Author: claimsbot

1. An image processing method comprising:
inputting image data;
storing the inputted image data in a first memory;
reading out one of a plurality of units of image data in a unit of a rectangular area from the first memory, wherein the rectangular area contains an effective pixel area into which the image data is divided, and an overlap area located in one or more adjacent effective pixel areas which is necessary for processing of the image data in the effective pixel area;
transferring the image data read out from the first memory to a second memory;
setting one image processing mode to be executed from among a plurality of different types of image processing modes for processing the image data in the effective pixel area;
selecting two or more image processing portions from among a plurality of image processing portions which respectively execute a plurality of image processes, in accordance with the set image processing mode, and
executing two or more types of image processes sequentially on the image data stored in the second memory
wherein the second memory is used as a shared buffer memory for the selected image processing portions to sequentially execute two or more types of image processes on the image data stored in the second memory,
wherein the selected image processing portions need different sizes of image data to execute the respective image processes,
wherein a size of the rectangular area read out from the first memory is defined based on a size of the effective pixel area and a maximum size of an overlap area from among all of the overlap areas necessary for each of the selected image processing portions to execute its respective image process,
wherein a first portion of the selected image processing portions executes a first image process in the image data stored in the second memory, and the image data on which the first image process has been executed is transferred to a second portion of the selected image processing portions without transferring the image data on which the first image process has been executed back to the first memory,
wherein the second portion executes a second image process on the image data on which the first image process has been executed, and
wherein the image data on which the first image process and the second image process have been executed is transferred from the second memory to the first memory.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the image processing mode is set based on whether inputted image data is color image data or monochrome image data.
3. An image processing apparatus comprising:
an input unit constructed to input image data;
a first memory constructed to store the image data inputted by the input unit;
a second memory constructed to buffer the image data;
an address generation unit constructed to generate address information to read out the image data in a plurality of units of a rectangular area;
a transferring unit constructed to read out one of the plurality of units of image data in the unit of the rectangular area from the first memory in accordance with the generated address information and to transfer the image data read out from the first memory to the second memory, wherein the rectangular area contains an effective pixel area into which the image data is divided, and an overlap area located in one or more adjacent effective pixel areas which is used for image processing of the image data in the effective pixel area;
an image processing unit constructed to sequentially execute two or more types of image processes on the image data stored in the second memory, wherein the image processing unit includes a plurality of image processing portions which respectively execute a plurality of image processes;
a setting unit constructed to set one of a plurality of image processing modes to be executed by the image processing unit; and
a selecting unit constructed to select two or more image processing portions from among the plurality of image processing portions, in accordance with the image processing mode set by the setting unit,
wherein the second memory is used as a shared buffer memory for the image processing portions selected by the selecting unit to sequentially execute two or more types of image processes on the image data stored in the second memory,
wherein image processing portions selected by the selecting unit need different sizes of image data to execute the respective image processes,
wherein a size of the rectangular area read out from the first memory is defined based on a size of the effective pixel area and a maximum size of an overlap area from among all of the overlap areas necessary for each of the image processing portions selected by the selecting unit to execute its respective image process,
wherein a first portion of the image processing portions selected by the selecting unit executes a first image process in the image data stored in the second memory, and the transferring unit transfers the image data on which the first image process has been executed to a second portion of the image processing portions selected by the selecting unit without transferring the image data on which the first image process has been executed back to the first memory,
wherein the second portion executes a second image process on the image data on which the first image process has been executed,
wherein the address generation unit generates second address information to store the image data on which the first image process and the second image process have been executed, in the first memory,
wherein the transferring unit transfers the image data on which the first image process and the second image process have been executed from the second memory to the first memory in accordance with the second address information generated by the address generation unit, and
wherein the setting unit sets the image processing mode based on whether the input unit inputs color image data or monochrome image data.
4. An image processing method comprising:
inputting image data;
storing the inputted image data in a first memory;
generating address information to read out the image data in a plurality of units of a rectangular area;
reading out one of the plurality of units of image data in the unit of the rectangular area from the first memory in accordance with the generated address information, wherein the rectangular area contains an effective pixel area into which the image data is divided, and an overlap area located in one or more adjacent effective pixel areas which is necessary for processing the image data in the effective pixel area;
transferring the image data read out from the first memory to a second memory;
setting one image processing mode to be executed from among a plurality of different types of image processing modes for processing the image data in the effective pixel area;
selecting two or more image processing portions from among a plurality of image processing portions which respectively execute a plurality of image processes, in accordance with the set image processing mode; and
executing two or more types of image processes sequentially on the image data stored in the second memory,
wherein the second memory is used as a shared buffer memory for the selected image processing portions to sequentially execute the two or more types of image processes on the image data stored in the second memory,
wherein the selected image processing portions need different sizes of image data to execute the respective image processes,
wherein a size of the rectangular area read out from the first memory is defined based on a size of the effective pixel area and a maximum size of an overlap area from among all of the overlap areas necessary for each of the selected image processing portions to execute its respective image process,
wherein a first portion of the selected image processing portions executes a first image process on the image data stored in the second memory, and the image data on which the first image process has been executed is transferred to a second portion of the selected image processing portions without transferring the image data on which the first image process has been executed back to the first memory,
wherein the second portion executes a second image process on the image data on which the first image process has been executed,
wherein the address generation step generates second address information to store the image data on which the first image process and the second image process have been executed in the first memory,
wherein the image data on which the first image process and the second image process have been executed is transferred from the second memory to the first memory in accordance with the generated second address information, and
wherein the image processing mode is set based on whether inputted image data is color image data or monochrome image data.
5. An image processing apparatus comprising:
an input unit constructed to input image data;
a first memory constructed to store the image data inputted by the input unit;
a second memory constructed to buffer the image data;
a transferring unit constructed to read out one of a plurality of units of image data in a unit of a rectangular area from the first memory and to transfer the image data read out from the first memory to the second memory, wherein the rectangular area contains an effective pixel area into which the image data is divided, and an overlap area located in one or more adjacent effective pixel areas which is used for image processing of the image data in the effective pixel area;
an image processing unit constructed to sequentially execute two or more types of image processes on the image data stored in the second memory, wherein the image processing unit includes a plurality of image processing portions which respectively execute a plurality of image processes;
a setting unit constructed to set one of the plurality of image processing modes to be executed by the image processing unit; and
a selecting unit constructed to select two or more image processing portions from among the plurality of image processing portions, in accordance with the image processing mode set by the setting unit,
wherein the second memory is used as a shared buffer memory for the image processing portions selected by the selecting unit to sequentially execute two or more types of image processes on the image data stored in the second memory,
wherein the image processing portions selected by the selecting unit need different sizes of image data to execute the respective image processes,
wherein a size of the rectangular area read out from the first memory is defined based on a size of the effective pixel area and a maximum size of an overlap area from among all of the overlap areas necessary for each of the image processing portions selected by the selecting unit to execute its respective image process,
wherein a first portion of the image processing portions selected by the selecting unit executes a first image process on the image data stored in the second memory, and the transferring unit transfers the image data on which the first image process has been executed to a second portion of the image processing portions selected by the selecting unit without transferring the image data on which the first image process has been executed back to the first memory,
wherein the second portion executes a second image process on the image data on which the first image process has been executed,
wherein the transferring unit transfers the image data on which the first image process and the second image process have been executed from the second memory to the first memory, and
wherein the setting unit sets the image processing mode based on whether the input unit inputs color image data or monochrome image data.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. An encoder for encoding data for pictures captured at different viewpoints in a multi-view video,
wherein, when a first picture at one of a first viewpoint and a last viewpoint is encoded into an I picture, the encoder encodes a second picture, which is captured at the other one of the first viewpoint and the last viewpoint but is disposed in the same time direction as that in which the first picture is disposed, into an IP picture,
wherein the encoder predicts a third picture, which is spatially disposed between the I picture and the IP picture, in both directions from the I picture and the IP picture, and encodes the third picture into a primary B picture having a priority level 0,
wherein the encoder predicts a fourth picture, which is spatially disposed between the primary B picture and the I picture in the same time direction, in both directions from the primary B picture and the I picture, or predicts a fifth picture, which is spatially disposed between the primary B picture and the IP picture in the same time direction, in both directions from the primary B picture and the IP picture, and encodes the fourth or fifth picture into a secondary B picture having a priority level 1 that has lower priority than the priority level 0,
wherein, when a sixth picture, which is at one of the first viewpoint and the last viewpoint and in a different time direction from the first picture, is encoded into an m-ary B picture having a priority level (m\u22121), the encoder encodes a seventh picture, which is captured at the other one of the first viewpoint and the last viewpoint but is disposed in the same time direction as that in which the sixth picture is disposed, into an m-ary B picture,
wherein the encoder encodes an eighth picture, which is spatially disposed between the two m-ary B pictures in the same time direction, into an n-ary B picture having a priority level (n\u22121),
wherein the encoder encodes a ninth picture, which is spatially disposed between any of the two m-ary B pictures and the n-ary B picture in the same time direction, into an o-ary B picture having a priority level (o\u22121), and
wherein m, n, and o are positive integers and satisfy 1\u2266m<n<o.
2. The encoder of claim 1,
wherein the encoder is configured to encode a picture that is temporally disposed between the I picture and a next I picture at the same viewpoint, into a primary B picture, and encode pictures that are temporally disposed between any of the two I pictures and the primary B picture into the secondary B picture.
3. The encoder of claim 1,
wherein, when encoding pictures into B pictures, the encoder is configured to calculate global disparities between pictures at different viewpoints, and encode the pictures using the calculated global disparities.
4. The encoder of claim 3,
wherein a reference picture moving method or a motion vector initial search point moving method is used to encode the pictures on the basis of the calculated global disparities.
5. The encoder of claim 1,
wherein pictures having a minimum quantization step size at all of the viewpoints are repeated at the same time interval.
6. The encoder of claim 1,
wherein a group of pictures (GOP) of the multi-view video has a size of 8 view directions\xd712 time directions, and
pictures having a minimum quantization step size at all of the viewpoints are repeated every 12 time directions.
7. A method of encoding data for pictures captured at different viewpoints in a multi-view video, comprising:
encoding a first picture at one of a first viewpoint and a last viewpoint into an I picture;
encoding a second picture, which is captured at the other one of the first viewpoint and the last viewpoint and is disposed in the same time direction as that in which the first picture is disposed, into an IP picture;
encoding a third picture, which is spatially disposed between the I picture and the IP picture, into a primary B picture having a priority level 0;
encoding a fourth picture, which is spatially disposed between the primary B picture and the I picture or the IP picture, into a secondary B picture having a priority level 1 that has lower priority than the priority level 0;
encoding a fifth picture, which is at one of the first viewpoint and the last viewpoint and in a different time direction from the first picture, into an m-ary B picture having a priority level (m\u22121);
encoding a sixth picture, which is at the other one of the first viewpoint and the last viewpoint and is disposed in the same time direction as that in which the fifth picture is disposed, into an m-ary B picture;
encoding a seventh picture, which is spatially disposed between the two m-ary B pictures in the same time direction, into an n-ary B picture having a priority level (n\u22121); and
encoding an eighth picture, which is spatially disposed between any of the two m-ary B pictures and the n-ary B picture in the same time direction, into an o-ary B picture having a priority level (o\u22121),
wherein m, n, and o are positive integers and satisfy 1\u2266m<n<o.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:
encoding a picture, which is temporally disposed between the I picture and a next I picture at the same viewpoint, into the primary B picture; and
encoding pictures, which are temporally disposed between any of the two I pictures and the primary B picture, into the secondary B pictures.
9. The method of claim 8,
wherein encoding the picture into the B pictures includes:
calculating global disparities between pictures at different viewpoints.
10. The method of claim 9,
wherein the calculating of the global disparities is performed by a reference picture moving method or a motion vector initial search point moving method.
11. A storage medium comprising a program for allowing a computer to execute a method of encoding data for pictures captured at different viewpoints in a multi-view video,
the method comprising:
encoding a first picture at one of a first viewpoint and a last viewpoint into an I picture;
encoding a second picture, which is captured at the other one of the first viewpoint and the last viewpoint and is disposed in the same time direction as that in which the first picture is disposed, into an IP picture;
encoding a third picture, which is spatially disposed between the I picture and the IP picture, into a primary B picture having a priority level 0; and
encoding a fourth picture, which is spatially disposed between the primary B picture and the I picture or the IP picture, into a secondary B picture having a priority level 1 that has lower priority than the priority level 0,
wherein the method further includes:
encoding a fifth picture, which is at one of the first viewpoint and the last viewpoint and in a different time direction from the first picture, into an m-ary B picture having a priority level (m\u22121);
encoding a sixth picture, which is at the other one of the first viewpoint and the last viewpoint and is disposed in the same time direction as that in which the fifth picture is disposed, into an m-ary B picture;
encoding a seventh picture, which is spatially disposed between the two m-ary B pictures in the same time direction, into an n-ary B picture having a priority level (n\u22121); and
encoding an eighth picture, which is spatially disposed between any of the two m-ary B pictures and the n-ary B picture in the same time direction, into an o-ary B picture having a priority level (o\u22121),
wherein m, n, and o are positive integers and satisfy 1\u2266m<n<o.
12. A storage medium for storing encoded data for pictures captured at different viewpoints in a multi-view video,
wherein the encoded data has a data structure including:
an I picture obtained by encoding a first picture at one of a first viewpoint and a last viewpoint;
an IP picture obtained by encoding a second picture that is captured at the other one of the first viewpoint and the last viewpoint but is disposed in the same time direction as that in which the first picture is disposed;
a primary B picture having a priority level 0 obtained by predicting a third picture, which is spatially disposed between the first and second pictures disposed in the same time direction, in both directions from the I picture and the IP picture and encoding the third picture; and
a secondary B picture having a priority level 1 obtained by predicting a fourth picture, which is spatially disposed between the primary B picture and the I picture in the same time direction, in both directions from the primary B picture and the I picture or predicting a fifth picture, which is spatially disposed between the primary B picture and the IP picture in the same time direction, in both directions from the primary B picture and the IP picture, and encoding the fifth picture, the priority level 1 having lower priority than the priority level 0,
wherein, in the encoded data, when a sixth picture at one of the first viewpoint and the last viewpoint is encoded into an m-ary B picture having a priority level (m\u22121), a seventh picture, which is at the other one of the first viewpoint and the last viewpoint and is disposed in the same time direction as that in which the sixth picture is disposed, is encoded into an m-ary B picture,
wherein an eighth picture, which is spatially disposed between the two m-ary B pictures in the same time direction, is encoded into an n-ary B picture having a priority level (n\u22121), and
wherein a ninth picture, which is spatially disposed between any of the two m-ary B pictures and the n-ary B picture in the same time direction, is encoded into an o-ary B picture having a priority level (o\u22121),
wherein m, n, and o are positive integers and satisfy 1\u2266m<n<o.
13. The storage medium of claim 12,
wherein the encoded data has a data structure in which a picture that is temporally disposed between the I picture and a next I picture at a same viewpoint, is encoded into the primary B picture, and pictures that are temporally disposed between any of the two I pictures and the primary B picture are encoded into the secondary B picture.
14. The storage medium of claim 13,
wherein the encoded data has a data structure in which pictures having a minimum quantization step size at all of the viewpoints are repeated at the same time interval.
15. The storage medium of claim 14,
wherein, in the encoded data, a group of pictures (GOP) of the multi-view video has a size of 8 view directions\xd712 time directions, and the pictures having a minimum quantization step size at all of the viewpoints are repeated every 12 time directions.

1. A measuring method by using a measuring device, which comprises a distance measuring unit for performing distance measurement on a measuring point by projecting a distance measuring light and by receiving a reflected distance measuring light from the measuring point, an image pickup unit, having a reference optical axis, for acquiring a digital image of a measurement range, a distance measuring optical axis deflecting unit for deflecting a distance measuring optical axis of said distance measuring light, wherein said distance measuring optical axis is deflected with respect to said reference optical axis, and an image processing unit for extracting the measuring point by image processing of said digital image, comprising:
acquiring a digital image of said measurement range,
extracting the measuring point through image processing of the acquired digital image,
measuring an angle of each of the measuring points from the image, and
directing said distance measuring optical axis to each of the measuring points one after another based on the result of angle measurement, and measuring a distance to each of the measuring points, wherein measurement is performed on each of the measuring points within said measurement range in a condition that said reference optical axis is fixed.
2. A measuring method according to claim 1, wherein a distance measurement is performed while micro-scanning of said distance measuring optical axis is performed around the measuring point.
3. A measuring method according to claim 1, further comprising setting a measuring order of the measuring points based on a result of said angle measurement, and wherein directing said distance measuring optical axis to each of the measuring point one after another is based on said result of said angle measurement and said measuring order.
4. A measuring device, comprising
a distance measuring unit for performing distance measurement on a measuring point by projecting a distance measuring light and by receiving a reflected distance measuring light from the measuring point,
an image pickup unit, having a reference optical axis, for acquiring a digital image of a measurement range,
a distance measuring optical axis deflecting unit for deflecting a distance measuring optical axis of said distance measuring light, wherein said distance measuring optical axis deflecting unit deflects said distance measuring optical axis with respect to said reference optical axis,
an angle measuring unit for measuring an angle of said distance measuring optical axis,
an image processing unit for extracting the measuring point through image processing of said digital image, and
a control arithmetic unit, wherein said control arithmetic unit detects an angle of the measuring point on said digital image, controls said distance measuring optical axis deflecting unit based on the detected angle, directs said distance measuring optical axis toward the measuring point one after another and measures a distance to the measuring point.
5. A measuring device according to claim 4, wherein said distance measuring optical axis deflecting unit is a pair of MEMS mirrors provided at positions opposite to each other on said distance measuring optical axis, and said pair of MEMS mirrors have tilting direction deviated by 90\xb0 from each other.
6. A measuring device according to claim 4, wherein said angle measuring unit has a luminous flux splitting means disposed on said distance measuring optical axis and a two-dimensional position detecting element for receiving the luminous flux thus split, wherein said two-dimensional position detecting element has a coordinate system having a point to match said distance measuring optical axis as an origin, and by detecting a position of the split luminous flux in said coordinate system, detects a deflection angle and a deflecting direction of said distance measuring optical axis.
7. A measuring device according to claim 4, further comprising a display unit, wherein a digital image of said measurement range is displayed on said display unit, the extracted measuring point are disposed in superimposed manner on said digital image, and a measuring point not yet measured and a measuring point already measured are discriminated from each other and are displayed.
8. A measuring device according to claim 4, further comprising a display unit, wherein said distance measuring light is a visible light, a digital image of said measurement range is displayed on said display unit, and a distance measuring light to be projected to the measuring point is displayed on said digital image.
9. A measuring device according to claim 4, wherein said distance measuring unit has said distance measuring optical axis, said image pickup unit has a reference optical axis, wherein said distance measuring optical axis and said reference optical axis are disposed in a fixed relation with each other, said distance measuring optical axis and said reference optical axis are integrally deflected, and said distance measuring optical axis is directed to the measuring point.
10. A measuring device according to claim 4, wherein an optical axis of said image pickup unit commonly shares said distance measuring optical axis, a deflection mirror is installed on the optical axis portion commonly shared, and when said deflection mirror is rotated in horizontal direction and is rotated in vertical direction, said distance measuring optical axis is deflected.
11. A measuring device according to claim 4, wherein said control arithmetic unit sets a measuring order of the measuring points based on the detected angle, and controls said distance measuring optical axis deflecting unit based on the detected angle and the measuring order.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1-35. (canceled)
36. A system, comprising:
a mirror having a curved mirror surface;
an apparatus comprising a plurality of actuators coupled to the mirror at eight discrete locations, the apparatus being configured so that during operation one or more of the actuators deform the mirror surface by applying a force to the mirror simultaneously at two or more of the discrete locations,
wherein the system is a microlithography projection objective.
37. The system of claim 36, wherein each actuator is coupled to the mirror at two or four of the eight discrete locations.
38. The system of claim 36, wherein each actuator is coupled to the mirror at a subset of the discrete locations and each actuator is configured to simultaneously apply a force to the mirror at each of the discrete locations at which it is coupled to the mirror.
39. The system of claim 36, wherein the mirror surface has a symmetry axis and each actuator is coupled to the mirror at discrete locations that are symmetrically arranged with respect to the symmetry axis.
40. The system of claim 39, wherein the symmetry axis corresponds to an optical axis of the microlithography projection objective.
41. The system of claim 36, wherein the microlithography projection objective is a catadioptric projection objective.
42. The system of claim 36, wherein the microlithography projection objective is a reduction objective.
43. The system of claim 36, wherein the microlithography projection objective is configured to have a rectangular image field.
44. The system of claim 36, wherein the apparatus is configured to deform the mirror to correct imaging errors of the microlithography projection objective.
45. The system of claim 44, wherein the imaging errors comprise an astigmatism or a coma of the microlithography projection objective.
46. The system of claim 36, wherein the force comprises an axial force.
47. The system of claim 36, wherein the force comprises a moment.
48. A system, comprising:
a mirror having a curved mirror surface having a symmetry axis;
an apparatus comprising a plurality of actuators each coupled to the mirror at two or more discrete locations, the apparatus being configured so that during operation one or more of the actuators deform the mirror surface by applying a force to the mirror at the corresponding discrete locations,
wherein the deformation is non-rotationally symmetric with respect to the symmetry axis and the system is a microlithography projection objective.
49. The system of claim 48, wherein the apparatus is configured to deform the mirror to correct imaging errors of the microlithography projection objective, where the errors are not distributed rotationally symmetrically with respect to the symmetry axis of the mirror surface.
50. The system of claim 49, wherein the imaging errors comprise an astigmatism or a coma of the microlithography projection objective.
51. The system of claim 48, wherein the symmetry axis coincides with an optical axis of the microlithography projection objective.
52. The system of claim 48, wherein the microlithography projection objective is configured to have a rectangular image field.
53. The system of claim 48, wherein the force comprises an axial force.
54. The system of claim 48, wherein the force comprises a moment.
55. A system, comprising:
a microlithography projection objective an image plane, the microlithography projection objective comprising:
a mirror having a mirror surface;
a first adjusting element comprising an actuator coupled to the mirror at two discrete locations, the adjusting element being configured to that during operation the actuator deforms the mirror surface by applying a force simultaneously to the two discrete locations;
a sensor configured so that during operation of the system the sensor measures a parameter related to the imaging quality of the microlithography projection objective; and
a control unit in communication with the first adjusting element and the sensor, wherein during operation the control unit causes the first adjusting element to deform the mirror to correct imaging errors if of the microlithography projection objective based on measurements made by the sensor.
56. The system of claim 55, wherein the sensor is positioned at the image plane.
57. The system of claim 55, wherein the imaging errors comprise an astigmatism or a coma of the microlithography projection objective
58. The system of claim 55, wherein the sensor is a wavefront sensor.
59. The system of claim 55, wherein the sensor is an interferometer.
60. The system of claim 55, wherein the sensor is configured to measure the parameter during exposure of a wafer by the system.
61. The system of claim 55, wherein the sensor is configured to measure the parameter between exposures of different wafers by the system.
62. The system of claim 55, wherein the microlithography projection objective comprises at least one other mirror.
63. A system, comprising:
a mirror having a mirror surface; and
an adjusting element comprising a first actuator coupled to the mirror at a first location and a second location, the first location being different from the second locations and the adjusting element being configured so that during operation the first actuator deforms the mirror surface by applying a moment to the mirror in a direction non-parallel to the optical axis at the first and second locations,
wherein the system is a microlithography projection objective.
64. A system, comprising:
a mirror having a mirror surface;
a first adjusting element comprising an actuator coupled to the mirror at a first location and a second location, the first location being different from the second locations and the adjusting element being configured so that during operation the actuator deforms the mirror surface by applying a moment to the mirror in a direction non-parallel to the optical axis at the first and second locations; and
a control unit in communication with the first adjusting element, wherein during operation the control unit causes the first adjusting element to deform the mirror to correct imaging errors of the microlithography projection objective,
wherein the system is a microlithography projection objective.