JP2007336411A5

JP2007336411A5 -

Info

Publication number: JP2007336411A5
Application number: JP2006168300A
Authority: JP
Filing date: 2006-06-19
Publication date: 2009-07-30
Anticipated expiration: 2026-06-19

Claims

Imaging means;
Image acquisition means for acquiring an image captured by the imaging means at a predetermined cycle;
Face area detection means for detecting a face area from the image acquired by the image acquisition means ;
When a face area is detected by the face area detecting means, a focus position determining means for determining a focus position for focusing on the face area ;
Focus control means for driving and controlling the imaging lens to the determined focus position each time the focus position is determined by the focus position determination means ;
A recording unit that records an image acquired by the image acquiring unit when the imaging lens is driven and controlled to the determined in-focus position by the focusing control unit ;
Imaging apparatus characterized by comprising a.

The face area detecting means further includes position information storage means for detecting a plurality of face areas from the acquired image and storing position information of the detected face areas in the acquired image, respectively .
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the focus position determining unit determines a focus position based on position information extracted from the position information storage unit in a predetermined order .

Further comprising distance acquisition means for acquiring the distance between the imaging device and the subject specified by the face area ;
Wherein the predetermined order as the image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the distance the distance obtained by the obtaining means in the order of magnitude.

The face area detecting means detects a plurality of face areas from the acquired image,
2. The selection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a selection unit that selects a face region for determining a focus position from the plurality of detected face regions before the focus position determination unit determines a focus position. The imaging device described .

Face data storage means for storing face data indicating the characteristics of the face area;
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the face area detection unit detects a face area whose characteristics substantially match the face data stored in the face data storage unit .

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an extraction unit that extracts a face area to be registered as face data in the face data storage unit from the image acquired by the image acquisition unit .

When the face area detection means detects a face area, a face area storage means for storing the detected face area as a face area to be focused;
A detection control means for controlling the face area detection means so as not to detect the face area subjected to the storage process for the image acquired by the image acquisition means after the storage process in the face area storage means. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

An image acquisition step of acquiring an image captured by the imaging unit at a predetermined period;
A face area detecting step for detecting a face area from the image acquired in the image acquiring step;
When a face area is detected in the face area detection step, a focus position determination step for determining a focus position for focusing on the face area;
A focus control step for driving and controlling the imaging lens to the determined focus position each time the focus position is determined in the focus position determination step;
A recording step of recording the image acquired in the image acquisition step when the imaging lens is driven and controlled to the determined focus position in the focus control step;
A captured image recording method comprising:

The computer of the imaging device,
Image acquisition means for acquiring an image captured at a predetermined period;
Face area detection means for detecting a face area from the image acquired by the image acquisition means;
When a face area is detected by the face area detecting means, a focus position determining means for determining a focus position for focusing on the face area;
A focus control unit that drives and controls the imaging lens to the determined focus position every time the focus position is determined by the focus position determination unit;
Recording means for recording the image acquired by the image acquisition means when the imaging lens is driven and controlled to the determined focus position by the focus control means,
A program characterized by functioning as