BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus that can combine a plurality of images.

Description of the Related Art

Imaging apparatuses such as a digital camera and a camera-equipped mobile phone can attach imaging conditions to attribute information about captured image data and record the resultant as a single image file. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-094978 discuses a technique for, in recording combined image data obtained by multiple exposure imaging where a plurality of images is combined during imaging, recording the number of times of multiple exposure as metadata in a file header. According to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-094978, the number of times of multiple exposure is used to determine that the image data is of an image obtained by multiple exposure imaging.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

However, according to the foregoing existing technique, it is only possible to identify whether an image is one captured in an imaging mode involving one type of combining that is multiple exposure imaging. No consideration has been given to images that are generated in an imaging mode involving various types of combining or by various combining processing sequences, or general-purpose supplementary information for identifying attribute information about the images. The various types of combining include combining during editing.

The present invention is directed to providing an image processing apparatus that can appropriately determine and process images based on the presence or absence of combining processing and the type of combining processing.

According to an aspect of the present invention, an image processing apparatus includes a combining unit configured to combine a plurality of images to generate a combined image, and a control unit configured to record the combined image generated by the combining unit on a recording medium, and configured to: if the combined image, generated by the combining unit, is generated by combining a plurality of captured images, and: if the combined image satisfies a predetermined condition, attach first type data to the recorded combined image, and if the combined image does not satisfy the predetermined condition, attach second type data to the recorded combined image, wherein if the combined image, generated by the combining unit, is generated by combining a plurality of captured images recorded on the recording medium, the control unit is configured to attach the second type data regardless of whether the predetermined condition is satisfied.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.

