JP2008098836A - Imaging apparatus and imaging method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging apparatus capable of obtaining an effect equal to that of soft focus photographing by photographing a focused image and non-focused image, performing positioning and combining them, and an imaging method. <P>SOLUTION: The imaging apparatus comprises: an imaging part for detecting the focus position of an object on the basis of the images of the object successively formed on the image forming surface of an imaging element through an imaging optical system; a memory 134 for storing the images of the object successively outputted from the imaging element when detecting the focus position; an effect setting part 158 for setting the prescribed number of desired non-focus degrees to the focus position beforehand; and an image composition part 118 for reading the image of the focus position and the images corresponding to the respective non-focus degrees set in the effect setting part 158 from the memory 134 and positioning and combining the plurality of images including the image of the focus position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus and an imaging method.

  One of the photography techniques is soft focus photography. In soft focus shooting, the entire photo is shot brighter and with a softer outline than when shooting normally. Conventionally, in order to perform soft focus photographing, there have been methods of attaching a soft filter to a lens or applying petrolatum on the surface of the lens.

  However, in the method of attaching a filter to a lens, a filter cannot be attached in an imaging device in which the lens cannot be replaced. In the method of applying petrolatum to a lens, it is good for a small imaging device having a small lens aperture. There is a problem that a soft focus effect cannot be obtained.

  Therefore, in order to solve this problem, a technique is disclosed in which an effect equivalent to soft focus imaging can be obtained by processing or synthesizing captured images (see Patent Documents 1 to 3). ).

JP 2003-198922 A JP 2003-008966 A JP 2004-102903 A

  The method disclosed in Patent Document 1 intentionally blurs a photographed image so as to obtain the same effect as soft focus photography. However, the method disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem that a large-scale digital filter circuit is required to intentionally blur an image to obtain an effective soft focus.

  Further, the method disclosed in Patent Document 2 can obtain the same effect as soft focus shooting by changing the focus position, shooting a focused image and a non-focused image, and synthesizing both. The method disclosed in Patent Document 2 does not take into account the misalignment between the two, and there is a problem that the image is blurred when the camera or subject is blurred during shooting.

  In addition, the method disclosed in Patent Document 3 is configured to divide a captured image into a luminance signal and a color signal and perform image processing on the luminance signal so that an effect equivalent to that of soft focus imaging can be obtained. In the method disclosed in Patent Document 3, processing is complicated, and it is necessary to design a dedicated processing path, so that there is a problem that the development of the imaging apparatus is inefficient.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to shoot a focused image and a non-focused image, perform alignment, and synthesize both. It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved imaging apparatus and imaging method capable of obtaining the same effect as soft focus imaging.

  In order to solve the above problems, according to an aspect of the present invention, the focus lens included in the imaging optical system is driven in the focus adjustment direction, and is sequentially connected to the imaging surface of the imaging element via the imaging optical system. An imaging unit that detects a focus position of the subject based on the image of the subject to be imaged, an image storage unit that stores images of the subject that are sequentially output from the imaging device when the focus position is detected, and an in-focus position After reading out from the image storage unit an effect setting unit that sets a predetermined number of desired non-focus degrees in advance, an image at the focus position, and an image corresponding to each non-focus level set by the effect setting unit. An image synthesizing unit is provided that includes a plurality of images including an image at a focal position, and an image synthesizing unit configured to align and synthesize the images.

  According to this configuration, the imaging unit is based on the image of the subject that is sequentially imaged on the imaging surface of the imaging element via the imaging optical system while driving the focus lens included in the imaging optical system in the focus adjustment direction. The in-focus position of the subject is detected, the image storage unit stores the image of the subject that is sequentially output from the image sensor when the in-focus position is detected, and the effect setting unit previously sets a desired non-focal degree for the in-focus position. A predetermined number is set, and the image composition unit reads out an image at the in-focus position and an image corresponding to each defocus degree set by the effect setting unit from the image storage unit, and then includes a plurality of images including the image at the in-focus position. Align and combine the images. As a result, an image having an effect equivalent to that of soft focus shooting can be taken.

  The image storage unit may store the image of the subject sequentially output from the image sensor when the in-focus position is detected as image data for all pixels. As a result, when an image of a subject sequentially output from the image element is stored as image data for all pixels, an image having the same effect as soft focus shooting can be captured.

  The image storage unit stores only the image at the in-focus position as image data for all pixels among the images of the subject sequentially output from the image sensor when the in-focus position is detected. The image may be stored as image data obtained by thinning out predetermined pixels. As a result, by synthesizing the image data for all the pixels and the image data obtained by thinning out a predetermined image, it is possible to capture an image in which the entire image has a soft focus effect.

  The imaging unit sets a plurality of focus detection positions on the imaging surface of the image sensor, analyzes the focus level obtained from each focus detection position at the time of detection of the focus position, Based on the analysis result of the in-focus level by the imaging unit, the perspective direction with respect to the in-focus position is selected, and the image corresponding to each non-focal degree set by the effect setting unit among the images of the subject photographed in the selected direction May be read from the image storage unit. As a result, it is possible to focus on the main subject when taking a focused image.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, the focus lens included in the imaging optical system is driven in the focus adjustment direction while the imaging lens is connected to the imaging surface via the imaging optical system. An imaging step for detecting the in-focus position of the subject based on the images of the subject imaged sequentially, an image storage step for storing the image of the subject sequentially output from the image sensor when the in-focus position is detected, A predetermined number of desired defocus degrees with respect to the focal position are set in advance, and an image at the focal position and an image corresponding to each set defocus degree are stored in the image storage step. An image synthesizing step is provided, comprising: an image synthesizing step of aligning and synthesizing a plurality of images including the image at the in-focus position after reading from the inside.

  According to this method, the imaging step is based on the image of the subject that is sequentially imaged on the imaging surface of the imaging element via the imaging optical system while driving the focus lens included in the imaging optical system in the focus adjustment direction. The in-focus position of the subject is detected, the image storing step stores the images of the subject sequentially output from the image sensor at the time of detecting the in-focus position, and the image compositing step preliminarily determines a desired non-focus level for the in-focus position. A predetermined number is set, and after reading out the image at the in-focus position and the image corresponding to each set non-focal degree from the plurality of images stored in the image storing step, the in-focus position A plurality of images including images are aligned and combined. As a result, an image having an effect equivalent to that of soft focus shooting can be taken.

  In the image storing step, the image of the subject that is sequentially output from the image sensor when the in-focus position is detected may be stored as image data for all pixels. As a result, when an image of a subject sequentially output from the image element is stored as image data for all pixels, an image having the same effect as soft focus shooting can be captured.

  In the image storing step, among the images of the subject sequentially output from the image sensor at the time of detecting the focus position, only the image at the focus position is stored as image data for all pixels, while the image other than the image at the focus position is stored. The image may be stored as image data obtained by thinning out predetermined pixels. As a result, by synthesizing the image data for all the pixels and the image data obtained by thinning out a predetermined image, it is possible to capture an image in which the entire image has a soft focus effect.

  In the imaging step, a plurality of focus detection positions are set on the imaging surface of the image sensor, and the focus level obtained from each focus detection position at the time of detection of the focus position is analyzed. Based on the analysis result of the focus level in the imaging step, the perspective direction with respect to the focus position is selected, and the image corresponding to each non-focal degree set by the effect setting unit among the images of the subject photographed in the selected direction May be read out from a plurality of images stored in the image storing step. As a result, it is possible to focus on the main subject when taking a focused image.

  As described above, according to the present invention, by taking a focused image and a non-focused image, aligning and synthesizing both, it is possible to obtain the same effect as soft focus shooting. A new and improved imaging apparatus and imaging method can be provided.

  Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in this specification and drawing, about the component which has the substantially same function structure, duplication description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol.

(First embodiment)
First, an imaging apparatus and an imaging method according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of the imaging apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the configuration of the imaging apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the imaging apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes, as shown in FIG. 1, the imaging apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a zoom lens 102, A diaphragm 104, a focus lens 106, driving devices 102 a, 104 a, 106 a, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) element 108, an amplifier integrated CDS (Correlated Double Sampling) circuit 110, and an A / D converter 112 , An image input controller 114, an image signal processing unit 116, an image synthesis unit 118, a compression processing unit 120, an OSD (On Screen Display) 121, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) driver 122, an LCD 24, a timing generator 126, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 128, an operation unit 132, a shutter button 133, a memory 134, a VRAM (Video Random Access Memory) 136, a media controller 138, a recording medium 140, and the like. , Motor drivers 142a, 142b, 142c, and a flash 144.

  The zoom lens 102 is a lens in which the focal length is continuously changed by being moved back and forth in the optical axis direction by the driving device 102a. The zoom lens 102 changes the size of the subject and shoots. The diaphragm 104 adjusts the amount of light entering the CMOS element 108 by the driving device 104a when taking an image. The focus lens 106 adjusts the focus of the subject by being moved back and forth in the optical axis direction by the driving device 106a.

  In this embodiment, only one zoom lens 102 and focus lens 106 are shown, but the number of zoom lenses 102 may be two or more, and the number of focus lenses 106 may be two or more. Good.

  The CMOS element 108 is an element for converting light incident from the zoom lens 102, the diaphragm 104, and the focus lens 106 into an electric signal. In this embodiment, the incident light is controlled by the electronic shutter to adjust the time for extracting the electric signal. However, the time for extracting the electric signal may be adjusted by controlling the incident light using the mechanical shutter. In the present embodiment, the zoom lens 102, the diaphragm 104, the focus lens 106, and the CCD element 110 constitute an imaging unit. Note that the set of imaging units is not limited to this, and the zoom lens 102 and the diaphragm 104 may not be included.

  Although the CMOS element 108 is used in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to such an example, and a CCD (Charge Coupled Devices) element may be used instead of the CMOS element 108, and other image sensors are used. Also good.

  The CDS circuit 110 is a circuit in which a CDS circuit that is a kind of sampling circuit that removes noise from the electrical signal output from the CMOS element 108 and an amplifier that amplifies the electrical signal after removing the noise are integrated. . In the present embodiment, the imaging apparatus 100 is configured using a circuit in which a CDS circuit and an amplifier are integrated. However, the CDS circuit and the amplifier may be configured as separate circuits.

  The A / D converter 112 converts the electrical signal generated by the CMOS element 108 into a digital signal, and generates raw image data.

  The image input controller 114 controls input of raw image data generated by the A / D converter to the memory 134.

  The image signal processing unit 116 performs light amount gain correction and white balance adjustment on the electrical signal output from the CMOS element 108 and the image synthesized by the image synthesis unit 118. The image signal processing unit 116 acquires exposure data of the captured image. The exposure data includes a focus evaluation value (AF evaluation value) and an AE (Auto Exposure; automatic exposure) evaluation value, and the image signal processing unit 116 calculates the focus evaluation value and the AE evaluation value.

  The image combining unit 118 combines a plurality of captured image data. The form of the image composition unit may be a circuit that performs image composition, or a computer program for performing image composition.

  The compression processing unit 120 performs compression processing for compressing the image combined by the image combining unit 118 into image data of an appropriate format. The image compression format may be a reversible format or an irreversible format. As an example of a suitable format, you may convert into a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format and a JPEG2000 format.

  The OSD 121 is a function for displaying a setting screen of the imaging apparatus 100 on the LCD 124. The LCD 124 performs live view display before performing a shooting operation, various setting screens of the imaging apparatus 100, display of captured images, and the like. Display of image data and various information of the imaging apparatus 100 on the LCD 124 is performed via the LCD driver 122.

  The timing generator 126 inputs a timing signal to the CMOS element 108. The shutter speed is determined by the timing signal from the timing generator 126. That is, the drive of the CMOS element 108 is controlled by the timing signal from the timing generator 126, and the image signal from the subject is incident within the time that the CMOS element 108 is driven, thereby generating an electrical signal that is the basis of the image data. The

  The CPU 128 issues a signal-related command to the CMOS element 108, the CDS circuit 110, or the like, or issues an operation-related command for the operation of the operation unit 132. In the present embodiment, only one CPU is included, but a signal-related command and an operation-related command may be executed by separate CPUs.

  The operation unit 132 is provided with members for operating the imaging apparatus 100 and performing various settings at the time of shooting. The members arranged on the operation unit 132 are arranged with a power button, a cross key for selecting a photographing mode and a photographing drive mode, and setting a soft focus effect, a selection button, and the like. The shutter button 133 is used to perform a photographing operation, and focuses the subject in a half-pressed state and images the subject in a fully-pressed state.

  The memory 134 is an example of an image storage unit, and temporarily stores captured images and images synthesized by the image synthesis unit 118. The memory 134 has a storage capacity sufficient to store a plurality of images. Reading and writing of images to and from the memory 134 is controlled by the image input controller 114.

  The VRAM 136 holds contents displayed on the LCD 124, and the resolution and the maximum number of colors of the LCD 124 depend on the capacity of the VRAM 136.

  The recording medium 140 is an example of an image recording unit, and records captured images and images synthesized by the image synthesis unit 118. Input / output to / from the recording medium 140 is controlled by the media controller 138. As the recording medium 140, a memory card that is a card-type storage device that records data in a flash memory can be used.

  The motor drivers 142a, 142b, and 142c control the driving devices 102a, 104a, and 106a that operate the zoom lens 102, the diaphragm 104, and the focus lens 106. By operating the zoom lens 102, the diaphragm 104, and the focus lens 106 via the motor drivers 142a, 142b, and 142c, the size of the subject, the amount of light, and the focus are adjusted.

  The flash 144 is for illuminating the subject brightly at the time of photographing outdoors at night or in a dark place. When flash photography is performed, a flash command is issued from the CPU 128 to the flash device 144, the flash 144 is emitted by the flash command from the CPU 128, and the subject is brightly illuminated by the light emitted by the flash 144.

  The imaging apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to FIG. Next, the configuration of the CPU of the imaging apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of the CPU according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the configuration of the CPU according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the CPU 128 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes an in-focus position detection unit 152, an appropriate AE calculation unit 154, an enlargement / reduction processing unit 156, an effect setting unit 158, and a composition. And a ratio setting unit 160.

  The focus position detection unit 152 detects the position of the focus lens 106 for focusing on the subject when shooting the subject.

The appropriate AE calculation unit 154 performs automatic exposure with the imaging apparatus 100 when photographing a subject, and acquires an EV (Exposure Value) value. Based on the acquired EV value, a proper combination of exposure time and shutter speed is determined. The EV value is changed by changing the aperture value and the shutter speed by setting EV = 0 as the amount of light with which an appropriate exposure can be obtained when the aperture value is F1 and the shutter speed is 1 second. The EV value can be obtained by EV = log ₂ (F ² / T) where F is the aperture value and T is the shutter speed. Therefore, the EV value increases as the shutter speed increases at the same aperture value, and the EV value increases as the aperture value increases at the same shutter speed.

  The enlargement / reduction processing unit 156 enlarges or reduces the image data acquired by photographing the subject.

  The effect setting unit 158 sets the effect level of the soft focus effect. The effect level is an example of the non-focus level of the present invention, and the effect level of the soft focus effect may be set according to the effect level input by the operation unit 132.

  The composition ratio setting unit 160 sets the composition ratio between the focused image and the image to be combined with the focused image. The composition ratio of the image to be synthesized with the focused image and the amount of movement of the focus lens 106 are set according to the effectiveness of the soft focus effect set by the composition ratio setting unit 160.

  The configuration of the CPU according to the first embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to FIG. Next, a photographing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  Here, in the first embodiment of the present invention, an image acquired during autofocus processing for detecting the in-focus position of the subject is used as the out-of-focus image.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating autofocus processing according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the focus lens 106 is moved from a position focused at a short distance to a position focused at a long distance. Then, while moving the focus lens 106, image data is acquired (sampled) a plurality of times, and contrast information of each image data is calculated. Sampling is desirably performed at equal intervals. The contrast information can be obtained by using, for example, the second derivative of a Laplacian filter. In the first embodiment of the present invention, contrast information is acquired 15 times at regular intervals. The acquired image data is sequentially stored in the memory 134.

  When the focus lens 106 is moved to acquire contrast information, the focus position detection unit 152 detects the peak position of the acquired contrast information. Then, the focus position detection unit 152 determines the detected peak position of the contrast information as the focus position, and moves the focus lens 106 to the peak position of the contrast information. Then, by executing the shooting process in that state, a focused image focused on the subject can be obtained. In the autofocus process according to the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3, the focus lens 106 is moved to the twelfth sampled position because the peak of the contrast information exists at the twelfth sampled position. Thus, an image focused on the subject can be taken.

  On the other hand, the non-focused image that is not focused on the subject uses the image data acquired when the focus position is detected. The image data acquired when the focus position is detected is a non-focus image that is not focused on the subject other than the data acquired at the position where the contrast information is at the peak. Therefore, by using the image data acquired when the in-focus position is detected, a non-in-focus image can be obtained at the same time when the in-focus image is captured.

  The out-of-focus image may use image data acquired at a position closer to the distance from the peak position of the contrast information, or may use image data acquired at a position closer to the distance from the peak position of the contrast information. Good. Whether to use the image data on the short-distance side or the long-distance side may be determined in advance, or may be determined according to the result of the acquired contrast information.

  The image data used as the out-of-focus image may be determined according to the level of the effect of soft focus shooting (hereinafter also referred to as “soft effect”). For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3, when the soft effect is defined as three types of “large”, “medium”, and “small” and the image data on the short distance side is used as out of focus, the soft effect is “small”. ”Is the 11th image data as a non-focus image, the soft effect is“ medium ”, the 10th image data is used as a non-focus image, and the soft effect is“ large ”. The ninth image data can be used as the out-of-focus image. On the other hand, when the soft effect is set to three types of “large”, “medium”, and “small” and image data on the long distance side is used as the out-of-focus state, the in-focus state is set when the soft effect is “small”. When the 13th image data is used as the image and the soft effect is “medium”, the 14th image data is used as the out-of-focus image, and when the soft effect is “large”, the 15th as the out-of-focus image. The image data can be used. The combination of the soft effect level and the image data used as the out-of-focus image is not limited to this.

  Note that when combining images, the brightness of the image will be exceeded if it is combined as it is, so it is desirable to decrease the brightness at a predetermined rate.

  Hereinafter, the imaging method according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the imaging method according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the imaging method according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the imaging method according to the first embodiment of the present invention, first, the operation unit 133 of the imaging apparatus 100 is operated to set the soft effect level in the soft focus shooting (step S110). In the imaging method according to the first embodiment, the soft effect level can be selected from four types of “weak”, “weak”, “strong”, and “strong”. The soft effect level determined by the operation of the operation unit 133 is set by the effect setting unit 158.

  When the soft effect level is input, defocus control means for obtaining a non-focused image is next determined (step S112). In the first embodiment of the present invention, the defocus control means includes (a) a defocus amount control for changing a distance from the position of the focus lens 106 that can obtain a focused image according to the soft effect level; B) Two types of defocus ratio control for changing the composition ratio of the focused image and the unfocused image according to the soft effect level can be selected. Whether to select the defocus amount control or the defocus ratio control may be determined in advance or may be set every time a photographing operation is performed.

  First, the flow when the defocus amount control is selected will be described. In step S112, when defocus amount control is selected as the defocus control means, the unfocused image selection position based on the soft effect level set in step S110 is set by the composition ratio setting unit 160 (step S114).

Table 1 is a table showing the relationship between the soft effect level and the out-of-focus image selection position according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The out-of-focus image selection position indicates how far the image at a position away from the acquisition position of the focused image is selected. The relationship between the effect level and the out-of-focus image selection position is not limited to the example in Table 1.

  When the out-of-focus image selection position is determined, it is next determined whether or not the shutter button 133 is pressed (step S116). If the shutter button 133 is not pressed, the process of determining whether or not the shutter button 133 is pressed is repeated, and if the shutter button 133 is pressed, the process proceeds to the next process.

  If it is determined that the shutter button 133 has been pressed, then a focusing process for focusing on the subject is performed (step S118). The focusing process is performed by the autofocus process as described above. In other words, the focusing process is performed by moving the focus lens 106 from a position focused at a short distance to a position focused at a long distance to obtain a peak position of contrast information. Then, image data is acquired (sampled) in order to detect the in-focus state at a predetermined position while moving the focus lens 106. The acquired image data is temporarily stored (buffered) in the memory 134 (step S120).

  When sampling is performed by moving the focus lens 106, the peak position of the contrast information is detected as the focus position using the acquired image data (step S122). In the present embodiment, the focus position detection unit 152 performs the peak position of the contrast information. When the peak position of the contrast information is calculated, the focus lens 106 is moved to the place where the image data corresponding to the peak position is acquired, and light is incident on the CMOS element 108, so that the focused image is focused on the subject. Is photographed (step S124). The exposure amount at this time is half of the appropriate exposure amount. The photographed focused image is temporarily stored in the memory 134.

  When the shooting of the focused image is completed, a non-focused image is subsequently acquired. The in-focus image uses image data that has been sampled and temporarily stored in the memory 134 when calculating the in-focus position. In the first embodiment of the present invention, it is first determined from the image data temporarily stored in the memory 134 which image data on the far side or near side from the in-focus position is to be used, and the memory 134 is temporarily stored. From the stored image data, one corresponding to the effect level determined in step S110 is selected (step S126).

  Here, the determination of which side of the image data to use from the in-focus position may be performed, for example, by selecting a direction in which the entire image is displayed more blurred. Specifically, when detecting the in-focus position, when one of the plurality of pieces of contrast information is selected to detect the in-focus position of the main subject, the image is in a direction away from the other contrast information peak. Data may be used.

  When the selection of the image data is finished, the exposure amount of the selected image data is halved (step S128). This is because if the image data are synthesized as they are, the brightness of the image will be exceeded.

  As described above, in the flowchart describing the imaging method according to the first embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 4, the processing flow when the defocus amount control is selected in step S <b> 112 has been described. Next, in the flowchart for explaining the imaging method according to the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 4, the flow of processing when the defocus ratio control is selected in step S112 will be explained.

When the defocus ratio control is selected in step S112, the composition ratio setting unit 160 sets the selection ratio of the focused image and the out-of-focus image corresponding to the effect level first determined in step S110 (step S110). S132). Table 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the effect level and the image selection ratio in the case of defocus ratio control. The effect level and the image selection ratio are not limited to those shown in Table 2.

  When the selection ratio of the focused image and the unfocused image is determined, the CPU 128 determines whether or not the shutter button 133 is pressed (step S134). If the shutter button 133 is not pressed, the process of determining whether or not the shutter button 133 is pressed is repeated, and if the shutter button 133 is pressed, the process proceeds to the next process.

  When the shutter button 133 is pressed, a focusing process for focusing on the subject is performed next (step S136). Since the focusing process is the same as the focusing process (step S118) when the defocus amount control is selected in step S112, the detailed description is omitted. The image data acquired by the focusing process is temporarily stored in the memory 134 (step S138).

  When sampling is performed by moving the focus lens 106, the peak position of the contrast information is detected as the in-focus position using the acquired image data as in the case where the defocus amount control is selected (step S140), and the focus is adjusted. By moving the lens 106 and making light incident on the CMOS element 108, a focused image focused on the subject is photographed (step S142). Then, the exposure amount of the captured focused image is set to m / 8 times (step S144). The photographed focused image is temporarily stored in the memory 134.

  When the shooting of the focused image is completed, a non-focused image is subsequently acquired. In the first embodiment of the present invention, as in the case where the defocus amount control is selected, it is determined which image data on the far side or the far side from the in-focus position is used for the unfocused image, and the memory 134 stores the unfocused image data. From the stored image data, one corresponding to the effect level determined in step S110 is selected (step S146).

  When the selection of the image data is completed, the exposure amount of the selected image data is multiplied by n / 8 (step S148). This is because if the image data are synthesized as they are, the brightness of the image will be exceeded.

  The process flow when the defocus ratio control is selected in step S112 has been described above.

  Thus, when a focused image and a non-focused image are captured and acquired, the focused image and the non-focused image are combined to obtain an image having a soft focus effect (step S150). When compositing images, the image compositing unit 118 corrects misalignment between the two images and performs compositing so that the two images match. As a method of correcting and synthesizing a positional deviation between two images, for example, there is a method of extracting edges and feature points of an image and combining them so that their coordinates coincide.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a composite image according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 5A shows an example of only a focused image, FIG. 5B shows an example of a case where a focused image and a non-focused image are synthesized 1: 1, and FIG. 5C. Indicates an example in which a focused image and a non-focused image are combined at a ratio of m: n (m> n). FIG. 5C is a clearer image than FIG. 5B because the ratio of the focused image is larger than that in FIG. 5B. Thus, the degree of the soft focus effect can be changed by changing the composition ratio of the focused image and the non-focused image.

  In this embodiment, when the defocus ratio control is selected in step S112, the selection ratio of the focused image and the unfocused image is first determined. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example. Needless to say.

  In the present embodiment, the CMOS element 108 is used as the image pickup element. However, a CCD element may be used instead of the CMOS element, and when a CCD element is used instead of the CMOS element, an in-focus image is obtained. You may use what expanded the image data acquired in the focusing position. Since it takes time to read out image data, CCD elements often acquire image data by thinning out pixels. At this time, by enlarging the image data obtained by thinning out the pixels by the enlargement / reduction processing unit 156, an image in a blurred state such as a non-focused image can be obtained. By synthesizing the acquired image data as a non-focused image with the focused image, a captured image having the same effect as when soft focus shooting is performed can be obtained.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating another example of the composite image according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6A shows an example of a focused image in the all-pixel reading mode for reading out data of all pixels in the image sensor, and FIG. 6B shows the data in the image sensor thinned out from the pixels. The example which expanded the focused image in the thinning-out mode to read is shown. As shown in FIG. 6B, when the image data read out in the thinning mode is enlarged, even if it is a focused image, the entire image becomes blurred like a non-focused image. Then, the image of FIG. 6 (a) and the image of FIG. 6 (b) are synthesized by performing alignment so that soft focus shooting is performed as shown in the image of FIG. 6 (c). A captured image having the same effect as that obtained can be obtained.

  The image obtained by the synthesis may be compressed by the compression processing unit 120 into image data of an appropriate format and displayed on the LCD 124 through the LCD driver 122. Further, the compressed image may be stored in the recording medium 140 through the media controller 138.

  Note that the above imaging method may be executed by a computer program. The CPU 128 may execute the above imaging method by calling a computer program recorded inside the imaging apparatus 100.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the in-focus image and the out-of-focus image are combined by performing alignment, thereby achieving an effect equivalent to that in the case of performing soft focus shooting. A captured image can be obtained. The out-of-focus image can be obtained by using the image data acquired when the autofocus process is performed, and an arbitrary out-of-focus image corresponding to the soft effect level can be obtained. Compared to the case where a non-focused image is taken after that, the time until a composite image is obtained can be shortened.

(Second Embodiment)
In the first embodiment of the present invention, soft focus shooting is performed by aligning and synthesizing the focused image and the unfocused image using the image during the autofocus process as the unfocused image. An imaging apparatus and an imaging method that can obtain a captured image having the same effect as when performing the above have been described. In the second embodiment of the present invention, with one operation of the shutter button, after the focused image is captured, the focus lens is moved to capture the unfocused image, and the focused image, the unfocused image, An image pickup apparatus and an image pickup method capable of obtaining a shot image having the same effect as that obtained by performing soft focus shooting by combining and aligning images will be described.

  Note that since the imaging apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention has the same configuration as the imaging apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, detailed description thereof is omitted. Here, the imaging method according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

  In the second embodiment of the present invention, a case will be described in which multi-AF is used, which has in-focus state detection units for detecting in-focus positions at a plurality of locations on the screen. In the second embodiment of the present invention, a case will be described in which a multi-AF that detects in-focus positions by providing in-focus state detection units (AF areas) at four locations on the screen will be described. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the relationship between the shooting distance and contrast by multi-AF according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 7, since the in-focus state detection unit that detects the in-focus position using the in-focus state detection unit at four locations on the screen uses multi-AF, the relationship between the shooting distance and the contrast is a sign. Four types are obtained as shown by 202a, 202b, 202c and 202d. The in-focus position is calculated using the relationship between the four types of shooting distances and contrast.

  In the case of multi-AF, the subject included in the AF area where the contrast peak is detected on the shortest distance side is generally the main subject (short distance priority). In the relationship shown in FIG. 7, the contrast shown by the reference numeral 202d cannot detect a peak, and the contrast shown by the reference numeral 202c shows a peak at a position closest to the imaging apparatus. A subject included in an AF area having contrast is recognized as a main subject.

  An image having a soft focus effect needs to be uniformly blurred. In the second embodiment of the present invention, the focus lens is moved to shoot a non-focused image. However, if the focus lens is moved as a result of moving the focus lens, the soft focus effect is obtained. It is not suitable as an image having Therefore, in order to obtain an image having a soft focus effect, it is desirable to move the focus lens in a direction in which the entire image is uniformly blurred.

In the relationship between the shooting distance and the contrast shown in FIG. 7, a predetermined distance before and after the contrast peak position is a distance that can be determined as the main subject. The predetermined distances L ₁ and L ₂ can be obtained by, for example, the following formulas 1 and 2.

Here, δ is an allowable confusion radius, D is an imaging distance from the imaging surface of the imaging apparatus 100 to the focused subject, f is a focal length of the focus lens, and F is an aperture value (F number). L _{1 is referred} to as the front depth of field, and L ₂ is referred to as the rear depth of field. In this embodiment, when the inter-pixel pitch of the image sensor (CMOS element in this embodiment) is d, the value of δ is δ = 2d. That is, the range in which the subject is in focus is between D−L _{1 and} D + L ₂ .

  Even if the focus lens is moved too much, a problem occurs when the focused image and the unfocused image are combined. This is because an image with a large amount of blur shot by moving the focus lens too much has an unclear edge, making it difficult to align the focused image. Therefore, it is desirable to limit the amount of movement of the focus lens in advance. In the second embodiment of the present invention, this limit amount is 15 Fδ. Of course, the limit amount is not limited to this example.

  Next, the imaging method according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an imaging method according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the imaging method according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

  In the imaging method according to the second embodiment of the present invention, first, similarly to the imaging method according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the operation unit 133 of the imaging apparatus 100 is operated to perform software in soft focus shooting. An effect level is set (step S210). In the imaging method according to the second embodiment, for example, the soft effect level can be selected from four types of “weak”, “weak”, “strong”, and “strong”. Of course, the combination of the soft effect levels is not limited to this example. The soft effect level determined by the operation of the operation unit 133 is set by the effect setting unit 158.

  When the soft effect level is input, a defocus control means for obtaining a non-focused image is next determined (step S212). In the second embodiment of the present invention, the defocus control means includes (a) a defocus amount control for changing a distance from the position of the focus lens 106 from which a focused image can be obtained according to the soft effect level; B) Two types of defocus ratio control for changing the composition ratio of the focused image and the unfocused image according to the soft effect level can be selected. Whether to select the defocus amount control or the defocus ratio control may be determined in advance before the photographing operation or may be set every time the photographing operation is performed.

  First, the flow when the defocus amount control (A) is selected will be described. When defocus amount control is selected as the defocus control means in step S212, the moving amount of the focus lens 106 based on the soft effect level set in step S210 is set by the composition ratio setting unit 160 (step S214).

Table 3 is a table showing the relationship between the soft effect level and the movement amount of the focus lens 106 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Based on the soft effect level set in step 210, the focus lens 106 is moved so as to meet the conditions in Table 3.

  Once the movement amount of the focus lens 106 is set, the CPU 128 next determines whether or not the shutter button 133 has been pressed (step S216). If the shutter button 133 is not pressed, the process of determining whether or not the shutter button 133 is pressed is repeated, and if the shutter button 133 is pressed, the process proceeds to the next process.

  If it is determined that the shutter button 133 is pressed, then a focusing process for focusing on the subject is performed (step S218). As in the first embodiment, the focusing process is performed by sampling while moving the focus lens 106 from a focus position at a short distance to a focus position at a long distance. Then, the in-focus position of the subject is detected by detecting the peak of the contrast of the image sampled by the focusing process that exists at the position closest to the imaging device 100 (step S220). Also in the second embodiment of the present invention, as in the first embodiment, the focus position detection unit 152 detects the peak position of the contrast information.

  When the peak position of the contrast information is detected, the focus lens 106 is moved to the place where the image data corresponding to the peak position is acquired, and light is incident on the CMOS element 108, so that the focused image is focused on the subject. Is photographed (step S222). The exposure amount at this time is half of the appropriate exposure amount. The photographed focused image is temporarily stored in the memory 134.

  When shooting of the in-focus image is completed, the non-focus image is subsequently shot. When shooting an out-of-focus image, first, it is determined whether the focus lens 106 is moved to a side closer to or far from the subject to determine whether an image can be obtained with a soft focus effect. A moving direction is determined (step S224). When the movement direction of the focus lens 106 is determined, the focus lens is moved according to the movement amount of the focus lens 106 determined in step S214 (step S226).

  When the movement of the focus lens 106 is finished, a non-focused image is taken (step S228). The out-of-focus image is temporarily stored in the memory 134. The exposure amount at this time is desirably half of the appropriate exposure amount. This is because if the image is taken with a normal exposure amount and combined with the focused image, the brightness of the image will be over.

  The process flow when the (B) defocus amount control is selected in step S212 has been described above. Next, the flow of processing when the (b) defocus ratio control is selected in step S212 will be described.

When the (b) defocus ratio control is selected in step S212, the composition ratio setting unit 160 sets the composition ratio of the focused image and the out-of-focus image corresponding to the effect level first determined in step S210. (Step S232). Table 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the effect level and the image synthesis ratio in the case of defocus ratio control. The effect level and the image synthesis ratio are not limited to those in Table 4.

  When the composition ratio of the focused image and the unfocused image is set, the CPU 128 determines whether or not the shutter button 133 is pressed (step S234). If the shutter button 133 is not pressed, the process of determining whether or not the shutter button 133 is pressed is repeated, and if the shutter button 133 is pressed, the process proceeds to the next process.

  When the shutter button 133 is pressed, a focusing process for focusing on the subject is performed next (step S236). Since the focusing process is the same as the focusing process (step S218) when the defocus amount control is selected in step S212, the detailed description is omitted. Then, the in-focus position of the subject is calculated by detecting the peak of the contrast of the image sampled by the focusing process that exists at the position closest to the imaging device 100 (step S238). In the second embodiment of the present invention, the focus position detection unit 152 detects the peak of the contrast information.

  When the peak position of the contrast information is calculated, the focus lens 106 is moved to the place where the image data corresponding to the peak position is acquired, and a focused image focused on the subject is photographed (step S240). The captured focused image is temporarily stored in the memory 134 by multiplying the exposure amount of the image by m / 8 (step S242). The reason why the exposure amount of the image is multiplied by m / 8 is to prevent the brightness of the image from exceeding when the images are combined.

  When shooting of the focused image is completed, a non-focused image is subsequently shot. Also in the second embodiment of the present invention, as in the case where the defocus amount control is selected, the out-of-focus image is soft-focused by first moving the focus lens 106 to the side closer to or far from the subject. It is determined whether or not an image can be obtained, and the moving direction of the focus lens 106 is determined (step S244). When the moving direction of the focus lens 106 is determined, the focus lens is moved in the determined direction, and an in-focus image is captured (step S246). The photographed out-of-focus image is multiplied by n / 8 the exposure amount of the image (step S248) and temporarily stored in the memory 134. The reason why the exposure amount of the image is multiplied by n / 8 is to prevent the brightness of the image from exceeding when the images are combined.

  The process flow when the defocus ratio control is selected in step S112 has been described above.

  As described above, when the photographing of the focused image and the non-focused image is completed, the focused image and the non-focused image temporarily stored in the memory 134 are combined to obtain an image having a soft focus effect (step). S250). When compositing images, the image compositing unit 118 corrects misalignment between the two images and performs compositing so that the two images match. As a method of correcting and synthesizing a positional deviation between two images, for example, there is a method of extracting edges and feature points of an image and combining them so that their coordinates coincide.

  In the present embodiment, the focused image and the unfocused image are synthesized by multiplying the exposure amount of the focused image by m / 8, and further by multiplying the exposure amount of the unfocused image by n / 8. In this case, the brightness of the image is not exceeded, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, a plurality of images may be taken in a time shorter than the shutter speed calculated by performing automatic exposure, and the plurality of images may be combined so that the subject matches.

  As a method of suppressing blurring of an image captured using an imaging device, there is an electronic correction method in which a plurality of images are captured at a high shutter speed that is unlikely to cause camera shake, and the captured images are combined so that the subjects match. In the electronic correction method, for example, a plurality of images are shot at a shutter speed shorter than the shutter speed obtained by automatic exposure, and the images are combined so that the subjects match, thereby obtaining an image with reduced blur. Can do.

  An example of an electronic correction method is shown below. When automatic exposure is performed and the aperture value is set to F2.8 and the shutter speed is set to 1/8 second as a result of calculation by the appropriate AE calculation unit 154, the tripod is not used when the shutter speed is 1/8 second. When taking a picture by hand, it is difficult to suppress camera shake of a taken image. Therefore, for example, 8 images are shot at a shutter speed of 1/64 seconds, and the captured images are combined so that the subject matches, so that the brightness is equivalent to the image when the shutter speed is 1/8 seconds. It is possible to shoot an image with reduced camera shake.

  Therefore, by changing the ratio of images taken at a shutter speed of 1/64 seconds according to the soft effect level, images having different soft focus effects can be taken. For example, in the example shown in the present embodiment, when the soft effect level is set to “low”, five in-focus images and three in-focus images are captured at a shutter speed of 1/64 seconds. The photographed focused image is combined with the non-focused image. Similarly, when the soft effect level is set to “weak”, four in-focus images and four in-focus images are taken at a shutter speed of 1/64 seconds, and the soft effect level is set to “strong”. When set, 3 in-focus images and 5 out-of-focus images are taken at a shutter speed of 1/64 sec. When the soft effect level is set to “strong”, 1/64 sec. Two in-focus images and six in-focus images are taken at the shutter speed. In this way, by changing the set of the number of captured images of the focused image and the non-focused image, it is possible to capture images having various soft focus effects.

  The image obtained by the synthesis may be compressed by the compression processing unit 120 into image data of an appropriate format and displayed on the LCD 124 through the LCD driver 122. Further, the compressed image may be stored in the recording medium 140 through the media controller 138.

  Note that the above imaging method may be executed by a computer program. The CPU 128 may execute the above imaging method by calling a computer program recorded inside the imaging apparatus 100.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the in-focus image and the out-of-focus image are photographed by operating the shutter button once, and the in-focus image and the out-of-focus image are By combining and combining, it is possible to obtain a captured image having an effect equivalent to that obtained when performing soft focus imaging. Then, by taking the out-of-focus image by moving the focus lens in the direction in which the entire image is blurred, it is possible to obtain a photographed image having the same effect as when performing soft focus shooting with the entire image blurred. Can do.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to the example which concerns. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. Understood.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, an image having a soft focus effect is generated by combining two images of a focused image and a non-focused image, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and three or more images are combined. May be. For example, two types of in-focus images may be prepared, and an image having a soft focus effect may be generated by synthesizing three in-focus images and two types of non-focus images. By increasing the number of images to be combined, the soft focus effect can be further enhanced.

  In the first embodiment of the present invention, the scanned images are sequentially stored in the memory 134 at the time of scanning. However, the images obtained by scanning at positions far from the peak position are used for image synthesis. You may make it discard the image which is not used. By discarding images that are not used for image synthesis, the amount of memory 134 used can be saved.

It is explanatory drawing explaining the structure of the imaging device concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing explaining the structure of CPU concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing explaining the autofocus process concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining the imaging method concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the synthesized image concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows another example of the synthesized image concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the relationship between the imaging distance by multi AF concerning the 2nd Embodiment of this invention, and contrast. It is a flowchart explaining the imaging method concerning the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Imaging device 106 Focus lens 108 CMOS element 118 Image composition part 128 CPU
134 Memory 152 Focus Position Detection Unit 154 Appropriate AE Calculation Unit 156 Enlargement / Reduction Processing Unit 158 Effect Setting Unit 160 Composition Ratio Setting Unit

Claims (8)

The focus position of the subject is based on the image of the subject that is sequentially imaged on the imaging surface of the image sensor through the imaging optical system while driving the focus lens included in the imaging optical system in the focus adjustment direction. An imaging unit for detecting
An image storage unit that stores images of the subject sequentially output from the image sensor when the in-focus position is detected;
An effect setting unit that sets a predetermined number of desired non-focus degrees with respect to the in-focus position;
After the image at the in-focus position and the image corresponding to each of the defocus degrees set by the effect setting unit are read from the image storage unit, a plurality of the images including the image at the in-focus position are aligned. And an image composition unit to be synthesized;
An imaging apparatus comprising:   2. The imaging according to claim 1, wherein the image storage unit stores the image of the subject sequentially output from the imaging device when the in-focus position is detected as image data for all pixels. apparatus.   The image storage unit stores only the image at the in-focus position among the images of the subject sequentially output from the imaging element when the in-focus position is detected, as image data for all pixels. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an image other than the image at the focal position is stored as image data obtained by thinning out predetermined pixels. The imaging unit sets a plurality of focus detection positions on the imaging surface of the image sensor, analyzes the focus level obtained from each focus detection position when detecting the focus position,
The image composition unit selects a perspective direction with respect to the in-focus position based on the analysis result of the in-focus level by the imaging unit, and the effect setting unit out of the image of the subject photographed in the selected direction. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an image corresponding to each set non-focal degree is read from the image storage unit. The focus position of the subject is based on the image of the subject that is sequentially imaged on the imaging surface of the image sensor through the imaging optical system while driving the focus lens included in the imaging optical system in the focus adjustment direction. An imaging step to detect;
An image storing step of storing images of the subject sequentially output from the image sensor when the in-focus position is detected;
A predetermined number of desired defocus degrees for the in-focus position are set in advance, and an image at the in-focus position and an image corresponding to each of the set defocus degrees are stored in the image storing step. An image synthesis step of aligning and synthesizing the plurality of images including the image at the in-focus position after reading from the plurality of the images that have been recorded;
The imaging method characterized by including.   6. The imaging according to claim 5, wherein, in the image storing step, the image of the subject sequentially output from the imaging device when the in-focus position is detected is stored as image data for all pixels. Method.   In the image storing step, among the images of the subject sequentially output from the imaging device when the focus position is detected, only the image at the focus position is stored as image data for all the pixels. 6. The imaging method according to claim 5, wherein an image other than the image at the focal position is stored as image data obtained by thinning out predetermined pixels. In the imaging step, a plurality of focus detection positions are set on the imaging surface of the image sensor, and the focus level obtained from each focus detection position when detecting the focus position is analyzed.
In the image composition step, a perspective direction with respect to the in-focus position is selected based on the analysis result of the in-focus level in the imaging step, and the effect setting unit out of the images of the subject photographed in the selected direction. The imaging according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein an image corresponding to each set non-focal degree is read out from the plurality of images stored in the image storing step. Method.