JP6768449B2 - Imaging control device, control method and program of imaging device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image pickup control device, and more particularly to a technique for displaying an item superimposed on a predetermined subject.

On the captured image, an item may be displayed on the image to indicate to the user the position where a specific process is to be performed. Patent Document 1 describes that a frame is displayed on a captured image in order to indicate a position where AF processing is performed. In addition, a display indicating a certain position of a specific subject may be displayed in the captured image. Patent Document 2 describes that a face frame is displayed according to the detection of a person's face in a captured image.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-139658 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-17665

A specific process may be performed at the position where the face of a person is detected. When a person's face is detected in the area where the specific process is performed after displaying the position where the specific process is performed as in Patent Document 1, the face frame is newly displayed by the method of Patent Document 2. Since the area of the person's face is displayed in advance as a position for performing a specific process, the person's face may be difficult to see.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to show the user with good visibility that a specific process is to be performed on a specific subject.

The image pickup control device of the present invention includes a detection means for detecting a predetermined subject in an image captured by the image pickup unit, a display control means for displaying a live view image captured by the image pickup unit on the display unit, and an imaging preparation. In response to the detection means detecting the predetermined subject before the instruction is given, the first item is displayed by superimposing the live view image, and the detection means detects the predetermined subject. A shooting preparation instruction is given in the absence state, and in response to the focus , the second item is displayed by superimposing on the live view image, and after the second item is displayed, the detection means determines the predetermined image. It is characterized by having a control means for controlling so as to change the display form of the second item according to the detection of the subject.

According to the present invention, it is possible to show the user with good visibility that a specific process is performed on a specific subject.

It is an external view of the digital camera which concerns on embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the digital camera which concerns on embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the processing operation by the digital camera which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the display example which displays the item together with the captured image. It is a figure which shows the display example which displays the item together with the captured image.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1A and 1B show external views of a digital camera as an example of an image pickup device that functions as an image pickup control device to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 1A is a front perspective view of the digital camera 100, and FIG. 1B is a rear perspective view of the digital camera 100. In FIG. 1, the display unit 28 is a display unit provided on the back surface of the camera for displaying images and various information. The shutter button 61 is an operation unit for giving a shadow preparation instruction and a shooting instruction. The mode changeover switch 60 is an operation unit for switching various modes. The terminal cover 40 is a cover that protects a connector (not shown) such as a connection cable for connecting a connection cable to an external device and the digital camera 100.

The main electronic dial 71 is a rotation operation member, and by turning the main electronic dial 71, it is possible to change set values such as a shutter speed and an aperture. The power switch 72 is an operating member that switches the power of the digital camera 100 on and off. The sub electronic dial 73 is a rotation operation member, and can move the selection frame, feed an image, and the like. The cross key 74 is a key (four-way key) capable of pressing up, down, left, and right portions, respectively. The operation can be performed according to the pressed portion of the cross key 74. A pointing stick may be provided instead of the cross key 74 or in addition to the cross key. The SET button 75 is a push button and is mainly used for determining a selection item or the like.

The LV button 76 is a button for switching ON / OFF of the live view (hereinafter, LV) in the still image shooting mode. Further, the LV button 76 is used to instruct the start and stop of moving image shooting (recording) in the moving image shooting mode. The play button 79 is an operation button for switching between the shooting mode and the play mode. By pressing the playback button 79 during the shooting mode, the playback mode can be entered, and the latest image among the images recorded on the recording medium 200 can be displayed on the display unit 28.

The lens unit 150 includes a lens, and the focus can be adjusted by changing the lens position. In addition, the aperture, shutter speed, and the like can also be adjusted in the lens unit.
The eyepiece finder 16 is a peep-type finder (FIG. 2) for confirming the focus and composition of the captured image of the subject obtained through the lens unit 150 (FIG. 2) by observing the display unit 41 (FIG. 2) in the finder. Hereinafter, it is a finder 16). The lid 202 is a lid of a slot for storing the recording medium 200 (FIG. 2). The grip portion 90 is a holding portion having a shape that makes it easy for the user to hold the digital camera 100 with his / her right hand.

The INFORMATION button 83 is used to switch the screen displayed on the display unit 28. The MENU button 84 is an operation button for transitioning the display of the display unit 28 to the menu screen.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment.
In FIG. 2, the photographing lens 103 is a lens group including a zoom lens and a focus lens. The shutter 101 is a shutter having an aperture function. The image pickup unit 22 is an image pickup device composed of a CCD, a CMOS element, or the like that converts an optical image into an electric signal. The A / D converter 23 is used to convert an analog signal output from the imaging unit 22 into a digital signal.

The image processing unit 24 performs resizing processing such as predetermined pixel interpolation and reduction and color conversion processing on the data from the A / D converter 23 or the data from the memory control unit 15. Further, the image processing unit 24 performs a predetermined calculation process using the captured image data, and the system control unit 50 performs exposure control and distance measurement control based on the obtained calculation result. As a result, TTL (through-the-lens) AF processing (autofocus processing), AE processing (automatic exposure processing), and EF processing (flash pre-flash processing) are performed. Further, the image processing unit 24 performs a predetermined calculation process using the captured image data, and also performs a TTL method AWB process (auto white balance process) based on the obtained calculation result.

The output data from the A / D converter 23 is written directly to the memory 32 via the image processing unit 24 and the memory control unit 15, or via the memory control unit 15 without going through the image processing unit 24. The memory 32 stores image data obtained by the imaging unit 22 and converted into digital data by the A / D converter 23, and image data (items and the like) to be displayed on the display unit 28. The memory 32 has a storage capacity sufficient to store a predetermined number of still images, moving images for a predetermined time, and audio.
Further, the memory 32 also serves as a memory (video memory) for displaying an image. The D / A converter 13 converts the image display data stored in the memory 32 into an analog signal and supplies it to the display unit 28. In this way, the image data for display written in the memory 32 is displayed by the display unit 28 via the D / A converter 13. The display unit 28 displays on a display such as an LCD according to the analog signal from the D / A converter 13. The digital signal once A / D converted by the A / D converter 23 and stored in the memory 32 is analog-converted by the D / A converter 13 and sequentially transferred to the display unit 28 for display as an electronic viewfinder. It functions and can display through images (live view display).

The non-volatile memory 56 is a memory as a recording medium that can be electrically erased, recorded, and read by the system control unit 50, and for example, EEPROM or the like is used. The non-volatile memory 56 stores constants, programs, and the like for the operation of the system control unit 50. The program referred to here is a computer program for executing various flowcharts described later in the present embodiment.
The system control unit 50 incorporates at least one processor and controls the entire digital camera 100. By executing the program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56 described above, each process of the present embodiment described later is realized. RAM is used as the system memory 52. In the system memory 52, constants and variables for the operation of the system control unit 50, a program read from the non-volatile memory 56, and the like are expanded. The system control unit 50 also controls the display by controlling the memory 32, the D / A converter 13, the display unit 28, and the like.

The system timer 53 is a time measuring unit that measures the time used for various controls and the time of the built-in clock.
The communication unit 54 is connected by a wireless or wired cable to transmit and receive video signals and audio signals. The communication unit 54 can also be connected to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) and the Internet. The communication unit 54 can transmit an image (including a through image) captured by the image pickup unit 22 and an image recorded on the recording medium 200, and also receives image data and various other information from an external device. be able to.
The posture detection unit 55 detects the posture of the digital camera 100 with respect to the direction of gravity. Based on the posture detected by the posture detection unit 55, whether the image taken by the image pickup unit 22 is an image taken by holding the digital camera 100 horizontally or an image taken by holding the digital camera 100 vertically. It can be discriminated. As the posture detection unit 55, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, or the like can be used.

The mode changeover switch 60, the shutter button 61, and the operation unit 70 are operation means for inputting various operation instructions to the system control unit 50. The mode changeover switch 60 switches the operation mode of the system control unit 50 to any one of a still image recording mode, a moving image shooting mode, a playback mode, and the like.
The first shutter switch 62 is turned on by a so-called half-press (shooting preparation instruction) during the operation of the shutter button 61 provided on the digital camera 100, and the first shutter switch signal SW1 is generated. The operation of AF processing, AE processing, AWB processing, EF processing, etc. is started by the first shutter switch signal SW1.
The second shutter switch 64 is turned on when the operation of the shutter button 61 is completed, so-called full pressing (shooting instruction), and the second shutter switch signal SW2 is generated. The system control unit 50 starts a series of shooting processing operations from the still image imaging operation by the imaging unit 22 and the signal reading from the imaging unit 22 to the writing of the image data to the recording medium 200 by the second shutter switch signal SW2. ..
Each operation member of the operation unit 70 is assigned a function as appropriate for each scene by selecting and operating various function icons displayed on the display unit 28, and acts as various function buttons. Examples of the function button include an end button, a back button, an image feed button, a jump button, a narrowing down button, an attribute change button, and the like. For example, when the menu button is pressed, various settable menu screens are displayed on the display unit 28. The user can intuitively make various settings by using the menu screen displayed on the display unit 28 and the up / down / left / right four-direction buttons and the SET button.

The display unit 41 in the finder is a display unit that can be visually recognized via the finder 16, and can display through images, items, and the like like the display unit 28.
The power supply control unit 80 is composed of a battery detection circuit, a DC-DC converter, a switch circuit for switching a block to be energized, and the like, and detects whether or not a battery is installed, the type of battery, and the remaining battery level. Further, the power supply control unit 80 controls the DC-DC converter based on the detection result and the instruction of the system control unit 50, and supplies a necessary voltage to each unit including the recording medium 200 for a necessary period.
The power supply unit 30 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 recording medium I / F 18 is an interface with a recording medium 200 such as a memory card or a hard disk. The recording medium 200 is a non-volatile recording medium such as a memory card for recording an image at the time of shooting, and is composed of a semiconductor memory, an optical disk, a magnetic disk, or the like.

With the above-mentioned digital camera 100, it is possible to take a picture using a central one-point AF or a face AF. The central 1-point AF is to perform AF on the central position 1 point on the shooting screen. The face AF is to perform AF on the face in the shooting screen detected by the face detection function. The AF method may be any method such as contrast AF and phase difference AF.

The face detection function will be described. The system control unit 50 sends the image data of the face detection target to the image processing unit 24. Under the control of the system control unit 50, the image processing unit 24 applies a horizontal bandpass filter to the image data. Further, under the control of the system control unit 50, the image processing unit 24 applies a vertical bandpass filter to the processed image data. Edge components are detected from the image data by these horizontal and vertical bandpass filters. After that, the system control unit 50 performs pattern matching on the detected edge components and extracts candidate groups for eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Then, the system control unit 50 determines from the extracted eye candidate groups that satisfy the preset conditions (for example, the distance between the two eyes, the inclination, etc.) as the eye pair, and determines that the eye pair. Only those with are narrowed down as eye candidates. The system control unit 50 associates the narrowed-down eye candidate group with other parts (nose, mouth, ear) that form the corresponding face, and passes a preset non-face condition filter to the face. Is detected. After that, the system control unit 50 outputs the above face information according to the face detection result, and ends the process. At this time, a feature amount such as the number of faces is stored in the system memory 52.

As described above, it is possible to perform image analysis on the image data displayed in the live view or reproduced, extract the feature amount of the image data, and detect the subject information. In the present embodiment, face information is taken as an example of subject information, but the subject information also includes various information such as red-eye determination, eye detection, eye blindness detection, and smile detection.
In addition, face AE, face FE, and face WB can be performed at the same time as face AF. Face AE is to optimize the exposure of the entire screen according to the detected brightness of the face. Face FE is to dimm the flash around the detected face. The face WB is to optimize the WB of the entire screen according to the detected face color.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing operation by the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment. This process is realized by the system control unit 50 expanding the program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56 into the system memory 52 and executing the program. During the processing operation of FIG. 3, a live view display is executed in which the images captured by the imaging unit 22 are sequentially displayed on the display unit 28.
In step S301, the system control unit 50 determines whether the face tracking AF is set or the one-point AF is set. If it is determined that the face tracking AF is set, the process proceeds to step S302, and if it is determined that the one-point AF is set, the process proceeds to step S324.

When it is determined in step S301 that the face tracking AF is set, the system control unit 50 turns off the flag for performing AF in the face area (referred to as the face area AF flag) in step S302. The face area AF flag is stored in the system memory 52.
In step S303, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not a person's face is detected in the image captured by the imaging unit 22. For example, it is assumed that the face can be detected when the size of the face is larger than a predetermined size in the image captured by the imaging unit 22. Face detection is performed periodically, and the detection result is stored in the system memory 52. If it is determined that the face is detected, the process proceeds to step S304, and if it is determined that the face is not detected, the process proceeds to step S305.

In step S304, the system control unit 50 refers to the system memory 52 and superimposes it on the through image displayed on the display unit 28 to display the face frame 401 indicating the face area, as shown in FIG. 4A. .. In response to the fact that the face is detected before the shooting preparation instruction is given by half-pressing the shutter button 61 in this way, the face frame 401 is displayed on the display unit 28 as the first item. The face frame 401 is displayed in a size based on the size of the face so as to surround the face. If the face is not detected in step S303, the face frame 401 is not displayed and only the live view image is displayed on the display unit 28.

In step S305, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the first shutter switch signal SW1 is ON, that is, whether or not a shooting preparation instruction is given by half-pressing the shutter button 61. If it is determined that the shooting preparation instruction has not been given, the process is returned to step S303, and if it is determined that the shooting preparation instruction has been given, the process proceeds to step S306.
In step S306, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not a face is detected in the image captured by the imaging unit 22, as in step S303. If it is determined that the face is detected, the process proceeds to step S307, and if it is determined that the face is not detected, the process proceeds to step S312.

In step S307, the system control unit 50 turns on the face area AF flag. The face area AF flag is stored in the system memory 52. The face area AF flag is a flag indicating that a shooting preparation instruction has been given while the face has been detected. When the face area AF flag is ON, control is performed so that AF processing is performed in the detected face area.
In step S308, the system control unit 50 performs AF processing at the face region, that is, the position where the face frame 401 is displayed, and starts tracking to the face region.
In step S309, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the face region is in focus as a result of performing the AF process. If it is determined that the face region is in focus, the process proceeds to step S310, and if it is determined that the face region is not in focus, the process proceeds to step S311.

In step S310, the system control unit 50 displays the focusing face frame 402 by superimposing it on the through image displayed on the display unit 28, as shown in FIG. 4B. The focusing face frame 402 is a modification of the display form of the face frame 401, and is displayed as one frame surrounding the face. After that, the system control unit 50 proceeds to step S319.
In step S311 the system control unit 50 displays the out-of-focus face frame 403 by superimposing it on the through image displayed on the display unit 28, as shown in FIG. 4C. The non-focusing face frame 403 is a variation of the display form of the face frame 401. After that, the system control unit 50 proceeds to step S319.

In step S312, the system control unit 50 turns off the face area AF flag.
In step S313, the system control unit 50 performs AF processing and starts tracking the focused subject. The area where AF processing is performed may be the entire screen or a limited area such as near the center of the screen. The limited area is not limited to the vicinity of the center of the screen. Further, the limited area may be predetermined, or may be specified by the user before the shooting preparation instruction is executed. AF processing is performed on the predetermined area divided by a predetermined number, and it is determined whether or not each divided area is in focus. In the present embodiment, 80% of the screen is set as a predetermined area, and AF processing is performed in each area divided into 7 horizontally and 7 vertically.
In step S314, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not there is a focusing region as a result of performing the AF process in step S313. If it is determined that there is an in-focus area, the process proceeds to step S315, and if it is determined that there is no in-focus area, the process proceeds to step S318.

In step S315, the system control unit 50 displays the focusing frame 501 by superimposing it on the through image displayed on the display unit 28, as shown in FIG. 5A. The focusing frame 501 is displayed as a frame indicating the focusing area. In the state shown in FIG. 5A, a person is shown, but the face is not detected because the size of the face is not larger than the predetermined size. In response to the instruction to prepare for shooting by half-pressing the shutter button 61 in the state where the face is not detected in this way, the focusing frame 501 is displayed on the display unit 28 as the second item. Further, as the size of the person in the through image becomes larger, the focusing area becomes larger, and as shown in FIG. 5C, the focusing frame 501 is displayed in a wider range than in FIG. 5A. Therefore, the area in which the frames are superimposed and displayed in the face becomes larger than when the face is detected before the shooting preparation instruction is given. That is, when the focusing frame 501 (the focusing frame 503 for the face described later) is displayed, the area is displayed so as to be superimposed on the face than when the face frame 401 and the focusing face frame 402 are displayed. Is large, and the visibility of the face tends to decrease.
In step S316, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not a face is detected in the focusing frame 501. If it is determined that the face is detected, the process proceeds to step S317, and if it is determined that the face is not detected, the process proceeds to step S319.

In step S317, as shown in FIG. 5D, the system control unit 50 displays the face focusing frame 503 by superimposing it on the through image displayed on the display unit 28. FIG. 5D shows a display example when the size of the face becomes larger than a predetermined size, the face is detected, and the display of the area with the face changes from the focusing frame 501 to the focusing frame 503 for the face. Is shown. The face focusing frame 503 indicates that a person's face has been detected in the focusing region. The face focusing frame 503 is a display indicating the position of the face of the person detected in the focusing area, and the visibility of the face of the person is not deteriorated. The display form of the focusing frame 501 in the area where the face is not detected does not change. The focusing frame 503 for the face changes the display form of the focusing frame 501 so that the facial expression can be easily seen. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 5D, the display form of the face focusing frame 503 is variable according to the size of the face. After that, the system control unit 50 proceeds to step S319.

FIG. 5D shows an example of the focusing frame for the face, and shows the focusing frame 503 for the face in which the display form of the focusing frame 501 is changed from a solid line to a dotted line. Display examples of the face focusing frame may be those shown in FIGS. 5 (e) and 5 (f). FIG. 5E shows a display example in which the transparency of the face focusing frame 503 is higher than that of the focusing frame. In FIG. 5 (f), the face focusing frame 503 is displayed by showing only the corners from the quadrangle. In addition, the number may be reduced or the size of the frame may be increased. Compared to the focusing frame, the focusing frame for the face has a smaller part (the area of the face that overlaps the frame and cannot be seen) that is superimposed on the face, or has a higher transparency so that the part of the face can be visually recognized. It is a display that raises the sex. In addition, multiple focusing frames are displayed superimposed on the face to indicate the focusing range, but since the face focusing frame is displayed according to the detected face size, there are multiple focusing frames. It becomes a frame of the combined size. In other words, the face focus frame is displayed in a size based on the detected face size (so that the visibility of the face is not reduced), but the focus frame even if the face is detected. Since the display is not based on the size of the face, it overlaps with the face and visibility is reduced. However, even if the display is superimposed on the face, the decrease in visibility can be reduced by changing the display form as described above. As shown in FIG. 5 (g), if the face focusing frame 503 is sufficiently small with respect to the face, the transmittance of the face focusing frame 503 is increased or the number of lines is reduced. Rather than stop doing this and make the facial expression easier to see, it may indicate the in-focus area. The display form of the face focusing frame may be changed in shape, size, color, etc., in addition to those described above.
In step S318, the system control unit 50 displays the out-of-focus display 502 by superimposing it on the through image displayed on the display unit 28, as shown in FIG. 5B. After that, the system control unit 50 proceeds to step S319.

In step S319, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the shooting preparation instruction is continued and the continuous AF process is continued. If it is determined that the shooting preparation instruction is continued, the process proceeds to step S320, and if it is determined that the shooting preparation instruction is not continued, the process proceeds to step S321.
In step S320, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the face area AF flag is ON. When it is determined that the face area AF flag is ON, the process is returned to step S308, and the AF process is repeated in the face area based on the face detection information stored in the system memory 52. By repeating this process, the face can be continuously detected and the face can be continuously focused. When it is determined that the face area flag is OFF, the process is returned to step S313, and the AF process is repeated in a predetermined area of the screen.
In step S321, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the second shutter switch signal SW2 is ON, that is, whether or not a shooting instruction is given by fully pressing the shutter button 61. If it is determined that the shooting instruction has been given, the process proceeds to step S322, and if it is determined that the shooting instruction has not been given, the process proceeds to step S323.
In step S322, the system control unit 50 executes a shooting process and completes the process.
In step S323, since the pressing of the shutter button 61 was stopped and the shooting preparation instruction was canceled, the system control unit 50 erased the displayed item superimposed on the through image displayed on the display unit 28 and processed it. To complete.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S301 that the one-point AF is set, in step S324, the system control unit 50 displays the AF frame in the center of the screen of the display unit 28.
In step S325, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the AF frame has been moved by the user. If it is determined that the AF frame movement operation has been performed, the process proceeds to step S326, and if it is determined that the AF frame movement operation has not been performed, the process proceeds to step S327.
In step S326, the system control unit 50 changes the position where the AF frame is displayed according to the movement operation of the AF frame.

In step S327, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not a shooting preparation instruction has been given by half-pressing the shutter button 61. If it is determined that the shooting preparation instruction has not been given, the process returns to step S325, and if it is determined that the shooting preparation instruction has been given, the process proceeds to step S328.
In step S328, the system control unit 50 performs AF processing at the position where the AF frame is displayed and displays the focusing frame. In the case of one-point AF, the AF frame does not move after the shooting preparation instruction is given, and the focusing frame may be, for example, a thick line of the AF frame.

In step S329, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not a shooting instruction has been given by fully pressing the shutter button 61. If it is determined that the shooting instruction has been given, the process proceeds to step S330, and if it is determined that the shooting instruction has not been given, the process proceeds to step S331.
In step S330, the system control unit 50 executes a shooting process and completes the process.
In step S331, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the shooting preparation instruction is continued. If it is determined that the shooting preparation instruction is continued, the process is returned to step S329, and if it is determined that the shooting preparation instruction is not continued, the process is returned to step S324.

As described above, if a face is detected when the face of the person to be tracked is in focus in an undetected state, and if there is a face in the focusing area, the display form of the focusing frame 501 It is possible to make the facial expression easier to see by displaying the face focusing frame 503 with a different value. When the item is displayed on the display unit 28 together with the image captured in this way, the state of a predetermined subject can be easily visually recognized.
If AF processing is performed before the face is detected and tracking is started, the focusing frame is displayed, and even if the size of the face in the through image becomes large, the focusing frame 501 is displayed so as to overlap the face. .. However, since the display form of the focusing frame in the face area is changed according to the detection of the face so that the visibility of the face is improved, the user focuses on the face while checking the facial expression. You can recognize that you are doing it. On the other hand, if a face is detected before the AF process is performed, the face frame 401 is displayed so as to surround the face. Therefore, even if the size or position of the face in the through image changes, the face frame is displayed according to the detected face size, so that the visibility of the face does not deteriorate in the middle.
In the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the in-focus frame and the like are displayed on the display unit 28, but when the user is looking into the finder and the display is displayed on the in-finder display unit 41, the in-finder display unit 41 is used. It may be displayed.

Although the present invention has been described above together with the embodiments, the above-described embodiments merely show examples of embodiment of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is interpreted in a limited manner by these. It should not be. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the technical idea or its main features.
In the present embodiment, a person's face is taken as an example as a predetermined subject, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, since there is a feature in color and shape and there may be a request to confirm the state, a subject detected based on a feature amount such as color and shape may be targeted.
Further, the various processes described as those performed by the system control unit 50 may be performed by one hardware, or may be shared by a plurality of hardware (for example, a plurality of processors and circuits).

Further, in the embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a digital camera has been described, but the present invention is an imaging control device capable of controlling the display of an item indicating a detected predetermined subject on a live view image. If there is, it is applicable. That is, the present invention can be applied not only to a camera but also to various terminals having a camera function (mobile phone terminal, tablet terminal, smartphone, etc.).
(Other embodiments)
The present invention supplies a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiment to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and one or more processors in the computer of the system or device reads and executes the program. It can also be realized by the processing to be performed. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

22: Imaging unit, 24: Image processing unit, 28: Display unit, 50: System control unit, 52: System memory, 56: Non-volatile memory, 100: Digital camera

Claims (17)

A detection means for detecting a predetermined subject in an image captured by an imaging unit, and
A display control means for displaying a live view image captured by the imaging unit on the display unit, and
In response to the detection means detecting the predetermined subject before the shooting preparation instruction is given, the first item is displayed by superimposing it on the live view image.
A shooting preparation instruction is given in a state where the detection means has not detected the predetermined subject, and in response to the focus , the second item is displayed by superimposing the live view image.
Imaging characterized by having a control means for controlling the display form of the second item to be changed in response to the detection means detecting the predetermined subject after displaying the second item. Control device. The imaging control device according to claim 1, wherein the second item has a larger area to be displayed superimposed on the predetermined subject than the first item. The second item is a plurality of items having a predetermined size indicating a range related to a predetermined process, and the control means displays the first item when the shooting preparation instruction is given. The imaging control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the item is controlled so as to be superimposed on the predetermined subject and displayed as a frame surrounding the predetermined subject . The predetermined process is an autofocus process, and the control means controls the range of the subject to which the autofocus process is performed in the live view image captured by the imaging unit so as to be indicated by an item of the predetermined size. The image pickup control device according to claim 3, wherein the image pickup control device is characterized. The control means displays the first item in a size based on the detected size of the predetermined subject, and displays the second item in a size not based on the predetermined subject. The imaging control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is controlled. The control means is characterized in that when the detection means detects the predetermined subject after displaying the second item, the control means controls so as to reduce the transmittance of the second item. 5. The imaging control device according to any one of 5. When the detecting means detects the predetermined subject after displaying the second item, the control means determines the number of lines constituting the second item, the shape of the second item, and the second item. The imaging control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the size of the item and at least one of the colors of the second item are controlled to be changed. When the detection means detects the predetermined subject after the second item is displayed, the control means changes the display form of the portion of the second item indicating the position of the predetermined subject. The imaging control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the display form of a portion of the second item different from the portion is controlled so as not to be changed. The imaging control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first item is a frame indicating a region of the predetermined subject. The imaging control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the predetermined subject is a person's face. When the first item is displayed, the control means controls to perform autofocus processing at the position where the first item is displayed in response to the shooting preparation instruction. The imaging control device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the image pickup control device is characterized. The control means is focused on the position where the first item is displayed and when the first item is displayed because the shooting preparation instruction is given when the first item is displayed. The imaging control device according to claim 11, wherein the image control device is controlled so as to change the display form of the first item depending on whether the item is not focused at the displayed position. Any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the detection means detects the predetermined subject as the predetermined subject when the size of the predetermined subject in the image captured by the imaging unit is equal to or larger than the predetermined size. The image pickup control device according to claim 1. The imaging control device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the display control means performs the control in a mode of tracking and focusing on the predetermined subject. It is a control method of an image pickup apparatus having a function of detecting a predetermined subject in an image captured by an image pickup unit.
A step of displaying the live view image captured by the imaging unit on the display unit, and
In response to the detection of the predetermined subject before the shooting preparation instruction is given, the first item is displayed by superimposing it on the live view image.
When the shooting preparation instruction is given in a state where the predetermined subject is not detected and the subject is in focus , the second item is displayed by superimposing it on the live view image.
A control method for an imaging device, which comprises a step of controlling the display form of the second item to be changed according to the detection of the predetermined subject after displaying the second item. A program for causing a computer to function as each means of the imaging control device according to any one of claims 1 to 14. A computer-readable storage medium containing a program for causing the computer to function as each means of the imaging control device according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

Images