Image processing system

[54] IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM

[75] Inventor: Mitsuru Maeda, Yokohama, Japan

[73] Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, Japan

[21] Appl. No.: 753,988

[22] Filed: Sep. 3,1991

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data

Sep. 3, 1990 [JP] Japan 2-230603

[51] Int. CI.* H04N 7/13

[52] U.S. CI 358/183; 358/136;

358/105; 358/22

[58] Field of Search 358/160, 183, 22, 105,

358/133, 136, 125; 382/48

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

4,258,385 3/1981 Greenberg et al 358/22

4,566,126 1/1986 Miyagawa et al 358/22

4,602,286 7/1986 KeDar et al 358/183

4,783,833 11/1988 Kawabata et al 358/105

4,951,137 8/1990 Kisou et al 358/125

5,034,986 7/1991 Karmann et al 382/48

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

0344976 12/1989 European Pat. Off. . 0371677 6/1990 European Pat. Off. .

0414017 2/1991 European Pat. Off. .

0128791 7/1985 Japan 358/22

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Fourth International Colloquium On Advanced Television Systems, "Review of Techniques for Motion Estimation and Motion Compensation", E. Dubois et al., Ottwawa, Jun. 25-29, 1990, pp. 3B.3.1-3B.3.19.

Primary Examiner—James J. Groody

Assistant Examiner—David E. Harvey

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper &

Scinto

[57] ABSTRACT

An image processing system which uses mask information to combine a plurality of images including at least one moving picture updates the mask information based upon motion information obtained from motions of corresponding points between images contained in an input moving picture. The system further encodes a synthesized image using the mask information, or, alternatively, utilizing the mask information and the motion information that has been detected. Thus, mask information is generated automatically by carrying out motion detection processing, and the mask information is utilized constructively to perform coding of the synthesized image.

11 Claims, 5 Drawing Sheets