Imaging apparatus, imaging method, and program

• US 9,131,152 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2011
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Arai, Takuya, Goto, Junichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tung
• Assistant Examiner(s): BECKER, JOSEPH W
• Application Number:
  US13/276,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20120120188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/12 with means for supporting objectives, supplementary lenses, filters, masks, or turrets
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/20 visible in viewfinder
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation

Abstract

An image processing apparatus including an interface that receives an input identifying a subject, and a processor that generates a panoramic image based on captured image data so that the subject is positioned in a reference position in the panoramic image.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

an interface configured to receive an input identifying a subject prior to a determination of a start position for capturing image data; and

a processor configured to;

determine the start position for capturing the image data based on a reference position of the subject prior to the capturing of the image data such that an orientation of the image processing apparatus at the start position is different from an orientation of the image processing apparatus at which the subject is identified;

control the capturing of the image data to generate a panoramic image based on the captured image data so that the subject is positioned in the panoramic image; and

determine whether the image processing apparatus has reached the start position, and control a display to display a notification that the image processing apparatus has reached the start position in response to the start position being reached by the image processing apparatus.

2. The image processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an imager configured to capture a plurality of the image data processed by the processor to generate the panoramic image.

3. The image processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the display to display a notification indicating the start position determined by the processor.

4. The image processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to control the display to display a swing direction of the image processing apparatus to arrive at the start position.

5. The image processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to control the display to display a status bar indicating progress of movement to the start position.

6. The image processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to control the display to display a notification indicating a swing direction of the image processing apparatus to arrive at an end position in response to the imager capturing the plurality of image data.

7. The image processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to control the display to display a status bar indicating progress of movement to the end position.

8. The image processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the image processing apparatus has reached the end position, and control the display to display a notification that the image processing apparatus has reached the end position in response to the end position being reached by the image processing apparatus.

9. The image processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the interface receives an input instructing the imager to capture the plurality of image data after the start position is determined.

10. The image processing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to control the display to display a notification indicating a swing direction of the image processing apparatus to arrive at an end position in response to the imager starting to capture the plurality of image data.

11. The image processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to control the display to display a status bar indicating progress of movement to the end position.

12. The image processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the image processing apparatus has reached the end position, and control the display to display a notification that the image processing apparatus has reached the end position in response to the end position being reached by the image processing apparatus.

13. The image processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the interface is configured to receive an input instructing the imager to capture the plurality of image data.

14. The image processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the interface is configured to receive an input selecting a reference position in the panoramic image after the imager has begun capturing the plurality of image data.

15. The image capturing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to determine a new end position for capturing the plurality of image data based on the input selecting the reference position.

16. The image processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the image processing apparatus has reached the new end position, and control the display to display a notification that the image processing apparatus has reached the new end position in response to the new end position being reached by the image processing apparatus.

17. The image processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to control the display to display a composition assistance image in which a candidate subject is displayed on a virtual representation of the panoramic image.

18. The image processing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to detect a change of orientation of the image processing apparatus, and change the composition assistance image based on the detected change of orientation.

20. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the captured image data is recorded in a memory.

21. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine an end position for capturing the image data based on the reference position prior to the capturing of the image data.

26. The image processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the display to display a status bar indicating the orientation of the image processing apparatus.

19. An image processing method performed by an image processing apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving, at an interface of the image processing apparatus, an input identifying a subject prior to a determination of a start position for capturing image data;

determining the start position for capturing the image data based on a reference position of the subject prior to the capturing of the image data such that an orientation of the image processing apparatus at the start position is different from an orientation of the image processing apparatus at which the subject is identified;

controlling, at a processor of the image processing apparatus, the capturing of the image data to generate a panoramic image based on the captured image data so that the subject is positioned in the panoramic image; and

determining whether the image processing apparatus has reached the start position, and controlling a display to display a notification that the image processing apparatus has reached the start position in response to the start position being reached by the image processing apparatus.

22. A computer program recorded on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing computer readable instructions for causing a computer to execute a method for controlling an image capturing apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving an input identifying a subject prior to a determination of a start position for capturing image data;

determining the start position for capturing the image data based on a reference position of the subject prior to the capturing of the image data such that an orientation of the image capturing apparatus at the start position is different from an orientation of the image capturing apparatus at which the subject is identified;

controlling the capturing of the image data to generate a panoramic image based on the captured image data so that the subject is positioned in the panoramic image; and

determining whether the image processing apparatus has reached the start position, and controlling a display to display a notification that the image processing apparatus has reached the start position in response to the start position being reached by the image processing apparatus.

23. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

an interface configured to receive an input identifying a subject prior to a determination of a start position for capturing image data; and

a processor configured to;

determine the start position for capturing the image data based on a reference position of the subject prior to the capturing of the image data such that an orientation of the image processing apparatus at the start position is different from an orientation of the image processing apparatus at which the subject is identified;

control the capturing of the image data to generate a synthesized image based on the captured image data so that the subject is positioned in the synthesized image; and

determine whether the image processing apparatus has reached the start position, and control a display to display a notification that the image processing apparatus has reached the start position in response to the start position being reached by the image processing apparatus.

24. An image processing method performed by an image processing apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving, at an interface of the image processing apparatus, an input identifying a subject prior to a determination of a start position for capturing image data;

determining the start position for capturing the image data based on a reference position of the subject prior to the capturing of the image data such that an orientation of the image processing apparatus at the start position is different from an orientation of the image processing apparatus at which the subject is identified;

controlling, at a processor of the image processing apparatus, the capturing of the image data to generate a synthesized image based on the captured image data so that the subject is positioned in the synthesized image; and

determining whether the image processing apparatus has reached the start position, and controlling a display to display a notification that the image processing apparatus has reached the start position in response to the start position being reached by the image processing apparatus.

25. A computer program recorded on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing computer readable instructions for causing a computer to execute a method for controlling an image capturing apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving an input identifying a subject prior to a determination of a start position for capturing image data;

determining the start position for capturing the image data based on a reference position of the subject prior to the capturing of the image data such that an orientation of the image capturing apparatus at the start position is different from an orientation of the image capturing apparatus at which the subject is identified;

controlling the capturing of the image data to generate a synthesized image based on the captured image data so that the subject is positioned in the synthesized image; and

determining whether the image processing apparatus has reached the start position, and controlling a display to display a notification that the image processing apparatus has reached the start position in response to the start position being reached by the image processing apparatus.