Imaging apparatus, imaging system, and control method for increasing accuracy when determining an imaging scene based on input image data and information stored in an external information processing apparatus

• US 9,225,855 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2011
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hata, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, NGOC YEN T
• Application Number:
  US13/280,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20120113272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.5, 348/211.6, 348/222.1, 348/242, 348/253, 348/256, 348/207.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00251 with an apparatus for taking photographic images, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/001 Sharing resources, e.g. processing power or memory, with a connected apparatus or enhancing the capability of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission
• 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

The present invention is directed to providing an imaging apparatus that can determine an imaging scene of an input image with high accuracy. The imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to image an object image and output image data, a determination unit configured to, based on the image data, perform determination processing for determining an imaging scene of the image data output from the imaging unit, an acquisition unit configured to acquire imaging information related to a condition for imaging the image data including location information about the imaging apparatus, and a communication unit configured to transmit the imaging information to an external device and receives auxiliary information for supporting determination of the imaging scene of the image data corresponding to the imaging information. The determination unit performs the determination processing based on the auxiliary information received via the communication unit.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit configured to capture an object image and output image data;

a determination unit configured to, based on the image data, perform determination processing for determining an imaging scene of the image data output from the imaging unit;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire imaging information related to a condition for capturing the image data;

a communication unit configured to transmit the imaging information to an external device and receive auxiliary information for supporting determination of the imaging scene of the image data corresponding to the imaging information;

a control unit configured to control an operation of each unit of the imaging apparatus to be appropriate for imaging the image scene determined by the determination unit; and

a calculating unit configured to calculate a reliability level of the determined imaging scene and compare the calculated reliability level with a predetermined reliability level of the determined image scene,

wherein if the calculated reliability level is greater than the predetermined reliability level, the imaging scene is set according to the determination result, and

if the calculated reliability level is not greater than the predetermined reliability level, the determination unit performs second determination processing based on the image data and the auxiliary information, and the imaging scene is set according to the second determination result.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is configured to calculate an image feature amount from the image data, perform the determination processing by comparing the image feature amount with a determination threshold value, and correct the image feature amount or the determination threshold value according to the auxiliary information to perform the determination processing.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging information includes at least one of direction information indicating an imaging direction of the image data captured by the imaging apparatus, date information indicating a date when captured, time information indicating an imaging time, and field of view information indicating an imaging region.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary information includes evaluation information about the imaging scene corresponding to the imaging information.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the evaluation information about the imaging scene refers to the information in which, based on a plurality of pieces of data corresponding to the imaging information stored in the external device, higher evaluation is given to a first imaging scene having a high imaging frequency under a condition specified by the imaging information than a second imaging scene having an imaging frequency lower than that of the first imaging scene.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary information includes evaluation information about an imaging control parameter of the imaging unit corresponding to the imaging information.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the evaluation information about the imaging control parameter refers to the information in which higher evaluation is given to a first imaging control parameter having a high imaging frequency under a condition specified by the imaging information than a second imaging control parameter having a imaging frequency lower than that of the first imaging control parameter.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the determination unit is configured to correct a threshold value for determining the determination processing to select the imaging scene having high evaluation in the evaluation information about the imaging scene.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is configured to, when calculating an image feature amount from the image data and determining the imaging scene of the image data by comparing the image feature amount with a predetermined determination threshold value, correct a determination threshold value or the image feature amount corresponding to the imaging scene having high evaluation so that the imaging scene having the high evaluation is selected with the auxiliary information.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the determination unit is configured to determine the imaging scene based on a previously set priority of the imaging scene;

and

wherein the control unit is configured to raise the priority of the imaging scene corresponding to the imaging scene having high evaluation so that the imaging scene having the high evaluation is easily selected with the auxiliary information.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the determination unit is configured to calculate a reliability level of a determination result in the determination processing;

and

wherein the communication unit is configured to, when the reliability level is lower than a predetermined threshold value of the reliability level, communicate with the external device to acquire the auxiliary information.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a correction unit configured to correct the image data according to a determination result of the determination unit,

wherein a correction amount for the image data by the correction unit is determined based on the auxiliary information.

13. An imaging system including an imaging apparatus and an information processing apparatus, the imaging system comprising:

an imaging unit configured to capture an object image and output image data;

a determination unit configured to perform determination processing for determining an imaging scene of the image data output from the imaging unit based on the image data;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire imaging information related to an imaging condition of the image data;

a communication unit configured to perform communication between the imaging apparatus and the information processing apparatus, and transmit the imaging information from the imaging apparatus to the information processing apparatus, and auxiliary information for supporting determination of the imaging scene of the image data corresponding to the imaging information from the information processing apparatus to the imaging apparatus;

a generation unit configured to generate the auxiliary information based on the imaging information and a plurality of pieces of data capable of being associated with the imaging information stored in a storage medium;

a control unit configured to control an operation of each unit of the imaging apparatus to be appropriate for imaging the image scene determined by the determination unit; and

a calculating unit configured to calculate a reliability level of the determined imaging scene and compare the calculated reliability level with a predetermined reliability level of the determined image scene,

wherein if the calculated reliability level is greater than the predetermined reliability level, the imaging scene is set according to the determination result, and

if the calculated reliability level is not greater than the predetermined reliability level, the determination unit performs second determination processing based on the image data and the auxiliary information, and the imaging scene is set according to the second determination result.

14. The imaging system that includes an imaging apparatus and an information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of pieces of data are each associated with location information indicating an imaging location, time information indicating an imaging time, and an imaging scene, and stored.

15. The imaging system that includes an imaging apparatus and an information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of types of data are each associated with the image data, location information indicating a location where the image data is captured, time information indicating an imaging time, and an imaging scene determined when the image is captured, and stored.

16. A method for controlling an imaging apparatus which includes an imaging unit for capturing an object image and outputs image data, a determination unit that performs determination processing for determining an imaging scene of the image data output from the imaging unit based on the image data, the method comprising:

acquiring imaging information related to an imaging condition of the image data;

transmitting the imaging information to an external device;

receiving from the external device auxiliary information for supporting determination of an imaging scene of the image data corresponding to the imaging information;

controlling an operation of each unit of the imaging apparatus to be appropriate for imaging the image scene determined by the determination unit; and

calculating a reliability level of the determined imaging scene and compare the calculated reliability level with a predetermined reliability level of the determined image scene,

wherein if the calculated reliability level is greater than the predetermined reliability level, the imaging scene is set according to the determination result, and

if the calculated reliability level is not greater than the predetermined reliability level, the determination unit performs second determination processing based on the image data and the auxiliary information, and the imaging scene is set according to the second determination result.