Imaging apparatus and imaging method

• US 8,872,941 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Asukai, Masamichi, Tsuruta, Masaaki, Ito, Taiji, Ebisawa, Kan, Sako, Yoichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Velez, Roberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, TUAN H
• Application Number:
  US11/977,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20080129839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,561 Days
• Field of Search: 348/61, 348/63, 348/151, 348/211, 348/212, 348/214, 348/231.99, 348273-276, 345/156, 345/327, 382/114, 350/298, 145/327, 396/111
• US Class Current: 348/231.99
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02444 Details of sensor A61B5/02427 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an imaging apparatus including: imaging means for imaging a scene that is in a direction in which a user sees to obtain image data of the scene; temporary storage means for storing the image data obtained by imaging by the imaging means; and control means for controlling the temporary storage means to store the image data obtained by imaging by the imaging means, and, when a predetermined storage condition has been satisfied, extracting image data to be stored from the temporary storage means and adding metadata to the extracted image data to perform a storage process.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus, comprising:

one rigid, head-wearable unit substantially in the shape of eye glasses that includes an acceleration sensor;

imaging means for imaging at least one scene in a forward direction in which a user sees to obtain image data of the at least one scene;

temporary storage means using a storage area in a ring memory manner for storing continuously the image data obtained by said imaging means;

means for executing a selected imaging operation from a plurality of active imaging operations responsive to detecting with the acceleration sensor a tapping pattern corresponding to the selected imaging operation applied by a user to the head-wearable unit; and

control means for automatically causing, responsive to at least one predetermined storage condition of a plurality of predetermined storage conditions being satisfied;

extraction of selected image data from the image data stored in temporary storage means,

storage of the selected image data in semi-permanent storage, and

association of metadata with the selected image data,

wherein the metadata includes information about the at least one predetermined storage condition that caused the extraction and storage of the selected image data.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said temporary storage means stores image data beginning at a start address, moving sequentially to an end address, and returning to the start address cyclically.

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

storage means for storing data in a nonvolatile storage medium;

wherein said control means performs a process of controlling said storage means to store the selected image data and the metadata in the nonvolatile storage medium.

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

display means capable of performing image display using the image data stored in said temporary storage means.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said display means is capable of causing a whole or a part of a screen area for image display to enter a transparent or translucent see-through state.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said control means controls said display means to cause part of the screen area for image display to enter the translucent see-through state, while performing image display using the image data stored in said temporary storage means with a remaining part of the screen area.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said control means controls said display means to perform image display using the image data being obtained by imaging by said imaging means with part of the screen area for image display, while performing image display using the image data stored in said temporary storage means with a remaining part of the screen area.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said display means is arranged in front of an eye of the user to perform image display.

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

operation input means;

wherein in accordance with an operation input by the user detected by said operation input means, said control means controls said display means to perform image display using the image data stored in said temporary storage means.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said operation input means includes an operation unit to be operated by the user.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said operation input means includes a sensor for detecting a motion of the user.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said operation input means includes a sensor for detecting biological information representative of a user action.

13. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, when said display means has performed image display using the image data stored in said temporary storage means, said control means determines that the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied, and extracts, as the selected image data to be stored, all or some of the image data displayed from said temporary storage means and adds the metadata to the selected image data for storage.

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

biological sensor means for detecting biological trigger information representative of a user response to a scene;

wherein said control means determines based on the biological trigger information detected by said biological sensor means whether the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied, and when said control means has determined that the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied, said control means extracts the selected image data to be stored from said temporary storage means and adds the metadata to the selected image data for storage.

15. The imaging apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the biological trigger information is at least one of a pulse, heart beats, an electrocardiogram, electromyographic information, breathing, perspiration, galvanic skin response, blood pressure, a saturation oxygen concentration in blood, a skin surface temperature, brain waves, a blood flow change, a body temperature, a motion of a body, a motion of a head, a center of gravity, rhythm of walking/running, and a state of an eye.

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

audio input means for inputting external sound; and

audio analysis means for analyzing an audio signal obtained by said audio input means;

wherein said control means determines based on a result of analysis by said audio analysis means whether the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied, and when said control means has determined that the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied, said control means extracts the selected image data to be stored from said temporary storage means and adds the metadata to the selected image data for storage.

17. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means performs imaging system control of issuing an instruction related to imaging by said imaging means or processing on the image data obtained by imaging, and when said control means has performed imaging system control, said control means determines that the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied, and extracts the selected image data to be stored from said temporary storage means and adds the metadata to the selected image data for storage.

18. The imaging apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said control means determines that the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied when, as the imaging system control, said control means has performed control of causing a lens system in said imaging means to perform a predetermined operation.

19. The imaging apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said control means determines that the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied when, as the imaging system control, said control means has performed control of causing a signal processing system in said imaging means to perform a predetermined process.

20. The imaging apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said control means determines that the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied when, as the imaging system control, said control means has performed control of changing imaging sensitivity in said imaging means.

21. The imaging apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said control means determines that the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied when, as the imaging system control, said control means has performed control of changing a frame rate in said imaging means.

22. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied, said control means generates the metadata in accordance with the at least one predetermined storage condition.

23. An imaging method of operating an imaging apparatus worn by a user, the method comprising acts of:

(a) imaging at least one scene that is in a forward direction in which a user sees to obtain image data of the at least one scene;

(b) continuously storing in temporary storage the image data using a storage area in a ring memory manner;

(c) determining whether at least one predetermined storage condition of a plurality of predetermined storage conditions has been satisfied;

(d) responsive to determining in step (c) that the predetermined storage condition has been satisfied, automatically extracting selected image data for storage in semi-permanent storage from the image data temporarily stored in step (b), and adding metadata to the extracted image data, wherein the metadata includes information about the at least one predetermined storage condition that caused the extraction and storage of the selected image data; and

(e) executing a selected imaging operation from a plurality of active imaging operations responsive to detecting with an acceleration sensor a tapping pattern corresponding to the selected imaging operation applied by a user to the imaging apparatus, wherein the imaging apparatus comprises one rigid, head-wearable unit substantially in the shape of eye glasses that includes the acceleration sensor.

24. The imaging method according to claim 23, wherein in step (b), the image data is stored beginning at a start address, moving sequentially to an end address, and returning to the start address cyclically.

25. The imaging method according to claim 23, wherein step (d) further comprises storing the selected image data and the metadata in a nonvolatile storage medium.

26. The imaging method according to claim 23, wherein in step (d), the image data to be stored and the metadata are transmitted to an external device.

27. The imaging method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of:

(f) performing image display using the image data temporarily stored in step (b).

28. The imaging method according to claim 27, wherein in step (f), a whole or a part of a screen area for image display is caused to enter a transparent or translucent see-through state.

29. The imaging method according to claim 28, wherein in step (f), part of the screen area for image display is caused to enter the translucent see-through state, while image display is performed using the image data temporarily stored in step (b) with a remaining part of the screen area.

30. The imaging method according to claim 27, wherein in step (f), image display is performed using image data being obtained by imaging by imaging means with part of the screen area for image display, while image display is performed using the image data temporarily stored in step (b) with a remaining part of the screen area.

31. The imaging method according to claim 27, wherein in step (f), image display is performed using the image data temporarily stored in step (b) in accordance with an operation input by the user detected by an operation input means.

32. The imaging method according to claim 27, wherein step (c) determines that the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied when image display has been performed in step (f) using the image data temporarily stored in step (b), and in step (d), all or some of the image data displayed in step (f) is stored together with the added metadata.

33. The imaging method according to claim 23, wherein step (c) determines whether the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied based on biological information detected by biological sensor means and associated with a user, and when step (c) has determined that the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied, step (d) adds the metadata to the selected image data for storage.

34. The imaging method according to claim 23, wherein step (c) determines whether the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied based on a result of analysis performed by an audio analysis means on an audio signal obtained by an audio input means, and when step (c) has determined that the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied, step (d) adds the metadata to the selected image data for storage.

35. The imaging method according to claim 23, wherein step (c) determines that the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied when a predetermined imaging system control of issuing an instruction related to imaging or processing on the image data obtained by imaging has been performed, and step (d) accordingly extracts the selected image data to be stored from the image data temporarily stored in step (b), adds the metadata to the selected image data, and performs a storage process.

36. The imaging method according to claim 35, wherein step (c) determines that the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied when control of causing a lens system in an imaging means to perform a predetermined operation has been performed.

37. The imaging method according to claim 35, wherein step (c) determines that the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied when control of causing a signal processing system in an imaging means to perform a predetermined process has been performed.

38. The imaging method according to claim 35, wherein step (c) determines that the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied when control of changing imaging sensitivity in an imaging means has been performed.

39. The imaging method according to claim 35, wherein step (c) determines that the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied when control of changing a frame rate in imaging means has been performed as an imaging system control.

40. The imaging method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of:

(g) when the at least one predetermined storage condition has been satisfied, generating the metadata in accordance with the at least one predetermined storage condition.

41. An imaging apparatus, comprising:

one rigid, head-wearable unit substantially in the shape of eye glasses that includes an acceleration sensor;

an imaging section having a camera configured to image at least one scene that is in a forward direction in which a user sees to obtain image data of the at least one scene;

a temporary storage section configured to store the image data continuously in a ring memory manner by beginning at a start address, moving sequentially to an end address, and returning to the start address cyclically; and

a control section configured to, when at least one predetermined trigger condition of a plurality of predetermined trigger conditions has been satisfied, automatically extract selected image data from the image data stored in temporary storage section for subsequent storage and associate metadata with the selected image data wherein the metadata includes information about the at least one predetermined trigger condition that caused the extraction and storage of the selected image data,

wherein the control section is further configured to execute a selected imaging operation from a plurality of active imaging operations responsive to detecting with the acceleration sensor a tapping pattern corresponding to the selected imaging operation applied by a user to the head-wearable unit imaging apparatus.

42. The imaging apparatus of claim 41, wherein the control section is further configured to execute a specific operation responsive to detecting a number of times the imaging apparatus is tapped.

43. The imaging apparatus of claim 41, wherein the control section is further configured to:

determine whether a left side or a right side of the imaging apparatus has been tapped;

execute a first action if the left side of the imaging apparatus has been tapped; and

execute a second action different from the first action if the right side of the imaging apparatus has been tapped.