Photographing apparatus and photographing method for displaying information related to a subject

• US 8,564,710 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OM Digital Solutions Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Nonaka, Osamu, Ichikawa, Manabu, Nakata, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Velez, Roberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, QUAN L
• Application Number:
  US13/234,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20120069233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.02, 348/116, 348/143, 348/144, 345629-633, 382/103, 382/106, 382/113, 701/436, 701/458, 701/459
• US Class Current: 348/333.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3245 of image modifying data, e.g. handwritten addenda, highlights or augmented reality information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display

Abstract

A digital camera includes: a display section displaying a photographing image obtained by photographing a subject; a signal processing and control section reading out information related to the subject and information related to surroundings of the subject from a database on the basis of position information and compass direction information about the digital camera; and a display control section selecting the information related to the subject according to the lens condition and performing control so as to display the selected information on the display section by superimposing the selected information on the photographing image.

Claims

1. A photographing apparatus displaying information related to a subject and capable of changing a lens condition for photographing the subject, the apparatus comprising:

a display section displaying a photographing image showing the subject;

a control section reading out information related to the subject and information related to surroundings of the subject from a database on the basis of position information and compass direction information about the photographing apparatus; and

a display control section judging, according to a depth of field that changes according to the lens condition, whether or not the subject exists within a distance width added with the depth of field and performing control so as to display the information related to the subject judged to exist within the distance width on the display section by superimposing the information on the photographing image.

2. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control section reads out map information in a predetermined range from map information recorded in the database on the basis of a depth of field in addition to the position information and the compass direction information;

and

the display control section performs control so as to display the read-out map information in the predetermined range on the display section by superimposing the read-out map information in the predetermined range on the photographing image.

3. The photographing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the control section judges whether or not avatar information related to the subject is recorded in the database and, if the control section judges that the avatar information is recorded in the database, reads out the avatar information from the database;

and

the display control section combines the read-out avatar information with the map information in the predetermined range and performs control so as to display the combined avatar information and map information in the predetermined range on the display section by superimposing the combined avatar information and map information on the photographing image.

4. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising an object recognizing section recognizing an object with use of the photographing image;

wherein

the display control section performs control so as to display the information related to the subject judged to exist within the distance width on the display section after transforming the information to be fit for a shape recognized by the object recognizing section.

5. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control section reads out a simple airborne image obtained by slicing a predetermined range from an airborne image recorded in the database on the basis of the position information, the compass direction information and the lens condition;

and

the display control section performs control so as to display the read-out simple airborne image on the display section by superimposing the read-out simple airborne image on the photographing image.

6. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control section generates a bird'"'"'s-eye view image looking down in a photographing direction from a photographing point, from an airborne image recorded in the database on the basis of the position information, the compass direction information and the lens condition;

and

the display control section performs control so as to display the bird'"'"'s-eye view image generated by the control section on the display section by superimposing the bird'"'"'s-eye view image on the photographing image.

7. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lens condition is information obtained on the basis of an operation of a lens operating section.

8. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lens condition is at least one of a focus condition, an angle-of-view condition, a diaphragm condition and an aberration condition.

9. The photographing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the display control section performs control so as to display the information related to the subject judged to exist within the distance width on the display section after performing strain giving processing on the information according to the aberration condition.

10. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control section detects a direction of the subject on the basis of the position information and the compass direction information;

and

the display control section performs control so as to display information indicating the direction of the subject on the display section.

11. A photographing method displaying information to a subject, the method being for a photographing apparatus capable of changing a lens condition for photographing the subject, the method comprising:

a display step of displaying a photographing image showing the subject, on a display section;

a control step of reading out information related to the subject and information related to surroundings of the subject from a database on the basis of position information and compass direction information about the photographing apparatus; and

a display control step of judging, according to a depth of field that changes according to the lens condition, whether or not the subject exists within a distance width added with the depth of field and performing control so as to display the information related to the subject judged to exist within the distance width on the display section by superimposing the information on the photographing image.

12. The photographing method according to claim 11, wherein

the control step reads out map information in a predetermined range from map information recorded in the database on the basis of a depth of field in addition to the position information and the compass direction information;

and

the display control step performs control so as to display the read-out map information in the predetermined range on the display section by superimposing the read-out map information in the predetermined range on the photographing image.

13. The photographing method according to claim 12, wherein

the control step judges whether or not avatar information related to the subject is recorded in the database and, if the control step judges that the avatar information is recorded in the database, reads out the avatar information from the database;

and

the display control step combines the read-out avatar information with the map information in the predetermined range and performs control so as to display the combined avatar information and map information in the predetermined range on the display section by superimposing the combined avatar information and map information on the photographing image.

14. The photographing method according to claim 11, comprising an object recognizing step of recognizing an object with use of the photographing image;

wherein

the display control step performs control, so as to display the information related to the subject judged to exist within the distance width on the display section after transforming the information to be fit for a shape recognized by the object recognizing step.

15. The photographing method according to claim 11, wherein

the control step reads out a simple airborne image obtained by slicing a predetermined range from an airborne image recorded in the database on the basis of the position information, the compass direction information and the lens condition;

and

the display control step performs control so as to display the read-out simple airborne image on the display section by superimposing the read-out simple airborne image on the photographing image.

16. The photographing method according to claim 11, wherein

the control step generates a bird'"'"'s-eye view image looking down in a photographing direction from a photographing point, from an airborne image recorded in the database on the basis of the position information, the compass direction information and the lens condition;

and

the display control step performs control so as to display the bird'"'"'s-eye view image generated by the control step on the display section by superimposing the bird'"'"'s-eye view image on the photographing image.

17. The photographing method according to claim 11, wherein the lens condition is at least one of a focus condition, an angle-of-view condition, a diaphragm condition and an aberration condition.

18. The photographing method according to claim 17, wherein the display control step performs control so as to display the information related to the subject judged to exist within the distance width on the display section after performing strain giving processing on the information according to the aberration condition.