Image processing device and method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9253388-B2
Application number	US-201113321395-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2011
Priority date	Mar 30, 2010
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to an image processing device and method, and a program whereby a subject can be imaged in a simpler manner with a desired imaging range.
A size ratio calculating unit 553 calculates a size ratio between a region of interest that is a region of a subject of interest, and a partial region that is the region of a portion of the subject included in the region of interest with an imaged image that has been imaged, and a lens driving control unit 556 controls the zoom power of an imaged image according to a zoom operation by a user so that the size ratio calculated by the size ratio calculating unit 553 , and a predetermined value match or generally match. The present invention may be applied to an imaging apparatus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image processing device comprising:
circuitry configured to:
calculate a ratio between a first size of an interest region that is a region of an interest subject, and a second size of a partial region that is a region of a portion of said interest subject included in said interest region, of an image, said interest region being a part of said image less than an entire region of said image;
compare the first size of said interest region, and a predetermined target size of said image; and
control a zoom of said image so that said ratio calculated by said circuitry, and a predetermined value match or generally match, and that a difference between the first size of said interest region, and said predetermined target size is smaller than a predetermined threshold.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory that stores said predetermined value beforehand; wherein
said circuitry is configured to:
determine whether or not said ratio calculated by said circuitry, and said predetermined value stored by said memory match or generally match, for each frame; and
control said zoom until determination is made that said ratio and said predetermined value match or generally match.

3. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein said circuitry calculates said ratio by calculating a ratio between the heights of said interest region, and said partial region serving as rectangular regions.

4. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein said circuitry calculates said ratio by calculating a ratio between a person region that is a region of a person serving as said interest subject of interest, and a face region that is a region of a face of said person included in said person region, of said image.

5. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein said circuitry controls said zoom of said image by controlling driving of a zoom lens.

6. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein said circuitry controls said zoom of said image by controlling electronic enlargement of said image.

7. An image processing device comprising:
circuitry configured to:
calculate a ratio between a first size of an interest region that is a region of an interest subject, and a second size of a partial region that is a region of a portion of said interest subject included in said interest region, of an image, said interest region being a part of said image less than an entire region of said image;
compare the first size of said interest region, and a predetermined target size of said image;
control a zoom of said image according to a zoom operation by a user so that said ratio calculated by said circuitry, and a predetermined value match or generally match, and that a difference between the first size of said interest region, and said predetermined target size is smaller than a predetermined threshold; and
control, in the event that the zoom operation has not been performed by said user, said zoom of said image so that the difference between the first size of said interest region and said predetermined target size compared by said circuitry is smaller than the predetermined threshold.

8. The image processing device according to claim 7 , wherein said circuitry is configured to:
control said zoom of said image according to said zoom operation at the time of the zoom operation being performed by said user while controlling said zoom of said image so that difference between the first size of said interest region, and said predetermined target size is smaller than said predetermined threshold; and
set said target size to a size of said interest region after the zoom operation has been performed by said user.

9. The image processing device according to claim 7 , wherein said circuitry is configured to:
detect the position of said interest region in said image; and
control said zoom of said image toward the wide-angle side in the event that said circuitry detects that the position of said interest region is in an outer edge region of said image.

10. The image processing device according to claim 9 , wherein said circuitry is configured to:
present information to the effect that said interest subject is out of said image in the event that said zoom of said image becomes a wide-angle end by the control of said circuitry.

11. An image processing method of an image processing device which includes circuitry,
said method comprising:
calculating, using said circuitry, a ratio between a first size of a person region that is a region of a person serving as an interest subject, and a second size of a face region that is a region of a face of said person included in said person region, of an image;
comparing, using said circuitry, the first size of said person region, and a predetermined target size of said image; and
controlling, using said circuitry, a zoom of said image so that said ratio calculated using said circuitry in said calculating, and a predetermined value match or generally match, and that a difference between the first size of said person region, and said predetermined target size is smaller than a predetermined threshold.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium including executable instructions, which when executed by a computer cause the computer to execute an image processing method of an image processing device, the method comprising:
calculating a ratio between a first size of a person region that is a region of a person serving as an interest subject, and a second size of a face region that is a region of a face of said person included in said person region, of an image;
comparing, using said circuitry, the first size of said person region, and a predetermined target size of said image; and
controlling a zoom of said image so that said calculated ratio in said calculating, and a predetermined value match or generally match, and that a difference between the first size of said person region, and said predetermined target size is smaller than a predetermined threshold.

13. The image processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising an imager that images the interest subject.

14. An image processing device comprising:
circuitry configured to:
calculate a ratio between a first size of an interest region that is a region of an interest subject, and a second size of a partial region that is a region of a portion of said interest subject included in said interest region, of an image, said interest region being a part of said image less than an entire region of said image; and
control a zoom of said image so that said ratio calculated by said circuitry, and a predetermined value match or generally match, wherein
when the zoom is on a telephoto side, and when said ratio is smaller than a first predetermined value, said circuitry controls said zoom of said image toward the telephoto side so that said ratio and the first predetermined value match or generally match, and
when the zoom is on the telephoto side, and when said ratio is not smaller than the first predetermined value, said circuitry controls said zoom of said image toward the telephoto side so that said ratio and a second predetermined value match or generally match.

15. An image processing device comprising:
circuitry configured to:
calculate a ratio between a first size of an interest region that is a region of an interest subject, and a second size of a partial region that is a region of a portion of said interest subject included in said interest region, of an image, said interest region being a part of said image less than an ent

Assignees

• Kinoshita Masaya
• Yoneda Yutaka
• Kameya Takashi
• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Kinoshita Masaya
• Yoneda Yutaka
• Kameya Takashi

Classifications

• G03B5/00 Primary

  Adjustment of optical system relative to image or object surface other than for focusing · CPC title

• H04N23/69 Primary

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

• H04N23/611

  where the recognised objects include parts of the human body · CPC title

• G03B2205/0046

  Movement of one or more optical elements for zooming · CPC title

• H04N5/23296

  Electricity · mapped topic