Imaging device, imaging method and storage medium for controlling execution of imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9742989-B2
Application number	US-201414768328-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2014
Priority date	Mar 6, 2013
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

An imaging device includes an imaging unit that is provided at a case body and images an object; an operation input unit utilized to input an imaging operation; a first instruction unit that instructs the imaging unit to execute the imaging when the imaging operation is input; a second instruction unit that instructs, based on a trigger other than the imaging operation, the imaging unit to execute the imaging; and a control unit that performs, based on a state of the case body, a control to invalidate any one of the instruction by the first instruction unit and the instruction by the second instruction unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging device comprising:
a case body;
an imaging unit implemented as an imaging device including hardware and that is provided at the case body and images an object;
an operation input unit implemented as an input device including hardware and that is utilized to input an imaging operation;
a first instruction unit implemented by a processor executing code stored on a non-transitory medium and that instructs the imaging unit to execute the imaging when the imaging operation is input via the operation input unit;
a second instruction unit implemented by the processor executing the code and that instructs, based on a trigger other than the imaging operation, the imaging unit to execute the imaging; and
a control unit implemented by the processor executing the code and that invalidates, based on a state of the case body, one of the imaging unit executing the imaging in response to the instruction by the first instruction unit, and the imaging unit executing the imaging in response to the instruction by the second instruction unit, wherein:
the case body has at least two bodies which are openable and closable;
the control unit controls whether or not to invalidate the imaging unit executing the imaging in response to the instruction by the second instruction unit, based on an open or closed state of the bodies as the state of the case body;
when the case body is in an open state at a predetermined angle as the state of the case body, the control unit validates the imaging unit executing the imaging in response to the instruction by the second instruction unit;
the imaging device further comprises a bottom contact detection unit implemented as a sensor including hardware and that detects a state of the imaging device, in which a bottom of the imaging device contacts something;
and when the case body is in the open state at the predetermined angle and a predetermined bottom contact state is detected by the bottom contact detection unit, the control unit validates the imaging unit executing the imaging in response to the instruction by the second instruction unit.

2. The imaging device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:
when the case body is in a closed state as the state of the case body, the control unit invalidates the imaging unit executing the imaging in response to the instruction by the second instruction unit.

3. The imaging device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:
when the control unit validates the imaging unit executing the imaging in response to the instruction by the second instruction unit, the control unit invalidates the imaging unit executing the imaging in response to the instruction by the first instruction unit.

4. The imaging device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
a motion detection unit implemented as a motion detector including hardware and that detects a motion of the object,
wherein when a predetermined motion of the object is detected by the motion detection unit, the second instruction unit instructs the imaging unit to execute the imaging.

5. The imaging device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
a clocking unit implemented as a clock device including hardware and that measures a time,
wherein when it is detected by the clocking unit that a predetermined time has elapsed, the second instruction unit instructs the imaging unit to execute the imaging.

6. The imaging device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
a facial expression detection unit implemented as a detector including hardware and that detects a facial expression of the object,
wherein when a predetermined facial expression of the object is detected by the facial expression detection unit, the second instruction unit instructs the imaging unit to execute the imaging.

7. The imaging device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
an object identifying unit implemented by the processor executing the code and that identifies the object,
wherein when the object is identified as a predetermined object by the object identifying unit, the second instruction unit instructs the imaging unit to execute the imaging.

8. The imaging device in accordance with, claim 1 , wherein:
the case body has at least two bodies which are openable and closable;
each of the two bodies has a display unit implemented as a display device including hardware, where the display unit is arranged on an outer surface of the corresponding body in a closed state of the case body; and
the imaging unit is arranged in a manner such that one imaging unit is provided on one of the outer surfaces of the bodies and another imaging unit is provided on one of inner surfaces in the closed state.

9. The imaging device in accordance with claim 8 , further comprising:
a display control unit implemented by the processor executing the code and that performs a control to display an image obtained by the imaging unit on the display unit,
wherein the display control unit performs a control to display the image obtained by the imaging unit as an mirror image on the display unit.

10. The imaging device in accordance with claim 9 , wherein:
when an operation to designate one of the display units is input via the operation input unit, the display control unit performs a switching control for the display of the image obtained by the imaging unit on one of the display unit.

11. An imaging method comprising:
a first instruction step that instructs an imaging unit to execute imaging when an imaging operation is input via an operation input unit;
a second instruction step that instructs, based on a trigger other than the imaging operation, the imaging unit to execute the imaging; and
a control step that invalidates, based on a state of a case body, one of the imaging unit executing the imaging in response to the instruction by the first instruction step, and the imaging unit executing the imaging in response to the instruction by the second instruction step, wherein:
the case body has at least two bodies which are openable and closable;
the control step controls whether or not to invalidate the imaging unit executing the imaging in response to the instruction by the second instruction unit, based on an open or closed state of the bodies as the state of the case body;
when the case body is in an open state at a predetermined angle as the state of the case body, the control step validates the imaging unit executing the imaging in response to the instruction by the second instruction unit;
the imaging method further comprises a bottom contact detection step that detects a state of the imaging device, in which a bottom of the imaging device contacts something;
and when the case body is in the open state at the predetermined angle and a predetermined bottom contact state is detected by the bottom contact detection step, the control step validates the imaging unit executing the imaging in response to the instruction by the second instruction unit.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a program utilized to make a computer function as:
a first instruction unit that instructs an imaging unit to execute imaging when an imaging operation is input via an operation input unit;
a second instruction unit that instructs, based on a trigger other than the imaging operation, the imaging unit to execute the imaging; and
a control unit that invalidates, based on a state of a case body, one of the imaging unit executing the imaging in response to the instruction by the first instruction unit, and the imaging unit executing the imaging in response to the instruction by the second instruction unit, wherein:
the case bo

Assignees

• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Ishizuka Yukari

Classifications

• H04N23/61

  based on recognised objects · CPC title

• H04N23/51

  Housings · 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

• H04N23/667

  Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes · CPC title

• H04N23/611 Primary

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