Control apparatus, imaging system, control method, and program for changing a composition of an image

• US 9,596,415 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshizumi, Shingo
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Habib, Irfan
• Application Number:
  US13/384,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20120120249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,427 Days
• Field of Search: 348/169
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/02 with scanning movement of lens or cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects

Abstract

A control apparatus, an imaging system, a control method, and a program in which, when performing automatic image-recording, subjects which seem to be present around an imaging apparatus can be recorded as evenly as possible. An automatic recording operation for recording, upon detection of a subject from an image obtained by imaging, data representing an image containing the subject is performed. On that basis, if it is determined, on the basis of image-recording history information, that the transition to a subject configuration different from that used in the last image-recording is to be performed, a movable mechanism unit is moved to change an imaging field-of-view range, thereby obtaining a different subject configuration.

Claims

1. A control apparatus, comprising:

circuitry configured to;

receive image data which is obtained based on image captured by an imager;

detect one or more subjects present in an image based on the image data;

control execution of image-recording to record the image data which represents the image that contains the detected one or more subjects on a recording medium; and

control a movable mechanism that changes an imaging field-of-view range of the imager to be driven based on a history of the image-recording of the image data which represents the image that contains the detected one or more subjects by movement of an imaging optical axis of the imager such that a subject that corresponds to a subject configuration which is at least different from a subject configuration used in last image-recording is to be detected,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the movable mechanism such that the movable mechanism moves in a determined direction by a determined angle, and a value of the determined angle is greater than an angle of view of the imager.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to control, based on detection result, the movable mechanism such that the movable mechanism moves along the determined direction until a subject, which is undetected in the last image-recording, is newly detected.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to store, as the history, number-of-recording-times information that indicates the number of times for which an identical subject configuration is recorded, and control the movable mechanism to change the imaging field-of-view range of the imager based on the number of times indicated by the number-of-recording-times information.

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

control the movable mechanism to change the imaging field-of-view range of the imager, based on the determination that the number of times indicated by information related to the history is equal to or greater than a threshold; and

change and set the threshold based on a set frequency.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the movable mechanism to change the imaging field-of-view range of the imager based on the determination that the number of times indicated by information that relates to the history is equal to or greater than a threshold.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to store, as the history, recording position information that indicates a position of the movable mechanism in an event the image data is recorded, and control the movable mechanism to change the imaging field-of-view range of the imager based on the recording position information, based on the number of image-recording times at a position which is considered to be a position identical to the position of the movable mechanism at which the last image-recording has been executed.

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

recognize each of the detected one or more subjects so as to obtain individual identification information to differentiate and identify individuals; and

store, as the history, number-of-individual-recording-times information that indicates the number of times for which each of the detected one or more subjects are recorded, and control the movable mechanism to change the imaging field-of-view range of the imager based on the number of times indicated by the number-of-individual-recording-times information.

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

decide a composition based on the detected one or more subjects;

at least one of the movable mechanism and zoom control for the imager to obtain a decided composition; and

execute image-recording based on the determination that the decided composition has been obtained.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the circuitry is further configured to obtain, as a decision result of a current composition decision, a composition different from a composition used in the last image-recording based on a subject configuration which is identical to the subject configuration used in the current image-recording.

10. The control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the movable mechanism in an event the decided composition is unobtained within a determined time.

11. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to increase a frequency with which the image-recording is to be executed in an event a number of the detected one or more subjects is large.

12. An imaging system, comprising:

a control apparatus; and

a movable mechanism apparatus that includes a mechanism that is movable so as to change an imaging field-of-view range of the control apparatus,

the control apparatus or the movable mechanism apparatus including that includes circuitry configured to;

receive image data which is obtained based on image captured by an imager;

detect one or more subjects present in an image based on the image data,

control execution of image-recording to record the image data which represents the image that contains the detected one or more subjects on a recording medium of the control apparatus; and

control the movable mechanism apparatus by movement of an imaging optical axis of the imager based on a history of the image-recording of the image data which represents the image that contains the detected one or more subjects such that a subject that corresponds to a subject configuration which is at least different from a subject configuration used in last image-recording is to be detected,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the movable mechanism such that the movable mechanism moves in a determined direction by a determined angle, and a value of the determined angle is greater than an angle of view of the imager.

13. A control method, comprising:

receiving image data which is obtained based on imaging by an imaging unit and detecting one or more subjects present in an image based on the image data;

controlling execution of image-recording for recording the image data which represents the image containing the detected one or more subjects on a recording medium; and

controlling driving of a movable mechanism unit that changes an imaging field-of-view range of the imaging unit based on a history of the image-recording of the image data which represents the image containing the detected one or more subjects by moving an imaging optical axis of the imaging unit such that a subject that corresponds a subject configuration which is at least different from a subject configuration used in last image-recording is to be detected,

wherein the movable mechanism unit is controlled such that the movable mechanism unit moves in a determined direction by a determined angle, and a value of the determined angle is greater than an angle of view of the imaging unit.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a control apparatus to perform operations, comprising:

receiving image data which is obtained based on imaging by an imaging unit and detecting one or more subjects present in an image based on the image data;

controlling execution of image-recording for the image data which represents the image containing the detected one or more subjects on a recording medium; and

controlling driving of a movable mechanism that changes an imaging field-of-view range of the imaging based on a history of the image-recording of the image data which represents the image containing the detected one or more subjects by moving an imaging optical axis of the imaging unit such that a subject that corresponds to a subject configuration which is at least different from a subject configuration used in last image-recording is to be detected,

wherein the movable mechanism is controlled such that the movable mechanism moves in a determined direction by a determined angle, and a value of the determined angle is greater than an angle of view of the imaging unit.

15. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

circuitry configured to;

receive image data which is obtained based on image captured by an imager;

detect one or more subjects present in an image based on the image data;

control execution of image-recording to record the image data in which the detected one or more subjects is contained in a frame on a recording medium;

change the frame based on a history of the image-recording of the image data which represents the image that contains the detected one or more subjects by movement of an imaging optical axis of the imager such that a subject that forms a subject configuration which is at least different from a subject configuration used in last image-recording is to be detected; and

control a movable mechanism that changes an imaging field-of-view range of the imager,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the movable mechanism such that the movable mechanism moves in a determined direction by a determined angle, and a value of the determined angle is greater than an angle of view of the imager.