JP2007166383A - Digital camera, image composing method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a camera with which a composite image can be photographed through simple operations. <P>SOLUTION: A digital camera comprises: a storage unit for storing image data; a segmenting instruction acceptance processing unit for accepting the input of a segmenting instruction to image data; an image segmentation processing unit for segmenting image data stored in the storage unit in response to a segmenting instruction and storing the segmented data in the storage unit as image data for composition; a display processing unit for displaying these image data for composition on a finder or a display unit together with an image captured by an imaging unit; and an image composition processing unit for acquiring the image captured by the imaging unit as image data when an imaging instruction is inputted, and composing the image data for composition with the acquired image data while displaying them on the finder or the display unit, to produce composite image data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital camera, and more particularly to a digital camera with an image composition function. The present invention also relates to an image composition method and an image composition program.

  In recent years, digital cameras have been rapidly spread. The usage method is to shoot scenes such as landscapes and people that are actually displayed in the viewfinder, preview screen, etc., save the image data, print it out as a photo, and play it back on the display for viewing. Have been used.

  In addition, with the development of image processing technology, it is possible for a user to easily perform image processing using image processing software on a personal computer. For this reason, a composite photograph is also created by cutting out or superimposing the photographed image data.

  On the other hand, although it is possible to perform image composition processing as described above, such image composition work may not be easy for a user who is still reluctant to operate the computer. For this reason, the opportunity for the user to perform image composition processing decreases, and the digital image data captured by the digital camera is not effectively used.

  On the other hand, the following Patent Document 1 discloses a digital camera capable of image synthesis. This digital camera first displays the through image captured from the imaging unit on the preview screen while displaying the composition moving image data stored in the memory in advance on the preview screen. Then, when the relays button is pressed in such a state, image data obtained by combining the moving image for combining and the through image captured from the lens can be saved as displayed on the preview screen. Further, it is described that an image cut out from a through image obtained through an imaging unit can be used as an image that can be combined.

JP 2004-80417 A

  However, the above-described Patent Document 1 does not disclose any specific method of how to cut out and use an image acquired by the imaging unit. That is, when the method of cutting out a part from the through image is an external personal computer, the operation may still take time as described above. That is, when the operation is complicated for the user, there is a problem that the use frequency cannot be improved and the user satisfaction cannot be improved.

  For this reason, the present invention improves the disadvantages of the above-described conventional example, and in particular, can synthesize a composite image with a simple operation, improving the convenience of the user and the satisfaction of using digital image data. It is an object of the present invention to provide a digital camera capable of performing the above.

Therefore, a digital camera which is one embodiment of the present invention is
A storage unit for storing image data;
A cutout instruction reception processing unit that receives an input of a cutout instruction for image data;
An image cut-out processing unit that cuts out image data stored in the storage unit in response to the cut-out instruction and stores the image data in the storage unit as image data for synthesis;
A display processing unit for displaying the image data for synthesis on the viewfinder or the display unit together with the image captured by the imaging unit;
The image captured by the imaging unit when an imaging instruction is input is acquired as image data, and the image data for synthesis is combined with this image data in the state displayed on the finder or display unit, and the combined image data An image composition processing unit for generating
It is characterized by having.

  According to the above invention, first, when a cutout instruction for image data stored in the storage unit is input to the digital camera, the image data is cut out in accordance with this instruction and stored as image data for synthesis in the storage unit. . Thereafter, when the digital camera is activated to perform image synthesis, the image data for synthesis is displayed on the viewfinder and the display unit together with the image captured by the imaging unit. Thereby, the image data for synthesis can be arranged at an arbitrary position in the image captured by the imaging unit at present. When an imaging instruction is input, an image captured by the imaging unit is acquired as image data, and the image data for synthesis is combined with the image data in a state displayed on the finder or display unit, and the display unit Or stored in the storage unit.

  Therefore, the user can easily cut out the image data for synthesis by inputting an instruction to cut out the image data to the digital camera, and easily combine the synthesized image data. Can be taken. As a result, a composite image can be taken by a simple operation such as operating a digital camera without using a device such as a personal computer, and the convenience and satisfaction of the user can be improved.

  Then, the cutout instruction receiving unit receives cutout portion designation information for designating a cutout portion of the image data as a cutout instruction, and the image cutout unit reads the specified portion of the image data based on the cutout portion designation information. It is characterized by cutting out. In particular, the cutting instruction receiving means displays image data on a display unit, and receives an area designated and input on the display unit as cut part designation information. Alternatively, the cutout instruction accepting unit accepts an instruction to cut out a specific object (for example, a person) in the image data as cutout part designation information, and the image cutout unit determines a specific object in the image data in advance. It is characterized in that it is extracted and cut out according to the rules.

  As a result, the digital camera receives the designation of the cut-out portion input by the user, and the image data is cut out based on the designation. Therefore, the user can cut out an arbitrary portion, and convenience can be improved. The cut-out portion can be specified by an operation such as a user pointing on the display unit or surrounding an area, or can be specified by an input instructing to extract an object such as a specific person, User convenience can be improved.

  Note that the image cutout unit may perform a cutout process on the image data captured by the imaging unit and stored in the storage unit. As a result, it is possible to cut out a part of the image data photographed by the digital camera and use it immediately as image data for synthesis, and to generate a wider variety of synthesized images, further improving user convenience. sell.

Moreover, the program which is the other form of this invention is:
In the control device of the digital camera,
A cutout instruction reception processing unit that receives an input of a cutout instruction for image data;
An image cut-out processing unit that cuts out image data stored in the storage unit in response to the cut-out instruction and stores the image data in the storage unit as image data for synthesis;
A display processing unit for displaying the image data for synthesis on the viewfinder or the display unit together with the image captured by the imaging unit;
An image captured by the imaging unit when an imaging instruction is input is acquired as image data, and the image data for synthesis is combined with this image data in a state displayed on the finder or display unit, and a composite image is obtained. An image composition processing unit for generating data;
It is a program for realizing.

  Then, the cutout instruction receiving unit receives cutout portion designation information for designating a cutout portion of the image data as a cutout instruction, and the image cutout unit reads the specified portion of the image data based on the cutout portion designation information. It is characterized by cutting out. At this time, the cutout instruction receiving means displays the image data on the display unit, and receives the area designated and input on the display unit as cutout part designation information. Alternatively, the cutout instruction receiving unit receives an instruction to cut out a specific object in the image data as cutout part designation information, and the image cutout unit extracts a specific object in the image data according to a predetermined rule. It is characterized by cutting out.

Furthermore, an image composition method according to another aspect of the present invention includes:
A method of compositing images by processing by a control device of a digital camera,
A cutting instruction receiving step for receiving an input of a cutting instruction for the image data;
Cutting out image data stored in the storage unit in response to the cutout instruction, and storing the image data in the storage unit as composite image data;
A display step of displaying the image data for synthesis on the viewfinder or the display unit together with the image captured by the imaging unit;
The image captured by the imaging unit when an imaging instruction is input is acquired as image data, and the image data for synthesis is combined with this image data in the state displayed on the finder or display unit, and the combined image data An image synthesis process for generating
It is characterized by having.

  Then, the cutout instruction receiving step receives cutout portion designation information for designating a cutout portion of the image data, and the image cutout step cuts out the designated portion of the image data based on the cutout portion designation information. It is characterized by. At this time, the cutout instruction receiving step is characterized in that the image data is displayed on the display unit, and the area designated and input on the display unit is received as cutout part designation information. Alternatively, the cutout instruction receiving step accepts an instruction to cut out a specific object in the image data as cutout part designation information, and the image cutout step extracts a specific object in the image data according to a predetermined rule. It is characterized by cutting out.

  Further, the image cutting process is characterized in that the image data taken in by the imaging unit and stored in the storage unit is cut out.

  Even with the program and the image composition method having the above-described configuration, the above-described object of the present invention can be achieved because it operates in the same manner as the digital camera.

  Since the present invention is configured and functions as described above, according to this, image data for synthesis can be generated by a simple operation such as operating a digital camera without using a device such as a personal computer. The combined image data can be combined with the image to be captured and displayed on the display unit, and the combined image in the display state can be captured. Therefore, since a composite image can be generated easily and anywhere by a digital camera, it has an unprecedented excellent effect that user convenience and satisfaction can be improved.

  The present invention extracts an arbitrary part from image data, projects the cut-out image on a preview screen, etc., and shoots a scene such as an actual landscape, thereby combining the cut-out image and the shot image. It is characterized in that a composite image can be generated. Hereinafter, the configuration and operation will be described in detail in Examples.

  A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 are block diagrams showing the configuration of the digital camera. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the digital camera.

[Constitution]
The digital camera 1 in this embodiment basically has the same configuration as a general digital camera. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, a control unit 2 including a CPU 4 and an image processing unit 3, a memory 5, a camera unit 6, an operation unit 7, and a display unit 8 are provided in a housing (not shown). is doing. Here, the control unit 2 controls various operations of the digital camera 1 such as operating the camera unit 6 in accordance with a user operation instruction input from the operation unit 7. The camera unit 6 is a device (imaging unit) for capturing an image including a camera lens and the like. The operation unit 7 is various kinds of operation devices such as buttons provided on the housing of the digital camera 1. The display unit 8 is a display such as a liquid crystal screen that displays a preview of an image (scene) captured by the camera unit 6 or displays already captured image data. However, the display unit 8 may be a finder. Further, the display unit 8 may be formed by a touch panel so that a user can input an operation instruction using a stylus pen or the like. That is, the display unit 8 may have a function as the operation unit 7 that receives an operation command from the user.

  In the present embodiment, the image processing unit 3 (control unit 2) and the memory 5 have the following configurations. First, as shown in FIG. 2, the memory 5 stores an image data storage unit 51 for storing an image captured by the camera unit 6 as electronic image data, and a composition cut out from the image data as will be described later. A compositing image data storage unit 52 for storing image data.

  In addition, a predetermined program is incorporated in the image processing unit 3 (control unit 2), so that a display processing unit 31, an imaging processing unit 32, a cutting instruction reception processing unit 33, and an image cutting processing unit 34 are displayed. And an image composition processing unit 35 are constructed. The details will be described below.

  First, the display processing unit 31 displays an image (scene) captured by the camera unit 6, that is, an image (scene) captured by the camera lens, on the display unit 8 (preview function), or has already been captured and stored. For example, the image data is displayed on the display unit 8 and has a function of a general digital camera. Further, in the present embodiment, the image data for synthesis stored in the image data storage unit 52 for synthesis of the memory 5 is captured by the camera unit 6 (actually captured by the lens of the camera). A function of displaying on the display unit 8 together with the preview image). As a result, the user can position the composition image data at an arbitrary position of the actually captured image.

  In addition, when an imaging instruction operation is performed on the operation unit 7, the imaging processing unit 32 captures an image captured by the camera unit 6 and displayed on the display unit 8, acquires it as image data, and an image data storage unit 51 has a function of memorizing. Further, the imaging processing unit 32, when the image data for synthesis is displayed on the display unit 8 as described above, if there is an imaging instruction operation, the captured actual image (preview image) and the image data for synthesis are captured. Are displayed on the display unit 8 and the data is transferred to the image composition processing unit 35.

  Further, as described above, the image composition processing unit 35 synthesizes the preview image and the composition image data in a state displayed on the display unit 8, generates composite image data, and stores it in the image data storage unit 51. Remember.

  Further, the cutout instruction reception processing unit 33 receives a cutout instruction for the image data input to the operation unit 7 by the user in order to generate the above-described composition image data. Specifically, first, when image data serving as original data for generating image data for synthesis is selected by the user, it is displayed on the display unit 8. Then, in the digital camera 1, when the user operates the operation unit 7, it becomes possible to input cut-out portion designation information for specifying a cut-out portion for the displayed image data, and the input is the cut-out instruction reception processing unit 33. And passed to the image cutout processing unit 34. For example, the cut-out portion designation information is information representing a predetermined area selected by moving the cursor on the display unit 8 by operating a cross key or the like which is the operation unit 7.

  The cutout instruction reception processing unit 33 can also accept the whole object as a cutout part by selecting a part of a specific object displayed on the display unit 8 with a stylus pen, for example. is there. As an example, the selected object and the background are separated by image processing such as labeling, and the entire object is automatically recognized as a cut-out portion. The method for specifying the cutout part (algorithm) is arbitrary.

  Then, the image cutout processing unit 34 cuts out the image data in accordance with the cutout portion designation information, generates image data for synthesis, and stores it in the image data storage unit 52 for synthesis. For example, an area designated by the user is cut out to be image data for synthesis.

  Note that the image data that is the basis of the image data for synthesis is not necessarily limited to the image data captured by the digital camera 1. It may be image data captured by another camera, or may be image data created such as an animation and taken into the memory 5 of the digital camera 1.

[Operation]
Next, an operation when a composite image is taken with the digital camera having the above configuration will be described with reference to a flowchart of FIG.

  First, the user selects an arbitrary image to be an original image for cutting out a composition image from image data stored in the image data storage unit 51 of the memory 5 (step S1). This image may be an image taken with the digital camera 1 or may be an image taken from another camera, computer, memory, or the like.

  Subsequently, the selected image data is displayed on the display unit 8, and in response to this, the user uses the pointer or key which is the operation unit 7 to specify and input the area including the image to be cut out. To do. Then, in the digital camera 1, the enclosed area is received as cut-out portion designation information (step S2, cut-out instruction receiving step). At this time, an area may be designated and input on the display unit 8 with a stylus pen or the like.

  Subsequently, the digital camera 1 cuts out a portion of the image data corresponding to the area designated as the cut-out portion, and the image of the cut-out portion is stored in the combining image data storage unit 52 of the memory 5 as combining image data. Store (step S3, image cutting step).

  Thereafter, when the user activates the camera in the image composition mode (step S4), the composition image data is read from the memory 5, and the composition image data is displayed on the preview image displayed on the display unit 8. (Step S5, display step). That is, the composition image data is synthesized and displayed together with the image (preview image) currently captured by the camera lens. Then, the user adjusts the imaging range of the digital camera and takes a picture in consideration of the position and balance between the actual scene and the composition image data (step S6).

  Then, the preview image actually captured from the lens is captured as image data, and one composite image data is created by combining the image data for synthesis with this image data (step S7, S7). Image synthesis step). The composite image data is displayed on the display unit 8 or stored in the memory 5 (step S8).

  Thereby, it is possible to generate a composite image in which images different from the actual landscape are taken in various scenes. Therefore, the user can enjoy taking a picture and can easily improve the convenience because the operation of generating the composite image is easy. For this reason, the commercial value of a digital camera can be improved.

  Here, in step 2 described above, for example, a part of the object that the user wants to cut out may be selected from the image data displayed on the display unit 8. As a result, the entire selected object can be recognized, the object part can be separated from the background, and the entire selected object can be automatically extracted and cut out. Thereby, the image data for composition can be created more easily, the operability can be further improved, and the user's satisfaction can be improved.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 to FIG. 5 are explanatory diagrams showing a state of shooting by the digital camera. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation in the present embodiment.

[Constitution]
The digital camera 1 in the present embodiment has substantially the same configuration as that in the first embodiment described above. Further, in this embodiment, there is provided a function of automatically extracting a person displayed in the image data and cutting out the person portion as the composition image data.

  Specifically, in the present embodiment, the above-described extraction instruction reception processing unit 33 receives an instruction to cut out a person input via the operation unit 7 from the user, and sends the instruction to the image extraction processing unit 34. Has a function to pass. For example, when the user operates the operation unit 7, a “person extraction” item is displayed as a menu item displayed on the display unit 8, and by selecting this, the above-described command is input and the cut-out instruction reception processing unit 33. It is accepted at.

  Then, the image cutout processing unit 34 extracts and cuts out a person portion from the image data by using a human recognition algorithm incorporated in advance, generates image data for synthesis, and stores it in the image data storage unit 52 for synthesis. . Here, the person recognition algorithm is arbitrary, but for example, the face of the person is recognized from the image data based on the color and shape, and the entire area of the person is recognized therefrom.

  Here, the cut-out instruction reception processing unit 33 selects, for example, a part of the person (for example, a face part) displayed on the display unit 8 with a stylus pen, so that the user selects a predetermined part from the selected part. It is also possible to recognize the entire person with an algorithm and accept it as cut-out portion designation information.

[Operation]
Next, an operation when a composite image is taken with the digital camera having the above configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 6 and FIGS. 4 to 5. Here, a case where a so-called two-shot photograph is taken so that the two persons A and B fit in the same photograph will be described as an example. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state when the image data for synthesis is generated, and FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state when the synthesized image is captured.

  First, as shown in FIG. 4A, the user A photographs the user B with the digital camera 1. Then, the image data 100 on which the user B is projected is stored in the memory 5 as shown in FIG.

  Subsequently, the user A selects the image data 100 from the memory 5 in order to generate the composition image data (step S11). At this time, when only the person portion of the user B is to be cut out, the user A operates the operation unit 7 of the digital camera 1 to select and input the “Put out person” menu, so that the person can be selected by the digital camera 1. An instruction to cut out is received (cutout instruction receiving step). Then, a person portion is automatically detected from the selected image data 100 (step S12). For example, as described above, the image processing unit 3 recognizes a person's face from the image data 100 based on color, shape, and the like, and extracts an entire part of the person by recognizing an integral part of the face part. To do. Thereafter, as shown in an image 200 of FIG. 4B, an image on which only the user B is projected is cut out and stored as image data for synthesis in the memory 5 (step S13, image cutting step).

  Note that the process of detecting the user B (person) from the image data is not limited to being executed by the above-described process. For example, the user B may recognize the entire user B around the face portion by designating the face portion of the user B from the image data displayed on the display unit 8 with a stylus pen or the like.

  Subsequently, the user B now holds the digital camera 1 and photographs the user A. At this time, when the user B activates the camera in the image composition mode (step S14), the image of the user B, which is the image data for composition, is read from the memory 5, and the image data of the user B is displayed on the display unit 8. It is displayed on the preview image to be projected (step S15, display step). That is, the image of user B, which is image data for synthesis, is synthesized and displayed together with the image (preview image) currently captured by the camera lens. Accordingly, as indicated by reference numeral 200 in FIG. 5A, the display unit 8 of the digital camera 1 synthesizes the user A image actually captured and the user B image, which is image data for synthesis. Displayed.

  Thereafter, the user adjusts the imaging range of the digital camera and takes a picture in consideration of the position and balance between the actual scene and the composition image data (step S16). Then, the preview image actually captured from the lens is captured as image data, and one piece of synthesized image data (the sign of FIG. 5B) synthesized by superimposing the synthesis image data on this image data. 300) is created (step S17, image composition step). The composite image data is displayed on the display unit 8 or stored in the memory 5 (step S18).

  As a result, in the case where a plurality of persons are desired to be photographed in the same photograph, conventionally, two or more persons had to be photographed at the same time. It can be easily cut out and then synthesized. For this reason, it is possible to easily execute so-called two-shot photography or the like without asking others to take a camera.

  The present invention can be used as a digital camera that can easily combine images, and has industrial applicability.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a digital camera. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating configurations of an image processing unit and a memory disclosed in FIG. 1. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation when image synthesis is performed by the digital camera according to the first exemplary embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the mode of imaging | photography with the digital camera in Example 2, and is a figure which shows a mode when the image data for a synthesis | combination is produced | generated. It is explanatory drawing which shows the mode of imaging | photography with the digital camera in Example 2, and is a figure which shows a mode when a composite image is image | photographed. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an operation when image synthesis is performed by a digital camera according to the second exemplary embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1 Digital Camera 2 Control Unit 3 Image Processing Unit 4 CPU
5 Memory 6 Camera unit 7 Operation unit 8 Display unit 31 Display processing unit 32 Imaging processing unit 33 Cutout instruction reception processing unit 34 Image cutout processing unit 35 Image composition processing unit 51 Image data storage unit 52 Image data storage unit A for synthesis User A (person A)
B User B (person B)

Claims (15)

A storage unit for storing image data;
A cutout instruction reception processing unit that receives an input of a cutout instruction for image data;
An image cutout processing unit that cuts out image data stored in the storage unit in response to the cutout instruction, and stores the image data in the storage unit as image data for synthesis;
A display processing unit for displaying the image data for synthesis on the viewfinder or the display unit together with the image captured by the imaging unit;
The image captured by the imaging unit when an imaging instruction is input is acquired as image data, and the image data for synthesis is combined with the image data in a state displayed on the finder or display unit, An image composition processing unit for generating composite image data;
A digital camera characterized by comprising The cutout instruction receiving unit receives cutout part specifying information for specifying a cutout part of the image data as a cutout instruction,
The image cutout means cuts out a designated portion of the image data based on the cutout portion designation information.
The digital camera according to claim 1.   The cutout instruction receiving means displays the image data on the display unit, and receives an area designated and input on the display unit as the cutout portion designation information. Digital camera. The cutting instruction accepting unit accepts an instruction to cut out a specific object in the image data as the cut portion designation information,
The image cutout means extracts and cuts out a specific object in the image data according to a predetermined rule.
The digital camera according to claim 2.   The digital camera according to claim 4, wherein the specific object is a person.   6. The digital image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image cutout unit performs a cutout process on the image data captured by the imaging unit and stored in the storage unit. camera. In the control device of the digital camera,
A cutout instruction reception processing unit that receives an input of a cutout instruction for image data;
An image cut-out processing unit that cuts out image data stored in the storage unit in response to the cut-out instruction and stores it in the storage unit as image data for synthesis;
A display processing unit for displaying the image data for synthesis on the viewfinder or the display unit together with the image captured by the imaging unit;
The image captured by the imaging unit when an imaging instruction is input is acquired as image data, and the image data for synthesis is combined with the image data in a state displayed on the finder or display unit, An image composition processing unit for generating composite image data;
Program to realize. The cutout instruction receiving unit receives cutout part specifying information for specifying a cutout part of the image data as a cutout instruction,
The image cutout means cuts out a designated portion of the image data based on the cutout portion designation information.
The program according to claim 7, wherein:   9. The cut-out instruction receiving unit displays the image data on the display unit, and receives an area designated and input on the display unit as the cut-out portion designation information. program. The cutting instruction accepting unit accepts an instruction to cut out a specific object in the image data as the cut portion designation information,
The image cutout means extracts and cuts out a specific object in the image data according to a predetermined rule.
The program according to claim 8, wherein: A method of compositing images by processing by a control device of a digital camera,
A cutting instruction receiving step for receiving an input of a cutting instruction for the image data;
Cutting out image data stored in the storage unit in response to the cutout instruction, and storing it in the storage unit as image data for synthesis;
A display step of displaying the image data for synthesis on the viewfinder or the display unit together with the image captured by the imaging unit;
The image captured by the imaging unit when an imaging instruction is input is acquired as image data, and the image data for synthesis is combined with the image data in a state displayed on the finder or display unit, An image compositing step for generating composite image data;
An image synthesizing method characterized by comprising: The cutting instruction receiving step receives cutting part designation information for designating a cutting part of the image data,
The image cutout step cuts out a designated portion of the image data based on the cutout portion designation information.
The image composition method according to claim 11.   13. The cut-out instruction receiving step displays the image data on the display unit, and receives an area designated and input on the display unit as the cut-out portion designation information. Image composition method. The cutting instruction receiving step receives an instruction to cut out a specific object in the image data as the cutting part designation information,
The image cutting step extracts and cuts out a specific object in the image data according to a predetermined rule.
13. The image composition method according to claim 12, wherein: The image synthesizing method according to claim 11, wherein the image cutout step cuts out image data captured by the imaging unit and stored in the storage unit.

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