Control apparatus, image pickup apparatus, and control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12315100-B2
Application number	US-202318345444-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2023
Priority date	Aug 8, 2022
Publication date	May 27, 2025
Grant date	May 27, 2025

Abstract

A control apparatus of controlling imaging of an object includes a memory storing instructions, and a processor configured to execute the instructions to acquire information about three-dimensional space as an imaging target, dispose a virtual figure in the three-dimensional space, designate a search area to search the three-dimensional space for the object based on the virtual figure, and perform at least one of focus control and continuous imaging control for the object existing within the search area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control apparatus configured to control imaging of an object, the control apparatus comprising:
a memory storing instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the instructions to:
acquire information about three-dimensional space as an imaging target, and
dispose a virtual figure in the three-dimensional space,
designate a search area to search the three-dimensional space for the object based on the virtual figure, and
perform at least one of focus control and continuous imaging control for the object existing within the search area.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to designate the search area inside or outside the three-dimensional space as the virtual figure.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to search for the object within the search area using information about the three-dimensional space.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to perform the focus control for the object existing within a focus area set inside the search area.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to perform the continuous imaging control for the object existing within a continuous imaging area set inside the search area.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
perform the focus control for the object existing within a focus area set inside the search area, and
perform the continuous imaging control for the object existing within a continuous imaging area set inside the focus area inside the search area or equally set to the focus area.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
dispose a plurality of multiple virtual figures in the three-dimensional space, and
designate the search area for each of the plurality of virtual figures.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to perform at least one of the focus control and the continuous imaging control by prioritizing one of search areas designated for the plurality of virtual figures over other search areas.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to set the one of search areas according to a selection of a user.

10. The control apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to perform the continuous imaging control at different continuous imaging intervals for search areas designated for the plurality of virtual figures.

11. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to change a position and a size of the virtual figure in the three-dimensional space according to an operation of a user.

12. An image pickup apparatus comprising:
the control apparatus according to claim 1 ; and
an image sensor.

13. A control method configured to control imaging of an object, the control method comprising the steps of:
acquiring information about three-dimensional space as an imaging target;
disposing a virtual figure in the three-dimensional space;
designating a search area to search the three-dimensional space for the object based on the virtual figure, and
performing at least one of focus control and continuous imaging control for the object existing within the search area.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the control method according to claim 13 .

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Morinaga Mizuki
• Tanaka Ryosuke

Classifications

• H04N23/675 Primary

  comprising setting of focusing regions · CPC title

• G06T2219/2004

  Aligning objects, relative positioning of parts · CPC title

• G06T2219/2016

  Rotation, translation, scaling · CPC title

• H04N23/61

  based on recognised objects · CPC title

• G06T19/20 Primary

  Editing of three-dimensional [3D] images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts · CPC title