Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a local motion vector calculation section that sets blocks, which are divided regions of a frame image, with spacings interposed therebetween in the frame image, and calculates a motion vector, which corresponds to each set block, as a local motion vector (LMV);
• a block weight calculation section that calculates a block weight as a reliability indicator of the local motion vector (LMV) which corresponds to each block;
• and
• a global motion vector calculation section that inputs the local motion vectors (LMV) and the block weights, and calculates a global motion vector (GMV) which is a common motion vector to the plurality of blocks included in the frame image,
• wherein the block weight calculation section calculates a degree of reliability of the local motion vector (LMV) corresponding to each block of a target block and near-field blocks adjacent to the target block, and a degree of similarity between the local motion vectors (LMV) of the target block and each near-field block, and calculates the block weight through arithmetic processing to which the degree of reliability and the degree of similarity are applied,
• wherein the block weight calculation section executes the calculation of the degree of similarity by determining whether or not each local motion vector (LMV) of the target block and the near-field blocks is approximate to a motion vector corresponding to rotation of one global motion (GMV), and
• wherein the local motion vector calculation section, the block weight calculation section, and the global motion vector calculation section are each implemented via at least one processor.

An image processing method executed by an image processing apparatus, the image processing method comprising:

• setting blocks, which are divided regions of a frame image, with spacings interposed therebetween in the frame image, and calculating a motion vector, which corresponds to each set block, as a local motion vector (LMV);
• calculating a block weight as a reliability indicator of the local motion vector (LMV) which corresponds to each block;
• and
• inputting the local motion vectors (LMV) and the block weights, and calculating a global motion vector (GMV) which is a common motion vector to the plurality of blocks included in the frame image,
• wherein a degree of reliability is calculated of the local motion vector (LMV) corresponding to each block of a target block and near-field blocks adjacent to the target block, and a degree of similarity is calculated between the local motion vectors (LMV) of the target block and each near-field block, and the block weight is calculated through arithmetic processing to which the degree of reliability and the degree of similarity are applied, and
• wherein the near-field blocks, of which the degrees of reliability are high, are extracted as reliable near-field blocks, similar blocks, of which the degrees of similarity are high, are extracted among the reliable near-field blocks, and a ratio of the similar blocks to the reliable near-field blocks is set as a weight of the target block.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a program, which when executed by a processor of an image processing apparatus causes the image processing apparatus to execute a method, the method comprising:

• setting blocks, which are divided regions of a frame image, with spacings interposed therebetween in the frame image, and calculating a motion vector, which corresponds to each set block, as a local motion vector (LMV);
• calculating a block weight as a reliability indicator of the local motion vector (LMV) which corresponds to each block;
• and
• inputting the local motion vectors (LMV) and the block weights, and calculating a global motion vector (GMV) which is a common motion vector to the plurality of blocks included in the frame image,
• wherein, by calculating a degree of reliability of the local motion vector (LMV) corresponding to each block of a target block and near-field blocks adjacent to the target block and calculating a degree of similarity between the local motion vectors (LMV) of the target block and each near-field block, the block weight is calculated through arithmetic processing to which the degree of reliability and the degree of similarity are applied, and
• wherein the near-field blocks, of which the degrees of reliability are high, are extracted as reliable near-field blocks, similar blocks, of which the degrees of similarity are high, are extracted among the reliable near-field blocks, and a ratio of the similar blocks to the reliable near-field blocks is set as a weight of the target block.