JP2011101386A - Camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a camera or the like that easily performs photographing of an image configured by a plurality of scenes, by which pleasure in reproduction may increase. <P>SOLUTION: When photographing an image in which a plurality of photographed images is to be laid out and reproduced on one screen, a predetermined template is displayed on a display screen 19 of a camera. In the template, sub screens 19c, 19d, and 19e corresponding to the plurality of photographed images are laid out (Fig.6(A)). A position of the image to be photographed this time is selected in this template. At the time of photographing, as shown in Fig.6(B), an image indicating the selected layout position and an image of a recommended composition are displayed together with a monitor image (Fig.6(C)). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital camera, and more particularly to a camera suitable for shooting still images and moving images that can be enjoyed in an album or the like after shooting.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram simply showing a flow from photography with a silver salt film to appreciation of a photographed image. FIG. 1A shows a photographer's state at the time of taking a photograph, FIG. 1B shows the arrangement of the resulting photos into an album, and FIG. 1C shows a state of appreciating the album. In other words, with conventional film camera shooting, if you take the film shot as shown in Fig. 1 (A) to the lab, all shot frames are printed to the same size as shown in Fig. 1 (B). A style of appreciation was established across the album as shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, digital cameras have recently become widespread, but for this digitized image, you can not only view the print of the photographed image like a conventional silver halide film, but also other viewing methods are as follows Many have been proposed.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a general arrangement mode of digital images taken by a digital camera. FIG. 2A shows a single frame image of each captured image. FIG. 2B is a diagram showing one screen on which a plurality of images whose sizes are changed electronically are laid out. When pictures are taken with a digital camera in this way, it is not necessary to view every image in a uniform size, and important pictures are large as shown in FIG. This makes it easy to create one image.

FIG. 2C is a diagram showing an example of an image in which a plurality of images are arranged and merged into one image using an image processing method such as collage or montage. This is a reproduction method that does not divide each image as shown in FIG. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-215212 proposes a method for creating a photo collage in which an album is created by classifying images according to identifiers attached to the images.

In addition, the appreciation methods are also diversified, and other appreciation methods other than printing such as projecting an image on a television, a dedicated viewer including a rear liquid crystal of a digital camera, and projection by a projector are also used. FIG. 3 shows an example of this appreciation style. FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating a scene in which a user is viewing a photograph using a digital camera or an electronic viewer without a camera. FIG. 3B shows an example of this screen, and shows a screen on which a composite image in which a plurality of images are laid out at predetermined positions is displayed. In addition, the image is also changed with time, and FIG. 3C is a diagram showing a screen in which the image of FIG.
JP 2000-215212 A

  As described above, in the photo appreciation method by the film-centric photographic industry, a great emphasis has been placed on making a work in which each frame at the time of shooting is a completed image as shown in FIG.

  In such a world of silver film, images taken with a camera are often dependent on the cameraman's skill, and whether a completed photo can withstand appreciation is determined at the moment it was taken, not the development or printing process. It was. For this reason, the photographer had to consider the effects when printing was performed, and it was necessary to accumulate training to determine the composition instantly and perform the release operation.

  However, in the recent world of digital images, as a new appreciation method, multiple images such as Fig. 2 (B), (C) and Fig. 3 (B), (C) are combined and combined. The appreciation method of appreciating images is spreading.

  In order to produce a great effect in such a new appreciation method, it is important to make a work at the time of shooting. It is not easy to produce a great effect.

  In other words, it is considered that a shooting method based on a different approach is necessary for shooting such a work. For example, the proposal as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-215212 classifies an image according to an identifier attached to the image to create an album. Therefore, the images taken by the conventional method are only classified. It is not possible to make photography suitable for a new appreciation method more efficient simply by using a technique of simply taking a picture moment.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to propose a camera capable of easily taking an image to make a new digital image appreciation method more effective.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the camera of the present invention is a camera in which a plurality of captured images are displayed side by side according to a preset screen layout at the time of playback, and the images displayed according to the above-described screen layout are captured. A display control unit that displays a screen that supports shooting of the image, and a recording control unit that records the captured image. The display control unit displays a template indicating the layout of the screen. A screen corresponding to shooting is selected, and after the corresponding screen is selected, a layout image showing a screen corresponding to the image currently shot in the above layout is displayed together with the monitor image for shooting instead of the template. It is characterized by doing. Here, the display control means and the recording control means correspond to the CPU 1 in the embodiment.

2) In the camera of the invention according to 1), the display control means displays a sample image for recommending a shooting composition on a screen displayed by the template.
3) In the camera of the invention according to 1), the display control unit displays a sample image for recommending a photographing composition together with the monitor image and the layout image.
4) In the camera of the invention according to 1), the recording control unit records an image photographed in accordance with a photographing instruction as a photographed image displayed on the screen selected in the layout. .
5) The camera of the invention according to 4) further includes control means for setting a large compression ratio of the recording when the screen selected for the photographing is a screen displayed small during reproduction. And

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a camera capable of taking a picture at the time of shooting assuming the enjoyment when viewing a video work.

It is a figure which shows the flow of appreciation of the conventional silver salt film photography of this invention. It is a figure which shows the general organization of the digital image image | photographed with the digital camera. It is a figure which shows the general appreciation methods, such as projection with a digital camera, a dedicated viewer, and a projector. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the digital camera of this invention. It is a figure which shows the back external appearance of the camera of this invention. In Example 1, it is a figure which shows the template displayed at the time of imaging | photography, when a still image is applied to several scenes. In Example 1, it is a figure which shows the reproduction | regeneration screen of the image image | photographed with the template which added the motion to the incidental image. In Example 1, it is a figure which shows the flowchart about CPU processing. In Example 1, it is a figure which compares and shows the content before and behind the update of template data. In Example 1, it is a figure which shows the flowchart of a compression process. In Example 1, it is a figure which shows the screen on which the template of a collage style is displayed as an example of a template. It is a figure which shows the flowchart of the image process regarding the collage style template shown in FIG. In Example 2, it is a figure which shows the screen on which the kind of event is displayed. It is a figure which shows the screen on which four sample images are displayed as an image switching pattern corresponding to the event of FIG. In Example 2, it is a figure which shows the example of the completed work. It is a figure which shows the flowchart about the screen display etc. which were shown in FIG. In Example 3, (A) shows the back of the camera held by the user, (B) shows the shooting screen after the sample image is selected, and (C) shows a sub-screen 19b. It is a figure which shows the imaging | photography screen after the image of a vertical composition is selected. 12 is a table showing a part of a specific example of shooting conditions according to a difference in shooting mode corresponding to a selected sample image in the third embodiment. In Example 3, it is a figure which shows the flowchart of CPU processing.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  Example 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital camera 10 (hereinafter referred to as a camera) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The camera 10 includes a photographing lens 2 that forms a subject image, an image pickup device 3 that photoelectrically converts the formed optical image and outputs an image signal, an A / D conversion unit 4 that converts the image signal into a digital signal, Digital image processing means 5 for performing various processes such as γ correction and white balance adjustment on the digital signal, image compression means 6 for compressing the digital signal, recording section 7a for recording the image of the compressed digital signal, and template recording section A memory 7 having 7b is provided.

  Further, the camera 10 is provided with a display means 9 constituted by a large LCD (liquid crystal display), a display control means 8 for controlling the display means, and a CPU 1 which is a microcontroller for controlling the entire camera. A switch 12 including a plurality of switches for detecting an operator's instruction is also provided and connected to the CPU 1.

  The CPU 1 controls the above blocks in a predetermined sequence according to a program stored in the CPU 1 or stored in an external ROM (not shown). As will be described later, the CPU 1 constitutes a display control unit (display control unit), a recording control unit, a control unit (control unit), and the like. A printer 11 is connected to the camera 10.

  A photographing operation by the camera 10 will be briefly described. The CPU 1 detects the operation of the switch 12 by the photographer and controls the photographing sequence. The subject image 20 is incident on the image sensor 3 through the photographing lens 2. Each pixel of the image sensor 3 outputs electrical signals having different sizes according to the brightness of the subject image. The image signal output from the image sensor 3 is converted into a digital signal by the A / D conversion means 4. The converted digital signal is subjected to processing such as image γ correction and white balance adjustment in the subsequent digital image processing means 5, and the image compression means 6 further determines the number of recorded images in a recording unit 7 a described later. In order to increase the compression, a compression process is performed, and the compressed image signal is recorded in the recording unit 7a.

  Also, the captured image and the subject image 20 before shooting are displayed on the display means 9 constituted by, for example, a large LCD (liquid crystal display) via the display control means 8. The display control unit 8 controls the display unit 9 to display an image signal output from the digital image processing unit 5 and a template to be described later.

  A printer 11 connected to the camera 10 is connected to the camera 10 via, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus), inputs image data transmitted from the camera 10, converts it into image data for printing, and prints it on paper.

  FIG. 5 is a view showing the rear appearance of the camera 10. A display screen 19 of display means 9 comprising a large liquid crystal unit (LCD) is arranged at the center of the back of the camera, and a cross key switch 12a included in the switch 12 is arranged at the upper right of the display screen 19. On this display screen 19, a single photograph may be displayed on the full screen for viewing, or a plurality of screens such as a main screen 19a and a sub screen 19b are displayed as shown in FIG. You may make it do. Details will be described later. Further, when printing from the camera to the print 11, a print scheduled image is displayed on the display screen 19 for confirmation.

  6 and 7 are screen display examples according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The screen displayed in this figure is a screen on which a plurality of images (scenes) as described in FIGS. 2B and 2C are arranged. It is a display screen. Specifically, the image to be shot (monitor image) is displayed in a size that can be played back and displayed, information indicating the expected display position at the time of playback is displayed, and the recommended composition at the time of shooting is also displayed at the same time, or at the time of playback A plurality of images (scenes) including other images displayed at the same time as the captured image of the current monitor image (at the time of viewing) are displayed in a layout similar to that at the time of reproduction.

  Here, the image for assisting photographing displayed on the screen is referred to as a “template”. And these display controls are performed by the display control means (display control part) by the process of CPU1.

  FIG. 6 shows two types of templates. First, FIGS. 6A, 6 </ b> B, and 6 </ b> C show the respective screens displayed on the display unit 9 in shooting and reproduction using the template A. This template A is a template for displaying three screens simultaneously at the time of reproduction, and is a template for attaching a photograph that is considered to be fun during viewing to a photographed image.

  FIG. 6A is a diagram showing a screen for introducing template A. FIG. When template A is selected during shooting, this screen is displayed first. Three sub-screens 19c, 19d, and 19e are displayed on the screen as a plurality of scenes. On the sub screen 19d at the center of the screen, for example, a sample image showing a composition of two people together is displayed as a recommended composition. On the left and right sub-screens 19c and 19e, for example, sample images for recommending the fitting of favorite photos of two photographers are displayed. The sub screen 19d is surrounded by a thick frame, which indicates that the sub screen 19d is selected as the shooting screen among the three screens. Details will be described later.

  FIG. 6B is a diagram showing a screen when an image is actually taken after the template A is selected. A monitor image (subject image) and a display for supporting the shooting composition are displayed. A subject image at the time of shooting (hereinafter also referred to as a monitor image) is displayed on the main screen 19a having a large area. On the sub-screen 19d at the lower right of the screen, a composition image that is a recommended composition for shooting by two people is displayed as a sample image. In addition, a layout image showing which part of the entire screen the subject image corresponds to is displayed on the sub-screen 19f at the upper right of the screen. Here, the central area is shaded to indicate that the image captured here is arranged at the center of the screen.

  Then, in accordance with the shooting instruction, the subject image is recorded in the recording unit 7 a by the recording control means by the processing of the CPU 1. Next, the images for the sub-screens 19c and 19e on the left and right sides of the screen are respectively taken and recorded. Note that the shooting order of the main screen and the sub screen may be any, and an image that has already been shot may be used as the sub screen image.

  As a result, for example, a composite image in which a photograph of two people together and a photograph of two favorite items on the left and right are attached is recorded.

  FIG. 6C is a view showing a reproduction screen of the image taken in FIG. The screen layout is as shown in FIG. The main image 19a at the center of the screen displays the subject image captured in FIG. 5B, and the small sub-screens 19c and 19e on the left and right display, for example, two favorite photos taken before and after that. Is displayed.

  FIG. 6D shows a screen for introducing template B. Template B has one less screen than template A, but is otherwise the same. On the sub screen 19d at the center of the screen, for example, a sample image showing a composition of two people together is displayed as a recommended composition. On the sub-screen 19c on the right side of the screen, for example, a sample image that recommends the insertion of a favorite photograph of two photographers is displayed. Then, during playback after shooting, two screens are displayed with the same layout as in FIG.

  In this way, when taking a picture, the sub-screens 19c and 19e on which not only the two people are photographed but also the photos of their favorite items are displayed on the main screen 19a and displayed on one screen. Imagine more imagination when you appreciate the amount.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a playback screen of an image shot with a template in which a motion is added to an accompanying image. In the template of FIG. 6 above, still images are applied to the sub-screens 19c and 19d. However, among the images arranged side by side, it is more effective to make a moving image or change the position of the accompanying image. Because there is also. For example, the central image is a still portrait, but around it, even if the image is moved decoratively, it becomes interesting. As a moving image, a still image may be sequentially switched, or a moving image may be directly used.

  FIG. 7A shows a screen at a certain time point during reproduction, and FIG. 7B shows a screen after a certain time has elapsed from the time point of FIG. A subject image is displayed on the main screen 19a, and an image different from the subject image is displayed on the sub screens 19c and 19e. The main screen 19a is displayed as a still image with a fixed screen position. A still image is displayed on the sub-screen 19c and displayed while moving the screen position downward as indicated by an arrow. The position of the sub screen 19e is fixed, and the captured moving image is displayed on the screen.

  Normally, moving images tend to be boring if they are simply taken, but the use of the moving image template as described above has the effect of making the main image displayed on the main screen 19a with a gorgeous screen. .

  Note that the various templates and sample images are all recorded in the template recording unit 7b.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart of control processing such as display control at the time of shooting with the camera described in FIGS. Such control processing is executed by the CPU 1 reading a program stored in the CPU 1 or stored in an external ROM (not shown).

  First, assume that the camera is in shooting mode. In steps S1 and S2, it is determined which mode A or B has been selected as the screen mode at the time of reproduction according to the photographer's instruction. For simplicity, assume there are two types of templates. The playback mode A is a mode in which an image is displayed in a layout like the template A described above during playback. Similarly, the reproduction mode B is a mode corresponding to the template B.

  If it is determined that the reproduction mode A is selected (step S1Y), the process proceeds to step S3. Corresponding to the display of the reproduction mode A, the data of the template A or B selected separately is read from the template recording unit 7b, and the template A shown in FIG. 6A is displayed on the display screen 19 (step S3).

  When the playback mode A is not selected (step S1N), the selection of the playback mode B is determined (step S2). When it is determined that the playback mode B is selected, the process proceeds to step S4. Then, the moving image template data corresponding to the display of the reproduction mode B is read from the template recording unit 7b, and the template B is displayed on the display screen 19 (step S4).

  On the other hand, when neither template A nor B is selected (step S2N), the normal shooting mode is set (step S5). Then, the monitor image is displayed on the entire display screen 20 (step S6), and the process proceeds to step S20.

  A case will be described in which shooting proceeds according to a template. First, in step S10, the user selects which image of the template is to be taken. For example, if the template A is selected, a notification that the user operates the camera switch 12 to select which of the three screens (scenes) in FIG. Wait for.

  It is assumed that the sub screen 19d is selected by the user. That is, the center sub-screen 19d is a screen for shooting. In addition, after selection, the frame of the selected screen is made thick so that the user can easily understand which screen is selected as the shooting screen.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6A, the selected images are displayed on the sub-screens 19c and 19e. The selected image is, for example, a user's favorite photograph as described above (step S11). Here, it is assumed that a favorite photograph is selected from images that have already been taken and recorded in the recording unit 7a.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6B, a recommended composition image showing a recommended composition is displayed on the lower sub-screen 19d, and the upper sub-screen 19f corresponds to which part of the layout on one screen. A layout image indicating whether the image is to be displayed is displayed (step S12).

  Then, on the main screen 19a, an image of a subject to be photographed is input from the image sensor and displayed as a monitor image (step S13), and the process proceeds to step S20. The user may shoot while referring to the recommended composition image and confirming the image to be shot.

  In step 20, it is determined whether shooting is moving image shooting. Here, when the moving image as shown in FIG. 7 is selected as the captured image, it is determined that the moving image is captured, and the process proceeds to step S21. Waiting for the start timing of moving image shooting (step S21), if the start timing is detected, moving image shooting is executed (step S22), and the process proceeds to step S25.

  On the other hand, when a still image is selected (step S20N), the process proceeds to step 23. Then, it waits for a shooting instruction (step S23), detects the shooting instruction, performs still image shooting (step S24), and proceeds to step S25. Steps 20 to 24 are the same in normal shooting other than template shooting.

  In step S25, it is determined whether this shooting is other than normal shooting, that is, shooting using a template, and in the case of normal shooting, the processing of this flowchart is ended (RET).

  On the other hand, in the case of template photography, the process proceeds to step S26. In step S26, the portion of the sample image of the template selected in this shooting is replaced with the actually shot image, and the replaced template data is recorded in the template recording unit 7b.

  The template data switching will be described below. FIG. 9 shows the contents of the template data before and after the comparison. FIG. 9A shows the data content of the template before update displayed in FIG. 6A, and FIG. 9B shows the updated data updated with the new image displayed in FIG. 6C. Indicates the data contents of the template. Here, it is assumed that the image A corresponds to a composition image (sample image) displayed on the sub-screen 19d. As described in step S26 above, among the template data recorded in the template recording unit 7b, the data of the sample image A that is the image content of the image A is replaced with the data of the image after photographing and recorded. As a result, the actual photographed image is placed on the template, so that it is possible to proceed to the next photographing while confirming the final image every time photographing is performed.

  Further, when recording a captured image in the flowchart of FIG. 8, compression processing at a predetermined compression rate is performed by the image compression means 6. At this time, the CPU 1 changes the compression rate according to the size of the captured image.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the compression rate changing process by the CPU 1. This is because when the captured image is an auxiliary and small image, a resolution higher than necessary is not necessary. In step S10 of FIG. 8, one of the plurality of templates (scenes) of the template is selected as the shooting screen. The CPU 1 detects whether the small screen is selected as the shooting screen in step S30, and the small screen ( For example, when the sub screens 19c and 19e) are selected, the compression rate of the image compression means 6 is set high (step S31). When the small screen is not selected (for example, the main screen 19a) (step S30N), the CPU 1 sets the compression rate of the image compression unit 6 to be low (step S32).

  And a picked-up image is recorded on the recording part 7a with the compression rate set according to the magnitude | size of the screen as mentioned above. Therefore, when shooting on a large screen (main screen 19a), shooting is performed such that the compression rate is low and the resolution is sufficient at the time of viewing the image, and otherwise the use of the memory is prevented.

  As described above, a subject image is displayed as a part of a plurality of images (scenes) at the time of reproduction, and is recorded and recorded. At the time of appreciating the image, the CPU 1 reads and expands the image recorded from the recording unit 7a according to a reproduction instruction, and displays an image in which a plurality of images (scenes) similar to those in FIGS. 6C and 7 are laid out. 9 is displayed. Similarly, when the recorded image is printed by the printer 11, the CPU 1 lays out an image to be printed by the printer 11, that is, a plurality of images (scenes) similar to those shown in FIGS. An image is displayed on the display means 9.

Next, FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a collage-like template as another example of the template.
The template shown in FIG. 11 is displayed on the display screen 19 at the time of shooting. With this template, it is possible to create a photo in which a plurality of images are stored in a collage-like manner. This is because, even when printing out to a single print, it is effective to construct a photograph in which a plurality of images are contained in a collage style within one image as described in FIG.

  In this collage-like template, a main screen 19a is set almost on the entire display screen 19, a sub screen 19c is set on the upper left, and a sub screen 19e is set on the upper right. Unlike the examples of FIGS. 6 and 7, the main screen 19a and the sub screens 19c and 19e are not divided into areas. A portion where the images of the main screen and the sub screen overlap is subjected to gradation processing or the like so that the joint is not conspicuous. Collage-like templates are recorded in the template recording unit 7b in the same manner as other templates.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the image processing of the collage style template executed by the CPU 1 at the time of shooting. The CPU 1 determines whether or not a collage-like template has been selected in step 35, and if it has not been selected (step S35N), this process ends (RET). When a collage-like template is selected (step S35Y), the image processing means 5 is caused to execute a gradation process at the boundary (step S36). The gradation-processed image is displayed on the display means 9 as a monitor image as shown in FIG. 11, and is recorded in the recording unit 7a in accordance with a photographing instruction.

  Then, a recorded image that has been subjected to gradation processing and recorded in the recording unit 7a in accordance with a post-recording reproduction instruction is displayed on the display screen 19 as an image similar to FIG. When printing, an image similar to that shown in FIG. 11 is displayed on the display screen as a print image.

  In the above description, a mode in which an image in which a plurality of images including photographed subject images are laid out on one screen is displayed on the display means 9 as a print image or a reproduction image is referred to as a first display mode. A mode in which the subject image is displayed at a position (predetermined template) where the subject image is scheduled to be laid out in the print image or the reproduction image is referred to as a second display mode.

  As described above, unlike the conventional frame-by-frame appreciation method, the camera of the present embodiment can take a photograph on the premise of appreciation of the work with an effective visual effect considering free layout, time change, etc. It becomes. The user sees this and knows what kind of image he / she shoots to be pleased when showing it to a third party.

  And in the case of images arranged alone, there are things that only the photographer can understand, but in this way, associating them in one screen and arranging them in multiple images, the relationship between the individual images can be seen by the viewer. It is easy to understand and can give memorable effects. With this camera, it is possible to shoot images that can be enjoyed more effectively than conventional film-type shooting.

  And since a recommended layout or composition is instructed in advance by a template, even a non-skilled user can take a picture effectively. In addition, the sub screen has been devised so that the memory consumption due to the multi screen does not increase even if the compression rate is increased, moving images can be used efficiently according to the situation, and impactful video works can be taken easily it can.

  Further, when the image created in this way is printed out by the printer 11 or the like connected to the camera 10, the amount of information is larger than that of a conventional photograph printed from a film as shown in FIG. Can provide print works. It is possible to construct an appreciation system that can express the user's intention in a short time. As a result, it is possible to provide a system that enables video expression beyond a still image on a print as in the prior art.

  Next, Example 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. The second embodiment is an example in which an album-like image is created by adjusting the display order and display time of a plurality of images. The first embodiment is a method of spatially laying out images, that is, photographing a plurality of images along a predetermined layout according to a predetermined template. However, this is because a plurality of images can be laid out not only spatially but also temporally. The configuration of the digital camera according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the block diagram of FIG. 4 according to the first embodiment. Similarly to the first embodiment, the following operations are performed by display control means (display control unit) by processing of the CPU 1.

  FIG. 13A is a diagram showing a display screen 19 on which the type of event is displayed. For example, three events “travel”, “wedding”, and “entrance ceremony” are prepared in advance, and the user selects one of the events on this screen in accordance with the content of the shooting. As will be described later, a typical image switching pattern suitable for the event is prepared for each event.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram showing four representative compositions representing the “travel” image switching pattern of FIG. (1) shows “scenery” as a representative composition, (2) shows “person”, (3) shows “food”, and (4) shows “person in the landscape”. I chose these four because, in “Travel”, images of “1 landscape”, “2 people”, “3 what I ate”, and “4 people in the landscape” were recorded in series. This is because it is generally preferable.

  If the “travel” event is selected in FIG. 13A, the sample image (representative composition) shown in FIG. 14 is displayed on the display screen 19 as shown in FIG. 13B. Is done. In addition, an appropriate shooting time for each pattern is displayed below the sample image. Here, it is shown that the shooting corresponding to each sample image is performed every 15 seconds in the order of the numbers from 1 to 4, and the shooting that completes in one minute is the recommended shooting. In other words, it is recommended to shoot so that the viewer can finish viewing the image in one minute. As a result, it is possible to prevent a forgotten record or to create a work that does not change, and to prevent a monotonous and tedious image that is common in moving images.

  FIG. 13C is a diagram showing a display screen 19 at the time of shooting when “landscape” is selected in FIG. A template in which a plurality of images are laid out is displayed. The selected “1 landscape” sample image is displayed for reference on the sub-screen 19 b in the upper right of the display screen 19, and the monitor image being photographed is displayed on the main screen 19 a in the center of the display screen 19. Since the sample image of the representative composition is displayed on the sub screen 19b, the user can take a picture by comparing it with the main screen 19a on which the image to be actually taken is displayed.

  In addition, recommended operation instruction content may be displayed on the display screen 19. Here, in order to recommend the zooming operation to the user, “zooming” is displayed as the recommended operation instruction 19g. This zooming operation may also be performed while controlling with the electronic zoom by the CPU 1 in accordance with the sample moving image.

  Further, the display screen 19 may display a scale portion 19h indicating the elapsed shooting time. A “triangular portion” displayed in the middle of the scale portion 19h is a mark indicating the elapsed time, and moves downward as time passes. As a result, the recording time is also known, and the recorded time and the time to be recorded can be recognized sensuously.

  Then, the photographer sequentially shoots the remaining three screens “2 people”, “3 eaten”, and “4 people in the landscape” in FIG. 13B in the same manner. FIG. 15 shows an example of a completed work. (A) is “1 landscape”, (B) is “2 people”, (C) is “3 ate”, and (D) is “4 people in the landscape”. It was taken correspondingly.

  Then, according to the reproduction instruction, the reproduction is automatically performed in the order of “1 landscape”, “2 people”, “3 eaten”, and “4 people in the landscape”.

  Note that template data for the entire screen, event type data, sample image data, time information, and the like are recorded in the template recording unit 7b.

  FIG. 16 is a flowchart for specifically explaining processing performed by the CPU 1 for the screen display and the like shown in FIG. Such processing is executed by the CPU 1 reading a program stored in the CPU 1 or stored in an external ROM (not shown).

  Assume that the camera is in shooting mode. First, as shown in FIG. 13A, a list of event types is displayed (step S40). It is detected whether or not the displayed event is selected by the user (step S41), and when not detected (step S41N), the process returns to step 40. When event selection is detected (step S41Y), the process proceeds to step S42.

  Next, a sample image (representative composition) as an image switching pattern as shown in FIG. 13B is displayed according to the selected event (step S42). Next, it is detected whether the sample image is selected by the user (step S43). The user selects a composition to be photographed from the plurality of sample images with an operation switch 12 provided on the back of the camera, for example, a cross key switch 12a. When the selection of the sample image is not detected (step S43N), the process returns to step 42. When the selection of the sample image is detected (step S43Y), the process proceeds to step S44.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 13C, the selected sample image is displayed on the sub-screen 19b (step S44). Then, a screen (subject image) to be photographed is displayed on the main screen 9a like a finder screen, and an operation instruction 19g such as “zooming” is also displayed (step S45), and the process proceeds to step S46.

  Then, the user waits for a release switch operation that is an instruction to start shooting (step S46). The release switch is included in the switch 12. When the start of photographing is not detected (step S46N), the process returns to step 44. If detected (step S46Y), the process proceeds to step S47. Then, the photographing is started and the time is also measured (step S47). Further, the 19h triangle mark in FIG. 13C is moved downward according to the timed result (step S48), and the user's instruction to finish photographing is awaited (step S49). The user ends the shooting with reference to the triangular mark reaching the bottom.

  Until there is a shooting end instruction, the process returns to step 47 to continue shooting. When a shooting end instruction is detected (step S49Y), this process is ended (RET). This completes the shooting of one scene. The remaining three scenes in FIG. 13B are also shot in the same manner, and the shooting is completed. The captured image is recorded in the recording unit 7a.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effects of the first embodiment. It prevents monotonous and tedious images that are common in videos. It also prevents forgetting records and making works that do not change. As described above, even a user who is unfamiliar with video recording can easily shoot a video album that can withstand changes.

  Next, Example 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. The third embodiment is an invention in which the shooting mode is automatically switched according to the selected sample image so that an image similar to the selected sample image can be shot. The configuration of the digital camera of the third embodiment is the same as that of the block diagram of FIG. 4 of the first embodiment, and is not illustrated. Similarly to the first embodiment, the following display control is performed by display control means (display control unit) by processing of the CPU 1.

  FIG. 17A is a view showing the back of the camera held by the user's hand. Here, it is assumed that the same event type as in FIG. 13A described in the second embodiment is displayed and a specific event is selected.

  On the display screen 19, a plurality of sample images that are characteristic of the present invention corresponding to the selected specific event are laid out and displayed as templates. A person image is displayed as a sample image on the main screen 19 a of the display screen 19. A sample image of “landscape” in the vertical composition is displayed on the sub-screen 19c on the left side of the screen, and an image of “flower” is displayed as a sample image on the sub-screen 19e on the right side of the screen. The overall screen is rich in atmosphere.

  The user looks at such a plurality of images and selects an image he / she wants to shoot in the same manner by operating the cross key switch 12a of the camera 10. Here, it is assumed that “flower” on the sub-screen 19e is selected. The frame of the sub screen 19e is displayed thick to indicate that the sub screen 19e has been selected.

FIG. 17B shows the next screen after the sample image is selected in FIG. An image to be taken is displayed on the main screen 19a, and the selected sample image “flower” is displayed on the sub-screen 19b adjacent to the main screen 19a. Correspondingly, the shooting mode is set to “macro”. In addition to displaying the recommended composition, it is possible to switch to a photographing mode suitable for photographing a sample image according to the selected sample image. A shooting mode name 19j is also displayed for confirmation under the sub-screen 19e.

  FIG. 18 is a table showing a part of a specific example of the shooting mode corresponding to the selected sample image and its shooting conditions. Depending on the setting of this shooting mode, the shooting conditions can be switched depending on the focus range, the point within the screen to be focused, the presence or absence of flash emission, and the like. In this table, the leftmost column indicates the shooting mode such as “Macro, Portrait, Landscape”, etc., and the specific shooting item such as “Focus, Strobe, Focusing Point” corresponding to each shooting mode is displayed at the top of the table. The condition value set by is shown.

  Here, for example, when the sample image “landscape” is selected, the photographing condition is set to the condition of the photographing mode “landscape” as shown in the table of FIG. Similarly, when “person” and “flower” in the sample image are selected, the shooting conditions are set to the conditions of “portrait” and “macro” in the shooting mode.

  FIG. 17C is a diagram showing a display screen after an image having a vertical composition such as the sub screen 19c in FIG. 17A is selected. Both the main screen 19a and the sub-screen 19c are displayed vertically, and a caution display 19k that prompts a vertical composition is displayed. Since the user is instructed to frame and take a picture with a correct vertical composition, the user naturally takes a picture while holding the camera 10 vertically. The template data for the entire screen, event type data, sample image data, etc. are recorded in the template memory 7b.

  FIG. 19 is a flowchart for explaining processing related to the third embodiment performed by the CPU 1. First, assume that the camera is in a shooting mode. In step 51, the same type of event as shown in FIG. 13A described in the second embodiment is displayed (not shown).

  Next, the presence / absence of event selection is detected (step S52), and when the event selection is not detected (step S52N), the process returns to step 51. When event selection is detected (step S52Y), the process proceeds to step S53. In step S53, according to the selected event, a sample image is displayed as shown in FIG.

  Next, it is detected whether the sample image has been selected by the user (step S54). When the selection of the sample image is not detected (step S54N), the process returns to step 53. When the selection of the sample image is detected (step S54Y), the process proceeds to step S55.

  In step 55, it is determined whether the selected sample image is “person”. If it is “person” (step S55Y), the photographing mode is set to portrait mode (step S61). When it is not “person” (step S55N), the process proceeds to step S56.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether the selected sample image is “landscape” (step S56). If it is “landscape”, the photographing mode is set to the landscape mode (step 62). When it is not “landscape” (step S56N), the process proceeds to step S57.

  Further, it is determined whether the selected sample image is “flower” (enlarged screen) (step S57). If it is “flower” (enlarged screen) (step S57Y), the shooting mode is set to the macro mode (step S57Y). Step S63). Thus, the shooting mode corresponding to the sample image is set.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the selected sample image is a vertical image (step S65). When the selected sample image is a vertical image (step S65Y), the attention and shooting of the image are displayed as in the caution display 19k in FIG. The method is displayed on the display screen 19 (step S66). If it is not a portrait image, the process jumps to step S66 and proceeds to step S67.

  Subsequently, a release switch operation is detected (step S67), and when detected (step S67Y), shooting is performed in the shooting mode set in steps S61 to S63 (step S68).

  Further, it is determined whether the screen size for shooting is small (step S69). When the shooting screen size is small (step S69Y), the compression ratio of the image compression means 6 is switched to a large compression ratio (step S70), and the process proceeds to step S71. On the other hand, when the shooting screen size is not small (step S69N), the process proceeds to step 71 as it is. In step S71, compression processing is performed at the compression rate set by the image compression means 6, and the compressed captured image is recorded in the recording means 7a.

Then, while referring to the sample image displayed based on the specific event as a composition, shooting recording of “flower” and “landscape” is sequentially performed under the shooting screen as shown in FIGS. 17B and 17C. Then, the series of event shooting is completed.

  Then, after the photographing is completed, the recorded image recorded in the recording means is displayed on the display screen 19 as an image including a plurality of scenes on the screen similar to the screen of FIG. . Also, when printing, an image including a plurality of scenes is displayed on the screen as a print image with the same layout as the screen of FIG.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effects of the first embodiment. Even beginners can obtain efficient multi-screen images without failure. In addition to preventing out-of-focus by restricting the focus range, etc., the shooting mode name and shooting method are also shown, so the user's shooting technique can be improved.

  In addition, the first to third embodiments are realized by the control processing of the CPU 1 according to the program. That is, this means that the program itself realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the program itself implements the present invention. Constitute.

  These programs may be stored in a recording medium that can be attached to and detached from the camera. As the recording medium, a semiconductor memory such as a CD-ROM or an IC card can be used. A recording medium storing this program also constitutes the present invention.

  Further, a storage device such as a hard disk or RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet may be used as a recording medium, and the program may be provided to the camera via the communication network. Alternatively, it goes without saying that such a program is also included in the embodiment of the present invention even when the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized in cooperation with other application software or the like.

  In this embodiment, the processing is realized by executing the program on the CPU. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, part or all of each processing is realized by hardware. Anyway.

  In the above embodiment, the camera is described as a single camera. However, the present invention may be applied to a camera unit such as a camera-equipped mobile phone.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying the components without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. Moreover, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, constituent elements over different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... CPU, 2 ... Shooting lens, 3 ... Image pick-up element, 4 ... A / D conversion means,
5 ... Digital image processing means, 6 ... Image compression means, 7 ... Memory, 7a ... Recording section,
7 ... Template recording unit, 8 ... Display control means, 9 ... Display means, 10 ... Digital camera, 11 ... Printer, 12 ... Switch, 12a ... Cross key switch, 19 ... Display screen,
19a ... main screen, 19b ... sub-screen, 19c ... sub-screen, 19d ... sub-screen,
19e ... sub-screen, 19f ... layout image, 19g ... operation instruction, 19h ... scale part,
19j ... Shooting mode name, 19k ... Caution display, 20 ... Subject image

Claims (5)

A camera that displays a plurality of captured images side by side according to a preset screen layout during playback,
A display control means for displaying a screen for supporting photographing of the image when photographing an image displayed according to the layout of the screen;
With a recording control means for recording a photographed image;
The display control means displays a template showing the layout of the screen and selects a screen corresponding to shooting.After the corresponding screen is selected, the display control unit replaces the template with the monitor image for shooting. A camera that displays a layout image showing a screen corresponding to an image that is currently shot in a layout. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the display control means displays a sample image for recommending a photographing composition on a screen displayed by the template. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the display control means displays a sample image for recommending a photographing composition together with the monitor image and the layout image. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the recording control unit records an image photographed in accordance with a photographing instruction as a photographed image displayed on a screen selected in the layout. 5. The camera according to claim 4, further comprising control means for setting a large compression ratio of the recording when the screen selected for photographing is a screen displayed small during reproduction.

Images