JP2008306747A - Digital camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital camera capable of preventing an image based on photographic image data from becoming an image that is not intended by a photographer. <P>SOLUTION: A digital camera 100 includes: an imaging section 1 for photographing a subject; a system control section 9 which decides whether or not a face is included in the subject, from image data obtained by photographing the subject during photographing preparation operation of the imaging section 1, and outputs mode switching support information, which urges a photographer to switch a photographing mode to other photographing mode, together with notification information for notifying the photographer about it that the photographing mode is not optimal, in accordance with the photographing mode of the imaging section 1 and a result of the decision; and a display section 8. The mode switching support information to be displayed is constituted of the name of a photographing mode to which the current photographing mode is to be switched, and an icon for performing the switching operation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital camera having a function of detecting a face from image data.

  The digital camera can be set to multiple shooting modes depending on the subject to be shot and the shooting situation, such as portrait mode, landscape mode, and night view mode, and it is optimal to set the shooting mode according to the subject to be shot. An image can be obtained. For example, when shooting a person, an optimal image can be obtained by shooting in a person mode in which shooting conditions optimal for shooting a person are set. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a digital camera in which a specific shooting mode is automatically set according to a shooting location and a subject (see Patent Document 1).

JP-A-7-13225

  With a digital camera that can be set to multiple shooting modes, for example, if you shoot a landscape in spite of being set to portrait mode, or if you shoot a person in spite of being set to landscape mode, There is a problem that an image obtained by photographing is different from that intended by the photographer.

  This problem also arises when image processing is performed on image data shot with a digital camera and recorded on a recording medium. For example, if the image data to be processed is captured in the person mode, but the image based on the image data contains only a landscape, image processing suitable for the person mode is performed on the image data. Therefore, the image based on the image data after image processing is different from the image intended by the photographer.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a digital camera capable of preventing an image based on captured image data from becoming an image unintended by the photographer. .

  The digital camera according to the present invention includes a photographing unit that photographs a subject, and a face determination that determines whether the subject includes a face from image data obtained by photographing the subject during a photographing preparation operation of the photographing unit. And output means for outputting notification information for notifying that the shooting mode is not optimal according to the shooting mode of the shooting means and the determination result by the face determination means, and the output means comprises: Along with the notification information, mode switching support information for urging to switch the shooting mode to another shooting mode is output, and the mode switching support information switches to the shooting mode name to be switched and the shooting mode of the shooting mode name. It is comprised with the image for switching operation for performing operation.

  In the digital camera of the present invention, the shooting mode includes a person mode, and the output unit determines that the shooting mode is the person mode, and the face determination unit determines that the subject does not include a face. The notification information and the mode switching support information are output.

  With this configuration, for example, when the shooting mode of the shooting unit is the person mode but the subject does not include a face, notification information for notifying that the person mode is not optimal is output. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the subject from being photographed in a photographing mode that is not suitable for the subject, and it is possible to prevent the photographed image from being unintended by the user. Also, by outputting the mode switching support information for prompting the user to switch the shooting mode to another shooting mode together with the notification information, the user can easily know which shooting mode is optimal, which is convenient for shooting. Can be improved.

  The digital camera of the present invention switches the shooting mode to another shooting mode when an instruction to switch to the other shooting mode is given after the output of the notification information and the mode switching support information by the output means. A mode switching means is provided.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the digital camera which can prevent that the image based on picked-up image data turns into an image which a photographer does not intend can be provided.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a digital camera for explaining a first embodiment of the present invention.

  A digital camera 100 in FIG. 1 includes an imaging unit 1, an analog signal processing unit 2, an A / D conversion unit 3, a driving unit 4, a digital signal processing unit 6, a compression / decompression processing unit 7, and a display unit. 8, a system control unit 9, an internal memory 10, a media interface 11, a recording medium 12, and an operation unit 13. The digital signal processing unit 6, compression / decompression processing unit 7, display unit 8, system control unit 9, internal memory 10, and media interface 11 are connected to a system bus 14.

  The imaging unit 1 captures a subject with an optical system such as a photographing lens, an aperture, and an imaging element such as a CCD image sensor, and outputs an analog imaging signal. The imaging unit 1 performs imaging according to the imaging conditions (such as the imaging lens position, aperture value, shutter speed, etc.) determined by the system control unit 9.

  The analog signal processing unit 2 performs predetermined analog signal processing on the imaging signal obtained by the imaging unit 1. The A / D conversion unit 3 converts the analog signal processed by the analog signal processing unit 2 into a digital signal. The output of the A / D conversion unit 3 is sent to the digital signal processing unit 6 as so-called RAW image data.

At the time of shooting, the imaging unit 1 is controlled via the drive unit 4. A solid-state image sensor such as a CCD image sensor used as an image sensor outputs an analog voltage signal with respect to incident light. The solid-state imaging device is a timing generator (not shown) included in the drive unit 4 at a predetermined timing when a release switch (not shown) is turned on by operating a release button (not shown) which is a part of the operation unit 13. 1 is written by a drive signal from TG).
The drive unit 4 outputs a predetermined drive signal by the system control unit 9.

  The digital signal processing unit 6 performs digital signal processing corresponding to the operation mode set by the operation unit 13 on the digital image data from the A / D conversion unit 3. Digital signal processing includes white balance adjustment processing, gamma correction processing, and the like.

  The compression / decompression processing unit 7 performs compression processing on the Y / C data obtained by the digital signal processing unit 6 and performs decompression processing on the compressed image data obtained from the recording medium 12.

  The display unit 8 includes an LCD display device, for example, and displays an image based on image data that has been photographed and has undergone digital signal processing. An image is also displayed based on the image data obtained by decompressing the compressed image data recorded on the recording medium 12. It is also possible to display a through image at the time of shooting, various states of the digital camera, information on operations, and the like.

  The internal memory 10 is, for example, a DRAM and is used as a work memory for the digital signal processing unit 6 and the system control unit 9, as well as a buffer memory and a display unit for temporarily storing image data recorded on the recording medium 12. 8 is also used as a buffer memory for display image data. The media interface 11 inputs / outputs data to / from a recording medium 12 such as a memory card.

  The operation unit 13 performs various operations when using the digital camera, and includes a release button.

  The system control unit 9 is mainly configured by a processor that operates according to a predetermined program, and controls the entire digital camera 100 including a photographing operation.

  The system control unit 9 determines whether or not the subject includes a face from image data obtained by photographing the subject with the imaging unit 1 during the photographing preparation operation of the imaging unit 1. The system control unit 9 detects a face area from the image data by face detection processing, and if the detected face area has a faceness degree exceeding a threshold value, the subject is included in the face. If no object exceeds the threshold, it is determined that the subject does not include a face. The face detection process can be performed by a known technique such as a template matching process.

  In the shooting preparation operation, for example, when the release button is half-pressed and the system control unit 9 determines the shooting condition of the imaging unit 1 based on the image signal from the imaging unit 1, or the user sets a predetermined shooting mode. This shows that the through image is being displayed on the display unit 8 after the setting. That is, the system control unit 9 performs the above determination when the release button is half-pressed, or always performs the above determination while the through image is displayed.

  The system control unit 9 determines the shooting mode set in the imaging unit 1. Shooting modes that can be set with the digital camera 100 include a person mode that is optimal for capturing a person, a landscape mode that is optimal for capturing a landscape, a night view mode that is optimal for capturing a night view, and a sports scene. Sports mode that is most suitable for the camera, and a fully automatic mode that is up to the camera. The digital camera 100 has different shooting conditions for each of these shooting modes.

  The system control unit 9 provides notification information for notifying that the currently set shooting mode is not optimal according to the determination result of whether or not the subject includes a face and the determined shooting mode. Output to the display unit 8. The system control unit 9 may generate notification information and output it to the display unit 8, or may read out notification information stored in the internal memory 10 and output it to the display unit 8. .

  After outputting the notification information, the system control unit 9 switches the set shooting mode to another shooting mode.

Hereinafter, the operation of the digital camera 100 will be described.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an operation flow of the digital camera for explaining the first embodiment of the present invention.
When one of the shooting modes is set by the user (S201) and the release button is pressed halfway to start the shooting preparation operation (S202), the digital camera 100 determines the shooting mode set in S201. .

  When the shooting mode is the person mode (S203: YES), the digital camera 100 determines whether or not a face is included in the subject being shot by the imaging unit 1. When the subject does not include a face (S204: NO), the system control unit 9 of the digital camera 100 outputs notification information to the display unit 8. Thereby, the message based on the notification information is displayed on the display unit 8 (S205). A screen display example of the display unit 8 at this time is shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the display unit 8 displays a message such as “The person mode is set. This mode is not optimal”.

  After the message shown in FIG. 3 is displayed, the digital camera 100 switches the portrait mode set in S201 to the landscape mode (S206). When the release button is fully pressed, the subject is photographed under photographing conditions corresponding to the landscape mode, the image data obtained by photographing is recorded on the recording medium 12, and the photographing operation is terminated.

  On the other hand, if the shooting mode is not the portrait mode (S203: NO) and the landscape mode is selected (S207: YES) in S203, the digital camera 100 determines whether the subject being shot by the imaging unit 1 includes a face. Determine whether. When the subject includes a face (S208: YES), the system control unit 9 of the digital camera 100 outputs notification information to the display unit 8. Thereby, a message based on the notification information is displayed on the display unit 8 (S209). The message displayed here is, for example, “Scenery mode. This mode is not optimal”.

  After displaying the message, the digital camera 100 switches the landscape mode set in S201 to the portrait mode (S210). When the release button is fully pressed, the subject is photographed under photographing conditions corresponding to the person mode, the image data obtained by photographing is recorded on the recording medium 12, and the photographing operation is terminated.

  As described above, according to the digital camera 100, when the subject mode is set and the subject does not include a face (no person), the portrait mode is not the optimum shooting mode. Is notified to the user and the portrait mode is switched to the landscape mode. For this reason, it is possible to eliminate the situation that the landscape is photographed under the photographing conditions when the portrait mode is set, and it is possible to prevent the photographed image from being unintended by the user.

  Also, according to the digital camera 100, when the landscape mode is set, but the subject includes a face (a person is present), the fact that the landscape mode is not the optimum shooting mode is used. The landscape mode is switched to the portrait mode. For this reason, it is possible to prevent a person from being photographed under the photographing conditions when the landscape mode is set, and it is possible to prevent the photographed image from being unintended by the user.

  In the present embodiment, the example in which the portrait mode is switched to the landscape mode in S206 of FIG. 2 has been described, but the portrait mode may be switched to a shooting mode other than the landscape mode. Similarly, in S210, the landscape mode may be switched to a shooting mode other than the portrait mode. The switching destination shooting mode may be determined by the system control unit 9 according to the subject, or may be set by the user.

  In this embodiment, the shooting mode is forcibly switched. However, the shooting mode may be switched after an instruction from the user is given. In this case, in the case of S204: NO, information that prompts the user to switch the person mode to the landscape mode is generated by the system control unit 9, and the generated information is output to the display unit 8 together with the notification information. A screen display example of the display unit 8 in this case is shown in FIG.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the display unit 8 displays a message with the content “People mode. This mode is not optimal. Do you want to switch to landscape mode?”. Then, the system control unit 9 switches the shooting mode only when the icon on the screen is operated by the user and YES is selected. Thereby, the process according to a user's intention can be performed.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as a result of performing the face detection process in S204 or S208 of FIG. 2, a frame indicating a face area whose facialness exceeds a threshold value is displayed on the through image displayed on the display unit 8. You may do it. A screen display example of the display unit 8 in this case is shown in FIG. Thus, when the system control unit 9 erroneously determines that a face that is not a human face is a face, it can be confirmed.

  In the present embodiment, when the determination is made in S208, the system control unit 9 determines whether or not a face is included only in the vicinity of the center of the subject being imaged by the imaging unit 1. It is preferable to do this. If the subject is a face and the face is not the main subject even when the landscape mode is set, it is not preferable to switch the shooting mode from the landscape mode to the portrait mode. Whether or not the face is the main subject can be determined by whether or not the face is near the center of the subject, so it can be used by determining whether there is a face only in the vicinity of the center as described above. Notification to the person can be performed more accurately.

  In the present embodiment, the face detection processing performed by the system control unit 9 may be performed by the digital signal processing unit 6.

(Second embodiment)
In the digital camera 200 of the present embodiment, the system control unit 9 of the digital camera 100 shown in FIG.

  On the recording medium 12 of the digital camera 200, image data obtained by shooting by the imaging unit 1 and shooting mode determination information for determining a shooting mode at the time of shooting the image data are recorded in association with each other. ing.

  The system control unit 20 of the digital camera 200 is mainly configured by a processor that operates according to a predetermined program, and controls the entire digital camera 200 including a photographing operation.

  The system control unit 20 of the digital camera 200 determines from the image data recorded on the recording medium 12 whether a face is included in an image based on the image data. The system control unit 20 detects a face area from the image data by face detection processing, and when the detected face area has a faceness degree exceeding a threshold value, the subject is included in the face. If no object exceeds the threshold, it is determined that the subject does not include a face. The face detection process can be performed by a known technique such as a template matching process.

  The system control unit 20 of the digital camera 200 uses the shooting mode determination information recorded on the recording medium 12 to determine the shooting mode at the time of shooting image data.

  The digital signal processing unit 6 of the digital camera 200 performs image processing (white balance adjustment, contour correction, and gradation) on the image data recorded on the recording medium 12 according to the shooting mode determined by the system control unit 20. Correction). The digital signal processing unit 6 changes the image processing corresponding to the shooting mode to image processing corresponding to another shooting mode according to the shooting mode determined by the system control unit 20 and the determination result. The image processing according to the shooting mode is to perform image processing under an image processing condition (gamma correction value or the like) suitable for the shooting mode. For example, in the case of the portrait mode, the gradation is softened. Image processing is performed under image processing conditions.

Hereinafter, the operation of the digital camera 200 will be described.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an operation flow of the digital camera for explaining the second embodiment of the present invention, and an operation flow when the user performs image processing on the image data recorded on the recording medium 12. FIG.

  When the image processing instruction is given by the user, the system control unit 20 of the digital camera 200 reads the designated image data from the recording medium 12 (S601), and shooting mode discrimination information associated with the read image data. From this, the shooting mode at the time of shooting the image data is determined.

  When the shooting mode is the person mode (S602: YES), the digital camera 200 determines whether or not a face is included in the image based on the image data. If the face is not included in the image (S603: NO), the digital camera 200 changes the image processing condition from the condition corresponding to the person mode to the condition corresponding to the landscape mode (S604). Then, the image data is subjected to image processing under the changed image processing conditions (S605), the processed image data is recorded on the recording medium 12, and the processing is terminated.

  On the other hand, when the shooting mode is not the portrait mode (S602: NO) and the landscape mode is selected (S606: YES), the digital camera 200 determines whether a face is included in the image based on the image data.

  If a face is included in the image (S607: YES), the digital camera 200 changes the image processing condition from the condition corresponding to the landscape mode to the condition corresponding to the person mode (S608). Then, the image data is subjected to image processing under the changed image processing conditions (S605), the processed image data is recorded on the recording medium 12, and the processing is terminated.

  As described above, according to the digital camera 200, when the face is not included in the image based on the image data (there is no person) despite the image data shot in the person mode, the image processing is performed. The image processing is performed by changing the condition from the condition corresponding to the person mode to the condition corresponding to the landscape mode. For this reason, an unintended image is not generated by image processing according to a shooting mode that is not suitable for an image based on image data, and an optimal image can be generated.

  Also, according to the digital camera 200, if the image based on the image data includes a face (has a person) even though the image data was captured in the landscape mode, The image processing is performed by changing the condition from the condition corresponding to the landscape mode to the condition corresponding to the person mode. For this reason, an unintended image is not generated by image processing according to a shooting mode that is not suitable for an image based on image data, and an optimal image can be generated.

  In the present embodiment, the example in which the image processing condition according to the person mode is switched to the image processing condition according to the landscape mode in S604 in FIG. 6 has been described. However, the image processing condition according to the person mode is other than the landscape mode. The image processing conditions may be switched according to the shooting mode. Similarly, in S608, the image processing condition corresponding to the landscape mode may be switched to the image processing condition corresponding to the shooting mode other than the portrait mode. The switching-destination shooting mode may be determined by the system control unit 20 according to the image data, or may be set by the user.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as a result of performing the face detection process in S603 or S607 of FIG. 6, a frame indicating a face area whose face-likeness exceeds the threshold value is displayed on the through image displayed on the display unit 8. You may do it. A screen display example of the display unit 8 in this case is shown in FIG. Thereby, when the system control unit 20 erroneously determines that a face that is not a human face is a face, it can be confirmed.

In the present embodiment, when the determination is made in S607, the system control unit 20 determines whether or not a face is included only in the vicinity of the center of the image based on the image data. preferable.
Even if a face is included in an image shot in the landscape mode, if the face is not the main subject, it is preferable to perform image processing under image processing conditions corresponding to the landscape mode. Whether or not the face is the main subject can be determined by determining whether or not the face is near the center of the image, so it is possible to shoot by determining whether or not there is a face only in the vicinity of the center as described above. The image processing conditions can be changed more accurately according to the mode.

  In the present embodiment, the face detection process performed by the system control unit 20 may be performed by the digital signal processing unit 6.

  In this embodiment, the digital camera has been described as an example. However, the same effect can be obtained by executing the program executed by the system control unit 20 on a computer. A similar effect can be obtained by executing the above program in a printer having an image processing function.

The figure which shows schematic structure of the digital camera for describing 1st embodiment of this invention The figure which shows the operation | movement flow of the digital camera for describing 1st embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the example of a screen display of a display part The figure which shows the example of a screen display of a display part The figure which shows the example of a screen display of a display part The figure which shows the operation | movement flow of the digital camera for describing 2nd embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image pick-up part 2 Analog signal processing part 3 A / D conversion part 4 Drive part 6 Digital signal processing part 7 Compression / decompression processing part 8 Display part 9 System control part 10 Internal memory 11 Media interface 12 Recording medium 13 Operation part 14 System bus

Claims (3)

Photographing means for photographing the subject;
Face determination means for determining whether or not the subject includes a face from image data obtained by shooting the subject during the shooting preparation operation of the shooting means;
Output means for outputting notification information for notifying that the shooting mode is not optimal according to the shooting mode of the shooting means and the determination result by the face determination means;
The output means outputs mode switching support information for urging to switch the shooting mode to another shooting mode together with the notification information;
The mode switching support information is a digital camera including a shooting mode name to be switched and a switching operation image for performing an operation of switching to the shooting mode of the shooting mode name. The digital camera according to claim 1,
The shooting mode includes a person mode,
The output means outputs the notification information and the mode switching support information when the shooting mode is the person mode and the face determination means determines that the subject does not include a face. A digital camera. The digital camera according to claim 1 or 2,
A digital camera comprising mode switching means for switching the shooting mode to another shooting mode when an instruction to switch to the other shooting mode is given after the output of the notification information and the mode switching support information by the output means.

Images