Imaging device, imaging method, and recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10250807-B2
Application number	US-201815860640-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 2, 2018
Priority date	Dec 17, 2012
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

An imaging device includes: an area setting unit which sets a first area and a second area other than the first area on the captured image acquired by an imaging unit; a main subject setting unit which sets a main subject based on the captured image acquired by the imaging unit or another image; a subject tracking unit which periodically detects the position of the main subject on the captured image acquired by the imaging unit; a variable power unit which zooms on a zoom-up side or a wide angle side; and a control unit which directs the variable power unit to zoom on a wide angle side when a zoom state of the variable power unit is on a zoom-up side and the main subject exists in the second area, wherein the variable power unit zooms according to the direction of the control unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging device, comprising:
an imaging unit which captures a subject and acquires a captured image;
an area setting circuit which sets a first area and a second area other than the first area on the captured image acquired by the imaging unit;
a main subject setting circuit which sets a main subject based on the captured image acquired by the imaging unit or another image;
a subject tracking circuit which periodically detects a position of the main subject on the captured image acquired by the imaging unit;
a variable power circuit which zooms on a tele-angle side or a wide angle side; and
a control circuit which directs the variable power circuit to zoom on a wide angle side when a zoom state of the variable power circuit is on a tele-angle side and the main subject exists in the second area, wherein
the variable power circuit zooms according to the direction of the control circuit;
depending on a detection result of the subject tracking circuit, the control circuit directs the subject tracking circuit to detect the position of the main subject in a first period when the main subject does not exist in the second area, and to detect the position of the main subject in a second period shorter than the first period when the main subject exists in the second area; and
the subject tracking circuit detects the position of the main subject in a period according to the direction of the control circuit.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first area is an area including a center of the captured image acquired by the imaging unit.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein
the variable power circuit zooms by optical variable power.

4. The device according to claim 2 , wherein
the variable power circuit zooms by electronic variable power by a variation of a segmented area of the captured image acquired by the imaging unit.

5. An imaging method used by a computer, comprising:
setting a first area and a second area other than the first area in a captured image by shooting and acquiring a subject;
setting a main subject based on the captured image acquired by shooting the subject or another image;
periodically detecting a position of the main subject on the captured image acquired by shooting the subject; and
zooming on a wide angle side when a zoom state is on a tele-angle side and the main subject exists in the second area,
wherein the position of the main subject is detected at a first period when the main subject does not exist in the second area, and is detected at a second period shorter than the first period when the main subject exists in the second area.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program used to direct a computer to perform the processes comprising:
setting a first area and a second area other than the first area in a captured image by shooting and acquiring a subject;
setting a main subject based on the captured image acquired by shooting the subject or another image;
periodically detecting a position of the main subject on the captured image acquired by shooting the subject; and
zooming on a wide angle side when a zoom state is on a tele-angle side and the main subject exists in the second area,
wherein the position of the main subject is detected at a first period when the main subject does not exist in the second area, and is detected at a second period shorter than the first period when the main subject exists in the second area.

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Ozawa Kazuhiro

Classifications

• H04N23/6811

  based on the image signal · CPC title

• G06V40/103 Primary

  Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition · CPC title

• H04N23/61

  based on recognised objects · CPC title

• H04N23/69

  Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming · CPC title

• H04N23/667

  Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes · CPC title