# US 2010/0166337 A1 · Image merge device and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0166337 A1 - Document ID: US20100166337A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/721,219 - Filed: 2010-03-10 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2007-09-25 - Assignees: Fujitsu Limited - Inventors: Kimitaka MURASHITA; Masayoshi Shimizu; Kaoru Chujo; Yasuhiro Kawakatsu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100166337A1 ## CPC - H04N 5/262: Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects {; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects} - G06T 7/32: using correlation-based methods - H04N 5/265: Mixing - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract The image merge device includes a common area determination unit configured to determine a common area between a first image and a second image; a correlation calculation unit configured to calculate a correlation level indicating a degree of a gap between the first image near a boundary of the first image and the second image and the second image near the boundary when the first image and the second image are aligned using the common area; and a superimposed area determination unit configured to determine a superimposed area in which the first and second images are superimposed near the boundary based on the correlation level calculated by the correlation calculation unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image merge device which merges a first image and a second image, comprising: a common area determination unit configured to determine a common area between the first image and the second image; a correlation calculation unit configured to calculate a correlation level indicating a degree of a gap between the first image near a boundary of the first image and the second image and the second image near the boundary when the first image and the second image are aligned using the common area; and a superimposed area determination unit configured to determine a superimposed area in which the first and second images are superimposed near the boundary based on the correlation level calculated by the correlation calculation unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image merge device according to claim 1, wherein the correlation calculation unit calculates the correlation level for area within a predetermined width from the boundary when the first and second images are aligned using the common area. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image merge device according to claim 1, wherein the correlation calculation unit acquires pixels in the vicinity of the boundary from each of the first image and the second image, and calculates the correlation level based on statistics of the pixels. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The image merge device according to claim 3, wherein the correlation calculation unit calculates the correlation level based on at least one of statistics of brightness, chroma, a color temperature, and a difference in pixel value. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The image merge device according to claim 3, wherein the statistics is any of an average value, a maximum value, a cumulative sum, a standard deviation, and a dispersion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image merge device according to claim 1, wherein the superimposed area determination unit determines a size of the superimposed area based on the correlation level. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image merge device according to claim 1, wherein the superimposed area determination unit broadens the superimposed area when the correlation level is low. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image merge device according to claim 1, wherein the superimposed area determination unit narrows the superimposed area when the correlation level is high. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image merge device according to claim 1, wherein a maximum value and a minimum value of the superimposed area is assigned to the superimposed area determination unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The image merge device according to claim 9, wherein the maximum value and the minimum value is arbitrarily set. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The image merge device according to claim 1, wherein a merge rate of the first and second images in the superimposed area changes depending on a distance from the boundary. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The image merge device according to claim 1, further comprising an image conversion unit configured to compare the correlation level with a predetermined value, and convert at least one of the first and second images based on a result of the comparison. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The image merge device according to claim 12, wherein the image conversion unit converts at least one of the first and second images so that the correlation level after the conversion become high. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The image merge device according to claim 12, wherein the image conversion unit converts at least one of the first and second images so that a gap between images after the conversion become small. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The image merge device according to claim 12, wherein the image conversion unit converts the image in the vicinity of the boundary. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The image merge device according to claim 12, wherein the image conversion unit repeats the conversion process until the result of the comparison satisfies a predetermined condition. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The image merge device according to claim 1, further comprising a shift amount calculation unit configure to calculate an amount of shift of the first and second images, wherein the common area determination unit aligns the first and second images based on the amount of shift, and determines an area overlapping between the first and second images as the common area, the boundary is an edge of the common area. ### Claim 18 A record medium storing an image merge program for enabling a computer to perform a image merge method, the image merge method comprising: determining a common area between the first image and the second image; calculating a correlation level indicating a degree of a gap between the first image near a boundary of the first image and the second image and the second image near the boundary when the first image and the second image are aligned using the common area; and determining a superimposed area in which the first and second images are superimposed near the boundary based on the correlation level. ### Claim 19 An image merge method for merging a first image and a second image, comprising: determining a common area between the first image and the second image; calculating a correlation level indicating a degree of a gap between the first image near a boundary of the first image and the second image and the second image near the boundary when the first image and the second image are aligned using the common area; and determining a superimposed area in which the first and second images are superimposed near the boundary based on the correlation level.