IMAGING DEVICE, IMAGING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20180160031A1
• Filed: 10/06/2017
• Published: 06/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: HOSHINO, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 10,462,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/215 Recording a sequence of still pictures, e.g. burst mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

An imaging device includes the following. A temporary storage cyclically stores images for a predetermined duration or number imaged in succession. A record controller records temporarily stored images for a first duration or a first number of images before detection of the capturing instruction, and records images for a second duration or a second number of images after detection of the capturing instruction. A setter preliminarily determines a total duration of the first duration and the second duration or a total number of the first number and the second number and determines a ratio of the first duration to the second duration or a ratio of the first number to the second number in response to one type of operation of an operational input unit, while retaining the preliminarily determined total duration or the preliminarily determined total number.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

a temporary storage which temporarily cyclically stores images for a predetermined duration or a predetermined number of images imaged in succession through an imager;

a detecting unit which detects a capturing instruction;

a record controller which records in a recorder temporarily stored images for a first duration or a first number of images before detection of the capturing instruction at the detecting unit, and records in the recorder images for a second duration or a second number of images imaged in succession through the imager after detection of the capturing instruction; and

a setter which preliminarily determines a total duration of the first duration and the second duration or a total number of the first number and the second number and determines a ratio of the first duration to the second duration or a ratio of the first number to the second number in response to one type of operation of an operational input unit, while retaining the preliminarily determined total duration or the preliminarily determined total number.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the setter further determines a total duration of the first duration and the second duration or a total number of the first number and the second number in response to one type of operation, while retaining the ratio of the first duration to the second duration or the ratio of the first number to the second number.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the one type of operation to determine the ratio of the first duration to the second duration or the ratio of the first number to the second number while retaining the total duration of the first duration and the second duration or the total number of the first number and the second number includes an operation to move a slider on a slide bar indicating the total duration of the first duration and the second duration or the total number of the first number and the second number.

6. The imaging device according to claim 2, wherein the one type of operation to determine the total duration of the first duration and the second duration or the total number of the first number and the second number while retaining the ratio of the first duration to the second duration or the ratio of the first number to the second number includes an operation to vary the length of a slide bar indicating the total duration of the first duration and the second duration or the total number of the first number and the second number.

7. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the first duration to the second duration includes a ratio in the case that the first duration or the second duration is zero and the ratio of the first number to the second number includes a ratio in the case that the first number or the second number is zero.

8. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the record controller records in the recorder images from the capturing instruction detecting time to a time point a first duration before or a first number of images before among the images of the predetermined duration as the images for the first duration or the first number of images, records in the recorder images from the time point the first duration before or the first number before to a time point a first specific duration before or a first specific number before as images of a first specific duration or a first specific number of images, and performs different processes between the images of the first duration and the images of the first specific duration and between the first number of images and the first specific number of images.

9. The imaging device according to claim 8, wherein the record controller records the images of the first duration or the first number of images at shorter intervals than the images of the first specific duration or the first specific number of images.

10. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the record controller records in the recorder images imaged in succession through the imager from the capturing instruction detecting time until a second duration elapses or a second number of images is obtained as images of a second duration or a second number of images, records in the recorder images imaged in succession through the imager from after the second duration elapses or the second number is obtained until a second specific duration elapses or a second specific number is obtained as images of a second specific duration or a second specific number of images, and performs different processes between the images of the second duration and the images of the second specific duration and between the second number of images and the second specific number of images.

11. The imaging device according to claim 10, wherein the record controller records the images of the second duration or the second number of images at shorter intervals than the images of the second specific duration or the second specific number of images.

12. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the record controller records in the recorder the images of the first duration from the capturing instruction detecting time to the time point the first duration before among the predetermined duration of images or from the capturing instruction detecting time to the first number of images before among the predetermined number of images and the images of the second duration or the second number of images imaged in succession through the imager from the capturing instruction detecting time until the second duration elapses or the second number of images is obtained at first identical time intervals and records in the recorder the images of the first specific duration from the time point of the first duration before to the first specific duration before among the predetermined duration of images or the first specific number of images from the first number before to the first specific number before among the predetermined number of images and the images of the second specific duration or the second specific number of images imaged in succession by the imager from after the second duration elapsed or the second number is obtained until the second specific duration elapsed or the second specific number is obtained at second identical time intervals.

13. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the record controller combines the images of the first duration or the first number of images temporarily stored in the temporary storage at the time of detection of the capturing instruction through the detecting unit and images of the second duration or the second number of images imaged in succession by the imager after detection of the capturing instruction into a single moving image and records the single moving image in the recorder.

3. An imaging device comprising:

a temporary storage which temporarily cyclically stores images for a predetermined duration or a predetermined number of images imaged in succession through an imager;

a detecting unit which detects a capturing instruction;

a record controller which records in a recorder temporarily stored images for a first duration or a first number of images before detection of the capturing instruction at the detecting unit, and which records in the recorder images for a second duration or a second number of images imaged in succession through the imager after detection of the capturing instruction; and

a setter which preliminarily determines a ratio of the first duration to the second duration or a ratio of the first number to the second number and determines a total duration of the first duration and the second duration or a total number of the first number and the second number in response to one type of operation of an operational input unit, while retaining the preliminarily determined ratio of the durations or numbers.

4. The imaging device according to claim 3, wherein the setter further determines a ratio of the first duration to the second duration or a ratio of the first number to the second number in response to one type of operation, while retaining the total duration of the first duration and the second duration or the total number of the first number and the second number.

14. An imaging method using an imaging device equipped with a temporary storage which temporarily cyclically stores images for a predetermined duration or a predetermined number of images imaged in succession by an imager, the imaging method comprising:

detecting a capturing instruction;

recording in a recorder temporarily stored images for a first duration or a first number of images before detection of the capturing instruction at the detecting unit, and recording in the recorder images for a second duration or a second number of images imaged in succession through the imager after detection of the capturing instruction;

preliminarily determining a total duration of the first duration and the second duration or a total number of the first number and the second number; and

determining a ratio of the first duration to the second duration or a ratio of the first number to the second number in response to one type of operation of an operational input unit while retaining the preliminarily determined total duration or the preliminarily determined total number.

15. An imaging method using an imaging device equipped with a temporary storage which temporarily cyclically stores images for a predetermined duration or a predetermined number of images imaged in succession by an imager, the imaging method comprising:

detecting a capturing instruction;

recording in a recorder temporarily stored images for a first duration or a first number of images before detection of the capturing instruction at the detecting unit, and recording in the recorder images for a second duration or a second number of images imaged in succession through the imager after detection of the capturing instruction;

preliminarily determining a ratio of the first duration to the second duration or a ratio of the first number to the second number; and

determining a total duration of the first duration and the second duration or a total number of the first number and the second number in response to one type of operation of an operational input unit while retaining the preliminarily determined ratio of the durations or numbers.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a program executable by a computer in an imaging device, the computer being equipped with a temporary storage which temporarily cyclically stores images for a predetermined duration or a predetermined number of images captured in succession by an imager, the program controlling the computer to perform functions comprising:

detecting a capturing instruction;

recording in a recorder temporarily stored images for a first duration or a first number of images before detection of the capturing instruction at the detecting unit, and recording in the recorder images for a second duration or a second number of images imaged in succession through the imager after detection of the capturing instruction; and

preliminarily determining a total duration of the first duration and the second duration or a total number of the first number and the second number and determining a ratio of the first duration to the second duration or a ratio of the first number to the second number in response to one type of operation of an operational input unit, while retaining the preliminarily determined total duration or the preliminarily determined total number.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a program executable by a computer in an imaging device, the computer being equipped with a temporary storage which temporarily cyclically stores images for a predetermined duration or a predetermined number of images imaged in succession by an imager, the program controlling the computer to perform functions comprising:

detecting a capturing instruction;

recording in a recorder temporarily stored images for a first duration or a first number of images before detection of the capturing instruction at the detecting unit, and recording in the recorder images for a second duration or a second number of images imaged in succession through the imager after detection of the capturing instruction; and

preliminarily determining a ratio of the first duration to the second duration or a ratio of the first number to the second number and determining a total duration of the first duration and the second duration or a total number of the first number and the second number in response to one type of operation of an operational input unit, while retaining the preliminarily determined ratio of the durations or numbers.