Image output apparatus, method and program

• US 20050243348A1
• Filed: 03/29/2005
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yonaha, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 7,995,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.900
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00132 in a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00167 Processing or editing H04N1/00196 - H04N1/00201 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00188 Printing, e.g. prints or reprints H04N1/0019, H04N1/00196 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6011 with simulation on a subsidiary picture reproducer H04N1/622 takes precedence; matching two or more picture reproducers H04N1/6052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/624 Red-eye correction control of camera based on recognised facial parts H04N23/611

Abstract

Correction processing is performed on a region that requires correction processing, in a photographed image obtained by taking a photograph of a subject, and a corrected image is obtained. The degree of effect is calculated in the corrected image. Then, judgment is made, based on the magnitude of the degree of effect, as to whether it is required to check the effect of correction processing performed on the photographed image. If it is judged that it is required to check the effect of correction processing, at least one of the photographed image and the corrected image is displayed to check the effect. Then, the corrected image is printed.

Claims

1. An image output apparatus comprising:

an effect degree calculation means for calculating the degree of effect in a corrected image, obtained by performing correction processing on a region that requires correction, in a photographed image obtained by taking a photograph of a subject;

a check requirement judgment means for judging, based on the magnitude of the degree of effect, whether it is required to check the effect of correction processing performed on the photographed image;

a check display means for displaying at least one of the photographed image and the corrected image to check the effect of correction processing, if the check requirement judgment means judges that it is required to check the effect of correction processing performed on the photographed image;

an image output instruction means for instructing output of the corrected image after at least one of the images is displayed to check the effect; and

an image output means for outputting the instructed corrected image.

2. An image output apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the image output means is a printer.

3. An image output apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein:

the printer prints the corrected image onto a front surface of a print medium, and prints the contents of the correction processing having a large degree of effect, which was administered on the corrected image, on the rear surface of the print medium.

4. An image output apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the image output means is a recording device for recording onto electronic recording media.

5. An image output apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein:

the recording device records the photographed image in an electronic recording medium along with the corrected image.

6. An image output apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the corrected image is that on which a plurality of correction processes have been administered; and

the effect degree calculation means weights the degree of effect for each of the correction processes when calculating the degree of effect of the corrected image.

7. An image output apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the effect degree calculation means calculates a degree of effect according to the area of the region that requires correction.

8. An image output apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the effect degree calculation means calculates a degree of effect according to variations in pixel values of the region that requires correction between the corrected image and the photographed image.

9. An image output apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein if the degree of effect in the corrected image is higher than a predetermined threshold value, the check requirement judgment means judges that it is required to check the effect of correction processing in the corrected image.

10. An image output apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the check display means displays at least one of the photographed image and the corrected image among a plurality of corrected images sequentially in decreasing order of the degree of effect, from the corrected image in which the degree of effect is the highest, to check the effect of correction processing.

11. An image output apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a face detection means for detecting the face of the subject; and

wherein the region that requires correction is a facial region, detected by the face detection means.

12. An image output apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein:

the effect degree calculation means calculates a degree of effect according to the area of the facial region.

13. An image output apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein;

the effect degree calculation means calculates a degree of effect according to the inclination of the detected face.

14. An image output apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein:

the degree effect calculation means calculates a degree of effect according ot the position of the facial region, detected within the photographed image.

15. An image output apparatus as defined in claim 11, further comprising:

a face checking means, for checking whether the detected face is one of a plurality of faces of subjects, which are registered in advance; and

wherein

the degree effect calculation means calculates a degree of effect according to whether the checked face is the face of one of the pre-registered subjects.

16. An image output apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a red-eye detection means for detecting a red-eye region of the subject;

wherein

the region that requires correction is the red-eye region of the subject, detected by the red-eye detection means; and

the correction processing is red-eye correction processing.

17. A program for causing a computer to function as:

an effect degree calculation means for calculating the degree of effect in a corrected image, obtained by performing correction processing on a region that requires correction, in a photographed image obtained by taking a photograph of a subject;

a check requirement judgment means for judging, based on the magnitude of the degree of effect, whether it is required to check the effect of correction processing performed on the photographed image;

a check display means for displaying at least one of the photographed image and the corrected image to check the effect of correction processing, if the check requirement judgment means judges that it is required to check the effect of correction processing performed on the photographed image;

an image output instruction means for instructing output of the corrected image after at least one of the images is displayed to check the effect; and

an image output means for outputting the instructed corrected image.

19. A computer readable medium having the program defined in claim 17 recorded therein.

18. An image output method comprising the steps of:

effect degree calculation for calculating the degree of effect in a corrected image, obtained by performing correction processing on a region that requires correction, in a photographed image obtained by taking a photograph of a subject;

check requirement judgment for judging, based on the magnitude of the degree of effect, whether it is required to check the effect of correction processing performed on the photographed image;

check display for displaying at least one of the photographed image and the corrected image to check the effect of correction processing, if it is judged in the check requirement judgment that it is required to check the effect of correction processing performed on the photographed image;

image output instruction for instructing output of the corrected image after at least one of the images is displayed to check the effect; and

image output for outputting the instructed corrected image.