Image pickup apparatus, image pickup method, and computer program product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9319587-B2
Application number	US-201414244659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2014
Priority date	Apr 5, 2013
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

Provided is an image pickup apparatus that includes: an image pickup unit configured to generate picked-up image data by an image pickup process; a camera shake detection unit configured to detect an angular velocity generated by camera shake when shooting; an electronic image stabilization unit configured to perform an image stabilization process by moving a position of a cropping area in the picked-up image data, based on the angular velocity detected by the camera shake detection unit; and an area changing unit configured to change a size of the cropping area with respect to the picked-up image data, based on the angular velocity detected by the camera shake detection unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:
an image pickup unit configured to generate picked-up image data by an image pickup process;
a camera shake detection unit configured to detect an angular velocity gnereated by camera shake when shooting;
an electronic image stabilization unit configured to perform an image stabilization process by moving a position of a cropping area in the picked-up image data based on the angular velocity detected by the camera shake detection unit;
a target-value-of-area calculation unit configured to calculate a target value of a size of the cropping area based on the angular velocity;
a change determination unit configured to compare the target value calculated by the target-value-of-area calculation unit and the size of the cropping area at present and to determine whether or not to change the size of the cropping area at present based on a result of the comparison; and
an area changing unit configured to change the size of the cropping area with respect to the picked-up image data based on a result of the determination of the change determination unit.

2. The image pickup apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising
a permission unit configured to permit the area changing unit to increase the size of the cropping area.

3. The image pickup apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising
a condition determination unit configured to determine whether or not an image pickup condition which allows the size of the cropping area to be increased is satisfied, wherein the permission unit permits the area changing unit to increase the size of the cropping area based on a result of the determination by the condition determination unit.

4. The image pickup apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
the condition determination unit determines whether or not the image pickup apparatus is being in a recording operation.

5. The image pickup apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
the condition determination unit determines whether or not a display unit of the image pickup apparatus is displaying a menu.

6. The image pickup apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
the condition determination unit
obtains an amount of brightness change of the cropping area and
determines whether or not the image pickup condition which allows the size of the cropping area to be increased is satisfied based on the amount of brightness change.

7. The image pickup apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
the condition determination unit
obtains an average brightness of the cropping area and
determines whether or not the image pickup condition which allows the size of the cropping area to be increased is satisfied based on the average brightness.

8. The image pickup apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
the condition determination unit
obtains a focusing speed of the image pickup apparatus and
determines whether or not the image pickup condition which allows the size of the cropping area to be increased is satisfied based on the focusing speed.

9. The image pickup apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
the condition determination unit
obtains a zoom position of the image pickup apparatus and
determines whether or not the image pickup condition which allows the size of the cropping area to be increased is satisfied based on the zoom position.

10. The image pickup apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
the condition determination unit
determines whether or not a human face existing in the cropping area is located on a peripheral part of the cropping area.

11. The image pickup apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
the condition determination unit determines whether or not the image pickup condition which allows the size of the cropping area to be increased is satisfied based on change in a zoom position of the image pickup apparatus.

12. The image pickup apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
the condition determination unit
obtains a motion vector of the picked-up image data,
calculates a displacement amount of pixels of the picked-up image data based on the angular velocity detected by the camera shake detection unit, and
determines whether or not the image pickup condition which allows the size of the cropping area to be increased is satisfied based on a difference between a displacement amount of the motion vector and the calculated displacement amount of pixels.

13. The image pickup apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
the condition determination unit determines whether or not camera shake having an angular velocity equal to or greater than a predetermined value has continued for a predetermined time or longer based on the angular velocity detected by the camera shake detection unit.

14. The image pickup apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
the condition determination unit
obtains a motion vector of pixels in a first area of the picked-up image data,
obtains a motion vector of a second area which is located point-symmetrically to the first area about a central point of the picked-up image data, and
determines whether or not a direction of a motion vector of the first area and a direction of a motion vector of the second area are opposite.

15. The image pickup apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
the condition determination unit
calculates an amount of camera-shake-correction based on the angular velocity detected by the camera shake detection unit, and
determines whether or not the amount of camera-shake-correction is equal to or greater than a distance in which the cropping area can travel in the picked-up image data, and the size of the cropping area is at a minimum.

16. The image pickup apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
the condition determination unit determines whether or not the image pickup condition which allows the size of the cropping area to be increased is satisfied based on the angular velocity detected by the camera shake detection unit.

17. The image pickup apparatus of claim 3 , wherein
the condition determination unit determines whether or not the image pickup apparatus is being in a pan operation or in a tilt operation.

18. An image pickup method comprising:
generating picked-up image data by an image pickup process;
detecting an angular velocity generated by camera shake when shooting;
performing an image stabilization process by moving a position of a cropping area in the picked-up image data based on the detected angular velocity;
calculating a target value of a size of the cropping area based on the angular velocity;
comparing the target value and the size of the cropping area at present and determining whether or not to change the size of the cropping area at present based on a result of the comparison; and
changing the size of the cropping area with respect to the picked-up image data based on a result of the determination.

19. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-usable medium having computer-readable program codes embodied in the medium, wherein the program codes when executed causing a computer to execute the image pick up method according to claim 18 .

Assignees

• Jvc Kenwood Corp

Inventors

• Takao Kazuyuki
• Katoh Hidehiro
• Kubota Teppei
• Sugita Atsushi
• Taguchi Kensuke
• Kobayashi Kazuhiko
• Sueda Takashi
• Furuta Hiroshi
• Nishioka Hiroki
• Nishioka Masamichi

Classifications

• H04N23/6811 Primary

  based on the image signal · CPC title

• H04N23/6842

  by controlling the scanning position, e.g. windowing · CPC title

• H04N5/23254 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/23274

  Electricity · mapped topic