Imaging apparatus and imaging method

• US 20080129839A1
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsuruta, Masaaki, Sako, Yoichiro, Ito, Taiji, Asukai, Masamichi, Ebisawa, Kan
• Granted Patent: US 8,872,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.99
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02444 Details of sensor A61B5/02427 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an imaging apparatus including: imaging means for imaging a scene that is in a direction in which a user sees to obtain image data of the scene; temporary storage means for storing the image data obtained by imaging by the imaging means; and control means for controlling the temporary storage means to store the image data obtained by imaging by the imaging means, and, when a predetermined storage condition has been satisfied, extracting image data to be stored from the temporary storage means and adding metadata to the extracted image data to perform a storage process.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus, comprising:

imaging means for imaging a scene that is in a direction in which a user sees to obtain image data of the scene;

temporary storage means for storing the image data obtained by imaging by said imaging means; and

control means for controlling said temporary storage means to store the image data obtained by imaging by said imaging means, and, when a predetermined storage condition has been satisfied, extracting image data to be stored from said temporary storage means and adding metadata to the extracted image data to perform a storage process.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said temporary storage means uses a storage area in a ring memory manner to store the image data continuously.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

storage means for storing data in a nonvolatile storage medium;

wherein as the storage process, said control means performs a process of controlling said storage means to store the image data extracted from said temporary storage means and the metadata in the nonvolatile storage medium.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmission means for transmitting data to an external device;

wherein as the storage process, said control means performs a process of controlling said transmission means to transmit the image data extracted from said temporary storage means and the metadata to the external device.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

display means capable of performing image display using the image data stored in said temporary storage means.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said display means is capable of causing a whole or a part of a screen area for image display to enter a transparent or translucent see-through state.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control means controls said display means to cause a part of the screen area for image display to enter the see-through state, while performing image display using the image data stored in said temporary storage means with a remaining part of the screen area.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said control means controls said display means to perform image display using the image data being obtained by imaging by said imaging means with a part of a screen area for image display, while performing image display using the image data stored in said temporary storage means with a remaining part of the screen area.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said display means is arranged in front of an eye of the user to perform image display.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said display means is formed in a different case from a case that contains said imaging means.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

operation input means;

wherein in accordance with an operation input by the user detected by said operation input means, said control means controls said display means to perform image display using the image data stored in said temporary storage means.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said operation input means includes an operation unit to be operated by the user.

13. The imaging apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said operation input means includes a sensor for detecting a motion of the user.

14. The imaging apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said operation input means includes a sensor for detecting biological information concerning the user.

15. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, when said display means has performed image display using the image data stored in said temporary storage means, said control means determines that the storage condition has been satisfied, and extracts, as the image data to be stored, all or some of the image data displayed from said temporary storage means and adds the metadata to the extracted image data to perform the storage process.

16. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

biological sensor means for detecting biological information concerning the user;

wherein said control means determines based on the biological information detected by said biological sensor means whether the storage condition has been satisfied, and when said control means has determined that the storage condition has been satisfied, said control means extracts the image data to be stored from said temporary storage means and adds the metadata to the extracted image data to perform the storage process.

17. The imaging apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the biological information is at least one of a pulse, heart beats, an electrocardiogram, electromyographic information, breathing, perspiration, galvanic skin response, blood pressure, a saturation oxygen concentration in blood, a skin surface temperature, brain waves, a blood flow change, a body temperature, a motion of a body, a motion of a head, a center of gravity, rhythm of walking/running, and a state of an eye.

18. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

audio input means for inputting external sound; and

audio analysis means for analyzing an audio signal obtained by said audio input means;

wherein said control means determines based on a result of analysis by said audio analysis means whether the storage condition has been satisfied, and when said control means has determined that the storage condition has been satisfied, said control means extracts the image data to be stored from said temporary storage means and adds the metadata to the extracted image data to perform the storage process.

19. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means performs imaging system control of issuing an instruction related to imaging by said imaging means or processing on the image data obtained by imaging, and when said control means has performed predetermined imaging system control, said control means determines that the storage condition has been satisfied, and extracts the image data to be stored from said temporary storage means and adds the metadata to the extracted image data to perform the storage process.

20. The imaging apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said control means determines that the storage condition has been satisfied when, as the imaging system control, said control means has performed control of causing a lens system in said imaging means to perform a predetermined operation.

21. The imaging apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said control means determines that the storage condition has been satisfied when, as the imaging system control, said control means has performed control of causing a signal processing system in said imaging means to perform a predetermined process.

22. The imaging apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said control means determines that the storage condition has been satisfied when, as the imaging system control, said control means has performed control of changing imaging sensitivity in said imaging means.

23. The imaging apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said control means determines that the storage condition has been satisfied when, as the imaging system control, said control means has performed control of changing a frame rate in said imaging means.

24. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the storage condition has been satisfied, said control means generates the metadata in accordance with the satisfied storage condition.

25. An imaging method comprising the steps of:

(a) imaging a scene that is in a direction in which a user sees to obtain image data of the scene;

(b) temporarily storing the image data obtained by imaging in said step (a);

(c) determining whether a predetermined storage condition has been satisfied; and

(d) when said step (c) has determined that the predetermined storage condition has been satisfied, extracting image data to be stored from the image data temporarily stored in said step (b), adding metadata to the extracted image data, and performing a storage process.

26. The imaging method according to claim 25, wherein in said step (b), the image data is continuously stored by using a storage area in a ring memory manner.

27. The imaging method according to claim 25, wherein in said step (d), a process of storing the image data to be stored and the metadata in a nonvolatile storage medium is performed.

28. The imaging method according to claim 25, wherein in said step (d), the image data to be stored and the metadata are transmitted to an external device.

29. The imaging method according to claim 25, further comprising the step of:

(e) performing image display using the image data temporarily stored in said step (b).

30. The imaging method according to claim 29, wherein in said step (e), a whole or a part of a screen area for image display is caused to enter a transparent or translucent see-through state.

31. The imaging method according to claim 30, wherein in said step (e), a part of the screen area for image display is caused to enter the see-through state, while image display is performed using the image data temporarily stored in said step (b) with a remaining part of the screen area.

32. The imaging method according to claim 29, wherein in said step (e), image display is performed using image data being obtained by imaging by imaging means with a part of a screen area for image display, while image display is performed using the image data temporarily stored in said step (b) with a remaining part of the screen area.

33. The imaging method according to claim 29, wherein in said step (e), image display is performed using the image data temporarily stored in said step (b) in accordance with an operation input by a user detected by operation input means.

34. The imaging method according to claim 29, wherein

said step (c) determines that the storage condition has been satisfied when image display has been performed in said step (e) using the image data temporarily stored in said step (b), and

in said step (d), all or some of the image data displayed in said step (e) is stored together with the added metadata.

35. The imaging method according to claim 25, wherein

said step (c) determines whether the storage condition has been satisfied based on biological information detected by biological sensor means, and

when said step (c) has determined that the storage condition has been satisfied, said step (d) adds the metadata to the image data to be stored and performs the storage process.

36. The imaging method according to claim 25, wherein

said step (c) determines whether the storage condition has been satisfied based on a result of analysis performed by audio analysis means on an audio signal obtained by audio input means, and

when said step (c) has determined that the storage condition has been satisfied, said step (d) adds the metadata to the image data to be stored and performs the storage process.

37. The imaging method according to claim 25, wherein

said step (c) determines that the storage condition has been satisfied when a predetermined imaging system control of issuing an instruction related to imaging or processing on the image data obtained by imaging has been performed, and

said step (d) accordingly extracts the image data to be stored from the image data temporarily stored in said step (b), adds the metadata to the extracted image data, and performs the storage process.

38. The imaging method according to claim 37, wherein said step (c) determines that the storage condition has been satisfied when control of causing a lens system in imaging means to perform a predetermined operation has been performed.

39. The imaging method according to claim 37, wherein said step (c) determines that the storage condition has been satisfied when control of causing a signal processing system in imaging means to perform a predetermined process has been performed.

40. The imaging method according to claim 37, wherein said step (c) determines that the storage condition has been satisfied when control of changing imaging sensitivity in imaging means has been performed.

41. The imaging method according to claim 37, wherein said step (c) determines that the storage condition has been satisfied when control of changing a frame rate in imaging means has been performed as imaging system control.

42. The imaging method according to claim 25, further comprising the step of:

(f) when the storage condition has been satisfied, generating the metadata in accordance with the satisfied storage condition.

43. An imaging apparatus, comprising:

an imaging section configured to image a scene that is in a direction in which a user sees to obtain image data of the scene;

a temporary storage section configured to store the image data obtained by imaging by said imaging section; and

a control section configured to control said temporary storage section to store the image data obtained by imaging by said imaging section, and, when a predetermined storage condition has been satisfied, extract image data to be stored from said temporary storage section and add metadata to the extracted image data to perform a storage process.