Image capture apparatus and method executed by image capture apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016127630-A1
Application number	US-201514927634-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 30, 2015
Priority date	Nov 5, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The amount of light to be emitted by an auxiliary light source for capturing an image to which correction processing is applied, as well as a parameter used in the correction processing, is determined based on a degree of shadows of an object to be captured using the auxiliary light source. In this way, shadows in an image obtained through image capture using the auxiliary light source can be appropriately corrected with a simple method.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image capture apparatus, comprising:
an application unit configured to apply, to an image captured using an auxiliary light source, correction processing for adding an effect of a virtual light source; and a determination unit configured to determine an amount of light to be emitted by the auxiliary light source for capturing the image to which the correction processing is applied, and determine a parameter used in the correction processing, wherein the determination unit determines the amount of light to be emitted and the parameter based on a degree of shadows of an object to be captured using the auxiliary light source.

2 . The image capture apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the determination unit determines the parameter such that shadows are added to the object through the correction processing.

3 . The image capture apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the determination unit determines the amount of light to be emitted and the parameter based on a degree of shadows of the object in an image captured without using the auxiliary light source.

4 . The image capture apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the determination unit calculates the degree of shadows based on luminance information of a region of the object in an image captured without using the auxiliary light source.

5 . The image capture apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
when the degree of shadows of the object is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, the determination unit determines a normal light emission amount as the amount of light to be emitted by the auxiliary light source, the normal light emission amount achieving appropriate brightness of the object.

6 . The image capture apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
when the degree of shadows of the object is equal to or lower than the predetermined value, the determination unit determines the parameter such that brightness of the object is corrected through the correction processing after brightness of the image captured using the auxiliary light source is reduced.

7 . The image capture apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
when the degree of shadows of the object is not equal to or not lower than a predetermined value, the determination unit determines a light emission amount smaller than a normal light emission amount as the amount of light to be emitted by the auxiliary light source, the normal light emission amount achieving appropriate brightness of the object.

8 . The image capture apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
when the degree of shadows of the object is not equal to or not lower than the predetermined value, the determination unit determines the parameter such that brightness of the object is corrected through the correction processing without changing brightness of the image captured using the auxiliary light source.

9 . The image capture apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
when the degree of shadows of the object is not equal to or not lower than the predetermined value, the determination unit determines a position of the virtual light source used in the correction processing such that a direction of the virtual light source is the same as a direction of an environmental light source, the position being a part of the parameter.

10 . The image capture apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
an obtainment unit configured to obtain distance information of the object and a background, wherein the determination unit determines the amount of light to be emitted and the parameter based on a degree of shadows estimated based on the distance information.

11 . The image capture apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising
an obtainment unit configured to obtain distance information of the object and a background, wherein when a depth of the object is not determined to be equal to or smaller than a threshold based on the distance information, the determination unit determines the parameter similarly to a case in which the degree of shadows is not equal to or lower than the predetermined value.

12 . The image capture apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein
when a difference between a distance to the object and a distance to the background is determined to be equal to or smaller than a threshold based on the distance information, the determination unit determines the parameter similarly to the case in which the degree of shadows is not equal to or lower than the predetermined value.

13 . The image capture apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein
when the depth of the object is determined to be equal to or smaller than the threshold and a difference between a distance to the object and a distance to the background is not determined to be equal to or smaller than a threshold based on the distance information, the determination unit determines the parameter similarly to a case in which the degree of shadows is equal to or lower than the predetermined value.

14 . A method executed by an image capture apparatus, the method comprising:
applying, to an image captured using an auxiliary light source, correction processing for adding an effect of a virtual light source; and determining an amount of light to be emitted by the auxiliary light source for capturing the image to which the correction processing is applied, and determining a parameter used in the correction processing, wherein in the determining, the amount of light to be emitted and the parameter are determined based on a degree of shadows of an object to be captured using the auxiliary light source.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer provided in an image capture apparatus to execute a method comprising:
applying, to an image captured using an auxiliary light source, correction processing for adding an effect of a virtual light source; and determining an amount of light to be emitted by the auxiliary light source for capturing the image to which the correction processing is applied, and determining a parameter used in the correction processing, wherein in the determining, the amount of light to be emitted and the parameter are determined based on a degree of shadows of an object to be captured using the auxiliary light source.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Kitajima Kotaro

Classifications

• H04N23/71 Primary

  Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation · CPC title

• H04N23/74

  by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N5/2621

  Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability · CPC title

• G01N2021/8838

  Stroboscopic illumination; synchronised illumination · CPC title

• G06K9/4661

  Physics · mapped topic