Patent ID: 8111940
Filing Date: 2012-02-07
Classification: G06K,H04N

Abstract:
1. An image correction apparatus comprising: importance input means for accepting inputs of first degrees of importance regarding respective ones of a predetermined plurality of subject types; subject-type detecting means for detecting, based upon image data applied thereto, which subject types among the predetermined plurality of subject types are contained in the image represented by this image data; input feature value calculating means for calculating, based upon the image data and with regard to respective ones of the subject types detected by said subject-type detecting means, input feature values by calculation processing decided for every subject type; correction value calculating means for calculating correction values regarding respective ones of the detected subject types based upon the input feature values calculated by said input feature value calculating means and target feature values that has been decided for every subject type; subject type-by-type existence-probability calculating means for calculating existence probabilities representing to what degrees of confidence respective ones of images representing the plurality of subject types are contained in the image represented by the image data, the calculation being performed for every subject type of the plurality thereof; applicable-correction-value calculating means for calculating an applicable correction value obtained by weighted averaging of the correction values regarding respective ones of the subject types, which correction values have been calculated by said correction value calculating means, using the first degrees of importance accepted with regard to respective ones of the subject types by said importance input means and second degrees of importance obtained in accordance with the existence probabilities of respective ones of the subject types calculated by said existence-probability calculating means; image correcting means for correcting the image data based upon the applicable correction value calculated by said applicable-correction-value calculating means; and an input means for inputting subject information indicating that a specific subject type among the predetermined plurality of subject types does not exist in the image represented by said image data, wherein the image correction apparatus skips at least the detecting by the subject-type detecting means, the calculating by the input feature value calculating means, the calculating by the correction value calculating means, and the calculating by the subject type-by-type existence-probability calculating means for the specific subject type.