Control apparatus, control method, and program to search for a subject and automatically perform image-recording

• US 8,908,916 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshizumi, Shingo
• Primary Examiner(s): Fitzpatrick, Atiba O
• Application Number:
  US13/384,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20120121134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

The present invention relates to a control apparatus, a control method, and a program in which, when performing automatic image-recording, the frequency with which image-recording is performed can be changed so that the recording frequency can be suitably changed in accordance with, for example, a user'"'"'s intention or the state of an imaging apparatus.

In the imaging apparatus, the recording frequency can be changed and set in accordance with, for example, a user operation. In accordance with this, a predetermined parameter related to automatic image-recording is changed and set internally, so that an operation reflecting the recording frequency can be obtained as actual automatic image-recording.

Claims

1. A control apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to;

perform control so that automatic image-recording for automatically recording, on recording means, image data which has been obtained based on imaging by using an imaging unit, is continuously and repeatedly performed;

change and set a recording frequency, which is a frequency of the automatic image-recording performed by the image-recording control means;

change and set one or more parameters related to the automatic image-recording based on the set recording frequency;

detect a subject which is present in an image based on the image data;

decide a composition in accordance with the detected subject;

make a determination regarding whether or not the decided composition has continuously been obtained in the image based on the image data for a prescribed time,

perform the automatic image-recording as a result of a determination that the decided composition has continuously been obtained for the prescribed time; and

change, as a parameter, the prescribed time to be used for the determination.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

detect a level value of smiling for each detected subject;

decide a composition in accordance with a detected subject, elements of the composition to be decided including an element in which the detected level value of smiling is equal to or higher than a threshold;

determine whether or not the detected level value of smiling is equal to or higher than the threshold;

perform the automatic image-recording as a result of determining that the detected level value of smiling is equal to or higher than the threshold, and

change, as a parameter, the threshold to be used for the smiling level determination.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

repeatedly record, a prescribed number of times, image data representing an image including a subject configuration which is obtained when a subject has been detected; and

change, as a parameter, a value of the prescribed number of times.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 3, the circuitry is further configured to:

control driving of a movable mechanism unit that changes an imaging field-of-view range of the imaging unit so that, as a result of recording, the prescribed number of times, the image data representing the image including the subject configuration which is obtained when the subject has been detected, a subject forming a subject configuration which is different from at least a subject configuration when image-recording has previously been performed is detected.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 1, the circuitry is further configured to:

decide a composition in accordance with a detected subject;

make a decision for each of predetermined composition forming elements in order to decide the composition; and

change, as a parameter, the composition forming elements to be used.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

make a decision for each of predetermined composition forming elements in order to decide the composition; and

change, as a parameter, the composition forming elements to be used.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein he circuitry is further configured to:

decide a composition in accordance with a detected subject;

determine whether or not the decided composition is obtained in an image based on the image data within a prescribed time;

determine whether or not the decided composition has continuously been obtained in the image based on the image data for the prescribed time;

perform the automatic image-recording as a result of determining that the decided composition is obtained within the prescribed time or as a result of determining that the decided composition has not continuously been obtained for the prescribed time; and

change, as the parameter, the prescribed time to be used.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 1, the circuitry is further configured to:

decide a composition in accordance with a detected subject detected by the subject detection means;

determine whether or not the decided composition has been obtained in an image based on the image data;

determine whether or not a prescribed time has elapsed when it is determined that the decided composition has been obtained;

perform the automatic image-recording when a positive determination result is obtained; and

change, as a parameter, the prescribed time to be used for the determination.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 1, the circuitry is further configured to:

perform, as a result of detecting no, subject search control for changing an imaging field-of-view range so that a subject is to be detected;

start the subject search control after the lapse of a predetermined wait time after the time when it has been determined that no subject has been detected; and

change, as a parameter, the wait time to be used.

10. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

change and set the recording frequency in accordance with an operation.

11. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

change and set the recording frequency in accordance with a space of the storage medium.

12. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

change and set the recording frequency in accordance with whether the control apparatus is battery-driven or commercial-alternating-current power driven.

13. A control method for performing:

an image-recording control step of performing control so that automatic image-recording for automatically recording, on recording means, image data which has been obtained based on imaging by using an imaging unit is continuously and repeatedly performed;

a recording-frequency setting step of changing and setting a recording frequency, which is a frequency of the automatic image-recording performed by the image-recording control step;

a parameter changing/setting step of changing and setting one or more parameters related to the automatic image-recording based on the recording frequency set by the recording-frequency setting step;

detecting a subject which is present in an image based on the image data;

deciding a composition in accordance with the detected subject;

making a determination regarding whether or not the decided composition has continuously been obtained in the image based on the image data for a prescribed time;

performing the automatic image-recording as a result of a determination that the decided composition has continuously been obtained for the prescribed time; and

changing, as a parameter, the prescribed time to be used for the determination.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer readable instructions thereon that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

an image-recording control step of performing control so that automatic image-recording for automatically recording, on recording means, image data which has been obtained based on imaging by using an imaging unit is continuously and repeatedly performed;

a recording-frequency setting step of changing and setting a recording frequency, which is a frequency of the automatic image-recording performed by the image-recording control step;

a parameter changing/setting step of changing and setting a parameter related to the automatic image-recording in accordance with the recording frequency set by the recording-frequency setting step;

detecting a subject which is present in an image based on the image data;

deciding a composition in accordance with the detected subject;

making a determination regarding whether or not the decided composition has continuously been obtained in the image based on the image data for a prescribed time;

performing the automatic image-recording as a result of a determination that the decided composition has continuously been obtained for the prescribed time; and

changing, as a parameter, the prescribed time to be used for the determination.