Image processing device, image processing method, image pickup device, and image pickup method

An image pickup device comprising:

• an image pickup unit;
• per-block motion vector calculating means for calculating a motion vector between two pictures of a picked-up image from said image pickup unit, performing block matching in each of divided regions obtained by dividing one picture into a plurality of regions, and calculating a per-block motion vector for each of said divided regions;
• translation amount calculating means for calculating an amount of translation of the other of said two pictures with respect to one of said two pictures from a plurality of said per-block motion vectors calculated by said per-block motion vector calculating means;
• rotation angle calculating means for calculating a rotation angle of the other of said two pictures with respect to one of said two pictures from the plurality of said per-block motion vectors calculated by said per-block motion vector calculating means;
• rotation and translation adding means for superimposing a plurality of pictures of said picked-up image from said image pickup unit on each other using the amount of translation calculated by said translation amount calculating means and the rotation angle calculated by said rotation angle calculating means;
• and
• recording means for recording data of said picked-up image obtained by superimposing the plurality of pictures on each other by said rotation and translation adding means onto a recording medium.

An image processing method comprising:

• calculating a motion vector between two pictures of an image input in picture units sequentially;
• performing block matching in each of divided regions obtained by dividing one picture into a plurality of regions, and calculating a per-block motion vector for each of said divided regions;
• calculating an amount of translation of the other of said two pictures with respect to one of said two pictures from a plurality of said per-block motion vectors calculated in said per-block motion vector calculating step;
• calculating a rotation angle of the other of said two pictures with respect to one of said two pictures from the plurality of said per-block motion vectors calculated in said per-block motion vector calculating step;
• and
• superimposing a plurality of pictures on each other using the amount of translation calculated in said translation amount calculating step and the rotation angle calculated in said rotation angle calculating step.

An image pickup method comprising:

• calculating a motion vector between two pictures of a picked-up image from an image pickup unit;
• performing block matching in each of divided regions obtained by dividing one picture into a plurality of regions;
• calculating a per-block motion vector for each of said divided regions;
• calculating an amount of translation of the other of said two pictures with respect to one of said two pictures from a plurality of said per-block motion vectors calculated in said per-block motion vector calculating step;
• calculating a rotation angle of the other of said two pictures with respect to one of said two pictures from the plurality of said per-block motion vectors calculated in said per-block motion vector calculating means;
• superimposing a plurality of pictures of said picked-up image from said image pickup unit on each other using the amount of translation calculated in said translation amount calculating step and the rotation angle calculated in said rotation angle calculating step;
• and
• recording data of said picked-up image obtained by superimposing the plurality of pictures on each other in said rotation and translation adding step onto a recording medium.

An image processing device comprising:

• a per-block motion vector calculating section configured to calculate a motion vector between two pictures of an image input in picture units sequentially, to perform block matching in each of divided regions obtained by dividing one picture into a plurality of regions, and to calculate a per-block motion vector for each of said divided regions;
• a translation amount calculating section configured to calculate an amount of translation of the other of said two pictures with respect to one of said two pictures from a plurality of said per-block motion vectors calculated by said per-block motion vector calculating section;
• a rotation angle calculating section configured to calculate a rotation angle of the other of said two pictures with respect to one of said two pictures from the plurality of said per-block motion vectors calculated by said per-block motion vector calculating section;
• and
• a rotation and translation adding section configured to superimpose a plurality of pictures on each other using the amount of translation calculated by said translation amount calculating section and the rotation angle calculated by said rotation angle calculating section.