JPH09325260A - Image pickup device provided with ocular detecting function - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely confirm operation processing information, to eliminate complicated display and to realize smooth photographing by previously displaying the operation processing information, confirming that a user looks in a finder, performing the display for a specified time, and then finishing the display. SOLUTION: An ocular detection part 100 being an ocular detecting means is arranged at the front part of the video display unit 107 of an electronic view finder(EVF) including a display element 110. The detection part 100 is equipped with an ocular detection circuit 103 discriminating whether the user brings his eye into contact with the finder based on the image data of an eye ball which is converted into an electrical signal by a photoelectric conversion element 102 converting infrared light condensed by a condensing lens 101 into the electrical signal. When the user performs photographing, the display is performed from turning on a power source till the user brings his eye into contact with the finder, and the user recognizes unnecessary information simultaneously with bringing his eye into contact therewith. The display is finished after confirming the display.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to eyepiece detection of an image pickup device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, video camcorders and silver salt cameras, digital still cameras, etc. are superimposed on the screen in the viewfinder of the image pickup device for the purpose of convenience and reduction of the number of main switches due to miniaturization. Then, there is one that displays the operation information of the device. FIG. 11 is an example of displaying the operation state of the apparatus by superimposing it on the video image 1006 being captured in the electronic viewfinder 1100 of the video camcorder.

Information such as that a recording is in progress, the remaining battery level, the date and the time are displayed as 1103, 1104 and 1105, respectively. Further, the automatic exposure compensation function OFF and the automatic focus adjustment function OFF are 1101 and 1102, respectively.
Is blinking.

However, if many displays are scattered in the viewfinder, the screen becomes complicated and difficult to see.

[0007] Therefore, as for the display relating to these operations, it has been proposed that such display is displayed for a predetermined time and then disappeared.

[0006]

However, if the timing is impaired, if the photographer does not look into the monitor such as the viewfinder for a while, the operation is performed before the photographer confirms the operation display of the image pickup apparatus. The display may disappear.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and the problem is that the user can surely check the display information displayed on a monitor such as a finder without fail. At the same time, the present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus that prevents the screen of the finder from becoming complicated during shooting due to display information.

[0008]

As means of the present invention, a display means for confirming a photographed image, and a first means for displaying operation processing information of an image pickup apparatus on the display means in response to turning on a power source. Display control means, an eyepiece detection means for detecting that a user has contacted the display means, and the eyepiece detection means, in response to detecting an eyepiece, the operation processing information of the image pickup device is displayed on the display means. And a first display prohibiting means for prohibiting display on the display.

Also, display means for confirming the photographed image, and first display control means for displaying the operation processing information of the image pickup apparatus on the display means in accordance with the operation of the display means.
Eyepiece detection means for detecting that a user has contacted the display means, and prohibiting display of operation processing information of the imaging device on the display means in response to detection of the eyepiece by the eyepiece detection means And a first display prohibiting means for controlling the display.

The second display control means for displaying the operation processing information of the image pickup device on the display means in response to the detection of the eye contact by the eye contact detection means and the first display prohibition means. A second display prohibition unit that prohibits the operation of the second display control unit until a predetermined time elapses after the operation processing information of the image pickup device is prohibited from being displayed on the display unit. And

The second display control means for displaying the operation processing information of the image pickup device on the display means in response to the detection of the eye contact by the eye contact detection means, and the first display prohibition means. Second display prohibiting means for prohibiting the operation of the second display control means until a predetermined time elapses after the operation processing information of the imaging device is prohibited from being displayed on the display means; and the second display prohibiting means. Third display prohibiting means for prohibiting the operation of the second display means when the eyepiece detecting means does not detect the eye separation even if the operation of the second control means is canceled by the display prohibiting means. And having.

Further, the first display control means is means for displaying the operation processing information of the image pickup device on the display means in accordance with the operation of the display means.

The first display prohibiting means is means for prohibiting the operation processing information of the image pickup device from being displayed on the display means after a lapse of a predetermined time after detecting the eye contact by the eye contact detecting means. It is characterized by

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a system control circuit 104 composed of a CPU is a lens image pickup system 10.
The lens focus and aperture in 8 are adjusted, a subject image is captured on an image pickup device (not shown), the subject image is converted into an electrical image signal, and a camera signal processing circuit 11
A standardized video signal such as an NTSC signal is converted by 3 and recorded on a recording medium 116 such as a magnetic tape.

"AF" 115 is a camera signal processing circuit 1
13 is an AF circuit that detects a focus state by extracting a high-frequency component from a luminance signal that changes according to the focus state and that is output from the AF circuit 13. The focus evaluation value detected by the AF circuit is supplied to the system control circuit 104. The lens is controlled so that the focus evaluation value is maximized.

"AE" 114 is a camera signal processing circuit 11
3 is a photometric circuit that controls the diaphragm in the lens imaging system 108, the accumulation time of the image sensor, the gain of the AGC, etc. so that the brightness level output from the unit 3 becomes constant. A so-called AE lock, which locks the exposure control state, can be performed by a control signal from the system control circuit 104.

The power supply unit 112 supplies battery power to each circuit and a mechanism unit (not shown), and also outputs information such as the remaining amount of the battery to the system control circuit 104.

Based on this, the system control circuit 104 can display a battery remaining amount warning or the like on the EVF.

The operating states of these AF and AE are E from the system control circuit 104 via the display circuit 106.
It is displayed on the VF 107.

Reference numeral 110 denotes a camera signal processing circuit 11
3 is a display element as a monitor such as an LCD for displaying an image output from the recording medium 3 or reproduced from a recording medium. In the present embodiment, an electronic viewfinder (EV
F) 107.

The display circuit 106 is in a photographing mode, for example, AE.
This is a circuit for superimposing and displaying information necessary for the user, such as lock, AF ON / OFF, and battery warning, on the display element 110 together with the captured image.

The operation means 118 is for transmitting a signal such as a recording operation operated by the user to the system control circuit 104.

An eyepiece detector 100, which is an eyepiece detector, is arranged in front of the EVF image display unit 107 including the display element 110. The eyepiece detection unit 100 includes an eyepiece lens 109, an infrared light emitting diode 111 for emitting infrared light to the photographer's eyes, a dichroic mirror 105 for transmitting visible light and reflecting infrared light, and the dichroic mirror 105. Is converted into an electric signal by a condenser lens 101 that condenses the reflected infrared light and a photoelectric conversion element 102 that converts the infrared light condensed by the condenser lens 101 into an electric signal. Eyepiece detection circuit 10 for determining whether or not the user is in the eyepiece based on the image data of the eyeball.
3 and 3.

Since the above dichroic mirror 105 transmits visible light, the photographer can observe the display surface of the image display element 110 through the eyepiece lens 109, and reflects infrared light. It reflects the illuminated eye image of the user. After that, the reflected image of the eyeball is condensed by the condenser lens 101, and the photoelectric conversion element 10
Form an image on 2.

Here, an example of the eyepiece detection on the EVF 107 by the user will be shown.

FIG. 3A shows a corneal reflection image on the photoelectric conversion element, and signals are sent by horizontally slicing as shown in the figure. FIG. 3C shows the photoelectric conversion element 10
2 is a signal indicating one horizontal scanning period. FIG. 3B illustrates a portion corresponding to one horizontal scanning period extracted from the signal from the photoelectric conversion element 102. The output level of the white eye portion increases and the output level of the pupil portion decreases. .

FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of the eyepiece detection circuit 103. FIG. 4 is a timing chart of signals in parenthesized numbers in FIG. The eyepiece detection operation will be described with reference to these drawings.

A slicer 202 is a variable resistor 20.
The output of 102 is sliced according to the level set by 1 to obtain a waveform as shown in FIG.

FIG. 4A shows the inverter 2 of FIG.
The signal inverted by 06 is differentiated to obtain the signal of FIG. 4 (2) (when the photographer is looking into the EVF, the pupil of the eyeball image projected on the photoelectric conversion element 102 is obtained). A rising edge is detected on the left edge.).

Reference numeral 205 denotes a pulse oscillation circuit, which is shown in FIG.
(3) is generated (this signal corresponds to FIG. 3C). When FIG. 4B and FIG. 4C are input to the NAND gate 209, the signal shown in FIG. 4D is obtained. FIG. 4 (6) is a signal obtained by latching the signal of (4) for one horizontal scanning period.

FIG. 4 (7) is a signal obtained by shifting the signal of FIG. 4 (3) by 180 ° by the 180 ° phase shifter 212. This signal is differentiated by the differentiating circuit 213 to obtain the signal of FIG. 8) Obtain the signal.

Furthermore, the signals of FIGS. 4 (6) and 4 (8) are set to N.
When input to the AND circuit 215, when FIG. 4 (4) changes, a signal diagram (9) is obtained which latches it every one horizontal scanning period.

4 (9) is further latched by the NAND circuits 217 and 219, and finally, when the eyeball is reflected on the photoelectric conversion element 102 in the eyepiece state, a signal level 4 (13) which becomes High level is obtained.

Incidentally, FIG. 4 (10) shows an inverter 216.
Is a signal obtained from FIG. 4 (8), and FIG.
The signal 1) is a signal obtained by inputting the signal of FIG. 4 (6) and the signal of FIG. 4 (10) to the NOR circuit 218.

Further, if it is not just to discriminate the eyeball as described above, but simply to discriminate whether or not there is a reflecting object,
The determination can be made by the circuit 601 shown in FIG. FIG. 7A is an enlarged view of 601 of FIG. 2, and the determination will be described with reference to FIG. 7B.

The output signal of the slicer 202 is shown in FIG.
In FIG. 7B, (φ) is transmitted through the waveform shaping circuit 222.
The signal of (1) of (b) is obtained.

The rising of the signal (1) in FIG. 7B turns on the transistor 223, and the charge of the capacitor 225 is discharged through this transistor. When the potential of FIG. 7B becomes equal to or lower than the lower threshold value of the Schmitt trigger 226 in the discharge state, the output signal (3) of FIG. 7B is inverted.

When (1) of FIG. 7 (b) becomes Low level, the transistor 223 is turned off and 225 is set to 224.
7B, the potential rises as shown in (2) of FIG. 7B.

However, the time constant of this charging is shown in FIG.
By comparing the output period change of the eyeball image in (1) of (b) with a sufficient time constant for charging the capacitor 225, the Schmidt as shown in (2) of FIG. 7B is obtained. Since the level exceeding the higher threshold of the trigger 226 cannot be reached, (3) of FIG. 7B continues the High level state.

There is no reflector and (1) in FIG. 7B is L
If the level remains low, the charging of the capacitor 225 causes the level in (2) of FIG. 7B to exceed the higher threshold value, and the level of (3) in FIG. 7B becomes low.

In FIG. 2, as described above, since the judgment of the reflecting object and the judgment of whether or not the reflecting object is the eyeball are made in two steps and the eye contact is detected, the reflecting object other than the eyeball is detected. The operation can be performed reliably without any post-operation.

Further, in the case of this embodiment, since the position of the pupil can be detected, not only the eyepiece but also the line of sight of the user can be detected. It can also be used in combination with a line-of-sight AF and a line-of-sight switch for adjusting

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure of the system control circuit 104 for executing the operation processing of the present embodiment, which will be described below with reference to FIG.

At 502, the power is turned on.

Subsequently, at 503, the EVF 107
When the switch is turned on by a switch (not shown), the photographing enabled state is entered, and accordingly the counter memory T is reset to 0 in 504. Further, at 505, T is a predetermined value TLI.
It is determined whether or not M or less, but when it is TLIM or less, the operation processing information of the imaging device as shown in FIG. 11 is EVF1.
It is displayed by being superimposed on the image on 07 (506). The above operation is the first control means.

At the same time when the power is turned on, the EVF1
In an image pickup device in which 07 is turned on, operation processing information of the image pickup device is displayed at the same time when the power is turned on.

At 507, it is detected from the information from the eyepiece detection circuit 103 whether or not there is a reflecting object.

If there is a reflecting object, it is detected at 508 whether or not the reflecting object is a pupil based on the information from 103.

If the reflecting object is a pupil, it is determined that the eye is in contact at 509, and the value of T is incremented by 1 at 510.

On the other hand, if it is determined in 507 that there is no reflecting object, or if it is determined in 508 that the reflecting object is not the pupil, it is determined that the user is not in eye contact, and then the image pickup device The operation process information display is executed.

When the above operation is repeated, the user
If you continue to look at 107, the value of the counter T will eventually become TL.
When the IM is reached, the operation processing information display of the imaging device is prohibited at 512. The operation up to this point is the first display prohibiting means.

According to this embodiment, the power is turned on and the EVF is turned on.
Since the display is made according to ON or the like, and the display is turned off by the eyepiece operation, when the user takes a picture, the display is made after the power is turned on and before the eyepiece, and the user makes the eyepiece. At the same time, it becomes possible to recognize necessary information. Then, after the display is confirmed, the display is terminated, so that the screen is not complicated in the shooting operation that will be performed subsequently.

For example, there is no time lag from the eyepiece to the display and the operability is very good, as compared with the case where the display is performed after the eyepiece.

In the case of the present embodiment, once the operation processing information display of the image pickup apparatus is prohibited, it is not displayed as it is. However, after the display is prohibited, it may be displayed at a constant interval, or after the eye is removed and the eye is contacted again. The display may be restarted.

(Second Embodiment) In the first embodiment, the pupil detection is performed, and after the eye contact is detected, the operation processing information display of the image pickup apparatus is prohibited after a predetermined time elapses. . On the other hand, in the case of the present embodiment,
In the first embodiment, the display of the operation processing information of the image pickup apparatus is prohibited, and the operation processing information of the image pickup apparatus is displayed again for the predetermined time only when the user is in the eye after the predetermined time has passed. It is a form.

This embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The block diagram is the same as that of the first embodiment in FIG.

First, at 602, the power is turned on.

Subsequently, at 603, the EVF 107
When the switch is turned on by a switch (not shown), the image capturing mode is entered, and accordingly the counter memory T and the counter memory S are reset to 0 in 604. Further 605
Then, it is determined whether or not T is equal to or less than a predetermined value TLIM. When T is less than or equal to TLIM, the operation processing information of the imaging device as shown in FIG. 11 is displayed by being superimposed on the image on the EVF 107 (606).

At the same time when the power is turned on, the EVF1
In an image pickup device in which 07 is turned on, operation processing information of the image pickup device is displayed at the same time when the power is turned on.

At 607, similarly to the first embodiment, it is detected from the information from the eyepiece detection circuit 103 whether there is a reflecting object, and whether the reflecting object is a pupil or not is detected. Detect.

If it is determined that the eyepiece is in contact, 60 more
At 8, the value of T is incremented by 1.

When it is determined that the user is not in eye contact, the operation processing information display of the image pickup apparatus is continuously executed.

When the user continues to look into the EVF 107, the value of the memory counter T reaches TLIM, and 609
In, the display of the operation processing information of the imaging device is prohibited.

After the display of the operation process information is prohibited, 1 is added to the memory counter S.

At 612, the memory counter S becomes larger than the predetermined value SLIM, that is, after a predetermined time has elapsed, 6
When the eyepiece is detected at 10, the memory counter T and the memory counter S are reset to 0 and the operation processing information display of the image pickup apparatus is started again. The display operation of the operation processing information and the like by the memory counter S is the second display prohibiting means, and the operation of displaying in response to the detection of the eye contact is the second display control means.

As described above, even if the eyepiece is detected, the operation processing information of the image pickup apparatus is displayed. In this case, if the eyepiece is displayed even if the display is prohibited, the operation processing information of the image pickup apparatus is displayed. Is displayed each time, so to prevent such a situation, until the predetermined time elapses after the operation processing information is displayed,
By prohibiting the display of the motion processing information, the display of the motion processing information can be easily confirmed, the screen does not become complicated, and comfortable shooting can be performed.

In the case of the present embodiment, after the display of the motion processing information is prohibited, the motion processing information is displayed again when the eyepiece is detected after a predetermined time has passed, but in order to further reduce the complexity of the display. This embodiment of the image pickup apparatus may be provided with a control mechanism by a third prohibiting means that displays the motion processing information only when the eyes are removed and the eyes are contacted again. A flowchart of such an embodiment is shown in FIG.
Shown in In FIG. 10, only a block indicating whether or not the eye is removed is added to the flowchart of FIG. 6, and the description of this flowchart is omitted.

(Third Embodiment) In the eyepiece detection of the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the reflector is detected and the pupil image is further detected, but the circuit is simplified. Therefore, the eyepiece may be determined by detecting only the presence or absence of a reflector. Such an eyepiece detection circuit is shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of the processing of the system control circuit 104 for displaying the operation processing information of the image pickup apparatus according to the first embodiment, which determines the eyepiece by detecting only the presence or absence of such a reflection object. There is.

The flow of the display operation control of this embodiment in FIG. 8 is the same as the flow chart in the first embodiment of FIG. 5 except that the pupil is not detected, and the description thereof will be omitted.

(Fourth Embodiment) This embodiment is an embodiment in which eyepiece detection is performed with a simpler configuration than the above-described embodiments. FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram of this embodiment.

Reference numerals 802, 803 and 805 are contact points, and
Reference numeral 06 denotes an eye cup having a bellows structure.

When the photographer views the viewfinder, 806
Is pressed and 802, 803, and 805 become conductive.
At this time, it is determined that the eye has been contacted.

The display operation control of the first embodiment and the second embodiment may be performed by using such an eyepiece detection system.

[0077]

As described above, according to the invention described in claim 1 of the present application, the operation processing information of the image pickup apparatus is displayed in advance when the user comes into contact with the eye, and the user is in the finder. After confirming that you are looking at the camera for a predetermined period of time, the display is finished, so the user can be sure that the motion processing information is recognized, and then the complicated display in the viewfinder disappears, so smooth shooting is possible. Is possible.

According to the invention of claim 2, E
Since the operation processing information of the image pickup apparatus is displayed at the same time when the display means such as VF is started, the same effect as in claim 1 can be obtained.

Further, according to the third aspect of the invention, since the motion processing information is displayed for a predetermined time at a certain interval when the eyepiece is detected, the motion processing information can be easily confirmed. .

Further, according to the invention described in claim 4, the operation processing information is not displayed again until a predetermined time elapses after the eye separation is detected and the display of the operation processing information of the image pickup apparatus is stopped. , Which enables more comfortable shooting.

Further, according to the invention described in claim 5, since the operation processing information of the image pickup device is obtained after a lapse of a predetermined time after detecting the eye contact, the same effect as in claim 1 can be obtained.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, since the eye-gaze detecting means detects the eyepiece, a circuit such as an automatic focus detecting device at the eye-gaze position can be used together.

According to the seventh and eighth aspects of the present invention, the display of the photographing condition such as AF and AE, the warning display such as the battery and the like are displayed in advance when the user touches the eye, and After confirming that the user is looking into the finder and displaying for a predetermined time, the display is terminated, so the user is surely recognized,
After that, the complicated display in the viewfinder disappears, and smooth shooting is possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an example of an eyepiece detection circuit according to the present invention.

FIG. 3A is a corneal reflection image on a photoelectric conversion element. (B)
Is a signal of a corneal reflection image corresponding to one horizontal scanning period. (C)
Is a signal indicating one horizontal scanning period of the photoelectric conversion element.

FIG. 4 is an electric signal in each part of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of operation processing information display according to the first embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of operation processing information display according to the second embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 7A is a reflector detection circuit. (B) is FIG. 5 (a)
Signal of each part of.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of operation processing information display according to the third embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of operation processing information display according to the second embodiment having a third display prohibiting means.

FIG. 11 is an example of operation processing information display in an electronic viewfinder (EVF).

[Explanation of symbols]

 100 Eyepiece Detection Unit 104 System Control Circuit 106 Display Circuit 107 EVF 111 Infrared Light Emitting Diode 112 Power Supply Unit 114 AE Circuit 115 AF Circuit

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A display unit for confirming a photographed image, a first display control unit for displaying operation processing information of an imaging device on the display unit in response to turning on a power source, and a user An eyepiece detection unit that detects that the display unit has contacted the eye, and a first prohibition that the operation processing information of the imaging device is displayed on the display unit in response to the detection of the eyepiece by the eyepiece detection unit. An image pickup apparatus comprising: a display prohibition unit. 2. A display unit for confirming a photographed image, a first display control unit for displaying operation processing information of the image pickup apparatus on the display unit according to an operation of the display unit, and a user An eyepiece detection unit that detects that the display unit has contacted the eye, and a first display unit that prohibits the operation processing information of the imaging device from being displayed on the display unit in response to the detection of the eyepiece by the eyepiece detection unit. And an image display prohibiting unit. 3. The second display control unit according to claim 1 or 2, which displays operation processing information of the image pickup apparatus on the display unit in response to the detection of the eyepiece by the eyepiece detection unit. A second prohibition operation of the second display control means until a predetermined time elapses after the first display prohibition means prohibits the operation processing information of the imaging device from being displayed on the display means. And an image display prohibiting unit. 4. The second display control unit according to claim 1 or 2, which displays the operation processing information of the image pickup apparatus on the display unit in response to the detection of the eyepiece by the eyepiece detection unit. The second display prohibiting means prohibits the operation of the second display control means until a predetermined time elapses after the operation processing information of the imaging device is prohibited from being displayed on the display means. Even if the operation of the display control means and the second control means is canceled by the second display control means, the operation of the second display means is performed when the eye contact detection means does not detect eye separation. And a third display prohibiting unit that prohibits the image pickup device. 5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first display prohibiting means detects the eye contact by the eye contact detecting means, and after the elapse of a predetermined time, displays the operation processing information of the imaging device in the display means. An imaging device, which is means for prohibiting display. 6. The image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein the eyepiece detection unit is a line-of-sight detection unit that detects the line of sight of the user. 7. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation processing information of the image pickup apparatus includes at least one of a shooting state display and a warning display. 8. The image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein the operation processing information of the image pickup device includes at least one of information about AE, AF, or a battery.