JP2015088980A - Imaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging device which secures a storage region while preventing a plurality of still pictures whose photographed scenes are similar to each other from being kept stored in a case where a still picture is photographed during motion picture photographing, and in a case where there is no idle capacity in an inner memory.SOLUTION: An imaging device comprises: motion picture generation means generating motion picture data by using an image signal; still picture generation means generating still picture data while the motion picture data is generated; storage means temporarily storing the respective generated still picture data as stored still picture data; and storage control means replacing any one of initial stored still picture data, which is the stored still picture data that has already stored at a time point when an idle capacity of the storage means becomes less than a predetermined capacity, with new still picture data. The storage control means, in a case where the initial stored still picture data is arranged in an order according to a generation time, selects initial stored still picture data at a position not adjacent to the initial stored still picture data selected immediately before, and replaces it with new still picture data.

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus.

  Conventionally, it is configured so that continuous shooting recording is possible during movie shooting, and predetermined face information, blurring amount, etc. among still images generated by continuous shooting recorded in the memory card according to the remaining capacity of the memory card There is known a camera that deletes a still image specified on the basis of an image and records more moving image data (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP2011-97525A

  However, since still images are deleted based on face information, blurring amount, etc., a plurality of still images with similar captured scenes remain stored, and sufficient free space (free space exceeds a predetermined amount) A certain state) cannot be secured, and there is a possibility that a still image desired to be taken and stored by the user cannot be recorded.

  The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, an imaging unit that captures an image of a subject and outputs an image signal, a moving image generation unit that generates moving image data using the image signal, Still image generating means for generating still image data using a signal, storage means for temporarily storing still image data respectively generated by the still image generating means as stored still image data, and free space in the storage means Replace any of the initial stored still image data that is stored still image data already stored when the capacity becomes less than the predetermined capacity with new still image data generated by the still image generation means. Storage control means, the storage control means, when the initial stored still image data is arranged in the order according to the time generated by the still image generation means, the initial stored already selected Select an initial already stored still image data of a position which is not adjacent Tomega data to each other be replaced by a new still image data, characterized by.

  According to the present invention, when the free space of the storage means for still image data is small (less than the predetermined capacity), the stored still image data at a position not adjacent to the stored still image data selected immediately before. And can be replaced with newly generated still image data.

It is a block diagram explaining the principal part structure of the digital camera by embodiment of this invention. 6 is a timing chart for explaining switching between an automatic shooting period and an automatic shooting prohibition period during moving image shooting of the digital camera according to the embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of management information. It is a figure explaining the relationship between deletion and storage of still picture data stored in the internal memory of the digital camera according to the first embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of the digital camera by 1st Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the relationship between deletion of the still image data stored in the internal memory of the digital camera by 2nd Embodiment, and storage. It is a figure explaining the relationship between deletion of the still image data stored in the internal memory of the digital camera in a modified example, and storage. It is a figure explaining the relationship between deletion of the still image data stored in the internal memory of the digital camera in a modified example, and storage.

-First embodiment-
A digital camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of the digital camera 1. The digital camera 1 includes a photographic lens L1, an image sensor 101, an A / D converter 102, an internal memory 103, a control circuit 104, an image processing unit 105, an image management unit 106, an LCD drive circuit 107, a liquid crystal display 108, and an operation unit. 109 and a memory card interface 110. The photographing lens L1 includes various optical lens groups such as an imaging lens and a focus adjustment lens. In FIG. 1, the photographic lens L1 is represented by a single lens.

  The image sensor 101 is configured by a photoelectric conversion element (pixel) such as a CCD or a CMOS arranged in a matrix on the imaging surface, and various circuits that control driving of the pixel. The image sensor 101 captures a subject image input through the photographing lens L1, and outputs an image signal obtained by capturing the image. Note that the image sensor 101 in the present embodiment will be described as an example having a pixel number of 10 Mpixel. The A / D converter 102 converts an image signal from the image sensor 101 from an analog signal to a digital signal, and outputs it as image data. The output of the imaging signal by the imaging device 101 and the conversion by the A / D converter 102 are performed in synchronization according to the control of the control circuit 104 described later.

  The internal memory 103 is a volatile recording medium capable of reading and writing data at high speed, such as DRAM and SRAM. The imaging signal converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 102 is controlled by the control circuit 104 and temporarily stored in the internal memory 103. The internal memory 103 functions as a buffer memory that waits for image data until image processing by an image processing unit 105 to be described later is started when image data is continuously generated at a high speed such as continuous shooting or moving image shooting. At the same time, it also functions as a work memory when performing image processing and compression processing by the image processing unit 105. The internal memory 103 has a moving image storage area for storing moving image data, which will be described later, and a still image storage area for storing still image data.

  The control circuit 104 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like (not shown), and is an arithmetic circuit that controls each component of the digital camera 1 and executes various data processing based on a control program. The control program is stored in a nonvolatile memory (not shown) in the control circuit 104.

  The control circuit 104 functionally includes a still image automatic acquisition control unit 104a, a still image automatic shooting unit 104b, a memory capacity determination unit 104c, and a deletion instruction unit 104d. The still image automatic acquisition control unit 104a controls the timing at which the still image automatic capturing unit 104b captures a still image during moving image capturing. When the predetermined condition (described later) is satisfied at the timing controlled by the still image automatic acquisition control unit 104a, the still image automatic photographing unit 104b causes the image processing unit 104 described later to automatically generate still image data. In the following description, still image data generated in response to an instruction from the still image automatic photographing unit 104b is referred to as “automatic still image data”.

  The memory capacity determination unit 104c detects the remaining capacity of the internal memory 103, and when shooting a still image during moving image shooting, the presence or absence of free space for storing still image data (for one frame (one frame)) It is determined whether or not a free space that is sufficient free space for storing still image data and that exceeds a predetermined capacity exists in the still image data storage area of the internal memory 103). When the memory capacity determination unit 104c determines that “the free capacity is less than a predetermined amount (hereinafter, also referred to as“ there is no free capacity ”), the deletion instruction unit 104d stores the automatic still image stored in the internal memory 103. The automatic still image data to be deleted is determined from among the image data, and the automatic still image data is deleted from the internal memory 103. That is, the deletion instruction unit 104 d controls storage and deletion of still image data in the internal memory 103. Details of the still image automatic acquisition control unit 104a, the still image automatic photographing unit 104b, the memory capacity determination unit 104c, and the deletion instruction unit 104d will be described later. In the following description, still image data generated in response to a user's shooting instruction (for example, so-called release operation) is referred to as “manual still image data”.

  The image processing unit 105 performs various types of image processing on the image data output from the A / D converter 102 and then adds additional information and the like to generate an image file. The image processing unit 105 records the generated image file on a recording medium such as a memory card 111 described later. Further, the image processing unit 105 generates display image data to be displayed on the liquid crystal display 108 described later, based on the image data stored in the internal memory 103 and the image data recorded on the memory card 111. .

  The image processing unit 105 functionally includes a still image processing unit 105a and a moving image processing unit 105b. The still image processing unit 105 a generates still image data and a still image file using the imaging signal output from the imaging element 101, and records them in the memory card 111. The moving image processing unit 105 b generates moving image data and a moving image file using the imaging signal output from the image sensor 101 and records the generated data in the memory card 111. The still image processing unit 105a and the moving image processing unit 105b will be described later.

  The image management unit 106 indicates type information indicating whether the still image data is automatic still image data or manual still image data when a still image is captured during moving image shooting, and the time when the image data of each still image is acquired. Time information is recorded as management information and managed. As will be described later, this management information is referred to when the deletion instruction unit 104d determines automatic still image data to be deleted.

  The LCD drive circuit 107 is a circuit that drives the liquid crystal display 108 based on a command from the control circuit 104. The liquid crystal display 108 displays an image corresponding to the display image data created by the image processing unit 105. The liquid crystal display 108 displays a menu screen for setting various operations of the digital camera 1.

  The operation unit 109 includes various switches provided corresponding to various operation members operated by the user, and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the operation of the operation member to the control circuit 104. For example, the operation member determines a release button, a menu button for displaying a menu screen on the liquid crystal display 108, a cross key operated when selecting and operating various settings, and a setting selected by the cross key. And a mode switching button for switching the operation of the digital camera 1 between the shooting mode and the playback mode. The operation unit 109 can set a still image shooting mode and a moving image shooting mode as the imaging mode. In the digital camera 1 of the present embodiment, even when a movie is being shot in the movie shooting mode, a still image can be shot at the timing when the user operates the release button. It is configured.

  The memory card interface 110 is an interface to which the memory card 111 can be attached and detached. The memory card interface 110 is an interface circuit that writes an image file to the memory card 111 or reads an image file recorded on the memory card 111 based on the control of the control circuit 104. The memory card 111 is a semiconductor memory card such as a compact flash (registered trademark) or an SD card.

The operation of the digital camera 1 in the present embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, the case where the moving image shooting mode is set by the user's operation of the operation unit 109 will be mainly described.
When the release button is operated by the user and an operation signal indicating the start of moving image shooting is output from the operation unit 109, the control circuit 104 controls the image sensor 101 and the A / D converter 102 to perform a predetermined operation. Image data obtained by continuously capturing a subject image at a frame rate of, for example, 30 frames per second is sequentially output. The sequentially output image data is sequentially stored in the moving image storage area of the internal memory 103, and is sequentially converted into a frame image by the moving image processing unit 105b of the image processing unit 105.

  The moving image processing unit 105b downsizes the image data converted into a frame image so as to have a predetermined number of pixels (for example, 2 Mpixel for one frame), and stores it again as moving image data in the moving image storage area of the internal memory 103. To do. When a predetermined number of pieces of moving image data are generated, the moving image processing unit 105b performs processing such as intra-frame encoding and inter-frame encoding, and records them in the memory card 111 as, for example, an MPEG format moving image file.

  The image processing unit 105 generates display image data by further downsizing the number of pixels of the image data converted into a frame image, and the moving image corresponding to the display image data is displayed on the liquid crystal display 108 via the LCD driving circuit 107. Is displayed. As a result, the user can observe the subject image during moving image shooting with the liquid crystal display 108.

  When the moving image data generation process is performed as described above, the control circuit 104 alternately switches between a period during which automatic still image data can be generated and a period during which automatic still image data generation is prohibited. To control the timing. In the following description, a period during which automatic still image data can be generated is referred to as an automatic shooting period, and a period during which automatic still image data generation is prohibited is referred to as an automatic shooting prohibition period. In the automatic shooting period, still image data is generated as automatic still image data when the image data output from the image sensor 101 and generated by the A / D converter 102 satisfies a predetermined condition. In the automatic shooting prohibition period, still image data is generated as automatic still image data even when the image data satisfies a predetermined condition (described in detail in “still image acquisition condition” described later) as described above. The still image data is generated as manual still image data only when the release button is operated by the user. However, even during the automatic shooting period, when the user operates the release button, still image data is generated as manual still image data. Details will be described below.

  FIG. 2 is a timing chart showing the timing for switching between the automatic shooting period and the automatic shooting prohibition period. As shown in FIG. 2A, when the user instructs to start moving image shooting at time t0, the still image automatic acquisition control unit 104a sets an automatic shooting period T1 and sets a timer (not shown). Start up and start time measurement. When a predetermined time of 5 seconds elapses from the start of time measurement, the still image automatic acquisition control unit 104a switches from the automatic shooting period T1 to the automatic shooting prohibition period T2 and sets the new time by resetting the timer. Measurement is started (time t1).

  When a predetermined time of 10 seconds elapses after starting time measurement at time t1, the still image automatic acquisition control unit 104a switches from the automatic shooting prohibition period T2 to the automatic shooting period T1 and sets the timer, and resets the timer. Time measurement is newly started (time t2). Thereafter, the still image automatic acquisition control unit 104a repeatedly performs the above-described processing until the user performs an operation to end moving image shooting. Note that the predetermined times of 5 seconds and 10 seconds are examples, and the present invention is not limited to this example. Further, the predetermined time may be configured to be settable from a menu screen displayed on the liquid crystal display 108 by the user.

  2B and 2C are timing charts showing processing performed by the still image automatic acquisition control unit 104a when a user performs a still image shooting operation during the automatic shooting period T1. In FIG. 2B, the moving image shooting is started at time t0, and the user has performed a still image shooting operation at time t10 (t0 <t10 <t1) after the automatic shooting period T1 is set. Is shown. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 2C, the still image automatic acquisition control unit 104a switches from the automatic shooting period T1 to the automatic shooting prohibition period T2 at time t10 when the user performs a still image shooting operation. And reset the timer to start a new time measurement.

  When a predetermined time of 10 seconds elapses from time t10, the still image automatic acquisition control unit 104a switches from the automatic shooting prohibition period T2 to the automatic shooting period T1, and resets the timer to newly start time measurement (time t11). ). Thereafter, as in the case described with reference to FIG. 2A, the still image automatic acquisition control unit 104a switches between the automatic shooting period T1 and the automatic shooting prohibition period T2 each time a predetermined time elapses. However, if the user performs a still image shooting operation during the automatic shooting period T1, the still image automatic acquisition control unit 104a automatically sets the still image shooting operation at the timing when the user performs the still image shooting operation. Switch to the shooting prohibition period T2. When the user performs a still image shooting operation during the automatic shooting prohibition period T2, the still image automatic acquisition control unit 104a does not switch to the automatic shooting period T1, and the automatic shooting prohibition period T2 is not changed. Continue until a predetermined time of 10 seconds elapses.

Next, a still image shooting process during moving image shooting in the moving image shooting mode will be described. In the digital camera 1 according to the present embodiment, an automatic shooting process for generating automatic still image data when a still image acquisition condition which is a predetermined condition is satisfied during moving image shooting, and a still image shooting operation by a user. Manual shooting processing for generating manual still image data. The still image acquired during moving image shooting is temporarily stored in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103 until the moving image shooting ends, and is recorded in the memory card 111 after the moving image shooting ends. The internal memory 103 is limited in the capacity of the still image storage area and the number of still images that can be stored in order to secure the storage capacity of the moving image data generated during moving image shooting. For this reason, in this embodiment, when it is necessary to store a still image when there is no sufficient free space (a predetermined capacity or more) in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103, the already stored still image is stored. An object is to prevent the occurrence of a problem that a user cannot record a desired still image by controlling which one is deleted and replaced with a new still image.
In the following, description will be given separately for automatic photographing processing and manual photographing processing.

-Automatic shooting process-
The still image automatic photographing unit 104b generates a still image acquisition condition (described above “predetermined”) every time frame data is generated by the moving image processing unit 105b during the automatic photographing period T1. It is determined whether or not the “condition” is satisfied. If it is determined that the still image acquisition condition is satisfied, the memory capacity determination unit 104c detects the remaining capacity of the still image storage area of the internal memory 103, and determines whether there is free space for storing automatic still image data. To do. When there is no free space for storing automatic still image data in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103 (less than a predetermined capacity), the still image automatic photographing unit 104b satisfies the still image acquisition condition. Even in this case, the still image processing unit 105a is not allowed to generate automatic still image data.

  When there is a free space for storing automatic still image data in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103 (when it is larger than a predetermined capacity), the still image automatic photographing unit 104b acquires a still image from the still image processing unit 105a. Automatic still image data is generated from the frame image determined to satisfy the condition. In this case, since the still image processing unit 105a does not downsize the number of pixels of the frame image, the number of pixels of the generated automatic still image data is 10 Mpixel as in the case of the frame image. Then, the still image processing unit 105 a stores the generated automatic still image data in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103.

  When still image data is stored in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103, the image management unit 106 creates and records management information. FIG. 3 shows an example of management information. As shown in FIG. 3, the image management unit 106 assigns a management ID (management ID 1 in the example of FIG. 3) to the automatic still image data generated as described above and stored in the still image area of the internal memory 103. To do. Then, the image management unit 106 manages type information indicating that the still image data generated by the still image processing unit 105a is automatic still image data, and time information indicating the time when the automatic still image data is generated. It is recorded and managed as management information in association with the ID. The time information indicates the time that has elapsed since the time when moving image shooting was started (time t0 in FIG. 2). In addition, “automatic” in the type information in FIG. 3 represents automatic still image data.

  Examples of the still image acquisition condition described above include a case where there is a change exceeding a predetermined width in the average luminance of continuously output frame images, or a case where a human face is recognized in the output frame image. is there. If there is a change in the average luminance of the frame image that exceeds a predetermined width, it can be considered that the scene where the subject is photographed has changed significantly, and the change in the scene can be used as a still image acquisition condition. When a person's face is recognized in the frame image, the still image automatic photographing unit 104b may determine that the still image acquisition condition is satisfied only when it matches a specific face registered in advance. In addition, when the digital camera 1 includes a microphone that collects external sound, the still image acquisition condition may be a case where sound of a predetermined volume or higher is recognized during moving image shooting. In this case, in particular, only when a specific sound is recognized, the still image automatic photographing unit 104b may determine that the still image acquisition condition is satisfied.

-Manual shooting process-
When a still image shooting operation is performed by the user during moving image shooting and an operation signal is output from the operation unit 109, the memory capacity determination unit 104c detects the remaining capacity of the still image storage area of the internal memory 103, and performs manual operation. It is determined whether or not there is a free capacity for storing still image data. When there is a free capacity for storing manual still image data in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103 (when it is larger than a predetermined capacity), the control circuit 104 controls the image sensor 101 and the A / D converter 102. Image data is output. The still image processing unit 105a generates manual still image data using the output image data without downsizing the number of pixels. Then, the still image processing unit 105 a stores the generated manual still image data in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103.

  When manual still image data is stored in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103, the image management unit 106 creates and records management information shown in FIG. As in the case of automatic still image data, the image management unit 106 assigns a management ID (management ID 2 in the example of FIG. 3) to the manual still image data stored in the still image area of the internal memory 103 and generates the image. Type information indicating that the still image data is manual still image data and time information indicating the time when the manual still image data is generated are recorded and managed as management information in association with the management ID. Note that “manual” in the type information in FIG. 3 represents manual still image data.

  When there is no free space for storing manual still image data in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103 (less than a predetermined capacity), the deletion instruction unit 104d refers to the management information and stores it in the internal memory 103. From the stored automatic still image data, automatic still image data to be deleted is determined from the internal memory 103. In the following description, still image data already stored in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103 when there is no free space in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103 is referred to as initially stored still image data. In the present embodiment, in accordance with the deletion order described in detail later, the deletion instructing unit 104d automatically deletes the automatic still image data from among the initial still image data stored in the internal memory 103. Determine the still image data. However, when all of the still image data stored in the internal memory 103 is manual still image data, the deletion instruction unit 104d does not determine an object to be deleted, and the control circuit 104 performs a release lock so that the subsequent manual still image data is deleted. The generation of image data is prohibited.

  Hereinafter, a case where automatic still image data is deleted from the internal memory 103 and manual still image data is stored will be specifically described. In the following description, for convenience of explanation, the still image storage area of the internal memory 103 has a capacity capable of storing 10 still image data, and a user has performed a still image shooting operation. Assume that 10 still image data have already been stored as initially stored still image data in the still image storage area at that time. Further, it is assumed that ten automatic still image data have already been stored in the internal memory 103.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating the relationship between deletion and storage of still image data stored in the internal memory 103. In FIG. 4, for the sake of illustration, automatic still image data is represented as “self” and manual still image data is represented as “hand”. Each number shown together with “self” or “hand” represents the order in which the automatic still image data and the manual still image data are captured (hereinafter referred to as the capturing order). “Self 1” has the oldest shooting time among the automatic still image data, and the shooting time sequentially becomes new as the number increases, and “Self 10” indicates that the shooting time is the newest. “Hand 1” has the oldest shooting time among the manual still image data, and as the shooting order increases, the shooting time becomes sequentially new, and “hand 10” indicates that the shooting time is the newest. In FIG. 4, for the purpose of facilitating understanding, the automatic still image data is shown in the order of “self 1” to “self 10” for convenience.

  FIG. 4A shows a state in which ten pieces of automatic still image data (“Own 1” to “Own 10”) are stored in the internal memory 103. At this time, when a user performs a still image shooting operation, the memory capacity determination unit 104c determines that there is no free space for storing manual still image data. Then, the deletion instructing unit 104d refers to the management information, and among the 10 automatic still image data, the automatic still image data that is the target of deletion of the automatic still image data “self 2” having the second oldest shooting time. And delete from the internal memory 103. The image management unit 106 deletes the type information and time information of the automatic still image data “self 2” from the management information. The still image processing unit 105 a stores the manual still image data “hand 1” generated using the output image data in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103. When the manual still image data “hand 1” is stored in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103, the image management unit 106 updates the management information.

  FIG. 4B shows a state in which the automatic still image data “self 2” is deleted and the manual still image data “hand 1” is stored as a result of the above processing. In FIG. 4B, for the purpose of facilitating understanding, it is assumed that the manual still image data “hand 1” is stored at the position where the automatic still image data “self 2” is stored for convenience. It is shown in the figure. In this state, when a still image shooting operation is further performed by the user, the deletion instructing unit 104d determines that the newly generated manual still image data “hand 2” is to be deleted from the internal memory 103. The new automatic still image data is determined. In this case, the deletion instruction unit 104d refers to the management information, and the shooting time is the fourth oldest among the automatic still image data originally stored in the internal memory 103 among the nine automatic still image data. The automatic still image data “self 4” is determined as a deletion target and is deleted from the internal memory 103.

  The still image processing unit 105 a stores the manual still image data “hand 2” generated using the output image data in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103. When the manual still image data “hand 2” is stored in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103, the image management unit 106 updates the management information. FIG. 4C shows a state in which the automatic still image data “self 4” is deleted and the manual still image data “hand 2” is stored as a result of the above processing. In FIG. 4C, for the purpose of facilitating understanding, the manual still image data “hand 2” is stored at the position where the automatic still image data “self 4” is stored for convenience. It is shown in the figure.

  Thereafter, each time a still image shooting operation is performed by the user and manual still image data “hand 3”, “hand 4”, and “hand 5” are sequentially generated, the deletion instructing unit 104d is stored in the internal memory 103. The stored automatic still image data “Own 6”, “Own 8”, and “Own 10” are deleted in this order. Then, as schematically shown in FIG. 4D, the manual still image data “hand 3”, the automatic still image data “self 6”, “self 8”, and “self 10” are stored at the positions where “Hand 4” and “Hand 5” are stored. That is, every time manual still image data is generated, the deletion instruction unit 104d determines automatic still image data in which the shooting order of automatic still image data is an even number as a deletion target in ascending order of numbers. In other words, the deletion instructing unit 104d deletes from the internal memory 103 automatic still image data whose shooting order is not continuous with the automatic still image data deleted from the internal memory 103 in the immediately preceding process.

  In the state shown in FIG. 4D, there is no automatic still image data in the internal memory 103 having a shooting order larger than that of the automatic still image data “self 10”. For this reason, when manual still image data “hand 6” is newly generated in accordance with a still image shooting operation by the user, the deletion instruction unit 104d determines the deletion target as follows. In this case, the deletion instructing unit 104d, for example, among the plurality of automatic still image data stored in the internal memory 103, in the order of shooting order, the shooting order of even-numbered automatic still image data arranged, for example. Automatic still image data with a small is determined as a deletion target. As shown in FIG. 4D, when automatic still image data “self 1”, “self 3”, “self 5”, “self 7”, and “self 9” are stored in the internal memory 103 The deletion instructing unit 104d sets the even-numbered automatic still image data “Own 3” and “Own 7” as deletion candidates, and deletes the automatic still image data “Own 3” having a smaller shooting number among deletion candidates. Determine as.

  When the automatic still image data “self 3” is deleted from the internal memory 103 by the deletion instruction unit 104d, the manual still image data “hand 6” is stored. As a result, the automatic still image data and the manual still image data are stored in the internal memory 103 as schematically shown in FIG. Further, when manual still image data “hand 7” is generated, the deletion instruction unit 104d determines the remaining automatic still image data “self 7” among the deletion candidates as a deletion target, and the internal memory 103 And is replaced with manual still image data “hand 7”.

  FIG. 4F schematically shows a state in which the automatic still image data “self 7” is replaced with the manual still image data “hand 7” and the manual still image data “hand 7” is stored in the internal memory 103. ing. In this state, when the user performs a still image shooting operation, the deletion instruction unit 104 d displays the automatic still image data “Own 1”, “Own 5”, and “Own 9” stored in the internal memory 103. The automatic still image data “Own 5” arranged in the even number is determined as a deletion target. Then, as shown in FIG. 4G, the automatic still image data “self 5” is deleted from the internal memory 103 and replaced with the newly generated manual still image data “hand 8”.

  When a still image shooting operation is further performed by the user and the manual still image data “hand 9” is generated, the deletion instruction unit 104d displays the automatic still image data “self 1” stored in the internal memory 103. ], The automatic still image data “self 9” arranged in the even number of “self 9” is determined as a deletion target. Then, as shown in FIG. 4H, the automatic still image data “self 9” is deleted from the internal memory 103 and replaced with the newly generated manual still image data “hand 9”. Furthermore, when the manual still image data “hand 10” is newly generated, the deletion instruction unit 104 d determines the automatic still image data “self 1” stored in the internal memory 103 as a deletion target. Then, the automatic still image data “self 1” is deleted from the internal memory 103 and replaced with the newly generated manual still image data “hand 10”. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4I, all the still image data stored in the internal memory 103 is the manual still image data “hand 1” to “hand 10”. When all of the still image data stored in the internal memory 103 becomes manual still image data, the deletion instruction unit 104d does not determine the object to be deleted, and the control circuit 104 performs release lock to generate subsequent manual still image data. Is prohibited.

  While moving image shooting is being performed in the moving image shooting mode, the digital camera 1 repeats the above processing. When an operation signal is output from the operation unit 109 in response to an operation to finish moving image shooting by the user, the moving image processing unit 105 b performs a moving image file termination process, and the still image processing unit 105 a is stored in the internal memory 103. The image data is transferred to the memory card 111 and recorded.

  The operation of the digital camera 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The processing in FIG. 5 is performed by executing a program in the control circuit 104. This program is stored in a memory (not shown), and is activated and executed by the control circuit 104 when moving image shooting is started by the operation of the operation unit 109 of the user.

  In step S1, the moving image processing unit 105b generates moving image data, and the process proceeds to step S2. In step S2, it is determined whether to generate still image data. When still image data is generated, that is, when a frame image satisfies a still image acquisition condition, or when an operation signal is input from the operation unit 109 in response to a still image shooting operation by a user, step S2 is determined to be affirmative and step Proceed to S3. When the still image data is not generated, that is, when the frame image does not satisfy the still image acquisition condition, and the user does not perform the still image shooting operation and does not input the operation signal from the operation unit 109, the negative determination is made in step S2, which will be described later. The process proceeds to step S12.

  In step S <b> 3, the memory capacity determination unit 104 c determines whether there is a free capacity in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103. If there is free space in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103 (if it exceeds the predetermined capacity), an affirmative determination is made in step S3 and the process proceeds to step S4. In step S4, it is determined whether the still image data to be generated is manual still image data. When manual still image data is generated, that is, when an operation signal is input from the operation unit 109 in response to a still image shooting operation by the user, an affirmative determination is made in step S4 and the process proceeds to step S11 described later. If the still image data to be generated is automatic still image data, that is, if the still image automatic photographing unit 104b determines that the frame image satisfies the still image acquisition condition, a negative determination is made in step S4 and the process proceeds to step S5. In step S5, the still image processing unit 105a generates automatic still image data from the frame image, and the process proceeds to step S12 described later.

  If the memory capacity determination unit 104c determines that there is no free space in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103 (less than the predetermined capacity), a negative determination is made in step S3 and the process proceeds to step S6. In step S6, as in step S4, it is determined whether the still image data to be generated is manual still image data. If manual still image data is to be generated, an affirmative determination is made in step S6 and the process proceeds to step S7. If automatic still image data is to be generated, a negative determination is made in step S6 and the process proceeds to step S12 described later. In step S7, the deletion instruction unit 104d refers to the management information and determines whether or not automatic still image data is stored in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103. If only manual still image data is stored in the internal memory 103, a negative determination is made in step S7 and the process proceeds to step S8. In step S8, a release lock is performed to prohibit the user from taking a still image, and the process proceeds to step S12 described later.

  If automatic still image data is stored in the internal memory 103, an affirmative determination is made in step S7 and the process proceeds to step S9. In step S9, the deletion instruction unit 104d refers to the management information and / or the evaluation value, determines automatic still image data to be deleted, and proceeds to step S10. In step S10, the deletion instruction unit 104d deletes the automatic still image data determined in step S9 from the still image storage area of the internal memory 103, and proceeds to step S11. In step S11, the image sensor 101 and the A / D converter 102 output a frame image, and the still image processing unit 105a generates manual still image data from the frame image, and stores it in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103. The process proceeds to step S12.

  In step S12, it is determined whether or not the moving image shooting is finished. When ending moving image shooting, that is, when an operation signal is output from the operation unit 109 in response to an operation for ending moving image shooting by the user, an affirmative determination is made in step S12 and the process proceeds to step S13. In step S13, the still image data stored in the internal memory 103 is transferred to the memory card 111, and the process ends. When the moving image shooting is not ended, that is, when the operation for ending the moving image shooting by the user is not performed and the operation signal is not input from the operation unit 109, a negative determination is made in step S12 and the process returns to step S1.

According to the digital camera according to the above-described embodiment, the following operational effects can be obtained.
The deletion instruction unit 104d, when arranging the automatic still image data stored in the internal memory 103 in the shooting order that is the order according to the shooting time, is located at a position that is not adjacent to the automatic still image data selected immediately before. Automatic still image data is selected for deletion and replaced with manual still image data. In particular, the deletion instruction unit 104d selects automatic still image data with an even shooting order as a deletion target in ascending order. Therefore, by deleting the automatic still image data in a discrete order while preventing the manual still image data corresponding to the still image taken by the user from the internal memory 103 from being deleted, a similar scene can be obtained. A capacity for manual still image data can be secured in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103 without leaving the captured automatic still image data.

-Second Embodiment-
A digital camera according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and different points will be mainly described. Points that are not particularly described are the same as those in the first embodiment. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a plurality of automatic still image data whose photographing time difference is within a predetermined time is allowed to be deleted from the internal memory 103 continuously.

  In this embodiment, when manual still image data is generated in a state where there is no remaining capacity in the internal memory 103, a predetermined time is set based on the moving image shooting time. Among a plurality of automatic still image data stored in the internal memory 103, a plurality of automatic still image data whose shooting time difference is within a set predetermined time are included in the same group, and the automatic still image data included in the same group With respect to, the deletion target is determined by assigning the same shooting order. This will be described in detail below.

  When the user performs an operation for starting moving image shooting, the shooting start time is recorded. The shooting start time may be recorded in the management information, or may be recorded in the moving image storage area of the internal memory 103. If a manual still image shooting operation is performed during moving image shooting and the memory capacity determination unit 104c determines that there is no remaining capacity in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103, the deletion instruction unit 104d The automatic still image data to be deleted is determined from the automatic still image data stored in the internal memory 103.

  First, the deletion instruction unit 104d calculates the difference between the time when the manual still image shooting instruction is given and the shooting start time of the recorded moving image, and the moving image shooting until the manual still image shooting is instructed. Calculate time. Then, the deletion instruction unit 104d sets a predetermined time based on the calculated moving image shooting time. The predetermined time is a time range in which a plurality of automatic still image data acquired during moving image shooting can be regarded as shooting a substantially similar scene, and is set to become longer as the moving image shooting time increases. Is done. As an example, when the moving image shooting time is 5 minutes, the predetermined time is set to 10 seconds, and when the moving image shooting time is 10 minutes, the predetermined time is set to 20 seconds.

  When the predetermined time is set, the deletion instruction unit 104d refers to the time information of the automatic still image data recorded in the management information, that is, the shooting time, and sets each automatic still image data stored in the internal memory 103. It is determined whether the shooting intervals are within a predetermined time. When there is no automatic still image data whose shooting interval is within a predetermined time, the deletion instruction unit 104d determines a deletion target in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

  The deletion target determination process by the deletion instruction unit 104d when there is automatic still image data whose shooting interval is within a predetermined time will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating the relationship between deletion and storage of still image data stored in the internal memory 103. In FIG. 6, as in FIG. 4, automatic still image data is represented as “self”, manual still image data is represented as “hand”, and each number shown together with “self” or “hand” represents the shooting order. Yes.

  In the following description, it is assumed that the difference between the shooting time of the automatic still image data “Own 4” and the shooting time of the automatic still image data “Own 5” is within a predetermined time. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6A, the deletion instruction unit 104d includes the automatic still image data “self 4” and “self 5” in the same group Gp. The deletion instructing unit 104d regards the automatic still image data “self 4” and “self 5” included in the group Gp as the same shooting order, and determines the automatic still image data with an even shooting order as the deletion target in ascending order. To do. Then, the deletion instructing unit 104d allows the automatic still image data “self 4” and “self 5”, which are included in the group Gp, to be sequentially deleted, to be sequentially deleted.

  When the manual still image data “hand 1” is generated, the deletion instruction unit 104d deletes the automatic still image data “self 2” from the internal memory 103 (FIG. 6B). When the manual still image data “hand 2” is generated, the deletion instruction unit 104d deletes the automatic still image data “self 4” included in the group Gp from the internal memory 103 (FIG. 6C). When the manual still image data “hand 3” is generated, the deletion instruction unit 104d deletes the automatic still image data “self 5” included in the group Gp from the internal memory 103 (FIG. 6D). When the manual still image data “hand 4” is generated, the deletion instruction unit 104d deletes the automatic still image data “self 7” from the internal memory 103 (FIG. 6E). When the manual still image data “hand 5” is generated, the deletion instruction unit 104d deletes the automatic still image data “self 9” from the internal memory 103 (FIG. 6F).

  When the manual still image data “hand 6” is generated, the deletion instruction unit 104d performs the same process as in the first embodiment. That is, the deletion instructing unit 104 d has an even shooting order for the automatic still image data “self 1”, “self 3”, “self 6”, “self 8”, and “self 10” remaining in the internal memory 103. The deletion target is determined so as to be in ascending order.

According to the digital camera according to the second embodiment described above, in addition to the functions and effects obtained by the first embodiment, the following functions and effects are obtained.
The deletion instruction unit 104d sets a predetermined time based on the moving image shooting time at the time when the manual still image shooting operation is performed. Then, the deletion instruction unit 104d includes, in the same group Gp, a plurality of automatic still image data whose shooting time interval is within a predetermined time among the automatic still image data stored in the internal memory 103, and includes the group Gp. The automatic still image data included in is allowed to be continuously replaced with manual still image data. Since automatic still image data whose shooting time interval is within the set time is likely to be an image of a similar scene, it is possible to delete similar automatic still image data. A capacity for manual still image data can be secured in the still image storage area of the internal memory 103 without leaving the automatic still image data obtained by photographing the scene.

The following modifications are also within the scope of the present invention, and one or a plurality of modifications can be combined with the above-described embodiment.
(1) Instead of deleting even-numbered automatic still image data in ascending order, automatic still image data can be deleted in the following various modes.
(1-1) Automatic still image data with an even shooting number can be deleted in descending order. In this case, the deletion instruction unit 104d first deletes the automatic still image data from the internal memory 103 in the order of “Own 10”, “Own 8”, “Own 6”, “Own 4”, and “Own 2”. After the automatic still image data “self 2” is deleted, there is no even-numbered automatic photographing data having a photographing number smaller than that of the automatic still image data “self 2”. For this reason, the deletion instructing unit 104d sets the even number of the automatic still image data “own 1”, “self 3”, “self 5”, “self 7”, and “self 9” in descending order, that is, automatic still image data. Delete from the internal memory 103 in the order of “self 7” and “self 3”. Furthermore, the deletion instruction unit 104d deletes the even-numbered automatic still image data “Own 5” in descending order from among the automatic still image data “Own 1”, “Own 5”, and “Own 9”. Thereafter, the deletion instructing unit 104d deletes the even-numbered automatic still image data “Own 1” in descending order from the automatic still image data “Own 1” and “Own 9”, and then the automatic still image data “Own 9”. Is deleted.

  (1-2) Delete the automatic still image data having an odd shooting number in ascending order. In this case, the deletion instruction unit 104d first deletes the automatic still image data from the internal memory 103 in the order of “self 1”, “self 3”, “self 5”, “self 7”, and “self 9”. After the automatic still image data “self 9” is deleted, there is no odd-numbered automatic photographing data having a photographing number larger than that of the automatic still image data “self 9”. For this reason, the deletion instructing unit 104d sets the odd number in ascending order among the automatic still image data “self 2”, “self 4”, “self 6”, “self 8”, and “self 10”, that is, automatic still image data. Delete from the internal memory 103 in the order of “self 2”, “self 6”, and “self 10”. Further, the deletion instructing unit 104d deletes the odd-numbered odd number in the ascending order, that is, the automatic still image data “Own 4” among the automatic still image data “Own 4” and “Own 8”, and then the automatic still image data “Own 8”. "Is deleted.

  (1-3) Automatic still image data with an odd number can be deleted in descending order. In this case, the deletion instruction unit 104d first deletes the automatic still image data from the internal memory 103 in the order of “self 9”, “self 7”, “self 5”, “self 3”, and “self 1”. After the automatic still image data “self 1” is deleted, there is no odd-numbered automatic photographing data having a photographing number smaller than that of the automatic still image data “self 1”. For this reason, the deletion instructing unit 104d sets the odd number of the automatic still image data “own 2”, “self 4”, “self 6”, “self 8”, and “self 10” in descending order, that is, automatic still image data. Delete from the internal memory 103 in the order of “self 10”, “self 6”, and “self 2”. Further, the deletion instructing unit 104d deletes the odd number in descending order of the automatic still image data “Own 4” and “Own 8”, that is, the automatic still image data “Own 4”, and then the automatic still image data “Own 8”. "Is deleted.

  (1-4) The deletion of automatic still image data in ascending order of shooting numbers may be combined with the deletion of automatic still image data in descending order. A case where automatic still image data with an even shooting number is deleted will be described as an example. In this case, the deletion instruction unit 104d first sets the internal memory 103 in the order of even-numbered automatic still image data “self 2”, “self 4”, “self 6”, “self 8”, and “self 10” in ascending order. Delete from. Next, the deletion instructing unit 104d sets the even numbered automatic still image data in the descending order of the remaining automatic still image data “Own 1”, “Own 3”, “Own 5”, “Own 7”, and “Own 9”. Delete them in the order of “Self 7” and “Self 3”. Further, the deletion instruction unit 104d deletes the even-numbered automatic still image data “Own 5” in ascending order among the remaining automatic still image data “Own 1”, “Own 5”, and “Own 9”. Then, after deleting the even-numbered automatic still image data “Own 1” in descending order from the remaining automatic still image data “Own 1” and “Own 9”, the deletion instruction unit 104d deletes the automatic still image data “Own 1”. 9 ”is deleted. Note that the automatic still image data in descending order of the shooting numbers may be deleted first, and then the automatic still image data in ascending order may be deleted. It can also be applied to odd-numbered automatic still image data.

  (1-5) In the embodiment and the above (1-1) to (1-4), the automatic still image data to be deleted by the deletion instructing unit 104d has been described every other example, but this is limited to this example. Not. The deletion instructing unit 104d may delete the automatic still image data for every predetermined plurality of images such as every second image or every third image.

  (1-6) Among automatic still image data with an even shooting number, data that is deleted in the order in which the shooting number is close to the median is also included in one aspect of the present invention. This will be described using the example shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7A, when the still image data “self 1” to “self 10” is stored in the internal memory 103, the manual still image data “hand 1” is generated. To do. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 7B, the deletion instruction unit 104 d performs even-numbered automatic still image data “self 2”, “self 4”, “self 6”, “self 8”, “self 10”. Among them, the automatic still image data “self 6” as the median value is deleted, and the manual still image data “hand 1” is stored. Thereafter, the deletion instruction unit 104d performs automatic still image data “self 4” (FIG. 7C), “self 8” (FIG. 7D), “self 2” (FIG. 7E), “self” 10 ”(FIG. 7 (f)) and sequentially replaced with manual still image data“ hand 2 ”to“ hand 5 ”. Thereafter, the deletion instructing unit 104d deletes the remaining automatic still image data from “auto 1”, “self 3”, “self 5”, “self 7”, and “self 9” from the automatic still image data. As for, any of the methods (1-1) to (1-4) described above may be used. Note that, among the automatic still image data with odd shooting numbers, the shooting numbers may be deleted in the order close to the median. In this case, when the manual still image data “hand 1” is stored, the deletion instruction unit 104d displays the odd-numbered automatic still image data “self 1”, “self 3”, “self 5”, “self 7”, Of the “self 9”, the automatic still image data “auto 5”, which is the median value, may be deleted.

  (1-7) Among automatic still image data with an even shooting number, one that alternately deletes the automatic still image data with the largest shooting number and the automatic still image data with the smallest shooting number is also included in one aspect of the present invention. . This will be described using the example shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8A, when the still image data “self 1” to “self 10” is stored in the internal memory 103, the manual still image data “hand 1” is generated. To do. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8B, the deletion instructing unit 104d has the even-numbered automatic still image data “self 2”, “self 4”, “self 6”, “self 8”, “self 10”. Among them, the automatic still image data “self 10” having the largest shooting number is deleted, and the manual still image data “hand 1” is stored. When the manual still image data “hand 2” is generated, the deletion instructing unit 104 performs automatic still image data “self 2”, “self 4”, “self 6” as shown in FIG. , The automatic still image data “self 2” having the smallest shooting number among “self 8” is deleted, and the manual still image data “hand 2” is stored. Thereafter, the deletion instruction unit 104d performs automatic still image data “self 8” (FIG. 8D), “self 4” (FIG. 8E), and “self 6” (FIG. 8F) in this order. The manual still image data “hand 2” to “hand 5” are sequentially replaced. Thereafter, the deletion instructing unit 104d deletes the remaining automatic still image data from “auto 1”, “self 3”, “self 5”, “self 7”, and “self 9” from the automatic still image data. As for, any of the methods (1-1) to (1-4) described above may be used. It should be noted that the automatic still image data with an odd shooting number may be alternately deleted with the largest and the smallest shooting number.

(2) Instead of the automatic still image data being deleted when manual still image data is generated in a state where the internal memory 103 has no free space (less than a predetermined capacity), the internal memory 103 has free space One aspect of the present invention also includes a case where automatic still image data already stored in the internal memory 103 is deleted when automatic still image data or manual still image data is newly generated in the absence of the automatic still image data. Also in this case, the deletion target of the automatic still image data already stored in the internal memory 103 is determined using the above-described embodiment and the method described in (1-1) to (1-7) above. , Delete it.

  As long as the characteristics of the present invention are not impaired, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and other forms conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention are also included in the scope of the present invention. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Digital camera, 101 ... Image sensor,
104 ... control circuit, 104a ... still image automatic acquisition control unit,
104b ... Still image automatic photographing unit, 104c ... Memory capacity determining unit,
104d ... delete instruction unit, 105 ... image processing unit,
105a ... Still image processing unit, 105b ... Moving image processing unit

Claims (7)

Imaging means for imaging a subject and outputting an image signal;
Moving image generating means for generating moving image data using the image signal;
A still image generating means for generating still image data using the image signal when generating the moving image data;
Storage means for temporarily storing the still image data respectively generated by the still image generation means as stored still image data;
Any one of the initial stored still image data, which is the stored still image data already stored when the free capacity of the storage unit becomes less than a predetermined capacity, is generated by the still image generating unit. Storage control means for replacing with the new still image data.
The storage control means, when arranging the initial stored still image data in the order according to the time generated by the still image generation means, the initial stored still image data selected immediately before Selecting the initial stored still image data at a non-adjacent position and replacing it with the new still image data;
An imaging apparatus characterized by the above. The imaging device according to claim 1,
The still image generating means includes
A first still image generation unit configured to generate first still image data using the image signal when a predetermined condition is satisfied when the moving image data is generated;
A second still image generation unit configured to generate second still image data using the image signal when an instruction from a user is received when the moving image data is generated;
The initial stored still image data includes the first still image data and the second still image data,
When the new still image data is the second still image data, the storage control means converts the first still image data of the initial stored still image data into the new still image data. An imaging apparatus characterized by replacing. The imaging device according to claim 2,
When the new still image data is the first still image data, the storage control unit converts the first still image data of the initial stored still image data into the new still image data. An imaging device that is not replaced. In the imaging device according to claim 2 or 3,
When a plurality of new second still image data are sequentially generated in a state where the free capacity of the storage means is less than the predetermined capacity, the storage control means includes the initial stored still image data. When the first still image data are arranged in the order according to the time generated by the first still image generating means, the first still image at a position not adjacent to each other among the arranged first still image data An image pickup apparatus, wherein image data is replaced with the new second still image data. The imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The storage control unit sets a predetermined time based on the shooting time of the moving image data generated by the moving image generation unit, and among the first still image data included in the initial stored still image data, When there are a plurality of the first still image data whose time intervals generated by the first still image generating means are within the predetermined time, the plurality of first still image data are continuously added to the first still image data. 2. An imaging apparatus that allows replacement with still image data. The imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The image pickup apparatus, wherein the storage control means sequentially selects the first still image data having the even or odd order in ascending order or descending order. The imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The storage control means performs a combination of sequential selection based on one of an ascending order and a descending order of the first still image data of which the order is even-numbered or odd-numbered and a sequential selection based on the other of the ascending order and descending order. Imaging device.

Images