IMAGING APPARATUS, IMAGING METHOD AND PROGRAM

• US 20140333790A1
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: WAKAZONO, Masafumi
• Granted Patent: US 9,661,219 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2209/045 using mosaic colour filter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/843 Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/447 by preserving the colour pattern with or without loss of information

Abstract

An image processing system includes circuitry that determine whether a focus operation is performed on an image, and processes the image in a high resolution mode when the focus operation is determined to be performed. The circuitry processes the image in a low resolution mode when the focus operation is determined not to be performed. The resolution of the image is lower in the low resolution mode than in the high resolution mode.

Claims

1. An image processing system, comprising:

circuitry configured to

determine whether a focus operation is performed on an image,

process the image in a high resolution mode when the focus operation is determined to be performed, and

process the image in a low resolution mode when the focus operation is determined not to be performed,

wherein a resolution of the image is lower in the low resolution mode than in the high resolution mode.

2. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to switch from the high resolution mode to the low resolution mode after the focus operation is completed.

3. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to drive an optical system through which the image is received during the focus operation.

4. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to delay switching between the high resolution mode and the low resolution mode until after image recording on a computer-readable medium is complete.

5. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to highlight a focus target within the image when processing the image in the high resolution mode during the focus operation.

6. The image processing system according to claim 5, wherein the circuitry is further configured to highlight the focus target by changing at least one of a luminance value and color information for corresponding pixels.

7. The image processing system according to claim 5, wherein the circuitry highlights the focus target after the focus target is identified during the focus operation.

8. The image processing system according to claim 7, wherein the focus target is identified using facial recognition to recognize a face in the image.

9. The image processing system according to claim 5, wherein highlighting of the focus target is user-selectable.

10. The image processing system according to claim 3, wherein the circuitry is configured to determine whether the focus operation is performed based on a depression state of a shutter button.

11. The image processing system according to claim 10, wherein the circuitry determines that the focus operation is performed when the shutter button is depressed to a midpoint between fully depressed and not depressed.

12. The image processing system according to claim 11, wherein the circuitry is configured to switch from the high resolution mode to the low resolution mode when the shutter button is released.

13. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein when the circuitry switches from the high resolution mode to the low resolution mode, the circuitry adjusts development parameters accordingly.

14. The image processing system according to claim 13, wherein the development parameters include a flicker width, a size and an effective range of the image.

15. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to switch between the high resolution mode and the low resolution mode while maintaining a same viewing angle.

16. The image processing system according to claim 5, wherein the circuitry is further configured to switch between first and second high resolution modes based on whether the focus target is highlighted.

17. The image processing system according to claim 16, wherein the circuitry uses the first high resolution mode when the focus target is not highlighted and uses the second high resolution mode when the focus target is highlighted.

18. The image processing system according to claim 17, wherein the first high resolution mode has a higher resolution than the second high resolution mode and both first and second high resolution modes have higher resolution that the low resolution mode.

19. An image processing method for an image processing system, comprising:

determining, in circuitry, whether a focus operation is performed on an image;

processing, in the circuitry, the image in a high resolution mode when the focus operation is determined to be performed; and

processing, in the circuitry, the image in a low resolution mode when the focus operation is determined not to be performed,

wherein a resolution of the image is lower in the low resolution mode than in the high resolution mode.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with computer-readable instructions thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

determining whether a focus operation is performed on an image;

processing the image in a high resolution mode when the focus operation is determined to be performed; and

processing the image in a low resolution mode when the focus operation is determined not to be performed,

wherein a resolution of the image is lower in the low resolution mode than in the high resolution mode.