Image Region Segmentation for Mixed Lighting Visibility
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shooting apparatuses face challenges in managing significant brightness differences within an image capturing region, particularly in low-light conditions, where regions under street lights appear bright while those not under them remain dark, affecting image visibility and user convenience.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus that allows for the appropriate setting of regions within an image to be displayed using different image categories, such as color, monochrome, and composite color images, by accepting user designations and processing these images to enhance visibility and usability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a composite color image is displayed to improve visibility in dark places, then user convenience is improved, but significant brightness difference arises within the image capturing region
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the image capturing region into multiple regions and assigns different image categories (color image, monochrome image, composite color image) to each region based on local lighting conditions. This segmentation allows each region to be displayed in the most appropriate format, resolving the contradiction between overall visibility and local brightness uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different image display qualities to different regions of the image capturing region. Regions with sufficient illumination are displayed as color images, while regions with insufficient illumination are displayed as monochrome or composite color images. This local differentiation eliminates the need for uniform brightness across the entire region while maintaining user convenience.
2Reliability
If a monochrome image is displayed in low-light conditions, then image capture is possible, but image clarity and color information are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent preserves color information in regions where lighting conditions permit while accepting monochrome representation in dark regions. By locally optimizing the image category selection, the system maximizes color information retention where possible without compromising the ability to capture images in low-light conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite color images that combine monochrome and color image data. In regions with mixed lighting conditions, the composite color image integrates the structural information from monochrome images with the color information from color images, thereby reducing information loss while maintaining capture reliability.
3Illumination intensity
If different image categories are applied to different regions, then brightness differences are reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automatic region classification and image category assignment based on detected lighting conditions. The system self-determines which regions require which image categories without requiring manual user input or complex user-defined rules, thereby reducing operational complexity while achieving brightness uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the image display parameters (image category selection) based on the lighting conditions detected in different regions. By changing the display parameters adaptively rather than using fixed settings, the system achieves brightness uniformity without requiring complex manual configuration or user intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing apparatus which accepts designation of a first image category from among a plurality of image categories including a visible light image, an infrared light image, and a composite image, accepts designation of a second image category different from the first image category from among the plurality of image categories, displays an image of the accepted first image category in a display region of a display unit, and accepts designation of a region in the image of the first image category displayed in the display region, wherein an image of the accepted second image category is displayed in the accepted region.