JP5562664B2 - Image quality adjusting apparatus and image quality adjusting apparatus control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image quality adjustment apparatus and an image quality adjustment method, and more particularly, to an image quality adjustment apparatus and an image quality adjustment apparatus control method capable of adjusting image quality such as image gradation and focus position.

  In an apparatus that handles images, such as a camera, there are cases where an image whose image quality is as intended by the user, such as the gradation and focus position of the image, may not be obtained. In general, photographing is performed with an exposure value or a focus position determined based on a main subject or a predetermined area at the center of the screen. At this time, in a subject with a large gradation difference, in other words, a subject with a large difference between a bright part and a dark part on the screen, the face is crushed darkly, or conversely, the sky flies white, and the image quality is as the user intended. It may not be.

  In view of this, there has been proposed an electronic camera that can divide a screen so that gradation correction can be performed only on a specific position of the screen, for example, a face portion, and perform gradation correction on a selected divided region (Patent Document 1). reference). In addition, an image display device that performs gradation correction so as to smooth the entire luminance histogram has also been proposed as a gradation correction method (see Patent Document 2).

JP 2008-035457 A JP 2009-017306 A

  As described above, there is a high demand for finely adjusting the image quality on the screen according to the subject and the individual scene. In addition to brightness, if the image blur or color can be finely adjusted, it is possible to obtain an image that suits the user's preference, compared to automatic shooting with a normal camera. However, in the above-described conventional technology, even when it is desired to finely adjust the image quality, the adjustment of the entire screen or the adjustment of a specific portion can only be performed separately.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image quality adjustment apparatus and an image quality adjustment method capable of simultaneously adjusting the overall image quality adjustment and a partial adjustment.

An image quality adjustment apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention is an overall adjustment unit that performs adjustment related to a specific image quality for the entire image, and the value of the specific image quality among the entire image whose specific image quality is adjusted by the overall adjustment unit. A partial adjustment unit that performs adjustment related to the specific image quality, a menu for global adjustment for inputting an adjustment instruction to the overall adjustment unit, and an adjustment for the partial adjustment unit A partial control menu for inputting an instruction; a display control unit that displays side by side; an imaging unit that captures a subject image; and an image processing unit that performs image processing on image data captured by the imaging unit. The overall adjustment unit adjusts the resolution of the entire image as the specific image quality at the focus position of the imaging unit, and the partial adjustment unit sets the specific image quality as one specific image quality. The resolution of the image is adjusted by the image processing by the image processing unit.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method for an image quality adjustment apparatus, wherein an image capturing unit that captures a subject image, an image processing unit that performs image processing on image data captured by the image capturing unit, and image processing performed by the image processing unit. In a control method of an image quality adjustment apparatus including a display unit for displaying image data, an overall adjustment menu for inputting an adjustment instruction for overall image quality adjustment and an adjustment instruction for partial adjustment of image quality are provided. A partial adjustment menu for input and displayed on the display unit side by side, making adjustments for specific image quality for the entire image, and selecting the specific image in the entire image whose specific image quality has been adjusted by the overall adjustment For some images classified by the difference in image quality value, the adjustment related to the specific image quality is further performed, and the specific image quality value is relatively large in the entire image. The first partial adjustment for adjusting the specific image quality is performed for a portion of the image, and the second partial adjustment for adjusting the specific image quality for the portion of the entire image where the specific image quality value is relatively small. And a first partial adjustment menu for inputting an adjustment instruction for the first partial adjustment and a second partial adjustment for inputting the adjustment instruction for the second partial adjustment. the use menu is displayed on the display unit, the specific image quality is a sense of resolution, by adjusting the focus position of the imaging unit by adjusting the entire image resolution, the image by the upper Symbol image processing unit By processing, the resolution of the partial image is adjusted.

According to the first and second aspects of the invention, it is possible to further improve the sense of resolution of a portion having a high resolution feeling while keeping a portion having a low resolution feeling as it is, and to provide a resolution feeling while keeping a portion having a high resolution feeling as it is Adjustments such as improving the low portion can be easily performed.

It is a block diagram which mainly shows the structure of the electric circuit of the digital camera concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the relationship between whole adjustment and partial adjustment in the digital camera concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the initial screen for brightness adjustment in the digital camera concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the screen for adjustment of the whole brightness in the digital camera concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the screen for adjustment of the brightness of the whole and a part in the digital camera in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the screen for adjustment of the brightness of the whole and a part in the digital camera in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the gamma curve of gradation conversion in the digital camera in one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a focus adjustment screen in the digital camera according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a screen for adjusting the focus of the whole and a part of the digital camera according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure explaining the focus adjustment by contrast in the digital camera in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the imaging | photography mode of the digital camera concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of the item menu display process of the digital camera concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the change image creation process of the digital camera concerning one Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments using a digital camera to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. A digital camera according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention has an imaging unit, and converts the subject image into image data by the imaging unit, and arranges the subject image on the back surface of the main body based on the converted image data. Live view is displayed on the display. The photographer determines the composition and the photo opportunity by observing the live view display. During the release operation, image data is recorded on a recording medium (image storage unit). The image data recorded on the recording medium can be reproduced and displayed on the display unit when the reproduction mode is selected.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. A control unit (CPU: Central Processing Unit) 11 operates according to a control program stored in the program / data storage unit 12 and performs overall control of the digital camera. An adjustment control unit 12 is provided in the control unit 11, and an overall adjustment unit 12a, a partial adjustment unit 12b, and a display control unit 12c are provided in the adjustment control unit 12. Since the adjustment control unit 12 in the control unit 11 is a part of processing executed by the control program, it will be described as a functional unit included in the control unit 11.

  The adjustment control unit 12 performs adjustments related to image quality such as brightness and focus, and performs an overall adjustment unit 12 a that performs overall adjustment, a partial adjustment unit 12 b that performs partial adjustment, and display of an image for adjustment by the adjustment control unit 12. The display control unit 12c is controlled. The overall adjustment unit 12a performs adjustment related to specific image quality such as brightness and focus for the entire image.

  The partial adjustment unit 12b includes a first partial adjustment unit 12b1 and a second partial adjustment unit 12b2. The first and second partial adjustment units 12b1 and 12b2 are parts that are classified by the difference in specific image quality values in the entire image in which specific image quality such as brightness and focus is adjusted by the overall adjustment unit 12a. Further adjustment for a specific image quality is performed on the image.

  For example, when adjusting the brightness as the specific image quality, this adjustment can be performed by changing the conversion curve when the output is γ-converted with respect to the input, as shown in FIG. In the overall adjustment, the curve L (center value represented by a one-dot chain point) of the γ conversion is changed as a whole including the dark portion P1 to the bright portion P2. On the other hand, in the partial adjustment, only the input corresponding to the dark portion P1 or the input corresponding to the bright portion P2 is a curve of γ conversion (L1 to L4 or L′ 1 to L′ 4). ) And adjust the image quality.

  The display control unit 12c displays, on the display unit 27, an overall adjustment menu for inputting an adjustment instruction for the overall adjustment unit 12a and a partial adjustment menu for inputting an adjustment instruction for the partial adjustment unit 12b. Display control to make it happen. The overall adjustment performed by the overall adjustment unit 12a and the partial adjustment performed by the partial adjustment unit 12b will be described later with reference to FIG.

  A program and data storage unit 13, a button operation unit 14, and a bus 30 are connected to the control unit 11. As described above, the program and data storage unit 13 stores a program executed by the control unit 11 and various data used at this time. In addition, image data such as a menu image to be displayed during live guide display described later is also stored. The button operation unit 14 includes various operation members for a user to give an instruction to the camera, and outputs a detection signal indicating an operation state to the control unit 11. The various operation members include a power button, a release button, a cross button, a live guide key, a return button, and the like.

  In addition to the control unit 11 described above, the imaging unit 20, SDRAM 21, image processing unit 22, display processing unit 26, compression / expansion unit 23, and recording / playback unit 24 are connected to the bus 30. The imaging unit 20 includes a photographic lens for forming a subject image, a photographic lens driving mechanism for driving the imaging lens, an imaging device for converting the subject image into image data, a processing circuit thereof, and a photographic lens. A diaphragm, a shutter, and the like inserted in the optical path are included. The digital image data generated by the imaging unit 20 is output to the bus 30.

  An AF control unit 20a is provided in the imaging unit 20. The AF control unit 20a extracts a high frequency component of the image data, drives the photographing lens driving mechanism so that the high frequency component becomes a peak value, and adjusts the focus position of the photographing lens.

  An SDRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) 21 is an electrically rewritable volatile temporary storage memory, and is used for temporary storage of image data output from the imaging unit 20. The image processing unit 22 performs image processing on the image data output from the imaging unit 20, and includes a gain adjustment unit 22a, a gradation conversion unit 22b, a low-pass filter unit 22c, and a contrast adjustment unit 22d.

  The gain adjustment unit 22a performs digital amplification (digital gain adjustment processing) of image data output from the imaging unit 20. That is, the brightness of the entire image is adjusted by adjusting the gain of each RGB data in the image data. At the time of adjustment, the entire image is brightened by increasing the amplification factor, and the entire image is darkened by decreasing the amplification factor.

  The gradation conversion unit 22b changes the characteristics of the γ curve when performing γ conversion of the image data output from the imaging unit 20. The gradation converting unit 22b changes the characteristics of the γ curve when performing γ conversion on the input corresponding to the relatively bright portion P1 according to the control of the first partial adjusting unit 12b1 (example shown in FIG. 7). Then, the characteristics of the γ curve when the γ conversion is performed on the input corresponding to the relatively dark part P2 according to the control by the second partial adjustment unit 12b2 are changed (in the example shown in FIG. 7, L′ 1 to L′ 4).

  The low-pass filter unit 22c performs pixel addition between adjacent pixels to perform low-pass filter processing, thereby reducing the resolution (sharpness, resolution) of the image. Further, the low-pass filter unit 22c can separately adjust the high-resolution part and the low-resolution part. That is, the low-pass filter processing for the input corresponding to the portion having a relatively high resolution according to the control by the first partial adjustment unit 12b1, and the input corresponding to the portion having a relatively low resolution according to the control by the second partial adjustment unit 12b2. Each of the low-pass filter processes can be performed separately.

  The contrast adjustment unit 22d adjusts the contrast of the image, that is, the difference in luminance between the bright part and the dark part of the image. By improving the contrast, the edge portion of the image can be sharpened, and by reducing the contrast, the edge portion of the image can be smoothed and the focus can be reduced. Further, the contrast adjusting unit 22d can separately adjust the high contrast portion and the low contrast portion. That is, a contrast adjustment process for an input corresponding to a portion having a relatively high contrast according to the control by the first partial adjustment unit 12b1, and an input corresponding to a portion having a relatively low contrast according to the control by the second partial adjustment unit 12b2. It is possible to perform the contrast adjustment processing for each separately.

  In addition to the image processing described above, the image processing unit 22 performs various image processing such as white balance, color correction, live view display image generation, and moving image generation. The compression / decompression unit 23 is a circuit for compressing still image or moving image data temporarily stored in the SDRAM 21 by a compression method such as JPEG or TIFF, and for decompression for display or the like. Note that image compression is not limited to JPEG or TIFF, and other compression methods can be applied.

  The display processing unit 26 causes the display unit 27 to display a live view display during shooting and a playback image during playback. Further, based on an instruction from the display control unit 12c, a synthesis process for synthesizing images such as an overall adjustment menu and a partial adjustment menu described later with a live view image is performed. The display unit 27 is connected to the display processing unit 26 and has a display such as a liquid crystal monitor or an organic EL arranged on the back surface of the main body of the camera 10. Is displayed.

  The recording / reproducing unit 24 stores the image data compressed by the compression / decompression unit 23 in the image storage unit 25, and reads out the image data of the captured image stored in the image storage unit 25. The read image data is expanded by the compression / expansion unit 23, and an image is reproduced and displayed on the display unit 27 based on the expanded image data. The image storage unit 25 is connected to the recording / reproducing unit 24 and is a recording medium for image data that can be built in or loaded into the digital camera body.

  Next, the overall adjustment and the partial adjustment in the adjustment unit 12 will be described with reference to FIG. The image quality adjusted by the adjustment unit 12 includes brightness, focus, and the like. Adjustment of these image quality is as follows. First, the overall brightness adjustment includes gain adjustment by the gain adjustment unit 22a and adjustment by the diaphragm and shutter of the imaging unit 20.

  The gain adjustment for adjusting the overall brightness corresponds to the adjustment of the ISO sensitivity. When the ISO sensitivity is increased, the entire image becomes bright, and when the ISO sensitivity is decreased, the entire image becomes dark. Further, when the aperture is opened, the entire image becomes bright, and when the aperture is narrowed, the entire image becomes dark. Further, the overall image becomes bright by reducing the shutter speed, and the overall image becomes dark by increasing the shutter speed.

  Further, the brightness partial adjustment is performed by the gradation converting unit 22b. As described above, the gradation converting unit 22b can individually change the curve of γ conversion for the bright part P2 and the dark part P1. Therefore, it is possible to perform partial adjustment so that the input corresponding to the bright portion is brighter or darker and the input corresponding to the dark portion is darker or brighter.

  Next, the overall focus adjustment is performed by the AF control unit 20a. Further, the AF control unit 20a can manually adjust the focus position of the photographing lens by the photographing lens driving mechanism in accordance with a user instruction. Accordingly, the focus position of the entire image can be automatically adjusted by the AF control unit 20a, and the focus position can be shifted forward or backward by manual operation.

  Further, the partial adjustment with respect to the focus is performed by the contrast adjustment unit 22c and the low-pass filter 22d. The first partial adjustment is an adjustment that makes the focus look clear, and is adjusted by the contrast adjustment unit 22d in the present embodiment. The second partial adjustment is an adjustment that makes the focus look sweet so that it is not in focus. In this embodiment, the second partial adjustment is performed by the low-pass filter unit 22c and the contrast adjustment unit 22d.

  Next, overall brightness adjustment and partial adjustment in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3A shows a start screen (default screen) for live view display on the display unit 27. The live view display is an image displayed on the display unit 27 for observing a subject image as a moving image based on the image data output from the imaging unit 20. The photographer observes this live view display and determines the composition and shutter timing.

  When the photographer depresses a live guide key, which is one of the button operation units 14, on the start screen shown in FIG. 3A, a live guide display is displayed as shown in FIG. In live guide display, an item menu 50 for live guide is displayed superimposed on the live view image on the right side of the screen of the display unit 27. As the item menu 50, four icons of a first icon 51a, a second icon 51b, a third icon 51c, and a fourth icon 51d are displayed.

  The first icon 51a is an icon for adjusting the saturation, and adjusts the saturation so as to make the screen color brighter or soften the color. The second icon 51b is an icon for adjusting the focus state, and adjusts the focus so that the near and far distances are clearly blurred, or the focus is adjusted from near to far. The third icon 51c is an icon for adjusting the brightness, and adjusts the brightness of the screen so that the screen is brightened or conversely darkened. The fourth icon 51d is an icon for color tone adjustment, and the screen is reddish to give a warm tone, or conversely bluish to a cool tone.

  Of the icons 51 a to 51 d displayed on the item menu 50, the currently designated icon can be moved by operating the cross button of the button operation unit 14 and can be selected by the OK button. A cursor 52 for indicating the moving direction is displayed around the currently designated icon. An item guide 53 is displayed on the upper or lower side of the screen of the display unit 27, and this item guide 53 explains the item of the designated icon.

  In the example shown in FIG. 3B, a first icon 51a for adjusting the saturation is designated, and a cursor for indicating the moving direction of the cross button is provided below the first icon 51a. 52 is displayed on the upper side of the screen as the item guide 53 of the first icon 51a, “Vivid colors / soft colors”. The user can know the adjustment contents of the first icon by looking at the item guide 53.

  When the down key of the cross button is depressed from the state shown in FIG. 3B, the cursor 52 moves in order of the second icon 51b → the third icon 51c → the fourth icon 51d. In the second icon 51b and the third icon 51c, since the cursor 52 can be moved up and down, the cursor 52 is displayed above and below each icon. In the example shown in FIG. 3C, since the third icon 51c is designated, “brighter / darker” is displayed as the item guide 53, indicating that the brightness can be adjusted. .

  When the user operates the OK button in the button operation unit 14 in a state where the third icon 51c is designated as shown in FIG. 3C, the third icon 51c is selected, and then FIG. As shown, a screen for adjusting the brightness of the entire image is displayed. In this image contrast adjustment screen, an overall guide bar 55 and a slider 56 are displayed on the right side of the screen of the display unit 27 as a live guide overall adjustment menu.

  The slider 56 moves the entire guide bar 55 up and down, and the vertical position of the slider 56 indicates the brightness. In addition, item guides 53a and 53b for explaining items adjusted by the overall guide bar 55 and the slider 56 are displayed on the upper right and lower right of the screen, respectively. In the example shown in FIG. 4A, since it is immediately after switching to the brightness adjustment screen, the slider 56 is at the center point (center) of the brightness, and when the slider 56 is moved upward, “brighter”. Is displayed on the item guide 53a, and when the slider 56 is moved downward, "darker" is displayed on the item guide 53b.

  Around the slider 56, as shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 4D, arrows indicating the directions in which the icon 51 can be moved are displayed as cursors 52a to 52c. That is, the cursor 52a is displayed when the icon 51 is movable upward, the cursor 52b is displayed when the icon 51 is movable leftward, and the cursor 52c is displayed when the icon 51 is movable downward. The user can determine the direction in which the user can move by looking at the cursor, and operates the cross button.

  When the upper key in the cross button is depressed from the state shown in FIG. 4A, the slider 56 moves upward along the entire guide bar 55, and as shown in FIG. The brightness of the screen of the display unit 27 increases. When the down key of the cross button is pressed, the slider 56 moves down along the entire guide bar 55, and the screen brightness of the display unit 27 decreases as shown in FIG. 4C. . In the example shown in FIG. 4, the image can be corrected to be brightened or darkened with a correction amount of 2 EV.

  In the screen shown in FIG. 4, the brightness of the entire image is adjusted. However, when the user wants to adjust only the high-luminance or low-luminance portion, the user presses the left key of the cross button in the button operation unit 14. Press down. By this operation, as shown in FIG. 5A, a menu for partial adjustment is displayed in addition to the menu for overall adjustment of the live guide.

  That is, a partial guide bar 55a is displayed on the left side of the overall guide bar 55 in parallel with the overall guide bar 55, and a slider 56a that moves up and down along the partial guide bar 55a is displayed. The selected third icon 51c is displayed in the slider 56a, and four cursors 52 are displayed around the slider 56a to indicate the directions that can be moved by the cross button. The partial guide bar 55a and the slider 56a constitute a first partial adjustment menu. With this first partial adjustment menu, it is possible to perform partial adjustment of a portion with high luminance.

  On the entire guide bar 55, a pointer 57 for indicating the brightness adjustment position of the entire image is displayed. That is, partial adjustment may be performed after the slider 56 is moved to the high luminance side or the low luminance side, but the pointer 57 indicates the correction amount of the entire image at that time.

  An item guide 53a is displayed above the screen of the display unit 27. The item guide 53a indicates that "brighter areas become brighter" when the slider 56a is moved upward. In addition, an item guide 53b is displayed at the bottom of the screen of the display unit 27. The item guide 53b indicates that "the bright place is darkened" when the slider 56a is moved downward.

  In the state where the left key of the cross button is operated from the state of FIG. 4 to display the first partial adjustment menu, the slider 56a is at the center position as shown in FIG. 5A. In this state, when the down key is operated and the slider 56a is moved downward, the image is adjusted so that the bright part of the image becomes dark as shown in FIG. 5B. As a result, the bright part such as the cloud 61 and the sun 62 is adjusted to be dark.

  Further, when the slider 56a as shown in FIG. 5 (a) is in the center position, the upper key is operated to move the slider 56a upward, as shown in FIG. 5 (c). The image is adjusted so that the bright part becomes brighter. As a result, the bright part such as the cloud 61 and the sun 62 is adjusted to become brighter.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the left key of the cross button is operated in a state where the brightness is increased more than the appropriate exposure, a menu screen for partial adjustment as shown in FIG. 6A is obtained. . Since the state of FIG. 4B is adjusted so as to have a high luminance as a whole, it is bright as a whole. When the slider 56a is moved upward from this state, a brighter image as shown in FIG. 6B is obtained. Bright parts such as the clouds 61 and the sun 62 are almost white-out images.

  In FIG. 5A, a partial guide bar 55b is displayed on the left side of the partial guide bar 55a in parallel with the partial guide bar 55a. When the left key of the cross button is operated once on the first partial adjustment menu screen or when the left key is operated twice on the overall adjustment menu screen, the second portion is displayed as shown in FIG. The adjustment menu screen appears.

  In the second partial adjustment menu screen, a slider 56b that moves along the partial guide bar 55b is displayed, and the selected third icon 51c is displayed in the slider 56b, and around the slider 56a. A total of three cursors 52 indicating the direction in which the cursor can be moved by the cross button are displayed in the vertical and vertical directions. The partial guide bar 55b and the slider 56b constitute a second partial adjustment menu. This second partial adjustment menu allows partial adjustment of the low-brightness portion.

  The example shown in FIG. 6C is a case where the left key is pressed twice in the state of FIG. That is, in FIG. 4C, adjustment is performed so that the entire screen is darkened, and the dark part is further darkened by the second partial adjustment menu, or conversely, the dark part is adjusted to be bright. In FIG. 6C, the slider 56b is located at the center of the partial guide bar 55b, and when the down key is operated from this state, the dark part becomes darker as shown in FIG. 6D. Partial adjustment is performed.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when the partial adjustment is performed on the brightness, the characteristics of the curves of the bright part P1 and the dark part P2 in the γ curve are individually adjusted. That is, the alternate long and short dash line L shown in FIG. 7 is the center value of the γ curve, and when adjusting the bright portion P1 around the γ curve, the characteristics are set so that L3 to L4 of the P1 portion become brighter. The characteristics are changed so that L1 and L2 become dark. When the dark portion P2 is adjusted, the characteristics are changed so that L′ 1 to L′ 2 of the P2 portion become brighter, and the characteristics are changed so that L′ 3 to L′ 4 become darker. .

  Next, the case where the focus is adjusted will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, the overall focus adjustment is performed by the photographing lens driving mechanism of the imaging unit 20, and the partial focus adjustment is performed by the low-pass filter unit 22c and the contrast adjustment unit 22d.

  First, partial focus adjustment performed by contrast adjustment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10A shows an example of the original signal curve in which the horizontal axis represents the pixel position and the vertical axis represents the luminance level. When contrast enhancement processing is performed on the original signal curve by the contrast adjustment unit 22d, the edge portion of the image is enhanced as shown in FIG. 10B, and an image as if it is in focus can be obtained. it can. On the other hand, when contrast reduction processing is performed by the contrast adjusting unit 22, it is possible to obtain an image in which the edge portion of the image is loosened as shown in FIG.

  The contrast adjustment unit 22d can perform contrast enhancement processing and contrast reduction processing only on image data from which only high-frequency components are extracted or image data from which only low-frequency components are extracted. For this reason, it is possible to perform processing such as clearing the focus only on a relatively focused portion, or softening the focus only on a relatively unfocused portion.

  Moreover, since the high-frequency component is reduced by performing the low-pass filter processing by the low-pass filter unit 22c, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of reducing the focus. Further, the low-pass filter unit 22c can perform the low-pass filter process only on the image data from which only the high-frequency component is extracted or the image data from which only the low-frequency component is extracted. For this reason, it is possible to perform processing such as making the focus sweeter only for a relatively focused portion or only for a relatively unfocused portion.

  Next, guide menu display for performing focus adjustment as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8A shows a state in which the second icon 51b is designated using the cursor 52 in the live guide display shown in FIG. When the OK button is pressed down in this state and the second icon 51b is selected, as shown in FIG. 8B, an overall guide bar 55 and a slider 56 that moves up and down along the overall guide bar 55 are displayed. Is done.

  In addition, an item guide 53a is displayed at the top of the screen of the display unit 27. The item guide 53a indicates that the front pin, that is, the AF focus position is brought into focus by moving the slider 56 upward. In addition, an item guide 53b is displayed at the bottom of the screen of the display unit 27. The item guide 53b indicates that the rear focus, that is, the far side from the AF focus position, is achieved by moving the slider 56 downward.

  In the live guide display, when the second icon 51b is selected, the slider 56 is positioned substantially at the center of the guide bar 55 as shown in FIG. When the slider 56 is moved up and down by operating the cross button, the photographing lens driving mechanism of the imaging unit 20 moves the photographing lens according to the amount of movement, so that the focus position is manually moved as a whole.

  If the user wants to make further adjustments on the in-focus or unfocused parts, the left key of the cross button is pressed down, and the partial adjustments as shown in FIGS. 9B to 9E are performed. Make the menu display. In the partial adjustment menu display, partial guide bars 55a and 55b are displayed in parallel to the left side of the overall guide bar 55, as in the case of focus adjustment.

  When the left key is operated only once, a slider 56a that moves up and down along the partial guide bar 55a is displayed. In this state, an item guide 53a is displayed on the upper part of the screen of the display unit 27. The item guide 53a indicates that when the slider 56a is moved upward, this operation makes “focusing clearer”. In addition, an item guide 53b is displayed at the bottom of the screen, which indicates that if the slider 56a is moved downward, this operation will result in “focusing more focused”. The user may operate the slider 55a according to the instructions of the item guides 53a and 53b.

  That is, when the slider 55a is moved upward, as shown in FIG. 9B, image processing is performed so that the in-focus portion of the subject image appears to be further in focus. On the other hand, when the slider 55a is moved downward, as shown in FIG. 9C, image processing is performed so that the focused portion of the subject looks sweet.

  When the left key is operated twice, a slider 56b that moves up and down along the partial guide bar 55b is displayed. In this state, an item guide 53a is displayed on the upper part of the screen of the display unit 27. The item guide 53a indicates that “the in-focus state becomes clearer” by this operation when the slider 56b is moved upward. In addition, an item guide 53b is displayed at the bottom of the screen, indicating that when the slider 56b is moved downward, this operation causes “out-of-focus” to become more dangerous. The user may operate the slider 55b in accordance with the instructions of the item guides 53a and 53b.

  That is, when the slider 55b is moved upward, as shown in FIG. 9 (d), image processing is performed so that the unfocused portion of the subject image appears to be in focus. On the other hand, when the slider 55b is moved downward, as shown in FIG. 9E, image processing is performed so that the out-of-focus portion of the subject looks sweeter.

  Note that the image processing for reducing the focus is performed by the low-pass filter unit 22c and the contrast adjustment unit 22d as described above. Further, the image processing for making the image appear to be in focus is performed by the contrast adjusting unit 22d as described above.

  Next, a flow for executing the shooting mode of the present embodiment will be described with reference to flowcharts shown in FIGS. This flow is executed by the control unit 11 in accordance with a program stored in the program / data storage unit 12. When the shooting mode is entered, it is first determined whether or not to display a live guide (S11). When the live guide key of the button operation unit 14 is operated, the live guide is displayed on the screen of the display unit 27. Therefore, in this step, it is determined whether or not the live guide key is operated.

  If the result of determination in step S11 is that live guide display is not performed, normal live view display is performed (S13). Here, the image data output from the imaging unit 20 is processed by the image processing unit 22, and a live view display is performed on the display unit 27 through the display processing unit 26. The photographer can determine the composition by observing the live view display and perform shutter release.

  If the result of determination in step S11 is that a live guide is to be displayed, then processing for live guide display is performed (S12). Here, a menu for overall adjustment and a menu for partial adjustment are displayed superimposed on the live view, and image processing is performed in accordance with the movement of the cursor. Details of the live guide display processing will be described later with reference to FIG.

  If live guide display processing is performed in step S12 or if live view display is performed in step S13, it is next determined whether or not a release operation has been performed (S14). When the user decides on the composition and decides to perform the shutter release, the release button of the button operation unit 14 is pressed down, so here it is determined whether or not the release button is pressed down.

  If the result of determination in step S <b> 14 is that a release operation has been made, next, shooting processing is performed (S <b> 15). In the photographing process, image data output from the imaging unit 20 is subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 22, compressed by the compression / decompression unit 23, and then stored in the image storage unit 25.

  If the shooting process is performed in step S15 or if the result of determination in step S14 is that a release operation has not been performed, it is next determined whether or not a power-off operation has been performed (S16). In this step, the determination is made based on the operation state of the power button of the button operation unit 14. As a result of this determination, if the power-off operation has not been performed, the process returns to step S11 and the above-described operation is executed. On the other hand, if the result of determination is that a power-off operation has been performed, a power-off process is performed, and the shooting mode operation is terminated.

  Next, the live guide display process in step S12 will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. If this flow is entered, it is first determined whether or not it is a start (S21). When the live guide display process is entered for the first time, a default image of the live guide as shown in FIG. 3B is displayed, so in this step it is determined whether or not the live guide display process is entered for the first time.

  If the result of determination in step S21 is start (entered for the first time), a default item menu image is created and displayed (S22). Since the item menu image is stored in the program / data storage unit 13, the image data is read out and displayed as an item menu image superimposed on the live view display as shown in FIG.

  If the item menu image is created and displayed in step S22, or if the result of determination in step S21 is not start, it is next determined whether or not the item menu is being displayed (S23). Here, an item menu as shown in FIG. 3B is displayed, or a menu for overall adjustment or a menu for partial adjustment as shown in FIG. 4A or FIG. (Referred to as a menu for use) is displayed.

  If the result of determination in step S23 is that the item menu is being displayed, it is next determined whether or not an instruction for cursor movement has been given in this item menu (S24). As described above, the designation of the icons 51a to 51d can be changed by operating the up and down keys of the cross button of the button operation unit 14. Accordingly, in this step, it is determined whether or not the up / down key has been operated.

  If the result of determination in step S24 is that the cursor has been moved, the item menu cursor is then moved (S25). Here, the designation of the icons 51a to 51d is sequentially changed according to the operation state of the up / down key, and the cursor 52 is displayed on the designated icons 51a to 51d.

  If the cursor is moved in step S52 or if the result of determination in step S24 is that cursor movement has not been instructed, it is next determined whether or not an instruction to switch the adjustment menu display has been issued (S26). ). When the left key is operated while the item menu is displayed, the adjustment menu as shown in FIGS. 4A and 5A is displayed. In this step, the operation state of the left key is determined. To do.

  If the result of determination in step S26 is that there is an instruction to switch the adjustment menu display, an adjustment menu corresponding to the item of the cursor is displayed (S27). For example, when the left key is operated while the third icon 51c is designated as shown in FIG. 4A, a menu for whole and partial adjustment as shown in FIG. 5A is displayed. Display the live guide.

  If the result of determination in step S23 is that the item menu is not being displayed, the adjustment menu is then displayed (S31). In this live guide display, for example, as shown in FIG. 5A, an overall guide bar 55 for overall adjustment and partial guide bars 55a and 55b for partial adjustment are displayed. In addition, sliders 56, 56a, and 56b are displayed according to the selected guide bars 55, 55a, and 55b.

  While the adjustment menu is being displayed, it is next determined whether or not there has been a switching instruction to return to the item menu display (S32). Here, when the return button is operated, it returns to the item menu display, and the operation state of the return button is determined. If the result of this determination is that there is an instruction to switch to item menu display, item menu display is performed (S33). Here, the item menu display shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, if the result of determination in step S32 is that there has been no instruction to switch to item menu display, it is next determined whether or not there has been an instruction to move the cursor on the adjustment menu (S34). As described above, since the cursor is moved by operating the up / down / left / right keys of the cross button, it is determined here whether or not the cross button has been operated.

  If the result of determination in step S34 is that a cursor movement instruction has been made, next, a modified image creation process is performed (S35). Here, image processing is performed according to the selected live guide. For example, when the third icon 51c for adjusting the contrast of the image is selected and the sliders 56, 56a, and 56b are moved, the contrast of the image is adjusted according to the moving amount of the slider. Details of the modified image creation processing will be described later with reference to FIG.

  When the processing in steps S27, S33, and S35 is performed, or if the result of determination in step S26 is that there is no instruction for switching menu display for adjustment, or if the result of determination in step S34 is that there is no cursor movement instruction, Return to the original flow with the adjustment menu displayed.

  Next, the modified image creation process in step S35 will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. If this flow is entered, it is first determined whether or not the item selected in the live guide is “brightness” (S41). When the third icon 51c for adjusting the brightness of the image is selected when the item menu is displayed as shown in FIG. 3B, as shown in FIG. 4A and FIG. 5A. An overall guide bar 55 for brightness adjustment and partial guide bars 55a and 55b are displayed. Therefore, in this step, it is determined whether or not the third icon 51c is selected.

  If “brightness” is selected as a result of the determination in step S41, it is next determined whether or not the slider is moved by the entire guide (S42). When the user adjusts the brightness of the entire image, the slider 56 that moves up and down along the entire guide bar 55 is moved by operating the up and down keys. In this step, the movement of the slider 56 is determined.

  If the result of determination in step S42 is that the slider has moved in the overall guide, gain adjustment is performed according to the position of the slider (S43). Here, the ISO sensitivity is adjusted by the gain adjustment unit 22a in the image processing unit 22, or the brightness of the entire image is adjusted by adjusting the aperture value and the shutter speed value of the imaging unit 20.

  If the result of determination in step S42 is that the slider has not been moved with the overall guide, it is next determined whether or not the slider has been moved with the partial guide (S44). When the user adjusts the brightness of only a bright part or a dark part in the image, the sliders 56a and 56b that move up and down along the partial guide bars 55a and 55b are moved. In this step, the movement of the sliders 56a and 56b is determined.

  If the result of determination in step S44 is that the slider has moved in the partial guide, then gradation adjustment is performed according to the position of the slider (S45). As described above with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, when the slider 56a is operated, the brightness of the bright part in the image is adjusted, and when the slider 56b is operated, the dark part in the image is adjusted. Adjust the brightness.

  If the item selected in the live guide is not “bright” as a result of the determination in step S41, it is next determined whether or not the item selected in the live guide is “focus” (S51). . When the second icon 51b for adjusting the focus of the image is selected when the item menu is displayed as shown in FIG. 3B, as shown in FIG. 8A and FIG. 9A. An overall guide bar 55 for adjusting the focus and partial guide bars 55a and 55b are displayed. Therefore, in this step, it is determined whether or not the third icon 51c is selected.

  If the result of determination in step S51 is that the item selected in the live guide is “focus”, it is next determined whether or not the slider is moving in the overall guide (S52). When the user adjusts the focus of the entire image, the slider 56 that moves up and down is moved along the entire guide bar 55 by operating the up and down keys. In this step, the movement of the slider 56 is determined.

  If the result of determination in step S52 is that the slider has moved in the overall guide, focus adjustment is performed according to the position of the slider (S53). Here, the photographic lens driving mechanism in the imaging unit 20 drives the photographic lens to the front pin position or the rear pin position in accordance with the position of the slider 56, thereby adjusting the focus of the entire image.

  If the result of determination in step S52 is that the slider has not been moved with the overall guide, it is next determined whether or not the slider has been moved with the partial guide (S54). When the user adjusts the focus state of the focused or unfocused part of the image, the sliders 56a and 56b that move up and down are moved along the partial guide bars 55a and 55b. Let In this step, the movement of the sliders 56a and 56b is determined.

  If the result of determination in step S54 is that the slider has moved in the partial guide, then low-pass contrast adjustment is performed according to the position of the slider (S55). As described above with reference to FIG. 9, when the slider 56a is operated, the focus state of the in-focus portion is adjusted in the image, and when the slider 56b is operated, the image is displayed in the image. Adjust the focus status of the out-of-focus area.

  If the result of determination in step S51 is that the item of live guide is not “focus”, other processing is performed (S61). In the present embodiment, as the item menu of the live guide, in addition to the above-mentioned “brightness” and “focus”, as shown in FIG. 3B, the first icon 51a for adjusting the saturation of the image and the image A fourth icon 51d for adjusting the color tone is provided. In step S61, adjustment is performed when these icons are selected. The adjustment here is the same as in the case of “Brightness” and “Focus”, and it is possible to make adjustments independently for high and low saturation parts, and for red and blue parts. Adjustments can be made independently.

  When the processing in the above-described steps S45, S43, S55, S53, and S61 is performed, or if the result of determination in steps S44 and S54 is that there is no slider movement, the flow of changed image creation processing is terminated, and the original flow Return to.

  As described above, in one embodiment of the present invention, the overall adjustment unit 12a that performs adjustment on a specific image quality such as brightness and focus on the entire image, and the entire image on which the specific image quality is adjusted by the overall adjustment unit 12a Among these, a partial adjustment unit 12b that performs adjustment related to a specific image quality is provided for a part of the images classified according to a difference in a specific image quality value. For this reason, it is possible to perform the simultaneous adjustment while comparing the overall adjustment of the image quality and the adjustment of a part.

  In the present embodiment, the partial adjustment is performed in two divisions by the first partial adjustment unit 12b1 and the second partial adjustment unit 12b2. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the partial adjustment may be performed in three divisions or four divisions. You may divide into the above. In addition, the division was performed so as to belong to one of the parts. However, only a part such as a part having a large image quality characteristic value or a part having a small image quality characteristic may be divided for partial adjustment. Of course it doesn't matter.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the guide bar is displayed on the right side of the screen. However, the guide bar is not limited to this and may be on the left side, the upper side, or the lower side. Further, although displayed in the bar format, the display is not limited to the bar format as long as the correction amount can be visually recognized. Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the low pass filter is used for the focus adjustment, but other image processing such as a high pass filter may be used as a matter of course.

  Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the digital image camera has been described as the image quality adjustment device. However, the camera may be a digital single lens reflex camera or a compact digital camera, and may be used for moving images such as video cameras and movie cameras. In addition, a camera built into a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a game device, or the like may be used. In any case, the present invention can be applied to any apparatus that processes an image. Moreover, although the above-described flowchart has been described as being implemented by a program, it may naturally be implemented by hardware.

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

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Digital camera, 11 ... Control part (CPU), 12 ... Adjustment control part, 12a ... Whole adjustment part, 12b ... Partial adjustment part, 12b1 ... 1st partial adjustment , 12b2 ... second partial adjustment unit, 12c ... display control unit, 13 ... program / data storage unit, 14 ... button operation unit, 20 ... imaging unit, 20a ... AF control unit, 21... SDRAM, 22... Image processing unit, 22 a... Gain adjustment unit, 22 b... Gradation conversion unit, 22 c. 23 ... Compression / expansion unit, 24 ... Recording / reproducing unit, 25 ... Image storage unit, 26 ... Display processing unit, 27 ... Display unit, 30 ... Bus, 50 ... Item menu, 51a ... first icon, 51b ... second icon 51c ... third icon, 51d ... fourth icon, 52 ... cursor, 53 ... item guide, 53a-53b ... item guide, 55 ... overall guide bar, 55a-55b ... partial guide bar, 56 ... slider, 56a-56b ... slider, 57 ... point, 61 ... cloud, 62 ... sun

Claims (2)

An overall adjustment section that performs adjustments on the entire image for a specific image quality
A partial adjustment unit that further adjusts the specific image quality for a part of the images classified by the difference in the specific image quality value in the entire image whose specific image quality is adjusted by the overall adjustment unit;
A display control unit for displaying a menu for overall adjustment for inputting an adjustment instruction for the overall adjustment unit and a menu for partial adjustment for inputting an adjustment instruction for the partial adjustment unit;
An imaging unit that captures a subject image;
An image processing unit that performs image processing on image data captured by the imaging unit;
With
The overall adjustment unit adjusts the resolution of the entire image as the specific image quality at the focus position of the imaging unit,
The partial adjustment unit adjusts the resolution of a part of the image as the specific image quality by image processing by the image processing unit.
An image quality adjusting apparatus characterized by the above. Image quality adjustment comprising an imaging unit that captures a subject image, an image processing unit that performs image processing on image data captured by the imaging unit, and a display unit that displays image data that is processed by the image processing unit In the device control method,
An overall adjustment menu for inputting adjustment instructions for overall adjustment of image quality and a partial adjustment menu for inputting adjustment instructions for partial adjustment of image quality are displayed side by side on the display unit,
Make adjustments for specific image quality for the entire image,
Among the entire images whose specific image quality is adjusted by the overall adjustment, for some images classified by the difference in the specific image quality value, further adjustment related to the specific image quality is performed,
A first partial adjustment for adjusting the specific image quality is performed for a portion where the specific image quality value is relatively large in the entire image, and the specific image quality value is relatively set in the entire image. Perform a second partial adjustment to adjust the specific image quality for small parts,
As a partial adjustment menu, a first partial adjustment menu for inputting an adjustment instruction for the first partial adjustment, and a second partial adjustment menu for inputting an adjustment instruction for the second partial adjustment. Is displayed on the display section,
The specific image quality is a sense of resolution ,
Adjust the resolution of the entire image by adjusting the focus position of the imaging unit,
By the image processing by the upper Symbol image processing unit, for adjusting the resolution of a part of the image above,
A control method for an image quality adjusting apparatus.