Digital camera and method of controlling a digital camera to determine image sharpness

• US 7,420,601 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2004
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Techwin Corporation (Hanwha Corporation)
• Inventors: Hong, Sei-won
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Tuan V
• Application Number:
  US10/755,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20040145670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,695 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.01, 348/333.02, 348/333.11, 348/333.12, 348/252, 348/222.1, 382/118, 382/165, 382/173, 382/174, 382/189, 382/199, 382/203, 382/282, 382/298, 382/266, 382/267, 382/268, 382/269
• US Class Current: 348/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body

Abstract

Provided is a method of controlling a digital camera to enlarge part of an object included in a captured image and display the enlarged part of the captured image on a screen so that the user determines sharpness of the image, which includes determining whether a human face is included in the captured image, selecting the human face in the captured image as a region to be enlarged, dividing the captured image into at least two regions and selecting one of the regions having the largest amount of edge information as a region to be enlarged, enlarging the region selected in the selection step or the dividing and selection steps, and displaying the image enlarged in the enlargement step on a screen.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a digital camera so that a user may determine sharpness of a digital image, the method comprising:

setting a predetermined face detection region in the digital image, the face detection region being smaller than the digital image;

determining whether a human face is included in the face detection region of the digital image;

selecting an enlargement region of the image using a first strategy if a human face is determined to be included in the face detection region of the digital image and a second strategy if a human face is determined not to be included in the face detection region of the digital image;

enlarging the enlargement region selected; and

displaying the enlarged region on a display unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the human face is included in the digital image further comprises:

extracting color information of the digital image and comparing the extracted color image with at least one skin color.

3. The method of claim 1, the step of selecting an enlargement region of the image further comprising:

if a human face is determined to be included in the image, selecting an image enlargement region that includes the human face.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of selecting an enlargement region of the image further comprises:

searching for a T-shaped portion of the image formed by eyes, nose, and mouth on the human face and

if the T-shaped portion is detected, selecting an image enlargement region including the T-shaped portion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting an enlargement region of the image is performed by the digital camera.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting an enlargement region of the image is performed via user input.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting an enlargement region of the image further comprises:

if a human face is determined not to be included in the digital image, dividing the image into at least two regions; and

selecting the region having the largest amount of edge information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital camera sets the face detection region.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a central portion of the image is set as the face detection region in which to detect the existence of a human face, the central portion being smaller than the digital image, the central portion including a point at the center of the central portion, the point being substantially equidistant from the right and left sides of the digital image.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of displaying the digital image on the display unit, and wherein the user sets the face detection region to detect the human face from the image displayed on the display unit.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the initial step of:

displaying the image.

12. The method of claim 1, the step of selecting an enlargement region of the image comprising:

if a human face is determined to be included in the digital image, selecting an image enlargement region that includes the human face; and

if a human face is determined not to be included in the digital image, dividing the image into at least two regions and selecting the region having the largest amount of edge information.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the display unit is an LCD screen.

14. A digital camera comprising:

an optical system;

an optoelectric converter that converts light from the optical system into an electrical analog signal;

an analog-to-digital converter that converts the analog signal into a digital signal;

a digital signal processor that processes the digital signal;

a microcontroller;

a recording medium;

a display;

a means for setting a predetermined face detection region of a digital image, the face detection region being smaller than the digital image;

a means for detecting a human face in the face detection region of the digital image;

a means for selecting a first strategy if a human face is detected in the face detection region and selecting a second strategy if a human face is not detected in the face detection region;

a means for selecting an image enlargement region using the selected first strategy if a human face is detected in the face detection region of the digital image and the selected second strategy if a human face is not detected in the face detection region of the digital image, wherein the image enlargement region selected using the first strategy includes the human face;

a means for dividing the image into at least two regions if a human face is not detected in the face detection region of the digital image;

a means for implementing the second strategy comprising selecting the image region having the largest amount of edge information as the image enlargement region; and

a means for enlarging the selected image enlargement region.

15. The digital camera of claim 14, further comprising:

a means for detecting a T-shaped portion of the image formed by eyes, nose, and mouth on a human face.

16. The digital camera of claim 14, wherein the means for detecting a human face in a digital image, the means for selecting an image enlargement region, the means for dividing the image into at least two regions, the means for implementing the second strategy, and the means for enlarging the selected image enlargement region each comprises a digital signal processor.

17. The digital camera of claim 14, wherein the means for detecting a human face in a digital image, the means for selecting an image enlargement region, the means for dividing the image into at least two regions, the means for implementing the second strategy, and the means for enlarging the selected image enlargement region each comprises a microcontroller.

18. The digital camera of claim 14, wherein the means for detecting a human face in a digital image comprises a digital signal processor.

19. The digital camera of claim 14, wherein the means for detecting a human face in a digital image comprises a microcontroller.