Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Attributes
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-27
2004-04-13
Bella, Matthew C. (Department: 2676)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Attributes
C345S588000, C345S589000, C345S600000, C345S629000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06720971
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image processing method and apparatus for generating a mosaic image by combining a plurality of material images in a mosaic pattern, and a storage medium which stores a program for making a computer implementation of the method.
As is well known, mosaic is “a design made by inlaying a combination of small pieces of various colors of stone, glass, marble, and the like into a floor, wall, or the like, or a technique of obtaining such design” (Gendai Kokugo Jiten, Sanseido). Using this technique, a design or a picture image can be formed by combining a large number of picture images.
However, upon generating such mosaic image, when the number of material images (tile images) that form the mosaic image is small, the quality of the mosaic image using those material images deteriorates since the color and texture become different from those of an original image. For this reason, an image database that stores a larger number of material images is preferably prepared. However, in order to store many material images, a large-size storage is required. However, it is not practical since it results in an increase in cost.
Even when a large number of material images are prepared, if their colors are offset to specific colors, the generated image has a color different from that of an original image.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in consideration of the aforementioned prior art, and has as its object to provide an image processing method and apparatus, which can generate a visually natural mosaic image by increasing the number of material images that form a mosaic image so as to improve the quality of the mosaic image generated using those images, and a storage medium.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image processing method and apparatus, which generates many material images from a limited number of database material images, and generates a mosaic image using these material images.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an image processing method and apparatus, which can reduce any color tone differences between an original image and mosaic image by executing color conversion to make colors of tile areas of the original image to be close to those of the material images.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an image processing method and apparatus, which can reduce any color tone differences between an original image and mosaic image by executing color conversion to make colors of the material images to be close to those of tile areas of the original image.
The present invention presents its contents as a plurality of claims, each of which is made to achieve at least one of the above-mentioned objects.
More specifically, an image processing apparatus for generating a mosaic image by combining a plurality of material images in a mosaic pattern, comprises storage means for storing a plurality of material images, material image generation means for generating another material image on the basis of a material image stored in the storage means, and mosaic image generation means for generating a mosaic image using a plurality of material images generated by the material image generation means.
An image processing method for generating a mosaic image by combining a plurality of material images in a mosaic pattern, comprises the material image generation step of generating another material image on the basis of each of a plurality of stored material images, and the mosaic image generation step of generating a mosaic image using a plurality of material images generated in the material image generation step.
A computer-readable storage medium, which stores a program for implementing an image processing method for generating a mosaic image by combining a plurality of material images in a mosaic pattern, comprises a material image generation step module for generating another material image on the basis of each of a plurality of stored material images, and a mosaic image generation step module for generating a mosaic image using a plurality of material images generated in the material image generation step module.
An image processing method for generating a mosaic image by combining a plurality of material images in a mosaic pattern, comprises the step of adding a still image captured from a moving image at a predetermined timing to material images, and the mosaic image generation step of generating a mosaic image on the basis of the added material images.
An image processing method for generating a mosaic image by combining a plurality of material images in a mosaic pattern, comprises the material image addition step of adding a still image captured from a moving image at a predetermined timing to material images, the first feature amount calculation step of calculating a first feature amount in units of segmented images of an original image, the second feature amount calculation step of calculating a second feature amount of the added material image, the material selection evaluation step of calculating a material selection evaluation value using the first feature amount in units of segmented images and the second feature amount of the material image, and the optimal image selection step of selecting an optimal image on the basis of the material selection evaluation value.
An image processing method for generating a mosaic image by combining a plurality of material images in a mosaic pattern, comprises the step of calculating first average luminance values of red, green, and blue tristimulus value components in units of segmented images of an original image, the step of calculating second average luminance values of red, green, and blue tristimulus value components of a plurality of material images, the material selection evaluation step of calculating a material selection evaluation value on the basis of the first and second average luminance values, and the optimal image selection step of selecting an optimal material image on the basis of the material selection evaluation value.
A computer-readable storage medium, which stores a program for implementing an image processing method for generating a mosaic image by combining a plurality of material images in a mosaic pattern, comprises a step module for adding a still image captured from a moving image at a predetermined timing to material images, and a mosaic image generation step module for generating a mosaic image on the basis of the added material images.
A computer-readable storage medium, which stores a program for implementing an image processing method for generating a mosaic image by combining a plurality of material images in a mosaic pattern, comprises a material image addition step module for adding a still image captured from a moving image at a predetermined timing to material images, a first feature amount calculation step module for calculating a first feature amount in units of segmented images of an original image, a second feature amount calculation step module for calculating a second feature amount of the added material image, a material selection evaluation step module for calculating a material selection evaluation value using the first feature amount in units of segmented images and the second feature amount of the material image, and an optimal image selection step module for selecting an optimal image on the basis of the material selection evaluation value.
A computer-readable storage medium, which stores a program for implementing an image processing method for generating a mosaic image by combining a plurality of material images in a mosaic pattern, comprises a step module for calculating first average luminance values of red, green, and blue tristimulus value components in units of segmented images of an original image, a step module for calculating second average luminance values of red, green, and blue tristimulus value components of a plurality of material images, a material selection evaluation step module for calculating a material selection evalu
Fukuda Yasuo
Kusama Kiyoshi
Matsumoto Kentaro
Yamamoto Kunihiro
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Rahmjoo Mike
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