PHOTOGRAPHING DEVICE AND PHOTOGRAPHING METHOD

• US 20130128072A1
• Filed: 08/26/2011
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Jun
• Application Number:
  US13/813,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20130128072A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/08 by simultaneous recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/133 Equalising the characteristics of different image components, e.g. their average brightness or colour balance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof

Abstract

In a photographing device including a plurality of photographing means, a failure is liable to arise in photographing an object, therefore, a photographing device according to an exemplary aspect of the invention includes a plurality of photographing means; a photographing control means to which the plurality of photographing means are connected; and an output control means connected to the photographing control means; wherein the photographing control means includes an image information extraction means obtaining photographed images from the photographing means and extracting image information from each of the photographed images, an image information processing means detecting a difference between multiple pieces of the image information, and a comparison means making a comparison in size between the difference and a predetermined threshold value, the output control means outputs a warning signal if the comparison means determines that the size of the difference exceeds the size of the predetermined threshold value.

Claims

1. A photographing device, comprising:

a plurality of photographing units;

a photographing control unit to which the plurality of photographing units are connected; and

an output control unit connected to the photographing control unit;

wherein the photographing control unit comprises an image information extraction unit obtaining photographed images from the photographing unit and extracting image information from each of the photographed images, an image information processing unit detecting a difference between multiple pieces of the image information, and a comparison unit making a comparison in size between the difference and a predetermined threshold value,

the output control unit outputs a warning signal if the comparison unit determines that the size of the difference exceeds the size of the predetermined threshold value.

2. The photographing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image synthesis unit connected to the photographing control unit; and

a synthesized image display unit connected to the output control unit;

wherein the image synthesis unit synthesizes each image which the plurality of photographing units obtains, and generates a synthesized image; and

the synthesized image display unit displays the synthesized image and displays warning information when the warning signal is received from the output control unit.

3. The photographing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image synthesis unit connected to the photographing control unit; and

a synthesized image display unit connected to the output control unit;

wherein the image synthesis unit synthesizes each image which the plurality of photographing units obtains, and generates a synthesized image;

the synthesized image display unit displays the synthesized image; and

the photographing control unit photographs changing the photographing unit to be used when the output control unit outputs the warning signal.

4. The photographing device according to claim 1, further comprising a single image display unit connected to the output control unit;

wherein the single image display unit displays one image obtained by one photographing unit included in the plurality of photographing units, and displays warning information together when the warning signal is receives from the output control unit.

5. The photographing device according to claim 1, further comprising a single image display unit connected to the output control unit;

wherein the single image display unit displays one image obtained by one photographing unit included in the plurality of photographing units; and

the photographing control unit photographs changing the photographing unit to be used when the output control unit outputs the warning signal.

6. The photographing device according to claim 2,

wherein the synthesized image is a stereoscopic image.

7. The photographing device according to claim 4,

wherein the one image is a planar image.

8. The photographing device according to claim 1,

wherein the image information is color information.

9. The photographing device according to claim 1,

wherein the predetermined threshold value is a numerical value which is based on an average difference value arising from only a parallax difference.

10. A photographing method, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a plurality of photographed images;

extracting image information from each of the photographed images;

detecting a difference between multiple pieces of the image information;

making a comparison in size between the difference and a predetermined threshold value; and

outputting a warning signal if the size of the difference exceeding the size of the predetermined threshold value.

11. The photographing method according to claim 10, further comprising:

generating a synthesized image by synthesizing the plurality of photographed images; and

displaying the synthesized image and warning information based on the warning signal.

12. The photographing method according to claim 10, further comprising:

displaying one photographed image among the plurality of photographed images and warning information based on the warning signal.

13. The photographing method according to claim 10, wherein

in the step of outputting the warning signal, photographing and changing a photographing means to be used.

14. A photographing device, comprising:

a plurality of photographing means;

a photographing control means to which the plurality of photographing means are connected; and

an output control means connected to the photographing control means;

wherein the photographing control means comprises an image information extraction means obtaining photographed images from the photographing means and extracting image information from each of the photographed images, an image information processing means detecting a difference between multiple pieces of the image information, and a comparison means making a comparison in size between the difference and a predetermined threshold value,

the output control means outputs a warning signal if the comparison means determines that the size of the difference exceeds the size of the predetermined threshold value.