Image combining apparatus, image combining method and storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides an image combining method of an image processing apparatus for processing a plurality of images photographed by a photographic device, the method includes generating a virtual three-dimensional space on a display on which an image is displayed, and displaying a spherical surface or a frame expressing a spherical surface in the virtual three-dimensional space, selecting images, arranging the selected images on the spherical surface or the frame expressing a spherical surface, moving a visual point from which the spherical surface or the frame expressing a spherical surface is observed, carrying out a rotating operation, or a parallel moving operation onto the images arranged on the spherical surface or the frame expressing a spherical surface, in accordance with an operation instruction, and combining the plural operated images into one image.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a view for explaining a display method in a bird's-eye mode;

FIG. 2 is a view for explaining a display method in a panorama mode;

FIG. 3 is a view showing a configuration of an image combining screen by an image combining method according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a coordinate system in a bird's-eye mode;

FIG. 5 is a diagram in which a photographed image after rotation is expressed by a world coordinate system;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a coordinate system in a panorama mode;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing correspondences between a world coordinate system and a local coordinate system;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of an image processing apparatus;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a main procedure of image combining processing;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for displaying in a display area on an image combining screen; and

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a procedure for resizing a sphere.

Claims

1. An image combining apparatus which combines a plurality of images photographed by a photographic device, the image combining apparatus comprising: a frame display unit which generates a virtual three-dimensional space on a display on which an image is displayed, the frame display unit displaying a spherical surface or a frame expressing a spherical surface in the virtual three-dimensional space;an image selection unit which selects images;an image arrangement unit which arranges the images selected by the image selection unit on the spherical surface or the frame expressing a spherical surface;a visual point moving unit which moves a visual point from which the spherical surface or the frame expressing a spherical surface is observed;an operating unit which, in accordance with an operation instruction, carries out a rotating operation, or a parallel moving operation onto the images arranged on the spherical surface or the frame expressing a spherical surface by the image arrangement unit; anda combining unit which combines the plural images operated by the operating unit into one image.

2. The image combining apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a view image generating unit which generates a view image when at least a part of the image combined by the combining unit is observed from inside of the spherical surface or from outside of the spherical surface; anda view image display unit which displays the image generated by the view image generating unit on the display.

3. The image combining apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of images photographed by the photographic device are images photographed from a same position.

4. The image combining apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image combined by the combining unit is an image covering the entire spherical surface.

5. An image combining method of an image processing apparatus for processing a plurality of images photographed by a photographic device, the method comprising: generating a virtual three-dimensional space on a display on which an image is displayed, and displaying a spherical surface or a frame expressing a spherical surface in the virtual three-dimensional space;selecting images;arranging the selected images on the spherical surface or the frame expressing a spherical surface;moving a visual point from which the spherical surface or the frame expressing a spherical surface is observed;carrying out a rotating operation, or a parallel moving operation onto the images arranged on the spherical surface or the frame expressing a spherical surface, in accordance with an operation instruction; andcombining the plural operated images into one image.

6. The image combining method according to claim 5, further comprising: generating a view image when at least a part of the combined image is observed from inside of the spherical surface or from outside of the spherical surface; anddisplaying the generated image on the display.

7. The image combining method according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of images photographed by the photographic device are images photographed from a same position.

8. The image combining method according to claim 6, wherein the image to be combined is an image covering the entire spherical surface.

9. A storage medium having stored therein a program to be executed by an image processing apparatus for processing a plurality of images photographed by a photographic device, the program comprising: a frame display step of generating a virtual three-dimensional space on a display on which an image is displayed, and of displaying a spherical surface or a frame expressing a spherical surface in the virtual three-dimensional space;an image selecting step of selecting images;an image arranging step of arranging the images selected in the image selecting step on the spherical surface or the frame expressing a spherical surface;a visual point moving step of moving a visual point from which the spherical surface or the frame expressing a spherical surface is observed;an operating step of, in accordance with an operation instruction, carrying out a rotating operation, or a parallel moving operation onto the images arranged on the spherical surface or the frame expressing a spherical surface in the image arranging step; anda combining step of combining the plural images operated in the operating step into one image.

10. The storage medium according to claim 9, further comprising: a view image generating step of generating a view image when at least a part of the image combined in the combining step is observed from inside of the spherical surface or from outside of the spherical surface; anda view image display step of displaying the image generated in the view image generating step on the display.

11. The storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of images photographed by the photographic device are images photographed from a same position.

12. The storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the image to be combined in the combining step is an image covering the entire spherical surface.