IP Library Granted Patent US 10,440,251
Granted Patent B2
US 10,440,251 · App. 14/894,435 · Granted Oct 8, 2019

Image processing device, method of processing image, image processing program, and imaging device

Inventors: Toshiki Ono (Tokyo, JP); Ryuji Shibata (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Sony Corporation
H04N5/23212G06K9/00228G06K9/52G06T5/003H04N5/23219
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,440,251
App. No.
14/894,435
Granted
Oct 8, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

An information processing system configured to perform predetermined processing based on out-of-focus information corresponding to a first area of an image, the out-of-focus information corresponding to a difference in focus between the first area of the image and a second area of the image that is different from the first area of the image.

Claims (63)

1. An information processing system comprising:

an image memory;

a non-volatile storage unit; and

circuitry configured to

retrieve, in an absence of an image capture operation, an image temporarily stored in the image memory,

perform predetermined processing based on out-of-focus information corresponding to a first area of the image, the out-of-focus information corresponding to a difference in focus between the first area of the image and a second area of the image that is different from the first area of the image,

receive the image capture operation after performing the predetermined processing, and

control the non-volatile storage unit to store a captured image based on the image capture operation that is received after performing the predetermined processing.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to:

identify the first area of the image,

determine first focus information associated with the first area,

identify the second area of the image that is different from the first area of the image,

determine second focus information associated with the second area, and

acquire the out-of-focus information corresponding to the first area of the image by determining the difference in focus based on a difference between the first focus information and the second focus information.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the second area of the image is an in-focus area of the image.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system includes:

a first information processing apparatus; and

a second information processing apparatus configured to be connected to the first information processing apparatus.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the predetermined processing includes outputting a notification corresponding to the out-of-focus information.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the predetermined processing includes controlling a display to display a notification indicating an out-of-focus amount based on the out-of-focus information.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the circuitry is configured to control the display to display the image and the notification simultaneously.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the circuitry is configured to control the display to display the image with the notification superimposed on the displayed image.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined processing includes controlling a display to display a bar graph indicating an out-of-focus amount based on the out-of-focus information.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein a height of the bar graph corresponds to a range of the out-of-focus amount that may be realized based on at least one of the second area, a focal distance and a maximum aperture of a lens capturing the image.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined processing includes controlling a display to display an enlarged version of the image including the first area and the second area.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein an enlargement range of the enlarged version of the image is set so that a display area corresponding to the first area and a display area corresponding to the second area are substantially similar.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the circuitry is configured to control the display to display the image and the enlarged version of the image simultaneously.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the circuitry is configured to control the display to display the enlarged version of the image superimposed on the image.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined processing includes controlling a display to display the image while applying a graphical effect to the first area of the image.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined processing includes trimming the image based on the out-of-focus information.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the circuitry is configured to control a display to display the trimmed image.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined processing includes generating a first trimmed version of the image and a second trimmed version of the image based on the out-of-focus information.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined processing includes generating a first trimmed version of the image and a second trimmed version of the image based on the out-of-focus information.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the circuitry is configured to control a display to display the first trimmed version of the image and the second trimmed version of the image.

21. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first information processing apparatus is configured to:

identify the second area of the image;

acquire the out-of-focus information; and

transmit the out-of-focus information to the second information processing apparatus.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the second information processing apparatus is configured to:

perform the predetermined processing; and

transmit a result of the predetermined processing to the first information processing apparatus.

23. An information processing apparatus comprising:

an image memory;

a non-volatile storage unit; and

circuitry configured to

retrieve, in an absence of an image capture operation, an image temporarily stored in the image memory,

identify a first area of the image,

acquire out-of-focus information corresponding to a second area of the image that is different from the first area of the image, the out-of-focus information corresponding to a difference in focus between the second area of the image and the first area of the image,

perform predetermined processing based on the out-of-focus information,

receive the image capture operation after performing the predetermined processing, and

control the non-volatile storage unit to store a captured image based on the image capture operation that is received after performing the predetermined processing.

24. An information processing method comprising:

retrieving, with circuitry and in an absence of an image capture operation, an image temporarily stored in an image memory;

identifying, with the circuitry, a first area of the image;

performing, with the circuitry, predetermined processing based on out-of-focus information corresponding to the first area of the image, the out-of-focus information corresponding to a difference in focus between the first area of the image and a second area of the image that is different from the first area of the image;

receiving, with the circuitry, the image capture operation after performing the predetermined processing; and

controlling, with the circuitry, a non-volatile storage unit to store a captured image based on the image capture operation that is received after performing the predetermined processing.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer-program instructions that, when executed by a system, cause the system to perform a set of operations comprising:

retrieving, in an absence of an image capture operation, an image temporarily stored in an image memory;

identifying a first area of the image;

performing predetermined processing based on out-of-focus information corresponding to the first area of the image, the out-of-focus information corresponding to a difference in focus between the first area of the image and a second area of the image that is different from the first area of the image;

receiving the image capture operation after performing the predetermined processing; and

controlling a non-volatile storage unit to store a captured image based on the image capture operation that is received after performing the predetermined processing.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 20, 2022
From: SONY CORPORATION
To: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059707/0101 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 27, 2015
From: ONO, TOSHIKI; SHIBATA, RYUJI
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 037161/0331 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2013-152937 · Jul 23, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160112627A1 · Apr 21, 2016
Cited By (3)
US 12,368,953 US 12,450,699 US 12,549,844