Photographing unit, cooperative photographing method, and recording medium having recorded program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9426379-B2
Application number	US-201414161129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2014
Priority date	Jan 23, 2013
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

A photographing unit includes an image pickup portion which outputs a first image pickup image obtained through photographing of an object, a display control portion for displaying the first image pickup image from the image pickup portion and a second image pickup image from a different photographing unit on an identical display screen, an image comparison portion which compares the first image pickup image with the second image pickup image, and an angle-of-view display portion which controls the display control portion on the basis of a comparison result from the image comparison portion to display a display indicating an image pickup range of the first image pickup image in the second image pickup image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A photographing unit comprising:
an image pickup portion which outputs a first image pickup image obtained through photographing of an object;
a display control portion which causes the first image pickup image from the image pickup portion and a second image pickup image from a different photographing unit to be displayed on an identical display screen, the different photographing unit being configured to photograph an image pickup range including an image pickup range of the first image pickup image;
an image comparison portion which compares the first image pickup image with the second image pickup image; and
an angle-of-view display portion which controls the display control portion on the basis of a comparison result from the image comparison portion to cause a frame image indicating the image pickup range of the first image pickup image to be displayed in the second image pickup image,
wherein the angle-of-view display portion (1) sets a feature in a specific range within the first image pickup image as a judgment target image, (2) sets, in the second image pickup image, a judgment region identical in size to the judgment target image, (3) judges similarity by comparing the judgment target image with an image in the judgment region set, (4) moves the set judgment region and (5) repeats the act of judging similarity by comparing the judgment target image with an image in the moved judgment region, (6) changes a size of the judgment target image by scaling, up or down, the judgment target image, and (7) repeats the acts of setting a judgment region, judging similarity, moving the set judgment region and repeating the act of judging similarity using the changed size judgment target image.

2. The photographing unit according to claim 1 , further comprising
a connection unit control portion which controls at least one of image pickup processing, image display processing, and image communication processing by the different photographing unit.

3. The photographing unit according to claim 2 , further comprising
a connection portion to which the different photographing unit is connectable, wherein
the connection unit control portion starts controlling the at least one processing when the different photographing unit is connected to the connection portion.

4. The photographing unit according to claim 1 , further comprising
a connection unit control portion which controls image pickup processing by the different photographing unit, wherein
the connection unit control portion instructs the different photographing unit to perform wide-angle image pickup.

5. The photographing unit according to claim 1 , further comprising
a connection unit control portion which controls image communication processing by the different photographing unit, wherein
the connection unit control portion causes the different photographing unit to send the first image pickup image by utilizing a communication function of the different photographing unit.

6. The photographing unit according to claim 1 , further comprising
a connection unit control portion which controls image pickup processing and image display processing by the different photographing unit, wherein
the connection unit control portion requests the different photographing unit to transfer the second image pickup image and stops image display at the different photographing unit.

7. The photographing unit according to claim 1 , further comprising
a photographing direction guidance portion which controls the image comparison portion to detect an error between an image pickup range of the image pickup portion and an image pickup range of the different photographing unit and obtain information on a position of an object that is not included in the first image pickup image and is included in the second image pickup image and controls the display control portion to display a direction guidance display corresponding to the information on the position of the object on the identical display screen.

8. The photographing unit according to claim 1 , further comprising
a mounting portion which has an optical axis adjustment mechanism for causing an optical axis of the image pickup portion and an optical axis of the different photographing unit to coincide.

9. A cooperative photographing method comprising:
an image pickup step of photographing an object and acquiring a first image pickup image;
an image comparison step of comparing the first image pickup image with a second image pickup image from a different photographing unit; and
an angle-of-view display step of displaying the first image pickup image and the second image pickup image on an identical display screen and displaying a display indicating an image pickup range of the first image pickup image in the second image pickup image on the basis of a comparison result in the image comparison step by (1) setting a feature in a specific range within the first image pickup image as a judgment target image, (2) setting, in the second image pickup image, a judgment region identical in size to the judgment target image, (3) judging similarity by comparing the judgment target image with an image in the judgment region set, (4) moving the set judgment region, (5) repeating the act of judging similarity by comparing the judgment target image with an image in the moved judgment region, (6) changing a size of the judgment target image by scaling, up or down, the judgment target image, and (7) repeating the acts of setting a judgment region, judging similarity, moving the set judgment region and repeating the act of judging similarity using the changed size judgment target image.

10. The cooperative photographing method according to claim 9 , further comprising
a connection unit control step of controlling at least one of image pickup processing, image display processing, and image communication processing by the different photographing unit.

11. The cooperative photographing method according to claim 9 , further comprising
a step of instructing the different photographing unit to perform wide-angle image pickup.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a recorded program for causing a computer to execute:
an image pickup step of photographing an object and acquiring a first image pickup image;
an image comparison step of comparing the first image pickup image with a second image pickup image from a different photographing unit; and
an angle-of-view display step of displaying the first image pickup image and the second image pickup image on an identical display screen and displaying a display indicating an image pickup range of the first image pickup image in the second image pickup image on the basis of a comparison result in the image comparison step by
(1) setting a feature in a specific range within the first image pickup image as a judgment target image,
(2) setting, in the second image pickup image, a judgment region identical in size to the judgment target image,
(3) judging similarity by comparing the judgment target image with an image in the judgment region set,
(4) moving the set judgment region,
(5) repeating the act of judging similarity by comparing the judgment target image with an image in the moved judgment region,
(6) changing a size of the judgment target image by scaling, up or down, the judgment target image, and
(7) repeating the acts of setting a judgment region, judging similarity, moving the set judgment region and repeating the act of judging similarity using the changed size judgment target image.

13. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 12 , wherein
the program c

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Nonaka Osamu
• Hirata Masahiro

Classifications

• H04N23/66 Primary

  Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices · CPC title

• H04N23/74 Primary

  by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/62

  Control of parameters via user interfaces · CPC title

• H04N23/69

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

• H04N23/90

  Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums · CPC title