Contour generation method and contour generation apparatus

Abstract

To reduce effort required to correct an outline of an object.SOLUTION: An outline generation method disclosed herein makes a computer perform processing of extracting an outline of an object in a captured image of the object, setting multiple outline points on the outline of the object, acknowledging designation of a region including a part of the outline, deleting outline points included in the region, and correcting the outline.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a contour line generation method and a contour line generation apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In e-commerce using an EC (Electronic Commerce) site or the like, in order to enhance the unity and visibility of the products to be listed, sellers or providers may be required to prepare an image in which the background part other than the product is white-extracted as an image of the product.

[0003] For this reason, sellers or providers need to perform white-extraction processing on the images of the products taken by using image editing software or image editing services. Recently, although technologies for automatically detecting the boundary line (the contour of the product) between the product (subject) and the background have emerged, there are cases where the contour cannot be accurately detected depending on the shooting environment, the shooting method, the color of the product, etc. (see, for example, Patent Document 1). When the contour is misdetected, it is necessary for the user to correct the positions of the points on the contour one by one by mouse operation or the like, which takes a great deal of labor and time.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, in an image obtained by imaging an object, extraction of a contour line of the object and setting of a plurality of contour points on the contour of the object are performed, reception of designation of a region including a part of the contour line is accepted, contour points included in the region are deleted, and a contour line generation method is provided in which a computer executes a process of correcting the contour line.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a contour line generation device is provided, comprising: a setting unit that extracts the contour line of an object and sets a plurality of contour points on the contour line of the object in an image of the object; a receiving unit that receives a designation of a region including a part of the contour line; and a correction unit that deletes contour points included in the region and corrects the contour line. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This figure schematically shows the configuration of an image processing system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2(a) is an example of a functional block diagram of an imaging device, and Figure 2(b) is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an image processing device. [Figure 3] This is an example of a functional block diagram for an image processing device. [Figure 4] Figures 4(a) and 4(b) illustrate the process when a contour point is moved. [Figure 5] Figures 5(a) and 5(b) illustrate the process when an operation to specify a contour point deletion area is performed. [Figure 6] Figures 6(a) to 6(c) illustrate the process when a new contour point is added. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows an example of the processing performed by an image processing device. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of the contour editing screen. [Figure 9] Figure 9(a) shows the operation for specifying the contour point deletion area, and Figure 9(b) shows the state after the contour line has been modified. [Figure 10] Figures 10(a) and 10(b) show the process of adding new contour points, and Figure 10(c) shows the state after the contour points have been moved. [Figure 11] Figures 11(a) to 11(e) illustrate the process of removing the contour corresponding to the suspension member. [Figure 12]Figures 12(a) to 12(c) illustrate the processing of the modified area when the "Delete Hanger" button is pressed in the contour editing screen. [Figure 13] Figures 13(a) and 13(b) are diagrams illustrating modified examples. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] One embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 12(c).

[0009] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of the image processing system 1. As shown in Figure 1, the image processing system 1 comprises an imaging device 10, an item support unit (clothing support unit) 20, and an image processing device 30. The image processing system 1 is a system used, for example, by a seller who sells clothing W, and the background of the image of the clothing (item) captured by the imaging device 10 is processed to be white by the image processing device 30.

[0010] The imaging device 10 is, for example, a camera whose field of view can be changed manually or automatically. However, it is not limited to this, and the imaging device 10 may be a portable information terminal (e.g., a smartphone, tablet, or camera phone). The imaging device 10 is positioned opposite the article support surface (surface) 22 of the article support section 20, which will be described later. In Figure 1, the imaging device 10 is supported by a tripod 19, but it may be supported on a support such as a desk or table. The imaging device 10 may also be held by the worker.

[0011] Figure 2(a) shows an example of a functional block diagram of the imaging device 10. As shown in Figure 2(a), the imaging device 10 includes, for example, an imaging unit 11, an operation input unit 12, a control unit 13, a data storage unit 14, an image data output unit 15, and a main unit 16 (see Figure 1).

[0012] The imaging unit 11 includes an imaging optical system and an image sensor not shown. The imaging optical system forms an image within the field of view, and is, for example, held within a lens barrel and attached to the main body unit 16 together with the lens barrel. The imaging optical system and the lens barrel are, for example, interchangeable lenses and can be removed from the main body unit 16. Note that the imaging optical system and the lens barrel may also be built-in lenses. For example, the lens barrel may be a part of the main body unit 16 or may not be removable from the main body unit 16. The optical axis of the imaging optical system is the imaging optical axis AX of the imaging unit 11. In FIG. 1, the imaging optical axis AX is set in the horizontal direction, but it may be in a direction other than the horizontal direction. Also, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the imaging optical axis AX is parallel to a line in a direction perpendicular to the article support surface 22 of the article support unit 20, but it is not limited to this, and the imaging optical axis AX may be inclined with respect to the direction perpendicular to the article support surface 22.

[0013] The image sensor is, for example, a CMOS image sensor or a CCD image sensor in which a plurality of pixels are two-dimensionally arranged. The image sensor is, for example, housed in the main body unit 16. The image sensor captures the image formed by the imaging optical system. The imaging result of the image sensor includes, for example, information on gradation values for each color of each pixel (e.g., RGB data) or luminance information (e.g., grayscale). The image sensor outputs, for example, data of the captured image that is the imaging result.

[0014] The operation input unit 12 receives an input for operating the imaging device 10 from an operator or an external device. The operation input unit 12 receives an operation signal from, for example, a shutter button, a remote controller, or the like.

[0015] The control unit 13 controls each part of the imaging device 10 based on an input from an operator or an external device to the operation input unit 12, for example. The control unit 13 causes the imaging unit 11 to execute imaging processing, for example. The control unit 13 causes the data of the captured image output from the image sensor of the imaging unit 11 to be stored in the data storage unit 14, for example. Also, the control unit 13 causes the data of the captured image stored in the data storage unit 14 to be output to the outside from the image data output unit 15, for example.

[0016] The data storage unit 14 may be included within the control unit 13 or may be arranged outside the control unit 13. The data storage unit 14 may be, for example, a non-volatile memory such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a memory card. Further, the data storage unit 14 may include a storage device built into the imaging device 10 or may include a port to which a storage device detachable from the imaging device 10 can be connected. The data storage unit 14 stores, for example, data of a captured image that is the imaging result of the imaging unit 11, various setting information, and a program for executing processing, etc.

[0017] The image data output unit 15 outputs the data of the captured image stored in the data storage unit 14 to an external image processing device 30. The image data output unit 15 includes, for example, at least one of I / O (input / output) ports such as a USB port and a LAN (Local Area Network) port, or a communicator that performs wireless communication by radio waves or infrared rays. The image data output unit 15 is controlled by the control unit 13, reads the information stored in the data storage unit 14, and outputs the read information to the image processing device 30. The image data output unit 15 may be a so-called memory slot having a function of reading the information stored in the data storage unit 14 and writing the read information to a non-volatile memory such as a USB memory or a memory card.

[0018] Returning to FIG. 1, the article support unit 20 includes a support unit main body 21 and an article support surface 22. The support unit main body 21 is installed on an installation surface F such as a floor or a desk. The support unit main body 21 supports the article support surface 22. On the article support surface 22, the clothing W that is the article to be imaged by the imaging device 10 is arranged along it. The clothing W is supported by being suspended by a suspension member 101 such as a hanger. On the article support surface 22, a fixture 23 for hanging the suspension member 101 is provided.

[0019] The image processing apparatus 30 consists of the operator's personal computer, a portable information terminal (e.g., smartphone, tablet, camera phone), or a dedicated workstation or server. Figure 2(b) shows an example of the hardware configuration of the image processing apparatus 30. As shown in Figure 2(b), the image processing apparatus 30 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 90, ROM (Read Only Memory) 92, RAM (Random Access Memory) 94, a storage unit (here, an SSD (Solid State Drive) or HDD (Hard Disk Drive)) 96, a network interface 97, a display unit 93, an input unit 95, and a portable storage medium drive 99. Each of these components of the image processing apparatus 30 is connected to a bus 98. The display unit 93 includes a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and the input unit 95 includes a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, etc. In the image processing apparatus 30, the CPU 90 executes a program stored in the ROM 92 or the memory unit 96, or a program read from the portable memory medium 91 by the portable memory medium drive 99, thereby realizing the functions of each part shown in Figure 3. Note that the functions of each part in Figure 3 may also be realized by integrated circuits such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) or FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays).

[0020] Figure 3 shows an example of a functional block diagram of the image processing apparatus 30. As shown in Figure 3, the image processing apparatus 30 functions as an input receiving unit 50, a contour generation unit 52, a modification unit 54, an update unit 56, and a background changing unit 58, as the CPU 90 executes a program.

[0021] The input receiving unit 50 acquires data of the captured image including the clothing W captured by the imaging device 10, and acquires operation information entered by the operator via the input unit 95. To acquire data of the captured image, the input receiving unit 50 includes at least one of the following: an I / O port such as a USB port or a LAN port, or a communication device that performs wireless communication using radio waves or infrared rays. The input receiving unit 50 may also include a so-called memory slot (memory reader) that has the function of reading data from non-volatile memory such as a USB memory or memory card. In this case, the input receiving unit 50 reads and acquires data of the captured image including the clothing W captured by the imaging device 10 from the non-volatile memory.

[0022] Furthermore, the input receiving unit 50 acquires information such as operation information entered by the operator via the input unit 95, including, for example, operations to extract the outline of clothing W in the captured image data including clothing W, operations to confirm the outline, and operations to modify a part of the outline.

[0023] The contour generation unit 52 extracts the contour line of the clothing W from the captured image data including the clothing W, and performs a process to set contour points at predetermined intervals along the contour line.

[0024] The correction unit 54 performs a process to correct the contour line in response to the operator's operation. As shown in Figure 4(a), the operator may perform an operation to move one of the contour points when there is a contour line and contour points. In this case, the correction unit 54 moves the contour point as shown in Figure 4(b) according to the operation, and corrects the contour line in accordance with the movement of the contour point.

[0025] In addition, the operator may specify an area containing one or more contour points (see the "contour point deletion area" shown by the dashed rectangle in Figure 5(a)) and perform an operation to delete contour points within the contour point deletion area, as shown in Figure 5(a). In this case, the modification unit 54 deletes the contour points within the contour point deletion area according to the operation, as shown in Figure 5(b), and also modifies the contour line in accordance with the movement of the contour points. More specifically, when modifying the contour line, the modification unit 54 generates a new contour line (for example, a straight line) connecting two contour points adjacent to the contour point deletion area, in place of the contour line within the contour point deletion area.

[0026] The update unit 56 executes the process of adding contour points when an operator performs an operation to add new contour points to the new contour line generated by the modification unit 54, as shown in Figure 5(b). The update unit 56 also executes the process of updating the new contour line when an operation is performed to move the newly added contour points. For example, suppose a new contour line (thick line portion) is generated as shown in Figure 6(a), and an operator performs an operation to add a new contour point, such as clicking at the position indicated by the dashed circle. In this case, the update unit 56 adds the new contour point as shown in Figure 6(b). Then, when the operator performs an operation to move the new contour point as shown by the dashed circle in Figure 6(b), the update unit 56 moves the new contour point as shown in Figure 6(c) and updates the new contour line in accordance with the movement of the new contour point.

[0027] The background modification unit 58 performs a white-out process on the area outside the area enclosed by the outline (the background area of ​​the clothing W) when the operator performs an operation to determine the outline of the clothing W in the captured image data including the clothing W.

[0028] (Regarding the processing of the image processing device 30) Next, an example of the processing performed by the image processing apparatus 30 will be explained in detail, following the flowchart in Figure 7 and referring to other drawings as appropriate. It should be noted that, as a prerequisite for the processing in Figure 7, the input receiving unit 50 has already acquired the data of the captured image including the clothing W.

[0029] When the process shown in Figure 7 begins, in step S10, the input receiving unit 50 waits until a contour extraction instruction is received. When the operator specifies the data of the captured image including the clothing W and enters a contour extraction instruction, the input receiving unit 50 notifies the contour generation unit 52 of this and proceeds to step S12.

[0030] When the process moves to step S12, the contour generation unit 52 performs a process to extract contour lines. The contour generation unit 52 extracts contour lines, for example, based on a contour line extraction model that has been created in advance. The contour line extraction model is created, for example, by learning appropriate contour lines in the image data including clothing W as training data.

[0031] Next, in step S14, the contour generation unit 52 sets contour points on the contour line. For example, the contour generation unit 52 sets a number of contour points on the contour line at predetermined intervals. The interval between contour points can be changed by the operator as appropriate, or it can be a fixed value. In the above, the contour generation unit 52 extracts the contour line (S12) and then sets the contour points (S14), but it is not limited to this, and the contour generation unit 52 may set the contour points first and then set the lines (contour lines) connecting the contour points. Alternatively, the extraction of the contour line and the setting of contour points may be performed simultaneously. After extracting the contour line and setting the contour points, the contour generation unit 52 displays a contour editing screen on the display unit 93 as shown in Figure 8. The contour editing screen in Figure 8 is provided with a display area for the captured image including the clothing W with the contour line and contour points displayed, a "Confirm" button, a "Contour Point Adjustment" button, and a "Contour Point Delete" button. If the contour line is appropriate and no correction is needed, the operator presses the "Confirm" button. Additionally, the operator can press the "Adjust Contour Point" button to add or adjust the position of contour points. Furthermore, the operator can press the "Delete Contour Point" button to delete contour points.

[0032] Next, when the process moves to step S16, the input receiving unit 50 determines whether or not a confirmation input for the contour line has been made, that is, whether or not the operator pressed the "Confirm" button on the contour editing screen in Figure 8. If the determination in step S16 is negative, the process moves to step S18.

[0033] When the system proceeds to step S18, the input receiving unit 50 determines whether or not the position of a contour point has been corrected. That is, the input receiving unit 50 determines whether or not the operator has pressed the "contour point adjustment" button and performed an operation to move any of the contour points. An operation to move a contour point is, for example, dragging the contour point when using a mouse. Or, for example, tapping and dragging the contour point when using a touch panel (if the image processing device 30 is a touch panel device such as a smartphone). If the determination in step S18 is negative, the system proceeds to step S22, but if it is positive, the system proceeds to step S20.

[0034] If the process proceeds to step S20, the correction unit 54 corrects the contour line in accordance with the movement of the contour points. Specifically, when the operator moves one of the contour points as shown in Figure 4(a), the correction unit 54 moves the contour point and corrects the contour line in accordance with the operation, as shown in Figure 4(b). After the processing in step S20 is completed, the process proceeds to step S22.

[0035] When the process moves to step S22, the input receiving unit 50 determines whether or not a contour point deletion area has been specified. In this case, the input receiving unit 50 determines whether or not the operator has pressed the "Contour Point Deletion" button to specify a contour point deletion area. The operation of specifying a contour point deletion area may, for example, involve dragging from the position of one vertex in the contour point deletion area to the position of the diagonally opposite vertex when using a mouse. Alternatively, for example, when using a touch panel, it may involve pinching out with a finger from the position of one vertex in the contour point deletion area to the position of the diagonally opposite vertex. If the determination in step S22 is negative, the process moves to step S26.

[0036] On the other hand, if the operator specifies a contour point deletion area, for example as shown in Figure 9(a), the decision in step S22 is affirmed, and the process proceeds to step S24. In step S24, the modification unit 54 deletes contour points within the contour point deletion area and generates a new contour line connecting two points adjacent to that area outside the contour point deletion area. As a result, the contour line in Figure 9(a) is modified as shown in Figure 9(b).

[0037] After step S24, or after the judgment in step S22 is rejected, the system proceeds to step S26, where the input receiving unit 50 determines whether or not additional contour points have been entered. That is, the input receiving unit 50 determines whether or not the operator has pressed the "Contour Point Adjustment" button and performed an operation to add new contour points by clicking with a mouse (or tapping on the touch panel) on the contour line (for example, the new contour line generated in step S24). If the judgment in step S26 is rejected, the system returns to step S16.

[0038] On the other hand, if the operator presses the "Contour Point Adjustment" button and then, for example, positions the mouse pointer on the contour line and clicks (or taps on the contour line using the touch panel) as shown in Figure 10(a), the process proceeds to step S28. Upon proceeding to step S28, the update unit 56 adds a new contour point to the contour line as shown in Figure 10(b). After that, the process returns to step S16. If the operator moves the new contour point shown in Figure 10(b), the judgment in step S18 is affirmed, and in step S20, the update unit 56 modifies (updates) the contour line in accordance with the movement of the contour point as shown in Figure 10(c).

[0039] After returning to step S16, the processing and decision-making processes from steps S16 to S28 are repeated. Then, when the decision in step S16 is confirmed, that is, when the operator presses the "Confirm" button on the contour editing screen in Figure 8, the process moves to step S30.

[0040] When the process moves to step S30, the background modification unit 58 is finalized with the current outline and the area outside the outline (background) is made white. This makes it possible to process the background area other than the clothing W into white, thus creating an image that can be used on e-commerce sites, etc. (an image with a consistent look and high visibility). With this, all processing shown in Figure 7 is completed.

[0041] In this embodiment, the garment W is imaged while suspended from a hanging member 101 such as a hanger. In this case, since the garment W and the hanging member 101 are continuous, as shown in Figure 11(a), an outline corresponding to the hanging member 101 may be generated (extracted) as part of the outline of the garment W. If the operator presses the "Confirm" button and the background change unit 58 processes the background to white, the hanging member 101 will be displayed as shown in Figure 11(b). In this embodiment, the operator presses the "Delete Outline Points" button and surrounds the entire outline corresponding to the hanging member 101 with an outline point deletion area as shown in Figure 11(a). As a result of this operation, the outline is modified as shown in Figure 11(c) (a new outline is added in place of the outline corresponding to the hanging member 101). Furthermore, from the state shown in Figure 11(c), the operator can press the "Adjust Outline Points" button to add new outline points and move the added outline points. As a result, the outline is modified as shown in Figure 11(d). If the operator presses the "Confirm" button in this state, an image will be obtained in which only the clothing W is displayed and the rest of the image is rendered in white, as shown in Figure 11(e).

[0042] However, in this embodiment, the processes shown in Figures 11(a) to 11(e) above may be performed automatically. For example, a "Delete Hanger" button may be provided on the contour editing screen in Figure 8, and when the operator presses this button, the modification unit 54 may delete the contour line corresponding to the hanging member 101 and extract a new contour line for the clothing W. More specifically, for example, when the operator presses the "Delete Hanger" button, the modification unit 54 uses a template showing the shape of the hanging member 101 to identify the contour line portion corresponding to the hanging member 101 (see Figure 12(a)). Then, as shown in Figure 12(b), the modification unit 54 deletes the identified contour line portion and extracts a new contour line in the area inside the deleted contour line portion (see Figure 12(c)). As a result, the operator can delete the contour line corresponding to the hanging member 101 and modify it to an outline line of only the clothing W, as shown in Figure 12(c), simply by pressing the "Delete Hanger" button. In addition to the method of using a template as described above, there are various other methods for the correction unit 54 to identify the contour line portion corresponding to the suspension member 101. For example, the correction unit 54 may identify the contour line portion corresponding to the suspension member 101 based on the color of each pixel. Alternatively, the correction unit 54 may identify the contour line portion included in the range specified by the operator as the contour line portion corresponding to the suspension member 101.

[0043] Furthermore, the contour editing screen in Figure 8 may include "Redo" and "Cancel" buttons. If the operator presses the "Redo" button, the image processing device 30 reverts the changes to the contour line and contour points made in the previous operation. If the operator presses the "Cancel" button, the image processing device 30 forcibly terminates the process in the flowchart of Figure 7. Additionally, the contour editing screen in Figure 8 may include a "Reset Contour Points" button. If the operator presses the "Reset Contour Points" button, the image processing device 30 (contour generation unit 52) ​​deletes all contour points and resets the contour points for the contour line at that point in time.

[0044] In addition to input via button operations using the buttons in Figure 8, and the "Delete Hanger," "Redo," "Cancel," and "Reset Contour Points" buttons mentioned above, the input receiving unit 50 may also accept input via key operations on input devices such as a keyboard (operations of shortcut keys to which the functions of the above button operations are assigned).

[0045] As described in detail above, according to this embodiment, the contour generation unit 52 extracts the contour line of the clothing W in the captured image of the clothing W (S12) and sets multiple contour points on the contour line of the clothing W (S14). Furthermore, when the input reception unit 50 receives a specification of a contour point deletion area that includes a part of the contour line (S22: affirmative), the correction unit 54 deletes the contour points included in the contour point deletion area and corrects the contour line (S24). As a result, the operator can correct the contour line within a specified range simply by specifying a contour point deletion area that includes a wide range of the contour line, without having to move or delete contour points one by one. Therefore, the contour line correction work by the operator can be simplified and the effort required when correcting contour lines by the operator can be reduced.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the modification unit 54 generates a new contour line (straight line) connecting two contour points adjacent to the contour point deletion area, replacing the contour line within the contour point deletion area (S24). This makes it possible to appropriately modify the contour line of clothing W, which has many straight lines.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the input receiving unit 50 receives an operation to add a new contour point to a new contour line, the update unit 56 adds the new contour point (S28) and updates the new contour line according to the movement of the added new contour point (S20). As a result, even if the new contour line generated by the correction unit 54, which connects two contour points adjacent to the contour point deletion area, deviates from the actual contour line of the garment W, the operator can easily make corrections.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, even if an image of clothing W contains another object (such as a suspension member 101) that is continuous with clothing W, and the contours corresponding to the other objects are extracted by the contour generation unit 52, the contours corresponding to the other objects can be easily corrected to the contours of clothing W with a simple operation.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the case described was when, in step S24, the modification unit 54 deletes contour points within the contour point deletion area and generates a straight contour line as a new contour line connecting two points adjacent to the area outside the contour point deletion area (see Figure 5(b)). However, the modification unit 54 is not limited to this and may also generate a straight or curved contour line as a new contour line connecting two points adjacent to the area outside the contour point deletion area. For example, as shown in Figure 13(a), when two points adjacent to the area outside the contour point deletion area are connected by a straight line (new contour line), the contour line outside the contour point deletion area and the new contour line may not connect smoothly. In such a case, the modification unit 54 may make the new contour line a curve, as shown in Figure 13(b), so that the contour line outside the contour point deletion area and the new contour line connect smoothly. Furthermore, the modification unit 54 may change the curvature of the curve in accordance with the amount of movement of the mouse pointer (or finger) during drag-and-drop when the operator drags and drops a part of the new contour line (curve) with the mouse (or taps and drags a part of the new contour line (curve) with the touch panel).

[0050] In the above embodiment, the background modification unit 58 was described as processing the area outside the outline (background) of the captured image of the clothing W to be white, but it is not limited to this. The background may be processed to a predetermined color other than white, or the background may be changed to a predetermined pattern.

[0051] In the above embodiment, if the imaging optical axis AX of the imaging device 10 in Figure 1 is not parallel to the line perpendicular to the article support surface 22 of the article support part 20, it is preferable to perform tilt correction of the captured image before performing the processing in Figure 7. Tilt correction can be performed, for example, by providing a mark of a predetermined shape on the article support surface 22 in Figure 1 and correcting the captured image so that the image of the mark in the captured image has an appropriate shape.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the case in which the object imaged by the imaging device 10 is clothing W was described, but the embodiment is not limited to clothing, and the object may be other products sold on an e-commerce site.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the case where the imaging device 10 and the image processing device 30 are separate devices was described, but the invention is not limited to this, and the imaging device 10 and the image processing device 30 may be the same device (for example, a smartphone or tablet terminal with a camera function).

[0054] The above processing functions can be implemented by a computer. In this case, a program describing the processing content of the functions that the processing unit should have is provided. By executing this program on a computer, the above processing functions are implemented on the computer. The program describing the processing content can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium (excluding carrier waves).

[0055] When distributing a program, it may be sold in the form of a portable recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) on which the program is recorded. Alternatively, the program can be stored in the storage device of a server computer and transferred from the server computer to other computers via a network.

[0056] A computer executing a program stores the program, for example, on a portable storage medium or transferred from a server computer, in its own memory. The computer then reads the program from its memory and executes the processing according to the program. Alternatively, the computer can directly read the program from the portable storage medium and execute the processing according to that program. Furthermore, the computer can sequentially execute the processing according to the program received each time it is transferred from a server computer.

[0057] The embodiments described above are preferred examples of the present invention. However, the invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0058] 1. Image processing system 10 Imaging device 30 Image processing equipment 50 Input reception section 52 Contour generation unit 54 Correction section 56 Update section 58 Background Change Section 101 Suspension member

Claims

1. In an image of an object, the contour line of the object is extracted, and multiple contour points are set on the contour of the object. The system accepts the designation of a region that includes a part of the aforementioned contour line. Delete the contour points included in the aforementioned region and modify the contour line. The computer performs the process, In the aforementioned image, when the contour line of the object and the contour lines corresponding to other objects continuous with the object are extracted, A contour line generation method that, upon receiving an instruction to delete contour lines corresponding to the aforementioned other object, identifies and deletes contour lines corresponding to the aforementioned other object, and extracts new contour lines connecting the contour lines of the aforementioned object.

2. The contour line generation method according to claim 1, wherein in the modification process, a new contour line is generated connecting two contour points adjacent to the region, in place of the contour line within the region.

3. The contour line generation method according to claim 2, wherein the new contour line is a straight line or curve generated based on the shape of the portion of the contour line that is adjacent to the region.

4. The system accepts instructions to add new contour points on the aforementioned new contour line. The new contour line is updated in accordance with the movement of the newly added contour point. The contour line generation method according to claim 2, wherein the processing is performed by the computer.

5. The contour line generation method according to claim 2, wherein the computer performs a process of setting new contour points on the new contour line.

6. The contour line generation method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the computer performs a process to change the area outside the area enclosed by the contour line in the aforementioned image to a predetermined color or pattern.

7. A setting unit that extracts the contour line of an object and sets multiple contour points on the contour of the object in an image of the object, A receiving unit that receives a designation of an area including a part of the aforementioned contour line, A correction unit that deletes contour points included in the aforementioned region and corrects the contour line, Equipped with, In the aforementioned image, when the contour line of the object and the contour lines corresponding to other objects continuous with the object are extracted, Contour generation device, wherein when the receiving unit receives an instruction to delete contour lines corresponding to the other object, the modification unit identifies and deletes contour lines corresponding to the other object and extracts new contour lines connecting the contour lines of the object.

8. The contour line generation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the modification unit generates a new contour line connecting two contour points adjacent to the region, instead of the contour line within the region.

9. The contour line generation apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising an update unit that receives an instruction to add a new contour point on the new contour line and updates the new contour line in accordance with the movement of the added new contour point.

10. The contour line generating apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 9, further comprising a modification unit that changes the area outside the region enclosed by the contour line in the aforementioned image to a predetermined color or pattern.

Images