# US 8,149,314 B2 · Image capturing apparatus having display control of information and frames on displayed images and display control method

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- Number: US 8,149,314 B2
- Document ID: US8149314B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/402,376
- Filed: 2009-03-11
- Published: 2009-09-17
- Granted: 2012-04-03
- Earliest claimed: 2008-03-11
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Emi Hitosuga
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8149314B2

## Abstract

When various kinds of information and various frames are superimposed on a displayed image of a subject during live view shooting, an object to be preferentially displayed is switched between the various kinds of information and the various frames in accordance with an overlapping state of the various kinds of information and the various frames if the various kinds of information overlap the various frames.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image capturing apparatus comprising:
an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject to acquire image data;
a display unit configured to display the image of the subject based on the image data acquired by the image capturing unit; and
a display control unit configured to perform a control operation so that information displayed at a predetermined position and a movably displayed frame are superimposed on the image of the subject displayed by the display unit,
wherein the frame is a rectangular frame based on a result of a face detection operation, and
wherein the display control unit performs the control operation so that the frame is displayed more preferentially than the information when at least one entire side of the frame overlaps the information.

### Claim 2

An image capturing apparatus comprising:
an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject to acquire image data;
a display unit configured to display the image of the subject based on the image data acquired by the image capturing unit; and
a display control unit configured to perform a control operation so that information displayed at a predetermined position and a movably displayed frame are superimposed on the image of the subject displayed by the display unit,
wherein the frame is a rectangular frame based on a result of a face detection operation, and
wherein the display control unit performs the control operation so that the frame is displayed more preferentially than the information when both ends of at least one side of the frame overlap the information.

### Claim 3

An image capturing apparatus comprising:
an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject to acquire image data;
a display unit configured to display the image of the subject based on the image data acquired by the image capturing unit; and
a display control unit configured to perform a control operation so that information displayed at a predetermined position and a movably displayed frame are superimposed on the image of the subject displayed by the display unit,
wherein only both ends of each side of the rectangular frame based on a result of a face detection operation are shown, and
wherein the display control unit performs the control operation so that the frame is displayed more preferentially than the information when the both ends of at least one side of the frame overlap the information.

### Claim 4

An image capturing apparatus comprising:
an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject to acquire image data;
a display unit configured to display the image of the subject based on the image data acquired by the image capturing unit; and
a display control unit configured to perform a control operation so that information displayed at a predetermined position and a movably displayed frame are superimposed on the image of the subject displayed by the display unit,
wherein the frame is based on a result of a face detection operation, and
wherein the display control unit performs the control operation so that the frame is displayed more preferentially than the information when a ratio of a part of the frame overlapping the information to the entire frame is equal to or higher than a predetermined value.

### Claim 5

An image capturing apparatus comprising:
an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject to acquire image data;
a display unit configured to display the image of the subject based on the image data acquired by the image capturing unit; and
a display control unit configured to perform a control operation so that information displayed at a predetermined position and a movably displayed frame are superimposed on the image of the subject displayed by the display unit,
wherein the frame is a circular frame based on a result of a face detection operation, and
wherein the display control unit performs the control operation so that the frame is displayed more preferentially than the information when a half or more of the circumference of the frame overlaps the information.

### Claim 6

An image capturing apparatus comprising:
an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject to acquire image data;
a display unit configured to display the image of the subject based on the image data acquired by the image capturing unit; and
a display control unit configured to perform a control operation so that information displayed at a predetermined position and a movably displayed frame are superimposed on the image of the subject displayed by the display unit,
wherein the frame is a circular frame based on a result of a face detection operation, and
wherein the display control unit performs the control operation so that the frame is displayed more preferentially than the information when a half or more of the circumference of the frame continuously overlaps the information.

### Claim 7

An image capturing apparatus comprising:
an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject to acquire image data;
a display unit configured to display the image of the subject based on the image data acquired by the image capturing unit;
a display control unit configured to perform a control operation so that information displayed at a predetermined position and a movably displayed frame are superimposed on the image of the subject displayed by the display unit;
a face detecting unit configured to detect faces of the subjects based on the image data acquired by the image capturing unit; and
a selecting unit configured to select a face of a main subject from the faces of the subjects detected by the face detecting unit,
wherein, when a plurality of the frames that enclose the faces of the subjects detected by the face detecting unit are displayed, the display control unit switches, in accordance with an overlapping state of the frame and the information, an object to be preferentially displayed between the information and the frame regarding the frame that encloses the face of the main subject selected by the selecting unit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the display control unit performs the control operation so that the information is displayed preferentially when the information overlaps the frame that encloses a face of a subject other than the main subject.

### Claim 9

An image capturing apparatus comprising:
an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject to acquire image data;
a display unit configured to display the image of the subject based on the image data acquired by the image capturing unit; and
a display control unit configured to perform a control operation so that information displayed at a predetermined position and a movably displayed frame are superimposed on the image of the subject displayed by the display unit,
wherein the frame is based on a result of a face detection operation,
wherein a plurality of the frames are displayed on the display unit, and
wherein the display control unit performs the control operation so that a smaller frame is displayed preferentially when two of the plurality of frames overlap each other.

### Claim 10

A display control method comprising:
displaying an image of a subject on a display unit based on image data acquired by an image capturing unit; and
controlling information displayed at a predetermined position and a movably displayed frame to be superimposed on the image of the subject displayed by the display unit,
wherein the frame is a rectangular frame based on a result of a face detection operation, and
wherein the controlling includes controlling the frame to be displayed more preferentially than the information when at least one entire side of the frame overlaps the information.

### Claim 11

A display control method comprising:
displaying an image of a subject on a display unit based on image data acquired by an image capturing unit; and
controlling information displayed at a predetermined position and a movably displayed frame to be superimposed on the image of the subject displayed by the display unit,
wherein the frame is a rectangular frame based on a result of a face detection operation, and
wherein the controlling includes controlling the frame to be displayed more preferentially than the information when both ends of at least one side of the frame overlap the information.

### Claim 12

A display control method comprising:
displaying an image of a subject on a display unit based on image data acquired by an image capturing unit; and
controlling information displayed at a predetermined position and a movably displayed frame to be superimposed on the image of the subject displayed by the display unit,
wherein only both ends of each side of the rectangular frame based on a result of a face detection operation are shown, and
wherein the controlling includes controlling the frame to be displayed more preferentially than the information when the both ends of at least one side of the frame overlap the information.

### Claim 13

A display control method comprising:
displaying an image of a subject on a display unit based on image data acquired by an image capturing unit; and
controlling information displayed at a predetermined position and a movably displayed frame to be superimposed on the image of the subject displayed by the display unit,
wherein the frame is based on a result of a face detection operation, and
wherein the controlling includes controlling the frame to be displayed more preferentially than the information when a ratio of a part of the frame overlapping the information to the entire frame is equal to or higher than a predetermined value.

### Claim 14

A display control method comprising:
displaying an image of a subject on a display unit based on image data acquired by an image capturing unit; and
controlling information displayed at a predetermined position and a movably displayed frame to be superimposed on the image of the subject displayed by the display unit,
wherein the frame is a circular frame based on a result of a face detection operation, and
wherein the controlling includes controlling the frame to be displayed more preferentially than the information when a half or more of the circumference of the frame overlaps the information.

### Claim 15

A display control method comprising:
displaying an image of a subject on a display unit based on image data acquired by an image capturing unit; and
controlling information displayed at a predetermined position and a movably displayed frame to be superimposed on the image of the subject displayed by the display unit,
wherein the frame is a circular frame based on a result of a face detection operation, and
wherein the controlling includes controlling the frame to be displayed more preferentially than the information when a half or more of the circumference of the frame continuously overlaps the information.

### Claim 16

A display control method comprising:
displaying an image of a subject on a display unit based on image data acquired by an image capturing unit; and
controlling information displayed at a predetermined position and a movably displayed frame to be superimposed on the image of the subject displayed by the display unit,
detecting faces of the subjects based on the image data acquired by the image capturing unit; and
selecting a face of a main subject from the faces of the subjects detected by the face detecting unit,
wherein, when a plurality of the frames that enclose the faces of the subjects detected in the detecting step are displayed, switching, in accordance with an overlapping state of the frame and the information, an object to be preferentially displayed between the information and the frame regarding the frame that encloses the face of the main subject selected in the selecting step.

### Claim 17

A display control method comprising:
displaying an image of a subject on a display unit based on image data acquired by an image capturing unit; and
controlling information displayed at a predetermined position and a movably displayed frame to be superimposed on the image of the subject displayed by the display unit,
wherein the frame is based on a result of a face detection operation,
wherein a plurality of the frames are displayed on the display unit, and
wherein the controlling includes controlling a smaller frame to be displayed preferentially when two of the plurality of frames overlap each other.