IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE, IMAGE CAPTURE METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20130293682A1
• Filed: 03/05/2012
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Zouda, Shumpei
• Application Number:
  US13/996,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20130293682A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/46
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/20 visible in viewfinder
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/02 by sequential recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/207 using a single 2D image sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/221 using the relative movement between cameras and objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/246 Calibration of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0085 Motion estimation from stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

Disclosed is an image capture device in which, in an image capture possibility determination unit 19, when determining whether or not image capturing is possible on the basis of a motion vector of an input image, if an amount of movement after image capturing of a first image corresponds to a possible image capturing position of a second image capturing location where a predetermined parallax is obtained, and the motion vector of the input image is equal to or smaller than a threshold value T1 for detecting a stationary state of the image capture device, the stationary state of the image capture device is determined to determine whether or not image capturing of the second image is possible.

Claims

1. An image capture device configured to perform stereoscopic image capturing to capture two images having a predetermined parallax, the image capture device comprising:

a motion detection unit configured to detect a motion of the image capture device after image capturing of a first image in the stereoscopic image capturing;

an image capturing condition acquisition unit configured to acquire an image capturing condition of an input image during or after image capturing of the first image;

an image capture possibility determination unit configured to detect a stationary state of the image capture device at a position where the predetermined parallax is obtained in accordance with an amount of motion of the image capture device and the image capturing condition, and configured to determine whether or not image capturing of a second image is possible in the stereoscopic image capturing; and

an image capturing control unit configured to control image capturing of the first image and the second image.

2. The image capture device according to claim 1,

wherein, when the amount of motion of the image capture device is equal to or smaller than a threshold value for stationary state detection set in accordance with the image capturing condition, the image capture possibility determination unit determines that the image capture device is in the stationary state.

3. The image capture device according to claim 2,

wherein the image capturing condition is brightness information of the input image.

4. The image capture device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a threshold value calculation unit configured to calculate the threshold value for stationary state detection in accordance with the brightness information,

wherein, when the brightness information is brighter than a predetermined value, the threshold value calculation unit increases the threshold value for stationary state detection compared to when the brightness information is darker than the predetermined value.

5. The image capture device according to claim 2,

wherein the image capturing condition is a distance from a subject during image capturing.

6. The image capture device according to claim 5, further comprising:

a threshold value calculation unit configured to calculate the threshold value for stationary state detection in accordance with the distance from the subject,

wherein, when the distance is greater than a predetermined value, the threshold value calculation unit increases the threshold value for stationary state detection compared to when the distance is smaller than the predetermined value.

7. The image capture device according to claim 1,

wherein, when an amount of movement from an image capturing position of the first image becomes a predetermined amount, on the basis of the amount of motion of the image capture device, the image capture possibility determination unit determines that the image capture device is at the possible image capturing position of the second image where the predetermined parallax is obtained.

8. The image capture device according to claim 7,

wherein, when the amount of movement from the image capturing position of the first image falls within a predetermined allowable range, the image capture possibility determination unit determines that the image capture device is at the possible image capturing position of the second image where the predetermined parallax is obtained.

9. The image capture device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a threshold value calculation unit configured to calculate a threshold value for second image capturing location determination to determine the allowable range of the amount of movement,

wherein the threshold value calculation unit changes the threshold value for second image capturing location determination in accordance with the amount of optimum parallax appropriate for stereoscopic view set as the predetermined parallax.

10. The image capture device according to claim 9,

wherein, when the optimum parallax is greater than a predetermined amount, the threshold value calculation unit increases the threshold value for second image capturing location determination compared to when the optimum parallax is smaller than the predetermined amount.

11. The image capture device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a threshold value calculation unit configured to calculate a threshold value for second image capturing location determination to determine the allowable range of the amount of movement,

wherein the threshold value calculation unit changes the threshold value for second image capturing location determination in accordance with a distance to the subject during image capturing as the image capturing condition.

12. The image capture device according to claim 11,

wherein, when the distance to the subject is greater than a predetermined amount, the threshold value calculation unit increases the threshold value for second image capturing location determination compared to when the distance to the subject is smaller than the predetermined amount.

13. The image capture device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image capturing location presentation unit configured to present an image capturing location where image capturing of the second image is possible.

14. The image capture device according to claim 13,

wherein the image capturing location presentation unit gives notification of the image capturing location of the second image by at least one of an image, sound, voice, vibration, and light.

15. An image capture method in an image capture device configured to perform stereoscopic image capturing to capture two images having a predetermined parallax, the image capture method comprising:

a step of detecting a motion of the image capture device after image capturing of a first image in the stereoscopic image capturing;

a step of acquiring an image capturing condition of an input image during or after image capturing of the first image;

a step of detecting a stationary state of the image capture device at a position where the predetermined parallax is obtained in accordance with an amount of motion of the image capture device and the image capturing condition, and determining whether or not image capturing of a second image is possible in the stereoscopic image capturing; and

a step of controlling image capturing of the first image and the second image.

16. A program which, in an image capture device performing stereoscopic image capturing to capture two images having a predetermined parallax, causes a computer to execute:

a step of detecting a motion of the image capture device after image capturing of a first image in the stereoscopic image capturing;

a step of acquiring an image capturing condition of an input image during or after image capturing of the first image;

a step of detecting a stationary state of the image capture device at a position where the predetermined parallax is obtained in accordance with an amount of motion of the image capture device and the image capturing condition, and determining whether or not image capturing of a second image is possible in the stereoscopic image capturing; and

a step of controlling image capturing of the first image and the second image.