Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Graphic manipulation
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-09
2001-12-11
Luu, Matthew (Department: 2672)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Graphic manipulation
C345S624000, C345S630000, C382S282000, C382S284000, C382S294000, C358S450000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06330001
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image position adjustment device and a computer-readable record medium storing an image position adjustment program, for letting the user adjust positions of two or more images, for example, when the user has to input a widespread image of a subject into a computer but the user has to substitute the widespread image with two or more partial images of the subject.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
These days, electronic cameras or digital cameras and scanners are commonly used for inputting image data into computers. However, the angle of view of electronic cameras and readable area of scanners are limited, and thus there may be cases where it is impossible to a input widespread image of a large subject or object at once. In such cases, a process for constructing an image of the subject by combining a plurality of partial images of the subject obtained independently becomes necessary. In such a process, image position adjustment procedure has to be executed to the partial images, in which an operator moves the positions of each partial image on the screen to achieve visual alignment (relationship) between the partial images, until the partial images reach appropriate positions in proper alignment.
As a conventional image position adjustment device which can be used for such image position adjustment procedure, there has been proposed a device which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.HEI5-298417 “Image Alignment Device and the Usage Thereof”. The image alignment device
1
according to the document comprises an image display means
2
such as a CRT for displaying images on the screen, a conversion means
3
for converting each image into an abstract image respectively by extracting feature points in the image whose pixel values are larger than a threshold value or which can be regarded as edge points according to 4-neighborhood method etc., a threshold value variation means
4
which is connected with the conversion means
3
for varying the threshold value, a polygon displaying means
5
for displaying a triangle on each of the abstract images, a polygon movement means
6
for letting the user move the triangles on the abstract images, a polygon transformation means
7
for letting the user transform a triangle on an abstract image displayed on the screen of the image display means
2
along with automatically transforming another triangle on another abstract image on the screen linked with the transformation of the former triangle, a polygon rotation means
8
for letting the user rotate the latter triangle on the other abstract image, a polygon scaling means
9
for letting the user scale up or down the latter triangle on the other abstract image, and an input means
13
such as a keyboard
11
and a mouse
12
for letting the user input instructions.
In the following, the operation and usage of the conventional image position adjustment device will be described. First, the user selects two images in which their alignment will be adjusted by inputting instructions from the input means
13
. Subsequently, two abstract images A and B corresponding to the two images respectively are generated by the conversion means
3
by extracting feature points from the images. Subsequently, two abstract images A and B corresponding to the two images are displayed on the screen of the image display means
2
, and two triangles T
1
and T
2
are displayed on the abstract images A and B respectively by the polygon displaying means
5
. Subsequently, the user transforms the triangle T
1
displayed on the abstract image A so that three apexes of the triangle T
1
will overlie three arbitrarily selected feature points of the abstract image A. Along with the transformation, the triangle T
2
is also transformed automatically by the polygon transformation means
7
corresponding to the transformation of the triangle T
1
, thereby almost the same triangles T
1
and T
2
are displayed on the abstract images A and B respectively. Subsequently, the user executes movement, rotation and scaling of the triangle T
2
on the abstract image B using the polygon movement means
6
, the polygon rotation means
8
and the polygon scaling means
9
, so that three apexes of the triangle T
2
will be exactly on three feature points of the abstract image B which correspond to the aforementioned three selected feature points of the abstract image A. Then, the two triangles T
1
and T
2
are overlapped together, and thereby the two images are overlapped with correct alignment.
As shown above, image position adjustment procedure between two images can be performed using the conventional image position adjustment device, by transforming polygons such as the triangles T
1
and T
2
displayed on the abstract images A and B so that the apexes of the triangles will overlie feature points which are common to the two abstract images A and B. However, the user is required to identify three or more corresponding pairs of feature points in two abstract images A and B which are displayed apart on the screen, therefore the user could not perform the image position adjustment procedure with efficiency. The conventional image position adjustment device can also display the abstract images A and B overlapped, or display the overlapped abstract images A and B with pixel value subtraction procedure, etc. However, the user could not easily judge whether a particular feature point displayed on the screen belongs to the abstract image A or the abstract image B, since an abstract image is composed of feature points only.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide an image position adjustment device, by which the user can adjust alignment between two or more images easily and efficiently.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer-readable record medium storing an image position adjustment program, by which the user can adjust alignment between two or more images on a computer easily and efficiently.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image position adjustment device for letting the user adjust alignment between two or more images, comprising a feature extraction means, a display image generation means, and a displaying order setting means. The feature extraction means generates feature images which provide the user with clues effective for image position adjustment procedure corresponding to each of the images. The display image generation means generates a ‘display image’ for part or the whole of an image which has been selected by the user as the target of image position adjustment, using the corresponding part or the whole of the feature image of the selected image. And the displaying order setting means sets a displaying order of images so that the display image which has been generated by the display image generation means using the feature image of the selected image can be displayed in front of other images, and lets the display means display the images according to the displaying order.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the display image generation means generates the display image using the feature image of the selected image and only for overlapping regions between the selected image and other images.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image position adjustment device which utilizes an image memory for storing two or more images and an image attribute memory for storing information concerning the position and attributes of the images, displays the images stored in the image memory on a screen of a display means, and lets the user operating a pointing means adjust the positions of the images displayed on the screen by referring to the image attribute memory. The image position adjustment device comprises a feature extraction means, an image selection means, an image position changing means, a display image generation means, and a displayin
Luu Matthew
NEC Corporation
Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen, LLP
Sajous Wessner
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