Imaging apparatus, imaging method, and program

• US 9,344,625 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2014
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• 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): Pe, Geepy
• Assistant Examiner(s): BECKER, JOSEPH W
• Application Number:
  US14/296,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20140285617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 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 method for controlling an image capturing apparatus that captures images while the image capturing apparatus is moved by a user in a state handheld by the user such that the captured images are used for generating a synthesized image, the method comprising:

controlling a display of an instruction the user to move the image capturing apparatus toward a first direction;

starting to record the captured images in response to an arrival of the image capturing apparatus at a first position moving, by the user, from an initial position toward the first direction in a first distance;

controlling a display of an instruction instructing the user to move the image capturing apparatus toward a second direction;

stopping to record the captured images in response to another arrival of the image capturing apparatus at a second position moving, by the user, from the first position toward the second direction in a second distance, the second direction being substantially opposite to the first direction, wherein a length of the second distance is greater than a length of the first distance; and

controlling a display of a notification on a display notifying that the image capturing apparatus is in a recording state of the captured images, in response to the arrival of the image capturing apparatus at the first position.

2. The image processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

controlling a removal of the notification on the display, in response to the another arrival of the image capturing apparatus at the second position.

3. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the displayed notification corresponds to at least one of a color change and a recording indicator.

4. The image processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

controlling a display of a status bar including a status indicator, the status indicator indicating at least one of a progress of a first movement along the first distance and a progress of a second movement along the second distance.

5. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein a starting position of the second distance is substantially proximate to the first position.

6. The image processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

controlling a display of an instruction instructing a swing direction for the image capturing apparatus based on at least one of the first direction and the second direction.

7. The image processing method according to claim 6, further comprising:

controlling a removal of the instruction instructing the swing direction for the image capturing apparatus, in response to the another arrival of the image capturing apparatus at the second position.

8. The image processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

controlling a detection of a movement of the image capturing apparatus, the movement being at least one of a rotational movement or a linear movement.

9. The image processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a reference position for the synthesized image before the image capturing apparatus is moved in the first direction.

10. The image processing method according to claim 9, further comprising:

controlling a display of a status bar on a display, whereby the reference position is set in a center of the status bar.

11. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the second direction overlaps at least a part of the first direction.

12. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the second direction is in a direction that does not overlap the first direction.

13. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the length of the second distance is substantially twice the length of the first distance.

14. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the synthesized image is generated based on the captured images.

29. The image processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

controlling a display of a status indicator indicating a progress of a movement of the image capturing apparatus toward the first direction and the second direction, on the display, the status indicator being changed in response to the arrival of the image capturing apparatus at the first position.

30. The image processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

controlling a display of an instruction instructing the user to move the image capturing apparatus toward the first direction or the second direction, wherein the instruction is changed from the first direction to the second direction in response to the arrival of the image capturing apparatus at the first position.

15. An image processing method for controlling an image capturing apparatus that captures images while the image capturing apparatus is moved by a user in a state handheld by the user such that the captured images are used for generating a panoramic image, the method comprising:

controlling a display of an instruction instructing the user to move the image capturing apparatus toward a first direction;

starting to record the captured images in response to arrival of the image capturing apparatus at a first position moving, by the user, from an initial position toward the first direction in a first distance;

controlling a display of an instruction instructing the user to move the image capturing apparatus toward a second direction;

stopping to record the captured images in response to another arrival of the image capturing apparatus at a second position moving, by the user, from the first position toward the second direction in a second distance, the second direction being substantially opposite to the first direction, wherein a length of the second distance is greater than a length of the first distance; and

controlling a display of a notification on a display notifying that the image capturing apparatus is in a recording state of the captured images, in response to the arrival of the image capturing apparatus at the first position.

16. The image processing method according to claim 15, wherein the second direction overlaps at least a part of the first direction.

17. The image processing method according to claim 15, wherein the second direction is in a direction that does not overlap the first direction.

18. The image processing method according to claim 15, wherein the panoramic image is generated based on the captured images.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program recorded thereon, the computer program configured to perform the method according to claim 15 when executed on a computer.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer program recorded therein, the computer program configured to perform a method when executed by an image capturing apparatus, the method controlling the image capturing apparatus that captures images while the image capturing apparatus is moved by a user in a state handheld by the user such that the captured images are used for generating a synthesized image, the program comprising:

controlling a display of an instruction instructing the user to move the image capturing apparatus toward a first direction;

starting to record the captured images in response to an arrival of the image capturing apparatus at a first position moving, by the user, from a initial position toward the first direction in a first distance;

controlling a display of an instruction instructing the user to move the image capturing apparatus toward a second direction;

stopping to record the captured images in response to another arrival of the image capturing apparatus at a second position moving, by the user, from the first position toward the second direction in a is move second distance, the second direction being substantially opposite to the first direction, wherein a length of the second distance is greater than a length of the first distance; and

controlling a display of a notification on a display notifying that the image capturing apparatus is in a recording state of the captured images, in response to the arrival of the image capturing apparatus at the first position.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein the displayed notification corresponds to at least one of a color change and a recording indicator.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:

controlling a display of a status bar indicating at least one of a progress of a first movement along the first distance and a progress of a second movement along the second distance.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein a starting position of the second distance is substantially proximate to the first position.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:

controlling a display of a notification indicating a swing direction for the image capturing apparatus based on at least one of the first direction and the second direction.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:

controlling a detection of a movement of the image capturing apparatus, the movement being at least one of a rotational movement or a linear movement.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein the second direction overlaps at least a part of the first direction.

27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein the second direction is in a direction that does not overlap the first direction.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein the length of the second distance is substantially twice the length of the first distance.