JP2009260853A - Digital imaging equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide digital imaging equipment for restraining power consumption by the actuation of a position detector used for determining a white balance adjustment value. <P>SOLUTION: A digital camera 1 has an imaging section 30, a position detector 19, and an entire control section (white balance adjustment section) 7 for adjusting white balance in image data outputted from the imaging section 30. The entire control section 7 actuates the position detector 19 only when it is difficult to determine whether the image data has been captured outdoors or indoors in the white balance adjustment of the image data, determines that the image data has been captured outdoors when radio waves can be received, and determines that the image data has been captured indoors and adjusts white balance in the image data when radio waves cannot be received even after a prescribed time. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital imaging device.

In digital imaging devices such as digital cameras and digital video cameras, white balance adjustment (adjusting the gain of the color (RGB) signal according to the color temperature of the illumination light so that white objects can be captured and recorded as white objects) WBC) is performed. Since such white balance adjustment is easily affected by illumination conditions such as time and place, the same subject may be captured and recorded in different colors depending on the illumination conditions. For this reason, an imaging device that adjusts the white balance by using the position of a digital imaging device obtained from a position detection device typified by GPS (Global Positioning System) has been developed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2005-328271 A

  However, when positioning is performed by the position detection device for white balance adjustment, there is a problem that power is consumed for positioning operation.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and in white balance adjustment of captured image data, it is difficult to determine whether the image data is captured outdoors or captured indoors. It is an object of the present invention to provide a digital imaging device configured to operate and make a determination only when a white balance adjustment value cannot be determined.

  In order to solve the above problems, a digital imaging device according to the present invention is calculated from an imaging unit, a position detection device that receives a radio wave from a satellite and measures a current position, and image data output from the imaging unit. The white balance adjustment value activates the position detection device when it is difficult to determine whether this image data was taken outdoors or indoors. Adjust the adjustment value to the value when the image data was taken outdoors, and if the radio wave cannot be received after a specified time, the white balance adjustment value was corrected to the value when the image data was taken indoors. And a white balance adjustment unit that adjusts the white balance of the image data using the corrected white balance adjustment value.

  In such a digital imaging device, it is preferable that the white balance adjustment unit stops the operation of the position detection device after the position detection device is operated to correct the white balance adjustment value. At this time, it is preferable that the white balance adjustment unit stops the operation of the position detecting device without measuring the current position when the position detecting device can receive the radio wave.

  Also, such a digital imaging device has a storage unit that stores positioning information from the position detection device, and the white balance adjustment unit detects the position when the position detection device is operated to receive radio waves. The time when the device was activated and whether or not radio waves could be received are stored in the storage unit as positioning information, and when calculating the white balance adjustment value of the image data, the image data was taken outdoors or taken indoors When it is difficult to determine whether it has been performed, it is determined whether or not the positioning information measured within a predetermined time before the current time is stored in the storage unit, and the positioning information is stored in the storage unit. If the image data is taken outdoors or indoors according to the positioning information, the white balance adjustment value is corrected, and the positioning information is stored in the storage unit. If not, operate the position detection device to determine whether the image data was taken outdoors or indoors depending on whether radio waves can be received, and correct the white balance adjustment value to correct the corrected white balance. It is preferable to adjust the white balance of the image data using the adjustment value.

  Alternatively, such a digital imaging device has a white value corrected based on a direct value that is a white balance adjustment value calculated from image data and a result of determining whether the image data is captured outdoors or indoors. It has a storage unit that stores the correction value, which is a balance adjustment value, in association with each other, and the white balance adjustment unit correlates the direct value with the correction value when the position detection device is operated to receive radio waves. In addition, in the calculation of the white balance adjustment value of the image data, whether or not a direct value that is the same as or approximate to the white balance adjustment value calculated from the image data is stored in the storage unit. When the direct value is stored, the correction value corresponding to the direct value is read out, and the white balance adjustment of the image data is performed based on the correction value. If the value is not directly stored, activate the position detection device to determine whether the image data was taken outdoors or indoors depending on whether radio waves can be received. It is preferable to perform correction and perform white balance adjustment of the image data with the corrected white balance adjustment value.

  When the digital imaging device according to the present invention is configured as described above, it is difficult to determine whether the image data is taken outdoors or taken indoors, and it is difficult to determine the white balance adjustment value. Therefore, power consumption in this digital imaging device can be suppressed.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the configuration of a digital camera 1 having a positioning function, which is an example of a digital imaging device, will be described with reference to FIG. This digital camera 1 includes a lens 2, an image pickup device 3 composed of a CCD, a C-MOS, or the like, an A / D conversion circuit 4, an image pickup unit 30 including a correction circuit 5, a buffer memory 6, and the digital camera. 1 is configured to include an overall control unit 7 that performs overall operation control, an operation unit 8, a display image creation circuit 9 that includes a VRAM and the like, and a monitor 10 that includes an LCD and the like.

  In the digital camera 1, when an operation unit (for example, a release button) 8 is operated, the overall control unit 7 controls the image sensor 3 and the object imaged on the image sensor 3 by the lens 2. An image is detected and converted into an electronic signal. Then, the overall control unit 7 converts the electrical signal output from the image sensor 7 into a digital signal by the A / D converter 2, and further performs contour compensation, γ correction, etc. on the digital signal by the correction circuit 5. Image processing is performed, and the image data is temporarily stored in the buffer memory 6 (this image data is referred to as “image data after image processing”). Then, the overall control unit 7 obtains a white balance adjustment value from the image data after image processing stored in the buffer memory 6, performs white balance adjustment, and stores it again in the buffer memory 6 (this image data is stored in “ This is called “image data after WBC”). Further, the overall control unit 7 performs format processing (image post-processing) for JPEG compression on the post-WBC image data stored in the buffer memory 6, and then the image data is temporarily stored in the buffer memory 6. (This image data is referred to as “image data after formatting”). Then, the formatted image data stored in the buffer memory 6 is processed into display image data by the display image creating circuit 9 and displayed on the monitor 10 as a photographing result.

  This digital camera 1 has a built-in memory 11 constituted by a flash memory or the like and a memory card 13 that can be attached to and detached from the digital camera 1 via a card interface 12 and is connected to the overall control unit 7. The formatted image data stored in the memory 6 is stored in the built-in memory 11 or the memory card 13. In addition, a flash device (flash) 14 is provided for illuminating the subject when taking an image of the subject, and the flashing operation is controlled by the overall control unit 7. In addition, audio is output from the speaker 16 via the amplifier 15, the formatted image data stored in the buffer memory 6 is output to the external monitor device via the external interface 17, or printed on a printer. It is possible. Further, the digital camera 1 is provided with a position detection device (GPS module) 19 that can receive a radio wave from a satellite via an antenna 18 and measure a current position, and its operation is controlled by the overall control unit 7. Is done. The digital camera 1 is configured to operate with power supplied from a battery (dry battery, secondary battery, or the like) 20 built in each of the above-described units.

  Now, a method in which the overall control unit 7 which is a white balance adjustment unit in the digital camera 1 performs the optimum white balance adjustment using the position detection device 19 will be described based on three examples. In the white balance adjustment executed by the digital camera 1 described above, as the white balance adjustment value, for example, image data of a 512 × 512 region used as a focus detection region is extracted and obtained from the image data of this region. The white balance adjustment gain for the R signal and the white balance adjustment gain for the B signal so that the screen is whitened on the average based on the image data of the photographed subject after image processing. White balance adjustment is performed based on this white balance adjustment value so that the average color temperature approaches white (this is a so-called “auto white balance adjustment”).

[First embodiment]
As described above, the electrical signal of the subject image output from the image sensor 3 is converted into a digital signal and subjected to image processing such as contour compensation and γ correction, and then white balance is adjusted. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the overall control unit 7 first calculates a white balance adjustment value from image data after image processing (hereinafter simply referred to as “image data”) stored in the buffer memory 6. (Step S100). By the way, in auto white balance adjustment, it is difficult to determine whether image data containing a large amount of green is green due to an outdoor lawn or the influence of bright lines of an indoor fluorescent lamp, and white balance adjustment may not be successful. Similarly, it is difficult to determine whether image data containing a lot of orange is orange in the sunset or the influence of indoor light bulb illumination. Therefore, from the result of calculating the white balance adjustment value in step S100, it is determined whether it is difficult to determine whether the image data is taken outdoors or taken indoors (step S110).

  If it is determined in step S110 that the outdoor / indoor determination is difficult, the overall control unit 7 supplies power to the position detection device 19 and starts a positioning operation (step S120). Then, the position detection device 19 receives radio waves from the satellite (step S130), and repeatedly executes step S130 at predetermined time intervals until a predetermined time elapses (step S140). When the position detection device 19 detects the radio wave from the satellite in step S130, the overall control unit 7 determines that the digital camera 1 is in a state where it can receive the radio wave from the satellite, that is, is outdoors. The white balance adjustment value obtained in step S100 is corrected to a value when image data is captured outdoors (step S160). On the other hand, if the radio wave from the satellite cannot be detected even after a lapse of a certain time in step S140, it is determined that the digital camera 1 is incapable of receiving the radio wave from the satellite, that is, indoors, and the above steps are performed. The white balance adjustment value obtained in S100 is corrected to the value when the image data is captured indoors (step S150). Then, the overall control unit 7 stops the power supply to the position detection device 19 to stop the positioning operation (step S170), and performs white balance adjustment of the digital image based on the corrected white balance adjustment value (step S170). S180). If it is determined in step S110 that the outdoor / indoor determination is not difficult, the white balance adjustment of the digital image is performed based on the white balance adjustment value calculated in step S100 (step S180).

  As described above, when the white balance adjustment value is first calculated from the image data and the outdoor / indoor determination is not difficult, white balance adjustment is performed using the white balance adjustment value, and the determination is difficult. Only by supplying power to the position detection device 19 and judging whether it is outdoor / indoor depending on whether or not radio waves can be received from the satellite, the white balance adjustment value is corrected and the white balance adjustment is performed. The reception operation of the detection device 19 can be minimized, unnecessary power consumption can be suppressed, and at the same time, the accuracy of white balance adjustment can be improved. In step S130 described above, it is not necessary to accurately measure the position of the digital camera 1 by the position detection device 19, and it is determined that the radio wave has been detected when the radio wave from the satellite can be received even a little. Since the positioning determination can be performed in a short time, the photographing operation in the digital camera 1 is not waited for, and the power consumption is further suppressed.

  In the digital camera 1, when the position measuring device 19 always measures the position independently of the shooting operation, the outdoor / indoor determination may be performed using the positioning result. If it is configured to perform positioning at time intervals, the result is used when positioning was performed immediately before, and when the predetermined time or more has passed since the previous positioning, it is necessary by the above processing. In response to this, positioning may be performed to determine outdoor / indoor.

[Second Embodiment]
In the above-described first embodiment, in the case of continuous shooting, if the outdoor / indoor determination is difficult from the image data, the position measurement device 19 is activated for each shooting. However, when the same subject is continuously photographed, it is not necessary to detect radio waves from the satellite every time even for a subject that is difficult to judge outdoor / indoor. Therefore, in the second embodiment, a case where the result of positioning by the position detection device 19 is stored in the buffer memory 6 corresponding to the storage unit and the result is used will be described with reference to FIG. To do.

  As in the case of the first embodiment, the overall control unit 7 first calculates a white balance adjustment value from the image data after image processing stored in the buffer memory 6 (step S200). Then, from the result of calculating the white balance adjustment value in step S200, it is determined whether it is difficult to determine whether the image data was taken outdoors or taken indoors (step S210). / If it is determined that indoor determination is not difficult, white balance adjustment of the digital image is performed based on the white balance adjustment value (step S280). On the other hand, if it is determined in step S210 that outdoor / indoor determination is difficult, then the overall control unit 7 checks whether there is a result obtained by the position detection device 19 in the buffer memory 6 in advance ( Step S212). Here, the presence / absence of a prior positioning result is determined by, for example, storing the positioning time in the buffer memory 6, comparing the stored time with the current time, and positioning within a predetermined time. Determines that there is a positioning result, otherwise it is determined that there is no positioning result.

  If there is no previous positioning data in the buffer memory 6 in this step S212, the overall control section 7 starts the positioning operation by the position detecting device 19 (step S220), and the position detecting device 19 uses the radio wave from the satellite. Attempting reception (step S230), step S230 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined time interval until a predetermined time has passed (step S240). When radio waves cannot be detected, the white color obtained in step S200 is determined to be indoors. The balance adjustment value is corrected to the value when the image data is captured indoors (step S250), and when the radio wave can be detected, it is determined that the image is outdoors and the white balance adjustment value obtained in step S200 described above is imaged outdoors. The value is corrected to the value when the data was imaged (step S260). Then, the overall control unit 7 stores the positioning result (whether or not the radio wave from the satellite has been detected) in the above-described position detecting device 19 together with the positioning time in the buffer memory 6 (step S265), and the position detecting device 19 The positioning operation is stopped (step S270), and the white balance adjustment of the digital image is performed based on the corrected white balance adjustment value (step S280).

  On the other hand, when the overall control unit 7 determines in step S212 that the previous positioning information is stored in the buffer memory 6, the overall control unit 7 reads the positioning result and determines whether or not the radio wave from the satellite has been detected, If it was not detected, the white balance adjustment value determined in step S200 described above was corrected to the value when image data was captured indoors (step S216), and when radio waves could be detected The white balance adjustment value determined in the above-described step S200 after being determined to be outdoor is corrected to a value when image data is captured outdoors (step S218), and the white of the digital image is corrected based on the corrected white balance adjustment value. Balance adjustment is performed (step S280).

  As described above, when positioning is performed by the position detection device 19, the same subject is continuously photographed by storing the results (whether or not radio waves are detected and the positioning time) in the buffer memory 6. Even in such a case, since positioning only needs to be performed at the time of photographing the first image, the photographing operation in the digital camera 1 is not waited, and power consumption by the position detection device 19 can be suppressed.

[Third embodiment]
In the second embodiment described above, when positioning is performed by the position detection device 19, the result is stored in the buffer memory 6, and in the case of continuous shooting, the stored positioning result is used. In the third embodiment, a case where the white balance adjustment value is stored in the buffer memory 6 serving as a storage unit and this value is used will be described with reference to FIG. In the third embodiment, the buffer memory 6 stores a white balance adjustment value calculated from the image data (this value is referred to as “direct value” in the following description) and a corrected white balance adjustment value ( (Referred to as “correction value”).

  Also in the third embodiment, the overall control unit 7 first calculates a white balance adjustment value from the image data after image processing stored in the buffer memory 6 (step S300). Then, from the result of calculating the white balance adjustment value in step S300, it is determined whether it is difficult to determine whether the image data was shot outdoors or indoors (step S310). / If it is determined that indoor determination is not difficult, white balance adjustment of the digital image is performed based on the white balance adjustment value (step S380). On the other hand, if it is determined in step S310 that outdoor / indoor determination is difficult, then the overall control unit 7 has a direct value that is the same as or approximated to the white balance adjustment value calculated in step S300. It is determined whether it is stored in the buffer memory 6 (step S312). Here, “approximate” means, for example, a case where the difference between the value calculated in step S300 and the direct value stored in the buffer memory 6 is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value. When the overall control unit 7 determines in step S312 that the same or approximate direct value is stored in the buffer memory 6, the overall control unit 7 reads the correction value corresponding to the direct value from the buffer memory 6 (step S314), and reads Based on the corrected value, white balance adjustment of the digital image is performed (step S380).

  When determining that the same or approximate direct value is not stored in the buffer memory 6 in step S312, the overall control unit 7 starts the positioning operation by the position detecting device 19 (step S320), and this position detecting device. At step 19, an attempt is made to receive a radio wave from the satellite (step S330), and step S330 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined time interval until a predetermined time elapses (step S340). The white balance adjustment value obtained in step S300 is corrected to the value when image data is captured indoors (step S350). When radio waves can be detected, the white balance adjustment value is determined as outdoor and determined in step S300 described above. The balance adjustment value is corrected to a value when image data is captured outdoors (step S360). Then, the overall control unit 7 stops the positioning operation of the position detection device 19 (step S370), the white balance adjustment value (direct value) calculated in step S300, and the white balance corrected in step S350 or step S360. The adjustment value (correction value) is associated and stored in the buffer memory 6 (step S375), and the white balance adjustment of the digital image is performed based on the corrected white balance adjustment value (step S380).

  As described above, when the position detection device 19 performs positioning under conditions where outdoor / indoor determination is difficult, the direct white balance adjustment value and the correction value are stored in the buffer memory 6. Thus, when the same subject is continuously photographed or when photographing in an environment similar to that photographed in the past, the past white balance adjustment value can be used. Power consumption can be suppressed.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a digital camera. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the white balance adjustment which concerns on 1st Example. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the white balance adjustment which concerns on 2nd Example. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the white balance adjustment which concerns on 3rd Example.

Explanation of symbols

1 Digital camera (digital imaging device) 6 Buffer memory (storage unit)
7 Overall Control Unit (White Balance Adjustment Unit) 19 Position Detection Device 30 Imaging Unit

Claims (5)

An imaging unit;
A position detection device that receives radio waves from a satellite and measures the current position;
When it is difficult to determine whether the image data is taken outdoors or taken indoors from the white balance adjustment value calculated from the image data output from the imaging unit, the position detection device When the radio wave is received, the white balance adjustment value is corrected to the value when the image data was taken outdoors, and the radio wave cannot be received even after a predetermined time has passed. A white balance adjustment unit that corrects a white balance adjustment value to a value when the image data is taken indoors, and performs white balance adjustment of the image data by the corrected white balance adjustment value. A digital imaging device. The white balance adjustment unit
The digital imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after the position detection device is operated to correct the white balance adjustment value, the operation of the position detection device is stopped. The white balance adjustment unit
The digital imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the radio wave is received by the position detection device, the operation of the position detection device is stopped without measuring the current position. A storage unit for storing positioning information by the position detection device;
The white balance adjustment unit
When the position detection device is operated to receive the radio wave, the time when the position detection device is operated and whether the radio wave has been received are stored in the storage unit as the positioning information, and
In the calculation of the white balance adjustment value of the image data, when it is difficult to determine whether the image data is taken outdoors or indoors, positioning is performed within a predetermined time before the current time. Determining whether or not the measured positioning information is stored in the storage unit;
When the positioning information is stored in the storage unit, the white balance adjustment value is corrected by determining whether the image data is captured outdoors or indoors based on the positioning information,
When the positioning information is not stored in the storage unit, the position detection device is operated to determine whether the image data is taken outdoors or indoors depending on whether the radio wave can be received. Correct the white balance adjustment value,
The digital imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein white balance adjustment of the image data is performed based on the corrected white balance adjustment value. The correction that is the white balance adjustment value that is corrected based on the direct value that is the white balance adjustment value calculated from the image data and the result of determining whether the image data is taken outdoors or indoors A storage unit for storing values in association with each other;
The white balance adjustment unit
When the position detection device is operated to receive the radio wave, the direct value and the correction value are associated with each other and stored in the storage unit,
In calculating the white balance adjustment value of the image data, it is determined whether or not a direct value that is the same as or approximate to the white balance adjustment value calculated from the image data is stored in the storage unit;
When the direct value is stored, the correction value corresponding to the direct value is read and white balance adjustment of the image data is performed by the correction value,
When the direct value is not stored, the white balance adjustment is performed by operating the position detecting device to determine whether the image data is captured outdoors or indoors depending on whether the radio wave is received or not. 4. The digital imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a value is corrected and white balance adjustment of the image data is performed using the corrected white balance adjustment value. 5.

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