JP2005039365A - Digital camera and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an optimum image when photographing a plurality of or many people. <P>SOLUTION: This digital camera is provided with an image pickup means for performing a plurality of times of image pickup in response to the shutter release, and outputting the image data indicating a plurality of frames of a subject; a detecting means for detecting, for each frame, the number of people who have closed their eyes in the plurality of frames of the subject indicated by the image data outputted from the image pickup means; and a record control means for recording, in a recording medium, image data indicating the subject image of a frame in which people who have closed their eyes is the least detected by the detecting means. If an closed-eye people detecting mode is set, consecutive shots are performed and subject images from the first frame to the forth frame are obtained. The number of people who have closed their eyes is detected for each frame. The image data indicating a subject image in which the number of people who have closed their eyes is the smallest (subject image of the first frame) are recorded in a memory card. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
【Technical field】
The present invention relates to a digital camera (including a digital still camera and a portable information device having a camera function) and a control method thereof.
[0002]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In order to obtain the best shot image, there is an imaging device that captures a subject a plurality of times and obtains a blur-free image from the obtained multiple frames (see Patent Document 1). This imaging device records a good image such as brightness and sharpness on a recording medium as image data representing a high-resolution image among a plurality of frames, and a low-resolution image that does not have good brightness and sharpness. Is recorded on the recording medium.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-163960
However, in this imaging apparatus, it is not considered to obtain an optimal image when imaging a plurality of people or a large number of people. In particular, eye meditation when imaging multiple people or a large number of people is not considered at all.
[0005]
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to obtain an optimal image when imaging a plurality of people or a large number of people.
[0006]
The digital camera according to the present invention is configured to capture a plurality of times according to the shutter release and output image data representing a plurality of frames of the subject image, and to capture a plurality of frames represented by the image data output from the imaging unit. Detection means for detecting the number of human eyes in the subject image for each frame, and image data representing the subject image of the frame with the smallest number of human eyes detected by the detection means recorded on the recording medium The recording control means is provided.
[0007]
The present invention also provides a control method suitable for the digital camera. That is, in this method, imaging is performed a plurality of times according to the shutter release, image data representing a plurality of frames of the subject image is obtained, and the eye-meditation human image in the plurality of frames of the subject image represented by the obtained image data is obtained. The number of frames is detected for each frame, and image data representing the subject image of the frame with the smallest number of detected human images for eye-meditation is recorded on a recording medium.
[0008]
According to the present invention, if there is a shutter release, the subject is imaged a plurality of times in accordance with the shutter release. Image data representing a plurality of frames of the subject image is obtained in response to a plurality of imaging operations. Of the subject images of a plurality of frames, the number of human images with eyes closed is detected for each frame. Image data representing the subject image of the frame with the smallest number of portrait images is recorded on the recording medium.
[0009]
It is possible to record image data representing a subject image with a small number of human images with eyes closed on a recording medium. In particular, when photographing a large number of people such as so-called group photography, there are many people who have meditated their eyes. According to the present invention, since image data representing a subject image with few persons who have meditated eyes can be recorded, the present invention is particularly suitable for group photography for capturing a large number of persons.
[0010]
It is preferable to further comprise strobe control means for stopping the strobe light emission by the strobe light emitting device in accordance with the setting of the eye meditation detection mode, the strobe light emitting device, and the eye meditation detection mode setting by the eye meditation detection mode setting means. In this case, the image pickup means will pick up a plurality of frames according to the setting of the eye meditation detection mode by the eye meditation detection mode setting means.
[0011]
When multiple frames are imaged, if strobe light is emitted only when a specific frame is captured, images with different brightness may be obtained between the frames. Since the strobe light emission is stopped when the eye-meditation detection mode is set, it is possible to prevent the brightness between the frames from differing even if images of a plurality of frames are obtained.
[0012]
[Explanation of Examples]
FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention and is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a digital still camera.
[0013]
The entire operation of the digital still camera is controlled by the CPU 6.
[0014]
The digital still camera can capture images in the meditation detection mode. The eye meditation detection mode is suitable for capturing a large number of people like a group photo. In the meditation detection mode, imaging is performed a plurality of times according to the shutter release. Multiple frames of the subject image are obtained by multiple imaging. Image data representing a subject image of a frame with few persons who have meditated eyes is recorded in the memory card 22 from the obtained subject images of the plurality of frames. Details will be made clear by the following explanation.
[0015]
The digital still camera is provided with a shutter release button 1, a strobe imaging mode setting button 2, and an eye-meditation detection mode setting button 3. The shutter release button 1 is a two-stroke type. Setting signals output from these buttons 1, 2 and 3 are input to the CPU 6.
[0016]
The digital still camera is provided with a distance sensor 4 and a strobe light emitting device 5. The distance to the subject is measured by the distance sensor 4. In accordance with the measured distance, the zoom lens 13 is controlled so that the subject image is focused on the light receiving surface of the CCD 15. The strobe light emitting device 5 irradiates the subject with strobe light.
[0017]
The digital still camera includes a zoom lens 13 whose zoom amount is controlled by the drive circuit 7. The light condensed by the zoom lens 13 is incident on the light receiving surface of the CCD 15 through the diaphragm 14. The aperture amount of the aperture 14 is controlled by the drive circuit 8.
[0018]
When the shutter release button 1 is pressed in the first stage, a timing control pulse output from the timing generator 10 is given to the driver 9. A driving pulse is generated in the driver 9 and applied to the CCD 15. A color video signal representing the subject image is output from the CCD 15 and input to the front end processor 16.
[0019]
The front end processor 16 performs correlated double sampling processing and gain adjustment processing of the color video signal. The color video signal output from the front end processor 16 is converted into digital color image data by the analog / digital conversion circuit 17 and input to the integrating circuit 12 via the memory 11. In the integrating circuit 12, image data having a certain level or more is integrated. Data representing the obtained integrated value is given to the CPU 6, and the drive circuit 8 and the timing generator 10 are controlled so that the appropriate exposure amount is obtained. Thereby, the aperture value of the aperture 14 and the shutter speed (so-called electronic shutter) of the CCD 15 are adjusted (automatic exposure control).
[0020]
When the shutter release button 1 is pressed in the second stage, if the eye-meditation detection mode is set by the eye-meditation detection mode setting button 3, a plurality of frames are continuously shot. In addition, when the eye closing detection mode is set, the strobe light emission is prohibited even if the strobe light emission mode is set. This is to prevent the brightness of the image of the frame obtained by shooting at the time of flash emission and the brightness of the image of the frame obtained by shooting at the time of non-flash emission from changing extremely.
[0021]
Color image data representing the subject images of a plurality of frames is given to the memory 11 and temporarily stored. Color image data representing a plurality of frames of the subject image is input to the CPU 6, and the number of person images whose eyes are meditated in each frame of the plurality of frames of the subject image is calculated.
[0022]
Eye meditation detection is performed as follows.
[0023]
First, a face image is extracted from the subject image using edge extraction. In the extracted face image, two regions on both sides centered on the central axis extending in the vertical direction and where the eyes should be present are detected. The ratio of black in the two detected areas is calculated. If the ratio is greater than or equal to a predetermined ratio, it is determined that the eyes are open, and if the ratio is less than the predetermined ratio, it is determined that the eyes are meditating.
[0024]
Color image data representing a subject image of a frame having a small number of subject images with a closed eye among the plurality of subject images is read from the memory 11 and input to the synchronization circuit 18. The synchronization circuit 18 performs color image data synchronization processing to obtain R, G, and B parallel color image data. R, G, and B parallel color image data are input to gain control amplification circuits 19R, 19G, and 19B in the white balance adjustment circuit 19, respectively.
[0025]
The color image data is subjected to white balance adjustment in the white balance adjustment circuit 19 and input to the gamma correction circuit 20. Gamma correction is performed in the gamma correction circuit 20 and input to the Y (luminance) / C (color difference) generation circuit 21. The Y / C generation circuit 21 generates luminance data Y and color difference data C from the R, G, and B color image data. The generated luminance data Y and color difference data C are given to the memory card 22 and recorded. The memory card 20 is recorded with image data representing a subject image with a small number of persons with eyes closed.
[0026]
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the digital still camera in the eye-meditation detection mode.
[0027]
When the eye-meditation detection mode is set using the eye-meditation detection mode setting button 3, the strobe light emitting device 5 is turned off even if the strobe imaging mode is set (step 30). When the shutter release button 1 is pressed in the first stage (S1 ON) (YES in step 31), it is based on the automatic exposure control based on the integrated value obtained in the integrating circuit 12 and the measured value obtained in the distance sensor 4. Automatic focus control is performed (step 32). When the shutter release button 1 is pressed in the second stage (S2 ON) (YES in step 33), continuous shooting is performed and image data representing a plurality of subject images is obtained (step 34).
[0028]
The number of person images whose eyes are meditated for each frame of the plurality of subject images obtained by continuous shooting is detected (step 35). If there is a subject image including a person image in which even one frame is meditating in a plurality of frame images (YES in step 36), the frame having the smallest number of person images meditating in the eyes is selected ( Step 37). Further, if there are no frames including the image of the person who is meditating in the plurality of subject images (step 38), all the plurality of frames are selected (step 38).
[0029]
As described above, the image data representing the subject image of the selected frame is supplied to the synchronization circuit 18 and the like, and signal processing such as synchronization processing, white balance adjustment, and gamma correction is performed (step 39). The image data subjected to the signal processing is recorded on the memory card 22 (step 40). The memory card 22 is recorded with image data representing a subject image with a small number of human images.
[0030]
3 to 6 are examples of a plurality of frames (4 frames) of subject images obtained in the eye-meditation detection mode.
[0031]
With reference to FIG. 3 to FIG. 6, subject images from the first frame to the fourth frame are obtained in the eye-meditation detection mode. All the subject images include persons OB1 to OB4.
[0032]
In the example shown in FIG. 3, there is no person who has meditated in the subject images of all the frames from the first frame to the fourth frame. For this reason, image data representing all subject images from the first frame to the fourth frame is recorded in the memory card 22.
[0033]
In the example shown in FIG. 4, there is no person in the first frame subject whose eyes are meditated, but in the second frame, third frame, and fourth frame subject images, the eyes are meditated. There is a person who is trapped. In the second frame subject image, the person OB3 is meditating, in the third frame subject image, the person OB4 is meditating, and in the fourth frame subject image, the person OB2 is meditating. In the example shown in FIG. 4, image data representing the subject image of the first frame is recorded on the memory card 22.
[0034]
In the example shown in FIG. 5, there is one person whose eyes are meditated in the subject images of all the frames from the first frame to the fourth frame. In the subject image of the first frame, the person OB1 has meditated eyes, in the subject image of the second frame, the person OB2 has meditated eyes, and in the subject image of the third frame, the person OB3 has meditated eyes, In the subject image of the eye, the person OB4 is meditating. Image data representing all subject images from the first frame to the fourth frame is recorded on the memory card 22.
[0035]
In the example shown in FIG. 6, there are two persons who are meditating their eyes in the subject images of the first frame and the second frame. In the subject image of the first frame, the people OB1 and OB2 are meditating, and in the subject image of the second frame, the people OB3 and OB4 are meditating. In addition, there is one person whose eyes are meditating in the subject images of the third frame and the fourth frame. In the subject image of the third frame, the person OB4 is meditating, and in the subject image of the fourth frame, the person OB1 is meditating. Image data representing the subject image of the third frame and image data representing the subject image of the fourth frame are recorded in the memory card 22 with few persons meditating.
[0036]
In the embodiment described above, when there are a plurality of subject images with the smallest number of persons who are meditating on their eyes, image data representing the subject images of the plurality of frames is recorded on the memory card. Of a plurality of frame subject images, a clean one frame subject image may be determined so as to have appropriate brightness, and image data representing the determined one frame subject image may be recorded in a memory card.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a digital still camera.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in an eye-meditation detection mode.
FIG. 3 is an example of a subject image of a plurality of frames obtained in an eye-meditation detection mode.
FIG. 4 is an example of a subject image of a plurality of frames obtained in the eye-meditation detection mode.
FIG. 5 is an example of a subject image of a plurality of frames obtained in the eye-meditation detection mode.
FIG. 6 is an example of a subject image of a plurality of frames obtained in the eye-meditation detection mode.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Strobe imaging mode setting button 3 Eye meditation detection mode setting button 5 Strobe light emitting device 6 CPU
9 Driver 10 Timing generator 15 CCD
11 Memory 22 Memory card OB1, OB2, OB3, OB4

Claims (3)

Imaging means for imaging a plurality of times in accordance with the shutter release and outputting image data representing a plurality of subject images;
Detecting means for detecting, for each frame, the number of person-meditation human images in a plurality of subject images represented by the image data output from the imaging means; and the number of eye-meditation human images detected by the detecting means Recording control means for recording image data representing the subject image of the frame with the smallest number on a recording medium;
With digital camera. In accordance with the setting of the eye-meditation detection mode, the strobe light emitting device, and the eye-meditation detection mode setting by the eye-meditation detection mode setting device, the apparatus further comprises strobe control means for stopping the strobe light emission by the strobe light emitting device,
The imaging means performs imaging of a plurality of frames according to the setting of the eye-meditation detection mode by the eye-meditation detection mode setting means.
The digital camera according to claim 1. Depending on the shutter release, images are taken multiple times to obtain image data representing multiple frames of the subject image.
For each frame, the number of eye-catching figures in the subject images of multiple frames represented by the obtained image data is detected.
Record the image data representing the subject image of the frame with the fewest number of detected human eyes on the recording medium,
Digital camera control method.

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