JP2011154507A - Input device and input method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an input device allowing speedy designation of a desired item from a screen wherein items or the like are two-dimensionally arranged. <P>SOLUTION: This input device divides the items into a plurality of groups, and has a roller 140 which can detect slide direction and a touch position of a surface near a display part 27 displaying the plurality of groups in a state that the plurality of groups are arranged in a prescribed direction. In an input method of the input device, a corresponding group is designated from the plurality of groups according to the touch position of the roller 140, an icon belonging to the designated group is displayed when the group is designated, and the icon is sequentially scrolled according to the slide direction detected by the roller 140. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an input device and an input method, and more particularly to an input device and an input method for inputting information in a portable device such as a camera having a display screen for inputting information.

  In a portable device having many operating conditions and various device conditions, a two-dimensional menu screen is used to set the operating conditions and various conditions. As an input operation for such a two-dimensional menu screen, an input device that can directly select items on the screen such as a touch panel is the simplest. However, other ordinary portable devices generally have button keys (for example, four-way operation keys, so-called cross keys), and are set while performing up / down / left / right operations using these button keys.

  For example, as an example of a digital camera, Patent Document 1 discloses a camera in which various shooting conditions are converted into menus, displayed on pages, and set by operating a four-way key. In addition to pressing keys such as button keys, there are devices that employ a jog dial as input means. For example, as an example of a mobile phone, Patent Document 2 discloses an information input operation unit in which two jog dials are provided in a device, the two jog dials are divided into upper and lower and left and right, and the cursor is moved. ing.

JP 2009-105946 A JP 2001-282435 A

  As described above, various two-dimensional menu screens have been proposed. In addition to the menu screen, for example, thumbnail images are two-dimensionally arranged and displayed. As described above, there are many screens on which items are arranged and displayed two-dimensionally. However, an input operation means other than a touch panel that can select a screen directly requires a plurality of operations to select a desired item. It cannot be selected quickly.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an input device and an input method capable of quickly specifying a desired item from a screen on which items and the like are two-dimensionally arranged. .

  In order to achieve the above object, an input device according to a first aspect of the present invention divides a display unit for displaying an image and an operable image into a plurality of image groups, and the plurality of image groups are defined as at least one of the image groups. A display control unit that displays on the display unit so that the units are arranged in a certain direction in order, and a vertically long cylindrical shape, and is displayed on the display unit by a sliding operation at least in the circumferential direction of the column surface A columnar member for inputting an operation on the operable image; and an input control unit for controlling an input to the image group in response to a sliding operation on the columnar member. A group selection unit that selects a corresponding image group from the image groups according to the position of the column member that has been moved; and the group selection unit is arranged in the predetermined order. The order of assignment of the image groups is determined based on at least a part of each of the image groups that has been processed, and the operation position that is the position in the axial direction of the cylindrical member on which the sliding operation is performed and the order of assignment are related. In addition, an image group corresponding to the operation position is selected from the image groups, and the input control unit applies the sliding operation to the operable images belonging to the selected image group. To control.

  The input device according to a second invention is the input device according to the first invention, wherein the columnar member is arranged so that its axial direction is parallel to either the vertical or horizontal direction of the screen with respect to the display unit, The display control unit displays the image groups so that the image groups are arranged in order along the axial direction of the cylindrical member as a fixed direction in which the image groups are arranged, and the group selection unit displays the assignment order and the operation position. The two are related in the order in which they are lined up.

  In the input device according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the group selection unit divides the surface area of the cylindrical member along the axial direction, and the images are arranged in the order in which the divided areas are arranged. When a sliding operation is performed, the image group corresponding to the region to which the operation position belongs is selected.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the input device according to the first aspect, wherein the columnar member is provided so as to be rotatable about its axis, and is in the axial direction of the columnar member on which the sliding operation has been performed. And a rotation detection unit that detects the rotation of the cylindrical member.
In the input device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first and fourth aspects, a touch pad is provided on the column surface of the column member.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an input device according to the first aspect, further comprising: a sliding detection unit that detects the position of the cylindrical member in which the sliding operation is performed in the axial direction and the sliding operation. .
An input device according to a seventh invention is the input device according to the first invention, wherein the columnar member is provided so as to be rotatable about its axis, and the axial direction of the columnar member on which the sliding operation member is formed. And a rotation detection unit that detects the rotation of the cylindrical member that is rotated by the sliding operation.

In the input device according to an eighth aspect based on the first aspect, the display control unit displays a menu image as the operable image, and displays a plurality of image groups including the menu image.
An input device according to a ninth invention is the input device according to the first invention, wherein the input device is provided in a portable device, the display unit is provided on a surface of a casing of the portable device, and the column member is the display unit. Is provided on the side surface of the housing surface on which is disposed.

  An input device according to a tenth aspect of the present invention includes a display unit that displays an image, a display control unit that divides items into a plurality of groups, and displays the plurality of groups in a certain direction on the display unit, and the display An input operation member that is arranged in the vicinity of the portion along the direction and can detect the touch position and sliding direction of the surface, and input to the item according to the touch position and sliding direction to the input operation member An input control unit that controls a group designation unit that designates a corresponding group from the plurality of groups according to the touch position of the input operation member, and the group designation An item designating unit for sequentially designating the items according to the sliding direction detected by the input operation member from the group designated by the unit.

  The input method according to the eleventh aspect of the present invention can divide items into a plurality of groups and detect the touch position and sliding direction on the surface in the vicinity of the display unit that displays the plurality of groups arranged in a certain direction. In the input method of an input device having an input operation member, a corresponding group is specified from the plurality of groups according to the touch position of the input operation member, and the input operation is performed from the specified group. The above items are sequentially specified according to the sliding direction detected by the member.

  The input method according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is the input method according to the eleventh aspect, wherein the item is hidden until any one of the plurality of groups is designated, and the group belongs to the designated group when the group is designated. Display the above items.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an input device and an input method capable of quickly specifying a desired item from a screen on which items and the like are two-dimensionally arranged.

It is a block diagram which mainly shows the structure of the electric circuit of the digital camera concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the detail of the roller part of the digital camera concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is the external appearance perspective view seen from the back of the digital camera concerning one Embodiment of this invention. In the digital camera concerning one Embodiment of this invention, it is a figure which shows the display part at the time of imaging | photography. It is a figure which shows the display at the time of reproduction | regeneration in the digital camera in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the display at the time of menu setting in the digital camera in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the mode of operation of group images other than a menu image in the digital camera in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows a mode that the image is switched by rotation operation of a roller member in the digital camera in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the electronic zoom operation at the time of reproduction | regeneration in the digital camera in one Embodiment of this invention. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of the digital camera according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of the rotation operation process of the digital camera concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of the operation processing classified by group image of the digital camera concerning one Embodiment of this invention. 6 is a flowchart showing the zoom processing operation of the digital camera according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the modification of the roller part of the digital camera concerning one Embodiment of this invention, (a) is the modification 1, (b) is the modification 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows the modification 3 of the roller part of the digital camera concerning one Embodiment of this invention, (a) shows arrangement | positioning of a roller member, (b) shows the relationship between the display position in a roller member and a display part. FIG.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments using a digital camera to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. A digital camera according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention has an imaging unit, and converts the subject image into image data by the imaging unit, and arranges the subject image on the back surface of the main body based on the converted image data. Live view is displayed on the display. The photographer determines the composition and the photo opportunity by observing the live view display. During the release operation, image data is recorded on the recording medium. The image data recorded on the recording medium can be reproduced and displayed on the display unit when the reproduction mode is selected.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. A control unit (CPU: Central Processing Unit) 11 operates according to a control program stored in the program / data storage unit 12 and performs overall control of the digital camera. In the control unit 11, an input control unit 11a, a group selection unit 11b, and a display control unit 11c are provided. Since 11a to 11c in the control unit 11 are a part of processing executed by the control program, they will be described as functional units included in the control unit 11.

  The input control unit 11 a inputs input instruction information from the user from the button operation unit 13 and the roller unit 14. The group selection unit 11b selects a corresponding image group from each image group according to a sliding operation position of a roller 140, which will be described in detail later. Here, the image group corresponds to a mode menu described later, a first hierarchy menu of shooting mode, a second hierarchy menu, an album image, and the like, and each image group includes a plurality of images. For example, the mode menu includes a shooting mode icon, a playback mode icon, a setting menu tab image, and the like.

  The display control unit 11c in the control unit 11 performs display control on the display unit 27 based on the input instruction information from the user input controlled by the input control unit 11a. That is, display control of the image groups displayed on the display unit 27 and the images (icons, etc.) in each image group is performed based on information instructed by the roller 140 or the button operation unit 13. For example, when the user selects the shooting mode with the roller 140 and further selects any icon of the shooting mode, display control of the menu in the second layer of the shooting mode corresponding to the selected icon is performed. Details of these display controls will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  A program and data storage unit 12, a button operation unit 13, a roller unit 14, and a bus 30 are connected to the control unit 11. The program and data storage unit 12 stores a program to be executed by the control unit 11 as described above, and also stores various data. The button operation unit 13 includes various operation members for the user to give instructions to the camera, and includes a power button, a release button, and the like.

  The roller unit 14 includes a roller 140 and a roller detection unit 16. The roller 140 has a cylindrical shape and can be rotated about a central axis as a rotation center (see FIGS. 2 and 3). However, the rotation load of the roller 140 is heavy and is set so as not to rotate when the user touches it lightly. In addition, a touch pad 141 (see FIG. 2) is disposed on the peripheral surface of the roller 140, and the roller detection unit 16 detects the touch position of the user. Further, when the roller 140 is rotated by a user operation, the roller detection unit 16 detects the rotation amount and the rotation direction. Details of the roller 140 and the roller detection unit 16 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  In addition to the control unit 11 described above, the imaging unit 20, SDRAM 21, image processing unit 22, compression / decompression unit 23, recording / playback unit 24, and display processing unit 26 are connected to the bus 30. The imaging unit 20 includes a photographing lens for forming a subject image, an imaging element for converting the subject image into image data, a processing circuit thereof, a diaphragm and a shutter interposed in the optical path of the photographing lens, and the like. Including. Also, a focal length adjustment mechanism that changes the focal length of the photographing lens is provided. Image data generated by the imaging unit 20 is output to the bus 30.

  An SDRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) 21 is an electrically rewritable volatile temporary storage memory, and is used for temporary storage of still image and moving image data output from the imaging unit 20. The image processing unit 22 performs digital amplification (digital gain adjustment processing) of image data, white balance, color correction, gamma (γ) correction, contrast correction, live view display image generation, recording still image generation, and moving image generation. Various image processing such as these are performed.

  The compression / decompression unit 23 is a circuit that compresses still image or moving image data temporarily stored in the SDRAM 21 by a compression method such as JPEG or TIFF, and decompresses the data for display. Note that image compression is not limited to JPEG or TIFF, and other compression methods can be applied.

  The display processing unit 26 causes the display unit 27 to display a live view display during shooting and a playback image during playback. Further, based on an instruction from the display control unit 11c in the control unit 11, a shooting menu image is created and a process of combining the created shooting menu image with a live view image is performed. Similarly, a playback menu image at the time of playback and a menu image at the time of menu setting are created. Image data such as a shooting menu image is also stored in the display processing unit 26.

  The display unit 27 is connected to the display processing unit 26, and has a display such as a liquid crystal monitor or an organic EL arranged as shown in FIG. 3 on the back surface of the main body of the digital camera 10. A predetermined image is displayed on the screen of the display by the control.

  The recording / reproducing unit 24 stores the image data compressed by the compression / decompression unit 23 in the image storage unit 25, and reads out the image data of the captured image stored in the image storage unit 25. The read image data is expanded by the compression / expansion unit 23, and an image is reproduced and displayed on the display unit 27 based on the expanded image data. The image storage unit 22 is connected to the recording / playback unit 21 and is a recording medium for image data that can be built in or loaded into the digital camera body.

  Next, the roller part 14 is demonstrated using FIG. 2 and FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the roller 140 constituting the roller unit 14 is disposed at a side end portion on the back surface of the digital camera 10. That is, the display unit 27 is disposed on the back surface of the digital camera 10, the button operation unit 13 is disposed beside the display unit 27, and the roller 140 is disposed along the side end of the digital camera 10. Has been placed.

  The roller 140 has a cylindrical shape, and a touch pad 141 is provided on the entire peripheral surface thereof. The touch pad 141 arranged on the peripheral surface of the roller 140 has a touch sensor for detecting the position of the touched finger. As the touch sensor, for example, a sensor that detects by a detection method such as resistance detection, surface acoustic wave detection, pressure detection, capacitive detection, or the like can be used. The touch sensors are arranged in a grid so that the x and y positions can be detected on the touch pad 141.

  Therefore, when the finger touches the touch pad 141 of the roller 140, first, the contact start position x0, y0 is detected, and when the finger moves further in that state, the moved position is set to x1, y1, according to the movement of the finger. Detect as appropriate. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the sliding in the vertical direction and the sliding in the horizontal direction on the roller 140 can be detected by the touch pad 141. A signal output from the touch pad 141 is transmitted to the roller detection unit 16 of the digital camera 10 by non-contact (for example, electromagnetic coupling).

  The roller 140 is configured to be rotatable around a cylindrical central axis. However, the rotational load is set to be large, and the roller 140 itself is not rotated by the light force of the user in the left-right direction, and only the sliding operation to the left and right is detected. An encoder unit 142 is provided to detect the rotation of the roller 140. The encoder unit 142 is, for example, an optical encoder. The digital camera 10 is provided with a light emitting / receiving element, and the roller 140 is provided with a reflecting member that reflects light from the light emitting element. The encoder system is not limited to the optical system in the present embodiment, but may be a magnetic system.

  The roller 140 includes a touch pad 141 and an encoder unit 142. The user can touch any position on the roller 140 in the vertical direction, and can slide in the vertical direction, slide in the horizontal direction, and rotate the roller 140 itself.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the roller detection unit 16 receives a detection signal from the touch pad 141, and detects a direction and amount of the up / down / left / right sliding operation, and a sliding direction / amount detection unit 161; A contact position detector 162 that detects a contact position in the vertical direction is provided. Further, the roller detection unit 16 includes a rotation direction / angle detection unit 163 that receives a detection signal from the encoder unit 142 and detects detection of the rotation direction / rotation angle.

  Next, the operation of the roller 140 and the display on the display unit 27 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, display during shooting will be described with reference to FIG. In the default state, as shown in FIG. 4A, the mode menu is displayed on the lowermost display section 271 of the display section 27, and the first hierarchical menu of the shooting mode is displayed on the middle display section 272 above the lowermost display section 271. Is displayed. A live view image is displayed above the middle display unit 272.

  In the example shown in FIG. 4A, the shooting menu, the playback mode, and the setting mode are displayed as the mode menu of the lowermost display section 271 and the image quality, the first hierarchy menu of the shooting mode of the middle display section 272 are displayed. ISO sensitivity (automatic), white balance (automatic), macro (off), exposure compensation (none), timer (off), strobe (automatic), and face selection (off) are displayed. A region 140b corresponding to the lowermost display portion 271 is below half (L / 2) of the length in the rotation axis direction of the roller 140, and a region 140a corresponding to the middle display portion 272 is above half (L / 2). It is.

  In the state of the default display shown in FIG. 4A, when the user lightly touches the upper half area 140a of the roller 140 and slides his / her finger to the right side, as shown in FIG. A cursor 275 for instructing the icon of the first level menu of the shooting mode of the corresponding middle display unit 272 is displayed and moved to the right. The cursor 275 scrolls the upper part of the middle display unit 272 left and right as the finger moves.

  In the state of FIG. 4B, when the user stops sliding the finger for a predetermined time (for example, about 1 second), the second hierarchical menu (submenu) of the icon corresponding to the stop position is displayed in the upper display section. 273. The example shown in FIG. 4C is an example in which the user stops sliding when the cursor 275 comes to white balance (WB). White balance is selected, and the second level menu of white balance, that is, icons such as automatic, outdoor sunny weather, outdoor cloudy weather, and fluorescent lamp are displayed.

  When the second level menu of the shooting mode is displayed on the upper display unit 273, as shown in FIG. 4D, the cursor 276 for designating each icon of the second level menu of the shooting mode of the upper display unit 273 is displayed. Is displayed. In response to the increase in the number of menus that can be selected, the area of the roller 140 is divided into three, and the area 140e corresponding to the lowermost display portion 271 is below L / 3 of the length in the rotation axis direction of the roller 140. The upper L / 3 is an area 140d corresponding to the middle display section 272, and the upper L / 3 is an area 140c corresponding to the upper display section 273.

  When the user stops sliding for a predetermined time (for example, about 1 second) in the state of FIG. 4D, it corresponds to the icon corresponding to the stop position (in the example of FIG. 4D, outdoor clear sky). Mode to be set.

  As described above, during shooting, the user can select the menu of the first layer by sliding the region 140b of the roller 140 corresponding to the first layer of the shooting mode left and right. After the selection, the menu of the second hierarchy can be selected by the user sliding the area 140c of the roller 140 corresponding to the second hierarchy left and right. In addition, although it has been described that the sub-menu corresponding to one of the specified icons of the first hierarchy menu is displayed, the sub-menu of the icon where the cursor 275 is located is always displayed in FIG. 4B. As an alternative, the submenus may be switched and displayed one after another as the cursor 275 moves.

  Next, display during reproduction will be described with reference to FIG. In the default display state shown in FIG. 5A, when the user lightly touches the area 140b of the roller 140 corresponding to the lowermost display portion 271 and slides left or right, as shown in FIG. An icon is selected according to the movement, and the selected icon blinks. When the user stops sliding for a predetermined time (for example, 1 second) with the icon indicating the playback mode blinking, the playback mode is selected.

  When the playback mode is selected and set, a playback image is displayed on the display unit 27 as shown in FIG. 5B, and the first display layer of the playback mode is displayed on the middle display unit 272 of the display unit 27. A menu is displayed. In the example shown in FIG. 5B, icons indicating deletion, album, slide show, and printing are displayed as the first hierarchy menu of the playback mode.

  When the user lightly touches the upper half area 140a of the roller 140 and slides his / her finger to the right in the playback mode display state shown in FIG. 5 (b), as shown in FIG. 5 (c), the area 140a A cursor 275 for designating the icon of the first hierarchy menu of the playback mode of the middle display section 272 corresponding to is displayed. The cursor 275 scrolls the upper part of the middle display unit 272 left and right as the finger moves, as in the shooting mode.

  In the state of FIG. 5C, when the user stops sliding with a finger for a predetermined time (for example, about 1 second), the second-level menu of icons corresponding to the position where the middle display unit 272 has stopped Is displayed. The example shown in FIG. 5D is an example in which the sliding of the finger is stopped when the cursor 275 is positioned in the slide show. The slide show is selected, and the second level menu of the slide show, that is, the slide show without BGM and the presence of BGM, the type A to type C are displayed as selection items.

  When the second hierarchy menu of the playback mode is displayed on the upper display section 273, as shown in FIG. 5D, a cursor 276 for instructing the second hierarchy menu of the playback mode of the upper display section 273 is displayed. The The area of the roller 140 is divided into three areas 140c to 140e as in the case of the shooting mode. In the state shown in FIG. 5D, when the user stops sliding with a finger for a predetermined time (for example, about 1 second), a mode corresponding to the reproduction condition corresponding to the stopped position is set. The In the shooting mode, when the area 140c is slid left and right, the cursor 276 is also moved to the left and right. In the playback mode, when the area 140c is slid left and right, the cursor 276 is moved up and down. .

  As described above, even in the reproduction mode, the menu of the first hierarchy can be selected by sliding the area 140b of the roller 140 corresponding to the first hierarchy of the reproduction mode left and right. After the menu is selected, the menu of the second layer can be selected by sliding the area 140c of the roller 140 corresponding to the second layer to the left and right.

  Next, display in the setting mode will be described with reference to FIG. In the default state shown in FIG. 6A, when the user lightly touches the area 140b of the roller 140 corresponding to the lowermost display portion 271 and slides to the left or right, as shown in FIG. The icon selected according to the display blinks. If the user stops sliding for a predetermined time (for example, about 1 second) while the icon indicating the setting mode is blinking, the setting mode is selected.

  When the setting mode is selected and set, the live view image and the reproduced image are deleted on the display unit 27, and a menu image for setting is displayed as shown in FIG. 6B. In the example shown in FIG. 6B, as the menu image, four tabs from the first tab to the fourth tab are displayed, and the first tab displays setting conditions such as card initialization and data copy. Is done. A mode menu is displayed on the lowermost display section 271 on the lower side of the menu image.

  When the setting mode is selected, the area of the roller 140 is divided into five areas, the upper areas 140f to 140i correspond to the first to fourth tabs of the menu image, respectively, and the lowermost area 140j is the lowest area. This corresponds to the mode menu displayed on the lower display section 271.

  When the user lightly touches any of the areas 140f to 140i of the roller 140 in the setting mode display state shown in FIG. 6B, the setting conditions of the corresponding tab are displayed. The example illustrated in FIG. 6C illustrates a state where the region 140h is touched and the third tab is selected.

  When the area 140h is lightly touched and the finger is slid left or right, as shown in FIG. 6 (d), the display indicating that the selection is made within the setting conditions of the third tab (in the figure, circles) Move to. For example, the circle mark is moved from top to bottom by moving in the right direction, and the circle mark is moved from bottom to top by moving in the left direction. In the state of FIG. 6D, when the circle is moved to an item to be set and the user stops sliding the finger for a predetermined time (for example, about 1 second), the selected setting condition is determined. The Thereafter, a screen of the set conditions is displayed.

  As described above, in the setting mode, when any one of the areas 140f to 140i of the roller 140 is touched, one of the first tab to the fourth tab for setting is selected, and further, at that position. By sliding left and right, it is possible to select and determine setting conditions displayed side by side in the vertical direction, which is a direction different from the sliding direction in the tab.

  Next, the operation of the group image other than the menu image will be described. FIG. 7A shows how image quality is adjusted during shooting and playback. This image quality adjustment may be set in advance in the setting mode or the like, or may be executed by selecting an image quality adjustment icon in the shooting mode or the playback mode. .

  When the image quality adjustment mode is entered, as shown in FIG. 7A, the display unit 27 displays bars representing saturation, lightness, and color tone. The roller 140 is divided into three areas 140c to 140e. The area 140c corresponds to saturation, the area 140d corresponds to lightness, and the area 140e corresponds to color tone.

  When it is desired to adjust the brightness, when the area 140d is lightly touched and then slid in either the left or right direction, the setting pointer 277 moves in the same direction as the sliding direction. The pointer 277 may be positioned at a value desired by the user while sliding the finger, and stopped at that position for a predetermined time (for example, about 1 second). When the saturation is to be adjusted, the area 140c may be touched and the area 140e may be touched and slid similarly to the case of the brightness.

  FIG. 7B shows scrolling of thumbnail images in the album mode. When album display is selected in the playback mode, thumbnail images as shown in FIG. 7B are displayed. Here, the thumbnail image is divided into each row (four rows A to D in the example of FIG. 7B) corresponding to the album, and the images are displayed side by side for each row. The roller 140 is divided into the area 140k to the area 140p in accordance with the thumbnail image row (four divisions in the example of FIG. 7B).

  The thumbnail image can be selected by touching the area of the roller 140 corresponding to the row to which the image to be selected belongs and sliding in either the left or right direction. For example, in FIG. 7B, when it is desired to select a hatched image, the leftmost image in the C line is selected by touching the area 140n, and then sliding to the right, The selected image is shifted to the right. Therefore, when an image with hatching is selected, if sliding is stopped at this position for a predetermined time (for example, about 1 second), selection of the image with hatching is determined.

  As described above, when a two-dimensional arrangement is made other than the menu image, such as vertical and horizontal, by touching the divided area of the roller 140, the vertical direction in the two-dimensional arrangement is selected. The Then, by sliding the roller 140 at that position, selection can be made in the lateral direction of the two-dimensional arrangement.

  Next, a state in which the display mode of the live view display is sequentially switched by rotating the roller 140 will be described with reference to FIG. As described above, since the rotational load of the roller 140 is set to be large, it does not rotate even if it is rotated lightly, and the sliding operation is performed to either the left or right. However, since the roller 140 rotates by applying a force larger than the amount of the sliding operation, this rotation can be used as input means different from the above-described sliding operation. In the present embodiment, the display mode of the live view display is switched by detecting this rotation.

  In the present embodiment, only the live view image with menu shown in FIG. 8A and the live view image shown in FIG. 8B are displayed in the live view display (also displayed as LV). There are four types of live view images with histograms shown in FIG. 8 and live view images with ruled lines shown in FIG. Therefore, by rotating the roller 140 clockwise, the display form can be switched in the order of live view image with menu → live view image only → live view image with histogram → live view image with ruled lines. Further, by rotating the roller 140 counterclockwise, the display form can be switched in the opposite direction.

  Next, an example in which the sliding operation on the roller 140 is used not only for the menu switching described above but also for the zooming operation in the shooting mode and the playback mode will be described with reference to FIG. When the electronic zoom operation is selected, zoom processing is executed when the user slides the roller 140 in the vertical direction, in other words, along the rotation axis direction of the roller 140. In the state of the image shown in FIG. 9A, when the user slides from the top to the bottom of the roller 140, zooming is performed on the wide side as shown in FIG. 9B. Further, when the user slides from the bottom to the top of the roller 140, zooming is performed to the tele side as shown in FIG.

  Next, a flow for executing the shooting mode of the present embodiment will be described using the flowcharts shown in FIGS. This flow is executed by the control unit 11 in accordance with a program stored in the program / data storage unit 12.

  When the shooting mode is entered, first, live view display with a menu is performed (S11). Here, the image data output from the imaging unit 20 is displayed by the image processing unit 22, and live view display is performed on the display unit 27 through the display processing unit 26. Further, in live view display, images of a mode menu and a first level menu of the shooting mode as shown in FIG. 4A are generated, and these images are superimposed on the live view image and displayed. The photographer can determine the composition by observing the live view display and perform shutter release.

  Once the live view display with menu is performed, it is next determined whether or not a roller operation has been performed (S12). Here, it is determined based on the detection signal from the roller detector 16 whether or not the roller 140 has been operated. If the result of this determination is that a roller has been operated, it is next determined whether or not the roller operation is a turning operation (S13). Here, based on the detection signal from the encoder unit 142 in the roller 140, the rotation direction / angle detection unit 163 in the roller detection unit 16 determines.

  If the result of determination in step S13 is that the roller operation is a rotation operation, a rotation operation process is next carried out (S14). Here, as described with reference to FIG. 8, the display mode of the live view display is switched and the normal thumbnail image is scrolled. The detailed operation of the rotation operation process will be described later with reference to FIG.

  If the result of determination in step S13 is that the roller operation is not a rotation operation, it is next determined whether or not the roller operation is a left / right sliding operation (S15). Here, based on the detection signal from the touch pad 141 in the roller 140, the sliding direction / amount detection unit 161 in the roller detection unit 16 determines.

  If the result of determination in step S15 is that the roller operation is a left / right sliding operation, it is next determined whether or not a group image is being displayed (S16). Here, it is determined whether or not icons, tabs and the like as described in FIGS. 4 to 7 are displayed as a group. If the result of this determination is that group images are being displayed, group image-specific operation processing is then performed (S17). Here, the processing described in FIGS. 4 to 7 is performed. The detailed operation of this group image processing will be described later with reference to FIG.

  If the result of determination in step S15 is that the roller operation is not a left / right sliding operation, it is next determined whether or not the roller operation was a vertical sliding operation (S18). Here, based on the detection signal from the touch pad 141 in the roller 140, the sliding direction / amount detection unit 161 in the roller detection unit 16 determines.

  If the result of determination in step S18 is that the roller operation is a vertical sliding operation, it is next determined whether or not a display is being performed (S19). Here, it is determined whether the live view display is in the shooting mode, and whether the playback image is being displayed in the playback mode. If the result of this determination is that an image is being displayed, zoom processing is next carried out (S20). Here, the electronic zoom as described with reference to FIG. 9 is executed. Detailed operation of the zoom process will be described later with reference to FIG.

  If the result of determination in step S18 is that the roller operation is not an up / down sliding operation, or if zoom processing in step S20 is performed, or if the result of determination in step S19 is that no image is being displayed, or in step S17 When the group image-specific operation process is performed, or when the group image is not displayed as a result of the determination in step S16, or when the rotation operation process of step S14 is performed, or as a result of the determination in step S12, the roller is operated. If not, it is next determined whether or not the mode is a shooting mode (S21).

  If the result of determination in step S21 is that shooting mode has been set, shooting processing is performed (S22). Here, AF or AE is executed in response to half-pressing of the release button, and the image data acquired from the imaging unit 20 is processed in response to full-pressing of the release button, and then recorded in the image recording unit 25. Execute the shooting operation. On the other hand, if the result of determination in step S <b> 21 is not shooting mode, playback processing is next performed (S <b> 23). Here, according to the set reproduction mode, the image is reproduced and displayed.

  If the photographing process is performed in step S22 or the reproducing process is performed in step S23, it is next determined whether or not a power-off operation has been performed (S24). Here, it is determined whether or not the power switch of the button operation unit 13 has been operated. If the result of this determination is that power-off operation has not been performed, processing returns to step S12. On the other hand, when a power-off operation is performed, the power-off process is performed, and then this flow ends.

  Next, the rotation operation process in step S14 will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. If the flow of the rotation operation process is entered, it is first determined whether or not the photographing mode is set (S31). Here, the determination is made based on the set mode.

  If the result of determination in step S31 is shooting mode, the screen mode is then switched cyclically (S32). Here, as described with reference to FIG. 8, each time the roller 140 is rotated, the live view image with menu → only the live view image → live view image with histogram → live view image with ruled lines, or reverse order. Switch the display mode to.

  Subsequently, the selected additional image is combined with the live view and displayed (S33). Here, an additional image corresponding to the selected display form is synthesized with the live view image. In the case of a live view image with a menu, the additional image is an image in a menu mode or a shooting mode as shown in FIG. 4, and in the case of a live view image with a histogram, as shown in FIG. This is a histogram indicating luminance distribution, shooting conditions, and the like, and in the case of a live view image with ruled lines, vertical and horizontal ruled lines as shown in FIG.

  If the result of determination in step S31 is not shooting mode, playback mode is in effect, and in this case, it is determined whether or not thumbnail display is in effect (S34). Since the thumbnail display is switched to the thumbnail display by operating the tele / wide button of the button operation unit 13 during the playback mode, in this step, it is determined whether or not the tele / wide button has been operated. If the result of this determination is thumbnail display, thumbnail switching is performed (S35). Here, the reproduced image is sent or returned in accordance with the rotation operation of the roller 140.

  When the processing in step S33 or step S35 is executed, or if the result of determination in step S34 is not thumbnail display, the flow of the rotation operation processing is terminated and the original flow is returned to.

  Next, the operation processing for each group image in step S17 will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. If the processing flow for each group image is entered, first, the position of the roller operation is detected (S41). Here, the user's touch position is determined based on the detection result by the contact position detection unit 162. In the determination, as shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, when the menu is displayed in two stages, it is any region when the roller 140 is divided into two, or in FIG. 4D. When the menu is displayed in three stages, it is determined which of the divided areas according to the display form, such as which area the roller 140 belongs to when divided into three.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the object is a menu display (S42). Here, it is determined whether or not various menu displays shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 or a group image other than the menu image shown in FIG. 7A is displayed.

  If the result of determination in step S42 is that the target is menu display, next, the operation hierarchy is specified from the menu assignment order according to the operation position (S43). Here, for example, when the area 140a is touched when it is divided into two as shown in FIG. 4B, it is determined that the menu is the first layer. If the area 140d is touched when it is divided into three as shown in FIG. 4D, it is determined that the menu is the second layer.

  Next, conditions are specified according to the sliding direction and amount (S44). Here, the condition is specified according to the sliding direction and amount detected by the sliding direction / amount detection unit 161. For example, when the user slides in the area 140a in the case of being divided into two as shown in FIG. 4B, the cursor 275 is moved according to the direction, and the sliding stops for a predetermined time. Select the menu condition corresponding to the position. Further, in the display state of image quality adjustment as shown in FIG. 7A, when the user slides in the area 140d, the pointer 277 is moved according to the direction, and if the sliding stops for a predetermined time, Set the brightness at that position.

  Next, it is determined whether or not there is a submenu (S45). For example, in the display state shown in FIG. 4C, when the white balance (WB) mode is selected, there are submenus such as automatic, outdoor clear sky, and outdoor cloudy sky. Accordingly, in this step, it is determined whether or not there is a submenu corresponding to the second hierarchy. If the result of determination in step S45 is that there is a submenu, then the submenu is displayed (S46).

  If the result of determination in step S42 is that the target is not menu display, it is next determined whether or not album display is in playback mode (S51). The album display is set when the icon of the third album from the left is selected in the middle display section 272 shown in FIGS.

  If the result of determination in step S51 is album display, then the album is specified from the album assignment order according to the operation position (S52). Here, as described with reference to FIG. 7B, one of the albums in the rows A to D is specified in accordance with the touch position of the roller 140. Once the album is specified, the image is scrolled according to the sliding direction and amount (S53). Here, the images are sequentially scrolled in accordance with the sliding direction and amount detected by the sliding direction / amount detection unit 161.

  When the submenu is displayed in step S46, or if the result of determination in step S45 is that there is no submenu, or if the image is scrolled in step S53, or the result of determination in step S51 is that in the playback mode. If the album is not displayed, the flow returns to the original flow.

  Next, the zoom process in step S20 will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. If the zoom processing flow is entered, it is first determined whether or not the sliding direction is upward (S61). Here, the sliding direction / amount detection unit 161 determines whether or not the sliding direction is upward.

  If the result of determination in step S61 is upward, it is next determined whether or not the set mode is shooting mode (S62). If the result of this determination is that the camera is in shooting mode, the focal length is changed in the long focal direction (tele side) (S63). Here, the focal length of the imaging unit 20 is changed to the long focal length side by the focal length adjustment mechanism.

  If the result of determination in step S62 is not shooting mode, the image is then enlarged with electronic zoom (S64). Here, since the playback mode is selected, the image is enlarged by electronic zoom. The enlargement may be performed by cutting out a part of the image data and reproducing the cut-out image data with the same size as the original.

  If the result of determination in step S61 is that the sliding direction is not upward, the sliding direction is downward, and next, as in step S62, it is determined whether or not the camera is in shooting mode (S65). . If the result of this determination is that the camera is in shooting mode, the focal length is changed in the short focus direction (wide side) (S66). Here, the focal length of the imaging unit 20 is changed to the short focal length side by the focal length adjustment mechanism.

  If the result of determination in step S65 is not shooting mode, the image is then reduced with electronic zoom (S67). Here, since it is the reproduction mode, the image is reduced by electronic zoom. The reduction is performed by reducing the size of the image data.

  When the processing in step S63, step S64, step S66, or step S67 is performed, the process returns to the original flow.

  As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, the items of the image group such as the mode menu, the first hierarchy menu, the second hierarchy menu, and the tab are arranged in a certain order, and the direction along the arrangement In addition, the roller 140 is arranged so that the rotation axis thereof is along. The roller 140 is provided with a touch pad for detecting the touch position and the sliding direction, and detects the touch position and the sliding direction of the user. The area of the roller 140 is set to correspond to each item. For this reason, the user can quickly select the two-dimensionally arranged items by touching and sliding the corresponding area of the roller 140.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, in addition to detecting the sliding operation of the roller 140, an encoder unit 163 that detects rotation is provided. Therefore, the item can be selected not only by the touch position and the sliding direction of the roller 140 but also by the rotation direction of the roller 140.

  Next, a modified example of the roller unit 14 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15. FIG. 14A shows a first modified example, in which the roller 140A has a columnar shape exposed to the outside of the digital camera 10 and cannot be rotated. It is fixed. Since the roller 140 </ b> A is fixed, the roller 140 </ b> A does not have an encoder unit and has only the touch pad 141. The roller detection unit 16A does not include a rotation direction / angle detection unit, but includes only a sliding direction / amount detection unit 161 and a contact position detection unit 162.

  In the first modified example, the rotation direction of the roller 140 cannot be detected, and therefore, the display mode at the time of live view display described with reference to FIG. 8 cannot be switched. If it is a process, it can be executed.

  Next, FIG. 14B shows a roller portion 14 of a second modification. The roller 140B is rotatable, but a piezoelectric sensor 144 is provided instead of the touch pad 141. As shown in FIG. 14C, a plurality of the piezoelectric sensors 144 are provided in a ring shape so as to be fitted on the outer periphery at substantially constant intervals in the axial direction of the roller 140B. By detecting the piezoelectric sensor 144 having a voltage change at the same time as the rotation, it is possible to specify the position on the axis that is touched.

  The roller 140B includes an encoder unit 142 and a piezoelectric sensor 144. The roller detection unit 16B includes a contact position detection unit 162 that inputs a detection output from the piezoelectric sensor 144, and a rotation direction / angle detection unit 163 that inputs a detection output from the encoder unit 142.

  In the second modified example, since the sliding direction when the roller 140 is slid with a finger cannot be detected, selection in the group image cannot be performed. However, it is possible to switch the display mode at the time of live view display described with reference to FIG.

  Next, the roller part 14 of the 3rd modification is shown in FIG. In one embodiment of the present invention and the first and second modifications, the rollers 140, 140A, and 140B are all arranged at the side end of the main body of the digital camera 10, in other words, the display unit 27. The long axis was arranged along the short side direction. In the third modified example, as shown in FIG. 15A, the roller 140C is disposed in the vicinity of the bottom end of the main body of the digital camera 10, in other words, the long side of the display unit 27. A long axis is arranged along the direction.

  In the third modification, the rollers 140C are arranged along the long side direction of the display unit 27. However, menu display or the like on the display unit 27 is performed in the short side direction as shown in FIG. Along the order. The group images arranged in the leftmost column of the screen correspond to the leftmost region of the roller 140C, and the group images arranged in the second leftmost column of the screen are displayed in the central region of the roller 140C. The group images arranged in the rightmost column of the screen are made to correspond to the rightmost region of the roller 140C.

  Thus, also in the third modified example, group images such as menus are arranged in a certain order, and this order is associated with the allocation of the area of the roller 140C. By assigning such a correspondence relationship, information input can be performed as in the embodiment of the present invention.

  As described above, in one embodiment or a modification of the present invention, the input control unit 11a corresponds from each image group according to the position of the cylindrical member (roller 140) on which the sliding operation is performed. A group selection unit 11b for selecting an image group. The group selection unit 11b determines the allocation order of the image groups based on at least a part of the image groups arranged in a fixed order, The operation position that is the position in the axial direction of the cylindrical member (roller 140) on which the moving operation is performed is associated with the order of assignment, and the image group corresponding to the operation position is selected from each image group, and input control is performed. The unit 11a inputs a sliding operation to an operable image belonging to the selected image group. For this reason, among the items arranged two-dimensionally, an image group is specified by detecting an operation position, and an item in the image group is specified by detecting sliding from the operation position. Can do. Therefore, an item can be designated by one touch + sliding, and a desired item can be designated quickly.

  In the embodiment and the modification of the present invention, when the roller 140 is divided into the regions 140a to 140p, the entire region of the roller 140 is equally divided. It may also be unequal division. In that case, the divided area may be displayed.

  In the embodiment and the modification of the present invention, the roller 140 is used as the information input member. However, as shown in the first modification, the roller may be fixed and non-rotatable. Not only the shape but also other shapes such as a rod shape may be used. Furthermore, in one embodiment or modification of the present invention, the image group is composed of icons and tabs. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it may of course be composed of symbols, characters, or the like.

  In the embodiment and the modification of the present invention, the digital camera is used as the photographing device. However, the camera may be a digital single-lens reflex camera or a compact digital camera, such as a video camera or movie camera. It may be a camera for moving images such as a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a game machine, or the like.

  Furthermore, in the embodiment and modification of the present invention, an example in which the input device is applied to a digital camera has been described. However, the input device is not limited to a photographing device such as a digital camera, and has a display unit. The present invention can be applied to any device that uses this display unit to input information.

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

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Digital camera, 11 ... Control part (CPU), 11a ... Input control part, 11b ... Group selection part, 11c ... Display control part, 12 ... Program / data storage part , 13 ... Button operation unit, 14 ... Roller unit, 16 ... Roller detection unit, 16A ... Roller detection unit, 16B ... Roller detection unit, 20 ... Imaging unit, 21 ... SDRAM, 22 ... image processing unit, 23 ... compression / decompression unit, 24 ... recording / playback unit, 25 ... image storage unit, 26 ... display processing unit, 27 ... display unit, 30 ... bus, 140 ... roller, 140A to 140C ... roller, 140a to 140p ... area, 141 ... touch pad, 142 ... encoder unit, 144 ... piezoelectric sensor, 161 ... Moving direction / quantity detector 162 ..Contact position detection unit, 163... Rotation direction / angle detection unit, 271... Lowermost display unit, 272... Middle display unit, 273. ... Cursor, 277 ... Guidelines

Claims (12)

A display for displaying an image;
A display control unit that divides the operable images into a plurality of image groups, and displays the plurality of image groups on the display unit so that at least a part of each image group is arranged in a certain direction in order,
A cylindrical member having a vertically long cylindrical shape, for inputting an operation on an operable image displayed on the display unit by a sliding operation in a circumferential direction of at least the cylindrical surface;
An input control unit that controls input to the image group according to a sliding operation on the cylindrical member,
The input control unit includes a group selection unit that selects a corresponding image group from the image groups according to the position of the cylindrical member on which the sliding operation has been performed.
The group selection unit determines an assignment order of the image groups with reference to at least a part of the image groups arranged in the fixed order, and the axial direction of the cylindrical member on which the sliding operation is performed In relation to the operation position that is a position in the above and the assignment order, etc., an image group corresponding to the operation position is selected from the image groups,
The input control unit controls to apply the sliding operation to the operable images belonging to the selected image group;
An input device characterized by that. The cylindrical member is arranged so that its axial direction is parallel to either the vertical or horizontal direction of the screen with respect to the display unit,
The display control unit displays the image groups in order along the axial direction of the cylindrical member as a fixed direction in which the image groups are arranged;
The group selection unit relates the assignment order and the operation position along the order in which both are arranged.
The input device according to claim 1.   The group selection unit divides the surface area of the cylindrical member along the axial direction, assigns the divided areas to each image group in the order in which they are arranged, and performs the above operation when a sliding operation is performed. 2. The input device according to claim 1, wherein an image group corresponding to an area to which the position belongs is selected. The cylindrical member is provided so as to be rotatable about its axis,
A sliding detector for detecting the position in the axial direction of the cylindrical member on which the sliding operation has been performed and the sliding operation;
A rotation detector for detecting rotation of the cylindrical member;
The input device according to claim 1, further comprising:   The input device according to claim 1, wherein a touch pad is provided on the cylindrical surface of the cylindrical member.   The input device according to claim 1, further comprising: a sliding detection unit configured to detect a position in the axial direction of the cylindrical member on which the sliding operation is performed and the sliding operation. The cylindrical member is provided so as to be rotatable about its axis,
A sliding position detector for detecting the position in the axial direction of the cylindrical member on which the sliding operation member is formed;
A rotation detector that detects rotation of the cylindrical member rotated by the sliding operation;
The input device according to claim 1, further comprising:   The input device according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit displays a menu image as the operable image, and displays a plurality of image groups including the menu image. The input device according to claim 1 is provided in a mobile device,
The display unit is provided on the surface of the casing of the portable device,
The cylindrical member is provided on a side surface of the housing surface on which the display unit is disposed.
The input device according to claim 1. A display for displaying an image;
A display control unit that divides the items into a plurality of groups, and displays the plurality of groups in a certain direction on the display unit;
An input operation member that is arranged in the vicinity of the display unit along the direction and capable of detecting the touch position on the surface and the sliding direction;
An input control unit that controls input to the item according to a touch position and a sliding direction to the input operation member,
The input control unit, according to the touch position of the input operation member, a group designating unit for designating a corresponding group from the plurality of groups,
An item designating unit for sequentially designating the items in accordance with the sliding direction detected by the input operation member from among the groups designated by the group designating unit;
An input device comprising: An input method of an input device having an input operation member capable of detecting a touch position on a surface and a sliding direction in the vicinity of a display unit that divides items into a plurality of groups and displays the plurality of groups in a certain direction. In
In accordance with the touch position of the input operation member, a corresponding group is specified from the plurality of groups,
From the specified group, sequentially specify the items according to the sliding direction detected by the input operation member,
An input method characterized by that.   12. The input according to claim 11, wherein the item is hidden until any one of the plurality of groups is designated, and the item belonging to the designated group is displayed when the group is designated. Method.