METHOD, APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR PERFORMING A ZOOM OPERATION

• US 20110267499A1
• Filed: 04/26/2011
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Xin Yu, Wan, Ernest Yiu Cheong
• Granted Patent: US 8,531,557 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6811 based on the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

A method of performing a zoom operation on a camera is disclosed, wherein, one or more regions of interest within a captured image of a scene are determined. Camera motion direction towards one of the regions of interest is determined. A target region of interest is determined based on the determined camera motion direction. The zoom operation is performed to the target region of interest.

Claims

1. A method of performing a zoom operation on a camera, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of regions of interest within a captured image of a scene;

determining a camera motion direction;

selecting a target region of interest from the determined plurality of regions of interest based on the determined camera motion direction; and

initiating the zoom operation for the selected target region of interest in response to the camera motion before the target region of interest occupies a center area of a new image captured by the camera.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining a speed of motion of the camera;

determining a zoom speed based on the speed of camera motion and a distance from a current image frame to the target region of interest; and

the zooming operation being performed using the determined zoom speed.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the zoom speed to the target region of interest is determined using a smoothing function.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the set of regions of interest is determined using a saliency map.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the set of regions of interest is determined using face detection.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

detecting a trigger for altering a zoom level;

performing a zoom-out operation if necessary; and

determining one or more further regions of interest.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the trigger is based on no region of interest being detected.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the selected target region of interest is in a vicinity of a pre-set location received by the camera.

3. A method of performing a zoom operation on a camera, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of regions of interest within a captured image of a scene;

determining a camera motion direction;

determining a speed of motion of the camera;

selecting a target region of interest from the determined plurality of regions of interest based on the determined camera motion direction;

determining a zoom speed based on the speed of camera motion and the distance from a current image frame to the target image frame; and

initiating the zoom operation for the selected target region of interest in response to the camera motion before the target region of interest occupies a centre area of a new image captured by the camera.

10. A system for performing a zoom operation on a camera, the system comprising:

a memory for storing data and a computer program;

a processor coupled to the memory for executing the computer program, the computer program comprising instructions for;

determining a plurality of regions of interest within a captured image of a scene;

determining camera motion direction;

selecting a target region of interest from the determined plurality of regions of interest based on the determined camera motion direction; and

initiating the zoom operation for the selected target region of interest in response to the camera motion before the target region of interest occupies a centre area of a new image captured by the camera.

11. A system for performing a zoom operation on a camera, the system comprising:

a memory for storing data and a computer program;

a processor coupled to the memory for executing the computer program, the computer program comprising instructions for;

determining a plurality of regions of interest within a captured image of a scene;

determining a camera motion direction towards one of the regions of interest;

determining a speed of motion of the camera;

selecting a target region of interest from the determined plurality of regions of interest based on the determined camera motion direction;

determining a zoom speed based on the speed of camera motion and the distance from a current image frame to the target region of interest; and

initiating the zoom operation for the selected target region of interest in response to the camera motion before the target region of interest occupies a centre area of a new image captured by the camera.

12. An apparatus for performing a zoom operation on a camera, the apparatus comprising:

means for determining a plurality of regions of interest within a captured image of a scene;

means for determining camera motion direction;

means for selecting a target region of interest from the determined plurality of regions of interest based on the determined camera motion direction; and

means for initiating the zoom operation for the selected target region of interest in response to the camera motion before the target region of interest occupies a centre area of a new image captured by the camera.

13. An apparatus for performing a zoom operation on a camera, the apparatus comprising:

means for determining a plurality of regions of interest within a captured image of a scene;

means for determining a camera motion direction;

means for determining a speed of motion of the camera;

means for selecting a target region of interest from the determined plurality of regions of interest based on the determined camera motion direction;

means for determining a zoom speed based on the speed of camera motion and the distance from a current image frame to the target region of interest; and

means for initiating the zoom operation for the selected target region of interest in response to the camera motion before the target region of interest occupies a centre area of a new image captured by the camera.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program being configured for performing a zoom operation on a camera, the program comprising:

code for determining a plurality of regions of interest within a captured image of a scene;

code for determining camera motion direction towards one of the regions of interest;

code for selecting a target region of interest from the determined plurality of regions of interest based on the determined camera motion direction; and

code for initiating the zoom operation for the selected target region of interest in response to the camera motion before the target region of interest occupies a centre area of a new image captured by the camera.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program being configured for performing a zoom operation on a camera, the program comprising:

code for determining a plurality of regions of interest within a captured image of a scene;

code for determining a camera motion direction towards one of the regions of interest;

code for determining a speed of motion of the camera;

code for selecting a target region of interest based on the determined camera motion direction;

code for determining a zoom speed based on the speed of camera motion and the distance from a current image frame to the target region of interest; and

code for initiating the zoom operation for the selected target region of interest in response to the camera motion before the target region of interest occupies a centre area of a new image captured by the camera.