Camera apparatus and method of recognizing an object by using a camera

• US 9,071,749 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2012
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Pyo-Jae, Sohn, Jae-Sik, Na, Jin-Hee, Yoon, Young-Kwon, Hwang, Jee-Na
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang, Xi
• Application Number:
  US13/529,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20120327269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 348/234, 348/352, 348/333.11, 348/345, 348/347, 382/117, 382/118
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body

Abstract

An apparatus and method of recognizing an object by using a camera includes detecting feature information from a first preview image; comparing the feature information with a threshold condition; changing a camera setting parameter, when the feature information does not satisfy the threshold condition; and performing an object recognition for a second preview image generated based on the changed camera setting parameter.

Claims

1. A method of recognizing an object by a camera, the method comprising:

capturing a first preview image;

detecting feature information from the first preview image;

comparing the feature information with a threshold condition;

when the feature information does not satisfy the threshold condition, selecting a camera setting parameter from a plurality of camera setting parameters based on a preset selection order of the plurality of camera setting parameters, changing the selected camera setting parameter, capturing a next preview image in accordance with the changed camera setting parameter, detecting next feature information from the next preview image generated based on the changed camera setting parameter, comparing the next feature information with the threshold condition, performing object recognition for the next preview image when the next feature information satisfies the threshold condition, and repeating the selecting, changing, capturing, detecting, and comparing steps, when the next feature information does not satisfy the threshold condition,

wherein, when the selected camera setting parameter relates to zoom control, changing the selected camera setting parameter comprises;

selecting a region of interest from an image frame; and

cropping the region of interest in the image frame,

wherein the object recognition is performed for the cropped region of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature information includes at least one of a number of matched feature points, an edge intensity, and an amount of textures.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the matched feature points are feature points, among detected feature points of the first preview image, which correspond to feature points of a pre-stored reference image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the selected camera setting parameter relates to ISO control, changing the selected camera setting parameter comprises:

determining an ISO control value based on the feature information; and

controlling a gain of an image sensor installed in the camera according to the ISO control value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the selected camera setting parameter relates to auto focus control, changing the selected camera setting parameter comprises:

calculating a motion vector of an object in an image frame;

determining a movement direction of the object; and

performing an auto focus process, when the movement direction of the object is in a longitudinal direction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the selected camera setting parameter relates to exposure control, changing the selected camera setting parameter comprises:

calculating a motion vector of an object in an image frame;

determining a brightness of the image frame, when there is a movement of the object; and

controlling a frame rate, when the brightness of the image frame is greater than a threshold value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the first preview image in a display, based on a preset camera setting parameter.

8. A camera apparatus for recognizing an object, the camera apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit configured to capture preview images;

an imaging controller configured to change camera setting parameters;

an image recognition processor configured to detect feature information and perform object recognition; and

a camera setting parameter controller configured to control the imaging unit to capture a first preview image, control the image recognition processor to detect feature information from the first preview image, compare the feature information with a threshold condition, and when the feature information does not satisfy the threshold condition, select a camera setting parameter from a plurality of camera setting parameters based on a preset selection order of the plurality of camera setting parameters, control the imaging controller to change the selected camera setting parameter, control the imaging unit to capture a next preview image in accordance with the changed camera setting parameter, control the image recognition processor to detect next feature information from the next preview image generated based on the changed camera setting parameter, compare the next feature information with the threshold condition, control the image recognition processor to perform object recognition for the next preview image when the next feature information satisfies the threshold condition, and repeat the select, control the image controller to change, control the imaging unit to capture, control the image recognition processor to detect, and compare operations, when the next feature information does not satisfy the threshold condition,

wherein, when the selected camera setting parameter relates to zoom control, the camera setting parameter controller comprises a zoom control determiner configured to select a region of interest from an image frame and crop the region of interest in the image frame, and

wherein the image recognition processor is configured to perform the object recognition for the cropped region of interest.

9. The camera apparatus of claim 8, wherein the feature information comprises at least one of:

a number of matched feature points;

an edge intensity; and

an amount of textures.

10. The camera apparatus of claim 9, wherein the matched feature points are feature points, among detected feature points of the first preview image, which correspond to feature points of a pre-stored reference image.

11. The camera apparatus of claim 8, wherein, when the selected camera setting parameter relates to ISO control, the camera setting parameter controller comprises:

an ISO control determiner configured to determine an ISO control value based on the feature information,

wherein the imaging controller is further configured to control a gain of an image sensor installed in the camera apparatus, based on the ISO control value.

12. The camera apparatus of claim 8, wherein, when the selected camera setting parameter relates to auto focus control, the camera setting parameter controller comprises an auto focus control determiner configured to calculate a motion vector of an object in an image frame, determine a movement direction of the object, and activate an auto focus procedure when the movement direction of the object is in a longitudinal direction.

13. The camera apparatus of claim 8, wherein, when the selected camera setting parameter relates to exposure control, the camera setting parameter controller comprises an exposure control determiner configured to calculate a motion vector of an object in an image frame, determine a brightness of the image frame, and determine a control value of a frame rate, when the brightness of the image frame is greater than a threshold value.

14. The camera apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

an imaging unit configured to generate the first preview image based on a preset camera setting parameter and generate a second preview image based on the changed camera setting parameter; and

a display unit configured to display the first preview image and the second preview image.

15. An article of manufacture for recognizing an object by a camera, comprising a non-transitory machine readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:

capturing a first preview image;

detecting feature information from the first preview image;

comparing the first feature information with a threshold condition;

when the first feature information does not satisfy the threshold condition, selecting a camera setting parameter from a plurality of camera setting parameters based on a preset selection order of the plurality of camera setting parameters, changing the selected camera setting parameter, detecting next feature information from a next preview image generated based on the changed camera setting parameter, capturing a next preview image in accordance with the changed camera setting parameter, detecting next feature information from the next preview image generated based on the changed camera setting parameter, comparing the next feature information with the threshold condition, performing object recognition for the next preview image when the next feature information satisfies the threshold condition, and repeating the selecting, changing, capturing, detecting, and comparing steps, when the next feature information does not satisfy the threshold condition,

wherein, when the selected camera setting parameter relates to zoom control, changing the selected camera setting parameter comprises;

selecting a region of interest from an image frame;

and cropping the region of interest in the image frame,

wherein the object recognition is performed for the cropped region of interest.