Image joining apparatus, image joining method, and image joining program

An image joining method that creates a joined image by joining a plurality of consecutive still images on a time axis, the still images constituting a moving image, the image joining method comprising:

• an image capturing step of capturing the plurality of still images;
• a motion vector derivation step of deriving a motion vector between a target still image and a previous still image among the plurality of still images captured in the image capturing step, the previous still image being adjacent to the target still image on the time axis;
• a time recording step of recording a time of the target still image within the moving image;
• a past image confirmation step of confirming whether there is a past still image located before the previous still image in terms of time in at least a part of a portion to be joined to the target still image;
• a time calculation step of calculating a time difference between a time of the past still image within the moving image and a time of the target still image within the moving image, when it is confirmed in the past image confirmation step that the past still image is present in at least a part of the portion to be joined;
• a stop processing step of stopping joining of the target still image when the time difference calculated in the time calculation step is equal to or greater than a predetermined time difference;
• and
• a joining processing step of joining the target still image when it is confirmed in the past image confirmation step that the past still image is not present in at least a part of the portion to be joined, or when the time difference calculated in the time calculation step is less than the predetermined time difference.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing an image joining program that creates a joined image by joining a plurality of consecutive still images on a time axis, the still images constituting a moving image, the image joining program causing a computer to execute:

• an image capturing step of capturing the plurality of still images;
• a motion vector derivation step of deriving a motion vector between a target still image and a previous still image among the plurality of still images captured in the image capturing step, the previous still image being adjacent to the target still image on the time axis;
• a time recording step of recording a time of the target still image within the moving image;
• a past image confirmation step of confirming whether there is a past sill image located before the previous still image in terms of time in at least a part of a portion to be joined to the target still image;
• a time calculation step of calculating a time difference between a time of the past still image within the moving image and a time of the target still image within the moving image, when it is confirmed in the past image confirmation step that the past still image is present in at least a part of the portion to be joined;
• a stop processing step of stopping joining of the target still image when the time difference calculated in the time calculation step is equal to or greater than a predetermined time difference;
• and
• a joining processing step of joining the target still image when it is confirmed in the past image confirmation step that the past still image is not present in at least a part of the portion to be joined, or when the time difference calculated in the time calculation step is less than the predetermined time difference.