IMAGING APPARATUS, IMAGING CONTROL METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20100245544A1
• Filed: 03/30/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakajima, Mitsuyasu
• Granted Patent: US 8,441,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10012 Stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/221 using the relative movement between cameras and objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/275 from 3D object models, e.g. computer-generated stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes: a first imaging controller configured to control imaging by an imaging unit; a movement distance acquirer configured to acquire movement distance of the imaging unit required to generate a three-dimensional image of the imaged subject after imaging by the first imaging controller; a first determining unit configured to determine whether or not the imaging unit has moved the movement distance acquired by the movement distance acquirer; a second imaging controller configured to control imaging with respect to the imaging unit in the case where it is determined by the first determining unit that the imaging unit has moved the movement distance; and a three-dimensional image generator configured to generate a three-dimensional image from the image acquired by the first imaging controller and the image acquired by the second imaging controller.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus, comprising:

a first imaging controller configured to control imaging by an imaging unit;

a movement distance acquirer configured to acquire movement distance of the imaging unit required to generate a three-dimensional image of the imaged subject after imaging by the first imaging controller;

a first determining unit configured to determine whether or not the imaging unit has moved the movement distance acquired by the movement distance acquirer;

a second imaging controller configured to control imaging with respect to the imaging unit in the case where it is determined by the first determining unit that the imaging unit has moved the movement distance; and

a three-dimensional image generator configured to generate a three-dimensional image from the image acquired by the first imaging controller and the image acquired by the second imaging controller.

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

a subject distance acquirer configured to acquire distance to the subject;

wherein

on the basis of the distance acquired by the subject distance acquirer, the movement distance acquirer computes the movement distance of the imaging unit required to generate a three-dimensional image of the subject.

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

a recording unit;

wherein

the movement distance acquirer acquires a movement distance recoded in advance in the recording unit.

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

an acceleration acquirer configured to acquire the acceleration when the imaging unit moves;

wherein

on the basis of the acceleration acquired by the acceleration acquirer, the first determining unit determines whether or not the imaging unit has moved the movement distance acquired by the movement distance acquirer.

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

a feature point detector configured to detect feature points from the image obtained by the first imaging controller;

a third imaging controller configured to control the imaging unit to repeatedly conduct imaging at predetermined intervals once the imaging by the first imaging controller has finished; and

a feature point movement distance acquirer configured to acquire the movement distance of a point corresponding to the feature point detected by the feature point detector in the images repeatedly imaged by the third imaging controller;

wherein

on the basis of the movement distance of the feature point acquired by the feature point movement distance acquirer, the first determining unit determines whether or not the imaging unit has moved the movement distance acquired by the movement distance acquirer.

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

a display unit configured to sequentially display the image repeatedly imaged by the third imaging controller on a display;

wherein

the feature point movement distance acquirer acquires the movement distance of the feature point on the basis of the change in the displayed position of a point corresponding to a feature point detected by the feature point detector.

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

a second determining unit configured to determine whether or not the optical axis after imaging by the first imaging controller has been kept parallel with the optical axis during imaging; and

a fourth imaging controller configured to control such that imaging by the second imaging controller is not conducted if it is determined by the second determining unit that the optical axis after imaging has not been kept parallel with the optical axis during imaging.

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

a reporting unit configured to report when it is determined by the first determining unit that the imaging unit has moved the movement distance.

9. An imaging control method, comprising the steps of:

controlling a first imaging by an imaging unit;

acquiring movement distance of the imaging unit required to generate a three-dimensional image of the imaged subject after the imaging in the first imaging controlling step;

determining whether or not the imaging unit has moved the movement distance acquired in the acquiring step;

controlling a second imaging by the imaging unit in the case where it is determined in the determining step that the imaging unit has moved the movement distance; and

generating a three-dimensional image from the image acquired in the first imaging controlling step and the image acquired in the second imaging controlling step.

10. A recording medium recording a program that causes a computer provided in an imaging apparatus to function as:

a first imaging controller configured to control imaging by an imaging unit;

a movement distance acquirer configured to acquire movement distance of the imaging unit required to generate a three-dimensional image of the imaged subject after imaging by the first imaging controller;

a determining unit configured to determine whether or not the imaging unit has moved the movement distance acquired by the movement distance acquirer;

a second imaging controller configured to control imaging with respect to the imaging unit in the case where it is determined by the determining unit that the imaging unit has moved the movement distance; and

a three-dimensional image generator configured to generate a three-dimensional image from the image acquired by the first imaging controller and the image acquired by the second imaging controller.