Image sensing apparatus and method of controlling the image sensing apparatus

Abstract

An image sensing apparatus having an image sensing unit that converts light into an electric signal corresponding to a quantity of incident light, and outputs an image signal obtained by the conversion, and that outputs an image signal obtained by the conversion, a mode switch section that switches among a plurality of image sensing modes including at least a firework image sensing mode and a normal image sensing mode, a mode control section that changes gamma characteristics including a first gamma characteristic used in the firework image sensing mode and a second gamma characteristic used in the normal image sensing mode, and a gamma circuit that, when switch to the firework image sensing mode is made by the mode switch section, makes gamma conversion of the image signal output from the image sensing unit by using the first gamma characteristic selected by the mode control section. The first gamma characteristic includes a characteristic having the effect of suppressing a low luminance in comparison with the second gamma characteristic.

1 . An image sensing apparatus comprising: 
 an image sensing unit that converts light into an electric signal corresponding to a quantity of incident light, and outputs an image signal obtained by the conversion;    a mode switch that switches among a plurality of image sensing modes including at least a firework image sensing mode and a normal image sensing mode;    a gamma characteristics changing unit that changes gamma characteristics including a first gamma characteristic used in the firework image sensing mode and a second gamma characteristic used in the normal image sensing mode; and    a gamma conversion unit that, when switch to the firework image sensing mode is made by the mode switch, performs gamma conversion on the image signal output from the image sensing unit by using the first gamma characteristic selected by the gamma characteristics changing unit,    wherein the first gamma characteristic comprises a characteristic having the effect of suppressing a low luminance in comparison with the second gamma characteristic.    
   
   
       2 . The image sensing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first gamma characteristic further comprises a characteristic having the effect of enhancing a high luminance in comparison with the second gamma characteristic.  
   
   
       3 . An image sensing apparatus comprising: 
 an image sensing unit that converts light into an electric signal corresponding to a quantity of incident light, and outputs an image signal obtained by the conversion;    a mode switch that switches among a plurality of image sensing modes including at least a firework image sensing mode and a normal image sensing mode;    an edge enhancement amount changing unit that changes edge enhancement amounts including a first edge enhancement amount used in the firework image sensing mode and a second edge enhancement amount used in the normal image sensing mode; and    an edge enhancing unit that, when switch to the firework image sensing mode is made by the mode switch, performs edge enhancement on the image signal output from the image sensing unit by using the first edge enhancement amount selected by the edge enhancement amount changing unit.    
   
   
       4 . The image sensing apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the first edge enhancement amount is smaller than the second edge enhancement amount.  
   
   
       5 . An image sensing apparatus comprising: 
 an image sensing unit that converts light into an electric signal corresponding to a quantity of incident light, and outputs an image signal obtained by the conversion;    a mode switch that switches among a plurality of image sensing modes including at least a firework image sensing mode and a normal image sensing mode;    a chromaticity adjustment amount changing unit that changes chromaticity adjustment amounts including a first chromaticity adjustment amount used in the firework image sensing mode and a second chromaticity adjustment amount used in the normal image sensing mode; and    a chromaticity adjusting unit that, when switch to the firework image sensing mode is made by the mode switch, performs chromaticity adjustment on the image signal output from the image sensing unit by using the first chromaticity adjustment amount selected by the chromaticity adjustment amount changing unit.    
   
   
       6 . The image sensing apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the first chromaticity adjustment amount is an adjustment amount by which the chromaticity of a color signal is increased in comparison with the second chromaticity adjustment amount.  
   
   
       7 . The image sensing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein white balance in the firework image sensing mode is fixed at a predetermined value.  
   
   
       8 . A method of controlling an image sensing apparatus, comprising: 
 converting light into an electric signal corresponding to a quantity of incident light, and outputting an image signal obtained by the conversion;    switching among a plurality of image sensing modes including at least a firework image sensing mode and a normal image sensing mode;    changing gamma characteristics to a first gamma characteristic when the firework image sensing mode is selected and to a second gamma characteristic when the normal image sensing mode is selected; and    performing gamma conversion on the image signal using the selected gamma characteristic,    wherein the first gamma characteristic comprises a characteristic having the effect of suppressing a low luminance in comparison with the second gamma characteristic.    
   
   
       9 . The control method according to  claim 8 , wherein the first gamma characteristic further comprises a characteristic having the effect of enhancing a high luminance in comparison with the second gamma characteristic.  
   
   
       10 . A control method comprising: 
 converting light into an electric signal corresponding to a quantity of incident light, and outputting an image signal obtained by the conversion;    switching among a plurality of image sensing modes including at least a firework image sensing mode and a normal image sensing mode;    changing edge enhancement amounts to a first edge enhancement amount when the firework image sensing mode is selected and to a second edge enhancement amount when the normal image sensing mode is selected; and    performing edge enhancement on the image signal using the selected edge enhancement amount.    
   
   
       11 . The control method according to  claim 10 , wherein the first edge enhancement amount is smaller than the second edge enhancement amount.  
   
   
       12 . A control method comprising: 
 converting light into an electric signal corresponding to a quantity of incident light, and outputting an image signal obtained by the conversion;    switching among a plurality of image sensing modes including at least a firework image sensing mode and a normal image sensing mode;    changing chromaticity adjustment amounts to a first chromaticity adjustment amount when the firework image sensing mode is selected and to a second chromaticity adjustment amount when the normal image sensing mode is selected; and    performing chromaticity adjustment on the image signal using the selected chromaticity adjustment amount.    
   
   
       13 . The control method according to  claim 12 , wherein the first chromaticity adjustment amount is an adjustment amount by which the chromaticity of a color signal is increased in comparison with the second chromaticity adjustment amount.  
   
   
       14 . The control method according to  claim 8 , wherein white balance in the firework image sensing mode is fixed at a predetermined value.  
   
   
       15 . An image sensing apparatus comprising: 
 an image sensing unit that converts light into an electric signal corresponding to a quantity of incident light, and periodically outputs an image signal obtained by the conversion at intervals of a predetermined period;    a mode switch that switches among a plurality of image sensing modes including at least a firework image sensing mode and a normal image sensing mode;    a delay unit that delays an image signal by the predetermined period; and    an adder that, when switch to the firework image sensing mode is made by the mode switch, adds the image signal output from the image sensing unit and the image signal output from the delay unit in predetermined proportions, and outputs an image signal obtained by the addition,    wherein the delay unit delays the image signal obtained by addition performed by the adder.    
   
   
       16 . The image sensing apparatus according to  claim 15 , further comprising a setting unit that sets the proportions used by the adder, according to the image sensing mode selected by the mode switch, 
 wherein the setting unit sets the proportion of the image signal output from the delay unit higher in the firework image sensing mode than in the normal image sensing mode.    
   
   
       17 . The image sensing apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the setting unit makes such a setting that the sum of the proportion of the image signal output from the image sensing unit and the proportion of the image signal output from the delay unit which is added by said adder to the image signal output from the image sensing unit, is 1.  
   
   
       18 . The image sensing apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the setting unit sets the proportion of the image signal output from the delay unit to zero in the normal image sensing mode.  
   
   
       19 . A method of controlling an image sensing apparatus, comprising: 
 converting in an image sensing unit light into an electric signal corresponding to a quantity of incident light, and periodically outputting from the image sensing unit an image signal obtained by the conversion at intervals of a predetermined period;    switching among a plurality of image sensing modes including at least a firework image sensing mode and a normal image sensing mode;    delaying an image signal by the predetermined period; and    adding in predetermined proportions the image signal output from the image sensing unit and the delayed image signal, and outputting an image signal obtained by the addition when the firework image sensing mode is selected,    wherein the image signal obtained by addition is further delayed.    
   
   
       20 . The control method according to  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 adding in predetermined proportions the image signal output from the image sensing unit and the delayed image signal, and outputting an image signal obtained by the addition when the normal image sensing mode is selected; and    setting the proportions to be used in the addition in accordance with the selected image sensing mode,    wherein the proportion of the delayed image signal is set higher in the firework image sensing mode than in the normal image sensing mode.    
   
   
       21 . The control method according to  claim 20 , wherein, the setting of the proportions is made such that the sum of the proportion of the image signal output from the image sensing unit and the proportion of the delayed image signal which is added to the image signal output from the image sensing unit, is 1.  
   
   
       22 . The control method according to  claim 20 , wherein the proportion of the delayed image signal is set to zero in the normal image sensing mode.  
   
   
       23 . An image sensing apparatus that records sound together with an image, the device comprising: 
 a sound input unit that inputs sound, converts the sound into an audio signal and outputs the audio signal;    a mode switch that switches among a plurality of image sensing modes including at least a firework image sensing mode and a normal image sensing mode;    a frequency characteristics changing unit that changes frequency characteristics including a first audio frequency characteristic used in the firework image sensing mode and a second audio frequency characteristic used in the normal image sensing mode; and    a characteristic conversion unit that, when switch to the firework image sensing mode is made by the mode switch, makes audio frequency conversion of the audio signal output from the audio input unit by using the first audio frequency characteristic selected by the frequency characteristics changing unit,    wherein the first audio frequency characteristic comprises a characteristic having the effect of enhancing bass sound in comparison with the second audio frequency characteristic.    
   
   
       24 . A method of controlling an image sensing apparatus that records sound together with an image, the method comprising: 
 inputting sound, converting the input sound into an audio signal and outputting the audio signal;    switching among a plurality of image sensing modes including at least a firework image sensing mode and a normal image sensing mode;    changing frequency characteristics to a first audio frequency characteristic when the firework image sensing mode is selected and to a second audio frequency characteristic when the normal image sensing mode is selected; and    making audio frequency conversion of the audio signal using the selected audio frequency characteristic,    wherein the first audio frequency characteristic comprises a characteristic having the effect of enhancing bass sound in comparison with the second audio frequency characteristic.    
   
   
       25 . A storage medium on which a program executable by an information processor having a program code for implementation of the control method according to  claim 8  is stored.  
   
   
       26 . A storage medium on which a program executable by an information processor having a program code for implementation of the control method according to  claim 10  is stored.  
   
   
       27 . A storage medium on which a program executable by an information processor having a program code for implementation of the control method according to  claim 12  is stored.  
   
   
       28 . A storage medium on which a program executable by an information processor having a program code for implementation of the control method according to  claim 19  is stored.  
   
   
       29 . A storage medium on which a program executable by an information processor having a program code for implementation of the control method according to  claim 24  is stored.