Shape extraction system and 3-D (three dimension) information acquisition system using the same

Abstract

A background lighting module illuminates an object from behind by visible light with respect to a photographing module to identify an area including the boundary between the object and the background portion in an image to be photographed by the photographing module. A controller controls a photographing operation including the exposure of the photographing module and the lighting intensity of the background lighting module. An image processing module processes the images photographed by the photographing module. The controller sets the exposure and lighting intensity to specific conditions so as to photograph a processing image where the background portion on the periphery of the object has a higher luminance than that of the silhouette portion of the object. The image processing module extracts the shape of the object by using the luminance difference between the silhouette area of the object and the background area on the periphery of the object.

1 . A shape extraction apparatus comprising: 
 a photographing module which photographs an object;    a background lighting module which illuminates said object by visible light from behind with respect to said photographing module to identify an area including the boundary between said object and the background portion in an image to be photographed by said photographing module;    a control module which controls a photographing operation including the exposure of said photographing module and the lighting intensity of said background lighting module; and    an image processing module which processes the image photographed by said photographing module, wherein    said control module sets said exposure and lighting intensity to specific conditions so as to photograph a processing image where the background portion on the periphery of said object has a higher luminance than that of the silhouette portion of said object, and    said image processing module extracts the shape of said object by using the luminance difference between the silhouette area of said object and the background area on the periphery of said object in said processing image.    
   
   
       2 . The shape extraction apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said background lighting module includes at least; 
 a light-source module which emits light in the visible light; and    a light scattering module for scattering light from said light-source module which is provided behind said object with respect to said photographing module.    
   
   
       3 . The shape extraction apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein a scattered light radiation area where said light scattering module radiates scattered light includes an area corresponding to the boundary between said object and the background portion in the image photographed by said photographing module.  
   
   
       4 . The shape extraction apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said processing image is a silhouette image photographed in such a manner that said object is darker than the background.  
   
   
       5 . A shape extraction method comprising: 
 photographing an object;    illuminating said object from behind by visible light to identify an area including the boundary between said object and the background portion in an image to be photographed;    controlling a photographing operation including the exposure in photographing said object and the lighting intensity of said lighting; and    processing said photographed image, wherein    said control sets said exposure and lighting intensity to specific conditions so as to photograph a processing image where the background portion on the periphery of said object has a higher luminance than that of the silhouette portion of said object, and    said processing extracts the shape of said object by using the luminance difference between the silhouette area of said object and the background area on the periphery of said object in said processing image.    
   
   
       6 . An image cutout apparatus comprising: 
 a photographing module which photographs an object;    a background lighting module which illuminates said object by visible light from behind with respect to said photographing module to identify an area including the boundary between said object and the background portion in an image to be photographed by said photographing module;    a control module which controls a photographing operation including the exposure of said photographing module and the lighting intensity of said background lighting module;    an image processing module which processes the image photographed by said photographing module; and    a storage module which stores the image processed by said image processing module, wherein    said control module acquires a first image obtained by setting said photographing module to a first specific exposure and photographing said object, and a second image obtained by lighting said background lighting module at a specific lighting intensity, setting said photographing module to said first specific exposure or a second specific exposure different from said first specific exposure, and photographing said object,    said image processing module extracts the shape of said object by using the luminance difference between the silhouette portion of said object and the background portion on the periphery of said object in said second image and creates a third image by cutting out an image of a part corresponding to said object from said first image on the basis of said extracted shape, and    said storage module stores said third image.    
   
   
       7 . The image cutout apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said background lighting module includes at least; 
 a light source module which emits light in the visible light; and    a light scattering module for scattering light from said light-source module, which is provided behind said object with respect to said photographing module.    
   
   
       8 . The image cutout apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein a scattered light radiation area where said light scattering module radiates scattered light includes an area corresponding to the boundary between said object and the background portion in the image photographed by said photographing module.  
   
   
       9 . The image cutout apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said second image is such that the background portion on the periphery of said object has a higher luminance than that of the silhouette portion of said object.  
   
   
       10 . The image cutout apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said second image is a silhouette image of said object.