Image capturing apparatus, method, and recording medium capable of continuously capturing object
An image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing unit, a designating unit configured to designate a main-area or a position to which a moving object is to reach, in each captured image captured by the image capturing unit, an image capturing control unit configured to control the image capturing unit to continuously capture the moving object at a predetermined frame rate, a position specifying unit configured to specify a position of the moving object in the image captured by the image capturing unit, and a frame rate control unit configured to control the predetermined frame rate, based on the specified position of the moving object, and either the main-area or position.
1. An image capturing apparatus comprising:
an image capturing unit;
a detection unit configured to detect a position of a moving object in an image capturing area of the image capturing unit;
a speed obtaining unit configured to obtain information indicative of a moving speed of the moving object;
a first setting unit configured to set an area, which has a size based on the information indicative of the moving speed of the moving object obtained by the speed obtaining unit, in the image capturing area of the image capturing unit;
a determination unit configured to determine a relationship between the position of the moving object detected by the detection unit in the image capturing area of the image capturing unit and a position of the area set by the first setting unit; and
a control unit configured to control a frame rate, which is used to record an image to be captured by the image capturing unit, based on a result of the determination by the determination unit.
2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a speed calculation unit configured to calculate the moving speed of the moving object,
wherein the speed obtaining unit is configured to obtain the information indicative of the moving speed of the moving object calculated by the speed calculation unit.
3. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a second setting unit configured to set a specific position where the moving object is to be recorded in the image capturing area of the image capturing unit,
wherein:
the first setting unit is configured to set (i) a first area which corresponds to the specific position set by the second setting unit and (ii) a second area which has a size based on the information indicative of the moving speed of the moving object obtained by the speed obtaining unit, in the image capturing area of the image capturing unit;
the determination unit is configured to determine whether the position of the moving object is in the first area or the second area; and
the control unit is configured to control the frame rate differently in accordance with one of (i) a case in which the determination unit determines that the position of the moving object is in the first area, and (ii) a case in which the determination unit determines that the position of the moving object is in the second area.
4. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first setting unit is configured to set the second area such that the second area overlaps with the first area.
5. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit is configured to perform control such that a frame rate to be controlled in the case in which the determination unit determines that the position of the moving object is in the first area is higher than a frame rate to be controlled in the case in which the determination unit determines that the position of the moving object is in the second area.
6. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit is configured to variably control the frame rate, which is used to record the image to be captured by the image capturing unit, based on the size of the second area, in the case in which the determination unit determines that the position of the moving object is in the second area.
7. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the frame rate, which is used to record the image to be captured by the image capturing unit, based on the information indicative of the moving speed of the moving object obtained by the speed obtaining unit, in the case in which the determination unit determines that the position of the moving object is in the second area, and in the case in which the determination unit determines that the position of the moving object is in the first area.
8. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a distance obtaining unit configured to obtain a distance between the position of the moving object and the specific position,
wherein the determination unit is further configured to determine a relationship between the position of the moving object and the specific position based on the distance obtained by the distance obtaining unit.
9. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a vector obtaining unit configured to obtain a motion vector of the moving object in each of images sequentially captured by the capturing unit,
wherein the detection unit is configured to detect the position of the moving object based on the motion vector obtained by the vector obtaining unit.
10. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the second setting unit is configured to set the specific position from among predetermined candidates for positions.
11. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:
the second setting unit is configured to divide the image capturing area of the image capturing unit to set a background area in which a pattern of a characteristic object can be extracted, and a moving-object area in which the moving object is to be captured, and
the control unit is configured to control the frame rate, which is used to record the image to be captured by the image capturing unit, based on whether the position of the moving object is in the moving-object area.
12. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a holding unit configured to hold images sequentially captured at a frame rate controlled by the control unit;
a display control unit configured to display a list of images held by the holding unit on a display unit;
a selection unit configured to receive a selection of an image from the list of images displayed on the display unit; and
a recording unit configured to record a specific image selected by the selection unit in a recording unit.
13. A frame rate control apparatus comprising:
a detection unit configured to detect a position of a moving object in an image capturing area of an image capturing unit;
a speed obtaining unit configured to obtain information indicative of a moving speed of the moving object;
a first setting unit configured to set an area, which has a size based on the information indicative of the moving speed of the moving object obtained by the speed obtaining unit, in the image capturing area of the image capturing unit;
a determination unit configured to determine a relationship between the position of the moving object detected by the detection unit in the image capturing area of the image capturing unit and a position of the area set by the first setting unit; and
a control unit configured to control a frame rate, which is used to record an image to be captured by the image capturing unit, based on a determination result of the determination unit.
14. An image capturing control method for use in an apparatus including an image capturing unit, the method comprising:
detecting a position of a moving object in an image capturing area of the image capturing unit;
obtaining information indicative of a moving speed of the moving object;
setting a first area, which has a size based on the obtained information indicative of the moving speed of the moving object, in the image capturing area of the image capturing unit;
determining a relationship between the detected position of the moving object in the image capturing area of the image capturing unit and a position of the set first area; and
controlling a frame rate, which is used to record an image to be captured by the image capturing unit, based on a result of the determining.
15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a program stored thereon, the program being executable to control an apparatus including an image capturing unit to perform functions comprising:
detecting a position of a moving object in an image capturing area of the image capturing unit;
obtaining information indicative of a moving speed of the moving object;
setting a first area, which has a size based on the obtained information indicative of the moving speed of the moving object, in the image capturing area of the image capturing unit;
determining a relationship between the detected position of the moving object in the image capturing area of the image capturing unit and a position of the set first area; and
controlling a frame rate, which is used to record an image to be captured by the image capturing unit, based on a result of the determining.