JPH077665A - Picture extracting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a picture extracting device capable of effectively extracting specific picture information from picture information. CONSTITUTION:The specific picture information is extracted from the picture information by utilizing a branching filter 2 for dividing a luminous flux provided with the picture information into visible light and infrared light, a visible light image pickup part 5 for obtaining the video signals of the picture information based on the visible light from the branching filter 2, an infrared light image pickup part 6 for obtaining the video signals of the picture information based on the infrared light from the branching filter 2, a timing generation circuit 4 for transmitting read signals to the visible light image pickup part 5 and the infrared image pickup part 6, a binarization processing circuit 7 for binarizing output signals front the infrared light image pickup part 6 and a video switch 8 for controlling the output signals from the visible light image pickup part 5 corresponding to the output signals from the binarization processing circuit 7.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image extracting apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus for effectively extracting only specific image information from captured image information and displaying it on a display unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various methods have been proposed for extracting only desired image information from image information displayed on an image pickup section. Among them, there is a method using a chroma key signal as an image extracting method for extracting a person from image information. An image extraction method using this chroma key signal will be described with reference to FIG.

In the figure, 71 is a blue screen, and 72 is a person image to be extracted. Only the target person image is extracted by outputting the other image (the image to be combined with the background) in the blue screen 71 portion using the blue of the chroma key as the determination color and outputting the person image 72 in the other portions. . As a result, the necessary person image 72 and the unnecessary background 71 are displayed separately.

[0004]

The conventional image extraction method using a chroma key signal has a problem that an unnecessary portion (here, the background) must be a screen of a specific color (for example, blue) in advance. is there.

According to the present invention, when the necessary image information is extracted, the target image information can be effectively extracted without preliminarily setting an unnecessary portion on the screen of a specific color. For the purpose of providing.

[0006]

An image extracting apparatus of the present invention is a demultiplexer for demultiplexing a light flux having image information into visible light and infrared light, and an image based on visible light from the demultiplexer. Visible light imaging section for obtaining information video signal, infrared imaging section for obtaining video information video signal based on infrared light from the demultiplexer, timing for sending read signal to the visible light imaging section and infrared imaging section A generation circuit, a binarization processing circuit that binarizes an output signal from the infrared imaging unit, and a video switch that controls the output signal from the visible light imaging unit according to the output signal from the binarization processing circuit. Is used to extract specific image information from the image information.

[0007]

Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the essential parts of Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a taking lens, which collects a light beam having image information from a subject (not shown) and forms an object image on a predetermined surface described later. 2 is a duplexer,
Visible light of the light flux from the taking lens 1 is transmitted and infrared light (wavelength 3 to 5 μm) is reflected. 3 is a mirror. Reference numeral 4 denotes a timing generation circuit, which generates a read signal and inputs it to the visible light imaging unit 5 and the infrared light imaging unit 6.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a visible light image pickup unit, which is composed of a CCD area sensor, and the visible light which has passed through the demultiplexer 2 among the light flux from the photographing lens 1 is red (R), green (G), and blue (B). Each color light is separated through a filter for. Then, the decomposed object image of each color light is formed to obtain a video signal of image information based on each color light.

Reference numeral 6 denotes an infrared image pickup section which is composed of a CCD element and forms an object image based on the infrared light reflected by the demultiplexer 2 in the light flux from the photographing lens 1 and based on the infrared light. The video signal of the image information is obtained. Reference numeral 7 is a binarization processing circuit, which binarizes the video signal from the infrared imaging unit 6. A video switch 8 turns on and off a video signal based on visible light from the visible light image pickup unit 5 according to an input signal from the binarization processing circuit 7.

In this embodiment, a light flux having image information from an object is split by a taking lens 1 into a visible light and an infrared light by a demultiplexer 2. Of these, visible light enters the visible light imaging unit 5, and infrared light enters the infrared imaging unit 6. In the visible light image pickup unit, the inputted light flux is photoelectrically converted by the CCD area sensor, and a visible light video signal is output in synchronization with the read signal from the timing generation unit 4.

On the other hand, in the infrared imaging section 6, the demultiplexer 2
Infrared light having a wavelength of about 3 to 5 μm, which has been demultiplexed by and is reflected by the mirror 3, is photoelectrically converted by an infrared CCD element to obtain image information by thermal radiation energy of the object. The infrared CCD element is equipped with a cooling device to prevent the influence of its own heat. Then, in synchronization with the read signal from the timing generator 4, a level (video signal) corresponding to the heat radiation energy is output.

The signal output from the infrared imaging unit 6 is input to the binarization processing unit 7 and binarized according to the set threshold value. When the input image is a person and its background, the threshold value setting method is as shown in FIG. 2, for example, for visible light image information (visible light image).

Image information based on infrared light (infrared image) is, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, image information SHi with high brightness in a person image with high temperature, and shows low temperature in other portions because the temperature is low. Image information SLo with low brightness can be obtained.

Here, the person has a temperature of 36 °, which is close to the body temperature.
The brightness corresponding to the front and back is shown, and the background shows the brightness corresponding to the temperature close to the temperature (about 20 ° C. when the temperature is 20 ° C.).
From this, the temperature (for example, 25 ° C.) at which the person and the background are separated is set in advance. As a result, the binarization processing circuit 7 performs binarization processing to output an infrared binarized image of 1 in the human area and 0 in the background area as shown in FIG. 4, for example.

The output signal from the binarization processing circuit 7 is input to the video switch 8 as an area identification signal, and ON / OFF control of the visible light video signal output from the visible light image pickup section 5 is performed. The visible light video signal from the visible light imaging unit 5 is input to the video switch 8, and the video signal is turned off when the area identification signal indicates 0 in the background image area.
Then, the background of the person is masked by outputting a preset constant value.

In the human image area, when the area identification signal indicates 1, the video switch 8 is turned on and the signal from the visible light image pickup section 5 is selected and output. In this embodiment, the limbs based on visible light and the limbs based on infrared light correspond to the image information to be extracted.

As described above, in this embodiment, the target image information is effectively extracted by utilizing the difference between the temperature of the object to be extracted and the temperature of the background to be masked.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the essential portions of Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is a taking lens, and 10 is an infrared light, which emits infrared light. Reference numeral 11 is an object (person).

In this embodiment, the infrared light from the infrared light 10 is applied to the object 11. When the object 11 is irradiated with infrared light from the infrared light 10, much infrared light is reflected from the object 11, but infrared light reflected from other parts (images) is far from the infrared light 10. Because of that, it is weak.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing the state at this time. The reflected infrared light SHi from the object 11 is large, but the reflected infrared light SLo from other portions is weak.

In this embodiment, the same processing circuit as that shown in FIG. 1 is used after the taking lens 1. However, the infrared imaging unit 6 of this embodiment uses, for example, a MOS solid-state imaging device that photoelectrically converts near-infrared light having a wavelength of about 1 μm, and other configurations are the same as those of each element in FIG.

In the present embodiment, the intensity of infrared light reflected from the person 10 and input to the taking lens 1 and the intensity of infrared light reflected from the background and input to the taking lens 1 differ according to the distance from the infrared light 10. You can Therefore, the output level from the infrared light image pickup unit 6 also differs. In this embodiment, the difference is used to perform binarization processing so that only the person is extracted.

As described above, in this embodiment, the image is effectively extracted by utilizing the difference in the distance between the image to be extracted and the background to be masked, that is, the intensity of the reflected infrared light.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, by constructing each element as described above, it is not necessary to make the background of the image information to be extracted which is the target to be blue in advance, and the unnecessary background is displayed. It is possible to achieve an image extraction device that can effectively extract image information without doing so.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a main part of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of visible light image information according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of infrared light image information according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of infrared binary image information according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the essential portions of Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of image information according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional image extraction method using a chroma key signal.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Shooting Lens 2 Demultiplexer 3 Mirror 4 Timing Generation Circuit 5 Visible Light Imaging Section 6 Infrared Imaging Section 7 Binarization Processing Circuit 8 Video Switch

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A demultiplexer for demultiplexing a light flux having image information into visible light and infrared light, a visible light imaging section for obtaining a video signal of image information based on visible light from the demultiplexer, An infrared image pickup unit for obtaining a video signal of image information based on infrared light from the demultiplexer, a timing generation circuit for sending a read signal to the visible light image pickup unit and the infrared image pickup unit, and an output signal from the infrared image pickup unit. Identification from the image information using a binarization processing circuit for binarization and a video switch for controlling the output signal from the visible light imaging unit according to the output signal from the binarization processing circuit An image extracting apparatus, which is characterized by extracting image information of.