Image processing device and image processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9311712-B2
Application number	US-201414556685-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2014
Priority date	Jul 2, 2010
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

An image processing device including a subject frame setting section which, by operating a subject detector which detects a subject captured in an image, sets a subject frame which surrounds a predetermined range of the subject detected from the image; an acceptance frame setting section which sets an acceptance frame with a range wider than the subject frame according to the context of the image; a position detecting section which detects a specified position on an image which is specified by a user; and a recognizing section which recognizes a subject which is a tracking target based on the acceptance frame set by the acceptance frame setting section and the specified position detected by the position detecting section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
circuitry configured to
control displaying an image on a display;
detect a subject in the image;
control displaying, with the image, a subject area in which the subject detected from the image is included;
set, but not display, an acceptance area which encompasses the subject area according to a position of the subject area;
detect a specified position which is corresponding to a received user input position within the image displayed with the subject area;
detect whether the specified position is within the acceptance area, and
determine, in case the specified position is within the acceptance area, the subject within the subject area corresponding to the acceptance area as a tracking subject.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a touch panel display configured to display the image and the subject area; and
detect a touch input as the user input.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein
the circuitry is configured to set a size of the acceptance area according to a size of the subject detected in the image.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein
the circuitry is configured to set a spacing of the acceptance area with regard to the subject area according to a type of the subject detected in the image.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein
the circuitry is configured to adjust a spacing of the acceptance area with regard to the subject area according to movement of the subject detected in the image.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein
the circuitry is configured to adjust a spacing of the acceptance area with regard to the subject frame according to a scene with regard to the subject.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein
the circuitry is configured to adjust a spacing of the acceptance area with regard to the subject area according to relationship with another subject area.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein
the circuitry is configured to set the acceptance area of the subject which is appropriate for an imaging mode which is currently set to be larger than the acceptance area of the subject which is not appropriate for the imaging mode when a plurality of types of the subjects are detected in the image.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein
the circuitry further configured to track the tracking subject.

10. A method performed by an electronic device, the method comprising:
controlling to display, by the circuity of the electronic device, an image on a display;
detecting, by the circuity, a subject in the image;
controlling, by the circuitry, with the image, to display a subject area in which the subject detected from the image is included;
setting, but not display, by the circuitry, an acceptance area which encompasses the subject area according to a position of the subject area;
detecting, by the circuitry, a specified position which is corresponding to a received user input position within the image displayed with the subject area;
detect, by the circuitry, whether the specified position is within the acceptance area; and
determine, in case the specified position is within the acceptance area, by the circuitry, the subject within the subject area corresponding to the acceptance area as a tracking subject.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein
a size of the acceptance area is set according to a size of the subject detected in the image.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein
a spacing of the acceptance area with regard to the subject area is set according to a type of the subject detected in the image.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein
a spacing of the acceptance area with regard to the subject area is adjusted according to movement of the subject detected in the image.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein
a spacing of the acceptance area with regard to the subject frame is adjusted according to a scene with regard to the subject.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein
a spacing of the acceptance area with regard to the subject area is adjusted according to relationship with another subject area.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the acceptance area of the subject which is appropriate for an imaging mode which is currently set to be larger than the acceptance area of the subject which is not appropriate for the imaging mode is set when a plurality of types of the subjects are detected in the image.

17. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising tracking the tracking subject.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer-program instructions, which executed by an electronic device, cause the electronic device to:
control to display an image on a display;
detect a subject in the image;
control to display, with the image, a subject area in which the subjected detected from the image included;
set, but not display, an acceptance area which encompasses the subject area according to a position of the subject area;
detect a specified position which is corresponding to a received user input position within the image displayed with the subject area;
detect whether the specified position is within the acceptance area; and
determine, in case the specified position is within the acceptance area, the subject within the subject area corresponding to the acceptance area as a tracking subject.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Fukata Yoko

Classifications

• H04N23/61

  based on recognised objects · CPC title

• G06V10/235 Primary

  based on user input or interaction · CPC title

• H04N23/62

  Control of parameters via user interfaces · CPC title

• H04N23/635

  Region indicators; Field of view indicators · CPC title

• H04N23/611

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