METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY FOCUSING ON SPECIFIC MOVABLE OBJECT, PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS INCLUDING AUTOMATIC FOCUS FUNCTION, AND COMPUTER READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM FOR STORING AUTOMATIC FOCUS FUNCTION PROGRAM

• US 20140139723A1
• Filed: 01/09/2013
• Published: 05/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Chang, Yen-Min
• Granted Patent: US 10,067,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/349
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/28 Systems for automatic generation of focusing signals
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/36 Autofocus systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals

Abstract

A method capable of performing an automatic focus function upon a specific movable object in a real-time manner, the method being applicable to a photographic apparatus with the automatic focus function, includes: capturing real-time image within a field of view (FOV) of a lens; comparing images of a plurality of image areas of the real-time image with a feature image of the specific movable object to identify an image area corresponding to the feature image of the specific movable object; and, performing automatic focus on the identified image area.

Claims

1. A method capable of performing an automatic focus function upon a specific movable object in a real-time manner, the method being applicable to a photographic apparatus with the automatic focus function, the method comprising:

capturing a real-time image within a field of view (FOV) of a lens;

comparing images of a plurality of image areas of the real-time image with a feature image of the specific movable object to identify an image area corresponding to the feature image of the specific movable object; and

performing automatic focus upon the identified image area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before capturing the real-time image, generating the feature image of the specific movable object in advance, and recording the feature image of the specific movable object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of generating the feature image of the specific movable object in advance and recording the feature image of the specific movable object comprises:

photographing at least one reference image of the specific movable object through the lens in advance to generate the feature image; and

storing the feature image in a database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the images of the plurality of image areas comprise images corresponding to a plurality of movable objects, and the step of identifying the image area corresponding to the feature image of the specific movable object comprises:

identifying the feature image of the specific movable object from the images corresponding to the plurality of movable objects.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature image corresponds to a physiological characteristic of a face/appearance of the specific movable object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature image corresponds to a dressing characteristic, an accessory characteristic, or a belongings characteristic.

7. A photographic apparatus with an automatic focus function, comprising:

a lens, arranged for capturing a real-time image within a field of view (FOV) of the lens; and

a processing circuit, electrically coupled to the lens, the processing circuit arranged for comparing images of a plurality of image areas of the real-time image with a feature image of the specific movable object to identify an image area corresponding to the feature image of the specific movable object;

wherein a focus of the lens is on the identified image area through performing automatic focus.

8. The photographic apparatus of claim 7, being disposed on a mobile communication apparatus or a camera apparatus.

9. The photographic apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a storage circuit, arranged for storing images;

wherein before capturing the real-time image, the lens captures at least one reference image of the specific movable object in advance, the processing circuit generates the feature image according to the at least one reference image, and the storage circuit stores the feature image of the movable object in a database.

10. The photographic apparatus of claim 7, wherein the images of the plurality of image areas comprises images corresponding to a plurality of movable objects, and the processing circuit identifies the feature image of the specific movable object from the images corresponding to the plurality of movable objects.

11. The photographic apparatus of claim 7, wherein the feature image corresponds to a physiological characteristic of a face/appearance of the specific movable object.

12. The photographic apparatus of claim 7, wherein the feature image corresponds to a dressing characteristic, an accessory characteristic, or a belongings characteristic.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing a computer program executed for performing an automatic focus function upon a specific movable object in a real-time manner, the computer program being applicable to a photographic apparatus with the automatic focus function, the computer program comprising following steps when executed:

capturing a real-time image within a field of view (FOV) of a lens;

comparing images of a plurality of image areas of the real-time image with a feature image of the specific movable object to identify an image area corresponding to the feature image of the specific movable object; and

performing automatic focus upon the identified image area.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the computer program further comprises following steps when executed:

before capturing the real-time image, generating the feature image of the specific movable object in advance, and recording the feature image of the specific movable object.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the step of generating the feature image of the specific movable object in advance and recording the feature image of the specific movable object comprises:

photographing at least one reference image of the specific movable object through the lens in advance to generate the feature image; and

storing the feature image in a database.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the images of the plurality of image areas comprises images corresponding to a plurality of movable objects, and the step of identifying the image area corresponding to the feature image of the specific movable object comprises:

identifying the feature image of the specific movable object from the images corresponding to the plurality of movable objects.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the feature image corresponds to a physiological characteristic of a face/appearance of the specific movable object.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the feature image corresponds to a dressing characteristic, an accessory characteristic, or a belongings characteristic.