JP2015056713A - Imaging apparatus and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging apparatus and a control method capable of securing tracking control of a monitor unit.SOLUTION: The imaging apparatus includes: a first imaging unit 14 for imaging; a monitor unit 12 for displaying the image imaged by a first imaging unit 14; a main body unit 11 having the first imaging unit 14, for rotatably supporting the monitor unit 12; a drive unit 13 for changing the angle of the monitor unit 12 to the main body unit 11; a second imaging unit 15 provided for imaging the display side of the monitor unit 12, with an imaging direction changed according to the rotation angle of the monitor unit 12; a face position detection unit 402 for detecting a face image included in the imaged image captured by the second imaging unit 15; and a drive control unit 405 for controlling the drive unit 13 on the basis of the face position detected by the face position detection unit 402.

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus and a control method thereof.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a video camera with a monitor. For example, in the video camera of Patent Document 1, the display surface is directed toward the photographer by rotating the liquid crystal monitor with a motor. More specifically, the video camera has an acceleration sensor and an angle sensor. And the rotation angle of a motor is controlled based on the output of an acceleration sensor and an angle sensor.

JP 2001-275019 A

  However, in Patent Document 1, since the motor is controlled based on the integral value of the acceleration sensor, the accuracy is lacking. That is, since the measurement error of the sensor is integrated, there is a possibility that the sensor is deviated from the direction of the photographer. Furthermore, it is difficult to perform the processing in a short time. Therefore, it is difficult to improve followability.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus capable of reliably following-controlling a monitor unit, and a control method therefor.

  An imaging apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a first imaging unit that captures an image, a monitor unit that displays an image captured by the first imaging unit, and the first imaging unit. A main body part that rotatably supports the part, a drive part that changes the angle of the monitor part with respect to the main body part, and an image that is provided to take an image of the display side of the monitor part, and that takes an image according to the rotation angle of the monitor part A second imaging unit that changes direction, a face position detection unit that detects a face position of a face image included in the captured image captured by the second imaging unit, and a face position detected by the face position detection unit. And a drive control unit for controlling the drive unit.

  An imaging apparatus control method according to an aspect of the present invention includes a first imaging unit that captures a moving image, a monitor unit that displays an image captured by the first imaging unit, and the first imaging unit. And a second imaging unit that is provided for imaging the display side of the monitor unit and that changes the imaging direction according to the rotation angle of the monitor unit, and a main body unit that rotatably supports the monitor unit. A method for controlling an imaging apparatus, comprising: detecting a face position of a face image included in a captured image captured by the second imaging unit; and based on the face position detected by the face position detection unit And a step of controlling a rotation angle of the monitor unit.

  According to the present invention, it is an object to provide an imaging apparatus capable of surely following-controlling a monitor unit, and a control method therefor.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an overall configuration of an imaging apparatus according to an embodiment. It is a figure which shows typically the structure of the monitor part of an imaging device. It is a block diagram which shows the control system of an imaging device. It is a figure for demonstrating control operation of an imaging device. It is a figure for demonstrating control operation of an imaging device. It is a figure for demonstrating control operation of an imaging device. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the imaging apparatus.

(overall structure)
Hereinafter, an imaging device and a control method thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment. The imaging device 1 includes a main body unit 11, a monitor unit 12, a drive mechanism 13, and a first imaging unit 14. In FIG. 1, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is shown. A direction parallel to the optical axis of the lens of the first imaging unit 14 is defined as a Z direction. A plane perpendicular to the Z direction is defined as an XY plane. The Y direction is the vertical direction (up and down direction), and the X direction is the horizontal direction (left and right direction). Of course, the above-described directions are relative and change according to the orientation of the imaging device 1.

  The main body 11 includes a housing that houses a first imaging unit 14 that includes a CMOS imaging device and a lens. The first imaging unit 14 that is a main camera receives light from a subject and captures a moving image and a still image. Further, the main body 11 includes a battery, a built-in memory, a memory card slot, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and the like, not shown. The image data acquired by the first imaging unit 14 is subjected to predetermined processing and stored in the memory. The first imaging unit 14 is arranged facing the front of the imaging device 1.

  A monitor unit 12 is attached to the side surface of the main body unit 11 so as to be openable and closable around the Y axis. For example, when the monitor unit 12 is in a closed state, the monitor unit 12 is parallel to the side surface of the main body unit 11. The monitor unit 12 has a built-in display such as a liquid crystal monitor, and displays a moving image or a still image acquired by the first imaging unit 14. In FIG. 2, the monitor unit 12 is arranged along the XY plane. The display screen of the monitor unit 12 is directed to the side opposite to the imaging side of the first imaging unit 14. An operation button 17 is provided on the upper surface of the main body 11. The photographer can start or stop shooting by pressing the operation button 17.

  A belt 16 is attached to the side of the main body 11 opposite to the monitor 12. Then, the photographer puts his hand between the belt 16 and the main body 11 to hold the imaging device 1. That is, the photographer (user) takes a picture while holding the side of the main body 11 opposite to the monitor 12. Since the monitor unit 12 is provided on the side surface of the main body unit 11, a photographer holding the imaging device 1 can visually recognize an image captured by the first imaging unit 14.

  Further, the monitor unit 12 is attached to the main body unit 11 via the drive mechanism 13. The main body 11 supports the monitor unit 12 via a drive mechanism 13 so as to be rotatable. The drive mechanism 13 includes an actuator such as a motor. Then, the drive mechanism 13 rotates the monitor unit 12 around the X axis. The drive mechanism 13 changes the angle of the monitor unit 12 with respect to the main body unit 11. Thereby, the monitor part 12 will be in the state inclined up and down. Further, the photographer may directly operate the monitor unit 12 to rotate the monitor unit 12.

  The configuration of the monitor unit 12 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of the monitor unit 12. FIG. 2 shows a view of the monitor unit 12 as viewed from the display side. On the display side of the monitor unit 12, a rectangular display screen 12a is provided. The display screen 12 a displays an image captured by the first imaging unit 14. A drive mechanism 13 is provided on the side of the monitor unit 12. When the drive mechanism 13 rotates the monitor unit 12, the display direction of the display screen 12a changes. For example, the drive mechanism 13 tilts the display direction of the display screen 12a up and down.

  Further, the monitor unit 12 is provided with a second imaging unit 15 serving as a sub camera. The second imaging unit 15 is disposed outside the display screen 12a. Here, the second imaging unit 15 is fixed on the display screen 12a. The second imaging unit 15 images the display side of the monitor unit 12. The second imaging unit 15 is provided to capture an image of a photographer who holds the imaging device 1. When the photographer takes a picture while looking at the display screen 12a of the monitor unit 12, the second imaging unit 15 takes an image of the photographer. Note that the optical axis of the lens of the second imaging unit 15 is perpendicular to the display screen 12a. The imaging direction of the second imaging unit 15 changes according to the rotation angle of the monitor unit 12.

  Based on the imaging result of the second imaging unit 15, the drive mechanism 13 rotates the monitor unit 12. For example, image processing is performed on the captured image captured by the second imaging unit 15 to detect the face position of the photographer. Then, based on the detection result of the face position, the drive mechanism 13 drives the monitor unit 12 to rotate. By doing so, the monitor unit 12 rotates so as to follow the direction of the photographer. That is, the drive mechanism 13 adjusts the angle of the monitor unit 12 so that the display screen 12a of the monitor unit 12 is always directed toward the photographer. By doing so, the photographer comes to face the display screen 12a of the monitor unit 12 and can easily view the display screen 12a.

(Control system)
Next, a control system of the imaging apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a control system of the imaging apparatus 1.

  The central control unit 400 is configured by a semiconductor integrated circuit including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which various programs are stored, a RAM (Random Access Memory) as a work area, and the like. The central control unit 400 can be constituted by a microcomputer. The central control unit 400 comprehensively controls processing of the entire imaging apparatus 1 related to imaging, display of various images, or image processing and image display described below.

  The first imaging unit 14 serving as a main camera includes a zoom lens 101, a focus lens 102, a diaphragm 103, and an image sensor 104. The zoom lens 101 is moved along the optical axis LA by a zoom actuator (not shown). Similarly, the focus lens 102 moves along the optical axis LA by a focus actuator (not shown). The diaphragm 103 operates by being driven by a diaphragm actuator (not shown). The imaging element 104 is configured by a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), or the like.

  The image sensor 104 photoelectrically converts light that has passed through the zoom lens 101, the focus lens 102, and the aperture 103 to generate an analog image signal of the subject. After the analog image signal processing unit 105 amplifies the analog image signal, the image A / D conversion unit 106 converts the amplified signal into digital image data. Then, the image A / D conversion unit 106 outputs the digital image data to the image input controller 107 as a video signal. The image input controller 107 takes in digital image data output from the image A / D conversion unit 106 as captured image data and stores it in the main memory 206 via the bus 200.

  The second imaging unit 15 serving as a sub camera includes a zoom lens 501, a focus lens 502, a diaphragm 503, and an image sensor 504. The zoom lens 501 is moved along the optical axis LB by a zoom actuator (not shown). Similarly, the focus lens 502 is moved along the optical axis LB by a focus actuator (not shown). The diaphragm 503 operates by being driven by a diaphragm actuator (not shown). The image sensor 504 is configured by a CCD, a CMOS, or the like.

  The image sensor 504 photoelectrically converts light that has passed through the zoom lens 501, the focus lens 502, and the stop 503 to generate an analog image signal of the subject. After the analog image signal processing unit 505 amplifies the analog image signal, the image A / D conversion unit 506 converts the amplified signal into digital image data. Then, the image A / D conversion unit 506 outputs the digital image data to the image input controller 507 as a video signal. The image input controller 507 takes in digital image data output from the image A / D conversion unit 506 as captured image data and stores it in the main memory 206 via the bus 200.

  The first imaging unit 14 is a main camera, and the second imaging unit 15 is a sub camera. Therefore, the second imaging unit 15 can have imaging performance lower than that of the first imaging unit 14. For example, the image sensor 504 may have a lower number of pixels than the image sensor 104. Alternatively, the zoom lens 501 and the focus lens 502 may be lenses having lower lens performance than the zoom lens 101 and the focus lens 102.

  Based on a command from the central control unit 400 via the bus 200, the digital signal processing unit 108 takes captured image data stored in the main memory 206, performs predetermined signal processing, and includes a luminance signal and a color difference signal. Generate data. The digital signal processing unit 108 also performs various digital corrections such as offset processing, white balance adjustment processing, gamma correction processing, RGB interpolation processing, noise reduction processing, contour correction processing, color tone correction processing, and light source type determination processing.

  The audio processing unit 202 performs predetermined processing on audio data acquired by a microphone (not shown) or the like according to an instruction from the central control unit 400 via the bus 200. For example, voice data is converted into digital data, or noise removal processing is performed.

  The compression / decompression processing unit 201 performs predetermined compression processing on the captured image data and digital audio data acquired by the first imaging unit 14 according to an instruction from the central control unit 400 via the bus 200 to generate compressed data. To do. The compression / decompression processing unit 201 generates uncompressed data by performing a predetermined format decompression process on the compressed data stored in the card-type recording medium 302, which is an example of a recording unit, in accordance with an instruction from the central control unit 400. To do. As the predetermined compression processing, a compression method based on the JPEG standard can be adopted for still images, and MPEG2 standard or AVC / H. A compression method compliant with the H.264 standard can be employed. The compression / decompression processing unit 201 performs processing on the captured image data acquired by the first imaging unit 14.

  The ROM 203 is connected to the central control unit 400 via the bus 200 and stores a control program executed by the central control unit 400 and various data necessary for control. The flash ROM 204 stores various setting information related to the operation of the imaging apparatus 1, such as user setting information. The imaging apparatus 1 stores in advance in the flash ROM 204 several imaging modes and imaging condition settings according to each mode in accordance with various imaging situations. And before starting imaging, the user can perform imaging under optimal imaging conditions by selecting an optimal mode from each mode. For example, a “portrait mode” suitable for capturing a specific person, a “sport mode” suitable for capturing an athletic meet, or a “night view mode” suitable for capturing a dark place such as a night view. The VRAM 205 is used as a temporary storage area for image data for display.

  The media control unit 207 controls to write data to the card type recording medium 302 via the card I / F 301 and to read data recorded on the card type recording medium 302 in accordance with an instruction from the central control unit 400. The card-type recording medium 302 is an external memory such as an SD card or a compact flash (registered trademark), and is provided so as to be removable from the imaging apparatus 1. The card-type recording medium 302 stores the captured image data of the moving image captured by the first imaging unit 14 in a compressed manner.

  The liquid crystal monitor 304, the speaker 305, the operation unit 306, and the input / output terminal 307 are connected to the input / output I / F 303. The liquid crystal monitor 304 is built in the monitor unit 12. The liquid crystal monitor 304 displays images generated from various image data such as captured image data and various menu image data temporarily recorded in the VRAM 205 or the main memory 206, for example. The liquid crystal monitor 304 displays the moving image acquired by the first imaging unit 14.

  The speaker 305 outputs sound temporarily recorded in the main memory 206, for example. The operation unit 306 includes an operation key including a release switch and a power switch (not shown), a cross key, a joystick, a touch panel superimposed on the liquid crystal monitor 304, and the like. Accept. The input / output terminal 307 is connected to a television monitor (not shown), a PC (Personal Computer), or the like.

  Further, the drive mechanism 13 is connected to the input / output I / F 303. The drive mechanism 13 includes a motor, a motor driver, an encoder, and the like. The drive mechanism 13 rotationally drives the monitor unit 12 in which the liquid crystal monitor 304 is provided. For example, the drive mechanism 13 rotates the monitor unit 12 based on a command value from the central control unit 400.

  The gyro sensor 208 detects changes in triaxial acceleration and angular velocity of the imaging device 1. By integrating the angular velocity detected by the gyro sensor 208, the angle of the main body 11 can be obtained. Then, the orientation of the display image on the liquid crystal monitor 304 is changed according to the detection result of the gyro sensor 208. That is, the orientation of the display image displayed on the display screen 12a is rotated 90 degrees or 180 degrees. For example, when the imaging apparatus 1 is tilted 90 degrees to the left or right, the orientation of the image displayed on the display screen 12a is rotated 90 degrees. In this way, the upper and lower sides of the display screen 12a coincide with the upper and lower sides of the displayed image. Further, camera shake correction may be performed based on the detection result of the gyro sensor 208.

  The central control unit 400 includes a face recognition unit 401, a face position detection unit 402, a face image registration unit 403, a rotation angle calculation unit 404, and a drive control unit 405. The face recognition unit 401 performs face recognition processing on the image acquired by the second imaging unit 15. More specifically, the face recognition unit 401 performs face detection on a frame image of a moving image.

  The face image registration unit 403 registers a face image of a person who performs face recognition as a reference image. Then, the face recognition unit 401 refers to the reference image registered in the face image registration unit 403 and performs face recognition. For example, the face recognition unit 401 performs face recognition by comparing the feature amount of the reference image with the feature amount of the face image acquired by the second imaging unit 15. More specifically, the face recognition unit 401 detects a face image included in the captured image. Then, the face recognition unit 400 determines whether or not the feature amount of the reference image matches the feature amount of the acquired face image. When the feature amounts match, the face recognition unit 401 recognizes that the captured face is a person's face registered in advance. In this way, the face recognition unit 401 detects that a specific person's face is included in the captured image. The face recognition unit 401 determines whether face information included in the captured image is face information of a person registered in advance.

  Further, a plurality of reference images may be registered in the face image registration unit 403. In this case, the photographer selects an appropriate reference image from a plurality of reference images already registered. Thereby, a photographer's face image is selected. Then, the face recognition unit 401 performs face recognition by comparing the reference image corresponding to the photographer's face and the captured image captured by the second imaging unit 15. Of course, when the face following operation is performed, the first imaging unit 14 or the second imaging unit 15 may capture an image of the photographer's face each time.

  Then, the face position detection unit 402 detects the face position of the face image included in the captured image captured by the second imaging unit 15. For example, the center coordinates of the face image in the captured image are detected as the face position. The face position detection unit 402 detects the face position of the face image recognized by the face recognition unit 401. The face position detection unit 402 only needs to detect at least the coordinates of the face in the vertical direction of the captured image. That is, the face position detection unit 402 may detect a face position in a direction corresponding to the rotation direction of the monitor unit 12. Therefore, the face position detection unit 402 may not detect the face coordinates in the left-right direction of the captured image.

  Further, the face position detection unit 402 detects the face position of the face recognized by the face recognition unit 401. For example, when there are two or more faces in the captured image, the face position detection unit 402 detects the face position of the face recognized by the face recognition unit 401. By doing in this way, even if it is a case where the 2nd image pick-up part 15 picturizes two or more people, it can follow a face appropriately. If the face recognition unit 401 cannot recognize a face image of a specific person, the face position detection unit 402 cannot detect the face position.

  The rotation angle calculation unit 404 calculates the rotation angle of the monitor unit 12 based on the face position detected by the face position detection unit 402. The drive control unit 405 calculates a command value for driving the motor of the drive mechanism 13 based on the rotation angle calculated by the rotation angle calculation unit 404. Then, the drive mechanism 13 is controlled based on the command value calculated by the drive control unit 405. Therefore, the drive control unit 405 controls the drive mechanism 13 based on the face position detected by the face position detection unit 402. Thereby, the monitor unit 12 can be controlled to a predetermined angle.

(Description of operation)
Next, the captured image of the second imaging unit 15 and the operation of the monitor unit 12 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the case where the photographer's face 21 is at the center in the vertical direction of the captured image will be described with reference to FIG. 4A, 4B, and 4C show captured images, and FIG. 4D shows the positional relationship between the photographer's face 21, the monitor unit 12, and the main body 11. It is a side view which shows typically.

  In FIG. 4D, the first imaging unit 14 captures the left direction, and the second imaging unit 15 captures the right direction. That is, in FIG.4 (d), the left side is the front of the imaging device 1, and the right side is the back. Further, the optical axis 24 of the first imaging unit 14 is horizontal, and is parallel to the optical axis 25 of the second imaging unit 15.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, it is assumed that the photographer's face 21 is at the center of the captured image 15a. That is, it is assumed that the face 21 is on the center line 22 in the left-right direction of the captured image 15a. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4D, the monitor unit 12 and the photographer's face 21 face each other. The face 21 is on the optical axis 25 of the second imaging unit 15. When the face 21 is at the center in the vertical direction of the captured image 15a, the photographer can easily view the monitor unit 12. Therefore, the drive mechanism 13 does not drive the monitor unit 12.

  4B and 4C show a case where the position of the face 21 is shifted in the left-right direction from the state of FIG. 4A. In this case, the optical axis 25 of the second imaging unit 15 and the face 21 are at the same height. Therefore, the face 21 is on the center line 22 in the vertical direction in the captured image 15a. Therefore, the drive mechanism 13 does not drive the monitor unit 12.

  A case where the photographer changes the orientation of the imaging device 1 or changes the relative position of the imaging device 1 with respect to the photographer from the state shown in FIG. 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation when the face 21 is imaged in the lower part of the captured image 15 a of the second imaging unit 15. FIG. 5 shows a state where the photographer has moved the imaging device 1 upward from the state shown in FIG.

  For example, when the photographer lifts the imaging device 1, the relative position of the photographer with respect to the imaging device 1 is lowered as shown in FIG. Then, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the face 21 moves downward in the captured image 15 a of the second imaging unit 15. In the captured image 15 a, the face 21 is disposed below the center line 22. In this case, the photographer must look at the display screen 12a from obliquely below, making it difficult to see the display screen 12a.

  Therefore, the drive mechanism 13 rotates the monitor unit 12 in the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. That is, the display screen 12a of the monitor unit 12 is tilted so as to face obliquely downward. Thereby, the display screen 12a of the monitor unit 12 and the photographer's face 21 face each other. That is, the photographer can visually recognize the display screen 12a from a direction perpendicular to the display screen 12a.

  Here, the central control unit 400 adjusts the angle of the monitor unit 12 based on the face position. Therefore, returning to the state shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C, the face 21 is arranged on the center line 22 of the captured image 15a. The photographer can easily view the display screen 12a of the monitor unit 12.

  Next, the operation when the face 21 is imaged on the upper part of the captured image 15a of the second imaging unit 15 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 shows a state where the photographer has moved the imaging apparatus 1 downward from the state shown in FIG.

  For example, when the photographer moves down the imaging apparatus 1, the relative position of the photographer with respect to the imaging apparatus 1 increases as shown in FIG. Then, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the face 21 moves upward in the captured image 15 a of the second imaging unit 15. In the captured image 15 a, the face 21 is disposed above the center line 22. In this case, the photographer has to look at the display screen 12a from an oblique upper side, and the display screen 12a becomes difficult to see.

  Therefore, the drive mechanism 13 rotates the monitor unit 12 in the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. That is, the display screen 12a of the monitor unit 12 is tilted so as to face obliquely upward. Thereby, it returns to the state shown to Fig.4 (a)-FIG.4 (c). Therefore, the photographer can easily visually recognize the display screen 12a of the monitor unit 12.

  The drive mechanism 13 drives the monitor unit 12 so that the second imaging unit 15 tracks in the direction of the photographer. That is, in the captured image 15a of the second imaging unit 15, the drive mechanism 13 drives the monitor unit 12 so that the face 21 is arranged at the center in the vertical direction. For example, when the relative position between the imaging device 1 and the photographer changes, the drive mechanism 13 rotates the monitor unit 12 in a direction that cancels the change in position. Thus, the monitor angle is automatically adjusted so that the second imaging unit 15 always captures the photographer at the center of the captured image 15a. Therefore, the photographer can always view the image in a state of facing the display screen 12a of the monitor unit 12. In addition, the optical axis 25 of the second imaging unit 15 is perpendicular to the display screen 12 a of the monitor unit 12. Thereby, the angle of the monitor unit 12 can be easily controlled.

  Here, the drive mechanism 13 drives the monitor unit 12 based on the result of face position detection. Therefore, the monitor unit 12 can be rotationally driven more accurately than when the gyro sensor 208 is used. Furthermore, since the face detection process is performed on the moving image captured by the second imaging unit 15, it can be processed at a high speed and the followability can be improved. That is, since it is not necessary to use the integral value of the measured value of the gyro sensor 208, the face can be tracked with high accuracy. Thereby, the convenience can be improved.

(Control method)
A control method of the imaging apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the imaging apparatus 1.

  When the photographer starts the face following operation, first, it is determined whether or not a face exists in the captured image 15a of the second imaging unit 15 (step S101). For example, the face recognition unit 401 compares the reference image with the captured image 15a and performs face recognition. Thus, it is determined whether or not the face image of the photographer's face 21 is in the captured image 15a.

  When the face 21 is present in the captured image 15a (YES in step S101), it is determined whether or not the face position is above the reference position (step S102). For example, the face position detection unit 402 detects the face position of the face 21 in the captured image 15a. When the reference position is the center line 21 of the captured image 15a as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, it is determined whether the face position is above or below the center line 21.

  When the face position is above the reference position (YES in step S102), the drive mechanism 13 rotates the monitor unit 12 in the A direction (step S103). Thereby, the display screen 12a of the monitor unit 12 is directed obliquely upward (see FIG. 6D). Therefore, the imaging direction of the second imaging unit 15 faces obliquely upward. On the other hand, if the face position is not above the reference position (NO in step S102), that is, if it is below the reference position, the drive mechanism 13 rotates the monitor unit 12 in the B direction (step S104). Thereby, the display screen 12a of the monitor unit 12 is directed obliquely downward (see FIG. 5D). Accordingly, the imaging direction of the second imaging unit 15 is directed obliquely downward.

  By rotating the monitor unit 12 in the A direction or the B direction, the face 21 is displaced toward the center in the vertical direction of the captured image 15a. And after rotating the monitor part 12 to A direction or B direction, it transfers to step S111.

  Next, a case where no face exists in the captured image 15a (NO in step S101) will be described. For example, the face recognition unit 401 compares the reference image with the captured image 15a and determines that the photographer's face 21 does not exist in the captured image 15a. In this case, the monitor unit 12 is controlled using the inclination detected by the gyro sensor 208.

  Therefore, first, a tilt detection result is acquired from the gyro sensor 208 (step S105). For example, the gyro sensor 208 measures the inclination (angle) by integrating the detected angular velocity. Then, it is determined whether there is an inclination detection result (step S106). That is, based on the detection result of the gyro sensor 208, it is determined whether or not the angle of the main body 11 has changed.

  When there is no inclination detection (NO in step S106), that is, when the angle of the main body 11 has not changed, the drive mechanism 13 fixes the position of the monitor unit 12. That is, the drive mechanism 13 does not change the angle of the monitor unit 12. Then, the process proceeds to step S114.

  If there is tilt detection (YES in step S106), that is, if the angle of the main body 11 has changed, it is determined whether or not the rotation direction is downward (step S107). When the main body 11 is rotated downward (YES in step S107), the monitor 12 is rotated in the A direction. Then, the process proceeds to step S111. On the other hand, when the main body 11 is not rotated downward (YES in step S107), that is, when the main body 11 is rotated upward, the monitor 12 is rotated in the B direction. Then, the process proceeds to step S111.

  When the monitor unit 12 is rotated in the A direction or the B direction in step S103, step S104, step S108, or step S109, the process proceeds to step S111. In step S111, it is determined whether or not the face position is near the center. That is, it is determined whether or not the face position is within a predetermined range in the vertical direction of the captured image 15a.

  When the face position is near the center (YES in step S111), the drive mechanism 13 stops the rotation of the monitor unit 12 (step S112). When the rotation of the monitor unit 12 is stopped, the inclination detection result of the gyro sensor 208 is cleared (step S113). Thereby, the inclination detected by the gyro sensor 208, that is, the integrated value of the angular velocity is reset.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the face following operation is OFF (step S114). If the face following operation is not OFF (NO in step S114), the process returns to step S111. When the face following operation is turned off (YES in step S114), the face following control is finished.

  If the face position is not near the center (NO in step S111), the process returns to step S101. Thereby, steps S101 to S110 are repeatedly performed until the face position moves to the vicinity of the center of the captured image 15a. That is, by continuously rotating the monitor unit 12, the face position is moved within a certain range near the center of the captured image 15a.

  During the face following operation, the processes in steps S111 to S113 are repeated until the face position exceeds a predetermined range in the center of the captured image 15. In other words, the rotation of the monitor is stopped while the face position is in a certain range near the center. When the face position exceeds a certain range near the center, the monitor unit 12 rotates.

  Thus, chattering of the monitor unit 12 can be prevented by determining whether or not the face position is within a predetermined range. That is, it is possible to prevent the monitor unit 12 from repeating the minute rotation in the A direction and the minute rotation in the B direction. As described above, since the rotation of the monitor unit 12 within a certain range of the face position stops, it is possible to prevent the rotation from continuing because the monitor angle converges to a certain angle.

  As described above, the rotation direction of the monitor unit 12 is determined based on the face position. By doing so, it is possible to follow easily. When the monitor unit 12 is rotated based on the face position in step S103 or step S104, the rotation angle may be changed according to the deviation between the reference position and the face position. For example, when the deviation between the reference position and the face position is large, the rotation angle may be increased, and when the deviation is small, the rotation angle may be decreased.

  When the face position is not detected by the face position detection unit 402, the drive control unit 405 controls the drive unit 13 according to the detection result of the gyro sensor 208. For example, when there is no face in the captured image 15a or when a face other than a registered person exists, the monitor unit 12 is rotated without using face position detection. By doing in this way, even if it is a case where the angle of the imaging device 1 changes rapidly, it can be made to follow a face appropriately. The gyro sensor 208 is not limited to a sensor that detects both the angle and acceleration of the main body 11, and may be any sensor that detects at least one of the angle and acceleration of the main body 11. And what is necessary is just to rotate the monitor part 12 using one of an angle and an acceleration.

  Further, when the monitor unit 12 is rotated based on the inclination detection result in step S108 or step S109, the rotation angle may be increased according to the magnitude of the inclination. For example, the rotation angle may be increased when the absolute value of the inclination is large, and the rotation angle may be decreased when the absolute value of the inclination is small.

  Further, when face recognition is not possible even if the monitor unit 12 is rotated based on the detection result of the gyro sensor 208, the monitor unit 12 may be rotated from one end to the other end of the movable range. In this way, the face position can be reliably detected.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the face image registration unit 403 registers a reference image of the photographer's face. When the monitor unit 13 performs face tracking, a reference image registered in the face image registration unit 403 is designated. In this case, a specific photographer is recognized even when the second imaging unit 15 captures two or more faces. That is, the face recognizing unit 401 recognizes the face of the photographer who is actually holding the imaging apparatus 1 and operating it. Therefore, the monitor unit 12 rotates toward the photographer's face. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately follow the face, and it becomes easy for the photographer to visually recognize the monitor unit 12. Thereby, the convenience can be improved.

  In the above description, the example in which the monitor unit 12 is rotated in the A direction or the B direction has been described, but the rotation direction is not particularly limited. That is, face position detection and monitor angle adjustment may be performed according to the direction in which the drive mechanism 13 can rotate the monitor unit 12. Furthermore, when the drive mechanism 13 can rotate the monitor unit 12 around two axes, the face position can be detected in each direction. That is, the biaxial rotation angle may be adjusted according to the vertical position and the horizontal position of the captured image 15a.

  Part or all of the above processing may be executed by a computer program. The above-described program can be stored and supplied to a computer using various types of non-transitory computer readable media. Non-transitory computer readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic recording media (for example, flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (for example, magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R / W, semiconductor memory (for example, mask ROM, PROM (Programmable ROM), EPROM (Erasable PROM), flash ROM, RAM (Random Access Memory)) are included. The program may also be supplied to the computer by various types of transitory computer readable media. Examples of transitory computer readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The temporary computer-readable medium can supply the program to the computer via a wired communication path such as an electric wire and an optical fiber, or a wireless communication path.

  As mentioned above, the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Needless to say.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Imaging device, 11 Main-body part, 12 Monitor part, 13 Drive mechanism, 14 1st imaging part 15 2nd imaging part

Claims (8)

A first imaging unit that captures an image;
A monitor for displaying an image captured by the first imaging unit;
A main body that is provided with the first imaging unit and rotatably supports the monitor;
A drive unit that changes an angle of the monitor unit with respect to the main body unit;
A second imaging unit provided for imaging the display side of the monitor unit, the imaging direction changing according to the rotation angle of the monitor unit;
A face position detection unit that detects a face position of a face image included in the captured image captured by the second imaging unit;
An imaging apparatus comprising: a drive control unit that controls the drive unit based on a face position detected by the face position detection unit. A face recognition unit for recognizing whether the face image included in the captured image is a face image of a person registered in advance;
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive control unit controls the drive unit based on a face position of a face image recognized by the face recognition unit. A sensor provided to detect at least one of the angle and acceleration of the main body;
The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein when the face position is not detected by the face position detection unit, the drive control unit controls the drive unit based on a detection result of the sensor. Determining whether the face position detected by the face position detection unit is within a predetermined range in the center of the captured image;
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive control unit stops driving the drive unit when the face position is in a predetermined range. A first imaging unit that captures a moving image;
A monitor for displaying an image captured by the first imaging unit;
A main body that is provided with the first imaging unit and rotatably supports the monitor;
A second imaging unit that is provided for imaging the display side of the monitor unit and changes an imaging direction in accordance with a rotation angle of the monitor unit,
Detecting a face position of a face image included in a captured image captured by the second imaging unit;
And a step of controlling a rotation angle of the monitor unit based on the detected face position. Recognizing whether the face image included in the captured image is a face image of a person registered in advance,
The control method of the imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the rotation angle of the monitor unit is controlled based on the face position of the recognized face image. The imaging device is provided with a sensor that detects at least one of the angle and acceleration of the main body,
The method for controlling an imaging apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein when the face position is not detected, a rotation angle of the monitor unit is controlled based on a detection result of the sensor. Determining whether the detected face position is within a predetermined range in the center of the captured image;
The method of controlling an imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the rotation of the monitor unit is stopped when it is in the predetermined range.

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