Camera performing photographing in accordance with photographing mode depending on object scene

• US 7,872,670 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2003
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xacti Corporation (Office Support KK)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kikuchi, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz; David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Quiett; Carramah J
• Application Number:
  US10/420,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20030197792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,829 Days
• Field of Search: 348/157, 348/208.12, 348/208.16, 348/240.3, 348/347, 348/348, 348362-364, 348/352, 348/220.1, 348/221.1
• US Class Current: 348/208.16
• 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 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time

Abstract

A camera includes a CPU. The CPU individually detects a ratio of an object which exceeds a threshold value in a moving amount to a center area of an object scene and a ratio of an object which exceeds the threshold value in the moving amount to a peripheral area of the object scene. If differences between the respective detected ratios are large, the CPU sets a photographing mode to a sports mode. When a shutter button is operated, the object scene is photographed in accordance with a set photographing mode.

Claims

1. A camera performing photographing in accordance with a photographing mode corresponding to an object scene when a photographing operation is performed, comprising:

a first ratio detector which detects a first ratio of movement of an object exceeding a first threshold value in a moving amount in a center area of said object scene;

a second ratio detector which detects a second ratio of movement of an object exceeding a second threshold value in the moving amount in a peripheral area of said object scene;

a determiner which determines the highest probability that the object scene is one of a plurality of object scene types based on the first ratio of movement and the second ratio of movement respectively detected by said first ratio detector and said second ratio detector; and

a selector which selects the photographing mode based on the highest probability that the object scene is one of the plurality of object scene types determined by said determiner.

2. A camera according to claim 1, wherein said selector selects a sports mode as the photographing mode when a difference between the first ratio of movement and the second ratio of movement is large.

3. A camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first fetcher which fetches a first image signal of said object scene photographed just before the photographing operation is performed;

a second fetcher which fetches a second image signal of said object scene photographed immediately after the photographing operation is performed; and

a difference detector which detects a difference between the first image signal and the second image signal as the moving amount.

4. A camera according to claim 1, further comprising an outputter which outputs a message corresponding to a photographing mode selected by said selector.

5. A photographing mode determining method of a camera which performs photographing when the photographing operation is performed, comprising steps of:

(a) detecting a first ratio of movement of an object exceeding a first threshold value in a moving amount in a center area of an object scene;

(b) detecting a second ratio of movement of an object exceeding a second threshold value in the moving amount in a peripheral area of said object scene;

(c) determining highest probability that the object scene is one of a plurality of object scene types based on the first ratio of movement and the second ratio of movement respectively detected by said step (a) and said step (b); and

(d) selecting the photographing mode based on the highest probability that the object scene is one of the plurality of object scene types determined by said step (c).

6. A camera performing photographing in accordance with a photographing mode corresponding to an object scene when a photographing operation is performed, comprising:

a first ratio detector which detects a first ratio of movement of an object exceeding a first threshold value in a moving amount in a center area of said object scene;

a second ratio detector which detects a second ratio of movement of an object exceeding a second threshold value in the moving amount in a peripheral area of said object scene;

a determiner which determines the highest probability that the object scene is one of a plurality of object scene types based on first ratio of movement and the second ratio of movement respectively detected by said first ratio detector and said second ratio detector; and

a selector which selects the photographing mode based on the highest probability that the object scene is one of the plurality of object scene types determined by said determiner;

wherein the first ratio and the second ratio correspond to a ratio of movement change between a first time period and a second time period.