JP2009010472A - Imaging device and program thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging device and a program thereof that improve decision precision of the kind of a subject. <P>SOLUTION: A display control unit 101 of a CPU 10 displays a photography instruction message and a template, prompting a user to photograph a part as a feature characteristic of the kind of a selected subject, corresponding to the kind of the subject at an image display unit 15 (S43). Through the display of the template, the user can determine a composition such that the displayed feature part is photographed. A shutter release button is pressed (Y at S44), and based upon image data on the feature part photographed as a still picture at S45, it is decided whether or not the photographed subject is of the kind of the selected subject (S46). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging device and a program thereof, and more particularly, to an imaging device and a program thereof that determine the type of a subject.

  In recent years, in an imaging apparatus such as an electronic camera, a technique has been developed in which the type of a subject is determined by image recognition, and the name and description of the determined subject are displayed. (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-270137

  However, with conventional techniques, for example, grass and flowers are often very similar even if they are of different types.In such cases, the type of subject may be erroneously determined, The situation that the kind cannot be judged has been invited.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus and a program for improving the accuracy of determining the type of subject.

In order to achieve the above object, an image pickup apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention includes an image pickup means for picking up an image of a subject using an image pickup element,
A selection means for selecting a subject;
Display control means for performing display for prompting photographing of a part of the subject, which differs depending on the subject selected by the selection means;
First subject determination means for determining the type of subject based on the image data of the part imaged by the imaging means in accordance with the prompting of imaging of the part displayed by the display control means;
It is provided with.

For example, as described in claim 2, the selection unit includes:
Select the subject category,
The display control means includes
Different displays may be displayed depending on the category of the subject selected by the selection means to prompt the photographing of the part of the subject.

For example, as described in claim 3, the selection unit includes:
Select the type of subject,
The display control means includes
A display for prompting photographing of the part of the subject, which differs depending on the type of the subject selected by the selection means, may be performed.

For example, as described in claim 4, the display control unit includes:
You may make it perform the display which encourages imaging | photography of the site | part used as the characteristic of the kind of to-be-photographed object selected by the said selection means.

For example, as described in claim 5, the display control means includes
By displaying different templates and / or messages depending on the subject selected by the selection means, a display for prompting photographing of the part of the subject may be performed.

For example, as described in claim 6, the display control unit includes:
You may make it perform the display which encourages imaging | photography of at least 1 or more site | part.

For example, as described in claim 7, the display control unit includes:
Depending on the subject selected by the selection means, the number of parts for performing the display for prompting photographing may be varied.

Further, for example, as described in claim 8, the first subject determination unit includes:
When the display control means performs a display prompting imaging of a plurality of parts, the image data of all parts imaged by the imaging means is displayed according to the display prompting imaging of the part displayed by the display control means. Based on this, the type of subject may be determined.

Further, for example, as described in claim 9, the first subject determination unit includes:
In the case where the display controller prompts the imaging of a plurality of parts, the image data of the part first imaged by the imaging unit is displayed according to the display prompting the imaging of the part displayed by the display controller. The type of the subject is determined based on the display, and if the type of the subject cannot be determined, the display control means is configured to display the portion displayed by the display control unit until the type of the subject can be determined. The type of the subject may be determined based on the image data of each part that is subsequently imaged by the imaging means.

Further, for example, as described in claim 10, based on the image data of the entire subject imaged by the imaging unit before the display control unit prompts the imaging of the region, A second object determining means for determining the type;
The display control means and the first subject determination means are
The operation may be executed when the type of subject cannot be determined by the second subject determining means.

In addition, for example, as described in claim 11, a list display control means for displaying a list of a plurality of subjects is provided,
The selection means includes
An arbitrary subject may be selected from a plurality of subjects displayed in a list by the list display control means in accordance with a user operation.

For example, as described in claim 12, the list display control unit includes:
Only the subjects in the order of subjects determined to have a high degree of coincidence by the second subject judging means or only subjects having a high degree of coincidence may be displayed in a list.

For example, as described in claim 13, the selection unit includes:
The subject may be selected based on image recognition for the image data captured by the imaging means.

In order to achieve the above object, a program according to the invention described in claim 14 includes an imaging process for imaging a subject using an imaging device;
A selection process for selecting a subject,
Display control processing for performing display for prompting photographing of a portion of the subject, which differs depending on the subject selected by the selection processing;
Subject determination processing for determining the type of subject based on image data of the part imaged by the imaging process in accordance with the prompting of imaging of the part displayed by the display control process;
And each of the above processes is executed by a computer.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the accuracy of determining the type of subject.

Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as an example in which the imaging apparatus of the present invention is applied to a digital camera.
[Embodiment]
A. Configuration of Digital Camera FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic electrical configuration of a digital camera 1 that implements the imaging apparatus of the present invention.
The digital camera 1 includes a photographing lens 2, a lens driving block 3, an aperture 4, a CCD 5, a driver 6, a TG (timing generator) 7, a unit circuit 8, an image generation unit 9, a CPU 10, a key input unit 11, a memory 12, a DRAM 13, A flash memory 14, an image display unit 15, and a bus 16 are provided.

  The photographing lens 2 includes a focus lens, a zoom lens, and the like that are constituted by a plurality of lens groups (not shown). A lens driving block 3 is connected to the photographing lens 2. The lens driving block 3 includes a focus motor and a zoom motor that drive the focus lens and the zoom lens along the optical axis direction, respectively, and a focus motor driver that drives the focus motor and the zoom motor according to a control signal sent from the CPU 10. And a zoom motor driver (not shown).

The diaphragm 4 includes a drive circuit (not shown), and the drive circuit operates the diaphragm 4 in accordance with a control signal sent from the CPU 10.
The diaphragm 4 is a mechanism that controls the amount of light that enters from the photographing lens 2.

  The CCD 5 is driven by the driver 6 and photoelectrically converts the intensity of light of each color of the RGB value of the subject image for every fixed period and outputs it to the unit circuit 8 as an imaging signal. The operation timing of the driver 6 and the unit circuit 8 is controlled by the CPU 10 via the TG 7. The CCD 5 has a Bayer color filter and also functions as an electronic shutter. The shutter speed of the electronic shutter is controlled by the CPU 10 via the driver 6 and TG7.

  A TG 7 is connected to the unit circuit 8, a CDS (Correlated Double Sampling) circuit that holds the imaged signal output from the CCD 5 by correlated double sampling, and an AGC that performs automatic gain adjustment of the imaged signal after the sampling. An (Automatic Gain Control) circuit and an A / D converter that converts an analog image pickup signal after the automatic gain adjustment into a digital signal, the image pickup signal output from the CCD 5 passes through the unit circuit 8 as a digital signal. It is sent to the image generator 9.

  The image generation unit 9 performs processing such as γ correction processing and white balance processing on the image data sent from the unit circuit 8, generates a luminance color difference signal (YUV data), and generates the generated luminance color difference. The image data of the signal is stored in the DRAM 13 (buffer memory). That is, the image generation unit 9 performs image processing on the image data output from the CCD 5.

The CPU 10 has functions of performing imaging control to the CCD 5, recording processing of image data stored in the buffer memory to the flash memory 14, display processing of image data stored in the buffer memory, and each part of the digital camera 1 It is a one-chip microcomputer to control.
In particular, the CPU 10 includes a display control unit 101 that displays a shooting instruction message and a template on the image display unit 15, and a subject determination unit 102 that determines the type of subject based on the captured image data.

  The key input unit 11 includes a plurality of operation keys such as a shutter button, a mode switching key, a cross key, a SET key, and a cancel key, and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the user's key operation to the CPU 10.

The memory 12 stores a control program and necessary data necessary for the CPU 10 to control each unit, and the CPU 10 operates according to the program. The memory 12 is a rewritable nonvolatile memory.
In particular, the memory 12 stores a category database and a category database.

  FIG. 2A is a diagram showing an example of a state of the category database recorded in the memory 12. As can be seen from FIG. 2A, the subject category (flower, insect, animal (trait) , Mainly a mammal animal other than a human such as a horse, an elephant, etc.)), etc.) for each part of the category, and a photography instruction message and a template for encouraging the whole subject of the category to be photographed. For example, in the case of a flower, a shooting instruction message and a template for each part of the whole flower such as a flower, a stem, and a leaf are set.

The number of parts of the subject to be photographed by the photographing instruction message for each part and the template varies depending on the category of the subject. For example, in the case of a flower, three parts (here, parts of a flower, a stem, and a leaf) ) Is set, a shooting instruction message is set to shoot four parts for insects, and a shooting instruction message is set to shoot three parts for animals. Has been.
Although the number of parts differs depending on the category of the subject, the number of parts may be made uniform regardless of the category of the subject.

The type database is recorded in the memory 12 for each category of subject (flower, insect, animal, person, bird, fish, etc.), and FIG. 2B is recorded in the memory 12. It is a figure which shows an example of the mode of the classification database of a flower.
As can be seen from FIG. 2 (B), in the flower type database, for each type of flower (rose, cosmos, chrysanthemum, etc.), feature data (including flowers, stems and leaves) of the whole flower (whole) Feature data), feature data for each part of the flower (here, each part of the flower, stem, and leaf), feature data of the part that is a feature of the flower (feature part feature data), and a feature part that prompts photographing of the feature part Shooting instruction messages and templates, flower sample image data, and flower explanation data are set. Similarly for the category database of other subject categories, the data as shown in FIG. 2B, that is, for each type, the entire feature data, the feature data for each part, the feature part feature data, the feature part A shooting instruction message, template, sample image, and explanation data are set.

  The template and message are information for prompting photographing, and will be described in detail later. Further, the number of parts of the subject to be photographed by the photographing instruction message for each part and the template set for each category of the subject in FIG. 2A and the part-by-part set in the type database for each category. The number of parts of the feature data is the same number in the same category. For example, when the category of the subject is a flower and the number of parts to be photographed by the photographing instruction message for each part of the flower and the template set in the category database is three, the flower type database The number of the site-specific feature data set is also 3 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B).

The DRAM 13 is used as a buffer memory for temporarily storing image data sent to the CPU 10 after being imaged by the CCD 5 and also as a working memory for the CPU 10.
The flash memory 14 is a recording medium that stores compressed image data.

  The image display unit 15 includes a color LCD and its driving circuit, and displays the subject imaged by the CCD 5 as a through image when in a shooting standby state, and is read out from the flash memory 14 and decompressed when a recorded image is reproduced. The recorded image is displayed.

B. Operation of Digital Camera 1 The operation of the digital camera 1 in the embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

  When the subject determination mode is set by the user's operation of the mode switching key of the key input unit 11, the process proceeds to step S <b> 1, and the CPU 10 starts imaging by the CCD 5, and is sequentially captured by the CCD 5 and generated by the image generation unit 9. A so-called through image display is performed in which frame image data (YUV data) of luminance color difference signals is stored in a buffer memory (DRAM 13), and an image based on the stored frame image data is displayed on the image display unit 15. Start.

  Next, in step S2, the CPU 10 acquires the names of the categories of the subject (names of flowers, insects, animals, etc.) from the category database recorded in the memory 12, and displays a list of the acquired names as a through image. Overlay the display (display the list). Here, the list of category names may be displayed so that the through image displayed by the list display is not hidden, or may be displayed in one area of the image display unit 15. May be.

Next, in step S3, the CPU 10 determines whether or not any one subject category has been designated by the user.
Here, the user can designate one of the subject categories by operating the cross key and the SET key while looking at the names of the subject categories displayed in the list, and this series of operations is supported. When the operation signal to be sent is sent from the key input unit 11, it is determined that the category is designated. Thereby, the category of the subject to be photographed by the user can be freely designated (selected).

If it is determined in step S3 that the subject category is not specified, the process stays in step S3 until it is specified. If it is determined that the subject category is specified, the process proceeds to step S4, and the CPU 10 determines the category of the specified subject. Select.
Next, in step S5, the display control unit 101 of the CPU 10 reads out a shooting instruction message and a template for prompting shooting of the entire subject corresponding to the selected subject category from the database by category shown in FIG. Then, it is displayed so as to overlap the through image (superimposed display). The contents of the photographing message and the template are contents prompting to photograph the whole subject of the selected category. Here, since the image of the flower is taken, it is assumed that the user has selected and selected the flower as the category of the subject.

FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating an example of a shooting instruction message and a template that are displayed when a flower is selected as a subject category.
FIG. 7A shows that a message “Please shoot the entire flower according to the displayed flower template” and a template for the entire flower are displayed. Since the entire flower displayed in the template is the entire general flower (the entire arbitrary flower), the flower displayed in the template and the flower actually captured and displayed in the through image may not be the same.

  Here, the user roughly matches the entire flower displayed in the through image with the entire flower displayed in the template while viewing the template of the displayed entire flower. That is, the position of the digital camera 1 is changed so that the currently imaged flower, stem, and leaf match the position of the flower, stem, and leaf displayed on the template. By displaying this template, the composition such as the imaging position (display position) of the subject currently being imaged is roughly determined.

Next, in step S6, the CPU 10 determines whether or not the shutter button has been pressed by the user. This determination is made based on whether or not an operation signal corresponding to pressing of the shutter button has been sent to the key input unit 11.
Here, the user presses the shutter button when it is determined that the subject displayed in the through image (the subject being imaged) is approximately aligned with the subject displayed in the template.

  If it is determined in step S6 that the shutter button is not pressed, the process stays in step S6 until the shutter button is pressed. If it is determined that the shutter button is pressed, the process proceeds to step S7, and the CPU 10 performs still image shooting processing.

  Next, in step S8, the subject determination unit 102 of the CPU 10 performs subject type determination processing based on the image data obtained by the still image shooting processing. This type determination process will be briefly described. Specifically, what kind of subject has been photographed is determined using each type of overall feature data set in the category category database set in step S4. Judgment. Note that this subject type determination processing is a kind of image recognition processing because the type of subject is determined by recognizing captured still image data.

Hereinafter, the operation of the subject type determination process in step S8 will be described with reference to the sub-flowchart shown in FIG. Note that the sub-flowchart of FIG. 6 includes an explanation of the operation of the subject type determination process in step S28 described later.
When the process proceeds to step S8, the process proceeds to step S51 in FIG. 6, and the subject determination unit 102 extracts a plurality of features of the photographed subject from the photographed still image data, the shape and color of those features, and these features. The data (characteristic data) such as the relative positional relationship is calculated. Here, since the whole flower is photographed, the feature data of the whole photographed flower is calculated. That is, feature data such as the petal shape, the number of petals, the petal color, the leaf shape, the leaf color, and the overall flower shape are calculated.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S52, where the subject determination unit 102 acquires each type of overall feature data belonging to the category of the subject selected in step S4 from the type database. Here, since the flower is selected as the category of the subject, the entire feature data of each type of flower is acquired from the flower type database shown in FIG.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S53, where the subject determination unit 102 compares the calculated feature data of the entire photographed flower with the acquired overall feature data of each type, and determines the degree of coincidence (similarity). calculate. That is, the calculated feature data of the flower, such as the calculated feature data of the flower and the overall feature data of the rose, the calculated feature data of the flower and the overall feature data of the cosmos, the calculated feature data of the flower and the overall feature data of the chrysanthemum And each type of global feature data are compared and collated. The degree of coincidence with the data is calculated.

  Here, the degree of coincidence when the calculated feature data and the acquired whole feature data completely coincide is 100%, and the degree of coincidence decreases as the feature data of both of them deviate. . In other words, the overall feature data having a higher degree of coincidence with the calculated feature data has a higher probability that a subject of the type corresponding to the overall feature data has been shot.

Next, the process proceeds to step S54, and the subject determination unit 102 determines whether or not the highest matching degree among the calculated matching degrees is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (in this case, 90%).
If it is determined in step S54 that the highest matching degree among the calculated matching degrees is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the process proceeds to step S55, and the subject determination unit 102 corresponds to the entire feature data determined to have the highest matching degree. The type of the subject to be photographed is determined as the type of the photographed subject. In other words, the type of flower corresponding to the feature data of the photographed flower and the overall feature data having the highest degree of coincidence is determined as the kind of photographed flower.
On the other hand, if it is determined in step S54 that the highest matching degree among the calculated matching degrees is not equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step S56, and the subject determination unit 102 determines that the type of the subject is unknown.

  When the determination is made in step S55 or step S56, the process proceeds to step S9 in FIG. 3, and the CPU 10 determines whether or not the type of subject has been determined. At this time, if it is determined in step S55, it is determined that the type of the subject can be determined, and if it is determined in step S56, it is determined that the type of the subject cannot be determined.

If it is determined in step S9 that the type of the subject has been determined, the process proceeds to step S10, where the CPU 10 acquires the description data of the determined type of the subject from the type database, and the acquired description data is displayed in the image display unit. 15 is displayed. At this time, the captured still image data may be displayed as a preview and the explanation data may be displayed in a superimposed manner.
For example, when it is determined that the type of the subject is rose, the explanation data of the rose is acquired from the type database shown in FIG. 2B, and the acquired explanation data is displayed.

This explanation data is so-called dictionary data, and is composed of information indicating the explanation of each type of subject for each type of subject. For example, the description of roses is as follows: “Rosaceae Flowering time: Around May to November, roses or thorns are a generic term for thorny trees. Since ancient times, it has been regarded as a symbol of prosperity and love.Hana language: I am worthy of you, brilliant, caress, beauty.
As for the explanation of Cosmos, “Cosmos Chrysanthemum Flowering Period: Around July-December Mexico. It is the representative flower of autumn and is also called autumn cherry. The early ones begin to bloom during the summer. It is derived from a word that means “order, decoration, and beauty.” Hanago: The maiden's heart, love, and warmth.

Returning to the description of the flowchart, if it is determined in step S9 that the type of subject has not been determined, the process proceeds to step S21 in FIG. 4, and the CPU 10 displays a list of candidate subject types. In this list display, the names of subject types and sample images are displayed in descending order of the degree of coincidence calculated in step S53 in FIG. 6, or only the names and sample images of subject types with a high degree of coincidence calculated are displayed. Display. Thus, the user can immediately view a type of subject that has a high probability of being a photographed subject, and can quickly specify the type of subject to be described later.
Note that all kinds of names and sample images belonging to the category of the subject selected in step S4 may be displayed in a list.

FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating an example of the types of subjects displayed in a list. Here, since flowers are selected as the subject category in step S4, the types of subjects displayed as a list are naturally the types of flowers. As can be seen from the figure, the name of each type of flower and the flower image (sample image) are listed. The name and sample image of each type of flower are acquired from the type database shown in FIG. 2B and displayed.
At this time, the name of the flower displayed on the top and the sample image are displayed in a state where the cursor is set. Looking at the figure, you can see that the cursor is positioned on the rose displayed at the top and the sample image.

  Next, in step S22, the CPU 10 determines whether or not the type of subject has been designated by the user. In this determination, when an operation signal corresponding to the operation of the SET key is sent from the key input unit 11, it is determined that the type of the subject has been designated, and an operation signal corresponding to the operation of the cancel key is sent from the key input unit 11. When it is displayed, it is determined that the subject type is not specified.

If the user can estimate the type of the photographed subject (here, the type of flower) to some extent while looking at the name of the subject type (here, the type of flower) and the sample image displayed on the list, The type is designated, and when the type of the photographed subject cannot be estimated, the type of the subject is not designated.
In addition, the operation of specifying the type of subject by the user will be described. The cursor can be moved to the type of subject to be specified by operating the cross key while looking at the types of subjects displayed in the list. If the SET key is operated when the cursor is placed on the type of subject to be desired, the type of subject on which the cursor is placed can be designated. Thereby, the user can arbitrarily select the type of subject being photographed.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the cursor key is moved to a rose and the “↓” key of the cross key is operated, the cursor moves from rose to begonia, and then the “↓” key of the cross key. The cursor moves from Begonia to Tulip. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the SET key is selected while the cursor is aligned with the rose, the rose is designated, and when the SET key is operated while the cursor is aligned with the begonia, the begonia is operated. Will be specified.

Here, the list display is performed by displaying a list of subject type names and sample images, but the subject type name and sample images may be displayed alone.
For example, when the list displayed as shown in FIG. 7B is displayed alone, first, the sample image of the rose and its name are displayed alone. Then, the sample image and its name to be displayed are sequentially switched such that the begonia sample image and its name are displayed as a single unit, and then the tulip sample image and its name are displayed as a single unit. This switching may be performed by the user's operation of the cross key, or may be performed automatically after displaying for a predetermined time. Then, when the type of the subject is displayed alone, the user can specify the type of the subject displayed alone by operating the SET key.

  If it is determined in step S22 of FIG. 4 that the type of subject is not designated, that is, if an operation signal corresponding to the operation of the cancel key is sent from the key input unit 11, the process proceeds to step S23, and the CPU 10 The mode shifts to the part-specific imaging mode and the through image display is started.

Next, in step S24, the display control unit 101 of the CPU 10 selects the part 1 and proceeds to step S25, and the display control unit 101 of the CPU 10 captures an imaging instruction message for the selected part of the subject category selected in step S4. And the template is read out from the imaging instruction message for each part and the template in the database for each category, and is displayed superimposed on the through image.
Here, since the flower is selected, for example, when the part 1 is selected, the imaging instruction message and the template of the part 1 corresponding to the flower are superimposed and displayed on the through image. Here, site 1 is a flower, site 2 is a stem, and site 3 is a leaf. Note that the location of the part varies depending on the category of the subject. For example, even if it is the same part 1, if the subject category is a flower, it will be a flower, and if the subject category is an animal, it will be a head.

FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating an example of a photographing instruction message and a template that are displayed when the category of the selected subject is a flower and the selected part is the part 1.
FIG. 8A shows that a message “Please shoot a flower according to the displayed flower template” and a flower template are displayed. Since the flowers displayed in the template are general flowers (arbitrary flowers), the flowers displayed in the template and the flowers actually captured and displayed in the through image may not be the same.
Here, the user roughly matches the flower displayed in the through image with the flower displayed in the template while viewing the displayed flower template. By this template display, the composition such as the imaging position (display position) of the subject currently being imaged is roughly determined.

Next, in step S26, the CPU 10 determines whether or not the shutter button has been pressed by the user. Here, the user presses the shutter button when it is determined that the part of the subject displayed in the through image is approximately aligned with the part of the subject displayed in the template.
If it is determined in step S26 that the shutter button is not pressed, the process stays in step S26 until the button is pressed. If it is determined that the shutter button is pressed, the process proceeds to step S27, and the CPU 10 performs a still image shooting process.

Next, in step S28, the subject determination unit 102 performs subject type determination processing based on the still image data obtained by the photographing processing. The determination process here will be briefly described. “What is the imaged subject?” Using the feature data of each type of part set in the category category database set in step S4. Is specifically determined.
The operation of the subject type determination process is the same as that of the sub-flowchart shown in FIG. 6, but the subject type determination process here is performed by comparing and collating with the entire feature data of each type from the type database described above. Rather than calculating the degree of coincidence, the degree of coincidence is calculated by comparing with the feature data of each type of part in the type database.

  Specifically, first, in step S51 of FIG. 6, the subject determination unit 102 extracts a plurality of features of the captured subject from the captured still image data, the shape and color of those features, and Data such as the relative positional relationship of features (feature data) is calculated. Here, since the part selected at step S24 or step S32 (the part currently selected) is photographed, the feature data of the part is calculated. For example, when the part 1 (flower) is imaged, feature data such as the shape of the petal, the number of petals, and the color of the petals are calculated.

Next, in step S52, the subject determination unit 102 uses the feature data of the part selected in step S24 or step S32 (currently selected) as the feature data for each part in the category type database of the subject selected in step S4. Get everything from the data. That is, the feature data of the part selected in step S24 or step S32 for each type belonging to the category of the subject selected in step S4 is acquired.
Here, since the flower is selected in step S4, for example, when the part 1 is selected, the part 1 of each type of flower is obtained from the part-specific feature data in the flower type database shown in FIG. Get feature data.

Next, in step S53, the subject determination unit 102 is selected in step S24 or step S32 of the feature data of the part selected in step S24 or step S32 calculated in step S51 and each type acquired in step S52. The feature data of the parts thus compared are compared and the degree of coincidence (similarity) is calculated, and then the operations of step 54 to step S56 are performed. For example, when the part 1 is selected, the feature data of the photographed part 1 (flower) and the feature data of each type of part 1 (flower) are compared and collated.
In addition, since the operation | movement of step S54-step S56 is not different from the operation | movement mentioned above here, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  If the determination is made in step S55 or step S56, the process proceeds to step S29 in FIG. 4, and the CPU 10 determines whether or not the type of subject has been determined. At this time, if it is determined in step S55, it is determined that the type of the subject can be determined, and if it is determined in step S56, it is determined that the type of the subject cannot be determined.

  If it is determined in step S29 that the type of the subject has been determined, the process proceeds to step S10 in FIG. 3, and the CPU 10 acquires the determined description data of the type of the subject from the type database, and uses the acquired description data. The image is displayed on the image display unit 15. At this time, the captured still image data may be displayed as a preview and the explanation data may be displayed in a superimposed manner.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S29 that the type of subject could not be determined, the process proceeds to step S30, and the CPU 10 determines whether or not the last part has been imaged. Since the number of parts differs depending on the category of the subject, for example, in the case of a flower, the number of parts is three, so it is determined whether or not the part 3 has been imaged.

  If it is determined in step S30 that the last part has not been photographed, the process proceeds to step S31, and the CPU 10 restores the imaging and through image display by the CCD 5, and in step S32, the part next to the currently selected part is displayed. Select and return to step S25. For example, when the current site 1 is selected, the site 2 is selected, and when the current site 2 is selected, the site 3 is selected.

  When returning to step S25, the imaging instruction message and template for the part selected in step S32 of the subject category selected in step S4 are read from the imaging instruction message and template for each part in the category database and superimposed on the through image. Repeat the above operation.

Here, FIG. 8B is a diagram showing an example of a photographing instruction message and a template displayed when the category of the selected subject is a flower and the selected part is the part 2. is there.
Since part 2 in the case of a flower is a stem, when looking at FIG. 8 (B), it can be seen that the message “Please shoot a flower according to the displayed stem template” and the stem template are displayed. . Since the stem displayed as a template is a general stem (arbitrary flower stem), the stem displayed as a template and the stem actually captured and displayed as a through image may not be the same.
Here, the user matches the stem displayed on the through image with the stem displayed on the template while viewing the displayed stem template. By displaying this template, the composition such as the imaging position (display position) of the subject currently being imaged is roughly determined.

FIG. 8C is a diagram illustrating an example of a shooting instruction message and a template that are displayed when the category of the selected subject is a flower and the selected part is the part 3. .
Since part 3 in the case of a flower is a leaf, looking at FIG. 8C shows that the message “Please photograph the leaf in accordance with the displayed leaf template” and the leaf template are displayed. . Since the leaf displayed in this template is a general leaf (arbitrary flower leaf), the leaf displayed in the template and the leaf actually captured and displayed in the through image may not be the same.

Here, the user matches the leaf displayed in the through image with the leaf displayed in the template while viewing the displayed leaf template. By displaying this template, the composition such as the imaging position (display position) of the subject currently being imaged is roughly determined.
In this way, the imaging instruction for each part is issued until the type of the subject can be determined, and the type of the subject is determined based on the captured part.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S30 that the last part has been imaged, the process returns to step S21, a list of candidate subject types is displayed, and the above-described operation is repeated.

  If it is determined in step S22 that the subject type has been designated, the process proceeds to step S41 in FIG. 5, and the CPU 10 selects the designated subject type, proceeds to step S42, and shifts to the characteristic part imaging mode. And through image display is started.

Next, in step S43, the display control unit 101 reads out the imaging instruction message and template of the characteristic part corresponding to the type of the subject selected in step S41 from the type database, and displays them on the through image in a superimposed manner.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the imaging instruction message and template of the characteristic part displayed when the type of the selected subject is rose.
Referring to FIG. 9, it can be seen that a message “Please shoot a rose thorn in accordance with the displayed thorn template” and a rose thorn template are displayed.

Here, the user matches the rose thorn displayed in the through image with the thorn displayed in the template while viewing the displayed rose thorn template. By this template display, the composition such as the imaging position (display position) of the subject currently being imaged is roughly determined.
Note that this characteristic part differs depending on the type of the subject, and in the case of a rose, the characteristic part becomes a thorn, but in the case of another type of subject, the characteristic part does not necessarily become a thorn. This characteristic part is a part which is a characteristic peculiar to the type of subject. For example, in the case of an elephant, the characteristic part becomes, for example, the nose, and in the case of a hippo, for example, the mouth.

  Next, in step S44, the CPU 10 determines whether or not the shutter button has been pressed by the user. Here, the user presses the shutter button when determining that the feature part of the subject displayed in the through image is approximately matched with the feature part of the subject displayed in the template.

If it is determined in step S44 that the shutter button is not pressed, the process stays in step S44 until the button is pressed. If it is determined that the shutter button is pressed, the process proceeds to step S45, and the CPU 10 performs a still image shooting process.
In step S46, the subject determination unit 102 performs subject type determination processing based on the still image data obtained by the imaging processing. In this determination process, it is determined whether or not the photographed subject is the type of the subject selected in step S41.

More specifically, a plurality of features of the subject captured from the still image data obtained by the imaging process are extracted, and data (feature data) such as the shape and color of those features and the relative positional relationship between these features are extracted. calculate. Here, since thorns are captured, thorn feature data is calculated.
Then, the feature part feature data of the type of the subject selected in step S41 is acquired from the type database, the acquired feature part feature data is compared with the calculated feature data, and the degree of coincidence is calculated.

If the calculated degree of coincidence is a predetermined value (90%) or more, it is determined that the photographed subject is the subject selected in step S41. If the degree of coincidence is less than the predetermined value, the type of subject is Judged as unknown.
When the determination is made by the subject type determination process, the process proceeds to step S47, and the CPU 10 determines whether or not the subject type has been determined.

  If it is determined in step S47 that the subject type could not be determined, the process returns to step S21 in FIG. 4 to display a list of candidate subject types, and the above-described operation is repeated. In the list display at this time, the subject of the type already selected in step S41 is displayed differently from the other types of subjects not selected. This is to make the user visually recognize that the subject is of a type that cannot be determined by the subject type determination process. Note that the types of subjects already selected in step S41 may not be displayed in a list.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S47 that the type of subject has been determined, the process proceeds to step S10 in FIG. 3, and the CPU 10 acquires description data of the determined type of subject from the type database, and the acquired description. Data is displayed on the image display unit 15. At this time, the captured still image data may be displayed as a preview and the explanation data may be displayed in a superimposed manner.
If the subject type is selected in step S41, the process immediately proceeds to step S10 in FIG. 3, and the description data of the subject type selected in step S41 may be displayed.

As described above, in the embodiment, the type of the photographed subject is determined based on the image data of the part that is photographed by performing display for prompting photographing of a different part according to the category of the selected subject. Therefore, the accuracy of determining the type of subject can be improved.
In addition, the type of the photographed subject is judged based on the image data of each part photographed with a display that prompts photographing of a plurality of different parts depending on the category of the selected subject. Can be improved.
In addition, since the display prompting the imaging of the part and the imaging are sequentially performed until the type of the subject can be determined, it is not necessary to perform the display and the imaging for prompting the imaging of the part and the process of determining the type of the subject. The type determination processing time can be minimized.
In addition, based on the image data of the characteristic part photographed by performing display for prompting photographing of the characteristic part peculiar to the selected type of subject, it is determined whether the photographed subject is the type of the selected subject. Therefore, the accuracy of determining the type of subject can be improved.
In addition, since the number of parts that prompt photographing depends on the subject category, the subject type can be appropriately determined according to the subject category, and the processing load for determining the subject type can be minimized. be able to.
Also, only when the subject type cannot be determined based on the image data obtained by photographing the entire subject, the subject type is determined based on the image data of the part of the photographed subject, so that the subject type can be quickly determined. Can do.
[Modification]
C. The above embodiment may be the following modes.

(01) In the above embodiment, the category of the subject designated by the user is selected in step S4. However, which category of subject is recognized by image recognition based on the image data displayed in the through image. You may be made to detect automatically and select whether it is imaged.
At this time, general feature data of the category of each subject is recorded in the memory 12, and by comparing and comparing the captured image data with the feature data for each category of the subject, which category of subject is obtained. Detect whether the image is being captured.
As a result, the subject can be quickly selected, and the type of the subject can be determined quickly. In this case, it is not necessary to display a list of subject categories (list display).
In step S2, the subject category list is simply displayed, but the image data displayed in the through image and the feature data for each subject category are compared and collated for each subject category. The degree of coincidence may be calculated, and the subject categories may be displayed in descending order of the degree of coincidence, or only the subject categories with the highest degree of coincidence may be displayed in a list. Accordingly, the user can immediately recognize the category of the subject having a high probability of being the category of the photographed subject, and can quickly specify the category of the subject.

(02) In the above embodiment, the shooting instruction message and the template are displayed in steps S5, S25, and S43. However, only the shooting instruction message may be displayed, or the shooting instruction template may be displayed. May be displayed.
Further, the present invention is not limited to the shooting instruction message or the shooting instruction template, and may be anything that prompts shooting.

(03) In the above embodiment, the shooting instruction template is displayed in step S5, step S25, and step S43, but instead of the shooting instruction template, a sample image of an image that is desired to be shot is displayed. It may be. For example, a sample image obtained by photographing the entire subject is displayed in step S5, a sample image obtained by photographing the part of the subject is displayed in step S25, and a sample image obtained by photographing the characteristic part of the subject is displayed in step S43.
This is because even the display of the sample image can prompt the photographing, and the composition such as the photographing position (display position) of the subject is roughly determined.

(04) In the above-described embodiment, when the image of each part is photographed in the part-by-part photographing mode and the type of the subject is determined, the user is photographed by performing a display prompting photographing of all parts to be photographed in advance. It may be a method in which each part to be notified is notified, and then the user photographs each part that is prompted to shoot. That is, in the above-described embodiment, the display prompting the photographing of the part 1 → the photographing of the part 1, the display prompting the photographing of the part 2 when the determination is impossible, the photographing until the judgment can be performed. In this modification, the display for prompting the imaging of each part → the imaging of the part 1, and the imaging of the part 2 such as the imaging of the part 2 when the determination is impossible. The display prompting is performed in a lump, and then each part is photographed in order.
Thereby, imaging | photography of a site | part can be performed rapidly and the kind of to-be-photographed object can also be determined rapidly.

(05) In the above embodiment, when the type of subject is determined by capturing an image of each part in the part-specific imaging mode, only when the type of subject cannot be determined based on the image data of the captured part. The user is prompted to shoot the next part, and the type of subject is determined based on the image data of the next part taken. It may be performed sequentially, and after the imaging of all the parts has been completed, the type of the subject may be determined based on the image data of all the parts that have been imaged.
As a result, the type of subject can be quickly determined.

  (06) In the above embodiment, the subject type determination process in step S8 is performed based on the still image data captured by pressing the step S6, but a through image is displayed (moving image). The type of the subject may be determined based on the frame image (captured). In this case, the subject type determination process may be periodically performed for a predetermined time after the shooting instruction message and the template are displayed in step S5. This is because a certain amount of time is required for the user to change the composition of the imaging position of the subject in accordance with the display of the shooting instruction message and the template. This makes it possible to quickly determine the type of subject currently being imaged.

  More specifically, when the operation of step S5 is performed, the process proceeds to step S8, and subject type determination processing is performed. If it is determined in step S9 that the type of subject cannot be determined, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the shooting instruction message or the like was displayed. Returning to S8, if it is determined that a certain time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S21.

  Similarly, in the subject type determination process in step S28 and step S46, the subject type may be determined based on a frame image in which a through image is displayed (moving-image captured). Also in this case, the subject type determination process may be periodically performed for a predetermined time after the shooting instruction message and the template are displayed in step S25 and step S43.

  More specifically, when the operations of Step S25 and Step S43 are performed, the process proceeds to Step S28 and Step S46, respectively, and subject type determination processing is performed. If it is determined in step S29 or step S47 that the type of subject cannot be determined, it is determined whether or not a certain time has elapsed since the shooting instruction message was displayed. If it judges, it will respectively return to Step S28 and Step S46, and if it judges that fixed time has passed, it will progress to Step S30 and Step S21, respectively. In this case, the operation in step S31 is unnecessary.

(07) In the above embodiment, when the type of the subject cannot be determined based on the image data obtained by photographing the entire subject, the subject is photographed by shifting to the part-by-part photographing mode and the characteristic part photographing mode. The type of the subject is determined based on the image data of the part, but from the beginning, the type of the subject may be determined in the part-specific imaging mode and the characteristic part imaging mode.
In the feature part imaging mode, it is necessary to select the type of the subject, so the subject type selected by the user or the subject type belonging to the category of the subject automatically detected by image recognition is displayed as a list. The types of subjects belonging to all categories may be displayed as a list, or the types of subjects may be automatically selected by performing image recognition.
As a result, the type of subject can be quickly determined.

(08) In the above embodiment, one feature part feature data, a shooting instruction message for one feature part, and a template are provided for each type of subject, but a plurality of feature parts are provided for each type of subject. You may make it provide.
The operation in this case is the same as the operation in the part-specific imaging mode shown in FIG. 4, and still image data of the characteristic part 1 captured by displaying the imaging instruction message and the template of the characteristic part 1 of the selected type of subject. The type of the subject is determined based on the image, and if the determination is not possible, the type of the subject is determined based on the imaging instruction message and the template of the characteristic part 2 that is imaged by displaying the imaging instruction message and the template of the characteristic part 2 When the subject type cannot be determined as in the determination, the subject type is determined based on the next characteristic part.

In this case, feature data of a plurality of feature parts, and an imaging instruction message and a template for each feature part are set for each type of subject in the type database. Further, the number of feature parts and the location of the feature parts may be different for each type of subject. In other words, the number of feature parts and the location of the feature parts vary depending on the number of places that are characteristic of the type of subject.
Thereby, the determination accuracy of the type of subject can be improved.

(09) In the modified example (08), the feature data of a plurality of characteristic parts, the photographing instruction message for prompting photographing of the plurality of characteristic parts, and the template are provided for each kind of subject. A feature data of a plurality of parts, a photographing instruction message for prompting photographing of the plurality of parts, and a template may be provided for each.
The operation in this case is based on the still image data of the region 1 imaged by displaying the imaging instruction message and the template of the region 1 of the selected type of subject as in the operation of the region-specific imaging mode shown in FIG. The type of subject is determined, and if it cannot be determined, the type of subject is determined based on the imaging instruction message and template of the region 2 displayed by displaying the imaging instruction message and template of the region 2 If the subject type cannot be determined, the subject type is determined at the next site.

In this case, since a plurality of parts are provided for each type of subject, the location of the part may be different for each type of subject, and the number of parts may be different for each type of subject. Is also possible. That is, in the part-by-part imaging mode described in the above embodiment, the number of parts is different for each category of subjects, but the number of parts and the location of parts are the same for subjects belonging to the same category, In the present modification, even if subjects belong to the same category, the number of parts and the location of the parts can be made different.
Thereby, the determination accuracy of the type of subject can be improved.

  (10) Moreover, the aspect which combined the said modification (01) thru | or (09) arbitrarily may be sufficient.

(11) The above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples as the best embodiments, and are described in order to better understand the principle and structure of the present invention. And is not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims.
Therefore, it should be understood that all the various variations and modifications that can be made to the above-described embodiments of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention and protected by the appended claims.

  Finally, in each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the imaging device of the present invention is applied to the digital camera 1 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Any device that can determine the type of subject based on the captured image data is applicable. Accordingly, it may be a camera-equipped mobile phone, a camera-equipped PDA, or the like.

1 is a block diagram of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the state of the database classified by category currently recorded on the memory 12, and the classification database of a flower. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the digital camera 1 of embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the digital camera 1 of embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the digital camera 1 of embodiment. 10 is a sub-flowchart showing an operation of subject type determination processing in steps S8 and S28. It is a figure which shows an example of the mode of the imaging | photography instruction | indication message and template which are displayed when a flower is selected as a category of a to-be-photographed object, and the mode of the kind of to-be-photographed object displayed as a list. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a shooting instruction message and a template displayed when a category of a selected subject is a flower and a part 1, a part 2, and a part 3 are respectively selected. It is a figure which shows an example of the mode of the imaging | photography instruction | indication message and template of the characteristic part displayed when the type of the selected to-be-photographed object is rose.

Explanation of symbols

1 Digital Camera 2 Shooting Lens 3 Lens Drive Block 4 Aperture 5 CCD
6 Driver 7 TG
8 Unit circuit 9 Image generator 10 CPU
11 Key input section 12 Memory 13 DRAM
14 Flash memory 15 Image display unit 16 Bus

Claims (14)

Imaging means for imaging a subject using an imaging element;
A selection means for selecting a subject;
Display control means for performing display for prompting photographing of a part of the subject, which differs depending on the subject selected by the selection means;
First subject determination means for determining the type of subject based on the image data of the part imaged by the imaging means in accordance with the prompting of imaging of the part displayed by the display control means;
An imaging apparatus comprising: The selection means includes
Select the subject category,
The display control means includes
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a display that prompts photographing of a part of the subject, which differs depending on a category of the subject selected by the selection unit, is performed. The selection means includes
Select the type of subject,
The display control means includes
The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a display that prompts photographing of a portion of the subject that differs depending on a type of the subject selected by the selection unit is performed. The display control means includes
The imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a display that prompts photographing of a part that is characteristic of the type of the subject selected by the selection unit is performed. The display control means includes
5. The display for prompting photographing of a part of the subject is performed by displaying a different template and / or message depending on the subject selected by the selection unit. The imaging device described. The display control means includes
6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a display that prompts photographing of at least one part is performed. The display control means includes
The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the number of parts to be displayed for prompting photographing is varied according to the subject selected by the selection unit. The first subject determination means includes
When the display control means performs a display prompting imaging of a plurality of parts, the image data of all parts imaged by the imaging means is displayed according to the display prompting imaging of the part displayed by the display control means. 8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the type of the subject is determined based on the determination. The first subject determination means includes
In the case where the display controller prompts the imaging of a plurality of parts, the image data of the part first imaged by the imaging unit is displayed according to the display prompting the imaging of the part displayed by the display controller. The type of the subject is determined based on the display, and if the type of the subject cannot be determined, the display control means is configured to display the portion displayed by the display control unit until the type of the subject can be determined. 8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the type of the subject is determined based on image data of each part that is subsequently imaged by the imaging means. A second subject determination unit that determines the type of the subject based on the image data of the entire subject imaged by the imaging unit before the display control unit prompts the imaging of the part.
The display control means and the first subject determination means are
10. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an operation is executed when a type of a subject cannot be determined by the second subject determination unit. 11. Provided with a list display control means for displaying a list of a plurality of subjects,
The selection means includes
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an arbitrary subject is selected from a plurality of subjects displayed in a list by the list display control unit in accordance with a user operation. The list display control means includes
12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 11, wherein only a subject in which the degree of coincidence is determined to be high by the second subject determination unit or a subject having a high degree of coincidence is displayed in a list. The selection means includes
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a subject is selected based on image recognition for image data captured by the imaging unit. Imaging processing for imaging a subject using an imaging element;
A selection process for selecting a subject,
Display control processing for performing display for prompting photographing of a portion of the subject, which differs depending on the subject selected by the selection processing;
Subject determination processing for determining the type of subject based on image data of the part imaged by the imaging process in accordance with the prompting of imaging of the part displayed by the display control process;
A program characterized by causing a computer to execute the processes described above.

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