IMAGING CONTROL APPARATUS, IMAGING CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20110181687A1
• Filed: 01/06/2011
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshizumi, Shingo
• Granted Patent: US 9,516,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

An imaging control apparatus for an imaging apparatus or an imaging system, which includes an imaging unit imaging a subject and a variable mechanism varying an imaging visual field of the imaging unit, includes an automatic imaging mode control unit changing control setting between when automatic still image capturing is performed and when automatic panorama image capturing is performed.

Claims

1. An imaging control apparatus for an imaging apparatus or an imaging system which includes an imaging unit imaging a subject and a variable mechanism varying an imaging visual field of the imaging unit, the imaging control apparatus comprising:

an automatic imaging mode control unit changing control setting between when automatic still image capturing is performed and when automatic panorama image capturing is performed.

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

an imaging visual field variable control unit driving and controlling the variable mechanism of the imaging visual field;

an automatic still image capturing control unit detecting the subject while allowing the imaging visual field variable control unit to vary the imaging visual field and allowing the imaging apparatus to capture a still image automatically; and

an automatic panorama image capturing control unit allowing the imaging apparatus to acquire a plurality of image data used to generate panorama image data by the imaging, while allowing the imaging visual field variable control unit to vary the imaging visual field.

3. The imaging control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the automatic imaging mode control unit changes the control setting of the variable mechanism of the imaging visual field controlled by the imaging visual field variable control unit between when the automatic still image capturing is performed and when the automatic panorama image capturing is performed.

4. The imaging control apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the imaging visual field variable control unit controls a panning mechanism associated with the imaging apparatus and serving as the variable mechanism of the imaging visual field, and

wherein the automatic imaging mode control unit changes setting of a panning speed of the panning mechanism between when the automatic still image capturing is performed and when the automatic panorama image capturing is performed.

5. The imaging control apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the imaging visual field variable control unit controls a tilting mechanism associated with the imaging apparatus and serving as the variable mechanism of the imaging visual field, and

wherein the automatic imaging mode control unit changes setting of the maximum tilt angle of the tilting mechanism between when the automatic still image capturing is performed and when the automatic panorama image capturing is performed.

6. The imaging control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the automatic imaging mode control unit changes setting of a condition of a subject detection process and/or a composition process between when the automatic still image capturing is performed and when the automatic panorama image capturing is performed.

7. The imaging control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the automatic imaging mode control unit changes setting of a condition of release timing between when the automatic still image capturing is performed and when the automatic panorama image capturing is performed.

8. The imaging control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the automatic panorama image capturing control unit allows the imaging apparatus to acquire the plurality of image data by the imaging and to generate the panorama image data using the plurality of image data, while allowing the imaging visual field variable control unit to vary the imaging visual field.

9. An imaging control method for an imaging apparatus or an imaging system which includes an imaging unit imaging a subject and a variable mechanism varying an imaging visual field of the imaging unit, the imaging control method comprising the steps of:

allowing the imaging apparatus or the imaging system to perform

an imaging process in an automatic still image capturing mode for detecting the subject while the variable mechanism varies the imaging visual field and automatically capturing a still image, and

an imaging process in an automatic panorama image capturing mode for acquiring a plurality of image data used to generate panorama image data by the imaging while the variable mechanism varies the imaging visual field; and

changing control setting between when performing the imaging process of the automatic still image capturing mode and when performing the imaging process of the automatic panorama image capturing mode.

10. A program processing control of an imaging apparatus or an imaging system which includes an imaging unit imaging a subject and a variable mechanism varying an imaging visual field of the imaging unit, the program:

causing the imaging apparatus or the imaging system to perform an imaging process of an automatic still image capturing mode for detecting the subject while the variable mechanism varies the imaging visual field and automatically capturing a still image, and

an imaging process of an automatic panorama image capturing mode for acquiring a plurality of image data used to generate panorama image data by the imaging while the variable mechanism varies the imaging visual field; and

changing control setting between when performing the imaging process of the automatic still image capturing mode and when performing the imaging process of the automatic panorama image capturing mode.