JP4860568B2 - Imaging device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a photographing apparatus that includes an image sensor and generates an image signal by forming a subject image on the image sensor.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been proposed a technique for correcting camera shake by obtaining a motion vector representing the motion of a plurality of images based on a plurality of images (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 5). However, the techniques of these patent documents cannot correct subject shake. That is, when only the subject when the subject is divided into the main subject and the background is moving, the shake of the main subject cannot be corrected.

  Recently, it was reported that an image sensor capable of generating 300 frames per minute with 1.2 mega (1.2 million pixels) was successfully developed. By using such an image sensor, it is possible to increase the frame rate and obtain many images per second. Therefore, as described in the patent literature, the S / N ratio is increased by superimposing images for each frame. In addition, high-definition still image shooting can be obtained, and camera shake can be corrected by superimposing images for each frame while correcting their positions. In addition, since the frame interval is shortened, subject blurring is corrected to some extent by overlapping each image while correcting the position of the image for each frame.

However, in the above technique, camera shake and subject shake are corrected without being distinguished from each other, so subject shake is not completely corrected. If there is a motion vector for each region when the image is divided into a plurality of images between a plurality of repeatedly generated images as described in Patent Document 6, the images for each region are compared in time series. Thus, if subject blur and camera shake can be distinguished, subject blur can be suppressed by increasing the shutter speed when subject blur is likely to occur. However, the technique of Patent Document 6 is related to moving images and cannot be applied to still images.
JP-A-6-284327 JP 11-252445 A JP 2000-341577 A JP 2005-130159 A JP 2006-262220 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-3009078

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem of subject blur and to provide a photographing apparatus capable of distinguishing between camera shake and subject blur in still image shooting and appropriately correcting each of them.

A first imaging device of the present invention that achieves the above object is an imaging device that forms an image of a subject on an image sensor and generates an image representing the subject.
Through image generation means for repeatedly generating an image before shooting,
A motion vector calculating means for obtaining a motion vector for each region when the image is divided into a plurality of images between a plurality of images repeatedly generated by the through image generating means;
Subject determination means for determining whether the subject is a stationary subject or a motion subject based on the motion vector calculated by the motion vector calculation means;
When the subject determined by the subject determination unit is a moving subject, shooting is performed in a first shooting mode in which shooting sensitivity is increased and a single captured image is generated, and the subject determination unit performs Photographing means for performing photographing in a second photographing mode for generating a plurality of continuous photographed images when the determined subject is a stationary subject;
Based on the motion vector calculated by the motion vector calculation means, a plurality of shot images obtained by executing the second shooting mode when the subject determined by the subject determination means is a stationary subject. And image superimposing means for generating a superimposed image by correcting and superimposing the positions of the captured images so that the relative blur between the captured images is corrected.

  According to the first photographing apparatus of the present invention, a motion vector for each region is obtained by the motion vector detecting means based on the through image generated by the through image generating means before photographing, and the through image before photographing is obtained. The photographing process is executed after it is discriminated whether the subject is a stationary subject or a moving subject based on the image.

  When the subject determination unit determines that the subject is a stationary subject based on the through image, the second shooting mode is executed by the shooting unit, and a plurality of images obtained by executing the second shooting mode are executed. Based on the motion vector calculated by the motion vector calculation means, the positions of the captured images are superposed while the positions of the captured images are corrected so that the relative blur between the captured images is corrected. A superimposed image is generated by the means. That is, when the subject determining means determines that the subject is a stationary subject based on the through image, the camera shake is corrected by the superimposition by the image superimposing means.

  On the other hand, when the subject determination unit determines that the subject is moving, the first shooting mode is executed by the shooting unit, and the shooting sensitivity is increased by executing the first shooting mode. Shooting is performed. That is, when the subject determining means determines that the subject is a moving subject based on the through image, the shooting sensitivity is increased to adjust the shutter speed according to the high shooting sensitivity, and shooting is performed. And blurring of the subject is suppressed.

A second imaging device of the present invention that achieves the above object is an imaging device that forms an image of a subject on an image sensor and generates an image representing the subject.
Through image generation means for repeatedly generating an image before shooting,
A motion vector calculating means for obtaining a motion vector for each region when the image is divided into a plurality of images between a plurality of images repeatedly generated by the through image generating means;
A designation means for designating one of a plurality of shooting modes,
Subject determination means for determining whether the subject to be photographed this time is a stationary subject or a subject that moves according to the photographing mode designated by the designation means;
When the subject determined by the subject determination unit is a moving subject, shooting is performed in a first shooting mode in which shooting sensitivity is increased to generate a single shot image, and the subject determination unit Photographing means for performing photographing in a second photographing mode for generating a plurality of continuous photographed images when the subject determined in step 1 is a stationary subject;
Based on the motion vector calculated by the motion vector calculation means, a plurality of shot images obtained by executing the second shooting mode when the subject determined by the subject determination means is a stationary subject. Image superimposing means for generating a superimposed image by correcting and superimposing the positions of the captured images so that blur between the captured images is corrected.

  According to the second photographing apparatus of the present invention, when the photographing mode is designated, the subject determining unit determines whether the subject is a stationary subject or a moving subject. If the subject determination unit determines that the subject is stationary, the positions of the plurality of captured images obtained by the execution of the second shooting mode by the image superimposing unit during shooting are the motion vectors. Based on the motion vector calculated by the calculation means, the positions of the captured images are corrected so that the relative blur between the captured images is corrected, and superimposition is performed to correct the camera shake.

  On the other hand, when it is determined by the subject determination means that the subject is moving, shooting is performed with the shooting sensitivity increased by executing the first shooting mode. That is, when the subject determining means determines that the subject is a moving subject based on the through image, the shooting sensitivity is increased to adjust the shutter speed according to the high shooting sensitivity, and shooting is performed. And blurring of the subject is suppressed.

A third imaging device of the present invention that achieves the above object is an imaging device that forms an image of a subject on an image sensor and generates an image representing the subject.
A shake detecting means for detecting a shake of the photographing device;
Through image generation means for repeatedly generating an image before shooting,
A motion vector calculating means for obtaining a motion vector for each region when the image is divided into a plurality of images between a plurality of images repeatedly generated by the through image generating means;
Subject determination means for determining whether the subject is a stationary subject or a subject in motion based on a motion vector between a plurality of images repeatedly generated by the motion vector calculation means calculated by the motion vector calculation means;
When the subject determined by the subject determination unit is a moving subject, shooting is performed in a first shooting mode in which shooting sensitivity is increased to generate a single shot image, and the subject determination unit Photographing means for performing photographing in a second photographing mode for generating a plurality of continuous photographed images when the subject determined in step 1 is a stationary subject;
When the subject determined by the subject determination unit is a stationary subject, a plurality of captured images obtained by executing the second shooting mode are captured images based on the blur detection result by the blur detection unit. Image superimposing means for generating a superimposed image by correcting and superimposing the positions of the captured images so as to correct relative blur between them.

  In the first imaging device of the present invention, the positions of the captured images are corrected so that the blur between the captured images is corrected based on the motion vector calculated by the motion vector calculating means. If a configuration is adopted in which the position of the captured images is corrected by detecting a shake using a gyro sensor or the like as a means, the accuracy of correction is further improved.

  In consideration of this, in the third imaging apparatus of the present invention, when the subject determination unit determines that the subject is stationary, the image superimposing unit executes the second shooting mode. While the positions of the plurality of captured images obtained are corrected based on the shake detected by the shake detection means instead of the motion vector calculation means, a superimposed image is generated in the superimposed image portion, resulting in camera shake. It is corrected.

  If it is determined by the subject determination means that the subject is moving, shooting sensitivity is increased by executing the first shooting mode and shooting is performed in the same manner as in the first shooting device of the present invention. It is. That is, when the subject determining means determines that the subject is a moving subject based on the through image, the shooting sensitivity is increased to adjust the shutter speed according to the high shooting sensitivity, and shooting is performed. And blurring of the subject is suppressed.

A fourth imaging device of the present invention that achieves the above object is an imaging device that forms an image of a subject on an image sensor and generates an image representing the subject.
A shake detecting means for detecting a shake of the photographing device;
A designation means for designating one of a plurality of shooting modes,
Subject determination means for determining whether the subject to be photographed this time is a stationary subject or a subject that moves according to the photographing mode designated by the designation means;
When the subject determined by the subject determination unit is a moving subject, shooting is performed in a first shooting mode in which shooting sensitivity is increased and a single captured image is generated, and the subject determination unit performs Photographing means for performing photographing in a second photographing mode for generating a plurality of continuous photographed images when the determined subject is a stationary subject;
When the subject determined by the subject determination unit is a stationary subject, a plurality of captured images obtained by executing the second shooting mode are captured images based on the blur detection result by the camera shake detection unit. Image superimposing means for generating a superimposed image by correcting and superimposing the positions of the captured images so as to correct relative blur between them.

  In the second imaging apparatus of the present invention, the positions of the captured images are corrected so that the blur between the captured images is corrected based on the motion vector calculated by the motion vector calculating unit. If the configuration is such that a shake is detected using a gyro sensor or the like to correct the positions of the captured images, the accuracy of correction is further improved.

  In consideration of this, in the fourth photographing apparatus of the present invention, when a photographing mode is designated before photographing, the subject is determined by the subject determining means based on the type of photographing mode or whether the subject is stationary. It is determined whether the subject is a certain subject. When it is determined by the subject determination means that the subject is stationary, the positions of a plurality of photographed images obtained by executing the second photographing mode by the image superimposing means are calculated as the motion vector. While being corrected based on the shake detected by the shake detection means instead of the motion vector calculated by the section, a superimposed image is generated in the superimposed image section to correct camera shake.

  If it is determined by the subject determination means that the subject is moving, shooting sensitivity is increased by executing the first shooting mode, and shooting is performed in the same manner as in the second shooting device of the present invention. It is. That is, when the subject determining means determines that the subject is a moving subject based on the through image, the shooting sensitivity is increased to adjust the shutter speed according to the high shooting sensitivity, and shooting is performed. And blurring of the subject is suppressed.

Here, subject brightness detection means for detecting the brightness of the subject,
An appropriate shutter time calculating means for calculating an appropriate shutter time for photographing at an appropriate exposure based on the object brightness detected by the object brightness detecting means;
When the appropriate shooting time calculated by the shutter speed calculation means is shorter than the predetermined shutter time, the photographing means does not wait for the determination result by the subject determination means and Shooting in the third shooting mode for generating a single shot image by the shutter time is executed, and the appropriate shutter time calculated by the shutter time calculating means is longer than the predetermined shutter time. It is preferable to execute shooting in the first shooting mode or the second shooting mode after making the shutter speed faster than the appropriate shutter time when it is time.

  Since camera shake and subject shake occur when the shutter time is longer than the predetermined shutter time, when the appropriate shutter time calculated by the shutter time calculating means is shorter than the predetermined shutter time It is preferable to perform the shooting in the third shooting mode and correct the camera shake and the subject shake only when the shutter time is longer than the predetermined shutter time.

  Moreover, it is preferable that it is an aspect provided with the notification means to notify the determination result by the said subject determination means to a user.

  Then, the user can confirm on the display screen whether the photographing apparatus determines that the subject is a stationary subject or a subject that moves.

  Further, whether the image is obtained by the first photographing mode or the image obtained by executing the first photographing mode and the superimposed image obtained by the second photographing mode. It is preferable that the recording apparatus records information indicating whether the image is obtained in the second shooting mode.

  As a result, the user can analyze the defect of the image with reference to the above information while viewing the reproduced image.

  Here, in the first to fourth imaging apparatuses of the present invention, the configuration for determining whether the subject is a moving object or a stationary object is shown before imaging. The image may be used to determine whether the subject is a moving object or a stationary object.

Therefore, a fifth imaging device of the present invention that achieves the above object is an imaging device that forms an image of a subject on an image sensor and generates an image representing the subject.
Photographing means for receiving a photographing operation to generate a plurality of continuous photographed images;
Image superimposing means for generating a single superimposed image by superimposing a plurality of relatively low-sensitivity images obtained by photographing with the photographing means so as to correct blur on the image. When,
High-sensitivity image generation means for generating a relatively high-sensitivity image that is one of a plurality of images obtained by photographing with the photographing means;
A motion vector calculating means for obtaining a motion vector for each area when the image is divided into a plurality of areas between the plurality of images generated by the photographing means;
Based on the motion vector calculated by the motion vector calculation means, subject determination means for determining whether the subjects of the plurality of images obtained by the current shooting are stationary subjects or moving subjects;
When the subject determination unit determines that the subject is moving, the high sensitivity image generated by the high sensitivity image generation unit is recorded, and when the subject determination unit determines that the subject is stationary. An image recording means for recording the superimposed image generated by the image superimposing means is provided.

  According to the fifth photographing apparatus of the present invention, it is determined by the subject determination means whether the subjects of the plurality of images obtained by the current shooting are stationary subjects or moving subjects, When it is determined that the subject is a moving subject, the high-sensitivity image is recorded, and when it is determined that the subject is a stationary subject, the superimposed image is recorded.

  That is, in still image shooting, camera shake and subject shake are distinguished according to the subject, and suitable shooting is performed. As a result, it is possible to realize an imaging apparatus capable of distinguishing between camera shake and subject blur in still image shooting and appropriately correcting each of them.

Here, the subject determination unit is configured to detect when the subject has moved by a predetermined movement amount or less during shooting of the plurality of images based on the motion vector calculated by the motion vector calculation unit, and the movement amount. Are preferably determined to be a stationary subject and a moving subject, respectively.
Furthermore, it comprises face detection means for detecting whether or not the subject includes a face,
The motion vector calculation means obtains the motion vector when the subject includes a face,
The subject determination unit determines that the subject is a stationary subject when the subject does not include a face, and based on the motion vector calculated by the motion vector calculation unit when the subject includes a face. Alternatively, it may be determined whether the subject is a stationary subject or a subject that moves.

Further, the image superimposing means corrects the blur on the plurality of images obtained by the photographing by the photographing means based on the motion vector calculated by the motion vector calculating means. It is preferable to superimpose,
In addition, an angular velocity sensor that detects the angular velocity of the imaging device is provided,
The image superimposing means superimposes a plurality of captured images obtained by photographing with the photographing means so that blurring on the image is corrected based on the angular velocity detected by the angular velocity sensor. There may be.

  Further, the image recording means records the high-sensitivity image or the superimposed image with information indicating whether the image to be recorded this time is a high-sensitivity image or a superimposed image. Is preferred.

  As described above, it is possible to realize an imaging apparatus capable of preferably correcting camera shake and subject blur in still image shooting.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a digital camera which is an embodiment of a photographing apparatus of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a digital camera 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A shows a perspective view seen from above the front, and FIG. 1B shows a perspective view seen from above the back.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, a lens barrel 170 having a photographing lens 1701 is provided at the center of the body of the digital camera 100 of this embodiment, and the viewfinder 105 is located above the lens barrel 170. Is provided. A shooting auxiliary light emission window 161 is provided on the side of the viewfinder 105.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 1B, an operator group 101 for performing various operations when a user uses the digital camera 100 is provided on the back and top surfaces of the digital camera 100 of the present embodiment. Yes.

  In addition to the power switch 101a for operating the digital camera 100, the operator group 101 includes a cross key 101b, a menu / OK key 101c, a cancel key 101d, a mode lever 101e, and the like. Depending on the mode lever 101e in the operator group 101, switching between the reproduction mode and the photographing mode, and further switching between the moving image mode and the still image mode in the photographing mode are performed. When the power switch 101a is turned on while the mode lever 101e is switched to the shooting mode, a through image is displayed on the display screen 150, and the release button 101f is pressed at a photo opportunity while viewing the through image. The subject is shot. When the mode lever 101e is switched to the reproduction side, the already captured image is reproduced and displayed on the display screen 150. Further, the release button 101f of the present embodiment has two operation modes of half-press and full-press.

  FIG. 2 is a configuration block diagram of an electrical system inside the digital camera 100 of FIG.

  The internal configuration and operation of the digital camera 100 will be briefly described with reference to FIG.

  In the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment, all processing is centrally controlled by the system control unit 110.

  An operation signal from the operator group 101 shown in FIG. 1B is supplied to the input unit of the system control unit 110, and when at least one of these operation signals is supplied, the operation signal corresponds to the operation signal. The system control unit 110 executes the processes as appropriate. The system control unit 110 includes a ROM (not shown) that is a program memory, and a program necessary for the digital camera 100 to operate as a photographing apparatus is written in the ROM. The program in the ROM is running even when the power switch 101a is turned off, and is waiting for the power switch 101a to be turned on. When the power switch 101a (see FIG. 1) in the operator group 101 is turned on in this standby state, the system control unit 110 detects that the power switch 101a has been turned on, and the program procedure in the ROM Accordingly, the process for controlling the operation of the entire digital camera is started. The system control unit 110 is always supplied with power from a battery (not shown).

  Here, the operation of the digital camera 100 after the power switch 101a (see FIG. 1) in the operator group 101 is turned on will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the digital camera 100, when the power switch 101a is turned on and the mode lever 101e is switched to the photographing side, a through image is displayed on the display screen 150 provided in the display unit 15. Therefore, the through image is displayed first. Will be described, and then a photographing process performed in response to pressing of the release button 101f will be described.

  First, processing when displaying a through image on the display screen 150 will be described.

  When the power switch 101a in the operator group 101 is turned on and detected by the system control unit 110, a switch (not shown) for connecting / disconnecting the battery to each unit is connected, and power from the battery is supplied to each unit. Supplied. If the mode lever 101e is switched to the photographing side when the power switch 101a is turned on, the predetermined timing is given from the timing generation unit 111 to the imaging unit 120 incorporating the imaging element under the control of the system control unit 110. A timing signal for setting the electronic shutter at every interval and an image readout signal are supplied, and the image signal is thinned out at predetermined intervals from the imaging unit 120 and output to the preprocessing unit 130. The imaging unit 120 includes a color filter and the like in addition to the imaging element. In FIG. 2, an aperture 1702 capable of adjusting the aperture diameter is provided, and the aperture diameter of the aperture is adjusted together with the electronic shutter of the imaging unit at the time of exposure adjustment.

  The preprocessing unit 130 includes a CDS 1301, an A / D 1302, and a gamma correction unit 1303. The CDS 1301 performs a process of reducing noise on the image signal, and the A / D 1302 outputs the CDS 1301. Upon receiving the analog signal image, conversion processing from the analog signal image to the digital signal image is performed, and the gamma correction unit 1303 converts the image into an image suitable for the gamma characteristic of the display screen 150.

  An image of the digital signal processed by the preprocessing unit 130 is supplied to the signal processing unit 140 via the switch SW1. Note that the switch SW1 is normally switched to the code a side.

  The signal processing unit 140 to which an image is supplied from the preprocessing unit 130 includes a color separation unit 1401, a YC conversion unit 1402, and an image compression unit 1403, and the image is red (R) in the color separation unit 1401. , Green (G), and blue (B) color signals, and the YC conversion unit 1402 converts each color signal into a YCC signal by a color conversion matrix. The image after the signal processing is supplied to the display unit 15.

  Since the image reading signal is supplied from the timing generation unit 111 to the imaging unit 120 at predetermined intervals, the images on the display screen 150 are switched at predetermined timings, and the inside of the lens barrel 170 is changed. The image captured by the photographic lens 1701 is displayed as a through image on the display screen 150. Note that when the through image is displayed on the display screen 150, exposure adjustment and focus adjustment are constantly performed by receiving a digital signal image output from the A / D 1302 by the system control unit 110.

  Here, when the release button 101f is half-pressed, the photographing process is started.

  In response to the half-press of the release button 101f, the system control unit 110 executes AE (Auto Exposure) processing and AF (Auto Focus) processing, and an appropriate shutter speed is calculated by the AE processing. If the system control unit 110 determines that the appropriate shutter time is shorter than a predetermined shutter time, which is a guideline for occurrence of camera shake or subject shake, the system control unit 110 instructs the timing generation unit 111 to store the image in the imaging unit 120. The image sensor is exposed with the electronic shutter at the appropriate shutter time, and the readout signal is supplied from the timing generator 111 to the image sensor 120, and the image signal is output from the image sensor 120 and output after the appropriate shutter time. The image signal is output to the preprocessing unit 130. An image signal subjected to processing such as noise reduction by the pre-processing unit 130 at the subsequent stage is supplied to the signal processing unit 140, and the image signal subjected to signal processing by the signal processing unit 140 is recorded on the recording medium 160 in the recording / reproducing unit 16. The The shooting process performed when the subject brightness is somewhat bright and the appropriate shutter time obtained by the AE process is shorter than the predetermined shutter time corresponds to the process of the third shooting mode according to the present invention.

  Here, in the present embodiment, in order to achieve the above-described problem, a motion vector calculating unit 131 that obtains a motion vector for each region when the image is divided into a plurality of images between the repeatedly generated through images. And by always supplying a through image to the motion vector calculation unit 131, it is possible to immediately determine whether the subject is a stationary subject or a moving subject whenever the release button 101f is pressed. It is set as the structure which can do.

  In other words, in the present embodiment, the through image is supplied to the display unit 15 and is also supplied to the motion vector calculation unit 131, and the motion vector calculation unit 131 repeatedly generates it in synchronization with the timing signal from the timing generation unit 111. A motion vector for each region when an image is divided into a plurality of through images is always calculated. When the release button 101f is half-pressed, the calculation result is received by the system control unit 110 to determine whether the subject is a stationary subject or a moving subject, and the shutter time exceeds a predetermined value. In such a case, a photographing process is executed in preparation for a full press so that camera shake or subject shake may occur and these are corrected.

  Here, photographing processing other than the third photographing mode executed by the system control unit 110 will be described.

  First, when the release button 101f is pressed halfway while a through image is displayed, the system control unit 110 starts shooting processing. At this time, as described above, when the release button 101f is half-pressed, the system control unit 110 receives the motion vector calculation result of the motion vector calculation unit 131, and the subject is a stationary object or a moving subject. A determination is made whether there is any. When it is necessary to take a picture with a shutter speed exceeding a predetermined shutter speed in order to compensate for a lack of brightness, the system control unit 110 performs the interval between the through images when the release button 101f is half-pressed. When it is determined that the subject is a moving subject based on the motion vector, the first shooting mode for generating a single shot image in preparation for full press is internally set so that the subject is a stationary subject. If it is determined that there is, the second shooting mode for generating a plurality of continuous shot images in preparation for full press is internally set.

  Here, a process when the system control unit 110 first determines that the subject is a stationary subject, internally sets the second shooting mode, executes shooting in the second shooting mode, and corrects camera shake will be described. To do.

  After internally setting the second shooting mode in response to half-pressing of the release button 101f, the system control unit 110 receives the full-pressing operation of the release button 101f and instructs the timing generation unit 111 to indicate the shutter speed. A short electronic shutter is repeatedly supplied to the imaging unit 120 to cause the imaging device in the imaging unit 120 to continuously generate captured images, and image signals representing the captured images are output to the preprocessing unit 130 one after another. At this time, the switch SW1 is switched to the sign b side. For each continuous shooting performed in one shooting operation, the CDS 1301 in the pre-processing unit 130 in the subsequent stage performs noise reduction processing and the like, and the analog signal image subjected to the noise reduction processing is the digital signal image in the A / D 1302. Is converted to Further, the image converted into the digital signal by the A / D 1302 is subjected to gamma correction by the gamma correction unit 1303, and the image of the digital signal subjected to the gamma correction is supplied to the motion vector calculation unit 131. Based on the result of calculating and calculating the motion vector between the images by the motion vector calculating unit 131, the image is superimposed by the subsequent image superimposing unit 132, and the image is captured after the images are superimposed. An image, that is, a captured image after the correction of camera shake is output to the signal processing unit 140.

  In the signal processing unit 140, the color separation unit 1401 performs color separation (RGB signals), the YC conversion unit 1402 performs conversion processing from RGB signals to YCC signals, and the image compression unit 1403 performs image compression. Then, the YCC signal together with the compressed information is recorded as an image file on the recording medium 160 in the recording / reproducing unit 16.

  Thus, when the system control unit 110 determines that the subject is a stationary subject, a captured image in which the camera shake is corrected by the image superimposing unit 132 based on the calculation result of the motion vector calculation unit 131 and the camera shake is corrected is obtained. It is recorded on the recording medium 160.

  In the present embodiment, an example of the through image generation unit according to the present invention includes the system control unit 110, the timing generation unit 111, and the imaging unit 120, and an example of the subject determination unit according to the present invention is the system control unit 110. The system control unit 110, the timing generation unit 111, and the imaging unit 120 are an example of the imaging unit according to the present invention.

  Next, processing in the first shooting mode executed by the system control unit 110 when the subject is a moving subject will be described.

  When the system control unit 110 determines that the subject is a moving subject when the shutter speed is longer than the predetermined shutter time because the subject brightness is low in the AE process when half-pressed, The first shooting mode is set internally because there is a risk of subject blurring. Next, in response to the release button 101f being fully pressed, the system control unit 110 instructs the imaging unit 120 to increase the shooting sensitivity and instructs the timing generation unit 111 to independently operate at a shutter speed corresponding to the shooting sensitivity. Shooting in the first shooting mode for generating a single shot image is executed.

  At this time, the switch SW1 is switched to the sign a side by the system control unit 110, the image signal output from the preprocessing unit 130 is directly supplied to the signal processing unit 140, and the image signal subjected to signal processing is recorded on the recording medium 160. Is done.

  As described above, when the system control unit 110 determines that the subject is moving, photographing sensitivity is increased, and photographing with subject blurring suppressed at a shutter speed corresponding to the photographing sensitivity is performed.

  Here, the photographing process executed by the system control unit 110 will be described in the form of a flowchart.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the photographing process executed by the system control unit 110. FIG. 3A shows the procedure of the photographing process, and FIG. 3B shows details of the process in step S301 of FIG. 3A.

  The process of this flow is started when half-pressed.

  In response to being half-pressed, AE, that is, exposure processing is performed in step S301, and AF processing is performed in the next step S302.

  If the shutter button is fully pressed here, the shutter time set internally in the process of step S301 is set in the image pickup unit 120 in step S303, and the image sensor in the image pickup unit 120 is exposed in step S303. Then, after the shutter time set internally in step S301, the exposure is terminated, and in step S304, the timing generation unit 111 is instructed to supply a readout signal, and an image is output from the imaging unit 120 to the preprocessing unit 130. In the next step S305, the image converted into a digital signal by performing A / D conversion or the like on the A / D 1302 in the pre-processing unit is sent to the signal processing unit 140 directly through the motion vector unit and the image superimposing unit. Supply. In step S306, the signal processing unit 140 performs image processing, and in step S307, the image compression unit 1403 in the signal processing unit 140 performs compression processing to record an image on the recording medium 160, and the processing of this flow is completed. To do.

  Here, when executing the processing in the third shooting mode described above, it is sufficient that the subject brightness is somewhat bright and the shutter speed can be made shorter than a predetermined value, but the subject brightness is dark in the process of step S301. When this is detected, the appropriate shutter time is longer than the predetermined shutter time. Then, both camera shake and subject blur are likely to occur.

  Thus, in the present embodiment, the system control unit 110 performs the first photographing depending on whether the appropriate shutter time calculated according to the subject brightness in the process of step S301 is shorter than the predetermined shutter time. Mode, the second shooting mode, or the third shooting mode to be executed is determined, and when it is fully pressed, the shooting mode determined in step S301 in step S303. In this configuration, the shooting process is executed.

  Since the system control unit 110 performs the process of calculating the aperture value (F value) and the appropriate shutter speed of the electronic shutter according to the subject brightness, the details of the process of step S301 are shown in FIG. This will be described with reference to b).

  First, in step S3011, the F value and the appropriate shutter speed are calculated from the subject brightness. When it is determined in step S3011 that the appropriate shutter time is less than the predetermined shutter time, the process proceeds to step S3012, and the third shooting mode in which the proper shutter time is set and single shooting is set in step S3012 is set. The process returns to step S302 of 3 (a).

  If it is determined in step S3011 that the appropriate shutter time is equal to or greater than the predetermined shutter time, the process proceeds to step S3013, and whether the subject is a stationary subject or a moving subject based on the calculation result of the motion vector calculation unit 131 in step S3013. Determine. If it is determined in step S3013 that the subject is stationary, the process proceeds to the 'stationary object' side, the shutter time is set to a predetermined shutter time in step S3014, and is calculated by the motion vector calculation unit 131 in the next step S3015. In order to cause the superimposed image unit 132 to superimpose images based on the motion vectors, a second photographing mode for generating a plurality of continuous photographed images by switching the switch SW1 to the symbol b side is internally set. Then, the process returns to step S302 in FIG. In FIG. 3, the superimposition of images is described as image addition.

  When it is determined in step S3013 that the subject is moving, the process proceeds to the 'detect moving object' side, and in step S3016, the appropriate shutter time is set to a predetermined shutter time, and in step S3017, the switch SW1 is set to the symbol a. The first shooting mode for generating a single shot image by switching to the side is internally set, and the process returns to step S302 in FIG.

  If the button is fully pressed, the shooting process is executed in the shooting mode set in step S301 in step S303.

  Thus, if the appropriate shutter speed is equal to or greater than the predetermined shutter time, is the subject stationary by the system control unit 110 based on the motion vector calculation result for each region of the through image by the motion vector calculation unit 131? In a shooting scene in which it is accurately determined whether or not the subject is moving, shooting sensitivity is increased by executing shooting in the first shooting mode, and shooting is performed at a shutter speed corresponding to the shooting sensitivity. In the shooting scene where the subject shake is suppressed and the camera shake occurs, a plurality of continuous shots are performed by executing the shooting in the second shooting mode, and the images are overlapped by the image superimposing unit. Is performed to correct camera shake.

  As described above, it is possible to realize an imaging apparatus capable of preferably correcting camera shake and subject blur in still image shooting.

  By the way, as in the above-described embodiment, it may be determined whether the subject is a stationary subject or a subject subject to movement based on the result of calculating the motion vector by the motion vector calculation unit 131 using the through image. However, for example, in the landscape mode in the normal digital camera, the subject is a stationary subject because it is a landscape subject. In the portrait mode and the sports mode, the subject is a subject. It may be a moving subject. Then, the first and second shooting modes are automatically set internally according to the shooting mode inside the digital camera.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the second embodiment.

  In the second embodiment, it is assumed that a digital camera having the appearance of FIG. 1 and having the internal configuration of FIG. 2 is used.

  FIG. 4 shows a flowchart for explaining a processing procedure in a case where it is determined whether the subject is a stationary subject or a moving subject according to the photographing mode.

  In FIG. 3B, the processing content of step S3013 executed by the system control unit 110 (see FIG. 2) upon receiving the calculation result of the motion vector calculation unit is changed to the processing content of step S3013A in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, instead of the motion vector calculation result of the motion vector calculation unit, the second shooting mode is internally set in the landscape mode, and the first shooting mode is set in the portrait mode and the sports mode. The In this example, the system control unit 110 constituting an example of the subject determination unit according to the present invention determines whether the subject is a moving subject or a stationary subject based on the result calculated by the motion vector calculation unit 131. Instead of the determination, the configuration is changed to determine whether the subject is a moving subject or a stationary subject depending on the shooting mode set by the mode lever 101e. That is, the function of the motion vector calculation unit 131 becomes one, and only the superimposed image is supplied by supplying the motion vector to the subsequent image superimposition unit 132. Even if it is such a structure, the effect equivalent to 1st Embodiment is acquired.

  5 and 6 are diagrams showing a third embodiment.

  FIG. 5 shows an example in which a gyro sensor 102 is added to the configuration of FIG. FIG. 6 shows an example in which the process of step S3015 in the flow of FIG. 3B is changed to the process of step S3015A.

  In the first embodiment, the image superimposing unit 132 performs image superimposition based on the motion vector calculated by the motion vector calculating unit 131. However, in the examples of FIGS. 5 and 6, the detection result of the gyro sensor 102 is used. Based on the above, the image is superimposed on the image. When this gyro sensor 102 is used, the shake correction accuracy is improved.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a fourth embodiment.

  The digital camera according to the fourth embodiment has the appearance shown in FIG. 1 and has almost the same configuration as the internal configuration shown in FIG. However, in this example, the system control unit 110 functions as a subject determination unit according to the present invention in accordance with the shooting mode in order to determine whether the subject is a stationary subject or a moving subject. The motion vector calculation unit 131 is no longer necessary.

  4 is the same as the process in FIG. 4 except that the process in step S3015 in the flow in FIG. 4 is changed to step S3015A.

  In the process of step S3015A in FIG. 7, the image superimposing unit 132 performs image superimposition using the gyro sensor 102. With such a configuration, the shake is corrected with higher accuracy than the shake is corrected based on the motion vector calculated by the motion vector calculation unit 131 of FIG.

  By the way, the subject is a stationary subject and images are superimposed to correct camera shake, or the subject is a moving subject and the shooting sensitivity is increased, and shooting is performed at a shutter speed corresponding to the shooting sensitivity. It may be configured to notify the photographer by displaying on the display screen whether the subject shake is corrected. Then, the photographer can grasp which of the camera shake correction is performed before photographing.

  8 and 9 are diagrams for explaining the fifth embodiment.

  The process of the flow in FIG. 8 is the same as the process in FIG. 3 except that the process in step S30151 is added.

  Information indicating that shooting in the second shooting mode is executed in the process of step S30151 and images are superimposed in the image superimposing unit 132 to correct camera shake (FIG. 9 displays “image addition”). When the digital camera 100 (see FIG. 1) determines that the subject is a stationary subject or a subject that moves, the photographer is notified of the judgment result before photographing. can do.

  In addition, it is better to be able to display which of the first shooting mode and the second shooting mode was used during playback.

  10 and 11 are diagrams for explaining the sixth embodiment.

  The process of the flow of FIG. 10 is the same as the process of FIG. 3 except that the process of step S309 is added. FIG. 11 shows the memory allocation in the Exif file.

  Exif files, which are one form of image files, each have memory areas shown in FIG. From the top, there are a start code area, a tag area, a thumbnail image area, and a main image area, and information related to the main image, such as shooting date and time, is recorded in the tag area. Therefore, if the first shooting mode or the second shooting mode is recorded in this tag area, the information is read from the tag area during reproduction and displayed on the display screen. Can be displayed. The photographer assumes that the images have been superimposed by looking at information on the display screen 150 (photographing in the second shooting mode is represented by the word “image addition” in FIG. 11). Can be analyzed.

  In the present embodiment, the third shooting mode is provided. However, the third shooting mode is not provided, and shooting is performed in either the first shooting mode or the second shooting mode. good.

  Here, in the above embodiment, it is determined before shooting whether it is a moving body or a stationary body, and when it is a moving body, shooting is performed in the first shooting mode to obtain a high-sensitivity image. In some cases, the second mode is used to capture a properly exposed superimposed image. For example, an image sensor with a high frame rate is used to determine whether the object is moving or stationary at the time of shooting. You can also.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the seventh embodiment, and is a configuration block diagram showing an internal configuration of a digital camera 100A including an imaging unit 120A employing the above-described high frame rate imaging device.

  The internal configuration and operation of the digital camera 100A will be briefly described with reference to FIG. The appearance of this digital camera is the same as that in FIG.

  12 includes an optical lens system 1701, a timing generation unit 111, a system control unit 110, an aperture adjustment mechanism 1702, an imaging unit 120A, a preprocessing unit 130, a camera shake correction unit 140, a signal processing unit 160, a recording / reproduction. A unit 180 and a flash 190 are provided. Although the mechanical shutter is also provided, it is omitted.

  The configuration of each of these units will be described sequentially.

  First, the optical lens system 1701 is configured by combining, for example, a plurality of optical lenses (optical lenses such as a focus lens and a zoom lens). Although not shown, the optical lens system 1701 adjusts the position of the zoom lens in the optical lens system and adjusts the focal length to adjust the position of the focus lens in the optical lens system. An AF (Automatic Focus) adjustment mechanism to be adjusted is included. In operating these mechanisms, the drive signal generated by the timing generator 111 is supplied.

  The timing generator 111 has a built-in transmitter that generates a system clock of the digital camera 100. The timing generator 111 further includes a timing signal generator and a system that generate a timing signal synchronized with the system clock. And a drive signal generation unit that generates a drive signal synchronized with the clock. When a control signal is supplied from the system control unit 110, the timing generation unit 111 outputs a timing signal to the imaging unit 120, the preprocessing unit 130, and the drive signal generation unit in the timing generation unit 111 according to the control signal. To do. The drive signal generation unit in the timing generation unit 111 receives the timing signal and outputs a drive signal to the mechanism or the like.

  A system control unit 110 that supplies a control signal to the timing generation unit 111 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a ROM in which the operation procedure of the digital camera 100 is written. In the system control unit 110, for example, a control signal for controlling the operation of each unit is generated by using information supplied from the operation unit 101 (including the release button) in accordance with a user operation and information on the ROM. The obtained control signal is supplied to the timing generation unit 111, the preprocessing unit 130, the camera shake correction unit 140, the signal processing unit 160, the recording / reproducing unit 180, and the like.

  A diaphragm adjusting mechanism 1702 disposed behind the optical lens system 1701 has an incident light beam cross-sectional area (that is, a diaphragm aperture area) so that an optimum light beam of incident light can be supplied to the imaging device in photographing a subject. It is a mechanism to adjust. A drive signal is supplied to the aperture adjusting mechanism 1702 from the timing generator 111 described above. Although not shown, the driving signal at this time is based on the aperture / exposure time calculated by the system control unit 110 performing AE (Automatic Exposure) processing based on the signal charge photoelectrically converted by the imaging unit 120. The system control unit 110 supplies a control signal corresponding to the aperture / exposure time to the timing generation unit 111 to cause the drive signal generation unit in the timing generation unit 111 to generate a drive signal.

  The imaging unit 120 includes an image sensor that performs photoelectric conversion, and the image sensor is disposed so as to be orthogonal to the optical axis of the imaging optical system. On the incident side of the image pickup element, color filters for color separation corresponding to the individual photoelectric conversion elements are two-dimensionally arranged. In accordance with the timing signal from the timing generator 111, the image sensor performs photoelectric conversion, and the signal charge obtained by the photoelectric conversion is output to the preprocessing unit 130 at a predetermined timing signal, for example, an electronic shutter off timing. . When the image sensor of this embodiment is set to the shooting mode, the number of pixels is decreased and shooting for the through image is started. When the release button is fully pressed during the shooting mode, the shooting for the through image is interrupted. The main image for recording is taken. Although the details will be described later, the image sensor of FIG. 2 uses the above-described image sensor having a high-speed frame rate, and when the camera shake correction described later is performed, one shooting operation is performed when the release button is fully pressed. Thus, high-speed continuous shooting is performed, and a main image is taken while electronically correcting camera shake by a camera shake correction unit 140 described later. For this reason, in the following description, when explaining that high-speed continuous shooting is performed by one shooting operation, an image obtained by performing high-speed continuous shooting is described as a continuous-shot image, and further, The continuous shot image is described as a first continuous shot image or a second continuous shot image according to the number of continuous shots. When high-speed continuous shooting is performed so that this electronic blur correction is performed, continuous shooting is performed for the number of continuous shots according to the shutter speed to electronically correct the blur, and the blur is corrected. The image after this is the main image.

  The preprocessing unit 130 includes a CDS (Correlated Double Sampling) 131, an A / D 132, and a gamma correction unit 133. The CDS 131 includes a clamp circuit and a sample hold circuit. For example, when a CCD solid-state image sensor is used as the image sensor, various noises generated by the operation of the CCD solid-state image sensor generate timing. The clamp circuit and the sample and hold circuit remove the timing signal from the unit 111. Further, the CDS circuit 131 is provided with an amplifier circuit that amplifies an input signal with a gain according to a control signal from the system control circuit 110, and the various noises output from the sample hold circuit are removed. The signal charge becomes an accurate color signal (R, G, B) representing the amount of received light and is supplied to the amplifier circuit. After the input color signal is amplified with a predetermined gain by the amplifier circuit, it is quantized with a predetermined quantization level by the A / D 132 and converted into a digital signal. When a control signal representing a high gain is supplied from the system control circuit 110 in order to increase the photographing sensitivity, a signal amplified with a gain larger than the predetermined gain is supplied to the A / D 132, and the A / D 132 receives the signal. It is quantized at a predetermined quantization level and converted into a digital signal. At this time, conversion into a digital signal is performed in accordance with the timing signal from the timing generator 111.

  Further, the gamma correction unit 133 includes a lookup table for gamma correction, and a digital signal subjected to gamma correction corresponding to the digital signal input to the lookup table is output by the lookup table. Then, each color signal converted into a digital signal is supplied to the camera shake correction unit 140. In the case of a through image, a signal representing a through image output from the gamma processing unit 133 bypasses the camera shake correction unit 140. The signal processing unit 160 is supplied.

  First, in the case of a through image, an image signal representing a through image is supplied to the signal processing unit 160, bypassing the camera shake correction unit 140, and the signal processing unit 160 performs color separation and YC conversion processing on the image signal representing the through image. Then, the image signal after color separation and YCC conversion processing is supplied to an image display unit (not shown), and a through image is displayed on the LCD 150 (see FIG. 1). When the release button 102 is operated while the through image is displayed, the system control unit 110 instructs the timing generation unit 111 on the number of shots based on the shutter speed obtained by the AE process. Are continuously supplied to the imaging unit 120A including the imaging device with a high frame rate to start high-speed continuous shooting. Then, the continuous shooting images are output one after another from the imaging unit 120 to the preprocessing unit 130. When the preprocessing unit 130 performs conversion processing to a digital signal for each continuous shooting image, the camera shake correction unit 140 sequentially. Supply continuous shot images. At this time, the first continuous shot image is stored in a frame memory (not shown) in the imaging unit 120, and after all the continuous shot images are output to the preprocessing unit, the previous continuous image is read from the frame memory in the imaging unit. The processing unit 130 outputs an image, the amplification circuit in the preprocessing unit 130 amplifies the signal with high gain to generate a high-sensitivity image, and stores it in a frame memory (not shown) at the last stage in the preprocessing unit 130. Let me.

  Here, the configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 13 in addition to FIG.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the camera shake correction unit 140 in FIG.

  The camera shake correction unit 140 illustrated in FIG. 13 includes a frame memory 141, a frame memory unit 142, a correlation calculation unit 143, an address shift unit 144, a synthesis unit 145, and three switches SW1 to SW3. In this example, the frame memory 141 and the frame memory unit 142 are non-destructive type memories that have a size capable of storing R, G, and B color signals for one frame and can be read repeatedly. Yes.

  As described above, when a continuous shot image that is continuously shot at a high speed in response to the operation of the release button is supplied to the camera shake correction unit 140 while the through image is displayed, the camera shake correction unit 140 sequentially supplies the image. It is determined whether the subject is a moving subject or a stationary subject using the continuously shot images.

  First, when the first and second continuous shootings of the plurality of continuous shootings performed by operating the release button 102 once are performed, the correlation calculation unit 143 receives the first continuous shooting image and the second continuous shooting. Continuous images are input. At this time, both the switch SW1 and the switch SW2 are switched to the a side, and the first continuous shot image stored in the frame memory 141 via the switches SW1 and SW2 together with the correlation calculation unit 143. The frame memory 142 is also supplied and stored.

  In the correlation calculation unit 143 supplied with both the first continuous shot image and the second continuous shot image, a motion vector representing camera shake is detected for each region of the subject using these two images. When a motion vector is detected by the correlation calculation unit 143, the switch SW1 and the switch SW2 are both switched to the b side under the control of the system control unit 110, and position data (for example, coordinates) indicating the motion detection vector is used. Data x, y) is supplied to the address shift unit 144. At this time, the contents of the frame memory 141 are rewritten from the first continuous shot image to the second continuous shot image, and the second continuous shot image in the frame memory 141 is transferred to the address shift unit via the contact b of the switch SW1. 144.

  Since the frame memory unit 142 stores the first continuous shot image, the second time so that the address shift unit 144 matches the position of the first continuous shot image in the frame memory unit 142. The position of the continuous shot image is offset, and the second continuous shot image is added based on the first continuous shot image to correct the blur, and the frame memory unit 142 corrects the blur. Is memorized.

  Thereafter, the third continuous shot image, the fourth continuous shot image,... Are supplied to the correlation calculation unit 143 based on the position of the first continuous shot image in the frame memory unit 142, and both images are supplied. A motion vector is detected from the image, and blur correction is performed based on the detected motion vector, and the superimposed image obtained by addition is successively overwritten in the frame memory unit 142.

  In this way, when one shot operation is received and the shot images obtained by continuous shooting of a plurality of sheets are sequentially added and reach a predetermined number, the switch SW3 is turned off by a switching signal from the system control unit 110. Can be switched from close to close.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the calculation result in the correlation calculation unit 143 is transmitted not only to the address shift unit 144 but also to the system control unit 110 in real time, and the system control unit 110 obtains a plurality of images obtained by the current shooting. Whether the subject of the image is a stationary subject or a moving subject is determined over a plurality of images. Here, when the system control unit 110 receives the calculation result from the correlation calculation unit 143 and determines that the subject is a moving subject, the signal processing unit 160 reads out the high-sensitivity image in the pre-processing unit 130. When it is determined that the subject is a stationary subject, the signal processing unit 160 is notified that the superimposed image in the frame memory unit 142 in the camera shake correction unit 140 is read out.

  In response to the notification from the system control unit 110 that the subject is a moving subject, the signal processing unit 160 reads a high-sensitivity image stored in a frame memory (not shown) in the pre-processing unit 130 and stops still. In response to the notification that the subject is a subject, the superimposed image in the frame memory in the camera shake correction unit 140 is read out.

  When a high-sensitivity image or a superimposed image is read out by the signal processing unit 160 shown in FIG. 12, each color signal constituting the image is selectively distributed by the color separation unit 162 in the signal processing unit 160, and the color of a certain pixel The signal is interpolated and generated by the color signals of the pixels around the pixel, and each color signal is converted to a plane signal for each screen and supplied to the YC conversion unit 163 in the subsequent stage.

  In the YC conversion unit 163, a YCC signal is generated by the conversion matrix, the YCC signal is further supplied to the image compression unit 164, the YCC signal is compressed by the compression unit 164, and an image file including the compressed YCC signal and compression information is recorded. The data is recorded on the recording medium 181 by the reproducing unit 180.

  With the above configuration, a high-sensitivity image and a low-sensitivity superimposed image are generated in response to one shooting operation, and the system control unit 110 and the correlation calculation unit 143 determine that the subject is a moving subject. When this occurs, a high-sensitivity image is recorded on the recording medium 181, and when it is determined that the subject is a stationary subject, a superimposed image is recorded on the recording medium 181.

  Here, the procedure of the imaging process executed by the system control unit 110 and the signal processing unit will be described in an easy-to-understand manner with reference to the flow of FIG.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of imaging processing executed by the system control unit 110 and the signal processing unit 160 of FIG. When the mode lever 101e in the operator group 101 is switched to the shooting mode side and the release button 102 is half-pressed, the system control unit 110 executes the processing of the flow of FIG.

  Note that the processing of the flow in FIG. 14 may be referred to as processing in which the flows in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are merged, and therefore, related processing is given the same number.

  In step S301, the system control unit 110 executes AE processing to calculate an aperture value and a shutter speed. In the next step S302, AF processing is executed to place the focus lens at the in-focus position. If it is fully pressed here, the system control unit 110 refers to the shutter speed calculated in step S401 in step S3021, and determines whether the shutter speed is less than 1/60 or more than 1/60.

  If it is less than 1/60, the process proceeds to step S3031, where one image is exposed at a prescribed shutter speed in step S3031, and in the next step S304, a timing signal is sent from the timing generator 111 to the imaging unit 120. By supplying the image, the image is read out and output to the preprocessing unit 130. In step S305, the A / D 132 in the preprocessing unit 130 performs conversion into a digital signal, and in the next step S306, the signal processing unit 160 performs a high-sensitivity image in a frame memory (not shown) in the preprocessing unit 130. And color separation / YC conversion processing and the like are performed. Here, when the system control unit 110 detects rewriting of the flag in the signal processing unit 160, the system control unit 110 records the image file on the recording medium in cooperation with the recording / reproducing unit 180 and ends the processing of this flow. To do.

  If it is determined in step S3021 that the shutter speed is 1/60 or more, the process proceeds to step S3022, and in step S3022, it is determined how many images are added and superimposed at a shutter speed of 1/60 seconds to achieve proper exposure. Then, the number of shots is set in the timing generation unit 111 and the imaging unit 120 starts high-speed continuous shooting. In the next step S3023, it is determined based on the calculation result of the correlation calculation unit 143 of the camera shake correction unit 140 whether the subject is a stationary subject or a subject that moves. If it is determined in step S3023 that the subject is stationary, the signal processing unit 160 is notified accordingly. In step S3024, the signal processing unit 160 reads the superimposed image stored in the frame memory unit 142 in the camera shake correction unit 140. If it is determined in step S3023 that the subject is moving, the signal processing unit 160 is notified accordingly. In step S3025, the signal processing unit 160 reads a high-sensitivity image in a frame memory (not shown) in the preprocessing 130. Thereafter, the processing from step S306 to step S308 is performed. When the subject is a moving body, a high-sensitivity image is recorded, and when the subject is a stationary body, a superimposed image is recorded, and the processing of this flow ends.

  In this way, by using an image sensor with a high frame rate, high-speed continuous shooting may be performed at the time of shooting to divide whether the subject is a moving subject or a stationary subject.

  By the way, if the gain of the amplifier circuit is increased in order to increase the photographing sensitivity, an image with a lot of noise is generated. Therefore, when the amount of movement of the subject is small, it may be better to perform superposition.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the eighth embodiment. When the amount of movement of the subject is detected and the amount of movement of the subject is equal to or less than a predetermined value, a superimposed image in which camera shake is corrected as a stationary body is obtained. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration in which a high-sensitivity image in which subject blurring is suppressed is obtained as a moving object when a predetermined value is exceeded.

  The process is the same as that of FIG. 14 except that step S30235 is added.

  The system control unit 110 that constitutes an example of the subject determination unit according to the present invention captures a plurality of images in step S30235 based on the motion vector calculated by the correlation calculation unit 143 that constitutes an example of the motion vector calculation unit. When the subject has moved by a predetermined amount or less during this period, and when the subject has moved beyond the amount of movement, the structure is determined to be determined as a stationary subject and a moving subject, respectively.

  Such a configuration may be adopted.

  In addition, when a face is detected and detected by the face detection means, it is assumed to be a moving object, when a face is not detected, it is assumed to be a stationary object, and when a face is detected, it is assumed to be a moving object. As an example, it may be configured to determine whether the subject moves by a predetermined movement amount or more during the shooting of a plurality of images or exceeds a predetermined movement amount.

  16 and 17 are diagrams for explaining the ninth embodiment.

  The configuration of FIG. 16 is the same as the configuration of FIG. 12 except that a face detection unit FC is added. The process of the flow in FIG. 17 is the same as the process of the flow in FIG. 15 except that the process in step S300 is added and the process in step S3023 is changed.

  In step S300, the system control unit 110 causes the face detection unit FC to detect whether there is a face in the through image immediately before shooting. When the system control unit 110 receives a report that a face has been detected, the system control unit 110 moves based on the motion vector in step S30235. The configuration has been changed to detect the amount. Such a configuration may be adopted.

  18 and 19 are diagrams for explaining the tenth embodiment.

  The configuration of FIG. 18 is the same as the configuration of FIG. 12 except that a gyro sensor SN is added. The flow of FIG. 19 is the same as that of FIG. 15 except that the process of step S3024 of FIG. 15 is changed to the process of step S3024A and superposition is performed based on the angular velocity detected by the gyro sensor SN instead of the motion vector. It is the same as the process. Such a configuration may be adopted.

  20 and 21 are diagrams for explaining the eleventh embodiment.

  The flow in FIG. 20 is the same as the flow in FIG. 12 except that step S309 is added. FIG. 21 shows memory allocation in an Exif file that is a form of an image file.

  Each Exif file has a memory area shown in FIG. From the top, there are a start code area, a tag area, a thumbnail image area, and a main image area, and information related to the main image, such as shooting date and time, is recorded in the tag area. Therefore, if you record the high sensitivity image or the superimposed image recorded in this tag area, the information is read from the tag area and displayed on the display screen during playback. Can do. The photographer can distinguish whether the image is a superimposed image or a high-sensitivity image by looking at information on the display screen 150.

It is a figure which shows the digital camera which is one Embodiment of the imaging device of this invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration block diagram of an electrical system inside the digital camera 100 of FIG. 1. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of imaging processing executed by a system control unit 110. It is a figure explaining 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows 4th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining 5th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining 5th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining 6th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining 6th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining 7th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining 7th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining 7th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining 8th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining 9th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining 9th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining 10th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining 10th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining 11th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining 11th Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Digital camera 101 Control group 101f Release button 102 Gyro sensor 105 Finder 110 System control part 111 Timing generation part 120 Imaging part 130 Preprocessing part 140 Camera shake correction part 160 Signal processing part 180 Recording / reproducing part 181 Recording medium

Claims (7)

In a photographing apparatus for forming an image of a subject on an image sensor and generating an image representing the subject,
Through image generation means for repeatedly generating an image before shooting,
A motion vector calculating means for obtaining a motion vector for each region when the image is divided into a plurality of images between a plurality of images repeatedly generated by the through image generating means;
Subject determination means for determining whether the subject is a stationary subject or a subject in motion based on the motion vector calculated by the motion vector calculation means;
When the subject determined by the subject determining unit is a moving subject, shooting is performed in a first shooting mode in which shooting sensitivity is increased and a single captured image is generated, and the subject determining unit Photographing means for performing photographing in a second photographing mode for generating a plurality of continuous photographed images when the determined subject is a stationary subject;
Based on the motion vector calculated by the motion vector calculation unit, a plurality of captured images obtained by executing the second shooting mode when the subject determined by the subject determination unit is a stationary subject. And an image superimposing unit that generates a superimposed image by correcting and superimposing positions of the captured images so that a relative blur between the captured images is corrected. In a photographing apparatus for forming an image of a subject on an image sensor and generating an image representing the subject,
Through image generation means for repeatedly generating an image before shooting,
A motion vector calculating means for obtaining a motion vector for each region when the image is divided into a plurality of images between a plurality of images repeatedly generated by the through image generating means;
A designation means for designating one of a plurality of shooting modes,
Subject determination means for determining whether the subject to be photographed this time is a stationary subject or a subject that moves according to the photographing mode designated by the designation means;
When the subject determined by the subject determining unit is a moving subject, shooting is performed in a first shooting mode in which shooting sensitivity is increased and a single captured image is generated, and the subject determining unit Photographing means for performing photographing in a second photographing mode for generating a plurality of continuous photographed images when the determined subject is a stationary subject;
Based on the motion vector calculated by the motion vector calculation unit, a plurality of captured images obtained by executing the second shooting mode when the subject determined by the subject determination unit is a stationary subject. And an image superimposing unit for generating a superimposed image by correcting and superimposing positions of the captured images so that blur between the captured images is corrected. In a photographing apparatus for forming an image of a subject on an image sensor and generating an image representing the subject,
A shake detecting means for detecting a shake of the photographing device;
Through image generation means for repeatedly generating an image before shooting,
A motion vector calculating means for obtaining a motion vector for each region when the image is divided into a plurality of images between a plurality of images repeatedly generated by the through image generating means;
Subject determination means for determining whether the subject is a stationary subject or a subject in motion based on a motion vector between a plurality of images repeatedly generated by the motion vector calculation means calculated by the motion vector calculation means;
When the subject determined by the subject determination unit is a moving subject, shooting is performed in a first shooting mode in which shooting sensitivity is increased to generate a single shot image, and the subject determination unit Photographing means for performing photographing in a second photographing mode for generating a plurality of continuous photographed images when the subject determined in step 1 is a stationary subject;
When the subject determined by the subject determination unit is a stationary subject, a plurality of captured images obtained by executing the second shooting mode are captured based on the blur detection result by the blur detection unit. An imaging apparatus comprising: an image superimposing unit that generates a superimposed image by correcting and superimposing positions of captured images so that relative blur between images is corrected. In a photographing apparatus for forming an image of a subject on an image sensor and generating an image representing the subject,
A shake detecting means for detecting a shake of the photographing device;
A designation means for designating one of a plurality of shooting modes,
Subject determination means for determining whether the subject to be photographed this time is a stationary subject or a subject that moves according to the photographing mode designated by the designation means;
When the subject determined by the subject determining unit is a moving subject, shooting is performed in a first shooting mode in which shooting sensitivity is increased and a single captured image is generated, and the subject determining unit Photographing means for performing photographing in a second photographing mode for generating a plurality of continuous photographed images when the determined subject is a stationary subject;
When the subject determined by the subject determination unit is a stationary subject, a plurality of captured images obtained by executing the second imaging mode are captured based on the blur detection result by the camera shake detection unit. An imaging apparatus comprising: an image superimposing unit that generates a superimposed image by correcting and superimposing positions of captured images so that relative blur between the two is corrected. Subject brightness detection means for detecting the brightness of the subject;
An appropriate shutter time calculating means for calculating an appropriate shutter time for photographing with appropriate exposure based on the object brightness detected by the object brightness detecting means;
If the appropriate shutter time calculated by the shutter time calculation means is shorter than the predetermined shutter time, the photographing means does not wait for the determination result by the subject determination means and waits for the appropriate result. Shooting is performed in a third shooting mode for generating a single shot image according to the shutter time, and the appropriate shutter time calculated by the shutter time calculating means is longer than the predetermined shutter time. 2. The photographing in the first photographing mode or the second photographing mode is executed after the shutter speed is accelerated to the predetermined shutter time when it is time. 5. The photographing device according to any one of items 1 to 4.   The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit that notifies a user of a determination result by the subject determination unit.   Corresponding to the captured image obtained by execution of the first imaging mode and the superimposed image obtained by the second imaging mode, is the image obtained by the first imaging mode or the second 6. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising recording means for recording information indicating whether the image is obtained in the photographing mode.

Images