Image capturing apparatus, tracking device, control method, and storage medium

• US 10,163,222 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2017
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sekimoto, Ryota
• Primary Examiner(s): Huang, Frank F
• Application Number:
  US15/426,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20170228887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/672 based on the phase difference signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method

Abstract

An image capturing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment includes a touch panel unit that detects a touch operation. When a user touches the touch panel unit while the image capturing apparatus is in a mode of tracking a predetermined object, a system control unit sets an object search area for searching for the predetermined object. The system control unit sets the tracking area based on a difference between information corresponding to a distance to an object calculated by an image calculation unit for the object search area and information corresponding to a distance to an object that has previously been tracked.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

a tracking unit configured to detect an area correlated with a tracking area corresponding to an object;

a touch detection unit configured to detect a touch operation;

a first detection unit configured to detect information corresponding to a distance to the object;

a second detection unit configured to detect a movement of the object;

a setting unit configured to set an area including a touch position where the touch operation is performed as an area from which the information corresponding to the distance to the object is detected, in accordance with a result of the detection by the second detection unit; and

a calculation unit configured to calculate, for the area, a difference between the information corresponding to the detected distance to the object and information corresponding to a distance to an object that has previously been tracked,

wherein the tracking unit is configured to set the tracking area based on a calculated result.

2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a dividing unit configured to divide the set area into a plurality of blocks; and

a comparison unit configured to compare, for each of the plurality of blocks, a difference between the information corresponding to the detected distance to the object and the information corresponding to the distance to the object that has previously been tracked with a first predetermined value,

wherein in a case where a result of the comparison performed by the comparison unit indicates that the plurality of blocks includes a block having the difference smaller than a second predetermined value, the tracking unit is configured to set, as the tracking area, an area including the block having the difference, smaller than the second predetermined value, between the information corresponding to the detected distance to the object and the information corresponding to the distance to the object that has previously been tracked.

3. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in a case where the plurality of blocks does not include the block having the difference, smaller than the first predetermined value, between the information corresponding to the detected distance to the object and the information corresponding to the distance to the object that has previously been tracked, the tracking unit is configured not to change the tracking area.

4. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the tracking unit is configured to set, as the tracking area, a tracking area set before the touch operation is detected.

5. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in a case where the plurality of blocks does not include the block having the difference, smaller than the first predetermined value, between the information corresponding to the detected distance to the object and the information corresponding to the distance to the object that has previously been tracked, the tracking unit is configured to set, as the tracking area, a tracking area set before the touch operation is detected.

6. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in a case where the plurality of blocks does not include the block having the difference, smaller than the first predetermined value, between the information corresponding to the detected distance to the object and the information corresponding to the distance to the object that has previously been tracked, the tracking unit is configured to set, as the tracking area, an area in which the touch operation is detected.

7. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine whether the object is moving away from the touch position where the touch operation is performed,

wherein the second detection unit is configured to obtain vector information of the object,

wherein the determination unit is configured to determine whether the object is moving away from the touch position where the touch operation is performed based on the motion vector information of an object that has previously been tracked,

wherein in a case where the determination unit determines that the object is moving away from the touch position, the area setting unit is configured to cause the area to be set wider in a movement direction of the object than in a direction opposite to the movement direction of the object using the touch position as a starting point, and

wherein in a case where the object is not moving away from the touch position, the area setting unit is configured to cause the area to be set wider in the direction opposite to the movement direction of the object than in the movement direction of the object using the touch position as the starting point.

8. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the second detection unit is configured to detect a moving speed of the object, and

wherein in a case where the moving speed of the object is equal to or higher than a first predetermined speed, the area setting unit is configured to cause the area to be set larger than an area to be set for a case where the moving speed is lower than the first predetermined speed.

9. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information corresponding to the distance to the object is a defocus amount.

10. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information corresponding to the distance to the object is information of a distance to the object from the apparatus.

11. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first detection unit is configured to detect the distance to the object based on a defocus amount.

12. A control method for an image capturing apparatus, the control method comprising:

tracking by detecting an area correlated with a tracking area corresponding to an object;

detecting a touch operation;

detecting, as first detecting, information corresponding to a distance to the object;

detecting, as second detecting, a movement of the object;

setting an area including a touch position where the touch operation is performed as an area from which the information corresponding to the distance to the object is detected, in accordance with a result of the second detecting; and

calculating, for the area, a difference between the information corresponding to the detected distance to the object and information corresponding to a distance to an object that has previously been tracked,

wherein in the tracking, the tracking area is set based on a result of the calculating.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing therein a computer-readable program for executing a control method for an apparatus, the program causing a computer to execute:

tracking by detecting an area correlated with a tracking area corresponding to an object;

detecting a touch operation;

detecting, as first detecting, information corresponding to a distance to the object;

detecting, as second detecting, a movement of the object;

setting an area including a touch position where the touch operation is performed as an area from which the information corresponding to the distance to the object is detected, in accordance with a result of the second detecting; and

calculating, for the area, a difference between the information corresponding to the detected distance to the object and information corresponding to a distance to an object that has previously been tracked,

wherein in the tracking, the tracking area is set based on a result of the calculating.

14. A tracking device comprising:

a tracking unit configured to set an area correlated to a first tracking area in a screen as a second tracking area to track a predetermined target;

a touch detection unit configured to detect a touch operation performed on the screen; and

an area setting unit configured to set an area from which information corresponding to a distance to the predetermined target is detected, based on a touch position where the touch operation is performed on the screen,

wherein the tracking unit is configured to calculate a difference between information corresponding to the distance to the predetermined target detected from the set area and information corresponding to a distance to an object in the first tracking area, and the tracking unit configured to perform control, in a case where the difference is smaller than a predetermined value, to set at least a part of the area as the second tracking area, and in a case where the difference is equal to or larger than the predetermined value, not to set the area as the second tracking area.

15. The tracking device according to claim 14, wherein the information corresponding to the distance to the object is information additionally recorded for each portion in an image.

16. The tracking device according to claim 14, wherein the information corresponding to the distance to the object is a defocus amount.

17. The tracking device according to claim 14, wherein the information corresponding to the distance to the object is information of a distance to the object from an apparatus.

18. The tracking device according to claim 17 further comprising a first detection unit configured to detect the information corresponding to the distance to the object.

19. A control method for a tracking device, the control method including:

tracking by setting an area correlated to a first tracking area in a screen as a second tracking area to track a predetermined target;

detecting a touch operation performed on the screen; and

setting an area from which information corresponding to a distance to the predetermined target is detected, based on a touch position where the touch operation is performed on the screen,

wherein in the tracking, a difference between information corresponding to the distance to the predetermined target detected from the area set in the setting and information corresponding to a distance to an object in the first tracking area is calculated, and control is performed such that in a case where the difference is smaller than a predetermined value, at least a part of the area is set as the second tracking area, and in a case where the difference is equal to or larger than the predetermined value, the area is not set as the second tracking area.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing therein a computer-readable program for executing a control method for a tracking device, the program causing a computer to execute:

tracking, by setting, an area correlated to a first tracking area in a screen as a second tracking area to track a predetermined target;

detecting a touch operation performed on the screen; and

setting an area from which information corresponding to a distance to the predetermined target is detected, based on a touch position where the touch operation is performed on the screen,

wherein in the tracking, a difference between information corresponding to the distance to the predetermined target detected from the area set in the setting and information corresponding to a distance to an object in the first tracking area is calculated, and control is performed such that in a case where the difference is smaller than a predetermined value, at least a part of the area is set as the second tracking area, and in a case where the difference is equal to or larger than the predetermined value, the area is not set as the second tracking area.