JP2015179969A - Imaging apparatus, imaging method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform consecutive photographing with compatibility between convenience and efficiency.SOLUTION: An imaging apparatus, which acquired plural images by consecutive photographing, comprises a photographing condition setting processing unit 52 which identifies a photographing target before the start of the consecutive photographing and sets the number of images to take in accordance with the identified photographing target. Consequently, the imaging apparatus allows automatic setting of not unnecessarily many but an effective number of images to take, which dispense with user's time and labor to set the number of images to take. As a result, it is possible to perform consecutive photographing with compatibility between convenience and efficiency.

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, an imaging method, and a program.

  Conventionally, there has been known a function capable of continuously performing self-timer photographing at regular time intervals. For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a technique is disclosed in which a user can arbitrarily set the number of images to be captured within a predetermined range.

JP 2002-237986 A

  However, even if the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above is used, it is necessary for the user to appropriately set the number of sheets, or the user does not need an unnecessarily large number and determines an effective number. There was a problem that it was difficult.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and is to enable continuous shooting that achieves both convenience and efficiency.

In order to achieve the above object, an imaging device of one embodiment of the present invention includes:
An imaging device that continuously captures images and acquires a plurality of images,
Before the start of the continuous shooting, specifying means for specifying the shooting target;
First setting means for setting the number of shots according to the shooting target specified by the specifying means;
It is characterized by providing.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to continuously perform shooting with both convenience and efficiency.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the hardware of the imaging device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a functional block diagram which shows the functional structure for performing a self-timer imaging | photography process and a guide audio | voice preparation process among the functional structures of the imaging device of FIG. It is a figure which shows the to-be-photographed table stored in an imaging | photography setting information storage part. It is a schematic diagram which shows the example of the guide display data memorize | stored in a guide information storage part. It is a figure which shows the guide audio | voice table memorize | stored in a guide information storage part. It is a schematic diagram which shows the example of a production | generation of the moving image file in this embodiment. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a flow of continuous self-timer imaging processing executed by the imaging apparatus of FIG. 1 having the functional configuration of FIG. 2. It is a flowchart explaining the detailed flow of an imaging condition setting process among continuous self-timer imaging processes. It is a flowchart explaining the detailed flow of an imaging | photography target determination process among imaging condition setting processes. It is a flowchart explaining the detailed flow of a guide audio | voice selection process among continuous self-timer imaging processes. It is a flowchart explaining the detailed flow of a guide audio | voice output pre-process among continuous self-timer imaging processes. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a detailed flow of a guide voice creation process executed by the imaging apparatus of FIG. 1 having the functional configuration of FIG. 2. It is a figure explaining a change degree table and a complexity table. It is a flowchart explaining the modification of the detailed flow of an imaging | photography target determination process among imaging condition setting processes. It is a flowchart explaining the modification of the detailed flow of a guide audio | voice selection process among continuous self-timer imaging processes. It is a flowchart explaining the other modification of the detailed flow of a guide audio | voice selection process among continuous self-timer imaging processes.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of an imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The imaging device 1 is configured as a digital camera, for example.

  The imaging apparatus 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a bus 14, an input / output interface 15, an imaging unit 16, and a sensor unit 17. An input unit 18, an output unit 19, a storage unit 20, a communication unit 21, and a drive 22.

  The CPU 11 executes various processes according to a program recorded in the ROM 12 or a program loaded from the storage unit 20 to the RAM 13.

  The RAM 13 appropriately stores data necessary for the CPU 11 to execute various processes.

  The CPU 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13 are connected to each other via a bus 14. An input / output interface 15 is also connected to the bus 14. An imaging unit 16, a sensor unit 17, an input unit 18, an output unit 19, a storage unit 20, a communication unit 21, and a drive 22 are connected to the input / output interface 15.

  Although not shown, the imaging unit 16 includes an optical lens unit and an image sensor.

The optical lens unit is configured by a lens that collects light, for example, a focus lens or a zoom lens, in order to photograph a subject.
The focus lens is a lens that forms a subject image on the light receiving surface of the image sensor. The zoom lens is a lens that freely changes the focal length within a certain range.
The optical lens unit is also provided with a peripheral circuit for adjusting setting parameters such as focus, exposure, and white balance as necessary.

The image sensor includes a photoelectric conversion element, AFE (Analog Front End), and the like.
The photoelectric conversion element is composed of, for example, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) type photoelectric conversion element or the like. A subject image is incident on the photoelectric conversion element from the optical lens unit. Therefore, the photoelectric conversion element photoelectrically converts (captures) the subject image, accumulates the image signal for a predetermined time, and sequentially supplies the accumulated image signal as an analog signal to the AFE.
The AFE performs various signal processing such as A / D (Analog / Digital) conversion processing on the analog image signal. Through various signal processing, a digital signal is generated and output as an output signal of the imaging unit 16.
Hereinafter, the output signal of the imaging unit 16 is referred to as a “captured image”. The captured image is appropriately supplied to the CPU 11 or the like.

  The sensor unit 17 measures the relative position and angle of the imaging device 1. In the present embodiment, the sensor unit 17 includes various sensors such as a triaxial acceleration sensor.

The input unit 18 includes a microphone, various buttons, and the like, and inputs voice, information, and the like according to user operations.
The output unit 19 includes a display, a speaker, and the like, and outputs images and sounds.
The storage unit 20 is configured by a hard disk, a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), or the like, and stores various image data.
The communication unit 21 controls communication with other devices (not shown) via a network including the Internet.

  A removable medium 31 composed of a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, or the like is appropriately attached to the drive 22. The program read from the removable medium 31 by the drive 22 is installed in the storage unit 20 as necessary. The removable medium 31 can also store various data such as image data stored in the storage unit 20 in the same manner as the storage unit 20.

The imaging device 1 configured as described above has a self-shooting function in which a photographer takes a picture with the imaging device facing the photographer. At the time of shooting, the imaging apparatus 1 has a function of shooting with a self-timer so that shooting is continuously performed at a predetermined interval, and performing a guide voice and a guide display for prompting the user to prepare for shooting before shooting.
The imaging device 1 has a function of generating a moving image using a plurality of captured images.

  The imaging device 1 has a posing shot function in the present embodiment. The posing shot function is a function that performs shooting five times at intervals by voice guidance when a single shooting operation is performed. This eliminates the need for you to press the shutter yourself every time you take a picture, so you can concentrate on making poses and expressions. Also, since you can shoot five images in one shot, there is no need to press the shutter each time. Since the interval between shootings is informed by voice guides, it is easy to measure the timing of poses and facial expressions.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration for executing the self-timer photographing process and the guide voice creating process among the functional configurations of the imaging apparatus 1 as described above.
The self-timer shooting process is a series of processes from shooting a plurality of times by the self-timer to generating a moving image using a plurality of shot images.
In the self-timer shooting process, a shooting condition setting process for setting shooting conditions, a guide voice selection process for selecting a guide voice, a guide voice output process for outputting a guide voice at the time of shooting, and a moving image using the shot image Including various processes of the moving image generation process.
The guide voice creation process will be described later.

  When executing the self-timer photographing process, as shown in FIG. 2, in the CPU 11, a memory management unit 51, a photographing condition setting processing unit 52, an input operation detecting unit 53, a guide voice selection processing unit 54, The guide sound output preprocessing unit 55, the output control unit 56, the imaging control unit 57, the still image generation unit 58, the posture management unit 59, and the moving image generation unit 60 function.

  Further, in one area of the storage unit 20, a shooting setting information storage unit 81, a guide information storage unit 82, an image storage unit 83, and an attitude information storage unit 84 are stored.

  The shooting setting information storage unit 81 stores shooting setting information such as a subject table to be referred to for setting the number of shots.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a subject table stored in the shooting setting information storage unit 81.
The subject table is a table used for setting the number of shots. As shown in FIG. 3, the subject table is a table in which subjects detected from captured images acquired when setting the number of shots are associated with the number of shots. is there. In the subject table, the number of shots is the largest and the number of shots is the smallest when the detected subject is a person (children) with a lot of movement, such as a large number of shots in the case of a shooting target with many changes. The number of shots is set to be the smallest when the person is a person other than the person.

  Returning to FIG. 2, guide information such as a guide voice file, guide display data, and a guide voice table is stored in the guide information storage unit 82.

  Voices recorded by the user and voices related to shooting (for example, “three-to-one”, “start”, “OK!”, Etc.) are input to the guide voice file.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of guide display data stored in the guide information storage unit 82.
The guide display data is an image that is displayed in a semi-transparent manner on the live view image, and when the shooting target triggers shooting by taking the same pose as the displayed image while viewing the live view image. Use. In the example of FIG. 4, guide display data (indicated by a broken line in the figure) in which a person raises his hand in the center of the image is transparently displayed on the live view image. The person to be photographed poses so as to match the guide display image while looking at the guide display, and when the pose matches the image, shooting is performed. In this example, it is assumed that the guide display matches with a predetermined degree of match and is regarded as a match.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a guide voice table stored in the guide information storage unit 82.
As shown in FIG. 5, the guide voice table is a table in which various conditions are associated with guide voice files, guide display data, names, and playback times.
In the guide voice table, association is made according to a predetermined rule. That is, for example, it is assumed that a name can be associated with the first sheet (used in common for all photographing). In addition, there are those with and without corresponding guide displays. Further, only one common to all photographing may be used, and in this case, there is no corresponding guide display. Further, it is assumed that the guide sound file created by the user is not associated with the guide display. Also, the audio guide that is appropriately selected / reproduced according to the captured image does not have a corresponding guide display and is used only for automatic selection, so it has no name and cannot be selected by the user.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the image storage unit 83 stores data of various images such as still image files and moving image files.

  The posture information storage unit 84 stores the posture information of the imaging device such as the position and angle of the imaging device 1 acquired from the sensor unit 17.

  The memory management unit 51 acquires the remaining memory capacity as the storable capacity of the storage unit 20, and determines whether there is a remaining memory capacity equal to or greater than a predetermined amount that can be photographed.

The shooting condition setting processing unit 52 executes shooting condition setting processing.
The shooting condition setting process detects the subject in the captured image and sets the number of shots according to the detected subject, or sets the image size based on the remaining memory and the set number of shots. It is processing until.
In the present embodiment, the number of shots is configured to differ depending on whether the subject is a person or not, and if the subject is a person, it depends on whether the subject is a child or a non-child.
Specifically, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 sets the number of shots by referring to the subject table shown in FIG. 3 based on the detection result of the subject in the captured image.
The number of shots is set so that the number of shots is reduced when the remaining memory capacity is small.
Furthermore, the image size is set so as to reduce the image size when the remaining memory capacity is small.

  The input operation detection unit 53 detects various operations such as a shooting start operation on the input unit 18.

The guide voice selection processing unit 54 performs a guide voice selection process.
The guide voice selection process is to select which guide voice to use, to select whether to change the guide voice for each shooting, or to change the number for each shot. It is a process of selecting whether to change according to.

  Specifically, the guide sound selection processing unit 54 changes the sound file (guide sound) according to which guide sound is used, the same sound for all photographing, or the number of images to be photographed. Is switched by user setting.

The guide voice output preprocessing unit 55 executes guide voice output preprocessing.
The guide voice output pre-processing is a series of processes for setting a state in which a guide voice is output.
Specifically, the guide sound output preprocessing is such that the guide sound is output when the subject matches the guide display, or there is no change in the position of the imaging device and no change in the captured image. This is a process until the guide voice is output.
Further, in the guide voice output pre-processing of the present embodiment, it is prohibited to perform shooting from the same shooting position and angle, and when the shooting position and angle coincide with the past shooting position and angle, shooting is performed in duplicate. A message to the effect that the action is to be performed (hereinafter referred to as “duplicate shooting message”) is displayed in a cautionary manner, and the guide voice is not output.

Specifically, the guide sound output pre-processing unit 55 switches whether to display a semi-transparent display (guide display) according to a user setting.
In addition, the guide voice output preprocessing unit 55 switches the guide display stored in association with the voice file according to the selected voice file. At this time, in the detection of the match between the guide display and the subject, the guide sound output preprocessing unit 55 detects the moving object (subject) from the comparison of consecutive captured images, and the position of the detected subject is determined for a predetermined time (for example, 1 Second) It is considered to have stopped when the state considered constant is continued. In addition, a match between the detected subject and the guide display is determined, and it is determined that a match has occurred when a state that is considered to match for a predetermined time (for example, 1 second) continues.
Further, in the determination of the stop of the imaging device, the guide sound output preprocessing unit 55 detects the movement of the imaging device body by the angle detection means provided in the imaging device 1, and the same shooting position for a predetermined time (for example, 1 second), If the state considered to be an angle continues, it is considered to have stopped. When the imaging apparatus moves more than the threshold, it is assumed that the imaging position and angle are changed, and the position and angle of the imaging apparatus when the movement is detected is acquired and stored. A coincidence with the photographed photographing position and angle is discriminated, and if they coincide, a message indicating that the photographing is duplicated is displayed.

  The output control unit 56 controls the output unit 19 to reproduce the guide voice stored in the guide information storage unit 82 based on the selection in the guide voice selection process.

  The imaging control unit 57 controls the imaging unit 16. Specifically, the imaging control unit 57 controls the imaging unit 16 to perform half shutter processing (AE, AF, AWB), or controls the imaging unit 16 based on the set imaging conditions. . In addition, the imaging control unit 57 controls the imaging unit 16 so as to output a captured image for subject detection and determination of a shooting position.

  The still image generation unit 58 generates a still image file based on the output from the imaging unit 16. Then, the still image generation unit 58 stores the generated image file in the image storage unit 83.

  The attitude management unit 59 manages the position and angle of the imaging device 1 based on the output from the sensor unit 17. The posture management unit 59 stores the position and angle information of the imaging device 1 acquired from the sensor unit 17 in the posture information storage unit 84 as posture information.

  The moving image generation unit 60 generates a moving image file using a plurality of still image files stored in the image storage unit 83. In the present embodiment, the moving image generation unit 60 generates a moving image file in which the acquired still image file is displayed at a predetermined interval in time series. Note that a moving image file is separately created from all of a plurality of still image files that have been continuously shot, and the still image file is left.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a generation example of a moving image file in the present embodiment.
In the present embodiment, as shown in the example of FIG. 6, for example, when five still image files are acquired, each still image file is displayed for a predetermined time (1 second in the present embodiment). Between files, for example, a moving image for a total of 6 seconds is generated so as to provide a still-image effect such as an effect of wiping the image for a predetermined time (in this embodiment, 0.25 seconds).

  Further, when the guide voice creation process is executed, the guide voice creation processing unit 61 functions in the CPU 11 as shown in FIG.

The guide voice creation processing unit 61 executes a guide voice creation process.
The guide voice creation process is a series of processes for adjusting the input voice for the guide voice and creating the guide voice. In the guide voice creation process, only the voiced portion is detected from the input voice, and the guide voice is created by performing an adjustment to add a silent portion having a predetermined length to the detected voiced portion.
Specifically, the guide voice creation processing unit 61 adds a silent time of a predetermined time (for example, 1 second) from the time when the voice of recording is cut so that the release is not performed immediately after the voice is cut. Create an audio file.
Further, the guide voice creation processing unit 61 allows the user to arbitrarily input a name.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of continuous self-timer imaging processing executed by the imaging apparatus 1 of FIG. 1 having the functional configuration of FIG.
The continuous self-timer photographing process is started by an operation for starting a continuous self-timer photographing process to the input unit 18 by the user.

  In step S11, the memory management unit 51 acquires the remaining memory capacity. That is, the memory management unit 51 acquires the remaining memory capacity as the storable capacity of the storage unit 20.

In step S12, the memory management unit 51 determines whether or not the threshold value is equal to or greater than a threshold value. That is, for example, the memory management unit 51 determines whether or not the remaining memory capacity is greater than or equal to a predetermined memory capacity for storing five images to be continuously shot.
If it is not equal to or greater than the threshold value, it is determined as NO in step S12, and the continuous self-timer imaging process ends.
If it is equal to or greater than the threshold, YES is determined in step S12, and the process proceeds to step S13.

  In step S13, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 executes shooting condition setting processing. As a result, shooting conditions (number of shots and image size) are set. The detailed flow of the shooting condition setting process will be described later.

  In step S <b> 14, the input operation detection unit 53 detects a shooting start operation for the input unit 18.

  In step S15, the guide voice selection processing unit 54 performs a guide voice selection process. As a result, the guide voice output at the time of shooting is selected. The detailed flow of the guide voice selection process will be described later.

  In step S16, the guide voice output pre-processing unit 55 performs a guide voice output pre-process. As a result, guide display is performed, or adjustment to a state suitable for the output of the guide voice is performed. The detailed flow of the guide voice output pre-processing will be described later.

  In step S <b> 17, the output control unit 56 controls the output unit 19 to reproduce the guide voice stored in the guide information storage unit 82 based on the selection in the guide voice selection process. As a result, the guide voice based on the selection is reproduced from the output unit 19.

In step S <b> 18, the output control unit 56 determines whether or not the reproduction is finished in the output unit 19.
If the reproduction does not end, NO is determined in step S18, and a standby state is entered until the reproduction ends.
When the reproduction is completed, YES is determined in step S18, and the process proceeds to step S19.

  In step S19, the imaging control unit 57 controls the imaging unit 16 to perform half shutter processing (AE, AF, AWB).

  In step S20, the imaging control unit 57 uses the image size (determination image size) set in consideration of the remaining memory capacity in the shooting condition setting process in step S13, and the values of AE, AF, and AWB acquired in step S19. Set the shooting conditions for each shot.

  In step S <b> 21, the imaging control unit 57 controls the imaging unit 16 to execute imaging under the set imaging conditions.

  In step S <b> 22, the still image generation unit 58 generates a still image file based on the output from the imaging unit 16. Thereafter, the still image generation unit 58 stores the still image in the image storage unit 83.

  In step S <b> 23, the posture management unit 59 temporarily stores the current position and angle of the imaging device acquired from the sensor unit 17 (the acquired position and angle of the imaging device) in the posture information storage unit 84.

In step S24, the imaging control unit 57 determines whether or not the number of shots set by the shooting condition setting process in step 13 has been reached.
If the set number of images has not been shot, NO is determined in step S24, and the process returns to step S15.
If the set number of images has been shot, YES is determined in step S24, and the process proceeds to step S25.

In step S <b> 25, the moving image generating unit 60 generates a moving image file based on the still images continuously captured this time stored in the image storage unit 83. Thereafter, the moving image generation unit 60 stores the moving image file in the image storage unit 83.
Thereafter, the continuous self-timer photographing process ends.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the detailed flow of the shooting condition setting process in the continuous self-timer shooting process.

  In step S <b> 41, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 acquires a captured image from the imaging unit 16.

  In step S42, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 executes a shooting target determination process described later. As a result, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 determines the number of shots by referring to the subject table from the subject detection result of the captured image.

  In step S43, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 sets the number of shots based on the number of shots determined in the shooting target determination process.

  In step S44, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 sets the image size from the acquired remaining memory capacity. That is, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 sets the image size to be smaller when the remaining memory capacity is small considering the capacity for the number of shots.

  In step S45, if there is a change by the user, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 accepts the change and changes the number of shots.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a detailed flow of the shooting target determination process in the shooting condition setting process.

  In step S61, the photographing condition setting processing unit 52 detects a person from the captured image using a known person detection technique.

In step S62, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 determines whether or not the detected subject is a child using a known person analysis technique.
If it is not a child, it is determined as NO in Step S62, and the process proceeds to Step S63 based on the determination result.
In the case of a child, YES is determined in step S62, and the process proceeds to step S63 based on the determination result.

  In step S63, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 refers to the subject table. Specifically, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 refers to the subject table shown in FIG. 3 and determines the number of shots from the number corresponding to the determined subject.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the detailed flow of the guide voice selection process in the continuous self-timer shooting process.

In step S81, the guide voice selection processing unit 54 determines whether or not to change the guide voice for each shooting.
When not changing every shooting, it is determined as NO in step S81, and the guide voice selection process is ended.
When changing every photographing, it is determined as YES in Step S81, and the process proceeds to Step S82.

In step S82, the guide sound selection processing unit 54 refers to the guide sound table shown in FIG.
It should be noted that which guide voice or which group to change the guide voice for each shooting is selected by the user prior to the start of the continuous self-timer shooting process, and the guide voice selection processing unit 54 Based on the selected guide voice or group of guide voices, the guide voice selection process is executed.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the detailed flow of the guide voice output pre-processing in the continuous self-timer photographing processing.

In step S101, the guide voice output preprocessing unit 55 determines whether there is a guide display.
If there is a guide display, YES is determined in step S101, and the process proceeds to step S102.

  In step S102, the guide voice output preprocessing unit 55 displays a guide corresponding to the guide voice shown in FIG.

In step S103, the guide sound output preprocessing unit 55 determines whether or not the subject in the captured image matches the guide display.
If it does not match the guide display, NO is determined in step S103, and a standby state is entered until it matches the guide display.
If it matches the guide display, YES is determined in step S103, and the guide voice output pre-processing is terminated.

  On the other hand, when there is no guide display, it is determined as NO in step S101, and the process proceeds to step S104.

In step S104, the guide sound output preprocessing unit 55 determines whether or not the photographing position or angle moves by a threshold value or more.
If the shooting position or angle moves by more than the threshold value, YES is determined in step S104, and the process proceeds to step S105.

  In step S105, the guide sound output preprocessing unit 55 considers that the shooting position or angle has been changed.

In step S106, the guide sound output preprocessing unit 55 determines whether or not the imaging apparatus has stopped.
If the imaging device is not stopped, NO is determined in step S106 and a standby state is entered.
If the imaging device has stopped, YES is determined in step S106, and the process proceeds to step S107.

In step S107, the guide sound output preprocessing unit 55 determines whether or not the subject has stopped.
If the subject does not stop, NO is determined in step S107, and the process returns to step S106.
If the subject has stopped, YES is determined in step S107, and the process proceeds to step S108.

In step S109, the guide sound output preprocessing unit 55 determines whether or not it matches the stored imaged position and angle.
If it does not coincide with the stored imaged position and angle, NO is determined in step S109, and the guide sound output preprocessing is terminated.
If it matches the stored imaged position and angle, YES is determined in step S109, and the process proceeds to step S110.

  In step S110, the guide voice output preprocessing unit 55 displays a duplicate shooting message.

  On the other hand, if the shooting position or angle does not move beyond the threshold value, NO is determined in step S104, and the process proceeds to step S111.

In step S111, the guide sound output preprocessing unit 55 determines whether or not the imaging apparatus has stopped.
If the imaging device does not stop, NO is determined in step S111 and a standby state is entered.
If the imaging device has stopped, YES is determined in step S111, and the process proceeds to step S112.

In step S112, the guide sound output preprocessing unit 55 determines whether or not the subject has stopped.
If the subject does not stop, NO is determined in step S112 and a standby state is entered.
If the subject has stopped, YES is determined in step S112, and the guide audio output pre-processing is terminated.
It should be noted that whether or not to perform the guide display is selected by the user prior to the start of the continuous self-timer photographing process, and the guide audio output pre-processing unit 55 determines whether or not to perform the guide display. Based on the selection by, guide voice output pre-processing is executed.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the detailed flow of the guide voice creation process executed by the imaging apparatus 1 of FIG. 1 having the functional configuration of FIG.
The guide voice creation process is started by an operation for starting the guide voice creation process to the input unit 18 by the user.

  In step S <b> 131, the guide voice creation processing unit 61 detects a creation start operation for the input unit 18.

  In step S132, the guide voice creation processing unit 61 starts recording from the input unit 18 that is a microphone.

In step S133, the guide voice creation processing unit 61 determines whether or not to end the recording.
If recording is not terminated, NO is determined in step S133, and recording is continued.
If recording is to be terminated, YES is determined in step S133, and the process proceeds to step S134.

  In step S134, the guide voice creation processing unit 61 detects a voiced part of the voice in the recording.

  In step S135, the guide voice creation processing unit 61 creates voice data by adding a silent part for a predetermined time after the detected voiced part.

  In step S136, the guide voice creation processing unit 61 adds a name to the voice data by a user operation on the input unit 18.

  Therefore, the imaging device 1 can realize continuous self-timer imaging without using a timekeeping function by reproducing (guidance) an audio file.

<Variation of shooting target determination process>
In the above-described shooting target determination process, the number of shots is determined depending on whether the subject is a child, a person other than a child, or a person other than a person.
In this example, a person is detected, and if the person is a person, the state of the person is determined, and the number of shots is determined according to the determined state of the person. In this example, the number of shots is determined by referring to the change degree table.
If the person is not a person, the contour of the extracted subject is determined, and the number of shots is determined according to the determined contour state. In this example, the number of shots is determined by referring to the complexity table.

FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the change degree table and the complexity table.
First, as shown in FIG. 13, the degree-of-change table is a table for determining the number of shots based on the total number of points added according to the state of the person. In other words, person detection is performed, the degree of temporal change is determined based on the state of the person relative to the captured image, and the higher the face area relative to the captured image, the higher the face area. Add more points so that it becomes higher. Specifically, in the change degree table, “area ratio of face to captured image [%]” (˜r1 · r1 to r2 · r2), “part of person” (face, upper body, whole body), “number of people” The number of additional points (1, 2, 3) is associated by (1 person, 2 persons, 3 persons). The number of shots is determined by the total number of points added for each item of the person state.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 13, the complexity table is a table for determining the number of shots based on the total number of points added according to the state of the contour of the subject when no person is detected. That is, when a person is not detected, spatial complexity determination is performed by contour extraction. The longer the total length of contour lines, the higher the number, and the greater the number of continuous contour lines greater than a predetermined length. The number of points is increased so that the higher the ratio of the contour lines with a predetermined curvature or higher, the higher the ratio. Specifically, in the complexity table, “total length of contour lines [pixels]” (˜s1 · s1 to s2 · s2), “number of continuous contour lines of length a or more [pieces]” (~ T1 · t1 to t2 · t2), “the ratio of the contour line of curvature b or higher [%]” (˜u1 · u1 to u2 · u2) is associated with the number of points added (1 · 2 · 3) It has been. The number of shots is determined by the total number of points added for each item of the contour state of the subject. Thereby, for example, when there is no change like the sea, the number of shots is small.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart for explaining a modification of the detailed flow of the shooting target determination process in the shooting condition setting process.

  In step S61-1, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 detects a person from the captured image using a known person detection technique.

  In step S62-1, the imaging condition setting processing unit 52 determines whether there is a person.

  If there is no person, NO is determined in step S62-1, and the process proceeds to step S65-1.

  If there is a person, YES is determined in step S62-1, and the process proceeds to step S63-1.

  In step S63-1, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 determines the state of the person from the captured image using a known person analysis technique.

  In step S64-1, the imaging condition setting processing unit 52 determines the number of images to be captured by referring to the change degree table from the state of the person determined in step S63-1. Specifically, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 refers to the degree of change table shown in FIG. 13 and determines the number of shots from the total number of points added according to the person's state.

  In step S65-1, the imaging condition setting processing unit 52 extracts a contour line from the captured image using a known contour extraction technique.

  In step S66-1, the imaging condition setting processing unit 52 determines the state of the contour line from the captured image using a known contour analysis technique.

  In step S67-1, the imaging condition setting processing unit 52 determines the number of images to be captured with reference to the outline state or complexity table determined in step S66-1. Specifically, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 refers to the complexity table shown in FIG. 13 and determines the number of shots based on the total number of points added according to the state of the person.

<Modified example of guide voice selection processing>
The guide voice selection process described above is configured so that the same voice can be used for all shootings, or can be changed according to the number of shots to be shot, depending on user settings.

In this example, the guide voice is configured to discriminate between the type of person and facial expression (not male, female, not smiling, etc.) at the time of shooting the first picture, and selectively switch according to the discrimination result.
Here, it is assumed that the user has selected to switch the guide sound according to the determination result of the first image prior to the continuous self-timer photographing process.

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart for explaining a modification of the detailed flow of the guide voice selection process in the continuous self-timer shooting process.

In step S81-1, the guide voice selection processing unit 54 determines whether or not the first image is captured.
If it is not the first shooting, NO is determined in step S81-1, and the guide voice selection process ends.
If it is the first shot, YES is determined in step S81-1, and the process proceeds to step S82-1.

  In step S82-1, the guide voice selection processing unit 54 acquires a captured image from the imaging unit 16.

  In step S83-1, the guide voice selection processing unit 54 determines the type and expression of the person from the captured image using a known person detection technique and person analysis technique from the captured image.

  In step S84-1, the guide voice selection processing unit 54 selects a guide voice according to the determined type and facial expression of the person.

<Other variations of guide voice selection processing>
In this example, the guide voice is configured to determine a facial expression for each shooting and switch according to the determination result.
Here, it is assumed that, prior to the continuous self-timer shooting process, the user has selected to switch the guide voice according to the determination result for each shooting.

  For example, using a known technique for calculating the smile level from the spread of a plurality of parts such as the eyes and mouth forming the facial expression, if the smile level is 50% below the threshold (80%) in the first shooting, If the next guide voice is “more laughing”, if it ’s 65%, then “laugh more” and if it ’s 85%, “change your face”. If the smile level is 90% of the threshold value (80%) or more in the first shooting, the next guide voice is set according to the previous expression, such as “try a crying face”. Configure to change.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart for explaining another modified example of the detailed flow of the guide voice selection process in the continuous self-timer photographing process.
In step S81-2, the guide voice selection processing unit 54 acquires a captured image from the imaging unit 16.
In step S <b> 82-2, the guide voice selection processing unit 54 determines the facial expression of the person from the captured image using a known person detection technique and person analysis technique.
In step S83-2, the guide voice selection processing unit 54 selects the next guide voice as described above according to the determined facial expression.

The imaging apparatus 1 configured as described above continuously captures images to acquire a plurality of images, and includes an imaging condition setting processing unit 52.
The shooting condition setting processing unit 52 specifies a shooting target before the start of continuous shooting. In addition, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 sets the number of shots according to the specified shooting target.
As a result, in the imaging apparatus 1, an effective number can be automatically set instead of an unnecessarily large number, and the user has no need to set the number. As a result, it is possible to continuously perform shooting with both convenience and efficiency.

Also, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 determines the temporal change degree of the specified shooting target.
Further, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 sets the number of shots according to the determined temporal change degree.
As a result, the imaging apparatus 1 can automatically set an effective number of images instead of an unnecessarily large number of images by paying attention to the degree of change in the shooting target, and the user does not have to set the number of images. . As a result, it is possible to continuously perform shooting with both convenience and efficiency.

The shooting condition setting processing unit 52 sets a larger number of shots as the temporal change determined by the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 is higher.
Thereby, in the imaging device 1, since the number of shots increases as the degree of change is high and the change is large, it is possible to automatically set an effective number, not an unnecessarily large number.

The shooting condition setting processing unit 52 identifies a person to be shot from the captured image captured by the imaging unit 16.
Further, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 determines the temporal change degree based on the attribute of the person specified by the shooting condition setting processing unit 52.
Thereby, in the imaging device 1, since the degree of change is determined in consideration of, for example, the attribute of a person such as a child or an adult, the degree of change is determined. The number of sheets can be set automatically.

The shooting condition setting processing unit 52 identifies a person to be shot from the captured image captured by the imaging unit 16.
Further, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 determines the temporal change degree according to the state of the identified person in the captured image.
Thereby, in the imaging device 1, in order to determine the degree of change by inferring the expected degree of change from the state in the captured image of the person, the number of changes is not an unnecessarily large number but an effective number. Can be set automatically.

The imaging condition setting processing unit 52 determines the degree of temporal change based on the area of the face, the part of the person, or the number of persons with respect to the identified captured image of the person.
Thereby, in the imaging device 1, for example, when the degree of change seems to be high, such as a large area of the face, a whole body, or a large number of people, the number of shots can be increased, which is unnecessarily large. The effective number can be set automatically instead of the number.

The shooting condition setting processing unit 52 determines the spatial complexity of the shooting target specified by the shooting condition setting processing unit 52.
Further, the shooting condition setting processing unit 52 sets the number of shots according to the spatial complexity determined by the shooting condition setting processing unit 52.
Thereby, in the imaging apparatus 1, by focusing on the degree of spatial complexity of the imaging target, it is possible to automatically set an effective number, not an unnecessarily large number, and the user has to set the number Is no longer necessary. As a result, it is possible to continuously perform shooting with both convenience and efficiency.

The shooting condition setting processing unit 52 sets a larger number of shots as the determined spatial complexity is higher.
Thereby, in the imaging device 1, complexity can be grasped by increasing the number of shots.

The shooting condition setting processing unit 52 specifies the outline of the captured image other than a person as a shooting target.
Further, the imaging condition setting processing unit 52 determines the spatial complexity according to the specified contour state.
Thereby, in the imaging device 1, the complexity can be determined by using the contour of the object to be imaged in which the complexity of the object is most likely to appear.

The imaging condition setting processing unit 52 determines the spatial complexity based on the total length, number, or curvature of the specified contour lines.
Thereby, in the imaging device 1, the spatial complexity can be quantitatively determined by using the total length, the number, or the curvature of the contour line as an element.

The imaging condition setting processing unit 52 specifies a person from the captured image captured by the imaging unit 16, and specifies an outline of the entire captured image as an imaging target when the person cannot be specified from the captured image. .
Further, the imaging condition setting processing unit 52 determines the spatial complexity according to the specified contour state.
Thereby, in the imaging device 1, when a person cannot be specified, by determining the spatial complexity from the contour line from the entire captured image that is the shooting target, the number of shots corresponding to various shooting targets can be determined. This can be set automatically, eliminating the need for the user to set the number of sheets. As a result, it is possible to continuously perform shooting with both convenience and efficiency.

In addition, the imaging apparatus 1 includes a memory management unit 51 that acquires the remaining memory capacity of the imaging apparatus.
The shooting condition setting processing unit 52 sets an image size or a compression rate that can secure the set number of shots according to the remaining memory capacity.
Thereby, in the imaging device 1, in order to set the elements related to the memory consumed by shooting in consideration of the remaining memory capacity, it is possible to avoid situations such as giving up shooting due to the remaining memory capacity, Shooting can be performed reliably.

An imaging control unit 57 is provided for controlling the imaging unit 16 so that self-timer imaging is performed for each continuous imaging.
Thereby, in the imaging device 1, when performing self-timer photographing, preparations such as composition adjustment for each photographing can be performed and the photographing can be performed.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, The deformation | transformation in the range which can achieve the objective of this invention, improvement, etc. are included in this invention.

  In the above-described embodiment, in the shooting condition setting process, the determination of the complexity may be further performed by determining the shooting scene. Further, the determination of complexity may further take into account the number of colors, a luminance difference, and the like. Further, the determination of the complexity may be made on an animal such as a pet other than a person. Further, the number of shots and the image size may be set to fixed values in advance. If the remaining memory capacity for the set number of shots cannot be secured, the number of shots may be secured by changing the compression rate. If the remaining memory capacity for the set number of shots cannot be ensured, the number of shots that can be taken may be shot and the shooting may be terminated.

  In the above-described embodiment, in the guide voice selection process, a fixed voice may be set in advance as the guide voice.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, in the guide audio output pre-processing, as a measure for preventing duplicate image shooting, the facial expression of a person is determined instead of the position and angle of the imaging device, and is similar to the facial expression of a photographed person. In this case, shooting may be prohibited. The guide display may be a contour display.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, even when the guide sound output pre-processing and the guide sound reproduction are executed in parallel and the match between the guide display and the subject is determined before the reproduction of the guide sound is finished, Wait until the guide audio playback ends, and then shoot, and when the guide audio playback ends, if the guide display and subject match are not determined, wait for the guide display and subject match to be determined. Shooting may be performed.

  In the above-described embodiment, the guide sound output pre-processing and the guide sound reproduction are executed in parallel, and the stop of the imaging device and the stop of the subject are determined before the reproduction of the guide sound is finished. However, if shooting is performed after the end of the reproduction of the guide voice and the reproduction of the guide voice is finished, if the stop of the imaging device and the stop of the subject are not determined, the stop of the imaging device and the stop of the subject are performed. Shooting may be executed after waiting for the determination.

  In the above-described embodiment, as the shooting condition setting process, the shooting setting information storage unit 81 stores, for example, the number of shots corresponding to shooting scenes such as a child, a person other than a child, and a person other than a person. The number of shots may be set according to the selected shooting scene.

  In the above-described embodiment, in the moving image file generation process, the display time for each still image, the effect time between still images, and the type may be arbitrarily set by the user. In addition, animation (for example, zoom) may be performed during the display of one still image. In this case, it is desirable that the display time for each still image is long, for example, 3 seconds.

  In the above-described embodiment, in the guide voice creation process, the name may be automatically generated according to a predetermined rule.

  In the above-described embodiment, in the guide voice selection process, the voice file is switched according to the corresponding language according to the country where the product is shipped or the country specified from the coordinates acquired by the GPS function. You may do it.

In the above-described embodiment, the imaging apparatus 1 to which the present invention is applied has been described using a digital camera as an example, but is not particularly limited thereto.
For example, the present invention can be applied to general electronic devices having a self-timer photographing process and a guide voice creation process function. Specifically, for example, the present invention can be applied to a notebook personal computer, a printer, a television receiver, a video camera, a portable navigation device, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a portable game machine, and the like.

The series of processes described above can be executed by hardware or can be executed by software.
In other words, the functional configuration of FIG. 2 is merely an example and is not particularly limited. That is, it is sufficient that the imaging apparatus 1 has a function capable of executing the above-described series of processing as a whole, and what functional blocks are used to realize this function is not particularly limited to the example of FIG.
In addition, one functional block may be constituted by hardware alone, software alone, or a combination thereof.

When a series of processing is executed by software, a program constituting the software is installed on a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium.
The computer may be a computer incorporated in dedicated hardware. The computer may be a computer capable of executing various functions by installing various programs, for example, a general-purpose personal computer.

  The recording medium including such a program is not only constituted by the removable medium 31 of FIG. 1 distributed separately from the apparatus main body in order to provide the program to the user, but also in a state of being incorporated in the apparatus main body in advance. It is comprised with the recording medium etc. which are provided in. The removable medium 31 is composed of, for example, a magnetic disk (including a floppy disk), an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or the like. The optical disc is composed of, for example, a CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc (Blu-ray Disc), and the like. The magneto-optical disk is configured by an MD (Mini-Disk) or the like. In addition, the recording medium provided to the user in a state of being preliminarily incorporated in the apparatus main body includes, for example, the ROM 12 in FIG. 1 in which a program is recorded, the hard disk included in the storage unit 20 in FIG.

  In the present specification, the step of describing the program recorded on the recording medium is not limited to the processing performed in time series along the order, but is not necessarily performed in time series, either in parallel or individually. The process to be executed is also included.

  As mentioned above, although several embodiment of this invention was described, these embodiment is only an illustration and does not limit the technical scope of this invention. The present invention can take other various embodiments, and various modifications such as omission and replacement can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention described in this specification and the like, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

The invention described in the scope of claims at the beginning of the filing of the present application will be appended.
[Appendix 1]
An imaging device that continuously captures images and acquires a plurality of images,
Before the start of the continuous shooting, specifying means for specifying the shooting target;
First setting means for setting the number of shots according to the shooting target specified by the specifying means;
An imaging apparatus comprising:
[Appendix 2]
A determination unit for determining a temporal change degree of the identified imaging target;
The first setting means sets the number of shots according to the temporal change determined by the determination means;
The imaging apparatus according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein
[Appendix 3]
The first setting means sets the number of shots to be larger as the temporal change determined by the determination means is higher.
The imaging apparatus according to Supplementary Note 2, wherein
[Appendix 4]
The specifying unit specifies the person to be imaged from the captured image captured by the imaging unit,
The determination unit determines the degree of temporal change based on the attribute of the person specified by the specifying unit;
The imaging apparatus according to appendix 2 or 3, characterized by the above.
[Appendix 5]
The specifying unit specifies the person to be imaged from the captured image captured by the imaging unit,
The determination unit determines the temporal change degree according to a state in the captured image of the person specified by the specifying unit.
The imaging apparatus according to appendix 2 or 3, characterized by the above.
[Appendix 6]
The determination means determines the degree of temporal change based on the face area, part, or number of persons with respect to the captured image of the specified person.
The imaging apparatus according to appendix 5, which is characterized in that.
[Appendix 7]
A determination unit for determining a spatial complexity of the identified imaging target;
The first setting means sets the number of shots according to the spatial complexity determined by the determination means;
The imaging apparatus according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein
[Appendix 8]
The first setting means sets the number of shots as the determined spatial complexity is higher.
The imaging apparatus according to appendix 7, wherein the imaging apparatus is characterized.
[Appendix 9]
The specifying unit specifies a contour line other than a person from the captured image captured by the imaging unit as the shooting target,
The determination unit determines the spatial complexity according to a state of the contour line specified by the specifying unit;
The imaging apparatus according to appendix 8, wherein the imaging apparatus is characterized.
[Appendix 10]
The determination means determines the spatial complexity based on the total length, number, or curvature of the identified contour lines.
The imaging apparatus according to appendix 9, characterized in that:
[Appendix 11]
The specifying unit specifies a person from the captured image captured by the imaging unit, and when the person cannot be specified from the captured image, specifies the outline of the entire captured image as the imaging target,
The determination means determines the spatial complexity according to the specified state of the contour line.
The imaging apparatus according to appendix 9 or 10, characterized by that.
[Appendix 12]
Obtaining means for obtaining the remaining memory capacity of the imaging device;
A second setting means for setting an image size or a compression rate that can secure the set number of shots according to the remaining amount of memory;
The imaging apparatus according to any one of supplementary notes 4 to 6, 9 to 11, wherein:
[Appendix 13]
The imaging apparatus according to any one of supplementary notes 4 to 6, 9 to 12, further comprising imaging control means for controlling the imaging means so as to perform self-timer imaging in each of continuous imaging.
[Appendix 14]
There is an imaging method executed by an imaging device that continuously captures images and acquires a plurality of images,
Before the start of the continuous shooting, a specifying step of specifying a shooting target;
A setting step for setting the number of shots according to the shooting target specified in the specifying step;
An imaging method comprising:
[Appendix 15]
To a computer that controls an imaging device that continuously captures and acquires a plurality of images,
Before the start of the continuous shooting, a specific function for specifying a shooting target;
A setting function for setting the number of shots according to the shooting target specified by the specific function;
A program characterized by realizing.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Imaging device, 11 ... CPU, 12 ... ROM, 13 ... RAM, 14 ... Bus, 15 ... Input-output interface, 16 ... Imaging part, 17 ... Sensor unit 18 ... Input unit 19 ... Output unit 20 ... Storage unit 21 ... Communication unit 22 ... Drive 31 ... Removable media 51 ... Memory management Section 51... Shooting condition setting processing section 53... Input operation detection section 54... Guide voice selection processing section 55. ... Imaging control unit, 58 ... Still image generation unit, 59 ... Posture management unit, 60 ... Movie generation unit, 61 ... Guide voice creation processing unit, 81 ... Shooting setting information storage Part, 82 ... guide information storage part, 83 ... posture information storage part

Claims (15)

An imaging device that continuously captures images and acquires a plurality of images,
Before the start of the continuous shooting, specifying means for specifying the shooting target;
First setting means for setting the number of shots according to the shooting target specified by the specifying means;
An imaging apparatus comprising: A determination unit for determining a temporal change degree of the identified imaging target;
The first setting means sets the number of shots according to the temporal change determined by the determination means;
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1. The first setting means sets the number of shots to be larger as the temporal change determined by the determination means is higher.
The imaging apparatus according to claim 2. The specifying unit specifies the person to be imaged from the captured image captured by the imaging unit,
The determination unit determines the degree of temporal change based on the attribute of the person specified by the specifying unit;
The imaging apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein The specifying unit specifies the person to be imaged from the captured image captured by the imaging unit,
The determination unit determines the temporal change degree according to a state in the captured image of the person specified by the specifying unit.
The imaging apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein The determination means determines the degree of temporal change based on the face area, part, or number of persons with respect to the captured image of the specified person.
The imaging apparatus according to claim 5. A determination unit for determining a spatial complexity of the identified imaging target;
The first setting means sets the number of shots according to the spatial complexity determined by the determination means;
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1. The first setting means sets the number of shots as the determined spatial complexity is higher.
The imaging apparatus according to claim 7. The specifying unit specifies a contour line other than a person from the captured image captured by the imaging unit as the shooting target,
The determination unit determines the spatial complexity according to a state of the contour line specified by the specifying unit;
The imaging apparatus according to claim 8. The determination means determines the spatial complexity based on the total length, number, or curvature of the identified contour lines.
The imaging apparatus according to claim 9. The specifying unit specifies a person from the captured image captured by the imaging unit, and when the person cannot be specified from the captured image, specifies the outline of the entire captured image as the imaging target,
The determination means determines the spatial complexity according to the specified state of the contour line.
The imaging apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, wherein Obtaining means for obtaining the remaining memory capacity of the imaging device;
A second setting means for setting an image size or a compression rate that can secure the set number of shots according to the remaining amount of memory;
The imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6, 9 to 11, further comprising:   The imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6, 9 to 12, further comprising imaging control means for controlling the imaging means so that self-timer imaging is performed for each of continuous imaging. There is an imaging method executed by an imaging device that continuously captures images and acquires a plurality of images,
Before the start of the continuous shooting, a specifying step of specifying a shooting target;
A setting step for setting the number of shots according to the shooting target specified in the specifying step;
An imaging method comprising: To a computer that controls an imaging device that continuously captures and acquires a plurality of images,
Before the start of the continuous shooting, a specific function for specifying a shooting target;
A setting function for setting the number of shots according to the shooting target specified by the specific function;
A program characterized by realizing.