Image processing apparatus

Abstract

When an acquired image file GF includes image processing control information GI, a CPU executes image quality adjustment of image data GD in an image processing mode GM specified by the image processing control information GI. When the acquired image file GF does not include the image processing control information GI, on the other hand, the CPU retrieves Exif information and in the case of successful retrieval of the Exif information, selects the image processing mode GM based on the Exif information and executes image quality adjustment of the image data GD in the selected image processing mode GM. In the case where a selected shooting mode is described in the Exif information, the selected shooting mode is used for the selection of the image processing mode GM. In the case where no selected shooting mode is described in the Exif information, on the other hand, another shooting condition is used for the selection of the image processing mode GM.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An image processing method that makes image data, which includes shooting information obtained at a time of shooting, subjected to a series of image processing suitable for a selected shooting scene, said image processing method comprising: 
 acquiring image data;    retrieving scene-dependent image processing condition specification information, which is related to the acquired image data and is used to specify a scene-dependent image processing condition suitable for the selected shooting scene;    specifying the selected shooting scene based on the shooting information, in the case of failed retrieval of the scene-dependent image processing condition specification information;    acquiring a scene-dependent image processing condition suitable for the specified shooting scene from a memory device, which stores multiple scene-dependent image processing conditions set for multiple shooting scenes; and    executing image quality adjustment of the image data with the acquired scene-dependent image processing condition.    
     
     
         2 . An image processing method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said acquiring the scene-dependent image processing condition, in the case of successful retrieval of the scene-dependent image processing condition specification information, is implemented by acquiring the scene-dependent image processing condition corresponding to the retrieved scene-dependent image processing condition specification information from said memory device.  
     
     
         3 . An image processing method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said specifying the shooting scene, when the shooting information includes preset information of shooting scene, is implemented with the preset information of shooting scene.  
     
     
         4 . An image processing method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said specifying the shooting scene is implemented with based on information on settings of exposure program, aperture, shutter speed, subject distance range, ISO speed rate, and flash included in the shooting information.  
     
     
         5 . An image processing method in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein said specifying the shooting scene, when the shooting information does not include the preset information of shooting scene, is implemented with information on settings of exposure program, aperture, shutter speed, subject distance range, ISO speed rate, and flash included in the shooting information.  
     
     
         6 . An image processing method in accordance with any one of claims  1  through  5 , wherein the scene-dependent image processing condition is a combination of values of multiple image quality-relating parameters, which are set in advance for each shooting scene.  
     
     
         7 . An image processing apparatus that makes image data, which includes shooting information obtained at a time of shooting, subjected to a series of image processing suitable for a selected shooting scene, said image processing apparatus comprising: 
 an image data acquisition unit that acquires image data;    a memory unit that stores multiple scene-dependent image processing conditions set for multiple shooting scenes;    a scene-dependent image processing condition acquisition unit that, in the case of failed retrieval of scene-dependent image processing condition specification information, which is related to the acquired image data and is used to specify a scene-dependent image processing condition suitable for the selected shooting scene, specifies the selected shooting scene based on the shooting information and acquires a scene-dependent image processing condition suitable for the specified shooting scene from said memory unit; and    an image quality adjustment unit that executes image quality adjustment of the image data with the acquired scene-dependent image processing condition.    
     
     
         8 . A computer program product storing a program that causes a computer to utilize multiple scene-dependent image processing conditions set for multiple shooting scenes and to make image data, which includes shooting information obtained at a time of shooting, subjected to a series of image processing suitable for a selected shooting scene, said program comprising: 
 a computer command that retrieves scene-dependent image processing condition specification information, which is related to acquired image data and is used to specify a scene-dependent image processing condition suitable for the selected shooting scene;    a computer command that specifies the selected shooting scene based on the shooting information, in the case of failed retrieval of the scene-dependent image processing condition specification information;    a computer command that selects a scene-dependent image processing condition suitable for the specified shooting scene among the multiple scene-dependent image processing conditions; and    a computer command that executes image quality adjustment of the image data with the selected scene-dependent image processing condition.    
     
     
         9 . An image processing method that executes a series of image processing suitable for a shooting scene selected at a time of shooting, said image processing method comprising: 
 acquiring image data;    retrieving image processing control information, which specifies a scene-dependent image processing condition suitable for the selected shooting scene and is related to the acquired image data;    in the case of successful retrieval of the image processing control information, acquiring the scene-dependent image processing condition specified by the retrieved image processing control information from a memory device, which stores multiple scene-dependent image processing conditions as combinations of values of multiple image quality-relating parameters set in advance for multiple shooting scenes; and    executing image quality adjustment of the image data with the acquired scene-dependent image processing condition.    
     
     
         10 . An image processing method in accordance with  claim 9 , said image processing method further comprising: 
 determining the shooting scene selected at the time of shooting, based on the shooting information,    wherein said acquiring the scene-dependent image processing condition, in the case of failed retrieval of the image processing control information, is implemented with acquiring the scene-dependent image processing condition suitable for the definitely set shooting scene from said memory device.    
     
     
         11 . An image processing apparatus that executes a series of image processing suitable for a shooting scene selected at a time of shooting, said image processing apparatus comprising: 
 an image data acquisition unit that acquires image data;    a memory unit that stores multiple scene-dependent image processing conditions as combinations of values of multiple image quality-relating parameters set in advance for multiple shooting scenes;    a scene-dependent image processing condition acquisition unit that, in the case of successful retrieval of image processing control information, which specifies a scene-dependent image processing condition suitable for the selected shooting scene and is related to the acquired image data, acquires out the scene-dependent image processing condition specified by the retrieved image processing control information from said memory unit; and    an image quality adjustment unit that executes image quality adjustment of the image data with the acquired scene-dependent image processing condition.    
     
     
         12 . A computer program product storing an image processing program that causes a computer to utilize multiple scene-dependent image processing conditions as combinations of values of multiple image quality-relating parameters set in advance for multiple shooting scenes and to execute a series of image processing suitable for a shooting scene selected at a time of shooting, said image processing program comprising: 
 a program command that retrieves image processing control information, which specifies a scene-dependent image processing condition suitable for the selected shooting scene and is related to acquired image data;    a program command that, in the case of successful retrieval of the image processing control information, selects the scene-dependent image processing condition specified by the retrieved image processing control information, among the multiple scene-dependent image processing conditions; and    a program command that executes image quality adjustment of the image data with the selected scene-dependent image processing condition.    
     
     
         13 . An image processing method that makes image data, which includes shooting information obtained at a time of shooting, subjected to a series of image processing, said image processing method comprising: 
 retrieving image processing control information that is related to the image data and is used to specify an image processing condition;    in the case of failed retrieval of the image processing control information, selecting an image processing condition, which is suitable for a shooting condition at the time of shooting, based on the shooting information from a memory device that stores multiple different image processing conditions set for the image data; and    executing image quality adjustment of the image data with the selected image processing condition.    
     
     
         14 . An image processing method in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein said selecting the image processing condition, in the case of successful retrieval of the image processing control information, is implemented with selecting an image processing condition specified by the retrieved image processing control information from said memory device.  
     
     
         15 . An image processing method in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein said selecting the image processing condition, when the shooting information includes preset information of shooting scene at the time of shooting, is implemented with selecting the image processing condition, based on the preset information of shooting scene.  
     
     
         16 . An image processing method in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein said selecting the image processing condition is implementing with at least information on settings of exposure program, aperture, shutter speed, subject distance range, ISO speed rate, and flash included in the shooting information.  
     
     
         17 . An image processing method in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein said selecting the image processing condition, when the shooting information does not include the preset information of shooting scene at the time of shooting, is implemented with at least information on settings of exposure program, aperture, shutter speed, subject distance range, ISO speed rate, and flash included in the shooting information.  
     
     
         18 . An image processing method in accordance with any one of claims  13  through  17 , wherein the image processing condition is a combination of values of multiple image quality-relating parameters, which are set in advance for each shooting scene.  
     
     
         19 . An image processing apparatus that makes image data, which includes shooting information obtained at a time of shooting, subjected to a series of image processing, said image processing apparatus comprising: 
 a memory unit that stores multiple different image processing conditions set for the image data;    a selection unit that, in the case of failed retrieval of image processing control information that is related to the image data and is used to specify an image processing condition, selects an image processing condition, which is suitable for a shooting condition at the time of shooting, based on the shooting information from said memory unit; and    an image quality adjustment unit that executes image quality adjustment of the image data with the selected image processing condition.    
     
     
         20 . A computer program product storing an image processing program that causes a computer to make image data, which includes shooting information obtained at a time of shooting, subjected to a series of image processing, said image processing program comprising: 
 a program command that retrieves image processing control information that is related to the image data and is used to specify an image processing condition;    a program command that, in the case of failed retrieval of the image processing control information, selects an image processing condition, which is suitable for a shooting condition at the time of shooting, based on the shooting information among multiple different image processing conditions set in advance for the image data; and    a program command that executes image quality adjustment of the image data with the selected image processing condition.    
     
     
         21 . An image processing method that executes image processing of image data having shooting information, which is obtained at a time of shooting and includes information on a selected shooting scene, said image processing method comprising: 
 acquiring image data;    acquiring a scene-dependent image processing condition suitable for the selected shooting scene from a memory device, which stores multiple scene-dependent image processing conditions as image processing conditions suitable for respective shooting scenes; and    executing image quality adjustment of the image data with the acquired scene-dependent image processing condition.    
     
     
         22 . An image processing method in accordance with  claim 21 , wherein the image data is associated with scene-dependent image processing condition specification information, which is used to specify the scene-dependent image processing condition applied for image processing, 
 said image processing method further comprising:    receiving selection information that determines which of the selected shooting scene and the scene-dependent image processing scene condition is to be used to acquires the scene-dependent image processing condition,    said acquiring the scene-dependent image processing condition is Implemented with acquiring the scene-dependent image processing condition from said memory device, according to the received selection information.    
     
     
         23 . An image processing method in accordance with  claim 22 , wherein said memory device stores a first scene-dependent image processing condition corresponding to the shooting scene and a second scene-dependent image processing condition corresponding to the scene-dependent image processing condition specification information, and 
 said acquiring the scene-dependent image processing condition is Implemented with selecting either of the first scene-dependent image processing condition and the second scene-dependent image processing condition according to the received selection information.    
     
     
         24 . An image processing apparatus that executes image processing of image data having shooting information, which is obtained at a time of shooting and includes information on a selected shooting scene, said image processing apparatus comprising: 
 an image data acquisition unit that acquires image data;    a memory unit that stores multiple scene-dependent image processing conditions as image processing conditions suitable for respective shooting scenes; and    an image quality adjustment unit that acquires a scene-dependent image processing condition suitable for the selected shooting scene from said memory unit and executes image quality adjustment of the image data with the acquired scene-dependent image processing condition.    
     
     
         25 . A computer program product storing an image processing program that causes a computer to execute image processing of image data having shooting information, which is obtained at a time of shooting and includes information on a selected shooting scene, said image processing program comprising: 
 a program code that acquires image data;    a program code that acquires a scene-dependent image processing condition suitable for the selected shooting scene from a memory device, which stores multiple scene-dependent image processing conditions as image processing conditions suitable for respective shooting scenes; and    a program code that executes image quality adjustment of the image data with the acquired scene-dependent image processing condition.