Object-oriented photographing control method, medium, and apparatus

• US 20090034953A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jong-ha, Kim, Jung-bae, Lee, Seong-deok, Park, Gyu-tae, Hwang, Young-kyoo
• Application Number:
  US12/004,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20090034953A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/675 comprising setting of focusing regions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/70 Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene

Abstract

An object-oriented photographing control method, medium, and apparatus. The object-oriented photographing control method includes detecting an interesting object registered in advance from an input image, estimating photographic information on the detected interesting object, and generating control information for capturing the input image by using the estimated photographing information, and capturing the input image according to the control information. Accordingly, states of a position and illuminance of the object are perceived in real-time, a high-quality image can be captured, and the user does not need to control the focus and the exposure of the input image.

Claims

1. An object-oriented photographing control method comprising;

(a) detecting an interesting object registered in advance from an input image;

(b) estimating photographic information on the detected interesting object, and generating control information for capturing the input image by using the estimated photographic information; and

(c) capturing the input image according to the control information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering one or more interesting objects,

wherein control information to perform object-oriented auto-focus control and auto-exposure control on the input image is generated.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the registering one or more interesting objects comprises:

designating one or more points in each of the one or more interesting objects or designating a predetermined area to which each of the one or more interesting objects belongs;

extracting an area of each of the one or more interesting objects on the basis of the one or more designated points and the designated predetermined area; and

storing the extracted area of the one or more interesting objects.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the designating comprises designating the one or more points or the area by using a predetermined designation button, a touch screen, a trackball, or a stick.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the area of the object comprises one of an area of a portion of each of the one or more interesting objects, the total area of each of the one or more interesting objects, and the area including the interesting object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting the interesting object comprises:

extracting features of the input image and the registered interesting object, and calculating similarities between the extracted features;

determining whether or not a maximum value of the calculated similarities is greater than a predetermined reference value; and

tracking the detected interesting object according to a result of the determining.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, after the determining, when the maximum value of the calculated similarities is less than the predetermined reference value, generating auto control information on the basis of the photographic information on the input image, and capturing the input image according to the auto control information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing post-processing to collect data of the captured image after capturing the input image.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after capturing the input image, detecting whether or not the object is included in the captured image; and

updating registration of the object according to a result of the detecting.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the photographic information comprises one or more of a change in a size of the object, a distance from the object, an illuminance of the object, a movement of the object, an illuminance of a background of the input image, a movement of the background, and backlight.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the control information comprises one or more of a lens step, a shutter speed, an exposure value, whether or not flash is used, and a flash strength.

12. A computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for performing the method of claim 1.

13. An object-oriented photographing control apparatus, comprising:

an object detection unit detecting an interesting object registered in advance from an input image;

an object-oriented control unit estimating one or more pieces of information on the detected object and capturing the input image by using the estimated photographic information; and

a photographing unit capturing the input image according to the control information.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising an object registration unit registering one or more interesting objects,

wherein the object-oriented control unit generates control information to perform object-oriented auto-focus control and auto-exposure control on the input image.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the object registration unit comprises:

an object designation unit designating one or more points in each of the one or more interesting objects or designating a predetermined area to which each of the one or more interesting objects belongs;

an object area extraction unit extracting an area of each of the one or more interesting objects on the basis of the one or more designated points and the designated predetermined area; and

an object storage unit storing the extracted area of each of the one or more interesting objects.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the object designation unit designates the one or more points or the area by using a predetermined designation button, a touch screen, a trackball, or a stick.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the object detection unit comprises:

an interesting object detection unit extracting features of the input image and the registered interesting object, and calculating similarities between the extracted features;

a detection determining unit determining whether or not a maximum value of the calculated similarities is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value; and

an interesting object tracking unit tracking the detected interesting object according to a result of the determining.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising, when the maximum value of the calculated similarities is less than the reference value, estimating the photographic information on the input image and generating auto control information on the basis of the estimated photographic information,

wherein the photographing unit captures the input image according to the auto control information.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the object registration unit detects whether or not the object is included in an image obtained by capturing the input image and updates registration of the object according to a result of the detecting.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a post-processing unit performing post-processing to collect data of the image obtained by the capturing of the input image.