JP2005157641A - Image processing apparatus and method, and image processing program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processing apparatus and method and an image processing program that can facilitate a check for an image subject to red-eye correction. <P>SOLUTION: A CPU 60 of a personal computer 2 refers to a strobe flash condition and a red-eye correction execution history added to tag information 53 on image files 50 captured from a digital camera 10 to identify image files 50 subject to red-eye correction. On a window 72b of an image processing browser 70, only thumbnail images 52 of the image files 50 identified by the CPU 60 as red-eye correction objects are displayed selectively. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method for performing image correction on image data captured by a digital camera, and an image processing program.

  When a digital camera is used to shoot with a strobe, a so-called red-eye phenomenon may occur in which the pupil portion of a person's eyes appears red. As a device for correcting an image in which this red-eye phenomenon has occurred, the user specifies an area including one eye or both eyes that are red-eyed, and based on pixel information around the specified area, There has been proposed a red-eye detection and correction device that automatically determines the number of red eyes and detects the position thereof (see Patent Document 1).

  Also, ask the user to specify the red-eye position, target color, and catchlight position, and form a gradation pattern of the target color radially from the center of the specified red-eye position toward the peripheral edge. There has been proposed an image processing device (see Patent Document 2) that forms a high-luminance region at the catchlight position.

  Furthermore, for areas where red-eye may exist, an evaluation value is calculated by a predetermined calculation for items such as area, maximum length, and average saturation, and this evaluation value is used to evaluate the possibility of the red-eye area. An image processing apparatus to be used has been proposed (see Patent Document 3).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-322192 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-91761 JP-A-10-233929

  In each device described in Patent Documents 1 to 3, the above processing is performed on the assumption that the user himself selects an image file to be subjected to red-eye correction after taking the image file from the digital camera. However, as the capacity of recording media has increased in recent years and the shooting conditions have diversified, the number and type of image files to be imported from digital cameras has become enormous. It took a lot of time and effort to make a choice.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus and method, and an image processing program capable of easily confirming an image to be subjected to red-eye correction.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, an image file including image data photographed by a digital camera and tag information related to the image data is captured, and image correction is performed on the image data. In the image processing apparatus, referring to the strobe light emission state and the red-eye correction execution history added to the tag information, a correction target specifying unit for specifying an image file to be subjected to the red-eye correction, and the correction target specifying unit And image display means for selectively displaying only the image file specified as the target for red-eye correction.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image processing apparatus that takes in an image file including image data photographed by a digital camera and tag information related to the image data, and performs image correction on the image data, the tag information Referring to the strobe lighting state and the red-eye correction execution history appended to the above, the correction target specifying means for specifying the image file that is the target of red eye correction, and the correction target specifying means specified as the target of the red eye correction Image display means for effectively displaying a user interface for instructing execution of the red-eye correction only when a folder in which the image file is stored or when the image file is selected.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image processing method for capturing image data captured by a digital camera and an image file including tag information related to the image data, and performing image correction on the image data, the tag information Referring to the flash emission state and the red-eye correction execution history attached to the above, the image file to be subjected to the red-eye correction is specified, and only the image file specified as the target for the red-eye correction is selectively displayed. It is characterized by doing.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image processing method in which image data including image data photographed by a digital camera and tag information related to the image data is fetched and image correction is performed on the image data. Referring to the strobe flashing state and the red-eye correction execution history attached to the above, the image file to be subjected to the red-eye correction is specified, and the folder in which the image file specified as the target for the red-eye correction exists, or Only when the image file is selected, a user interface for instructing execution of the red-eye correction is effectively displayed.

  The image processing program according to claim 5 is an image processing apparatus that takes in an image file including image data captured by a digital camera and tag information related to the image data, and performs image correction on the image data. Refers to the strobe flashing state and the red-eye correction execution history attached to the tag information, and selects only the image file specified as the red-eye correction target and the function for specifying the red-eye correction target image file. It is characterized by realizing a display function.

  The image processing program according to claim 6 is an image processing apparatus that takes in an image file including image data captured by a digital camera and tag information related to the image data, and performs image correction on the image data. There is a function for specifying an image file to be subjected to the red-eye correction with reference to a strobe light emission state added to the tag information and a red-eye correction execution history, and an image file specified as the target for the red-eye correction exists. Only when a folder or the image file is selected, a function of effectively displaying a user interface for instructing execution of the red-eye correction is realized.

  According to the image processing apparatus and method and the image processing program of the present invention, an image file to be subjected to red-eye correction is referred to by referring to the flash emission state and the red-eye correction execution history added to the tag information of the image file. Only the image file specified by the correction target specifying unit and specified by the correction target specifying unit as the red eye correction target is selectively displayed by the image display unit, or the image file specified as the red eye correction target is displayed. The user interface for instructing the execution of red-eye correction is effectively displayed only when an existing folder or the image file is selected, so that it is possible to easily check the image to be subjected to red-eye correction. Therefore, the red-eye correction process can be performed more smoothly.

  In FIG. 1, a digital camera 10 is connected to a personal computer (PC) 2 to which the present invention is applied. The PC 2 can capture an image file 50 (see FIG. 3) from the digital camera 10 and perform various image correction processes on the image file 50.

  In FIG. 2 showing the electrical configuration of the digital camera 10, a CCD 21 that converts subject light incident from the imaging lens 20 into an imaging signal is disposed behind the imaging lens 20. The imaging signal converted by the CCD 21 is input to a correlated double sampling circuit (CDS) 22. The CDS 22 outputs the imaging signal input from the CCD 21 as R, G, B image data that accurately corresponds to the accumulated charge amount of each cell of the CCD 21.

  Image data output from the CDS 22 is amplified by an amplifier (AMP) 23. The A / D converter (A / D) 24 converts the image data amplified by the AMP 23 into digital image data. The digital image data output from the A / D 24 is transmitted to the image signal processing circuit 25.

  The image signal processing circuit 25 performs various types of image processing such as gradation conversion, white balance correction, and γ correction processing on the image data. Image data that has been subjected to various types of image processing by the image signal processing circuit 25 is temporarily stored in the SDRAM 26. The image data stored in the SDRAM 26 is converted into a composite signal by the LCD driver 27 and displayed on the LCD 28.

  The YC processing circuit 29 reads the image data that has been subjected to various types of image processing by the image signal processing circuit 25 from the SDRAM 26 and converts it into a luminance signal Y and color difference signals Cr and Cb. The compression / decompression processing circuit 30 performs image compression on the converted image data in a predetermined compression format (for example, JPEG format).

  The image data compressed by the compression / decompression processing circuit 30 is recorded in the memory card 32 via the card I / F 31 in the form of an image file 50. The image file 50 recorded on the memory card 32 is transmitted to an external device such as the PC 2 via the communication I / F 33 and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector 34.

  The CPU 35 is connected to each unit via the bus 36 and controls the overall operation of the digital camera 2. Connected to the CPU 35 are a release button 37, an operation unit 38, and an EEPROM 39 that are operated when shooting is performed.

  The release button 37 is a two-stage push switch. After the framing by the LCD 28, when the release button 37 is lightly pressed (half-pressed), various shooting preparation processes such as automatic exposure adjustment (AE) and automatic focus adjustment (AF) are performed. In this state, when the release button 37 is pressed again (fully pressed) once, the image signal for one screen on which the image preparation process has been performed is converted into image data, and then the image signal processing circuit 25 and the compression / decompression circuit Image processing and compression processing by 30 are performed and recorded in the memory card 32.

  The operation unit 38 is a zoom operation button for changing the zoom magnification of the imaging lens 20 to the wide side or the tele side, a menu screen for displaying a menu screen on the LCD 28, or a menu button for determining / cancelling the selection contents, the LCD 28 It consists of a cross key for moving the cursor in the menu screen displayed on the screen.

  In the EEPROM 39, various control programs and setting information are recorded. The CPU 35 reads these pieces of information from the EEPROM 39 to the SDRAM 26 which is a working memory, and executes various processes.

  The photometry / ranging circuit 40 detects the luminance of the subject and the distance between the subject and the imaging lens 20 and transmits the detection result to the CPU 35. Based on this detection result, the CPU 35 adjusts various parameters of the imaging lens 20 so that an appropriate focal length and exposure amount are obtained. The photometry / ranging circuit 40 drives a strobe control circuit 42 that controls the imaging lens 20 and the strobe device 41 based on the adjustment signal fed back from the CPU 35.

  Flash modes of the flash device 41 include, for example, an automatic flash mode that automatically flashes when the subject brightness is low, a forced flash mode that flashes regardless of the subject brightness, a flash prohibit mode that prohibits flash firing, and a red-eye phenomenon. There are red-eye reduction modes for reducing, and the like, which can be selected by operating the operation unit 38.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the image file 50 recorded on the memory card 32 includes a main image 51, a thumbnail image 52, tag information 53 related to image data, and the like. The tag information 53 includes a strobe light emission status (whether or not strobe light is emitted, strobe light emission mode), a red eye correction execution history, and the like.

  In the digital camera 10, each time an image file 50 is recorded on the memory card 32, a unique file name (a serial number consecutive in the order of photographing, for example, DSCF0001.JPG) is assigned to the image file 50. These are stored in the same folder 71 (see FIG. 5). The file name extension “.JPG” represents image data compressed in the JPEG format. When moving image data is recorded, audio data (extension “.AVI”) associated therewith is also recorded in association with it.

  In FIG. 4, the overall operation of the PC 2 is controlled by the CPU 60. The CPU 60 is connected to the RAM 62, the ROM 63, and the input / output I / F 64 via the bus 61. In the RAM 62, the image file 50 captured from the digital camera 10 is recorded. The ROM 63 is installed with a program necessary for starting up the PC 2 and an image processing program 65 for performing various image correction processes on the image file 50 captured from the digital camera 10. A monitor 66, a keyboard 67, a mouse 68, and a USB connector 69 are connected to the input / output I / F 64.

  The CPU 60 refers to the flash emission state and the red-eye correction execution history added to the tag information 53 of the image file 50 captured from the digital camera 10, and the red-eye correction is performed by shooting with the flash. Those that are not captured or photographed in a light emission mode other than the light emission prohibition mode are identified from among a plurality of image files 50 in the corresponding folder 71 as image files 50 to be subjected to red-eye correction.

  When the image processing program 65 is activated, an image processing browser 70 as shown in FIG. The image processing browser 70 includes an explorer window 72a for assisting the search for the folder 71, a window 72b for displaying the thumbnail image 52 of the image file 50 in the folder 71, and a window 72c for displaying the review image 73. A red-eye correction icon 74 for instructing execution of red-eye correction is displayed. Only the thumbnail image 52 of the image file 50 specified as the target for red-eye correction by the CPU 60 is selectively displayed in the window 72b. The review image 73 is displayed by placing the cursor 75 of the mouse 68 on the thumbnail image 52 and clicking the mouse 68.

  When the red-eye correction icon 74 is selected while the review image 73 is displayed, a red-eye correction browser 80 as shown in FIG. 6 is displayed on the monitor 66. A review image 73 and a hand cursor 81 are displayed on the red-eye correction browser 80. The red-eye correction is automatically performed by bringing the hand cursor 81 to the red-eye portion of the review image 73 and clicking the mouse 68. The CPU 60 rewrites the red-eye correction execution history of the tag information 53 of the image file 50 subjected to red-eye correction to “Yes”, and then records the red-eye corrected image file 50 in the RAM 62.

  Next, the effect | action by the said structure is demonstrated. First, when photographing a subject with the digital camera 10, subject light incident through the imaging lens 20 is photoelectrically converted by the CCD 21 and sampled by the CDS 22.

  The image data output from the CDS 22 is amplified by the AMP 23 and converted into digital image data by the A / D 24. The digitally converted image data is subjected to various image processing by the image signal processing circuit 25 and sequentially stored in the SDRAM 26. The image data stored in the SDRAM 26 is displayed as a through image on the LCD 28 via the LCD driver 27. When the release button 37 is half-pressed in this state, various shooting preparation processes are performed.

  After shooting preparation processing, when shooting is executed by fully pressing the release button 37, image data stored in the SDRAM 26 at that time is read out to the YC processing circuit 29, and the luminance signal Y and the color difference signals Cr and Cb are read. After the conversion, the compression processing is performed by the compression / decompression processing circuit 30 and recorded in the memory card 32 via the card I / F 31.

  The tag information 53 of the image file 50 recorded on the memory card 32 is appended with information such as a strobe emission state (whether or not strobe light is emitted, a strobe emission mode), a red-eye correction execution history, and the like. A file name is assigned to each image file 50 and is stored in the same folder 71 together with the main image 51 and the thumbnail image 52.

  After the photographing of the subject is completed, the PC 2 and the digital camera 10 are connected by USB via the USB connectors 34 and 69, and the folder 71 storing a plurality of image files 50 is taken into the RAM 62 from the memory card 32.

  When the image processing program 65 is activated, the image processing browser 70 is displayed on the monitor 66. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7, the CPU 60 refers to the flash emission state and the red-eye correction execution history added to the tag information 53 of the image file 50 captured from the digital camera 10, and is subject to red-eye correction. An image file 50 is specified from among a plurality of image files 50 in the folder 71. Then, only the thumbnail image 52 of the image file 50 specified as a target for red-eye correction by the CPU 60 is selectively displayed on the window 72b of the image processing browser 70.

  When the red-eye correction icon 74 is selected while the review image 73 is displayed, the red-eye correction browser 80 is displayed on the monitor 66. In this state, the hand cursor 81 is set to the red-eye portion of the review image 73 and the mouse 68 is clicked, so that red-eye correction is automatically performed.

  After the red-eye correction, the red-eye correction execution history of the tag information 53 of the image file 50 subjected to the red-eye correction is rewritten to “Yes”, and the red-eye corrected image file 50 is recorded in the RAM 62. With such a configuration, it is possible to save the trouble of searching for an image to be subjected to red-eye correction while checking the images one by one as in the prior art, and the red-eye correction process can be performed more smoothly.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the red-eye correction icon 74 is enabled only when the folder 71 in which the image file 50 specified as the red-eye correction target by the CPU 60 exists or when the image file 50 is selected. The folder 71 or the image file 50 in which the image file 50 that is the target of red-eye correction exists may be confirmed by the display state of the red-eye correction icon 74. In this case, when the folder 71 in which the image file 50 that is the target for red-eye correction does not exist or the image file 50 that is not the target for red-eye correction is selected, the red-eye correction icon 74 is not displayed or disabled.

It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the digital camera was connected to the personal computer to which this invention is applied. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of a digital camera. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of an image file. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of a personal computer. It is explanatory drawing which shows the display content of an image processing browser. It is explanatory drawing which shows the display content of a red eye correction browser. It is a flowchart which shows the image processing procedure by a personal computer. It is a flowchart which shows another embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows another embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

2 Personal computer (PC)
10 Digital Camera 20 Imaging Lens 21 CCD
25 Image signal processing circuit 28 LCD
32 Memory card 35 CPU
37 Release button 41 Strobe device 50 Image file 53 Tag information 60 CPU
65 Image processing program 66 Monitor 70 Image processing browser 71 Folder 74 Red-eye correction icon 80 Red-eye correction browser

Claims (6)

In an image processing apparatus that captures image data captured by a digital camera and an image file including tag information related to the image data, and performs image correction on the image data,
Correction target specifying means for specifying an image file to be subjected to red-eye correction with reference to the strobe emission state and red-eye correction execution history added to the tag information;
An image processing apparatus comprising: an image display means for selectively displaying only the image file specified as the red-eye correction target by the correction target specifying means. In an image processing apparatus that captures image data captured by a digital camera and an image file including tag information related to the image data, and performs image correction on the image data,
Correction target specifying means for specifying an image file to be subjected to red-eye correction with reference to the strobe emission state and red-eye correction execution history added to the tag information;
Only when a folder in which the image file specified as the red-eye correction target by the correction target specifying unit exists or when the image file is selected, the user interface for instructing the execution of the red-eye correction is effectively displayed. An image processing apparatus comprising an image display means. In an image processing method for capturing image data captured by a digital camera and an image file including tag information related to the image data and performing image correction on the image data,
Referring to the strobe lighting state and red-eye correction execution history added to the tag information, identify the image file that is subject to red-eye correction,
An image processing method, wherein only an image file specified as a target for red-eye correction is selectively displayed. In an image processing method for capturing image data captured by a digital camera and an image file including tag information related to the image data and performing image correction on the image data,
Referring to the strobe lighting state and red-eye correction execution history added to the tag information, identify the image file that is subject to red-eye correction,
An image that effectively displays a user interface for instructing execution of the red-eye correction only when a folder in which the image file specified as the target for red-eye correction exists or when the image file is selected. Processing method. In an image processing apparatus that takes in image data captured by a digital camera and an image file including tag information related to the image data, and performs image correction on the image data.
A function for specifying an image file to be subjected to the red-eye correction with reference to a strobe light emission state and a red-eye correction execution history added to the tag information;
An image processing program for realizing a function of selectively displaying only an image file specified as a target for red-eye correction. In an image processing apparatus that takes in image data captured by a digital camera and an image file including tag information related to the image data, and performs image correction on the image data.
A function for specifying an image file to be subjected to the red-eye correction with reference to a strobe light emission state and a red-eye correction execution history added to the tag information;
A function for effectively displaying a user interface for instructing execution of the red-eye correction only when a folder in which the image file specified as the target of the red-eye correction exists or when the image file is selected is realized. An image processing program characterized by the above.

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