JP2009207027A - Imaging apparatus and imaging method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging apparatus and an imaging method capable of natural and young posture photograph. <P>SOLUTION: The imaging apparatus includes an imaging element 3 for photographing a subject and converting it to image data; a relative determination part 5d, at the time of display before imaging, for detecting the age of a person from face image data corresponding to a face image of a person included respectively in a plurality of image data; and a display panel 8 for relatively displaying the age of a person about each of a plurality of image data based on an aging sign detected by the relative determination part 5d. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging device and an imaging method, and more particularly, to an imaging device and an imaging method capable of taking a photograph with a youthful appearance.

  Due to technological innovations in imaging devices such as digital cameras, imaging devices have become easier to use, such as higher sensitivity and expanded exposure control range. In addition, with the development of image processing technology, technology for detecting the face of a subject has also advanced. Under such circumstances, photographs with a youthful appearance are preferred, and various techniques for considering age and the like have been disclosed.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an imaging apparatus that corrects a face image according to gender and age. In this imaging apparatus, since the optimal correction differs depending on gender and age, image processing is performed based on information detected by the face detection means. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses an aging pattern discrimination method that takes a face image, measures a physical quantity of the image, and creates an aging change estimation image from the aging change pattern.

JP 2006-148326 A JP 2001-331791 A

  In the imaging apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, the facial images are classified based on the skin color and the like, and the image quality is simply changed according to each classification, and the expression is ignored. Since correction is performed, an unnatural image may be obtained. In addition, the discrimination method disclosed in Patent Document 2 only creates an aging change estimation image, does not deal with changes in facial expressions, and does not process facial images into lively images. Absent. In other words, with the techniques disclosed in these patent documents, it is not possible to obtain a photograph showing a youthful appearance of the subject.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an imaging apparatus and an imaging method capable of obtaining a natural and youthful-looking photograph.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image pickup apparatus according to a first invention includes an image pickup unit that picks up a subject and converts it into image data, an image data generation unit that generates a plurality of image data having different image quality parameters, and the image data. An aging sign detection unit for detecting an aging signature corresponding to the age of the person from face image data corresponding to the face image of the person included in each of the plurality of image data generated by the generation unit; Based on the aging signature detected by the age signature detection unit, a display unit that relatively displays the age of the person for each of the plurality of image data, and an image recording unit that records the image data by the imaging unit, Prepare.

In the imaging apparatus according to a second aspect, in the first aspect, the imaging unit performs imaging based on an image quality parameter corresponding to the age of a desired person displayed on the display unit.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the imaging apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the plurality of image data generated by the image data generation unit are captured by the imaging unit based on different image quality parameters. It is.
Furthermore, in the imaging apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the plurality of image data generated by the image data generation unit are generated based on a plurality of different exposure levels. is there.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an imaging method for detecting an aging signature corresponding to a person's age from face image data corresponding to the face image of the person included in each of a plurality of image data having different image quality parameters; A step of relatively displaying the age of the person for each of the plurality of image data based on the aging sign, and a step of performing imaging based on the image quality parameter corresponding to the age of the relatively displayed desired person. .

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an imaging device that captures an image of a subject and converts it into image data, and facial image data corresponding to a facial image of the person included in each of the plurality of image data. An aging sign detection unit for detecting the aging sign, and a display unit for relatively displaying the age of the person for each of the plurality of image data based on the aging sign detected by the aging sign detection unit.

An image pickup apparatus according to a seventh invention has an image data generation unit that generates a plurality of image data having different image quality parameters in the sixth invention, and the aging sign detection unit has a plurality of image data having different image quality parameters. An aging signature corresponding to the age of the person is detected from the image data.
In the image pickup apparatus according to the eighth invention, in the seventh invention, the image quality parameter is a correction amount for exposure correction for the entire screen of the image data.
Further, in the image pickup apparatus according to the ninth aspect based on the seventh aspect, the image quality parameter is a correction amount for performing exposure correction only on the face image portion of the person.
Further, in the image pickup apparatus according to a tenth aspect based on the seventh aspect, the image quality parameter is a correction amount for correcting exposure only for a predetermined portion of the entire face of the person.

  Furthermore, in the imaging apparatus according to an eleventh aspect of the invention, in the sixth aspect of the invention, the aging sign detection unit has a database storing a face part template corresponding to the age, and is compared with the face part image. By doing so, the age of the person is detected based on a template having a high degree of matching.

  An imaging method according to a twelfth aspect of the invention is to capture an image of a subject, convert it into image data, and detect the age of the person from face image data corresponding to the face image of the person included in each of the plurality of image data. Based on the age of the person, the age of the person is displayed relative to each of the plurality of image data.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the imaging device and imaging method which can obtain the photograph of a natural and youthful appearance can be provided.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment will be described using a camera to which the present invention is applied according to the drawings. The camera according to the present embodiment is a digital camera that subjects a subject image to photoelectric conversion with an image sensor, displays the acquired image data on a display device such as a rear liquid crystal (also referred to as a live view), and responds to a release operation. The image data is recorded on the recording medium. Further, when displaying a through image, an aging sign corresponding to the age of the person is detected based on the face image data, and if the face image data changes in accordance with a change in the shooting position of the camera, an aging sign is displayed. The relative change of can be displayed.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a camera 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. A camera 100 used by a user includes a photographic lens 2, an AF (autofocus) control unit 2a, an aperture 2b, an aperture control unit 2c, an image sensor 3, and an analog front end (hereinafter referred to as AFE) unit 4. Yes. The taking lens 2 has a focus lens inside, and forms an image of the incident subject 20 on the image sensor 3.

  The AF control unit 2a performs image processing in an image processing unit 5 to be described later, detects an in-focus position of the photographic lens 2, detects it by a so-called hill-climbing method, drives the focus lens, and moves it to the in-focus position. Note that the hill-climbing method is a method of detecting the focus position (focus position) from the peak of the contrast signal of the photographed image. In addition to the hill-climbing method, for example, a known focusing method such as a phase difference method or a triangulation method. May be replaced.

  A diaphragm 2b that provides the effects of a shutter and a diaphragm is provided in or near the photographing lens 2. The diaphragm 2b is opened to a predetermined aperture at the time of photographing, and is closed when the exposure is finished to finish the exposure. When the through image is displayed, the diaphragm 2 is in an open state, and a subject image is formed on the image sensor 3. The aperture controller 2c drives the aperture 2b to set the aperture diameter, and performs exposure correction by adjusting the aperture amount and aperture time of the aperture 2b for proper exposure. The image sensor 3 is a CCD or CMOS sensor composed of a large number of pixels, and receives an image from the subject 20 via the photographing lens 2 and converts it into an image signal.

  The analog front end (AFE) unit 4 includes analog-to-digital conversion (AD) means, and converts a signal from the image sensor 3 into a digital signal. The AFE unit 4 performs various processes on the image signal output from the image sensor 3. The output of the AFE unit 4 is connected to the image processing unit 5.

  The image processing unit 5 performs processing such as gamma conversion when expressing contrast and edge processing, and signal strength in an image. Further, an image similar to that obtained when exposure correction is performed can be generated, and the brightness of the screen can be changed according to the correction amount. In addition, the image processing unit 5 processes the signal from the image sensor 3 to a size that can be displayed on the display panel 8 so that the live image can be displayed on the display unit in real time. Through this through image display, an image incident on the image sensor can be confirmed prior to shooting, and the timing and photo opportunity at the time of shooting can be determined while viewing this image.

  In addition, the image processing unit 5 has an image determination function for determining and detecting an image input from the image sensor using the signal of the image processing unit 5. The image determination function includes a face detection unit 5a, an adaptive processing unit 5b, a contrast determination unit 5c, and a relative determination unit 5d. The face detection unit 5a determines a human face from contour information obtained by processing image information. The contrast determination unit 5c determines the contrast of the signal level of the image. The above-described AF control unit 2a focuses the taking lens 2 so that the contrast output from the contrast determination unit 5c reaches a peak.

  The relative determination unit 5d is provided in the image processing unit 5, and includes face image data detected by the face detection unit 5a and a face shadow pattern (template) recorded in the face and aging database 9d described later. Compare and ask for absolute age. That is, for each of the plurality of face images acquired from the image pickup device 3, an absolute age is obtained, and how younger or older the face image becomes as a reference, the relative age display. Convert. This relative age display is displayed on the display panel 8 by a multi-display controller 8b described later.

  The image processing unit 5 is connected to an adaptive processing unit 5b. The adaptive processing unit 5b performs correction processing, for example, gamma processing on only a part of the screen, and performs image processing that makes the aging part inconspicuous.

The camera 100 is also provided with a compression unit 6, a recording unit 9a, a recording medium 9, a face & aging database 9d, a display panel 8, a display control unit 8a, and a multi-image processing unit 8b. The compression unit 6 compresses the signal output from the image processing unit 5 at the time of shooting. The compression unit 6 includes MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) 4 and H.264. 264 and other compression cores for compression, and JPEG (Joint
A still image compression unit such as a Photographic Experts Group) core unit is provided. The compression unit 6 also performs image expansion when reproducing an image recorded on the recording medium 9 on the display panel 8.

  The recording unit 9 a records the compressed image signal on the recording medium 9. The recording medium 9 is a storage recording medium that can be attached to and detached from the camera. In recording an image signal, time information when a photograph is taken may also be recorded. The shooting time information is measured by a clock unit 1t in the MPU 1 described later, and the MPU 1 associates with the image.

  The face and aging DB 9d is a database that stores the relationship between the face and aging. In other words, the shadow pattern of the face that can be used as a facial wrinkle and data on how the shadow pattern of the face changes with age are stored. The relative determination unit 5d described above can estimate the absolute age by searching for a shadow pattern having a high degree of matching from the shadow patterns stored in the database 9d.

  The display panel 8 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal, an organic EL, or the like disposed on the back surface of the camera 100, and displays a subject image as a through image for observation at the time of photographing, and reproduces and displays an expanded recorded image at the time of reproduction. Further, the display panel 8 performs relative age display obtained by the relative determination unit 5d.

  The display control unit 8 a controls display on the display panel 8. The multi-image processing unit 8b is a control unit for displaying a plurality of images on the display panel 8. By this multi-image processing unit 8b, relative age display is performed on the through image.

  The camera 100 is provided with an auxiliary light emitting unit 11, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) 1, a release switch 1a, a mode switch 1b, and another switch 1c. The auxiliary light emitting unit 11 has a white LED and a Xe discharge arc tube, and can control the amount of light. Depending on the situation, the subject 20 is irradiated with light to prevent lack of brightness and uneven brightness.

  The MPU 1 is a control unit that controls the entire camera. A release switch 1a, a mode switch 1b, another switch 1c, and a ROM (not shown) storing a program and the like are connected to the MPU 1. A clock unit 1t for detecting the date and time is provided in the MPU 1, and the shooting date and time of the photo is detected and associated with the captured image. Note that the switches 1b and 1c are generically displayed switches, and are actually composed of a large number of switch groups.

  Each switch 1a-1c detects a user's operation, and notifies the result to MPU1 which is a calculation control means consisting of a microcontroller. The MPU 1 switches the operation according to the operation of these switches. Further, the MPU 1 fulfills a shooting control function for controlling the AF control unit 2a, the aperture control unit 2c, and the like, and a recording control function for the acquired image data in the recording unit 9a and the recording medium 9 during shooting.

  Further, the MPU 1 causes the display panel 8 to display a relative age obtained by comparing a face image such as a through image and data recorded in the face and the aging database 9d. In addition, when exposure correction is set by each switch 1c or the like, the aperture control unit is configured to shift the aperture amount or aperture time of the aperture 2b from the value obtained with the appropriate exposure amount according to the exposure correction amount. A control command is output to 2c.

  Next, age change display, that is, display of relative age for a plurality of face images will be described. In the present embodiment, when the through image display is performed, the age is estimated for at least two face images of the same person, and the relative difference between the estimated ages is displayed.

  The method of determining the age in this embodiment is as follows. FIG. 3 shows a combination of a face image and its shadow pattern. That is, a shadow pattern 43 peculiar to young people is matched with the face image 41 of the young person. The shadow pattern 44 unique to the elderly person is matched with the face image 42 of the elderly person.

  A large number of shadow patterns are stored in the face and aging DB 9d, and the relative determination unit 5d extracts the face image extracted from the image output from the image sensor 3 and the shadow stored in the face and aging DB 9d. Compare the pattern and search for a match. The youthfulness of the face is determined according to the search result.

  The age change determination described above is performed when a through image is displayed when a composition is determined before shooting. When a through image is displayed, even if it is the same person, the appearance youthfulness (estimated age) changes depending on the state of light rays and the change in facial expression.

  For example, when the expression of the face 52a as shown in FIG. 4A is used as a reference, the bar display of the age bar 51 indicating the relative age display displayed on the display panel 8 is substantially in the center. Moreover, even if it is the same person, the face 52b as shown in FIG.4 (b) may look a little old according to the viewing position and expression. In this case, the relative determination unit 5d does not directly display the estimated age obtained as a result of pattern matching with the face and the aging DB 9d, but displays a relative age. That is, the relative age changes the bar display as a deviation from the reference position shown in FIG.

  Thus, in the present embodiment, the estimated age that changes depending on the facial expression or the like is displayed as a deviation from the reference position. Since it is easier to see that FIG. 4A looks younger than in FIG. 4B, the photographer can know which facial expression should be taken while looking at the age bar 51. . Also, the subject can know what expression should be given by instructing the photographer to display the age bar 51.

  In the present embodiment, the relative age is displayed in the form of a bar graph using the age bar 51. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the difference value itself is displayed as a numerical value, or is displayed as a sum of stars. Various display methods may be used.

  The operation of the camera age change display based on the above-described concept of age change display will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. This flow is executed when the through image display is performed as described above.

  In this flow, first, imaging is performed by the imaging device 3 (S1). Subsequently, the face detection unit 5a detects face parts such as eyes, nose, and mouth using image data acquired by imaging (S2). Using the detected face portion, it is determined whether or not the face is facing front (S3). That is, the orientation of the face is determined based on the relative positional relationship of the face parts such as eyes, nose, and mouth.

  If the result of determination in step S <b> 3 is not facing the front, processing returns to step S <b> 1 and the above operation is repeated. If the result of determination in step S3 is that the front is facing, the degree of matching of the templates is determined (S4). This template is the same as the shadow pattern stored in the face and aging DB 9d described above, and the template for each age is applied to the face image, with the state facing almost front as the initial position.

  Subsequently, it is compared with all the templates to determine whether or not the degree of coincidence has been obtained (S5). As a result of the determination, if all the templates have not been completed, the templates are changed (S6), and the process returns to step S4 to obtain the degree of coincidence. As a result of the determination in step S5, if the determination of the coincidence has been completed for all templates, the age is estimated and A0 is set as the age (S11). That is, in this step, it is determined which age is equivalent from the template having the highest degree of matching among the templates repeatedly compared in step S4.

  Next, imaging is performed as in step S1 (S12). A face portion is detected from the image data obtained by this imaging in the same manner as in step S2 (S13), and the matching degree of the template is determined in the same manner as in step S4 (S14). Subsequently, as in step S5, it is determined whether or not the determination of the degree of coincidence has been completed for all templates (S15). If not, the template is changed (S16). Returning to step S14, the comparison with the template is repeated.

  When the determination in step S15 ends, the age of the face image captured in step S12 is estimated, and A1 is set as the age (S21). That is, in this step, it is determined which age is appropriate from the template having the highest degree of matching among the templates repeatedly compared in step S14.

  When the estimation of age in step S21 is completed, the change in age is then displayed (S22). In this step, as described with reference to FIG. 4B, the bar display 51 displays how young or older the age of the reference face image captured first is. In the example of FIG. 4, the bar extends to the right side, indicating that it is older. Therefore, when shooting in a youthful appearance, the bar on the bar display 51 is as far left as possible. You can also change the facial expression of the subject and the shooting angle.

  When the age change is displayed, the process returns to the original flow, and when the age change display is performed, the process is executed from step S1. Instead of returning at step S22, the process may return to step S12, and imaging may be performed again until the relative age is satisfied by the photographer, and the relative age may be displayed. In this case, it is determined whether or not to end after step S22, and if it ends, the process returns, but if it does not end, the process returns to step S12.

  Thus, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the relative determination unit 5d determines the degree of coincidence with the face and the template stored in the aging DB 9d, that is, detects an aging sign, and the detection result Based on the above, the age of the person is relatively displayed for each of the plurality of image data. For this reason, the photographer can take a picture in a youthful appearance by changing the expression of the subject or changing the composition while looking at the relative age.

  In the present embodiment, the relative age is displayed. Of course, the estimated age obtained in step S11 or step S21 may be displayed as it is, but displaying the age itself may be rude to the subject, and an image of a youthful appearance In this embodiment, the relative age is displayed because it is sufficient to know the relative age for photographing.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the first embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of face images of a subject person are obtained, the relative age of these face images is displayed, and the composition of the facial expression, the condition of light rays, and the like are changed, so that I was able to shoot images with a youthful appearance.

  In the second embodiment, the relative age display of the face image is the same as in the first embodiment, but the relative age display of the face image when exposure correction is performed makes the image look youthful. It is possible to determine whether or not. The configuration in the present embodiment is the same except that the flowchart shown in FIG. 2 in the first embodiment is replaced with the flowchart shown in FIG.

  Before describing the flowchart shown in FIG. 5, exposure correction in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 shows what is drawn when exposure correction is performed on the same scene. An image 53a in FIG. 6 is a reference image, and the image 53b, the image 53c, and the image 53d are subjected to plus exposure correction in this order. As can be seen from FIG. 6, as the exposure correction value increases, the wrinkles of the face become invisible and the photograph looks more youthful.

  Therefore, a photograph that looks younger is obtained by correcting and brightening. However, if it is too bright, it will result in a photo that does not fit all over, so as with the explanation of the first embodiment, if you take a picture while checking the atmosphere of the entire image with reference to the relative age display, good. That is, the photographer determines an appropriate exposure correction amount while viewing the relative age display, and operates so that the determined exposure correction amount is obtained. At the time of shooting, the aperture control unit 2c of the camera 100 determines the exposure correction amount. Control with.

  Next, the operation of the age change display will be described using the flowchart of FIG. When the flow of age change display shown in FIG. 5 is entered during the through image display, first, imaging is performed by the image sensor 3 (S31). Subsequently, the face such as eyes, nose and mouth are detected from the face image (S32), and it is determined whether or not the face is facing the front using the detected face part (S33). ). If the result of determination is that the person is not facing the front, the process returns to step S31, and steps S31 to S33 are repeated until the face faces the front.

  If the result of determination in step S33 is that the camera is facing the front, an image obtained by performing exposure correction with the correction amount 1 on the image acquired in step S31 is acquired (S34), and exposure correction is performed with the correction amount 2. The performed image is acquired (S35), and the image subjected to exposure correction with the correction amount 3 is acquired (S36). The image subjected to the exposure correction in steps S34 to S36 generates an image equivalent to the case where the exposure correction is performed in the image processing unit 5. Subsequently, a total of four images, that is, the image acquired in step S31 and the exposure corrected with correction amounts 1 to 3 in steps S34 to S36 are displayed as shown in FIG. 6 (S37). However, in this step, the bar display 54 indicating the relative age is not yet displayed because it is not yet obtained.

  Subsequently, comparison is started for each image (S38). That is, the image acquired in step S31 and the image subjected to exposure correction in steps S34 to S36 are compared with the face and the template stored in the aging DB 9d. Subsequently, the degree of coincidence with the template is determined (S39).

  Next, it is determined whether or not the degree of coincidence with the template has been completed for one image (S41). In the example shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, there are four images, and this is a determination as to whether or not the determination of the degree of coincidence has been completed for one of these images. As a result of the determination in step S41, if the determination of the matching degree is not completed, the template stored in the face and the aging DB 9d is changed (S45), and the process returns to step S39 to repeat the determination of the matching degree. I do.

  As a result of the determination in step S41, if the determination of the degree of coincidence has been completed for one image, it is next determined whether or not the degree of coincidence has been determined for all images (S42). In the example shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, since there are four images, it is determined whether or not the four images are finished. As a result of the determination in step S42, if the determination of the degree of coincidence has not been completed for all images, the image is changed (S46), and the process returns to step S39 to repeatedly determine the degree of coincidence.

  As a result of the determination in step S42, when the determination of the degree of coincidence is completed for all images, an age change is displayed (S43). That is, the degree of coincidence of the template is determined, and for each image, the absolute age of each image is obtained based on the template having the highest degree of coincidence, and the image obtained by imaging in step S31 is used as a reference. As shown in FIG. 6, the age bar 54 indicates how much the age is different from the age.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the bar display elongation of the age bar 54 differs depending on the exposure correction amount, and it can be seen that the larger the correction amount, the more youthful. That is, as compared with the image 53a before exposure correction, the image 53b, the image 53c, and the image 53d become gradually more youthful. However, since the image 53d is overexposed and the details are not clear, the exposure correction amount may be appropriately determined according to the photographer's preference. In FIG. 6, the images 53b to 53d do not display the exposure correction amount, but may display them. The photographer sets the exposure correction amount so that the desired image is obtained.

  When the age change is displayed in step S43, the process returns to the original routine. When the photographer determines the exposure correction amount by looking at the display of the age change in step S43, the photographer can obtain a natural and youthful picture by setting the determined exposure correction amount in the camera 100. Can do.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, how much youthful looks when exposure correction is performed can be displayed before shooting. Can be determined. Further, in the second embodiment, it is only necessary to perform imaging (S31) once, and it is possible to save the trouble of changing the facial expression or changing the composition as in the first embodiment.

  In the present embodiment, three images are subjected to exposure correction, but the number of images may be changed as appropriate, and other display methods may be used instead of the age bar 54. Further, the exposure correction amount may be set as a design value in the program in advance, but may be arbitrarily set by the photographer. In the present embodiment, the exposure correction is performed based on the opening time and the opening amount of the diaphragm 2b. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be performed by image processing in the image processing unit 5.

  Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second embodiment of the present invention, exposure correction is performed before photographing to display a relative age of a face image so that it can be determined whether or not it looks youthful. The configuration in the present embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart showing overall control of the camera 100 shown in FIG.

  Prior to describing the flow of shooting control, exposure correction in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9A shows an image acquired by imaging, and FIG. 9B shows a change in the image signal of this image. That is, the captured image includes a tree 57 as a background and a person 58 as a main subject. When an image signal along the line 59 is detected from the photographed image, a solid line shown in FIG. 9B is obtained.

  In the present embodiment, the image signal of only the face portion detected by the face detection unit 5a is exposure-corrected in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 9B by the application processing unit 5b to obtain an image signal like a broken line. Convert. As described above, in this embodiment, exposure correction (adaptation processing) is performed so that only the face portion is brightened. For this reason, only the face portion can be brightened without changing the background. You can take natural and youthful photos.

  Next, the flow of shooting control shown in FIG. 7 will be described. This flow shows the overall control of the camera 100. When this flow starts, first, through image display is started (S61). The through image display is a moving image display for observing a subject image on the display panel 8 based on an image signal acquired by the image sensor 3. This through image display is continuously performed until the release button is fully pressed. Although not shown in FIG. 7, the through image is displayed with the brightness of the image adjusted based on the exposure correction information set by the photographer and other exposure parameters.

  Subsequently, the age of one through image (reference face image) captured at a predetermined timing from the start of the through image display in step S61 is estimated (S62). This age estimation is performed by comparing with a plurality of aging templates, as described in the flowchart of FIG. Subsequently, age estimation is performed on a face image obtained by a through image of one frame imaged at a predetermined timing in the same manner as in step S62, and a change in age based on the estimated age of the reference face image is displayed ( S63).

  As shown in FIG. 8, this age change display is performed on the display panel 8, and the reference face image 55 a acquired in step S <b> 62 and the images 55 b to 55 showing the change in age based on the estimated age of the reference face image 55 a. An image 55d is displayed, and an age bar 56 is also displayed. In FIG. 8, four images are displayed, but the number of display images may be determined as appropriate in design.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the release button has been fully pressed (S64). If the result of this determination is that the release button has not been fully pressed (ie, when the release button has been pressed halfway), the photographer then selects a predetermined operating member assigned to the switch 1c. It is determined whether or not an operation has been performed (S65).

  If the result of determination in step S65 is that a selection operation has been performed, the shooting conditions such as exposure correction, shutter speed, aperture, etc. used for still image shooting after the release button, which will be described later is fully pressed, are set to the through image. During the display, the shooting conditions set by the photographer are switched (S66). If the result of determination in step S65 is that a selection operation has not been performed, processing returns to step S63, age change display is performed, and the above operation is repeated.

  If the result of determination in step S64 is that the release button has been fully pressed, still images are shot under the shooting conditions set immediately before (see step S66) (S67). Subsequently, in step S66, it is determined whether exposure correction (adaptation processing) for the face image is set as a photographing condition (S68).

  If the result of this determination is that adaptation processing has been selected, adaptation processing by image processing is performed on the captured image data (S69). When this adaptation process ends, the image data subjected to the adaptation process is recorded on the recording medium 9 (S70). On the other hand, if the result of determination in step S68 is that adaptation processing has not been set, still image data shot without adaptation processing is recorded on the recording medium 9 (S70).

  As described above, in the flow shown in FIG. 7, an image of one frame captured at a predetermined timing during live view display is used as a reference face image, an estimated age of the reference face image is obtained, and the image is taken after acquisition of the reference face image. As for the estimated age of the face image to be displayed, a change in age relative to the reference face image is displayed. The photographer observes the display of the age change while changing the exposure correction during the through image display, and selects the exposure information corresponding to the desired age change as the shooting condition for the still image shooting. When the release button is fully pressed, a still image is shot under the shooting conditions set immediately before, and the still image data is recorded on the recording medium 9. In this case, when exposure correction (adaptation processing) is set as the photographing condition, the adaptation processing is performed on the photographed still image data and then recorded on the recording medium 9. Note that the reference face image may be captured by an operation by the photographer, such as when the release button is pressed halfway.

  Thus, in the third embodiment of the present invention, the adaptation processing unit 5b performs exposure correction only on the face image, and displays the image subjected to this exposure correction. For this reason, it is possible to take a picture that makes the face look youthful without changing the background portion.

  In the present embodiment, the image subjected to the adaptation process by the adaptation processing unit 5b is recorded on the recording medium 9. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an instruction for the adaptation process is recorded together with the image data not yet adapted. When recording on the medium 9 and reproducing or printing the image data, the image data may be processed in accordance with an instruction of the adaptation process.

  Further, in the present embodiment, exposure correction is performed on the entire face portion, but exposure correction (portion corresponding to an aging template) may be performed only on an aging portion in the face. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, only the aging sign part 60 between the eyes, mouth and chin is used to increase the exposure amount or to make the shadow inconspicuous by image processing. Correction may be performed to increase the exposure of only 60 and make it brighter. By performing such processing, an uncorrected image as shown in FIG. 10A can be made a youthful face image as shown in FIG. 10B.

  Further, as in the present embodiment, in addition to performing exposure correction only on the face portion and performing adaptation processing, exposure correction may be performed on the entire image in the same manner as normal exposure correction. Good. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the photographer observes the through image displayed on the display panel 8, and operates the exposure correction switch 61 to change the exposure correction value so that the subject looks younger at this time. Therefore, the photographing operation may be performed.

  As described above, in each embodiment of the present invention, the age of the person is detected from the face image data corresponding to the face image of the person included in each of the plurality of image data, and the detected age is set. Based on this, the age of the person is displayed relative to each of the plurality of images. Therefore, the photographer can easily take a photograph that looks natural and youthful while changing the facial expression, composition, exposure correction amount, and the like of the subject.

  In each embodiment of the present invention, when the age is detected, the relative determination unit 5d performs comparison with the face and the template stored in the aging DB. Any device that can estimate the age based on it is acceptable.

  In each embodiment of the present invention, an image when exposure correction or adaptive processing is performed is displayed, and the photographer views the display and manually sets an operation member for setting the exposure correction amount and the like. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an exposure correction amount or the like may be automatically set when an image is selected.

  In each embodiment of the present invention, a digital camera has been described as an apparatus for photographing. However, the camera may be a digital single-lens reflex camera or a compact digital camera, and a mobile phone or a portable information terminal. Of course, a camera built in (PDA: Personal Digital Assist) or the like may be used.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as they are, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the embodiment. For example, you may delete some components of all the components shown by embodiment. Furthermore, constituent elements over different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

It is a block diagram of the camera concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention, and its periphery. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of the age change display of the camera concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention. In 1st Embodiment of this invention, it is a figure explaining the determination method of an aging signature determination. It is a figure which shows the state which is displaying the relative age on the display panel in the camera concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of the age change display of the camera concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state which is displaying the relative age on the display panel in the camera concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of imaging | photography control of the camera concerning 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state which is displaying the relative age on the display panel in the camera concerning 3rd Embodiment of this invention. In the third embodiment of the present invention, it is a diagram for explaining the adaptation processing. In the camera concerning 3rd Embodiment of this invention, it is a figure which shows performing an adaptation process to a part of face image, (a) is an image before correction | amendment, (b) is an image after correction | amendment. is there. In the camera concerning 3rd Embodiment of this invention, it is a figure which shows a mode that optimal exposure correction information is set, performing exposure correction with respect to the whole image similarly to normal exposure correction.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... MPU, 1a ... Release switch, 1b ... Mode changeover switch, 1c ... Other switch, 1d ... Condition judgment part, 1t ... Clock part, 2 ... Shooting lens 2a ... AF (autofocus) control unit, 2b ... aperture, 2c ... aperture control unit, 3 ... imaging device, 4 ... analog front end (AFE) unit, 5 ... Image processing unit, 5a ... face detection unit, 5b ... adaptation processing unit, 5c ... contrast judgment unit, 5d ... relative judgment unit, 6 ... compression unit, 8 ... display panel, 8a ... display control unit, 8b ... multi-image processing unit, 9 ... recording medium, 9a ... recording unit, 9d ... face & aging database, 11 ... auxiliary light emitting unit, 20 ... subject, 41 ... face image (young person), 42 ... face image (elderly person) 43 ... Shading pattern (young people), 44 ... Shading pattern (elderly people), 51 ... Age bar, 52a ... Face, 52b ... Face, 53a ... Image, 53b ... Image, 53c ... Image, 53d ... Image, 54 ... Age bar, 55a ... Image, 55b ... Image, 55c ... Image, 55d ... Image, 56 ..Age bar, 57 ... tree, 58 ... person, 59 ... line, 60 ... aging sign section, 61 ... exposure correction switch, 100 ... camera

Claims (12)

An imaging unit for imaging a subject and converting it into image data;
An image data generation unit for generating a plurality of image data having different image quality parameters;
An aging sign detection unit for detecting an aging signature corresponding to the age of the person from face image data corresponding to the face image of the person included in each of the plurality of image data generated by the image data generation unit; ,
Based on the aging sign detected by the aging sign detection unit, a display unit that relatively displays the age of the person for each of the plurality of image data;
An image recording unit for recording the image data by the imaging unit;
An imaging apparatus comprising:   The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit performs imaging based on an image quality parameter corresponding to an age of a desired person displayed on the display unit.   2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of image data generated by the image data generation unit are captured by the imaging unit based on different image quality parameters.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of image data generated by the image data generation unit are generated based on a plurality of different exposure levels. Detecting an aging signature corresponding to the age of the person from the face image data corresponding to the face image of the person included in each of a plurality of image data having different image quality parameters;
Displaying the age of the person relative to each of the plurality of image data based on the aging signature;
Performing imaging based on the image quality parameter corresponding to the age of the desired person relative displayed;
An imaging method comprising: An imaging unit for imaging a subject and converting it into image data;
An aging sign detection unit that detects the age of the person from face image data corresponding to the face image of the person included in each of the plurality of image data;
Based on the aging sign detected by the aging sign detection unit, a display unit that relatively displays the age of the person for each of the plurality of image data;
An imaging apparatus comprising:   An image data generation unit configured to generate a plurality of image data having different image quality parameters, and the aging sign detection unit is configured to generate an aging signature corresponding to the age of the person with respect to the plurality of image data having different image quality parameters. The imaging device according to claim 6, wherein the imaging device is detected.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the image quality parameter is a correction amount for performing exposure correction on the entire screen of the image data.   The image pickup apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the image quality parameter is a correction amount for performing exposure correction only on the face image portion of the person.   8. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the image quality parameter is a correction amount for performing exposure correction only on a predetermined portion of the entire face of the person.   The aging sign detection unit has a database storing a template of a face part corresponding to age, and detects the age of the person based on a template having a high degree of matching by comparing with a face part image. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6. Capture the subject and convert it to image data.
Detecting the age of the person from the face image data corresponding to the face image of the person included in each of the plurality of image data;
Based on the age of the person, the age of the person is relatively displayed for each of the plurality of image data.
An imaging method characterized by the above.