Electronic device, control method for the same, program, and storage medium

Abstract

To make it possible to set an optimal tracking start location.SOLUTION: A control method for an electronic device includes a control step for controlling a first process and a second process. The first process is for setting a tracking start location at a location where tracking was performed until immediately before the tracking was stopped. The second process is for setting a tracking start location at a tracking start location predetermined in advance at the time of tracking stop.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device, a control method for an electronic device, a program, and a storage medium.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, electronic devices such as digital cameras equipped with a function of automatically detecting a subject to be tracked and performing tracking have emerged. In such devices, the user is shown the tracking state by updating at any time an indicator (such as a frame display) indicating the position and size of the subject displayed on the display screen.

[0003] In particular, in an imaging device such as a digital camera equipped with a focus lens, there is also a device that has a function of continuously focusing on the subject by performing focus control while automatically tracking the AF area (AF frame) to the subject.

[0004] In addition to the function of automatically detecting a subject and performing tracking, there is also a known function of tracking a subject near a set position by setting a position where the user starts tracking in advance and performing a tracking start operation. Thereby, tracking can be started at a timing preferred by the user.

[0005] In Patent Document 1, when AF frame automatic tracking is not being executed, the AF frame is fixed at the center of the captured image. When the user wants to execute AF frame automatic tracking with a predetermined subject as the tracking target, if the user performs a camera shooting angle operation so that the subject is included in the range of the central AF frame and gives an instruction to start tracking, the AF frame automatic tracking starts with that subject as the tracking target. Then, when the user gives an instruction to stop tracking, the processing of AF frame automatic tracking is stopped, the AF frame is returned to and fixed at the center of the imaging range, and AF frame automatic tracking is no longer executed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

[0007] However, with the method described in Patent Document 1, if the user instructs the camera to stop tracking, the tracking start position returns to the original central AF frame position, interrupting the continuity of tracking and causing the user to miss a photo opportunity.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention aims to enable the setting of an optimal tracking start position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A technical feature of the present invention is that it comprises a tracking step for tracking a target in an image, a movement step for moving the tracking start position, a tracking start step for starting tracking by the tracking means from the tracking start position, a tracking stop step for stopping tracking by the tracking means, a first process for setting the tracking start position to the position that was being tracked immediately before the tracking stop, and a control step for controlling a second process for setting the tracking start position to a predetermined tracking start position when the tracking stop occurs, wherein the first process and the second process are switched and executed according to the state at the time of the tracking stop. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the optimal tracking start position can be set. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is an external view of a digital camera. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing examples of digital camera configurations. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the menu for changing settings. [Figure 4]This diagram shows the menu for configuring the button customization function for activating tracking and calling up other functions. [Figure 5] This diagram shows icons indicating shooting information and settings. [Figure 6] This diagram shows the frame display before and after AF (operation) activation. [Figure 7] This diagram shows the frame display based on the combination of AF area and tracking settings. [Figure 8] This diagram shows the state transitions in the case of servo AF. [Figure 9] This diagram shows the state transitions in the case of one-shot autofocus. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart showing the control in the case of servo AF. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart showing the control process for one-shot autofocus. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] ● Digital camera configuration Figures 1(a) and 1(b) show an external view of a digital camera 100 as an example of a device (electronic device) to which the present invention can be applied. Figure 1(a) is a front perspective view of the digital camera 100, and Figure 1(b) is a rear perspective view of the digital camera 100. In Figure 1, the display unit 28 is a display unit located on the back of the camera that displays images and various information. The touch panel 70a can detect touch operations on the display surface (operating surface) of the display unit 28. The viewfinder-external display unit 43 is a display unit located on the top of the camera that displays various camera settings, including shutter speed and aperture. The shutter button 61 is an operation unit for giving shooting instructions. The mode switching switch 60 is an operation unit for switching between various modes. The terminal cover 40 is a cover that protects the connector (not shown) that connects the connection cable to an external device to the digital camera 100.

[0014] The main electronic dial 71 is a rotating control element, and by rotating it, settings such as shutter speed and aperture can be changed. The power switch 72 is a control element that switches the power of the digital camera 100 ON and OFF. The sub electronic dial 73 is a rotating control element that can be used to move the selection frame and advance images. The cross key 74 is a cross key control element (4-way key) with push buttons that can be pressed in four directions: up, down, left, and right. The operation corresponding to the direction pressed on the cross key 74 is possible. The SET button 75 is a push button and is mainly used to confirm selection items. The video button 76 is used to start and stop video recording. The AE lock button 77 can be pressed in shooting standby mode to fix the exposure state. The zoom button 78 is a control button for turning the zoom mode ON and OFF in the live view display of the shooting mode. By turning the zoom mode ON and then operating the main electronic dial 71, the live view image can be enlarged or reduced. In playback mode, the playback button 79 functions as a zoom button to enlarge the playback image and increase the magnification ratio. The playback button 79 is an operation button that switches between shooting mode and playback mode. By pressing the playback button 79 while in shooting mode, the user switches to playback mode and the latest image recorded on the recording medium 200 is displayed on the display unit 28. When the menu button 81 is pressed, various configurable menu screens are displayed on the display unit 28. The user can intuitively make various settings using the menu screen displayed on the display unit 28, the directional keys 74, the SET button 75, or the multi-controller (hereinafter referred to as MC) 65. The MC 65 can accept directional input in eight directions and a press operation in the center.

[0015] The communication terminal 10 is a communication terminal for the digital camera 100 to communicate with a lens unit 150 (detachable, to be described later). The eyepiece portion 16 is the eyepiece portion of an eyepiece finder (a viewfinder of the peeping type), and the user can visually recognize the image displayed on the internal EVF (Electric View Finder) 29 through the eyepiece portion 16. The eyepiece detection unit 57 is an eyepiece detection sensor that detects whether the user is looking through the eyepiece portion 16. The lid 202 is the lid of the slot that stores the recording medium 200.

[0016] The grip portion 90 is a holding portion shaped to be easily held by the right hand when the user holds the digital camera 100. With the grip portion 90 held by the little finger, ring finger, and middle finger of the right hand, the shutter button 61 and the main electronic dial 71 are arranged at positions operable by the index finger of the right hand. Also, in the same state, the sub - electronic dial 73 is arranged at a position operable by the thumb of the right hand.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 2, the lens unit 150 is a lens unit equipped with an interchangeable photographing lens. The lens 103 is usually composed of a plurality of lenses, but here it is shown simply as a single lens for simplicity. The communication terminal 6 is a communication terminal for the lens unit 150 to communicate with the digital camera 100. The lens unit 150 communicates with the system control unit 50 via this communication terminal 6 and the aforementioned communication terminal 10, and controls the aperture 1 via the aperture drive circuit 2 by the internal lens system control circuit 4. Then, it focuses by displacing the lens 103 via the AF drive circuit 3.

[0018] The shutter 101 is a focal - plane shutter that can freely control the exposure time of the imaging unit 22 under the control of the system control unit 50.

[0019] The imaging unit 22 is an image sensor composed of a CCD or CMOS element, etc., which converts optical images into electrical signals. The A / D converter 23 is used to convert the analog signal output from the imaging unit 22 into a digital signal.

[0020] The image processing unit 24 performs resizing and color conversion processing, such as predetermined pixel interpolation and reduction, on the data from the A / D converter 23 or the data from the memory control unit 15 (described later). The image processing unit 24 also performs predetermined calculations using the captured image data. Based on the calculation results obtained by the image processing unit 24, the system control unit 50 performs exposure control and focus adjustment control. This enables TTL (through-the-lens) AF (autofocus), AE (automatic exposure), and EF (flash pre-flash) processing. The image processing unit 24 further performs predetermined calculations using the captured image data and performs TTL AWB (auto white balance) processing based on the obtained calculation results.

[0021] The memory control unit 15 controls the transmission and reception of data between the A / D converter 23, the image processing unit 24, and the memory 32. Output data from the A / D converter 23 is written to the memory 32 via the image processing unit 24 and the memory control unit 15, or directly via the memory control unit 15.

[0022] Memory 32 stores image data obtained by the imaging unit 22 and converted into digital data by the A / D converter 23. Memory 32 has sufficient storage capacity to store a predetermined number of still images, a predetermined amount of video footage, and audio. Memory 32 also serves as a memory for image display (video memory). Display image data written to memory 32 is displayed by the display unit 28 and EVF 29 via the memory control unit 15. The display unit 28 and EVF 29 display information on a display device such as an LCD or organic EL display according to the signal from the memory control unit 15. Live view display (LV display) can be performed by sequentially transferring the data that has been A / D converted by the A / D converter 23 and stored in memory 32 to the display unit 28 or EVF 29 for display. Hereinafter, the image displayed in live view will be referred to as a live view image (LV image).

[0023] The infrared light-emitting diode 166 is a light-emitting element for detecting the user's line of sight position within the viewfinder screen, and illuminates the user's eyeball (eye) 161, which is looking into the eyepiece 16, with infrared light. The infrared light emitted from the infrared light-emitting diode 166 is reflected by the eyeball (eye) 161, and the reflected infrared light reaches the dichroic mirror 162. The dichroic mirror 162 reflects only infrared light and transmits visible light. The infrared reflected light, with its optical path altered, is imaged onto the imaging surface of the gaze detection sensor 164 via the imaging lens 163. The imaging lens 163 is an optical component that constitutes the gaze detection optical system. The gaze detection sensor 164 consists of an imaging device such as a CCD type image sensor.

[0024] The gaze detection sensor 164 converts the incident infrared reflected light into an electrical signal via photoelectric conversion and outputs it to the gaze detection circuit 165. The gaze detection circuit 165 includes at least one processor and, based on the output signal from the gaze detection sensor 164, detects the user's gaze position from the image or movement of the user's eyeball (eye) 161 and outputs the detection information to the system control unit 50. Thus, the gaze detection block 160 is composed of the dichroic mirror 162, imaging lens 163, gaze detection sensor 164, infrared light-emitting diode 166, and gaze detection circuit 165.

[0025] In this embodiment, the gaze detection block 160 is used to detect the gaze using a method called the corneal reflection method. The corneal reflection method is a method that detects the direction and position of the gaze from the positional relationship between the reflected light, particularly the cornea of ​​the eyeball (eye) 161, and the pupil of the eyeball (eye) 161, which is emitted infrared light from the infrared light-emitting diode 166. In addition to this, there are various other methods for detecting the direction and position of the gaze, such as the scleral reflection method, which utilizes the fact that the reflectivity of light differs between the iris and the sclera. Note that any gaze detection method other than the one described above may be used as long as it can detect the direction and position of the gaze.

[0026] The external LCD display unit 43 displays various camera settings, including shutter speed and aperture, via the external display unit drive circuit 44.

[0027] The non-volatile memory 56 is an electrically erasable and recordable memory, such as Flash-ROM. The non-volatile memory 56 stores constants for the operation of the system control unit 50, programs, etc. The program referred to here is a computer program for executing various flowcharts described later in this embodiment.

[0028] The system control unit 50 is a control unit consisting of at least one processor or circuit, and controls the entire digital camera 100. It realizes each of the processes of this embodiment, which will be described later, by executing the program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56. For example, RAM is used in the system memory 52, and constants, variables for the operation of the system control unit 50, the program read from the non-volatile memory 56, etc. are stored there. The system control unit 50 also performs display control by controlling the memory 32, the display unit 28, etc.

[0029] The system timer 53 is a timekeeping unit that measures the time used for various controls and the time of the built-in clock.

[0030] The various operating components that serve as input units for receiving user input include at least the following: the operating unit 70, which includes the shutter button 61, MC65, touch panel 70a, main electronic dial 71, sub electronic dial 73, cross key 74, SET button 75, video button 76, AE lock button 77, zoom button 78, playback button 79, and menu button 81. In addition, the mode switch 60 and power switch 72 are also operating components that receive user input.

[0031] The control unit 70, mode selector switch 60, and power switch 72 function as operating means for inputting various operation instructions to the system control unit 50.

[0032] The mode switch 60 switches the operating mode of the system control unit 50 to one of the following: still image shooting mode, video shooting mode, etc. Modes included in the still image shooting mode include auto shooting mode, auto scene detection mode, manual mode, aperture priority mode (Av mode), shutter speed priority mode (Tv mode), and program AE mode (P mode). There are also various scene modes and custom modes that provide shooting settings for different shooting scenes. The user can switch directly to any of these modes using the mode switch 60. Alternatively, the user can switch to a list screen of shooting modes using the mode switch 60, select one of the displayed modes, and then switch using another operating element. Similarly, the video shooting mode may also include multiple modes.

[0033] Furthermore, the shutter button 61 is a two-stage switch consisting of a first shutter switch 62 and a second shutter switch 64.

[0034] The first shutter switch 62 turns ON during the operation of the shutter button 61 on the digital camera 100, specifically when it is half-pressed (indicating preparation for shooting), and generates the first shutter switch signal SW1. The first shutter switch signal SW1 initiates shooting preparation operations such as AF (autofocus), AE (automatic exposure), AWB (auto white balance), and EF (flash pre-flash).

[0035] The second shutter switch 64 turns ON when the shutter button 61 is fully pressed (shooting instruction), generating the second shutter switch signal SW2. The system control unit 50 starts a series of shooting processes, from reading the signal from the imaging unit 22 to writing the captured image as an image file to the recording medium 200, in response to the second shutter switch signal SW2.

[0036] The power control unit 80 consists of a battery detection circuit, a DC-DC converter, a switch circuit for switching which blocks are energized, and detects whether a battery is installed, the type of battery, and the remaining battery level. The power control unit 80 also controls the DC-DC converter based on the detection results and instructions from the system control unit 50, supplying the necessary voltage to each part, including the recording medium 200, for the required period. The power supply unit 30 consists of primary batteries such as alkaline batteries and lithium batteries, secondary batteries such as NiCd batteries, NiMH batteries, and Li batteries, and an AC adapter.

[0037] The recording medium I / F18 is an interface to the recording medium 200, such as a memory card or hard disk. The recording medium 200 is a recording medium such as a memory card for recording captured images, and is composed of semiconductor memory, magnetic disks, etc.

[0038] The communication unit 54 is connected wirelessly or via a wired cable and transmits and receives video and audio signals. The communication unit 54 can also connect to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or the internet. Furthermore, the communication unit 54 can communicate with external devices using Bluetooth® or Bluetooth Low Energy. The communication unit 54 can transmit images captured by the imaging unit 22 (including live view images) and images recorded on the recording medium 200, and can also receive images and other various information from external devices.

[0039] The attitude detection unit 55 detects the orientation of the digital camera 100 relative to the direction of gravity. Based on the orientation detected by the attitude detection unit 55, it is possible to determine whether the image captured by the imaging unit 22 was taken with the digital camera 100 held horizontally or vertically. The system control unit 50 can add orientation information corresponding to the orientation detected by the attitude detection unit 55 to the image file of the image captured by the imaging unit 22, or rotate the image before recording. An acceleration sensor or gyro sensor can be used as the attitude detection unit 55. It is also possible to detect the movement of the digital camera 100 (pan, tilt, lift, whether it is stationary or not, etc.) using the acceleration sensor or gyro sensor in the attitude detection unit 55.

[0040] The eyepiece detection unit 57 is an eyepiece detection sensor that detects the approach (eye-in) and departure (eye-out) of an eye (object) 161 to the eyepiece 16 of the viewfinder (proximity detection). The system control unit 50 switches the display (display state) / hidden (hidden state) of the display unit 28 and EVF 29 according to the state detected by the eyepiece detection unit 57. More specifically, at least when the digital camera 100 is in shooting standby mode and the setting for switching the display destination of the live view image captured by the imaging unit 22 is set to automatic switching, the display destination is set to the display unit 28 and the EVF 29 is hidden when the eye is not in use. When the eye is in use, the display destination is set to the EVF 29 and the display is turned on and the display unit 28 is hidden. The eyepiece detection unit 57 can use, for example, an infrared proximity sensor to detect the approach of any object to the eyepiece 16 of the viewfinder which has a built-in EVF 29. When an object approaches, infrared light emitted from the light-emitting unit (not shown) of the eyepiece detection unit 57 is reflected and received by the light-receiving unit (not shown) of the infrared proximity sensor. The amount of infrared light received can be used to determine how close the object is to the eyepiece (eyepiece distance). In this way, the eyepiece detection unit 57 performs eyepiece detection to detect the proximity distance of an object to the eyepiece 16. In this embodiment, the light-emitting unit and light-receiving unit of the eyepiece detection unit 57 are separate devices from the infrared light-emitting diode 166 and gaze detection sensor 164 mentioned above. However, the light-emitting unit of the eyepiece detection unit 57 may also be the infrared light-emitting diode 166. Also, the light-receiving unit may also be the gaze detection sensor 164. When an object is detected approaching the eyepiece 16 within a predetermined distance from a non-eyepiece state (non-approach state), it is detected that the eyepiece has been used. The system detects that an object has been moved away from the eyepiece (close-up) state if the object that was detected as approaching moves beyond a predetermined distance. The threshold for detecting eyepiece contact and the threshold for detecting eye separation may be different, for example, by providing hysteresis. After detecting eyepiece contact, the system remains in the eyepiece state until eye separation is detected. After detecting eye separation, the system remains in the non-eyepiece state until eyepiece contact is detected again. Note that the infrared proximity sensor is just one example, and the eyepiece detection unit 57 may use any other sensor that can detect the approach of an eye or object that can be considered as an eyepiece.

[0041] The system control unit 50 can detect the following operations or states based on the output from the gaze detection block 160. • The user's gaze, placed through the eyepiece 16, has been newly input (detected). In other words, the start of gaze input. • The user's gaze input is received through the eyepiece 16. • The user is looking intently at the eyepiece 16. - The user who was looking through the eyepiece 16 has moved away from their gaze input; in other words, the gaze input has ended. • The user is looking through the eyepiece 16 and has not entered any eye-tracking input.

[0042] In this context, "gazing" refers to a situation where the user's gaze position does not exceed a predetermined movement amount within a predetermined time.

[0043] The touch panel 70a and the display unit 28 can be configured as an integrated unit. For example, the touch panel 70a is configured such that its light transmittance does not interfere with the display of the display unit 28, and is mounted on the upper layer of the display surface of the display unit 28. Then, the input coordinates on the touch panel 70a are associated with the display coordinates on the display screen of the display unit 28. This makes it possible to provide a GUI (Graphical User Interface) that makes it seem as if the user can directly operate the screen displayed on the display unit 28. The system control unit 50 can detect the following operations or states on the touch panel 70a. - A finger or pen that was not previously touching the touch panel 70a now touches the touch panel 70a. In other words, the start of a touch (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Down). The touch panel 70a is being touched with a finger or pen (hereinafter referred to as Touch-On). - The user is moving while touching the touch panel 70a with their finger or pen (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Move). • The finger or pen that was touching the touch panel 70a is lifted. In other words, the touch action ends (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Up). • The touch panel 70a is not being touched (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Off).

[0044] When a touchdown is detected, a touch-on state is also detected simultaneously. After a touchdown, a touch-on state is usually detected unless a touch-up is detected. Touch move is also detected when a touch-on state is detected. Even if a touch-on state is detected, a touch move will not be detected if the touch position has not moved. After all fingers or pens that were touching have been detected as having touched up, the touch-off state is activated.

[0045] These operations and states, as well as the position coordinates of the finger or pen touching the touch panel 70a, are notified to the system control unit 50 via the internal bus. Based on the notified information, the system control unit 50 determines what kind of operation (touch operation) was performed on the touch panel 70a. For touch moves, the direction of movement of the finger or pen moving on the touch panel 70a can also be determined for each vertical and horizontal component on the touch panel 70a based on the change in position coordinates. If a touch move of a predetermined distance or more is detected, it is determined that a slide operation was performed. An operation in which a finger is touched on the touch panel and quickly moved a certain distance, and then released, is called a flick. In other words, a flick is an operation in which the finger is quickly traced across the touch panel 70a as if flicking it. If a touch move of a predetermined distance or more at a predetermined speed or faster is detected, and a touch-up is detected immediately afterward, it can be determined that a flick was performed (it can be determined that a flick followed a slide operation). Furthermore, touching multiple points (for example, two points) simultaneously to bring them closer together is called a pinch-in, and touching them further apart is called a pinch-out. Pinch-out and pinch-in are collectively referred to as a pinch operation (or simply a pinch). The touch panel 70a may use any of the various types of touch panels, such as resistive, capacitive, surface acoustic wave, infrared, electromagnetic induction, image recognition, and optical sensor types. Depending on the type, a touch may be detected when there is contact with the touch panel, or when a finger or pen approaches the touch panel; either type is acceptable.

[0046] When a touch-move operation is performed while the eyepiece is engaged, the user can set the method for specifying the position of the position indicator corresponding to the touch-move operation to either absolute position specification or relative position specification. For example, if the position indicator is an AF frame, in the case of absolute position specification, when the touch panel 70a is touched, the AF position corresponding to the touched position (the position entered in the coordinates) is set. In other words, the position coordinates where the touch operation was performed are associated with the position coordinates of the display unit 28. On the other hand, in the case of relative position specification, the position coordinates where the touch operation was performed and the position coordinates of the display unit 28 are not associated. In relative position specification, regardless of the touch-down position on the touch panel 70a, the touch position is moved from the currently set AF position by a distance corresponding to the amount of the touch-move movement in the direction of the touch-move movement.

[0047] ●Settings screen Figure 3 shows a menu for changing the settings displayed on the display unit 28 or EVF 29.

[0048] Figure 3(a) shows the settings screen in the menu, with 301-305 indicating each setting item and its value.

[0049] The 301 setting controls AF operation, allowing you to choose between "One-Shot AF," which locks the focus after AF is activated (after the shooting preparation command is given), and "Servo AF," which allows the focus to track.

[0050] Setting item 302 is the AF area, where you can set the size of the area where autofocus will be performed. If there are many setting values, you will need to go deeper into the hierarchy and set them on a dedicated screen (Figure 3(b)). As shown in Figure 3(b), the user selects a setting value from a list of settings (306).

[0051] Setting 303 is the tracking setting, which allows you to set whether or not to perform tracking after AF is activated (after the shooting preparation command is given). Before AF is activated (before the shooting preparation command is given), the subject to be tracked is determined from the AF area, and after AF is activated (after the shooting preparation command is given), the size of the AF area is expanded to cover the entire screen for tracking. Also, depending on this setting, if a main subject is detected, a detection frame will be displayed on the main subject to notify the user. The determination of the main subject is made by setting the subject to be detected in 304.

[0052] Setting item 304 is for setting the subject to be detected, where the type of target to be prioritized in order to determine the main subject is selected. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3(d), it is possible to set from "Person," "Animal Priority," "Vehicle Priority," and "None" (310). Depending on the setting value, further detailed settings can be made as shown in 311. Here, the image processing unit 24 can detect a specific subject using the captured image data. In this embodiment, the specific subject is to detect people, animals such as dogs and wild birds, vehicles, and major areas within those subjects (spot detection). For example, spot detection for a person would be the detection of the torso, head, pupils, and face. Also, for example, spot detection for an animal would be the detection of the pupils, face, and body. Furthermore, for example, spot detection can be set when vehicle priority is selected, and the driver of a car, the lead car of a train, and the cockpit of an airplane will be detected preferentially. These detection methods use machine learning learning techniques and image processing recognition processes.

[0053] For example, the types of machine learning include the following: (1) Support Vector Machine (2) Convolutional Neural Network (3) Recurrent Neural Network

[0054] Furthermore, as an example of recognition processing, when detecting a face, one method involves extracting the skin tone region from the gradation color of each pixel represented by the image data and detecting the face based on the degree of matching with a pre-prepared face contour plate. Another method involves using well-known pattern recognition techniques to extract facial feature points such as eyes, nose, and mouth to perform face detection. Moreover, the detection methods for the main regions applicable to the present invention are not limited to these methods, and other methods may also be used.

[0055] As shown in Figure 3(c), there is also a screen where you can set the AF area (309) and tracking (308) settings simultaneously. In this screen, the live view is displayed in the background, allowing you to change the settings while viewing the AF area 307 display.

[0056] ● Button customization function Figure 4 is a diagram showing a menu for setting the button customization function for activating tracking and calling up functions, which is displayed on the display unit 28 or EVF 29.

[0057] For customizing the button to activate tracking, for example, as shown in Figure 4(a) 401, when the user aligns the cursor (indicator) indicating the current target position with the desired control element (e.g., a button) on the screen, the assignable function will be displayed as shown in Figure 4(b) 402. In this figure, "Tracking Start / Stop" is assigned to the SET button. The Tracking Start / Stop function starts tracking based on the position of the AF area, regardless of the tracking settings, and also stops the tracking once it has started. This function can be activated from the shooting standby state (SW0), during AF activation (first shutter switch held, SW1 ON), and during servo AF continuous shooting (SW2 ON).

[0058] Furthermore, for example, as shown in 403 of Figure 4(c), when the user places the cursor over the button they want to assign on the screen, the assignable function will be displayed as selectable, as shown in 404 of Figure 4(d). In this figure, "Call Registered Function" is assigned to the AEL (AE Lock) button.

[0059] The registration function allows users to recall functions they have previously registered. When 405 in Figure 4(d) is pressed by the user, the detailed settings screen in Figure 4(e) opens. 406 in Figure 4(e) is a checkbox, and the user can register the function to be recalled by setting the desired setting item 407 and setting value 408, and then checking 406. In the diagram, "One Shot" is registered for AF operation and "HP (Home Position)" for recall position. Note that when setting an item, other items may be grayed out to indicate that they cannot be registered. For example, in Figure 4(e), the AF area is grayed out to indicate that it cannot be registered. Also, if an item cannot be checked by the user, such as the tracking setting or spot detection in Figure 4(e), the current setting value will not be changed.

[0060] ● Icons that display shooting information and settings Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the icons that show the shooting information displayed on the display unit 28 or EVF 29 and the settings.

[0061] Figure 5(a) shows an example of the display screen of the display unit 28. Icons 501, 502, 503, and 504 indicate the AF area and tracking settings, 501, 502, 503, 504, and 504 respectively. Icon 505 indicates the tracking activation status. By checking icons 501 to 505, the current settings and status can be determined.

[0062] Figure 5(b) shows an example of the icon display list. Icons representing combinations of AF area and tracking settings, such as 506, are displayed in 501. Icons prepared according to the setting values, such as 507, 508, and 509, are displayed in 502-504. Icons indicating the tracking control status, such as 510, are displayed in 505.

[0063] ●Frame display before and after AF activation Figure 6 shows the frame display before and after AF activation, as displayed on the display unit 28 or EVF 29.

[0064] In Figure 6, the frame display is shown differently before and after AF activation, but it may also be the same. Alternatively, AF operation could be distinguished by color, such as green for one-shot AF and blue for servo AF.

[0065] 601 is an AF area frame that represents a narrow area such as a spot, a single point, or an expanded area. Before AF is activated, it is a rectangle, and after AF is activated, it becomes a thick rectangle like 602.

[0066] 603 is an AF area frame that represents a wide area, such as a zone or the entire screen. Before AF is activated, the area 603 is shown enclosed in brackets [], and after AF is activated, only the parts within the 603 area that are in focus will be displayed as small rectangular frames like 604. Multiple rectangular frames 604 can be displayed within the area. Also, when representing the entire screen area, such as the entire screen, the brackets 603 may not be displayed before AF is activated.

[0067] 605 indicates the detection frame. This frame is automatically displayed on subjects detected according to the setting for the specific subject to be detected. In the diagram, the setting is "Person," and a frame is displayed on the person's face. Depending on the eye detection setting, it is also possible to display the detection frame 605 in the area of ​​the pupil. If set to "Animals" or "Vehicles," the detection frame will be displayed on the entire body or face of the animal, or on the vehicle. After AF is activated, a rectangular frame 606 is displayed in accordance with the detection frame 605. In this embodiment, it is represented by a dotted line to distinguish it from 602. The detection frame is updated with each frame to track the subject, but the frame position is fixed at the focused position only after one-shot AF is activated.

[0068] 607 indicates the tracking frame. This is displayed when the user selects the detection frame 605 or when the user selects the subject to track. There are several user selection operations, including selection based on the position of operation on the touch panel 70a, selection by starting the tracking operation, and selection from multiple detection frames using the cross buttons. After AF is activated, it is represented by a double dotted rectangle (608). Like the detection frame, the tracking frame is updated with each frame to track the subject, but only after one-shot AF is activated is the frame position fixed at the focused position.

[0069] ●Frame representation according to the combination of AF area and tracking settings Figure 7 shows the frame representation according to the combination of AF area and tracking settings.

[0070] The combinations with the AF area when tracking is 'off' are shown in states 7-A to I, and the combinations with the AF area when tracking is 'on' are shown in states 7-J to R, illustrating the conditions under which the "AF area frame," "detection frame," and "tracking frame" are active.

[0071] First, let's explain the case where tracking is 'not performed' in states 7-A to 7-I.

[0072] When the AF area frame is activated, an AF area frame corresponding to the setting will be displayed, such as the single-point AF area frame 701 or the zone AF area frame 702 (7-A, 7-B, 7-C).

[0073] If tracking is "off," subject detection processing is not performed, and therefore the detection frame will not be active. For this reason, the frame is not displayed in states 7-D, 7-E, and 7-F. For illustrative purposes, in Figure 7, states 7-D, 7-E, and 7-F are shown with a gray screen, but the live view display is still active.

[0074] Additionally, if a subject is selected by the user, a tracking frame 703 will be displayed (7-G, 7-H, 7-I). This tracking frame includes the frame used when tracking is initiated based on the position of operation on the touch panel 70a, and the frame used when tracking is initiated based on the position of operation to start tracking.

[0075] Next, we will explain the case where tracking is enabled for states 7-J to R.

[0076] In states 7-J to 7-O, if tracking is enabled, both the AF area frame and the detection frame will be displayed if the main subject is detected, and the frame that will actually be used for focusing will be activated when AF is activated. If the main subject is not detected, only the AF area frame will be displayed, which is the same as the pattern for tracking disabled.

[0077] When AF is activated after the main subject has been detected, the selection of the frame to actually focus on is done as follows:

[0078] First, the AF area frame becomes active when the detection frame does not overlap with the AF area frame (7-J, 7-K, 7-L). Note that if the AF area covers the entire screen and no subject is detected within the AF area, the entire AF area becomes active (7-L) as well, since the AF area covers the entire screen. However, because the AF area is the entire screen, the frame is not displayed. Therefore, for illustrative purposes, the screen is grayed out, but the live view display is active. When the AF area frame is active, the AF area frame (704) and (706) are displayed as solid lines, and the detection frame is represented by a transparent line (705). When AF is activated, focus adjustment is performed using the AF area frame.

[0079] Next, the detection frame becomes active when it overlaps with the AF area frame (7-M, 7-N, 7-O). In the case of eye detection or spot detection, the detection frame may become active even if the eye or spot does not overlap with the AF area, as long as the face or the entire body constituting the subject overlaps with the AF area frame. When the detection frame is active, it is represented by a solid line (707), and the AF area frame is represented by a transparent line (708).

[0080] When a subject is selected by the user and tracking is enabled, if the main subject is detected, the tracking frame is active and only the tracking frame is displayed during tracking (7-P, 7-Q, 7-R) ​​(709). If the main subject is not detected, the tracking frame is displayed in the same way as in the "no tracking" pattern.

[0081] ● State transitions in the case of Servo AF Figure 8 shows the state transitions in the case of servo AF.

[0082] In Figure 8(a), states 8-A to 8-R represent the state transitions when tracking is enabled, while in Figure 8(b), states 8-a to 8-r represent the state transitions when tracking is disabled.

[0083] <If tracking is required> 8-A indicates the shooting standby state (SW0), and icons 801 to 805 indicate setting values ​​and status values. Here, 1-point AF x tracking is enabled (801), AF operation is servo AF (802), the subject to be detected is a person (803), eye detection is OFF (804), and tracking state is OFF (805). 806 is the AF area frame, and 807 is the detection frame. Since the detection frame overlaps the AF area, the detection frame becomes active and the AF area frame becomes inactive. If the "tracking start operation" is performed in this state, proceed to 8-B, and if the AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is performed, proceed to 8-G.

[0084] 8-B updates the tracking frame 808 according to the subject's movement. Also, the icon for 805 switches to ON. If the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed in this state, it returns to 8-A, and if AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is performed, it proceeds to 8-G.

[0085] 8-C updates the tracking frame 809 in accordance with the subject's movement. If the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed here, proceed to 8-D; if AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is performed, proceed to 8-H.

[0086] In 8-D, 810 is the AF area frame and 811 is the detection frame; in this case, the AF area frame is active. If a "frame movement operation" is performed in this state, proceed to 8-E.

[0087] In 8-E, 812 is the AF area frame and 813 is the detection frame, with the AF area frame being active. If the "Start Tracking" operation is performed in this state, proceed to 8-F; if the AF operation is performed, proceed to 8-K.

[0088] 8-F updates the tracking frame 814 according to the subject's movement. Also, the icon for 805 switches to ON. If the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed in this state, it returns to 8-E, and if AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is performed, it proceeds to 8-K.

[0089] 8-G continuously adjusts the focus (Continuous AF) by updating the tracking frame 815 according to the subject's movement. The 805 icon also switches to ON. If the subject being tracked moves in this state, it proceeds to 8-H, then to 8-Q if the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed, it returns to 8-A if AF is canceled (shooting preparation operation SW1 is canceled), and to 8-L if the shooting operation (SW2) is performed.

[0090] In 8-Q mode, the camera continuously focuses using AF area 826. Tracking is turned OFF. If a shooting operation (SW2) is performed in this state, the camera proceeds to 8-R mode.

[0091] 8-H continuously adjusts the focus by updating the tracking frame 816 according to the subject's movement. If the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed in this state, it proceeds to 8-I; if the shooting operation (SW2) is performed, it proceeds to 8-M; and if AF is canceled (shooting preparation operation SW1 is canceled), it returns to 8-D.

[0092] In 8-I mode, the camera continuously focuses using AF area 817. Tracking is turned OFF. If a shooting operation (SW2) is performed in this state, the camera proceeds to 8-N mode, and if AF is deactivated (shooting preparation operation SW1 is deactivated), it returns to 8-D mode.

[0093] In 8-J, the AF area 818 moves according to user input. Focusing is maintained within the area during movement. If a shooting operation (SW2) is performed in this state, it proceeds to 8-O, and if AF is deactivated (shooting preparation operation SW1 is deactivated), it returns to 8-E, and if the "Start Tracking" operation is performed, it proceeds to 8-K.

[0094] 8-K continuously adjusts focus by updating the tracking frame 819 according to the subject's movement. If the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed in this state, it returns to 8-J; if the shooting operation (SW2) is performed, it proceeds to 8-P; and if AF is canceled (shooting preparation operation SW1 is canceled), it returns to 8-E or 8-F.

[0095] In 8-L mode, the camera continuously adjusts focus by updating the tracking frame 821 according to the subject's movement while taking pictures. You can tell that shooting is in progress by the display on 820. If continuous shooting is enabled, the camera continues shooting while tracking the focus position. If the subject being tracked moves in this state, the camera switches to 8-M mode, returns to 8-G mode when the shooting operation (SW2) is released, and returns to 8-R mode when the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed.

[0096] In 8-R mode, the camera continuously focuses using AF area 827 while shooting. Tracking is turned OFF. If the "Start Tracking" operation is performed in this state, it proceeds to 8-L mode, and if the shooting operation (SW2) is released, it returns to 8-Q mode.

[0097] In 8-M mode, the camera continuously adjusts focus by updating the tracking frame 822 according to the subject's movement while taking pictures. If the shooting operation (SW2) is released in this state, the camera returns to 8-H mode, and if the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed, it proceeds to 8-N mode.

[0098] In 8-N mode, the camera continuously focuses using AF area 823 while shooting. Tracking is turned OFF. If the "frame movement" operation is performed in this state, it proceeds to 8-O mode, and if the shooting operation (SW2) is released, it returns to 8-I mode.

[0099] In 8-O mode, the camera continuously focuses using AF area 824 and takes pictures. If you release the shooting operation (SW2) in this state, it returns to 8-J mode, and if you perform the "Start Tracking" operation, it proceeds to 8-P mode.

[0100] In 8-P mode, the camera continuously adjusts focus by updating the tracking frame 825 according to the subject's movement while shooting. If the shooting operation (SW2) is released in this state, it returns to 8-K mode, and if the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed, it returns to 8-O mode.

[0101] <Do not track> Figure 8(b) shows the shooting standby state, where 801a to 805a are icons indicating setting values ​​and status values. Here, 1-point AF x tracking is enabled (801a), AF operation is servo AF (802a), the subject to be detected is a person (803a), eye detection is OFF (804a), and tracking status is OFF (805a). 806a is the AF area frame. If the "tracking start operation" is performed in this state, proceed to 8-b; if the AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is performed, proceed to 8-q.

[0102] 8-b updates the tracking frame 808a according to the subject's movement. The 805a icon also switches to ON. If the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed in this state, it returns to 8-a, and if AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is performed, it proceeds to 8-g.

[0103] 8-c updates the tracking frame 809a in accordance with the subject's movement. If the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed here, proceed to 8-d; if AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is performed, proceed to 8-h.

[0104] In 8-d, 810a is the AF area frame. If a "frame movement operation" is performed in this state, proceed to 8-e.

[0105] In 8-e, 812a is the AF area frame. If the "Start Tracking" operation is performed in this state, proceed to 8-f; if the AF operation is performed, proceed to 8-j.

[0106] 8-f updates the tracking frame 814a according to the subject's movement. The 805a icon also switches to ON. If the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed in this state, it returns to 8-e, and if AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is performed, it proceeds to 8-k.

[0107] 8-g continuously adjusts the focus by updating the tracking frame 815a according to the subject's movement. The 805a icon also switches to ON. If the subject being tracked moves in this state, the camera proceeds to 8-h, then to 8-q if the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed, back to 8-b if AF is canceled, and to 8-l if a shooting operation (SW2) is performed.

[0108] In 8-q mode, the camera continuously focuses using AF area 826a. Tracking is turned OFF. If a shooting operation (SW2) is performed in this state, the camera proceeds to 8-r mode.

[0109] 8-h continuously adjusts the focus by updating the tracking frame 816a according to the subject's movement. If the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed in this state, it proceeds to 8-i; if the shooting operation (SW2) is performed, it proceeds to 8-m; and if AF is canceled (shooting preparation operation SW1 is canceled), it returns to 8-d.

[0110] In 8-i mode, the camera continuously focuses using AF area 817a. Tracking is turned OFF. If a shooting operation (SW2) is performed in this state, the camera proceeds to 8-n mode, and if AF is deactivated (shooting preparation operation SW1 is deactivated), it returns to 8-d mode.

[0111] In 8-j, the AF area 818a moves according to the user's operation. Focusing is maintained within the area during the movement. If a shooting operation (SW2) is performed in this state, it proceeds to 8-o, and if AF is deactivated (shooting preparation operation SW1 is deactivated), it returns to 8-e, and if the "Start Tracking" operation is performed, it proceeds to 8-k.

[0112] 8-k continuously adjusts focus by updating the tracking frame 819a according to the subject's movement. If the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed in this state, it returns to 8-j; if the shooting operation (SW2) is performed, it proceeds to 8-p; and if AF is deactivated (shooting preparation operation SW1 is deactivated), it returns to 8-e or 8-f.

[0113] In 8-l mode, the camera continuously adjusts focus by updating the tracking frame 821a according to the subject's movement while taking pictures. You can tell that shooting is in progress by the display on 820a. If continuous shooting is enabled, the camera continues shooting while tracking the focus position. If the subject being tracked moves in this state, the camera proceeds to 8-m mode, returns to 8-g mode when the shooting operation (SW2) is released, and returns to 8-r mode when the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed.

[0114] In 8-r mode, the camera continuously focuses using AF area 827a while shooting. Tracking is turned OFF. If the "Start Tracking" operation is performed in this state, the camera proceeds to 8-l mode, and if the shooting operation (SW2) is released, it returns to 8-q mode.

[0115] In 8-m mode, the camera continuously adjusts focus by updating the tracking frame 822a according to the subject's movement while taking pictures. If the shooting operation (SW2) is released in this state, it returns to 8-h mode, and if the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed, it returns to 8-n mode.

[0116] In 8-n mode, the camera continuously focuses using AF area 823a and takes pictures. Tracking is turned OFF. If the "frame movement" operation is performed in this state, the camera proceeds to 8-o mode, and if the shooting operation (SW2) is released, it returns to 8-i mode.

[0117] In 8-o, the camera continuously focuses using AF area 824a and takes pictures. If the shooting operation (SW2) is released in this state, it returns to 8-j, and if the "Start Tracking" operation is performed, it proceeds to 8-p.

[0118] In 8-p mode, the camera continuously adjusts focus by updating the tracking frame 825a according to the subject's movement while taking pictures. If the shooting operation (SW2) is released in this state, it returns to 8-k mode, and if the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed, it returns to 8-o mode.

[0119] ●State transitions in the case of one-shot AF Figure 9 shows the state transitions in the case of one-shot autofocus.

[0120] In Figure 9(a), states 9-A to 9-O represent the state transitions when tracking is enabled, while in Figure 9(b), states 9-a to 9-o represent the state transitions when tracking is disabled.

[0121] <If tracking is required> In 9-A, icons 901 through 905 indicate settings and status values. Here, 901 is 1-point AF with tracking, 902 is one-shot AF, 903 is a person, 904 is eye detection OFF, and 905 is tracking OFF. 906 is the AF area, and 907 is the detection frame. Because the detection frame overlaps the AF area, the detection frame becomes active and the AF area frame becomes inactive. If the "Start Tracking" operation is performed in this state, proceed to 9-B; if an AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is performed, proceed to 9-F.

[0122] In 9-B, the subject is tracked using tracking frame 908. The icon for 905 switches to ON. If the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed in this state, it returns to 9-A. If AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is performed, it proceeds to 9-G. If the subject moves in the XY direction of the screen, it proceeds to 9-C.

[0123] In 9-C, the tracking frame 909 is updated in accordance with the subject's movement. If the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed in this state, the process proceeds to 9-D; if AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is performed, the process proceeds to 9-H.

[0124] In 9-D, 910 is the AF area and 911 is the detection frame. Since the detection frame is outside the AF area, the AF area frame becomes active and the detection frame becomes inactive. If the "Start Tracking" operation is performed in this state, proceed to 9-E; if the AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is performed, proceed to 9-I.

[0125] In 9-E, the tracking frame 912 is updated to match the movement of the subject being tracked. The icon for 905 switches to ON. If the "tracking stop" operation is performed in this state, it returns to 9-D, and if the AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is performed, it proceeds to 9-J.

[0126] In 9-F mode, one-shot AF is performed using detection frame 913, and the focus position is locked. If a shooting operation (SW2) is performed in this state, it proceeds to 9-K mode, and if the "Start Tracking" operation is performed, it proceeds to 9-G mode. When the AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is released, it returns to 9-A mode.

[0127] In 9-G mode, one-shot AF is performed using tracking frame 914, and the focus position is locked. If the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed in this state, it returns to 9-F mode. If a shooting operation (SW2) is performed, it proceeds to 9-L mode, and if the AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is released, it returns to 9-B mode.

[0128] In 9-H mode, one-shot autofocus is performed using tracking frame 915, and the focus position is locked. If the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed in this state, the camera proceeds to 9-I mode. If a shooting operation (SW2) is performed, the camera proceeds to 9-M mode. If the AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is released, the camera returns to 9-C mode.

[0129] In 9-I, one-shot autofocus is performed in AF area 916 and the focus position is locked. If the "Start Tracking" operation is performed in this state, it proceeds to 9-J, if a shooting operation (SW2) is performed it proceeds to 9-N, and if the AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is released it returns to 9-D.

[0130] In 9-J, one-shot AF is performed using tracking frame 917, and the focus position is locked. The icon for 905 switches to ON. If the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed in this state, it returns to 9-I, and if a shooting operation (SW2) is performed, it proceeds to 9-O. When the AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is canceled, it returns to 9-E.

[0131] In 9-K mode, shooting is performed with the focus position locked. In this state, the detection frame 913 is hidden. 918 indicates that shooting is in progress. In this state, operations such as "Stop Tracking" cannot be performed, and releasing the shooting operation (SW2) returns to 9-F mode.

[0132] In 9-L mode, shooting is performed with the focus position locked. In this state, the 914 detection frame is hidden. Operations such as "Stop Tracking" cannot be performed, and releasing the shooting operation (SW2) returns to 9-G mode.

[0133] In 9-M mode, shooting is performed with the focus position locked. In this state, the tracking frame of 915 is hidden. Operations such as "Stop Tracking" cannot be performed, and the camera returns to 9-H mode when the shooting operation (SW2) is released.

[0134] In 9-N mode, shooting is performed with the focus position locked. The AF area of ​​the 916 is hidden during this time. Operations such as "Stop Tracking" cannot be performed in this state, and releasing the shooting operation (SW2) returns to 9-I mode.

[0135] In 9-O mode, shooting is performed with the focus position locked. In this state, the tracking frame of 917 is hidden. Operations such as "Stop Tracking" cannot be performed in this state, and the camera returns to 9-J mode when the shooting operation (SW2) is released.

[0136] <Do not track> In 9-a, icons 901a to 905a indicate settings and status values. Here, 1-point AF × no tracking (901a), AF operation is one-shot AF (902a), subject to detect is a person (903a), eye detection is OFF (904a), and tracking status is OFF (905a). 906a is the AF area. If the "Start Tracking" operation is performed in this state, proceed to 9-b; if an AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is performed, proceed to 9-f.

[0137] In 9-b, the subject is tracked using the tracking frame 907a. The icon for 905 switches to ON. If the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed in this state, it returns to 9-a. If AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is performed, it proceeds to 9-g. If the subject moves in the XY direction of the screen, it proceeds to 9-c.

[0138] In 9-c, the tracking frame 908a is updated in accordance with the subject's movement. If the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed in this state, proceed to 9-d; if AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is performed, proceed to 9-h.

[0139] In 9-d, 909a is the AF area. If the "Start Tracking" operation is performed in this state, proceed to 9-e; if the AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is performed, proceed to 9-i.

[0140] In 9-e, the tracking frame 910a is updated to match the movement of the subject being tracked. The 905 icon switches to ON. If the "tracking stop" operation is performed in this state, the system returns to 9-d, and if AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is performed, the system proceeds to 9-j.

[0141] In 9-f, one-shot autofocus is performed in AF area 911a and the focus position is locked. If a shooting operation (SW2) is performed in this state, it proceeds to 9-k, and if the "Start Tracking" operation is performed, it proceeds to 9-g. When the AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is released, it returns to 9-a.

[0142] In 9-g, one-shot AF is performed using tracking frame 912a, and the focus position is locked. If the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed in this state, it returns to 9-f, and if a shooting operation (SW2) is performed, it proceeds to 9-l, and if the AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is released, it returns to 9-b.

[0143] In 9-h, one-shot AF is performed with tracking frame 913a and the focus position is locked. If the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed in this state, it proceeds to 9-i, if a shooting operation (SW2) is performed it proceeds to 9-m, and if the AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is released it returns to 9-c.

[0144] In 9-i, one-shot autofocus is performed in AF area 914a and the focus position is locked. If the "Start Tracking" operation is performed in this state, it proceeds to 9-j, if a shooting operation (SW2) is performed it proceeds to 9-n, and if the AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is released it returns to 9-d.

[0145] In 9-j, one-shot AF is performed with tracking frame 915a and the focus position is locked. The 905 icon switches to ON. If the "Stop Tracking" operation is performed in this state, it returns to 9-i, and if a shooting operation (SW2) is performed, it proceeds to 9-o. When the AF operation (shooting preparation operation SW1) is canceled, it returns to 9-e.

[0146] In 9-k mode, shooting is performed with the focus position locked. In this state, the AF area of ​​911a is hidden. 916a indicates that shooting is in progress. In this state, operations such as "stop tracking" cannot be performed, and releasing the shooting operation (SW2) returns to 9-f mode.

[0147] In 9-l mode, shooting is performed with the focus position locked. In this state, the tracking frame of 912a is hidden. Operations such as "Stop Tracking" cannot be performed, and releasing the shooting operation (SW2) returns to 9-g mode.

[0148] In 9-m mode, shooting is performed with the focus position locked. In this state, the tracking frame of 913a is hidden. Operations such as "Stop Tracking" cannot be performed in this state, and the camera returns to 9-h mode when the shooting operation (SW2) is released.

[0149] In 9-n mode, shooting is performed with the focus position locked. In this state, the AF area of ​​the 914a is hidden. Operations such as "Stop Tracking" cannot be performed in this state, and the camera returns to 9-i mode when the shooting operation (SW2) is released.

[0150] In 9-o, shooting is performed with the focus position locked. At this time, the tracking frame of 915a is hidden. In this state, operations such as "Stop Tracking" cannot be performed, and when the shooting operation (SW2) is released, it returns to 9-j.

[0151] ●Control flow in the case of servo AF Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the control in the case of a servo AF. Each process is realized when the system control unit 50 loads the program stored in the non-volatile memory 56 into the system memory 52 and executes it.

[0152] The following flowchart is processed and controlled by the system control unit 50.

[0153] In S1001, the tracking start position is read from the memory.

[0154] In S1002, it is determined whether there has been an operation to move the tracking start position. If there has been an operation to move, the process proceeds to S1003; otherwise, the process proceeds to S1004. Examples of operation methods in this embodiment include frame movement using the 8-way keys or directional buttons, and frame movement via touch.

[0155] In S1003, the tracking start position is updated based on the movement operation of the tracking start position. (Example: from 8-D to E)

[0156] In S1004, it is determined whether a tracking start operation has been performed. If a tracking start operation has been performed, the process proceeds to S1005; otherwise, it proceeds to S1006. An example of a tracking start operation in this embodiment is the "Start Tracking" button customization function.

[0157] In the S1005, the camera detects the subject from the tracking start position, determines the main subject, and begins tracking. When tracking starts, the tracking start position (AF area frame) is hidden, and the tracking frame is displayed. (Example: from 8-E to F)

[0158] In S1006, it is determined whether tracking is continuing. If tracking is continuing, proceed to S1007; otherwise, proceed to S1008.

[0159] S1007 updates the tracking frame. The tracking frame is updated according to the movement of the subject. (Example: from 8-B to C)

[0160] In S1008, it is determined whether a tracking stop operation has been performed. If a tracking stop operation has been performed, the process proceeds to S1009; otherwise, it proceeds to S1010.

[0161] S1009 stops the tracking frame. At this time, the tracking frame is hidden and the tracking start position (AF area frame) is displayed. At this time, the stored tracking start position is read and set. (Example: 8-C to D)

[0162] In S1010, it is determined whether a shooting preparation operation has been performed. If a shooting preparation operation has been performed, the process proceeds to S1011; otherwise, it proceeds to S1031. Examples of shooting preparation operations in this embodiment include SW1 and SW2 operations. (Example: 8-A to J)

[0163] In S1011, the position change flag and auto-tracking flag controlled within the flow are turned OFF.

[0164] In S1012, the tracking start position is temporarily stored in memory. Within the flow, this start position is defined as Temp.

[0165] In S1013, the system determines whether to activate tracking (automatic tracking) based on the tracking settings. The condition for this determination is that the system transitions from the shooting standby state to the shooting preparation state when tracking is set to "on" while tracking is not active. If automatic tracking is activated, the system proceeds to S1014; otherwise, it proceeds to S1016.

[0166] In S1014, the camera detects the subject from the tracking start position, determines the main subject, and begins tracking. When tracking starts, the tracking start position (AF area frame) is hidden, and the tracking frame is displayed. (Example: 8-A to G) On the S1015, turn on the automatic tracking flag.

[0167] In S1016, it is determined whether there has been an operation to move the tracking start position. If there has been an operation to move, the process proceeds to S1017; otherwise, the process proceeds to S1019. Examples of operation methods in this embodiment include frame movement using the 8-way keys or directional buttons, and frame movement via touch.

[0168] In S1017, the tracking start position is updated based on the movement operation of the tracking start position. (Example: from 8-I to J)

[0169] In S1018, turn on the position change flag.

[0170] In S1019, it is determined whether a tracking start operation has been performed. If a tracking start operation has been performed, the process proceeds to S1020; otherwise, it proceeds to S1021. An example of a tracking start operation in this embodiment is the "Start Tracking" button customization function.

[0171] The S1020 detects the subject from the tracking start position, determines the main subject, and begins tracking. When tracking starts, the tracking start position (AF area frame) is hidden, and the tracking frame is displayed. (Example: from 8-J to K)

[0172] In S1021, it is determined whether tracking is continuing. If tracking is continuing, proceed to S1022; otherwise, proceed to S1023.

[0173] S1022 updates the tracking frame. The tracking frame is updated according to the movement of the subject. (Example: from 8-G to H)

[0174] In S1023, it is determined whether a tracking stop operation has been performed. If a tracking stop operation has been performed, the process proceeds to S1024; otherwise, it proceeds to S1027.

[0175] In S1024, the center position of the tracking frame during tracking is set as the tracking start position. This is a characteristic process of this embodiment, and is performed in order to prioritize the continuity of tracking when the camera is ready to shoot.

[0176] S1025 stops the tracking frame. At this time, the tracking frame is hidden, and the tracking start position (AF area frame) is displayed at the position set in S1024. (Example: 8-H to I)

[0177] In S1026, the automatic tracking flag is turned OFF. In the second embodiment, the processing in S1026 is omitted, and the tracking in S1014 is clarified and the control is changed to make it easier to understand.

[0178] In S1027, the system determines whether to perform autofocus (AF) operation. If AF operation is performed, the system proceeds to S1028; otherwise, it proceeds to S1029.

[0179] In S1028, autofocus (AF) operation is performed. One embodiment of AF operation is servo operation. In servo operation, the servo operation is performed each time to track focus.

[0180] In S1029, it is determined whether a shooting operation was performed. If a shooting operation was performed, the process proceeds to S1030; otherwise, it proceeds to S1031.

[0181] In S1030, the shooting operation is performed. In this embodiment, the shooting operation is performed using SW2. (Example: 8-G to L) In S1031, it is determined whether the shooting preparation state has been canceled. If the shooting preparation state has been canceled, the process proceeds to S1032; otherwise, it returns to S1016.

[0182] In S1032, the status of the automatic tracking flag is determined. If the flag is ON, proceed to S1033; if the flag is OFF, proceed to S1034.

[0183] S1033 stops the tracking frame. At this time, the tracking frame is hidden, and the tracking start position (AF area frame) is displayed at the position set in S1024. (Example: 8-G to A) In S1034, the status of the position change flag is determined. If the position change flag is ON, proceed to S1036 (e.g., from 8-J to E); otherwise, proceed to S1035.

[0184] In S1035, the tracking start position is set to start position Temp. (Example: 8-I to D) In S1036, the end of this flow is determined. If it ends, proceed to S1037; otherwise, return to S1002.

[0185] In S1037, the tracking start position is stored in memory and the process ends.

[0186] ●Control flow for one-shot AF Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the control in the case of one-shot autofocus. Each process is realized when the system control unit 50 loads the program stored in the non-volatile memory 56 into the system memory 52 and executes it.

[0187] The following flowchart is processed and controlled by the system control unit 50.

[0188] In the S1101, the tracking start position (AF area) is read from the memory.

[0189] In S1102, it is determined whether there has been an operation to move the tracking start position. If there has been an operation to move, the process proceeds to S1103; otherwise, the process proceeds to S1104. Examples of operation methods in this embodiment include frame movement using the 8-way keys or directional buttons, and frame movement via touch.

[0190] In S1103, the tracking start position is updated based on the movement operation of the tracking start position.

[0191] In S1104, it is determined whether a tracking start operation has been performed. If a tracking start operation has been performed, the process proceeds to S1105; otherwise, it proceeds to S1106. An example of a tracking start operation in this embodiment is the "Start Tracking" button customization function.

[0192] In S1105, the camera detects the subject from the tracking start position, determines the main subject, and begins tracking. When tracking starts, the tracking start position (AF area frame) is hidden, and the tracking frame is displayed. (Example: 9-D to E, a to b)

[0193] In S1106, it is determined whether tracking is continuing. If tracking is continuing, proceed to S1107; otherwise, proceed to S1108.

[0194] S1107 updates the tracking frame. The tracking frame is updated according to the movement of the subject. (Example: from 9-B to C)

[0195] In S1108, it is determined whether a tracking stop operation has been performed. If a tracking stop operation has been performed, the process proceeds to S1109; otherwise, it proceeds to S1110.

[0196] S1109 stops the tracking frame. At this time, the tracking frame is hidden and the tracking start position (AF area frame) is displayed. At this time, the stored tracking start position is read and set. (Example: 9-C to D)

[0197] In S1110, it is determined whether a shooting preparation operation has been performed. If a shooting preparation operation has been performed, the process proceeds to S1011; otherwise, it proceeds to S1031. Examples of shooting preparation operations in this embodiment include SW1 and SW2 operations. (Example: 9-A to F)

[0198] In S1111, it is determined whether there has been an operation to move the tracking start position. If there has been an operation to move, the process proceeds to S1017; otherwise, the process proceeds to S1019. One example of an operation to move in this embodiment is a position change by returning to the center. In other embodiments, the position change may be performed using eight-directional operating members or the like.

[0199] In S1112, the tracking start position is updated based on the movement operation of the tracking start position.

[0200] In S1113, it is determined whether a tracking start operation has been performed. If a tracking start operation has been performed, the process proceeds to S1114; otherwise, it proceeds to S1115. An example of a tracking start operation in this embodiment is the "Start Tracking" button customization function.

[0201] In S1114, the subject is detected from the tracking start position and locked onto the main subject. When the subject is locked, the tracking start position (AF area frame) is hidden, and the tracking frame is displayed. (Example: 9-f to g)

[0202] In S1115, it is determined whether a tracking stop operation has been performed. If a tracking stop operation has been performed, the process proceeds to S1116; otherwise, it proceeds to S1117.

[0203] S1116 releases the lock on the main subject. Note that when the lock is released, the internal tracking state is also turned OFF. (Example: 9-g to f)

[0204] In S1117, the system determines whether to perform autofocus (AF) operation. If AF operation is performed, the system proceeds to S1118; otherwise, it proceeds to S1119.

[0205] In S1118, autofocus (AF) operation is performed. One embodiment of AF operation is a one-shot operation. In a one-shot operation, AF is performed once in the shooting preparation state, and after focusing, the focus position is locked. (Examples 9-a to 9-f)

[0206] In S1119, it is determined whether a shooting operation was performed. If a shooting operation was performed, the process proceeds to S1120; otherwise, it proceeds to S1122.

[0207] In S1120, the shooting operation is performed. In this embodiment, the shooting operation is performed using SW2. (Example: 8-F to K)

[0208] S1121 determines whether the shooting operation is continuing. If the shooting operation is continuing, it returns to S1120; otherwise, it proceeds to S1122. When continuous shooting is set and SW2 is held, one-shot AF repeats shooting while the focus position is fixed.

[0209] In S1122, it is determined whether the shooting preparation state has been canceled. If the shooting preparation state has been canceled, the process proceeds to S1123; otherwise, it returns to S1111.

[0210] S1123 determines the end of this flow. If it ends, proceed to S1124; otherwise, return to S1102.

[0211] In S1124, the tracking start position is stored in memory and the process ends.

[0212] As mentioned above, when tracking stops, if the camera is still in shooting preparation mode, it prioritizes the continuity of tracking and does not return to the original tracking start position, but stops near the tracked subject (the position where it was tracking just before). If the camera is in shooting standby mode, it returns to the original tracking start position. This allows for setting the optimal tracking start position, resulting in comfortable operation. This is particularly effective in digital cameras as a means of determining the subject to be photographed, enabling comfortable shooting without missing photo opportunities.

[0213] In this embodiment, an example was described in which the display frame is represented by a rectangle as an indicator of position and size on the screen. However, it does not necessarily have to be a rectangle; it may be any shape, such as a circle or a hexagon. Alternatively, a crosshair or other reticle-like display that only indicates position may also be used.

[0214] Furthermore, the system control unit 50 can generate metadata based on the shooting conditions, which are a combination of the shooting settings and the detection settings, and add it to the image data captured by the imaging unit 22 before recording it on the recording medium 200. When displaying the recorded image, the metadata recorded in relation to the image data may also be displayed. The recorded image data and metadata are recorded in accordance with standards such as Exif (Exchangeable Image File Format).

[0215] Furthermore, while we have only explained that tracking can be stopped by the user's "Stop Tracking" operation, tracking may also be automatically stopped if the tracked target is lost, if the tracking confidence level falls below a predetermined value, or if the tracked target changes.

[0216] Furthermore, the various controls described above, which are performed by the system control unit 50, may be performed by a single piece of hardware, or multiple pieces of hardware may share the processing to control the entire device.

[0217] Furthermore, although the present invention has been described in detail based on its preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms that do not depart from the spirit of the invention are also included in the present invention. Moreover, each of the embodiments described above is merely one embodiment of the present invention, and it is possible to combine each embodiment as appropriate.

[0218] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiments explained the application of the present invention to a digital camera 100 as an example, the invention is not limited to this example and can be applied to any display control device capable of performing control related to image processing. In other words, the present invention can be applied to mobile phone terminals, portable image viewers, PCs, printer devices equipped with viewfinders, home appliances with display units, digital photo frames, projectors, tablet PCs, music players, game consoles, e-book readers, and the like.

[0219] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by performing the following process: supplying software (programs) that realize the functions of the embodiments described above to a system or device via a network or various storage media, and having the computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of that system or device read and execute the program code. In this case, the program and the recording medium storing the program constitute the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0220] 100 Digital Cameras 150 Lens Unit 50 System Control Unit 28 Display section 70a Touch Panel 22 Imaging Department 32 memory 70 Operation section 77 AE Lock Button 78 Enlarge button 75 SET button 79 Play button

Claims

1. A tracking means for tracking a tracking target in an image; a tracking start means for starting tracking by the tracking means from a tracking start position; a tracking stop means for stopping tracking by the tracking means; and a setting means for setting a different tracking start position when the tracking is stopped depending on whether a shooting preparation instruction has been given to start shooting preparation or not.

2. When the tracking is stopped, a tracking start position in the case where the shooting preparation instruction is given is set based on a position that was tracked immediately before the tracking is stopped, 2 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein a tracking start position in a state in which the shooting preparation instruction has not been issued when the tracking is stopped is set to a predetermined position.

3. The electronic device described in Claim 2, characterized in that the predetermined position is the position before the previous tracking was started.

4. The electronic device described in Claim 2, characterized in that the predetermined position is updated when a movement operation is performed by a user.

5. 5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the tracking stopping means stops the tracking in response to a user operation.

6. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the tracking stop means automatically stops tracking when the tracking target is lost, when the tracking reliability falls below a predetermined value, or when the tracking target is switched.

7. 7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the tracking initiation means can be activated during execution of an AF process.

8. 8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the AF process is started when the instruction for preparation for photographing is given.

9. 9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the state in which the photographing preparation instruction has been issued is a state in which a shutter button is half-pressed.

10. 9. The electronic device according to claim 8, further comprising an AF unit that performs continuous AF on a subject to be tracked when the shooting preparation instruction is held.

11. 11. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the image is a live view image captured by an image capture unit.

12. 12. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising an image capturing unit.

13. a tracking step of tracking a tracking target in an image; a tracking start step of starting tracking of the tracking target from a tracking start position; a tracking stopping step of stopping tracking of the tracking target; and a setting step of setting different tracking start positions when the tracking is stopped depending on whether a shooting preparation instruction has been given to start shooting preparation and whether the shooting preparation instruction has not been given.

14. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

15. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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