JP2004080519A - Electronic camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic camera with a display function which can reliably display contents to be displayed to a photographer. <P>SOLUTION: An electronic camera in which an imaging means for imaging a subject image and a display means for displaying the subject image during imaging can be mutually rotated is provided with a detection means for detecting a position relationship between the imaging means and the displaying means. The displaying means performs reduction processing to the subject image according to the position relationship detected by the detection means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic camera having a display function.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Some electronic cameras have a lens barrel and a camera body that can be separated from each other and can be rotated with each other. In general, a camera body has a moving image that can be used for checking the composition of a subject. A liquid crystal monitor capable of displaying a so-called through image) and shooting information as an auxiliary index at the time of shooting is provided.
[0003]
Some rotary electronic cameras equipped with such a liquid crystal monitor have a flash unit provided by projecting a part of the lens barrel on the opening side of the photographing lens toward the camera body. Shooting using a flash device has been realized by turning the projection part toward the subject by rotating it.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the electronic camera provided with the above-described protruding portion, in the face-to-face shooting performed in a state where the opening of the taking lens of the lens barrel and the liquid crystal monitor are oriented in the same direction (the direction of the photographer), the protruding portion is used. Hides part of the LCD monitor. Therefore, there has been a problem that a photographer cannot see a part of the through image and a part of the photographing information displayed on the liquid crystal monitor.
[0005]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic camera capable of surely showing a displayed content to a photographer.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit that captures the subject image and a display unit that displays the subject image being captured are rotatable with respect to each other, wherein the positions of the imaging unit and the display unit are different. Detecting means for detecting a relationship, wherein the display means performs reduction processing on the subject image in accordance with the positional relationship detected by the detecting means.
[0007]
An electronic camera according to a second aspect is the electronic camera according to the first aspect, wherein the display unit performs the reduction process when the positional relationship indicates rotation for face-to-face shooting.
The electronic camera according to claim 3 is the electronic camera according to claim 2, further comprising a photographing auxiliary member including at least a flash device, wherein the display unit is provided in a display area that is not hidden by the photographing auxiliary member during face-to-face photographing. The image of the subject subjected to the reduction processing is displayed.
[0008]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the electronic camera according to any one of the first to third aspects, the display unit performs an inversion process along with the reduction process.
6. The electronic camera according to claim 5, wherein the display unit further displays photographing information as an auxiliary index at the time of photographing, and the position detected by the detection unit. The display area of the photographing information is switched according to the relationship.
[0009]
The electronic camera according to claim 6 is the electronic camera according to claim 5, further comprising a photographing auxiliary member including at least a flash device, wherein the display unit is configured such that, when the positional relationship indicates rotation for face-to-face photographing, The imaging information is displayed in a display area that is not hidden by the imaging assistance member.
8. The electronic camera according to claim 7, wherein the image capturing means for capturing the subject image and the display means for displaying the subject image being captured are rotatable with respect to each other. Detecting means for detecting a relationship, wherein the display means reduces a display area of the subject image in accordance with the positional relationship detected by the detecting means.
[0010]
The electronic camera according to claim 8, wherein in the electronic camera according to claim 7, the display unit reduces a display area of the subject image when the positional relationship indicates rotation for face-to-face shooting. And
The electronic camera according to claim 9 is the electronic camera according to claim 8, further comprising a photographing auxiliary member including at least a flash device, wherein the display unit displays a display area that is not hidden by the photographing auxiliary member during face-to-face photographing. The display area may be a reduced display area for displaying the subject image.
[0011]
The electronic camera according to claim 10 is the electronic camera according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the display unit displays the image of the subject along with the reduction of the display area of the image of the subject. On the other hand, an inversion process is performed.
[0012]
12. The electronic camera according to claim 11, wherein the display unit further displays photographing information as an auxiliary index at the time of photographing, and the position detected by the detection unit. The display area of the photographing information is switched according to the relationship.
The electronic camera according to claim 12 is the electronic camera according to claim 11, further comprising a photographing assisting member including at least a flash device, wherein the display unit is configured to, when the positional relationship indicates rotation for face-to-face photographing, The imaging information is displayed in a display area that is not hidden by the imaging assistance member.
[0013]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an electronic camera corresponding to the present embodiment.
In FIG. 1, the electronic camera 1 includes a lens barrel 10 and a camera body 20 and a lens rotation detecting unit 30 provided therebetween. They are mutually rotatable via the illustrated movable mechanism.
[0014]
The lens barrel 10 has a photographic lens 11, an imaging unit 12, and a flash device 13. The photographing lens 11 includes a mechanical shutter (not shown), an aperture, an AF motor and the like (not shown), and the imaging unit 12 captures a signal charge obtained by imaging the subject image formed on the light receiving surface by the photographing lens 11. The flash device 13 is read out to generate analog image data, and the flash device 13 is disposed at a protruding portion near the camera body 20. The projecting portion of the lens barrel 10 includes, in addition to the flash device 13, an LED for displaying a self-timer, an auxiliary light for AF, a light control sensor for a flash device, an opening of an optical finder, and the like. A photographing assistance member may be provided.
[0015]
The camera body 20 includes a CPU 21, an image processing unit 22, an image display memory 23, an information display memory 24, a display control unit 25, and a liquid crystal monitor 26.
The CPU 21 is connected to the image processing unit 22, the image display memory 23, the information display memory 24, and the display control unit 25 via the bus, and is also connected to the photographing lens 11 and the flash unit 13 in the lens barrel 10. And control these components. Further, the CPU 21 is connected to the lens rotation detection unit 30 and acquires a detection result (details will be described later) of the lens rotation detection unit 30. Further, the CPU 21 acquires shooting information, which is an auxiliary index at the time of shooting, based on information obtained from each unit (including members not shown) in the electronic camera 1. For example, the CPU 21 acquires, as shooting information, an aperture value, a shutter speed, the number of remaining frames that can be shot, a flash mode of a flash device, a remaining battery level, a white balance mode, and the like.
[0016]
The image processing unit 22 is controlled by the CPU 21, converts analog image data generated by the imaging unit 12 in the lens barrel 10 into digital image data, and converts the digital image data into various types of image processing (sample fold). , White balance adjustment, etc.) to obtain image data of a predetermined format (image data for a through image or image data for recording).
[0017]
Note that the image processing unit 22 obtains image data for a through image until a release switch (not shown) is pressed by a photographer. Such image data is used for image display in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 21. The image data is directly stored in the memory 23 or processed by the CPU 21 as necessary, and then stored in the image display memory 23 (details will be described later). Further, in the image processing unit 22, when a release switch (not shown) is pressed by the photographer, image data for recording is obtained, but such image data is supplied via a recording control unit (not shown). On a memory card (card-shaped removable memory).
[0018]
Image data for a through image is stored in the image display memory 23, while image data corresponding to the shooting information acquired by the CPU 21 is stored in the information display memory 24.
The storage position of the image data for the through image in the image display memory 23 and the storage position of the image data for the photographing information in the information display memory 24 are managed by the CPU 21 (details will be described later).
[0019]
The display controller 25 is controlled by the CPU 21 and combines the image data for the through image stored in the image display memory 23 with the image data for the shooting information stored in the information display memory 24. , On the LCD monitor 26.
The lens rotation detection unit 30 detects a positional relationship between the lens barrel 10 and the camera body 20. Then, based on such a detection result, the lens rotation detection unit 30 determines that the opening of the photographing lens 11 of the lens barrel 10 is in the vertical direction of the camera body 20 (corresponding to the stored state of the electronic camera 1). If it is rotated to the liquid crystal monitor 26 side than (), it is determined that rotation for face-to-face photographing has been performed. When the opening of the photographing lens 11 is rotated to the opposite side of the liquid crystal monitor 26, the lens rotation detecting unit 30 determines that the rotation for normal photographing has been performed.
[0020]
In the present embodiment, for simplicity of explanation, the lens rotation detection unit 30 outputs information indicating whether the rotation for photographing, face-to-face photographing or normal photographing, has been performed (hereinafter, “rotation information”). ) Is notified to the CPU 21 as a detection result.
FIG. 2 is an external view of the electronic camera 1 in a state where rotation for face-to-face photographing has been performed. As shown in FIG. 2, in a state where the rotation for face-to-face photographing is performed, the left central portion of the liquid crystal monitor 26 is hidden by the protruding portion of the lens barrel 10.
[0021]
In addition, since face-to-face shooting can be realized without being limited to the state where the lens barrel 10 and the camera body 20 form a right angle, the face-to-face shooting requires a liquid crystal monitor 26 as shown in FIG. There is a possibility that not only the left central portion but also the entire left surface is hidden by the protruding portion of the lens barrel 10. Hereinafter, the area of the liquid crystal monitor 26 that may be hidden by the protruding portion of the lens barrel 10 is referred to as a “hidden area”.
[0022]
FIG. 3 is an operation flowchart of the electronic camera 1 corresponding to the present embodiment, and particularly shows an operation related to display of a through image and shooting information.
Hereinafter, the operation of the electronic camera 1 will be described. The feature of the present embodiment lies in the operation of the electronic camera 1 relating to the display of the through image and the photographing information, and the other operations are the same as those of the existing electronic camera. Therefore, hereinafter, only the operation of the electronic camera 1 relating to the display of the through image and the shooting information will be described with reference to FIG. 3, and the description of the other operations will be omitted.
[0023]
First, the CPU 21 determines the rotation state of the lens barrel 10 and the camera body 20 based on the rotation information notified from the lens rotation detection unit 30 (S1 in FIG. 3). Then, when rotation for face-to-face shooting is being performed, the CPU 21 performs reduction processing and inversion processing on image data for a through image obtained by the image processing unit 22 (S2 in FIG. 3).
[0024]
Here, the reduction processing is processing for obtaining image data that can be displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 26 by reducing the entire through image to a predetermined size. Such reduction processing is performed, for example, by simple thinning. , Simple interpolation, thinning with weighted averaging, interpolation, and the like.
The reversing process is a process for obtaining image data that allows a mirror image to be displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 26 directed to the photographer. Such a reversing process is performed, for example, by a through process obtained by the image processing unit 22. This can be realized by inverting the image data for the image upside down.
[0025]
Note that the reduction processing and the inversion processing may be performed by the image processing unit 22 without being performed by the CPU 21.
Next, the CPU 21 stores the image data for the through image subjected to the reduction processing and the inversion processing in a predetermined position of the image display memory 23 so as not to overlap the above-described hidden area and the display area of the shooting information. (FIG. 3S3). Further, the CPU 21 stores the image data corresponding to the shooting information at a predetermined position of the information display memory 24 so as not to overlap the hidden area and the display area of the through image (S4 in FIG. 3).
[0026]
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a storage position of image data in the image display memory 23 at the time of face-to-face shooting. FIG. 5 is an example of a storage position of image data in the information display memory 24 at the time of face-to-face shooting. FIG.
However, in FIGS. 4 and 5, it is assumed that a plurality of pixels in the imaging unit 12 are arranged in a matrix of m rows and n columns, and the storage position of the image data corresponding to the position of each pixel is set to ( i, j) (where i = 1,..., m, j = 1,..., n). 4 and 5, the storage positions corresponding to the hidden areas of the image display memory 23 and the information display memory 24 are set so that the above-described hidden area of the liquid crystal monitor 26 becomes black during face-to-face shooting. 2 shows an example in which black image data is stored. In such a case, it is preferable that the image data of the photographing information store image data in which the character color is white and the background color is black.
[0027]
On the other hand, when the rotation for the normal shooting is performed, the CPU 21 displays the image data for the through image obtained by the image processing unit 22 in the image display without considering the hidden area and the display area of the shooting information. It is stored directly at a predetermined position in the memory 23 for use (S5 in FIG. 3). That is, the image data for the through image is stored in the image display memory 23 without being subjected to the above-described reduction processing and inversion processing. Further, the CPU 21 stores the image data corresponding to the photographing information at a predetermined position in the information display memory 24 without considering the hidden area and the display area of the through image (S6 in FIG. 3).
[0028]
Next, the CPU 21 combines the image data for the through image stored in the image display memory 23 and the image data for the shooting information stored in the information display memory 24 via the display control unit 25. Then, it is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 26 (S7 in FIG. 3).
As a result, the display as shown in FIG. 6 is performed on the liquid crystal monitor 26 during face-to-face shooting, and the display as shown in FIG. 7 is performed during normal shooting.
[0029]
That is, at the time of face-to-face shooting, as shown in FIG. 6, the through image and the shooting information subjected to the reduction processing and the inversion processing are displayed without being hidden by the protruding portion of the lens barrel 10 and overlapping each other. Will be. However, FIG. 6 shows an example where the character color of the shooting information at the time of face-to-face shooting is white and the background color is black.
[0030]
On the other hand, during normal shooting, a through image on which shooting information is superimposed is displayed on the entire surface of the liquid crystal monitor 26 as shown in FIG.
As described above, in the present embodiment, when rotation for face-to-face shooting is performed, reduction processing and inversion processing are performed on image data for a through image, and image display of these processed image data is performed. By limiting the storage position in the memory 23 for use, the display area of the through image on the liquid crystal monitor 26 can be reduced. In particular, in the present embodiment, the reduced and inverted through image is displayed in a display area that is not hidden by the protruding portion of the lens barrel 10.
[0031]
In the present embodiment, the display area of the shooting information on the liquid crystal monitor 26 is changed according to the difference in the positional relationship between the lens barrel 10 and the camera body 20, such as rotation for face-to-face shooting or rotation for normal shooting. Can be switched. In particular, in the present embodiment, when rotation for face-to-face shooting is performed, shooting information is displayed in a display area that is not hidden by the protruding portion of the lens barrel 10 and does not overlap with a through image. .
[0032]
Therefore, according to the electronic camera 1 of the present embodiment, even when a part of the liquid crystal monitor 26 is hidden by the protruding portion of the lens barrel 10 during face-to-face shooting, the content displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 26 is displayed. (Specifically, a through image and shooting information) can be surely shown to the photographer.
In the present embodiment, a process of reducing the entire through image is performed as a reduction process on the image data for the through image. For example, a predetermined position in the through image obtained by the image processing unit 22 is determined. By extracting a partial image of a predetermined size based on (for example, the center position of the image), it is also possible to realize a reduction process. That is, during face-to-face shooting, a partial image in the through image may be displayed in a display area of the liquid crystal monitor 26 that is not hidden by the protruding portion of the lens barrel 10.
[0033]
Further, in the present embodiment, the through image at the time of normal shooting is displayed on the LCD monitor 26 with the shooting information superimposed without being reduced, but the image data for the through image is reduced compared to the time of face-to-face shooting. By performing a low-rate reduction process, the photographing information may be displayed in the peripheral area of the through image as shown in FIG.
[0034]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the electronic camera of the present invention, the content to be displayed can be surely shown to the photographer.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an electronic camera corresponding to the present embodiment.
FIG. 2 is an external view of the electronic camera in a state where rotation for face-to-face photographing has been performed.
FIG. 3 is an operation flowchart of the electronic camera according to the embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a storage position of image data in an image display memory during face-to-face shooting.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a storage position of image data in an information display memory during face-to-face shooting.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a liquid crystal monitor during face-to-face shooting.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a liquid crystal monitor during normal shooting.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating another display example of the liquid crystal monitor during normal shooting.
[Explanation of symbols]
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 electronic camera 10 lens barrel 11 photographing lens 12 imaging unit 13 flash device 20 camera body 21 CPU
22 image processing unit 23 image display memory 24 information display memory 25 display control unit 26 liquid crystal monitor 30 lens rotation detection unit

Claims (12)

In an electronic camera in which an imaging unit that captures a subject image and a display unit that displays a subject image being captured are mutually rotatable,
A detection unit that detects a positional relationship between the imaging unit and the display unit,
The display means,
An electronic camera, wherein a reduction process is performed on the subject image in accordance with the positional relationship detected by the detection unit. The electronic camera according to claim 1,
The display means,
When the positional relationship indicates a rotation for face-to-face photographing, the reduction processing is performed. The electronic camera according to claim 2,
A photographing auxiliary member including at least a flash device is provided,
The display means,
An electronic camera, wherein the subject image subjected to the reduction processing is displayed in a display area that is not hidden by the shooting assistance member during face-to-face shooting. The electronic camera according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The display means,
An electronic camera, wherein an inversion process is performed in addition to the reduction process. The electronic camera according to claim 1,
The display means,
An electronic camera, further comprising: photographing information that is an auxiliary index at the time of photographing, and switching a display area of the photographing information according to the positional relationship detected by the detection unit. The electronic camera according to claim 5,
A photographing auxiliary member including at least a flash device is provided,
The display means,
When the positional relationship indicates rotation for face-to-face shooting, the electronic camera displays the shooting information in a display area that is not hidden by the shooting auxiliary member. In an electronic camera in which an imaging unit that captures a subject image and a display unit that displays a subject image being captured are mutually rotatable,
A detection unit that detects a positional relationship between the imaging unit and the display unit,
The display means,
An electronic camera, wherein a display area of the subject image is reduced according to the positional relationship detected by the detection unit. The electronic camera according to claim 7,
The display means,
When the positional relationship indicates rotation for face-to-face shooting, the display area of the subject image is reduced. The electronic camera according to claim 8,
A photographing auxiliary member including at least a flash device is provided,
The display means,
An electronic camera, wherein a display area that is not hidden by the shooting assistance member during face-to-face shooting is a reduced display area for displaying the subject image. The electronic camera according to any one of claims 7 to 9,
The display means,
An electronic camera, wherein inversion processing is performed on the subject image in conjunction with the reduction of the display area of the subject image. The electronic camera according to claim 7,
The display means,
An electronic camera, further comprising: photographing information that is an auxiliary index at the time of photographing, and switching a display area of the photographing information according to the positional relationship detected by the detection unit. The electronic camera according to claim 11,
A photographing auxiliary member including at least a flash device is provided,
The display means,
When the positional relationship indicates rotation for face-to-face shooting, the electronic camera displays the shooting information in a display area that is not hidden by the shooting auxiliary member.

Images