Image processing apparatus, method and recording medium for generating a composite image

An image processing method comprising:

• an image obtaining step of continuously obtaining plural pieces of image data, which have substantially the same field angle;
• a reference-image generating step of generating reference image data to be used for an image composition based on the plural pieces of image data obtained at the image obtaining step;
• an image selecting step of selecting at least two pieces of arbitrary image data from among the plural pieces of image data obtained at the image obtaining step;
• a first difference calculating unit for calculating differences between the plural pieces of arbitrary image data selected at the image selecting step for two adjacent pixels;
• a second difference calculating unit for calculating differences in pixel values of the plural pieces of arbitrary image data from the reference image data generated at the reference-image generating step;
• a function setting step of setting a function having variables of the differences calculated at the first difference calculating step and the differences calculated at the second difference calculating step;
• a boundary setting step of setting boundaries respectively in the plural pieces of arbitrary image data so as to minimize the function set at the function setting step;
• and
• an image combining step of combining together the plural pieces of arbitrary image data selected at the image selecting step based on the boundaries set at the boundary setting step.

A computer readable recording medium to be mounted on an image processing apparatus, wherein the image processing apparatus is provided with a computer for controlling the whole operation of the image processing apparatus, the recording medium storing a program, when executed by the computer, to make the computer perform means comprising:

• image obtaining means for continuously obtaining plural pieces of image data, which have substantially the same field angle;
• reference-image generating means for generating reference image data to be used for an image composition based on the plural pieces of image data obtained by the image obtaining means;
• image selecting means for selecting at least two pieces of arbitrary image data from among the plural pieces of image data obtained by the image obtaining means;
• first difference calculating means for calculating differences between the plural pieces of arbitrary image data selected by the image selecting means for two adjacent pixels;
• second difference calculating means for calculating differences in pixel values of the plural pieces of arbitrary image data from the reference image data generated by the reference-image generating means;
• function setting means for setting a function having variables of the differences calculated by the first difference calculating means and the differences calculated by the second difference calculating means;
• boundary setting means for setting boundaries respectively in the plural pieces of arbitrary image data so as to minimize the function set by the function setting means;
• and
• image combining means for combining together the plural pieces of arbitrary image data selected by the image selecting means based on the boundaries set by the boundary setting means.