KR100799213B1 - Photographing apparatusand method - Google Patents

Abstract

The photographing apparatus and photographing method according to the present invention can photograph a synthesized image by one or more image synthesizing methods in one photographing operation.

The photographing apparatus 100 acquires a metering result of a subject and focal length information of a lens, and determines a number of shots and an exposure time per shot based on the obtained metering result and the focal length information. 128 and a CCD element 108 for capturing a plurality of images by one imaging operation based on the number of shots determined by the first CPU 128 and the exposure time per sheet.

Description

Photographing apparatus and method {Photographing apparatusand method}

1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a conventional photographing method.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the photographing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a structural diagram showing a data structure stored in a memory according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a flowchart showing a photographing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the focal length of the lens and the camera shake limit shutter speed according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a photographing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a photographing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a photographing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a flowchart showing a photographing method according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

10 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a photographing method according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a photographing method according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

100: recording device 124: LCD

102: zoom lens 126: timing generator

104: aperture 128: first CPU

106: focus lens 130: second CPU

108: CCD element 132: operation unit

110: CDS circuit 133: shutter button

112: A / D converter 134: memory

114: image input controller 136: VRAM

116: image signal processing circuit 138: media controller

118: image matching detection circuit 140: recording medium

120: image synthesis circuit 142a, 142b, 142c: motor driver

122: compression processing circuit 144: flash unit

123: LCD driver 146: portrait sensor

The present invention relates to a photographing apparatus and a photographing method, and more particularly, to a photographing apparatus and a photographing method for photographing a plurality of images by dividing an exposure time in one photographing operation.

By synthesizing a plurality of images conventionally taken by a plurality of shooting operations, or by dividing the exposure time, a plurality of images are taken by a single shooting operation (one shutter button operation), and the plurality of images are synthesized, As illustrated in FIG. 1, a method of correcting a shake of an image generated at the time of photographing or increasing the resolution of an image has been disclosed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-077725 discloses a technique of taking a plurality of images and synthesizing the images so that the positions of the subjects coincide.

Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-319252 discloses a technique including two split modes and synthesizing the divided exposure images in each split mode.

Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-084444 discloses a technique of including a photographing mode in which a divided exposure is performed in addition to a photographing mode in which general photographing is performed, and synthesizing the divided exposure image.

However, these conventional techniques have a problem in that the number of shots is fixed, and the number of shots or the exposure time per shot can not be set flexibly according to the surrounding situation at the time of shooting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved photographing apparatus and a photographing method capable of automatically determining the number of photographing or the exposure time per photographing in accordance with the surrounding situation at the time of photographing.

The photographing apparatus according to the present invention includes a metering result acquisition unit for acquiring a metering result of a subject, a focal length acquisition unit for acquiring focal length information of a lens, a metering result and focus acquired from a metering result acquisition unit, and a focal length acquisition unit; On the basis of the distance information, the photographing condition determining unit determines the number of shots and the exposure time per shot in one shooting operation, and the plurality of shots in one shooting operation based on the number of shots determined by the shooting condition determining section and the exposure time per shot. It includes a shooting unit for shooting the image.

According to this configuration, the photographer acquires the metering result of the subject in the metering result acquisition unit at the time of shooting, the focal length information of the lens is acquired in the focal length acquisition unit, and the photographing condition determiner is photographed using the metering result and the focal length information. The number of sheets and the exposure time per sheet are determined. The photographing unit photographs the subject based on the number of photographings determined by the photographing condition determining unit and the exposure time per photograph. As a result, the photographing apparatus by the point of consistency of the present invention can obtain an appropriate image by automatically determining the optimum number of shots and the exposure time when photographing a plurality of images by one photographing operation.

In the present invention, the exposure time per sheet determined by the shooting condition determiner can be set to be equal to or less than the exposure time due to the camera shake limit shutter speed, which is the longest shutter speed at which the subject can be photographed without shaking. According to this configuration, the photographing unit photographs the subject at a shutter speed equal to or less than the camera shake limit shutter speed. As a result, the photographing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention can capture a plurality of images without shaking the subject.

In the present invention, the photographing apparatus may further include an image storing unit which temporarily stores a plurality of images photographed by the photographing unit while power is applied. With such a configuration, a plurality of photographed images can be read out from the image storage section and processed and synthesized.

In the present invention, when the sum of the capacities of the plurality of images exceeds the storage capacity of the image storage unit, the number of shots is the upper limit of the number allowed by the storage capacity, and the shortage of the exposure amount of the image is extended and the gain is reduced. Can be replenished by With such a configuration, even when the total capacity of the images shot under the shooting conditions determined by the shooting condition determining unit exceeds the storage capacity of the image storage unit, the images can be stored in the image storage unit without degrading the quality of the image. .

In the present invention, when the exposure time per sheet does not match the shutter speed preset in the photographing apparatus, a speed higher than the exposure time per sheet and close to the exposure time per sheet is set at the shutter speed preset in the photographing apparatus. By setting the exposure time per sheet, the shortage of the exposure amount of the image can be compensated for by the increase of the gain. With such a configuration, even in a photographing apparatus in which the shutter speed cannot be set to an arbitrary value, a plurality of images similar to those in which the shutter speed is set to an arbitrary value can be photographed.

In the present invention, when the exposure amount obtained by the photometric result of the subject is E and the number of shots is n (n is an integer of 1 or more), n + α sheets (α is an integer of 1 or more) can be photographed with the exposure amount E / n. With such a configuration, it is possible to capture an image with a higher resolution as a whole than in the case of normal photography.

In the present invention, the sum of the exposure amounts of the plurality of images can be made equal to the exposure amount obtained as a result of the metering of the subject. With such a configuration, it is possible to photograph an image without dropping the exposure dose as a whole in a plurality of images.

In the present invention, the photographing apparatus may further include an image synthesizing unit for synthesizing a plurality of images stored in the image storage unit by one or more image synthesizing methods. By such a configuration, a picture having a special effect can be easily taken as in the case of a general shooting operation.

In the present invention, one or more image synthesizing methods include a method of synthesizing a plurality of images as they are, a method of synthesizing a plurality of images so that the positions of the subjects coincide, a method of synthesizing the plurality of images evenly, and a plurality of images. One or more images selected from the group consisting of a method of synthesizing a plurality of images at random, a method of enlarging or reducing a plurality of images, a method of rotating and synthesizing a plurality of images, and a method of synthesizing by changing the brightness of a plurality of images It may be a synthetic method.

In the present invention, the photographing apparatus further includes a switch unit, and the image synthesizing unit can change the image synthesizing method according to the photographing conditions when the switch unit is activated. With such a configuration, a plurality of images can be synthesized by an appropriate image combining method according to the surrounding situation when the switch unit is operated.

In the present invention, the photographing apparatus further includes a photographing status obtaining section for obtaining photographing status information indicating the surrounding situation at the time of photographing, and can change the image combining method according to the photographing status information obtained from the photographing status obtaining section. With this arrangement, a plurality of images can be synthesized by an appropriate image combining method based on the acquired shooting situation information.

In the present invention, the photographing apparatus further includes a hand shake detection unit for detecting a hand shake amount, the hand shake detection unit selects an image having a small hand shake amount from a plurality of images, and the image combining unit can synthesize an image having a small hand shake amount. . By such a configuration, an image without the influence of hand shake can be obtained.

In the present invention, the photographing apparatus may further include an image recording unit for recording the image synthesized by the image synthesizing unit or a plurality of images before synthesis to preserve the image even when the power is not applied. With such a configuration, a plurality of images before synthesis can be freely processed or synthesized after photographing.

In the present invention, the photographing apparatus can read out a plurality of images before synthesis recorded in the image recording unit, and synthesize the plurality of images in the image synthesis unit. With such a configuration, it is possible to read out a plurality of images before synthesis after recording and process them freely or synthesize them.

In the present invention, the photographing apparatus can read out a plurality of images before synthesis recorded in the image recording unit, synthesize a plurality of images in the image synthesis unit, and then record the synthesized image in the image recording unit. With such a configuration, the synthesized image can be recorded after reading and synthesizing a plurality of images before synthesis, which are recorded once after the shooting.

In the present invention, the photographing apparatus further includes a shift amount setting unit for setting the shift amount of the image in advance by the photographer, and a shift amount acquisition unit for acquiring the shift amount of the image set in the shift amount setting unit. When selecting a method for synthesizing a plurality of images from the above image synthesizing methods, the deviation amount acquisition unit can acquire the deviation amount and synthesize the image based on the deviation amount. With such a configuration, a plurality of images can be synthesized by shifting the images at an arbitrary shift amount by the photographer.

In the present invention, the shift amount setting unit sets the shift direction of the image, the shift amount acquisition unit acquires the shift direction, and the image synthesizing unit synthesizes the image based on the shift amount and the shift direction. With such a configuration, a plurality of images can be synthesized by shifting the images in an arbitrary shift amount and shift direction by the photographer.

In the present invention, the photographing apparatus may further include a shift amount display unit capable of displaying the shift amount on the screen. By this structure, the effect by a shift | offset | difference at the time of an actual synthesis process can be confirmed beforehand.

In the present invention, when the exposure time per sheet determined as a result of the metering of the subject is less than or equal to the exposure time due to the camera shake limit shutter speed, the exposure time can not be divided. With such a configuration, even when a plurality of shooting modes are not prepared, normal shooting can be automatically performed when the exposure time does not reach the exposure time due to the camera shake limit shutter speed.

A photographing method according to another aspect of the present invention is a photographing method of photographing a plurality of images by dividing an exposure time by one photographing operation, wherein the photographing method is based on a metering result of a subject and focal length information of a lens. When the number of shots and the exposure time per sheet are determined and the exposure time per sheet is faster than the exposure time due to the camera shake limit shutter speed, a plurality of images are taken by one shooting operation at the determined number of shots and the exposure time per sheet. Then, the plurality of photographed images are synthesized by one or more image synthesizing methods.

According to this method, the photographing result of the subject and the focal length information of the lens are acquired at the time of shooting, and based on the metering result of the subject and the focal length information of the lens, a plurality of exposure times per sheet are faster than the camera shake limit shutter speed. Shoot the image. The captured images are synthesized by at least one or two or more image combining methods. As a result, according to the photographing method according to another aspect of the present invention, it is possible to photograph an image having various special effects or an image of camera shake correction in one shooting operation.

Hereinafter, a photographing apparatus and a photographing method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in this specification and drawing, the component which has a substantially the same function structure is attached | subjected, and the duplicate description is abbreviate | omitted.

(Example 1)

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the photographing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the photographing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a zoom lens 102, an aperture 104, a focus lens 106, a charge coupled devices (CCD) device 108, CDS (correlated double sampling) circuit 110, A / D converter 112, image input controller 114, image signal processing circuit 116, image matching circuit 118, image synthesis circuit 120 ), Compression processing circuit 122, liquid crystal display (LCD) driver 123, LCD 124, timing generator 126, first central processing unit (CPU) 128, second CPU 130, Operation unit 132, shutter button 133, memory 134, video random access memory (VRAM) 136, media controller 138, recording media 140, motor drivers 142a, 142b, 142c, flash The device 144 includes a longitudinal sensor 146.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the photographing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

The photographing unit includes a zoom lens 102, an aperture 104, a focus lens 106, and a CCD element 108. Although the imaging section of this embodiment includes a CCD element 108, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) element may be used in place of the CCD element 108. As shown in FIG. Since the CMOS element can convert the video light of the subject into an electrical signal at a higher speed than the CCD element, it is possible to shorten the time from photographing the subject to performing the image combining process.

The zoom lens 102 is a lens in which the focal length is continuously changed by moving back and forth in the optical axis direction. The diaphragm 104 adjusts the amount of light entering the CCD element 108 at the time of image capturing. The focus lens 106 adjusts the focus of the subject by moving back and forth in the optical axis direction.

The timing generator 126 is for inputting a timing signal to the CCD element 108. The shutter speed is determined by the timing signal from the timing generator 126. That is, the driving of the CCD element 108 is controlled by the timing signal from the timing generator 126, and the video signal from the subject is incident within the time period when the CCD element 108 is driven so that the electric signal that is the basis of the image data is generated. Is generated.

The CCD element 108 is an element for converting light incident from the zoom lens 102, the aperture 104, and the focus lens 106 into an electrical signal. In this embodiment, the time for obtaining the electric signal by controlling the incident light is controlled by the electronic shutter. The time for obtaining the electric signal may be adjusted by controlling the incident light using the mechanical shutter.

The CDS circuit 110 is a circuit in which a CDS circuit, which is a kind of sampling circuit that removes noise of an electrical signal output from the CCD element 108, and an amplifier that amplifies the electrical signal after removing noise, are integrated. In the present embodiment, the imaging apparatus 100 is configured by using a circuit in which the CDS circuit and the amplifier are integrated, but the CDS circuit and the amplifier may be configured as separate circuits.

The A / D converter 112 converts an electrical signal generated by the CCD element 108 into a digital signal to generate data of an image.

The image signal processing circuit 116 is a circuit which performs gain correction and white balance adjustment of the amount of light with respect to the electric signal output from the CCD element 108 and the image synthesized by the image synthesis circuit 120.

The image match detection circuit 118 includes a function of the hand shake detection unit, and is a circuit for detecting the position of the same subject among the plurality of images photographed.

The image synthesizing circuit 120 is an example of an image synthesizing unit, and is a circuit for synthesizing a plurality of photographed images. The method of synthesizing the images may be automatically determined according to the surrounding situation at the time of shooting, or may be determined by the setting of the photographer. In addition, the image matching detection circuit 118 may detect the position of the same subject among the plurality of images, and combine the plurality of images in the image synthesizing circuit 120 so that the positions coincide with each other.

The compression processing circuit 122 performs a compression process of compressing the image synthesized by the image synthesis circuit 120 into image data of an appropriate format. The compression of the image may be in a reversible format or in an irreversible format. Examples of suitable formats include the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) or JPEG2000 format. In addition, before the compression processing is performed in the compression processing circuit 122, the image signal processing circuit 116 may perform gain correction or white balance adjustment of the amount of light.

The LCD 124 displays the live view before the photographing operation, displays the various setting screens of the photographing apparatus 100, displays the photographed image, and the like.

The first CPU 128 is a CPU for giving a signal system command to the CCD element 108, the CDS circuit 110, or the like, and the second CPU 130 is for giving a command of the operation system to the operation of the operation member. CPU The first CPU includes the functions of the photometric result acquisition unit, the focal length acquisition unit, and the shooting condition determination unit, and the second CPU includes the functions of the deviation amount acquisition unit. In the present embodiment, the first CPU 128 and the second CPU 130 are separate components, but one CPU may be used to command a signal system and an operation system.

In the operation unit 132, a member for operating the photographing apparatus 100 is disposed. The operation unit 132 has a function as a shift amount setting unit for setting the shift amount in synthesizing a plurality of images. Members disposed on the operation unit 132 include a power button, a cross key for selecting a photographing mode, a shift amount, and a shift direction, a selection button, and the like. The set shift amount is acquired by the second CPU 130 at the time of shooting, and synthesizes a plurality of images shifted based on the shift amount and the shift direction acquired by the second CPU 130 at the time of image synthesis.

The LCD 124 includes a function as a shift amount display unit, and the shift amount and shift direction set by the operation unit 132 can be confirmed. The display on the LCD 124 of image data or various information of the photographing apparatus 100 is performed by the LCD driver 123.

The operation unit 132 not only shifts and shifts, but also rotates and synthesizes the image when rotating the image, and enlarges or reduces the image when enlarging and reducing the image, and changes the brightness of the image. You can also set the amount of change in brightness. By such a configuration, it is also possible to reproduce the photographing intention of the photographer again.

The shutter button 133 is an example of the switch unit, and is operated by operating the shutter button 133 to take an image by pressing the shutter button 133, for example.

The memory 134 is an example of an image storage section, which temporarily stores a photographed image or an image synthesized by the image synthesis circuit 120. The memory 134 has a storage capacity as long as it can store a plurality of images. Reading and writing of images to the memory 134 are controlled by the image input controller 114.

3 is a structural diagram schematically illustrating a memory map of the memory 134. The number of sheets that can be stored depends on the capacity of the memory 134 and the size of the image. In FIG. 3, it is shown that it has a storage capacity enough to store four captured images and three synthesized images. Types of memory may include dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), and double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM).

The VRAM 136 retains the content displayed on the LCD 124, and the resolution or maximum number of colors of the LCD 124 depends on the capacity of the VRAM 136.

The recording medium 140 is an example of an image recording unit, which records a photographed image or a synthesized image. Input / output to the recording medium 140 is controlled by the media controller 138. As the recording medium 140, a memory card that is a card-type storage device for recording data in a flash memory can be used.

The motor drivers 142a, 142b, and 142c control the motor for operating the zoom lens 102, the aperture 104, and the focus lens 106. The zoom lens 102, the aperture 104, and the focus lens 106 are operated by the motor drivers 142a, 142b, and 142c to adjust the size, light amount and focus of the subject.

The flash device 144 is an example of a light source and is used to brighten a subject when shooting at night outdoors or in a dark place. In flash photography, a light emission command is given from the first CPU 128 to the flash device 144. The light emission command from the first CPU 128 causes the flash device 144 to emit light, and the light emitted by the flash device 144 brightens the subject. In addition, the vertical and horizontal sensors 146 detect the photographing vertical and horizontal directions when photographing with the photographing apparatus 100.

Next, the flow of the image capturing method in the image capturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 4.

In shooting an image, the photographer first presses the shutter button 133. When the shutter button 133 is pressed, a signal from the shutter button 133 is supplied to the second CPU 130 to start the photographing process.

Upon receiving the signal from the shutter button 133, the second CPU 130 supplies a signal to the first CPU 128 indicating that the shutter button 133 has been pressed. The first CPU 128 receiving the signal acquires the focal length information of the focus lens 106 and the photometric result of the subject (S110). From the photometric result information of the subject, the shutter speed necessary for capturing only one image by one shooting operation can be obtained.

When the first CPU 128 acquires the focal length information of the focus lens 106 and the information of the metering result of the subject, the exposure time and the number of shots per sheet of the image are determined from the acquired information (S120). It is determined whether the exposure time per sheet of the image obtained as a result of metering the subject is equal to or greater than the camera shake limit shutter speed (S130). When the exposure time per sheet of the image obtained as a result of metering the subject is equal to or greater than the camera shake limit shutter speed, the exposure time per sheet is set to be equal to or less than the camera shake limit shutter speed, which is the longest shutter speed at which the subject can be photographed without shaking the subject. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the focal length of the lens and the camera shake limit shutter speed. As shown in Fig. 5, the camera shake limit shutter speed can be found to be approximately 1 / f (seconds) when the focal length of the focus lens 106 is f (mm).

A plurality of images are photographed at an exposure time per sheet obtained as a result of metering (S140). Here, a case where the focal length of the focus lens 106 is 50 mm will be described as an example. The camera shake limit shutter speed is approximately 1/50 = 0.02 seconds. As a result of metering the subject, when the shutter speed is 0.2 seconds, 10 images are taken at the shutter speed of 0.02 seconds. In this case, 11 or more shots can be taken at a shutter speed of 0.02 seconds. As a result, it is possible to capture an image with a higher resolution as a whole than in the case of normal photography. In addition to obtaining the number of copies from the shutter speed, the number of sheets can be set in advance and the shutter speed per sheet can be obtained from the number of copies. When the number of shots of an image is set to 20, the shutter speed per sheet is 0.01 second.

If the exposure time per sheet does not match the shutter speed set in advance in the photographing apparatus 100, the shutter speed is higher than the exposure time per sheet and close to the exposure time per sheet at the shutter speed set in the photographing apparatus 100 in advance. Is set and the shortfall of the exposure amount of the image is compensated for by the gain. For example, when the shutter speed is 1/30 second as a result of metering the subject, the shutter speed per sheet is 1/240 second when the number of shots of the image is set to eight. However, depending on the photographing apparatus 100, the shutter speed may not be set to an arbitrary value. For example, when the shutter speeds set in the photographing apparatus 100 are 1/125 sec. And 1/250 sec., The shutter speed may not be set to 1/240 sec. In this case, the shutter speed is set to 1/250 second which is a faster shutter speed than 1/240 second, and eight images are taken at the shutter speed 1/250 second. Since the exposure amount of the image is insufficient, the lack of the exposure amount of the image is corrected by performing gain correction of the light amount in the image signal processing circuit 116.

On the other hand, when the exposure time per sheet obtained as a result of metering the subject is less than the camera shake limit shutter speed, only one shot is photographed without dividing the exposure time (S160). That is, when the shutter speed obtained as a result of metering the subject in the above example is 0.02 seconds or less, only one shot is taken without dividing the exposure time.

According to the number of shots determined by the second CPU 130 and the exposure time per sheet, the image light of the subject is input to the CCD element 108. The image light of the subject passes through the zoom lens 102, the aperture 104, and the focus lens 106 and is irradiated onto the CCD element 108. The image light of the irradiated subject is converted into an electrical signal by the CCD element 108.

When the image light of the subject is converted into an electric signal in the CCD element 108, the CDS circuit 110 removes noise included in the electric signal generated by the CCD element 108 and simultaneously amplifies the electric signal. The amplified electrical signal is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 112 to generate image data. The image data converted into digital signals is stored in the memory 134 by the image input controller 114.

The memory 134 stores all the image data shot by one shooting operation. However, when the sum of the image data capacities of the plurality of shot images exceeds the storage capacity of the memory 134, Store the number of images allowed by the capacity. For example, if it is determined that 10 images are taken by the second CPU, but the memory 134 can store only the capacity of 9 pieces of image data, nine images are taken. Since the exposure amount is insufficient as a whole, the lack of the exposure amount can be compensated for by the extension of the shutter speed, or can be compensated by the gain correction of the light amount in the image signal processing circuit 116.

When shooting is completed and the image is stored in the memory 134, the image is synthesized using the image (S160). A plurality of images are synthesized as is, a method of synthesizing a plurality of images as they are, a method of synthesizing a plurality of images so that their positions coincide, a method of synthesizing a plurality of images evenly, and a method of synthesizing a plurality of images randomly. And combining at least one method selected from the group consisting of a method of enlarging or reducing a plurality of images, a method of rotating and synthesizing a plurality of images, and a method of changing and combining the brightness of the plurality of images.

The method of combining images may be determined by the photographer in advance, or may be automatically selected according to the surrounding conditions at the time of shooting. In one shot, the synthesis may be performed only once, or may be synthesized two or more times by another synthesis method.

In synthesizing a plurality of images by a method in which the positions of the subjects coincide with each other, the image matching detection circuit 118 detects a deviation amount of the same subject among the plurality of images before combining the images in the image synthesizing circuit 120. Based on the shift amount, as shown in Fig. 6A, the image synthesizing circuit 120 synthesizes such that the position of the vehicle as the subject coincides. As a result, when adopting a method of synthesizing a plurality of images so that the positions of the subjects coincide as the synthesis method, it is possible to generate a synthesized image in which the influence of hand shake is suppressed.

When synthesizing by plural images to be randomly shifted, the second CPU 130 randomly determines the shift amount and the shift direction, and synthesizes them according to the shift amount and the shift direction.

When synthesizing by changing and combining the brightness of a plurality of images, the second CPU 130 determines the amount of change in image brightness and based on the amount of change, as shown in FIG. 6B, for example. Synthesizes by changing the brightness of the subject car. The amount of change in brightness may be set by the photographer operating the manipulation unit 132 or may be set in advance.

When synthesizing a plurality of images by a method of enlarging or reducing them, the second CPU 130 acquires an enlargement amount or a reduction amount, and based on the enlargement amount or the reduction amount shown in FIG. As described above, for example, a car, which is a subject, is enlarged or reduced, and synthesized. The enlargement amount or reduction amount may be set by the photographer operating the operation unit 132, or may be set in advance.

When combining the images by rotating and synthesizing the plurality of images, the second CPU 130 acquires the rotation amount and based on the rotation amount, as shown in FIG. Synthesize by rotating the car. The amount of rotation may be set by the photographer operating the operation part 132, or may be set previously. The center of rotation may be the center of the image, or may be set by the photographer by operating the operation unit 132.

When synthesizing the plurality of images by a method of equally shifting the images, the doll, which is the subject, is, for example, in a predetermined direction as shown in FIG. 7 based on the shift amount and the shift direction acquired by the second CPU 130. Synthesize to shift evenly.

When synthesizing the plurality of images as they are, the image synthesizing circuit 120 simply adds the plurality of images and synthesizes them so that the operation of the golf club can be seen, for example, as shown in FIG.

The synthesized image obtained by combining a plurality of images is stored in the memory 134. When the capacity of the memory 134 is large, not only the synthesized image by one synthesis but also the synthesized image by multiple synthesis can be stored. With such a configuration, it is possible to generate a composite image by various synthesis methods in one shooting operation.

The compression processing circuit 122 performs compression processing to compress the synthesized image stored in the memory 134 into image data of an appropriate format. The compression of the image may be in a reversible format or in an irreversible format. Examples of suitable formats can be converted to JPEG or JPEG2000 format. In addition, before the compression processing is performed by the compression processing circuit 122, the image signal processing circuit 116 may perform gain correction or white balance adjustment.

The synthesized image subjected to the compression process by the compression processing circuit 122 is displayed on the LCD 124. The composite image is displayed on the LCD 124 and the composite image is recorded on the recording medium 140. When the synthesized image is generated by synthesizing the images by various methods, all the synthesized images can be recorded, the synthesized images are switched by the operation of the operation unit 132, and the synthesized result can be confirmed on the LCD 124.

As described above, according to the photographing apparatus and the photographing method according to the present embodiment, it is possible to photograph a synthesized image by one or two or more image combining methods in one photographing operation.

In the above, the flow of image photographing in the imaging apparatus concerning Example 1 of this invention was demonstrated using FIG.2 and FIG.4.

(Example 2)

Next, a photographing apparatus and a photographing method according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 9 and 10.

When strobe photography is performed when a person is photographed indoors or outdoors at night, even if the subject is properly exposed, the background is underexposed, and the subject such as the person is bright but the background is dark.

In addition, a slow synchro method is known in which a shutter is slowed when shooting stroboscopically to capture both the subject and the background brightly. Slow synchro has two functions: "front curtain synchronization" that emits strobe immediately after the shutter is opened, and "back curtain synchronization" that emits strobe immediately before the shutter closes. Here, a description will be given of a photographing method that can achieve a slow synchro-like effect by photographing a plurality of images by dividing the exposure time in one photographing operation.

The components of the photographing apparatus according to the present embodiment are substantially the same as those of the photographing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. Only specific processes of the first CPU 128 and the second CPU 130 are different. The configuration of the photographing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

Embodiment 1 is a photographing apparatus and a photographing method for photographing a plurality of images in one photographing operation. Example 2 is an application example of Example 1, in which a plurality of images are taken by one shooting operation, the flash device is caused to emit light at the time of image capture, and the photographed images and the flash are emitted without the flash. A photographing apparatus and a photographing method for obtaining both images.

In general strobe shooting, first, the operation unit 132 is operated, and the shooting mode is set to strobe shooting. The photographing process of the image is started by the photographer operating the shutter button 133. When the shutter button 133 is pressed, a signal from the shutter button 133 is supplied to the second CPU 130 to start the photographing process. In general stroboscopic imaging, when the shutter button is pressed, a signal from the shutter button is supplied to the second CPU 130, and the second CPU 130 notifies the first CPU 128 that stroboscopic imaging has been performed.

Upon receiving the notification, the first CPU 128 notifies the motor drivers 142a, 142b, and 142c, the timing generator 126, and the flash device 144 that stroboscopic imaging has been performed. The motor drivers 142a, 142b, and 142c that have been notified control the operations of the zoom lens 102, the aperture 104, and the focus lens 106 to set an appropriate focal length or aperture, and the first CPU 128. Causes the flash device 144 to emit light, and the timing generator 126 determines the time at which the image light from the subject is incident on the CCD element 108, so that image capturing is performed only once. The above is the operation of the photographing apparatus 100 in general stroboscopic imaging.

In the stroboscopic imaging method according to the present embodiment, a plurality of images are taken by dividing the exposure time in one shooting operation, and the flash device 144 emits light in accordance with the exposure time per sheet to perform imaging.

In the stroboscope photographing method according to the present embodiment, first, the operation unit 132 is operated, and the photographing mode is set to strobe photographing possible. When the photographer presses the shutter button 133, the photographing process of the image is started. The setting of the shooting mode for strobe shooting is a mode in which the photographing apparatus 100 automatically detects the surrounding situation (for example, indoors at night or outdoors at night) in addition to the method in which the photographer sets the shooting mode. Can also be set.

When the shooting mode is set to be capable of stroboscopic imaging by the operation of the operation unit 132, the operation unit 132 is operated to set at what timing the flash device 144 emits light. The light emission timing of the flash device 144 can be set to any image shooting time in accordance with the exposure time per sheet, in addition to the shooting time of the first image or the shooting of the last image. The number of times of light emission may be one or three or more times.

Upon receiving the signal from the shutter button 133, the second CPU 130 supplies a signal indicating that the shutter button is pressed to the first CPU 128. The first CPU 128, which has been supplied with the signal, provides information on the exposure time A, the number of shots n (n is an integer of 1 or more), and the light emission timing of the flash device 144 in one shooting operation. Acquire (S210). The number of shots may be a predetermined fixed number, or the number of shots may be determined by operating the operation unit 132.

The first CPU 128 includes a function as an exposure time acquisition unit. When the exposure time A and the number of shots n are acquired in one shooting operation, the first CPU 128 divides the exposure time A by n. The exposure time is set to A / n (S220). Then, it is determined whether or not the first CPU 128 is in the flash shooting mode (S230). In the case of the flash shooting mode, n + 1 shots are taken (S240). In order to take n + 1 shots, a signal for taking n + 1 shots is sent to the timing generator 126 at an exposure time (A / n) per shot, and the CCD element 108 receives an image from the subject. The light is incident. The image light of the subject passes through the zoom lens 102, the aperture 104, and the focus lens 106 and is irradiated onto the CCD element 108. The image light of the irradiated subject is converted into an electrical signal by the CCD element 108.

Here, the flash device 144 is made to emit light at the time of capturing the first image or the last image based on the information on the emission timing of the flash device 144 acquired by the first CPU 128 when capturing n + 1 images. (S250). For example, when the flash device 144 is set to emit light at the first image shooting by the operation of the operation unit 132, the flash device 144 is made to emit light at the same timing as the shooting of the first image. When the flash device 144 is set to emit light at the time of shooting the last image, the flash device 144 is caused to emit light at the same timing as the shooting of the n + 1th image.

FIG. 10A is an explanatory diagram of a histogram indicating the brightness of a subject, and FIG. 10B is an explanatory diagram illustrating a shooting timing at the time of photographing n + 1 images. In normal photography, the exposure time A is determined based on the metering result of the subject. In this embodiment, the exposure time A / n is determined by dividing the predetermined exposure time A by n based on the photometric result of the subject, and n + 1 images are taken as the exposure time A / n. Shoot. At the time of photographing an image, as shown in FIG. 10 (b), metering may be performed for every one photographing, or metering may be performed only for the first photographing.

FIG. 10B illustrates a case where the flash device 144 emits light at the time of photographing the last n + 1 sheets. At the time of photographing the last n + 1 sheets, preliminary light emission is performed at the time of photometry of the subject, and the flash device 144 is emitted at the time of exposure, so that the image of the subject is brightly photographed. As shown in Fig. 10A, the histogram of the metering result of the subject becomes almost the same as the result of adding the histogram of each image when the exposure time is photographed by dividing.

11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the photographing method according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 11 shows that the first n-th image is an image shot without emitting the flash device 144, and the last n + 1-th image emits the flash device 144 so as to brightly illuminate a vehicle as a subject. Indicates that

When the image light of the subject in the CCD device 108 is converted into an electrical signal, the CDS circuit 110 removes the noise generated by the CCD device 108, amplifies the signal generated by the CCD device 108, and A The / D converter 112 converts the digital signal. The image data converted into digital signals is stored in the memory 134 by the image input controller 114.

The memory 134 stores all the image data shot by one shooting operation. When the sum of the image data capacities of the plurality of images photographed exceeds the storage capacity of the memory 134, the number of images allowed by the capacity of the memory 134 is stored. For example, even though the number of shots acquired by the second CPU was 10, when the memory 134 can store only the capacity of nine pieces of image data, nine images are taken. Since the exposure amount is insufficient as a whole, the lack of the exposure amount can be compensated for by the extension of the shutter speed, or can be compensated by the gain correction of the light amount in the image signal processing circuit 116.

When the photographing is completed and the plurality of images photographed in the memory 134 are stored, the plurality of images are synthesized by the image synthesizing circuit 120. In the synthesis of the images, two types of synthesized images are generated by combining the 1 nth image and the 2 n + 1th image (S260). When synthesizing the images, the image signal processing circuit 116 may also perform gain correction for the amount of light. The lack of exposure amount that may be generated by dividing the exposure time can be compensated for by the gain correction of the light amount in the image signal processing circuit 116.

For example, when the flash device 144 is set to emit light at the time of photographing the first image and n + 1 shots are taken, the first to nth images and the second to n + 1th images are synthesized. It is also possible to generate two kinds of synthetic images. As a result, two types of images can be obtained: an image in which the flash device 144 is emitted and photographed so that a subject is brightly illuminated, and a general image photographed without emitting the flash device 144. The image photographed by emitting the flash unit 144 at that time becomes an image having the same effect as the front curtain tuning.

Also, even when the flash device 144 is set to emit light at the time of capturing the last image, and n + 1 shots are taken, similarly to the case of the setting for causing the flash device 144 to emit light at the time of capturing the first image. The first to nth images and the second to n + 1th images may be synthesized to generate two kinds of synthesized images. As a result, two types of images can be obtained: an image in which the flash device 144 is emitted and photographed so that a subject is brightly illuminated, and a general image photographed without emitting the flash device 144. Also, the image photographed by emitting the flash device 144 at that time becomes an image having the same effect as the rear film synchronization.

In the present embodiment, when synthesizing a plurality of images in the image synthesizing circuit 120, a plurality of images including an image photographed by emitting the flash device 144 and an image except an image of the flash device 144 that emit light Although two kinds of synthesized images are generated by combining, the flash device 144 may be configured to synthesize only images captured by light emission.

In the above-described step S230, when it is determined that the first CPU 128 is a mode that does not perform flash photography, n images are taken in the exposure time A / n (S270). The photographing operation is performed as described above, and the image synthesizing circuit 120 synthesizes n images (S280). Even when shooting without flash photography, the gain of the light amount can be corrected by the image signal processing circuit 116 when synthesizing the images. Although the exposure amount may be shortened by dividing the exposure time, the lack of the exposure amount can be compensated for by the gain correction of the light amount in the image signal processing circuit 116.

Before the image synthesizing circuit 120 synthesizes the images, the image coincidence detecting circuit 118 detects a shift amount of the same subject common among the plurality of images, and based on the shift amount, the image synthesis circuit 120 determines the subject. You can also synthesize them so that their positions match. As a result, it is possible to generate an image in which the effects of the camera shake are suppressed.

The generated two synthesized images are stored in the recording medium 140, and the compression processing circuit 122 performs compression processing of the images and converts them into image data of an appropriate format. Compression of the image can be in a reversible format or an irreversible format. In the case of the reversible format, the compressed image data can be completely restored. In the case of the irreversible format, the image data can be reduced small. Examples of suitable formats include the JPEG or JPEG2000 format.

In addition, before the compression processing is performed by the compression processing circuit 122, the image signal processing circuit 116 may perform gain correction or white balance adjustment. With such a configuration, it is possible to correct the deterioration of the image quality that may occur due to the division of the exposure time.

Two composite images subjected to compression processing in the compression processing circuit 122 are displayed on the LCD 124. By operating the operation unit 132, the synthesized image can be displayed alternately. The order of displaying on the screen may first display a composite image including an image taken by emitting the flash device 144, or display a composite image not including an image taken by emitting the flash device 144 first. It may be.

Two composite images subjected to compression processing in the compression processing circuit 122 can be recorded on the recording medium 140. Any composite image may be recorded on the recording medium 140, or both may be recorded. When recording any one composite image, after displaying the composite image on the LCD 124, the composite image to be recorded is operated by operating the operation unit 132, and the selected composite image is recorded on the recording medium 140. It may be.

As described above, according to the photographing apparatus and the photographing method according to the second embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to photograph both the image which caused the strobe to emit light and the image which does not emit the strobe in one shooting operation, and the image having the same effect as the slow synchro You can shoot.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the above-described embodiments, these are merely exemplary, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the appended claims.

For example, the photographed image and the generated composite image are compressed by the compression processing circuit 122 and then displayed on the LCD 124 or recorded on the recording medium 140, without compression in the compression processing circuit 122. It may be displayed on the LCD 124 or may be recorded on the recording medium 140 without compression in the compression processing circuit 122.

The present invention can be applied to a photographing apparatus and a photographing method capable of simply photographing an image having a special effect like a general photographing operation.

In the photographing apparatus and the photographing method of the present invention as described above, an appropriate image can be obtained by automatically determining the optimum number of shots and the exposure time when photographing a plurality of images by one photographing operation.

Claims (17)

A metering result acquisition unit for acquiring a metering result of the subject; A focal length acquisition unit for acquiring focal length information of the lens, A photographing condition determination section that determines the number of shots and the exposure time per shot based on the photometric result and the focal length information acquired by the photometric result acquisition section and the focal length acquisition section; And a photographing unit that photographs a plurality of images in a single photographing operation based on the number of photographings determined by the photographing condition determining unit and the exposure time per sheet. The method of claim 1, And the exposure time per shot determined by the shooting condition determining unit is set to be equal to or less than the exposure time due to the camera shake limit shutter speed which is the longest shutter speed at which the subject can be photographed without shaking the subject. The method according to claim 1 or 2, And an image storage unit for temporarily storing the plurality of images photographed by the photographing unit while power is applied. The method of claim 3, wherein When the sum of the capacities of the plurality of images exceeds the storage capacity of the image storage unit, the number of shots is the upper limit of the number allowed by the storage capacity, and the shortage of the exposure amount of the image is extended and gained by the shortage. Photographing device supplemented by the rise of the. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2 or 4, When the exposure time per sheet does not match the shutter speed preset in the photographing apparatus, the exposure rate per sheet is higher than the exposure time per sheet and close to the exposure time per sheet at the shutter speed preset in the photographing apparatus. A photographing apparatus which sets by time and compensates for the lack of the exposure amount of an image by the increase of a gain. The method of claim 5, wherein And n + α sheets (α is an integer of 1 or more) at the exposure amount E / n, when the exposure amount E and the number of shots obtained as a result of the metering of the subject are n (n is an integer of 1 or more). The method of claim 6, And a sum of exposure amounts of the plurality of images is the same as the exposure amount obtained as a result of photometry of the subject. The method of claim 3, wherein And the photographing apparatus further comprises an image synthesizing unit for synthesizing the plurality of images stored in the image storage unit by one or more image synthesizing methods. The method of claim 8, One or more of the above image synthesizing methods include a method of synthesizing the plurality of images as they are, a method of synthesizing the plurality of images so that the positions of the subjects coincide, a method of synthesizing the plurality of images to equally shift, and the plurality of images Selected from the group consisting of a method of combining images to be randomly shifted, a method of enlarging or reducing the plurality of images, a method of rotating and synthesizing the plurality of images, and a method of changing and combining the brightness of the plurality of images Photographing apparatus which is one or more image synthesizing methods. The method according to claim 8 or 9, And the photographing apparatus further includes a photographing status obtaining section for obtaining photographing status information indicating a surrounding situation at the time of photographing, and changes the image combining method according to the photographing status information acquired by the photographing status obtaining section. The method according to claim 8 or 9, The photographing apparatus further includes a hand shake detection unit for detecting a hand shake amount of the image, wherein the hand shake detection unit selects an image having a small hand shake amount from the plurality of images, and the image combining unit captures an image having the small hand shake amount. Device. The method according to claim 8 or 9, And the photographing apparatus further comprises an image recording unit which records the images synthesized by the image synthesizing unit or the plurality of images before synthesis and preserves the images even when power is not applied. The method of claim 12, A photographing apparatus which reads out the plurality of images before synthesis recorded in the image recording section, and synthesizes the plurality of images in the image combining section. The method according to claim 8 or 9, The photographing device is The shift amount setting part which a photographer sets the shift amount of an image beforehand, A shift amount acquisition unit for acquiring a shift amount of the image set by the shift amount setting unit, The photographing apparatus, wherein the shift amount obtaining unit obtains the shift amount and synthesizes an image based on the shift amount when the method for combining the plurality of images is shifted from one or more of the image synthesis methods by the image synthesis unit . The method of claim 14, And the misalignment amount setting unit sets a misalignment direction of the image, the misalignment amount acquisition unit acquires the misalignment direction, and the image synthesizing unit synthesizes the images based on the misalignment amount and the misalignment direction. The method of claim 15, And the photographing apparatus further comprises a misalignment amount display unit capable of displaying the misalignment amount on a screen. In a shooting method in which a plurality of images are taken by dividing the exposure time in one shooting operation, Obtain the metering result of the subject and focal length information of the lens, Based on the metering result of the subject and the focal length information of the lens, the number of shots and the exposure time per shot are determined in one shooting operation, When the exposure time per shot is faster than the exposure time due to the camera shake limit shutter speed, which is the longest shutter speed at which the subject can be taken without shaking the subject, a plurality of shots and the exposure time per shot are performed by one shooting operation. Take a picture, And a photographing method of synthesizing the plurality of photographed images by at least one image synthesizing method.

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