Patent ID: 7948514
Filing Date: 2011-05-24
Classification: G03B,H04N

Abstract:
1. An image processing apparatus for capturing an image of a subject and thereby passively generating normal information on a surface of the subject, comprising: a stereo polarization image capturing section for receiving a plurality of polarized light of different polarization directions at different viewpoint positions and obtaining a plurality of polarization images of different viewpoint positions; a normal information generating section for estimating a normal direction vector of the subject based on the plurality of polarization images of different viewpoint positions; a polarization information obtaining section for generating polarization information regarding the plurality of polarized light, wherein the polarization information obtaining section generates the polarization information, for each of unit images of each of the plurality of polarization images, based on correspondence between polarization angles and intensities of the plurality of polarized light; a stereo correspondence obtaining section for estimating pixel-by-pixel correspondence between the plurality of polarization images of different viewpoint positions; a segmentation section for dividing a polarization image into areas each having a common optical property based on similarity in at least one of the intensity information of the polarization image and the polarization information regarding the plurality of polarized light; and a normal's one-degree-of-freedom estimating section for estimating a normal's one degree of freedom on the surface of the subject corresponding to each area divided by the segmentation section based on the polarization information, for each of the plurality of polarization images, wherein the normal information generating section estimates a normal direction vector based on the normal's one-degree-of-freedoms estimated by the normal's one-degree-of-freedom estimating section and the correspondence between the plurality of polarization images obtained by the stereo correspondence obtaining section.