Imaging apparatus, imaging method, and program

• US 10,362,222 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2014
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Arai, Takuya, Goto, Junichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tung T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Becker, Joseph W
• Application Number:
  US14/335,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20140327734A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/12 with means for supporting objectives, supplementary lenses, filters, masks, or turrets
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/20 visible in viewfinder
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation

Abstract

An image processing apparatus including an interface that receives an input identifying a subject, and a processor that generates a panoramic image based on captured image data so that the subject is positioned in a reference position in the panoramic image.

Claims

1. An image processing method for controlling an image capturing apparatus which captures images to generate a panoramic image, the method comprising:

determining an initial field of view corresponding to a center of the panoramic image based on a user input;

determining, by processing circuitry of the image capturing apparatus, an imaging range based on the initial field of view of the image capturing apparatus, the imaging range including first and second fields of view on opposite sides of the center of the panoramic image;

outputting a first visual indicator to a user to move the image capturing apparatus from the initial field of view toward the first field of view in a first direction to capture the first field of view;

outputting a second visual indicator to the user to move the image capturing apparatus toward the second field of view in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction to capture the second field of view after the image capturing apparatus is determined to be moved to capture the first field of view from the initial field of view;

capturing the images corresponding to the first field of view and the second field of view based on the determined imaging range; and

generating the panoramic image based on the captured images.

2. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the panoramic image is generated based on the captured images captured within the imaging range.

3. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the imaging range is a range that includes an outer limit and another outer limit.

4. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein an outer limit of the imaging range is a position based on a reference position.

5. The image processing method according to claim 4, further comprising:

determining the reference position based on a movement of the image capturing apparatus.

6. The image processing method according to claim 4, further comprising:

determining the reference position based on the user input.

7. The image processing method according to claim 4, wherein the reference position is approximately a center position between an outer limit of imaging range and another outer limit of imaging range.

8. The image processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

controlling a display of the captured images on a display of the image capturing apparatus.

9. The image processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining information of a movement of the image capturing apparatus within the imaging range, wherein

the capturing the images includes capturing the images corresponding to the the first field of view and the second field of view based on the obtained information of the movement of the image capturing apparatus.

10. The image processing method according to claim 9, wherein the obtained information of the movement represents at least one of a location of the image capturing apparatus and an inclination of the image capturing apparatus.

11. The image processing method according to claim 9, further comprising:

stopping the capturing of the images based on the obtained information of the movement indicating that the image capturing apparatus has reached an outer limit of the imaging range.

12. The image processing method according to claim 9, further comprising:

obtaining information of the movement of the image capturing apparatus along the first direction, which is performed prior to starting of the capturing of the images.

13. The image processing method according to claim 12, further comprising:

obtaining information of the movement of the image capturing apparatus along the second direction, which is performed after the starting of the capturing of the images.

14. The image processing method according to claim 13, wherein the second direction is a direction that extends from an outer limit of the imaging range toward another outer limit of the imaging range.

15. The image processing method according to claim 9, further comprising:

controlling a display of an indication based on the obtained information of the movement.

16. The image processing method according to claim 15, wherein the displayed indication is at least one of the first visual indicator representing the first direction, the second visual indicator representing the second direction, and a third visual indicator representing a start of the capturing.

17. The image processing method according to claim 9, wherein the information of the movement of the image capturing apparatus is obtained based on a detection by a sensor.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program recorded thereon, the computer program configured to perform a method when executed by an image capturing apparatus for controlling the image capturing apparatus which captures images to generate a panoramic image, the method comprising:

determining an initial field of view corresponding to a center of the panoramic image based on a user input;

determining an imaging range based on the initial field of view of the image capturing apparatus, the imaging range including first and second fields of view on opposite sides of the center of the panoramic image;

outputting a first visual indicator to a user to move the image capturing apparatus from the initial field of view toward the first field of view in a first direction to capture the first field of view;

outputting a second visual indicator to the user to move the image capturing apparatus toward the second field of view in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction to capture the second field of view after the image capturing apparatus is determined to be moved to capture the first field of view from the initial field of view;

capturing the images corresponding to the first field of view and the second field of view based on the determined imaging range; and

generating the panoramic image based on the captured images.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 18, the method further comprising:

obtaining information of a movement of the image capturing apparatus within the imaging range, wherein

the capturing the images includes capturing the images corresponding to the first field of view and the second field of view based on the obtained information of the movement of the image capturing apparatus.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the information of the movement of the image capturing apparatus is obtained based on a detection by a sensor.

21. An image capturing apparatus, comprising:

an image sensor; and

processing circuitry configured to

determine an initial field of view corresponding to a center of a panoramic image to be generated based on a user input;

determine an imaging range based on the initial field of view of the image capturing apparatus, the imaging range including first and second fields of view on opposite sides of the center of the panoramic image;

output a first visual indicator to a user to move the image capturing apparatus from the initial field of view toward the first field of view in a first direction to capture the first field of view;

output a second visual indicator to the user to move the image capturing apparatus toward the second field of view in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction to capture the second field of view after the image capturing apparatus is determined to be moved to capture the first field of view from the initial field of view;

cause the image sensor to capture images corresponding to the first field of view and the second field of view based on the determined imaging range; and

generate the panoramic image based on the captured images.

22. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to

obtain information of a movement of the image capturing apparatus within the imaging range, and

capture the images corresponding to the first field of view and the second field of view based on the obtained information of the movement of the image capturing apparatus.

23. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the information of the movement of the image capturing apparatus is obtained based on a detection by a sensor.

24. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the first direction is a first horizontal direction and the second direction is a second horizontal direction.

25. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the first and second fields of view are on opposites sides of the initial field of view.