JP2010206510A - Image capturing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image capturing apparatus that achieves a style expression image using an obscured image without inducing an increase in cost or a decrease in processing speed due to an increase in circuit scale. <P>SOLUTION: In the imaging preparation status, a moving image processing means 3 processes thinned image data to display a moving image on a display means 8. When imaging is directed by an imaging start direction means 12, an imaging means 1 outputs image data of all pixels to a still image processing means 4 under control by a reading control means 2. Then, the moving image processing means 3 outputs thinned image data immediate before the imaging direction to a synthesizing means 6 under control by a synthesizing timing control means 14, and a magnification means 7 magnifies the thinned image data to generate an obscured image. At the same time, the still image processing means 4 outputs the image data of all pixels to the synthesizing means 6. The synthesizing means 6 synthesizes the image data of all pixels output by the still image processing means 4 and the obscured image generated by the magnification means 7. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus capable of outputting a style-represented image.

  2. Description of the Related Art An imaging device such as a digital camera is known in which a style expression function that enables a unique photographic expression by filtering a part or all of an image to be captured is known. There are various style expressions, such as a pop art-like style, a beautiful and fantastic style, and a style that captures the scenery in memory. As one of methods for obtaining such a style image, a method of synthesizing an original image and an image obtained by blurring the original image is known. For example, in order to perform a style expression such as soft focus, conventionally, an original image and an image obtained by filtering the original image with a low-pass filter (hereinafter referred to as “filter”) are combined. Also, in the style of expression that makes a city photograph look like a miniature model, a method of synthesizing an original image and an image in which the periphery of the original image is blurred by filter processing is known.

  On the other hand, as a result of an increase in the number of pixels of a solid-state imaging device typified by a CCD or CMOS in recent years, the resolution of an imaging apparatus, that is, the number of pixels of an image that can be captured has increased. However, if the number of pixels of the original image is large, the size of the filter used for blurring the original image must be increased, which causes a problem of increasing the necessary circuit scale. Therefore, in order to reduce the size of the filter, a method of reducing the original image, performing filter processing on the reduced image, further performing enlargement processing, and then combining with the original image is employed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  As an example, an imaging apparatus that captures an image that has been subjected to style expression in the prior art will be described with reference to the functional block diagram of FIG. In this imaging apparatus, image data captured by the imaging unit 51 is stored in the storage unit 52 and then input to the still image processing unit 53. This image data is subjected to predetermined image processing such as color processing by the still image processing means 53, and then subjected to filter processing by the filter means 55, and the reduced image is converted into the original image by linear interpolation or the like by the enlargement means 56. The data is enlarged to the same size as the data, and is synthesized by the synthesizing unit 57 with the original image data stored in the still image processing unit 53. The moving image processing means 60 is an image processing means provided for moving image recording. Recording of moving images and recording of still images are switched by a selector 58.

  However, even when the reduction means is used as described above, a circuit for reducing an image having the same size as the original image is required to create a reduced image from the original image. In addition to reducing the original image when the original image is large, a method of performing filter processing in multiple stages is also known (see, for example, Patent Document 2). However, since a plurality of filters must be prepared in order to perform filter processing in multiple stages, there is a problem that the required circuit scale increases. For this reason, in Patent Document 1, the low-pass filter circuit included in the zoom circuit of the digital camera is used twice to prevent the circuit from becoming complicated. However, in this method, since a large-capacity still image is read a plurality of times and reduced and filtered, there is a concern that the processing efficiency may be lowered.

JP 2005-117399 A Patent 3305944

  Therefore, an object of the present invention made by paying attention to these points is to provide an imaging device capable of obtaining a style expression image using a blurred image without causing an increase in cost due to an increase in circuit scale or a reduction in processing speed. It is to provide.

The invention of an imaging apparatus according to claim 1 that achieves the above object is as follows:
Imaging means for acquiring image data of a subject;
A reading control means for controlling reading of image data of the imaging means;
First image processing means for processing image data read by the read control means at a first resolution and a first frame rate;
Second image processing means for processing image data read by the read control means at a second resolution and a second frame rate;
Imaging start instruction means for instructing reading of the image data of the second resolution;
In accordance with an instruction from the imaging start instruction means, a synthesis timing control means for controlling the synthesis timing of the image data from the first image processing means and the image data from the second image processing means;
Enlargement means for enlarging the image data processed by the first image processing means under the control of the synthesis timing control means;
Under the control of the synthesis timing control unit, a synthesis unit that synthesizes the image data enlarged by the enlargement unit and the image data processed by the second image processing unit;
It is characterized by providing.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the imaging apparatus according to the first aspect, the readout control unit reads out a moving image at the first resolution and the first frame rate, and according to an instruction from the imaging start instruction unit, Controlling the reading of image data of the imaging means so as to read a still image at the second resolution higher than the first resolution and at the second frame rate lower than the first frame rate; Is characterized in that the sequential image data of the moving image having the first resolution is enlarged to the second resolution.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first image processing means includes a frame cyclic image processing means for generating image data including the influence of past image information, The synthesizing unit synthesizes the image data processed by the frame cyclic image processing unit and the image data processed by the second image processing unit.

  According to the present invention, the image data having the first resolution and the first frame rate from the first image processing unit and the second resolution from the second image processing unit are controlled by the timing control of the synthesis timing control unit. And the image data of the second frame rate is output, and the image output from the first image processing means is enlarged by the enlargement means to generate a blurred image. Since it is synthesized with the image data output from the processing means, it does not require an additional filter for expressing the style, prevents an increase in circuit scale, and does not increase the cost or reduce the processing speed. An imaging device capable of recording the expressed image can be provided.

1 is a functional block diagram illustrating a main part of an imaging apparatus as a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the imaging device by 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the compositing process of an imaging device. It is a figure explaining the reading of the pixel by pixel thinning. It is a figure which shows the magnitude | size of the image data processed with a moving image processing means and a still image processing means. It is a figure explaining the expansion method of the image by linear interpolation. It is a functional block diagram which shows the frame cyclic type image processing means contained in the moving image processing means in 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a functional block diagram which shows the principal part of the imaging device which images the image which performed the style expression in the prior art.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a main part of the imaging apparatus as the first embodiment of the present invention. The imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit 1, a reading control unit 2, a moving image processing unit 3 as a first image processing unit, a still image processing unit 4 as a second image processing unit, a selector 5, a combining unit 6, and an enlargement. Means 7, display means 8, reduction means 9, recording means 10, selector 11, imaging start instruction means 12, control means 13 and control means 14 are configured. The synthesizing unit 6 includes an enlarging unit 7, and the control unit 13 includes a synthesizing timing control unit 14.

  The image pickup means 1 picks up a subject and is composed of a CCD or the like. The readout control unit 2 controls the imaging unit 1 based on an instruction from the control unit 13 to read out a pixel signal from a plurality of methods including all pixel readout or thinning readout by thinning out the number of pixels. Select and control. The moving image processing means 3 receives image data obtained by thinning out reading from the imaging means 1 and processes it as a moving image. The still image processing unit 4 receives read data of all pixels from the imaging unit 1 and performs processing as a still image. A selector 5 provided between the imaging device 1 and the moving image processing means 3 and the still image processing means 4 controls the output from the imaging means 1 as the moving image processing means 3 or the still image processing means under the control of the control means 13. 4 is sent to any one of

  The reduction unit 9 reduces the image processed by the moving image processing unit 3 by pixel thinning or the like, and outputs the reduced image data to the display unit 8 such as an electronic viewfinder. The display means 8 displays the reduced moving image.

  On the other hand, the synthesizing unit 6 synthesizes the image data processed by the moving image processing unit 3 and the image data processed by the still image processing unit 4. Here, the enlarging means 7 of the synthesizing means 6 enlarges the image data from the image data input from the moving image processing means 3 whose pixels are thinned out by interpolation processing, and is the same as the image data from the still image processing means 4. The number of pixels. The synthesizing timing control means 14 of the control means 13 synchronizes the timing so that the synthesizing means 6 synthesizes the image data from the moving image processing means 3 and the image data from the still image processing means 4. .

  The recording means 10 is for recording captured image data. The selector 11 is provided in the preceding stage of the recording means 10, and its input is connected to the outputs of the moving image processing means 3 and the synthesizing means 6. The selector 11 selectively controls either the moving image data from the moving image processing unit 3 when moving images are recorded or the image data synthesized by the synthesizing unit 6 under the control of the control unit 13. Output to the recording means 10.

  The imaging start instruction unit 12 is a release or the like that the user of the imaging apparatus instructs to start imaging. In response to the imaging start instruction, the control of the control unit 13 connected to the imaging start instruction unit 12 controls the readout control unit 2, the moving image processing unit 3, the still image processing unit 4, the selector 5, the synthesizing unit 6, and the selector 11. Each control is performed.

  Next, the operation of the imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the imaging apparatus. First, when a power supply (not shown) is turned on, the imaging apparatus is ready for imaging. In this state, the control means 13 controls the readout control means 2 (Step S101), and outputs the display image data from the image pickup means 1 by thinning out the pixels as will be described later (Step S102). At the same time, the control unit 13 controls the selector 5 to input the thinned image data output from the imaging unit 1 to the moving image processing unit 3. The moving image processing means 3 performs predetermined moving image processing such as color processing on the thinned image data (step S103), and outputs it to the reducing means 9. The reduction means 9 reduces the image data input from the moving image processing means 3 to a size that can be displayed by the display means 8 (step S104), and outputs it to the display means 8. The display means 8 The processed image data is displayed (step S105). The processing from step S101 to step S105 is repeated until there is an imaging start instruction by the imaging start instruction means 12. Thereby, the image data displayed on the display means 8 is displayed as a so-called live image by being repeatedly updated.

  Note that the image data subjected to the predetermined image processing in step 103 can be recorded in the recording unit 10. In this case, the control unit 13 controls the selector 11 to cause the recording unit 10 to input the image data output from the moving image processing unit 3.

  Next, a reading method by pixel thinning in step S102 will be described. Pixel thinning refers to reading out a signal from only a part of the pixels constituting the entire image when the image signal is output from the imaging device constituting the imaging means 1. For example, FIG. 4 shows an example of pixel thinning. In this figure, Pxy represents a pixel at a horizontal position x and a vertical position y. When the pixel arrangement of all the pixels includes pixels of 5 rows and 5 columns of P11 to P55 as shown in FIG. 4A, when pixels are thinned out every other pixel in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, even rows and even rows Each pixel in the column is removed, leaving only the pixels shown in FIG.

  As described above, by performing pixel thinning, the number of pixels read from the imaging unit 1 is reduced, so that the readout time can be shortened, and a reduction in readout speed is prevented in moving image capturing, and the frame rate of the output image is reduced. Can be secured. For example, when all the pixels of the imaging unit 1 are read out, if it is possible to capture one frame per second, it is possible to capture 30 frames per second by reducing the number of readout pixels to 1/30. That is, in this case, the second resolution for capturing a still image is the resolution of all pixels, the second frame rate is 1 frame / second, and the first resolution for capturing a moving image is the resolution of all pixels. The resolution is 1/30, and the second frame rate is 30 frames / second.

  On the other hand, when imaging start is instructed by the imaging start instruction means 12 (step S106), the control means 13 shifts to the composition processing. Below, the operation | movement of a synthetic | combination process is demonstrated using the flowchart of FIG. First, the control unit 13 controls the readout control unit 2 (step S201), and outputs image data of all pixels from the imaging unit 1 (step S202). At the same time, the control unit 13 controls the selector 5 to input the image data of all the pixels output from the imaging unit 1 to the still image processing unit 4. The still image processing means 4 performs predetermined still image processing such as color processing on the image data of all pixels (step S203).

  Next, under the control of the synthesis timing control unit 14, the moving image processing unit 3 combines the image data of the frame immediately before the start of imaging (step S 106), which is left in the storage unit (not shown) of the moving image processing unit 3. Output to means 6. Similarly, the still image processing unit 4 outputs the image data subjected to the image processing in step S <b> 203 to the output of the image data from the moving image processing unit 3 to the combining unit 6 by the control from the combining timing control unit 14. The timing is matched and output to the synthesizing means 6 (step S204).

  The synthesizing unit 6 enlarges the image data input from the moving image processing unit 3 to the same size as the image data input from the still image processing unit 4 by the enlarging unit 7 as described later (step S205). It is combined with the image data input from the image processing means 4 (step S206) and output as image data expressed in a style. At the same time, the selector 11 is controlled by the control means 13 and outputs the image data expressed by the style output from the synthesizing means 6 to the recording means 10, and the recording means 10 records this as a moving image.

Here, a method for enlarging the image data input from the moving image processing unit 3 to the same size as the image data input from the still image processing unit 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. 5A shows the size of the image data processed by the moving image processing means 3, and FIG. 5B shows the size of the image data processed by the still image processing means 4. . Here, the number of pixels in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of the image data processed by the moving image processing unit 3 is x1 and y1, respectively, and the number of pixels in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of the image data processed by the still image processing unit 4 Are represented as x2 and y2, respectively. Thereby, the magnification in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction can be expressed as follows.
Horizontal magnification = x2 / x1
Vertical magnification = y2 / y1

Therefore, the image is enlarged based on the enlargement ratio in each of the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. The enlargement can be performed by linear interpolation. For example, a case where both the horizontal and vertical magnifications are 2 will be described. It is assumed that a part of the pixel arrangement of the image processed by the moving image processing means 3 is thinned image data indicated by P11 to P55 in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6B, the enlargement of the image data is performed by generating and arranging a pixel Qxy between the thinned pixels P11 to P55 (x and y of Qxy are horizontal and vertical directions). ). Qxy can be generated by the following linear interpolation.
Q12 = (P11 + P13) / 2
Q21 = (P11 + P31) / 2
Q22 = (P11 + P13 + P31 + P33) ÷ 4
In the above description, only the linear interpolation calculation method for Q12, Q21, and Q22 has been described. However, similar calculation can be performed for other Qxy.

  As described above, when the image is enlarged by performing the interpolation, the image is blurred from the captured image having the same number of pixels. By synthesizing the blurred image and the captured image processed by the still image processing means 4, a style expression is realized. Here, by using the image thinned out before the imaging start instruction by the moving image processing means 3, it is not necessary to provide a separate filter for the reduction process, and the time for reducing the image captured after the imaging start instruction Is also unnecessary.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the image data of all the pixels is output from the still image processing unit 4 and controlled by the synthesis timing control unit 14, and the image data and the imaging time are also output from the moving image processing unit 3. An image obtained by thinning out pixels close to each other is output, and an enlargement unit 7 enlarges the image output from the moving image processing unit 3 to generate a blurred image. Since it is synthesized with the image data output from the image, it does not require a separate filter for generating a style image, prevents an increase in circuit scale, and does not increase the cost or decrease the processing speed. A possible imaging device can be provided.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a part of the moving image processing means 3 in the second embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the moving image processing means 3 includes a frame recursive image processing means 15. The frame recursive image processing means 15 is a known technique used for reducing noise in a video signal. Image data subjected to processing such as color processing in the moving image processing means 3 is input to reduce noise. Output image data. The frame recursive image processing unit 15 includes a storage unit 16, multiplication units 17 and 18, and an addition unit 19.

  In general, in the case of capturing images at a frame rate of 30 frames per second or 60 frames per second as in moving images, the frame recursive noise reduction processing has a high correlation between image frames. The noise component is used to reduce noise by utilizing the characteristic that there is almost no correlation between image frames. As shown in FIG. 7, when the image data of the current frame is multiplied by K by the multiplication unit 17, the image data of the previous frame is multiplied by (1−K) by the multiplication unit 18, and cyclic addition is performed by the addition unit 19. Noise components can be reduced. Here, since the image output by the adding means 19 includes the image of the previous frame, the output image by the noise processing of this frame circulation includes the blur due to the afterimage for the moving image. By selecting the value of the coefficient K (0 ≦ K ≦ 1), for example, if K is decreased, the noise reduction effect can be increased and the blur caused by the afterimage is also increased.

  The operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 2 and 3 used in the description of the first embodiment. First, in the imaging preparation state of the imaging apparatus shown in FIG. 2, frame cyclic image processing is added to step S103 in the present embodiment. That is, after the moving image processing means 3 performs predetermined image processing such as color processing on the thinned sequential image data, the frame recursive image processing means 15 performs frame recursive noise reduction processing. The image data after this noise reduction is output. Other processes in FIG. 2 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  Next, in the combining process shown in FIG. 3, in step S204, in the first embodiment, the moving image processing unit 3 combines the image data of the frame immediately before the start of imaging left in the storage device (not shown) with the combining unit 6. In this embodiment, the image remaining in the storage unit 16 is output to the combining unit 6. Other processes are the same as those in the first embodiment. As described above, the image data stored in the storage unit 16 of the moving image processing unit 3 by the frame cyclic image processing unit 15 is blurred. By synthesizing the blurred image and the image data output from the still image processing means 4 by the synthesizing means 6, it is possible to obtain an image expressed in a style.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the moving image processing unit 3 includes the frame cyclic image processing unit 15, the image data output from the moving image processing unit 3 has blur in advance. By combining this with the image data from the still image processing means 4 by the synthesizing means 6, the style expression can be realized. As a result, it is possible to realize an imaging apparatus capable of imaging with style expression at low cost without requiring a large filter circuit.

  In addition, this invention is not limited only to said each embodiment, Many deformation | transformation or a change is possible. For example, the reduction unit 9 is provided assuming that the resolution of the display unit 8 is lower than the resolution of the image data processed by the moving image processing unit 3, but depending on the relationship between the display unit and the resolution of the moving image processing unit, the reduction unit may There are cases where the image processed by the means 3 is an enlargement means for enlarging the image by pixel interpolation or the like, or neither the reduction means nor the enlargement means is necessary.

  Further, although the image data read by the still image processing unit 4 is the data of all the pixels of the imaging unit 1, it is not limited to this. Depending on the setting, the image data read when capturing a still image may be set to 1/4 of all pixels, and the image data read by the moving image processing means 3 may be further thinned out. The enlargement by the enlargement means 7 is shown by simple linear interpolation, but is not limited to this, and other interpolation operations such as cubic interpolation may be used. The pixel thinning is shown by skipping one pixel for the sake of explanation, but is not limited to this, and there are various methods. In addition, since the color of the pixels is actually determined by a filter or the like for each pixel, processing such as pixel thinning, enlargement, and composition considering the arrangement of the color is performed.

  Furthermore, there are a wide variety of image synthesis methods in the synthesizing means 6, and in realization of the actual style effect, the ratio of synthesis is varied according to the contrast and the amount of motion, or the image data is divided and synthesized for each region. This is realized by increasing the variation of the effect, for example, by changing the ratio to be performed.

  In the second embodiment, the frame recursive image processing means 15 has been described using a noise reduction process. However, the present invention is not limited to this as long as it uses frame recursion. Furthermore, although it is assumed that image data that has undergone color processing or the like in the moving image processing means 3 is input to the frame recursive image processing means 15, image data that has not been subjected to processing such as color processing is input. You may make it.

  In each of the above embodiments, the first image processing unit that processes a moving image is a moving image processing unit, and the second processing unit is a still image processing unit that processes a still image. Both of the image processing means can be used as the moving image processing means, and the moving image expressed in the style can be recorded in the recording means. In that case, for example, a thinning means for performing pixel thinning is arranged between the moving image processing means 3 and the selector 5, and the read control means 2, the selector 5, and the thinning means constitute a read control means. Thus, in the imaging preparation state, the image data output from the imaging unit 1 is thinned out by the thinning unit, the moving image processing unit 3 performs the moving image processing, and the moving image is displayed on the display unit 8 via the reduction unit 9. On the other hand, when an imaging instruction is issued to the imaging start instruction unit 12, the sequential image data output from the imaging unit 1 is output by the selector 5 to the moving image processing unit 3 via the thinning unit and a still image. The output is also made to the moving image processing means in which the processing means 4 is replaced. Thereafter, the image data processed by the moving image processing means 3 is enlarged by the enlargement means 7, and this is combined with the image data processed by the moving image processing means replacing the still image processing means 4 by the synthesizing means 6. Combined and recorded in the recording means 10. By performing this on sequential image data, a moving image expressed in a style can be obtained.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Imaging means 2 Reading control means 3 Moving image processing means 4 Still image processing means 5 Selector 6 Composition means 7 Enlargement means 8 Display means 9 Reduction means 10 Recording means 11 Selector 12 Imaging start instruction means 13 Control means 14 Synthesis timing control means 15 Frame cyclic image processing means 16 Storage means 17 Multiplier 18 Multiplier 19 Addition means

Claims (3)

Imaging means for acquiring image data of a subject;
A reading control means for controlling reading of image data of the imaging means;
First image processing means for processing image data read by the read control means at a first resolution and a first frame rate;
Second image processing means for processing image data read by the read control means at a second resolution and a second frame rate;
Imaging start instruction means for instructing reading of the image data of the second resolution;
In accordance with an instruction from the imaging start instruction means, a synthesis timing control means for controlling the synthesis timing of the image data from the first image processing means and the image data from the second image processing means;
Enlargement means for enlarging the image data processed by the first image processing means under the control of the synthesis timing control means;
Under the control of the synthesis timing control unit, a synthesis unit that synthesizes the image data enlarged by the enlargement unit and the image data processed by the second image processing unit;
An imaging apparatus comprising:   The readout control unit reads out a moving image at the first resolution and the first frame rate, and the second resolution and the first frame higher than the first resolution are instructed by the imaging start instruction unit. Controlling reading of the image data of the imaging means so as to read a still image at the second frame rate lower than the rate, and the enlarging means reads the sequential image data of the moving image having the first resolution, The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein enlargement processing is performed to a second resolution.   The first image processing means includes frame recursive image processing means for generating image data including the influence of past image information, and the synthesizing means includes image data processed by the frame recursive image processing means. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image data processed by the second image processing unit is synthesized.

Images