Interval imaging device

Abstract

To provide an interval imaging device that captures images under a suitable imaging condition in accordance with the state of a user's motion.SOLUTION: An interval imaging device 2 comprises: imaging units 11, 12 capable of capturing images in a plurality of shooting modes; motion sensors 13, 14 for detecting the motion of the interval imaging device; a motion determination unit 24a for determining from the detection results of the motion sensors whether there has been a motion; a timing generation unit 24b for generating at prescribed intervals a trigger signal for the imaging unit to capture images; and an imaging control unit 24c for controlling the imaging unit and the timing generation unit in accordance with the detection result of the motion determination unit. The imaging unit has a standard mode for shooting at a standard angle of view and a wide angle mode for shooting at a wide angle, and the imaging control unit controls the imaging unit so as to shoot in the standard mode when motion is detected (moving state) and shoot in the wide angle mode when no motion is detected (still state).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an interval imaging device used as a life log camera or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known an interval imaging device (life log camera) that is attached to a moving body of a user or the like and automatically captures images intermittently to obtain the behavior history of the moving body. In this case, since the images are captured automatically, there is a problem that the images are captured even in a state that is not suitable for capturing images. In relation to this, Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic imaging device that determines whether the state is suitable for capturing images or not, and controls so as not to capture images when it is determined that the state is suitable for capturing images. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP2009-147647A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to Patent Document 1, for example, when the imaging device is in a dark place where there is not enough light or when the imaging lens is covered by a jacket or the like, automatic imaging will not be performed, making it possible to capture only images that are meaningful to the user.

[0005] In the conventional interval imaging device including Patent Document 1, the imaging conditions are uniformly determined regardless of the state of the user's movement. However, from the viewpoint of grasping the user's behavior history, the focus of the behavior history differs depending on the state of the user's movement (whether the user is still or moving). For example, when the user is still, it is preferable to obtain an image that includes a wide range of scenery surrounding the user, and when the user is moving, it is preferable to obtain an image of a narrow range of changes in the scenery in front of the user. In addition, in order to efficiently store the imaging data in a limited memory unit, it is also important to set the time interval (interval) between images taken as the behavior history when the user is still and when the user is moving.

[0006] Conventional techniques such as Patent Document 1 take into consideration not taking images that are meaningless to the user, but do not particularly consider the relationship between the above-mentioned user's movement state and the shooting conditions.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and has as its object to provide an interval imaging device that performs interval imaging under suitable imaging conditions according to the state of a user's movement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the interval imaging device of the present invention comprises an imaging unit capable of imaging in a plurality of shooting modes, a motion sensor that detects movement of the interval imaging device, a motion determination unit that determines the presence or absence of movement from the detection result of the motion sensor, a timing generation unit that generates a trigger signal for the imaging unit to capture images at predetermined intervals, and an imaging control unit that controls the imaging unit and the timing generation unit in accordance with the determination result of the motion determination unit, and the imaging control unit controls the imaging unit to switch between a shooting mode when there is movement (moving state) and a shooting mode when there is no movement (stationary state).

[0009] Preferably, the imaging unit has a standard mode for shooting at a standard angle of view and a wide-angle mode for shooting at a wide angle, and the shooting control unit controls the imaging unit to shoot in the standard mode when in motion and in the wide-angle mode when in a stationary state.

[0010] Alternatively, the imaging unit is capable of acquiring captured images in multiple formats, and the imaging control unit controls the imaging unit to acquire one of the captured images in the multiple formats in a moving state, and to acquire all of the captured images in the multiple formats in a stationary state. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an interval imaging device that efficiently captures images that are effective as history images in accordance with the state of a user's movement. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a view showing a state in which the interval image capturing device 2 according to the first embodiment is attached. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the interval imaging device 2. [Diagram 3] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing examples of a standard angle of view image and a wide angle image. [Figure 4A] 4 is a time chart showing an example of interval shooting. [Figure 4B] 4 is a time chart showing an example of interval shooting. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing an interval shooting operation. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a view showing a mounting state of an interval imaging device (omnidirectional camera 3) according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] Block diagram of omnidirectional camera 3. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is an external view of an interval imaging device (HMD4) according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] Block diagram of HMD4. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a view showing a state in which the interval imaging device 6 according to the fourth embodiment is attached. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an interval imaging device 6. [Figure 12] 4 is a time chart showing an example of interval shooting. [Figure 13] 4 is a flowchart showing an interval shooting operation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The interval imaging device of the present invention is worn by a user and captures images of the outside world intermittently, and is equipped with an imaging unit (camera) capable of capturing images in a plurality of imaging modes. In the following examples, the configuration of the imaging unit will be specifically described for different cases. EXAMPLES

[0014] 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a user wears an interval imaging device 2 according to Example 1. The interval imaging device 2 is worn on the head of a user 1 by a wearing belt 7. The interval imaging device 2 is provided with a standard camera 11 that captures an image in front of the user 1 and a wide-angle camera 12 as imaging units that capture images of the outside.

[0015] 2 is a block diagram of the interval imaging device 2. In addition to the standard camera 11 and wide-angle camera 12 described above, sensors include an acceleration sensor 13, a gyro sensor 14, a geomagnetic sensor 15, a position sensor 16, and an illuminance sensor 17. In addition, it includes a user setting unit 18, a communication unit 19, a CPU (or microcomputer) 20, a RAM 21, and a flash ROM 22, and each unit is connected via an internal bus 26.

[0016] Standard camera 11 and wide-angle camera 12 are cameras that capture standard angle images and wide-angle images, respectively, and are switched between depending on the state of movement of user 1, as described below. The captured images are intended to obtain the user's behavior history, and may be still images or short videos. The captured image data is stored in the captured data storage unit 25, or in an external storage device via communication unit 19.

[0017] The acceleration sensor 13 and the gyro sensor 14 detect the movement, shaking, etc. of the interval imaging device 2 (i.e., the user 1 wearing it). The acceleration sensor 13 detects acceleration in one, two or three axes, and the gyro sensor 14 detects angular velocity in one, two or three axes.

[0018] A geomagnetic sensor 15 acquires azimuth information of the interval imaging device 2, and a position sensor (e.g., a GPS receiver) 16 acquires position information, which are attached to the image data as metadata of the captured image and handled accordingly. An illuminance sensor 17 detects the brightness of the surroundings and is used to adjust the shooting conditions of the camera.

[0019] The user setting section 18 is an operation input section for allowing the user to set the time interval (shooting interval) of interval shooting and the like to a desired value.

[0020] The communication unit 19 includes all or some of the communication functions of mobile communication such as 4G, wireless LAN communication, Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication, etc. The communication unit 19 can also transmit image data captured by the standard camera 11 and the wide-angle camera 12 to an external storage device via a network.

[0021] The CPU 20 loads a program 23 stored in a flash ROM 22 into a RAM 21 and executes the program 23 to control each component of the interval imaging device 2 and realize various functions.

[0022] The flash ROM 22 includes a program 23 and a shooting data storage unit 25. The program 23 further includes a motion determination process 24a, a timing generation process 24b, and a shooting control process 24c that constitute an interval shooting application 24. When the interval shooting application 24 is executed, the corresponding functional blocks (the motion determination unit 24a, the timing generation unit 24b, and the shooting control unit 24c) are configured.

[0023] The motion determination unit 24a compares the detection values ​​of the acceleration sensor 13 and the gyro sensor 14 with a separately set threshold value to determine whether the interval imaging device 2 (i.e., the user 1 wearing it) is moving. If the interval imaging device 2 (user 1) is moving at a constant speed, it is determined that there is motion (motion state). The current speed can be calculated by integrating the acceleration over time.

[0024] The timing generation unit 24b generates a trigger signal indicating the timing of shooting at the set shooting interval. The shooting control unit 24c switches the shooting mode, i.e., switches between the standard camera 11 and the wide-angle camera 12, based on the determination result of the movement determination unit 24a, and controls the generation of the trigger signal by the timing generation unit 24b. The CPU 20, the RAM 21, and the flash ROM 22 may be implemented in a single integrated circuit.

[0025] 3 is a diagram showing examples of a standard angle of view image and a wide angle image. In this embodiment, the imaging mode includes a standard mode and a wide angle mode, which are switched between appropriately. In the standard mode, a standard angle of view image 81 is captured by the standard camera 11, and in the wide angle mode, a wide angle image 82 is captured by the wide angle camera 12. The standard angle of view image 81 is an image that includes, for example, the surroundings of a person 83 in front, while the wide angle image 82 can capture a wide range of the background and is effective for grasping the background situation in more detail.

[0026] 4A and 4B are time charts showing an example of interval shooting. From the top of the drawing, the time transitions of the movement determination result, shooting timing, and shooting mode are shown.

[0027] The motion determination result is the determination made by the motion determination unit 24a of the state of motion of the interval imaging device 2. Hereinafter, a state with motion and its period will be referred to as a "motion state" and a "motion period", and a state without motion and its period will be referred to as a "stationary state" and a "stationary period". In this figure, the "motion state" is written as "motion" and the "stationary state" as "stationary".

[0028] The photographing timing signals T1 to T11 are generated by a timing generating unit 24b, and a trigger signal to the camera is generated based on these signals. The photographing mode includes a standard mode and a wide-angle mode, and is switched by a photographing control unit 24c.

[0029] The description will begin with Fig. 4A. The interval ΔT between the photographing timings is constant except for sections [T2, T3] and [T8, T9], and is set to a value suitable for obtaining the user's behavior history in units of seconds, minutes, or hours via the user setting unit 18. For example, the photographing interval ΔT is set to about several minutes.

[0030] At T3 and T9, where the state of motion transitions from a moving state to a stationary state, the interval of the previous shooting timing is reset and a new shooting timing is set. That is, T3 and T9 become new shooting timings, and thereafter, intervals ΔT are set based on these.

[0031] This allows the camera to capture images immediately after the user transitions to a stationary state, so that even if the period of the stationary state is shorter than the interval ΔT between capture timings, the camera will not miss a capture. Note that the user's body may be unstable immediately after transitioning to the stationary state at T3 and T9. Therefore, by analyzing the detailed values ​​of the acceleration sensor 13 and the gyro sensor 14 and confirming that the user is in a stable stationary state before capturing an image, a more stable captured image can be obtained.

[0032] Next, the shooting mode is switched according to the motion determination result. At the timings (T1, T2, T5, etc.) when the motion state is a moving state, shooting is performed in a standard mode using only the standard camera 11. The standard camera 11 may have a smaller number of pixels than the wide-angle camera 12.

[0033] On the other hand, at the timings (T3, T4, T9) when the motion state is stationary, shooting is performed in wide-angle mode using the wide-angle camera 12. Note that in the wide-angle mode, shooting may also be performed using the standard camera 11 at the same time.

[0034] FIG. 4B shows an increase in the number of shooting timings during the stationary period compared to FIG. 4A. In the stationary period [T3, T4], shooting timings of T3a and T3b are added, and in the period [T9, T10], shooting timings of T9a and T9b are added, and shooting is performed in wide-angle mode. For example, the shooting interval ΔT' during the stationary period is set to about several tens of seconds. This allows the surrounding situation to be observed in more detail when there are moving or changing objects in the vicinity.

[0035] 5 is a flow chart showing the interval shooting operation. The shooting operation is performed by the interval shooting application 24 (motion determination unit 24a, timing generation unit 24b, shooting control unit 24c). As parameters, a timer value t, a motion flag F, a shooting interval ΔT during a moving period (first shooting interval), and a shooting interval ΔT' during a stationary period (second shooting interval) are used. The motion flag F is set to F=1 in a moving state and F=0 in a stationary state.

[0036] S101: When shooting starts, the timer value t is reset (t=0). S102: The initial value of the motion flag F is set to F=1 (motion state). S103: The outputs of the acceleration sensor 13 and the gyro sensor 14 are acquired. S104: The movement determining unit 24a determines the state of the movement.

[0037] S105: If the device is in motion, proceed to S106. If the device is in a stationary state, proceed to S109. S106: If the current motion flag F is other than 1 (F=0), F=1 is set. S107: The timer value t is compared with the first shooting interval ΔT. If t≧ΔT, proceed to S108, and if not, proceed to S115. S108: Shooting is performed in standard mode, that is, with the standard camera 11. As a result, in the moving state, shooting is performed in standard mode at the first shooting interval ΔT.

[0038] S109: If the object is in a stationary state in S105, the process branches depending on whether the current motion flag F is 1. If F=1, the process proceeds to S110, otherwise (F=0), the process proceeds to S112. S110: The motion flag F is rewritten from 1 to 0. S111: Shooting is performed in wide-angle mode, that is, with wide-angle camera 12. As a result, shooting is performed in wide-angle mode at the timing of transition from a moving state to a stationary state (timings T3 and T9 in FIG. 4B). S112: Since the still state (F=0) continues, the timer value t is compared with the second shooting interval ΔT'. If t≧ΔT', proceed to S111, and wide-angle mode shooting is performed at the second shooting interval ΔT' in the still state. If t≧ΔT' is not true, proceed to S115.

[0039] S113: The captured image is stored in the captured image data storage unit 25, or is transmitted from the communication unit 19 to an external storage and stored therein. S114: The timer value t is reset (t=0). S115: The timer value t is counted up. S116: Determine whether or not to continue shooting. If to continue, return to S103 and repeat the above process.

[0040] According to the configuration of the first embodiment described above, when the subject is still, the wide-angle camera 12 can capture images that are useful for observing the background, and by shortening the shooting interval, more abundant image information can be captured. In addition, since shooting is performed immediately after the transition from a moving state to a stationary state, shooting in the stationary state is not missed even if the stationary period is short. On the other hand, since shooting is performed using only the standard camera 11 during motion, the capacity of the shooting data storage unit 25 and the power consumption of the device can be saved, and an efficient interval imaging device can be realized.

[0041] In the above description, the switching of the shooting mode means switching between shooting with the standard camera 11 and shooting with the wide-angle camera 12 depending on the state of movement, but it is also possible to select and store only the shot images corresponding to the state of movement in the shooting data storage unit 25 after shooting with both cameras 11, 12. This also applies to the following embodiments. EXAMPLES

[0042] In the second embodiment, a case will be described in which an omnidirectional camera is used as an imaging unit for interval photography.

[0043] 6 is a diagram showing a state in which a user wears an interval imaging device (omnidirectional camera 3) according to Example 2. The user 1 wears the omnidirectional camera 3 on his / her head using a mounting jig 8 such as a helmet. The omnidirectional camera 3 has a front half celestial sphere optical system 31 that captures an image in front of the user 1 and a rear half celestial sphere optical system 32 that captures an image behind the user 1.

[0044] Fig. 7 shows a block diagram of the omnidirectional camera 3. The same components as those in the interval imaging device 2 of the first embodiment (Fig. 2) are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0045] In the omnidirectional camera 3, the first half celestial sphere optical system 31 is composed of a fisheye lens or the like and captures the first half celestial sphere of the user 1, and similarly the second half celestial sphere optical system 32 is also composed of a fisheye lens or the like and captures the second half celestial sphere of the user 1. The captured images of the first half celestial sphere and the second half celestial sphere are projected onto an imaging sensor (image pickup element) 33 and extracted as image data. At this time, by selecting the detection area of ​​the image pickup element, it is possible to obtain the captured images of the first half celestial sphere and the second half celestial sphere separately.

[0046] Interval photography using the omnidirectional camera 3 is performed in the same timing and in the same mode as in the first embodiment shown in Figs. 4A and 4B. The flowchart of the photography operation is the same as in Fig. 5. However, in terms of the photography mode, in the standard mode, an image of the first half of the celestial sphere is obtained using the first half of the celestial sphere optical system 31. In the wide-angle mode, an image of the entire celestial sphere is obtained using both the first half of the celestial sphere optical system 31 and the second half of the celestial sphere optical system 32.

[0047] With the above configuration, according to the second embodiment, it is possible to obtain an image that is effective for background observation using a celestial sphere image when the user is stationary, and also to obtain a history image at a predetermined shooting interval when the user is exercising. EXAMPLES

[0048] In the third embodiment, a case will be described in which a head mounted display (HMD) is used as an imaging unit for interval photography.

[0049] FIG. 8 is an external view of an interval imaging device (head mounted display (HMD) 4) according to the third embodiment. The device includes a left eye gaze camera 41, a right eye gaze camera 42, left and right projection optical systems 44a and 44b, a display optical system 45 such as a lens and a screen, a speaker 46, a microphone 47, frame housings 48a to 48c, a nose pad 49, and a controller 50. The controller 50, the left eye gaze camera 41, the right eye gaze camera 42, the speaker 46, and the microphone 47 are disposed in the frame housings 48a to 48c. The locations of these components do not need to be as shown in FIG. 8. Furthermore, a group of sensors such as an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and a position sensor are built in.

[0050] The user 1 wears the HMD 4 on his / her head using the frame housings 48a, 48b and nose pad 49. The left eye gaze camera 41 and the right eye gaze camera 42 form a three-dimensional camera that captures an image in front of the user's line of sight and can measure the distance to an object in real space captured in the captured image by using the parallax between the left eye and the right eye. The measured distance is used as depth information of the captured image, which helps to understand the captured image.

[0051] The controller 50 takes into its internal memory and CPU the images of the real space captured by the left-eye gaze camera 41 and the right-eye gaze camera 42, as well as distance data to objects in the real space. Furthermore, the controller 50 creates images to be projected by the projection optical systems 44a and 44b using computer graphics or the like, and also creates sounds to be output from the speaker 46.

[0052] The projection optical systems 44a and 44b and the display optical system 45 form a display unit of the HMD 4. The projection optical systems 44a and 44b separate the image of a virtual object created by the controller 50 into an image for the left eye and an image for the right eye, and project and display them on the display optical system 45. The user 1 can view the scenery and real objects in front of him / her through the transmissive display optical system 45, and can also visually recognize the images of the virtual objects projected from the projection optical systems 44a and 44b superimposed on the display optical system 45.

[0053] Fig. 9 shows a block diagram of the head mounted display (HMD) 4. The same components as those in Fig. 8 are given the same reference numerals, and other elements include a sensor group 43, a distance calculation unit 51, a communication unit 52, a CPU 53, a RAM 54, an image RAM 55, and a flash ROM 56, and each unit is connected by an internal bus 60.

[0054] 8, and projects the left-eye image and the right-eye image independently onto the display optical system 45. Alternatively, a single projector may project interleaved left-eye and right-eye images, and a shutter optical system may project the left-eye image and the right-eye image onto each eye. Furthermore, an optical system using a holographic lens may be used.

[0055] The communication unit 52 has a number of communication functions such as mobile communication, wireless LAN, and Bluetooth (registered trademark), and connects the HMD 4 to an external storage or the like via a network.

[0056] The CPU 53 loads a program stored in the flash ROM 56 into the RAM 54 and executes the program to control the operation of each component of the HMD 4. The image RAM 55 stores image data to be sent to the projection optical system 44.

[0057] The flash ROM 56 includes a basic operation program 57, a processing program for an interval photography application 58, and a photography data storage unit 59. The basic operation program 57 performs projection operation processing as the HMD 4, and the interval photography application 58 performs the motion determination processing 24a, timing generation processing 24b, and photography control processing 24c described in the first embodiment (FIG. 2). The photography data storage unit 59 also stores image data captured by the camera.

[0058] Interval photography using the HMD 4 in this embodiment is performed in the same shooting timing and shooting mode as shown in Figs. 4A and 4B in the first embodiment. The shooting operation flowchart is the same as that in Fig. 5. However, regarding the shooting mode, in the standard mode, shooting is performed using the left eye gaze camera 41 or the right eye gaze camera 42. In the wide-angle mode, three-dimensional shooting is performed using both the left eye gaze camera 41 and the right eye gaze camera 42.

[0059] With the above configuration, according to the third embodiment, it is possible to obtain images that are effective for background observation using three-dimensional images when the user is stationary, and to obtain history images at a predetermined shooting interval when the user is exercising. In addition, it is possible to reduce the amount of shooting data and power consumption of the history images during exercise.

[0060] Furthermore, when the HMD 4 is used as in this embodiment, the optical axes of the lenses of the left eye gaze camera 41 and the right eye gaze camera 42 can be made to substantially coincide with the user's line of sight, so that the scenery that the user actually sees can be saved as a stereoscopic photograph. Also, by operating the projection optical system 44 and the display optical system 45, there is an advantage that images that have already been taken can be viewed retroactively without interrupting the interval shooting. EXAMPLES

[0061] In the embodiment 4, a configuration is adopted in which a multi-level determination is made in the motion determination process in the embodiment 1. Specifically, the motion of the user's head and the motion of the torso are detected, and the motions are compared to control shooting.

[0062] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a user wears an interval imaging device 6 according to a fourth embodiment. As in the first embodiment (Fig. 1), a main body 6a (hereinafter, device main body) of the interval imaging device 6 is worn on the head of the user 1 by a wearing belt 7. The device main body 6a is equipped with a standard camera 11 and a wide-angle camera 12. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a sensor terminal 6b is worn on the torso (for example, the chest) of the user 1. The sensor terminal 6b detects the movement of the torso of the user 1.

[0063] In the interval imaging device 6 of this embodiment, the motion is determined using the motion data of the user's head and the motion data of the user's torso. In the following, in order to distinguish between the two motion data, the motion of the user's head will be referred to as "first motion data" and the motion of the user's torso will be referred to as "second motion data."

[0064] Fig. 11 shows a block diagram of the interval imaging device 6. The configuration of the device main body 6a is the same as that of the first embodiment (Fig. 2), and the acceleration sensor 13 and the gyro sensor 14 serve as a "first motion sensor" that detects the motion of the user's head. As described in Fig. 2, the interval photography application 24 includes a motion determination process 24a, a timing generation process 24b, and a photography control process 24c. Note that some of the components of the device main body 6a are omitted in this diagram.

[0065] The sensor terminal 6b includes an acceleration sensor 61, a gyro sensor 62, a communication unit 63, a CPU (or a microcomputer) 64, a RAM 65, and a flash ROM 66. Among these, the acceleration sensor 61 and the gyro sensor 62 serve as a "second motion sensor" that detects the motion of the user's torso.

[0066] The communication unit 63 is compatible with a low-power communication protocol such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) and performs one-to-one communication with the communication unit 19 of the device main body 6a. The operation program 67 stored in the flash ROM 66 is for acquiring the motion data of the user's torso by the second motion sensors 61, 62 and transmitting the data to the device main body 6a.

[0067] The sensor terminal 6b acquires motion data of the user's torso in conjunction with the photographing operation of the device body 6a. Specifically, when a motion data request is received from the device body 6a, the sensor terminal 6b transmits the detection values ​​of the acceleration sensor 61 and the gyro sensor 62 to the device body 6a as second motion data.

[0068] The interval imaging device 6 of this embodiment uses the first motion data of the user's head (first motion sensors 13, 14) and the second motion data of the user's torso (second motion sensors 61, 62) to determine the motion state at multiple levels by the motion determination unit 24a. In the determination, the correlation between the two motion data as well as each motion state is examined.

[0069] Specifically, if the first motion data and the second motion data are both "moving" in the same direction and of the same magnitude (correlated), i.e., if the head and torso are moving in sync, it is determined to be "motion state 1" and shooting is performed in standard mode (only standard camera 11). If the first motion data and the second motion data are in different directions and of different sizes (no correlation), i.e., if the head and torso are moving randomly and not in sync, it is determined to be "motion state 2" and camera shooting is restricted (stopped). If both the first motion data and the second motion data are "no motion", it is determined to be "still state" and shooting is performed in wide-angle mode (wide-angle camera 12).

[0070] FIG. 12 is a time chart showing an example of interval shooting. The notation in the figure is the same as in Example 1 (FIG. 4A). The motion determination result is a three-stage determination of the state of motion: "Moving 1," "Moving 2," and "Still." In addition to the standard mode and wide-angle mode, the shooting mode includes an additional mode that restricts shooting. The shooting timing interval ΔT is set in the same way as in FIG. 4A, and at T23 and T30 when the motion determination transitions from a moving state to a still state, the shooting timing interval up to that point is reset and a new shooting timing is set.

[0071] When the motion determination result is "Motion 1," the camera takes pictures in standard mode, for example, T21 and T22. When the motion determination result is "Motion 2," the camera restricts camera shooting, for example, T27 and T28. When the motion determination result is "Still," the camera takes pictures in wide-angle mode, for example, T23 and T24.

[0072] As a result, when the user is moving vigorously, for example, or suddenly turns his / her head to the side, it is determined to be "Exercise 2" and camera shooting is restricted (stopped), so that unnecessary shooting can be avoided. Then, when the user's head and torso move in sync, it is determined to be "Exercise 1" and shooting returns to standard mode.

[0073] In FIG. 12, the interval ΔT between the photographing timings is set to be equal in the standard mode and the wide-angle mode, but as shown in FIG. 4B, a different interval ΔT' may be set in the wide-angle mode.

[0074] Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing interval shooting operation. Steps with the same content as those in the flowchart shown in embodiment 1 (Fig. 5) are given the same numbers. In this embodiment, the movement state is divided into three stages, and "movement state 2" and movement flag F=2 are added. The shooting timing interval is ΔT in standard mode and ΔT' in wide-angle mode. The steps that differ from the flowchart in Fig. 5 are as follows.

[0075] S103a: The output of the first motion sensor (the acceleration sensor 13, the gyro sensor 14) of the device main body 6a is acquired. S103b: The output of the second motion sensor (the acceleration sensor 61 and the gyro sensor 62) of the sensor terminal 6b is acquired.

[0076] S104a: The motion determination unit 24a compares the first motion data with the second motion data to perform a three-stage motion determination. If the first and second motion data are "motion present" and correlated, it is determined to be "motion state 1." If the first and second motion data are "motion present" and not correlated, it is determined to be "motion state 2." If both the first and second motion data are "no motion," it is determined to be a "stationary state."

[0077] S106 to S108: If the result of the determination is that the motion state is 1, the motion flag F is set to 1, and shooting is performed in standard mode at the first shooting interval ΔT. S109 to S112: If the result of the determination is that the subject is still, the motion flag F is set to 0, and shooting is performed in wide-angle mode at the second shooting interval ΔT′. S121 to S122: If the result of the determination is that the motion state is 2, the motion flag F is set to F=2, and the process waits until the next shooting timing without taking any photographs.

[0078] As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the motion is judged using the motion sensors attached to the head and torso of the user, and if there is no correlation between the motion data even if both are in motion, the camera capture is restricted. This reduces unnecessary capture, and saves the capacity of the captured data storage unit and the power consumption of the device, making it possible to realize an efficient interval capture device.

[0079] As a modification of the fourth embodiment, the motion state may be determined at multiple levels according to the magnitude of the motion data using only the first motion sensors 13 and 14 of the device main body 6a. That is, a determination is made as to whether the motion is small or large, and in the case of a large motion exceeding a predetermined value, the camera photography is restricted to reduce unnecessary photography, and the same effect can be obtained.

[0080] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these, and it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with another embodiment. It is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. These all belong to the scope of the present invention, and furthermore, the numerical values ​​appearing in the text and figures are merely examples, and the effect of the present invention is not impaired even if different ones are used.

[0081] For example, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the interval imaging device of the present invention is attached to a user to obtain historical images (life log) of the user. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can also be applied to a case in which the interval imaging device is attached to a moving object such as an animal or a vehicle to obtain images of its behavioral history.

[0082] In addition, some or all of the functions of the invention may be implemented in hardware, for example by designing an integrated circuit. Also, they may be implemented in software by a microprocessor unit, CPU, etc. interpreting and executing an operating program. Furthermore, there is no restriction on the scope of software implementation, and hardware and software may be used together. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1: user, 2, 6: interval imaging device, 3: omnidirectional camera, 4: head mounted display (HMD), 6a: device main body, 6b: sensor terminal, 11: standard camera, 12: wide angle camera, 13, 61: acceleration sensor, 14, 62: gyro sensor, 19, 63: communication unit, 24, 58: interval shooting application, 24a: motion determination process, 24b: timing generation process, 24c: shooting control process, 25, 59: shooting data storage unit, 31: first half celestial sphere optical system, 32: second half celestial sphere optical system, 33: imaging sensor, 41: left eye gaze camera, 42: right eye gaze camera.

Claims

1. A method for photographing a camera device, comprising: a motion determination step of determining whether or not the camera device is moving using a sensor; a trigger generating step of generating a trigger signal at a predetermined interval for performing a photographing process of a subject of the camera device; an imaging step of executing an imaging process based on the trigger signal generated in the trigger generation step; Equipped with When it is determined in the motion determination step that the camera device is moving, the trigger signal is generated at a first interval in the trigger generation step; If it is determined in the motion determination step that there is no motion of the camera device, the trigger signal is generated at a second interval shorter than the first interval in the trigger generation step. A photographing method characterized by the above.

2. A method for photographing a camera device, comprising: a motion determination step of determining whether or not the camera device is moving using a sensor; a trigger generating step of generating a trigger signal at a predetermined interval for an imaging unit of the camera device to perform imaging processing of a surrounding subject; an imaging step in which the imaging unit executes an imaging process based on the trigger signal generated in the trigger generation step; Equipped with the imaging unit includes a first imaging unit capable of capturing an image at a predetermined angle of view and a second imaging unit capable of capturing an image at an angle of view different from that of the first imaging unit; When it is determined in the motion determination step that the camera device is moving, a photographing process is performed using the first photographing unit in the photographing step; When it is determined in the motion determination step that there is no motion of the camera device, the photographing step executes a photographing process using the second photographing unit. A photographing method characterized by the above.

3. A method for photographing a camera device, comprising: a motion determination step of determining whether or not the camera device is moving using a sensor; a trigger generating step of generating a trigger signal at a predetermined interval for an imaging unit of the camera device to perform imaging processing of a surrounding subject; an imaging step in which the imaging unit executes an imaging process based on the trigger signal generated in the trigger generation step; Equipped with The imaging unit includes a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit that is installed at a position different from that of the first imaging unit, When it is determined in the motion determination step that the camera device is moving, a photographing process is performed in the photographing step using either one of the first photographing unit and the second photographing unit; When it is determined in the motion determination step that there is no motion of the camera device, the photographing step executes a photographing process using both the first photographing unit and the second photographing unit. A photographing method characterized by the above.

Images