Image pickup apparatus and integrated circuit therefor, image pickup method, image pickup program, and image pickup system

An imaging device comprising:

• an image input unit configured to receive inputs of a first image and a second image that are captured at different times from the same viewpoint;
• an area division unit configured to divide each of the first image and the second image to extract areas corresponding one-to-one to objects;
• a distance detection unit configured to generate distance information for each area of the first image by detecting a distance from the viewpoint to the object corresponding to the area of the first image;
• a distance selection unit configured to select whether the distance detection unit is to generate distance information for each area of the second image by detecting a distance from the viewpoint to the object corresponding to the area of the second image;
• an area correspondence determination unit configured to, when the distance selection unit selects negatively, determine a correspondence between the areas of the first image and the areas of the second image;
• and
• a distance estimation unit configured to, based on a result of the determination by the area correspondence determination unit, generate distance information for the second image by associating each of the areas of the second image with the distance information, of one of the areas of the first image, that is estimated to indicate the distance from the viewpoint to the object corresponding to the area of the second image.

An integrated circuit comprising:

• an image input unit configured to receive inputs of a first image and a second image that are captured at different times from the same viewpoint;
• an area division unit configured to divide each of the first image and the second image to extract areas corresponding one-to-one to objects;
• a distance detection unit configured to generate distance information for each area of the first image by detecting a distance from the viewpoint to the object corresponding to the area of the first image;
• a distance selection unit configured to select whether the distance detection unit is to generate distance information for each area of the second image by detecting a distance from the viewpoint to the object corresponding to the area of the second image;
• an area correspondence determination unit configured to, when the distance selection unit selects negatively, determine a correspondence between the areas of the first image and the areas of the second image;
• and
• a distance estimation unit configured to, based on a result of the determination by the area correspondence determination unit, generate distance information for the second image by associating each of the areas of the second image with the distance information, of one of the areas of the first image, that is estimated to indicate the distance from the viewpoint to the object corresponding to the area of the second image.

An imaging method comprising:

• receiving inputs of a first image and a second image that are captured at different times from the same viewpoint;
• dividing each of the first image and the second image to extract areas corresponding one-to-one to objects;
• generating distance information for each area of the first image by detecting a distance from the viewpoint to the object corresponding to the area of the first image;
• selecting whether distance information is to be generated for each area of the second image by detecting a distance from the viewpoint to the object corresponding to the area of the second image;
• when the selection is made negatively, determining a correspondence between the areas of the first image and the areas of the second image;
• and
• based on a result of the determination of the correspondence, generating distance information for the second image by associating each of the areas of the second image with the distance information, of one of the areas of the first image, that is estimated to indicate the distance from the viewpoint to the object corresponding to the area of the second image.

A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing thereon a program for causing a computer to perform imaging processing in which distance information is generated for images, the imaging processing comprising:

• receiving inputs of a first image and a second image that are captured at different times from the same viewpoint;
• dividing each of the first image and the second image to extract areas corresponding one-to-one to objects;
• generating distance information for each area of the first image by detecting a distance from the viewpoint to the object corresponding to the area of the first image;
• selecting whether distance information is to be generated for each area of the second image by detecting a distance from the viewpoint to the object corresponding to the area of the second image;
• when the selection is made negatively, determining a correspondence between the areas of the first image and the areas of the second image;
• and
• based on a result of the determination of the correspondence, generating distance information for the second image by associating each of the areas of the second image with the distance information, of one of the areas of the first image, that is estimated to indicate the distance from the viewpoint to the object corresponding to the area of the second image.

An imaging system comprising:

• a camera configured to capture a first image and a second image at different times from the same viewpoint;
• an imaging device configured to receive the first image and the second image from the camera;
• and
• a recording medium for storing images each having distance information generated by the imaging device, wherein
• the imaging device including:
• an image input unit configured to receive inputs of the first image and the second image;
• an area division unit configured to divide each of the first image and the second image to extract areas corresponding one-to-one to objects;
• a distance detection unit configured to generate distance information for each area of the first image by detecting a distance from the viewpoint to the object corresponding to the area of the first image;
• a distance selection unit configured to select whether the distance detection unit is to generate distance information for each area of the second image by detecting a distance from the viewpoint to the object corresponding to the area of the second image;
• an area correspondence determination unit configured to, when the distance selection unit selects negatively, determine a correspondence between the areas of the first image and the areas of the second image;
• and
• a distance estimation unit configured to, based on a result of the determination by the area correspondence determination unit, generate distance information for the second image by associating each of the areas of the second image with the distance information, of one of the areas of the first image, that is estimated to indicate the distance from the viewpoint to the object corresponding to the area of the second image.