Image processing device, image processing method, and program

Abstract

This enables security controls over the display of image details. [Solution] The image processing device includes: recognition means for performing recognition processing based on recognition information; setting means for determining authority regarding the setting of image processing content based on the results of the recognition processing and setting the image processing content based on that authority; processing means for performing image processing on the input image, including at least noise reduction processing, according to the image processing content; and output means for outputting the results of the image processing. If the setting means determines that it has authority, it sets image processing content that preserves the details of the input image; and if it determines that it does not have authority, it sets image processing content that does not preserve the details of the input image.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image processing technology for captured images.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, devices for enhancing the image quality of images captured by cameras and the like using neural networks have been proposed. By using a neural network, it becomes possible to perform high-image-quality processing such as noise reduction and super-resolution with higher performance and at higher speed than in the past. In high-image-quality processing, not only should the entire object be clearly visible, but it is also required to make the details of the object, such as fine textures, a person's face, a vehicle's license plate, a ship's name, etc., visible. For this reason, methods for performing high-image-quality processing while maintaining the detailed information of the captured image have been proposed.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, first image data including a low-frequency image and an edge image and second image data including a high-frequency image are generated for image data, and by synthesizing both, an image processing apparatus capable of reducing noise while maintaining the details of the object is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] On the other hand, when applying high-image-quality processing to monitoring or the like, security control for the display of details represented by the model number, name, license plate of the monitored object, the face of the monitored person, etc., that is, minute information related to, for example, confidentiality or privacy, is required. In contrast, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot perform security control for the display of details.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to enable security control over the display of detailed images. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The image processing apparatus of the present invention comprises: recognition means for performing recognition processing based on acquired recognition information; setting means for determining authority regarding the setting of image processing content based on the result of the recognition processing by the recognition means and setting the image processing content based on the authority; processing means for performing image processing on an input image, including at least noise reduction processing, according to the image processing content set by the setting means; and output means for outputting the result of the image processing by the processing means, wherein the setting means sets image processing content that preserves the details of the input image when it is determined that the authority exists, and sets image processing content that does not preserve the details of the input image when it is determined that the authority does not exist. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, security control over the display of image details becomes possible. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of an image processing device. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of an image processing device. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart showing the recognition process flow. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows the image processing flow based on the recognition results. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a UI for adjusting the blending ratio. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are not limiting to the present invention, and not all combinations of features described in these embodiments are essential to the solutions of the present invention. The configuration of the embodiments may be modified or changed as appropriate depending on the specifications of the apparatus to which the present invention is applied and various conditions (usage conditions, usage environment, etc.).

[0011] In this embodiment, for example, we envision applying image enhancement processing to surveillance, and take security control over the display of sensitive information related to confidentiality and privacy, such as the model number, name, license plate of the monitored object, and the face of the monitored person. Of course, this is just one example and is not limited to this example. For example, if it is uncertain whether the subject of surveillance is suspicious, it is desirable to implement security controls to prevent the unintentional dissemination of sensitive information by concealing it until the fact of whether or not the subject is suspicious is known. In this case, for example, if the image is enhanced in high resolution while maintaining the details of the image, the sensitive information will also become visible, making security controls ineffective. Therefore, it is desirable to implement security controls such that the overall shape of the subject of surveillance is clearly captured, but the details of the image are not displayed, by enhancing the image resolution without maintaining the details of the image.

[0012] Therefore, the image processing device according to this embodiment decides whether to perform image processing that preserves details of the image, such as the model number, name, license plate of the monitored object, or facial features of the monitored person, depending on the authority regarding the image processing content. As will be described in detail later, the authority regarding the image processing content in this embodiment refers to the authority regarding the display of sensitive information such as image details. If the image processing device has the authority to display sensitive information such as image details, it performs image processing that preserves the image details and makes the processed image available for display. On the other hand, if the device does not have the authority to display sensitive information such as image details, it performs image processing that does not preserve the image details, so that the image details are not displayed. In the image processing device of this embodiment, the authority regarding the display of image details (authority regarding image processing content) is determined by various methods described later. Furthermore, the image processing device of this embodiment performs image processing that includes noise reduction processing as described later. In this way, the image processing device according to this embodiment enables security control of sensitive information by switching image processing, including noise reduction processing, based on the authority regarding the display of image details.

[0013] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the image processing device 10 according to this embodiment. The image processing device 10 has a hardware configuration that includes, for example, a control device 11, a storage device 12, an arithmetic unit 13, an input device 14, an output device 15, an I / F device 16, and a system bus 17. The control device 11, storage device 12, arithmetic unit 13, input device 14, output device 15, and I / F device 16 are each connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with one another via the system bus 17.

[0014] The control device 11 controls the entire image processing device 10. The arithmetic unit 13 performs various calculation processes based on control from the control device 11. The storage device 12 holds programs and data necessary for the operation of the control device 11, and programs and data necessary for the calculations of the arithmetic unit 13. The programs held by the storage device 12 include a program related to the image processing of the present embodiment (image processing program). The image processing program according to the present embodiment may be executed by the control device 11, may be executed by the arithmetic unit 13, or may be executed by the control device 11 and the arithmetic unit 13 in cooperation.

[0015] The input device 14 is a human interface device or the like, and inputs a user's operation to the image processing device 10. The output device 15 is a display or the like, and displays the processing result of the image processing device 10 and presents it to the user. The I / F device 16 includes a wired interface such as a universal serial bus, Ethernet, or an optical cable, and a wireless interface such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). Further, the I / F device 16 has a function of connecting a camera or the like to input a captured image to the image processing device 10, a function of transmitting the processing result obtained by the image processing device 10 to the outside, a function of inputting programs, data, etc. necessary for the operation of the image processing device 10 to the image processing device 10, and the like.

[0016] FIG. 2(a) and FIG. 2(b) are diagrams showing functional configuration examples of the image processing device 10 according to the present embodiment. The image processing device 10 shown in FIG. 2(a) has, as functional components, an image acquisition unit 201, a recognition unit 202, an image processing unit 203, a setting unit 204, an output unit 205, and a control unit 206.

[0017] The image acquisition unit 201 acquires an input image from a camera or the like as an image to be subjected to image processing in the image processing device 10. The recognition unit 202 acquires recognition information, performs recognition processing based on the recognition information, and holds the recognition result. Details of the recognition processing performed in the recognition unit 202 will be described later. The image processing unit 203 performs image processing on the input image acquired by the image acquisition unit 201 according to the image processing content set by the setting unit 204. Details of the image processing performed in the image processing unit 203 will be described later.

[0018] Based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 202, the setting unit 204 determines the authority regarding displaying the details of the image as the authority regarding the image processing content, and sets the image processing content by the image processing unit 203 based on the determined authority. Details of the determination of the authority regarding displaying the details of the image and the setting process of the image processing content based on the authority will be described later. The output unit 205 outputs the image processing result by the image processing unit 203. In the case of this embodiment, the output unit 205 displays the image processing result on the display or the like of the output device 15. Note that the output unit 205 also has a function of displaying a UI (user interface) as will be described later. The control unit 206 controls the overall processing of the image processing apparatus 10.

[0019] The image processing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 2(b) has, as a functional configuration, an image acquisition unit 201, a recognition unit 202, a setting unit 204, an output unit 205, a control unit 206, a first image processing unit 207, and a second image processing unit 208. The image acquisition unit 201, the recognition unit 202, the setting unit 204, and the control unit 206 are the same as the corresponding functional units in FIG. 2(a). The image processing apparatus 10 in FIG. 2(b) has a first image processing unit 207 and a second image processing unit 208 instead of the image processing unit 203 in FIG. 2(a).

[0020] The first image processing unit 207 performs first image processing on the input image acquired by the image acquisition unit 201. Details of the first image processing performed in the first image processing unit 207 will be described later. The second image processing unit 208 performs image processing on the image processing result of the first image processing unit 207 according to the image processing content set by the setting unit 204. Details of the second image processing performed in the second image processing unit 208 will be described later. The output unit 205 outputs the image processing result from the second image processing unit 208, that is, it displays the image processing result on the display of the output device 15.

[0021] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the general flow of the recognition process performed by the recognition unit 202 of the image processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, and the setting process for the image processing content performed by the setting unit 204 according to the recognition result. Note that the recognition process by the recognition unit 202 is the same process in both the configurations shown in Figure 2(a) and Figure 2(b).

[0022] First, in step S301, the recognition unit 202 acquires recognition information to be used in the recognition process. For example, the recognition unit 202 acquires one or more combinations of the following several pieces of recognition information.

[0023] One example of recognition information acquired by the recognition unit 202 in step S301 is identification information for identifying a specific individual. Examples of identification information for identifying a specific individual include a username, a recognition code, and image data such as a person's face, fingerprints, or iris. For example, the recognition unit 202 can acquire identification information for identifying a specific individual through an input device that acquires input from a user or a recognition code registered in a predetermined recognition device such as a card. Examples of input devices that acquire input from a user include human interface devices such as a mouse and keyboard, and touch panels. Examples of input devices that acquire recognition codes from recognition devices such as cards include magnetic card readers, IC card readers, RFID card readers, fingerprint readers, scanners, and cameras.

[0024] Another example of the recognition information acquired by the recognition unit 202 in step S301 is location information for determining the location, such as network information or GPS location information. The recognition unit 202 may acquire location information using the input device 14 or I / F device 16 connected to the image processing device 10, or it may acquire location information by connecting a sensor device such as a GPS receiver to the I / F device 16.

[0025] Furthermore, another example of the recognition information acquired by the recognition unit 202 in step S301 is device information for identifying a specific device, such as device-specific IDs or other device information. The recognition unit 202 may acquire device information for a specific device using an external device connected to the image processing device 10, or it may acquire device information for a specific device using an external device connected to the I / F device 16.

[0026] After step S301 described above, the recognition unit 202 proceeds to step S302. When the process proceeds to step S302, the recognition unit 202 performs recognition processing using the recognition information acquired in step S301 and obtains a recognition result. For example, the recognition unit 202 uses the recognition information acquired in step S301 to perform recognition processing using one or more of the following recognition processes.

[0027] One example of a recognition process performed by the recognition unit 202 in step S302 is the user recognition process using the identification information that identifies a specific individual, as described above. The recognition unit 202 performs user recognition using a username, recognition code, a device such as an RFID tag that identifies the individual, or biometric recognition such as facial recognition, fingerprint recognition, or iris recognition, and obtains the recognition result. Alternatively, for example, the recognition unit 202 may perform user recognition based on other attributes derived from the identification information, such as user group or user role, and obtain the recognition result.

[0028] Another example of the recognition process performed by the recognition unit 202 in step S302 is the recognition process using location information such as the network address or GPS, as mentioned above. The recognition unit 202 uses the location information to obtain a recognition result indicating whether the device is participating in a specific network or is set up in a specific location.

[0029] Furthermore, another example of the recognition process performed by the recognition unit 202 in step S302 is the recognition process using the aforementioned device information to identify a specific device. Examples of device information include the number of peripheral devices, model number, size, presence or absence of portable storage, and presence or absence of wireless LAN or internet connectivity. The recognition unit 202 uses the device information to obtain a recognition result indicating whether it is a specific device installed in a specific location or a specific device that has been inspected and approved in advance.

[0030] After step S302 described above, the image processing device 10 proceeds to step S303, which is performed in the setting unit 204. When the process proceeds to step S303, the setting unit 204 determines the authority to display image details as an authority related to the image processing content, based on the recognition result by the recognition unit 202, and sets and retains the image processing content for the subsequent steps based on that authority. When determining the authority, the authority may be determined based on one of the aforementioned recognition results, or it may be determined by combining two or more recognition results.

[0031] For example, if the recognition unit 202 performs recognition processing based on user recognition in step S302, in step S303, the setting unit 204 determines the authority to display image details based on the recognition result of the user recognition. Then, the setting unit 204 sets the content of the subsequent image processing based on that authority. For example, if the setting unit 204 determines from the recognition result of the user recognition that the person has the appropriate authority to display image details, it determines that the person has the authority to display image details. In this case, the setting unit 204 sets the image processing in the subsequent image processing to preserve the image details. On the other hand, if the setting unit 204 determines from the recognition result of the user recognition that the person does not have the appropriate authority to display image details, it determines that the person does not have the authority to display image details. In this case, the setting unit 204 sets the image processing in the subsequent image processing to not preserve the image details. In this embodiment, image details refer to, as mentioned above, for example, the model number, name, license plate of the monitored object, or the facial features of the monitored person.

[0032] For example, if the recognition unit 202 performs recognition processing using location information in step S302, the setting unit 204 determines the authority to display image details based on the recognition result using that location information. For example, if the setting unit 204 determines from the recognition result using location information that the device corresponding to that location information is a device that has the appropriate authority to display image details, it determines that it has the authority to display image details. The setting unit 204 then sets the image processing in the subsequent image processing to preserve image details. On the other hand, if the setting unit 204 determines that the device corresponding to that location information is a device that does not have the appropriate authority to display image details, it sets that it does not have the authority to display image details. The setting unit 204 then sets the image processing in the subsequent image processing to not preserve image details.

[0033] For example, if the recognition unit 202 performs recognition processing using device information in step S302, the setting unit 204 determines the authority to display image details based on the recognition result using that device information. For example, if the device corresponding to the device information is a device that has the appropriate authority to display image details, the setting unit 204 sets that it has the authority to display image details. In other words, the setting unit 204 determines, based on the recognition result using the device information, that it has the authority to display image details only when only devices installed in a specific location or specific devices approved in a prior inspection are connected. The setting unit 204 then sets the image processing in the subsequent stage to preserve image details. On the other hand, if the device corresponding to the device information is not a device that has the appropriate authority to display image details, the setting unit 204 determines that it does not have the authority to display image details. The setting unit 204 then sets the image processing in the subsequent stage to not preserve image details.

[0034] In this embodiment, the permissions determined by the setting unit 204 in the image processing device 10 can be changed later. When changing the determined permissions later, for example, the output unit 205 may display a UI (user interface) for changing the settings on the display. On the other hand, if the setting unit 204 is set to perform image processing that does not preserve image details, it is desirable to fix that setting so that it cannot be changed later. As a way to prevent later changes, for example, the output unit 205 may hide the UI for changing the setting, or it may display that the UI is inoperable. In this case, the UI may be displayed on an external display device, for example, via the I / F device 16.

[0035] The UI may also be implemented using an external configuration device connected via the input device 14 or the I / F device 16. For example, input settings from the external configuration device may be enabled if the user has permission to display image details, and disabled if they do not. Furthermore, if the external configuration device is equipped with a display device, information such as whether settings are possible may be displayed on that display device. Examples of such display devices include displays and indicator lamps. Examples of external configuration devices include human interface devices, game controllers, touch panels, mobile terminals, smartphones, and tablets.

[0036] Furthermore, the recognition unit 202 may notify the setting unit 204 of any changes to the device information of, for example, a device connected to the image processing device 10. In this case, if the setting unit 204 has determined, for example, the authority to display image details has been determined, then changes to the device information may be considered to have been altered in some way, and the authority may be forcibly revoked to prevent sensitive information from being leaked. For example, if a large display is connected via the output device 15 or I / F device 16 of the image processing device 10, the recognition unit 202 may notify the setting unit 204 that a large display has been connected. In this way, when a predetermined device such as a large display, which has a wide viewing range and is difficult to control for security, is recognized, the setting unit 204 may decide not to grant permission to display the details of the image, or forcibly revoke that permission, in order to prevent sensitive information from being seen.

[0037] Furthermore, under surveillance, for example, situations may arise where it is necessary to immediately know the details for measures against intruders or other unauthorized persons. It is also conceivable that an emergency permission may be issued by a person authorized to display the details of the image. To be able to handle such situations, for example, if an emergency permission is entered by that person via the input device 14, the setting unit 204 may forcibly grant the permission and set the image processing content to preserve the details of the image.

[0038] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the image processing flow performed by the image processing device 10 shown in Figure 2. Figure 4(a) shows the image processing flow performed by the functional configuration shown in Figure 2(a), and Figure 4(b) shows the image processing flow performed by the configuration shown in Figure 2(b).

[0039] Let's explain using the flowchart in Figure 4(a). First, in step S401, the image acquisition unit 201 acquires an image to be processed by the image processing device 10 as an input image. In this embodiment, the input image is, for example, an image captured by a camera, a streaming image, a video file, a series of image files saved frame by frame, or a video stored on a media. The image acquisition unit 201 may acquire the input image from a solid-state image sensor such as a CMOS sensor, CCD sensor, or SPAD sensor, or from a camera equipped with such a solid-state image sensor, or it may acquire the input image from a storage device or recording media such as a hard disk or SSD. Note that there may be only one or more of the elements, cameras, storage devices, or recording media used to acquire the input image.

[0040] Next, in step S402, the control unit 206 acquires the recognition result from the recognition unit 202 as described above. In this step, the control unit 206 determines whether or not there is a recognition result from the recognition unit 202 in step S403. If, in step S403, it is determined that there is no recognition result from the recognition unit 202, or if it is not possible to obtain a recognition result from the recognition unit 202, the control unit 206 proceeds to step S408. When the process proceeds to step S408, the control unit 206 controls the image processing unit 203 to prevent it from performing image processing.

[0041] On the other hand, if in step S403 the recognition unit 202 determines that there is a recognition result or that a recognition result has been obtained, the control unit 206 proceeds to step S404. When the process proceeds to step S404, the control unit 206 determines whether it has the authority to display the image details, as set in the setting unit 204 as described above, based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 202. If it determines that it has the authority, the control unit 206 proceeds to step S405; on the other hand, if it determines that it does not have the authority, the control unit 206 proceeds to step S406.

[0042] If the control unit 206 determines that it has the necessary authority and proceeds to step S405, it controls the image processing unit 203 to execute image processing according to the image processing content set by the setting unit 204, which preserves the details of the image. As a result, the image processing unit 203 performs image processing that preserves the details of the image.

[0043] On the other hand, if it determines that there is no authorization and proceeds to step S406, the control unit 206 controls the image processing unit 203 to execute image processing according to the image processing content set by the setting unit 204, which does not preserve the details of the image. As a result, the image processing unit 203 performs image processing that does not preserve the details of the image.

[0044] Then, after step S405 or step S406, the processing of the control unit 206 proceeds to step S407. When the process proceeds to step S407, the control unit 206 controls the output unit 205 to output the result of the image processing performed by the image processing unit 203.

[0045] The following describes image processing that preserves image details and image processing that does not, using the case where noise reduction processing is performed in the image processing unit 203 as an example. First, we will explain image processing methods that preserve image detail when noise reduction is performed. One example of such image processing is a method in which the input image, i.e., the original image before noise reduction, is combined with the image after noise reduction.

[0046] In essence, noise reduction processing is the process of removing noise components, i.e., high-frequency components, contained in an image, and the image after noise reduction processing becomes an image consisting of the low-frequency components of the input image. However, if noise reduction processing is performed by simply removing only high-frequency components, not only noise but also detailed information of the image, such as facial features of a person, text, and textures, will be lost at the same time. On the other hand, the input image retains detailed information of the image even if it contains noise. Therefore, in this embodiment, the image processing unit 203 recovers the detailed information of the image by performing image processing that combines the input image with the image after noise reduction processing.

[0047] There are various known noise reduction methods. Examples include smoothing, filtering, wavelet transform, and noise reduction using neural networks. The neural networks used here are pre-trained models that generate and output a noise-reduced image from an input image, and there are various known neural networks. Examples of neural networks include convolutional neural networks, recurrent neural networks, and transformers.

[0048] Furthermore, methods for compositing the input image with the image after noise reduction processing include, for example, alpha blending. Furthermore, when combining the input image with the image after noise reduction processing, the blending ratio may be adjusted. By adjusting the blending ratio between the image after noise reduction processing and the input image, it is possible to determine how much detail of the image is preserved. The blending ratio, when adjusted, is also included in the settings made by the setting unit 204 described above. Alternatively, for example, a UI for adjusting the blending ratio may be displayed, and any blending ratio indicated by the user via this UI may be used. Details of the UI for adjusting the blending ratio will be described later.

[0049] In the example above, the input image was composited with the image after noise reduction processing. However, instead of compositing the input image itself, high-frequency components can be extracted from the input image, and these high-frequency components can be composited with the image after noise reduction processing (the image of the low-frequency components of the input image). There are various known methods for extracting high-frequency components from the input image, such as edge detection using filtering, wavelet transform, and high-frequency component extraction using neural networks. The neural network used here is a model that has been pre-trained to generate and output an image of high-frequency components from the input image, and various known neural networks exist.

[0050] As mentioned above, if image processing is performed in a way that preserves the details of the image, then detailed information about the person or object being monitored can be obtained from the resulting image, such as a person's face, a vehicle's license plate, or the name and identification number of a ship or aircraft.

[0051] On the other hand, an example of image processing where image detail is not preserved when noise reduction is performed is the noise reduction process described above. That is, the process of combining the input image or the high-frequency components of the input image, as described above, with the image after noise reduction is not performed. By not combining the original input image or the high-frequency components of the input image, which retain information about the image's detail, with the image after noise reduction, it is possible to obtain an image in which noise reduction has been performed, but the image's detail has not been preserved.

[0052] Furthermore, the image processing unit 203 according to this embodiment may perform additional image processing on the image resulting from the image processing that maintains the details of the image as described above, in order to extract more detailed information about the details of the image. Examples of additional image processing for extracting more detailed information about the details of the image include person detection, object detection, face recognition, and character recognition. The image processing unit 203 may also perform further attribute determinations from the image processing results obtained through the additional image processing, such as identifying a person or determining a known number, ship name, or aircraft name. If the image processing unit 203 performs the additional image processing described above, the output unit 205 may display the results of the additional image processing, or it may notify another device of the results of the additional image processing. Furthermore, the output unit 205 may present the image processing results to the user via the output device 15 of the image processing device 10, or it may present the image processing results to another terminal or the like via the I / F device 16.

[0053] Figure 5 shows an example of a UI for adjusting the composite ratio. In this embodiment, the image processing apparatus 10 has a function to display a UI for adjusting the composite ratio in the image processing unit 203 based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 202. As shown in Figure 5, the UI for adjusting the composite ratio is displayed, for example, as a slider UI 502 within the image 501 output by the output unit 205. In Figure 5, a slider is used as an example for the UI 502 for adjusting the composite ratio, but it is not limited to this. For example, other UIs besides a slider may be used, or a UI in which the composite ratio value is directly entered as a parameter may be used. Furthermore, UI 502 may be displayed outside of image 501 or in a separate window. Furthermore, the composite ratio parameter for image processing that maintains image detail in the image processing unit 203 may be set by an external setting device, and the composite ratio set by this external setting device may be displayed.

[0054] Next, we will explain the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 4(b). The flowchart in Figure 4(b) shows the flow of image processing performed in the image processing apparatus 10 having the first image processing unit 207 and the second image processing unit 208 as shown in Figure 2(b) above. In the flowchart in Figure 4(b), steps S401, S402, S403, S404, S407, and S408 are the same processes as the corresponding steps in Figure 4(a), so their explanation is omitted.

[0055] In the flowchart shown in Figure 4(b), if a recognition result is obtained from the recognition unit 202 in step S403 and it is determined that a recognition result exists, the control unit 206 proceeds to step S409. When the process proceeds to step S409, the control unit 206 controls the first image processing unit 207 to perform image processing that does not preserve image details, similar to the process described in step S406 above. The first image processing unit 207 performs only image processing that does not preserve image details, i.e., noise reduction processing, and does not perform the aforementioned input image synthesis or synthesis of high-frequency components of the input image. After step S409, the processing of the control unit 206 proceeds to step S404.

[0056] When the process proceeds to step S404, the control unit 206 determines whether or not the aforementioned authority determined by the setting unit 204 exists, based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 202. If it determines that the authority exists, the control unit 206 proceeds to step S411; on the other hand, if it determines that the authority does not exist, the control unit 206 proceeds to step S407.

[0057] If it is determined in step S404 that the system has the necessary authority and the process proceeds to step S411, the control unit 206 controls the second image processing unit 208 to perform image processing that preserves the detail of the image, that is, image processing that restores the detail of the image after noise reduction processing. The image processing in the second image processing unit 208 to restore the detail of the image may include, for example, the process described in step S405, which involves combining the original input image or the high-frequency components of the input image with the image after noise reduction processing. After step S411, the control unit 206 proceeds to step S407.

[0058] If it is determined in step S404 that there is no authorization and the process proceeds to step S407, the control unit 206 controls the output unit 205 to output the result of the image processing performed by the first image processing unit 207, which does not preserve the details of the image. Also, if the process proceeds to step S407 after step S411, the control unit 206 controls the output unit 205 to output the result of the image processing performed by the second image processing unit 208, which restores the details of the image. In the configuration example shown in Figure 4(b), the second image processing unit 208 may extract the detailed information described above by performing additional image processing on the image resulting from the image processing described above.

[0059] As described above, the image processing device 10 according to this embodiment can perform security control by switching image processing based on the authority to display sensitive information of the monitored target.

[0060] The present invention can also be implemented by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. Furthermore, it can also be implemented by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions. The above-described embodiments are merely examples of concrete implementations of the present invention, and the technical scope of the invention should not be limited by them. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from its technical concept or its main features.

[0061] Each embodiment of the disclosure includes the following configurations, methods, and programs. (Composition 1) A recognition means that performs recognition processing based on the acquired recognition information, A setting means that determines the authority to set the image processing content based on the result of the recognition process by the recognition means, and sets the image processing content based on the authority, A processing means that performs image processing on an input image, including at least noise reduction processing, according to the image processing content set by the setting means, An output means for outputting the results of the image processing performed by the processing means, It has, The setting means is, If it is determined that the aforementioned authority exists, then set the image processing content that preserves the details of the input image, An image processing apparatus characterized by setting image processing content that does not preserve the details of the input image if it is determined that the aforementioned authority is not available. (Configuration 2) The image processing apparatus according to Configuration 1, characterized in that, when the setting means sets an image processing content that maintains the details of the input image, the processing means performs image processing that combines a first image with a second image different from the first image. (Composition 3) The image processing apparatus according to configuration 2, characterized in that the first image is an image after noise reduction processing of the input image, and the second image is the input image before noise reduction processing. (Composition 4) The image processing apparatus according to configuration 2, characterized in that the first image is the low-frequency component of the input image, and the second image is the high-frequency component of the input image. (Composition 5) The image processing apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, characterized in that the output means displays the result of the image processing and also displays a user interface for changing the image processing content set by the setting means. (Composition 6) The output means displays a user interface for adjusting the blending ratio of the first image and the second image. The image processing apparatus according to any one of configurations 2 to 4, characterized in that the processing means combines the first image and the second image based on a composite ratio adjusted by a user interface for adjusting the composite ratio. (Composition 7) The setting means obtains a composite ratio for combining the first image and the second image, which is set by an external device. The image processing apparatus according to any one of configurations 2 to 4, characterized in that the processing means combines the first image and the second image based on the combination ratio acquired by the setting means. (Composition 8) The image processing apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, characterized in that, when the setting means sets an image processing content that does not maintain the details of the input image, the processing means outputs an image of the input image after noise reduction processing. (Composition 9) The image processing apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, characterized in that, when the setting means sets an image processing content that does not maintain the details of the input image, the processing means outputs the low-frequency components of the input image. (Composition 10) The image processing apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, characterized in that the processing means performs additional image processing on the image after image processing has been performed on the input image while maintaining its details. (Composition 11) The processing means consists of a first processing means and a second processing means. The first processing means performs image processing on the input image in a manner that does not preserve the details of the input image. The image processing apparatus according to Configuration 1, characterized in that the second processing means performs image processing that maintains the details of the input image on the result of image processing by the first processing means when the setting means sets image processing content that maintains the details of the input image. (Composition 12) The image processing apparatus according to configuration 11, characterized in that the second processing means performs additional image processing on the image after image processing has been performed on the input image while maintaining its details. (Composition 13) The image processing apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 12, characterized in that the recognition means acquires one or more of the following as recognition information: identification information for identifying a specific individual, location information for identifying a location, and device information for identifying a specific device. (Composition 14) The recognition means performs a recognition process to determine whether the person is a person with specific authority, based on the identification information for identifying the specific individual. The image processing apparatus according to configuration 13, characterized in that the setting means determines that the person has the authority and sets image processing content that maintains the details of the image when the recognition means obtains a recognition result that the person has the specific authority. (Composition 15) The recognition means performs a recognition process to determine whether the device is installed in a specific location based on the location information. The image processing apparatus according to configuration 13, characterized in that the setting means determines that it has the authority and sets image processing content that maintains the details of the image when the recognition means obtains the result of recognition processing that the device is installed in the specific location. (Composition 16) The recognition means performs recognition processing to determine whether the equipment is installed in a specific location or approved in a prior inspection, based on equipment information for identifying the specific equipment. The image processing apparatus according to configuration 13, characterized in that the setting means determines that it has the authority and sets image processing content to maintain the details of the image when the recognition means obtains a result of recognition processing that the equipment is installed in the specific location or is equipment approved in a prior inspection. (Composition 17) The image processing apparatus according to configuration 16, characterized in that the setting means revokes the authority if the device information is changed after the authority has been determined. (Composition 18) The image processing apparatus according to configuration 16 or 17, characterized in that the setting means sets the authority to none or revokes it if the device identified by the device information is a predetermined device. (Method 1) A recognition process that performs recognition processing based on acquired recognition information, Based on the results of the recognition process in the recognition step, the authority for setting the image processing content is determined, and the setting step is to set the image processing content based on the authority, A processing step which performs image processing on an input image, including at least noise reduction processing, according to the image processing content set in the setting step, An output step which outputs the result of the image processing performed in the above processing step, It has, In the aforementioned setup process, If it is determined that the aforementioned authority exists, then set the image processing content that preserves the details of the input image, An image processing method characterized by setting image processing content that does not preserve the details of the input image if it is determined that the aforementioned authority is not available. (program) A program that causes a computer to function as an image processing device described in any one of configurations 1 to 18. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 10: Image processing device, 201: Image acquisition unit, 202: Recognition unit, 203: Image processing unit, 204: Setting unit, 205: Output unit, 206: Control unit

Claims

1. A recognition means that performs recognition processing based on the acquired recognition information, A setting means that determines the authority to set the image processing content based on the result of the recognition process by the recognition means, and sets the image processing content based on the authority, A processing means that performs image processing on an input image, including at least noise reduction processing, according to the image processing content set by the setting means, An output means for outputting the results of the image processing performed by the processing means, It has, The setting means is, If it is determined that the aforementioned authority exists, then set the image processing content that preserves the details of the input image, An image processing apparatus characterized by setting image processing content that does not preserve the details of the input image if it is determined that the aforementioned authority is not available.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the setting means sets an image processing content that maintains the details of the input image, the processing means performs an image processing that combines a first image with a second image different from the first image.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the first image is an image obtained after noise reduction processing of the input image, and the second image is the input image before noise reduction processing.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the first image is the low-frequency component of the input image, and the second image is the high-frequency component of the input image.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output means displays the result of the image processing and also displays a user interface for changing the image processing content set by the setting means.

6. The output means displays a user interface for adjusting the blending ratio of the first image and the second image. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the processing means combines the first image and the second image based on a composite ratio adjusted by a user interface for adjusting the composite ratio.

7. The setting means obtains a composite ratio for combining the first image and the second image, which is set by an external device. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the processing means combines the first image and the second image based on the combination ratio acquired by the setting means.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the setting means sets an image processing content that does not maintain the details of the input image, the processing means outputs an image of the input image after noise reduction processing.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the setting means sets an image processing content that does not maintain the details of the input image, the processing means outputs the low-frequency components of the input image.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing means performs additional image processing on the image after image processing has been performed on the input image while maintaining its details.

11. The processing means consists of a first processing means and a second processing means. The first processing means performs image processing on the input image in a manner that does not preserve the details of the input image. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second processing means performs image processing that maintains the details of the input image on the result of image processing by the first processing means when the setting means sets image processing content that maintains the details of the input image.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the second processing means performs additional image processing on the image after image processing has been performed on the input image while maintaining its details.

13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the recognition means acquires one or more of the following as recognition information: identification information for identifying a specific individual, location information for identifying a location, and device information for identifying a specific device.

14. The recognition means performs a recognition process to determine whether the person is a person with specific authority, based on the identification information for identifying the specific individual. The image processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the setting means determines that the person has the authority and sets image processing content that maintains the details of the image when the recognition means obtains a result of recognition processing that the person has the specific authority.

15. The recognition means performs a recognition process to determine whether the device is installed in a specific location based on the location information. The image processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the setting means determines that the authority exists and sets image processing content that maintains the details of the image when the recognition means obtains the result of recognition processing that the device is installed in the specific location.

16. The recognition means performs recognition processing to determine whether the equipment is installed in a specific location or approved in a prior inspection, based on equipment information for identifying the specific equipment. The image processing apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the setting means determines that it has the authority and sets image processing content that maintains the details of the image when the recognition means obtains a result of recognition processing that the equipment is installed in the specific location or is equipment approved in a prior inspection.

17. The image processing apparatus according to claim 16, characterized in that the setting means revokes the authority if the device information is changed after the authority has been determined.

18. The image processing apparatus according to claim 16, characterized in that the setting means sets or revokes the authority if the device identified by the device information is a predetermined device.

19. A recognition process that performs recognition processing based on acquired recognition information, Based on the results of the recognition process in the recognition step, the authority for setting the image processing content is determined, and the setting step is to set the image processing content based on the authority, A processing step which performs image processing on an input image, including at least noise reduction processing, according to the image processing content set in the setting step, An output step which outputs the result of the image processing performed in the above processing step, It has, In the aforementioned setup process, If it is determined that the aforementioned authority exists, then set the image processing content that preserves the details of the input image, An image processing method characterized by setting image processing content that does not preserve the details of the input image if it is determined that the aforementioned authority is not available.

20. Computers, A recognition means that performs recognition processing based on the acquired recognition information, A setting means that determines the authority to set the image processing content based on the result of the recognition process by the recognition means, and sets the image processing content based on the authority, A processing means that performs image processing on an input image, including at least noise reduction processing, according to the image processing content set by the setting means, An output means for outputting the results of the image processing performed by the processing means, It has, The setting means is, If it is determined that the aforementioned authority exists, then set the image processing content that preserves the details of the input image, If it is determined that the aforementioned authority is not available, the program will function as an image processing device that sets image processing content that does not preserve the details of the input image.

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