1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to image sensing or pickup devices and image pickup device control methodology as well as image processing methods, and more particularly to an image pickup device including an image pickup section for sensing an optical image and converting it into image information such as a digital still camera or digital video camera or the like, an image pickup device control method for permitting execution of input of predefined information to the image pickup device and then letting it perform corresponding processing, an image processing method utilizing the image pickup device, and an image processing method for causing, upon recording of an image represented by the image information on a recording material, desired information to be recorded on the same recording material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital still cameras which have come into wide use or popularized rapidly in recent years are typically designed to include an image sensing or pickup element such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) or the like for taking a photograph of an object of interest to obtain an optical image thereof by the image sensor and, after having converted an analog image signal thus obtained by such photography into digital image data, recording it into information storage media (memory card) such as the one called “Smart Media” or the like. These cameras are capable of obtaining high-quality photo prints through the user's action of sending resultant image data obtained by photography toward a photo processing lab with a request for preparation of photo prints, and also capable of readily recording an image represented by the image data on a sheet of paper or the like by use of his or her own home-use printer machine.
Incidentally, while in the digital still cameras the endless quest for higher quality in photographic images results in a further increase in image sensor resolution year by year, such photographic images of higher quality will hardly be achieved only by such image sensor resolution enhancement. In order to photograph or “shoot” various objects or scenes with high precision under a variety of illumination conditions in every event, it will be desirable that the digital still cameras come with built-in functions for enabling a camera operator or user to precisely set up several image pickup conditions in accordance with the object of each photo image. Unfortunately, presently available digital still cameras—in particular, general-purpose or “point-and-shoot” digital still cameras, also known as compact cameras—are decreasing in size from year to year, resulting a difficulty being felt in providing a digital still camera body with a great number of switches and/or manual operation buttons for the purpose of enabling precise setup of any intended image pickup conditions.
Although currently available digital still cameras include those that are designed to offer connectivity with personal computers (PCs) or the like for enabling setup of more than one parameter of various parameters defining a image pickup condition via such PCs, such cameras suffer from a disadvantage that this function is not utilizable unless digital still cameras are connected to PCs—for some users who own no PCs, they are obviously unable to utilize the function in any way.
Additionally, with schemes for recording picture images by use of digital image data, unlike traditional schemes for recording images that have been once recorded on a roll of photo film onto photographic paper sheets by area exposure techniques, it is possible to well control the picture quality of an individual output image by execution of certain image processing as applied to image data while at the same time enabling accomplishment without difficulties of image composition/synthesis processes by using digital image data for creating a composite image with a plurality of images being combined together in any given layout or a composite image with any required characters and/or illustrations or the like being synthesized onto an original photo image, by way of example. If the functionality for performing such variety of kinds of image processings is built into a digital still camera in the way discussed above, then a need arises for users to manually set up precisely what kind of image processing is to be carried out under which processing condition in the digital still camera whenever the user wants to utilize this functionality; however, the switches and operation buttons capable of provision at a digital camera body are limited in number, which in turn makes it difficult to “mount” such functionality into the digital still camera as the built-in function thereof.
In addition, while in many cases the above-noted multi-way image processing tasks are to be done at the photo processing lab upon receipt of a request from the camera user to prepare photo prints, it is inherently time-consuming and troublesome works for the user to inform in detail the exact kind of his or her desired image processing and processing conditions in a way corresponding to the individual one of photo images upon issuance of the photo print preparation request, resulting in occurrence of another problem that the user suffers from the significance of workload for requesting creation of photo prints with his or her intended finish.
One available approach to avoiding the above problems is, for example, to provide a digital still camera with manual switches and operation buttons for allowing the user to designate the content of image synthesis processing to be executed to thereby enable the user to precisely set in his or her digital still camera the contents of such image synthesis processing such as designation of a layout of images being combined or synthesized together and/or which one of images is to be subjected to synthesis, wherein the contents will then be sent to the photo processing lab in the form of a memory card storing therein the contents of settings along with image data concerned. However, presently available digital still cameras—in particular, point-and-shoot or “compact” digital still cameras—are more downsized from year to year, resulting a difficulty being felt in providing a digital still camera body with a great number of switches and/or manual operation buttons for the purpose of enabling precise setup of the contents of image synthesis processing to be executed.
Another exemplary approach is also available, which performs any required image synthesis on a digital still camera by use of layout information indicative of a layout of a plurality of images to be combined or synthesized together, which information has been electronically stored in a memory card as loaded into the digital still camera and thus input thereto. Regrettably such memory card is relatively high in price; thus, the user's purchasing the memory card for storage therein the layout information in order to perform the required image synthesis on the digital still camera would force the user to pay more money therefor.
Alternatively on the photo processor lab side, in cases where an attempt is made to provide the user who desires to add certain information to photo prints with services for adding users' instructed information to the photo prints, it will possibly happen that the information desired by user to be added to photo prints are taken to the lab in a wide variety of forms. One example is that in case “rare” information of non-data format such as a string of hand-written characters and/or hand-written illustration is taken to the lab as the information to be added to photo prints, it is necessary to optically scan and read such hand-written character string and/or illustration and thereafter convert the result into corresponding electrical data readily addable to the photo prints. Another necessity is to manage or handle the information as instructed by the user to be added to photo prints in a way corresponding to the “original” photo print images to which the information is added.
In this way, whenever an attempt is made to provide services for adding user's desired information to photo prints, the photoprocessor lab is strictly required to do complicated processing tasks upon receipt of the information the user brings. Alternatively, with regard to the user side, complicated actions will often be required upon request of preparing photo prints, including but not limited to actually bringing desired information being added to photo prints to the lab and then designating more than one photo print to which the information is to be added.
Also note that the information addable to photo prints may also include sound/voice or audio information. While this audio information may be recorded on a photo print in a prespecified format which permits easy reproduction or “playback” of sounds and/or voices by use of commercially available reader equipment for example, any techniques have not yet been established at least at present for smoothly performing delivery of such audio information between the user and the photo processor lab without complicating processing tasks on the lab side and works on the user side.
Further note that advanced portable or “mobile” electronic information terminal devices or tools with a built-in image sensor unit have become available on the market today while attempts are made to provide such image sensor to mobile “over-the-air” radiotelephone handsets also; however, regarding such image sensor built-in electronic equipment and/or electronic imaging devices such as digital still cameras also, it remains difficult to precisely set up image pickup or photography conditions and others in the way stated supra. To aid in interpretation of the claims that follow, the terms “imaging device,” “image sensing device,” “image sensor” and “image pickup device” may be used interchangeably to mean a device or equipment operable to detect and capture an image of an object on a light-sensitive surface thereof.