Image processing device, method of controlling image processing device, and program for enabling computer to execute same method

Abstract

There is provided an image processing device including a focus area setting section, a depth acquisition section, and a blur processing section. The focus area setting section sets each of a plurality of areas as a focus area, and the each of the plurality of areas is intended to be kept in focus in a captured image of a subject. The depth acquisition section acquires a depth of the subject in relation to each pixel in the image. The blur processing section sets each of the pixels in the image as a target pixel and performs a blur process on the target pixel in accordance with a minimum value of absolute value of each depth difference between depth corresponding to the target pixel and depth corresponding to each of the focus area.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An image processing device comprising:
 circuitry configured to
 acquire a depth corresponding to each of a plurality of focus areas in an image; and 
 perform a blur process on a subject in the image by changing a degree of a blur process on the subject in accordance with the depth of a focus area located closest to subject or located furthest from the subject. 
   
     
     
         2 . The image processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to:
 extract a plurality of areas in the image as candidates areas for the plurality of focus areas; and   select a plurality of candidate areas among the extracted candidate areas and set each of the plurality of candidate areas as the plurality of focus areas.   
     
     
         3 . The image processing device according to  claim 2 , wherein the circuitry is configured to recognize a captured area of a given object in the image and extract the area as a candidate area. 
     
     
         4 . The image processing device according to  claim 2 , wherein the circuitry is configured to recognize a captured area of a face in the image and extract the area as a candidate area. 
     
     
         5 . The image processing device according to  claim 2 , wherein the circuitry is configured to:
 decide a composition to define an arrangement of the subject in the image; and   extract a plurality of areas as candidate areas based on the decided composition.   
     
     
         6 . The image processing device according to  claim 2 , wherein the circuitry is configured to:
 set a priority for the selection of the candidate areas to the extracted candidate areas; and   select the candidate areas based on the set priority.   
     
     
         7 . The image processing device according to  claim 6 , wherein the circuitry is configured to:
 register a captured image of a given subject; and   set a priority to a candidate area based on a similarity between the registered image and the candidate area.   
     
     
         8 . The image processing device according to  claim 6 , wherein the circuitry is configured to set the priority based on an area size of the candidate area. 
     
     
         9 . The image processing device according to  claim 6 , wherein the circuitry is configured to set the priority based on the depth corresponding to any one pixel in the candidate area. 
     
     
         10 . The image processing device according to  claim 9 , wherein the circuitry is configured to set the priority of a candidate area to be higher as the depth corresponding to any one pixel in the candidate area is closer to a maximum value or minimum value of the obtained depth. 
     
     
         11 . The image processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the image includes a criterion image and a reference image used in acquiring the depths, and   the circuitry is configured to
 detect a distance between any one pixel in the criterion image and a pixel, corresponding to the pixel in the criterion image, in the reference image as a parallax; 
 generate the depth in relation to the pixel in the criterion image based on the detected parallax; and 
 perform the blur process on each of the pixels in the criterion image as the target pixel. 
   
     
     
         12 . The image processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the blur process is calculated by using the following expression:
   δ j   =D×d   j— min× R/d   j  
   where δ j  is a degree of blur, D is an effective diameter of an image capturing apparatus by which the image is captured, d j  is the depth corresponding to a target pixel, Δd j— min is the minimum value, and R is an imaging magnification of the image.   
     
     
         13 . The image processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to set the focus areas in accordance with an operation signal for specifying the focus areas. 
     
     
         14 . The image processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to set the focus areas by limiting the number of focus areas to be set to a value less than or equal to a threshold. 
     
     
         15 . A method of controlling an image processing device, comprising:
 acquiring, by circuitry, a depth corresponding to each of a plurality of focus areas in an image; and   performing, by the circuitry, a blur process on a subject in the image by changing a degree of a blur process on the subject in accordance with the depth of a focus area located closest to subject or located furthest from the subject.   
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a program for enabling a computer to:
 acquire a depth corresponding to each of a plurality of focus areas in an image; and   perform a blur process on a subject in the image by changing a degree of a blur process on the subject in accordance with the depth of a focus area located closest to subject or located furthest from the subject.