# US 12,003,857 B2 · Image capturing apparatus capable of recognizing voice command, control method, and recording medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,003,857 B2 - Document ID: US12003857B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/512,523 - Filed: 2021-10-27 - Published: 2022-05-05 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-10-29 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Takashi Kawakami - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003857B2 ## CPC - H04N 23/695: Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects - G06V 20/00: Scenes; Scene-specific elements (control of digital cameras H04N23/60) - G06V 40/161: {Detection; Localisation; Normalisation} - G06V 40/172: {Classification, e.g. identification} - G06V 40/174: {Facial expression recognition} - G10L 15/22: Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue - H04N 23/611: where the recognised objects include parts of the human body - G10L 2015/088: {Word spotting} - G10L 2015/223: {Execution procedure of a spoken command} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING ## Abstract An image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject, a driving unit configured to drive a driving member configured to change an imaging direction of the image capturing unit, and a detection unit configured to detect a first voice command for performing specific processing and a second voice command for starting the detection of the first voice command. The driving unit limits the driving of the driving member in response to the detection of the second voice command by the detection unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image capturing apparatus comprising: one or more processors; an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject; a driving unit configured to drive a driving member configured to change an imaging direction of the image capturing unit; and a detection unit configured to detect a first voice command for performing specific processing and a second voice command for starting the detection of the first voice command, wherein the driving unit limits the driving of the driving member in response to the detection of the second voice command by the detection unit, wherein, in a case where the driving unit limits the driving of the driving member, the driving unit drives the driving member at a speed lower than a driving speed of the driving member immediately before the detection of the second voice command by the detection unit, and wherein the image capturing unit, the driving unit, and the detection unit are implemented by the one or more processors. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image capturing unit captures the image of the subject in a case where the detection unit detects the first voice command for performing imaging processing while the driving unit is limiting the driving of the driving member. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a determination unit configured to automatically determine an imaging target; and a control unit configured to control automatic imaging processing, wherein the automatic imaging processing is processing for causing the driving unit to drive the driving member so that the image capturing unit captures an image of the imaging target determined by the determination unit, wherein the determination unit and the control unit are implemented by the one or more processors. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The image capturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the determination unit calculates an importance level of each detected subject based on information about a face of the detected subject, and determines the imaging target based on the importance level. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The image capturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the detection unit detects the first voice command and the second voice command during execution of the automatic imaging processing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The image capturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the automatic imaging processing is suspended in a case where the detection unit detects the second voice command during execution of the automatic imaging processing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The image capturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the driving unit limits the driving of the driving member in a case where the detection unit detects the second voice command during execution of the automatic imaging processing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The image capturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the driving unit drives the driving member in the automatic imaging processing, with entire surroundings of the image capturing apparatus as a driving range. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The image capturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein in a case where the driving unit limits the driving of the driving member, the driving unit drives the driving member within a driving range narrower than a driving range in the automatic imaging processing. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where the driving unit limits the driving of the driving member, the driving unit drives the driving member so that a subject of which an image is being captured when the second voice command is detected falls within an angle of view. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where the driving unit limits the driving of the driving member, the driving unit drives the driving member to search for a subject during limiting the driving of the driving member. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where the driving unit limits the driving of the driving member, the driving unit stops the driving of the driving member. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a microphone, wherein the detection unit detects the first and second voice commands by analyzing an audio signal input from the microphone. ### Claim 14 A control method for an image capturing apparatus, the control method comprising: capturing an image of a subject; driving a driving member configured to change an imaging direction in the capturing; detecting a first voice command for performing specific processing and a second voice command for starting the detection of the first voice command; and limiting the driving of the driving member in response to the detection of the second voice command, wherein, in a case where the driving of the driving member is limited, the driving member is driven at a speed lower than a driving speed of the driving member immediately before the detection of the second voice command. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording a program for causing an image capturing apparatus to perform a control method comprising: capturing an image of a subject; driving a driving member configured to change an imaging direction in the capturing; detecting a first voice command for performing specific processing and a second voice command for starting the detection of the first voice command; and limiting the driving of the driving member in response to the detection of the second voice command, wherein, in a case where limiting the driving of the driving member, the driving member is driven at a speed lower than a driving speed of the driving member immediately before the detection of the second voice command.