Image recording apparatus and imaging apparatus

• US 9,866,751 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2014
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Hirofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang, Philip
• Application Number:
  US14/477,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20150070463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• 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

There are provided an image recording apparatus and an imaging apparatus. In the image recording apparatus and the imaging apparatus, a control unit identifies whether an input image input by an image input unit is an omnidirectional image or an ordinary image. An image editing unit, based on an omnidirectional image, converts the omnidirectional image into a panoramic image by developing the omnidirectional image in a circumferential direction. Then, the image editing unit records the converted panoramic image on a recording medium. As for an ordinary image, the image editing unit records the input image input by the image input unit on the recording medium.

Claims

1. An image recording apparatus comprising:

memory, and at least one processor coupled to the memory, and the at least one processor having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor cause the image recording apparatus to function as;

a determination unit configured to determine whether an input image is an ordinary rectangular image or a surrounding image depending on black distribution in the input image;

a development unit configured to generate a developed image obtained by developing the surrounding image in a circumferential direction; and

a control unit configured to record the input image on a recording medium that is detachable from the image recording apparatus,

wherein when the input image is determined as being the surrounding image, the control unit performs control so that the developed image is generated by the development unit, and is recorded on the recording medium, and when the input image is determined as not being the surrounding image, the control unit performs control so that the input image is recorded on the recording medium without generating the developed image by the development unit, and

wherein, in a case where the input image is an input image captured in a firework imaging mode or a nightscape imaging mode, determination by the determination unit is not performed, and the control unit performs control so that the input image is recorded on the recording medium without generating the developed image.

2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a thumbnail generation unit configured to generate a thumbnail image from the input image,

wherein when the input image is determined as not being the surrounding image, the control unit performs control so that the thumbnail image generated by the thumbnail generation unit is recorded on the recording medium.

3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit performs control so that the thumbnail image generated by the thumbnail generation unit is recorded on the recording medium, together with the input image.

4. The image recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the input image is determined as being the surrounding image, the control unit performs control so that the developed image generated by the development unit is recorded as the thumbnail image on the recording medium, together with the input image.

5. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the input image is determined as being the surrounding image, the control unit performs control so that the developed image obtained by reducing the input image in size and then developing the reduced input image in the circumferential direction by the development unit is recorded on the recording medium, together with the input image.

6. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when the input image is determined as being the surrounding image, the control unit performs control so that the input image and the developed image obtained by reducing the input image in size and then developing the reduced input image in the circumferential direction by the development unit are recorded on the recording medium, and

wherein when the input image is determined as not being the surrounding image, the input image and a size-reduced image obtained by reducing the input image in size are recorded on the recording medium.

7. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether the input image is the surrounding image based on whether a specific portion of the input image is black.

8. The image recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the specific portion includes a periphery and a central portion.

9. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether the input image is the surrounding image, according to distributions of a specific color in the input image.

10. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs control so that information that indicates whether the input image is the surrounding image is recorded on the recording medium.

11. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surrounding image is an omnidirectional image.

12. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the development unit generates a panoramic image obtained by developing the surrounding image in the circumferential direction.

13. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the input image is determined as being the surrounding image, the control unit performs control so that the developed image, instead of the input image, is recorded on the recording medium.

14. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 is an imaging apparatus including an imaging unit,

wherein the input image is an image captured by the imaging unit.

15. The image recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the imaging unit allows an omnidirectional imaging unit to be attached to and detached from the imaging unit;

and the image recording apparatus further comprising a detection unit configured to detect attachment of the omnidirectional imaging unit to the imaging unit; and

the determination unit determines whether the input image is the surrounding image, according to a result of detection by the detection unit.

16. A control method for an image recording apparatus, comprising:

determining whether an input image is an ordinary rectangular image or a surrounding image depending on black distribution in the input image; and

performing control so that a developed image is generated by developing the surrounding image in a circumferential direction, and recording the developed image on a attachable/detachable recording medium when the input image is determined as being the surrounding image, and performing control so that the developed image is not generated and the input image is recorded on the recording medium when the input image is determined as not being the surrounding image,

wherein, in a case where the input image is an input image captured in a firework imaging mode or a nightscape imaging mode, determination of the input image as being the surrounding image is not performed, and performing control so that the input image is recorded on the recording medium without generating the developed image.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the control method for the image recording apparatus according to claim 16.