JP2011029822A - Imaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging apparatus in which the motion of an identification marker following the motion of a subject can be easily seen even when means specifying a subject region are different. <P>SOLUTION: The imaging apparatus is provided with a first specifying means 202 which specifies a subject region of a feature part for image data, a second specifying means 204 which specifies the subject region of the feature part by a method different from the first specifying means 202 for the image data, a display means 205 which displays the identification marker in the subject region specified by the first specifying means 202 and in the subject region specified by the second specifying means 204, and a switching means 206 which discriminates the subject region is the subject region specified by the first specifying means 202 or the subject region specified by the second specifying means 204, and switches the display characteristics of the identification marker which is displayed in the subject region by the display means 205 based on the discrimination result. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus such as a digital camera.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there has been known an imaging apparatus having a function of detecting a face area that is a part of a subject from an image and a function of setting an arbitrary subject area by operating a touch panel or the like disposed on a screen of a display unit.

  When a subject is selected using these functions, a subject frame surrounding the subject is displayed superimposed on the subject area of the selected image, and the subject image in the subject frame is focused or exposure control is performed. By doing so, an image can be taken under conditions suitable for the subject.

  In addition, tracking of a subject is performed by continuously detecting a face area for successive frames constituting a moving image or periodically detecting a selected subject using correlation information between frame images. The tracking function is also known.

  When tracking a subject in a moving image, if the orientation of the subject changes slightly or the camera moves slightly due to camera shake, the coordinates of the detected subject change between frames. If the position of the subject frame is changed in accordance with this slight change in coordinates, the subject frame position will move finely even though the subject is hardly moving, which is difficult for the user to see. turn into.

  Therefore, in order to prevent unnecessary fluctuation of the subject frame, a method is disclosed in which the subject frame display is made easier to view by setting the tracking response of the subject frame to the actual position fluctuation of the main subject to be low (patent). Reference 1).

JP 2007-208425 A

  By the way, for example, in the function of detecting a face area based on face part information or the like, even a small change of each part may affect the detection result of the face area. That is, even when there is no movement of the subject, the detection result of the face area may vary (see FIG. 8A), so that the tracking response of the subject frame is lowered as in Patent Document 1 above. This makes it necessary to make the display of the subject frame easier to see (see FIG. 8B).

  On the other hand, in the function of tracking the subject by obtaining the correlation between the subject peripheral areas between the images, the correlation is obtained by using the entire area around the subject, so that it is not easily influenced by the movement of a narrow range in the area. In this case, as in Patent Document 1, the variation in the tracking result is small even if the tracking response of the subject frame is not lowered (see FIG. 8C). For this reason, the effect when the tracking response of the subject frame is lowered is small, and if the tracking response is lowered, there is a problem that the tracking of the subject frame to the movement of the subject appears delayed (FIG. 8 (d) )reference).

  Therefore, in an imaging apparatus having both of these functions, if the tracking response of the subject frame with respect to the actual position fluctuation of the main subject is set to a constant value, it is difficult to see the display of the subject frame in at least one of the tracking functions End up.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism that makes it easy to see the movement of an identification display that follows the movement of the subject even when the means for specifying the subject area is different.

  In order to achieve the above object, the imaging apparatus of the present invention is different from the first specifying means for specifying the subject region of the characteristic part for the image data and the first specifying means for the image data. A second specifying means for specifying a subject area of the characteristic part by a method, a display for displaying an identification display on the subject area specified by the first specifying means and the subject area specified by the second specifying means A determination means for determining whether the subject area is the subject area specified by the first specifying means or the subject area specified by the second specifying means; Switching means for switching display characteristics of the identification display displayed in the subject area by a display means.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to make it easy to see the movement of the identification display that follows the movement of the subject even when the means for specifying the subject area is different.

It is a functional block diagram for demonstrating the digital camera which is 1st Embodiment of the imaging device of this invention. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining processing for displaying a subject frame in each of a subject area specified by a face detection unit and a subject region specified by a subject tracking unit. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining processing of a subject tracking unit in step S304 of FIG. Processing for switching the tracking response of the frame between when the subject frame is displayed in the face area specified by the face detection unit and when the subject frame is displayed in the subject area specified by the subject tracking unit by the display characteristic processing unit It is a flowchart figure for demonstrating. The flowchart for demonstrating the display processing of the face detection frame and subject tracking frame when there are a plurality of faces specified by the face detection unit and subject tracking unit in the digital camera which is the second embodiment of the imaging apparatus of the present invention. FIG. (A) is a graph showing the relationship between the fluctuation amount of the face detection frame and the tracking response of the face detection frame, and (b) is a graph showing the relationship between the fluctuation amount of the subject tracking frame and the tracking response of the subject tracking frame. FIG. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the reason which makes tracking response of a frame display high when the variation | change_quantity of a face detection frame is large, and makes tracking response of a frame display low when the variation | change_quantity of a subject tracking frame is large. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the tracking response of the subject frame of the face detection function and a subject tracking function in the past.

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

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram for explaining a digital camera which is a first embodiment of an imaging apparatus of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the digital camera of this embodiment includes an image processing unit 201, a face detection unit 202, a subject setting unit 203, a subject tracking unit 204, an EVF display unit 205, and a display characteristic processing unit 206.

  The image processing unit 201 performs various types of image processing on the input digital image data of the subject, converts processed digital image data, for example, digital image data into YUV image data, and outputs the YUV image data.

  The face detection unit 202 corresponds to an example of a first specifying unit of the present invention, and detects a face region as an example of a subject region of a characteristic part from digital image data output from the image processing unit 201. As a method for detecting a face region, there is a known method, for example, a method using learning represented by a neural network. In addition, a method for identifying a facial region using template matching from image information for parts having physical shape features such as eyes, nose, mouth, and facial contours, and features of image information such as skin color and eye shape There is a method of identifying a face region by detecting the quantity and performing statistical analysis. Furthermore, it is determined whether the immediately preceding face area is near the detected position, the color near the face area is determined in consideration of the color of clothes, or the face identification is performed near the center of the screen. There is a method of setting the threshold value low.

  The subject setting unit 203 sets a subject area to be tracked. For example, the subject setting unit 203 causes the subject position to be designated by a user operation on a touch panel arranged on an operation display unit (not shown), and sets an area including the designated position as a subject area to be tracked.

  The subject tracking unit 204 corresponds to an example of the second specifying unit of the present invention, and sets the face area detected by the face detection unit 202 or the area set by the subject setting unit 203 as a tracking subject to be tracked. To do. Then, the subject tracking unit 204 extracts a region having the highest correlation with the region set as the tracking subject from the frame image after the frame image in which the tracking subject is set, and extracts the extracted region as a new one. Update as tracking subject.

  The EVF display unit 205 includes a liquid crystal display or the like, and displays the image data processed by the image processing unit 201. The EVF display unit 205 displays a subject frame as an example of identification display in the subject area specified by the face detection unit 202 and the subject tracking unit 204. By performing this display as a moving image, the position of the subject frame on the image is updated at any time, and the user can recognize that the tracking subject is being tracked.

  The display characteristic processing unit 206 has display characteristics corresponding to each of the face detection unit 202 and the subject tracking unit 204. The display characteristic processing unit 206 displays the display characteristics, the main frame, when the subject frame is displayed in the subject area specified by the face detection unit 202 and when the subject frame is displayed in the subject area specified by the subject tracking unit 204. In the embodiment, the tracking response of the subject frame is switched.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 2, processing for displaying a subject frame in each of the subject area specified by the face detection unit 202 and the subject area specified by the subject tracking unit 204 will be described. Each process in FIG. 2 is not shown, but a control program stored in the ROM or the like is loaded into the RAM and executed by the CPU or the like.

  In step S301, the CPU acquires an image to be processed by the face detection unit 202 and the subject tracking unit 204 from the image processing unit 201, and proceeds to step S302.

  In step S302, the CPU executes processing in the face detection unit 202 on the image acquired in step S301, and proceeds to step S303.

  In step S303, the CPU determines whether or not a subject area to be tracked is set by the subject setting unit 203 before acquiring an image in step S301. Here, for example, as described above, the CPU determines whether or not a subject area to be tracked is set by a user operation on the touch panel arranged in the operation display unit. Alternatively, the CPU determines whether or not the subject area in which the tracking result is updated by the subject tracking unit 204 is set for the image acquired before the image acquired in step S301.

  If the CPU determines that a subject area to be tracked is set, the CPU proceeds to step S304. If the CPU determines that a subject area to be tracked is not set, the CPU proceeds to step S305.

  In step S <b> 304, the CPU stores the image of the tracking target subject area set in the subject setting unit 203 as reference data in the internal memory of the subject tracking unit 204, and executes processing in the subject tracking unit 204. Then, the subject tracking unit 204 extracts a region having the highest correlation with the reference data stored in the internal memory from the image acquired in step S301, determines that the region is the subject region to be tracked, The process proceeds to S305.

  Here, the processing of the subject tracking unit 204 in step S304 of FIG. 2 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. Here, as an example, subject tracking is executed in two frames that are continuous in time series, that is, the nth frame and the (n + 1) th frame.

  In FIG. 3, in step S401, the CPU stores the image of the subject area to be tracked in the nth frame set by the subject setting unit 203 as reference data in the internal memory of the subject tracking unit 204, and proceeds to step S402. .

  In step S402, the CPU controls the subject tracking unit 204 to set a search area in the (n + 1) th frame of the image of the subject area set in the nth frame, and proceeds to step S403. The search area may be, for example, a peripheral area centered on the area where the subject to be tracked set in the nth frame is present, or may be the entire image if the processing time is sufficient.

  In step S403, the CPU controls the subject tracking unit 204 to perform pattern matching with the image of the tracking target subject area stored in the internal memory in step S401 in the search area set in step S402, and in step S404. move on. The pattern matching method may be, for example, a method of calculating a difference sum of luminance values for each pixel in the subject area of the nth frame and the subject search area of the (n + 1) th frame, and is not limited to luminance information. A method using information of another subject such as information may be used.

  In step S404, the CPU controls the subject tracking unit 204 to determine the subject area to be tracked in the (n + 1) th frame based on the pattern matching result in step S403, and in step S305 in FIG. Proceed to Here, for example, as a result of performing pattern matching by a method of calculating a difference sum of luminance values for each pixel in the subject search area, an area with the smallest difference sum, that is, an area with the highest correlation is (n + 1). ) It may be determined as a subject area to be tracked in a frame.

  Returning to FIG. 2, in step S <b> 305, the CPU determines whether or not the face area has been detected by the process in the face detection unit 202 in step S <b> 302. If the face area is detected, the process proceeds to step S <b> 306. If no face area is detected, the process proceeds to step S307.

  In step S306, as a result of tracking the subject area in step S304, the CPU proceeds to step S308 if there is a subject area to be tracked, and proceeds to step S309 if there is no subject area to be tracked.

  In step S308, the CPU determines whether the face area confirmed to exist in steps S302 and S304 and the subject area to be tracked are the same. In this determination, for example, the distance in the screen between the face area and the subject area to be tracked is considered. That is, when the subject region to be tracked by the subject tracking unit 204 and the position of the face region detected by the face detection unit 202 overlap, it is determined that they are the same.

  This is because, for example, a subject whose face area could not be recognized by the face detection unit 202 as a subject to be tracked by the subject tracking unit 204 because the face of the subject is facing sideways or facing down. Suppose that it was set. In this case, when the subject faces the front, the position of the face area detected by the face detection unit 202 and the position of the subject area to be tracked by the subject tracking unit 204 overlap.

  If the CPU determines that the subject area to be tracked by the subject tracking unit 204 is the same as the face area detected by the face detection unit 202, the CPU proceeds to step S309. If the CPU determines that the subject area is not the same, step S310 is performed. Proceed to

  In step S309, the CPU displays a subject frame in the face area detected in the image and ends the process. Here, the condition for executing step S309 is that there is a face area and no subject area to be tracked, or a face area and a subject area to be tracked are present and they are the same subject. There is.

  On the other hand, in step S307, as a result of tracking the subject area in step S304, if the subject area to be tracked exists, the CPU proceeds to step S310. If the subject area to be tracked does not exist, the CPU displays a subject frame. The process is terminated without performing the process.

  In step S310, the CPU displays a subject frame in the tracked subject area in the image, and ends the process. Here, the condition for executing step S310 is that there is no face area and there is a subject area to be tracked, or there are face areas and a subject area to be tracked that are not the same subject. . In the present embodiment, when there are a face area and a subject area to be tracked and they are not the same subject, the subject frame is displayed only in the subject area to be tracked. Also, a subject frame may be displayed.

  Next, referring to FIG. 4, the display characteristic processing unit 206 displays a subject frame in the face area specified by the face detection unit 202 and displays the subject frame in the subject area specified by the subject tracking unit 204. A process for switching the follow-up response of the frame in the case of performing the process will be described.

  In step S <b> 501, the CPU sets a subject frame on a subject frame displayed in the face area detected by the face detection unit 202 (hereinafter referred to as a face detection frame) or a subject area that is a tracking target in the subject tracking unit 204. It is determined whether the subject frame is to be displayed (hereinafter referred to as a subject tracking frame).

  If the subject frame is a face detection frame, the CPU proceeds to step S502. If the subject frame is a subject tracking frame, the CPU proceeds to step S503.

  In step S502, the CPU controls the display characteristic processing unit 206 to apply the display characteristics for the face detection frame to the face detection frame, and ends the process.

  In step S503, the CPU controls the display characteristic processing unit 206 to apply the display characteristics for the subject tracking frame to the subject tracking frame, and ends the process.

  Next, display characteristics of the face detection frame and the subject tracking frame will be described. In the present embodiment, the number of faces detected by the face detection unit 202 is one.

  In the case of the face detection frame, small changes in parts such as eyes and mouth in the face area may affect the result of executing the face detection function, and the position and size of the face area even when there is no actual face movement Differences occur in the detection results. That is, the face detection results vary. For this reason, the tracking response of the face detection frame as a display characteristic is lowered in order to suppress variations in face detection results when displaying the face detection frame.

  On the other hand, in the case of the subject tracking frame, as one of the subject tracking methods, there is a method of obtaining the correlation of the subject peripheral area between images. In this method, the tracking result is influenced by the overall movement of the subject without being easily influenced by the movement of a narrow range in the subject area. For this reason, the variation in the movement of the subject and the movement of the subject tracking frame is small. When the tracking result variation is small, it is not necessary to lower the tracking response of the subject tracking frame as a display characteristic, so the tracking response of the subject tracking frame is higher than the tracking response of the face tracking frame. To do.

  In this case, for example, both the face detection frame and the subject tracking frame have their time constants obtained in advance through experiments or the like to change their positions, and the time constant of the face detection frame can be set to a large value. It is conceivable to give a time constant only to the face detection frame.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the tracking responsiveness of the face detection frame displayed in the face area detected by the face detection unit 202 is lowered, and the tracking is performed in the subject area that is the tracking target in the subject tracking unit 204. The tracking response of the subject tracking frame is increased. This makes it easier to see the movement of the frame following the movement of the subject even if the means for specifying the region of the subject image is different.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a digital camera which is a second embodiment of the imaging apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that portions that overlap or correspond to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings and symbols.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the display processing of the face detection frame and the subject tracking frame when there are a plurality of faces specified by the face detection unit 202 and the subject tracking unit 204. Each process in FIG. 5 is executed by a control program stored in a ROM or the like being loaded into the RAM and the CPU or the like controlling the display characteristic processing unit 206, although illustration is omitted. Here, as an example, frame display in two frames that are continuous in time series, that is, the nth frame and the (n + 1) th frame will be described.

  In step S601, the CPU calculates the amount of variation in the X direction and the Y direction and the amount of variation in size of the subject area in the nth frame and the (n + 1) th frame, and proceeds to step S602.

  In steps S602 to S604, the CPU follows the display characteristics of the frame based on the amount of variation in the X direction and the Y direction and the amount of variation of the size calculated in step S601. Responsiveness is calculated. The higher the tracking response of the frame, the faster the frame is moved with respect to the processing results of the face detection unit 202 and the subject tracking unit 204, and the lower the tracking response, the slower the frame is moved over a plurality of frames. To.

  FIG. 6A is a graph showing the relationship between the variation amount of the face detection frame and the tracking response of the face detection frame, and FIG. 6B shows the variation amount of the subject tracking frame and the tracking response of the subject tracking frame. It is a graph which shows a relationship. In FIG. 6, the horizontal axis represents the amount of variation in the X and Y directions and the size of the subject region, and the vertical axis represents the number of frames drawn corresponding to the amount of variation.

  For example, assuming that the variation amount in the X direction of the face detected by the face detection unit 202 is X_Face, when X_Face = <dX1, the frame is moved over the F2 frame, and when X_Face> = dX2, F1 (F2 > = F1) Move the frame over the frame. Further, when dX1 <X_Face <dX2, the frame is moved between the F1 frame and the F2 frame according to the variation amount. On the other hand, when the variation amount in the X direction of the subject area to be tracked determined by the subject tracking unit 204 is X_Face, the frame is moved over the F1 frame when X_Face = <dX1. When X_Face> = dX2, the frame is moved over the frame F2 (F2> = F1). Further, when dX1 <X_Face <dX2, the frame is moved between the F1 frame and the F2 frame according to the variation amount. The number of drawing frames determined in this way is set as Frame_X (step S602).

  Similarly, the number of drawing frames determined according to the variation amount of the face in the Y direction is Frame_Y (step S603), and the number of drawing frames determined according to the variation amount of the face size is Frame_S (step S604). Similarly, for the subject tracking frame, the number of drawing frames is determined according to the amount of variation in the Y direction and the amount of variation in size.

  The reason why the tracking response of the frame display is increased when the variation amount of the face detection frame is large and the tracking response of the frame display is decreased when the variation amount of the subject tracking frame is large is as follows.

  That is, when the tracked subject moves a long distance in the screen, the subject tracking frame moves quickly over a long distance only by increasing the tracking response of the frame as in the first embodiment. It is difficult to follow the movement of the tracking frame. Therefore, when there are a plurality of tracking targets, it may take time to recognize which subject tracking frame has moved to where (FIG. 7A). Therefore, when the subject moves for a long distance in the screen, it is possible to cope with it by lowering the tracking response of the frame in order to avoid losing sight of the subject tracking frame (FIG. 7B).

  On the other hand, when there is one face detected for the face frame detected by the face detection unit 202, the face detection response is reduced by lowering the frame tracking responsiveness in the case of long-distance movement, as with subject tracking. It becomes possible to make it difficult to lose sight of the frame from the screen.

  However, when a plurality of faces are detected by the face detection unit 202, the face detection frame may be displayed on a different face if the follow-up response is lowered when the variation amount of the face detection frame is large. Nevertheless, the face detection frame is displayed as if the same face has moved a long distance (FIG. 7C). In order to prevent such a situation, for example, when a plurality of faces are detected, it is necessary to increase the follow-up response of the frame with respect to the long-distance movement of the face (FIG. 7D).

  Further, the tracking response of the frame may be switched by determining whether or not the face displaying the frame is the same as the face displayed in the frame until immediately before. As a method for determining whether or not they are the same face, for example, the X direction and the Y direction of the subject region in the nth frame and the (n + 1) th frame and the amount of variation in size may be used. In addition, the face authentication result may be used when a face authentication function capable of registering a face detected in advance and determining whether the detected face matches the registered face is used. .

  Note that since the function of the subject tracking unit 204 is a function of tracking only a preset subject, a plurality of types of subject areas are not set unlike the function of the face detection unit 202, so that the frame does not easily move to different subjects. For this reason, even if there is a long-distance movement, it can be considered that the movement of the same subject.

  Next, in step S605, the CPU determines the actual number of frames drawn according to either the face detection frame or the subject tracking frame from the number of frames drawn in steps S602 to S604.

  For example, in the face detection frame, when the number of drawing frames Frame_X, Frame_Y, and Frame_S obtained from the difference between the X direction and the Y direction and the size variation is used, the shortest number of drawing frames among these three is used as the actual frame. It may be the number of drawing frames. This is because when there are a plurality of faces, as described above, if even one type of variation in the X direction, the Y direction, and the size is a short number of drawing frames, the variation in the face area is large. This is because there is a possibility that a frame is displayed on a face different from the face that was displayed in the past.

  On the other hand, in subject tracking, when Frame_X, Frame_Y, and Frame_S are used, the longest drawing frame number among these three may be used as the actual frame drawing frame number. This is because the possibility that the movement of the same subject is high even when the subject area fluctuates is large, as described above, so that it is possible to reduce the follow-up response of the frame and make it difficult to lose sight of the display frame. is there.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to what was illustrated by said each embodiment, In the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention, it can change suitably.

  For example, in each of the above embodiments, as an example of switching the display characteristics between the face detection frame and the subject tracking frame, the tracking response of the frame display is switched. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

  For example, hysteresis may be given to the amount of change in the subject area. In other words, the threshold for updating the display frame with respect to the movement of the subject area is changed when the subject moves from a stationary state to a moving state, and when the subject moves from a moving state to a stationary state. You may make it switch with.

  Specifically, when the subject is stationary, the threshold value for determining that the subject is stationary is widened for variations in the detection result by the face detection unit 202 and the tracking result by the subject tracking unit 204. If it is determined that the subject has moved, the threshold value for determining that the subject is stationary is reduced. Thereby, it is possible to suppress a change in the frame display when the subject is stationary, and to display the subject display frame so that it quickly follows the movement of the subject when the subject is moving.

  Further, the hysteresis width may be switched depending on which of the face detection frame and the subject tracking frame is displayed. As described in the first embodiment, since the variation in the face detection result is larger than the tracking result, for example, when displaying a face detection frame, the detection result varies by providing a wide hysteresis. Can be suppressed during frame display. On the other hand, in the case of the subject tracking frame, the variation in the tracking result is small, so even if the hysteresis width is narrow, the frame display fluctuation is small, and it can be displayed so that it follows the movement of the subject quickly. It becomes possible.

  The present invention can also be realized by executing the following processing. That is, software (program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus via a network or various storage media, and a computer (or CPU, MPU, or the like) of the system or apparatus reads the program. It is a process to be executed. It can also be realized by executing software (program) acquired via a network or various storage media on a personal computer (CPU, processor).

201 Image processing unit 202 Face detection unit 203 Subject setting unit 204 Subject tracking unit 205 EVF display unit 206 Display characteristic processing unit

Claims (8)

First specifying means for specifying a subject region of a characteristic part for image data;
Second specifying means for specifying the subject region of the characteristic part for the image data by a method different from the first specifying means;
Display means for displaying an identification display on the subject area specified by the first specifying means and the subject area specified by the second specifying means;
Determining means for determining whether the subject area is the subject area specified by the first specifying means or the subject area specified by the second specifying means;
An imaging apparatus comprising: switching means for switching a display characteristic of the identification display displayed on the subject area by the display means based on a judgment by the judgment means. The first specifying means is a face detecting means;
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1. The second specifying means is subject tracking means for tracking the movement of the subject area.
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1. The identification display is a subject frame.
The imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The display characteristic is a follow-up response of the identification display to the movement of the subject area.
The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein The display characteristics include a threshold value of a motion amount when switching between two states when the subject is switched from a stationary state to a moving state and when the subject is switched from a moving state to a stationary state. Is,
The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein A first specifying step of specifying a subject region of a characteristic part for image data;
A second specifying step for specifying the subject region of the characteristic part in a method different from the first specifying step for the image data;
A display step for displaying an identification display on the subject area specified in the first specifying step and the subject area specified in the second specifying step;
A determining step of determining whether the subject area is the subject area specified in the first specifying step or the subject area specified in the second specifying step;
A switching step of switching display characteristics of the identification display displayed in the subject area in the display step based on the determination in the determination step. A first specifying step of specifying a subject region of a characteristic part for image data;
A second specifying step for specifying the subject region of the characteristic part in a method different from the first specifying step for the image data;
A display step of displaying an identification display on the subject area specified in the first specifying step and the subject area specified in the second specifying step;
A determining step of determining whether the subject area is the subject area specified in the first specifying step or the subject area specified in the second specifying step;
Based on the determination in the determination step, causing the computer to execute a switching step of switching display characteristics of the identification display displayed in the subject area in the display step.
A control program for an image pickup apparatus.