IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20100208118A1
• Filed: 02/12/2010
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ueyama, Teruhiko
• Granted Patent: US 9,363,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

An apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to output an image signal of a captured image, a display unit configured to display the image signal as an image, a swing detection unit configured to detect a component of acceleration of a swinging operation, an operation detection unit configured to detect the swinging operation, and a control unit to change the image to be displayed on the display unit based on the swinging operation, wherein the operation detection unit is configured, if the acceleration signal reaches a first and a second threshold values, to determine that the apparatus has been swung.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising;

an imaging unit configured to output an image signal of a captured image;

a display unit configured to display the image signal as an image;

a swing detection unit configured to detect a component of acceleration of a swinging operation and output the detected acceleration component as an acceleration signal;

an operation detection unit configured to detect the swinging operation based on the output of the swing detection unit; and

a control unit configured to change the image to be displayed on the display unit based on the swinging operation detected by the operation detection unit,

wherein the operation detection unit is configured, if the acceleration signal reaches a first threshold value and a second threshold value, which has an opposite sign as a sign of the first threshold value and which is larger than the first threshold value in an absolute value, after it is determined that the acceleration signal has exceeded the first threshold value, to determine that the apparatus has been swung.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured, if the swinging operation is detected and if the acceleration signal has reached a third threshold value, which has the same sign as a sign of the second threshold value and an absolute value smaller than the absolute value of the second threshold value, to change the image to be displayed.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the operation detection unit includes a direction determination unit configured to determine a direction of a swinging operation based on the sign of the first or the second threshold value.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured to change the image to be displayed on the display unit according to the direction of the swinging operation.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a warning unit configured, if the acceleration signal reaches a fourth threshold value, which has a sign opposite to the sign of the second threshold value and an absolute value greater than the absolute value of the second threshold value, or if the acceleration signal reaches a fifth threshold value, which has the same sign as the sign of the second threshold value and an absolute value greater than the absolute value of the second threshold value, to issue a warning.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the operation detection unit is configured, if the acceleration signal reaches the fourth or the fifth threshold value, to issue the warning and end processing for detecting the swinging operation.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the warning unit is configured to display a warning message on the display unit.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation detection unit is configured, if it is determined that a predetermined length of time has elapsed since a timing at which an absolute value of the acceleration signal has become smaller than the absolute value of the first threshold value, to execute processing for detecting another swinging operation for executing predetermined processing.

9. A method for an apparatus comprising;

outputting an image signal of a captured image;

displaying the output image signal as an image;

detecting a component of acceleration of a swinging operation and outputting the detected acceleration component as an acceleration signal;

detecting the swinging operation based on the detected acceleration component;

changing the image to be displayed based on the detected the swinging operation; and

determining, if the acceleration signal reaches a first threshold value and a second threshold value, which has an opposite sign as a sign of a first threshold value and which is larger than the first threshold value in an absolute value, after it is determined that the acceleration signal has exceeded the first threshold value, that the apparatus has been swung.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

changing the image to be displayed if the acceleration signal has reached a third threshold value, which has the same sign as a sign of the second threshold value and an absolute value smaller than the absolute value of the second threshold value.

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

determining a direction of the swinging operation based on the sign of the first or the second threshold value.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

changing the image to be displayed on a display unit according to the direction of the swinging operation.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

issuing a warning, if the acceleration signal reaches a fourth threshold value, which has a sign opposite to the sign of the second threshold value and an absolute value greater than the absolute value of the second threshold value, or if the acceleration signal reaches a fifth threshold value, which has the same sign as the sign of the second threshold value and an absolute value greater than the absolute value of the second threshold value.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

issuing the warning and ending processing for detecting the swinging operation, if the acceleration signal reaches the fourth or the fifth threshold value.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

displaying a warning message on a display unit.

16. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

executing processing for detecting another swinging operation for executing predetermined processing, if it is determined that a predetermined length of time has elapsed since a timing at which an absolute value of the acceleration signal has become smaller than the absolute value of the first threshold value.