Image Processing Apparatus, Image Processing Method, and Program

An image processing method for use in an image processing apparatus, comprising:

• performing projective transformation on a left image and a right image captured from different points of view using a projective transformation unit;
• generating a projective transformation parameter used by the projective transformation unit by receiving feature point information regarding the left image and the right image using a projective transformation parameter generating unit;
• performing stereo matching using a left projective transformation image and a right projective transformation image subjected to projective transformation performed by the projective transformation unit and using a stereo matching unit;
• and
• computing image rotation angle information regarding the left projective transformation image and the right projective transformation image and correspondence information of an error evaluation value of the stereo matching using a matching error minimization control unit;
• wherein the image rotation angle at which the error evaluation value is minimized is computed in computing image rotation angle information regarding the left projective transformation image and the right projective transformation image and correspondence information of an error evaluation value of the stereo matching, and wherein the projective transformation parameter that reflects the image rotation angle at which the error evaluation value is minimized is computed in generating a projective transformation parameter.

A program for causing an image processing apparatus to perform image processing, comprising:

• an instruction to perform projective transformation on a left image and a right image captured from different points of view using a projective transformation unit;
• an instruction to generate a projective transformation parameter used by the projective transformation unit by receiving feature point information regarding the left image and the right image using a projective transformation parameter generating unit;
• an instruction to perform stereo matching using a left projective transformation image and a right projective transformation image subjected to projective transformation performed by the projective transformation unit and using a stereo matching unit;
• and
• an instruction to compute image rotation angle information regarding the left projective transformation image and the right projective transformation image and correspondence information of an error evaluation value of the stereo matching using a matching error minimization control unit;
• wherein the instruction to compute image rotation angle information regarding the left projective transformation image and the right projective transformation image and correspondence information of an error evaluation value of the stereo matching includes an instruction to compute the image rotation angle at which the error evaluation value is minimized, and wherein the instruction to generate a projective transformation parameter includes an instruction to compute the projective transformation parameter that reflects the image rotation angle at which the error evaluation value is minimized.