Object information processing apparatus, image processing system, game apparatus and image processing method

An image processing system, comprising:

• an object information processing apparatus for obtaining object information from input image data comprising pixels, comprising:
• an object determination section for determining whether or not each pixel is a part of an object to be extracted by comparing color information indicating a color of the pixel with a predetermined reference value for the object;
• an object information retaining section for retaining coordinate data of the pixel as the object information if the pixel has been determined by the object determination section to be a part of the object to be extracted;
• a noise removal section for removing noise from a result of determination by the object determination section,
• wherein the noise removal section comprises,
• a shift register section for successively retaining the result of determination by the object determination section, the shift register section including a plurality of shift register units corresponding to a number of determination operations of the object determination section, and
• a noise removal determination section for determining whether or not a predetermined number or more of a plurality of results of the shift register section are equal to one another to determine whether or not the plurality of results are noise, and wherein
• the predetermined number or more of the plurality of results of the shift register section represents a majority of shift register units of the shift register section, and
• if the majority of shift register units have the same result for the pixel, the pixel is determined to be part of an object to be extracted, but not noise;
• an image data output apparatus for outputting image data into the object information processing apparatus;
• and
• a control apparatus for controlling the object information processing apparatus and the image data output apparatus.

A game apparatus, which recognizes a behavior of an object using an image processing system, wherein the image processing system comprises:

• an object information processing apparatus for obtaining object information from input image data comprising pixels, comprising:
• an object determination section for determining whether or not each pixel is a part of an object to be extracted by comparing color information indicating a color of the pixel with a predetermined reference value for the object;
• an object information retaining section for retaining coordinate data of the pixel as the object information if the pixel has been determined by the object determination section to be a part of the object to be extracted;
• a noise removal section for removing noise from a result of determination by the object determination section,
• wherein the noise removal section comprises,
• a shift register section for successively retaining the result of determination by the object determination section, the shift register section including a plurality of shift register units corresponding to a number of determination operations of the object determination section, and
• a noise removal determination section for determining whether or not a predetermined number or more of a plurality of results of the shift register section are equal to one another to determine whether or not the plurality of results are noise, and wherein
• the predetermined number or more of the plurality of results of the shift register section represents a majority of shift register units of the shift register section, and
• if the majority of shift resister units have the same result for the pixel, the pixel is determined to be part of an object to be extracted, but not noise;
• an image data output apparatus for outputting image data into the object information processing apparatus;
• and
• a control apparatus for controlling the object information processing apparatus and the image data output apparatus, and for recognizing a behavior of the object based on the obtained object information.

An image processing method, comprising the steps of:

• outputting image data from an image data output apparatus to an object information processing apparatus;
• converting a UYVY value of the input image data to an HSV value using the object information processing apparatus, comparing the HSV value of each pixel with a reference value provided for an object to be extracted to determine whether or not the pixel is a part of the object to be extracted, storing coordinate data of the pixel which has been determined to be a part of the object to be extracted as object information on an object-by-object basis, and successively retaining in a shift register the result of determination of whether the pixel is a part of the object to be extracted, the shift register comprising a plurality of shift register units corresponding to a number of determination operations;
• and
• reading the object information stored in the object information processing apparatus using a processing operation section of a control apparatus on a frame-by-frame basis and recognizing an object contained in image data based on the object information,
• wherein if a majority of the shift register units have the same result for the pixel, the pixel is determined to be part of an object to be extracted, but not noise wherein the processing operation section of the control apparatus reads out the object information, which has been extracted on a frame-by-frame basis, from the object information processing apparatus and compares the object information between each frame to detect movement or change of an object.