JP2006173771A - Photographing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a photographing apparatus with a human machine interface providing the ease of use better than those of prior arts. <P>SOLUTION: When a digital camera is shaken in a vertical direction (V direction) without the need for operating an operating unit, a mode with a flash among a plurality of photographing conditions displayed on a display panel 161 of an LCD 160 is switched from an automatic mode (cursor in dotted lines) into a forced on-mode (cursor in solid lines), and thereafter when the digital camera is shaken in a horizontal direction (H direction), the photographing condition is switched into a focus (cursor in two-dot chain lines) this time. When the photographing apparatus (digital camera) is furthermore shaken in the H direction, the photographing condition is switched from a focus into a WB this time, and when the photographing apparatus is shaken in the V direction, modes of each photographing condition are switched from a macro on-state into a macro off-state. When the photographing apparatus is similarly shaken, each mode of each photographing condition is set, respectively. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a photographing apparatus that includes an image sensor and generates an image signal by forming a subject image on the image sensor.

  As digital cameras become more sophisticated, digital cameras equipped with camera shake detection sensors (see, for example, Patent Document 1) and a plurality of shooting conditions each having a plurality of modes are set in advance so that various shootings can be easily performed. Digital cameras are appearing. With a digital camera in which a plurality of shooting conditions are set in advance, various operations can be performed, but the operation for selecting one of the shooting conditions set before shooting and the modes of the shooting conditions is very complicated. It is becoming. As a human-machine interface that is easy to use so as to alleviate the complexity of such operations, a number of techniques have been proposed for operation by touching the screen of a digital camera using, for example, a touch panel (see, for example, Patent Document 2). ).

However, since the number of modes to be set increases with the advancement of high functionality, there is a problem that even if the setting is improved by an operation using the touch panel, the operation is inevitably complicated.
JP 2004-72550 A JP 2004-48526 A

  In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a photographing apparatus having a human machine interface that is easier to use than ever before.

The imaging apparatus of the present invention that achieves the above object is an imaging apparatus that generates an image signal by forming an image of a subject on an imaging element by an imaging optical system.
A sensor for detecting the vibration of the imaging device;
A mode setting unit for setting a mode for each of a plurality of shooting conditions,
The mode setting unit is configured to switch a shooting condition to set a mode from the plurality of shooting conditions and a mode in the shooting condition in accordance with vibration detected by the sensor. And

  According to the photographing apparatus of the present invention, the photographing condition and the mode in the photographing condition are switched according to the vibration detected by the sensor. Then, there is no need to bother operating the operator to switch the mode, and the mode is automatically switched by simply shaking the imaging device, and an imaging device having an excellent human machine interface is realized.

  In addition, many of such photographing devices have a display device, and the photographing conditions for setting a mode from a plurality of photographing conditions on the display screen of the display device included in the photographing device, and among the photographing conditions. When a large number of modes are displayed, the mode can be set by a simple operation of shaking the photographing apparatus while watching the mode to be set. In this way, the mode can be set by a simple operation of shaking the photographing apparatus using visual effects, and a photographing apparatus having a better human machine interface is realized.

Here, the sensor is a camera shake detection sensor,
The photographing apparatus may include a camera shake correction unit that detects camera shake by the sensor and corrects the camera shake,
Further, the sensor is a sensor that detects vibration in at least two directions for each direction,
The mode setting unit switches a shooting condition to be set when a vibration in a predetermined first direction is detected by the sensor, and a second direction different from the first direction is set by the sensor. When a signal is detected, the mode in the imaging conditions currently switched may be switched.

  A sensor such as a gyro sensor or an angular acceleration sensor may be used as a sensor for detecting the vibration in at least two directions for each direction.

   As described above, an imaging apparatus having a human machine interface that is easier to use than ever is realized.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a digital camera which is an embodiment of a photographing apparatus of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration perspective view of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 1A shows the appearance of the front surface of the camera body, and FIG. 1B shows the appearance of the back surface of the camera body.

  A lens barrel 170 is provided at the center of the body of the digital camera 100 shown in FIG. A photographing optical system is built in the lens barrel 170, and an image of a subject is guided to a CCD solid-state imaging device (hereinafter referred to as a CCD) provided in the digital camera 100 through the photographing optical system. . Further, above the lens barrel 170, a flashlight emission window in which the protector 160 is fitted in the viewfinder 105 and the window frame is provided.

  The release button 102 on the upper surface of the camera body of the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment has two operation modes of half-pressing and full-pressing. The focus lens is placed at the in-focus position, and TTL photometry is performed to adjust the aperture diameter of the aperture, and then the CCD is exposed in response to a full-press operation.

  In addition, the digital camera 100 of the present embodiment is provided with a display panel used instead of the viewfinder as shown in FIG. 1B, and a switch group 101 adjacent to the display panel is provided on the display panel. A menu screen is also displayed according to the operation of the menu button in the menu. The switch group 101 is also provided with a cross key, a cancel key, an enter key, and the like for selecting one of the selection items in the menu screen. This menu screen displays a plurality of shooting conditions and a number of modes for each of the shooting conditions.

  In addition, a camera shake detection sensor is provided inside the digital camera, and the camera shake detection sensor detects the camera shake at the time of shooting in the digital camera of the present embodiment. When the menu screen is displayed on the display panel, the imaging device is intentionally shaken, and the mode is selected from a plurality of shooting conditions on the menu screen according to the vibration detected by the camera shake detection sensor. It is possible to switch and set the shooting condition for setting the image and the mode in the shooting condition. Details will be described later.

  Note that the digital camera 100 of the present embodiment is provided with a window 141 for guiding light to the flash light control sensor and an AF auxiliary light window 180 for irradiating the AF auxiliary light toward the subject.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a signal processing unit provided in the digital camera 100 of FIG.

  The configuration of the signal processing unit in the digital camera 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment, all processing is centrally controlled by the CPU 1101 in the video processing unit 110, and various switches of the operation unit shown in FIG. An operation signal from the camera 101 and a camera shake detection signal from the camera shake detection unit 142 including a camera shake detection sensor are supplied. The camera shake detection sensor provided in the digital camera of the present embodiment can detect vibrations in two directions (H direction and V direction shown in FIG. 1) for each direction, and the CPU 1101 detects the camera shake. When the vibration in the predetermined first direction (H direction) is detected by the sensor, the shooting condition for setting the mode is switched among the shooting conditions displayed on the menu screen shown in FIG. Further, when the camera shake detection sensor detects a signal in a second direction (V direction) different from the first direction, the mode in the currently switched shooting condition is switched.

  The output unit of the CPU 1101 is connected to the CCD control unit 120, the focusing control unit 130, the camera shake correction control unit 140, the flash control unit 150, and the like, and is controlled from the output unit of the CPU 1101 according to the input signal described above. Signals are output as appropriate, and the operations of the CCD control unit 120, the focusing control unit 130, the camera shake correction control unit 140, and the flash control unit 150 are independently controlled. Similarly, the output unit of the CPU 1101 displays a number of modes to be set for each of a plurality of shooting conditions on the display panel 161 before shooting, and the shooting conditions according to the shake direction detected by the camera shake detection sensor. And a liquid crystal display device (hereinafter referred to as an LCD) 160 for displaying a cursor for switching the mode of the shooting condition and the like are also connected. An appropriate signal is also output to the LCD 160 from the output unit of the CPU 1101. The operation of the LCD 160 is controlled by the CPU 1101.

  FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the CPU 1101 incorporated in the video processing unit 110 (for example, an IC used for a specific application such as an ASIC). The video processing unit 110 and the CPU 1101 are shown in FIG. It has been shown to work in concert.

  The CPU 1101 in the video processing unit 110 has a FLASH ROM 191 as a program memory, and a program necessary for operating as the digital camera 100 is written in the FLASH ROM 191. When the power switch of the digital camera 100 having such a configuration is turned on, the entire operation of the digital camera 100 is controlled by the CPU 1101 according to the procedure of the program in the FLASH ROM 191. In this program, a program showing a procedure for menu display is described. The CPU 1101, the LCD 160, the FLASH memory 191 and the camera shake detection unit 142 including the camera shake detection sensor correspond to the mode setting unit referred to in the present invention.

  In addition to the FLASH memory 191, there is a possibility that the CCD 180 of this embodiment has a high number of pixels and cannot be processed only by the frame memory in the video processing unit 110. Therefore, all the image signals are temporarily stored. An SDRAM 192 is also provided.

  Here, apart from FIG. 2, when setting the mode for each shooting condition, what setting items are displayed on the LCD display panel by the mode setting unit and how the setting is performed. This will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a menu screen displayed on the display panel 161 of the LCD 160. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an AE mode that is the next shooting condition (one point) in the shooting conditions shown in FIG. In this example, when up to (one point) of the menu screen of FIG. 3 is designated, the screen is scrolled to the left, the flash, focus, etc. disappear and the screen of FIG. 4 is displayed. .

  3 and 4 hierarchically show a plurality of shooting conditions and a plurality of modes included in each of the plurality of shooting conditions displayed on the display panel 161 of the LCD 160.

  In this example, one of the three modes, auto mode, forced on mode, and off mode, is selected when setting the flash, which is a shooting condition. For example, when the cursor displayed on the display panel 161 of the LCD 160 is on auto (indicated by a dotted line) which is one of flash modes, the digital camera 100 is shaken once in the V direction. Switch from Auto to Forced On mode. FIG. 3 shows that the cursor (dotted line) that has been on the auto has moved to forced On (solid cursor).

  If the digital camera 100 is shaken in the H direction while trying to set another shooting condition mode, the shooting condition is switched to the focus side with the forced On mode set as the flash mode. It is done. Similarly, when this digital camera is shaken in the H direction, among the plurality of shooting conditions, WB, ISO sensitivity, AF, one point (position of the wide area ranging area), and AE in FIG. When the shooting conditions are sequentially switched and the digital camera 100 is shaken in the V direction at any of the shooting conditions, the modes are sequentially switched and set for each shooting condition.

  In this way, shooting is performed with this digital camera after shooting conditions are set.

  Now, referring back to FIG. 2, the flow of the image signal when shooting is performed based on the shooting conditions set on the menu screen on the display panel 161 of the LCD 160 before shooting will be described with reference to FIG.

  When the power switch in the switch group 101 is turned on, power is supplied from the power source (not shown) to the CCD 180 and the like. When the mode lever in the switch group 101 is switched to the photographing side when the power supply 130 is turned on, the subject image formed on the CCD 180 is thinned out at predetermined intervals as an image signal, and the subsequent stage. The subject image based on the output image signal is displayed on the display panel 161 (see FIG. 1) of the LCD 160. A timing signal is supplied to the CCD 180 from the CCD control unit 120, and image signals are thinned out and output at predetermined intervals by the timing signal. The CCD control unit 120 outputs a timing signal to the CCD 180 based on an instruction from the CPU 110, and the CCD performs exposure or outputs an image signal in accordance with the timing signal.

  In this way, the analog image signal output from the CCD 180 is output to the analog signal processing unit 181 at the subsequent stage. After the noise reduction processing or the like is performed by the analog signal processing unit 181, the analog image signal subjected to the noise reduction processing or the like is converted into a digital image signal by the A / D converter 182. The digital image signal is supplied to the video processing unit 110, and the video processing unit 110 performs video processing.

  In this video processing, for example, processing for converting an RGB signal, which is an analog video signal, into a YC signal, white balance (WB) processing, image signal compression processing, AF (Auto Focus) processing, AE ( Processing related to Auto Exposure) is included. Parameters representing the respective modes set on the menu screen are set in the units included in the video processing unit, and video processing is performed. As for the ISO sensitivity in the menu screen, the ISO sensitivity is adjusted by mixing pixels in the video processing unit 110 in accordance with the ISO sensitivity.

  Here, since the release button 102 has not been pressed yet, the YC signal converted by the video processing unit 110 is supplied to the LCD 160 at predetermined intervals, and based on the YC signal supplied at every predetermined interval. An image of the subject image is displayed on the display panel 161 (see FIG. 1) of the LCD 160. The CCD 112, the analog signal processing unit, the A / D conversion unit 113, and the video processing unit operate in synchronization with the timing signal output from the CCD control unit 1121, and image signals generated by the CCD 112 at predetermined intervals. Therefore, the subject in the direction in which the photographing lens is directed is constantly displayed as a subject image on the LCD panel. When the release button 102 is pressed at a photo opportunity while visually recognizing the displayed subject image, the subject distance is measured by the AF unit in the video processing unit 110 when half-pressed. The CPU 1101 transmits the measurement result of the AF unit to the focusing control unit 130, and causes the focusing control unit 130 to control the position of the focus lens. Here, an instruction from the focusing control unit 130 is transmitted to the driver 131 to cause the driver 131 to drive the focus lens 1701. In addition, an AE unit is also provided in the video processing unit 110, and it is determined that the scene luminance is measured by the AE unit and the scene is dark, and further, for example, when auto is set on the menu screen The result of photometry is transmitted to the flash control unit 150, and the flash control unit is caused to emit the flash when fully pressed. Here, a flash start signal is supplied from the flash control unit 150 to the base of the IGBT in the flash unit 151, and the xenon tube emits light to irradiate the flash toward the subject. However, when the auto mode is set in the menu screen, the flash is not emitted when it is determined that the field luminance is bright. However, if the forced on mode is selected, the result of the photometry is used. The flash is emitted at any field brightness.

  In addition, an exposure start signal is supplied from the CCD control unit 120 to the CCD 180 from the timing when the release button 102 is fully pressed, and after an elapse of a predetermined time, an exposure end signal is supplied to the CCD control unit 120. All the formed image signals are output to the subsequent analog signal processing unit 181. The image signal processed by the analog signal processing unit 181 is supplied to the A / D conversion unit 182 and further to the video processing unit 110. In the video processing unit 110, conversion processing to YC signals, compression processing, and the like are performed, and then an image signal is recorded on a memory card (not shown) that is a recording medium. When a shooting mode / playback mode switch (not shown) in the switch group 101 is switched to the playback mode, an image signal is read from the memory card and decompressed in the video processing unit 110. Thereafter, a subject image based on the expanded image signal is displayed on the display panel of the LCD 160.

  Note that switching of shooting conditions or mode switching during shooting conditions may be performed by voice guidance instead of display on the display panel.

  As described above, it is possible to realize an imaging apparatus having an excellent human machine interface that can set a mode by a simple operation of shaking the imaging apparatus using visual effects.

It is a figure which shows the digital camera which is embodiment of the imaging device of this invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration block diagram of a signal processing unit provided in the digital camera 100 of FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows the menu screen displayed on the display panel of LCD. It is a figure which shows AE mode used as the following imaging condition of (one point) in the imaging conditions shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

100 Digital Camera 102 Release Button 105 Viewfinder 110 Image Processing Unit 1101 CPU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 120 CCD control part 130 Focusing control part 131 Driver 140 Camera shake correction control part 141 Driver 150 Flash control part 151 Flash part 160 Liquid crystal display device 170 Lens barrel 180 CCD
181 Analog signal processing unit 182 A / D converter

Claims (3)

In a photographing device that forms an image of a subject on an image sensor with a photographing optical system and generates an image signal,
A sensor for detecting the vibration of the imaging device;
A mode setting unit for setting a mode for each of a plurality of shooting conditions,
The mode setting unit switches a shooting condition to set a mode from the plurality of shooting conditions and a mode in the shooting condition in accordance with vibration detected by the sensor. An imaging device. The sensor is a camera shake detection sensor,
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a camera shake correction unit that detects camera shake by the sensor and corrects the camera shake. The sensor is a sensor for detecting vibration in at least two directions for each direction,
The mode setting unit switches a shooting condition to be set when a vibration in a predetermined first direction is detected by the sensor, and a second direction different from the first direction is set by the sensor. 2. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when vibration is detected, the mode in the photographing condition currently switched is switched.

Images