Photographing apparatus

Abstract

A photographing apparatus is disclosed. The photographing apparatus includes: an imaging unit to photograph a subject to acquire image data; an object detection unit to detect a predetermined object from the image data; and a detection condition setting unit to allow a user to arbitrarily set a detection condition for the object detection unit.

1 . A photographing apparatus comprising:
 an imaging unit to photograph a subject to acquire image data;   an object detection unit to detect a predetermined object from the image data; and   a detection condition setting unit to allow a user to arbitrarily set a detection condition for the object detection unit.   
   
   
       2 . A photographing apparatus comprising:
 an imaging unit to photograph a subject to acquire image data;   an object detection unit to detect a predetermined object from the image data; and   a detection condition setting unit to allow a user to set a detection condition for the object detection unit by selecting one of detection rate-priority and detection speed-priority.   
   
   
       3 . A photographing apparatus comprising:
 an imaging unit to photograph a subject to acquire image data;   an object detection unit to detect a predetermined object from the image data; and   a detection condition setting unit to allow a user to set a detection condition for the object detection unit by selecting one of levels set in a stepwise fashion between detection rate-priority and detection speed-priority, the levels including maximum levels of the detection rate-priority and the detection speed-priority.   
   
   
       4 . A photographing apparatus comprising:
 an imaging unit to photograph a subject to acquire image data;   an object detection unit to detect a predetermined object from the image data; and   a detection condition setting unit to allow a detection condition for the object detection unit to be set according to a photographing mode.   
   
   
       5 . The photographing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the detection condition limits at least one of an orientation of the object, a size of the object, an inclination of the object and a detection area. 
   
   
       6 . The photographing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising a detection condition displaying unit to display the detection condition set via the detection condition setting unit. 
   
   
       7 . The photographing apparatus as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the detection condition displaying unit displays a pictorial display of the detection condition. 
   
   
       8 . The photographing apparatus as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the detection condition displaying unit displays the detection condition during a photographing operation carried out by the imaging unit. 
   
   
       9 . The photographing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising:
 a recording unit to record an image file generated from the image data in an external recording medium or an internal memory; and   a tag information writing unit to write the detection condition in tag information of the image file when the image file is recorded.   
   
   
       10 . The photographing apparatus as claimed in  claim 9  further comprising:
 a displaying unit;   a display controlling unit to display, on the displaying unit, the image file recorded in the external recording medium or the internal memory; and   a tag information display controlling unit to display, on the displaying unit, the detection condition written in the tag information of the image file when the image file is displayed on the displaying unit.   
   
   
       11 . The photographing apparatus as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein
 the detection condition setting unit is able to reset the detection condition written in the tag information of the image file to a different detection condition, and   the object detection unit carries out the detection on image data of the image file recorded in the external recording medium or the internal memory based on the detection condition reset by the detection condition setting unit.   
   
   
       12 . The photographing apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein a detection range of the different detection condition is wider than a detection range of the detection condition written in the tag information of the image file. 
   
   
       13 . The photographing apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein a detection range of the different detection condition is narrower than a detection range of the detection condition written in the tag information of the image file. 
   
   
       14 . The photographing apparatus as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein
 the detection condition setting unit is able to acquire the detection condition written in the tag information of the image file and retain the acquired detection condition, and   the object detection unit carries out the detection based on the retained detection condition.   
   
   
       15 . The photographing apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the detection based on the retained detection condition is carried out on the image data acquired by the imaging unit. 
   
   
       16 . The photographing apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the detection based on the retained detection condition is carried out on image data of the image file recorded in the external recording medium or the internal memory. 
   
   
       17 . The photographing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising:
 a photographing instructing unit to instruct the imaging unit to carry out an actual photographing operation; and   one of a self-timer photographing unit to cause the actual photographing operation to be carried out when a predetermined time has elapsed after the photographing instructing unit has instructed to carry out the actual photographing operation and an automatic photographing unit to cause the photographing instructing unit to instruct to carry out the actual photographing operation at a predetermined timing,   wherein the object detection unit carries out the detection under the detection condition set via the detection condition setting unit only when the actual photographing operation is carried out using the self-timer photographing unit or the automatic photographing unit.   
   
   
       18 . The photographing apparatus as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the detection condition setting unit sets the detection condition by selecting, for each photographing mode, one of detection rate-priority, detection speed-priority and detection-off. 
   
   
       19 . The photographing apparatus as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the detection condition setting unit sets the detection condition by selecting, for each photographing mode, one of levels set in a stepwise fashion between detection rate-priority and detection speed-priority, the levels including maximum levels of the detection rate-priority and the detection speed-priority. 
   
   
       20 . The photographing apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein a detection range of the detection condition corresponding to the detection speed-priority is narrower that a detection range of the detection condition corresponding to the detection rate-priority. 
   
   
       21 . The photographing apparatus as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the photographing mode comprises at least one of an automatic mode, a person mode, a sports mode, a party mode, a landscape mode and a right-scene mode.