Image sensing and image processing apparatuses

An image sensing apparatus for sensing a common subject whose three-dimensional image is to be generated from a plurality of images taken at a plurality of image sensing points, comprising:

• a plurality of image sensing means having an optical system for sensing the common subject;
• moving means for sequentially moving said image sensing means to at least two image sensing points;
• discriminating means for discriminating a difference between image sensing parameters of each optical system of said two image sensing means;
• and
• adjustment means for adjusting the image sensing condition parameter for said image sensing means on the basis of a plurality of images of the common subject sensed by said image sensing means at said two image sensing points, in response to an output of said discriminating means, so that the common subject is located, through its depth, within a depth of field of said image sensing means set at a respective image sensing point.

An image processing apparatus which senses a common subject with a plurality of image sensing means at a plurality of image sensing points and outputs three-dimensional shape information and image data information on the common subject, said apparatus comprising:

• conversion means for converting the image data information outputted by the image sensing means into an image which is observed the common subject from a desired viewpoint and which is of a predetermined type, and storing the image as a predetermined file format, the conversion being made on the basis of the three-dimensional shape information;
• and
• discriminating means, wherein each of said plurality of image sensing means comprises:
• an optical system for sensing an image;
• adjustment means for adjusting the image sensing condition parameters for the optical system of each image sensing means, in response to an output of said discriminating means, so that the common subject is located, through its depth, within a depth of field of the optical system at an image sensing point;
• and
• a monitor for displaying an image sensed in the image sensing area of each of said plurality of image sensing means,
• wherein said discriminating means discriminating a difference between image sensing parameters of said optical system corresponding to the images of the plurality of image sensing points respectively.

An image processing apparatus which senses a subject with image sensing means at a plurality of image sensing points and outputs three-dimensional shape information and image data information on the subject, said apparatus comprising:

• position detection means for detecting positions of said image sensing means over the plurality of image sensing points;
• operation means for operating the three-dimensional shape information, on the basis of image data representing images obtained with said image sensing means and position data representing positions of said image sensing means at which the images have been sensed by said position detection means;
• conversion means for converting the images of the subject sensed at the plurality of image sensing points into image data information representing an image of the subject seen from an arbitrary viewpoint, on the basis of the three-dimensional shape information on the subject operated by said operation means and forming an image data file based on a computer file format comprised of the converted image data information;
• and
• linking means for linking the image data file converted by said conversion means with data of another data file.

An image processing apparatus which senses a subject with image sensing means from a plurality of image sensing points and outputs three-dimensional shape information and image data information on the subject, said apparatus comprising:

• position detection means for detecting positions of said image sensing means over the plurality of image sensing points;
• operation means for operating the three-dimensional shape information on the basis of a plurality of images obtained at the plurality of image sensing points and the positions, corresponding to each of the sensed images, which are obtained by said position detection means, of said image sensing means;
• conversion means for converting the images of the subject sensed from the plurality of image sensing points into an image of the subject seen from an arbitrary viewpoint on the basis of the three-dimensional shape information on the subject operated by said operation means and forming an image data file comprised of the converted image;
• linking means for linking the image data file of the converted image and another data file based on a computer file format;
• and
• display means for displaying an image of the image data file outputted from said combining means in a stereoscopic manner.

An image processing apparatus which senses a subject with image sensing means from a plurality of image sensing points and outputs three-dimensional shape information and image data information on the subject, said apparatus comprising:

• position detection means for detecting change in the position of said image sensing means over the plurality of image sensing points;
• operation means for operating the three-dimensional shape information on the basis of a plurality of images obtained from the plurality of image sensing points and the positions, corresponding to each of the sensed images, which are obtained by said position detection means, of said image sensing means;
• conversion means for converting the images of the subject sensed from the plurality of image sensing points into an image of the subject seen from an arbitrary viewpoint on the basis of the three-dimensional shape information on the subject operated by said operation means and forming an image data file based on a computer file format comprised of the converted image;
• and
• linking means for linking the image data file of the converted image and another data file.

An image processing apparatus which senses a subject with image sensing means from a plurality of image sensing points and outputs three-dimensional shape information and image data information on the subject, said apparatus comprising:

• position detection means for detecting change in the position of said image sensing means over the plurality of image sensing points;
• operation means for operating the three-dimensional shape information, on the basis of image data representing images obtained with said image sensing means and position data representing positions of said image sensing means at which the images have been sensed by said position detection means;
• conversion means for converting the images of the subject sensed at the plurality of image sensing points into an image of the subject seen from an arbitrary viewpoint, on the basis of the three-dimensional shape information operated by said operation means and forming an image data file based on a computer file format comprised of the converted image;
• and
• linking means for linking the image data file of the converted image with another data file.