JP4481428B2 - Image processing device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus that captures, records, and reproduces still images and moving images, and a placement control method thereof.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, image processing apparatuses such as electronic cameras for recording and reproducing still images and moving images using a memory card having a solid-state memory element as a recording medium are commercially available, and electronic cameras equipped with an electronic viewfinder such as a color liquid crystal panel are also sold. ing.
[0003]
According to these electronic cameras, it is possible to continuously display images before photographing and to determine the composition by the user of the electronic camera, or to reproduce and display the photographed images for confirmation.
[0004]
In particular, a function (quick review) for reproducing a photographed image immediately after photographing is highly convenient and is a useful function for a user of an electronic camera.
[0005]
Even during continuous shooting, an electronic camera that reproduces and displays a captured image every time a single image is captured is also common.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In such a conventional image processing apparatus such as an electronic camera, when continuous shooting is performed using an optical viewfinder, a captured image is displayed on a display device such as a color liquid crystal panel by quick review every time one image is taken. However, there is a problem that the quick review image cannot be seen because the user looks into the optical viewfinder to check the subject.
[0007]
In continuous shooting when using the optical viewfinder, the color liquid crystal panel and the like in the vicinity of the optical viewfinder are lit during the quick review.
[0008]
In addition, although it is difficult to view the quick review image, there is a problem that the battery is wasted when the display device such as the color liquid crystal panel is turned on.
[0009]
In addition, there is a problem that the shooting interval for continuous shooting becomes longer due to the quick review process.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problems, an image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a photographing unit that photographs a still image, a display unit that performs reproduction display of the image photographed by the photographing unit and sequentially displays a subject image. First setting means for setting whether or not to sequentially display the subject image by the display means, a single shooting mode for taking pictures one by one by the photographing means, and continuous photographing by the photographing means A second setting means for setting one of the continuous shooting modes; a quick review means for automatically displaying a photographed image on the display means after photographing by the photographing means; and whether or not to perform an operation by the quick review means. A third setting means for setting; When it is set by the first setting means to sequentially display the subject image by the display means, regardless of the setting state of the second setting means and the setting state of the third setting means, Control is performed so that the operation by the quick review unit is performed after shooting, and it is set by the first setting unit not to sequentially display the subject image by the display unit, and the single shooting mode is set by the second setting unit. Is set, and the third setting unit is set to perform the operation by the quick review unit, the control to perform the operation by the quick review unit after shooting in the single shooting mode, When it is set by the first setting means that the subject image is not sequentially displayed by the display means, and the continuous shooting mode is set by the second setting means, the third setting means Control means for controlling so as not to perform the operation of the quick review means during shooting in the continuous shooting mode regardless of the setting state.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0013]
FIG. 7 is an example of a rear view of an image processing apparatus (electronic camera) to which the present invention can be applied. 104 is an optical viewfinder for confirming the composition of the subject through an optical lens, and 63 is a shutter button for instructing the image processing apparatus to perform a photographing operation. Reference numeral 28 denotes an image display unit such as a color liquid crystal panel, which reproduces a captured image and sequentially displays an image of a subject when the electronic viewfinder function is used. Reference numeral 66 denotes an image display ON / OFF switch, which can turn ON / OFF the display of the electronic viewfinder 28. The photographer can select which of the optical viewfinder and the electronic viewfinder is used for photographing. Since the photographer determines the composition of the subject at the time of shooting, the color liquid crystal panel 28 cannot be seen when looking through the optical viewfinder 104.
[0014]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the image processing apparatus. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 denotes an image processing apparatus. 10 is a photographing lens, 12 is a shutter having a diaphragm function, 14 is an image sensor that converts an optical image into an electrical signal, and 16 is an A / D converter that converts an analog signal output from the image sensor 14 into a digital signal.
[0015]
A timing generation circuit 18 supplies a clock signal and a control signal to the image sensor 14, the A / D converter 16, and the D / A converter 26, and is controlled by the memory control circuit 22 and the system control circuit 50.
[0016]
An image processing circuit 20 performs predetermined pixel interpolation processing and color conversion processing on the data from the A / D converter 16 or the data from the memory control circuit 22. The image processing circuit 20 performs predetermined calculation processing using the captured image data, and the system control circuit 50 controls the exposure control circuit 40 and the distance measurement control circuit 42 based on the calculation result by the image processing circuit 20. Thus, TTL (through the lens) AF (auto focus) processing, AE (auto exposure) processing, and EF (flash pre-emission) processing are performed.
[0017]
Further, the image processing circuit 20 performs predetermined arithmetic processing using the captured image data, and also performs TTL AWB (auto white balance) processing based on the obtained arithmetic result.
[0018]
A memory control circuit 22 controls the A / D converter 16, the timing generation circuit 18, the image processing circuit 20, the image display memory 24, the D / A converter 26, the memory 30, and the compression / decompression circuit 32. The data of the A / D converter 16 is written into the image display memory 24 or the memory 30 via the image processing circuit 20 and the memory control circuit 22 or the data of the A / D converter 16 is directly passed through the memory control circuit 22. It is.
[0019]
Reference numeral 24 denotes an image display memory, 26 denotes a D / A converter, 28 denotes an image display unit composed of a TFT LCD or the like, and display image data written in the image display memory 24 passes through the D / A converter 26. It is displayed by the image display unit 28. If the image data captured using the image display unit 28 is sequentially displayed, the electronic viewfinder function can be realized. In addition, the image display unit 28 can arbitrarily turn on / off the display according to an instruction from the system control circuit 50. When the display is turned off, the power consumption of the image processing apparatus 100 can be greatly reduced. I can do it.
[0020]
Reference numeral 30 denotes a memory for storing captured still images and moving images, and has a sufficient storage capacity for storing a predetermined number of still images and a predetermined time of moving images. Thus, even in the case of continuous shooting or panoramic shooting in which a plurality of still images are continuously shot, it is possible to write a large amount of images to the memory 30 at high speed. The memory 30 can also be used as a work area for the system control circuit 50.
[0021]
A compression / decompression circuit 32 compresses and decompresses image data by adaptive discrete cosine transform (ADCT) or the like, reads an image stored in the memory 30, performs compression processing or decompression processing, and stores the processed data in the memory 30. Write to.
[0022]
Reference numeral 40 denotes an exposure control circuit that controls the shutter 12 having an aperture function, and has a flash light control function in cooperation with the flash 48.
[0023]
Reference numeral 42 denotes a distance measurement control circuit that controls focusing of the photographing lens 10, reference numeral 44 denotes a zoom control circuit that controls zooming of the photographing lens 10, and reference numeral 46 denotes a barrier control circuit that controls the operation of the protection member 102 that is a lens barrier. A flash 48 has an AF auxiliary light projecting function and a flash light control function.
[0024]
The exposure control circuit 40 and the distance measurement control circuit 42 are controlled using the TTL method, and the system control circuit 50 performs the exposure control circuit 40 and the distance measurement control circuit based on the calculation result of the captured image data by the image processing circuit 20. Control 42.
[0025]
Reference numeral 50 denotes a system control circuit that controls the entire image processing apparatus 100, and reference numeral 52 denotes a memory that stores constants, variables, programs, and the like for operation of the system control circuit 50.
[0026]
Reference numeral 54 denotes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display device or a speaker that displays an operation state or a message using characters, images, sounds, and the like in accordance with execution of a program in the system control circuit 50, and operates the image processing apparatus 100. One or a plurality of places are provided near the portion where they can be easily seen, and for example, a combination of an LCD, an LED, a sound generation element, and the like is used. In addition, the display unit 54 is partially installed in the optical viewfinder 104. Among the display contents of the display unit 54, what is displayed on the LCD etc. includes single shot / continuous shooting display, self-timer display, compression rate display, number of recorded pixels, number of recorded pixels, number of remaining shots, shutter Speed display, Aperture value display, Exposure compensation display, Flash display, Red-eye reduction display, Macro shooting display, Buzzer setting display, Clock battery level display, Battery level display, Error display, Multi-digit number information display and recording There are a display state of the media 200 and 210, a communication I / F operation display, a date / time display, and the like. Further, among the display contents of the display unit 54, what is displayed in the optical viewfinder 104 includes in-focus display, camera shake warning display, flash charge display, shutter speed display, aperture value display, exposure correction display, and the like.
[0027]
Reference numeral 56 denotes an electrically erasable / recordable nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM.
[0028]
Reference numerals 60, 62, 64, 66, 68 and 70 are operation means for inputting various operation instructions of the system control circuit 50, and may be a single unit such as a switch, a dial, a touch panel, pointing by visual line detection, a voice recognition device, or the like. Consists of multiple combinations.
[0029]
Here, a specific description of these operation members will be given. Reference numeral 60 denotes a mode dial switch, which can be switched to set each function mode such as power-off, automatic shooting mode, shooting mode, panoramic shooting mode, playback mode, multi-screen playback / erase mode, and PC connection mode.
[0030]
Reference numeral 62 denotes a shutter switch SW1, which is turned on when a predetermined amount of a shutter button (not shown) is pressed, and instructs to start operations such as AF processing, AE processing, AWB processing, and EF processing.
[0031]
Reference numeral 64 denotes a shutter switch SW2, which is turned on when a pressing operation of a shutter button (not shown) is completed, and the signal read from the image sensor 12 is written to the memory 30 via the A / D converter 16 and the memory control circuit 22. Processing, development processing using operations in the image processing circuit 20 and the memory control circuit 22, recording processing for reading out image data from the memory 30, compression in the compression / decompression circuit 32, and writing the image data to the recording medium 200 or 210 The operation start of a series of processes is instructed.
[0032]
Reference numeral 66 denotes an image display ON / OFF switch, which can set display / non-display of the image display unit 28. With this function, when photographing using the optical viewfinder 104, it is possible to save power by cutting off the current supply to the image display unit including a TFT LCD or the like.
[0033]
68 is a quick review ON / OFF switch, which sets / cancels the quick review function that automatically plays back image data taken immediately after shooting. In the present embodiment, in particular, a function for setting a quick review function when the image display unit 28 is turned off is provided.
[0034]
70 is an operation unit consisting of various buttons, touch panels, etc., menu button, set button, macro button, multi-screen playback page break button, flash setting button, single / continuous / self-timer switching button, menu movement + (plus) Button, menu shift- (minus) button, playback image shift + (plus) button, playback image- (minus) button, shooting image quality selection button, exposure compensation button, date / time setting button, and the like.
[0035]
80 is a power control circuit, which is composed of a battery detection circuit, a DC-DC converter, a switch circuit that switches energized blocks, etc., and detects the presence or absence of a battery, the type of battery, the remaining battery level, and the detection results In addition, the DC-DC converter is controlled based on an instruction from the system control circuit 50, and a necessary voltage is supplied to each unit including the recording medium for a necessary period.
[0036]
82 and 84 are connectors, 86 is a primary battery such as an alkaline battery or a lithium battery, a secondary battery such as a NiCd battery, NiMH battery or Li battery, an AC adapter, or the like.
[0037]
90 and 94 are interfaces with a recording medium such as a memory card or hard disk, 92 and 96 are connectors for connecting to a recording medium such as a memory card or hard disk, and 98 is a recording medium 200 or 210 attached to the connector 92 or 96. It is a recording medium attachment / detachment detection circuit that detects whether or not the recording medium is present.
[0038]
In the present embodiment, it is assumed that there are two interfaces and connectors for attaching the recording medium. Of course, the interface and the connector for attaching the recording medium may have a single or a plurality of systems and any number of systems. Moreover, it is good also as a structure provided with combining the interface and connector of a different standard. The interface and the connector may be configured using a PCMCIA card, a CF (compact flash) card, or the like that conforms to a standard.
[0039]
Furthermore, when the interfaces 90 and 94 and the connectors 92 and 96 are configured using a PCMCIA card or a CF (compact flash) card or the like, LAN cards, modem cards, USB cards, IEEE1394 cards, P1284 cards, By connecting various communication cards such as SCSI cards and PHS communication cards, image data and management information attached to image data can be transferred to and from other computers and peripheral devices such as printers. .
[0040]
Reference numeral 102 denotes a protective member that is a barrier that prevents the imaging unit from being soiled or damaged by covering the imaging unit including the lens 10 of the image processing apparatus 100. Reference numeral 104 denotes an optical viewfinder, which can take an image using only the optical viewfinder without using the electronic viewfinder function of the image display unit 28. Also, in the optical viewfinder 104, elements for performing some functions of the display unit 54, such as focusing display, camera shake warning display, flash charge display, shutter speed display, aperture value display, exposure correction display, etc., are installed. ing.
[0041]
A communication circuit 110 has various communication functions such as RS232C, USB, IEEE1394, P1284, SCSI, modem, LAN, and wireless communication. Reference numeral 112 denotes a connector for connecting the image processing apparatus 100 to other devices from the communication circuit 110, and an antenna is used for wireless communication.
[0042]
Reference numeral 200 denotes a recording medium such as a memory card or a hard disk. The recording medium 200 includes a recording unit 202 composed of a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or the like, an interface 204 with the image processing apparatus 100, and a connector 206 for connecting to the image processing apparatus 100. Reference numeral 210 denotes a recording medium such as a memory card or a hard disk. The recording medium 210 includes a recording unit 212 composed of a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, and the like, an interface 214 with the image processing apparatus 100, and a connector 216 for connecting to the image processing apparatus 100.
[0043]
The operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 show flowcharts of the main routine of the image processing apparatus 100, and the operation of the image processing apparatus 100 will be described using these flowcharts.
[0044]
Upon power-on such as battery replacement, the system control circuit 50 initializes flags and control variables (S101), and initializes the image display on the image display unit 28 to the OFF state (S102). The system control circuit 50 determines the setting position of the mode dial 60 (S103), and if the mode dial 60 is set to power OFF, the display on each display unit is changed to the end state, and the barrier of the protection member 102 is changed. Is closed to protect the imaging unit, and necessary parameters, setting values, and setting modes including a flag and a control variable are recorded in the nonvolatile memory 56, and each part of the image processing apparatus 100 including the image display unit 28 by the power control circuit 80 A predetermined termination process such as shutting off unnecessary power is performed (S105), and then the process returns to S103.
[0045]
If the mode dial 60 is set to the shooting mode, the process proceeds to S106. If the mode dial 60 is set to another mode, the system control circuit 50 executes processing according to the selected mode (S104), and returns to S103 when the processing is completed.
[0046]
The system control circuit 50 determines whether the power control circuit 80 has a problem with the remaining capacity and operation status of the power supply 86 in the operation of the image processing apparatus 100 (S106), and if there is a problem, uses the display unit 54. Then, a predetermined warning is displayed by image or sound (S108), and the process returns to S103.
[0047]
If there is no problem with the power supply 86, the system control circuit 50 determines whether the operation state of the recording medium 200 or 210 has a problem with the operation of the image processing apparatus 100, particularly with respect to the recording / reproducing operation of the image data on the recording medium. (S107) If there is a problem, a predetermined warning is displayed by an image or sound using the display unit 54 (S108), and the process returns to S103.
[0048]
If there is no problem in the operation state of the recording medium 200 or 210 (S107), the display unit 54 is used to display various setting states of the image processing apparatus 100 using images and sounds (S109). If the image display of the image display unit 28 is set to ON, the image display unit 28 is also used to display various setting states of the image processing apparatus 100 using images and sounds.
[0049]
Next, the system control circuit 50 checks the setting state of the quick review ON / OFF switch 68 (S110), and if it is set to quick review ON, sets the quick review flag (S111), and is set to quick review OFF. If so, the quick review flag is canceled (S112). The state of the quick review flag is stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52.
[0050]
Subsequently, the system control circuit 50 checks the setting state of the image display ON / OFF switch 66 (S113), and if it is set to image display ON, sets the image display flag (S114) and the image display unit. The 28 image display is set to the ON state (S115), the captured image data is set to the through display state for sequentially displaying (S116), and the process proceeds to S119. In the through display state, the data sequentially written in the image display memory 24 via the image sensor 12, the A / D converter 16, the image processing circuit 20, and the memory control circuit 22 are stored in the memory control circuit 22, D / D. An electronic viewfinder function is realized by sequentially displaying images on the image display unit 28 via the A converter 26.
[0051]
If the image display ON / OFF switch 66 is set to image display OFF, the image display flag is canceled (S117), and the image display of the image display unit 28 is set to the OFF state (S118). move on. When the image display is OFF, shooting is performed using the optical viewfinder 104 without using the electronic viewfinder function of the image display unit 28. In this case, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the image display unit 28, the D / A converter 26, and the like that consume a large amount of power.
[0052]
The state of the image display flag is stored in the internal memory or the memory 52 of the system control circuit 50.
[0053]
Next, it is determined whether or not the shutter switch SW1 is pressed (S119). If not, the process returns to S103. If the shutter switch SW1 is pressed, the system control circuit 50 determines the state of the image display flag stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52 (S120), and if the image display flag is set. For example, the display state of the image display unit 28 is set to the freeze display state (S121), and the process proceeds to S122. In the freeze display state, rewriting of the image data in the image display memory 24 via the image sensor 12, A / D converter 16, image processing circuit 20, and memory control circuit 22 is prohibited, and the last written image data Is displayed by the image display unit 28 via the memory control circuit 22 and the D / A converter 26, thereby displaying the frozen image on the electronic viewfinder. If the image display flag has been canceled, the process proceeds to S122.
[0054]
The system control circuit 50 performs a distance measurement process to focus the photographing lens 10 on the subject, performs a photometry process, and determines an aperture value and a shutter time (S122). In the photometric process, the flash is set if necessary. Details of the distance measurement / photometry processing S122 will be described later.
[0055]
After completing the distance measurement / photometry processing (S122), the system control circuit 50 determines the state of the image display flag stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52 (S123), and the image display flag is set. If so, the display state of the image display unit 28 is set to the through display state (S124), and the process proceeds to S125. Note that the through display state in S124 is the same operation state as the through state in S116.
[0056]
Next, it is determined whether or not the shutter switch SW2 is pressed (S125) .If the shutter switch SW2 is not pressed, it is further determined whether or not the shutter switch SW1 is pressed (S126), and the shutter switch SW1. If is also canceled, the process returns to S103.
[0057]
If the shutter switch SW2 is pressed, the system control circuit 50 determines the state of the image display flag stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52 (S127), and if the image display flag is set. For example, the display state of the image display unit 28 is set to the fixed color display state (S128), and the process proceeds to S129.
[0058]
In the fixed color display state, instead of the captured image data written in the image display memory 24 via the image sensor 12, the A / D converter 16, the image processing circuit 20, and the memory control circuit 22, the fixed image is replaced. By displaying the color image data by the image display unit 28 via the memory control circuit 22 and the D / A converter 26, the fixed color image is displayed on the electronic viewfinder. If the image display flag has been canceled, the process proceeds to S129.
[0059]
The system control circuit 50 takes an image in the memory 30 via the image sensor 12, the A / D converter 16, the image processing circuit 20, the memory control circuit 22, or directly from the A / D converter 16 via the memory control circuit 22. The exposure process for writing the image data and the photographing process including the development process for reading out the image data written in the memory 30 by using the memory control circuit 22 and the image processing circuit 20 as necessary and performing various processes are executed (S129). . Details of the photographing process S129 will be described later.
[0060]
After the photographing process, the state of the image display flag stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52 is determined (S130), and if the image display flag is set, a quick review display is performed (S134). In this case, the image display unit 28 is always displayed as an electronic viewfinder even during shooting, and quick review display immediately after shooting is performed regardless of the state of the quick review flag. If the image display flag has been canceled, the state of the continuous shooting flag stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52 is determined (S131). When continuous shooting is being performed in S131, the process proceeds to S135 while the image display unit 28 remains OFF. In this case, the image display unit 28 remains off even after shooting, and no quick review display is performed.
[0061]
On the other hand, when the continuous shooting is not being performed in S131, that is, in the single shooting mode, the state of the quick review flag stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52 is determined (S13). 2 ). If the quick review flag has been set, the image display of the image display unit 28 is set to the ON state (S13). 3 ), A quick review display is performed (S134).
[0062]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, when continuous shooting is performed using the optical viewfinder 104, it is difficult to see the image display unit 28 because the optical viewfinder 104 is continuously viewed to determine the composition of the subject. Nevertheless, it is possible to avoid a situation in which quick reviews are successively displayed on the image display unit 28. In addition, when performing continuous shooting using the optical viewfinder 104, the image display unit 28 in the vicinity of the optical viewfinder 104 being lit turns on in order to perform a quick review. It becomes possible to avoid the situation where it is impossible. At the same time, from the viewpoint of power saving, it is very beneficial not to perform a quick review when performing continuous shooting using the optical viewfinder 104.
[0063]
As described above, since the electronic viewfinder function is unnecessary because the image is taken for saving power or using the optical viewfinder 104, even if the image display of the image display unit 28 is set to OFF, the quick review switch is used. If the quick review function is set, it is possible to automatically play back the captured image on the image display unit 28 immediately after shooting during single shooting, which is a power-saving and convenient function for confirming the shot image. Can be provided.
[0064]
After quick review, the system control circuit 50 reads the captured image data written in the memory 30, performs various image processing using the memory control circuit 22 and, if necessary, the image processing circuit 20, and executes the compression / decompression circuit 32. After performing the image compression process according to the mode set using the recording process, a recording process for writing image data to the recording medium 200 or 210 is executed (S135). Details of this recording process will be described later.
[0065]
When the recording process is finished, the shutter switch SW2 is pressed. The (S136), if it is pressed, the system control circuit 50 determines the state of the continuous shooting flag stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52 (S137). If it has been set, the process returns to S129 to perform continuous shooting, and the next shooting is performed. If the continuous shooting flag is not set, the current processing is repeated until the shutter switch SW2 is released (S136).
[0066]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the operation setting state in which the quick review display is performed immediately after shooting, if the shutter switch SW2 is pressed when the recording process is finished, the shutter switch SW2 It is possible to carefully check the captured image by continuing the quick review display on the image display unit 28 until is released. The shutter switch SW2 was released when the recording process was completed, or the shutter switch SW2 was released after the quick review display was confirmed by pressing and holding the shutter switch SW2 to check the shot image. If so, the process proceeds to S139 after a predetermined minimum review time has elapsed (S138). Details of the minimum review time processing will be described later.
[0067]
As described above, by continuing the quick review display in the image display unit 28 for a predetermined time, it is possible to surely confirm the captured image, and unnecessarily continue the quick review display for a long time. It is possible to prevent losing a shooting opportunity.
[0068]
The minimum review time may be set by any method, such as a fixed value or arbitrarily set by the user, or arbitrarily set or selected by the user within a predetermined range.
[0069]
After the minimum review time has elapsed, the system control circuit 50 determines whether or not the image display flag is set (S139), and if it is set, sets the display state of the image display unit 28 to the through display state (S140). ), Go to S142. In this case, after confirming the captured image by the quick review display on the image display unit 28, it is possible to enter a through display state in which image data captured for the next imaging is sequentially displayed. If the image display flag has been canceled, the image display of the image display unit 28 is turned off (S141), and the process proceeds to S142. In this case, after confirming the photographed image by the quick review display on the image display unit 28, the function of the image display unit 28 is stopped for power saving, and the image display unit 28 or D / A conversion with a large power consumption is stopped. It is possible to reduce the power consumption of the device 26 and the like.
[0070]
Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the shutter switch SW1 has been pressed (S142). If the shutter switch SW1 has been pressed, the system control circuit 50 returns to S125 to prepare for the next shooting. If the shutter switch SW1 has been released, the system control circuit 50 ends the series of shooting operations and returns to S103.
[0071]
FIG. 4 is a detailed flowchart of the distance measurement / photometry process in S122 of FIG. Details of the distance measurement / photometry processing will be described below.
[0072]
The system control circuit 50 reads the charge signal from the image sensor 14 and sequentially reads the captured image data into the image processing circuit 20 via the A / D converter 16 (S201). Using this sequentially read image data, the image processing circuit 20 is used for TTL (through the lens) AE (automatic exposure) processing, EF (flash pre-flash) processing, and AF (autofocus) processing. The operation is performed. In each processing here, a specific portion of the total number of photographed pixels is extracted by extracting a necessary portion according to necessity and used for calculation. As a result, in each of the TTL AE, EF, AWB, and AF processes, it is possible to perform an optimum calculation for each mode such as the center-weighted metering mode, the average metering mode, and the evaluation metering mode.
[0073]
Using the calculation result in the image processing circuit 20, the system control circuit 50 performs AE control using the exposure control circuit 40 (S203) until it is determined that the exposure (AE) is appropriate (S202). Using the measurement data obtained by the AE control, the system control circuit 50 determines whether or not flash emission is necessary (S204). If the flash is necessary, the flash flag is set and the flash 48 is charged (S205). .
[0074]
If it is determined in S202 that the exposure is appropriate, the measurement data and / or setting parameters are stored in the internal memory or the memory 52 of the system control circuit 50.
[0075]
Next, using the calculation result in the image processing circuit 20 and the measurement data obtained by the AE control, the system control circuit 50 uses the image processing circuit 20 until the white balance (AWB) is determined to be appropriate (S206). The color processing parameters are adjusted to perform AWB control (S207). If it is determined that the white balance (AWB) is appropriate, the measurement data and / or setting parameters are stored in the internal memory or the memory 52 of the system control circuit 50.
[0076]
Next, using the measurement data obtained by the AE control and the AWB control, the system control circuit 50 performs the AF control using the distance measurement control circuit 42 until the distance measurement (AF) is determined to be in focus (S208). Perform (S209). When the subject is in focus, the measurement data and / or setting parameters are stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52, and the distance measurement / photometry processing routine S122 is terminated.
[0077]
FIG. 5 is a detailed flowchart of the photographing process in S129 of FIG. Details of the photographing process will be described below.
[0078]
The system control circuit 50 exposes the image sensor 10 by opening the shutter 12 having an aperture function according to the aperture value by the exposure control circuit 40 in accordance with the photometric data stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52. (S301, S302). Next, it is determined whether or not the flash 48 needs to be emitted based on the flash flag (S303). If necessary, the flash is emitted (S304).
[0079]
The system control circuit 50 waits for the end of exposure of the image sensor 12 according to the photometric data (S305). If the exposure ends, the system control circuit 50 closes the shutter 12 (S306), reads out the charge signal from the image sensor 14, and the A / D converter 16 The photographed image data is written into the memory 30 via the image processing circuit 20, the memory control circuit 22, or directly from the A / D converter 16 via the memory control circuit 22 (S307).
[0080]
It is determined whether it is necessary to perform frame processing according to the set shooting mode (S308) .If necessary, the system control circuit 50 uses the memory control circuit 22 and, if necessary, the image processing circuit 20. Then, the image data written in the memory 30 is read out, the vertical addition process and the color process are sequentially performed, and then the processed image data is written in the memory 30 (S309, S310). Thereafter, the system control circuit 50 reads the image data from the memory 30 and transfers the display image data to the image display memory 24 via the memory control circuit 22 (S311). When the series of processing is finished, the photographing processing routine S129 is finished.
[0081]
FIG. 6 is a detailed flowchart of the recording process in S134 of FIG. Details of the recording process will be described below.
[0082]
The system control circuit 50 reads out the captured image data written in the memory 30 using the memory control circuit 22 and, if necessary, the image processing circuit 20, and interpolates the pixel ratio of the image sensor to 1: 1. The processed image data is written in the memory 30 (S401). Then, the image data written in the memory 30 is read out, and image compression processing according to the set mode is performed by the compression / decompression circuit 32 (S402), and the memory card or the like is connected via the interface 90 or 94 and the connector 92 or 96. The compressed image data is written to the recording medium 200 or 210 such as a compact flash card (S403). When the writing to the recording medium is finished, the recording processing routine S134 is ended.
[0083]
FIG. 8 is a detailed flowchart of the minimum review time lapse process in S138 of FIG. Details of the minimum review time elapse processing will be described below.
[0084]
The system control circuit 50 determines the image display flag (S801). When the image display flag is set, the system control circuit 50 displays the review for a predetermined time after starting the quick review in S131 (S804). . When the image display flag is not set, the process proceeds to S802. In step S802, it is determined whether or not the continuous shooting mode is selected. If the continuous shooting mode is selected, nothing is performed. If the single shooting mode is set in S802, the process proceeds to S803 to determine the quick review flag. If the quick review flag is set, the review display is performed for a predetermined time after the quick review is started in S131 (S804). On the other hand, if the quick review flag is cancelled, nothing is done. S13 4 If the time from the start of the quick review until the shutter switch SW2 is opened in S136 exceeds the minimum review time (the above predetermined time), the quick review is terminated immediately after the shutter switch SW2 is opened. .
[0085]
In the description of the above-described embodiment, when the image display unit 28 is turned off, it has been described that all the elements constituting the image display unit 28 are turned off. Of course, there is no problem just to turn off. Even in this case, it is possible to provide a function of both confirming a captured image and saving power. For example, when the image display unit 28 is composed of an LCD and a backlight, it is possible to provide a function for both confirming a captured image and saving power even if only the backlight is turned off while the LCD is on.
[0086]
In addition, the image display ON / OFF switch 66 and the quick review ON / OFF switch 68 have been described as independent configurations, but the image display ON / OFF switch 66 and the quick review ON / OFF switch 68 are combined into one combined switch. Of course, there is no problem even if the image display ON / quick review only has three positions of image display ON / image display OFF.
[0087]
And, when the instruction to finish the quick review display by the image display unit 28 is given, it has been described that the elapse of the minimum review time for continuing the minimum time quick review display has been described, but of course, it may be configured not to set the minimum review time No problem. In this case, the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 may be removed from the process of determining the elapse of the minimum review time in S137.
[0088]
In addition, as a configuration with a dedicated image display section that performs through display and quick review display, the display section is turned ON / OFF according to the settings of the image display ON / OFF switch and quick review ON / OFF switch. It does not matter. Also in this case, it is possible to provide a function for both confirming a captured image and saving power.
[0089]
And, when the image display ON / OFF switch is ON, it has been explained that the quick review display immediately after shooting is performed regardless of the setting of the quick review ON / OFF switch. However, when the image display ON / OFF switch is ON In addition, whether or not to perform the quick review display may be determined according to the setting of the quick review ON / OFF switch.
[0090]
In the above description of the embodiment, the configuration having the quick review ON / OFF switch is described. However, there is no problem even if the configuration does not have the quick review ON / OFF switch. In the case of the configuration without the quick review ON / OFF switch, the quick review SW judgment (S110), quick review flag setting (S111), quick review flag release (S112), and quick review in FIGS. What is necessary is just the flowchart which removed the process of review flag determination (S132, S803). In this case, the quick review after shooting is not displayed only when continuous shooting is performed when using the optical viewfinder. A quick review is displayed after taking a picture and when using the electronic viewfinder.
[0091]
The recording media 200 and 210 are not only memory cards such as PCMCIA cards and compact flash, hard disks, but also micro DAT, magneto-optical disks, optical disks such as CD-R and CD-WR, and phase change optical disks such as DVDs. Of course, there is no problem even if it is configured by the above. Of course, there is no problem even if it is a composite medium in which a memory card and a hard disk are integrated. Further, there is no problem even if a part of the composite medium is detachable.
[0092]
In the above description of the embodiment, the recording media 200 and 210 have been described as being separated from the image processing apparatus 100 and arbitrarily connectable, but any or all of the recording media may be image processing apparatuses. Of course, there is no problem even if it is fixed to 100.
[0093]
Further, the recording medium 200 or 210 may be connected to the image processing apparatus 100 in any number of single or plural, and of course, the recording medium itself may be in any combination of single or plural. No problem.
[0094]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, when the quick review function for reproducing and displaying a photographed subject image immediately after photographing and the continuous shooting mode for continuously photographing subject images are selected, the continuous shooting mode is selected. By not performing a quick review immediately after each shooting, it is difficult to see a color LCD panel while looking through the optical viewfinder to determine the composition of the subject. There ’s no pointless quick review every time you complete.
[0095]
When taking continuous shots using the optical viewfinder, the quick review is not displayed, so the color LCD panel near the optical viewfinder you are looking at does not light up and the light from the LCD panel does not enter the eyes. It becomes possible to concentrate on.
[0096]
When continuous shooting is performed using an optical viewfinder, it is possible to save power and to perform continuous shooting at a higher speed by not displaying the quick review.
[0097]
On the other hand, when performing single-shot shooting using an optical viewfinder or shooting using an electronic viewfinder, an image processing apparatus is provided that performs quick review display and reproduces and displays the shot image immediately after shooting. Is possible.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image processing apparatus.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a part of a main routine showing the operation of the image processing apparatus.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a part of a main routine showing the operation of the image processing apparatus.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a distance measurement / photometry routine.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an imaging routine.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a recording routine.
FIG. 7 is a rear view of the housing of the image processing apparatus.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a minimum review display routine.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Shooting lens
12 Shutter
14 Image sensor
20 Image processing circuit
22 Memory control circuit
24 Image display memory
28 Image display
30 memory
32 Image compression / decompression circuit
40 Exposure control circuit
42 Ranging control circuit
50 System control circuit
52 memory
54 Display
56 Nonvolatile memory
60 mode dial switch
62 Shutter switch SW1
63 Shutter switch
64 Shutter switch SW2
66 Image display ON / OFF switch
68 Quick review ON / OFF switch
70 Operation unit
80 Power control circuit
86 Power supply
100 Image processing apparatus
104 Optical viewfinder

Claims (1)

Photographing means for photographing a still image;
Display means for performing reproduction display of images taken by the photographing means and for sequentially displaying subject images;
First setting means for setting whether or not to sequentially display subject images by the display means;
A second setting means for setting one of a single shooting mode in which shooting is performed one by one by the shooting means and a continuous shooting mode in which shooting is continuously performed by the shooting means;
Quick review means for automatically displaying a photographed image on the display means after photographing by the photographing means;
Third setting means for setting whether or not to perform the operation by the quick review means;
When it is set by the first setting means to sequentially display the subject image by the display means, regardless of the setting state of the second setting means and the setting state of the third setting means, Control to operate by the quick review means after shooting,
It is set by the first setting means not to sequentially display the subject image by the display means, the single shooting mode is set by the second setting means, and the quick review is set by the third setting means. If it is set to perform the operation by means, control to perform the operation by the quick review means after shooting in the single-shot mode,
When it is set by the first setting means that the subject image is not sequentially displayed by the display means, and the continuous shooting mode is set by the second setting means, the third setting means An image processing apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls the quick review unit not to operate during shooting in the continuous shooting mode regardless of the setting state.

Images