KR20090022179A - Apparatus for processing digital image and method for controlling thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for processing a digital image and a method for controlling the same are provided to photograph an image at a hand-shake prevention mode by enabling a hand-shake prevention function to recognize necessary things automatically according to the photographing state of a user. A lens barrel which receives an image from the outside, a pickup unit, etc. are placed at a body of a digital camera(100). In addition, a shutter release button(120), a holding sensor(130) and a display panel(140) are mounted at an external portion of the body. Through the shutter release button, a user is able to operate a shutter with one hand. The holding sensor senses the other hand of the user holds the body. A hand-shake detection sensor is mounted at a digital image processing device.

Description

Apparatus for processing digital image and method for controlling Technical Field

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a digital image processing apparatus and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a digital image processing apparatus for capturing an image input through an imaging device by pressing a shutter release button and a control method thereof. will be.

In general, a digital image processing apparatus includes any apparatus that processes an image of a digital camera, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a phone camera, a PC camera, or uses an image recognition sensor.

In such a digital image processing apparatus, an image input through an image pickup device may be displayed on a video display device. In addition, when the user presses the shutter release button, the user may capture and store the desired image as an image file.

At this time, when the user presses the shutter release button, a digital image processing apparatus such as a camera may shake due to the shaking of the user. When the user captures a desired image, the image input through the image pickup device may be shaken due to such a shake, and thus the shooting may fail. That is, a photographing failure may occur due to camera shake caused by pressing the shutter release button.

In particular, the recent trend toward miniaturization and slimming of the digital image processing apparatus makes it easier to shake the digital image processing apparatus by pressing the shutter release button. In addition, according to a high magnification and a high pixel trend of the digital image processing apparatus, a photographing failure probability due to hand shake due to the pressing operation of the shutter release button may be increased.

In order to solve the problem that the user does not acquire the desired image due to the hand shake when the user presses the shutter release button, the hand shake detection sensor may be used. That is, the amount of hand shake may be measured using the hand shake sensor, and hand shake may be corrected.

However, when using a shake detection sensor, a separate operation of selecting a shake prevention mode by the user is required. In this case, since the user has to switch from the normal shooting mode to the image stabilizer mode, there is a troublesome problem.

An object of the present invention is to provide a digital image processing apparatus capable of automatically recognizing that an image stabilization function is required according to a photographing state of a user and switching to an image stabilization mode, and a control method thereof.

The present invention, the body; A shutter release for operating the shutter by a user's one hand; And a gripping detector configured to detect the other hand of the user gripping the body, and when the shutter release is selected in a state in which gripping of the body is detected by the gripping detector, an image stabilization function is selected and photographed. It provides a digital image processing apparatus is performed.

Another aspect of the present invention is to detect the grip of the body by the other hand with respect to the hand for operating the shutter release button pressed in two stages; Sensing that the body is gripped by the other hand, such that the image stabilization mode is set; Sensing that the body is gripped by the other hand to perform a preparation for photographing; Detecting that the shutter release button is pressed in one step; And detecting photographing of the shutter release button being pressed in one step, and performing photographing.

According to the digital image processing apparatus and the control method thereof according to the present invention, it is possible to automatically recognize that the image stabilization function is necessary according to the shooting state of the user, it is possible to take the image stabilization mode.

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

FIG. 1 illustrates an external shape including a rear surface 110b and an upper surface 110c of a body 110 of a digital camera, which is an embodiment of a digital image processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the digital image processing apparatus 100 includes a body 110; Shutter release button 120; And a gripping detector 130. The body 110 corresponds to the body of the digital camera 100, and a barrel and an image pickup device for receiving an image from the outside are mounted therein, and the shutter release button 120 and the grip detector 130 are mounted outside. And a display panel 140 may be mounted.

The shutter release button 120 allows the shutter to be operated by the operation of one hand of the user. The grip detector 130 detects that the other hand of the user grips the body 110. In this case, when the shutter release button 120 is selected in a state in which the gripping sensor 130 detects the gripping of the body 110, the image stabilization function is selected to perform shooting.

Meanwhile, when the user presses the shutter release button, the digital image processing apparatus 100 such as a digital camera may shake due to the shaking of the user. As such, the user may not acquire the desired image due to the shaking of the user when the user presses the shutter release button 120.

In order to solve this problem, the digital image processing apparatus 100 may be implemented with a camera shake prevention function. In one embodiment, a shake detection sensor is mounted in the digital image processing apparatus 100, and the shake detection sensor measures the amount of hand shake when the shutter release button 120 is pressed, thereby correcting hand shake on the input image. can do.

As another embodiment, a method of acquiring a plurality of images by software and obtaining the smallest image without using a shake detection sensor may be used.

On the other hand, in the case of a clumsy person who is susceptible to hand shake when shooting with a digital camera, the hand holding the body 110 with both hands is often taken. In addition, in a situation in which shooting conditions are not good and camera shake is apt to occur, the body 110 is gripped with both hands to take a picture.

Therefore, in the digital image processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention, the other hand (for example, the right hand) grips the body 110 with respect to the hand (for example, the left hand) for operating the shutter release button 120. The grip detection unit 130 may be provided. In this case, when the user intentionally or unknowingly grips the body 110 by using both hands, the grip detection unit 130 may detect this, so that the photographing may be automatically performed in the anti-shake mode. .

That is, even when the image stabilizer mode is not set, the digital image processing apparatus 100 detects a situation where hand shake is likely to occur so that the image stabilizer mode may be automatically set. Therefore, even if the user does not set up one by one, it is possible to detect a situation in which hand shaking is likely to occur, and thus, the image stabilizer mode can be photographed.

The shutter release button 120 may be operated by one hand of the user, the right hand in the embodiment shown in the figure. The shutter release button 120 may be pressed in two stages. When the shutter release button 120 is pressed in the first stage, a shooting preparation operation may be performed. When the shutter release button 120 is pressed in the second stage, the shooting may be performed.

In the present embodiment, a button type in which the shutter release button 120 is pressed in two stages may be applied, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a touch type or a non-contact type sensor may be used. In addition, the shutter release button 120 may include two or more single-stage buttons or sensors.

The grip part 111 may be provided at a portion gripped by the right hand of the rear surface 110b of the body 110. The shutter release button 120 may be mounted at a position where a finger of the right hand holding the grip 111 of the upper surface 110c of the body 110 comes.

In this case, the surface in which the lens receives an image in the body 110 may be the front surface 110a, and the opposite surface may be the rear surface 110b. The upper surface may be the upper surface 110c with respect to the front surface 110a of the body 110, the left side may be the left side 110d, and the right side may be the right side 110e.

Accordingly, the user's right hand may hold the grip 111 disposed on the rear surface 110b, the right side surface 110e of the body 110, and the right end portion of the front surface 110a of the body 110 during the photographing operation. . In this case, one finger of the right hand may be positioned on the shutter release button 120.

In addition, the user's left hand grips the left end of the rear surface 110b of the body 110, the left end 110d of the body 110, and the left end of the front surface 110a of the body 110 during the photographing operation. can do. The grip detection unit 130 may be disposed on the left side 110d at which the left hand of the body 110 is located.

Therefore, when the user's left hand grips the left side 110d of the body at the time of shooting, the grip detector 130 may detect the user's left hand. In this case, the grip detection unit 130 may be a button and may be a contact or non-contact sensor.

When the gripping sensor 130 is a contact or non-contact sensor, when the user's left hand grips the body 110, the gripping detection unit 130 may automatically recognize it so that the anti-shake mode may be selected.

In addition, when the grip detection unit 130 is a button pressed by the user's left hand, the user may select whether to select the image stabilizer mode according to the force applied when the user grips the body 110 with his left hand.

On the other hand, in the state in which the grip detection unit 130 does not detect that the left hand grips the body 110, when the shutter release button 120 is pressed in one step, a shooting preparation operation is performed, and the shutter release button 120 When pressed in two stages, photography can be performed.

In this case, the photographing preparation operation may correspond to a setting and preparation operation for photographing such as auto focusing, exposure setting, white balance setting, and the like. In the photographing operation, raw data input through the imaging device is converted into image data in units of pixels, a data format suitable for compression and storage is converted, and stored in a storage medium.

When the grip detection unit 130 detects that the left hand grips the body, the shooting preparation operation is performed, and when the shutter release button 120 is pressed to the first stage in this state, the shooting may be performed. In this case, when the shutter release button 120 is pressed in two stages, the camera shake is increased. Therefore, even when the shutter release button 120 is pressed in only one stage, shooting is performed, so that the camera shake may be alleviated.

As another example, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the grip detector 230 may be disposed at a portion of the left hand when the grip 210 holds the body 210 with the left hand of the upper surface 210c of the body 110. 2 illustrates an external shape including a rear surface 210b and an upper surface 210c of a body 210 of a digital camera 200 according to another embodiment 200 of the digital image processing apparatus according to the present invention.

The digital image processing apparatus 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 is the digital image processing apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 except that the position of the grip detector 230 is disposed at the left side of the upper surface 210d of the body 210. Is the same as Therefore, the digital image processing apparatus 200 uses the same reference numerals as those of the digital image processing apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 for the respective components, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the digital image processing apparatus 200, since the grip detector 230 is positioned on the upper surface 210d, it may be easier for a user to select whether to use the image stabilizer mode.

3 is a block diagram of a control device 500 provided in the digital camera of FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawing, an optical system OPS including a lens unit and a filter unit optically processes light from a subject. The lens unit of the optical system OPS includes a zoom lens, a focus lens, and a compensation lens. When the user presses the wide-angle zoom button W or the tele-zoom button T included in the user input unit INP, a signal corresponding thereto is input to the microcontroller 512.

Accordingly, as the microcontroller 512 controls the lens driver 510, the zoom motor M _Z is driven to move the zoom lens. That is, when the wide-zoom button W is pressed, the focal length of the zoom lens is shortened to widen the angle of view, and when the tele-zoom button T is pressed, the focal length of the zoom lens becomes long and the angle of view is narrowed.

Meanwhile, in the auto focus mode, the focus motor M _F is driven by the main controller embedded in the digital signal processor 507 controlling the lens driver 510 through the microcontroller 512. The compensation lens compensates for the overall refractive index and is not driven separately. Reference numeral M _A denotes a motor for driving an aperture (not shown).

In the filter section of the optical system OPS, an optical low pass filter removes optical noise of high frequency components. Infra-Red cut filter cuts the infrared component of the incident light.

The photoelectric conversion unit OEC may include an imaging device such as a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS). The photoelectric conversion unit OEC converts light from the optical system OPS into an electrical analog signal.

The analog-to-digital converter may include a correlation double sampler and analog-to-digital converter (CDS-ADC) device 501. The analog-to-digital converter processes the analog signal from the photoelectric converter (OEC), removes the high frequency noise, adjusts the amplitude, and converts the analog signal into a digital signal. Here, the digital signal processor 507 controls the timing circuit 502 to control the operations of the photoelectric converter OEC and the analog-digital converter 501.

The real time clock 503 provides time information to the digital signal processor 507. The digital signal processor 507 processes the digital signal from the CDS-ADC element 501 to generate a digital image signal classified into luminance and chroma signals.

The light emitting unit LAMP driven by the microcontroller 512 under the control of the main controller built in the digital signal processor 507 includes a self-timer lamp, an auto-focus lamp, a mode indicating lamp, a flash standby lamp, and the like. May be included. The user input unit INP may include a direction button 21, a wide-angle zoom button W, a telephoto-zoom button T, and the like.

In addition, the user input unit INP may further include a first button input unit 515, a second button input unit 516, and a grip signal input unit 517. The first button input unit 515 and the second button input unit 516 accept a signal input of the shutter release button of FIGS.

The first button input unit 515 receives a first input signal when the shutter release button 1 is pressed. The second button input unit 516 receives a second input signal when the shutter release button is pressed in two stages. The gripping signal input unit 517 receives a gripping signal according to the signal detected by the gripping detectors 130 and 230 of FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the state in which the grip detection unit 130 does not detect that the left hand grips the body 110, when the first input signal is input, the microcontroller 512 processes the input to prepare for shooting such as auto focusing. Control to lose. In this case, when the second input signal is input, the microcontroller 512 may process the input to control the photographing operation to be performed.

When the grip detection unit 130 detects that the left hand grips the body 110, a grip signal is input, and the microcontroller 512 processes the input to control the preparation for shooting such as auto focusing. In this case, when the first input signal is input, the microcontroller 512 may process the input to control the photographing operation to be performed.

The digital image signal from the digital signal processor 507 is temporarily stored in the DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) 504. The EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory) 505 stores algorithms and setting data such as a boot program and a key input program required for the operation of the digital signal processor 507. In the memory card interface 506, a user's memory card is detached.

The digital image signal from the digital signal processor 507 is input to the display panel driver 514, whereby the image is displayed on the display panel 25.

On the other hand, the digital image signal from the digital signal processor 507 can be transmitted by serial communication via the USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection 31a or the RS232C interface 508 and its connection 31b, and the video filter ( 509 and video output 31c may be transmitted as a video signal. Here, the digital signal processor 507 may have a microcontroller therein.

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

4 is a flowchart of a control method (S400) of a digital image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the control method (S400) of the digital image processing apparatus includes a grip detection step (S410); Stabilization mode setting step (S420); Shooting preparation step (S430, S460); Shutter release button first step detection (S440, S450); Shutter release button two-stage detection step (S470); And a photographing step (S480).

In the control method (S400) of the digital image processing apparatus according to the present invention, the other hand (for example, the right hand) grips the body with respect to the hand (for example, the left hand) operating the shutter release button, and automatically shakes the hand. Shooting can be performed in the prevention mode.

Therefore, the image stabilizer function is automatically recognized according to the user's shooting state to enable the image stabilization mode shooting, and thus, the image without the camera shake can be more easily taken.

In the grip detection step S410, the body is gripped by the other hand (for example, the left hand) with respect to the hand (for example, the right hand) operating the shutter release button pressed in two stages. That is, by detecting whether the body is held by both hands, it is possible to determine whether or not the image stabilization function is required.

For this purpose, a contact or non-contact sensor or a grip detection button is provided at a position where the body is gripped by the other hand (for example, the left hand) with respect to the hand (for example, the right hand) that operates the shutter release button of the body. When the body is gripped by one hand (for example, the left hand), it can be automatically detected.

In the anti-shake mode setting step S420, when it is detected that the body is gripped by the other hand (for example, the left hand) in the grip detection step S410, the anti-shake mode is set. That is, when the body is gripped by both hands, it is determined that the image stabilization function is required, and the camera is set to perform shooting under the image stabilization mode at the time of shooting.

In the shooting preparation steps S430 and S460, a shooting preparation operation is performed. In this case, when the shutter release button is detected to be pressed in the first step in the first step of detecting the shutter release button in the state in which the body is held by one hand (S450), the preparation for shooting is performed accordingly (S460).

When the body is gripped by the other hand (for example, the left hand), that is, when the body is gripped by both hands, it is determined that the shooting preparation instruction is input, and the preparation work such as necessary setting for shooting is performed ( S430). By the input of a sensor or a button installed to sense that the body is gripped by the other hand (for example, the left hand), the normal shutter release button may be processed in the same manner as when the first stage is pressed.

In this case, the photographing preparation operation may correspond to a setting and preparation operation for photographing such as auto focusing, exposure setting, white balance setting, and the like.

In the first step of detecting the shutter release button (S440 and S450), the shutter release button is detected to be pressed to the first step. When the shutter release button is detected to be pressed in the first stage when the body is held by both hands (S440), the shutter release button is held in the same manner as when the shutter is released in the second stage when the body is held by one hand. Can be processed. That is, when detecting that the shutter release button is pressed in one step when the body is held by both hands (S440), the photographing step (S480) may be performed.

When the body is gripped with one hand, when the shutter release button is detected to be pressed in one step (S450), the shooting preparation operation (S460) is performed accordingly.

In the second step of detecting the shutter release button (S470), the shutter release button is detected to be pressed in two steps.

In the photographing step S480, when the body is held by one hand, the shutter release button is sensed to be pressed in two steps (S470), and the photographing operation is performed. In addition, when the body is held by one hand, the shutter release button is sensed to be pressed in one step (S470), and a photographing operation may be performed.

In the photographing operation, raw data input through the imaging device is converted into image data in units of pixels, a data format suitable for compression and storage is converted, and stored in a storage medium.

According to the present invention, even when the image stabilizer mode is not set, it is possible to detect a situation where hand shake is likely to occur so that the image stabilizer mode can be automatically set. In other words, even if the user does not set one by one, it is possible to detect a situation in which hand shake is likely to occur, and thus, the image stabilizer mode can be photographed.

Therefore, when shooting is performed in a situation where camera shake is likely to occur even when the user is overlooked, a picture without shaking is obtained by automatically shooting in the shake prevention mode.

The control method S400 of the digital image processing apparatus corresponds to the method for controlling the digital image processing apparatus 100 or 200 of FIG. 1 or 2. Therefore, the control method S400 of the digital image processing apparatus may be performed in the digital signal processor 507 and / or the micro controller 512 corresponding to the controller in the control apparatus of FIG. 3.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to one embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is merely an example, and those skilled in the art may realize various modifications and equivalent other embodiments therefrom. I can understand. Accordingly, the true scope of protection of the invention should be defined only by the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating an external shape of a rear surface and an upper surface of a body of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an external shape of a rear surface and an upper surface of a digital camera according to another embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a control device provided in the digital camera of FIGS. 1 and 2.

4 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a control method of a digital image processing apparatus as a preferred embodiment according to the present invention.

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

100, 200: digital image processing device, 110, 210: body,

120, 220: shutter release button, 130, 230: grip detection unit.

Claims (10)

body; A shutter release for operating the shutter by a user's one hand; And It is provided with a grip detection unit for detecting the other hand of the user gripping the body, And when the shutter release is selected while the grip detection unit detects the grip of the body, the image stabilization function is selected to perform shooting. The method of claim 1, And the touch sensing unit is a touch or non-contact sensing sensor for sensing that the body is held. The method of claim 1, And the gripping sensor is a button pressed by the other hand when gripping the body. The method of claim 1, And the shutter release is disposed at one side of an upper surface of the body with respect to a front surface of which the lens of the body receives an image. The method of claim 4, wherein The gripping sensor is disposed on the other side of the upper surface of the body. The method of claim 4, wherein And the grip detector is disposed on a side of the body on which the other hand is located. The method of claim 1, The shutter release is a shutter release button is pressed in two stages, The photographing preparation operation is performed when the shutter release button is pressed in the first stage, and the photographing is performed when the shutter release button is pressed in the second stage. The method of claim 1, And if the grip detection unit detects that the other hand grips the body, the photographing preparation operation is performed, and photographing is performed when the shutter release button is pressed in the first stage. Detecting that the body is gripped by the other hand with respect to the hand that operates the shutter release button pressed in two steps; Sensing that the body is gripped by the other hand, such that the image stabilization mode is set; Sensing that the body is gripped by the other hand to perform a preparation for photographing; Detecting that the shutter release button is pressed in one step; And And photographing by sensing that the shutter release button is pressed in one step. The method of claim 9, Detecting that the shutter release button is pressed in one step while the body is not gripped by the other hand, so that a photographing preparation operation is performed; And And sensing photographing of the shutter release button being pressed in two stages.

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