JP4671989B2 - camera - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a camera .

  In recent years, instead of using a camera using film, an electronic camera that takes a picture of a subject using a CCD or the like and converts it to digital data and records it in a built-in memory or a removable memory card is used. It is getting to be. Images taken using this electronic camera can be immediately reproduced and displayed on a screen such as an LCD or CRT without being developed and burned as in a conventional camera.

  Then, the screen is divided into four parts in the order in which the photographed images were photographed and displayed at the same time, or a plurality of images are designated, and a predetermined time interval is set in the time-series order in which the images are recorded. There is something that can be played in so-called slide show.

However, there is a problem that can not be displayed in the order in which to select the plurality of selected images.

An object of the present invention is to provide a camera that can display a plurality of selected images in the selected order.

The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 stores an image capturing unit that captures an image of a subject, a storage unit that stores a plurality of images captured by the image capturing unit, a display unit disposed in a camera body, and a display unit. Control means for controlling a predetermined number of reduced images individually corresponding to the plurality of images stored in the means, and selecting at least one reduced image from the plurality of reduced images displayed on the display means Selection means for instructing the control means to start displaying an image corresponding to the reduced image selected by the selection means , and the control means includes the reduced image selected by the selection means and the selection means. display to identifiably display means and the reduced image is not selected, if the reduced image is an instruction by a plurality selected instruction unit by the selection means, the reduced image by the selection means In-option by the order, and controlling to display on the display means sequentially switching the images corresponding to the reduced image selected by the selection means one by one.

The camera according to claim 2, in camera according to claim 1, the control means displays on the display unit sequentially switched for each predetermined each image corresponding to the reduced image selected by the selection means by one time It controls to do .

The camera according to claim 3 is the camera according to claim 1 or claim 2, selecting means may be selected to overlap the reduced image displayed on the display means.

The camera according to claim 4, in the camera according to any one of claims 1 to 3, selection means, characterized in that it is constituted by the touch tablet.

The camera according to claim 5, in the camera according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the control means, after displaying the image corresponding to the last selected contracted image by the selection means, A series of controls is terminated .

The camera according to claim 6 is the camera according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control means, the display surface of the display unit the images corresponding to the reduced image selected by the selection means It is characterized by displaying on the entire surface.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a camera that can display a plurality of selected images in the order of selection.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1 and 2 are perspective views showing a configuration example of an embodiment of an electronic camera to which the present invention is applied. In the electronic camera of the present embodiment, when photographing a subject, the surface directed to the subject is the surface X1, and the surface directed to the user side is the surface X2. At the upper end of the surface X1, there are provided a finder 2 used for confirming the photographing range of the subject, a photographing lens 3 for capturing a light image of the subject, and a light emitting portion (strobe) 4 for emitting light for illuminating the subject. .

  Further, when shooting is performed with the strobe 4 emitting light on the surface X1, the operation of the red-eye reduction LED 15 and the CCD 20 (FIG. 4) for reducing red-eye to emit light before the strobe 4 is emitted is stopped. In addition, a photometric element 16 for performing photometry and a colorimetric element 17 for performing color measurement when the operation of the CCD 20 is stopped are provided.

  On the other hand, at the upper end of the surface X2 facing the surface X1 (the position corresponding to the upper end of the finder 2, the photographing lens 3, and the light emitting unit 4 on the surface X1), the finder 2 and the electronic camera 1 are provided. A speaker 5 is provided for outputting the sound recorded in the. In addition, the LCD 6 and the operation keys 7 formed on the surface X2 are formed vertically below the viewfinder 2, the photographing lens 3, the light emitting unit 4, and the speaker 5. On the surface of the LCD 6, a so-called touch tablet 6 </ b> A that outputs position data corresponding to an instructed position by a touch operation of a pen-type pointing device described later is disposed.

  The touch tablet 6A is made of a transparent material such as glass or resin, and the user observes an image displayed on the LCD 6 formed inside the touch tablet 6A via the touch tablet 6A. Can do.

  The operation key 7 is a key that is operated when recording data is reproduced and displayed on the LCD 6. The operation key 7 detects an operation (input) by a user and supplies it to a CPU (central processing unit) 39 (FIG. 6). ing.

  The menu key 7 </ b> A among the operation keys 7 is a key that is operated when a menu screen is displayed on the LCD 6. The execution key 7B is a key operated when reproducing the recording information selected by the user.

  The cancel key 7 </ b> C is a key operated when the recording information reproduction process is interrupted. The delete key 7D is a key operated when deleting recorded information. The scroll keys 7E to 7H are keys that are operated when the screen is scrolled up and down when a list of recorded information is displayed on the LCD 6.

  The surface X2 is provided with a slidable LCD cover 14 that protects the LCD 6 when not in use. As shown in FIG. 3, the LCD cover 14 covers the LCD 6 and the touch tablet 6A when moved in the vertical upward direction. When the LCD cover 14 is moved vertically downward, the LCD 6 and the touch tablet 6A appear, and a power switch 11 (described later) disposed on the surface Y2 is turned on by the arm portion 14A of the LCD cover 14. It is made like that.

  A surface Z that is the upper surface of the electronic camera 1 is provided with a microphone 8 that collects sound and an earphone jack 9 to which an earphone (not shown) is connected.

  The left side surface (surface Y1) is provided with a release switch 10 that is operated when imaging a subject and a continuous shooting mode changeover switch 13 that is operated when switching a continuous shooting mode at the time of shooting. The release switch 10 and the continuous shooting mode change-over switch 13 are arranged vertically below the finder 2, the photographing lens 3 and the light emitting unit 4 provided at the upper end of the surface X1.

  On the other hand, on the surface Y2 (right side surface) facing the surface Y1, a recording switch 12 and a power switch 11 that are operated when recording sound are provided. The recording switch 12 and the power switch 11 are vertically lower than the finder 2, the photographing lens 3 and the light emitting unit 4 provided at the upper end portion of the surface X 1, similarly to the release switch 10 and the continuous shooting mode switching switch 13. Is arranged. Further, the recording switch 12 is formed to have almost the same height as the release switch 10 on the surface Y1, and is configured so as not to feel uncomfortable even if it is held with either the left or right hand.

  In addition, when one switch is pressed by making the height of the recording switch 12 and the release switch 10 different, if the opposite side is held with a finger in order to cancel the moment due to the pressing force, it is mistakenly made. The switch provided on the opposite side surface may not be pushed.

  The continuous shooting mode switch 13 is used when the user presses the release switch 10 to shoot a subject and sets whether to shoot only one frame of the subject or a predetermined plurality of frames. For example, when the pointer of the continuous shooting mode switch 13 is switched to the position where “S” is printed (that is, switched to the S mode), when the release switch 10 is pressed, only one frame is shot. Has been made to be done.

  Further, when the pointer of the continuous shooting mode switch 13 is switched to the position where “L” is printed (that is, the mode is switched to the L mode), if the release switch 10 is pressed, the release switch 10 During the pressed period, 8 frames are taken per second (that is, the low-speed continuous shooting mode is set).

  Further, when the pointer of the continuous shooting mode switch 13 is switched to the position where “H” is printed (that is, switched to the H mode), if the release switch 10 is pressed, the release switch 10 During the pressed period, 30 frames are taken per second (that is, the high-speed continuous shooting mode is set).

  Next, the internal configuration of the electronic camera 1 will be described. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an internal configuration example of the electronic camera illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The CCD 20 is provided on the rear stage (surface X2 side) of the photographic lens 3, and photoelectrically converts a light image of a subject imaged through the photographic lens 3 into an electrical signal.

  The in-finder display element 26 is arranged in the field of view of the finder 2 and displays various function setting states and the like to the user who is viewing the subject through the finder 2.

  Four cylindrical batteries (AA batteries) 21 are vertically arranged on the lower side of the LCD 6, and the electric power stored in the battery 21 is supplied to each part. . Further, a capacitor 22 that accumulates charges for causing the light emitting unit 4 to emit light is disposed along with the battery 21 on the lower side of the LCD 6.

  On the circuit board 23, various control circuits for controlling each part of the electronic camera 1 are formed. A memory card 24 that can be inserted and removed is provided between the circuit board 23, the LCD 6, and the battery 21, and various information input to the electronic camera 1 is set in advance in the memory card 24, respectively. Is recorded in the area.

  Further, the LCD switch 25 arranged adjacent to the power switch 11 is a switch that is turned on only while the projection is pressed. When the LCD cover 14 is moved vertically downward, As shown in FIG. 5 (a), the arm portion 14 </ b> A of the LCD cover 14 can be switched on together with the power switch 11.

  When the LCD cover 14 is positioned vertically upward, the power switch 11 is operated by the user independently of the LCD switch 25. For example, when the LCD cover 14 is closed and the electronic camera 1 is not used, the power switch 11 and the LCD switch 25 are turned off as shown in FIG. In this state, when the user switches the power switch 11 to the on state as shown in FIG. 5C, the power switch 11 is turned on, but the LCD switch 25 remains off. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the LCD cover 14 is opened when the power switch 11 and the LCD switch 25 are in the OFF state, as shown in FIG. The LCD switch 25 is turned on. Thereafter, when the LCD cover 14 is closed, only the LCD switch 25 is turned off as shown in FIG.

  In this embodiment, the memory card 24 can be inserted and removed, but a memory may be provided on the circuit board 23 so that various types of information can be recorded in the memory. Various information recorded in the memory (memory card 24) may be output to an external personal computer or the like via an interface (not shown).

  Next, an example of the internal electrical configuration of the electronic camera 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. The CCD 20 provided with a plurality of pixels photoelectrically converts a light image formed on each pixel into an image signal (electric signal). A digital signal processor (hereinafter referred to as DSP) 33 supplies a CCD horizontal drive pulse to the CCD 20 and controls the CCD drive circuit 34 to supply the CCD 20 with a CCD vertical drive pulse.

  The image processing unit 31 is controlled by the CPU 39 to sample the image signal photoelectrically converted by the CCD 20 at a predetermined timing and amplify the sampled signal to a predetermined level. The CPU 39 controls each unit according to a control program stored in the ROM 43. An analog / digital conversion circuit (hereinafter referred to as A / D conversion circuit) 32 digitizes the image signal sampled by the image processing unit 31 and supplies the digitized signal to the DSP 33.

  The DSP 33 controls the data bus connected to the buffer memory 36 and the memory card 24, temporarily stores the image data supplied from the A / D conversion circuit 32 in the buffer memory 36, and then stores the image data stored in the buffer memory 36. Data is read out and the image data is recorded on the memory card 24.

  Further, the DSP 33 stores the image data supplied from the A / D conversion circuit 32 in the frame memory 35 and displays it on the LCD 6, reads out the photographed image data from the memory card 24, decompresses the photographed image data, The decompressed image data is stored in the frame memory 35 and displayed on the LCD 6.

  Further, the DSP 33 repeatedly operates the CCD 20 while adjusting the exposure time (exposure value) until the exposure level of the CCD 20 reaches an appropriate value when the electronic camera 1 is activated. At this time, the DSP 33 may first operate the photometry circuit 51 and calculate the initial value of the exposure time of the CCD 20 corresponding to the light reception level detected by the photometry element 16. In this way, the exposure time of the CCD 20 can be adjusted in a short time.

  In addition, the DSP 33 performs data input / output timing management in recording to the memory card 24, storing the decompressed image data in the buffer memory 36, and the like.

  The buffer memory 36 is used to alleviate the difference between the data input / output speed with respect to the memory card 24 and the processing speed of the CPU 39, DSP 33, and the like.

  The microphone 8 inputs voice information (collects voice) and supplies the voice information to the A / D and D / A conversion circuit 42.

  The A / D and D / A conversion circuit 42 converts an analog signal corresponding to the sound detected by the microphone 8 into a digital signal, and then supplies the digital signal to the CPU 39 and the sound data supplied from the CPU 39. An analog audio signal is output to the speaker 5 as an analog signal.

  The photometric element 16 measures the amount of light in the subject and its surroundings and outputs the measurement result to the photometric circuit 51. The photometry circuit 51 performs predetermined processing on the analog signal that is the photometry result supplied from the photometry element 16, converts the analog signal into a digital signal, and outputs the digital signal to the CPU 39.

  The color measuring element 17 measures the color temperature of the subject and its surroundings and outputs the measurement result to the color measuring circuit 52. The color measurement circuit 52 performs predetermined processing on the analog signal that is the color measurement result supplied from the color measurement element 17, converts the analog signal into a digital signal, and outputs the digital signal to the CPU 39. Yes.

  The timer 45 has a built-in clock circuit, and outputs data corresponding to the current time to the CPU 39.

  The aperture driving circuit 53 is configured to set the aperture diameter of the aperture 54 to a predetermined value. The stop 54 is disposed between the photographing lens 3 and the CCD 20 and changes the aperture of light incident on the CCD 20 from the photographing lens 3.

  In response to a signal from the LCD switch 25, the CPU 39 stops the operation of the photometric circuit 51 and the colorimetric circuit 52 when the LCD cover 14 is open, and performs photometry when the LCD cover 14 is closed. The circuit 51 and the colorimetric circuit 52 are operated, and the operation of the CCD 20 (for example, an electronic shutter operation) is stopped until the release switch 10 is pressed halfway.

  When the operation of the CCD 20 is stopped, the CPU 39 controls the photometry circuit 51 and the color measurement circuit 52 to receive the photometry result of the photometry element 16 and the color measurement result of the color measurement element 17. .

  Then, the CPU 39 refers to a predetermined table, calculates a white balance adjustment value corresponding to the color temperature supplied from the color measurement circuit 52, and supplies the white balance adjustment value to the image processing unit 31. ing.

  That is, when the LCD cover 14 is closed, the LCD 6 is not used as an electronic viewfinder, so that the operation of the CCD 20 is stopped. Since the CCD 20 consumes a lot of power, the power of the battery 21 can be saved by stopping the operation of the CCD 20 in this way.

  Further, the CPU 39 performs image processing so that the image processing unit 31 does not perform various processes until the release switch 10 is operated when the LCD cover 14 is closed (until the release switch 10 is pressed halfway). The unit 31 is controlled.

  Further, the CPU 39 operates such that the aperture driving circuit 53 changes the aperture diameter of the aperture 54 until the release switch 10 is operated when the LCD cover 14 is closed (until the release switch 10 is pressed halfway). The aperture driving circuit 53 is controlled so as not to perform the operation.

  Further, the CPU 39 controls the strobe driving circuit 37 so that the strobe 4 emits light appropriately, and also controls the red-eye reduction LED driving circuit 38 to turn on the red-eye reduction LED 15 before causing the strobe 4 to emit light. It is made to emit light appropriately.

  Note that the CPU 39 can prevent the flash 4 from emitting light when the LCD cover 14 is open (that is, when the electronic viewfinder is used). In this way, the subject can be photographed in the state of the image displayed on the electronic viewfinder.

  In accordance with the date / time data supplied from the timer 45, the CPU 39 records information on the date / time of shooting as header information of the image data in the shot image recording area of the memory card 24. (That is, the shooting image data recorded in the shooting image recording area of the memory card 24 is accompanied by shooting date and time data).

  Further, the CPU 39 compresses the digitized audio information, temporarily stores the digitized and compressed audio data in the buffer memory 36, and then stores it in a predetermined area (audio recording area) of the memory card 24. It is made to record. At this time, recording date and time data is recorded in the audio recording area of the memory card 24 as header information of the audio data.

  The CPU 39 controls the lens driving circuit 30 and moves the photographing lens 3 to perform an autofocus operation, and also controls the diaphragm driving circuit 53 to control the diaphragm 54 disposed between the photographing lens 3 and the CCD 20. The opening diameter is changed.

  Further, the CPU 39 controls the in-finder display circuit 40 to display settings in various operations on the in-finder display element 26.

  The CPU 39 exchanges predetermined data with a predetermined external device (not shown) via an interface (I / F) 48.

  The CPU 39 receives a signal from the operation key 7 and processes it appropriately.

  When a predetermined position of the touch tablet 6A is pressed by a pen (pen-type instruction member) 41 operated by the user, the CPU 39 reads the XY coordinates of the pressed position of the touch tablet 6A, and the coordinate data (described later). Memo information) is stored in the buffer memory 36. The CPU 39 records the memo information stored in the buffer memory 36 in the memo information recording area of the memory card 24 together with the header information of the memo information input date and time.

  Next, various operations of the electronic camera 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. First, the electronic viewfinder operation in the LCD 6 of this apparatus will be described.

  When the user presses the release switch 10 halfway, the DSP 33 determines whether the LCD cover 14 is open from the value of the signal supplied from the CPU 39 and corresponding to the state of the LCD switch 25. If it is determined that is closed, the electronic viewfinder operation is not performed. In this case, the DSP 33 stops the processing until the release switch 10 is operated.

  When the LCD cover 14 is closed, the electronic viewfinder operation is not performed, so the CPU 39 stops the operations of the CCD 20, the image processing unit 31, and the aperture driving circuit 53. Then, instead of stopping the CCD 20, the CPU 39 operates the photometry circuit 51 and the color measurement circuit 52 and supplies the measurement results to the image processing unit 31. The image processing unit 31 uses these measurement result values when performing white balance control or luminance value control.

  When the release switch 10 is operated, the CPU 39 causes the CCD 20 and the aperture driving circuit 53 to operate.

  On the other hand, when the LCD cover 14 is opened, the CCD 20 performs an electronic shutter operation at a predetermined exposure time every predetermined time, photoelectrically converts the light image of the subject condensed by the photographing lens 3, and The image signal obtained by the operation is output to the image processing unit 31.

  The image processing unit 31 performs white balance control and luminance value control, performs predetermined processing on the image signal, and then outputs the image signal to the A / D conversion circuit 32. When the CCD 20 is operating, the image processing unit 31 uses the adjustment value used for white balance control and luminance value control calculated by the CPU 39 using the output of the CCD 20.

  The A / D conversion circuit 32 converts the image signal (analog signal) into image data that is a digital signal, and outputs the image data to the DSP 33.

  The DSP 33 outputs the image data to the frame memory 35 and causes the LCD 6 to display an image corresponding to the image data.

  As described above, in the electronic camera 1, when the LCD cover 14 is open, the CCD 20 performs an electronic shutter operation at a predetermined time interval, and each time the signal output from the CCD 20 is converted into image data. The electronic viewfinder operation is performed by outputting the image data to the frame memory 35 and continuously displaying the subject image on the LCD 6.

  Further, as described above, when the LCD cover 14 is closed, the electronic viewfinder operation is not performed, and the operations of the CCD 20, the image processing unit 31, and the aperture driving circuit 53 are stopped to save power consumption. ing.

  Next, shooting of a subject by this apparatus will be described.

  First, a case where the continuous shooting mode changeover switch 13 provided on the surface Y1 is switched to the S mode (a mode in which only one frame is shot) will be described. First, the power switch 11 shown in FIG. 1 is switched to the side where “ON” is printed to turn on the electronic camera 1. When the subject is confirmed with the finder 2 and the release switch 10 provided on the surface Y1 is pressed, the photographing process of the subject is started.

  When the LCD cover 14 is closed, when the release switch 10 is half-pressed, the CPU 39 restarts the operations of the CCD 20, the image processing unit 31, and the aperture drive circuit 53, and the release switch 10 When is fully pressed, the subject photographing process is started.

  An optical image of a subject observed with the finder 2 is condensed by the photographing lens 3 and formed on a CCD 20 having a plurality of pixels. The optical image of the subject imaged on the CCD 20 is photoelectrically converted into an image signal at each pixel and sampled by the image processing unit 31. The image signal sampled by the image processing unit 31 is supplied to the A / D conversion circuit 32 where it is digitized and output to the DSP 33.

  The DSP 33 once outputs the image data to the buffer memory 36, then reads the image data from the buffer memory 36, and follows a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) system that combines discrete cosine transform, quantization, and Huffman coding. The compressed image is recorded in the captured image recording area of the memory card 24. At this time, shooting date / time data is recorded in the shot image recording area of the memory card 24 as header information of the shot image data.

  When the continuous shooting mode switch 13 is switched to the S mode, only one frame is shot, and no further shooting is performed even if the release switch 10 is continuously pressed. When the release switch 10 is continuously pressed, the captured image is displayed on the LCD 6 when the LCD cover 14 is open.

  Secondly, a case where the continuous shooting mode switch 13 is switched to the L mode (a mode for performing continuous shooting of 8 frames per second) will be described. When the electronic switch 1 is turned on by switching the power switch 11 to the side printed “ON” and the release switch 10 provided on the surface Y1 is pressed, the photographing process of the subject is started.

  When the LCD cover 14 is closed, when the release switch 10 is half-pressed, the CPU 39 restarts the operations of the CCD 20, the image processing unit 31, and the aperture drive circuit 53, and the release switch 10 When is fully pressed, the subject photographing process is started.

  The light image of the subject observed with the viewfinder 2 is collected by the photographing lens 3 and formed on the CCD 20 having a plurality of pixels. The light image of the subject imaged on the CCD 20 is photoelectrically converted into an image signal at each pixel, and is sampled by the image processing unit 31 at a rate of 8 times per second. At this time, the image processing unit 31 thins out three-fourths of the image electrical signals of all the pixels of the CCD 20.

  That is, the image processing unit 31 divides the pixels of the CCD 20 arranged in a matrix into areas each having 2 × 2 pixels (four pixels) as shown in FIG. The image signal of one pixel arranged at a predetermined position is sampled, and the remaining three pixels are thinned out.

  For example, at the time of the first sampling (first frame), the pixel a at the upper left of each region is sampled, and the other pixels b, c, d are thinned out. At the time of the second sampling (second frame), the upper right pixel b in each region is sampled, and the other pixels a, c, and d are thinned out. Hereinafter, at the time of the third sampling and the fourth sampling, the lower left pixel c and the lower right pixel d are sampled, and the other pixels are thinned out. That is, each pixel is sampled every four frames.

  The image signal sampled by the image processing unit 31 (image signal of one-fourth of all the pixels of the CCD 20) is supplied to the A / D conversion circuit 32, where it is digitized and output to the DSP 33.

  The DSP 33 once outputs the digitized image signal to the buffer memory 36, reads the image signal, compresses it according to the JPEG method, and then converts the digitized and compressed photographed image data to the photographed image of the memory card 24. Record in the recording area. At this time, shooting date / time data is recorded in the shot image recording area of the memory card 24 as header information of the shot image data.

  Thirdly, a case where the continuous shooting mode changeover switch 13 is switched to the H mode (a mode for performing continuous shooting of 30 frames per second) will be described. When the electronic switch 1 is turned on by switching the power switch 11 to the side printed “ON” and the release switch 10 provided on the surface Y1 is pressed, the photographing process of the subject is started.

  When the LCD cover 14 is closed, when the release switch 10 is half-pressed, the CPU 39 restarts the operations of the CCD 20, the image processing unit 31, and the aperture drive circuit 53, and the release switch 10 When is fully pressed, the subject photographing process is started.

  An optical image of a subject observed with the finder 2 is condensed by the photographing lens 3 and formed on the CCD 20. An optical image of a subject formed on the CCD 20 having a plurality of pixels is photoelectrically converted into an image signal at each pixel, and is sampled by the image processing unit 31 at a rate of 30 times per second. At this time, the image processing unit 31 thins out 8/9 pixels of the image electrical signals of all the pixels of the CCD 20.

  That is, the image processing unit 31 divides the pixels of the CCD 20 arranged in a matrix into areas each having 3 × 3 pixels as shown in FIG. The image electrical signal of one arranged pixel is sampled at a rate of 30 times per second, and the remaining 8 pixels are thinned out.

  For example, at the time of the first sampling (first frame), the upper left pixel a of each region is sampled, and the other pixels b to i are thinned out. At the time of the second sampling (second frame), the pixel b arranged on the right side of the pixel a is sampled, and the other pixels a, c to i are thinned out. Hereinafter, in the third and subsequent samplings, the pixel c, the pixel d,... Are sampled, and the other pixels are thinned out. That is, each pixel is sampled every nine frames.

  The image signal sampled by the image processing unit 31 (image signal of 1/9 of all the pixels of the CCD 20) is supplied to the A / D conversion circuit 32, where it is digitized and output to the DSP 33.

  The DSP 33 once outputs the digitized image signal to the buffer memory 36, reads the image signal, compresses it according to the JPEG method, and then converts the digitized and compressed photographed image data to the header information of the photographing date and time. Along with this, the image is recorded in the captured image recording area of the memory card 24.

  If necessary, the strobe 4 can be operated to irradiate the subject with light. However, when the LCD cover 14 is open, that is, when the LCD 6 is performing an electronic viewfinder operation, the CPU 39 can control the strobe 4 not to emit light.

  Next, an operation when inputting two-dimensional information (pen input information) from the touch tablet 6A will be described.

  When the touch tablet 6 </ b> A is pressed with the pen tip of the pen 41, the XY coordinates of the contacted part are input to the CPU 39. The XY coordinates are stored in the buffer memory 36. In addition, data can be written in locations corresponding to the respective points of the XY coordinates in the frame memory 35, and a memo corresponding to the touch of the pen 41 can be displayed at the XY coordinates of the LCD 6.

  As described above, since the touch tablet 6A is made of a transparent member, the user can observe a point displayed on the LCD 6 (a point at a position pressed by the pen tip of the pen 41). It can be felt as if the pen input was made directly on the LCD 6. When the pen 41 is moved on the touch tablet 6 </ b> A, a line accompanying the movement of the pen 41 is displayed on the LCD 6. Further, when the pen 41 is moved intermittently on the touch tablet 6 </ b> A, a broken line accompanying the movement of the pen 41 is displayed on the LCD 6. As described above, the user inputs memo information such as desired characters and figures on the touch tablet 6A (LCD 6).

  In addition, when a photographic information is displayed on the LCD 6, when memo information is input by the pen 41, the memo information is combined with the photographic image information in the frame memory 35 and displayed on the LCD 6 at the same time. .

  The user can select a color of the memo displayed on the LCD 6 from black, white, red, blue, and the like by operating a predetermined palette 100.

  When the execution key 7B of the operation key 7 is pressed after the memo information is input to the touch tablet 6A by the pen 41, the memo information stored in the buffer memory 36 is supplied to the memory card 24 together with the header information of the input date and time. , Recorded in the memo information recording area of the memory card 24.

  Note that the memo information recorded in the memory card 24 is information subjected to compression processing. Since the memo information input to the touch tablet 6A includes a large amount of information having a high spatial frequency component, if compression processing is performed by the JPEG method used for compression of the captured image, the compression efficiency is low and the amount of information is not reduced. This increases the time required for compression and decompression. Furthermore, since compression using the JPEG method is irreversible compression, it is not suitable for compression of memo information with a small amount of information (when decompressed and displayed on the LCD 6, gathers and blurs due to missing information are prominent). To end up).

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the memo information is compressed by a run length method used in a fax or the like. In the run length method, the memo screen is scanned in the horizontal direction, the length of information (dots) for each color such as black, white, red, blue, etc., and the length of no information (portion without pen input). This is a method of compressing memo information by encoding the length.

  By using this run length method, it is possible to compress the memo information to the minimum, and even when the compressed memo information is expanded, it is possible to suppress the loss of information. Note that the memo information may be not compressed when the amount of information is relatively small.

  Further, as described above, when a photographic image is displayed on the LCD 6, when pen input is performed, the photographic image data and the memo information of the pen input are combined in the frame memory 35, and the combined image of the photographic image and the memo is obtained. Is displayed on the LCD 6. On the other hand, in the memory card 24, the photographed image data is recorded in the photographed image recording area, and the memo information is recorded in the memo information recording area. In this way, since the two pieces of information are recorded in different areas, the user can delete one of the images (for example, a memo) from the combined image of the photographed image and the memo, and each The image information can also be compressed by an individual compression method.

  When data is recorded in the voice recording area, the photographed image recording area, or the memo information recording area of the memory card 24, the list can be displayed on the LCD 6, as shown in FIG.

  On the display screen of the LCD 6 shown in FIG. 9, the date when the information was recorded (recorded date) (in this case, November 1, 1996) is displayed at the upper end of the screen, and the recorded year The number of the information recorded on the month and day and the recording time are displayed on the left side of the screen.

  A thumbnail image is displayed on the right side of the recording time. This thumbnail image is created by thinning out (reducing) the bitmap data of each image data of the photographed image data recorded in the memory card 24. Information with this display is information including photographed image information. That is, the information recorded (input) at “10:16” and “10:21” includes photographed image information, and the information recorded at other times includes image information. Not included.

  A memo icon “□” represents that a predetermined memo is recorded as line drawing information.

  A sound icon (note) is displayed on the right side of the thumbnail image display area, and the recording time (unit: seconds) is displayed on the right side of it (if no sound information is input, these are Do not show).

  As shown in FIG. 9, the user selects and designates information to be reproduced by pressing a desired voice icon in the list displayed on the LCD 6 with the pen tip of the pen 41, and the execution key 7B shown in FIG. Is pressed with the pen tip of the pen 41 to reproduce the selected information.

  For example, when the voice icon displaying “10:16” shown in FIG. 9 is pressed by the pen 41, the CPU 39 stores the voice data corresponding to the selected recording date (10:16) in the memory card. 24, and the audio data is expanded and supplied to the A / D and D / A conversion circuit 42. The A / D and D / A conversion circuit 42 converts the supplied audio data into an analog signal and reproduces it through the speaker 5.

  When playing back the captured image data recorded in the memory card 24, the user selects the desired thumbnail image by pressing the pen tip of the pen 41, and presses the execution key 7B to play back the selected information. .

  That is, the CPU 39 instructs the DSP 33 to read out the photographed image data corresponding to the photographing date / time of the selected thumbnail image from the memory card 24. The DSP 33 expands the photographed image data (compressed photographed image data) read from the memory card 24, stores the photographed image data in the frame memory 35 as bitmap data, and displays it on the LCD 6.

  The image shot in the S mode is displayed on the LCD 6 as a still image. It goes without saying that this still image is a reproduction of the image signal of all the pixels of the CCD 20.

  Images taken in the L mode are continuously displayed on the LCD 6 at a rate of 8 frames per second. At this time, the number of pixels displayed in each frame is a quarter of the total number of pixels of the CCD 20.

  Normally, the human eye reacts sensitively to degradation of the resolution of a still image, and thus thinning out still image pixels is perceived by the user as degradation of image quality. However, when the continuous shooting speed at the time of shooting is increased and 8 frames are shot per second in the L mode and this image is reproduced at a speed of 8 frames per second, the number of pixels of each frame is the number of pixels of the CCD 20. Although it is a quarter of the number, since the human eye observes eight frames of images per second, the amount of information that enters the human eye per second is twice that of a still image.

  That is, if the number of pixels of one frame of an image shot in the S mode is 1, the number of pixels of one frame of the image shot in the L mode is ¼. When an image (still image) shot in the S mode is displayed on the LCD 6, the amount of information that enters the human eye per second is 1 (= (number of pixels 1) × (number of frames 1)). On the other hand, when an image shot in the L mode is displayed on the LCD 6, the amount of information that enters the human eye per second is 2 (= (number of pixels 1/4) × (number of frames 8)) (that is, The human eye contains twice as much information as still images). Therefore, even when the number of pixels in one frame is reduced to ¼, the user can observe the reproduced image without much concern for the deterioration of the image quality during reproduction.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, different pixels are sampled for each frame, and the sampled pixels are displayed on the LCD 6, so that an afterimage effect occurs in the human eye and three-quarters per frame. Even if the pixels are thinned out, the user can observe the image shot in the L mode displayed on the LCD 6 without much concern about the deterioration of the image quality.

  In addition, images taken in the H mode are continuously displayed on the LCD 6 at a rate of 30 frames per second. At this time, the number of pixels displayed in each frame is 1/9 of the total number of pixels of the CCD 20, but for the same reason as in the L mode, the user does not care much about the deterioration of the image quality. An image taken in the H mode displayed on the LCD 6 can be observed.

  In this embodiment, when the subject is imaged in the L mode and the H mode, the image processing unit 31 thins out the pixels of the CCD 20 to such an extent that the image quality is not deteriorated during reproduction. The load can be reduced, and the DSP 33 can be operated at low speed and low power. In addition, this makes it possible to reduce the cost and power consumption of the apparatus.

  By the way, in the present embodiment, as described above, not only a light image of a subject but also memo (line drawing) information can be recorded. In the present embodiment, modes for inputting these information (photographing mode and memo input mode) are provided, and these modes are appropriately selected according to the user's operation, and the information input is executed smoothly. It is made so that.

  Next, a procedure for displaying the images corresponding to the selected thumbnail images so as to be arranged on the screen in the selected order when a plurality of thumbnail images are selected will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. .

  First, in step S1, a list screen as shown in FIG. In the following, for convenience, it is assumed that five information files are displayed on the list screen. Next, in step S2, it is determined whether or not a thumbnail image displayed on the list screen has been selected. That is, it is determined whether or not an operation for selecting a plurality of thumbnail images to be reduced is performed by pressing a portion of the touch tablet 6A where the thumbnail images are displayed using the pen 41.

  If it is determined in step S2 that a thumbnail image has been selected, the process proceeds to step S3, and the file number of the selected thumbnail image is stored. Then, as shown in FIG. 11, a rectangular cursor is displayed around the selected thumbnail image to clearly indicate that it has been selected. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S4. On the other hand, if it is determined that no thumbnail image is selected, no processing is performed and the process proceeds to step S4.

  In step S4, it is determined whether or not the execution key 7B has been pressed. When it is determined that the execution key 7B has not been pressed, the process proceeds to step S11, and it is determined whether or not another key has been pressed. If it is determined that no other key is pressed, the process returns to step S2, and the processes after step S2 are repeatedly executed. Accordingly, a plurality of thumbnail images can be selected in step S2. In this example, it is assumed that thumbnail images corresponding to images A, E, D, and B are selected in this order. If it is determined in step S11 that another key has been pressed, another process is performed in step S12, and the process ends.

  If it is determined in step S4 that the execution key 7B has been pressed, it is considered that the selection of the thumbnail image has been completed, the process proceeds to step S5, and an initial value 0 is set to a predetermined variable N.

  Next, in step S6, the value of the variable N is incremented by 1. In step S7, it is determined whether or not the value of the variable N is greater than the value corresponding to the number of selected thumbnail images (number of thumbnails). If it is determined that the value of the variable N is not greater than the value corresponding to the number of selected thumbnail images, the process proceeds to step S8.

  In step S <b> 8, the original image corresponding to the Nth selected thumbnail image is read from the memory card 24 under the control of the CPU 39. In step S9, the read image is reduced to a size corresponding to the number of selected thumbnail images. For example, when the number of selected thumbnail images is 2 to 4, the screen of the LCD 6 is virtually divided into four small screens as will be described later. When the number of selected thumbnail images is 5 to 9, the screen of the LCD 6 is virtually divided into nine small screens. Then, the original image corresponding to the selected thumbnail image is reduced to the size of each divided small screen.

  In step S10, under the control of the CPU 39, the screen of the LCD 6 is virtually divided into a number of small screens corresponding to the number of selected thumbnail images, as shown in FIG. The reduced image reduced in S9 is displayed. Thereafter, the process returns to step S6, and the processes after step S6 are repeatedly executed while the value of the variable N is equal to or less than the number of selected thumbnail images (in this example, 4).

  In this example, the reduced image of image A is at the upper left of the screen, the reduced image of image E is at the upper right of the screen, the reduced image of image D is at the lower left of the screen, and the reduced image of image B is at the lower right of the screen. Respectively. In this way, each selected image is displayed on each small screen so as to be arranged on the screen in the order of selection.

  Further, by repeating the processes of steps S2 to S4 and S11 in FIG. 10, images A, E, D, and B, and further images H, J, and G are selected in this order as shown in FIG. In this case, as shown in FIG. 14, the screen of the LCD 6 is virtually divided into nine small screens by the processing in steps S5 to S10 described above, and the reduced image of the image A is displayed on the upper leftmost small screen. The reduced image of the image E is displayed on the small screen at the center, and the reduced image of the image D is displayed on the small screen at the upper right end. The reduced image of image B is displayed at the left end of the middle row, the reduced image of image H is displayed at the center of the middle row, and the reduced image of image J is displayed at the right end of the middle row. Further, a reduced image of the image G is displayed at the lower left end.

  In step S7, it is determined that the value of the variable N is larger than the number of selected thumbnail images, that is, it is determined that reduced images corresponding to all the selected thumbnail images are displayed on the small screen, and the process ends.

  Next, a processing procedure for displaying a plurality of images selected on the list screen on the screen of the LCD 6 in the selected order will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, in step S21, a list screen is displayed on the LCD 6. Next, in step S22, it is determined whether a thumbnail image in the list screen has been selected. If it is determined that a thumbnail image has been selected, the process proceeds to step S23, and the file number of the selected thumbnail image is stored. Next, in step S24, it is determined whether or not the execution key 7B has been selected.

  If it is determined in step S24 that the execution key 7B has not been selected, the process proceeds to step S30, where it is determined whether another key has been pressed. If it is determined that no other key has been pressed, the process returns to step S22, and the processes after step S22 are repeatedly executed. Therefore, it is possible to select a plurality of thumbnail images in step S22 by repeatedly executing the loop composed of steps S22, S23, S24, and S30.

  If it is determined in step S22 that no thumbnail image has been selected, the process proceeds to step S24. If it is determined in step S24 that the execution key 7B has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S25, and an initial value 0 is set in the variable N. Next, in step S26, the value of the variable N is incremented by one. In step S27, it is determined whether or not the value of the variable N is greater than a value corresponding to the number of thumbnail images selected in step S22.

  When it is determined that the value of the variable N is smaller than or equal to the number of thumbnail images selected in step S22, the process proceeds to step S28, and an image corresponding to the Nth selected thumbnail image is read from the memory card 24. . Next, in step S29, the image read in step S28 is displayed on the LCD 6 for a predetermined time (for example, 3 seconds). Thereafter, when a predetermined time has elapsed, the process returns to step S26, and the processes of steps S26 to S29 are repeatedly executed as many times as the number corresponding to the number of selected thumbnail images. When the above process is repeated a number of times corresponding to the number of selected thumbnail images, it is determined in step S27 that the value of variable N is greater than the value corresponding to the number of thumbnail images selected in step S22. The process ends.

  If it is determined in step S30 that another key has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S31, and after the other process is executed, the process ends.

  In the case of this example, since the number of selected thumbnail images is 4, after the processing of steps S26 to S29 is repeatedly executed four times and the image A is displayed as shown in FIG. After elapse of a predetermined time, for example, 3 seconds, an image E is displayed on the LCD 6 as shown in FIG. Thereafter, after 3 seconds have elapsed, an image D is displayed on the LCD 6 as shown in FIG. 16C, and after only 3 seconds have elapsed, an image B is displayed on the LCD 6 as shown in FIG. 16D. .

  In this way, a plurality of thumbnail images can be selected, and the original images corresponding to the selected thumbnail images can be displayed on the entire screen of the LCD 6 at a predetermined time interval in the selected order.

A program for causing the CPU 39 to perform the processing shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 10 and 15 can be stored in the ROM 43 of the electronic camera 1, the memory card 24, or the like. The program may be supplied to the user in a state stored in the ROM 43 or the memory card 24 in advance, or a CD-ROM (compact disc) so that the program can be copied to the ROM 43 or the memory card 24. -read only memory) may be supplied to the user. In this case, the ROM 43 is constituted by, for example, an electrically rewritable EEPROM (electrically erasable and programmable read only memory).

  In the above embodiment, an example of selecting four or nine thumbnail images has been described. However, an arbitrary number of thumbnail images can be selected within the range of the number of images stored in the memory card 24. be able to. It is also possible to select thumbnail images in duplicate, and in that case, any number of thumbnail images can be selected.

  Moreover, the screen layout in the said embodiment is an example, and is not limited to this.

  Furthermore, specific numerical values in the above-described embodiment are examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

It is the perspective view which looked at one Embodiment of the electronic camera to which this invention was applied from the front side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the electronic camera 1 viewed from the back side with the LCD cover 14 opened. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the electronic camera 1 viewed from the back side with the LCD cover 14 closed. 1 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration example of an electronic camera 1. FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining operations of the LCD switch 25 and the LCD cover 14 of the electronic camera 1. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of an electrical configuration inside the electronic camera 1. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating a thinning process. It is a figure which shows the other example of a thinning process. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on the LCD 6 of the electronic camera 1. FIG. It is a flowchart explaining the procedure which displays the selected several image on the small screen which divided | segmented the screen. It is a figure which shows a mode that the some thumbnail image in a list screen is selected. It is a figure which shows a mode that it displays on each small screen so that four selected images may be located in the order selected. It is a figure which shows a mode that the thumbnail image in the next page of a list screen is further selected. It is a figure which shows a mode that the seven selected images are displayed on a small screen in the order selected. It is a flowchart explaining the procedure which is displayed on LCD6 in order, without dividing | segmenting a screen into several selected images. It is a figure which shows a mode that the selected image is displayed on a screen by predetermined time interval in the order selected.

Explanation of symbols

1 Electronic Camera 2 Viewfinder 3 Shooting Lens 4 Light Emitting Unit (Flash)
5 Speaker 6 LCD (Display means)
6A touch tablet (selection means, reduced image selection means, line drawing input means)
7 Operation key 7A Menu key 7B Execution key 7C Cancel key 7D Delete key 7E, 7F, 7G, 7H Scroll key 8 Microphone 9 Earphone jack 10 Release switch 11 Power switch 12 Recording switch 13 Continuous shooting mode switch 15 Red-eye reduction LED
16 Photometric element 17 Colorimetric element 20 CCD (imaging means)
21 Battery 22 Capacitor 23 Circuit board 24 Memory card (storage means)
26 Display element in viewfinder 30 Lens drive circuit 31 Image processing unit 32 Analog / digital conversion circuit (A / D)
33 Digital signal processor (DSP) (reduction means)
34 CCD drive circuit 35 Frame memory (dividing means)
36 Buffer memory 37 Strobe drive circuit 38 Red-eye reduction LED drive circuit 39 CPU (display control means)
40 Finder display circuit 41 Pen (selection means, reduced image selection means, line drawing input means)
42 A / D and D / A conversion circuit 45 Timer 48 Interface 51 Photometry circuit 52 Color measurement circuit 53 Aperture drive circuit 54 Aperture

Claims (6)

Imaging means for imaging a subject;
Storage means for storing a plurality of images taken by the imaging means;
Display means arranged on the camera body ;
On the display means, and control means for controlling so as to display a plurality of reduced images corresponding to the individual to a plurality of images stored in the storage means a predetermined number simultaneously,
Selecting means for selecting at least one of the reduced images from the plurality of reduced images displayed on the display means ;
An instruction means for instructing the control means to start displaying an image corresponding to the reduced image selected by the selection means ;
The control means displays the reduced image selected by the selecting means and the reduced image not selected by the selecting means on the display means so as to be distinguishable, and a plurality of reduced images are selected by the selecting means and the instruction if the there is an instruction by the means, the in the reduced image is selected sequentially by the selecting means, displaying on the display means the images corresponding to the reduced image selected are sequentially switched one by one by the selection means A camera characterized by being controlled to perform. The camera of claim 1,
The camera is characterized in that the control means controls each image corresponding to the reduced image selected by the selection means to be sequentially switched one by one at a predetermined time and displayed on the display means . The camera according to claim 1 or 2,
It said selection means is a camera, which is a selectable overlap a reduced image displayed on the display means. In the camera according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The camera characterized in that the selection means is constituted by a touch tablet . In the camera according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Wherein, after displaying the image corresponding to the last selected contracted image by the selection unit, a camera, characterized in that the series of control is ended. The camera according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The control means, a camera and displaying the respective images corresponding to the reduced image selected by said selecting means to the entire display surface of the display means.

Images