PHOTOGRAPHING CONDITION SETTING APPARATUS, PHOTOGRAPHING CONDITION SETTING METHOD, AND PHOTOGRAPHING CONDITION SETTING PROGRAM

• US 20110050915A1
• Filed: 06/17/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wang, QiHong, Terayama, Akiko, Kasahara, Shunichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,773,566 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3252 Image capture parameters, e.g. resolution, illumination conditions, orientation of the image capture device H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image

Abstract

Provided is a photographing condition setting apparatus including: a display unit; an image capturing unit which generates image data by capturing a photographing object; a photographing situation determination unit which determines based on the image data generated by the image capturing unit which type of the photographing object is photographed in a photographing situation; and a display controller which displays on the display unit one or a plurality of photographing condition icons indicating the photographing condition settable to the determined photographing situation if the photographing situation is determined by the photographing situation determination unit.

Claims

1. A photographing condition setting apparatus comprising:

a display unit;

an image capturing unit which generates image data by capturing a photographing object;

a photographing situation determination unit which determines based on the image data generated by the image capturing unit which type of the photographing object is photographed in a photographing situation; and

a display controller which displays on the display unit one or a plurality of photographing condition icons indicating the photographing condition settable to the determined photographing situation if the photographing situation is determined by the photographing situation determination unit.

2. The photographing condition setting apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the photographing situation determination unit includes:

a face detection unit which detects the face of the person, which is shown in an image based on the image data, based on the image data generated by the image capturing unit; and

a determination unit which determines that the situation is the photographing situation where the person is photographed as a photographing object if the face of the person is detected to be shown in the image by the face detection unit and which determines that the situation is the photographing situation where the non-human object other than the person is photographed as a photographing object if a face of a person is not detected from the image by the face detection unit,

wherein, if the determination unit determines that the situation is the photographing situation where the person is photographed, the display controller displays on the display unit a person photographing condition icon indicating the photographing condition for photographing the person as the photographing condition icon, and

wherein, if the determination unit determines that the situation is the photographing situation where the non-human object is photographed, the display controller displays on the display unit a non-human object photographing condition icon indicating the photographing condition for photographing the non-human object as the photographing condition icon.

3. The photographing condition setting apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein, if the determination unit determines that the situation is the photographing situation where the person is photographed, the display controller displays on the display unit a person image, on which the face of the person is shown as the image based on the image data, and displays the person photographing condition icons indicating the photographing conditions which may be individually applied to the person, and

wherein, if the determination unit determines that the situation is the photographing situation where the non-human object is photographed, the display controller displays on the display unit a non-human object image, on which the non-human object is shown as the image based on the image data, and displays the non-human object photographing condition icon.

4. The photographing condition setting apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein if the determination unit determines that the situation is the photographing situation where the person is photographed, the display controller displays the person image on the display unit and displays the plurality of the person photographing condition icons in a row overlappedly on the person image, and

wherein, if the determination unit determines that the situation is the photographing situation where the non-human object is photographed, the display controller displays the non-human object image on the display unit and displays the plurality of the non-human object photographing condition icons in a row overlappedly on the non-human object image.

5. The photographing condition setting apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the face detection unit detects the face of the person, which is shown on the image based on the image data, together with a type of the person based on the image data generated by the image capturing unit, and

wherein, if the determination unit determines that the situation is the photographing situation where the person is photographed, the display controller displays the person image on the display unit and displays the plurality of the person photographing condition icons indicating the photographing conditions which may be individually applied to the person in a row overlappedly on the person image according to the type of the person.

6. The photographing condition setting apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a change indication unit which is used to indicate a change of a display form of a plurality of the person photographing condition icons displayed on the display unit,

wherein the display controller displays the person image on the display unit and, if the change of the display form is indicated through the change indication unit in the state where the plurality of the person photographing condition icons are displayed in a row overlappedly on the person image, the display controller displays the plurality of the person photographing condition icons in the vicinity of the face of the person to whom the photographing condition indicated by each of the person photographing condition icons is applied.

7. The photographing condition setting apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

an icon indication unit which is used to indicate the photographing condition icon displayed on the display unit; and

a setting unit which sets the photographing condition indicated by the indicated photographing condition icon if the photographing condition icon is indicated through the icon indication unit,

wherein, in the case where the display controller allows the person image to be displayed on the display unit and allows the plurality of the person photographing condition icons to be displayed in a row overlappedly on the person image, if the person photographing condition icons and the faces of the persons to whom the photographing conditions indicated by the person photographing condition icons are applied are indicated through the icon indication unit, the setting unit applies and sets the photographing condition indicated by the indicated person photographing condition icon to the indicated person.

8. The photographing condition setting apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein, in the case where the display controller allows the person image to be displayed on the display unit and allows the plurality of the person photographing condition icons to be displayed in a row overlappedly on the person image, if the person photographing condition icons and the faces of the persons to whom the photographing conditions indicated by the person photographing condition icons are applied are individually indicated through the icon indication unit, the setting unit applies and sets the photographing condition indicated by the indicated person photographing condition icon to the indicated person.

9. The photographing condition setting apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein, in the case where the display controller allows the person image to be displayed on the display unit and allows the plurality of the person photographing condition icons to be displayed in a row overlappedly on the person image, the display controller allows the person photographing condition icon indicated through the icon indication unit to be moved on the person image in response to a manipulation on the icon indication unit, and

wherein, in the case where the display controller allows the person image to be displayed on the display unit and allows the plurality of the person photographing condition icons to be displayed in a row overlappedly on the person image, if the person photographing condition icon indicated through the icon indication unit is moved so as to be overlapped on the face of the person in response to a manipulation on the icon indication unit, the setting unit applies and sets the photographing condition indicated by the indicated person photographing condition icon to the person on which the person photographing condition icon is overlapped.

10. The photographing condition setting apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein, in the case where the display controller allows the person image to be displayed on the display unit and allows the plurality of the person photographing condition icons to be displayed on the person image in the vicinity of the face of the person to which the photographing condition indicated by each of the person photographing condition icons is applied, if the person photographing condition icon is indicated through the icon indication unit, the setting unit applies and sets the photographing condition indicated by the indicated person photographing condition icon to the person whose face is in the vicinity of the indicated person photographing condition icon.

11. A photographing condition setting method comprising the steps of:

generating image data by capturing a photographing object;

determining based on the generated image data which type of the photographing object is photographed in a photographing situation; and

displaying on the display unit one or a plurality of photographing condition icons indicating photographing conditions settable to the determined photographing situation if the photographing situation is determined.

12. A photographing condition setting program allows a computer to execute the steps of:

generating image data by capturing a photographing object;

determining based on the generated image data which type of the photographing object is photographed in a photographing situation; and

displaying on the display unit one or a plurality of photographing condition icons indicating photographing conditions settable to the determined photographing situation if the photographing situation is determined.