Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and medium

• US 7,391,443 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2004
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kojima, Kiyonobu, Fujisawa, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannett; James M.
• Application Number:
  US10/801,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20040174440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: 348/231.99
• US Class Current: 348/231.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body

Abstract

An information processing apparatus, an information processing method and a medium which allow accurate control of an image pickup timing based on a result of image recognition with a simple construction. An image pickup section outputs picked up image data to an image recognition section and a delaying section. The image recognition section performs image recognition for the image data inputted thereto and, when it detects predetermined information from among the image data, outputs a trigger signal to an image fetching section to fetch an image. The delaying section delays the image data inputted thereto from the image recognition section to compensate for a delay corresponding to a time required for the image recognition by the image recognition section and outputs resulting image data to the image fetching section. The image fetching section fetches the image data inputted thereto from the delaying section in synchronism with the trigger signal inputted thereto from the image recognition section and outputs the fetched image data to the image storage section. The image storage section stores the image data outputted from the image fetching section.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

image pickup means for picking up an image of an image pickup object to produce image data;

a delay means for delaying transmittal of the image data received from the image pickup means by a predetermined delay time;

detection means for detecting a predetermined variation in the image pickup object from within the image data produced by said image pickup means and generating a trigger signal in response to the variation detection, wherein the detection means and the delay means both receive the image data at substantially the same time;

an image fetching means for fetching, in response to receiving the trigger signal, image data from the delay means; and

storage means for storing the image data fetched by the fetching means,

wherein the delay means adjusts the predetermined delay time in response to the predetermined variation to be detected by the image recognition means.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detection means further detects a motion vector of the image data as a variation of the state of the image pickup object.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detection means further detects a variation of the state of the image pickup object based on a predetermined image pattern of the image data.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a CCD video camera which forms said image pickup means and a hardware module and a software module which form said detection means and said storage means are integrated in a portable housing.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said storage means stores the image data for one frame previously fetched by a predetermined interval of time at a point of time when the trigger signal is supplied from said detection means.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said trigger signal is generated in response to a detection of an increase in brightness of the image pickup object.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said trigger signal is generated in response to a detection of a decrease in brightness of the image pickup object, and said storage means stores image data captured a predetermined amount of time prior to said detection of a decrease in brightness.

8. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a user selects the predetermined variation to be detected in advance.

9. An information processing method, comprising the steps of:

picking up an image of an image pickup object to produce image data;

delaying transmittal of the image data by a predetermined delay time;

detecting a predetermined variation in the image pickup object from within the image data from the picking up step and generating a trigger signal in response to the variation detection, wherein the detecting step and the delaying step both receive the image data at substantially the same time;

fetching, in response to receiving the trigger signal, image data from the delaying step; and

storing the image data fetched,

wherein the predetermined delay time is adjusted in response to the predetermined variation to be detected in the detecting step.

10. A computer-readable medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute an information processing program, said information processing program comprising the steps of:

picking up an image of an image pickup object to produce image data;

delaying transmittal of the image data by a predetermined delay time;

detecting a predetermined variation in the image pickup object from within the image data from the picking up step and generating a trigger signal in response to the variation detection, wherein the detecting step and the delaying step both receive the image data at substantially the same time;

fetching, in response to receiving the trigger signal, image data from the delaying step; and

storing the image data fetched,

wherein the predetermined delay time is adjusted in response to the predetermined variation to be detected in the detecting step.