WO2020020042A1

WO2020020042A1 - Control device, moving body, control method and program

Info

Publication number: WO2020020042A1
Application number: PCT/CN2019/096534
Authority: WO
Inventors: 永山佳范
Original assignee: 深圳市大疆创新科技有限公司
Priority date: 2018-07-23
Filing date: 2019-07-18
Publication date: 2020-01-30
Also published as: CN111226170A; JP2020016703A; JP6714802B2

Abstract

It is sometimes difficult for a photographing device to maintain focus on a subject. A control device, comprising: a specifying portion configured to specify the distance between the photographing device and the subject; a first deriving portion configured to derive a first setting value of a focus lens of the photographing device focusing on the subject according to a contrast value of images, photographed by the photographing device, of different positions of the focus lens of the photographing device; a second deriving portion configured to derive a second setting value of the focus lens focusing on the subject according to the distance; and a control portion configured to drive the focus lens according to the first setting value giving a first weight and the second setting value giving a second weight lower than the first weight when the distance is within a first distance range, and drive the focus lens according to the first setting value giving a third weight and the second setting value giving a fourth weight higher than the third weight when the distance is within a second distance range which is longer than the first distance range.

Description

Control device, moving body, control method, and program

[Technical Field]

The present invention relates to a control device, a moving body, a control method, and a program.

【Background technique】

In Patent Document 1, it is described that when a flying camera device flies toward the current position of a received wearable device and approaches, searches for visible light emitted by a blinking visible light object, and simultaneously performs face recognition processing and performs recognition on the recognized face Perform shooting for focusing and shooting.

Patent Document 1 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2017-185928

[Summary of the Invention]

[Technical problems to be solved by the invention]

When the distance to the subject is changed, such as a flying camera device described in Patent Document 1, it may be difficult to maintain the in-focus state of the subject.

[Technical means for solving problems]

The control device according to one aspect of the present invention may include a specifying unit that specifies a distance from the imaging device to the subject. The control device may include a first deriving unit that derives a first setting value of the focus lens of the imaging device focusing on the subject based on the contrast value of the image captured by the imaging device by driving the focusing lens of the imaging device to different positions. . The control device may include a second deriving unit that derives a second setting value of the focusing lens focusing on the subject based on the distance. The control device may include a control unit that drives the focus lens according to a first setting value given a first weight and a second setting value given a second weight lower than the first weight when the distance is within the first distance range, when When the distance is within a second distance range longer than the first distance range, it drives the focusing lens according to a first setting value given a third weight and a second setting value given a fourth weight higher than the third weight.

When the distance is within the first distance range, the first derivation unit may derive the first set value at a first interval, and when the distance is within the second distance range, the first derivation unit may perform the second interval longer than the first interval. The interval derives the first set value.

When the distance is within the first distance range, the second derivation unit may derive the second setting value at the first interval, and when the distance is within the second distance range, the second derivation unit may derive the second setting value at the second interval Export.

When the distance is within the first distance range and the second distance range, the second deriving unit may derive the second set value at a first interval.

The control device may include a determination unit that determines an in-focus area in the image captured by the imaging device to be focused. The first deriving unit may derive the first setting value based on a contrast value of a focus area in an image captured by the imaging device.

The specifying unit may specify a distance based on a distance measurement result of a distance measurement sensor that measures a distance to a subject existing in an imaging direction of the imaging device.

The control device according to one aspect of the present invention may include a specifying unit that specifies a distance from the imaging device to the subject. The control device may include a deriving unit that derives a setting value of the focus lens of the imaging device focusing on the subject based on the contrast value of the image captured by the imaging device by driving the focusing lens of the imaging device to different positions. The control device may include a control section that drives the focus lens according to a set value. When the distance is within the first distance range, the deriving unit may derive the setting value at a first interval, and when the distance is within a second distance range longer than the first distance range, the derivation unit may derive the set value at a second interval longer than the first interval. Set value export.

The moving object according to one aspect of the present invention may be a moving object that is mounted on the control device and the imaging device and moves.

The moving body may include a supporting mechanism that supports the imaging device in a manner capable of controlling the posture of the imaging device.

The moving body may be a flying body. The support mechanism may support the imaging device such that the imaging direction of the imaging device is directed downward with respect to the moving body. The specifying unit may specify a distance of a subject existing below the moving body as the distance.

The control method according to an aspect of the present invention may include a step of specifying a distance from the imaging device to the subject. The control method may include a step of deriving a first setting value of a focusing lens of the imaging device focusing on the subject according to a contrast value of an image that is driven by the focusing lens of the imaging device to different positions and captured by the imaging device. The control method may include a step of deriving a second setting value of a focusing lens focusing on the subject according to the distance. The control method may include a stage of driving the focus lens according to a first setting value given a first weight and a second setting value giving a second weight higher than the first weight when the distance is within a first distance range, and when the distance is When in a second distance range longer than the first distance range, the stage of focusing the lens is driven according to a first setting value given a third weight and a second setting value given a fourth weight higher than the third weight.

The control method according to an aspect of the present invention may include a step of specifying a distance from the imaging device to the subject. The control method may include a step of deriving a setting value of a focus lens of the imaging device focusing on a subject according to a contrast value of an image captured by the imaging device by driving the focusing lens of the imaging device to different positions. The control method may include driving a focus lens stage according to a set value. When the distance is within the first distance range, the derivation stage may derive the setting value at a first interval, and when the distance is within a second distance range longer than the first distance range, the derivation stage may Two intervals export the set value.

The program according to one aspect of the present invention may be a program for causing a computer to function as the control device.

According to an aspect of the present invention, in a case where the distance to the subject changes, the in-focus state on the subject can be maintained.

In addition, the above summary does not list all necessary features of the present invention. In addition, a sub-combination of these feature groups may also constitute an invention.

[Brief Description of the Drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of an unmanned aircraft and a remote operation device.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of functional blocks of an unmanned aircraft.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between distance and weight.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the execution time and the distance of the contrast AF.

FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation procedure of the unmanned aircraft.

FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation procedure of the unmanned aircraft.

FIG. 5C is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation procedure of the unmanned aircraft.

FIG. 5D is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation procedure of the unmanned aircraft.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration.

【detailed description】

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Furthermore, all the feature combinations described in the embodiments are not necessarily necessary for the inventive solution. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes or improvements can be added to the following embodiments. It is apparent from the description of the claims that the manners in which such changes or improvements are added can be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

The claims, the description, the drawings of the description, and the abstract of the description include matters that are protected by copyright. As long as anyone reproduces these documents as indicated by the patent office's documents or records, the copyright owner cannot object. However, in all other cases, all copyrights are reserved.

Various embodiments of the present invention can be described with reference to flowcharts and block diagrams. Here, a frame may represent (1) a stage of a process of performing an operation or (2) a "part" of a device having a role of performing an operation. The specified stages and "departments" may be implemented by programmable circuits and / or processors. The dedicated circuits may include digital and / or analog hardware circuits. It may include integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuits. Programmable circuits may include reconfigurable hardware circuits. Reconfigurable hardware circuits can include logical AND, logical OR, logical XOR, logical NAND, logical NOR, and other logical operations, flip-flops, registers, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic arrays (PLAs ) And other memory elements.

Computer-readable media can include any tangible device capable of storing instructions for execution by a suitable device. As a result, a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon includes a product including instructions that can be executed to create a means for performing the operations specified by the flowchart or block diagram. As examples of the computer-readable medium, an electronic storage medium, a magnetic storage medium, an optical storage medium, an electromagnetic storage medium, a semiconductor storage medium, and the like may be included. As a more specific example of a computer-readable medium, a Floppy (registered trademark) disk, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray (RTM) disc, memory stick , Integrated circuit cards, etc.

Computer-readable instructions may include any of source code or object code described by any combination of one or more programming languages. The source or object code includes traditional procedural programming languages. Traditional programming languages can be assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-related instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or Smalltalk,

Object-oriented programming languages such as C ++ and "C" programming languages or similar programming languages. The computer-readable instructions may be provided to a processor or a programmable circuit of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device locally or via a wide area network (WAN) such as a local area network (LAN) or the Internet. A processor or programmable circuit can execute computer-readable instructions to create a means for performing the operations specified in the flowchart or block diagram. Examples of the processor include a computer processor, a processing unit, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, a controller, a microcontroller, and the like.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the appearance of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) 10 and a remote operation device 300. The UAV 10 includes a UAV body 20, a universal joint 50, a plurality of imaging devices 60, and an imaging device 100. The gimbal 50 and the imaging device 100 are examples of an imaging system. UAV 10, that is, moving body, refers to the concept of flying bodies moving in the air, vehicles moving on the ground, and ships moving on the water. A flying body moving in the air refers to a concept that includes not only UAVs, but also other aircraft, airships, and helicopters moving in the air.

The UAV body 20 includes a plurality of rotors. Multiple rotors are an example of a propulsion part. The UAV body 20 controls the rotation of a plurality of rotors to fly the UAV 10. The UAV body 20 uses, for example, four rotors to fly the UAV 10. The number of rotors is not limited to four. In addition, UAV 10 can also be a fixed-wing aircraft without rotors.

The imaging device 100 is an imaging camera that captures an object included in a desired imaging range. The gimbal 50 rotatably supports the imaging device 100. The universal joint 50 is an example of a support mechanism. For example, the gimbal 50 uses an actuator to rotatably support the imaging device 100 with a pitch axis. The gimbal 50 uses an actuator to further rotatably support the imaging device 100 around a roll axis and a yaw axis, respectively. The gimbal 50 can change the posture of the imaging device 100 by rotating the imaging device 100 around at least one of a yaw axis, a pitch axis, and a roll axis.

The plurality of imaging devices 60 are sensing cameras that capture the surroundings of the UAV 10 in order to control the flight of the UAV 10. The two camera devices 60 may be installed on the nose of the UAV 10, that is, on the front side. In addition, the other two camera devices 60 may be disposed on the bottom surface of the UAV 10. The two image pickup devices 60 on the front side may be paired and function as a so-called stereo camera. The two imaging devices 60 on the bottom surface side may be paired to function as a stereo camera. The three-dimensional space data around the UAV 10 can be generated from the images captured by the plurality of imaging devices 60. The number of imaging devices 60 included in UAV 10 is not limited to four. The UAV 10 may include at least one camera 60. The UAV 10 may also include at least one camera device 60 on the nose, tail, side, bottom, and top surfaces of the UAV 10. The angle of view settable in the imaging device 60 may be greater than the angle of view settable in the imaging device 100. The imaging device 60 may include a single focus lens or a fisheye lens.

The remote operation device 300 communicates with the UAV 10 to remotely operate the UAV 10. The remote operation device 300 can perform wireless communication with the UAV 10. The remote operation device 300 transmits to the UAV 10 instruction information indicating various instructions related to the movement of the UAV 10 such as ascent, descent, acceleration, deceleration, forward, backward, and rotation. The instruction information includes, for example, instruction information for raising the height of the UAV 10. The instructions can indicate the height at which the UAV 10 should be located. The UAV 10 moves to a height indicated by the instruction information received from the remote operation device 300. The instruction information may include a rising instruction for causing the UAV 10 to rise. UAV10 rises while receiving the rising instruction. When the height of UAV 10 reaches the upper limit, UAV 10 can limit the ascent even if it receives an ascent command.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the functional blocks of the UAV 10. UAV 10 includes UAV control unit 30, memory 37, communication interface 36, propulsion unit 40, GPS receiver 41, inertial measurement device 42, magnetic compass 43, barometric altimeter 44, temperature sensor 45, humidity sensor 46, universal joint 50, The imaging device 60, the imaging device 100, and the distance measuring sensor 250.

The communication interface 36 communicates with other devices such as the remote operation device 300. The communication interface 36 may receive instruction information including various instructions to the UAV control section 30 from the remote operation device 300. The memory 37 stores the UAV control unit 30 pair of the propulsion unit 40, the GPS receiver 41, the inertial measurement unit (IMU) 42, the magnetic compass 43, the barometric altimeter 44, temperature sensor 45, humidity sensor 46, gimbal 50, camera 60, Programs and the like necessary for the imaging device 100 to perform control. The memory 37 may be a computer-readable recording medium, and may include at least one of SRAM, DRAM, EPROM, EEPROM, USB memory, and flash memory such as a solid state drive (SSD). The memory 37 may be provided inside the UAV body 20. It may be provided to be detachable from the UAV body 20.

The UAV control unit 30 controls the flight and shooting of the UAV 10 in accordance with a program stored in the memory 37. The UAV control unit 30 may be composed of a microprocessor such as a CPU or an MPU, and a microcontroller such as an MCU. The UAV control unit 30 controls the flight and shooting of the UAV 10 in accordance with instructions received from the remote operation device 300 via the communication interface 36. The advancing unit 40 advances the UAV 10. The propulsion unit 40 includes a plurality of rotors and a plurality of drive motors that rotate the plurality of rotors. The propulsion unit 40 rotates a plurality of rotors through a plurality of drive motors in accordance with a command from the UAV control unit 30 to fly the UAV 10.

The GPS receiver 41 receives a plurality of signals indicating the time transmitted from a plurality of GPS satellites. The GPS receiver 41 calculates the position (latitude and longitude) of the GPS receiver 41, that is, the position (latitude and longitude) of the UAV 10 based on the received multiple signals. IMU42 detects the posture of UAV 10. IMU42 detects UAV10's forward, backward, left and right, and three-axis acceleration and the three-axis angular velocity of pitch axis, roll axis, and yaw axis as the UAV10's posture. The magnetic compass 43 detects the orientation of the nose of the UAV 10. The barometric altimeter 44 detects the flying altitude of the UAV 10. The barometric altimeter 44 detects the air pressure around the UAV 10 and converts the detected air pressure into an altitude to detect the altitude. The temperature sensor 45 detects the temperature around the UAV 10. The humidity sensor 46 detects the humidity around the UAV 10.

The imaging device 100 includes an imaging section 102 and a lens section 200. The lens unit 200 is an example of a lens device. The imaging unit 102 includes an image sensor 120, an imaging control unit 110, and a memory 130. The image sensor 120 may be composed of a CCD or a CMOS. The image sensor 120 captures an optical image formed through the plurality of lenses 210 and outputs the captured image to the imaging control section 110. The imaging control unit 110 may be composed of a microprocessor such as a CPU or an MPU, and a microcontroller such as an MCU. The imaging control unit 110 may control the imaging apparatus 100 according to an operation instruction of the imaging apparatus 100 from the UAV control unit 30. The imaging control unit 110 is an example of a first control unit and a second control unit. The memory 130 may be a computer-readable recording medium, and may include at least one of SRAM, DRAM, EPROM, EEPROM, USB memory, and flash memory such as a solid state drive (SSD). The memory 130 stores programs and the like necessary for the imaging control unit 110 to control the image sensor 120 and the like. The memory 130 may be disposed inside a casing of the imaging apparatus 100. The memory 130 may be provided so as to be detachable from a casing of the imaging apparatus 100.

The lens unit 200 includes a plurality of lenses 210, a plurality of lens driving units 212, and a lens control unit 220. The plurality of lenses 210 may function as zoom lenses, varifocal lenses, and focusing lenses. At least a part or all of the plurality of lenses 210 are configured to be movable along the optical axis. The lens unit 200 may be an interchangeable lens provided so as to be detachable from the imaging unit 102. The lens driving unit 212 moves at least a part or all of the plurality of lenses 210 along an optical axis via a mechanism member such as a cam ring. The lens driving section 212 may include an actuator. The actuator may include a stepper motor. The lens control unit 220 drives the lens driving unit 212 in accordance with a lens control instruction from the imaging unit 102 and moves one or more lenses 210 along the optical axis direction via a mechanism member. The lens control command is, for example, a zoom control command and a focus control command.

The lens unit 200 further includes a memory 222 and a position sensor 214. The lens control unit 220 controls the lens 210 to move in the optical axis direction via the lens driving unit 212 in accordance with a lens operation instruction from the imaging unit 102. The lens control unit 220 controls the lens 210 to move in the optical axis direction via the lens driving unit 212 in accordance with a lens operation instruction from the imaging unit 102. A part or all of the lens 210 moves along the optical axis. The lens control section 220 performs at least one of a zoom operation and a focus operation by moving at least one of the lenses 210 along the optical axis. The position sensor 214 detects the position of the lens 210. The position sensor 214 can detect a current zoom position or a focus position.

The lens driving section 212 may include a shake correction mechanism. The lens control section 220 may perform the shake correction by moving the lens 210 in a direction along the optical axis or a direction perpendicular to the optical axis via a shake correction mechanism. The lens driving section 212 may drive a shake correction mechanism by a stepping motor to perform shake correction. In addition, the shake correction mechanism may be driven by a stepping motor to move the image sensor 120 in a direction along the optical axis or in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis to perform shake correction.

The memory 222 stores control values of the plurality of lenses 210 that are moved through the lens driving unit 212. The memory 222 may include at least one of flash memories such as SRAM, DRAM, EPROM, EEPROM, and USB memory.

The distance measuring sensor 250 is a sensor for measuring a distance to an object existing within a range of a measurement object. For example, the ranging sensor 250 may be a lidar, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or the like. The ranging sensor 250 can measure the distance of an object existing in the imaging direction of the imaging device 100. The ranging sensor 250 may be provided on the gimbal 50 together with the imaging device 100. The ranging sensor 250 may be disposed inside the casing of the imaging device 100 or outside the casing. When the imaging direction of the imaging device 100 changes under the driving of the gimbal 50, the direction of the measurement target of the distance measuring sensor 250 also changes.

In the UAV 10 configured as described above, the imaging device 100 can maintain the in-focus state of a specific subject.

Therefore, the imaging control unit 110 includes a designation unit 112, a derivation unit 114, and a focus control unit 116. The specifying unit 112 specifies a distance from the imaging apparatus 100 to the subject. The designation unit 112 may designate the distance from the imaging device 100 to the subject measured by the distance measuring sensor 250 to an object existing within the measurement target range. The designation unit 112 may designate the distance from the imaging device 100 to the subject measured by the distance measurement sensor 250 to the object existing in the imaging direction of the imaging device 100. The specifying unit 112 may specify the height of the UAV 10 as the distance from the imaging device 100 to the subject.

The deriving unit 114 drives the focus lens of the imaging device 100 to different positions and derives a first setting value of the focus lens of the imaging device 100 focusing on the subject based on the contrast value of the image captured by the imaging device 100. The deriving unit 114 may derive a first setting value of a focus lens of the imaging apparatus 100 focusing on a subject by performing contrast value autofocus (contrast AF). The deriving unit 114 may derive the first set value by determining the position of the focus lens when the contrast value reaches a peak value according to the mountain climbing method while moving the focus lens of the imaging device 100 toward the nearest end or the infinite end direction according to the mountain climbing method.

The deriving unit 114 may derive the second setting value of the focus lens focusing on the subject based on the distance specified by the specifying unit 112. The deriving unit 114 can derive a second setting value based on the distance specified by the specifying unit 112 by referring to a table showing the relationship between the focusing distance and the position of the focusing lens. The derivation unit 114 is an example of a first derivation unit and a second derivation unit.

The focus control unit 116 moves the focus lens through the lens control unit 220 to focus on the subject based on at least one of the first setting value and the second setting value of the focus lens derived by the derivation unit 114.

Here, the shorter the distance to the subject, the higher the accuracy of the contrast AF. When the distance to the subject is long, the difference between the lowest value and the highest value of the contrast value evaluation value derived by the contrast AF is small. Therefore, when the distance to the subject is long, it is difficult for the deriving unit 114 to accurately specify the peak value of the evaluation value, and the accuracy of the contrast AF decreases.

In addition, in order to perform contrast AF, it is necessary to move the focus lens. When contrast AF is performed continuously, a change in the angle of view may occur. When the viewing angle changes, the image captured by the imaging device 100 and displayed on the display may flicker, which may cause the user to feel uncomfortable.

As described above, when the distance to the subject is long, the accuracy of the contrast AF decreases. Therefore, even if contrast AF is performed, the focus state may not be optimized. Therefore, when the distance is within the first distance range, the focus control section 116 preferentially drives the focus lens using the first setting value according to the contrast AF over the second setting value according to the distance. On the other hand, when the distance is within a second distance range longer than the first distance range, the focus control section 116 preferentially drives the focus lens using the second setting value according to the distance over the first setting value according to the contrast AF. . For example, the first distance range may be 0m to 10m, 0m to 12m, or 0m to 15m. For example, the second distance range may be a distance of 15 m or more. The first distance range and the second distance range can be set according to the lens characteristics of the lens section 200. The first distance range and the second distance range can be set in advance according to the type of the interchangeable lens. The first distance range and the second distance range may be set in advance according to the type of the image sensor 120.

When the distance is within the first distance range, the focus control section 116 may drive the focus lens according to a first setting value given a first weight and a second setting value given a second weight lower than the first weight. In addition, when the distance is within a second distance range that is longer than the first distance range, the focus control section 116 may be based on a first setting value given a third weight and a second setting value given a fourth weight higher than the third weight. To drive the focusing lens.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the distance is within the first distance range, as the distance becomes longer, the focus control section 116 may decrease the weight of the first setting value and increase the weight of the second setting value. When the distance is within the second distance range, the focus control section 116 may increase the weight of the second setting value compared to the first setting value.

When the distance is within the first distance range, the focus control section 116 may set the first weight to “1”, set the second weight to “0”, and drive the focus lens by contrast AF. When the distance is within the second distance range, the focus control unit 116 may set the third weight to “0” and the fourth weight to “1”, and according to the distance to the subject measured by the distance measuring sensor 250 To drive the focusing lens.

When the distance to the subject is short, the focus control section 116 preferentially drives the focus lens using the setting value according to the distance, compared to the setting value according to the contrast AF. On the other hand, when the distance to the subject is long, the focus control section 116 preferentially drives the focus lens using the setting value according to the distance, compared to the setting value according to the contrast AF. Therefore, when the accuracy of the contrast AF is low, since the movement of the focus lens according to the contrast AF is restricted, the possibility that the image displayed on the display unit may flicker and cause discomfort to the user can be reduced. In addition, when the distance to the subject is long, it is possible to prevent the imaging device 100 from focusing on a desired subject and performing shooting. For example, while the UAV 10 rises, the imaging device 100 photographs a subject existing under the UAV 10. In this case, the height of the UAV 10 is high, and even if the distance to the subject becomes longer, it is possible to prevent the imaging device 100 from focusing on the subject and shooting.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the distance to the subject is longer than when the distance to the subject is shorter, the derivation unit 114 can also reduce the number of executions of derivation based on the first setting value of the contrast AF. When the distance to the subject is within the first distance range, the deriving section 114 may derive the first set value at a first interval. In addition, when the distance to the subject is within the second distance range, the deriving unit 114 may derive the first set value at a second interval longer than the first interval.

When the distance to the subject is within the first distance range, the same as the contrast AF, the deriving unit 114 may derive the second setting value at a first interval. When the distance to the subject is within the second distance range, It can derive the second set value at a second interval.

When the distance to the subject is within the first distance range and the second distance range, the deriving unit 114 may derive the second set value at a first interval. That is, regardless of the length of the distance to the subject, the deriving unit 114 may always derive the second setting value at the first interval. When the derivation section 114 derives only the second setting value according to the distance, the focus control section 116 may drive the focus lens only according to the second setting value. Alternatively, when the deriving unit 114 only derives the second setting value according to the distance, the focus control unit 116 may drive the focus lens according to the first setting value derived up to the previous deriving unit 114 and the second setting value of the current time. When the deriving unit 114 only derives the second setting value based on the distance, the first setting value of the current time may be predicted based on the first setting value derived up to the previous deriving unit 114, and the predicted first setting value and The second setting value is used to drive the focus lens.

The imaging control unit 110 may further include a determination unit 118. The determination unit 118 determines a focus area to be focused in an image captured by the imaging device 100. The determination unit 118 may determine an area designated by the user as a focus area on a screen on which an image captured by the imaging device 100 is displayed. The determination section 118 may determine a previously set area in the image, such as a central area, as the focus area. The deriving unit 114 may derive the first setting value based on the contrast value of the focus area in the image captured by the imaging device 100.

An example of the operation steps of the UAV 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A to 5D.

FIG. 5A shows the state before UAV 10 flight. In this state, the imaging direction 500 of the imaging device 100 mounted on the UAV 10 may be a direction parallel to the landing surface 600. That is, the imaging direction of the imaging device 100 may be a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. In addition, in the case where the UAV 10 includes a landing device and the like, when the imaging device 100 does not contact the landing surface 600, the UAV 10 can control the universal joint 50 to make the imaging direction of the imaging device 100 in a vertical direction when it has landed.

When the UAV 10 starts flying, by controlling the gimbal 50, as shown in FIG. 5B, the imaging direction 500 of the imaging device 100 can be oriented in a vertical direction. The imaging device 100 captures an imaging range 510. For example, as shown in FIG. 5C, when the UAV 10 is flying, the imaging device 100 receives an instruction from the user and sets a desired focus area 520 within the imaging range 510. The focus area 520 may be an area set in advance. In this way, the focus area 520 is locked. Thus, when the UAV 10 is flying and the imaging device 100 performs autofocus, it is possible to prevent the imaging device 100 from driving the focusing lens to focus on an object other than the desired subject 530 existing in the imaging range 510.

As the UAV 10 rises, the distance from the imaging device 100 to the subject 530 becomes longer. If the distance to the subject 530 is within the first distance range, as the distance becomes longer, the focus control section 116 may reduce the weight of the first setting value and increase the weight of the second setting value to drive the focus lens. As shown in FIG. 5D, the UAV 10 further rises, and the distance to the subject 530 reaches a second distance range. In this case, compared to the first setting value, the focus control section 116 may increase the weight of the second setting value to drive the focus lens.

If the flying height of the UAV 10 is in the first altitude range, as the altitude increases, the focus control unit 116 may reduce the weight of the first setting value and increase the weight of the second setting value to drive the focusing lens. If the flying altitude of the UAV 10 is a second altitude range higher than the first altitude range, the weight of the second setting value can be increased to drive the focus lens compared to the first setting value.

If the flying height of UAV 10 is a first height range, the focus control section 116 may perform contrast AF at a first interval, and if the flying height of UAV 10 is a second height range higher than the first height range, it may The long second interval performs contrast AF.

If the flying height of UAV 10 is the first height range, the focus control unit 116 drives the focusing lens by contrast AF. If the flying height of UAV 10 is the second height range higher than the first height range, contrast AF may not be performed, and The focusing lens is driven according to the distance measured by the distance measuring sensor 250.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a computer 1200 that may embody aspects of the present invention in whole or in part. A program installed on the computer 1200 enables the computer 1200 to function as an operation associated with a device according to an embodiment of the present invention or one or more “parts” of the device. Alternatively, the program can cause the computer 1200 to perform the operation or the one or more "parts". This program enables the computer 1200 to execute a process or a stage of the process according to an embodiment of the present invention. Such a program may be executed by the CPU 1212 to cause the computer 1200 to perform specified operations associated with some or all of the blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams described in this specification.

The computer 1200 according to the present embodiment includes a CPU 1212 and a RAM 1214, which are connected to each other through a host controller 1210. The computer 1200 also includes a communication interface 1222, an input / output unit, and they are connected to the host controller 1210 through an input / output controller 1220. The computer 1200 also includes a ROM 1230. The CPU 1212 operates according to the programs stored in the ROM 1230 and the RAM 1214, thereby controlling each unit.

The communication interface 1222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The hard disk drive can store programs and data used by the CPU 1212 in the computer 1200. The ROM 1230 stores therein a boot program and the like executed by the computer 1200 at the time of running, and / or a program that depends on the hardware of the computer 1200. The program is provided through a computer-readable recording medium such as a CR-ROM, a USB memory, or an IC card or a network. The program is installed in a RAM 1214 or a ROM 1230 which is also an example of a computer-readable recording medium, and is executed by the CPU 1212. The information processing described in these programs is read by the computer 1200 and causes the cooperation between the programs and the various types of hardware resources described above. The operation or processing of information can be realized with the use of the computer 1200 to constitute a device or method.

For example, when performing communication between the computer 1200 and an external device, the CPU 1212 may execute a communication program loaded in the RAM 1214, and according to the processing described in the communication program, the communication interface 1222 is instructed to perform communication processing. Under the control of the CPU 1212, the communication interface 1222 reads the transmission data stored in a transmission buffer provided in a recording medium such as a RAM 1214 or a USB memory, and transmits the read transmission data to the network, or from The received data received by the network is written into a receiving buffer provided on the recording medium.

In addition, the CPU 1212 can cause the RAM 1214 to read all or necessary parts of a file or database stored in an external recording medium such as a USB memory, and perform various types of processing on the data on the RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 can then write the processed data back to the external recording medium.

Various types of information such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases can be stored in a recording medium and subjected to information processing. For the data read from the RAM 1214, the CPU 1212 can perform various types of operations, including information specified by the program's instruction sequence, described in various places in the present disclosure, information processing, conditional judgment, conditional branch, unconditional branch, information Retrieve / replace various types of processing, and write the results back to the RAM 1214. In addition, the CPU 1212 can retrieve information in files, databases, etc. in the recording medium. For example, when a plurality of entries having the attribute value of the first attribute respectively associated with the attribute value of the second attribute are stored in the recording medium, the CPU 1212 may retrieve the attribute that specifies the first attribute from the plurality of entries. The entry whose value matches the condition, and reads the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, thereby obtaining the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute satisfying the predetermined condition.

The above program or software module may be stored on the computer 1200 or a computer-readable storage medium near the computer 1200. In addition, a recording medium such as a hard disk or a RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as a computer-readable storage medium, so that the program can be provided to the computer 1200 via the network.

It should be noted that the order of execution of each process such as actions, sequences, steps, and stages in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, the description, and the drawings is provided as long as there is no special "in ... "Before", "in advance", etc., and can be implemented in any order as long as the output of the previous processing is not used in the subsequent processing. The operation flow in the claims, the description, and the drawings has been described using "first", "next", and the like for convenience, but it does not mean that it must be performed in this order.

The present invention has been described using the embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes or improvements can be made to the above-mentioned embodiments. It is apparent from the description of the claims that the manners in which such changes or improvements are added can be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

【Symbol Description】

10 UAV

20 UAV subject

30UAV Control Department

36 communication interface

37 memory

40 advancing department

41 GPS receiver

42 inertial measurement device

43 magnetic compass

44 barometric altimeter

45 temperature sensor

46 Humidity Sensor

50 universal joints

60 camera device

100 camera

102 camera department

110 camera control section

112 designated department

114 export department

116 focus control unit

118 Confirmation Department

120 image sensor

130 memory

200 lens section

210 lens

212 lens drive section

214 position sensor

220 lens control section

222 memory

250 ranging sensors

300 remote operation device

1200 computer

1210 Host Controller

1212 CPU

1214 RAM

1220 input / output controller

1222 communication interface

1230 ROM

Claims

A control device, comprising: a specifying unit that specifies a distance from an imaging device to a subject;

A first deriving unit that, based on a contrast value of an image captured by the imaging device by driving the focusing lens of the imaging device to different positions, focuses the first of the focusing lens of the imaging device on the subject. A set value export;

A second deriving unit that derives a second setting value of the focusing lens focused on the subject based on the distance; and

The control unit, when the distance is within the first distance range, is driven according to the first set value given a first weight and the second set value given a second weight lower than the first weight In the focusing lens, when the distance is within a second distance range longer than the first distance range, it is based on the first setting value given a third weight and the first value given a higher weight than the third weight. A second setting value of four weights drives the focusing lens.
The control device according to claim 1, wherein when the distance is within the first distance range, the first deriving unit derives the first set value at a first interval, and when the When the distance is within the second distance range, the first deriving unit derives the first set value at a second interval longer than the first interval.
The control device according to claim 2, wherein when the distance is within the first distance range, the second deriving unit derives the second setting value at the first interval, and when When the distance is within the second distance range, the second deriving unit derives the second set value at the second interval.
The control device according to claim 2, wherein when the distance is within the first distance range and the second distance range, the second derivation unit divides the distance at the first interval. The second set value is exported.
The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit that determines a focus area to be focused in an image captured by the imaging device,

The first deriving unit derives the first setting value based on a contrast value of the focus area in an image captured by the imaging device.
The control device according to claim 1, wherein the designation unit specifies the distance based on a distance measurement result of a distance measurement sensor, and the distance measurement sensor measures a target in the imaging direction of the imaging device. The distance of the subject.
A control device, comprising: a specifying unit that specifies a distance from an imaging device to a subject;

A deriving unit that derives a setting value of a focus lens of the imaging device focusing on the subject based on a contrast value of an image captured by the imaging device by driving the focusing lens of the imaging device to different positions ;as well as

A control unit that drives the focus lens according to the set value,

When the distance is within a first distance range, the deriving unit derives the setting value at a first interval, and when the distance is within a second distance range longer than the first distance range, the derivation unit The deriving unit derives the setting value at a second interval longer than the first interval.
A moving body that is equipped with the control device and the imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and moves.
The moving body according to claim 8, further comprising a support mechanism that supports the imaging device so that the posture of the imaging device can be adjusted.
The moving body according to claim 9, wherein the moving body is a flying body,

The support mechanism supports the imaging device such that the imaging direction of the imaging device is directed downward with respect to the moving body,

The specifying unit specifies a distance to a subject existing below the moving body as the distance.
A control method, comprising: a stage of specifying a distance from an imaging device to a subject;

A stage of deriving a first setting value of a focusing lens of the imaging device focusing on the subject according to a contrast value of an image captured by the imaging device by driving the focusing lens of the imaging device to different positions ;

A stage of deriving a second setting value of the focusing lens focused on the subject according to the distance; and

When the distance is within the first distance range, driving the focusing lens according to the first setting value given a first weight and the second setting value giving a second weight lower than the first weight When the distance is within a second distance range longer than the first distance range, according to the first set value given a third weight and the second given a fourth weight higher than the third weight Set a value to drive the stage of the focusing lens.
A control method, comprising: a stage of specifying a distance from an imaging device to a subject;

A stage of deriving a setting value of a focusing lens of the imaging device focusing on the subject according to a contrast value of an image captured by the imaging device by driving the focusing lens of the imaging device to different positions; and

A stage of driving the focusing lens according to the setting value,

When the distance is within a first distance range, the deriving stage derives the set value at a first interval, and when the distance is within a second distance range longer than the first distance range, the The deriving stage derives the set value at a second interval longer than the first interval.
A program for causing a computer to function as a control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.