# US 7,466,365 B2 · Moving image processing apparatus and method, and computer readable memory > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,466,365 B2 - Document ID: US7466365B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/313,744 - Filed: 2005-12-22 - Published: 2006-05-11 - Granted: 2008-12-16 - Earliest claimed: 2000-09-21 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Hiroshi Tojo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7466365B2 ## CPC - G06V 20/40: in video content (extracting overlay text G06V20/62; video retrieval G06F16/70; processing of video elementary streams in video servers H04N21/234; processing of video elementary streams in video clients H04N21/44) - G06T 7/254: involving subtraction of images - G11B 27/28: by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording {(G11B27/22 takes precedence)} - H04N 5/147: {Scene change detection} - G06T 2207/10016: Video; Image sequence - G11B 2220/90: Tape-like record carriers - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A frame extraction unit detects a luminance change point frame in which the brightness change amount between frames is equal to or higher than a threshold value from a moving image formed by a plurality of frames. A flash check unit checks the presence/absence of a flash portion in the moving image on the basis of the detected luminance change point frame. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A moving image processing apparatus for detecting a cut point frame in an input moving image, comprising: first calculation means for calculating first similarities between neighboring frames in the moving image formed by a plurality of frames; cut point determination means for determining cut point frames in the moving image on the basis of the first similarities calculated by said first calculation means; scene duration determination means for determining if a scene duration between neighboring cut point frames determined by said cut point determination means is less than a predetermined value; first search means for searching frames within a first predetermined range of frames before the cut point frame determined by said cut point determination means for a frame having a brightness value of a first condition on the basis of a determination result of said scene duration determination means; second search means for searching frames within a second predetermined range of frames after the cut point frame determined by said cut point determination means for a frame having a brightness value of a second condition on the basis of the determination result of said scene duration determination means; second calculation means for calculating a second similarity between the frames found by said first and second search means; determination means for determining the presence/absence of a flash portion in the moving image on the basis of the second similarity calculated by said second calculation means; and correction means for correcting the determination result of said cut point determination means on the basis of a determination result of said determination means, wherein when a first frame found by said second search means matches the cut point frame determined by said cut point determination means, a second frame at least one frame before the first frame is set to be the frame found by said second search means. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determination means determines that a flash portion is present between the frames found by said first and second search means when the second similarity is not less than a predetermined value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined value is larger than the first and second ranges. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the first and second predetermined ranges are a predetermined number of frames. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the brightness value is a luminance value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the brightness value includes R, G, and B signal intensity values. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the first and second conditions are a brightness value less than a predetermined threshold value. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the first and second conditions are a lowest brightness value. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when each of said first and second search means finds a plurality of frames, a frame closest to the frame detected by said detection means is selected. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second frame is a frame having a brightness value of a third condition among frames at least one frame before the first frame. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the third condition has a brightness value not less than a predetermined threshold value. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: third calculation means for calculating a third similarity between the second frame and the frame found by said first or second search means, and wherein said determination means determines the presence/absence of a flash portion in the moving image on the basis of the second and third similarities. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said determination means determines that a flash portion is present between the frames found by said first and second search means when a value obtained by subtracting the third similarity from the second similarity is not less than a predetermined value. ### Claim 14 A moving image processing method for detecting a cut point frame in an input moving image, comprising: a first calculation step of calculating first similarities between neighboring frames in the moving image formed by a plurality of frames; a cut point determination step of determining cut point frames in the moving image on the basis of the first similarities calculated in said first calculation step; a scene duration determination step of determining if a scene duration between neighboring cut point frames determined in said cut point determination step is less than a predetermined value; a first search step of searching frames within a first predetermined range of frames before the cut point frame determined in said cut point determination step of a frame having a brightness value of a first condition on the basis of a determination result in said scene duration determination step; a second search step of searching frames within a second predetermined range of frames after the cut point frame determined in said cut point determination step of a frame having a brightness value of a second condition on the basis of the determination result in said scene duration determination step; a second calculation step of calculating a second similarity between the frames found in said first and second search steps; a determination step of determining the presence/absence of a flash portion in the moving image on the basis of the second similarity calculated in said second calculation step; and a correction step of correcting the determination result in the cut point determination step on the basis of a determination result in said determination step, wherein when a first frame found in said second search step matches the cut point frame determined in said cut point determination step, a second frame at least one frame before the first frame is set to be the frame found in said second search step. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein it is determined in said determination step that a flash portion is present between the frames found in said first and second search steps when the second similarity is not less than a predetermined value. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined value is larger than the first and second ranges. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein one or both of the first and second predetermined ranges are a predetermined number of frames. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the brightness value is a luminance value. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the brightness value includes R, G, and B signal intensity values. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein one or both of the first and second conditions are a brightness value less than a predetermined threshold value. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein one or both of the first and second conditions are a lowest brightness value. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein when a plurality of frames are found in each of said first and second search steps, a frame closest to the frame detected by said detection step is selected. ### Claim 23 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the second frame is a frame having a brightness value of a third condition among frames at least one frame before the first frame. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method according to claim 23, wherein the third condition has a brightness value not less than a predetermined threshold value. ### Claim 25 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, further comprising: a third calculation step of calculating a third similarity between the second frame and the frame found in said first or second search step, and wherein the presence/absence of a flash portion in the moving image is determined in said determination step on the basis of the second and third similarities. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25, wherein it is determined in said determination step that a flash portion is present between the frames found in said first and second search steps when a value obtained by subtracting the third similarity from the second similarity is not less than a predetermined value. ### Claim 27 A computer readable memory that stores a program code of moving image processing for detecting a cut point frame in an input moving image, comprising: a program code for a first calculation step of calculating first similarities between neighboring frames in the moving image formed by a plurality of frames; a program code for a cut point determination step of determining cut point frames in the moving image on the basis of the first similarities calculated in the first calculation step; a program code for a scene duration determination step of determining if a scene duration between neighboring cut point frames determined in the cut point determination step is less than a predetermined value; a program code for a first search step of searching frames within a first predetermined range of frames before the cut point frame determined in the cut point determination step of a frame having a brightness value of a first condition on the basis of a determination result in the scene duration determination step; a program code for a second search step of searching frames within a second predetermined range of frames after the cut point frame determined in the cut point determination step of a frame having a brightness value of a second condition on the basis of the determination result in the scene duration determination step; a program code for a second calculation step of calculating a second similarity between the frames found in the first and second search steps; a program code for a determination step of determining the presence/absence of a flash portion in the moving image on the basis of the second similarity calculated in the second calculation step; and a program code for a correction step of correcting the determination result in the cut point determination step on the basis of a determination result in the determination step, wherein when a first frame found by the second search step matches the cut point frame determined by the cut point determination step, a second frame at least one frame before the first frame is set to be the frame found by the second search step.