US 7,477,289 B2
Image processing apparatus and method, and image pickup apparatus
Tetsujiro Kondo, Tokyo (Japan); Seiji Wada, Kanagawa (Japan); Junichi Ishibashi, Saitama (Japan); Takashi Sawao, Tokyo (Japan); Naoki Fujiwara, Tokyo (Japan); Takahiro Nagano, Kanagawa (Japan); and Toru Miyake, Tokyo (Japan)
Assigned to Sony Corporation, Tokyo (Japan)
Appl. No. 10/362,793
PCT Filed Jun. 26, 2002, PCT No. PCT/JP02/06383
§ 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Oct. 20, 2003,
PCT Pub. No. WO03/003305, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 09, 2003.
Claims priority of application No. 2001-194608 (JP), filed on Jun. 27, 2001.
Prior Publication US 2004/0105493 A1, Jun. 03, 2004
Int. Cl. H04N 5/228 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 348—208.4  [348/208.5; 348/208.6; 348/208.13; 348/208.14] 32 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image processing apparatus for processing image data which is formed of a predetermined number of pixel data obtained by an image-capturing device including a predetermined number of pixels, the pixels having a time integrating function, said image processing apparatus comprising:
area specifying means for specifying, in correspondence with the image data, a mixed area in which foreground object components forming a foreground object and background object components forming a background object are mixed and a non-mixed area formed of a foreground area consisting of only the foreground object components and a background area consisting of only the background object components; and
mixture-ratio estimating means for estimating, based on a ratio of a width of the mixed area in a predetermined direction with respect to a moving direction of the foreground object component, the width of the mixed area being specified by the area information, to a distance from a position of a designated pixel to an edge of the mixed area in the predetermined direction, a mixture ratio indicating the ratio between the foreground object components and the background object components of the designated pixel.