Compound-eye imaging device, and parallax adjusting method and program thereof

A composite eye imaging device comprising:

• imaging sections that generate a plurality of viewpoint images per frame by imaging a same subject from a plurality of viewpoints, wherein the imaging sections generate a right eye image and a left eye image for each frame of consecutive frames;
• a parallax amount acquiring section that acquires a parallax amount of a predetermined object on the basis of the plurality of viewpoint images generated by the imaging sections, wherein the parallax amount acquiring section detects a face from each of the right eye image and the left eye image and computes a parallax amount using a characteristic point of the detected face from the right eye image and a characteristic point of the detected face from the left eye image, and wherein the parallax amount acquiring section computes said parallax amount for each of the consecutive frames;
• an abnormality judging section that judges that there is an abnormality in the parallax amount in at least one case of a case in which fluctuation of a fixed interval in the parallax amount acquired by the parallax amount acquiring section is greater than a predetermined value, a case in which the parallax amount reaches an allowed limit value that is determined in advance, or a case in which an object of acquisition of the parallax amount can no longer be detected, and judges that there is no abnormality in the parallax amount in a case that is none of a case in which fluctuation of a fixed interval in the parallax amount is greater than a predetermined value, a case in which the parallax amount reaches an allowed limit value that is determined in advance, or a case in which an object of acquisition of the parallax amount can no longer be detected, wherein the abnormality judging section judges whether there is an abnormality in the parallax amount for each of the consecutive frames;
• and
• a parallax adjusting section that judges whether there is an abnormality in the parallax amount, such that:
• when it is judged by the abnormality judging section that there is no abnormality in the parallax amount in one or more consecutive frames, the parallax adjusting section carries out a parallax adjustment of the predetermined object for each of the consecutive frames for which there is no abnormality in the parallax amount, wherein said parallax adjustment is a first parallax adjustment, and the parallax adjusting section also increases an index number for each of the consecutive frames for which there is no abnormality in the parallax amount, and
• when it is judged by the abnormality judging section that there is an abnormality in the parallax amount, the parallax adjusting section switches to control of a second parallax adjustment that is different from the control of the first parallax adjustment, whereby in the control of the second parallax adjustment the parallax adjusting section lowers a parallax adjustment frequency and carries out parallax adjustment on another object that is different than the predetermined object, such that the parallax adjusting section carries out said parallax adjustment for each N frame of the consecutive frames, wherein N is a predetermined adjustment parameter higher than 1, such that:
• when it is judged by the abnormality judging section that there is an abnormality in the parallax amount in one consecutive frame, the parallax adjusting section increases said index number for said one consecutive frame and checks if said index number corresponding to said one consecutive frame is less than N, and
• if said index number is less than N, then the parallax adjusting section does not carry out said parallax adjustment for said one consecutive frame,
• but if said index number is at least N, the parallax adjusting section carries out said parallax adjustment for said one consecutive frame.

A parallax adjusting method of a composite eye imaging device, the method comprising:

• acquiring a parallax amount on the basis of a plurality of viewpoint images generated by imaging sections that generate the plurality of viewpoint images per frame by imaging a same subject from a plurality of viewpoints, wherein the plurality of viewpoint images are a right eye image and a left eye image for each frame of consecutive frames,
• wherein said acquiring step detects a face from each of the right eye image and the left eye image and computes a parallax amount using a characteristic point of the detected face from the right eye image and a characteristic point of the detected face from the left eye image, and wherein the acquiring step computes said parallax amount for each of the consecutive frames;
• judging that there is an abnormality in the parallax amount in at least one case of a case in which fluctuation of a fixed interval in the acquired parallax amount is greater than a predetermined value, a case in which the parallax amount reaches an allowed limit value that is determined in advance, or a case in which an object of acquisition of the parallax amount can no longer be detected, and judging that there is no abnormality in the parallax amount in a case that is none of a case in which fluctuation of a fixed interval in the parallax amount is greater than a predetermined value, a case in which the parallax amount reaches an allowed limit value that is determined in advance, or a case in which an object of acquisition of the parallax amount can no longer be detected, wherein the judging step judges whether there is an abnormality in the parallax amount for each of the consecutive frames;
• and
• when it is judged that there is no abnormality in the parallax amount in one or more consecutive frames, carrying out a parallax adjustment for each of the consecutive frames for which there is no abnormality in the parallax amount, wherein said parallax adjustment is a first parallax adjustment, and also increasing an index number for each of the consecutive frames for which there is no abnormality in the parallax amount, and,
• when it is judged that there is an abnormality in the parallax amount, switching to control of a second parallax adjustment that is different from the control of the first parallax adjustment, whereby the control of the second parallax adjustment lowers a parallax adjustment frequency such that said parallax adjustment for each N frame of the consecutive frames is carried out, wherein N is a predetermined adjustment parameter higher than 1, such that:
• when it is judged that there is an abnormality in the parallax amount in one consecutive frame, said index number for said one consecutive frame is increased and a check is performed to determine if said index number corresponding to said one consecutive frame is less than N, and
• if said index number is less than N, then said parallax adjustment for said one consecutive frame is not carried out,
• but if said index number is at least N, said parallax adjustment for said one consecutive frame is carried out.

A parallax adjusting method of a composite eye imaging device, the method comprising:

• acquiring a parallax amount of a predetermined object on the basis of a plurality of viewpoint images generated by imaging sections that generate the plurality of viewpoint images per frame by imaging a same subject from a plurality of viewpoints, wherein the plurality of viewpoint images are a right eye image and a left eye image for each frame of consecutive frames,
• wherein said acquiring step detects a face from each of the right eye image and the left eye image and computes a parallax amount using a characteristic point of the detected face from the right eye image and a characteristic point of the detected face from the left eye image, and wherein the acquiring step computes said parallax amount for each of the consecutive frames;
• judging that there is an abnormality in the parallax amount in at least one case of a case in which fluctuation of a fixed interval in the acquired parallax amount is greater than a predetermined value, a case in which the parallax amount reaches an allowed limit value that is determined in advance, of a case in which an object of acquisition of the parallax amount can no longer be detected, and judging that there is no abnormality in the parallax amount in a case that is none of a case in which fluctuation of a fixed interval in the parallax amount is greater than a predetermined value, a case in which the parallax amount reaches an allowed limit value that is determined in advance, or a case in which an object of acquisition of the parallax amount can no longer be detected, wherein the judging step judges whether there is an abnormality in the parallax amount for each of the consecutive frames;
• and
• when it is judged that there is no abnormality in the parallax amount in one or more consecutive frames, carrying out a parallax adjustment of the predetermined object for each of the consecutive frames for which there is no abnormality in the parallax amount, wherein said parallax adjustment is a first parallax adjustment, and also increasing an index number for each of the consecutive frames for which there is no abnormality in the parallax amount, and,
• when it is judged that there is an abnormality in the parallax amount, switching to control of a second parallax adjustment that is different from the control of the first parallax adjustment, whereby the control of the second parallax adjustment lowers a parallax adjustment frequency and carries out parallax adjustment on another object that is different than the predetermined object, said parallax adjustment for each N frame of the consecutive frames being carried out, wherein N is a predetermined adjustment parameter higher than 1, such that:
• when it is judged that there is an abnormality in the parallax amount in one consecutive frame, said index number for said one consecutive frame is increased and a check is performed to determine if said index number corresponding to said one consecutive frame is less than N, and
• if said index number is less than N, then said parallax adjustment for said one consecutive frame is not carried out,
• but if said index number is at least N, said parallax adjustment for said one consecutive frame is carried out.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a parallax adjusting program of a composite eye imaging device including computer-readable instructions, the parallax adjusting program when executed causing a computer to function as:

• a parallax amount acquiring section that acquires a parallax amount on the basis of a plurality of viewpoint images generated by imaging sections that generate the plurality of viewpoint images per frame by imaging a same subject from a plurality of viewpoints, wherein the plurality of viewpoint images are a right eye image and a left eye image for each frame of consecutive frames, and
• wherein the parallax amount acquiring section detects a face from each of the right eye image and the left eye image and computes a parallax amount using a characteristic point of the detected face from the right eye image and a characteristic point of the detected face from the left eye image, and wherein the parallax amount acquiring section computes said parallax amount for each of the consecutive frames;
• an abnormality judging section that judges that there is an abnormality in the parallax amount in at least one case of a case in which fluctuation of a fixed interval in the parallax amount acquired by the parallax amount acquiring section is greater than a predetermined value, a case in which the parallax amount reaches an allowed limit value that is determined in advance, or a case in which an object of acquisition of the parallax amount can no longer be detected, and judges that there is no abnormality in the parallax amount in a case that is none of a case in which fluctuation of a fixed interval in the parallax amount is greater than a predetermined value, a case in which the parallax amount reaches an allowed limit value that is determined in advance, or a case in which an object of acquisition of the parallax amount can no longer be detected, wherein the abnormality judging section judges whether there is an abnormality in the parallax amount for each of the consecutive frames;
• and
• a parallax adjusting section that judges whether there is an abnormality in the parallax amount, such that:
• when it is judged by the abnormality judging section that there is no abnormality in the parallax amount in one or more consecutive frames, the parallax adjusting section carries out a parallax adjustment for each of the consecutive frames for which there is no abnormality in the parallax amount, wherein said parallax adjustment is a first parallax adjustment, and the parallax adjusting section also increases an index number for each of the consecutive frames for which there is no abnormality in the parallax amount, and
• when it is judged by the abnormality judging section that there is an abnormality in the parallax amount, the parallax adjusting section switches to control of a second parallax adjustment that is different from the control of the first parallax adjustment, whereby in the control of the second parallax adjustment the parallax adjusting section lowers a parallax adjustment frequency such that the parallax adjusting section carries out said parallax adjustment for each N frame of the consecutive frames, wherein N is a predetermined adjustment parameter higher than 1, such that:
• when it is judged by the abnormality judging section that there is an abnormality in the parallax amount in one consecutive frame, the parallax adjusting section increases said index number for said one consecutive frame and checks if said index number corresponding to said one consecutive frame is less than N, and
• if said index number is less than N, then the parallax adjusting section does not carry out said parallax adjustment for said one consecutive frame,
• but if said index number is at least N, the parallax adjusting section carries out said parallax adjustment for said one consecutive frame.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a parallax adjusting program of a composite eye imaging device including computer-readable instructions, the parallax adjusting program when executed causing a computer to function as:

• a parallax amount acquiring section that acquires a parallax amount of a predetermined object on the basis of a plurality of viewpoint images generated by imaging sections that generate the plurality of viewpoint images per frame by imaging a same subject from a plurality of viewpoints, wherein the plurality of viewpoint images are a right eye image and a left eye image for each frame of consecutive frames, and
• wherein the parallax amount acquiring section detects a face from each of the right eye image and the left eye image and computes a parallax amount using a characteristic point of the detected face from the right eye image and a characteristic point of the detected face from the left eye image, and wherein the parallax amount acquiring section computes said parallax amount for each of the consecutive frames;
• an abnormality judging section that judges that there is an abnormality in the parallax amount in at least one case of a case in which fluctuation of a fixed interval in the parallax amount acquired by the parallax amount acquiring section is greater than a predetermined value, a case in which the parallax amount reaches an allowed limit value that is determined in advance, or a case in which an object of acquisition of the parallax amount can no longer be detected, and judges that there is no abnormality in the parallax amount in a case that is none of a case in which fluctuation of a fixed interval in the parallax amount is greater than a predetetinined value, a case in which the parallax amount reaches an allowed limit value that is determined in advance, or a case in which an object of acquisition of the parallax amount can no longer be detected, wherein the abnormality judging section judges whether there is an abnormality in the parallax amount for each of the consecutive frames;
• and
• a parallax adjusting section that judges whether there is an abnormality in the parallax amount, such that:
• when it is judged by the abnormality judging section that there is no abnormality in the parallax amount in one or more consecutive frames, the parallax adjusting section carries out a parallax adjustment of the predetermined object for each of the consecutive frames for which there is no abnormality in the parallax amount, wherein said parallax adjustment is a first parallax adjustment, and the parallax adjusting section also increases an index number for each of the consecutive frames for which there is no abnormality in the parallax amount, and
• when it is judged by the abnormality judging section that there is an abnormality in the parallax amount, the parallax adjusting section switches to control of a second parallax adjustment that is different from the control of the first parallax adjustment, whereby in the control of the second parallax adjustment the parallax adjusting section lowers a parallax adjustment frequency and carries out parallax adjustment on another object that is different than the predete miined object, such that the parallax adjusting section carries out said parallax adjustment for each N frame of the consecutive frames, wherein N is a predetermined adjustment parameter higher than 1, such that:
• when it is judged by the abnormality judging section that there is an abnormality in the parallax amount in one consecutive frame, the parallax adjusting section increases said index number for said one consecutive frame and checks if said index number corresponding to said one consecutive frame is less than N, and
• if said index number is less than N, then the parallax adjusting section does not carry out said parallax adjustment for said one consecutive frame,
• but if said index number is at least N, the parallax adjusting section carries out said parallax adjustment for said one consecutive frame.