JP4770333B2 - Automatic photographing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic photographing apparatus that automatically performs photographing when specific conditions are met.

In an imaging device such as a camera, an image on the imaging surface is often blurred (hereinafter referred to as image blur) due to vibrations caused by camera shake (hereinafter referred to as camera shake).
In order to prevent this image blur, Patent Document 1 discloses an image blur prevention camera that operates a shutter when an absolute value of an angular velocity obtained from an angular velocity detected by an angular velocity sensor becomes a certain value or less.
However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that photographing is not performed indefinitely when a photographer's hand shake is large for a long time.
In addition, even if shooting is performed after the camera shake of the photographer is reduced, there is a problem that the state of the subject changes during that time and an image intended by the photographer cannot be obtained.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-92830

  An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic photographing apparatus capable of automatically photographing an image with little image blur and obtaining an image as intended by a photographer even when camera shake is large.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention of claim 1 includes a release button having a half-pressed state for starting an autofocus operation and a fully-pressed state for starting photographing, and the release button is in a fully-pressed state. If the release button is half-pressed, the camera determines whether to shoot based on the vibration detection signal obtained from the vibration detector. In the automatic photographing apparatus including the photographing unit, the photographing availability determining unit includes an automatic photographing executing unit that automatically performs photographing when it is determined that photographing is performed, and the photographing availability determining unit includes the vibration detection signal. The determination criterion includes whether or not image blur correction is within a range that can be corrected by the camera shake correction optical system driven based on the above.
The invention of claim 2 is provided with a release button having a half-pressed state for starting an autofocus operation and a fully-pressed state for starting shooting, and when the release button is fully pressed, shooting is performed at that time. In an automatic photographing apparatus including a photographing availability determination unit that determines whether or not to perform photographing based on a vibration detection signal obtained from the vibration detection unit when the release button is in a half-pressed state . An image sensor that captures an image after image blur correction is performed by a blur correction optical system driven based on a vibration detection signal obtained from a vibration detection unit when the release button is half-pressed; The photographing availability determination unit includes a blurring amount of the image after the image blur correction obtained by the image sensor as a criterion for determining whether or not to shoot, and the photographing availability When the cross-sectional portion determines that performing photography, to an automatic imaging execution unit which performs automatic photographing, an automatic imaging apparatus according to claim.
The invention of claim 3 includes a release button having a half-pressed state for starting an autofocus operation and a fully-pressed state for starting shooting, and when the release button is fully pressed, shooting is performed at that time. In an automatic photographing apparatus including a photographing availability determination unit that determines whether or not to perform photographing based on a vibration detection signal obtained from the vibration detection unit when the release button is in a half-pressed state . When the release button is half-pressed, the photographing availability determination unit is configured to detect a vibration detection signal obtained from the vibration detection unit and an image blur correction amount by a blur correction optical system driven based on the vibration detection signal. An automatic shooting execution unit that automatically performs shooting when the shooting availability determination unit determines to perform shooting based on An automatic photographing apparatus according to claim.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the automatic photographing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the mount unit to which the interchangeable lens including the vibration detection unit and the blur correction optical system can be attached and detached is provided. It is an automatic imaging device characterized by comprising.
The invention of claim 5 includes a release button having a half-pressed state for starting an autofocus operation and a fully-pressed state for starting shooting, and when the release button is fully pressed, shooting is performed at that time. In an automatic photographing apparatus including a photographing availability determination unit that determines whether or not to perform photographing based on a vibration detection signal obtained from the vibration detection unit when the release button is in a half-pressed state . An automatic shooting execution unit that automatically performs shooting when the shooting availability determination unit determines to perform shooting, and the shooting availability determination unit starts from a point in time when the release button is half-pressed; When the elapsed time is less than the first time, the determination operation is repeated, and when the elapsed time becomes equal to or longer than the first time, the second time longer than the first time is set. When the elapsed time is less than the second time, the judgment operation is repeated after giving a warning, and when the elapsed time is equal to or longer than the second time, shooting is performed. It is determined that the automatic photographing apparatus.
The invention according to claim 6 is the automatic photographing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , comprising an automatic photographing mode for performing automatic photographing and a normal photographing mode for not performing automatic photographing, In the automatic shooting mode, when the release button is fully pressed, the first shooting is performed independently of the operation according to the automatic shooting mode, and the shooting availability determination unit performs shooting. When the determination is made, the automatic shooting execution unit automatically performs the second shooting, and in the automatic shooting mode, the time from when the release button is fully pressed to when the automatic shooting is performed. Is longer than the permissible time, the photographing result of the first photographing and the photographing result of the second photographing are displayed on the display unit, and the photographer determines which of the photographing results is stored. Shooting It has a fruit confirmation unit, an automatic photographing apparatus according to claim.

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the imaging availability determination unit that determines whether to perform imaging based on the vibration detection signal obtained from the vibration detection unit after the operation start is instructed by the operation start switch. Since it is included in the judgment criteria whether it is within the range where image blur correction can be performed by the blur correction optical system driven based on the vibration detection signal, it is used in combination with the optical blur correction operation using the blur correction optical system This makes it possible to automatically shoot images with little image blur even when camera shake is large.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the image blur correction amount obtained by the image sensor is included in the determination criterion, the image capturing capability determining unit that determines whether to perform shooting is provided. It is possible to actually detect the image blur that remains after performing the optical blur correction operation using the blur correction optical system, and it is possible to shoot at a more appropriate time, and even if there is a large amount of camera shake, A few images can be taken automatically.
According to the invention of claim 3, after the operation start is instructed by the operation start switch, the vibration detection signal obtained from the vibration detection unit and the image blur correction by the vibration correction optical system driven based on the vibration detection signal. Since it is provided with a shooting availability determination unit that determines whether or not to shoot based on the amount, it can be used in combination with an optical shake correction operation using a shake correction optical system, and camera shake is large. However, it can automatically shoot images with little image blur.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since the interchangeable lens provided with the vibration detection unit and the shake correction optical system is provided with a mount part that can be attached and detached, if a lens barrel provided with the shake correction optical system is used, the camera shake is large. Even in such a case, it is possible to automatically capture an image with little image blur, and even a lens barrel that does not include a blur correction optical system can prevent an image with a large image blur from being captured.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the elapsed time from the time when the operation start is instructed by the operation start switch is less than the first time, the photographing availability determination unit repeats the determination operation and the elapsed time is the first time. When the elapsed time exceeds the second time, the second time longer than the first time is compared with the elapsed time. If the elapsed time is less than the second time, the judgment operation is repeated after giving a warning. When the elapsed time exceeds the second time, it is determined that shooting will be performed, so it is possible to prevent a failure that shooting will not be performed indefinitely, and to urge the photographer to suppress camera shake. Expect better shooting results.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in the automatic shooting mode, when the release button is fully pressed, the first shooting is performed independently of the operation according to the automatic shooting mode, and the shooting availability determination unit. When it is determined that shooting is to be performed, the automatic shooting execution unit automatically performs the second shooting, so that it is possible to take both an image at the moment when the photographer wants to shoot and an image at the moment when there is little image blur.
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, in the automatic shooting mode, if the time from when the release button is fully pressed to the execution of automatic shooting exceeds the allowable time, shooting by the first shooting is performed. Since it has a photographing result confirmation unit that displays the result and the photographing result of the second photographing on the display unit and makes the photographer determine which photographing result is to be stored, the image necessary for the photographer is surely left. Can do.
Thus, according to the present invention, the time lag caused by pressing the release button by automatic shooting can be reduced, and the shooting stress can be alleviated.

  Combines the purpose of automatically capturing images with little image blur and obtaining images as intended by the photographer, even when camera shake is large, and processing when camera shake does not go away It was realized.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing Embodiment 1 of the automatic photographing apparatus according to the present invention.
The automatic photographing apparatus 10 is an interchangeable-lens digital still camera having a mount portion 17 on which the interchangeable lens 50 can be freely attached and detached, and a normal photographing mode in which photographing is performed immediately when a release button is pressed, as in the past, and a predetermined It is possible to switch between an automatic shooting mode in which shooting is automatically performed when the above conditions are satisfied. Since the normal shooting mode is the same as that of a conventional general camera, the automatic shooting mode will be described in the following description.
The automatic photographing apparatus 10 includes a photographing availability determination unit 11, an automatic photographing execution unit 12, a shutter driving unit 13, a shutter 14, an image sensor 15, an operation start switch 16, a mount unit 17, and the like.
The interchangeable lens 50 includes an angular velocity sensor 51, a shake correction calculation unit 52, a shake correction lens driving unit 53, a shake correction lens 54, and the like.

The photographing availability determination unit 11 uses the vibration detection signal obtained from the angular velocity sensor 51 and the drive amount of the shake correction lens 54 obtained from the shake correction calculation unit 52 after an operation start is instructed by an operation start switch 16 described later. Based on this, it is a part for determining whether or not to perform photographing. A specific operation of the photographing availability determination unit 11 will be described later.
The automatic photographing execution unit 12 is a part that automatically performs photographing when the photographing possibility determination unit 11 determines to perform photographing. When shooting, the automatic shooting execution unit 12 instructs the shutter driving unit 13 and the image sensor 15 to shoot.

The shutter drive unit 13 is a part that drives the shutter 14, and drives the shutter 14 in accordance with an instruction from the automatic photographing execution unit 12.
The shutter 14 is a mechanical shutter that blocks and passes light that reaches the image sensor 15, and is driven by the shutter driving unit 13.
The imaging element 15 is an element that captures an image that has passed through a photographing optical system including the blur correction lens 54.
The operation start switch 16 is an operation member that is operated when the photographer instructs the start of the automatic shooting operation.
The mount unit 17 has a connection structure that allows the interchangeable lens 50 to be detachable, and mechanically and electrically connects the automatic photographing apparatus 10 and the interchangeable lens 50.

The angular velocity sensor 51 is a vibration detection unit that detects vibration caused by the camera shake of the photographer. The vibration detection signal obtained by the angular velocity sensor 51 is transmitted to the shake correction calculation unit 52 and the photographing availability determination unit 11.
The blur correction calculation unit 52 is a part that performs calculation necessary for optical image blur correction operation performed by driving the blur correction lens 54, calculates the drive amount of the blur correction lens 54, and the result is This is communicated to the blur correction lens driving unit 53 and the photographing availability determination unit 11.
The blur correction lens driving unit 53 is a part that drives the blur correction lens 54 according to the driving amount of the blur correction lens 54 calculated by the blur correction calculation unit 52.
The blur correction lens 54 is a part of the photographing optical system, and is driven by the blur correction lens driving unit 53 in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the photographing optical system, thereby reducing image blur on the image sensor 15. It is a lens group.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the automatic photographing operation of the automatic photographing apparatus according to the first embodiment, focusing on the operation of the photographing availability determination unit.
In step (hereinafter referred to as S) 101, a shooting mode is selected. Here, it is assumed that the automatic shooting mode is selected.
In S102, it is determined whether or not the operation start switch 16 has been pressed. If the operation start switch 16 has been pressed, the process proceeds to S103. If the operation start switch 16 has not been pressed, S102 is repeated.
In S103, an autofocus mechanism (not shown) is focused to determine the focus.
In S104, the posture is measured. Here, the posture measurement is to grasp the vibration state of the automatic photographing apparatus 10 and the interchangeable lens 50 from the vibration detection signal obtained from the angular velocity sensor 51.

In S <b> 105, it is determined whether or not the posture state measured in S <b> 104 is within a range that can be corrected by an optical blur correction operation that drives the blur correction lens 54. At this time, the drive amount of the shake correction lens 54 calculated by the shake correction calculation unit 52 is referred to. When it is within the range that can be corrected by the optical blur correction operation, the process proceeds to S110, and when it is outside the range that can be corrected by the optical blur correction operation, the process proceeds to S106.
In S106, it is determined whether or not the operation start switch 16 has been released. When the operation start switch 16 is released, the process returns to S102, and when the operation start switch 16 is not released, the process proceeds to S107.
In S107, it is determined whether or not the elapsed time from when the operation start switch 16 is pressed is equal to or longer than the first time A. When the elapsed time is equal to or longer than the first time A, the process proceeds to S108, and when the elapsed time is less than the first time A, the process returns to S104. In this embodiment, the first time A is 10 seconds.

In S108, it is determined whether or not the elapsed time is equal to or longer than the second time B. When the elapsed time is equal to or longer than the second time B, the process proceeds to S110, and when the elapsed time is less than the first time A, the process proceeds to S109. In the present embodiment, the second time B = 30 seconds.
In S109, a warning is given to the photographer. The advance to this step means that a large amount of camera shake (a large camera shake that cannot be corrected by an optical shake correction operation) continues from the time when the operation start switch 16 is pressed to the first time A (= 10 seconds). If the camera shake does not decrease until the second time B (= 30 seconds) as it is, photographing is forcibly performed with image blur remaining (proceed from S108 to S110). Therefore, a warning is given to the photographer before that to urge the user to suppress camera shake. Note that the warning performed in S109 may be a warning sound, a warning display, or a combination thereof. After performing the warning, the process proceeds to S106.
In S110, since the photographing availability determination unit 11 determines to perform photographing, the automatic photographing execution unit 12 performs photographing, and the photographing is terminated in S111.

According to the present embodiment, since the posture state is obtained from the angular velocity sensor 51 and the blur correction amount by optical blur correction is taken into consideration, an image with little image blur is automatically generated even when the camera shake is large. It is possible to obtain images as intended by the photographer.
In addition, since a warning is given when a large camera shake continues, even in such a case, an image with less image blur can be automatically taken and an image as intended by the photographer can be obtained.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing Embodiment 2 of the automatic photographing apparatus according to the present invention.
The second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that the operation of the photographing availability determination unit 21 is different. Accordingly, parts having the same functions as those of the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted as appropriate.
The photographing availability determination unit 21 receives the vibration detection signal obtained from the angular velocity sensor 51 after the operation start command is given by the operation start switch 16, the driving amount of the blur correction lens 54 obtained from the blur correction calculation unit 52, and the image sensor. 15 is a part for determining whether or not to shoot based on the image blur state before shooting obtained from No. 15.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the automatic photographing operation of the automatic photographing apparatus according to the second embodiment, focusing on the operation of the photographing availability determination unit.
In S201, a shooting mode is selected. Here, it is assumed that the automatic shooting mode is selected.
In S202, it is determined whether or not the operation start switch 16 has been pressed. If the operation start switch 16 has been pressed, the process proceeds to S203. If the operation start switch 16 has not been pressed, S202 is repeated.
In S203, the focus is determined by focusing with an auto focus mechanism (not shown).
In S204, the posture is measured. Here, the posture measurement is to grasp the vibration state of the automatic photographing apparatus 20 and the interchangeable lens 50 from the vibration detection signal obtained from the angular velocity sensor 51.

In S205, it is determined whether or not the posture state measured in S204 is within a range that can be corrected by an optical blur correction operation for driving the blur correction lens 54. At this time, the drive amount of the shake correction lens 54 calculated by the shake correction calculation unit 52 is referred to. When it is within the range that can be corrected by the optical blur correction operation, the process proceeds to S210, and when it is outside the range that can be corrected by the optical blur correction operation, the process proceeds to S206.
In S206, it is determined whether or not the operation start switch 16 has been released. If the operation start switch 16 is released, the process returns to S202. If the operation start switch 16 is not released, the process advances to S207.
In S207, it is determined whether or not the elapsed time from when the operation start switch 16 is pressed is equal to or longer than the first time A. When the elapsed time is equal to or longer than the first time A, the process proceeds to S208, and when the elapsed time is less than the first time A, the process returns to S204. In this embodiment, the first time A is 10 seconds.

In S208, it is determined whether or not the elapsed time is equal to or longer than the second time B. When the elapsed time is equal to or longer than the second time B, the process proceeds to S212, and when the elapsed time is less than the first time A, the process proceeds to S209. In the present embodiment, the second time B = 30 seconds.
In S209, a warning is given to the photographer. The advance to this step means that a large amount of camera shake (a large camera shake that cannot be corrected by an optical shake correction operation) continues from the time when the operation start switch 16 is pressed to the first time A (= 10 seconds). If the camera shake does not decrease until the second time B (= 30 seconds), the image is forcibly shot with image blur remaining (the process proceeds from S208 to S212), or The image blur on the image sensor 15 is α times the image blur amount calculated based on the vibration detection signal obtained from the angular velocity sensor 51 (described later). Therefore, a warning is given to the photographer before that to urge the user to suppress camera shake. Note that the warning performed in S209 may be a warning sound, a warning display, or a combination thereof. After performing the warning, the process proceeds to S206.
In S210, the amount of image blur obtained from the image sensor 15 is measured while performing an optical blur correction operation for driving the blur correction lens 54 before execution of shooting.
Here, the reason for measuring the amount of image blur obtained from the image sensor 15 even though it is determined in S205 that the posture state is within the range that can be corrected by the optical blur correction operation. . Image misalignment on the image sensor may be caused by a deviation in the posture of the camera itself including the lens, or may be caused by a movement of the subject itself (a positional deviation relative to the camera). Only the former can be corrected by the optical blur correction operation, and the latter cannot be corrected. Therefore, even when it is determined that the value is within the range that can be corrected by the optical blur correction operation, there is an image shift on the image sensor 15 that is larger than the image blur amount that can be corrected by the optical blur correction operation. It is likely that it is a movement of the subject itself. In this embodiment, in such a case, the subject is greatly shaken even if shooting is performed, so that shooting is not performed.
In S211, it is determined whether or not the amount of image blur obtained from the image sensor 15 in S210 is greater than an allowable value. The allowable value is an empirical value determined by the image blur pattern. For example, in the case of parallel movement, the image correction amount range is an allowable value.
In S212, since the photographing availability determination unit 11 determines to perform photographing, the automatic photographing execution unit 12 performs photographing, and the photographing is terminated in S213.

  According to the present embodiment, since the image blur amount on the image sensor 15 is also taken into consideration, it is possible to prevent an image from being shot when the subject moves largely and resulting in a subject blur. . In addition, since the movement of the subject is taken into consideration, an image closer to the photographer's intention can be obtained. Further, before performing the optical blur correction operation, the image blur amount is determined in S205. If the blur amount is large, the process proceeds to S206 without performing the optical blur correction operation. Operation can be prevented and power consumption can be reduced.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing Embodiment 3 of the automatic photographing apparatus according to the present invention.
The automatic photographing device 30 is an interchangeable lens digital still camera having a mount portion 37 to which the interchangeable lens 60 can be freely attached and removed, and a normal photographing mode in which photographing is performed immediately when a release button is pressed, It is possible to switch between an automatic shooting mode in which shooting is automatically performed when the above conditions are satisfied. Since the normal shooting mode is the same as that of a conventional general camera, the automatic shooting mode will be described in the following description.
The automatic photographing apparatus 30 includes a photographing availability determination unit 31, an automatic photographing execution unit 32, a shutter driving unit 33, a shutter 34, an image sensor 35, an operation start switch 36, a mount unit 37, an angular velocity sensor 38, and the like.

The imaging availability determination unit 31 is a part that determines whether or not to perform imaging based on a vibration detection signal obtained from the angular velocity sensor 38 after an operation start is instructed by an operation start switch 36 described later. A specific operation of the photographing availability determination unit 31 will be described later.
The automatic shooting execution unit 32 is a part that automatically performs shooting when the shooting availability determination unit 31 determines to perform shooting. When shooting, the automatic shooting execution unit 32 gives a shooting instruction to the shutter driving unit 33 and the image sensor 35.
The shutter drive unit 33 is a part that drives the shutter 34, and drives the shutter 34 in accordance with an instruction from the automatic shooting execution unit 32.
The shutter 34 is a mechanical shutter that blocks and passes light that reaches the image sensor 35, and is driven by a shutter driving unit 33.
The imaging element 35 is an element that captures an image that has passed through the photographing optical system.
The operation start switch 36 is an operation member that is operated when the photographer instructs the start of the automatic shooting operation.
The mount unit 37 has a connection structure that allows the interchangeable lens 60 to be detachable, and mechanically and electrically connects the automatic photographing apparatus 30 and the interchangeable lens 60.
The angular velocity sensor 38 is a vibration detection unit that detects vibration caused by the camera shake of the photographer. The vibration detection signal obtained by the angular velocity sensor 38 is transmitted to the photographing availability determination unit 31.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the automatic photographing operation of the automatic photographing apparatus according to the third embodiment with the focus on the operation of the photographing availability determination unit.
In S301, a shooting mode is selected. Here, it is assumed that the automatic shooting mode is selected.
In S302, it is determined whether or not the operation start switch 36 has been pressed. When the operation start switch 36 is pressed, the process proceeds to S303, and when the operation start switch 36 is not pressed, S302 is repeated.
In S303, the focus is determined by focusing with an auto focus mechanism (not shown).
In S304, the posture is measured. Here, the posture measurement is to grasp what vibration state the automatic photographing apparatus 30 is in by the vibration detection signal obtained from the angular velocity sensor 38.

In S305, it is determined whether or not the posture state measured in S304 is stable. The determination as to whether or not the image is stable is made by calculating the amount of image blur on the image sensor 35 based on the vibration state of the automatic photographing apparatus 30 and determining whether or not the value is within an allowable value. Note that this allowable value varies depending on the assumed usage pattern of the automatic photographing apparatus. Further, the photographer may be able to set this allowable value by himself. When the posture is stable, the process proceeds to S310, and when the posture is not stable, the process proceeds to S306.
In S306, it is determined whether or not the operation start switch 36 is released. When the operation start switch 36 is released, the process returns to S302, and when the operation start switch 36 is not released, the process proceeds to S307.
In S307, it is determined whether or not the elapsed time from the time when the operation start switch 36 is pressed is equal to or longer than the first time A. When the elapsed time is equal to or longer than the first time A, the process proceeds to S308, and when the elapsed time is less than the first time A, the process returns to S304. In this embodiment, the first time A is 10 seconds.

In S308, it is determined whether or not the elapsed time is equal to or longer than the second time B. When the elapsed time is equal to or longer than the second time B, the process proceeds to S310, and when the elapsed time is less than the first time A, the process proceeds to S309. In the present embodiment, the second time B = 30 seconds.
In S309, a warning is given to the photographer. The advance to this step means that a large amount of camera shake (a large camera shake that cannot be corrected by an optical shake correction operation) continues from the time when the operation start switch 36 is pressed until the first time A (= 10 seconds). If the camera shake does not decrease until the second time B (= 30 seconds) as it is, photographing is forcibly performed with image blur remaining (proceed from S308 to S310). Therefore, a warning is given to the photographer before that to urge the user to suppress camera shake. Note that the warning performed in step S309 may be a warning sound, a warning display, or a combination thereof. After performing the warning, the process proceeds to S306.
In S310, since the photographing availability determination unit 31 determines to perform photographing, the automatic photographing execution unit 32 performs photographing, and the photographing is terminated in S311.

  According to the present embodiment, since a warning is given when a large camera shake continues, even in such a case, an image with less image blur can be automatically taken and an image as intended by the photographer can be obtained.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing Embodiment 4 of the automatic photographing apparatus according to the present invention.
The fourth embodiment is the same as the third embodiment except for the release button 46 and the photographing result confirmation unit 49. Therefore, the same reference numerals are given to the portions that perform the same functions as those in the third embodiment described above, and repeated descriptions are omitted as appropriate.
The release button 46 is an operation member having a half-pressed state for starting an autofocus operation and a fully-pressed state for starting shooting in the normal shooting mode. The first switch 46a conducts when half pressed, and the first switch 46a and second switch 46b conduct when fully depressed.
In the automatic shooting mode, the shooting result confirmation unit 49 displays the shooting result when the time from when the release button 46 is fully pressed until the execution of the automatic shooting exceeds the allowable time. And the photographer determines whether or not to save the photographing result.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the automatic photographing operation of the automatic photographing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment, focusing on the operation of the photographing availability determination unit.
In S401, a shooting mode is selected. Here, it is assumed that the automatic shooting mode is selected.
In S402, it is determined whether or not the release button 46 is half-pressed. When the release button 46 is half-pressed, the process proceeds to S403, and when the release button 46 is not half-pressed, S402 is repeated.
In S403, an autofocus mechanism (not shown) is focused to determine the focus.
In S404, a release button full press detection process is performed.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing release button full-press detection processing.
In step S501, the release button full press detection process is started.
In S502, it is determined whether or not the release button 46 has been fully pressed. If the release button 46 is fully pressed, the process proceeds to S503. If the release button 46 is not fully pressed, the process proceeds to S504.
In S503, the first shooting is executed, and the image obtained as a result is temporarily stored. Then, the process proceeds to S505, and the release button full press detection process is terminated.
In S504, it is determined whether or not the second shooting (S411 in FIG. 8) has been executed. When the second photographing is executed, the process proceeds to S505, and the release button full press detection process is terminated. If the second shooting is not executed, the process returns to S502.
The release button full-press detection process in FIG. 9 described above is performed when the release full-press is performed before the second shooting is automatically executed, and the shooting (first shooting) is performed at that time for the time being. It is to leave.

Returning to FIG. 8, in step S405, the posture is measured. Here, the posture measurement is to grasp what vibration state the automatic photographing apparatus 40 is in by the vibration detection signal obtained from the angular velocity sensor 38.
In S406, it is determined whether or not the posture state measured in S405 is stable. The determination as to whether or not the image is stable is made by calculating the amount of image blur on the image sensor 35 based on the vibration state of the automatic photographing device 40 and determining whether or not the value is within an allowable value. Note that this allowable value varies depending on the assumed usage pattern of the automatic photographing apparatus. Further, the photographer may be able to set this allowable value by himself. When the posture is stable, the process proceeds to S411, and when the posture is not stable, the process proceeds to S407.
In S407, it is determined whether the half-press of the release button 46 has been released. When the half-press of the release button 46 is released, the process returns to S402, and when the half-press of the release button 46 is not released, the process advances to S408.
In S408, it is determined whether or not the elapsed time from when the release button 46 is half-pressed is equal to or longer than the first time A. When the elapsed time is equal to or longer than the first time A, the process proceeds to S409, and when the elapsed time is less than the first time A, the process returns to S405. In this embodiment, the first time A is 10 seconds.

In S409, it is determined whether or not the elapsed time is equal to or longer than the second time B. When the elapsed time is equal to or longer than the second time B, the process proceeds to S411, and when the elapsed time is less than the first time A, the process proceeds to S410. In the present embodiment, the second time B = 30 seconds.
In S410, a warning is given to the photographer. The advance to this step means that a large amount of camera shake (a large camera shake that cannot be corrected by an optical shake correction operation) continues from the time when the release button 46 is half-pressed until the first time A (= 10 seconds). If the camera shake does not decrease until the second time B (= 30 seconds), shooting is permitted with image blur remaining (proceed from S409 to S411). Therefore, a warning is given to the photographer before that to urge the user to suppress camera shake. Note that the warning performed in S410 may be a warning sound, a warning display, or a combination thereof. After performing the warning, the process proceeds to S407.

In S411, since the posture is stable and the release button 46 is fully pressed, it is determined that the shooting possibility determination unit 31 performs shooting, and the automatic shooting execution unit 32 automatically performs the second shooting. Execute.
In S412, it is determined whether or not the time from when the release button 46 is fully pressed until the second shooting is automatically executed is less than the allowable time. If the time from when the release button 46 is fully pressed until the second shooting is automatically executed is less than the allowable time, the process proceeds to S413, where the release button 46 is fully pressed. If the time from the time point until the second photographing is automatically executed exceeds the allowable time, the process proceeds to S414.
In S413, the image shot by the second shooting is saved. Note that the image shot by the first shooting is discarded.

In S414, the two images obtained by the first and second photographing are respectively displayed, and the photographer selects which image is to be stored. Note that only one image may be selected and saved, both images may be saved, and neither may be selected. The advance to this step means that there is a certain amount of time between the first shooting and the second shooting, so the image at the time of the first shooting taken at the moment when the photographer wanted to shoot There is a possibility that, for example, the situation of the subject is greatly different from the automatically captured image at the time of the second shooting. However, since the image at the time of the first shooting is shot regardless of the posture determination, there is no guarantee that the image blur is small. Therefore, in this embodiment, both images are taken so that the photographer can arbitrarily select saving.
In S415, the shooting is finished.

  According to the present embodiment, shooting is performed when the release button 46 is fully pressed, and when the time from when the release button 46 is fully pressed until when shooting is automatically performed is long, the release button 46 is used. Since an image automatically captured together with an image when the button is fully pressed can be displayed and saved, an image suitable for the photographer's intention can be obtained.

(Modification)
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and changes are possible, and these are also within the equivalent scope of the present invention.
In each of the embodiments, an interchangeable lens type automatic photographing apparatus with a detachable interchangeable lens has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an automatic photographing apparatus in which a photographing lens cannot be replaced may be used.

It is a block diagram which shows Example 1 of the automatic imaging device by this invention. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an automatic photographing operation of the automatic photographing apparatus according to the first embodiment, focusing on an operation of a photographing availability determination unit. It is a block diagram which shows Example 2 of the automatic imaging device by this invention. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an automatic photographing operation of the automatic photographing apparatus according to the second embodiment with an operation of a photographing availability determination unit as a center. It is a block diagram which shows Example 3 of the automatic imaging device by this invention. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an automatic photographing operation of the automatic photographing apparatus according to the third embodiment with an operation of a photographing availability determination unit as a center. It is a block diagram which shows Example 4 of the automatic imaging device by this invention. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an automatic photographing operation of the automatic photographing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment with a focus on the operation of a photographing availability determination unit. It is a flowchart which shows a release button full press detection process.

Explanation of symbols

10, 20, 30, 40: automatic photographing device, 11, 21, 31: photographing availability determination unit, 12, 32: automatic photographing execution unit, 38, 51: angular velocity sensor, 54: blur correction lens

Claims (6)

A release button with a half-pressed state to start autofocus operation and a fully-pressed state to start shooting,
When the release button is fully pressed, take a picture at that time,
In the automatic photographing apparatus including a photographing availability determination unit that determines whether to perform photographing based on a vibration detection signal obtained from the vibration detection unit when the release button is half-pressed .
An automatic shooting execution unit that automatically performs shooting when the shooting availability determination unit determines to perform shooting; and
The photographing availability determination unit includes, as a determination criterion, whether or not image blur correction is within a range that can be corrected by a blur correction optical system driven based on the vibration detection signal.
An automatic photographing device characterized by. A release button with a half-pressed state to start autofocus operation and a fully-pressed state to start shooting,
When the release button is fully pressed, take a picture at that time,
In the automatic photographing apparatus including a photographing availability determination unit that determines whether to perform photographing based on a vibration detection signal obtained from the vibration detection unit when the release button is half-pressed .
An image sensor that captures an image after image blur correction is performed by a blur correction optical system driven based on a vibration detection signal obtained from a vibration detection unit when the release button is half-pressed;
The photographing availability determination unit includes a blurring amount of an image after image blur correction obtained by the image sensor as a criterion for determining whether to perform shooting; and
An automatic shooting execution unit that automatically performs shooting when the shooting availability determination unit determines to perform shooting;
An automatic photographing device characterized by. A release button with a half-pressed state to start autofocus operation and a fully-pressed state to start shooting,
When the release button is fully pressed, take a picture at that time,
In the automatic photographing apparatus including a photographing availability determination unit that determines whether to perform photographing based on a vibration detection signal obtained from the vibration detection unit when the release button is half-pressed .
When the release button is half-pressed, the photographing availability determination unit is configured to detect a vibration detection signal obtained from the vibration detection unit and an image blur correction amount by a blur correction optical system driven based on the vibration detection signal. To determine whether or not to shoot based on
An automatic shooting execution unit that automatically performs shooting when the shooting availability determination unit determines to perform shooting;
An automatic photographing device characterized by. In the automatic imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
Comprising a mount part that can attach and detach an interchangeable lens comprising the vibration detection part and the blur correction optical system;
An automatic photographing device characterized by. A release button with a half-pressed state to start autofocus operation and a fully-pressed state to start shooting,
When the release button is fully pressed, take a picture at that time,
In the automatic photographing apparatus including a photographing availability determination unit that determines whether to perform photographing based on a vibration detection signal obtained from the vibration detection unit when the release button is half-pressed .
An automatic shooting execution unit that automatically performs shooting when the shooting availability determination unit determines to perform shooting; and
When the elapsed time from when the release button is half-pressed is less than the first time, the photographing availability determination unit repeats the determination operation, and the elapsed time becomes equal to or longer than the first time. Sometimes, furthermore, the second time longer than the first time is compared with the elapsed time, and when the elapsed time is less than the second time, a determination operation is repeated after giving a warning, Determining that shooting is to be performed when the elapsed time is equal to or greater than the second time;
An automatic photographing device characterized by. In the automatic imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
Having an automatic shooting mode with automatic shooting and a normal shooting mode without automatic shooting,
In the automatic shooting mode, when the release button is fully pressed, the first shooting is performed independently of the operation according to the automatic shooting mode, and the shooting availability determination unit performs shooting. The automatic shooting execution unit automatically performs the second shooting, and
In the automatic shooting mode, if the time from when the release button is fully pressed to the execution of automatic shooting exceeds the allowable time, the shooting result of the first shooting and the second A shooting result confirmation unit that displays the shooting result of the shooting in the display unit and allows the photographer to determine which shooting result to store.
An automatic photographing device characterized by.

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