JPH11327004A - Camera picture background mask system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately extract only an object by simple constitution. SOLUTION: The outputs of an infrared CCD camera 4 and a CCD camera 5 are inputted to a picture processing part 6 and temporarily stored in a buffer part 8. By the processing part 6, a picture formed by infrared rays is read out from the buffer part 8 and the inputted picture is binarized with the previously set level of binarization with a reference by a binarization processing part 6a (1 and 0). Since the infrared rays reflected on the part of the object becomes larger than the set level, it becomes '1' and the other background part becomes '0'. Thus, the picture formed by the infrared rays is binarized so as to make a mask. Besides, a picture formed by visible light beams and the mask are synthesized by a synthesis part 6b and the picture obtained by extracting only the object is formed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera image background mask system for extracting only a subject using an infrared image and masking a background portion.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a means for extracting only a specific subject, a method of extracting an outline with a background of a specific color as a background has been used. This is to detect the boundary with the subject by color and contrast, and if the subject uses the same color as the background or very similar color or contrast, it is extremely difficult to separate that part. Become. There are also light-dark extraction methods. In addition, a line is cut out along the boundary between the subject and the background to separate the line, but in this case, it is difficult to trace the boundary accurately.

[0003]

In the former case, the image analysis requires an operation processing operation, requires a high-level graphic operation hardware, and requires a long operation time. In addition, there is a disadvantage that a calculation error occurs when a similar color exists in the background or an object having the same brightness exists. An object of the present invention is to provide a camera image background mask system that can accurately extract only a subject with a simple configuration that does not perform complicated arithmetic processing.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a camera image background mask system according to the present invention comprises an infrared imaging camera for capturing only an infrared image, and a visible light imaging camera for capturing an image using visible light. Infrared irradiating means, capture the subject and background image to be captured into the infrared imaging camera and the visible light imaging camera,
An infrared image is subjected to a binarization process at a predetermined level to perform mask processing on portions other than the subject portion, and an image processing unit that combines the masked image and the visible light image is provided. It is configured to extract only the subject. The present invention also provides an infrared-visible light imaging camera that captures an image from the infrared region to the visible region, an infrared irradiating unit, and a chronologically-incorporated image of the infrared light and the visible light, and a predetermined image for the infrared image. An image processing unit that performs mask processing on portions other than the subject by performing binarization processing at a level and combines the masked image with the visible light image so that only the subject is extracted by masking the background image It is composed. Further, in the above configuration, the binarization boundary level in the present invention is configured to be set according to a ratio of a distance to the subject and a distance to the background image.

[0005]

According to the above configuration, with a simple configuration and processing,
An accurate extracted image of the subject can be obtained.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an embodiment of a camera image background mask system according to the present invention.
(A) is a system diagram, (b) is an image by visible light and infrared light. The subject 2 is imaged with the background 1 as a background. The subject 2 is maintained at a distance equal to or more than a predetermined distance from the background portion. This is because separation is performed at a preset gradation level (default value) based on the difference between the intensity of the infrared ray reaching from the background part and the infrared ray reflected back from the subject.

[0007] Infrared ray C for picking up only an image by infrared rays
CD camera 4 and C for capturing only an image by visible light
Each optical axis of the CD camera 5 is preferably set as close as possible, so that parallax generated is minimized. Infrared CCD
The framing of the camera 4 and the CCD camera 5 are matched. An infrared irradiator 3 is installed in parallel with the infrared CCD camera 4. As shown in (b), the image based on the visible light shows the subject and the background image, but the image based on the infrared light shows only the subject because the infrared ray hardly reaches from the background. In the figure, the blacked-out portion is a portion having little infrared light sensitivity, and only the infrared light reflected from the subject is sensed.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the circuit of the camera image background mask system according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining processing of a visible light image and an infrared image captured from a camera. Outputs of the infrared CCD camera 4 and the CCD camera 5 are input to an image processing unit 6 and temporarily stored in a buffer unit 8. Image processing unit 6
Reads an image by infrared from the buffer unit 8 and
The binarization level (25
The input image is binarized (1, 0) based on the six levels (center level). The reflected infrared ray of the subject portion is larger than the set level, and thus is “1”, and the other background portions are “0”.

The image processing section 6 has a level adjusting section 6c for adjusting the binarization level. The ratio of the distance from the camera position to the object to the background, which is allowed by the default value, is out of a predetermined range. If so, the level can be adjusted. For example, if the distance from the subject to the background is smaller than the distance from the camera position to the subject, the binary level to be separated needs to be adjusted to a smaller level of 256 steps. As a result, the image 4a formed by infrared rays is binarized to form a mask as shown in 4b. After that, the image 5a of visible light and the mask 4b are combined by the combining unit 6b and output to the display unit 7. The display unit 7 is, for example, a monitor or the like.
As shown in 4c, an image in which only the subject is extracted is displayed.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an application example of the present invention. By synthesizing the image created only by the subject and extracted with the scenery 17 taken in by the camera 16, a composite image with the desired image can be easily created.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, one camera 23 has an infrared CCD camera and a visible light CCD camera. When the camera 23 functions as a visible light CCD camera, a predetermined infrared cut filter for cutting an infrared region is inserted. When the camera 23 further functions as an infrared CCD camera, a wavelength shorter than visible light is used instead of the infrared cut filter. A visible light cut filter that cuts the light is inserted.

First, the image processing section 24 takes in a visible light image and stores it in the first frame section 25a of the memory section 25. Next, the filter is switched and an image is captured by infrared light at the timing when the infrared irradiator 22 is turned on.
It is stored in the frame part 25b. The image processing unit 24 reads an image using infrared rays from the second frame unit 25b, and the binarization processing unit 24a performs a binarization process similar to that in FIG. 2 to create a mask. Then, the synthesizing unit 24b reads out an image using visible light from the first frame, synthesizes it, and obtains an image in which the subject 21 is extracted.

Although the above description has been made with respect to still images, similar processing can be performed for moving images. Further, it is also possible to perform a process of erasing the subject by reversing and inverting the mask target.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, an infrared imaging camera, a visible light imaging camera, an infrared irradiating means, a subject to be imaged and a background image are taken into the infrared imaging camera and the visible light imaging camera. An infrared image is provided with an image processing unit for performing mask processing on portions other than the subject by binarizing the infrared image and combining the masked image with the visible light image, and extracting only the subject by masking a background image. It is something to do. Therefore, a highly accurate extracted image of the subject can be obtained with a simple configuration without performing a complicated extraction operation, and a system of the extracted subject and another image can be easily created by using this system. This has the effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a camera image background mask system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a circuit of a camera image background mask system according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining processing of a visible light image and an infrared image captured from a camera.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of application of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 11, 20: background portion 2, 12, 21: subject 3, 13, 22: infrared irradiator 4, 14: infrared CCD camera 5, 15, 16: CCD camera 6: processing unit 6a, 24a: binarization Processing unit 6b, 24b Synthesizing unit 6c, 24c Level adjusting unit 7 Display unit 10 Infrared object extraction unit 17 Scenery 18 Extracted composite image 23 Infrared and visible light CCD camera 24 Image processing unit 25 Memory unit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI H04N 5/265 H04N 5/265

Claims (3)

[Claims] An infrared imaging camera that captures only an image using infrared light; a visible light imaging camera that captures an image using visible light; an infrared irradiating unit; An image processing unit that captures the image with a visible light camera, performs a binarization process on the infrared image at a predetermined level, masks a portion other than the subject, and combines the masked image with the visible light image. A camera image background mask system, wherein only a subject is extracted by masking a background image. 2. An infrared-visible light imaging camera that captures an image from an infrared region to a visible region; an infrared irradiation unit; A masking process for a portion other than the subject portion by performing the binarization process, and an image processing unit for combining the masked image with the visible light image, and extracting only the subject by masking a background image. Camera image background mask system. 3. The binarization boundary level according to claim 1, wherein the binarization boundary level is set in accordance with a ratio of a distance to the subject and a distance to the background image. Camera image background mask system.