Moving image anchoring apparatus and hypermedia apparatus which estimate the movement of an anchor based on the movement of the object with which the anchor is associated

A moving image anchor setting apparatus for inputting a moving image and setting an anchor to the moving image, comprising:

• a frame specification portion for specifying a first standard frame and a second standard frame from a plurality of frames constituting the moving image;
• an anchor setting portion for setting an anchor by selecting a particular region overlapping a target object within one of the first standard frame and the second standard frame to be an anchor region, the anchor associated with anchor information relating to the anchor region;
• an anchor estimating portion for estimating anchor information for a frame existing between the first standard frame and the second standard frame based on the respective anchor information determined for the first and second standard frames;
• the anchor estimating portion estimates anchor information in the non-standard frame by interpolating using the anchor information determined for the first standard frame and the anchor information for the second standard frame;
• the anchor setting portion includes an automatic anchor setting portion, wherein
• the automatic anchor setting portion chooses a given number of frames from an anchor setting period and renders them new standard frames, and thereafter automatically sets anchor information for the new standard frames by tracking a position of an anchor based on movement of an outline of the target object;
• the anchor setting portion includes a standard frame deletion portion;
• and
• when anchor information at a particular standard frame is acquired having a designated permissible deviation value from an interpolation calculation of anchor information in other standard frames, the standard frame deletion portion demotes the particular standard frame to a non-standard frame.

A moving image anchor setting apparatus for inputting a moving image and setting an anchor to the moving image, comprising:

• a frame specification portion for specifying a first standard frame and a second standard frame from a plurality of frames constituting the moving image;
• an anchor setting portion for setting an anchor by selecting a particular region overlapping a target object within one of the first standard frame and the second standard frame to be an anchor region, the anchor associated with anchor information relating to the anchor region;
• an anchor estimating portion for estimating anchor information for a frame existing between the first standard frame and the second standard frame based on the respective anchor information determined for the first and second standard frames;
• the anchor estimating portion estimates anchor information in the non-standard frame by interpolating using the anchor information determined for the first standard frame and the anchor information for the second standard frame;
• the anchor setting portion includes an automatic anchor setting portion, wherein
• the automatic anchor setting portion chooses a given number of frames from an anchor setting period and renders them new standard frames, and thereafter automatically sets anchor information for the new standard frame by tracking a position of an anchor based on a movement vector of the target object;
• the anchor setting portion includes a standard frame deletion portion;
• and
• when anchor information at a particular standard frame is acquired having a designated permissible deviation value from an interpolation calculation of anchor information in other standard frames, the standard frame deletion portion demotes the particular standard frame to a non-standard frame.

A moving image anchor setting apparatus, comprising:

• an anchor information setting portion for designating one or more standard frames from among a plurality of frames constituting a moving image to set anchor information to each of the one or more standard frames;
• an anchor estimating portion for estimating anchor information of a non-standard frame based on the set anchor information;
• a modifier for modifying the estimated anchor information of the non-standard frame;
• and
• an anchor information editing portion for changing the non-standard frame whose anchor information was modified to a standard frame.

A moving image anchor setting apparatus, comprising:

• an anchor information setting portion for designating one or more standard frames from among a plurality of frames constituting a moving image to set anchor information to each of the one or more standard frames;
• an anchor estimating portion for estimating anchor information of a non-standard frame based on the set anchor information;
• a judgement portion for judging whether or not the anchor information set to one or more standard frames is able to be calculated within a predetermined error tolerance, based on anchor information set to other standard frame;
• and
• a standard frame deleting portion for changing the one or more standard frames to non-standard frames when the judgement portion judges the anchor information is able to be calculated within the predetermined error tolerance.