Wearable device, control apparatus, photographing control method and automatic imaging apparatus

• US 10,356,322 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2015
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Hirotaka, Iwatsu, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Camargo, Marly S
• Application Number:
  US15/118,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20170048438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• Field of Search: 34820799, 3482319, 34823199, 348 49, 348362, 3482221, 3482082, 3482084, 34820899, 3483331, 3482211, 34821199, 3482111-21113, 345 8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 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 Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/684 performed by controlling the image sensor readout, e.g. by controlling the integration time

Abstract

There is provided a wearable device including an attachment unit, a motion sensor and a control unit. The attachment unit has a display and an imaging unit. The attachment unit is configured to be attachable to the user. The motion sensor is configured to be capable of detecting a spatial movement of the imaging unit. The control unit is configured to determine whether or not the imaging unit is in a predetermined resting state, based on an output of the motion sensor, and when the imaging unit is not in the predetermined resting state, limit a photographing operation of the imaging unit.

Claims

1. A wearable device, comprising:

an image capturing device;

a motion sensor configured to;

detect a spatial movement of the image capturing device; and

generate, based on the detection of the spatial movement, an output signal that indicates an output value; and

circuitry configured to;

determine a resting state of the image capturing device based on a determination that the output value is less than a threshold value;

control the image capturing device to capture an image, based on the resting state of the image capturing device;

determine a change in the output value during an exposure time period of the image capturing device, wherein the exposure time period is a time period during the capture of the image; and

store the captured image in a storage device, based on the determination that the change in the output value, during the exposure time period, is less than the threshold value.

2. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

periodically generate a starting signal to start the image capturing device;

start the image capturing device based on the starting signal; and

determine the resting state of the image capturing device based on the generation of the starting signal.

3. The wearable device according to claim 2, wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the image capturing device to capture the image, based on

the generation of the starting signal, and

the resting state of the image capturing device.

4. The wearable device according to claim 2, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the resting state of the image capturing device based on the capture of the image.

5. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

detect a user input;

determine the resting state of the image capturing device based on the user input; and

store the captured image based on the resting state of the image capturing device.

6. The wearable device according to claim 5, wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the image capturing device to capture the image, based on

the detection of the user input, and

the resting state of the image capturing device.

7. The wearable device according to claim 5, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the resting state of the image capturing device based on the capture of the image.

8. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to control a transmitting device to transmit the captured image to an external apparatus.

9. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the motion sensor comprises an angular velocity sensor.

10. The wearable device according to claim 1, wherein the motion sensor comprises an acceleration sensor.

11. A wearable device, comprising:

an image capturing device;

a motion sensor configured to;

detect a spatial movement of the image capturing device; and

generate, based on the detection of the spatial movement, an output signal that indicates an output value; and

circuitry configured to;

control the image capturing device to capture an image;

determine a change in the output value during an exposure time period of the image capturing device, wherein the exposure time period is a time period during the capture of the image;

determine a resting state of the image capturing device during the exposure time period, based on a determination that the change in the output value, during the exposure time period, is less than a threshold value; and

store the captured image in a storage device, based on the resting state of the image capturing device during the exposure time period of the image capturing device.

12. A control apparatus, comprising:

circuitry configured to;

receive from a motion sensor, an output signal that indicates an output value, wherein the output value is based on a spatial movement of an image capturing device;

determine a resting state of the image capturing device based on a determination that the output value is less than a threshold value;

control the image capturing device to capture an image, based on the resting state of the image capturing device;

determine a change in the output value during an exposure time period of the image capturing device, wherein the exposure time period is a time period during the capture of the image;

receive the image from the image capturing device; and

store the image in a storage device, based on the determination that the change in the output value, during the exposure time period, is less than the threshold value.

13. A photographing control method, comprising:

detecting an input of a starting signal to start an image capturing device;

starting the image capturing device based on the starting signal;

detecting a spatial movement of the image capturing device;

generating, based on the detection of the spatial movement, an output signal that indicates an output value;

determining a resting state of the image capturing device based on a determination that the output value is less than a threshold value;

controlling the image capturing device to capture an image, based on the resting state of the image capturing device;

determining a change in the output value during an exposure time period of the image capturing device, wherein the exposure time period is a time period during the capture of the image; and

storing the captured image in a storage device, based on the determination that the change in the output value, during the exposure time period, is less than the threshold value.

14. An automatic imaging apparatus, comprising:

an image capturing device;

a motion sensor configured to;

detect a spatial movement of the image capturing device; and

generate, based on the detection of the spatial movement, an output signal that indicates an output value;

a signal generator configured to periodically generate a starting signal to start the image capturing device; and

circuitry configured to;

start the image capturing device based on the starting signal;

determine a resting state of the image capturing device based on a determination that the output value is less than a threshold value;

control the image capturing device to capture an image, based on the resting state of the image capturing device;

determine a change in the output value during an exposure time period of the image capturing device, wherein the exposure time period is a time period during the capture of the image; and

store the captured image in a storage device, based on the determination that the change in the output value, during the exposure time period, is less than the threshold value.