Subject tracking device, subject tracking method, subject tracking program product and optical device

• US 20070263904A1
• Filed: 02/02/2007
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Muramatsu, Keiko
• Application Number:
  US11/701,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20070263904A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/107
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/16 for photographing the track of moving objects high-speed photography G03B39/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 39/00 High-speed photography
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/70 Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene

Abstract

A subject tracking device includes: a tracking zone setting unit that sets an area where a main subject is present within a captured image as a tracking zone; a tracking unit that tracks the main subject based upon an image output corresponding to the tracking zone; and an arithmetic operation unit that determines through arithmetic operation image-capturing conditions based upon an image output corresponding to a central area within the tracking zone.

Claims

1. A subject tracking device, comprising:

a tracking zone setting unit that sets an area where a main subject is present within a captured image as a tracking zone;

a tracking unit that tracks the main subject based upon an image output corresponding to the tracking zone; and

an arithmetic operation unit that determines through arithmetic operation image-capturing conditions based upon an image output corresponding to a central area within the tracking zone.

2. A subject tracking device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a converting unit that converts a captured image data to be reduced and outputs a converted image data, wherein;

the tracking unit tracks movement of the main subject by using the converted image data.

3. A subject tracking device according to claim 1, wherein:

the tracking zone setting unit sets an area corresponding to a subject present at a center of the captured image as the tracking zone.

4. A subject tracking device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit that displays within the captured image a mark indicating an area corresponding to an area constituting part of the tracking zone.

5. An optical device, comprising:

a subject tracking device according to claim 1.

6. An optical device according to claim 5, wherein:

the subject tracking device further comprises a display unit that displays within the captured image a mark indicating an area corresponding to an area constituting part of the tracking zone;

a focus detection area indicating a position at which focus detection is executed for the subject is set in the captured image; and

the mark indicates the focus detection area present within the tracking zone.

7. An optical device according to claim 6, wherein:

the tracking zone setting unit sets an area corresponding to the focus detection area having been selected as the tracking zone.

13. A subject tracking device according to claim 1, wherein:

the arithmetic operation unit determines through arithmetic operation the image-capturing conditions by using an image output corresponding to an area near a central area of the tracking zone.

14. A subject tracking device according to claim 13, further comprising:

a display unit that displays a mark indicating a central area of the tracking zone.

28. An optical apparatus comprising:

a subject tracking device according to claim 1.

8. A subject tracking method, comprising:

setting an area where a main subject is present within a captured image as a tracking zone;

tracking the main subject based upon an image output corresponding to the tracking zone; and

determining through arithmetic operation image-capturing conditions based upon an image output corresponding to a central area within the tracking zone.

9. A computer-readable computer program product having contained therein a subject tracking program, the subject tracking program comprising:

processing for tracking a main subject based upon an image output corresponding to a tracking zone; and

processing for determining through arithmetic operation image-capturing conditions based upon an image output corresponding to a central area within the tracking zone.

10. A subject tracking device, comprising:

a tracking unit that designates image data in an area where a subject is present within a first image as a first tracking zone and tracks the subject by designating an area where image data corresponding to the image data in the first tracking zone are present in a second image obtained after the first image as a second tracking zone; and

an arithmetic operation unit that determines through arithmetic operation image-capturing conditions by using information corresponding to a central area within the second tracking zone.

11. A subject tracking device according to claim 10, wherein:

the arithmetic operation unit executes exposure calculation by using image data over a central area of the second tracking zone.

12. A subject tracking device according to claim 10, wherein:

the arithmetic operation unit includes a focus detection calculation unit that executes focus detection calculation for a focus detection area closest to a center of the second tracking zone among a plurality of focus detection areas.

15. A subject tracking device according to claim 10, wherein:

the arithmetic operation unit determines through arithmetic operation the image-capturing conditions by using information corresponding to an area near a central area of the second tracking zone.

16. A subject tracking device according to claim 15, further comprising:

a display unit that displays a mark indicating a central area within the second tracking zone.

17. A subject tracking device, comprising:

a tracking unit that designates image data in an area where a subject is present within a first image as a first tracking zone and tracks the subject by designating an area where image data corresponding to the image data in the first tracking zone are present in a second image obtained after the first image as a second tracking zone; and

an arithmetic operation unit that determines through arithmetic operation image-capturing conditions by using at least either information corresponding to a central area within the second tracking zone or information corresponding to an area near a central area of the second tracking zone.

18. A subject tracking device according to claim 17, wherein:

the arithmetic operation unit determines through arithmetic operation the image-capturing conditions by using information indicating a higher level of contrast, selected from the information corresponding to a central area of the second tracking zone and the information corresponding to the area near a central area of the second tracking zone.

19. A subject tracking device according to claim 17, wherein:

the arithmetic operation unit determines through arithmetic operation the image-capturing conditions by weighting a central area of the second tracking zone.

20. A subject tracking device, comprising:

a tracking unit that designates image data in an area where a subject is present within a first image as a first tracking zone and tracks the subject by designating an area where image data corresponding to the image data in the first tracking zone are present in a second image obtained after the first image as a second tracking zone; and

an arithmetic operation unit that determines through arithmetic operation image-capturing conditions by using information corresponding to a central area within the second tracking zone and information corresponding to a direction along which the subject moves during a period elapsing between a time point at which the first image is captured and a time point at which the second image is captured.

21. A subject tracking device according to claim 20, wherein:

the arithmetic operation unit determines through arithmetic operation the image-capturing conditions by using information corresponding to an area near a central area of the second tracking zone.

22. A subject tracking device according to claim 20, further comprising:

a display unit that displays a mark indicating a central area within the second tracking zone.

23. A subject tracking method, comprising:

designating image data in an area where a subject is present within a first image as a first tracking zone;

tracking the subject by designating an area where image data corresponding to the image data in the first tracking zone are present in a second image obtained after the first image as a second tracking zone; and

determining through arithmetic operation image-capturing conditions by using information corresponding to a central area within the second tracking zone.

24. A subject tracking method according to claim 23, wherein:

exposure calculation is executed by using image data over a central area of the second tracking zone.

25. A subject tracking method according to claim 23, wherein:

focus detection calculation is executed in correspondence to a focus detection area closest to a center of the second tracking zone among a plurality of focus detection areas.

26. A subject tracking method according to claim 23, wherein:

the image-capturing conditions are determined through arithmetic operation executed by using information corresponding to an area near a central area of the second tracking zone.

27. A subject tracking method according to claim 23, wherein:

the image-capturing conditions are determined through arithmetic operation executed by using information corresponding to a direction along which the subject moves during a period elapsing between a time point at which the first image is captured and a time point at which the second image is captured.