KR20090079004A - Digital image processing apparatus which enables automatic photographing mode setting and the controlling method of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A digital image processing apparatus capable of automatic setup of a scene photographing mode and a control method thereof are provided to set a photographing condition suitable for geographic information and time information. A digital image processing apparatus(200) comprises a location recognizing unit(220), a database unit(253), and a mode setting unit(240). The location recognizing unit recognizes a current location. The database unit stores geographic information corresponding to the recognized location. The mode setting unit automatically sets a scene photographing mode by using the geographic information. The scene photographing mode is a function for adjusting exposure and white balance according to photographing environments.

Description

Digital image processing apparatus which enables automatic photographing mode setting and the controlling method of the same}

The present invention relates to a digital image processing apparatus capable of setting a scene photographing mode and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a digital image processing apparatus for automatically setting a scene photographing mode through position recognition and a control method thereof.

Digital image processing apparatuses such as digital cameras and camcorders that record and record an image of a subject can realize various functions through many technology developments today. As a result of the development of the technology, it is possible to take images that can express various feelings by adjusting the size of the aperture hole or adjusting the shutter speed in the digital camera as in the conventional film camera. However, it is not easy for a general user to directly set the exposure level or the white balance of the digital image processing apparatus. One of the functions that provides convenience for a user who has difficulty in manipulating such complex functions is a scene shooting mode. The scene shooting mode function allows the user to conveniently capture a good image by setting a combination of shooting conditions according to various shooting environments in advance.

However, even in the above-described scene shooting mode, it may not be easy for the user to determine in which scene shooting mode the user should set the digital image processing apparatus. As a result, a situation in which the user cannot capture a desired image may occur due to an incorrect setting of the scene shooting mode.

In addition, if the user sets the scene shooting mode in the case of taking an image in a hurry, it may happen that the important moment to be missed.

SUMMARY The present invention has been made in an effort to provide a digital image processing apparatus for recognizing a location and a time and automatically setting a scene capturing mode according to the recognized location and time, and a control method thereof.

In order to solve the above technical problem, the first aspect of the present invention is a position recognizing unit for recognizing the current position, a database unit for storing geographic information corresponding to the recognized position and the geographic information automatically using the scene shooting mode It provides a digital image processing apparatus comprising a mode setting unit for setting.

In the present invention, the scene shooting mode may be a function of adjusting the exposure and the white balance according to the shooting environment.

In the present invention, the location recognizing unit may further recognize a direction that the digital image processing apparatus faces.

The present invention may further include a visual recognition unit that provides current time information, and the mode setting unit may automatically set a scene photographing mode using the geographic information and the time information.

In addition, in the present invention, the position recognition unit and the time recognition unit may recognize the position and provide visual information, respectively, using a GPS module.

In order to solve the above technical problem, the second aspect of the present invention is (a) recognizing the position of the digital image processing apparatus, (b) recognizing the current time, (c) geography corresponding to the recognized position And (d) automatically setting a scene capturing mode by using the current time and geographic information.

In the present invention, steps (a) and (b) may receive a GPS signal to recognize the position and current time of the digital image processing apparatus.

Also, in the present invention, step (a) may further recognize a direction that the digital image processing apparatus is facing.

As described above, the digital image processing apparatus including the location recognizing unit, the time recognizing unit, the database unit, and the mode setting unit uses the geographic information on the current location and the time information on the current time, and captures images corresponding to the geographic information and the time information. The conditions can be set, allowing the user to automatically set the scene shooting mode conveniently without any additional operation.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 1A to 4.

FIG. 1A is a diagram illustrating a display unit displaying a selection menu of a scene photographing mode, and FIG. 1B is a table showing types and icons of scene photographing modes.

1A and 1B, icons displayed on the top of the display unit 100a are icons for selecting a scene photographing mode. By selecting any one of the icons, the user can take a picture according to the selected scene shooting mode.

The contents of the icons representing the scene shooting mode are summarized in a table 100b in FIG. 1B. In FIG. 1B, icons representing night view, person, child, landscape, proximity, character, sunset, dawn, backlight, fireworks and beach and snow scene are shown. However, the type and icon of the scene photographing mode are exemplary and may be added or removed by a provider of a digital image processing apparatus.

2 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a digital image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the digital image processing apparatus 200 according to the present invention includes an image capturing unit 210, an image signal processing unit 211, a position recognizing unit 220, a time recognizing unit 221, and a control unit ( 230, a mode setting unit 240, a storage unit 250 including a database unit 253, a user input unit 260, and a display unit 270.

The imaging unit 210 is a part of photographing a subject and converting an image of the subject into an electrical signal. The imaging unit 210 may include a lens (not shown) for passing light from a subject and an imaging device (not shown) for converting the passed light into an electrical signal. As the imaging device, a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) or a charge coupled device (CCD) may be used. In addition, when photographing a subject, when the surrounding environment is dark, a flash may be included to irradiate a sufficient amount of light.

The image signal processor 211 is a part that analyzes an electrical signal applied from the imaging unit 210 and converts it into a digital signal representing an image to generate an image signal. Since the electrical signal is applied in real time through the imaging unit 210, the image signal processing unit 211 generates a plurality of image signals using the electrical signals applied in real time, and the RAM is described later. Sequentially applied to 251. The applied image signals are temporarily stored in the RAM 251.

The position recognizing unit 220 recognizes a current position of the digital image processing apparatus 200 according to the present invention. The location recognition may be represented by latitude and longitude on the ground. In addition, the location recognition unit 220 may further recognize the direction that the digital image processing apparatus 200 is facing.

The time recognizer 221 recognizes the current time.

The location recognizing unit 220 and the time recognizing unit 221 may include a GPS module to recognize the location and time. Since GPS signals provide accurate time information using not only position information but also atomic signals mounted on satellites, GPS signals transmitted from satellites, including the GPS module, may be received to determine the current position and time. In addition, a general digital image processing apparatus generates an image file according to an Exif file format, and since time information is inserted into an Exif header of the Exif file format, it may be possible to recognize a current time using the time information.

The controller 230 performs overall control of the digital image processing apparatus 200 according to the present invention. In addition, a control signal is applied to the image capturing unit 210 so that the subject can be photographed according to the scene capturing mode set by the mode setting unit 240 to be described later. The size of the aperture hole provided in the imaging unit 210 may be adjusted by the control signal, and the sensitivity of the imaging device may be adjusted. The flash can also be activated depending on the type of scene shooting mode selected. Further, a control signal for setting white balance may be further generated in the image signal processor 211 and applied to the image signal processor 211.

The mode setting unit 240 sets a scene photographing mode of the digital image processing apparatus 200. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the scene shooting mode is a function of adjusting shooting conditions with a predetermined exposure and white balance according to a shooting environment for shooting a subject, and shooting according to the adjusted shooting conditions. For example, when the scene shooting mode is set to 'night view' when shooting at night, the aperture hole size is increased and the shutter speed is slowed to increase the amount of light entering through the lens. Or if the sunset is strong, the red light is strong, so set the scene mode to 'Sunset' to adjust the white balance. In this way, the scene recording mode classifies the shooting environment in which the subject is photographed into several types in advance, and the exposure of the aperture hole size, ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, flash, etc. to capture the optimum image in each of the classified shooting environments. And white balance for color correction. The scene shooting mode saves a user from having to make separate settings. The mode setting unit 240 receives the geographic information corresponding to the current position recognized by the location recognizing unit 220 from the database unit 253 to be described later, and recognizes the geographic information and the time recognizing unit 221. Use the time information to automatically set the scene shooting mode. In the method of automatically setting the scene capturing mode, for example, the scene capturing mode corresponding to the geographic information received from the database unit 250 is primarily selected, and then the selected scene is photographed using visual information. It is possible to carry out by selecting the most suitable scene shooting mode among the modes. The setting method of the scene photographing mode is exemplary and is not limited to the above method, and various modifications and changes may be made.

The storage unit 250 stores various signals, data, and algorithms for operating the digital image processing apparatus 200. The storage unit 250 may include a RAM 251 and a storage medium 252. In the digital image processing apparatus 200 according to the present invention, the storage medium 252 may include a database unit 253.

The RAM 251 is a temporary storage medium in which various control signals from the controller 230 and video signals from the video signal processor 211 are temporarily stored. As the temporary storage medium, the RAM 251 may be a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or the like.

The storage medium 252 is a long-term storage medium for storing data and the like in the long term. The storage medium 252 may store user setting data related to photographing conditions. In addition, an algorithm used by the digital signal processor to control the digital image processing apparatus may be stored.

The database unit 253 included in the storage medium includes geographic information according to a location. The geographic information may include information about a terrain such as a mountain, the sea, and a road. In order to provide such geographic information, the database unit 253 may include a navigation module used in a vehicle and use data included in the navigation module. In addition, the geographic information provided by the database unit 253 may vary depending on the direction in which the digital image processing apparatus 200 is directed. For example, when the location recognized by the location recognition unit 220 is a beach, when the user is holding the digital image processing apparatus toward the sea, the user is provided with geographic information that is currently at the beach, and the user is facing the land. In that case it is possible to provide other information.

EEPROM (electrically erasable and programmable read only memory) may be used as the storage medium 252. In addition, image files photographed by the imaging unit 210 and attribute information about the image files may be stored. As a storage medium for storing the image file, a memory card or the like may be used, and may be internal or external.

The user input unit 260 may include buttons such as a shutter-release button, a wide angle-zoom button, a telephoto-zoom button, a function button, and a play button.

The display unit 270 is a part for displaying a subject, a user interface (UI) provided according to manipulation of buttons by a user, a preview image in the preview mode, a playback image in the playback mode, and the like. The display unit 270 may include a display driver 270 for reproducing an image of an image signal, an image file, and the like, and a display unit 272 for displaying the reproduced image so that a user can check the display unit. In general, an LCD display panel is used, but is not limited thereto.

As mentioned above, the digital image processing apparatus 200 including the location recognizing unit 220, the time recognizing unit 221, the database unit 253, and the mode setting unit 240 may include geographic information about a current location and By using the visual information on the current time, it is possible to set shooting conditions suitable for the geographic information and the visual information, so that the user can automatically set the scene capturing mode conveniently without a separate operation.

3 is a flowchart 300 illustrating a control method of a digital image processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 3, the digital image processing apparatus according to the present invention receives a GPS signal (step 301) and recognizes a current position and direction by using information included in the signal (step 302). An embodiment for location recognition is described as receiving a GPS signal, but is not limited thereto. In addition, in the direction that the digital image processing apparatus faces, it is possible to use the direction that the copper lines face toward the direction of the digital image processing apparatus using the copper wire moved by the digital image processing apparatus, or inside the digital image processing apparatus. It is also possible to further include a sensor such as an gyro sensor and to determine the direction of the digital image processing apparatus by using the signal detected by the sensor.

When receiving the GPS signal, the current time is recognized using the time information included in the signal (step 303). However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to recognizing the current time using a GPS signal. In the digital image processing apparatus, since there is a clock stored internally to include the shooting time in the attribute information inserted in the Exif header, It will also be possible to recognize vision.

When recognizing the current position and direction, the geographical information according to the current position and direction is called from the database (step 304). The geographic information may include information about a terrain such as a mountain, the sea, and a road.

If the current time is recognized and geographic information is called from the database, the scene shooting mode most suitable for capturing the subject is automatically set using the current time and geographic information (step 305).

When an input signal for turning on the shutter-release button is applied from the user (step 306), an image file is generated and shooting is terminated (step 307).

As mentioned above, the user recognizes the current location and the current time, obtains geographic information on the current location, automatically sets shooting conditions suitable for the geographic information and the current time, and allows the user to conveniently set the scene shooting mode. It becomes possible.

4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a user photographs a landscape using a digital image processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4, in the case of a person photographing a landscape using a digital image processing apparatus, the position recognition unit of the digital image processing apparatus recognizes a current position. Searching the geographic information in the database unit using the recognized position can confirm that the place where the digital image processing apparatus is currently located is the lake shore, and it is also possible to acquire the geographic information that the user is facing the mountain by recognizing the direction. In addition, it is possible to determine whether the user is facing the sun by using the direction recognized by the location recognition unit and the visual information recognized by the visual recognition unit, so as to determine whether the backlight is backlit or not. In addition, when it is determined that the sunset time is set by using the visual information, it is possible to set the scene shooting mode to correct the strong red light. That is, when it is determined that the backlight is determined as the backlight, the scene shooting mode may be set to 'backlight', or the backlight may be set as the 'landscape' when the digital image processing apparatus is facing the mountain.

The above detailed description and drawings are merely exemplary of the present invention, but are used only for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention as defined in the meaning or claims. Therefore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the technical protection scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification but should be defined by the claims.

1A is a diagram illustrating a display unit displaying a selection menu of a scene photographing mode.

1B is a table showing types and icons of scene shooting modes.

2 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a digital image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a digital image processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a user photographs a landscape using a digital image processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

Claims (8)

A location recognizing unit recognizing a current location; A database unit for storing geographic information corresponding to the recognized location; And And a mode setting unit for automatically setting a scene photographing mode using the geographic information. The method of claim 1, The scene shooting mode is a digital image processing apparatus characterized in that the function of adjusting the exposure and the white balance according to the shooting environment. The method of claim 1, wherein the location recognizing unit And further recognizing a direction in which the digital image processing apparatus is directed. The method of claim 1, It further comprises a visual recognition unit for providing current time information, And the mode setting unit automatically sets a scene photographing mode using the geographic information and the time information. The method of claim 4, wherein And the location recognizing unit and the time recognizing unit recognize each location by using a GPS module and provide visual information. (a) recognizing a location of the digital image processing apparatus; (b) recognizing the current time; (c) obtaining geographic information corresponding to the recognized location; And and (d) automatically setting a scene capturing mode using the current time and geographic information. The method of claim 6, wherein step (a) and (b) And receiving a GPS signal to recognize a position and a current time of the digital image processing apparatus. The method of claim 6, wherein step (a) And recognizing a direction in which the digital image processing apparatus is directed.

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