# US 2013/0155291 A1 · Electronic camera > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0155291 A1 - Document ID: US20130155291A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/720,434 - Filed: 2012-12-19 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-19 - Assignees: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Masayoshi Okamoto; Jun Kiyama; Tatsuya Shiratori; Takahiro Hori - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130155291A1 ## CPC - H04N 5/262: Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects {; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects} - H04N 23/00: Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof - H04N 23/611: where the recognised objects include parts of the human body - H04N 23/69: Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An electronic camera includes an imager. An imager has an imaging surface capturing an optical image representing a scene, and repeatedly outputs an electronic image corresponding to the optical image. An adjuster adjusts an imaging condition with reference to a partial image belonging to an adjustment area assigned to the imaging surface. A searcher repeatedly searches for a specific object image from the electronic image. An updater updates an arrangement of the adjustment area in a manner different depending on an attribute of the specific object image. A setter sets the arrangement of the adjustment area to a predetermined arrangement when a time period during which non-detection of the searcher continues has reached a threshold value. A controller controls a magnitude of the threshold value so that the magnitude increases as a specific object equivalent to the specific object image is close to a center of the scene. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic camera, comprising: an imager, having an imaging surface capturing an optical image representing a scene, which repeatedly outputs an electronic image corresponding to the optical image; an adjuster which adjusts an imaging condition with reference to a partial image belonging to an adjustment area assigned to said imaging surface out of the electronic image outputted from said imager; a searcher which repeatedly searches for a specific object image from the electronic image outputted from said imager; an updater which updates an arrangement of said adjustment area in a manner different depending on an attribute of the specific object image detected by said searcher; a setter which sets the arrangement of said adjustment area to a predetermined arrangement when a time period during which non-detection of said searcher continues has reached a threshold value; and a controller which controls a magnitude of the threshold value so that the magnitude increases as a specific object equivalent to the specific object image detected by said searcher is close to a center of the scene. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An electronic camera according to claim 1, further comprising: a zoom lens which is arranged in front of said imaging surface; a changer which changes a distance from said zoom lens to said imaging surface in response to a zoom operation; and an activator which activates said controller in association with a process of said changer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) An electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein said updater sets a partial area covering the specific object image detected by said searcher, as said adjustment area. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the imaging condition noticed by said adjuster includes at least one of a focus and an exposure amount. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) An electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the specific object image is equivalent to a face image of a person. ### Claim 6 An imaging control program recorded on a non-transitory recording medium in order to control an electronic camera provided with an imager, having an imaging surface capturing an optical image representing a scene, which repeatedly outputs an electronic image corresponding to the optical image, the program causing a processor of the electronic camera to perform the steps, comprising: an adjusting step of adjusting an imaging condition with reference to a partial image belonging to an adjustment area assigned to said imaging surface out of the electronic image outputted from said imager; a searching step of repeatedly searching for a specific object image from the electronic image outputted from said imager; an updating step of updating an arrangement of said adjustment area in a manner different depending on an attribute of the specific object image detected by said searching step; a setting step of setting the arrangement of said adjustment area to a predetermined arrangement when a time period during which non-detection of said searching step continues has reached a threshold value; and a controlling step of controlling a magnitude of the threshold value so that the magnitude increases as a specific object equivalent to the specific object image detected by said searching step is close to a center of the scene. ### Claim 7 An electronic camera, comprising: an imager, having an imaging surface capturing an optical image representing a scene, which repeatedly outputs an electronic image corresponding to the optical image; an adjuster which adjusts an imaging condition with reference to a partial image belonging to an adjustment area assigned to said imaging surface out of the electronic image outputted from said imager; a searcher which repeatedly searches for an object image representing a specific object from the electronic image outputted from said imager; an updater which updates an arrangement of said adjustment area in a manner different depending on an attribute of the object image detected by said searcher; and a setter which sets the arrangement of said adjustment area to a predetermined arrangement when a time period during which non-detection of said searcher continues has reached a threshold value increasing as the specific object image is close to a center of the scene.