Image-taking apparatus and output image generation method
View Patent ↗An image-taking apparatus generates an output image from a photographed image obtained by photographing and displays this output image on a display screen of a display section. The image-taking apparatus includes a recognition processing section for recognizing a specific subject (facial region of a person, or a facial component such as eyes) included in the photographed image. Referring to results of this recognition, the image-taking apparatus evaluates the dimension of the specific subject in each photographed image. If the dimension evaluated is relatively large, a relatively small magnification ratio to be employed upon the generation of the output image from the photographed image is provided. If the dimension evaluated is relatively small, a relatively large magnification ratio to be employed upon the generation of the output image from the photographed image is provided. As a result, the dimension of the specific subject in the output image is kept substantially constant.
1. An image-taking apparatus comprising:
an image-taking section which sequentially performs photographing and sequentially outputs an image-taking signal representing a photographed image obtained by photographing; and
an image output section which receives the image-taking signal and sequentially generates and outputs an output image from the photographed image sequentially obtained,
wherein the image output section comprises
a recognition section which recognizes, based on the image-taking signal, a specific subject included in the photographed image,
wherein the image output section is configured to be capable of executing change reduction processing for reducing, based on a result of the recognition by the recognition section, change in a dimension of the specific subject in the output image due to change in a distance in an actual space between the specific subject and the image-taking section, and
wherein the image output section compares a predetermined reference dimension and a dimension of the specific subject in the photographed image and determines based on a result of the comparison whether or not to execute the change reduction processing, and
wherein, if the dimension of the specific subject is larger than an upper limit dimension determined as the reference dimension, the image output section prohibits the execution of the change reduction processing or, if the dimension of the specific subject is smaller than a lower limit dimension determined as the reference dimension, the image output section prohibits the execution of the change reduction processing.
2. The image-taking apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a display section which displays the output image from the image output section,
wherein the image output section executes the change reduction processing to thereby reduce change in a dimension of the specific subject on a display screen of the display section due to change in the distance.
3. The image-taking apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the image output section, based on the result of the recognition by the recognition section, evaluates the dimension of the specific subject in the photographed image or a dimension of a related subject which is included in the photographed image and which moves relative to movement of the specific subject, and then executes the change reduction processing based on the evaluated dimension.
4. The image-taking apparatus according to claim 3
wherein the image output section compares the upper limit dimension and the dimension of the specific subject or the related subject in the photographed image, and, if the dimension of the specific subject or the related subject is larger than the upper limit dimension, prohibits the execution of the change reduction processing to enlarge the dimension of the specific subject in the output image.
5. The image-taking apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the image output section compares the lower limit dimension and the dimension of the specific subject or the related subject in the photographed image, and, if the dimension of the specific subject or the related subject is smaller than the lower limit dimension, prohibits the execution of the change reduction processing to reduce the dimension of the specific subject in the output image.
6. The image-taking apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when the dimension of the specific subject in the photographed image changes due to change in the distance during execution of the change reduction processing, the image output section, based on the result of the recognition by the recognition section, controls an angle of view for photographing by the image-taking section after the change to thereby reduce the change in the dimension of the specific subject in the output image due to the change.
7. An output image generation method which receives from an image-taking section an image-taking signal representing a photographed image obtained by photographing and sequentially generates and outputs an output image from the photographed image sequentially obtained, the output image generation method comprising:
a recognition step which recognizes a specific subject included in the photographed image based on the image-taking signal;
a change reduction step which reduces, based on a result of the recognition by the recognition step, change in a dimension of the specific subject in the output image due to change in a distance in actual space between the specific subject and the image-taking section, and
a determination step which compares a predetermined reference dimension and a dimension of the specific subject in the photographed image and determines based on a result of the comparison whether or not to execute the change reduction step,
wherein, in the determination step, if the dimension of the specific subject is larger than an upper limit dimension determined as the reference dimension, the execution of the change reduction step is prohibited or, if the dimension of the specific subject is smaller than a lower limit dimension determined as the reference dimension, the execution of the change reduction step is prohibited.