Sony Patent | Image processing to enhance variety of displayable augmented reality objects

Patent: Image processing to enhance variety of displayable augmented reality objects

Publication Number: 10186084

Publication Date: 2019-01-22

Applicants: Sony

Abstract

There is provided an image processing apparatus including an image acquisition unit configured to acquire an image that shows a real object including a primary recognition target and a secondary recognition target, and a control unit configured to set an augmented reality space associated with the image on the basis of image recognition of the primary recognition target, and configured to decide an augmented reality object to be arranged in the augmented reality space depending on the secondary recognition target that is recognized on the basis of the image recognition of the primary recognition target.

Background

The present disclosure relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, a program, a print medium, and a print-media set.

An augmented reality (AR) technology which has received attention in recent years arranges a virtual object (AR object) in an AR space associated with an image in which a real space is shown, and causes an image of the arranged AR object and an image of the real space to be displayed together on a screen. Accordingly, on the screen, a user is provided with an experience that a user feels like the AR object exists in the real space. The AR object to be displayed is fixedly defined in advance or is selected depending on the kind of the imaged real object.

For example, JP 2013-092964A discloses an AR application for arranging, in an AR space, an AR object representing an animal shown on a captured image when a picture book illustrating animals is imaged. In the AR application, feature amounts of known images of animals corresponding to respective AR objects are registered in a database in advance. Subsequently, as a result of matching of feature amounts of the captured image against feature amounts of known images, it is decided which animal is shown in the captured image, and which animal’s AR object is displayed.

Summary

the more diverse the displayed AR objects are, the more attractive the AR application is. However, in order to enhance variety of the AR objects, many kinds of real objects have to be recognized. Accordingly, feature data to be matched against increases, and a large processing cost is necessary. For this reason, in the existing methods, the restriction on processing resource prevents variety of AR objects from increasing.

It is desirable to provide a mechanism that can suppresses increase in the processing cost and can enhance variety of displayable AR objects.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an image processing apparatus including an image acquisition unit configured to acquire an image that shows a real object including a primary recognition target and a secondary recognition target, and a control unit configured to set an augmented reality space associated with the image on the basis of image recognition of the primary recognition target, and configured to decide an augmented reality object to be arranged in the augmented reality space depending on the secondary recognition target that is recognized on the basis of the image recognition of the primary recognition target.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an image processing method including acquiring an image that shows a real object including a primary recognition target and a secondary recognition target, setting an augmented reality space associated with the image on the basis of image recognition of the primary recognition target, and deciding an augmented reality object to be arranged in the set augmented reality space depending on the secondary recognition target that is recognized on the basis of the image recognition of the primary recognition target.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a program for causing a computer which controls an image processing apparatus to function as an image acquisition unit configured to acquire an image that shows a real object including a primary recognition target and a secondary recognition target, and a control unit configured to set an augmented reality space associated with the image on the basis of image recognition of the primary recognition target, and configured to decide an augmented reality object to be arranged in the augmented reality space depending on the secondary recognition target that is recognized on the basis of the image recognition of the primary recognition target.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a print medium including a print surface, the print medium including a primary recognition target that is printed on the print surface and that is used for associating an image showing the print medium with an augmented reality space, and one of a secondary recognition target and an edit area for the secondary recognition target, which are printed on the print surface and which are used for deciding an augmented reality object to be arranged in the augmented reality space.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a print-media set including a plurality of the print media. Two or more of the print media respectively include the primary recognition target having a common appearance and the secondary recognition target in which a different value is encoded.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, increase of the processing cost can be suppressed, and variety of displayable AR objects can be enhanced.