Image capture device and method

• US 8,072,499 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2006
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagata, Masaharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, QUANG V
• Application Number:
  US11/532,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20070064977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,904 Days
• Field of Search: 348/208.6, 348/148, 348/169, 348/352, 348/142
• US Class Current: 348/208.6
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6811 based on the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/682 Vibration or motion blur correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/145 Movement estimation for video coding H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums

Abstract

An image capture device, including: a motion vector detection unit that detects a motion vector of a plurality of successive images; a determination unit that determines whether the motion vector detected by the motion vector detection unit is of a predetermined amount or more in a fixed direction; and a warning unit that issues a warning when the determination unit determines that the motion vector is of the predetermined amount or more in the fixed direction.

Claims

1. An image capture device, comprising:

an image capture unit configured to capture a plurality of successive images within a frame;

a motion vector detection unit configured to detect a motion vector of a succession of images of an object within the captured plurality of successive images;

a control unit configured to determine whether a detected motion vector is of at least a predetermined magnitude in a fixed direction;

a warning unit configured to issue, during image capturing, a warning, to a user, when the detected motion vector is of at least the predetermined magnitude in the fixed direction, that a frame-out possibility exists and to indicate to the user in which direction to move the frame so as to prevent the frame-out from occurring;

a display for displaying the successive images in a sequential manner; and

a region designation section configured to designate a specific region of any of the images displayed on the display;

wherein

the motion vector detection unit detects the motion vector for only the specific region designated by the region designation section, when the specific region is not included in a first image captured by the image capture unit, the control unit determines a movement amount of the specific region with respect to the image based on the motion vector detected by the motion vector detection unit for a second image immediately before the first image; and

the device, based on said determined movement amount, displays a display element indicating a direction and an amount that the specific region is moved from the second image.

2. The image capture device according to claim 1, wherein the motion vector detection unit detects the motion vector for all of the images.

3. The image capture device according to claim 1, wherein the warning unit issues the warning at least by one means of light, sound, and vibration.

4. The image capture device according to claim 1, wherein the warning unit performs wireless communications with the image capture device.

5. The image capture device according to claim 1, wherein the warning unit has a setting not to issue the warning irrespective of the determination result of the control unit.

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

a camera shake correction section that finds, from the motion vectors detected by the motion vector detection unit for all of the images, first and second motion vectors being the first and second largest, determines the second motion vector as a motion caused by camera shake, and applies a camera shake correction based on the successive images and the second motion vector corresponding thereto.

7. An image capture method, comprising the steps of:

capturing a succession of images within a frame of an image capture unit;

calculating a motion vector of an object within a plurality of the successive images captured by the image capture unit;

determining whether the detected motion vector is of at least a predetermined magnitude in a fixed direction;

issuing, during image capturing, a warning to a user, when the calculated motion vector is of at least the predetermined magnitude in the fixed direction, that a frame-out possibility exists; and

indicating to the user in which direction to move the frame of the image capture unit so as to prevent the frame-out from occurring;

displaying the successive images in a sequential manner;

designating a specific region of any of the images displayed;

detecting the motion vector for only the designated specific region;

when the specific region is not included in a first image captured by the image capture unit, determining a movement amount of the specific region with respect to the image based on the detected motion vector for a second image immediately before the first image; and

displaying a display element indicating a direction and an amount that the specific region is moved from the second image, based on said determined movement amount.