IMAGING APPARATUS, METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM

• US 20110043669A1
• Filed: 08/17/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishida, Minoru
• Granted Patent: US 8,576,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/745 Circuitry for generating timing or clock signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/7795 Circuitry for generating timing or clock signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/78 Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging unit that respectively generates, with imaging devices different from one another, a first captured image with a specific direction of a subject set in a longitudinal direction, a second captured image with an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the specific direction set in a longitudinal direction and including a subject adjacent to one side of the orthogonal direction of the subject included in the first captured image, and a third captured image with the orthogonal direction set in a longitudinal direction and including a subject adjacent to the other side of the orthogonal direction of the subject included in the first captured image; a detecting unit that detects a state of the imaging apparatus; and a control unit that determines, based on the detected state, a range of a target image as a target of display or recording among the first to third captured images.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit that respectively generates, with imaging devices different from one another, a first captured image with a specific direction of a subject set in a longitudinal direction, a second captured image with an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the specific direction set in a longitudinal direction and including a subject adjacent to one side of the orthogonal direction of the subject included in the first captured image, and a third captured image with the orthogonal direction set in a longitudinal direction and including a subject adjacent to the other side of the orthogonal direction of the subject included in the first captured image;

a detecting unit that detects a state of the imaging apparatus; and

a control unit that determines, on the basis of the detected state, a range of a target image as a target of display or recording among the first to third captured images generated by the imaging unit.

2. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first housing including the imaging unit;

a second housing including a display unit that displays the target image; and

a pivoting member that pivotably couples the first housing and the second housing, wherein

the detecting unit detects, as the state of the imaging apparatus, a pivoting state of the second housing with respect to the first housing.

3. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the detecting unit detects, as the state of the imaging apparatus, a first specific state in which the longitudinal direction of the display unit and a longitudinal direction of a first imaging device that generates the first captured image are substantially parallel to each other, and

the control unit determines that, when the first specific state is detected, only the first captured image is used as the target image.

4. An imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit determines that, when the first specific state is detected, the entire first captured image is used as the target image.

5. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the detecting unit detects, as the state of the imaging apparatus, a second specific state in which the orthogonal direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the display unit and a longitudinal direction of a first imaging device that generates the first captured image are substantially parallel to each other, and

the control unit determines that, when the second specific state is detected, the first to third captured images are used as the target image.

6. An imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit determines that, when the second specific state is detected, a combined image generated by combining parts of the first captured image and the second and third captured images is used as the target image.

7. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the pivoting member couples the first housing and the second housing such that one surface of the first housing and one surface of the second housing are opposed to each other,

a group of lenses respectively corresponding to the imaging devices included in the imaging unit are arranged side by side on a surface on the opposite side of the one surface of the first housing, and

the display unit is provided on a surface on the opposite side of the one surface of the second housing.

8. An imaging apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the pivoting member couples the first housing and the second housing such that a display surface in the display unit and an optical axis direction of the group of lenses corresponding to the first imaging device that generates the first captured image are substantially perpendicular.

9. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image combining unit that combines parts of the first captured image and the second and third captured images to generate a combined image, wherein

the control unit determines that, when the detected state is the specific state, the combined image is used as the target image.

10. An imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the image combining unit generates a substantially rectangular image as the combined image.

11. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit switches, on the basis of the detected state, compound-eye imaging operation performed by using the plural imaging devices included in the imaging unit and single-eye imaging operation performed by using only a first imaging device, which generates the first captured image, and determines a range of the target image.

12. An imaging apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the control unit stops, when the compound-eye imaging operation is switched to the single-eye imaging operation, operation of imaging devices that generate the second and third captured images.

13. An imaging apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the control unit determines that, when the single-eye imaging operation is switched to the compound-eye imaging operation, a clock of a predetermined frequency is used for the compound-eye imaging operation and, when the compound-eye imaging operation is switched to the single-eye imaging operation, a clock of a frequency lower than the predetermined frequency is used for the single-eye imaging operation.

14. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit subjects, when a pivoting state of the second housing with respect to the first housing is a specific state, the target image to rotation processing and causes the display unit to display the target image.

15. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit that respectively generates, with imaging devices different from one another, a first captured image with a specific direction of a subject set in a longitudinal direction, a second captured image with an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the specific direction set in a longitudinal direction and including a subject adjacent to one side of the orthogonal direction of the subject included in the first captured image, and a third captured image with the orthogonal direction set in a longitudinal direction and including a subject adjacent to the other side of the orthogonal direction of the subject included in the first captured image;

an operation receiving unit that receives instruction operation for instructing a change of an imaging range; and

a control unit that determines, on the basis of the received instruction operation, a range of a target image as a target of display or recording among the first to third captured images generated by the imaging unit.

16. A method of controlling an imaging apparatus, comprising the steps of:

detecting a state of the imaging apparatus; and

determining, on the basis of the detected state, a range of a target image as a target of display or recording among a first captured images generated by a first imaging device with a specific direction of a subject set in a longitudinal direction, a second captured image that is a captured image with an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the specific direction set in a longitudinal direction and generated by a second imaging device to include a subject adjacent to one side of the orthogonal direction of the subject included in the first captured image, and a third captured image that is a captured image with the orthogonal direction set in a longitudinal direction and generated by a third imaging device to include a subject adjacent to the other side of the orthogonal direction of the subject included in the first captured image.

17. A computer program for causing a computer to execute:

a detecting procedure for detecting a state of the imaging apparatus; and

a control procedure for determining, on the basis of the detected state, a range of a target image as a target of display or recording among a first captured images generated by a first imaging device with a specific direction of a subject set in a longitudinal direction, a second captured image that is a captured image with an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the specific direction set in a longitudinal direction and generated by a second imaging device to include a subject adjacent to one side of the orthogonal direction of the subject included in the first captured image, and a third captured image that is a captured image with the orthogonal direction set in a longitudinal direction and generated by a third imaging device to include a subject adjacent to the other side of the orthogonal direction of the subject included in the first captured image.