阅读说明：本技术 摄像装置 (Image pickup apparatus ) 是由 向井务 冈崎芳纪 于 2015-07-27 设计创作，主要内容包括：提供一种摄像装置,具备：摄像部,其根据经由光学系统部而输入的光学信息来生成图像数据；图像处理部,其对由所述摄像部生成的图像数据进行给定处理；和控制部,其基于与动态图像拍摄相关的设定值,对所述光学系统部、所述摄像部以及/或者所述图像处理部进行控制来生成动态图像数据,所述控制部具有第1动态图像模式和第2动态图像模式,作为动态图像的记录模式,所述控制部在所述第2动态图像模式中将与所述动态图像拍摄相关的设定自动设定为适于静止图像记录的给定设定,所述第2动态图像模式中与所述动态图像拍摄相关的设定,包括图像纵横比,所述第2动态图像模式包括所述第1动态图像模式中不能设定的图像纵横比。(Provided is an imaging device provided with: an image pickup section that generates image data from optical information input via the optical system section; an image processing unit that performs predetermined processing on the image data generated by the image capturing unit; and a control unit that controls the optical system unit, the image pickup unit, and/or the image processing unit based on a setting value related to moving image capturing to generate moving image data, wherein the control unit has a1 st moving image mode and a2 nd moving image mode as a moving image recording mode, the control unit automatically sets the setting related to moving image capturing to a predetermined setting suitable for still image recording in the 2 nd moving image mode, the setting related to moving image capturing in the 2 nd moving image mode includes an image aspect ratio, and the 2 nd moving image mode includes an image aspect ratio that cannot be set in the 1 st moving image mode.)

1. An imaging device is provided with:

An image pickup section that generates image data from optical information input via the optical system section;

An image processing unit that performs predetermined processing on the image data generated by the image capturing unit; and

A control unit that controls the optical system unit, the imaging unit, and/or the image processing unit based on a setting related to moving image capturing to generate moving image data,

The control section has a1 st moving picture mode and a2 nd moving picture mode as a moving picture recording mode,

The control section automatically sets the setting relating to the moving image capturing to a given setting suitable for still image recording in the 2 nd moving image mode,

Settings related to the moving image capturing in the 2 nd moving image mode, including an image aspect ratio,

The 2 nd moving picture mode includes an image aspect ratio that cannot be set in the 1 st moving picture mode.

2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1,

The image aspect ratio that can be set in the 2 nd moving image mode and cannot be set in the 1 st moving image mode includes 3: 2 or 1: 1.

3. the image pickup apparatus according to claim 1,

The settings related to the moving image capturing in the 2 nd moving image mode include a shutter speed, a frame rate, and the image aspect ratio.

4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3,

The shutter speed in the 2 nd moving image mode is a higher value than the shutter speed in the 1 st moving image mode in the case of comparison at the same frame rate.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an image pickup apparatus that generates an image of an object.

Background

In general, in the case of still image shooting, a user holds the image pickup apparatus while paying attention to the shutter timing, and presses the release button when the shutter timing is set to a desired shutter timing, thereby shooting an image at a desired moment. However, in the conventional imaging apparatus, since an image is captured when the release button is pressed, it is difficult to capture a picture of an accidental event or an unexpected event that occurs when the user does not know the occurrence of the accidental event or a picture of a momentary state of an object (liquid, flame, or the like) whose state changes with the passage of time.

For example, patent document 1 discloses an image pickup apparatus capable of picking up a still image during moving image pickup. According to this imaging apparatus, the still image data is temporarily stored in the internal memory in accordance with a still image shooting instruction during moving image recording, and after the moving image data is recorded in the recording medium, the still image data in the internal memory is read out and recorded in the recording medium. Thereby, still image shooting during moving image shooting can be achieved.

Prior art documents

Patent document

Patent document 1: JP-A9-154104

Disclosure of Invention

In the imaging apparatus of patent document 1, the user needs to perform an operation for instructing still image shooting when a desired shutter timing is achieved during moving image recording. That is, the user needs to pay attention to the shutter timing, which is the timing of still image shooting, and therefore it is difficult to shoot images of unexpected incidents, unexpected accidents, and the like.

Further, in the image pickup apparatus of patent document 1, image data of 1 frame out of moving image data is recorded as a still image. Therefore, the quality of the still image is affected by the quality of each frame image constituting the moving image. Here, the moving image capturing is performed under the capturing conditions (setting values related to the moving image capturing) under which high image quality or high quality can be obtained as the moving image. For example, in order to realize smooth moving image reproduction, the shutter speed at the time of moving image capturing is set to the same value as the length of the 1-frame period. Specifically, when the frame rate of moving image shooting is 30fps (frame per second), the shutter speed is set to 1/30 second. However, a still image captured from moving image data captured at such a shutter speed may be an image in which the subject is blurred, particularly when the subject is moving. Therefore, in the conventional imaging apparatus, when a still image is generated from a moving image, a high-quality still image cannot be obtained.

The present disclosure provides an imaging apparatus capable of generating a still image captured without missing an unexpected shutter timing.

The disclosed imaging device is provided with: an optical system unit that controls optical information representing an object image; an image pickup section that generates image data from optical information input via the optical system section; an image processing unit that performs predetermined processing on the image data generated by the image capturing unit; and a control unit that controls at least one of the optical system unit, the imaging unit, and the image processing unit based on a set value related to moving image capturing to generate moving image data. The control unit sets the setting values for the 1 st moving image mode and the 2 nd moving image mode (photo moving image mode) for the respective moving image capturing modes, and automatically sets the setting values for the 2 nd moving image mode for the moving image capturing mode to the setting values more suitable for still image recording than the 1 st moving image mode. The recording in the 2 nd moving image mode is performed from the start of the recording of the moving image to the end thereof.

The imaging apparatus of the present disclosure has, in addition to the 1 st moving image mode for recording a moving image, a2 nd moving image mode for recording a moving image with shooting settings more suitable for still image recording than the 1 st moving image mode. The user can extract a desired still image from the moving image data generated by the 2 nd moving image mode. Therefore, the user can generate an image captured at a decisive moment, which has been difficult to achieve in the past, without paying attention to the shutter timing.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a digital camera according to the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the digital camera.

Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating a still image cut out from moving image data.

Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating various setting values in each of the normal moving image mode and the photo moving image mode.

Fig. 5A is a diagram illustrating a screen for setting to the photo-moving image mode.

Fig. 5B is a diagram illustrating the operation means for setting to the photo moving image mode.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing a moving image recording operation in the digital camera.

Fig. 7A is a diagram illustrating a warning message displayed at the time of shooting in the photo moving image mode.

Fig. 7B is a diagram illustrating an icon displayed at the time of shooting in the photo moving image mode.

fig. 8 is a flowchart showing a process of cutting out a still image from moving image data in the digital camera.

Fig. 9A is a diagram illustrating a state in which 3 pieces of moving image data recorded in the photo moving image mode are saved to the memory card.

Fig. 9B is a diagram illustrating a screen for cutting out a still image from moving image data.

Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating operation buttons for moving between marked frames.

Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining an operation for cutting out a still image from dynamic image data.

Fig. 12 is a diagram showing another example of display showing the division between moving image data.

Fig. 13 is a diagram showing a display mode modification example of the digital camera.

Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the marker button of the digital camera.

Fig. 15 is a diagram illustrating a display displayed when a mark is made during moving image recording and an operation button for making a mark.

Fig. 16 is a diagram for explaining a recording location of the mark information of the moving image.

Fig. 17A is a diagram for explaining a marker of moving image data.

Fig. 17B is a diagram illustrating a marker database updated when a marker instruction is made during moving image recording.

Fig. 18 is a diagram showing an example of processing when moving between marked frames.

Fig. 19A is a diagram for explaining the relationship between moving image data recorded in the photo moving image mode and marks.

Fig. 19B is a diagram illustrating a screen on which a thumbnail image is displayed using a marked frame as a representative image.

Fig. 20 is a diagram for explaining bracketing in the photo moving image mode.

Fig. 21A is a diagram for explaining a recording screen of a moving image recorded by vertical shooting.

Fig. 21B is a diagram for explaining a reproduction screen of a moving image recorded by vertical shooting.

Fig. 21C is a diagram for explaining a reproduction screen of a moving image recorded by vertical shooting.

Fig. 22 is a flowchart showing an example of processing in vertical shooting in the moving picture mode of the digital camera.

Fig. 23 is a flowchart showing another example of processing at the time of vertical shooting in the moving picture mode of a digital camera.

Fig. 24 is a flowchart illustrating a process of cutting out a still image from a moving image recorded by vertical shooting.

Fig. 25 is a diagram for explaining the rotation information recorded in the header of the moving image.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings as appropriate. However, an excessively detailed description may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of already known matters and repetitive descriptions of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid the following description being too lengthy to allow those skilled in the art to readily understand. In addition, the present inventors provide the drawings and the following description in order for those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and do not intend to limit the subject matter described in the claims by these drawings.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of an imaging apparatus according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

(embodiment mode 1)

1. Digital camera structure

First, an electrical configuration example of a digital camera according to embodiment 1 will be described with reference to fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a digital camera 100. The digital camera 100 is an imaging device that captures an object image formed by an optical system 110 including 1 or more lenses by a CCD 140.

The image data generated by the CCD140 is subjected to various processes by the image processing unit 160, and is stored in the memory card 200. The configuration of the digital camera 100 will be described in detail below.

The optical system 110 is composed of a zoom lens and a focus lens. By moving the zoom lens along the optical axis, the subject image can be enlarged or reduced. Further, by moving the focus lens along the optical axis, the focus of the object image can be adjusted.

The lens driving unit 120 drives various lenses included in the optical system 110. The lens driving unit 120 includes, for example, a zoom motor that drives a zoom lens and a focus motor that drives a focus lens.

The light ring part 300 adjusts the size of the opening of the light according to the user's setting or automatically, and adjusts the amount of the transmitted light.

The shutter portion 130 is a unit for blocking light transmitted to the CCD 140. The shutter unit 130 constitutes an optical system unit that controls optical information representing an object image together with the optical system 110 and the aperture unit 300.

The CCD140 captures an object image formed by the optical system 110, and generates image data. The CCD140 includes a color filter, a light receiving element, and an AGC (Auto Gain Controller). The light receiving element converts the optical signal condensed by the optical system 110 into an electrical signal, and generates image information. The AGC amplifies an electrical signal output from the light receiving element. The CCD140 further includes a drive circuit and the like for performing various operations such as exposure, transfer, and electronic shutter. Details will be described later.

the ADC150(a/D converter: analog-to-digital converter) converts analog image data generated by the CCD140 into digital image data.

The image processing unit 160 is controlled by the controller 180, and performs various processes on the digital image data generated and converted by the CCD 140. The image processing unit 160 generates image data for display on the display monitor 220 or generates image data for storage in the memory card 200. For example, the image processing unit 160 performs various processes such as gamma correction, white balance correction, and scratch correction on the image data generated by the CCD 140. The image processing unit 160 compresses the image data generated by the CCD140 in a compression format conforming to the h.264 standard, the MPEG2 standard, or the like. The image processing unit 160 can be realized by a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a microcomputer, or the like. The image processing unit 160 can generate image data (4K moving image data) of a moving image having up to 4000 × 2000 pixels based on the image data generated by the CCD 140. The image processing unit 160 can perform various processes to be described later on the generated 4K moving image data.

The controller 180 is a control unit (an example of a control unit) that controls the entire digital camera 100. The controller 180 can be implemented by a semiconductor element or the like. The controller 180 may be configured by only hardware, or may be implemented by combining hardware and software. The controller 180 may be implemented by a microcomputer, a CPU, an MPU, an ASIC, an FPGA, or the like.

the buffer 170 functions as a work memory for the image processing unit 160 and the controller 180. The buffer 170 may be implemented by, for example, a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), a ferroelectric Memory, or the like.

The card slot 190 is capable of attaching and detaching a memory card 200. Card slot 190 is capable of mechanically and electrically connecting with memory card 200.

The memory card 200 includes a flash memory, a ferroelectric memory, and the like therein, and can store data such as an image file generated by the image processing unit 160.

The built-in memory 240 is composed of a flash memory, a ferroelectric memory, or the like. The built-in memory 240 stores a control program and the like for controlling the entire digital camera 100.

The operation member 210 is a generic term of a user interface for receiving an operation from a user. For example, a selection button, a decision button, and the like that receive an operation from a user correspond to the operation member 210.

The display monitor 220 can display an image (through image) indicated by image data generated by the CCD140 and an image indicated by image data read from the memory card 200. The display monitor 220 can also display various menu screens for performing various settings of the digital camera 100. The display monitor 220 is constituted by a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL display device.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the back surface of the digital camera 100. The operation member 210 includes members for receiving user operations, such as buttons, levers, knobs, and touch panels. For example, as shown in fig. 2, the operation member 210 includes a release button 211, a selection button 213, a decision button 214, a moving image recording button 217, and the like. Upon receiving the user operation, the operation member 210 transmits various instruction signals to the controller 180.

The release button 211 is a push button of a two-step push type. When the release button 211 is half-pressed by the user, the controller 180 executes autofocus control (AF control), automatic exposure control (AE control), and the like. When the release button 211 is fully pressed by the user, the controller 180 records the image data captured at the timing of the pressing operation as a recording image in the memory card 200 or the like.

The selection button 213 is a push-down button provided in the up-down, left-right direction. The user can move a cursor or select various condition items displayed on the display monitor 220 by pressing any one direction of the selection buttons 213.

the decision button 214 is a push button. When the digital camera 100 is in the shooting mode or the playback mode, the controller 180 displays a menu screen on the display monitor 220 when the decision button 214 is pressed by the user. The menu screen is a screen for setting various conditions for shooting and reproduction. When the decision button 214 is pressed when setting items of various conditions are selected, the controller 180 determines the setting of the selected items.

2. operation of digital camera

The digital camera 100 of the present embodiment has, as operation modes, a moving image recording mode for recording a moving image and a reproduction mode for reproducing a recorded image. Further, the moving image recording mode includes two moving image modes: a normal moving image mode (an example of the 1 st moving image mode) for capturing a normal moving image; and a photo moving image mode (an example of the 2 nd moving image mode) for capturing a moving image capable of capturing a high-quality still image.

2.1 photo dynamic image mode

the photo moving image mode is a mode for taking a moving image for cutting out a still image. That is, as shown in fig. 3, 1 frame image is cut out from a plurality of frame images constituting a moving image based on the moving image photographed in the photo moving image mode, and recorded as a still image. In the photo moving image mode, moving images are recorded with shooting settings more suitable for still image recording than in the normal moving image mode.

The user can cut out an image (frame image) of a desired scene as a still image from a moving image captured in such a picture moving image mode. Therefore, the user can select a desired image from the frame images constituting the moving image captured without paying attention to the shutter timing, and can generate an image captured at a decisive moment, which has been difficult to achieve in the past. That is, it is possible to easily take a picture of an accidental event or an unexpected event that does not occur at all, or a picture of a momentary state of an object (liquid, flame, or the like) whose state changes with time.

In order to cut 1 frame image of 1 piece of a moving image constituting a moving image into a still image, the moving image captured in the moving picture mode is preferentially cut into a still image in comparison with the quality or image quality (hereinafter, referred to as image quality) of the moving image. Therefore, when the still image mode is set, various settings related to shooting are automatically (forcibly) set to setting values specific to the still image mode suitable for still image recording. Fig. 4 shows settings specific to the moving picture mode, in comparison with the settings in the normal moving picture mode. Under the setting specific to the moving picture mode, the various setting values are set to values that improve the image quality of the still image cut out of the moving picture.

For example, in the normal moving image mode, the image quality setting (resolution) is set to a value designated by the user in a range of VGA to 4K (up and down at 4000 pixels × 2000 pixels). In contrast, in the moving picture mode, the image quality setting (resolution) is set to 4K, which is the highest resolution that can be set in the digital camera 100. This enables the recording of a high-quality frame image and the capturing of a high-quality still image. The frame rate of the moving image is set to a value designated by the user among 24p, 25p, and 30p in the normal moving image mode. In contrast, in the photo moving image mode, the highest frame rate 30p is set. By setting the frame rate to a high frame rate, the time interval between frames in a moving image becomes short, and even if recording is performed for the same time, the timing at which a still image can be captured increases.

The moving picture mode is not limited to a 4K moving picture with a number of pixels of about 4000 × 2000, but a still picture with higher image quality can be obtained in a high-resolution moving picture mode. For example, the digital camera 100 may be configured to set an 8K moving image with a pixel number of 8000 × 4000 as the set image quality in the moving picture mode. The digital camera 100 may be set to have the highest resolution in the normal moving image mode. In addition, since a high-resolution moving image generally requires much processing performance, recording at the highest frame rate captured by the sensor (CCD140) of the camera may not be possible. In this case, it is preferable to set 2 modes of "image quality priority" and "shutter timing priority" in the setting of the moving picture mode. In the image quality priority mode, the moving image mode of the highest resolution is selected. On the other hand, in the shutter timing priority mode, among the moving image modes having a predetermined resolution or higher, the moving image mode capable of securing the highest recording frame rate is selected. This enables the user to more intuitively select a moving image mode in which the pixels of the captured still image are large and a moving image mode in which the possibility of covering a decisive moment is high (the frame rate of the moving image is high).

Further, since the color tone needs to be set to a color setting on the assumption that the image is cut out as a still image, the color tone is set to a setting different from that of a moving image. In the normal moving image mode, the exposure setting is set to a mode set by the user in any one of a P mode (program mode), an a mode (exposure priority mode), an S mode (shutter speed priority mode), and an M mode (manual mode). In contrast, the moving picture mode is set to the S mode.

Regarding the shutter speed, in the normal moving image mode, the shutter speed is set to a value corresponding to the frame rate of the recorded moving image (for example, to 1/30 second in the case where the frame rate is 30 frames/second). In contrast, in the photo moving image mode, it is set to be faster than the value of the frame period (for example, set to be less than 1/30 second in the case where the frame rate is 30 frames/second). In the normal moving image mode, the shutter speed is set to a value of a frame rate level of the moving image so that a smooth moving image can be reproduced at the time of moving image reproduction. However, in the above-described setting, for example, when a subject such as a moving animal is photographed, the subject becomes a smooth video as a moving image, but when the subject is cut out as a still image, the subject is blurred, and therefore the image quality as the still image is deteriorated. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the shutter speed in the picture moving image mode is set to a higher value than the shutter speed in the normal moving image mode. Thus, when a still image is captured, a high-quality still image with little subject blur can be captured. In this way, in the photo moving image mode, the shutter speed is set to have a higher priority than the image quality of the moving image than the image quality of the still image.

As for the range of the luminance level, a partial range of the luminance level range of the digital camera is set for the reason that the video is displayed on the TV or the like by the HDMI (registered trademark) standard in the normal moving picture mode. In contrast, in the moving picture mode, the picture quality as a still image is prioritized, and therefore, it is not desirable to limit the luminance level. Therefore, the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment sets the luminance level range to the maximum value of the luminance level range of the digital camera in the moving picture mode.

In the normal moving image mode, the image aspect ratio is fixed to 16: 9. in the photo moving image mode, according to the user's setting, 16: 9, 4: 3, 3: 2. 1: 1, in any ratio.

Regarding the upper limit of the automatic ISO, the upper limit value of the ISO sensitivity in the photo moving image mode is made higher than that in the normal moving image mode. For example, the upper limit of the auto ISO is set to 6400 in the normal moving image mode. On the other hand, the upper limit of the auto ISO in the photo moving image mode is set to a value higher than that in the normal moving image mode, such as 25600. Thus, in the photo moving image mode, a higher shutter speed can be set than in the normal moving image mode.

These values in the shot moving image mode are also set to values higher than those in the normal moving image mode with respect to the Auto Focus (AF) tracking speed, the White Balance (WB) tracking speed, and the Auto Exposure (AE) tracking speed. When the autofocus tracking speed or the like is increased, the focus of a moving object in particular fluctuates rapidly, and the quality of a moving image is degraded. Therefore, in the normal moving image mode, it is not preferable to control the autofocus to be high speed. However, in the photo moving image mode, when the autofocus tracking speed or the like is controlled to be high, the number of frames focused more appropriately on the subject increases, and therefore a moving image suitable for the purpose of capturing a still image can be recorded. In the photo/moving image mode, the image quality of a still image is emphasized, and the image quality of a moving image is degraded, but the auto focus tracking speed, the white balance tracking speed, and the auto exposure tracking speed are forcibly set to higher values.

In the case of setting to the photo moving image mode, since the above-described setting values suitable for still image recording are automatically (forcibly) set, it is possible to record a moving image more specifically for capturing a still image. Therefore, a high-quality still image can be captured from a moving image captured in the moving picture mode.

In order to set the moving image mode to the photo moving image mode, the setting may be performed by selecting a selection item related to the photo moving image from a setting menu as in the screen a shown in fig. 5A. Alternatively, as shown in fig. 5B, a dedicated button 218 for setting the still image mode may be provided in the digital camera 100, and the still image mode may be set by operating the dedicated button 218. Alternatively, the moving picture mode may be set by operating an operating system such as a mode selection knob provided in the digital camera 100.

In the moving image setting screen of the screen a shown in fig. 5A, in addition to the active (ON)/inactive (OFF) of the moving image mode, moving image settings such as tone setting, recording method, and image quality setting for moving images can be performed. When the setting of the moving picture mode is performed, the screen moves to a detailed setting screen of the moving picture mode such as a screen B shown in fig. 5A. Here, the user can set the image aspect ratio of the moving picture mode. In this case, it is preferable that the setting contents automatically set in the moving picture mode be displayed on the digital camera 100 in the screen B. This is because, when setting a moving image, it is difficult for a user to remember many settings such as the angle of view. Therefore, the convenience of the user is improved by performing the display as described above.

since the moving picture mode is a moving picture mode exclusively used for capturing a still image as described above, the quality of a moving picture is not necessarily good. Therefore, when the picture moving image mode is enabled, a warning screen and a reconfirmation message are preferably presented to the user as in the screen C shown in fig. 5A. This can suppress the user from selecting an inappropriate moving image mode. In the case where the user selects the photo moving image mode in the screen C shown in fig. 5A, the user returns to the moving image setting screen. In this case, it is preferable that the display mode is changed by graying or the like in the exposure setting, the luminance level, and the like automatically set in the moving picture mode as in the screen D shown in fig. 5A.

2.2 dynamic image recording

The moving image recording operation of the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of fig. 6. In the digital camera 100, when the user presses the moving image recording button 217, recording of a moving image is started, and when the moving image recording button 217 is pressed during moving image recording, recording of a moving image is stopped.

When the user presses the moving picture recording button 217 provided on the rear surface of the digital camera 100 (step S11), the controller 180 determines whether the set moving picture mode is the normal moving picture mode or the photo moving picture mode (step S12).

In the case where the photo moving image mode is set (yes in step S12), the controller 180 displays a message for warning the user that the photo moving image mode is set as shown in fig. 7A (step S13). The photo moving image mode is set to have a shutter speed faster than that of the general moving image mode, and moving images are not smooth and are not suitable for moving image photographing/reproducing. Therefore, in order to prevent shooting in the photo moving image mode against the user's intention, an icon different from the normal moving image mode is displayed and a warning is displayed. In addition, such a warning may also be displayed when the moving image mode is changed from the normal moving image mode to the photo moving image mode. As shown in fig. 7B, it is preferable that the icon 400 is displayed on the display monitor 220 in order to clearly show the moving picture mode during the moving picture recording.

When the moving picture mode is set, the controller 180 sets the setting values related to moving picture photographing as the setting values for the moving picture mode (step S14). As shown in fig. 4, the setting values for the photo moving image mode are setting values suitable for still image recording. When the normal moving image mode is set, the controller 180 uses the setting for the normal moving image mode that is currently set.

Then, the controller 180 starts moving image recording (step S15). Then, until the instruction to stop the moving image recording is received, the controller 180 records the moving image based on the set value (step S16). In the moving image recording process, moving image data is continuously recorded to the memory card 200. In addition, in the normal moving picture mode and the photo moving picture mode, moving pictures are recorded in a given format for moving picture data. For example, moving pictures are recorded in compliance with the MP4 standard (H.264/MPEG-4AVC method).

Here, the digital camera 100 of the present embodiment can mark the vicinity of a frame of an object to be captured later when capturing a moving image. Therefore, the controller 180 determines whether or not an instruction of a flag from the user is made (step S17). The marker is an operation of specifying a frame image of a certain timing in a moving image. When the marking instruction is given (yes in step S17), marking processing is performed (step S18). Details of the marking process will be described later.

When the moving image recording button 217 is pressed during moving image recording (yes in step S19), the controller 180 stops the moving image recording operation (step S20). The controller 180 continues the moving image recording operation until the moving image recording button 217 is pressed (step S19).

2.3 capturing still images from dynamic image data

The process of extracting a still image from moving image data recorded in the moving picture mode will be described with reference to fig. 8 and 9. Fig. 8 is a flowchart of a process of cutting out a still image from dynamic image data. Fig. 9A shows 3 moving images a, B, and C recorded in the memory card 200 in the photo moving image mode. Fig. 9B shows an image selection screen (operation screen) used when selecting a moving image for capturing a still image.

When the user presses a predetermined button of the digital camera 100, the controller 180 displays an image selection screen such as that shown in fig. 9B on the display monitor 220. On the image selection screen, thumbnail images 31 of frames at predetermined intervals are displayed for the respective moving images a to C. That is, on the image selection screen, representative thumbnail images of the moving image data divided at a predetermined time interval (images of the 1 st frame of the divided moving image data) are displayed for the moving images a to C. In the example of fig. 9B, the thumbnail image 31 corresponding to the frame image every 5 seconds is displayed for each of the moving images A, B, C. For example, for the moving image a, the thumbnail image 31 of the frame image every 5 seconds is displayed (a1, a2, …). The time interval of the frames can be changed to 5 seconds or 10 seconds by means of the buttons 41, 42. By displaying the thumbnail images 31 of the frames at the predetermined time intervals in this manner, the user can efficiently select a moving image including a desired scene, and as a result, can quickly find a scene to be cut.

The user can select 1 thumbnail image 31 by moving a cursor on the image selection screen by operating a selection button 213 or a touch panel provided on the back of the camera. If the user selects 1 thumbnail image 31 (step S30), the controller 180 reproduces the moving image of the selected thumbnail image 31 from the frame of the selected thumbnail image 31 (step S31). During image reproduction, a screen displaying a predetermined operation button as shown in fig. 10 is displayed on the display monitor 220. The user can operate the operation buttons on the screen to reproduce, stop, and the like the moving image data. In addition, it is preferable that the icon 400 is displayed on the display monitor 220 in the moving image recorded in the photo moving image mode. Thus, the user can easily recognize that the moving image is recorded in the photo moving image mode suitable for the cut-out of the still image.

When the user presses a pause button (pause button) during the reproduction of the moving image (step S32), the controller 180 temporarily stops the display of the moving image and displays a frame image (still image) at the stopped position (step S33).

the screen a shown in fig. 11 shows an example of a still image displayed on the display monitor 220 when the image is temporarily stopped. On the display monitor 220, frame-by-frame play buttons 55a and 55b are displayed. Until the decision button 214 shown in fig. 10 and the like is pressed (no in step S34), the user can play the still image frame by frame, 1 frame after 1 frame, by operating the frame-by-frame play buttons 55a and 55 b. For example, when the frame-by-frame play button 55a is operated, an image of a frame immediately preceding the currently displayed image is displayed on the display monitor 220. Further, in the case where the frame-by-frame play button 55b is operated, an image of a frame subsequent to the currently displayed image is displayed on the display monitor 220. When the frame-by-frame play buttons 55a and 55b are operated (step S36), the controller 180 switches the images displayed on the display monitor 220 (step S37). The user operates the frame-by-frame play buttons 55a and 55b to display a desired image on the display monitor 220.

When the user presses the decision button 214 (yes in step S34), the number of frames to be cut next is specified (step S35). When the number of cut-outs is designated, the number designated from the displayed images (frame images) is cut out as still images and recorded in the memory card 200 (step S38). Specifically, when the decision button 214 is pressed, a confirmation message to the user such as the screen B shown in fig. 11 is displayed, and when an instruction of the user is input for the confirmation message ("yes"), the controller 180 cuts out the frame data being displayed from the moving image data and records the frame data as a cut-out still image in the memory card 200. In addition, moving image data recorded in the photo moving image mode is recorded in a moving image format (MP4) and subjected to inter-frame compression. Therefore, when a frame of moving image data is cut out to be a still image, the controller 180 converts the data of the frame image into a format for the still image (e.g., JPEG) and records the converted data.

As described above, the still image data can be cut out from the moving image data.

In the image selection screen shown in fig. 9B, the thumbnail images 31(B1 to B4) for the moving image B and the thumbnail images 31(C1, C2, …) for the moving image C are displayed in succession to the thumbnail images 31(a1 to a5) for the moving image a. In this manner, the thumbnail images 31 of the moving image a, the moving image B, and the moving image C are displayed successively. Therefore, a partition display 50 indicating a partition is displayed at the boundary of the moving images to understand the partition between the moving images. The division display 50 is not limited to the example shown in fig. 9B. As shown in fig. 12, the thumbnail images 31(a1, B1, C1) at the top of the boundary of the moving image may be different in color from the other thumbnail images.

Details of step S33 in the flowchart of fig. 8 will be described with reference to fig. 13. The screen a shown in fig. 13 shows a still image (1 frame) cut out from a dynamic image. However, when a still image is cut out from a dynamic image, by comparing a photograph to be cut out in detail per frame, a user can select a frame more suitable for cutting out. Therefore, it is preferable that the digital camera 100 has the following functions: in the temporarily stopped frame, the frame is displayed in parallel with the frame 1 before or 1 after the temporarily stopped frame in accordance with a predetermined operation (see a frame B shown in fig. 13). Further, the digital camera 100 preferably has the following functions: a function (zoom function) of enlarging the same specific area of the aligned frames and reducing the enlarged image in accordance with an instruction from the user (see the screen C shown in fig. 13). Thereby, the user can easily select a still image desired to be cut out in more detail.

2.4 labelling treatment

The following describes the labeling process (step S18 in the flowchart of fig. 6).

The digital camera 100 has a function of marking the vicinity of a frame of an object to be captured later at the time of moving image capturing. The indication of the mark is performed by pressing a given operation button. Marking is the presentation of a predetermined, or intended, intent to be intercepted as a still image. Therefore, it is preferable that the button for marking is disposed on the same upper surface side as the release button 211 in the digital camera 100 as shown in fig. 14. This is referred to as a marker button 219. This makes it possible to select the still image capture candidate in the still image capture mode by marking the still image with the same feeling as the pressing of the release button 211, which is an operation for taking a picture. Hereinafter, the explanation will be given with the mark button 219 provided in the digital camera 100.

If the user presses the mark button 219 during moving image recording, the frame in recording at that time is marked. The marked frames become the index that the user uses to find the frames that are truncated as still images. In the digital camera 100 of the present embodiment, the number of frames that can be marked is limited.

When the controller 180 is instructed to mark the moving image during recording, as shown in fig. 15, a display indicating that a given number of seconds is marked is displayed on the display monitor 220 (mark display 503). There is a limit to the number of frames that can be marked in the digital camera 100. The mark display 503 includes information indicating the number of times the mark has been made and information indicating the maximum number of frames that can be marked (upper limit). By referring to this marker display 503, the user can grasp the number of times of marking at the current time point, and therefore it is possible to prevent the user from unintentionally marking, and as a result, the number of times of marking reaches the upper limit, and an important scene cannot be marked. In addition, when the number of times of marking is not limited, information of the maximum possible number of times of marking is not displayed. The information indicating the number of times that the mark has been made, which is contained in the mark display 503, is updated each time the user presses the mark button 219.

When the marker instruction is performed, the controller 180 records information indicating the timing of the marker in a marker database (Mark Data Base) for managing the marker. The flag database is stored in a header 601 of moving image data shown in fig. 16. Here, the header 601 refers to information about the data itself attached to the data. The still image/moving image captured by the digital camera 100 has data (AV data) of the still image/moving image and a header added to the AV data. For example, as shown in fig. 17A, it is assumed that the user has marked at the time point when 3000, 5500, 8000msec has elapsed from the start of recording during moving image recording. In this case, as shown in fig. 17B, the controller 180 records a Mark (Mark) ID for identifying the implemented Mark in the Mark database in association with the time when the Mark was made. By referencing the database, the controller 180 is able to effect retrieval of the tagged frames.

As described above, when the image is reproduced after the recording in the moving picture mode is completed, a plurality of predetermined operation buttons are displayed so as to overlap the image as shown in fig. 10. With these operation buttons, the user can perform mark playback in addition to operations such as playback, stop, and fast forward of moving image data. The following describes the marker playback.

As operation buttons for Mark playback, a cursor 501(Prev Mark) and a cursor 502(Next Mark) are displayed on the display monitor 220. When the user touches the cursor 501 or the cursor 502 displayed on the monitor, the controller 180 refers to the mark database, and detects and displays the frame image marked as existing before and after the currently displayed frame. By operating the cursor 501 and the cursor 502, it is possible to jump from one image to be marked to the other image to be marked. In this way, it is possible to search for the vicinity of the frame of the cut-out object specified (marked) in the shooting in the photo moving image mode in a short time.

In addition, when there is no marked frame before or after the currently displayed frame, the cursor 501 or the cursor 502 may not be displayed. Alternatively, the display of the cursor 501 or the cursor 502 may be made lighter (grayed out), or the like.

Note that the operation buttons for the mark playback may be displayed not on the display monitor 220, but may be played back by an existing operating system. For example, when the left and right buttons of the selection button 213 are double-clicked, the mark may be played. Alternatively, the marker play may be performed by double-clicking a fast forward/rewind cursor appearing on the reproduction screen. By using the existing operating system in this manner, it is not necessary to newly provide an operating system for playing the mark, and space can be effectively used.

In addition, the digital camera 100 preferably displays the mark display 503 for a predetermined time. Thus, the user can recognize that the marked frame has passed, and can press the screen to stop temporarily after the display of the mark display 503, thereby easily finding the frame around the marked frame, that is, the frame around the frame to be cut into a still image.

Further, the cursors 501 and 502 may be displayed only when a given button is pressed. The given button is preferably a label button 219. By assigning the function of the mark exclusively to one button in this manner, operability of the digital camera 100 is improved.

In order to improve the operability of the digital camera 100, the following operability may be adopted. As shown in fig. 18, it is assumed that a moving image of 10000msec is marked at a time point of 3000 msec, 5500 msec, and 8000msec from the start of recording. It is assumed that the current time is 6000msec (point 602), and is close to Mark #2 in time by a predetermined time or more (the predetermined number of seconds is 1000msec, for example). In this case, when the user presses the cursor 501, it is preferable that the user jumps to Mark #1 instead of Mark # 2. This can prevent the following effects: although it is intended to move to Mark #1, the user's operation takes time until the temporary stop button is pressed, and when the cursor 501 is temporarily stopped and pressed at point 602, it moves to Mark #2 which is not intended. When the current playback point is 9000msec (point 603), the cursor 502 is operated, and the current playback point is preferably moved to 10000msec, which is the end of the moving image, and temporarily stopped. This makes it possible to easily select a still image near the terminal.

In displaying the data marked by the user, in addition to the method of displaying the thumbnail image 31 divided at predetermined time intervals (for example, 5 seconds) described above, the image of each marked frame may be displayed as shown in fig. 19A and 19B. At this time, the marked frame is displayed as the thumbnail image 31. By pressing the button 43 displayed on the display monitor 220, the screen is switched to the screen shown in fig. 19B, on which the thumbnail image 31 of the marked frame is displayed.

Fig. 19A shows the relationship between the 2 moving images a and B recorded in the photo moving image mode and the mark. As shown in fig. 19A, when Mark #1 to Mark #3 belong to the moving image a and Mark #4 and Mark #5 belong to the moving image B, as described in fig. 9B, the division display 50 (fig. 19B) is displayed at the position of the thumbnail image 31 at which the moving images are switched.

2.5 surround shot

The digital camera 100 is capable of various surround shots in the moving picture mode. Bracket shooting is a method of creating a plurality of images (frames) by changing an exposure value, a shutter speed, a focus, a color tone, and the like. Here, a case where the exposure value is changed between frames as bracket shooting, for example, will be described. In addition, settings other than the setting changed during bracket shooting are set to values originally set in the moving picture mode (see fig. 4).

As shown in fig. 20, the digital camera 100 groups frames acquired in the moving picture mode into 3 frames. This set of 3 frames is called GOP (Group of picture). The picture data (frame) at the head of the GOP is referred to as an I picture.

The digital camera 100 performs a given bracket shooting within the GOP. Specifically, based on the exposure value α of the I-picture which is the 1 st frame of the GOP, imaging is performed with the exposure value α +1 in the 2 nd frame and α -1 in the 3 rd frame. By continuously performing this processing, shooting settings can be switched at short intervals to perform shooting, and a still image of a desired shooting setting of an object can be captured later.

In addition, although bracketing is performed in a GOP at the time of shooting, it is preferable to reproduce only an I picture at the time of reproduction. This is because, when moving image data obtained by bracket shooting is directly reproduced, shooting settings (for example, exposure values) are switched at high cycles and reproduced, and therefore, there is a high possibility that a user feels a sense of discomfort. Therefore, when reproducing moving image data obtained by bracket shooting, the digital camera 100 reproduces only the I image whose shooting setting is not changed, and displays images other than the I image when playing frame by frame.

In the above example, the exposure value is changed during bracket shooting, but other shooting setting conditions may be changed. For example, shooting may be performed while changing the shutter speed, focus, color tone, and the like. Although the example in which only one shooting setting condition (exposure value is taken as an example) is changed in bracket shooting has been described, bracket shooting in which a plurality of shooting setting conditions are changed may be performed. In the above example, a set of 3 frames is described as a GOP, but any number of GOPs may be used as long as the GOP is a set of multiple pictures

2.6 vertical shoot

The photo moving image mode is a mode for taking a moving image for the purpose of cutting out a still image, and in addition, vertical shooting is often performed at the time of still image shooting. Therefore, when the camera is set to the portrait orientation in the moving picture mode, it is preferable to reproduce a moving picture in the portrait orientation. Fig. 21A to 21C illustrate a case where the vertical playback is performed and a case where the vertical playback is not performed when a moving image is captured by vertical shooting. When shooting is performed by vertical shooting as in fig. 21A, if reproduction is performed directly on the camera, a subject rotated by 90 degrees is reproduced for normal camera holdover during reproduction as in fig. 21B. Therefore, in order to view a moving image more intuitively, it is necessary to rotate the camera, which is complicated. Therefore, when reproducing a moving image, it is preferable to reproduce the moving image so that the vertical direction of the object is the same regardless of the shooting direction of the camera at the time of recording, as shown in fig. 21C.

Fig. 22 shows a flowchart of vertically shooting a moving image. The digital camera 100 detects the shooting direction of the camera (the orientation of the camera) at the start of moving image recording (step S50). When the shooting direction of the camera is normal horizontal shooting (horizontal shooting) (no in step S51), shooting in the moving picture mode is performed as usual. When the shooting direction is the vertical direction (vertical shooting) (yes in step S51), the digital camera 100 rotates the video signal input from the sensor (CCD140) by 90 degrees (step S52), compresses the moving image of the rotated video, and records the compressed video (step S53). Thereby, a vertically shot moving image can be recorded.

Further, since moving image recording requires higher processing performance than still image shooting, if the video signal input from the CCD140 is rotated for each frame during recording, the processing performance may be insufficient. Therefore, as shown in the flowcharts of fig. 23 and 24, only the rotation information (imaging direction information) may be recorded in the header of the moving image during recording, only the display may be rotated during reproduction, and the processing of rotating the imaging direction of the still image together may be executed during capturing of the still image. This reduces the processing load, and therefore, even a digital camera equipped with a cheaper LSI can vertically capture a moving image.

Fig. 23 is a flowchart in the moving image recording process. The video signal from the CCD140 is not rotated, and only the rotation information (information on the shooting direction) is recorded in the header (step S55).

Fig. 24 shows a flowchart at the time of reproduction. At the time of reproduction, the recorded rotation information is read, and it is detected in which direction the camera has shot (shooting direction) (step S31 a). When recording is performed in the horizontal direction (landscape direction) (no in step S31 b), the digital camera 100 performs normal reproduction. When recording is performed in the vertical direction (vertical direction) (yes in step S31 b), the digital camera 100 rotates the recorded video by 90 degrees and displays it as if a moving image was recorded in the vertical direction.

When a still image is cut out, the rotation information (information on the shooting direction) of the moving image is detected from the header (step S38a), and when the moving image is oriented in the horizontal direction, the frame is cut out as a still image (step S38b) and when the moving image is oriented in the vertical direction, the selected frame image is rotated by 90 degrees (step S38 c). At this time, the still image is generated by adding rotation information indicating that the still image is captured in the portrait orientation to the header of the still image. The other operations are the same as those in fig. 8, and the description thereof is omitted. In step S38c, only the frame image may be rotated without adding rotation information to the header, or only the header may be given rotation information without rotating the still image. When the user reproduces an image, the still image may be displayed in a direction corresponding to the shooting direction of the camera at the time of recording.

The detection of the orientation of the moving picture may be performed only 1 time at the start of moving picture recording, or may be continued during moving picture recording, and the rotation information may be added to the header information of the moving picture together with the time series. Alternatively, the direction of the moving image may be detected by recording moving image data obtained by imaging while rotating the moving image data appropriately, and displaying the moving image data while rotating the moving image data appropriately at the time of reproduction. Thus, even if the camera is rotated during moving image recording, a still image in which the rotation information is taken into consideration can be recorded. Fig. 25 shows rotation information recorded in the header 601 of a moving image. Further, information recorded in the Exif (changeable Image FileFormat) of a still Image that is changeable in a moving Image is preferably recorded in the header 601 in addition to the rotation information. As an example of the information recorded in the header 601, scaling information can be cited. Zooming is often used to view a subject during moving image recording. By accurately recording the zoom information in the still image captured from the moving image, for example, when the photograph is uploaded to a photo sharing site, the photograph can be sorted by the focal distance information, and the convenience of the user can be improved.

3. Effects and the like

The digital camera 100 of the present embodiment includes: an optical system section (optical system 110, shutter section 130, aperture section 300) for controlling optical information indicating an object image; an image pickup unit (CCD140) for generating image data from optical information input via the optical system unit; an image processing unit 160 for performing predetermined processing on the image data generated by the image pickup unit; and a control unit (controller 180) for controlling at least one of the optical system unit, the imaging unit, and the image processing unit based on a set value related to moving image capturing to generate moving image data. The control unit sets a setting value for moving image capturing in a normal moving image mode (an example of a1 st moving image mode) for recording moving images and a setting value for moving image capturing in a photo moving image mode (an example of a2 nd moving image mode) for recording moving images in a shooting setting more suitable for still image recording than in the normal moving image mode, and automatically sets the setting value for moving image capturing in the photo moving image mode to a setting value suitable for still image recording.

As described above, the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment has a still picture mode in which a high-quality still image can be captured, in addition to the normal moving picture mode. It is possible to take a moving image in the photo moving image mode and then extract a preferred still image from the taken moving image. Therefore, the user can generate an image captured at a decisive moment, which has been difficult to realize in the past, without paying attention to the shutter timing. For example, it is possible to easily take a picture of an accidental event or an unexpected event that does not know when the occurrence of the accidental event or the state of an object (liquid, flame, or the like) at a moment that the state changes with the passage of time. In the moving picture mode, the setting value for shooting is automatically (forcibly) set to a specific setting value that enables a high-quality still image to be obtained, and therefore an image with good quality can be obtained as a still image.

(other embodiments)

As described above, embodiment 1 has been described as an example of the technique disclosed in the present application. However, the technique in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can be applied to an embodiment in which changes, substitutions, additions, omissions, and the like are appropriately made. Further, each of the constituent elements described in embodiment 1 may be combined to form a new embodiment. Therefore, other embodiments are exemplified below.

(1) In the above-described embodiment, a specific example is shown in fig. 4 as the setting values suitable for still image recording, but the setting values suitable for still image recording are not limited to the setting shown in fig. 4. The setting values suitable for still image recording may include items other than the setting items shown in fig. 4, and may include only a part of the items without including all the setting items shown in fig. 4.

(2) In the above embodiment, during moving image recording in the photo moving image mode, when a given button is pressed, a frame recorded at that point in time is marked. The timing at which the marking can be performed is not limited to this. It is also possible to mark the frame being reproduced at the point in time when a given button for marking is pressed in the reproduction of a moving image recorded in the photo moving image mode.

(3) In the above-described embodiments, the digital camera is used as an example of the imaging device, but the imaging device is not limited to this. The idea of the present disclosure can be applied to various image pickup apparatuses capable of picking up a moving image, such as a digital video camera, a smart phone, and a wearable camera.

(4) In the above embodiment, the image pickup device is constituted by the CCD, but the image pickup device is not limited thereto. The image sensor may be an NMOS image sensor or a CMOS image sensor.

(5) The moving picture mode shown in the above embodiments can be applied to both interchangeable lens type cameras and lens-integrated cameras.

(6) In the moving image recorded in the photo moving image mode shown in the above embodiment, an icon or the like for distinguishing from a moving image photographed in the normal moving image mode may be displayed.

(7) In the moving picture mode shown in the above embodiment, an operating system such as a mark button is separately provided, but the operating system may be assigned to an operating system such as a function button to which a user can assign a desired function.

As described above, the embodiments have been described as an example of the technique in the present disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are provided. Therefore, the components described in the drawings and the detailed description may include not only components necessary to solve the problem but also components not necessary to solve the problem but necessary to exemplify the above-described technology. Therefore, it is not intended that these non-essential components be regarded as essential since they are described in the drawings or detailed description. Further, the above-described embodiments are intended to exemplify the technology in the present disclosure, and various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, and the like can be made within the scope of the claims and their equivalents.

Industrial applicability

The present disclosure can be applied to an image pickup apparatus capable of picking up a moving image. Specifically, the present invention is applicable to various image pickup apparatuses capable of picking up moving images, such as digital video cameras, smartphones, and wearable cameras.

Description of the symbols

31 thumbnail image

41. 42, 43 push buttons

50 division display

55a, 55b play button frame by frame

100 digital camera

110 optical system

120 lens driving part

130 shutter part

140 CCD

150 ADC

160 image processing part

170 buffer

180 controller

190 card slot

200 memory card

210 operating member

211 Release button

213 selection button

214 decision button

217 moving image recording button

218 dedicated button

219 Mark button

220 display monitor

240 built-in memory

300 aperture part

400 icon

501. 502 Cursor

503 sign display

601 header

602. And 603, a point.