Patent ID: 8031261
Filing Date: 2011-10-04
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image pickup apparatus including an image pickup device for outputting an image signal representative of a field picked up, comprising: a detecting circuit for detecting a face region included in the field out of the image signal; and a backlight detecting circuit for comparing lightness of the face region with lightness of a first pickup range including the face region or a second pickup range not including the face region, and a correction commanding circuit commanding, if a difference between the lightness of the face region with lightness of a first pickup range including the face region or a second pickup range not including the face region is above a predetermined value, said image pickup device to execute correction; said image pickup device picking up the field after the correction, wherein said detecting circuit detects both of the face region and a region adjoining the face region and close in lightness to the face region as a person region, said backlight detecting circuit comparing lightness of the person region with lightness of a third pickup range including the person region or a fourth pickup range not including the person region, and said correction commanding circuit commanding, if a difference between the lightness of the person region with lightness of a third pickup range including the person region or a fourth pickup range not including the person region is above a predetermined value, said image pickup device to execute the correction, wherein when a plurality of person regions are present in the field, said correction commanding circuit calculates, as the lightness of the person region, mean lightness by averaging lightness of the plurality of person regions, and compares the lightness of the person region with the lightness of the third pickup range or the fourth pickup range.