Automatic stabilization control apparatus, automatic stabilization control method, and computer readable recording medium having automatic stabilization control program recorded thereon

• US 7,522,189 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2004
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xacti Corporation (Office Support KK)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Chiba, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHIPKEY, JASON T
• Application Number:
  US10/943,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20050088531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 348/208.6, 348/208.14, 348/169, 348/170, 348/171, 348/581, 348/582, 382/298
• US Class Current: 348/208.6
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/682 Vibration or motion blur correction

Abstract

In an automatic stabilization control apparatus that subjects a moving image picked up by a camera to automatic stabilization control, the apparatus comprises means for designating a range of frames which are to be subjected to automatic stabilization control (hereinafter referred to as a correction frame range); means for calculating a common area where the image is common among the frames within the correction frame range; automatic stabilization control means for subjecting each of the frames within the correction frame range to automatic stabilization control processing involving enlargement of the common area; and enlargement processing means for subjecting vicinity frames preceding and succeeding the correction frame range to enlargement processing.

Claims

1. An automatic stabilization control apparatus that subjects a moving image file which comprises moving image data picked up by a camera and which is stored in a storage device to automatic stabilization control, the automatic stabilization control apparatus comprising:

a first unit arranged to allow a user to designate a range of frames which are to be subjected to automatic stabilization control (hereinafter referred to as a correction frame range) out of image frames in the moving image file;

a second unit arranged to calculate a common area where the image is common among all of the frames within the correction frame range;

a third unit arranged to subject each of the frames within the correction frame range to automatic stabilization control processing involving enlargement of the common area; and

a fourth unit arranged to subject vicinity frames preceding and succeeding the correction frame range to enlargement processing,

wherein

the first unit includes a unit arranged to display the image frames in the moving image file to allow the user to confirm contents of the image frames in the moving image file.

2. The automatic stabilization control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the fourth unit enlarges, with respect to the vicinity frames preceding the start frame in the correction frame range, the frames such that the nearer the frame is to the start frame in the correction frame range, the higher the enlargement ratio thereof becomes, while enlarging, with respect to the vicinity frames succeeding the end frame in the correction frame range, the frames such that the nearer the frame is to the end frame in the correction frame range, the higher the enlargement ratio thereof becomes.

3. An automatic stabilization control method in which a moving image file which comprises moving image data picked up by a camera and which is stored in a storage device is subjected to automatic stabilization control, the automatic stabilization control method comprising:

a first step for allowing a user to designate a range of frames which are to be subjected to automatic stabilization control (hereinafter referred to as a correction frame range) out of image frames in the moving image file;

a second step for calculating a common area where the image is common among all of the frames within the correction frame range;

a third step for subjecting each of the frames within the correction frame range to automatic stabilization control processing involving enlargement of the common area; and

a fourth step for subjecting vicinity frames preceding and succeeding the correction frame range to enlargement processing,

wherein

the first step includes a step for displaying the image frames in the moving image file to allow the user to confirm contents of the image frames in the moving image file.

4. The automatic stabilization control method according to claim 3, wherein

the fourth step is for enlarging, with respect to the vicinity frames preceding the start frame in the correction frame range, the frames such that the nearer the frame is to the start frame in the correction frame range, the higher the enlargement ratio thereof becomes, while enlarging, with respect to the vicinity frames succeeding the end frame in the correction frame range, the frames such that the nearer the frame is to the end frame in the correction frame range, the higher the enlargement ratio thereof becomes.

5. A computer readable recording medium having an automatic stabilization control program, for subjecting a moving image file which comprises moving image data picked up by a camera and which is stored in a storage device to automatic stabilization control, recorded thereon, the computer readable recording medium wherein the automatic stabilization control program causes a computer to carry out:

a first step for allowing a user to designate a range of frames which are to be subjected to automatic stabilization control (hereinafter referred to as a correction frame range) out of image frames in the moving image file;

a second step for calculating a common area where the image is common among all of the frames within the correction frame range;

a third step for subjecting each of the frames within the correction frame range to automatic stabilization control processing involving enlargement of the common area; and

a fourth step for subjecting vicinity frames preceding and succeeding the correction frame range to enlargement processing,

wherein

the first step includes a step for displaying the image frames in the moving image file to allow the user to confirm contents of the image frames in the moving image file.

6. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 5, wherein

the fourth step is for enlarging, with respect to the vicinity frames preceding the start frame in the correction frame range, the frames such that the nearer the frame is to the start frame in the correction frame range, the higher the enlargement ratio thereof becomes, while enlarging, with respect to the vicinity frames succeeding the end frame in the correction frame range, the frames such that the nearer the frame is to the end frame in the correction frame range, the higher the enlargement ratio thereof becomes.