Imaging apparatus, control method of imaging apparatus, and computer program

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes a face detecting unit detecting a face region from an input image input to the imaging apparatus and a control unit calculating a distance to a subject on the basis of the face size detected by the face detection unit and displaying distance identification information indicating a distance corresponding to the calculated distance in a display unit.

1 . An imaging apparatus comprising: 
 a face detecting unit detecting a face region from an input image input to the imaging apparatus; and    a control unit calculating a distance to a subject on the basis of the face size detected by the face detection unit and displaying distance identification information indicating a distance corresponding to the calculated distance in a display unit.    
   
   
       2 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the control unit displays a distance indicator in the display unit and performs a display process of the distance identification information in a position on the distance indicator corresponding to the distance calculated on the basis of the face size.    
   
   
       3 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the distance identification information is a face icon.  
   
   
       4 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the control unit displays a distance indicator in the display unit and performs a display process of the distance identification information in a position on the distance indicator corresponding to the distance calculated on the basis of the face size.    
   
   
       5 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the control unit performs control processes for displaying a face region identification mark identifying a face in the image displayed in the display unit and displaying the face region identification mark and the distance identification information in accordance with a setting that the display color of the face region identification mark and the display color of the distance identification information displayed in the position of the distance indicator are correlated with each other for each face.    
   
   
       6 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the control unit performs control processes for displaying a face region identification mark identifying a face in the image displayed in the display unit and displaying a connection line connecting the face region identification mark and the distance identification information displayed in the position on the indicator to each other.    
   
   
       7 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the control unit performs a control process for displaying the distance identification information calculated on the basis of a face in proximity of the face in the image displayed in the display unit.    
   
   
       8 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the control unit displays a distance indicator in the display unit, displays focal position information indicating a current focus point in the distance indicator, and displays the distance identification information in the position on the distance indicator corresponding to the distance calculated on the basis of the face size, and    wherein the control unit determines whether the distance calculated on the basis of the face size corresponds to a location in proximity of the focal position and is in the range of the focal positions and performs display indicating that the face is in the focal position in a case where the distance is determined to be in the focal position.    
   
   
       9 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the control unit blinks the distance identification information displayed in the position on the indicator or changes the display color of the distance identification information as the display indicating that the face is in the focal position.    
   
   
       10 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the control unit performs control processes of displaying a face region identification mark identifying a face in the image displayed in the display unit and blinking the face region identification mark or changing the display color of the face region identification mark as the display indicating that the face corresponding to the face region identification mark is in the focal position.    
   
   
       11 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the control unit sequentially calculates distances corresponding to each face for a plurality of face regions detected by the face detecting unit and performs a display process of the distance identification information in positions in the distance indicator corresponding to distances to each face along with the distance indicator to be displayed in the display unit.    
   
   
       12 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the control unit sequentially calculates distances corresponding to each face for a plurality of face regions detected by the face detecting unit in accordance with defined priority levels and performs a display process of the distance identification information in the positions on the indicator corresponding to distances to each face along with the distance indicator to be displayed in the display unit, and    wherein the control unit does not display the distance identification information again in a case where the display of the distance identification information in an expected display position of the distance identification information has been already completed.    
   
   
       13 . The imaging apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the defined priority levels are assigned such that a face region having a larger face size detected by the face detection unit has a higher priority level or that a face region corresponding to a face closer to the center of the image to be analyzed has a higher priority level.  
   
   
       14 . A method of controlling an imaging apparatus which performs a information display process, the method comprising the steps of: 
 detecting a face region from an input image input to the imaging apparatus using a face detecting unit; and    calculating a distance to a subject on the basis of the face size detected by the face detection unit and displaying distance identification information indicating a distance corresponding to the calculated distance in a display unit using a control unit.    
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 14 , 
 wherein the calculation of the distance and display of the identification information includes displaying a distance indicator in the display unit and performing a display process of the distance identification information in a position on the distance indicator corresponding to the distance calculated on the basis of the face size.    
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the distance identification information is a face icon.  
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 14 , 
 wherein the calculation of the distance and display of the identification information includes displaying a distance indicator in the display unit and performing a display process of the distance identification information in the position on the distance indicator corresponding to the distance calculated on the basis of the face size.    
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 14 , 
 wherein the calculation of the distance and display of the identification information further includes performing control processes for displaying a face region identification mark identifying a face in the image displayed in the display unit and displaying the face region identification mark and the distance identification information in accordance with a setting that the display color of the face region identification mark and the display color of the distance identification information displayed in the position of the distance indicator are correlated with each other for each face.    
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 14 , 
 wherein the calculation of the distance and display of the identification information further includes performing control processes for displaying a face region identification mark identifying a face in the image displayed in the display unit and displaying a connection line connecting the face region identification mark and the distance identification information displayed in the position of the indicator to each other.    
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 14 , 
 wherein the calculation of the distance and display of the identification information further includes performing a control process for displaying the distance identification information calculated on the basis of a face in proximity of the face in the image displayed in the display unit.    
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 14 , 
 wherein the calculation of the distance and display of the identification information includes displaying a distance indicator in the display unit, displaying focal position information indicating a current focus point in the distance indicator, and displaying the distance identification information in the position on the distance indicator corresponding to the distance calculated on the basis of the face size, and    wherein the control unit determines whether the distance calculated on the basis of the face size corresponds to a location in proximity of the focal position and is in the range of the focal positions and performs display indicating that the face is in the focal position in a case where the distance is determined to be in the focal position.    
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the determining and performing of displaying indicating that the face is in the focal position includes blinking the distance identification information displayed in the position on the indicator or changing the display color of the distance identification information as the display indicating that the face is in the focal position.  
   
   
       23 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the control unit displays a face region identification mark identifying a face in the image displayed in the display unit and blinks the face region identification mark or changes the display color of the face region identification mark as the display indicating that the face corresponding to the face region identification mark is in the focal position.  
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 14 , 
 further comprising sequentially calculating distances corresponding to each face for a plurality of face regions detected by the face detecting unit and performing a display process of the distance identification information in positions in the distance indicator corresponding to distances to each face along with the distance indicator to be displayed in the display unit, by using the control unit.    
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 14 , 
 further comprising sequentially calculating distances corresponding to each face for a plurality of face regions detected by the face detecting unit in accordance with defined priority levels, performing a display process of the distance identification information in the positions on the indicator corresponding to distances to each face along with the distance indicator to be displayed in the display unit by using the control unit, and not displaying the distance identification information again in a case where the display of the distance identification information in an expected display position of the distance identification information has been already completed, by using the control unit.    
   
   
       26 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the defined priority levels are assigned such that a face region having a larger face size detected by the face detection unit has a higher priority level or that a face region corresponding to a face closer to the center of the image to be analyzed has a higher priority level.  
   
   
       27 . A computer program which allows a computer to perform an information display process control in an imaging apparatus, the computer program allowing a computer to perform the steps of: 
 detecting a face region from an input image input to the imaging apparatus using a face detecting unit; and    calculating a distance to a subject on the basis of the face size detected by the face detection unit and displaying distance identification information indicating a distance corresponding to the calculated distance in a display unit using a control unit.