JP2010050783A - Imaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent erroneous input, during imaging, in an imaging apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: A display unit 24 displays on a display screen G1 setting menu icons corresponding to setting contents relating to an imaging operation, and a touch panel 23 detects a touch from the outside to the setting menu icons. When a touch is detected from the touch panel 23, setting contents corresponding to the setting menu icons are changed and when it is determined that half-pressing of a shutter key is operated in an operation unit 27, the detection of the touch from an area, where the setting menu icons are displayed, in the touch panel 23 is invalidated. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus.

  In an imaging device such as a digital camera or a mobile phone with a camera function, a display screen such as a liquid crystal monitor is provided. On this display screen, a live view image before photographing and a photographed image are displayed. A touch panel may be installed in front of the display screen, and an imaging apparatus capable of inputting various instructions such as change of setting contents from the touch panel has been developed.

  In recent years, downsizing of the imaging apparatus as described above has been progressing. Moreover, in order to improve the visibility of an image, the enlargement of a display screen is desired. For this reason, in an imaging device equipped with a large display screen, a portion (grip space) for gripping the device main body at the time of shooting becomes small. For this reason, the user's finger and the display screen overlap at the time of shooting, and the image on the display screen becomes difficult to visually recognize.

For such a problem, in Patent Document 1, when it is detected that the camera is gripped by the user, the image display area is changed so as not to overlap the grip part of the touch panel (the part where the user's finger hits). However, a technique for improving the visibility of the image is described.
JP 2003-209719 A

  However, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 can improve the visibility of a live view image at the time of shooting, but cannot prevent erroneous input when the image pickup apparatus is held at the time of shooting. That is, when the user grips the imaging device during shooting, the finger touches the touch panel, which may cause an erroneous input. In recent miniaturized imaging devices, since the grip space is small, there is a risk of accidentally touching an icon such as a setting menu displayed on the touch panel during shooting.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to prevent erroneous input at the time of shooting in an imaging apparatus.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention described in claim 1
Display means for displaying an index corresponding to the setting content related to the imaging operation;
A contact detection means provided on a display screen in the display means for detecting contact from the outside with respect to the indicator displayed on the display means;
When contact with the index is detected by the contact detection means, changing means for changing the setting item of the setting content corresponding to the index;
Imaging means;
Determining means for determining whether or not it is a recording preparation period of an image imaged by the imaging means;
If it is determined that the recording preparation period by this determination means, invalidation means for invalidating detection by the contact detection means,
It is characterized by providing.

The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1,
When the determination unit determines that the recording preparation period is reached, the display unit further includes a display control unit that controls to hide the indicator displayed on the display unit.

The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2,
A shutter key having a contact detection unit for detecting contact from the outside;
The determination means determines whether or not it is the recording preparation period based on presence or absence of detection by the contact detection unit.

The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2,
It further comprises a shutter key having an operation detection unit that identifies and detects a half-press operation and a full-press operation,
The determination means determines whether or not it is the recording preparation period based on whether or not a half-press operation is detected by the operation detection unit.

The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The display means displays an image captured by the imaging means together with the index,
The display control means controls to hide only the index while the image is displayed on the display means.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent erroneous input at the time of shooting in the imaging apparatus.

  First, the configuration of a digital camera 10 to which an embodiment of an imaging apparatus according to the present invention is applied will be described. The present invention is not limited to the illustrated example.

  FIG. 1 shows an internal configuration of the digital camera 10 in the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the digital camera 10 includes a control unit 20, an imaging unit 21, an A / D (Analog-Digital) conversion unit 22, a touch panel 23, a display unit 24, a storage unit 25, an image processing unit 26, and an operation unit. 27, an I / F (InterFace) 28, an external storage I / O (Input Output) unit 29, and the like.

  The control unit 20 is configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like, and comprehensively controls each unit of the digital camera 10 according to a control program stored in the storage unit 25.

  The imaging unit 21 includes a lens unit, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), and the like, and photoelectrically converts a captured image incident through the lens unit into an analog signal. In the present embodiment, the imaging unit 21 has an AF (Auto Focus) function and can change the focal length (focus) of the lens unit.

  The A / D converter 22 converts the analog signal obtained by the imaging unit 21 into a digital signal and inputs the digital signal to the controller 20.

  The touch panel 23 functions as a contact detection unit, is provided integrally with the display unit 24, and detects the contact position of the operator's finger that contacts the display screen of the display unit 24. That is, the touch panel 23 is provided, for example, on the display screen of the display unit 24 or on the inner side of the display screen, and is touched on the display screen by a method such as a resistance film method, an ultrasonic surface acoustic wave method, or a capacitance method. The XY coordinates of the position are detected.

In FIG. 2, the area | region of the touch panel 23 in this Embodiment is shown typically.
As shown in FIG. 2, the area of the touch panel is represented in a plane coordinate system (hereinafter referred to as XY coordinates), and detects the coordinates of the part touched from the outside. In the present embodiment, the horizontal direction (X-axis direction, long side in the example of FIG. 2) of the touch panel is divided into 320 equal parts, and the vertical direction (Y-axis direction, short side in the example of FIG. 2) is 180 or the like. Expressed in divided coordinates. The touch panel 23 inputs coordinates detected by external contact to the control unit 20.

  The display unit 24 functions as a display unit and is installed on the back of the main body of the digital camera 10. The display unit 24 includes an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an EL (Electroluminescent) display, an LED (Light Emitting Diode), and the like, and is input from the control unit 20. A required display process is performed in accordance with the display control signal. The display unit 20 also has a function as a finder for continuously displaying captured images input via the lens. The display unit 24 may be provided not only on the back surface of the main body of the digital camera 10 but also on the top surface.

The storage unit 25 is configured by a non-volatile semiconductor memory as a computer-readable storage medium, and various control programs executed by the control unit 20, various processing programs including lock processing described later, and execution of these programs Necessary parameters, captured image data, a display content table T1, which will be described later, and the like are stored.
As other computer-readable media other than the storage unit 25, a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory and a portable recording medium such as a CD-ROM can be applied. Further, a carrier wave (carrier wave) can also be applied as a medium for providing program data according to the present invention via a communication line (not shown).

  The image processing unit 26 includes a circuit for image processing, and performs various types of image processing such as compression processing on the image captured by the image capturing unit 21.

The operation unit 27 includes a main power button, a shutter key, a release button, a playback button, a mode switching button, a cursor button, and the like, and outputs operation signals generated by pressing various buttons constituting the operation unit 27 to the control unit 20.
Note that the user first presses the shutter key of the operation unit 27 halfway when performing imaging. Half-press indicates that the shutter key is pushed to the middle point of the movable range of the shutter key. When a signal corresponding to the half-pressing operation is input from the operation unit 27 to the control unit 20, the control unit 20 determines that it is ready for recording and performs setting processing such as a focusing operation on the imaging unit 21.
Next, when the shutter key is fully pressed, a signal corresponding to the full pressing operation is input from the operation unit 27 to the control unit 20. Full pressing means pressing the shutter key to the full range of the shutter key. When a signal corresponding to the full-pressing operation is input to the control unit 20, a captured image recording process is performed by the imaging unit 21 based on the setting content set when the half-pressing is performed.
The shutter key includes a contact detection unit that detects that the shutter key is touched, and an operation detection unit that detects a half-press operation and a full-press operation. The contact detection unit and the operation detection unit may use a known technique that can detect contact with the shutter key or depression of the shutter key, and includes various sensors.

  The I / F 28 is an interface for connecting the digital camera 10 and an external device, and mediates data transmission / reception between the digital camera 10 and the external device.

  The external storage I / O unit 29 is configured such that a semiconductor memory such as a flash memory can be attached and detached.

Next, the operation will be described.
FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of the lock process executed by the digital camera 10. In the lock process, when an instruction of a shooting mode for shooting a subject is input to the control unit 20 from the operation unit 27 via the imaging unit 21, the program stored in the control unit 20 and the storage unit 25 is stored. It is realized by software processing through collaboration.
In the lock process, the touch detection of the icon area displayed on the display unit 24 is invalidated, and the display of the invalidated area is changed. Note that the following processing is performed by the control unit 20.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the shooting mode is entered, a display screen G1 including a setting menu icon and a live view image is displayed on the display unit 24 by referring to the display content table T1 (step S1). In this state, it is determined whether or not setting processing such as a focusing operation has been instructed as a recording preparation by a half-press operation of the shutter key by the user (step S2). The contact detection unit may detect contact from the outside to the shutter key, not limited to half-pressing the shutter key.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the display content table T1 referred to in step S1. As shown in FIG. 4, the display content table T1 includes a “display coordinate” field, a “detection range” field, a “display state” field, a “setting content” field, and the like.
The “display coordinates” field stores the coordinates at which the setting menu icon corresponding to the record is to be displayed on the display unit 24. The coordinates are XY coordinates on the touch panel 23 described above.
The “detection range” field stores the coordinates of the range in which the input corresponding to the record from the touch panel 23 is detected. Specifically, for example, the value of “(20, 120) − (60, 160)” is a rectangle whose diagonal on the line connecting the coordinates (20, 120) and (60, 160) on the touch panel 23. When a touch from the coordinates surrounded by the area is detected, it indicates that the setting menu icon corresponding to the record is selected from the touch panel 23. That is, in the “detection range” field, information on a position where an external contact corresponding to each setting menu icon is detected is stored.
In the “display state” field, icon images of the setting menu icons displayed on the display screen G1 are stored. These icon images are displayed on the display unit 24 as indexes corresponding to the setting contents related to the imaging operation of the imaging unit 21.
The “setting contents” field stores setting contents relating to the imaging operation of the imaging unit 21 indicated by the icon image corresponding to the record.

FIG. 5A shows an example of the display screen G1 displayed on the display unit 24 in step S1. As shown in FIG. 5A, the display screen G1 includes a live view image G1a, setting menu icons B10 to B16, and the like.
The live view image G1a is an image obtained by cyclically inputting an image captured by the imaging unit 21 via the control unit 20. The setting menu icons B10 to B16 are icons stored in the “display state” field of the display content table T1.

In step S1, specifically, the digital camera 10 displays an image that is cyclically picked up by the image pickup unit 21 as a live view image G1a on the display screen G1, and at the “display coordinates” field of the display content table T1. The icon image stored in the “display state” field of the corresponding record is displayed at the coordinates stored in.
In the state where the display screen G1 is displayed, for example, when the coordinates of (40, 150) on the touch panel 23 are touched, a menu for changing the setting item of the setting content of “timer shooting” can be displayed. . The setting item refers to each item of the setting contents. For example, when “timer shooting” is set, the timer shooting setting is a detailed setting such as “5 seconds”, “10 seconds”, or the like. By this operation, the control unit 20 functions as a changing unit.

Returning to FIG. 3, when it is determined that the halfway pressing operation of the shutter key is not detected and as a result, setting processing such as a focusing operation is not instructed (step S <b>2; NO), the processing returns to step S <b> 1.
On the other hand, when it is determined that a half-press operation of the shutter key is detected and setting processing such as a focusing operation is instructed (step S2; YES), the display content table T1 stored in the storage unit 25 is referred to (step S2). S3). The “detection range” field of the display content table T1 is referred to, the display screen G2 is displayed so that each icon image on the display screen G1 is hidden (not displayed) (step S4), and “detection” of the display content table T1 is displayed. The touch of the area in the “range” field is invalidated (step S5). Then, focusing processing is performed (step S6), and the focusing result is displayed (step S7).

FIG. 5B shows an example of the display screen G2 displayed on the display unit 24 in step S4. As shown in FIG. 5B, the display screen G2 includes a live view image G2a, a lock image E1, a lock image E2, and the like.
The live view image G2a is the same as the live view image G1a on the display screen G1. The lock image E1 and the lock image E2 are images displayed so as to hide the icons on the display screen G1 in step S3.
In step S5, the touch of the “detection range” field in the display content table T1 is invalidated. The invalidation of touch detection means that even if the touch panel 23 is touched and the touched coordinates are input to the control unit 20, the control unit 20 does not regard it as a touch. That is, when the touched coordinates (X, Y) are input to the control unit 20 by the touch of the touch panel 23, it means that the control unit 20 determines that no contact is made. The same applies to the following description. The control unit 20 functions as an invalidation unit and a display control unit by the processing in step S5.

  The lock image E1 and the lock image E2 shown in FIG. 5B are displayed so as to hide each icon while the live view image G2a is displayed. Input from the touch panel 23 in the areas of the lock image E1 and the lock image E2 is not accepted by the invalidation process in step S4. That is, the area of the lock image E1 and the lock image E2 on the display screen G2 can be used as a grip space for holding the digital camera 10 at the time of shooting.

Returning to FIG. 3, the control unit 20 further determines whether or not a captured image recording process has been instructed by a full pressing operation of the shutter key by the user (step S <b> 8). If it is determined that the shutter key full-press operation detection, that is, the captured image recording process has been instructed (step S8; YES), the image captured by the imaging unit 21 at that time is imaged via the control unit 20. In response to this, a recording process is performed in which the captured image that has been subjected to various types of image processing such as compression processing in the image processing unit 26 is stored in the storage unit 25 (step S9).
Then, the display content table T1 is referred to (step S10), and the display is returned to the display of each icon image (step S11). Next, the input from the touch panel 23 in the area invalidated in step S5 is validated (step S12), and the image recorded in step S9 is displayed together with the icon image of each setting menu icon for a certain period of time (step S12). S13). Thereafter, it is determined whether or not a certain time has elapsed (step S14). If it has elapsed, the process returns to step S1 (step S14; YES). If not, the display state of step S13 is maintained (step S13). Step S14; NO).

  The processing in step S12 will be described in detail. Specifically, input from the touch panel 23 in the area corresponding to the “detection range” field of the display content table T1 is validated. The validation of input means that, when coordinates are input from the touch panel 23 to the control unit 20, the control unit 20 recognizes that a contact from the coordinates is detected. That is, when the input from the setting menu icons B10 to B16 on the display screen G1 is validated and the area corresponding to the setting menu icons B10 to B16 is selected, the screen transitions to a menu for changing the setting contents. .

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S8 that the user has not pressed the shutter key fully and, as a result, the recording process of the captured image has not been instructed (step S8; NO), whether the shutter key is half-pressed is maintained. It is determined whether or not (step S15). If it is determined that the half-press is maintained, the process returns to step S7 (step S15; YES), and the focusing result is displayed (step S7). On the other hand, if it is determined that the half-press has not been maintained and has been released, the display content table T1 is referred to (step S16), and the display is returned to the display of each icon image (step S17). Next, the input from the touch panel 23 in the area invalidated in step S5 is validated (step S18), and the process returns to step S1.

  As described above, according to the digital camera 10 in the present embodiment, when the control unit 20 determines that recording is ready by detecting the half-pressing operation of the shutter key while the display screen G1 is displayed on the display unit 24, The input from the touch panel 23 in the area corresponding to the icon is invalidated. Therefore, the digital camera 23 can be gripped using the area where the touch panel 23 is invalidated as a grip area at the time of shooting, and erroneous input due to touching the icon when gripped can be prevented. it can.

  Further, when an image recording instruction is input to the control unit 20, the lock region E1 and the lock region E2 are displayed on the display unit 24 in a region where the input from the touch panel 23 is invalidated, and a setting menu icon is displayed. Hide it. Therefore, the user of the digital camera 10 can easily visually recognize from which area the touch is invalidated on the touch panel 23, and can grasp the area that can be used for the grip area and hold the digital camera 10. Can do.

  Further, when the lock area E1 and the lock area E2 are displayed on the display unit 24, the lock area E1 and the lock area E2 are displayed not to be superimposed on the area of the live view image but to be superimposed on the area where the icon is displayed. Therefore, the user of the digital camera 10 can visually recognize the lock area E1 and the lock area E2 and can also view the live view image at the time of shooting, and can perform shooting without impairing the visibility of the live view image at the time of shooting. can do.

  Further, in step S5 of the lock processing, the input from the touch panel 23 from the area corresponding to the “detection range” field of the display content table T1 is invalidated, but a predetermined area is invalidated. The area to be invalidated is not limited to this. For example, the entire surface of the touch panel 23 may be invalidated.

  In addition, the detailed configuration and detailed operation of each device constituting the digital camera 10 according to the present embodiment can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It is a functional block diagram which shows the digital camera in this Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the touch panel of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the lock process performed by the control part of FIG. It is a figure which shows the data structural example of the display content table memorize | stored in the memory | storage part of FIG. It is an example of the display screen displayed on the display part of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Digital camera 20 Control part 21 Imaging part 22 A / D conversion part 23 Touch panel 24 Display part 25 Storage part 26 Image processing part 27 Operation part 28 I / F
29 External storage I / O section

Claims (5)

Display means for displaying an index corresponding to the setting content related to the imaging operation;
A contact detection means provided on a display screen in the display means for detecting contact from the outside with respect to the indicator displayed on the display means;
When contact with the index is detected by the contact detection means, changing means for changing the setting item of the setting content corresponding to the index;
Imaging means;
Determining means for determining whether or not it is a recording preparation period of an image imaged by the imaging means;
If it is determined that the recording preparation period by this determination means, invalidation means for invalidating detection by the contact detection means,
An imaging apparatus comprising:   The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a display control unit configured to control to hide the indicator displayed on the display unit when the determination unit determines that the recording preparation period is reached. A shutter key having a contact detection unit for detecting contact from the outside;
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not the recording preparation period is in accordance with presence or absence of detection by the contact detection unit. It further comprises a shutter key having an operation detection unit that identifies and detects a half-press operation and a full-press operation,
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not the recording preparation period is in accordance with whether or not a half-press operation is detected by the operation detection unit. The display means displays an image captured by the imaging means together with the index,
5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the display control unit performs control so that only the index is hidden while the image is displayed on the display unit. 6.

Images