KR20110073974A - Apparatus for processing digital image and thereof method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A digital image processor and a control method thereof are provided to focus a plurality of selected focus points and perform sequential image photographing if a user selects one or more focus points in the same image. CONSTITUTION: An area setting unit(171) receives one or more area selection signals from a live view image. The area setting unit establishes a focus area. A sequential photographing unit(172) focuses on the each set area with the one-time reception of a photographing signal. The sequential photographing unit performs sequential photographing. A controller(173) controls the operation of the sequential photographing unit with the photographing signal of a user.

Description

Digital image processing apparatus and control method thereof

The present invention relates to a digital image processing apparatus capable of performing continuous shooting by focusing on a selected focus point and a control method thereof.

In a general digital image processing apparatus, a user selects a portion to focus on and photographs an image, and the same operation must be repeated whenever the user wants to select a different point of focus from the same image. Therefore, although it is the same image every time, unnecessary work and time such as performing AE and AWB are required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in an effort to provide a digital image processing apparatus and a method of controlling the same, in which, when a user selects at least one focus point in the same image, the camera performs continuous shooting by focusing on a plurality of selected focus points. .

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital image processing apparatus including digital signal processing means for receiving continuous region selection signals from a live view image and then performing continuous shooting by focusing on each of the selected regions. desirable.

The digital signal processing means may include: an area setting unit configured to receive at least one area selection signal from the live view image and set an area to be focused; And a continuous photographing unit configured to perform continuous photographing by focusing on each of the set areas by receiving a photographing signal.

In the present invention, the continuous photographing unit adjusts a shooting condition at the time of capturing the first image and then focuses on the selected first area, and selects the rest while maintaining the first image capturing condition at the time of capturing the remaining images. You can focus on each area.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital image processing method comprising: (a) receiving at least one region selection signal from a live view image; And (b) performing continuous shooting by focusing on each of the selected areas.

In the present invention, the step (b) comprises the steps of (b-1) adjusting the shooting conditions and focusing on the selected first area to take a first image; (b-2) focusing on each of the remaining selection areas while maintaining the first image capturing condition, and photographing the remaining images.

As described above, according to the present invention, when the user selects at least one focus point in the same image, continuous shooting is performed by focusing on the plurality of selected focus points to enhance user convenience and shorten the image shooting time. Can be.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The digital image processing apparatus 100 that can implement the present invention includes an optical unit 110, an optical driver 111, an imaging device 115, an imaging device controller 116, an operation unit 120, and a program storage unit 130. The buffer storage unit 140 may include a data storage unit 150, a display unit 160, and a digital signal processor (DSP) 170.

The optical unit 110 provides an optical signal input from a subject to the imaging device 115. The optical unit 110 may include at least one lens, such as a zoom lens that controls the angle of view to be narrowed or widened according to a focal length, and a focus lens that focuses a subject. In addition, the optical unit 110 may further include an aperture for adjusting the amount of light.

The optical driver 111 adjusts the position of the lens, opening and closing of the iris, and the like. You can focus by shifting the position of the lens. In addition, the amount of light may be adjusted by adjusting the opening and closing of the iris. The optical driver 111 may control the optical unit 110 according to a control signal automatically generated by an image signal input in real time or a control signal manually input by a user's manipulation.

The optical signal transmitted through the optical unit 110 reaches the light receiving surface of the imaging device 115 to form an image of a subject. The imaging device 115 may use a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor image sensor (CIS) that converts an optical signal into an electrical signal. Such an image pickup device 115 may be controlled by the image pickup device control unit 116 sensitivity and the like. The imaging device controller 116 may control the imaging device 115 according to a control signal automatically generated by an image signal input in real time or a control signal manually input by a user's operation.

The operation unit 120 is a place that can input a control signal from the outside such as a user. The operation unit 120 exposes the image pickup device 115 to light for a predetermined time and releases a shutter-release button for inputting a shutter-release signal for taking a picture, a power button for supplying power, and an angle of view according to the input. Wide-Zoom and Tele-Zoom buttons for wider or narrower angles of view, as well as various function buttons such as text input or shooting mode, playback mode selection, white balance setting function, and exposure setting function selection. . The operation unit 120 may have various types of buttons as described above, but is not limited thereto, and may be implemented in any form that a user can input, such as a keyboard, a touch pad, a touch screen, a remote controller, and the like.

In addition, the digital image processing apparatus 100 may include a program storage unit 130 for storing a program such as an operating system or an application system for driving the digital camera, and a buffer for temporarily storing data or result data necessary for performing an operation. The unit 140 includes a data storage unit 150 for storing various information necessary for the program, including an image file including an image signal.

In addition, the digital image processing apparatus 100 includes a display unit 160 to display an operation state thereof or image information photographed by the digital image processing apparatus 100. The display unit 160 may provide visual information and / or audio information to a user. In order to provide visual information, the display unit 160 may include, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic light emitting display panel (OLED), an electrophoretic display panel (EDD), and the like.

The digital image processing apparatus 100 includes a digital signal processor 170 for processing an input image signal and controlling each component in accordance with this or an external input signal. The digital signal processor 170 reduces noise with respect to the input image data, performs gamma correction, color filter array interpolation, color matrix, color correction, Image signal processing for image quality improvement such as color enhancement may be performed. In addition, the image data may be generated by compressing the image data generated by the image signal processing to improve the image quality, or the image data may be restored from the image file. The compressed format of the video may be a reversible format or an irreversible format. As an example of a suitable format, it is also possible to convert to JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format, JPEG 2000 format, or the like. The data may be stored in the compressed data storage 150. In addition, the digital signal processing unit 170 can also perform unsharpening, color processing, blur processing, edge emphasis processing, image analysis processing, image recognition processing, image effect processing, and the like. Face recognition, scene recognition processing, and the like can be performed by the image recognition processing. In addition, the digital signal processor 170 may perform display image signal processing for display on the display unit 160. For example, luminance level adjustment, color correction, contrast adjustment, outline enhancement adjustment, screen division processing, character image generation and the like, and image synthesis processing can be performed. The digital signal processor 170 may be connected to an external monitor to perform predetermined image signal processing to be displayed on an external monitor, and transmit the processed image data so that the corresponding image is displayed on the external monitor.

Furthermore, the digital signal processor 170 may receive a region selection signal from the live view image and then perform continuous shooting by focusing on each of the selected regions. To this end, the digital signal processor 170 may include components such as the area setter 171, the continuous photographing unit 172, and the controller 173. The area setting unit 171, the continuous photographing unit 172, and the control unit 173 may be modified in various ways, such as a separate component instead of a component in the digital signal processing unit 170. It will be described later.

Hereinafter, the functions of the digital signal processor 170 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4.

After receiving the region selection signal from the live view image, the digital signal processor 170 may perform continuous shooting by focusing on each of the selected regions.

The area setting unit 171 receives at least one area selection signal from the live view image and sets an area to be focused.

3 illustrates an example in which a user sets an area from a live view image. 3A illustrates an example of selecting the first region P1 from the live view image, and FIG. 3B illustrates an example of selecting the second region P3 after selecting the first region P1 from the same live view image. In FIG. 3C, an example of selecting the third region P3 that is selected after the first region P1 and the second region P2 is also selected from the same live view image.

After the region setting is completed, the controller 173 receives the photographing signal input by the user and controls the operation of the continuous photographing unit 172.

The continuous photographing unit 172 performs continuous photographing by focusing on each of the set regions. The continuous capturing unit 172 adjusts shooting conditions such as AE, AWB, etc. for the image to be captured, captures the first image by focusing on the selected first area, and selects the remaining images while maintaining the first image shooting condition. Focus on each area to capture the rest of the image.

4 illustrates an example of performing continuous shooting by adjusting the focus according to the selected area. 4A-1 shows an enlarged view of the first area P1 selected before continuous shooting, and FIG. 4A-2 shows an enlarged view of the image where the first area P1 has been focused in focus. When the second image is taken after the first image is taken, the recording is performed while maintaining the shooting conditions of the first image. FIG. 4B-1 shows an enlarged view of the selected second area P2 before the second image is taken. 4B-2 shows an enlarged view in which the second area P2 is photographed with the focus in focus. When the third image is taken after the second image is taken, the shooting is performed while maintaining the shooting conditions of the first image. FIG. 4C-1 shows an enlarged view of the selected third region P3 before the second image is taken. 4C-2 shows an enlarged view in which the third area P3 is photographed with the focus in focus.

As described above, the user adjusts the focus according to the area selected by the user in the same live view image to perform continuous shooting, thereby improving user convenience and shortening the shooting time.

Hereinafter, a method of controlling the digital image processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5. The control method of the digital image processing apparatus according to the present invention may be performed inside the digital image processing apparatus as shown in FIG. 1. According to an embodiment, the main algorithm of the operation method may be performed by the help of peripheral components in the device. It may be performed in the digital signal processor 170.

When the multi-region photographing signal is received by the user, the digital signal processor 170 enters the digital image processing apparatus 100 into the multi-region photographing mode in step 510.

When the multi-area photographing mode is entered, the digital signal processor 170 displays the live view image to set the area (step 520).

If the user selects at least one area (N) to focus from the live view image, the digital signal processor 170 receives the set and sets an area to focus on the live view image (step 530).

After the area setting is completed, the digital signal processor 170 determines whether a photographing button is input from the user (step 540).

When the shooting button is input from the user, the digital signal processing unit 170 performs continuous shooting. First, after adjusting shooting conditions such as AE, AWB, etc., for the first image to be shot, the digital signal processor 170 first focuses on the selected first area. Shoot the first image (step 550)

When the first image capturing is completed, the digital signal processor 170 captures the remaining images by focusing on each of the remaining selection areas (N-1) while maintaining the first image capturing condition (step 560).

So far I looked at the center of the preferred embodiment for the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be implemented in a modified form without departing from the essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered in descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. The scope of the present invention is shown in the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the scope will be construed as being included in the present invention.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a digital image processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of the digital signal processor of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating region setting in FIG. 2.

4 is a diagram illustrating continuous shooting photographing in FIG. 2.

5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the digital image processing method according to the present invention.

Claims (5)

And digital signal processing means for receiving a region selection signal from a live view image and performing continuous shooting by focusing on each of the selected regions. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital signal processing means An area setting unit configured to receive at least one area selection signal from the live view image and set an area to be focused; And And a continuous photographing unit configured to perform continuous photographing by focusing on each of the set areas by receiving one photographing signal. The method of claim 2, wherein the continuous photographing unit Focusing on the selected first area after adjusting the shooting conditions at the first image capturing, and focusing on each of the remaining selected areas while maintaining the first image capturing condition at the time of capturing the remaining images. Digital video processing device. (a) receiving at least one area selection signal from a live view image; And (b) performing continuous shooting by focusing on each of the selected areas. The method of claim 4, wherein step (b) (b-1) capturing a first image by adjusting a shooting condition and focusing on the selected first area; and (b-2) focusing on each of the remaining selection areas while capturing the remaining images while maintaining the first image capturing condition.

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