Image analysis – Image transformation or preprocessing – Combining image portions
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-11
2003-05-06
Mehta, Bhavesh (Department: 2625)
Image analysis
Image transformation or preprocessing
Combining image portions
C382S263000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06560374
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, and particularly to an image processing apparatus in which image data that is obtained by photoelectric reading of an original image is subjected to predetermined image processing so that image data for output is obtained.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has recently been known technique in which a frame image recorded on a photographic film is read photoelectrically by a reading sensor such as a CCD, and digital image data obtained by the reading is subjected to image processing such as enlargement/reduction and various corrections, so that an image is formed on a recording medium by laser light modulated in accordance with the digital image data to which image processing has been effected.
In such technique of reading a frame image digitally by a reading sensor such as a CCD, in order to realize highly accurate reading of an image, a reading condition corresponding to density and the like of the frame image (for example, an amount of light irradiated on the frame image, time of charge accumulated in the CCD, and the like) is determined by preliminary reading of the frame image (so-called pre-scan), and the frame image is read again under the determined reading condition (so-called fine scan).
At this point, original image data (fine scan data) obtained by executing fine scan may be subjected to image processing so that a soft-focus image is formed.
In this case, high-frequency components and medium-frequency components are first eliminated with the use of a filter from original image data that is obtained by executing fine scan, thereby extracting original image data consisting only of low-frequency components so as to generate soft-finished image data. In other words, soft-finished image data that represents a soft-finished image, in which sharpness of an original image is reduced, is generated. Subsequently, reproducing image data that is used for reproducing an image is generated by combining soft-finished image data with original image data (fine scan data). By reproducing the image on the basis of the reproducing image data that is thus generated, a soft-focus image can be formed (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 9-172600).
However, when image data for output is generated by combining soft-finished image data with original image data so as to form a soft-focus image, as mentioned above, an adding ratio for the time when soft-finished image data and original image data are combined with each other (a ratio of weight of soft-finished image data to original image data when they are combined with each other) as well as a degree of soft-finish of a soft-finished image, in which sharpness of an original image represented by original image data is reduced, are fixed.
Accordingly, a problem exists in that soft-focus intensity of a soft-focus image, which is reproduced in accordance with reproducing image data that is generated by combining soft-finished image data with original image data, is fixed and can not be changed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been devised to solve the above-described drawbacks and an object thereof is to provide an image processing apparatus in which soft-focus intensity can be changed when a soft-focus image is formed.
In order to achieve the above-described object, there is provided an image processing apparatus of a first aspect of the present invention, comprising: soft-finished image data generating means for generating soft-finished image data representing a soft-finished image in which sharpness of an original image represented by the original image data is reduced, on the basis of original image data; adding ratio setting means for setting an adding ratio for the time when the soft-finished image data that is generated by the soft-finished image data generating means and the original image data are combined with each other; and image data combining means for, on the basis of the adding ratio set by the adding ratio setting means, combining the soft-finished image data with the original image data so as to generate image data for output.
The image processing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention includes the soft-finished image data generating means for generating soft-finished image data representing a soft-finished image, in which sharpness of an original image represented by original image data is reduced. The soft-finished image data generating means can generate soft-finished image data, for example, by eliminating, via a filter, high-frequency components and medium-frequency components, which constitute original image data, so as to extract low-frequency components.
Further, the image processing apparatus includes the adding ratio setting means for setting an adding ratio for the time when soft-finished image data and original image data are combined with each other. The adding ratio is a ratio of weight of soft-finished image data to that of original image data when they are combined with each other. The adding ratio setting means can set the adding ratio, for example, by effecting calculating processing on the basis of soft-finished image data and original image data in such a manner that soft-focus intensity of a soft-focus image to be formed becomes a desired value.
Moreover, the image processing apparatus includes the image data combining means for combining soft-finished image data with original image data on the basis of the adding ratio set by the adding ratio setting means, so to generate image data for output. A soft-focus image can be formed by outputting an image through the use of the image data for output generated by the image data combining means. The soft-focus intensity of the soft-focus image is taken into consideration in advance when the adding ratio, for the time when soft-finished image data and original image data are combined with each other, is set. In other words, the adding ratio is set in accordance with the desired soft-focus intensity. For example, if higher soft-focus intensity is required, it can be realized by setting the adding ratio of soft-finished image data high when combining soft-finished image data with original image data. On the other hand, if lower soft-focus intensity is required, it can be realized by setting the adding ratio of soft-finished image data low.
Accordingly, since the adding ratio for the time when soft-finished image data and original image data are combined with each other can be set in accordance with desired soft-focus intensity, soft-focus intensity of a soft-focus image can be changed.
An image processing apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention further comprises soft-finish-degree changing means for changing a degree of soft-finish of the soft-finished image data generated by the soft-finished image data generating means.
According to the invention of the second aspect, since a degree of soft-finish can be changed for the soft-finished image data alone, which combines the original image data, the same adding ratio can produce varied degrees of soft-finish. Thus, a wider variety of soft-finished image can be obtained.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the image processing apparatus of the first or second aspect further comprises: face region extracting means for, on the basis of the original image data, extracting a region which corresponds to a face of a person in the original image; and determining means for determining the size of the region which corresponds to the face and which is extracted by the face region extracting means, wherein, on the basis of the size of the region corresponding to the face which size is determined by the determining means, the adding ratio setting means sets the adding ratio for the time when the soft-finished image data and the original image data are combined with each other.
A face of a person in an original image may not be discerned when a region that corresponds to the face of the person is small but a
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Mehta Bhavesh
Patel Kanji
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