CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-174488, filed Sep. 19, 2018. Each of the above application(s) is hereby expressly incorporated by reference, in its entirety, into the present application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and an image processing program.

2. Description of the Related Art

The number of captured images is significantly increased along with wide use of digital cameras, smartphones, and the like. It is difficult to find a desired image from multiple images. Thus, in order to easily search for the image, for example, it is considered that images are classified into relatively appropriate image groups (JP2012-138679A), image data belonging to an image group is easily compared and browsed (JP2015-035135A), or a representative image is displayed (JP2014-154971A).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A program for extracting an image from multiple images for each of generally widely used themes such as a travel album and a wedding album is created. However, considering effort of developing the program, it is not realistic to create the program corresponding to all themes. In the disclosure of JP2012-138679A, images are classified into image groups based on a dissimilarity between temporally consecutively captured images, and creating an image product such as an album in accordance with a certain theme is not considered. In the disclosure of JP2015-035135A, classification is performed based on imaging time data. Thus, an image product such as an album corresponding to a certain theme cannot be created. In the disclosure of JP2014-154971A, multiple image data are derived from one image data. Thus, extracting an image from multiple independent images in accordance with a certain theme is not considered.

An object of the invention is to create an image product by extracting an image having a theme matching the interest and taste of a user.

An image processing apparatus according to the invention comprises an image classification device (an image classification device) for classifying a plurality of images into a plurality of image groups such that images having a similarity greater than or equal to a threshold are grouped, and an image extraction device (image extraction means) for extracting an image from images included in the plurality of image groups classified by the image classification device.

The invention also provides an image processing method suitable for the image processing apparatus. That is, the method comprises classifying a plurality of images into a plurality of image groups by a image classification device (image classification means) such that images having a similarity greater than or equal to a threshold are grouped, and extracting an image by an image extraction device (image extraction means) from images included in the plurality of image groups classified by the image classification device.

The invention may provide an image processing apparatus as follows. That is, the image processing apparatus comprises a processor that classifies a plurality of images into a plurality of image groups such that images having a similarity greater than or equal to a threshold are grouped, and extracts an image from images included in the plurality of classified image groups.

In addition, a program readable by a computer of the image processing apparatus and a recording medium storing the program are provided.

The image processing apparatus may further comprise an image product creation device (image product creation means) for creating an image product using the image extracted by the image extraction device.

For example, the image extraction device extracts the image from each image group depending on a ratio of the number of images included in each image group of the plurality of image groups.

The image extraction device may extract the image from image groups in which a ratio of the number of images included in each image group of the plurality of image groups is not equal to zero and is greater than or equal to a threshold.

The image extraction device may extract the image from the image groups in which the ratio of the number of images included in each image group of the plurality of image groups is not equal to zero and is greater than or equal to the threshold depending on the ratio of the number of images included in the image group.

For example, the image extraction device may extract the image from any one image group of the image groups in which the ratio of the number of images included in each image group of the plurality of image groups is not equal to zero and is greater than or equal to the threshold.

The image extraction device may extract the image from images included in one image group of the plurality of image groups.

The image processing apparatus may further comprise a notification device (notification means) for performing notification of a ratio of the number of images included in each image group of the plurality of image groups.

The image processing apparatus may further comprise a specifying device (specifying means) for specifying a ratio of the number of images to be extracted from each image group of the plurality of image groups. In this case, for example, the image extraction device extracts the image from each image group depending on the ratio specified by the specifying device.

The image processing apparatus may further comprise a first display control device (first display control means) for controlling a display device to display a representative image of images included in each image group of the plurality of image groups on a display screen. In this case, for example, the specifying device comprises a second display control device (second display control means) for controlling the display device to display a specifying unit specifying the ratio of images in correspondence with the representative image on the display screen.

The image processing apparatus may further comprise a third display control device (third display control means) for controlling the display device to display a marker of which a display position is changeable on the display screen. In this case, the specifying unit may specify the ratio of the images depending on the position of the marker.

The image processing apparatus may further comprise a fourth display control device (fourth display control means) for controlling the display device to display a graph having a length or an area corresponding to the ratio of the number of images on the display screen. In this case, the specifying unit may specify the ratio of the images by changing the length or the area of the graph.

The image processing apparatus may further comprise an input device (input means) for inputting the number of image groups to be classified in the image classification device. In this case, for example, the image classification device performs the classifying into image groups corresponding to the number input from the input device.

For example, the image classification device may perform the classifying into the plurality of image groups based on a plurality of feature amounts of the images such that the images having the similarity greater than or equal to the threshold are grouped.

For example, the image classification device may perform the classifying into a first plurality of image groups based on a plurality of feature amounts of the images such that the images having the similarity greater than or equal to the threshold are grouped, and classify the plurality of images into the plurality of image groups such that the images having the similarity greater than or equal to the threshold are grouped by combining image groups in which the similarity between the image groups is greater than or equal to the threshold among the first plurality of image groups.

For example, the image classification device may not have a function of performing the classifying into the plurality of image groups based on a similarity between subjects recognized as being included in the images.

The plurality of classified image groups are groups of similar images and thus, are considered to be groups of images having a certain theme. By creating the image product from the images included in the plurality of image groups, the image product having a certain theme can be created.

