Abstract:
Image data including an object is generated by capturing an image. The object included in the image data is recognized automatically. Information regarding the object is extracted automatically. The information regarding the object is associated with the image data after a storing operation of the image data is instructed.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     1. Technical Field  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to an image processor comprising a recognizer for a face object in a captured image, a digital camera equipped with the image processor, an image data structure of an image provided with face object information, an image processor for making color correction based on the face object information, a printer having an automatic color correcting function and equipped with the image processor, a method of generating the captured image provided with the face object information, and a method of correcting color based on the face object information, and more particularly, to a technique for correcting color of an image captured with improper exposure and for printing the corrected image.  
         [0003]     2. Related Art  
         [0004]     In recent years, printers which can directly print captured images inputted externally and specified by a user without using a computer have been in the market.  
         [0005]     As an example of such printers, there is a printer that has a port into which a memory detachably equipped in a digital camera can be inserted, and prints a captured image stored in the memory inserted into the port. As another example, there is a printer that has a communication port which receives a captured image from a communication port of a digital camera, and prints the received captured image.  
         [0006]     However, when a user captures an image including a person with a digital camera, there are some cases where exposure is improper (typically excessive exposure or insufficient exposure) when a captured region (including an object area and other areas) is irradiated with direct sunlight or strong illumination. When an image captured with the improper exposure is printed by the above-described printer (which directly receives the captured image), the captured image entirely shows unnatural color.  
         [0007]     Of course, the image captured with the improper exposure may be inputted to a computer and then printed after being subjected to color correction in the computer. However, it is generally not easy for persons inexperienced in photo retouch to make such computer-based color correction. On this account, in most cases, the image captured with the improper exposure is forced to be printed as it is without being subjected to computer-based color correction.  
         [0008]     Under such circumstances, there has been proposed a printer with a color correcting function, which is capable of extracting a face object (a face of a person in a captured image) from a captured image inputted to the printer and correcting color of the entire captured image so that color of the face object matches with color of the face.  
         [0009]     However, a heavy (great quantity of) arithmetic processing is required to extract the face object from the captured image. Typically, a CPU equipped in a printer has no performance of recognizing a face object in a captured image at a high speed. On this account when a printer with the conventional correcting function performs a series of processings for recognizing the face object in the captured image and color-correcting the captured image so that the color of the face object matches with the color of the face, it may take a long time period (beyond time acceptable by a user) from when a user instructs the printer to start a printing operation to when the printer actually starts the printing operation.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0010]     It is therefore one advantageous aspect of the invention to provide an image processing method of generating a captured image provided with face object information, which is capable of correcting color of an image captured with improper exposure at a high speed in a printer, and to provide an apparatus operable to perform the method.  
         [0011]     According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of generating image data, comprising:  
         [0012]     generating image data including an object by capturing an image;  
         [0013]     recognizing the object included in the image data automatically;  
         [0014]     extracting information regarding the object automatically; and  
         [0015]     associating the information regarding the object with the image data after a storing operation of the image data is instructed.  
         [0016]     The object may be a face.  
         [0017]     The information may be either information indicative of a position of the object in the image or information indicative of color of the object.  
         [0018]     The method may further comprises storing the image data with which the information has been associated in a removable memory.  
         [0019]     According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an image processor, comprising:  
         [0020]     an data acquirer, operable to acquire original image data;  
         [0021]     a recognizer, operable to recognize a face object included in the original image data;  
         [0022]     an information extractor, operable to extract either position information of the face object or color information of the face object, as face object information; and  
         [0023]     a data generator, operable to generate image data by either attaching the face object information to the original image data or burying the face object information in the original image data.  
         [0024]     According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a color correction method, comprising:  
         [0025]     acquiring an image to be processed;  
         [0026]     judging whether color information of a face object is attached to or buried in the image; and  
         [0027]     applying color correction to the image based on the color information in a case where it is judged that the color information is attached to or buried in the image.  
         [0028]     In a case where there are a plurality of face objects, the color correction may be applied based on the respective color information attached to the face object.  
         [0029]     The image may be acquired from a removable memory. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0030]      FIG. 1A  is a functional block diagram showing an image processor for generating a captured image provided with face object information, according to a first embodiment of the invention.  
         [0031]      FIG. 1B  is a functional block diagram showing a digital camera equipped with the image processor of  FIG. 1A .  
         [0032]      FIG. 2A  is a functional block diagram showing an image processor for color correction, according to the first embodiment of the invention.  
         [0033]      FIG. 2B  is a functional block diagram showing a printer equipped with the image processor of  FIG. 2A .  
         [0034]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart showing a method of generating the image provided with the face object information, according to the first embodiment of the invention.  
         [0035]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing a method of correcting color of the image provided with the face object information, according to the first embodiment of the invention.  
         [0036]      FIG. 5A  is a functional block diagram showing an image processor for generating a captured image provided with face object information, according to a second embodiment of the invention.  
         [0037]      FIG. 5B  is a functional block diagram showing a digital camera equipped with the image processor of  FIG. 5A .  
         [0038]      FIG. 6A  is a functional block diagram showing an image processor for color correction, according to the first embodiment of the invention.  
         [0039]      FIG. 6B  is a functional block diagram showing a printer equipped with the image processor of  FIG. 6A .  
         [0040]      FIG. 7  is a flowchart showing a method of generating the image provided with the face object information, according to the second embodiment of the invention.  
         [0041]      FIG. 8  is a flowchart showing a method of correcting color of the image provided with the face object information, according to the second embodiment of the invention.  
         [0042]      FIG. 9A  is a functional block diagram showing an image processor for generating a captured image provided with face object information, according to a third embodiment of the invention.  
         [0043]      FIG. 98  is a functional block diagram showing a digital camera equipped with the image processor of  FIG. 9A .  
         [0044]      FIG. 10A  is a functional block diagram showing an image processor for color correction, according to the third embodiment of the invention.  
         [0045]      FIG. 10B  is a functional block diagram showing a printer equipped with the image processor of  FIG. 10A .  
         [0046]      FIG. 11  is a flowchart showing a method of generating the image provided with the face object information, according to the third embodiment of the invention.  
         [0047]      FIG. 12  is a flowchart showing a method of correcting color of the image provided with the face object information, according to the third embodiment of the invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS  
       [0048]     Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0049]     First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.  
         [0050]     As shown in  FIG. 1A , an image processor  1  for generating a captured image provided with face object information comprises an original captured image acquirer  11 , a face object recognizer  12 , a face object information extractor  13 , and a captured image generator  14 .  
         [0051]     For example if the image processor  1  is equipped in a digital camera, the original captured image acquirer  11  can acquire an original captured image from an image capturer  21  of a digital camera  2 A (see  FIG. 1B ).  
         [0052]     The face object recognizer  12  can recognize a face object  911  of a person in the original captured image  91 .  
         [0053]     The face object information extractor  13  can extract position information (F(xf, yf) in this embodiment) of the face object  911  on the original captured image  91 .  
         [0054]     If a plurality of face objects exists in the original captured image  91 , the position information F(xf, yf) may be plural in number, or only a center coordinate of a face object having the greatest area may be set as the position information F(xf, yf).  
         [0055]     In this embodiment, the position information may be the center coordinate F(xf, yf) of the face object, block information including a group of rectangular blocks on the face object, or figure information (rectangle, circle, ellipsoid, triangle, polygon, etc.) centered at the center coordinate of the face object. In addition, as illustrated in a third embodiment which will be described later, the position information may be contour information G(xg, yg) of the face object.  
         [0056]     The captured image generator  14  can generate a captured image  92  provided with face object information in which the position information F(xf, yf) is attached to or buried in the original captured image  91 .  
         [0057]     As shown in  FIG. 1B , the image processor  1  includes the image capturer  21 , a captured image processor  22 , an automatic focusing processor  23 , an operating section  24 , a display  25 , a memory mounting section  26 , and a communicator  27 .  
         [0058]     The image capturer  21  may be an imaging device such as a CCD to generate the original captured image  91 . The captured image processor  22  includes the image processor  1  to create the captured image  92  provided with face object information or a normal captured image  93 , such as a JPEG format image, from the original captured image  91  generated by the image capturer  21 .  
         [0059]     The automatic focusing processor  23  can recognize a face object of a person in the original captured image  91  and focus on the person. Techniques of storing a layout sample of a feature such as eyes, eyebrows, a nose, a mouth and so on, and a contour sample of a face in a database, scanning an original captured image in a real time manner, and measuring a position of the face and a distance to the face in order to recognize a face object have been known in the art, and therefore, explanation of which will be omitted for the sake of avoiding complexity of description.  
         [0060]     The operating section  24  includes a shutter, a power switch, a storage key, a mode setting key, etc. The mode setting key is used to set an image capturing mode, an editing mode, etc.  
         [0061]     The display  25  displays an image captured by the image capturer  21  in the image capturing mode (captured image) in a real time manner.  
         [0062]     The memory mounting section  26  is mounted with a memory  261  that stores the original captured image  91 . Ancillary information such as an image capturing date in a header of the original captured image  91  may be included in the captured image  92  or  93 .  
         [0063]     The communicator  27  can output the captured image  92  as data. Although it is illustrated in this embodiment that the digital camera  2 A comprises both of the memory mounting section  26  and the communicator  27 , the digital camera  2 A, the digital camera  2 A may comprise either the memory mounting section  26  or the communicator  27 .  
         [0064]     The position information (the coordinate F(xf, yf)) is written into a header of the captured image  92  provided with face object information. The position information F(xf, yf) is a coordinate on the original captured image  91  of the face object  911 . The captured image  92  provided with face object information is an image in which the position information F(xf, yf) is buried as a digital watermarking in the original captured image  91 .  
         [0065]     As shown in  FIG. 2A , an image processor  3  for color correction comprises an image acquirer  31 , a reference color information storage  32 , a judgment executer  33 , a color information extractor  34 , and a color corrector  35 .  
         [0066]     The image acquirer  31  can acquire an image  95  to be processed. The reference color information storage  32  stores reference color information SC of a face.  
         [0067]     The judgment executer  33  can judge whether or not the position information of the face object (the position information F(xf, yf) on the image  95 ) is written or buried in the image  95 . If it is judged that the position information of the face object is written or buried in the image  95 , the image  95  is the captured image  92  provided with face object information having the above-described image data structure.  
         [0068]     When the judgment executer  33  judges that the position information of the face object (the position information F(xf, yf) on the image  95 ) is written or buried in the image  95 , the color information extractor  34  can extract color information EC of a region indicated by the position information F(xf, yf) of the face object from the image  95 .  
         [0069]     If the position information F(xf, yf) is plural in number, color information EC corresponding to the position information is extracted and a mean value of the color information is used for the color correction.  
         [0070]     The color corrector  35  can generate a color-corrected image  96  by correcting color of the image  95  (that is, the captured image  92  provided with face object information) based on the color information EC extracted by the color information extractor  34  and the reference color information SC stored in the reference color information storage  32 . In this case, the color corrector  35  does not perform the color correction when the color information EC and the reference color information SC are similar to each other in a color space, while performing the color correction when the color information EC and the reference color information SC are distant from each other in the color space.  
         [0071]     As shown In  FIG. 2B , the image processor  3  for color correction may be equipped in a printer  4 A. In  FIG. 2B , the printer  4 A comprises a memory mounting section  41 , a communicator  42 , a print data generator  43 , a printing section  44  and an image storage  45 , in addition to the image processor  3 .  
         [0072]     The memory mounting section  41 A is mounted with a memory  411  in which an image is stored. As shown in  FIG. 2B , the memory  411  is typically the memory  261  mounted on the memory mounting section  26  of the digital camera  2 A shown in  FIG. 1B , but is not limited to this (for example, may be a memory mounted on a memory slot of a computer).  
         [0073]     The image stored in the memory  411  may be the captured image (the captured image  92  provided with face object information) having the above-described image data structure, or an image not having the above-described image data structure (for example, in case where the memory  411  is the memory mounted on the memory slot of the computer, the image may be a document, a graphic or a picture without being limited to the captured image).  
         [0074]     The communicator  42  can communicate with the communicator  27  and the like of the digital camera  2 A to receive the image shown in  FIG. 1B . This image may also be the captured image (the captured image  92  provided with face object information) having the above-described image data structure, or an image not having the above-described image data structure. This image is stored in the image storage  45 .  
         [0075]     In addition, although it is shown in  FIG. 2B  that the image processor  3  includes both of the memory mounting section  41  and the communicator  42 , the image processor  3  may be either the memory mounting section  41  or the communicator  42 .  
         [0076]     The image processor  2  acquires the image  95  from the memory mounting section  41  or the communicator  42  to perform the processing explained with reference to  FIG. 2A .  
         [0077]     When the image processor  3  judges that the acquired image  95  is the captured image  92  provided with face object information having the above-described image data structure, the print data generator  43  generates print data of the image  96  color-corrected by the color corrector  35  and the printing section  44  prints the print data.  
         [0078]     Hereinafter, a generating method of the captured image  92  provided with face object information in the digital camera  2 A shown in  FIG. 1B  will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0079]     In this embodiment, the digital camera  2 A is set to a image capturing mode and the image processor  1  is assumed to be in an operable (active) state.  
         [0080]     The image capturer  21  displays the original captured image  91  changing in a real time manner on the display  25 , and the original captured image acquirer  11  acquires the original captured image  91  from the image capturer  21  (S 101 ).  
         [0081]     The face object recognizer  12  scans the original captured image  92  and recognizes the face object in the original captured image  91  (S 102 ). In this embodiment, a face object extracting function of the automatic focusing processor  23  is, as it is, used as the face object recognizer  12 .  
         [0082]     If the face object recognizer  12  does not recognize the face object in the original captured image  91  (NO in S 103 ), the processing returns to  8102 . If the face object recognizer  12  recognizes the face object  911  in the original captured image  91  (YES in S 103 ), the face object information extractor  13  extracts the position information F(xf, yf) of the face object  911  in the original captured image  91  on the original captured image  91  (S 104 ).  
         [0083]     When the shutter button of the operating section  24  is pushed and the storage key to store the original captured image  91  is pushed (YES in S 105 ), the captured image processor  22  converts the original captured image  91  into an image having a prescribed format (JPEG in this embodiment) (S 106 ). The captured image generator  14  generates the captured image  92  provided with face object information by writing the position information F(xf, yf) in a header of this JPEG image or burying the position information F(xf, yf) as a digital watermarking in the JPEG image (S 107 ).  
         [0084]     The captured image  92  provided with face object information is stored in the memory  261  mounted on the memory mounting section  26 .  
         [0085]     In addition, the memory  261  in which the captured image  92  provided with face object information is stored is detached from the memory mounting section  26  and is mounted on the memory mounting section  41  of the printer  4 A (a memory mounted on the memory mounting section  41  is denoted by a reference numeral  411 ). The captured image  92  provided with face object information stored in the memory  261  is stored in the image storage  45  of the printer  4 A via the communicator  27  and the communicator  42  of the printer  4 A.  
         [0086]     Hereinafter, a color correcting method of the captured image  92  provided with face object information in the printer  4 A shown in  FIG. 2B  will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0087]     In this embodiment, the printer  4 A is set to a color correction mode and the image processor  3  is assumed to wait for a print instruction in an operable (active) state (S 201 ).  
         [0088]     If there is no print instruction (NO in S 201 ), the image acquirer  31  continues to be in a standby state. If there is an instruction to print the image  95  stored in the memory  411  mounted on the memory mounting section  41  or an instruction to print the image stored in the image storage  45  via the communicator  42  (YES in S 201 ), the image acquirer  31  acquires the image instructed to be printed (the image  95  to be processed) (S 202 ).  
         [0089]     The judgment executer  33  judges whether or not the image  95  is an image having a prescribed format (for example, a JPEG image) (S 203 ). If it is judged that the image  95  is not the JPEG image (NO in S 203 ), the color correction is terminated (S 208 ). In addition, the print data generator  43  generates the print data of the image  95  (S 209 ) and the printing section  44  prints the print data (that is, the image  95 ) (S 210 ).  
         [0090]     In addition, an image which is not the color-corrected image  96  is represented as a normal image  97  in  FIG. 2B .  
         [0091]     In addition, upon determining that the image  95  is the JPEG image (YES in S 203 ), the judgment executer  33  judges whether or not the position information of the face object (the position information F(xf, yf) on the image  95 ) is written or buried in the image  95  (S 204 ). If it is judged that the position information of the face object (the position information F(xf, yf) on the image  95 ) is not written or buried in the image  95  (NO in S 204 ), the color correction is terminated (S 208 ). Then, the print data generator  43  generates the print data of the image (S 209 ) and the printing section  44  prints the print data (that is, the image  95 ) (S 210 ).  
         [0092]     If the judgment executer  33  judges in the step  8204  that the position information of the face object (the position information F(xf, yf) on the image  95 ) is written or buried in the image  95  (YES in  8204 ), the color information extractor  34  extracts the color information EC of a region indicated by the position information F(xf, yf) of the face object from the image  95  (S 205 ).  
         [0093]     Subsequently, the color corrector  35  compares the color information EC extracted by the color information extractor  34  with the reference color information SC stored in the reference color information storage  32  and performs the color correction processing. The color correction may be made in an RGB color space, an L*a*b* color space, or a YMC or YMCK color space In this embodiment, the color correction is made in the RGB color space.  
         [0094]     It is judged whether or not a color ec(Rec, Gec, Bec) indicated by the color information EC is included in a prescribed region in the RGB color space centered at a color se(Rsc, Gsc, Bsc) indicated by the reference color information SC (S 206 ).  
         [0095]     For example, the following conditions are determined for the color ec(Rec, Gec, Bec) indicated by the color information EC.  
                                                       Rsc − δR &lt; Rec ≦ Rsc + δR   (1a)           Gsc − δG &lt; Gec ≦ Gsc + δG   (1b)           Bsc − δB &lt; Bec ≦ Bsc + δB   (1c)                      
 
         [0096]     If the color ec(Rec, Gec, Bec) satisfies the above conditions, and if the color ec(Rec, Gec, Bec) indicated by the color information EC is included in the prescribed region in the RGB color space centered at the color sc(Rsc, Gsc, Bsc) indicated by the reference color information SC (YES in S 206 ), the color correction is terminated (S 208 ).  
         [0097]     If the color ec(Rec, Gec, Bec) indicated by the color information EC is not included in the prescribed region in the RGB color space centered at the color sc(Rsc, Gsc, Bsc) indicated by the reference color information SC (NO in S 206 ), the color-corrected image  96  is generated by entirely correcting the image  95  using a suitable correction method such as tone curve correction or level correction (S 207 ).  
         [0098]     The color-corrected image  96  is transmitted to the print data generator  43  and the print data generator  43  generates the print data from the color-corrected image  96  (S 209 ), transmits the generated print data to the printing section  44  in which the image  95  is printed (S 210 ), as described above.  
         [0099]     Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.  
         [0100]     As shown in  FIG. 5A , an image processor  5  for generating a captured image provided with face object information includes an original captured image acquirer  51 , a face object recognizer  52 , a face object information extractor  53 , and a captured image generator  54 .  
         [0101]     For example if the image processor  5  is equipped in a digital camera, the original captured image acquirer  51  can acquire an original captured image from an image capturer  21  of a digital camera  2 B (see  FIG. 5B ).  
         [0102]     The face object recognizer  52  can recognize a face object  911  of a person in the original captured image  91 .  
         [0103]     The face object information extractor  53  can extract color information EC of the face object  911  on the original captured image  91 .  
         [0104]     The captured image generator  54  can generate a captured image  92  provided with face object information in which the color information is attached to or buried in the original captured image  91 .  
         [0105]     As shown in  FIG. 5B , the image processor  5  may be equipped in the digital camera  2 B. The digital camera  2 B has substantially the same configuration as the digital camera  2 A shown in FIG.,  1 B.  
         [0106]     As shown in  FIG. 6A , an image processor  6  for color correction includes an image acquirer  61 , a reference color information storage  62 , a judgment executer  63 , and a color corrector  65 .  
         [0107]     The image acquirer  61  can acquire an image  95  to be processed.  
         [0108]     The reference color information storage  62  stores reference color information SC of a face.  
         [0109]     The judgment executer  33  can judge whether or not the color information EC is written or buried in the image  95 . If it is judged that the color information is written or buried in the image  95 , the image  95  is the captured image  92  provided with face object information having the above-described image data structure.  
         [0110]     The color corrector  65  can generate a color-corrected image  96  by color-correcting the image  95  (that is, the captured image  92  provided with face object information) based on the color information EC and the reference color information SC stored in the reference color information storage  62 . In this case, the color corrector  65  does not perform the color correction when the color information EC and the reference color information SC are similar to each other in a color space, while performing the color correction when the color information EC and the reference color information SC are distant from each other in the color space.  
         [0111]     As shown in  FIG. 6B , the image processor  6  for color correction may be equipped in a printer  4 B. The printer  4 B has substantially the same configuration as the printer  4 A shown In  FIG. 2B .  
         [0112]     Hereinafter, a generating method of the captured image  92  provided with face object information in the digital camera  2 B shown in  FIG. 5B  will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0113]     In this embodiment, the digital camera  2 B is set to a image capturing mode and the image processor  5  is assumed to be in an operable (active) state.  
         [0114]     The image capturer  21  displays the original captured image  91  changing in a real time manner on the display  25 , and the original captured image acquirer  51  acquires the original captured image  91  from the image capturer  21  (S 301 ).  
         [0115]     The face object recognizer  52  scans the original captured image  91  and recognizes the face object in the original captured image  91  (S 302 ). In this embodiment, a face object extracting function of the automatic focusing processor  23  is, as it is, used as the face object recognizer  52 .  
         [0116]     If the face object recognizer  52  does not recognize the face object in the original captured image  91  (NO in S 303 ), the processing returns to S 302 . If the face object recognizer  52  recognizes the face object  911  in the original captured image  91  (YES in S 303 ), the face object information extractor  53  extracts position information F(xf, yf) of the face object  911  in the original captured image  91  on the original captured image  91  (S 304 ).  
         [0117]     When the shutter button of the operating section  24  is pushed and the storage key to store the original captured image  91  is pushed (YES in S 305 ), the captured image processor  22  converts the original captured image  91  into an image having a prescribed format (JPEG in this embodiment) and extracts color information of the face object (S 306 ). The captured image generator  54  generates the captured image  92  provided with face object information by burying the color information as a digital watermarking in this JPEG image (S 307 ). In this embodiment, the face object information is the color information.  
         [0118]     The captured image  92  provided with face object information is stored in the memory  261  mounted on the memory mounting section  26 .  
         [0119]     In addition, the memory  261  in which the captured image  92  provided with face object information is stored is detached from the memory mounting section  26  and is mounted on the memory mounting section  41  of the printer  4 B (a memory mounted on the memory mounting section  41  is denoted by a reference numeral  411 ). The captured image  92  provided with face object information stored in the memory  261  is stored in the image storage  45  of the printer  4 B via the communicator  27  and the communicator  42  of the printer  4 B.  
         [0120]     Hereinafter, a color correcting method of the captured image  92  provided with face object information in the printer  4 B shown in  FIG. 9B  will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0121]     In this embodiment, the printer  4 B is set to a color correction mode and the image processor  6  is assumed to wait for a print instruction in an operable (active) state (S 401 ).  
         [0122]     If there is no print instruction (NO in S 401 ), the image acquirer  61  continues to be in a standby state. If there is an instruction to print the image  95  stored in the memory  411  mounted on the memory mounting section  41  or an instruction to print the image stored in the image storage  45  via the communicator  42  (YES in S 401 ), the image acquirer  61  acquires the image instructed to be printed (the image  95  to be processed) (S 402 ).  
         [0123]     The judgment executer  33  judges whether or not the image  95  is an image having a prescribed format (a JPEG image in this embodiment) (S 403 ). If it is judged that the image  95  is not the JPEG image (NO in S 403 ), the color correction is terminated (S 407 ). Then, the print data generator  43  is instructed to generate the print data of the image  95  (S 408 ) and the printing section  44  prints the print data (that is, the image  95 ) (S 409 ).  
         [0124]     In addition, an image which is not the color-corrected image  96  is represented as a normal image  97  in  FIG. 6B .  
         [0125]     In addition, upon determining that the image  95  is the JPEG image (YES in S 403 ), the judgment executer  63  judges whether or not the color information EC of the face object is written or buried in the image  95  (S 404 ). If it is judged that the color information EC of the face object is not written or buried in the image  95  (NO in S 404 ), the color correction is terminated (S 407 ). Then, the print data generator  43  is instructed to generate the print data of the image (S 408 ) and the printing section  44  prints the print data (that is, the image  95 ) (S 409 ).  
         [0126]     If the judgment executer  63  judges that the color information EC of the face object is written or buried in the image  95  (YES in S 404 ), the color corrector  65  compares the color information EC extracted by the color information extractor  34  with the reference color information SC stored in the reference color information storage  62  and performs the color correction processing.  
         [0127]     Similar to the first embodiment, the color correction may be made in an RGB color space, an L*a*b* color space, or a YMC or YMCK color space. In the second embodiment, it is judged whether or not a color ec(Rec, Gec, Bec) indicated by the color information EC is included in a prescribed region in the RGB color space centered at a color sc(Rsc, Gsc, Bsc) indicated by the reference color information SC (S 405 ).  
         [0128]     For example, the following conditions are determined for the color ec(Rec, Gec, Bec) indicated by the color information EC.  
                                                       Rsc − δR &lt; Rec ≦ Rsc + δR   (1a)           Gsc − δG &lt; Gec ≦ Gsc + δG   (1b)           Bsc − δB &lt; Bec ≦ Bsc + δB   (1c)                      
 
         [0129]     If the color ec(Rec, Gec, Bec) satisfies the above conditions, and if the color ec(Rec, Gec, Bec) indicated by the color information EC is not included in the prescribed region in the RGB color space centered at the color sc(Rsc, Gsc, Bsc) indicated by the reference color information SC (NO in S 405 ), the color correction is terminated (S 407 ).  
         [0130]     If the color ec(Rec, Gec, Bec) indicated by the color information EC is included in the prescribed region in the RGB color space centered at the color sc(Rsc, Gsc, Bsc) indicated by the reference color information SC (YES in S 405 ), the color-corrected image  96  is generated by entirely correcting the image  95  using a suitable correction method such as tone curve correction or level correction (S 406 ).  
         [0131]     The color-corrected image  96  is transmitted to the print data generator  43  and the print data generator  43  generates the print data from the color-corrected image  96  (S 408 ), transmits the generated print data to the printing section  44  in which the image  95  is printed (S 409 ).  
         [0132]     Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.  
         [0133]     As shown in  FIG. 9A , an image processor  7  for generating a captured image provided with face object information includes an original captured image acquirer  71 , a face object recognizer  72 , a face object information extractor  73 , and a captured image generator  74 .  
         [0134]     For example if the image processor  7  is equipped in a digital camera, the original captured image acquirer  71  can acquire an original captured image from an image capturer  21  of a digital camera  2 C (see  FIG. 9B ).  
         [0135]     The face object recognizer  72  can recognize a face object  911  of a person in the original captured image  91 .  
         [0136]     The face object information extractor  73  can extract contour information G(xg, yg) and color information EC of the face object  911  on the original captured image  91 .  
         [0137]     The captured image generator  54  can generate a captured image  92  provided with face object information in which the contour information G(xg, yg) and the color information is attached to or buried in the original captured image  91 .  
         [0138]     As shown in  FIG. 9B , the image processor  7  may be equipped in the digital camera  2 C. The digital camera  2 C has substantially the same configuration as the digital camera  2 A shown in  FIG. 1B .  
         [0139]     As shown in  FIG. 10A , an Image processor  8  for color correction includes an image acquirer  81 , a reference color information storage  82 , a judgment executer  83 , and a color corrector  85 .  
         [0140]     The image acquirer  81  can acquire an image  95  to be processed.  
         [0141]     The reference color information storage  82  stores reference color information SC of a face.  
         [0142]     The judgment executer  83  can judge whether or not the contour information G(xg, yg) and the color information EC of the face object is written or buried in the image  95 . If it is judged that the contour information G(xg, yg) and the color information EC is written or buried in the image  95 , the image  95  is the captured image  92  provided with face object information having the above-described image data structure.  
         [0143]     The color corrector  85  can generate a color-corrected image  96  by color-correcting the face object based on the color information EC and the reference color information SC stored in the reference color information storage  82 . In this case, the color corrector  85  does not perform the color correction when the color information EC and the reference color information SC are similar to each other in a color space, while performing the color correction when the color information EC and the reference color information SC are distant from each other in the color space.  
         [0144]     As shown in  FIG. 10B , the image processor  8  for color correction may be equipped in a printer  4 C. The printer  4 C has substantially the same configuration as the printer  4 A shown in  FIG. 2B .  
         [0145]     Hereinafter, a generating method of the captured image  92  provided with face object information in the digital camera  2 C shown in  FIG. 9B  will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in  FIG. 11 .  
         [0146]     In this embodiment, the digital camera  2 C is set to a image capturing mode and the image processor  7  is assumed to be in an operable (active) state.  
         [0147]     The image capturer  21  displays the original captured image  91  changing in a real time manner on the display  25 , and the original captured image acquirer  71  acquires the original captured image  91  from the image capturer  21  (S 501 ).  
         [0148]     The face object recognizer  72  scans the original captured image  91  and recognizes the face object in the original captured image  91  (S 502 ). In this embodiment, a face object extracting function of the automatic focusing processor  23  is, as it is, used as the face object recognizer  72 .  
         [0149]     If the face object recognizer  72  does not recognize the face object in the original captured image  91  (NO in S 503 ), the processing returns to S 502 . If the face object recognizer  72  recognizes the face object  911  in the original captured image  91  (YES In S 503 ), the face object information extractor  73  extracts the contour information G(xg, yg) of the face object  911  in the original captured image  91  on the original captured image  91  (S 504 ).  
         [0150]     When the shutter of the operating section  24  is pushed and the storage key to store the original captured image  91  is pushed (YES in S 505 ), the captured image processor  22  converts the original captured image  91  into an image having a prescribed format (JPEG in this embodiment) and extracts color information of the face object (S 506 ). The face object information-attached captured image generator  74  generates the captured image  92  provided with face object information by writing the color information in a header of this JPEG image or burying the color information as a digital watermarking in the JPEG image (S 507 ). In this embodiment, the face object information is the contour information G(xg, yg) and the color information EC.  
         [0151]     The captured image  92  provided with face object information is stored in the memory  261  mounted on the memory mounting section  26 .  
         [0152]     In addition, the memory  261  in which the captured image  92  provided with face object information is stored is detached from the memory mounting section  26  and is mounted on the memory mounting section  41  of the printer  4 C (a memory mounted on the memory mounting section  41  is denoted by a reference numeral  411 ). The captured image  92  provided with face object information stored in the memory  261  is stored in the image storage  45  of the printer  4 C via the communicator  27  and the communicator  42  of the printer  4 C.  
         [0153]     Hereinafter, a color correcting method of the captured image  92  provided with face object information in the printer  4 C shown in  FIG. 10B  will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in  FIG. 12 .  
         [0154]     In this embodiment, the printer  4 C is set to a color correction mode and the image processor  8  is assumed to wait for a print instruction in an operable (active) state (S 601 ).  
         [0155]     If there is no print instruction (NO in S 601 ), the image acquirer  81  continues to be in a standby state. If there is an instruction to print the image  95  stored in the memory  411  mounted on the memory mounting section  41  or an instruction to print the image stored in the image storage  45  via the communicator  42  (YES in S 601 ), the image acquirer  81  acquires the image instructed to be printed (the image  95  to be processed) (S 602 ).  
         [0156]     The judgment executer  83  judges whether or not the image  95  is an image having a prescribed format (a JPEG image in this embodiment) (S 603 ). If it is judged that the image  95  is not the JPEG image (NO in S 603 ), the color correction is terminated (S 607 ). Then, the print data generator  43  is instructed to generate the print data of the image  95  (S 608 ) and the printing section  44  prints the print data (that is, the image  95 ) (S 609 ).  
         [0157]     In addition, an image which is not the color-corrected image  96  is represented as a normal image  97  in  FIG. 10B . In addition, upon determining that the image  95  is the JPEG image (YES in S 602 ), the judgment executer  63  judges whether or not the contour information G(xg, yg) and the color information EC of the face object is written or buried in the image  95  (S 604 ). If it is judged that the contour information G(xg, yg) and the color information EC of the face object is not written or buried in the image  95  (NO in S 604 ), the color correction is terminated (S 607 ). Then, the print data generator  43  is instructed to generate the print data of the image (S 608 ) and the printing section  44  prints the print data (that is, the image  95 ) (S 609 ).  
         [0158]     If the judgment executer  83  judges that the contour information G(xg, yg) and the color information EC of the face object is written or buried in the image  95  (YES in S 604 ), the color corrector  85  compares the color information EC with the reference color information SC stored in the reference color information storage  82  and performs the color correction processing.  
         [0159]     Similar to the first and second embodiments, the color correction may be made in an RGB color space, an L*a*b* color space, or a YMC or YMCK color space. In the third embodiment, it is judged whether or not a color ec(Rec, Gec, Bec) indicated by the color information EC is included in a prescribed region in the RGB color space centered at a color sc(Rsc, Gsc, Bsc) indicated by the reference color information SC (S 605 ).  
         [0160]     For example, the following conditions are determined for the color ec(Rec, Gec, Bec) indicated by the color information EC.  
                                                       Rsc − δR &lt; Rec ≦ Rsc + δR   (1a)           Gsc − δG &lt; Gec ≦ Gsc + δG   (1b)           Bsc − δB &lt; Bec ≦ Bsc + δB   (1c)                      
 
         [0161]     If the color ec(Rec, Gec, Bec) satisfies the above conditions, and if the color ec(Rec, Gec, Bec) indicated by the color information EC is not included in the prescribed region in the RGB color space centered at the color sc(Rsc, Gsc, Bsc) indicated by the reference color information SC (NO in S 605 ), the color correction is terminated (S 608 ). If the color ec(Rec, Gec, Bec) indicated by the color information EC is included in the prescribed region in the RGB color space centered at the color sc(Rsc, Gsc, Bsc) indicated by the reference color information SC (YES in S 605 ), the color-corrected image  96  is generated by correcting a region indicated by the contour information G(xg, yg) using a suitable correction method such as tone curve correction or level correction (S 607 ).  
         [0162]     The color-corrected image  96  is transmitted to the print data generator  43  and the print data generator  43  generates the print data from the color-corrected image  96  (S 609 ), transmits the generated print data to the printing section  44  in which the image  95  is printed (S 610 ).  
         [0163]     In addition, the image processor of the invention and the digital camera of the invention may be equipped with a function to determine a human race in the face object. For example, the white race, the yellow race and the black race may be determined depending on a facial contour, feature arrangement, complexion and a facial skeleton, and, when the color correction is made, disposition of the complexion of the human race may be extracted, and the complexion may be determined considering the disposition. In addition, the digital camera may be equipped with a function to set the human race. The reference color information of the face may be set depending on countries. For example, the reference color of a face of a northern European may be set to be different from the reference color of a face of a person who lives in an equatorial country. The digital camera may be equipped with a function to select the reference color information depending on the human race or the like so that a user can select a reference color properly.  
         [0164]     The present invention is not limited to the above described embodiments and may be practiced in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.  
         [0165]     The disclosure including the specification, the drawings, and the claims in Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-34603, filed on Feb. 10, 2006 is incorporated herein by reference.