JP2007097152A - Photographing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a photographing apparatus which improves operability, convenience and the like in a viewer style where a second housing is housed in a first housing in the state of making a display unit visible. <P>SOLUTION: The photographing apparatus comprises a first housing including a cursor key 43 and a second housing 27 which includes a display unit 26, and is supported in the first housing so as to freely turn. The photographing apparatus comprises a turn detection unit 30 for detecting a turning position of the second housing 27, and a viewer control unit 41 and a function allocation unit 42 for performing control to set functions to be allocated to keys 43a-43d of the cursor key 43 on the basis of the turning position of the second housing 27 detected by the turn detection unit 30. The functions to be allocated to the keys 43a-43d are controlled to be set so that the operating direction of the cursor key 43 can be relatively matched with the display direction of the display unit 26. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a photographing apparatus that converts a condensed image obtained by condensing reflected light of a subject with an objective lens into a video signal using an imaging element and records the video signal on an information medium.

  As a camera that records a moving image on an information medium via an image sensor, a video camera that can record a video signal or the like on a tape-shaped information medium, or a digital camera that can record a video signal or the like on a semiconductor memory has become widespread.

  In recent years, video cameras that have become widespread have been increasing in the size of the liquid crystal monitor so that captured images can be viewed well. Further, in order to increase the size of the liquid crystal monitor and not increase the size of the digital camera, the liquid crystal monitor is separated from the main body (first housing) (second housing), and the second housing. It is the mainstream that is arranged so that it can be stored with being rotated with respect to the first housing. An apparatus having such a housing structure is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

  FIG. 10 is a front view of a control device with a monitor (hereinafter referred to as a control device). FIG. 11 is a front view of a state in which the control device in the state of FIG. 10 is rotated 180 degrees in the paper. FIG. 12 is a view of the control device in the state of FIG. 10 as viewed from above.

  The control device 101 shown in the figure is composed of two housings, a liquid crystal display unit 102 and a grip unit 105, and is configured to be rotatable around a hinge unit 107 as an axis. The liquid crystal display unit 102 is provided with a display unit 103 capable of displaying video information and the like, and an operation unit 104 including a plurality of operation buttons capable of various operations. Further, the grip portion 105 is provided with a terminal 106 to which another communication cable can be connected.

  The control device 101 can be attached to and detached from a video camera (not shown). When the control device 101 remotely controls the video camera, the control device 101 is detached from the video camera and is connected via a cable or wireless communication. Enable communication with the video camera. Note that when performing communication using a cable, one terminal of the communication cable is connected to the terminal 106, and the other terminal is connected to a terminal (not shown) of the video camera.

  By being connected to the video camera in this way, video information being shot by the video camera, video information reproduced from an information medium attached to the video camera, and the like are transmitted to the control apparatus 101 via the communication cable. Entered.

  The control device 101 causes the display unit 103 to display input video information. The user can perform operations such as a shooting operation and a reproduction operation by operating the operation unit 104 while viewing video information and the like displayed on the display unit 103.

  Further, the grip part 105 is pivotally supported with respect to the liquid crystal display part 102 via a hinge part 107 so as to be rotatable in the direction indicated by the arrow Z and in the opposite direction. For example, when the user holds the control device 101 with the right hand, the state shown in FIG. 10 is set. In the state shown in FIG. 10, the operation unit 104 is positioned above the display direction on the display unit 103.

When gripping the control device 101 with the left hand, the grip portion 105 is rotated about 180 degrees in the direction indicated by the arrow Z from the state shown in FIG. 10 to the state shown in FIG. In the state shown in FIG. 11, the image information displayed on the display unit 108 is flipped up and down, and the operation unit 104 is positioned below the display direction on the display unit 103 as illustrated.
JP 2001-320625 A

  However, in the above-described conventional configuration, the arrangement of the operation buttons in the operation unit 104 is reversed left and right between the state illustrated in FIG. 10 and the state illustrated in FIG. 11, which may cause an erroneous operation by the user. There was a problem. That is, when the control device 101 is in the state shown in FIG. 10, the operation button 104a located at the right end is located at the left end when the control device 101 is in the state shown in FIG. There is a possibility.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention provides an imaging device that improves operability and usability in a state where the second casing is housed in the first casing in a state where the display unit is visible. Objective.

  In order to achieve the above object, an imaging apparatus according to the present invention has a lens that collects a reflected light image of a subject, an imaging unit that converts the reflected light image into a video signal and outputs the image signal, and is operated at least vertically and horizontally. A first casing including an operation unit including a plurality of possible keys, a second casing including a display unit capable of displaying the video signal output from the imaging unit, and the second An opening / closing support shaft for pivotally supporting the display unit included in the first housing so as to be openable / closable with respect to the first housing, and rotating the display unit included in the second housing relative to the first housing. A rotation support shaft that freely supports the shaft, a rotation detection unit that detects an opening / closing position of the second housing around the opening / closing support shaft and a rotation position around the rotation support shaft with respect to the first housing. And based on the opening / closing position and / or the rotation position of the second casing detected by the rotation detection unit, A control unit configured to set and control a function assigned to each key of the operation unit, wherein the control unit is in a state in which the second casing cannot rotate about the rotation support shaft. When detected, the function assigned to the key is controlled so that the operation direction of the operation unit and the display direction of the display unit are relatively matched.

  Since the photographing device of the present invention can match the key operation direction of the operation unit and the display direction of the display unit, it is possible to suppress erroneous operation by the user when performing the key operation up and down and left and right. The operability can be improved.

  A surface of the first casing in which the recording / reproducing unit that records and reproduces the video signal output from the imaging unit on an information medium and the operation unit are arranged on the first casing in the photographing apparatus of the present invention. A second operation unit for recording the video signal on the information medium by the recording / reproducing unit, and reproducing the video signal recorded on the information medium on the display unit by the recording / reproducing unit A third operating unit for selecting and operating a mode and a shooting mode for capturing a reflected light image of the subject with the imaging unit, and the third operating unit selects the playback mode. And the said control part can be set as the structure which performs control which makes the operation direction of the said operation part correspond relatively to the display direction of the said display part. With this configuration, the display unit can be set to the playback mode by the third operation unit, and each key direction of the operation unit by the control unit can be controlled to the direction corresponding to the direction of the video displayed on the display unit. Thus, it is easy to see the video displayed on the display unit, and it is possible to suppress erroneous operation in the operation direction of each key.

  The first casing in which the recording / reproducing unit for recording / reproducing the video signal output from the imaging unit on the information medium and the operation unit are arranged in the first casing in the imaging apparatus of the present invention. And a second operation unit for recording the video signal onto the information medium by the recording / reproducing unit. The video signal recorded on the information medium is displayed on the display unit by the recording / reproducing unit. The first casing includes a third operation unit for selecting and operating a reproduction mode for reproduction and a photographing mode for photographing a reflected light image of the subject with the imaging unit, and the third operation unit is configured to perform the photographing. The mode may be selected, and the control unit may control the display on the display unit to a portrait mode in which the longitudinal direction of the display unit is vertical. With this configuration, the display unit can be set to the photographing mode by the third operation unit, and the display direction of the display unit can be converted to the portrait mode by the control unit, so that a human image can be selectively photographed at a desired magnification. Can do.

(Embodiment 1)
[1. Overall configuration of photographing apparatus 1]
1 and 2 are perspective views showing the appearance of the photographing apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 1 is a view of the photographing apparatus in a photographing enabled state as viewed from the lens side (subject side), and FIG. 2 is a view of the photographing apparatus in a photographing ready state as viewed from the operation unit side (photographer side).

  1 and 2, the photographing apparatus 1 includes a lens barrel 2 in which a lens 9 is accommodated, and a first housing 5 (medium accommodating means) in which an information medium, various circuits, a battery, and the like are incorporated, It is comprised from the 2nd housing | casing 4 provided with the display part 8 which can display the picked-up image etc. which photoelectrically converted the reflected light from a subject etc. with the image pick-up element not shown. In addition, in this embodiment, it is imaged. Although the element will be described as a configuration incorporated in the lens barrel 2, a configuration in which the lens barrel 2 and the image sensor are separately disposed is not excluded.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the lens barrel 2 is provided with a lens 9 (objective lens) on one end surface in the longitudinal direction, and the reflected light from the subject (when the subject directly emits light such as a light source) is provided via the lens 9. Can also be incident). Although not shown, a zoom lens and a focus lens are arranged on the optical axis 12 of the lens 9 in the lens barrel 2. In the lens barrel 2, a lens hood may be detachably attached to the end surface on the side where the lens 9 or the like is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the second housing 4 opens and closes in the direction of arrow A (see FIG. 3) and in the opposite direction with respect to the first housing 5 about the support shaft 7 (open / close support shaft). It is supported freely. Further, the second housing 4 is disposed so as to be rotatable about the support shaft 6 (rotation support shaft) in the direction of arrow B (see FIG. 3) and the opposite direction. For the sake of convenience, the support shafts 6 and 7 are simply indicated by a one-dot chain line. When the second housing 4 is housed in the first housing 5 (when the display unit 8 (described later) is opposed to the main surface of the first housing 5), the imaging device is used. 1 is turned off, and a switch (not shown) or the like is supported so that the power is turned on when the second housing 4 is rotated about the support shaft 7 with respect to the first housing 5. The structure provided in the axis | shaft 6 and / or the spindle 7 may be sufficient. Thereby, since it is not necessary to arrange a switch for turning on / off the power supply on the surface of the photographing apparatus 1, the photographing apparatus 1 can be downsized.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the support shaft 6 is disposed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the optical axis 12. One end of the support shaft 6 is fixed to the second housing 4, and the support shaft 6 that rotates the second housing 4 with respect to the first housing 5 is substantially orthogonal to the support shaft 7. Has been placed. Further, the support shaft 7 is disposed substantially parallel to the optical axis 12 and is fixed to the first housing 5.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first housing 5 includes a mechanism that can attach and detach an information medium, a signal processing circuit, a battery that is a drive source of the photographing apparatus 1, and the like. In this embodiment, a semiconductor memory card (not shown) is used as an information medium. However, an information medium such as an optical disk or a tape cassette may be used, and a semiconductor memory card and a tape cassette or semiconductor memory card may be used. A plurality of types of information media such as optical disks may be used. Further, the information medium is not necessarily detachable, and may be a fixed information medium such as a hard disk drive. Further, the memory card slot for attaching and detaching the memory card is provided on the bottom surface of the first housing 5 (not shown), but it may be provided in another part. In particular, when the second casing 4 is stored in the first casing 5, the second casing 4 is provided on the surface facing the display unit 8 when the second casing 4 is stored. Since 4 covers the memory card slot, dust and foreign matter can be prevented from entering without providing a cover on the memory card slot.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the second operation unit 31 is disposed on the surface opposite to the surface on which the lens 9 is disposed in the first housing 5. The second operation unit 31 has a substantially circular shutter button 31a as a center and a substantially donut-shaped zoom lever 31b disposed on the outer periphery thereof. By operating the shutter button 31a, a moving image or still image is shot in the shooting device 1. Further, the zoom operation can be performed by rotating the zoom lever 31b clockwise or counterclockwise around the shutter button 31a to a predetermined rotation angle. In addition, since the zoom lever 31b is arranged close to the periphery of the shutter button 31a, when the user operates the first operation unit 45 with, for example, the thumb, the zoom lever 31b or the shutter button 31a is interlocked with the operation. In addition, since the zoom operation and the like can be performed with a small movement amount of the thumb, the operability can be improved.

  In this embodiment, the zoom lever 31b is configured to be rotatable. However, the present invention is not limited to such an operation method. For example, when the right side is pressed, the zoom-up operation can be performed, and the left side is pressed. Then, you may comprise the seesaw type switch which can perform zoom-down operation.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the operation unit (hereinafter referred to as the first operation unit) 45 is arranged on the same surface as the second operation unit 31 in the first housing 5. The first operation unit 45 includes a button 44 and a substantially donut-shaped cursor key 43 disposed on the outer periphery thereof. The cursor key 43 is configured so that a pressing operation corresponding to each of the up, down, left, and right directions is possible. The cursor key 43 can perform various setting operations such as white balance and macro shooting when the shooting apparatus 1 is in the still image shooting mode or the moving image shooting mode (the description of each shooting mode will be described later). When 1 is a still image reproduction mode or a moving image reproduction mode, an operation command such as reproduction or stop, or an operation for selecting a desired still image in the still image thumbnail displayed on the display unit 8 can be performed. A specific operation example of the cursor key 43 will be described later. The button 44 functions as a “decision button” or the like when a predetermined setting operation is performed with the cursor key 43. In addition, since the cursor key 43 is disposed in the vicinity of the button 44, the user performs a predetermined setting operation with the cursor key 43 when the user operates the first operation unit 45 with the thumb, for example, and then the thumb. Since the “determination operation” can be performed by operating the button 44 with a small movement amount, the operability can be improved.

  Further, since the second operation unit 31 and the first operation unit 45 are arranged close to each other, the user selectively operates the second operation unit 31 and the first operation unit 45 with, for example, the right thumb. Since the second operation unit 31 and the first operation unit 45 are arranged in a range that can be reached by the right thumb, the first housing can be operated. It can be operated without changing the body 5.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the third operation unit 33 is disposed on the opposite surface of the first housing 5 from the surface on which the second housing 4 is disposed. The third operation unit 33 can be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise to set the mode of the photographing apparatus 1. In the case of the present embodiment, the modes that can be set are “still image shooting mode” in which a still image such as a subject can be shot, “moving image shooting mode” in which a moving image of the subject etc. can be shot, and the first casing 5. There are four types of modes: “Still Image Playback Mode” that can play back still images recorded on the installed information medium, and “Movie Playback Mode” that can also play back movies recorded on the information medium. Although it can be set, other modes such as a personal computer connection mode may be assigned without being limited to these modes. Any of these various modes can be selected by operating the third operation unit 33 constituted by a known mode dial. In addition, since the third operation unit 33 is disposed in the vicinity of the second operation unit 31 and the first operation unit 45, when the user holds the first casing 5 with, for example, the right hand, The third operating unit 33 can be operated with the right thumb. Therefore, since the first to third operation units can be operated with the right thumb, the operability can be improved. In the present embodiment, the third operation unit 33 is configured by a mode dial. However, the present invention is not limited to such an operation method, and includes a cursor key 43 such as the first operation unit 45, for example. May be.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the display unit 8 is arranged on the main surface of the second housing 4 and is configured by a liquid crystal display of about 2 to 4 inches, for example. The display unit 8 can display various kinds of information such as the current shooting state such as the remaining capacity of the memory card, the remaining amount of the battery, and the backlight / forward light, as well as the image being captured. In addition, when the photographing apparatus is in the playback mode, the display unit 8 displays reproducible moving images and still images, information on video signals and audio signals (such as shooting date and time, counter, and audio bit rate), menus, and the like. Is possible. The display unit 8 is not limited to a liquid crystal display, and may be another display element such as an organic EL element.

  3 is a front view of the lens barrel 2 as viewed from the optical axis direction. FIG. 3A shows a state in which a lens barrier 10 (described later) is closed, and FIG. 3B shows a state in which the lens barrier is opened.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a lens barrier 10 is disposed at the end of the lens barrel 2 so as to cover the front surface of the lens 9. The lens barrier 10 includes a plurality of blades 10 a that can move in a direction substantially orthogonal to the optical axis 12. In the present embodiment, the four blades 10a are arranged so as to overlap each other. The blade 10a is moved in the direction approaching the optical axis from the state shown in FIG. 3B, so that the front surface of the lens 9 can be covered as shown in FIG. Can be protected from scratches and foreign objects. Further, by moving the blade 10a away from the optical axis from the state shown in FIG. 3A, the lens 9 can be opened as shown in FIG. It is possible to make the reflected light or the like from the lens 2 enter the lens barrel 2. The lens barrier 10 is opened and closed by a driving source such as a motor. Further, the number of blades 10a is not limited to four.

  A power button 11 shown in FIG. 2 is used to turn on / off the power of the photographing apparatus 1.

  The operation of the embodiment configured as described above will be described below.

[2. Description of the operation of the photographing apparatus 1]
[2-1. basic action〕
FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining the rotation operation of the second housing 4, and FIG. 4A is a standby state in which the second housing 4 is stored in the first housing 5 (the display unit 8 is in the first state). 4B is a state rotated about 90 degrees in the direction of arrow A around the axis of the support shaft 7 from the state of FIG. 4A, and FIG. 4C is a second case from the state of FIG. 4B. FIG. 4D shows a state in which the second housing 4 is pivoted from the state shown in FIG. 4C. FIG. 4E shows the state in which the display unit 8 is turned upward by rotating about 90 degrees in the direction of the arrow B about the axis 6 and FIG. Is a state rotated in the opposite direction to 180 degrees (so-called self-shooting state). FIG. 5 shows a state in which the second housing 4 is rotated about 90 degrees in the direction of arrow C around the axis of the support shaft 7 from the state of FIG. 4D and stored in the first housing 5 (second position). This state is referred to as a “viewer style”. As shown in FIG. 5, the viewer style is placed horizontally along the side surface on which the support shaft 7 of the photographing apparatus 1 is supported so that the display unit 8 faces outward. 2 is a usage pattern in which the operation unit 31 is directed to the user side (front side in the figure).

  First, an operation for shifting from the standby state to the photographing enabled state will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, in the standby state in which the second housing 4 is housed in the first housing 5, the power button 11 is operated to turn on the imaging device 1.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4A, the second housing 4 housed in the first housing 5 is rotated about 90 degrees in the direction indicated by the arrow A around the axis of the support shaft 7, and the structure shown in FIG. Set to the state shown. Next, the second housing 4 is rotated from the state shown in FIG. 4B by about 90 degrees around the support shaft 6 in the direction shown by the arrow B to the first position shown in FIG. 4C. At this time, the blade 10a of the lens barrier 10 is slid by the driving source arranged inside the photographing apparatus 1, and the lens barrier 10 is moved from the state shown in FIG. 3A to the lens as shown in FIG. 3B. 9 is shifted to an exposed state. Note that the rotation angle of the second housing 4 at this time can be set to an arbitrary angle at which the display unit 8 can be easily seen by the photographer.

  As described above, when the power of the photographing apparatus 1 is turned on and the lens barrier 10 is opened, light such as a reflected light image from the subject enters the lens barrel 2 via the lens 9. The incident light is converted into an electric signal by the image sensor and subjected to signal processing, and then a video signal (so-called through image) is displayed on the display unit 8.

  Next, the photographer operates the third operation unit 33 shown in FIG. 2 to select a mode. For example, when shooting a moving image, the third operation unit 33 is operated to set “moving image shooting mode”, and when shooting a still image, set to “still image shooting mode”. A normal imaging state is set by setting any imaging mode by the third operation unit 33.

  Next, the photographer operates the second operation unit 31 while viewing the through image displayed on the display unit 8 to perform various image quality adjustments such as white balance, or operates the zoom lever 31b to zoom. Make adjustments. Furthermore, by operating the shutter button 31a at an arbitrary timing, a still image or a moving image can be recorded on the information medium. When the “still image shooting mode” is set on the third operation unit 33, one still image is shot by operating the shutter button 31a once. When the “moving image shooting mode” is set, the moving image recording is started by operating the shutter button 31a once, and the recording operation is stopped when the shutter button 31a is operated next.

  When the photographing is finished, the reverse procedure to the above procedure is followed, the second casing 4 is returned to the housed state shown in FIG. 4A, and the power button 11 is operated to turn off the power.

  In addition, in order to reproduce a moving image or a still image recorded on an information medium with the photographing apparatus 1, first, the second casing 4 of the photographing apparatus 1 is set to the first position shown in FIG. 4C. Next, when the third operation unit 33 is operated to set the “moving image reproduction mode” or “still image reproduction mode”, the display unit 8 displays the still image list (thumbnail) or the moving image list. The user operates the cursor key 43 of the first operation unit 45, selects a thumbnail of a still image or a moving image to be reproduced from the displayed list, and determines by operating the button 44. As a result, the selected still image or moving image can be reproduced and displayed on the display unit 8. Note that when a moving image is played, sound is output from a built-in speaker (not shown).

[2-2. (Viewer style and portrait mode)
Further, in order to shift the photographing apparatus 1 to the viewer style, the second housing 4 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow B in the photographing enabled state shown in FIG. 4C, and the display unit 8 is moved as shown in FIG. 4D. Set it to face upward. Next, the second housing 4 is rotated around the axis of the support shaft 7 in the direction indicated by the arrow C and is housed in the first housing 5 so that the display unit 8 is in the second position. Show viewer style.

  In the viewer style shown in FIG. 5, a moving image or a still image can be reproduced by performing an operation for reproducing in the same procedure as described above. In the viewer style, it is possible to shoot moving images and still images (details will be described later).

  In the viewer style shown in FIG. 5, when the user operates the photographing apparatus 1 by hand, both ends in the longitudinal direction of the photographing apparatus 1 (FIG. 5) with the first operation unit 45 facing the user. The first operation unit 45 is operated with the thumb of the right hand, for example. In the photographing apparatus 1, the surface opposite to the surface on which the second housing 4 is arranged can be arranged on a flat place.

  Next, when taking a self-portrait, the second casing 4 is rotated 180 degrees in the opposite direction of the arrow B from the state shown in FIG. 4C to the state shown in FIG. 4E. The state illustrated in FIG. 4E is a state in which the lens 9 and the display unit 8 face in substantially the same direction. In this state, the third operation unit 33 is operated to shift the photographing apparatus 1 to the photographing mode, and the lens 9 and the display unit 8 are opposed to the photographer himself, so that the photographer himself is imaged by the image sensor. The photographer's own through image can be displayed on the display unit 8. From this state, the photographer himself / herself can be photographed by operating the first operation unit 45 and performing various setting operations relating to imaging as described above to capture still images or moving images. Note that the video displayed on the display unit 8 when taking a self-portrait is displayed upside down, for example, in the direction of FIG. 4C as described later.

  Next, photographing in the portrait mode will be described.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the subject 70 is photographed in the portrait mode by the photographing apparatus 1. The portrait mode is a mode in which shooting is performed with the imaging device 1 so that the long side direction of the image sensor substantially coincides with the vertical direction of the subject, and is long in the height direction of a person, a tree, a tower, or the like. This is an effective shooting mode when shooting with the subject as the center. The imaging device mounted on the imaging device 1 has a substantially rectangular effective imaging region having a long side and a short side, and the display unit 8 also has a long side and a short side corresponding to the effective imaging region of the imaging device. With. Therefore, at the time of normal imaging, the landscape mode in which the long side in the effective imaging area is in the horizontal direction of the display unit 8 when the imaging apparatus 1 is in the state shown in FIG. 4C is at the first position with respect to the first housing 5. Has been placed. That is, when shooting is performed with the shooting apparatus 1 in the state shown in FIG. 4C, a horizontally long image having a long side in the horizontal direction can be shot.

  When photographing in the portrait mode using the photographing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the third operating unit 33 is operated to place the photographing apparatus 1 in the photographing mode, and the second housing 4 is shown in FIG. Set to the second position. Next, the photographing apparatus 1 is held as shown in FIG. 6 (similar to the viewer style shown in FIG. 5). At this time, the through image captured by the image sensor and displayed on the display unit 8 is controlled in a display direction in which the longitudinal direction of the image coincides with the long side direction of the display unit 8 as shown in FIG. That is, it is possible to display a vertically long image captured by the image sensor using most of the display area of the display unit 8. By operating the second operation unit 31 in this state, a still image or a moving image can be taken and recorded.

  When an image shot in the portrait mode is reproduced, the display direction is controlled so that the longitudinal direction of the image and the long side direction of the display unit 8 coincide with each other as shown in FIG. That is, it is possible to display a vertically long image captured by the image sensor using most of the display area of the display unit 8.

  As described above, when shooting in portrait mode or when playing back an image shot in portrait mode, a through image or a playback image can be displayed using most of the display area of the display unit 8. For this reason, the short side direction of the effective imaging region of the image sensor is the longitudinal direction of the image to be photographed. Therefore, compared with the landscape mode in which the image must be reduced and imaged, for example, the aspect ratio of the display unit 8 is full. The image can be displayed in a large size, and the details of the image can be visually confirmed.

[3. Internal configuration of photographing apparatus 1]
Next, the internal configuration of the photographing apparatus 1 will be described.

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the camera signal processing system and the control system of the photographing apparatus 1. In FIG. 7, the lens barrier 10 is disposed to be openable and closable upstream of the lens 9 in the optical axis direction. An image sensor (hereinafter referred to as CCD) 22 converts an optical signal incident through the lens 9 into an electrical signal and outputs the electrical signal. The video signal processing unit 24 generates a video signal based on the electrical signal output from the CCD 22 and performs various signal processing such as noise removal, image quality adjustment, and compression processing. The display control unit 25 controls the display unit 8 to display the video signal output from the video signal processing unit 24. The display unit 8 is provided in the second casing 4 and can display a video signal or the like under the control of the display control unit 25. Although the display unit 8 is a liquid crystal display in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a display using an organic EL element can be applied. The recording / reproducing unit 28 can record the video signal output from the video signal processing unit 24 on an information medium such as a semiconductor memory card and reproduce an information signal such as a video signal recorded on the information medium.

  The rotation detection unit 30 detects a rotation position of the second casing 4 with respect to the first casing 5. In the present embodiment, in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, the first detection switch (which is turned on when the support shaft 6 supporting the second housing 4 is rotated to a predetermined angle is turned on. The first housing 5 is provided with a second detection switch (not shown) that is operated to be turned on when the support shaft 7 is rotated to a predetermined angle. Specifically, the first detection switch is configured to be turned on when the second casing 4 is rotated about the support shaft 6 to the state shown in FIG. 4D, and the second detection switch is The second casing 4 is configured to be turned on when the second casing 4 is rotated around the support shaft 7 to the retracted state (the state shown in FIGS. 4A and 5). Therefore, when both the first detection switch and the second detection switch are turned on, it can be detected that the second casing 4 is in the viewer style shown in FIG. Further, the rotation detection unit 30 includes a third detection switch that detects the rotation angle of the second housing 4 around the support shaft 6. In the third detection switch, the second housing 4 has a 0 degree position shown in FIG. 4A or 4B, a 90 degree position shown in FIG. 4C, a 180 degree position shown in FIG. 4D, and a 270 shown in FIG. 4E. The degree position can be detected.

  The lens barrier opening / closing control unit 29 controls the lens barrier 10 to open and close under the control of the rotation detection unit 30.

  The viewer control unit 41 controls the function assignment unit 42 based on the detection result in the rotation detection unit 30. The function allocating unit 42 detects when the rotation detection unit 30 detects that the second casing 4 is in the viewer style (for example, see FIG. 5) and the state other than the viewer style (for example, FIG. 4A to FIG. When the rotation detecting unit 30 detects that the state shown in FIG. 4E has been reached, the function assignment setting of each key 43a to 43d of the cursor key 43 is changed. The function assignment setting of each key 43a to 43d when the viewer style is other than “first key setting information”, and the function assignment setting of each key 43a to 43d when the viewer style is “second key setting information”. ", The keys 43a to 43d are assigned functions as shown in (Table 1).

  Next, the operation will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the power switch 11 (not shown in FIG. 7) is operated and the photographing apparatus 1 is turned on, the lens barrier 10 is closed by the control of the lens barrier opening / closing control unit 29 (see FIG. 7). The state is shifted from the state shown in FIG. 3A to the opened state (see FIG. 3B). At this time, the key assignment setting of the cursor key 43 is set in the first key setting information shown in (Table 1).

  Next, an optical signal incident through the lens 9 is converted into an electrical signal by the CCD 22 and input to the video signal processing unit 24. At this time, since the second housing 4 is still in the housed state, the display control unit 25 does not output the video signal from the video signal processing unit 24 to the display unit 28.

  Next, when the user shifts the second housing 4 to a visually recognizable state (see FIG. 4C), the photographing apparatus 1 is transitioned to a photographable state. In the photographing enabled state, the display control unit 25 controls to display the video signal from the video signal processing unit 24 on the display unit 8, and a through image is displayed on the display unit 8. When the user operates the shutter button 31a (see FIG. 2) at an arbitrary timing, the video signal processing unit 24 controls the recording / reproducing unit 28 to record the video signal on the information medium.

  When the photographing apparatus 1 is in a photographing enabled state, when the second casing 4 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow C in FIG. 4D and rotated to the position illustrated in FIG. The rotation position of the casing 4 is detected and a control signal is output to the viewer control unit 41. The viewer control unit 41 controls the function assigning unit 42 based on the input control signal to set the key assignment of the cursor key 43 from the first key setting information shown in (Table 1) to the second key. Change to setting information. This photographable state corresponds to the photographable state in the portrait mode, and a vertically long image can be photographed as shown in FIG. A through image or a photographed image displayed on the display unit 8 in the portrait mode is displayed on the display unit 8 so that the vertical direction of the image matches the long side direction of the display unit 8 as shown in FIG. . Therefore, an image can be displayed on almost the entire display area of the display unit 8.

  When the second casing 4 is rotated to the position shown in FIG. 5 and the mode is changed to the reproduction mode, the rotation detector 30 detects that the second casing 4 is at the second position. Then, control signals are output to the lens barrier opening / closing control unit 29 and the viewer control unit 41. The lens barrier opening / closing control unit 29 controls to close the lens barrier 10 based on the input control signal. Thereby, the lens barrier 10 is closed. Further, the viewer control unit 41 controls the function assignment unit 42 based on the input control signal to set the key assignment of the cursor key 43 from the first key setting information shown in (Table 1) to the second. Change to key setting information.

  Further, when the second casing 4 is rotated from the viewer style shown in FIG. 5 to a predetermined position (for example, the position shown in FIG. 4D), the rotation detection unit 30 detects this and the viewer control unit 41 is detected. A control signal is output. Based on the input control signal, the viewer control unit 41 controls the function assigning unit 42 to set the key assignment of the cursor key 43 from the second key setting information shown in (Table 1) to the first key. Change to setting information.

  When the lens barrier 10 is closed in the state shown in FIG. 5, the rotation detection unit 30 controls the lens barrier by rotating the second housing 4 around the support shaft 7 to a predetermined position. A control signal is output to the unit 29. The lens barrier opening / closing control unit 29 controls to open the lens barrier 10 based on the input control signal. Thereby, the lens barrier 10 is opened.

  That is, in this embodiment, when the second casing 5 is in the viewer style, the key assignment setting of the cursor key 43 is set in the second key setting information, and when the second casing 5 is not in the viewer style. The key assignment setting of the cursor key 43 is set in the first key setting information.

  Further, by operating the third operation unit 33, when the apparatus is set to the still image playback mode or the movie playback mode and the second casing 4 is in the viewer style, the key assignment setting of the cursor key 43 is set. May be set in the second key setting information. With this configuration, it is possible to easily view a still image or a moving image on the display unit 8, and it is possible to improve operability during reproduction.

  Next, when the second casing 4 is shifted to the self-shooting state shown in FIG. 4E, the third detection switch in the rotation detector 30 rotates the second casing 4 to the 270 degree position. Detect state. The rotation detection unit 30 outputs a control signal to the display control unit 25 when detecting that the second housing 4 is at the 270-degree position. The display control unit 25 performs image processing so that the image to be displayed on the display unit 8 is vertically inverted based on the input control signal. That is, when the second casing 4 is rotated from the 90 degree position shown in FIG. 4C to the 270 degree position shown in FIG. 4E, the image displayed on the display unit 8 is in the upright state of the photographing apparatus 1. However, it is reversed upside down. Therefore, even if the second casing 4 is in the self-portrait state shown in FIG. 4E by performing upside down processing so that the upside down image becomes an upright image in the display control unit 25, the display unit 8 Can accurately display an upright image. Further, by returning the second housing 4 from the 270-degree position shown in FIG. 4E to the 90-degree position shown in FIG. 4C, the display control unit 25 performs the upside down process again on the image to be displayed on the display unit 8. Then, control is performed to output an upright image in the state shown in FIG. 4C.

  4E illustrates the case where the display surface of the display unit 8 is orthogonal to the optical axis 12, and the rotation detector 30 indicates that the second housing 4 is positioned at 270 degrees around the support shaft 6. However, the height of the image pickup apparatus 1 is not always in the line of sight of the photographer even in the case of self-portrait. For example, when the imaging device 1 is arranged at an elevation angle with the optical axis 12 facing upward, the second housing 4 is less than 270 degrees, and the rotation detection unit 30 detects at this angle and the display control unit 25 The structure etc. which output a control signal may be sufficient.

[4. Example of operation of photographing apparatus 1]
Next, when the second casing 4 is set to the first position as shown in FIG. 2 and when the second casing 4 is set to the second position as shown in FIG. An example of the operation of the first operation unit 45 at the time will be described.

  8 and 9 are schematic diagrams showing the display contents of the display unit 8 when the first operation unit 45 is operated. FIG. 8 is a display in the shooting mode, and FIG. 9 is a display in the playback mode.

  In the figure, the video display area 61 displays a video during shooting in the shooting mode, and a moving image and a still image played back from the information medium in the playback mode. Further, an image list recorded on an information medium as shown in FIG. 9A can be displayed.

  In the video display area 61, operation icons 62a and 62b that are displayed in accordance with the operation of the first operation unit 45, date and time information 63 that is information such as the shooting date and time and the current date and time, and a battery that shows the remaining battery power in a graphic form. A remaining amount information 64, a thumbnail image 65 displayed in the image list, a cursor 66 moved by the operation of the cursor key 43, and the like are displayed. In addition, these display contents are examples.

  The operation icons 62 a and 62 b are displayed when the first operation unit 45 is operated, and are a display imitating the shape and function of the cursor key 43. In the present embodiment, the operation icon 62a in FIG. 8 is displayed in the shooting mode, the upper flower display means “macro shooting”, and the right sun display is “backlight correction”. "And the display of the human face at the bottom means" skin color correction ". In order to operate a function corresponding to each display, a key corresponding to the direction of the operation icon 62a may be operated from among the keys 43a to 43d of the cursor key 43. For example, in order to execute the backlight correction function, the fourth key 43d of the cursor key 43 (or the first key 43a when the cursor key 43 is set to the second key setting information) may be operated. . In addition, the current date and time is displayed in the date and time information 63. The battery remaining capacity display 64 displays the remaining capacity of the battery built in the photographing apparatus 1 in a graphic form.

  When the photographing apparatus 1 is in the playback mode, the display is as shown in FIG. In the playback mode, the operation icon 62b is displayed as shown in FIG. 9B. When the photographing apparatus 1 is in the video playback mode, the cursor key 43 is operated to control operations such as playback and stop. be able to. For example, in FIG. 9B, the upper triangle mark in the operation icon 62b means “moving image reproduction”, and the lower square mark means “stop reproduction”. When the moving image reproduction is performed with the photographing apparatus 1 in the state shown in FIG. 2, the first key 43a of the cursor key 43 is operated, and when the moving image reproduction is stopped, the second key 43b is operated. It should be noted that the third key 43c of the cursor key 43 is operated when the moving image playback is performed in the viewer style shown in FIG. 5, and the fourth key 43d is operated when the moving image playback is stopped. .

  In the still image playback mode, the cursor key 43 is operated to display the next image of the image currently displayed in the video display area 61, or a slide show (a plurality of still images are displayed for a predetermined time (several seconds)). The function of switching and displaying each time) can be performed. Note that the key assignment of the cursor key 43 in the still image playback mode is the same as that in the moving image playback mode described above, and the key assignment is made according to either the state shown in FIG. 2 or the viewer style shown in FIG. The setting is changed. The date / time information 63 displays the shooting date / time of the video being played back. The remaining battery capacity display 64 displays the remaining capacity of the battery mounted in the photographing apparatus 1 in a graphic form. The thumbnail image 65 corresponds to a list of moving images and still images recorded on the information medium.

  The cursor 66 is moved in the vertical and horizontal directions when the cursor key 43 is operated. In the image list shown in FIG. 9A, one of the displayed thumbnail images 65 is selected. can do.

  In the above configuration, first, when the photographing apparatus 1 is ready for photographing and is set to the moving image photographing mode or the still image photographing mode by the operation of the third operation unit 33 (see FIG. 2), the video display area 61 is displayed. A through image is displayed. Next, when the button 44 (see FIG. 2) arranged in the center of the first operation unit 45 is operated, an operation icon 62a is displayed as shown in FIG. The user operates the cursor key 43 while viewing the video displayed in the video display area 61 to execute a desired function from the operation icon 62a. For example, when it is desired to switch to the macro shooting, by operating the first key 43a of the cursor key 43, the shooting device 1 switches to the macro shooting state. Next, by operating the button 44, the operation icon 62a can be hidden.

  Further, when the second housing 4 is rotated to change the photographing apparatus 1 to the viewer style shown in FIG. 5 and the photographing apparatus 1 is set to the moving image reproduction mode or the still image reproduction mode by the operation of the third operation unit 33. As shown in FIG. 9A, a list of still images and moving images (thumbnail images 65) recorded on the information medium is displayed.

  Next, the cursor key 43 set in the second key setting information is operated to move the cursor 66 to move to the thumbnail image 65 of the still image or moving image to be reproduced. Since the photographing apparatus 1 is now in the viewer style, the cursor 66 is moved rightward by operating the first key 43a of the cursor key 43 as shown in (Table 1), and the second key The cursor 66 can be moved leftward by operating 43b.

  Next, the selected still image or moving image is reproduced by operating the button 44 in a state where the cursor 66 is positioned on the still image or moving image thumbnail image to be reproduced. During reproduction, an operation icon 62b as shown in FIG. 9B is displayed.

  For example, when the third key 43c is operated during still image reproduction, the next image of the currently displayed image is displayed, and when the first or second key 43a or 43b is operated, a slide show display is performed. Executed. The slide show display can be stopped by operating the fourth key 43d.

  Further, during the reproduction of the moving image, the third key 43c can issue a reproduction command, the fourth key 43d can give a stop command, the second key 43b can give a rewind command, and the first key 43a can give a fast-forward command. .

  In the description of the operation in FIG. 9, the operation when the photographing apparatus 1 is in the viewer style and the key assignment setting of the cursor key 43 is the second setting has been described. Even if the key assignment setting of the cursor key 43 is the first setting in the possible state, the same operation is performed by the same operation. The display contents and function assignment of the operation icons 62a and 62b are examples.

[5. Effects of the embodiment, etc.]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the photographing apparatus 1 is shifted to the viewer style as shown in FIG. 5, the function assigning unit 42 sets the first to fourth keys 43 a to 43 d of the cursor key 43. Since the function assignment is changed so as to be relatively coincident with the display direction of the display unit 8, an erroneous operation by the user can be prevented and the usability can be improved.

  In addition, the key assignment setting of the cursor key 43 can be set to the setting shown in the second key setting information only when the photographing apparatus 1 is set to the viewer style to reproduce a still image or a moving image. The operability of the cursor key 43 can be improved.

  Further, since the lens barrier 10 is controlled to be closed when the viewer is shifted to the viewer style, it is possible to save the user from manually opening and closing the lens barrier 10 and to improve the operability. In the viewer style, since the lens barrier 10 is closed, the lens can be protected from scratches and foreign matters. Although the control of the lens barrier 10 is controlled so that the second casing 4 opens and closes in conjunction with the impression of the support shaft 7, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the opening and closing of the lens barrier 10 is the power button 11. And control that is determined by the selection of imaging and reproduction by the third operation unit 33, or control such that the lens barrier is not closed even when the viewer mode is changed depending on the power button 11 alone. Good.

  Further, the support shaft 6 (opening / closing support shaft) is arranged in parallel to one side surface of the first housing 5. Further, the second housing 4 has a back surface of the display unit 8 by the first state where the display unit 8 faces the one side surface of the first housing 5 in parallel and the rotation of the support shaft 6 around the axis. Has a second state parallel to the one side surface of the first housing 5, and when the rotation detection unit 30 detects the second state, the viewer control unit 41 displays the operation direction as a display unit. 8 is configured to perform control so that the display 8 matches the direction relatively. With this configuration, the operation direction of the cursor key 43 is changed so as to be relatively coincident with the display direction of the display unit 8, so that an erroneous operation by the user can be prevented and usability can be improved.

  Although the key assignment setting of the cursor key 43 is configured to be relatively coincident with the direction of the operation icon 62a or 62b displayed on the display unit 8, for example, a detailed menu screen related to the imaging operation or the reproduction operation is displayed in a table form. Various functions such as a configuration arranged in the above can be applied singly or in combination.

  The present invention can be used as long as it is a device provided with at least a rotatable display unit and a photographing unit, such as a digital video camera or a camera-equipped mobile phone, in addition to a digital camera.

The perspective view of the imaging device in Embodiment 1 of this invention The perspective view of the imaging device in Embodiment 1 FIG. 6 is a front view showing a lens barrier of the imaging apparatus according to Embodiment 1. The perspective view which shows the state in which the 2nd housing | casing in Embodiment 1 is accommodated in the 1st housing | casing. The perspective view which shows the state which the 2nd housing | casing in Embodiment 1 rotated to the substantially horizontal position. The perspective view in which the 2nd case in Embodiment 1 shows the state where the display part turned to the same direction as the operation part. The perspective view which shows the state which the 2nd housing | casing in Embodiment 1 rotated to the substantially horizontal position. The perspective view which shows the self-portrait state of the imaging device in Embodiment 1 The perspective view which shows the viewer style state of the imaging device in Embodiment 1 The perspective view which shows the imaging | photography state in portrait mode of the imaging device in Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an imaging device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a display state of a display unit in a photographing enabled state according to the first embodiment. Schematic diagram showing the display state of the display unit in the playback state in the first embodiment Front view showing the configuration of a conventional control device Front view showing the configuration of a conventional control device The top view which shows the structure of the conventional control apparatus

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Imaging device 4, 27 2nd housing | casing 5 1st housing | casing 6, 7 Support shaft 8, 26 Display part 22 Image pick-up element 30 Rotation detection part 41 Viewer control part 42 Function allocation part 43 Cursor key 45 2nd Operation part

Claims (3)

A lens for condensing a reflected light image of a subject, an imaging unit that converts the reflected light image into a video signal and outputs the image, and an operation unit having a plurality of keys that can be operated at least in the vertical and horizontal directions A first housing;
A second housing including a display unit capable of displaying the video signal output from the imaging unit;
An opening / closing support shaft for pivotally supporting the display unit included in the second casing with respect to the first casing, and the display unit included in the second casing as the first casing. A pivot shaft that pivots in a freely rotatable manner,
A rotation detector for detecting an opening / closing position around an opening / closing support shaft and a rotation position around the rotation support shaft with respect to the first housing of the second housing;
A control unit for setting and controlling a function assigned to each key of the operation unit based on the opening / closing position and / or the rotation position of the second casing detected by the rotation detection unit;
When the rotation detection unit detects that the second casing cannot rotate about the rotation support shaft, the control unit detects an operation direction of the operation unit and a display direction of the display unit. And a function of assigning the key to the key so as to be relatively matched with each other. A recording / reproducing unit that records and reproduces the video signal output from the imaging unit on an information medium on the first casing, and the video signal on the surface of the first casing where the operation unit is disposed. A second operation unit for performing a recording operation on the information medium by a recording / reproducing unit,
A third operation for selecting and operating a reproduction mode for reproducing the video signal recorded on the information medium on the display unit by the recording / reproducing unit and a photographing mode for photographing the reflected light image of the subject by the imaging unit. A portion of the first housing,
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third operation unit selects the reproduction mode, and the control unit performs control to relatively match an operation direction of the operation unit with a display direction of the display unit. A recording / reproducing unit that records and reproduces the video signal output from the imaging unit on an information medium on the first casing, and the video signal on the surface of the first casing where the operation unit is disposed. A second operation unit for performing a recording operation on the information medium by a recording / reproducing unit,
A third operation for selecting and operating a reproduction mode for reproducing the video signal recorded on the information medium on the display unit by the recording / reproducing unit and a photographing mode for photographing the reflected light image of the subject by the imaging unit. A portion of the first housing,
The imaging according to claim 1, wherein the third operation unit selects the imaging mode, and the control unit controls the display on the display unit to a portrait mode in which a longitudinal direction of the display unit is a vertical direction. apparatus.

Images