IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,990,429
Granted Patent B2
US 7,990,429 · App. 12/084,042 · Granted Aug 2, 2011

Imaging device with blur enhancement

Assignee: Nikon Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,990,429
App. No.
12/084,042
Granted
Aug 2, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

An imaging device includes an imaging section, an image segmenting section, and a blur enhancement section. The imaging section images a field to generate photographic image data. The image segmenting section partitions an image of the photographic image data into a first region that is a main subject region and a second region where the main subject is not included. The blur detecting section detects degree of blur of an image of the second region of the image of the photographic image data. The blur enhancement section performs blur enhancement processing on the image of the second region to enlarge the degree of blur of the image after image processing in proportion to the magnitude of the detected degree of blur of the image.

Claims (70)

1. An imaging device, comprising:

an imaging section imaging a field to generate photographic image data;

an image segmenting section partitioning an image of said photographic image data into a first region where a main subject is located and a second region where the main subject is not included;

a blur detecting section detecting degree of blur of the image of said second region of the image of said photographic image data; and

a blur enhancement section performing blur enhancement processing on the image of said second region to enlarge the degree of blur of the image after image processing, depending on the magnitude of the detected degree of blur of the image.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a lens information obtaining section obtaining focal-length information of a lens of said imaging section; and

a blur adjusting section adjusting the degree of blur of the image in said second region, depending on said focal-length information.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a blur adjusting section detecting a size of a subject in said second region and adjusting the degree of blur of the image of said second region depending on the size of said subject.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

said image segmenting section, based on at least one of position information of a focusing area selected at the time of shooting and information of a construct assisting frame used for positioning a main subject at the time of shooting, specifies the position of said main subject.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

said image segmenting section, based on said degree of blur, further segments the image of said second region into a plurality of regions; and

said blur enhancement section performs said blur enhancement processing independently on an image of each of the segmented regions, respectively.

6. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

said blur detecting section further includes an analyzing section performing spatial frequency analysis of said image, and detects the degree of blur of said image at said second region by way of the spatial frequency analysis by the analyzing section.

7. The imaging device according to claim 6 , further comprising:

a compression section compressing data of said image based on the result of the spatial frequency analysis of said analyzing section; and

a recording section recording the compressed data output from the compression section.

8. The imaging device according to claim 6 , further comprising:

an edge extracting section extracting an edge portion in the image of said photographic image data; wherein

said blur detecting section, based on the result of the spatial frequency analysis for said edge portion, detects the degree of blur of said image at said second region.

9. The imaging device according to claim 1 , further comprising an emitting section emitting light toward a field, wherein:

said imaging section generates first photographic image data shot with emitting light, and second photographic image data shot without emitting light; and

said image segmenting section, based on at least one of a difference in brightness and a ratio of brightness between said first photographic image data and said second photographic image data, partitions an image of said first photographic image data or an image of said second photographic image data into said first region and said second region.

10. The imaging device according to claim 9 , further comprising a lightness correcting section increasing lightness of the image of said second region.

11. The imaging device according to claim 9 , further comprising a noise reduction section reducing noise of the image of said second region.

12. The imaging device according to claim 1 , further comprising a contrast enhancement processing section enhancing contrast of the image of said first region.

13. An image processing device, comprising:

a data reading section reading preliminarily generated photographic image data from outside;

an image segmenting section partitioning an image of said photographic image data into a first region where a main subject is located and a second region where the main subject is not included;

a blur detecting section detecting degree of blur of an image of said second region of the image of said photographic image data; and

a blur enhancement section performing blur enhancement processing on the image of said second region to enlarge the degree of blur of the image after image processing, depending on the magnitude of the detected degree of blur of the image.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a program having instructions for causing an image processing device having a data reading section and a controlling section to execute the operations of:

causing said data reading section to read preliminarily generated photographic image data;

partitioning an image of said photographic image data into a first region where a main subject is located and a second region where the main subject is not included;

detecting degree of blur of the image of said second region of the image of said photographic image data; and

performing blur enhancement processing on the image of said second region to enlarge the degree of blur of the image after image processing, depending on the magnitude of the detected degree of blur of the image.

15. An image processing device, comprising:

a data reading section reading an image file from out side, said image file being configured by associating preliminarily generated photographic image data with attached information indicating a first region where a main subject is located and a second region where the main subject is not included, in an image of the photographic image data;

a blur detecting section detecting degree of blur of an image of said second region of the image of said photographic image data; and

a blur enhancement section performing blur enhancement processing on the image of said second region to enlarge the degree of blur of the image after image processing depending on magnitude of the detected degree of blur of the image.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a program having instructions for causing an image processing device having a data reading section and a controlling section to execute the operations of:

causing said data reading section to read an image file from outside, said image file being configured by associating preliminarily generated photographic image data with attached information indicating a first region where a main subject is located and a second region where the main subject is not included, in an image of the photographic image data;

detecting degree of blur of an image of said second region of the image of said photographic image data; and

performing blur enhancement processing on the image of said second region to enlarge the degree of blur of the image after image processing depending on magnitude of the detected degree of blur of the image.

17. An imaging device comprising:

an imaging section imaging a field to generate photographic image data;

an image segmenting section calculating a spatial frequency component over an entire region of a photographic image of one frame obtained by said imaging section; partitioning the photographic image of one frame into a first region that is a main subject region and a second region where the main subject is not included, to obtain region segmentation information based on a comparison result when the calculated spatial frequency component is compared with a predetermined value; and segmenting the image of said photographic image data based on the region segmentation information; and

an image processing section performing processing on the photographic image data of the regions segmented by said image segmenting section.

18. The imaging device according to claim 17 , wherein

said imaging section images a field to generate main photographic image data at the time of releasing, and generates moving image data at the time of waiting said main imaging; and

said image segmenting section obtains region segmentation information based on said moving image data.

19. The imaging device according to claim 18 , wherein said image segmenting section obtains said region segmentation information based on the moving image data generated just before said main shooting.

20. The imaging device according to claim 18 , further comprising a compression circuit compressing data amount of the main photographic image data imaged at the time of said main shooting, wherein

said image segmenting section calculates the spatial frequency component of said moving image using said compression circuit.

21. The imaging device according to claim 18 , wherein:

said image processing section, based on the spatial frequency component of the image of said second region in said moving image data, determines degree of blur of the image of the region; and, depending on magnitude of the degree of blur, suppresses a high spatial frequency component of said corresponding region so as to enlarge the degree of blur of the image of the corresponding region of said main photographic image data corresponding to the second region of said moving image data.

22. The imaging device according to claim 21 , wherein:

said image segmenting section, based on the spatial frequency component of the image of said second region in said moving image data, further segments the image of the region into a plurality of regions; and

said image processing section performs suppressing process of said high spatial frequency independently on a plurality of corresponding regions of said main photographic image data corresponding to each of the plurality of segmented second regions of said moving image data, respectively.

23. The imaging device according to claim 21 , further comprising a contrast enhancement processing section enhancing contrast of regions except for said corresponding regions.

24. An imaging device, comprising:

an imaging section imaging a field to generate main photographic image data at the time of releasing and generating moving image data at the time of waiting main shooting;

a region specifying section, based on said moving image data, specifying a main subject region containing a main subject and a background region other than that, of said main photographic image;

an image processing section performing image processing on said main photographic image data different from each other between said main subject region and said background region; and

an emitting section emitting light toward a field, wherein:

said imaging section generates data of a first moving image and a second moving image having emitting states of said emitting section different from each other; and

said region specifying section, based on at least one of the difference in brightness and the ratio in brightness between said first moving image and said second moving image, specifies said main subject region and said background region in said main photographic image.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 24, 2008
From: SAITO, IKUYA
To: NIKON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 021317/0234 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2005-315395 · Oct 28, 2005 · national
JP 2005-315396 · Oct 28, 2005 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20090096897A1 · Apr 16, 2009