Imaging apparatus and controlling method for the same

Abstract

To enable a person who does not recognize which area is included in an imaging apparatus's field of view to understand the relationship between a region included in the imaging apparatus's field of view and a subject being photographed by the imaging apparatus.SOLUTION: The imaging apparatus includes a vibration imparting unit that emits ultrasonic waves toward a region outside the apparatus to impart vibration to an object located in the region, imaging means for photographing a subject, and a control unit that controls the vibration imparting unit so that vibration is imparted to an object located in a region on the basis of the relationship between a region included within the angle of view of the imaging means and a subject being photographed by the imaging means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an imaging device and a control method for an imaging device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, imaging devices that notify the user of a subject included in the angle of view have been known. Imaging devices that notify the user of a subject included in the angle of view include those configured to display the subject included in the angle of view on a display unit provided on the rear of the imaging device. Other configurations also notify the user of the subject included in the angle of view even when the user is not positioned behind the imaging device, such as when the user is taking a selfie and the photographer is also the subject. Patent Document 1 discloses an imaging device in which the display unit provided on the rear of the device is movable, such as by a vari-angle or tilt mechanism, so that the display unit can be seen even when the user is positioned in front of the device. Patent Document 2 also discloses a method of setting a focal point for ultrasonic waves generated by a vibration unit and converging the ultrasonic waves at the focal point. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-136653 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2020 / 184354 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, when a photographer takes a photograph without visually recognizing the imaging device, or when a subject photographed by the imaging device is unaware of the imaging device, the subject may not be aware of which area is included in the angle of view of the imaging device. In such cases, with the technology of Patent Document 1, even if the display unit moves, a person who does not recognize which area is included in the angle of view of the imaging device may not be able to recognize the relationship between the area included in the angle of view of the imaging device and the subject photographed by the imaging device.

[0005] The present invention aims to enable a person who does not recognize which areas are included in the angle of view of an imaging device to recognize the relationship between the areas included in the angle of view of an imaging device and the subject photographed by the imaging device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the imaging device of the present invention includes a vibration imparting unit that emits ultrasonic waves into an area outside the device to impart vibrations to objects located in the area, an imaging means that photographs a subject, and a control unit that controls the vibration imparting unit to impart vibrations to objects located in an area corresponding to the relationship between the area included in the angle of view of the imaging means and the subject of the image captured by the imaging means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, a person who does not recognize which areas are included in the angle of view of an imaging device can be made to recognize the relationship between the areas included in the angle of view of an imaging device and the subject being photographed by the imaging device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the imaging apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an imaging apparatus. [Figure 3] 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the relationship between a voltage applied to a vibration applying unit and the vibration generated; [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a vibration control process. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining vibration conditions and a target area to which a vibration applying unit applies vibrations out of an area outside the imaging device. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining vibration conditions and a target area to which a vibration applying unit applies vibrations out of an area outside the imaging device. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a modified example of the change condition. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. <External view of imaging device 100> Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the imaging device 100. More specifically, Fig. 1(A) is a perspective view of the imaging device 100 viewed from the front side, and Fig. 1(B) is a perspective view of the imaging device 100 viewed from the rear side. The imaging device 100 is a device for taking pictures. Examples of the imaging device 100 include a digital camera. The imaging device 100 includes a display unit 28, a touch panel 70a, an extra-viewfinder display unit 43, a shutter button 61, a mode selector switch 60, and a terminal cover 40. The imaging device 100 also includes a main electronic dial 71, a power switch 72, a sub electronic dial 73, a four-way key 74, and a SET button 75. The imaging device 100 also includes a video button 76, an AE lock button 77, a magnification button 78, a playback button 79, and a menu button 81. The imaging device 100 also includes a communication terminal 10, an eyepiece viewfinder 17, an eyepiece detection unit 57, a slot cover 202, a grip unit 90, and a thumb rest unit 91.

[0010] The display unit 28 is a display unit provided on the back surface of the imaging device 100, and displays various information such as images. The touch panel 70a detects touch operations on the display surface (touch operation surface) of the display unit 28. The outside-finder display unit 43 is a display unit provided on the top surface of the imaging device 100, and displays information such as settings of the imaging device 100, including shutter speed and aperture. The shutter button 61 is a button that accepts instructions to take a picture. The mode change switch 60 is a switch that accepts switching of the operating mode of the system control unit 50, which will be described later. The terminal cover 40 is a cover that protects a connector (not shown) for a connection cable or the like that connects the imaging device 100 to an external device.

[0011] The main electronic dial 71 is a member that is operated by rotation. When the user turns the main electronic dial 71, the settings of the imaging device 100, such as the shutter speed and aperture, are changed. The power switch 72 is a switch that switches the power of the imaging device 100 between ON and OFF. The sub electronic dial 73 is a member that is operated by rotation. When the user turns the sub electronic dial 73, the selection frame (cursor) displayed on the display unit 28 moves, or the image displayed on the display unit 28 changes. The four-way key 74 is a switch located at four positions (up, down, left, and right), and accepts instructions corresponding to the switch that is pressed. The SET button 75 is a button that accepts, for example, confirmation of a selected item.

[0012] The video button 76 is a button that accepts instructions to start or stop video shooting (recording). The AE lock button 77 is a button that accepts fixing of the exposure state in a shooting standby state. The enlargement button 78 is a button that accepts enlargement of the image displayed on the display unit 28. The playback button 79 is a button that accepts switching between a shooting mode and a playback mode, which will be described later. The menu button 81 is a button that accepts display on the display unit 28 of a menu screen that allows various settings to be made.

[0013] The communication terminal 10 is a terminal through which the imaging device 100 communicates with the lens unit 150 (described later). The eyepiece finder 17 is a peer-type finder and has an eyepiece 16. The eyepiece 16 is the eyepiece portion of the eyepiece finder 17. A user can view an image displayed on an EVF 29 (Electronic Viewfinder) (described later) through the eyepiece 16. The eyepiece detection unit 57 is a sensor that detects whether the user, the photographer, has placed their eye on the eyepiece 16. The slot cover 202 is a cover that stores the recording medium 200 (described later). The grip portion 90 is shaped to correspond to the right hand that holds the imaging device 100 when the user holds it, and is a portion that is held by the user. The thumb rest portion 91 is a portion that is held by the thumb of the user's right hand.

[0014] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the imaging device 100. The imaging device 100 includes a lens unit 150 that is detachable from the imaging device 100, and a main body 110, which is the portion of the imaging device 100 excluding the lens unit 150. The main body 110 also includes a shutter 101, an imaging unit 22, an A / D converter 23, a memory control unit 15, a memory 32, a D / A converter 19, a display unit 28, an EVF 29, and an image processing unit 24. The main body 110 also includes a system control unit 50, a system memory 52, a non-volatile memory 56, a system timer 53, a communication unit 54, an orientation detection unit 55, and an eyepiece detection unit 57. The main body 110 also includes a vibration applying unit 119, an extra-viewfinder display unit 43, an extra-viewfinder display drive circuit 44, a power control unit 80, a power supply unit 30, a recording medium I / F 18, and an operation unit 70.

[0015] The lens unit 150 includes a lens 103, an aperture drive circuit 2, an AF drive circuit 3, and a lens system control circuit 4. In this embodiment, a first communication terminal 6 is provided in the lens unit 150, and a second communication terminal 10 is provided in the main body 110. This allows a network connection between the lens unit 150 and the system control unit 50 in the main body 110 via the first communication terminal 6 and the second communication terminal 10. The lens 103 is a replaceable lens used for photography. Although FIG. 2 shows a single lens 103, the lens unit 150 may be provided with multiple lenses 103. The aperture drive circuit 2 drives the aperture. The AF drive circuit 3 drives the autofocus (AF). The lens system control circuit 4 controls the entire lens unit 150. The lens system control circuit 4 controls the aperture via the aperture drive circuit 2. The lens system control circuit 4 also adjusts the focus by displacing the position of the lens 103 via the AF drive circuit 3.

[0016] The shutter 101 is a focal plane shutter that controls the exposure time of the imaging unit 22. The shutter 101 is controlled by the system control unit 50. The imaging unit 22 is an imaging element (image sensor) composed of a CCD, CMOS element, or the like that converts an optical image into an electrical signal. The imaging unit 22 may have an imaging surface phase difference sensor that outputs information about the defocus amount to the system control unit 50. The lens unit 150, the shutter 101, and the imaging unit 22 can also be considered as imaging means that captures an image of a subject. The A / D converter 23 converts an analog signal output from the imaging unit 22 into a digital signal. The memory control unit 15 controls the information stored in the memory 32.

[0017] The memory 32 stores images. The images stored in the memory 32 include images captured by the imaging unit 22 and converted by the A / D converter 23, and images displayed on the display unit 28 or EVF 29. The memory 32 has a storage capacity necessary to store a predetermined number of still images and a predetermined period of moving images and audio. The predetermined number of images and the predetermined period of time may be any value. The images output from the A / D converter 23 may be written to the memory 32 via the image processing unit 24 and the memory control unit 15, or may be written to the memory 32 via the memory control unit 15 without going through the image processing unit 24. The memory 32 is also used as a video memory for storing images to be displayed. The D / A converter 19 converts the display image stored in the memory 32 into an analog signal and outputs it to the display unit 28 or the EVF 29. As a result, the display image stored in the memory 32 is displayed on the display unit 28 or the EVF 29. The display unit 28 and the EVF 29 are both displays such as LCDs or organic EL displays, and display images according to the analog signal from the D / A converter 19. In this embodiment, images converted by the A / D converter 23 and stored in the memory 32 are converted into analog signals by the D / A converter 19, and then sequentially transferred to and displayed on the display unit 28 or the EVF 29, thereby achieving a live view (LV) display. Hereinafter, an image displayed as a live view may be referred to as a live view image (LV image).

[0018] The image processing unit 24 performs predetermined processing on the image converted by the A / D converter 23 and the image transmitted from the memory control unit 15. Examples of predetermined processing include pixel interpolation, pixel reduction, and other resizing processes, and color conversion processes. The image processing unit 24 also performs predetermined arithmetic processing using the image, and performs TTL (through-the-lens) AWB (auto white balance) processing based on the obtained arithmetic results. The image processing unit 24 also recognizes specific subjects from the image by pattern matching using a person recognition function, face recognition function, or the like. In this case, the image processing unit 24 identifies the size of the subject and the position of the subject within the area included in the angle of view.

[0019] In this embodiment, when an image is captured, the image processing unit 24 identifies the relationship between the area included in the angle of view of the imaging device 100 and the object determined as the subject of the image capture, and transmits information indicating the identified relationship to the system control unit 50. In particular, when an LV image is displayed on the display unit 28 or the EVF 29, images converted by the A / D converter 23 are sequentially transferred to the image processing unit 24. In this case, each time an image is transferred, the image processing unit 24 identifies the latest relationship between the area included in the angle of view of the imaging device 100 and the object determined as the subject of the image capture, from the transferred image, and transmits the latest information indicating the identified relationship to the system control unit 50. Note that, hereinafter, the area included in the angle of view of the imaging device 100 may be referred to as the angle of view area. Also, hereinafter, the object determined as the subject of the image capture may be referred to as the subject of the image capture. An example of the object to be photographed is a person. The relationship between the field of view area and the object to be photographed can be a relationship in which the object to be photographed is located in the field of view area, a relationship in which the object to be photographed is not located in the field of view area, or a relationship in which the object to be photographed is in focus or out of focus when the object to be photographed is located in the field of view area. Furthermore, the image processing unit 24 identifies the relationship between the field of view area and the object to be photographed by the above-described method such as pattern matching.

[0020] The system control unit 50, which is an example of a control unit, is a processor that controls the entire imaging device 100. The system control unit 50 functions as at least one control circuit. The system control unit 50 may include one or more processors. In this embodiment, the system control unit 50 performs various controls by executing programs recorded in a non-volatile memory 56. The system control unit 50 also controls the display of information by controlling the memory 32, the D / A converter 19, the display unit 28, the EVF 29, etc. The system control unit 50 also controls exposure and distance measurement based on the calculation results obtained by the image processing unit 24. This allows for TTL AF processing, AE (auto exposure) processing, EF (pre-flash) processing, etc. In this embodiment, when the system control unit 50 receives information indicating the relationship between the field of view area and the object to be photographed from the image processing unit 24, it controls the vibration applying unit 119 in accordance with the relationship between the field of view area and the object to be photographed identified from the received information.

[0021] The system memory 52 is, for example, a RAM. In this embodiment, constants and variables for operation of the system control unit 50, as well as programs and the like read from the nonvolatile memory 56, are loaded into the system memory 52 by the system control unit 50. The nonvolatile memory 56 is an electrically erasable and electrically recordable memory, such as an EEPROM. The nonvolatile memory 56 stores constants and programs for operation of the system control unit 50. These programs are programs for implementing various controls by the system control unit 50. The system timer 53 measures the time used for various controls and the time of an internal clock. The communication unit 54 transmits and receives video signals and audio signals to and from external devices connected wirelessly or via a wired cable. The network between the communication unit 54 and the external device may be any communication system as long as it is configured to enable information transmission and reception. The network may be a LAN, a WAN, a cellular network such as LTE or 5G, a wireless network, a dedicated digital line, Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Bluetooth Low Energy, or a combination of these. The communication unit 54 transmits images. The images transmitted to the communication unit 54 include LV images. The communication unit 54 also receives images and various other information from external devices.

[0022] The attitude detection unit 55 detects the attitude of the image capture device 100 with respect to the direction of gravity. Based on the result of this detection by the attitude detection unit 55, the system control unit 50 determines whether the image was obtained by capturing an image with the image capture device 100 held horizontally or whether the image was obtained by capturing an image with the image capture device 100 held vertically. The attitude detection unit 55 may be an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, or the like. Eyepiece detection unit 57 is a sensor that detects whether an object such as an eye is approaching (approaching) or moving away (moving away) from eyepiece unit 16 of eyepiece viewfinder 17. Depending on the state detected by eyepiece detection unit 57, system control unit 50 switches between displaying and hiding images on display unit 28 and EVF 29. An infrared proximity sensor, for example, is used as eyepiece detection unit 57. However, the sensor used as eyepiece detection unit 57 may be a sensor other than an infrared proximity sensor, as long as it detects approaching of the eye.

[0023] The vibration imparting unit 119 radiates ultrasonic waves toward a region outside the imaging device 100, thereby vibrating an object located in the region where the ultrasonic waves are radiated. The vibration imparting unit 119 is provided with a piezoelectric element (not shown) and an application unit (not shown) that applies a voltage to the piezoelectric element. The application unit repeatedly switches the direction of the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element, causing the piezoelectric element to vibrate, and ultrasonic waves are generated from the piezoelectric element. In this embodiment, the vibration imparting unit 119 is provided on the front surface (front face) of the imaging device 100 to impart vibration to an object located in the direction in which the lens 103 faces, i.e., on the front side of the imaging device 100. In other words, the vibration imparting unit 119 is provided in the imaging device 100 so that the direction of the ultrasonic waves radiated by the vibration imparting unit 119 is the front side of the imaging device 100. The number of vibration imparting units 119 provided in the imaging device 100 may be one or more. Examples of the vibration imparting unit 119 include directional speakers such as a line array speaker, a plane wave speaker, and a parametric speaker. Furthermore, as the vibration applying unit 119, for example, an ultrasonic wave generating device described in Patent Document 2 may be used.

[0024] When a predetermined condition is satisfied as a relationship between the angle of view area and the object to be photographed, the vibration applying unit 119 starts applying vibration to an object located outside the image capturing device 100 by emitting ultrasonic waves. Furthermore, when a predetermined condition is satisfied as a relationship between the angle of view area and the object to be photographed, the vibration applying unit 119 changes the mode of vibration applied to the outside of the image capturing device 100 compared to when the application of vibration was started. Examples of the mode of vibration include the area of ​​the object to which vibration is applied, the intensity of vibration, the number of vibrations per unit time, and the presence or absence of vibration. Hereinafter, the predetermined conditions under which the vibration applying unit 119 starts applying vibration or the vibration applying unit 119 changes the mode of vibration may be referred to as vibration conditions. Specific details of the vibration conditions will be described in detail later. The start of application of vibration by the vibration applying unit 119 and the change in the mode of vibration by the vibration applying unit 119 are controlled by the system control unit 50.

[0025] An example of a method for changing the target area to which vibration is applied by vibration applying unit 119 will be described. Assume that imaging device 100 is provided with a plurality of directional speakers, each with a different ultrasonic wave emission area, as vibration applying unit 119, and that some directional speakers emit ultrasonic waves and some directional speakers do not. In this case, when a directional speaker that was emitting ultrasonic waves stops emitting ultrasonic waves and a directional speaker that was not emitting ultrasonic waves emits ultrasonic waves, the area to which ultrasonic waves are radiated changes, and therefore the target area to which vibration is applied changes. Furthermore, when multiple directional speakers are arranged in the imaging device 100, the focus of the ultrasonic waves emitted from the multiple directional speakers is determined according to the ultrasonic wave emission time of each directional speaker. Therefore, by the system control unit 50 controlling the ultrasonic wave emission time of each directional speaker, the area from which the ultrasonic waves are emitted changes, and therefore the area to which vibration is applied changes. Furthermore, the vibration applying unit 119 may be provided on the front surface of the imaging device 100 so as to be movable on the imaging device 100, or so as to be able to change the orientation of the vibration applying unit 119. In this case, the system control unit 50 controls the position and orientation of the vibration applying unit 119, thereby changing the area from which the ultrasonic waves are radiated, and therefore changing the area to which vibration is applied.

[0026] The viewfinder display drive circuit 44 is a circuit that drives the viewfinder display 43. The power supply control unit 80 controls the power supply, such as detecting whether a battery is installed, the type of battery, and the remaining battery power. The power supply unit 30 is the power supply for the image capture device 100. Examples of power sources that make up the power supply unit 30 include primary batteries such as alkaline batteries and lithium batteries, secondary batteries such as NiCd batteries, NiMH batteries, and Li batteries, and AC adapters. The recording medium I / F 18 is an interface that connects the image capture device 100 to a recording medium 200 such as a memory card or hard disk.

[0027] The operation unit 70 is an input unit that accepts operations of the imaging device 100 by the user, and is used to input various operational instructions to the system control unit 50. The operation unit 70 includes a shutter button 61, a mode selector switch 60, a power switch 72, a touch panel 70a, and other operation members 70b. The other operation members 70b include a main electronic dial 71, a sub electronic dial 73, a four-way key 74, a SET button 75, a video button 76, an AE lock button 77, a magnification button 78, a playback button 79, and a menu button 81. The shutter button 61 includes a first shutter switch 62 and a second shutter switch 64. The first shutter switch 62 is turned ON when the shutter button 61 is pressed halfway, generating a first shutter switch signal SW1 when the first shutter switch 62 is pressed ON. When the first shutter switch 62 is pressed ON, the system control unit 50 starts preparations for shooting, such as AF processing, AE processing, AWB processing, and EF processing. The second shutter switch 64 is turned ON when the shutter button 61 is pressed fully, generating a second shutter switch signal SW2 when the second shutter switch 64 is pressed ON. When the system control unit 50 receives the second shutter switch signal SW2, the system control unit 50 starts a series of shooting processing operations, from reading out a signal from the imaging unit 22 to writing the captured image to the recording medium 200 as a file.

[0028] The mode selector switch 60 switches the operation mode of the system control unit 50. In this embodiment, the operation modes of the system control unit 50 include a shooting mode in which shooting is possible and a playback mode in which images can be played back. The shooting modes include a still image shooting mode in which still images can be shot and a video shooting mode in which videos can be shot. The still image shooting modes include an auto shooting mode, an auto scene determination mode, a manual mode, an aperture priority mode (Av mode), a shutter speed priority mode (Tv mode), and a program AE mode (P mode). The operation modes include various scene modes in which shooting settings are made for each shooting scene, and a custom mode in which the operation mode contents are customized by the user. The user switches the operation mode to one of the above modes by operating the mode selector switch 60. Although not described further, the video shooting mode may also include multiple modes. In this embodiment, when the system control unit 50 is in the shooting mode, an LV image is displayed on the display unit 28 or the EVF 29. In this case, images converted by the A / D converter 23 are sequentially transferred to the image processing unit 24.

[0029] The touch panel 70a is a touch sensor that detects a user's contact with the surface of the display unit 28. The touch panel 70a detects operations by the user on the surface of the display unit 28, such as contact time, contact area, swipe, and non-contact, and transmits a signal corresponding to the detected operation to the system control unit 50. A recording medium 200 is also attached to the imaging device 100. The recording medium 200 is a recording medium such as a memory card for recording images, and is configured from a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or the like.

[0030] 3A to 3E are diagrams for explaining the relationship between the voltage applied to the vibration applying unit 119 and the generated vibration. In Fig. 3A to 3E, the horizontal axis represents time t, and the vertical axis represents voltage V applied to the piezoelectric body (not shown) by an application means (not shown) in the vibration applying unit 119. In the vibration applying unit 119, an application means (not shown) applies a voltage consisting of a sine wave or the like to a piezoelectric body (not shown), causing the piezoelectric body to vibrate by expanding and contracting and repeatedly switching the direction of expansion and contraction. In addition, as the piezoelectric body vibrates, it emits ultrasonic waves of a frequency corresponding to this vibration, thereby vibrating an object located in the area where the ultrasonic waves are radiated.

[0031] 3A shows that no voltage is applied to the piezoelectric body of the vibration applying unit 119. In this case, the piezoelectric body is not vibrating, and the vibration applying unit 119 does not apply vibrations to the outside of the imaging device 100. 3(B) shows that a sine wave voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element of the vibration applying unit 119. In this case, the piezoelectric element vibrates and emits ultrasonic waves, causing the vibration applying unit 119 to apply vibrations to the outside of the imaging device 100.

[0032] Fig. 3(C) shows that a voltage having a higher frequency than that in the example shown in Fig. 3(B) is applied to the piezoelectric element of the vibration applying unit 119. In this case, the number of vibrations per unit time applied from the vibration applying unit 119 to the outside of the imaging device 100 is greater than in the example shown in Fig. 3(B). Fig. 3(D) shows that a voltage having a frequency with a larger amplitude than that in the example shown in Fig. 3(B) is applied to the piezoelectric element of the vibration applying unit 119. In this case, the vibration applied from the vibration applying unit 119 to the outside of the imaging device 100 is stronger than in the example shown in Fig. 3(B).

[0033] 3(E) shows that a voltage is intermittently applied to the piezoelectric body of the vibration applying unit 119. In this case, the vibration applying unit 119 applies vibrations to the outside of the imaging device 100 intermittently. In this embodiment, the system control unit 50 controls the voltage applied to the piezoelectric body of the vibration applying unit 119. The system control unit 50 controls the manner of vibration that the vibration applying unit 119 applies to the outside of the image capturing device 100 by controlling the voltage applied to the piezoelectric body of the vibration applying unit 119. Therefore, the voltage waveforms shown in Figures 3(B) to 3(E) can also be considered as waveforms of vibration that the vibration applying unit 119 applies to the outside of the image capturing device 100.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of the vibration control process. The vibration control process is a process in which the system control unit 50 controls the vibration applying unit 119. In this embodiment, when the system control unit 50 is in the shooting mode and the vibration control process is not being performed, the vibration control process is started at predetermined time intervals. The predetermined time may be any time, but is, for example, one second. In this embodiment, the system control unit 50 loads a program stored in the non-volatile memory 56 into the system memory 52 and executes it, thereby realizing each step in the vibration control process. Note that the imaging device 100 may be set so that the vibration control process is not started.

[0035] In S401, the system control unit 50 determines whether the vibration applying unit 119 is applying vibration to the outside of the image capturing device 100. The system control unit 50 determines whether the vibration applying unit 119 is applying vibration based on whether the vibration applying unit 119 is emitting ultrasonic waves to the outside of the image capturing device 100.

[0036] If the vibration applying unit 119 is not applying vibration (NO in S401), the system control unit 50 determines whether or not a vibration start condition is satisfied in S402. The vibration start condition, which is an example of a vibration condition, is a condition used by the system control unit 50 to determine whether or not to start applying vibration from the vibration applying unit 119 to the outside of the imaging device 100. When the system control unit 50 receives the latest information indicating the relationship between the angle of view area and the photographed object from the image processing unit 24, the system control unit 50 determines whether a vibration start condition is satisfied based on the relationship between the angle of view area and the photographed object identified from the received information. Specifically, when the system control unit 50 is in the photographing mode, images are sequentially transferred to the image processing unit 24 for LV display. In this case, each time the image processing unit 24 receives an image, it transmits the latest information indicating the relationship between the angle of view area identified from the received image and the photographed object to the system control unit 50 as information used for the determination by the system control unit 50. An example of a vibration start condition is that the entire photographed object is included in the angle of view area.

[0037] If the vibration start condition is satisfied (YES in S402), in S403, the system control unit 50 starts applying vibration to an object located in the area where the ultrasonic waves are radiated by causing the vibration applying unit 119 to radiate ultrasonic waves outside the image capturing device 100. At this time, the area where the ultrasonic waves are radiated from the vibration applying unit 119, that is, the area to which vibration is applied from the vibration applying unit 119, may be, for example, an area where the object to be photographed is located.

[0038] After S403, or if the vibration applying unit 119 is applying vibration (YES in S401), the system control unit 50 determines in S404 whether a vibration end condition is satisfied. The vibration end condition is a condition used by the system control unit 50 to determine whether or not to end application of vibration from the vibration applying unit 119 to the outside of the imaging device 100. An example of the vibration end condition is that a subject to be photographed is not located in the angle of view area. If the vibration end condition is met (YES in S404), the system control unit 50 ends the application of vibration from the vibration applying unit 119 by ending the emission of ultrasonic waves from the vibration applying unit 119 in S405.

[0039] If the vibration end condition is not satisfied (NO in S404), the system control unit 50 determines in S406 whether the change condition is satisfied. The change condition, which is an example of a vibration condition, is a condition used by the system control unit 50 to determine whether or not to change the area of ​​the target to which the vibration applying unit 119 applies vibration. The change condition is a relationship between the angle of view area and the object to be photographed, which is different from the relationship between the angle of view area and the object to be photographed determined as the vibration start condition. An example of the change condition is that at least a part of the object to be photographed is not included in the angle of view area.

[0040] If the change condition is satisfied (YES in S406), the system control unit 50 changes, in S407, the area of ​​the target to which vibration is applied by the vibration application unit 119 compared to when application of vibration from the vibration application unit 119 was started in S403. As described above, the relationship between the angle of view area and the object to be photographed differs when the vibration start condition is satisfied and when the change condition is satisfied, but the system control unit 50 controls the vibration application unit 119 to apply vibration to an object located in an area corresponding to the relationship between the angle of view area and the object to be photographed. Furthermore, an example of an area to which the vibration application unit 119 applies vibration when the change condition is satisfied is the area where the object to be photographed is located. In other words, even though the relationship between the angle of view area and the object to be photographed differs when the change condition is satisfied from when the vibration start condition is satisfied, the system control unit 50 changes the area to which vibration is applied so that the vibration application unit 119 applies vibration to the object to be photographed.

[0041] If a negative result is obtained in S402, after S405, if a negative result is obtained in S406, or after S407, the system control unit 50 determines in S408 whether a processing termination condition is satisfied. The processing end condition is a condition used by the system control unit 50 to determine whether or not to end the vibration control processing. An example of the processing end condition is that the first shutter switch signal SW1 generated in response to half-pressing the shutter button 61 is received by the system control unit 50.

[0042] If the processing end condition is not satisfied (NO in S408), the system control unit 50 repeats the processing from S401. Furthermore, if the processing end condition is satisfied (YES in S408), the system control unit 50 ends the vibration control processing. Note that if the processing end condition is satisfied while the vibration applying unit 119 is applying vibration to the outside of the image capturing device 100, the system control unit 50 ends the emission of ultrasonic waves from the vibration applying unit 119 upon completion of the vibration control processing, thereby ending the vibration to the outside of the image capturing device 100.

[0043] As described above, the system control unit 50 controls the vibration applying unit 119 to apply vibration to an object located in an area corresponding to the relationship between the angle of view area and the object to be photographed. In this case, a person who does not recognize which area is included in the angle of view of the imaging device 100 can recognize the relationship between the angle of view area and the object to be photographed. Furthermore, when vibration applying unit 119 applies vibration to an object located in a region outside image capture device 100, system control unit 50 changes the region of the object to which vibration is applied from vibration applying unit 119 in accordance with a change in the relationship between the field of view region and the object to be photographed. In this case, it is possible to allow a person who is not aware of the change in the relationship between the field of view region and the object to be photographed to recognize the relationship between the field of view region and the object to be photographed after this relationship has changed.

[0044] 5 and 6 are diagrams for explaining vibration conditions and a target region outside the image capture device 100 to which vibration is applied by the vibration applying unit 119. The mode of vibration applied by the vibration applying unit 119 to the outside of the image capture device 100 may be referred to as a vibration mode hereinafter. The target region outside the image capture device 100 to which vibration is applied by the vibration applying unit 119 may be referred to as a vibration region hereinafter. In the examples shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the object to be photographed is a person 300. The vibration condition may be any of the first to fourth vibration conditions described below, and the vibration manner may be any of the first to seventh vibration manners described below.

[0045] 5A is a diagram illustrating a first vibration condition and a first vibration manner. The first vibration condition is that the entire object to be photographed is included in the angle-of-view area A. In the illustrated example, the angle-of-view area A includes the entire person 300, so the first vibration condition is satisfied. Furthermore, the first vibration manner is a vibration manner in which the area of ​​the angle-of-view area A where the person 300 is located is defined as a vibration area R. When the first vibration condition is satisfied, the position of the person 300 in the angle-of-view region A is identified by the image processing unit 24. In this case, the system control unit 50 causes the vibration applying unit 119 to emit ultrasonic waves toward the region identified by the image processing unit 24 as the position of the person 300, thereby realizing vibration in the first vibration mode.

[0046] FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating a second vibration mode. The second vibration mode is a vibration mode in which the strength of the vibration applied to the person 300 varies depending on the position of the person 300 in the angle-of-view region A. More specifically, in the second vibration mode, the region defined as the vibration region R is made up of a first vibration region r1, a second vibration region r2, and a third vibration region r3. The first vibration region r1 is a central region in the angle-of-view region A. The second vibration region r2 is a region outside the first vibration region r1 in the angle-of-view region A. The third vibration region r3 is a region outside the second vibration region r2 in the angle-of-view region A. The system control unit 50 controls the vibration applying unit 119 so that the vibration applied to the person 300 is stronger when the person 300 is located in the second vibration region r2 than when the person 300 is located in the third vibration region r3. Furthermore, the system control unit 50 controls the vibration applying unit 119 so that the vibration applied to the person 300 is stronger when the person 300 is located in the first vibration area r1 than when the person 300 is located in the second vibration area r2. In the illustrated example, since the person 300 is located in the first vibration region r1, the system control unit 50 controls the vibration applying unit 119 so that the vibration applied to the person 300 is stronger than when the person 300 is located in the second vibration region r2 or the third vibration region r3.

[0047] When the person 300 is located in the angle-of-view region A, the position of the person 300 in the angle-of-view region A is identified by the image processing unit 24. In this case, the system control unit 50 identifies which of the first vibration region r1 to the third vibration region r3 the region in which the person 300 is located is in. The system control unit 50 also controls the vibration applying unit 119 so that a voltage according to the identification result is applied to the vibration applying unit 119 and ultrasonic waves are emitted to the region identified by the image processing unit 24 as the position of the person 300, thereby realizing vibration in the second vibration mode. Note that there may be cases where the person 300 is located across multiple areas among the first vibration area r1 to the third vibration area r3. In this case, the system control unit 50 may identify the area among the first vibration area r1 to the third vibration area r3 that has the largest overlap with the person 300 as the area where the person 300 is located.

[0048] FIG. 5C is a diagram illustrating a third vibration mode. The third vibration mode is a vibration mode in which the entire angle-of-view region A is defined as the vibration region R. The system control unit 50 radiates ultrasonic waves to the entire angle-of-view region A, thereby realizing the vibration mode according to the third vibration mode. Note that the imaging device 100 may be provided with a plurality of vibration applying units 119, each with a different ultrasonic wave radiation region, and each of the plurality of vibration applying units 119 may radiate ultrasonic waves to a different region of the angle-of-view region A, thereby realizing the vibration mode according to the third vibration mode. In this case, the intensity of the vibration generated in the angle-of-view region A is more likely to be uniform across positions, compared to when vibration according to the third vibration mode is realized by only radiating ultrasonic waves from a single vibration applying unit 119. In the illustrated example, the person 300 is located in the field of view area A, and therefore the vibration applying unit 119 applies vibration to the person 300.

[0049] 5(D) is a diagram illustrating a fourth vibration mode. In the fourth vibration mode, the entire field of view A is defined as a vibration region R, and the intensity of the vibration applied to the person 300 varies depending on the position of the person 300 in the field of view A. In the fourth vibration mode, the region defined as the vibration region R is made up of a first vibration region r1, a second vibration region r2, and a third vibration region r3. In the fourth vibration mode, the positional relationship between the field of view A and the first to third vibration regions r1 to r3, and the relationship between the region in which the person 300 is located and the intensity of the vibration applied to the person 300, are the same as those in the second vibration mode. In the illustrated example, since the person 300 is located in the first vibration region r1, the person 300 is given stronger vibrations from the vibration applying unit 119 than when the person 300 is located in the second vibration region r2 or the third vibration region r3.

[0050] An example of a method by which the system control unit 50 realizes vibration in the fourth vibration mode will be described. The system control unit 50 uses the entire field of view A as the radiation region of the ultrasonic waves, and causes the vibration applying unit 119 to radiate ultrasonic waves so that the first vibration region r1 is at the center of the radiation region. In this case, the ultrasonic waves are most concentrated in the first vibration region r1, so that the vibration is strongest in the first vibration region r1 of the field of view A and weakest in the third vibration region r3 of the field of view A, thereby realizing vibration in the fourth vibration mode.

[0051] FIG. 6(E) is a diagram illustrating the second vibration condition and the fifth vibration mode. The second vibration condition is that at least a part of the object to be photographed is located in a region predetermined as the center of the angle-of-view region A. The region predetermined as the center of the angle-of-view region A may be the same region as the first vibration region r1 in the second vibration mode and the fourth vibration mode. In the illustrated example, a part of the person 300 is located in the region predetermined as the center of the angle-of-view region A, so the second vibration condition is satisfied. The fifth vibration mode is a vibration mode in which the center of the angle-of-view region A is defined as the vibration region R. In other words, the vibration region R in the fifth vibration mode is the same region as the region defined as the second vibration condition. In the illustrated example, the right half of the person 300 is located in the vibration region R, and therefore the vibration applying unit 119 applies vibration to this right half. The area determined as the second vibration condition may be any area that is a part of the angle-of-view area A, and is not limited to the center of the angle-of-view area A.

[0052] FIG. 6(F) is a diagram illustrating the third vibration condition and the sixth vibration mode. The third vibration condition is that at least a part of the object to be photographed is located in an area defined as the outer edge of the angle of view A. The outer edge of the angle of view A defined as the third vibration condition is an area outside the angle of view A. In the illustrated example, a part of the person 300 is located in the area defined as the outer edge of the angle of view A, so the third vibration condition is satisfied. Furthermore, the sixth vibration mode is a vibration mode in which the inside of the angle of view A is not defined as the vibration region R, but the outer edge of the angle of view A is defined as the vibration region R. In other words, the vibration region R in the sixth vibration mode is the same region as the area defined as the third vibration condition. In the illustrated example, the head of the person 300 is located in the vibration region R, and therefore the vibration applying unit 119 applies vibration to this head.

[0053] An example of a method for realizing vibration in the sixth vibration mode by the system control unit 50 will be described below. The imaging device 100 is provided with a plurality of vibration applying units 119, each with a different ultrasonic wave emission region, and the system control unit 50 causes the plurality of vibration applying units 119 to emit ultrasonic waves to different regions on the outer edge of the angle of view region A, thereby realizing vibration in the sixth vibration mode. Furthermore, the system control unit 50 may apply vibration from the vibration applying unit 119 to only a part of the area corresponding to the outer edge of the angle of view A. For example, when the object to be photographed is located both inside and outside the angle of view A, the position of the object to be photographed inside the angle of view A is identified by the image processing unit 24. In this case, the system control unit 50 causes the vibration applying unit 119 to emit ultrasonic waves only to the outer edge of the angle of view A adjacent to the area identified by the image processing unit 24 as the position of the person 300, thereby applying vibration to only a part of the area corresponding to the outer edge of the angle of view A. In this way, it is not necessary to provide multiple vibration applying units 119 in the imaging device 100 in order to apply vibration to the outer edge of the angle of view A. In addition, when at least a portion of the object to be photographed is not included in the field of view, the condition for the vibration imparting unit 119 to impart vibration to the object to be photographed is that the object to be photographed is located within a range in which the vibration imparting unit 119 can emit ultrasonic waves.

[0054] As described above, the system control unit 50 controls the vibration applying unit 119 to apply vibration to an object located in an area not included in the angle of view, depending on the relationship between the angle of view area and the object to be photographed. In this case, even if the object to be vibrated is located in an area not included in the angle of view of the imaging device 100, a person who does not recognize which areas are included in the angle of view can be made aware of the relationship between the angle of view area and the object to be photographed.

[0055] FIG. 6G is a diagram illustrating the fourth vibration condition and the seventh vibration mode. The fourth vibration condition is that at least a portion of the object to be photographed is located in a region defined as the periphery of the angle-of-view region A. The periphery of the angle-of-view region A defined as the fourth vibration condition is a region inside the angle-of-view region A. In the illustrated example, a portion of person 300 is located in the region defined as the periphery of the angle-of-view region A, so that the fourth vibration condition is satisfied. Furthermore, the seventh vibration mode is a vibration mode in which the center of the angle-of-view region A is not defined as the vibration region R, but the periphery of the angle-of-view region A is defined as the vibration region R. In other words, the vibration region R in the seventh vibration mode is the same region as the region defined as the fourth vibration condition. Note that the method by which the system control unit 50 realizes vibration in the seventh vibration mode is the same as the method by which the system control unit 50 realizes vibration in the sixth vibration mode.

[0056] As described above, the system control unit 50 controls the vibration applying unit 119 to apply vibration depending on whether at least a part of the object to be photographed is located on the periphery of the angle of view area or whether at least a part of the object to be photographed is not located in the angle of view area. In this case, a person who does not recognize which area is included in the angle of view of the imaging device 100 can be made to recognize that the object to be photographed is located on the periphery of the angle of view area or that the object to be photographed is not included in the angle of view area.

[0057] Although the first to fourth vibration conditions have been described above, any of the first to fourth vibration conditions may be set as the vibration start condition and the change condition. Also, although the first to seventh vibration modes have been described, the vibration mode when the vibration start condition is satisfied and the vibration mode when the change condition is satisfied may be any of the first to seventh vibration modes.

[0058] For example, a first vibration condition (see FIG. 5(A)) may be defined as the vibration start condition, and the vibration mode when the vibration start condition is satisfied may be the first vibration mode (see FIG. 5(A)) or the third vibration mode (see FIG. 5(C)). A second vibration condition (see FIG. 6(E)) may be defined as the change condition, and the vibration mode when the change condition is satisfied may be the fifth vibration mode (see FIG. 6(E)). In this case, the system control unit 50 may control the vibration applying unit 119 so that the intensity of the vibration applied from the vibration applying unit 119, the number of vibrations per unit time, the presence or absence of intermittent vibration, etc., are different between when the vibration start condition is satisfied and when the change condition is satisfied. In this case, the object to be photographed can be made to recognize that it has moved from the area defined as the first vibration condition to the area defined as the second vibration condition.

[0059] Furthermore, for example, the first vibration condition or the second vibration condition may be determined as the vibration start condition, and the vibration mode when the vibration start condition is satisfied may be any one of the first to fourth vibration modes. Then, the third vibration condition (see FIG. 6(F)) may be determined as the change condition, and the vibration mode when the change condition is satisfied may be the sixth vibration mode (see FIG. 6(F)). In this case, the vibration applying unit 119 may be controlled so that the strength of the vibration applied from the vibration applying unit 119, the number of vibrations per unit time, whether or not intermittent vibration is applied, etc., differ between when the vibration start condition is satisfied and when the change condition is satisfied. In this case, the object to be photographed can be made to recognize that it has moved and is now located outside the angle of view area.

[0060] Furthermore, for example, the first vibration condition or the second vibration condition may be determined as the vibration start condition, and the vibration mode when the vibration start condition is satisfied may be any one of the first to fourth vibration modes. The fourth vibration condition (see FIG. 6(G)) may be determined as the change condition, and the vibration mode when the change condition is satisfied may be the seventh vibration mode (see FIG. 6(G)). In this case, the vibration applying unit 119 may be controlled so that the strength of the vibration applied from the vibration applying unit 119, the number of vibrations per unit time, the presence or absence of intermittent vibration, etc., differ between when the vibration start condition is satisfied and when the change condition is satisfied. In this case, the object to be photographed can be made to recognize that it has moved and is now located on the periphery of the angle of view area.

[0061] Furthermore, for example, the third vibration condition (see FIG. 6(F)) may be determined as the vibration start condition, and the vibration mode when the vibration start condition is satisfied may be the sixth vibration mode (see FIG. 6(F)). Furthermore, any one of the first vibration condition, the second vibration condition, and the fourth vibration condition may be determined as the change condition, and the vibration mode when the change condition is satisfied may be any one of the first to fourth vibration modes and the seventh vibration mode. In this case, the vibration applying unit 119 may be controlled so that the strength of the vibration applied from the vibration applying unit 119, the number of vibrations per unit time, the presence or absence of intermittent vibration, and the like differ between when the vibration start condition is satisfied and when the change condition is satisfied. In this case, the object to be photographed can be made to recognize that it has moved and is now located inside the angle of view area.

[0062] Furthermore, for example, the fourth vibration condition (see FIG. 6(G)) may be determined as the vibration start condition, and the vibration mode when the vibration start condition is satisfied may be the seventh vibration mode (see FIG. 6(G)). Then, either the first vibration condition or the second vibration condition may be determined as the change condition, and the vibration mode when the change condition is satisfied may be any one of the first to fourth vibration modes. In this case, the vibration applying unit 119 may be controlled so that the strength of the vibration applied from the vibration applying unit 119, the number of vibrations per unit time, the presence or absence of intermittent vibration, etc., differ between when the vibration start condition is satisfied and when the change condition is satisfied. In this case, the object to be photographed can be made to recognize that it has moved and is now located inside the angle of view area.

[0063] As described above, the system control unit 50 controls the vibration imparting unit 119 to impart vibration to the object to be photographed in a vibration mode that corresponds to the relationship between the field of view area and the object to be photographed that is located within the range of ultrasound emission by the vibration imparting unit 119. In this case, even if the subject is not aware of which areas are included in the angle of view of the imaging device 100, the subject can be made to recognize the relationship between the angle of view area and the subject.

[0064] In the above example, it was explained that the relationship between the angle of view area where the vibration condition is satisfied and the object to be photographed differs between the vibration start condition and the change condition, but the relationship between the angle of view area where the vibration condition is satisfied and the object to be photographed may be the same between the vibration start condition and the change condition. For example, both the vibration start condition and the change condition may be the first vibration condition, and the vibration mode when the vibration condition is satisfied may be the second vibration mode (see FIG. 5(B)) or the fourth vibration mode (see FIG. 5(D)). Even in this case, vibration is applied to the object to be photographed in a vibration mode that corresponds to the relationship between the angle of view area and the object to be photographed.

[0065] The first vibration condition is not limited to the above example, and may be, for example, that the subject is in focus within the field of view. Alternatively, one of the following conditions may be determined as a vibration start condition: the subject being in focus in the field of view; or the subject being located in the field of view but not in focus; and the other may be determined as a change condition. When the subject is in focus, vibration may be applied to only a part of the subject, such as the face, and when the subject is not in focus, vibration may be applied to the entire subject or the entire field of view.

[0066] Furthermore, any of the first to fourth vibration conditions may be determined as the vibration condition under which vibration in the sixth vibration mode (see FIG. 6(F)) is generated. That is, the system control unit 50 may control the vibration applying unit 119 to apply vibration to an object located in an area not included in the angle of view, depending on the relationship between the angle of view and the object to be photographed. In this way, even if the object to which vibration is applied is located in an area not included in the angle of view of the imaging device 100, a person who does not recognize which areas are included in the angle of view of the imaging device 100 can be made to recognize the relationship between the angle of view and the object to be photographed.

[0067] In addition, in this embodiment, in the second vibration mode (see FIG. 5(B)) and the fourth vibration mode (see FIG. 5(D)), the vibration applied to the object to be photographed is strongest when the object to be photographed is located in the first vibration region r1, but this is not limited to this. The second vibration mode and the fourth vibration mode may be modes in which the vibration applied to the object to be photographed is stronger when the object is located in the second vibration region r2 than when the object is located in the first vibration region r1. Furthermore, the second vibration mode and the fourth vibration mode may be modes in which the vibration applied to the object to be photographed is stronger when the object is located in the third vibration region r3 than when the object is located in the second vibration region r2.

[0068] In the fourth vibration mode, the system control unit 50 may cause the vibration applying unit 119 to radiate ultrasonic waves radially, with the entire angle of view being the ultrasonic wave radiation region and the third vibration region r3 being the center of the radiation region. In this case, the vibration is strongest in the third vibration region r3 of the angle of view and weakest in the first vibration region r1 of the angle of view. Alternatively, the imaging device 100 may be provided with multiple vibration applying units 119, each with a different ultrasonic wave radiation region. Each of the multiple vibration applying units 119 may then radiate ultrasonic waves to a different region of the third vibration region r3, thereby realizing a vibration mode in which the vibration is strongest in the third vibration region r3 of the angle of view A. In this case, the strength of the generated vibration is more likely to be uniform across the separated vibration regions.

[0069] In the second vibration mode (see FIG. 5B) and the fourth vibration mode (see FIG. 5D), the vibration mode that differs for each of the first vibration region r1 to the third vibration region r3 is not limited to the vibration intensity. In the second vibration mode and the fourth vibration mode, the vibration mode may differ for each of the first vibration region r1 to the third vibration region r3 by varying the number of vibrations per unit time or the frequency at which vibration is not applied in the intermittent vibration.

[0070] (Modification of vibration conditions) Next, modified examples of the vibration conditions will be described below: Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining modified examples of the vibration conditions. As shown in Fig. 7(A), person 300, who is the subject to be photographed, is located in angle-of-view area A. At this time, the distance between the position of person 300 and center point C of angle-of-view area A is distance D1. In the example shown in Fig. 7(A), the vibration start condition is satisfied, and vibration applying unit 119 applies vibration to person 300.

[0071] 7(B), person 300 moves closer to center point C in field of view area A. At this time, the distance between the position of person 300 and center point C in field of view area A is distance D2, which is shorter than distance D1. In this case, the system control unit 50 controls the vibration applying unit 119 so that the vibration intensity, the number of vibrations per unit time, the presence or absence of intermittent vibrations, and other vibration aspects applied to the person 300 are different from those when the person 300 is located as shown in Fig. 7(A). That is, in the modified example shown in Fig. 7, a change in the distance between the center point C in the angle-of-view area A and the object to be photographed is defined as a vibration condition.

[0072] As described above, when at least a part of the object to be photographed is located in the angle of view region, the system control unit 50 identifies the relationship between the position of the object to be photographed at a first timing and the position of the object to be photographed at a second timing that is later than the first timing. Then, the system control unit 50 controls the vibration applying unit 119 to apply vibration in accordance with the identified relationship. In this case, a person who does not know which areas are included in the angle of view of the image capturing device 100 can be made to recognize the relationship between the angle of view area and the object to be captured over time.

[0073] The vibration condition may be determined as the distance between the center point C in the angle of view A and the object to be photographed decreasing, or as the distance between the center point C in the angle of view A and the object to be photographed increasing. Alternatively, both the distance between the center point C in the angle of view A and the object to be photographed decreasing and the distance between the center point C in the angle of view A and the object to be photographed increasing may be determined as the vibration condition. In this case, the system control unit 50 may control the vibration applying unit 119 so that the vibration intensity, the number of vibrations per unit time, the presence or absence of intermittent vibrations, and other vibration aspects applied to the object to be photographed differ depending on whether the distance between the center point C and the object to be photographed decreases or increases. A change in the distance between the center point C in the angle of view A and the object to be photographed may be either a vibration start condition or a change condition. In this way, the object to be photographed can be made aware that its position has changed.

[0074] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the start condition for the vibration control process has been described as the system control unit 50 being in the shooting mode, but this is not limiting. For example, the start condition for the vibration control process may be that the image processing unit 24 has identified that a subject is located in the angle of view area. Alternatively, the start condition for the vibration control process may be that an image for LV display is transmitted to the image processing unit 24. Alternatively, the start condition for the vibration control process may be that the power of the imaging device 100 is on. Furthermore, vibration control processing may be performed during shooting. For example, vibration control processing may be started when shooting of a moving image starts, and may be ended when shooting of the moving image ends.

[0075] Furthermore, the vibration end condition is not limited to the above-mentioned example. The vibration end condition may be, for example, that a predetermined time has elapsed since the vibration start condition or the change condition was satisfied and the vibration applying unit 119 started applying vibration to the object to be photographed. The predetermined time may be any time, for example, 3 seconds. The vibration end condition may also be that the object to be photographed is out of focus. The vibration control process termination condition is not limited to the above example, and may be, for example, that the second shutter switch signal SW2 generated when the shutter button 61 is fully pressed is received by the system controller 50.

[0076] Furthermore, a plurality of conditions may be set in stages as the change conditions. For example, a fourth vibration condition (see FIG. 6(G)) may be set as the first change condition of the two change conditions, and a third vibration condition (see FIG. 6(F)) may be set as the second change condition of the two change conditions. The system control unit 50 may then set different vibration modes, such as the intensity of the vibration applied to the object to be photographed, the number of vibrations per unit time, and whether or not intermittent vibrations are present, depending on whether the first change condition is satisfied and the second change condition is satisfied. In this case, when the first change condition is satisfied, the subject can be made to recognize that it is located on the periphery of the angle of view area, and when the second change condition is subsequently satisfied, the subject can be made to recognize that it has moved outside the angle of view area.

[0077] Furthermore, when the change condition is satisfied, the system control unit 50 may stop the emission of ultrasonic waves from the vibration applying unit 119. In this case, the vibration applying unit 119 stops applying vibration to the object to be photographed, thereby making it possible for the object to be photographed to recognize that it has moved to an area where the change condition is satisfied.

[0078] Furthermore, while a change condition may be determined as a vibration condition, a vibration start condition may not be determined. In this case, the system control unit 50 may set the vibration mode of the vibration applying unit 119 to any one of the first to seventh vibration modes upon start of the vibration control process (see FIG. 4), regardless of the position of the photographing target object. Thereafter, the system control unit 50 may change the vibration mode in response to the satisfaction of the change condition.

[0079] Furthermore, the vibration end condition is not limited to the above-described example. For example, the vibration end condition may be determined to be that the image processing unit 24 has not determined that the object to be photographed is located within the range of ultrasound emitted by the vibration applying unit 119. Alternatively, for example, the vibration end condition may be determined to be that the first shutter switch signal SW1 generated in response to half-pressing of the shutter button 61 has been received by the system control unit 50.

[0080] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the subject of the image capture is one person, but the image capture is not limited to this and may be a plurality of people. The object to be photographed may be an object other than a person. Even in this case, a person near the object to which the vibration applying unit 119 applies vibration can recognize the vibration of the object, thereby making the person aware of the relationship between the angle of view area and the object to be photographed. The subject may be, for example, an object that is first focused on in a shooting mode. Alternatively, the user of the image capturing device 100 may operate the image capturing device 100 to determine an object to be used as the subject. Alternatively, the subject may be a specific object, such as a particular person, that is predetermined in the image capturing device 100.

[0081] Furthermore, the user of the imaging device 100 may operate the imaging device 100 to determine vibration conditions to be applied as vibration start conditions and change conditions. Furthermore, vibration conditions to be applied as vibration start conditions and change conditions may be determined depending on the type of object the photographing target is.

[0082] In addition, in this embodiment, it has been described that the system control unit 50 controls the vibration imparting unit 119 so that the vibration imparting unit 119 imparts vibration to the object to be photographed in accordance with the relationship between the angle of view area and the object to be photographed, but this is not limited to this. The system control unit 50 may control the vibration applying unit 119 to apply vibration in any one of the first to seventh vibration modes when taking a photograph. In this case, the system control unit 50 may limit notifications that a photograph will be taken, such as a shutter sound, a sound corresponding to a countdown when taking a photograph using a self-timer, or a flash. In this case, even in an environment where sound and light need to be reduced, the subject of the photograph can be made aware that a photograph will be taken. However, when taking a photograph using the imaging unit 22, the vibration applying unit 119 may apply vibration and also notify the subject that a photograph will be taken, such as a shutter sound, a sound corresponding to a countdown when taking a photograph using a self-timer, or a flash. Note that an example of a photograph being taken is when the shutter button 61 is pressed.

[0083] In addition, in the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the imaging device 100 is a digital camera, but the present invention is not limited to this. The imaging device 100 may be a camera mounted on a moving object such as a car or a drone. The imaging device 100 may also be a wearable camera mounted on an object worn by a person, such as an HMD (Head Mounted Display) or smart glasses. In this case, even if the imaging device 100 moves, the person can recognize the relationship between the angle of view area and the object to be photographed. Furthermore, the image capturing device 100 may be a surveillance camera. In this case, even if a person who is a subject of image capturing is unaware of the image capturing device 100, the person can be made aware of the relationship between the angle of view area and the subject of image capturing.

[0084] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration of an imaging device. (Configuration 1) a vibration applying unit that radiates ultrasonic waves to an area outside the device to apply vibrations to an object located in the area; an imaging means for photographing a subject; a control unit that controls the vibration applying unit to apply vibration to an object located in an area corresponding to a relationship between an area included in an angle of view of the imaging unit and an object photographed by the imaging unit; An imaging device comprising: (Configuration 2) The imaging device described in configuration 1, wherein when the vibration applying unit is applying vibration to an object located in an area outside the device, the control unit changes the area to which the vibration applying unit applies vibration in accordance with a change in the relationship. (Configuration 3) 3. The imaging device according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the control unit controls the vibration applying unit in accordance with the relationship so as to apply vibration to an object located in an area not included in the angle of view. (Configuration 4) The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the control unit controls the vibration applying unit to apply vibration depending on whether at least a part of the object is located on the periphery of an area included in the angle of view or whether at least a part of the object is not located in the area included in the angle of view. (Configuration 5) The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein, when at least a portion of the object is located in an area included in the angle of view, the control unit controls the vibration applying unit to apply vibration depending on a relationship between a position of the object at a first timing and a position of the object at a second timing that is later than the first timing. (Configuration 6) The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the control unit controls the vibration imparting unit to impart vibration to the object in a vibration mode corresponding to the position of the object when the object is located within an emission range of ultrasound waves from the vibration imparting unit. (Configuration 7) a notification unit that notifies the user that the image capture will be performed when the image capture unit captures the image; 7. The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the control unit limits the notification by the notification unit when the vibration is applied from the vibration application unit during the image capture.

[0085] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 24 Image processing section 28 Display section 29EVF 50 System control section 52 system memory 72 Power switch 83 Lighting section 100 Imaging device 103 Lens 119 Vibration applying part 150 Lens Unit 200 Recording Media

Claims

1. a vibration applying unit that radiates ultrasonic waves to an area outside the device to apply vibrations to an object located in the area; an imaging means for photographing a subject; a control unit that controls the vibration applying unit to apply vibration to an object located in an area corresponding to a relationship between an area included in an angle of view of the imaging unit and an object photographed by the imaging unit; An imaging device comprising:

2. 2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes the target area to which vibration is applied from the vibration applying unit in accordance with a change in the relationship when the vibration applying unit is applying vibration to an object located in an area outside the device.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the vibration applying unit in accordance with the relationship so as to apply vibration to an object located in an area not included in the angle of view.

4. 2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the vibration applying unit to apply vibration depending on whether at least a portion of the object is located on the periphery of an area included in the angle of view, or whether at least a portion of the object is not located in the area included in the angle of view.

5. 2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein, when at least a portion of the object is located in an area included in the angle of view, the control unit controls the vibration applying unit to apply vibration depending on a relationship between a position of the object at a first timing and a position of the object at a second timing that is later than the first timing.

6. 2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the vibration imparting unit to impart vibration to the object in a vibration mode corresponding to the position of the object when the object is located within an emission range of ultrasonic waves from the vibration imparting unit.

7. a notification unit that notifies the user that the image capture will be performed when the image capture unit captures the image; The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit limits the notification by the notification unit when the vibration is applied from the vibration application unit during the image capture.

8. a vibration applying unit that applies ultrasonic waves to an object to apply vibrations to the object; an imaging means for photographing a subject; a control unit that controls the vibration applying unit to apply vibration to the object in a vibration mode that corresponds to a relationship between an area included in an angle of view of the imaging means and the object located in an emission range of ultrasonic waves from the vibration applying unit; An imaging device comprising:

9. A control method for an imaging device including a vibration applying unit that radiates ultrasonic waves to an area outside the device to apply vibrations to an object located in the area, and an imaging means that images a subject, A control method for an imaging device, comprising a step of controlling the vibration applying unit to apply vibration to an object located in an area corresponding to a relationship between an area included in an angle of view of the imaging means and an object photographed by the imaging means.

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