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Digital Camera Patent Abstract
A digital camera that compensates a red eye phenomenon during photography
is provided. The digital camera includes a charge coupled device
(CCD), a face detection circuit, a flash mode controller, and a
flash. When the flash preliminarily emits light, the face detection
circuit detects an eye color of a person from an image captured
by the CCD. The flash mode controller preliminarily flashes the
flash before a main photographing is performed, and may subsequently
actuate the flash for a main flashing based on a photographing result
of the CCD, when the eye color detected by the face detection circuit
is within a predetermined scope, holds the main flashing ready while
a predetermined red eye reduction standby time passes after the
flash preliminarily emits light.
Digital Camera Patent Claims
1. A digital camera comprising:a photographing constituent that
photographs a subject;a flashing constituent that emits light toward
the subject during a preliminary flashing operation or a main flashing
operation of the flashing constituent based on an analysis of an
image captured by the photographing constituent during the preliminary
flashing operation; anda detection constituent configured to detect
an eye color of a human subject from the image captured by the photographing
constituent with the preliminary flashing operation,wherein, when
the eye color detected by the detection constituent is within a
predetermined red eye scope, a flashing control constituent determines
a red eye reduction time and actuates the main flashing operation
of the flashing constituent after the red eye reduction time has
elapsed.
2. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein the flashing control
constituent changes the red eye reduction time according to a photographing
environment proximate the human subject.
3. The digital camera of claim 1 further comprising: an evaluation
constituent configured to evaluate a brightness of the image captured
by the photographing constituent, the evaluation constituent and
the flashing control constituent cooperating to change the red eye
reduction time.
4. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein the flashing control
constituent is further configured to flash the flashing constituent
during the red eye reduction time when the eye color detected by
the detection constituent is dark red.
5. The digital camera of claim 1, further comprising an informing
constituent notifies a user of the camera or the human subject that
the eye color is red.
6. The digital camera of claim 1 further comprising an informing
constituent that notifies the human subject that the red eye reduction
time is elapsing.
7. The digital camera of claim 6, wherein the informing constituent
comprises a light.
8. The digital camera of claim 7 wherein the light comprises the
flashing constituent.
9. The digital camera of claim 6, wherein the informing constituent
comprises a sound emission means.
10. A digital camera comprising:a flash means for illuminating
a subject;a means for capturing a photographic image of the subject;a
means for determining if the subject includes a face with eyes;a
means for determining an eye color of the subject; andan eye color
adjustment means for controlling operation of the flash means according
to an output from the means for determining an eye color.
11. The digital camera of claim 10 further comprising a notification
means in communication with the means for determining an eye color,
the notification means informing a user of the camera or the subject
that the eye color is red.
12. The digital camera of claim 10 wherein the eye color adjustment
means adjusts a flashing time of the flash means.
13. The digital camera of claim 10 wherein the eye color adjustment
means actuates the flash means to emit a short duration light toward
the subject during a preliminary photographing operation in which
the photographic image is analyzed for identifying a red eye color,
and a long duration light toward the subject during a main photographing
operation in which a subsequent photographic image of the subject
is stored.
14. The digital camera of claim 13 further comprising a red eye
reduction timing means for delaying the main photographing operation
from the preliminary photographing operation by a variable time
according to at least one of a brightness of the image from the
preliminary photographing operation and a photographing environment
proximate the subject.
15. A method for compensating a red eye phenomenon during photographing
of a subject with a digital camera, the method comprising:photographing
a first image of the subject using a first flash;determining if
the first image of the subject includes a face with eyes;if the
first image of the subject includes a face with eyes, determining
a color of the eyes;if the eyes have a red color, determining a
red eye reduction timing period; andphotographing a second image
of the subject using a second flash after the red eye reduction
timing period.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the first flash has a shorter
duration than the second flash.
17. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of notifying
the subject that the red eye reduction timing period is elapsing.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the notifying step comprises
actuating a flash of the digital camera intermittently.
19. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of adjusting
the red eye reduction timing period according to at least one of
a brightness of the first image and an environment of the first
image proximate the subject.
Digital Camera Patent Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS
[0001]This application claims the priority of Japanese Patent Application
No. 2005-373701, filed on Dec. 27, 2005, in the Japanese Patent
Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety
by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002]1. Field of the Invention
[0003]The present invention relates generally to a digital camera,
and more particularly to a digital camera including a flash and
a face detection function for reducing a red eye phenomenon.
[0004]2. Description of the Related Art
[0005]When human beings are in a dark place for a predetermined
time, their pupils are in a state of dilation. At this time, flash
photographing causes a red-eye phenomenon since a flash reflects
off retinas. To avoid the red-eye phenomenon, a conventional camera's
lens and flashing unit are separated from each other so that light
reflected off the retinas is not photographed. However, since the
lens and the flashing unit of compact cameras are not separated
from each other due to the size of the compact cameras, many cameras
emit light in advance in order to contract the pupils of subjects.
In other instances, cameras may compensate for the red eye phenomenon
by estimating a color of the eyes from a color around the pupils,
or by using a color of eyes extracted from another image.
[0006]However, to reduce the red-eye phenomenon by emitting light
of cameras in advance, a user must set an operation of flashing/no
flashing/automatic flashing and designate an operation of red-eye
reduction/no red-eye reduction, which may be a complex operation.
Also, when human beings are photographed at a small size, the photographed
image may be erroneously corrected at a different color.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007]According to an aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a camera comprising: a photographing means capturing an
image of a subject; a flashing constituent that emits light toward
the subject; a flashing control constituent that controls a preliminary
flashing operation of the flashing constituent before a main photographing
is performed, and a main flashing operation of the flashing constituent
based on a preliminary photographing result of the photographing
means during the preliminary flashing operation; and a detection
constituent that detects an eye color of a subject with a face from
the preliminary image captured by the photographing means when the
flashing constituent performs the preliminary flashing operation.
[0008]In operation, when the eye color detected by the detection
constituent is within a predetermined scope, the flashing control
constituent holds the main flashing ready while a predetermined
red eye reduction standby time passes after the flashing constituent
performs the preliminary flashing operation. The flashing control
constituent may change the red eye reduction standby time according
to a photographing environment. The flashing control constituent
holds the main flashing ready when the eye color detected by the
detection constituent is within a predetermined scope of the color
and brightness.
[0009]The camera may further comprise: an evaluation constituent
which evaluates the brightness of the image captured by the photographing
means, wherein the scope of the color and brightness is increased
when a brightness evaluation value of the evaluation constituent
is smaller than a previously defined threshold value, while the
scope of the color and brightness is reduced when the brightness
evaluation value is greater than the previously defined threshold
value.
[0010]The flashing control constituent may flash the flashing constituent
during the red eye reduction standby time to effect pupil constriction
when the eye color detected by the detection constituent is dark
red.
[0011]The camera may further comprise: an informing constituent
informing the person that the camera is in the red eye reduction
standby time. The informing constituent may inform the person that
the camera is in the red eye reduction standby time by flashing
the flash constituent intermittently. The informing constituent
may inform the person that the camera is in the red eye reduction
standby time by emitting sound. The informing constituent may comprise
a light emitting means that informs the person that the camera is
in the red eye reduction standby time by emitting an indicator light
different from the flashing constituent.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012]FIG. 1 is an example block diagram of a digital camera according
to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0013]FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an example operation of a flash
mode controller according to an embodiment of the present invention;
and
[0014]FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a time relationship between a
main flashing operation and a preliminary flashing operation of
the digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0015]The present invention will now be described more fully with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0016]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example digital camera according
to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1,
the digital camera comprises a zoom lens 1, an iris 2, a focus lens
3, a charge coupled device (CCD) 4, a zoom motor 5, a iris motor
6, a focus motor 7, a timing generator 8, a correlated double sampling
amplifier (CDSAMP) circuit 9, and a flash 28. The lens 1, the iris
2, the focus lens 3, and the CCD 4 are the constituents of a photographing
part for photographing a subject.
[0017]The iris motor 6 comprises an iris variation unit that varies
an opening of the iris 2. The timing generator 8 comprises a shutter
speed variation unit that varies a shutter speed.
[0018]The CDSAMP circuit 9 forms a gain variation unit that varies
amplitude of an output of the CCD 4. The iris motor 6, the timing
generator 8, the CDSAMP circuit 9, and the flash 28 are the constituents
of an exposure variation part that varies an exposure of the photographing
part.
[0019]The zoom motor 5 moves the zoom lens 1. The iris motor 6
controls opening degree of the iris 2. The focus lens 3 is controlled
by the focus motor 7. A subject light (i.e., a light reflected from
a photography subject) is received via the zoom lens 1, the iris
2, and the focus lens 3 so that a focused image of the subject is
formed on a light receiving surface of the CCD 4.
[0020]The CCD 4 photo-converts the subject light formed on the
light receiving surface. The CCD 4 may be a complementary metal
oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device. A color filter may be arranged
on the front surface of the CCD 4. The color filter may use three
primary colors, red R, green G, and blue B, or use three complementary
colors, cyan Cy, magenta Mg, and yellow Ye. The CCD 4 is operated
by a timing signal produced by the timing generator 8.
[0021]The flash 28 emits light according to timing and the radiation
intensity signals received from a CPU 19. The radiation intensity
is classified as a main flashing operation and a preliminary flashing
operation. The preliminary flashing operation may be performed in
a shorter time than the main flashing operation. The preliminary
flashing operation may be a lower intensity of radiation (i.e.,
not as bright) than the main flashing operation in order to promptly
perform the main flashing operation after the preliminary flashing
operation is performed.
[0022]The digital camera of the current embodiment comprises an
A/D converter 10, an image input controller 11, an image signal
processing circuit 12, an image compression/decompression circuit
13, a video encoder 14, an image display part 15, motor drivers
16, 17, and 18, the CPU 19, an automatic focus (AF) detection circuit
20, an automatic exposure (AE) and auto white balance (AWB) detection
circuit 21, a memory 22, a video RAM (VRAM) 23, a media controller
24, recording media 25, and a face detection circuit 26. The digital
camera of the current embodiment further includes a shutter switch
SW1, a recording/reproduction switch SW2, a zoom switch SW3, a flash
mode switch SW4, and a photographing mode selection switch SW5.
[0023]The A/D converter 10 digitizes an image signal that is output
by the CCD 4 and received through the CDSAMP circuit 9. The image
input controller 11 provides the CPU 19 with the image signal output
by the A/D converter 10.
[0024]The image signal processing circuit 12 performs image processing
such as gamma correction, edge emphasis, white balance, etc. on
the received image signal. The CPU 19 sets the parameters used by
the image signal processing circuit 12 to perform the image processing.
[0025]The image compression/decompression circuit 13 compresses
and encodes image data. The image data, not necessarily restricted
thereto, may be compressed as joint photographic experts group (JPEG),
that is, the standards for image compression based on a discrete
cosine transform (DCT).
[0026]The VRAM 23 is a memory for storing data of an image displayed
on the image display part 15.
[0027]The video encoder 14 reads the image data stored in the VRAM
23, forms a component color video signal based on corresponding
image data, and outputs the component color video signal to the
image display part 15. The image display part 15 is a display such
as a liquid crystal display (LCD) that displays a color image based
on the received component color video signal from the video encoder
14.
[0028]The AF detection circuit 20 controls auto-focusing of photographed
images based on the output of the CCD 4. The AF detection circuit
20 detects a high frequency component level of the image signal
for performing the AF. In detail, the high frequency component level
of the image signal is increased by the sum of focuses.
[0029]Therefore, if the AF detection circuit 20 detects the high
frequency component level of the image signal, the state of the
sum of focuses can be determined. The detected high frequency component
level of the image signal is integrated in a predetermined focus
region to calculate an AF evaluation value. The calculated AF evaluation
value is provided to the CPU 19.
[0030]The face detection circuit 26 detects a person's face from
the image signal output by the CCD 4 and extracts the color of the
eyes of the detected face. The face detection circuit 26 extracts
a region of skin color from the image signal, extracts a contour
of the face based on the variance of brightness of the extracted
region of skin color, and checks whether the region of the face
includes two eyes and a mouth. If it is checked that the region
of the face includes two eyes and a mouth, the region is determined
as the person's face. Furthermore, the face detection circuit 26
extracts a color of the irises of the two eyes and transmits the
extracted color of the irises to the CPU 19 for color determination
processing.
[0031]The AE and AWB detection circuit 21 forms an exposure control
signal and a white balance control signal sequentially as described
below based on the image signal output by the CCD 4 to control exposure
and process white balance, and transmits the exposure control signal
and the white balance control signal to the CPU 19.
[0032]The exposure control signal is referred to as a brightness
evaluation value that indicates brightness of an image. The brightness
evaluation value is an average brightness value of the entire images
calculated by the AE and AWB detection circuit 21 with respect to
the received image signal. The brightness evaluation value can be
calculated by giving weights to the region of the face detected
by the face detection circuit 26.
[0033]The white balance control signal is referred to as a B gain
and an R gain. The B gain is a magnification of a blue component
of each pixel of the white balance control, and the R gain is a
magnification of a red component of each pixel of the white balance
control. The white balance control is the control of balance of
three primary colors by not changing (first magnification) a green
component of the three primary colors of each pixel but multiplying
the B gain and the R gain by the blue and red components, respectively.
The AE and AWB detection circuit 21 calculates an average value
of the red, blue, and green components of the whole images so that
a value obtained by dividing an average value of the green component
by an average value of the blue component is the B gain, and a value
obtained by dividing the average value of the green component by
an average value of the red component is the R gain.
[0034]In the current embodiment, the CPU 19, which is a calculation
constituent for controlling the digital camera, further includes
a flash mode controller 27. The flash mode controller 27 will be
described in detail with reference to the operation of the digital
camera using the flash 28. The CPU 19 receives input signals via
the shutter switch SW1, the recording/reproduction switch SW2, the
zoom switch SW3, the flash mode switch SW4, and the photographing
mode selection switch SW5. Also, the CPU 19 outputs a zoom driving
signal for moving the zoom lens 1, a focus driving signal for moving
the focus lens 3, an iris driving signal for controlling the iris
2, and a gain control signal for controlling the gain of the CDSAMP
circuit 9.
[0035]The memory 22 includes a read only memory (ROM), which may
be a non-volatile memory storing a program for execution by CPU
19, and a random access memory (RAM), which may be a volatile memory
used as an operation memory when the CPU 19 is operated.
[0036]The shutter switch SW1 is a switch for photographing an image
when pressed in a recording mode.
[0037]The recording/reproduction switch SW2 is a switch that sets
the digital camera to recording mode in which an image is photographed,
and to reproduction mode in which the photographed image is displayed
on the image display part 15.
[0038]The zoom switch SW3 is a switch for moving the zoom lens
1 when the digital camera is in the recording mode.
[0039]The flash mode switch SW4 is a switch that sets automatic
flashing/forced flashing/no flashing which are flashing modes of
the flash 28.
[0040]The photographing mode selection switch SW5 is a switch for
selecting one photographing mode from among a self-timer mode, a
continuous photographing mode, a single-photographing mode, and
a bracket mode according to photographing status.
[0041]The media controller 24 reads/writes data from/to the recording
media 25.
[0042]The recording media 25 records a compressed and encoded image
signal as an image file, and may be, for example, a card-type detachable
memory using a flash memory. The recording media 25 may be a non-volatile
memory, a magnetic tape, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, etc.
[0043]The operation of the digital camera will now be described.
A main power of the digital camera is turned on/off via an operation
of a power switch (not shown). When the digital camera is turned
on, the digital camera initializes the memory 22.
[0044]When the recording/reproduction switch SW2 is set to the
recording mode, the CCD 4 continuously stores and updates an image
in a viewfinder-like, photography-ready state even when the image
being viewed is not photographed. The CPU 19 receives the image
signal through the CDSAMP circuit 9, the A/D converter 10, and the
image input controller 11. The CPU 19 transmits the digital image
signal to the image signal processing circuit 12.
[0045]The image signal processing circuit 12 performs image processing
such as gamma correction, edge emphasis, white balance, etc. for
the received image signal, and outputs the processed image signal.
The image signal is stored in the VRAM 23 as image data by the CPU
19. The video encoder 14 forms a component color video signal based
on the image data stored in the VRAM 23 and transmits the component
color video signal to the image display part 15. Since the image
display part 15 displays the component color video signal, it displays
a monitor image of the subject being photographed.
[0046]The CPU 19 inputs the image signal input in the image signal
processing circuit 12 to the AE and AWB detection circuit 21, and
obtains the exposure control signal and the white balance control
signal. The CPU 19 outputs an iris driving signal and a gain setting
signal based on the exposure control signal. The iris driving signal
is provided to the iris motor 6 by the motor driver 17 and an opening
of the iris is controlled at a predetermined signal level. The gain
setting signal is provided to the CDSAMP circuit 9 and the gain
of the CDSAMP circuit 9 is controlled at a predetermined signal
level. The CPU 19 sets the B gain and the R gain of the image signal
processing circuit 12 based on the white balance control signal.
As described above, the exposure and the white balance always remain
in an optimal state in order to photograph an image at anytime.
[0047]At this stage, when the zoom switch SW3 is operated, the
CPU 19 outputs the zoom driving signal. The zoom driving signal
is provided by the motor driver 16 to the zoom motor 5 that moves
the zoom lens 1.
[0048]The operation of the digital camera when photographing a
subject will now be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an operation
of the flash mode controller 27 according to an embodiment of the
present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the photographing mode selection
switch SW1 is set in a single-photographing mode. If the shutter
switch SW1 is pressed, the flash mode controller 27 of the CPU 19
senses that the shutter switch SW1 is pressed, and reads the setting
of the flash mode switch SW4 (Operation S1). If the flash mode switch
SW4 is set to forced flashing (Operation S2), the condition of Operation
S2 is satisfied and Operation S3 is performed. In Operation S3,
the flash mode controller 27 sends a preliminary flashing to the
flash 28 and a shutter signal to the timing generator 8 so that
an image photographed when the preliminary flashing operation is
performed is stored in the CCD 4. The image is displayed on the
image display part 15 in the same manner when the recording/reproduction
switch SW2 is set to the recording mode, and is used to control
exposure and white balance in Operation S3.
[0049]The flash mode controller 27 receives the image stored in
the CCD 4 as an image signal, and outputs the image signal to the
face detection circuit 26. The face detection circuit 26 detects
a color of a person's eyes from the image signal, and transmits
the color to the CPU 19 (Operation S4). The flash mode controller
27 receives the color of the person's eyes transmitted to the CPU
19, and determines whether the color is within the scope of previously
defined red-eye color and brightness (Operation S5). If it is determined
that the color is within the red-eye scope, the flash mode controller
27 in Operation S6 awaits a previously defined red-eye reduction
standby time T2 (FIG. 3), and sends an instruction to perform a
main flashing operation to the flash 28, and sends the shutter signal
to the timing generator 8 for photographing an image (Operation
S7). If it is determined in Operation S5 that the color is beyond
the red-eye scope, the flash mode controller 27 sends the instruction
to perform the main flashing operation to the flash 28 (i.e., Operation
S6 is bypassed), and sends the shutter signal to the timing generator
8 to photograph the image in Operation S7.
[0050]Accordingly, the image photographed when the main flashing
operation is performed is stored in the CCD 4 regardless of whether
the color is within the scope or not. The CCD 4 outputs the image
as an analog image signal. The analog image signal is gain-controlled
by the CDSAMP circuit 9 and is converted into a digital image signal
by the A/D converter 10. The digital image signal is input to the
CPU 19 through the image input controller 11. Thereafter, the image
signal processing circuit 12 performs image processing such as gamma
correction, edge emphasis, white balance, YC conversion, etc. with
respect to the input digital image signal. The image compression/decompression
circuit 13 compresses data of the input digital image signal, and
records the compressed data of the input digital image signal as
an image file in the recording media 25 via media controller 24.
[0051]When the red eye is not detected, a light control time T1
between a preliminary flashing operation F1 and a main flashing
operation F2 is made as short as possible as illustrated in FIG.
3, timeline (a). When the red eye is detected, a red eye reduction
standby time T2 between a preliminary flashing operation F3 and
a main flashing operation F4 is required to allow for a time for
contracting of the pupils of a person who is a subject.
[0052]If the flash mode switch SW4 is not set to the forced flashing,
i.e., no flashing, in Operation S2, Operation S8 is performed. At
decision block/Operation S8, if the flash mode switch SW4 is not
set to automatic flashing, the flash mode controller 27 sends the
shutter signal to the timing generator 8 (Operation S12) so that
an image photographed when the flash 28 does not perform any flashing
is stored in the CCD 4. The image is displayed on the image display
part 15 in the same manner as when the recording/reproduction switch
SW2 is set to the recording mode, and is used to control exposure
and white balance in Operation 12. Thereafter, the flash mode controller
27 sends the shutter signal to the timing generator 8 to photograph
the image (Operation S13), and records the photographed image to
the recording media 25 as an image file.
[0053]If at decision block/Operation S8 the flash mode switch SW4
is set to automatic flashing, Operation S9 is performed. In Operation
S9, the flash mode controller 27 sends the shutter signal to the
timing generator 8 so that an image is stored in the CCD 4. The
image is input into the AE and AWB detection circuit 21 in the same
manner as when the recording/reproduction switch SW2 is set to the
recording mode. The AE and AWB detection circuit 21 calculates a
brightness evaluation value of the image, and transmits the calculated
brightness evaluation value to the CPU 19 as the exposure control
signal. The flash mode controller 27 obtains the brightness evaluation
value (Operation S9) and compares the brightness evaluation value
with a previously defined threshold value (Operation S10). If the
brightness evaluation value is smaller than the threshold value
the flash 28 must emit light and so Operation S3 is performed. After
Operation S3, the flash mode controller 27 operates in the same
manner as previously described when the flash mode switch SW4 is
set to the forced flashing. However, at decision block/Operation
S10, if the brightness evaluation value is greater than the threshold
value, the image stored in the CCD 4 in Operation S9 is displayed
on the image display part 15 in the same manner as when the recording/reproduction
switch SW2 is set to the recording mode, and is used to control
exposure and white balance (Operation S11). Thereafter, the flash
mode controller 27 sends the shutter signal to the timing generator
8 to photograph the image (Operation S13), and records a photographed
image to the recording media 25 as the image file.
[0054]In the current embodiment, the scope of the color and brightness
for red eye phenomenon is previously defined in Operation S5. The
scope can be changed, varied or adjusted according to the brightness
evaluation value calculated by the AE and AWB detection circuit
21 (e.g., relative to operations S9 and S10). If a place in which
photographing occurs is dark and the brightness evaluation value
is smaller than the previously defined threshold value, it is determined
that the red eye phenomenon easily occurs, so that the scope of
the color and brightness for red eye phenomenon may be increased.
To the contrary, if the place in which photographing occurs is dark
and the brightness evaluation value is greater than the previously
defined threshold value, it is determined that the red eye phenomenon
does not easily occur, so that the scope of the color and brightness
for red eye phenomenon may be reduced. Therefore, it is possible
to avoid a failure in detecting the red-eye phenomenon when it occurs
or an error in judgment of the red-eye phenomenon even when it does
not occur.
[0055]Also, in the current embodiment, the red eye reduction standby
time T2 is previously defined. The red eye reduction standby time
T2 can be changed, varied or adjusted according to the brightness
evaluation value calculated by the AE and AWB detection circuit
21 (e.g., relative to operations S9 and S10). If the place in which
photographing occurs is dark and the brightness evaluation value
is smaller than the previously defined threshold value, it is determined
that the red eye phenomenon easily occurs, and so the red eye reduction
standby time T2 may be increased. To the contrary, if the place
in which photographing occurs is dark and the brightness evaluation
value is greater than the previously defined threshold value, it
is determined that the red eye phenomenon does not easily occur,
and so the red eye reduction standby time T2 may be reduced.
[0056]The flash mode controller 27 determines when the color of
the eyes, which is detected by the face detection circuit 26, is
red. If the color is dark red, the flash 28 emits light during the
red eye reduction standby time T2, thereby reducing the red-eye
phenomenon.
[0057]The flash mode controller 27 may inform a subject of the
red-eye phenomenon during the red eye reduction standby time by
controlling light emission from the flash 28 intermittently, switching
on or off a light-emitting diode (LED) (not shown), or acoustically
beeping so that a person which is a subject can be informed of a
fact that the person is in the red eye reduction standby time T2,
so that the person refrains from moving since the person may misunderstand
that the photographing is finished.
[0058]The operation of the digital camera when the photographing
mode selection switch SW5 is set to a continuous photographing mode
will now be described. In the continuous photographing mode, the
digital camera continuously photographs a defined number of screens
when the shutter switch SW1 is pressed. The operation of photographing
each screen in the continuous photographing mode is the same as
that of the single-photographing mode after the CPU 19 sends the
shutter signal to the timing generator 8.
[0059]If the recording/reproduction switch SW2 is set to a reproduction
mode, the CPU 19 opens the image file of the recording media 25
by using the media controller 24 and reads image data. The CPU 19
provides the image data read from the recording media 25 to the
image compression/decompression circuit 13. The image compression/decompression
circuit 13 processes by expansion the image data and stores the
decompressed image data in the VRAM 23. The video encoder 14 generates
a component color video signal based on the image data of the VRAM
23, and provides the component color video signal to the image display
part 15. Thus, a reproduction image stored in the recording media
25 is displayed on the image display part 15.
[0060]When an eye color, detected by a detection constituent from
a photographed image after a flashing constituent preliminarily
emits light, is within a predetermined scope, a camera of the present
invention emits light using the flashing constituent after a red-eye
reduction standby time passes, and captures an image. Therefore,
even when the red-eye phenomenon occurs, a user can photograph an
image in which the red eye is reduced without setting the camera
to a red eye reduction mode, thereby easily obtaining an appropriate
photographed image.
[0061]Since the red eye reduction standby time can be changed according
to a photographing environment, the red eye reduction standby time
may be increased in a dark place where the red-eye phenomenon easily
occurs, so that the user can photograph the image in which the red
eye is reduced, thereby easily obtaining an appropriate photographed
image.
[0062]Also, an informing constituent may inform the user that the
user is in the red eye reduction standby time, which prevents a
person who is a subject from moving since the person may misunderstand
that the photographing is finished, thereby easily obtaining an
appropriate photographed image.
[0063]While the present invention has been particularly shown and
described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will
be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various
changes in form and details may be made therein without departing
from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by
the following claims. |