Image display device, image display method, and program

Abstract

The present invention provides an image display device, an image display method, and a program that stably display the target frame without impairing the ability to track the detected target. [Solution] The image display device 11 includes an image acquisition unit 101 that acquires a series of images, an object detection unit 103 that detects an object from the images, an object frame determination unit 105 that determines an object frame which is the range of the object from the latest image in the image, a dead zone determination unit that determines a dead zone relative to the position of the object frame, a storage unit 260 that stores the previous object frame which corresponds to the object frame determined from the previous image, and the previous dead zone which corresponds to the dead zone determined from the previous image, and a display control unit 109 that displays the object frame if the position of the object is outside the range of the previous dead zone, and displays the previous object frame if it is within the range of the previous dead zone.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image display device, an image display method, and a program, and more particularly to an image display device, an image display method, and a program for displaying a target frame indicating the detected range of a target.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when shooting with a digital camera, when the subject is a person, face detection is performed, and based on the information on the position and size of the detected face, a face frame (target frame) is displayed.

[0003] When continuously displaying a target frame displayed on a display unit composed of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) of a digital camera, a technique for stably displaying the target frame has been proposed.

[0004] For example, in the shooting standby state, detection and non-detection of the face area are repeated, and a target frame (square frame) for indicating the face area may be displayed or not displayed on the live view image (through image). The technique described in Patent Document 1 aims to suppress the repeated display and non-display of this target frame. In the technique described in Patent Document 1, when the subject area is not detected, the detected subject area set immediately before is continuously used as the detected subject area to display the target frame.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In this case, the displayed target frame becomes unstable depending on the movement of the object being detected. For example, if the object being detected is a face, the target frame will move to follow even the slightest movement of the face, resulting in an unstable display of the target frame. On the other hand, a technique has been proposed to reduce the range of movement of the target frame by half, but in this case, the ability of the target frame to follow the object is impaired.

[0007] The technology described in Patent Document 1 is a technology aimed at suppressing the repeated display and hiding of the target frame, and does not address the unstable display of the target frame due to the movement of the target.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and its objective is to provide an image display device, an image display method, and a program that can stably display an object frame without impairing the ability to track a detected object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] An image display device according to one aspect of the present invention for achieving the above objective comprises: an image acquisition unit for acquiring a series of images; an object detection unit for detecting an object from the images; an object frame determination unit for determining an object frame, which is the range of the object, from the latest image in the image; a dead zone determination unit for determining a dead zone relative to the position of the object frame; a storage unit for storing the previous object frame, which corresponds to the object frame determined from the previous image, and the previous dead zone, which corresponds to the dead zone determined from the previous image; and a display control unit that displays the object frame if the position of the object is outside the range of the previous dead zone, and displays the previous object frame if it is within the range of the previous dead zone.

[0010] According to this embodiment, if the target's position is within the range of the previous dead zone, the target frame displayed in the previous instance is shown. Therefore, even with small fluctuations (position fluctuations), the target frame can be displayed stably without changing the position information used for displaying the target frame. Furthermore, if the target's position is outside the range of the previous dead zone, the target frame corresponding to the currently detected target is displayed. Therefore, a target frame with excellent tracking ability (position tracking ability) to the detected target can be displayed.

[0011] Preferably, the target detection unit detects the location information of the target, and the dead zone determination unit changes the dead zone based on the location information.

[0012] Preferably, the dead zone determination unit determines the movement of the target based on the position information and the previous dead zone, and changes the previous dead zone based on the result of the movement determination.

[0013] Another aspect of the present invention is an image display device comprising: an image acquisition unit that acquires a series of images; an object detection unit that detects an object from the images; an object frame determination unit that determines an object frame, which is the range of the object, from the latest image in the image; a dead zone determination unit that determines a dead zone relative to the size of the object frame; a storage unit that stores the previous object frame, which corresponds to the object frame determined from the previous image, and the previous dead zone, which corresponds to the dead zone determined from the previous image; and a display control unit that displays the object frame if the size of the object is outside the range of the previous dead zone, and displays the previous object frame if it is within the range of the previous dead zone.

[0014] According to this embodiment, if the size of the target is within the range of the previous dead zone, the target frame displayed in the previous instance is displayed, so that even with small fluctuations (size fluctuations), the target frame can be displayed stably without changing the size information used for displaying the target frame. Furthermore, if the position of the target is outside the range of the previous dead zone, the target frame corresponding to the target detected this time is displayed, so that a target frame with excellent tracking ability (size tracking ability) to the detected target can be displayed.

[0015] Preferably, the object detection unit detects size information of the object, and the dead zone determination unit changes the dead zone based on the size information.

[0016] Preferably, the dead zone determination unit determines the movement of the object based on the size information and the previous dead zone, and changes the previous dead zone based on the result of the movement determination.

[0017] Preferably, the dead zone determination unit reduces the dead zone in the first direction if the result of the motion determination indicates the first direction.

[0018] Preferably, if the motion determination unit does not indicate a first direction, it increases the dead zone in the first direction.

[0019] Preferably, the dead zone is modified by changing the position or size of the dead zone based on the object detected by the object detection unit.

[0020] Another aspect of the present invention is an image display device comprising: an image acquisition unit that acquires a series of images having information relating to the position of a detected object and the position of an object frame which is the range of the object; a dead zone determination unit that determines a dead zone relative to the position of the object frame; a storage unit that stores the previous object frame corresponding to the object frame determined from the previous image, and the previous dead zone corresponding to the dead zone determined from the previous image; and a display control unit that displays the object frame if the position of the object is outside the range of the previous dead zone, and displays the previous object frame if it is within the range of the previous dead zone.

[0021] Another aspect of the present invention is an image display device, comprising: an image acquisition unit that acquires an image which is a continuous image and has information regarding the size of a detected object and the size of an object frame which is the range of the object; a dead zone determination unit that determines a dead zone with respect to the size of the object frame; a storage unit that stores a previous object frame corresponding to the object frame determined from the image one image before and a previous dead zone corresponding to the dead zone determined from the image one image before; and a display control unit that displays the object frame when the size of the object is outside the range of the previous dead zone and displays the previous object frame when the size of the object is within the range of the previous dead zone.

[0022] Preferably, the display control unit is provided with an information addition unit that records the position information of the displayed object frame in the image.

[0023] Preferably, the dead zone is a dead zone width with respect to the object frame, and the initial value of the dead zone is constant.

[0024] Preferably, the object detected by the object detection unit is an object.

[0025] Preferably, the object is a face or a pupil.

[0026] Preferably, the object frame is rectangular.

[0027] Preferably, the object frame is elliptical.

[0028] Another aspect of the present invention is an image display method, including: a step of acquiring continuous images; a step of detecting an object from the images; a step of determining an object frame which is the range of the object from the latest image in the images; a step of determining a dead zone with respect to the position of the object frame; a step of storing a previous object frame corresponding to the object frame determined from the image one image before and a previous dead zone corresponding to the dead zone determined from the image one image before; and a step of displaying the object frame when the position of the object is outside the range of the previous dead zone and displaying the previous object frame when the position of the object is within the range of the previous dead zone.

[0029] Another aspect of the present invention is an image display method which includes the steps of: acquiring a series of images; detecting an object from the images; determining an object frame, which is the range of the object, from the latest image in the images; determining a dead zone relative to the size of the object frame; storing the previous object frame, which corresponds to the object frame determined from the previous image, and the previous dead zone, which corresponds to the dead zone determined from the previous image; and displaying the object frame if the size of the object is outside the range of the previous dead zone, and displaying the previous object frame if it is within the range of the previous dead zone.

[0030] Another aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer to perform an image display step, which includes the steps of: acquiring a series of images; detecting an object from the images; determining an object frame, which is the range of the object, from the latest image in the images; determining a dead zone relative to the position of the object frame; storing the previous object frame, which corresponds to the object frame determined from the previous image, and the previous dead zone, which corresponds to the dead zone determined from the previous image; and displaying the object frame if the position of the object is outside the range of the previous dead zone, and displaying the previous object frame if it is within the range of the previous dead zone.

[0031] Another aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer to perform an image display step which includes the steps of: acquiring a series of images; detecting an object from the images; determining an object frame, which is the range of the object, from the latest image in the images; determining a dead zone relative to the size of the object frame; storing the previous object frame, which corresponds to the object frame determined from the previous image, and the previous dead zone, which corresponds to the dead zone determined from the previous image; and displaying the object frame if the size of the object is outside the range of the previous dead zone, and displaying the previous object frame if it is within the range of the previous dead zone. [Effects of the Invention]

[0032] According to the present invention, if the position of the target is within the range of the previous dead zone, the target frame displayed in the previous instance is displayed, so the display of the target frame does not change even with slight fluctuations in the target, and the target frame can be displayed stably. Furthermore, if the position of the target is outside the range of the previous dead zone, the target frame corresponding to the target detected this time is displayed, so the display of the target frame has excellent tracking ability to the detected target. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0033] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an imaging device. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a rear view showing an example of an imaging device. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows the configuration of the imaging device. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the main functional configuration of an image display device. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the dead zone. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the dead zone. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows a specific example of determining the dead zone. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the image display method. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the image display method. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows a specific example of dead zone processing. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the dead zone in the size of the target frame. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the image display method. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the image display method. [Figure 14] Figure 14 shows the external appearance of a smartphone. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a smartphone. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0034] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the image display device, image display method, and program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0035] [Imaging device] Figures 1 and 2 are a perspective view and a rear view, respectively, of an example of an imaging device (digital camera) equipped with the image display device of the present invention.

[0036] The image display device 11 (see Figure 4) is mounted on the imaging device 10 and displays the live view image (through image) captured by the imaging device 10. The image display device 11 can also display recorded video.

[0037] The imaging device 10 is a digital camera that receives light passing through a lens with an image sensor, converts it into a digital signal, and records it on a recording medium as still image or video image data.

[0038] As shown in Figure 1, the imaging device 10 has a photographic lens 12, a strobe 1, etc., on its front, and a shutter button 2, a power / mode switch 3, a mode dial 4, etc., on its top surface. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 2, the back of the camera has a monitor (LCD) 30, a zoom button The buttons include a 5-button, 6-directional buttons, a MENU / OK button, a 8-play button, a 9-back button, and others.

[0039] The shooting lens 12 consists of a retractable zoom lens, which extends from the camera body when the camera's operating mode is set to shooting mode using the power / mode switch 3. The strobe 1 illuminates the main subject with strobe light.

[0040] Shutter button 2 consists of a two-stage stroke switch with so-called "half-press" and "full-press" modes, and functions as both a shooting preparation indicator and an image recording indicator.

[0041] When the still image shooting mode is selected as the shooting mode, the imaging device 10 performs a shooting preparation operation that controls AF (Autofocus) / AE (Auto Exposure) when the shutter button 2 is "half-pressed", and when the shutter button 2 is "fully pressed", it captures and records a still image.

[0042] Furthermore, when the video recording mode is selected as the shooting mode and the shutter button 2 is "fully pressed", the imaging device 10 starts recording video, and when the shutter button 2 is "fully pressed" again, it stops recording and enters a standby state.

[0043] The power / mode switch 3 combines the functions of a power switch to turn the imaging device 10 on and off, and a mode switch to set the mode of the imaging device 10. It is slidably positioned between the "OFF position," the "playback position," and the "shooting position." The imaging device 10 is turned ON by sliding the power / mode switch 3 to the "playback position" or the "shooting position," and turned OFF by sliding it to the "OFF position." Furthermore, the imaging device 10 is set to "playback mode" by sliding the power / mode switch 3 to the "playback position," and to "shooting mode" by sliding it to the "shooting position."

[0044] The mode dial 4 functions as a mode switch for setting the shooting mode of the imaging device 10. Depending on the position of the mode dial 4, the shooting mode of the imaging device 10 can be set to various modes. For example, there is a "still image shooting mode" for taking still images, a "video shooting mode" for shooting videos, and so on.

[0045] The monitor 30 functions as a display unit, displaying live view images in shooting mode, still images or videos in playback mode, and also functions as part of the graphical user interface by displaying menu screens and the like.

[0046] The zoom button 5 functions as a zoom instruction means and consists of a tele-button 5T that instructs zooming toward the telephoto side and a wide-angle button 5W that instructs zooming toward the wide-angle side. When the imaging device 10 is in shooting mode, the focal length of the shooting lens 12 changes when the tele-button 5T and wide-angle button 5W are operated. Also, when the playback mode is in playback mode, the image being played back is enlarged or reduced when the tele-button 5T and wide-angle button 5W are operated.

[0047] The directional buttons 6 are input buttons for the four directions (up, down, left, and right), and function as buttons (cursor movement controls) for selecting items from the menu screen or selecting various setting items from each menu. The left and right keys function as frame-by-frame (forward / reverse) buttons in playback mode.

[0048] The MENU / OK button 7 is an operation button that combines the functions of a menu button for issuing a command to display a menu on the monitor 30 screen, and an OK button for issuing a command to confirm and execute the selected content.

[0049] The playback button 8 is used to switch to playback mode, which displays the recorded still images or videos on the monitor 30.

[0050] The BACK button 9 functions as a button to cancel an input operation or return to the previous operation state.

[0051] In addition, in the imaging device 10 according to this embodiment, instead of providing dedicated components for buttons / switches, a touch panel may be provided and the functions of those buttons / switches may be realized by operating the touch panel.

[0052] [Internal configuration of the imaging device] Figure 3 shows the configuration of the imaging device 10. The imaging device 10 uses a photographic lens 12 to form an image of the subject (optical image) on the image sensor 210.

[0053] The photographic lens 12 consists of a zoom lens 110 and a focus lens 150. The imaging device 10 also includes an aperture 130 and a lens drive unit 140. The lens drive unit 140 moves the zoom lens 110 and focus lens 150 forward and backward in response to commands from the CPU 240, which acts as the control unit, to adjust the zoom (optical zoom) and focus. In addition to being performed in response to commands from the CPU 240, the zoom and focus adjustments may also be performed in response to zoom and focus operations performed by the user. The lens drive unit 140 also controls the aperture 130 in response to commands from the CPU 240 to adjust the exposure. Meanwhile, information such as the position of the zoom lens 110 and focus lens 150 and the aperture 130's opening degree is input to the CPU 240.

[0054] The imaging device 10 comprises an image sensor 210, an AFE 220 (AFE: Analog Front End), an A / D converter 230 (A / D: Analog to Digital), a CPU 240, an operation unit 250, a memory unit 260, and a monitor 30. The imaging device 10 may also have a mechanical shutter (not shown) for blocking light transmitted to the image sensor 210. The image sensor 210 has a light-receiving surface in which a large number of light-receiving elements are arranged in a matrix. Subject light transmitted through the zoom lens 110, the focus lens 150, and the aperture 130 is imaged onto the light-receiving surface of the image sensor 210 and converted into an electrical signal by each light-receiving element. A color filter of R (red), G (green), or B (blue) is provided on the light-receiving surface of the image sensor 210, and a color image of the subject can be acquired based on the signal of each color. Various photoelectric conversion elements such as CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) and CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) can be used as the image sensor 210. The AFE 220 performs noise reduction and amplification of the analog image signal output from the image sensor 210, and the A / D converter 230 converts the captured analog image signal into a digital image signal with a tonal range. The shutter can be either a mechanical or electronic shutter. In the case of an electronic shutter, the exposure time (shutter speed) can be adjusted by controlling the charge accumulation period of the image sensor 210 using the CPU 240.

[0055] The memory unit 260 is composed of various magneto-optical recording media, non-temporary recording media such as semiconductor memory, and their control circuits, and stores moving images (including live view images) and still images. The recording media can be of a type that can be attached to and detached from the imaging device 10. In addition, the memory unit 260 stores programs and information used for various controls of the CPU 240.

[0056] The monitor 30 can display video (live view images, recorded video) and still images. The imaging device 10 may also be equipped with a viewfinder, which functions as the monitor 30. The viewfinder is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display panel, a prism, a lens, etc., and the user can view video and still images through an eyepiece (not shown). As the viewfinder, an "optical viewfinder (OVF)", an "electronic viewfinder (EVF)", or a combination thereof, a "hybrid viewfinder (HVF)", can be used.

[0057] The CPU 240 reads necessary programs and information used for various controls from the memory unit 260 and performs various processes and controls on the CPU 240.

[0058] The CPU240 performs various control operations. The hardware structure consists of various processors as shown below. These processors include CPUs (Central Processing Units), which are general-purpose processors that execute software (programs) and act as various functional units; Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), such as FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), which are processors whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacturing; and dedicated electrical circuits, such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), which are processors with circuit configurations specifically designed to perform particular processing.

[0059] A single processing unit may be composed of one of these various processors, or it may be composed of two or more processors of the same or different type (for example, multiple FPGAs, or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). Alternatively, multiple functional units may be composed of a single processor. Examples of composing multiple functional units with a single processor include, firstly, a configuration in which one or more CPUs and software are combined to form a single processor, as is typical for computers such as clients and servers, and this processor acts as multiple functional units. Secondly, a configuration using a processor that realizes the functions of the entire system, including multiple functional units, on a single IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, as is typical for System-on-a-Chip (SoC) systems. Thus, various functional units are configured, in terms of hardware structure, using one or more of the above-mentioned various processors.

[0060] <First Embodiment> Next, the first embodiment will be described. In this example, a dead zone is set relative to the position of the target frame.

[0061] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the main functional configuration of an image display device 11 mounted on an imaging device 10. The image display device 11 comprises an image acquisition unit 101, a target detection unit 103, a target frame determination unit 105, a dead zone determination unit 107, a display control unit 109, an information addition unit 111, a storage unit 260, and a monitor 30. The image acquisition unit 101, the target detection unit 103, the target frame determination unit 105, the dead zone determination unit 107, the display control unit 109, and the information addition unit 111 are implemented by a CPU 240.

[0062] The image acquisition unit 101 acquires a series of images. Specifically, the image acquisition unit 101 acquires a series of images output from the A / D converter 230. For example, the image acquisition unit 101 acquires a live view image composed of multiple frame images captured by the imaging device 10.

[0063] The object detection unit 103 detects objects from the acquired image. For example, the object detection unit 103 detects human faces using known techniques. The object detection unit 103 detects human faces in the image and acquires positional information, such as positional coordinates. The object detection unit 103 can also detect objects other than faces. For example, the object detection unit 103 can detect pupils.

[0064] The target frame determination unit 105 determines the target frame, which is the range of the target, from the most recent image in the image. The target frame determination unit 105 determines the target frame for each of the multiple images acquired by the image acquisition unit 101. The target frame is for informing the user of the detected target and can take various shapes. For example, the target frame may be a rectangle containing a square, or an ellipse containing a perfect circle.

[0065] The dead zone determination unit 107 determines the dead zone for displaying the target frame. The dead zone determination unit 107 determines, for example, the dead zone for the position of the target frame. Here, the dead zone for displaying the target frame is such that when the target frame (or target) moves within the range of the dead zone, the displayed target frame remains constant without following the target, and when the target frame (or target) moves outside the range of the dead zone, the displayed target frame follows the target (it becomes the target frame corresponding to the target).

[0066] Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the dead zone determined by the dead zone determination unit 107. Figures 5 and 6 show the face 125 detected by the target detection unit 103 in the nth frame, the target frame 121 determined by the target frame determination unit 105 according to the face 125, and the dead zone 120 determined by the dead zone determination unit 107. Also shown are the face 127 detected by the target detection unit 103 in the (n+1)th frame, and the target frame 123 determined by the target frame determination unit 105 according to the face 127. In this example, the target frame 121 and target frame 123 are determined for face 125 and face 127 in the same positional relationship. In this example, the reference points for the position of the target or the position of the target frame are the reference point B1 (target frame 121) and reference point B2 (target frame 123) at the upper left corner of the target frame.

[0067] In the case shown in Figure 5, the face 127 detected in the (n+1)th frame is located within the range of the dead zone 120 set in the nth frame. That is, the (n+1)th reference point B2 is within the range of the dead zone 120. Therefore, the target frame 121 will also be displayed in the (n+1)th frame.

[0068] In the case shown in Figure 6, the face 127 detected in the (n+1)th frame is located outside the range of the dead zone 122 set in the nth frame. That is, the (n+1)th reference point B2 is outside the range of the dead zone 122. Therefore, in the (n+1)th frame, the target frame 121 corresponding to the face 127 will be displayed.

[0069] In this way, by setting a dead zone relative to the position of the detected object, it is possible to display the object frame stably without moving it in response to minute movements of the object, and to display the object frame with good tracking ability when the object moves beyond the dead zone.

[0070] Furthermore, the dead zone determination unit 107 can change the position and / or size of the dead zone depending on the detected object. That is, the dead zone determination unit 107 can change the position and size of the dead zone according to the position of the detected object. In addition, the dead zone determination unit 107 can change the width of the dead zone according to the movement of the object. The dead zone determination unit 107 determines the movement of the object based on the position information and the previous dead zone, and changes the dead zone (previous dead zone) based on the result of the movement determination. For example, if the result of the movement determination indicates a first direction, the dead zone determination unit 107 reduces the dead zone in the first direction. That is, it sets the width of the dead zone to be smaller in the direction in which the detected object is moving, improving the object frame's ability to follow the object. Also, if the result of the movement determination does not indicate a first direction, the dead zone determination unit 107 increases the dead zone in the first direction. That is, it sets the width of the dead zone to be larger in the direction in which the detected object is not moving, improving the stability of the object frame's display.

[0071] Figure 7 shows a specific example of a dead zone determined by the dead zone determination unit 107. In the case shown in Figure 7, dead zones are determined in both the positive and negative directions of the X-axis in the figure.

[0072] In the case shown in Figure 7(A), the width of the dead zone in the positive and negative directions is the same as the display position P of the target frame from the previous display. In this way, when it is unclear which direction the target will move, the width of the dead zone in the positive and negative directions is set to be the same, allowing for the appropriate display of the target frame. For example, the initial value of the dead zone may be kept constant, and a dead zone of the same width may be set from the center of the field of view in both the positive and negative directions. In the case shown in Figure 7(B), the width of the dead zone is increased overall. In the case shown in Figure 7(C), the width of the dead zone is decreased overall. As shown in Figure 7(B), increasing the width of the dead zone overall improves the stability of the target frame display, and as shown in Figure 7(C), decreasing the width of the dead zone overall improves the tracking performance of the target frame display. In the case shown in Figure 7(D), the movement determination unit 107 determines that the target has moved in the positive direction, and the width of the dead zone in the positive direction is decreased. Also, in the case shown in Figure 7(D), it is determined that the target has not moved in the negative direction, and the width of the dead zone in the negative direction is increased. In the case shown in Figure 7(E), the movement determination unit 107 determines that the object has moved in the negative direction, and the width of the dead zone in the negative direction is reduced. In the case shown in Figure 7(E), it is determined that the object has not moved in the positive direction, and the width of the dead zone in the positive direction is increased.

[0073] In this way, the dead zone determination unit 107 can stably and responsively display the target frame by changing the position and size of the dead zone according to the movement of the target.

[0074] Returning to Figure 4, the memory unit 260 stores the previous target frame, which corresponds to the target frame determined from the previous image, and the previous dead zone, which corresponds to the dead zone determined from the previous image. Specifically, it stores the target frame 121 and dead zone 120 (dead zone 122) in the nth frame, as explained in Figures 5 and 6. The previous target frame and dead zone stored in the memory unit 260 are used to control the display control unit 109. The information stored in the memory unit 260 may be updated for each image, or information for each image may be accumulated.

[0075] The display control unit 109 controls the display on the monitor 30. The monitor 30 displays live view images, recorded videos, and still images. The display control unit 109 also displays a target frame superimposed on the live view image or recorded video. The display control unit 109 displays the target frame if the target's position is outside the range of the previous dead zone, and displays the previous target if it is within the range of the previous dead zone.

[0076] The information addition unit 111 records the position information of the displayed target frame in the image, as controlled by the display control unit 109. Specifically, it adds the coordinate values ​​of the displayed target frame for each frame. The information addition by the information addition unit 111 is performed by a known method.

[0077] Next, we will explain the image display method (image display process) using the image display device 11.

[0078] Figures 8 and 9 are flowcharts showing an image display method using the image display device 11. In this example, a face is detected as the target, and a face frame corresponding to the detected face is displayed.

[0079] First, the image acquisition unit 101 acquires a series of frame images in which faces are captured (step S10). Then, the target detection unit 103 detects faces in each of the acquired frames and acquires the position information of the detected faces (step S11).

[0080] The dead zone determination unit 107 determines whether the previous "positive (positive direction)" motion determination was "1" (step S12). If the previous "positive" motion determination was "1", the dead zone determination unit 107 sets a small dead zone width in the positive direction (step S13). On the other hand, if the previous "positive" motion determination was "0" (not "1"), the dead zone determination unit 107 sets a large dead zone width in the positive direction (step S14).

[0081] Next, the dead zone determination unit 107 determines whether the previous "negative (negative direction)" movement determination was "1" (step S15). If the previous "negative" movement determination was "1", the dead zone determination unit 107 sets a small dead zone width in the negative direction (step S16). On the other hand, if the previous "negative" movement determination was "0" (not "1"), the dead zone determination unit 107 sets a large dead zone width in the negative direction (step S17).

[0082] Next, the dead zone determination unit 107 sets a dead zone based on the coordinates after the previous dead zone processing, using the dead zone width set by the above process (step S18).

[0083] Moving to Figure 9, the dead zone determination unit 107 determines whether the acquired face position has exceeded the dead zone set as described above (step S19). If the acquired face position has exceeded the set dead zone, the dead zone determination unit 107 determines whether it has exceeded it in the positive direction (step S20). Then, if the face position has exceeded it in the positive direction, the dead zone determination unit 107 sets the motion determination to "positive: 1" and "negative: 0" (step S21). On the other hand, if the face position has exceeded it in the negative direction, the target detection unit 103 sets the motion determination to "positive: 0" and "negative: 1" (step S22). After that, the display control unit 109 uses the detected position information to display the face frame (step S23).

[0084] On the other hand, if it is determined that the current face position does not exceed the dead zone, the current movement determination is set to "positive: 0" and "negative: 0" (step S24). Then, the current position information is overwritten with the previous position information (step S25). After that, the display control unit 109 uses the previous position information for displaying the face frame (step S26).

[0085] Each of the above-described configurations and functions can be appropriately implemented using any hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a program that causes a computer to execute the above-described processing steps (processing procedures), a computer-readable recording medium (non-temporary recording medium) that records such a program, or a computer on which such a program can be installed.

[0086] Figure 10 shows a specific example of dead zone processing. The graph in Figure 10 shows a live view image where the detection target is a face, and a face frame is displayed according to the detected face. In Figure 10, the horizontal axis shows the number of face detections performed per frame, and the vertical axis shows the X coordinate in the display area. Lines represented by squares on the graph indicate the upper limit of the dead zone, lines represented by diamonds indicate the position (X coordinate) of the detected face, lines represented by crosses indicate the position (X coordinate) for displaying the processed face frame, and lines represented by triangles indicate the lower limit of the dead zone. Note that the position for displaying the face frame indicates the X coordinate of the center of the frame. Furthermore, the direction in which the X coordinate increases is considered positive, and the direction in which it decreases is considered negative, and so on, in the following explanation.

[0087] From detection count 170 until the timing indicated by arrow T1, the face position is detected between the upper and lower limits of the dead zone (within the dead zone). Therefore, the display of the face frame does not change, and the face frame is displayed at a constant position.

[0088] At the timing indicated by arrow T2, the face position has been detected beyond the upper limit of the dead zone, so the display position of the face frame will be the position corresponding to the detected face position. Also, at the timing indicated by arrow T2, the same dead zone as at the timing indicated by arrow T1 is set. This is because at the timing indicated by arrow T1, the face position was detected within the dead zone.

[0089] At the timing indicated by arrow T3, the face position has been detected beyond the upper limit of the dead zone, so the display position of the face frame will be the position corresponding to the detected face. Also, at the timing of arrow T3, the dead zone moves and its width is changed. Specifically, at the timing of arrow T3, the face frame is displayed at a position that exceeded the upper limit of the dead zone at the timing of arrow T2, relative to the display position of the face frame at the timing of arrow T2, so at the timing of arrow T3, the width of the dead zone in the positive direction is changed to a smaller value.

[0090] In this way, by introducing a dead zone in the display of the face frame, stable display of the face frame and tracking of the detected face position are maintained. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the width of the dead zone is adjusted based on the previous display position of the face frame, thereby enabling a more stable and tracking-oriented display of the face frame.

[0091] <Second Embodiment> In the first embodiment, the dead zone with respect to position was described, but in the second embodiment, an example of setting a dead zone with respect to the size of the target frame will be described. Each part described in Figure 4 has the following functions in this embodiment. The following description will focus on the characteristic features of the second embodiment.

[0092] The object detection unit 103 detects an object and detects information about the object's size. For example, the object detection unit 103 detects a face, which is the object, and detects information about the size of that face (area, length).

[0093] The target frame determination unit 105 determines the target frame, which is the range of the target, from the latest image. The size of the target frame is determined according to the size of the detected target. For example, if a face is detected, the size of the target frame is determined so as to enclose the range of the detected face.

[0094] The dead zone determination unit 107 determines the movement of the object based on the size information and the previous dead zone, and can change the previous dead zone based on the result of the movement determination. If the result of the movement determination indicates a first direction, the dead zone determination unit 107 reduces the dead zone in the first direction. Here, the dead zone determination unit 107 can quantify the length of one side of the square face frame and determine the movement by considering the direction in which the number increases as positive and the direction in which it decreases as negative.

[0095] The display control unit 109 displays the target frame if the size of the target is outside the range of the previous dead zone, and displays the previous target frame if it is within the range of the previous dead zone.

[0096] The information addition unit 111 records the size information of the displayed target frame in the image, as controlled by the display control unit 109. Specifically, it adds the size (area or side length) of the displayed target frame for each frame. The information addition by the information addition unit 111 is performed by a known method.

[0097] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the dead zone of the target frame size. In Figure 11, target frame 131 indicates the lower limit of the dead zone, target frame 133 indicates the upper limit of the dead zone, and target frame 139 indicates the target frame for display. For example, if an object corresponding to target frame 137 is detected within the range of the lower limit of the dead zone indicated by target frame 131 and the upper limit of the dead zone indicated by target frame 133, the display control unit 109 displays target frame 139. On the other hand, if an object corresponding to target frame 135 is detected outside the range of the lower limit of the dead zone indicated by target frame 131 and the upper limit of the dead zone indicated by target frame 133, the display control unit 109 displays target frame 135 as the target frame for display.

[0098] Next, an image display method (image display process) using the image display device 11 will be described. The image display method detects faces in consecutive frames and displays face frames that inform the user of the position of the detected faces.

[0099] Figures 12 and 13 are flowcharts showing an image display method (image display process) using the image display device 11.

[0100] First, the image acquisition unit 101 acquires a series of frame images in which faces are captured (step S30). Then, the target detection unit 103 detects faces in each of the acquired frames and acquires size information of the detected faces (step S31).

[0101] The dead zone determination unit 107 determines whether the previous "positive (positive direction)" movement determination was "1" (step S32). If the previous "positive" movement determination was "1", the dead zone determination unit 107 sets a small dead zone width in the positive direction (step S33). On the other hand, if the previous "positive" movement determination was "0" (not "1"), the dead zone determination unit 107 sets a large dead zone width in the positive direction (step S34). Note that the positive direction indicates the direction in which the frame becomes larger, and the negative direction indicates the direction in which the frame becomes smaller.

[0102] Next, the dead zone determination unit 107 determines whether the previous "negative" movement determination was "1" or not (step S35). If the previous "negative (negative direction)" movement determination was "1", the dead zone determination unit 107 sets a small dead zone width in the negative direction (step S36). On the other hand, if the previous "negative" movement determination was "0" (not "1"), the dead zone determination unit 107 sets a large dead zone width in the negative direction (step S37).

[0103] Next, the dead zone determination unit 107 sets the dead zone using the dead zone width set by the above process, based on the size after the previous dead zone processing (step S38).

[0104] Moving to Figure 13, the dead zone determination unit 107 then determines whether the acquired face size exceeds the dead zone set at the time (step S39). If the acquired face size exceeds the dead zone set at the time, the dead zone determination unit 107 determines whether it exceeds it in the positive direction (step S40). If the face size exceeds it in the positive direction, the dead zone determination unit 107 sets the motion determination to "positive: 1" and "negative: 0" (step S41). On the other hand, if the face size exceeds it in the negative direction, the target detection unit 103 sets the motion determination to "positive: 0" and "negative: 1" (step S42). After that, the display control unit 109 uses the detected size information to display the face frame (step S43).

[0105] On the other hand, if it is determined that the current face size does not exceed the dead zone, the current movement determination is set to "positive: 0" and "negative: 0" (step S44). Then, the current size information is overwritten with the previous size information (step S45). After that, the display control unit 109 uses the previous size information for displaying the face frame (step S46).

[0106] As explained above, if the size of the target is within the range of the previous dead zone, the target frame displayed in the previous instance will be displayed. Therefore, even with small fluctuations (size fluctuations), the target frame can be displayed stably without changing the size information used for displaying the target frame. Also, if the size of the target is outside the range of the previous dead zone, the target frame corresponding to the currently detected target will be displayed. This allows for the display of a target frame with excellent tracking ability (size tracking ability) to the detected target.

[0107] <Other> [Dead zone for position and size] In the above description, the dead zone with respect to the position of the target frame was described in the first embodiment, and the dead zone with respect to the size of the target frame was described in the second embodiment. In the present invention, the dead zone can also be determined with respect to both the position and size of the target frame. That is, the dead zone is set simultaneously with respect to the position and size of the target frame. By setting the dead zone with respect to the position and size of the target frame in this way, the target frame can be displayed with more stable tracking ability and better ability to follow the target.

[0108] [Sequential images] In the above description, the image acquisition unit 101 acquired an image, the target detection unit 103 detected an object, and the target frame determination unit 105 determined the target frame. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the sequence of images acquired by the image acquisition unit 101 may contain information regarding the position of the detected object and the position of the target frame, which is the range of the object. Alternatively, the sequence of images acquired by the image acquisition unit 101 may contain information regarding the size of the detected object and the size of the target frame, which is the range of the object. In this case, the image display device 11 does not need to perform object detection (object detection unit 103) or target frame determination (target frame determination unit 105) from the acquired image.

[0109] <Smartphone Configuration> In the above description, a camera was used as an example of the imaging device 10 in Figure 1, but the application of the present invention is not limited to this. Other embodiments to which the present invention can be applied include, for example, mobile phones and smartphones, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), and portable game consoles, all of which have a camera function. Below, an example of a smartphone to which the present invention can be applied will be described. Note that in Figure 4, the CPU 240 corresponds to the main control unit 501, the storage unit 260 corresponds to the storage unit 550, and the monitor 30 corresponds to the display panel 521.

[0110] Figure 14 shows the external appearance of the smartphone 500. The smartphone 500 shown in Figure 14 has a flat casing 502, and one side of the casing 502 is equipped with a display input unit 520 which integrates a display panel 521 as a display unit and an operation panel 522 as an input unit. The casing 502 also includes a speaker 531, a microphone 532, an operation unit 540, and a camera unit 541. The configuration of the casing 502 is not limited to this, and for example, a configuration in which the display unit and the input unit are independent can be adopted, or a configuration with a folding structure or a sliding mechanism can be adopted.

[0111] Figure 15 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the smartphone 500 shown in Figure 14. As shown in Figure 15, the main components of the smartphone are a wireless communication unit 510 that performs mobile wireless communication via a base station and a mobile communication network, a display input unit 520, a call unit 530, an operation unit 540, a camera unit 541, a storage unit 550, an external input / output unit 560, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver unit 570, a motion sensor unit 580, and a power supply unit 590. It comprises a main control unit 501.

[0112] The wireless communication unit 510 performs wireless communication with base stations connected to the mobile communication network in accordance with instructions from the main control unit 501. Using this wireless communication, it sends and receives various file data such as voice data and image data, as well as email data, and receives web data and streaming data.

[0113] The display input unit 520 is a so-called touch panel that, under the control of the main control unit 501, displays images (still images and moving images) and text information to visually convey information to the user and detects user operations on the displayed information, and comprises a display panel 521 and an operation panel 522.

[0114] The display panel 521 uses an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an OELD (Organic Electro-Luminescence Display), or the like as its display device. The operation panel 522 is a device that detects one or more coordinates operated by the user's finger or stylus, and is visibly mounted on the display surface of the display panel 521. When the user operates this device with their finger or stylus, it outputs a detection signal generated by the operation to the main control unit 501. The main control unit 501 then detects the operation position (coordinates) on the display panel 521 based on the received detection signal.

[0115] As shown in Figure 14, the display panel 521 and the operation panel 522 of the smartphone 500, which is illustrated as one embodiment of the imaging device 10 of the present invention, are integrated to constitute the display input unit 520, but the operation panel 522 is arranged so as to completely cover the display panel 521. When such an arrangement is adopted, the operation panel 522 may also have a function to detect user operations in areas outside the display panel 521. In other words, the operation panel 522 may have a detection area for the overlapping portion that overlaps the display panel 521 (hereinafter referred to as the display area) and a detection area for the outer edge portion that does not overlap the display panel 521 (hereinafter referred to as the non-display area).

[0116] The size of the display area and the size of the display panel 521 may be made to perfectly match, but it is not necessary for them to be identical. The operation panel 522 may also have two sensing areas: an outer edge portion and an inner portion. Furthermore, the width of the outer edge portion is designed appropriately according to the size of the housing 502, etc. The position detection method used in the operation panel 522 may include a matrix switch method, a resistive film method, a surface acoustic wave method, an infrared method, an electromagnetic induction method, or a capacitive method, and any of these methods can be adopted.

[0117] The communication unit 530 includes a speaker 531 and a microphone 532. It converts the user's voice input through the microphone 532 into audio data that can be processed by the main control unit 501 and outputs it to the main control unit 501, or it decodes audio data received by the wireless communication unit 510 or the external input / output unit 560 and outputs it from the speaker 531. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, for example, the speaker 531 and microphone 532 can be mounted on the same surface as the display input unit 520.

[0118] The operation unit 540 is a hardware key, such as a key switch, that receives instructions from the user. For example, as shown in Figure 14, the operation unit 540 is mounted on the side of the casing 502 of the smartphone 500 and is a push-button type switch that turns on when pressed with a finger and turns off when the finger is released due to a restoring force such as a spring.

[0119] The memory unit 550 stores the control program, control data, application software, address data associated with the names and telephone numbers of communication partners, sent and received email data, web data downloaded via web browsing, and downloaded content data, and also temporarily stores streaming data. The memory unit 550 is composed of an internal memory unit 551 built into the smartphone and an external memory unit 552 with a removable external memory slot. The internal memory unit 551 and the external memory unit 552 that make up the memory unit 550 are implemented using recording media such as flash memory type, hard disk type, multimedia card micro type, card type memory (e.g., Micro SD® memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and ROM (Read Only Memory).

[0120] The external input / output unit 560 serves as an interface for all external devices connected to the smartphone 500, and is intended for direct or indirect connection to other external devices via communication (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB) and IEEE1394, etc.) or networks (e.g., the Internet, Wireless LAN (Local Area Network), Bluetooth (registered trademark), RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), Infrared Data Association (IrDA) (registered trademark), UWB (Ultra Wideband) (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), etc.).

[0121] External devices that can be connected to the smartphone 500 include, for example, wired / wireless headsets, wired / wireless external chargers, wired / wireless data ports, memory cards connected via card sockets, SIM (Subscriber Identity Module Card) / UIM (User Identity Module Card) cards, external audio / video devices connected via audio / video I / O (Input / Output) terminals, wirelessly connected external audio / video devices, wired / wireless connected smartphones, wired / wireless connected personal computers, wired / wireless connected PDAs, and earphones. The external input / output unit 560 can transmit data received from such external devices to the various internal components of the smartphone 500, or transmit data from inside the smartphone 500 to external devices.

[0122] The GPS receiver 570 receives GPS signals transmitted from GPS satellites ST1 to STn in accordance with instructions from the main control unit 501, performs positioning calculation processing based on the multiple received GPS signals, and detects the position of the smartphone 500, consisting of its latitude, longitude, and altitude. When the GPS receiver 570 can obtain position information from the wireless communication unit 510 or the external input / output unit 560 (for example, wireless LAN), it can also use that position information to detect the position.

[0123] The motion sensor unit 580 includes, for example, a 3-axis accelerometer and a gyroscope, and detects the physical movement of the smartphone 500 according to instructions from the main control unit 501. By detecting the physical movement of the smartphone 500, the direction of movement and acceleration of the smartphone 500 are detected. This detection result is output to the main control unit 501.

[0124] The power supply unit 590 supplies power stored in a battery (not shown) to each part of the smartphone 500 according to the instructions of the main control unit 501.

[0125] The main control unit 501 is equipped with a microprocessor and operates according to the control programs and control data stored in the memory unit 550, and comprehensively controls each part of the smartphone 500. In addition, the main control unit 501 has mobile communication control functions and application processing functions that control each part of the communication system in order to perform voice communication and data communication through the wireless communication unit 510.

[0126] The application processing function is realized by the operation of the main control unit 501 according to the application software stored in the memory unit 550. Examples of application processing functions include an infrared communication function that controls the external input / output unit 560 to communicate data with a counterpart device, an email function that sends and receives emails, a web browsing function that displays web pages, and an image processing function that performs compression processing according to the present invention.

[0127] Furthermore, the main control unit 501 is equipped with image processing functions, such as displaying video on the display input unit 520 based on image data (still images and video data) such as received data and downloaded streaming data. The image processing function refers to the function by which the main control unit 501 decodes the above image data, applies image processing to the decoded result, and displays the image on the display input unit 520.

[0128] Furthermore, the main control unit 501 performs display control for the display panel 521 and operation detection control to detect user operations through the operation unit 540 and the operation panel 522.

[0129] By executing display control, the main control unit 501 displays software keys such as icons and scroll bars for launching application software, or displays a window for composing email. A scroll bar is a software key that accepts instructions to move the display portion of an image, such as a large image that does not fit within the display area of ​​the display panel 521.

[0130] Furthermore, by executing operation detection control, the main control unit 501 detects user operations through the operation unit 540, accepts operations on icons and input of strings into window input fields through the operation panel 522, or accepts requests to scroll displayed images through the scroll bar.

[0131] Furthermore, by executing operation detection control, the main control unit 501 determines whether the operation position on the operation panel 522 is in the overlapping portion (display area) that overlaps with the display panel 521 or in the outer edge portion that does not overlap with the display panel 521 (non-display area), and has a touch panel control function that controls the sensitive area of ​​the operation panel 522 and the display position of the software keys.

[0132] Furthermore, the main control unit 501 can detect gesture operations on the operation panel 522 and execute pre-set functions in response to the detected gesture operations. Gesture operations refer to operations that are not simple touch operations in the conventional sense, but rather operations that involve drawing a trajectory with a finger or the like, specifying multiple locations simultaneously, or combining these to draw a trajectory from at least one of multiple locations.

[0133] The camera unit 541 is a digital camera that uses an image sensor such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) or a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) to perform electronic imaging, and corresponds to the imaging device 10 shown in Figure 1. Furthermore, under the control of the main control unit 501, the camera unit 541 can compress still image data obtained by shooting, for example, using JPEG (Joint Photographic Coding Experts Group), or compress video image data, for example, using H.264 / AVC, and record it in the storage unit 550, or output it through the external input / output unit 560 or the wireless communication unit 510. As shown in Figure 14, in the smartphone 500, the camera unit 541 is mounted on the same side as the display input unit 520, but the mounting position of the camera unit 541 is not limited to this, and it may be mounted on the back of the display input unit 520, or multiple camera units 541 may be mounted. In the case of multiple camera units 541 being mounted, it is possible to switch between the camera units 541 used for shooting and shoot individually, or to use multiple camera units 541 simultaneously for shooting.

[0134] Furthermore, the camera unit 541 can be used for various functions of the smartphone 500. For example, images acquired by the camera unit 541 can be displayed on the display panel 521, or images from the camera unit 541 can be used as one of the inputs for the operation panel 522. Also, when the GPS receiver 570 detects a location, it can refer to the image from the camera unit 541 to determine the location. Moreover, by referring to the image from the camera unit 541, it is possible to determine the optical axis direction of the camera unit 541 of the smartphone 500, either without using a 3-axis accelerometer or in combination with a 3-axis accelerometer (gyro sensor), and to determine the current usage environment. Of course, images from the camera unit 541 can also be used within application software.

[0135] In addition, still images or video images can be supplemented with location information acquired by the GPS receiver 570, audio information acquired by the microphone 532 (which may be converted to text information by the main control unit, etc.), posture information acquired by the motion sensor 580, etc., and recorded in the storage unit 550, or output through the external input / output unit 560 or the wireless communication unit 510.

[0136] Although examples of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0137] 1: Strobe 2: Shutter button 3: Power / Mode Switch 4: Mode dial 5: Zoom button 6: D-pad 7: MENU / OK button 8: Play button 9: BACK button 10: Imaging device 11: Image display device 12: Shooting lens 30: Monitor 101: Image acquisition unit 103: Target detection unit 105: Target Slot Determination Section 107: Dead zone determination part 109: Display Control Unit 110: Zoom lens 111: Additional Information Section 140: Lens drive unit 150: Focus Lens 210: Image sensor 230: A / D converter 240:CPU 250:Operation unit 260: Storage section

Claims

1. An image acquisition unit that accepts multiple image inputs, A target detection unit detects a target from the first image and the second image among the plurality of images, and acquires the position information of the target in the first image and the position information of the target in the second image. A target frame determination unit that determines a first target frame which is the range of the target in the first image, and a second target frame which is the range of the target in the second image, the target frame determination unit that sets the display position of the first target frame at a position corresponding to the position of the target in the first image, and sets the display position of the second target frame at a position corresponding to the position of the target in the second image, A dead zone determination unit that determines a dead zone based on the display position of the first target frame, A display control unit executes control to display the second target frame in the second image if the position of the target detected from the second image is outside the range of the dead zone determined based on the display position of the first target frame, and to display the first target frame in the second image if the position is within the range of the dead zone determined based on the display position of the first target frame. An image display device comprising, The dead zone determination unit determines the dead zone based on the display position of the second target frame if the position of the target detected from the second image is outside the range of the dead zone determined based on the display position of the first target frame. Image display device.

2. The dead zone determination unit is, The dead zone of the first width is determined based on the display position of the first target frame, If the position of the target detected from the second image is outside the range of the dead zone determined based on the display position of the first target frame, then a second dead zone with a width narrower than the first width is determined based on the display position of the second target frame. The image display device according to claim 1.

3. The second width is set to be narrower than the first width by reducing the width in the direction in which the object moves. The image display device according to claim 2.

4. The second image and the first image are images from different frames that make up a moving image. The image display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The second image was acquired at a more recent time than the first image. The image display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The modification of the dead zone involves changing the position or size of the dead zone according to the object detected by the object detection unit. The image display device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The display control unit includes an information addition unit that records position information or size information of the displayed first target frame and second target frame into the image. The image display device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The dead zone is the dead zone width relative to the first target frame and the second target frame, and the initial value of the dead zone is constant. The image display device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The object detected by the object detection unit is an object. The image display device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The aforementioned object is a face or pupil. The image display device according to claim 9.

11. The first and second target frames are rectangular. The image display device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The first and second target frames are ellipses. The image display device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. An image acquisition step that accepts multiple image inputs, A target detection step involves detecting a target from the first image and the second image among the plurality of images, and obtaining the position information of the target in the first image and the position information of the target in the second image. A target frame determination step for determining a first target frame which is the range of the target in the first image, and a second target frame which is the range of the target in the second image, comprising setting the display position of the first target frame at a position corresponding to the position of the target in the first image, and setting the display position of the second target frame at a position corresponding to the position of the target in the second image, A dead zone determination step in which a dead zone is determined based on the display position of the first target frame, Display control step: If the position of the object detected from the second image is outside the range of the dead zone determined based on the display position of the first object frame, the second object frame is displayed in the second image; if the position is within the range of the dead zone determined based on the display position of the first object frame, the first object frame is displayed in the second image. An image display method including, In the dead zone determination step, if the position of the target detected from the second image is outside the range of the dead zone determined based on the display position of the first target frame, the dead zone is determined based on the display position of the second target frame. Image display method.

14. An image acquisition step that accepts multiple image inputs, A target detection step involves detecting a target from the first image and the second image among the plurality of images, and obtaining the position information of the target in the first image and the position information of the target in the second image. A target frame determination step for determining a first target frame which is the range of the target in the first image, and a second target frame which is the range of the target in the second image, comprising setting the display position of the first target frame at a position corresponding to the position of the target in the first image, and setting the display position of the second target frame at a position corresponding to the position of the target in the second image, A dead zone determination step in which a dead zone is determined based on the display position of the first target frame, Display control step: If the position of the object detected from the second image is outside the range of the dead zone determined based on the display position of the first object frame, the second object frame is displayed in the second image; if the position is within the range of the dead zone determined based on the display position of the first object frame, the first object frame is displayed in the second image. A program that causes a computer to perform an image display process including, In the dead zone determination step, if the position of the target detected from the second image is outside the range of the dead zone determined based on the display position of the first target frame, the dead zone is determined based on the display position of the second target frame. A program that causes a computer to perform the image display process.

Images