IP Library Granted Patent US 12,401,886
Granted Patent B2
US 12,401,886 · App. 18/297,665 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Electronic device, control method, and non-transitory computer readable medium

Inventor: Tomotaka Uekusa (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
H04N23/62G06F3/013G06T7/50G06T7/70G06V40/18H04N23/61H04N23/633G06T2200/24G06T2207/10024G06T2207/30196
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,401,886
App. No.
18/297,665
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device includes a processor, and a memory storing a program which, when executed by the processor, causes the electronic device to detect an eyepoint of a user in an image which is captured by an imaging unit and is displayed in a display unit, track a plurality of subjects in the image, determine an attention degree of the user of each of the plurality of subjects based on the eyepoint of the user, and select any of the plurality of subjects as a main subject based on the attention degree of each of the plurality of subjects.

Claims (80)

1. An electronic device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing a program which, when executed by the processor, causes the electronic device to:

detect an eyepoint of a user in an image which is captured by an imaging unit and is displayed in a display unit;

track a plurality of subjects in the image;

determine an attention degree of the user of each of the plurality of subjects based on the eyepoint of the user; and

receive an operation by the user;

display, among the plurality of subjects, a subject candidate serving as a switching target such that the subject candidate is distinguishable; and

display the subject candidate serving as the switching target such that the attention degree of each subject candidate is distinguishable in a case where switching of a main subject is performed by the received operation.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein

the program when executed by the processor causes the electronic device to determine a degree of inclusion of the eyepoint of the user detected in an area of the tracked subject as the attention degree.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein

the degree of inclusion of the eyepoint of the user is the number of times of sampling or the number of display frames of an image in which the detected eyepoint of the user is present in the area of the subject, or the number of times of staying of the detected eyepoint of the user for a predetermined time period in the area of the subject.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein

the program when executed by the processor causes the electronic device to select any of the plurality of subjects as the main subject based on the attention degree of each of the plurality of subjects and select, from among the plurality of subjects, a subject having a higher attention degree preferentially as the main subject.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein

the program when executed by the processor causes the electronic device to select, from among the plurality of subjects, the main subject based on the attention degree of each subject other than a subject selected as the main subject.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein

the program when executed by the processor causes the electronic device to set the attention degree of the tracked subject back to an initial value in a case where the tracked subject ceases to be present in the image.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein

the program when executed by the processor causes the electronic device to display the determined attention degrees of the plurality of subjects in the display unit by using at least one of a numerical value, a diagram, and a color.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein

the program when executed by the processor causes the electronic device to determine a gaze time period used in a gaze determination based on the attention degree of the subject in a case where switching of the main subject is performed by position designation by the eyepoint of the user and the gaze determination of the eyepoint of the user.

9. An electronic device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing a program which, when executed by the processor, causes the electronic device to:

detect an eyepoint of a user in an image which is captured by an imaging unit and is displayed in a display unit;

track a plurality of subjects in the image;

determine an attention degree of the user of each of the plurality of subjects based on the eyepoint of the user;

receive an operation by the user; and

determine a subject candidate serving as the main subject based on a distance between the subject and the eyepoint of the user and the attention degree in a case where switching of the main subject is performed by position designation by the eyepoint of the user in the image and the received operation.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9 , wherein

the program when executed by the processor causes the electronic device to determine a subject having the distance between the subject and the eyepoint of the user which is not more than a threshold distance determined according to the attention degree as the subject candidate.

11. The electronic device according to claim 9 , wherein

the program when executed by the processor causes the electronic device to notify the user that it is possible to switch the main subject.

12. An electronic device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing a program which, when executed by the processor, causes the electronic device to:

detect an eyepoint of a user in an image which is captured by an imaging unit and is displayed in a display unit;

track a plurality of subjects in the image;

determine an attention degree of the user of each of the plurality of subjects based on the eyepoint of the user;

receive an operation by the user; and

determine a display position of the eyepoint of the user in the image based on a distance between the subject and the eyepoint of the user and the attention degree in a case where switching of the main subject is performed by position designation by the eyepoint of the user in the image and the received operation.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12 , wherein

the program when executed by the processor causes the electronic device to determine a position on a subject having the distance between the subject and the eyepoint of the user which is not more than a threshold distance determined according to the attention degree as the display position of the eyepoint of the user.

14. An electronic device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing a program which, when executed by the processor, causes the electronic device to:

display a plurality of subjects in an image which is captured by an imaging unit and is displayed in a display unit such that the plurality of subjects can be selected;

determine an attention degree of a user of each of the plurality of subjects, wherein

the attention degree of the user of each of the plurality of subjects is based at least in part on a time period for which the user has looked at each of the plurality of subjects;

receive an operation by the user;

display, among the plurality of subjects, a subject candidate serving as a switching target such that the subject candidate is distinguishable; and

display the subject candidate serving as the switching target such that the attention degree of each subject candidate is distinguishable in a case where switching of a main subject is performed by the received operation.

15. An electronic device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing a program which, when executed by the processor, causes the electronic device to:

display an image captured by an imaging unit in a display unit;

detect an eyepoint of a user in the image displayed in the display unit;

select any of a plurality of subjects as a main subject;

determine an attention degree of the user of each of the plurality of subjects based on the eyepoint of the user;

receive an operation by the user, wherein switching of the main subject selected by the received operation is allowed;

display, among the plurality of subjects, a subject candidate serving as a switching target such that the subject candidate is distinguishable; and

display the subject candidate serving as the switching target such that the attention degree of each subject candidate is distinguishable in a case where switching of the main subject is performed by the received operation.

16. An electronic device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing a program which, when executed by the processor, causes the electronic device to:

detect an eyepoint of a user in an image displayed in a display unit;

determine an attention degree of the user for each of a plurality of objects in the image based on the eyepoint of the user;

receive an operation by the user;

display, among the plurality of objects, an object candidate serving as a switching target such that the object candidate is distinguishable; and

display the object candidate serving as the switching target such that the attention degree of each object candidate is distinguishable in a case where switching of a main object is performed by the received operation.

17. A control method of an electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting an eyepoint of a user in an image which is captured by an imaging unit and is displayed in a display unit;

tracking a plurality of subjects in the image;

determining an attention degree of the user of each of the plurality of subjects based on the eyepoint of the user;

receiving an operation by the user;

displaying, among the plurality of subjects, a subject candidate serving as a switching target such that the subject candidate is distinguishable; and

displaying the subject candidate serving as the switching target such that the attention degree of each subject candidate is distinguishable in a case where switching of a main subject is performed by the received operation.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium in which a program for causing a computer to execute the control method of claim 17 is stored.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 8, 2023
From: UEKUSA, TOMOTAKA
To: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 063559/0207 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-066950 · Apr 14, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230336862A1 · Oct 19, 2023
References Cited (5)
US 9894339B2 · Uekusa et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10015431B2 · Uekusa et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20200358984A1 · Wang · 2020 [cited by examiner]
JP 202167853A · 2021 [cited by applicant]
JP 2021108447A · 2021 [cited by applicant]