← Back to Patent Explorer
US6636644B1 Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Image processing suitable for use with MPEG4, avoiding false-color problems in extraction of portions of an image

Assignee: Canon Inc
•
Filing: 1999-12-01
•
Granted: 2003-10-21
•
Expires: 2019-12-01
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract In a chroma subsampled image, since an extracted object contains a color outside the object upon extracting the object, the color of an object boundary portion becomes unnatural upon reproduction, and coding efficiency lowers. In this invention, the object is extracted while determining pixels on the object boundary as those outside the object. Upon object extraction, the value of a chroma pixels that extends across the object boundary is calculated based on the chroma values of its surrounding pixels. With this process, the coding efficiency can be improved, and natural color reproduction can be realized, since chroma data that extends across the boundary is synthesized on the basis of the ratio between background data and object data upon object synthesis.

Inventors

  • 👤 Osamu Itokawa

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 19:25
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T9/00; G06T9/20; H; H04; H04N; H04N19/00; H04N19/10; H04N19/134; H04N19/136; H04N19/14; H04N19/169; H04N19/17; H04N19/176; H04N19/182; H04N19/186; H04N19/20; H04N19/60; H04N19/61; H04N21/00; H04N21/20; H04N21/23; H04N21/234; H04N21/2343; H04N21/234318

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim 149 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: object input means for inputting image data which represents an object; shape generation means for generating shape data which represents a shape of the object from the image data; texture generation means for generating first texture data which represents luminance of the object, and second texture data which has a resolution lower than the shape data and represents color difference of the object from the image data; target image input means for inputting target image data with which the object is to be synthesized; and synthesis means for generating new second texture data using surrounding data of the second texture data in the object boundary portion, which portion includes the inside and the outside of the object defined by the shape data, and synthesizing the first and the new second texture data with the target image data on the basis of the shape data.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 149 words
An image processing apparatus comprising: object input means for inputting image data which represents an object; shape generation means for generating shape data which represents a shape of the object from the image data; texture generation means for generating first texture data which represents luminance of the object, and second texture data which has a resolution lower than the shape data and represents color difference of the object from the image data; target image input means for inputting target image data with which the object is to be synthesized; and synthesis means for generating new second texture data using surrounding data of the second texture data in the object boundary portion, which portion includes the inside and the outside of the object defined by the shape data, and synthesizing the first and the new second texture data with the target image data on the basis of the shape data.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 45 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said synthesis means generates the second texture data of the boundary portion of the object on the basis of a ratio of the shape data included inside the object in the object in the object boundary portion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 23 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said synthesis means detects the object boundary portion on the basis of the shape data.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 59 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said synthesis means selects the first and second texture data when the shape data indicates a position inside the object, selects the target image data when the shape data indicates a position outside the object, and generates the new second texture data when the shape data indicates an object boundary portion.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 19 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the shape data and first texture data have the same resolution.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 23 words
The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the shape data has a resolution four times a resolution of the second texture data.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 36 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said shape generation means decodes encoded shape data in the image data, and said texture generation means decodes encoded first and second texture data in the image data.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 18 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said target image input means decodes encoded target image data.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 58 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: input means for inputting a multiplexed signal of the image data that represents the object and the target image data, and wherein said input means demultiplexes the signal, and distributes the image data and target image data to said object input means and said target image input means, respectively.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 132 words
An image processing method comprising the steps of: inputting image data which represents an object; generating shape data which represents a shape of the object from the image data; generating first texture data which represents luminance of the object, and second texture data which has a resolution lower than the shape data and represents color difference of the object from the image data; inputting target image data with which the object is to be synthesized; and generating new second texture data using surrounding data of the second texture data in the object boundary portion, which portion includes the inside and the outside of the object defined by the shape data, and synthesizing the first and the new second texture data with the target image data on the basis of the shape data.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 132 words
An image processing method comprising the steps of: inputting image data which represents an object; generating shape data which represents a shape of the object from the image data; generating first texture data which represents luminance of the object, and second texture data which has a resolution lower than the shape data and represents color difference of the object from the image data; inputting target image data with which the object is to be synthesized; and generating new second texture data using surrounding data of the second texture data in the object boundary portion, which portion includes the inside and the outside of the object defined by the shape data, and synthesizing the first and the new second texture data with the target image data on the basis of the shape data.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 42 words
The method according to claim 10 , wherein the synthesis step generates the second texture data of the boundary portion of the object on the basis of a ratio of the shape data included inside the object in the object boundary portion.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 67 words
The method according to claim 11 , wherein the synthesis step includes: the block formation step of segmenting the shape data into blocks; the discrimination step of discriminating if shape data in a block of interest indicates an object boundary portion; and the generation step of generating the second texture data corresponding to the block of interest when the block of interest indicates an object boundary portion.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 61 words
The method according to claim 12 , wherein the generation step further includes: the calculation step of calculating a ratio of shape data in the block of interest, which are located inside the object; and the synthesis step of synthesizing the second texture data and the target image data corresponding to the block of interest on the basis of the ratio.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US5812787A Cited
US6088486A Cited
US6307885B1 Cited
US5991453A Cited
US6208693B1 Cited
US5978034A Cited
US5978510A Cited
US6125142A Cited
EP0932306A2 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2006-10-20 2007-04-21 2007-10-21 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2010-10-20 2011-04-21 2011-10-21 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2014-10-20 2015-04-21 2015-10-21 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag