# US 2018/0027242 A1 · Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0027242 A1 - Document ID: US20180027242A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/651,919 - Filed: 2017-07-17 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-22 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Saku Hiwatashi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180027242A1 ## CPC - H04N 19/17: the unit being an image region, e.g. an object - H04N 19/124: Quantisation - H04N 19/137: Motion inside a coding unit, e.g. average field, frame or block difference - H04N 19/167: Position within a video image, e.g. region of interest [ROI] - H04N 19/85: using pre-processing or post-processing specially adapted for video compression - H04N 19/20: using video object coding - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract In order to appropriately control the image quality of an intended specific region in an image without delaying an encoding process, an image processing apparatus includes a determination unit configured to determine a specific region in a first image targeted for the encoding process on the basis of (a) a time difference between a first time associated with the first image and a second time associated with a second image in which an object has been detected by a detection unit before the encoding process is executed on the first image, and (b) information on a region corresponding to the object detected by the detection unit in the second image, and executes, on the first image, the encoding process of varying image quality between a region corresponding to the specific region determined by the determination unit, and any other region. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image processing apparatus comprising: a detection unit configured to detect an object in an image; an encoding unit configured to execute an encoding process on the image; and a determination unit configured to determine a specific region in a first image targeted for the encoding process, on the basis of (a) a time difference between a first time associated with the first image and a second time associated with a second image in which an object has been detected by the detection unit before the encoding process is executed on the first image, and (b) region information corresponding to the object detected by the detection unit in the second image, wherein the encoding unit executes, on the first image, the encoding process of varying image quality between a region corresponding to a specific region determined by the determination unit, and any other region. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the region information includes information on at least one of a position, a size, a direction of movement, and a speed of movement of the region corresponding to the object detected in the second image. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines at least one of a size and a position of the specific region. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit increases a size of the specific region as the time difference of the second image from the first image is increased. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit increases a size of the specific region as a position of the specific region in the first image is closer to an edge position of the image. ### Claim 6 An image processing method comprising: executing a detection process of detecting an object in an image; determining a specific region in a first image targeted for an encoding process on the basis of (a) a time difference between a first time associated with the first image, and a second time associated with a second image in which an object has been detected by the detection process before the encoding process is executed on the first image, and (b) information on a specific region in the second image; and executing, on the first image, the encoding process of varying image quality between a region corresponding to the determined specific region and any other region. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The image processing method according to claim 6, wherein the region information includes information on at least one of a position, a size, a direction of movement, and a speed of movement of a region corresponding to the object detected in the second image. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The image processing method according to claim 6, wherein the determination step further includes determining at least one of a size and a position of the specific region. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The image processing method according to claim 6, wherein the determination step further includes increasing a size of the specific region as the time difference of the second image from the first image is increased. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The image processing method according to claim 6, wherein the determination step further includes increasing a size of the specific region as a position of the specific region in the first image is closer to an edge position of the image. ### Claim 11 A non-transitory computer readable memory storing a program for executing an image processing method, the image processing method comprising: executing a detection process of detecting an object in an image; determining a specific region in a first image targeted for an encoding process on the basis of (a) a time difference between a first time associated with the first image, and a second time associated with a second image in which an object has been detected by the detection process before the encoding process is executed on the first image, and (b) information on a specific region in the second image; and executing, on the first image, the encoding process of varying image quality between a region corresponding to the determined specific region and any other region. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer readable memory according to claim 11, wherein the region information includes information on at least one of a position, a size, a direction of movement, and a speed of movement of a region corresponding to the object detected in the second image. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer readable memory according to claim 11, wherein the determination step further includes determining at least one of a size and a position of the specific region. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer readable memory according to claim 11, wherein the determination step further includes increasing a size of the specific region as the time difference of the second image from the first image is increased. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer readable memory according to claim 11, wherein the determination step further includes increasing a size of the specific region as a position of the specific region in the first image is closer to an edge position of the image.