Image pickup apparatus, image pickup method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium

An image pickup apparatus comprising:

• an image pickup unit configured to image an object and acquire a stereoscopic image formed with multiple viewpoint images;
• a display unit capable of displaying the stereoscopic image acquired by the image pickup unit;
• a display control unit configured to display a first guide frame of a predetermined size on the display unit;
• an object image detection unit configured to detect a specific object image from the stereoscopic image acquired by the image pickup unit;
• a distance information acquisition unit configured to acquire information which relates to a distance of an object corresponding to the object image detected by the object image detection unit and relates to a distance from the image pickup unit to the object;
• and
• a binocular vision suitability determination unit configured to determine whether the object image in the first guide frame is suitable for binocular vision, based on the information which relates to the distance acquired by the distance information acquisition unit,
• wherein, in a case where the binocular vision suitability determination unit determines that the object image in the first guide frame is suitable for the binocular vision, the display control unit matches at least one of a position and size of the first guide frame to the object image suitable for the binocular vision,
• wherein the display control unit causes the display unit to perform plane display of one viewpoint image of the multiple viewpoint images, overlaps the first guide frame over the one viewpoint image subjected to this plane display and causes the display unit to perform plane display, and, in a case where the binocular vision suitability determination unit determines that the object image is suitable for the binocular vision, causes the display unit to perform stereoscopic display of the stereoscopic image.

An image pickup method using an image pickup unit configured to image an object and acquire a stereoscopic image formed with multiple viewpoint images and a display unit capable of displaying the stereoscopic image acquired by the image pickup unit, the method comprising:

• a guide frame display step of displaying a first guide frame of a predetermined size on the display unit;
• an object image detection step of detecting a specific object image from the stereoscopic image acquired by the image pickup unit;
• a distance information acquisition step of acquiring information which relates to a distance of an object corresponding to the object image detected in the object image detection step and relates to a distance from the image pickup unit to the object;
• a binocular vision suitability determination step of determining whether the object image in the first guide frame is suitable for binocular vision, based on the information which relates to the distance acquired in the distance information acquisition step,
• a step of matching at least one of a position and size of the first guide frame to the object image suitable for the binocular vision in a case where it is determined that the object image in the first guide frame is suitable for the binocular vision in the binocular vision suitability determination step, and.
• a step of displaying a second guide frame of a larger size than the first guide frame on the display unit in addition to the first guide frame, and, in a case where detecting at least one other object image different from the object image determined to be suitable for the binocular vision from the second guide frame, matching the second guide frame to the at least one other object image.

An image pickup method using an image pickup unit configured to image an object and acquire a stereoscopic image formed with multiple viewpoint images and a display unit capable of displaying the stereoscopic image acquired by the image pickup unit, the method comprising:

• a guide frame display step of displaying a first guide frame of a predetermined size on the display unit;
• an object image detection step of detecting a specific object image from the stereoscopic image acquired by the image pickup unit;
• a distance information acquisition step of acquiring information which relates to a distance of an object corresponding to the object image detected in the object image detection step and relates to a distance from the image pickup unit to the object;
• a binocular vision suitability determination step of determining whether the object image in the first guide frame is suitable for binocular vision, based on the information which relates to the distance acquired in the distance information acquisition step,
• a step of matching at least one of a position and size of the first guide frame to the object image suitable for the binocular vision in a case where it is determined that the object image in the first guide frame is suitable for the binocular vision in the binocular vision suitability determination step, and
• a step of causing the display unit to perform plane display of one viewpoint image of the multiple viewpoint images, overlapping the first guide frame over the one viewpoint image subjected to this plane display and causing the display unit to perform plane display, and, in a case where determining that the object image is suitable for the binocular vision, causing the display unit to perform stereoscopic display of the stereoscopic image.