Imaging apparatus, imaging control method, and recording medium

• US 8,441,518 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2010
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakajima, Mitsuyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Ustaris, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mung, On S
• Application Number:
  US12/750,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20100245544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 348/46, 348/419
• US Class Current: 348/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10012 Stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/221 using the relative movement between cameras and objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/275 from 3D object models, e.g. computer-generated stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes: a first imaging controller configured to control imaging by an imaging unit; a movement distance acquirer configured to acquire movement distance of the imaging unit required to generate a three-dimensional image of the imaged subject after imaging by the first imaging controller; a first determining unit configured to determine whether or not the imaging unit has moved the movement distance acquired by the movement distance acquirer; a second imaging controller configured to control imaging with respect to the imaging unit in the case where it is determined by the first determining unit that the imaging unit has moved the movement distance; and a three-dimensional image generator configured to generate a three-dimensional image from the image acquired by the first imaging controller and the image acquired by the second imaging controller.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus, comprising:

a first imaging controller configured to control imaging by an imaging unit;

a movement distance acquirer configured to acquire a movement distance of the imaging unit required to generate a three-dimensional model of an imaged subject after the imaging controlled by the first imaging controller;

a determining unit configured to determine whether the imaging unit has moved the movement distance acquired by the movement distance acquirer;

a second imaging controller configured to control imaging by the imaging unit when it is determined by the determining unit that the imaging unit has moved the movement distance;

a three-dimensional model generator configured to generate the three-dimensional model of the subject from an image acquired in the imaging controlled by the first imaging controller and an image acquired in the imaging controlled by the second imaging controller; and

a subject distance acquirer configured to acquire a distance to the subject;

wherein the movement distance acquirer calculates the movement distance L of the imaging unit required to generate the three-dimensional model of the subject, according to L=(Z*Z*p)/(Δ

Z*f) where (i) Z represents the distance to the subject, (ii) p represents a pixel size of an image sensor, (iii) Δ

Z represents an acceptable error of the distance Z, and (iv) f represents a focal length.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an acceleration acquirer configured to acquire an acceleration when the imaging unit moves;

wherein, based on the acceleration acquired by the acceleration acquirer, the determining unit determines whether the imaging unit has moved the movement distance acquired by the movement distance acquirer.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a feature point detector configured to detect a feature point from the image acquired in the imaging controlled by the first imaging controller;

a third imaging controller configured to control the imaging unit to repeatedly conduct imaging at predetermined intervals once the imaging controlled by the first imaging controller has finished; and

a feature point movement distance acquirer configured to acquire a movement distance of a point corresponding to the feature point detected by the feature point detector in images acquired in the repeated imaging controlled by the third imaging controller;

wherein, based on the movement distance of the feature point acquired by the feature point movement distance acquirer, the determining unit determines whether the imaging unit has moved the movement distance acquired by the movement distance acquirer.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a display unit configured to sequentially display the images acquired in the repeated imaging controlled by the third imaging controller on a screen;

wherein the feature point movement distance acquirer acquires the movement distance of the feature point based on a change in a position of the point corresponding to the feature point detected by the feature point detector on the screen.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the determining unit determines whether an optical axis after the imaging controlled by the first imaging controller has been kept parallel with the optical axis during the imaging controlled by the first imaging controller; and

the imaging apparatus further comprises a fourth imaging controller configured to perform control such that the imaging controlled by the second imaging controller is not conducted when it is determined by the determining unit that the optical axis after the imaging controlled by the first imaging controller has not been kept parallel with the optical axis during the imaging controlled by the first imaging controller.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reporting unit configured to report when it is determined by the determining unit that the imaging unit has moved the movement distance.

7. An imaging control method, comprising:

controlling a first imaging by an imaging unit;

acquiring a movement distance of the imaging unit required to generate a three-dimensional model of an imaged subject after the first imaging;

determining whether the imaging unit has moved the acquired movement distance;

controlling a second imaging by the imaging unit when it is determined that the imaging unit has moved the movement distance;

generating the three-dimensional model of the subject from an image acquired in the first imaging and an image acquired in the second imaging; and

acquiring a distance to the subject;

wherein acquiring the movement distance comprises calculating the movement distance L of the imaging unit required to generate the three-dimensional model of the subject, according to L=(Z*Z*p)/(Δ

Z*f) where (i) Z represents the distance to the subject, (ii) p represents a pixel size of an image sensor, (iii) Δ

Z represents an acceptable error of the distance Z, and (iv) f represents a focal length.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording a program that causes a computer provided in an imaging apparatus to function as units comprising:

a first imaging controller configured to control imaging by the imaging apparatus;

a movement distance acquirer configured to acquire a movement distance of the imaging apparatus required to generate a three-dimensional model of an imaged subject after the imaging controlled by the first imaging controller;

a determining unit configured to determine whether the imaging apparatus has moved the movement distance acquired by the movement distance acquirer;

a second imaging controller configured to control imaging by the imaging apparatus when it is determined by the determining unit that the imaging apparatus has moved the movement distance;

a three-dimensional model generator configured to generate the three-dimensional model of the subject from an image acquired in the imaging controlled by the first imaging controller and an image acquired in the imaging controlled by the second imaging controller; and

a subject distance acquirer configured to acquire a distance to the subject,

wherein the movement distance acquirer calculates the movement distance L of the imaging unit required to generate the three-dimensional model of the subject, according to L=(Z*Z*p)/(Δ

Z*f) where (i) Z represents the distance to the subject, (ii) p represents a pixel size of an image sensor, (iii) Δ

Z represents an acceptable error of the distance Z, and (iv) f represents a focal length.