Automatic image quality adjustment according to brightness of subject

1. An image processing method, comprising the steps of:

providing image data generated by an image generating device, and image generation record information associated with the image data, the image generation record information including at least operating information about the image generating device at the time of generation of the image data; and

when the image generation record information includes subject brightness information relating to brightness of a subject at the time of generation of the image data, adjusting picture quality of the image data using a subject brightness level derived from the subject brightness information,

wherein the image generation record information further includes supplemental light source firing information at the time of generation of the image data, and information relating to a distance between the subject of the image data and the image generating device at the time of generation of the image data,

and wherein the picture quality adjustment step includes a step of performing the picture quality adjustment processing suitable for a portrait image when it is determined that the supplemental light source provided illumination based on the firing information, and that the distance from the subject is shorter than a predetermined distance threshold value, and that the subject brightness level is above a predetermined brightness threshold value.

2. An image processing device for performing image processing using image data generated by an image generating device, and image generation record information associated with the image data, the image generation record information including at least operating information about the image generating device at the time of generation of the image data, the image processing device comprising:

a picture quality adjuster that, when the image generation record information includes subject brightness information relating to brightness of a subject at the time of generation of the image data, adjusts picture quality of the image data using a subject brightness level derived from the subject brightness information,

wherein the image generation record information further includes supplemental light source firing information at the time of generation of the image data, and information relating to a distance between the subject of the image data and the image generating device at the time of generation of the image data, and

wherein the picture quality adjuster performs picture quality adjustment processing suitable for a portrait image when it is determined that the supplemental light source provided illumination based on the firing information, and that the distance from the subject is shorter than a predetermined distance threshold value, and that the subject brightness level is above a predetermined brightness threshold value.

3. An output device for outputting an image using image data generated by an image generating device, and image generation record information associated with the image data, the image generation record information including at least operating information about the image generating device at the time of generation of the image data, the output device comprising:

a picture quality adjuster that, when the image generation record information includes subject brightness information relating to brightness of a subject at the time of generation of the image data, adjusts picture quality of the image data using a subject brightness level derived from the subject brightness information, and

an image output unit for outputting an image according to the image data after the picture quality adjustment,

wherein the image generation record information further includes supplemental light source firing information at the time of generation of the image data, and information relating to a distance between the subject of the image data and the image generating device at the time of generation of the image data,

and wherein the picture quality adjuster performs picture quality adjustment processing suitable for a portrait image when it is determined that the supplemental light source provided illumination based on the firing information, and that the distance from the subject is shorter than a predetermined distance threshold value, and that the subject brightness level is above a predetermined brightness threshold value.

4. A computer program product for causing a computer to execute image processing using image data generated by an image generating device, and image generation record information associated with the image data, the image generation record information including at least operating information about the image generating device at the time of generation of the image data, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

a computer program stored on the computer-readable medium, the computer program includes a program for causing a computer to execute a function of, when the image generation record information includes subject brightness information relating to brightness of a subject at the time of generation of the image data, adjusting picture quality of the image data using a subject brightness level derived from the subject brightness information,

wherein the image generation record information further includes supplemental light source firing information at the time of generation of the image data, and information relating to a distance between the subject of the image data and the image generating device at the time of generation of the image data,

and wherein the function of adjusting picture quality includes performing picture quality adjustment processing suitable for a portrait image when it is determined that the supplemental light source provided illumination based on the firing information, and that the distance from the subject is shorter than a predetermined distance threshold value, and that the subject brightness level is above a predetermined brightness threshold value.