Imaging apparatus and setting screen thereof

Abstract

To provide an imaging apparatus including a plurality of imaging units of which usability at photographing or reproducing is improved.SOLUTION: The imaging apparatus according to the invention is configured so that: a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit are arranged so as to performing imaging in a common direction with a predetermined interval; an image signal processing circuit generates a first image signal from a signal imaged by the first imaging unit, a second image signal from a signal imaged by the second imaging unit, and a third signal from the signal imaged by the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit; a control circuit controls the first and second imaging units, an image signal processing circuit, and a recording unit, through an imaging operation performed once by an operation unit in accordance with a plurality of photographing modes which can be previously set by an input from a mode setting unit; the plurality of photographing modes includes a photographing mode for recording the first image signal and a mode for recording the first and second image signals, and a mode for recording the third signal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for controlling a plurality of image capturing units in different operation modes in an image capturing apparatus having the plurality of image capturing units. [Background technology]

[0002] An imaging device such as a digital camera that captures an image of a subject using an imaging element such as a CCD or CMOS sensor generally has a single imaging unit that is composed of a single imaging element and an optical system. In contrast, imaging devices equipped with multiple imaging units have also been proposed. As a background technique in this technical field, there is Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-134187 (Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a device that is equipped with a wide-angle camera and a narrow-angle camera and is capable of estimating depth information with high accuracy. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-134187 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The device in Patent Document 1 can estimate a wide-angle field of view and a highly accurate depth. However, it does not take into consideration ease of use during shooting or playback. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides, as an example, an imaging device having a first imaging section, a second imaging section, a display section, an image signal processing circuit, a control circuit, an operation section, a mode setting section, and a recording section, in which the first imaging section and the second imaging section are arranged so as to image the same direction at a predetermined interval, the image signal processing circuit generates a first image signal from a signal imaged by the first imaging section, generates a second image signal from a signal imaged by the second imaging section, and generates a third signal from the signal imaged by the first imaging section and the signal imaged by the second imaging section, the control circuit controls the first imaging section and the second imaging section, the image signal processing circuit, and the recording section by a single imaging operation by the operation section in accordance with a plurality of shooting modes that can be set in advance by input from the mode setting section, and the plurality of shooting modes are configured to include a shooting mode for recording the first image signal, a mode for recording the first image signal and the second image signal, and a mode for recording the third signal. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a user-friendly imaging device that enables a plurality of imaging units to be controlled simultaneously to capture images with a simple operation. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an imaging apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is an external view showing an example of an imaging device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 4 is an external view showing another example of the imaging device in the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a list of shooting modes in the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the timing of the operation of normal photography 2 in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 5 is an explanatory diagram showing image capture timing of an image capture unit in a high-speed continuous shooting mode according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 13 is a list of shooting modes in the second embodiment. [Figure 8]FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of an image signal processing circuit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 13 is an example of an image in the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 shows a distance histogram for the image of FIG. [Figure 11] 13 is an example of an output image after synthesis in the second embodiment. [Figure 12] 13 is a screen display example of a user interface in a distance adaptive processing mode in the second embodiment. [Figure 13] 13 is another example of a screen display of a user interface in the distance adaptive processing mode in the second embodiment. [Figure 14] 13 is a list of shooting modes in the third embodiment. [Figure 15] 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a menu screen when settings of a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit are individually performed in the third embodiment. [Figure 16] 13 is an example of a screen display during monitoring in the first to third embodiments. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of an imaging mode in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is an external view showing an example of an imaging device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is an external view showing another example of the imaging device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is an external view showing an example of an imaging device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an imaging device according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 22] 23 is a list of normal shooting modes in the sixth embodiment. [Diagram 23] 23 is a list of simultaneous shooting modes in the sixth embodiment. [Figure 24] 13 is an explanatory diagram of the relationship between the focal length and the zoom magnification in the sixth embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 25] FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram of a screen display in a still image shooting mode in the sixth embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram of a screen display in a moving image shooting mode in the sixth embodiment. [Figure 27] FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram of a display screen during recording of a wide-angle image in a moving image shooting mode in the sixth embodiment. [Figure 28] FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram of a display screen during narrow-angle image recording in a moving image shooting mode in the sixth embodiment. [Figure 29] FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram of a screen display in a simultaneous still image shooting mode in the sixth embodiment. [Diagram 30] FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram of a dual-screen display in a simultaneous still image capturing mode in the sixth embodiment. [Diagram 31] FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram of a screen display in a simultaneous moving image shooting mode in the sixth embodiment. [Diagram 32] FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram of a screen display during simultaneous recording of a moving image in a simultaneous moving image shooting mode in the sixth embodiment. [Diagram 33] FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram of a screen display in a simultaneous moving image and still image shooting mode in the sixth embodiment. [Diagram 34] FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram of a screen display in a playback mode in the sixth embodiment. [Diagram 35] FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram of another screen display in the playback mode in the sixth embodiment. [Diagram 36] FIG. 13 is a schematic view of an imaging device according to a seventh embodiment. [Figure 37] FIG. 13 is a schematic view of an imaging device according to an eighth embodiment. [Figure 38] FIG. 23 is another overview of the imaging device in the eighth embodiment. [Figure 39] FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram of a shooting mode screen display in the eighth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. EXAMPLES

[0009] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an imaging device according to this embodiment. The imaging device 1 of this embodiment has two imaging units. 2a and 2b are lens units, and 3a and 3b are imaging units. The imaging units 3a and 3b are arranged to capture images in the same direction at a predetermined interval. The lens units 2a and 2b are composed of multiple lenses including a focus lens, and a focusing operation is performed by controlling the position of the focus lens by a control circuit 6.

[0010] The imaging units 3a and 3b are composed of imaging elements such as CMOS and CCD. Photoelectric conversion elements are arranged two-dimensionally on the imaging surfaces of the imaging units 3a and 3b, and the optical image of the subject input through the lens units 2a and 2b and formed on the imaging surfaces is photoelectrically converted into an imaging signal. The imaging units 3a and 3b have built-in AD conversion circuits that convert analog signals into digital signals, and output the digitized imaging signals. The imaging units 3a and 3b may also use imaging elements in which pixels for phase difference AF (autofocus) are arranged to speed up AF. The imaging units 3a and 3b may also have built-in memory to speed up input and output of captured signals. When an imaging element that does not have a built-in AD conversion circuit is used, the AD conversion circuit may be provided outside the imaging units 3a and 3b. The imaging units 3a and 3b and the lens units 2a and 2b are controlled by a control circuit 6 according to the operation mode.

[0011] The interface circuit 4 outputs the input signals from the imaging units 3a and 3b to the image signal processing circuit 5 in accordance with the operation mode of the imaging device. At this time, one or both of the imaging signals captured by the imaging units 3a and 3b are output in accordance with the operation mode. This operation is controlled by the control circuit 6.

[0012] The image signal processing circuit 5 performs various signal processing such as filtering, amplification according to the sensitivity setting, and white balance correction on the output signal from the interface circuit 4. The image signal processing circuit 5 also generates moving image data and still image data, which are video signals for display or video signals for recording, according to the operation mode. These video signals for display and video signals for recording include video signals corresponding to the imaging units 3a and 3b, and video signals generated by combining the output signals of the imaging units 3a and 3b.

[0013] The image signal processing circuit 5 is connected to a control circuit 6, a display 8, a memory 12 such as a DRAM or a flash memory, an encoding / decoding circuit 15, a recording / reproducing circuit 10, etc., and is capable of high-speed cooperative processing with each section. The hardware configuration of the image signal processing circuit 5 and the control circuit 6 may be an LSI in which both are integrated into a single chip, or may be configured as separate LSIs. The image signal processing circuit 5 and the recording / reproducing circuit 10 may be configured to perform two systems of signal processing and recording circuits corresponding to the two imaging sections, so that two systems of signal processing can be performed simultaneously, depending on the performance requirements of the imaging device.

[0014] The control circuit 6 is connected to the lens units 2a and 2b, the imaging units 3a and 3b, the interface circuit 4, the image signal processing circuit 5, the attitude detection unit 7, the operation input unit 9, the position information input unit 13, the wireless communication unit 14, etc. The control circuit 6 controls each of these connected units according to the operation mode. The control circuit 6 also controls the display 8, the encoding / decoding circuit 15, and the recording / playback circuit 10 directly or via the image signal processing circuit 5. The attitude detection unit 7 includes a gyro sensor and an electronic compass, and can detect the shooting direction (azimuth angle, elevation angle) of the imaging device and the inclination of the image. As described above, in this embodiment, in accordance with the operation mode preset by the user operation through the control circuit 6, the encoding / decoding circuit 15 controls the imaging units 3a, 3b, the image signal processing circuit 5, the display 8, the recording / reproduction circuit 10, etc., so as to display or record, in one shooting operation, any one of the image signal captured by the imaging unit 3a, the image signal captured by the imaging unit 3b, or the image signal generated by combining the image signals captured by the imaging units 3a and 3b.

[0015] The encoding / decoding circuit 15 performs encoding processing for recording on the processed video signal and decodes the reproduced image data. The recording / reproducing circuit 10 records the captured image data on the recording medium 11 and reproduces the images recorded on the recording medium 11.

[0016] The operation input unit 9 receives operation inputs from the user. Specifically, as will be described later, a mode setting dial, a shutter button, a mode setting button, etc. correspond to the operation input unit 9. Of the settings for the imaging device 1, an operation that is frequently used by the user may be assigned to the mode setting dial.

[0017] The display 8 is, for example, a display in which a display unit such as a touch panel and a liquid crystal panel is integrated, and may further include an optical or electronic viewfinder in addition to the display 8. The type of the display unit is not limited to liquid crystal, and any type such as organic electroluminescence may be used. The touch panel may be, for example, a capacitance type or a pressure-sensitive type.

[0018] 2 is an external view showing an example of an imaging device in this embodiment, where (A) is a rear view, (B) is a right side view, and (C) is a front view. In FIG. 2, imaging device 1 has a display 8 integrated with a touch panel disposed on the rear side.

[0019] The lens units 2a and 2b are arranged at a predetermined interval so that they have almost the same optical axis direction. The lens units 2a and 2b may be fixed or detachable. The operation input unit 9 of the imaging device 1 includes a mode setting dial 31, a shutter button 32, an operation button 33, and a video shooting button 34. Reference numeral 35 denotes a power switch. The mode setting dial 31 is used to select the type of shooting mode of the imaging device 1. The shutter button 32 is provided on the upper right side of the main body, and is pressed to perform shooting operations. The operation button 33 has a central button and four buttons in four directions (up, down, left, and right), and is used to display and select a menu screen. An electronic viewfinder may be provided on the top side of the imaging device 1.

[0020] The operation modes of the imaging device 1 include at least a shooting mode and a playback mode, and the shooting mode includes a plurality of modes. These operation modes can be switched using the mode setting dial 31. A dedicated playback mode button may be provided for the playback mode. The types of shooting modes and their details will be described later, but here we will explain the outline of the shooting mode operation. When the control circuit 6 detects that a specific shooting mode has been set by the operation input unit 9, it controls the imaging units 3a and 3b, the image signal processing circuit 5, the display 8, the encoding / decoding circuit 15, the recording / reproducing circuit 10, etc. according to the shooting mode. In the shooting mode, still image shooting and video shooting are possible.

[0021] The control circuit 6 reads out the imaging signal from the imaging unit 3a or 3b at a predetermined cycle, passes it through the interface circuit 4, and performs predetermined signal processing in the image signal processing circuit 5, converts it into a display format, and displays a moving image in real time on the display 8. The user takes pictures by performing the following operations while monitoring this moving image.

[0022] When taking a still image, the user presses the shutter button 32. The control circuit 6 detects that the shutter button 32 has been pressed from the output of the operation input unit 9, and sets the aperture value, shutter speed, etc. according to the shooting conditions set by the user. The shutter button 32 may be one that has two states, half-pressed and fully-pressed, and controlled so that settings such as focus and shutter speed are determined when the button is half-pressed. These settings are performed by the control circuit 6 controlling the lens units 2a, 2b and the imaging units 3a, 3b. By operating the shutter button, which of the imaging units 3a and 3b is used to capture an image, or whether both imaging units 3a and 3b are used to capture an image, what signal processing is performed, which signal is recorded, etc. are controlled according to a shooting mode set in advance. The imaging signal of the still image captured by the imaging units 3a and 3b is subjected to a predetermined still image signal processing by the image signal processing circuit 5, and then the encoding / decoding circuit 15 performs encoding for the still image. The memory 12 is used as a buffer memory when performing still image signal processing, encoding, etc. The encoding method is, for example, the JPEG method, but it may also be recorded in a method other than JPEG, such as MPEG or a high-quality RAW format. The encoded still image data is passed through a memory 12 and recorded on a recording medium 11 by a recording and playback circuit 10.

[0023] When shooting a moving image, the moving image shooting button 34 is pressed to start shooting, and pressed again to stop shooting. The moving image may be encoded in any moving image format, such as MPEG, such as H264 or H265. In the case of shooting a moving image, the image is also encoded in a predetermined format by the encoding / decoding circuit 15, and the encoded moving image data is passed through the memory 12 and recorded on the recording medium 11 by the recording / reproducing circuit 10.

[0024] When the control circuit 6 detects that the playback mode has been set by input from the operation input unit 9, it reads out still images and moving images recorded on the recording medium 11 by the recording and playback circuit 10. Then, it controls so that the images are decoded by the encoding and decoding circuit 15 and then displayed on the display 8.

[0025] As described above, the imaging device according to this embodiment has multiple imaging units, and enables the multiple imaging units to capture images in a coordinated manner with a single shooting operation by operating the shutter button, etc., in a preset operating mode.

[0026] Fig. 3 is an external view showing another example of the imaging device 1 in this embodiment, where (A) is a rear view and (B) is a front view. The example in Fig. 3 has a vertically elongated shape compared to the example in Fig. 2, and the display 8' is relatively larger than the example in Fig. 2(A). Also, the example in Fig. 3 does not have the mode setting dial 31, shutter button 32, operation button 33, and video recording button 34 shown in Fig. 2, but displays icons corresponding to these operation buttons on the display 8', and is configured to allow desired input by operating the touch panel.

[0027] Next, the shooting modes in this embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a list of the shooting modes in this embodiment. There are five shooting modes: normal shooting 1, normal shooting 2, simultaneous shooting, high-speed continuous shooting, and video / still image shooting. FIG. 4 shows the operation of the two imaging units in each of these modes, the recorded images, and an overview of the control in each mode. The first imaging unit corresponds to the imaging unit 3a in FIG. 1, and the second imaging unit corresponds to the imaging unit 3b. In addition, "enabled" indicates that an imaging operation is performed, and "disabled" indicates that an imaging operation is not performed. In addition, with regard to the recorded images, "first" or "second" means that an image captured by the first imaging unit or the second imaging unit is recorded, and "first and second" means that both images captured by the first and second imaging units are recorded.

[0028] Normal shooting 1 is a shooting mode in which only the first imaging unit is enabled in the same operation as a camera equipped with a single imaging unit, and when capturing a still image, the first imaging unit monitors and captures a still image, and when capturing a video, the first imaging unit monitors and captures a video. This mode is similar to any known imaging device equipped with a single imaging unit, so a detailed description is omitted. Here, the first imaging unit is "enabled," but the first imaging unit may be "disabled" and the second imaging unit may be "enabled." In this shooting mode, only one imaging unit is operated, which is advantageous for reducing power consumption.

[0029] In normal shooting 2, both the first and second imaging units are "enabled", but the first imaging unit is used for monitoring, and the second imaging unit is used for still image capture. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the timing of the operation of normal shooting 2 in this embodiment, with the horizontal axis representing time. In this mode, the first imaging unit reads out frame images at a predetermined cycle to generate a moving image for monitoring. Exposure is performed at a frame cycle in parallel with the readout. The readout moving image is converted into an image for display by the image signal processing circuit 5 in FIG. 1 and displayed on the display 8. It is assumed that the user monitors this moving image and presses the shutter button at the desired timing (shutter on in FIG. 5). The second imaging unit starts exposure after the control circuit 6 detects that the shutter is on, and reads out the captured still image signal when the exposure for the exposure time corresponding to the set shutter speed is completed. The time required for readout is determined by the number of pixels of the still image and the readout speed, but generally takes longer than the frame of the moving image for monitoring in the first imaging unit.

[0030] In an imaging device equipped with a single imaging unit, since still image capture and pre-capture monitoring are performed using the same imaging unit, monitoring is interrupted during still image capture, which can lead to missing the next photo opportunity. According to the operation of this embodiment, continuous monitoring is possible even during still image capture, making it difficult to miss a photo opportunity.

[0031] Next, the simultaneous shooting mode will be described. In the simultaneous shooting mode, the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit capture images simultaneously. In this mode, the first imaging unit captures still images with the monitor, and the second imaging unit captures still images at the same timing as the first imaging unit captures images. In this mode, it is possible to change the shooting conditions (e.g., shutter speed, aperture, ISO sensitivity, effects, etc.) of the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit and capture images simultaneously.

[0032] Next, the high-speed continuous shooting mode will be described. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the imaging timing of the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit in the high-speed continuous shooting mode in this embodiment. In this mode, the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit alternately capture images. If one cycle of imaging when capturing still images at the fastest speed in a single imaging unit is T, the number of still images that can be captured per second is 1 / T. In this case, it is assumed that the time required for signal processing and recording is sufficient for the imaging cycle. In the high-speed continuous shooting mode, the imaging timing of the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are shifted by T / 2, thereby enabling high-speed continuous shooting at approximately twice the speed when there is a single imaging unit.

[0033] Next, the video / still image shooting mode will be described. In this mode, video shooting is performed by the first imaging unit, and still images are shot by the second imaging unit. Since different imaging units are used for video shooting and still image shooting, still images can be shot at any timing during video shooting. Unlike the case of shooting with a single imaging unit, there is no risk of part of the video being missing due to the timing of shooting a still image, or of the size of a still image recorded during video shooting being restricted. In this mode, still image shooting is performed at the timing of pressing the shutter button 32, and video shooting is started and stopped by pressing the shutter button 32.

[0034] In this embodiment, it is possible to provide an easy-to-use imaging device that allows imaging with multiple imaging units with the same simple operation as that of an imaging device equipped with a single imaging unit by operating the shutter button 32. In addition, there are advantages such as the monitor not cutting off during still image capture, reducing the chance to miss a photo opportunity, and enabling high-speed shooting.

[0035] In this embodiment, five specific examples of shooting modes have been described: normal shooting 1, normal shooting 2, simultaneous shooting, high-speed continuous shooting, and video / still image shooting. However, the camera may have all five of these modes or only some of them.

[0036] In this way, in the imaging device having multiple imaging units, the present embodiment is provided with a setting means for setting multiple pre-settable shooting modes, a means for controlling the multiple imaging units according to the set shooting mode, and an operation means, which makes it possible to capture images in cooperation with the multiple imaging units in response to a single shooting instruction from the operation means.

[0037] In other words, an imaging device having a first imaging unit, a second imaging unit, a display unit, an image signal processing circuit, a control circuit, an operation unit, a mode setting unit, and a recording unit, wherein the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are arranged so as to image the same direction at a predetermined interval, the image signal processing circuit generates a first image signal from a signal imaged by the first imaging unit, generates a second image signal from a signal imaged by the second imaging unit, and generates a third signal from the signal imaged by the first imaging unit and the signal imaged by the second imaging unit, the control circuit controls the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit, the image signal processing circuit, and the recording unit by a single imaging operation by the operation unit in accordance with a plurality of shooting modes that can be set in advance by input from the mode setting unit, and the plurality of shooting modes are configured to include a shooting mode for recording the first image signal, a mode for recording the first image signal and the second image signal, and a mode for recording the third signal.

[0038] This makes it possible to simultaneously control a plurality of image capturing units and capture images with a simple operation, thereby providing a user-friendly image capturing apparatus. EXAMPLES

[0039] Another embodiment of the present invention will be described. The configuration of the imaging device in this embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1. The contents of the shooting modes, which are different from the first embodiment, will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a list of the shooting modes in this embodiment. The shooting modes in this embodiment include five modes: distance measurement, background blur, distance adaptation, HDR, and 3D.

[0040] In the distance measurement mode, still images and videos are captured by the first imaging unit, and distance information of each part in the captured image is calculated using the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit. The calculated distance information is recorded together with the image information captured by the first imaging unit. The distance information is calculated as distance information for each pixel or for each area consisting of multiple adjacent pixels by a known method such as stereo matching using the parallax information of the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit. The distance information calculated in this manner is recorded in the image file together with the captured image data, or as a separate file. The file format of the three-dimensional information file recorded as a separate file is arbitrary, but it may be converted to polygon data such as STL format used for 3D printing and recorded.

[0041] In this distance measurement mode, distance information of any position on an image can be obtained during shooting or playback. For example, an interface may be provided that, when a user designates any point on the screen using a touch panel, displays on the display the distance from the shooting position to the designated point, such as from the subject to the shooting position.

[0042] In this distance measurement mode, the image recorded is the image captured by the first imaging unit, but it is also possible to record only the image captured by the second imaging unit instead of the image captured by the first imaging unit, or to record both images captured by the first and second imaging units.

[0043] In this distance measurement mode, the image captured by the first or second imaging unit is recorded, and distance information corresponding to each pixel or pixel area is calculated and recorded from the two images captured by the first and second imaging units. In this way, distance information can be obtained for any point in the captured image. Regarding the method of measuring distance, an active distance measurement method may be used in combination with an emitter and a receiver such as a laser beam, which measures distance based on the time difference between light emission and light reception, thereby improving the accuracy of distance measurement, especially at long distances.

[0044] Next, the background blur mode will be described. In this mode, distance information is calculated using images captured by the first and second imaging units, similar to the distance measurement mode described above. The background is blurred using this distance information. Details of this process will be described.

[0045] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the image signal processing circuit 5 in FIG. 1. In FIG. 8, reference numeral 100 denotes a still image / moving image signal processing circuit, 101 denotes a distance information generating circuit, 102 denotes a distance histogram generating circuit, 103 denotes a long distance image processing circuit, 104 denotes a close distance image processing circuit, 105 denotes an image histogram generating circuit, 106 denotes a synthesis circuit, and 107 denotes a display signal generating circuit. The still image / moving image signal processing circuit 100 generates still image data and moving image data for recording from still image data and moving image data output by the first or second imaging unit. The still image / moving image signal processing circuit 100 performs signal processing while buffering image data appropriately in the memory 12 (FIG. 1) under the control of the control circuit 6 (FIG. 1). The still image / moving image signal processing circuit 100 may incorporate a signal processing unit for subject recognition or the like, and may recognize various subjects or perform person recognition processing.

[0046] The distance information generating circuit 101 generates distance information for each pixel from the captured image of the first imaging unit and the captured image of the second imaging unit, or for each pixel group consisting of a plurality of adjacent pixels. When generating distance information, images captured at the same timing in the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are used. In the following description, a frame image generated at a predetermined timing in the first imaging unit is called a first image, and an image generated at the same timing as the first image in the second imaging unit is called a second image. Distance information may be generated from the first image and the second image using a known method. As an example, distance information may be obtained from the first image and the second image by the principle of triangulation. The distance information generating circuit 101 has an input unit that inputs the first image data input from the first imaging unit and the second image data input from the second imaging unit as input signals. The distance information generating circuit 101 also has an input / output interface that can read and write the input first and second image data to the memory 12 (FIG. 1). This makes it possible to perform various processes on any pixel of the first image and the second image. Here, a pattern matching process is used to determine which pixel in the second image corresponds to which pixel in the first image. The first and second imaging units are arranged parallel to the optical axis direction at a constant distance B between them, and an arbitrary pixel p1 in the first image includes a parallax of δ when a pixel in the second image corresponding to an arbitrary pixel p1 in the first image determined by pattern matching is p2. The distance information generating circuit 101 generates this δ for each pixel. At this time, the distance Z between the imaging unit and the subject can be calculated from the relationship Z=B×f÷δ according to the principle of triangulation. Here, f is the focal length of the imaging unit, and the focal lengths of the first and second imaging units are assumed to be equal. By calculating the distance image for each pixel in this manner, distance information for an arbitrary pixel in the first image can be obtained.

[0047] The distance histogram generation circuit 102 calculates a distance histogram, that is, information on the number of pixels at a given distance, in other words, the frequency of pixels at that distance. Fig. 9 shows an example image, and Fig. 10 shows a distance histogram for this image. This image includes a person 111 and a building 112 in the distance as subjects. In the distance histogram in Fig. 10, 111' is the part that corresponds to the person and is in the close distance. 112' is the part that corresponds to the building and is in the far distance.

[0048] The still / moving image signal processing circuit 100 has a separation means for separating image data into a plurality of signal groups belonging to a predetermined subject distance, and the subsequent long-distance image processing circuit 103 and close-distance image processing circuit 104 perform different signal processing depending on the distance.

[0049] The long distance image processing circuit 103 performs signal processing on the partial image that is far away. In this background blur mode, the long distance image processing circuit 103 performs strong low pass filter processing on the long distance image that corresponds to the background. The image histogram generation circuit 105 calculates, for example, the number of pixels in the image that have a certain luminance, or the frequency of pixels. A histogram for the RGB signal may be calculated so that it can be displayed on the display.

[0050] The close-distance image processing circuit 104 performs signal processing on the portion of the image that is close. In this background blur mode, the close-distance image processing circuit 104 performs arbitrary signal processing suitable for the subject on the close-distance image of the subject, such as a person. For example, in the distance histogram of FIG. 10, the long-distance image processing circuit 103 performs strong low-pass filter processing on the long-distance image that corresponds to the background.

[0051] The images that have been subjected to different signal processing according to distance by the close-distance image processing circuit 104 and the long-distance image processing circuit 103 are synthesized by a synthesis circuit 106, and a display signal generation circuit 107 generates an image to be displayed on the display 8 (Fig. 1). An example of the output image after synthesis is shown in Fig. 11. Reference numeral 130 denotes the synthesized image displayed on the display, and reference numeral 131 denotes the portion corresponding to a person. Reference numeral 132 denotes the portion corresponding to the background of buildings etc., and as it corresponds to the background, it has been blurred by filter processing.

[0052] The outputs of the distance histogram generating circuit 102 and the image histogram generating circuit 105 are also connected to the synthesis circuit 106, and in addition to displaying the image, the distance histogram and the image histogram can be displayed on the display alone or superimposed on the image. Such a display can be realized by displaying a menu for the user to selectively switch the display contents to be displayed on the display, and configuring the display so that the user can make a selection. Note that the image histogram and the distance histogram may be displayed separately, or the image histogram and the distance histogram may be integrated to display a two-dimensional histogram of distance and brightness, for example, by using a method in which the horizontal axis is distance and the vertical axis is brightness and the number of pixels is represented by color.

[0053] The strength and type of signal processing, such as the strength of the low-pass filters in the long distance image processing circuit 103 and the close distance image processing circuit 104, as well as the distance on the histogram at which these signal processing processes are switched, may be adaptively changed according to the shape of the histogram calculated by the distance histogram generating circuit 102. In addition, by combining with human recognition processing in still image / moving image signal processing, the processing may be changed depending on whether a human subject is detected or not.

[0054] In FIG. 8, the long distance image processing circuit 103 and the close distance image processing circuit 104 are configured to be capable of performing different signal processing for two stages of distance, but it is also possible to configure the circuit to be capable of performing different processing at three or more stages depending on the distance.

[0055] By using this background blur mode, it is possible to capture an image with a foreground subject such as a person standing out while blurring the background, and even when using a small image sensor, it is possible to generate an image with a blurred background that looks as if it was taken with a single-lens reflex camera.

[0056] Next, the distance adaptive processing mode will be described. The background blurring mode described above highlights the foreground subject, such as a person, and blurs the background, whereas the distance adaptive processing mode is a more generalized version of background blurring. Depending on the user's preferences, different processing is possible depending on the distance of the subject, including processing similar to background blurring, and processing such as blurring the foreground is also possible. For this reason, an interface is provided that allows the user to change the processing content.

[0057] FIG. 12 is an example of a screen display of a user interface in the distance adaptive processing mode. For example, a menu is provided so that the user can display the screen of FIG. 12 from a menu screen, and this screen is displayed. In FIG. 12, 8' is a display screen of a display, which has three areas: a video display area 140, a distance histogram display area 143, and a specific distance image display area 145. The input image is the same as the image of FIG. 9 described above. The image displayed in the video display area 140 is an image after signal processing. In the distance histogram display area 143, a distance histogram is displayed as in the example shown in FIG. 10, and a selection frame 144 is displayed at the same time. The position of this selection frame 144 can be changed by the user's touch panel operation. An image corresponding to the position on the distance histogram area selected here is displayed in the distance histogram display area 143. In the distance histogram display area 143, a close-distance part corresponding to a person is selected by the selection frame 144, so an input image 141' of the person part is displayed in the specific distance image display area 145. Reference numeral 146 denotes an image quality adjustment display, which displays a menu for adjusting the strength of a low-pass filter for blurring as an example of an image quality adjustment item. The user can adjust the strength of the low-pass filter by operating the touch panel, and can check the effect of the image quality adjustment in the image display area 140. Note that a menu for any image processing other than the low-pass filter, such as color correction, may be displayed.

[0058] 12 is an example of a screen display when a person portion is selected in distance histogram display area 143, whereas Fig. 13 is an example of a screen display when a background portion including buildings is selected in selection frame 144'. Therefore, input image 142' of the background portion including buildings is displayed in specific distance image display area 145.

[0059] In this distance adaptive processing mode, the user can apply processing according to his / her preference to any area that can be separated according to the subject distance on the image, and in addition to background blurring, it is possible to correct the color of the subject and blur the foreground. In this mode, as in background blurring, the processing may be multi-stage rather than two-stage depending on the distance. In addition, the user interface may display the image before processing and the image after processing side by side to make it easier to compare the effects of image processing. Also, the distance may be selected without displaying the distance histogram.

[0060] 7, HDR (High Dynamic Range) is a mode that combines images captured under different imaging conditions by the first and second imaging units to generate an image with less blackout and whiteout. Note that the imaging conditions here do not mean the shooting environment, but rather the settings of the imaging device related to shooting, such as the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO sensitivity.

[0061] When the exposure time is increased, an image with a good S / N ratio is generally obtained, but it is prone to saturation and poor reproducibility of high-luminance areas. When the exposure time is decreased, an image with good reproducibility of high-luminance areas is generally obtained, but it is prone to poor S / N ratio of low-luminance areas. Therefore, in this HDR mode, images with different exposure times are captured by the first and second imaging units. For example, a high-speed shutter is set for the first imaging unit and a low-speed shutter is set for the second imaging unit, or the aperture value of the first imaging unit is increased and the aperture value of the second imaging unit is decreased, or the ISO sensitivity of the first imaging unit is increased and the ISO sensitivity of the second imaging unit is decreased, or a combination of these is changed to capture an image with a large dynamic range and an image with a small dynamic range but good S / N ratio by the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit, respectively, and then composited. When composited, an image with a good balance of brightness, color reproducibility, and S / N ratio is generated in both low-luminance and high-luminance areas according to the image histogram, effectively generating an image with a wide dynamic range.

[0062] In an imaging device having only a single imaging unit, it is possible to continuously capture and combine images with different exposure times, but if the subject moves, changes occur in the continuous images with different exposure times, which can easily result in double images and the effect of expanding the dynamic range being lost. In contrast, in this embodiment, imaging can be performed simultaneously using the first and second imaging units, so the dynamic range can be expanded and double images are less likely to occur.

[0063] Although the present embodiment has been described with reference to FIG. 7, the imaging device may be equipped with all of these modes, or may have some of these modes. In addition, these modes may also be combined. For example, it is possible to combine background blurring and HDR. While performing a known dynamic range expansion process by continuously capturing and synthesizing a high-speed shutter image and a low-speed shutter image in the first imaging unit, background blurring can be performed using distance information obtained from the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit. Furthermore, the modes described in FIG. 4 described in the first embodiment may be appropriately combined.

[0064] Next, the 3D mode is a mode in which the first imaging unit records an image for the right eye and the second imaging unit records an image for the left eye. When an image captured in this 3D mode is captured or played back, the right eye image of the first imaging unit and the left eye image of the second imaging unit are displayed side by side on the display 8, and a dedicated viewer that prevents interference between the left and right images so that only the left eye image can be seen by the left eye and only the right eye image can be seen by the right eye may be attached to the display so that the 3D image can be viewed.

[0065] As described above, this embodiment, like the first embodiment, makes it possible to perform imaging with a plurality of imaging units in cooperation with each other in response to a single imaging instruction from the operating means, and makes it possible to simultaneously control the plurality of imaging units with a simple operation and perform imaging in a plurality of imaging modes, thereby making it possible to provide a user-friendly imaging device. EXAMPLES

[0066] Another embodiment of the present invention will be described. The configuration of the imaging device in this embodiment is the same as that in the embodiment 1 shown in Fig. 1. The contents of the shooting modes, which are different from the embodiments 1 and 2, will be described with reference to Fig. 14. The shooting modes in this embodiment include five modes: program AE, aperture priority, shutter priority, dual, and manual.

[0067] The program AE mode is a shooting mode in which the first and second imaging units shoot according to two different program charts. The program chart in this case is arbitrary. The user may select two from a plurality of program charts. In this mode, the focus mode and timer settings in the first and second imaging units may be set individually. For example, the first imaging unit may be set to manual focus and the second imaging unit to autofocus, or the first imaging unit may be set to no timer setting and the second imaging unit to a timer setting, and after shooting by turning on the shutter button of the first imaging unit, shooting by the second imaging unit may be performed after a predetermined time set by the timer setting.

[0068] Aperture-priority mode is a shooting mode in which the first and second imaging units shoot according to two different aperture-priority AE settings, allowing shooting at two different aperture values ​​simultaneously.

[0069] The shutter priority mode is a shooting mode in which the first and second imaging units shoot according to two different shutter priority AE settings, allowing shooting at two different shutter speeds simultaneously.

[0070] Dual mode is a shooting mode in which the first and second imaging units each shoot according to two different operating modes: Program AE, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual. For example, you can shoot simultaneously by setting the first imaging unit to Aperture Priority and the second imaging unit to Shutter Priority, or by shooting simultaneously in a combination of two modes selected arbitrarily from Program AE, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual.

[0071] In manual mode, the first and second imaging units are set with two different manual settings to capture images simultaneously. The shooting conditions that can be set are arbitrary, and in addition to ISO sensitivity, aperture value, and shutter speed, settings such as focus, timer, image quality, and special effects can be set.

[0072] According to this embodiment, it is possible to take pictures in two different shooting modes with different shooting conditions, and it is possible to increase the frequency with which a desired photograph can be taken.

[0073] In this embodiment, an example of a menu screen when the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are set individually is shown in FIG. 15. 800 to 804 are setting items for the first imaging unit, which are the setting menus for ISO sensitivity, aperture value, shutter speed, timer, and flash, in that order. For example, a desired item may be selected by operating a touch panel, and the setting of each item may be changed. Similarly, 805 to 809 are setting items for the second imaging unit, which allow different settings for the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit. In manual mode, all setting items can be set, but items that are possible depending on the mode are automatically set. For example, in aperture priority mode, the aperture value can be set, but the shutter speed is set automatically, so manual setting is not accepted.

[0074] Although the present embodiment has been described with reference to Fig. 14, the imaging device may be equipped with all of these modes, or may have some of these modes. Furthermore, the modes shown in Figs. 4 and 7 described in the first and second embodiments may be combined.

[0075] In the above-described first to third embodiments, an example of a screen display during monitoring when a still image or a video is captured will be described with reference to FIG. 16. FIG. 16(A) shows a single screen display, which displays one of the images of the first imaging unit or the second imaging unit. In FIG. 16(A), 8 is a display, 92 is a mode display button, which displays the currently set mode name on an OSD. 93 is a camera setting button, which, when selected, displays the menu screen of FIG. 8. This selection operation is performed, for example, by a touch panel built into the display 8. 94 is a screen switching button, which switches between the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit in the single screen display, and between the dual screen display. The switching between the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit in the single screen display and the switching between the single screen display and the dual screen display may be performed by pressing the same button in sequence, or the switching between the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit in the single screen display and the switching between the single screen display and the dual screen display may be performed by using different operation buttons.

[0076] FIG. 16(B) shows a dual-screen display, in which images from the first and second imaging units are displayed simultaneously. Depending on the imaging mode, it may be possible to switch between single-screen display and selection between single-screen display and dual-screen display. For example, in normal shooting 1 in FIG. 4, only the first imaging unit is valid, so that only single-screen display is sufficient. In this case, the screen switching button is not displayed. On the other hand, each mode in FIG. 14 uses both the first and second imaging units, so the screen switching button is displayed. In this way, usability is improved by selectively switching between single-screen display and dual-screen display depending on the imaging mode.

[0077] As described above, this embodiment, like the first and second embodiments, makes it possible to perform imaging with a plurality of imaging units in cooperation with each other in response to a single imaging instruction from an operating means, and makes it possible to simultaneously control the plurality of imaging units with a simple operation and perform imaging in a plurality of imaging modes, thereby making it possible to provide a user-friendly imaging device. EXAMPLES

[0078] In this embodiment, an embodiment using a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit having different hardware configurations will be described. That is, while the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit have basically the same hardware configuration in the first to third embodiments, in this embodiment, the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit have different hardware configurations.

[0079] Fig. 17 is an explanatory diagram of the imaging modes in this embodiment. Like Figs. 4, 7, and 14, Fig. 17 describes the operation of the two imaging units, the recorded images, and an overview of the control in each mode. There are five imaging modes described in Fig. 17: imaging / recognition, visible / near infrared, tele / wide, panorama, and with / without OLPF, each of which will be described below.

[0080] First, in the imaging / recognition imaging mode, normal imaging is performed in the first imaging unit, and image recognition processing is performed in the second imaging unit. Detection of AE, AF, AWB, etc. may be performed in the second imaging unit. The second imaging unit may be used as a sensor dedicated to phase difference AF. In this imaging mode, the same effect as the normal imaging mode of the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0081] Next, in the visible / near-infrared imaging mode, the first imaging unit captures visible light, and the second imaging unit captures near-infrared light, or near-infrared to infrared light. The imaging signals of the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are combined in the image signal processing circuit 5. Since the first imaging unit captures visible light, an image with good color reproducibility is obtained, and since the second imaging unit captures near-infrared light, or near-infrared to infrared light, an image with high sensitivity is obtained. This imaging mode has the effect of achieving both color reproducibility and high sensitivity.

[0082] Next, in the tele / wide-angle shooting mode, the first and second imaging units capture images using lenses with different focal lengths. Alternatively, the first and second imaging units capture images with equivalently different focal lengths by combining electronic zoom and lenses. When recording, the images captured by the first and second imaging units are recorded. Images captured at the same time by the first and second imaging units may be recorded in association with each other. In this shooting mode, two images with equivalently different focal lengths can be captured simultaneously using lenses with different focal lengths or by combining electronic zoom and lenses, so that it is possible to capture a wide-angle image and a narrow-angle image, or an image of the entire shooting scene and an image of a specific part at the same time.

[0083] Next, in the panoramic shooting mode, a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit are used to capture wider angles than when a single imaging unit is used, and is referred to as a panorama here. The first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are arranged so that their imaging ranges are in contact with each other or partially overlap. For example, the first imaging unit captures a range of 90 degrees to the left, and the second imaging unit captures a range of 90 degrees to the right, and the imaging units are installed horizontally so that their imaging ranges are in contact with each other. The captured images of the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are synthesized by an image signal processing circuit to enable 180-degree wide-angle shooting. This shooting mode is effective. It has the effect of being able to generate a wide-angle panoramic image in one shooting.

[0084] Finally, in the OLPF-without-OLPF shooting mode, the first imaging unit uses an imaging unit equipped with an optical low pass filter, and the second imaging unit uses an imaging unit without an optical low pass filter, and images are captured simultaneously in the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit. Images captured by the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are recorded separately. When an optical low pass filter is used for imaging, aliasing noise that occurs when an optical image is sampled by pixels during imaging can be removed. This can reduce so-called moire that occurs when a subject with a fine pattern is photographed. However, there is a problem that the resolution is reduced due to the characteristics of the optical low pass filter when an optical low pass filter is used. On the other hand, when an imaging unit without an optical low pass filter is used for imaging, moire occurs depending on the subject, but there is an advantage that a high-resolution image can be obtained. In this shooting mode, an image with less moire and a high-resolution image can be captured simultaneously, so that an image that the photographer intends can be selected according to the subject.

[0085] In each imaging mode of this embodiment, the contents of the first to third embodiments may be combined.

[0086] Fig. 18 is an external view showing an example of an imaging device in this embodiment, where (A) is a rear view and (B) is a front view. The difference from Fig. 3 is that the lens unit 2a and the lens unit 2b are arranged horizontally in Fig. 3, whereas they are arranged vertically in Fig. 18. The lens unit 2a may be a fixed lens, and the lens unit 2b may be a removable lens.

[0087] Fig. 19 is an external view showing another example of the imaging device in this embodiment, showing a rear view. The difference from Fig. 2 is that the lens unit 2a and the lens unit 2b are arranged horizontally in Fig. 2, whereas they are arranged vertically in Fig. 19. Similarly, imaging units having different focal lengths may be used for the lens unit 2a and the lens unit 2b. As in Fig. 18, the lens unit 2a may be a fixed lens, and the lens unit 2b may be a removable lens.

[0088] Arranging the lens units 2a and 2b vertically has the advantage that no horizontal parallax occurs between the two imaging units, but is not suitable for 3D imaging, panoramic imaging, or other situations where parallax is desired to be provided between the two imaging units.

[0089] As described above, this embodiment, like the first embodiment, makes it possible to perform imaging with a plurality of imaging units in cooperation with each other in response to a single imaging instruction from the operating means, and makes it possible to simultaneously control the plurality of imaging units with a simple operation to perform imaging in a plurality of imaging modes, thereby making it possible to provide a user-friendly imaging device. EXAMPLES

[0090] This embodiment is an embodiment for explaining another appearance of the imaging device.

[0091] FIG. 20 is an external view showing an example of an imaging device in this embodiment, showing a rear view. The difference from FIG. 19 is that the number of lens units has been increased from two to three. Three imaging units, 3a, 3b, and 3c (not shown), are required to correspond to the lens units. For example, the operations described in the first to fourth embodiments are performed by the lens units 2b and 2c, and normal shooting is performed by the lens unit 2a. Still and video image capture by the lens unit 2a and distance detection and recognition processing by the lens units 2b and 2c can be performed independently, enabling faster and higher performance imaging.

[0092] As described above, in this embodiment, an imaging device having multiple imaging units is provided with a means for individually setting the settings related to the control of the imaging units, a means for controlling the multiple imaging units in a linked manner, and an operation means, which makes it possible to perform imaging in a linked manner with respect to a single shooting instruction from the operation means. EXAMPLES

[0093] FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the imaging device in this embodiment. In FIG. 21, the same functions as those in FIG. 1 are assigned the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 21 differs from FIG. 1 in that it has an image and audio signal processing circuit 20, a microphone 16, a speaker 17, and a proximity sensor 18, and the lens unit 2a and the lens unit 2b are lenses with different focal lengths. The focal lengths of the lens unit 2a and the lens unit 2b are arbitrary, but the lens unit 2b is narrow-angle relative to the lens unit 2a, and the lens unit 2a is wide-angle relative to the lens unit 2b. The image capturing units 3a and 3b may have the same or different specifications, such as the size and the number of pixels, but the image capturing unit 3a is an image capturing unit for wide-angle images, and 3b is an image capturing unit for narrow-angle images.

[0094] 1, the image and audio signal processing circuit 20 also has an audio signal processing function in addition to the image processing of the image signal processing circuit 5 in Fig. 1, and performs predetermined audio signal processing such as encoding on audio input from the microphone 16. It also decodes the encoded audio signal and outputs it from the speaker 17.

[0095] 1, the control circuit 6 is connected to a proximity sensor 18 and controls the connected proximity sensor 18 depending on the operation mode. The control circuit 6 also controls the display 8, the encoding / decoding circuit 15, and the recording / playback circuit 10 directly or via an image / audio signal processing circuit 20.

[0096] In this embodiment, the control circuit 6 controls the encoding / decoding circuit 15 to control the imaging units 3a and 3b, the image / audio signal processing circuit 20, the display 8, the recording / reproducing circuit 10, etc., in accordance with the operation mode preset by the user operation. By such control, it is possible to independently control the imaging units 3a and 3b to capture images, to link the imaging units 3a and 3b to capture images, to simultaneously control the imaging units 3a and 3b to simultaneously capture still images and moving images, to capture still images with one imaging unit while capturing and recording a moving image with the other imaging unit, and to simultaneously capture moving images. In addition, it is possible to control to display or record any of the image signals captured by the imaging unit 3a, the image signals captured by the imaging unit 3b, and the image signals generated by combining the image signals captured by the imaging units 3a and 3b.

[0097] An external view showing an example of an imaging device in this embodiment is configured as shown in FIG. 18, in which lens units 2a and 2b are arranged vertically, and a display 8 with an integrated touch panel is arranged on the rear side. The lens units 2a and 2b are arranged at a predetermined interval so that they have approximately the same optical axis direction. The lens units 2a and 2b may be arranged side by side, may be fixed, or may be detachable. In addition to the above-described touch panel, a hardware operation means such as a shutter button may be provided for user operation.

[0098] Next, the details of the shooting modes in this embodiment will be described. FIGS. 22 and 23 are lists of the shooting modes in this embodiment. FIG. 22 is a list of the normal shooting mode, and FIG. 23 is a list of the simultaneous shooting mode. The normal shooting mode in FIG. 22 is a mode in which shooting is performed with either one of the imaging units 3a and 3b, and there are a still image shooting mode of mode 1 and a moving image shooting mode of mode 2. The simultaneous shooting mode in FIG. 23 is an operation mode in which a wide-angle image and a narrow-angle image are simultaneously shot with the imaging units 3a and 3b, and there are a simultaneous shooting of moving image and still image of mode 3, a simultaneous still image shooting of mode 4, and a simultaneous moving image shooting of mode 5. The tables in FIGS. 22 and 23 list the shooting mode, the wide-angle imaging unit, the narrow-angle imaging unit, and the operation from top to bottom in the leftmost vertical column, and for shooting modes 1 to 5, the distinction between still images and moving images shot with the narrow-angle imaging unit and the wide-angle imaging unit and the outline of the operation of each mode are described.

[0099] First, the still image shooting mode of mode 1 in FIG. 22 will be described. This mode is a mode in which a wide-angle or narrow-angle still image is shot using either one of the two imaging units 3a or 3b. Which imaging unit to use depends on the zoom ratio set by the zoom operation. There are an optical zoom that zooms with a zoom lens and an electronic zoom that performs an enlargement process by signal processing, and any method including a combination of both methods may be adopted. In the following description, the lens units 2a and 2b are fixed-focus lenses, and the zoom process is by electronic zoom. Let the focal lengths of the wide-angle lens unit 2a and the narrow-angle lens unit 2b be fa and fb, respectively. Since the wide angle has a smaller focal length, fa < fb. Assuming the state of the focal length fa as a zoom ratio of 1x and the electronic zoom ratio by the imaging unit 3a as Ma, the electronic zoom ratio may be set in the range of 1 ≦ Ma < (fb / fa). Also, assuming the electronic zoom ratio by the narrow-angle imaging unit 3b as Mb, the electronic zoom ratio may be set in the range of 1 ≦ Mb < Mm. Here, Mm is the maximum value of the electronic zoom ratio for the imaging unit 3b. The value of Mm is arbitrary, but since the resolution decreases as the electronic zoom ratio increases, the maximum value Mm may be determined within the allowable range of the image quality.

[0100] Fig. 24 shows the relationship between the focal length and the zoom ratio when the zoom ratio is defined based on the wide-angle imaging unit 3a. As shown in Fig. 24, when zooming within the range of fa ≤ f < fb for the focal length f, imaging is performed by the wide-angle imaging unit 3a. During this time, the electronic zoom ratio Ma of the wide-angle imaging unit 3a is controlled within the above range. When zooming within the range of fb ≤ f < fm for the focal length f, imaging is performed by the telephoto imaging unit 3b. During this time, the electronic zoom ratio Mb of the telephoto imaging unit 3b is controlled within the above range. When the zoom ratio at this time is based on the focal length fa of the wide-angle imaging unit as the reference (1x) of the zoom ratio, continuous zooming can be performed from 1x to fb / fa times by the wide-angle imaging unit and from fb / fa times to fm / fa times by the telephoto imaging unit. For example, if the focal length fa expressed in 35mm equivalent is 20mm and fb is 50mm, the electronic zoom of the wide-angle imaging unit may be controlled within the range of 1x to 2.5x. If fm is equivalent to, for example, 200mm, the electronic zoom for the telephoto imaging unit may be controlled within the range of 1x to 4x, and the maximum zoom ratio of the combined wide-angle imaging unit and telephoto imaging unit is 10x. In the above description, the zoom is by electronic zoom, but an optical zoom using a zoom lens may also be employed.

[0101] FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram of one screen display in mode 1, the still image shooting mode, and FIG. 25(A) shows an example of a wide-angle image captured by the imaging unit 3a, and FIG. 25(B) shows an example of a narrow-angle image captured by the imaging unit 3b. In FIGS. 25(A) and 25(B), 8 is a display screen. 52 is a person who is a subject. 53 to 56 are shooting mode setting icons, 53 is a still image shooting mode icon, 54 is a moving image shooting mode icon, 55 is a simultaneous moving image shooting mode icon, and 56 is a simultaneous still image shooting mode icon. The shooting mode can be set by the user touching a desired shooting mode icon. This setting is performed by the control circuit 6 (FIG. 21) detecting a user operation on the touch panel and controlling the imaging units 3a and 3b, the interface circuit 4, and the image and audio signal processing circuit 20. In the example of FIG. 25, the still image shooting mode icon 53 is selected, and the icon of the selected mode is displayed in a way that makes it possible to distinguish which icon is selected, for example by increasing the brightness of the icon of the selected mode, in order to distinguish it from the icons of the non-selected modes. Reference numeral 500 denotes a still image shooting button, which is touched when shooting and records. In the preparation state before shooting, as already explained, moving images being shot by the imaging unit 3a or 3b are displayed in real time on the image display section 50 on the display. In FIG. 25(A), reference numeral 51 denotes a frame representing a narrow-angle image area, and the shooting angle of the narrow-angle image can be grasped while monitoring a wide-angle image. Note that the frame representing the narrow-angle image area 51 may be switched so as not to be displayed. Also, the narrow-angle image may be displayed as a sub-screen. Reference numeral 601 denotes a playback mode button, which is touched when switching to a playback mode described later.

[0102] 25(A) and 25(B) can be switched between the wide-angle image display and the narrow-angle image display by touching the angle of view switching button 501 or 502 on the display. Zooming is performed by pinching in and out on the touch panel. For continuous zooming, pinch in and out, and for instantaneous switching between the wide-angle image and the narrow-angle image, use the angle of view switching buttons 501 and 502.

[0103] In the narrow-angle image display of Fig. 25(B), 58 is a wide-angle shooting area, which is reduced and displayed superimposed on the narrow-angle image. When taking a still image, the narrow-angle image is taken and recorded by touching the shutter button, as in the case of the wide-angle image display of Fig. 25(A). Note that the operation of the shutter button may be controlled in two stages by detecting the pressure on the touch panel, so that when the pressure is weak, the shutter button is determined to be half-pressed, and when the pressure reaches a predetermined value or more, the shutter button is determined to be fully pressed, and exposure control and focus control are performed when the button is half-pressed, and shooting operation is performed when the button is fully pressed.

[0104] In this mode, mode 1, which is a still image capture mode, the camera automatically switches between the imaging units 3a and 3b when the angle of view is changed or when the user zooms in and out, allowing the user to operate the device in the same way as a camera equipped with a single imaging unit, making the device easy to use.

[0105] Next, the video shooting mode of mode 2 will be described. FIG. 26 is an explanatory diagram of one screen display in the video shooting mode, where FIG. 26(A) shows an example of a wide-angle image captured by the imaging unit 3a, and FIG. 26(B) shows an example of a narrow-angle image captured by the imaging unit 3b. Except for the difference that FIG. 25 shows a still image shooting mode, and FIG. 26 shows a mode for shooting a video, switching between wide-angle and narrow-angle images, and zooming by pinching in and out are almost the same as in the example of the still image shooting mode of FIG. 25. In this video shooting mode, the video shooting mode icon 54 is selected as the shooting mode setting icon. To shoot a video, the video shooting button 600 is touched. When the video shooting button 600 is touched, the control circuit 6 detects this, and controls the imaging unit, signal processing unit, etc., as in the case of still image shooting, and operations such as shooting, signal processing, and recording of the video are performed. The moving image capture button 600 is distinguished from the still image capture button 500 in FIG. 25 by changing the border of the button.

[0106] FIG. 27 shows a display screen in video shooting mode, and shows the display screen during recording of a wide-angle image. FIG. 27(A) shows the wide-angle image screen, and FIG. 27(B) shows an example of a screen display when switching to narrow-angle image display by using the angle of view switching button 501 during wide-angle image shooting. FIG. 27(A) shows a screen during video recording, so a video shooting end button 700 is displayed. Also, 70 is an elapsed time display, which shows the elapsed time from the start of shooting. When shooting and recording of a video, the video shooting end button 700 is touched. Note that in the narrow-angle image display of FIG. 27(B), recording of a narrow-angle image is not being executed, so the video shooting end button is not displayed. However, still images can be shot, and by touching the still image shooting button 500, still images of narrow-angle images can be shot during video shooting and recording of wide-angle images. At this time, a reduced wide-angle image 701, which is a reduced version of the wide-angle image display shown in Fig. 27(A), is displayed in a superimposed manner to indicate that a wide-angle video is being shot. Reference numeral 503 denotes a display mode icon for indicating which mode the displayed screen is in, and in the case of Fig. 27(A), it indicates that the mode is the video shooting mode, and in the case of Fig. 27(B), it indicates that the mode is the still image shooting mode in which still images of narrow-angle images can be shot.

[0107] When zooming in by pinching out on the screen during video shooting of a wide-angle image in Fig. 27(A), electronic zoom processing is executed, and shooting and recording continue in the zoomed state according to the operation. When zooming in further and reaching a zoom magnification equivalent to the focal length of the narrow-angle image (point B in Fig. 24), two operations are possible. One is an operation to continue shooting by the wide-angle image imaging unit 3a, and the other is an operation to hand over the video shooting operation to the narrow-angle image imaging unit 3b and continue recording, and either method may be adopted.

[0108] In Fig. 27(A), it is also possible to shoot and record wide-angle still images while recording wide-angle moving images. However, because wide-angle moving images are being shot and recorded, there are restrictions on the image size of the still images to be recorded. In contrast, because the narrow-angle imaging section is not performing shooting or recording operations, it is possible to shoot and record high-quality narrow-angle still images while recording wide-angle moving images.

[0109] Fig. 28 shows the display screen in video shooting mode; while Fig. 27 shows the display screen during wide-angle image recording, Fig. 28(A) shows the display screen during narrow-angle image recording. To end recording of the narrow-angle image, simply touch video shooting end button 700. The screen can be switched to Fig. 28(B) by using angle of view switching button 502 to display the wide-angle image. Since the wide-angle image in Fig. 28(B) is not being recorded, the video shooting end button is not displayed. However, at this time, it is possible to take still images of the wide-angle image while shooting a video of the narrow-angle image.

[0110] In the above-described mode 2 movie shooting mode, narrow-angle still images can be shot at any timing while shooting and recording wide-angle movies, and similarly, wide-angle still images can be shot at any timing while shooting and recording narrow-angle movies. In this way, still images can be shot while shooting and recording movies, and this movie shooting mode also serves as the simultaneous movie and still image shooting mode of mode 3 shown in FIG.

[0111] It is preferable to group still images captured during video capture so that they can be associated and played back. For this reason, information indicating that the still images belong to the same group may be recorded in the video and still image files to be recorded, and information regarding the timing at which the still images were captured may be recorded in the video.

[0112] Next, the simultaneous still image shooting mode of mode 4 described in FIG. 23 will be described. FIG. 29 is an explanatory diagram of a display screen in the simultaneous still image shooting mode. In FIGS. 29(A) and (B), the simultaneous still image shooting mode icon 56 is selected, and the contents of the screen display are the same as those of the still image shooting mode in FIG. 25. In the still image shooting mode, when the shutter button is touched to shoot, either a wide-angle or narrow-angle still image is shot, whereas in this simultaneous still image shooting mode, both wide-angle and narrow-angle still images can be shot and recorded simultaneously with one shutter button operation. Note that it is desirable to group the wide-angle and narrow-angle still images shot simultaneously in order to play them in association with each other during playback. For this reason, information indicating that they belong to the same group may be recorded in the video and still image files to be recorded.

[0113] If the display screens of the two modes, mode 1 still image shooting mode and mode 4 simultaneous still image shooting mode, are similar, it is difficult for the user to know which mode is set. Therefore, in addition to the shooting mode icon, the current setting mode may be made easier to recognize by, for example, making the shape of the shutter button or the shutter sound different between the two modes. Also, in order to speed up recording and playback, multiple recording and playback circuits and recording media may be provided, and wide-angle still images and narrow-angle still images may be recorded on different recording media.

[0114] Fig. 30 is an explanatory diagram of a two-screen display in the simultaneous still image shooting mode. In this display method, the wide-angle image and narrow-angle image of Fig. 29(A) and Fig. 29(B) are displayed side by side on two screens at the same time. This display can be switched to the two-screen display of Fig. 30(A) by touching narrow-angle image area 51 on the screen of Fig. 29(A) and moving it to the edge of the screen, or by providing a dedicated display switching button (not shown), or the like.

[0115] In Fig. 30(A), the image is displayed vertically, whereas in Fig. 30(B), the image is displayed reduced with the original aspect ratio. In this case, related shooting information may be displayed in the display space. In Fig. 30(b), focal length display 210, exposure level display 211, and level indicator display 212 are displayed as related shooting information, but any other shooting information may be displayed.

[0116] FIG. 31 is an explanatory diagram of one screen display in the simultaneous moving image shooting mode of mode 5 described in FIG. 23. FIG. 31(A) is a display screen of a wide-angle image, and FIG. 31(B) is a display screen of a narrow-angle image. The contents of the screen display are almost the same as those of the simultaneous still image shooting mode of FIG. 29, except that the mode icon is to select the simultaneous moving image shooting mode icon 55 and to touch the moving image shooting button 600 to start shooting and recording a moving image. In this shooting mode, when the moving image shooting button 600 is touched to shoot a moving image, the wide-angle moving image and the narrow-angle moving image are simultaneously shot and recorded by both the wide-angle imaging unit 3a and the narrow-angle imaging unit 3b. In addition, in order to speed up recording and playback, a plurality of recording and playback circuits and recording media may be provided, and the wide-angle moving image and the narrow-angle moving image may be recorded on different recording media.

[0117] Fig. 32 shows the display screen during simultaneous video recording in simultaneous video shooting mode, where Fig. 32(A) shows the display screen for a wide-angle image and Fig. 32(B) shows the display screen for a narrow-angle image. It is also possible to take still images while recording a video. However, since both the wide-angle and narrow-angle imaging units are in video shooting operation, the size and timing of the still images to be taken are subject to restrictions.

[0118] Fig. 33 is an explanatory diagram of a single screen display in the simultaneous moving image and still image shooting mode of mode 3 shown in Fig. 23. The simultaneous moving image and still image shooting mode has already been described as an operation within the moving image shooting mode using Figs. 27 and 28, but Fig. 33 shows an example in which an icon 57 dedicated to the simultaneous moving image and still image shooting mode is provided. When providing a mode dedicated to simultaneous moving image and still image shooting in this way, the still image shooting function within the moving image shooting mode may be omitted.

[0119] In the above-described embodiment, an imaging device having the five shooting modes shown in Figures 22 and 23 has been described. However, it is not necessary for the imaging device to have all of these shooting modes. For example, the imaging device may have only mode 1, a still image shooting mode related to still images, and mode 4, a simultaneous still image shooting mode, or it may have modes 1, 2, 3, and 4, or any other mode as long as it has one or more of these five modes.

[0120] Next, the playback mode of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 34 is an explanatory diagram of the playback mode screen display in this embodiment. To display the playback mode screen, for example, touch the playback mode button 601 from the shooting mode screen of FIG. 25 or the like, and the control circuit detects this and transitions to the playback mode. In FIG. 34(A), 150, 151, 160 to 164, etc. are thumbnail images, which are reduced data of a plurality of image data recorded on a recording medium, are arranged and displayed in a two-dimensional manner. Note that the arrangement order of each image is in the order of recording time. Although the pattern of the thumbnail image in the figure is not shown, each thumbnail image is actually played back and displayed as a reduced image. 152 is a still image icon, and 153 is a video icon, which indicates whether the image data corresponding to each thumbnail is a still image or a video. Note that in FIG. 34, an icon for distinguishing between a still image and a video is added to the thumbnail, but other display methods that can distinguish between a still image and a video may be adopted.

[0121] On the screen of FIG. 34(A), by touching the display mode button 154, it is possible to switch to the screen of FIG. 34(B). In FIG. 34(B), 156 is a simultaneous still image shooting mode icon, 157 is a simultaneous moving image shooting mode icon, and 159 is a simultaneous moving image and still image shooting mode icon, which indicate the shooting mode in which the image corresponding to each thumbnail was shot. The thumbnail 166 in FIG. 34(B) corresponds to the two thumbnails 160 and 161 in FIG. 34(A). These images correspond to two images shot in the simultaneous still image shooting mode. Similarly, the thumbnails 167 and 169 in FIG. 34(B) correspond to the thumbnails 162 and 151, and 164 and 165 in FIG. 34(A), respectively.

[0122] Fig. 35 is an explanatory diagram of another display method of the playback mode screen display in this embodiment. Fig. 35(A) is another display method that shows the same content as Fig. 34(B), and displays a narrow-angle image area and a distinction icon for moving images and still images in a thumbnail of a wide-angle image. Thumbnail images 166, 167, and 169 in Fig. 34(B) correspond to thumbnail images 176, 177, and 179 in Fig. 35(A), respectively.

[0123] Fig. 35(B) is a representative screen of a wide-angle video corresponding to the image of thumbnail image 177, which is displayed when thumbnail image 177 in Fig. 35(A) is selected. This wide-angle video can be played by touching play button 180. Reference numeral 181 denotes a frame representing the narrow-angle image area, and a narrow-angle image play button 182 may be displayed so that the narrow-angle video can be played directly by touching this button. Note that the same applies to still images, which are first displayed at a wide angle, and then the narrow-angle still image is played by using the narrow-angle image play button.

[0124] In Figures 34(B) and 35(A), each thumbnail is displayed with an icon that distinguishes the shooting mode, but instead of this display, for example, when a specific thumbnail is selected, shooting mode information for that thumbnail image may be displayed.

[0125] As described above, in this embodiment, in an imaging device having a wide-angle image capturing section and a narrow-angle image capturing section, imaging operations are controlled to be performed in a first imaging mode for capturing a narrow-angle or wide-angle still image, a second imaging mode for capturing a narrow-angle or wide-angle video, a third imaging mode for simultaneously capturing a narrow-angle still image and a wide-angle still image, and a fourth imaging mode for simultaneously capturing a wide-angle video and a narrow-angle still image or a narrow-angle video and a wide-angle still image. In addition, these imaging modes can be selected by user settings.

[0126] That is, an imaging device having a first imaging section that captures a narrow-angle image, a second imaging section that captures a wide-angle image, a signal processing section, a control section, an operation input section, and a recording section, in which the signal processing section generates first still image data and first video data from a signal captured by the first imaging section, and generates second still image data and second video data from a signal captured by the second imaging section, and the control section controls the first imaging section, the second imaging section, the signal processing section, the recording section, and The imaging modes are configured to include a first imaging mode in which the first still image data or the second still image data is recorded in the recording section, a second imaging mode in which the first moving image data or the second moving image data is recorded in the recording section, a third imaging mode in which the second still image data is recorded in the recording section while the first moving image data is being recorded or the first still image data is recorded in the recording section while the second moving image data is being recorded, and a fourth imaging mode in which the first still image data and the second still image data are recorded in the recording section simultaneously.

[0127] This allows the user to select a desired shooting mode through simple operations, enabling multiple imaging units to be controlled independently or simultaneously to take pictures, thereby providing an easy-to-use imaging device. EXAMPLES

[0128] Fig. 36 is a schematic diagram of the imaging device in this embodiment. In Fig. 36, (A) is a rear view, (B) is a right side view, and (C) is a front view. A display 8 integrated with a touch panel is disposed on the rear side of the imaging device. The imaging device in this embodiment differs from the sixth embodiment in that 2c is further added to the lens units 2a and 2b, and 3c is further added to the imaging units 3a and 3b. In FIG. 36, the lens units 2a and 2c are super-wide-angle lenses, and a so-called omnidirectional image can be generated by synthesizing images captured by the imaging units 3a and 3c. In this embodiment, the omnidirectional image captured by the imaging units 3a and 3c is used as the wide-angle image, and the image captured by the imaging unit 3b is used as the narrow-angle image. The other parts are the same as those in the sixth embodiment, and description thereof will be omitted. EXAMPLES

[0129] Fig. 37 is a schematic view of the imaging device in this embodiment. In Fig. 37, (A) is a rear view, (B) is a right side view, and (C) is a front view. As in Fig. 36, a display 8 integrated with a touch panel is disposed on the rear side of the imaging device.

[0130] This embodiment uses a spherical imaging unit as an imaging unit for capturing a wide-angle image, similarly to the seventh embodiment. The difference from the seventh embodiment is that the lens unit 2b is provided on the side of the main body as shown in Fig. 37(B). According to the configuration of this embodiment, the lens of the narrow-angle imaging unit is oriented at an angle of approximately 90 degrees to the lens of the wide-angle imaging unit, which is advantageous in that the narrow-angle imaging unit can easily capture images of blind spots of the wide-angle imaging unit, and the photographer is less likely to be an obstacle to the capture of a wide-angle image when the wide-angle imaging unit is capturing an image.

[0131] Moreover, the display 8 may be movable. FIG. 38 is a side view of the main body side from the left side, in which the display in FIG. 37 is made movable, with the display 8 mounted on a movable section 185 and rotated about 90 degrees to the side. Making the display movable in this way makes it easier to perform shooting operations. Also, an electronic viewfinder 186 may be provided on the side of the main body. The lens section 2b is provided on the side opposite the electronic viewfinder 186. Other parts are the same as those in the sixth embodiment, and so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0132] FIG. 39 is an explanatory diagram of a shooting screen in this embodiment. In the shooting mode in this embodiment, the same display as in the shooting mode described in the sixth embodiment may be performed, but two screens shown in FIG. 39 may be displayed. In FIG. 39(A), 190 is a display area for a narrow-angle image, and 192 is a celestial sphere image display area, which is also a display area for a wide-angle image. In the display area for the wide-angle image, a celestial sphere image captured by the imaging units 3a and 3c and subjected to a synthesis process is displayed. In the narrow-angle image display area 190, a narrow-angle image captured by the imaging unit 3b is displayed. The display of the celestial sphere image in the celestial sphere image display area 192 makes it possible to convert the celestial sphere image into an image viewed from an arbitrary viewpoint by a drag operation. When an image corresponding to the narrow-angle image display area 190 is displayed in the celestial sphere image display area 192, the area of ​​the corresponding narrow-angle image is displayed by a frame 191.

[0133] FIG. 39(B) shows a display example when the spherical image display area 192 in FIG. 39(A) is enlarged by a pinch-out motion. For example, area 193 in FIG. 39(A) is enlarged and displayed in area 195 in FIG. 39(B).

[0134] Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modified examples are included. For example, the above-mentioned embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all of the configurations described. In addition, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. In addition, it is also possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 1: imaging device, 2a, 2b, 2c: lens unit, 3a, 3b, 3c: imaging unit, 4: interface circuit, 5: image signal processing circuit, 6: control circuit, 7: attitude detection unit, 8: display, 9: operation input unit, 10: recording and playback circuit, 11: recording medium, 12: memory, 13: position information input unit, 14: wireless communication unit, 15: encoding and decoding circuit, 16: microphone, 17: speaker, 18: proximity sensor, 20: image and audio signal processing circuit, 31: mode setting dial, 32: shutter button, 33: operation button, 34: video recording button, 35: power switch, 50: image display unit, 51: narrow angle image area, 52: subject, 53: still image shooting mode icon, 54: video shooting mode icon, 55: motion picture image simultaneous shooting mode icon, 56: still image simultaneous shooting mode icon, 92: mode display button, 93: camera setting button, 94: screen switching button, 140: video display area, 141: input image of person portion, 142: input image of background portion, 143: distance histogram display area, 144: selection frame, 145: image display area, 146: image quality adjustment display, 800 to 804: setting items of first imaging unit, 805 to 809: setting items of second imaging unit, 186: electronic viewfinder, 190: narrow-angle image display area, 192: spherical image display area, 500: still image shooting button, 501, 502: angle of view switching button, 600: video shooting button, 601: playback mode button, 700: video shooting end button

Claims

1. An imaging device having a first imaging section, a second imaging section, a display section, an image signal processing circuit, a control circuit, an operation section, a mode setting section, and a recording section, the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are disposed at a predetermined interval so as to capture images in the same direction; the image signal processing circuit generates a first image signal from a signal captured by the first imaging unit, generates a second image signal from a signal captured by the second imaging unit, and generates a third signal from the signal captured by the first imaging unit and the signal captured by the second imaging unit; the control circuit controls the first imaging unit, the second imaging unit, the image signal processing circuit, and the recording unit by one imaging operation performed by the operation unit in accordance with a plurality of shooting modes that can be set in advance by an input from the mode setting unit; the plurality of shooting modes include a shooting mode for recording the first image signal, a mode for recording the first image signal and the second image signal, and a mode for recording the third signal; 13. An imaging device comprising:

2. 2. The imaging device according to claim 1, the third signal is information about a distance of a subject generated from the first image signal and the second image signal; The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays a display image generated from the first image signal and information relating to a distance to the subject.

3. 3. The imaging device according to claim 2, The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third signal is subject distance information corresponding to each pixel in the first image signal.

4. 4. The imaging device according to claim 3, The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third signal further includes distance histogram information representing a frequency of pixels with respect to a distance to a subject.

5. 5. The imaging device according to claim 4, the image signal processing circuit generates a fourth image signal based on the third signal, the fourth image signal being within a range of a predetermined object distance in the first image signal; The imaging device, wherein the display unit displays the fourth image signal.

6. 6. The imaging device according to claim 5, The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays the distance histogram information and the fourth image signal on the same screen.

7. 7. The imaging device according to claim 6, the display unit displays an interface for selecting a predetermined distance range of the distance histogram information; The imaging apparatus, wherein the display unit displays the fourth image signal that belongs to a predetermined luminance range of distance histogram information selected by the interface.

8. 8. The imaging device according to claim 7, an imaging device characterized in that the image signal processing circuit includes a separation means for separating the first image signal into a plurality of signal groups belonging to a predetermined subject distance, and a signal processing means for performing different signal processing on each of the plurality of signal groups and then generating a fifth image signal by combining the resultant signal groups.

9. An imaging method for an imaging device having a first imaging unit, a second imaging unit, an operation unit, and a mode setting unit, comprising: controlling the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit by one imaging operation performed by the operation unit in accordance with a plurality of imaging modes that can be set in advance by an input from the mode setting unit; the plurality of shooting modes include a shooting mode in which a first image signal is generated from a signal captured by the first imaging unit and the first image signal is recorded, a mode in which a first image signal and a second image signal are generated from signals captured by the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit and the first image signal and the second image signal are recorded, and a mode in which a third signal is generated from the signal captured by the first imaging unit and the signal captured by the second imaging unit and the third signal is recorded.

10. An imaging device having a first imaging unit that captures a narrow-angle image, a second imaging unit that captures a wide-angle image, a signal processing unit, a control unit, an operation input unit, and a recording unit, the signal processing unit generates first still image data and first moving image data from a signal captured by the first imaging unit, and generates second still image data and second moving image data from a signal captured by the second imaging unit; the control unit controls the first imaging unit, the second imaging unit, the signal processing unit, and the recording unit in accordance with a shooting mode input from the operation input unit; the imaging mode is a first imaging mode in which the first still image data or the second still image data is recorded in the recording unit; a second shooting mode in which the first moving image data or the second moving image data is recorded in the recording unit; a third shooting mode in which the second still image data is recorded in the recording unit while the first moving image data is being recorded, or the first still image data is recorded in the recording unit while the second moving image data is being recorded; an imaging device having a fourth shooting mode in which the first still image data and the second still image data are simultaneously recorded in the recording section;

11. The imaging device according to claim 10, The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the imaging modes further include a fifth imaging mode in which the first moving image data and the second moving image data are simultaneously recorded in the recording section.

12. 12. The imaging device according to claim 10, 13. An imaging device, comprising: said first imaging section and said second imaging section disposed to capture images in the same direction.

13. 12. The imaging device according to claim 10, In the first photographing mode, the operation input unit has a zoom operation input unit that varies a zoom magnification for enlarging or reducing an image, the signal processing unit generates the first still image data or the second still image data enlarged from an output signal of the first imaging unit or the second imaging unit in accordance with a zoom magnification input by the operation input unit; when the zoom magnification is smaller than a predetermined value, the first still image data captured by the first imaging unit is recorded in the recording unit; When the zoom magnification is greater than a predetermined value, the second still image data captured by the second imaging section is recorded in the recording section.

14. 12. The imaging device according to claim 10, In the second photographing mode, the operation input unit has a zoom operation input unit that varies a zoom magnification for enlarging or reducing an image, the signal processing unit generates the first moving image data or the second moving image data enlarged from an output signal of the first imaging unit or the second imaging unit in accordance with a zoom magnification input by the operation input unit; when the zoom magnification is smaller than a predetermined value, the first moving image data captured by the first imaging unit is recorded in the recording unit; When the zoom magnification is greater than a predetermined value, the second moving image data captured by the second imaging section is recorded in the recording section.

15. 15. The imaging device according to claim 13, setting an upper limit value for the zoom magnification of the enlargement process performed by the signal processing unit on the output signal of the second imaging unit; The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the upper limit value is set to a zoom magnification equivalent to a focal length of the first imaging section or less.

16. An imaging device having a first imaging unit that captures a narrow-angle image, a second imaging unit that captures a wide-angle image, a signal processing unit, a control unit, an operation input unit, a recording unit, a playback unit, and a display unit, the signal processing unit generates first still image data and first moving image data from a signal captured by the first imaging unit, and generates second still image data and second moving image data from a signal captured by the second imaging unit; the control unit controls the first imaging unit, the second imaging unit, the signal processing unit, and the recording unit in accordance with a shooting mode input from the operation input unit; the imaging mode is a first imaging mode in which the first still image data or the second still image data is recorded in the recording unit; a second shooting mode in which the first moving image data or the second moving image data is recorded in the recording unit; a third shooting mode in which the second still image data is recorded in the recording unit while the first moving image data is being recorded, or the first still image data is recorded in the recording unit while the second moving image data is being recorded; a fourth shooting mode in which the first still image data and the second still image data are simultaneously recorded in the recording unit; The reproducing unit reads out the plurality of image data recorded in the recording unit from the recording unit and reproduces the image data; The display by the display unit has a thumbnail display mode in which reduced images of the plurality of image data are displayed, In the thumbnail display mode, an imaging apparatus is characterized in that a shooting mode display is displayed for identifying the shooting mode in which the plurality of reduced images displayed were taken.

17. 17. The imaging device according to claim 16, The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the imaging modes further include a fifth imaging mode in which the first moving image data and the second moving image data are simultaneously recorded in the recording section.

18. 18. The imaging device according to claim 16, An imaging apparatus, characterized in that a shooting mode display for identifying the shooting mode is displayed on each of the plurality of reduced images.

19. 18. The imaging device according to claim 16, The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the imaging mode display for identifying the imaging mode is displayed on a selected reduced image when the selected reduced image is selected.

20. A setting screen of an imaging device having a first imaging unit that captures a narrow-angle image, a second imaging unit that captures a wide-angle image, a signal processing unit, a control unit, an operation input unit, a recording unit, and a display unit, the signal processing unit generates first still image data and first moving image data from a signal captured by the first imaging unit, and generates second still image data and second moving image data from a signal captured by the second imaging unit; the control unit records one or two of the first still image data, the first moving image data, the second still image data, and the second moving image data in the recording unit according to a shooting mode input from the operation input unit; the imaging mode includes a first imaging mode for recording the first still image data or the second still image data; a second shooting mode in which the first moving image data or the second moving image data is recorded; a third shooting mode in which the second still image data is recorded while the first moving image data is recorded, or the first still image data is recorded while the second moving image data is recorded; a fourth photography mode in which the first still image data and the second still image data are recorded simultaneously; 4. The setting screen of an imaging device, wherein the display section has a display for selecting the shooting mode and a display for selecting a switching of an angle of view.

Images