Image capturing device

Abstract

An image capturing device for capturing an image by an imaging device comprises first compression means for compressing and coding a captured image as a moving image, extracting means for extracting object information relating to a desired object from moving image information obtained in the process of compressing and coding the captured image, image processing means for performing desired image processing on the desired object on the basis of the object information extracted by the extracting means, second compression means for compressing and coding an image including the desired object processed by the image processing means as a still image, and recording means for recording, on a recording medium, at least one of moving image data obtained by the first compression means and still image data obtained by the second compression means.

1. An image capturing device for capturing an image, comprising:
 a camera capturing a moving image including images of objects through a lens unit; 
 a compressingan object detection section which compresses the moving image captured by the camera and obtains information relating to at least one of the objects included in the moving image, by utilizing interframe correlation in the moving image captured by the camera; 
 a digital processing circuit extracting information relating to the object which is being included in a still image to be captured by the camera from the information relating to the object obtained by the compressing object detection section relative to the moving image; and 
 a CPU setting an imaging condition of the camera for capturing the still image of including the object based on the information relating to the object included in the still image extracted by the digital processing circuit. 
 
     
     
       2. The image capturing device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a displaying section displaying the moving image including the object captured by the camera, wherein the CPU further sets an image processing with respect to the still image including the object to be captured by the camera based on the information relating to the object extracted by the digital processing circuit designated from the moving image displayed in the displaying section. 
     
     
       3. The image capturing device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a displaying section displaying the moving image including the object captured by the camera. 
     
     
       4. The image capturing device according to  claim 3 , wherein the object included in the still image to be captured by the camera is designated from the moving image displayed in the displaying section. 
     
     
       5. The image capturing device according to  claim 3 , wherein the CPU further sets an image processing with respect to the still image including the object to be captured by the camera based on information relating to the object designated from the moving image displayed in the displaying section. 
     
     
       6. The image capturing device according to  claim 1 , wherein an imaging condition for capturing a still image of the object differs from an imaging condition for capturing the moving image. 
     
     
       7. An image capturing method for capturing an image, comprising:
 capturing a moving image including images of objects through a lens unit of a camera; 
 compressing the captured moving image and obtaining information relating to at least one of the objects included in the moving image, by utilizing interframe correlation in the captured moving image during compressing the captured moving image captured by the camera; 
 extracting, by a digital processing circuit, information relating to the object which is being included in a still image to be captured by the camera from the obtained information relating to said at least one of  the objects obtained relative to the moving image; and 
 setting an imaging condition of the camera for capturing the still image including the object based on the extracted information relating to the object included in the still image. 
 
     
     
       8. The image capturing method according to  claim 7 , further comprising setting an image processing with respect to the still image including the object to be captured based on the extracted information relating to the object. 
     
     
       9. An image capturing device for capturing an image, comprising:
 a camera capturing a moving image including images of objects through a lens unit; 
 a compressingan object detection section which compresses the captured moving image captured by the camera and obtains information relating to at least one of the objects included in the moving image, by utilizing interframe correlation in the moving image captured by the camera; 
 a digital processing circuit extracting information relating to the object which is being included in a still image to be captured by the camera from the information relating to the object obtained by the compressing object detection section relative to the moving image; and 
 a CPU setting a condition for an image processing with respect to the captured still image including the object, based on the information relating to the object included in the still image extracted by the digital processing circuit. 
 
     
     
       10. The image capturing device according to  claim 9 , further comprising a displaying section displaying the moving image including the object captured by the camera. 
     
     
       11. The image capturing device according to  claim 9 , wherein the object included in the still image to be captured by the camera is designated from the moving image displayed in the displaying section. 
     
     
       12. The image capturing device according to  claim 9 , wherein the image processing with respect to the still image includes a processing of discarding signals of images other than the object extracted by the extracting section. 
     
     
       13. The image capturing device according to  claim 9 , wherein the image processing with respect to the still image includes a blur-processing with respect to image other than the object extracted by the extracting section. 
     
     
       14. The image capturing device according to  claim 9 , wherein the image processing with respect to the still image includes a correction processing using a predetermined tone curve with respect to image data of the object extracted by the extracting section. 
     
     
       15. An image capturing method for capturing an image, comprising:
 capturing a moving image including images of objects through a lens unit of a camera;   compressing the captured moving image and obtaining information relating to at least one of the objects included in the moving image, by utilizing interframe correlation in the captured moving image during compressing the captured moving image;   extracting information relating to the object which is being included in moving a still image to be captured by the camera from the information relating to said at least one of the objects obtained relative to the moving image; and   setting an image processing with respect to the still image including the object, based on the extracted information relating to the object included in the still image.   
     
     
       16. An image capturing device for capturing an image, comprising:
 a camera for capturing a moving image including images of objects through a lens unit; 
 compressing means for compressing the moving image captured by the camera and for obtainingan object detection section which obtains information relating to at least one of the objects included in the moving image, by utilizing interframe correlation in the moving image captured by the capturing meanscamera, and specifies the objects based on the obtained information relating to the objects; 
 a switch section designating a desired one of the objects specified by the object detection section; 
 a digital processing circuit for extracting information relating to the object which is being included in a still image to be captured by the capturing means designated by the switch section from the information relating to the abject objects obtained by the compressing means relative to the moving image object detection section; and 
 a CPU for setting an imaging condition of the camera for capturing the still image including the object based on the information relating to the object designated by the switch section extracted by the digital processing circuit. 
 
     
     
       17. An image capturing device for capturing an image, comprising:
 a camera for capturing a moving image including images of objects through a lens unit; 
 compressing means for compressing the captured moving image captured by the camera and for obtainingan object detection section which obtains information relating to at least one of the objects included in the moving image, by utilizing interframe correlation in the moving image captured by the capturing meanscamera, and specifies the objects based on the obtained information relating to the objects; 
 a digital processing circuit for extracting information relating to the object which is being included in a still image to he captured by the camera from the information relating to the object obtained by the compressing means relative to the moving image;a switch section designating a desired one of the objects specified by the object detection section; and 
 a CPU for setting an image processing with respect to the still image including the object designated by the switch section, based on the information relating to the object extracted by the digital processing circuit designated by the switch section. 
 
     
     
       18. The image capturing device according to claim 1, further comprising a release switch,
 wherein the CPU performs control for causing the camera to capture the still image based on a release operation by the release switch, and   the digital processing circuit performs interpolation on a moving image frame dropped in capturing the still image by utilizing correlation information of those moving image frames existing before and after the captured still image.   
     
     
       19. The image capturing device according to claim 16, further comprising a displaying section displaying the moving image including the object captured by the camera,
 wherein the displaying section displays markers corresponding to the objects specified by the object detection section, and   the switch section designates that one of the markers displayed in the displaying section which corresponds to a desired one of the objects.   
     
     
       20. The image capturing device according to claim 16, wherein the switch section includes a release switch,
 the CPU performs control for causing the camera to capture the still image based on a release operation by the release switch, and   the digital processing circuit performs interpolation on a moving image frame dropped in capturing the still image by utilizing correlation information of those moving image frames existing before and after the captured still image.   
     
     
       21. The image capturing device according to claim 17, wherein the switch section includes a release switch,
 the CPU performs control for causing the camera to capture the still image based on a release operation by the release switch, and   the digital processing circuit performs interpolation on a moving image frame dropped in capturing the still image by utilizing correlation information of those moving image frames existing before and after the captured still image.