JP2021152744A - Electronic device and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce erroneous operation while maintaining convenience when an operation is made by using an operation member allowing simultaneously performing a plurality of operations.SOLUTION: While un-magnified live view display is performed, if an eight directional operation is performed in a state where a center pressing operation is performed, it is controlled so that an AF frame is not moved in a direction based on the eight directional operation. While enlarged live view display is performed, if an eight directional operation is performed in a state where a center pressing operation is performed, it is controlled so that an enlargement position is moved in the direction based on the eight directional operation. On the other hand, while a line-of-sight input operation is enabled, if the eight directional operation is performed in a state where a center pressing operation is performed, it is controlled so that the enlargement position is moved in the direction based on the eight directional operation even in a state where the un-magnified live view display is performed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention particularly relates to an electronic device provided with an operating member, a control method for the electronic device, a program, and a storage medium.

In recent years, the number of electronic devices equipped with a joystick (hereinafter, multi-controller or MC) is increasing. The MC can be pushed down in any of eight directions, up, down, left, right, and diagonally, in a total of eight directions (hereinafter, eight-direction operation) and a push operation in the central part (hereinafter, center push). Many of them are capable of two operations (operation). By mounting this MC in an electronic device, the operability of the user can be improved.

In digital cameras such as mirrorless cameras, MC enables users to quickly operate the camera, which is expected to increase shooting opportunities. For example, when MC is used to specify the position for performing AF (autofocus), the position of the AF frame is moved in eight directions by eight-direction operation, and the position of the AF frame is returned to the center of the screen by pressing the center. Is possible.

Further, Patent Document 1 discloses that the AF frame is moved to a specific position by performing a center pressing operation of the MC, and the AF frame is moved from the specific position by performing an eight-direction operation. It is said that such MC can realize quick movement of the AF frame.

JP 2015-22208

In the operation of the MC, an accurate operation such as performing an 8-direction push operation and a center push operation at the same time may be required depending on the timing, but since the operation portion is small, an erroneous operation is likely to be performed.

In the method described in Patent Document 1, from the viewpoint of prioritizing operability, it is possible to facilitate the movement of the AF frame from a specific position by permitting the eight-direction operation while pressing the center after the center pressing operation. However, for example, when the AF frame is to be positioned exactly in the center as described above, if the AF frame is mistakenly operated in eight directions, the AF frame will deviate from the target position.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, it is an object of the present invention to make it possible to reduce erroneous operations while providing convenience when operating using an operating member capable of simultaneously performing a plurality of types of operations.

The electronic device according to the present invention includes a switching means for switching which magnification is used to display an image among a plurality of magnifications including a first magnification and a second magnification different from the first magnification. An image to be displayed based on an operation means capable of accepting a first type of operation instructing any of a plurality of directions and a second type of operation not instructing a direction, and an operation on the operation means. The control means has a control means for controlling the movement of the selected position, and the control means is in a state where the second type of operation is performed while the image is displayed at the first magnification. When the first type of operation is performed, the selected position is controlled not to move in the direction based on the first type of operation, and the image is displayed at the second magnification. At that time, when the operation of the first type is performed while the operation of the second type is performed, the selected position is moved in the direction based on the operation of the first type. It is characterized by controlling.

According to the present invention, when operating using an operating member capable of simultaneously performing a plurality of types of operations, it is possible to reduce erroneous operations while providing convenience.

It is a figure which shows the appearance composition example of the digital camera which concerns on embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure example of the digital camera which concerns on embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing procedure in a shooting mode. It is a figure which shows the example of the image which is displayed on the display part or EVF.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 (a) and 1 (b) show an external view of a digital camera 100 (imaging device) as an example of a device (electronic device) to which the present invention can be applied. FIG. 1A is a front perspective view of the digital camera 100, and FIG. 1B is a rear perspective view of the digital camera 100.

In FIG. 1, the display unit 28 is a display unit provided on the back surface of the camera for displaying images and various information. The touch panel 70a can detect a touch operation on the display surface (operation surface) of the display unit 28. The outside viewfinder display unit 43 is a display unit provided on the upper surface of the camera, and various setting values of the camera such as a shutter speed and an aperture are displayed. The shutter button 61 is an operation unit for giving a shooting instruction. The mode changeover switch 60 is an operation unit for switching various modes.

The terminal cover 40 is a cover that protects a connector (not shown) that connects the connection cable to the external device and the digital camera 100. The main electronic dial 71 is a rotation operation member, and by turning the main electronic dial 71, it is possible to change set values such as a shutter speed and an aperture. The power switch 72 is an operating member that switches the power of the digital camera 100 on and off. The sub electronic dial 73 is a rotation operation member, and can move the selection frame, feed an image, and the like.

The four-way key 74 is a cross-shaped key having push buttons that can be pushed in four directions in which the up, down, left, and right portions can be pushed. It is possible to perform an operation according to the portion of the four-direction key 74 pressed in the pressed direction. The SET button 75 is a push button and is mainly used for determining a selection item or the like. The moving image button 76 is used to instruct the start and stop of moving image shooting (recording). The exposure state can be fixed by pressing the AE lock button 77 in the shooting standby state.

The enlargement button 78 is an operation button for turning on / off the enlargement mode in the live view display of the shooting mode. By operating the main electronic dial 71 after turning on the enlargement mode, the live view image can be enlarged or reduced. Further, the enlargement button 78 functions as an enlargement button for enlarging the reproduced image and increasing the enlargement ratio in the reproduction mode.

The playback button 79 is an operation button for switching between the shooting mode and the playback mode. By pressing the playback button 79 during the shooting mode, the playback mode can be entered, and the latest image among the images recorded on the recording medium 200 can be displayed on the display unit 28. When the menu button 81 is pressed, various settable menu screens are displayed on the display unit 28. The user can intuitively make various settings by using the menu screen displayed on the display unit 28, the four-direction key 74, the SET button 75, or the multi-controller (hereinafter, MC) 65. The MC65 has a direction instruction operation (hereinafter, 8-direction operation) by pushing down in any of the eight directions of upper, upper right, right, lower right, lower, lower left, left, and upper left, and a pushing operation of the central portion (hereinafter, lower). , Center push operation) and different types of operations can be accepted.

The communication terminal 10 is a communication terminal for the digital camera 100 to communicate with the lens unit 150 (detachable) of FIG. 2 described later. The eyepiece portion 16 is an eyepiece portion of an eyepiece finder (look-in type finder), and the user is displayed via the eyepiece portion 16 on the internal EVF (Electric View Finder) 29 of FIG. 2, which will be described later. The image can be visually recognized. The eyepiece detection unit 57 is an eyepiece detection sensor that detects whether or not the user is in contact with the eyepiece unit 16.

The lid 202 is a lid of a slot that stores a recording medium. The grip portion 90 is a holding portion having a shape that makes it easy for the user to hold the digital camera 100 with his / her right hand. The shutter button 61 and the main electronic dial 71 are arranged at positions that can be operated by the index finger of the right hand while holding the digital camera 100 by holding the grip portion 90 with the little finger, ring finger, and middle finger of the right hand. Further, in the same state, the sub electronic dial 73 is arranged at a position where it can be operated with the thumb of the right hand.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the digital camera 100.
In FIG. 2, the lens unit 150 is a lens unit equipped with an interchangeable photographing lens. The lens 103 is usually composed of a plurality of lenses, but in FIG. 2, it is simply shown by only one lens. The communication terminal 6 is a communication terminal for the lens unit 150 to communicate with the digital camera 100 side, and the communication terminal 10 is a communication terminal for the digital camera 100 to communicate with the lens unit 150 side. The lens unit 150 communicates with the system control unit 50 via these communication terminals 6 and 10. Then, the lens unit 150 controls the diaphragm 1 via the diaphragm drive circuit 2 by the internal lens system control circuit 4. Further, the lens unit 150 is focused by shifting the position of the lens 103 via the AF drive circuit 3 by the lens system control circuit 4.

The shutter 101 is a focal plane shutter that can freely control the exposure time of the imaging unit 22 under the control of the system control unit 50. The image pickup unit 22 is an image pickup element (image sensor) composed of a CCD, a CMOS element, or the like that converts an optical image into an electric signal. The imaging unit 22 may have an imaging surface phase difference sensor that outputs defocus amount information to the system control unit 50. The A / D converter 23 converts the analog signal output from the imaging unit 22 into a digital signal.

The image processing unit 24 performs predetermined processing (resizing processing such as pixel interpolation and reduction, color conversion processing, etc.) on the data from the A / D converter 23 or the data from the memory control unit 15. Further, the image processing unit 24 performs a predetermined calculation process using the captured image data, and the system control unit 50 performs exposure control and distance measurement control based on the calculation result obtained by the image processing unit 24. As a result, TTL (through-the-lens) AF (autofocus) processing, AE (autoexposure) processing, EF (flash pre-flash) processing, and the like are performed. The image processing unit 24 further performs a predetermined calculation process using the captured image data, and performs a TTL method AWB (auto white balance) process based on the obtained calculation result.

The output data from the A / D converter 23 is written to the memory 32 via the image processing unit 24 and the memory control unit 15. Alternatively, the output data from the A / D converter 23 is written to the memory 32 via the memory control unit 15 without going through the image processing unit 24. The memory 32 stores the image data obtained by the imaging unit 22 and converted into digital data by the A / D converter 23, and the image data to be displayed on the display unit 28 and the EVF 29. The memory 32 has a storage capacity sufficient to store a predetermined number of still images, moving images for a predetermined time, and audio.

Further, the memory 32 also serves as a memory (video memory) for displaying an image. The D / A converter 19 converts the image display data stored in the memory 32 into an analog signal and supplies it to the display unit 28 and the EVF 29. In this way, the image data for display written in the memory 32 is displayed by the display unit 28 and the EVF 29 via the D / A converter 19. Each of the display unit 28 and the EVF 29 is a display such as an LCD or an organic EL, and displays according to an analog signal from the D / A converter 19. The digital signal that has been A / D converted by the A / D converter 23 and stored in the memory 32 is converted into an analog signal by the D / A converter 19, and is sequentially transferred to the display unit 28 or the EVF 29 for display. View display (LV) can be performed. Hereinafter, the image displayed in the live view display is referred to as a live view image (LV image).

The system control unit 50 is a control unit including at least one processor and / or at least one circuit, and controls the entire digital camera 100. The system control unit 50 is both a processor and a circuit. The system control unit 50 realizes each process of the present embodiment described later by executing the program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56. The system control unit 50 also controls the display by controlling the memory 32, the D / A converter 19, the display unit 28, the EVF 29, and the like.

The system memory 52 is, for example, a RAM, and the system control unit 50 expands the operating constants and variables of the system control unit 50, a program read from the non-volatile memory 56, and the like into the system memory 52.
The non-volatile memory 56 is a memory that can be electrically erased and recorded, such as EEPROM. The non-volatile memory 56 records constants, programs, and the like for the operation of the system control unit 50. The program referred to here is a program for executing various flowcharts described later in this embodiment.
The system timer 53 is a time measuring unit that measures the time used for various controls and the time of the built-in clock.

The communication unit 54 transmits and receives video signals and audio signals to and from an external device connected by a wireless or wired cable. The communication unit 54 can also be connected to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet. The communication unit 54 can also communicate with an external device using Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Bluetooth Low Energy. The communication unit 54 can transmit an image (including an LV image) captured by the image pickup unit 22 and an image recorded on the recording medium 200, and can receive image data and various other information from an external device.

The posture detection unit 55 detects the posture of the digital camera 100 with respect to the direction of gravity. Based on the posture detected by the posture detection unit 55, whether the image taken by the image pickup unit 22 is an image taken by holding the digital camera 100 horizontally or an image taken by holding the digital camera 100 vertically. Can be determined. The system control unit 50 can add orientation information according to the posture detected by the posture detection unit 55 to the image file of the image captured by the image pickup unit 22, or rotate and record the image. be. As the posture detection unit 55, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, or the like can be used. It is also possible to detect the movement (pan, tilt, lift, whether or not it is stationary, etc.) of the digital camera 100 by using the acceleration sensor or the gyro sensor which is the posture detection unit 55.

The eyepiece detection unit 57 detects the approach (eyepiece) and separation (eyepiece) of the eye (object) with respect to the eyepiece 16 of the eyepiece finder (hereinafter, simply referred to as “finder”) (approach detection). It is a sensor. The system control unit 50 switches the display (display state) / non-display (non-display state) of the display unit 28 and the EVF 29 according to the state detected by the eyepiece detection unit 57. More specifically, at least in the shooting standby state and when the display destination switching setting is automatic switching, the display destination is set to the display unit 28 and the display is turned on and the EVF 29 is hidden during non-eye contact. Further, during eye contact, the display destination is set to EVF29, the display is turned on, and the display unit 28 is hidden. As the eyepiece detection unit 57, for example, an infrared proximity sensor can be used, and it is possible to detect the approach of some object to the eyepiece unit 16 of the finder containing the EVF29. When an object approaches, the infrared rays projected from the light projecting unit (not shown) of the eyepiece detection unit 57 are reflected by the object and received by the light receiving unit (not shown) of the infrared proximity sensor. From the amount of infrared rays received, it is possible to determine how close the object is from the eyepiece 16 (eyepiece distance). In this way, the eyepiece detection unit 57 performs eyepiece detection that detects the close distance of the object to the eyepiece unit 16. When an object approaching the eyepiece portion 16 within a predetermined distance is detected from the non-eyepiece state (non-approaching state), it is assumed that the eyepiece is detected. When the object that has detected the approach is separated by a predetermined distance or more from the eyepiece state (approaching state), it is assumed that the eye has been removed. The threshold value for detecting the eyepiece and the threshold value for detecting the eyepiece may be different, for example, by providing hysteresis. In addition, after the eyepiece is detected, the eyepiece is assumed to be in the eyepiece state until the eyepiece is detected. After the eyepiece is detected, it is assumed that the eyepiece is not in the eyepiece state until the eyepiece is detected. The infrared proximity sensor is an example, and another sensor may be used for the eyepiece detection unit 57 as long as it can detect a state that can be regarded as an eyepiece.

The outside viewfinder display unit 43 displays various settings of the camera, such as the shutter speed and the aperture, via the outside viewfinder display unit drive circuit 44.
The power supply control unit 80 is composed of a battery detection circuit, a DC-DC converter, a switch circuit for switching a block to be energized, and the like, and detects whether or not a battery is installed, the type of battery, the remaining battery level, and the like. Further, the power supply control unit 80 controls the DC-DC converter based on the detection result and the instruction of the system control unit 50, and supplies a necessary voltage to each unit including the recording medium 200 for a necessary period. The power supply unit 30 includes a primary battery such as an alkaline battery or a lithium battery, a secondary battery such as a NiCd battery, a NiMH battery, or a Li battery, an AC adapter, or the like.

The recording medium I / F18 is an interface with a recording medium 200 such as a memory card or a hard disk. The recording medium 200 is a recording medium such as a memory card for recording a captured image, and is composed of a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or the like.

The operation unit 70 is an input unit that receives an operation (user operation) from the user, and is used to input various operation instructions to the system control unit 50. As shown in FIG. 2, the operation unit 70 includes a shutter button 61, a mode changeover switch 60, a power switch 72, a touch panel 70a, other operation members 70b, MC65, and the like. Other operating members 70b include a main electronic dial 71, a sub electronic dial 73, a four-way key 74, a SET button 75, a moving image button 76, an AE lock button 77, an enlargement button 78, a play button 79, a menu button 81, and the like. Is done.

The shutter button 61 includes a first shutter switch 62 and a second shutter switch 64. The first shutter switch 62 is turned on by a so-called half-press (shooting preparation instruction) during the operation of the shutter button 61, and the first shutter switch signal SW1 is generated. The system control unit 50 starts shooting preparation operations such as AF (autofocus) processing, AE (autoexposure) processing, AWB (auto white balance) processing, and EF (flash pre-flash) processing by the first shutter switch signal SW1. do.

The second shutter switch 64 is turned on when the operation of the shutter button 61 is completed, so-called full pressing (shooting instruction), and the second shutter switch signal SW2 is generated. The system control unit 50 starts a series of shooting processes from reading the signal from the image pickup unit 22 to writing the captured image as an image file on the recording medium 200 by the second shutter switch signal SW2.

The mode changeover switch 60 switches the operation mode of the system control unit 50 to any one of a still image shooting mode, a moving image shooting mode, a playback mode, and the like. The modes included in the still image shooting mode include an auto shooting mode, an auto scene discrimination mode, a manual mode, an aperture priority mode (Av mode), a shutter speed priority mode (Tv mode), and a program AE mode (P mode). In addition, there are various scene modes, custom modes, etc. that are shooting settings for each shooting scene. From the mode changeover switch 60, the user can directly switch to any of these modes. Alternatively, the mode changeover switch 60 may be used to once switch to the shooting mode list screen, and then selectively switch to any of the displayed plurality of modes by using another operating member. Similarly, the moving image shooting mode may include a plurality of modes.

The touch panel 70a is a touch sensor that detects various touch operations on the display surface (operation surface of the touch panel 70a) of the display unit 28. The touch panel 70a and the display unit 28 can be integrally configured. For example, the touch panel 70a is configured so that the light transmittance does not interfere with the display of the display unit 28, and is attached to the upper layer of the display surface of the display unit 28. Then, the input coordinates on the touch panel 70a are associated with the display coordinates on the display surface of the display unit 28. As a result, it is possible to provide a GUI (graphical user interface) as if the user can directly operate the screen displayed on the display unit 28.

The system control unit 50 can detect the following operations or states on the touch panel 70a.
-A finger or pen that has not touched the touch panel 70a newly touches the touch panel 70a, that is, the start of touch (hereinafter, referred to as touch-down).
-A state in which the touch panel 70a is touched with a finger or a pen (hereinafter referred to as "Touch-On").
-The finger or pen is moving while touching the touch panel 70a (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Move).
-The finger or pen touching the touch panel 70a is separated (released) from the touch panel 70a, that is, the end of the touch (hereinafter referred to as "Touch-Up").
-A state in which nothing is touched on the touch panel 70a (hereinafter, referred to as touch-off).

When touchdown is detected, touch-on is also detected at the same time. After touchdown, touch-on usually continues to be detected unless touch-up is detected. When a touch move is detected, a touch-on is detected at the same time. Even if touch-on is detected, touch move is not detected unless the touch position is moved. After it is detected that all the fingers and pens that have been touched are touched up, the touch is turned off.

These operations / states and the position coordinates of the finger or pen touching the touch panel 70a are notified to the system control unit 50 via the internal bus. Then, the system control unit 50 determines what kind of operation (touch operation) has been performed on the touch panel 70a based on the notified information. Regarding the touch move, the moving direction of the finger or pen moving on the touch panel 70a can also be determined for each vertical component and horizontal component on the touch panel 70a based on the change in the position coordinates. When it is detected that the touch move is performed over a predetermined distance, it is determined that the slide operation has been performed. An operation of quickly moving a finger on the touch panel 70a by a certain distance and then releasing the finger is called a flick. In other words, flicking is an operation of swiftly tracing on the touch panel 70a as if flicking with a finger. If it is detected that the touch move is performed at a predetermined speed or more over a predetermined distance and the touch-up is detected as it is, it can be determined that the flick has been performed (it can be determined that there was a flick following the slide operation). Further, a touch operation in which a plurality of points (for example, two points) are touched together (multi-touch) to bring the touch positions closer to each other is called a pinch-in, and a touch operation to move the touch positions away from each other is called a pinch-out. Pinch out and pinch in are collectively called pinch operation (or simply pinch). The touch panel 70a may be any of various types of touch panels such as a resistive film method, a capacitance method, a surface acoustic wave method, an infrared method, an electromagnetic induction method, an image recognition method, and an optical sensor method. good. There are a method of detecting that there is a touch due to contact with the touch panel and a method of detecting that there is a touch due to the approach of a finger or a pen to the touch panel, but any method may be used.

The line-of-sight detection block 160 is a block for detecting the line-of-sight of whether the user who has eyepieces on the eyepiece 16 is looking at the EVF 29, and if so, at what position. The line-of-sight detection block 160 includes a dichroic mirror 162, an imaging lens 163, a line-of-sight detection sensor 164, an infrared light emitting diode 166, and a line-of-sight detection circuit 165.

The infrared light emitting diode 166 is a light emitting element, and irradiates the user's eyeball (eye) 161 with the eyepiece 16 with infrared light. The infrared light emitted from the infrared light emitting diode 166 is reflected by the eyeball (eye) 161 and the infrared reflected light reaches the dichroic mirror 162. The dichroic mirror 162 reflects only infrared light and transmits visible light. The infrared reflected light whose optical path has been changed is imaged on the imaging surface of the line-of-sight detection sensor 164 via the imaging lens 163. The imaging lens 163 is an optical member that constitutes a line-of-sight detection optical system. The line-of-sight detection sensor 164 includes an imaging device such as a CCD type image sensor. The line-of-sight detection sensor 164 photoelectrically converts the incident infrared reflected light into an electric signal and outputs it to the line-of-sight detection circuit 165. The line-of-sight detection circuit 165 includes at least one processor, detects the user's line-of-sight position from the image or movement of the user's eyeball (eye) 161 based on the output signal of the line-of-sight detection sensor 164, and transmits the detection information to the system control unit 50. Output.

In the present embodiment, the line-of-sight detection block 160 is used to detect the line of sight by a method called the corneal reflex method. The corneal reflex method refers to the direction of the line of sight based on the positional relationship between the reflected light emitted from the infrared light emitting diode 166, especially the reflected light of the eyeball (eye) 161 and the pupil of the eyeball (eye) 161. This is a method of detecting the position. In addition to this, there are various methods for detecting the direction and position of the line of sight, such as a method called scleral reflection method, which utilizes the difference in light reflectance between black and white eyes. A method of line-of-sight detection means other than the above may be used as long as the method can detect the direction and position of the line of sight. In the present embodiment, the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit of the eyepiece detection unit 57 have been described as being separate devices from the infrared light emitting diode 166 and the line-of-sight detection sensor 164 described above. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the light emitting portion of the eyepiece detection unit 57 may be combined with the infrared light emitting diode 166, and the light receiving unit may be also used by the line-of-sight detection sensor 164.

The system control unit 50 can detect the following operations or states based on the information related to the user's line of sight from the line of sight detection block 160.
-The line of sight of the user who touched the eyepiece 16 was newly input (detected). That is, the start of line-of-sight input.
-The eyepiece 16 is in a state where the user's line of sight is input.
-The user who has the eyepiece on the eyepiece 16 is watching.
-The line of sight entered by the user who touched the eyepiece 16 was removed. That is, the end of line-of-sight input.
-A state in which the user who has the eyepiece on the eyepiece 16 does not input any line of sight.

The gaze mentioned here means that the user has been looking at almost the same position for some time. As a determination of whether or not the user is gazing, for example, it is determined that the user is gazing when the line-of-sight position of the user does not exceed the predetermined movement amount for a predetermined time (for example, about 0.5 seconds). The predetermined time may be a time that can be set by the user, may be a fixed time, or may be changed depending on the distance relationship between the immediately preceding line-of-sight position and the current line-of-sight position. For example, the system control unit 50 has a predetermined period (threshold period) of a state in which the user's line of sight is detected at substantially the same position (no line-of-sight movement) based on the detection information received from the line-of-sight detection circuit 165. If it exceeds, it is determined that the user is watching. Further, in the system control unit 50, for example, the average position of the line-of-sight detection positions in a short period (≦ the above-mentioned threshold period) including the latest detection timing is within a predetermined range, and the variation (dispersion) is greater than the predetermined value. If the number is small, it is determined that there is no movement of the line of sight.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in the shooting mode of the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment. Each process shown in FIG. 3 is realized by the system control unit 50 expanding the program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56 or the recording medium 200 into the system memory 52 and executing the program by the system control unit 50.
When the power switch 72 is operated and the power is switched on, the system control unit 50 starts the main shooting mode processing.

In S301, the system control unit 50 initializes flags, control variables, and the like.
In S302, the system control unit 50 displays the live view on the display unit 28.
In S303, the system control unit 50 causes the display unit 28 to superimpose and display an information icon indicating the camera setting value on the live view based on the camera setting value. FIG. 4A is a diagram showing a screen example of a live view of the entire image in the shooting mode. As shown in FIG. 4A, the subject 402 and the one-point AF frame 403 are displayed superimposing on the live view 401.

In S304, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not an operation necessary for changing various set values such as the menu button 81 of the operation unit 70 has been performed. If the operation is performed, the process proceeds to S305, otherwise the process proceeds to S306.

In S305, the system control unit 50 changes various set values based on the operation in S305. For example, there are settings for enabling / disabling various operating members such as MC65, setting for assigning functions to those operating members, setting for changing the sensitivity of those operating members, and setting for switching between enabling / disabling the line-of-sight detection block 160. Can be mentioned. Other than that, there are a setting for switching the AF method described later, a setting for switching the AF operation to one of one-shot / servo / manual focus, and the like. In the present embodiment, the line-of-sight detection block 160 is enabled, that is, the line-of-sight input function is enabled when the eyepiece is detected, and the line-of-sight input function is disabled when the eyepiece is not detected. The explanation is based on the assumption that there is.

The sensitivity of the operating member can be set in three stages, for example, sensitive, standard, and insensitive. In the case of the sensitivity of MC65, the sensitivity for 8-direction operation is mainly set. The sensitivity of the MC65 can be set differently depending on whether the live view is displayed at the same magnification or the enlarged display is performed.

The AF method is a setting value for switching the area setting and the position designation method of the AF frame. When setting the size of the AF frame area, it is possible to set the AF frame (zone AF) in a wide range to some extent. In the present embodiment, it is further possible to switch between single-point AF and full-range AF. One-point AF is a mode in which an AF frame is set by fixing it at a position specified by the user. Further, the whole area AF is a mode in which the system control unit 50 detects a subject included in the entire live view and sets an AF frame for the subject.

Functions that can be assigned to the center pressing operation of the MC65 include a function of returning the AF frame to the center of the screen and a function of moving the AF frame to a specific position (home position) registered in advance by the user. Other assignable functions include a function of changing the magnification of the live view and a function of moving the AF frame to the detection result position of the line of sight. In the present embodiment, the function of returning to the center of the screen is assigned when the line-of-sight input function is disabled, such as when the eyepiece is not eyepieced, and when the line-of-sight input function is enabled, the movement is moved to the line-of-sight detection result position. It will be described as assigning the function to be performed.

In S306, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the live view magnification change operation has been performed using the main electronic dial 71 of the operation unit 70 while the enlargement mode is ON. If the operation is performed, the process proceeds to S307, and if not, the process proceeds to S308.

In S307, the system control unit 50 changes the magnification of the live view display and displays it on the display unit 28 based on the change operation detected in S306. Here, the user can appropriately switch the magnification of the live view between the same magnification and the magnification magnification according to the shooting scene. FIG. 4D is a diagram showing a screen example of the enlarged live view in the shooting mode. As shown in FIG. 4D, the magnifying indicator 412 indicating the magnified position and the central AF frame 413 indicating the center position of the screen are displayed superimposing on the magnified live view 411.

In S308, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the center push operation has been performed on the MC65. If the operation is performed, the process proceeds to S309, and if not, the process proceeds to S323.
In S309, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the live view display is being expanded. If it is expanding, the process proceeds to S313, otherwise the process proceeds to S310.

In S310, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the eyepiece is detected by the eyepiece detection unit 57 and the line-of-sight input function is effective. If the eyepiece is detected and the line-of-sight input function is enabled, proceed to S312, and if not (when the line-of-sight input function is disabled or the line-of-sight input function is enabled). If the eyepiece is not detected), the process proceeds to S311. Whether to enable or disable the line-of-sight input function can be set in advance from the setting menu or the like.
In S311 the system control unit 50 moves the AF frame to the center on the display unit 28 or the EVF 29 to display it. FIG. 4B is a diagram showing a screen example of the live view in the shooting mode, which is basically the same as the example shown in FIG. 4A, but the one-point AF frame 403 is moved to the center of the screen. Is. In addition, it may be moved to a pre-registered position (home position) instead of the center.

In S312, the system control unit 50 moves the AF frame to the line-of-sight detection position in the EVF 29 and displays it. FIG. 4 (g) is a diagram showing a screen example of a live view in a state where the line-of-sight input in the shooting mode is enabled. As shown in FIG. 4 (g), the live view 421 including the subjects 422a to 422c is displayed, and the AF frame 423 and the line-of-sight pointer 424 indicating the line-of-sight detection position are displayed on the EVF 29 so as to be superimposed on the live view 421. There is. When the center pressing operation of the MC65 is detected in S308 in this state, the AF frame 423 moves and is displayed at the position where the line-of-sight pointer 424 was located, as shown in FIG. 4H.

On the other hand, in S313, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the eyepiece is detected by the eyepiece detection unit 57 and the line-of-sight input function is effective, as in S310. If the eyepiece is detected and the line-of-sight input function is enabled, the process proceeds to S315, otherwise the process proceeds to S314.
In S314, the system control unit 50 causes the display unit 28 or the EVF 29 to display the enlarged position by moving it to the center. The enlarged position may be moved to a pre-registered position (home position) instead of the center. Further, at this time, the AF frame may be moved in conjunction with the enlarged position, and a setting may be provided in which the user switches whether or not the AF frame is linked. FIG. 4 (e) shows a state in which the enlarged position has been moved to the center from the display state shown in FIG. 4 (d).

In S315, the system control unit 50 moves the enlarged position to a position based on the line-of-sight detection position in the EVF 29. For example, the live view display is changed to be enlarged around the line-of-sight detection position. At this time, similarly, the AF frame may be moved so as to be interlocked with the enlarged position.

In S316, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the eight-direction operation has been performed on the MC65 while the center push operation has been performed. If the operation is performed, the process proceeds to S317, and if not, the process proceeds to S323.
In S317, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the live view display is being expanded. If it is expanding, proceed to S318, otherwise proceed to S320.

In S318, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the eyepiece is detected by the eyepiece detection unit 57 and the line-of-sight input function is effective, as in S310. If the eyepiece is detected and the line-of-sight input function is enabled, the process proceeds to S319, otherwise the process proceeds to S321 and the function is not executed according to the 8-direction operation of the MC65. That is, when the line-of-sight input function is disabled, the eight-direction operation is disabled while the center pressing operation of the MC65 is being continued. The processing of S318 and S319 may be eliminated, and if No is determined in S317, the process may proceed to S321. That is, regardless of whether the line-of-sight input function is enabled or disabled, the eight-direction operation may be disabled while the center pressing operation of the MC65 is being continued.
In S319, the system control unit 50 moves and displays the AF frame in the EVF 29 based on the direction of the eight-direction operation detected in S316. In FIG. 4 (i), the AF frame 423 is moved from the position of the AF frame 423 shown in FIG. 4 (h) to the selected position of the subject 422c based on the direction of the eight-direction operation detected in S316. An example is shown.

In S320, the system control unit 50 moves the enlarged position on the display unit 28 or the EVF 29 to display it based on the operation of S316. FIG. 4 (f) shows an example in which the enlarged position is shifted to the right based on the direction of the eight-direction operation detected in S316 from the state shown in FIG. 4 (e). In the example shown in FIG. 4 (f), the enlarged position of the AF frame remains at the center position and the enlarged position is shifted to the right. However, the AF frame may also be shifted to the right so as to be linked to the enlarged position. good.

In S321, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the eight-direction operation has been canceled with respect to the MC65. If it is canceled, the process proceeds to S322, otherwise the process proceeds to S317.
In S322, the system control unit 50 determines with respect to the MC65 whether or not the center pressing operation has been released. If it is canceled, the process proceeds to S323, otherwise the process proceeds to S316.

In S323, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the eight-direction operation has been performed on the MC65 in a state where the center push operation has not been performed. If the operation is performed, the process proceeds to S324, and if not, the process proceeds to S328.
In S324, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the live view display is being expanded. If it is expanding, proceed to S326, otherwise proceed to S325.

In S325, the system control unit 50 moves and displays the AF frame on the display unit 28 or EVF29 based on the direction of the eight-direction operation detected in S323. FIG. 4C is a diagram showing a screen example of the live view in the shooting mode, and is an eight-direction operation in which the one-point AF frame 403 is detected in S323 from the state shown in FIG. 4A or FIG. 4B. It shows that it is in a state of being moved based on the direction of.

In S326, the system control unit 50 moves and displays the enlarged position on the display unit 28 or the EVF 29 based on the direction of the eight-direction operation detected in S323.
In S327, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the eight-direction operation has been canceled with respect to the MC65. If it is canceled, the process proceeds to S328, otherwise the process proceeds to S324.

In S328, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not any other operation has been performed on the operation unit 70. If it is done, proceed to S329, otherwise proceed to S330. Other operations include shooting operations and operations for changing shooting parameters such as shutter speed and aperture value.
In S329, the system control unit 50 performs other processing. Other processes include shooting and changing shooting parameters such as shutter speed and aperture value.

In S330, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the end operation has been performed on the operation unit 70. Here, the end operation is an operation in which the power switch 72 is pressed, an operation in which the play button 79 is pressed, and the like. If the end operation is performed, the process is terminated, otherwise the process proceeds to S304.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the line-of-sight input function is disabled, the live view is displayed at the same magnification on the display unit 28 or EVF29, and the eight-direction operation is performed with the MC65 pressed in the center. In that case, the 8-way operation was disabled. This makes it possible to prevent, for example, the inconvenience that the AF frame is accidentally displaced from the center position. On the other hand, in the case of enlarged display, even if the line-of-sight input function is disabled, if 8-direction operation is performed while the MC65 is pressed in the center, 8-direction operation is enabled. I tried to do it. When the image is enlarged in this way, the enlarged position can be finely adjusted by operating in eight directions. As described above, regardless of whether the line-of-sight input function is enabled or disabled, if the LV is displayed without enlarging, the 8-direction operation while the MC65 is being pressed in the center is invalidated, and the LV is enlarged and displayed. If so, the eight-direction operation while the MC65 is being pushed centrally may be enabled.

Further, when the line-of-sight input function is enabled, the 8-direction operation is enabled even when the 8-direction operation is performed while the MC65 is pressed in the center (S319). When the line-of-sight input function is enabled, it is highly necessary to fine-tune the position of the AF frame by operating in eight directions after moving the AF frame to a position corresponding to the line of sight by pressing the center. The operability of fine adjustment is prioritized over the reduction of erroneous operations. As a result, the position of the AF frame roughly determined based on the line of sight can be easily finely adjusted by operating in eight directions, and convenience can be ensured.

In the example shown in FIG. 3, the one-point AF frame is moved by the MC65, but it may be applied to the entire area AF. 4 (j) to 4 (l) are diagrams showing a screen example when applied to the full-area AF, and FIG. 4 (j) is a diagram showing a screen example of the live view of the shooting mode in the full-range AF. Is.

As shown in FIG. 4 (j), the live view 421 including the subjects 422a to 422c is displayed on the EVF 29, and the detection AF frame 425 and the line-of-sight pointer 424 indicating the line-of-sight detection position are displayed superimposed on the live view 421. There is. When it is determined in S308 that the center pressing operation of the MC65 has been performed, in S312, as shown in FIG. 4 (k), the subject 422b closest to the position where the line-of-sight pointer 424 was located is selected and displayed on the EVF29. Let me.

Further, in FIG. 4K, the selected subject 422b is displayed with a tracking AF frame 426 and left and right arrows 427 indicating that the selected subject can be switched by operating the MC65 in the left-right direction. .. If it is determined from this state that the MC65 has been operated in eight directions in S316, the EVF29 is displayed in S319 with another subject 422c selected as shown in FIG. 4 (l). In this way, after moving the AF frame to the line-of-sight detection position, by continuously enabling the 8-direction operation of the MC65, even if an unintended subject is selected, fine adjustment can be performed immediately. Become.

It should be noted that even when the MC65 is operated in 8 directions while being operated in the center and then returned to the state of only the center push operation (in the case of S321 / Yes → S322 / No), it returns to S316, so depending on the situation, there are 8 directions. The operation is enabled or disabled. Further, the line-of-sight input function is said to be a function effective only in EVF29, but is not limited to this. Even when the live view is displayed on the display unit 28, the line-of-sight detection may be possible.

Further, in the present embodiment, the MC65 can be operated in eight directions, but the operation is not limited to the eight directions, and there may be more or less operations than the eight directions. Further, the MC65 is not limited to the joystick-shaped member as shown in FIG. 1 (b). It may be a touch operation member capable of detecting a press, or an operation member capable of detecting a touch operation on the surface of a press-type button.

The sensitivity of the MC65 may be changed in accordance with the control shown in FIG. For example, in a state where the same-magnification live view is displayed on the display unit 28, the AF frame is moved when only the 8-direction operation is performed instead of disabling the 8-direction operation from the center push operation (S325). May be sensitive. On the other hand, in the live view enlarged state in which the eight-direction operation from the center pressing operation is enabled, the movement of the enlarged position (S320) may be insensitive.

If the sensitivity of the MC65 is set to be less sensitive in the live view display at the same magnification than in the enlarged display, the live view at the same magnification is displayed on the display unit 28 and the center press operation is performed. Eight-way operation may be enabled. That is, in the case of S318 / No, the system control unit 50 moves and displays the AF frame on the display unit 28 based on the direction of the eight-direction operation detected in S316, similarly to S319. Then, the process proceeds to S321. On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 3, the live view of the same size is displayed on the display unit 28 only when the sensitivity of the MC65 is set more sensitively in the live view display of the same size than in the enlarged display. In the displayed state, the 8-direction operation from the center push operation may be invalidated. In some cases, it may not be necessary to achieve both convenience and prevention of erroneous operation. When only convenience is to be ensured, convenience can be ensured by changing the sensitivity setting.

Further, the AF operation setting may be changed by any one of one-shot, servo, and manual focus settings. For example, in the case of one-shot setting, 8-direction operation from the center push operation is invalid, but since the servo setting is basically used in the scene of shooting a moving subject, emphasis is placed on operability. May be good. That is, when the AF operation is set to the servo, the eight-direction operation from the center push operation may be enabled while the live view of the same magnification is displayed on the display unit 28.

Further, the control may be changed during the shooting operation. For example, when the shutter button 61 is in the SW1 state (half-pressed state), the eight-direction operation from the center-pressed operation is enabled while the live view of the same magnification is displayed on the display unit 28. May be. Further, the control may be changed according to the AF method. For example, when an AF frame (zone AF) in a wide range of a predetermined value or more is set, it is often the scene that does not require a strict central composition. Therefore, the eight-direction operation from the center pressing operation may be enabled while the live view of the same magnification is displayed on the display unit 28. As a result, the specifications can be made with more emphasis on convenience than erroneous operation.

Further, in the present embodiment, a function of moving the AF frame or the enlarged position to a predetermined position is assigned by the center pressing operation of the MC65. Specifically, when the line-of-sight input function is disabled, the function to return the AF frame or magnified position to the center of the screen or the home position is assigned, and when the line-of-sight input function is enabled, the AF frame or magnified position is moved to the line-of-sight detection result position. Assigned the function to move. In addition, the function of moving the AF frame or the enlarged position in that direction was assigned by operating the MC65 in eight directions. On the other hand, it is also possible to operate the menu button 81 to assign the center pressing operation and the eight-direction operation function of the MC65 to different functions from the menu screen. Since the processing shown in FIG. 3 is based on the premise that the above-mentioned functions are assigned to the center pressing operation and the 8-direction operation of the MC65, the control shown in FIG. 3 is not performed when different functions are assigned. To do so. In this case, when the MC65 is operated, processing is performed according to the different functions.

(Other embodiments)
It should be noted that the above-mentioned various controls described as those performed by the system control unit 50 may be performed by one hardware, or a plurality of hardware (for example, a plurality of processors and circuits) share the processing to be a device. The whole control may be performed. Further, although the present invention has been described in detail based on the preferred embodiments thereof, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various embodiments within the scope of the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. included. Furthermore, each of the above-described embodiments is merely an embodiment of the present invention, and each embodiment can be combined as appropriate.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a digital camera has been described as an example, but this is not limited to this example, and any device equipped with an MC can be applied. That is, the present invention is applicable to personal computers, PDAs, mobile phone terminals, portable image viewers, printer devices equipped with displays, digital photo frames, music players, game machines, electronic book readers, and the like. Further, the present invention can be applied not only to the image pickup device main body but also to a control device that communicates with the image pickup device (including a network camera) via wired or wireless communication and remotely controls the image pickup device. As a device for remotely controlling the image pickup device, for example, there are devices such as smartphones, tablet PCs, and desktop PCs. The image pickup device can be controlled remotely by notifying the image pickup device of commands for performing various operations and settings from the control device side based on the operations performed on the control device side and the processes performed on the control device side. be. Further, the live view image taken by the imaging device may be received via wired or wireless communication and displayed on the control device side.

The present invention is also realized by executing the following processing. That is, software (program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment is supplied to the system or device via a network or various storage media, and the computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or device reads the program code. This is the process to be executed. In this case, the program and the storage medium that stores the program constitute the present invention.

50 system control unit, 65 MC

Claims (22)

A switching means for switching at which magnification the image is displayed among a plurality of magnifications including the first magnification and the second magnification different from the first magnification.
An operating means capable of accepting a first type of operation that specifies one of a plurality of directions and a second type of operation that does not specify a direction.
A control means that controls movement of the selected position in the displayed image based on an operation on the operation means, and a control means.
Have,
The control means
When the operation of the first type is performed while the operation of the second type is performed while the image is displayed at the first magnification, the operation of the first type is performed. Control the selection position so that it does not move in the direction based on the image.
When the operation of the first type is performed while the operation of the second type is performed while the image is displayed at the second magnification, the operation of the first type is performed. An electronic device characterized in that it is controlled to move the selected position in a direction based on the image. Further having an input means for inputting information related to the user's line of sight detected by the line-of-sight detection means,
Even when the control means is displaying an image at the first magnification, if the information related to the line of sight is input by the input means, the second type of operation is performed. The first aspect of the present invention is described in claim 1, wherein when the operation of the first type is performed in the broken state, the operation of the selected position is controlled to be performed based on the operation of the first type. Electronics. An operating means capable of accepting a first type of operation that specifies one of a plurality of directions and a second type of operation that does not specify a direction.
An input means for inputting information related to the user's line of sight detected by the line-of-sight detection means, and
A control means that controls the movement of the selected position in the displayed image based on the operation on the operation means, and the control means.
Have,
The control means
When the information related to the line of sight is not input by the input means and the operation of the first type is performed while the operation of the second type is performed, the operation of the first type is performed. Control the selection position so that it does not move in the direction based on the operation.
When the information related to the line of sight is input by the input means and the operation of the first type is performed while the operation of the second type is performed, the operation of the first type is performed. An electronic device characterized in that the selected position is controlled to move in a direction based on the above. The electronic device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the line-of-sight detecting means is a means for detecting the line of sight of the user's eyes that have come into contact with the finder. When the information related to the line of sight is input by the input means, the control means controls to move the selected position to a position based on the line of sight of the user in response to the operation of the second type. The electronic device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the electronic device is characterized by the above. When the information related to the line of sight is not input by the input means, the control means sets the selected position to the center position of the image or a pre-registered position according to the operation of the second type. The electronic device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the electronic device is controlled to move. Further having an assignment means for assigning the functions of the first type and the operation of the second type.
A function of moving the selected position in a direction based on the first type of operation for the first type of operation by the allocation means, and a predetermined selection position for the second type of operation. When the function of moving to the position is assigned, the control means is displaying the image at the first magnification, and the first type is operated in the state where the operation of the second type is performed. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein when the operation of Electronics. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the second magnification is a magnification larger than the first magnification. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the first magnification is a magnification at which the entire image is displayed. It further has a sensitivity setting means for setting the sensitivity to the first type of operation.
The control when the sensitivity setting means sets the operation of the first type at the first magnification more sensitively than the operation of the first type at the second magnification. The means is the first type when the operation of the first type is performed while the operation of the second type is performed while the image is displayed at the first magnification. The electronic device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the selected position is controlled so as not to move in a direction based on the operation of the above. The electronic device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein when the image is displayed at the second magnification, the selected position is an enlarged position in the entire image. .. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein when the image is displayed at the first magnification, the selected position is a position for detecting the focus. It further has a region setting means for setting the size of the region at the position where the focus is detected.
When the size of the region at the position where the focus is detected by the region setting means is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, the control means receives the second magnification when displaying the image at the first magnification. Even when the operation of the first type is performed while the operation of the type is performed, it is possible to control the movement of the selected position in the direction based on the operation of the first type. The electronic device according to claim 12. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the displayed image is a live view image captured by the imaging means. The electronic device according to claim 14, further comprising the imaging means. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the first type of operation is an operation of pushing down the operating means in any one of the plurality of directions. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the plurality of directions are eight directions. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the second type of operation is an operation of pushing the operating means. A control method for an electronic device having an operating means capable of accepting a first type of operation instructing any of a plurality of directions and a second type of operation not instructing a direction.
A switching step of switching which magnification is used to display an image among a plurality of magnifications including a first magnification and a second magnification different from the first magnification.
A control step of controlling the movement of the selected position in the displayed image based on the operation on the operating means, and
Have,
In the control step,
When the operation of the first type is performed while the operation of the second type is performed while the image is displayed at the first magnification, the operation of the first type is performed. Control the selection position so that it does not move in the direction based on the image.
When the operation of the first type is performed while the operation of the second type is performed while the image is displayed at the second magnification, the operation of the first type is performed. A control method for an electronic device, which controls the movement of the selected position in a direction based on the control. A control method for an electronic device having an operating means capable of accepting a first type of operation instructing any of a plurality of directions and a second type of operation not instructing a direction.
An input process for inputting information related to the user's line of sight detected by the line-of-sight detection means,
A control step of controlling the movement of the selected position in the displayed image based on the operation on the operating means, and
Have,
In the control step,
When the information related to the line of sight is not input by the input step and the operation of the first type is performed while the operation of the second type is performed, the operation of the first type is performed. Control the selection position so that it does not move in the direction based on the operation.
When the information related to the line of sight is input by the input step and the operation of the first type is performed while the operation of the second type is performed, the operation of the first type is performed. A method for controlling an electronic device, which controls the movement of the selected position in a direction based on the above. A program for causing a computer to function as each means of the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 18. A computer-readable storage medium containing a program for causing the computer to function as each means of the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

Images