JP5256752B2 - Digital camera - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital camera.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a digital camera that automatically adjusts white balance by determining a shooting situation is known (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-157316 A

  In the digital camera disclosed in Patent Document 1, depending on the lighting environment at the time of shooting, it may be difficult to adjust the white balance appropriately according to the photographer's intention.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital camera that captures an image of a subject based on a light beam incident through a photographing optical system and obtains a captured image, and displays a through image of the subject based on the captured image on a display monitor. Generating means for generating image data for display, operating means having a plurality of operating members to be operated by a photographer, and focus for performing focus adjustment of the imaging optical system for a designated focus adjustment area An adjustment unit; a white balance adjustment unit that adjusts a white balance of a captured image; an imaging unit, a generation unit, an operation unit, a focus adjustment unit, and a control unit that controls the white balance adjustment unit. When the cooking mode for taking pictures is selected, the focus adjustment of the taking optical system by the focus adjusting means is set to the macro mode, and the flash during shooting is set. Flash emission is prohibited, the focus adjustment area is set to be changeable according to the operation of the operation member by the photographer, and the degree of white balance adjustment of the captured image by the white balance adjustment means with the through image displayed on the display monitor It is set so that it can be changed according to the operation of the operation member by the photographer, and the captured image is recorded on the recording medium according to the photographing operation performed by the photographer in a state where the degree of white balance adjustment can be changed. It is what.
A second aspect of the present invention, in the digital camera according to claim 1, generating means for displaying a state of change in the regulation degree of white balance of the captured image corresponding to the operation of the operating means the photographer makes with the through image The display image data is generated.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the digital camera according to the first or second aspect , when the predetermined photographing mode is selected, the control means operates the operation member by the photographer on the through image displayed on the display means. Control is performed so that the focus adjustment unit performs the focus adjustment of the photographing optical system with respect to the focus adjustment area changed according to the above .
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the digital camera according to any one of the first to third aspects, the digital camera further includes a color tone adjusting unit that adjusts the color tone of the captured image, and the control unit selects a predetermined shooting mode. The color tone adjusting means is controlled so as to emphasize the color tone of the captured image.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately adjust the white balance in accordance with the photographer's intention regardless of the lighting environment at the time of shooting.

  A configuration of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. The digital camera 1 includes a photographing optical system 2, an optical component 3, an image sensor 4, an analog signal processing unit 5, an A / D conversion unit 6, a timing control unit 7, an image processing unit 8, a lens driving unit 9, an operation unit 10, A flash 11, a control unit 12, a memory 13, a compression / decompression unit 14, a display image generation unit 15, a liquid crystal display 16, a memory card interface unit 17, and an external interface unit 18 are provided. The A / D conversion unit 6, image processing unit 8, control unit 12, memory 13, compression / decompression unit 14, display image generation unit 15, memory card interface unit 17, and external interface unit 18 are connected via a bus 20. Are connected to each other.

  The photographing optical system 2 includes a photographing lens composed of a plurality of optical lens groups, an aperture, a shutter, and the like. The optical component 3 is configured by an optical filter, a cover glass, or the like. The light beam from the subject incident through the photographing optical system 2 passes through the optical component 3 and then forms an image on the image sensor 4.

  The imaging element 4 has a rectangular imaging region composed of a plurality of pixels, and accumulates charges corresponding to the amount of light received by the light beam imaged by the imaging optical system 2 for each pixel. Then, a signal corresponding to the accumulated charge is sequentially output to the analog signal processing unit 5 in a pixel unit as a captured image signal. As a result, the imaging element 4 captures the subject based on the light beam incident through the imaging optical system 2 and acquires a captured image. A captured image signal corresponding to the acquired captured image is output from the image sensor 4. Note that the image pickup device 4 is configured by, for example, a single-plate color CCD.

  The analog signal processing unit 5 includes a CDS (correlated double sampling) circuit, an AGC (auto gain control) circuit, and the like, and performs predetermined analog processing on the captured image signal output from the image sensor 4. . The A / D conversion unit 6 converts the analog signal processed by the analog signal processing unit 5 into a digital signal, and generates captured image data. The timing control unit 7 is controlled by the control unit 12 and controls the timing of each operation of the image sensor 4, the analog signal processing unit 5, the A / D conversion unit 6, and the image processing unit 8.

  The image processing unit 8 performs predetermined image processing on the captured image data generated by the A / D conversion unit 6. This image processing includes auto white balance processing and color tone adjustment processing described later. The captured image data that has been subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 8 is subjected to predetermined image compression processing as necessary by the compression / decompression unit 14 under the control of the control unit 12, and then the display image generation unit 15 or the memory The data is output to the card interface unit 17. The image processing unit 8 can be configured using a one-chip microprocessor dedicated to image processing.

  The lens driving unit 9 adjusts the focus of the photographing optical system 2 by driving the photographing lens of the photographing optical system 2. The operation of the lens driving unit 9 is controlled by the control unit 12. The operation unit 10 has operation members composed of various operation buttons as described later, detects an operation performed by the photographer, and outputs the operation to the control unit 12. The flash 11 emits light during shooting to illuminate the subject. The light emission operation of the flash 11 is controlled by the control unit 12.

  The control unit 12 controls the operation of each unit of the digital camera 1. For example, as described above, the operation of the timing control unit 7, the lens driving unit 9, and the flash 11 is controlled, and the input / output of image data performed between the units connected via the bus 20 is controlled. Further, the operation of the operation unit 10 by the photographer is detected, and each unit is controlled so as to perform an operation corresponding to the operation content.

  The memory 13 stores software for controlling the digital camera 1 and the like, and is read out by the control unit 12 as necessary. The memory 13 is configured using, for example, a flash memory. The compression / decompression unit 14 performs image compression processing and image expansion processing on the captured image data.

  The display image generation unit 15 generates display image data for displaying various images on the liquid crystal display 16. Before the photographing instruction from the photographer is performed, the captured image data acquired by the imaging element 4 and subjected to the image processing by the subject image processing unit 8 is controlled by the control unit 12 to the display image generation unit 15. Are continuously output at the frame rate interval. The display image generation unit 15 generates display image data based on the captured image data and outputs the display image data to the liquid crystal display 16. As a result, display image data for displaying the through image of the subject based on the captured image acquired by the image sensor 4 on the liquid crystal display 16 in real time is generated in the display image generation unit 15 and output to the liquid crystal display 16. .

  The liquid crystal display 16 is a display monitor for displaying an image based on the display image data output from the display image generation unit 15. In addition to the through image, the liquid crystal display 16 displays a predetermined operation screen for the photographer to operate the digital camera 1 or reproduces and displays a captured image stored in the memory card 19. be able to.

  The memory card interface unit 17 performs interface processing with a memory card (card-like removable memory) 19 set in the digital camera 1. When a photographing instruction is issued from the photographer, captured image data acquired by the image sensor 4 and subjected to image processing by the subject image processing unit 8 is output to the memory card interface unit 17 under the control of the control unit 12. Is done. The memory card interface unit 17 records the captured image data on the memory card 19 as a captured image. As a result, the captured image is stored in the memory card 19.

  The external interface unit 18 performs interface processing with an external device connected to the digital camera 1 in accordance with a predetermined signal standard such as USB. An external device connected to the digital camera 1 is, for example, a personal computer. This connection is performed via a predetermined cable or by wireless communication.

  An external view of the digital camera 1 is shown in FIG. FIG. 2 shows an external view of the digital camera 1 as viewed from the back. On the back of the digital camera 1, a liquid crystal display 16, a zoom button 102, a favorite button 103, a playback button 104, a multi selector 105, a menu button 106 and a delete button 107 are arranged. In addition, a shutter button 101 is disposed on the digital camera 1. The operation buttons of the shutter button 101, zoom button 102, favorite button 103, play button 104, multi selector 105, menu button 106, and delete button 107 are all operation members constituting the operation unit 10 in FIG. 1.

  The shutter button 101 is an operation button used for a shooting instruction operation on the digital camera 1. When the photographer fully presses the shutter button 101 while the digital camera 1 is ready for photographing, a photographed image is acquired and recorded in the memory card 19 as a photographed image. Note that when the shutter button 101 is pressed halfway, the focus of the photographing optical system 2 is adjusted.

  The zoom button 102 is an operation button used for changing the focal length of the photographing optical system 2. In response to the operation of the zoom button 102, the lens driving unit 9 drives the photographic lens of the photographic optical system 2 to change the focal length.

  The favorite button 103 is an operation button used for calling a specific menu item registered in advance. The playback button 104 is an operation button used for playback display of a captured image stored in the memory card 19.

  The multi-selector 105 is composed of operation buttons respectively corresponding to the up, down, left and right directions, and an OK button arranged at the center, and is used for moving the image selection position on the liquid crystal display 16 and confirming the selection result. . For example, the multi-selector 105 is used when determining a menu item to be selected on the operation screen or changing the position of the focus adjustment area on the through image as will be described later.

  The menu screen 106 is an operation button used for calling up the menu screen. The delete button 107 is an operation button used for deleting a photographed image.

  The digital camera 1 can select one of a plurality of shooting modes at the time of shooting according to the operation of the photographer. Among the selectable shooting modes, there is a “cooking mode” suitable for shooting food in a restaurant or the like. When this cooking mode is selected, the digital camera 1 performs various settings suitable for shooting food. For example, by setting a color tone called vivid color and emphasizing the color tone of the captured image by the image processing unit 8, the color of the subject can be expressed vividly, or the sensitivity (ISO sensitivity) of the image sensor 4 at the time of shooting ) Is set to the high sensitivity side, the flash 11 is not allowed to emit light during shooting, and the focus adjustment of the shooting optical system 2 is set to be performed in a macro mode suitable for short-distance shooting. The position of the focus adjustment area of the photographic optical system 2 is set to be manually operated, and auto white balance processing suitable for warm color illumination is performed on the captured image. The degree of white balance adjustment at this time can be easily changed while the through image of the subject is displayed on the liquid crystal display 16 by the photographer operating the upper or lower button of the multi-selector 105. .

  The external view of FIG. 2 shows an example of a screen displayed on the liquid crystal display 16 when the cooking mode is set in the digital camera 1. On this screen, the cooking mode icon 161 indicating that the cooking mode is set, the macro mode icon 162 indicating that the macro mode is set, and flash emission are prohibited on the through image of the cooking as the subject. A flash prohibition icon 163 indicating this, a white balance indicator 164 indicating a change state of the degree of white balance adjustment in the auto white balance processing, and a focus adjustment area frame 165 indicating the position of the focus adjustment area are displayed. Note that display image data for displaying these is generated by the display image generation unit 15 and output to the liquid crystal display 16.

  When the photographer operates the upper or lower button of the multi-selector 105 on the screen shown in the external view of FIG. 2, the digital camera 1 changes the degree of white balance adjustment in the auto white balance process as described above. For example, every time the upper button is operated, the indication position of the white balance indicator 164 is moved up one level to set a high color temperature, and on the contrary, every time the lower button is operated, the indication of the white balance indicator 164 is set. Move the position down one step to set a lower color temperature. The image processing unit 8 performs auto white balance processing so as to achieve white balance suitable for illumination corresponding to the color temperature thus set. The white balance indicator 164 shows that the degree of white balance adjustment can be set to five levels, but the number of steps that can be set is not limited to this.

  When setting the color temperature as described above, the photographer can select the type of illumination (fluorescent light, incandescent light, indirect lighting, etc.) so that even a photographer unfamiliar with photography can easily set an appropriate color temperature. It may be possible to set to. Alternatively, the digital camera 1 may determine whether or not it is necessary to change the degree of white balance adjustment based on the color of the captured image, and if the determination is necessary, the photographer may be prompted to perform the above operation. . At this time, a histogram showing the ratio of each color of R, G, and B for the entire captured image may be created and displayed on the liquid crystal display 16 so that the photographer can determine the hue of the captured image.

  Also, when the photographer operates the up / down / left / right button after operating the OK button of the multi-selector 105, the digital camera 1 moves the position of the focus adjustment area frame 165 on the through image. Thereby, the focus adjustment of the photographing optical system 2 is performed for the focus adjustment area corresponding to the position of the focus adjustment area frame 165 after the movement. In other words, the lens drive unit 9 adjusts the focus of the photographing optical system 2 so that the subject is in focus at the portion specified by the focus adjustment area frame 165. When the cooking mode is set, it is preferable to repeatedly perform such focus adjustment of the photographing optical system 2 during the display of the through image even if the shutter button 101 is not pressed halfway.

  When the photographer operates the OK button of the multi-selector 105 during the selection of the focus adjustment area by moving the focus adjustment area frame 165 as described above, the process returns to the process for changing the white balance adjustment degree as described above. That is, each time the photographer operates the OK button of the multi-selector 105, the process of changing the white balance adjustment level and the process of selecting the focus adjustment area are switched.

  As described above, the photographer presses the shutter button 101 halfway in a state where the degree of white balance adjustment can be changed or a focus adjustment area can be selected according to the operation of the multi-selector 105 performed by the photographer. When operated, the digital camera 1 adjusts the focus of the photographing optical system 2 and determines whether or not the subject is correctly focused. If the focus is correct at this time, shooting is permitted. Then, when the shutter button 101 is fully pressed, shooting is performed accordingly, and the acquired captured image is recorded in the memory card 19.

  When the dish mode is selected in the digital camera 1, an operation suitable for photographing a dish is performed as described above. The flowchart at this time is shown in FIG. The flowchart of FIG. 3 is executed by the control unit 12.

  In step S10, it is determined whether the cooking mode is selected. If the cooking mode is selected, the process proceeds to step S20. In step S20, the flash 11 is inhibited from emitting light during shooting. In step S30, the macro mode is set. By setting the macro mode in this way, the focus adjustment of the photographing optical system 2 is performed in the macro mode suitable for short-distance photographing.

  In step S40, the color tone of the captured image is set. Here, as described above, color tone setting called vivid color is performed. When the color tone setting is vivid color, the image processing unit 8 adjusts the color tone of the captured image so as to obtain a clear color tone. As a result, a captured image suitable for cooking can be obtained by vividly expressing the color of the subject.

  In step S50, auto white balance is set. Here, in the auto white balance process performed by the image processing unit 8, the white balance suitable for warm color illumination is set. In step S60, ISO sensitivity is set. Here, as described above, the ISO sensitivity is set to the high sensitivity side. In step S70, a focus adjustment area is set. Here, the focus adjustment area is set in accordance with a preset initial position of the focus adjustment area frame 165, for example, the center of the captured image.

  In step S80, the lens driving unit 9 is used to adjust the focus of the photographing optical system 2. Here, the focus adjustment of the photographing optical system 2 is performed for the focus adjustment area corresponding to the current position of the focus adjustment area frame 165. In step S90, the subject is imaged using the image sensor 4, and a captured image is acquired.

  In step S100, the image processing unit 8 is used to perform image processing such as auto white balance processing and color tone adjustment on the captured image acquired in step S90. In step S110, the display image generation unit 15 is used to display on the liquid crystal display 16 a through image based on the captured image subjected to the image processing in step S100.

  In step S120, it is determined whether the shutter button 101 has been fully pressed by the photographer. If the shutter button 101 has been fully pressed, the process proceeds to step S130 to perform shooting. At this time, the captured image acquired in step S90 is recorded in the memory card 19 as a captured image. When shooting is performed in step S130, the process proceeds to step S140. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S120 that the shutter button 101 has not been fully pressed, the process proceeds to step S140 without executing step S130. Note that the through image is displayed on the liquid crystal display 16 by the process of step S110 until the shooting is executed in step S130. However, when shooting is started and recording of a shot image is started, the through image may be erased until the next shooting is possible to notify the photographer that shooting has been executed.

  In step S140, it is determined whether or not the photographer has pressed the OK button of the multi-selector 105. If the OK button is pressed, the process proceeds to step S170 to switch to the focus adjustment area selection process. On the other hand, if the OK button has not been pressed, the process proceeds to step S150.

  In step S150, it is determined whether the upper or lower button of the multi-selector 105 has been pressed by the photographer. If the up or down button is pressed, the process proceeds to step S160, and the auto white balance processing setting is changed according to the operation. By this processing, the degree of white balance adjustment in the auto white balance processing is changed as described above, and the change state is indicated by the white balance indicator 164 displayed on the through image. If step S160 is performed, it will return to step S80 and the above processes will be repeated. On the other hand, if the up or down button has not been pressed, the process returns to step S80 without executing step S160.

  In steps S170 to S220, the same processes as in steps S80 to S130 are executed. That is, focus adjustment of the photographing optical system 2 is performed in step S170, a captured image is acquired in step S180, image processing is performed on the captured image in step S190, and a through image is displayed in step S200. In step S210, it is determined whether or not the shutter button 101 has been fully pressed. When the shutter button 101 has been fully pressed, shooting is performed in step S220.

  In step S230, it is determined whether or not the photographer has pressed the OK button of the multi-selector 105. If the OK button has been pressed, the process returns to step S80 to switch to white balance adjustment degree change processing. On the other hand, if the OK button has not been pressed, the process proceeds to step S240.

  In step S240, it is determined whether or not the photographer has pressed any of the up / down / left / right buttons of the multi-selector 105. If any of the up / down / left / right buttons is pressed, the process proceeds to step S250, and the focus adjustment area is changed according to the operation. At this time, the focus adjustment area frame 165 is moved on the through image as described above, and the focus adjustment area is designated by the position of the focus adjustment area frame 165 after the movement. The focus adjustment of the photographing optical system 2 is performed for the designated focus adjustment area. If step S250 is performed, it will return to step S170 and the above processes will be repeated. On the other hand, if any one of the up, down, left and right buttons is not pressed, the process returns to step S170 without executing step S250.

According to the embodiment described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.
(1) When the cooking mode is selected in the digital camera 1, the control unit 12 displays a through image on the liquid crystal display 16 and responds to the operation of the button above or below the multi-selector 105 performed by the photographer. Then, the degree of white balance adjustment of the captured image in the auto white balance process performed by the image processing unit 8 is changed (step S160). Therefore, the photographer can easily change the degree of white balance adjustment without calling another menu screen while the through image of the subject is displayed on the liquid crystal display 16. As a result, the white balance can be appropriately adjusted according to the photographer's intention regardless of the lighting environment at the time of shooting.

(2) When the cooking mode is selected, the control unit 12 captures an image according to the full-pressing operation of the shutter button 101 performed by the photographer in a state where the degree of white balance adjustment of the captured image can be changed in step S160. To record the captured image on the memory card 19 (step S130). Since it did in this way, since a photographer can image | photograph only by operating a shutter button, after changing the degree of white balance adjustment, the convenience can be improved.

(3) The display image generation unit 15 displays a white balance indicator 164 indicating a change state of the degree of adjustment of the white balance of the captured image according to the operation of the up and down buttons of the multi selector 105 performed by the photographer together with the through image on the liquid crystal display 16. Display image data for display is generated. Therefore, it is possible to inform the photographer of the change state of the current white balance adjustment level in an easy-to-understand manner.

(4) When the cooking mode is selected, the macro mode is set (step S30), so that the lens drive unit 9 performs the focus adjustment of the photographing optical system 2 in the macro mode. Therefore, it is possible to perform focus adjustment suitable for shooting near a dish.

(5) When the cooking mode is selected, the control unit 12 prohibits the flash 11 from being emitted at the time of shooting (step S20). Can be prevented.

(6) When the cooking mode is selected, the focus adjustment area is changed according to the operation of the up / down / left / right button of the multi-selector 105 performed by the photographer (step S250). As a result, the lens drive unit 9 adjusts the focus of the photographic optical system 2 on the part designated by the photographer operating the multi-selector 105 on the through image displayed on the liquid crystal display 16. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the focus in accordance with the photographer's intention when shooting near the dish.

(7) When the cooking mode is selected, the color tone setting is set to vivid color (step S40), and the color tone of the captured image is emphasized in the color tone adjustment performed by the image processing unit 8. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a captured image that vividly represents the color of the dish.

  In the above embodiment, the cooking mode has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. Regardless of the lighting environment at the time of shooting, a predetermined shooting mode is provided so that the white balance can be adjusted appropriately according to the photographer's intention, and the above processing is performed when the shooting mode is selected. It may be executed.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the digital camera by one embodiment. It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the digital camera by one Embodiment. It is a flowchart of the process performed in the digital camera by one Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Digital camera 2 Shooting optical system 4 Image sensor 8 Image processing part 9 Lens drive part 10 Operation part 11 Flash 12 Control part 15 Display image generation part 16 Liquid crystal display

Claims (4)

An imaging unit that captures an image of a subject based on a light beam incident through the imaging optical system, and obtains a captured image;
Generating means for generating display image data for displaying a through image of the subject based on the captured image on a display monitor;
Operating means having a plurality of operating members to be operated by the photographer;
Focus adjusting means for adjusting the focus of the photographing optical system for a designated focus adjustment area;
White balance adjusting means for adjusting the white balance of the captured image;
Control means for controlling the imaging means, the generating means, the operating means, the focus adjusting means, and the white balance adjusting means,
When a cooking mode for photographing food is selected, the control means sets the focus adjustment of the photographing optical system by the focus adjustment means to a macro mode, prohibits flash emission during photographing, and adjusts the focus. The area is set to be changeable according to the operation of the operation member by the photographer, and the degree of white balance adjustment of the captured image by the white balance adjustment means is displayed in a state where the through image is displayed on the display monitor. The captured image is recorded on a recording medium in accordance with a photographing operation performed by the photographer in a state in which the degree of white balance adjustment can be varied while the variable is set according to the operation of the operation member by the photographer. A digital camera characterized by The digital camera according to claim 1 , wherein
The generation unit generates display image data for displaying a change state of a white balance adjustment degree of the captured image according to an operation of the operation unit performed by the photographer together with the through image. Digital camera. The digital camera according to claim 1 or 2 ,
When the predetermined photographing mode is selected , the control unit targets the focus adjustment area changed according to the operation of the operation member by the photographer on the through image displayed on the display unit. The digital camera is controlled so as to adjust the focus of the photographing optical system by the focus adjusting means . The digital camera according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
A color tone adjusting means for adjusting the color tone of the captured image;
The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein when the predetermined shooting mode is selected, the control unit controls the color tone adjusting unit so as to emphasize a color tone of the captured image.

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