IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, PROGRAM, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20110129151A1
• Filed: 11/05/2010
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: SAITO, Mamoru, Iguchi, Kazuaki, Une, Hideho
• Granted Patent: US 8,665,343 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/181
• 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

An image processing apparatus including: a scene recognition section recognizing a scene captured by an image; an assigning section selecting a change-target parameter being an adjustment parameter whose parameter value is to be changed from a plurality of adjustment parameters adjusting the image in response to the scene of the image, and assigning the parameter to a specific operation section being a specific operation section out of user-operable operation sections; and a parameter setting section setting a parameter value of the change-target parameter assigned to the specific operation section in response to operation of the specific operation section by a user.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a scene recognition means for recognizing a scene captured by an image;

an assigning means for selecting a change-target parameter being an adjustment parameter whose parameter value is to be changed from a plurality of adjustment parameters adjusting the image in response to the scene of the image, and assigning the parameter to a specific operation section being a specific operation section out of user-operable operation sections; and

a parameter setting means for setting a parameter value of the change-target parameter assigned to the specific operation section in response to operation of the specific operation section by a user.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the assigning means selects two or more adjustment parameters as the change-target parameters from the plurality of adjustment parameters in response to the image scene, and assigns the parameters to the specific operation section being one specific operation section out of the user-operable sections;

and

the parameter setting means simultaneously sets parameter values of the two or more change-target parameters assigned to the specific operation section in response to the operation of the specific operation section by the user.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the scene recognition means determines and recognizes the image scene from the image.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein each scene of an image and the adjustment parameter to be selected as the change-target parameter in response to the image scene are stored in association with each other, and

the assigning means selects the adjustment parameter related to the scene recognized by the recognition means as the change-target parameter.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a parameter characteristic indicating a relationship between an operation value of the specific operation section and a parameter value of the change-target parameter is stored in association with each scene of an image, and

the parameter setting means sets a parameter value of the change-target parameter in accordance with the parameter characteristic related to the scene recognized by the recognition means in response to an operation of the specific operation section.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the parameter characteristic used for setting a parameter value in response to operation of the specific operation section is set in response to user'"'"'s operation.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the parameter characteristic used for setting a parameter value in response to operation of the specific operation section is set by being changed in response to user'"'"'s operation.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein a plurality of parameter characteristics are stored for one of the change-target parameters, and

the parameter characteristic used for setting a parameter value in response to operation of the specific operation section is selected to set from the plurality of parameter characteristics in response to user'"'"'s operation.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a user learns operation of the specific operation section as operation learning, and an initial value of a parameter value of the change-target parameter assigned to the specific operation section is set on the basis of a result of the operation learning.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein a parameter value of change-target parameter set in the past in response to user'"'"'s operation on the specific operation section is stored as the operation learning, and an initial value of a parameter value of the change-target parameter assigned to the specific operation section is set on the basis of the parameter value stored by the operation learning.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein a parameter value of a change-target parameter set in the past in response to user'"'"'s operation on the specific operation section is stored as the operation learning and a shooting environment of shooting the image when the parameter value is set are stored in association with each other as the operation learning, and an initial value of a parameter value of the change-target parameter assigned to the specific operation section is set on the basis of the parameter value related to a shooting environment matching the shooting environment of the image.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when the specific operation section is operated simultaneously with a predetermined operation section of the operation section, the parameter setting means sets a parameter value of the change-target parameter assigned to the specific operation section in response to operation of the specific operation section.

13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display means for displaying an image corresponding to a current parameter value of the change-target parameter, and an image corresponding to the parameter value set by the parameter setting means when operated so that an operation value of the specific operation section becomes a predetermined value.

14. The image processing apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein when the image displayed by the display means is selected by the user, the parameter setting means sets the parameter value of the change-target parameter to the parameter value of the image selected by the user.

15. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image capturing means for capturing an image.

16. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the specific operation section is a physical operation dial, an operation lever, an operation ring, a touch button displayed on a touch panel, or a touch slide bar.

17. A method of processing an image, comprising the steps of:

an image processing apparatus

recognizing a scene captured by an image;

selecting a change-target parameter being an adjustment parameter whose parameter value is to be changed from a plurality of adjustment parameters adjusting the image, and assigning the parameter to a specific operation section being a specific operation section out of user-operable sections in response to the scene of the image; and

setting a parameter value of the change-target parameter assigned to the specific operation section in response to operation of the specific operation section by a user.

18. A program for causing a computer to perform functions comprising:

a scene recognition means for recognizing a scene captured by an image;

an assigning means for selecting a change-target parameter being an adjustment parameter whose parameter value is to be changed from a plurality of adjustment parameters adjusting the image, and assigning the parameter to a specific operation section being a specific operation section out of user-operable sections in response to the scene of the image; and

a parameter setting means for setting a parameter value of the change-target parameter assigned to the specific operation section in response to operation of the specific operation section by a user.

19. A recording medium recording a program for causing a computer to perform functions comprising:

a scene recognition means for recognizing a scene captured by an image;

an assigning means for selecting a change-target parameter being an adjustment parameter whose parameter value is to be changed from a plurality of adjustment parameters adjusting the image, and assigning the parameter to a specific operation section being a specific operation section out of user-operable sections in response to the scene of the image; and

a parameter setting means for setting a parameter value of the change-target parameter assigned to the specific operation section in response to operation of the specific operation section by a user.

20. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a scene recognition mechanism recognizing a scene captured by an image;

an assigning mechanism selecting a change-target parameter being an adjustment parameter whose parameter value is to be changed from a plurality of adjustment parameters adjusting the image in response to the scene of the image, and assigning the parameter to a specific operation section being a specific operation section out of user-operable operation sections; and

a parameter setting mechanism setting a parameter value of the change-target parameter assigned to the specific operation section in response to operation of the specific operation section by a user.