Image capturing apparatus

• US 20070002157A1
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Photo Imaging Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Photo Imaging Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Takehisa, Shintani, Dai, Hashimoto, Naoki, Terada, Mamoru, Minato, Shoichi
• Application Number:
  US11/357,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20070002157A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/531 being rotatable or detachable
• 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 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators

Abstract

An image capturing apparatus comprises: a body; a display part movable relative to the body, the display part having a display screen capable of being changed in orientation according to a movement relative to the body; a detector for detecting an orientation of the display screen; and a display controller for determining an assistant index to be employed in capturing an image for face recognition according to the orientation of the display screen detected by the detector, and displaying the assistant index on the display screen.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus, comprising:

a body;

a display part movable relative to said body, said display part having a display screen capable of being changed in orientation according to a movement relative to said body;

a detector for detecting an orientation of said display screen; and

a display controller for determining an assistant index to be employed in capturing an image for face recognition according to the orientation of said display screen detected by said detector, and displaying said assistant index on said display screen.

2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when said display screen faces a counter-subject side, said display controller displays a combination of a live view image and said assistant index on said display screen.

3. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when said display screen faces a subject side, said display controller displays a combination of a pattern and said assistant index on said display screen, said pattern representing a condition of a subject extracted from a live view image.

4. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when said display screen faces a counter-subject side, said display controller displays a pattern representing a person'"'"'s figure as said assistant index on said display screen.

5. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when said display screen faces a subject side, said display controller displays a pattern as said assistant index on said display screen, said pattern being simpler than a pattern displayed on said display screen when said display screen faces a counter-subject side.

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

a deviation detector for detecting deviation of a subject in a frame from said assistant index,

wherein said display controller further displays an indication on said display screen, said indication suggesting an operation to reduce the deviation detected by said deviation detector.

7. An image capturing method, comprising the steps of:

a) detecting an orientation of a display screen of an image capturing apparatus, said display screen being provided on a display part being movable relative to a body of said image capturing apparatus; and

b) determining an assistant index to be employed in capturing an image for face recognition according to an orientation of said display screen detected in said step a), and displaying said assistant index on said display screen.

8. The method according to claim 7,

wherein when said display screen faces a counter-subject side, a combination of a live view image and said assistant index is displayed on said display screen in said step b).

9. The method according to claim 7,

wherein when said display screen faces a subject side, a combination of a pattern and said assistant index is displayed on said display screen in said step b), said pattern representing a condition of a subject extracted from a live view image.

10. The method according to claim 7,

wherein when said display screen faces a counter-subject side, a pattern representing a person'"'"'s figure is displayed as said assistant index on said display screen in said step b).

11. The method according to claim 7,

wherein when said display screen faces a subject side, a pattern is displayed as said assistant index on said display screen in said step b), said pattern being simpler than a pattern displayed on said display screen when said display screen faces a counter-subject side.

12. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of:

c) detecting deviation of a subject in a frame from said assistant index,

wherein an indication is further displayed on said display screen in said step b), said indication suggesting an operation to reduce the deviation detected in said step c).

13. An image capturing apparatus, comprising:

a body;

a display part;

a selector for making a selection between a first mode and a second mode, said first mode being applied for allowing a person as a subject to perform a release operation and said second mode being applied for allowing a person other than said person as a subject to perform a release operation; and

a display controller for determining an assistant index to be displayed on said display part for capturing an image for use in face recognition according to the selected mode, and displaying the determined assistant index.

14. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein said display part is movable relative to said body, and has a display screen capable of being changed in orientation, and

wherein said selector selects said first mode or said second mode according to the orientation of said display screen.

15. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a receiver for receiving a signal from a remote controller,

wherein a person as a subject performs a release operation using said remote controller in said first mode.

16. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 14,

wherein when said display screen faces a counter-subject side, said display controller displays a combination of a live view image and said assistant index on said display screen.

17. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 14,

wherein when said display screen faces a subject side, said display controller displays a combination of a pattern and said assistant index on said display screen, said pattern representing the condition of a subject extracted from a live view image.

18. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 14,

wherein when said display screen faces a counter-subject side, said display controller displays a pattern representing a person'"'"'s figure as said assistant index on said display screen.

19. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 14,

wherein when said display screen faces a subject side, said display controller displays a pattern as said assistant index on said display screen, said pattern being simpler than a pattern displayed on said display screen when said display screen faces a counter-subject side.

20. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

a deviation detector for detecting deviation of a subject in a frame from said assistant index,

wherein said display controller further displays an indication on said display screen, said indication suggesting an operation to reduce the deviation detected by said deviation detector.