Digital cameras and image pickup methods

• US 20060061678A1
• Filed: 09/13/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Hitoshi
• Application Number:
  US11/225,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20060061678A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/349
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method

Abstract

When a shutter button of an operation unit is depressed, a controller controls a lens unit driver such that the focal position of a lens unit is continuously changed. During this operation, an image pickup unit picks up a plurality of different images of a subject successively and then stores them in an image memory. An image processor then calculates contrast values of the picked-up images stored in the image memory and specifies respective focused parts of the images. A display controller then displays the picked-up images on a display such that their specified focused parts are displayed specifically. The controller then stores on a memory card images specified by a user from among the displayed images.

Claims

1. A digital camera comprising:

a lens unit having a changeable focal distance in a predetermined range;

a lens unit driver for driving the lens unit so as to change its focal distance;

image pickup means, responsive to a single image pickup command, for causing the lens unit driver to drive the lens unit, thereby changing the focal distance of the lens unit while picking up a plurality of different images successively;

means for dividing the whole area of each of the plurality of images picked up successively by the image pickup means into a plurality of blocks;

means for calculating a focusing evaluation value of each of the blocks representing how sharp the block is;

means for specifying a well focused block based on the focusing evaluation values of the blocks calculated by the calculating means; and

means for displaying an image that includes the well focused block and an indicator formed on this block indicating that block as a well focused area.

2. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein the specifying means specifies as the well focused one a block whose focusing evaluation value calculated by the calculating means is not less than a predetermined threshold.

3. The digital camera of claim 1, further comprising:

means for recording the images picked up by the image pickup means on a recording medium; and

control means for selecting only the image that includes the block specified by the specifying means among the plurality of images picked up successively by the image pickup means and for causing the recording means to record the selected image on the recording medium.

4. The digital camera of claim 3, wherein the control means controls the recording means such that the selected images and attribute information indicating the blocks of the selected images specified by the specifying means are recorded in corresponding relationship on the recording medium.

5. A digital camera comprising

a lens unit having a changeable focal distance in a predetermined range;

a lens unit driver for driving the lens unit so as to change its focal distance;

image pickup means, responsive to a single image pickup command, for causing the lens unit driver to drive the lens unit, thereby changing the focal distance of the lens unit while picking up a plurality of different images successively;

means for dividing the whole areas of the plurality of images picked up successively by the image pickup means into a plurality of blocks;

means for calculating a focusing evaluation value of each of the blocks representing how sharp the block is;

means for comparing the focusing evaluation values of blocks of the picked-up plurality of images at each same position, for specifying an image including a block that has a maximum one among the focusing evaluation values of blocks of the plurality of images at that same position, and then for further specifying as a focused block on the specified image an image area of the specified image indicated by that block; and

means for displaying images including the blocks specified by the specifying means and having a maximum focusing evaluation value, each block having attached thereto an indicator indicating that block as a focused image area.

6. The digital camera of claim 5, wherein the specifying means compares the focusing evaluation value of each block with a predetermined threshold and then specifies a block, having a focusing evaluation value not less than the predetermined threshold, as a focused one on an associated image.

7. The digital camera of claim 5, wherein the calculating means calculates the contrast value of each block as its focusing evaluation value.

8. The digital camera of claim 5, wherein the images to be displayed by the display means are in the form of thumbnails obtained from the plurality of images picked up successively by the image pickup means.

9. The digital camera of claim 8, wherein the display means displays the thumbnails together.

10. The digital camera of claim 8, further comprising:

means for recording the plurality of images picked up by the image pickup means on a recording medium;

means for giving a command to select an image to be recorded on the recording medium from among the plurality of images picked up by the image pickup means; and

means, responsive to the giving means, for selecting an image to be recorded on the recording medium from among the plurality of images picked up by the image pickup means and for the controlling the recording means so as to record the selected image on the recording medium.

11. The digital camera of claim 10, wherein the control means controls the recording means such that image data representing the selected image and attribute information attached to the image data for specifying a focused block of the image are recorded on the recording medium.

12. The digital camera of claim 11, wherein the control means displays an indicator that indicates the focused block of the image based on the attribute information recorded on the recording medium.

13. An image pickup method of obtaining a good image in a digital camera comprising a lens unit having a changeable focal distance in a predetermined range and a lens unit driver for driving the lens unit so as to change its focal distance, the method comprising the steps of;

responsive to a single image pickup command, causing the lens unit driver to drive the lens unit, thereby changing the focal distance of the lens unit while picking up a plurality of different images successively;

dividing the whole areas of the picked-up plurality of images successively into a plurality of blocks;

calculating a focusing evaluation value of each of the blocks representing how sharp the block is;

specifying a well focused block based on the calculated focusing evaluation values of the blocks; and

displaying an image that includes the well focused block and an indicator formed on this block indicating that block as a well focused area.

14. An image pickup method of obtaining a good image in a digital camera comprising a lens unit having a changeable focal distance in a predetermined range and a lens unit driver for driving the lens unit so as to change its focal distance, the method comprising the steps of;

responsive to a single image pickup command, causing the lens unit driver to drive the lens unit, thereby changing the focal distance of the lens unit while picking up a plurality of different images successively;

dividing the whole areas of the picked-up plurality of images into a plurality of blocks;

calculating a focusing evaluation value of each of the blocks representing how sharp the block is;

comparing the focusing evaluation values of blocks of the picked-up plurality of images at each same position, specifying an image including a block that has a maximum one among the focusing evaluation values of blocks of the plurality of images at that same position, and then further specifying as a focused block on the specified image an image area part of the specified image indicated by that block; and

displaying images including the specified blocks having a maximum focusing evaluation value, each block having attached thereto an indicator indicating that block as a focused image area.