Imaging device and imaging method

• US 8,081,233 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Inoue, Makoto, Sako, Yoichiro, Terauchi, Toshiro, Miyajima, Yasushi, Asukai, Masamichi, Nakamura, Takatoshi, Takehara, Mitsuru
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, QUANG V
• Application Number:
  US12/826,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20100265361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 348/222.1, 348/207.99, 348/152, 348/143, 348/154, 348/155, 348/239, 348/208.3, 382/255
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/254 involving subtraction of images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image

Abstract

A imaging device includes an imaging element; a memory unit configured to temporarily store pieces of image data captured individually at predetermined timings via the imaging element; a comparator configured to compare the image data recorded in the memory unit to detect whether an image change greater than or equal to a first threshold has occurred; a determining unit configured to determine whether the image change has converged to an amount less than or equal to a second threshold by comparing the image data recorded in the memory unit when an image change greater than or equal to the first threshold has been detected; and a controller configured to exercise control so that image data captured via the imaging element is recorded on a predetermined recording medium when it is determined that the image change has converged to an amount less than or equal to the second threshold.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

detecting means for detecting an amount of change in an imaging condition;

determining means for determining whether the amount of change detected by the detecting means has become greater than or equal to a first threshold and then has converged to an amount less than or equal to a second threshold, the determining means comprising checking means for checking whether a difference between a piece of image data for which image data of one screen is last recorded on the predetermined recording medium and a piece of image data newly taken is less than or equal to a predetermined value; and

controlling means for exercising control so that image data captured via an imaging element is recorded on a predetermined recording medium when it is determined by the determining means that the amount of change has become greater than or equal to the first threshold and then has converged to an amount less than or equal to the second threshold, wherein the controlling means exercises control so that the difference is recorded on the predetermined recording medium as the newly taken image data when it is determined by the checking means that the difference is less than or equal to the predetermined value.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein the controlling means exercises control so that the image data for one screen and difference data associated with the image data are recorded as a group on the predetermined recording medium.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein the amount of change detected by the detecting means is an amount of change in at least one of a focus, a zoom, an iris, and an angle of movement at a time of panning.

4. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the detecting means for detecting the change in the imaging condition detects at least a change in a manner in which the imaging element is to capture an image.

5. The imaging device of claim 4, wherein the detecting means for detecting the change in the manner in which the imaging element is to capture an image detects at least a change in at least one imaging condition from a group of imaging conditions consisting of focus, a focal point, an angle of movement, an image quality, a shutter speed, a zoom, an iris, and an amount of movement of the imaging element.

6. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the detecting means for detecting the change in the imaging condition detects at least a change made by an operator of an imaging element.

7. The imaging device of claim 6, wherein the detecting means for detecting the change detects at least a change made by a human user of the imaging element.

10. The imaging method according to claim 5,

wherein the amount of change detected is an amount of change in at least one of a focus, a zoom, an iris, and an angle of movement at a time of panning.

8. An imaging method comprising the steps of:

detecting an amount of change in an imaging condition, the change in the imaging condition being a change in a manner in which an imaging element is to capture an image;

determining whether the amount of change detected has become greater than or equal to a first threshold and then has converged to an amount less than or equal to a second threshold, wherein the determining comprises checking whether a difference between a piece of image data for which image data of one screen is last recorded on the predetermined recording medium and a piece of image data newly taken is less than or equal to a predetermined value; and

exercising control so that image data captured via the imaging element is recorded on a predetermined recording medium when it is determined that the amount of change has become greater than or equal to the first threshold and then has converged to an amount less than or equal to the second threshold, wherein the control is exercised so that the difference is recorded on the predetermined recording medium as the newly taken image data when it is determined by the checking that the difference is less than or equal to the predetermined value.

9. The imaging method according to claim 8,

wherein the control is exercised so that the image data for one screen and difference data associated with the image data are recorded as a group on the predetermined recording medium.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting the change in the manner in which the imaging element is to capture an image comprises detecting a change in at least one imaging condition from a group of imaging conditions consisting of focus, a focal point, an angle of movement, an image quality, a shutter speed, a zoom, an iris, and an amount of movement of the imaging element.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting the change in the imaging condition comprises detecting a change made by an operator of an imaging element.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting the change made by the operator of the imaging element comprises detecting a change made by a human user of the imaging element.

14. An imaging device comprising:

a detector configured to detect an amount of change in an imaging condition, the change in the imaging condition being a change made by an operator of an imaging element;

a determining unit configured to determine whether the amount of change detected by the detector has become greater than or equal to a first threshold and then has converged to an amount less than or equal to a second threshold, the determining unit comprising a checking unit configured to check whether a difference between a piece of image data for which image data of one screen is last recorded on the predetermined recording medium and a piece of image data newly taken is less than or equal to a predetermined value; and

a controller configured to exercise control so that image data captured via the imaging element is recorded on a predetermined recording medium when it is determined by the determining unit that the amount of change has become greater than or equal to the first threshold and then has converged to an amount less than or equal to the second threshold, wherein the controller exercises control so that the difference is recorded on the predetermined recording medium as the newly taken image data when it is determined by the checking unit that the difference is less than or equal to the predetermined value.

15. The imaging device of claim 14, wherein the detector detects at least a change made by a human user of the imaging element.

16. The imaging device of claim 14, wherein the detector is configured to detect the change in the imaging condition at least in part by detecting a change in a manner in which the imaging element is to capture an image.

17. The imaging device of claim 16, wherein the detector is configured to detect the change in the manner in which the imaging element is to capture an image at least in part by detecting a change in at least one imaging condition from a group of imaging conditions consisting of focus, a focal point, an angle of movement, an image quality, a shutter speed, a zoom, an iris, and an amount of movement of the imaging element.