IMAGE CAPTURING DEVICE, IMAGE CAPTURING METHOD AND CONTROLLING PROGRAM

• US 20080273097A1
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: NAGASHIMA, Akio
• Application Number:
  US12/057,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20080273097A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.99
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/255 Detecting or recognising potential candidate objects based on visual cues, e.g. shapes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

When a shutter button is half-pressed, image signal of a field image is read from a CCD, and is converted into image data of digital. For example three faces are detected based on the image data, and a face central coordinate of each face is extracted and a face centroid coordinate of the faces is calculated based on the face central coordinates. When all of the face central coordinates are inside the shooting screen and the face centroid coordinates is inside the determination area, the digital camera induces the user to perform image capturing, with use of an LED and audio guidance. When the shutter button is full-pressed, image signal of a frame image is read from a CCD, and is converted into image data of digital. After various image processing, the image data is stored in a memory card.

Claims

1. An image capturing device for obtaining image data by photo-electrically converting a subject image focused on an imaging element through an imaging optical system, and storing said image data in a storing section, said image capturing device comprising:

a face detecting section for detecting a face of said subject based on said image data;

a face center detecting section for detecting a central coordinate of said face in a shooting screen based on said image data of said detected face;

a face centroid detecting section for detecting a centroid coordinate which is a center of all faces based on said central coordinate of each face detected by said face center detecting section when plural faces are detected by said face detecting section;

a judging section for judging whether said central coordinate of each face is inside said shooting screen or not and whether said centroid coordinate is inside a predetermined determination area provided in said shooting screen or not; and

a controlling section for permitting image capturing when said judging section judges that said central coordinate is inside said shooting screen and said centroid coordinate is inside said determination area.

2. An image capturing device claimed in claim 1 further comprising an eye detecting section for detecting both eyes of said subject based on said image data of said face detected by said face detecting section and for detecting whether said both eyes are open or not,

wherein said controlling section permits image capturing when said judging section judges that said central coordinate is inside said shooting screen and said centroid coordinate is inside said determination area, and said eye detecting section detects that said both eyes are open.

3. An image capturing device claimed in claim 1, wherein said determination area is smaller than said shooting screen which is set at the center of said shooting screen and has a shape similar to said shooting screen.

4. An image capturing device claimed in claim 1, wherein said controlling section informs said subject that said image capturing is permitted, when said controlling section permits said image capturing.

5. An image capturing device claimed in claim 1, wherein said controlling section gives a guidance to persuade the user to change a position of said subject or said image capturing device so that said image capturing is permitted, when judges that said image capturing cannot be permitted.

6. An image capturing device claimed in claim 1, further comprising an area size changing section for reducing a size of said determination area with respect to said shooting screen as the number of said detected faces increases.

7. An image capturing device claimed in claim 1, wherein said controlling section automatically performs said image capturing when permits said image capturing.

8. An image capturing device claimed in claim 7, wherein said controlling section automatically performs continuous image capturing of plural frames.

9. An image capturing device claimed in claim 1, wherein said imaging optical system is a zoom lens whose focal distance can be changed, said image capturing device further comprising:

a face size detecting section for detecting a size of said detected face in said shooting screen based on said image data of said face;

a face size designating section for designating a face size; and

a face size judging section for judging whether said detected face size corresponds with said designated face size or not,

wherein said controlling section changes said focal distance of said imaging optical system when said face size judging section judges that said detected face size does not correspond with said designated face size.

10. An image capturing device claimed in claim 9, wherein said face size designating section designates said face size according to at least one mode selected from an up-shot mode in which a closeup of said face of said subject is captured, a bust-shot mode in which an upper body of said subject is captured, and a full-shot mode in which a whole body of said subject is captured.

11. An image capturing device claimed in claim 10, wherein said controlling section performs:

capturing a bust-shot image, trimming an up-shot image from said bust-shot image and recording said bust-shot image and said up-shot image when said face size designating section designates said up-shot mode and said bust-shot mode at once;

capturing a full-shot image, trimming a bust-shot image from said full-shot image and recording said full-shot image and said bust-shot image when said face size designating section designates said bust-shot mode and said full-shot mode at once;

capturing a full-shot image, trimming an up-shot image from said full-shot image and recording said full-shot image and said up-shot image when said face size designating section designates said up-shot mode and said full-shot mode at once; and

capturing a full-shot image, trimming a bust-shot image and an up-shot image from said full-shot image and recording said full-shot image, said bust-shot image and said up-shot image when said face size designating section designates said up-shot mode, said bust-shot mode and said full-shot mode at once.

12. An image capturing device for obtaining image data by photo-electrically converting a subject image focused on an imaging element through an imaging optical system, and storing said image data in a storing section, said image capturing device comprising:

a segment designating section for virtually dividing a shooting screen into plural segments and designating a segment for displaying a face of said subject;

a number and interval setting section for setting the number of image capturing and a capturing interval;

a self-timer for starting time measurement in response to shutter release operation and permitting image capturing after a predetermined time is passed;

a face detecting section for detecting a face of said subject based on said image data after said self-timer starts time measurement;

a face center detecting section for detecting a central coordinate of said face in a shooting screen based on said image data of said detected face;

a face centroid detecting section for detecting a centroid coordinate which is a center of all faces based on said central coordinate of each face detected by said face center detecting section when plural faces are detected by said face detecting section;

a judging section for judging whether said central coordinate of each face is inside said designated segment or not and whether said centroid coordinate is inside a predetermined determination area provided in said designated segment or not;

an exposure calculating section for calculating a correct exposure based on said image data of said face;

a focus position detecting section for detecting a focus position based on said image data of said face; and

a controlling section for locking said correct exposure and said focus position and performing image capturing with said number of image capturing and said capturing interval set by said number and interval setting section, when said judging section judges that said central coordinate of each face is inside said designated segment and said centroid coordinate is inside said determination area and after said self-timer measures said predetermined time.

13. An image capturing device claimed in claim 12, wherein said controlling section gives a guidance to persuade the user to change a position of said subject or said image capturing device, when said judging section judges that said central coordinate is not inside said designated segment and/or said centroid coordinate is not inside said determination area.

14. An image capturing method for obtaining image data by photo-electrically converting a subject image focused through an imaging optical system, and storing said image data in a storing section, said image capturing method comprising steps of:

detecting a face of said subject based on said image data;

detecting a central coordinates of said face in a shooting screen based on said image data of said detected face;

detecting a centroid coordinate which is a center of all faces based on said central coordinate of each face detected by said face center detecting step when plural faces are detected by said face detecting step;

judging whether said central coordinate of each face is inside said shooting screen or not and whether said centroid coordinate is inside a predetermined determination area provided in said shooting screen or not; and

permitting image capturing when said central coordinate is judged to be inside said shooting screen and said centroid coordinate is judged to be inside said determination area.

15. An image capturing method claimed in claim 14 further comprising a step for detecting both eyes of said subject based on said image data of said face detected by said face detecting step and for detecting whether said both eyes are open or not,

wherein said image capturing is permitted when it is judged in said judging step that said central coordinate is inside said shooting screen and said centroid coordinate is inside said determination area, and said eye detecting step detects that said both eyes are open.

16. A controlling program for an image capturing device which obtains image data by photo-electrically converting a subject image focused through an imaging optical system, and stores said image data in a storing section, said controlling program controlling said image capturing device to perform processes of:

detecting a face of said subject based on said image data;

detecting a central coordinate of said face in a shooting screen based on said image data of said detected face;

detecting a centroid coordinate which is a center of all faces based on said central coordinate of each face detected by said face center coordinate detecting process when plural faces are detected by said face detecting process;

judging whether said central coordinate of each face is inside said shooting screen or not and whether said centroid coordinate is inside a predetermined determination area provided in said shooting screen or not; and

permitting image capturing when said central coordinate is judged to be inside said shooting screen and said centroid coordinate is judged to be inside said determination area.

17. A controlling program for an image capturing device claimed in claim 16 further comprising a process for detecting both eyes of said subject based on said image data of said face detected by said face detecting process and for detecting whether said both eyes are open or not,

wherein said image capturing is permitted when it is judged in said judging process that said central coordinate is inside said shooting screen and said centroid coordinate is inside said determination area, and said eyes detecting process detects that said both eyes are open.