Imaging device, imaging method, and storage medium

• US 10,462,353 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Hoshino, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Henn, Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US15/727,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20180160031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/215 Recording a sequence of still pictures, e.g. burst mode
• 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 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

An imaging device includes the following. A temporary storage cyclically stores images for a predetermined duration or number imaged in succession. A record controller records temporarily stored images for a first duration or a first number of images before detection of the capturing instruction, and records images for a second duration or a second number of images after detection of the capturing instruction. A setter preliminarily determines a total duration of the first duration and the second duration or a total number of the first number and the second number and determines a ratio of the first duration to the second duration or a ratio of the first number to the second number in response to one type of operation of an operational input unit, while retaining the preliminarily determined total duration or the preliminarily determined total number.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

a temporary storage which temporarily cyclically stores images for a predetermined duration or a predetermined number of images imaged in succession through an imager; and

a processor which detects a capturing instruction;

wherein the processor performs control to;

record, in a recorder, temporarily stored images for a first duration or a first number of images before detection of the capturing instruction, and record, in the recorder, images for a second duration or a second number of images imaged in succession through the imager after detection of the capturing instruction;

variably determine a ratio of the first duration to the second duration or a ratio of the first number to the second number in response to input of a first type of operation of an operational input unit, without changing a total duration of the first duration and the second duration or a total number of the first number of images and the second number of images;

variably determine the total duration of the first duration and the second duration or the total number of the first number and the second number in response to input of a second type of operation of the operational input unit, without changing the ratio of the first duration to the second duration or the ratio of the first number to the second number; and

determine the first duration and the second duration or the first number and the second number based on (i) the ratio of the first duration to the second duration or the ratio of the first number to the second number, and (ii) the total duration or the total number,

wherein in a case in which a last input operation among the first type of operation and the second type of operation is the second type of operation, the processor performs control to determine the first duration and the second duration or the first number and the second number based on the determined total duration or the determined total number determined in response to the input of the second type of operation, without changing the ratio of the first duration to the second duration or the ratio of the first number to the second number, and

wherein the processor performs control to control the recorder to record images in an amount of the determined first duration and the determined second duration, or the determined first number and the determined second number.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the first type of operation to determine the ratio of the first duration to the second duration or the ratio of the first number to the second number without changing the total duration of the first duration and the second duration or the total number of the first number and the second number includes an operation to move a slider on a slide bar indicating the total duration of the first duration and the second duration or the total number of the first number and the second number.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein the second type of operation to determine the total duration of the first duration and the second duration or the total number of the first number and the second number without changing the ratio of the first duration to the second duration or the ratio of the first number to the second number includes an operation to vary a length of a slide bar indicating the total duration of the first duration and the second duration or the total number of the first number and the second number.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the first duration to the second duration includes a ratio in the case that the first duration or the second duration is zero and the ratio of the first number to the second number includes a ratio in the case that the first number or the second number is zero.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the processor performs control to:

record, in the recorder, images from a time of detecting the capturing instruction to a time point a first duration before or a first number of images before among the images of the predetermined duration as the images for the first duration or the first number of images,

record, in the recorder, images from the time point the first duration before or the first number before to a time point a first specific duration before or a first specific number before as images of a first specific duration or a first specific number of images, and

perform different processes between the images of the first duration and the images of the first specific duration and between the first number of images and the first specific number of images.

6. The imaging device according to claim 5, wherein the processor performs control to record the images of the first duration or the first number of images at shorter intervals than the images of the first specific duration or the first specific number of images.

7. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the processor performs control to:

record in the recorder images imaged in succession through the imager from a time of detecting the capturing instruction until a second duration elapses or a second number of images is obtained as images of the second duration or the second number of images,

record, in the recorder, images imaged in succession through the imager from after the second duration elapses or the second number is obtained until a second specific duration elapses or a second specific number is obtained as images of a second specific duration or a second specific number of images, and

perform different processes between the images of the second duration and the images of the second specific duration and between the second number of images and the second specific number of images.

8. The imaging device according to claim 7, wherein the processor performs control to record the images of the second duration or the second number of images at shorter intervals than the images of the second specific duration or the second specific number of images.

9. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the processor performs control to:

record, in the recorder, the images of the first duration from a time of detecting the capturing instruction to a time point the first duration before among the predetermined duration of images or from the time of detecting the capturing instruction to the first number of images before among the predetermined number of images and the images of the second duration or the second number of images imaged in succession through the imager from the time of detecting the capturing instruction until the second duration elapses or the second number of images is obtained at first identical time intervals, and

record, in the recorder, images of a first specific duration from the time point the first duration before to a time point the first specific duration before among the predetermined duration of images or a first specific number of images from the first number before to the first specific number before among the predetermined number of images and the images of a second specific duration or a second specific number of images imaged in succession by the imager from after the second duration elapsed or the second number is obtained until the second specific duration elapsed or the second specific number is obtained at second identical time intervals.

10. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the processor performs control to combine the images of the first duration or the first number of images temporarily stored in the temporary storage at a time of detection of the capturing instruction and images of the second duration or the second number of images imaged in succession by the imager after detection of the capturing instruction into a single moving image and records the single moving image in the recorder.

11. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein in a case in which the last input operation among the first type of operation and the second type of operation is the first type of operation, the processor performs control to determine the first duration and the second duration or the first number and the second number based on the determined ratio of the first duration to the second duration or the determined ratio of the first number to the second number determined in response to the input of the first type of operation, without changing the total duration or the total number.

12. An imaging method using an imaging device equipped with a temporary storage which temporarily cyclically stores images for a predetermined duration or a predetermined number of images imaged in succession by an imager, the imaging method comprising:

detecting a capturing instruction;

recording, in a recorder, temporarily stored images for a first duration or a first number of images before detection of the capturing instruction, and recording in the recorder images for a second duration or a second number of images imaged in succession through the imager after detection of the capturing instruction;

variably determining a ratio of the first duration to the second duration or a ratio of the first number to the second number in response to input of a first type of operation of an operational input unit, without changing a total duration of the first duration and the second duration or a total number of the first number of images and the second number of images;

variably determining the total duration of the first duration and the second duration or the total number of the first number and the second number in response to input of a second type of operation of the operational input unit, without changing the ratio of the first duration to the second duration or the ratio of the first number to the second number; and

determining the first duration and the second duration or the first number and the second number based on (i) the ratio of the first duration to the second duration or the ratio of the first number to the second number, and (ii) the total duration or the total number,

wherein in a case in which a last input operation among the first type of operation and the second type of operation is the second type of operation, the first duration and the second duration or the first number and the second number are determined based on the determined total duration or the determined total number determined in response to the input of the second type of operation, without changing the ratio of the first duration to the second duration or the ratio of the first number to the second number, and

wherein said recording comprises recording, in the recorder, images in an amount of the determined first duration and the determined second duration, or the determined first number and the determined second number.

13. The imaging method according to claim 12, wherein in a case in which the last input operation among the first type of operation and the second type of operation is the first type of operation, the first duration and the second duration or the first number and the second number are determined based on the determined ratio of the first duration to the second duration or the determined ratio of the first number to the second number determined in response to the input of the first type of operation, without changing the total duration or the total number.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a program executable by a computer in an imaging device, the computer being equipped with a temporary storage which temporarily cyclically stores images for a predetermined duration or a predetermined number of images imaged in succession by an imager, the program controlling the computer to perform functions comprising:

detecting a capturing instruction;

recording in a recorder temporarily stored images for a first duration or a first number of images before detection of the capturing instruction, and recording in the recorder images for a second duration or a second number of images imaged in succession through the imager after detection of the capturing instruction;

variably determining a ratio of the first duration to the second duration or a ratio of the first number to the second number in response to input of a first type of operation of an operational input unit, without changing a total duration of the first duration and the second duration or a total number of the first number of images and the second number of images;

variably determining the total duration of the first duration and the second duration or the total number of the first number and the second number in response to input of a second type of operation of the operational input unit, without changing the ratio of the first duration to the second duration or the ratio of the first number to the second number; and

determining the first duration and the second duration or the first number and the second number based on (i) the ratio of the first duration to the second duration or the ratio of the first number to the second number, and (ii) the total duration or the total number,

wherein in a case in which a last input operation among the first type of operation and the second type of operation is the second type of operation, the first duration and the second duration or the first number and the second number are determined based on the determined total duration or the determined total number determined in response to the input of the second type of operation, without changing the ratio of the first duration to the second duration or the ratio of the first number to the second number, and

wherein said recording comprises recording, in the recorder, images in an amount of the determined first duration and the determined second duration, or the determined first number and the determined second number.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14, wherein in a case in which the last input operation among the first type of operation and the second type of operation is the first type of operation, the first duration and the second duration or the first number and the second number are determined based on the determined ratio of the first duration to the second duration or the determined ratio of the first number to the second number determined in response to the input of the first type of operation, without changing the total duration or the total number.