KR20090114924A - Apparatus for processing digital image and method for controlling thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A digital image processing apparatus and a control method thereof are provided to improve the user's convenience by conveniently and quickly setting up photographing information. CONSTITUTION: A method for controlling a digital image processing apparatus comprises the following steps of: storing the currently set photographing setup information as the final photographing setup information(S310); showing stored candidate image files(S320); selecting one of the candidate image files as a source image file(S330); extracting photographing setup information from the source image file(S340); and setting up the digital image processing apparatus based on the photographing setup information(S350).

Description

Apparatus for processing digital image and method for controlling Technical Field

The present invention relates to a digital image processing apparatus and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a digital image processing apparatus storing a photographed image as an image file and including information on shooting conditions together with the photographed image file. The control method is related.

Typically, the digital image processing apparatus includes all devices that process images such as a digital camera, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a phone camera, a PC camera, or use an image recognition sensor.

The digital image processing apparatus may image an image received through an image pickup device by a digital signal processor, compress the image, generate an image file, and store the image file in a memory.

In addition, the digital image processing apparatus may display and display an image of an image file received through an imaging device or stored in a storage medium on a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD).

Meanwhile, when taking a picture, an image may be input by the set shooting information, and the input image may be converted into an image file and stored. In this case, the image file may include picture information about the taken picture. The photograph information may include various photographing information such as a shutter speed, an exposure level, a zoom level, and the like at the time of photographing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a digital image processing apparatus and a control method thereof, by which photographing information necessary for photographing is set by using photographic information included in a stored image file and photographing is performed.

The present invention comprises the steps of: (a) storing the currently set shooting setting information as the final shooting setting information; (b) showing the stored candidate image file; (c) selecting a selected image file among the candidate image files as a source image file; (d) extracting shooting setting information from the source image file; And (e) setting the digital image processing apparatus based on the photographing setting information.

In step (b), the candidate image file photographed by the digital image processing apparatus of the same model may be first shown.

In addition, the candidate image file including the shooting setting information settable by the digital image processing apparatus may be first shown.

In addition, the list of candidate image files may be displayed by classifying candidate image files in units of setting items included in the shooting setting information.

The method may further include generating and storing a database by dividing the candidate image files into units of setting items included in the shooting setting information.

(f) displaying a preview image according to the set shooting setting information; (g) adjusting the photographing setting information in the digital image processing apparatus; And (h) resetting the digital image processing apparatus to the final shooting setting information when the setting is not made according to the shooting setting information.

Another aspect of the invention, the storage unit for storing at least one or more candidate image files including shooting setting information; A display unit displaying the candidate image files; And a control unit selecting a selected image file among the candidate image files as a source image file, extracting shooting setting information from the source image file, and setting the shooting file using the shooting setting information.

According to the digital image processing apparatus and the control method thereof according to the present invention, by using the photo information included in the stored image file, it is possible to set the shooting information necessary for taking a picture to perform the shooting, so that By making it quick and easy to set, user convenience for setting shooting information can be improved.

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

FIG. 1 is a rear view of a digital camera 100, which is an embodiment of a control apparatus of a digital image processing apparatus and a digital image processing apparatus to which the method is applied, according to the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, on the back of the digital camera 100, the direction button 21, the menu-OK button 22, the wide angle (Zoom) button (W), the telephoto (Zoom) ) Button T, the display panel 25 and the like.

The direction button 21 may include four buttons, an up button 21a, a down button 21b, a left button 21c, and a right button 21d. The direction button 21 and the menu-OK button 22 are keys for executing various menus relating to the operation of the digital image processing apparatus such as a digital camera.

The wide-angle zoom button W or the tele-zoom button T has a wider angle of view or a narrower angle of view depending on its input. In particular, it may be used to change the size of the selected exposure area. As the display panel 25, an image display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) may be used.

The display panel 25 may be included in the display unit 470 of FIG. 4, in which an image of a candidate image file or a captured image file may be reproduced and displayed according to the present invention.

Meanwhile, a shutter release button 26, a flash (not shown), a power switch 28, and a lens unit (not shown) may be provided on the front or top surface of the digital camera 100. In addition, the front and rear of the digital camera 100 may be provided with an objective lens and an eyepiece of the viewfinder 27.

The direction button 21, the menu-OK button 22, the shutter release button 26, the power switch 28, and the like are inputted to the user operation unit 460 of FIG. May be included.

The shutter release button 26 is opened and closed to expose the film or an image pickup device such as a charge coupled device (CCD) for a predetermined time. In addition, the shutter release button records an image on the image pickup device by properly exposing a subject in association with an aperture (not shown).

On the other hand, the shutter release button 26 can be pressed in two stages. When the shutter release button 26 is pressed in one end, the first signal S1 may be generated, and when the shutter release button 26 is pressed in one step, the second signal S2 may be generated. A photographing preparation operation may be performed by the first signal S1, and photographing may be performed by the second signal S2.

As an embodiment of a digital image processing apparatus to which the present invention can be applied, a digital camera, a control apparatus, and a control method thereof are disclosed in US Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0130650 (name: automatic using a secondary function of the camera). Method of automatically focusing using a quadratic function in camera.

Matters relating to the digital camera, the control apparatus, and the control method disclosed in the above-mentioned US application will be included in the present specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

2 is a block diagram of a control device 200 of a digital image processing apparatus, which is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The control device 200 of the digital image processing apparatus may be mounted in the digital camera 100 of FIG. 1.

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 212.

Accordingly, as the microcontroller 212 controls the lens driver 210, 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.

On the other hand, in the auto focusing mode, the main controller embedded in the digital signal processor 207 controls the lens driver 210 through the microcontroller 212, whereby the focus motor M _F is driven. do. That is, the focus lens is moved to a position where the sharpest picture is obtained by driving the focus motor M _F. The auto focus mode may be performed according to the first signal S1 generated by pressing the shutter release button input through the user input unit INP to one end.

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 CDS-ADC (Correlation Double Sampler and Analog-to-Digital Converter) device 201. 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 207 controls the timing circuit 202 to control the operation of the photoelectric converter OEC and the analog-to-digital converter 201.

The optical system OPS, the photoelectric conversion unit OEC, the CDS-ADC element 201, and the like may be included in the image input unit 410 of FIG. 4 to which an image is input according to the present invention.

The real time clock 203 provides time information to the digital signal processor 207. The digital signal processor 207 processes digital signals from the CDS-ADC element 201 to generate digital image signals classified into luminance (Y value) and chromaticity (R, G, B) signals.

The light emitting unit LAMP driven by the microcontroller 212 under the control of the main controller built in the digital signal processor 207 includes a self-timer lamp, an auto-focus lamp, a mode indicating lamp, a flash standby lamp, and the like. May be included.

The digital signal processor 207 and / or the microcontroller 212 may be included in the controller 430 of FIG. 4 in accordance with the present invention. In addition, the user input input by the operation of the user manipulation unit 460 of FIG. 4 is input to the digital signal processor 207 and / or the microcontroller 212 through the user input unit INP, and processed. The work may be performed accordingly.

The digital image signal from the digital signal processor 207 is temporarily stored in the DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) 204. The EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory) 205 stores algorithms and setting data such as a boot program and a key input program required for the operation of the digital signal processor 207. In the memory card interface 206, a user's memory card may be attached or detached.

The memory card recognized through the DRAM 204 or the memory card interface 206 may store a candidate image file including shooting setting information or final shooting setting information temporarily or non-volatilely. 440 and / or the second storage unit 450.

The digital image signal from the digital signal processor 207 is input to the display panel driver 214, whereby the image is displayed on the display panel 215. In this case, the display panel 215 may be driven by the display panel driver 214.

According to the present invention, the display panel 215 and the display panel driver 214 may display an image of a candidate image file or a list of candidate image files, and a display unit on which the image of the captured image file is reproduced and displayed. 4, 470).

On the other hand, the digital image signal from the digital signal processor 207 can be transmitted by serial communication via a universal serial bus (USB) connection portion 31a or an RS232C interface 208 and the connection portion 31b thereof, and a video filter ( 209 and through the video output unit 31c. Here, the digital signal processor 207 may incorporate a microcontroller therein.

The audio processor 213 outputs the audio signal from the microphone MIC to the digital signal processor 207 or the speaker SP, and outputs the audio signal from the digital signal processor 207 to the speaker SP.

3A and 3B are flowcharts illustrating a control method S300 of a digital image processing apparatus as a preferred embodiment according to the present invention. The control method S300 of the digital image processing apparatus may be implemented in the control apparatus 200 of the digital image processing apparatus of FIG. 2 and / or the digital image processing apparatus 400 of FIG. 4.

To this end, the control method S300 of the digital image processing apparatus according to the present invention may be a program or algorithm stored in the storage means of FIG. 2 or 4 or implemented in the form of a semiconductor chip such as firmware.

The control method (S300) of the digital image processing apparatus according to the present invention may perform shooting by setting setting items necessary for photographing by using shooting setting information included in a stored image file. Therefore, by making it possible to quickly and simply set the shooting information necessary at the time of shooting, user convenience for setting the shooting information can be improved.

To this end, first, image files that can be used by extracting shooting setting information may be stored. In this case, using the stored image files as candidate image files, a source image file from which the shooting setting information may be extracted may be selected from the candidate image files. The shooting setting information may be extracted from the selected source image file, and the setting items may be set based on the extracted shooting setting information to perform shooting.

In this case, the stored candidate image file may include shooting setting information. The shooting setting information may be stored in an image file in an exchangeable image file format (EXIF). That is, the image file may include a setting information area in which the photographing setting information is stored and an image area in which the image information is stored.

The control method (S300) of the digital image processing apparatus includes a final information storing step (S310); Candidate image display step S320; Source image selection step (S330); Photographing information extraction step (S340); And setting step (S350) may be provided.

In the final information storing step (S310), the currently set shooting setting information is stored as the final shooting setting information. In the candidate image display step S320, the stored candidate image file is shown.

In the source image selection step (S330), the selected image file among the candidate image files is selected as the source image file. In the shooting information extraction step (S340), the shooting setting information is extracted from the source image file. In the setting step S350, the digital image processing apparatus is set according to the shooting setting information.

Control method of the digital image processing apparatus according to the present invention (S300) is a separate mode, such as shooting setting information extraction mode that can set the digital image processing apparatus with the extracted shooting setting information by extracting the shooting setting information from the stored image file. For example, the operation may be performed when a corresponding mode is performed for selection in a menu or a separate mode dial.

To this end, first, it is determined whether the current setting mode is the shooting setting information extraction mode (S305), and when the shooting setting information extraction mode is set, the final information storing step (S310) to setting step (S350) may be performed. .

In the final information storing step (S310), the currently set shooting setting information may be stored as the final shooting setting information. In the final information storage step (S310), before the shooting setting information is extracted from the new image file and the setting items are newly set, the current shooting setting information is stored as the final shooting setting information so that the final shooting setting information can be set again if necessary. can do.

This is because when the setting items are set to the new shooting setting information, but the new shooting setting information is not satisfied and the user wants to delete it, or when the setting items by the new shooting setting information fail, the previously set shooting is performed. This is to recall the setting information and set it.

In the candidate image display step S320, the stored candidate image file may be displayed. In this case, while displaying the image of the candidate image file on the display unit 470 of FIG. 4, the user may select the image file to be selected by searching for the candidate images by manipulation of a button or the like.

As another example, a list of candidate image files may be displayed and may be selected by the user. In this case, the list of candidate image files may be displayed in the form of a thumbnail or a list of file names.

At this time, when the candidate image files are displayed, the image ranking may be performed by reading the shooting setting information of the candidate list files to be shown, and assigning the order to the image files so that the candidate image files photographed by the same camera can be shown first. have.

In addition, an image ranking may be performed in order to display a candidate image file including shooting setting information that may be set by the current digital image processing apparatus.

In addition, the list of candidate image files may be displayed by classifying the candidate image files in units of setting items included in the shooting setting information. For example, the stored candidate image file may be listed by performing a function of searching or sorting using setting values of setting items such as image type, ISO, and conversion factor.

In this case, when there is a designation of a setting item by the user, the list of candidate image files may be displayed by sorting based on the setting value of the setting item designated by the user.

In addition, when there is no designation of the setting item by the user, the list of candidate image files may be displayed by sorting based on the setting value of the preset setting item.

To this end, the method may further include a separate step of generating and storing a database by dividing the candidate image files into units of setting items included in the shooting setting information.

Therefore, it is possible to select and set the shooting setting information desired by the user more conveniently and easily.

In the source image selection step (S330), an image file selected from candidate image files may be selected as a source image file. To this end, an image file selection step S325 may be further provided. In the image file selection step S325, an image file to extract the shooting setting information may be selected from the image files displayed in the candidate image display step S320.

In this case, an image file may be selected by a user input. That is, in the case where there is a user's selection among the candidate image files to be displayed, the selected image file may be selected as the source image file in the source image selection step S330.

In another embodiment, when there is no selection by the user or by a preset setting, the default image file may be selected as the candidate image file. The default image file may be a specific image file, but the first image file may be selected as the default image file in a specific order, for example, from the list of image files among the image files shown to the user.

In the shooting information extraction step (S340), the shooting setting information may be extracted from the source image file. That is, the shooting setting information may be extracted from the setting information area of the selected source image file.

In the setting step S350, the digital image processing apparatus may be set according to the shooting setting information. At this time, if the current digital image processing device cannot be set as the designated setting value for the setting item included in the shooting setting information, the setting value most similar to the designated setting value can be set in the current digital image processing device. Can be set by.

In addition, the control method (S300) of the digital image processing apparatus includes a preview image display step (S360); Setting information adjusting step (S370); And setting information resetting step (S380).

In the review image display step S360, the preview image may be displayed according to the set shooting setting information. In the setting information adjusting step (S370), the shooting setting information is adjusted to be suitable for the digital image processing apparatus. In the setting information resetting step (S380), when not set by the shooting setting information, the digital image processing apparatus is reset to the final shooting setting information.

In the preview image display step (S360), the preview image input by the set shooting setting information may be displayed, and the user may determine whether to use the current shooting setting (S365). In the setting information adjusting step (S370), when the user wants to use the current shooting setting, the setting items may be adjusted in detail so that the user can take a picture for which the shooting setting information is desired.

When the digital image processing apparatus is set by the photographing setting information and preparation for photographing is completed, when a photographing start signal is input (S385), photographing may be performed accordingly (S390).

According to the present invention, the digital image processing apparatus may be set by extracting shooting setting information included in the selected source image file. Therefore, by using the shooting setting information that can be acquired from the source image file, the information such as the shutter speed, the exposure level, the zoom level, etc. of the current digital image processing apparatus is matched, and thus the same environment as the image taken from the source image file at the time of taking the picture is obtained. By adjusting the digital image processing device quickly and conveniently to the environment, it is possible to facilitate user convenience during shooting.

In addition, when using the image file photographed by the expert as a source image file, it is possible to acquire the shooting setting information of the image captured by the expert in the same manner, and to shoot in an environment similar to the camera settings selected by the expert. Thus, a good guide can be provided for beginners.

In addition, users with DSLRs or those who enjoy manual functions can adjust the shooting settings more quickly. Even if the mode is not generally set such as a person, an environment, and a night view mode, the user may be provided with an opportunity to use a special environment.

On the other hand, beginners do not use complicated manual functions, and most of them take images using automatic functions. Thus, complex manual functions may not be necessary for most users. This may be due to the complexity of most camera settings or lack of knowledge.

However, according to the present invention, even a beginner can take a picture according to shooting setting information used by an expert for a specific image.

Also, in case of DSLR using various lenses, the shutter speed, exposure, zoom level, etc. are adjusted according to the environment at that time. Even in this case, it may take longer to adjust the picture if you want to take pictures in the same condition as the previous picture after changing the lens. However, according to the present invention, the shooting setting information used in the previous picture can be loaded to easily take a picture by the same shooting setting.

In addition, the manual camera may be difficult to adjust when the setting is cumbersome or changes frequently, or may be frustrating in which state. At this time, it would be a good guide if the same information can be obtained by referring to the environment and the expert's photo as the previous photograph. In particular, by distributing an example image file and the like, it may be helpful to easily control the special environment instead of a general environment such as a person and a landscape as the image file.

4 is a block diagram of a digital image processing apparatus 400 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The digital image processing apparatus 400 may be controlled by the control method S300 of the digital image processing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the digital image processing apparatus 400 includes an image input unit 410; Control unit 430; Storage units 440 and 450; Display unit 460; And a user manipulation unit 470. The digital image processing apparatus 400 is controlled by the control method S300 of the digital image processing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 3, and the same as in the description of FIG. 3 is referred to.

The image input unit 410 receives an input image. The storage units 440 and 450 store at least one candidate image file including shooting setting information. Candidate image files may be displayed on the display unit 470. The user operation unit 460 manipulates the user to input a desired command from the outside.

The controller 430 selects an image file selected from the candidate image files as a source image file, extracts shooting setting information from the source image file, and sets the shooting file using the shooting setting information.

In this case, the shooting setting information may be included in the exchange image file format (EXIF) in the candidate image file.

The control unit 430 may be set in the current digital image processing apparatus when the setting is specified in the setting items included in the shooting setting information. Can be set by similar settings.

In addition, the preview image may be displayed according to the set shooting setting information, and the shooting setting information may be adjusted by the digital image processing apparatus. In addition, when not set by the shooting setting information, the digital image processing apparatus may be reset to the final shooting setting information.

The image input unit 410 that receives the input image may include the optical system OPS, the photoelectric converter OEC, the CDS-ADC device 201, and the like of FIG. 2.

The display unit 470 may include the display panel 215 and the display panel driver 214 of FIG. 2. The display unit 470 may display an image of the candidate image file or a list of the candidate image files, and the image of the photographed image file may be reproduced and displayed.

Meanwhile, the display unit 470 may display an image of an image file that is most likely to be adopted among the stored candidate image files. In this case, the candidate image file photographed by a camera of the same type as the current digital image processing apparatus may be first shown. In addition, the candidate image file including the shooting setting information that can be set by the current digital image processing apparatus may be first displayed.

In addition, the list of candidate image files may be displayed by classifying the candidate image files in units of setting items included in the shooting setting information.

In the storage units 440 and 450, candidate image files including the shooting setting information or the final shooting setting information may be temporarily or nonvolatile. The storage units 440 and 450 may include a first storage unit 440 and a second storage unit 450.

The first storage unit 440 may be a DRAM (204 of FIG. 2) or a cache memory that temporarily stores data. The second storage unit 450 stores data non-volatilely and may be a flash memory or a memory card recognized through the memory card interface 206 of FIG. 2.

In this case, the first storage unit 440 may store the final shooting setting information, the shooting setting information extracted from the source image file, and the preview image input by the newly set shooting setting information. In the second storage unit 740, candidate image files may be generated and stored in a database by dividing the candidate image files into setting item units included in the shooting setting information.

The user operation unit 460 manipulates the user to input a desired command from the outside. The direction button (21 in FIG. 1), the menu-OK button (22 in FIG. 1), the shutter release button (26 in FIG. 1), and the power switch (28 in FIG. 1) may be included in the user control unit 460. have.

According to the present invention, photographing may be performed by setting photographing information necessary for photographing by using photographic information included in a stored image file. Therefore, it is possible to quickly and simply set the shooting information necessary at the time of shooting, thereby improving user convenience for setting the shooting information.

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.

1 is a diagram illustrating a rear surface of a digital camera as an embodiment of a digital image processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a control apparatus that may be included in the digital camera of FIG. 1.

A and 3b are flowcharts schematically illustrating a control method of a digital image processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a block diagram schematically showing a digital image processing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (18)

(a) storing the currently set shooting setting information as final shooting setting information; (b) showing the stored candidate image file; (c) selecting a selected image file among the candidate image files as a source image file; (d) extracting shooting setting information from the source image file; And and (e) setting the digital image processing apparatus based on the photographing setting information. The method of claim 1, And in step (b), first display candidate image files photographed by the same type of digital image processing apparatus. The method of claim 1, And in step (b), first showing a candidate image file including the shooting setting information settable by the digital image processing apparatus. The method of claim 1, In step (b), the candidate image files are classified into setting item units included in the photographing setting information, and the list of candidate image files is displayed. The method of claim 4, wherein If there is a designation for the setting item by a user, the list of candidate image files is displayed by sorting based on the setting value of the setting item specified by the user. If there is no designation of the setting item by a user, the control method of the digital image processing apparatus for displaying the list of the candidate image files sorted based on a preset setting value of the setting item. The method of claim 1, And generating and storing a database by dividing the candidate image files into units of setting items included in the shooting setting information. The method of claim 1, And the photographing setting information is included in the candidate image file in an exchange image file format (EXIF). The method of claim 1, The control method of the digital image processing apparatus, wherein the source image file is selected by a user input or the candidate image file is selected by default by a preset method. The method of claim 1, In the step (e), if it is impossible to set in the current digital image processing apparatus with the designated setting value specified for the setting item included in the shooting setting information, the designation is possible in the current digital image processing apparatus. A control method of a digital image processing apparatus that is set by a setting value most similar to the setting value. The method of claim 1, (f) displaying a preview image according to the set shooting setting information; (g) adjusting the photographing setting information in the digital image processing apparatus; And and (h) resetting the digital image processing apparatus to the final image capturing setting information when the image is not set by the photographing setting information. A storage unit storing at least one candidate image file including shooting setting information; A display unit displaying the candidate image files; And And a control unit which selects an image file selected from the candidate image files as a source image file, extracts shooting setting information from the source image file, and sets the shooting file using the shooting setting information. The method of claim 11, A digital image processing apparatus which first shows a candidate image file photographed by a digital image processing apparatus of the same model. The method of claim 11, And a candidate image file including the photographing setting information settable by the digital image processing apparatus. The method of claim 11, And dividing the candidate image files into setting item units included in the photographing setting information to display a list of the candidate image files. The method of claim 11, And a database generated by dividing the candidate image files into setting item units included in the photographing setting information in the storage unit. The method of claim 11, And the photographing setting information is included in an exchange image file format (EXIF) in the candidate image file. The method of claim 11, In the case where it is impossible to set in the current digital image processing apparatus by the designated setting value specified for the setting item included in the shooting setting information, the setting value which is most similar to the designated setting value as being settable in the current digital image processing apparatus. Digital image processing apparatus set by the. The method of claim 11, Show a preview image according to the set shooting setting information, adjust the shooting setting information in the digital image processing apparatus, And resetting the digital image processing apparatus to the final shooting setting information when the setting is not made according to the shooting setting information.

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