JP5562208B2 - Imaging apparatus and control method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention particularly relates to an imaging apparatus equipped with a GPS function, a method for controlling the imaging apparatus, a program, and a storage medium.

  In recent years, digital cameras, mobile phones, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), etc., which have means for acquiring GPS information and can display various information such as a map showing a route from a current location to a predetermined destination It is popular.

  In the imaging apparatus described in Patent Literature 1, a plurality of recommended composition data representing an image of a recommended composition at the photographing position is stored in association with position information representing the photographing position. Then, the recommended composition data is searched based on the current GPS position information, and when there is the corresponding recommended composition data, it is superimposed on the image data generated by the imaging means. As a result, an image matched with the recommended composition image can be generated.

  Further, in the technique described in Patent Document 2, a scene in the traveling direction is imaged with an imaging camera attached to a nose of an automobile, and a map image and a live-action video can be selected with a selector for background display of navigation information elements. Yes. The navigation information element is superimposed on the background image by the image composition unit and displayed on the display.

JP 2002-10114 A JP-A-11-108684

  However, in the above-described conventional technology, the user cannot quickly know what moving route the device including the imaging unit has taken. For this reason, for example, there has been a problem that the user cannot know the position at which each recorded image was captured in association with the currently captured image.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to display what movement route is followed in association with a currently captured image.

Imaging apparatus of the present invention is an imaging device, an imaging unit, an acquisition unit that acquires position information of the imaging device, and a storage means for storing position information acquired by the acquisition unit, the imaging based detection means for detecting a photographing direction of the apparatus, the current position information acquired by the acquisition unit, the current and photographing direction that is detected by said detecting means, and the position information stored in said storage means Display control means for controlling the information indicating the position of the imaging apparatus in the past in the image captured by the imaging means to be displayed on the display means together with the captured image. It is characterized by.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to display what kind of moving path has been followed so as to be superimposed on the currently captured image.

It is a figure which shows the example of an external appearance structure of the digital camera which concerns on embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the example of an internal structure of the digital camera which concerns on embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process sequence which records a positional information continuously. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the procedure which superimposes and displays position information on an image | video. It is a figure which shows an example of the aspect which the user is using the digital camera. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process sequence which records position information at the time of imaging | photography. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the procedure which displays a representative image on a video. It is a figure which shows an example of the aspect which the user is using the digital camera. It is a figure which shows an example of the aspect which the user is using the digital camera.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an external configuration example of a digital camera 100 as an example of an imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment.
In FIG. 1, a display unit 101 is a display unit that displays images and various types of information. The shutter button 102 is a button for giving a shooting instruction. The mode dial 103 is an operation member for switching the operation mode to any one of a still image recording mode, a moving image recording mode, a reproduction mode, and the like. In this embodiment, the mode dial 103 is also used to select a route display mode to be described later. The connector 104 is for connecting the connection cable 111 and the digital camera 100.

  The operation unit 105 is an operation unit including operation members such as various switches, buttons, and a touch panel for receiving various operations from the user. The controller wheel 106 is a rotatable operation member included in the operation unit 105, and is used when a selection item is designated together with a direction button. The power switch 107 is a switch for switching between power-on and power-off.

  The recording medium 108 is a recording medium such as a memory card or a hard disk, and includes a semiconductor memory or a magnetic disk. The recording medium slot 109 is a slot for storing the recording medium 108. When the recording medium 108 is stored in the recording medium slot 109, communication between the recording medium 108 and the digital camera 100 becomes possible. A lid 110 is a lid of the recording medium slot 109.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration example of the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment.
In FIG. 2, a photographing lens 201 is a lens including a focus lens, and a shutter 202 is a shutter having an aperture function. The imaging unit 203 includes a CCD, a CMOS, or the like that converts an optical image into an electrical signal. The A / D converter 204 is used to convert an analog signal output from the imaging unit 203 into a digital signal. The barrier 205 covers the photographing lens 201 of the digital camera 100 and prevents the imaging system including the photographing lens 201, the shutter 202, and the imaging unit 203 from becoming dirty or damaged.

  The image processing unit 206 performs resize processing and color conversion processing such as predetermined pixel interpolation and reduction on the data input from the A / D converter 204 or the memory control unit 207. The image processing unit 206 performs predetermined calculation processing using the captured image data, and the system control unit 212 performs exposure control and distance measurement control based on the obtained calculation result. Thereby, AF (autofocus) processing, AE (automatic exposure) processing, and EF (flash pre-emission) processing of the TTL (through-the-lens) method are performed. Further, the image processing unit 206 performs predetermined arithmetic processing using the captured image data, and also performs TTL AWB (auto white balance) processing based on the obtained arithmetic result.

  Data output from the A / D converter 204 is directly written into the memory 208 via the image processing unit 206 and the memory control unit 207 or via the memory control unit 207. The memory 208 stores image data converted into digital data by the A / D converter 204 and image data to be displayed on the display unit 210. The memory 208 has a storage capacity sufficient to store a predetermined number of still image data, moving image data and audio data for a predetermined time. The memory 208 also serves as an image display memory (video memory).

  The D / A converter 209 converts the image display data stored in the memory 208 into an analog signal and supplies the analog signal to the display unit 210. In this manner, the display image data written in the memory 208 is displayed on the display unit 210 via the D / A converter 209. The display unit 210 performs display according to the analog signal output from the D / A converter 209 on a display such as an LCD.

  The nonvolatile memory 211 is an electrically erasable / recordable memory, and for example, an EEPROM or the like is used. The nonvolatile memory 211 stores constants, programs, and the like for operation of the system control unit 212. Here, the program is a program for executing various flowcharts described later in the present embodiment.

  The system control unit 212 controls the entire digital camera 100. By executing the program stored in the non-volatile memory 211 described above, each process of the present embodiment to be described later is realized. The system control unit 212 also performs display control by controlling the memory 208, the D / A converter 209, the display unit 210, and the like. For example, a RAM is used as the system memory 213, and constants and variables for operation of the system control unit 212, programs read from the nonvolatile memory 211, and the like are expanded in the system memory 213.

  The mode changeover switch (mode dial) 103, the first shutter switch 214, the second shutter switch 215, and the operation unit 105 are operation means for inputting various operation instructions to the system control unit 212.

  The first shutter switch 214 is turned on when the shutter button 102 provided in the digital camera 100 is being operated, so-called half-press (shooting preparation instruction), and generates a first shutter switch signal SW1. Then, in response to the first shutter switch signal SW1, operations such as AF (autofocus) processing, AE (automatic exposure) processing, AWB (auto white balance) processing, and EF (flash pre-emission) processing are started.

  The second shutter switch 215 is turned on when the operation of the shutter button 102 is completed, so-called full press (shooting instruction), and generates a second shutter switch signal SW2. In response to the second shutter switch signal SW2, the system control unit 212 starts a series of shooting processing operations from reading an image signal from the imaging unit 203 to writing image data on the recording medium 108.

  Each operation member of the operation unit 105 shown in FIG. 1 is appropriately assigned a function for each scene by selecting and operating various function icons displayed on the display unit 210, and functions as various function buttons. Examples of the function buttons include an end button, a return button, an image advance button, a jump button, a narrowing button, and an attribute change button. For example, when a menu button is pressed, various setting menu screens are displayed on the display unit 210. The user can make various settings intuitively using the menu screen displayed on the display unit 210, the four-way button, and the SET button.

  When the controller wheel 106 shown in FIG. 1 included in the operation unit 105 is rotated, an electrical pulse signal is generated according to the operation amount. Based on this pulse signal, the system control unit 212 is a digital camera. 100 parts are controlled. From this pulse signal, it is possible to determine the angle at which the controller wheel 106 is rotated, how many rotations, and the like. The controller wheel 106 may be any operation member that can detect a rotation operation other than the example shown in FIG. For example, a dial operation member that generates a pulse signal by rotating the controller wheel 106 itself according to a user's rotation operation may be used. Further, an operation member formed of a touch sensor may be used to detect a rotation operation of a user's finger on the controller wheel 106 such as a touch wheel without rotating the controller wheel 106 itself.

  The power control unit 216 includes a battery detection circuit, a DC-DC converter, a switch circuit that switches a block to be energized, and the like, and detects whether or not a battery is attached, the type of battery, and the remaining battery level. The power supply control unit 216 controls the DC-DC converter based on the detection result and an instruction from the system control unit 212, and supplies a necessary voltage to each unit including the recording medium 108 for a necessary period.

  The power supply unit 217 includes a primary battery such as an alkaline battery or a lithium battery, a secondary battery such as a NiCd battery, a NiMH battery, or a Li battery, an AC adapter, or the like. The interface 218 is an interface with the recording medium 108 such as a memory card.

  The antenna 219 receives navigation radio waves from GPS artificial satellites. The GPS unit 220 calculates its position from the radio wave received via the antenna 219 and outputs it as GPS information. The azimuth sensor 221 is a sensor that detects a direction (direction) with respect to a reference direction by means of acceleration measurement, geomagnetic measurement, gyro measurement, or the like.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure in which the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment continuously records position information. 3 is performed under the control of the system control unit 212.
First, the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment determines whether the power is on, on standby, or off (S301). If the result of this determination is that the power is on or standby, the process proceeds to S302, where GPS information is acquired by the GPS unit 220 via the antenna 219 (S302). Next, the current time information is acquired from a clock unit (not shown) and recorded in the memory 208 together with the GPS information (S303).

  FIG. 4 shows a processing procedure in which the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment displays the position information continuously recorded based on the current position so as to be identifiable on the display unit 210 on the currently captured image. It is a flowchart which shows an example. 4 is performed under the control of the system control unit 212.

  The digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment determines whether or not the route display mode is selected by a user operation (S401). If the route display mode is selected as a result of this determination, the process proceeds to S402, and a travel route map is created (S402). Here, the movement path diagram refers to a diagram obtained by connecting the continuously recorded position information to the drawing area in the order of the acquired time with line segments.

  The digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment has a route creation function for creating a movement route map from position information recorded continuously. This path creation function is realized by the system control unit 212 developing and executing a program stored in the nonvolatile memory 211 in the system memory 213.

  This route creation function will be described. First, the system control unit 212 sends the position information (GPS information) accumulated together with the time information in the memory 208 in S303 of FIG. 3 to the image processing unit 206 in the order of the acquired time. Under the control of the system control unit 212, the image processing unit 206 plots a predetermined drawing area based on the positional information sequentially sent. For example, when the predetermined drawing area is a horizontal drawing area, for the position information consisting of “latitude, longitude, altitude”, the value of “latitude, longitude” corresponding to the reference point of the drawing area and the scale of the drawing area Calculate and plot the position on the drawing area. In this case, since the drawing area is horizontal, the value of “altitude” is not used for plot position calculation. When all the accumulated position information is used for plotting, the system control unit 212 ends the process. The creation of the travel route map can be realized by a technique well known to those skilled in the art such as electronic map creation. For example, when the plots are separated by the acquisition interval of the position information, the interval between plots can be reduced. Processing such as drawing by connecting with line segments is also normally performed.

  Next, the viewpoint of the movement route map created in S402 is moved (S403). As a specific procedure, first, the current position information of the digital camera 100 is acquired from the GPS information, and information on the current direction of the digital camera 100 (specifically, the direction of photographing of the photographing lens 201) is obtained by the azimuth angle sensor 221. To get. Further, setting information related to shooting such as a zoom ratio is acquired. Then, based on these pieces of information, the viewpoint is moved to the movement path diagram with the current position / orientation / zoom ratio as the viewpoint. Here, the viewpoint movement means that the movement path diagram created in S402 is projected on the reference plane in the three-dimensional virtual space, and re-rendered with the viewpoint of the virtual camera equivalent to the current position / orientation / zoom ratio. At this time, the virtual camera is a three-dimensional graphic technique in which a specific viewpoint is regarded as a virtual camera.

  Then, control is performed so that the movement path diagram moved from the viewpoint is displayed on the display unit 210 so as to be superimposed on the currently captured image generated by the above-described procedure (S404).

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a mode in which the user uses the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment.
In FIG. 5, the display unit 101 of the digital camera 100 has a position 502 and a movement path 503 indicated by the GPS information acquired by the GPS unit 220 stored in the memory 208 so as to overlap the video 501 currently captured. Visible to the user.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the route that has been taken so far is displayed so as to overlap the video currently being shot. For this reason, it is possible to present to the user in an easy-to-understand manner the position from which the image was captured (or the shooting was attempted) in relation to the subject and the background. In addition, it is possible to appropriately determine from which position the subject is imaged in consideration of how the light strikes and the positional relationship with the background.

(Second Embodiment)
Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The digital camera according to the present embodiment stores the image data in association with the information acquired with the GPS information and the time information when an image is taken by the user pressing the shutter button. Then, the position indicated by the stored information and the image thereof are displayed on the display unit so as to be identifiable to the user. The configuration of the digital camera according to the present embodiment is the same as that shown in FIGS.

  FIG. 6 shows an example of a processing procedure in which the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment captures an image in response to a user instruction and stores the image data in association with information acquired by the GPS unit 220 and time information. It is a flowchart. When the digital camera 100 is powered on or the like, the same processing as in FIG. 3 of the first embodiment is performed, and when the user gives an instruction to shoot, the processing of FIG. 6 is performed together with the processing of FIG. Do. Each process shown in FIG. 6 is performed under the control of the system control unit 212.

  The digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment determines whether or not the user has pressed the shutter button 102 and instructed shooting (S601). Specifically, it is determined whether or not the second shutter switch signal SW2 is input to the system control unit 212. If the result of this determination is that a shooting instruction has been given, an image is shot according to the procedure described above, and the image data is temporarily stored in the memory 208 (S602). Then, GPS information is acquired by the GPS unit 220 (S603). Next, time information is acquired by a time measuring unit (not shown) (S604). Then, time information is recorded in the memory 208 together with the image data obtained in S602 and the GPS information obtained in S603 (S605).

FIG. 7 shows a process in which the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment displays the recorded position information and image information on the display unit 210 in an identifiable manner on the currently captured video based on the current position. It is a flowchart which shows an example of a procedure. Each process shown in FIG. 7 is performed under the control of the system control unit 212.
First, it is determined whether or not the route display mode is selected by a user operation (S701). If the route display mode is selected as a result of this determination, the process proceeds to S702, and a captured image map is created (S702). Here, the photographed image map is a map in which thumbnails of photographed images photographed at the positions are arranged in place of the plot of the position information in the movement path diagram described above. Specifically, the system control unit 212 sends the position information stored together with the time information in the memory 208 to the image processing unit 206 in the order of the acquired time. Then, a thumbnail image related to the image data stored in the memory 208 together with the position information is arranged in a predetermined drawing area. Similar to the route creation function described in the first embodiment, it can be realized by a technique well known to those skilled in the art such as electronic map creation.

  Next, the viewpoint of the captured image map created in S702 is moved (S703). As a specific procedure, first, the current position information of the digital camera 100 is acquired from the GPS information, and information on the current direction of the digital camera 100 (specifically, the shooting direction of the shooting lens 201) is obtained from the azimuth sensor 221. get. Further, setting information related to shooting such as a zoom ratio is acquired. Then, based on these pieces of information, the captured image map is moved to the viewpoint that uses the current position, orientation, and zoom ratio as the viewpoint. Then, control is performed so that the captured image map whose viewpoint has been moved is displayed on the display unit 210 so as to overlap the currently captured image (S704).

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, an image that has been shot in accordance with a user's shooting instruction so far is displayed so as to overlap with the video currently being shot. Therefore, the user can easily grasp which image has been taken from which position so far in relation to the subject and the background.

(Third embodiment)
Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The digital camera according to the present embodiment stores the GPS information acquired by the GPS unit in association with the time information, and the time at which the information is acquired is displayed on the video imaged at the position indicated by the stored information. Is displayed in an identifiable manner. The configuration of the digital camera according to the present embodiment is the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the procedure for displaying the position information together with the video when in the shooting range is the same as that of the first embodiment except for the display mode. The description is omitted because it is similar.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a mode in which the user uses the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment.
In FIG. 8, the display unit 101 of the digital camera 100 displays a position 802 indicated by the GPS information acquired by the GPS unit 220 so far, which is stored in the memory 208 so as to overlap the currently captured video image 801. Is done. At this time, the user is displayed in an identifiable manner based on the time when the GPS information is acquired. In the example illustrated in FIG. 8, specifically, the transmission at the position 802 is displayed so that the transmittance is higher as the GPS information is acquired in the past.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the route taken so far is displayed in an overlapping manner on the currently captured image, it is possible to present the display in different display modes depending on the time taken. If the time taken is close to “current”, taking a picture (or trying to take a picture) is an important consideration for the user to find a new shooting position. On the other hand, when the time has passed and the time taken has moved away from the “current”, it is important to have already taken (or tried to shoot) to search for a new shooting position, taking into account changes in the surrounding situation, etc. Sex is reduced. As described above, the present embodiment is further advantageous in order to examine the shooting position in relation to the video currently being shot by the user.

(Fourth embodiment)
The fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described below.
In addition to the functions shown in any one of the first to third embodiments, the digital camera according to this embodiment stores GPS information acquired by the GPS unit in association with time information, and the stored information is stored in the digital camera. When the indicated position is not within the current shooting range, a warning is displayed on the display unit 101. The configuration of the digital camera according to the present embodiment is the same as that in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the procedure for displaying the position information together with the video when in the shooting range is the same as in the first embodiment. The description is omitted.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a mode in which the user uses the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment.
In FIG. 9, a warning display 902 is displayed on the display unit 101 of the digital camera 100 so as to overlap the image 901 being shot. The determination as to whether the route followed is within the imaging range is made based on the current GPS information acquired by the GPS unit 220 and the detection result by the azimuth sensor 221.

  Further, the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment has a position when the position indicated by the information stored in the memory 208 is not within the current shooting range, and when the digital camera 100 is further directed on the display unit 101. A display indicating whether position information is displayed is added. As shown in FIG. 9, on the display unit 101 of the digital camera 100, a guide display 903 indicating in which direction the position information (route) is displayed is displayed so as to be identifiable to the user.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to present to the user that there is no route that has been taken so far within the current shooting range. The user can confirm that there is no position that has already been shot (or attempted to shoot) within the current shooting range, so it would be even better to consider a new shooting position in relation to the video currently being shot. It is advantageous. In addition, since the user knows the direction in which the digital camera is pointed, the position information (route) is displayed, so it is even more appropriate to consider a new shooting position in relation to the current video. It is advantageous.

(Other embodiments)
In each embodiment described above, the control of the system control unit 212 may be performed by one piece of hardware, or the entire apparatus may be controlled by a plurality of pieces of hardware sharing the processing. Although the present invention has been described in detail based on preferred embodiments thereof, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms within the scope of the present invention are also included in the present invention. included. Furthermore, each embodiment mentioned above shows only one embodiment of this invention, and it is also possible to combine each embodiment suitably.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a digital camera has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this example and can be applied to a portable imaging device.

  The present invention can also be realized by executing the following processing. That is, software (program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus via a network or various storage media, and a computer (or CPU, MPU, or the like) of the system or apparatus reads the program. It is a process to be executed. In this case, the program and a computer-readable storage medium storing the program constitute the present invention.

208 Memory 210 Display Unit 212 System Control Unit 220 GPS Unit 221 Azimuth Sensor

Claims (15)

A imaging device,
Imaging means;
An acquisition unit that acquires position information of the imaging device,
Storage means for storing position information acquired by the acquisition means;
Detecting means for detecting a shooting direction of the imaging device;
And current position information acquired by the acquisition unit, the current and photographing direction that is detected by the detection means, on the basis of the position information stored in said storage means, image being imaged by the imaging means An image pickup apparatus comprising: display control means for controlling information indicating a position where the image pickup apparatus in the past is displayed on a display means together with the image being taken. The storage means stores a plurality of position information,
The display control unit is configured to display information indicating a plurality of positions in the past in the image being captured based on the plurality of position information stored in the storage unit. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The storage means stores the plurality of position information in association with time information when each position information is acquired,
The display means indicates a plurality of positions where the imaging apparatus was in the past in the captured image based on time information stored in the storage means, and the imaging apparatus is located at each position. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein control is performed so as to display information indicating in which order they existed. The display control unit displays a past path of the imaging device in the imaging device in the captured image based on a plurality of pieces of position information and time information stored in the storage unit. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the imaging apparatus is controlled as follows. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the display control unit controls to display a route map as the route. The display control means controls the display so as to display a diagram in which the imaging apparatus connects a plurality of positions in the past with line segments in order based on time information as the path. The imaging device according to 4 or 5. The display control unit performs control so that information indicating a position where the imaging device was in the past in an image captured by the imaging unit is displayed superimposed on the image captured by the imaging unit. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image pickup apparatus is an image pickup apparatus. The display control unit controls to display a warning when the position indicated by the position information stored in the storage unit is not included in the image captured by the imaging unit. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. When the position indicated by the position information stored in the storage means is not included in the image picked up by the image pickup means, the display control means may point the image pickup device in any direction. 9. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the image pickup device is controlled to display a guide as to whether or not information indicating a position in the past is displayed in the image picked up by the means. The imaging device described in 1. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position information is information indicating latitude and longitude. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the position information based on radio waves received from a satellite. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position information is GPS information. A method for controlling an imaging apparatus having imaging means,
An acquisition step of acquiring position information of the imaging device;
A storage step of storing in the storage means the position information acquired by the acquisition step;
A detection step of detecting a shooting direction of the imaging device;
An image captured by the imaging unit based on the current position information acquired by the acquisition step, the current shooting direction detected by the detection step, and the position information stored in the storage unit A display control step of controlling the display device to display information indicating the position of the image pickup device in the past together with the image being taken on the display means. A program for causing a computer to function as each unit of the imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as each unit of the imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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