Patent ID: 7852378

Claim:
An image processor comprising: image pickup means configured to take an image of an object; an image adjuster configured to adjust an image signal provided from said image pickup means at an adjustment level; an A/D converter configured to convert an output of said image adjuster into a digital image data; an object detector configured to extract a feature of said object from said digital image data to detect an object area in the image; an adjustment-level controller for sending an adjustment-level control signal to said image adjuster in a feedback manner such that the image signal provided from said image pickup means is adjusted at a different adjustment level when the object area is not detected by said object detector; and a brightness detector for detecting a brightness of an entire image pickup area taken by said image pickup unit, wherein said adjustment-level controller determines a change amount of the adjustment-level control signal according to the brightness detected by said brightness detector, wherein said adjustment-level controller is configured to make the change amount of the adjustment level smaller when said brightness detected by said brightness detector is above a predetermined value than when the detected brightness level is below the predetermined value, wherein said adjustment-level controller sends to said image adjuster an initial adjustment-level control signal such that the image signal provide from said image pickup means is initially adjusted at an initial adjustment level that is a maximum value of a changeable range of said adjustment level, and wherein said adjustment-level controller determines the adjustment level control signal such that the adjustment level changes from the maximum value toward a minimum value of the changeable range in a step-by-step manner.