Producing object-based special visual effects by integrating multiple differently focused images: implicit 3D approach to image content manipulation

We propose a novel approach to image content manipulation. It enables us to arbitrarily manipulate an object in a scene by linear processings such as blurring, enhancement and shift etc. Notably, the method does not need any segmentation nor 3D modeling. Making use of multiple differently focused images and a linear imaging model, it directly generates the desired image from the original images. A special camera is developed which can acquire three differently focused image sequences, in order to extend the proposed method to image sequence processing.