VIRTUAL IMAGE GENERATING APPARATUS, VIRTUAL IMAGE GENERATING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM STORING VIRTUAL IMAGE GENERATING PROGRAM

摘要

An image generation apparatus, system, and method that include an image recording unit that records at least one image containing photography position information corresponding to a photography position of the image, an input unit for selecting a selected image from the at least one image recorded in the image recording unit, a map-image unit that acquires at least one map image corresponding to the photography position information of the selected image, a direction detection unit that detects a photography direction of the selected image from the photography position information and acquires at least one surrounding map image viewable from the photography position when the selected image was recorded, and a virtual image generation unit that generates at least one virtual image of a scene viewable from the photography position when the selected image was recorded based on the photography position information and the at least one surrounding map image.

主权项

1. An image generation apparatus comprising:
an imager that captures an image and acquires photography position information corresponding to a photography position of the captured image; a map-image database that acquires at least one map image corresponding to the photography position information of the captured image; a direction detector that detects a photography direction of the captured image from the photography position information and acquires at least one surrounding map image viewable from the photography position when the captured image was captured; and a virtual image generator that generates at least one virtual image of a scene viewable from the photography position when the captured image was captured based on the photography position information and the at least one surrounding map image.