Method, system and record medium for generating wide-area high-resolution image

A wide-area high-resolution image generation system comprising a processing device which is connected to a capture device whose capturing direction and zoom ratio are controllable, wherein the processing device includes:

• a total image acquisition means for capturing a target object of the generation of a wide-area high-resolution image by use of the capture device and thereby acquiring a total image of the target object;
• an image structure analysis means for conducting image structure analysis to the total image of the target object and thereby extracting structural elements from the total image and obtaining position information of each structural element;
• a sub-image acquisition means which conducts a sub-image acquisition process for one or more of the structural elements, in which one or more partial areas and a resolution to be used for capturing the structural element are determined and sub-images of the partial areas of the structural element are acquired by the capture device with the determined resolution;
• an image connection means which conducts an image connection process for each of the structural elements to which the sub-image acquisition process has been conducted, in which the sub-images of the partial areas of the structural element are connected together by use of image information of the sub-images and thereby an image of the structural element having the determined resolution is obtained as a synthesis target image;
• an image extraction means which conducts an image extraction process for each of the structural elements to which the sub-image acquisition process has not been conducted, in which part of the total image corresponding to the structural element is extracted from the total image as a synthesis target image;
• and
• a wide-area high-resolution image generation means for synthesizing the synthesis target images of the structural elements obtained in the image connection process and the image extraction process so that relative position relationship of the synthesis target images will be the same as that of the structural elements in the total image of the target object based on the position information of the structural elements obtained by the image structure analysis means and thereby obtaining a wide-area high-resolution image of the target object.

A machine-readable record medium storing a program for instructing a computer, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc. to execute a wide-area high-resolution image generation process, wherein the wide-area high-resolution image generation process comprises the steps of:

• a total image acquisition step in which a target object of the generation of a wide-area high-resolution image is captured by a capture device and thereby a total image of the target object is acquired;
• an image structure analysis step in which image structure analysis is conducted to the total image of the target object and thereby structural elements are extracted from the total image and position information of each structural element is obtained;
• a sub-image acquisition step which is conducted for one or more of the structural elements, in which one or more partial areas and a resolution to be used for capturing the structural element are determined and sub-images of the partial areas of the structural element are acquired by the capture device with the determined resolution;
• an image connection step which is conducted for each of the structural elements to which the sub-image acquisition step has been conducted, in which the sub-images of the partial areas of the structural element are connected together by use of image information of the sub-images and thereby an image of the structural element having the determined resolution is obtained as a synthesis target image;
• an image extraction step which is conducted for each of the structural elements to which the sub-image acquisition step has not been conducted, in which part of the total image corresponding to the structural element is extracted from the total image as a synthesis target image;
• and
• a wide-area high-resolution image generation step in which the synthesis target images of the structural elements obtained in the image connection steps and the image extraction steps are synthesized so that relative position relationship of the synthesis target images will be the same as that of the structural elements in the total image of the target object based on the position information of the structural elements obtained in the image structure analysis step and thereby a wide-area high-resolution image of the target object is obtained.