IP Library Granted Patent US 9,973,690
Granted Patent B2
US 9,973,690 · App. 15/496,312 · Granted May 15, 2018

Imaging device, imaging method, and computer-readable recording medium

Inventor: Shinsuke Homma (Hino, JP)
Assignee: Olympus Corporation
H04N5/23232G06T3/4053H04N5/23216H04N5/23245H04N5/23293H04N5/23296
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,973,690
App. No.
15/496,312
Granted
May 15, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

An imaging device includes: an optical system; an imaging element that continuously generates image data of an object; a position changing unit that changes a relative positional relationship between the optical system and the imaging element; a touch panel that detects a contact position thereon, and periodically outputs a position signal according to the contact position; a position controller that controls the position changing unit based on duration of maintaining the contact position to change the positional relationship; a trimming unit that generates pieces of trimming image data by sequentially cutting out an area including a touch position corresponding to the position signal from an image corresponding to the image data each time the positional relationship is changed; and a super-resolution processer that performs pixel interpolation using the pieces of trimming image data to generate super-resolution image data having a higher resolution than that of each trimming image data.

Claims (22)

1. An imaging device comprising:

an optical system configured to image an object;

an imaging element configured to receive light of an object image of the object formed by the optical system and to continuously generate image data of the object;

a position changing unit configured to change a relative positional relationship between the optical system and the imaging element relative to a surface orthogonal to an optical axis of the optical system;

a display unit configured to display an image corresponding to the image data generated by the imaging element;

a touch panel that is provided so as to overlap on a display area of the display unit and is configured to detect a contact position where an external body touches the touch panel and to periodically output a position signal according to the contact position;

a trimming unit configured to generate a plurality of pieces of trimming image data by sequentially cutting out an area including a touch position corresponding to the position signal from the image corresponding to the image data sequentially generated by the imaging element; and

a super-resolution processer configured to generate super-resolution image data having a higher resolution than a resolution of each trimming image data by using the plurality of pieces of trimming image data sequentially generated by the trimming unit.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1 , further comprising a display controller configured to cause the display unit to display a mark corresponding to an area of a super-resolution image corresponding to the super-resolution image data generated by the super-resolution processer so as to be superimposed on the image corresponding to the image data generated by the imaging element.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1 , further comprising a display controller configured to cause the display unit to enlarge and display a super-resolution image corresponding to the super-resolution image data generated by the super-resolution processer.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1 , further comprising an imaging controller configured to generate an image file including:

area information including the touch position;

the image corresponding to the image data generated by the imaging element;

the plurality of pieces of trimming image data generated by the trimming unit; and

the super-resolution image data generated by the super-resolution processer.

5. An imaging method executed by an imaging device, the imaging device comprising: an optical system configured to image an object; an imaging element configured to receive light of an object image of the object formed by the optical system and to continuously generate image data of the object; a position changing unit configured to change a relative positional relationship between the optical system and the imaging element relative to a surface orthogonal to an optical axis of the optical system; a display unit configured to display an image corresponding to the image data generated by the imaging element; and a touch panel that is provided so as to overlap on a display area of the display unit and is configured to detect a contact position where an external body touches the touch panel and to periodically output a position signal according to the contact position,

the method comprising:

generating a plurality of pieces of trimming image data by sequentially cutting out an area including a touch position corresponding to the position signal from the image corresponding to the image data sequentially generated by the imaging element; and

generating super-resolution image data having a higher resolution than a resolution of each trimming image data by using the plurality of pieces of trimming image data.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium with an executable program stored thereon, the program instructing an imaging device comprising: an optical system configured to image an object; an imaging element configured to receive light of an object image of the object formed by the optical system and to continuously generate image data of the object; a position changing unit configured to change a relative positional relationship between the optical system and the imaging element relative to a surface orthogonal to an optical axis of the optical system; a display unit configured to display an image corresponding to the image data generated by the imaging element; and a touch panel that is provided so as to overlap on a display area of the display unit and is configured to detect a contact position where an external body touches the touch panel and to periodically output a position signal according to the contact position, to execute:

generating a plurality of pieces of trimming image data by sequentially cutting out an area including a touch position corresponding to the position signal from the image corresponding to the image data sequentially generated by the imaging element; and

generating super-resolution image data having a higher resolution than a resolution of each trimming image data by using the plurality of pieces of trimming image data.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 1, 2021
From: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
To: OM DIGITAL SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058294/0274 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 8, 2017
From: HOMMA, SHINSUKE
To: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 044344/0313 →
CHANGE OF ASSIGNEE ADDRESS Recorded Dec 8, 2017
From: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
To: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 044778/0151 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2014-250053 · Dec 10, 2014 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 14959947 · Dec 4, 2015
Related Publication 20170230572A1 · Aug 10, 2017