Digital camera and method of controlling a digital camera to determine image sharpness

• US 20040145670A1
• Filed: 01/12/2004
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Techwin Corporation (Hanwha Corporation)
• Inventors: Hong, Sei-won
• Granted Patent: US 7,420,601 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body

Abstract

Provided is a method of controlling a digital camera to enlarge part of an object included in a captured image and display the enlarged part of the captured image on a screen so that the user determines sharpness of the image, which includes determining whether a human face is included in the captured image, selecting the human face in the captured image as a region to be enlarged, dividing the captured image into at least two regions and selecting one of the regions having the largest amount of edge information as a region to be enlarged, enlarging the region selected in the selection step or the dividing and selection steps, and displaying the image enlarged in the enlargement step on a screen.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a digital camera so that a user may determine sharpness of a digital image, the method comprising:

determining whether a human face is included in a digital image;

selecting a region of the image;

enlarging the region selected; and

displaying the enlarged region on a display unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the human face is included in the digital image further comprises:

extracting color information of the digital image and comparing the extracted color image with at least one skin color.

3. The method of claim 1, the step of selecting a region of the image further comprising:

if a human face is determined to be included in the image, selecting an image region that includes the human face.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of selecting a region of the image further comprises:

searching for a T-shaped portion of the image formed by eyes, nose, and mouth on the human face and

if the T-shaped portion is detected, selecting an image region including the T-shaped portion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting a region of the image is performed by the digital camera.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting a region of the image is performed via user input.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting a region of the image further comprises:

if a human face is determined not to be included in the digital image, dividing the image into at least two regions; and

selecting the region having the largest amount of edge information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of setting a detection region in which to detect the existence of a human face, so that the determination of whether a human face is included in a digital image is made by searching the detection region set.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the digital camera sets the detection region.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a central portion of the image is set as a detection region in which to detect the existence of a human face.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises the step of displaying the digital image on the screen, and wherein the user sets a detection region to detect the human face from the image displayed on the screen.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the initial step of:

displaying the image.

13. The method of claim 1, the step of selecting a region of the image comprising:

if a human face is determined to be included in the digital image, selecting an image region that includes the human face; and

if a human face is determined not to be included in the digital image, dividing the image is divided into at least two regions and selecting the region having the largest amount of edge information.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the display unit is an LCD screen.

15. A digital camera comprising:

an optical system;

an optoelectric converter that converts light from the optical system into an electrical analog signal;

an analog-to-digital converter that converts the analog signal into a digital signal;

a digital signal processor that processes the digital signal;

a microcontroller;

a recording medium;

a display;

a means for detecting a human face in a digital image;

a means for selecting an image region that includes a human face;

a means for dividing the image into at least two regions;

a means for selecting the image region having the largest amount of edge information;

a means for enlarging an image region.

16. The digital camera of claim 15, further comprising:

a means for detecting a T-shaped portion of the image formed by eyes, nose, and mouth on a human face.

17. The digital camera of claim 15, wherein the means for detecting a human face in a digital image, the means for selecting an image region that includes a human face, the means for dividing the image into at least two regions, the means for selecting the image region having the largest amount of edge information, and the means for enlarging an image region each comprises a digital signal processor.

18. The digital camera of claim 15, wherein the means for detecting a human face in a digital image, the means for selecting an image region that includes a human face, the means for dividing the image into at least two regions, the means for selecting the image region having the largest amount of edge information, and the means for enlarging an image region each comprises a microcontroller.

19. The digital camera of claim 15, wherein the means for detecting a human face in a digital image comprises a digital signal processor.

20. The digital camera of claim 15, wherein the means for detecting a human face in a digital image comprises a microcontroller.