JP2008005248A - Imaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging apparatus for enabling even a person who is not familiar with any operation to photograph a satisfactory image without any mistake. <P>SOLUTION: When the half depression of a release button is performed, photographing is prepared. Then, when the photographing preparation is completed, preliminary photographing is performed, and an acquired image is temporarily recorded in a memory as a preliminary photographic image. When the half depression of the release button is released prior to the full depression of the release button, the preliminary photographic image recorded in the memory is recorded in the memory card. Thus, it is possible to prevent such a mistake that the half depression of the release button is mistaken for having been photographed, and that a shutter chance is missed as a result. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, and more particularly to an imaging apparatus provided with a two-stage release button.

With cameras equipped with so-called AE (Auto Exposure), AF (Auto Focus), and AWB (Auto White Balance) functions, AE / AF / AWB is activated by “half-pressing” the release button, and shooting is performed by “full-pressing”. (For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).
JP 2004-274285 A JP 2002-320138 A

  However, for those who are not accustomed to operating the camera, it is difficult to distinguish between the “half-press” and “full-press” release buttons. There was a problem of missing. In particular, compact digital cameras often shoot while looking at the monitor display on the camera body, and depending on the model, the monitor display freezes when the release button is pressed halfway or blacks out. For this reason, many mistakes have been made to misunderstand that shooting has been completed by half pressing.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus capable of capturing a good image without mistake even by a person who is not accustomed to the operation.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is an imaging apparatus that prepares for shooting by half-pressing a release button, acquires an image for recording from the imaging means by full pressing, and records it on a storage medium. An imaging preparation completion detecting unit for detecting completion of imaging preparation, an image acquisition unit for acquiring an image for preliminary recording from the imaging unit when the completion of imaging preparation is detected by the imaging preparation completion detecting unit, and the release The half-press release detecting means for detecting the half-press release of the release button before the button is fully pressed, and when the half-press release of the release button is detected by the half-press release detecting means, the image acquisition means acquires the release button. There is provided an image pickup apparatus comprising: a recording control means for recording an image for preliminary recording on the storage medium.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the release button is half-pressed, preparation for shooting is performed, and when the preparation for shooting is completed, an image for preliminary recording is acquired from the imaging unit by the image acquisition unit. When the half-press of the release button is released before the release button is fully pressed, the preliminary recording image acquired by the image acquisition unit is recorded on the storage medium. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a mistake that a photo opportunity is missed by misunderstanding that the image was shot by half-pressing the release button. In addition, since an image that has been prepared for shooting is recorded, a good image can be recorded, and it is possible to effectively prevent a useless image from being recorded on a storage medium and compressing the storage capacity. .

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the photographing preparation includes at least focusing on a main subject, and the photographing preparation completion detecting means detects completion of focusing on the main subject. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1 is provided.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, at least focusing on the main subject (so-called AF) is performed as preparation for shooting, so that the main subject is in focus even when the half-press of the release button is released. A good image can be recorded.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the object, the photographing preparation includes at least an exposure setting for obtaining an appropriate exposure amount, and the photographing preparation completion detecting means obtains an appropriate exposure amount. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein completion of exposure setting is detected.

  According to the invention of claim 3, since at least main exposure setting (so-called AE) for obtaining an appropriate exposure amount is performed as preparation for photographing, it is appropriate even when the half-press of the release button is released. An image with good exposure can be recorded.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 4 is an imaging apparatus that prepares for shooting by half-pressing a release button, acquires an image for recording from an imaging means by full pressing, and records it on a storage medium. A skin color detection unit that detects a skin color area from an image obtained from the imaging unit in response to a half-press of the release button, and when the skin color area is detected by the skin color detection unit, an image for preliminary recording is detected from the imaging unit. The image acquisition means to acquire, the half-press release detection means for detecting the half-press release of the release button before the release button is fully pressed, and the half-press release of the release button is detected by the half-press release detection means. And a recording control means for recording the image for preliminary recording acquired by the image acquisition means on the storage medium. .

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the release button is half-pressed, the skin color detection unit performs skin color detection processing, and the skin color detection unit detects a skin color region from the image obtained from the imaging unit. The preliminary recording is acquired from the imaging unit by the image acquisition unit. When the half-press of the release button is released before the release button is fully pressed, the preliminary recording image acquired by the image acquisition unit is recorded on the storage medium. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a mistake that a photo opportunity is missed by misunderstanding that the image was shot by half-pressing the release button. Further, since an image including skin color, that is, a person is recorded, an image desired by the photographer can be recorded, and it is effectively prevented that a useless image is recorded on a storage medium and a storage capacity is compressed. be able to.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 5 is an imaging apparatus that prepares for shooting by half-pressing a release button, acquires an image for recording from an imaging means by full pressing, and records it on a storage medium A subject detection unit that detects a specific subject from an image obtained from the imaging unit in response to a half-press of the release button, and when the subject detection unit detects the specific subject, the imaging unit performs preliminary recording. Image acquisition means for acquiring an image, half-press release detection means for detecting half-press release of the release button before full release of the release button, and half-press release detection of the release button detected by the half-press release detection means And a recording control means for recording the image for preliminary recording acquired by the image acquisition means on the storage medium. To provide a location.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the release button is half-pressed, a specific subject is detected by the subject detection unit, and a specific subject, for example, an image obtained from the imaging unit by the subject detection unit, for example, When a person's face or the like is detected, preliminary recording is acquired by the image acquisition means from the imaging means. When the half-press of the release button is released before the release button is fully pressed, the preliminary recording image acquired by the image acquisition unit is recorded on the storage medium. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a mistake that a photo opportunity is missed by misunderstanding that the image was shot by half-pressing the release button. Also, since an image of a specific subject is recorded, it is possible to record an image desired by the photographer, effectively preventing useless images from being recorded on the storage medium and squeezing the storage capacity. can do.

  In order to achieve the object, the invention according to claim 6 includes a strobe and a determination unit that determines whether or not the strobe needs to emit light, and the recording control unit uses the determination unit to emit light from the strobe. When the half-press release detecting means detects that the release button is half-pressed, recording of the preliminary recording image onto the storage medium is prohibited. Item 5. An imaging device according to any one of Items 1 to 5.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, even when the half-press is released before the release button is fully pressed, if the strobe needs to emit light, the image for preliminary recording can be recorded on the storage medium. It is forbidden. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent a dark image that is underexposed from being unnecessarily recorded on the storage medium and compressing the storage capacity.

  According to the imaging apparatus according to the present invention, even a person who is not familiar with the operation can take a good image without making a mistake.

  The best mode for carrying out an imaging apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view showing an external configuration of a digital camera to which the present invention is applied.

  As shown in the figure, the digital camera 10 of the present embodiment is configured as a so-called compact camera, and the camera body 12 is formed in a rectangular box shape.

  The front surface of the camera body 12 is provided with a lens barrel 14 incorporating a photographing lens, a strobe (not shown), and the like, and a release button 16, a power switch 18 and the like are provided on the top surface.

  On the back of the camera body 12, an LCD panel 20, a viewfinder eyepiece window 22, an operation mode changeover switch 24, a general purpose key 26, a MENU / OK button 28, a cancel button 30, a display button 32, a function button 34, and the like are provided. ing.

  The release button 16 is composed of a two-stage press button composed of so-called “half press” and “full press”. When the release button 16 is “half-pressed”, the digital camera 10 executes shooting preparation, that is, performs AE, AF, and AWB processes, and “full-press” executes image shooting and recording processes. In the digital camera 10 according to the present embodiment, when the “preliminary shooting function” is set to ON, even if the half-press of the release button 16 is released, as long as the preparation for shooting is completed, the image is displayed. Is recorded. This point will be described in detail later.

  The power switch 18 functions as a switch for turning on / off the power of the digital camera 10 and is slidable between an ON position and an OFF position. The digital camera 10 is turned on by sliding the power switch 18 to the ON position and turned off by sliding it to the OFF position.

  The operation mode changeover switch 24 functions as a switch for changing the operation mode of the digital camera 10 and is slidable between the photographing position and the reproduction position. The digital camera 10 is set to a “shooting mode” in which shooting is performed by sliding the operation mode changeover switch 24 to the shooting position, and the captured image is reproduced and displayed on the LCD panel 20 by sliding to the playback position. Set to “playback mode”.

  The LCD panel 20 functions as a playback monitor that plays back and displays recorded images in the playback mode, and also functions as an electronic viewfinder by displaying through images in the shooting mode. The LCD panel 20 is also used as a user interface display screen, and displays information such as menu information, selection items, and setting contents as necessary. The display button 32 functions as a button for switching ON / OFF of the LCD panel 20.

  The MENU / OK button 28 functions as a button for instructing display of the menu screen. When the MENU / OK button 28 is pressed, the operation mode is changed to the setup mode, and the setting screen is displayed on the LCD panel 20. The In this setup mode, all the adjustments that the digital camera has, such as items related to image quality adjustment such as exposure value, hue, ISO sensitivity, number of recorded pixels, self-timer setting, metering method switching, whether to use digital zoom, etc. Items are set. In this setup mode, the MENU / OK button 28 functions as a button for confirming the selected item and instructing execution of the operation, and the cancel button 30 is used to cancel the selected item on the setting screen or to display the previous state. Functions as a button for instructing to return to.

  The general-purpose key 26 functions as a cursor shift key for moving a cursor for selecting an image to be reproduced in the reproduction mode or selecting an item on the setting screen. The general-purpose key 26 includes a left shift key 26A and a right shift key 26C that move the cursor in the left and right direction, and an up and down shift key 26B that moves the cursor in the up and down direction. Note that the left shift key 26A and the right shift key 26C are configured by push buttons, and the up / down shift key 26B is configured by a seesaw button that can swing up and down.

  Here, the up / down shift key 26B constituting the general-purpose key 26 functions as an operation button for zoom operation in the photographing mode. That is, when the up / down shift key 26B is operated upward in the shooting mode, the zoom is operated in the tele direction, and when operated downward, the zoom is operated in the wide direction.

  The up / down shift key 26B also functions as a zoom button for a playback image in the playback mode. That is, when the up / down shift key 26B is operated upward in the playback mode, the playback image is enlarged and displayed when the operation is performed downward.

  On the other hand, the left shift key 26A functions as a frame return button (a button for instructing to display the image one frame before) in the playback mode, and the right shift key 26C is a frame advance button (image one frame after) in the playback mode. Function as a button).

  The left shift key 26A functions as a macro button for switching on / off of the macro function (close-up function) in the shooting mode. That is, when the left shift key 26A is pressed in the shooting mode, the macro functions are sequentially set to ON or OFF.

  The right shift key 26C functions as a flash mode switching button for switching the flash mode in the shooting mode. That is, when the right shift key 26C is pressed in the shooting mode, and the flash mode is switched to each mode of auto / red-eye reduction / forced flash / flash emission / slow sync / red-eye reduction + slow sync in order.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the digital camera 10.

  As shown in the figure, the digital camera 10 includes a CPU 110, an operation unit (release button 16, power switch 18, operation mode changeover switch 24, general-purpose key 26, MENU / OK button 28, cancel button 30, display button 32, function Button 34, etc.) 112, ROM 116, flash ROM 118, memory (SDRAM) 120, VRAM 122, photographing optical system 126, focus motor driver 128, zoom motor driver 130, iris motor driver 132, image sensor 134, image sensor controller 136, analog Signal processor 138, A / D converter 140, digital signal processor 142, AF detector 144, AE / AWB detector 146, compression / decompression processor 148, media controller 150, storage medium (memo Card) 152, a display control unit 154, LCD panel 20, the flash control unit 156, and a strobe 158 or the like.

  The CPU 110 functions as a control unit that performs overall control of the overall operation of the digital camera 10, and controls each unit according to a predetermined control program based on an input from the operation unit 112.

  The ROM 116 connected via the bus 114 stores a control program executed by the CPU 110 and various data necessary for the control. The flash ROM 118 stores various types of operations related to the operation of the digital camera 10 such as user setting information. Setting information and the like are stored.

  The memory (SDRAM) 120 is used as a calculation work area for the CPU 110 and is also used as a temporary storage area for image data, and the VRAM 122 is used as a temporary storage area dedicated to image data for display.

  The photographing optical system 126 includes a photographing lens 126a, a diaphragm 126b, an infrared cut filter 126c, an optical low-pass filter 126d, and the like, and forms a subject image on the light receiving surface of the image sensor 134.

Taking lens 126a includes a focusing lens 126a ₁ for focusing comprises a zoom lens 126a ₂ for zooming, by moving back and forth along the focus lens 126a ₁ to the optical axis, focusing is performed. By moving back and forth along the zoom lens 126a ₂ to the optical axis, the focal length is changed. The focus lens 126a ₁ and the zoom lens 126a _2, by being driven to the focus motor and a zoom motor (not shown), respectively, to move back and forth along the optical axis. CPU110, by controlling the driving of the focus motor through a focus motor driver 128 to control the movement of the focus lens 126a _1, performs focusing. Further, by controlling the driving of the zoom motor via a zoom motor driver 130 to control the movement of the zoom lens 126a _2, changing the focal length.

  The aperture 126b is driven by an iris motor (not shown) to change its opening amount. The CPU 110 controls the iris value by adjusting the aperture of the iris 126b by controlling the driving of the iris motor via the iris motor driver 132.

  The infrared cut filter 126c cuts infrared rays in a specific wavelength range to prevent ghosts and fogging caused by infrared light.

  The optical low-pass filter 126d cuts high frequency components to prevent false colors and color moiré.

  The image sensor 134 is configured by a honeycomb array color CCD, a Bayer CCD, a CMOS sensor, or the like. The CPU 110 drives the image sensor 134 via the image sensor control unit 136 and outputs a subject image captured through the imaging optical system 126 as an image signal.

  The analog signal processing unit 138 performs correlated double sampling processing and amplifies the image signal output from the image sensor 134.

  The A / D converter 140 converts the analog image signals of R, G, and B colors output from the analog signal processing unit 138 into digital image signals.

  The digital signal processing unit 142 takes in image signals of R, G, and B colors output from the A / D converter 140 in accordance with a command from the CPU 110, performs predetermined signal processing, and performs luminance signal Y and color difference signal Cr. , Cb is generated.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the digital signal processing unit 142.

  As shown in the figure, the digital signal processing unit 142 includes a white balance gain calculation circuit 142a, an offset correction circuit 142b, a gain correction circuit 142c, a gamma correction circuit 142d, an RGB interpolation calculation unit 142e, an RGB / YC conversion circuit 142f, noise A filter 142g, a contour correction circuit 142h, a color difference matrix circuit 142i, and a light source type determination circuit 142j are provided.

  The white balance gain calculation circuit 142a takes in the integrated value calculated by the AE / AWB detection unit 146 and calculates a gain value for white balance adjustment.

  The offset correction circuit 142b takes in the image signals of R, G, and B colors output from the A / D converter 140 and performs offset processing.

  The gain correction circuit 142c takes in the image signal that has been subjected to the offset processing, and performs white balance adjustment using the gain value calculated by the white balance gain calculation circuit 142a.

  The gamma correction circuit 142d takes in an image signal that has undergone white balance adjustment, and performs gamma correction using a predetermined γ value.

  The RGB interpolation calculation unit 142e interpolates the gamma-corrected R, G, and B color signals to obtain R, G, and B3 color signals at each pixel position. That is, in the case of a single-plate image sensor, each pixel outputs only one color signal of R, G, and B. Therefore, a color that is not output is obtained from the color signals of surrounding pixels by interpolation calculation. For example, in a pixel that outputs R, the level of G and B color signals at this pixel position is determined by interpolation from the G and B signals of surrounding pixels. As described above, since the RGB interpolation calculation is specific to the single-plate image sensor, it is not necessary when a three-plate image sensor is used as the image sensor 134.

  The RGB / YC conversion circuit 142f generates a luminance signal Y and color difference signals Cr and Cb from the R, G, and B signals after the RGB interpolation calculation.

  The noise filter 142g performs noise reduction processing on the luminance signal Y and the color difference signals Cr and Cb generated by the RGB / YC conversion circuit 142f.

  The contour correction circuit 142h performs contour correction processing on the luminance signal Y after noise reduction, and outputs a luminance signal Y ′ whose contour has been corrected.

  On the other hand, the color difference matrix circuit 142i performs color correction by multiplying the color difference signals Cr and Cb after noise reduction by the color difference matrix (C-MTX). That is, the color difference matrix circuit 142i is provided with a plurality of types of color difference matrices corresponding to the light sources, and the color difference matrix to be used is switched according to the light source type obtained by the light source type determination circuit 142j. The input color difference signals Cr and Cb are multiplied, and color-tone-corrected color difference signals Cr ′ and Cb ′ are output.

  The light source type determination circuit 142j determines the light source type by taking in the integrated value calculated by the AE / AWB detection unit 146, and outputs a color difference matrix selection signal to the color difference matrix circuit 142i.

  In the digital camera of this embodiment, the digital signal processing unit is configured by a hardware circuit as described above, but the same function as that of the hardware circuit can be configured by software.

  The AF detection unit 144 captures R, G, and B color image signals output from the A / D converter 140 and calculates a focus evaluation value necessary for AF control. The AF detection unit 144 includes a high-pass filter that allows only a high-frequency component of the G signal to pass, an absolute value processing unit, a focus area extraction unit that extracts a signal within a predetermined focus area set on the screen, and a focus area An integration unit for integrating the absolute value data is included, and the absolute value data in the focus area integrated by the integration unit is output to the CPU 110 as a focus evaluation value.

During the AF control, the CPU 110 searches for a position where the focus evaluation value output from the AF detection unit 144 is maximized, and makes the focus lens 126a ₁ at that position, thereby performing focusing on the main subject. That is, during the AF control, the CPU 110 first moves the focus lens 126a ₁ from the closest distance to infinity, sequentially acquires the focus evaluation value from the AF detection unit 144 in the moving process, and the position where the focus evaluation value becomes maximum. Is detected. Then, the position where the detected focus evaluation value is maximum is determined as the in-focus position, and the focus lens is moved to that position. Thereby, the subject (main subject) located in the focus area is focused.

  When the position where the focus evaluation value is the maximum is not detected (for example, at low contrast), the CPU 110 determines that an AF error has occurred and issues a predetermined warning (for example, displaying an error message on the LCD panel 20).

  The AE / AWB detection unit 146 takes in the image signals of R, G, and B colors output from the A / D converter 140 and calculates integrated values necessary for AE control and AWB control. That is, the AE / AWB detection unit 146 divides one screen into a plurality of areas (for example, 8 × 8 = 64 areas), and calculates an integrated value of R, G, and B signals for each divided area.

  At the time of AE control, the CPU 110 acquires an integrated value of R, G, B signals for each area calculated by the AE / AWB detection unit 146, obtains the brightness (photometric value) of the subject, and obtains an appropriate exposure amount. Set the exposure to obtain That is, sensitivity, aperture value, shutter speed, and necessity of strobe light emission are set.

  In addition, during the AWB control, the CPU 110 calculates the integrated values of the R, G, and B signals for each area calculated by the AE / AWB detection unit 146, the white balance gain calculation circuit 142a and the light source type determination circuit 142j of the digital signal processing unit 142. Add to.

  The white balance gain calculation circuit 142a calculates a gain value for white balance adjustment based on the integrated value calculated by the AE / AWB detection unit 146.

  The light source type determination circuit 142j detects the light source type based on the integrated value calculated by the AE / AWB detection unit 146. That is, the ratio of ΣR / ΣG and ΣB / ΣG in each divided area is obtained from the integrated value calculated by the AE / AWB detector 146, and the values of ΣR / ΣG and ΣB / ΣG are calculated as R as shown in FIG. The data is plotted in a two-dimensional space stretched between the / G axis and the B / G axis, and the light source type is detected from the distribution shape.

  The compression / decompression processing unit 148 performs compression processing in a predetermined format (for example, JPEG) on the input image data in accordance with a command from the CPU 110 to generate compressed image data. Further, in accordance with a command from the CPU 110, the input compressed image data is subjected to a decompression process in a predetermined format to generate uncompressed image data.

  The media controller 150 controls reading / writing of data with respect to the storage medium 152 in accordance with a command from the CPU 110. In the digital camera 10 of the present embodiment, a memory card is used as the storage medium 152, and the memory card is detachably loaded in a media slot provided in the camera body 12. However, it may be recorded in the built-in memory.

  The display control unit 154 controls display on the LCD panel 20 in accordance with a command from the CPU 110. That is, in accordance with a command from the CPU 110, the input image signal is converted into a video signal (for example, NTSC signal, PAL signal, SCAM signal) for display on the LCD panel 20 and output to the LCD panel 20, and a predetermined signal Character and graphic information is output to the LCD panel 20.

  The strobe control unit 156 controls the light emission of the strobe 158 in accordance with a command from the CPU 110.

  The digital camera 10 of the present embodiment is configured as described above. Note that the digital signal processing unit 142, the analog signal processing unit 138, the A / D converter 140, and the like can be mounted on the digital camera as separate circuits, but these are integrated on the same semiconductor substrate as the image sensor 134. It is preferable to manufacture using a manufacturing technique and configure as a single imaging device.

  Next, the operation of the digital camera 10 of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.

  As described above, the digital camera 10 according to the present embodiment records an image as a preliminary shooting function as long as the preparation for shooting is completed even when the release button 16 is half-pressed. A function to perform is provided. When the preliminary shooting function is set to ON, as a general rule, shooting preparation is performed by pressing the release button 16 halfway, and an image is recorded by pressing the release button 16 halfway. However, as long as preparation for shooting is completed, an image is recorded. On the other hand, when the preliminary shooting function is set to OFF, preparation for shooting is performed by pressing the release button 16 halfway, and an image is recorded only when the release button 16 is fully pressed.

  First, a procedure of photographing and recording processing of the digital camera 10 when the preliminary photographing function is set to OFF will be described.

  The ON / OFF setting of the preliminary shooting function is performed on the shooting mode menu screen.

  When the power of the digital camera 10 is turned on, an image captured by the image sensor 134 is first displayed through on the LCD panel 20 (however, only when the display of the LCD panel 20 is set to ON). That is, images are continuously picked up by the image pickup device 134, and the images are continuously processed to generate image data for through images. The generated image data is sequentially added to the display control unit 154 via the VRAM 122, converted into a display signal format, and output to the LCD panel 20. As a result, the image captured by the image sensor 134 is displayed through on the LCD panel 20. The photographer determines the composition by looking at the through image displayed on the LCD panel 20 and presses the release button 16 halfway.

  When the release button 16 is half-pressed, an S1 ON signal is input to the CPU 110 (S1 ON always during half-press). In response to the input of the S1 ON signal, the CPU 110 executes shooting preparation processing, that is, AE, AF, and AWB processing.

  First, the image signal output from the image sensor 134 is added to the AE / AWB detection unit 146 and the AF detection unit 144 via the analog signal processing unit 138 and the A / D converter 140.

  The AE / AWB detection unit 146 calculates an integrated value necessary for AE control and AWB control from the input image signal, and outputs the integrated value to the CPU 110. The CPU 110 calculates subject brightness based on the integrated value obtained from the AE / AWB detection unit 146, and determines sensitivity, aperture value, shutter speed, and the like for obtaining proper exposure. The integrated value obtained from the AE / AWB detection unit 146 is added to the digital signal processing unit 142 for white balance correction.

In addition, the AF detection unit 144 calculates an integrated value necessary for AF control from the input image signal and outputs it to the CPU 110. CPU110, this controls the movement of the focus lens 126a ₁ through a focus motor driver 128 based on the output from the AF detection unit 144, focus of the taking lens 126a to the main subject.

  The photographer confirms the focus state by looking at the through image displayed on the LCD panel 20, and instructs the execution of photographing. That is, the release button 16 is fully pressed.

  When the release button 16 is fully pressed, an S2 ON signal is input to the CPU 110. In response to the S2 ON signal, the CPU 110 executes the main photographing process.

  First, the image sensor 134 is exposed with the sensitivity, aperture value, and shutter speed obtained as a result of the AE control, and a recording image is captured.

  The recording image signal output from the image sensor 134 is added to the digital signal processing unit 142 via the analog signal processing unit 138 and the A / D converter 140. The digital signal processing unit 142 performs predetermined signal processing on the input image signal to generate image data (YUV data) including the luminance data Y and the color difference data Cr and Cb.

  The generated image data is added to the compression / decompression processing unit 148, subjected to predetermined compression processing, and then stored in the memory 120. The CPU 110 records the compressed image data stored in the memory 120 as a still image file (for example, Exif) in a predetermined format on the memory card 152 via the media controller 150.

  Thus, under the normal shooting mode, the image is recorded on the memory card 152 only when the release button 16 is fully pressed.

  The image recorded on the memory card 152 in this manner is reproduced and displayed on the LCD panel 20 by setting the mode of the digital camera 10 to the reproduction mode. That is, when the operation mode changeover switch 24 is slid to the playback position and the mode of the digital camera 10 is set to the playback mode, the CPU 110 stores the image file last recorded on the memory card 152 via the media controller 150. The compressed image data is read out.

  The compressed image data read from the memory card 152 is added to the compression / decompression processing unit 148, converted into non-compressed image data, and then added to the VRAM 122. Then, the data is output from the VRAM 122 to the LCD panel 20 via the display control unit 154. As a result, the image recorded on the memory card 152 is reproduced and displayed on the LCD panel 20.

  The frame advance of the image is performed by the left shift key 26A and the right shift key 26C of the general purpose key 26. When the right shift key 26C is operated, the next image is read from the memory card 152 and reproduced and displayed on the LCD panel 20. The When the left shift key 26A is operated, the previous image is read from the memory card 152 and reproduced and displayed on the LCD panel 20.

  Next, a procedure of photographing and recording processing of the digital camera when the preliminary photographing function is set to ON will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure of photographing and recording processing of the digital camera 10 when the preliminary photographing mode is set to ON.

  When the preliminary shooting mode is set, an image captured by the image sensor 134 is displayed through on the LCD panel 20 as in the normal shooting mode. The photographer determines the composition by looking at the through image displayed on the LCD panel 20 and presses the release button 16 halfway.

  The CPU 110 determines whether or not the release button 16 has been half-pressed based on the input from the operation unit 112 (step S10). If it is determined that the release button 16 is half-pressed, the CPU 110 executes shooting preparation, that is, controls AE, AF, and AWB.

  Thereafter, the CPU 110 determines whether or not the shooting preparation is completed (step S11). That is, the main subject is focused, exposure setting for obtaining proper exposure is performed, the light source type is determined, and it is determined whether or not the gain value for white balance adjustment is set.

  When it is determined that the shooting preparation is completed, the CPU 110 determines whether or not the shooting preparation completion flag is set to “1” (step S12). As will be described later, this shooting preparation completion flag is set to “1” when preliminary shooting is performed (“0” when preliminary shooting is not performed). Whether or not preliminary shooting is being performed can be determined based on whether or not “1” is set.

  The photographing preparation completion flag is recorded in the memory 120, and the CPU 110 determines whether or not the photographing preparation completion flag is set to “1” based on the information recorded in the memory 120.

  If the shooting preparation completion flag is not set to 1, the CPU 110 sets the shooting completion flag to 1 (step S13) and executes preliminary shooting (step S14). Then, an image (preliminary photograph image) obtained by the preliminary photographing is temporarily recorded in the memory 120 (step S15). Since this pre-photographed image is an image obtained after the preparation for photographing is completed, the main subject is focused, and an appropriate image can be obtained in both white balance and exposure.

  After recording the preliminary photographed image, the CPU 110 determines whether or not the release button 16 has been fully pressed based on the input from the operation unit 112 (step S16). That is, it is determined whether or not the S2ON signal is input from the operation unit 112.

  If it is determined that the S2 ON signal has been input and the release button 16 has been fully pressed, actual shooting is performed with the sensitivity, aperture value, and shutter speed set based on the result of the AE (step S17). Then, necessary processing is performed on the image obtained by the actual photographing, and the image is recorded in the memory card 152 (step S18).

  When the image obtained by the actual photographing is recorded on the memory card 152, the CPU 110 sets a recording completion flag to “1” (step S19). This recording completion flag is set to “1” when the release button 16 is pressed halfway and then fully pressed to perform actual shooting (in the case where the release button 16 is not fully pressed after the release button 16 is pressed halfway). “0”), it is possible to determine whether or not the actual shooting has been performed by pressing the release button 16 halfway and then fully depending on whether or not the recording completion flag is set to “1”. Yes. This recording completion flag is recorded in the memory 120 in the same manner as the shooting preparation completion flag.

  As described above, when the release button 16 is pressed halfway and then fully pressed, the main shooting is performed as in the normal mode, and the image obtained by the main shooting is recorded in the memory card 152.

  On the other hand, if the half-press is released after the release button 16 is half-pressed before being fully pressed (if NO is determined in step S16), the following operation is performed.

  If it is determined in step S16 that the release button 16 has not been fully pressed, the CPU 110 returns to step S10 and determines whether or not the release button 16 has been pressed halfway (step S10).

  Here, when it is determined that the release button 16 is half-pressed, that is, when it is determined that the release button 16 is continuously pressed halfway, the CPU 110 determines whether or not the preparation for shooting is completed (step). S11).

  If the shooting preparation is completed, it is determined whether or not the shooting preparation completion flag is set to “1” (step S12), and if it is determined that the shooting preparation completion flag is set to “1”, a step is performed. Proceeding to S16, it is again determined whether or not the release button 16 is fully pressed (step S16). That is, when the preparation for shooting is completed and preliminary shooting has already been performed (when the shooting preparation completion flag is set to “1”), the preliminary shooting process is not performed again, and the release button 16 is fully pressed. It is determined whether it has been done (step S16).

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S10 that the release button 16 is not half-pressed, it is determined that the half-press of the release button 16 has been released, and the CPU 110 determines whether or not the recording completion flag is set to “1”. (Step S20). That is, it is determined whether the release of the half-press of the release button 16 is a release by the full press of the release button 16 or a release before the full press.

  If the recording completion flag is set to “1”, the release button 16 is fully pressed, so in this case, the process proceeds to step S23, and the shooting preparation completion flag is set to “0” (step S23). ), The recording completion flag is set to “0” (step S24), and the process returns to step S10. That is, in this case, since the main photographing is performed, it is determined that the recording of the preliminary photographing image is unnecessary, and the next photographing is awaited.

  In this case, the preliminary photographed image recorded in the memory 120 is deleted. Alternatively, it is configured to overwrite the next time a preliminary photographed image is obtained.

  On the other hand, when the recording completion flag is set to “0”, the half-press is released before the release button 16 is fully pressed, so the recording completion flag is set to “0” in step S20. If it is determined that there is, the process proceeds to step S21, and it is determined whether or not the shooting preparation completion flag is set to “1” (step S21). That is, it is determined whether or not preliminary shooting is performed.

  Here, if the shooting preparation completion flag is set to “1” and it is determined that preliminary shooting is being performed, the preliminary shot image temporarily recorded in the memory 120 is recorded in the memory card 152 (step). S22).

  As a result, it is possible to record the image on the memory card 152 even when the half-press is released before the release button 16 is fully pressed, assuming that the actual shooting has been performed. Further, since this preliminary photographed image is an image obtained after photographing preparation, it is possible to record an image with good focus, exposure, and white balance, and to prevent the image from being recorded on the memory card 152 in vain. be able to.

  As described above, after the release button 16 is half-pressed and released halfway before being fully pressed, a preliminary image obtained after the completion of the preparation for shooting is recorded in the memory card 152.

  Thereafter, the CPU 110 sets the photographing preparation completion flag to “0” (step S23), and sets the recording completion flag to “0” (step S24). Then, the process returns to step S10 and waits for the next shooting.

  If the shooting preparation completion flag is set to “0” in step S21, preliminary shooting is not performed even if the half-press is released before the release button 16 is fully pressed. In this case, the process returns to step S10 and waits for the next shooting.

  As described above, when the preliminary shooting function is set to ON, an image is recorded on the memory card 152 as long as the preparation for shooting is completed even if the half-press is released before the release button 16 is fully pressed. . As a result, the image is recorded on the memory card 152 even when the half-press is released before the release button 16 is fully pressed, assuming that the actual shooting is performed by pressing the release button 16 half-way. Can do. In particular, this is effective for a camera in which the display on the LCD panel 20 is blacked out when the release button 16 is pressed halfway, a camera in which a through image freezes, a camera that notifies the completion of focusing by sound, and the like.

  In addition, since the pre-photographed image recorded when the release button 16 is half-pressed is obtained after preparation for photographing, an image with good focus, exposure, and white balance can be recorded, and the image is wasted on the memory card 152 unnecessarily. Recording can be prevented.

  In the above embodiment, when the main shooting is performed, the preliminary shooting image is not recorded. However, even when the main shooting is performed, the preliminary shooting image is recorded. It may be.

  However, since the same type of image is recorded twice as long as the main shooting is performed, the preliminary shooting image is recorded as in the above embodiment when the main shooting is performed. It is preferable not to do so. Alternatively, it may be possible for the user to select whether or not to record a pre-photographed image when main photographing is performed.

  In the above embodiment, the pre-shooting image is automatically recorded on the memory card 152 when the half-press is released before the release button 16 is fully pressed after the preparation for shooting is completed. Before recording on the memory card 152, a preview image may be displayed as a preview on the LCD panel 20 to inquire the photographer about the necessity of recording. As a result, it is possible to prevent unnecessary images from being unnecessarily recorded on the memory card 152 and squeezing the storage capacity of the memory card 152. Note that it is preferable that the user can arbitrarily set ON / OFF the function of inquiring whether or not to record the preliminary photographed image.

  In the above embodiment, the preliminary photographing function can be arbitrarily turned on / off, but the preliminary photographing function may always function.

  In addition, in the case of a digital camera having a function of generating a shutter sound in a pseudo manner when actual shooting is performed, and having a function of arbitrarily turning on / off the generation of the shutter sound, When the shutter sound is set to OFF, the preliminary shooting function may be automatically set to ON.

  Further, when the display on the LCD panel 20 is set to OFF, the preliminary photographing function may be automatically set to OFF.

  In the above embodiment, when the preliminary shooting function is set to ON, the preliminary captured image is acquired immediately after the preparation for shooting is completed. However, the preliminary captured image is acquired immediately after the half-press is released. It may be. In addition, while the release button 16 is half-pressed, the preliminary captured images may be sequentially acquired, and the image acquired immediately before the half-press release may be recorded as the preliminary captured image.

  Further, in the above embodiment, when the preliminary shooting function is set to ON, preliminary shooting is performed only when shooting preparation is completed. However, when AF is completed, that is, the main subject is focused. At this stage, it may be determined that the preparation for shooting has been completed, and preliminary shooting may be executed. Alternatively, preliminary photographing may be executed by determining that photographing preparation is completed at the timing when AE is completed, that is, at the stage where exposure setting for obtaining proper exposure is completed.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the digital camera 10 when preliminary shooting is performed after AF is completed.

  The basic processing operation is the same as that when performing preliminary shooting upon completion of the above-described shooting preparation. In other words, in the above embodiment, preliminary shooting is performed upon completion of shooting preparation, but in this example, preliminary shooting is performed upon completion of AF. Therefore, completion of exposure setting or the like is not questioned.

  After half-pressing the release button 16, AF control is performed, and when it is determined in step S31 that AF has been completed (when it is determined that the main subject has been focused), preliminary shooting is performed, and the preliminary shooting is performed. The preliminary photographed image obtained by the above is temporarily recorded in the memory 120 (steps S30 to S34). As long as the preliminary shooting is performed, the image obtained by the preliminary shooting is recorded in the memory card 152 even if the half-press is released before the release button 16 is fully pressed (step S42). ).

  In the case of this example, when preliminary shooting is performed upon completion of AF, the AF completion flag is set to “1”, and preliminary shooting is performed depending on whether or not this AF completion flag is set to “1”. It is determined whether or not.

  By performing preliminary shooting after AF is completed in this way, it is misunderstood that the image was shot when the release button 16 was pressed halfway, and even when the release button 16 was released before it was fully pressed, the focus was good. Images can be acquired. Thereby, the loss of the photographing opportunity due to misunderstanding can be prevented.

  In the above embodiment, the focus evaluation value is obtained using the output of the image sensor 134, and AF control is performed by searching the position where the focus evaluation value is the maximum (so-called contrast AF). However, this method is not limited to this. A dedicated distance sensor may be provided in the camera body, and AF control may be performed based on the output of the distance sensor.

  Further, the confirmation of focusing may be performed continuously, and if a position where the focus evaluation value is maximum is detected twice consecutively, it may be determined that focusing (AF completion) has been performed.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the digital camera 10 when preliminary shooting is performed after completion of AE.

  The basic processing operation is the same as that when performing preliminary shooting upon completion of the above-described shooting preparation. In other words, in the above embodiment, preliminary shooting is performed upon completion of shooting preparation, but in this example, preliminary shooting is performed upon completion of AE. Therefore, the focus state is not questioned.

  After half-pressing the release button 16, AE control is performed, and if it is determined in step S51 that AE has been completed (exposure setting for obtaining proper exposure is performed), preliminary shooting is performed, and the preliminary shooting is performed. The preliminary photographed image obtained by the above is temporarily recorded in the memory 120 (steps S50 to S54). As long as the preliminary shooting is performed, the image obtained by the preliminary shooting is recorded in the memory card 152 even if the half-press is released before the release button 16 is fully pressed (step S62). ).

  In the case of this example, when preliminary shooting is performed with AE completion, the AE completion flag is set to “1”, and preliminary shooting is performed depending on whether or not the AE completion flag is set to “1”. It is determined whether or not.

  In this way, by performing preliminary shooting upon completion of AE, it is misunderstood that the image was shot when the release button 16 was pressed halfway, and even when the release button 16 is released before it is fully pressed, good exposure is obtained. Images can be acquired. Thereby, the loss of the photographing opportunity due to misunderstanding can be prevented.

  In this example, preliminary exposure is performed when exposure setting for obtaining proper exposure is performed, but the brightness (photometric value) of the subject acquired in the process of AE control is set in advance. If it is within the range, preliminary shooting may be performed.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the digital camera 10 when performing preliminary shooting when the photometric value is within a preset range.

  The basic processing operation is the same as that when performing preliminary shooting upon completion of the above-described shooting preparation. That is, in the above-described embodiment, preliminary shooting is performed upon completion of shooting preparation. In this example, the photometric value (subject brightness) acquired in the process of AE control is within a preset range. Then, preliminary shooting is performed (step S75).

  Specifically, after the release button 16 is pressed halfway, AE control is performed, and if it is determined in step S71 that photometry has been completed, it is determined whether or not the photometric value is within a preset range. (Step S72). When it is determined that the photometric value is within a preset range, preliminary shooting is performed, and a preliminary shooting image obtained by the preliminary shooting is temporarily recorded in the memory 120 (steps S73 to S75). . As long as this preliminary shooting is performed, even if the half-press is released before the release button 16 is fully pressed, an image obtained by the preliminary shooting is recorded on the memory card 152 (step S83).

  In the case of this example, when it is determined that the photometric value is within a preset range and preliminary shooting is performed, the photometric completion flag is set to “1”, and the photometric completion flag is set to “1”. Whether or not preliminary shooting is being performed is determined based on whether or not the image is captured.

  In this way, by performing preliminary shooting only when the photometric value is within a preset range, it is possible to prevent preliminary shooting of dark images or images that are too bright, and to record only good images. Become.

  In addition, if a person is included in an image acquired while the release button 16 is half-pressed, preliminary shooting may be performed. This person detection may be performed by detecting that the skin color is included in the image, or may be performed by detecting the face of the person from the image.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the digital camera 10 when preliminary shooting is performed when a skin color is included in an image.

  The basic processing operation is the same as that when performing preliminary shooting upon completion of the above-described shooting preparation. That is, in the above-described embodiment, preliminary shooting is performed upon completion of shooting preparation, but in this example, preliminary shooting is performed when a skin-colored subject is included in the image. Therefore, the focus state and the exposure state are not questioned. When skin color is detected in the image, preliminary shooting is performed, and the preliminary shooting image obtained by the preliminary shooting is temporarily recorded in the memory 120 (steps S92 to S96). As long as the preliminary shooting is performed, the image obtained by the preliminary shooting is recorded in the memory card 152 even if the half-press is released before the release button 16 is fully pressed (step S103). ).

  Here, the skin color is detected using the result of the light source type determination circuit 142j. That is, as described above, the light source type determination circuit 142j obtains the ratio of ΣR / ΣG and ΣB / ΣG in each divided area from the integrated value calculated by the AE / AWB detection unit 146, and as shown in FIG. The values of ΣR / ΣG and ΣB / ΣG are plotted in a two-dimensional space spanned by the R / G axis and the B / G axis, and the light source type is discriminated from the shape of the distribution. The presence or absence can be detected. Therefore, the presence / absence of a skin color region in the image can be detected from the result of the light source type determination circuit 142j.

  After the release button 16 is half-pressed, shooting preparation is performed, and it is determined whether or not the AWB control is completed (step S91). When it is determined that the AWB control is completed, the presence or absence of skin color is determined from the result of the AWB (step S92). If it is determined that the image has a flesh color, preliminary shooting is performed, and the preliminary shooting image obtained by the preliminary shooting is temporarily recorded in the memory 120 (steps S93 to S96).

  In this example, when it is detected that skin color is included in the image and preliminary shooting is performed, the AWB completion flag is set to “1”, and whether or not the AWB completion flag is set to “1”. Thus, it is determined whether or not preliminary shooting is being performed.

  In this way, when the skin color is included in the image, the preliminary shooting is performed, and it is assumed that the image is shot by half-pressing the release button 16, and the release button 16 is released before the release button is fully pressed. However, an image including a person can be reliably recorded on the memory card 152 without missing a shot. Thereby, the loss of the photographing opportunity due to misunderstanding can be prevented.

  The detection of the skin color area included in the image is not limited to the above method. In addition, the skin color region may be extracted from the image by the digital signal processing unit 142 to detect the presence or absence of the skin color region included in the image.

  Also, as digital camera shooting modes, image processing suitable for portrait photography (for example, color adjustment processing or brightness adjustment processing that makes skin color clear) and exposure control are performed on images obtained by shooting. It is also possible to prepare a mode (portrait shooting mode) to be performed and automatically set the preliminary shooting function to ON when the person shooting mode is set. Thus, since shooting is performed on the premise that a person is shot, useless preliminary shooting can be prevented when no person is detected in the image (when skin color is not detected).

  When the preliminary shooting function is set to ON in such a person shooting mode, if the skin color is not detected as a result of the skin color detection process after half-pressing the release button 16, the photographer is notified. It is preferable to perform a warning (for example, display an error message on the LCD panel 20, sound a warning sound, turn on or blink a warning lamp), and notify that no person is included in the image. As a result, an image without a person is photographed, and image processing suitable for the person is performed on the image, so that it is possible to prevent an unnatural image with a deteriorated color tone or the like from occurring.

  When preliminary shooting is performed when a human face is detected from an image, the following is performed.

  FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of a digital camera when preliminary shooting is performed when a human face is detected from an image. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same structural member as the digital camera of the said embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, the digital camera 10a of this example is different from the digital camera 10 of the above-described embodiment in that a face detection unit 160 is provided.

  Therefore, only the face detection unit 160 will be described here.

  The face detection unit 160 is connected to each unit via the bus 114, and detects a face included in the image from the input image data in accordance with a command from the CPU 110. In this face detection, for example, a template image having a plurality of face shapes is prepared, a correlation between the template image and the image is calculated, and a human face is detected by using the correlation value as a face candidate region.

  Hereinafter, a face detection method using this template image will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the template image is for detecting a correlation value with an image (detection target image) from which a face image is to be detected.

  While the template image scans the detection target image, the correlation value at each position is detected, and the detected correlation value is compared with the threshold value. The position of the search window when the coefficient value is equal to or greater than the threshold value is determined as the position of the face image in the detection target image.

  First, when a detection target image is obtained, a search window is defined. The search window has a rectangular shape and is the same size as the template image.

  The normalized cross-correlation coefficient r between the image in the search window and the template image is expressed by the following equation [r = {<T · I> − <T> · <I>} / {□ (t) · □ (I) Where T is the template image, I is the image in the search window, <> is the average of those enclosed in <and>, and □ represents the standard deviation] Are compared. As described above, the position of the search window when the coefficient value is equal to or greater than the threshold is determined as the position of the face image in the detection target image.

  The search window is moved within the detection target image by a small distance in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and the normalized cross-correlation coefficient is calculated again at the position after the movement. The movement of the search window is repeated, and the normalized cross-correlation coefficient calculation process at the position after the movement is performed. A face image portion in the target image is detected based on the obtained normalized cross-correlation coefficient.

  As described above, face detection is performed. Note that the method for extracting a face from an image is not limited to this. In addition, for example, skin color data is extracted from the original image, and a cluster of photometric points determined to be in the skin color range is extracted as a face, or photometric data is converted into hue and saturation, and the converted hue / saturation is converted. A method for judging a face area by creating and analyzing a two-dimensional histogram, a method for extracting a face candidate area corresponding to the shape of a human face, and determining a face area from features in the area, from an image Methods for extracting the outline of a human face and determining a face area are known, and can be detected using these methods.

  When the release button 16 is half-pressed, the CPU 110 adds an image obtained from the image sensor 134 to the face detection unit 160 and performs face detection processing.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the digital camera when preliminary shooting is performed when a face is included in an image.

  The basic processing operation is the same as that when performing preliminary shooting upon completion of the above-described shooting preparation. In other words, in the above-described embodiment, preliminary shooting is performed upon completion of shooting preparation. In this example, if a face is included in the image, preliminary shooting is performed (step S115). Therefore, the focus state and the exposure state are not questioned.

  When the release button 16 is half-pressed, face detection processing is performed simultaneously with preparation for shooting. Then, it is determined whether or not the face detection process is completed (step S111). If it is determined that the face detection process is completed, the presence or absence of a face is determined based on the detection result (step S112). If it is determined that there is a face in the image, preliminary shooting is performed, and the preliminary shooting image obtained by the preliminary shooting is temporarily recorded in the memory 120 (steps S113 to S115). As long as the preliminary shooting is performed, the image obtained by the preliminary shooting is recorded in the memory card 152 even when the half-press is released before the release button 16 is fully pressed (step S123). ).

  In this example, when it is detected that a face is included in the image and preliminary shooting is performed, the face detection completion flag is set to “1”, and the face detection completion flag is set to “1”. Whether or not preliminary shooting is being performed is determined based on whether or not the image is captured.

  In this way, when the face is included in the image, the pre-shooting is performed so that it is mistaken for a photograph that is taken by half-pressing the release button 16, and the release button 16 is released before the full-press. However, an image including a person can be reliably recorded on the memory card 152 without missing a shot. Thereby, the loss of the photographing opportunity due to misunderstanding can be prevented.

  As described above, a person shooting mode may be prepared as a shooting mode of the digital camera, and the preliminary shooting function may be automatically set to ON when the person shooting mode is set. Thus, since shooting is performed on the assumption that a person is shot, useless processing can be omitted when no person is detected in the image.

  Further, when the preliminary shooting function is set to ON in such a person shooting mode, if a face is not detected as a result of the face detection process after half-pressing the release button 16, the photographer is notified. It is preferable to warn and notify that no person is included in the image. As a result, an image without a person is photographed, and image processing suitable for the person is performed on the image, so that it is possible to prevent an unnatural image with a deteriorated color tone or the like from occurring.

  Note that in such a person shooting mode, it is assumed that a person is shot. Therefore, the threshold for the face detection described above is set to other modes (for example, normal shooting mode, image processing suitable for landscape shooting, and exposure control). It is preferable to set the threshold value higher than a threshold value set in a landscape shooting mode for performing image processing, a night scene shooting mode for performing image processing suitable for night scene shooting and exposure control, and the like. As a result, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection of the face and perform face detection with higher accuracy.

  In addition, when the digital camera is equipped with a shooting mode for a subject other than a person, such as a landscape shooting mode or a night view shooting mode, when the shooting mode for a subject other than the person is set. It is preferable that the preliminary photographing function is automatically set to OFF. Thereby, useless processing can be omitted.

  In addition, when strobe light emission is necessary at the time of actual photographing, it is preferable to prohibit recording of the preliminary photographed image even when preliminary photographing is performed. That is, in this case, the pre-photographed image is estimated to be dark and not good, so even if the half-press is released, recording to the memory card 152 is prohibited and the memory card 152 is uselessly stored. Prevent the capacity from being squeezed.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the digital camera in the case where recording of a pre-photographed image is prohibited when it is determined that strobe light emission is necessary during the main photographing.

  The basic processing operation is the same as the processing procedure for performing preliminary shooting when a face is included in the image. In this example, a face is detected in the image and preliminary shooting is performed (step S135), and even when the half-press of the release button 16 is released before the release button 16 is fully pressed, the flash is used during the main shooting. When light emission is necessary, recording to the memory card 152 is prohibited.

  That is, in the digital camera of this example, when the release button 16 is half-pressed, face detection is performed simultaneously with preparation for shooting. Then, the presence / absence of the face detection is determined (step S132). When it is determined that the face detection is completed, the presence / absence of the face is determined (step S133). If it is determined that there is a face, preliminary shooting is performed, and a preliminary shooting image obtained by the preliminary shooting is temporarily recorded in the memory 120 (steps S133 to S136).

  After the preliminary shooting, when the half-press is released before the release button 16 is fully pressed, it is determined in S143 whether or not the flash emission is necessary during the main shooting (the recording completion flag is 0 and the face detection completion flag is set). (Only in the case of 1), if it is determined that the flash emission is unnecessary during the main photographing, the image obtained by the preliminary photographing is recorded in the memory card 152 (step S144).

  The necessity of flash emission at the time of actual shooting is determined based on the result of AE control performed after the release button 16 is half-pressed. If the result of AE control indicates that flash emission is required at the time of actual shooting. Even when preliminary shooting is performed, recording of the preliminary shot image is prohibited. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a useless image from being recorded on the memory card 152 and pressing the capacity of the memory card 152.

  In the above example, preliminary shooting is performed when a face is included in the image. However, when preliminary shooting is performed when preparation for shooting is completed, or when preliminary shooting is performed when AF is completed, appropriate shooting is performed. Even when pre-shooting is performed when the exposure setting for obtaining the exposure amount is completed, pre-shooting is performed when the photometric value is within a predetermined range, pre-shooting is performed when skin color is detected in the image, etc. If it is determined that strobe light emission is necessary at the time of actual photographing, recording of a preliminary photographed image can be prohibited.

  In the above embodiment, when the preparation for photographing is completed, AF is completed, exposure setting for obtaining an appropriate exposure amount is completed, or the photometric value is within a predetermined range, Alternatively, when skin color is detected in the image or when a face is detected in the image, preliminary shooting is performed. For example, preparation for shooting is completed and skin color is detected in the image. (Or when a face is detected in the image), preliminary shooting may be performed. Further, for example, when AF is completed and skin color is detected in the image (or a face is detected in the image), preliminary shooting may be performed. That is, a plurality of conditions may be set in combination, and preliminary shooting may be performed when all the set conditions are satisfied. The combination of conditions may be arbitrarily set by the user.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a digital camera has been described as an example. However, the application of the present invention is not limited to this, and all the two-stage release buttons are provided. The present invention can be applied to an imaging device such as a camera-equipped mobile phone.

The rear perspective view showing the appearance composition of the digital camera to which the present invention is applied Block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the digital camera Block diagram showing schematic configuration of digital signal processor Graph showing the range of color distribution such as light source type Flow chart showing the procedure of shooting and recording processing of the digital camera when the preliminary shooting mode is set to ON A flowchart showing a processing procedure of a digital camera when preliminary shooting is performed upon completion of AF The flowchart which shows the process sequence of the digital camera in the case of performing preliminary photography after AE completion Flowchart showing the processing procedure of the digital camera when pre-shooting is performed when the photometric value is within a preset range Flowchart showing the processing procedure of the digital camera when pre-shooting is performed when skin color is included in the image Block showing the electrical configuration of a digital camera when pre-shooting is performed when a human face is detected from an image Explanatory diagram of face detection method Flowchart showing the processing procedure of the digital camera when pre-shooting is performed when a face is included in the image Flowchart showing the processing procedure of the digital camera when prohibiting the recording of a pre-photographed image when it is determined that strobe light emission is necessary during the main shooting

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 10a ... Digital camera, 12 ... Camera body, 14 ... Lens barrel, 16 ... Release button, 18 ... Power switch, 20 ... LCD panel, 22 ... Viewfinder eyepiece window, 24 ... Operation mode changeover switch, 26 ... General-purpose key 28 ... MENU / OK button, 30 ... cancel button, 32 ... display button, 34 ... function button, 110 ... CPU, 112 ... operation unit, 114 ... bus, 116 ... ROM, 118 ... flash ROM, 120 ... memory (SDRAM) ), 122 ... VRAM, 126 ... imaging optical system, 126a ... photographing lens, 126a 1 _... focus lens, 126a 2 _... zoom lens, 126b ... iris, 126c ... infrared cut filter, 126d ... optical low-pass filter, 128 ... focus motor driver 130 ... Zoom motor driver, 132 ... Iris motor driver, 134 ... Image sensor, 136 ... Image sensor controller, 138 ... Analog signal processor, 140 ... A / D converter, 142 ... Digital signal processor, 142a ... White balance gain calculation Circuit 142b Offset correction circuit 142c Gain correction circuit 142d Gamma correction circuit 142e RGB interpolation calculation unit 142f RGB / YC conversion circuit 142g Noise filter 142h Contour correction circuit 142i Color difference matrix Circuit 142j... Light source type determination circuit 144 144 AF detection unit 146 AE / AWB detection unit 148 compression / decompression processing unit 150 media controller 152 storage medium (memory card) 154 display control unit 156 ... Strobe control unit, 158 ... Strobe 160 ... face detection unit

Claims (6)

In an imaging device that prepares for shooting by half-pressing the release button, acquires an image for recording from the imaging means by full pressing, and records it on a storage medium.
Shooting preparation completion detection means for detecting completion of shooting preparation;
When the completion of shooting preparation is detected by the shooting preparation completion detection means, an image acquisition means for acquiring an image for preliminary recording from the imaging means;
Half-press release detecting means for detecting half-release of the release button before full release of the release button;
When the half-press release detecting means detects the half-press release of the release button, a recording control means for recording the image for preliminary recording acquired by the image acquisition means on the storage medium;
An imaging apparatus comprising:   2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the photographing preparation includes at least focusing on a main subject, and the photographing preparation completion detection unit detects completion of focusing on the main subject.   2. The photographing preparation includes at least exposure setting for obtaining an appropriate exposure amount, and the photographing preparation completion detection unit detects completion of exposure setting for obtaining an appropriate exposure amount. The imaging device described in 1. In an imaging device that prepares for shooting by half-pressing the release button, acquires an image for recording from the imaging means by full pressing, and records it on a storage medium.
Skin color detection means for detecting a skin color area from an image obtained from the imaging means in response to a half-press of the release button;
When a skin color area is detected by the skin color detection means, an image acquisition means for acquiring an image for preliminary recording from the imaging means;
Half-press release detecting means for detecting half-release of the release button before full release of the release button;
When the half-press release detecting means detects the half-press release of the release button, a recording control means for recording the image for preliminary recording acquired by the image acquisition means on the storage medium;
An imaging apparatus comprising: In an imaging device that prepares for shooting by half-pressing the release button, acquires an image for recording from the imaging means by full pressing, and records it on a storage medium.
Subject detection means for detecting a specific subject from an image obtained from the imaging means in response to a half-press of the release button;
An image acquisition unit that acquires an image for preliminary recording from the imaging unit when a specific subject is detected by the subject detection unit;
Half-press release detecting means for detecting half-release of the release button before full release of the release button;
A recording control means for recording an image for preliminary recording acquired by the image acquisition means on the storage medium when the half-press release of the release button is detected by the half-press release detection means;
An imaging apparatus comprising: Strobe,
Determining means for determining whether or not the strobe light is required;
And the recording control means is configured to perform the preliminary recording even if the half-press release detecting means detects the half-press release of the release button when the determination means determines that the strobe light emission is necessary. 6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein recording of an image on the storage medium is prohibited.

Images