Image superimposing apparatus

Abstract

A deepest part searching means divides each frame of a background image into a plurality of blocks, and searches for a candidate for the deepest part of the background image which is located the deepest in a direction of the depth of the background image, a deepest part determining means selects one of the searched candidate for the deepest part of the background image and predetermined candidates for the deepest part of the background image so as to determine the deepest part of the background image, a superimposing determining means determines a superimposing method of superimposing each of the series of images to be superimposed on the background image, and a superimposing processing means superimposes the series of images to be superimposed on the background image on a frame-by-frame basis according to the determined superimposing method.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of an image superimposing apparatus in accordance with embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example in which each frame of a background image is divided into nine blocks by a deepest part searching means of the image superimposing apparatus in accordance with embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing carried out by the deepest part searching means of the image superimposing apparatus in accordance with embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example in which a deepest part determining means selects one of a searched candidate for the deepest part of the background image, and predetermined candidates for the deepest part of the background image, according to probabilities respectively preset to them, those probabilities being predetermined dependently upon the season in which the background image was created, so as to determine the deepest part of the background image;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the first frame of an image outputted by an image output means of the image superimposing apparatus in accordance with embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a second frame of the image outputted by an image output means of the image superimposing apparatus in accordance with embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a sixth frame of the image outputted by an image output means of the image superimposing apparatus in accordance with embodiment 1 of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the image outputted by the image output means of the image superimposing apparatus in accordance with embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Claims

1. An image superimposing apparatus comprising: an image-to-be-superimposed input means for inputting an image to be superimposed; a background image input means for inputting a background image which is used as a background against which the image to be superimposed is to be displayed;a display form input means for inputting a display form of the image to be superimposed;a display start position setting means for setting a display start position at which a display of the image to be superimposed on said background image is started; anda superimposing processing means for acquiring the image to be superimposed inputted by said superimposing image input means, the background image inputted by said background image input means, and the display form inputted by said display form input means, and for starting a display of said image to be superimposed from the display start position set by said display start position setting means.

2. An image superimposing apparatus comprising: an image-to-be-superimposed input means for inputting a series of images to be superimposed, such as character strings or figures for explanation;a background image input means for inputting a background image which is used as a background against which the series of images to be superimposed are to be displayed;a parameter input means for inputting display information required for a display of each of the series of images to be superimposed, the display information being dependent upon for which time each of the series of images to be superimposed is to be displayed;a deepest part searching means for dividing each frame of the background image inputted by said background image input means into a plurality of blocks, and for searching for a candidate for a deepest part of the background image which can be assumed to be located deepest with respect to a direction of a depth of the background image based on a color distribution or brightness of each of the plurality of blocks;a deepest part determining means for selecting one of the candidate for the deepest part of the background image which is searched by said deepest part searching means, and predetermined candidates for the deepest part of the background image, according to a probability preset to the searched candidate for the deepest part of the background image, and probabilities respectively preset to the predetermined candidates for the deepest part of the background image, those probabilities being predetermined dependently upon a certain parameter indicating contents of the background image, so as to determine the deepest part of the background image;a superimposing determining means for acquiring the background image inputted by said background image input means, the series of images to be superimposed inputted by said superimposing image input means, the display information required for the display of each of the series of images to be superimposed, which is inputted by said parameter input means, and information about the deepest part of the background image determined by said deepest part determining means, and for determining a superimposing method of superimposing each of the series of images to be superimposed on the background image, the superimposing method being dependent upon for which time each of the series of images to be superimposed is to be displayed; anda superimposing processing means for acquiring the background image inputted by said background image input means, and the series of images to be superimposed inputted by said superimposing image input means, and for superimposing the series of images to be superimposed on the background image on a frame-by-frame basis according to the superimposing method of superimposing each of the series of images to be superimposed on the background image, which is determined by said superimposing determining means.

3. The image superimposing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said deepest part searching means checks the color distribution of each of the plurality of divided blocks, and, when determining that a number of blue-colored blocks included in the plurality of blocks in each frame of the background image is equal to or larger than a predetermined number, selects, as the candidate for the deepest part of the background image, a central or upper central one of the blue-colored blocks.

4. The image superimposing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said deepest part searching means checks the brightness of each of the plurality of divided blocks, and, when determining that the background image can be divided into a bright upper portion and a dark lower portion, selects, as the candidate for the deepest part of the background image, an upper central one of the plurality of blocks.

5. The image superimposing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said deepest part searching means checks the brightness of each of the plurality of divided blocks, and, when determining that the background image is dark as a whole, and a block of high brightness is included in the plurality of divided blocks, selects, as the candidate for the deepest part of the background image, the block of high brightness.

6. The image superimposing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said deepest part determining means uses a season in which the background image was created as the predetermined parameter.

7. The image superimposing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said deepest part determining means uses a type of fashion as the predetermined parameter.

8. The image superimposing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said superimposing determining means determines, as a display start position at which the display of each of the series of images to be superimposed is started, the deepest part of the background image determined by said deepest part determining means.

9. The image superimposing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said superimposing determining means detects a hierarchic structure of objects contained in the background image, and determines, as a display start position at which the display of each of the series of images to be superimposed is started, a position corresponding to a back of an object which is located deepest in the hierarchic structure of the objects contained in the background image.

10. The image superimposing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said superimposing determining means acquires the display information required for the display of each of the series of images to be superimposed, such as position information, size information, inclination information, color information, focus information, and transparency information, which is inputted by the parameter input means, and determines a superimposing method of superimposing each of the series of images to be superimposed on the background image at which position of the background image, in what size, in what inclination, in what color, with how each of the series of images to be superimposed gets blurred, and in what transparency.

11. The image superimposing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said superimposing determining means determines the superimposing of each of the series of images to be superimposed so that each of the series of images to be superimposed has a size that becomes large gradually while moving from a display start position at which the display of each of the series of images to be superimposed is started to a display end position at which the display of each of the series of images to be superimposed is ended.

12. The image superimposing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said superimposing determining means determines the superimposing of each of the series of images to be superimposed so that each of the series of images to be superimposed doesn't have a same color as the background image on which each of the series of images to be superimposed is superimposed.

13. The image superimposing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said superimposing determining means acquires information about a detected position of a viewer who is viewing and listening to the series of images to be superimposed from said parameter input means, and determines that a series of display positions at which each of the series of images to be superimposed is to be sequentially displayed are running from the deepest part of the background image along the direction of the depth of the background image.

14. The image superimposing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said superimposing determining means determines a series of display positions at which each of the series of images to be superimposed is to be sequentially displayed based on movements of an object contained in the background image.

15. The image superimposing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the series of images to be superimposed is a short sentence, and said superimposing determining means determines the superimposing of each of the series of images to be superimposed so that they are separately displayed.

16. The image superimposing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said superimposing determining means determines the superimposing of each of the series of images to be superimposed so that each of them moves in a zigzag direction and in a form of a belt from a display start position at which the display of each of the series of images to be superimposed is started to a display end position at which the display of each of the series of images to be superimposed is ended.