Automatic stabilization control apparatus, automatic stabilization control method, and recording medium having automatic stabilization control program recorded thereon

1. In an automatic stabilization control apparatus that makes automatic stabilization control of data representing a moving image within a range from a reference frame to a frame which is an arbitrary number of frames succeeding the reference frame,

an automatic stabilization control apparatus comprising:

first means for calculating a geometric conversion coefficient between an input frame and a frame which is one frame preceding the input frame for converting coordinates on the input frame into coordinates on the frame which is one frame preceding the input frame as a geometric conversion coefficient between the adjacent frames;

second means for accumulating the geometric conversion coefficients between the adjacent frames from the reference frame to the input frame, to calculate an indirect geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame;

third means for calculating a direct geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame utilizing the indirect geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame; and

fourth means for carrying out automatic stabilization control of the input frame using the direct geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame.

2. The automatic stabilization control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the third means comprises

means for finding a plurality of feature points from the input frame,

means for finding a correspondence point on the reference frame for each of the feature points, and

means for calculating the direct geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame on the basis of each of the feature points on the input frame and the correspondence point on the reference frame for the feature point,

the means for finding the correspondence point on the reference frame for each of the feature points converting the coordinates of the feature point on the input frame into coordinates on the reference frame using the indirect geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame, and tracking the correspondence point on the reference frame corresponding to the feature point on the input frame using an obtained coordinate point on the reference frame as an initial value, to find the correspondence point on the reference frame corresponding to the feature point on the input frame.

3. The automatic stabilization control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the third means comprises

means for finding a plurality of feature points from the reference frame,

means for finding a correspondence point on the input frame for each of the feature points, and

means for calculating a direct geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame on the basis of each of the feature points on the reference frame and the correspondence point on the input frame for the feature point,

the means for finding the correspondence point on the input frame for each of the feature points converting the coordinates of the feature point on the reference frame into coordinates on the input frame using a coefficient obtained by subjecting the indirect geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame to inverse conversion, and tracking the correspondence point on the input frame corresponding to the feature point on the reference frame using an obtained coordinate point on the input frame as an initial value, to find the correspondence point on the input frame corresponding to the feature point on the reference frame.

4. In an automatic stabilization control method for carrying out automatic stabilization control of data representing a moving image within a range from a reference frame to a frame which is an arbitrary number of frames succeeding the reference frame,

an automatic stabilization control method comprising:

a first step of calculating a geometric conversion coefficient between an input frame and a frame which is one frame preceding the input frame for converting coordinates on the input frame into coordinates on the frame which is one frame preceding the input frame as a geometric conversion coefficient between the adjacent frames;

a second step of accumulating the geometric conversion coefficients between the adjacent frames from the reference frame to the input frame, to calculate an indirect geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame;

a third step of calculating a direct geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame utilizing the indirect geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame; and

a fourth step of carrying out automatic stabilization control of the input frame using the direct geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame.

5. The automatic stabilization control method according to claim 4 , wherein

the third step comprises the steps of

finding a plurality of feature points from the input frame,

finding a correspondence point on the reference frame for each of the feature points, and

calculating the direct geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame on the basis of each of the feature points on the input frame and the correspondence point on the reference frame for the feature point,

the step of finding the correspondence point on the reference frame for each of the feature points comprising the step of converting the coordinates of the feature point on the input frame into coordinates on the reference frame using the indirect geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame, and tracking the correspondence point on the reference frame corresponding to the feature point on the input frame using an obtained coordinate point on the reference frame as an initial value, to find the correspondence point on the reference frame corresponding to the feature point on the input frame.

6. The automatic stabilization control method according to claim 4 , wherein

the third step comprises the steps of

finding a plurality of feature points from the reference frame,

finding a correspondence point on the input frame for each of the feature points, and

calculating the direct geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame on the basis of each of the feature points on the reference frame and the correspondence point on the input frame for the feature point,

the step of finding the correspondence point on the input frame for each of the feature points comprising the step of converting the coordinates of the feature point on the reference frame into coordinates on the input frame using a coefficient obtained by subjecting the indirect geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame to inverse conversion, and tracking the correspondence point on the input frame corresponding to the feature point on the reference frame using an obtained coordinate point on the input frame as an initial value, to find the correspondence point on the input frame corresponding to the feature point on the reference frame.

7. In a computer readable recording medium having an automatic stabilization control program, for carrying out automatic stabilization control of data representing a moving image within a range from a reference frame to a frame which is an arbitrary number of frames succeeding the reference frame, recorded thereon,

a computer readable recording medium wherein the automatic stabilization control program causes a computer to carry out:

a first step of calculating a geometric conversion coefficient between an input frame and a frame which is one frame preceding the input frame for converting coordinates on the input frame into coordinates on the frame which is one frame preceding the input frame as a geometric conversion coefficient between the adjacent frames;

a second step of accumulating the geometric conversion coefficients between the adjacent frames from the reference frame to the input frame, to calculate an indirect geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame;

a third step of calculating a direct geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame utilizing the indirect geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame; and

a fourth step of carrying out automatic stabilization control of the input frame using the direct geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame.

8. The computer readable recording medium having the automatic stabilization control program recorded thereon according to claim 7 , wherein

the third step comprises the steps of

finding a plurality of feature points from the input frame,

finding a correspondence point on the reference frame for each of the feature points, and

calculating the direct geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame on the basis of each of the feature points on the input frame and the correspondence point on the reference frame for the feature point,

the step of finding the correspondence point on the reference frame for each of the feature points comprising the step of converting the coordinates of the feature point on the input frame into coordinates on the reference frame using the indirect geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame, and tracking the correspondence point on the reference frame corresponding to the feature point on the input frame using an obtained coordinate point on the reference frame as an initial value, to find the correspondence point on the reference frame corresponding to the feature point on the input frame.

9. The computer readable recording medium having an automatic stabilization control program recorded thereon according to claim 7 , wherein

the third step comprises the steps of

finding a plurality of feature points from the reference frame,

finding a correspondence point on the input frame for each of the feature points, and

calculating the direct geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame on the basis of each of the feature points on the reference frame and the correspondence point on the input frame for the feature point,

the step of finding the correspondence point on the input frame for each of the feature points comprising the step of converting the coordinates of the feature point on the reference frame into coordinates on the input frame using a coefficient obtained by subjecting the indirect geometric conversion coefficient between the input frame and the reference frame to inverse conversion, and tracking the correspondence point on the input frame corresponding to the feature point on the reference frame using an obtained coordinate point on the input frame as an initial value, to find the correspondence point on the input frame corresponding to the feature point on the reference frame.