Image analysis – Image enhancement or restoration
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-20
2001-01-09
Lee, Thomas D. (Department: 2724)
Image analysis
Image enhancement or restoration
C382S275000, C358S448000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173082
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to image processing apparatus and method for detecting a change in inputted image data and performing predetermined image processes to the image data in accordance with a detection result and also relates to a storing medium in which a program for image processing has been stored.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, various methods have been proposed with respect to a method of detecting a change in a video image. As a relatively simple method among them, a method of detecting an image change region by obtaining a difference between two images has been proposed (Sakuma, Itoh, and Masuda, “Invasion object detecting method using inter-frame difference”, Technical Report of The Institute of Television Engineers of Japan, Vol. 14, No. 49, pp. 1-6, 1990). Since a video image has a very large data amount, it takes a long time to process it. According to such a simple method as mentioned above, even in a general computer, a change in video image can be detected at an enough high processing speed.
As an apparatus using the foregoing method of detecting the video image change, various apparatuses such that the presence or absence of a change in video image is detected and only the video image whose change was detected is outputted to a communication path (for example, WAN (Wide Area Network), LAN (Local Area Network), etc.) and transmitted, or is outputted and stored into an image storing device, or is outputted to an image display device and is displayed have been proposed as shown in Japanese Patent Application Nos. 7-128378 and 8-24337 which have already been proposed by the same applicant as the present invention.
Hitherto, however, a method whereby even while a change in video image is not detected, the video image which is being photographed is merely outputted as it is in a manner similar to the case where the change in the video image is detected or a method whereby only an image (field image or frame image) at a moment when the change in the video image is detected is outputted and the video image which is still being photographed is not outputted until a next change is detected is used.
That is, when the video data is used, in spite of a fact that there are many cases where a condition that the video image is required to have a high picture quality, in the above conventional examples, a measure to accomplish a high picture quality of a video image which is outputted is never taken.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
From the circumstances as mentioned above, it is an object of the invention to provide image processing apparatus and method which can always obtain an output image of a high picture quality by switching the image processing operation in dependence on whether there is a change in video image or not and to provide a storing medium in which program codes for image processing have been stored.
According to the embodiment of the invention, to accomplish the above object, there is provided an image processing apparatus comprising: input means for continuously inputting an image signal expressed by a plurality of bits every pixel; detecting means for detecting a change in image by comparing the image signal inputted by the input means with a reference image signal; processing means for, when the change in image is not detected by the detecting means, performing a quality improving process of the image signal by using a plurality of image signals which are obtained for a period of time when no change is detected; and output means for outputting the image signal inputted by the input means without performing the process by the processing means when the change in image is detected by the detecting means and outputting the image signal processed by the processing means when the change in image is not detected by the detecting means.
According to another embodiment of the invention, there is also provided an image processing method comprising: an input step of continuously inputting an image signal expressed by a plurality of bits every pixel; a detecting step of detecting a change in image by comparing the image signal inputted by the input step with a reference image signal; a processing step of, when the change in image is not detected by the detecting step, performing a quality improving process of the image signal by using a plurality of image signals which are obtained for a period of time when no change is detected; and an output step of outputting the image signal inputted by the input step without performing the process by the processing step when the change in image is detected by the detecting step and outputting the image signal processed by the processing step when the change in image is not detected by the detecting step.
According to still another embodiment of the invention, there is also provided a storing medium in which program codes for processing an image signal inputted to an information processing apparatus have been stored, wherein the program codes comprise: a procedure code of an input step of continuously inputting an image signal expressed by a plurality of bits every pixel; a procedure code of a detecting step of detecting a change in image by comparing the image signal inputted by the input step with a reference image signal; a procedure code of a processing step of, when the change in image is not detected by the detecting step, performing a quality improving process of the image signal by using a plurality of image signals which are obtained for a period of time when no change is detected; and a procedure code of an output step of outputting the image signal inputted by the input step without performing the process by the processing step when the change in image is detected by the detecting step and outputting the image signal processed by the processing step when the change in image is not detected by the detecting step.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5111285 (1992-05-01), Fujita et al.
patent: 5818964 (1998-10-01), Itoh
patent: 5930405 (1999-07-01), Chida
Bannai Yuichi
Ishida Yoshihiro
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Lee Thomas D.
Morgan & Finnegan L.L.P.
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