JP4388918B2 - Imaging device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to adjustment of an image pickup apparatus, particularly an image pickup apparatus such as a digital camera.

  In an imaging apparatus such as a digital camera, a function for adjusting various parameters such as white balance adjustment and exposure correction so that the user can obtain a desired shooting result is added.

  However, in recent years, in particular, compactness and high functionality have progressed, and it has become more difficult for non-some users to understand the functions of digital cameras and to properly use these functions according to the shooting situation. .

  In Patent Document 1 below, the monitor display device is divided into a first display unit and a second display unit, a predetermined menu is displayed on the first display unit, and related items are displayed on the second display unit. A technique for facilitating camera operation by displaying on the screen is described.

JP 2001-36780 A

  However, if only the functions of the digital camera are displayed on the menu, the knowledge about the functions is required. For example, even if a menu “slow sync” is displayed, it is meaningless if the function of this slow sync is not known and under what shooting conditions it should be used. For general users, they often want to change the settings of the digital camera when they are visually dissatisfied with the result of viewing the image taken under the current digital camera setting conditions. In some cases, it is desirable to be able to make full use of the functions through intuitive operations, even if they do not have specialized knowledge about the functions of the digital camera.

  It is an object of the present invention to intuitively operate a user, that is, to visually recognize the obtained photographing result and to input the intuitive reason when there is a specific reason for dissatisfaction with the photographing result. It is an object of the present invention to provide an imaging apparatus capable of automatically setting or automatically adjusting various functions and thereby obtaining a desired image very easily.

The present invention includes a strobe unit that irradiates a subject with strobe light, an imaging unit that photoelectrically converts light from the subject and outputs the image signal, and a light amount adjusting unit that adjusts an incident light amount incident on the imaging unit. A gain adjusting unit that adjusts the gain of the image signal output from the imaging unit; a white balance adjusting unit that adjusts a white balance of the gain-adjusted image signal; and a gamma correction for the gain-adjusted image signal. gamma correction means for, an imaging device having a display means for displaying as a shooting result immediately after shooting an image signal the is white balance adjustment and gamma correction and inputs a deletion instruction of the photographing result immediately after shooting and delete switch, wherein the deletion reason switch a deletion reason of imaging results to select input immediately after shooting, the deletion reason entered Flip with the strobe means, the gain adjusting means, said light amount adjusting means, and control means for controlling integrating operation of the white balance adjustment unit and the gamma correction means.

  In the present invention, the photographing result is displayed, and when the user who has visually recognized the photographing result wants to delete the photographing result without being satisfied with the photographing result, the reason for the deletion is input. The control means controls the strobe means, the light amount adjusting means, etc. in the image pickup apparatus in accordance with the selection input reason for deletion, and adjusts the light emission amount and exposure amount of the strobe. In the present invention, the user does not need to be aware of the strobe means and the light amount adjustment means, and it is sufficient to simply select and input an intuitive deletion reason.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the reason for deletion is the reason for the darkness of the shooting result (such as the shooting result is dark), the reason for the color of the shooting result (such as the color of the shooting result is strange), and the blurring of the contour of the shooting result. Information on the brightness of the person's face as a result of photographing (such as shadows or whiteout in the face), reason about the brightness of the background of the photographed result (such as a dark background), reason about the sky color of the photographed result (clear weather) However, the sky is whitish). The control unit adjusts the light emission amount of the strobe unit and the exposure amount of the light amount adjustment unit in accordance with these reasons for deletion.

  According to the present invention, the user can obtain a desired photographing result only by inputting an intuitive deletion reason. In addition, since the user can adjust the strobe unit, the light amount adjusting unit, and the like only by selecting and inputting the reason for deletion, as a result, even if the user does not have accurate knowledge about the functions of the imaging apparatus, these functions can be performed. It can be used effectively.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, taking a digital camera as an example.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a digital camera according to this embodiment. The lens 10 collects light from the subject. An aperture 12 and a shutter 13 adjust the amount of incident light and the incident time from the subject, respectively. The incident time can also be adjusted by controlling the charge accumulation time of the CCD 14 based on a drive signal from a timing generator TG 34 described later without having a mechanical shutter 13 (electronic shutter). You may provide both the mechanical shutter 13 and an electronic shutter. The light condensed by the lens 10, the diaphragm 12 and the shutter 13 and adjusted in the amount of light enters a CCD 14 serving as an image sensor. The CCD 14 converts the incident light into an electrical signal (voltage signal) corresponding to the amount of light and outputs it. As the image sensor, a CMOS may be used instead of the CCD 14. The CCD 14 outputs an electrical signal obtained by photoelectric conversion to the CDS / AGC 16. A CDS (correlated double sampling) / AGC (auto gain control) 16 samples an electric signal from the CCD 14, adjusts the signal level (gain), and outputs it to the A / D 18. The A / D 18 converts the analog signal from the CDS / AGC 16 into a digital signal and outputs it to the image processing unit 20. The image processing unit 20 is configured by a system LSI, performs predetermined signal processing on the input digital signal, and outputs the signal to the codec CODEC 22 or D / A 26.

  Hereinafter, the image processing unit 20 will be described.

  FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram of the image processing unit 20. The image processing unit 20 sequentially executes white balance correction, gamma (γ) correction, and color signal / luminance signal separation on the digital signal (digital image signal) from the A / D 18.

  The white balance correction processing unit 20a corrects the balance of each color on the digital image signal from the A / D 18 based on differences in the filter sensitivities of the color filters provided in the CCD 14, and the gamma correction is performed on the corrected image signal. The data is output to the processing unit 20b. The gamma correction processing unit 20b performs gamma correction on the white balance corrected image signal, that is, converts the output value to the input value exponentially to match the characteristics of the display device and ensure linearity. Specifically, the gamma correction is executed by storing the relationship between the input value and the output value in a memory as a map and obtaining an output value corresponding to the input value by accessing this map. Intermediate values not defined in the map are interpolated using values in the vicinity (values at both ends). Instead of a map, a gamma correction function may be stored in a memory and converted using this correction function. The gamma correction processing unit 20b outputs the digital image signal subjected to gamma correction to the RGB signal generation processing unit 20c. The RGB signal generation processing unit 20c performs noise removal processing, band limitation processing, high frequency signal correction processing, and the like on the digital image signal to generate R signal, G signal, and B signal, and luminance signal generation processing Output to the unit 20d and the color difference signal generation processing unit 20e. The luminance signal generation processing unit 20d generates a luminance signal (Y signal) by combining the RBG signals from the RGB signal generation processing unit 20c with a predetermined combining ratio. Similarly, the color difference signal generation processing unit 20e generates the color difference signals (Cb, Cr) by combining the RGB signals from the RGB signal generation processing unit 20c with a predetermined combination ratio. These luminance signals and color difference signals are supplied to the CODEC 22 or the D / A 26 as described above.

  Returning to FIG. 1 again, the codec CODEC 22 compresses and encodes the image signal from the image processing unit 20 and stores it in the memory 24, or decompresses and decodes the encoded image data read from the memory 24 to perform image processing. To the unit 20. The memory 24 is composed of, for example, a flash memory, and stores image data compressed and encoded by the codec CODEC 22, for example, image data compressed and encoded in the JPEG format or TIFF format. The D / A 26 converts the image signal from the image processing unit 20 into an analog image signal and outputs it to the video encoder 28. The video encoder 28 encodes the analog image signal into a video signal (NTSC signal or the like) in a format suitable for the display 30 and outputs the encoded video signal to the display 30. The display 30 is composed of a liquid crystal panel, an organic EL panel, or the like, and displays an image signal from the video encoder 28. The display 30 functions as a finder or an image monitor for the digital camera.

  The operation input unit 32 is an operation switch for the user of the digital camera to specify various commands or menus such as shutter operation and subject or scene selection, and the microcomputer 36 receives various command signals corresponding to the operations via the bus. Alternatively, it is output to the image processing unit 20. The timing generator TG 34 controls the operation timing of the CCD 14, CDS / AGC 16, A / D 18, and image processing unit 20. Under the control of the timing generator TG, image signals are stored in a built-in memory (not shown) of the image processing unit 20 at a constant frame rate. The image signal stored in the built-in memory is reduced in size to a predetermined size by the thinning process, and is displayed on the display 30 as a finder via the D / A 26 and the video encoder 28. When a shutter button as one of the operation input units 32 is operated by the user, the timing generator TG 34 controls the image processing unit 20 to capture an image signal at the time when the shutter button is pressed. The image signal at the timing stored in the built-in memory is compression-coded by the codec CODEC 22 and stored in the memory 24. Alternatively, the image signal at the time when the shutter is pressed is read from the built-in memory of the image processing unit 20 and displayed on the display 30 as a finder or a liquid crystal monitor via the D / A 26 and the video encoder 28. The user views and evaluates the photographing result by viewing this screen.

  The strobe 2 is built in the digital camera, and the light emission unit 4 adjusts the presence or absence of light emission and the light emission amount. The light emitting unit 4 is driven by a control signal from the microcomputer 36. As will be described later, the light emitting unit 4 includes a main capacitor, and causes the strobe 2 such as a xenon tube to emit light by the electric charge accumulated in the main capacitor. The light emitting unit 4 basically performs pre-light emission and main light emission during strobe light emission. That is, the light emission amount during the main light emission is set from the light emission amount during the pre-light emission and the reflected light from the subject, and the main light emission is executed with the set light emission amount. The reflected light from the subject is detected by the photometry unit 6 and supplied to the microcomputer 36.

  The microcomputer (microcomputer) 36 comprehensively controls the aperture 12, the shutter 13, the AGC function of the CDS / AGC 16, the timing generator TG 34, the image processing unit 20, and the light emitting unit 4. That is, the exposure amount is adjusted by adjusting the light emission amounts of the aperture 12, the shutter 13, the electronic shutter, and the AGC 16 based on the shutter operation signals, various command signals, menu selection signals, and the like input from the operation input unit 32, and the memory. Controls the writing and reading of image data to and from the display 30. Further, the microcomputer 36 urges the user to operate the operation input unit 32 or assists the operation, and various predetermined operation menus and the current state (number of images that can be captured, shutter speed, aperture value, setting mode, histogram, etc.) Is displayed on the display 30. Further, the microcomputer 36 controls the pre-light emission and the main light emission of the strobe 2 and the respective light emission amounts by monitoring the terminal voltage of the main capacitor in the light emitting unit 4 and controlling the charge / discharge. Conventionally, when it is determined by photometry that the subject is dark and the strobe 2 needs to emit light, the microcomputer 36 always performs pre-flash and main flash, but in this embodiment, it is input from the operation input unit 32. In response to a user request, pre-flash is disabled as necessary. The reason for invalidating the pre-light emission is to prevent a decrease in the terminal voltage of the main capacitor due to the pre-light emission, and to increase the amount of light emission at the time of light emission. In other words, the microcomputer 36 performs integrated control of the aperture 12, the shutter 13, the AGC gain of the CDS / AGC 16, the pre-flash of the strobe 2, and the main flash to generate a user-desired shooting result.

  The light emitting unit 4 includes a main capacitor, a discharge circuit, a charging circuit, and a changeover switch. A power supply line from the power supply circuit is connected to the charging circuit. The microcomputer 36 switches the changeover switch to the charging circuit side at a timing when the strobe 2 does not emit light, and charges the main capacitor. The terminal voltage of the main capacitor is supplied to the microcomputer 36 as a divided voltage signal of two resistors connected in series, whereby the microcomputer 36 monitors the terminal voltage of the main capacitor. Further, when it becomes necessary to cause the strobe 2 to emit light, the microcomputer 36 switches the changeover switch to the discharge circuit side to discharge the charge accumulated in the main capacitor and supply it to the strobe 2. The light emission of the strobe 2 includes pre-light emission and main light emission, and the amount of each light emission is adjusted by the terminal voltage and the discharge time. Specifically, the microcomputer 36 calculates the light emission amount of pre-emission based on the terminal voltage of the main capacitor, subject luminance information (luminance information before pre-emission), and subject distance information. In general, the amount of pre-emission increases as the terminal voltage increases. However, the pre-emission amount may be set to a constant value regardless of the terminal voltage as long as the terminal voltage is a certain value or more. Further, the microcomputer 36 calculates the light emission amount of the main light emission based on the light emission amount (integrated light emission amount) at the time of the pre-light emission and the reflected light amount from the subject. The difference between the amount of reflected light under natural light is calculated from the amount of light emitted during pre-emission, and only the amount of light emitted during pre-emission is extracted. To do.

  FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the operation input unit 32 in FIG. The operation input unit 32 includes a deletion switch 32a and a deletion reason selection switch 32b in addition to a power switch, a release button (shutter button), a menu selection switch, a photographed image readout selection switch, and the like, which are functions normally possessed as a digital camera. The deletion switch 32a is operated when the user who has visually recognized the photographing result displayed on the display 30 is not satisfied with the photographing result for some reason and deletes the photographing result (deletion from the memory). The deletion reason switch 32b is a switch for selecting and inputting the reason for deleting the photographing result when the user operates the deletion switch 32a. When the user operates the deletion switch 32a, a deletion command is supplied to the microcomputer 36. The microcomputer 36 displays a list of a plurality of deletion reasons on the display 30 in order to determine the deletion reason according to the deletion command. The user selects and inputs a deletion reason from this list using the deletion reason selection switch 32b. When the user operates the deletion reason selection switch 32b to select and input a deletion reason, a command for each deletion reason is supplied to the microcomputer 36. The microcomputer 36 controls the diaphragm 12, the shutter 13, the gain of the CDS / AGC 16, and the light emitting unit 4 in an integrated manner in accordance with the deletion reason inputted and selected. From the user's point of view, even if they do not have accurate knowledge about the various adjustment functions of the digital camera, the digital camera side simply inputs intuitive dissatisfaction with the shooting results in the form of intuitive “reason for deletion”. Will automatically make various adjustments.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of a deletion reason list displayed on the display 30 when the user operates the deletion switch 32a. Reasons for deletion include "I want to erase it anyway", "Dark", "Funny colors", "Red eyes", "Blur", "Face shadow", "Face is white", "Background is black", " "The sky does not appear blue" or "Inappropriate for auction" is displayed.

  “I want to delete it anyway” is a menu to be selected when deleting because the composition of the photographing result is unsatisfactory in the first place. “Dark” is a menu that is selected when the shooting result is dark overall and a brighter image is expected. “Color is wrong” is a menu to be selected when the color of the photographing result is different from the intended color. “Red-eye” is a menu that is selected when the eyes of a photographed person or the like are red. “Blurred” is a menu that is selected when the outline of the photographing result is blurred. “Face is shadow” is a menu to be selected when the face portion of the photographing result is a shadow. “Face is white” is a menu to be selected when the face portion of the photographed result is white. “Background is black” is a menu that is selected when the photographed person or the like has no problem but the background is dark or black. “The sky does not appear blue” is a menu that is selected when the sky part of the photographing result is not blue even though the sky is clear. “Unsuitable for auction” is a menu that is selected when the photographing result is used for a specific purpose (in this case, photographing for listing in an auction using the Internet) and looks bad.

  These menus are all menus that the user can intuitively understand from the photographing result. The microcomputer 36 determines which of these menus is selected and input, and controls the aperture 12, the shutter 13, the light emitting device 4 and the like according to each menu according to a predetermined control program.

  Hereinafter, the control of the microcomputer 36 in accordance with the deletion reason selected and input will be described. The control program is stored in the ROM of the microcomputer 36 as firmware.

  5 and 6 show control flowcharts of the microcomputer 36. FIG. When the user photographs a desired subject in the AE mode, the image processing unit 20 displays the photographing result on the display 30 (S101). The display time may be a fixed time, and a specific part of the image may be enlarged and displayed in accordance with an operation from the user so that details of the imaging result can be visually recognized. A technique for displaying a photographing result on a rear monitor of a digital camera is well known.

  After displaying the photographing result, the microcomputer 36 enters a standby state for inputting a deletion command from the user (S102). When the user operates the deletion switch 32a in this state, the microcomputer 36 instructs the image processing unit 20 in response to the deletion command, and displays a preset deletion reason list on the display 30 to prompt the user to input a deletion reason ( S103). When the user inputs the reason for deletion, the microcomputer 36 determines which deletion reason has been input.

  If the selected deletion reason is “I want to delete it anyway” (S104), the microcomputer 36 deletes the photographing result displayed on the display 30 from the memory 24 in response to a deletion request from the user (S105). At this time, the microcomputer 36 does not execute any specific adjustment process other than deletion. Therefore, the next time the release button is pressed, the image is basically taken under the same conditions as the previous time.

  If the selected deletion reason is “dark” (S106), the microcomputer 36 deletes the photographing result displayed on the display 30 from the memory 24 in response to a deletion request from the user (S107). Further, the microcomputer 36 adjusts the gains of the aperture 12, the shutter 13, the light emitting unit 4, and the AGC 16 assuming that the exposure amount needs to be increased in order to satisfy this request according to the reason for deletion “dark” (S108). Specifically, it is determined whether or not the strobe 2 is fired during the previous shooting (the presence or absence of strobe light is stored in the built-in memory of the microcomputer 36). Is sufficiently present, the shutter speed of the shutter 13 is decreased to increase the exposure amount. On the other hand, when the strobe 2 is caused to emit light, the light emitting unit 4 is commanded to increase the light emission amount of the strobe. As described above, the strobe 2 performs pre-light emission and main light emission, and the light-emitting unit 4 sets the light emission amount Q of main light emission according to the result of the pre-light emission. Accordingly, the light emission amount of the main light emission is increased by a predetermined amount ΔQ to be Q + ΔQ. If the light emission amount of the main light emission is already increased by ΔQ at the time of the previous shooting, the microcomputer 36 invalidates the pre-light emission and causes only the main light emission to be executed. When pre-light emission and main light emission are performed, the terminal voltage of the main capacitor decreases due to the pre-light emission, and the maximum possible light emission amount during main light emission decreases. Therefore, the light emission amount of the main light emission is maximized by performing only the main light emission without performing the pre-light emission. The microcomputer 36 may invalidate the pre-flash of the strobe 2 and increase the ISO sensitivity by increasing the gain of the AGC 16 by a predetermined amount.

If the selected deletion reason is “Improper Color” (S109), the microcomputer 36 further displays a list of lighting conditions on the display 30 and prompts the user to input the lighting conditions (S110). The illumination condition list includes, for example, “Hyuga”, “Shade”, “Fluorescent lamp”, “Tungsten”, “I don't know”, and the like. When the illumination condition is input, the microcomputer 36 deletes the photographing result displayed on the display 30 from the memory 24 in response to a deletion request from the user (S111). Further, the microcomputer 36 instructs the white balance correction processing unit 20a of the image processing unit 20 to execute white balance adjustment that matches the lighting conditions according to the reason for deletion “Improper color” and the lighting conditions (S112). If “I don't know” is selected and input as the lighting condition, the microcomputer 36 performs the white balance adjustment for Hyuga, which is the default.

  If the selected deletion reason is “red-eye” (S113), the microcomputer 36 deletes the photographing result displayed on the display 30 from the memory 24 in response to the deletion request from the user (S114). Further, the microcomputer 36 executes a predetermined red-eye reduction process according to the deletion reason “red-eye” (S115). Specifically, prior to the main light emission, the strobe 2 is emitted several times to constrict the pupil of the subject and suppress red eyes. Of course, other methods may be used.

  If the selected deletion reason is “blurred” (S116), the microcomputer 36 deletes the photographing result displayed on the display 30 from the memory 24 in response to the deletion request from the user (S117). Further, the microcomputer 36 increases the ISO sensitivity by increasing the gain of the AGC 16 by a predetermined amount in response to the deletion reason “blurred” (S118). Also, the shutter speed is increased.

  Next, in FIG. 6, when the deletion reason selected and input is “face shadow” (S 119), the microcomputer 36 displays the photographing result displayed on the display 30 in response to the deletion request from the user from the memory 24. Delete (S120). Further, the microcomputer 36 performs exposure correction (exposure increase) by causing the flash 2 to emit light or slowing down the shutter speed of the shutter 13 by a predetermined amount according to the reason for deletion “face is shadow” (S121). Whether the strobe 2 is caused to emit light or whether exposure correction is performed is determined according to the amount of natural light. That is, the amount of natural light is detected by a photometric sensor, and if it is equal to or less than a predetermined amount, strobe light emission is supported, and if it is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, exposure correction is supported.

  If the selected deletion reason is “exposed face” (S122), the microcomputer 36 deletes the photographing result displayed on the display 30 from the memory 24 in response to a deletion request from the user (S123). Further, the microcomputer 36 instructs the light emitting unit 4 to reduce the light emission amount of the strobe 2 in accordance with the reason for the deletion “the face is whiteout”. That is, the light emission amount of the strobe 2 is set according to the result of the pre-light emission, but the light emission amount Q of the main light emission set by the pre-light emission is reduced by a predetermined amount Δq to be Q−Δq. Note that this process is not executed if the strobe 2 is not fired at the time of the previous shooting (S124).

  If the selected deletion reason is “black background” (S125), the microcomputer 36 deletes the photographing result displayed on the display 30 from the memory 24 in response to a deletion request from the user (S126). Further, the microcomputer 36 shifts to a so-called slow sync mode when the strobe 2 is caused to emit light at the previous photographing according to the reason for deletion “background is black”. Here, the slow sync mode is a process of increasing the exposure amount by causing the flash 2 to emit light and slowing down the shutter speed of the shutter 13. On the other hand, if the strobe 2 is not turned on at the previous photographing, the gain of the AGC 16 is increased to increase the ISO sensitivity by a predetermined amount (S127).

  If the selected deletion reason is “the sky does not appear blue” (S128), the microcomputer 36 deletes the photographing result displayed on the display 30 from the memory 24 in response to the deletion request from the user (S129). . Further, the microcomputer 36 performs an adjustment to increase the maximum reflectance of the digital camera according to the reason for deletion “the sky does not appear blue” (S130), and adjusts the gamma correction value in conjunction with the increase in the maximum reflectance. The value is changed to a value corresponding to the later maximum reflectance (S131). Here, the “maximum reflectance” is an index of the amount of incident light corresponding to the maximum output of the CCD 14. CIPA (Camera & Imaging Products Association) adopts an intermediate gradation level as the sensitivity reference level. Specifically, the digital maximum output value after gamma correction (in the case of 8 bits) Is based on the luminance value (Y value) corresponding to the 18% standard neutral gray subject when 255) is associated with the subject reflectance of 100% (118 for 8-bit). Of course, the luminance value for the 18% gray subject can be set to other value, for example, 130 instead of the CIPA standard 118, and this value can be determined depending on how the human skin is expressed. When the luminance value of the 18% gray subject is set, the reflectance corresponding to the digital maximum output value, that is, the maximum reflectance is defined by the following equation.

Maximum reflectance (%) = 18 (%) × maximum CCD output / taken under proper exposure conditions
CCD output value of 18% gray subject

  In the present embodiment, in the default state, the luminance of the 18% gray subject is set to 130 (8 bits) after gamma correction, and the maximum reflectance is set to 120%. In this default state, the output of the CCD 14 outputs an image signal according to the amount of incident light between 0% reflectance and 120% reflectance. When the subject is photographed in the default state, the brightness of the subject is high, and whiteout, blueout (sky becomes whitish), redout (red color becomes whitish), etc. may occur. In addition, the contrast of the subject may be low under flat illumination conditions (such as studio shooting). These occur because the dynamic range defined by the reflectance of 0% to 120% with respect to the photographing condition is not appropriate, so that the maximum reflectance is increased or decreased from the default of 120%, so that the photographing condition is met. The matched dynamic range can be set. However, if the maximum reflectance is simply increased or decreased (the gamma correction value is fixed), the output value after gamma correction of the 18% gray subject, which is the target for proper exposure, varies according to the increase or decrease in the maximum reflectance. (If the maximum reflectance increases, 18% gray becomes relatively small in the dynamic range, and if the maximum reflectance decreases, 18% gray becomes relatively large, so the output value after gamma correction also varies.) A desired shooting result cannot be obtained, and the user needs to perform additional processing such as separately downloading the shooting result to a personal computer (PC) and correcting the tone curve using image processing software. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the maximum reflectance is increased / decreased and the gamma correction is changed in conjunction with the increase / decrease of the maximum reflectance to obtain a photographing result in accordance with the visual impression. FIG. 7 illustrates gamma values corresponding to the maximum reflectances of 70%, 120%, and 170%, respectively. In the figure, A is a gamma value corresponding to the default of 120%, B is a gamma value of 170%, and C is a gamma value of 70%.

  Returning to FIG. 6 again, if the deletion reason selected and input is “unsuitable for auction” (S132), the microcomputer 36 displays the shooting result displayed on the display 30 in response to the deletion request from the user from the memory 24. It is deleted (S133). Further, the microcomputer 36 displays a lighting condition list on the display 30 in response to the reason for deletion “unsuitable for auction”, prompts the user to input the lighting conditions, and adjusts the white balance according to the lighting conditions. The white balance correction processing unit 20a of the image processing unit 20 is instructed to be executed (S134). Of course, shooting for auctions is usually shot under certain conditions (the item to be listed is often shot under a fluorescent light on a desk), so that this condition is met. White balance adjustment may be executed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, depending on the reason for intuitive deletion from the user, the amount of light emitted from the aperture 12, the shutter 13, and the strobe 2 and the gain (ISO sensitivity) of the AGC 16 are used independently or given priority. The user can achieve the desired photographing result by performing the integrated control in combination with the degree. The user can effectively use the various functions of the digital camera as a result without having accurate knowledge about the various functions of the digital camera.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to this, A various change is possible.

  For example, in this embodiment, the strobe 2 or the like is adjusted according to the reason for deletion that has been selected and input, but when a certain time has elapsed before the next shooting, these adjustments are canceled and the adjustment is not executed. Is preferable. This is because it can be determined that the camera is no longer in a shooting situation where these adjustments are necessary when a certain time has elapsed. Specifically, in addition to determining whether or not a certain period of time has elapsed with a timer, if the digital camera has a function to enter sleep mode or power off when there is no operation for a certain period of time, Adjustment may be canceled when the sleep mode or the power is turned off in combination.

  Further, whether or not to display the reason for deletion can be appropriately set by the user.

  It is also preferable to notify the user by displaying on the display 30 whether or not the microcomputer 36 has adjusted the strobe 2 or the like in order to eliminate the reason for deletion. Thus, the user can surely recognize that the digital camera is not currently in the default state but is shifted to the adjustment mode for eliminating the reason for deletion. In order to cancel the adjustment mode, for example, the user may set the power supply to OFF. The microcomputer 36 controls the strobe 2, the shutter 13, and the AGC gain (ISO sensitivity) by returning to default values in accordance with the power OFF.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, adjustment control according to the reason for deletion is executed, but a so-called learning function that adaptively changes the adjustment control according to a second deletion input or a second deletion reason input for the adjusted photographing result. You may have. For example, in S119, the reason for deletion of “face is shadow” is input, and in response to this, the microcomputer 36 performs strobe light emission or exposure correction. If the shooting result is deleted and “face shadow” is entered as the reason for deletion, the flash is adjusted next. This is because when the user inputs the reason for the deletion of “face is shadow” for the second time, it is learned that a further exposure amount is requested, and from the second time, the reason for deletion is “face is shadow”. This is not an exposure correction but an adjustment using strobe light. Alternatively, in S128, the reason for deletion that “the sky does not appear blue” is input, and in response to this, the microcomputer 36 increases the maximum reflectance from the default 120% to 150%. When “not sky appears blue” is input as the reason for deletion again for the photographing result, it is learned that the initial 120% → 150% increase was insufficient for the user, and the second time Is increased from 120% to 200% according to the first reason for deletion “the sky does not appear blue”.

  In this embodiment, the reason for deletion is input after the deletion switch 32a is operated. However, a list for inputting the reason for dissatisfaction is displayed on the display 30 without deleting the photographed image, and the user can indicate the reason for dissatisfaction from this list. You may select and input. The microcomputer 36 executes each control described above according to the input reason for dissatisfaction. Further, in this embodiment, the photographed image is deleted from the memory 24 by operating the delete switch 32a. However, even when the delete switch 32a is operated, the data of the photographed image itself is stored in any directory in the memory 24. It is also possible to store an image once deleted by a user operation (for example, a recovery operation) later on the display 30 and compare it with an image retaken. For example, the photographed image may be moved to the “trash box” directory by operating the deletion switch 32a, and may be moved again from the “trash box” directory to the original directory as necessary. That is, in the deletion by operating the deletion switch 32a of the present embodiment, in addition to the mode of actually erasing the captured image data, there is also a mode in which the captured image data itself is held in either one so that it can be recovered later. included.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an image processing unit in FIG. 1. It is a functional block diagram of the operation input part in FIG. It is screen explanatory drawing of the display which displayed the reason for deletion as a list. It is the adjustment process flowchart (the 1) of the microcomputer according to the deletion reason. It is the adjustment process flowchart (the 2) of the microcomputer according to the deletion reason. It is a graph which shows the relationship between a maximum reflectance and a gamma correction value.

Explanation of symbols

  2 strobe, 4 light emitting unit, 6 photometric unit, 10 lens, 12 aperture, 13 shutter, 14 CCD, 16 CDS / AGC, 18 A / D, 20 image processing unit, 22 codec (CODEC), 24 memory, 26 D / A, 28 Video encoder, 30 Display, 32 Operation input unit, 34 Timing generator (TG), 36 Microcomputer.

Claims (14)

Strobe means for irradiating the subject with strobe light,
Imaging means for photoelectrically converting light from a subject and outputting it as an image signal;
A light amount adjusting means for adjusting an incident light amount incident on the imaging means;
Gain adjusting means for adjusting the gain of the image signal output from the imaging means;
White balance adjusting means for adjusting the white balance of the image signal whose gain has been adjusted;
Gamma correction means for performing gamma correction on the image signal whose gain has been adjusted ;
Display means for displaying the white balance adjusted and gamma-corrected image signal immediately after shooting as a shooting result;
An imaging device having
A deletion switch for inputting an instruction to delete the shooting result immediately after shooting;
A deletion reason switch for selecting and inputting the reason for deleting the shooting result immediately after shooting;
A control unit that integrally controls operations of the strobe unit, the gain adjustment unit, the light amount adjustment unit, the white balance adjustment unit, and the gamma correction unit according to the input deletion reason;
An imaging device comprising: The apparatus of claim 1.
The reason for deletion includes the reason for the darkness of the shooting result,
The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls the operation of the light amount adjusting means to increase / decrease the exposure amount when a reason related to the darkness of the photographing result is inputted from the deletion reason switch. The apparatus of claim 2.
The light amount adjusting means includes a shutter,
The image pickup apparatus, wherein the control means controls the exposure amount by increasing or decreasing the shutter speed of the shutter. The apparatus of claim 1.
The reason for deletion includes the reason for the color of the shooting result,
The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls the operation of the white balance adjustment means to change the white balance when a reason related to the color of the photographing result is input from the deletion reason switch. The apparatus of claim 1.
The reason for the deletion includes a reason for blurring of the outline of the photographing result,
The control means controls the operation of the gain adjusting means to increase the gain and increase the shutter speed of the shutter when a reason related to blurring of the contour of the photographing result is input from the deletion reason switch. An imaging device that is characterized. The apparatus of claim 1.
The reason for deletion includes the reason for the brightness of the human face part of the shooting result,
The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls the operation of the strobe means to control the amount of light emitted when a reason related to the brightness of the human face portion of the photographing result is inputted from the deletion reason switch. The apparatus of claim 1.
The reason for deletion includes the reason for the brightness of the human face part of the shooting result,
The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls the operation of the light amount adjusting means to increase / decrease the exposure amount when a reason related to the brightness of the human face portion of the photographing result is inputted from the deletion reason switch. The apparatus of claim 1.
The reason for deletion includes the reason for the brightness of the background of the shooting result,
The control means controls the operation of the strobe means and the light amount adjusting means to increase / decrease the exposure amount when a reason related to the brightness of the background of the photographing result is inputted from the deletion reason switch. apparatus. The apparatus of claim 1.
The reason for deletion includes the reason for the brightness of the background of the shooting result,
The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls the operation of the gain adjusting means to increase or decrease the gain when a reason related to the brightness of the background of the photographing result is input from the deletion reason switch. The apparatus of claim 1.
The reason for deletion includes the reason for the sky color of the shooting result,
The control means shifts the dynamic range by adjusting at least one of the light amount adjusting means and the gain adjusting means when a reason regarding the sky color of the photographing result is input from the deletion reason switch, and A gamma correction value of the gamma correction means is changed. The apparatus of claim 1.
The reason for the deletion includes a reason for inappropriateness of the photographing result for use,
The control unit changes the white balance by controlling the operation of the white balance adjusting unit when a reason relating to the inappropriateness of the photographing result for use is input from the deletion reason switch. . The device according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
The control means changes an amount of control according to the reason for deletion when the same reason for deletion is input again for a photographing result obtained after control according to the reason for deletion. apparatus. Imaging means for photoelectrically converting light from a subject and outputting it as an image signal;
A light amount adjusting means for adjusting an incident light amount incident on the imaging means;
Gain adjusting means for adjusting the gain of the image signal output from the imaging means;
White balance adjusting means for adjusting the white balance of the image signal whose gain has been adjusted;
Gamma correction means for performing gamma correction on the image signal whose gain has been adjusted ;
Display means for displaying the white balance adjusted and gamma-corrected image signal immediately after shooting as a shooting result;
An imaging device having
Means for inputting the reason for dissatisfaction with the shooting result immediately after shooting;
Control means for controlling the operation of at least one of the light amount adjustment means, gain adjustment means, white balance adjustment means, and gamma correction means according to the input reason;
An imaging device comprising: The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:
A flash unit that irradiates a subject with flash light, and the control unit is at least one of the flash unit, the light amount adjustment unit, the gain adjustment unit, the white balance adjustment unit, and the gamma correction unit according to the input reason. An image pickup apparatus that controls the operation of the above.

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