JP2007300353A - Imaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging device which has a large-sized display using a touch panel and is equipped with operation keys having good operability without depending upon the posture of a device main body. <P>SOLUTION: When a camera body 6 of a digital camera 5 is gripped in a longitudinally long posture with a right hand 107, a contact signal of the position 110 where the thumb of the right hand 107 comes into contact with the touch panel 19 and a posture detection signal generated by a posture sensor 31 to indicate the longitudinally long posture are output to switch display of operation keys, such as direction keys 21 and 22 and a release key 23, various information etc., displayed on an LCD 18 in accordance with the posture of the camera body 6 and the position 110 on the touch panel 19. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus. In particular, the present invention relates to an imaging apparatus that performs operation input using a touch panel provided in the imaging apparatus body.

  There is known a digital camera that converts a captured image captured by an imaging unit such as a CCD image sensor into digital data and stores it in a memory. The main body of this digital camera is provided with a display such as an LCD for displaying a captured image on the back surface thereof, and is used as an electronic view finder for displaying a through image of a subject at the time of shooting and stored in a memory at the time of playback. A display is used as a monitor for reproducing and displaying images.

  Furthermore, in recent years, it has become common to provide a touch panel with a display in a digital camera and perform operations by inputting the position of an icon or the like displayed on the display on the touch panel.

  By the way, while digital cameras are desired to be portable and portable, they are becoming smaller or thinner. On the other hand, displays are becoming larger due to demands for improved visibility and powerful screen display. . In addition, the digital camera may be provided on the back of the main unit, that is, on the same surface as the display in consideration of the operability of the operation members necessary for setting and operating the digital camera such as the menu button, zoom switch, and cross key. Many. If these operation members are made smaller than necessary, the operability of the digital camera will be reduced, so that it requires a certain size and occupies the space behind the digital camera.

  Therefore, an image showing various operation keys and the like is displayed on the display, and the operation is performed by detecting the contact of the position with the touch panel, thereby omitting the above-described operation member, and the display is enlarged accordingly and the digital display is made. Digital cameras that make effective use of space behind the camera are known. (For example, Patent Documents 1 to 3). Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, when a user grips a digital camera, it is detected which position on the touch panel is touched, and operation buttons (operations corresponding to the contact position are selected from a plurality of types of information prepared in advance. A digital camera configured to change the display position and arrangement of the (key) is described. Thereby, the position of the operation button can be made to correspond to the size of the user's hand and the respective positions when holding the digital camera.

  In addition, the digital camera described in Patent Document 2 displays an image on the entire screen of the display during playback, and at the time of shooting, it is necessary to securely hold the digital camera body. The display is switched so that a through image is displayed on a portion where a finger to be gripped is not applied, and imaging is performed. Furthermore, the digital camera described in Patent Document 3 describes a configuration for switching the display on the display so that it can be operated with either the left or right hand.

On the other hand, regardless of whether a touch panel is used or not, the top, bottom, left, and right of an image taken with a digital camera, etc. depend on the posture of the digital camera. Sometimes it will be displayed in a direction that does not. In order to solve this problem, a plurality of release buttons are installed in advance, the orientation of the digital camera is judged according to which release button is pressed, and rotation information is simultaneously displayed so that the acquired image can be displayed in the correct orientation. A digital camera to be acquired is known (see Patent Document 4).
Japanese Patent Application No. 9-325662 Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-23581 JP 2004-340991 A JP 2004-336536 A

  In the digital camera described in the above patent document, the image on the display and the position of the operation button are switched according to the size of the user's hand, the gripping position, and the like. However, in these digital cameras, the display position or arrangement form of the operation buttons and the like when the posture of the camera body changes is not taken into consideration. That is, when the orientation of the camera body is changed to landscape or portrait, the user's gripping position, finger placement position, etc. are different. When the main body is rotated, the position of the user's hand or finger does not match and the operability is lowered. In addition, when the display is set to the horizontal orientation, the display may be difficult to see when the display is set to the vertical orientation.

  In addition, when using a digital camera, not only the above-mentioned camera body posture change, but also the position held by the user differs between shooting and playback, and the lens barrel is extended and retracted, or a tripod The position of the operation button that is most suitable for the operation varies depending on the change in the usage pattern such as when connected to the device.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides an imaging apparatus capable of arranging operation keys at optimal positions in accordance with a change in posture of the imaging apparatus main body and a usage pattern. With the goal.

  An imaging apparatus according to the present invention is formed on an imaging unit that photoelectrically converts a subject image formed by an imaging lens to obtain a captured image, an apparatus body provided with the imaging unit, and a back surface of the apparatus body, A display having substantially the same area as the back and having a substantially rectangular display surface for displaying the captured image or the reproduced image; and a display corresponding to at least a part of the display; A touch panel for detecting a contact position and operation keys for operating each part of the apparatus main body are displayed on the display, and each part of the apparatus main body is detected when the touch position corresponding to the operation key is detected by the touch panel. Control means for operating the apparatus, and attitude detection means for detecting the attitude of the apparatus main body, the control means comprising the attitude detection means Thus in accordance with the attitude of the detected said apparatus main body, of the position or orientation of the operation key, and performs a display switching to change at least one. Further, a gyroscope is used as the posture detection means. Or what is necessary is just to be able to detect the attitude of the apparatus main body such as a pressure sensor provided at a plurality of positions, a mechanical switch, or an optical sensor.

  In addition, the control unit causes the display to display an information display for notifying the photographer of various information, and the position of the information display or the position according to the posture of the apparatus main body detected by the posture detection unit. Display switching is performed to change at least one of the orientations.

  In addition, the posture detection unit includes at least the touch panel and the control unit, and the control unit sets a posture instruction area corresponding to at least two postures of the apparatus main body on the display screen of the display. The posture of the apparatus main body is determined when contact is detected from the touch panel at a position corresponding to the posture instruction area.

  In addition, when the touch detection is made from the touch panel, the control means changes the size and position of the captured image and the reproduced image and displays them on a portion excluding the position where the touch is detected. To do.

  Further, the control means displays the captured image on the entire screen of the display when there is no contact point from the touch panel.

  The photographic lens is a lens barrel that is movably attached to the apparatus main body between a protruding position that protrudes from the apparatus main body during shooting and a retracted position that retreats from the protruding position to the image plane side. The control means monitors contact detection from the touch panel, and when there is contact detection, the lens barrel is held at the protruding position, and contact detection from the touch panel is lost. In this case, the lens barrel is moved from the protruding position to the retracted position.

  The apparatus main body includes a connection unit for connecting a tripod, and a connection detection unit that detects that the tripod is connected to the connection unit and outputs a connection detection signal. When the connection detection signal is received from the connection detection means, the movement of the lens barrel to the retracted position is regulated regardless of whether or not contact is detected from the touch panel.

  In addition, the image pickup apparatus of the present invention changes the operation keys displayed on the display to the optimum position and orientation according to the attitude of the image pickup apparatus main body detected by the attitude detection means, and thus improves the operability. In addition, the imaging apparatus of the present invention determines the attitude of the imaging apparatus main body from contact detection from a position corresponding to the attitude instruction area provided on the touch panel. Therefore, it is possible to determine the posture of the imaging apparatus main body with a small number of components.

Furthermore, since the image pickup apparatus of the present invention changes the information display displayed on the display to an optimal position and orientation according to the posture of the image pickup apparatus main body, the information display visibility is improved. In addition, since the image pickup apparatus of the present invention displays the image by changing the size and position of the image optimally according to the presence or absence of touch detection from the touch panel, the visibility of the through image displayed at the time of shooting or the image to be reproduced is improved. To do.

In addition, since the imaging apparatus of the present invention moves the lens barrel to the retracted position when contact detection from the touch panel is lost during shooting, the imaging lens and the lens mirror are removed when the imaging apparatus body is accidentally removed during shooting. The cylinder is difficult to break or break down.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in a digital camera 5 (imaging device) that implements the present invention, an imaging lens 12 is built in the front of the camera body 6 (device main body), and a retracted position and a protruding position are provided. The lens barrel 11 is provided so as to be movable between the two. The lens barrel 11 is moved to the protruding position during photographing, and is stored in the retracted position when not photographing. Note that the imaging lens 12 is covered with a lens barrier 13 during non-shooting. A strobe light emitting unit 14 is provided on the front surface of the camera body 6. The operation of the strobe light emitting unit 14 has several light emission modes such as a red-eye reduction mode, a forced light emission mode, and a light emission inhibition mode.

  The shape of the camera body 6 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, and the release button 15 is provided on the upper surface so that the camera body 6 can be easily operated when gripped with the right hand in a horizontally long posture in which the longitudinal direction coincides with the horizontal direction. A menu button 16 is provided.

  The release button 15 is located on the upper surface of the camera body 6 and is disposed near the left end when viewed from the front of the camera body 6. The release button 15 is disposed at a position where the user of the digital camera 5 can easily press the camera body 6 with the right hand while pressing the camera body 6 with the right hand. The release button 15 can be operated in two steps, half-press and full-press. When half-pressed, imaging preparation operations such as automatic exposure adjustment (AE) and automatic focus adjustment (AF) are performed, and an image is recorded when fully pressed.

  The menu button 16 is operated when, for example, switching between a setting mode for changing the setting of the digital camera 5 and an operation mode corresponding to various shootings and reproductions. In the setting mode, when the menu button 16 is pressed, a menu related to the setting of the digital camera 5 such as the operation mode and the setting of the strobe light emitting unit 14 is displayed on the LCD 18 (display).

  The digital camera 5 has two types of operation modes, ie, a reproduction mode and a photographing mode, as operation modes that can be changed by operating the menu button 16. The reproduction mode is an operation mode for reproducing and displaying a photographed image stored in a storage medium such as the memory card 76 (see FIG. 4).

  On the other hand, the photographing mode is an operation mode in which a subject image is photographed and the photographed image is stored in a storage medium such as a memory card 76 (see FIG. 4). When the digital camera 5 is in the shooting mode, the lens barrier 13 is opened to expose the imaging lens 12 to the outside, and the lens barrel 11 protrudes from the digital camera 5. In addition, as the shooting mode of the digital camera 5, several shooting modes are prepared depending on shooting conditions. For example, a distant view shooting mode, a foreground shooting mode, a portrait mode, an auto mode, and the like are prepared in advance.

  The digital camera 5 also has display modes such as a full screen display mode and a reduced display mode as display modes that can be changed in the setting mode. In the full screen display mode, the user of the digital camera 5 contacts the touch panel 19 with the position, size and orientation of the menu displayed on the LCD 18 in the setting mode, the operation keys displayed on the LCD 18 almost always. This is a display mode in which the entire screen of the LCD 18 is used to display a through image, a reproduced image, etc. regardless of the position or the like. In the full screen display mode, menus and operation keys displayed on the LCD 18 are superimposed on an image displayed on the full screen. The reduced display mode is a display mode in which an image to be displayed is reduced and displayed according to a position where the user of the digital camera 5 is in contact with the touch panel 19 or the like. In the reduced display mode, operation keys and the like are displayed on the LCD 18 in an area where no image is displayed.

  A power switch 17 is provided on one side surface of the camera body 6. On the other side of the camera body 6, a memory card 76 (see FIG. 4) for storing photographic image data is detachably inserted and removed, and data in the memory card is stored in the PC. A connector for connecting a cable for transferring to an external device is provided.

  Further, the camera body 6 includes a posture sensor 31 (posture detection means) in the vicinity of the bottom thereof. The attitude sensor 31 is a sensor that detects the attitude of the camera body 6 and outputs the detected attitude of the camera body 6 to the attitude determination unit 90 described later as an inclination signal, as will be described in detail later.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a photographed image, a reproduced image, and the like are displayed on the back surface of the camera body 6, and an LCD 18 having an aspect ratio of approximately 4: 3 and a touch panel 19 disposed so as to overlap almost the entire area of the LCD 18. Is provided. When the user touches with a finger or an attached input pen (not shown) via the touch panel controller 79 (see FIG. 3), the touch panel 19 detects the contact position and outputs a contact signal. When a contact position corresponding to the display of the operation key is detected, various operations of the digital camera 5 are performed.

  In addition to the photographed image and the reproduced image, the LCD 18 displays some operation keys for performing various operations on the digital camera 5. The operation keys displayed on the LCD 18 include direction keys 21 and 22, a release key 23, a menu key (not shown), and the like. Some operation keys such as the direction keys 21 and 22 are set to operate differently depending on the operation mode.

  For example, when the direction key 21 is operated when the digital camera 5 is in the shooting mode, the zoom lens 41 (see FIG. 4) moves to the tele side, and when the direction key 22 is operated, the zoom lens 41 (see FIG. 4) is widened. The zoom magnification changes. When the direction key 21 is operated while the digital camera 5 is in the playback mode, the next frame image display is displayed, and when the direction key 22 is operated, the previous frame image display is displayed.

  The release key 23 can be operated in two steps, like the release button 15 described above. That is, the first and second contact detections of the release key 23 correspond to the half-press and full-press state of the release button 15, respectively, and the imaging preparation operation and the image recording are executed.

  A menu key (not shown) is displayed on the LCD 18 almost always. When the user touches the touch panel 19 and presses a menu key (not shown) displayed on the LCD 18, the operation mode of the digital camera 5 and the flash emission are the same as the menu button 16 provided on the upper surface of the digital camera 5. A menu related to settings such as the setting of the machine 14 is displayed on the LCD 18. Various information is displayed on the LCD 18 in addition to the photographed image and the reproduced image. For example, the date and time, the remaining battery level, the currently selected operation mode and the photographing mode, the photographing condition, the flash emission mode, etc. There is.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the imaging lens 12 includes, for example, a zoom lens 41, a diaphragm 42, and a focus lens 43. The diaphragm 42 adjusts the amount of photographing light by changing the aperture area of the diaphragm. The zoom lens 41 and the focus lens 43 are provided so as to be movable along the optical axis, and perform zooming and focus adjustment, respectively.

  The focus lens 43 moves to the tele side or the wide side to adjust the focus in response to zooming of the zoom lens 41 or an input operation of the release button 15 or the release key 23. The aperture 42 operates in response to an input operation of the release button 15 or the release key 23. The movement of the zoom lens 41, the focus lens 43, and the lens barrel 11 is driven by a lens motor 46. The lens motor 46 is controlled by a motor driver 52 connected to the CPU 50 (control means).

  Behind the imaging lens 12 is a CCD (imaging means) 55 that captures a subject image that has passed through the imaging lens 12. The CCD 55 is driven by a CCD driver 56 controlled by the CPU 50. The analog imaging signal output from the CCD 55 is input to a correlated double sampling circuit (CDS) 57 to remove noise and is amplified by an amplifier (AMP) 58. Then, it is converted into digital image data by an A / D converter (A / D) 59. The image data output from the A / D converter (A / D) 58 is input to a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) 61 as R, G, B image data accurately corresponding to the accumulated charge amount of each cell of the CCD 55. Is done.

  The DSP 61 is provided with an image input controller 63, an image quality correction processing circuit 64, a YC conversion processing circuit 65, and a compression / decompression processing circuit 66. The DSP 61 temporarily stores the image data in the SDRAM 72 and performs various image processing. The image input controller 63 buffers the image data input from the A / D converter 59 and writes the image data to the SDRAM 72 connected via the data bus 68. The SDRAM 72 is a working memory, and is loaded with image data and a control program executed by the CPU 50. The EEPROM 73 stores the control program and setting information.

  Further, via the data bus 68, it is detected whether the exposure amount, that is, the shutter speed of the electronic shutter and the aperture value of the aperture 42 are appropriate for shooting, and whether the white balance is appropriate for shooting. An / AWB detection circuit (not shown) and an AF detection circuit (not shown) for detecting whether or not the focus adjustment of the imaging lens 12 is appropriate are connected. The CPU 50 controls the imaging lens 12 based on these detection results.

  The image quality correction processing circuit 64 reads the image data from the SDRAM 72, performs various image quality correction processes such as gradation conversion, white balance correction, and gamma correction, and records the image data in the SDRAM 72 again. The YC conversion processing circuit 65 reads the image data processed by the image quality correction processing circuit 64 from the SDRAM 72 and converts it into a luminance signal Y and color difference signals Cr and Cb. The compression / decompression processing circuit 66 compresses the YC-converted image data by a predetermined method, for example, and outputs it in a predetermined file format such as TIFF or JPEG. The compressed image data is stored in the memory card 76 via the media controller 75.

  The CCD 16 outputs main image data having a large number of pixels when the release button 15 or the release key 23 is operated, and outputs a through image having a small number of pixels for through display on the LCD 18. The through image is output at a frame rate of 30 frames per second while the through display is turned on, and the through image output from the CCD 55 is temporarily recorded in the SDRAM 72 in the same manner as the main image data. The main image data is stored in the memory card 76 after being subjected to the above-described various image processing, whereas the through image data is read from the SDRAM 72 and converted into an analog composite signal by the encoder 77. The video is output to the LCD 18. In the SDRAM 72, a VRAM area for storing through image data is secured, and the through image in the VRAM area is updated at any time according to the frame rate and output to the LCD 18.

  When the captured image stored in the memory card 76 is reproduced and displayed on the LCD 18, the CPU 50 reads out the captured image stored from the memory card 76 via the media controller 75. Since the captured image read from the memory card 76 is compressed in a predetermined file format such as TIFF or JPEG, it is expanded by the compression / decompression processing circuit 66 and then converted into an analog composite signal by the encoder 77. The video is output to the LCD 18.

  The CPU 50 includes a posture determination unit 90, an operation key display controller 92, and an information display controller 93. The posture determination unit 90 determines the posture of the digital camera 5 main body based on the tilt signal received from the posture sensor 31 described above, and inputs the posture of the digital camera 5 main body to the operation key display controller 92 and the information display controller 93. .

  The operation key display controller 92 changes various operation keys displayed on the LCD 18 to appropriate positions and orientations according to the posture of the camera body 6 determined by the posture determination unit 90. Further, the operation key display controller 92 displays the image displayed on the LCD 18 so as to overlap the image when the operation key to be displayed overlaps. Note that, in the case of overlapping display in this way, the operation key may be translucent to allow the background image to be transmitted. Such settings regarding the transparent display of the operation keys are performed in the setting mode described above.

  The information display controller 93 displays various display information at appropriate positions and orientations on the LCD 18 in accordance with the posture of the camera body 6 determined by the posture determination unit 90. The display information includes a date and time, a battery remaining amount display, a display of the currently selected operation mode, a shooting condition display during shooting, and the like, which are not related to an input operation using the touch panel 19. is there.

  In the digital camera 5, the EEPROM 73 stores a set time during which a finger or the like is released from the touch panel 19 for a pressing operation of an operation key or the like. Even if the contact signal indicating another position is received again after the contact signal is interrupted from the touch panel 19 within the set time, the operation key display controller 92, the information display controller 93, and the reduced display controller 94 are not changed. Do not perform the default behavior. Thereby, it is possible to suppress frequent switching of the display, and to make the display on the LCD 18 easier to see.

  Further, in the digital camera 5, when the contact position detected from the touch panel 19 changes, if the displacement amount of the contact position is smaller than a predetermined value stored in advance in the EEPROM 73, the above-described operation is executed. If the amount of displacement exceeds a predetermined value, the operation corresponding to the operation key is executed. As a result, when the user's hand or finger is displaced by a small amount, the display is not switched, so that it is possible to prevent the display from being switched against the user's intention.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the above configuration will be described. When shooting using the digital camera 5, the power is turned on, and then the menu button 16 or a menu key (not shown) is pressed to select an appropriate shooting mode. At this time, the lens barrier 13 is opened, and at the same time as the imaging lens 12 is exposed, the lens barrel 11 protrudes from the retracted position, and acquisition of a through image is started. After starting the shooting mode, the CPU 50 determines the posture of the digital camera 5 body from the tilt signal from the posture sensor 31. Then, the CPU 50 displays various operation keys and various display information based on the posture of the digital camera 5 main body and the contact signal from the touch panel 19.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the camera body 6 of the digital camera 5 is gripped with the right hand 102 in the landscape orientation, the orientation sensor 31 detects the orientation of the camera body 6 and indicates that the orientation is the landscape orientation. The signal is output to the CPU 50. Further, a contact signal corresponding to the position 105 where the thumb of the right hand 102 of the photographer holding the camera body 6 contacts is output to the CPU 50. As a result, the CPU 50 adjusts the operation keys such as the direction keys 21 and 22 and the release key 23 to the left and right of the photographer, and in the vicinity of the position 105 where the thumb on the LCD 18 contacts in a landscape orientation that is easy to use Switch the display to. At the same time, the CPU 50 switches the display of the display information such as the date 103 on the LCD 18 to a position and orientation that allows easy viewing of the display information in the landscape orientation.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, when the digital camera 5 is gripped by the right hand 107 in a vertically long posture rotated 90 degrees from a horizontally long posture, the posture sensor 31 detects the posture of the digital camera 5 and the vertically long posture is detected. Is output to the CPU 50. Further, a contact signal corresponding to the position 110 where the thumb of the right hand 102 contacts is output to the CPU 50. Therefore, the CPU 50 aligns the operation keys such as the direction keys 21 and 22 and the release key 23 with the photographer's top and bottom, and in the vicinity of the position 110 where the thumb on the LCD 18 comes in contact with the user in a vertically oriented posture. Switch the display. At the same time, the CPU 50 switches the display of the display information such as the date 108 on the LCD 18 to a position and orientation that allows easy viewing with a landscape orientation.

  Furthermore, the display is changed as described above every time the posture of the digital camera 5 is changed from a landscape orientation to a portrait orientation or from a portrait orientation to a landscape orientation.

  Then, framing is performed while confirming the through image displayed on the LCD 18 and the information display, and the release key 16 or the release button 23 is pressed to acquire an image, which is stored in the memory card 76.

  As described above, since the digital camera 5 detects the posture of the camera body 6 and displays various operation keys and various display information on the LCD 18, even if the posture of the camera body 6 is a horizontally long posture, Even in this posture, the directions of the various operation keys and the various display information are displayed in the same direction as the left and right of the photographer, and the positions of the various operation keys are arranged in the vicinity of the finger holding the digital camera 5. Therefore, the various operation keys are always displayed at easy-to-use positions and orientations, and the various display information are always displayed at easy-to-view positions and orientations.

  In the first embodiment described above, the attitude sensor 31 is used as means for detecting the attitude of the digital camera 5 main body. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and in the second embodiment, the touch panel and the control means are used as attitude detection means. An example of use will be shown. In the second embodiment, the same drawings as those in the first embodiment are omitted, and the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the digital camera 205 includes posture instruction units 26, 27, 28, and 29 (posture instruction areas) that instruct the posture of the camera body 206 on the touch panel 19. These posture instruction units 26, 27, 28, and 29 are substantially rectangular areas, and when the user of the digital camera 205 touches any of these areas, the attitude of the digital camera 205 main body is instructed.

  The attitude instruction unit 26 is provided so as to correspond to the right side of the LCD 18. When the user of the digital camera 205 touches the posture instruction unit 26, a contact signal is output, and the posture of the digital camera 205 is a horizontally long posture in which the longitudinal direction of the digital camera 205 substantially coincides with the horizontal direction. The attitude instruction signal shown is output to the CPU 50.

  The posture instruction unit 27 is provided so as to correspond to the left side of the LCD 18. When a user of the digital camera 205 touches the posture instruction unit 27, a contact signal is output, and a posture instruction signal indicating that the posture of the digital camera 205 body is a horizontally long posture is output to the CPU 50.

  The attitude instruction unit 28 is provided so as to correspond to the upper side of the LCD 18. When the user of the digital camera 205 comes into contact with the posture instruction unit 28, a contact signal is output, and the posture of the digital camera body indicates a vertical posture in which the longitudinal direction is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal direction. The signal is output to the CPU 50.

  The posture instruction unit 29 is provided to correspond to the lower side of the LCD 18. When the user of the digital camera 205 touches the posture instruction unit 29, a contact signal is output, and a posture instruction signal indicating that the posture of the main body of the digital camera 5 is a vertically long posture is output to the CPU 50.

  The posture determination unit 90 receives a posture instruction signal from any of the posture instruction units 26, 27, 28, or 29, and determines whether the posture of the camera body 206 is a horizontally long posture or a vertically long posture. Then, the operation key display controller 92 and the information display controller 93 are operated.

  The operation of the digital camera 205 configured as described above will be described. Both the posture instruction unit 26 and the posture instruction unit 28 are instructed that the posture of the main body of the digital camera 205 is in a landscape orientation when the user of the digital camera 205 comes into contact. It indicates that the digital camera 5 is held with the right hand, and the posture instruction unit 28 indicates that the digital camera 205 is held with the left hand. When the posture instruction signal from the posture instruction unit 26 indicates that the posture of the camera body 206 is a horizontally long posture, the posture instruction unit 27 is above the camera body 206, and the posture instruction unit 29 is below the camera body 206. As shown, various operation keys and various display information are arranged.

  Similarly, when the posture instruction signal from the posture instruction unit 28 indicates that the posture of the camera body 206 is a horizontally long posture, the posture instruction unit 27 is above the camera body 206 and the posture instruction unit 29 is the camera. Below the body 206, various operation keys and various display information are arranged. That is, when the posture instructing unit 26 or the posture instructing unit 28 detects that the posture of the camera body 206 is a horizontally long posture, in any case, the posture instructing unit 27 is located above the camera body 206, and the posture instructing unit 29. Various operation keys and various display information are arranged on the LCD 18 in accordance with the state where the camera body 206 is below the camera body 206.

  Further, when the posture instruction signals from the posture instruction units 27 and 29 are received, it is instructed that the posture of the camera body 206 is a vertically long posture. In these cases, various operations are performed according to the gripping state by the right hand. The display of keys and various display information is set. That is, when a posture instruction signal is received from the posture instruction unit 27, the camera body 206 indicates that the posture is a vertically long posture and the posture instruction unit 27 is on the right side, the posture instruction unit 28 is upward, and the posture instruction unit 26 is downward. The display of various operation keys and various display information is switched according to the state, and when the posture instruction signal is received from the posture instruction unit 29, the camera body 206 is in a vertically long posture and the posture instruction unit 29 is on the right side. In response, the display of various operation keys and various display information is switched according to the state in which the posture instruction unit 26 is upward and the posture instruction unit 28 is downward.

  Whether the camera body 206 is held with the right hand or the left hand can be selected and input under the setting mode, and various operation keys and various display information display settings can be set according to the photographer's preference. It may be changeable.

  As described above, instead of the attitude sensor 31, the attitude instruction units 26, 27, 28, and 29 provided on the touch panel 19 and the attitude determination unit 90 provided in the CPU 50 detect the attitude of the digital camera 205 and appropriately Various operation keys and various display information can be displayed on the LCD 18 at various positions and orientations.

  Next, a third embodiment for changing the size of an image to be displayed when a contact signal is output from the touch panel will be described below. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to components etc. which are common in 1st Embodiment and 2nd Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the digital camera 305 includes a reduced display controller 94. The reduced display controller 94 calculates an appropriate size and position of the image to be displayed on the LCD 18 based on the contact signal received from the touch panel 19, and changes the size and position of the image based on this to display the image on the LCD 18. When no contact signal is input to the reduced display controller 94, the captured image or the reproduced image is displayed on the LCD 18 in full screen.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 9, when the camera body 306 is held in a horizontally long posture with the right hand 117, the contact signal corresponding to the position 120 where the thumb of the right hand 117 holding the digital camera 103 contacts the touch panel 19, and the posture In response to the tilt signal output from the sensor 31, the CPU 50 displays various operation keys and various display information on the LCD 18 at appropriate positions and orientations. At the same time, the CPU 50 reduces and moves the display image to a portion other than the contact position 120 on the touch panel 19. Similarly, when the camera body 306 is held in a vertically long posture, the display image is reduced and moved to a portion other than the contact position.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 10, when the camera body 306 is held with both hands 131 and 133, the contact signal corresponding to the position 132 where the right hand 131 holding the camera body 306 contacts the touch panel 19, and the posture sensor 31. In response to the output signal, the CPU 50 displays various operation keys and various display information on the LCD 18 at appropriate positions and orientations. At the same time, the CPU 50 reduces and moves the display image to a portion excluding both the position 132 where the right hand 131 contacts the touch panel 19 and the position 134 where the left hand 133 contacts the touch panel 19. Similarly, when the camera body 306 is held in a vertically long posture, the display image is reduced and moved to a portion other than the contact position.

  Furthermore, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, when the outer periphery of the camera body 306 is gripped, no contact signal is output from the touch panel 19. In this case, the CPU 50 displays the entire screen using the entire display area of the LCD 18.

  Each time the position of the hand or finger holding the camera body 306 is changed while the image is displayed, and the touch position on the touch panel 19 changes, the image size is changed as described above. The image display position is moved, and the image is redisplayed as described above.

  As described above, the digital camera 305 detects the posture of the camera body 306, displays various operation keys and various display information in appropriate positions and orientations, and reduces and moves the display image based on the contact signal. Since the image is displayed in a portion other than the position touching the touch panel 19, a part of the image is not covered with a hand or a finger holding the digital camera 305. Therefore, the visibility of the image displayed on the LCD 18 is improved.

  Next, as a fourth embodiment, an example in which the lens barrel is moved to the retracted position when the output of the contact signal from the touch panel is interrupted during photographing will be described. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the components similar to 1st-3rd embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the camera body 406 of the digital camera 405 includes a connection portion 34 for connecting the tripod 33 at the bottom. The connection unit 34 includes a tripod detection switch 38 (connection detection unit) that detects that the tripod 33 is connected. The tripod detection switch 38 is turned on when the tripod 33 is connected to the connection portion 34.

  As illustrated in FIG. 13, the digital camera 405 includes a contact monitoring unit 408 in the CPU 50. The contact monitoring unit 408 monitors the presence or absence of a contact signal from the touch panel 19 when the digital camera 405 is in the shooting mode. When the contact signal is interrupted, the contact monitoring unit 408 moves the lens barrel 11 at the protruding position to the retracted position. Further, the contact monitoring unit 408 monitors on / off of the tripod detection switch 38 when the digital camera 405 is in the shooting mode.

  The operation of the digital camera 405 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. When shooting, after turning on the power, the menu button 16 or a menu key (not shown) is operated to select an appropriate shooting mode. At this time, the lens barrier 13 is opened, and at the same time as the imaging lens 12 is exposed, the lens barrel 11 protrudes from the retracted position and acquisition of a through image is started.

  At the same time, the posture of the main body of the digital camera 405 is determined from the contact signal from the touch panel 19 and the tilt signal from the posture sensor 31, and various operation keys and various display information are displayed at appropriate positions and orientations.

  For example, if the photographer accidentally removes his / her hand from the digital camera 405 during shooting, and the contact signal input to the CPU 50 is interrupted, the CPU 50 moves the lens barrel 11 at the protruding position to the retracted position. On the other hand, when the tripod 33 is connected to the connecting portion 34 and the tripod detection switch 38 is on, the movement of the lens barrel 11 to the retracted position is restricted and held at the protruding position, and the photographing mode is continued. .

  As described above, the digital camera 405 determines from the contact signal and the tilt signal, displays various operation keys and various display information at an appropriate position and orientation, and the photographer erroneously selects the digital camera 405 during shooting. When contact with the touch panel is lost, such as when it is dropped, the lens barrel 11 is moved to the retracted position, so that it is possible to prevent the lens barrel and the imaging lens from being damaged due to a collision caused by a drop and the impact. it can.

  In the first to fourth embodiments, the direction keys 21 and 22 are displayed up and down for the user of the digital camera 5, and the shooting date is displayed near the lower left of the LCD 18. The direction and direction are not limited to the above configuration, and the position and direction of the operation keys and display information may be selectable under the setting mode.

  In the second embodiment, the posture instruction units 26, 27, 28, and 29 are provided on the touch panel 19. However, the position, shape, range, and posture of the camera body corresponding to each posture determination unit are as follows. The configuration is not limited to that of the second embodiment. For example, the posture instruction units may be provided only in two places corresponding to the horizontally long posture or the vertically long posture of the camera body. In addition, the range and shape of the posture instruction unit may be provided in a range in contact with the touch panel 19 in order to hold the camera body.

  In the present embodiment, the aspect ratio of the photographed image has been described as 4: 3, but other aspect ratios such as 16: 9 may be used. In the above-described embodiment, the example of the digital camera that captures a still image has been described. However, the present invention may be applied to a digital camera that captures a moving image. In the present embodiment, the present invention has been described with reference to an example in which the present invention is applied to a digital camera. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. The present invention can be applied to an imaging device with a display.

In the present embodiment, the LCD is used as a display for displaying an image or the like, but the application of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an organic EL display or the like may be used instead of the LCD.

It is a perspective view which shows the front surface of the external appearance of a digital camera. It is a perspective view which shows the back of the external appearance of a digital camera. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the digital camera in 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the case where a digital camera is hold | gripped in a horizontal attitude | position. It is a perspective view which shows the case where a digital camera is hold | gripped in a vertical orientation. It is a rear view which shows the attitude | position instruction | indication area | region on the touchscreen in the digital camera of 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the digital camera of 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the digital camera of 3rd Embodiment. It is a rear view which shows a mode that an image is reduced and moved and displayed when the digital camera of 3rd Embodiment is hold | gripped with one hand. It is a rear view which shows a mode that an image is reduced and moved and displayed when the digital camera of 3rd Embodiment is hold | gripped with both hands. It is a rear view which shows a mode that an image is displayed on a full screen, when hold | gripping the outer periphery of the digital camera of 3rd Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that a tripod is connected to the digital camera of 4th Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the digital camera of 4th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the effect | action of the digital camera of 4th Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the effect | action of 4th Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

5 Digital camera (imaging device)
6, 206, 306, 406 Camera body (device main body)
11 Lens barrel 12 Imaging lens 18 LCD (Display)
19 Touch panel 21, 22 Direction keys (operation keys)
23 Release key (operation key)
26, 27, 28, 29 Posture instruction section (posture instruction area)
31 Attitude sensor (Attitude detection means)
33 Tripod 38 Tripod detection switch (connection detection means)
46 Lens motor 50 CPU (control means)
52 Motor driver 55 CCD (imaging means)
72 SDRAM
73 EEPROM
90 Posture determination unit (posture detection means)
92 Operation Key Display Controller 93 Information Display Controller 94 Reduced Display Controller 103, 108, 118, 133, 142 Date (Information Display)

Claims (7)

Imaging means for photoelectrically converting a subject image formed by an imaging lens to obtain a captured image;
An apparatus body provided with the imaging means;
A display formed on the back surface of the apparatus main body, having a substantially the same area as the back surface, and having a substantially rectangular display surface for displaying the captured image or the reproduced image;
A touch panel that is provided to correspond to at least a part of the display and detects the contact position when the photographer touches;
Control means for operating each part of the apparatus main body when the operation key for operating each part of the apparatus main body is displayed on the display and a contact position corresponding to the operation key is detected by the touch panel;
In an imaging apparatus provided with attitude detection means for detecting the attitude of the apparatus main body,
The control unit performs display switching for changing at least one of the position and the direction of the operation key according to the posture of the apparatus main body detected by the posture detection unit. .   The control means displays an information display for notifying the photographer of various information on the display, and the position or orientation of the information display is determined according to the posture of the apparatus main body detected by the posture detection means. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein display switching is performed to change at least one of them.   The posture detection means includes at least the touch panel and the control means, and the control means sets a posture instruction area corresponding to at least two postures of the apparatus main body on the display screen of the display. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the attitude of the apparatus main body is determined when contact is detected from the touch panel at a position corresponding to the attitude instruction area.   The said control means changes and displays the size and position of the said captured image and the reproduction | regeneration image on the part except the position where this contact detection was carried out, when there was contact detection from the said touch panel. Item 4. The imaging device according to any one of Items 1 to 3.   5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit displays the captured image on the entire screen of the display when there is no contact point from the touch panel. The photographing lens is built in a lens barrel that is movably attached to the apparatus body between a projecting position that projects from the apparatus body during photographing and a retracted position that retreats from the projecting position to the image plane side. Has been
The control means monitors contact detection from the touch panel, and when there is contact detection, holds the lens barrel at the protruding position, and when there is no contact detection from the touch panel, the lens 6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lens barrel is moved from the protruding position to the retracted position. The apparatus main body includes a connection part for connecting a tripod, and connection detection means for detecting that the tripod is connected to the connection part and outputting a connection detection signal.
When the control means receives the connection detection signal from the connection detection means, the control means regulates the movement of the lens barrel to the retracted position regardless of the presence or absence of contact detection from the touch panel. The imaging device according to claim 6.

Images