JP7150590B2 - Electronics - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to electronic equipment that handles content such as images, video, and audio.

In editing content such as images, video, and audio, generally, a plurality of thumbnail images corresponding to a plurality of contents are arranged along one axis in the playback order of the contents, and thumbnail images are displayed according to user operations. move, replace, add, delete, etc. Such editing is called "timeline editing" or the like. Furthermore, in the field of content (material) production, when a video that is not suitable as a material is recorded due to narration mistakes or camera work failures, the video is re-recorded, that is, “retake” is generally performed. will be

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for arranging and displaying a plurality of content objects in a three-dimensional space according to the time of each content object (the time when the corresponding video was recorded) and tag information (information about the content of the video) (video content editing technology). device) is disclosed.

JP 2011-071813 A

However, in the conventional technology, content cannot be managed appropriately, and convenience is poor. For example, with the technology disclosed in Patent Literature 1, even if a user looks at a plurality of displayed content objects, the correspondence relationship between the moving image recorded in the take (first shooting) and the moving image recorded in the retake etc. cannot be easily comprehended. Therefore, it is difficult to edit the timeline.

An object of the present invention is to suitably display an image showing content so as to improve convenience.

In the electronic device of the present invention, on a timeline in which a plurality of areas corresponding to each of the groups are displayed side by side along a first axis, each area is selected to indicate one content included in the corresponding group. display control means for displaying an image and controlling to display a non-selected image showing content other than the content of the selected image among a plurality of contents included in a group corresponding to the zone in association with the zone; selection means for selecting content to be displayed as the selected image in the zone from a plurality of contents included in a group corresponding to the zone according to a user operation; and a plurality of selections arranged along the first axis. and reproducing means for reproducing a plurality of contents respectively indicated by the images in the order in which the plurality of selected images are arranged.

According to the present invention, it is possible to preferably display an image showing content so as to improve convenience.

1 is a block diagram of an electronic device; FIG. 1 is an external view of an electronic device (smartphone); FIG. 1 is an external view of an electronic device (digital camera); FIG. It is an example of a shooting standby screen, an editing screen, and a timeline display. 6 is a flowchart of moving image shooting processing; It is a part of the flowchart of the timeline editing process. It is a part of the flowchart of the timeline editing process. It is an example of a timeline display. It is an example of an edit screen and a comparative playback screen.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of an electronic device 100 as an example of a device to which the present invention can be applied. The electronic device 100 can be configured using a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as PC) or the like.

1, a CPU 101, a memory 102, a nonvolatile memory 103, an image processing unit 104, a display 105, an operation unit 106, a recording medium I/F 107, an external I/F 109, a communication I/F 110, and a camera unit are connected to an internal bus 150. 112 are connected. Each unit connected to the internal bus 150 is capable of exchanging data with each other via the internal bus 150 .

CPU 101 includes one or more processors and/or at least one circuit. The memory 102 is, for example, a RAM (a volatile memory using a semiconductor element, etc.). The CPU 101 controls each part of the electronic device 100 using the memory 102 as a work memory, for example, according to a program stored in the nonvolatile memory 103 . The nonvolatile memory 103 stores image data, audio data, other data, various programs for the CPU 101 to operate, and the like. The nonvolatile memory 103 is composed of, for example, a hard disk (HD) or ROM.

Under the control of the CPU 101 , the image processing unit 104 processes image data stored in the nonvolatile memory 103 and the recording medium 108 , video signals obtained via the external I/F 109 , and images obtained via the communication I/F 110 . Various types of image processing are applied to data, captured images, and the like. The image processing performed by the image processing unit 104 includes A/D conversion processing, D/A conversion processing, image data encoding processing, compression processing, decoding processing, enlargement/reduction processing (resize), noise reduction processing, color conversion, and so on. processing, etc. The image processing unit 104 may be composed of a dedicated circuit block for performing specific image processing. Further, depending on the type of image processing, the CPU 101 can perform image processing according to a program without using the image processing unit 104 .

The display 105 displays an image, a GUI screen that constitutes a GUI (Graphical User Interface), and the like, under the control of the CPU 101 . CPU 101 controls each unit of electronic device 100 to generate a display control signal according to a program, generate a video signal to be displayed on display 105 , and output the video signal to display 105 . A display 105 displays an image based on the output image signal. Electronic device 100 itself includes an interface for outputting a video signal to be displayed on display 105, and display 105 may be configured by an external monitor (such as a television).

The operation unit 106 is an input device for receiving user operations, including a character information input device such as a keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse and a touch panel, buttons, dials, joysticks, touch sensors, and touch pads. It should be noted that the touch panel is an input device that is superimposed on the display 105 and configured in a two-dimensional manner so as to output coordinate information corresponding to the touched position.

A recording medium I/F 107 can be loaded with a recording medium 108 such as a memory card, a CD, and a DVD. I do. The external I/F 109 is an interface for connecting with an external device via a wired cable or wirelessly and inputting/outputting a video signal and an audio signal. The communication I/F 110 is an interface for communicating with an external device, the Internet 111, etc., and transmitting/receiving various data such as files and commands.

The camera unit 112 is a camera unit including an image sensor (image sensor) including a CCD or CMOS element for converting an optical image into an electric signal. The camera unit 112 includes a lens group (photographing lens) including a zoom lens and a focus lens, a shutter having an aperture function, an image pickup device, an A/D converter that converts an analog signal output from the image pickup device into a digital signal, and an image pickup system. Contains a barrier that covers the device to prevent dirt and damage. The image processing unit 104 performs resizing processing such as predetermined pixel interpolation and reduction, and color conversion processing on data acquired by imaging with the camera unit 112 . Based on the calculation result obtained by the image processing unit 104, the CPU 101 performs exposure control, distance measurement control, and AWB (auto white balance) processing. Display image data captured by the camera unit 112 and image-processed by the image processing unit 104 is displayed on the display 105 . The digital signal captured by the camera unit 112, converted by the A/D converter, and stored in the memory 102 is converted into an analog signal by the D/A converter, and sequentially transferred to the display 105 for display. Live view display (LV display) can be performed. The live view can be displayed in a still image shooting standby state, a moving image shooting standby state, or when recording a moving image, and the imaged subject image is displayed almost in real time. The CPU 101 controls the camera unit 112 and the camera unit 112 so as to start operations such as AF (autofocus) processing, AE (automatic exposure) processing, AWB processing, etc., in response to a photographing preparation instruction based on a user operation performed on the operation unit 106. It controls the image processing unit 104 . In response to a shooting instruction, the CPU 101 performs main exposure, reads a signal from the image sensor, processes the captured image in the image processing unit 104 to generate an image file, and records the image in the recording medium 108. It controls to start the operation of processing (actual photographing). A shooting instruction can be given by a user operation on the operation unit 106 . The camera unit 112 is capable of capturing still images and moving images.

The electronic device 100 further includes a microphone (not shown) that collects the sound of recorded moving images, the sound recorded by the voice recorder function, the call sound when using the call function, and the like. In addition, the electronic device 100 has a speaker that is used to reproduce the sound of a recorded video file, the sound of an audio file, and the like to produce the reproduced sound, and to produce the sound of the other party during a call. (not shown). Electronic device 100 also has an audio output unit (not shown) that outputs similar audio to headphones or the like.

The operation unit 106 includes a touch panel 106a. The CPU 101 can detect the following operations or states on the touch panel 106a.
- A finger or pen that has not touched the touch panel 106a newly touches the touch panel 106a, that is, the start of touch (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Down)
A state in which the touch panel 106a is touched with a finger or pen (hereinafter referred to as Touch-On)
・The finger or pen is moving while touching the touch panel 106a (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Move)
- The finger or pen touching the touch panel 106a is separated from the touch panel 106a, that is, the end of the touch (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Up)
A state in which nothing is touched on the touch panel 106a (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Off)

When touchdown is detected, touchon is also detected at the same time. After touchdown, touchon continues to be detected unless touchup is detected. A touch-move is also detected when a touch-on is detected. Even if touch-on is detected, touch-move is not detected if the touch position does not move. After it is detected that all the fingers and pens that have touched have touched up, the touch is turned off.

The CPU 101 is notified of these operations/states and the coordinates of the position where the finger or pen touches the touch panel 106a through the internal bus. ) has been performed. As for the touch move, the movement direction of the finger or pen moving on the touch panel 106a can also be determined for each vertical component/horizontal component on the touch panel 106a based on the change in the position coordinates. If it is detected that the touch-move has been performed for a predetermined distance or more, it is determined that the slide operation has been performed. An operation of touching the touch panel 106a with a finger and quickly moving it by a certain distance and then releasing it is called a flick. A flick is, in other words, an operation of quickly tracing the touch panel 106a as if flicking it with a finger. It can be determined that a flick has been performed when a touch-move of a predetermined distance or more at a predetermined speed or more is detected, and a touch-up is detected as it is (it can be determined that a flick has occurred following a slide operation). Further, a touch operation of simultaneously touching a plurality of points (for example, two points) to bring the touch positions closer to each other is called pinch-in, and a touch operation of moving the touch positions away from each other is called pinch-out. Pinch-out and pinch-in are collectively called pinch operation (or simply pinch).

The touch panel 106a may use any type of touch panel of various types such as a resistive film type, an electrostatic capacitance type, a surface acoustic wave type, an infrared type, an electromagnetic induction type, an image recognition type, an optical sensor type, and the like. good. There is a method of detecting that there is a touch when there is contact with the touch panel, and a method of detecting that there is a touch when there is an approach of a finger or pen to the touch panel.

2 and 3 are external views of the electronic device 100. FIG. FIG. 2 is an example in which the electronic device 100 is a smart phone, and FIG. 3 is an example in which the electronic device 100 is a digital camera specializing in self-portraits for photographing the photographer himself (the operator himself). is. Since the internal block diagrams in these cases are the same as those in FIG. 1, description of the internal block diagrams is omitted.

Electronic device 100 (smartphone) in FIG. 2 includes power button 106b and home button 106c as part of operation unit 106 . The power button 106 b is a button for switching on/off the power of the electronic device 100 . The home button 106c is a button for transitioning to a list screen (home screen) of application software that can be activated.

The electronic device 100 (digital camera) in FIG. 3 is provided with a camera section 112 at the top. The camera section 112 is connected to the main body by a hinge section 130, and the camera section 112 can be freely rotated around the hinge section 130 as a central axis. Moderate frictional force acts on the rotation, and the user can freely rotate the camera unit 112 and fix it. As a result, the orientation (imaging direction) in which the camera unit 112 is photographed can be set to the face-to-face orientation (the illustrated orientation) in which the photographer holding the electronic device 100 himself can be photographed as a subject. Also, the shooting direction can be the opposite direction to the facing direction, for example, the direction opposite to the direction of the photographer when viewed from the electronic device 100 . In this embodiment, the electronic device 100 has the touch panel 106a capable of detecting touch operations on the display 105, but the digital camera as shown in FIG. 3 may not have the touch panel 106a.

The power button 106b and home button 106c in FIG. 3 have functions similar to those described in FIG. The menu button 106d is a hard key having the same function as the menu button 406 (touch button) described later. The touch pad 106e is a touch sensor, and can detect various touch operations on the operation surface of the touch pad 106e like the touch panel 106a. In accordance with the touch operation on the touch pad 106e, the same processing as the touch operation on the touch pad area 402, which will be described later, is performed. The operation surface of the touch pad 106e is arranged at a position different from the display surface of the display 105, and does not have a display function. The take key 106f is a hardware key having the same function as the take key 404 (touch button) described later. The retake key 106g is a hard key having the same function as a retake key 405 (touch button) described later. The grip portion 131 is a grip portion that allows the electronic device 100 to be held with one hand, and is made of a rubber member, a sponge member, or the like for enhancing holding power.

3, when the user (photographer) holds the grip portion 131 with one hand, the take key 106f, the retake key 106g, and the touch pad 106e can be operated with the thumb of the hand holding the grip portion 131. FIG. Therefore, the user holds the electronic device 100 (digital camera) with one hand, holds an object or the like to be photographed with the other hand, and performs various photographing operations, which will be described later, with the object held in the other hand and himself as subjects. be able to. In addition, the user can smoothly operate the take key 106f, the retake key 106g, the touch pad 106e, etc., without switching the electronic device 100. FIG. Note that the touch pad 106e or the like may be placed at a position where the finger that operates the take key 106f or the retake key 106g can be operated. Operations may be performed.

Furthermore, in FIG. 3, a take key 106f and a retake key 106g are arranged farther than the display 105 when viewed from an acquisition unit such as the camera unit 112 and a microphone (not shown). This prevents the fingers operating the take key 106f and the retake key 106g from being caught on the camera unit 112 or the microphone and interfering with shooting or collecting sound, or by being caught on the display 105 and interfering with viewing of the display screen of the display 105. can be suppressed. In this embodiment, the take key 106f and the retake key 106g are used to instruct photographing and sound collection, and live view display is performed on the display 105 during photographing and sound collection. Therefore, by arranging the take key 106f and the retake key 106g farther than the display 105 when viewed from the camera unit 112 and the microphone, the user can properly confirm the live view display and instruct to shoot a moving image. Furthermore, the finger operating the take key 106f and the retake key 106g is not imaged, and the sound of the finger is not input, so that image capturing and sound collection can be performed favorably.

An example in which the electronic device 100 is a smartphone as shown in FIG. 2 will be described below, but a digital camera such as that shown in FIG. When the electronic device 100 is a digital camera as shown in FIG. 3, the take key 404, which will be described later, should be replaced with the take key 106f, the retake key 405, which will be described later, with the retake key 106g, and the touch pad area 402, which will be described later, with the touch pad 106e. Also, an LV display area 401 and a timeline display area 420, which will be described later, can be the entire surface of the display 105. FIG.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show examples of various screens displayed on the display 105 by the processing of this embodiment when the electronic device 100 is a smart phone as shown in FIG. The screen in FIG. 4A is a shooting standby screen displayed on the display 105 when shooting a moving image. For example, the shooting standby screen in FIG. 4A is an initial screen displayed on the display 105 immediately after the shooting application is activated. FIG. 4B shows a screen for displaying a timeline of a plurality of captured moving images, and is an editing screen displayed on the display 105 when timeline editing of a plurality of moving images is performed. For example, the editing screen in FIG. 4B is displayed on the display 105 immediately after the end of moving image shooting. Also, even if moving image shooting is not performed, the screen displayed on the display 105 transitions to the editing screen shown in FIG. 4B in accordance with the user's operation for starting timeline editing. 4(c) and 4(d) are enlarged views of the timeline display on the edit screen of FIG. 4(b). Details of each screen will be described later.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of moving image shooting processing of electronic device 100 . This processing is realized by the CPU 101 expanding the program recorded in the nonvolatile memory 103 into the memory 102 and executing the program. When the electronic device 100 is activated and the photographing application corresponding to the present embodiment is activated, the process of FIG. 5 is started. Note that when the electronic device 100 is a digital camera as shown in FIG. 3, the processing shown in FIG. 5 starts when the moving image shooting mode is set or the electronic device 100 is activated in the moving image shooting mode. The moving image shooting mode may or may not be automatically set when the electronic device 100 (digital camera) is activated. When the electronic device 100 is activated, the previous operation mode may be automatically set.

In S501, the CPU 101 starts live view shooting by the camera unit 112, and displays the shooting standby screen of FIG. In the shooting standby screen of FIG. 4A, an LV display area 401 is an area for live view display (LV display). The touch pad area 402 is an area for operating display items (for example, the focus frame 403 and the like) superimposed on the LV display area 401 without directly touching the LV display area 401 . A take key 404, a retake key 405, a menu button 406, and a play button 407 are displayed on the shooting standby screen of FIG. 4(a).

A take key 404 is a touch button operated for starting the first shooting (take) of one scene. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when shooting (recording) of a moving image is started in response to receiving a touch operation on the take key 404, the moving image is put into a new group different from the immediately preceding moving image. to shoot. As a result, multiple moving images of different groups can be identified as multiple moving images of different scenes. On the other hand, a retake key 405 is a touch button operated to start retaking (retaking) a moving image. A retake is highly likely to be a retake of a video of the same scene as the previously shot video. For this reason, in the present embodiment, when shooting a moving image is started in response to receiving a touch operation on the retake key 405, the moving image is shot as a moving image in the same group as the last shot movie. As a result, multiple videos of the same group can be identified as multiple videos of the same scene. Furthermore, by using the take key 404 and the retake key 405, the user can perform an operation to quickly switch between take and retake. The menu button 406 and play button 407 will be described later.

In S502, the CPU 101 determines whether or not the take key 404 has been operated (touched). If it is determined that the take key 404 has been operated, the process proceeds to S503; otherwise, the process proceeds to S512.

In S503, the CPU 101 generates a new group ID. A group ID is identification information indicating a corresponding group. In S504, the CPU 101 shoots (records) a moving image using the camera unit 112, generates a new moving image file, and records it as a moving image file on the recording medium 108 (recording control). The new group ID generated in S503 is recorded as attribute information in the generated moving image file. Specifically, for example, the group ID is used as part of the file name of the moving image file or recorded in the metadata of the moving image file. In S505, the CPU 101 determines whether or not the take key 404 has been operated again. If it is determined that the take key 404 has been operated again, the process advances to S506; otherwise, the process advances to S504 to continue shooting the moving image. In S506, the CPU 101 stops recording the moving image file, and closes the moving image file assigned with the group ID generated in S503. As a result, the moving image from when the take key 404 is operated in S502 until when the take key 404 is operated again in S505 is recorded on the recording medium 108 as a single moving image file (data file). Also, the playlist recorded in the nonvolatile memory 103 is updated, and the identification information of the recorded moving image is recorded as the moving image whose reproduction order is the last in the playlist. If the playlist does not exist, a new playlist is generated, and the identification information is recorded as the moving image having the first playback order.

Note that in the present embodiment, a group ID is assigned as attribute information to a moving image file, and a moving image group is managed by the group ID, but the management method of the moving image group is not limited to this. For example, by recording/updating management information (such as a table) that indicates the correspondence between a video (file name, file ID, etc.) and a group (group name, group ID, etc.) and is independent of the video, You can manage groups. A moving image may be recorded in a folder for each group, and the moving image group may be managed by the folder in which the moving image is recorded. The CPU 101 may perform only one of the multiple controls for these multiple management methods, or may perform two or more of the multiple controls.

In S507, the CPU 101 causes the display screen of the display 105 to transition to the edit screen shown in FIG. 4B, and causes the display 105 to display the timeline. In the edit screen of FIG. 4B, a timeline display area 420 is an area for displaying a timeline. In S507, for example, the timeline shown in FIG. 4C is displayed in the timeline display area 420. FIG. By automatically displaying a timeline after shooting (recording) a movie, the user can check the movies that have been shot so far, remember to instruct movie shooting of all scenes, and You will be able to easily carry out planning (planning) related to. When moving image shooting is to be performed again, the display screen of the display 105 is changed to a shooting standby screen in which the timeline display is not performed (LV display is performed) so that the user can easily check the subject on the display 105.

As shown in FIG. 4C, in the timeline display, a timeline (main line) 421 displays a plurality of image columns (columns 431 to 435) corresponding to a plurality of groups as one axis (hereinafter referred to as "time In this embodiment, they are displayed side by side along the horizontal axis). CPU 101 displays a selection image showing one moving image included in a group corresponding to each column in a plurality of areas on timeline 421 . In addition, the CPU 101 also controls an axis perpendicular to the time axis (hereinafter referred to as a “take axis”) so as to associate the selected image of each group with the displayed area (area on the timeline 421). along the vertical axis), non-selected images representing moving images other than the moving image of the selected image among the plurality of moving images are displayed in a row. In this embodiment, thumbnail images of moving images are displayed as selected images and non-selected images. Furthermore, the CPU 101 highlights one of the plurality of thumbnail images with the selection frame 422 . The role of the selection frame 422 will be described later. Note that dashed lines in FIG. 4(c) are shown for convenience in order to indicate columns, and are not displayed.

As described above, in the timeline display of the present embodiment, a plurality of thumbnail images respectively showing a plurality of videos of different groups and a plurality of thumbnail images respectively showing a plurality of videos of the same group are displayed in different display directions. be. Such a timeline display allows the user to easily grasp the correspondence between groups (scenes) and moving images. As a result, the user can easily and favorably perform timeline editing such as selection, movement, replacement, addition, and deletion of thumbnail images.

Furthermore, although the arrangement of the plurality of thumbnail images (selected images and non-selected images) in the same column is not particularly limited, in the present embodiment, the CPU 101 arranges the plurality of thumbnail images in the same column and the corresponding plurality of moving images. arranged and displayed in order. According to such a timeline display, the user can easily grasp the correspondence relationship between the moving image recorded in the take and the moving image recorded in the retake for each scene. In general, thumbnail images are likely to be similar among multiple videos of the same group. In other words, it is difficult for the user to distinguish between the moving images using only the thumbnail images as clues. By arranging multiple thumbnail images in the same column (group) in the order in which the video was recorded, the user can determine the number of times the video was shot simply by checking the order of the thumbnail images. I can grasp it. That is, the user can easily distinguish between multiple videos of the same group.

Returning to the description of FIG. In S508, the CPU 101 determines whether the take key 404 or the retake key 405 has been operated (touched). If it is determined that the take key 404 or the retake key 405 has been operated, the process proceeds to S501; otherwise, the process proceeds to S509. In S509, the CPU 101 determines whether or not the timeline display area 420 has been operated (touched). If it is determined that the timeline display area 420 has been operated, the process proceeds to S510; otherwise, the process proceeds to S511. In S510, the CPU 101 performs timeline editing processing. The timeline editing process will be described later with reference to FIG. In S511, the CPU 101 determines whether or not a predetermined time has passed since the timeline display started in S507. If it is determined that the predetermined time has passed, the process proceeds to S501; otherwise, the process proceeds to S508. Therefore, when a predetermined time elapses without any operation after the timeline display is started, the display screen of the display 105 transitions from the edit screen of FIG. 4B to the shooting standby screen of FIG. 4A.

In S512, the CPU 101 determines whether or not the retake key 405 has been operated. If it is determined that the retake key 405 has been operated, the process proceeds to S513; otherwise, the process proceeds to S518.

In S<b>513 , the CPU 101 determines whether or not the retake target file exists in the recording medium 108 . A file to be retaken is, for example, a moving image file recorded immediately before. The retake target file may be a moving image file recorded in the current moving image shooting process (FIG. 5), or may be a moving image file recorded in the past moving image shooting process. If it is determined that there is a file to be retaken, the process proceeds to S514; otherwise, the process proceeds to S503. Therefore, when the retake target file does not exist, a moving image of a new group is shot according to the operation of the retake key 405 .

In S514, the CPU 101 acquires the group ID assigned to the retake target file. In S<b>515 , the CPU 101 uses the camera unit 112 to shoot (record) a moving image. In S516, the CPU 101 determines whether the take key 404 or the retake key 405 has been operated. If it is determined that the take key 404 or the retake key 405 has been operated, the process advances to S517; otherwise, the process advances to S515 to continue shooting the moving image. In S517, the CPU 101 stops shooting the moving image, and assigns the group ID acquired in S514 (the group ID of the file to be retaken) to the moving image (file close processing). Here, by stopping movie shooting, the movie from when the retake key 405 is operated in S512 to when the take key 404 or the retake key 405 is operated in S516 is recorded as a single movie file (data file). Created on medium 108 . Also, in the playlist recorded in the non-volatile memory 103, the video in the order in which the video of the adopted take of the retake target group is located is replaced with the identifier of the video closed in S517. In other words, the play list is updated so that the last recorded video in the same group is taken as the adopted take. After that, the process proceeds to S507, and a timeline is displayed.

In S<b>518 , the CPU 101 determines whether or not there has been a touch operation on the touch pad area 402 . If it is determined that a touch operation has been performed on the touch pad area 402, the process proceeds to S519; otherwise, the process proceeds to S520.

In S519, the CPU 101 moves or changes display items (for example, focusing frame 403) superimposed on the LV display area 401 according to the touch operation in S518 (touch operation on the touch pad area 402).

In S520, the CPU 101 determines whether or not the play button 407 has been operated. If it is determined that the play button 407 has been operated, the process proceeds to S521; otherwise, the process proceeds to S523.

In S521, the CPU 101 causes the display screen of the display 105 to transition to the edit screen shown in FIG. 4B, and causes the display 105 to display the timeline. By starting the timeline display in response to the operation of the play button 407, the user can check the timeline display at any timing. In S522, the CPU 101 performs timeline editing processing. The timeline editing process will be described later with reference to FIG.

In S523, the CPU 101 determines whether or not to end the moving image shooting process. For example, the CPU 101 performs video shooting when an operation instructing power off of the electronic device 100 (such as pressing the power button 106b) or an operation instructing termination of the imaging application (such as pressing the home button 106c) is performed. It is determined to end the processing. If it is determined to end the moving image shooting process, the moving image shooting process ends; otherwise, the process advances to step S501.

6 and 7 are flowcharts showing an example of timeline editing processing of the electronic device 100. FIG. This processing is realized by the CPU 101 expanding the program recorded in the nonvolatile memory 103 into the memory 102 and executing the program. The timeline editing process is performed in S510 and S522 of FIG. Note that the timeline editing process may be performed by an editing application different from the shooting application that performs the process of FIG. In that case, even if the electronic device 100 is activated and the editing application is activated, the timeline editing process is started. When the electronic device 100 is a digital camera as shown in FIG. 3, even if the edit mode is set or the electronic device 100 is activated in the edit mode, the processes shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 are started. The edit mode may or may not be automatically set when the electronic device 100 (digital camera) is activated. When the electronic device 100 is activated, the previous operation mode may be automatically set.

In S<b>601 , the CPU 101 causes the display screen of the display 105 to transition to the edit screen shown in FIG. 4B to display the timeline on the display 105 . Note that if the timeline display has already been performed, the processing of S601 is omitted. In S602, the CPU 101 determines whether or not the play button 407 has been operated. If it is determined that the play button 407 has been operated, the process proceeds to S603; otherwise, the process proceeds to S607.

In S603, the CPU 101 reproduces the moving image of the thumbnail image selected in the selection frame 422 (FIG. 4(c)). In the present embodiment, a predetermined direction along the timeline 421 (time axis) (in FIG. 4C, the direction from left to right or the direction from right to left) is a plurality of moving images of different groups. are played in order. In S604, the CPU 101 determines whether or not the next selected image (thumbnail image on the timeline) exists in the reproduction order. If it is determined that the next selected image exists in the order of reproduction, the process proceeds to S605; otherwise, the process proceeds to S606. In S605, the CPU 101 moves the selection frame 422 to the position of the next selected image, and returns the process to S603. In S606, if the selection frame 422 was moved in S605, the CPU 101 returns the selection frame 422 to its original position (the position of the selected image corresponding to the first reproduced moving image), and returns the process to S601. Note that only the moving image of the thumbnail image selected in the selection frame 422 may be reproduced by an operation different from the operation of the play button 407 .

In the present embodiment, the CPU 101 reads from the non-volatile memory 103 a playlist indicating the playback order of the plurality of moving images indicated by the plurality of selected images, for example, when the timeline display is started. The playlist is table data or the like in which file IDs of a plurality of moving images respectively indicated by a plurality of selected images are arranged in order of reproduction. Then, the CPU 101 displays the timeline so that the columns (groups) are arranged in accordance with the playlist, and reproduces the plurality of moving images in order. For example, when a new group of moving images is recorded by taking, the CPU 101 updates the playlist and additionally displays a selection image indicating the new group of moving images at the last position in the reproduction order. When a moving image of an existing group is recorded by retake, the CPU 101 additionally displays a thumbnail image of the recorded moving image as a selected image or non-selected image in the column corresponding to the group. When displaying thumbnail images of recorded moving images as selected images, the playlist is updated.

Here, in the state shown in FIG. 4C, consider the case where the playback order is from left to right along the timeline 421 (time axis). In FIG. 4C, the thumbnail image 423 (selected image) is selected with the selection frame 422 . Therefore, the thumbnail image 423 (moving image of the thumbnail image 423) is played first, and a plurality of selected images on the right side of the thumbnail image 423 are sequentially selected by the selection frame 422 and played. In FIG. 4C , when playback is started from the moving image indicated by the thumbnail image 423 , another moving image in the same column 433 is not played back, and among the thumbnail images arranged in the next column 434 , the The moving image indicated by the thumbnail image 426 displayed in is reproduced. Then, when there is no selected image on the right side of the selected image selected by the selection frame 422 , the selection frame 422 returns to the position of the thumbnail image 423 . Note that when playback is started with the rightmost selected image selected in the selection frame 422, only the moving image of the thumbnail image selected in the selection frame 422 is played back, and the selection frame 422 does not move. can't break

Returning to the description of FIG. In S607, the CPU 101 determines whether or not the display 105 (touch panel 106a) has been touched down. If it is determined that there has been a touchdown, the process proceeds to S608; otherwise, the process proceeds to S619.

In S608, the CPU 101 determines whether the touchdown in S607 is a touch operation performed on any thumbnail image. If it is determined that the touchdown is a touch operation performed on the thumbnail image, the process proceeds to S609; otherwise, the process proceeds to S615.

In S<b>609 , the CPU 101 determines whether or not the display 105 has been touch moved. If it is determined that there has been a touch move, the process proceeds to S701 of FIG. 7; otherwise, the process proceeds to S610. Description of FIG. 7 will be given later.

In S610, the CPU 101 determines whether or not the display 105 has been touched up. If it is determined that there has been a touchup, the process advances to S611; otherwise, the process advances to S609. If it is determined in S610 that there has been a touch-up, it means that the touch has been released without a touch-move since there was a touch-down.

In S611, the CPU 101 determines whether or not the display 105 (thumbnail image) has been double-tapped. A tap operation is a touch operation in which the finger or pen that touches the display 105 (touch panel 106a) is not moved and the finger or pen is removed from the display 105 within a predetermined time from the start of the touch, and a touch operation in which the tap is repeated twice at short time intervals. It's a double tap. If it is determined that there has been a double tap, the process proceeds to S612; otherwise, the process proceeds to S613. Since touchdown is performed in S607 and touchup is performed in S610, it can be said that at least one tap has been performed at the time of S611.

In S<b>612 , the CPU 101 reproduces the moving image of the thumbnail image double-tapped, the last predetermined seconds (for example, 5 seconds) of the moving image of the previous selected image in the order of reproduction, and the predetermined seconds of the beginning of the next selected image in the order of reproduction. The files are reproduced in the order of reproduction, and the process returns to S601. Here, in the state shown in FIG. 4C, the playback order is from left to right along the timeline 421 (time axis), and the thumbnail image 424 (non-selected image) is double-tapped. think of. In this case, first, the last predetermined second of the moving image of the thumbnail image 425 on the timeline 421 is reproduced in the column 432 one left of the thumbnail image 424 . Next, the entire duration of the animation of thumbnail image 424 is played. Finally, in a column 434 one row to the right of the thumbnail image 424, the first predetermined second of the moving image of the thumbnail image 426 on the timeline 421 is reproduced. As a result, the user can confirm how the image before and after is connected when the thumbnail image 424 (non-selected image) that is not currently on the timeline 421 is changed to the selected image in the column 433, and is a suitable connection. can determine whether That is, it is possible to assist the user in determining whether the thumbnail image 424 should be changed to the selected image.

In S<b>613 , the CPU 101 determines whether the touchup determined in S<b>610 was a tap on the thumbnail image selected in the selection frame 422 . If it is determined that the thumbnail image selected in the selection frame 422 has been tapped, the process proceeds to S603; otherwise, the process proceeds to S614.

In S614, the CPU 101 moves the selection frame 422 to the position of the tapped thumbnail image, and returns the process to S601.

If the touchdown in S607 is not a touch operation performed on the thumbnail image, in S615, the CPU 101 determines whether the touchdown in S607 is a touch operation performed on a blank space in the timeline display area 420. judge. A blank space is an area of the timeline display area 420 where no thumbnail image is displayed. If it is determined that the touchdown is a touch operation performed on a blank space, the process proceeds to S616; otherwise, the process proceeds to S708 in FIG. Description of FIG. 7 will be given later.

In S<b>616 , the CPU 101 determines whether or not the display 105 has been touch moved. If it is determined that there has been a touch move, the process proceeds to S617; otherwise, the process proceeds to S618.

In S617, the CPU 101 scrolls the plurality of thumbnail images (timeline) to the right or left along the time axis so as to follow the movement of the touch position in the direction (horizontal direction) along the time axis. This makes it possible to display columns that were not displayed. Note that a scroll bar that moves parallel to the time axis may be separately displayed, and the processing of S617 may be performed in response to the operation of touching the scroll bar and performing a touch move.

In S<b>618 , the CPU 101 determines whether or not the display 105 has been touched up. If it is determined that there has been a touchup, the process proceeds to S601; otherwise, the process proceeds to S616.

If there is no touchdown in S607, the CPU 101 determines in S619 whether the take key 404 or the retake key 405 has been operated. If it is determined that the take key 404 or the retake key 405 has been operated, the process proceeds to S620; otherwise, the process proceeds to S602.

In S620, the CPU 101 selects a group including the moving image of the thumbnail image selected in the selection frame 422 as a retake target, and advances the processing to S501 in FIG. 5 (returns to the moving image shooting processing in FIG. 5). Therefore, according to the operation of the retake key 405, the moving image of the same group as the moving image of the thumbnail image selected in the selection frame 422 is shot. Therefore, the user can instruct the movement of the selection frame 422 to instruct retake of a desired group of moving images. Note that the thumbnail image of the last captured moving image is selected in the selection frame 422 in the timeline display after shooting. Therefore, if the selection frame 422 is not moved, the motion picture of the same group as the immediately preceding motion picture is shot in response to the operation of the retake key 405 . For example, as shown in FIG. 4C, when the selection frame 422 is displayed on the thumbnail image in column 433 and the retake key 405 is operated, the group in column 433 is selected as a retake target, and the group in FIG. The process proceeds to S501 (moving image shooting processing). Then, when the retake key 405 is operated in moving image shooting processing, shooting/recording of moving images belonging to the group in column 433 is started. Therefore, when the timeline is displayed again after that, a thumbnail image is newly added at the end (bottom) of the thumbnail images arranged in the column 433 . Further, when the take key 404 is operated in the moving image shooting process in which the group in the column 433 is to be retaken, a new group is generated and shot as a moving image of the new group. The new group is added as the last group in the timeline display or as the group next to the selected retake target group. In the example of FIG. 4C, when the last group is added, a new column is displayed to the right of the column 435, and thumbnail images of captured moving images are displayed. Also, when the group next to the selected retake target group is added, a new group is inserted between the columns 433 and 434, and the thumbnail images of the shot moving images are displayed.

FIG. 7 will be explained. In S701, the CPU 101 moves the thumbnail row belonging to the touched thumbnail image group in accordance with the touch move performed in S609 of FIG.

For example, when the thumbnail image 423 in FIG. 4C is touched and the touch position is moved upward along the take axis, all the thumbnail images (selected images and unselected images) in the column 433 where the thumbnail image 423 is displayed image) moves upward along the take axis. Thereby, the moving image displayed as the selected image in the column 433 can be changed. For example, the state of the timeline display can be changed from the state shown in FIG. 4C to the state shown in FIG. 4D so that the thumbnail image 423 becomes the non-selected image and the thumbnail image 424 becomes the selected image. Note that the method is not particularly limited as long as a moving image to be displayed as a selected image in a column can be selected only from a plurality of moving images in the group corresponding to the column. According to the above method, it is also possible to maintain the order of the thumbnail images in the columns.

Further, when the touch position is moved along the time axis, the row of the touched thumbnail images, that is, all the thumbnail images in the same row including the touched thumbnail image, follow the movement of the touch position. Move (dragged) along the time axis.

In S702, the CPU 101 determines whether or not a column has been dragged along the time axis. If it is determined that the column has been dragged along the time axis, the process proceeds to S703; otherwise, the process proceeds to S704.

In S703, the CPU 101 shifts the other columns along the time axis so that the dragged column is inserted at the post-dragged position. Specifically, the control shifts all columns to the left (front in playback order) from the dragged position to the left, and shifts all columns to the right (back in playback order) from the dragged position to the right. control and/or This allows multiple columns to be sorted. In other words, it is possible to change the playback order of the moving images while maintaining the groups. Therefore, even after changing the playback order, the user can change the moving image displayed as the selected image only to another moving image in the same group. Of course, it is also possible to change the playback order after changing the moving image displayed as the selected image. As described above, in the present embodiment, there is a high degree of freedom in the order of changing the moving image displayed as the selected image and the order of reproduction, and the operability is high. For example, if the thumbnail image 423 in FIG. 4(c) is touched and the touched position is dragged one position forward (one position to the left) along the time axis, the state shown in FIG. 4(e) is obtained.

In S704, the CPU 101 determines whether the column has been dragged to the end of the timeline display area 420 in the time axis direction (horizontal direction). If it is determined that the column has been dragged to the end, the process proceeds to S705; otherwise, the process proceeds to S706.

In S705, the CPU 101 sequentially displays a plurality of thumbnail images along the time axis along the time axis in accordance with the lapse of time during which the drag position is positioned at the end, and newly displays the portion of the timeline that was not visible on the drag position side. (so that the timeline moves in the opposite direction to the edge of the drag position).

In S<b>706 , the CPU 101 determines whether or not the display 105 has been touched up. If it is determined that there has been a touchup, the process proceeds to S707; otherwise, the process proceeds to S701.

In S707, the CPU 101 updates the playlist according to the arrangement order of the plurality of selected images. For example, when dragging along the time axis is started in the state of FIG. 4(c) and touched up in the state of FIG. are updated. Specifically, when the order is explained using the thumbnail images corresponding to the moving images, the thumbnail images 425, 423, and 426 in FIG. , 425 and 426 are updated in this order.

In S<b>708 , the CPU 101 determines whether or not “write” has been instructed by operating the menu button 406 or the like. If it is determined that "writing" has been instructed, the process proceeds to S709; otherwise, the process proceeds to S710. In step S<b>709 , the CPU 101 selects a plurality of moving images (moving image files) indicated by the plurality of selected images, and creates a single image obtained by connecting the plurality of moving images in an order according to the playlist (the order in which the selected images are arranged). A moving image file is generated and recorded on the recording medium 108 as a moving image file of the edited moving image. Thus, without using a playlist, it is possible to perform reproduction similar to sequentially reproducing a plurality of moving images respectively corresponding to a plurality of selected images from a single moving image file.

In S<b>710 , the CPU 101 determines whether “playback from the beginning” has been instructed by operating the menu button 406 or the like. If it is determined that "playback from the beginning" has been instructed, the process proceeds to S711; otherwise, the process proceeds to S601 in FIG. In S711, the CPU 101 reproduces a plurality of moving images (moving image files) respectively indicated by the plurality of selected images in the order according to the playlist (the order in which the selected images are arranged).

When proceeding from S615 in FIG. 6 to S708 in FIG. 7, the user touches up once and operates the menu button 406 or the like to issue an instruction such as "write" or "play from the beginning". In addition to the above-described processing, it is also possible to delete a specific row of images from the timeline display (delete the file from the recording medium 108, or delete the file from the play list while saving the file).

As described above, according to this embodiment, the take key 404 and the retake key 405 can be selectively used to shoot a moving image of a new group or shoot a moving image of an existing group. Furthermore, simply by operating the take key 404 and the retake key 405, it is possible to simultaneously perform both moving image shooting and group assignment to the shot moving image without performing other operations. This eliminates the need for the user to determine to which group the moving image should be assigned after shooting, and allows efficient shooting of moving images (improved convenience of electronic device 100). In particular, when it is determined that retake is necessary during the shooting of a moving image, the retake is quickly performed simply by stopping the moving image recording once and operating the retake key 405 without complicated operations. be able to. And even if the number of videos shot by retakes increases, they are managed as videos in the same group, so even if many video files are recorded, which video file will be retaken for the same scene later. It is easy to discriminate whether or not it is, and editing work can be performed without confusion. Furthermore, even if you retake, the videos shot before that are saved as the same group without overwriting or deleting, so even if you decide later that the video before retake was better after all, You can edit using videos from

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, each section of the timeline 421 displays only a thumbnail image (selected image) representing one moving image included in one group. As a result, when a plurality of moving images are reproduced in order, only a plurality of moving images of different groups can be reproduced without reproducing a plurality of moving images of the same group. Then, thumbnail images (non-selected images) indicating moving images other than the selected image among the plurality of moving images are displayed in the same row in association with the area where the selected image is displayed. This allows the user to easily grasp the correspondence between groups and moving images. As a result, the user can easily perform timeline editing such as selection, movement, replacement, addition, and deletion of thumbnail images so that a plurality of desired moving images can be reproduced in a desired order. A similar effect can be obtained in the case of generating a single moving image file consisting of a plurality of moving images.

In addition, although an example using moving images as content has been described, content is not limited to moving images. For example, audio or still images may be used as content. In the case of audio, the processing of the present embodiment makes it possible to manage audio for each piece of music, phrase, and bar, and facilitate timeline editing for playing back a plurality of desired pieces of music in a desired order. In the case of still images, it is possible to easily edit the timeline for performing a slide show in which a plurality of desired still images are switched and displayed in a desired order.

Although the take key 404 and the retake key 405 are always enabled in the shooting standby state, the take key 404 and the retake key 405 may be switched between enabled/disabled. For example, the CPU 101 enables the retake key 405 when a predetermined recording mode for recording moving images is set, and disables the retake key 405 (grayed out or not displayed) when the predetermined recording mode is not set. can be The predetermined recording mode is, for example, a self-portrait mode in which a moving image of the photographer himself is recorded. When the content is voice, the predetermined recording mode is a mode for recording the voice of the operator of electronic device 100 himself or the like.

For example, when an out-camera that captures the side opposite to the photographer's side (the side opposite to the display surface of display 105) viewed from electronic device 100 is activated, CPU 101 disables retake key 405. do. Then, when the camera used for shooting is switched from the out-camera to the in-camera (camera unit 112), the CPU 101 effectively displays the retake key 405. FIG. Furthermore, the CPU 101 disables the retake key 405 when the camera used for shooting is switched from the in-camera to the out-camera. In the case where the camera unit 112 is provided in a vari-angle unit capable of changing the shooting direction, if the camera unit 112 is facing the photographer side (if the direction facing the photographer is the shooting direction), the CPU 101 The retake key 405 is effectively displayed. On the other hand, when the camera unit 112 faces the side opposite to the photographer side (the direction away from the photographer is the shooting direction), the CPU 101 disables the retake key 405 .

Self-portraits are often taken by users who post their own video content on the Internet, such as users who post many videos on video sharing sites in recent years. In the self-portrait, if the photographed moving image is unsatisfactory, the photograph can be taken many times by one's own judgment. Therefore, it can be said that the function of "shooting a moving image in the same group as the immediately preceding moving image in response to pressing of the retake key 405" in this embodiment is particularly useful for self-portrait. By disabling the retake key 405 for shooting other than self-shooting, it is possible to prevent the operation of the entire apparatus from becoming complicated and complicated. Also, in photographing another person as a subject, it is possible to reduce the possibility of causing the other person to take more time than necessary for photographing due to repeated retakes.

Although the example in which the retake key 405 is displayed as a valid touch key from the beginning on the shooting standby screen of FIG. 4A has been described, this need not be the case. Initially (immediately after the moving image shooting process in FIG. 5 is started; immediately after the moving image shooting mode is set), the retake key 405 may be disabled and the take key 404 may be displayed valid. Then, immediately after a new group of moving image files is created by the file close processing in S506 (immediately after recording of the new group of moving images is stopped), the retake key 405 may be effectively displayed (grayed out or not displayed). release). In general, the shooting that is performed immediately after the shooting application is activated is often the so-called first take, that is, the first shooting that is not a reshoot. Therefore, by disabling the retake key 405, it is possible to prevent the user from being confused about the operation method or performing an erroneous operation. Further, the retake key 405 may be effectively displayed and the take key 404 may be disabled until a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) has elapsed since the recording of the moving image was stopped. Then, immediately after the predetermined time has elapsed, both the take key 404 and the retake key 405 may be displayed as valid, or the take key 404 may be displayed as valid and the retake key 405 may be invalidated. When the next moving image shooting is started immediately after the moving image shooting, it is often the case that a retake of the previous unsuccessful shooting is performed instead of shooting a new scene. Therefore, by disabling the take key 404 immediately after shooting a moving image, it is possible to prevent the user from wondering about the operation method or performing an erroneous operation. By switching between these valid/invalid states, moving image shooting can be advanced more efficiently. It should be noted that these valid/invalid switching may also be performed in the case of self-portraits.

It should be noted that immediately after the moving image is reproduced, the CPU 101 may shoot the moving image of the same group as the reproduced moving image in accordance with the operation of the retake key 405 . Specifically, when a moving image is reproduced, the CPU 101 may set the moving image file of the reproduced moving image as the file to be retaken. In general, photographing that is performed by operating the retake key 405 immediately after a moving image is reproduced is often a re-shooting of the reproduced moving image. Therefore, by shooting a moving image in the same group as the reproduced moving image, the moving images can be grouped more appropriately.

Note that the CPU 101 may change the current shooting type (take/retake) according to the operation of the take key 404 or the retake key 405 during shooting (recording) of a moving image. For example, if the take key 404 is operated during recording of a moving image in the same group as the previously recorded moving image (that is, during retake), the CPU 101 replaces the moving image being recorded with a new group of moving images (that is, during retaking). control to record as a movie). That is, the group ID recorded as the attribute information of the moving image file being recorded is overwritten with the new group ID from the group ID to be retaken. On the other hand, if the retake key 405 is operated while recording a moving image of a new group (that is, during taking), the CPU 101 replaces the moving image being recorded with the moving image of the same group as the previously recorded moving image (that is, Control to record as a retake movie). That is, the group ID to be retaken is overwritten with the new group ID recorded as the attribute information of the recorded moving image file. In a configuration in which such control is not performed, when a user who wants to perform a take uses the retake key 405 to issue a shooting instruction, a retake is performed against the user's intention, and the user who wants to perform a retake issues a shooting instruction using the take key 404. Then, the take is performed contrary to the user's intention. On the other hand, with the configuration that performs the above control, the user can change the current shooting type to a desired shooting type by operating the take key 404 or the retake key 405 during shooting. Also, by matching the type of touch key with the changed shooting type, the operation can be made easier to understand.

Note that the CPU 101 may stop moving image shooting in response to either operation of the take key 404 or the retake key 405 during moving image shooting. Since both the take key 404 and the retake key 405 can be used to instruct to stop moving image shooting, the user can be prevented from being confused about the operation method, and it becomes easier for the user to stop moving image shooting at the timing desired by the user.

Also, the CPU 101 may match the touch key for stopping the shooting of the moving image with the shooting type of the moving image. Specifically, during the shooting of a moving image in the same group as the last shot moving image, that is, during retake, moving image shooting is not stopped in response to the operation of the take key 404, and moving image shooting is performed in response to the operation of the retake key 405. to stop. During shooting of the moving image of the new group, that is, during taking, moving image shooting is not stopped in response to operation of the retake key 405 but is stopped in response to operation of the take key 404 . By matching the touch key for stopping the shooting of a moving image with the shooting type of the moving image, it is possible to improve the consistency of operations and reduce erroneous operations.

Note that the CPU 101 may erase the moving image being recorded when the take key 404 is operated during retake and when the retake key 405 is operated during take. With such a configuration, for example, when the user notices a shooting failure during shooting, the user operates the take key 404 or the retake key 405 in order to erase (not record) the failed moving image. Therefore, it is possible to quickly delete a moving image for which shooting has failed, and to prevent unnecessary moving images from being recorded. Further, the CPU 101 may add predetermined metadata to the moving image being recorded when the take key 404 is operated during retake and when the retake key 405 is operated during take. In this case, the CPU 101 may display a predetermined display item in association with the thumbnail image of the moving image to which predetermined metadata is added in the timeline display. As a result, the user can easily distinguish between the unsuccessfully-captured moving image and other moving images, thereby facilitating timeline editing.

Note that the CPU 101 may cause the display 105 to display the number of moving images in the same group as the immediately recorded moving image when retake is started (display control). The "number of moving pictures in the same group as the immediately preceding moving picture" may or may not include the moving pictures recorded in the current retake. For example, the CPU 101 displays how many takes of moving images have been recorded, how many takes have been retaken, and the like. As a result, the user can easily grasp whether or not one scene has been photographed a sufficient number of times, thereby improving convenience.

Note that the CPU 101 may assign a rating (importance) to the captured moving image according to an operation on the touch pad area 402 (an operation unit for changing the AF position) after moving image capturing is stopped. In this case, the CPU 101 may display the display items corresponding to the ratings in association with the thumbnail images in the timeline display. As a result, the user can easily distinguish between videos of high importance and videos of low importance, making it easier to edit the timeline.

Note that the CPU 101 may notify the user of whether taking or retaking is in progress (notification control). The display 105 may display a display item that makes it possible to identify whether taking or retaking is in progress, or by other methods (lamp lighting color, lamp lighting/blinking, audio output, etc.) to indicate whether taking or retaking is in progress. may notify you. This allows the user to easily grasp the current shooting type. As a result, for example, when an erroneous type of photographing is being performed, the user can immediately notice the error in the type of photographing, interrupt the current photographing, and perform a desired type of photographing for a short period of time. can start the operation.

Note that the display method of the non-selected images is not particularly limited as long as the non-selected images are displayed in association with each section of the timeline 421 . For example, the screen on which the non-selected images are displayed may be different from the screen on which the selected images are displayed. However, from the viewpoint of visibility of the timeline display, it is preferable that the non-selected image and the selected image are displayed on the same screen as shown in FIG. 4(b). Also, the take axis does not have to be perpendicular to the time axis as long as it is different from the time axis. For example, the take axis may be a linear axis oblique to the time axis, or an arc-shaped axis. FIG. 8A shows an example in which a linear axis oblique to the time axis is used as the take axis, and FIG. 8B shows an example in which an arc-shaped axis is used as the take axis. In FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) as well, the take axis and the time axis can be distinguished as in FIG. 4(c). Therefore, the user can easily distinguish between the selected image and the non-selected image, and clearly distinguish between the operation for changing the moving image displayed as the selected image and the operation for changing the playback order of the moving images. can be done.

Note that the CPU 101 may reproduce the moving image indicated by the selected image of the section and the moving image indicated by the non-selected image (image in the same row) of the group corresponding to the section so that the user can compare them. For example, when the non-selected image 901 is selected in the selection frame 422 as in the edit screen of FIG. 9A, the CPU 101 selects the option (item) 902 "Compare" automatically or according to the user's operation. may be displayed. Then, when the option 902 is selected (designated) by the user, the CPU 101 causes the display screen to transition to the comparison playback screen shown in FIG. may be displayed side by side with the moving image of the selected image 903 of the section on the timeline. That is, the two moving images may be reproduced in two areas adjacent to each other on the same screen. The two moving images may or may not start playing at the same timing. The above two moving images are moving images of the same group and obtained by different shooting of the same scene. Therefore, according to the above configuration, it becomes easier for the user to select a more suitable moving image for each scene.

When the “Playback” option is selected, the moving image of the non-selected image 901 selected in the selection frame 422 is reproduced. After that, the moving image next to the reproduced moving image (the moving image of the selected image) may or may not be reproduced sequentially. When the option “OutputPut” is selected, the moving image file of the non-selected image 901 selected in the selection frame 422 is output to the outside.

Note that in live view display such as FIG. 4C, all non-selected images in the displayed row (group) are displayed, but some non-selected images may be displayed. For example, the selected image selected by the selection frame 422 or the unselected image of the group (column) of the selected image specified according to the user operation, such as the selected image selected by the selection frame 422 or the selected image touched, is displayed, and the other group ( (other columns) may not be displayed.

Note that the various controls described above that are performed by the CPU 101 may be performed by one piece of hardware, or a plurality of pieces of hardware (for example, a plurality of processors or circuits) may share the processing to control the entire apparatus. may be performed.

Moreover, although the present invention has been described in detail based on its preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms within the scope of the present invention can be applied to the present invention. included. Furthermore, each embodiment described above merely shows one embodiment of the present invention, and it is also possible to combine each embodiment as appropriate.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a smartphone or a digital camera has been described as an example, but this is not limited to this example, and any electronic device capable of controlling content recording and display can be used. is applicable. For example, the present invention can be applied to personal computers, PDAs, mobile phone terminals, portable image viewers, printers, digital photo frames, music players, game machines, electronic book readers, video players, and the like. In addition, the present invention can also be applied to television devices, projection devices, tablet terminals, AI speakers, home appliances, in-vehicle devices, medical devices, and the like.

In addition, the present invention can be applied not only to the main body of an imaging device but also to a control device that communicates with an imaging device (including a network camera) via wired or wireless communication and remotely controls the imaging device. Devices that remotely control imaging devices include, for example, devices such as smartphones, tablet PCs, and desktop PCs. It is possible to remotely control the image capturing apparatus by notifying the image capturing apparatus of commands for performing various operations and settings from the control apparatus side based on operations performed on the control apparatus side and processing performed on the control apparatus side. be. Also, a live view image captured by an imaging device may be received via wired or wireless communication and displayed on the control device side.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention supplies a program that implements one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a 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 processing to It can also be implemented by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

100: Electronic device 101: CPU

Claims (14)

Displaying a selected image showing one content included in the corresponding group in each section on a timeline displaying a plurality of sections corresponding to the plurality of groups side by side along a first axis;
display control means for controlling display of a non-selected image indicating content other than the content of the selected image among a plurality of contents included in a group corresponding to the zone in association with the zone;
selecting means for selecting content to be displayed as the selected image in the zone from a plurality of contents included in a group corresponding to the zone according to a user operation;
reproduction means for reproducing a plurality of contents indicated by the plurality of selected images arranged along the first axis in the order in which the plurality of selected images are arranged;
An electronic device comprising: The display control means rearranges and displays a plurality of image sequences each corresponding to a plurality of groups and including selected images and non-selected images indicating contents included in the corresponding groups, according to a user operation. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device controls. The method further comprises generating means for generating a single file by connecting the plurality of contents in the order from the plurality of contents respectively indicated by the plurality of selected images arranged along the first axis. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said display control means controls to display said non-selected image along a second axis different from said first axis. Electronics. 4. The second axis is an axis perpendicular to the first axis, a straight axis oblique to the first axis, or an arc-shaped axis. The electronic device described in . The display control means controls to arrange and display the selected image and the non-selected image representing the plurality of contents included in the same group in the order in which the plurality of contents were recorded. Item 6. The electronic device according to Item 4 or 5. The display control means moves the selected image and the non-selected images included in the group corresponding to the area along the second axis in response to a user operation for changing content displayed as the selected image of the area. 7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein control is performed so as to 8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said display control means performs control so that said selected image and said non-selected image are displayed on the same screen. The content of each of the plurality of groups is obtained by recording the content of a new group according to the operation on the first operation unit and recording the content of the existing group according to the operation on the second operation unit. 9. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the electronic device is a 10. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said display control means performs control such that said timeline is not displayed during recording of content, but is displayed after recording of content. Electronics as described. The reproducing means reproduces the content indicated by the selected image of the section and the content indicated by the non-selected image of the group corresponding to the section in a plurality of areas adjacent to each other on the same screen. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 10. Displaying a selected image showing one content included in the corresponding group in each section on a timeline displaying a plurality of sections corresponding to the plurality of groups side by side along a first axis;
controlling to display a non-selected image showing content other than the content of the selected image among a plurality of contents included in a group corresponding to the zone in association with the zone;
a step of selecting content to be displayed as the selected image in the zone from a plurality of contents included in a group corresponding to the zone according to a user operation;
a step of reproducing a plurality of contents respectively indicated by the plurality of selected images arranged along the first axis in the order in which the plurality of selected images are arranged;
A control method for an electronic device, comprising: A program for causing a computer to function as each means of the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 11. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as each means of the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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