INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGING REGION SHARING DETERMINATION METHOD

• US 20120206486A1
• Filed: 02/07/2012
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kurihara, Kuniaki, KAGEYAMA, Yuuichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,621,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/634
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00251 with an apparatus for taking photographic images, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums

Abstract

An apparatus and method provide logic for processing information. In one implementation, an apparatus may include a receiving unit configured to receive information associated with a first imaging region and information associated with a second imaging region. The apparatus may also include a determination unit configured to determine, based on at least the first and second imaging region information, whether a portion of the first imaging region is coincident within at least a portion of the second imaging region. A classification unit configured may assign a classification to at least one of the first or second imaging regions, based on the determination.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive first information associated with a first imaging region and second information associated with a second imaging region;

a determination unit configured to determine, based on at least the first and second imaging region information, whether a portion of the first imaging region is coincident within at least a portion of the second imaging region; and

a classification unit configured to assign a classification to at least one of the first or second imaging regions, based on the determination.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the classification unit is further configured to assign the classification to the first and second imaging regions, when the portions of the first and second imaging regions are coincident.

3. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the first imaging region information is associated with at least a portion of a first image; and

the second imaging region is associated with at least a portion of a second image.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a calculation unit configured to calculate at least one of the first imaging region corresponding to the first image portion or the second imaging region corresponding to the second imaging portion.

5. The information processing apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an image recognition unit configured to determine whether a subject of the first image corresponds to a subject of the second image, wherein the classification unit is further configured to assign the classification to the first and second image portions, when the first image subject corresponds to the second image subject.

6. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the information processing apparatus is a first imaging device associated with the first imaging region; and

the second imaging region corresponds to a second imaging device.

7. The information processing apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a detection unit configured to:

detect spatial positions of the first and second imaging devices; and

determine whether the spatial position of the second image device falls within a threshold distance of a spatial position of the first imaging device.

8. The information processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the receiving unit is further configured to receive the second imaging region information, when the spatial position of the second imaging device falls within the threshold distance of the spatial position of the first imaging device.

9. The information processing apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a calculation unit configured to calculate at least one of the first imaging region or the second imaging region.

10. The information processing of claim 9, wherein:

the detection unit is further configured to detect inclinations and orientations corresponding to the first and second imaging devices; and

the calculation unit is further configured to calculate at least one of the first imaging region or the second imaging region, based on values of spatial position, inclination, and orientation associated with corresponding ones of the first and second imaging devices.

11. The information processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the detection unit is further configured to:

detect a first distance separating the first imaging device and a corresponding first subject; and

detect a second distance separating the second imaging device and a corresponding second subject.

12. The information processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the classification unit is further configured to assign the classification to the first and second imaging devices, based on at the detected first and second distances.

13. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the classification unit is further configured to:

determine imaging directions associated with the first and second imaging devices, based on corresponding first and second imaging region information; and

assign the classification to the first and second imaging devices, based on corresponding ones of the detected first and second distances and corresponding ones of the determined imaging directions.

14. The image processing apparatus of claim 6, further comprising an image recognition unit configured to:

receive a first image captured by the first imaging device and a second image captured by the second imaging device; and

determine that the a subject of the first image corresponds to a subject of the second image.

15. The image processing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the classification unit is further configured to assign the classification to the first and second imaging devices, when the subject of the first image corresponds to a subject of the second image.

16. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display control unit configured to:

display, to a user, representation of a portion of a geographical region associated with the first and second imaging regions; and

superimpose a boundary of the second imaging region onto the representation.

17. The information processing apparatus of claim 16, wherein the receiving unit is further configured to receive, from the user, information identifying a selection of the second imaging region.

18. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a receiving means for receiving first information associated with a first imaging region and second information associated with a second imaging region;

a determination means for determining, based on at least the first and second imaging region information, whether a portion of the first imaging region is coincident within at least a portion of the second imaging region; and

a classification means for assigning a classification to at least one of the first or second imaging regions, based on the determination.

19. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving first information associated with a first imaging region and first information associated with a second imaging region;

determining, based on at least the first and second imaging region information, whether a portion of the first imaging region is coincident within at least a portion of the second imaging region; and

assigning, using a processor, a classification to at least one of the first or second imaging regions, based on the determination.

20. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the processor to perform a method, comprising:

receiving first information associated with a first imaging region and first information associated with a second imaging region;

determining, based on at least the first and second imaging region information, whether a portion of the first imaging region is coincident within at least a portion of the second imaging region; and

assigning a classification to at least one of the first or second imaging regions, based on the determination.