Control method for imaging device, image recording device, and program

Abstract

To continue automatic photographing by extracting a similar image among photographed images, erasing an unnecessary image, and securing the storage capacity of a recording medium, while preventing an influence on automatic photographing processing, during the automatic photographing based on a predetermined condition.SOLUTION: An imaging apparatus includes imaging means for capturing an image, recording means for controlling so as to automatically record the image on the recording medium according to the predetermined condition, photographing interval acquisition means for acquiring the photographing interval of a plurality of images recorded on the recording medium, and determination means for switching the determination method of the similarity of the plurality of images to a first method or a second method different in the operation amount of similarity determination processing, according to the photographing interval acquired by the photographing interval acquisition means and determining the similarity of the plurality of automatically photographed images.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, a control method thereof, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is an imaging device that automatically captures images according to predetermined conditions, so that the photo opportunity is not missed and the subject can capture natural scenes without being aware that they are being photographed (see Patent Document 1). Since there is a limit to the recording capacity of the recording medium of such an imaging device, if a large number of images are captured and the remaining capacity of the recording medium becomes insufficient, automatic shooting cannot be continued.

[0003] Here, among the automatically captured images, a large number of similar images may be captured under the same conditions. Since it is not necessary to store all the similar images stored in the recording medium, by deleting unnecessary images among the similar images from the recording medium, the remaining capacity of the recording medium can be increased, and automatic capture can be continued.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses an image capturing device that notifies a user that a similar image has already been captured at the time of capture, thereby preventing the capture of unnecessary similar images, and that after capture, only the necessary images are retained from among the similar images. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-70684 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2005-020409 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the image capturing device of Patent Document 2, since the subject may change after the notification at the time of shooting, a similar image may not necessarily be captured, and if a user chooses not to capture an image, there is a possibility that the photo opportunity will be missed. Also, if the similarity of the images is determined after shooting is completed, and similar image data is classified and deleted, it is not possible to prevent the remaining capacity of the recording medium from running out during shooting.

[0007] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to enable automatic shooting to continue during automatic shooting based on specified conditions by extracting similar images from the captured images, erasing unnecessary images, and securing the storage capacity of the recording medium without affecting the automatic shooting process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the imaging device of the present invention is characterized in having an imaging means for capturing an image, a recording means for controlling the image to be automatically recorded on a recording medium in accordance with predetermined conditions, a shooting interval acquisition means for acquiring the shooting interval of multiple images recorded on the recording medium, and a determination means for determining the similarity of the multiple images by switching a method of determining the similarity of the multiple images to a first method or a second method which have different amounts of calculation for the similarity determination process depending on the shooting interval acquired by the shooting interval acquisition means, and determining the similarity of the multiple images automatically captured. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, during automatic shooting based on specified conditions, similar images are extracted from the captured images, unnecessary images are deleted, and the storage capacity of the recording medium is secured, so that automatic shooting can be continued without affecting the automatic shooting process. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an imaging device 101 according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of an imaging device 101 according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an imaging device 101 and an external device 301 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a smart device 301 as an external device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the imaging device 101 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an automatic shooting mode process of the imaging device 101 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining area division within a captured image according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an automatic image deletion process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating pixels in M×N pixels according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 4 is a histogram of M×N pixels according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a display example of the smart device 301 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an automatic image deletion process according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating pixels in a reduced captured image according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an automatic image deletion process according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0012] [Embodiment 1] <Configuration of the Imaging Device 101> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an imaging device 101 according to the first embodiment, and (a) is a diagram showing the imaging device 101 typically. The imaging device 101 is provided with an operation member such as a switch that can turn the power on and off. This operation member may be a button or a touch panel. For example, if the operation member is a button, the power can be turned on and off by pressing the button, and if the operation member is a touch panel, the power can be turned on and off by tapping, flicking, or swiping the touch panel.

[0013] The lens barrel 102 is a housing including an optical lens group and an imaging element, and is attached to the imaging device 101. The tilt rotation unit 104 and the pan rotation unit 105 are rotation mechanisms that can rotate the lens barrel 102 relative to the fixed part 103. The tilt rotation unit 104 is a motor that can rotate the lens barrel 102 in the pitch direction shown in FIG. 1(b), and the pan rotation unit 105 is a motor that can rotate the lens barrel 102 in the yaw direction shown in FIG. 1(b). The tilt rotation unit 104 and the pan rotation unit 105 allow the lens barrel 102 to rotate in one or more axial directions. As shown in FIG. 1(b), the rotation of the imaging device 101 around the horizontal axis (X axis) is called roll, the rotation around the vertical axis (Z axis) is called yaw, and the rotation around the axis (Y axis) in the depth (optical axis) direction is called pitch. The positive direction of the X axis shown in FIG. 1(b) is the front direction of the imaging device 101.

[0014] The angular velocity meter 106 and the accelerometer 107 are disposed on a fixed portion 103 of the imaging device 101. The imaging device 101 detects vibrations of the imaging device 101 based on the respective velocities measured by the angular velocity meter 106 and the accelerometer 107. The imaging device 101 can generate an image in which the shaking and tilt of the lens barrel 102 have been corrected by driving and rotating the tilt rotation unit 104 and the pan rotation unit 105 based on the detected vibrations.

[0015] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the imaging device 101 according to the first embodiment. The first control unit 223 is composed of a processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a micro processing unit (MPU)), etc. The first control unit 223 is also composed of a memory (e.g., a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a static random access memory (SRAM)), etc. The first control unit 223 executes various processes (programs) to control each block of the imaging device 101 and to control data transfer between each block.

[0016] The non-volatile memory 216 is an electrically erasable and recordable memory, and stores constants, programs, etc. for the operation of the first control unit 223. The non-volatile memory is, for example, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory).

[0017] 2, a zoom unit 201 includes a zoom lens that changes magnification. A zoom drive control unit 202 drives and controls the zoom unit 201. A focus unit 203 includes a lens that adjusts focus. A focus drive control unit 204 drives and controls the focus unit 203.

[0018] In the imaging unit 206, an imaging element receives light incident through each lens group, and outputs charge information according to the amount of light to an image processing unit 207 as analog image data.

[0019] The image processing unit 207 applies image processing such as distortion correction, white balance adjustment, color interpolation processing, etc. to the digital image data output by A / D conversion, and outputs the digital image data after the processing. The digital image data output from the image processing unit 207 is converted into a recording format such as JPEG format by the image recording unit 208, and is transmitted to the memory 215 or the video output unit 217 described later.

[0020] The lens barrel rotation drive section 205 drives the tilt rotation unit 104 and the pan rotation unit 105 to drive the lens barrel 102 in the tilt direction and the pan direction.

[0021] The device vibration detection unit 209 is equipped with, for example, an angular velocity meter (gyro sensor) 106 that detects the angular velocity of the imaging device 101 in three axial directions, and an accelerometer (acceleration sensor) 107 that detects the acceleration of the imaging device in three axial directions. Then, the device vibration detection unit 209 calculates the rotation angle, shift amount, etc. of the imaging device based on the detected signals.

[0022] The audio input unit 213 acquires an audio signal around the imaging device 101 from a microphone provided in the imaging device 101, converts the audio signal from analog to digital, and transmits it to the audio processing unit 214. The audio processing unit 214 performs audio-related processing such as optimization processing of the input digital audio signal. The audio signal processed by the audio processing unit 214 is then transmitted to the memory 215 by the first control unit 223. The memory 215 temporarily stores the image signal and audio signal obtained by the image processing unit 207 and the audio processing unit 214.

[0023] The image processing unit 207 and the audio processing unit 214 read out the image signal and the audio signal temporarily stored in the memory 215, and encode the image signal and the audio signal to generate a compressed image signal and a compressed audio signal. The first control unit 223 transmits these compressed image signal and compressed audio signal to the recording and reproducing unit 220.

[0024] The recording and reproducing unit 220 records the compressed image signal, compressed audio signal, and other control data related to shooting generated by the image processing unit 207 and audio processing unit 214 on the recording medium 221. When the audio signal is not compression-encoded, the first control unit 223 transmits the audio signal generated by the audio processing unit 214 and the compressed image signal generated by the image processing unit 207 to the recording and reproducing unit 220, and causes them to be recorded on the recording medium 221.

[0025] The recording medium 221 may be a recording medium built into the imaging device 101 or a removable recording medium. As the recording medium 221, various data such as compressed image signals, compressed audio signals, and audio signals generated by the imaging device 101 can be recorded, and a medium with a larger capacity than the nonvolatile memory 216 is generally used. For example, the recording medium 221 includes any type of recording medium, such as a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-R, a DVD-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and a flash memory.

[0026] The recording and reproducing unit 220 reads (reproduces) the compressed image signal, compressed audio signal, audio signal, various data, and programs recorded on the recording medium 221. Then, the first control unit 223 transmits the read compressed image signal and compressed audio signal to the image processing unit 207 and audio processing unit 214, respectively. The image processing unit 207 and audio processing unit 214 temporarily store the compressed image signal and compressed audio signal in the memory 215, decode them in a predetermined procedure, and transmit the decoded signal to the video output unit 217.

[0027] The audio input unit 213 is equipped with a plurality of microphones in the imaging device 101, and the audio processing unit 214 can detect the direction of a sound on a plane on which the plurality of microphones are installed, and is used for searching and automatic shooting, which will be described later. Furthermore, the audio processing unit 214 detects a specific audio command. The audio command may be configured to allow the user to register a specific audio in the camera in addition to several commands registered in advance. Also, sound scene recognition is performed. In the sound scene recognition, a sound scene is determined by a neural network that has been trained by machine learning based on a large amount of audio data in advance. For example, a network for detecting specific scenes such as "cheers are being raised," "claps are being made," and "voice is being made" is set in the audio processing unit 214. When the network detects a specific sound scene or a specific audio command, it is configured to output a detection trigger signal to the first control unit 223 or the second control unit 211.

[0028] In addition to the first control unit 223 that controls the entire main system of the imaging device 101, the second control unit 211 is provided with a control unit that controls the power supply to the first control unit 223.

[0029] The first power supply unit 210 and the second power supply unit 212 supply power to operate the first control unit 223 and the second control unit 211, respectively. When a power button provided on the imaging device 101 is pressed, power is first supplied to both the first control unit 223 and the second control unit 211, but as described later, the first control unit 223 is controlled to turn off its own power sharing with the first power supply unit 210. Even while the first control unit 223 is not operating, the second control unit 211 operates, and information is input from the device vibration detection unit 209 and the audio processing unit 214. The second control unit 211 is configured to perform a determination process of whether or not to start the first control unit 223 based on various input information, and when it is determined that the first control unit 223 should be started, it instructs the first power supply unit 210 to supply power.

[0030] The audio output unit 218 outputs a preset audio pattern from a speaker built into the imaging device 101 during shooting, for example. The LED control unit 224 controls a preset lighting and blinking pattern of an LED provided in the imaging device 101 during shooting, for example.

[0031] The video output unit 217 is, for example, a video output terminal, and transmits an image signal to display a video on a connected external display, etc. The audio output unit 218 and the video output unit 217 may be combined into one terminal, for example, a terminal such as an HDMI (registered trademark) (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) terminal.

[0032] The communication unit 222 communicates between the imaging device 101 and an external device, and transmits and receives data such as audio signals, image signals, compressed audio signals, and compressed image signals. The communication unit 222 also receives control signals related to imaging, such as imaging start and end commands, and pan-tilt and zoom drive, and drives the imaging device 101 according to instructions from the external device. Furthermore, the communication unit 222 transmits and receives information such as various parameters related to machine learning used in automatic imaging processing between the imaging device 101 and the external device. The communication unit 222 is, for example, a wireless communication module such as an infrared communication module, a Bluetooth communication module, a wireless LAN communication module, a Wireless USB, or a GPS receiver.

[0033] 2 executes a shooting interval determination process, a group creation process, a first similarity determination process, a second similarity determination process, and a determination process selection process, which are characteristic components of the present embodiment 1, by controlling each block through execution of a program. These processes will be described later.

[0034] <Configuration of Imaging Device 101 and External Device 301> 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the imaging device 101 according to the first embodiment and the external device 301. The imaging device 101 is an automatic imaging device having an imaging function, and the external device 301 is a smart device including a Bluetooth communication module and a wireless LAN communication module.

[0035] The imaging device 101 and the smart device 301 can communicate with each other through communication 302 by wireless LAN and communication 303 by BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy). The wireless LAN is compliant with, for example, the IEEE 802.11 standard series, and the BLE has a master-slave relationship such as a control station and a dependent station. Note that the wireless LAN and the BLE are examples of communication methods, and each communication device has two or more communication functions, and other communication methods may be used as long as one communication function that communicates in the relationship between the control station and the dependent station can control the other communication function. However, without loss of generality, it is assumed that the first communication such as the wireless LAN can be faster than the second communication such as the BLE, and the second communication has at least one of lower power consumption and shorter communication distance than the first communication.

[0036] 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a smart device 301 as an external device according to the first embodiment. The smart device 301 includes, for example, a wireless LAN control unit 401 for wireless LAN and a BLE control unit 402 for BLE, as well as a public line control unit 406 for public wireless communication. The smart device 301 further includes a packet transmission / reception unit 403. The wireless LAN control unit 401 performs RF control of the wireless LAN, communication processing, drivers that perform various controls of communication by the wireless LAN conforming to the IEEE802.11 standard series, and protocol processing related to communication by the wireless LAN. The BLE control unit 402 performs RF control of the BLE, communication processing, drivers that perform various controls of communication by the BLE, and protocol processing related to communication by the BLE. The public line control unit 406 performs RF control of the public wireless communication, communication processing, drivers that perform various controls of the public wireless communication, and protocol processing related to the public wireless communication.

[0037] The public wireless communication is, for example, compliant with the International Multimedia Telecommunications (IMT) standard or the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard. The packet transceiver 403 performs processing for performing at least one of transmission and reception of packets related to communication by wireless LAN and BLE and public wireless communication. Note that in this example, the smart device 301 is described as performing at least one of transmission and reception of packets in communication, but other communication formats such as circuit switching may be used in addition to packet switching.

[0038] The smart device 301 further includes, for example, a control unit 411, a storage unit 404, a GPS receiving unit 405, a display unit 407, an operation unit 408, a voice input voice processing unit 409, and a power supply unit 410. The control unit 411 controls the entire smart device 301 by, for example, executing a control program stored in the storage unit 404. The storage unit 404 stores, for example, the control program executed by the control unit 411 and various information such as parameters necessary for communication. Various operations described below are realized by the control unit 411 executing the control program stored in the storage unit 404.

[0039] The power supply unit 410 supplies power to the smart device 301. The display unit 407 has a function of outputting visually recognizable information such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an LED (Light Emitting Device), or a function of outputting sound such as a speaker, and displays various information. The operation unit 408 is, for example, a button that accepts an operation of the smart device 301 by a user. The display unit 407 and the operation unit 408 may be configured by a common member such as a touch panel.

[0040] The voice input voice processing unit 409 may be configured to, for example, acquire voice uttered by the user from a general-purpose microphone built into the smart device 301, and acquire an operation command from the user through voice recognition processing. Also, a voice command uttered by the user is acquired via a dedicated application in the smart device 301. Then, the voice command can be registered as a specific voice command to be recognized by the voice processing unit 214 of the imaging device 101 via communication 302 by wireless LAN.

[0041] The GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 405 receives a GPS signal notified from a satellite, analyzes the GPS signal, and estimates the current position (longitude and latitude information) of the smart device 301. Alternatively, the position may be estimated based on information of a wireless network present in the vicinity using a WPS (Wi-Fi Positioning System) or the like. When the acquired current GPS position information is located within a preset position range (within a range of a predetermined radius centered on the detected position) or when the GPS position information has changed in position by more than a predetermined amount, the movement information is notified to the imaging device 101 via the BLE control unit 402. The movement information is then used as a parameter for automatic shooting and automatic editing, which will be described later.

[0042] As described above, the imaging device 101 and the smart device 301 exchange data with each other through communication using the wireless LAN control unit 401 and the BLE control unit 402. For example, data such as audio signals, image signals, compressed audio signals, and compressed image signals are transmitted and received. In addition, for example, the smart device 301 issues operational instructions such as shooting an image on the imaging device 101, transmits voice command registration data, and notifies a predetermined position detection and a location movement based on GPS position information. In addition, learning data is transmitted and received via a dedicated application in the smart device 301.

[0043] <Flowchart of the operation of the imaging device 101> 5 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the operation of the imaging device 101 according to the present embodiment 1. When a user operates a power button provided on the imaging device 101, the first power supply unit 210 causes the power supply unit to supply power to the first control unit 223 and each block of the imaging device 101.

[0044] Similarly, in the second control unit 211, power is supplied from the power supply unit by the second power supply unit 212 to the second control unit 211.

[0045] When power is supplied, the process of Fig. 5 starts. In S501, the first control unit 223 reads the start-up conditions. In this embodiment, the start-up conditions are as follows. (1) The power button is pressed manually to power on (2) Power on by command from external device (e.g. 301) via external communication (e.g. BLE communication) The start conditions read here are used as one parameter element for subject search and automatic shooting, as will be explained later. When the start conditions reading is completed, the process proceeds to S502.

[0046] In S502, the first control unit 223 reads data from various sensors. The sensors read here include vibration detection sensors such as a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor from the device shaking detection unit 209. The sensors read also include the rotational positions of the tilt rotation unit 104 and the pan rotation unit 105, and the sound level, specific voice recognition detection trigger, and sound direction detection detected by the sound processing unit 214. Although not shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, data is also acquired from sensors that detect environmental information.

[0047] The imaging device 101 is equipped with a temperature sensor that detects the temperature around the imaging device 101 at a predetermined cycle, an air pressure sensor that detects changes in air pressure around the imaging device 101, etc. Also equipped with an illuminance sensor that detects the brightness around the imaging device 101, a humidity sensor that detects the humidity around the imaging device 101, a UV sensor that detects the amount of ultraviolet light around the imaging device 101, etc. In addition to the detected temperature information, air pressure information, brightness information, humidity information, and UV information, the amount of change in temperature, air pressure, brightness, humidity, ultraviolet light, etc., which are calculated as change rates at predetermined time intervals from the various detected information, are used to determine automatic photography, etc., which will be described later.

[0048] When data is read from various sensors in S502, the process proceeds to S503. In S503, the first control unit 223 detects whether communication is instructed from the external device 301, and when a communication instruction is received, the first control unit 223 reads data from the communication with the external device 301. For example, remote operation, data such as audio signals, image signals, compressed audio signals, and compressed image signals may be transmitted and received from the smart device 301 via wireless LAN or BLE. In addition, the first control unit 223 reads whether there is an instruction from the smart device 301 to operate the imaging device 101, such as shooting, voice command registration data transmission, a predetermined position detection notification based on GPS position information, a location movement notification, or an instruction to transmit and receive learning data. In addition, the various sensors that detect the above-mentioned environmental information may be mounted on the imaging device 101, or may be mounted on the smart device 301, in which case the environmental information is also read via BLE. When data is read from the communication with the external device in S503, the process proceeds to S504.

[0049] In S504, the first control unit 223 determines whether the conditions for executing the automatic shooting mode are met. If it is determined that the conditions are met, the process proceeds to S505, and the automatic shooting mode process is executed (S505). If it is determined that the conditions are not met, the process returns to S501.

[0050] The automatic shooting mode process of S505 is a process in which the first control unit 223 determines that the conditions for executing the automatic shooting mode are satisfied and automatically shoots a subject. When the first control unit 223 determines that a good image can be shot by recognizing a specific subject or a person's facial expression change such as joy, anger, sadness, or happiness, or when it detects a specific sound, vibration, environmental change, or the passage of time, the first control unit 223 automatically determines a subject to be shot and shoots it, and repeats this process. This allows the imaging device 101 to shoot good scenes that suddenly appear in daily life or casual changes in daily life without a user's manual instruction.

[0051] When multiple images are captured by the automatic shooting mode processing of S505, the process proceeds to automatic image deletion processing of S506. The automatic image deletion processing will be described later. In S507, the first control unit 223 determines whether the remaining storage capacity is less than a predetermined amount. If it is determined in S507 that the remaining storage capacity is less than the predetermined amount, the process proceeds to S508 and the automatic shooting mode processing ends, and if not, the process returns to S504.

[0052] 6 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the automatic shooting mode process of S505. This process starts when the imaging device 101 is turned on, and is executed until the imaging device 101 is turned off. In other words, this process is repeated while the imaging device 101 is turned on.

[0053] In S601, the first control unit 223 determines whether or not an instruction for the automatic shooting mode has been received. If the first control unit 223 determines that an instruction for the automatic shooting mode has been received, the process proceeds to S602. If the first control unit 223 determines that an instruction for the automatic shooting mode has not been received, the first control unit 223 waits until the imaging device 101 enters the automatic shooting mode. In other words, if the first control unit 223 determines that an instruction for the automatic shooting mode has not been received, the first control unit 223 repeats the process of S601 until an instruction for the automatic shooting mode is received.

[0054] In S602, the first control unit 223 starts capturing images of the surroundings of the imaging device 101. Here, the first control unit 223 periodically acquires captured images, performs subject search (described later), and determines the imaging timing, imaging direction, zoom position, and focus position for automatic imaging.

[0055] In S603, first control unit 223 controls lens barrel rotation drive unit 205 to adjust the angle of view while driving tilt rotation unit 104 and pan rotation unit 105 to pan and tilt lens barrel 102. Then, first control unit 223 automatically searches for a subject in an image acquired by capturing an image. The subject search is performed in the following steps (1) to (3).

[0056] (1) Area division The area division will be described with reference to Figs. 7(a) to (d). In Figs. 7(a) to (d), an area on a sphere with the position of the imaging device 101 as the origin O is divided. In Fig. 7(a), the area is divided every 22.5 degrees in the direction of rotation around the Y axis (tilt direction) and the direction of rotation around the Z axis (pan direction). When divided as shown in Fig. 7(a), the area of ​​each area becomes smaller as it moves away from the origin O in the positive and negative directions of the Z axis. When calculating the importance level, it is necessary to make the size of each area as a reference approximately equal. Therefore, in the imaging device 101 of this embodiment, when the angle between the Y axis and the Z axis is 45 degrees or more, as shown in Fig. 7(b), the area range in the positive and negative directions of the Y axis is set to be larger than 22.5 degrees.

[0057] Next, an area within the angle of view of an image captured by the imaging device 101 will be described with reference to Figs. 7(c) and (d). An axis 701 is a reference direction of the imaging direction of the imaging device 101, and area division is performed based on this direction. The axis 701 is, for example, the imaging direction when the imaging device 101 is activated, or a direction that is determined in advance as a reference direction of the imaging direction. An area 702 is an area of ​​the angle of view of an image captured by the imaging unit 206. Fig. 7(d) is an example of a live view image captured by the imaging unit 206 in the area 702. Within the angle of view of the live view image of Fig. 7(d), the image areas are divided into areas 703 to 718 based on the area division shown in Fig. 7(c).

[0058] (2) Calculation of importance level for each area For each area divided as described above, an importance level indicating a priority order for performing subject search is calculated according to the state of the subjects existing in the area and the scene state of the area. The importance level based on the state of the subjects is calculated based on, for example, the number of faces of people existing as subjects in the area, the size of the faces, the direction of the faces, the certainty of face detection, facial expressions, the results of personal identification based on the faces, the movements of people, etc.

[0059] The importance level according to the situation of the scene is calculated based on, for example, the general object recognition result, the scene determination result (blue sky, backlight, evening scene, etc.), the volume of the sound generated from the direction of the area, the voice recognition result, the motion detection information of the subject in the area, the vibration and motion information of the imaging device 101, etc. Here, the first control unit 223 drives the imaging device 101 to search all areas that can be photographed, and calculates the importance level of each area.

[0060] Also, for example, when the face of a specific person to be identified is registered in advance, the first control unit 223 increases the importance level of the area in which the face of the registered person is detected above a standard value. For example, the person's face is recorded in the non-volatile memory 216 as a pattern for determining the subject. When the first control unit 223 sets the importance level of the area in which the person's face is detected above the standard value, the first control unit 223 returns the importance level of the area to the standard value when a predetermined time has elapsed since the setting or when a predetermined number of images have been captured since the setting.

[0061] (3) Determining the search area After calculating the importance level of each area as described above, the first control unit 223 selects areas with high importance levels as imaging candidate areas and determines to search them intensively. Also, after calculating the importance level of each area as described above, the first control unit 223 can select imaging candidate areas by making a judgment using a neural network based on the information on the importance levels. Then, the first control unit 223 calculates the pan angle and tilt angle required to capture an image of one of the selected imaging candidate areas.

[0062] In S604, the first control unit 223 records the subject detection status in the subject search process in S603 for the selected shooting candidate area in the memory 215. This subject detection status is information such as the number of faces of people present as subjects, the size of the faces, the direction of the faces, the certainty of face detection, facial expressions, individual identification results based on the faces, and person movements, which were used when calculating the importance level.

[0063] In S605, the first control unit 223 determines whether or not a manual shooting instruction has been given, and if a shooting instruction has been given, the process proceeds to S609, and if not, the process proceeds to S606. At this time, the manual shooting instruction may be given by pressing the shutter button, by lightly tapping the camera housing with a finger or the like (tapping), by inputting a voice command, or by an instruction from an external device. The shooting instruction by tapping operation is a shooting instruction method in which, when a user taps the camera housing, the device shake detection unit 209 detects continuous high-frequency acceleration in a short period of time and uses this as a trigger for shooting. The voice command input is a shooting instruction method in which, when a user utters a password (for example, "take a picture") instructing a specific shooting, the voice processing unit 214 recognizes the voice and uses this as a trigger for shooting. The instruction from the external device is a shooting instruction method in which, for example, a shutter instruction signal transmitted from a smartphone connected to the camera via a dedicated application is used as a trigger.

[0064] In S606, the first control unit 223 determines the shooting method based on the detection status of the subject recorded in S604. The shooting methods include still image shooting, video shooting, continuous shooting, panorama shooting, etc. For example, when a person existing as a subject is stationary, still image shooting is performed, and when a person existing as a subject is moving, video shooting or continuous shooting is performed. In addition, when there are multiple subjects surrounding the camera, or when it is determined that the subject is a scenic spot based on the above-mentioned GPS information, a panorama shooting process may be performed to generate a panorama image by synthesizing images shot sequentially while operating the pan-tilt. The shooting method can also be determined by making a judgment using a neural network based on the detection status of the subject.

[0065] In S607, the first control unit 223 controls the lens barrel rotation drive unit 205 to drive the lens barrel 102 in the tilt direction and the pan direction according to the angle based on the detection situation of the subject in the search area selected as the imaging candidate area in S603. Here, when tracking a moving subject, an image shake correction amount for correcting image shake is calculated in advance, and pan / tilt driving is performed based on this image shake correction amount. The method for calculating the image shake correction amount is as follows. The first control unit 223 calculates the absolute angle of the imaging device 101 from the angular velocity and acceleration acquired by the device shake detection unit 209, and calculates an anti-shake angle (i.e., an image shake correction amount) for moving the tilt rotation unit 104 and the pan rotation unit 105 in an angular direction that cancels the absolute angle.

[0066] Furthermore, in S607, the first control unit 223 controls the zoom drive control unit 202 to drive the optical lens of the zoom unit 201 so that the size of the face of a person present as a subject is appropriately captured within the angle of view based on the subject detection situation (particularly, the size of the face).

[0067] In S608, the first control unit 223 determines the timing of shooting based on the subject detection status and the time elapsed since the start of imaging in S602. For example, if a change in facial expression such as joy, anger, sadness, or happiness of a person present as a subject, or a person set by a user, is detected, the first control unit 223 determines to shoot. Furthermore, even if the above-mentioned change in facial expression of a person or a specific person is not detected, the first control unit 223 may determine to shoot after a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0068] In S609, the first control unit 223 starts photographing the subject by the imaging unit 206. As described above, in the automatic photographing mode, automatic photographing is performed while searching for a subject for each area, but if it is determined that there is no subject to be photographed, the automatic photographing mode is cancelled. For example, when the importance level of all areas or the sum of the importance levels of each area becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the automatic photographing mode is cancelled. At this time, the predetermined threshold is also lowered depending on the elapsed time since the transition to the automatic photographing mode.

[0069] In S609, the past shooting information is updated. The count of the number of all images shot so far may be incremented by 1. The count of the number of shots corresponding to the newly shot image may be incremented by 1 for the number of shots per area, the number of shots per specific person, the number of shots per subject recognized by the general object recognition, and the number of shots per scene determined based on the scene determination result, as described in S603.

[0070] <Automatic image deletion process> 8 is a flowchart for explaining the automatic image deletion process according to the present embodiment 1. The automatic image deletion process is a process in which a similarity determination process is executed on captured images to determine the similarity between a plurality of images, extract similar images, and automatically delete unnecessary images from among the similar images.

[0071] In S801, the first control unit 223 performs a photographing interval determination process to acquire the photographing time interval of a plurality of images. The first control unit 223 outputs the acquired photographing time interval to the memory 215.

[0072] In S802, the first control unit 223 determines whether the interval between the acquired photographing times is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If it is determined that the interval between the acquired photographing times is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to S803, and if not, the process proceeds to S804.

[0073] In S803, the first control unit 223 performs a first similarity determination process on the two captured images input from the memory 215. The first similarity determination process is a similarity determination process by feature point comparison. Here, the similarity determination process by feature point comparison will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining pixels in an image composed of M pixels horizontally and N pixels vertically. The upper left corner of the image is the origin, the direction of the horizontal arrow is the X axis, and the direction of the vertical arrow is the Y axis, and specifically 16 pixels (P11 to P44) are shown. For example, pixel P11 is located at coordinates (1,1), and pixel P21 is located at coordinates (1,2).

[0074] The first similarity determination process calculates pixel feature amounts C(x, y) for all pixels included in a captured image using equation (1).

[0075]

number

[0076] Here, C(x,y) represents the feature of the pixel at coordinate (x,y), and P i (x, y) represents the brightness value of the pixel at coordinate (x, y). Equation (1) is an equation in which the brightness values ​​of three pixels are regarded as two points on a plane, and the Euclidean distance between these two points is the feature value C(x, y). That is, the point (P i (x,y),P i (x,y)) and a point (P i (x+1,y),P i The Euclidean distance between x and y is the feature C(x, y).

[0077] Next, assuming that the feature quantities of the two captured images are C(x, y) and C'(x, y), the similarity between the two images is calculated from the feature quantities of the two captured images. If the image size in the X-axis direction is M and the image size in the Y-axis direction is N, the similarity can be calculated from the following formula (2).

[0078]

number

[0079] The closer the value calculated from formula (2) is to 0, the more similar the function characteristics of the feature quantities at each coordinate are, and the higher the similarity between the two images can be determined. The total amount of calculation required for similarity determination based on feature point comparison can be calculated from formula (2).

[0080] In addition, a method of determining the similarity in feature point matching is, for example, to set a threshold value α, and if T, the result of equation (2), satisfies the following relational equation (3), then the similarity between the two images is high and these images can be determined to be similar images. 0≦T≦α…(3)

[0081] In S804, the first control unit 223 performs a second similarity determination process on the two captured images input from the memory 215. The second similarity determination process is a similarity determination process by histogram comparison. The similarity determination process by histogram comparison requires a smaller amount of calculation than the similarity determination process by feature point comparison. The similarity determination process by histogram comparison will be described below.

[0082] FIG. 10 is a histogram of an image with a total number of pixels M×N. The horizontal axis of the figure is the luminance value P i The vertical axis is the brightness value P i The frequency of occurrence H[P i ]. When the brightness value is 8 bits, it is expressed as a value between 0 and 255. The total occurrence frequency is the total number of pixels (M × N). In the histogram of this image, the following relationship (4) holds true.

[0083]

number

[0084] In equation (4), A represents the number of brightness values ​​that appear, and M×N on the right side represents the amount of calculation.

[0085] Next, the similarity between the two images is calculated from the histograms of the two captured images. i The frequency of occurrence of each is H[P i ], H'[P i ], then the similarity between the two images is calculated using the following equation (5).

[0086]

number

[0087] The smaller the value calculated from formula (5), the higher the similarity between the two images. The total amount of calculations required for similarity determination based on histogram comparison can be calculated from formula (5).

[0088] In addition, a method of determining similarity in histogram matching is, for example, to set a threshold value β, and if K normalized by 2×M×N from the result of equation (4) satisfies the following relational equation (6), the similarity between the two images is high and they can be determined to be similar images. 0≦K≦β<1…(6)

[0089] In this way, the similarity determination process is switched to the first similarity determination process or the second similarity determination process depending on the interval of the photographing time of the images acquired in S801. If the interval of the photographing time is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it is determined that the frequency of occurrence of similar images is low because of single-shot photographing, and the first similarity determination process is selected as the similarity determination process.

[0090] On the other hand, if the interval between photographing times is less than a predetermined value, it is determined that similar images occur frequently because of continuous photographing, and the second similarity determination process, which has a smaller amount of calculation than the first similarity determination process, is selected as the similarity determination process. By using similarity determination processes with different amounts of calculation in combination, the similarity determination process can be performed even during automatic photographing without affecting the automatic photographing process.

[0091] In S805, the first control unit 223 determines whether or not there is an image determined to be similar based on the results of the first similarity determination process and the second similarity determination process. If it is determined that there is an image determined to be similar, the process proceeds to S806, and if not, the automatic image deletion process ends.

[0092] In S806, the first control unit 223 creates a group of images determined to be similar in S805.

[0093] In S807, the first control unit 223 deletes at least one image from each group of images determined to be similar. For example, if there are four images determined to be similar, the first control unit 223 leaves the image captured most recently among the images and deletes the other three images.

[0094] In the present embodiment, a method for automatically capturing images that match the user's preferences by extracting scenes that are thought to be preferred by the user, learning their characteristics, and reflecting them in automatic capture has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this application. For example, the present invention may be used to propose images that are different from the user's own preferences.

[0095] In this embodiment, a wireless connection is established between the imaging device 101 and the smart device 301. The user can perform various operations on the imaging device 101 from a dedicated application on the smart device. That is, the communication unit 222 receives an instruction from the dedicated application on the smart device, and the first control unit 223 controls each unit of the imaging device 101 in response to the instruction, thereby realizing the above. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, when a group including a plurality of similar images 1604 to 1609 received from the imaging device 101 is displayed on the display unit 407 of the smart device 301, the user selects an image that he / she wants to keep, and the communication unit 222 receives an instruction to delete the remaining images. In response to this instruction, the first control unit 223 deletes the images instructed to be deleted.

[0096] [Embodiment 2] In the first embodiment, the method used for the similarity determination process is changed to perform processes with different amounts of calculations depending on the interval between images taken, and the similarity between the multiple captured images is determined. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, the method used for the similarity determination process is the same as that using feature point comparison, but the images used for the process are changed to perform processes with different amounts of calculations and determine the similarity between the multiple captured images.

[0097] Fig. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the automatic image deletion process according to the second embodiment. Only the points different from the flowchart for the automatic image deletion process of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 8 will be explained. When the first control unit 223 determines that the interval between the acquired shooting times is less than a predetermined value, the process proceeds to S1201.

[0098] In S1201, the first control unit 223 performs a reduction process to reduce an image. Here, the amount of calculation required for the image reduction process is smaller than the amount of calculation required for the similarity determination process.

[0099] In S803, the first similarity determination process by feature point comparison is performed using not only the unprocessed image but also the reduced image. Compared to performing the first similarity determination process using the image input as is, performing the first similarity determination process using the reduced image requires less computational effort.

[0100] Here, the amount of calculation required to reduce a captured image by half in the X-axis and Y-axis directions will be described with reference to FIG.

[0101] As image reduction processing, bilinear resizing processing is performed.

[0102] P i When (x, y) is the luminance value of the pixel at coordinates (x, y), the image size in the X-axis direction is M, and the image size in the Y-axis direction is N, the amount of calculation is expressed by the following equation (7).

[0103]

number

[0104] Compared with the above-mentioned formula (2), the amount of calculations calculated by formula (7) is small, and the number of calculations of the feature amount can be reduced in conjunction with the number of pixels. Therefore, the amount of calculations can be reduced when calculating the feature amount for a reduced image compared with when calculating the feature amount for the original image before reduction.

[0105] [Embodiment 3] In the first embodiment, whether to perform similarity determination processing by feature point comparison or similarity determination processing by histogram comparison is switched depending on the interval of the photographing time. However, similarity determination processing by histogram comparison has a smaller amount of calculation compared to similarity determination processing by feature point comparison, but is less accurate. Specifically, similarity determination processing by histogram comparison is easily affected by contrast, etc., and if the contrast changes between multiple images, the images will be determined to be dissimilar even if the main subjects are similar.

[0106] Therefore, in the third embodiment, the reliability of the second similarity determination process by histogram comparison is calculated based on the result of the second similarity determination process. For images that have undergone the similarity determination process by histogram comparison, the first similarity determination process is performed again according to the calculated reliability value. This makes it possible to determine the similarity of multiple images with high accuracy.

[0107] Fig. 14 is a flowchart for explaining the automatic image deletion process according to the third embodiment. Only the points different from the flowchart of the automatic image deletion process of the first embodiment in Fig. 8 will be explained. In S1401, the first control unit 223 calculates the reliability of the result of the second similarity determination process in S804, and judges whether the calculated reliability is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If it is judged that the calculated reliability is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to S805, and if not, the process proceeds to S803, where the first similarity determination process is performed again.

[0108] Here, the method for calculating the reliability will be explained. i Let (x, y) be the luminance value of the pixel at coordinates (x, y), and let P i The frequency of occurrence of each is H[P i ], H'[P i ]. If the reliability coefficient is ε, then ΔH[P i Calculate the number r of ]. ΔH[P i ]=H[P i ]-H'[P i ]≦ε…(8)

[0109] ΔH[P i If the number r of ΔH[P i If the value of the number r of ΔH[P i If the value of the number r of [ ] is less than the value of the reliability s, the accuracy of the similarity determination can be improved by performing similarity determination again on the images used in the processing using feature point comparison.

[0110] In addition, by switching the similarity determination process, it is possible to create groups of similar images with higher accuracy while reducing the amount of calculation required for the similarity determination process, and by deleting unnecessary images, the user can obtain the image they want.

[0111] In the first to third embodiments, the Euclidean distance is used when calculating the feature amount, but the present invention is not limited to this and an algorithm such as AKAZE or ORB may be used.

[0112] In addition, in the first and third embodiments, a similarity determination process using histogram matching is performed as a process that requires less computational effort than a similarity determination process using feature point comparison. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any similarity determination process using an algorithm that requires less computational effort than a similarity determination process using feature point comparison may be used.

[0113] [Other embodiments] The various controls described above as being performed by the control unit of the imaging device 101 or the CPU of a PC may be performed by a single piece of hardware, or the entire device may be controlled by multiple pieces of hardware (e.g., multiple processors or circuits) sharing the processing.

[0114] In addition, although the present invention has been described in detail based on the preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms within the scope of the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, each of the above-mentioned embodiments merely shows one embodiment of the present invention, and each embodiment can be appropriately combined.

[0115] The present invention can also be realized by executing the following process. That is, software (programs) that realize the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments are supplied to a system or device via a network or various storage media, and the computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or device reads and executes the program code. In this case, the program and the storage medium storing the program constitute the present invention.

[0116] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configurations and methods.

[0117] (Configuration 1) An imaging means for capturing an image; a recording means for controlling the image to be automatically recorded on a recording medium in accordance with a predetermined condition; a photographing interval acquisition means for acquiring a photographing interval between a plurality of images recorded on the recording medium; a determining means for determining the similarity of the automatically captured images by switching a method for determining the similarity of the multiple images to a first method or a second method having a different amount of calculation required for similarity determination processing according to the shooting interval acquired by the shooting interval acquiring means; An imaging device comprising:

[0118] (Configuration 2) When the second method requires a smaller amount of calculation for the similarity determination process than the first method, If the photographing interval is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the determining means determines the similarity of the plurality of images by the first method, 2. The imaging device according to configuration 1, wherein, if the shooting interval is less than a predetermined value, the determining means determines the similarity between the plurality of images by the second method.

[0119] (Configuration 3) the first method performs a similarity determination process by comparing feature points; 3. The imaging device according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the second method performs similarity determination processing by comparing histograms.

[0120] (Configuration 4) Further comprising a reliability calculation means for calculating the reliability of the determination result by the second method, The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that if the reliability calculated by the reliability calculation means is less than a predetermined value, the multiple images judged by the second method are re-evaluated by the first method.

[0121] (Configuration 5) In both the first method and the second method, when the similarity determination process is performed by feature point comparison, The first method uses the plurality of images in a similarity determination process; 5. The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1, 2 and 4, wherein the second method uses reduced images of the plurality of images for the similarity determination process.

[0122] (Configuration 6) The image processing device further includes a deleting means for deleting the image, The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the deletion means deletes from the recording medium at least one image out of a plurality of images determined to have a high degree of similarity by the determination means.

[0123] (Configuration 7) The imaging device according to configuration 6, wherein the deletion means deletes from the recording medium, among the plurality of images determined by the determination means to have a high similarity, images other than the last image taken.

[0124] (Configuration 8) A search means for searching for a subject in the captured image; The camera further includes an adjustment unit that adjusts the angle of view so that the subject searched for by the search unit is included in the angle of view based on the predetermined condition, 8. The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, wherein the imaging means captures an image at the adjusted angle of view, and automatically records the captured image on the recording medium.

[0125] (Configuration 9) The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, characterized in that after the imaging device automatically captures a plurality of images, the determination means determines the similarity of the plurality of images while the imaging device is automatically capturing a new image or while the imaging device is not capturing images.

[0126] (Configuration 10) The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, characterized in that, when the remaining capacity of the recording medium is less than a predetermined amount, the determination means determines the similarity of the multiple images automatically captured.

[0127] (Configuration 11) An imaging step of capturing an image; a recording step of controlling the image to be automatically recorded on a recording medium in accordance with a predetermined condition; a photographing interval acquisition step of acquiring a photographing interval of a plurality of images recorded on the recording medium; a determination step of determining the similarity of the automatically captured images by switching a method of determining the similarity of the multiple images to a first method or a second method having a different amount of calculation for similarity determination processing according to the shooting interval acquired by the shooting interval acquisition step; 13. A method for controlling an imaging apparatus comprising:

[0128] (Configuration 12) 12. A program for causing a computer to execute the imaging device control method according to claim 11.

[0129] (Configuration 13) 12. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing a computer to execute the method for controlling an imaging apparatus according to claim 11.

Claims

1. An imaging unit, A control means that controls the imaging unit to automatically record the image obtained by the imaging unit onto a recording medium according to predetermined conditions, A determination means for determining the similarity of images, comprising a first method, or a second method which reduces the computational load for similarity determination compared to the first method, for determining the similarity of multiple images. The determination means determines the similarity of multiple images using the second method for multiple images with a short interval between captures, and determines the similarity of multiple images using the first method for multiple images with a long interval between captures. An imaging device characterized by the following features.

2. The determination means is If the interval between taking multiple images is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the similarity of the multiple images is determined by the first method. If the interval between taking multiple images is less than the predetermined value, the similarity of the multiple images is determined by the second method. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

3. The determination means determines the similarity of multiple images obtained by single-shot photography using the first method, and determines the similarity of multiple images obtained by continuous shooting using the second method. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

4. Having means for acquiring the shooting interval of a plurality of images recorded on the recording medium, The determination means switches the method for determining the similarity of the multiple images to either the first method or the second method, according to the shooting interval obtained by the shooting interval acquisition means. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

5. The first method described above is a similarity determination process by comparing feature points, The second method described above is a similarity determination process using histogram comparison. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

6. The system further includes a reliability calculation means for calculating the reliability of the determination result obtained by the second method described above. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that if the confidence level calculated by the confidence level calculation means is less than a predetermined value, the plurality of images determined by the second method are re-evaluated by the first method.

7. The first method is a similarity determination process using the multiple images, The second method is a similarity determination process using reduced images obtained from the multiple images. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

8. The system further includes a deletion means for deleting an image from the recording medium, The control means controls the recording of the image captured by the imaging unit onto the recording medium when predetermined conditions for automatic shooting are met. The deletion means automatically deletes similar images according to the similarity determination result of the determination means when an image is recorded by automatic shooting based on the predetermined conditions. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the deletion means deletes at least one image from the recording medium among a plurality of images determined to have a high degree of similarity by the determination means.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the deletion means deletes from the recording medium any image other than the last image taken from a plurality of images determined to have a high degree of similarity by the determination means.

11. Search means for searching for a subject from an image captured by the aforementioned imaging unit, The system further includes an adjustment unit that adjusts the field of view of the imaging unit so that the subject searched by the search means is included in the field of view based on the predetermined conditions, The imaging unit performs imaging with the field of view adjusted by the adjustment unit. The imaging apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the control means controls the imaging apparatus to automatically record the image obtained by imaging onto the recording medium.

12. The imaging device according to claim 11, characterized in that, after the imaging device has automatically captured a plurality of images, the determination means determines the similarity of the plurality of images while it is automatically capturing a new image or while it is not capturing an image.

13. The imaging apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the determination means determines the similarity of a plurality of images recorded by the automatic shooting when the remaining capacity of the recording medium is less than a predetermined amount.

14. The imaging device according to claim 8, characterized in that the predetermined conditions for automatic shooting are the detection of at least one of a change in the facial expression of a specific subject, a specific sound, a specific vibration, a specific change in the environment, and a specific passage of time.

15. A recording control step that controls the system to automatically record images captured by the imaging unit onto a recording medium according to predetermined conditions, A determination step for determining the similarity of images, comprising a determination step for determining the similarity of multiple images using a first method or a second method which reduces the computational amount in the similarity determination compared to the first method, A control method for an image recording device, characterized in that, in the determination step, for multiple images with a short interval between captures, the similarity of the multiple images is determined using the second method, and for multiple images with a long interval between captures, the similarity of the multiple images is determined using the first method.

16. A program for causing a computer to execute the control method for the image recording device described in claim 15.

17. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program is stored causing a computer to execute the control method for the image recording device described in claim 15.

18. A program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of the imaging apparatus described in any one of claims 1 to 14.

Images