Method of extracting image from input image using reference image

An image segmentation method for segmenting a predetermined image region from an input image input from an external device such as an image input device using a reference image, comprising:

• the edge distribution extraction step of extracting edge distributions in the input image and reference image;
• the direction-classified line detection step of detecting, in each of a plurality of blocks divided on an image screen, line distributions in terms of predetermined directions in the input image and reference image on the basis of the extracted edge distributions;
• the singular edge extraction step of extracting a singular edge on the basis of a difference between the detected line distributions in each of said directions between the reference image and input image;
• and
• the image extraction step of extracting the predetermined image region in the input image on the basis of the extracted singular edge.

An image identification method for identifying an object, which is not present in a reference image, in an input image including the object using a standard model image representing a predetermined object and the reference image, comprising:

• the edge intensity distribution extraction step of extracting edge intensity distributions in the reference image and input image;
• the direction-classified line detection step of detecting, in each of a plurality of blocks divided on an image screen, line components in terms of predetermined directions for edges in the reference image and input image on the basis of the extracted edge intensity distributions;
• the auto-framing step of specifying an existence range of the object in the input image on the basis of a distribution of differences between the detected line components in each of said directions between the reference image and input image;
• and
• the model size estimation step of estimating a size with respect to the standard model image on the basis of the specified existence range of the object,
• wherein a size of the standard model image is changed to the estimated size, and thereafter, the object is identified on the basis of similarity between the object image present in the existence range in the input image and the size-changed standard model image.

An image segmentation method for extracting an object, which is not present in a reference image, from an input image including the object using the reference image, comprising:

• the edge intensity distribution extraction step of extracting edge intensity distributions in the reference image and input image;
• the direction-classified line detection step of detecting, in each of a plurality of blocks divided on an image screen, line components in terms of predetermined directions for edges in the reference image and input image on the basis of the extracted edge intensity distributions;
• the auto-framing step of specifying an existence range of the object in the input image on the basis of a distribution of differences between the detected line components in each of said directions between the reference image and input image;
• and
• the extraction processing step of performing extraction processing of the object within the specified existence range of the object.

An image segmentation method for segmenting an image region to be extracted from an input image using a reference image that represents a region approximating a remaining region excluding the image region, comprising:

• the edge intensity distribution extraction step of extracting edge intensity distributions in the reference image and input image;
• the direction-classified line detection step of detecting, in each of a plurality of blocks divided on an image screen, line components in terms of predetermined directions for edges in the reference image and input image on the basis of the extracted edge intensity distributions;
• the singular contour extraction step of extracting a singular contour portion of the image region to be extracted on the basis of a distribution of differences between the detected line components in each of said directions in the reference image and input image;
• and
• the image extraction step of extracting the image region to be extracted on the basis of distribution data representing the extracted singular contour portion.

An image segmentation method for segmenting an image region to be extracted from an input image using a reference image that represents a region approximating a remaining region excluding the image region, comprising:

• the low-resolution image extraction step of extracting low-resolution image portions in the input image and reference image;
• the image matching step of performing matching corresponding points between for the input image and reference image;
• the dominant line map extraction step of segmenting the input image and reference image into a plurality of blocks an detecting, in each of a plurality of blocks divided on an image screen, dominant line direction components in the blocks;
• and
• the extraction step of extracting the image region on the basis of a degree of mating between a label in each of said directions of each edge of the input image and a label of the dominant line map of the reference image at the edge position.

An image segmentation apparatus for segmenting an image region to be extracted from an input image using a reference image that represents a region substantially equal to a remaining region excluding the image region, comprising:

• storage means for storing the reference image;
• edge extraction means for extracting edge distributions in the input image and reference image;
• direction-classified line detection means for detecting, in each of a plurality of blocks divided on an image screen, line distributions in terms of directions in the input image and reference image on the basis of the extracted edge distributions;
• corresponding point extraction means for extracting corresponding point information between the reference image and input image;
• transformation means for geometrically transforming one of the input image and reference image on the basis of the extracted corresponding point information;
• singular edge extraction means for extracting a singular edge on the basis of a line distribution difference in each of said directions between the geometrically transformed image, and the other image;
• and
• segmentation means for segmenting the image region to be extracted from the input image on the basis of the extracted singular edge.

An image identification apparatus for identifying an object in an input image including the object which is not present in a reference image using a standard model image representing a predetermined object and the reference image, comprising:

• edge intensity distribution extraction means for extracting edge intensity distributions in the reference image and input image;
• direction-classified line detection means for detecting, in each of a plurality of blocks on an image screen, line components in terms of predetermined directions for edges in the reference image and input image on the basis of the extracted edge intensity distributions;
• auto-framing means for specifying an existence range of the object in the input image on the basis of a distribution of differences between the detected line components in each of said directions between the reference image and input image;
• and
• model size estimation means for estimating a size with respect to the standard model image on the basis of the specified existence range of the object,
• wherein a size of the standard model image is changed to the estimated size, and thereafter, the object is identified on the basis of similarity between the object image present in the existence range in the input image and the size-changed standard model image.