Image selecting apparatus, camera, and method of selecting image

• US 7,456,874 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2000
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ono, Shuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Nhan T
• Application Number:
  US09/586,601
• Time in Patent Office: 3,098 Days
• Field of Search: 348/218.1, 348/345, 348/350, 348/239, 348/349, 382/106, 382/190, 382/192, 382/195, 382/201, 382/182
• US Class Current: 348/239
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 19/02 Still-picture cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

An image selecting apparatus comprises an input unit 20, an A/D converter 30, a memory 40, a control unit 50, a recording unit 90, and an output unit 92. The input unit 20 continuously photographs a subject and inputs the data of the images. The A/D converter 30 converts the analog signal of the images received from the input unit 20 to digital signals. The memory 40 stores a plurality of images output from the input unit 20. The control unit 50 selects a desired image from the plurality of images stored in the memory 40. The recording unit 90 records the selected desired image and the output unit 92 outputs the selected desired image.

Claims

1. An image selecting apparatus for selecting a desired image from among a plurality of images obtained by continuously photographing a subject, comprising:

an extractor extracting data of an aimed object from each of said plurality of images, said aimed object corresponding to an independent object within the image at which a photographer aims;

a condition-storing unit storing a plurality of predetermined selection conditions for a desirable aimed object, each of the stored predetermined selection conditions being specified by a user; and

a selecting unit selecting at least one selection condition from among the plurality of predetermined selection conditions resulting in a selection of a desired image including a desired aimed object from among said plurality of images, said desired aimed object being an aimed object which satisfies said at least one selection condition stored in said condition-storing unit,

wherein

said extractor extracts said data of said aimed object based on depth information indicating a distance from the photographer'"'"'s camera to at least one part of said subject,

said extractor extracts data of a first aimed object and data of a second aimed object from each of said plurality of images,

said selecting unit selects said desired aimed object of the first aimed object for a first image and selects said desired aimed object of the second aimed object for a second image, and

said selecting unit further comprises an image-composite unit compositing said desired aimed object of the first aimed object and said desired aimed object of the second aimed object to form a composite image, said composite image including said desired aimed object of the first aimed object extracted from said first image and said desired aimed object of the second aimed object extracted from said second image.

2. An image selecting apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said extractor extracts said data of said aimed object based on image information included in each of said images.

3. An image selecting apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said extractor detects a judgement location from said data of said aimed object based on image information included in each of said images,

said at least one selection condition includes a predetermined selection condition related to a desirable judgement location, and

said selecting unit selects said desired aimed object including a judgement location satisfying said at least one selection condition related to said desirable judgement location.

4. An image selecting apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said extractor detects a plurality of judgement locations from each of said data of said plurality of aimed objects based on image information included in each of said images,

said at least one selection condition includes a predetermined selection condition related to a desirable judgement location, and

said selecting unit selects a plurality of said desired aimed objects each including a judgement location satisfying said at least one selection condition related to said desirable judgement location.

5. The image selecting apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said conditions relate to at least one of a shape, color or size of the aimed object.

6. An image selecting apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said at least one predetermined selection condition relates to expression of said aimed object for identifying said desired aimed object.

7. An image selecting apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said selecting unit selects said desired image without an operation of a user.

8. An image selecting apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the predetermined conditions is selected in advance by the user from a plurality of potential selection conditions.

9. A method in an apparatus for compositing a desired image from among a plurality of images obtained by continuously photographing a subject, comprising:

extracting data of an aimed object from each of said plurality of images, said aimed object corresponding to an independent object within the image at which a photographer aims; and

selecting a desired image including a desired aimed object from among said plurality of images, said desired aimed object being an aimed object which satisfies a predetermined selection condition for a desirable aimed object, said predetermined selection condition being specified by a user,

wherein

said extracting extracts said data of said aimed object from each of said plurality of images based on depth information indicating a distance from the photographer'"'"'s camera to at least one part of said subject,

said extracting extracts data of a first aimed object and data of a second aimed object from each of said plurality of images,

said selecting selects said desired aimed object of the first aimed object for a first image for a first image and selects said desired aimed object of the second aimed object for a second image, and

said selecting further comprises compositing said desired aimed object of the first aimed object and said desired aimed object of the second aimed object to form a composite image, said composite image including said desired aimed object of the first aimed object extracted from said first image and said desired aimed object of the second aimed object extracted from said second image.

10. A method as set forth in claim 9, wherein said extracting extracts said data of said aimed object from each of said plurality of images based on image information included in each of said images.

11. A method as set forth in claim 9,

wherein said extracting includes detecting a judgement location from said data of said aimed object,

said selection condition includes a predetermined selection condition related to a desirable judgement location, and

said selecting selects said desired aimed object including a judgement location satisfying said selection condition related to said desirable judgement location.

12. A method as set forth in claim 9,

wherein said extracting includes detecting a plurality of judgement locations from each of said data of said plurality of aimed objects,

said selection condition includes a predetermined selection condition related to a desirable judgement location, and

said selecting selects a plurality of said desired aimed objects each including a judgement location satisfying said selection condition related to said desirable judgement location.

13. A method as set forth in claim 9, wherein said predetermined selection condition relates to expression of said aimed object for identifying said desired aimed object.

14. A method as set forth in claim 9, wherein said selecting step selects said desired image without an operation of a user.

15. A method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the predetermined selection condition is selected in advance by the user from a plurality of potential selection conditions.

16. A recording medium storing therein a program executed by a computer to perform a method of compositing a desired image from among a plurality of images obtained by continuously photographing a subject, comprising:

extracting data of an aimed object from each of said plurality of images, said aimed object corresponding to an independent object within the image at which a photographer aims; and

selecting a desired image including a desired aimed object from among said plurality of images, said desired aimed object being an aimed object which satisfies a predetermined selection condition for a desirable aimed object, said predetermined selection condition being specified by a user,

wherein

said extracting extracts said data of said aimed object from each of said plurality of images based on depth information indicating a distance from the photographer'"'"'s camera to each at least one part of said subject,

said extracting extracts data of a first aimed object and data of a second aimed object from each of said plurality of images,

said selecting selects said desired aimed object of the first aimed object for a first image and selects said desired aimed object of the second aimed object for a second image, and

said selecting further comprises compositing said desired aimed object of the first aimed object and said desired aimed object of the second aimed object to form a composite image, said composite image including said desired aimed object of the first aimed object extracted from said first image and said desired aimed object of the second aimed object extracted from said second image.

17. A recording medium as set forth in claim 16, wherein said predetermined selection condition relates to expression of said aimed object for identifying said desired aimed object.

18. A recording medium as set forth in claim 16, wherein said selecting step selects said desired image without an operation of a user.

19. A method as set forth in claim 16, wherein the predetermined selection condition is selected in advance by the user from a plurality of potential selection conditions.