IMAGE TAKING APPARATUS AND IMAGE TAKING METHOD

• US 20090087039A1
• Filed: 09/25/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: MATSUURA, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,477,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/118
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image

Abstract

In an automatic shooting mode, a CPU of a digital camera displays on an LCD a number setting display for setting the number of people to be taken. After the number of people to be taken is set, a through image taken by the CCD is stored in a frame memory and displayed on the LCD. A face detecting section detects and counts faces contained in the through image, and outputs the number of faces as the number of detected people to a number matching section. The number matching section judges whether the set number stored in the frame memory matches the detected number input from the face detecting section. When the number matching section judges that the numbers match each other, the CPU performs an image-taking processing after AF control and AE control.

Claims

1. An image taking apparatus having an imaging section for sequentially obtaining image data by photoelectrically converting a subject image, said image taking apparatus storing on a recording medium said image data obtained when an image-taking start signal being input, said image taking apparatus comprising:

a number setting section for setting the number of specific objects to be contained in said subject image;

an object detecting section for detecting one or more said specific objects contained in said subject image based on said image data, and counting the number of said detected specific objects; and

a number matching section for judging whether said number of said specific objects set by said number setting section and said number of said specific objects detected by said object detecting section match each other; and

a control section for outputting said image-taking start signal when said number matching section judges that said numbers match each other.

2. The image taking apparatus of claim 1, wherein said specific object is a human face.

3. The image taking apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control section outputs said image-taking start signal when a predetermined time lapses after said number matching section judges that said numbers match.

4. The image taking apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control section outputs said image-taking start signal after at least one of focus adjustment and exposure adjustment is performed after said number matching section judges that said numbers match.

5. The image taking apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a motion judging section for judging whether said specific object being in motion, and said control section outputting said image-taking start signal after said number matching section judges that said numbers match each other and after said motion judging section judges that said specific object being motionless.

6. An image taking apparatus having an imaging section for sequentially obtaining image data by photoelectrically converting a subject image, said image taking apparatus storing on a recording medium said image data obtained when an image-taking start signal being input, said image taking apparatus comprising:

an object detecting section for detecting the number of specific objects contained in said subject image based on said image data;

an increment or decrement setting section for setting an increment or decrement of said detected number;

an increment or decrement matching section for judging whether an equation Q3=Q1+Q2 is satisfied, when Q1 being said increment or decrement set in said increment or decrement setting section, and Q2 being said detected number of said specific objects in said image data of the time when said Q1 being set, and Q3 being said detected number of said specific objects in latest image data;

a motion judging section for judging whether said specific object being in motion; and

a control section for outputting said image-taking start signal after said increment or decrement matching section judges that Q3=Q1+Q2 is satisfied, and said motion judging section judges that said specific object being motionless.

7. An image taking method in which image data is sequentially obtained by photoelectrically converting a subject image, and said image data obtained when an image-taking start signal is input being stored on a recording medium, said image taking method comprising the steps of:

(a) setting the number of specific objects to be contained in said subject image;

(b) detecting and counting said specific objects contained in said subject image based on said image data;

(c) judging whether the number of said specific objects set in said step (a) and said number of said specific objects detected in said step (b) match each other; and

(d) outputting said image-taking start signal when said numbers are judged to match in said step (c).

8. The image taking method of claim 7, wherein said specific object is a human face.

9. The image taking method of claim 7, wherein in said step (d), said image-taking start signal is output when a predetermined time lapses after said step (c).

10. The image taking method of claim 7, wherein in said step (d), said image-taking start signal is output after at least one of focus adjustment and exposure adjustment is performed after said step (c).

11. The image taking method of claim 7 further comprising:

(e) judging whether said specific object being in motion, said image-taking start signal being output in said step (d) after said numbers are judged to match in said step (c) and after said specific object is judged motionless in said step (e).

12. An image taking method in which image data is sequentially obtained by photoelectrically converting a subject image, and said image data obtained when an image-taking start signal is input being stored on a recording medium, said image taking method comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting the number of specific objects contained in said subject image based on said image data;

(b) setting an increment or decrement of said detected number;

(c) judging whether an equation Q3=Q1+Q2 is satisfied, when Q1 being said increment or decrement set in said step (b), Q2 being said detected number of said specific objects in said image data of the time when said Q1 is set, and Q3 is said detected number of said specific objects contained in latest image data;

(d) judging whether said specific object being in motion; and

(e) outputting said image-taking start signal when it is judged that Q3=Q1+Q2 is satisfied in said step (c) and said specific object being judged motionless in said step (d).