JPH1188731A - Camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To attain efficient photographing and to facilitate setting of a photographing range in the case of photographing a range wider than a photographing range of the camera is photographed while being divided into a plurality of number of times by displaying an image including a part of a 1st photographing range tangent to a 2nd photographing range onto part of a display section in the case of photographing the 2nd photographing range tangent to the 1st photographing range photographed as an image. SOLUTION: In the case of first photographing in panorama photographing, an image received by an area CCD sensor 2 is displayed fully on a display section 9. A photographer operates the camera so that an image of the photographing range is displayed on the display section 9. When the image of the photographing range is displayed on the display section 9, the photographer fully depresses a release button to conduct 1st photographing. Data of the photographed image are stored in a memory 6. In the case of succeeding photographing, a left half of the 1st image is displayed on a right half of the display section 9. While observing the image, the image to be displayed on the right half of the display section is adjusted so as to be connected to the preceding image and decides a succeeding photographing range.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera for photographing using an image pickup device such as a CCD, and more particularly to a camera capable of performing efficient photographing when photographing an area wider than the photographing range of the camera.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, when photographing a landscape, a large subject, or the like, the range to be photographed may be wider than the photographing range of a camera. In such a case, the photographer divides the area to be photographed into several areas that can be photographed by the camera, and then connects the printed photographs to complete a photograph such as one landscape or a subject image. .

[0003]

As described above, when the photographing is performed by dividing the range to be photographed into several ranges, the photographer first photographs the first photographing range. Then, when imaging the next range, the photographer needs to set the next imaging range to, for example, the first imaging range and a range in contact with any of the up, down, left, and right directions. Then, when performing the next shooting, similarly, it is necessary to set the shooting range so that the shooting range is in contact with the previous shooting range.

However, since the photographer cannot confirm the previous photographing range when performing the next photographing,
In some cases, the next shooting range is not adjacent to the previous shooting range, and a range where no shooting is performed may occur. Further, when the next shooting range is, for example, the left side of the previous shooting range, when the camera is moved to the left, there is a possibility that the camera is shifted vertically or rotated. In such a case, a plurality of captured images are not connected and cannot be made into one image.

[0005] Further, as described above, in order to prevent a non-shooting range from occurring, a photographer may shoot a part of the next shooting range so as to overlap the previous shooting range. Even in this case, since the previous shooting range cannot be confirmed,
The photographer tends to increase the overlapping range in order to ensure the overlapping range, so that efficient photographing cannot be performed.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a camera capable of easily setting each photographing range and photographing efficiently when photographing a range wider than the photographing range of the camera in a plurality of times. That is.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image pickup device for photographing a predetermined photographing range, and a display unit for displaying an image photographed by the image pickup device. A camera having a recording unit for recording an image photographed by the imaging element, photographing a second photographing range in contact with the first photographing range after the first photographing range is photographed as an image. In the camera, an image including a portion in contact with the second shooting range among the images of the first shooting range recorded in the recording unit is displayed on a part of the display unit. is there.

According to this configuration, a portion of the first photographing range that is in contact with the second photographing range is displayed on the display unit.
The second photographing range can be easily set.

Further, in the second configuration of the present invention, in the first configuration, when the direction from the first imaging range to the second imaging range is right or left, An image including a right end portion or a left end portion of an image in a shooting range is displayed on a left portion or a right portion of the display unit, respectively.

According to this configuration, when the photographing is performed in the left-right direction, the respective images are displayed on the display unit so that the first photographing range and the second photographing range are connected.

In a third configuration of the present invention, in the first configuration, when the direction from the first imaging range to the second imaging range is upward or downward, An image including an upper end portion or a lower end portion of an image in a shooting range is displayed on a lower portion or an upper portion of the display unit, respectively.

According to this configuration, when the photographing is performed in the vertical direction, each image is displayed on the display unit so that the first photographing range and the second photographing range are connected.

[0013] In a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the portion of the display section where the image of the first shooting range is not displayed is provided with the image pickup section. An image output from the element is displayed on the camera.

According to this configuration, the second output range can be easily set by connecting the image output from the image sensor to the first output range.

According to a fifth configuration of the present invention, in any one of the first to third configurations, an image output from the image pickup device is displayed on the entire display unit, and In a portion where an image of one shooting range is displayed, the image output from the image sensor is displayed as a translucent image.

According to this configuration, it is possible to set the second shooting range by exactly overlapping the image in the first shooting range and the translucent image.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, there is provided input means for inputting a direction from the first photographing range to the second photographing range. A camera characterized by the following.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image pickup device for photographing a predetermined photographing range, a display unit for displaying an image photographed by the image pickup device, and recording an image photographed by the image pickup device. And a recording means for performing
After shooting the first shooting range as an image, when shooting a second shooting range that is in contact with the first shooting range, input a direction from the first shooting range to the second shooting range. A camera comprising input means.

According to the sixth and seventh configurations, it is possible to arbitrarily set the direction from the first photographing range to the second photographing range.

Further, an eighth configuration of the present invention is an image pickup device for photographing a predetermined photographing range, a display unit for displaying an image photographed by the image pickup device, and recording an image photographed by the image pickup device. And a recording unit for displaying the image recorded on the recording unit on the display unit. Further, the image output from the image sensor is displayed on the display unit as a translucent image. The camera is characterized in that it is displayed so as to be superimposed on the image of the camera.

According to this configuration, an image that has been photographed and recorded is displayed, and it is possible to compare the image with an image from the image sensor.

[0022]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, light from a photographing object passing through a photographing lens 1 is received by an area CCD sensor (hereinafter referred to as CCD) 2 in which a plurality of CCDs (charge coupled devices) are two-dimensionally arranged. CCD2
Are driven by the CCD drive unit 3. The electric signal output from the CCD 2 is input to an A / D conversion circuit 4, where it is converted into a digital signal. Further, the digital signal is processed as image data in the image processing section 5 and is recorded in the memory 6 as image data recording means. The memory 6 may be either an internal memory or an external memory such as a memory card.

The image data processed by the image processing unit 5 is converted into an analog signal by a D / A conversion circuit 7. Then, the analog signal is displayed as an image via a display driving unit 8 that drives a display unit 9 such as a liquid crystal monitor.

Further, the camera has a microcomputer 10. The microcomputer 10 performs calculations such as a shooting distance and an exposure based on an operation signal input by the photographer from the camera operation unit 11 to control shooting.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the rear surface of the camera body in which the above-described photographing control is performed. According to FIG. 2, on the back of the camera body, there are a display unit 9 such as a liquid crystal monitor and a part of the camera operation unit 11, which include a panorama mode button 111 and a direction setting button 112, which will be described later.
A release button 113 is provided.

With such a camera, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 3 in the case where a range wider than the shooting range of the camera is shot a plurality of times (hereinafter referred to as "panoramic shooting").

As shown in FIG. 3A, when photographing a range A wider than the photographing range of the camera (dotted line a or b), the photographing range a is photographed first. Then, the photographing range b is photographed with the camera directed leftward.
At this time, the display unit 9 displays a dotted line portion c in FIG.
Is displayed. That is, the left half of the first photographing range a is displayed on the right half image c1 of the display unit 9, and the current CCD is displayed on the left half image c2 of the display unit 9.
2, that is, the image in the right half of the photographing range b is displayed.

The photographer looks at the previously photographed image, and as shown in FIG. 3C, the next photographing range b so that the right half image c1 and the left half image c2 of the display unit 9 are connected. Set and shoot. In this way, the photographer can set the next shooting range b while checking the previous shooting range a when performing the next shooting. Therefore, since the photographing range in each photographing can be set so that the previous photographing range a and the next photographing range b are connected to each other, the photographing range is larger than the photographing range of the camera. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of a range in which the image is not captured or an increase in the overlapping range.

The display mode of the previous image and the next image on the display unit 9 is not limited to the case where the left half of the previous image and the right half of the next image are displayed, as described above. is assumed.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the left end portion of the previous image of the photographing range a is displayed on the right end portion c3 of the display unit 9, and the other portion c4 of the display unit 9 is displayed as shown in FIG. May be displayed substantially over the next photographing range b. Further, the image from the CCD 2 may be reduced to a predetermined magnification and displayed so that the entire next photographing range b is displayed on the portion c4 of the display unit 9. In this case, the left end portion c of the display unit 9
The image displayed in 3 is also reduced and displayed at the same magnification.

The previous photographing range a shown in FIG.
Is not limited to the left direction as described above, and may be the right direction or the vertical direction. For example, when the photographing range b is photographed first and then the photographing range a is photographed, for example, as shown in FIG. The image at the right end of the image is displayed in the left end portion c5 of the dotted line portion c,
In the other portion c6, an image of the shooting range a is displayed.

When the photographing direction is upward (or downward), as described above, the photographing direction is above (or below) the previous photographing range.
An image including the end portion is displayed in a lower (or upper) portion of the display unit 9.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining in more detail the photographing control of the panoramic photographing according to the embodiment of the present invention. The shooting control of the present invention is started when the panorama mode is selected by the panorama mode button 121 shown in FIG.

In step S1, the photographer firstly
Press the release button 113 halfway. Then, in step S2, it is determined whether or not this shooting is the first shooting after the panorama mode is selected. The microcomputer 10 counts the number n of images shot after the panorama mode is selected. When the release button 113 is half-pressed, focusing control on the subject is also performed by the autofocus function of the camera.

In the case of the first (n = 1) photographing in panoramic photographing, an image captured by the CCD 2 is displayed on the entire display section 9 (step S3). Then, the photographer selects a predetermined photographing range. That is, the photographer operates the camera so that the image of the photographing range a in FIG. When the image in the shooting range a is displayed on the display unit 9, the release button 113 is pressed.
Is fully pressed (step S4). Thus, the first image is captured (step S5). The photographed image data is recorded in the memory 6 (step S
6). At this time, shooting conditions such as focal length information, focal point information, white balance information, and exposure information of the recorded image data are also recorded as header information of the image data at the same time (step S7).

In step S8, 1 is added to the number n of images to be shot in order to identify the number of the image in the panorama mode (step S8).

If it is determined in step S9 that photographing is to be continued, the process returns to step S1. When the release button 113 is half-pressed, in step S2,
The number n of shots is identified. In this case, the above step S
At step 8, 1 is added to the number of times n is taken, and the number n of times taken is 2, so the process proceeds to step S10.

In step S10, the above-mentioned FIG.
As shown in (b) or (c), the left half of the first image is displayed on the right half of the display unit 9. Then, on the left half of the display unit 9, the right half of the image captured by the CCD 2 is displayed.

The photographer adjusts so that the image displayed on the right half of the display unit 9 is connected to the previous image while viewing the previous image displayed on the left half of the display unit 9. At this time, by a predetermined zoom operation, as shown in FIG.
The right end part of the previous image and the left end part of the next image are displayed on the display unit 9.
May be displayed enlarged. That is, when a predetermined zoom operation is performed in step S11, the right end portion of the previous image and the left end portion of the next image are electronically zoomed at the same magnification (step S12). Thus, the photographer can adjust the photographing range of the next photographing so that the image of the next photographing is more accurately connected to the image of the previous photographing.

When the photographing range is set, step S13
, The release button 113 is fully pressed. When the release button 113 is fully pressed, in order to perform each shooting in the panorama mode under the same conditions, shooting is performed under the same shooting conditions as the first image stored at the time of shooting the first image (step). S14). That is, shooting is performed under the same focal length, white balance, and exposure conditions as the first image.

In step S15, the image data of the photographed image is stored in the memory 6 in association with the image data of the previous image. More specifically, in the header information of the image data of the captured image, information on the positional relationship with the previous image is recorded in addition to the above-described imaging conditions. More specifically, the shooting range of the shot image is
The range in contact with the right side of the shooting range of the previous image is recorded as positional relationship information in the header information of the image data.

The positional relationship information for the previous image is
A direction setting button 11 provided on the camera body shown in FIG.
The input is made by setting up, down, left, and right directions by means of 2. The positional relationship information may be input for each shooting, or once a certain direction is input, it may be set to the once input direction until a different direction is set.

Returning to FIG. 6, in step S15,
When the image data of the second image is recorded, the number of times of photographing n is counted in step S8. This is performed according to S10 to S15.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. According to FIG. 8A, a range A to be photographed is photographed separately into a photographing range a and a photographing range b which are photographing ranges of the camera. In the present embodiment, the right end portion of the next shooting range b is set so as to overlap the left end portion of the previous shooting range a.

That is, as shown in FIG.
When the next photographing range b, which is an image from, is displayed on the display unit 9, the right end of the display unit 9 displays the left end of the previous photographing range a. At this time, of the image from the CCD 2 displayed on the display unit 9, a portion overlapping with the left end portion of the previous shooting range a is synthesized and displayed as a translucent display having a transparency of about 50%, for example.

Thus, the photographer can easily adjust the next photographing range b so that the right end of the image from the CCD 2 displayed on the display unit 9 overlaps the left end of the previous photographing range a. Can set the next photographing range b.

Further, according to still another embodiment of the present invention, when performing a 360-degree photographing, a predetermined operation is performed so that the first photographed image is displayed on the left (right) half of the display unit 9 (right side). This is displayed on the left (right) direction of the next shooting. For example, as shown in FIG.
When performing a 360-degree shooting counterclockwise to D3, the left end portion of the last shooting range Dn needs to be connected to or overlap with the right end portion of the first shooting range D1. Therefore, when photographing the photographing range Dn, it is necessary to confirm the photographing range D1 of the first photographing.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9B, for example, by displaying the image of the photographing range D1 on the left half of the display unit 9, the image of the last photographing range Dn is changed to the photographing range Dn.
It is possible to confirm whether or not one image has been reached.

The image data of each image photographed in the above embodiment of the present invention can be read out from the recording means 6 and reproduced and displayed. At this time, a plurality of image data shot in the panorama mode may be read, further reduced at a predetermined magnification, and the entire panorama shooting range may be displayed on the display unit 9. Further, for example, the image may be played back and displayed so as to pan from left (right) to right (left) or from top (bottom) to bottom (top) in the order in which the shot images were shot.

Further, in the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the image processing unit 5 in FIG. 1 connects the previous photographing range a and the next photographing range b exactly as shown in FIG. 3C, for example. Alternatively, an image analysis function may be provided for detecting that the overlapping portion between the previous shooting range a and the next shooting range b in FIG. Further, when these are detected by the image processing unit 5, the release button 113 may be automatically pressed fully under the control of the microcomputer 10 to perform photographing.

Further, at the time of photographing the second and subsequent frames when performing panoramic photographing, a portion in contact with the next photographing range in the previous photographing range is displayed on the display unit 9 as in the above-described embodiment of the present invention. Without setting, set the shooting range for the second and subsequent images,
By using the direction setting button 122, only the positional relationship information with the previous shooting range may be stored in the header information. In such a case, it is possible to automatically connect a plurality of images by fetching the image data recorded in the recording means 6 into, for example, a personal computer and performing predetermined image processing based on the positional relationship information. Becomes

Further, the camera according to the embodiment of the present invention displays an image from the CCD 2 translucently on the entire display unit 9 when a certain image that has been photographed is reproduced and displayed on the entire display unit 9. It is also possible to superimpose and display the photographed image and the image from the CCD 2. As a result, for example, an image that has already been shot is displayed on the display unit 9.
And display the same shooting range as that image on the CC
By taking an image with D2 and displaying the image from the CCD 2 translucently on the display unit 9, it is possible to confirm the movement of the subject within the shooting range.

[0054]

According to the present invention, when a range wider than the shooting range of the camera is shot a plurality of times, the portion of the previous shooting range that is in contact with the next shooting range is displayed on the display unit of the camera. You. Therefore, since the photographing range in each photographing can be set so that the previous photographing range and the next photographing range are connected exactly, it is possible to prevent the photographing range from being shifted or the range from not being photographed. Further, it is possible to prevent the overlapping range of the adjacent photographing ranges from being increased,
It is possible to perform efficient shooting.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the back of the camera body of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a shooting range and an image displayed on a display unit of the camera according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display mode of a display unit of a camera different from that of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display mode of a display unit of a camera when a shooting direction is opposite to that in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating shooting control of the camera according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram when an image on a display unit of the camera is enlarged and displayed.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a shooting range and an image displayed on a display unit of a camera according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a shooting range and an image displayed on a display unit of a camera in still another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 area CCD sensor 5 image processing unit 6 memory 9 display unit 10 microcomputer 11 camera operation unit

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A camera comprising: an image sensor for photographing a predetermined photographing range; a display unit for displaying an image photographed by the image sensor; and recording means for recording an image photographed by the image sensor. After the first photographing area is photographed as an image, when photographing a second photographing area that is in contact with the first photographing area, the image of the first photographing area recorded in the recording unit is An image including a portion in contact with a second photographing range is displayed on a part of the display unit. 2. The image according to claim 1, wherein when the direction from the first shooting range to the second shooting range is rightward or leftward, a right end portion or a left end of the image in the first shooting range, respectively. An image including a portion is displayed on a left portion or a right portion of the display unit, respectively. 3. The image of the first photographing range according to claim 1, wherein when the direction from the first photographing range to the second photographing range is upward or downward, the upper end portion or the lower end of the image of the first photographing range respectively. An image including a portion is displayed on a lower portion or an upper portion of the display unit, respectively. 4. An image output from the image pickup element according to claim 1, wherein an image output from the image sensor is displayed on a portion of the display unit where the image of the first shooting range is not displayed. Camera. 5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein an image output from the image sensor is displayed on the entire display unit, and a portion of the display unit on which an image of the first shooting range is displayed is: The image output from the image sensor,
A camera characterized by being displayed as a translucent image. 6. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising input means for inputting a direction from the first photographing range to the second photographing range. 7. A camera comprising: an image sensor for photographing a predetermined photographing range; a display unit for displaying an image photographed by the image sensor; and recording means for recording an image photographed by the image sensor. After the first shooting range is shot as an image, when shooting a second shooting range in contact with the first shooting range, input a direction from the first shooting range to the second shooting range. A camera comprising an input unit for performing the operation. 8. A camera comprising: an image sensor for photographing a predetermined photographing range; a display unit for displaying an image photographed by the image sensor; and recording means for recording an image photographed by the image sensor. An image recorded in the recording unit is displayed on the display unit, and an image output from the image sensor is displayed on the display unit as a translucent image so as to overlap the one image. A camera characterized by the following.