the plurality of input image information are combined , and the first pixel the parameters calculated for each pixel in the evaluation value and, due to the product of the partial area that exists at a distance from, be used as a weight for the pixel values of the pixels included in the partial area, the plurality of input images A synthesis step of synthesizing pixel values for each data and generating synthesized image data having a larger number of pixels than the input image data;
Composition program for causing a computer to execute.

Images