Imaging device

Abstract

To enable both shooting based on the tag position and shooting based on the subject position in an imaging device that performs automatic shooting. [Solution] An imaging device comprising: an imaging means; an identification means for identifying the position of a subject based on an image captured by the imaging means; a detection means for detecting the position of a tag; and a control means for switching whether the position of the main subject is the position of the subject identified by the identification means or the position of the tag detected by the detection means, based on a change in the position of the tag acquired by the detection means.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an imaging device.

Background Art

[0002] Devices for automatically photographing a subject are provided.

[0003] As a technology related to such devices, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology related to a video information processing device that performs photographing based on the position information of a subject acquired using a wireless tag.

[0004] Also, Patent Document 2 discloses a technology related to an imaging device that searches for a specific subject and performs automatic photographing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] By using the technology of Patent Document 1, it is possible to detect the position and distance of a subject holding or wearing a tag, and by automatically performing pan-tilt based on this position information, it becomes possible to direct the imaging device in a direction where the subject can be photographed.

[0007] However, the technology of Patent Document 1 does not mention any countermeasures in the case where the subject accidentally forgets or drops the tag. If the subject accidentally forgets or drops the tag, the shooting range will be fixed, so it is desirable to direct the imaging device in the direction of the subject rather than the tag and perform shooting.

[0008] This invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to achieve both shooting based on the position of a tag and shooting based on the position of a subject in an imaging device that performs automatic shooting. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides an imaging device comprising: an imaging means; an identification means for identifying the position of a subject based on an image captured by the imaging means; a detection means for detecting the position of a tag; and a control means for switching whether the position of the main subject is the position of the subject identified by the identification means or the position of the tag detected by the detection means, based on a change in the position of the tag acquired by the detection means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] In an imaging device that performs automatic shooting, it is possible to achieve both shooting based on the position of the tag and shooting based on the position of the subject. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This figure schematically shows the imaging device according to Embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows the configuration of the system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the imaging device according to Embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention. [Figure 4] A sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the imaging device according to Embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the imaging device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the operation of the imaging device according to Examples 1 and 2 of the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure shows the configuration of the system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 8]This figure shows the screen configuration displayed on the information processing device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the imaging device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Preferred embodiments of this invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the components described in these embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this invention to them alone. [Examples]

[0013] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached screen.

[0014] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the imaging device in this embodiment.

[0015] The imaging device 101 shown in Figure 1(a) is equipped with an operating member (hereinafter referred to as a power button, but operations such as tapping, flicking, or swiping on a touch panel) that can be used to operate the power switch. The lens barrel 102, which is a housing containing the imaging lens group and image sensor, is attached to the imaging device 101 and is equipped with a rotation mechanism that can rotate the lens barrel 102 relative to the fixed part 103. The tilt rotation unit 104 is a motor drive mechanism that can rotate the lens barrel 102 in the pitch direction shown in Figure 1(b), and the pan rotation unit 105 is a motor drive mechanism that can rotate the lens barrel 102 in the yaw direction. Therefore, the lens barrel 102 can rotate in one or more axes. Note that Figure 1(b) shows the axis definition at the fixed part 103 position. Both the angular velocity meter 106 and the accelerometer 107 are mounted on the fixed part 103 of the imaging device 101. Then, based on the angular velocity meter 106 and accelerometer 107, the vibration of the imaging device 101 is detected, and the tilt rotation unit and pan rotation unit are driven to rotate based on the detected angle of vibration. This configuration corrects the vibration and tilt of the movable part, the lens barrel 102.

[0016] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the system in this embodiment. The system in this embodiment is composed of an imaging device 101 and an external device 201. Details of the external device 201 will be described later.

[0017] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the imaging device in this embodiment.

[0018] In Figure 3, the control unit 320 consists of a processor (such as a CPU, GPU, microprocessor, MPU, etc.) and a memory (such as a DRAM, SRAM, etc.). These execute various processes to control each block of the imaging device 101 and control data transfer between each block. The non-volatile memory (EEPROM) 312 is an electrically erasable and recordable memory, which stores constants, programs, etc. for the operation of the control unit 320.

[0019] In Figure 3, the zoom unit 301 includes a zoom lens for performing zooming. The zoom drive control unit 302 drives and controls the zoom unit 301. The focus unit 303 includes a lens for focus adjustment. The focus drive control unit 304 drives and controls the focus unit 303.

[0020] In the imaging unit 306, the imaging element receives the light incident through each lens group and outputs the information of the electric charge corresponding to the amount of the light as analog image data to the image processing unit 307. The image processing unit 307 applies image processing such as distortion correction, white balance adjustment, color interpolation processing, etc. to the digital image data output by A / D conversion, and outputs the digital image data after the application. The digital image data output from the image processing unit 307 is converted into a recording format such as the JPEG format by the image recording unit 308 and transmitted to the memory 311 and the video output unit 313 described later.

[0021] The lens barrel rotation drive unit 305 drives the tilt rotation unit 104 and the pan rotation unit 105 to drive the lens barrel 102 in the tilt direction and the pan direction.

[0022] The device shake detection unit 321 is equipped with, for example, an angular velocity meter (gyro sensor) 106 that detects the angular velocity of the imaging device 101 in three axes, and an accelerometer (accelerometer sensor) 107 that detects the acceleration of the device in three axes. Based on the detected signals, the device shake detection unit 321 calculates the rotation angle of the device, the amount of shift of the device, and so on.

[0023] The audio input unit 309 acquires audio signals from a microphone provided on the imaging device 101, converts them from analog to digital, and transmits them to the audio processing unit 310. The audio processing unit 310 performs audio-related processing, such as optimizing the input digital audio signal. The audio signal processed by the audio processing unit 310 is then transmitted to the memory 311 by the control unit 320. The memory 311 temporarily stores the image signal and audio signal obtained by the image processing unit 307 and the audio processing unit 310.

[0024] The image processing unit 307 and the audio processing unit 310 read the image and audio signals temporarily stored in the memory 311, encode the image signals and audio signals, and generate compressed image and audio signals. The control unit 320 transmits these compressed image and audio signals to the recording and playback unit 316.

[0025] The recording and playback unit 316 records the compressed image signal, compressed audio signal, and other control data related to shooting, generated by the image processing unit 307 and the audio processing unit 310, onto the recording medium 317. If the audio signal is not compressed, the control unit 320 transmits the audio signal generated by the audio processing unit 310 and the compressed image signal generated by the image processing unit 307 to the recording and playback unit 316 for recording on the recording medium 317.

[0026] The recording medium 317 may be a recording medium built into the imaging device 101 or a removable recording medium. The recording medium 317 can record various data such as compressed image signals, compressed audio signals, and audio signals generated by the imaging device 101, and a medium with a larger capacity than the non-volatile memory 312 is generally used. For example, the recording medium 317 includes all types of recording media such as hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-Rs, DVD-Rs, magnetic tapes, non-volatile semiconductor memory, and flash memory.

[0027] The recording and playback unit 316 reads (plays back) the compressed image signal, compressed audio signal, audio signal, various data, and program recorded on the recording medium 317. The control unit 320 then transmits the read compressed image signal and compressed audio signal to the image processing unit 307 and the audio processing unit 310. The image processing unit 307 and the audio processing unit 310 temporarily store the compressed image signal and compressed audio signal in the memory 311, decode them according to a predetermined procedure, and transmit the decoded signals to the video output unit 313 and the audio output unit 314.

[0028] The audio input unit 309 has multiple microphones mounted on the imaging device 101, and the audio processing unit 310 can detect the direction of sound on the plane where the multiple microphones are installed, which is used for searching (search processing) and automatic shooting described later. Furthermore, the audio processing unit 310 detects specific voice commands. In addition to several commands that are registered in advance, the system may also be configured so that the user can register specific voices on the imaging device. It also performs sound scene recognition. In sound scene recognition, sound scene determination is performed by a network that has been trained by machine learning based on a large amount of audio data in advance. For example, a network for detecting specific scenes such as "cheers are being made," "applause is being made," and "a voice is being spoken" is set up in the audio processing unit 310. When a specific sound scene or specific voice command is detected, it outputs a detection trigger signal to the control unit 320.

[0029] The audio output unit 314 outputs a pre-set audio pattern from a speaker built into the imaging device 101, for example, during shooting.

[0030] The LED control unit 315 controls the LEDs provided on the imaging device 101 to follow a preset lighting and blinking pattern, for example, during shooting.

[0031] The video output unit 313 consists of, for example, a video output terminal and transmits an image signal to display video on a connected external display or the like. The audio output unit 314 and the video output unit 313 may also be combined into a single terminal, such as an HDMI® (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) terminal.

[0032] The communication unit 318 communicates between the imaging device 101 and the external device 201, transmitting and receiving data such as audio signals, image signals, compressed audio signals, and compressed image signals. It also receives control signals related to imaging, such as start and end commands for imaging, and pan-tilt and zoom drives, and drives the imaging device 101 based on instructions from external devices that can communicate with the imaging device 101. The communication unit 318 is a wireless communication module such as an infrared communication module, Bluetooth communication module, wireless LAN communication module, WirelessUSB, or GPS receiver.

[0033] The UWB communication unit 319 performs UWB communication between the imaging device 101 and the external device 201. UWB is an abbreviation for Ultra Wide Band, and refers to ultra-wideband wireless communication. UWB communication has the characteristic of enabling highly accurate position detection by using a very wide frequency band. The imaging device 101 communicates with the external device 201 equipped with a UWB module using the UWB communication method via the UWB communication unit 319. This allows the imaging device 101 to acquire position information from the external device 201. The external device 201 is, for example, a smartphone or camera accessory equipped with a UWB module. UWB communication between the imaging device 101 and the external device 201 may start automatically based on the detection that communication using the UWB method has become possible, or it may start based on instructions from the user. These instructions from the user include, for example, operations on the operating members of the imaging device 101 or operations on the operating members located on the external device 201. Alternatively, this may be implemented through operations performed by another external device that recognizes the connection relationship between the imaging device 101 and the external device 201. Furthermore, location information acquisition via UWB communication may start automatically after the UWB connection is established, or it may start based on user instructions. These user instructions, similar to those for UWB communication, could include operations on the imaging device 101, the external device 201, or other external devices. Note that for UWB communication between the imaging device 101 and the external device 201 to occur, UWB communication settings must be configured between the devices in advance. Methods for implementing these communication settings include, for example, a method of transmitting necessary information through communication between the imaging device 101 and the external device 201. Alternatively, information may be transmitted via a two-dimensional barcode. Furthermore, the user may input necessary information to the imaging device 101 or the external device 201 to configure the settings.

[0034] In this embodiment, the imaging device 101 performs automatic shooting. In automatic shooting, the pan-tilt and zoom are driven to search for a subject, which is then automatically photographed based on predetermined conditions. These predetermined conditions include, for example, the current zoom magnification, the general object recognition result or face detection result in the current shooting range, etc. Alternatively, the elapsed time since the last shooting or the sound level may also be used. The automatic shooting process will be described later.

[0035] In this embodiment, the imaging device 101 acquires the position of the tag and the position of the subject.

[0036] As previously mentioned, in order to acquire the tag's position, the control unit 320 communicates with the external device 201 equipped with a UWB module via the UWB communication unit 319 using the UWB communication method. This allows the imaging device 101 to acquire position information from the external device 201.

[0037] To acquire the position of a subject, first, the image processing unit 307 processes the signal received from the imaging unit 306 to generate a subject recognition image. Next, the control unit 320 compares this subject recognition image with a predetermined pattern for determining a person's face to detect the face region of the person. Furthermore, the control unit 320 calculates the position of the subject based on the size and position of the face region image in the subject recognition image. As a result, the imaging device 101 can acquire the position of the subject.

[0038] Furthermore, the control unit 320 treats either the position of the acquired tag or the position of the subject as the position of the main subject. In addition, the control unit 320 rotates the lens barrel 102 to change the shooting method so that the optical axis of the imaging device 101 is pointed toward the main subject, and performs automatic shooting. From here on, the process of rotating the lens barrel 102 to change the shooting method so that the optical axis of the imaging device 101 is pointed toward the main subject is called tracking.

[0039] The overall flow of processing performed by the imaging device 101 in this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 4.

[0040] The control unit 320 performs the shooting start process S401, the main subject determination process S402, and the automatic shooting process S403. The control unit 320 starts all of these processes based on predetermined conditions. These predetermined conditions include, for example, powering on the imaging device 101 by pressing the power button. The control unit 320 also repeatedly executes all of these processes at predetermined time intervals.

[0041] Step S401 is the shooting start process. In this process, the control unit 320 performs exposure control so that the subject recognition image has an appropriate brightness. Furthermore, the focus drive control unit 304 performs autofocus control. After executing the process flow described above, the control unit 320 proceeds to step S402.

[0042] Step S402 is the main subject determination process. In this process, it is determined whether to treat the tag position or the subject position as the position of the main subject to be tracked and photographed. This process will be described later.

[0043] Step S403 is an automatic shooting process. In this process, the main subject, which was determined to be the target to be tracked and the target to be photographed in the main subject determination process S402, is tracked and photographed automatically.

[0044] During tracking, composition adjustments are made to keep the main subject in focus. Composition adjustments are performed by calculating the pan-tilt-zoom amount based on the position and size of the main subject on the subject recognition image, and then driving the lens barrel rotation drive unit 305 and zoom unit 301 of the imaging device 101.

[0045] As mentioned earlier, automatic shooting automatically captures the main subject based on predetermined conditions. These predetermined conditions may include, for example, the current zoom magnification, the results of general object recognition or face detection within the current shooting range, or other factors such as the elapsed time since the last shot or the audio level.

[0046] The details of the main subject determination process S402 performed by the imaging device 101 in this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 5.

[0047] This process determines whether to treat the tag's position or the subject's position as the position of the main subject being tracked and photographed.

[0048] First, in step S501, the control unit 320 determines whether the tag's location has been detected. At this time, the control unit 320 detects the tag's location using the UWB method via the UWB communication unit 319. If the tag's location has been detected, the process proceeds to step S502. If the tag's location has not been detected, the process proceeds to step S507.

[0049] Next, in step S502, the control unit 320 determines whether the tag's position has changed within a predetermined time Ta. This predetermined time Ta is a fixed time set in advance and stored in the non-volatile memory 312. The predetermined time Ta is the elapsed time required for the control unit 320 to determine that the tag's position has not changed, and is, for example, 10 seconds. The control unit 320 also measures the elapsed time Tb since no change was observed in the tag's position information. In step S502, the control unit 320 compares the predetermined time Ta with the elapsed time Tb. If the elapsed time Tb is less than the predetermined time Ta, that is, if a change in the tag's position was observed within the predetermined time Ta, the process proceeds to step S503. If the elapsed time Tb is greater than the predetermined time Ta, that is, if no change in the tag's position was observed within the predetermined time Ta, the control unit 320 proceeds to step S507.

[0050] Next, in steps S503 to S504, the control unit 320 determines whether the location of the subject has been identified and whether the subject is carrying a tag. These determination processes will be explained using Figure 6. Figure 6(A) is a diagram showing the actual positional relationship between the imaging device 101, the subject 601, and the tag 602. Figure 6(B) is a diagram showing the subject recognition image 603 generated by the imaging device 101. In Figure 6(B), 604 indicates the face region of the subject in the subject recognition image 603, and 605 indicates the human body region.

[0051] In step S503, the control unit 320 determines whether the position of the subject has been identified. The position of the subject is the orientation and distance from the imaging device 101 to the center coordinates of the subject 601, which corresponds to x in Figure 6(A). In identifying the position of the subject, the control unit 320 performs the following control. First, it detects the face region 604 and the human body region 605 in the subject recognition image 603 shown in Figure 6(B). Next, it calculates and identifies the position of the subject based on the detected face region 604 and the human body region 605, the pan-tilt rotation angle at the time the subject recognition image was captured, the zoom magnification at the same point, and the face size and human body size of the subject. The face size of the subject here is a value predetermined based on the average or median values ​​from the top of the head to the chin of a standard person, for example, a vertical width of about 23 cm and a horizontal width of about 16 cm is desirable. Furthermore, the actual human body size is a predetermined value based on the average or median measurements from the neck to the toes of a standard person, for example, a height of approximately 142 cm and a width of approximately 40 cm is desirable. In this case, although there will be some error because the actual face size and body size will differ depending on the subject, the approximate position of the subject can be determined. Alternatively, the position of the subject may be calculated by estimating the gender by calculating the facial features of the subject from the subject recognition image, and then calculating based on the predetermined standard face size and body size for each gender. This allows for even more accurate determination of the subject's position.

[0052] If the subject's location has been identified through the above control, the control unit 320 proceeds to step S504. If the subject's location is not identified, the control unit 320 determines that the subject does not have a tag and treats the location of the tag as the primary subject (S506).

[0053] In step S504, the control unit 320 determines whether the subject is carrying a tag. Here, the imaging device 101 again detects the position of the tag using the UWB method via UWB communication 319. The position of the tag is the orientation and distance received from the tag via UWB communication, which corresponds to y in Figure 6(A). Furthermore, the control unit 320 compares the detected position of the tag with the position of the subject identified in step S503, and determines that the subject is carrying a tag if the distance is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold. On the other hand, if the position of the tag and the position of the subject are greater than the predetermined threshold, the control unit 320 determines that the subject is not carrying a tag.

[0054] Based on the processing flow described above, the control unit 320 determines whether the subject possesses the tag. Alternatively, the method for determining whether the subject possesses the tag may be based on the similarity of the motion vectors of the subject and the tag. In this case, the control unit 320 repeats steps S503 to S504 a predetermined number of times to obtain the subject's position and the tag's position multiple times. Then, in the possession determination in step S504, the control unit 320 calculates the motion vectors (for example, the motion vector and change amount over a predetermined period) of the subject's position and the tag's position. It then calculates the similarity of the two motion vectors based on their direction and magnitude. The control unit 320 compares the similarity of the motion vectors obtained in this way with a predetermined threshold to determine whether the subject possesses the tag.

[0055] If it is determined in step S504 that the subject is holding a tag, the position of the subject is treated as the position of the main subject (S505). If it is determined that the subject is not holding a tag, the position of the tag is treated as the position of the main subject (S506).

[0056] Next, in step S507, it is determined whether the location of the subject has been identified. The process performed here is the same as the process described in step S503. If the location of the subject has been identified, the location of the subject is treated as the location of the main subject (S505). The case where the location of the subject has not been identified will be described later.

[0057] As explained above, the control unit 320 determines, based on the conditions, whether to treat the position of the subject as the position of the main subject (S505) or to treat the position of the tag as the position of the main subject (S506). This allows the imaging device 101 to perform both shooting based on the position of the tag and shooting based on the position of the subject.

[0058] Furthermore, if the location of the subject is not determined in step S507, that is, if the location of the tag is not detected and the location of the subject is not determined, the control unit 320 starts the subject search process (S508). In the subject search process S508, the control unit 320 performs the following control.

[0059] First, the area is divided into sections around the position of the imaging device 101.

[0060] Next, for each divided area, an importance level is calculated that indicates the priority of the search, based on the subjects present in the area and the scene conditions of the area. The importance level based on the subject conditions is calculated based, for example, on the number of subjects present in the area, the size of the faces, the orientation of the faces, and the certainty of face detection. The importance level based on the scene conditions is calculated based on, for example, the general object recognition results, the scene discrimination results (blue sky, backlight, sunset, etc.), the sound level and speech recognition results from the direction of the area, and motion detection information within the area.

[0061] Next, areas with a high calculated importance level are selected as the search area. Then, the pan-tilt search target angle required to capture that search area within the shooting range is calculated.

[0062] Next, the pan-tilt drive amount is calculated based on the calculated pan-tilt search target angle, and pan-tilt movement is performed. Furthermore, if a subject is present in the search area, the zoom drive amount is calculated based on the size of the subject in the subject recognition image, and zoom movement is performed.

[0063] The processing flow described above allows for the search for the subject.

[0064] While we have described methods for searching for subjects using pan-tilt and zoom drives, it is also possible to search for subjects using an imaging system that captures all directions at once by using multiple wide-angle lenses.

[0065] As described above, the imaging device that performs automatic shooting in this embodiment can perform both shooting based on the tag position and shooting based on the subject position.

[0066] Furthermore, the subject of the photograph is not limited to people; it may also be an animal. [Examples]

[0067] This embodiment describes a method that allows the user to specify the time it takes to switch from tag tracking to subject tracking.

[0068] In Example 1, we described the determination process S502 for determining whether the tag's position has changed within a predetermined time Ta. However, the appropriate predetermined time Ta from when the tag's position stops changing until switching to subject tracking varies depending on the user's purpose of use.

[0069] Example 2 was developed in consideration of these circumstances and describes a system that allows the user to specify the time it takes to switch from tag tracking to subject tracking.

[0070] Figure 7 illustrates a system configuration that allows the user to specify the time (referred to as the set time Tc) between the point when the tag's position stops changing and the system switches to subject tracking.

[0071] The system in this embodiment consists of an imaging device 101, an external device 201, and an information processing device 701. The imaging device 101 and the external device 201 are the same as those described in Embodiment 1, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0072] The information processing device 701 is a device for communicating with and controlling the imaging device 101. The information processing device 701 can be, for example, a computer, a tablet terminal, or a smartphone. In this embodiment, a smartphone will be used as an example. The functions provided by the information processing device 701 in this embodiment are realized in the form of an application that runs on the information processing device 701. The information processing device 701 receives input of a set time Tc from the user and transmits the input set time Tc to the communication unit 318. The control unit 320 also performs a determination process to determine whether the tag's position has changed based on the set time Tc received by the communication unit 318. This determination process will be described later.

[0073] The external device 201 may also be a UWB module mounted on the information processing device 701.

[0074] The screen for inputting the set time Tc, which is displayed on the display of the information processing device 701 in this embodiment, will be explained with reference to Figure 8.

[0075] 801 is an explanatory display text. It describes the settings that can be configured by pressing setting item 802, which is described later.

[0076] 802 is a user interface for inputting the set time Tc. Multiple setting items 802 are available, and the user can change the setting by pressing the item. For example, pressing "30 seconds" sets the system to switch to subject tracking 30 seconds after the tag's position stops changing. Pressing "None" means that tag tracking will continue without switching to subject tracking even if the tag's position does not change. Note that while Figure 8 shows "30 seconds," "1 minute," "2 minutes," and "5 minutes" as example setting items, these are not the only options.

[0077] 803 is a mark indicating the selected setting item. In this case, the setting time Tc is "30 seconds".

[0078] The processing performed by the imaging device 101 in this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 9.

[0079] In this embodiment, the control unit 320 performs a determination process to determine whether the tag's position has changed based on a user-entered setting time Tc (S902). If the user-entered setting time is, for example, "30 seconds", in step S902, the control unit 320 determines whether the tag's position has changed within 30 seconds. If the user-entered setting time is "none", in step S902, the control unit 320 proceeds to step S503 regardless of any change in the tag's position.

[0080] The processing performed by the control unit 320 in each step is the same as that described in Example 1, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0081] As described above, in the imaging device that performs automatic shooting in this embodiment, the user can specify the time from when the tag position stops changing until tag tracking is stopped and subject tracking is switched over.

[0082] In this embodiment, we have described a method for allowing the user to specify the time it takes to switch from tag tracking to subject tracking, but this is not the only way to address different user needs.

[0083] For example, a toggle button may be provided in the application running on the information processing device 701, and each time the toggle button is pressed, the system may switch between "tag misplacement detection mode" and "tag placement mode".

[0084] In this case, for example, in "Tag Forgotten Tag Detection Mode," the control unit 320 determines that the tag has been left behind if its position does not change within a predetermined time, and switches from tag tracking to subject tracking. On the other hand, in "Tag Placement Mode," even if the tag's position does not change within a predetermined time, the control unit 320 determines that the user intentionally placed the tag, and continues tag tracking.

[0085] Furthermore, the function provided by the information processing device 701 in this embodiment, which allows the user to specify a set time Tc, may be in a form other than an application on a smartphone. For example, the imaging device 101 may be equipped with an input means for receiving input of a set time Tc, and the processing of step S902 may be executed based on the set time Tc entered by the user through the input means. Alternatively, the set time Tc may be stored in advance on a server on a computer network, and the imaging device 101 may execute the processing of step S902 based on the set time Tc received via the communication unit 318.

[0086] Although the present invention has been described in detail above based on its preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms that do not depart from the spirit of the invention are also included in the present invention. Some of the above embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

[0087] Furthermore, the present invention also includes cases in which a software program that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment is supplied directly from a recording medium or via wired / wireless communication to a system or device having a computer capable of executing the program, and the program is executed.

[0088] Therefore, in order to implement the functional processing of the present invention on a computer, the program code supplied to and installed on the computer itself also realizes the present invention. In other words, the computer program itself for realizing the functional processing of the present invention is also included in the present invention.

[0089] In that case, the form of the program is irrelevant, as long as it possesses the functionality of a program, including object code, programs executed by an interpreter, and script data supplied to the OS.

[0090] The recording medium for supplying the program may be, for example, a hard disk, a magnetic recording medium such as magnetic tape, an optical / magneto-optical storage medium, or a non-volatile semiconductor memory.

[0091] Another possible method for supplying the program is to store the computer program forming the present invention on a server on a computer network, and then have a connected client computer download and run the computer program.

[0092] (Other embodiments) Furthermore, the present invention can also be realized by performing the following process: that is, supplying software (program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment to a system or device via a network or various storage media, and having the computer (or control unit or MPU, etc.) of the system or device read and execute the program code. In this case, the program and the storage medium storing the program constitute the present invention.

[0093] Although the present invention has been described in detail above based on its preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms that do not depart from the spirit of the invention are also included in the present invention. Some of the above embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

[0094] Furthermore, each functional unit in each of the above embodiments (each modified example) may or may not be individual hardware. The functions of two or more functional units may be implemented by common hardware. Each of the multiple functions of a single functional unit may be implemented by individual hardware. Two or more functions of a single functional unit may be implemented by common hardware. In addition, each functional unit may or may not be implemented by hardware such as an ASIC, FPGA, or DSP. For example, the device may have a processor and a memory (storage medium) in which a control program is stored. The functions of at least some of the functional units of the device may be implemented by the processor reading and executing the control program from the memory.

[0095] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0096] [Configuration 1] Imaging means, Based on the image captured by the aforementioned imaging means, a means for identifying the position of the subject, A detection means for detecting the position of a tag, A control means that, based on the change in the position of the tag acquired by the detection means, switches whether the position of the main subject is the position of the subject identified by the identification means or the position of the tag detected by the detection means, An imaging device characterized by comprising:

[0097] [Configuration 2] The control means determines whether the position of the tag obtained by the detection means has changed within a predetermined time. The imaging apparatus according to configuration 1, characterized by the features described above.

[0098] [Configuration 3] The control means determines whether the subject is carrying a tag. The imaging apparatus according to configuration 1, characterized by the features described above.

[0099] [Structure 4] If the control means determines that the subject is carrying a tag, it sets the position of the subject to the position of the main subject. The imaging apparatus according to configuration 3, characterized by the above.

[0100] [Composition 5] If the control means determines that the subject does not possess a tag, it sets the position of the tag to the position of the main subject. The imaging apparatus according to configuration 4, characterized by the features described above.

[0101] [Composition 6] If the control means determines that the position of the tag has not changed and the position of the subject has been identified by the identification means, then the control means sets the position of the subject to the position of the main subject. The imaging apparatus according to configuration 2, characterized in that...

[0102] [Composition 7] If the control means determines that the position of the tag has not changed and the position of the subject has not been identified by the identification means, it performs a search for the subject. The imaging apparatus according to configuration 2, characterized in that...

[0103] [Structure 8] If the position of the tag has not been detected by the detection means and the position of the subject has been identified by the identification means, the control means sets the position of the subject to the position of the main subject. The imaging apparatus according to configuration 1, characterized by the features described above.

[0104] [Composition 9] If the position of the tag has not been detected by the detection means and the position of the subject has not been identified by the identification means, the control means performs a search for the subject. The imaging apparatus according to configuration 1, characterized by the features described above.

[0105] [Configuration 10] The imaging device is A rotating mechanism capable of rotating the housing, which includes the photographic lens and image sensor, in at least one axis or more directions, It also features a zoom mechanism that allows for zoom operation, The control means determines whether or not the subject possesses a tag based on the rotation angle of the rotation mechanism, the zoom magnification of the zoom mechanism, the position of the tag obtained by the detection means, and the position of the subject obtained by the identification means. The imaging apparatus according to configuration 3, characterized by the above.

[0106] [Composition 11] The control means is The motion vector of the subject's position over a predetermined period is calculated. Based on the amount of change in the position of the tag and the motion vector, it is determined whether or not the subject is possessing the tag. The imaging apparatus according to configuration 3, characterized by the above.

[0107] [Composition 12] The system further includes a tracking means for rotating the aforementioned rotation mechanism to track the main subject. The imaging apparatus according to configuration 1, characterized by the features described above.

[0108] [Composition 13] The control means operates the imaging means based on the tracking of the subject by the tracking means. The imaging apparatus according to configuration 12, characterized in that...

[0109] [Composition 14] The control means acquires time information specified by the user and determines whether the position of the tag obtained by the detection means has changed within a predetermined time based on the time information. The imaging apparatus according to configuration 2, characterized in that...

[0110] [Composition 15] The subject is at least one of a person or an animal. The imaging apparatus according to configurations 1 to 14, characterized by the above.

[0111] [method] Based on the image captured by the imaging device, the position of the subject is determined, Detecting the tag's position, Based on the change in the position of the acquired tag, the position of the main subject is switched between being the position of the subject and the position of the tag. A method for controlling an imaging device, including a processor-driven method.

[0112] [program] On the computer, Imaging function, Based on the image captured by the aforementioned imaging function, a function is provided to identify the position of the subject, A detection function to detect the location of the tag, A control function that switches whether the position of the main subject is the position of the subject identified by the identification function or the position of the tag detected by the detection function, based on the change in the position of the tag acquired by the detection function, A program that makes this a reality.

Claims

1. Imaging means, Based on the image captured by the aforementioned imaging means, a means for identifying the position of the subject, A detection means for detecting the position of a tag, A control means that, based on the change in the position of the tag acquired by the detection means, switches whether the position of the main subject is the position of the subject identified by the identification means or the position of the tag detected by the detection means, An imaging device characterized by comprising:

2. The control means determines whether the position of the tag obtained by the detection means has changed within a predetermined time. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

3. The control means determines whether the subject is carrying a tag. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1 to 2.

4. If the control means determines that the subject is carrying a tag, it sets the position of the subject to the position of the main subject. The imaging device according to feature 3.

5. If the control means determines that the subject does not possess a tag, it sets the position of the tag to the position of the main subject. The imaging apparatus according to feature 4.

6. If the control means determines that the position of the tag has not changed and the position of the subject has been identified by the identification means, then the control means sets the position of the subject to the position of the main subject. The imaging device according to feature 2.

7. If the control means determines that the position of the tag has not changed and the position of the subject has not been identified by the identification means, it performs a search for the subject. The imaging device according to feature 2.

8. If the position of the tag has not been detected by the detection means and the position of the subject has been identified by the identification means, the control means sets the position of the subject to the position of the main subject. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

9. If the position of the tag has not been detected by the detection means and the position of the subject has not been identified by the identification means, the control means performs a search for the subject. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

10. The imaging device is A rotating mechanism capable of rotating the housing, which includes the photographic lens and image sensor, in at least one axis or more directions, It also features a zoom mechanism that allows for zoom operation, The control means determines whether or not the subject possesses a tag based on the rotation angle of the rotation mechanism, the zoom magnification of the zoom mechanism, the position of the tag obtained by the detection means, and the position of the subject obtained by the identification means. The imaging device according to feature 3.

11. The control means is The motion vector of the subject's position over a predetermined period is calculated. Based on the amount of change in the position of the tag and the motion vector, it is determined whether or not the subject is possessing the tag. The imaging device according to feature 3.

12. The system further includes a tracking means for rotating the aforementioned rotation mechanism to track the main subject. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

13. The control means operates the imaging means based on the tracking of the subject by the tracking means. The imaging apparatus according to feature 12.

14. The control means acquires information about a time specified by the user and determines whether the position of the tag obtained by the detection means has changed within a predetermined time based on the information about the time. The imaging device according to feature 2.

15. The subject is at least one of a person or an animal. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1 to 14.

16. Based on the image captured by the imaging device, the position of the subject is determined, Detecting the tag's position, Based on the change in the position of the acquired tag, the position of the main subject is switched between being the position of the subject and the position of the tag. A method for controlling an imaging device, including a processor-driven method.

17. On the computer, Imaging function, Based on the image captured by the aforementioned imaging function, a function is provided to identify the position of the subject, A detection function to detect the location of the tag, A control function that switches whether the position of the main subject is the position of the subject identified by the identification function or the position of the tag detected by the detection function, based on the change in the position of the tag acquired by the detection function, A program that makes this a reality.

Images