JP4404200B2 - Imaging apparatus and image file generation program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an imaging device and an image file generation program .

  In recent years, in a portable information terminal having a photographing function such as a digital camera or a mobile phone, the size of image data that can be photographed or reproduced becomes larger than the size of the display unit as the resolution of the CCD increases. In such a portable information terminal, in general, when image data is reproduced and displayed on the display unit, the image data is reduced to fit the display size of the display unit so that the entire image data can be confirmed. In this case, the reduction ratio becomes large and it becomes difficult to confirm details of the image data. For this reason, an operation for moving the zoom or the zoom position is essential. In the conventional portable information terminal, when the user performs the enlargement / reduction operation of the image data himself or applies the conventional technology in the image processing technology and the image size is wider than the displayable size of the display unit, the number of times of scrolling is set. It has been devised to automatically determine and automatically scroll (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2000-267646 A (page 3, FIG. 3)

  However, in the above-described prior art, the image data enlargement / reduction operation and scroll operation are manually performed, and the zoom position is moved by a predetermined automatic scroll. However, there is a problem that the appropriate scrolling desired cannot be performed. In particular, some portable information terminals have a function (best shot function) of determining a standing position of a subject based on composition information selected by a user from among a plurality of pieces of composition information prepared in advance. In such a portable information terminal, in accordance with the composition information selected by the user at the time of shooting, an autofocus point (AF point) is automatically determined and shot on the device side in order to focus on the subject's standing position (face portion). .

  When playing back an image taken in this way, it is naturally possible to instantly check whether the subject is in focus by enlarging and displaying the focus point. However, in the portable information terminal of the prior art, since the enlargement / reduction method and the scroll pattern are not related to the focus point, the AF point is approximately the center of the display unit in order to check whether the focus is in focus. The user needs to perform a scroll operation or an enlargement operation manually.

  In addition, when a subject such as a person is photographed with a composition so that the subject is positioned at the edge of the screen, it may be difficult to see details of the subject simply by displaying the captured image on the full screen. In this case, according to the conventional technique, the user needs to perform a scroll operation or an enlargement operation manually.

  As described above, the conventional technique has a problem that a complicated operation is required for the user to perform a scroll operation or an enlargement operation manually.

SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an imaging apparatus and an image file generation program capable of effectively reproducing an image without complicated operations .

To achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is a composition information storage means for storing a plurality of composition information including at least a standing position of a subject in a frame and a photographing condition, and a composition stored in the composition information storage means. Selection means for selecting information, imaging based on composition information selected by the selection means, image data acquisition means for acquiring image data based on the imaging, and image data acquired by the image data acquisition means Then, based on the composition information selected by the selection means, reproduction control information generation means for generating reproduction control information indicating a reproduction method when reproducing the image data, and the image acquired by the image data acquisition means Image file generation means for generating an image file including data and reproduction control information generated by the reproduction control information generation means. Characterized in that it.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the reproduction control information includes reproduction pattern information for controlling display based on a focus position.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the reproduction control information includes reproduction pattern information for controlling display based on a face portion of the subject.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 4 stores a plurality of pieces of composition information including at least the standing position of the subject in the frame and the photographing conditions in a computer included in the information processing apparatus including the imaging unit. Selection means for selecting specific composition information from the section, image data acquisition means for causing the imaging section to perform shooting based on the composition information selected by the selection means, and acquiring image data based on the shooting, and acquiring the image data When the image data is acquired by the means, reproduction control information generation means for generating reproduction control information indicating a reproduction method when reproducing the image data based on the composition information selected by the selection means, the image data acquisition An image file including the image data acquired by the means and the reproduction control information generated by the reproduction control information generation means. Characterized in that to function as an image file generation means for generating a Le.

According to the present invention, when image data is acquired, reproduction control information for reproducing the image data is generated based on the selected composition information, and the acquired image data and the reproduction control information are included. Since the image file is generated, there is an advantage that the image can be effectively reproduced without a complicated operation .

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described as an example applied to a digital camera with reference to the drawings.

A. Configuration of Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a digital camera according to the present embodiment. The image acquisition unit 10 includes a lens 11, a shutter 12, and an LPF 13. The lens 11 is a normal optical lens and includes a lens group in which aspherical lenses are stacked. The shutter 12 is a so-called mechanical shutter that is operated by a driver 14 driven by the control unit 20 when the shutter button 6 is operated. Depending on the digital camera, a mechanical shutter may not be provided, and in the case of a model equipped with a retractable lens structure and mechanical zoom, these drivers are also controlled by the driver 14. The LPF 13 is a crystal low-pass filter and is mounted to prevent the occurrence of moire.

  Next, the analog signal processing unit 15 includes an image sensor (CCD, CMOS) 16, a sampling / signal amplification processing unit 17, and an A / D converter 18. The imaging sensor 16 forms a subject image (image), and converts the intensity of light of each color of RGB into a current value. The sampling / signal amplification processing unit 17 performs correlated double sampling processing and signal amplification processing for suppressing noise and color unevenness. The A / D converter 18 is also called an analog front end, and converts the sampled / amplified analog signal into a digital signal (converts each color of RGB and CMYG into 12-bit data and outputs it to the bus line).

  Next, the control unit (CPU) 20 controls the entire digital camera (imaging device) based on a program stored in a program memory described later. The preview engine 22 is stored in the image buffer 26 immediately after detection of digital data input via the image acquisition unit 10 and the analog signal processing unit 15 in the recording mode (also referred to as recording mode or photographing mode) or shutter operation detection. Thinning processing is performed in order to display the digital data and the digital data stored in the image memory 31 on the display unit 25.

  The D / A converter 23 converts the digital data thinned out by the preview engine 22 and outputs it to the driver 24 at the subsequent stage. The driver 24 includes a buffer area for temporarily storing digital data displayed on the display unit 25 at the subsequent stage, and drives the display unit 25 based on a control signal input via the key operation unit 27 and the control unit 20. The display unit 25 includes a color TFT liquid crystal, an STN liquid crystal, or the like, and displays a preview image, image data after shooting, a setting menu, and the like.

  The image buffer 26 temporarily stores digital data immediately after photographing until it is input via the analog signal processing unit 15 or the digital signal processing unit 28 and passed to the digital signal processing unit 28. The key operation unit 27 includes a shutter button 6 and includes a recording / playback mode switching key, a cross key, a menu key, and the like. In particular, in this embodiment, composition information is selected and a photographing position of a subject is designated. Used when. The digital signal processing unit 28 performs white balance processing, color processing, gradation processing, and outline emphasis on the digital data (uncompressed RAW image data) input via the analog signal processing unit 15.

  Also, the digital signal processing unit 28 uses composition information selected (registered) in advance when generating an image file according to the Exif standard from the image data captured by the image acquisition unit 10 and the analog signal processing unit 15. , AF point coordinates (AF coordinates), and reproduction patterns appropriate for the composition information (information specifying scrolling and zooming) are extracted, and these AF coordinates and reproduction patterns are inserted into tag information of the image file according to the Exif standard. To do. The above composition information takes into consideration various shooting scenes (shooting with background, portrait, two-shot, night view, etc.), the standing position of the subject in the shooting frame, its AF coordinates, shooting conditions (exposure, exposure time, etc.) ) Is preset information. Details of the composition information will be described later.

  The image compression / decompression processing unit 29 compresses and encodes digital data (uncompressed RAW image data) input via the digital signal processing unit 28 into the JPEG format, or decompresses a JPEG format file in the playback mode. To do. The program memory 30 stores various programs loaded in the control unit 20, EV value in the best shot function, color correction information, standing position of the subject in the shooting frame, its AF coordinates, and shooting conditions (such as exposure and exposure time). Various types of composition information to be shown are stored in units of tables. In addition, various information to be embedded in a file compliant with the DCF standard is also stored. The image memory 31 stores digital data converted into various file formats. The card I / F 32 controls data exchange between the external recording medium 33 and the imaging apparatus main body. The external recording medium 33 includes a compact flash (registered trademark), a memory stick, an SD card, and the like. The external connection I / F 34 includes a USB connector slot and the like, is connected to a personal computer or the like, and is used for transferring photographed image data.

A-2. Image File Format Next, FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an image file format handled by the digital camera according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, captured image data is stored as an image file according to the Exif standard. In the Exif standard, shooting information and file information can be recorded in an information addition portion called “tag” in a file. The Exif standard image file is a header for identifying that the file is an Exif standard file, image additional information including tag information including various information related to the image data and thumbnail image data, and the original original image data captured Consists of. Various information such as the number of pixels, compression mode, camera model name, aperture value, shutter speed, shooting date and time, and user information can be recorded in the tag information. In the present embodiment, “reproduction information” including the best shot type for identifying composition information used at the time of shooting, AF coordinates in the composition information, and a reproduction pattern is recorded in the user information area.

  Note that the composition information is information in which the positional relationship between the subject and the background, the shooting conditions (exposure, exposure time, etc.) and the like are set in advance according to various shooting scenes, as described above. The user selects composition information according to the shooting scene in advance, and determines the standing position of the subject according to the composition (positional relationship between the subject and the background: best shot image) of the selected composition information, and performs actual shooting. . On the digital camera side, focusing is performed with the AF coordinates of the selected composition information, and shooting is performed with the exposure and exposure time set in the composition information. As a result, the user can shoot under the optimum conditions for the shooting scene without making troublesome settings.

  Here, FIG. 3A is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the best shot image, and FIG. 3B is reproduction information for the composition information. The example shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B is a best shot in which the upper body of one subject is photographed so as to enter the center of the frame. In this case, the composition information type “BS001”, AF coordinates ( The face portion of the subject) “x1, y1” and the reproduction pattern “P001 (zoom)” for the composition information are recorded as reproduction information in the tag information of the image file.

  FIGS. 4A to 4D are schematic views showing a state when image data captured with the best shot image shown in FIG. 3A is reproduced. In the reproduction pattern P001, as shown in FIGS. 4A to 4D, the face of the subject is gradually centered on the AF coordinate position from the state displayed on the display unit 25 so that the entire captured original image is included. Play as you zoom in on the part.

  FIG. 5A is a conceptual diagram showing another example of the best shot image, and FIG. 5B is reproduction information for the composition information. The examples shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B are best shots in which the whole body of one subject is photographed so as to enter the center of the frame. In this case, composition information type “BS002”, AF coordinates (subject Face portion) “x2, y2” and a reproduction pattern “P002 (scroll & zoom)” for the composition information are recorded in the tag information of the image file as reproduction information.

  FIGS. 6A to 6D are schematic diagrams showing the state of the reproduction pattern P002 when reproducing the image data captured with the best shot image shown in FIG. In the reproduction pattern P002, as shown in FIGS. 6 (a) to 6 (d), from the state displayed on the display unit 25 so that the entire captured original image is entered, first, the vicinity of the subject's feet is zoomed in, Reproduction is performed so that the face portion of the subject is gradually scrolled vertically with the AF coordinate position as the center.

  Next, FIG. 7A is a conceptual diagram showing another example of the best shot image, and FIG. 7B is reproduction information for the composition information. The example shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B is a best shot (captured together with the background) that is taken so that the upper body of one subject enters the left side of the frame. In this case, the composition information type “BS003” ”, AF coordinates (face portion of subject)“ x3, y3 ”, and reproduction pattern“ P001 (zoom) ”for the composition information are recorded as reproduction information in the tag information of the image file.

  FIGS. 8A to 8D are schematic diagrams showing the state of the reproduction pattern P001 when reproducing the image data captured with the best shot image shown in FIG. 7A. The reproduction pattern P001 is the same as the reproduction pattern P001 of FIG. 3 described above, but differs from the reproduction patterns shown in FIGS. 4A to 4D because the AF coordinates are different. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 8A to 8D, the image gradually flows in the horizontal direction centering on the AF coordinate position from the state displayed on the display unit 25 so that the entire captured original image is included. In this way, playback is performed so as to zoom in on the face portion of the subject.

  Next, FIG. 9A is a conceptual diagram showing another example of the best shot image, and FIG. 9B is reproduction information for the composition information. The examples shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B are best shots in which the upper bodies of two subjects are photographed so as to enter the center of the frame. In this case, the composition information type “BS004”, AF coordinates (2 The face portion of the subject) “x4, y4 / x5, x5” and the reproduction pattern “P003 (scroll and zoom)” for the composition information are recorded as reproduction information in the tag information of the image file.

  FIGS. 10A to 10D are schematic views showing the state of the reproduction pattern P003 when reproducing the image data taken with the best shot image shown in FIG. 9A. In the reproduction pattern P003, as shown in FIGS. 10A to 10D, first, the AF coordinates (x4, y4) are gradually increased from the state where the entire captured original image is displayed on the display unit 25. ) Is zoomed in on the face portion of the subject, and in that state, after scrolling horizontally to the face portion of the other subject centering on the AF coordinates (x5, y5), AF coordinates (x4, y4) And AF coordinates (x5, y5) are entered at the same time, that is, reproduction is performed so as to zoom out so that the face portions of two subjects enter.

B. Operation of Embodiment Next, the operation of the above-described embodiment will be described.
B-1. Shooting Mode FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the digital camera during shooting. When the shooting mode is selected, first, the imaging module (the image acquisition unit 10 and the analog signal processing unit 15) is activated (step S10), and the video captured by the imaging module is displayed on the display unit 25 in real time as a through image. Display (step S12). Next, it is determined whether or not the shutter key is pressed (step S14). If the shutter key is not pressed, it is determined whether or not the composition information selection mode is selected (step S16). If the composition information selection mode is not selected, the process returns to step S12 to continue displaying the through image.

  On the other hand, when the composition information selection mode is selected, a composition information selection screen (not shown) is displayed on the display unit 25 (step S18). The composition information selection screen displays the best shot image and its description (shooting conditions) as shown in FIGS. 3A, 5A, 7A, and 9A. The Next, it is determined whether any composition information has been selected (step S20). The user selects composition information that matches the condition to be photographed from the composition information selection screen. If composition information is not selected, the process returns to step S18 to continue displaying the composition information selection screen.

  On the other hand, when any composition information is selected, the selected composition information is registered (step S22), and the process returns to step S12. When the user registers the composition information, the user determines the composition such as the standing position in accordance with the best shot image of the composition information and presses the shutter. When the shutter key is pressed, the image data captured by the imaging module is stored in the image buffer 26 (step S24).

  Next, the AF coordinates of the registered composition information are acquired (step S26), the reproduction pattern is acquired (step S28), the AF coordinates and the reproduction pattern are inserted as tag information, and the image file conforms to the Exif standard. Is stored in the image memory 31 (step S30).

B-2. Playback Mode Next, FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the digital camera during playback. When the reproduction mode is selected, first, an image file stored in the image memory 31 is searched (step S40). Then, a list of found image files is displayed as a list (step S42). Next, it is determined whether any image file has been selected from the displayed list (step S44). The user selects an image file to be reproduced and displayed from the list displayed. If no image file is selected, the process returns to step S42 and the list display is continued.
On the other hand, when one of the image files is selected, the AF coordinates and the reproduction pattern are extracted from the tag information of the image file (step S46), and the original image data is reproduced and displayed according to the AF coordinates and the reproduction pattern (step S48). .

  Here, FIGS. 13A to 13D and FIGS. 14A to 14H are schematic views showing examples of reproduction on the display unit 25, respectively. In the example of FIGS. 13A to 13D, the image data captured by the composition information shown in FIG. 3A is reproduced and displayed. In this example, first, the entire captured original image is displayed on the display unit 25 (FIG. 13A), and from that state, gradually zooming to the face portion of the subject centering on the AF coordinate position PP1. (FIGS. 13B to 13D).

  In the examples of FIGS. 14A to 14H, the image data captured by the composition information shown in FIG. 9A is reproduced and displayed. In this example, first, the entire photographed original image is displayed on the display unit 25 (FIG. 14A), and from that state, the subject is gradually zoomed to the face portion centered on the AF coordinate PP2 ( 14 (b) to (c)), and then horizontally scrolls to the face portion of the other subject centered on the AF coordinate PP3 (FIGS. 14 (d) and 14 (e)), and then AF coordinates PP2 and AF coordinates The zoom-out is performed so that PP3 enters at the same time, that is, the face portions of two subjects enter (FIGS. 14G and 14H).

  According to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to easily confirm whether the subject is in focus without complicated operation by automatically zooming to the attention point (AF point) at the time of shooting according to the composition information. Further, according to the embodiment, an image can be effectively reproduced by automatically reproducing the image by combining enlargement / reduction and scrolling according to the composition information inserted in the image file.

  In the above-described embodiment, only the digital camera has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is not limited to this. You may apply.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the digital camera by this embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the image file format handled with the digital camera by this embodiment. It is the conceptual diagram which shows an example of a best shot image, and the reproduction | regeneration information with respect to the composition information. It is a schematic diagram which shows the mode at the time of reproducing | regenerating the image data image | photographed with the best shot image shown to Fig.3 (a). It is the conceptual diagram which shows the other example of a best shot image, and the reproduction | regeneration information with respect to the composition information. It is a schematic diagram which shows a mode at the time of reproducing | regenerating the image data image | photographed with the best shot image shown to Fig.5 (a). It is the conceptual diagram which shows the other example of a best shot image, and the reproduction | regeneration information with respect to the composition information. It is a schematic diagram which shows the mode at the time of reproducing | regenerating the image data image | photographed with the best shot image shown to Fig.7 (a). It is the conceptual diagram which shows the other example of a best shot image, and the reproduction | regeneration information with respect to the composition information. It is a schematic diagram which shows a mode at the time of reproducing | regenerating the image data image | photographed with the best shot image shown to Fig.9 (a). It is a flowchart for demonstrating the operation | movement at the time of imaging | photography of a digital camera. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the operation | movement at the time of reproduction | regeneration of a digital camera. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of reproduction on the display unit 25. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of reproduction on the display unit 25. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

10 Image acquisition unit (image data acquisition means, photographing control means)
11 Lens 12 Shutter 13 LPF
14 Driver 15 Analog signal processor (image data acquisition means)
16 Imaging sensor (image data acquisition means)
17 Sampling / signal amplification processing section (image data acquisition means)
18 A / D converter (image data acquisition means)
20 control unit (display control means, reproduction control information generation means, image file generation means)
22 Preview Engine 23 D / A Converter 24 Driver 25 Display Unit (Display Unit)
26 Image buffer 27 Key operation unit (instruction means, selection means)
28 Digital Signal Processing Unit 29 Image Compression / Expansion Processing Unit 30 Program Memory (Storage Unit, Composition Information Storage Unit)
31 Image memory (image file storage means)
32 card I / F
33 External recording medium 34 External connection I / F

Claims (4)

Composition information storage means for storing a plurality of composition information including at least the standing position of the subject in the frame and the shooting conditions;
Selecting means for selecting composition information stored in the composition information storage means;
Image data acquisition means for executing imaging based on the composition information selected by the selection means and acquiring image data based on the imaging;
When the image data is acquired by the image data acquisition means, reproduction control information generation means for generating reproduction control information indicating a reproduction method when reproducing the image data based on the composition information selected by the selection means; ,
An image pickup apparatus comprising: an image file generation unit configured to generate an image file including the image data acquired by the image data acquisition unit and the reproduction control information generated by the reproduction control information generation unit. The reproduction control information, the imaging apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a reproduction pattern information for controlling the display based on the focus position. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reproduction control information includes reproduction pattern information for controlling display based on a face portion of the subject. A computer included in an information processing apparatus including an imaging unit,
Selection means for selecting specific composition information from a storage unit that stores a plurality of composition information including at least the standing position of the subject in the frame and the shooting conditions;
Image data acquisition means for causing the imaging unit to perform shooting based on the composition information selected by the selection means and acquiring image data based on the shooting;
When the image data is acquired by the image data acquisition means, reproduction control information generation means for generating reproduction control information indicating a reproduction method when reproducing the image data based on the composition information selected by the selection means,
Image file generation means for generating an image file including the image data acquired by the image data acquisition means and the reproduction control information generated by the reproduction control information generation means
An image file generation program characterized by functioning as

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