Photographing device

Abstract

To reduce incorrect operations in a photographing device 10.SOLUTION: A photographing device 10 photographs an entire celestial sphere image. The photographing device 10 has a lens 102a, a shutter button 115A, a display 124, and a mode button 115B and a function button 115C associated with the details of display displayed on the display 124, which are arranged in order on the same surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an imaging device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an imaging system for capturing images of the entire sky, comprising an optical system, a shutter button, and a housing having an opening for exposing a part of the optical system, the shutter button being arranged on the surface of the housing on which one of the openings is provided so as to be pressable in a direction along the optical axis, and the lens surface of the lens in the optical system that is located closest to the object protrudes from the opening of the housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7052819 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present invention is to improve the operability of an imaging device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The image capturing device according to claim 1 of the present invention is an image capturing device for capturing a celestial sphere image, and includes, in order from above, a lens, a shutter button, a display unit, and an input button for receiving an input to the display unit. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, the operability of the imaging device can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1]1 is a diagram showing an example of an overall configuration of an image processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a spherical image captured by an imaging device. [Diagram 3] (A) is a hemispherical image (front) captured by the camera, (B) is a hemispherical image (back) captured by the camera, and (C) is an image represented by equirectangular projection. [Figure 4] (A) A conceptual diagram showing how a sphere is covered with an equirectangular projection image, and (B) a diagram showing a spherical image. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the positions of a virtual camera and a predetermined area when a celestial sphere image is a three-dimensional solid sphere. [Figure 6] 13 is a diagram showing the relationship between predetermined region information and an image of a predetermined region T. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a state during shooting by the shooting device. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a spherical image. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a planar image converted from a spherical image. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment. [Figure 11] 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of an imaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the imaging device according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing the appearance of the imaging device according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated description will be omitted.

[0009] ●Embodiment● ●Outline of image processing system Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an image processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image processing system 1 shown in Fig. 1 is an example of an information processing system, and is a system that performs image processing on captured images to allow viewers to view the internal space of structures such as real estate and architectural properties, and structures such as construction and civil engineering structures online.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the image processing system 1 includes a photographing device 10, a server 50, and a communication terminal 90. The server 50 and the communication terminal 90 constituting the image processing system 1 can communicate with each other via a communication network 100. The photographing device 10 can communicate with the communication terminal 90 by short-distance wireless communication such as Wi-Fi, but may also communicate with the server 50 and the communication terminal 90 via the communication network 100. The communication network 100 is constructed by the Internet, a mobile communication network, a LAN (Local Area Network), and the like. Note that the communication network 100 may include not only wired communication but also networks using wireless communication such as 3G (3rd Generation), 4G (4th Generation), 5G (5th Generation), Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) (registered trademark), WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), or LTE (Long Term Evolution).

[0011] The server 50 is an example of an information processing device and a destination device, and is a server computer that performs image processing on captured images of the internal space of a structure such as real estate or a building, which is a specific base, or a structure such as a construction or civil engineering structure. The server 50, for example, acquires captured images captured by the image capture device 10, and generates tour images for providing a user with a virtual tour using the acquired captured images. Here, the virtual tour is a content that allows a user to view a real estate property or the like as if they were actually viewing the property at the site. In addition, the tour image is an image for viewing that is generated using a plurality of captured images captured by the image capture device 10, and allows the user to virtually move around the base shown in the captured image by a user operation. Such a virtual tour is not limited to the internal space of a structure of a real estate property or a construction site, but can also be suitably realized in the external space of a structure such as a tourist spot or a theme park. In other words, the internal space of a structure can also be regarded as being within a specific area. When a virtual tour is realized in the external space of a structure, the present embodiment can be realized by replacing a map showing the internal space of a structure such as real estate or a building, which will be described later, with, for example, a tourist spot map introducing a tourist spot or an area map of a theme park.

[0012] The server 50 may be configured by one server computer or may be configured by multiple server computers. Although the server 50 will be described as a server computer that exists in a cloud environment, the server 50 may be a server that exists in an on-premise environment.

[0013] The image capturing device 10 is an example of an information processing device or a transmission source device, and is a special digital camera (omnidirectional image capturing device) capable of capturing an image of a celestial sphere (360° in both the circumferential and vertical directions) by capturing an image of a space in which a structure such as a real estate property exists in all directions at an image capturing base. In the following, an example of a structure such as a real estate property will be mainly described, but as described above, the image capturing device 10 may be an internal space of a structure such as an architectural property, or a structure such as a construction or civil engineering structure.

[0014] Note that a celestial sphere image refers to an image with a so-called solid angle of 4πsr [sr: steradian]. In this specification, an image in which a part of a celestial sphere image is missing is also called a celestial sphere image for convenience. For example, an image in which a part of a direction directly above or directly below the celestial sphere imaging device, a part of a vertically upward or downward direction of the celestial sphere image, or a part of a predetermined region of the celestial sphere image is missing.

[0015] For example, there may be usage scenarios where the area directly above or below a subject in a spherical image is not looked at very carefully when viewing the spherical image. In such cases, it is conceivable to design the image sensor and optical system so as not to capture that area in the first place, not to display an image, or to display a logo or the like in that area, or to not display the spherical image itself.

[0016] The photographing device 10 is used, for example, by a real estate agent who manages or sells real estate properties. The photographing device 10 may be a wide-angle camera or a stereo camera capable of acquiring a wide-angle image having a viewing angle of a predetermined value or more. A wide-angle image is generally an image captured using a wide-angle lens (wide-angle image), and is an image captured using a lens that can capture a wider range than the human eye can sense. In other words, the photographing device 10 is a photographing means capable of acquiring an image captured using a lens with a focal length shorter than a predetermined value (panoramic image, wide-angle image). A wide-angle image generally means an image captured using a lens with a focal length of 35 mm or less in 35 mm film equivalent. The photographing device 10 may have a panoramic photographing function as a photographing function, and may be one that captures panoramic images.

[0017] The communication terminal 90 is an example of an intermediary device or an information processing device, and is a computer such as a tablet terminal. The communication terminal 90 is used, for example, by the same real estate agent as the photographing device 10. The communication terminal 90 is installed with, for example, a dedicated application for issuing photographing instructions to the photographing device 10 and viewing images provided by the server 50, and an application related to transmission and reception that mediates the transmission and reception of information between the photographing device 10 and the server 50. The communication terminal 90 may be configured to issue photographing instructions and view images by accessing a dedicated website using a web browser, without using a dedicated application. The photographing instructions and image viewing may be performed by a different communication terminal 90. Hereinafter, the application will be simply referred to as an app.

[0018] In addition, the communication terminal 90 is not limited to a tablet terminal, but may be, for example, a PC, a smartphone, a wearable terminal, an HMD (head mounted display), or an IWB (Interactive White Board: an electronic whiteboard with a blackboard function that allows mutual communication), etc.

[0019] ○Outline of the imaging device○ FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a celestial sphere image captured by a photographing device. The image shown in FIG. 2 is a celestial sphere image captured by the photographing device 10 of a room of a real estate property, which is an example of the internal space of a structure. A celestial sphere image is suitable for viewing real estate properties and the like, since the interior of a room can be photographed in all directions. There are various forms of celestial sphere images, but they are often generated by the equirectangular projection method described below. The advantages of an image generated by this equirectangular projection method are that the outer shape of the image is rectangular, making it efficient and easy to store image data, and that there is little distortion near the equator and vertical straight lines are not distorted, making it look relatively natural.

[0020] ○How to generate spherical images Next, an outline of the process until a celestial sphere image is generated from an image captured by the image capturing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. Fig. 3(A) is a diagram showing a hemispherical image (front side) captured by the image capturing device, Fig. 3(B) is a diagram showing a hemispherical image (rear side) captured by the image capturing device, and Fig. 3(C) is a diagram showing an image expressed by equirectangular projection (hereinafter referred to as "equirectangular projection image"). Fig. 4(A) is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which a sphere is covered with an equirectangular projection image, and Fig. 4(B) is a diagram showing a celestial sphere image.

[0021] The photographing device 10 is provided with imaging elements on both the front side (front side) and the back side (rear side). These imaging elements (image sensors) are used in conjunction with optical components such as lenses capable of photographing hemispherical images (angle of view of 180° or more). The photographing device 10 can obtain two hemispherical images by capturing images of subjects around the user using the two imaging elements, respectively.

[0022] 3(A) and (B), the image captured by the imaging element of the photographing device 10 is a curved hemispherical image (front and rear). The photographing device 10 then synthesizes the hemispherical image (front) and the hemispherical image (rear) flipped 180 degrees to create an equirectangular projection image EC as shown in FIG. 3(C).

[0023] Then, the photographing device 10 uses OpenGL ES (Open Graphics Library for Embedded Systems) to paste an equirectangular projection image EC so as to cover the sphere as shown in FIG. 4A, and creates a celestial sphere image (celestial sphere panoramic image) CE as shown in FIG. 4B. In this way, the celestial sphere image CE is expressed as an image in which the equirectangular projection image EC faces the center of the sphere. Note that OpenGL ES is a graphics library used to visualize 2D (2-Dimensions) and 3D (3-Dimensions) data. In addition, the celestial sphere image CE may be a still image or a video. Furthermore, the conversion method is not limited to OpenGL ES, and may be any method capable of converting a hemispherical image into an equirectangular projection projection, for example, a calculation by a CPU or a calculation by OpenCL (Open Computing Language: one of the standards that defines specifications for parallel processing in an environment in which various types of processors and computing resources are mixed).

[0024] As described above, the spherical image CE is an image pasted to cover the spherical surface, which gives a sense of incongruity to people when they see it. Therefore, the imaging device 10 displays a predetermined region T (hereinafter, referred to as a "predetermined region image") that is a part of the spherical image CE as an image with little curvature, thereby enabling a display that does not give a sense of incongruity to people. This will be described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the positions of the virtual camera and the predetermined area when the celestial sphere image is a three-dimensional 3D sphere. The virtual camera IC corresponds to the position of the viewpoint of the user who views the celestial sphere image CE displayed as a three-dimensional 3D sphere. FIG. 5 shows the celestial sphere image CE as a three-dimensional 3D sphere CS. If the celestial sphere image CE generated in this way is a 3D sphere CS, as shown in FIG. 5, the virtual camera IC is located inside the celestial sphere image CE. The predetermined area T in the celestial sphere image CE is the shooting area of ​​the virtual camera IC, and is specified by the predetermined area information indicating the shooting direction and the angle of view of the virtual camera IC in the three-dimensional virtual space including the celestial sphere image CE. In addition, the zoom of the predetermined area T can also be expressed by moving the virtual camera IC closer to or farther away from the celestial sphere image CE. The predetermined area image Q is an image of the predetermined area T in the celestial sphere image CE. Therefore, the predetermined area T can be specified by the angle of view α and the distance f from the virtual camera IC to the celestial sphere image CE.

[0026] The predetermined area image Q is then displayed on a predetermined display as an image of the shooting area of ​​the virtual camera IC. The following description will be given using the shooting direction (ea, aa) and angle of view (α) of the virtual camera IC. Note that the predetermined area T may be indicated by the shooting area (X, Y, Z) of the virtual camera IC, which is the predetermined area T, instead of the angle of view α and the distance f.

[0027] Next, the relationship between the predetermined area information and the image of the predetermined area T will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the predetermined area information and the image of the predetermined area T. As shown in FIG. 6, "ea" indicates an elevation angle, "aa" indicates an azimuth angle, and "α" indicates an angle of view. That is, the attitude of the virtual camera IC is changed so that the gaze point of the virtual camera IC indicated by the shooting direction (ea, aa) becomes the center point CP(x, y) of the predetermined area T, which is the shooting area of ​​the virtual camera IC. As shown in FIG. 6, the center point CP(x, y) when the diagonal angle of view of the predetermined area T represented by the angle of view α of the virtual camera IC is α becomes the parameter ((x, y)) of the predetermined area information. The predetermined area image Q is an image of the predetermined area T in the omnidirectional image CE. f is the distance from the virtual camera IC to the center point CP(x, y). L is the distance between any vertex of the predetermined area T and the center point CP(x, y) (2L is the diagonal line). In FIG. 6, the trigonometric function shown in the following formula 1 generally holds.

[0028]

number

[0029] Next, a state of photographing by the photographing device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a state of photographing by the photographing device. In order to photograph a room of a real estate property or the like so that the entire room can be viewed, it is preferable to install the photographing device 10 at a position close to the height of human eyes. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 7, the photographing device 10 is generally fixed to a support member 20 such as a monopod or a tripod for photographing. As described above, the photographing device 10 is a celestial sphere photographing device capable of acquiring light rays in all directions around the entire periphery, and it can also be said that the photographing device 10 acquires an image (a celestial sphere image CE) on a unit sphere around the photographing device 10. When the photographing direction of the photographing device 10 is determined, the coordinates of the celestial sphere image are determined. For example, in FIG. 7, point A is at a distance (d, -h) from the center point C of the photographing device 10. If the angle between the line segment AC and the horizontal direction is θ, the angle θ can be expressed by the following (Equation 2).

[0030]

number

[0031] Assuming that point A is at a depression angle θ, the distance d between points A and B can be expressed by the following (Equation 3) using the installation height h of the image capturing device 10.

[0032]

number

[0033] Here, a process of converting position information on a celestial sphere image into coordinates on a planar image converted from the celestial sphere image will be outlined. Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining an example of a celestial sphere image. Fig. 8(A) is a diagram showing the hemispherical image shown in Fig. 3(A) by connecting points where the horizontal and vertical incidence angles with respect to the optical axis are equal with lines. Hereinafter, the horizontal incidence angle with respect to the optical axis is referred to as "θ", and the vertical incidence angle with respect to the optical axis is referred to as "φ".

[0034] Also, Fig. 9(A) is a diagram for explaining an example of an image processed by equirectangular projection. Specifically, the image shown in Fig. 8 is made to correspond to a pre-generated LUT (Look Up Table) or the like, processed by equirectangular projection, and the processed images shown in Fig. 8(A) and Fig. 8(B) are synthesized, whereby the planar image shown in Fig. 9(A) corresponding to the omnidirectional image is generated by the photographing device 10. The equirectangular projection image EC shown in Fig. 3(C) is an example of the planar image shown in Fig. 9(A).

[0035] As shown in FIG. 9(A), in an image processed by equirectangular projection, latitude (θ) and longitude (φ) are orthogonal to each other. In the example shown in FIG. 9(A), the center of the image is (0,0), and the latitude direction is expressed as -90 to +90, and the longitude direction is expressed as -180 to +180, so that any position in the omnidirectional image can be indicated. For example, the coordinates of the upper left corner of the image are (-180, -90). The coordinates of the omnidirectional image may be expressed in a format using 360 degrees as shown in FIG. 9(A), or may be expressed in radians or in the number of pixels as in a real image. The coordinates of the omnidirectional image may be converted and expressed as two-dimensional coordinates (x, y) as shown in FIG. 9(B).

[0036] Note that the synthesis process for the planar image shown in Fig. 9(A) or Fig. 9(B) is not limited to the process of simply arranging the hemispherical images shown in Fig. 8(A) and Fig. 8(B) consecutively. For example, if the horizontal center of the omnidirectional image is not θ=180°, in the synthesis process, the image capturing device 10 first preprocesses the hemispherical image shown in Fig. 3(C) and arranges it at the center of the omnidirectional image. Next, the image capturing device 10 may divide the hemispherical image shown in Fig. 3(B) into left and right parts of the image to be generated into a size that allows the preprocessed image to be arranged on the left and right parts, and synthesize the hemispherical images to generate the equirectangular projection image EC shown in Fig. 3(C).

[0037] In addition, in the image shown in Fig. 9(A), the point corresponding to the pole (PL1 or PL2) of the hemispherical image (panoramic image) shown in Fig. 8(A) and Fig. 8(B) is the line segment CT1 or CT2. This is because, as shown in Fig. 4(A) and Fig. 4(B), the panoramic image (for example, panoramic image CE) is created by pasting the image shown in Fig. 9(A) (equirectangular projection image EC) onto a spherical surface by using OpenGL ES.

[0038] ○Hardware configuration of the imaging device○ First, the hardware configuration of the imaging device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the imaging device. In the following, the imaging device 10 is an omnidirectional (all-directional) imaging device using two imaging elements, but the number of imaging elements may be two or more. In addition, the imaging device does not necessarily have to be a device dedicated to omnidirectional imaging, and an omnidirectional imaging unit may be attached to a normal digital camera, smartphone, or the like to have substantially the same functions as the imaging device 10.

[0039] 10, the photographing device 10 is composed of an imaging unit 101, an image processing unit 104, an imaging control unit 105, a microphone 108, a sound processing unit 109, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 111, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 112, an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) 113, a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) 114, an operation unit 115, an input / output I / F (Interface) 116, a short-range communication circuit 117, an antenna 117a of the short-range communication circuit 117, an electronic compass 118, a gyro sensor 119, an acceleration sensor 120, a network I / F 121, a GPS 122, an LED 123, a display 124, and a speaker 125. The photographing device 10 also includes an ISP (Image Signal Processor) which is a processor for processing video signals.

[0040] Among these, the imaging unit 101 includes optical systems (wide-angle lenses or so-called fisheye lenses) 102a and 102b (hereinafter referred to as lenses 102 when there is no need to distinguish between them) each having an angle of view of 180° or more for forming a hemispherical image, and two imaging elements 103a and 103b provided corresponding to each lens. Here, a combination of one optical system and one imaging element is called an imaging optical system, and the imaging device 10 can be configured by arranging two imaging optical systems facing each other. It is also possible to configure the imaging device 10 by adopting two or more imaging optical systems. The imaging elements 103a and 103b include an image sensor such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor that converts an optical image by the lenses 102a and 102b into image data of an electrical signal and outputs it, a timing generation circuit that generates horizontal or vertical synchronization signals and pixel clocks for the image sensors, and a group of registers in which various commands or parameters required for the operation of the imaging elements are set.

[0041] The imaging elements 103a and 103b of the imaging unit 101 are each connected to the image processing unit 104 via a parallel I / F bus. Meanwhile, the imaging elements 103a and 103b of the imaging unit 101 are each connected to the imaging control unit 105 via a serial I / F bus (such as an I2C bus). The image processing unit 104, the imaging control unit 105, and the sound processing unit 109 are connected to the CPU 111 via a bus 110. In addition, the ROM 112, the SRAM 113, the DRAM 114, the operation unit 115, the input / output I / F 116, the short-range communication circuit 117, the electronic compass 118, the gyro sensor 119, the acceleration sensor 120, and the network I / F 121 are also connected to the bus 110.

[0042] The image processing unit 104 takes in the image data output from the image sensors 103a and 103b via a parallel I / F bus, performs a predetermined processing on each image data, and then synthesizes the image data to create equirectangular projection image data such as that shown in Figure 3(C).

[0043] The imaging control unit 105 generally sets commands and the like in the register groups of the imaging elements 103a and 103b using an I2C bus, with the imaging control unit 105 acting as a master device and the imaging elements 103a and 103b acting as slave devices. Necessary commands and the like are received from the CPU 111. The imaging control unit 105 also uses the I2C bus to retrieve status data and the like from the register groups of the imaging elements 103a and 103b and send it to the CPU 111.

[0044] Furthermore, the imaging control unit 105 instructs the imaging elements 103a and 103b to output image data when the shutter button of the operation unit 115 is pressed. Some imaging devices 10 have a preview display function or a function corresponding to video display on a display (for example, a display of an external terminal such as a smartphone that performs short-distance communication with the imaging device 10 using the short-distance communication circuit 117). In this case, the image data is output from the imaging elements 103a and 103b continuously at a predetermined frame rate (frames / second).

[0045] As described later, the imaging control unit 105 also functions as a synchronization control means for synchronizing the output timing of image data from the imaging elements 103a and 103b in cooperation with the CPU 111. In this embodiment, the imaging device 10 is not provided with a display unit, but a display unit may be provided. The microphone 108 converts sound into sound (signal) data. The sound processing unit 109 takes in the sound data output from the microphone 108 through an I / F bus and performs a predetermined process on the sound data.

[0046] The CPU 111 controls the overall operation of the photographing device 10 and executes necessary processing. The ROM 112 stores various programs for the CPU 111. The SRAM 113 and the DRAM 114 are work memories, and store programs executed by the CPU 111, data in the middle of processing, etc. In particular, the DRAM 114 stores image data in the middle of processing by the image processing unit 104, and data of a processed equirectangular projection image.

[0047] The operation unit 115 is a collective term for various operation buttons, a power switch, a shutter button, a touch panel having both display and operation functions, etc. A user operates the operation unit 115 to input various shooting modes, shooting conditions, etc.

[0048] The input / output I / F 116 is a general term for an interface circuit (such as an SD memory card I / F or USB I / F) with an external medium such as an SD memory card or a personal computer. The input / output I / F 116 may be wireless or wired. The data of the equirectangular projection image stored in the DRAM 114 is recorded on an external medium via the input / output I / F 116, or transmitted to an external terminal (device) via the input / output I / F 116 as necessary.

[0049] The short-range communication circuit 117 communicates with an external terminal (device) by short-range wireless communication technology such as NFC (Near Field Communication), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or Wi-Fi via an antenna 117a provided in the image capturing device 10. The short-range communication circuit 117 can transmit data of the equirectangular projection image to the external terminal (device).

[0050] The electronic compass 118 calculates the direction of the image capturing device 10 from the earth's magnetism and outputs the direction information. This direction information is an example of related information (metadata) according to Exif and is used for image processing such as image correction of the captured image. The related information also includes each data of the image capture date and time and the data capacity of the image data. The gyro sensor 119 is a sensor that detects angle changes (roll angle, pitch angle, yaw angle) accompanying the movement of the image capturing device 10. The angle changes are an example of related information (metadata) according to Exif and are used for image processing such as image correction of the captured image. The acceleration sensor 120 is a sensor that detects acceleration in three axial directions. The image capturing device 10 calculates the attitude (angle with respect to the direction of gravity) of the own device (image capturing device 10) based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 120. The accuracy of image correction is improved by providing the acceleration sensor 120 in the image capturing device 10. The network I / F 121 is an interface for performing data communication using a communication network 100 such as the Internet via a router or the like.

[0051] The GPS 122 is a positioning means that measures a position on the earth by receiving signals transmitted at different times from multiple satellites and calculating the distance to the satellite from the difference in the time at which each signal was received. The positioning means may be a device dedicated to positioning, or may be an application dedicated to positioning installed on a PC (Personal Computer), a smartphone, or the like.

[0052] The display 124 is an example of a display unit, and displays various types of information such as a cursor, a menu, a window, characters, or an image.

[0053] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the external appearance of the imaging device according to this embodiment, in which Fig. 11(a) is a left side view, Fig. 11(b) is a front view, Fig. 11(c) is a right side view, and Fig. 11(d) is a rear view.

[0054] The photographing device 10 has a front housing 200F at the front, a rear housing 200B at the rear, a left housing 200L on the left side, and a right housing 200R on the right side, with a front recess 220a formed in the front housing 200F and a rear recess 220b formed in the rear housing 200B.

[0055] A front opening 210a is formed in a front recess 220a of the front housing 200F, a lens 102a of the optical system is exposed from the front opening 210a, an LED 123 is disposed below the front opening 210a and the lens 102a, and a shutter button 115A is disposed below the LED 123.

[0056] Above the front recess 220a, the GPS 122 is disposed, below the front recess 220a, the display 124 is disposed, and below the display 124, the mode button 115B and the function button 115C are disposed. The mode button 115B and the function button 115C are examples of input buttons associated with the display components (for example, a cancel button, an OK button, etc. as shown in FIG. 11) displayed on the display 124. Other examples of the input button may be a screen transition button, a cursor movement button, etc. associated with the display content displayed on the display 124.

[0057] In the front housing 200F, the lens 102a, the shutter button 115A, the display 124, the mode button 115B, and the function button 115C are arranged in this order.

[0058] In the front housing 200F, there is a sufficient margin below the mode button 115B and the function button 115C, so that the photographing device 10 can be operated comfortably even when held in one hand.

[0059] In the front housing 200F, the mode button 115B and the function button 115C are arranged in parallel at a position where the mode button 115B and the function button 115C can be easily pressed separately with the thumb of the right hand when the photographing device 10 is held in the right hand.

[0060] A rear opening 210b is formed in the rear recess 220b of the rear housing 200B, and a lens 102b of the optical system is exposed from the rear opening 210b, and a microphone 108 is disposed below the rear opening 210b and the lens 102b.

[0061] A speaker 125 is disposed on the left housing 200L, and a power button 115D and a WIFI button 115E are disposed on the right housing 200R from top to bottom. Note that, while Fig. 11 shows an example in which the power button 115D and the WIFI button 115E are disposed on the right housing 200R on the assumption that the photographing device 10 is held in the right hand, a configuration in which the power button 115D and the WIFI button 115E are disposed on the left housing 200L on the assumption that the photographing device 10 is held in the left hand is also applicable.

[0062] When the image capturing device 10 is used at a construction site or the like, it is difficult for a user to operate the display 124 while wearing gloves.

[0063] Therefore, in this embodiment, mode button 115B and function button 115C are configured as hard buttons as input buttons for receiving input to display 124, thereby enabling operation even while wearing gloves.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the front housing 200F of the image capturing device 10 includes the lens 102a, the shutter button 115A, the display 124, a mode button 115B for receiving input to the display 124, and a function button 115C, which are arranged in that order on the same surface.

[0065] As a result, shutter button 115A is located directly below lens 102a, and mode button 115B and function button 115C are located directly below display 124, so that when taking a picture, it is easy to intuitively recognize that the shutter button 115A closer to lens 102a should be operated.

[0066] Furthermore, since display 124 is disposed between shutter button 115A and mode button 115B and function button 11, the risk of accidentally operating mode button 115B and function button 11 when intending to operate shutter button 115A is reduced.

[0067] In addition, the outer shape of shutter button 115A is formed into a circular shape. This allows the user to intuitively recognize that lens 102a, which has a circular outer shape, and shutter button 115A are similar, making it easier to intuitively recognize that shutter button 115A should be operated when taking a picture, reducing erroneous operation.

[0068] Furthermore, the outer shapes of the display 124, the mode button 115B and the function button 115C are formed into a horizontally elongated rectangular shape.

[0069] This allows the user to intuitively recognize that lens 102a and shutter button 115A, which have a circular outer shape, and display 124, mode button 115B and function button 115C, which have a horizontally elongated rectangular outer shape, are in different groups, thereby reducing operational errors.

[0070] A front recess 220a is formed in the front housing 200F of the photographing device 10, and the lens 102a and the shutter button 115A are arranged in the front recess 220a, while the display 124, the mode button 115B, and the function button 115C are arranged in a portion other than the front recess 220a.

[0071] This allows the user to intuitively recognize that lens 102a and shutter button 115A arranged in front recess 220a and display 124, mode button 115B, and function button 115C arranged in a portion other than front recess 220a are in different groups, reducing the risk of operating the shutter button 115A by mistake when intending to operate mode button 115B or function button 115C.

[0072] Furthermore, the photographing device 10 has a power button 115D on the right housing 200R, and the power button 115D is disposed above the shutter button 115A.

[0073] This allows shutter button 115A, mode button 115B, function button 115C, and power button 115D to be arranged along the movement path L of the thumb of the right hand when photographing device 10 is held in the right hand, improving operability.

[0074] If power button 115D were located below shutter button 115A, it would be necessary to bend the thumb to press power button 115D, making it difficult to operate with the thumb, but this situation can be prevented.

[0075] Power button 115D is disposed below lens 102a. This moves lens 102a out of the thumb movement path L, and prevents lens 102a from being soiled by the thumb touching it when the thumb is used for operation.

[0076] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 11 of the imaging device according to this embodiment.

[0077] As described in FIG. 11, a front recess 220a is formed in the front housing 200F of the photographing device 10, the lens 102a and the shutter button 115A are arranged in the front recess 220a, and the display 124, the mode button 115B, and the function button 115C are arranged in a portion other than the front recess 220a.

[0078] The direction in which shutter button 115A, mode button 115B, and function button 115C are pressed is the same, and the position of the button surface (finger contact surface) in the direction in which shutter button 115A is pressed is lower than the position of the button surface (finger contact surface) in the direction in which mode button 115B and function button 115C are pressed.

[0079] This allows the shutter button 115A to be distinguished from the mode button 115B and the function button 115C by their positions on the button surfaces, reducing the risk of erroneous operation. Furthermore, because the position of the button surface of the shutter button 115A is lower, the risk of erroneously operating the shutter button 115A when intending to operate the mode button 115B or the function button 115C is reduced.

[0080] FIG. 13 is an enlarged view showing the appearance of the imaging device according to this embodiment.

[0081] A cancel button 124B and an OK button 124C are displayed on the display 124, with a mode button 115B disposed immediately below the cancel button 124B and a function button 115C disposed immediately below the OK button 124C.

[0082] That is, cancel button 124B and OK button 124C are examples of display contents and display components displayed on display 124, and mode button 115B and function button 115C are arranged in association with cancel button 124B and OK button 124C, respectively.

[0083] In this state, if the user operates mode button 115B, it is accepted as an operation for cancel button 124B, and if the user operates function button 115C, it is accepted as an operation for OK button 124C.

[0084] In this way, by arranging mode button 115B and function button 115C in correspondence with cancel button 124B and OK button 124C, respectively, operability is improved.

[0085] ●Summary● [First aspect] As described above, image capturing device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is an image capturing device 10 that captures a celestial sphere image, and lens 102a, shutter button 115A, display 124, mode button 115B associated with the display content displayed on display 124, and function button 115C are arranged in that order on the same surface. Display 124 is an example of a display unit, and mode button 115B and function button 115C are examples of at least one input button.

[0086] As a result, shutter button 115A is located directly below lens 102a, mode button 115B and function button 115C are located directly below display 124, and display 124 is located between shutter button 115A, mode button 115B, and function button 11, improving the operability of shutter button 115A, mode button 115B, and function button 11.

[0087] [Second aspect] In the first mode, the outer shape of the shutter button 115A is formed into a circular shape. This allows the user to intuitively recognize that the lens 102a, which has a circular outer shape, and the shutter button 115A are the same type of thing, improving operability.

[0088] [Third aspect] In the first or second embodiment, the outer shapes of the display 124, the mode button 115B and the function button 115C are formed into a horizontally elongated rectangular shape.

[0089] This allows intuitive recognition that lens 102a and shutter button 115A, which have a circular outer shape, and display 124, mode button 115B and function button 115C, which have a horizontally elongated rectangular outer shape, are in different groups, improving operability.

[0090] [Fourth aspect] In the first or second mode, shutter button 115A, mode button 115B and function button 115C are pressed in the same direction, and the position of the surface of shutter button 115A in the pressing direction is lower than the positions of the surfaces of mode button 115B and function button 115C in the pressing direction.

[0091] This improves operability because the shutter button 115A can be distinguished from the mode button 115B and the function button 115C by the position on the button surface. Furthermore, the button surface of the shutter button 115A is lower, improving the operability of the shutter button 115A.

[0092] [Fifth aspect] In the fourth embodiment, a front recess 220a is formed in the front housing 200F of the photographing device 10, the lens 102a and the shutter button 115A are arranged in the front recess 220a, and the display 124, the mode button 115B, and the function button 115C are arranged in a portion other than the front recess 220a.

[0093] This allows the user to intuitively recognize that lens 102a and shutter button 115A arranged in front recess 220a and display 124, mode button 115B, and function button 115C arranged in a portion other than front recess 220a are in different groups, improving operability. Furthermore, because shutter button 115A is lower, the operability of shutter button 115A is improved.

[0094] [Sixth aspect] In any of the first to fifth embodiments, the right housing 200R of the image capturing device 10 is provided with a power button 115D, which is located between the shutter button 115A and the lens 102a.

[0095] This allows shutter button 115A, mode button 115B, function button 115C, and power button 115D to be arranged along thumb movement trajectory L, improving operability. Also, by moving lens 102a out of the thumb movement trajectory L, it is possible to prevent lens 102a from being soiled by the thumb touching it during operation.

[0096] [Seventh aspect] In any of the first to sixth aspects, a power button 115D is provided on the right housing 200R of the photographing device 10, and the power button 115D, shutter button 115A, mode button 115B and function button 115C are arranged along the movement trajectory of the thumb of the hand holding the photographing device 10.

[0097] This improves operability of shutter button 115A, mode button 115B, function button 115C, and power button 115D with the thumb.

[0098] ●Additional Information● Each function of the above-described embodiment can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the "processing circuit" in the present embodiment includes a processor programmed to execute each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, as well as devices such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (digital signal processor), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), a SOC (System on a chip), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and a conventional circuit module designed to execute each function described above.

[0099] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be modified within the scope of what a person skilled in the art can conceive, such as adding, changing, or deleting other embodiments, and any aspect is within the scope of the present invention as long as it exhibits the functions and effects of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 1. Image processing system (an example of an information processing system) 10 Imaging device (an example of an information processing device or a transmitting device) 102a, 102b Optical system (lens) 108 Mike 115A Shutter button 115B Mode button 115C Function button 115D Power button 115E WIFI button 122 GPS 123 LED 124 Display (Example of a display unit) 124B Cancel button 124C OK button 125 Speakers 200F Front Case 200B Rear Case 200L left side housing 200R right side housing 210a front opening 210b Rear opening 220a Front recess 220b Back recess L Thumb movement trajectory

Claims

1. An imaging device for capturing a celestial sphere image, Lenses and The shutter button and A display unit; At least one input button associated with the display content displayed on the display unit; An imaging device in which the following are arranged in sequence on the same plane.

2. 2. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shutter button has a circular outer shape.

3. 2. The photographing device according to claim 1, wherein the outer shape of said display section and said input buttons is a horizontally long rectangle.

4. 2. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shutter button and the input buttons are pressed in the same direction, and a surface position of the shutter button in the pressing direction is lower than a surface position of the input button in the pressing direction.

5. A recess is formed in the housing of the imaging device, the lens and the shutter button are disposed in the recess; The photographing device according to claim 1 , wherein the display unit and the input buttons are disposed in a portion other than the recess.

6. A power button is provided on one side of the photographing device; 2. The photographing device according to claim 1, wherein the power button is disposed between the shutter button and the lens.

7. A power button is provided on one side of the photographing device; 2. The photographing device according to claim 1, wherein the power button, the shutter button, and the input buttons are arranged along a moving path of the thumb of a hand holding the photographing device.

Images