Control system, imaging device, and computer-readable medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10477106-B2
Application number	US-201815911423-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2018
Priority date	Sep 9, 2015
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A control system controls an imaging device to generate an omnidirectional image based on a first image obtained using a first fisheye lens and a second image obtained using a second fisheye lens. The control system includes an evaluation value calculating unit configured to: calculate brightness values of the first and second images based on pixel values of pixels constituting the first and second images, and calculate, based on the brightness values, first and second exposure evaluation values for evaluating exposure of first and second imaging elements corresponding to the first and second fisheye lenses. The evaluation value calculating unit configured to do not use pixel values of pixels constituting an overlapping area in which there is overlapping of shooting ranges of the first and second images, during calculation of the brightness values of the first and second images.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control system to control an imaging device to generate an omnidirectional image based on a first image obtained using a first fisheye lens and a second image obtained using a second fisheye lens, the control system comprising:
an evaluation value calculating circuitry configured to:
calculate a brightness value of the first image based on pixel values of pixels constituting the first image,
calculate, based on the brightness value, a first exposure evaluation value for evaluating exposure of a first imaging element corresponding to the first fisheye lens,
calculate a brightness value of the second image based on pixel values of pixels constituting the second image, and
calculate, based on the brightness value, a second exposure evaluation value for evaluating exposure of a second imaging element corresponding to the second fisheye lens, wherein
the evaluation value calculating circuitry is configured to not use pixel values of pixels constituting an overlapping area in which there is overlapping of a shooting range of the first image and a shooting range of the second image, during calculation of the brightness value of the first image and calculation of the brightness value of the second image.

2. The control system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a photometric value calculating circuitry configured to, based on a setting value set in the imaging device, calculate a photometric value indicating brightness of a photographic subject;
a photometric value adjusting circuitry configured to, based on the first exposure evaluation value and the second exposure evaluation value calculated by the evaluation value calculating circuitry, adjust the photometric value calculated by the photometric value calculating circuitry;
an exposure value calculating circuitry configured to calculate, from the calculated photometric value, an exposure value indicating a degree of exposure of the first imaging element and the second imaging element to light; and
a setting value calculating circuitry configured to calculate, as setting values, an exposure period for which an imaging element is to be exposed to light and a sensitivity value indicating sensitivity to light of the imaging element, the exposure period and the sensitivity value corresponding to the calculated exposure value.

3. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation value calculating circuitry is configured to:
calculate a first white balance evaluation value for evaluating white balance of the first imaging element based on the brightness value of the first image; and
calculate a second white balance evaluation value for evaluating white balance of the second imaging element based on the brightness value of the second image.

4. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the first fisheye lens and the second fisheye lens are placed opposite to each other with respective optical axes set to be coincident, and
an angle of view of each of the first fisheye lens and the second fisheye lens exceeds 180°.

5. An imaging device comprising the control system according to claim 1 .

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including programmed instructions that cause a computer, which controls an imaging device to generate an omnidirectional image based on a first image obtained using a first fisheye lens and a second image obtained using a second fisheye lens, to execute:
calculating a brightness value of the first image based on pixel values of pixels constituting the first image;
calculating, based on the brightness value, a first exposure evaluation value for evaluating exposure of a first imaging element corresponding to the first fisheye lens;
calculating a brightness value of the second image based on pixel values of pixels constituting the second image; and
calculating, based on the brightness value, a second exposure evaluation value for evaluating exposure of a second imaging element corresponding to the second fisheye lens, wherein
in the calculating the brightness value, pixel values of pixels constituting an overlapping area in which there is overlapping of a shooting range of the first image and a shooting range of the second image, are not used.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 6 , wherein the programmed instructions further cause the computer to execute:
calculating, based on a setting value set in the imaging device, a photometric value indicating brightness of a photographic subject;
adjusting, based on the calculated first exposure evaluation value and the calculated second exposure evaluation value, the calculated photometric value;
calculating, from the calculated photometric value, an exposure value indicating a degree of exposure of the first imaging element and the second imaging element to light; and
calculating, as setting values, an exposure period for which an imaging element is to be exposed to light and a sensitivity value indicating sensitivity to light of the imaging element, the exposure period and the sensitivity value corresponding to the calculated exposure value.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 6 , wherein the programmed instructions further cause the computer to execute:
calculating a first white balance evaluation value for evaluating white balance of the first imaging element based on the brightness value of the first image; and
calculating a second white balance evaluation value for evaluating white balance of the second imaging element based on the brightness value of the second image.

Assignees

• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nomura Kenichiroh

Classifications

• G03B19/07

  having more than one objective · CPC title

• G03B7/091

  Digital circuits · CPC title

• G03B37/00

  Panoramic or wide-screen photography; Photographing extended surfaces, e.g. for surveying; Photographing internal surfaces, e.g. of pipe · CPC title

• G03B15/00

  Special procedures for taking photographs; Apparatus therefor · CPC title

• H04N23/698 Primary

  for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture · CPC title