Image analysis – Color image processing – Color correction
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-03
2001-11-06
Couso, Yon J. (Department: 2623)
Image analysis
Color image processing
Color correction
C358S523000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06314203
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image processing apparatus for processing image data. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an image processing apparatus capable of synthesizing a plurality of image data based upon transmittance data, depth value data, or attribute data, set to these image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, the synthesizing techniques for synthesizing two sets of images have been proposed in the field. For instance, a so-called “blue back cutting method” used in the television field is known in the art. This “blue back cutting method” will now be summarized with reference to
FIG. 23
to FIG.
27
.
An image “
1
” shown in
FIG. 23
is an image to be synthesized. As represented in
FIG. 24
, a hatched image portion “
2
” is derived from this image
1
by using a certain image processing technique known in the field. This hatched image portion
2
is defined by eliminating a rectangular image from the image
1
. Then, this image portion
2
is uniformly rewritten by blue color, so that such an image
3
as indicated in
FIG. 25
is formed from the image
1
shown in FIG.
23
. In other words, in the image
3
shown in
FIG. 25
, an image portion other than the rectangular image is uniformly painted in blue color.
In the case that the image
3
indicated in
FIG. 25
is synthesized with, for example, another image “4”which will constitute a background containing another rectangular figure as represented in
FIG. 26
, the following synthesizing process is carried out. That is, as to the blue-colored dot (pixel) portion of the image
3
, the image
4
for constituting the above-explained background is used, whereas as to other portions of this image
3
, the image
3
is utilized. As a consequence, as illustrated in
FIG. 27
, the rectangular image can be inserted into the image
4
shown
FIG. 26
, which constitutes the background.
However, in the above-described conventional image synthesizing method, such a specific image containing a blue-colored background image must be prepared. In this case, this blue-colored image could not be used except for the image synthesizing process, and therefore the use of this blue-colored image is limited only to the specific purpose. Also, when the plural images are synthesized with each other, since these plural images are merely inserted into the image portions other than the blue-colored image, there is a certain limitation in representations of the resulting synthesized image. That is, there is a narrow width representing the synthesized image. For instance, when images to be synthesized with each other are entirely opaque there is no representation limitation. To the contrary, when an image containing such a transparent portion as a window, e.g., an image of an automobile, a background image can be originally observed through the window of this automobile. However, the conventional image synthesizing method can not represent such an image.
Moreover, when a plurality of images are synthesized with each other, these images can not be overlapped with each other. Such images may represent expanding atmospheres along the depth direction to observers in the conventional image synthesizing method. As a consequence, when such an image is formed using the conventional image synthesizing method, a single image is subdivided into plural images, and the specific image exclusively used in the image synthesization must be formed, resulting in cumbersome processing operations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and therefore, has an object to provide an image processing apparatus capable of synthesizing a plurality of image data with each other based on transmittance data set to the image data to thereby form a synthesized image with sufficient image expressions.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus capable of determining an overlapping order of a plurality of image data based on depth numeral data set to the image data, and capable of synthesizing the respective image data with each other based upon this overlapping order to thereby form a synthesized image with depth feelings.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus capable of changing a color of image data based on attribute data set to the image data to thereby simply change the color of the image.
To achieve the above-explained objects, an image processing apparatus for synthesizing a plurality of image data with each other, according to an aspect of the present invention, is featured by comprising:
storage means for storing therein at least first and second image data to which transmittance data have been set;
calculating means for calculating a distribution rate of the respective color data of each of pixels in the first image data and second image data in the case that the first image data is synthesized with the second image data based on the transmittance data of said first image data, and for calculating a value of color data of each pixel in a synthesized image produced by synthesizing the first image data with the second image data based on the distribution rate; and
synthesizing means for synthesizing the first image data with the second image data based on the values of the color data of the respective pixels calculated by the calculating means.
As a consequence, in accordance with the present invention, a plurality of image data are synthesized with each other based on the transmittance data set to the image data, so that such a synthesized image with sufficient expressions can be formed. When a plurality of images are synthesized with each other, no specific image for extracting the image is required, and thus the image synthesizing process operation can be simply performed.
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patent: 5430465 (1995-07-01), Sabella et al.
patent: 5581377 (1996-12-01), Shimizu et al.
patent: 5761339 (1998-06-01), Ikeshoji et al.
patent: 5781666 (1998-07-01), Ishizawa et al.
patent: 5790091 (1998-08-01), Hashimoto
patent: 5903278 (1999-05-01), Mitchell et al.
Casio Computer Co. Ltd.
Couso Yon J.
Frishauf, Holtz Goodman, Langer & Chick, P.C.
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