Image pickup apparatus, image processing apparatus, image processing method, program and recording medium

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup device that converts an image entering through a lens system into a captured image; a display unit that displays an image with a first field angle obtained from the captured image that is currently being shot; a moving distance detecting unit that detects a moving distance between images with the first field angle based on a plurality of images with the first angle sequentially captured; a partial image storing unit that stores an image with a second field angle that is less than the first field angle; and a panorama composing unit that composes a panoramic image based on a plurality of images with the second field angle stored in the partial image storing unit and the moving distances between the images with the first field angle that are respectively associated with the plurality of images with the second field angle.

1 . An image pickup apparatus comprising:
 an image pickup unit that converts an image entering through a lens system into a captured image;   a display unit that displays an image with a first field angle obtained from the captured image that is currently being shot;   a moving distance detecting unit that detects a moving distance between images with the first field angle based on a plurality of images with the first angle sequentially captured;   a partial image storing unit that stores an image with a second field angle that is less than the first field angle; and   a panorama composing unit that composes a panoramic image based on a plurality of images with the second field angle stored in the partial image storing unit and the moving distances between the images with the first field angle that are respectively associated with the plurality of images with the second field angle.   
   
   
       2 . The image pickup apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the partial image storing unit changes the direction of a cutout field angle of the image with the second field angle in accordance with a moving direction of the image pickup apparatus when the partial image storing unit stores the image with the second field angle. 
   
   
       3 . The image pickup apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein, when the partial image storing unit stores the image with the second field angle,
 if the moving direction of the image pickup apparatus is approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the image pickup apparatus that is approximately rectangular in shape, the partial image storing unit cuts out the image with the second field angle so that the side of the image in the short-side direction of the image pickup apparatus is long; and   if the moving direction of the image pickup apparatus is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the image pickup apparatus, the partial image storing unit cuts out the image with the second field angle so that the side of the image approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the image pickup apparatus is long.   
   
   
       4 . The image pickup apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein, when the partial image storing unit stores the image with the second field angle, the partial image storing unit changes a cutout field angle of the image with the second field angle based on the moving distance between the images with the first field angle detected by the moving distance detecting unit. 
   
   
       5 . The image pickup apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein, when the partial image storing unit stores the image with the second field angle,
 if the moving distance between the images with the first field angle detected by the moving distance detecting unit is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold value, the partial image storing unit makes the cutout field angle of the image with the second field angle large; and   if the moving distance between the images with the first field angle is smaller than the predetermined threshold value, the partial image storing unit makes the cutout field angle of the image with the second field angle small.   
   
   
       6 . The image pickup apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein, when the partial image storing unit stores the image with the second field angle that is approximately rectangular in shape, the partial image storing unit changes the cutout length of the side of the image with the second field angle approximately parallel to the moving direction of the image pickup apparatus, while making the length of the side of the image with the second field angle approximately perpendicular to the moving direction of the image pickup apparatus constant. 
   
   
       7 . The image pickup apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an image compressing unit that generates the image with the second field angle through compressing the image with the first field angle; and   an image decompressing unit that decompresses the image with the second field angle, generates an image with a third field angle smaller than the second field angle, and supplies the image with the third field angle to the panorama composing unit after shooting,   wherein the partial image storing unit stores the image with the second field angle supplied from the image compressing unit, and reads out the image with the second field angle and supplies the image to the image decompressing unit.   
   
   
       8 . The image pickup apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the image decompressing unit changes the decompressed area of the image with the second field angle in accordance with the moving direction of the image pickup apparatus when the image decompressing unit decompresses the image with the second field angle. 
   
   
       9 . The image pickup apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the image compressing unit makes the compressed area of the image with the first field angle constant when the image compressing unit compresses the image with the first field angle. 
   
   
       10 . The image pickup apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein,
 if the moving distance between the images with the first field angle detected by the moving distance detecting unit is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold value, the image decompressing unit makes the decompressed area large; and   if the moving distance between the images with the first field angle is smaller than the predetermined threshold value, the image decompressing unit makes the decompressed area small.   
   
   
       11 . The image pickup apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein, when the image decompressing unit decompresses the image with the second field angle approximately rectangular in shape, the image decompressing unit changes the cutout length of the side of the image with the second field angle approximately parallel to the moving direction of the image pickup apparatus, while making the length of the side of the image with the second field angle approximately perpendicular to the moving direction of the image pickup apparatus constant. 
   
   
       12 . The image pickup apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a moving distance storing unit that stores moving distances between the plurality of images with the first field angle detected by the moving distance detecting unit, the plurality of images with the first field angle being respectively associated with the plurality of images with the second field angle, wherein
 the panorama composing unit composes the panoramic image based on the moving distances between the plurality of images with the first field angle stored in the moving distance storing unit and the plurality of images with the second field angle stored in the partial image storing unit during sequential shooting.   
   
   
       13 . The image pickup apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a moving distance storing unit that stores moving distances between the plurality of images with the first field angle detected by the moving distance detecting unit, the plurality of images with the first field angle being respectively associated with the plurality of images with the second field angle, wherein
 the panorama composing unit composes the panoramic image based on moving distances between the plurality of images with the first field angle stored in the moving distance storing unit and the plurality of images with the second field angle stored in the partial image storing unit after shooting.   
   
   
       14 . An image processing apparatus comprising:
 a moving distance detecting unit that detects a moving distance between images with a first field angle based on a plurality of sequential images with the first angle obtained from input signals;   a partial image storing unit that stores an image with a second field angle that is less than the first field angle; and   a panorama composing unit that composes a panoramic image based on a plurality of images with the second field angle stored in the partial image storing unit and the moving distances between the images with the first field angle that are respectively associated with the plurality of images with the second field angle.   
   
   
       15 . An image processing method, comprising the steps of:
 detecting moving distances between images with a first field angle based on a plurality of sequential images with the first angle obtained from input signals;   storing a partial image with a second field angle that is less than the first field angle; and   composing a panoramic image based on a plurality of images with the second field angle and the moving distances between the images with the first field angle that are respectively associated with the plurality of images with the second field angle.   
   
   
       16 . A program for causing an information processing apparatus to perform an image processing method, the image processing method comprising the steps of:
 detecting moving distances between images with a first field angle based on a plurality of sequential images with the first angle obtained from input signals;   storing a partial image with a second field angle that is less than the first field angle; and   composing a panoramic image based on a plurality of images with the second field angle and the moving distances between the images with the first field angle that are respectively associated with the plurality of images with the second field angle.   
   
   
       17 . A recording medium for recording a program for causing an information processing apparatus to perform an image processing method, the image processing method comprising the steps of:
 detecting moving distances between images with a first field angle based on a plurality of sequential images with the first angle obtained from input signals;   storing a partial image with a second field angle that is less than the first field angle; and   composing a panoramic image based on a plurality of images with the second field angle and the moving distances between the images with the first field angle that are respectively associated with the plurality of images with the second field angle.