Image Processing Apparatus Depth Information Regeneration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image processing methods fail to maintain the intended three-dimensional appearance of images during editing and printing, leading to a loss of depth information and poor reproduction of focused and defocused areas, resulting in inadequate three-dimensional representation in printed images.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus and method that acquires and regenerates information equivalent to a distance from the focal plane for both edited and original image data, ensuring accurate representation of depth and blurring effects, thereby maintaining the three-dimensional appearance of images during editing and printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If image data is edited after capture, then image quality and composition can be improved, but the correspondence between edited image data and depth information is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by generating a defocus map from the original captured image data before editing occurs. This pre-generated depth information is then preserved and applied to the edited image, ensuring that depth correspondence is maintained even after editing operations modify the image data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the depth information in the form of a defocus map that is derived from the original captured image. This copied depth information is then independently applied to the edited image, allowing the edited image to retain accurate depth representation without being affected by the editing process.
2Productivity
If conventional image processing is used on edited images, then processing speed is maintained, but three-dimensional appearance and depth representation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing the defocus map from the original captured image before the editing process. This pre-computed depth information is then directly applied to the edited image, maintaining both processing efficiency and accurate three-dimensional appearance representation.
Solution Approach 2:
The defocus map serves as an intermediary that bridges the edited image and the original depth information. It carries the depth representation from the captured image through the editing process, allowing conventional fast processing to be used while preserving three-dimensional appearance through the intermediary depth map.
3Manufacturing precision
If depth information from captured image is used directly, then three-dimensional appearance is preserved, but it becomes incompatible with edited image data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a separate copy of depth information in the form of a defocus map that is independent from the original captured image data. This copied depth information can be freely applied to edited images without being affected by editing operations, ensuring both three-dimensional appearance preservation and compatibility with edited data.
Solution Approach 2:
The defocus map acts as an intermediary layer that decouples the depth information from the original captured image. This intermediary allows the depth representation to be independently manipulated and applied to any edited version of the image, providing both three-dimensional fidelity and adaptability to edited data.
Data Source
AI summary
According to an embodiment of this invention, an image processing apparatus for acquiring image data edited after obtained by image-capturing an object performs the following processing. More specifically, the apparatus obtains information, equivalent to a distance from a focal plane in image-capturing, corresponding to image data before editing, obtained when image-capturing the object, and generates information, equivalent to a distance from a focal plane, corresponding to the edited image data, based on the edited image data, and the information, equivalent to the distance from the focal plane, corresponding to the image data before editing.