IP Library Granted Patent US 12666131
Granted Patent B2
US 12666131 · App. 18/410,835 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Image pickup apparatus with line-of-sight processing

Inventor: Takumi Takehara (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
H04N23/611G03B13/02G06F3/013H04N23/635G03B2213/025
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12666131
App. No.
18/410,835
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image pickup apparatus includes a detection unit configured to detect proximity of an object to a viewfinder, a line-of-sight detector configured to detect as line-of-sight information, using an eyeball image of a user who peers through the viewfinder, a position that the user gazes at in a display unit disposed inside the viewfinder, and a processor configured to determine whether or not to prohibit the display unit from being set to a non-display state using a feature in the eyeball image, in a case where the line-of-sight information is not detected, and not to set the display unit to the non-display state, in a case where the processor determines that the display unit is prohibited from being set to the non-display state.

Claims (11)

1 . An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a line-of-sight detector configured to acquire an eyeball image of a user who peers through the viewfinder to detect a line-of-sight of the user gazing at in a display unit disposed inside the viewfinder based on the eyeball image; and

a processor configured to

perform a first determination process to determine whether or not the line-of-sight is detected by the line-of-sight detector,

perform a second determination process to determine whether or not to prohibit setting the display unit to a non-display state based on whether a radial bright spot is present in an eyeball range, and an edge area of glasses or sunglasses, which is an area formed by a line with a predetermined thickness, is present in the eyeball image, after the first determination process, in a case where the line of sight is not detected in the first determination process,

determine to prohibit setting the display unit to the non-display state, in a case where the radial bright spot is present in the second determination process, and the edge area of the glasses or sunglasses is present in the second determination process, and

control the display unit not set to the non-display state according to a determination to prohibit setting the display unit to the non-display state by the second determination process.

2 . The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the case where the line-of-sight information is not detected and in a case where the processor determines that the display unit is not prohibited from being set to the non-display state, the processor sets the display unit to the non-display state.

3 . The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in a case where the processor determines that an area having a shape of a human eye exists in the eyeball image, the processor determines that the display unit is prohibited from being set to the non-display state.

4 . The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein in a case where at least one of areas having shapes of an eyelid in an open state, an eyelid in a closed state, an eyelash, an iris, and a pupil exists in the eyeball image, the processor determines that the area having the shape of the human eye exists.

5 . The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor sets an operation rate of the line-of-sight detector to a first operation rate in a case where the line-of-sight information is detected, and sets the operation rate of the line-of-sight detector to a second operation rate lower than the first operation rate in the case where the line-of-sight information is not detected.