Image processor and face detector using the same

An image processor comprising:nimage 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; anda 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, whereinsaid 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, whereinsaid 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, andwherein 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.

An image processor comprising:nimage pickup means being configured to take an image pickup area in order to take an image of an object of the image pickup area, and to generate an image signal from the image pickup area;an image adjuster configured to adjust the 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 perform an object detecting treatment of extracting a feature of said object from the digital image data in order to detect an object area in the digital image data;a brightness adjuster configured to determine a brightness of the object area detected by said object detector when said object detector detects the object area;an adjustment-level controller configured to determine a first adjustment level control signal on the basis of the brightness of the object area, and configured to send the first adjustment level control signal to said image adjuster in a feedback manner so that the image adjuster adjusts the image signal at a first adjustment level determined by the first adjustment level control signal;a brightness detector configured to detect a brightness of an entire the image pickup area taken by said image pickup means,whereinthe image processor further comprises a decision unit, said decision unit being configured to check whether the object detector satisfies a completed condition or an uncompleted condition when the object detector detects no object area in the digital image data, said completed condition being defined by a condition where the object detecting treatment is completed, said uncompleted condition being defined by a condition where the object detecting treatment is not completed,said adjustment-level controller being configured to generate a predetermined adjustment level control signal when the decision unit detects the uncompleted condition, said adjustment-level controller being configured to send the predetermined adjustment level control signal to said image adjuster, said image adjuster being configured to adjust the image signal at a predetermined adjustment level which is determined by the predetermined adjustment level control signal,said brightness detector being configured to calculate an average brightness of the entire the image pickup area when the decision unit detects the completed condition, said adjustment-level controller being configured to generate a second adjustment level control signal, and to send the second adjustment level control signal to said image adjuster, said image adjuster being configured to adjust the image signal at a second adjustment level which is determined by the second adjustment level control signal.