Image generation apparatus, image generation method, and program

An image generation apparatus wherein:

• K as an integer greater than or equal to 3, k as an parameter representing an integer, and P1, P3, . . . , P2K−1 as projectors installed aligned in a single row;
• a viewpoint corresponding to an installation position of a projector P2k−1 as an observation viewpoint V2k−1 (1≤k≤K), a viewpoint corresponding to an intermediate position of installation positions of two adjacent projectors P2k−1 and P2k+1 as an intermediate viewpoint V2k (1≤k≤K−1), an image in the observation viewpoint V2k−1 as an observation viewpoint image I2k−1 (1≤k≤K), and an image in the intermediate viewpoint V2k as an intermediate viewpoint image I2k (1≤k≤K−1);
• and
• a set of the observation viewpoint image I2k−1, the intermediate viewpoint image I2k, and an observation viewpoint image I2k+1 as a block Bk (1≤k≤K−1),
• the image generation apparatus comprising:
• a synthesis ratio determiner configured to determine a synthesis ratio Ak in the block Bk by using an intermediate viewpoint image I2k−2, the observation viewpoint image I2k−1, the intermediate viewpoint image I2k, the observation viewpoint image I2k+1, and an intermediate viewpoint image I2k+2, for the block Bk (1≤k≤K−1) (where I0=I2, I2K=I2K−2);
• and
• an output image generator configured to generate an output image S2k−1 of the projector P2k−1 from the intermediate viewpoint image I2k−2, the observation viewpoint image I2k−1, and the intermediate viewpoint image I2k by using synthesis ratios Ak−1, Ak, for k satisfying 1≤k≤K (where A0=A1, AK=AK−1, I0=I2, I2K=I2K−2),
• wherein the synthesis ratio determiner includes:
• an image quality evaluation index determiner configured to generate a synthesis image J2k−1 from the intermediate viewpoint image I2k−2, the observation viewpoint image I2k−1, and the intermediate viewpoint image I2k, and a synthesis image J2k+1 from the intermediate viewpoint image I2k, the observation viewpoint image I2k+1, and the intermediate viewpoint image I2k+2, for a plurality of synthesis ratios (each synthesis ratio is a real number 0 or greater and 1 or smaller), determine an image quality evaluation index in the observation viewpoint V2k−1, an image quality evaluation index in the intermediate viewpoint V2k, and an image quality evaluation index in an observation viewpoint V2k+1 by using the synthesis images J2k−1, J2k+1, and determine a variation vk of an image quality evaluation index in the block Bk by using the image quality evaluation index in the observation viewpoint V2k−1, the image quality evaluation index in the intermediate viewpoint V2k, and the image quality evaluation index in the observation viewpoint V2k+1;
• and
• an image quality evaluation index comparator configured to determine the synthesis ratio Ak based on the variation vk of the image quality evaluation index in the block Bk.

An image generation apparatus wherein:

• K as an integer greater than or equal to 3, k as an parameter representing an integer, and P1, P3, . . . , P2K−1 as projectors installed aligned in a circular alignment, the projectors being for projecting an image onto a circular screen;
• a viewpoint corresponding to an installation position of a projector P2k−1 as an observation viewpoint V2k−1 (1≤k≤K), a viewpoint corresponding to an intermediate position of installation positions of two adjacent projectors P2k−1 and P2k+1 (where P2K+1=P1) as an intermediate viewpoint V2k (1≤k≤K), an image in the observation viewpoint V2k−1 as an observation viewpoint image I2k−1 (1≤k≤K), and an image in the intermediate viewpoint V2k as an intermediate viewpoint image I2k (1≤k≤K);
• and
• a set of the observation viewpoint image I2k−1, the intermediate viewpoint image I2k, and an observation viewpoint image I2k+1 (where I2K+1=I1) as a block Bk (1≤k≤K),
• the image generation apparatus comprising:
• a synthesis ratio determiner configured to determine a synthesis ratio Ak in the block Bk by using an intermediate viewpoint image I2k−2, the observation viewpoint image I2k−1, the intermediate viewpoint image I2k, the observation viewpoint image I2k+1, and an intermediate viewpoint image I2k+2, for the block Bk (1≤k≤K) (where I0=I2K, I2K+1=I1, I2K+2=I2);
• and
• an output image generator configured to generate an output image S2k2−1 of the projector P2k−1 from the intermediate viewpoint image I2k−2, the observation viewpoint image I2k−1, and the intermediate viewpoint image I2k by using synthesis ratios Ak−1, Ak, for k satisfying 1≤k≤K (where A0=AK, I0=I2K),
• wherein the synthesis ratio determiner includes:
• an image quality evaluation index determiner configured to generate a synthesis image J2k−1 from the intermediate viewpoint image I2k−2, the observation viewpoint image and the intermediate viewpoint image I2k, and a synthesis image J2k+1 from the intermediate viewpoint image I2k, the observation viewpoint image I2k+1, and the intermediate viewpoint image I2k+2, for a plurality of synthesis ratios (each synthesis ratio is a real number 0 or greater and 1 or smaller), determine an image quality evaluation index in the observation viewpoint V2k−1, an image quality evaluation index in the intermediate viewpoint V2k, and an image quality evaluation index in an observation viewpoint V2k+1 by using the synthesis images J2k−1, J2k+1, and determine a variation vk of an image quality evaluation index in the block Bk by using the image quality evaluation index in the observation viewpoint V2k−1, the image quality evaluation index in the intermediate viewpoint V2k, and the image quality evaluation index in the observation viewpoint V2k+1 (where J2K+1=J1, V2K+1=V1);
• and
• an image quality evaluation index comparison unit that determines the synthesis ratio Ak based on the variation vk of the image quality evaluation index in the block Bk.