Digital photography apparatus with an image-processing unit

• US 6,256,414 B1
• Filed: 04/28/1998
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics, S.R.L. (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics, S.R.L. (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Airoldi, Fabrizio, Mancuso, Massimo, Poluzzi, Rinaldo, DʼAlto, Viviana
• Primary Examiner(s): Couso, Jose L.
• Application Number:
  US09/067,443
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/232, 382/254, 382/255, 382/274, 382/312, 382/313, 382/325, 348/207, 348/208, 348/222, 348/231, 348/232, 348/233, 348/714, 348/715, 348/716, 348/717, 348/718, 348/719, 348/720, 348/721
• US Class Current: 382/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40 Picture signal circuits H04N1/387 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras

Abstract

A digital photography apparatus, particularly a digital still camera, includes circuit portions for acquiring a digital image, and for obtaining a compressed image. The apparatus also includes a memory for storing the compressed image. A processor is provided for obtaining a processed image and corresponding processing parameters from the image acquired. The processor supplies as an output, in a first operative condition, the processed image to be compressed by the compression circuit portion. In a second operative condition, the processor supplies as an output the image acquired to be compressed by the compression portion and the processing parameters to be stored in the memory.

Claims

1. A digital photography apparatus comprising:

an acquisition circuit for acquiring a digital image representative of an actual scene;

a compression circuit for forming a compressed digital image;

a memory for storing the compressed digital image; and

a processor for obtaining a processed digital image and corresponding processing parameters from the acquired digital image and for supplying as an output, in a first operative condition corresponding to a first compression algorithm, the processed digital image to be compressed by the compression circuit and, in a second operative condition corresponding to a second compression algorithm, the acquired digital image to be compressed by the compression circuit and the processing parameters to be stored in the memory with the processing parameters corresponding to the processed digital image obtained from the acquired digital image.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a decompression circuit for decompressing the compressed digital image;

and wherein the processor, in a third operative condition, receives the processed digital image obtained by said compression circuit from the compressed digital image read out from said memory to supply the processed digital image to an external device and, in a fourth operative condition, receives the acquired digital image, obtained by said compression circuit from the compressed digital image read out from said memory, and the processing parameters corresponding to the Processed digital image obtained from the acquired digital image to obtain the processed digital image and to supply the processed digital image to the external device.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a finder for displaying the processed digital image.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a first unit for producing a histogram of a frequency distribution of the acquired digital image, and a second unit for correcting exposure of the digital image acquired in accordance with the histogram.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the processor comprises a third unit for balancing whiteness of the acquired digital image in accordance with the histogram.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a fourth unit for estimating a noise level of the acquired digital image, and a fifth unit for reducing noise of the digital image acquired in accordance with the estimated noise level.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a sixth unit for correcting at least one color tone of the acquired digital image.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor comprises:

a seventh unit for segmenting the acquired digital image into a plurality of regions, and for calculating quantities associated with each of the regions; and

an eighth unit for automatically determining a focus and exposure of the apparatus in accordance with the quantities.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a ninth unit for correcting alterations in the processed digital image obtained from the compressed digital image.

10. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the processor comprises a tenth unit for filtering the processed digital image to be supplied to the finder, and for filtering the processed digital image to be supplied to the external device dependent on the external device.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition circuit comprises an eleventh unit for correcting blurring, and for increasing resolution of the acquired digital image.

12. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the compression circuit, the decompression circuit and the processing circuit are formed on a single chip of semiconductor material.

13. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a digital still camera.

14. A digital photography apparatus comprising:

a compression circuit for forming a compressed digital image;

a memory for storing the compressed digital image; and

a processor for obtaining a processed digital image and corresponding processing parameters from an acquired digital image and for supplying as an output, in a first operative condition corresponding to a first compression algorithm, the processed digital image to be compressed by the compression circuit and, in a second operative condition corresponding to a second compression algorithm, the acquired digital image to be compressed by the compression circuit and the processing parameters to be stored in the memory with the processing parameters corresponding to the processed digital image obtained from the acquired digital image.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a decompression circuit for decompressing the compressed digital image;

and wherein the processor, in a third operative condition, receives the processed digital image obtained by said compression circuit from the compressed digital image read out from said memory to supply the processed digital image to an external device and, in a fourth operative condition, receives the acquired digital image, obtained by said compression circuit from the compressed digital image read out from said memory, and the processing parameters corresponding to the processed digital image obtained from the acquired digital image to obtain the processed digital image and to supply the processed digital image to the external device.

16. An apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a finder for displaying the processed digital image.

17. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the processor comprises a first unit for producing a histogram of a frequency distribution of the acquired digital image, and a second unit for correcting exposure of the digital image acquired in accordance with the histogram.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the processor comprises a third unit for balancing whiteness of the acquired digital image in accordance with the histogram.

19. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the processor comprises a fourth unit for estimating a noise level of the acquired digital image, and a fifth unit for reducing noise of the digital image acquired in accordance with the estimated noise level.

20. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the processor comprises a sixth unit for correcting at least one color tone of the acquired digital image.

21. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the processor comprises:

a seventh unit for segmenting the acquired digital image into a plurality of regions, and for calculating quantities associated with each of the regions; and

an eighth unit for automatically determining a focus and exposure of the apparatus in accordance with the quantities.

22. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the processor comprises a ninth unit for correcting alterations in the processed digital image obtained from the compressed digital image.

23. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the processor comprises a tenth unit for filtering the processed digital image to be supplied to the finder, and for filtering the processed digital image to be supplied to the external device dependent on the external device.

24. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the compression circuit, the decompression circuit and the processing circuit are formed on a single chip of semiconductor material.

25. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the apparatus is a digital still camera.

26. A digital photography method to be used with a digital photography device of a type including a compression circuit for forming a compressed digital image, a memory for storing the compressed digital image and a processor for processing an acquired digital image, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a processed digital image and corresponding processing parameters from an acquired digital image and supplying as an output, in a first operative condition corresponding to a first compression algorithm, the processed digital image to be compressed by the compression circuit and, in a second operative condition corresponding to a second compression algorithm, the acquired digital image to be compressed by the compression circuit and the processing parameters corresponding to the processed digital image, obtained from the acquired digital image, to be stored in the memory.

27. A digital photography method according to claim 26, wherein the digital photography device further comprises a decompression circuit for decompressing the compressed digital image;

and wherein the step of obtaining further comprises in a third operative condition, receiving the processed digital image obtained from the compressed digital image to supply the processed digital image to an external device and, in a fourth operative condition, receiving the acquired digital image, obtained from the compressed digital image, and the corresponding processing parameters, to obtain the processed digital image and to supply the processed digital image to the external device.

28. A digital photography method according to claim 26, further comprising the steps of producing a histogram of a frequency distribution of the acquired digital image, and correcting exposure of the digital image acquired in accordance with the histogram.

29. A digital photography method according to claim 28, further comprising the step of balancing whiteness of the acquired digital image in accordance with the histogram.

30. A digital photography method according to claim 26, further comprising the steps of estimating a noise level of the acquired digital image, and reducing noise of the digital image acquired in accordance with the estimated noise level.

31. A digital photography method according to claim 26, further comprising the step of correcting at least one color tone of the acquired digital image.

32. A digital photography method according to claim 26, further comprising the steps of:

segmenting the acquired digital image into a plurality of regions, and for calculating quantities associated with each of the regions; and

automatically determining a focus and exposure of the apparatus in accordance with the quantities.

33. A digital photography method according to claim 26, further comprising the step of correcting alterations in the processed digital image obtained from the compressed digital image.

34. A digital photography method according to claim 26, further comprising the steps of filtering the processed digital image to be supplied to a finder, and filtering the processed digital image to be supplied to an external device dependent on the external device.

35. A digital photography method according to claim 26, further comprising the steps of correcting blurring, and increasing resolution of the digital acquired image.