JP2009048031A - Photographing device and program thereof, and image display apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain time information suitable for photographic state. <P>SOLUTION: In a digital camera, a user selects one scene from a plurality of scenes (photographic conditions) in a best shot mode (photographic condition selecting picture), and when shutter key is depressed, the camera is controlled, according to the selected scene and photographing is carrier out. Also, photographing time is captured, at the same time and, a unit for the photographing time is altered according to the result of the selection of the scene. Thereafter, the data of the selected scene, the photographed image, and the photographing time, the unit of which has been altered, are recorded as photographic data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging device, a program thereof, and an image display device, and more particularly to an imaging device having a clock function, a program thereof, and an image display device.

Conventionally, for example, in the case of a general digital camera, the photographing time can be recorded together with the image, and the photographing time can be confirmed when the photographed image is displayed.
JP-A-8-184894

  However, in conventional digital cameras, the time display is often in units of minutes, and the recorded unit of captured images is often in units of seconds. For this reason, for example, when high-speed continuous shooting is performed, there is a problem that the shooting time of the obtained image becomes the same time, which is clearly difficult to understand. Further, even if it is possible to display (record) up to a unit of less than a second, the unit of less than a second often becomes unnecessary information in single shooting.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a photographing apparatus capable of obtaining time information suitable for the photographing situation, a program thereof, and an image display apparatus.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the imaging apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention can set a plurality of imaging conditions, a selection unit that selects the imaging conditions from the plurality of imaging conditions, and the selection unit. Photographing control means for performing photographing control according to a selection result, time measuring means for measuring time, and time unit changing means for changing a unit of time measured by the time measuring means according to a selection result of the selecting means; It is characterized by having.

  Further, in the photographing apparatus according to claim 2, the time measuring means includes means for measuring time, and the time unit changing means includes means for changing a unit of time measured by the time measuring means. .

  In the photographing apparatus according to a third aspect, the photographing condition includes a continuous shooting speed or a shutter speed.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a photographing apparatus including image data obtained by photographing control by the photographing control means, data indicating a selection result by the selecting means, and data indicating a time counted by the time measuring means. A recording control means for recording data on the recording medium, wherein the time unit changing means is a data time indicating the time recorded on the recording medium in accordance with the data indicating the selection result recorded by the recording control means. A unit for changing the unit is further provided.

  In the photographing apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the recording control unit records, on a recording medium, data indicating the time measured by the timing unit together with the image data obtained by the photographing control by the photographing control unit. When recording, the data whose time unit has been changed by the time unit changing means is recorded on the recording medium as the shooting time.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a photographing apparatus including a display means for displaying a through image at the time of photographing or image data recorded by the recording control means, the through image, or the image data and the time. Display control means for displaying the time when the time unit is changed by the unit changing means by the display means is further provided.

  Further, in the photographing apparatus according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the display unit displays a time to be displayed together with the image according to the selection result by the selection unit or the data indicating the selection result recorded by the recording control unit. Time display changing means for changing the expression method is further provided.

  In the photographing apparatus according to claim 8, the time unit changing unit further includes a first setting unit that allows a unit of time corresponding to the selection result by the selection unit to be set by a user instruction. .

  Further, in the photographing apparatus according to the ninth aspect, the time display changing unit includes a second setting unit that enables a time display expression method corresponding to the selection result by the selection unit to be set by a user instruction. In addition.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for a photographing apparatus including a computer having a photographing unit that includes a time measuring unit for measuring time and capable of setting a plurality of photographing conditions. A selection unit that selects a shooting unit, a shooting control unit that performs shooting control according to a selection result by the selection unit, and a time unit that changes a unit of time counted by the timing unit according to a selection result of the selection unit It functions as a changing means.

  An image display device according to an invention of claim 11 is an image display device capable of displaying an image recorded on a recording medium and time, and from the data recorded on the recording medium, image data and The acquisition unit for acquiring data indicating the imaging condition and the data indicating the time, and the time unit for changing the unit of the data indicating the time acquired by the acquisition unit according to the data indicating the imaging condition acquired by the acquisition unit A change means and the time display change means for changing an expression method when displaying the time acquired by the acquisition means according to the data indicating the photographing condition acquired by the acquisition means.

  Time information can be obtained in units of time suitable for shooting conditions.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a digital camera 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The digital camera 1 has a CCD 2 and a DSP / CPU 3 as photographing means. The DSP / CPU 3 is a one-chip microcomputer that has various digital signal processing functions including image data compression / decompression and audio data processing, and controls each part of the digital camera 1.

  The DSP / CPU 3 is connected with a TG (Timing Generator) 4 for driving the CCD 2, and the TG 4 is connected with a unit circuit 5 for inputting an analog photographing signal corresponding to the optical image of the subject output from the CCD 2. Has been. The unit circuit 5 includes a CDS that holds an input photographing signal, a gain adjustment amplifier (AGC) that amplifies the photographing signal, and an A / D converter (AD) that converts the amplified imaging signal into a digital photographing signal. The output signal of the CCD 2 is sent to the DSP / CPU 3 as a digital signal through the unit circuit 5. The DSP / CPU 3 is connected to a display device 6, a key input unit 7, and a time measuring unit 8, and is connected to a buffer memory (DRAM) 10, a ROM 11, and a storage memory 12 via an address / data bus 9. . The buffer memory 10 is a buffer for temporarily storing photographed image data of a subject photographed by the CCD 2 and digitized, and is also used as a working memory of the DSP / CPU 3. The captured image data temporarily stored in the buffer memory 10 is compressed (encoded) by the DSP / CPU 3 and finally stored as a still image file or a moving image file having a predetermined format (JPEG method or the like). 12 is recorded. The ROM 11 includes various tables including operation programs for the DSP / CPU 3 and scene numbers used for control of each unit, and correspondence tables for scenes corresponding to the scene numbers, sample images, shooting conditions, time units, time display expressions, and the like. Data is stored, and the DSP / CPU 3 operates in accordance with the operation program, thereby selecting means, photographing control means, time measuring means, time unit changing means, recording control means, display means, display control means, time display change. Functions as a first setting means and a second setting means. FIG. 2 is an example of a correspondence table for each scene recorded in the ROM 11, and controls corresponding to the selected scene are performed according to the correspondence table.

  The ROM 11 also stores program AE data constituting a through program diagram showing a combination of an aperture value (F) corresponding to an exposure value (EV) at the time of shooting, a shutter speed, and a gain value. The charge accumulation time set by the DSP / CPU 3 based on the shutter speed set by the program diagram is supplied as a shutter pulse to the CCD 2 via the TG 4, and the charge accumulation time, that is, the exposure time is obtained by operating the CCD 2 in accordance with this. Is controlled. That is, the CCD 2 functions as an electronic shutter.

  The display device 6 includes a color LCD and its drive circuit, and displays the subject image captured by the CCD 2 as a through image when in the shooting standby state, and is read from the storage memory 12 and expanded when the recorded image is reproduced. Display the recorded image. The key input unit 7 includes a plurality of operation keys such as a shutter key, a power key, and a mode switching key, and outputs a key input signal corresponding to a key operation by a user (user) to the DSP / CPU 3. The time measuring unit 8 can measure up to 1/1000 second, and measures the photographing time in units of 1/1000 second, and this time is taken into the DSP / CPU 3.

Next, a first embodiment of the present invention in the digital camera 1 having the above configuration will be described.
When the user enters the best shot mode (shooting condition selection screen) by operating the mode switching key, the DSP / CPU 3 executes processing according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 based on the program. That is, on the screen in the best shot mode, the sample images and numbers of the respective scenes (shooting conditions) in the correspondence table (FIG. 2) recorded in the ROM 11 are displayed (step S101). The sample image includes an image representing shooting conditions such as high-speed continuous shooting and low-speed continuous shooting. And it waits until one scene (sample image) is selected by the user's key operation of the key input unit 7 from the plurality of sample images (step S102), and when it is determined that it is selected (YES side), step S103 is performed. Proceed to

  Next, the process waits until the shutter key is pressed (step S103). If it is determined that the shutter key is pressed (YES side), the shooting corresponding to the scene selected in step S102 is performed according to the correspondence table recorded in the ROM 11. The digital camera 1 is controlled according to the conditions, and shooting is performed (step S104). Further, after shooting, the current time in 1/1000 second is acquired as the shooting time from the time measuring unit 8 (step S105), the shot image obtained in step S104, the number of the scene selected in step S102, and step S105. In step S106, the photographing time acquired in step 1 is associated with the photographing time and recorded in the storage memory 12 as photographing data. Here, the shooting data is a still image file, and the aforementioned scene number and shooting time are recorded as metadata of the still image file.

Next, the process at the time of reproduction of a captured image is shown in the flowchart of FIG.
When the playback mode is selected by the user's operation of the mode switching key, the shooting data recorded in the storage memory 12 is read in step S106. Here, when the playback mode is selected, first, shooting data (shooting data number n = 1) recorded in the storage memory 12 is selected (step S201), and shooting data is read (step S202). Next, a scene number is detected from the read shooting data (step S203), and the shooting time in the shooting data read in step S202 is expressed in the time unit and time display corresponding to the scene number detected in step S203. The change is made according to the correspondence table recorded in the ROM 11 (step S204). In step S204, the shooting time at which the time unit and the time display are changed is displayed on the display screen of the display device 6 together with the shot image (step S205). . Thereafter, it is determined whether or not an operation for switching the displayed captured image has been performed by the key input unit 7 (step S206). If it is determined in step S206 that an operation for switching the captured image has been performed (YES side), the captured data number is set to n = n + 1, the process returns to step S202, and processing for the next recorded captured data is performed (step S207). ). If it is determined in step S206 that the operation for switching the captured image has not been performed (NO side), the display in step S205 is continued.

  Here, in the present embodiment, changing the unit of shooting time is a digital camera provided with a time counting unit capable of timing up to 1/1000 second, and thus, for example, day, hour, minute, second, 1 / It is to determine to what time unit the photographing time is displayed among 10 seconds, 1/100 seconds, and 1/1000 seconds. The expression method of the time display is, for example, an analog chronograph clock, 4 digits This is to change the time expression method such as a digital clock, a 6-digit digital clock, an 8-digit digital clock, a 2-hand clock, or a 3-hand clock.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of a time unit changing method and a time display expression method. FIG. 5A shows an 8-digit digital clock, FIG. 5B shows a 6-digit digital clock, and FIG. c) shows a two-hand clock, and FIG. 5 (d) shows a three-hand clock and a six-digit digital clock displayed simultaneously.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to know the shooting time by the unit suitable for the selected shooting condition or the expression of the time display. Taking FIG. 2 as an example, accurate shooting time can be obtained even in a shot image obtained by high-speed continuous shooting by displaying up to 1/10 second unit at the time of high-speed continuous shooting. Further, since the photographing time unit or the expression of the time display is changed corresponding to the photographing condition, the photographing condition can be estimated / aggregated from the photographing time unit or the time display expression. Further, when shooting data is recorded, it is recorded in the storage memory 12 as data without changing the unit of shooting time. That is, assuming that the time counting unit 8 can measure the time up to 1/1000 second, the data obtained by measuring the photographing time up to 1/1000 second is recorded as the photographing time as it is, so that the highly accurate photographing time is recorded as data. When shooting data is displayed, it is possible to know the shooting time by using a unit suitable for the scene or a time display suitable for the scene.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the second embodiment. From step S301 to step S305, the same processing of the flowchart as in steps S101 to S105 of FIG. 3 in the first embodiment is executed. However, when the shooting time is acquired (step S305), the shooting time acquired in step S305 is then set. The time unit corresponding to the number of the scene selected in step S302 is changed according to the correspondence table recorded in the ROM 11 (step S306), and the shooting time when the time unit is changed is changed to the number of the shot image and the selected scene. At the same time, it is recorded as image data in the storage memory 12 (step S307).

  Therefore, it is possible to record the shooting time data in units of time that seems to be optimal for the selected scene, and when shooting the data, the shooting time can be recorded in the shot scene without any special processing. It can be displayed in a suitable time unit and time display expression method. Further, when organizing and managing data, it is also possible to estimate and aggregate shooting conditions from shooting time units.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the third embodiment. The sample images and numbers of each scene in the correspondence table recorded in the ROM 11 are displayed on the best shot mode screen (step S401). When it is determined that the user has selected one scene from the plurality of sample images (step S402), the current time is acquired from the time counting unit 8 (step S403). Subsequently, the current time unit and time display expression acquired in step S403 are changed to the time unit and time display expression corresponding to the scene number selected in step S402 according to the correspondence table recorded in the ROM 11. (Step S404).

  Next, in step S404, the time unit and the current time at which the time display expression is changed are displayed on the through image display screen of the display device 6 (step S405), and it is determined whether or not the shutter key has been pressed (step S405). S406). Here, when the shutter key is not pressed (NO side), the processing of steps S403 to S405 is repeated, and the current time is continuously displayed and updated.

  If it is determined in step S406 that the shutter key has been pressed (YES side), the digital camera 1 is controlled according to the shooting conditions corresponding to the scene number selected in step S402 according to the correspondence table recorded in the ROM 11. Then, photographing is performed (step S407). Next, the shooting time is acquired (step S408), and the shooting time is changed to the expression of the time unit and the time display corresponding to the scene number selected in step S402 according to the correspondence table recorded in the ROM 11 (step S408). S409). Then, the photographic image, the selected scene number, the time unit, and the photographic time at which the expression of the time display is changed are recorded in the storage memory 12 as photographic data (step S410).

  Therefore, on the through image display screen of the display device 6 at the time of shooting, the current time can be confirmed by the time unit considered to be suitable for the selected scene or the time display expression method, and is recorded after shooting. Since the shooting time is recorded in the same way as the unit and expression method displayed in the through image, the time unit when reproducing the recorded shooting data and the expression method of the time display are confirmed in the through image at the time of shooting. be able to. Also, since the time unit or time display expression method is changed according to the scene selection result, the selected scene is selected from the time unit displayed on the through image display screen or the time display expression method. It is also possible to guess.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing processing when the setting mode is selected by the user's operation of the mode switching key and the setting of the correspondence table (FIG. 2) is changed. When the setting mode is selected by the user's operation of the mode switching key (step S501), a list of sample images of each scene is displayed (step S502), and it is determined whether or not one scene has been selected. (Step S503). When a scene is selected in step S503 (YES side), a menu of time units that can be set next is displayed in a list (step S504), and it is determined whether one of them is selected by a key operation. Is performed (step S505). When the user selects a time unit in step S505 (YES side), a list of time display expression methods that can be set is displayed in a list (step S506), and the user selects one of them by key operation. Whether or not is determined (step S507). In step S507, when the user selects time display expression (YES side), the time unit corresponding to the scene selected in step S503 in the correspondence table recorded in the ROM 11 and the time display expression method are set in step S505. And based on the selection result in step S507 (step S508). The setting change of the correspondence table recorded in the ROM 11 performed by this processing is overwritten and stored in the ROM 11 and is reflected at the next shooting even if the digital camera 1 is turned off.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the apparatus further includes a unit for setting a time unit that is considered to be optimal for each scene, or a method for expressing a time display, so that the user can It is possible to record and display the shooting time in the unit and expression method that seems to be optimal.

(Modification)
In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the unit can be changed up to the time unit that the time counting unit 8 can measure has been described as an example. The unit may be changed up to. For example, in a digital camera equipped with a time counting unit 8 capable of timing up to a second unit, when a plurality of images are obtained by continuous shooting, the time when the first image was taken is the time counted from the time counting unit 8 Used from the second image, the shooting time is calculated from the shooting interval time at the continuous shooting speed at the time of shooting and the time when the first image was shot, and shooting in units of 1/10 second and 1/100 second It is also possible to acquire the time.

  Further, in each of the above embodiments, the case where the unit of the photographing time and the expression of the time display are changed has been described as an example, but the same effect as each of the above embodiments can be obtained even in the case of time instead of time. . For example, during continuous shooting, the time from when the shutter button is pressed until the end of the shooting interval or series of continuous shots is counted, and the unit of time and time display according to the continuous shooting speed It is also possible to change the expression method.

  In each of the above embodiments, the user selects one scene from the sample image list display on the best shot mode screen. However, the method for selecting a scene is not limited to this, and the best shot mode state is displayed. Only the scene name may be displayed on the display screen, or the continuous shooting speed and the shutter speed may be set by the user's key operation.

  In each of the above embodiments, the unit of the photographing time displayed on the display screen and the method for expressing the time display may be switched on the display screen by a user key operation.

  In each of the above embodiments, when displaying the time, the digital clock or the analog clock is displayed on the display screen. However, the method of expressing the shooting time is not limited to this, and allows the user to recognize the time. It is only necessary to display an image of an expression that can be displayed on the display screen.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the selected scene is recorded by a number when recording the shooting data. However, the selected scene is not necessarily a scene number, and the user can recognize the selected scene. Any data can be used. The same applies to the processing during playback.

  In the second embodiment, the shooting time with the changed time unit is recorded. However, the shooting time without changing the time unit and the data representing the time unit to be changed at the time of reproduction are recorded together with the shot image. May be.

  In the third embodiment, the shooting time in which the time unit and the expression method of the time display are changed is recorded. However, the data indicating the shooting time in which the unit is not changed and the time unit to be changed during reproduction. May be recorded together with the photographed image.

  In the continuous shooting in the third embodiment, the current time in which the unit of time and the expression method of time display are changed according to the scene selection result from the start of continuous shooting to the end of continuous shooting is a through image. May continue to be displayed.

  Further, the display position of the time in each of the above embodiments does not have to be at the lower right of the display screen as shown in FIG. 5, and may be displayed at any position within the display screen. Further, in FIG. 5D, a plurality of expression methods may be combined and displayed such that a 3-hand clock and a 6-digit digital clock are displayed simultaneously.

  In the fourth embodiment, when changing the setting of the time unit and the expression of the time display, the menu of the settable unit and the expression of the display is displayed as a list. It is not limited to. For example, when changing the setting of the time unit, the number of digits of the time unit may be displayed as a number. When changing the expression of the time display, display examples of each expression method may be displayed as a list with images. Alternatively, words such as “digital”, “3-needle analog”, and “digital + 2-needle analog” may be displayed in a list.

  Further, the settings made in step S505 and step S507 in the fourth embodiment are overwritten and saved in the ROM 11, and are reflected at the next shooting even if the power is turned off once. You may make it return to a setting.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the present invention is applied to the digital camera 1 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. In short, the subject is photographed and the time is counted. Any device that can be used is applicable.

  Furthermore, it is not necessary for the photographing apparatus to execute the processing for reproducing the recorded photographed image in FIG. 4 as long as the data recorded on the recording medium can be displayed as an image. .

  Finally, each of the above embodiments of the present invention is merely an example as the best embodiment, and is described for better understanding of the principle and structure of the present invention. However, it is not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, it should be understood that all the various variations and modifications that can be made to the above-described embodiments of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention and protected by the appended claims. .

It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the digital camera 1 which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the corresponding | compatible table showing an example of the expression method of the sample image memorize | stored in ROM11 corresponding to an imaging | photography scene, imaging | photography conditions, a time unit, and a time display. It is a flowchart which shows the process which the digital camera 1 in 1st Embodiment performs. 6 is a flowchart illustrating processing executed by the digital camera 1 when reproducing the captured data recorded in the first embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the imaging | photography time when the time unit and the expression method were changed. It is a flowchart which shows the process which the digital camera 1 in 2nd Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart which shows the process which the digital camera 1 in 3rd Embodiment performs. It is a flowchart which shows the process which the digital camera 1 in 4th Embodiment performs.

Explanation of symbols

1 Digital camera 2 CCD
3 DSP / CPU
4 TG
5 Unit Circuit 6 Display 7 Key Input Unit 8 Timekeeping Unit 9 Data Bus 10 Buffer Memory 11 ROM
12 Storage memory

Claims (11)

An imaging device capable of setting a plurality of imaging conditions,
Selecting means for selecting a shooting condition from the plurality of shooting conditions;
Photographing control means for performing photographing control according to a selection result by the selection means;
A time measuring means for measuring time;
A time unit changing means for changing a unit of time measured by the time measuring means according to a selection result of the selecting means;
An imaging device with The time measuring means includes means for measuring time,
2. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the time unit changing means includes means for changing a unit of time counted by the time measuring means.   The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the photographing condition includes a continuous shooting speed or a shutter speed. In addition to the image data obtained by the imaging control by the imaging control unit, the recording control unit further records data indicating the selection result by the selection unit and data indicating the time measured by the timing unit on a recording medium,
The time unit changing means further comprises means for changing a time unit of data indicating time recorded on the recording medium in accordance with data indicating the selection result recorded by the recording control means. The imaging device according to claim 1, 2 or 3.   When the data indicating the time measured by the time measuring unit is recorded on the recording medium together with the image data obtained by the imaging control by the imaging control unit, the data whose time unit is changed by the time unit changing unit is recorded. 4. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising recording control means for recording on a recording medium as photographing time. A display means for displaying a through image at the time of photographing or image data recorded by the recording control means;
Display control means for displaying the time when the time unit is changed by the time unit changing means together with the through image or the image data by the display means,
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:   The display control means further includes a time display change means for changing a time expression method to be displayed together with the image according to the selection result by the selection means or the data indicating the selection result recorded by the recording control means. The imaging device according to claim 6.   The said time unit change means is further equipped with the 1st setting means which makes it possible to set the unit of time corresponding to the selection result by the said selection means by a user's instruction | indication, The one of the Claims 1-7 characterized by the above-mentioned. The imaging device according to one item.   The said time display change means is further provided with the 2nd setting means which makes it possible to set the expression method of the time display matched with the selection result by the said selection means by a user's instruction | indication. Shooting device. Equipped with a time measuring means for measuring time,
A computer having a photographing device capable of setting a plurality of photographing conditions;
Selecting means for selecting a shooting condition from the plurality of shooting conditions;
Photographing control means for performing photographing control according to a selection result by the selection means;
A program for functioning as a time unit changing means for changing a unit of time measured by the time measuring means in accordance with a selection result of the selecting means. An image display device capable of displaying an image and time,
Acquisition means for acquiring image data, data indicating shooting conditions, and data indicating time;
A time unit changing unit for changing a time unit of data indicating a time acquired by the acquiring unit according to data indicating a photographing condition acquired by the acquiring unit;
An image display device comprising:

Images