Camera and control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11831985-B2
Application number	US-202017310887-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2020
Priority date	Mar 13, 2019
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

The present technology relates to a camera, a control method, and a program capable of improving image quality. An image sensor captures an image, and an encoding unit encodes the image. A control unit controls a bit rate to be allocated to encode the image in response to a shake of the camera. The present technology is applicable to, for example, a camera that captures and encodes an image.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A camera, comprising:
an image sensor configured to capture an image;
an encoding unit configured to encode the captured image; and
a control unit configured to:
determine a motion in the captured image;
determine, based on the determined motion, a subject in the captured image is static;
determine, based on the determination that the subject is static, at least one of a panning operation of the camera or a tilting operation of the camera is one of performed or not performed;
execute normal bit rate allocation control to allocate a first bit rate to encode the captured image, wherein
the first bit rate is in conformity with a definition of an encoding method of the encoding unit, and
the execution of the normal bit rate allocation control is based on the determined motion, the determination that the subject is static, and the determination that the at least one of the panning operation or the tilting operation is performed; and

execute bit rate allocation reduction control to allocate a second bit rate to encode the captured image, wherein
the second bit rate is lower than the first bit rate, and
the execution of the bit rate allocation reduction control is based on the determined motion, the determination that the subject is static, and the determination that the at least one of the panning operation or the tilting operation is not performed.

2. The camera according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to reduce, based on a magnitude of a shake of the camera, the first bit rate to be allocated to encode the captured image.

3. The camera according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit is further configured to reduce, in a case where the shake of the camera continues over a certain period of time, the first bit rate to be allocated to encode the captured image.

4. The camera according to claim 1 , further comprising a signal processing unit configured to execute signal processing operation on the captured image, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the signal processing operation based on a shake of the camera.

5. A method of controlling a camera including an image sensor that captures an image, and an encoding unit that encodes the captured image, the method comprising:
determining a motion in the captured image;
determining, based on the determined motion, a subject in the captured image is static;
determining, based on the determination that the subject is static, at least one of a panning operation of the camera or a tilting operation of the camera is one of performed or not performed;
executing normal bit rate allocation control to allocate a first bit rate to encode the captured image, wherein
the first bit rate is in conformity with a definition of an encoding method of the encoding unit, and
the execution of the normal bit rate allocation control is based on the determined motion, the determination that the subject is static, and the determination that the at least one of the panning operation or the tilting operation is performed; and

executing bit rate allocation reduction control to allocate a second bit rate to encode the captured image, wherein
the second bit rate is lower than the first bit rate, and
the execution of the bit rate allocation reduction control is based on the determined motion, the determination that the subject is static, and the determination that the at least one of the panning operation or the tilting operation is not performed.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute operations, the operations comprising:
controlling an image sensor of a camera to capture an image;
determining a motion in the captured image;
determining, based on the determined motion, a subject in the captured image is static;
determining, based on the determination that the subject is static, at least one of a panning operation of the camera or a tilting operation of the camera is one of performed or not performed;
executing normal bit rate allocation control to allocate a first bit rate to encode the captured image, wherein
the first bit rate is in conformity with a definition of an encoding method of an encoding unit, and
the execution of the normal bit rate allocation control is based on the determined motion, the determination that the subject is static, and the determination that the at least one of the panning operation or the tilting operation is performed; and

executing bit rate allocation reduction control to allocate a second bit rate to encode the captured image, wherein
the second bit rate is lower than the first bit rate, and
the execution of the bit rate allocation reduction control is based on the determined motion, the determination that the subject is static, and the determination that the at least one of the panning operation or the tilting operation is not performed.

Assignees

• Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp

Inventors

• Watanabe Takehito
• Yasuda Mikita
• Haneda Naoya

Classifications

• H04N23/80

  Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/683 Primary

  performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory · CPC title

• H04N19/115 Primary

  Selection of the code volume for a coding unit prior to coding · CPC title

• H04N19/137

  Motion inside a coding unit, e.g. average field, frame or block difference · CPC title

• H04N19/172

  the region being a picture, frame or field · CPC title