JP2006270332A - Image pickup device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image pickup device capable of efficiently reproducing an image photographed in a desired photographing mode. <P>SOLUTION: The image pickup device 1A is provided with a photographing mode dial 21 for switching setting states of the photographing mode, an LCD 31 for displaying images, and a display control means for controlling display operation in the LCD 31. The display control means narrows down a reproduction target image in the LCD 31 on the basis of the setting state of the photographing mode by the photographing mode dial 21 when the image is reproduced and displayed, and information regarding the photographing mode of the photographed image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus such as a digital still camera and a digital video camera, and more particularly to an image reproduction technique in the imaging apparatus.

  In an imaging apparatus such as a digital still camera and a digital video camera, a captured image is acquired using an imaging element such as a CCD, and the captured image is reproduced and displayed on a display unit provided in the imaging apparatus. At the time of image reproduction display, a plurality of captured images are sequentially displayed in accordance with the shooting order (shooting time order).

  In the imaging apparatus, there are various shooting modes (for example, a moving image mode, a portrait mode, a sports mode, and the like), and a shot image in the set shooting mode is acquired.

  As related technologies, there are technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 and the like. The technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are basically technologies related to “recording” of captured images in various imaging modes, and are not technologies related to reproduction of captured images. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-228561 also includes a part of the description regarding reproduction, but it is unclear how the reproduction operation is performed.

JP-A-6-233225 JP 2003-209725 A

  By the way, in general, in a conventional imaging device, a plurality of images that have been captured in various shooting modes are all subject to playback, and the plurality of images are sequentially displayed in accordance with the shooting order (shooting time order). .

  Therefore, for example, when a moving image and a still image are mixed as a captured image, a plurality of images included in the mixed image group are sequentially displayed in accordance with the shooting order. Even in this case, it is necessary to wait for a moving image to be displayed while skipping still images. That is, it is difficult to efficiently browse only images (moving images) taken in the moving image mode. Similarly, when a captured image in the portrait mode and a captured image in the sport mode are mixed, a plurality of images included in the mixed image group are sequentially displayed according to the shooting order. It is difficult to efficiently browse only the images taken with.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus capable of efficiently reproducing an image shot in a desired shooting mode.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention of claim 1 is an image pickup apparatus, wherein a setting means for switching a setting state of a photographing mode, a display means for displaying an image, and a display control for controlling a display operation in the display means. And the display control means narrows down the images to be reproduced on the display means based on the setting state of the photographing mode by the setting means at the time of image reproduction display and information on the photographing mode of the photographed image. It is characterized by.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the imaging apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the display control means is a photograph taken in the same photographing mode as the photographing mode set by the setting means at the time of image reproduction display. An image is extracted as the reproduction target image.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the imaging apparatus according to the first or second aspect of the invention, the setting means has a mode switching dial, and the display control means is configured to switch the mode during image reproduction display. The reproduction target image is narrowed down based on a shooting mode set by a dial.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the imaging apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, information on a photographing mode relating to the photographed image is obtained from a file name of the photographed image. .

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the imaging apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, information on the photographing mode relating to the photographed image is acquired from a folder name of the storage destination of the photographed image. Features.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the imaging apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, information on the photographing mode relating to the photographed image is obtained from tag information of the photographed image. .

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the imaging apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the shooting mode includes a moving image shooting mode or a still image shooting mode.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the imaging apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the photographing mode is at least one of a portrait mode, a sports mode, a landscape mode, a sunset mode, and a night view mode. It is characterized by including one mode.

  According to the first to eighth aspects of the present invention, the image to be reproduced on the display means is based on the setting state of the photographing mode by the setting means at the time of image reproduction display and information on the photographing mode of the photographed image. Since the image is narrowed down, an image shot in a desired shooting mode can be accurately displayed.

  In particular, according to the third aspect of the present invention, the image to be reproduced is selected based on the setting state of the shooting mode by the mode switching dial, so that the operation is easy, and it is very intuitive and easy to understand. .

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<1. First Embodiment>
<Overall configuration>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an imaging apparatus 1A according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the imaging apparatus 1A includes a photographing lens 2, a liquid crystal display (hereinafter also referred to as LCD) 31, an electronic viewfinder (hereinafter also referred to as EVF) 32, and a memory card insertion slot 19. Prepare.

  Further, the imaging apparatus 1A includes a photographing mode dial 21, a control button 22, a menu button 24, a switching lever 27, a power button 28, a shutter button 29, and the like as the operation member 20 (see FIG. 2). Among these, the shooting mode dial 21 and the shutter button 29 are provided on the upper surface of the main body, and the control button 22, the menu button 24, the switching lever 27, and the power button 28 are provided on the rear surface of the main body. The control button 22 includes cross cursor buttons 22a to 22d and an enter button 22e in detail.

  When the power button 28 is pressed by the user (operator), the power on state and the off state are switched according to the pressing operation. Further, the photographing state and the reproduction state are switched by rotating the switching lever 27 to a predetermined position. Specifically, the shooting state is set to be distinguished into two states: a state where the subject is visually recognized using the LCD 31 and a state where the subject is visually recognized using the EVF 32.

  When the menu button 24 is pressed by the user (operator), various menu screens are displayed on the LCD 31 accordingly. Further, by using the cross cursor buttons 22a to 22d and the enter button 22e, the display cursor on the LCD 31 can be moved in four directions to select a predetermined item. By such a menu selection operation, various shooting parameter setting operations and the like are performed.

  The shooting mode dial 21 is a rotary operation member and has a function of switching a setting state of a shooting mode (described later). The user (operator) can switch the shooting mode by rotating the shooting mode dial 21 to a desired position, and can select the desired shooting mode. Since the shooting mode dial 21 is used for switching the shooting mode, it can also be referred to as a “mode switching dial”.

  The shutter button 29 is a two-stage push-in switch that can be detected by distinguishing between a half-pressed state S1 (hereinafter also referred to as S1 state) and a full-pressed state S2 (hereinafter also referred to as S2 state) by the user (operator). For example, when shooting a still image, automatic focusing control or the like is started when the shutter button 29 is half-pressed S1, and a recording image is shot when the shutter button 29 is fully pressed S2. The main shooting operation for starting the image is started, and the main shooting image is acquired.

  Next, the internal configuration of the imaging apparatus 1A will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the internal functions of the imaging apparatus 1A.

  The image sensor 5 has a function of capturing a subject image and generating an electronic image signal. The imaging device 5 has a plurality of (for example, 1600 × 1200) pixels, and R (red), G (green), and B (blue) of the light image of the subject formed by the photographing lens 2 for each pixel. Are converted into image signals (signals consisting of a signal sequence of pixel signals received by each pixel) and output.

  An image signal obtained from the image sensor 5 is given to the preprocess circuit 10. The preprocess circuit 10 includes an analog signal processing circuit and an A / D converter. In the analog signal processing circuit, predetermined analog signal processing is performed on the image signal (analog signal). Specifically, the analog signal processing circuit has a correlated double sampling circuit (CDS) and an auto gain control circuit (AGC), and performs noise reduction processing of the image signal by the correlated double sampling circuit, and the auto gain. The level of the image signal is adjusted by adjusting the gain with the control circuit. The A / D converter converts each pixel signal of the image signal into a digital signal having a predetermined number of bits (for example, 12 bits). The converted digital signal is temporarily stored in the buffer memory in the RAM 42 as image data. The image data stored in the buffer memory is subjected to WB (white balance) processing, γ correction processing, color correction processing, compression processing, and the like by the image processing circuit 12 under the control of the overall control unit 40. Is done. The image processing circuit 12 is a processing unit that performs various digital image processing such as WB processing, γ correction processing, and compression / decompression processing. The WB process is a process of adjusting the color balance by performing level conversion of each color component of R, G, and B, and the γ correction process is a process of correcting the gradation of the pixel data. The compression / decompression processing is image data compression processing and decompression processing. As the compression method, for example, the JPEG method is adopted. Each of these processes is executed using the image memory 11 as appropriate. The actual captured image is stored in the memory card 90 after being subjected to these processes.

  The overall control unit 40 is configured by a microcomputer having a CPU 41, a RAM 42, and a ROM 43 therein, and the microcomputer controls the above-described units in an integrated manner by executing predetermined programs. The RAM 42 is a semiconductor memory (for example, DRAM) that can be accessed at high speed, and the ROM 43 is configured as a nonvolatile semiconductor memory (for example, flash ROM) that can electrically rewrite data.

  The overall control unit 40 includes various function processing units such as a display control unit 47. These various processing units are functionally realized by a microcomputer executing a predetermined program.

  The display control unit 47 has a function of controlling display operations on the LCD 31 and the EVF 32. Under the control of the display control unit 47, the LCD 31 performs a preview display (also referred to as a live view display) before the main shooting operation in the shooting state, and a playback display of the recorded image (main shooting image) in the playback state. Etc. The LCD 31 has a predetermined number (320 × 240 in this case) of display pixels, and can display a color image.

  The overall control unit 40 drives the focus lens and the zoom lens of the photographing lens 2 via the lens driver 2d and the lens driving mechanism 2c, and performs an automatic focusing operation and a zoom magnification changing operation (view angle changing operation). Further, the overall control unit 40 controls the aperture value of the aperture 13 and the light emission of the flash 6 through the exposure control driver 6d, and controls the shutter speed (exposure time) in the image sensor through the image sensor driver 5d. Then, an automatic exposure control operation is performed.

  Furthermore, the imaging apparatus 1A includes an interface (external connection I / F) unit 33 for external connection. The external connection I / F unit 33 is an interface for enabling communication with the external computer 91 via a communication cable or the like, and is realized by, for example, a communication interface conforming to the USB standard.

<Shooting mode>
Next, a shooting mode in the image pickup apparatus 1A will be described.

  The imaging apparatus 1A has a “moving image shooting mode (moving image mode)” for shooting a moving image and a “still image shooting mode (still image mode)” for shooting a still image. Here, the still image shooting mode is further classified into 10 sub-modes. The ten sub-modes are “Full Auto Mode”, “Portrait Mode”, “Sport Mode”, “Landscape Mode”, “Evening Scene Mode”, “Night Scene Mode”, “P (Program) Mode”, “A ( “Aperture priority) mode”, “S (shutter speed priority) mode”, and “M (manual) mode”. As described above, the imaging device 1A has a total of 11 types of shooting modes. These 11 types of shooting modes are switched and set according to the rotation operation of the shooting mode dial 21.

  FIG. 3 is a top view showing the shooting mode dial 21. As shown in FIG. 3, the shooting mode dial 21 has eleven pictograms 50 to 60 on the upper surface, and each pictogram 50 to 60 corresponds to each of the above-described shooting modes. Then, by rotating the shooting mode dial 21 and aligning the pictograph corresponding to the desired shooting mode with the index 69, the shooting mode of the imaging apparatus 1A is set to the desired shooting mode. Shooting modes using the above 11 types of shooting modes are roughly divided into the following four shooting modes (1) to (4).

  (1) When the operator selects and shoots a target scene, a shooting mode according to any one of “portrait mode”, “sport mode”, “landscape mode”, “evening scene mode”, and “night scene mode” Is set. For example, when the pictograph 51 is matched with the index 69, the shooting mode is set to “portrait mode”. In the portrait mode, shooting parameters that are optimal for portrait shooting are set, and a shot image is acquired. When the pictograph 52 is matched with the index 69, the shooting mode is set to “sport mode”. In the sports mode, shooting parameters that are optimal for scenes with intense movement are set, and a shot image is acquired. Further, when the pictograph 53 is aligned with the index 69, the shooting mode is set to “landscape mode”. In the landscape mode, shooting parameters optimal for a landscape scene are set, and a captured image is acquired. Further, when the pictograph 54 is aligned with the index 69, the shooting mode is set to the “evening scene mode”. In the sunset scene mode, shooting parameters optimum for the sunset scene are set, and a shot image is acquired. Further, when the pictograph 55 is matched with the index 69, the shooting mode is set to the “night scene mode”. In the night view mode, shooting parameters optimum for the night scene are set, and a shot image is acquired.

  (2) When shooting with the scene selection left to the imaging apparatus 1A, in other words, when shooting with full auto (full auto), the “full auto mode” is set. Specifically, when the pictograph 50 is matched with the index 69, the shooting mode is set to “full auto mode”. In the full auto mode, when the shutter button 29 is pressed down to the half-pressed state S1, the imaging device 1A automatically determines the shooting scene related to the subject and sets optimal shooting parameters. Specifically, it is determined whether the shooting scene related to the target subject corresponds to “portrait”, “sports”, “landscape”, “evening scene”, or “night scene”, and shooting parameters are set. .

  (3) When shooting with the exposure mode set, "P (program) mode", "A (aperture priority) mode", "S (shutter speed priority) mode", "M (manual) mode" Either shooting mode is set. For example, when the pictograph 56 is aligned with the index 69, the shooting mode is set to “P (program) mode”. According to this, the shutter speed and the aperture value are automatically determined, and the captured image is acquired. When the pictograph 57 is aligned with the index 69, the shooting mode is set to “A (aperture priority) mode”. According to this, after the photographer sets the aperture value to a desired value, the imaging device 1A automatically determines the shutter speed, and a captured image is acquired. When the pictograph 58 is matched with the index 69, the shooting mode is set to “S (shutter speed priority) mode”. According to this, after the photographer sets the shutter speed to a desired value, the imaging apparatus 1A automatically determines the aperture value, and a captured image is acquired. When the pictograph 59 is matched with the index 69, the shooting mode is set to “M (manual) mode”. According to this, a photographed image is acquired after the photographer sets the shutter speed and the aperture value to desired values, respectively.

  (4) Further, when shooting a moving image, a “moving image shooting mode” is set. Specifically, when the pictograph 60 is matched with the index 69, the shooting mode is set to “moving image shooting mode”. In the moving image shooting mode, the AF operation is performed when the shutter button 29 is pressed down to the half-pressed state S1, and the moving image shooting is started when the shutter button 29 is pressed down to the fully-pressed state S2. Thereafter, when the shutter button 29 is pressed again to the fully-pressed state S2, the moving image shooting is finished.

<Image file>
FIG. 4 is a diagram conceptually showing a folder configuration (directory configuration) and the like in the memory card 90 for storing photographed images. In this embodiment, each captured image is stored in the memory card 90 as an image file that complies with the camera file system standard (DCF: Design rule for Camera File System).

  In the memory card 90, as shown in FIG. 4, a folder “DCIM” is created under the root folder, and a captured image folder is created under this folder “DCIM”. Here, it is assumed that a plurality of folders “100ABCDE”, “102ABCDE”, and “103PQRST” are created as “photographed image folders” (also referred to as “recording folders”). The folder names of these photographed image folders are determined as appropriate. Although a case where a plurality of captured image folders are created is shown here, only a single captured image folder may be created. In that case, all the photographed image files are stored in a single folder.

  Each captured image file is stored in one of these “captured image folders”. The folder in which each captured image file is stored is determined according to a predetermined standard. For example, here, it is assumed that image files having the same shooting date are stored in the same shooting image folder.

  In FIG. 4, by repeating the photographing operation by the imaging device 1A, “AUTO0001.JPG”, “PTRT0002.JPG”, “SPRT0003.JPG”, “LAND0004.JPG”,. “SNST0123.JPG”, “NIGH0124.JPG”, “P_XP0125.JPG”, “A_XP0126.JPG”, “S_XP0127.JPG”, “M_XP0128.JPG”, “MOVE0129.JPG”, “MOVE0130.JPG”, “LAND0131” A case where files named “.JPG”, “NIGH0132.JPG”,... Are created and stored in this order is illustrated. Of these, each file from “AUTO0001.JPG” to “MOVE0129.JPG” is stored in the folder “100ABCDE”, and each file from “MOVE0130.JPG” and “LAND0131.JPG” is stored in the folder “102ABCDE”. “NIGH0132.JPG” is stored in the folder “103PQRST”. In the present specification, for the sake of notation, the underscore (_) used in the file name is represented by a full-width character, but is actually represented by a half-width character. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the file name (and folder name) may be expressed using either full-width characters or half-width characters as long as they are within the limits of the file system.

  The name of each captured image file is determined according to a predetermined naming rule. Specifically, the name of each captured image file is composed of the first 8 characters (SPRT0003) followed by a period (.) And a 3-character extension (JPG), such as “SPRT0003.JPG”. ing.

  The extension “JPG” indicates that the captured image file is a JPEG format still image file, and the extension “MOV” indicates that the captured image file is a motion image file in MotionJpeg format (motion JPEG format). It shows that there is.

  Of the first eight characters, the last four numbers are serial numbers assigned consecutively in the order of creation of the captured image (photographed file).

  Further, among the first eight characters, the first four alphabets represent the setting state (or setting content) by the shooting mode dial 21 at the time of shooting. Here, “AUTO” is “Full Auto Mode”, “PTRT” is “Portrait Mode”, “SPRT” is “Sport Mode”, “LAND” is “Landscape Mode”, “SNST” is “Evening Scene Mode”, “NIGH” is “night view mode”, “P_XP” is “P (program) mode”, “A_XP” is “A (aperture priority) mode”, “S_XP” is “S (shutter speed priority) mode”, “M_XP” "Indicates a captured image file in" M (manual) mode ", and" MOVE "indicates a captured image file in" moving image capturing mode ".

  As described above, information related to the shooting mode of a shot image can be included in the file name of the shot image.

<Playback operation>
FIG. 5 is a flowchart regarding the reproduction operation. When the imaging device 1A is turned on and in the playback state by the switching lever 27 and the power button 28, a playback operation as shown in FIG. 5 is started.

  First, in step SP11, the imaging apparatus 1A confirms the position of the shooting mode dial 21 and acquires the setting state of the shooting mode by the shooting mode dial 21 at the time of image reproduction display. For example, when the pictogram 51 of the shooting mode dial 21 is set to the index 69, it is determined that “portrait mode” is designated for the shooting mode. The imaging apparatus 1A then captures an image to be reproduced and displayed (hereinafter also referred to as “reproduction target image”) in a shooting mode (here, “portrait mode”) that is designated (set) by the shooting mode dial 21. It is recognized that the operator has given an instruction to narrow down and display only the captured image.

  Next, in step SP12, the display control unit 47 determines a display image and displays it on the LCD 31. Specifically, the display control unit 47 extracts a reproduction target image based on the position of the shooting mode dial 21 obtained in step SP11 and information on the shooting mode of each shot image in the memory card 90. In addition, information on the shooting mode regarding each captured image is read and acquired from the file name of each captured image.

  For example, when “portrait mode” is designated by the photographing mode dial 21, only the photographed images in the portrait mode are narrowed down as reproduction target images. Specifically, the imaging apparatus 1A extracts a captured image file whose first four characters of the file name are “PTRT” as a reproduction target image. A shot image file in a shooting mode other than the portrait mode is excluded from the reproduction target.

  When there are a plurality of captured images in the portrait mode, for example, the latest one may be selected as the first display image.

  As described above, the display control unit 47 performs the reproduction target image on the LCD 31 based on the setting state of the photographing mode by the photographing mode dial 21 at the time of image reproduction display and information on the photographing mode of the photographed image in the memory card 90. Narrow down. More specifically, a captured image shot in the same shooting mode as that set by the shooting mode dial 21 at the time of image playback display is selected as a playback target image from a plurality of captured images in the memory card 90. Extract. Then, one image is determined as a display image from the extracted images.

  In step SP14, end determination is performed. When an instruction to switch to the shooting state is given by operating the switching lever 27, or an instruction to turn off the power is given by operating the power button 28, this routine ends.

  If it is determined in step SP15 that either the shooting mode dial 21 or the crosshair cursor buttons 22c and 22d is pressed, the process returns to step SP11 again to perform an image update operation.

  For example, when the cross cursor button 22c is pressed, an image having a smaller serial number is selected and displayed as a display image among the captured images in the portrait mode (step SP12). When the cross cursor button 22d is pressed, an image having a larger serial number is selected and displayed as a display image among the captured images in the portrait mode (step SP12). In this way, only the photographic images in the photographic mode (here, portrait mode) designated by the photographic mode dial 21 are sequentially displayed as display images in forward or reverse feed.

  Further, when the shooting mode dial 21 is rotated, the position of the rotated shooting mode dial 21 is acquired again (step SP11), and a shot image corresponding to the shooting mode corresponding to the rotated position is selected and the LCD 31 is selected. (Step SP12). As a result, the images to be reproduced are narrowed down based on the setting state after the shooting mode dial 21 is changed. For example, when the “landscape mode” is set by the shooting mode dial 21 after the change, the imaging apparatus 1A uses the shot image file whose first four characters of the file name are “LAND” as a playback target image. Extract. A shot image file in a shooting mode other than the landscape mode is excluded from the reproduction target.

  Note that even when captured images are stored in a plurality of folders according to criteria such as date, it is preferable that all captured images in the same shooting mode are to be reproduced regardless of the shooting date. For example, when the landscape mode is selected by the shooting mode dial 21, a plurality of shot image files including “LAND0004.JPG” and “LAND0131.JPG” which are shot images in the landscape mode are displayed on the cross cursor button 22c. , 22d, and sequentially displayed on the LCD 31. Therefore, “LAND0004.JPG” and “LAND0131.JPG” stored separately in different folders can be displayed continuously. That is, images that are stored separately in different folders due to different shooting dates can also be set as playback targets.

  In the above, the case where “portrait mode” or “landscape mode” is designated by the photographing mode dial 21 in step SP12 is exemplified, but other photographing modes are designated by the photographing mode dial 21. The same applies to the case.

  For example, when “sport mode” is designated by the shooting mode dial 21, among the plurality of shot image files stored in the memory card 90, a shot image whose first four characters are “SPRT” in the file name. Only files are selected and displayed. The same applies to “evening scene mode”, “night scene mode”, “P (program) mode”, “A (aperture priority) mode”, “S (shutter speed priority) mode”, and “M (manual) mode”.

  Similarly, when the “movie shooting mode” is designated by the shooting mode dial 21, among the plurality of shot image files stored in the memory card 90, the first four characters of the file name are “MOVE”. Only certain photographed image files (moving image files) are selected and displayed.

  Further, when “full auto mode” is designated by the shooting mode dial 21, the first four characters of the file name are “AUTO” among the plurality of shot image files stored in the memory card 90. Only certain captured image files are selected and displayed.

  As described above, according to the imaging apparatus 1A according to this embodiment, the shooting mode setting state (specified state) by the shooting mode dial 21 at the time of image reproduction display and the shooting mode included in the file name of the shot image are related. An image to be displayed on the LCD 31 is selected based on the information. Therefore, a photographed image in a desired photographing mode can be accurately displayed. In addition, since such a classification reproduction operation is automatically executed by the imaging apparatus 1A, it is possible to easily realize a search operation for each photographing mode without requiring manual operations for classification.

  In particular, a shot image shot in the same shooting mode as that set by the shooting mode dial 21 at the time of image playback display is extracted as a playback target image from a plurality of shot images in the memory card 90. Therefore, it is possible to select and accurately display only a photographed image in a desired photographing mode from among a plurality of photographed images stored in the memory card 90. Further, since it can be realized by a very intuitive operation, it is easy to understand by an operator.

  In particular, when the image to be reproduced is narrowed down, a rotation operation member called the photographing mode dial 21 is used, so that the operation is easy, and it is very intuitive and easy to understand.

  In the above embodiment, a file name starting with “AUTO” is assigned to an image shot in “full auto mode”, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a file name beginning with “APTR” may be assigned to an image that has been determined to be a portrait scene out of images that have been captured in the “full auto mode”. Of the “APTR”, the first “A” indicates that the image was taken in “Full Auto Mode”, and the next “PTR” indicates that the image was taken as a portrait scene. ing. Similarly, among images shot in “full auto mode”, images that were determined to be sports scenes were given file names that began with “ASPR” and were shot as landscape scenes. A file name that starts with “ALAN” is assigned to the image, and a file name that starts with “ASNS” is assigned to the image that was shot as an evening scene, and the image was shot that was determined to be a night scene. A file name beginning with “ANIG” may be assigned to the image. According to such a naming rule, it is possible to include in the file name both information of a captured image in the “full auto mode” and the automatic scene determination result by the imaging apparatus 1A. When “full auto mode” is designated by the shooting mode dial 21, among the plurality of captured image files stored in the memory card 90, the first character of the file name is “A”. By selecting and displaying only the image file, the same effect as in the above embodiment can be obtained.

<2. Second Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, the case where the information about the shooting mode of the shot image is included in the file name of the shot image is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the above idea may be applied when the tag information is included in the captured image.

  In the second embodiment, a case where only a desired photographed image is accurately displayed using “information relating to the photographing mode” included in the tag information is exemplified. In the following, in order to avoid duplication of explanation, the description will focus on differences from the first embodiment.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram conceptually showing the configuration of one captured image file. As shown in FIG. 6, each captured image file is created as a file in a predetermined format (for example, an Exif format). Specifically, each captured image file includes tag information TG, high-resolution image data (for example, an image signal of 1600 × 1200 pixels) DP, and low-resolution image data for thumbnail display (for example, 80 × 60 pixel image signal) DM. The tag information TG includes information such as “file name”, “shooting date / time”, and “information about shooting mode”. The “information regarding the shooting mode” is expressed by, for example, a number (or symbol) corresponding to each shooting mode on a one-to-one basis. Specifically, 0 (zero) can be associated with the “full auto mode”, 1 can be associated with the “portrait mode”, and 2 can be associated with the “sport mode”. The same applies to the other modes.

  The imaging device 1B according to the second embodiment acquires the shooting mode of each captured image file by reading out this “information about the shooting mode” from the tag information TG of each captured image file during reproduction. That is, instead of acquiring “information about the shooting mode” based on the file name as in the first embodiment, “information about the shooting mode” is acquired based on the tag information TG.

  Then, the display control unit 47 of the imaging apparatus 1B narrows down the images to be reproduced based on the setting state of the photographing mode by the photographing mode dial 21 at the time of image reproduction display and information on the photographing mode of the photographed image. Specifically, in step SP12 (FIG. 5), the display control unit 47 displays “shooting” stored in the position of the shooting mode dial 21 obtained in step SP11 and the tag information TG of the shot image in the memory card 90. The reproduction target images may be narrowed down based on the “mode information”.

  By using such a reproduction method, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. In the second embodiment, the file name may be assigned according to the shooting mode according to the naming rule similar to that in the first embodiment, or may be given according to a naming rule that does not depend on the shooting mode. You may make it do.

  In particular, according to the playback method of the second embodiment, the playback target image is determined based on “information about the shooting mode” included in the tag information TG, so that the file name is intentionally changed by the operator. But not affected.

<3. Third Embodiment>
Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the case where the imaging apparatus 1A classifies and stores captured image files in different folders according to dates (or stores all captured image files in a single folder) is exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the above idea can also be applied to the case of storing in different folders according to shooting modes.

  In the third embodiment, a case where only a desired photographed image is accurately displayed using “information relating to the photographing mode” included in the folder name is exemplified. In the following, in order to avoid duplication of explanation, the description will focus on differences from the first embodiment.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a folder structure and the like in the memory card 90 in the third embodiment. In FIG. 7, a plurality of folders “100KMAUT”, “101KMPTR”, “102KMSPR”, “103KMLND”,..., “124KMSNS”, “125KMNIT”, “126KMPXP”, “127KMAXP” "," 128KMSXP "," 129KMMXP "," 130KMMOV ", ...," 234KMPTR "... are created. And in these folders, the picked-up image according to each shooting mode is stored. Three characters from the sixth character of the folder name of each folder indicate a photographing mode of a photographed image to be stored in the folder.

  Specifically, the folder “100KMAUT” stores only captured images (“PICT0001.JPG”, “PICT0002.JPG”, “PICT0003.JPG”, etc.) in “full auto mode”. In addition, the folder “130KMMOV” stores only captured images (such as “PICT1234.MOV” and “PICT1235.MOV”) in the “movie shooting mode”. The same applies to the other folders. For each folder (“101KMPTR”, “102KMSPR”, “103KMLND”, “124KMSNS”, “125KMNIT”, “126KMPXP”, “127KMAXP”, “128KMSXP”, “129KMMXP”) Respectively, corresponding shooting modes ("portrait mode", "sport mode", "landscape mode", "evening scene mode", "night scene mode", "P (program) mode", "A (aperture priority) mode" "," S (shutter speed priority) mode "," M (manual) mode ") are stored only. It should be noted that a plurality of folders may be created for one type of shooting mode, and a shot image in the one type of shooting mode may be stored in one of the plurality of folders. FIG. 7 illustrates a case where the captured image in the “portrait mode” is stored in one of the two folders “101KMPTR” and “234KMPTR”.

  As described above, at least one folder is created for one type of shooting mode, and each shot image file is classified by shooting mode and stored in a different folder for each shooting mode.

  The imaging apparatus 1 </ b> C according to the third embodiment narrows down the reproduction target images using such folder classification. More specifically, based on the “information about the shooting mode” read out and acquired from the folder name where each shot image is stored, and the shooting mode setting state by the shooting mode dial 21 at the time of image reproduction display. , Narrow down the playback target image.

  Specifically, first, in step SP11 (FIG. 5), a shooting mode corresponding to the position of the shooting mode dial 21 at the time of image reproduction is specified. In step SP12 (FIG. 5), the display control unit 47 of the imaging device 1C extracts only images in the folder corresponding to the shooting mode specified in step SP11 as reproduction target images. According to this, only a photographed image in the specified photographing mode can be set as a reproduction target, and a photographed image in a photographing mode other than the specified photographing mode can be excluded from the reproduction target.

  In this manner, the display control unit 47 of the imaging apparatus 1C narrows down the reproduction target images based on the shooting mode setting state by the shooting mode dial 21 at the time of image playback display and information on the shooting mode of the shot image. It is possible. In this case, the “information regarding the shooting mode” of the shot image is acquired from the folder name of the storage destination folder of the shot image by the imaging apparatus 1C.

<4. Fourth Embodiment>
In the first to third embodiments, the case where the shooting mode dial 21 is used for setting the shooting mode is illustrated, but other operation members and the like may be used. In the fourth embodiment, a case where the setting state related to the shooting mode at the time of shooting and playback is changed using a menu screen displayed on the LCD will be exemplified. In the following, in order to avoid duplication of explanation, the description will focus on differences from the first embodiment.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the imaging device 1D according to the fourth embodiment as seen from the front side, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the imaging device 1D as seen from the back side.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the imaging apparatus 1D includes a photographing lens 102, an LCD 131, cross cursor buttons 122a to 122d, a determination button 123, a menu button 124, a switching lever 127, a power button 128, a shutter button 129, and the like. Have. However, the imaging apparatus 1D does not have the shooting mode dial 21 (see FIG. 1). The setting state of the shooting mode is changed using a menu screen G1 or the like described below.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a menu screen G1 for selecting a shooting mode. The menu screen G1 is displayed on the LCD 131 by operations using the cross cursor buttons 122a to 122d, the enter button 123, and the menu button 124.

  Eleven types of pictographs 50 to 60 are displayed on the menu screen G1. The operator operates the cross cursor buttons 122a to 122d to move the cursor CR up, down, left, and right, and selects the desired pictogram by pressing the enter button 123 with the cursor CR overlaid on the desired pictogram. can do.

  The menu screen G1 is used for a setting change operation regarding the shooting mode at the time of shooting and also for a setting change operation regarding the shooting mode at the time of reproduction. That is, the menu screen G1 is used in common during shooting and playback. In the imaging device 1D, the shooting state and the playback state are switched according to the position of the switching lever 127.

  Specifically, when the “shooting state” is set by the switching lever 127 and the menu button 124 is pressed, a shooting menu screen G 2 (not shown) is displayed on the LCD 131. When the “mode setting” item is selected by the operator among the plurality of items displayed on the menu screen G2, the imaging device 1D displays the menu screen G1 on the LCD 131. When the operator selects a desired item (for example, pictograph 52), the imaging apparatus 1D sets a corresponding shooting mode (for example, “sport mode”). As described above, the menu screen G1 displayed in the shooting state functions as a setting content change screen for determining the shooting mode at the time of shooting.

  On the other hand, when the “playback state” is set by the switching lever 127 and the menu button 124 is pressed, a playback menu screen G 3 (not shown) is displayed on the LCD 131. When the “mode setting” item is selected by the operator from among a plurality of items displayed on the menu screen G3, the imaging apparatus 1D displays the menu screen G1 on the LCD 131. When the operator selects a desired item (for example, pictograph 55) using the cross cursor buttons 122a to 122d and the enter button 123, the imaging apparatus 1D displays “shooting mode” as a narrowing-down condition at the time of image reproduction display. "Is determined as a shooting mode (for example," night view mode ") corresponding to the desired item. As described above, the menu screen G1 displayed in the playback state functions as a screen for determining the “shooting mode” as the narrowing-down condition in the image playback display.

  After such a setting operation, a photographed image in a desired photographing mode selected by the operator is selected as a reproduction target and is sequentially displayed on the LCD 131 as a display image. On the other hand, captured images in other shooting modes are excluded from playback targets. For this reason, it is possible to select and accurately display only a photographed image in a desired photographing mode from among a plurality of photographed images stored in the memory card 90. In addition, as a specific mode at the time of storing and reading out each captured image file, any mode of the first to third embodiments may be used.

  As described above, on the LCD 131 based on the shooting mode setting state by the menu screen G1, the cross cursor buttons 122a to 122d and the decision button 123, and the information related to the shooting mode of the shot image at the time of image reproduction display. The reproduction target image is narrowed down.

<5. Other>
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the contents described above.

  For example, in the first to third embodiments, the case where each reproduction method corresponding to a different image storage method is applied to a separate imaging device is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  Specifically, in one imaging apparatus, an image storage method may be selected from a plurality of options. Specifically, a reproduction method corresponding to the selected image storage method is configured such that one of these three types of image storage methods can be selected using a predetermined menu screen (not shown). May be automatically applied.

  Or you may make it employ | adopt simultaneously the image storage method (refer FIG. 4) of 1st Embodiment, and the image storage method (refer FIG. 6) of 2nd Embodiment as an image storage method. In this case, the playback method of the first embodiment (a narrowing operation using file names) may be applied, or the playback method of the second embodiment (a narrowing operation using tag information). May be applied. Similarly, as the image storage method, the image storage method of the third embodiment (see FIG. 7) and the image storage method of the second embodiment may be employed at the same time. In this case, the reproduction method of the third embodiment (the narrowing operation using the folder name) may be applied, or the reproduction method of the second embodiment may be applied.

  Further, at the time of shooting, the tag information TG includes “information about the shooting mode” as in the second embodiment, and the first implementation is performed at the time of transfer from the imaging device 1B to the external computer 91 (for example, a personal computer). The file name or the like may be changed according to a naming rule such as a form. More specifically, the file name may always be changed at the time of transfer, or the file name may be changed and transferred only when an explicit instruction from the operator is given.

  Alternatively, after transfer to the external computer 91, the file name or the like is changed according to the naming rule as in the first embodiment by using predetermined software executed by the external computer 91, and then the imaging apparatus 1A or the like again. Thus, when reproducing the captured image file after the name change, a reproduction method similar to that of the first embodiment may be applied.

  Further, in each of the above embodiments, when “full auto mode” is designated by the shooting mode dial 21 or the like at the time of image playback display, only the image shot in the auto mode is displayed. It is not limited to this. For example, when “full auto mode” is designated by the shooting mode dial 21 during playback, all the shot images may be played back regardless of the shooting mode. According to this, it is also possible to perform display in a conventional display mode that does not depend on the shooting mode, by a simple operation of setting the shooting mode dial 21 to the “full auto mode”.

  Further, in each of the above embodiments, the case where images corresponding to the shooting mode dial 21 are sequentially displayed on the LCD 31 one by one is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of shootings corresponding to the shooting mode dial 21 are performed. Images may be displayed on the LCD 31 simultaneously (multi-display).

  In each of the above embodiments, the case where the above idea is applied to a digital still camera is illustrated. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the above idea is applied to an imaging apparatus such as a digital video camera or a mobile phone having an imaging function. May be applied.

It is a perspective view which shows the imaging device which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the internal function of an imaging device. It is a top view which shows a photography mode dial. It is a figure which shows the folder structure etc. in a memory card. It is a flowchart regarding a reproducing operation. It is a figure which shows notionally the structure of a picked-up image file. It is a figure which shows the folder structure etc. in the memory card in 3rd Embodiment. It is the perspective view which looked at the imaging device from the front side. It is the perspective view which looked at the imaging device from the back side. It is a figure which shows the menu screen for imaging | photography mode selection.

Explanation of symbols

1A to 1D Imaging device 2 Shooting lens 21 Shooting mode dial 22a to 22d, 122a to 122d Cross cursor button 22e, 123 Enter button 24, 124 Menu button 27, 127 Switching lever 28, 128 Power button 29, 129 Shutter button 31, 131 LCD
50-60 emoji

Claims (8)

An imaging device,
Setting means for switching the setting state of the shooting mode;
Display means for displaying an image;
Display control means for controlling a display operation in the display means;
With
The display control means narrows down the images to be reproduced on the display means based on the setting state of the photographing mode by the setting means at the time of image reproduction display and information on the photographing mode of the photographed image. apparatus. The imaging device according to claim 1,
The image pickup apparatus, wherein the display control means extracts a photographed image photographed in the same photographing mode as the photographing mode set by the setting means at the time of image reproduction display as the reproduction target image. In the imaging device according to claim 1 or 2,
The setting means has a mode switching dial,
The image pickup apparatus, wherein the display control means narrows down the reproduction target image based on a photographing mode set by the mode switching dial during image reproduction display. In the imaging device in any one of Claims 1-3,
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein information on a shooting mode relating to the captured image is acquired from a file name of the captured image. In the imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shooting mode information relating to the shot image is acquired from a folder name of a storage destination of the shot image. In the imaging device in any one of Claims 1-5,
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shooting mode information related to the captured image is acquired from tag information of the captured image. The imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The imaging device, wherein the shooting mode includes a moving image shooting mode or a still image shooting mode. The imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The imaging apparatus includes at least one of a portrait mode, a sports mode, a landscape mode, an evening scene mode, and a night scene mode.

Images