# US 2025/0168504 A1 · Image processing apparatus, image capturing apparatus, object size determination method, and storage medium

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2025/0168504 A1
- Document ID: US20250168504A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/939,794
- Filed: 2024-11-07
- Published: 2025-05-22
- Earliest claimed: 2023-11-21
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: YASUHIRO MATSUO
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250168504A1

## CPC

- H04N 23/67: Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
- G06T 7/62: of area, perimeter, diameter or volume
- G06T 7/70: Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80)
- H04N 23/61: based on recognised objects
- H04N 23/611: where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
- H04N 23/675: {comprising setting of focusing regions}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

An image processing apparatus comprises a selection unit that selects an object to be detected; an acquisition unit that acquires an image; a detection unit that detects the object selected by the selection unit from the image; and a determination unit that determines a size of the object detected by the detection unit in the image, wherein the determination unit changes part of the object to be determined as the size of the object in the image in accordance with a shape of the object.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image processing apparatus comprising one or more processors and/or circuitry which function as:
a selection unit that selects an object to be detected;
an acquisition unit that acquires an image;
a detection unit that detects the object selected by the selection unit from the image; and
a determination unit that determines a size of the object detected by the detection unit in the image,
wherein the determination unit changes part of the object to be determined as the size of the object in the image in accordance with a shape of the object.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the object includes a first object having an inflated oval shape, and
in a case where the first object is detected by the detection unit, the determination unit determines a length of a minor axis of the first object in the image as the part determined to be the size of the first object.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the object includes a second object having a disk shape, and
in a case where the second object is detected by the detection unit, the determination unit determines a length of a major axis of the second object in the image as the part determined to be the size of the second object.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the object includes a third object having a spherical shape, and
in a case where the third object is detected by the detection unit, the determination unit determines a length of diameter of the third object in the image as the size of the third object.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the selection unit selects a sport and an object associated in advance to the selected sport, and
in a case where the sport selected by the selection unit is a predetermined sport in which a probability of the object being occluded by another object is high, the determination unit determines whether the object detected by the detection unit is occluded, and changes a method for determining the size of the object in the image in a case where it is determined that the object is occluded and in a case where it is determined that the object is not occluded.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
the object includes a first object having an inflated oval shape and associated to the sport in which a probability of the object being occluded by another object is high, and
in a case where the first object is detected by the detection unit, the determination unit
determines a size of the first object based on lengths of sides of a rectangular region representing an unoccluded area of the first object in the image determined as the part in a case where it is determined that the first object is occluded, and
determines a length of a minor axis of the first object in the image determined as the part as the size of the first object in a case where it is determined that the first object is not occluded.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
the object includes a second object having a disk shape and associated to the sport in which a probability of the object being occluded by another object is high, and
in a case where the second object is detected by the detection unit, the determination unit
determines a size of the second object based on lengths of sides of a rectangular region representing an unoccluded area of the second object in the image determined as the part in a case where it is determined that the second object is occluded, and
determines a length of a major axis of the second object in the image determined as the part as the size of the second object in a case where it is determined that the second object is not occluded.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
the object includes a third object having a spherical shape and associated to the sport in which a probability of the object being occluded by another object is high, and
in a case where the third object is detected by the detection unit, the determination unit
determines a length of a long side of a rectangular region representing an unoccluded area of the third object in the image determined as the part as a size of the third object in a case where it is determined that the third object is occluded, and
determines the size of the third object based on lengths of short and long sides of a rectangular region representing an unoccluded area of the third object in the image determined as the part in a case where it is determined that the first object is not occluded.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit further obtains a position of the detected object in the image, and
the one or more processors and/or circuitry which further function as:
a subject detection unit that detects a predetermined subject included in the image and obtains the position and size of the detected subject in the image; and
a decision unit that decides, in a case where a plurality of the subjects are detected by the subject detection unit, a main subject from the plurality of subjects based on the position and size of each of the subjects in the image and the position and size of the object in the image.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the decision unit estimates a distance in a depth direction at which the plurality of subjects and the object are present based on the size of each of the subjects in the image and the size of the object in the image, and decides a main subject based on the estimated distance, the position of each of the subjects in the image, and the position of the object in the image.

### Claim 11

An image capturing apparatus comprising:
an image processing apparatus comprising one or more processors and/or circuitry which function as:
a selection unit that selects an object to be detected;
an acquisition unit that acquires an image;
a detection unit that detects the object selected by the selection unit from the image; and
a determination unit that determines a size of the object detected by the detection unit in the image; and
an image sensor that captures an image,
wherein the determination unit changes part of the object to be determined as the size of the object in the image in accordance with a shape of the object, and
the acquisition unit acquires the image captured by the image sensor.

### Claim 12

An image capturing apparatus comprising:
an image processing apparatus comprising one or more processors and/or circuitry which function as:
a selection unit that selects an object to be detected;
an acquisition unit that acquires an image;
a detection unit that detects the object selected by the selection unit from the image and a position of the detected object in the image;
a determination unit that determines a size of the object detected by the detection unit in the image; and
a subject detection unit that detects a predetermined subject included in the image and obtains the position and size of the detected subject in the image, and
a decision unit that decides, in a case where a plurality of the subjects are detected by the subject detection unit, a main subject from the plurality of subjects based on the position and size of each of the subjects in the image and the position and size of the object in the image; and
a focus control unit that performs focus control so as to focus on the main subject decided by the decision unit,
wherein the determination unit changes part of the object to be determined as the size of the object in the image in accordance with a shape of the object.

### Claim 13

An object size determination method comprising:
selecting an object to be detected;
acquiring an image;
detecting the selected object from the image; and
determining a size of the detected object in the image,
wherein part of the object to be determined as the size of the object in the image is changed in accordance with a shape of the object.

### Claim 14

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the storage medium storing a program that is executable by the computer, wherein the program includes program code for causing the computer to function as an image processing apparatus comprising:
a selection unit that selects an object to be detected;
an acquisition unit that acquires an image;
a detection unit that detects the object selected by the selection unit from the image; and
a determination unit that determines a size of the object detected by the detection unit in the image,
wherein the determination unit changes part of the object to be determined as the size of the object in the image in accordance with a shape of the object.