Imaging apparatus and method for controlling the same, program, and imaging system
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- CANON KK
- Filing Date
- 2023-06-05
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-10
Smart Images
Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, a control method and program therefor, and an imaging system. [Background technology]
[0002] Some imaging devices such as digital video cameras and digital cameras are provided with an assign button to which a predetermined function can be registered. A user of an imaging device provided with an assign button can register a frequently used function to the assign button and can easily and quickly activate a desired function by operating the assign button while using the imaging device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-167723 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] In an imaging device equipped with multiple assignable buttons, related functions may be registered to each assignable button. In such a case, it may happen that the user cannot grasp or forgets the functions registered to each assignable button. If such a situation occurs, the user can check the functions registered to each assignable button by opening the menu screen used when registering functions to the assignable buttons.
[0005] However, in the method of checking the functions registered to each assign button from a menu screen, it is necessary to switch the display from the live view screen to the menu screen during live view display, so that it is not possible to check the functions registered to each assign button while the live view is displayed and to operate the assign button to which the desired function is registered.
[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an imaging device that improves the operability of an assignable button to which an associated function is registered during live view display. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] The imaging device of the present invention is an imaging device comprising an imaging unit, a display device that displays a live view image obtained by the imaging unit, and a plurality of operating members, and is characterized in having a registration means that registers a predetermined function to each of the plurality of operating members, and a control means that, when a group of functions related to each other are registered to at least two of the plurality of operating members, displays on the display device an appearance guide of the imaging device for the exterior surface of the imaging device on which the at least two operating members are located, together with the live view image. Effect of the Invention
[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the operability of an assignable button to which an associated function is registered during live view display. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an imaging device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an extension unit. [Diagram 3] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement positions of assignment buttons in the imaging device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart of an imaging operation performed by the imaging device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a normal screen displayed on the display device in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of function registration to an assign button in the first embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a dedicated screen displayed on the display device in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of preset registration to an assign button in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of a dedicated screen displayed on the display device in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating examples of positions of operation members in an imaging device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart of an imaging operation performed by an imaging device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a normal screen displayed on a display device in a second embodiment. [Figure 13] 13 is a diagram showing an example of function registration in an operation member in the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a dedicated screen displayed on the display device in the second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a top view of another imaging device according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, an imaging system having an imaging device and an extension unit detachably attached to the imaging device will be described.
[0011] First Embodiment 1 is a block diagram of an image pickup device 100 according to the first embodiment. The image pickup device 100 is specifically a video camera, and includes a lens 101, a CMOS sensor 102, a signal processing unit 103, a recording medium 104, a power supply 105, an operation unit 106, a lens communication unit 107, an input I / F 108, a ROM 109, and a RAM 110. The image pickup device 100 also includes a CODEC 111, an OSD drawing unit 112, an LCD panel 113, an EVF 114, an external output terminal 115, an output I / F 116, an external I / F 117, a CPU 118, and a communication unit 119. These units constituting the image pickup device 100 are communicably connected via a data bus 120 as shown in FIG. 1.
[0012] The CPU 118 loads various programs stored in the ROM 109 into the RAM 110, thereby comprehensively controlling the operation of each unit constituting the imaging device 100. The ROM 109 stores various programs executed by the CPU 118 and various parameters and the like required for executing the programs. The RAM 110 has a working area for the CPU 118 to load the programs, and a storage area for temporarily storing video data and the like.
[0013] The lens 101 and the CMOS sensor 102 constitute an imaging unit. The lens 101 includes a focus lens, a zoom lens, an aperture mechanism, etc., and focuses incident light onto the CMOS sensor 102. The CMOS sensor 102, which is an example of an imaging element, is equipped with an A / D converter in the imaging device 100, and converts an optical image formed by the lens 101 into an analog electrical signal, and then further converts the signal into a digital signal and outputs the signal to the signal processing unit 103. Note that the imaging element is not limited to a CMOS, and may be a CCD or the like.
[0014] The signal processing unit 103 performs signal processing such as pixel interpolation, resizing such as reduction, white balance processing, color conversion, etc. on the digital signal transmitted from the CMOS sensor 102. The digital signal thus subjected to signal processing by the signal processing unit 103 is transmitted to the CODEC 111. The CODEC 111 performs compression encoding at a predetermined bit rate and format on the digital signal transmitted from the signal processing unit 103. The CODEC 111 also decodes and plays back image (frames constituting a video) and audio data that have been compressed and encoded and stored in the RAM 110 or the recording medium 104. The played back image is displayed on the LCD panel 113, the EVF 114, or an external monitor (not shown) connected to the external output terminal 115.
[0015] The recording medium 104 stores the captured video, and metadata and audio data associated with the captured video. The power source 105 is a battery or an AC power source, and supplies the necessary power to each unit of the imaging device 100.
[0016] The operation unit 106 includes a power switch for controlling on / off of the power supply 105 of the imaging device 100, a menu display button, a cross key, an assignment button for registering a desired function, and a pointing device such as a touch panel. The touch panel is disposed on the screen of the LCD panel 113 and functions integrally with the LCD panel 113.
[0017] The imaging device 100 is equipped with a plurality of assignable buttons, and a user's desired function can be registered in each of the assignable buttons. The functions registered in the assignable buttons are stored in a ROM 109 and / or a RAM 110. Operation information received by the operation unit 106 is input to a CPU 118 and an external I / F 117 via an input I / F 108 and a data bus 120.
[0018] The lens communication unit 107 acquires information such as the configuration, mounting information, focus position, and angle of view of the lens 101 from the lens 101, and transmits the information to the CPU 118. In addition, the lens communication unit 107 controls the operation of the lens 101 based on commands from the CPU 118.
[0019] The OSD drawing unit 112 renders OSD, such as character strings and icons indicating the state and settings of the imaging device 100, various frames and markers, and menus for performing various settings, in the VRAM on the RAM 110. Note that resource data, such as characters and icons constituting the OSD, is stored in the ROM 109, and the OSD drawing unit 112 reads out predetermined resource data from the ROM 109 and renders it in the VRAM.
[0020] The output I / F 116 outputs data such as an image output from the signal processing unit 103 and an OSD generated by the CPU 118 to the LCD panel 113, the EVF 114, the external output terminal 115, and the external I / F 117. The output I / F 116 includes a mixer circuit and can output an image and an OSD by superimposing them, and can also output a signal resized according to each output. In this case, the same OSD content can be displayed at each output destination, or OSDs with different content can be displayed.
[0021] The LCD panel 113 is a display device that displays a live view image, a captured video, a menu screen, etc. The EVF 114 is provided in the finder and is a display device that displays a live view image (live view video) etc. output from the signal processing unit 103. The external output terminal 115 meets the standards of SDI and HDMI (registered trademark), and outputs a video signal etc. generated by the signal processing unit 103 to an external monitor etc.
[0022] The external I / F 117 is an interface that enables attachment of an external device (for example, the expansion unit 200 (see FIG. 2)) and inputs and outputs display signals, audio signals, and control signals to and from the expansion unit 200. The communication unit 119 transmits and receives video signals, audio signals, and various other information to and from an external device that is communicably connected by a wireless or wired method.
[0023] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an extension unit 200 that is detachable from the imaging device 100. As shown in FIG.
[0024] The expansion unit 200 can be connected not only to the imaging device 100 but also to other expansion units, enabling functional expansion of the imaging device 100. In this embodiment, functional expansion of the imaging device 100 is not limited to adding a function that is not provided in the imaging device 100, but also includes improving the performance of a function provided in the imaging device 100.
[0025] The expansion unit 200 has a CPU 201, a RAM 202, a ROM 203, an operation unit 204, an input I / F 205, and an external I / F 206, which are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a data bus 207 as shown in FIG.
[0026] The CPU 201 loads various programs stored in the ROM 203 into the RAM 202, thereby comprehensively controlling the operation of each part constituting the expansion unit 200. The ROM 203 stores various programs executed by the CPU 201 and various parameters and the like required for executing the programs. The RAM 202 has a working area for the CPU 201 to load the programs, and a storage area for temporarily storing video data and the like.
[0027] The operation unit 204 has a plurality of assignment buttons as a type of operation member, and functions registered in the assignment buttons are stored in both or one of the ROM 109 and RAM 110 of the imaging device 100. The functions of the input I / F 205 and the external I / F 206 are equivalent to the functions of the input I / F 108 and the external I / F 117 of the imaging device 100, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. The extension unit 200 may be provided with a display device such as an LCD panel.
[0028] The manner in which the expansion unit 200 is attached to the imaging device 100 is not particularly limited. For example, the expansion unit 200 and the imaging device 100 may be mechanically coupled and communicatively connected by mechanically directly connecting the connector of the external I / F 117 of the imaging device 100 and the connector of the external I / F 206 of the expansion unit 200. In addition to the connectors, the imaging device 100 and the expansion unit 200 may be provided with a mechanical fixing portion using a fitting portion or a screw or the like for stabilizing the coupled state. On the other hand, the expansion unit 200 is not limited to being mechanically attached to the imaging device 100 to form an integral structure with the imaging device 100, but may be used separately from the imaging device 100. The communication connection between the imaging device 100 and the expansion unit 200 may be a direct connection between connectors, a wired connection using a cable, or a short-distance wireless communication connection such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).
[0029] Another expansion unit can be further connected to the expansion unit 200 connected to the imaging device 100 via an external I / F 206. This makes it possible to add functions of not only one expansion unit 200 but also a plurality of expansion units to the imaging device 100 and improve performance.
[0030] Next, a configuration for displaying on a display device such as the LCD panel 113 an appearance guide of the imaging device 100 in which the assign buttons to which related function groups are registered are highlighted will be described.
[0031] 3 is a diagram showing the arrangement positions of the assign buttons 301 to 304 in the imaging device 100, where (A) is a front view, (B) is a top view, (C) is a side view, and (D) is a rear view. As shown in Figs. 3(A) to (D), two assign buttons 301 are provided on the front of the main body (housing) of the imaging device 100, four assign buttons 302 are provided on the top, three assign buttons 303 are provided on the left side, and four assign buttons 304 are provided on the rear. Note that illustration and description of the arrangement of the assign buttons on the operation unit 204 provided in the extension unit 200 will be omitted.
[0032] 4 is a flowchart of the imaging operation executed by imaging device 100. Each process (step) indicated by an S number in this flowchart is realized by CPU 118 loading a program stored in ROM 109 into RAM 110 and comprehensively controlling the operation of each unit constituting imaging device 100.
[0033] In S401, the CPU 118 acquires a live view image. The live view image may be an image taken before shooting (before recording starts) for the purpose of checking a subject, or may be an image taken during shooting.
[0034] In S402, the CPU 118 acquires the function registration contents for the assign buttons mounted on the imaging device 100. As described above, the function registration contents for the assign buttons are stored in the ROM 109 or the RAM 110. Furthermore, when the extension unit 200 is connected to the imaging device 100, the CPU 118 acquires the function registration contents for each of the assign buttons of the imaging device 100 and the extension unit 200.
[0035] In S403, the CPU 118 determines whether or not a function is registered to at least two of the multiple assign buttons mounted on the imaging device 100, based on the function registration contents for the assign buttons acquired in S402. If the CPU 118 determines that a function is registered to at least two assign buttons (Yes in S403), it executes the process of S404, and if it determines that the number of assign buttons to which a function is registered is one or less (No in S403), it executes the process of S415. Note that, when the extension unit 200 is connected to the imaging device 100, the CPU 118 determines whether or not a function is registered to at least two assign buttons, including the assign buttons of the imaging device 100 and the assign buttons of the extension unit 200.
[0036] In S404, CPU 118 judges whether or not the functions registered in at least two assign buttons are a related function group. If CPU 118 judges that the functions are a related function group (Yes in S404), it executes the process of S405, and if it judges that the functions are not a related function group (No in S404), it executes the process of S415.
[0037] In S405, the CPU 118 acquires the type of the display signal output from the output I / F 116. The type of the display signal is a combination state of image data and OSD, and is the type of screen displayed on the LCD panel 113 and the EVF 114. The type of the display signal is also the type of screen displayed on the external monitor when the display signal is transmitted to the external monitor via the external output terminal 115. Furthermore, the type of the display signal is also the type of screen displayed on the expansion unit 200 when the expansion unit 200 is equipped with a display device and a display signal is transmitted to the expansion unit 200 via the external I / F 117.
[0038] In S406, CPU 118 determines whether the type of the display signal acquired in S405 is a dedicated screen for using the related function group determined in S404. If CPU 118 determines that it is a dedicated screen (Yes in S406), it executes the process of S407, and if it determines that it is not a dedicated screen (No in S406), it executes the process of S415. Note that the process of S406 can be omitted (it can be skipped and proceed to the next step), and if omitted, it is considered that it is not a dedicated screen (it is a normal screen, which will be described later), and the process proceeds to S407.
[0039] Here, the dedicated screen will be briefly described. The dedicated screen is a screen in which an OSD that visually displays the functions of the related function group registered in the assign button and displays the setting contents and the usage status so that the user can recognize them is superimposed on a live view image. Before starting the process of S401, the user of the imaging device 100 can operate the menu screen of the imaging device 100 to set whether or not to display a dedicated screen for a specific function on the LCD panel 113 or the like when the specific function is registered in the assign button. The dedicated screen is also displayed on the LCD panel 113 or the like when a preset function that displays a dedicated screen when a specific function is registered in the assign button is enabled. When the dedicated screen is not set to be displayed, a normal screen is displayed. Examples of the dedicated screen include Figs. 7(A) to (C) shown later, and examples of the normal screen include Figs. 5(A) and (B) shown later.
[0040] In S407, the CPU 118 judges whether or not the assign button to which the associated function group is registered is located on two or more sides of the exterior of the imaging device 100. Here, two or more sides of the exterior of the imaging device 100 means, for example, two or more sides out of the four sides shown in Figs. 3(A) to 3(D). If the extension unit 200 is connected to the imaging device 100, it is also judged whether or not the assign button to which the associated function group is registered is located on each of the imaging device 100 and the extension unit 200. Furthermore, it is also judged whether or not the assign button to which the associated function group is registered is located on two or more sides of the exterior of the extension unit 200. If the CPU 118 judges that the position of the assign button to which the associated function group is registered is located on two or more sides (Yes in S407), it executes the process of S408. On the other hand, if the CPU 118 judges that the assign button to which the associated function group is registered is located on only one side (No in S407), it executes the process of S415. It is possible to omit the process of S407.
[0041] In S408, the CPU 118 acquires the usage status of at least two assignable buttons to which related function groups are registered.
[0042] In S409, the CPU 118 judges whether or not all of the assign buttons to which the associated function groups are registered have been used based on the usage status of the assign buttons acquired in S408. The judgment in S409 is performed for each exterior surface of the imaging device 100, and when the expansion unit 200 is connected to the imaging device 100, the judgment is performed for the imaging device 100 and the expansion unit 200 separately. When the CPU 118 judges that all of the assign buttons to which the associated function groups are registered have been used (Yes in S409), it executes the process of S415. This is for the following reason. That is, when all of the assign buttons to which the associated function groups are registered have been used, it is presumed that the user understands the registration status of the associated function groups for the assign buttons. Therefore, it is considered that it is not necessary to display the appearance guide described later on the LCD panel 113 or the like. On the other hand, when the CPU 118 judges that all of the assign buttons to which the associated function groups are registered have not been used (No in S409), it executes the process of S410. Note that the process of S409 can be omitted.
[0043] In S410, the CPU 118 determines whether the appearance guide of the imaging device 100 overlaps with other objects (display items) of the OSD when it is displayed on the LCD panel 113 or the like. Note that the "appearance guide of the imaging device 100" is a schematic appearance of both or either one of the imaging device 100 and the extension unit 200, in which the assignment buttons to which related function groups are registered are highlighted. Also, the "LCD panel 113 or the like" specifically refers to the LCD panel 113, the EVF 114, and an external monitor that receives a display signal via the external output terminal 115. If the extension unit 200 is equipped with a display device, the "LCD panel 113 or the like" includes the extension unit 200.
[0044] If the CPU 118 determines that the appearance guide does not overlap with other objects (No in S410), it executes the process of S411, and if it determines that the appearance guide overlaps with other objects (Yes in S410), it executes the process of S419. Note that the process of S410 can be omitted. Also, as described above, it is possible to display OSDs with different contents on each output destination such as the LCD panel 113. Therefore, the determination of S410 may be performed for each of the imaging device 100, the external monitor, and the extension unit 200.
[0045] In S411, the CPU 118 sets the appearance guide of the imaging device 100 to the OSD by the OSD drawing unit 112. The contents of the OSD may be created for each LCD panel 113 or the like to which the display signal is output by the output I / F 116. Also, the OSD may be set by a user operation on the menu screen using a number individually registered to the assign button, rather than the appearance guide of the imaging device 100. The number of the assign button may be set as a default value, or may be set by a user operation on the menu screen.
[0046] In S412, the CPU 118 acquires status information of the imaging device 100. Examples of the status information of the imaging device 100 include, but are not limited to, the operating status of the imaging device 100, the configuration and mounting information of the lens 101 that can be acquired from the lens communication unit 107, the focus position, the angle of view, and the like.
[0047] In S413, the CPU 118 determines whether or not the related function group registered in the assignment button is available based on the state information of the imaging device 100 acquired in S412. If the CPU 118 determines that the related function group is unavailable (No in S413), it executes the process of S414, and if it determines that the related function group is unavailable (Yes in S413), it executes the process of S415. Note that the process of S413 can be omitted.
[0048] In S414, the CPU 118 increases the transmittance of the appearance guide of the imaging device 100 set in S411 by the OSD drawing unit 112, and then executes the process of S415. Note that although the transmittance of the appearance guide of the imaging device 100 is increased here, the appearance guide may be hidden. Note that the process of S414 can be omitted.
[0049] In S415, the CPU 118 generates a display signal (output image) by superimposing the OSD generated by the OSD drawing unit 112 in S411 on the live view image being acquired.
[0050] In S416, the CPU 118 outputs the display signal generated in S415 to the LCD panel 113, the EVF 114, and the external output terminal 115 via the output I / F 116. As a result, the output video is displayed on the LCD panel 113, the EVF 114, and an external monitor connected to the external output terminal 115 via the output I / F 116. Note that if the expansion unit 200 is equipped with a display device, the display signal is also output to the expansion unit 200 via the external I / F 117, and the output video is also displayed on the display device of the expansion unit 200.
[0051] In S417, the CPU 118 determines whether or not an operation to change the display position of the appearance guide of the imaging device 100 has been accepted through the operation unit 106. If the CPU 118 determines that an operation to change the display position has been accepted (Yes in S417), it executes the process of S418, and if the CPU 118 determines that an operation to change the display position has not been accepted (No in S417), it executes the process of S419. Note that if the process proceeds to S417 without going through the process of S411, the appearance guide of the imaging device 100 is not displayed, and therefore the determination result of S417 is always 'No'.
[0052] In S418, the CPU 118 transmits change information (coordinate information of the display position) for the display position of the appearance guide of the imaging device 100 to the OSD drawing unit 112, and the OSD drawing unit 112 changes the display position of the appearance guide on the OSD based on the received change information. At that time, the destination of the display position of the appearance guide may be an area in which some object is already displayed. In this case, the appearance guide is hidden, taking into consideration that the result of the determination in S410 after the acquisition of the live view image continues and the process is returned to S401 will be 'Yes'. Note that the appearance guide may be displayed in its original display position instead of being hidden.
[0053] In S419, the CPU 118 determines whether or not an instruction to stop output of a display signal from the output I / F 116 has been received via the operation unit 106. Examples of an instruction to stop output of a display signal include an operation to turn off the power supply 105 of the imaging device 100 and an operation to end acquisition of a live view image. If the CPU 118 determines that an instruction to stop output of a display signal has been received (Yes in S419), it ends this processing, and if it determines that an instruction to stop output of a display signal has not been received (No in S419), it returns the processing to S401.
[0054] Next, an example of a screen displayed on the LCD panel 113 or the like will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
[0055] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a normal screen displayed on the LCD panel 113 of the imaging device 100. A normal screen 500A in Fig. 5(A) is an example of a display screen when the determination result of S406 is 'No' and the process proceeds from S406 to S415. In the normal screen 500A, the process of S411 is not executed as a result of the process proceeding directly from S406 to S415, and therefore the appearance guide of the imaging device 100 is not displayed. As shown in Fig. 5(A), the OSD when the normal screen 500A is displayed includes objects of operation information and various setting values (parameters) of the imaging device 100, such as a recording display (REC), aperture value (F1.8), ISO sensitivity (ISO1600), etc.
[0056] 5B is an example of a display screen when the determinations of S406 and S407 are omitted, the determination of S409 is 'No' or the determination is omitted and the determination of S410 is 'No', and the process of S414 is not performed. In this case, normal screen 500B displays appearance guide 501 of imaging device 100 in the empty space of the OSD on normal screen 500A.
[0057] In the appearance guide 501, a first assign button 502 and a second assign button 503, to which related function groups are registered, are highlighted by being filled in with different colors (e.g., red, blue, green, etc.) although this is not clearly shown in Fig. 5(B). The first assign button 502 and the second assign button 503 in the appearance guide 501 correspond to the top two of the four assign buttons 304 (see Fig. 3) provided on the back of the imaging device 100.
[0058] Although not shown, if the judgment results other than the judgment result of S410 are the same as the judgment result when the normal screen 500B is displayed and the judgment result of S410 is 'Yes', the process of S411 is not performed, and therefore the appearance guide 501 is not displayed. As a result, in this case, the same screen as the normal screen 500A is displayed on the LCD panel 113 or the like.
[0059] As described above in the process of S417, it is possible to change the display position of the appearance guide. If a drag operation is performed on the normal screen 500B to change the display position of the appearance guide 501, and another object is placed at the new display position on the OSD, the appearance guide is hidden. This is because even if the process proceeds from S417 to S418, the process is returned to S401 thereafter and the determination in S410 is made, resulting in a "Yes" determination, and the process of S411 is not performed. However, instead of such a process of hiding the appearance guide 501, a process of redisplaying the appearance guide 501 in its original position before the drag operation may be performed.
[0060] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of function registration to a first assign button 502 and a second assign button 503 corresponding to the appearance guide 501 in Fig. 5(B). Fig. 6 shows that a first focus position 1 is registered to a first assign button 502 mounted on the imaging device 100, and a second focus position 2 is registered to a second assign button 503. Note that the focus position is an example of a function that can be registered to an assign button, and the function that can be registered to an assign button is not limited to the focus position.
[0061] The objects corresponding to the functions registered in the first assign button 502 and the second assign button 503, respectively, are not displayed on the normal screen as seen in normal screen 500B, but are displayed on a dedicated screen as described below.
[0062] 7A to 7C are diagrams showing an example of a dedicated screen displayed on the LCD panel 113 of the imaging device 100 or the like.
[0063] The dedicated screen 700A in Fig. 7(A) is an example of a display screen when the determination in S406 is 'Yes', the determination in S407 is omitted, and the determination in S409 is 'No' or the determination is omitted and the determination in S410 is 'No', and the process of S414 is not performed. The dedicated screen 700A displays an appearance guide 704 of the imaging device 100. The appearance guide 704 displays a first assignment button 705 and a second assignment button 706 in which related function groups are registered. The first assignment button 705 and the second assignment button 706 in the appearance guide 704 correspond to the top two of the four assignment buttons 304 (see Fig. 3) provided on the back of the imaging device 100.
[0064] Here, it is assumed that the first assignment button 705 and the second assignment button 706 in the appearance guide 704 are set to the focus positions as shown in Fig. 6. It is desirable that the first assignment button 705 and the second assignment button 706 are highlighted in the appearance guide 501 so that the user can easily visually recognize and distinguish between the first assignment button 705 and the second assignment button 706. For example, although not clearly shown in Fig. 7(A), the first assignment button 705 is displayed in red and the second assignment button 706 is displayed in blue.
[0065] The OSD of the dedicated screen 700A includes objects that visually display functions registered in the first assign button 705 and the second assign button 706. Specifically, a focus meter 701, a first marker 702 indicating a first focus position 1, and a second marker 703 indicating a second focus position 2 are displayed on the dedicated screen 700A. The focus meter 701 visually represents the focus positions (near to far) that the imaging device 100 can take, and an indicator 701A is displayed at the current focus position. The first marker 702 is displayed at a position indicating the first focus position 1 relative to the focus meter 701, and the second marker 703 is displayed at a position indicating the second focus position 2 relative to the focus meter 701.
[0066] At this time, the first marker 702 is displayed in red corresponding to the red display of the first assign button 705, and the second marker 703 is displayed in blue corresponding to the blue display of the second assign button 706. This allows the user to easily recognize the relationship between the assign buttons and the markers. For example, when the user wants to move the focus position from the current position to the first focus position 1 displayed in red, the user can quickly determine that it is only necessary to operate the assign button 304 corresponding to the first assign button 705 displayed in red. When the first assign button 705 is pressed, the lens 101 is driven to the first focus position 1, and the indicator 701A moves to the position indicated by the first marker 702 in accordance with the driving of the lens 101.
[0067] In addition, since the dedicated screen 700A gives priority to displaying information related to the assignment buttons, information such as "REC" and "ISO1600" that is displayed on the normal screens 500A and 500B is hardly displayed.
[0068] 7B is an example of a display screen when the determination in S406 is 'Yes', the determination in S407 is 'Yes' or the determination is omitted, the determination in S409 is 'No' or the determination is omitted, the determination in S410 is 'No', and the process of S414 is not performed. On the dedicated screen 700B, similar to the dedicated screen 700A, the appearance guide 704, focus meter 701, first marker 702, and second marker 703 of the imaging device 100 are displayed, and in addition to these, an appearance guide 710 of the extension unit 200 is displayed. The appearance guides 704 and 710 are generated by the OSD drawing unit 112 in S411 and are superimposed and displayed on the live view image.
[0069] The dedicated screen 700A and the dedicated screen 700B are the same in that the second focus position 2 is registered in the second assign button 706 of the appearance guide 704 of the imaging device 100, and the second marker 703 corresponds to the second focus position 2. The dedicated screen 700B shows a state in which the first focus position 1 is registered in one of the multiple assign buttons (hereinafter, for convenience, referred to as the "third assign button 711") mounted on the extension unit 200. For example, the second assign button 706 and the second marker 703 are displayed in blue, and the third assign button 711 and the first marker 702 are displayed in red.
[0070] In this way, when it is determined in the determination of S407 that the assign buttons to which related function groups are registered are divided between the imaging device 100 and the extension unit 200, an appearance guide is created for each surface and displayed superimposed on the live view image. By displaying the dedicated screen 700B on the LCD panel 113 or the like, the user can easily recognize the relationship between the assign buttons and the markers, in the same way as when the dedicated screen 700A is displayed.
[0071] 4 is returned to S401 after the dedicated screen 700B is displayed, the appearance guide 704 is hidden when, for example, the second assign button 706 is used based on the determination result of S409. Also, although not shown, if the assign buttons to which related function groups are registered are separated onto multiple surfaces of the imaging device 100, an appearance guide representing each surface is displayed. For example, if they are separated onto the front and top surfaces of the imaging device 100, the appearance guides corresponding to FIGS. 3(A) and 3(B) are displayed.
[0072] When the expansion unit 200 includes a display device, a display signal for the imaging device 100 and a display signal for the expansion unit 200 may be generated separately in S415. In this case, the OSD for the imaging device 100 is generated so as not to include the appearance guide 710 and the first marker 702 of the expansion unit 200, and the OSD for the expansion unit 200 is generated so as not to include the appearance guide 704 and the second marker 703 of the imaging device 100.
[0073] As described above, an OSD may be generated by a user operation on the menu screen using numbers individually registered to the assign buttons, instead of the appearance guide of the imaging device 100. On the dedicated screen 700C in Fig. 7(C), the numbers assigned to the respective assign buttons are displayed instead of the appearance guide of the imaging device 100.
[0074] The dedicated screen 700C is an example of a display screen when the determination in S406 is 'Yes', the determination in S407 is 'Yes' or the determination is omitted, the determination in S409 is 'No' or the determination is omitted, the determination in S410 is 'No', and the process of S414 is not performed. It is assumed that the first assign button mounted on the imaging device 100 is assigned a number with the number 1 surrounded by a circle (hereinafter referred to as "1 in a circle"), and the second assign button is assigned a number with the number 2 surrounded by a circle (hereinafter referred to as "2 in a circle"). It is also assumed that the focus positions are set to the first assign button and the second assign button as shown in FIG.
[0075] In the dedicated screen 700C, a circle 1 is displayed adjacent to the first marker 702, and a circle 2 is displayed adjacent to the second marker 703. By displaying the dedicated screen 700C on the LCD panel 113 or the like, the user can easily recognize the relationship between the assign buttons and the markers, as in the case where the dedicated screen 700A is displayed. Note that the display of the numbers of the assign buttons is not limited to a circle 1 and a circle 2. Also, the first assign button and the second assign button may be arranged on the same surface of the imaging device 100, or may be arranged on different surfaces, or may be arranged separately in the imaging device 100 and the extension unit 200.
[0076] So far, a description has been given of a case where a focus position is registered in an assignable button of the image capture device 100. Next, a description will be given of a case where a preset zoom position is registered in an assignable button of the image capture device 100.
[0077] 8 is a diagram showing an example of registering preset zoom positions for the assign buttons of the imaging device 100. Here, a zoom position of preset 1 is registered to the first assign button 1, and a zoom position of preset 2 is registered to the second assign button 2. In this embodiment, a preset is a function that registers zoom positions, focus positions, etc. in advance and then calls up and operates the registered contents. For example, when the first assign button 1 is pressed (operated), the lens 101 is driven to the zoom position of preset 1.
[0078] 9(A) and (B) are diagrams showing examples of dedicated screens displayed on the LCD panel 113 or the like when preset zoom positions are registered to the assign buttons of the image capture device 100 as shown in Fig. 8. On the dedicated screen 900A in Fig. 9(A), an appearance guide 904 of the image capture device 100, a zoom meter 901, a first marker 902, and a second marker 903 are displayed.
[0079] The zoom meter 901 visually represents the zoom positions (WIDE to TELE) that the imaging device 100 can take, and an indicator 901A is displayed at the current zoom position. A first marker 902 is displayed on the zoom meter 901 to indicate the zoom position of preset 1, and a second marker 903 is displayed on the zoom meter 901 to indicate the zoom position of preset 2. Note that the zoom positions of preset 1 and 2 are just examples.
[0080] Although not clearly shown, in the dedicated screen 900A, the first assign button 905 of the appearance guide 904 is displayed in red, and the second assign button 906 is displayed in blue. Correspondingly, the first marker 902 is displayed in red, and the second marker 903 is displayed in blue. This allows the user to easily recognize the relationship between the assign buttons and the markers.
[0081] In the dedicated screen 900A, the appearance guide 904 is arranged and displayed at a default setting position. The user may wish to display the appearance guide 904 at a position where it is easier to see, in accordance with the colors of the subject and background, etc. FIG. 9(B) shows a dedicated screen 900B as an example after the display position of the appearance guide 904 has been changed by a drag operation on the appearance guide 904. In the dedicated screen 900B, the appearance guide 904 is displayed close to the zoom meter 901 in the background, making it easier to recognize the relationship between the assignment button and the marker.
[0082] In the dedicated screen 900B, the appearance guide 904 is moved to a position where no OSD object is displayed. In contrast, if the destination of the appearance guide 904 is an area where "F3.0" indicating the aperture value is displayed, the determination in S410 performed later as described above is 'Yes', so that the appearance guide 904 is hidden while the display of "F3.0" remains.
[0083] As described above, in this embodiment, when the functions registered to the assign buttons mounted on the imaging device and the extension unit are related functions, an appearance guide of the imaging device on the surface on which the assign buttons are provided is displayed together with a live view image, thereby improving the convenience of the user when using the assign buttons even during shooting.
[0084] <Second embodiment> In the second embodiment, a configuration will be described in which an appearance guide of the imaging device is displayed on a display device, highlighting a control ring, a lever, a joystick, and a dial for which a group of related functions is registered.
[0085] Fig. 10(A) is a front view of the imaging device 100A according to the second embodiment, Fig. 10(B) is a top view of the imaging device 100A, Fig. 10(C) is a side view of the imaging device 100A, and Fig. 10(D) is a rear view of the imaging device 100A. Note that, among the components appearing in the exterior of the imaging device 100A, components that are the same as the components appearing in the exterior of the imaging device 100 according to the first embodiment (see Fig. 3) are given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof are omitted.
[0086] In the imaging device 100A, the lens 101 is provided with two control rings 1001. Furthermore, two levers 1002 and two joysticks 1003 are provided on the top surface of the housing of the imaging device 100A. Two dials 1004, 1005 are provided on the back surface of the housing of the imaging device 100A. The dial 1004 is disposed so that its rotation axis (not shown) is perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens 101, and the dial 1005 is disposed so that its rotation axis (not shown) is parallel to the optical axis of the lens 101.
[0087] The configuration shown in the block diagram of the imaging device 100 according to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 is also applied to the imaging device 100A, and the extension unit 200 described with reference to Fig. 2 in the first embodiment is detachable from the imaging device 100A. The operation unit 204 of the extension unit 200 may include a lever, joystick, or dial, similar to the imaging device 100A. The arrangement of the assignment buttons, levers, etc. in the extension unit 200 will not be illustrated or described.
[0088] The image capture device 100A is designed so that a user can register desired functions to the control ring 1001, lever 1002, joystick 1003, and dials 1004 and 1005. The registered functions are stored in the ROM 109 and / or RAM 110.
[0089] 11 is a flowchart of the imaging operation executed by imaging device 100A. Each process (step) indicated by an S number in this flowchart is realized by CPU 118 loading a program stored in ROM 109 into RAM 110 and comprehensively controlling the operation of each part constituting imaging device 100A.
[0090] The process of S1101 is similar to the process of S401 in the flowchart of FIG. 4 in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.
[0091] In S1102, the CPU 118 acquires the function registration contents for the operation members of the imaging device 100A. The operation members here refer to the assignment buttons 301 to 304, the control ring 1001, the two levers 1002, the two joysticks 1003, and the dials 1004 and 1005. As described above, the function registration contents for the operation members are stored in the ROM 109 or the RAM 110. Furthermore, when the extension unit 200 is connected to the imaging device 100A, the CPU 118 acquires the function registration contents for each operation member of the imaging device 100A and the extension unit 200.
[0092] In S1103, CPU 118 determines whether or not a function is registered in at least two of the operation members of imaging device 100A based on the function registration contents for the operation members acquired in S1102. If CPU 118 determines that a function is registered in at least two operation members (Yes in S1103), it executes the process of S1104, and if it determines that the number of operation members to which the function is registered is one or less (No in S1103), it executes the process of S1116. Note that, if the extension unit 200 is connected to imaging device 100A, CPU 118 determines whether or not a function is registered in at least two operation members, including the operation members of imaging device 100A and the operation members of extension unit 200.
[0093] In S1104, CPU 118 determines whether or not the functions registered in at least two operation members are a related function group. If CPU 118 determines that the functions are a related function group (Yes in S1104), it executes the process of S1105, and if it determines that the functions are not a related function group (No in S1104), it executes the process of S1116.
[0094] The processing of S1105 and S1106 is similar to the processing of S405 and S1106 in the flowchart of Fig. 4 in the first embodiment, and therefore the description will be omitted. If the CPU 118 determines that the screen is a dedicated screen (Yes in S1106), it executes the processing of S1107, and if it determines that the screen is not a dedicated screen (No in S1106), it executes the processing of S1116.
[0095] In S1107, the CPU 118 judges whether or not the operation members on which the associated function groups are registered are located on two or more surfaces of the exterior of the imaging device 100A. Here, two or more surfaces on the exterior of the imaging device 100A means, for example, two or more surfaces out of the four surfaces in Figs. 10(A) to (D). In addition, in the case where the extension unit 200 is connected to the imaging device 100A, it is also judged whether or not the operation members on which the associated function groups are registered are located on both the imaging device 100A and the extension unit 200. Furthermore, it is also judged whether or not the operation members on which the associated function groups are registered are located on two or more surfaces of the exterior of the extension unit 200. When the CPU 118 judges that the positions of the operation members on which the associated function groups are registered are located on two or more surfaces (Yes in S1107), it executes the process of S1108. On the other hand, when the CPU 118 judges that the operation members on which the associated function groups are registered are located on only one surface (No in S1107), it executes the process of S1116. The process of S1107 can be omitted.
[0096] In S1108, the CPU 118 acquires the usage status of at least two operation members for which a group of related functions is registered.
[0097] In S1109, the CPU 118 judges whether or not all of the operation members in which the related function groups are registered have been used based on the usage status of the operation members acquired in S1108. The judgment in S1109 is performed for each exterior surface of the imaging device 100A, and when the expansion unit 200 is connected to the imaging device 100A, it is performed for the imaging device 100A and the expansion unit 200 separately. When the CPU 118 judges that all of the operation members in which the related function groups are registered have been used (Yes in S1109), it executes the process of S1116. This is for the following reason. That is, when all of the operation members in which the related function groups are registered have been used, it is presumed that the user understands the registration status of the related function groups for the operation members. Therefore, it is considered that it is not necessary to display the appearance guide described later on the LCD panel 113 or the like. On the other hand, when the CPU 118 judges that all of the operation members in which the related function groups are registered have not been used (No in S1109), it executes the process of S1110. The process of S1109 can be omitted.
[0098] The process of S1110 is the same as the process of S410 in the flowchart of FIG. 4 in the first embodiment, and therefore the description will be omitted. When the CPU 118 determines that the appearance guide does not overlap with other objects (No in S1110), it executes the process of S1111, and when it determines that the appearance guide overlaps with other objects (Yes in S1110), it executes the process of S1116. Note that the process of S1110 can be omitted. Also, similar to the first embodiment, it is also possible to display OSDs with different contents on each output destination such as the LCD panel 113. Therefore, the determination of S1110 may be performed for each of the imaging device 100A, the external monitor, and the extension unit 200.
[0099] The process of S1111 is the same as the process of S411 in the flowchart of Fig. 4 in the first embodiment, and therefore the description will be omitted. In S1111, the OSD may be set by a user operation on the menu screen using a number individually registered for the operation member, instead of the appearance guide of the imaging device 100A. The number of the operation member may be set as a default value, or may be set by a user operation on the menu screen.
[0100] In S1112, if the operation member with which the related function group is registered has an LED backlight, CPU 118 lights up each LED backlight (operation member highlighting process). This makes it easier for the user to recognize the operation member with which the related function group is registered. Note that the method of making it easier for the user to recognize the operation member with which the related function group is registered is not limited to the method of providing and lighting an LED backlight. The process of S1112 can be omitted.
[0101] Since S1113 is similar to the process of S412 in the flowchart of FIG. 4 in the first embodiment, a description thereof will be omitted.
[0102] In S1114, CPU 118 determines whether or not the related function group registered in the operation member is available based on the state information of imaging device 100A acquired in S1113. If CPU 118 determines that the related function group is unavailable (No in S1114), it executes the process of S1115, and if it determines that the related function group is unavailable (Yes in S1114), it executes the process of S1116. Note that the process of S1114 can be omitted.
[0103] The processing in S1115 to S1120 is similar to the processing in S414 to S419 in the flowchart of FIG. 4 in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.
[0104] Next, an example of a screen displayed on the LCD panel 113 or the like will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
[0105] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a normal screen displayed on the LCD panel 113 of the imaging device 100A. The normal screen 1200A in Fig. 12(A) is an example of a display screen when the determination result of S1106 is 'No' and the process proceeds from S1106 to S1116. In the normal screen 1200A, the process of S1111 is not executed as a result of the process proceeding directly from S1106 to S1116, so the appearance guide of the imaging device 100A is not displayed. As shown in Fig. 12(A), the OSD when the normal screen 1200A is displayed includes objects of operation information and various setting values (parameters) of the imaging device 100A, such as a recording display (REC), aperture value (F1.8), ISO sensitivity (ISO1600), etc.
[0106] 12B is an example of a display screen when the determinations of S1106 and S1107 are omitted, the determination of S1109 is 'No' or the determination is omitted and the determination of S1110 is 'No', and the process of S1115 is not performed. In this case, the normal screen 1200B displays an appearance guide 1201 of the imaging device 100A in the empty space of the OSD on the normal screen 1200A.
[0107] In the visual guide 1201, the operation members for which related function groups are registered are highlighted by being filled in with a different color (for example, red, blue, green, etc.) although this is not clearly shown in Fig. 12(B). Note that in the visual guide 1201, a joystick 1202, a lever 1203, a control ring 1204, and a dial 1205 are shown as operation members for which related function groups are registered. Note that, although not shown, the operation direction may be displayed for each of these operation members, and the display may be further highlighted.
[0108] Incidentally, if the judgment results other than the judgment result of S1110 are the same as the judgment results when the normal screen 1200B is displayed and the judgment result of S1110 is 'Yes', the process of S1111 is not performed and the appearance guide 1201 is not displayed. As a result, in this case, the same screen as the normal screen 1200A is displayed on the LCD panel 113 or the like.
[0109] In the second embodiment, the display position of the appearance guide can also be changed by the process of S1118. If a drag operation is performed on the normal screen 1200B to change the display position of the appearance guide 1201, and another object is placed at the new display position on the OSD, the appearance guide is hidden. This is because even if the process proceeds from S1118 to S1119, the process is returned to S1101 thereafter and the determination of S1110 is made, resulting in a "Yes" determination, and the process of S1111 is not performed. However, instead of such a process of hiding the appearance guide 1201, a process of redisplaying the appearance guide 1201 at its original position before the drag operation may be performed.
[0110] Figures 13(A) to (D) are diagrams showing an example of function registration to an operation member highlighted in the appearance guide 1201 in the normal screen 1200B of Figure 12(B). Figures 13(A) and (B) show that a first focus position 1 is registered in the joystick 1202 of the appearance guide 1201, and a second focus position 2 is registered in the lever 1203 of the appearance guide 1201. Figures 13(C) and (D) show that a third focus position 3 is registered in the control ring 1204 of the appearance guide 1201, and a fourth focus position 4 is registered in the dial 1205 of the appearance guide 1201.
[0111] The focus position is an example of a function that can be registered in an operating member, and the functions that can be registered in an operating member are not limited to the focus position. In addition, when there are multiple operating directions of an operating member, a function may be assigned to each of the operating directions. The operating direction refers to the orientation that the operating member can recognize or the rotation direction of the operating member.
[0112] Objects corresponding to functions registered in each operation member highlighted in the appearance guide 1201 are not displayed on the normal screen 1200B, but are displayed on a dedicated screen as described below.
[0113] 14(A) to (C) are diagrams showing an example of a dedicated screen displayed on the LCD panel 113 of the imaging device 100A or the like. The dedicated screen 1400A in FIG. 14(A) is an example of a display screen when the determination in S1106 is 'Yes', the process of S1107 is omitted, the determination in S1109 is 'No' or the determination is omitted, the determination in S1110 is 'No', and the process of S1115 is not performed. The dedicated screen 1400A displays an appearance guide 1406 of the imaging device 100A. The appearance guide 1406 displays a joystick 1407, a lever 1408, a control ring 1409, and a dial 1410 with associated function groups registered therein.
[0114] Here, it is assumed that the focus positions are set for the joystick 1407, lever 1408, control ring 1409, and dial 1410, respectively, as shown in Fig. 13. It is desirable that the joystick 1407, lever 1408, control ring 1409, and dial 1410 are highlighted in the appearance guide 1406 so that the user can easily visually recognize and distinguish them. For example, although not clearly shown in Fig. 14(A), the joystick 1407 is displayed in red, the lever 1408 in blue, the control ring 1409 in green, and the dial 1410 in orange.
[0115] The OSD of dedicated screen 1400A includes objects that visually display functions registered in joystick 1407, lever 1408, control ring 1409, and dial 1410. Specifically, dedicated screen 1400A displays focus meter 1401, and a first marker 1402 indicating a first focus position 1 and a second marker 1403 indicating a second focus position 2 are displayed for focus meter 1401. In addition, dedicated screen 1400A displays a third marker 1404 indicating a third focus position 3 and a fourth marker 1405 indicating a fourth focus position 4 for focus meter 1401.
[0116] Focus meter 1401 visually represents focus positions (near to far) that imaging device 100 can take, and indicator 1401A is displayed at the current focus position. A first marker 1402 is displayed at a position indicating a first focus position 1 with respect to focus meter 1401, and a second marker 1403 is displayed at a position indicating a second focus position 2 with respect to focus meter 1401. Similarly, a third marker 1404 is displayed at a position indicating a third focus position 3 with respect to focus meter 1401, and a fourth marker 1405 is displayed at a position indicating a fourth focus position 4 with respect to focus meter 1401.
[0117] At this time, the first marker 1402 is displayed in red in correspondence with the red display of the joystick 1407, and the second marker 1403 is displayed in blue in correspondence with the blue display of the lever 1408. Then, the third marker 1404 is displayed in green in correspondence with the green display of the control ring 1409, and the fourth marker 1405 is displayed in orange in correspondence with the orange display of the dial 1410. This allows the user to easily recognize the relationship between the operating members and the markers.
[0118] For example, if the user wants to move the focus position from the current position to a first focus position 1 displayed in red, the user can quickly determine that he or she should operate the joystick 1003 corresponding to the joystick 1407 displayed in red. When the joystick 1003 corresponding to the joystick 1407 is operated, the lens 101 is driven to the first focus position 1, and in accordance with the driving of the lens 101, the indicator 1401A moves to the position indicated by the first marker 1402.
[0119] In addition, since the dedicated screen 1400A gives priority to displaying information related to the operating members, information such as "REC" and "ISO1600" that is displayed on the normal screens 1200A and 1200B is hardly displayed.
[0120] 14B is an example of a display screen when the determination in S1106 is 'Yes', the determination in S1107 is 'Yes', the determination in S1109 is 'No' or the determination is omitted, the determination in S1110 is 'No', and the process of S1115 is not performed. On the dedicated screen 1400B, similar to the dedicated screen 1400A, an appearance guide 1406A of the imaging device 100A, a focus meter 1401, and first to fourth markers 1402 to 1405 are displayed, and in addition, an appearance guide 1420 of the extension unit 200 is displayed. The appearance guides 1406A and 1420 are generated by the OSD drawing unit 112 in S1111 and are superimposed on and displayed on the live view image.
[0121] A first focus position 1 is registered in a joystick 1407 of an appearance guide 1406A of the dedicated screen 1400B, a second focus position 2 is registered in a lever 1408, and a third focus position 3 is registered in a control ring 1409. A first marker 1402 corresponds to the first focus position 1, a second marker 1403 corresponds to the second focus position 2, and a third marker 1404 corresponds to the third focus position 3. In these respects, there is no difference between the dedicated screen 1400A and the dedicated screen 1400B. A dial 1421 of an appearance guide 1420 of the expansion unit 200 displayed on the dedicated screen 1400B corresponds to a dial provided on the expansion unit 200, and a fourth focus position 4 is registered in the dial 1421 of the appearance guide 1420. On the dedicated screen 1400B, for example, the joystick 1407 and the first marker 1402 are displayed in red, the lever 1408 and the second marker 1403 are displayed in blue, and the control ring 1409 and the third marker 1404 are displayed in green. Also, on the dedicated screen 1400B, the dial 1421 and the fourth marker 1405 are displayed in orange, for example.
[0122] In this way, when it is determined in the determination of S1107 that the assign buttons to which related function groups are registered are divided between the imaging device 100A and the extension unit 200, the appearance guide is created for each surface and displayed superimposed on the live view image. By displaying the dedicated screen 1400B on the LCD panel 113 or the like, the user can easily recognize the relationship between the assign buttons and the markers, in the same way as when the dedicated screen 1400A is displayed.
[0123] Assume that after the dedicated screen 1400B is displayed, the dial of the extension unit 200 corresponding to the dial 1421 of the appearance guide 1420 is used. In this case, when the process of the flowchart in FIG. 11 is returned to S1101 and the determination of S1109 is performed, the determination result becomes 'Yes' and the appearance guide 1420 is hidden. Although not shown, when the operation members to which the related function groups are registered are separated into multiple faces of the imaging device 100A, an appearance guide representing each face is displayed. For example, when they are separated into the front and top faces of the imaging device 100A, the appearance guides corresponding to FIG. 10(A) and FIG. 10(B) are displayed.
[0124] When the expansion unit 200 includes a display device, a display signal for the imaging device 100A and a display signal for the expansion unit 200 may be generated separately in S1116. In this case, the OSD for the imaging device 100A is generated so as not to include the appearance guide 1420 and the fourth marker 1405 of the expansion unit 200, and the OSD for the expansion unit 200 is generated so as not to include the appearance guide 1406A, the first marker 1402, the second marker 1403, and the third marker 1404 of the imaging device 100A.
[0125] As described above, an OSD may be generated by a user operation on the menu screen using numbers individually registered to the operation members, instead of the appearance guide of the imaging device 100A. In the dedicated screen 1400C of Fig. 14(C), the numbers assigned to the operation members are displayed instead of the appearance guide of the imaging device 100A.
[0126] The dedicated screen 1400C is an example of a display screen when the determination in S1106 is 'Yes', the determination in S1107 is omitted, the determination in S1109 is 'No', or the determination is omitted and the determination in S1110 is 'No', and the process of S1115 is not performed. It is assumed that the first joystick mounted on the imaging device 100A is assigned a number with the number 1 surrounded by a circle (hereinafter referred to as "1 in a circle"), and the first lever is assigned a number with the number 2 surrounded by a circle (hereinafter referred to as "2 in a circle"). It is assumed that the first joystick is the left joystick of the two joysticks 1003 in FIG. 3(B), and similarly, the first lever is the left lever of the two levers 1002 in FIG. 3(B). The first control ring is assigned a number consisting of the number 3 in a circle (hereinafter referred to as "circled 3"), and the first dial is assigned a number consisting of the number 4 in a circle (hereinafter referred to as "circled 4"). The first control ring is the control ring on the tip side of the lens 101 in FIG. 3(B) out of the two control rings 1001, and the first dial is dial 1004. The first joystick, first lever, first control ring, and first dial are each set to a focus position as shown in FIG. 13.
[0127] In the dedicated screen 1400C, a circle 1 is displayed adjacent to the first marker 1402, a circle 2 is displayed adjacent to the second marker 1403, a circle 3 is displayed adjacent to the third marker 1404, and a circle 4 is displayed adjacent to the fourth marker 1405. By displaying the dedicated screen 1400C on the LCD panel 113 or the like, the user can easily recognize the relationship between the operation members and the markers, as in the case where the dedicated screen 1400A is displayed. Note that the display of the numbers of the operation members is not limited to circle 1, circle 2, circle 3, and circle 4. In addition, each operation member may be arranged on the same surface of the imaging device 100A, or on different surfaces, or may be arranged separately in the imaging device 100A and the extension unit 200.
[0128] 15 is an example of a top view of another imaging device 100B according to the second embodiment. The imaging device 100B differs from the imaging device 100A in that the two levers 1002 are each provided with an LED 1501, and the two joysticks 1003 are each provided with an LED 1502. However, the other configurations are the same as those of the imaging device 100A.
[0129] It is assumed that the focus positions are set on the right lever of the two levers 1002 and the right joystick of the two joysticks 1003 as shown in Fig. 13. If the determination in S1106 is 'Yes', the process of S1107 is omitted, and the determination in S1109 is 'Yes' or the determination is omitted and the determination in S1110 is 'No', the process of S1112 is executed. Fig. 15 shows a schematic state in which the LEDs 1501 and 1502 provided on the right lever of the two levers 1002 and the right joystick of the two joysticks 1003 of the imaging device 100B are turned on by the process of S1112. This allows the user to quickly determine which operating member to operate when changing the focus position.
[0130] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configurations and methods. (Configuration 1) An imaging device comprising an imaging unit, a display device that displays a live view image obtained by the imaging unit, and a plurality of operating members, characterized in that the imaging device has a registration means for registering a predetermined function to each of the plurality of operating members, and a control means for, when a group of functions related to each other are registered to at least two of the plurality of operating members, displaying on the display device an appearance guide of the imaging device for the exterior surface of the imaging device on which the at least two operating members are located together with the live view image. (Configuration 2) The imaging device according to configuration 1, wherein the control means highlights the at least two operation members in the appearance guide. (Configuration 3) The imaging device described in configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that when the at least two operating members are arranged separately on two or more surfaces of the exterior surface of the imaging device, the control means displays the appearance guide for each exterior surface on which the at least two operating members are arranged. (Configuration 4) An imaging device as described in Configuration 3, characterized in that when all of the operating members included in one appearance guide displayed for each exterior surface, to which the associated function group is registered, are used, the control means makes the one appearance guide hidden. (Configuration 5) An imaging device described in any one of configurations 1 to 4, characterized in that the control means displays the appearance guide when a dedicated screen for using the group of related functions is displayed on the display device. (Configuration 6) An imaging device described in any one of configurations 1 to 4, characterized in that the control means displays the appearance guide when a dedicated screen for using the group of related functions is displayed on the display device and when all of the at least two operating members have been used. (Configuration 7) An imaging device described in any one of configurations 1 to 6, characterized in that when a normal screen displaying operation information or setting values of the imaging device is displayed on the display device, and the position at which the appearance guide is displayed overlaps with the display position of the operation information or the setting values, the control means does not display the appearance guide. (Configuration 8) The imaging device according to configuration 7, further comprising a selection unit for selecting whether to display or not display the appearance guide on the display device when the normal screen is displayed. (Configuration 9) An imaging device described in any one of configurations 1 to 8, characterized in that the control means makes the appearance guide invisible or displays it with increased transmittance when the functions registered in the at least two operating members cannot be used. (Configuration 10) The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, further comprising an operation means for moving a display position of the appearance guide while the appearance guide is displayed on the display device. (Configuration 11) The imaging device described in Configuration 10, characterized in that the control means makes the appearance guide invisible when another object is already displayed at the destination of the display position of the appearance guide moved by the operation means. (Configuration 12) The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, wherein the control means displays numbers assigned to the at least two operating members instead of the appearance guide. (Configuration 13) The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 12, wherein the group of related functions is a focus position or a zoom position. (Configuration 14) The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the operation member is an assignment button, a lever, a joystick, a dial, or a control ring. (Configuration 15) The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that, when the at least two operation members are provided with LEDs, the control means turns on the LEDs. (Configuration 16) A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 15. (Configuration 17) An imaging system having an imaging device and an extension unit communicatively connected to the imaging device, wherein the extension unit has at least one first operating member and a first registration means for registering a predetermined function in the first operating member, and the imaging device has an imaging unit, a display device for displaying a live view image obtained by the imaging unit, a plurality of second operating members, a second registration means for registering a predetermined function in each of the plurality of second operating members, and a control means for displaying, when a group of functions related to each other are registered in the first operating member and at least one operating member among the plurality of second operating members, an appearance guide of the exterior surface of the extension unit on which the first operating member is located, and an appearance guide of the exterior surface of the imaging device on which the at least one operating member is located, together with the live view image, on the display device. (Configuration 18) An imaging system having an imaging device and an expansion unit communicatively connected to the imaging device, wherein the expansion unit has a plurality of operating members and a registration means for registering predetermined functions to the plurality of operating members, and the imaging device has an imaging unit, a display device for displaying a live view image obtained by the imaging unit, and a control means for displaying, when a group of functions related to each other are registered to at least two of the plurality of operating members, an appearance guide of the expansion unit on the exterior surface of the expansion unit on which the at least two operating members are arranged, together with the live view image, on the display device. (Method 1) A control method for an imaging device, comprising the steps of: registering a predetermined function to at least two operating members among a plurality of operating members provided on the imaging device; displaying a live view image obtained by an imaging unit on a display device; and, when the functions registered to the at least two operating members are a group of functions related to each other, displaying on the display device an appearance guide of the imaging device on the exterior surface of the imaging device on which the at least two operating members are located, together with the live view image.
[0131] Although the present invention has been described in detail above based on the preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms within the scope of the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, each of the above-mentioned embodiments merely shows one embodiment of the present invention, and each embodiment can be appropriately combined.
[0132] For example, in the above embodiment, the focus position and the preset zoom position are taken up as the group of related functions registered in the assignment button and other operation members, but the present invention is not limited to these, and other functions (e.g., aperture value, etc.) can be applied. Also, the highlighting of the assignment button, etc. in the appearance guide is not limited to a method using a predetermined color such as red or blue, and the corresponding marker and the assignment button, etc. may be flashed at the same timing.
[0133] In the above embodiment, the appearance guide and OSD are superimposed on the live view image. However, the appearance guide and OSD may be displayed not only on the live view image, but also on a preview image, for example.
[0134] Also, when the imaging device is set to display a normal screen, the appearance guide may be displayed / hidden by selecting it from a menu screen. The imaging device according to the present invention is not limited to a digital video camera, and may be a digital still camera having a video shooting function. Also, the imaging device may be an electronic device having an imaging function and a live view image display function, and including multiple operation members, and the multiple operation members may be used as assignable buttons during imaging.
[0135] The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for implementing one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions. [Explanation of symbols]
[0136] 100 Imaging device 101 Lens 102 CMOS sensor 106 Operation section 112 OSD drawing section 113 LCD Panel 200 Expansion Unit 301, 302, 303, 304 Assignment buttons 700A, 700B, 700C, 900A, 900B, 1400A, 1400B, 1400C dedicated screen 704,710,904,1201,1406,1406A,1420 Appearance Guide 1001 Control Ring 1002 Lever 1003 Joystick 1004,1005 Dial
Claims
1. An imaging unit; a display device that displays a live view image obtained by the imaging unit; and An imaging device comprising a plurality of operation members, a registration means for registering a predetermined function to each of the plurality of operation members; and a control means for displaying, on the display device, an appearance guide of the imaging device on an exterior surface of the imaging device on which the at least two operating members are located, together with the live view image, when a group of functions related to each other are registered for at least two operations of the plurality of operating members.
2. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit displays the at least two operation members in the appearance guide in an emphasized manner.
3. The imaging device described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when the at least two operating members are arranged on two or more surfaces of the exterior surface of the imaging device, the control means displays the appearance guide for each of the exterior surfaces on which the at least two operating members are arranged.
4. The imaging device described in claim 3, characterized in that when all of the operating members included in one appearance guide displayed for each exterior surface, to which the associated function group is registered, are used, the control means makes the one appearance guide hidden.
5. 3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means displays the appearance guide when a dedicated screen for using the group of related functions is displayed on the display device.
6. The imaging device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control means displays the appearance guide when a dedicated screen for using the group of related functions is displayed on the display device and when all of the at least two operating members have been used.
7. The imaging device described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when a normal screen displaying operation information or setting values of the imaging device is displayed on the display device, if the position at which the appearance guide is displayed overlaps with the display position of the operation information or the setting values, the control means does not display the appearance guide.
8. The imaging device according to claim 7 , further comprising a selection unit for selecting whether to display or not display the appearance guide on the display device when the normal screen is displayed.
9. The imaging device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control means makes the appearance guide invisible or displays it with increased transparency when the functions registered in the at least two operating members cannot be used.
10. 3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation unit for moving a display position of the appearance guide while the appearance guide is displayed on the display device.
11. 11. The imaging device according to claim 10, wherein the control means makes the appearance guide non-displayable when another object is already displayed at a destination where the display position of the appearance guide is moved by the operation means.
12. 3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit displays numbers assigned to the at least two operation members instead of the appearance guide.
13. 3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the group of related functions is a focus position or a zoom position.
14. 3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation member is an assign button, a lever, a joystick, a dial, or a control ring.
15. 3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means, when the at least two operation members each include an LED, turns on the LED.
16. A control method for an imaging device, comprising: registering predetermined functions in at least two operation members among a plurality of operation members included in the imaging device; displaying a live view image obtained by the imaging unit on a display device; and when the functions registered in the at least two operating members are a group of functions related to each other, displaying on the display device an appearance guide of the imaging device on an exterior surface of the imaging device on which the at least two operating members are located, together with the live view image.
17. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the imaging apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.
18. An imaging system having an imaging device and an extension unit communicatively connected to the imaging device, The expansion unit includes: At least one first operating member; a first registration means for registering a predetermined function in the first operation member, The imaging device includes: An imaging unit; a display device that displays a live view image obtained by the imaging unit; and A plurality of second operating members; a second registration means for registering a predetermined function to each of the plurality of second operation members; An imaging system characterized by having a control means that, when a group of functions related to each other are registered in the first operating member and at least one of the multiple second operating members, displays on the display device an appearance guide of an exterior surface of the extension unit on which the first operating member is located, and an appearance guide of an exterior surface of the imaging device on which the at least one operating member is located, together with the live view image.
19. An imaging system having an imaging device and an extension unit communicatively connected to the imaging device, The expansion unit includes: A plurality of operating members; A registration unit for registering a predetermined function to the plurality of operation members, The imaging device includes: An imaging unit; a display device that displays a live view image obtained by the imaging unit; and An imaging system characterized by having a control means that, when a group of functions related to each other are registered to at least two of the multiple operating members, displays on the display device an appearance guide of the expansion unit on the exterior surface of the expansion unit on which the at least two operating members are arranged, together with the live view image.