Automatic image-capturing apparatus, automatic image-capturing control method, image display system, image display method, display control apparatus, and display control method

• US 8,890,966 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2013
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kamada, Yasunori, Kon, Takayasu, Sako, Yoichiro, Hayashi, Kazunori, Kawakami, Itaru
• Primary Examiner(s): SPINKS, ANTOINETTE T
• Application Number:
  US13/863,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20130229562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.9, 348/222.1, 348/211.99
• US Class Current: 348/211.9
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

An automatic image-capturing apparatus including an image-capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject so as to obtain captured image data; an automatic captured-image obtaining unit configured to automatically obtain the captured image data obtained by the image-capturing unit without being based on an operation of a user; an inclination detection unit configured to detect an inclination in at least one of a pan direction and a tilt direction; and a control unit configured to control the obtaining operation performed by the automatic captured-image obtaining unit on the basis of information on the inclination in the pan direction or in the tilt direction, the inclination being detected by the inclination detection unit.

Claims

1. A display control apparatus for performing display control of an automatically captured image with which information on an inclination in a pan direction or in a tilt direction is associated, the display control apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to perform;

a determination process configured to determine whether or not the inclination of the captured image data is within a predetermined range on the basis of the information on the inclination associated with captured image data as the automatically captured image and the predetermined range is based on a calculated average value of a plurality of inclinations; and

a display control process configured to perform control so that captured image data in which the inclination has been determined to be within the predetermined range on the basis of the determination result by the determination process is displayed on a display,

wherein the information on an average value of inclinations, which is calculated in correspondence with the time at which the image was captured by automatic image capturing, together with the inclination information, is associated with the captured image data,

wherein, in the determination process, a determination of whether or not the inclination is within a predetermined range in which the average value is used as a reference is made for each item of captured image data on the basis of the inclination information and the information on the average value of inclinations, which are associated with each item of captured image data, and

wherein, in the display control process, control is performed so that captured image data in which the inclination has been determined to be within the predetermined range as a result of the determination by the determination process is displayed on the display.

2. The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein both the information on the inclination in the pan direction and the information on the inclination in the tilt direction, the information on the inclination in the pan direction and the information on the inclination in the tilt direction being detected by a two-axis gyro sensor, are associated as the inclination information with the captured image data.

3. The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information on the inclination in the pan direction, the inclination being detected by a direction sensor, is associated as the inclination information with the captured image data.

4. The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein information on the direction of the inclination in the pan direction, the inclination being detected by a direction sensor, is associated as the inclination information with the captured image data, information on a traveling direction of a user, which is estimated in correspondence with the time at which the image was captured by automatic image capturing is further associated as the inclination information with the captured image data,

wherein, in the determination process, a determination is made for each item of captured image data as to whether or not the direction of the inclination in the pan direction is within a predetermined angle range in which the traveling direction is used as a reference on the basis of the information on the direction of the associated inclination in the pan direction and the information on the traveling direction, which are associated with each item of captured image data, and

wherein, in the display control process, control is performed so that the captured image data in which the direction of the inclination in the pan direction has been determined to be within the predetermined angle range as a result of the determination by the determination process is displayed on the display.

5. The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform, for each item of captured image data, an average value calculation process for calculating an average value of inclinations corresponding to the time at which each item of captured image data was captured on the basis of the information on the inclination associated with a plurality of items of captured image data whose capturing times are close to one another by automatic image capturing;

wherein the determination process is further configured to determine, for each item of captured image data, whether or not the associated inclination is within a predetermined range in which the average value calculated by the average value calculation process is used as a reference, and

wherein the display control process is further configured to perform control so that captured image data in which the inclination has been determined to be within the predetermined range as a result of the determination by the determination process is displayed on the display.

6. The display control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, in the average value calculation process, the average value is calculated using the information on the inclination of the captured image data whose capturing time by automatic image capturing is in the past.