JP5889507B2 - Camera device, shooting timing notification method, shooting timing notification program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a camera device including a light emitting element that can be viewed by a person who is a subject, a shooting timing notification method, and a shooting timing notification program.

Conventionally, in a camera device such as a so-called camera-equipped mobile phone, as a technique for notifying a person other than operating the camera device that a shooting mode is currently set, for example, Patent Document 1 below Describes a technique of blinking an LED indicator provided on the front surface of the camera (in the vicinity of the imaging lens or the like) when a shooting mode is set by the user. According to such technology, the photographer does not have to manually request the person who is the subject to prepare for the shooting, and at the same time, the person who is the subject is ready to shoot when necessary. Therefore, it is possible to improve convenience at the time of photographing, such as preparing the face direction and facial expression.
JP 2006-38991 A

  However, the above-described technique merely gives the person other than the operator the presence / absence of the shooting mode setting, and has the following problems. That is, in general, after the shooting mode is set, the actual shooting timing (shooting timing) varies, and particularly when a plurality of shooting modes are provided, the difference in the shooting mode used at that time is different. Depending on the shooting timing, it varies considerably. For this reason, the above-described technique also has a problem that it is not possible to accurately teach the actual photographing timing to the person who is the subject.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional problem, and is a camera device capable of more accurately teaching an actual shooting timing that changes depending on a setting state of a shooting mode to a person who is a subject, It is another object of the present invention to provide a shooting timing notification method and a shooting timing notification program.

In order to solve the above-described problem, in the camera device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the light emitting element provided at a position visible from an arbitrary position within the angle of view in the device main body, and reference information that changes at the time of shooting It relates to an automatic photographic contents of sequentially changing the lighting pattern of the light emitting element in accordance with a change in the reference information performs automatic photographing when you change the contents corresponding to the condition of a predetermined automatic photographing, photographing A first shooting mode in which the elapsed time from the instruction is the reference information, and a change method for sequentially changing the lighting pattern while using the shake amount of the image as the reference information are different from the first shooting mode. a photographing mode setting means for selectively setting one of a plurality of shooting modes including a shooting mode, after the shooting mode is set by the photographing mode setting means, the automatic Out control, autofocus control, starts the photographic preparation operation including at least one of the face recognition process, if there is a shooting instruction, the contents of reference information corresponding to the shooting mode set by the photographing mode setting unit Is executed by a shooting control means and a shooting control means for performing a series of automatic shooting operations for performing shooting and recording after the automatic shooting conditions are satisfied. In the series of automatic photographing operations, the light emitting element is turned on by a predetermined lighting pattern at a predetermined timing in the photographing preparation operation, and the light emitting element is in a period from when a photographing instruction is given until the automatic photographing condition is satisfied. the change by the method, the reference information of the lighting pattern corresponds to the shooting mode set by the photographing mode setting unit Characterized by comprising a lighting control unit that Ru is sequentially changed according to the change.

In the camera device according to a second aspect of the present invention, the lighting control means is in an operating state during a period in which the photographing / recording operation is not completed after the automatic photographing condition is satisfied . The lighting pattern of the light emitting element is changed according to the transition.

Further, in the camera device according to the invention of claim 3, the lighting control unit is in the series of automatic photographing operations executed by the photographing control unit until the automatic photographing condition is satisfied. A lighting pattern when the light emitting element is turned on is sequentially changed according to a degree of coincidence between the content of the reference information and the automatic photographing condition .

In the camera device according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the reference information is an image shake amount, and the second shooting mode has a shooting timing when the image shake amount becomes a threshold value or less. The shooting mode is determined as follows.

In the camera device according to claim 5, the lighting control unit is configured to automatically shoot in the first shooting mode in which a set time elapses after the shooting instruction is given as a shooting timing. In operation, the lighting pattern when the light emitting element is turned on in accordance with the lighting control is changed according to the elapsed time since the photographing instruction is given.

Further, in the camera apparatus according to the invention of claim 6, provided with a video recording function, the automatic photographing operation is an automatic photographing operation for the purpose of still image shooting, the lighting control means, moving Even during an automatic shooting operation for the purpose of still image shooting performed during the shooting period, the lighting element is controlled to be turned on in accordance with a series of operation states that sequentially change during the automatic shooting operation, and the lighting control is performed. Accordingly, the light emitting element is turned on with the specific lighting pattern.

In the camera device according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the display means for displaying an image picked up by the image pickup means, and a series of operation states included in the automatic photographing operation at the time of the automatic photographing operation, And an operation information display means for displaying on the display means.

In the camera device according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the operation information display means is interlocked with the lighting of the light emitting element accompanying the lighting control by the lighting control means, and the operation status is indicated on the display means. It is characterized by being displayed .

Further, in the camera device according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the operation information display means includes the operation state on the display means without being interlocked with the lighting of the light emitting element accompanying the lighting control by the lighting control means. Is displayed .

In the camera device according to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the lighting pattern is characterized by at least one of a lighting color, a blinking speed, and a lighting frequency .

In addition, the shooting timing notification method according to the invention of claim 11 is a shooting timing notification method in a camera device in which a light emitting element is provided at a position that is visible from an arbitrary position within an angle of view in the apparatus body. When the content of the reference information that changes at the time of shooting changes to a content that meets a predetermined automatic shooting condition, the lighting pattern of the light-emitting element is changed according to the change of the reference information. With regard to automatic shooting that changes sequentially, the first shooting mode that uses the elapsed time from the shooting instruction as the reference information, and the change method that changes the lighting pattern sequentially while using the shake amount of the image as the reference information. and selectively set photographing mode setting process of any of a plurality of shooting modes including a different second imaging mode and the imaging mode, the imaging mode After shooting mode by setting processing is set, the automatic exposure control, automatic focus control, starts the photographic preparation operation including at least one of the face recognition process, if there is a shooting instruction, by the photographing mode setting processing the contents of the reference information according to the set photographing mode and waits until the condition of the automatic photographing according to the shooting mode, performing a series of automatic photographing operation for photographing recorded after the condition of the automatic photographing is satisfied In the shooting control process to be performed and the series of automatic shooting operations executed by the shooting control process, the light emitting element is turned on with a predetermined lighting pattern at a predetermined timing in the shooting preparation operation , and automatic shooting is performed after a shooting instruction is given. between the until the conditions are met shooting, the lighting pattern of the light emitting element, set by the photographing mode setting processing By the change method corresponding to the over-de, characterized in that it comprises a lighting control processing Ru is sequentially changed according to the change of the reference information.

In the shooting timing notification program according to the twelfth aspect of the invention, a computer having a camera device provided with a light emitting element at a position that can be viewed from an arbitrary position within the angle of view of the apparatus main body is recorded during shooting. automatic contents of the changing reference information sequentially changing the lighting pattern of the light emitting element in accordance with a change in the reference information performs automatic photographing when you change the contents corresponding to the condition of a predetermined automatic photographing Regarding shooting, a first shooting mode in which an elapsed time from a shooting instruction is used as the reference information, and a change method in which an image shake amount is used as the reference information and the lighting pattern is sequentially changed are the first shooting mode. a plurality of the photographing mode setting means for selectively setting one of the photographing mode, the photographing mode setting means including a different second imaging mode After being set more shooting modes, automatic exposure control, automatic focus control, it starts the photographic preparation operation including at least one of the face recognition process, if there is a shooting instruction, set by the photographing mode setting unit Shooting that executes a series of automatic shooting operations in which the contents of the reference information according to the shooting mode satisfy the conditions of automatic shooting according to the shooting mode and perform shooting and recording after the automatic shooting conditions are satisfied In the series of automatic photographing operations executed by the control means and the photographing control means, the light emitting element is turned on by a predetermined lighting pattern at a predetermined timing in the photographing preparation operation, and automatic photographing conditions are given after a photographing instruction is given. until is satisfied, the lighting pattern of the light emitting element, the photographing mode setting against the shooting mode set by means By the change method of, wherein the function as the lighting control means Ru is sequentially changed according to the change of the reference information.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to more accurately teach an actual shooting timing that changes depending on a shooting mode setting state or the like to a person who is a subject.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of a digital camera according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, a retractable imaging lens 2 and a strobe 3 for irradiating a subject with a strobe light (shooting auxiliary light), an optical viewfinder 4 and an LED indicator 5 are arranged on the front of the camera body 1 as necessary. A shutter key 6 is provided on the upper surface of the camera body 1.

  The LED indicator 5 is a multicolor LED capable of emitting green and red light, and emits light in a predetermined color as will be described later, thereby informing the person on the side of photographing the operation information of the digital camera. If necessary, AF auxiliary light and photographing auxiliary light (mainly during macro photographing) are also emitted. Further, in the optical viewfinder 4, an operation confirmation LED 35 (FIG. 2) which is an operation information display means of the present invention for notifying the photographer of various operation information of the digital camera is connected to the LED indicator 5. Is provided separately. The operation check LED 35 can also emit light in green and red.

  The shutter key 6 has a so-called half shutter function that can be operated in two steps, a half-press operation (half shutter) and a full-press operation. The half-press operation is used for AF lock and AE lock. The push operation is used for actual shooting instructions. The shutter key 6 also functions as a recording start / end button during moving image shooting.

  Although not shown, on the back side of the camera body 1, there are a plurality of switches such as the optical finder 4, a power key, a mode switching key for switching between the recording mode and the reproduction mode, a zoom key, and a MENU key. And an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) for displaying a through image of the subject and reproducing and displaying a recorded image in a shooting standby state.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the electrical configuration of the digital camera. The above digital camera can shoot still images and movies, and has various functions such as autofocus (AF), automatic exposure (AE), automatic white adjustment (AWB), camera shake prevention, and face recognition by contrast detection. It consists of the following parts.

  That is, the digital camera has a CCD 11 which is an image pickup means disposed on the optical axis of the image pickup lens 2. The imaging lens 2 includes a zoom lens and a focus lens, and the focus lens and the zoom lens are driven by a drive signal generated by the lens driver 17 in accordance with a command from the CPU 16. That is, the focus lens is driven to the focus position by the AF control by the CPU 16, and the zoom lens is driven to the zoom position according to the operation of the zoom key by the user.

  In the recording mode, the CCD 11 is driven based on the horizontal and vertical drive signals generated by the timing generator 12 under the control of the CPU 16, photoelectrically converts the light image of the subject, and outputs it as an imaging signal. The output signal of the CCD 11 is subjected to correlated double sampling by the CDS circuit 13 and then converted to a digital signal by the A / D conversion circuit 14. The A / D converted image signal is input to a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) 15 and subjected to processing such as pedestal clamping, and then the luminance (Y) signal and color difference are obtained by YUV conversion in the luminance / color difference matrix circuit in the block. Converted to a (UV) signal. The DSP 15 performs various image processing such as auto white balance in accordance with the control of the CPU 16.

  The YUV data output from the DSP 15 is sequentially stored in the built-in memory 18 (for example, SDRAM) for each frame, and the YUV data for one frame stored in the built-in memory 18 is read by the CPU 16. At that time, a clipping process by reading only YUV data corresponding to a predetermined image area is performed as necessary.

  The YUV data read from the built-in memory 18 is enlarged or reduced, that is, scaled to a predetermined image size in the resolution conversion circuit 19 as necessary, and then converted into a video signal by the display controller 20, and the through image is displayed by the LCD 21. Is displayed.

  The YUV data for one frame read from the built-in memory 18 is compressed and encoded by the data compression / decompression block 22 using the JPEG method or the like and is filed in the built-in memory 18 during still image shooting. Thereafter, the image is recorded as a still image file on the recording medium 24 attached to the camera body 1 via the media controller 23. Furthermore, at the time of moving image shooting, the image data is sequentially sent to the data compression / decompression block 22, compressed and encoded by a codec of a predetermined moving image recording method (Motion-JPEG, MPEG, etc.), and then transferred to the recording medium 24 via the media controller 23. It is recorded sequentially as a file.

  On the other hand, in the playback mode, the data compression / decompression block 22 decompresses the data of the still image file or the moving image file read from the recording medium 24, and stores the image data work area of the built-in memory 18 as still image data or moving image frame data. Expand to.

  The voice processing block 25 converts voice input to the microphone 26 built in the camera body 1 into a digital signal when shooting a moving image with voice, and sends the digital signal to the built-in memory 18 after data compression. The audio data sent to the built-in memory 18 is recorded on the recording medium 24 together with the moving image file. The audio processing block 25 decodes the audio data sent from the built-in memory 18 and converts it into an analog audio signal at the time of reproducing the moving image with audio, and then outputs the audio from the built-in speaker 27 built in the camera body 1. Let

  The key input block 28 includes a plurality of switches such as the shutter key 6, the power key, the mode switching key for switching between the recording mode and the playback mode, the zoom key, and the MENU key. A key input signal corresponding to the above is output to the CPU 16.

  The camera shake detection unit 29 includes an acceleration sensor that detects accelerations in the XY directions (up, down, left, and right directions) in the digital camera, and an A / D converter that converts the sensor output into a digital signal. Directional acceleration (camera shake detection signal) is detected as the amount of camera shake and output to the CPU 16, and functions as the acquisition means of the present invention in this embodiment.

  The strobe driving unit 30 includes a light emitting tube such as a xenon tube, a light emitting capacitor, a charging circuit for the light emitting tube, and a driving circuit for the light emitting tube. The strobe driving unit 30 drives the light emitting tube according to a command from the CPU 16 to emit photographing auxiliary light.

  The LED drive unit 31 includes the LED indicator 5, the operation check LED 35, and a drive control circuit for causing them to emit light in a predetermined color. The LED indicator 5 and the operation check LED 35 are in accordance with a command from the CPU 16. Is emitted in a predetermined color for checking the operation of the digital camera, and the LED indicator 5 is caused to emit AF auxiliary light or photographing auxiliary light.

  Each unit described above is controlled by the CPU 16, and a program for causing the CPU 16 to control each unit and data associated therewith are stored in the program memory 32. The program memory 32 is a rewritable nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM or a flash memory. The programs and data include programs and data for causing the CPU 16 to perform various processes such as an AE process, an AF process, and a face recognition process, for example. Note that the face recognition process exists in the image (within the angle of view) by performing binarization, contour extraction, pattern matching, and the like on the image data (YUV data) acquired sequentially while displaying the through image. This is a process for detecting a registered specific person or a face portion of an arbitrary person.

  The program memory 32 also stores setting data related to various functions provided in the digital camera set or changed by the user, in addition to the above programs and data. The CPU 16 controls each unit while referring to the setting data based on the program and the key input signal.

  On the other hand, the digital camera according to the present embodiment having the above-described configuration has various shooting modes shown in FIG. 3 as lower modes of the recording mode. In other words, the recording modes are roughly divided into two types: a still image shooting mode and a moving image shooting mode. Furthermore, the still image shooting modes are roughly divided into four types: a self-timer, an auto shutter, and continuous shooting (continuous shooting). is there. Here, the normal mode is a basic shooting mode in which each function of AE, AF, and AWB is effective, and the self-timer mode is automatically shot when a predetermined set time elapses after the shutter key 6 is fully pressed. This is a common mode to be performed. The auto shutter mode is a mode in which shooting is automatically performed when the degree of camera shake (the degree of shaking of the camera body 1) converges to a certain degree after the shutter key 6 is fully pressed. The continuous shooting mode is the shutter key 6 In this mode, a plurality of times of shooting at a constant interval are continuously performed while the fully pressed state is kept after the button is fully pressed.

  In the digital camera of this embodiment, a tracking mode and a face recognition mode are prepared as AF modes. In the tracking mode, after a specific subject portion is focused in response to the half-pressing operation of the shutter key 6, the position of the AF frame (target area to be focused) is changed while the half-pressing operation continues. In this mode, the movement is automatically performed following the movement of the subject. Also, the face recognition mode detects a face portion of a specific person registered in advance in the subject (within the angle of view) or a face portion of an arbitrary person before the shutter key 6 is pressed halfway. In this mode, an AF frame is automatically set for the detected face portion.

  In the digital camera having the above-described configuration, when the recording mode is set, the CPU 16 follows the program stored in the program memory 32 and the shooting mode set at that time and the various types of settings set. By executing processing to be described later corresponding to the function, it functions as a photographing control means, lighting control means, determination means, status detection means, and display control means of the present invention. Further, the CPU 16 functions as a shooting mode setting unit of the present invention by executing a process of selecting and setting a shooting mode in accordance with a user operation.

  First, a series of photographing control operations by the CPU 16 will be described.

  When the recording mode is set, the CPU 16 performs AE processing (automatic exposure control according to the brightness of the subject) or AF processing (autofocus control according to the subject distance) according to a half-press operation of the shutter. Then, a shooting preparation operation such as a face recognition process (a process for setting an object such as an AE process, an AF process, and an automatic shooting process to a human face) is started. In this shooting preparation operation, as will be described later, a different operation is performed in accordance with the set shooting mode. Then, while performing this shooting preparation operation or after completing the shooting preparation operation, the camera waits until a shooting start condition corresponding to the set shooting mode is satisfied, as will be described later. Then, when this photographing start condition is satisfied, a photographing recording operation is executed. In this shooting / recording operation, imaging processing (exposure operation) by the imaging device, compression processing of the captured image, and recording processing of the compressed image file in the memory are performed.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of display control of the LED and the like executed by the CPU 16 in parallel (in conjunction with) the series of photographing control operations. In other words, in the recording mode, the CPU 16 performs processing corresponding to any of the above-described shooting modes, and during that time, the CPU 16 sequentially checks whether or not the settings related to various functions including the type of shooting mode have been changed. If there is (YES in step S1), the setting data stored in the program memory 32 is rewritten in accordance with the changed content to save the new setting content (step S2). If the setting is changed (YES in step S3), the process immediately proceeds to processing corresponding to the changed shooting mode (step S4). The function setting is performed in accordance with the user's key operation while displaying various menu screens on the LCD 21 in response to the user's operation of the MENU key.

  In the recording mode, the CPU 16 sequentially confirms whether or not the lighting timing of the LED indicator 5 and the operation confirmation LED 35 described above and the lighting pattern change timing have arrived in parallel with the series of photographing control operations. That is, the processing status such as start and completion of the shooting preparation operation, the shooting recording operation, the imaging processing (exposure operation), the compression processing, the recording processing to the memory, and the like in the series of shooting control operations is sequentially confirmed. Then, as will be described later, according to the information indicating the LED lighting pattern determined in advance for each shooting mode, which of the plurality of timings at which the LED lighting state should be changed in the current shooting mode has arrived? If any timing comes (YES in step S5), the LED indicator 5 is turned on with a predetermined lighting pattern corresponding to the set shooting mode and the current timing (step S6). Further, it is sequentially confirmed whether or not the display timing of the shooting information on the LCD 21 has arrived, and when any display timing has arrived (YES in step S7), predetermined shooting information is displayed on the LCD 21 (step S8). Thereafter, the same processing is repeatedly executed.

  FIG. 5 shows the contents of the photographing operation of the digital camera, the presence / absence of lighting of the LED indicator 5 and the operation checking LED 35 corresponding to each operation state, the lighting pattern, and the photographing information displayed on the LCD 21 while the above processing is repeated. FIG. As shown in this figure, information indicating the lighting pattern of the LED corresponding to the shooting operation is stored in advance for each shooting mode, and in the LED display control process in conjunction with the shooting control operation described above, It is referenced when determining the timing for changing the lighting state.

  The lighting timing and lighting pattern of the LED indicator 5 are as follows. That is, the lighting timing is mainly the timing related to the AF operation, the timing related to the photographing operation, and other timings. Among them, the timing related to the AF operation is the start time of the AF operation in the still image shooting mode and the time when the AF frame reaches the movement limit when the tracking mode is set as the AF mode. Also, the timing related to the shooting operation is the start time of each process (NR (noise reduction), image processing, JPEG encoding) after the exposure and the start time of shooting in the video shooting mode (video data recording start time). is there. In addition, as other timings, the shooting timing countdown start time in the self-timer mode, the remaining time becomes 5 seconds and 2 seconds, and after the shutter key 6 is fully pressed in the auto shutter mode. This is the time when the degree of camera shake becomes “large”, “medium”, and “small”.

  On the other hand, the lighting pattern includes continuous lighting in a predetermined color (only red in the present embodiment) and is a combination of the lighting color, the flashing speed, and the number of lightings. ) First flashing rate (flashing 1) every 0.5 seconds (1 Hz) shown in FIG. 5 and second flashing rate (flashing 2) every 0.25 seconds (2 Hz) shown in FIG. And the third blinking speed (blinking 3) of 0.125 seconds (4 Hz) shown in FIG. 3C, and the three types, and the lighting color is only green, only red, and alternately green and red 3 It is a kind.

  Although detailed description of the lighting timing and lighting pattern of the operation confirmation LED 35 and the display timing of the photographing information on the LCD 21 and the photographing information to be displayed is omitted, the lighting color of the operation confirmation LED 35 is only green. At the same time, the flashing is performed at the above-described first to third flashing speeds, or is continuously lit. The shooting information to be displayed on the LCD 21 includes a green or red AF frame, a display of a numerical value such as a shutter speed in orange, a display of a REC icon, a countdown time until a shooting timing, and the like. That's right.

  Next, more specific examples of lighting timings and lighting patterns corresponding to the shooting modes in the LED indicator 5 will be described with reference to the timing charts of FIGS.

  FIG. 7 is a timing chart when the normal mode is set in the still image shooting mode and the use of AF auxiliary light is set as necessary. In this case, as shown in the figure, the CPU 16 determines whether the AF auxiliary light is on or off (necessity) based on the brightness of the subject when the AE and AWB processes started in response to the half-pressing operation of the shutter key 6 are completed. If it is determined at the timing (T1) that AF auxiliary light is necessary, the LED indicator 5 is turned on with the maximum brightness of green, and AF control is started at the same time. Thereafter, at the timing (T2) when the in-focus state can be confirmed, the lighting pattern of the LED indicator 5 is switched to alternate blinking at the third blinking speed (flashing 3) of green and red. Thus, the person who is the subject is informed that the camera has entered a specific shooting preparation, that is, it has become a strange state no matter when the actual shooting is performed.

  Further, when it is determined that the AF auxiliary light is unnecessary at the timing (T1) when the AF auxiliary light on / off determination is completed, the LED indicator 5 is immediately turned on alternately in green and red at the third blinking speed. Thus, the person who is the subject is informed that the camera has entered a specific shooting preparation, and at the same time, AF control is started. Thereafter, the lighting by the putter is continued, the LED indicator 5 is once turned off at the timing (T3) when the shutter key 6 is fully pressed, the exposure is started at the same time, and the LED indicator 5 at the timing (T4) when the exposure is completed. Is flashed twice in green at a third flash rate. This notifies the person who is the subject of the completion of shooting.

  In addition to the timing described above, when the above-described face recognition mode or tracking mode is set as the AF mode, the LED indicator 5 is also lit at the following timing. That is, when the face recognition mode is set, as shown in FIG. 8A, the CPU 16 detects the face portion of a specific person or an arbitrary person before the shutter key 6 is half-pressed, While detecting and automatically setting the AF frame on the face part, during that time, it is sequentially confirmed whether or not the AF frame has reached a predetermined movement limit, and it is determined that the AF frame has reached the movement limit At the timing (T5), the LED indicator 5 is blinked twice in red at the first blinking speed (flashing 1). Thereafter, until the shutter key 6 is half-pressed, each time it is determined that the AF frame has reached the movement limit, the LED indicator 5 is lit in the above lighting pattern. Thereby, when photographing, the person who is the subject is informed of how far he can move when changing his standing position.

  When the face recognition mode is set, as shown in FIG. 8 (b), the CPU 16 is in the LED indicator 5 at the timing (T2) when the in-focus state can be confirmed by the AF operation as described above. After the alternate lighting at the third blinking speed in green and red is started, the AF frame position is automatically moved to follow the movement of the specific subject portion in focus, and the AF frame in between Sequentially check whether or not the movement limit has reached a predetermined movement limit, and at the timing (T6) when it is determined that the position of the AF frame has reached the movement limit, the LED indicator 5 is turned red with a first blinking speed (flashing). Blink twice in 1). Thereafter, until the shutter key 6 is fully pressed, the LED indicator 5 is lit in the above lighting pattern every time it is determined that the AF frame has reached the movement limit. Thereby, when photographing, the person who is the subject is informed of how far he can move when changing his standing position.

  On the other hand, FIG. 9A is a timing chart when the auto shutter mode is set in the still image shooting mode. In this case, as shown in the figure, the CPU 16 starts blinking lighting at the first blinking speed (flashing 1) in green on the LED indicator 5 at the timing (T3) when the shutter key 6 is fully pressed. Although not shown in the figure, before the shutter key 6 is fully pressed, it is the same as the normal mode shown in FIG. Further, the CPU 16 starts detecting the amount of camera shake simultaneously with the start of blinking of the LED indicator 5. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 9B, the camera shake degree detected sequentially is determined in three stages of large, medium and small according to a predetermined criterion, and the degree of camera shake is “large”. While it is determined that there is, the lighting pattern is flashing at the first flashing speed (flashing 1), and while it is determined to be “medium”, the lighting pattern is flashing at the second flashing speed (flashing 2). As long as it is determined as “small”, the lighting pattern is blinking lighting at the third blinking speed (flashing 3). Eventually, the LED indicator 5 is turned off at the time when it becomes possible to determine that the camera shake has converged, that is, the photo opportunity detection timing (T7) when the camera shake amount equal to or less than the threshold is detected, and exposure is automatically started. The subsequent steps are the same as those in the normal mode shown in FIG.

  FIG. 10A is a timing chart when the self-timer mode is set. In this case, as shown in the figure, the CPU 16 starts counting down for a predetermined time (here, 10 seconds) at a timing (T3) when the shutter key 6 is fully pressed, and at the same time, turns the LED indicator 5 in red. Start flashing at a flashing speed of 1 (flashing 1). Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10B, the lighting with the above lighting pattern is continued until the remaining count time is up to 5 seconds, and then the remaining count time is 2 seconds. The lighting pattern is switched to flashing at the second flashing speed (flashing 2), and at the timing (T8) when the remaining count time is 2 seconds, the green and red are alternately switched on at the third flashing speed. Switch. Then, the LED indicator 5 is turned off at a timing (T9) when 10 seconds have elapsed after the shutter key 6 is fully pressed and the count time becomes 0 seconds.

  Therefore, a person who is a subject at the time of shooting in the self-timer mode can surely know the timing (T7) two seconds before shooting by changing the lighting pattern of the LED indicator 5.

  Although not shown, when the continuous shooting mode is set in the still image shooting mode, as in the normal mode shown in FIG. 7, the timing (T1) when the AF auxiliary light ON / OFF determination is completed or At the timing (T2) when the in-focus state is confirmed, the ED indicator 5 is alternately turned on at a third blinking speed by green and red, and the ED indicator 5 is turned off when the shutter key 6 is fully pressed. . After that, the last exposure operation immediately after the full release of the shutter key 6 is released by continuously performing a plurality of shootings at a fixed interval while the shutter key 6 is fully pressed while maintaining the light-off state. At the timing when is completed, the LED indicator 5 blinks twice at a third blinking speed in green, thereby notifying the person who is the subject of the completion of photographing.

  Although not shown, during moving image shooting in the moving image shooting mode (during movie recording), as shown in FIG. 5, the LED indicator 5 continues to be lit in red during the entire period from the start of shooting to the end of shooting. Furthermore, during moving image shooting, an operation for shooting a still image is performed in response to the operation of the shutter key 6 at an arbitrary time point. In this operation, the normal mode shown in FIG. At the same timings (T1) to (T4) as in the case, the LED indicator 5 is turned on by the lighting pattern described above.

  As described above, in the digital camera according to the present embodiment, by changing the lighting pattern of the LED indicator 5 during the photographing operation as described above, the camera is currently preparing for photographing (standby for photographing) and shooting notice (starting photographing). It is possible to notify the person who is the subject of which state of the series of operation states that sequentially shift to the completion of photographing.

  And the lighting pattern corresponding to each operation state of the LED indicator 5 was made into the lighting pattern which changes according to imaging | photography mode. As a result, the operating state of the camera at the time of shooting is notified to the person who is the subject, and at the same time, which shooting mode is currently set, that is, which method is used as a method for determining the shooting timing Can be identified. Therefore, even when the transition pattern of the operation state at the time of shooting changes depending on the shooting mode, the actual shooting timing can be more accurately taught to the person who is the subject. As a result, the preparation period for shooting on the shooting side can be minimized and necessary, and the burden on the person who is the subject can be reduced.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the lighting pattern of the LED indicator 5 is changed according to the operating state, so that the person who is the subject can identify the current operating state by the lighting pattern. The LED indicator is not limited to the timing when the actual shooting operation in the operation state, that is, the operation state immediately before the exposure start operation, for example, in the normal mode, the timing when the in-focus state can be confirmed (T2 in FIG. 7). 5 may be lit only with a specific lighting pattern representing the photographing mode. Even in such a case, the person who is the subject can be taught more accurately the actual shooting timing that changes due to a difference in shooting mode or the like.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the lighting pattern of the LED indicator 5 is based on the combination of the lighting color, the blinking speed (three types), and the number of times of lighting. However, a plurality of patterns using only one of the elements is used. You may make it comprise a lighting pattern.

  Further, the lighting pattern corresponding to the operation state and the shooting mode (type) may be changed according to the ambient brightness. For example, prepare an intermediate lighting pattern that is easy to identify when the surroundings are bright and a night lighting pattern that is easy to identify when the surroundings are dark as each lighting pattern. The brightness may be detected based on the brightness of the subject acquired during the AE control, and an intermediate lighting pattern or a night lighting pattern may be selectively used as a lighting pattern according to the detection result.

  In addition, the LED indicator 5 is used as a light source for AF auxiliary light or photographing auxiliary light as necessary. However, the operation information during photographing such as the operation state and photographing mode during the photographing operation of the LED indicator 5 is described. A configuration having only a function provided to the person who is the subject may be used.

  Also, the current operation state during the photographing operation that informs the photographer by the operation confirmation LED 35 inside the optical viewfinder 4 and the current operation state during the photographing operation that informs the person who is the subject by the LED indicator 5 are the same. In other words, the CPU 16 is configured to perform lighting control that does not link the lighting operation of the LED 35 for operation confirmation with the lighting operation of the LED indicator 5 (see FIG. 5). It is good also as a structure which performs control.

  Although the LED indicator 5 is provided on the front surface of the camera body 1, the LED indicator 5 may be provided at other positions as long as the LED indicator 5 is visible from an arbitrary position within the angle of view. May be replaced with other light emitting elements.

  Although the case where the present invention is applied to a digital camera has been described here, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the present invention can also be applied to a camera-equipped mobile phone and other portable information devices having a camera function.

1 is a front view of a digital camera according to the present invention. It is a block diagram of the digital camera. It is explanatory drawing which shows the kind of imaging | photography mode. It is the flowchart which showed a part of processing content of CPU when the recording mode is set. It is a figure which shows the content of imaging operation | movement, and the control content of the LED indicator etc. corresponding to each operation state. It is a figure which shows blink patterns, such as an LED indicator. It is a timing chart which shows the lighting timing of the LED indicator at the time of still image photography by normal mode. It is a timing chart which shows the lighting timing of an LED indicator in case the face recognition mode and tracking mode which were mentioned above are set as AF mode. It is a timing chart which shows the lighting timing of the LED indicator at the time of still image photography by auto shutter mode. It is a timing chart which shows the lighting timing of the LED indicator at the time of still image photography by the self-timer mode.

Explanation of symbols

1 Camera body 4 Optical viewfinder 5 LED indicator 6 Shutter key 11 CCD
16 CPU
18 Built-in memory 20 Display controller 21 LCD
28 Key input block 29 Camera shake detection unit 31 LED drive unit 32 Program memory

Claims (12)

A light emitting element provided at a position visible from an arbitrary position within the angle of view in the apparatus body;
When the content of the reference information that changes at the time of shooting changes to a content that meets a predetermined automatic shooting condition, shooting is automatically performed, and the lighting pattern of the light emitting element is sequentially changed according to the change of the reference information In relation to automatic shooting, a first shooting mode in which an elapsed time from a shooting instruction is used as the reference information, and a change method in which an image shake amount is used as the reference information and the lighting pattern is sequentially changed are the first shooting. A shooting mode setting means for selectively setting one of a plurality of shooting modes including a second shooting mode different from the mode;
After the shooting mode is set by the shooting mode setting means, a shooting preparation operation including at least one of automatic exposure control, autofocus control, and face recognition processing is started. A series of automatic photographing that waits until the content of the reference information according to the photographing mode set by the setting means satisfies the conditions of automatic photographing according to the photographing mode, and performs photographing recording after the automatic photographing conditions are satisfied Photographing control means for performing the operation;
During the series of automatic photographing operations executed by the photographing control means, the light emitting element is turned on by a predetermined lighting pattern at a predetermined timing in the photographing preparation operation, and after the photographing instruction is given until the automatic photographing condition is satisfied And a lighting control means for sequentially changing the lighting pattern of the light emitting element according to the change of the reference information by the changing method corresponding to the shooting mode set by the shooting mode setting means. A camera device. The lighting control unit is configured to change a lighting pattern of the light emitting element according to a transition of an operation state in a period after the automatic photographing condition is satisfied and the photographing and recording operation is not completed. Item 2. The camera device according to Item 1.   In the series of automatic shooting operations executed by the shooting control unit, the lighting control unit displays a lighting pattern for lighting the light emitting element until the automatic shooting condition is satisfied, and the content of the reference information The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the camera device is sequentially changed according to a degree of coincidence between the image capturing condition and the automatic photographing condition. The reference information is an image shake amount,
4. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein the second shooting mode is a shooting mode in which a time point at which an image shake amount is equal to or less than a threshold is determined as a shooting timing. 5.   The lighting control means turns on when the light emitting element is turned on in accordance with the lighting control in the automatic shooting operation in the first shooting mode in which the time point when the set time has elapsed since the shooting instruction is given is determined as the shooting timing. The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pattern is changed according to an elapsed time since the photographing instruction is given. In addition to having a video shooting function, the automatic shooting operation is an automatic shooting operation for still image shooting,
The lighting control means controls the lighting of the light emitting element according to a series of operation states that sequentially shift during the automatic shooting operation even in the automatic shooting operation for the purpose of still image shooting performed during the moving image shooting period. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting element is lit in the specific lighting pattern in accordance with the lighting control. Display means for displaying an image captured by the imaging means;
In the automatic photographing operation, operation information display means for displaying a series of operation states included in the automatic photographing operation on the display means;
The camera apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:   The camera apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the operation information display unit causes the display unit to display the operation state in conjunction with lighting of a light emitting element accompanying the lighting control by the lighting control unit.   8. The camera apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the operation information display means causes the display means to display the operation state without interlocking with lighting of a light emitting element accompanying the lighting control by the lighting control means.   The camera device according to claim 1, wherein the lighting pattern is characterized by at least one of a lighting color, a blinking speed, and the number of lighting times. A shooting timing notification method in a camera device in which a light emitting element is provided at a position that is visible from an arbitrary position within an angle of view in the apparatus body,
When the content of the reference information that changes at the time of shooting changes to a content that meets a predetermined automatic shooting condition, shooting is automatically performed, and the lighting pattern of the light emitting element is sequentially changed according to the change of the reference information In relation to automatic shooting, a first shooting mode in which an elapsed time from a shooting instruction is used as the reference information, and a change method in which an image shake amount is used as the reference information and the lighting pattern is sequentially changed are the first shooting. A shooting mode setting process for selectively setting one of a plurality of shooting modes including a second shooting mode different from the mode;
After the shooting mode is set by the shooting mode setting process, a shooting preparation operation including at least one of automatic exposure control, autofocus control, and face recognition processing is started, and when there is a shooting instruction, the shooting mode is A series of automatic shooting that waits until the content of the reference information according to the shooting mode set by the setting process satisfies the conditions of automatic shooting according to the shooting mode, and performs shooting recording after the automatic shooting conditions are satisfied A shooting control process for performing the operation;
In the series of automatic photographing operations executed by the photographing control process, the light emitting element is turned on by a predetermined lighting pattern at a predetermined timing in the photographing preparation operation, and until the automatic photographing condition is satisfied after the photographing instruction is given. A lighting control process of sequentially changing the lighting pattern of the light emitting element according to the change of the reference information by the changing method corresponding to the shooting mode set by the shooting mode setting process. An imaging timing notification method. A computer having a camera device in which a light emitting element is provided at a position that is visible from an arbitrary position within an angle of view in the apparatus main body;
When the content of the reference information that changes at the time of shooting changes to a content that meets a predetermined automatic shooting condition, shooting is automatically performed, and the lighting pattern of the light emitting element is sequentially changed according to the change of the reference information In relation to automatic shooting, a first shooting mode in which an elapsed time from a shooting instruction is used as the reference information, and a change method in which an image shake amount is used as the reference information and the lighting pattern is sequentially changed are the first shooting. A shooting mode setting means for selectively setting one of a plurality of shooting modes including a second shooting mode different from the mode;
After the shooting mode is set by the shooting mode setting means, a shooting preparation operation including at least one of automatic exposure control, autofocus control, and face recognition processing is started. A series of automatic photographing that waits until the content of the reference information according to the photographing mode set by the setting means satisfies the conditions of automatic photographing according to the photographing mode, and performs photographing recording after the automatic photographing conditions are satisfied Photographing control means for performing the operation;
During the series of automatic photographing operations executed by the photographing control means, the light emitting element is turned on by a predetermined lighting pattern at a predetermined timing in the photographing preparation operation, and after the photographing instruction is given until the automatic photographing condition is satisfied During this time, the lighting pattern of the light emitting element is caused to function as a lighting control unit that sequentially changes according to the change of the reference information by the changing method corresponding to the shooting mode set by the shooting mode setting unit. An imaging timing notification program characterized by the above.

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