Control apparatus, imaging system, control method, and program for changing a composition of an image

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9596415-B2
Application number	US-201013384686-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2010
Priority date	Jul 29, 2009
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

A control apparatus, an imaging system, a control method, and a program in which, when performing automatic image-recording, subjects which seem to be present around an imaging apparatus can be recorded as evenly as possible. An automatic recording operation for recording, upon detection of a subject from an image obtained by imaging, data representing an image containing the subject is performed. On that basis, if it is determined, on the basis of image-recording history information, that the transition to a subject configuration different from that used in the last image-recording is to be performed, a movable mechanism unit is moved to change an imaging field-of-view range, thereby obtaining a different subject configuration.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control apparatus, comprising:
circuitry configured to:
receive image data which is obtained based on image captured by an imager;
detect one or more subjects present in an image based on the image data;
control execution of image-recording to record the image data which represents the image that contains the detected one or more subjects on a recording medium; and
control a movable mechanism that changes an imaging field-of-view range of the imager to be driven based on a history of the image-recording of the image data which represents the image that contains the detected one or more subjects by movement of an imaging optical axis of the imager such that a subject that corresponds to a subject configuration which is at least different from a subject configuration used in last image-recording is to be detected,
wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the movable mechanism such that the movable mechanism moves in a determined direction by a determined angle, and a value of the determined angle is greater than an angle of view of the imager.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to control, based on detection result, the movable mechanism such that the movable mechanism moves along the determined direction until a subject, which is undetected in the last image-recording, is newly detected.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to store, as the history, number-of-recording-times information that indicates the number of times for which an identical subject configuration is recorded, and control the movable mechanism to change the imaging field-of-view range of the imager based on the number of times indicated by the number-of-recording-times information.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
control the movable mechanism to change the imaging field-of-view range of the imager, based on the determination that the number of times indicated by information related to the history is equal to or greater than a threshold; and
change and set the threshold based on a set frequency.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the movable mechanism to change the imaging field-of-view range of the imager based on the determination that the number of times indicated by information that relates to the history is equal to or greater than a threshold.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to store, as the history, recording position information that indicates a position of the movable mechanism in an event the image data is recorded, and control the movable mechanism to change the imaging field-of-view range of the imager based on the recording position information, based on the number of image-recording times at a position which is considered to be a position identical to the position of the movable mechanism at which the last image-recording has been executed.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
recognize each of the detected one or more subjects so as to obtain individual identification information to differentiate and identify individuals; and
store, as the history, number-of-individual-recording-times information that indicates the number of times for which each of the detected one or more subjects are recorded, and control the movable mechanism to change the imaging field-of-view range of the imager based on the number of times indicated by the number-of-individual-recording-times information.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
decide a composition based on the detected one or more subjects;
at least one of the movable mechanism and zoom control for the imager to obtain a decided composition; and
execute image-recording based on the determination that the decided composition has been obtained.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to obtain, as a decision result of a current composition decision, a composition different from a composition used in the last image-recording based on a subject configuration which is identical to the subject configuration used in the current image-recording.

10. The control apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the movable mechanism in an event the decided composition is unobtained within a determined time.

11. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to increase a frequency with which the image-recording is to be executed in an event a number of the detected one or more subjects is large.

12. An imaging system, comprising:
a control apparatus; and
a movable mechanism apparatus that includes a mechanism that is movable so as to change an imaging field-of-view range of the control apparatus,
the control apparatus or the movable mechanism apparatus including that includes circuitry configured to:
receive image data which is obtained based on image captured by an imager;
detect one or more subjects present in an image based on the image data,
control execution of image-recording to record the image data which represents the image that contains the detected one or more subjects on a recording medium of the control apparatus; and
control the movable mechanism apparatus by movement of an imaging optical axis of the imager based on a history of the image-recording of the image data which represents the image that contains the detected one or more subjects such that a subject that corresponds to a subject configuration which is at least different from a subject configuration used in last image-recording is to be detected,
wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the movable mechanism such that the movable mechanism moves in a determined direction by a determined angle, and a value of the determined angle is greater than an angle of view of the imager.

13. A control method, comprising:
receiving image data which is obtained based on imaging by an imaging unit and detecting one or more subjects present in an image based on the image data;
controlling execution of image-recording for recording the image data which represents the image containing the detected one or more subjects on a recording medium; and
controlling driving of a movable mechanism unit that changes an imaging field-of-view range of the imaging unit based on a history of the image-recording of the image data which represents the image containing the detected one or more subjects by moving an imaging optical axis of the imaging unit such that a subject that corresponds a subject configuration which is at least different from a subject configuration used in last image-recording is to be detected,
wherein the movable mechanism unit is controlled such that the movable mechanism unit moves in a determined direction by a determined angle, and a value of the determined angle is greater than an angle of view of the imaging unit.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a control apparatus to perform operations, comprising:
receiving image data which is obtained based on imaging by an imaging unit and detecting one or more subjects present in an image based on the image data;
controlling execution of image-recording for the image data which represents the image containing the detected one or more subjects on a rec

Assignees

• Yoshizumi Shingo
• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Yoshizumi Shingo

Classifications

• H04N23/61

  based on recognised objects · CPC title

• H04N23/64

  Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image · 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

• G03B37/02 Primary

  with scanning movement of lens or cameras · CPC title