Display control apparatus, image processing apparatus, display control method, and image processing method in which a panoramic image corresponds to a range indicated on a user interface

1. A display control apparatus for assisting capturing by an image capturing device that is capable of pan/tilt/zoom operation, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured:

to obtain a time period input by a user, wherein the time period is a time period to generate a panoramic image, which is to be generated by a plurality of captured images;

to display, on a user interface of a display unit, a first range indicating a whole range that can be captured by the image capturing device by the pan/tilt/zoom operation, and a second range indicating a range of a panoramic image that can be generated in a time period input by a user, wherein the second range is a portion of the first range; and

to generate the panoramic image corresponding to the second range displayed on the user interface.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to display, on the user interface of the display unit, a given panoramic image corresponding to the first range.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when the time period is obtained, the circuitry is further configured to display, on the user interface of the display unit, the second range centered on a third range, which is a current capturing range of the image capturing device, in accordance with the time period.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to calculate the second range in accordance with the time period and an angle of view of the image capturing device.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a change of the imaging direction of the image capturing device is started from a first imaging direction, and a captured range by the image capturing device spreads around the first imaging direction.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the change of the imaging direction of the image capturing device ends if the captured range becomes equal to the second range.

7. A display control method for assisting capturing by an image capturing device that is capable of pan/tilt/zoom operation, the method comprising:

using a processor to perform:

obtaining a time period input by a user, wherein the time period is a time period to generate a panoramic image, which is to be generated by a plurality of captured images;

displaying, on a user interface of a display unit, a first range indicating a whole range that can be captured by the image capturing device by the pan/tilt/zoom operation, and a second range indicating a range of a panoramic image that can be generated in the time period input by the user, wherein the second range is a portion of the first range; and

generating the panoramic image corresponding to the second range displayed on the user interface.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising displaying, on the user interface of the display unit, a given panoramic image corresponding to the first range.

9. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising, when the time period is obtained, displaying, on the user interface of the display unit, the second range centered on a third range, which is a current capturing range of the image capturing device, in accordance with the time period.

10. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising calculating the second range in accordance with the time period and an angle of view of the image capturing device.

11. The method according to claim 7 , wherein a change of the imaging direction of the image capturing device is started from a first imaging direction, and a captured range by the image capturing device spreads around the first imaging direction.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the change of the imaging direction of the image capturing device ends if the captured range becomes equal to the second range.