Patent ID: 7679778

Claim:
An image processing method for correcting an average brightness density value of a photographic image that includes a facial region obtained by photography so that it matches a predetermined reference value, comprising: a facial region detecting step, for detecting, using a processor, the facial region from within the photographic image; a judging step, for judging, using a processor, whether a brightening correction or a darkening correction is to be administered on the photographic image, by comparing the average brightness density value of the photographic image against the predetermined reference value; and a correcting step, for correcting, using a processor, the photographic image so as to generate a corrected image having corrected pixel signal values, which are the pixel signal values of the photographic image corrected by a predetermined correction amount, only in the case that the judging step judges that a brightening correction is to be administered on the photographic image; wherein: the judging step obtains the average pixel signal value from within the facial region which is detected within the photographic image, the correcting step gradually decreases the correction amount for pixel signal values that represent the brightness of pixels, which are greater than or equal to a predetermined brightness, as the brightness of the pixels increases, and the correcting step performs correction such that the corrected pixel signal values are not saturated in a direction of brightness.