METHOD, APPARATUS AND HANDSET

• US 20120249831A1
• Filed: 03/05/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: PORTER, Robert Mark Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 9,118,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay

Abstract

A method of annotating, on a display, a plurality of objects in an image of a scene captured by a camera, the method comprising: receiving i) metadata representing the different annotations to be applied to each of the objects, and ii) position information identifying the real-world position of each object in the scene to which the annotations in the image are to be applied; determining the focal length of the camera and the tilt applied to the camera; determining the position of the camera with respect to the scene being captured; and applying the annotation to the image captured by the camera in accordance with the position information.

Claims

1. A method of annotating, on a display, a plurality of objects in an image of a scene captured by a camera, the method comprising:

receiving i) metadata representing the different annotations to be applied to each of the objects, and ii) position information identifying the real-world position of each object in the scene to which the annotations in the image are to be applied;

determining the focal length of the camera and the tilt applied to the camera;

determining the position of the camera with respect to the scene being captured;

applying the annotation to the image captured by the camera in accordance with the position information; and

obtaining the position information from an image capture device having a field of view of the scene that is different to the camera, and wherein the position information is determined from an image of the scene captured by the image capture device.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising identifying at least one of the objects in the image captured by the camera in accordance with the received real-world position information of the object, the position information of the camera, the local length of the camera and the tilt applied to the camera;

and applying the annotation to the image in accordance with the identified object.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the step of identifying the object comprises detecting the object in the image.

4. A method according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising identifying the object in accordance with a stored lens distortion characteristic of the camera.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the position information is global positioning system location information.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the one object is either a static object located in the scene or is a unique object in the scene.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising storing the metadata and displaying the annotation from the stored metadata.

16. A computer program comprising computer readable instructions which when loaded onto a computer configure the computer to perform a method according to claim 1.

17. A storage medium configured to store the computer program of claim 16 therein or thereon.

8. An apparatus comprising a display and a camera, the display operative in use to display an image of a scene having a plurality of objects, the image being captured by the camera, the apparatus further comprising:

a receiving device operable to receive i) metadata representing the different annotations to be applied to each of the objects, and ii) position information identifying the real-world position of each object in the scene to which the annotations in the image are to be applied;

a determining device configured to;

determine the focal length of the camera and the tilt applied to the camera; and

determine the position of the camera with respect to the scene being captured; and

the apparatus comprising a controller operable to apply the annotation to the image captured by the camera in accordance with the position information; and

the apparatus further comprising an obtaining device operable to obtain the position information from an image capture device having a field of view of the scene that is different to the camera, and wherein the position information is determined from an image of the scene captured by the image capture device.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the controller is further operable to identify at least one of the objects in the image captured by the camera in accordance with the received real-world position information of the object, the position information of the camera, the focal length of the camera and the tilt applied to the camera;

and applying the annotation to the image in accordance with the identified object.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the controller is operable to detect the object in the image.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the controller is further operable to identify the object in accordance with a stored lens distortion characteristic of the camera.

12. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the position information is global positioning system location information

13. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the one object is either a static object located in the scene or is a unique object in the scene.

14. An apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a storage device operable to store the metadata and the controller is operable to display the annotation from the stored metadata.

15. A mobile handset comprising a transceiver for connection to a network and an apparatus according to claim 8.