Image processing apparatus, image processing method and computer readable medium

Abstract

An image processing apparatus captures a target image containing marker images and a recognition target range identified by a marker-image set including at least parts of the marker images. The image processing apparatus includes an image capturing section, a first detection section, a position estimation section and a second detection section. The first detection section detects one marker image as a reference marker image from a captured image. The position estimation section adopts a marker image, which is other than the reference marker image and is contained in at least one of marker-image sets containing the reference marker image, as a corresponding marker image. The position estimation section estimates a position of the corresponding marker image in the captured image based on a size of the detected reference marker image. The second detection section detects the corresponding marker image based on the estimated position of the corresponding marker image.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram to show the schematic configurations of an image processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram to show the functions of the image processing apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a drawing to show examples of a target image captured by the image processing apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention and a captured image provided by capturing the target image; and

FIG. 4 is a flowchart to show an example of processing executed by the image processing apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus for capturing a target image containing a plurality of marker images and a recognition target range identified by a marker-image set including at least parts of the marker images, the image processing apparatus comprising: an image capturing section that captures the target image to obtain a captured image;a first detection section that detects one marker image as a reference marker image from the captured image;a position estimation section that adopts a marker image, which is other than the reference marker image and is contained in at least one of marker-image sets containing the reference marker image, as a corresponding marker image, the position estimation section that estimates a position of the corresponding marker image in the captured image based on a size of the detected reference marker image; anda second detection section that detects the corresponding marker image based on the estimated position of the corresponding marker image.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second detection section corrects at least one of distortion and inclination of the captured image based on at least one of a shape and an orientation of the reference marker image before detecting the corresponding marker image.

3. An image processing apparatus for capturing a target image containing at least one marker image, the image processing apparatus comprising: an image capturing section that captures the target image to obtain a captured image;a detection section that detects the marker image from the captured image;a determination section that determines based on a size of the detected marker image whether or not a size of a recognition target range, which is contained in the target image, in the captured image is in a predetermined range; andan output section that outputs information in accordance with a determination result.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: an adjustment section that changes, in accordance with the determination result, a magnification of the image capturing section so that the size of the recognition target range in the captured image is in the predetermined range.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the information output by the output section includes guidance information to a user of the apparatus for capturing the target image.

6. An image processing method for capturing a target image containing a plurality of marker images and a recognition target range identified by a marker-image set including at least parts of the marker images, the method comprising: capturing the target image to obtain a captured image;detecting one marker image as a reference marker image from the captured image;adopting a marker image, which is other than the reference marker image and is contained in at least one of marker-image sets containing the reference marker image, as a corresponding marker image;estimating a position of the corresponding marker image in the captured image based on a size of the detected reference marker image; anddetecting the corresponding marker image based on the estimated position of the corresponding marker image.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: before the detecting of the corresponding marker image, correcting at least one of distortion and inclination of the captured image based on at least one of a shape and an orientation of the reference marker image.

8. A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for capturing a target image containing a plurality of marker images and a recognition target range identified by a marker-image set including at least parts of the marker images, the process comprising: capturing the target image to obtain a captured image;detecting one marker image as a reference marker image from the captured image;adopting a marker image, which is other than the reference marker image and is contained in at least one of marker-image sets containing the reference marker image, as a corresponding marker image;estimating a position of the corresponding marker image in the captured image based on a size of the detected reference marker image; anddetecting the corresponding marker image based on the estimated position of the corresponding marker image.

9. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 8, wherein the process further comprises: before the detecting of the corresponding marker image, correcting at least one of distortion and inclination of the captured image based on at least one of a shape and an orientation of the reference marker image.

10. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for enabling a computer to perform a process for capturing a target image containing a plurality of marker images and a recognition target range defined by a marker-image set including at least parts of the marker images, the process comprising: capturing the target image to obtain a captured image;detecting one marker image as a reference marker image from the captured image;adopting a marker image, which is other than the reference marker image and is contained in at least one of marker-image sets containing the reference marker image, as a corresponding marker image;estimating a position of the corresponding marker image in the captured image based on a size of the detected reference marker image; anddetecting the corresponding marker image based on the estimated position of the corresponding marker image.

11. The computer data signal according to claim 10, wherein the process further comprises: before the detecting of the corresponding marker image, correcting at least one of distortion and inclination of the captured image based on at least one of a shape and an orientation of the reference marker image.