Image-capturing device, image capturing method, image-capturing system, and electronic device

1. An image-capturing device comprising:

an image-capturing optical system;

an image sensor; and

processing circuitry configured to:

control the image-capturing optical system to capture one or more preliminary images of an object to be tracked;

analyze the one or more preliminary images;

calculate tracking-control information using results of the analysis; and

adjust at least one of the image-capturing optical system and the image sensor with movement of the object, in accordance with the tracking-control information to capture an image of the object that is being tracked.

2. The image-capturing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

obtain latitude information using the one or more preliminary images; and

calculate the tracking-control information using the latitude information.

3. The image-capturing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

obtain latitude information and tilt information using the one or more preliminary images; and

calculate the tracking-control information using the latitude information and the tilt information.

4. The image-capturing device according to claim 3 ,

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to calculate the tracking-control information, using the latitude information, the tilt information, a focal length of the image-capturing optical system, and a time interval between image-capturing times of the one or more preliminary images in a case that the one or more preliminary images include a plurality of preliminary images.

5. The image-capturing device according to claim 3 ,

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to calculate the tracking-control information, using the latitude information, the tilt information, a focal length of the image-capturing optical system, and an exposure time for the one or more preliminary images in a case that the one or more preliminary images include a single preliminary image.

6. The image-capturing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processing circuitry is configured to analyze an amount of movement of the object in the one or more preliminary images.

7. The image-capturing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to render an image of the object captured by the image-capturing optical system stationary with respect to an imaging surface of the image sensor to capture an image of the object that is being tracked.

8. The image-capturing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the one or more preliminary images include a plurality of images, and

wherein the processing circuitry is configured to capture each of the plurality of preliminary images with the same exposure time.

9. The image-capturing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the one or more preliminary images include a plurality of images, and

wherein an exposure time to capture an image of the object that is being tracked is longer than an exposure time for each of the plurality of preliminary images.

10. The image-capturing device according to claim 1

wherein an exposure time to capture an image of the object that is being tracked is longer than an exposure time for the one or more preliminary images in a case that the one or more preliminary images include a single preliminary image.

11. The image-capturing device according to claim 1

wherein an exposure time to capture an image of the object that is being tracked is longer than an exposure time interval between image-capturing times of the one or more preliminary images in a case that the one or more preliminary images include a plurality of preliminary images.

12. The image-capturing device according to claim 1

wherein the object is a celestial object virtually moving relative to the image-capturing device because of diurnal motion.

13. The image-capturing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the image-capturing device has a tracking and capturing mode to capture an image of the object that is being tracked, and

wherein the image-capturing device further comprises a switch to switch on or off the tracking and capturing mode.

14. The image-capturing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the image-capturing device has a tracking and capturing mode to capture an image of the object that is being tracked, and

wherein the image-capturing device further comprises a display to display whether the tracking and capturing mode is ON or OFF.

15. An image capturing method comprising:

controlling an image-capturing optical system of an image-capturing device to capture one or more preliminary images of an object to be tracked;

analyzing the one or more preliminary images captured by the image-capturing optical system;

calculating tracking-control information using analytical results of the analyzing; and

adjusting at least one of the image-capturing optical system and an image sensor of the image-capturing device with movement of the object, in accordance with the tracking-control information to capture an image of the object that is being tracked.

16. An image-capturing system comprising:

an image-capturing device including:

an image-capturing optical system configured to capture one or more preliminary images;

an image sensor; and

processing circuitry configured to:

control the image-capturing system to capture one or more preliminary images of an object to be tracked;

analyze the one or more preliminary images; and

calculate tracking-control information using results of the analysis; and

a stand mounted with and communicably connected to the image-capturing device, the stand configured to move in accordance with the tracking-control information,

wherein the image-capturing system captures an image of the object that is being tracked.

17. An electronic device comprising:

processing circuitry configured to:

analyze one or more preliminary images of an object to be tracked, captured by an image-capturing device; and

calculate tracking-control information using results of the analysis, used to adjust at least one of an image-capturing optical system and an image sensor of the image-capturing device with movement of the object.