JP2004343363A - Imaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging apparatus whereby a user can photograph a photographing object by predicting a motion of the photographing object while viewing a screen of a display device. <P>SOLUTION: The imaging apparatus for extracting a first image being part of an image projected on an effective imaging region W of an imaging device and capable of recording the extracted image to a recording medium is characterized in to extract a second image around the first image in addition to the first image from the effective imaging region W at photographing and to display both the first and second images on the display device. Further, the first and second images are distinguished from each other by a display frame, a luminance difference, or a color difference. Through the configuration above, the display device of the imaging apparatus displays a field angle wider than that of the actually recorded first image. The user can photograph the photographing object by predicting the motion of the photographing object while viewing the imaging object taken in the second image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an imaging device that captures a subject image using an imaging device and records the image as electronic image data.
[0002]
[Prior art]
At present, many imaging devices represented by electronic cameras have an electronic zoom function. The electronic zoom function is for extracting an image of a partial area from an image of an effective imaging area of the image sensor, performing interpolation processing on the extracted image, and displaying the image on a display device in an enlarged manner.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2001-45364 A
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In a conventional imaging device, an enlarged image is displayed on the entire screen of the display device. However, when photographing a fast-moving photographing target, if the shutter is pressed after confirming that the photographing target is displayed on the screen, the photographing target may not be captured in the obtained image. In addition, in the conventional imaging device, when an object disappears from the screen, it is not known at all what direction the imaging device should be turned to capture the object.
[0005]
The present invention solves the above-described problem, and provides an imaging device capable of predicting a movement of an imaging target while observing a screen of a display device and performing imaging.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
An imaging apparatus according to the present invention is an imaging apparatus capable of extracting a first image that is a part of the image from an image projected on an effective imaging area of an imaging device and recording the first image on a recording medium. And extracting a second image around the first image in addition to the first image, and displaying both the first image and the second image on a display device.
[0007]
[Action and effect]
According to the above configuration, at the time of shooting, in addition to the first image, the surrounding second image is also displayed on the display device, so that an angle of view wider than the angle of view of the actually recorded first image is displayed. Displayed on the device. The user can predict the movement of the imaging target while taking a look at the imaging target shown in the second image, and take a picture. This makes it easy to shoot a fast-moving imaging target, and it is possible to reliably obtain an image of such an imaging target.
[0008]
The present invention is particularly effective in continuous shooting and moving image shooting because continuous shooting and moving image shooting often shoot fast-moving shooting targets. In addition, it is preferable that the first image and the second image are displayed on the display device while being distinguished from each other by a display frame, a luminance difference, or a color difference so that a user can easily recognize an image area to be actually recorded.
[0009]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic camera that is an example of an imaging device to which the present invention has been applied. Note that the present invention can be applied to an imaging device having an imaging element other than the electronic camera. The electronic camera includes a zoom lens (1) and a focus lens (2), and incident light sent from a subject passes through these lenses (1) and (2) and is applied to a CCD (3) serving as an image sensor. You. An iris mechanism (4) for adjusting the amount of light incident on the CCD (3) and a shutter (5) for blocking or passing light are provided between the zoom lens (1) and the focus lens (2). I have.
[0010]
The zoom lens driving unit (6) includes a stepping motor, a guide mechanism, and the like, and the zoom lens (1) moves along the optical axis of incident light when the zoom lens driving unit (6) operates. The CPU (7) performs overall control of the electronic camera, and is connected to other components via a data bus (8). When a signal for instructing the movement of the zoom lens (1) is input from the operation unit (9) to the CPU (7), the CPU (7) instructs the zoom drive driver (10) on the rotation amount of the stepping motor and the like. Then, the zoom driving driver (10) drives the zoom lens driving unit (6) based on this instruction. Note that, like the zoom lens (1), the focus lens (2) and the iris mechanism (4) also operate via a drive unit and a driver (not shown) based on an instruction from the CPU (7).
[0011]
The shutter (5) opens and closes when a shutter drive unit (12) including a stepping motor or the like operates. For example, when the electronic camera operates in a mode for capturing a still image, when the release button (11) is half-pressed, the CPU (7) operates the shutter driver (13) so that the shutter (5) allows incident light to pass therethrough. ). When the shutter drive driver (13) drives the shutter drive unit (12), the shutter (5) is opened, and the CCD (3) is irradiated with incident light from the subject. When the release button (11) is fully pressed, the CPU (7) issues a command to the CCD driver (14) to discharge the electric charge accumulated in the CCD (3). When the electronic camera operates in the continuous shooting mode or the moving image shooting mode, the electric charge accumulated in the CCD (3) is discharged at a predetermined cycle.
[0012]
The image signal generated by discharging the accumulated charges is sent from the CCD (3) to the image signal processing unit (15) and processed. The image signal processing unit (15) performs processing such as noise removal on the input image signal, and then digitizes the image signal to convert it into digital image data (hereinafter, referred to as “image data”). The image data is sent to the DSP (16) and subjected to image processing such as gamma correction. The image data processed by the DSP (16) is temporarily stored in a buffer memory (17) and then recorded on a memory card (19) as a recording medium via a memory I / F (18). The image data stored in the buffer memory (17) or recorded on the memory card (19) is sent to the VRAM (20) and then sent to the LCD (22) as a display device via the LCD driver (21). ). The image data can be sent to an external device (not shown) connected to the external output terminal (24) via the external I / F (23).
[0013]
Various control programs executed by the CPU (7) are stored in the ROM (25). The RAM (26) is used to store temporary data associated with the operation of the CPU (7). The character generator (27) sends character data to the DSP (16) according to a command from the CPU (7). The DSP (16) processes the image data so that the character related to the sent character data is displayed on the LCD (22). The processed image data is sent to the VRAM (20) and displayed on the LCD (22) as described above.
[0014]
The electronic camera of the present embodiment has an electronic zoom function including two different modes in addition to an optical zoom mechanism by moving the zoom lens (1). The electronic zoom operation can be set under an EVF mode (Electric View Finder) using the LCD (22) as a finder, and is performed after the magnification of the optical zoom reaches a limit or independently of the optical zoom operation. In the EVF mode, even if the release button (11) is not pressed, the shutter (5) is in the open state, and the charges accumulated in the CCD (3) are periodically discharged, so that the image data continues. Has been created. The created image data is sequentially displayed on the LCD (22). That is, a through image is displayed on the LCD (22). When the release button (11) is depressed, image data generated from the image signal generated from the CCD (3) due to the depression is recorded on the memory card (19).
[0015]
In the first mode, a normal electronic zoom operation is performed. FIG. 2A is a diagram schematically illustrating an effective imaging area W of the CCD (3). The effective imaging area W of the CCD (3) used in the electronic camera of this embodiment is 3264 pixels in the horizontal direction and 2448 pixels (about 8 million pixels) in the vertical direction. In the first mode, when the user of the electronic camera presses the zoom-up button or the zoom-down button constituting the operation unit (9) to set the zoom magnification, the electronic camera is located at the center of the effective imaging area W and the area W The image signal is read from the rectangular area S1 which is a part of the image data, and image data is created.
[0016]
The size of the region S1 from which the image is extracted is determined, for example, in accordance with the time during which the zoom-up button is pressed. After the image data is input, the DSP (16) performs an interpolation process in addition to the above process. After the processed image data is sent to the VRAM (20), it is displayed on the LCD (22) via the LCD driver (21). Thus, the image projected on the area S1 is enlarged and displayed on the LCD (22). As shown in FIG. 2B, in the first mode, the image projected on the area S1, which is a part of the effective imaging area W, is displayed on the entire screen of the LCD (22).
[0017]
Next, the second mode of the electronic zoom will be described. The user previously sets the number of pixels (resolution) of the image data recorded in the second mode using the operation unit (9). The number of pixels that can be set is smaller than the total number of pixels in the effective imaging area W of the CCD (3). For example, in the case of still image shooting, 2280 × 2160 pixels (about 5 million pixels) to 640 × 480 pixels (about 31 pixels) In the case of shooting a moving image, the size is 640 × 480 pixels.
[0018]
The CPU (7) receives the setting of the resolution performed by the operation unit (9), and instructs the CCD driver (14) to read an image signal from a partial area at the center of the effective imaging area W. As shown in FIG. 3A, in the second mode, the image signal is read not only from the area S2 of the set resolution, which is located at the center of the effective imaging area W, but also from the area S3 surrounding this area. . Assuming that 1600 × 1200 pixels (approximately 2 million pixels) are set for the area S2 as the resolution, for example, the number of pixels in the area S3 is also made the same, and the image signal is output from the area of about 4,000,000 pixels in total Is read. The size of the area S3 may be determined at a predetermined ratio with respect to the area S2, but may be configured to be freely adjustable by operating an up-zoom button or a down-zoom button.
[0019]
When image signals are read from the CCD (3) from the areas S2 and S3 included in the effective imaging area W, image data of an image projected on these areas S2 and S3 is created. The DSP (16) performs an interpolation process or the like on the created image data, and the processed image data is stored in the VRAM (20) and then displayed on the LCD (22).
[0020]
FIG. 3B shows a pattern in which the image data of the areas S2 and S3 are both displayed on the screen of the LCD (22). In the drawing, the image area of the area S3 is shown with a darker display color. The DSP (16) adjusts the brightness or color of the image data of the area S3, and the image recorded when the images projected on the area S2 and the area S3 are both displayed on the LCD (22). The region, that is, the region S2, which is the actual photographing region, can be clearly distinguished by a luminance difference or a color difference. For example, the entire image of the region S3 is displayed slightly darker than the image of the region S2, or displayed so as to be slightly bluish. As shown in FIG. 3C, a display frame (31) indicating the boundary between the image of the area S2 and the image of the area S3 may be displayed on the LCD (22) using the character generator (27). .
[0021]
In the above description, in the second mode, the image of the areas S2 and S3 is extracted by reading the image signal from a part of the effective photographing area W of the CCD (3). The second mode is as follows. May be performed. First, image signals are read from all of the effective photographing area W of the CCD (3), and image data of the effective photographing area W is created. Then, from the image data stored in the buffer memory (17), the image data of the area S2 and the area S3 is extracted. The extracted image data is interpolated by the DSP (16), further adjusted in brightness or color, and displayed on the LCD (22) via the VRAM (20).
[0022]
Since the electronic camera operates in the EVF mode, the created image data is sequentially displayed on the LCD (22). When the release button (11) is pressed, the CPU (7) instructs the CCD driver (14) to read an image signal from the area S2. Then, the image signal processing unit (15) creates image data of the area S2. The created image data is processed by the DSP (16), but no interpolation processing is performed. Thereby, the number of pixels of the image data to be recorded can be reduced. The image data processed by the DSP (16) is stored in a buffer memory (17) and then recorded on a memory card (19). When the release button (11) is pressed, all the image data of the effective shooting area W of the CCD (3) is stored in the buffer memory (17), and the image data of the area S2 is stored in the buffer memory (17). And may be recorded on a memory card (19).
[0023]
The imaging operation in the second mode will be specifically described. 4A to 4C show screens of the LCD (22). In these figures, the image area of the area S3 is shown with a darker display color. The person (32) to be imaged is moving from the right side to the left side of the screen. The user adjusts the direction of the electronic camera so that the person (32) appears in the area S3 on the right side of the image screen (FIG. 4A). Next, the user looks at the screen of the LCD (22), estimates the amount of movement of the person (32) per time, and sets the timing of pressing the release button (11) (FIG. 4B). . When the person (32) appears in the image of the area S2, the release button (11) is pressed by the user, and an image of the area S2 where the person (32) is captured is recorded (FIG. 4C). ).
[0024]
The second mode is particularly effective during continuous shooting and moving image shooting. Usually, continuous shooting or moving image shooting is often performed when the shooting target is moving. According to the present invention, since the image displayed on the screen of the LCD (22) in the electronic zoom operation has a wider angle of view than the actually recorded image, the imaging target can be detected earlier than in the conventional electronic zoom. Since it can be grasped, a series of movements in which the imaging target moves in continuous shooting or moving image can be recorded more effectively. Further, even if the photographing target moves unpredictably, by adjusting the direction of the electronic camera by looking at the LCD (22), it is easy to keep the photographing target in continuous shooting or moving image shooting. .
[0025]
The description of the above embodiments is intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the invention described in the claims or reducing the scope thereof. The configuration of each part of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made within the technical scope described in the claims.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic camera according to the present invention.
FIG. 2A is an explanatory diagram showing an imaging area of a CCD from which an image is extracted in a first mode of electronic zoom of an electronic camera according to the present invention. FIG. 2B is an explanatory diagram showing a pattern in which the extracted image is displayed on the LCD.
FIG. 3A is an explanatory diagram showing an image pickup area of a CCD from which an image is extracted in a second mode of the electronic zoom of the electronic camera according to the present invention. FIGS. 3B and 3C are explanatory diagrams showing a pattern in which the extracted image is displayed on the LCD.
FIG. 4 shows a screen displayed on the LCD when an image of an operating person is taken in the second mode of the electronic zoom of the electronic camera according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
(3) CCD
(5) Shutter (7) CPU
(9) Operation unit (11) Release button (12) Shutter drive driver (13) Shutter drive unit (14) CCD driver (15) Image signal processing unit (16) DSP
(17) Buffer memory (20) VRAM
(22) LCD
(25) ROM
(27) Character generator (31) Display frame

Claims (4)

An image pickup apparatus capable of extracting a first image that is a part of the image from an image projected on an effective image pickup area of an image pickup device and recording the first image on a recording medium,
In capturing, in addition to the first image, extracting a second image around the first image from the effective imaging area, and displaying both the first image and the second image on a display device. An imaging device characterized by the following. An image pickup apparatus capable of extracting a first image that is a part of the image from an image projected on an effective image pickup area of an image pickup device and recording the first image on a recording medium,
During continuous shooting or moving image shooting, in addition to the first image, a second image around the first image is extracted from the effective imaging area, and both the first image and the second image are displayed. An imaging device characterized by displaying on an apparatus. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the first image and the second image are distinguished by a display frame, a luminance difference, or a color difference. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the first image is recorded on the recording medium without interpolation.

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