CAMERA APPARATUS, RECORDING MEDIUM IN WHICH CAMERA APPARATUS CONTROL PROGRAM IS RECORDED AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING CAMERA APPARATUS

• US 20080218596A1
• Filed: 03/04/2008
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: HOSHINO, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,063,945 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method

Abstract

A through image with a trace frame is displayed. A subject on which a trace frame is superposed when a shutter key is half-depressed is determined as a target image. A trimming frame is additionally displayed. Whether the target image has moved within the through image or not is determined. When the target image has moved within the through image, the trace frame and the trimming frame are displayed so as to follow the target image. Then, whether the center vector of the trimming frame z four surrounding vectors is established or not is determined. When this determination results in YES, it is assumed that the target image is larger than the trimming frame and the trimming frame is enlarged by a predetermined amount.

Claims

1. A camera apparatus, comprising:

an imaging section that sequentially images a subject image;

a setting section that sets a frame that surrounds a target image in the subject image imaged by the imaging section to show a photographing range;

a first control section that changes a position of the frame set by the setting section so as to follow a change in a position of the target image;

a detection section that detects a size of the target image based on the subject image imaged by the imaging section; and

a second control section that changes a size of the frame so as to follow a change in the size of the target image detected by the detection section.

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

a display section that displays the subject image; and

a display control section that causes the display section to display the image in the frame.

3. The camera apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the display control section causes the display section to display the subject image imaged by the imaging section so that the frame is displayed on the subject image and changes a display position and a display size of the frame in accordance with the change in the position by the first control section and the change in the size by the second control section.

4. The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the setting section extracts a contour of the target image to set the frame to have a size depending on the extracted contour of the target image.

5. The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the detection section includes;

a calculation section that calculates a motion vector of the image at the center of the frame and a motion vector of the image at a predetermined portion away by a predetermined distance from the center of the frame; and

a determination section that determines the size of the target image based on the motion vector of the image at the center of the frame calculated by the calculation section, the motion vector of the image at the predetermined portion, and the distance from the center to the predetermined portion.

6. The camera apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the first control section causes the frame set by the setting section to be displaced based on the motion vector of the image at the center of the frame calculated by the calculation section.

7. The camera apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the second control section changes the size of the frame based on the motion vector of the image at the center of the frame calculated by the calculation section and the motion vector of the image at the predetermined portion.

8. The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the detection section includes;

an extraction section that extracts the contour of the target image, and

a determination section that determines the size of the target image based on the contour of the target image extracted by the extraction section.

9. The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the detection section includes;

a determination section that determines whether a motion of the target image is equal to or higher than a fixed level; and

a first detection section that operates when the determination section determines that the motion of the target image is lower than the fixed level; and

a second detection section that operates when the determination section determines that the motion of the target image is equal to or higher than the fixed level,

the first detection section includes;

an extraction section that extracts the contour of the target image;

a determination section that determines the size of the target image based on the contour of the target image extracted by the extraction section,

the second detection section includes;

a calculation section that calculates a motion vector of the image at the center of the frame and a motion vector of the image at a portion other than the center; and

a determination section that determines the size of the target image based on the motion vector of the image at the center of the frame calculated by the calculation section, the motion vector of the image at the predetermined portion, and a distance from the center to the predetermined portion.

10. The camera apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the calculation section calculates the motion vector of the image at the center of the frame and motion vectors of the image at a plurality of positions around the center.

11. The camera apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the calculation section calculates the motion vector of the image at the center of the frame and motion vectors of the image at four corners of the frame.

12. The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the imaging section sequentially images a subject image to output the subject image for each screen frame; and

the second control section variably controls the size of the frame while limiting the size to a range within which the frame can be accommodated in the screen frame.

13. The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the camera apparatus includes a recording section that records an image,

the setting section sets a trimming frame showing a range within which the subject image is photographed, and

the recording section records the image within the trimming frame.

14. A recording medium storing a camera apparatus control program that causes a camera apparatus to function as:

an imaging section that sequentially images a subject image;

a setting section that sets a frame that surrounds a target image in the subject image imaged by the imaging section to show a photographing range;

a first control section that changes a position of the frame set by the setting section so as to follow a change in a position of the target image;

a detection section that detects a size of the target image based on the subject image imaged by the imaging section; and

a second control section that changes a size of the frame so as to follow a change in the size of the target image detected by the detection section.

15. A method for controlling a camera apparatus carried by a camera apparatus that includes an imaging section, a setting section, a first controller, a detector, and a second controller, comprising:

an imaging step of causing the imaging section to sequentially image a subject image;

a setting step of causing the setting section to set a frame that surrounds a target image in the subject image imaged by the imaging step to show a photographing range;

a control step of causing the first controller to change a position of the frame set by the setting step so as to follow a change in a position of the target image;

a detection step of causing the detector to detect a size of the target image based on the subject image imaged by the imaging step; and

a control step for causing the second controller to change a size of the frame so as to follow a change in the size of the target image detected by the detection step.