Electronic device and method for controlling the same

Abstract

Electronic device comprising: an image capture device; a certification facility configured to certify an attached battery; and a control device configured to perform control such that, if an instruction is given to perform initial processing before certification processing is completed by the certification institution, the initial processing is not performed until the certification processing is completed, and if an instruction is given to perform a second processing before the certification processing by the certification institution is completed, the second processing is performed before the certification processing is completed, wherein the first processing is different from the second processing, and wherein the second processing includes image capture by the image capture device.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONField of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device powered by a battery and a method for controlling the same. Description of the state of the art

[0002] In recent years, damage and malfunctions of electronic devices due to the use of counterfeit batteries have been reported. In this context, a "counterfeit battery" refers to an illegal battery falsely represented as a genuine product manufactured by a manufacturer, and does not include a so-called third-party battery. A counterfeit battery may lack a protective device or part that meets predetermined integrity standards, which protective device or part is included in the genuine product. Consequently, a counterfeit battery may cause damage or malfunction due to the generation of abnormal heat. However, such counterfeit batteries are commercially available and falsely represented as genuine products, and thus, when a user purchases a battery, it is not easy for the user to accurately distinguish genuine batteries from manufacturers of counterfeit batteries.Consequently, the number of cases where a user who intended to purchase a genuine battery mistakenly purchases a counterfeit battery is not negligible, and the user uses the counterfeit battery without realizing it is a counterfeit. Therefore, there is a need for countermeasures to prevent the occurrence of damage or malfunction of an electronic device due to a counterfeit battery.

[0003] For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-282471 discloses a method in which, by means of a certification function for determining whether a battery attached to a portable electronic device is a genuine battery or not, a warning is displayed and the use of a battery is restricted when the battery is not a genuine battery but a counterfeit battery.

[0004] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005 / 341775 relates to a device to which a secondary battery can be connected, wherein the secondary battery is authenticated using an extracted identifier before charging.

[0005] The above-described Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. JP 2007-282471 is a method in which predetermined processing is performed based on a result of battery certification, which makes it possible to prevent the occurrence of damage or malfunction due to the use of a counterfeit battery.

[0006] However, if the portable electronic device is a camera and recording operations are prohibited until battery certification processing is completed, the user may miss a sudden recording opportunity. That is, processing that must be performed immediately will be inconvenient if configured not to be performed until battery certification processing is completed.

[0007] On the other hand, there is also processing that is inconvenient if it can be executed before the battery certification processing is completed. For example, if the battery certification fails after a connection to an external device is established, an immediate disconnection wastes the consumed power and processing load of the external device serving as the connection partner.

[0008] In addition, since the camera's throughput is typically high during motion picture recording and recording requires an extended period of time that may generate heat, the risk of malfunction or damage increases if a counterfeit battery is used. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems and provides an electronic device that prevents processing that must be performed immediately from being stopped due to battery certification, and a method for controlling the same.

[0010] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an electronic device according to claim 1.

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a control method for an electronic device according to claim 14.

[0012] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an electronic device according to claim 16.

[0013] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a control method for an electronic device according to claim 24.

[0014] The remaining claims concern further developments.

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent processing that must be performed immediately from being stopped due to battery certification.

[0016] Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments (with reference to the accompanying drawings). Each embodiment of the present invention described below may be implemented individually or as a combination of several of the embodiments or features thereof, where necessary or where combining elements or features of individual embodiments into a single embodiment is advantageous. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is an external view illustrating an electronic device according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the electronic device according to the present embodiment. Fig. 3A to 3F show examples of screen display in respective modes according to the present embodiment. Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating processing after a camera is started according to the present embodiment. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing processing in case of battery certification failure of Fig. 4 illustrated. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing processing in a still image capture mode of Fig. 4 illustrated. Fig. 7A and Fig. 7B are flowcharts showing processing in a motion picture recording mode of Fig. 4 illustrate. Fig. 8A and Fig. 8B are flowcharts showing processing in a playback mode of Fig. 4 illustrate. Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B are flowcharts showing processing in a mode for connecting to an external device of Fig. 4 illustrate. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing processing in a menu mode of Fig. 4 illustrated. Fig. 11 A to 11 G show examples of screen display in the respective modes of Fig. 4. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S)

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments for implementing the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. <Konfiguration der Vorrichtung>

[0018] Reference is made to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 is taken to describe the functions and external appearance of an electronic device (a digital camera is taken as an example thereof in this embodiment) according to this embodiment to which the present invention is applied.

[0019] In Fig. 1, which shows the external appearance of a digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment, a display unit 101 displays images and various information. A power button 102 switches between "power on" and "power off." A shutter release button 103 is an operation unit for issuing a shooting instruction. A mode switching button 104 is an operation unit for switching between various modes. A motion picture recording button 105 is an operation unit for issuing an instruction to start motion picture recording. A menu button 106 is an operation unit for displaying a menu screen that allows various settings of the digital camera 100.The user can intuitively make various settings by using the menu screen displayed on the display unit 101, a four-directional knob 107 in which up, down, left, and right buttons are integrally formed, a SET knob 108, and a control wheel 109. The control wheel 109 is a rotatable control member.

[0020] A recording medium 110 is a medium such as a memory card and is housed in a recording medium slot (not shown). A battery 111 includes a primary battery such as an alkaline battery or a lithium battery, a secondary battery such as a NiCd battery, a NiMH battery, or a Li battery, and is housed in a battery case (not shown). The recording medium 110 housed in the recording medium slot enables communication with the digital camera 100. A cover 112 covers the recording medium slot and the battery case.

[0021] A connector 113 is an interface that connects a connection cable 114 to a digital camera 100.

[0022] In Fig. 2, which shows an internal configuration of a digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment, a photographing lens 203 includes a zoom lens and a focusing lens. A shutter 204 has a diaphragm function. An image sensing unit 205 is an image sensor formed of a CCD or CMOS or the like for converting the optical image of a subject into an electrical signal. An A / D converter 206 converts an analog signal into a digital signal. The A / D converter 206 is used to convert an analog signal output from the image sensing unit 205 into a digital signal. A barrier 202 covers the image sensing system (including the photographing lens 203) of the digital camera 100, thereby preventing contamination and damage to the image sensing system including the photographing lens 203, the shutter 204, and the image sensing unit 205.

[0023] An image processing unit 207 performs resizing processing, such as predetermined pixel interpolation and reduction, and color conversion processing on data from the A / D converter 206 or data from a memory control unit 209. Further, the image processing unit 207 performs predetermined calculation processing using the acquired image data, and the system control unit 201 performs exposure control and distance measurement control based on the calculation results. Thus, AF (Auto Focus) processing, AE (Automatic Exposure) processing, and TTL (Through the Lens)-type EF (Flash Pre-Emission) processing are performed. Furthermore, the image processing unit 207 performs predetermined calculation processing using the acquired image data, and TTL-type AWB (Automatic White Balance) processing is performed based on the calculation results.

[0024] The data from the A / D converter 206 is written to a memory 210 via both the image processing unit 207 and the memory control unit 209, or directly via the memory control unit 209. The memory 210 stores the image data obtained from the image acquisition unit 205 and the A / D converter 206, as well as image display data to be displayed on the display unit 101. The memory 210 has a storage capacity sufficient to store a predetermined number of still images, as well as moving images and audio for a predetermined period of time.

[0025] The memory 210 also functions as a memory for image display (video memory). A D / A converter 208 converts the image display data stored in the memory 210 into an analog signal and supplies the analog signal to the display unit 101. The image display data written to the memory 210 is displayed by the display unit 101 via the D / A converter 208. The display unit 101 displays on a display device such as an LCD according to the analog signal from the D / A converter 208. Predetermined signal processing of the digital signal, once converted by the A / D converters 206 and stored in the memory 210, is performed by the image processing unit 207.In this way, the digital signals stored in the memory 210 are converted into analog signals, and the analog signals are sequentially transmitted to the display unit 101 for display thereon, making it possible to realize electronic viewfinder (EVF) functionality and perform through-the-lens image (hereinafter, through-image) display (live view display). Note that through-image is renamed to live view image, and through-image display is renamed to live view. In other words, the terms "live view image" and "through-image" are interchangeable.

[0026] A non-volatile memory 213 is, for example, an EEPROM, which is electrically erasable and writable. Constants and programs, for example, for operating the system control unit 201, are stored in the non-volatile memory 213. In this context, "programs" may refer to programs for executing various flowcharts, which will be described later.

[0027] The system control unit 201 is a calculation processing device for generally controlling the entire camera 100, and realizes the operations of the flowchart described later by executing the programs stored in the nonvolatile memory 213. The system memory 212 is, for example, a RAM and is also used as a working memory, where constants and variables for operating the system control unit 201, as well as the programs read from the nonvolatile memory 213, are expanded. The system control unit 201 controls the memory 210, the D / A converter 208, the display unit 101, and the like to perform display control.

[0028] A system timer 211 is a timer circuit for measuring time periods for various types of controls and the time of a built-in clock.

[0029] A power button 102, a shutter release button 103, a mode switching button 104, and the other operation units 105 to 109 are operation elements for inputting various types of instructions to the system control unit 201.

[0030] The mode switching button 104 switches the operation mode of the system control unit 201 to one of a still image shooting mode, a motion picture recording mode, a playback mode, a mode for connecting to an external device, a menu mode, and the like. The still image shooting mode includes an automatic shooting mode, an automatic scene determination mode, a manual mode, various types of scene modes in which different settings are configured for individual shooting scenes, a program AE mode, a custom mode, and the like. By using the mode switching button 104, the mode is directly switched to one of the plural modes included in the still image shooting mode. Alternatively, it is possible to switch to the still image shooting mode by using the mode switching button 104 and then switch to one of the plural modes included in the still image shooting mode by using another control.Similarly, the motion picture recording mode can also contain multiple modes.

[0031] While the shutter release button 103 is operated, that is, half-pressed (the shooting preparation instruction), the first shutter switch 103a is turned on and generates a first shutter switch signal SW1. Upon receiving the first shutter switch signal SW1, the system control unit 201 causes the image processing unit 207 to start AF (autofocus) processing, AE (automatic exposure) processing, AWB (automatic white balance) processing, EF (flash pre-emission) processing, and the like.

[0032] When the operation of the shutter release button 103 is completed, that is, the shutter release button 103 is fully pressed (the shooting instruction), the second shutter switch 103b is turned on and generates a second shutter switch signal SW2. Upon receiving the second shutter switch signal SW2, the system control unit 201 starts a sequence of shooting processing from reading the signal from the image acquisition unit 205 to writing image data to the recording medium 110 (shooting and recording sequence).

[0033] An operation unit other than the operation units 105 to 109 includes a touch panel as a touch detection unit capable of detecting a touch operation on the display unit 101. The touch panel and the display unit 101 may be configured as a single integrated unit. For example, the touch panel is configured in such a manner that the transmission of light does not affect the display presented by the display unit 101 and is attached to the uppermost layer of the display surface of the display unit 101. Furthermore, input coordinates on the touch panel and display coordinates on the display unit 101 correspond to each other. As a result, a GUI can be constructed that allows the user to directly manipulate the screen displayed on the display unit 101.

[0034] By selecting various function icons displayed on the display unit 101, appropriate functions are assigned to the touch panel for each situation, and the touch panel thus acts as various function buttons. Examples of these function buttons include an end button, a back button, a scroll button, a jump button, a narrow button, and a feature change button. For example, pressing a menu button 106 displays a menu screen on the display unit 101, allowing various settings to be made. The user can intuitively make various settings by using the menu screen displayed on the display unit 101, the four-directional buttons (up, down, left, right) 107, a SET button 108, and a control wheel 109.

[0035] The control wheel 109 is used together with the four-directional buttons 107 when specifying a selection item. When the control wheel 109 is rotated, an electrical pulse signal is generated according to the rotation amount, and the system control unit 201 controls each unit of the digital camera 100 based on the pulse signal. The angle by which the control wheel 109 has been rotated and the number of times it has been rotated can be determined from the pulse signal. Note that the control wheel 109 can be any operation element as long as it is an operation element whose rotation can be detected. For example, it can be a selection operation element in which the control wheel 109 itself is rotated to generate the pulse signal according to a rotation operation by the user.Furthermore, it may be a device (a so-called touch wheel) that detects an operation such as the circling of the user's finger on the control wheel 109 without the control wheel 109 itself being rotated.

[0036] A power supply control unit 214 is composed of, for example, a battery detection circuit, a DC-DC converter, and a switching circuit for switching the power supply block. It detects whether or not the battery 111 has been inserted, the type of battery, and the remaining capacity of the battery. Further, the power supply control unit 214 controls the DC-DC converter according to the detection results and an instruction from the system control unit 201, and supplies the necessary voltage to each unit, including the recording medium 110, for a necessary period of time.

[0037] A power supply unit 215 as the battery 111 includes a primary battery such as an alkaline manganese battery or a lithium battery, a secondary battery such as a NiCd battery, a NiMH battery, or a Li-ion battery, or an AC adapter. A recording medium interface (I / F) 216 is for coupling to the recording medium 110 such as the memory card. The recording medium 110 is a recording medium such as a memory card for recording captured images and is formed of a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or the like.

[0038] An external I / F 217 is communicatively connected to an external device 300 via a radio antenna or a wired cable, and transmits and receives a video image or audio. The external I / F 217 is also connectable to a wireless LAN (local area network) or the Internet. The external I / F 217 can transmit image data (including a through image) acquired by the image acquisition unit 205 and an image file stored in the recording medium 110 to the external device 300, or can receive image data or various other information from the external device 300.

[0039] A battery certification unit 218 communicates with the battery 111 mounted in the battery case (not shown) and determines whether the battery is a genuine battery or not.

[0040] The digital camera 100 of the present embodiment can perform shooting using an automatic focusing method such as single-center AF or face AF. "Single-center AF" refers to AF at a single central position on a shooting screen. "Face AF" refers to AF on a face (main face) on a shooting screen detected by a face detection function.

[0041] The face detection function is described below.

[0042] The system control unit 201 reads image data (including a through image) stored in the memory 210 and detects edge elements in the horizontal and vertical directions using bandpass filters. The system control unit 201 then performs pattern recognition on the detected edge elements and extracts candidate groups of eyes, noses, mouths, and ears. Furthermore, the system control unit 201 determines, from the eye candidate groups extracted by pattern recognition, eyes that satisfy a preset condition (e.g., distance between two eyes, their inclination, or the like) as an eye pair, and restricts the eye candidate groups to eye pairs.Then, the system control unit 201 correlates the restricted eye candidate group with the corresponding other face constituting parts (nose, mouth, and ear), or detects a face through a filter for a preset non-face condition to generate feature information about the face according to the detection result, and stores the information in a system memory 212. Note that, in order to notify the user of the detected face, it is also possible to perform a display on the display unit 101 in which a face frame or the like is superimposed on the image depending on, for example, the coordinates of the face position or the size of the face.

[0043] By analyzing the image data displayed in live view or playback view in the manner described above, it is possible to extract feature information about a subject in an image. According to the present embodiment, face information is taken as an example of feature information about a subject, but there are various other types of information such as red-eye detection, eye detection, eye-closed detection, smiling face detection, or the like.

[0044] Note that it is possible to perform Face AE, Face FE, and Face WB at the same time as Face AF. Face AE is a method for optimizing the exposure of the entire screen according to the brightness of the detected face. Face FE is a method for modulating flash light with a focus on the detected face. Face WB is a method for optimizing the white balance of the entire screen according to the color of the detected face.

[0045] A personal authentication unit 219 has the function of authenticating a specific person from among the faces detected in the manner described above by referring to a database in which the feature information about the face is registered. Note that the system control unit 201 may have this personal authentication function.

[0046] Please note that the hardware configuration does not match the one in Fig. 2, and a configuration is also possible in which, for example, a single piece of hardware performs the display control, the communication control, the recording control, the image processing control, and the like to function as each unit or block of the digital camera 100. Alternatively, it is also possible for multiple pieces of hardware to work in cooperation with each other to function as a single unit or block. < Example screen display >

[0047] Examples of screen displays when processing in the modes according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 3A to 3F.

[0048] The following describes the transition of the display screen during still image shooting and motion picture recording from when the digital camera 100 is activated (turned on) to when the battery certification processing is completed.

[0049] Fig. 3A shows the state in the motion picture recording mode in which a through image is displayed.

[0050] Fig. Fig. 3B shows the state in which an instruction to start recording a moving image is received while the through-image of Fig. 3A is displayed. Regardless of whether the battery certification has been completed or not, the motion picture recording processing begins upon receiving the instruction to start recording a motion picture.

[0051] Fig. 3C shows the state in which battery certification is performed during recording a moving image of Fig. 3B has failed and motion picture recording is stopped. During motion picture recording, the camera's throughput is high and recording takes an extended period of time, which may generate heat. Thus, the risk of malfunction or damage is considered to increase if a counterfeit battery is used. To prevent this situation, by suspending motion picture recording when battery certification fails in the motion picture recording mode, it is possible to prevent abnormal heat generation when a counterfeit battery is used. Note that motion picture recording continues if battery certification is successful. In addition, if the motion picture recording time has been determined in advance and is short, heat generation due to using a counterfeit battery is unlikely to occur, and thus recording can continue.

[0052] Fig. 3D shows the state in still image recording mode in which a through image is displayed.

[0053] Fig. 3E shows the state in which AE / AF operation is performed in response to a shooting preparation instruction (SW1 is on) during the display of the through-image of Fig. 3D is carried out.

[0054] Fig. 3F shows the state in which still picture shooting / recording operation is performed in response to a shooting instruction (SW2 is on) during AE / AF operation of Fig. 3E is performed. In still image shooting mode, a user may suddenly miss a shooting opportunity if the shooting operation is prohibited until battery certification processing is completed. Therefore, in still image shooting mode, if a shooting instruction is accepted before battery certification fails and shooting / recording of a still image has started, the operation will not be suspended until recording is completed, but if a shooting instruction is received after battery certification fails, the recording operation will be inhibited. It is thus possible to prevent a user from missing a shooting opportunity during still image shooting by accepting a shooting instruction before battery certification fails and performing a recording operation.

[0055] Additionally, when shooting still images continuously, it determines whether battery certification is complete before the start of recording, and recording is paused if certification fails. Furthermore, during self-timer recording, if recording hasn't started yet, recording itself is paused during the countdown. < Operation after activating the camera >

[0056] Hereinafter, an operation after activation of the camera, which includes processing in case of battery certification failure according to the present embodiment, will be described with reference to Fig. 4 to Fig. 11A to 11G.

[0057] Note that the process of Fig. 4 to 10 is executed by the system control unit 201, which expands programs stored in the non-volatile memory 213 onto the system memory 212 and executes the expanded programs to control the components. In addition, the process of Fig. 4 when the power button 102 is pressed to turn on the power in the state where the battery 111 is attached.

[0058] In step S401, the system control unit 201 starts battery certification processing using the battery certification unit 218.

[0059] In step S402, the system control unit 201 determines whether a battery certification completion flag is "on" or not. The battery certification completion flag is a variable that is set to "on" when the battery certification processing is completed and is stored in the system memory 212. As a result of the determination, if the battery certification has been completed, the processing proceeds to step S406, and if the battery certification has not been completed, the processing proceeds to step S403.

[0060] In step S403, the system control unit 201 determines whether or not a battery certification completion notification has been received from the battery certification unit 218. As a result of the determination, the processing proceeds to step S404 if a battery certification completion notification has been received, and otherwise to step S406.

[0061] In step S404, the system control unit 201 determines whether the battery certification unit 218 succeeded in battery certification or not. As a result of the determination, if battery certification succeeds (i.e., the battery is determined to be a genuine battery), the processing proceeds to step S405, and if battery certification fails (i.e., the battery is determined to be a non-genuine battery), the processing proceeds to step S414.

[0062] In step S405, the system control unit 201 turns on the battery certification completion flag and stores the turned-on flag in the system memory 212.

[0063] In addition, in steps S414 and S415, the system control unit 201 executes processing in the case of battery certification failure to turn on the battery certification completion flag and stores the turned-on flag in the system memory 212, and the processing advances to step S413.

[0064] In step S406, the system control unit 201 determines which mode the camera is operating in based on the position of the mode switching button 104. If it is determined in step S406 that the camera is operating in the still image capture mode, processing proceeds to step S407; if it is determined that the camera is operating in the motion picture recording mode, processing proceeds to step S408; if it is determined that the camera is operating in the playback mode, processing proceeds to step S409; if it is determined that the camera is operating in the external device connection mode, processing proceeds to step S410; if it is determined that the camera is operating in the menu mode, processing proceeds to step S411; or if it is determined that the camera is operating in another mode, processing proceeds to step S412. The processing of these modes will be described in detail later.Note that although the other mode includes several processings, detailed descriptions of them are omitted because they do not essentially relate to the present invention.

[0065] When the processing of the above-described modes has been completed, the processing proceeds to step S413, where the system control unit 201 determines whether or not there is a shutdown request based on whether or not the power button 102 has been pressed or an automatic shutdown time has elapsed. If there is no shutdown request, the processing returns to step S402, and if there is a shutdown request, the system control unit 201 turns off the power and terminates this processing. < Processing in case of battery certification failure >

[0066] In the following, the processing in case of battery certification failure in step S414 of Fig. 4 with reference to Fig. 5 described.

[0067] In step S501, the system control unit 201 displays on the display unit 101 a screen as shown in Fig. 11A, which asks for the type of battery, and asks a user whether he or she thinks the battery is a genuine battery or not. The user can select one of the options shown on the confirmation screen of Fig. 11 A select items displayed to indicate whether he or she thinks the battery is a real battery or not.

[0068] In step S502, the system control unit 201 determines based on the selected item of Fig. 11A, that the user believes that the battery is a genuine battery (“YES” from Fig. 11 A is selected), or that the user knows that the battery is not a real battery (“NO” of Fig. 11 A is selected). As a result of the determination, if "NO" (the user knows that the battery is not a genuine battery) is selected, the processing proceeds to step S503, and if "YES" (the user believes that the battery is a genuine battery) is selected, the processing proceeds to step S505.

[0069] In step S503, the system control unit 201 displays on the display unit 101 a screen as shown in Fig. 11B, which asks whether or not to continue using the fake battery, and asks the user whether or not he or she will continue using the fake battery.

[0070] In step S504, the system control unit 201 determines based on the selected item of Fig. 11B, whether the user will continue to use the fake battery or not. As a result of the determination, the system control unit 201 terminates the present processing if the user will continue to use the fake battery (if "YES" of Fig. 11 B is selected), and if the user will not continue using the fake battery (if “NO” of Fig. 11 B is selected), the processing proceeds to step S506.

[0071] In step S505, the system control unit 201 displays on the display unit 101 a screen as shown in Fig. 11C, which notifies the user that the power supply will be turned off due to the use of a battery other than a genuine battery, and notifies the user that the power supply will be turned off. In this case, it may be assumed that the user mistakenly believes that the battery used is a genuine battery, even though it is not a genuine battery.

[0072] In step S506, the system control unit 201 issues a shutdown request, the power supply control unit 214 turns off the power supply, and ends the present process. < Processing in Still Image Shooting Mode>

[0073] The following describes the processing in the still image recording mode in step S407 of Fig. 4 with reference to Fig. 6 described.

[0074] In step S601, the system control unit 201 displays a live view image on the display unit 101.

[0075] In step S602, the system control unit 201 determines whether the battery certification completion flag is "on" or not, that is, whether the battery certification has been completed. As a result of the determination, the processing proceeds to step S606 if the battery certification has been completed, and if the battery certification has not been completed, the processing proceeds to step S603.

[0076] In step S603, the system control unit 201 determines whether or not a battery certification completion notification has been received from the battery certification unit 218.

[0077] If a battery certification completion notification has been received, the processing proceeds to step S604, and if no battery certification completion notification has been accepted, the processing proceeds to step S606.

[0078] In step S604, the system control unit 201 determines whether the battery certification unit 218 has succeeded in battery certification or not. As a result of the determination, if the battery certification is successful, the processing proceeds to step S605, and if the battery certification fails, the processing proceeds to step S613.

[0079] In step S605, the system control unit 201 turns on the battery certification completion flag and stores the turned-on flag in the system memory 212.

[0080] In step S606, the system control unit 201 determines whether a recording preparation instruction has been issued (SW1 is on) or not. As a result of the determination, if SW1 is off, the processing proceeds to step S611, and if SW1 is on, the processing proceeds to step S607.

[0081] In step S607, the system control unit 201 performs an AE / AF operation.

[0082] In step S608, the system control unit 201 determines whether a recording instruction has been issued (SW2 is on) or not. As a result of the determination, the processing proceeds to step S609 if SW2 is off, and if SW2 is on, the processing proceeds to step S610.

[0083] In step S609, the system control unit 201 determines whether the ON state of SW1 has been canceled (OFF) or not. As a result of the determination, if SW1 is off, the processing proceeds to step S611, and if SW1 is on, the processing returns to step S608.

[0084] In step S610, the system control unit 201 performs capture / recording sequence processing. That is, a sequence of capture processing is performed, the sequence of capture processing including processing for reading a signal from the image acquisition unit 205, image processing (including raw data development processing) for converting the read signal into an image file, processing for writing the image file to the recording medium 110, and the like.

[0085] In step S611, the system control unit 201 determines whether or not there is a shutdown request. As a result of the determination, if there is no shutdown request, the processing proceeds to step S612, and if there is a shutdown request, the system control unit 201 terminates the present processing.

[0086] In step S612, the system control unit 201 determines whether or not a mode change instruction has been issued by the mode switching button 104, and if no mode change instruction has been issued, the processing returns to step S602, and if a mode change instruction has been issued, the system control unit 201 ends the present processing.

[0087] In steps S613 and S614, the system control unit 201 executes the processing in the case of battery certification failure to turn on the battery certification completion flag and stores the turned-on flag in the system memory 212, and the processing advances to step S611.

[0088] Consequently, in the still image capture mode, after a capture preparation instruction is issued (SW1 is on), the processing ("YES" in step S603) according to the battery certification completion notification is not executed until the ON state of SW1 is canceled ("YES" in step S609) or the capture / recording sequence is completed (step S610). Therefore, even if a capture instruction is issued before the battery certification is completed, the battery certification is completed during the still image capture / recording sequence, and the certification ends in failure (it is determined that the battery is not a genuine battery), the still image capture is not suspended. That is, in the still image capture mode, it is possible to perform still image capture immediately after the power supply is turned on, allowing a user to perform capture without missing a sudden capture opportunity.On the other hand, if a battery certification completion notification is received when the user does not intend to capture a still image (when SW1 is off) and the certification fails, the power supply can be shut down by the battery certification failure processing (step S613). This makes it possible to prevent damage such as a phenomenon in which unnecessary processing is performed when the user unintentionally uses a battery that is not a genuine battery from occurring, without interfering with the still image capture when a sudden capture opportunity arises.If the battery certification is completed during still image recording and the certification ends in failure, the ongoing still image recording processing of the recording is executed until the end, and after the completion of the still image recording processing, the processing in case of battery certification failure is executed. < Processing in motion picture recording mode >

[0089] The following describes the processing in the motion picture recording mode in step S408 of Fig. 4 with reference to Fig. 7A and Fig. 7B.

[0090] Note that processing in steps S701 to S705 and steps S717 to S720 of Fig. 7A are the same as those in steps S601 to S605 and steps S611 to S614 of Fig. 6. Consequently, the following mainly focuses on the difference to Fig. 6 described.

[0091] In step S706, the system control unit 201 determines whether the motion picture recording button 105 has been depressed and an instruction to start recording a motion picture has been issued. As a result of the determination, the processing proceeds to step S707 if an instruction to start recording a motion picture has been issued, and otherwise to step S717. In step S707, the system control unit 201 starts motion picture recording processing. That is, motion picture data recorded after the start of processing is written to the recording medium 110. Consequently, the user can start recording a motion picture without missing a sudden recording opportunity because it is possible to start recording a motion picture even before battery certification is completed (NO in step S703).When a genuine battery is used, the motion picture recording can be continued even after the battery certification is completed, as described later, and it is possible to prevent the user from missing a recording opportunity because the user has to wait to start recording the motion picture until the battery certification is completed.

[0092] In step S708, the system control unit 201 determines whether or not an instruction to stop recording a moving image has been issued. As a result of the determination, the processing proceeds to step S714 if an instruction to stop recording a moving image has been issued, and otherwise to step S709.

[0093] In step S709, the system control unit 201 determines whether or not a battery certification completion notification has been received from the battery certification unit 218. As a result of the determination, the processing proceeds to step S710 if a battery certification completion notification has been received, and otherwise, it returns to step S708.

[0094] In step S710, the system control unit 201 determines whether the battery certification unit 218 has succeeded in battery certification. As a result of the determination, if the battery certification is successful, the processing proceeds to step S711, and if the battery certification fails, the processing proceeds to step S715.

[0095] In step S711, the system control unit 201 waits until an instruction to stop recording a moving image is issued again, and if an instruction to stop recording a moving image is issued, the processing advances to step S712.

[0096] In steps S712 and S713, the system control unit 201 stops the moving image recording processing, turns on the battery certification completion flag, and stores the turned-on flag in the system memory 212, and the processing advances to step S717.

[0097] In step S714, the system control unit 201 stops the moving image recording processing, and the processing advances to step S717.

[0098] In step S715, the system control unit 201 stops the motion picture recording processing, and the processing proceeds to step S716. That is, in the motion picture recording processing, it is possible to start recording a motion picture before the battery certification is completed, but the motion picture recording is immediately stopped if the battery certification fails. This makes it possible to prevent damage such as a malfunction of the digital camera due to heat generated when using a battery other than a genuine battery through continuously performed motion picture recording processing, which is processing that has an extended processing time and also a high processing load.Note that in this case, a moving image is recorded for a short period from the time the power is turned on until the battery certification is completed, but this short moving image may be unnecessary, and thus a configuration in which the entire moving image (moving image file) is deleted afterwards is also possible.

[0099] In step S716, the system control unit 201 executes the processing in case of battery certification failure. In this processing in case of battery certification failure, as described with reference to Fig. 5, there is a case where the power supply is switched off.

[0100] Note that although the present embodiment describes the case where, in the motion picture recording mode, processing is suspended (stopped) in the event of certification failure as an example, processing can also be performed without being suspended in the event of certification failure if recording is performed for a short period of time, such as a few seconds. This is because processing for a short period of time, such as a few seconds, is less likely to cause damage or adverse effects due to using a battery that is not a genuine battery, even if processing is performed to the end. < Processing in Playback Mode >

[0101] The following describes the processing in the playback mode in step S409 of Fig. 4 with reference to Fig. 8A and Fig. 8B.

[0102] Note that the processing in steps S801 to S804 and steps S815 to S818 of Fig. 8A are the same as those in steps S602 to S605 and steps S611 to S614 of Fig. 6. Consequently, the following mainly focuses on the difference to Fig. 6 described.

[0103] In step S805, the system control unit 201 plays back an image file (a still image or a moving image) recorded in the recording medium 110. The image file to be played back is an image file selected by a user from a file list screen, an image file automatically played back in order by the file name, or the like.

[0104] In step S806, the system control unit 201 determines whether or not a playback stop instruction has been issued. As a result of the determination, the processing proceeds to step S812 if a playback stop instruction has been issued, and otherwise to step S807.

[0105] In step S807, the system control unit 201 determines whether or not a battery certification completion notification has been received from the battery certification unit 218. As a result of the determination, the processing proceeds to step S808 if a battery certification completion notification has been received, and otherwise, it returns to step S806.

[0106] In step S808, the system control unit 201 determines whether the battery certification unit 218 has succeeded in battery certification or not. As a result of the determination, the processing proceeds to step S809 if battery certification is successful, and otherwise to step S813.

[0107] In step S809, the system control unit 201 waits until a playback stop instruction is issued again, and when a playback stop instruction is issued, processing proceeds to step S810. In steps S810 and S811, the system control unit 201 stops playback of the image, turns on the battery certification completion flag, and stores the turned-on flag in the system memory 212, and processing proceeds to step S815.

[0108] In steps S813 and S814, the system control unit 201 stops playback of the image and executes processing in the event of battery certification failure, and the processing proceeds to step S811. Therefore, playback of an image such as even a moving image playback can be started before the battery certification is completed, but in the event of certification failure (the battery is determined not to be a genuine battery), playback of the moving image is stopped at the time of battery certification completion.

[0109] Therefore, in playback mode, it is possible to start playback of an image before battery certification is completed, but playback will stop immediately if certification fails (the battery is determined to be a non-genuine battery). This allows an image to be played back immediately regardless of whether battery certification has been completed, allowing the user to view the image without waiting for it. On the other hand, in the event of certification failure, it is possible to prevent damage in which a digital camera using a non-genuine battery generates heat and malfunctions due to continuous motion picture playback processing, which requires extended processing time and high processing load. <Verarbeitung im Modus zum Verbinden mit einer externen Vorrichtung >

[0110] The following describes the processing in the mode for connecting to an external device in step S410 of Fig. 4 with reference to Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B, taking the case where wireless connection with an external device is performed as an example.

[0111] Note that processing in steps S902 to S905, S916 (S919) and S917 (S920) of Fig. 9A are the same as those in steps S602 to S605, S613 and S614 of Fig. 6. Consequently, the following mainly focuses on the difference to Fig. 6 described.

[0112] In step S901, the system control unit 201 displays on the display unit 101 a screen as shown in Fig. 11D wireless connection menu screen.

[0113] In step S906, the system control unit 201 determines whether or not an instruction to establish a wireless connection has been issued by a user operation. As a result of the determination, the processing proceeds to step S907 if an instruction to start a wireless connection has been issued, and otherwise, it returns to step S902. Note that the user operation related to the instruction to establish a wireless connection includes: selection of a connection method (whether or not to use a camera as an access point, to perform a connection via another access point, or the like), selection operation of a connection partner device (which may include inputting a connection ID such as an SSID), and issuing an instruction to start establishing a connection with the selected connection partner device.

[0114] In step S907, the system control unit 201 displays on the display unit 101 a screen as shown in Fig. 11 E, which notifies the user that processing for performing wireless connection is in progress.

[0115] In step S908, the system control unit 201 determines whether the battery certification completion flag is "on" or not, that is, whether the battery certification has been completed. As a result of the determination, the processing proceeds to step S912 if the battery certification has been completed, and otherwise to step S909.

[0116] In step S909, the system control unit 201 waits to receive a battery certification completion notification from the battery certification unit 218. If a battery certification completion notification is received, the processing proceeds to step S910. That is, although an operation for wireless connection or an instruction to establish a wireless connection can be accepted even before the battery certification is completed, the actual connection processing is not performed until the battery certification is completed. This is because at the time of battery certification completion, there is still a possibility that the power supply will be turned off due to certification failure, and even if the connection is established, the connection may be immediately disconnected.If the connection is immediately disconnected after the connection is established, this may waste the power consumed and processing load of an external device serving as a connection partner. Therefore, the connection will not be established until battery certification is completed, preventing immediate disconnection after the connection is established as a result of battery certification. However, to avoid compromising user usability, operation is assumed until an instruction to establish a wireless connection is given, even before battery certification is completed.

[0117] In step S910, the system control unit 201 determines whether the battery certification unit 218 has succeeded in battery certification. As a result of the determination, if the battery certification is successful, the processing proceeds to step S911, and if the battery certification fails, the processing proceeds to step S919.

[0118] In step S911, the system control unit 201 turns on the battery certification completion flag and stores the turned-on flag in the system memory 212, and the processing advances to step S912.

[0119] In step S912, the system control unit 201 starts processing for wireless connection and enters a wireless connection state.

[0120] In step S913, the system control unit 201 determines whether or not there is a shutdown request. As a result of the determination, if there is no shutdown request, the processing proceeds to step S914, and if there is a shutdown request, the system control unit 201 terminates the present processing.

[0121] In step S914, the system control unit 201 determines whether the wireless connection is disconnected or not. As a result of the determination, if the wireless connection is not disconnected, the processing proceeds to step S915, and if the wireless connection is disconnected, the system control unit 201 terminates the present processing.

[0122] In step S915, it is determined whether or not a mode change instruction has been issued by means of the mode switching button 104, and if no mode change instruction has been issued, the processing returns to step S913, and if a mode change instruction has been issued, the system control unit 201 ends the present processing.

[0123] Further, in step S918 (S921), if there is no shutdown request, the system control unit 201 advances to step S906 (S912), and if there is a shutdown request, the system control unit 201 ends the present processing.

[0124] Examples of a method for performing wireless connection with an external device as in the present embodiment include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (registered trademark), infrared communication, and the like. Furthermore, the present embodiment is also applicable to the case where connection with an external device such as a PC or printer is performed via a wired line such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB). Particularly, when connection is performed with a printer, it is conceivable that, on the printer side, print preparation processing that generates ink or toner consumption is performed at the time of connection establishment; but the present embodiment can reduce the possibility that this print preparation processing is performed wastefully and wastes ink or toner.

[0125] Therefore, in the mode for connecting to an external device, in the event of a certification failure, the connection is not interrupted by delaying the connection establishment with an external device until the battery certification is completed, thus reducing the impact on a connection partner device. Furthermore, since the connection with an external device is not established but connection operation is allowed by a user, it is possible to alleviate the user's feeling of waiting for a long time during processing. Furthermore, in the event of a certification success, it is possible to prevent the user from becoming aware of the battery certification processing. < Processing in menu mode >

[0126] The following describes the processing in the menu mode in step S411 of Fig. 4 with reference to Fig. 10 described.

[0127] Note that the processing in steps S 1004 to S 1006 and S1009 to S1012 of Fig. 10 are the same as those in steps S603 to S605 and S611 to S614 of Fig. 6. Consequently, the following mainly focuses on the difference to Fig. 6 described.

[0128] In step S1001, the system control unit 201 determines whether the battery certification completion flag is "on" or not, that is, whether the battery certification has been completed, and if the battery certification has been completed, the processing proceeds to step S1008, and otherwise to step S1002.

[0129] In step S1002, the system control unit 201 generates data for screen display such that the selection item “Personal authentication setting” in the menu screen as shown in Fig. 11 F is shown grayed out.

[0130] In step S1003, the system control unit 201 displays on the display unit 101 a menu screen as shown in Fig. 11 F, and accepts various types of operations from a user on the displayed menu screen. In Fig. In the menu screen shown in Figure 11F, the "Personal Authentication Setting" item on the bottom row of the screen is grayed out (the display state is changed from the normal display state). The user cannot select the "Personal Authentication Setting" item from the items displayed on the menu screen, nor can he perform any setting processing operations related to personal authentication. Other items can be selected.

[0131] In step S 1007, the system control unit 201 cancels the grayed-out state of the selection item “Personal authentication setting” in the Fig. 11 F shows the menu screen.

[0132] In step S1008, the system control unit 201 displays on the display unit 101 a screen as shown in Fig. 11G, and accepts various types of operations from a user on the displayed menu screen. Note that in the case where processing proceeds from step S 1007 to step S 1008, the menu screen is not redisplayed, but the display aspect of the "Personal Authentication Setting" item in the displayed menu screen is changed. The Fig. 11G is different from the menu screen shown in Fig. 11F, and the "Personal Authentication Setting" item is not grayed out. If the user selects the "Personal Authentication Setting" item, the user can perform the operations described below, for example, from (1) to (4) in the lower levels. (1) Setting personal authentication to "enabled" or "not enabled." When personal authentication is set to "enabled," if a face detected in a through-image at the time of shooting is determined to be a registered person, the registered person's name will be displayed and superimposed on the through-image. Furthermore, Face AF will be performed by preferentially focusing on the registered person. (2) An operation for registering information about a new person. The user captures the face of a person to be registered, and feature data of the face is extracted from the captured image and registered in dictionary data stored in the nonvolatile memory 213. (3) Editing profile information of the registered person, such as name or birthday. (4) Deletion of the registered personal information.

[0133] Back in Fig. 10, the system control unit 201 terminates the present processing in steps S1009 and S1010 if there is a shutdown request, and if there is no shutdown request, the processings in steps S1009 and S1010 are repeated until a mode change instruction is issued.

[0134] Furthermore, in step S1013, the system control unit 201 ends the present processing if there is a shutdown request, and if there is no shutdown request, the processing advances to step S1007.

[0135] Consequently, in the menu mode processing, the function related to the personal authentication setting among the items in the menu screen is grayed out to be unselectable before the battery certification is completed, and it is possible to prohibit the execution of the function.

[0136] Note that the function whose execution is prohibited before battery certification is completed may also be an editing-related function whose execution may be made impossible, such as a function for editing a recorded moving image or a function for creating a new moving image by splicing still images. Editing a moving image has a particularly high processing load and requires time from receipt of an edit execution instruction until the internal processing is completed. Therefore, if moving image editing processing is started before battery certification is completed, battery certification may be completed before the editing processing is completed, that is, during the editing processing. Furthermore, in the event of certification failure, the power supply may be turned off without completing the editing processing.To prevent such a situation, the processing for editing a moving image will not start until the battery certification is completed. Note that in a configuration where the processing for editing a moving image starts before the battery certification is completed, it is appropriate to suspend the editing processing in the event of a certification failure, similar to the procedure for recording a moving image. This is because, since editing a moving image has a high processing load and is time-consuming, the risk of damage increases if the editing is performed using a counterfeit, low-quality battery.

[0137] Note that a single piece of hardware may control the system control unit 201, or the entire device may be controlled by multiple pieces of hardware sharing the processing.

[0138] Although the present invention has been elaborated above based on suitable embodiments thereof, the present invention is by no means limited to these specific embodiments and includes various modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The above embodiments are merely illustrative embodiments of the present invention and may be combined where appropriate.

[0139] Although the above embodiments have described an example in which the present invention is applied to an image sensing device such as a digital camera, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the present invention is applicable to a device having a battery certification function and a personal authentication function, and the like. More specifically, the present invention is applicable to a personal computer, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a mobile telephone terminal, a mobile image viewer, a printer with a display, a digital photo frame, a music player, a game console, an electronic book reader, and the like. Other embodiments

[0140] Embodiment(s) of the present invention may also be implemented by a computer of a system or apparatus that retrieves and executes computer-executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (which may also be more fully referred to as a 'non-transitory computer-readable storage medium') to perform the functions of one or more of the embodiment(s) described above, and / or that includes one or more circuits (e.g.,an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) for performing the functions of one or more of the embodiments described above, as well as by a method performed by the computer of the system or device by, for example, retrieving and executing the computer-executable instructions from the storage medium to perform the functions of one or more of the embodiments described above, and / or controlling the one or more circuits to perform the functions of one or more of the embodiments described above. The computer may include one or more processors (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor unit (MPU)), and may include a network of separate computers or separate computer processors to retrieve and execute the computer-executable instructions.The computer-executable instructions may be provided to the computer, for example, from a network or the storage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, one or more of a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), distributed computer system memory, an optical disk (such as a compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), or Blu-ray Disc (BD)™), a flash memory device, a memory card, and the like.

[0141] Although the present invention has been described with reference to embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The scope of the following claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims

[1] Electronic device comprising: an image capture device; a certification facility configured to certify an attached battery; and a control device configured to perform control such that, if an instruction is given to perform initial processing before certification processing is completed by the certification institution, the initial processing is not performed until the certification processing is completed, and if an instruction is given to perform a second processing before the certification processing by the certification institution is completed, the second processing is performed before the certification processing is completed, wherein the first processing is different from the second processing, and wherein the second processing includes image capture by the image capture device. [2] The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means performs control such that, in the case where the instruction to execute the first processing is given before the certification processing is completed, and the first processing is not executed before the certification processing is completed, the first processing is executed if certification is successful after the certification processing is completed. [3] Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a display control device configured to perform control such that a confirmation screen related to the battery is displayed if the certification processing by the certification device is completed and certification is not successful. [4] The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the display control means performs control such that the confirmation screen is displayed if the instruction to execute the first processing is given before the certification processing by the certification means is completed, and certification is not successful after the certification processing is completed. [5] Apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising: a power supply controller configured to turn off a power supply of the electronic device in response to a selection operation by a user regarding one of a plurality of selection items displayed on the confirmation screen. [6] The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first processing includes connection processing with an external device. [7] The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control means accepts a selection of an external device to be connected and an instruction to execute connection processing with the selected external device before the certification processing is completed. [8] The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control means performs control such that, if an instruction to execute the connection processing is given before the certification processing by the certification means is completed, a connection waiting screen is displayed without performing the connection processing before the certification processing is completed. [9] The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first processing includes setting processing related to personal authentication in which a face of a registered person is detected in an image. [10] The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the first processing includes moving image editing processing. [11] The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the second processing includes still image capture processing by the image capturing means. [12] The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the second processing includes moving image recording processing by the image capturing means. [13] The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the second processing includes image reproduction processing. [14] A control method for an electronic device having an image capture device, comprising the following steps: Certifying an attached battery; and performing control such that, if an instruction is given to perform a first processing before the certification processing is completed, the first processing is not performed before the certification processing is completed, and if an instruction is given to perform a second processing before the certification processing is completed, the second processing is performed before the certification processing is completed, wherein the first processing is different from the second processing, and wherein the second processing includes image capture by the image capture device. [15] A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the control method of claim 14. [16] Electronic device comprising: an image capture device; a certification device configured to certify an attached battery; and a control device configured to perform control such that: a first processing is started before certification processing by the certification institution is completed, and the first processing is stopped if the certification processing by the certification institution is completed after the start of the first processing and the certification is not successful; and a second processing is started before the certification processing by the certification institution is completed, and the second processing is continued if the certification processing by the certification institution is completed after the start of the second processing and the certification is not successful, wherein the first processing is different from the second processing, and wherein the second processing is moving image recording processing for a predetermined period of time and / or still image recording processing by the image capturing means. [17] The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the first processing is moving image recording processing by the image capturing means. [18] The apparatus according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the still image capture processing includes processing for reading a signal from the image capture device, image processing for converting the read signal into an image file, and processing for writing the image file into a recording medium. [19] Device according to one of claims 16 to 18, further comprising: a display control device configured to perform control such that a confirmation screen related to the battery is displayed to a user if the certification processing by the certification device is completed before the first and second processing are started and certification is not successful. [20] The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the display control means performs control such that, if the certification processing by the certification means is completed after the start of the second processing and certification is not successful, the confirmation screen is displayed after the continued second processing is completed. [21] Apparatus according to claim 19 or 20, further comprising: a power supply controller configured to turn off a power supply of the electronic device in response to a selection operation by a user regarding one of a plurality of selection items displayed on the confirmation screen. [22] The apparatus according to any one of claims 16 to 21, wherein the first processing is moving image reproduction processing. [23] The apparatus according to any one of claims 16 to 22, wherein the control means performs control such that in both of the first processing and the second processing, the started processing is continued when the certification processing by the certification means is completed after the start of the processing and the certification is successful. [24] A control method for an electronic device having an image capture device, comprising the following steps: Certifying an attached battery; and Performing control such that, if initial processing has started before certification processing is completed, certification processing is completed after the start of initial processing, and certification is not successful, initial processing is stopped, and if a second processing has started before the certification processing is completed, the certification processing is completed after the start of the second processing, and one certification is unsuccessful, the second processing continues, wherein the first processing is different from the second processing, and wherein the second processing is moving image recording processing for a predetermined period of time and / or still image recording processing by the image capturing means. [25] A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the control method of claim 24.

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