KR101351579B1 - Method of controlling digital image processing apparatus for convenient setting of white balance - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is a control method of a digital image processing apparatus that performs white balance setting by a user's manipulation in a white balance setting mode, comprising steps (a) and (b). In step (a), condition icons for white balance setting are displayed. In step (b), when the icon of the user-setting condition is activated among the condition icons, the gradation ratio of red, green, and blue in the screen area corresponding to the input position signal from the user is determined by the user-setting condition. Is set to the white balance.

Description

Method of controlling digital image processing apparatus for convenient setting of white balance

1 is a perspective view showing the front and top appearance of a digital camera as a digital image processing apparatus to which the control method according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a rear view showing a rear outer shape of the digital camera of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the digital camera of FIG. 1. FIG.

4 is a flow chart showing the main algorithm of the digital camera processor of FIG.

5 is a flowchart illustrating an algorithm of a white balance setting mode included in the setting mode of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a view for explaining that when an icon of a user-setting condition is activated by performing the steps S509 to S513 of FIG. 5, an input position signal is generated when the user contacts the "A" area.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining that the gradation ratios of red, green, and blue in the area "A" of FIG. 6 are set to white balance in a user-setting condition.

 <Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

1 ... digital camera, 11 ... self-timer lamp,

12 ... flash, 13 ... shutter release button,

15 ... function buttons, 16 ... ASR mode button,

17 ... power button, 19 ... flash-light sensor,

20 ... lens section, 22 ... camera-status lamp,

23 ... special-effect button, 24 ... camera strap hook,

25 ... earphone connection, MIC ... microphone,

SP ... speaker, 35 ... display panel,

36 ... + / - button, 39 ... Zoom / 9 split / volume button,

42 ... play / printer button, 43 ... mode button,

OPS ... Optical system, OEC ... Photoelectric conversion unit, M _Z ... Zoom motor, M _F ... Focus motor,

M _A ... aperture motor, 501 ... analog-to-digital converter,

502 ... timing circuit, 503 ... real time clock,

504 ... DRAM, 505 ... EEPROM, 506 ... memory card interface, 507 ... digital camera processor, 508 ... RS232C interface, 509 ... video filter, 21a ... USB connection, 21b ... RS232C connection, 21c ... video output, 510 ... lens driver, 511 ... flash controller, 512 ... microcontroller, INP ... user input, LAMP ... light emitter, 513 ... audio processor, 514 ... LCD driver, 62 ... flash memory.

The present invention relates to a control method of a digital image processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a control method of a digital image processing apparatus that performs white balance setting by a user's operation in a white balance setting mode. .

As a typical digital image processing apparatus, for example, a digital camera of U.S. Patent No. 6,097,431 (entitled "Method and system for reviewing and navigating among images on an image capture unit") is exemplified.

In the conventional digital image processing apparatus as described above, as condition icons for setting the white balance, an icon of an automatic white-balance condition, a sunlight condition, a cloudy weather condition, a fluorescent lamp condition, an incandescent lamp condition, and a user-set condition may be used. Can be mentioned. For example, when the user ends the white balance setting while activating the icon of the solar condition, the white balance data suitable for the solar condition is stored.

Meanwhile, when a separate button, for example, a shutter release button is pressed while the icon of the user-setting condition is activated, the gradation ratios of red, green, and blue in the entire screen area of the current preview image are displayed. It is set as the white balance in the user-setting condition. Accordingly, the user can set the white balance in the user-setting condition by photographing auxiliary means of the desired reference color, for example, white paper or the like.

According to the conventional digital image processing apparatus as described above, when the white balance is set by the user-setting condition, the user has to use the auxiliary means of the desired reference color.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a control method of a digital image processing apparatus that allows a user to conveniently set white balance without using a separate reference color auxiliary means in setting white balance according to a user-setting condition. To provide.

The present invention for achieving the above object, the control method of the digital image processing apparatus to perform the white balance setting by the user's operation in the white balance setting mode, comprising the steps (a) and (b).

In step (a), condition icons for white balance setting are displayed. In the step (b), when the icon of the user-setting condition is activated among the condition icons, the gradation ratio of red, green, and blue in the screen area corresponding to the input position signal from the user is set to the user-setting. The white balance under the condition is set.

According to the control method of the digital image processing apparatus of the present invention, by designating a screen area of a reference color desired by a user, the gradation ratios of red, green, and blue in the designated screen area are white balance in the user-set condition. Is set to.

For example, when the display panel of the digital image processing apparatus is a touch screen type, the user may set a white balance in a user-setting condition by contacting a finger or a stylus pen with a screen area of a desired reference color. Accordingly, the user can conveniently set the white balance without using an auxiliary means of a separate reference color.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Timer lamp 11, flash 12, shutter release button 13, and ASR (Advanced Shake) 13 are provided on the front and the top of the digital camera 1 as a digital image processing apparatus according to the present invention, Reduction button 16, a power button 17, a lens unit 20, a microphone MIC, and a speaker SP.

The self-timer lamp 11 operates during the set time from when the shutter release button 13 is depressed to when it starts capturing an image in the self-timer mode. In addition, the self-timer lamp 11 generates auxiliary light according to the user's selection.

The ASR mode button 16 is used to compensate for camera shake. The ASR mode button 16 is also used as a lock button. For example, when the ASR mode button 16 is pressed for less than one second, the shaking compensation function is performed. When the ASR mode button 16 is pressed for more than one second, the lock function in the playback mode is performed.

The shutter release button 13 has a two-stage structure. That is, when the user operates the wide angle-zoom button 39 _W and the tele-zoom button 39 _T and then presses the shutter release button 13 by one step, the SH1 signal from the shutter release button 13 is turned on ), And the SH2 signal from the shutter release button 13 is turned on when the second stage is pressed. In the still image shooting mode and the moving image shooting mode, an image is captured after the SH2 signal is turned on. In the continuous shooting mode, images are captured continuously while the SH1 signal is on.

2, a digital camera 1 according to the present invention includes function buttons 15, a camera-state lamp 22, a special-effect button 23, a camera strap hook 24, There are a connection section 25, a display panel 35, a +/- button 36, a zoom / 9 division / volume button 39, a reproduction / printer button 42 and a mode button 43.

The function buttons 15 are used by the user to perform specific functions of the digital camera 1 and are used as direction-movement buttons of the active cursor in the menu screen of the display panel 35, And is used to switch between the file and the recording medium.

The camera-state lamp 22 is used to show various operational states of the camera. Special-effect button 23 is used to provide special effects to the image to be photographed.

In the case of this embodiment, the display panel 35 employs a touch screen method. The +/- button 36 is used to adjust the shutter speed for night view shooting and the like.

The zoom / 9split / volume button 39 is used to perform a zooming operation in shooting or playback mode, to display nine pictures in a single playback mode, or to adjust the volume of audio. Used for

The reproduction / printer button 42 is used for switching between the reproduction mode and the preview mode or for direct output to the printer.

The mode button 43 is used to select a PMP (Portable Media Player) mode or various shooting modes.

Fig. 3 shows the overall configuration of the digital camera 1 of Fig. Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, the overall configuration and operation of the digital camera 1 of Fig. 1 will be described as follows.

An optical system (OPS) including a lens unit and a filter unit optically processes light from a subject. The lens portion of the optical system OPS includes a zoom lens, a focus lens, and a compensation lens. When the user presses the zoom / 9 division / volume button 39 included in the user input unit INP in the preview mode or the moving image shooting mode, a corresponding signal is input to the micro controller 512. Accordingly, as the micro controller 512 controls the lens driving unit 510, the zoom motor M _Z is driven to move the zoom lens.

Meanwhile, in the automatic focusing mode, the main controller built in the digital camera processor 507 controls the driving unit 510 through the micro controller 512 to drive the focus motor M _F. Thus, the focus lens is moved. In this process, the number of drive steps of the focus motor M _F , for example, the position of the focus lens where the high frequency component of the image signal is the largest, is set. Reference symbol M _A denotes a motor for driving an aperture (not shown).

A photoelectric conversion unit OEC of a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) converts light from the optical system OPS into an electrical analog signal. Here, the digital camera processor 507 controls the timing circuit 502 to control the operations of the photoelectric conversion unit (OEC) and the analog-digital conversion unit 501. A CDS-ADC (Correlation Double Sampler and Analog-to-Digital Converter) element 501 as an analog-to-digital conversion section processes an analog signal from the photoelectric conversion section OEC to remove high frequency noise, And then converted into a digital signal.

The real-time clock 503 provides time information to the digital camera processor 507. The digital camera processor 507 processes digital signals from the CDS-ADC device 501 to generate digital image signals classified into luminance and chrominance signals.

The self-timer lamp 11 and the camera-status lamp 22 are provided in the light emitting portion LAMP driven by the microcontroller 512 according to control signals from the digital camera processor 507 incorporating the main controller. Etc. are included.

The user input unit INP includes a shutter release button 13, function buttons 15, an ASR mode button 16, a power button 17, a special-effect button 23, a +/- button 36, A zoom / nine division / volume button 39, a playback / printer button 42, a mode button 43, and the like.

A digital image signal from the digital camera processor 507 is temporarily stored in a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) 504. An algorithm necessary for the operation of the digital camera processor 507 is stored in an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory) 505. In the memory card interface (MCI) 506, the user's memory card is detached. In the flash memory (FM), setting data necessary for the operation of the digital camera processor 507 is stored. In the memory card interface 506, a plurality of memory cards are detached and removed as user's recording media.

The digital video signal from the digital camera processor 507 is input to the LCD driver 514, whereby an image is displayed on the display panel 35.

The digital video signal from the digital camera processor 507 is transmitted through the USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection unit 21a or the RS232C interface 508 and the connection unit 21b through the serial communication in the interface unit 21 And can be transmitted as a video signal through the video filter 509 and the video output unit 21c.

The audio processor 513 outputs the audio signal from the microphone MIC to the digital camera processor 507 or the speaker SP and outputs the audio signal from the digital camera processor 507 to the speaker SP.

On the other hand, the micro controller 512 controls the operation of the flash controller 511 in accordance with the signal from the flash-light amount sensor 19 to drive the flash 12. [

FIG. 4 shows a main algorithm of the digital camera processor 507 of FIG. A main algorithm of the digital camera processor 507 of FIG. 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 as follows.

When operation power is applied to the digital camera 1, the digital camera processor 507 executes initialization (step S1). When this initialization step S1 is executed, the digital camera processor 507 performs a preview mode (step S2). In this preview mode, the input image is displayed on the display panel 35.

Next, when the SH1 signal as the first stage signal from the shutter release button 13 is in the On state (step S3), the digital camera processor 507 performs the shooting mode (step S4).

Next, when signals corresponding to the setting mode are input from the input signals from the user input unit INP (step S5), a setting mode for setting the operating conditions according to the input signals from the user input unit INP is performed (Step S6).

On the other hand, if no termination signal is generated (step S7), the digital camera processor 507 determines whether a conversion signal to another arbitrary mode has been generated (step S8).

If no conversion signal to another mode is generated in step S8, the digital camera processor 507 repeats step S2 and the following steps. If a conversion signal to any other mode is generated in step S8, the digital camera processor 507 repeatedly performs step S2 and subsequent steps after performing the mode (step S9).

FIG. 5 shows an algorithm of the white balance setting mode included in the setting mode (step S5) of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a view for explaining that when the icon 606 of the user-setting condition is activated by performing the steps S509 to S513 of FIG. 5, the user contacts the area “A” to generate an input position signal. to be. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining that the gradation ratios of red, green, and blue in the area "A" of FIG. 6 are set to white balance in a user-setting condition. In FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, reference numeral 35 denotes a touch screen display panel 35.

An algorithm of the white balance setting mode will now be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7.

First, the digital camera processor 507 of FIG. 3 displays the condition icons 601 to 606 for setting the white balance on the display panel 35 (step S501).

For example, an icon 601 for an automatic white-balance condition, an icon 602 for a sunlight condition, an icon 603 for a cloudy weather condition, an icon 604 for a fluorescent light condition, an icon 605 for an incandescent light condition, and The icon 606 of the user-setting condition is displayed.

Next, the digital camera processor 507 activates the icon (one of 601 to 606) of the white balance condition currently being applied (step S503).

Next, the digital camera processor 507 displays the main screen 35 _MS according to the white balance currently set (step S505).

In addition, the digital camera processor 507 displays the sub-screen 35 _SS in accordance with the automatic white balance (step S507). Accordingly, the user compares the main screen 35 _MS with the sub screen 35 _SS to display the screen of the currently set white balance (step S505) or the screen of the white balance currently activated (step below). S513 and S521) can be compared with the screen of the automatic white balance. Accordingly, the user can quickly find the desired white balance condition.

Next, when a direction signal is generated by the user operating the function buttons (15 in FIG. 2) (step S509), the digital camera processor 507 displays the direction from the user among the displayed condition icons 601 to 606. FIG. The condition icon according to the signal is activated (step S511). In addition, the digital camera processor 507 displays the main screen 35 _MS according to the white balance of the activated condition icons 601 to 606 (step S513). At least one of the displayed condition icons may be selected based on a user input. It is assumed that the selected condition icon is activated.

Next, the digital camera processor 507 determines whether the icon 606 of the user-setting condition is activated (step S515).

If the icon 606 of the user-setting condition is activated, the digital camera processor 507 determines whether an input position signal from the user has been generated (step S517).

Once the input position signal from the user has been generated, the digital camera processor 507 sets the gradation ratios of red, green, and blue in the screen area (A in FIG. 6) corresponding to the input position signal from the user. Set to white balance at (step S519).

For example, the user can set the white balance in the user-set condition by contacting the finger or the stylus pen with the screen area A of the desired reference color. Accordingly, the user can conveniently set the white balance without using an auxiliary means of a separate reference color.

Next, the digital camera processor 507 displays the main screen 35 _MS in accordance with the white balance in the user-setting condition (step S521).

Next, the digital camera processor 507 determines whether an end signal has been generated from the user (step S523). In the present embodiment, the end signal is generated by the user pressing the +/- button (36 in FIG. 2).

If no end signal is generated from the user in step S523, the digital camera processor 507 repeats the step S509 and subsequent steps.

If the end signal is generated from the user in step S523, the digital camera processor 507 completes the white balance setting by storing the white balance data of the activated condition icons 601 to 606 (step S525). In this step S525, even if the white balance setting is newly changed, the white balance data previously stored is stored in the memory so that it can be read again later and used.

As described above, according to the control method of the digital image processing apparatus according to the present invention, by specifying the screen area of the reference color desired by the user, the gradation ratios of red, green, and blue in the designated screen area are user-set. The white balance under the condition is set.

For example, when the display panel of the digital image processing apparatus is a touch screen type, the user may set a white balance in a user-setting condition by contacting a finger or a stylus pen with a screen area of a desired reference color. Accordingly, the user can conveniently set the white balance without using an auxiliary means of a separate reference color.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but can be modified and improved by those skilled in the art within the spirit and scope of the invention defined in the claims.

Claims (8)

A control method of a digital image processing apparatus which performs white balance setting by a user's operation in a white balance setting mode, (a) Displays the condition icons for white balance setting, Displays the main screen according to the white balance currently set, Displaying an auxiliary screen to which an automatic white balance condition is applied to only a portion of the main screen so as to overlap the main screen; And (b) When the condition icon selected based on the user input among the condition icons is activated as an icon of the user-set condition, the gray scale ratios of red, green, and blue in the screen area selected based on the user's input are recalled. A control method of a digital image processing apparatus including setting to white balance under a user-set condition. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein in step (a) And the condition icon is at least one of an automatic white-balance condition, a sunlight condition, a cloudy weather condition, a fluorescent lamp condition, and an incandescent lamp condition. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein in step (b) And the display panel of the digital image processing apparatus is a touch screen type. delete delete delete 2. The method of claim 1, wherein in step (b) When the end signal of the white balance setting mode is generated by a user's manipulation, the white balance setting is completed by storing white balance data of the activated condition icon in a memory. The method of claim 7, wherein in step (b), Even if the white balance setting is newly changed, the white balance data stored in the memory is reused.

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