JP2005301102A - Imaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging device capable of easily inputting photographing preparation. <P>SOLUTION: Either one of a first shutter button 28A and a second shutter button 28B is depressed to perform preceding input. Consequently photographing preparation is executed. In the operation of a release lock, the shutter button (the first shutter button 28A or the second shutter button 28B) to which the preceding input is not applied is depressed. Consequently photographing operation is executed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus.

  Usually, in a camera having an autofocus function, shooting preparations such as automatic exposure and automatic focusing are performed by pressing a release button halfway, and the state is maintained (release lock). Then, exposure (photographing) is performed by fully pressing the release button to the lowest position from the half-pressed state. The half-pressing operation described above is not always easy for the user, and the state where the release button is half-pressed is not maintained, and therefore, it may be fully pressed without being released.

By the way, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of a digital camera in which a photographing function can be assigned to two buttons. However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, an independent shooting function is assigned to each button, and the problem that the button is fully pressed without being held in a half-pressed state during shooting cannot be solved.
JP 2003-153052 A

  In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus that can easily input imaging preparations.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the imaging apparatus according to claim 1 is provided in the imaging apparatus main body, and is capable of inputting an imaging preparation execution instruction and an imaging operation execution instruction. And a preceding input from the first input means or the second input means, and an input capable of detecting a subsequent input following the preceding input from the other where the preceding input was not performed. An imaging execution unit that executes imaging preparation when the preceding input is detected by the detection unit and the input detection unit, and executes an imaging operation when the subsequent input is detected by the input detection unit And.

  The imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes first input means and second input means. Both of the first input unit and the second input unit can input an instruction to execute imaging preparation and an instruction to execute an imaging operation. Here, shooting preparation refers to setting the exposure state (shutter speed, aperture state) using the AE (Automatic Exposure) function, and focusing control using the AF (Auto Focus) function. To do. The photographing operation is an exposure operation.

  The input detection means detects a preceding input performed by the first input operation from either the first input means or the second input means. When a prior input is detected, shooting preparation is executed by the shooting execution means. The input detection means detects a subsequent input following the preceding input from the other side where no preceding input has been performed. When a trailing input is detected, a shooting operation is performed by the shooting execution unit.

  According to the imaging apparatus, an instruction for both shooting preparation and shooting operation is not input from one button, but shooting preparation is instructed by preceding input from one of two input means. Therefore, it is possible to easily input the shooting preparation with a simpler operation than holding the half-pressed state. Further, since the photographing operation is instructed by the subsequent input after the preceding input, it is possible to prevent the photographing operation from being performed before the preparation for photographing is performed.

  The imaging apparatus according to the present invention, as described in claim 2, wherein the imaging execution means holds the execution result of the imaging preparation only when the operation of the preceding input is continued, and performs the imaging operation. It can also be characterized by performing.

  In order to correct camera shake during a shooting operation, camera shake correction by moving an optical system, an image sensor, or the like is widely performed. However, camera shake correction by moving the optical system and the image sensor requires complicated control and structure, and the cost increases.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the result of the preparation for photographing is held and the photographing operation is executed only when the preceding input operation is continued. Therefore, the user can use one input means to execute the photographing operation. It is necessary to operate the other input means while operating. However, it is difficult to perform two operations in parallel with the finger of one hand. Therefore, it is considered that the user often holds the imaging device with both hands and performs input operations for leading input and trailing input with each hand. If the imaging device is held with both hands, camera shake is reduced. Therefore, according to the invention of claim 2, it is possible to reduce camera shake with a simple configuration without performing complicated camera shake correction.

  The imaging apparatus of the present invention may be characterized in that, as described in claim 3, the first input means and the second input means are arranged symmetrically with respect to the imaging apparatus main body. .

  By arranging the first input means and the second input means symmetrically on the imaging apparatus main body, the operational feeling of the right hand and the left hand becomes the same, and the operability is improved.

  Note that the left-right symmetry here may be such that the operation feeling of the right hand and the left hand of the user is substantially the same, even though they are not strictly left-right symmetrical.

  Since the imaging apparatus of the present invention has the above-described configuration, it is possible to easily input imaging preparations.

  The imaging apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, a digital camera will be described as an example of the imaging device.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the digital camera 10 of the present embodiment includes a housing 12, and includes a lens 14 and a finder window 16A on the front surface. Further, as shown in FIG. 1B, a liquid crystal display (hereinafter referred to as “LCD”) 18, a finder 16B, a power source SW22, and a plurality of input keys 24 for performing various other inputs are provided on the back.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a first shutter button 28 </ b> A and a second shutter button 28 </ b> B are provided on the upper surface of the housing 12. The first shutter button 28 </ b> A and the second shutter button 28 </ b> B can be input with an instruction to execute shooting preparation or an instruction to execute a shooting operation when pressed. Here, shooting preparation refers to setting the exposure state (shutter speed, aperture state) using the AE (Automatic Exposure) function, and focusing control using the AF (Auto Focus) function. To do. The photographing operation is an exposure operation. When viewed from the back side of the digital camera 10, the first shutter button 28A is arranged at the right end and the second shutter button 28B is arranged at the left end so as to be symmetrical. The first shutter button 28A is disposed at a position where the user can press the digital camera 10 when shooting with the right hand, and the second shutter button 28B is held by the user holding the digital camera 10 with the left hand. It is arranged at a position where it can be pressed when shooting.

  FIG. 2 shows a schematic block diagram of a control system of the digital camera 10. The digital camera 10 includes a diaphragm 32 that adjusts the amount of light passing through the lens 14, a shutter 34 that adjusts the passage time of light, and a CCD 36 that photoelectrically converts light and outputs an analog image signal.

  The CCD 36 is connected to an analog signal processing unit 38, the analog signal processing unit 38 is connected to an analog / digital converter (hereinafter referred to as “A / D converter”) 40, and the A / D converter 40 is a digital signal processing unit. 42 is connected. The analog signal processing unit 38 performs predetermined analog signal processing on the signal input from the CCD 36. The A / D converter 40 converts the analog signal input from the analog signal processing unit 38 into a digital signal and outputs the digital signal to the digital signal processing unit 42. The digital signal processing unit 42 performs various processes on the input digital signal to generate digital image data.

  Further, the digital camera 10 includes a CPU 50, an internal memory 52, a display control unit 54, a recording control unit 56, and a compression / decompression unit 58. The digital signal processing unit 42, the CPU 50, the internal memory 52, the display control unit 54, the recording control unit 56, and the compression / decompression unit 58 are connected to each other via a bus 59.

  The CPU 50 controls the entire digital camera 10 by executing various programs. The CPU 50 is connected to the power SW 22, the input key 24, the first shutter button 28A, and the second shutter button 28B, and various instructions are input from these units. The internal memory 52 stores digital image data generated by the digital signal processing unit 42, various programs for controlling the digital camera 10, and the like. The recording control unit 56 can be connected to the external memory 60, and can execute a process of writing digital image data to the external memory 60 and a process of reading digital image data from the external memory 60. The display control unit 54 is connected to the LCD 18 and performs processing for displaying an image or the like on the LCD 18. The compression / decompression unit 58 performs compression processing and decompression processing on the digital image data.

  Further, the digital camera 10 includes a lens driving unit 62 for driving the lens 14, an aperture driving unit 64 for driving the aperture 32, a shutter driving unit 66 for driving the shutter 34, and when taking a picture with respect to the CCD 36. A CCD control unit 68 for performing the timing control is provided. The lens driving unit 62, the aperture driving unit 64, the shutter driving unit 66, and the CCD control unit 68 are connected to the CPU 50.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

  When the user takes a subject with the digital camera 10, first, power on is input from the power SW 22. As a result, the power of the digital camera 10 is turned on, the lens 50 is instructed from the CPU 50 to the lens driving unit 62, and the lens 14 protrudes to the outside of the housing 12.

  Further, the CPU 50 instructs the CCD control unit 68 to perform CCD control, and the CCD 36 receives light from the subject at a predetermined timing, performs photoelectric conversion, and outputs an analog signal obtained by photoelectric conversion to the analog signal processing unit 38. . The analog signal processing unit 38 performs predetermined processing such as noise removal, and outputs the processed signal to the A / D converter 40. The analog signal is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 40, and the digital signal is output to the digital signal processing unit 42. The digital signal processing unit 42 performs predetermined processing on the input digital signal to generate digital image data, which is temporarily stored in the internal memory 52. Then, the image is output to the display control unit 54, and predetermined processing is performed by the display control unit 54, and an image based on the digital image data is continuously displayed as a moving image at a predetermined frame rate on the LCD 18.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the user holds the digital camera 10 from both the left and right sides with the back side of the digital camera 10 facing toward the user. Then, while confirming the subject on the LCD 18, either the first shutter button 28A or the second shutter button 28B is pressed to make a prior input. Thereby, preparation for photographing is executed. The AE function and the AF function work by executing the shooting preparation, and the shutter speed, the aperture 32, and the position of the lens 14 are adjusted. When the user continues to press the shutter button on which the prior input has been performed, the adjusted shutter speed, aperture 32, and lens 14 state are maintained. This state is called release lock. The operation of the release lock is canceled by releasing the pressing of the shutter button that has performed the preceding input before the subsequent input.

  During the release lock operation, the user presses the shutter button (either the first shutter button 28A or the second shutter button 28B) on which the preceding input has not been performed. Thereby, a photographing operation is executed. That is, while the shutter 34 is driven, the CPU 50 instructs the CCD control unit 58 to perform CCD control, and the CCD 36 receives light from the subject at a predetermined timing, performs photoelectric conversion, and outputs an analog signal obtained by photoelectric conversion. The data is output to the analog signal processing unit 38. Thereafter, the analog signal processing unit 38 performs predetermined processing such as noise removal, and the processed signal is output to the A / D converter 40. The analog signal is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 40, and the digital signal is output to the digital signal processing unit 42. The digital signal processing unit 42 performs predetermined processing on the input digital signal, generates digital image data, and outputs the digital image data to the compression / decompression unit 58. In the compression / decompression unit 58, the digital image data is subjected to compression processing, and the compressed digital image data is output to the recording control unit 56 and recorded in the external memory 60.

  The CPU 50 performs the shooting preparation and the shooting operation as described above according to the flow of the shooting process S shown in FIG.

  In step S10, it is determined whether the first shutter button 28A is pressed. If it is determined that the shutter button 28A is pressed, it is determined in step S11 whether the release lock operation is being performed. If the determination is negative, it can be determined that the input instruction from the first shutter button 28A is a prior input, so the preparation for photographing is executed in step S12 and the process returns to step S10. If the determination in step S11 is affirmative, it can be determined that the preceding input has already been performed, and therefore it is determined in step S13 whether the second shutter button 28B has been pressed. If the determination is negative, it can be determined that no subsequent input has been made, and the process returns to step S10. If the determination in step S13 is affirmative, it can be determined that there has been a subsequent input, and therefore the photographing operation is executed in step S14 and the process is terminated.

  If the determination in step S10 is negative, it is determined in step S16 whether the second shutter button 28B is pressed. If it is determined that the shutter button is pressed, the release lock operation is performed in step S18. Determine if it is in the middle. If the determination in step S18 is negative, it can be determined that the input instruction from the second shutter button 28B is a prior input, so the shooting preparation is executed in step S12 and the process returns to step S10. If the determination in step S18 is affirmative, it is determined whether or not the first shutter button 28A is pressed in step S19 in order to perform the photographing operation after waiting for the subsequent input from the first shutter button 28A. If the determination in step S19 is affirmative, the shooting operation is executed in step S14, and the process is terminated. If the determination in step S19 is negative, the process returns to step S10.

  If the determination in step S16 is negative, that is, if neither the first shutter button 28A nor the second shutter button 28B is pressed, it is determined in step S20 whether the release lock operation is being performed. To do. If the determination in step S20 is negative, the process returns to step S10. If the determination in step S20 is affirmative, it can be determined that the pressure on the shutter button has been released after the preceding input and before the subsequent input, so the release lock is released in step S21, Return to step S10.

  According to the present embodiment, it is possible to detect the preceding input and the subsequent input from the first shutter button 28A or the second shutter button 28B, and execute the shooting preparation and the shooting operation. Thus, the user can make preparations for shooting by pressing either the first shutter button 28A or the second shutter button 28B instead of the so-called “half-press” operation.

  In addition, when it is detected that neither the first shutter button 28A nor the second shutter button 28B is pressed, the release lock is released, so that one shutter button is provided to the user in order to execute the photographing operation. While pressing, the other shutter button can be pressed. Therefore, the user can hold the digital camera 10 with both hands in order to easily perform an input operation, and can prevent camera shake during shooting.

  In the above embodiment, a digital camera has been described as an example of the imaging device. However, the present invention can be applied to any imaging device such as a camera-equipped mobile phone, a silver salt camera, and a video camera.

(A) of the digital camera of this embodiment is a front view, and (B) is a rear view. It is a schematic block diagram of the control system of the digital camera of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state holding the digital camera of this embodiment with both hands. It is a flowchart of the imaging | photography process of this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

10 Digital camera 28A First shutter button (first input means)
28B Second shutter button (second input means)
50 CPU
S Shooting process

Claims (3)

A first input unit and a second input unit which are provided in the imaging apparatus main body and are capable of inputting an execution instruction for imaging preparation and an execution instruction for imaging operation;
An input detection means capable of detecting a preceding input from the first input means or the second input means, and capable of detecting a subsequent input following the preceding input from the other where the preceding input has not been performed; ,
A shooting execution unit that executes shooting preparation when the input detection unit detects the preceding input, and executes a shooting operation when the input detection unit detects the subsequent input;
An imaging apparatus comprising:   2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging execution unit holds an execution result of the imaging preparation and executes an imaging operation only when the operation of the preceding input is continued.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first input unit and the second input unit are arranged symmetrically with respect to the imaging apparatus main body.

Images