Image capturing device having a hand shake correction function, hand shake correction method, and storage medium storing a hand shake correction process program

• US 7,826,730 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2007
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Wakamatsu, Takashi, Chujo, Kaoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Mahoney; Christopher E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan; Minh Q
• Application Number:
  US11/657,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20080069551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 396 52- 55, 348/208.99, 348/208.1, 348/208.4, 348/208.6, 348/239, 348/364
• US Class Current: 396/55
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/00 Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor lens hoods or caps G03B11/04

Abstract

The proposed image capturing device having a hand shake correction function comprises a base image selecting unit for selecting a base image, which is used when a hand shake correction is made, from among a plurality of pieces of captured image data, and a correction processing unit for performing a correction process by using the selected base image.

Claims

1. An image capturing device having a hand shake correction function, comprising:

an image sensor to photo-electrically convert light received from an image capturing target, and to output the photo-electrically converted data;

an image data generating unit to generate image data using the photo-electrically converted data;

a shooting controlling unit to output exposure control information to the image sensor and to capture a plurality of pieces of image data, in response to a shooting instruction;

a base image selecting unit to select a base image, which is used when alignment is made, from among the plurality of pieces of captured image data;

a correction processing unit to make the alignment of the plurality of pieces of captured image data using the selected base image, and to generate one piece of image data by synthesizing the plurality of pieces of image data using a result of the alignment, and

a face recognizing unit to recognize a degree of opening of eyes of a face of a person, which is included in the plurality of pieces of captured image data, wherein

the base image selecting unit selects the base image using the degree of opening of eyes of the face of the person recognized by the face recognizing unit.

2. The image capturing device having a hand shake correction function according to claim 1, wherein

the base image selecting unit selects image data, in which the degree of opening of eyes of the face of the person is recognized to be the highest by the face recognizing unit, as a base image used when the alignment is made.

3. A hand shake correction method with which a computer performs a hand shake correction process for a plurality of pieces of image data captured in response to a shooting instruction, comprising:

a base image selecting step of selecting a base image, which is used when alignment is made, from among the plurality of pieces of captured image data;

a correction processing step of making the alignment of the plurality of pieces of captured image data using the selected base image, and of generating one piece of image data by synthesizing the plurality of pieces of image data using a result of the alignment, and

a face recognizing step of recognizing a degree of opening of eyes of a face of a person, which is included in the plurality of pieces of captured image data, wherein

the base image selecting step selects the base image using the degree of opening of eyes of the face of the person recognized by the face recognizing step.

4. The hand shake correction method according to claim 3, wherein

in the base image selecting step, image data, in which the degree of opening of eyes of the face of the person is recognized to be the highest in the face recognizing step, is selected as a base image used when the alignment is made.

5. A non-transitory storage medium on which is recorded a hand shake correction process program for causing a computer to execute a hand shake correction process for a plurality of pieces of image data captured in response to a shooting instruction, the program comprising:

a base image selecting step of selecting a base image, which is used when alignment is made, from among the plurality of pieces of captured image data;

an aligning step of making the alignment of the plurality of pieces of captured image data using the selected base image;

a correction image generating step of generating one piece of image data by synthesizing the plurality of pieces of captured image data using a result of the alignment, and

a face recognizing step of recognizing a degree of opening of eyes of a face of a person, which is included in the plurality of pieces of captured image data, wherein

the base image selecting step selects the base image using the degree of opening of eyes of the face of the person recognized by the face recognizing step.

6. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 5, wherein

the computer being included in an image capturing device having a hand shake correction function.

7. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 5, wherein

in the base image selecting step, image data, in which the degree of opening of eyes of the face of the person is recognized to be the highest in the face recognizing step, is selected as a base image used when the alignment is made.

8. A portable device having an anti-blur function, comprising:

an image sensor captures an image, and outputs captured image data;

a base image selecting unit selects a base image to be used for image alignment, the base image is selected, from a plurality of captured image data, in which blur is smallest among them,

a correction processing unit aligns the plurality of captured image data using the selected base image, and generates a single image by synthesizing the plurality of aligned captured image data, and

a face recognizing unit to recognize a degree of opening of eyes of a face of a person, which is included in the plurality of pieces of captured image data, wherein

the base image selecting unit selects the base image using the degree of opening of eyes of the face of the person recognized by the face recognizing unit.

9. An image processing apparatus capable of processing a plurality of pieces of image data, the apparatus comprising:

a recognizing unit that recognizes a degree of opening of eyes of a face of a person, which is included in the plurality of image data;

a selecting unit that selects a base image among the plurality of image data, using the degree of opening of eyes of the face of the person recognized by the recognizing unit; and

a correction unit that aligns the plurality of the image data using the selected base image, and that generates a single image by synthesizing the plurality of aligned the image data.

10. A non-transitory storage medium on which is recorded a program for causing a computer to execute a process for a plurality of pieces of image data, the program comprising:

a computer readable program code which causes the computer to recognize a degree of opening of eyes of a face of a person, which is included in the plurality of image data;

a computer readable program code which causes the computer to select a base image among the plurality of image data, using the degree of opening of eyes of the face of the person recognized by the recognizing;

a computer readable program code which causes the computer to align the plurality of the image data using the selected base image; and

a computer readable program code which causes the computer to generate a single image by synthesizing the plurality of aligned the image data.