Electronic camera, image processing apparatus, image processing method and image processing computer program

• US 7,865,075 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2009
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Watanabe, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): PERKEY, WILLIAM B
• Application Number:
  US12/635,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20100091105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 396/60, 396/147, 396/287, 348/240.2, 348/240.99, 348/333.05, 348/333.11, 348/333.12, 348/346
• US Class Current: 396/147
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/675 comprising setting of focusing regions

Abstract

An electronic camera detects a person'"'"'s face image from an object image obtained by photographing an object, executes an enlarging process on the detected face image so as to obtain a face image whose face size is suitable, and displays the face image which is enlarged into the suitable size on a display device. When a plurality of people are present on the object image, the enlarged face images are switched by an image operating switch. As a result, the switched face image is displayed on the display device.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an extracting section which extracts a plurality of regions of interest including face images from an object image;

a distance measuring section which obtains a plurality of focus estimated positions corresponding to each of focusing conditions of the plurality of the regions of interest extracted by the extracting section;

a display order determining section which determines an order of displaying the plurality of the regions of interest based on the plurality of the focus estimated positions obtained by the distance measuring section; and

a display section which displays the object image or the regions of interest based on the order of displaying.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the distance measuring section obtains a best focus position of the image processing apparatus; and

the display order determining section determines the order of displaying the plurality of the regions of interest on the display section based on a relationship between the best focus position and the focus estimated position of the plurality of the regions of interest.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the display order determining section determines the order of displaying to display first a region of interest of which focus estimated position is closest to the best focus position on the display section from the plurality of the regions of interest.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the display order determining section determines the order of displaying to display the plurality of the regions of interest in increasing order of differences between the best focus position and the focus estimated position of the regions of interest on the display section.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display order determining section determines the order of displaying to display the plurality of the regions of interest in an order in which the focus estimated positions of the regions of interest are closer to the image processing apparatus on the display section.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, comprising an imaging lens, and

wherein the distance measuring section having a lens position measuring section which measures an estimated lens position of the imaging lens corresponding to at least any one of focus estimated positions corresponding to each of the plurality of the regions of interest extracted by the extracting section and the best focus position.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the display order determining section determines a displaying order of the plurality of the regions of interest on the display section based on the estimated lens position of the imaging lens measured by the lens position measuring section.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a changing section which changes a size of the region of interest including the face images to be displayed on the display section into a desired size.

9. The electronic camera according to claim 1, further comprising a control section, which causes positions on the object image where the face images to be displayed on the display section are present to be displayed on the display section in a superimposing manner.

10. An image processing method, comprising:

extracting a plurality of regions of interest including face images from objected images;

obtaining a plurality of focus estimated positions corresponding to each of the plurality of the extracted regions of interest; and

determining an order of displaying the plurality of the regions of interest based on the plurality of the obtained focus estimated positions.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a program stored thereon that is executable by an image processing apparatus to perform functions comprising:

extracting a plurality of regions of interest including face images from objected images;

obtaining a plurality of focus estimated positions corresponding to each of the plurality of the extracted regions of interest; and

determining an order of displaying the plurality of the regions of interest based on the plurality of the obtained focus estimated positions.