JP2016145888A - Time lapse imaging support device, time lapse imaging support method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide time lapse imaging that easily supports the time lapse imaging targeting a celestial body.SOLUTION: A terminal device includes: a display for displaying a celestial sphere image 100; a touch panel for receiving input operation from a user; and a CPU for controlling the display and the touch panel. The terminal device consecutively changes time information by input operation of a user from the touch panel by the CPU, displays the celestial sphere image 100 based on the time information on the display, determines the beginning time and start position, and the termination time and end position of time lapse imaging by the input operation of the user from the touch panel, and displays dynamic change in the celestial sphere image 100 that changes between the beginning time and termination time of the time lapse imaging.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a time-lapse photographing support apparatus for astronomical photographs, a time-lapse photographing support method for astronomical photographs, and a program technique.

  In recent years, photography methods such as time-lapse photography and time-lapse photography have been used to take pictures with devices such as digital cameras at predetermined intervals, and create a video by temporally combining the taken still images. The motion of a subject that dynamically changes over a long period of time can be converted into a time-compressed moving image. Such a photographing method is also called time-lapse photographing. In addition, a moving image created from a time-lapse shot still image is called a time-lapse moving image. In addition, camera devices, smartphones, and the like that have a time-lapse shooting function and that generate time-lapse movies have been developed.

  In time-lapse photography, it is common to shoot a camera for a long time by fixing a camera device or a smartphone on a tripod or the like, but in recent years, a camera device or a smartphone on a rotating stand described in Patent Document 1 or the like. The method of performing time-lapse shooting while fixing the image and changing the shooting range with time is also being used. Such a shooting method is also called motion time lapse shooting.

  In motion time lapse shooting, a camera device or a smartphone is swung and moved by a rotating base during a continuous shooting period, and a photograph is taken at a predetermined interval time. For example, as described in Non-Patent Document 1 or the like It is also possible to perform dynamic astronomical imaging while tracking a light source that moves in the night sky like an astronomical object.

JP 2014-137308 A Takemoto Soichiro, Monthly Astronomical Guide Editorial Department, “Time-Lapse Movie Shooting Technique”, Seibundo Shinkosha (issued July 30, 2014), P76-P91

  However, when motion time-lapse shooting is performed while rotating the camera device in the horizontal direction as in Non-Patent Document 1 using a rotating base such as Patent Document 1, a state in which the movement of the celestial body from the start of shooting to the end of shooting is well known in advance. There is a problem in that it is difficult to take a desired celestial photograph because the desired celestial object is out of the angle of view due to an error in adjusting the movement of the celestial object and the turning speed of the rotating base.

  Due to the above factors, motion time-lapse photography of celestial bodies has become a highly challenging photography technique for observers such as amateur astronomers.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and its purpose is to support time-lapse photography so that time-lapse photography can be easily performed, to perform time-lapse photography simply and as intended, and a user-intended time-lapse movie. Is to provide a time-lapse shooting support apparatus, a time-lapse shooting support method, and a program.

  One embodiment of the present invention relates to a time-lapse shooting support apparatus. This time-lapse shooting support apparatus is a time-lapse shooting support apparatus including a display unit that displays a celestial sphere image, an input unit that receives an input operation from a user, and a control unit that controls the display unit and the input unit. Continuously changes the time information by a user input operation from the input unit, displays a celestial sphere image based on the time information on the display unit, and starts and starts the time lapse shooting by the user input operation from the input unit The position, the end time, and the end position are determined, and the dynamic change of the celestial sphere image that changes between the start time and the end time of the time-lapse shooting is displayed on the display unit.

  According to such an aspect, the start time, the start position and the end time, and the end position of the time lapse shooting are determined only by the user performing an input operation on the input unit, and the celestial sphere image that changes between the start time and the end time of the time lapse shooting. Can be confirmed, and the finishing condition when a time-lapse moving image is created from image data obtained by time-lapse shooting can be provided in advance to the user.

  One embodiment of the present invention relates to a time-lapse shooting support method. In this time lapse imaging support method, the time information is continuously changed by the user's input operation to the input unit, the step of displaying a celestial sphere image based on the time information on the display unit, and the user's input operation to the input unit A step of determining a start time, start position and end time, and end position of time-lapse shooting; and a step of displaying a dynamic change of a celestial sphere image that changes between the start time and end time of time-lapse shooting on a display unit. It is.

  According to such an aspect, the start time, the start position and the end time, and the end position of the time lapse shooting are determined only by the user performing an input operation on the input unit, and the celestial sphere image that changes between the start time and the end time of the time lapse shooting. Can be confirmed, and the finishing condition when a time-lapse moving image is created from image data obtained by time-lapse shooting can be provided in advance to the user.

  One embodiment of the present invention relates to a program for causing a computer to execute the program. This program causes the computer to continuously change the time information by a user input operation to the input unit, to display a celestial sphere image based on the time information on the display unit, and to a user input operation to the input unit. Processing for determining the start time, start position, end time, and end position of time-lapse shooting, and processing for displaying dynamic changes of the celestial sphere image that change between the start time and end time of time-lapse shooting on the display unit are executed. Is.

  According to such an aspect, the start time, the start position and the end time, and the end position of the time lapse shooting are determined only by the user performing an input operation on the input unit, and the celestial sphere image that changes between the start time and the end time of the time lapse shooting. Can be confirmed, and the finishing condition when a time-lapse moving image is created from image data obtained by time-lapse shooting can be provided in advance to the user.

  According to the present invention, the start time, the start position, the end time, and the end position of the time lapse shooting are determined only by the user performing an input operation on the input unit based on the visually displayed celestial image and the menu, and the time lapse shooting start time is determined. In addition, since the dynamic change of the celestial sphere image that changes during the end time can be confirmed, the failure of the time-lapse shooting can be suppressed, and a beginner can easily create a time-lapse movie that assumes the finish.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a terminal device, a network, and a server device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an appearance of the terminal device. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the internal configuration of the terminal device. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a celestial sphere image displayed on the display panel of the terminal device. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a parameter display image in the celestial sphere image. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a direction auxiliary image in the celestial sphere image. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a time lapse setting image. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a celestial sphere image when setting the time-lapse shooting end position and end time. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a celestial sphere image when setting a time-lapse shooting start position and a start time. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the reproduction of the simulation moving image based on the set time lapse shooting information. FIG. 11 is another diagram for explaining the reproduction of the simulation video based on the set time-lapse shooting information. FIG. 12 is another diagram for explaining the reproduction of the simulation moving image based on the set time-lapse shooting information. FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining the time-lapse mode start process. FIG. 14 is a flowchart for explaining setting processing for starting and ending time-lapse shooting. FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining an example in which the Milky Way and mountain ridgelines are displayed. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing a system for performing time-lapse shooting.

  Hereinafter, an example in which the present invention is applied to a portable information terminal device as a time-lapse photographing support device will be described. Needless to say, the time-lapse photographing support device according to the present invention is not limited to the portable information terminal device, and widely includes terminal devices having functions necessary for the present invention.

[Network configuration]
First, a portable information terminal device will be briefly described with reference to FIG. The terminal device 10 has a communication function, and is connected to various server devices 30 via a wireless or wired network 20 such as the Internet. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of terminal devices 10 such as terminal devices 10 a, 10 b,..., 10 c can be connected to the server device 30 via the network 20. Hereinafter, the terminal devices 10a, 10b,..., 10c will be described as the terminal device 10 as a single device for convenience.

  The terminal device 10 receives various services and application programs from the server device 30 and can download data and programs. In the following, when describing an example of the present invention, an application program is downloaded to the terminal device 10 and the description is executed in such a manner that the application program is executed. However, the application program is not limited to the downloaded application program, and is stored in the terminal device 10 in advance. Needless to say, it may be executed by a program that is implemented, or may be realized by hardware processing.

[Hardware configuration]
Next, the external appearance of the terminal device 10 will be briefly described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal device 10 includes a housing 11, a display 12, a touch panel 13, a hardware key 14, a camera 15, and the like.

  Next, the internal configuration of the terminal device 10 will be briefly described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the terminal device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 51, an internal memory 52, an external memory 53, an orientation sensor 54, a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor 55, an acceleration sensor 56, and the like. The wireless communication unit 57, the display 12, the touch panel 13, the hardware key 14, and the camera 15 described with reference to FIG. 2 are connected through a system bus.

  Next, each part of the terminal device 10 will be described in detail.

  The casing 11 is a case that constitutes an outer shell of the terminal device 10 and incorporates each part, and is formed of various members such as resin, metal, and carbon fiber.

  The display 12 constitutes a display unit of the terminal device 10 and can display characters and images. As the display 12, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, etc. can be used. It goes without saying that various devices suitable for displaying a later-described celestial sphere image can be used for the display 12.

  The touch panel 13 constitutes one of the input units of the terminal device 10 and is formed so as to overlap with the display 12 so as to receive an input operation from the user. The touch panel 13 has a structure in which matrix-shaped transparent electrodes are superposed, and the display can be performed by a user's pressing operation, touch operation, hovering operation (non-contact operation), or the like based on the electrical resistance or capacitance between the electrodes. By performing an operation of tracing the image displayed in FIG. 12 with a user's finger or the like, an input operation from the user can be detected.

  Note that various touch operations such as a tap operation, a slide operation, a flick operation, a pinch-in / out operation, and a multi-touch operation can be used as touch panel operations. Although details will be described later as operations in this embodiment, a tap operation is used for a selection operation, a slide operation is used for a time and position change operation, and a pinch-in / out operation is used for an enlargement / reduction operation. Shall. Note that the operation method can be set as appropriate, but the above-described operation example is most preferable in order to enable the user's intuitive operation. Since the operation method is a general-purpose technique, a detailed description is omitted.

  The hardware key 14 constitutes one of the input units of the terminal device 10 and can accept an input operation from the user such as a pressing operation. The hardware key 14 is used in an input operation mode different from that of the touch panel 13, and functions are assigned to a single operation such as a mode switching operation and a power operation, and are used for each application program.

  The camera 15 constitutes one of the input units of the terminal device 10 and can take a picture. The camera 15 includes an image sensor such as an arrayed CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor and a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor, and a lens, but is not described in detail because it is a general-purpose technology. The camera 15 can also accept a user's input operation by so-called motion capture technology that captures the user's actions by photographing the user himself / herself. The camera 15 may have a time-lapse shooting function that is controlled by the CPU 51 in accordance with an input operation from the user. In this case, it is possible to perform time-lapse shooting using the terminal device 10 without using a time-lapse function by the camera device, which will be described later.

  The CPU 51 constitutes one of the control units of the terminal device 10 and is a control unit that controls each component inside the terminal device 10 together with another controller (not shown). The CPU 51 is connected to the internal memory 52, the external memory 53, the direction sensor 54, the GPS sensor 55, the acceleration sensor 56, the wireless communication unit 57, the display 12, the touch panel 13, the hardware key 14, the camera 15 and the like through an internal bus. Yes.

  The CPU 51 can appropriately control each component based on an application program stored in the internal memory 52 or the external memory 53. In the example of the present invention, a process for generating and displaying a celestial sphere image can be performed.

  The internal memory 52 and the external memory 53 constitute a storage unit of the terminal device 10, and are constituted by, for example, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and can store various application programs and data. In particular, the internal memory 52 is a storage unit built in the terminal device 10 and stores an operating system and a core program. The external memory 53 is detachable from the terminal device 10, and an application program and data stored by the external device may be attached to the terminal device 10 and used. In the example of the present invention, the storage location of the application program and data is not particularly specified for the internal memory 52 and the external memory 53, but it goes without saying that they may be properly used according to the system.

  The direction sensor 54 is configured to detect the direction of the terminal device 10, and for example, a geomagnetic sensor or a gyro sensor can be used. As will be described later, the azimuth sensor 54 can add detected azimuth information when displaying a celestial sphere image on the display 12, or can be used for generating a celestial sphere image, calculating a trajectory of a celestial body, or the like.

  The GPS sensor 55 is configured to detect the current position of the terminal device 10 on the earth, and can perform triangulation by receiving a plurality of radio waves from GPS satellites to detect the latitude and longitude of the terminal device 10. As will be described later, the GPS sensor 55 can add detected position information when displaying a celestial sphere image on the display 12, or can be used for generating a celestial sphere image, calculating a trajectory of a celestial body, or the like.

  The acceleration sensor 56 is configured to detect the tilt of the terminal device 10 and can use various methods such as an optical method, a mechanical method, and a semiconductor method. In the example of the present invention, it is preferable to use a semiconductor type having a smaller and simpler configuration.

  The wireless communication unit 57 is configured to communicate with the terminal device 10 and a wireless base station (not shown), and includes a transmission / reception antenna, a modulation / demodulation circuit, and the like. The wireless communication unit 57 communicates with the wireless base station and enables communication between the terminal device 10 and the server device 30 via the network 20. Since the wireless communication unit 57 communicates with a wireless base station (not shown), the position of the terminal device 10 can be indirectly detected based on the position information or cell information of the wireless base station. When the information of the sensor 55 cannot be used, position information can be obtained as alternative information. In the example of the present invention, the configuration in which the GPS sensor 55 is omitted is not described, but it goes without saying that the GPS sensor 55 can be omitted.

  In this configuration, illustration and description are omitted, but the network connection method is not limited to the wireless method, and does not hinder the wired method for network connection. Therefore, it goes without saying that a configuration for performing network connection by direct cable connection other than the wireless communication unit 57 may be provided.

  The terminal device 10 can detect the azimuth, position, and tilt of the terminal device 10 based on information from the azimuth sensor 54, the GPS sensor 55, and the acceleration sensor 56. It can be used as current location information when calculating the celestial sphere image 100, and the accurate celestial sphere image 100 can be described and displayed.

[Display]
Next, each function and operation will be described based on an image displayed on the display 12 of the terminal device 10.

  The terminal device 10 starts a control application program under the control of the CPU 51 based on an input operation to the touch panel 13 or the like, and displays a celestial sphere image 100 on the display 12 as shown in FIG. The terminal device 10 can support time-lapse shooting when the user performs an input operation based on the displayed celestial sphere image 100.

  The celestial sphere image 100 includes a red meridian 101, a declination line 102, a time lapse mode button 103, a parameter display image 104, an orientation auxiliary image 105, a camera field angle auxiliary frame 106, a constellation line 107, a constellation name 108, a celestial name 109, and a Messier object 110. , Time slider button 130, slider line 131, time information 132, start / end setting button 133, time-lapse movie playback button 134, southern / north sky mode display icon 135, setting button 145, help button 150, star, planet, messier not shown Includes celestial bodies.

  Here, in this embodiment, the celestial sphere refers to a virtual spherical surface at an infinite distance in order to represent the direction of the celestial body seen from the earth. In addition, ascension and declination indicate the latitude and longitude on the celestial sphere. The celestial sphere image 100 is an image obtained by developing a star map on which information such as each celestial body and the direction described above is displayed on the celestial sphere.

  The ecliptic meridian 101 and the declination meridian 102 have been defined above, but are lines for displaying the ecliptic and declination on the celestial sphere in an easy-to-understand manner, and may be switched between display and non-display as necessary.

  The time lapse mode button 103 is displayed as a camera-type icon and has a function of calling a time lapse setting screen for inputting information necessary for performing time lapse shooting by a user's touch operation.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the parameter display image 104 includes, for example, a time lapse shooting start time, a time lapse shooting end time, a total shooting time, a rotation magnification of the rotating base, a southern / north sky mode, and a lens of the camera device at the start of shooting. This is an information window for displaying the altitude (tilt) of the camera, the orientation of the lens of the camera device at the start of shooting, that is, the parameters necessary for time-lapse shooting.

  The azimuth auxiliary image 105 is an auxiliary image for explaining which part of the celestial sphere image 100 corresponds to the actual celestial sphere. As shown in FIG. , Zenith 302, horizon 303, and orientation 304. Since the size of the azimuth auxiliary image 105 is smaller than that of the celestial sphere image 100, the azimuth 304 is alphabetized because there is a possibility that it will be collapsed if it is represented in kanji. Needless to say, the azimuth 304 may use kanji characters or symbols as long as the resolution of the display panel 12 permits.

  Here, since the display panel 12 has a finite physical size that can be displayed, it is difficult to represent the entire celestial sphere, and the celestial sphere image 100 displays a very small area of the celestial sphere. Stay. Therefore, the azimuth assistance image 105 is provided so as to provide azimuth information of a wider area and facilitate confirmation from the user which direction the celestial sphere image 100 indicates.

  Here, the zenith refers to a point on the celestial sphere that is directly above the observer. More precisely, it is a point indicating a position at an elevation angle of 90 degrees from the horizon. The zenith 302 is a mark indicating which position on the celestial sphere is the zenith based on the time information, and it is possible to easily visually recognize in which region the celestial sphere image 100 is located on a wide range of celestial spheres. Is displayed.

  In addition, the azimuth assist image 105 is displayed at a fixed position without moving in the celestial sphere image 100. In the example of the present invention, the display position of the direction auxiliary image 105 is fixed to the upper right of the celestial sphere image 100 in the drawing. The azimuth assist image 105 may be displayed in another area or may be moved to an arbitrary position of the user.

  The camera angle-of-view auxiliary frame 106 is a frame line indicating the angle of view on the celestial sphere according to the focal length of the lens of the camera device, and changes in size depending on the set focal length of the lens. That is, when a wide-angle lens is used, the focal length is set short, and the frame line shows a large range on the star chart. On the other hand, when a telephoto lens is used, the focal length is set long, and the frame line shows a small range on the star chart.

  In displaying the camera angle assist frame 106, it is known that the angle of view differs depending on the relationship between the focal length of the lens of the camera device and the size of the image sensor of the camera device. Therefore, the angle of view assuming a so-called full-size image sensor having a size equivalent to a 35 mm silver salt film is displayed as the camera angle-of-view auxiliary frame 106 by default. Note that image sensors of various sizes such as APS-C size, which is a smaller size, are also on the market. Accordingly, the manufacturer name, model, etc. of the camera device may be input and displayed as the camera field angle auxiliary frame 106 based on the size of the image sensor unique to the camera. In this case, even a user who does not know the size of the image sensor can know a more accurate angle of view.

  The constellation line 107 is an image of a constellation in which the stars constituting the constellation displayed on the celestial sphere image 100 are connected and displayed, and a picture associated with the name of the constellation may be displayed. In the form, in order to give priority to the processing speed of the image calculation, a simple display is made by simply connecting the main stars in the constellation with straight lines.

  The constellation name 108 displays the constellation name in characters for a user who does not know what the constellation line 107 alone is. In particular, when the constellation line 107 only connects the main stars in the constellation with straight lines, it is difficult for the user to have an image of the constellation. Can be presented easily.

  The celestial name 109 displays the names of bright celestial bodies such as first-class stars and second-class stars as main stars, and these stars can be used as a guide when searching for stars in the actual night sky. Since it is often used, it becomes a reference when the user observes the starry sky. Therefore, by displaying the reference celestial body name, it becomes easy to grasp the position of the starry sky of the user.

  The Messier celestial body 110 is a catalog of major celestial bodies such as nebulae, star clusters, galaxies, etc., and indicates those numbered as M1,..., M10. In particular, the Messier celestial body is often a subject because it has a characteristic spread compared to other celestial bodies. By displaying the Messier celestial body on the celestial sphere image 100, it is determined whether or not the angle of view at the time-lapse shooting is entered. User can know.

  The Messier celestial body 110 is simplified and thinned out in FIG. 4, but it is not only the main Messier celestial body but also a nebula, galaxy, star cluster, etc. with NGC (New General Catalog) number. There may be. Any celestial body is a main target for astrophotography, and whether or not it enters the angle of view at the time-lapse shooting is very important for the user.

[Time-lapse setting screen]
Here, the time lapse setting screen will be described. When the time lapse mode button 103 is touched by the user, a time lapse setting screen 400 is displayed as shown in FIG.

  The time lapse setting screen 400 includes a slide button 401 for switching on / off of the time lapse mode, a setting set selection menu 402 for selecting a setting set, a shooting date / time menu 403 for setting a shooting date / time, and a shooting location for setting a shooting location as an observation location. Menu 404, playback time menu 405 for setting how long a time-lapse video is played back, tracking mode menu 406 for setting the type operation of the rotary mount on which the camera device is mounted, and the rotation direction of the rotary mount A south / north sky mode menu 407 to be set, a focal length menu 408 to set the focal length of the lens of the camera device, and the time-lapse setting is completed or the celestial image is set for the next setting without changing the set parameters. Return button 409 for returning to the display of 100 The has.

  The slide button 401 is a slide type button that determines whether or not to perform time lapse setting. When the slide button 401 is turned on by a user's slide operation, the time lapse setting becomes valid, and the time lapse setting can be advanced thereafter.

  The setting set selection menu 402 can be called by selecting a preset setting for demonstration or a user setting inputted in advance by the user by tapping the user. 404, playback time menu 405, tracking mode menu 406, south sky / north sky mode menu 407, input of parameters such as focal length menu 408, etc. can be omitted, and time-lapse shooting can be easily set.

  The shooting date / time menu 403 allows the user to select the date / time for time-lapse shooting by a tap operation.

  The shooting location menu 404 allows the user to select an observation location where time-lapse shooting is performed by performing a tap operation. For example, an unillustrated map display menu is opened and an observation place is set on the map, an observation place is set by inputting a place name or an address, or an observation place is set based on information from the GPS sensor 55 of the terminal device 10. The observation location can be set by setting or by directly inputting the latitude and longitude of the observation location.

  The playback time menu 405 is used to set how many seconds a time-lapse movie is played when the user performs a tap operation. The playback time menu 405 is used when a simulation movie of a time-lapse movie to be described later is played. When the playback time is increased, a slow time-lapse movie is simulated, and when the playback time is decreased, a fast-moving time-lapse movie is simulated.

  The tracking mode menu 406 allows the user to select whether the camera device is fixed on a tripod or fixed to rotate using a rotating gantry by a tap operation. More specifically, the tracking mode menu 406 can select the model type of the rotary mount, and there are some that can adjust the rotation speed depending on the model type of the rotary mount. It can be set.

  Here, the rotational speed of the rotating gantry means that the speed of the diurnal motion of the star (vs. stellar rotating speed) is 1 when the rotating gantry is the equator. For example, in the starry sky pan head POLALIE (manufactured by Vixen Co., Ltd.), the rotational speed of the star can be selected from 1 and 1/2, and there is also a mode based on the speed of the sun and the speed of the moon. . Therefore, in the tracking mode menu 406, the rotation mode can be selected together with the model type. Further, in the AP equatorial mount (manufactured by Vixen Co., Ltd.), the rotational speed of the star can be set arbitrarily from 0.1 to 10. Accordingly, in the tracking mode menu 406, the rotational speed of the star can be selected with a finer numerical value for both model types.

  The southern / north sky mode menu 407 allows the user to select the southern sky mode or the north sky mode when the user mounts a tapping frame when the rotating mount for fixing the camera device is equatorial. ing. This is because the direction of star rotation is reversed in the southern and northern hemispheres, so Equatorial Yoshi can switch between the southern sky mode and the northern sky mode. In the case of a simple rotating mount, the forward direction and the reverse direction may be selected.

  The focal length menu 408 allows the user to set the focal length of the lens of the camera device by performing a tap operation. Here, in the present embodiment, it is possible to set the focal length on the assumption that a full-size image sensor is used. For example, when a camera device including an APS-C size image sensor is used, a focal length obtained by converting the focal length of the lens to the equivalent of a full size image sensor may be input.

  Although not described in FIG. 7, a menu for setting the size of the image sensor may be prepared separately. In this case, the focal length menu 408 indicates the focal length described in the lens attached to the camera device. It is only necessary to input, and it is not necessary to perform conversion equivalent to a full-size image sensor.

  The return button 409 can be switched to the celestial sphere image 100 in order to complete the setting of each menu in the time lapse setting screen 400 and perform the next input for assisting the time lapse shooting when the user performs a tap operation.

[Time-lapse time position setting]
The celestial sphere image 100 displayed after the user taps the return button 409 on the time lapse setting screen 400 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. In the present embodiment, in order to facilitate understanding of the invention, it is assumed that the object of time-lapse shooting is mainly the moon with a lunar eclipse.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the celestial sphere image 100 displays the moon 160 and the orbit line 161 of the moon, and the parameter display image 104 newly displays parameters necessary for time-lapse photography.

  The moon 160 is displayed so that its position is continuously changed along the orbit line 161 of the moon when the time information changes based on the operation input of the touch panel 13 of the user described later. Further, in the month 160, when the time information is changed based on the operation input of the touch panel 13 by the user, the state of eating, that is, the fullness is visually recognized while the position is continuously changed along the track line 161 during eating. Fullness is reflected as possible.

  Here, based on the time information, the display image of the month 160 may be calculated by reflecting the shadow state by calculating the food state in real time by the CPU 51 or the like, or may be generated by calculating the food state in advance. A plurality of stored image data may be prepared at predetermined time intervals and used. The former has an advantage that it is not necessary to secure a memory area for storing image data, and it is preferable to use the former in a portable information terminal device having a small memory area.

  Note that the apparent size of the moon 160 changes depending on the relative distance from the earth. Therefore, the display image of the moon 160 may be displayed in the celestial sphere image 100 so that the size is calculated by the CPU 51 or the like to coincide with the actual apparent size.

  Note that stars, planets, Messier objects, and the like (not shown) may be displayed on the celestial sphere image 100. However, since the information in the figure becomes complicated, the display is omitted in the description of the celestial sphere image 100 in the drawings after FIG. Therefore, in describing this embodiment, in FIG. 8 and subsequent figures, it is assumed that stars, planets, Messier objects, and the like are displayed in the celestial sphere image 100.

  Next, the trajectory line 161 is a line shown based on the trajectory calculation of the moon 160 and the like in order to make the trajectory of the moon 160 before and after the lunar eclipse easier to understand.

  The trajectory line 161 indicates a trajectory along which the moon 160 moves from a predetermined time before the start of the meal to a predetermined time after the end of the meal.

  Next, the time slider button 130 is a software button that moves when the user performs a sliding operation on the touch panel 13.

  The slide line 131 is a line indicating the moving range of the time slider button 130, and the time axis information corresponding to the trajectory line 161 is associated therewith.

  The time information 132 is a text display of time information corresponding to the position on the slide line 131 of the time slider button 130.

  The time information 132 is continuously changed by the sliding operation of the time slider button 130, and based on this time information, the orbit calculation including the position of the moon 160, the state of the eclipse, etc. is performed, and the celestial sphere image 100 is generated. It becomes the reference time.

  The start / end setting button 133 is a button for setting the start / end of time-lapse shooting. Although a specific operation method will be described later, in the present embodiment, the end time of time lapse shooting and the end position on the celestial sphere are set first, and then the start time of time lapse shooting and the start position on the celestial sphere are set. Shall.

  The time lapse movie playback button 134 is based on the set playback time while the camera angle of view auxiliary frame 106 is fixed from the set start time and start position of the time lapse shooting to the end time and end position of the time lapse shooting. It is a button which starts the process which displays the change of the celestial sphere image dynamically. That is, a moving image that simulates a time-lapse moving image is reproduced in the camera angle-of-view auxiliary frame 106. Of course, the celestial sphere image 100 outside the camera angle-of-view assist frame 106 may be displayed, or may be hidden and emphasize a moving image that simulates a time-lapse moving image. Furthermore, a moving image simulating a time-lapse moving image may be displayed on the entire display area of the display 12 with the camera angle of view auxiliary frame 106 displayed as a full screen.

  The southern / north sky mode display icon 135 explains the rotation direction of the rotating base set in the southern / north sky mode menu 407. Specifically, when the southern sky mode is set, the rotation direction is visually explained to the user in an easy-to-understand manner with a diagram simulating a counterclockwise gyro as shown in FIGS. . When the north sky mode is set, the direction of the arrow is reversed, and a diagram imitating a clockwise gyro is displayed.

[End time and end position settings]
In this embodiment, first, as shown in FIG. 8, the end time and the end position of time-lapse shooting are set. That is, the position in the star map where the climax of the time-lapse movie is set is set first.

  Specifically, the celestial sphere image 100 is moved by a slide operation so that a desired celestial body enters the camera field angle auxiliary frame 106 in a balanced manner. The end time can be adjusted by sliding the time slider button 130.

  After the climax scene is determined and the end time and end position of time-lapse shooting are adjusted, the setting of the end time and end position is completed by a touch operation of the start / end setting button 133.

  In FIG. 8, the climax scene is set so that the moon 160 is positioned at the upper right of the camera angle-of-view auxiliary frame 106 at the end time of the total lunar eclipse.

[Set start time and start position]
Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the start time and start position of motion time-lapse shooting are set. That is, the position in the star map where the start of the time-lapse movie is set is set.

  Specifically, the celestial sphere image 100 is moved by a slide operation so that a desired celestial body enters the camera field angle auxiliary frame 106 in a balanced manner. The start time can be adjusted by sliding the time slider button 130.

  Here, since the end time and end position of the time-lapse shooting are determined first, the rotation direction (pan direction) of the rotating gantry is determined from the end time and end position of the time-lapse shooting. For this reason, the sliding operation of the celestial sphere image 100 here is restricted in the vertical direction. This is because the rotation of the rotating gantry is generally set in the horizontal direction, and the camera device cannot be moved in the vertical direction. Here, since the user cannot move the star chart in the vertical direction when moving the celestial sphere image 100, the user may feel uncomfortable in the operation. Therefore, it is preferable to give a warning by displaying a message indicating that the celestial sphere image 100 is in a state where it cannot be moved in the vertical direction.

  After adjusting the start time and start position of the time-lapse shooting, the setting of the start time and start position is completed by touching the start / end setting button 133.

  In FIG. 9, the start time and start position of the time lapse shooting are set so that the moon 160 is positioned at the lower left of the camera view angle auxiliary frame 106 at the start time of the total lunar eclipse.

  By adjusting the start time, start position, end time, and end position of time lapse photography shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, for example, from the total start of the total lunar eclipse to the end of the total on the diagonal within the angle of view. Can easily be set to fit. In addition, since the diagonal of the angle of view of the camera device is the longest, a moving celestial object can be photographed for a long time.

  When the start time and start position, the end time and the end position of time lapse shooting are set by the above-described procedure, the information set in the parameter window is displayed.

  Here, based on the information displayed on the parameter display image 104, the user refers to the setting of the rotation speed of the rotating gantry, the position to which the camera device is directed, the time to start shooting, and the time to end shooting. Shooting can be performed. That is, it is possible to receive time-lapse shooting support from the terminal device 10 with a simple operation.

[Time-lapse movie simulation]
As described above, the time-lapse movie playback button 134 fixes the camera angle-of-view auxiliary frame 106 from the set time-lapse shooting start time and start position to the time-lapse shooting end time and end position by the user's touch operation. In the state, based on the set reproduction time, a process of dynamically displaying a change in the celestial sphere during that time is started.

  Specifically, the fact that the state of eating changes while the month 160 moves in the order of FIGS. 10 to 12 is displayed as a moving image. Here, the simulated video ends when the set playback time has elapsed, but if the time-lapse video playback button 134 is input during playback of the simulated video, the simulated video can be paused. By performing an input operation on the time-lapse moving image playback button 134 during the pause, the simulated moving image can be resumed from the point where the pause was made. Note that the time-lapse moving image reproduction button 134 at the time of pause is an icon that indicates a pause in a shape different from that of the icon before reproduction. This is because it is easy to confirm that the vehicle is temporarily stopped.

  The time-lapse movie is usually difficult for the user to predict what the result will be unless it is completed, but the time-lapse movie of the astronomical photograph can be easily obtained by using the terminal device 10 of the present embodiment. Simulated and it is easy for the user to predict the finish.

  The user can obtain various setting parameters for the best time lapse shooting by adjusting the time lapse setting while checking the simulated moving image of the time lapse moving image.

  The setting button 145 is a software button for calling a menu for various settings of the program. The help button 150 is a software button for calling up a help menu such as a program operation description.

  The setting button 145 and the help button 150 determine that these buttons have been pressed when the user performs a tap operation on the touch panel 13, and the display panel 12 replaces the setting menu or the help menu with the celestial sphere image 100 or superimposes them. Trigger the process to be displayed on the screen. The setting menu and the help menu are omitted as they are applicable to each part of the present invention as appropriate.

[Program processing]
As described above, the operation of the terminal device 10 has been described focusing on the celestial sphere image 100 displayed on the display 12, but a specific processing program will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14.

  The terminal device 10 has a function as a computer as described above, and the above function can be realized by the CPU 51 executing a program read from the internal memory 52 or the external memory 53.

[Time-lapse mode start processing]
Processing for starting various settings for performing time-lapse shooting will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 13, the CPU 51 displays the celestial sphere image 100 on the display 12 based on the information read from the internal memory 52 or the external memory 53 or the information received from the server device 30 in step S101, and the user The celestial sphere image 100 is drawn while moving the star chart in a desired direction following the user's slide operation.

  Next, in step S <b> 102, the CPU 51 determines whether or not the time lapse mode button 103 has been pressed by a tap operation on the touch panel 13 by the user. If the CPU 51 determines that the time lapse mode button 103 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S103. If the CPU 51 determines that the time lapse mode button 103 has not been pressed, the process returns to step S101.

  Next, in step S103, the CPU 51 displays a time lapse setting screen 400 on the display 12, as shown in FIG.

  Next, in step S <b> 104, the CPU 51 performs an ON input of the slide button 401, a selection input of the setting set selection menu 402, an input of the shooting date / time to the shooting date / time menu 403, by a user's touch operation or a slide operation on the touch panel 13. Input of shooting location in shooting location menu 404, input of playback time in playback time menu 405, input of mode selection in tracking mode menu 406, input of mode selection in southern / north sky mode menu 407, lens of focal length menu 408 A process for receiving an input of a focal length or the like is performed.

  Next, in step S105, the CPU 51 determines whether or not the return button 409 has been pressed by a tap operation on the touch panel 13 by the user. If the CPU 51 determines that the return button 409 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S106. If the CPU 51 determines that the return button 409 has not been pressed, the process returns to step S104.

  Next, in step S106, the CPU 51 displays the celestial sphere image 100 on the display 12 based on the items set on the time lapse setting screen 400 as shown in FIG.

[Time lapse shooting start / end setting process]
Next, a process for setting the start time and start position, the end time and the end position of time-lapse shooting will be described. This process is a process executed after the process described with reference to FIG. 13 is completed.

  First, as shown in FIG. 14, the CPU 51 displays the celestial sphere image 100 on the display 12 based on the shooting date and time information set on the time-lapse shooting setting screen in step S <b> 201, and slides on the touch panel 13 by the user. Following the user's slide operation, the celestial sphere image 100 is drawn while moving the star chart in a desired direction. Further, by the user's slide operation on the touch panel 13, the time slider button 130 is moved following the user's slide operation to adjust the photographing end time. Specifically, an operation for fitting a climax image at the end of time-lapse shooting is performed so that a desired celestial body enters the camera angle-of-view auxiliary frame 106 by a user operation.

  Next, in step S202, the CPU 51 determines the time when the start / end setting button 133 is operated by the user's tap operation on the touch panel 13 and the position of the view angle auxiliary frame 106 by the camera on the celestial sphere. The end time and end position are determined and the process proceeds to step S203. On the other hand, if the CPU 51 determines that the start / end setting button 133 is not operated by a tap operation on the touch panel 13 by the user, the process returns to step S201.

  Next, in step S203, the CPU 51 displays the celestial sphere image 100 on the display 12 based on the shooting date and time information set on the time lapse shooting setting screen and the shooting end time and end position determined in step S202, and the user touch panel. With the slide operation to 13, the celestial sphere image 100 is drawn while moving the star chart in a desired direction following the user's slide operation. Further, by the user's slide operation on the touch panel 13, the time slider button 130 is moved following the user's slide operation to adjust the shooting start time. Specifically, an operation to match the image at the start of time-lapse shooting is performed so that a desired celestial body enters the camera angle-of-view auxiliary frame 106 by the user's operation.

  Next, in step S204, the CPU 51 determines the time when the start / end setting button 133 is operated by the user's tap operation on the touch panel 13 and the position of the view angle auxiliary frame 106 by the camera on the celestial sphere. The start time and start position are determined and the process proceeds to step S205. On the other hand, if the CPU 51 determines that the start / end setting button 133 is not operated by a tap operation on the touch panel 13 by the user, the process returns to step S203.

  Next, when the time-lapse moving image reproduction button 134 is operated by the user's tap operation on the touch panel 13 in step S205, the CPU 51 advances the processing to step S206. On the other hand, when the CPU 51 determines that the time-lapse moving image playback button 134 is not operated by a tap operation on the touch panel 13 by the user, the process of step S205 is repeated. Alternatively, the process may be returned to step S201 by pressing the start / end setting button 133 or the like.

  Next, in step S206, the CPU 51 simulates the movement of the celestial sphere image 100 within the angle of view with time change based on the time-lapse shooting start time and start position, end time, and end position determined in step S202 and step 204. Play as a video. Although not described in FIG. 14, the simulation video can be paused when the time-lapse video playback button 134 is operated.

  As described above, the program processing is executed by the processing of the CPU 51 in the terminal device 10. In addition to the processing described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 13 and 14, each processing described above is programmed. Needless to say, you can do it.

  The terminal device 10 configured as described above is a combination of various hardware configurations and software configurations, and the time lapse shooting start time and start position, end time and end position by the user are set, and a time lapse movie is simulated. By displaying a moving image, parameters necessary for time-lapse shooting can be displayed on the parameter display image 104, so that time-lapse shooting can be supported, and even before time-lapse shooting, the time-lapse moving image can be visualized as a simulated moving image. Can be provided.

  Next, an example of photographing a celestial body other than the moon will be described with reference to FIG. In time-lapse photography, continuous photography can be performed while tracking a celestial body while ensuring a certain exposure time, and thus it is possible to photograph the Milky Way that emits faint light. Therefore, the position of the Milky Way is a very important factor in determining the start time, start position, end time, and end position of time-lapse photography. In addition, when performing time-lapse photography using a wide-angle lens, the horizon and mountain ridges are also a major factor that enhances beauty.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15, the Milky Way 162, the ridgeline 164, or a building that is a landmark may be displayed on the celestial sphere image 100. In FIG. 15, Saturn 163 is also displayed.

  Although the Milky Way 162 is schematically shown in FIG. 15, it is expected that the user can visually grasp the completed image of the time-lapse movie by displaying a pre-captured image. it can.

  The ridgeline 164 can be used as a guideline of the horizon using a predetermined pattern ridgeline, and in order to provide the user with a more realistic finish of the simulated moving image, the actual ridgeline 164 viewed from the shooting location, that is, the observation location. May be obtained from altitude information such as map information and displayed.

[Time-lapse shooting system]
Finally, the time lapse imaging system will be briefly described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the time-lapse imaging system 200 includes a camera device 201, a rotary pedestal 202 such as a portable equator, a tripod 203 that supports the camera device 201 and the rotary pedestal 202, a camera device 201, and the rotary pedestal 202. It consists of a first free platform 204 to be connected, a rotary mount 202, and a second free platform 205 to which a tripod 203 is connected.

  Here, although the terminal device 10 described in the example of the present invention may be used as the camera device 201, a case where the dedicated camera device 201 is used will be described.

  The camera device 201 includes a lens 201a and a shutter controller 201b. The lens 201a may be detachable from the camera device 201 or may be integrated. The shutter controller 201b is a device that sends a signal to release the shutter at a predetermined interval to the camera device 201. By simply setting the interval time and the number of shots, the camera device 201 automatically performs time-lapse shooting. It can be performed. The shutter controller 201b may be built in the camera device 201.

  The rotating gantry 202 is a rotating gantry equipped with a portable equator and various motor drives, and holds the load of the camera device 201 while rotating the camera device 201 at a predetermined speed.

  The tripod 203 only needs to have sufficient strength to support the camera device 201, the rotary base 202, and the like and can be stably installed on the ground.

  In the time lapse imaging system 200 as described above, the direction in which the camera device 201 is directed, the altitude, the rotation direction of the rotating base 202, and the rotation speed are parameters required for time lapse imaging. The terminal device 10 described in the present embodiment can easily obtain these parameters, can support the user for time-lapse shooting, and can perform advanced settings when the user sets the time-lapse shooting system 200. You can easily enjoy time-lapse photography without the need for detailed knowledge.

  In the above, it demonstrated based on the example of this invention. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the contents of each embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that the above-described embodiments are exemplifications, and that various modifications can be made to combinations of the respective constituent elements and processing processes, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. .

  10 terminal device, 10a, 10b, 10c terminal device, 11 housing, 12 display, 13 touch panel, 14 hardware key, 15 camera, 20 network, 30 server device, 51 CPU, 52 internal memory, 53 external memory, 54 orientation Sensor, 55 GPS sensor, 56 acceleration sensor, 57 wireless communication unit, 100 celestial sphere image, 101 red meridian, 102 declination line, 103 time lapse mode button, 104 parameter display image, 105 azimuth auxiliary image, 106 camera field angle auxiliary frame, 107 Constellation Line, 108 Constellation Name, 109 Celestial Name, 110 Messier Celestial Body, 130 Time Slider Button, 131 Slider Line, 132 Time Information, 133 Start / End Setting Button, 134 Time Lapse Movie Play Button, 135 Southern / Northern Mode Display icon, 145 setting button, 150 help button, 160 month, 161 orbit line, 162 Milky Way, 163 Saturn, 164 horizon (ridgeline), 200 time-lapse imaging system, 201 camera device, 201a lens, 201b shutter controller, 202 rotating stand, 203 tripod, 204 first free pan head, 205 second free pan head, 301 box, 302 zenith, 303 horizon, 304 heading, 400 time lapse setting screen, 401 slide button, 402 setting set selection menu, 403 shooting date / time menu , 404 Shooting location menu, 405 Playback time menu, 406 Tracking mode menu, 407 South sky / North sky mode menu, 408 Focal length menu, 409 Back button

Claims (11)

A time-lapse imaging support apparatus comprising a display unit that displays a celestial sphere image, an input unit that receives an input operation from a user, and a control unit that controls the display unit and the input unit,
The controller is
While continuously changing the time information by the user's input operation from the input unit, displaying a celestial sphere image based on the time information on the display unit,
By determining the start time, start position and end time, and end position of time lapse photography by the user's input operation from the input unit,
A time-lapse photographing support apparatus for displaying a dynamic change of a celestial sphere image that changes between a start time and an end time of the time-lapse photographing on the display unit. The controller is
Set the focal length of the lens of the imaging device by the user's input operation from the input unit,
The time-lapse photographing support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit performs control to display a frame line indicating an angle of view according to a focal length of the lens. The controller is
The time-lapse photographing support according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a rotation speed of a rotating mount on which the photographing apparatus is mounted is calculated based on the determined start time, start position and end time, and end position, and displayed on the display unit. apparatus. The controller is
4. The time-lapse imaging support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an altitude and a direction at which the imaging apparatus is directed are calculated based on the determined start time, start position and end time, and end position, and are displayed on the display unit. . The controller is
Set an observation location that includes latitude and longitude information on the earth,
The time lapse support apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a process of generating the celestial sphere image is performed based on the set latitude and longitude information of the observation site and the time information. A step of continuously changing the time information by a user input operation to the input unit, and displaying a celestial sphere image based on the time information on the display unit;
Determining a start time, a start position and an end time, and an end position of time-lapse shooting by a user input operation to the input unit;
Displaying a dynamic change of a celestial sphere image that changes between a start time and an end time of the time lapse shooting on the display unit. Setting a focal length of a lens included in the photographing apparatus by a user input operation from the input unit;
The time-lapse photographing support method according to claim 6, further comprising: displaying a frame line indicating an angle of view according to a focal length of the lens on the display unit. 8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: calculating a rotation speed of a rotating gantry mounting the imaging device based on the determined start time, start position and end time, and end position, and displaying the rotation speed on the display unit. Time-lapse shooting support method. 9. The time lapse according to claim 6, further comprising a step of calculating an altitude and a direction at which the photographing apparatus is directed based on the determined start time, start position and end time, and end position, and displaying the calculated altitude and direction on the display unit. Shooting support method. Setting an observation location including information on latitude and longitude on the earth;
The time lapse support method according to any one of claims 6 to 9, further comprising a step of generating the celestial sphere image based on the set latitude and longitude information of the observation site and the time information. On the computer,
A process of continuously changing the time information by a user input operation to the input unit and displaying a celestial sphere image based on the time information on the display unit;
A process of determining a start time, a start position and an end time, and an end position of time lapse shooting by a user input operation to the input unit;
A program for executing a process of displaying a dynamic change of a celestial sphere image that changes between a start time and an end time of the time-lapse shooting on the display unit.

Images