JP2014158082A - Imaging apparatus, imaging apparatus control method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To restrict image files to transfer from a recording medium with a wireless function.SOLUTION: First of all, when a first shutter switch is turned on, a central control unit 103 invalidates a transfer function of a recording medium 106 with a wireless LAN function and when an image file is generated by photographing, records the image file in a recording medium 106. In a consecutive shooting mode, for example, transfer inhibition flags of the image files other than a best shot image is set to be ON and invalidation of the transfer function of the recording medium 106 is cancelled.

Description

  The present invention particularly relates to an imaging apparatus suitable for use in recording an image file on a recording medium having a wireless LAN function, a control method for the imaging apparatus, and a program.

  An image file of an image taken by a digital still camera (hereinafter referred to as a digital camera) is generally stored in a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a PC) for the purpose of storage. For example, the image file can be stored by connecting the recording medium inserted in the digital camera to the PC and transferring the image file.

  In recent years, digital cameras incorporating a wireless LAN function and recording media equipped with a wireless LAN function have appeared. When an image file is recorded in a predetermined format in a directory compliant with the DCF standard, the image file is automatically transferred. By setting the transfer destination to a PC or network storage, it is possible to transfer the image file to the PC immediately after shooting with the digital camera.

  As a technique for transferring an image file photographed with a digital camera, a technique is disclosed in which the transfer method is different depending on the condition of the photographed image (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this method, in the case of continuous shot images, transfer is efficiently realized by transmitting only the representative image and the file name list to the PC. Patent Document 2 also discloses a file transmission / reception apparatus that transfers an image file recorded on a recording medium to an external device when the image file is transferred from a digital camera. Further, in Patent Document 3, in a digital camera with a built-in wireless LAN function, transfer destination information is associated and managed based on information on a subject recognized at the time of shooting, and image data is determined by determining the transmission destination from the subject. A method of transferring is disclosed.

JP 2008-5154 A Japanese Patent No. 2921156 JP 2009-152689 A

  When transferring an image file, the user may want to selectively transfer only the image file desired by the user. In the conventional technology, when a recording medium equipped with a wireless LAN function is mounted, an image file obtained by shooting can be automatically transferred to a transfer destination desired by the user. Can't control what to transfer. Therefore, when a recording medium with a wireless function is loaded, all stored image files are automatically transferred.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to limit the number of image files transferred from a recording medium with a wireless function.

  An imaging apparatus according to the present invention is an imaging apparatus capable of mounting a recording medium having a function of communicating with an information processing apparatus and transferring an image file, and images a subject by continuous shooting, thereby An image pickup unit that generates an image file, a transfer control unit that controls to disable the transfer function of the recording medium before the shooting is performed, and the transfer control that includes a plurality of image files generated by the image pickup unit. Recording means for recording on a recording medium whose transfer function is disabled by the means, and the transfer control means transfers the image file that satisfies a predetermined condition from the plurality of image files recorded by the recording means. A prohibition flag is assigned, and the transfer function of the recording medium is controlled to be effective after the transfer prohibition flag is assigned.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, when a recording medium with a wireless function is inserted and an image file is recorded on the said recording medium, the image file to transfer can be restrict | limited.

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the digital camera which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the example of an internal structure of the recording medium carrying the wireless LAN function which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process sequence of the digital camera in normal imaging | photography mode. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the digital camera in a continuous shooting mode in the first embodiment. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the digital camera in a continuous shooting mode when the best shot image selection function is not provided in the first embodiment. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of a digital camera in a short movie shooting mode in the second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure for combining moving image file groups created for the number of times of shooting per day in the short movie shooting mode in the second embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the short movie moving image list list in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the setting item displayed on a display part in 3rd Embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of a digital camera in a face recognition photographing mode in the third embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of a digital camera when face data of a plurality of persons is recognized in a face recognition shooting mode in the third embodiment. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of a digital camera in a panoramic shooting mode in the fourth embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the detailed process sequence of step S1209 and S1011 of FIG. In 4th Embodiment, it is a figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on a display part in panoramic photography mode. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of detailed processing procedures of steps S1209 and S1011 of FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
<Configuration of digital camera>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment.
In FIG. 1, a digital camera 100 includes an optical system 101, an image sensor 102, a central control unit 103, a RAM 104, a flash memory 105, a recording medium 106, a display unit 107, an operation unit 108, and a communication unit. 109.

  The optical system 101 includes a lens, a shutter, and an aperture, and forms an image of light from a subject on the image sensor 102 with an appropriate amount and timing. The image sensor 102 converts light imaged through the optical system 101 into an image file. The central control unit 103 performs various calculations and controls each part of the digital camera 100 in accordance with the input signal and program. Specifically, imaging control, display control, recording control, communication control, and the like are performed.

  The RAM 104 records temporary data and is used for work of the central control unit 103. The flash memory 105 records a program (firmware) for controlling the digital camera 100 and various setting information. The recording medium 106 is a recording medium for recording an image file generated by photographing. Note that the recording medium 106 in the present embodiment is a so-called removable memory card, and can be loaded into a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a PC) or the like to read an image file. That is, the digital camera 100 only needs to have access means to the recording medium 106 and can read and write image files from and to the recording medium 106.

  The display unit 107 performs display of a viewfinder image at the time of shooting, display of a shot image, display of characters for interactive operation, and the like. Note that the display unit 107 does not need to be included in the digital camera 100, and the digital camera 100 only needs to have a display control function for controlling the display of the display unit 107. The operation unit 108 is for accepting a user operation. For example, a button, a lever, a touch panel, or the like can be used as the operation unit 108.

  A communication unit 109 is connected to an external device to transmit / receive control commands and data. For example, PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol) is used as a protocol for establishing a connection and performing data communication. Note that the communication unit 109 may perform communication through a wired connection such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable. Further, communication may be performed through a wireless connection such as a wireless LAN. Further, it may be directly connected to an external device, or may be connected to the external device via a server or a network such as the Internet.

  The control of the digital camera 100 may be performed by one piece of hardware, or a plurality of pieces of hardware may function as means for executing the process in the digital camera 100 while sharing the process.

<Configuration of recording media with wireless LAN function>
Here, details of the recording medium equipped with the wireless LAN function will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, a recording medium 70 equipped with a wireless LAN function includes a connection connector 76, a microcomputer 77, a wireless communication circuit unit 78, and a memory circuit unit 79.

  The connection connector 76 is a connection interface that connects to the digital camera 100 or other information processing apparatus and transfers data. The recording medium 70 and the digital camera 100 are mechanically coupled by the connection connector 76 and are also electrically connected.

  When the recording medium 70 is connected to the digital camera 100 via the connection connector 76, the recording medium 70 is supplied with power from the digital camera 100 via the power supply line. The recording medium 70 is initialized by a reset circuit (not shown) and starts to operate, and communicates with the digital camera 100 via the bus line.

  The wireless communication circuit unit 78 includes a transfer function for transmitting data to and from an electronic device having an equivalent wireless communication function or other information processing apparatus by wireless. That is, the wireless communication circuit unit 78 transmits / receives data to / from other electronic devices. The wireless communication circuit unit 78 performs wireless communication using radio waves such as a wireless LAN. The wireless communication may use infrared rays.

  The memory circuit unit 79 includes a rewritable nonvolatile memory element such as an EEPROM or a flash EEPROM, and has a function of recording data supplied from an electronic device connected by a connection connector 76. The microcomputer 77 includes a memory therein, and controls communication with an electronic device connected via the connection connector 76, control of the wireless communication circuit unit 78, and memory circuit unit 79 according to a control procedure stored in advance in the memory. It has a function to control.

  In the present embodiment, an image file obtained by shooting is stored in the memory circuit unit 79 via the connection connector 76. Thereafter, the microcomputer 77 detects that image data has been stored in the memory circuit unit 79 and transfers the image file to the transfer destination stored in advance in the memory via the wireless communication circuit unit 78. The transfer destination stored in advance in the memory is a transfer destination set in advance by the user from his / her own PC or the like, and indicates a user-owned PC or a Web server.

  In addition, the transfer from the recording medium 70 can be controlled by the user performing valid / invalid settings via the operation unit 108 from the digital camera 100 side. In this case, the valid / invalid setting information is stored in the memory circuit unit 79 via the connection connector 76. Then, the microcomputer 77 reads the valid / invalid setting information stored in the memory circuit unit 79, and the image file can be transmitted / received from the wireless communication circuit unit 78 only when the setting is valid.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, a transfer prohibition flag can be set from the digital camera 100 side to an image file obtained by shooting. Here, the transfer prohibition flag can be set by the digital camera 100 after the image file is stored in the memory circuit unit 79, and uses a file attribute such as an archive bit. When the image file in which the transfer prohibition flag is set is stored in the memory circuit unit 79, the microcomputer 77 reads the state of the image file transfer prohibition flag. Only when the transfer prohibition flag is set to OFF as a result of reading, the image file is transferred to the transfer destination stored in advance in the memory via the wireless communication circuit unit 78.

<Processing in normal shooting mode>
Next, processing for shooting in the normal shooting mode will be described.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the digital camera 100 in the normal shooting mode. Each process shown in FIG. 3 is performed under the control of the central control unit 103.
First, the process is started when the mode switch of the operation unit 108 is switched to the normal photographing mode by the user's operation. In step S <b> 301, the mode is changed to the normal shooting mode under the control of the central control unit 103. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S302 and waits until the shutter button of the operation unit 108 is half-pressed (the first shutter switch is ON). When the shutter button of the operation unit 108 is pressed halfway, processing related to shooting preparation such as adjustment of the focal length is performed, and the process proceeds to step S303.

  In step S303, normal shooting is performed. Specifically, when the shutter button of the operation unit 108 is fully pressed (the second shutter switch is turned on), the optical system 101 performs exposure processing and development processing related to photographing, and acquires image data. In step S304, additional information such as shooting information is added to the image data acquired in step S303, and the image data is stored in the recording medium 106.

<Processing during continuous shooting>
Next, processing of the digital camera 100 when performing continuous shooting when the recording medium 70 with the wireless LAN function shown in FIG. 2 is attached will be described.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the digital camera 100 in the continuous shooting mode. Note that each process shown in FIG. 4 is performed under the control of the central control unit 103.
First, the process is started when the mode switch of the operation unit 108 is switched to the continuous shooting mode by a user operation. In step S <b> 401, the mode is changed to the continuous shooting mode under the control of the central control unit 103. In step S402, the process waits until the shutter button of the operation unit 108 is half pressed. When the shutter button of the operation unit 108 is pressed halfway, processing related to shooting preparation such as adjustment of the focal length is performed as in normal shooting, and the process proceeds to step S403.

  In step S403, it is determined whether the recording medium 106 attached to the digital camera 100 is a recording medium with a wireless LAN function. This process is determined by the central control unit 103 accessing the recording medium 106 and referring to a predetermined area. As a result of the determination, if a recording medium with a wireless LAN function is loaded, the process proceeds to step S404, and if not, the process proceeds to step S413.

  In step S404, the central control unit 103 accesses the attached recording medium 106 with a wireless LAN and confirms the communication setting. This communication setting is a setting indicating whether the wireless LAN function of the recording medium 106 is valid or invalid. In this embodiment, if the wireless LAN function is set to be invalid, the recording medium 106 does not emit radio waves. The central control unit 103 also performs processing for confirming the current communication state with respect to the recording medium 106. The communication state is information such as a connection state with an access point, whether or not an image file and a moving image file currently being transferred exist, for example. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S405.

  Next, in step S405, as a result of confirming the communication setting, it is determined whether or not the communication setting of the recording medium 106 is valid. If it is determined that the communication setting is valid, the process proceeds to step S406. If the communication setting is invalid, the process proceeds to step S408.

  In step S406, the central control unit 103 instructs the recording medium 106 to invalidate the communication settings. Accordingly, the recording medium 106 with the wireless LAN function that has received the instruction performs a function control process for invalidating the communication function. As described above, the central control unit 103 can perform transfer control of the image file group by instructing the communication setting of the recording medium 106 to be valid or invalid. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S407.

  In step S407, the central control unit 103 waits until the communication setting invalidation processing of the recording medium 106 is completed. When the communication setting invalidation process is completed, the process proceeds to the next step S408.

  Next, in step S408, continuous shooting is performed. Specifically, when the shutter button of the operation unit 108 is fully pressed, the central control unit 103 performs exposure processing and development processing related to photographing to acquire a plurality of image data. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S409.

  In step S409, additional information such as shooting information is added to the image data group acquired by the continuous shooting performed in step S408, and the image data group is stored in the recording medium 106 as an image file group. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S410.

  Next, in step S410, one or more best shot images are selected from the image file group stored in the recording medium 106 in step S409. In step S411, the transfer prohibition flag is set to ON for each image file group other than the image file related to the best shot image selected in step S410. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S412.

  Next, in step S412, the central control unit 103 instructs the recording medium 106 to validate the communication settings. Upon receiving the instruction, the recording medium 106 with the wireless LAN function performs a function control process for enabling the communication function. As a result, image files and moving image files stored in the recording medium 106 with the wireless LAN function can be transferred.

  On the other hand, the processes in steps S413 and S414 are the same as those in steps S408 and S409, respectively.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the image file group other than the best shot image has the transfer prohibition flag set to ON, so that it is saved in the recording medium with the wireless LAN function and the communication setting becomes effective. Will not be transferred. On the other hand, the image file related to the best shot image acquired in the continuous shooting mode is transferred when the communication setting becomes valid.

  Also, when continuous shooting is performed in the continuous shooting mode before continuous shooting, for example, all image file groups or only the image file related to the best shot image is transferred from the operation unit 108 of the digital camera 100 in advance. Can be set. In this way, it is possible to arbitrarily switch the continuous shooting image transfer condition.

<Processing during continuous shooting when the best shot image selection function is not provided>
In the example illustrated in FIG. 4, the processing in the digital camera 100 during continuous shooting has been described on the assumption that the best shot image selection function is provided. However, there are models that do not have the best shot image selection function. Therefore, a process for preventing all image file groups from being transferred in such a case will be described.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the digital camera 100 in the continuous shooting mode when the best shot image selection function is not provided. Each process shown in FIG. 5 is performed under the control of the central control unit 103.
The processing from step S501 to step S509 is the same as that from step S401 to step S409 in FIG. In step S510, the transfer prohibition flag is set to ON for all the image file groups saved in step S509. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S511. The processing from step S511 to step S513 is the same as that from step S412 to step S414 in FIG.

  As described above, when a recording medium with a wireless LAN function is attached to a digital camera not equipped with the best shot image selection function, the transfer prohibition flag is set to ON for all image file groups acquired in the continuous shooting mode. . For this reason, it is possible to prevent the data from being transferred even if the communication setting is enabled by being stored in the recording medium with the wireless LAN function.

(Second Embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the processing in the continuous shooting mode has been described. In the present embodiment, processing performed in the short movie shooting mode when a recording medium with a wireless LAN function is loaded will be described. The configurations of the digital camera and the recording medium with a wireless LAN function according to the present embodiment are the same as those in FIGS. Also, the processing procedure in the normal shooting mode is the same as that in FIG.

  Here, for short movie shooting, for example, a movie file for 4 seconds is created for each movie shooting, and movie files for the number of shootings created in one day are combined when the digital camera is started on the next day or later. This is a function for creating a single video file. The combined moving image file is used for the purpose of reproducing as a one-day digest. When short movie shooting is performed, two types of files are created: a movie file group (hereinafter referred to as a movie file group) for the number of shots before the combination, and a movie file after combination (hereinafter referred to as a combined movie file). .

Next, processing performed in the digital camera 100 in the short movie shooting mode will be described.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the digital camera 100 in the short movie shooting mode. Each process shown in FIG. 6 is performed under the control of the central control unit 103.
First, the processing is started when the mode switch of the operation unit 108 is switched to the short movie shooting mode by a user operation. In step S601, the mode is changed to the short movie shooting mode under the control of the central control unit 103. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S602. The processing from step S602 to step S607 is the same as the processing from step S402 to step S407 in FIG. 4, respectively.

  Next, in step S608, a short movie is shot. Specifically, when the shutter button of the operation unit 108 is fully pressed, the central control unit 103 performs exposure processing and development processing related to shooting to acquire moving image data for 4 seconds. In step S609, additional information such as shooting information is added to the moving image data acquired by the short movie shooting performed in step S608, and is stored in the recording medium 106 as a moving image file. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S610.

  Next, in step S610, the transfer prohibition flag of the moving image file saved in step S609 is set to ON. In step S611, the central control unit 103 instructs the recording medium 106 to validate the communication settings. Upon receiving the instruction, the recording medium 106 with the wireless LAN function performs a function control process for enabling the communication function. As a result, it is possible to transfer a moving image file whose transfer prohibition flag stored in the recording medium 106 is not ON. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S614. Note that steps S612 and S613 are the same as steps S608 and S609, respectively.

  In step S614, it is determined whether there is a list of moving image files acquired by short movie shooting (hereinafter referred to as a short movie moving image list). Here, the short movie moving image list is a list of moving image files created in the short movie shooting mode as shown in FIG. In the short movie moving image list, three parameters are recorded: the file path of each moving image file, the shooting date and time, and the combined processing state. This combined processing state indicates whether or not a moving image file has been combined as a combined moving image file as “completed” or “not yet”. As an initial state of the short movie moving image list, all parameters of the combined processing state are set to “not yet”.

  Note that the short movie moving image list is managed by the RAM 104 of the digital camera 100. If the result of determination in step S614 is that there is already a short movie video list, the process proceeds to step S616, and if there is no short movie video list, the process proceeds to step S615.

  In step S615, a new short movie movie list is created. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S616. In step S616, the parameter of the moving image file related to the moving image data obtained in step S608 or S612 is added to the existing short movie moving image list. At the time of addition, the shooting date / time is referred to and sorted in order of date.

  By repeating the above process for the number of times of shooting, a movie file group for the number of times of shooting a short movie is created, and a short movie list of movie files created by short movie shooting is created.

Next, processing when combining moving image file groups created for the number of times of shooting per day in the short movie shooting mode will be described below.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure for combining moving image file groups created for the number of times of shooting per day in the short movie shooting mode. 7 is performed under the control of the central control unit 103.
First, in step S701, the short movie moving image list managed in the RAM 104 is confirmed. At this time, the combination processing state in the short movie moving image list is confirmed, and it is determined whether or not there is a moving image file whose combination processing state is “not yet”. As a result of the determination, if there is a moving image file whose combination processing state is “not yet”, the process proceeds to step S702. If there is no moving image file whose combined processing state is “not yet”, the processing is ended as it is.

  In step S <b> 702, all the moving image files whose combination processing state is “not yet” are extracted from the recording medium 106. In step S703, it is determined whether or not a moving image file obtained by shooting before the previous day exists in the moving image file extracted in step S702. In this determination, the shooting date and time of the moving image file in the short movie moving image list is referred. The term “before the previous day” refers to a date before that including the day before the day when the digital camera 100 is activated. As a result of the determination, if there is a moving image file obtained by shooting before the previous day, the process proceeds to step S704. If it does not exist, the process ends.

  In step S704, a moving image file obtained by shooting before the previous day is extracted. In step S705, the extracted moving image file groups are combined to create a combined moving image file. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S706.

  Next, in step S706, the combined moving image file created in step S705 is stored in the recording medium 106. Specifically, it is stored in the memory circuit unit 79 of the recording medium 70 with a wireless LAN function shown in FIG. In step S707, for the moving image files combined in step S705, the combining processing state in the short movie moving image list is changed to “done”.

  As described above, the combined moving image file after combining is stored in the recording medium 106 without setting the transfer prohibition flag, and therefore can be transferred to a transfer destination desired by the user. In the present embodiment, the timing of combining the moving image file groups created for the number of times of shooting by the short movie shooting is set to the time of starting the digital camera 100 on the following day, but is not limited to this. For example, there are a method of starting up the digital camera 100 at the timing when the date changes on the day after the shooting date and combining movie files, or a method of manually selecting and combining movie files in the setting of the digital camera. Also good.

  In the example of the short movie moving image list shown in FIG. 8A, the parameters of the moving image file obtained by the shooting on March 1 are already stored in the short movie moving image list, and the shooting on April 1 is performed. The parameters of the obtained movie file are added. As shown in FIG. 7, when the digital camera 100 is activated, if there is a moving image file whose combination processing state before the previous day is “not yet”, the moving image files are combined and the combination processing state is changed to “done”. For this reason, all moving image files whose shooting date is March 1 are set to “done”. In this way, the joining processing state of the moving image file of April 1 is set to “not yet” and added to the short movie moving image list that stores the parameters of the moving image file of March 1.

  Further, FIG. 8B shows the short movie moving image list when the short movie shooting is repeated on the same day and the parameters of the moving image file are added to the short movie moving image list shown in FIG. The parameters of the moving image file created by shooting in this way are added with the combination processing state set to “not yet”.

  FIG. 8C is a diagram showing a short movie moving image list after the processing of step S707 in FIG. 5 is performed when the digital camera 100 is activated for the first time after April 2nd. The combined processing state of all the moving image files on April 1 is changed to “Done”.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the transfer prohibition flag is set to ON for the moving image file group created for the number of times of shooting by short movie shooting, the communication setting is saved in the recording medium with the wireless LAN function. Even if enabled, it is not forwarded. On the other hand, since the transfer prohibition flag is not set for the combined movie file created by combining the movie files created for the number of times of shooting, the combined movie file is saved when the communication setting is enabled after being saved in the recording medium with the wireless LAN function. Is transferred.

(Third embodiment)
In the present embodiment, an example in which a digital camera uses a function for recognizing the face of a subject (hereinafter referred to as a face recognition function) will be described. The configurations of the digital camera and the recording medium with a wireless LAN function according to the present embodiment are the same as those in FIGS. Also, the processing procedure in the normal shooting mode is the same as that in FIG.

  In the normal shooting mode, the central control unit 103 performs a series of operations related to imaging, that is, an exposure process, a development process, and a recording process, by an input of the second shutter switch of the operation unit 108. On the other hand, when the face recognition function is used, subject recognition processing of a photographed image, collation processing between a subject recognition result and management data, and various processing required in the present embodiment are further executed. The subject recognition process is a process of specifying the subject area from the image data area. In the face recognition function, the subject area is the face area of the subject.

  When registering management data, the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment records face data recognized at the time of shooting in the flash memory 105 as management data. The management data registration method is performed after the user operates the operation unit 108 of the digital camera 100 to cut out face data to be registered. In this embodiment, it is assumed that management data is registered in the digital camera 100 by some method, and the registration method is not limited.

<User setting items>
First, items to be set in advance by the user before shooting in order to perform transfer control of an image file using the subject face recognition function will be described below.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of setting items displayed on the display unit 107 of the digital camera 100. The digital camera 100 includes a plurality of setting items related to an image shooting function and an image playback function such as an image format, white balance, and a playback method of image data, and these setting items are recorded in the flash memory 105. In response to the user's operation, the digital camera 100 displays various setting items on the LCD of the display unit 107, and the setting content is changed through the operation of the operation unit 108 by the user.

  As shown in FIG. 9, a screen for setting control for transferring an image file recognized as a subject for each face data managed by the management data of the face recognition function as one of the setting items on the LCD of the display unit 107 900 is displayed. The user can operate the operation unit 108 of the digital camera 100 to set whether or not to transfer the image file in which each face data is recognized as a subject using the function of a recording medium with a wireless LAN function. The transfer control setting for each face data set by the user is recorded in the flash memory 105 according to the management data of the face recognition function.

<Processing with a digital camera using the face recognition function>
Next, processing performed in the digital camera 100 in the face recognition shooting mode when a recording medium with a wireless LAN function is attached will be described.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the digital camera 100 in the face recognition photographing mode. Each process shown in FIG. 10 is performed under the control of the central control unit 103.
First, the processing is started when the mode switch of the operation unit 108 is switched to the face recognition photographing mode by a user operation. In step S <b> 1001, the face control photographing mode is changed under the control of the central control unit 103. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S1002. The processing from step S1002 to step S1007 is the same as the processing from step S403 to step S407 in FIG.

  In step S1008, normal shooting including face recognition processing is performed. Specifically, when the shutter button of the operation unit 108 is fully pressed, the central control unit 103 performs exposure processing and development processing related to shooting to acquire image data. At this time, the central control unit 103 performs a series of operations related to imaging, and further performs subject recognition processing of image data as a face recognition function, and records the subject recognition result and face data in the RAM 104. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S1009.

  In step S1009, additional information such as shooting information is added to the image data acquired by shooting performed in step S1008, and the image data is stored in the recording medium 106 as an image file. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S1010.

  Next, in step S1010, it is determined from the subject recognition result recorded in the RAM 104 in step S1008 whether or not the subject has been recognized. As a result of the determination, if the subject is recognized, the process proceeds to step S1011. If not, the process proceeds to step S1014.

  In step S 1011, the subject-recognized face data recorded in the RAM 104 in step S 1008 and the management data face data recorded in the flash memory 105 are collated. In step S1012, it is determined as a result of the collation in step S1011 whether the recognized face data is face data set not to be transferred in advance from the screen 900 shown in FIG. As a result of the determination, if the face data is set not to be transferred, the process proceeds to step S1013. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S1014.

  In step S1013, the transfer prohibition flag is set to ON for the image file stored in the recording medium 106. In step S1014, the central control unit 103 instructs the recording medium 106 to validate the communication settings. Accordingly, the recording medium 106 with the wireless LAN function that has received the instruction performs a function control process for enabling the communication function. Thereby, it is possible to transfer image files, moving image files, and the like stored in the recording medium 106. Note that steps S1015 and S1016 are the same as steps S1008 and S1009, respectively.

  With the above processing, it is possible to control the image file not to be transferred by setting the transfer prohibition flag to ON for the image file in which the face data set not to be transferred in advance by the user's operation is detected.

<Processing when multiple people are recognized>
Next, a process performed in the digital camera 100 when the face data of a plurality of persons is recognized as subjects during the face recognition process will be described.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the digital camera 100 when the face data of a plurality of persons is recognized in the face recognition photographing mode. Each process illustrated in FIG. 11 is performed under the control of the central control unit 103. Moreover, since the process of step S1101-step S1110 is the same as the process of step S1001-step S1010 of FIG. 10, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In step S <b> 1111, the processes in steps S <b> 1112 to S <b> 1115 described below are repeated for the number of face data detected by the face recognition function by shooting in step S <b> 1108.

  First, in step S1112, the subject-recognized face data recorded in the RAM 104 in step S1108 and the management data face data recorded in the flash memory 105 are collated. In step S1113, it is determined whether the face data recognized as a result of the collation in step S1112 is face data set not to be transferred in advance from the screen 900 shown in FIG. As a result of the determination, if the face data is set not to be transferred, the process proceeds to step S1114, and if not, the process proceeds to step S1115.

  In step S1114, it counts as a person who cannot transfer, and in step S1115, it counts as a person who can transfer. As described above, by repeating the processes in steps S1112 to S1115, all the face data detected by the face recognition function by the shooting in step S1108 can be distributed to either a non-transferable person or a transferable person.

  Next, in step S1116, the count of persons that cannot be transferred and the number of persons that can be transferred are confirmed. As a result of the confirmation, if the transferable person is 0 and the transferable person is 1 or more, that is, if all the detected face data cannot be transferred, the process proceeds to step S1120. On the other hand, if the transferable person is 1 or more and the transfer impossible person is 0, that is, if all the detected face data can be transferred, the process proceeds to step S1121. If neither the transferable person nor the transferable person is 0, that is, if the detected face data includes a transferable person and a transferable person, the process proceeds to step S1117.

  In step S1117, a screen on which the user can set whether to transfer an image file obtained by shooting is displayed on the LCD of display unit 107. In step S1118, the process waits until there is a setting input from the operation unit 108 from the user. When a setting input is received from the operation unit 108, it is determined in step S1119 whether the input setting cannot be transferred. As a result of the determination, if the setting input indicates that transfer is not possible, the process proceeds to step S1120. If the setting input indicates that transfer is possible, the process proceeds to step S1121. Note that the processes in steps S1120 to S1123 are the same as steps S1013 to S1016 in FIG.

  As a result of the above processing, even when face data of a plurality of people is detected at the time of shooting, if all the detected face data is set to be non-transferable, the transfer prohibition flag is set to ON for the image file, and the image file Can be controlled not to be transferred. Further, when the detected face data includes a person who is set to be non-transferable and a person who is set to be transferable, the transfer prohibition flag can be set to ON based on the user's judgment, Image file transfer control can be performed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, by setting the transfer prohibition flag based on the setting by the user, the face recognition function is used when shooting with a digital camera in which a recording medium with a wireless LAN function is inserted. Thus, the image can be transferred efficiently.

(Fourth embodiment)
In the present embodiment, processing performed in the panoramic shooting mode when a recording medium with a wireless LAN function is loaded will be described. The configurations of the digital camera and the recording medium with a wireless LAN function according to the present embodiment are the same as those in FIGS. Also, the processing procedure in the normal shooting mode is the same as that in FIG.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the digital camera 100 in the panoramic shooting mode. Each process shown in FIG. 12 is performed under the control of the central control unit 103.
First, the processing is started when the mode switch of the operation unit 108 is switched to the panoramic shooting mode by the user's operation. In step S <b> 1201, a transition is made to the panoramic shooting mode under the control of the central control unit 103. Next, in step S1202, a UI for a panorama shooting mode described later is displayed on the display unit 107. The processing from step S1203 to step S1208 is the same as the processing from step S402 to step S407 in FIG.

  Next, in step S1209, a series of panoramic photography is performed. Details of this processing will be described later. When a series of panoramic shooting is completed, the central control unit 103 instructs the recording medium 106 to validate the communication settings in step S1210. Accordingly, the recording medium 106 with the wireless LAN function that has received the instruction performs a function control process for enabling the communication function. As a result, it is possible to transfer image files, moving image files, and the like stored in the recording medium 106 with the wireless LAN function. Note that the processing in step S1211 is the same as that in step S1209, and details will be described later.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a detailed processing procedure of steps S1209 and S1011 of FIG.
First, in step S1301, a counter N representing the number of images in panoramic shooting is set to 1. The counter N is temporarily stored in the RAM 104.

  Next, processing branches depending on the type of switch and key input by the operation unit 108. First, in step S1302, it is determined whether or not the second shutter switch has been input ON when the shutter button of the operation unit 108 is fully pressed. As a result of the determination, if the second shutter switch is input to ON, the process proceeds to step S1303. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S1306.

  Next, in step S1306, it is determined whether or not it has been input that the redo key of the operation unit 108 has been operated. In the present embodiment, the redo key corresponds to a left button of a cross key (not shown). If it is determined that the redo key has been operated, the process proceeds to step S1307. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S1310.

  Next, in step S1310, it is determined whether it has been input that the end key of the operation unit 108 has been operated. In the present embodiment, the end key corresponds to a set button (not shown). As a result of this determination, if it is input that the end key has been operated, the process ends, and if not, the process returns to step S1302.

  In step S1303, the central control unit 103 performs exposure processing and development processing related to shooting to acquire image data. Then, the image is compressed into a Jpeg format and is stored as an image file on the recording medium 106 through recording processing together with additional information such as shooting information. If the recording medium 106 has a wireless LAN function, the transfer prohibition flag is set to OFF. After that, in step S1304, one counter N is added. In step S1305, the Nth shooting screen is displayed on the display unit 107.

  On the other hand, as processing for re-taking the image, first, in step S1307, it is determined whether the value of the counter N is 2 or more. If the value of the counter N is 2 or more as a result of this determination, the Nth image captured immediately before is deleted in step S1308. Thereafter, in step S1309, the value of the counter N is returned by one. On the other hand, if the value of the counter N is 1 as a result of the determination in step S1307, the process returns to step S1302.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 107 in the panoramic shooting mode, and shows an example of shooting a subject such as a landscape in order from left to right.
A screen 1400 shown in FIG. 14A shows a state immediately after the transition to the panoramic shooting mode. In the left image display area 1401, an image as a viewfinder is displayed. This screen 1400 is a screen displayed in step S1202 of FIG.

  In this state, when the second shutter switch is turned on and the first picture is taken, a screen 1410 shown in FIG. 14B is displayed. A part of the first photographed image is displayed in the left display area 1411 of the screen 1410, and an image as a viewfinder is displayed in the right display area 1412. In step S1305, as shown in FIG. 14B, a part of the right side of the image displayed in the left display area 1411 is covered with the viewfinder image displayed in the right display area 1412 and displayed. . As a result, when the second image is shot by panoramic shooting, there is little deviation in the later composition processing, and framing that is easy to process is possible. Even in the third and subsequent shots, an image taken immediately before is displayed in the left display area 1411, and a viewfinder image is displayed in the right display area 1412, so that it can be taken in the same manner.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, among the image files obtained in the panorama shooting mode, the failed image file is deleted before being transferred by the recording medium 106 with the wireless LAN function. On the other hand, a desired image file group photographed in the panorama photographing mode can be transferred when the communication setting becomes valid.

  On the other hand, in the panorama shooting mode, even when the shooting is performed again, it is desirable to keep the image file on the recording medium just in case, but there are cases where it is desired to reduce the communication time and the communication cost. Hereinafter, an example in which an image file that has failed to be captured is not transferred in such a case will be described.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the detailed processing procedure of steps S1209 and S1011 of FIG. In FIG. 15, Steps S1501 to S1507, Steps S1509, and S1510 are the same as Steps S1301 to S1307, Steps S1309, and S1310 in FIG.
In step S1508 of FIG. 15, when the recording medium 106 has a wireless LAN function, the transfer prohibition flag is set to ON.

  As described above, among the image files obtained in the panorama shooting mode, a desired image file group is transferred when the communication setting becomes valid. However, an image to be re-captured can be left in the recording medium 106 without being transferred even if the communication setting of the recording medium 106 becomes valid.

(Other embodiments)
As mentioned above, although preferable embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to these embodiment, A various deformation | transformation and change are possible within the range of the summary.

  The present invention can also be realized by executing the following processing. That is, software (program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus via a network or various storage media, and a computer (or CPU, MPU, or the like) of the system or apparatus reads the program. It is a process to be executed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Optical system 102 Image pick-up element 103 Central control part 104 RAM
105 Flash memory 106 Recording medium 107 Display unit 108 Operation unit 109 Communication unit

Claims (6)

An imaging apparatus capable of mounting a recording medium having a function of transferring an image file by communicating with an information processing apparatus,
Imaging means for imaging a subject by continuous shooting and generating a plurality of the image files;
Transfer control means for controlling to disable the transfer function of the recording medium before the shooting is performed;
Recording means for recording a plurality of image files generated by the imaging means on a recording medium whose transfer function is disabled by the transfer control means;
The transfer control means assigns a transfer prohibition flag to an image file satisfying a predetermined condition from among a plurality of image files recorded by the recording means, and transfers the recording medium after assigning the transfer prohibition flag. An image pickup apparatus that controls to enable a function.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising setting means for setting the predetermined condition in accordance with a user operation.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is an image file that does not correspond to a best shot image. A judgment means for judging whether or not a recording medium having a function of transferring the image file is mounted;
The transfer control unit controls to disable the transfer function of the recording medium when the determination unit determines that a recording medium having a function of transferring the image file is loaded. The imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3. An imaging apparatus control method capable of mounting a recording medium having a function of transferring an image file by communicating with an information processing apparatus,
An imaging step of imaging a subject by continuous shooting and generating a plurality of the image files;
A transfer control step for controlling to disable the transfer function of the recording medium before the shooting is performed;
Recording a plurality of image files generated in the imaging step on a recording medium whose transfer function is disabled in the transfer control step;
In the transfer control step, a transfer prohibition flag is assigned to an image file satisfying a predetermined condition from among a plurality of image files recorded in the recording step, and after the transfer prohibition flag is assigned, A control method for an imaging apparatus, wherein control is performed so as to enable a transfer function. A program for controlling an imaging device capable of mounting a recording medium having a function of communicating with an information processing device and transferring an image file,
An imaging step of imaging a subject by continuous shooting and generating a plurality of the image files;
A transfer control step for controlling to disable the transfer function of the recording medium before the shooting is performed;
Causing the computer to execute a recording step of recording the plurality of image files generated in the imaging step on a recording medium in which the transfer function is disabled in the transfer control step;
In the transfer control step, a transfer prohibition flag is assigned to an image file satisfying a predetermined condition from among a plurality of image files recorded in the recording step, and after the transfer prohibition flag is assigned, A program characterized by controlling to enable a transfer function.

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