Image processing apparatus and photographing apparatus

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes an image processing circuit. The image processing circuit is configured by an image processing portion for performing an image process on a first image so as to generate a third image, an image composing portion for composing the first image and the third image, and an addition-ratio calculating portion for calculating a degree of composition of a composing process between the first image and the third image by the image composing portion based on a difference signal from a difference calculating portion.

1 . An image processing apparatus for processing an object scene image outputted from an imager for capturing the object scene through a focus lens and an aperture mechanism, comprising:
 a focus adjuster for adjusting a focus in such a manner as to fit a specific object within the object scene;   an aperture amount setter for setting a plurality of aperture amounts different to one another to said aperture mechanism in association with an adjusting process of said focus adjuster;   a detector for detecting a magnitude of a difference in sharpness between a plurality of object scene images outputted from said imager corresponding to the plurality of aperture amounts set by said aperture amount setter; and   an image quality adjuster for performing an image-quality adjusting process that refers to a detection result of said detector on the object scene image outputted from said imager corresponding to the focus adjusted by said focus adjuster.   
     
     
         2 . An image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said detector includes a high-frequency component extractor for respectively extracting a plurality of high-frequency components from the plurality of object scene images, and a difference calculator for calculating a difference between the plurality of high-frequency components extracted by said high-frequency component extractor. 
     
     
         3 . An image processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said detector further includes a luminance-component extractor for respectively extracting a plurality of luminance components from the plurality of object scene images, and a corrector for correcting a positional deviation between the plurality of object scene images based on the plurality of luminance components extracted by said luminance-component extractor. 
     
     
         4 . An image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said image quality adjuster includes a specific parameter controller for greatly decreasing a specific parameter of the object scene image as the difference increases. 
     
     
         5 .- 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . An image processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said image quality adjuster further includes a decreaser for decreasing the specific parameter of the object scene image, and said specific parameter controller increases a decreasing amount of said decreaser as the difference increases. 
     
     
         8 .- 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . An image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first recorder for recording a plurality of object scene images outputted from said imager corresponding to a plurality of aperture amounts set by said aperture amount setter; and   a first reproducer for reproducing the plurality of object scene images recorded by said recorder, wherein said detector notices the plurality of object scene images reproduced by said first reproducer, and said image quality adjuster notices one of the plurality of object scene images reproduced by said first reproducer.   
     
     
         12 . An image processing apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein said first recorder accommodates the plurality of object scene images into a common file. 
     
     
         13 . An image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said image quality adjuster includes a defocus setter for setting the focus in a defocus state, and a composer for composing the object scene image outputted from said imager corresponding to a defocus set by said defocus setter and the object scene image outputted from said imager corresponding to the focus adjusted by said focus adjuster. 
     
     
         14 . An image processing apparatus according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a second recorder for recording the plurality of object scene images outputted from said imager corresponding to the plurality of aperture amounts set by said aperture amount setter and the object scene image outputted from said imager corresponding to the defocus set by said defocus setter; and   a second reproducer for reproducing the plurality of object scene images recorded by said recorder, wherein said detector and said image quality adjuster notice the plurality of object scene images reproduced by said second reproducer.   
     
     
         15 . An image processing apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein said second recorder accommodates the plurality of object scene images into a common file. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . An image processing program product executed by a processor of an image processing apparatus for processing an object scene image outputted from an imager for capturing the object scene through a focus lens and an aperture mechanism, comprising:
 a focus adjusting step of adjusting a focus in such a manner as to fit a specific object within the object scene;   an aperture amount setting step of setting a plurality of aperture amounts different to one another to said aperture mechanism in association with an adjusting process of said focus adjusting step;   a detecting step of detecting a magnitude of a difference in sharpness between a plurality of object scene images outputted from said imager corresponding to the plurality of aperture amounts set by said aperture amount setting step; and   an image-quality adjusting step of performing an image-quality adjusting process that refers to a detection result of said detecting step on the object scene image outputted from said imager corresponding to the focus adjusted by said focus adjusting step.   
     
     
         18 . An image processing method for processing an object scene image outputted from an imager for capturing the object scene through a focus lens and an aperture mechanism, comprising:
 a focus adjusting step of adjusting a focus in such a manner as to fit a specific object within the object scene;   an aperture amount setting step of setting a plurality of aperture amounts different to one another to said aperture mechanism in association with an adjusting process of said focus adjusting step;   a detecting step of detecting a magnitude of a difference in sharpness between a plurality of object scene images outputted from said imager corresponding to the plurality of aperture amounts set by said aperture amount setting step; and   an image-quality adjusting step of performing an image-quality adjusting process that refers to a detection result of said detecting step on the object scene image outputted from said imager corresponding to the focus adjusted by said focus adjusting step.   
     
     
         19 .- 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . An imaging apparatus, comprising:
 an image which captures a target scene including a specific object and a background in such a manner that a focus position is different, so as to acquire a first image signal and a second image signal each of which represents the target scene;   an image creator which creates a third image signal in which a degree of blurring of the background is emphasized as a difference between the first image signal and the second image signal increases, based on the first image signal and the second image signal.   
     
     
         25 . An imaging apparatus, comprising:
 an imager, having an imaging surface capturing a target scene including a specific object and a background through an optical system, which outputs an electronic image representing the target scene;   a determiner which determines a specific optical setting for focusing on the specific object, based on the electronic image outputted from said imager, when accepting a first user operation;   an acquirer which acquires from said imager a plurality of electronic images respectively corresponding to a plurality of different optical settings including the specific optical setting determined by said determiner, in response to a second user operation; and   a blurring processor which blurs the background on the electronic image acquired by said acquirer corresponding to the specific optical setting, based on a difference between the plurality of electronic images acquired by said acquirer.   
     
     
         26 . An imaging apparatus according to  claim 25 , wherein said blurring processor emphasizes a degree of blurring as the difference increases. 
     
     
         27 . An imaging apparatus according to  claim 25 , wherein the first user operation is equivalent to a half depressing of a shutter button, and the second user operation is equivalent to a full depressing of the shutter button.