Image processing apparatus

• US 6,473,198 B1
• Filed: 09/18/1998
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matama, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, II, Jerome
• Application Number:
  US09/156,399
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 358/487, 358/506, 358/448, 358/453, 358/1.9, 358/538
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/622 with simulation on a subsidiary picture reproducer

Abstract

The improved image processing apparatus comprises a device for receiving input image data from a source of image data supply; an image processing device for performing necessary image processing on the received input image data to produce output image data; an extracting device for extracting at least one specified portion of an image carried by the input image data; and a setting device for setting image processing conditions in accordance with the at least one specified portion extracted by the extracting device and the input image data, and the image processing device performs the image processing on the input image data in accordance with the image processing conditions set by the setting device. This image processing apparatus allows for the setting of image processing conditions that are optimal for the scene of a picture of interest. In digital photoprinters, high-quality prints reproducing images of high quality can be produced consistently.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

means for receiving input image data from a source of image data supply;

image processing means for performing necessary image processing on the input image data received by said receiving means to produce output image data;

extracting means for extracting at least one specified portion of an image carried by the input image data; and

setting means for setting image processing conditions in accordance with said at least one specified portion extracted by said extracting means and the input image data;

wherein said image processing means performs the image processing on the input image data in accordance with the image processing conditions set by said setting means.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setting means changes in accordance with said at least one specified portion extracted by said extracting means the image processing conditions set in accordance with the input image data.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said image processing conditions changed by setting means are processing contents of said image processing performed on said input image data by said image processing means.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said processing contents of said image processing are at least one process selected from the group consisting of sharpness enhancement, dodging, gradation conversion, gray balance correction for removal of stain, color correction, blurring and correction of an exposing illuminant.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said apparatus has at least one of two selecting functions, one selecting function selecting either one of a mode in which said setting means sets different image processing conditions for said at least one specified portion and other regions or a mode in which said setting means sets same image processing conditions for said at least one specified portion and other regions, and other selecting function selecting either one of a mode in which said image processing conditions for said at least one specified portion are changed or a mode in which said image processing conditions for the overall image carried by said input image data including said at least one specified portion;

and

wherein said apparatus has two swichable mode one being an automatic mode in which said at least one of the two selecting functions perform automatic selecting and the other being a command mode which relies upon operator'"'"'s commands.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setting means selects the image processing conditions in accordance with at least one specified portion extracted by said extracting means among a plurality of sets of the image processing conditions previously set.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setting means changes the image processing conditions of the overall image carried by the input image data which contains said at least one specified portion extracted by extracting means to set same image processing conditions for said at least one specified portion and other regions.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setting means changes the image processing conditions set in accordance with said input image data only for said at least one specified portion extracted by extracting means.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setting means sets the image processing conditions which are different between said at least one specified portion and at least one other region.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein setting of the image processing conditions in accordance with said input image data by said setting means and extraction of the at least one specified portion by said extracting means are performed in parallel steps.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, which further includes display means for presenting at least one of a result of extraction of said at least one specified portion and an image that has been subjected to the image processing in accordance with the image processing conditions set by said setting means except or including the at least one specified portion.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least one modification of addition, correction and deletion of said at least one specified portion presented by said display means is capable of being performed.

13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said image performed in accordance with the image processing conditions set by said setting means and presented by said display means is capable of being modified except or including said at least one specified portion.

14. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the steps of extracting the at least one specified portion by said extracting means, setting the image processing conditions by said setting means and presenting the image by said display means is performed using image data having a lower pixel density than the output image data.

15. The image processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the steps of extracting the at least one specified portion by said extracting means, setting the image processing conditions by said setting means and presenting the image by said display means that is performed using the image data having the lower pixel density than the output image data, and the step of obtaining image data having a higher pixel density than said image data having the lower pixel density as said input image data on which said image processing is performed by said image processing means to produce said output image data are performed in parallel steps.

16. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for subjecting said input image data to color/tone correction, wherein said extracting means extracts the at least one specified portion using image data that has been subjected to the color/tone correction.

17. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for subjecting said input image data to gray balance adjustment, wherein said extracting means extracts said at least one specified portion using image data that has been subjected to gray balance adjustment.

18. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setting means has an autosetup function for automatically setting up said input image data, and said extracting means extracts said at leas one specified portion based on image data set up automatically by said setting means or an image carried by the image data.

19. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setting means has two selectable modes as setting modes of the image processing conditions, one being an automatic mode in which the setting means performs automatic setting and the other being a command mode which fully or partly relies upon operator'"'"'s commands.

20. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setting means has two swichable modes, one setting the image processing conditions in accordance with said at least one specified portion extracted by said extracting means and said input image data, and the other setting the image processing conditions in accordance with only said input image data independent of said at least one specified portion extracted by said extracting means.

21. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said extracting means extracts a portion of said input image data including a subject to be captured.

22. The image processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said setting means sets said portion of the input image data including the subject to be captured such that said image processor processes said portion of the input image data so as to provide at least one of a relatively softer tone and a relatively less intense sharpness as compared to normal image processing.

23. The image processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said subject to be captured is a face of a person.

24. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said extracting means extracts a portion of said input image data not including a subject to be captured.

25. The image processing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said setting means sets said portion of the input image data not including subject to be captured such that said image processor processes said portion of the input image data so as to provide at least one of a relatively harder tone and a relatively more intense sharpness as compared to normal image processing.

26. The image processing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said subject to be captured is a face of a person.

27. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

receiving image data from an image receiving means;

extracting at least one portion of the image data;

setting image processing conditions for each of said at least one extracted portion of the image data; and

processing each of said at least one extracted portion of the image data;

wherein said processing is performed on the image data in accordance with the image processing conditions set by said setting means.

28. The image processing method according to claim 27, wherein said setting method sets the image processing conditions which are different between said at least one extracted portion and at least one other region.

29. The image processing method according to claim 27, wherein said extracting includes extracting a portion of said received image data including subject to be captured.

30. The image processing method according to claim 29, wherein said setting includes setting processing conditions of said portion of the image data including the subject to be captured such that said portion of the image data is processed so as to provide at least one of a relatively softer tone and a relatively less intense sharpness as compared to normal image processing.

31. The image processing apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said subject to be captured is a face of a person.

32. The image processing method according to claim 27, wherein said extracting includes extracting a portion of said received image data not including a subject to be captured.

33. The image processing method according to claim 32, wherein said setting includes setting processing conditions of said portion of the image data not including the subject to be captured such that said portion of the image data is processed so as to provide at least one of a relatively harder tone and a relatively more intense sharpness as compared to normal image processing.

34. The image processing apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said subject to be captured is a face of a person.