IMAGING DEVICE AND TIME-LAPSE IMAGING METHOD

• US 20160269648A1
• Filed: 05/20/2016
• Published: 09/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: HAYASHI, Daisuke, WATANABE, Mikio, FUJINAMI, Tatsuya
• Granted Patent: US 10,368,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/367 providing an output produced by processing a plurality of individual source images, e.g. image tiling, montage, composite images, depth sectioning, image comparison
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/368 details of associated display arrangements, e.g. mounting of LCD monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/38 Releasing-devices separate from shutter integral with shutter G03B9/08
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/561 Support related camera accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2206/00 Systems for exchange of information between different pieces of apparatus, e.g. for exchanging trimming information, for photo finishing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00103 specially adapted for radio transmission, e.g. via satellites H04N1/00098 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• 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 23/73 by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 Television signal processing therefor

Abstract

The present invention provides an imaging device and a time-lapse imaging method capable of simply realizing time-lapse imaging using a pan and tilt mechanism. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, an imaging device includes a pan and tilt mechanism that rotates an imaging unit in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction relative to a device body, transmits a live view image to a smartphone, displays the live view image on a display and input unit, and receives an instruction input for specifying camerawork in time-lapse imaging using the display and input unit. Accordingly, the instruction input for specifying camerawork for performing time-lapse imaging using the pan and tilt mechanism can be simply input. The imaging device controls at least the pan and tilt mechanism based on the instruction input for specifying camerawork and controls the imaging unit to perform time-lapse imaging.

Claims

1. An imaging device, comprising:

an imaging unit including an imaging lens and an imaging element;

a pan and tilt mechanism that rotates the imaging unit in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction relative to a device body;

a live view image output unit that outputs a live view image captured by the imaging unit to a display unit;

a first input unit that receives an instruction input for operating the pan and tilt mechanism through a manual operation;

a second input unit that receives an instruction input performed using the live view image displayed on the display unit and the first input unit, the instruction input being an instruction input for specifying camerawork in time-lapse imaging in which still images are captured at certain imaging intervals;

a third input unit that receives an instruction input for start of the time-lapse imaging;

a control unit that controls at least the pan and tilt mechanism and controls the imaging unit to perform the time-lapse imaging based on the instruction input for specifying the camerawork when the control unit receives the instruction input for specifying the camerawork from the second input unit and then receives the instruction input for start of time-lapse imaging from the third input unit; and

angle detection units that detect pan and tilt angles of the imaging unit, respectively,

wherein the second input unit receives the pan and tilt angles detected by the angle detection unit at the time of setting the imaging direction of each image, as an instruction input for specifying the camerawork, when two or more images of which the imaging directions are different are set, the instruction input being performed using the live view image displayed on the display unit and the first input unit.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein the two or more images include a start image and an end image of time-lapse imaging,

the second input unit receives the number or the playback time of still images captured through time-lapse imaging, and an imaging period of time-lapse imaging as an instruction input for specifying the camerawork, and

the control unit calculates an imaging interval of a plurality of still images captured through time-lapse imaging and a change in the pan and tilt angles between the still images based on the respective pan and tilt angles of a start image and an end image of the time-lapse imaging, the received number of captured still images, or the number of captured still images corresponding to the playback time, and the received imaging period of time-lapse imaging, and controls the pan and tilt mechanism and the imaging unit based on the calculated imaging interval and the calculated change in the pan and tilt angles.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein the two or more images include a start image and an end image of time-lapse imaging,

the second input unit receives the number or a playback time of the still images captured through time-lapse imaging, and the imaging interval of time-lapse imaging as an instruction input for specifying the camerawork, and

the control unit calculates a change in the pan and tilt angles between the still images captured through time-lapse imaging based on the respective pan and tilt angles of the start image and the end image of the time-lapse imaging, and the received number of captured still images or the number of captured still images corresponding to the playback time, and controls the pan and tilt mechanism and the imaging unit based on the received imaging interval and the calculated change in the pan and tilt angles.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein the two or more images include a start image and an end image of time-lapse imaging,

the second input unit receives the imaging period and the imaging interval of time-lapse imaging as an instruction input for specifying the camerawork, and

the control unit calculates a change in the pan and tilt angles between the still images captured through time-lapse imaging based on the respective pan and tilt angles of the start image and the end image of the time-lapse imaging, and the number of captured still images that are captured through time-lapse imaging calculated from the received imaging period and the received imaging interval of the time-lapse imaging, and controls the pan and tilt mechanism and the imaging unit based on the received imaging interval and the calculated change in the pan and tilt angles.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein the two or more images include a start image and an end image of time-lapse imaging,

the second input unit receives the imaging period of time-lapse imaging, and a change in a pan angle or a tilt angle between the still images captured through time-lapse imaging as an instruction input for specifying the camerawork, and

the control unit calculates an imaging interval of a plurality of still images captured through time-lapse imaging based on the respective pan and tilt angles of the start image and the end image of the time-lapse imaging, and the received imaging period of time-lapse imaging and the change in the pan angle or the tilt angle, and controls the pan and tilt mechanism and the imaging unit based on the calculated imaging interval and the received change in the pan angle or the tilt angle.

6. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a recording image generation unit that generates an image for recording obtained by connecting a plurality of still images captured through time-lapse imaging.

7. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a recording image generation unit that generates an image for recording obtained by connecting a plurality of still images captured through time-lapse imaging,

wherein the second input unit receives the number or a playback time of the still images captured through time-lapse imaging in one imaging direction and an imaging period of time-lapse imaging as an instruction input for specifying the camerawork,

the control unit calculates an imaging interval of a plurality of still images captured through time-lapse imaging based on the received number of captured still images or the number of captured still images corresponding to the playback time, and the received imaging period of time-lapse imaging, and controls the pan and tilt mechanism and the imaging unit based on the pan and tilt angles of two or more images of which the imaging directions are different, the received number of captured still images or the number of captured still images corresponding to the playback time, and the calculated imaging interval of the time-lapse imaging, and

the recording image generation unit connects the still images in time series of which the imaging directions are the same among the plurality of still images captured through time-lapse imaging, and generates a plurality of images for recording of which the imaging directions are different.

8. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a recording image generation unit that generates an image for recording obtained by connecting a plurality of still images captured through time-lapse imaging,

wherein the second input unit receives the number or a playback time of the still images captured through time-lapse imaging in one imaging direction and an imaging period of time-lapse imaging as an instruction input for specifying the camerawork,

the control unit controls the pan and tilt mechanism and the imaging unit based on the pan and tilt angles of two or more images of which the imaging directions are different, the received number of captured images or the number of captured still images corresponding to the playback time, and the received imaging interval of time-lapse imaging, and

the recording image generation unit connects the still images in time series of which the imaging directions are the same among the plurality of still images captured through time-lapse imaging, and generates a plurality of images for recording of which the imaging directions are different.

9. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a recording image generation unit that generates an image for recording obtained by connecting a plurality of still images captured through time-lapse imaging,

the second input unit receives the imaging period and the imaging interval of time-lapse imaging as an instruction input for specifying the camerawork,

the control unit controls the pan and tilt mechanism and the imaging unit based on the pan and tilt angles of two or more images of which the imaging directions are different, and the received imaging period and the received imaging interval of time-lapse imaging, and

the recording image generation unit connects the still images in time series of which the imaging directions are the same among the plurality of still images captured through time-lapse imaging, and generates a plurality of images for recording of which the imaging directions are different.

10. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein the imaging lens is a zoom lens,

the first input unit receives an instruction input for operating the zoom lens, and

when two or more images of which the imaging directions are different are set, the second input unit receives a zoom magnification of the zoom lens at the time of setting the imaging direction of each image, as an instruction input for specifying the camerawork.

11. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication unit that wirelessly communicates with an external terminal,

wherein the communication unit functions as the live view image output unit, the first input unit, the second input unit, and the third input unit.

12. The imaging device according to claim 6, further comprising:

a communication unit that wirelessly communicates with an external terminal,

wherein the communication unit transmits the image for recording generated by the recording image generation unit to the terminal.

13. The imaging device according to claim 11,

wherein the imaging device has a time-lapse imaging mode for performing the time-lapse imaging, a still image capturing mode, and a video imaging mode,

the communication unit receives a selection instruction for the time-lapse imaging mode, the still image capturing mode, or the video imaging mode, and an imaging instruction in the still image capturing mode or the video imaging mode from the terminal, and

the control unit performs switching to the still image capturing mode or the video imaging mode when the control unit receives the selection instruction for the still image capturing mode or the video imaging mode via the communication unit, and controls the imaging unit to capture a still image or a video when the control unit receives the imaging instruction in the still image capturing mode or the video imaging mode.

14. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fourth input unit that receives an instruction input for a preview display,

wherein the control unit controls at least the pan and tilt mechanism based on the instruction input for specifying the camerawork and displays a live view image on the display unit when the control unit receives the instruction input for a preview display from the fourth input unit.

15. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein the device body includes a tripod mounting unit.

16. A time-lapse imaging method in an imaging device comprising an imaging unit including an imaging lens and an imaging element, and a pan and tilt mechanism that rotates the imaging unit in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction relative to a device body, the time-lapse imaging method comprising the steps of:

displaying a live view image captured by the imaging unit on a display unit;

receiving an instruction input for operating the pan and tilt mechanism through a manual operation;

receiving an instruction input performed using the live view image displayed on the display unit and a first input unit, the instruction input being an instruction input for specifying camerawork in time-lapse imaging in which still images are captured at certain imaging intervals;

controlling at least the pan and tilt mechanism and controlling the imaging unit to perform the time-lapse imaging based on the instruction input for specifying the camerawork when the instruction input for specifying the camerawork is received and then an instruction input for start of time-lapse imaging is received;

detecting pan and tilt angles of the imaging unit, respectively; and

receiving the pan and tilt angles at the time of setting the imaging direction of each image, as an instruction input for specifying the camerawork, when two or more images of which the imaging directions are different are set, the instruction input being performed using the live view image displayed on the display unit and the first input unit.