Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Yoshihiro Morioka

Masaaki Kobayashi

Kenji Matsuura

Eiji Yamauchi

Masaaki Higashida

Naoshi Usuki

Takeshi Hamasaki

Hideaki Hatanaka

Yoshitomi Nagaoka

Hiroshi Mitani

Akihiro Takeuchi

Yasushi Ayaki

Shinji Hamai

Kenichi Kubota

Hiroshi Kase

Hisashi Inoue

Etsuto Nakatsu

Satoshi Ohyama

Koichi Toyomura

Hiroji Takebayashi

Masakazu Mimura

Tadashi Nagai

Takanori Yabuki

Satoshi Oyama

Michifumi Inai

Natsume Matsuzaki

Masakazu Nishino

Tatsushi Bannai

Mitsuyoshi Okamoto

Kohei Suzuki

Haruo Isaka

Hirofumi Ishii

Toshihiko Munetsugu

Yuusaku Ohta

Takaaki Maegawa

Akio Nishiyama

Minoru Nishioka

Katsuhiko Yoshida

Mutsuyuki Okayama

Takuma Masuda

Hiroyuki Senda

Naohisa Motomura

Sakon Nagasaki

Keiko Ando

Noriaki Gentsu

Takashi Kurama

Hisasi Inoue

An image generating device has a camerawork information extracting unit that extracts imaging information of a captured image, a composition information calculating unit that decides a cut-out frame for cutting out a new image from the imaging information and the captured image based on a constraint condition, and a composition information shaping unit that outputs, as attribute information of the captured image, the imaging information and the cut-out frame. This configuration makes it possible to obtain from a captured image a newly generated image which is a favorable image that is easy to see for a viewer, without requiring skilled imaging techniques during capturing, and to efficiently record and manage the captured image and the newly generated image.

Image generation device, imaging device, image generation method, and program for generating a new image from a captured image

A generator generates attribute information regarding a video image, which is captured by an imaging unit by capturing a plurality of capture directions, on a predetermined unit of video content. A composition map generator extracts a predetermined object, based on the attribute information of the video images captured in the plurality of capture directions within a predetermined period, and generates a composition map indicating a position of the extracted object. A comparator determines priority orders in the respective pieces of shooting of the respective capture directions based on a comparison result obtained by comparing pieces of the attribute information, for each of the capture directions and based on the attribute information included in the composition map. A camera work controller determines a next capture direction based on the priority orders, and controls operations of the imaging unit and a camera pantilter based on the determined capture direction.

Video capturing apparatus, video capturing system and video capturing method

An image generating device has a camerawork information extracting unit () that extracts imaging information of a captured image, a composition information calculating unit () that decides a cut-out frame for cutting out a new image from the imaging information and the captured image based on a constraint condition, and a composition information shaping unit () that cuts out the new image from the captured image by using the cut-out frame and converts a size of the new image to a predetermined size. With this configuration, the new image generated from the captured image becomes a favorable image that is easy to see for a viewer, without requiring skilled imaging techniques during capturing.

An image generating device has a camerawork information extracting unit that extracts imaging information of a captured image, a composition information calculating unit that temporarily decides a cut-out frame for cutting out a new image from the imaging information and the captured image based on a constraint condition, and decides a cut-out frame to smooth a change of the new image between frames, from the temporarily decided cut-out frame, each of the frames being a unit of an image, and a composition information shaping unit that cuts out the new image from the captured image by using the cut-out frame, and converts a size of the new image to a predetermined size. The new image generated from the captured image becomes a favorable image that is easy to see for a viewer, and particularly a more smooth and natural image, without any skilled imaging techniques during capturing.

Image generation device, imaging device, image generation method, and program for generating a new image from a captured image based on a cut-out frame

An image capture device includes: first and second shooting sections, each of which is configured to shoot an image of a subject; and a signal processing section configured to generate, based on first and second images that have been shot by the first and second shooting sections, respectively, information indicating the amount of parallax between the first and second images. Based on at least one of the states of the first and second images, a zoom power during shooting, and the tilt of the image capture device during shooting, the signal processing section generates control information indicating the degree of stereoscopic property of a 3D image to be generated based on the first and second images or indicating whether or not the 3D image needs to be output, and records the control information and the information indicating the amount of parallax.

Image device and image processing method for generating control information indicating the degree of stereoscopic property or whether or not 3D image needs to be outputted

A stereoscopic shooting device includes: a first shooting section that obtains a first image; a second shooting section that outputs a second image; an angle of view matching section that cuts image portions to have the same angle of view from the first and second images; a parallax information generating section that generates parallax information indicating parallax between the two image portions; a reliability information generating section that generates reliability information indicating the degree of reliability of the parallax information based on at least one of the first and second images and the parallax information; and an image generating section that generates, based on the parallax information and the first image, a third image that forms, with the first image, stereoscopic images. The parallax information generating section corrects the parallax information based on the reliability information.

Stereoscopic shooting device

An image capture device includes: first and second shooting sections, each of which is configured to shoot an image of a subject; a disparity calculating section configured to generate a depth map based on first and second images that have been shot by the first and second shooting sections, respectively; and an image generating section configured to generate, based on the depth map and the first image, a third image that has as high a resolution as the first image and that forms part of a 3D image. The image generating section is controlled to determine whether or not to generate the third image based on at least one of the states of the first and second images, a zoom power during shooting, and the tilt of the image capture device during shooting.

Image capture device, player, and image processing method

A system of the present disclosure comprises a shooting system and a playback system. The shooting system includes first and second shooting sections and a disparity calculating section that generates a differential image representing a difference between first and second images that have been shot by the first and second shooting sections, respectively. The playback system includes an image generating section that generates, based on the differential image and the first image, a third image that has as high a resolution as the first image and that forms, along with the first image, a 3D image. The image generating section generates, based on the first image and the differential image, a depth map representing the amount of parallax between the first and second images, and generates the third image based on the first image and the depth map.

Image capture device, player, system, and image processing method

Digest playback which suits various preferences is realized. A video camera () extracts a portion to be played back as a digest from a video picture. The video camera () includes a control section () configured to extract attribute information concerning a video picture from the video picture. The attribute information is configured so that a user can input contents of the attribute information.

Video picture extracting apparatus, imaging apparatus and recording medium

A camcorder (), which is an example of image capturing devices, includes the following units. An imaging unit () captures moving pictures. An attribute information generation unit () generates attribute information indicating features of the moving pictures captured by the imaging unit (). An evaluation unit () applies the attribute information generated by the attribute information generation unit () to a predetermined criterion, so as to calculate an evaluation value of the moving pictures for each predetermined time width. A still picture extraction unit () extracts a still picture from moving pictures in a predetermined time width, when the evaluation value calculated by the evaluation unit () for the predetermined time width exceeds an evaluation threshold value. A threshold value change unit () changes the evaluation threshold value based on at least one of person information and a composition change amount which are included in the attribute information. The person information is used for specifying a person captured in the moving pictures, and the composition change amount is an amount of change in image compositions between the moving pictures.

Image capturing device, image capturing method, program, and integrated circuit

A content shooting apparatus is provided which is suitable for generating a digest meeting the user's desire. A scene information generation portion detects a characteristic scene with reference to a parameter contained in either video/audio in content recorded during shooting operation information for the shooting apparatus, and generates scene information, an auxiliary information assignment portion assigns the scene information its type, priority, start time, end time, or representative time as auxiliary information in accordance with a prescribed rule, a listing portion makes a list of the scene information and the auxiliary information thereof, and a scene sorting-out portion sorts out scenes from the content with reference to the priority, such that the number of scenes is within a predetermined range.

Content shooting apparatus

A packet transmitting apparatus () capable of transmitting a copyright-protected content across an IP network includes: a transmission condition setting/managing unit () that extracts from inputted non-A/V data or A/V data at least one information of billing information, reproduction control information, copy control information for the A/V data, and packet output control information, and generate encryption mode information indicating an encryption mode which becomes a condition during transmission of the A/V data; an encrypted data generation unit () that encrypts inputted A/V data based on a transmission condition determined by combining input terminal information, data format information, and attribute information, and adds an encryption information header based on the encryption mode information and time-based discontinuity information to the encrypted A/V data so as to generate encrypted data; and a packetization unit () that generates a packet by adding a packet header and information representing a time-based discontinuity point to the generated encryption data.

Packet transmitting apparatus

In a content shooting apparatus (Acc) for recording content data (Sav) containing video, audio, or data onto an information recording medium (), in combination with first metadata (Di, Dm) containing a parameter representing scene information (SI), and allowing access to a specific portion of the content (Sav) with reference to the scene information (SI), a camera microcomputer () detects movement of a camera () to generate the first metadata (Di, Dm) by comparing the detected movement with a predetermined value (Th), and also generates second meta data (Di, Dm) by filtering out the first metadata (Di, Dm) generated within a predetermined specific window period (W) via a predetermined function.

Content shooting apparatus for generating scene representation metadata

A packet transmitting apparatus for transmitting a content protected with a content protection technique such as DTCP in the form of packets which are widely used, such as IP packets, and for providing diverse EPG information is provided. Metadata of an A/V stream is utilized to control the output mode, encryption mode, and/or addition of an encryption information header of contents such as video, audio, and data contained in the stream (). This secures interconnection compatibility between a packet transmitting apparatus and a packet receiving apparatus while maintaining secrecy (). When a content received through digital television broadcasting is used as an A/V stream, a channel is selected from a full transport stream which is received through broadcasting () so as to extract and form a partial transport stream for use (). EPG information can be selected not only from SI information contained in a digital broadcasting signal but from a plurality of information sources, such as EPG-dedicated channels and the Internet ().

A content shooting apparatus is provided, in which thresholds for generating metadata concerning shot images can be calibrated in accordance with shooting conditions. In a content shooting apparatus (Acc) for converting content data (Dc) into a stream (AV) and recording the stream (AV) to a recording medium () in combination with content-related metadata (Dm), a camera () shoots a subject () and generates the content data (Dc), a camerawork statistics portion () detects movement (&#x3c3;) of the camera, a camera microcomputer () compares the detected movement (&#x3c3;) with a predetermined value (Th) to generate the metadata (Dm), and an automatic threshold setting portion () changes the predetermined value (Th) in accordance with the detected movement (&#x3c3;).

Growing community of inventors

Nara, Japan

Yoshihiro Morioka