Picture processing apparatus for processing picture data in accordance with background information

A picture processing method for processing picture data made up of a predetermined number of pixel data acquired by an imaging device having the predetermined number of pixels each having a temporal integration effect, said picture processing method comprising:

• generating a background picture based on the picture data;
• detecting a correlation value between each pixel in picture data of each frame and a pixel in the background picture at a position corresponding to the pixel in the picture data of the frame;
• motion-compensating, based on a motion vector of a frame in the vicinity of a frame under consideration, the correlation value, in picture data of the frame, backward frame of the frame, and a forward frame of the frame, detected by the correlation value detection step of the frame in the vicinity of the frame under consideration;
• accumulating the correlation value of the frame under consideration and the correlation value of the frame in the vicinity of the frame under consideration, having been motion-compensated in said motion compensation step;
• binarizing the correlation value by comparing the correlation value with a threshold value;
• detecting a mixed area in the frame under consideration, in which a plurality of real-world objects is mixed, based on a temporal change of the binarized correlation values of an output in said accumulation step at each pixel position;
• and
• weighting the binarized correlation value;
• wherein said motion compensating step motion-compensates the binarized correlation value in the frame in the vicinity of the frame under consideration, and
• wherein the accumulating step accumulates the correlation value of the frame in the vicinity of the frame under consideration, having been motion-compensated and weighted.

A computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer-readable picture processing program for processing picture data made up of a predetermined number of pixel data acquired by an imaging device having the predetermined number of pixels each having a temporal integration effect, said picture processing program comprising the steps of:

• generating a background picture based on the picture data;
• detecting a correlation value between each pixel in picture data of each frame and a pixel in the background picture at a position corresponding to the pixel in the picture data of the frame;
• motion-compensating, based on a motion vector of a frame in the vicinity of a frame under consideration, the correlation value, in picture data of the frame, backward frame of the frame, and a forward frame of the frame, detected by the correlation value detection step of the frame in the vicinity of the frame under consideration;
• accumulating the correlation value of the frame under consideration and the correlation value of the frame in the vicinity of the frame under consideration, having been motion-compensated in said motion compensation step;
• binarizing the correlation value by comparing the correlation value with a threshold value;
• detecting a mixed area in the frame under consideration, in which a plurality of real-world objects is mixed, based on a temporal change of the binerized correlation values of an output in said accumulation step at each pixel position;
• and
• weighting the binarized correlation value;
• wherein said motion compensation step motion-compensates the binarized correlation value in the frame in the vicinity of the frame under consideration, and
• wherein the accumulating step accumulates the correlation value of the frame in the vicinity of the frame under consideration, having been motion-compensated and weighted.

A picture processing apparatus for processing picture data made up of a predetermined number of pixel data acquired by an imaging device, said picture processing apparatus comprising:

• an imaging unit for outputting, as picture data made up of a predetermined number of pixel data, a picture of a target captured by an imaging device having the predetermined number of pixels each having a temporal integration effect;
• a background picture generation unit configured to generate a background picture based on the picture data;
• a correlation value detection unit configured to detect a correlation value between each pixel in picture data of each frame and a pixel in the background picture at a position corresponding to the pixel in the picture data of the frame;
• a motion compensation unit configured for motion-compensating, based on a motion vector of a frame in the vicinity of a frame under consideration, the correlation value, in picture data of the frame, backward frame of the frame, and a forward frame of the frame, in the vicinity of the frame under consideration;
• an accumulation unit configured to accumulate the correlation value of the frame under consideration and the correlation value of the frame in the vicinity of the frame under consideration, having been motion-compensated by said motion compensation unit;
• a binarization unit configured to binarize the correlation value by comparing the correlation value with a threshold value;
• and
• a mixed area detection unit configured to detect a mixed area in the frame under consideration, in which a plurality of real-world objects is mixed, based on a temporal change of the binarized correlation values of an output of said accumulation unit at each pixel position;
• and
• a weighting unit configured to weight the binarized correlation value;
• wherein said motion compensation unit motion-compensates the binarized correlation value in the frame in the vicinity of the frame under consideration, and
• wherein said accumulation unit accumulates the correlation value of the frame in the vicinity of the frame under consideration, having been motion-compensated and weighted.