Automatic image-capturing apparatus, automatic image-capturing control method, image display system, image display method, display control apparatus, and display control method

• US 9,866,743 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2016
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kamada, Yasunori, Kon, Takayasu, Sako, Yoichiro, Hayashi, Kazunori, Kawakami, Itaru
• Primary Examiner(s): SPINKS, ANTOINETTE T
• Application Number:
  US15/292,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20170034415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 3482119, 34821199, 3482221
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

An automatic image-capturing apparatus including an image-capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject so as to obtain captured image data; an automatic captured-image obtaining unit configured to automatically obtain the captured image data obtained by the image-capturing unit without being based on an operation of a user; an inclination detection unit configured to detect an inclination in at least one of a pan direction and a tilt direction; and a control unit configured to control the obtaining operation performed by the automatic captured-image obtaining unit on the basis of information on the inclination in the pan direction or in the tilt direction, the inclination being detected by the inclination detection unit.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to;

estimate a traveling direction of a wearable camera; and

obtain, based on an angle between the estimated traveling direction and a capturing direction of the wearable camera, first image data corresponding to a first image captured by the wearable camera in the capturing direction.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the circuitry is configured to control the wearable camera to automatically capture the first image in the capturing direction based on the angle while the wearable camera moves in the estimated traveling direction.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the first image is an image captured only when the angle is a threshold value or less.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the circuitry is configured to obtain pieces of the first image data from second image data corresponding to a second image automatically captured by the wearable camera while the wearable camera moves in the estimated traveling direction.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the second image includes an image captured when the angle is larger than a threshold value.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the circuitry is configured to send pieces of the obtained first image data to a reproducing device, the pieces of the obtained first image data including no image data corresponding to an image captured when the angle is larger than a threshold value.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the wearable camera is a life-log camera configured to automatically capture at least a scene in a field-of-view direction of a user wearing the life-log camera.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the wearable camera constitutes at least a part of a neck-hanging apparatus, a head-mounted apparatus, an ear-mounted apparatus, or an apparatus having a clip.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the angle is defined with respect to a pan direction or a tilt direction of the wearable camera.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the circuitry is configured to estimate the angle based on information sent from at least one of a gyro sensor, a gravity sensor, and a direction sensor.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the circuitry is configured to estimate the angle based on past positions of the wearable camera.

12. A method of controlling a wearable camera, the method comprising

controlling the wearable camera to automatically capture an image in a capturing direction of the wearable camera based on an angle between a traveling direction of the wearable camera and the capturing direction while the wearable camera moves in the traveling direction.

13. A method of controlling a reproducing apparatus, the method comprising

controlling the reproducing apparatus to reproduce pieces of first image data selected from second image data based on an angle between a traveling direction and a capturing direction of a wearable camera while the wearable camera is automatically capturing a second image, wherein

the second image data corresponds to the second image, and

a quantity of the second image data is larger than that of the pieces of the first image data.

14. A method of recording image data, the method comprising

recording, based on an angle of a traveling direction and a capturing direction of a wearable camera, image data corresponding to an image automatically captured by the wearable camera in the capturing direction while the wearable camera moves in the traveling direction.