JP2008244805A - Digital camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital camera, for suitably imaging a moving person, at low cost by using a conventional structure. <P>SOLUTION: Inside a lens barrel, a CCD image sensor 27 is arranged which provides an image from object light transmitted through an imaging lens 13. The CCD image sensor 27 is two-dimensionally and freely movable within an image circle 29 perpendicular to an optical axis 28 of the imaging lens 13 and besides freely tilts by rotating around a vertical axis 30. A position and posture of the CCD image sensor 27 is variable by a moving mechanism 33 and a tilt mechanism 34 which are connected to a CPU 32 via a driver 31. Based on a face detection result transmitted from a face detection circuit, the CPU 32 drives the moving mechanism 33 via the driver 31 to control the movement of the CCD image sensor 27. Then, the CCD image sensor 27 moves and thereby shifts a field angle and then the face of the object is displayed on a center of an image screen. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital camera for photographing a moving person.

  Digital cameras that convert subject light captured by a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD image sensor into digital image data and record it on a recording medium such as a built-in memory or a memory card have become widespread. Such a digital camera has various functions for photographing a subject under optimum conditions.

  For example, a face detection function for detecting a human face based on image data is provided. When a face is detected, a frame corresponding to the detection area is displayed on the through image, and the image data corresponding to the detection area is displayed. Based on this, a digital camera that performs automatic focus adjustment (AF) control and automatic exposure (AE) control is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). With this digital camera, even when shooting is difficult with normal AF control or AE control, shooting can be performed with an appropriate focus and exposure.

  There is also known a digital camera that has a camera shake detection function for detecting camera shake using a vibration sensor and moves the CCD image sensor in a plane (image circle) perpendicular to the lens optical axis when camera shake is detected (for example, a patent) Reference 2). With this digital camera, it is possible to acquire a captured image without degrading it even when camera shake occurs.

In addition, as a digital camera that moves the CCD image sensor in the image circle, a plurality of images are acquired and then combined to increase resolution (for example, see Patent Document 3) or generate a wide-angle image. A digital camera is known (for example, see Patent Document 4).
JP 2005-286940 A JP 2004-274242 A JP-A-10-191370 JP 2006-013706 A

  However, the digital cameras described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 cannot appropriately capture a moving person. Moreover, although the digital camera described in Patent Document 4 can appropriately shoot a moving person, there are many decisions made by the user, and the shooting depends on the skill of the user.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to provide a low-cost digital camera that can appropriately capture a moving person by using a conventional configuration.

  In order to achieve the above object, a digital camera of the present invention analyzes an image acquired by an imaging lens, an imaging unit that forms an image of subject light transmitted through the imaging lens, and an image acquired by the imaging unit. Refer to face detection means for detecting the face of the subject as a face image and imaging means to move within the image circle where the subject light can be imaged to change the shooting area and the detection result of the face detection means. However, it is characterized by comprising control means for controlling the driving of the moving mechanism so that the face image is at a predetermined position.

  When a plurality of face images are detected by the face detection means, it is preferable that the imaging means is sequentially moved so that each face image is at a predetermined position, and each face image is acquired at a predetermined position.

  In addition, it is equipped with a mode switching means for switching the shooting mode and an automatic focus adjustment means for adjusting the focus by specifying the in-focus position at the time of shooting, and switching to the continuous shooting mode for acquiring a plurality of images continuously by the mode switching means. In such a case, it is preferable that a plurality of images with different in-focus positions are acquired by moving the imaging unit and acquiring images with different shooting areas.

  Also, there is one recording unit that records an image acquired by the imaging unit, a duplication detection unit that compares a plurality of images having different shooting areas with each other, and detects an overlapping portion, and an overlapping portion that is detected by the duplication detection unit. It is preferable to include a recording determination unit that determines whether one image is recorded in the recording unit.

  In addition, the image pickup means is tilted from a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the image pickup lens, and the tilt mechanism that changes the frequency component of the obtained image, and the frequency resolution means that analyzes the image and decomposes it into frequency components at different angles. An angle determination unit that compares frequency components of a plurality of images acquired by the tilted imaging unit and determines an inclination angle of the imaging unit from which an image having the maximum frequency component is acquired, and the control unit By controlling the driving of the tilt mechanism, the imaging unit is preferably tilted to the tilt angle determined by the angle determination unit, and an image having a maximum frequency component is acquired.

  According to the digital camera of the present invention, a face detection unit that detects a face image by analyzing an image, a moving mechanism that moves an imaging unit within an image circle in which subject light can be imaged, and changes a shooting area; In order to realize the face detection function and the camera shake correction mechanism conventionally, the control means for controlling the drive of the moving mechanism so that the face image is in a predetermined position while referring to the detection result of the face detection means is provided. The moving object can be photographed so as to be at a predetermined position of the image using the configuration provided in FIG.

  Further, when a plurality of face images are detected by the face detection means, the imaging means is sequentially moved so that each face image is at a predetermined position, and each face image is acquired at a predetermined position. Images centered on each can be acquired.

  In addition, it is equipped with a mode switching means for switching the shooting mode and an automatic focus adjustment means for adjusting the focus by specifying the in-focus position at the time of shooting, and switching to the continuous shooting mode for acquiring a plurality of images continuously by the mode switching means. In this case, by moving the imaging means and acquiring images with different shooting areas, a plurality of images with different focusing positions are acquired. However, the probability of being out of focus can be reduced.

  Also, there is one recording unit that records an image acquired by the imaging unit, a duplication detection unit that compares a plurality of images having different shooting areas with each other, and detects an overlapping portion, and an overlapping portion that is detected by the duplication detection unit. Since the recording determination unit for determining whether to record one image on the recording unit is provided, the capacity of the image to be recorded on the recording unit can be reduced, and more images can be recorded.

  In addition, the image pickup means is inclined from a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the taking lens, and the tilt mechanism that changes the frequency component of the obtained image, and the frequency resolution means that analyzes the image and decomposes it into frequency components at different angles. An angle determination unit that compares frequency components of a plurality of images acquired by the tilted imaging unit and determines an inclination angle of the imaging unit from which an image having the maximum frequency component is acquired, and the control unit By controlling the driving of the tilting mechanism, the image capturing unit is tilted to the tilt angle determined by the angle determining unit and acquires an image having the maximum frequency component, so when shooting a plurality of subjects with different shooting distances. Even if there is, you can shoot without blurring them. The effect is obtained especially when the depth of field is shallow.

  Hereinafter, the digital camera 11 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, on the front surface of the camera body 12 of the digital camera 11, a lens barrel 14 incorporating an imaging lens 13 and a strobe light emitting unit 15 are provided. The imaging lens 13 guides light into the camera body 12 and enables photographing. The strobe light emitting unit 15 emits light in synchronization with shooting and adjusts the exposure amount.

  On the upper surface of the camera body 12, a power button 16 for switching the power state of the digital camera 11, a shutter button 17 used for a shutter release operation, and various operation units for a mode switching dial 18 for switching various modes are provided. The modes include a shooting mode for recording still images, a playback mode for reproducing recorded still images, and a menu mode for manually changing setting values. In the menu mode, a plurality of modes obtained by further subdividing the shooting mode can be set. Examples of the subdivided modes include a person shooting mode in which a subject is displayed in the center of the image, and a continuous shooting mode in which a plurality of images with a shifted angle of view are continuously acquired.

  The lens barrel 14 is of a retractable type, and is stored in a lens barrel storage portion 19 provided on the front surface of the camera body 12 when the digital camera 11 is in a power-off state. Protrusively from the front and stop at the wide-angle end.

  In addition to the liquid crystal display (LCD) 21, operation units such as a zoom button 22, a cross key 23, and an enter button 24 are provided on the back of the camera body 12 as shown in FIG. Various settings screens are displayed on the LCD 21 in the menu mode, and through images are displayed in the shooting standby state in the shooting mode. The user performs shooting by pressing the shutter button 17 while viewing the through image displayed on the LCD 21.

  Inside the lens barrel 14, as shown in FIG. 3, a CCD image sensor (imaging means) 27 is provided that forms an image of subject light that has passed through the photographing lens 13 to acquire an image. As shown in FIG. 4, the CCD image sensor 27 can move two-dimensionally in an image circle 29 orthogonal to the optical axis 28 of the imaging lens 13, and can be tilted by rotating around a vertical axis 30. It has become. Here, the image circle 29 is a range in which subject light transmitted through the imaging lens 13 can be imaged. As will be described in detail later, the imaging lens 13 includes a zoom lens 41, a diaphragm 42, and a focus lens 42 (see FIG. 11), but the drawing is simplified for convenience of explanation. Details of the CCD image sensor 27 will be described later.

  The position and orientation of the CCD image sensor 27 are variable by a moving mechanism 33 and an inclination mechanism 34 connected to a CPU (control means) 32 via a driver 31. The moving mechanism 33 moves the CCD image sensor 27 in the vertical direction (U, R direction) and the horizontal direction (L, R direction) via the driver 31 that receives a signal from the CPU 32. However, the left-right direction here is a direction when the CCD image sensor 27 is viewed from the imaging lens 13 side. In addition, the tilt mechanism 34 rotates the CCD image sensor 27 around the vertical axis 30 via the driver 31 that receives a signal from the CPU 32, and changes the attitude of the CCD image sensor 27. For convenience of explanation, the counterclockwise direction when viewed from above is the rotation in the A direction, and the clockwise direction is the rotation in the B direction.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the CCD image sensor 27 is positioned on the optical axis 28, the angle of view of the imaging lens 13 with respect to the CCD image sensor 27 is symmetric with respect to the optical axis 28. At this time, the subject PO1 positioned on the optical axis 28 is projected at the center of the image as shown in FIG. When the CCD image sensor 27 is moved in the R direction from the state shown in FIG. 5A, the angle of view of the imaging lens 13 with respect to the CCD image sensor 27 is shifted to the right as shown in FIG. However, the right direction here is a direction when the subject PO1 is viewed from the digital camera 11 side. At this time, the subject PO1 located on the optical axis 28 is displayed on the left side of the image as shown in FIG. 6B.

  Similarly, when the CCD image sensor 27 is moved in the L direction from the state shown in FIG. 5A, the angle of view of the imaging lens 13 with respect to the CCD image sensor 27 is shifted leftward as shown in FIG. To do. However, the left direction here is a direction when the subject PO1 is viewed from the digital camera 11 side. At this time, the subject PO1 located on the optical axis 28 is displayed on the right side of the image as shown in FIG. 7B. Although the case where the CCD image sensor 27 is moved in the left-right direction has been described as an example, the image circle 29 can be moved two-dimensionally. That is, it can be moved in the same manner in the vertical direction, and can also be moved in an oblique direction that is a combination of the horizontal movement and the vertical movement.

  8A, when the light receiving surface of the CCD image sensor 27 is orthogonal to the optical axis 28, the depth of field DOF spreads symmetrically with respect to the optical axis 28. . Here, the depth of field DOF refers to a range in which a clear image can be acquired that spreads at a predetermined distance from the imaging lens 13. At this time, the subject PO2 positioned within the depth of field DOF is clearly displayed on the image as shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, the subject PO3 located farther than the depth of field DOF and the subject PO4 located closer than the depth of field DOF are projected unclearly. When the CCD image sensor 27 is rotated in the A direction and tilted leftward from the state shown in FIG. 8A, the depth of field DOF is about the left side of the optical axis 28 as shown in FIG. 9A. It shifts in the direction of moving away, and the right side of the optical axis 28 is shifted in the direction of approaching. However, the direction here is the direction when the subjects PO2 to PO4 are viewed from the digital camera 11 side. By shifting the depth of field DOF, the subjects PO2 to PO4 having different distances from the digital camera 11 are positioned within the depth of field DOF. The subjects PO2 to PO4 positioned within the depth of field DOF are clearly displayed on the image as shown in FIG. 9B.

  Similarly, when the CCD image sensor 27 is rotated in the B direction and tilted rightward, as shown in FIG. 10A, the depth of field DOF shifts in a direction approaching the left side of the optical axis 28, The right side of the optical axis 28 shifts away. However, the direction here is the direction when the subject is viewed from the digital camera 11 side. By shifting the depth of field DOF, subjects PO5 to PO7 having different distances from the digital camera 11 can be positioned within the depth of field DOF. The subjects PO5 to PO7 positioned within the depth of field DOF are clearly displayed on the image as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the CPU 32 is connected to a vibration detection unit 35 that detects the vibration of the camera body 12. The vibration detection unit 35 includes a known angular velocity sensor, and outputs a vibration detection signal to the CPU 32 when vibration is detected. The digital camera 11 has a camera shake correction function, and when a vibration detection signal is input to the CPU 32 when the camera shake correction function is in an ON state, the CPU 32 drives the moving mechanism 33 via the driver 31 and the CCD image sensor. 27 is moved. Since the CCD image sensor 27 moves in accordance with the vibration of the camera body 12 due to camera shake, a blurred image is prevented from being acquired.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the camera body 12 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) is provided with a zoom lens 41, an aperture 42, and a focus lens 43 that constitute the imaging lens 13. The zoom lens 41 is zoomed by driving the zoom lens motor 45. The aperture 42 changes its aperture by driving the iris motor 46. The focus lens 43 adjusts the focus by driving the focusing lens motor 47. The driving of these motors 45 to 47 is controlled via a motor driver 52 connected to the CPU 32.

  The subject light that has passed through the imaging lens 13 forms an image on the CCD image sensor 27. A timing generator (TG) 53 controlled by the CPU 32 is connected to the CCD image sensor 27, and the shutter speed of the electronic shutter is determined by a timing signal (clock pulse) input from the TG 53.

  An imaging signal obtained from the CCD image sensor 27 is input to a CDS (correlated double sampling circuit) 54 and an AMP (amplifier) 55. The CDS 54 outputs R, G, B image data that accurately corresponds to the accumulated charge amount of each cell of the CCD image sensor 27, and the AMP 55 amplifies the image data. The amplified image data is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 56.

  The image input controller 57 is connected to the CPU 32 via the data bus 58, and controls the CCD image sensor 27, the CDS 54, the AMP 55, and the A / D converter 56 in accordance with a control command from the CPU 32. The image data output from the A / D converter 56 is output at predetermined intervals and temporarily stored in the SDRAM 59. The SDRAM 59 is a working memory.

The image signal processing circuit 60 reads the image data from the SDRAM 59, performs various image processing such as gradation conversion, white balance (WB) correction, and γ correction, and stores the image data in the SDRAM 59 again. The YC conversion processing circuit 61 reads the image data subjected to various processes by the image signal processing circuit 60 from the SDRAM 59 and converts it into a luminance signal Y and color difference signals C _r and C _b .

  The VRAM 62 is a memory for outputting a through image to the LCD 21, and stores image data that has passed through the image signal processing circuit 60 and the YC conversion processing circuit 61. The VRAM 62 has a memory for two frames so that image data can be written and read in parallel. The image data stored in the VRAM 62 is converted into an analog composite signal by the LCD driver 63 and displayed on the LCD 21 as a through image.

  The compression / decompression processing circuit 64 performs image compression on the image data YC converted by the YC conversion processing circuit 61 in a predetermined compression format (for example, JPEG format). The compressed image data is recorded on a memory card 66 that is a recording medium via a media controller 65. In the reproduction mode, image data is read from the memory card 66 to the compression / decompression processing circuit 64, and after the decompression processing is performed by the compression / decompression processing circuit 64, the recorded image is displayed on the LCD 21.

  In addition to the power button 16, release button 17, mode switch 18, zoom button 22, cross key 23, and enter button 24 described above, an EEPROM 67 is connected to the CPU 32. In the EEPROM 67, various control programs and setting information are recorded. The CPU 32 reads the upper portion from the EEPROM 67 to the SDRAM 59 and executes various processes.

  The data bus 58 includes a strobe control circuit 68 that controls the light emission of the strobe light emitting unit 15, an AF detection circuit 69 that detects whether the focus position of the zoom lens 41 is appropriate, and an electronic shutter of the CCD image sensor 27. An AE detection circuit 70 that detects whether exposure conditions such as shutter speed, shooting sensitivity, and aperture value of the aperture 42 are appropriate for shooting, and an AWB detection circuit 71 that detects whether white balance correction is appropriate for shooting. It is connected.

  Each of the detection circuits 69 to 71 sequentially transmits detection results to the CPU 32 via the data bus 58. The CPU 32 individually controls operations of the zoom lens 41, the diaphragm 42, the focus lens 43, the CCD image sensor 27, and the like based on the detection results transmitted from the detection circuits 69 to 71.

  The AF detection circuit 69 performs focus control by a contrast detection method. First, the shooting distance to the subject is calculated based on one or more preset focus evaluation areas (AF areas) for evaluating the focus state of the image, and the focus position of the focus lens 43 is determined. To do. In the still image shooting mode, when the release button 17 is pressed halfway, focus control is performed.

  The AE / AWB detection circuits 70 and 71 calculate appropriate exposure values and white balance correction amounts based on the luminance information of the image data stored in the VRAM 62 at predetermined intervals, and send these pieces of information to the CPU 32. The CPU 32 continuously controls the electronic shutter, the aperture 42, and the image processing based on the obtained information.

  Further, the data bus 58 includes a face detection circuit 72 for detecting the face of the subject from the image, an overlap detection circuit 73 for detecting an overlapping portion of a plurality of continuously shot images, and analyzing the image to decompose it into frequency components. The frequency analysis circuit 74 that performs the determination and the angle determination circuit 75 that determines the tilt angle of the CCD image sensor 27 based on the analysis result of the frequency analysis circuit 74 are connected.

  The face detection circuit 72 reads out image data displayed on the LCD 21 as a through image from the VRAM 62 and detects both eyes of the subject to detect the face of the subject. Specifically, when detecting both eyes of the subject, the image data is divided into a grid pattern (for example, 16 × 16), and the skin level is determined from the signal levels of the R, G, and B color signals included in each divided region. A divided region including many estimated skin color pixels is extracted. Then, an area having white pixels of the eye part and black pixels estimated to be pupils is selected from the extracted area, and the positions of both eyes of the subject on the image are obtained from the areas, and the positions of both eyes are determined. The point is defined as the face position with the representative point. The face detection circuit 72 detects, as a face area (face image), an area including a large number of surrounding skin color pixels determined as the face position.

  The face detection circuit 72 sequentially transmits detection results to the CPU 32 via the data bus 58. When the portrait mode is selected, the CPU 32 controls the movement of the CCD image sensor 27 by driving the moving mechanism 33 via the driver 31 based on the detection result transmitted from the face detection circuit 72. Specifically, the angle of view is shifted by moving the CCD image sensor 27 so that the face of the subject is in the center of the image. When the subject moves, the subject's face can be projected at the center of the image by following the angle of view.

The overlap detection circuit 73 detects the overlap portion of the image by comparing the contrast from the image data converted into the luminance signal Y and the color difference signals C _r and C _b by the YC conversion processing circuit 61. This detection result is transmitted to the CPU 32. Based on the detection result transmitted from the duplication detection circuit 72, the CPU (recording judgment unit) 32 decides to record one image for the overlapping portion. Each image is recorded on the memory card (recording means) 66 based on the determination result. The image in which the overlapping portion is not recorded can be restored by being combined with the image in which the overlapping portion is recorded by the image signal processing circuit 60.

  The frequency analysis circuit 74 reads the image data displayed on the LCD 21 as a through image from the VRAM 62 and analyzes the image data by decomposing it into frequency components. Specifically, it is decomposed into frequency components by discrete cosine transform. In addition, it can be said that an image is clear, so that the value of a frequency component is large. The analysis result is transmitted to the CPU 32. When a plurality of face areas are detected by the face detection circuit 72, the CPU 32 drives the tilt mechanism 34 via the driver 31 to tilt the CCD image sensor 27. The frequency analysis circuit 74 analyzes the sharpness of a plurality of images obtained from the CCD image sensor 27 having different inclination angles.

  The angle determination circuit 75 determines the tilt angle of the CCD image sensor 27 that provides the clearest image based on the analysis result of the frequency analysis circuit 74. Specifically, the frequency components of the images having different inclination angles are compared, and the inclination angle at which the numerical value is the largest is determined.

  Hereinafter, the digital camera 11 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) of the above embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. When shooting with the digital camera 11, first, the power switch 16 is operated, and the power of the digital camera 11 is set to ON. When the power is set to ON, a through image is displayed on the LCD 21 when the shooting mode is set, and the user can determine the composition while viewing the through image. Further, when the power is set to ON, the camera shake correction function is automatically set to ON, thereby preventing an image from blurring due to camera shake.

  When the portrait shooting mode is set, as shown in FIG. 12, various shooting preparation processes such as AF and AE are executed by half-pressing the shutter button 17. Further, the face area is detected by the face detection circuit 72. When the face area is detected, the camera shake correction function is switched off, and the moving mechanism 33 is controlled based on the detection result of the face area. The CCD image sensor 27 is moved by the moving mechanism 33, and a through image with the face area located at the center is displayed on the LCD 21. When the through image with the face area positioned at the center is displayed, the camera shake correction function is set to ON again. When the shutter button 17 is fully pressed as it is, photographing is performed, and an image in which the face area is located at the center is acquired. Even when the subject moves, the CCD image sensor 27 is moved following the movement, and a through image with the face area positioned at the center is displayed on the LCD 21.

  When a plurality of face areas are detected by half-pressing the shutter button 17, images in which each face area is located at the center are continuously acquired. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, when all of the plurality of face areas are detected, the camera shake correction function is switched off. Then, the CCD image sensor 27 is moved by the moving mechanism 33, and a through image in which the first face area selected according to a predetermined rule is located at the center is displayed on the LCD 21. When the through image with the first face area located at the center is displayed, the camera shake correction function is set to ON again. When the shutter button 17 is fully pressed as it is, shooting is performed, and an image in which the first face area is located at the center is acquired.

  When an image in which the first face area is located at the center is acquired, the camera shake correction function is switched off, and the CCD image sensor 27 is moved by the moving mechanism 33. The camera shake correction function is set to ON again, and an image in which the second face area is located at the center is acquired by continuously performing shooting. Shooting is repeatedly performed until an image in which all face regions are respectively located in the center is acquired.

  When the continuous shooting mode is set, as shown in FIG. 14, various shooting preparation processes such as AF, AE, and face detection are executed by half-pressing the shutter button 17. When the shutter button 17 is fully pressed as it is, shooting is performed and an image is acquired. When the image is acquired, the camera shake correction function is switched off, and the CCD image sensor 27 is moved by the moving mechanism 33. When the CCD image sensor 27 moves to a predetermined position, the camera shake correction function is set to ON again. Further, after performing various shooting preparation processes such as AF and AE, shooting is performed as it is, and a second image is acquired. Shooting is performed until a preset number of images are acquired. According to this continuous shooting mode, a plurality of images with different in-focus positions can be acquired by shifting the angle of view.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the plurality of images acquired by shooting in the continuous shooting mode are compared with each other, and an overlap portion is detected by the overlap detection circuit 73. Each image is recorded on the memory card 66. However, only one image is recorded for the overlapping portion. Thereby, the size of the data to be recorded can be reduced, and more images can be recorded.

  Regardless of which shooting mode is set, as shown in FIG. 16, various shooting preparation processes such as AF, AE, and face detection are executed when the shutter button 17 is half-pressed. When a plurality of face areas are detected, the tilt mechanism 34 is controlled to change the tilt angle of the CCD image sensor 27. As the tilt angle of the CCD image sensor 27 changes, the image data displayed on the LCD 21 as a through image is frequency-resolved in real time. Then, the CCD image sensor 27 is tilted at an inclination angle at which the value of the frequency component is maximum, and various photographing preparation processes such as AF and AE are executed again. When the shutter button 17 is fully pressed as it is, shooting is performed and an image is acquired. As a result, it is possible to acquire an image that clearly shows a plurality of subjects having different shooting distances.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the digital camera 11 has a camera shake correction function has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to the camera shake correction function.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the CCD image sensor 27 moves two-dimensionally within the image circle 29 has been described as an example. However, the CCD image sensor 27 may move three-dimensionally with the direction of the optical axis 28 added.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the CCD image sensor 27 rotates about the vertical axis 30 and tilts in the left-right direction has been described as an example. However, the CCD image sensor 27 may rotate about the horizontal axis and tilt up and down.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the movement of the CCD image sensor 27 is controlled based on the face detection result by the face detection circuit 72 so that the subject's face is in the center of the image has been described. For example, the CCD image sensor 27 may be controlled so that the face of the subject is shifted upward from the center of the image.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the face detection by the face detection circuit 72 has been described by taking the case where the face area is detected by extracting the skin color. However, it is sufficient if the face area can be detected. For example, the face area is detected by pattern recognition. If you want to.

It is an external appearance perspective view of a digital camera. It is a rear view of a digital camera. It is a partially broken top view of a digital camera. It is explanatory drawing of a CCD image sensor. (A) is sectional drawing of the lens barrel explaining a field angle, (B) is a figure of the image acquired. (A) is sectional drawing of the lens barrel explaining a field angle, (B) is a figure of the image acquired. (A) is sectional drawing of the lens barrel explaining a field angle, (B) is a figure of the image acquired. (A) is sectional drawing of the lens-barrel explaining a depth of field, (B) is a figure of the image acquired. (A) is sectional drawing of the lens-barrel explaining a depth of field, (B) is a figure of the image acquired. (A) is sectional drawing of the lens-barrel explaining a depth of field, (B) is a figure of the image acquired. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of a digital camera. It is a flowchart explaining a person photography mode. It is a flowchart explaining a person photographing mode when there are a plurality of subjects. It is a flowchart explaining continuous imaging | photography mode. 6 is a flowchart for describing image recording in a continuous shooting mode. It is a flowchart explaining the effect | action of a digital camera in case a to-be-photographed object is plurality.

Explanation of symbols

11 Digital Camera 13 Imaging Lens 27 CCD Image Sensor (Imaging Means)
28 Optical axis 29 Image circle 32 CPU (control means)
33 moving mechanism 34 tilting mechanism 66 memory card 69 AF detection circuit 72 face detection circuit 73 overlap detection circuit 74 frequency analysis circuit 75 angle determination circuit

Claims (5)

An imaging lens;
Imaging means for forming an image of subject light transmitted through the imaging lens to obtain an image;
Face detection means for analyzing the image acquired by the imaging means and detecting the face of the subject as a face image;
A moving mechanism that moves the imaging means within an image circle in which the subject light can be imaged, and changes a shooting area;
A digital camera comprising control means for controlling driving of the moving mechanism so that the face image is at a predetermined position while referring to a detection result of the face detection means. When a plurality of face images are detected by the face detection means,
The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the image capturing unit sequentially moves each face image to a predetermined position and acquires an image in which each face image is a predetermined position. A mode switching means for switching the shooting mode, and an automatic focus adjustment means for performing focus adjustment by specifying a focus position at the time of shooting,
When the mode switching unit is switched to the continuous shooting mode in which a plurality of images are continuously acquired, a plurality of images with different in-focus positions can be obtained by moving the imaging unit to acquire images having different shooting areas. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the digital camera is acquired. Recording means for recording an image acquired by the imaging means;
A duplication detection means for comparing a plurality of images having different shooting areas with each other and detecting an overlapping portion thereof;
4. The digital camera according to claim 3, further comprising: a recording determination unit that determines that an overlapping portion detected by the overlapping detection unit is recorded in the recording unit for one image. A tilt mechanism that tilts the imaging means from a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the imaging lens, and changes a frequency component of the obtained image;
Frequency resolving means for analyzing the image and decomposing it into frequency components;
An angle determination unit that compares frequency components of a plurality of images acquired by the imaging unit inclined at different angles with each other and determines an inclination angle of the imaging unit from which an image having the maximum frequency component is acquired. Prepared,
The control means controls the driving of the tilt mechanism, whereby the imaging means is tilted to the tilt angle determined by the angle determination means, and acquires an image having a maximum frequency component. The digital camera according to any one of 1 to 4.

Images