Image Pickup Apparatus FA Zoom Control for Subject Frame Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image pickup apparatuses face challenges in automatically maintaining a subject within the frame, especially when the subject moves sideways or rearward, leading to frame-out issues and lost shutter opportunities due to inadequate automatic zoom functionality.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a movement detection unit, a subject detection unit, and a control unit that sets modes for controlling zoom operations, allowing automatic adjustment of the angle of view to prevent frame-out by performing zoom operations based on subject movement and position, ensuring rapid re-capture of the subject.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If automatic zoom function operates based on face detection only, then subject can be captured when facing forward, but subject is lost when moving sideways or rearward causing frame-out
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the detection parameter from face-only detection to body detection, allowing the system to detect subjects regardless of their orientation (facing forward, sideways, or rearward). This parameter change in detection methodology enables reliable subject tracking in various poses without requiring the subject to face the camera directly.
2Ease of operation
If manual zoom operation is required when subject is lost, then photographer can control zoom precisely, but shutter release opportunity is lost due to delayed response
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic zoom operations based on detected subject position and movement, eliminating the need for manual intervention. The camera automatically adjusts the zoom level to keep the detected subject within the frame, enabling rapid response to subject movement without requiring the photographer to manually operate the zoom control, thus preventing loss of shutter opportunities.
3Reliability
If automatic zoom is disabled when subject not detected, then false zoom operations are prevented, but subject recapture is delayed requiring manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the detection parameter from face-only detection to body detection, enabling the automatic zoom function to operate reliably even when the subject is not facing the camera. This allows the system to maintain subject tracking and trigger appropriate zoom operations without false positives, achieving both operational reliability and rapid subject recapture.
Data Source
AI summary
An image pickup apparatus includes a movement detector detecting movement of the apparatus, a subject detector detecting a subject, a setting unit setting a mode for controlling a zoom operation which is enabled as a first mode or second mode, and a controller controlling the zoom operation based on the enabled mode. In the first mode, the controller controls the zoom operation based on at least one of position or size of the detected subject. In the second mode, the controller performs a first zoom operation for changing a zoom magnification to a wide-angle side when a movement amount of the apparatus is a first amount larger than a predetermined amount and performs a second zoom operation for changing the zoom magnification to a telephoto side when a movement amount of the apparatus detected after execution of the first zoom operation is a second amount smaller than the predetermined amount.