# US 2013/0156316 A1 · Image providing device, image processing method, image processing program, and recording medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0156316 A1 - Document ID: US20130156316A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/819,102 - Filed: 2012-04-02 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-06-24 - Assignees: Rakuten, Inc. - Inventors: Soh Masuko - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130156316A1 ## CPC - H04N 1/3872: {Repositioning or masking} - G06T 11/00: Two-dimensional [2D] image generation - H04N 1/3873: {defined only by a limited number of coordinate points or parameters, e.g. corners, centre; for trimming} - G06T 2200/32: involving image mosaicing - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract When assigning an acquired image to a region that satisfies conditions where the acquired image can be assigned, the acquired image is not wasted as much as possible. An image providing device acquires an image specified by a user, searches for a region satisfying conditions where the acquired posted image can be assigned, and assigns the acquired image to the searched region. If there is no region that satisfies the conditions where the acquired posted image can be assigned, the image providing device further divides any one of regions to which no image is assigned into a plurality of regions, assigns the acquired image to a region satisfying conditions where the acquired image can be assigned among a plurality of regions formed by division, and causes a mosaic image in which the acquired image is placed to be displayed based on assignment. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-10. (canceled) ### Claim 11 An image providing device for providing a mosaic image of an original image divided into a plurality of regions, the image providing device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires an image specified by a user; a first search unit that searches for a region satisfying conditions where the acquired image can be assigned; a first assignment unit that assigns the acquired image to the region searched for by the first search unit; a dividing unit that further divides any one of regions to which no image is assigned into a plurality of regions when there is no region satisfying the conditions where the acquired image can be assigned as a result of the search by the first search unit; a second assignment unit that assigns the acquired image to a region satisfying the conditions where the acquired image can be assigned among the plurality of regions formed by the division by the dividing unit; and a presentation unit that, on the basis of the assignment by the first assignment unit or the second assignment unit, causes a mosaic image in which the acquired image is placed to be presented. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The image providing device according to claim 11, further comprising: a determination unit that determines whether or not the number of regions to which no image is assigned is smaller than or equal to a preset number, wherein the dividing unit performs division only when it is determined that the number of regions to which no image is assigned is smaller than or equal to the preset number. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The image providing device according to claim 11, further comprising: a second search unit that, when there is no region satisfying the conditions where the acquired image can be assigned as a result of the search by the first search unit, searches for a region satisfying the conditions where the acquired image can be assigned from a plurality of regions formed if each of regions to which no image is assigned is divided, wherein the dividing unit divides a certain region among the regions to which no image is assigned, the certain region being a region from which a region searched for by the second search unit is formed if the certain region is divided. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The image providing device according to claim 11, further comprising: a second search unit that, when there is no region satisfying the conditions where the acquired image can be assigned as a result of the search by the first search unit, searches for a region satisfying the conditions where the acquired image can be assigned from a plurality of regions formed if a certain region to which no image is assigned is divided by each of a plurality of division modes different from each other, wherein the dividing unit divides the certain region by a division mode by which the region searched for by the second search unit is formed. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The image providing device according to claim 14, wherein the division mode includes the number of regions formed by division, and the smaller the number of regions formed by division the division mode includes, the more preferentially the dividing unit determines the division mode to be a division mode used to perform the division. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The image providing device according to claim 13, further comprising: a color information generation unit that generates in advance color information indicating a representative color of an image of each region formed if each region formed by dividing the original image in advance is divided by the dividing unit; and a storage unit that stores each piece of the generated color information, wherein, on the basis of color information indicating a representative color of the acquired image and color information indicating representative colors of images of regions to which no image is assigned, the first search unit searches for a region satisfying the conditions where the acquired image can be assigned, and the second search unit searches for a region satisfying the conditions where the acquired image can be assigned on the basis of the color information of the acquired image and the stored color information. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The image providing device according to claim 13, further comprising: a color information generation unit that, when the second search unit searches for a region satisfying the conditions where the acquired image can be assigned from a plurality of regions formed if a certain region to which no image is assigned is divided, generates color information indicating a representative color of images of the formed regions, wherein, on the basis of color information indicating a representative color of the acquired image and color information indicating representative colors of images of regions to which no image is assigned, the first search unit searches for a region satisfying the conditions where the acquired image can be assigned, and the second search unit searches for a region satisfying the conditions where the acquired image can be assigned on the basis of the color information of the acquired image and the generated color information. ### Claim 18 An image processing method in an image providing device for providing a mosaic image of an original image divided into a plurality of regions, the image processing method comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring an image specified by a user; a first search step of searching for a region satisfying conditions where the acquired image can be assigned; a first assignment step of assigning the acquired image to the region searched for in the first search step; a dividing step of further dividing any one of regions to which no image is assigned into a plurality of regions when there is no region satisfying the conditions where the acquired image can be assigned as a result of the search in the first search step; a second assignment step of assigning the acquired image to a region satisfying the conditions where the acquired image can be assigned among the plurality of regions formed by the division in the dividing step; and a presentation step of, on the basis of the assignment in the first assignment step or the second assignment step, causing a mosaic image in which the acquired image is placed to be presented. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory recording medium in which an image processing program is computer-readably recorded, the image processing program causing a computer, which is included in an image providing device for providing a mosaic image of an original image divided into a plurality of regions, to function as: an acquisition unit that acquires an image specified by a user; a first search unit that searches for a region satisfying conditions where the acquired image can be assigned; a first assignment unit that assigns the acquired image to the region searched for by the first search unit; a dividing unit that further divides any one of regions to which no image is assigned into a plurality of regions when there is no region satisfying the conditions where the acquired image can be assigned as a result of the search by the first search unit; a second assignment unit that assigns the acquired image to a region satisfying the conditions where the acquired image can be assigned among the plurality of regions formed by the division by the dividing unit; and a presentation unit that, on the basis of the assignment by the first assignment unit or the second assignment unit, causes a mosaic image in which the acquired image is placed to be presented.