electronic machinery

Abstract

To provide electronic devices that can operate properly in paired mode, both indoors and outdoors. [Solution] The electronic device comprises communication means for communicating with an external device, and control means for giving instructions to the external device via the communication means based on at least one of the capacity of the external device and its own capacity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device.

Background Art

[0002] Cameras operating in pairs have been proposed (see Patent Document 1), and it has been proposed to perform pairing using the emission of strobe light from the cameras.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the prior art, there was a problem that strobe light had to be emitted for paired operation, making it unsuitable for use indoors where light emission is prohibited or outdoors during the day.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] (1) An electronic device according to a first aspect includes communication means for communicating with an external device, and control means for giving an instruction to the external device via the communication means based on at least one of the capacity of the external device and its own capacity.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] According to the electronic device of the present invention, paired operation can be appropriately performed regardless of whether it is indoors or outdoors.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] [Figure 1] It is a block diagram of an electronic camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a rear view of the electronic camera. [Figure 3] This is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation menu screen. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the screen for setting the conditions for successful pairing. [Figure 5] This is an example diagram showing the pairing person setting screen. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart explaining the process for establishing pairing. [Figure 7] This is a diagram illustrating the upper judgment table. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates the pairing off timer setting screen. [Figure 9] This diagram illustrates the display screen during the registration and shooting process. [Figure 10] This diagram illustrates the "Folder View" screen of the "Main Unit". [Figure 11] This diagram illustrates the "Folder View" screen of the "Cordless Handset." [Figure 12] This figure shows an example of a thumbnail list display. [Figure 13] This diagram illustrates the pass-through image displayed on the "master unit." [Figure 14] This diagram illustrates the pass-through image displayed on the "handset." [Figure 15] This diagram illustrates the pass-through image displayed on the "master unit." [Figure 16] This diagram illustrates the pass-through image displayed on the "handset." [Figure 17] This flowchart illustrates the processing flow when the CPU performs coordinated shooting 1. [Figure 18] This flowchart illustrates the processing flow when the CPU performs coordinated shooting 2. [Figure 19] This flowchart illustrates the typical processing flow performed by a CPU during normal operation. [Figure 20] This diagram illustrates a left-side judgment table. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments for implementing the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration example of an electronic camera 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the electronic camera 1 includes a photographing optical system 11, an imaging device 12, an AFE (Analog Front End) circuit 13, an image processing circuit 14, a speaker drive circuit 15, a speaker 16, an LCD monitor 17, a RAM 18, a flash memory 19, a CPU 20, a memory card interface (I / F) 21, a communication control circuit 22, an operation member 23, an attitude sensor 24, an audio processing circuit 25, a stereo microphone 26, a lighting device 28, a power supply circuit 29, and a lens drive circuit 30.

[0009] The CPU 20, RAM 18, flash memory 19, memory card interface 21, communication control circuit 22, audio processing circuit 25, lens drive circuit 30, image processing circuit 14, lighting device 28, speaker drive circuit 15, and LCD monitor 17 are each connected via a bus 27.

[0010] The photographing optical system 11 is composed of a plurality of lens groups including a zoom lens and a focusing lens, and forms an object image on the imaging surface of the imaging device 12. For simplicity of FIG. 1, the photographing optical system 11 is illustrated as a single lens.

[0011] The imaging device 12 is composed of a CMOS image sensor or the like in which light-receiving elements are two-dimensionally arranged on the imaging surface. The imaging device 12 photoelectrically converts the object image formed by the photographing optical system 11 to generate an analog image signal. The analog image signal is input to the AFE circuit 13.

[0012] The AFE circuit 13 performs analog processing on the analog image signal, such as correlated double sampling and gain adjustment, and converts the processed image signal into digital image data. The digital image data is input to the image processing circuit 14. The image processing circuit 14 performs various image processing operations on the digital image data (color interpolation, gradation conversion, edge enhancement, white balance adjustment, image compression, image decompression, etc.).

[0013] The speaker drive circuit 15 generates audio playback signals, such as operation sounds, warning sounds, and voice messages, based on audio data sent from the CPU 20. The speaker 16 plays audio based on the audio playback signals.

[0014] The LCD monitor 17 is composed of a liquid crystal panel and displays images, operation menus, etc., in response to instructions from the CPU 20. The RAM 18 is used as the CPU 20's work memory. The RAM 18 also temporarily stores digital image data from the pre-processing and post-processing stages of image processing by the image processing circuit 14. The flash memory 19 stores programs to be executed by the CPU 20, as well as reference data, which will be described later.

[0015] The CPU 20 is a shooting control unit that controls the operations performed by the electronic camera 1 by executing a program stored in the flash memory 19. The CPU 20 also performs AF (autofocus) operation control and automatic exposure (AE) calculations. For example, the AF operation uses a contrast detection method that determines the focus position of the focusing lens (not shown) based on the contrast information of the through image. The through image refers to a monitor image that is repeatedly acquired by the image sensor 12 at predetermined time intervals (for example, 30 frames / second) before the shooting command is issued. The CPU 20 also has a timing function that measures time based on a clock signal.

[0016] The memory card interface 21 has a connector (not shown) to which a storage medium 51, such as a memory card, is connected. The memory card interface 21 writes data to the connected storage medium 51 and reads data from the storage medium 51. The storage medium 51 consists of a memory card or the like, which has a built-in semiconductor memory.

[0017] The communication control circuit 22 controls communication with external devices in response to instructions from the CPU 20. The communication control circuit 22 includes a wireless communication circuit and transmits and receives radio waves via the antenna 22a. In this embodiment, an example of wireless communication with another electronic camera 1 having a similar configuration to the electronic camera 1 is described. The wireless communication circuit preferably includes a circuit for measuring the strength of the received signal and controlling the signal transmission range, such as an RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) circuit.

[0018] The communication control circuit 22 further includes a human body communication function that communicates via the human body in response to instructions from the CPU 20. Specifically, the transmitting and receiving electrodes 22b to 22e are arranged so that they are exposed on the top, bottom, left, and right surfaces of the housing of the electronic camera 1 (Figure 2). The user of electronic camera 1 and the user of another electronic camera 1 each hold the electronic camera 1 with one hand so as to touch at least one transmitting and receiving electrode, and both users shake hands with each other with the other hand that is not holding the electronic camera 1. This creates a closed circuit formed by the capacitive coupling between the human bodies and the human bodies, allowing the two human bodies to act as antennas for communication between the electronic cameras 1 (see revised version of Patent Publication No. 2006 / 054706). The communication control circuit 22 may also include a wired communication function that communicates via a cable in response to instructions from the CPU 20. In this case, it may have a wired LAN port or the like (not shown).

[0019] The operating component 23 includes a release button 23a, zoom switches 23b and 23c, a cross switch 23g, a menu switch 23e, etc., which will be described later (Figure 2). The operating component 23 sends operation signals to the CPU 20 according to each operation, such as mode switching operations and menu selection operations.

[0020] The attitude sensor 24 detects, for example, the direction of gravity and sends a detection signal to the CPU 20. The CPU 20 determines the attitude of the electronic camera 1 based on the detection signal. Specifically, it determines not only the vertical and horizontal position of the electronic camera 1, but also whether it is upside down or not.

[0021] The audio processing circuit 25 amplifies the audio signal collected by the microphone 26 and converts the amplified signal into digital audio data using an A / D conversion circuit (not shown). The lighting device 28 is a device for illuminating the subject when shooting at night. The power supply circuit 29 supplies voltage from the battery 52 to each part of the electronic camera 1 in response to instructions from the CPU 20, and also detects the voltage of the battery 52 and sends a signal indicating the detected voltage as battery remaining capacity information to the CPU 20.

[0022] The lens drive circuit 30 includes a circuit that drives a focus adjustment motor (not shown) for adjusting the focus by moving the focus lens constituting the imaging optical system 11 in the direction of the optical axis, and a circuit that drives a zoom adjustment motor (not shown) for adjusting the magnification ratio by moving the zoom lens constituting the imaging optical system 11 in the direction of the optical axis. The lens drive circuit 30 drives the focus adjustment motor and the zoom adjustment motor, respectively, in response to instructions from the CPU 20.

[0023] The CPU 20 of electronic camera 1 performs predetermined collaborative processing after establishing communication with another electronic camera 1 (both having similar configurations). The state in which communication is established between electronic camera 1 and another electronic camera 1 and predetermined collaborative processing can be performed will henceforth be referred to as pairing. The state in which predetermined collaborative processing can be performed is a state in which electronic camera 1 and another electronic camera 1 can mutually send and receive commands related to operation, etc. Furthermore, while there are no particular limitations to collaborative processing, examples include having the other electronic camera 1 perform the same operation as electronic camera 1, having the other electronic camera 1 perform an operation different from the operation of electronic camera 1, or having the other electronic camera 1 transmit information such as image data. Pairing of electronic cameras 1 usually occurs when one of electronic camera 1 and the other electronic camera 1 sends commands and data to the other, and the receiving electronic camera 1 replies to the electronic camera 1 that sent the command to establish communication, and then satisfies predetermined conditions described later. Examples of communication methods between electronic camera 1 and other electronic camera 1 include wired communication, wireless communication, and human body communication. Furthermore, these communication methods may be combined as appropriate, for example, by using body communication until communication is established, and then switching to wireless communication thereafter.

[0024] The system is configured to allow switching between a pairing mode, which performs the above-mentioned pairing, and a normal mode, which does not perform pairing. This mode switching may be performed, for example, by pressing the mode switch 23d, or by switching within the "operation menu" screen displayed in response to pressing the menu switch 23e. This explanation will focus on the processes performed by the CPU 20 when the system is switched to pairing mode.

[0025] <Conditions for successful pairing> The pairing conditions can be selected from four options. The operation to select the pairing conditions is performed in advance before communicating with other electronic cameras 1, as follows.

[0026] Figure 2 is a rear view of the electronic camera 1. The rear of the electronic camera 1 is equipped with an LCD monitor 17, a zoom switch 23b(T), a zoom switch 23c(W), a mode switch 23d, a menu switch 23e, a delete switch 23f, a cross switch 23g, and an OK switch 23h. The above-mentioned transmit / receive electrode 22b is provided on the top surface of the housing of the electronic camera 1. The above-mentioned transmit / receive electrode 22c is provided on the bottom surface of the housing. The above-mentioned transmit / receive electrode 22d is provided on the right side of the housing, and the above-mentioned transmit / receive electrode 22d is provided on the left side of the housing.

[0027] When the menu switch 23e is pressed, the CPU 20 displays the "Operation Menu" screen, as illustrated in Figure 3, on the LCD monitor 17. The "Operation Menu" includes multiple selection items, such as the "Register Shooting" item 171, the "Pairing Establishment Condition Setting" item 172, the "Pairing Off Timer" item 173, and the "Pairing Person Setting" item 174. When the cross switch 23g is pressed up or down while the "Operation Menu" screen is displayed, the CPU 20 changes the selection item up or down according to the operation signal. When the "Pairing Establishment Condition Setting" item 172 is selected and the cross switch 23g is pressed in the confirm direction (right confirm), the CPU 20 displays the "Pairing Establishment Condition Setting" screen, as illustrated in Figure 4, on the LCD monitor 17.

[0028] In Figure 4, four selection items are displayed as "pairing success conditions": "Normal" item 176, "Face Recognition" item 177, "Handshake" item 178, and "Camera Touch" item 179. When the directional switch 23g is pressed up or down while the screen shown in Figure 4 is displayed, the CPU 20 changes the selection item up or down according to the operation signal. When the directional switch 23g is pressed in the confirm direction (right confirm), the CPU 20 sets the item currently selected as the pairing success condition.

[0029] <Normal> When the pairing conditions are set to "normal," the CPU 20 establishes pairing on the condition that communication is established with the other electronic camera 1. The communication control circuit 22 has its transmission power pre-set to perform wireless communication within a predetermined range (for example, 10m). This transmission power is configured to be switchable via menu operation in advance, so that the communication range can be limited in stages (for example, 3m, 50cm, 3cm) according to instructions from the CPU 20.

[0030] Instead of switching the transmission power in the communication control circuit 22, the transmission power in the communication control circuit 22 may be kept constant while the determination threshold for determining whether or not a signal has been received in the communication control circuit 22 is switched between high and low. In this embodiment, in either case, there is no contact between the two electronic cameras 1.

[0031] <Facial Recognition> The CPU 20 has a function to detect "faces" contained in the through image and to identify whether or not the "face" belongs to a predetermined person. In this embodiment, since the "face" of the other party is photographed, there is no contact between the two electronic cameras 1 when identifying the "face". The face detection process and face identification process are known technologies, so their explanation is omitted. When the pairing establishment condition is set to "face identification", the CPU 20 establishes pairing based on "face identification" after establishing communication with the other electronic camera 1. The operation to set the person to be identified for pairing is performed in advance as follows, before communicating with the other electronic camera 1.

[0032] When the "Pairing Person Settings" item 174 is selected while the "Operation Menu" screen (Figure 3) is displayed on the CPU 20, and the directional switch 23g is pressed in the confirmation direction (right confirmation), the CPU 20 displays the "Pairing Person Settings" screen, as exemplified in Figure 5, on the LCD monitor 17. The CPU 20 reads the thumbnail image data of a "face" from all the reference data recorded (registered) in the flash memory 19 and displays the thumbnail image. The reference data includes the thumbnail image data of a "face" and feature data generated based on that image data. The feature data is used for "face recognition" as described above. The reference data used for "face recognition" is recorded (registered) in the flash memory 19 in advance. The registration procedure will be described later.

[0033] In Figure 5, thumbnail images of the faces of person A, person B, and person C are displayed. A checkbox is displayed to the left of each thumbnail image. For example, checkbox 172 is displayed to the left of thumbnail image 171.

[0034] When the cross switch 23g is pressed in the selected direction (up or down) while the "Pairing Person Settings" screen is displayed, the CPU 20 moves the display position of the cursor 173 up or down according to the operation signal. When the OK switch 23h is pressed, the CPU 20 displays a check mark in the checkbox surrounded by the cursor 173. When the OK switch 23h is pressed while a check mark is displayed in the checkbox, the CPU 20 removes the check mark from that checkbox. The CPU 20 sets the "face" in the thumbnail image indicated by the check mark on the "Pairing Person Settings" screen as the target for identification.

[0035] <Handshake> When the pairing condition is set to "handshake," the CPU 20 establishes pairing after establishing communication with the other electronic camera 1, and upon receiving data via the human body communication described above. For example, when the users of both electronic camera 1 and the other electronic camera 1, who have established communication as described above, shake hands (simply by touching each other's skin), a closed circuit is formed, allowing the electronic cameras 1 to send and receive predetermined data and establish pairing. In this embodiment, even in the case of a handshake, there is no physical contact between the two electronic cameras 1.

[0036] <Camera Touch> When the pairing condition is set to "camera touch," the CPU 20 establishes pairing after establishing communication with another electronic camera 1, and then upon direct contact between the two electronic cameras 1. As described above, the transmitting and receiving electrodes 22b to 22e are arranged so that they are exposed on the top, bottom, left, and right sides of the housing of the electronic camera 1 (Figure 2). When the electronic cameras 1 make direct contact with each other using any of these transmitting and receiving electrodes 22b to 22e, a large current flows because the impedance of the closed circuit is lower than when communicating via the human body. The CPU 20 detects the generation of this signal current through the communication control circuit 22 to determine that the electronic cameras 1 are in contact with each other. The communication control circuit 22 is configured to identify which of the transmitting and receiving electrodes 22b to 22e has made contact and notify the CPU 20.

[0037] The process flow for establishing pairing by CPU 20, which is switched to pairing mode, will be explained with reference to the flowchart illustrated in Figure 6. This is an example where communication before communication is established is performed wirelessly. When CPU 20 of electronic camera 1 and the CPU of the other electronic camera 1 are switched to pairing mode, they each start a program that performs the processing shown in Figure 6.

[0038] In step S11 of Figure 6, the CPU 20 makes a communication request and proceeds to step S12. For example, the CPU 20 sends an instruction to the communication control circuit 22 to send a communication request command with transmission power that can reach the other electronic camera 1 located within the 10m range. In step S12, the CPU 20 determines whether or not there is a reply to the communication request. If the communication control circuit 22 receives a reply, the CPU 20 affirms step S12 and proceeds to step S13. If the CPU 20 does not receive a reply, it negates step S12 and proceeds to step S17.

[0039] In step S13, the CPU 20 determines whether the pairing success condition is "normal". If the pairing success condition is set to "normal", the CPU 20 affirms step S13 and proceeds to step S16. If the pairing success condition is not set to "normal", the CPU 20 negates step S13 and proceeds to step S14.

[0040] In step S16, the CPU 20 sends an instruction to the communication control circuit 22 to send a confirmation signal to the other electronic camera 1, and increments a counter that counts the number of times pairing has been established with the other electronic camera 1, the destination, by one, and proceeds to step S27. The confirmation signal is a signal that the "master" unit sends to the "slave" unit during pairing. Here, the communication request includes the identification information of the requesting unit (for example, the ID of electronic camera 1), and the reply includes the identification information of the replying unit (the ID of the other electronic camera 1), thereby managing the establishment of pairing for each ID.

[0041] In this embodiment, the "master unit" and "slave unit" are determined as follows: If the pairing success condition is set to "normal" (step S13 is affirmed), the electronic camera 1 that first sends the communication request (S11) is designated as the "master unit" in pairing, and the electronic camera 1 that replies in response to the communication request (S18) is designated as the "slave unit" in pairing. If the pairing success condition is set to "face recognition" (step S15 is affirmed), the electronic camera 1 that performs "face identification" is designated as the "master unit" in pairing, and the electronic camera 1 whose face is identified is designated as the "slave unit" in pairing. If the pairing success condition is set to "handshake" (step S23 is affirmed), the electronic camera 1 that first sends the command and data via the closed circuit by human body communication is designated as the "master unit" in pairing, and the electronic camera 1 that receives it is designated as the "slave unit" in pairing. The determination of the "master unit" and "slave unit" in the case of "camera touch" will be described later.

[0042] In step S27, the CPU 20 performs time synchronization and terminates the process shown in Figure 6. Time synchronization is performed, for example, by matching the time of the "slave unit" with the time of the "master unit". Specifically, the CPU 20 sends an instruction to the communication control circuit 22 to transmit time information to the other electronic camera 1. This transmits the time information of the "master unit" to the "slave unit", allowing the times of both units to be synchronized. Upon completion of the process in Figure 6, pairing is established between the "master unit" and the "slave unit". After pairing is established, the "master unit" and the "slave unit", whose times have been synchronized, each begin timing. The CPU 20 performs predetermined processing during the pairing process. The processing during the pairing process will be described later.

[0043] In step S14, the CPU 20 determines whether the pairing success condition is "face recognition". If the pairing success condition is set to "face recognition", the CPU 20 affirms step S14 and proceeds to step S15. If the pairing success condition is not set to "face recognition", the CPU 20 negates step S14 and proceeds to step S22.

[0044] In step S15, the CPU 20 determines whether or not it has performed "face recognition". If the CPU 20 identifies a registered face, it affirms step S15 and proceeds to step S16; if it does not identify a registered face, it negates step S15 and proceeds to step S26. The CPU 20 also displays the through image used for "face recognition" on the LCD monitor 17 in real time, and if "face recognition" is performed, it displays an indication of the "face" (for example, a frame surrounding the "face") overlaid on the through image. If the CPU 20 identifies multiple "faces", it selects, for example, the largest face (the one that occupies the largest proportion of the through image).

[0045] In step S22, the CPU 20 determines whether the pairing success condition is "handshake". If the pairing success condition is set to "handshake", the CPU 20 affirms step S22 and proceeds to step S23. If the pairing success condition is not set to "handshake", the CPU 20 negates step S22 and proceeds to step S24.

[0046] In step S23, if the CPU 20 receives a signal from the communication control circuit 22 indicating that predetermined data has been received via human body communication, it affirms step S23 and proceeds to step S16. If the CPU 20 does not receive a signal from the communication control circuit 22 indicating that predetermined data has been received via human body communication, it negates step S23 and proceeds to step S26. In this embodiment, when a closed circuit for human body communication is formed, data indicating that pairing is successful is sent.

[0047] In step S24, the CPU 20 determines whether or not it has received a signal from the communication control circuit 22 indicating contact between the electronic cameras 1. If the CPU 20 receives a signal from the communication control circuit 22 indicating contact between the electronic cameras 1, it affirms step S24 and proceeds to step S25. If the CPU 20 does not receive a signal indicating mutual contact, it negates step S24 and proceeds to step S26.

[0048] In step S25, the CPU 20 performs an upper-side determination process. The upper-side determination determines which electronic camera 1 is positioned on top when the two electronic cameras 1 come into contact with each other. In this embodiment, the one positioned in the anti-gravity direction is considered the "upper" side.

[0049] The CPU 20 makes an "up" determination by referring to the determination table illustrated in Figure 7, based on the direction of gravity detected from the attitude sensor 24 and the contact electrode information based on the signal from the communication control circuit 22. For example, let's consider the case where electronic camera 1 is held in a vertical position (right side downwards) and the top surface (positive position) of another electronic camera 1 is touched with its right side. The CPU 20 of electronic camera 1 determines it is "up" because the direction of gravity is towards the transmitting / receiving electrode 22d and the contact electrode is the transmitting / receiving electrode 22d. In this embodiment, the one determined to be "up" becomes the "master" in pairing, and the one determined to be "down" becomes the "slave" in pairing. On the other hand, the CPU of the other electronic camera 1 that is touched by the above electronic camera 1 determines it is "down" because the direction of gravity is towards the transmitting / receiving electrode 22c (positive position) and the contact electrode is the top surface (the transmitting / receiving electrode 22b).

[0050] If the CPU 20 determines that the result is "up", it affirms step S25 and proceeds to step S16. If the CPU 20 does not determine that the result is "up", it negates step S25 and proceeds to step S20. The reason for proceeding to step S20 is to wait for a confirmation signal from the "master unit" as a "slave unit".

[0051] In step S26, the CPU 20 determines whether a timeout has occurred. If a predetermined timeout period (for example, 1 minute) has elapsed, the CPU 20 affirms step S26 and returns to step S1, repeating the process described above. If the timeout period has not elapsed, the CPU 20 negates step S26 and returns to step S14, repeating the process described above.

[0052] In step S17, which proceeds after a negative determination of step S12, the CPU 20 determines whether or not there is a communication request from another electronic camera 1. If a communication request command is received by the communication control circuit 22, the CPU 20 affirms step S17 and proceeds to step S18. If no communication request command is received by the communication control circuit 22, the CPU 20 negates step S17 and returns to step S11.

[0053] In step S18, the CPU 20 sends a reply and proceeds to step S19. For example, the CPU 20 sends an instruction to the communication control circuit 22 to send a reply to the other electronic camera 1. In step S19, the CPU 20 determines whether or not a signal indicating contact has been received. If the CPU 20 receives a signal from the communication control circuit 22 indicating contact between the electronic cameras 1, it affirms step S19 and proceeds to step S25. If no signal indicating mutual contact is received, it negates step S19 and proceeds to step S20.

[0054] In step S20, the CPU 20 determines whether or not it has received a confirmation signal from the other electronic camera 1 using the communication control circuit 22. If a confirmation signal is received, the CPU 20 affirms step S20, establishes pairing, and proceeds to step S28. If no confirmation signal is received, the CPU 20 negates step S20 and proceeds to step S21.

[0055] In step S28, the CPU 20 performs time synchronization and terminates the process shown in Figure 6. Time synchronization is performed by matching the time with the time information transmitted from the "master unit". Upon completion of the process in Figure 6, pairing is established between the "slave unit" and the "master unit".

[0056] In step S21, the CPU 20 determines whether a timeout has occurred. If a predetermined timeout period (for example, 1 second) has elapsed, the CPU 20 affirms step S21 and returns to step S11, repeating the process described above. If the timeout period has not elapsed, the CPU 20 negates step S21 and returns to step S20, repeating the process described above.

[0057] Furthermore, the confirmation signal in step S16 may be transmitted via body communication if the pairing success condition is "handshake".

[0058] As explained above, once pairing is established, it can be terminated by manual operation (for example, by pressing the mode switch 23d to deactivate pairing mode), or by an off-timer set in advance. In addition, pairing may be automatically terminated if at least one of the following conditions is met: if the free space on the storage medium 51 is less than a predetermined free space; if information is obtained via communication that the free space on the storage medium 51 of the other electronic camera 1 is less than a predetermined free space; if the remaining capacity of the battery 52 is less than a predetermined remaining capacity; or if information is obtained via communication that the remaining capacity of the battery 52 of the other electronic camera 1 is less than a predetermined remaining capacity. Alternatively, the duration of stay in pairing mode, the number of still images to be taken in pairing mode, the image mode (high quality, standard, economy, etc., recording pixel count), and the recording time and frame rate during video recording may be set according to at least one piece of information regarding the free space on the storage medium 51 of both electronic cameras 1 or the remaining capacity of the battery 52. ​​Pairing will also be terminated if the distance between electronic camera 1 and the other electronic camera 1 moves outside the above communication range. When pairing is complete, the CPU 20 stores in the flash memory 19, associated with each electronic camera 1 ID, the identification information of the device with which pairing was completed (for example, the ID of electronic camera 1), the number of times pairing has been completed with that device's electronic camera 1, and the cumulative pairing time with that device's electronic camera 1.

[0059] Here, the procedure for setting the pairing off timer will be explained with reference to Figure 8. When the CPU 20 is displaying the "Operation Menu" screen (Figure 3) and the "Pairing Off Timer" item 173 is selected, and the cross switch 23g is pressed in the confirmation direction (right), the CPU 20 displays the "Pairing Off Timer" setting screen, as exemplified in Figure 8, on the LCD monitor 17. When the CPU 20 is displaying the "Pairing Off Timer" setting screen and the cross switch 23g is pressed in the selection direction (up or down), the CPU 20 changes the selected item up or down according to the operation signal. When the cross switch 23g is pressed to the right, the CPU 20 confirms the item that is currently selected.

[0060] If the "Off" option 71 is selected, the CPU 20 will terminate pairing by the manual unpairing operation described above. If the "30 minutes" option 72 is selected, the CPU 20 will terminate pairing by either the pairing mode deactivation operation or 30 minutes after the start of pairing, whichever comes first. The start of pairing corresponds to the time setting point in step S27. If the "1 hour" option 73 is selected, the CPU 20 will terminate pairing by either the pairing mode deactivation operation or 1 hour after the start of pairing, whichever comes first.

[0061] <Registration and shooting processing> The process of recording (registering) reference data used for "face recognition" in the flash memory 19 will be explained. When the cross switch 23g is pressed to the right while the "Register Shooting" item 171 is selected on the "Operation Menu Screen" (Figure 3) displayed on the LCD monitor 17, the CPU 20 starts a program for performing the registration shooting process.

[0062] The CPU 20, which has started the registration shooting program, displays the assist frame G on the LCD monitor 17. Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the display on the LCD monitor 17. The CPU 20 displays an image on the LCD monitor 17 based on the most recent through image data stored in the RAM 18, and also displays the assist frame G overlaid on the currently displayed image. The photographer positions the electronic camera 1 so that the face of the subject to be registered is within the assist frame G.

[0063] When the CPU 20 receives an operation signal to terminate the registration shooting process (for example, an operation signal from the menu switch 23e), it terminates the display of the assist frame G and ends the registration shooting process. On the other hand, if the CPU 20 does not receive an operation signal to terminate the registration shooting process (for example, an operation signal from the menu switch 23e), it determines whether the release switch is turned on or not. The CPU 20 performs the shooting process when the release button 23a is fully pressed.

[0064] The CPU 20 then determines whether the image data acquired during the shooting process can be used for face recognition. The CPU 20 performs face detection processing based on the data corresponding to the assist frame G within the image data, and if a face is detected, it determines whether that face is a registered face or not. Specifically, by performing face recognition processing based on the image data of the detected face region and the reference data corresponding to the "face" in the thumbnail image registered in the flash memory 19, it determines whether the detected person's face and the person's face included in the reference data belong to the same person.

[0065] The CPU 20 displays, for example, "Already registered" on the LCD monitor 17 if the face is already registered. If the face is not already registered, it records (registers) reference data as a new person's "face" in the flash memory 19. Specifically, it generates thumbnail image data based on the corresponding image data within the assist frame G, and generates feature data based on the above image data. Then, it records the reference data, including the thumbnail image data and feature data, in the flash memory 19. As a result, the reference data is registered, as in person B on the pairing person setting screen (Figure 5).

[0066] <Deleting reference data> Reference data recorded (registered) in flash memory 19 can be deleted as follows: When the delete switch 23f is pressed while the pairing person setting screen (Figure 5) is displayed on the LCD monitor 17, the CPU 20 targets the reference data related to the person indicated by the cursor 173 for deletion.

[0067] The CPU 20 displays a message on the LCD monitor 17 for person B, which is surrounded by the cursor 173, for example, "Do you want to delete person B's data?". If the delete switch 23f is pressed again, the CPU 20 erases the currently displayed thumbnail image data and the reference data, including the corresponding feature data, from the flash memory 19. As a result, the display for person B is removed from the pairing person setting screen (Figure 5).

[0068] <Processing during pairing> 1. View images While pairing is established, the CPU 20 allows access to the contents of pre-configured shared file folders via wireless communication from the other electronic camera 1 (or via wireless communication or the human body (a closed circuit formed by the "handshake" etc.) if the pairing condition is set to "handshake"). In this embodiment, access refers to displaying the playback image on the LCD monitor 17 using image data received from the paired electronic camera 1, and is different from recording and saving the received image data to the non-volatile memory (flash memory 19 and storage medium 51) in the electronic camera 1. Sharing settings can be configured, for example, by including them in the settings items in the "operation menu" illustrated in Figure 3.

[0069] Figure 10 shows an example of the "folder display" screen displayed on the LCD monitor 17 of X's electronic camera 1, which is the "master unit." In Figure 10, the folders in X's (X's) camera are displayed. The "pair folder" on "X's camera" is a folder that is allowed to be viewed by the pairing partner (in this example, B's electronic camera 1, which is the "slave unit") during pairing. Image files recorded in the "pair folder" on "X's camera" can be viewed by B's electronic camera 1, the "slave unit," via the established wireless communication (wireless communication or human body communication if the pairing condition is set to "handshake").

[0070] Figure 10 also shows the folders on B's electronic camera 1, which is the "slave unit". The "pair folder" on "B's camera" is a folder that is allowed to be viewed by the pairing partner (in this example, X's electronic camera 1, which is the "master unit") while pairing is established.

[0071] Figure 11 shows an example of the "folder display" screen displayed on the LCD monitor of B's ​​electronic camera 1, which is the "slave unit." In Figure 11, the folders in B's (B's) camera are displayed. The "pair folder" on "B's camera" is a folder that is allowed to be viewed by the pairing partner (in this example, X's electronic camera 1, which is the "master unit") during pairing. Image files recorded in the "pair folder" on "B's camera" can be viewed by X's electronic camera 1, the "master unit," via the established wireless communication (wireless communication or human body communication if the pairing condition is set to "handshake").

[0072] Figure 11 also shows the folders within X's electronic camera 1, which is the "master unit." The "pair folder" on X's camera is a folder that is allowed to be viewed by the pairing partner (in this example, B's electronic camera 1, which is the "slave unit") while pairing is established.

[0073] When pairing is established, electronic camera 1 can view all folders on "my camera" and the "pair folder" on "○○'s camera," the camera it is paired with. When a folder selection operation is performed (selection by pressing the cross switch 23g, and confirmation by pressing the OK switch 23h), the CPU 20 displays thumbnail images of the image files recorded in the selected folder on the LCD monitor 17.

[0074] Figure 12 shows an example of a thumbnail list display. A cursor 131 is displayed on one of the multiple thumbnails. The cursor position can be moved up, down, left, and right by selecting a thumbnail (pressing the cross switch 23g). When the OK switch 23h is pressed, the CPU 20 displays the playback image corresponding to the thumbnail image where the cursor is currently located in full screen on the LCD monitor 17.

[0075] 2. Ranking of Pairings The CPU 20 ranks the information of the paired device (identification information of electronic camera 1). The ranks are divided into three levels, from lowest to highest, for example, rank 1 to rank 3. The CPU 20 on the "master" side raises the rank according to the number of times pairing has been successfully completed with the paired device (electronic camera 1, indicated by the identification information in this example) and the cumulative pairing time. The number of successful pairings and the cumulative pairing time used to determine whether or not to raise the rank are set in advance for electronic camera 1, and the settings are stored in the flash memory 19. The settings for the number of successful pairings and the cumulative pairing time stored in the flash memory 19 can be changed, for example, by including them in the setting items of the "operation menu" exemplified in Figure 3.

[0076] For example, if either the number of successful pairings exceeds 20, or the cumulative pairing time exceeds 8 hours, the CPU 20 on the "master" side changes its rank from rank 1 to rank 2, and stores the change in relation to the identification information of the paired device in the flash memory 19.

[0077] Furthermore, if the CPU 20 achieves, for example, more than 50 successful pairings or more than 20 hours of cumulative pairing time, the CPU 20 on the "master" side changes its rank from rank 2 to rank 3 and stores the change in relation to the identification information of the paired device in the flash memory 19.

[0078] Generally, those who frequently form pairs are often trusted individuals they know well, or close family members or romantic partners. By ranking individuals based on their pairing history, pairing partners can be automatically grouped according to their level of intimacy.

[0079] 3. Processing according to rank While paired with a Rank 1 partner (in this example, electronic camera 1, indicated by identification information), CPU 20 allows the contents of pre-configured file folders to be viewed via wireless communication (or human body communication if the pairing condition is set to "handshake") from the partner's electronic camera 1, as described above. In this case, only images taken while pairing is established can be viewed, and images taken when pairing is not established are not included in the viewable content from the partner.

[0080] Furthermore, while pairing is established with a Rank 2 partner (in this example, electronic camera 1, indicated by identification information), CPU20 includes not only images taken during the pairing process that are included in a pre-configured shared file folder, but also images taken before pairing was established that are included in the same shared file folder, as images that the partner can view.

[0081] Furthermore, while pairing is established with a Rank 3 partner (in this example, electronic camera 1, indicated by identification information), the CPU 20 allows not only viewing but also copying of all images contained in the pre-configured shared file folder. In this embodiment, copying means duplicating the captured images contained in the file folder on the paired partner's electronic camera 1 and saving them to the file folder on the user's own electronic camera 1.

[0082] The ranking of paired devices is configured to allow for manual rank-up or rank-down. When the CPU 20 receives an operation signal from the operation component 23 indicating a rank-up or rank-down, it changes the rank within the range of rank 1 to rank 3 according to the operation signal. In this case as well, the change is stored in the flash memory 19 in association with the identification information of the paired device, and viewing and copying restrictions are imposed according to the changed rank. Rank information is transmitted from the "master unit" to the "slave unit" and managed by the "master unit".

[0083] If the automatic rank change based on the number of successful pairings and cumulative pairing time mentioned above conflicts with a rank change performed manually, the manual change takes precedence. Furthermore, when the CPU 20 receives an operation signal from the operation component 23 indicating a rank up or rank down, it sends a signal to the paired device indicating a rank change request. The CPU 20 performs the rank change only if it receives a signal indicating OK for the change; otherwise, it does not perform the rank change.

[0084] Meanwhile, CPU20 receives a signal from the paired partner indicating a request for a rank change. The system displays the message "Rank change request received. Do you want to change the rank?" on the LCD monitor 17. The CPU 20 sends a signal indicating rank change OK to the paired device only when it receives an operation signal indicating change OK from the operating component 23.

[0085] 4. Filtering during browsing CPU20 changes the display resolution during viewing depending on the rank. When a paired "master unit" plays back and displays images stored on the "slave unit" on the "master unit's" LCD monitor for viewing, it performs different low-pass filtering depending on the rank, changing the display resolution so that lower ranks result in lower resolution viewing and higher ranks result in higher resolution viewing. Similarly, when a paired "slave unit" plays back and displays images stored on the "master unit's" LCD monitor for viewing, it performs different low-pass filtering depending on the rank, changing the display resolution so that lower ranks result in lower resolution viewing and higher ranks result in higher resolution viewing. In addition to the filtering process during viewing, a low-pass filter is also applied according to the communication status between the electronic cameras 1 detected by the wireless communication circuit. Examples of communication status include the communication strength between the electronic cameras 1 and the amount of signal transmitted per unit time. For example, with respect to communication strength, the display resolution is changed so that lower communication strength results in lower resolution viewing, and higher communication strength results in higher resolution viewing. Similarly, when a paired "slave unit" plays back and displays images recorded on the "master unit" on the "slave unit's" LCD monitor for viewing, different low-pass filter processing is applied depending on the communication strength, so that lower communication strength results in lower resolution viewing, and higher communication strength results in higher resolution viewing. With this configuration, the user can easily determine whether the distance between the two electronic cameras 1 is close or far based on the resolution of the image played back on the LCD monitor.

[0086] 5. Filming While pairing is established, both the "master" and "slave" electronic cameras 1 can perform normal shooting, each independently, and the "master" and "slave" electronic cameras 1 can perform coordinated shooting. The setting for whether to perform normal shooting or coordinated shooting can be configured in advance in the settings items of the "operation menu" as exemplified in Figure 3.

[0087] -Normal shooting- The CPU 20 performs shooting based on the operation of the release button 23a (Figure 2). Based on the information before the shooting process and the image data acquired during the shooting process, the CPU 20 generates an Exif-formatted image file containing image data and shooting information. An Exif-formatted image file is created by embedding data such as a thumbnail image and shooting information within the JPEG image data. The CPU 20 records the image file to the storage medium 51.

[0088] The structure of an Exif-formatted image file includes a header area that records supplementary information about the image and an image data area that records the captured image data. The CPU 20 records information in the header area (tag area) of the image file indicating that the image was taken during pairing. This information includes the identification information of the pairing partner and the shooting time information based on the time synchronization.

[0089] Information indicating that an image was taken while pairing was established can be recorded in a separate file associated with the image file, rather than being recorded in the header area of ​​the image file.

[0090] The above normal shooting process is performed by the "master unit" or "slave unit" that has been activated by the shutter release. Image files generated during pairing are recorded in a file folder that has been set up for sharing in advance.

[0091] -Coordinated shooting 1- During pairing, the electronic camera 1 on the "master unit" and the electronic camera 1 on the "slave unit" are controlled to shoot under different conditions. For example, the shutter speed of the "master unit" is controlled to be faster than the shutter speed of the "slave unit". The setting for performing coordinated shooting 1 can be done by including it in the setting items in the "operation menu" as exemplified in Figure 3.

[0092] Figure 17 is a flowchart illustrating the process that is repeatedly executed when a CPU 20 performs coordinated shooting 1 during pairing. Both the CPU 20 of the "master" electronic camera 1 and the "slave" electronic camera 1 execute this process. In step S101 of Figure 17, the CPU 20 determines whether or not it has received a release signal transmitted from the paired electronic camera 1. The release signal is a signal that instructs the other electronic camera 1 to take a picture, from either the "master" or "slave" electronic camera 1 whose release button 23a (Figure 2) has been pressed.

[0093] When the CPU 20 receives a release signal, it affirms step S101 and proceeds to step S111. The processing in steps S111 to S115 corresponds to the processing performed by the CPU 20 of the electronic camera 1 of the "master unit" and "slave unit" whose release button 23a (Figure 2) was not pressed during pairing.

[0094] If the CPU 20 does not receive a release signal, it negates step S101 and proceeds to step S102. Until the release button 23a is operated by either the "master unit" or the "slave unit", the CPU 20 of both electronic cameras 1 repeats the processing of steps S101 to S104.

[0095] In step S102, the CPU 20 determines whether the composition guide function is turned on. The composition guide is a function that guides the "master unit" and the "slave unit" to shoot a common subject from different angles during pairing. The composition guide can be turned on or off in advance by including it as a setting item in the "operation menu" as exemplified in Figure 3.

[0096] The CPU 20 determines that step S102 is positive if the composition guide function is turned on, and proceeds to step S103. If the composition guide function is not turned on, it determines that step S102 is negative, and proceeds to step S104.

[0097] In step S103, the CPU 20 performs composition guidance. Figures 13 and 15 illustrate the through-images displayed on the LCD monitor 17 of the electronic camera 1 of person X, who is the "master unit". Figures 14 and 16 illustrate the through-images displayed on the LCD monitor 17 of the electronic camera 1 of person B, who is the "slave unit".

[0098] The "master unit" and "slave unit" each display the through-images they have acquired on the LCD monitor 17. Each CPU 20 performs face detection processing based on the through-image, and if a face is detected, it overlays a frame indicating the face onto the through-image. Based on the contour and the positional relationship of the eyes and nose obtained from the face region data, the CPU 20 determines the shooting direction and displays a guide on the LCD monitor 17 indicating which direction to move.

[0099] In Figure 13, to prompt the "master unit" X to move to the left of the subject and position the electronic camera 1, a guide face icon and arrow are illuminated, and an "angle guide" is flashing to indicate that angle guidance is in progress. In Figure 14, to prompt the "slave unit" B to move to the right of the subject and position the electronic camera 1, a guide face icon and arrow are illuminated, and an "angle guide" is flashing to indicate that angle guidance is in progress.

[0100] CPU20 prompts the user to take a picture by displaying "OK" when the relative positions of the face icon and the eyes and nose match (Figures 15 and 16). Taking a picture is possible even when "OK" is not displayed. Note that the face icon, "angle guide" display, and "OK" display are not included in the captured image.

[0101] In step S104, the CPU 20 determines whether or not the release button 23a (Figure 2) has been pressed. If an operation signal indicating that the release button 23a has been pressed is input from the operating member 23, the CPU 20 affirms step S104 and proceeds to step S105. If no operation signal indicating that the release button 23a has been pressed is input from the operating member 23, the CPU 20 negates step S104 and returns to step S101. If the process returns to step S101, the above-described process is repeated.

[0102] The processing in steps S105 to S110 is performed by the CPU 20 of the electronic camera 1 whose release button 23a was pressed during the pairing process, either as the "master unit" or the "slave unit".

[0103] In step S105, the CPU 20 performs predetermined automatic exposure calculation (AE) and autofocus adjustment processing (AF) and proceeds to step S106. In step S106, the CPU 20 sends an instruction to the communication control circuit 22 to send a release signal to the other electronic camera 1 and proceeds to step S107. Along with the release signal, the CPU 20 sends data indicating shooting conditions (for example, shutter speed, aperture value, sensitivity, focal length, white balance adjustment value, image quality adjustment information, etc.), including the exposure calculation result, to the other electronic camera 1.

[0104] Image quality adjustment information indicates which image quality adjustment algorithm to apply. For example, "Standard," "Neutral," "Vivid," and "Monochrome" are pre-defined as image quality adjustment algorithms, and the algorithm to be applied in image processing (step S108) is indicated.

[0105] "Standard" is an image quality adjustment algorithm that produces a standard image. "Neutral" is an image quality adjustment algorithm that prioritizes the natural colors of the source material. "Vivid" is an image quality adjustment algorithm that produces a vivid image. Specifically, it increases saturation to make reds and greens more vivid, and increases contrast to produce a sharper image. "Monochrome" is an image quality adjustment algorithm that produces a black and white image.

[0106] In step S107, the CPU 20 performs the imaging process and proceeds to step S108. In step S108, the CPU 20 sends an instruction to the image processing circuit 14 to perform predetermined image processing on the acquired image data and proceeds to step S109. In step S109, the CPU 20 generates an image file containing the processed image data and proceeds to step S110. In step S110, the CPU 20 sends an instruction to the memory card interface 21 to record the image file onto the storage medium 51 and terminates the process shown in Figure 17.

[0107] If step S101 described above is determined to be positive, the CPU 20 performs shooting processing according to the release signal from the other electronic camera 1. In step S111, the CPU 20 performs predetermined automatic exposure calculation (AE) and automatic focus adjustment processing (AF) and proceeds to step S112. In this case, the automatic exposure calculation (AE) differs the exposure conditions based on data indicating the shooting conditions transmitted from the electronic camera 1 whose release button 23a was pressed, so that the shutter speed of the "master unit" is faster than the shutter speed of the "slave unit". For example, the shutter speed of the "master unit" is 1 / 1000 second and the shutter speed of the "slave unit" is 1 / 250 second. Therefore, the CPU 20 changes the aperture value or sensitivity to obtain proper exposure.

[0108] In step S112, the CPU 20 performs the imaging process and proceeds to step S113. In step S113, the CPU 20 sends an instruction to the image processing circuit 14 to perform predetermined image processing on the acquired image data and proceeds to step S114. Based on the data indicating the shooting conditions transmitted from the electronic camera 1 on which the release button 23a was pressed, a common image quality adjustment algorithm and white balance adjustment values ​​can be used, or different image quality adjustment algorithms and white balance adjustment values ​​can be used. Whether to use a common algorithm and adjustment values ​​or different algorithms and adjustment values ​​can be set in advance by including them in the setting items in the "operation menu" exemplified in Figure 3.

[0109] In step S114, the CPU 20 generates an image file containing the image data after image processing and proceeds to step S115. In step S115, the CPU 20 sends an instruction to the memory card interface 21 to record the image file to the storage medium 51, and the process shown in Figure 17 is completed.

[0110] -Coordinated shooting 2- During pairing, if either the "master" electronic camera 1 or the "slave" electronic camera 1 is taking a picture, the other electronic camera 1 will remain in standby mode. Once the currently taking picture has finished, the standby electronic camera 1 will be enabled to take a picture. The settings for performing coordinated shooting 2 can be configured by including them in the settings items in the "operation menu" as exemplified in Figure 3.

[0111] Figure 18 is a flowchart illustrating the process that CPU 20 repeatedly executes when performing coordinated shooting 2 during pairing. Both CPU 20 of the "master" electronic camera 1 and the "slave" electronic camera 1 execute this process. In step S201 of Figure 18, CPU 20 determines whether or not it has received an imaging signal transmitted from the paired electronic camera 1. The imaging signal is a signal that electronic camera 1 of either the "master" or "slave" that is imaging in response to the release button 23a (Figure 2) being pressed informs the other electronic camera 1 that it is imaging.

[0112] When the CPU 20 receives an imaging signal, it affirms step S201 and proceeds to step S211. The processing in steps S211 and S212 corresponds to the processing performed by the CPU 20 of the standby electronic camera 1, which is either the "master" or "slave" unit, during pairing.

[0113] If the CPU 20 does not receive an imaging signal, it rejects step S201 and proceeds to step S202. Until the release button 23a is operated by either the "master unit" or the "slave unit", the CPU 20 of both electronic cameras 1 repeats the processing of steps S201 to S202.

[0114] In step S202, the CPU 20 determines whether or not the release button 23a (Figure 2) has been pressed. If an operation signal indicating that the release button 23a has been pressed is input from the operating member 23, the CPU 20 affirms step S202 and proceeds to step S203. If no operation signal indicating that the release button 23a has been pressed is input from the operating member 23, the CPU 20 negates step S202 and returns to step S201. If the process returns to step S201, the above-described process is repeated.

[0115] The processing in steps S203 to S210 is performed by the CPU 20 of the electronic camera 1 whose release button 23a was pressed during the pairing process, either as the "master unit" or the "slave unit".

[0116] In step S203, the CPU 20 sends an instruction to the communication control circuit 22, causing it to send a signal to the other electronic camera 1 indicating that it is taking an image, and proceeds to step S204. In step S204, the CPU 20 performs predetermined automatic exposure calculation (AE) and autofocus adjustment processing (AF) and proceeds to step S205.

[0117] In step S205, the CPU 20 performs the imaging process and proceeds to step S206. In step S206, the CPU 20 determines whether the release button 23a (Figure 2) has been pressed. If the CPU 20 receives a continuous operation signal from the operating member 23 indicating that the release button 23a has been pressed, it affirms step S206 and returns to step S204, repeating the process described above (continuous shooting).

[0118] If the CPU 20 does not receive an operation signal from the operating member 23 indicating that the release button 23a has been pressed, it negates step S206 and proceeds to step S207. In step S207, the CPU 20 sends an instruction to the communication control circuit 22 to have the other electronic camera 1 send a signal indicating the end of imaging and proceeds to step S208.

[0119] In step S208, the CPU 20 sends an instruction to the image processing circuit 14 to perform predetermined image processing on the acquired image data in sequence, and then proceeds to step S209. In step S209, the CPU 20 generates an image file containing the processed image data and proceeds to step S210. In step S210, the CPU 20 sends an instruction to the memory card interface 21 to record the image file onto the storage medium 51, and the process shown in Figure 18 is completed.

[0120] If step S201 described above is determined to be positive, the imaging process will not be performed until a signal indicating the end of imaging is received from the other electronic camera 1. In step S211, the CPU 20 determines whether or not it has received a signal indicating the end of imaging transmitted from the paired electronic camera 1. If the CPU 20 has received the imaging end signal, it determines step S211 to be positive and proceeds to step S212. If the CPU 20 has not received the imaging end signal, it determines step S211 to be negative and repeats the determination process while waiting for the imaging end signal. While the CPU 20 is waiting for the imaging end signal, it displays a message such as "Waiting" on the LCD monitor 17.

[0121] In step S212, the CPU 20 determines whether or not the release button 23a (Figure 2) has been pressed. If an operation signal indicating that the release button 23a has been pressed is input from the operating member 23, the CPU 20 affirms step S212 and proceeds to step S203. If no operation signal indicating that the release button 23a has been pressed is input from the operating member 23, the CPU 20 negates step S212 and returns to step S201. If the process returns to step S201, the above-described process is repeated.

[0122] -Normal shooting- During pairing, the electronic camera 1 on the "master unit" and the electronic camera 1 on the "slave unit" are controlled to be able to take pictures independently. The setting for normal shooting can be done by including it in the setting items in the "operation menu" as exemplified in Figure 3.

[0123] Figure 19 is a flowchart illustrating the process that CPU 20 repeatedly executes when performing normal shooting during pairing. Both CPU 20 of the "master" electronic camera 1 and the "slave" electronic camera 1 execute this process.

[0124] In step S301 of Figure 19, the CPU 20 determines whether or not the release button 23a (Figure 2) has been pressed. If an operation signal indicating that the release button 23a has been pressed is input from the operating member 23, the CPU 20 affirms step S301 and proceeds to step S302. If no operation signal indicating that the release button 23a has been pressed is input from the operating member 23, the CPU 20 negates step S301 and repeats the process.

[0125] In step S302, the CPU 20 performs predetermined automatic exposure calculation (AE) and autofocus adjustment processing (AF) and proceeds to step S303. In step S303, the CPU 20 performs imaging processing and proceeds to step S304. In step S304, the CPU 20 sends an instruction to the image processing circuit 14 to perform predetermined image processing on the acquired image data and proceeds to step S305. In step S305, the CPU 20 generates an image file containing the image data after image processing and proceeds to step S306. In step S306, the CPU 20 sends an instruction to the memory card interface 21 to record the image file to the storage medium 51 and terminates the process shown in Figure 19.

[0126] 6. Password sharing The password may be shared between the "master unit" and the "slave unit" during pairing. For example, if a password is set on either the "master unit" or the "slave unit" during pairing, that password information is sent to the other electronic camera 1, and the password is shared between the "master unit" and the "slave unit". The password can be set, for example, on the menu screen.

[0127] After setting a shared password, any setting changes made by entering that shared password on either the "master unit" or the "slave unit" during pairing are sent to the other electronic camera 1 and reflected in that other electronic camera 1. For example, if the setting for normal shooting or coordinated shooting is made on the "master unit" side, it is automatically applied to the "slave unit" side as well.

[0128] The settings changes made by entering a shared password may include the rank-up or rank-down operations described above. In this case, the operating member 23 does not send a signal indicating a rank change request as described above from the electronic camera 1 on the side that was operated, but instead sends information indicating the rank after the rank-up or rank-down to the electronic camera 1 on the pairing partner side.

[0129] Upon receiving information indicating the changed rank from the paired device, the CPU 20 performs a rank up or down based on the received information and displays the message "Rank changed." on the LCD monitor 17.

[0130] As explained above, sharing the password allows users to change settings from one device without having to configure the same settings on both the "master" and "slave" devices, thus improving usability.

[0131] According to the embodiments described above, the following effects and advantages can be obtained. (1) The electronic camera 1 is equipped with a communication control circuit 22 that communicates with an external electronic camera, and a CPU 20 that issues instructions to the external electronic camera via the communication control circuit 22 based on at least one of the capacity of the external electronic camera and its own capacity, so that it can be properly paired and operated both indoors and outdoors.

[0132] (2) The capacity of the external electronic camera includes at least one of the remaining capacity of the battery 52 and the free capacity of the storage medium 51, and the CPU 20 issues instructions to the external electronic camera based on at least one of the remaining capacity of the battery 52 and the free capacity of the storage medium 51. For example, by issuing an instruction to terminate the pairing operation, it is possible to avoid situations in which the external electronic camera takes a picture during the pairing operation but is unable to record the captured image to the storage medium 51, or situations in which the battery 52 of the external electronic camera is depleted during the pairing operation and the external electronic camera becomes inoperable.

[0133] (3) The capacity of the electronic camera 1 itself includes at least one of the remaining capacity of the battery 52 and the free capacity of the storage medium 51, and the CPU 20 issues instructions to the external electronic camera 1 based on at least one of the remaining capacity of the battery 52 and the free capacity of the storage medium 51. For example, by issuing an instruction to terminate the pairing operation, it is possible to avoid situations in which the electronic camera 1 takes pictures during the pairing operation but the captured images cannot be recorded to the storage medium 51, or situations in which the electronic camera 1 becomes inoperable due to the battery 52 being depleted during the pairing operation.

[0134] (4) Since the data sent from the external electronic camera is stored in its own storage medium 51, it is possible to avoid situations in which data sent from the external electronic camera during pair operation cannot be recorded in its own storage medium 51.

[0135] (5) Since it is equipped with an LCD monitor 17 that displays data sent from an external electronic camera, it is possible to avoid situations in which data sent from an external electronic camera during pair operation cannot be displayed on its own LCD monitor 17.

[0136] (6) The data sent in (5) above is image data, and the communication control circuit 22 performs filtering on the image displayed on the LCD monitor 17 according to the reception level when receiving image data from an external electronic camera. Since the filtering state of the playback image displayed on the LCD monitor 17 changes according to the reception level, the observer can intuitively grasp the reception state.

[0137] (7) The CPU 20 described in (6) above performs filtering that increases the amount of blurring as the reception level decreases, so that the observer can intuitively grasp the reception state by the degree of image blurring.

[0138] (8) The communication control circuit 22 includes a communication control circuit 22a that communicates about the capacity of an external electronic camera, and communication control circuits 22b to 22e that, unlike the communication control circuit 22a, communicate data sent from the external electronic camera, so that they can be properly paired and operated regardless of the communication path.

[0139] (9) The system includes a communication control circuit 22 (non-contact) that pairs with an external electronic camera via short-range communication or communication via the human body, communication control circuits 22b to 22e (direct contact) which are different from the communication control circuit 22 (non-contact), and a CPU 20 that issues instructions to the external electronic camera via the communication control circuits 22b to 22e (direct contact) when pairing with the external electronic camera is achieved by the communication control circuit 22 (non-contact). After communication is established, an instruction is sent to complete the pairing on the condition of direct contact between the two electronic cameras, making it easy to understand when pairing is completed.

[0140] (10) Since it is equipped with a CPU 20 that measures the time since pairing with an external electronic camera was made, it becomes possible to manage the pairing operation time.

[0141] (11) The CPU 20 is configured to terminate pairing when the time it has been measured exceeds a predetermined time, so that even if the user forgets to terminate the pairing operation, the pairing process can be terminated automatically.

[0142] (12) The parent-child relationship in paired operation with an external electronic camera is determined based on the output of the attitude sensor, so that the parent-child relationship can be determined automatically without the user having to specify it.

[0143] Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below as modifications. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and the modifications described below, and may be constructed by combining the embodiments described above and the modifications described below, or by adopting the modifications described below in place of some of the embodiments described above. (Variation 1) In the process shown in Figure 6 above, if step S13 (Figure 6) is determined to be positive, the system may be configured to check whether the identification information of the electronic camera 1 that was returned (step S12) is stored in the flash memory 19. As described above, when pairing is completed, the CPU 20 stores the number of successful pairings and the cumulative pairing time in the flash memory 19 for each piece of identification information indicating the paired partner (for example, the ID of the electronic camera 1). By referring to this stored information, if the identification information of the electronic camera 1 that was returned is stored, the system determines that it is a partner with whom pairing has been performed before, proceeds to step S16, and establishes pairing.

[0144] On the other hand, if the identification information of the electronic camera 1 that sent the reply is not stored in the flash memory 19, the system requests the original electronic camera 1 to provide the identification information of the paired partner stored within it. When the original electronic camera 1 receives the request and sends a reply including the above identification information, the CPU 20, upon receiving this reply, compares the identification information stored in the flash memory 19 with the identification information included in the reply to determine whether or not a common paired partner is included.

[0145] If the matching results show that a common pairing partner exists, the CPU 20 determines that the partner is a "friend of a friend" and displays the message "You have a common pairing partner. Do you want to perform a new pairing?" on the LCD monitor 17. If the CPU 20 receives an operation signal indicating "OK" from the operating component 23, it proceeds to step S16 to start pairing.

[0146] If the above message is displayed on the LCD monitor 17 but no operation signal indicating "OK" is input from the operating member 23, or if the above verification results show that no common pairing partner exists, the CPU 20 returns to step S11 without starting pairing. According to the modified example 1 described above, it is possible to prompt pairing with an electronic camera 1 owned by someone who has a common friend.

[0147] (Modification 2) During pairing, the pairing rank described above may be changed in real time according to the communication status (communication distance). The CPU 20 on the "master" side changes the rank according to the received signal level in the communication control circuit 22, since the received signal level changes according to the communication distance. When pairing is established and the rank is 3 or 2, the main CPU 20 lowers the rank if the received signal level falls below the determination threshold. In this case, the change is saved in the flash memory 19 in association with the identification information of the paired device, and viewing and copying restrictions are imposed according to the changed rank. Rank information is transmitted from the "master" to the "slave" device and managed by the "master".

[0148] By changing the pairing rank in real time, the low-pass filter processing performed when viewing images between the "master" and "slave" devices during pairing changes in real time. Therefore, according to Modification 2, when viewing images taken from the file folder of the paired device's electronic camera 1 on one's own electronic camera 1, the degree of blur in the playback image displayed on the LCD monitor 17 of one's own electronic camera 1 changes according to the communication status (communication distance), allowing the user to intuitively grasp the distance to the paired device.

[0149] (Variation 3) During pairing, the rank may be changed according to the similarity between the images that are permitted to be viewed (made public) by the pairing partner (images in a file folder that has been pre-configured for sharing on the user's side) and the images that the partner has permitted to be viewed (images in a file folder that has been pre-configured for sharing on the partner's side). The degree of similarity is determined using a known pattern matching method. The CPU 20 on the "master" side raises the rank if the similarity is high and lowers the rank if the similarity is low. The changes are saved in the flash memory 19 in association with the identification information of the pairing partner, and viewing and copying restrictions are imposed according to the changed rank. Rank information is also sent from the "master" to the "slave" and managed by the "master" as described above.

[0150] Generally, people who are part of the same club or group, or friends who spend time together, are more likely to photograph similar subjects. By ranking the images based on their similarity, it's possible to automatically group together people with similar photographic preferences.

[0151] (Modification 4) During pairing, the rank may be changed by comparing the shooting location (GPS information) of images that are permitted to be viewed (published) by the pairing partner (images in a file folder that has been pre-configured for sharing on the user's side) and images that the partner has permitted to be viewed (images in a file folder that has been pre-configured for sharing on the partner's side). The CPU 20 on the "master" side increases the rank the closer the shooting location is and decreases the rank the farther the shooting location is. The changes are saved in the flash memory 19 in association with the identification information of the pairing partner, and viewing and copying restrictions are imposed according to the changed rank. Rank information is also sent from the "master" to the "slave" and managed by the "master" as described above.

[0152] Generally, people who are part of the same club or group, or friends who spend time together, are more likely to take photos in similar locations. By ranking users based on the degree to which their shooting locations match, it's possible to automatically group together people with similar preferences regarding photography.

[0153] (Variation 5) During pairing, the rank may be changed by comparing the shooting conditions of images that are permitted to be viewed (made public) by the pairing partner (images in a file folder that has been pre-configured for sharing on the user's side) and images that the partner has permitted to be viewed by the partner (images in a file folder that has been pre-configured for sharing on the partner's side). The CPU 20 on the "master" side raises the rank as the shooting conditions match and lowers the rank as the shooting conditions differ. The changes are saved in the flash memory 19 in association with the identification information of the pairing partner, and viewing and copying restrictions are imposed according to the changed rank. Rank information is also sent from the "master" to the "slave" and managed by the "master" as described above.

[0154] Generally, people who shoot under similar conditions are likely to have similar preferences regarding photography. By ranking people according to the degree to which their shooting conditions match, it is possible to automatically group together people with similar preferences regarding photography.

[0155] (Experimental variation 6) The rank may be changed depending on the conditions for successful pairing. When pairing is achieved by the "handshake" described above, the CPU 20 on the "master" side ranks up by one level compared to the normal rank (i.e., the management information recorded in the flash memory 19, which is determined according to the number of successful pairings and the cumulative pairing time). When pairing is achieved by human body communication, a high level of intimacy is assumed, so the rank is automatically increased to improve usability. In this case of rank-up, the changes are saved in the flash memory 19 in association with the identification information of the paired partner, and viewing and copying restrictions are imposed according to the changed rank. Rank information is also transmitted from the "master" to the "slave" and managed by the "master," as in the case described above. According to Modification 6, paired partners with high levels of intimacy can be automatically grouped.

[0156] (Example 7) When the pairing condition is "face recognition," the rank during pairing may be changed according to the degree of smile obtained from the through-image used for "face recognition." The CPU 20 on the "master unit" side will rank up by one level compared to the normal rank (i.e., the management information recorded in the flash memory 19, which is determined according to the number of pairings and the cumulative pairing time) if the degree of smile obtained from the through-image used for "face recognition" is higher than a predetermined value. Since a higher degree of smile is expected to indicate a higher level of intimacy, the rank is automatically increased to improve usability.

[0157] In this embodiment, the degree of a smile is determined when a smile is detected. The CPU 20 determines whether or not a person is smiling based on the data corresponding to the facial region of the identified person in the through image data. The smile detection process is a known technique, so its explanation is omitted. If a smile is detected, the CPU 20 further determines the smile level. The smile level is divided into three stages, for example, 2 (big laugh), 1 (moderate laugh), and 0 (smile). If the smile level is 2, the CPU 20 ranks it up one level from the normal rank.

[0158] (Variation 8) In the linked shooting 1 described above, the shooting conditions may be changed so that the focal length of the "master unit" is longer than the focal length of the "slave unit". For example, if the focal length of the "master unit" is equivalent to 85mm, the focal length of the "slave unit" can be set to equivalent to 35mm. This prevents the images captured by the electronic camera 1 on the "master unit" side and the electronic camera 1 on the "slave unit" side from being similar. Then, the white balance adjustment value used for the electronic camera 1 that was shot in "wide" mode (equivalent to 35mm in this example) is used as the white balance adjustment value for the other electronic camera 1.

[0159] Generally, shooting in "wide" mode provides more color information in the image than shooting in "zoom" mode, resulting in a more appropriate white balance adjustment value. By using the same white balance adjustment value for both the "master" and "slave" units, the colors captured by both electronic cameras can be matched compared to using different adjustment values. This type of control is suitable when coordinating shots of the same subject at approximately the same time.

[0160] Furthermore, if the "master unit" and "slave unit" are controlled to have different focal lengths, the shutter speed may be set to the same value between the "master unit" and "slave unit". This setting of imaging conditions is suitable when shooting the same moving subject in a coordinated manner at approximately the same time. For example, it is possible to simultaneously acquire either an image of a stationary subject or an image of a moving subject. Also, if the "master unit" and "slave unit" are controlled to have the same focal length, they may be controlled to have different aperture values. This setting is suitable when shooting the same subject in a linked manner at approximately the same time, and for example, it is possible to simultaneously acquire images with different bokeh effects. Therefore, the user can select their preferred image after shooting. If the "master unit" and "slave unit" are controlled to have the same focal length, they may be set to have different shutter speeds. This setting is suitable when shooting the same moving subject in a coordinated manner at approximately the same time. For example, it is possible to simultaneously acquire an image of a stationary subject and an image of a moving subject. The above is just one example, and various combinations of shooting conditions can be arbitrarily set between the "master unit" and the "slave unit". Examples of shooting conditions include the scaling ratio of the shooting optical system, shutter speed, aperture value, sensitivity, and color adjustment processing information, as mentioned above.

[0161] (Extreme variation 9) In the description of linked shooting 2 above, an example was described in which continuous shooting is performed as long as the release button 23a is pressed. Alternatively, continuous shooting may be performed until a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) has elapsed since the release button 23a was pressed. In this case, the CPU 20 makes a positive determination in step 206 (Figure 18) if the elapsed time since the positive determination in step S202 (or S212) reaches the predetermined time.

[0162] (Variation 10) Alternatively, continuous shooting may be performed until the number of shots taken after the release button 23a is pressed reaches a predetermined number of frames (for example, 30 frames). In this case, the CPU 20 makes a positive determination in step 206 if the number of shots taken after the positive determination in step S202 (or S212) reaches the predetermined number of frames.

[0163] (Variation 11) Instead of recording the aforementioned burst shots as still images, the system may be configured to generate and record video files. Alternatively, one electronic camera 1 may record still images, while the other electronic camera 1 records video.

[0164] (Example 12) While one electronic camera 1 is taking a picture, the other electronic camera 1 is set to standby mode for taking a picture. Alternatively, the system may be configured to record audio while the other electronic camera 1 is in standby mode. In this case, if the CPU 20 determines that step S201 is positive, it will start sound collection for recording with the microphone 26 and will continue sound collection until it determines that step S211 is positive.

[0165] The CPU 20 sends instructions to the audio processing circuit 25 to sequentially amplify the audio signal collected by the microphone 26 and convert it into digital audio data. The CPU 20 includes information in the header area (tag area) of the audio file indicating that the audio was recorded during pairing. Then, it sends instructions to the memory card interface 21 to record the audio file onto the storage medium 51. The information indicating that the audio was recorded during pairing includes the identification information of the pairing partner and recording time information based on the timing after recording and time synchronization.

[0166] Furthermore, information indicating that the audio was recorded during pairing can be recorded as a separate file associated with the audio file, rather than being recorded in the header area of ​​the audio file.

[0167] (Example 13) In the above explanation, the "master unit" and "slave unit" in the case of "camera touch" are determined based on up / down determination, but the "master unit" and "slave unit" may also be determined based on left / right determination. In this case, the CPU 20 performs, for example, left-side determination processing in step S25 (Figure 6). Left-side determination determines which electronic camera 1 is on the left when the electronic cameras 1 come into contact with each other. In this modified example, the electronic camera 1 located to the left when viewed from the rear is defined as the "left" side.

[0168] The CPU 20 makes a left-side determination by referring to the determination table illustrated in Figure 20, based on the direction of gravity detected from the attitude sensor 24 and the contact electrode information based on the signal from the communication control circuit 22. For example, let's consider the case where electronic camera 1 is held in a vertical position (right side downwards) and the left side (positive position) of another electronic camera 1 is touched with the side having the release button 23a. The CPU 20 of electronic camera 1 determines it to be "left" because the direction of gravity is on the side of the transmitting / receiving electrode 22d and the contact electrode is the transmitting / receiving electrode 22b. In modified example 13, the one determined to be "left" is designated as the "master" in pairing, and the one determined to be "right" is designated as the "slave" in pairing. On the other hand, the CPU of the other electronic camera 1 that is touched by the above electronic camera 1 determines it to be "right" because the direction of gravity is on the side of the transmitting / receiving electrode 22c (positive position) and the contact electrode is on the left side (the transmitting / receiving electrode 22e).

[0169] If CPU20 determines that the result is "left", it affirms step S25 and proceeds to step S16. If CPU20 does not determine that the result is "left", it negates step S25 and proceeds to step S20.

[0170] (Variation 14) Regarding time synchronization during pairing (steps S27 and S28 in Figure 6), an example was given in which the time of the "slave unit" is set to the time of the "master unit". Alternatively, the time may be set to whichever of the "master unit" and "slave unit" is earlier, or to whichever unit has a function to correct the time based on the received standard radio wave.

[0171] (Variation 15) In the above description, the CPU 20 automatically terminates pairing if at least one of the following conditions is met: the free space on the storage medium 51 is less than a predetermined free space; information is obtained via communication that the free space on the storage medium 51 on the other electronic camera 1 is less than a predetermined free space; the remaining capacity of the battery 52 is less than a predetermined remaining capacity; or information is obtained via communication that the remaining capacity of the battery 52 on the other electronic camera 1 is less than a predetermined remaining capacity. In addition, if the free space on the storage medium 51 is less than a predetermined free space or the remaining capacity of the battery 52 is less than a predetermined remaining capacity before starting the process in step S11 (Figure 6), the CPU 20 should immediately terminate the process shown in Figure 6.

[0172] Furthermore, if the CPU 20, upon receiving a communication request (step S17), finds that the available space on the storage medium 51 is less than a predetermined amount of available space, or that the remaining capacity of the battery 52 is less than a predetermined amount of remaining capacity, it may terminate the process shown in Figure 6 without sending a reply (step S18). According to Modification 15, it is possible to avoid situations where recording to the storage medium 51 becomes impossible during pairing, or where the battery 52 is depleted and the system becomes inoperable during pairing.

[0173] (Variation 16) In the above embodiment, as an example of pre-registering external devices to be paired, an example of registering the "face" of the person using the external device was described. Alternatively, the name of the external device, etc., may be registered. In this case, the "External Device Settings" screen is displayed on the LCD monitor 17 instead of the "Pairing Person Settings" screen (Figure 5). The "External Device Settings" screen displays a list of external devices instead of a thumbnail image of the "face". The external device list includes, for example, the name, model number, ID, etc. of each external device.

[0174] The CPU 20 sets the external device indicated by the checkmark, similar to that in Figure 5, as the external device to be paired with. Then, pairing is established on the condition that the ID included in the information returned in response to the communication request (step S11 (Figure 6)) matches the ID of the external device set using the "External Device Settings" screen.

[0175] In this modified example, we have described an example in which it is determined whether the ID included in the information returned in response to a communication request (step S11) matches the ID of an external device set using the "External Device Settings" screen. However, this step may be modified as needed. For example, by configuring the communication control circuit 22 to always be powered, if no response is detected from an external device set in "External Device Settings", the CPU 20 may determine that the external device is not started or is powered off, and send a signal to start the external device or turn on the power via the communication control circuit 22. Then, based on the information returned from the external device after it has started, the CPU 20 determines whether the external device is in an operational state, and if it is operational, it establishes pairing. The determination of whether the external device is in an operational state is made by receiving information from the external device, such as whether contact by the user with the casing or operation by the user with the external device has been detected by a contact sensor provided on the casing of the external device. The transmitting and receiving electrodes 22b to 22e provided on the external device may be used as contact sensors. Furthermore, variations of this communication request (step S11) are also applicable to the above embodiment that describes an example of registering the "face" of a person using an external device. Specifically, the CPU 20 recognizes the registered face on the LCD monitor 17, and when the user presses, for example, the OK switch 23h, it turns on the power of the other party's electronic camera via the communication control circuit 22. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 5, the CPU 20 may activate the electronic camera 1 owned by the person who checked the checkbox on the pairing person setting screen via the communication control circuit 22. In this case, since it may be unknown whether the person who checked the checkbox is nearby, the communication distance should be set to within 10 to 100m. If the electronic camera 1 is equipped with a viewfinder for recognizing the field of view, face recognition may be performed using this viewfinder instead of the LCD monitor 17. To activate the power of the other electronic camera 1 in response to a pairing request, the method is not limited to the facial recognition described above, but can also be applied to human body communication and camera touch. In this case, the OK switch 23h may be used to distinguish between a simple handshake or a camera touch that is not a pairing request, or the power of the other electronic camera 1 may be turned on via the communication control circuit 22 if the handshake lasts for a predetermined time, for example, 3 seconds or more, or if the camera touch lasts for a predetermined time, for example, 3 seconds or more. In this case, it does not matter whether the power of electronic camera 1 is on or off. If electronic camera 1 and other electronic cameras 1 are configured so that power is supplied to the communication control circuit 22 even when the main power is off, then when human body communication or camera touch is detected by the communication control circuit 22, electronic camera 1 can turn on its main power and activate the various parts that make up electronic camera 1.

[0176] (Example 17) Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the CPU 20 establishes communication with another electronic camera 1 and then establishes pairing on the condition that "face recognition" has been performed. Alternatively, when setting the pairing mode, the CPU 20 may be configured to perform "face recognition" before establishing communication and then start communication with the other electronic camera 1. In this case, as in the above embodiment, one of the pairing conditions may be set in advance from among several pairing conditions before starting communication with the external device, or none of the pairing conditions may be set. As described above, the CPU 20 plays back and displays the through image used for "face recognition" on the LCD monitor 17 in real time, and when "face recognition" is performed, it displays a frame or other indication of the "face" on top of the through image. The CPU 20 may automatically start communication and establish pairing in this state, or it may start communication and establish pairing when "face recognition" has been performed and the OK switch 23h is pressed.

[0177] Furthermore, if the CPU 20 identifies multiple "faces," it displays a frame representing each "face," and selects the frame corresponding to the largest face (the one occupying the largest portion of the display screen), displaying it in a different manner (different brightness or color) from the other frames. The selected frame is switched when the cross switch 23g is operated, with the frame surrounding the "face" located in the direction of that operation. When the OK switch 23h is pressed, the CPU 20 initiates communication with an external device whose ID matches the ID associated with the "face" corresponding to the selected frame, and establishes pairing.

[0178] (Example 18) Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which one of several pairing conditions is pre-set before starting communication with an external device. However, it is not necessary to always set a pairing condition before starting communication. For example, when the device is set to pairing mode by operating the mode switch 23d, the CPU 20 may be configured to perform at least one discrimination process of "face recognition," "handshake," and "camera touch." When the CPU 20 detects "handshake" or "camera touch" via the communication control circuit 22, it automatically starts communication with the other electronic camera 1 and establishes pairing. Furthermore, even if the pairing conditions are set to "normal," the CPU 20 may be configured to automatically start communication with other electronic cameras 1 and establish pairing if it detects a "handshake" or "camera touch." In these cases, instead of automatically starting communication, if the CPU 20 detects a "handshake" or "camera touch," the CPU 20 may display a message on the LCD monitor 17 asking whether or not to proceed with pairing, and start communication when the OK switch 23h is pressed. In this modified example, preferably, the CPU 20 establishes wireless communication with the external device whose received signal strength detected by the wireless communication circuit is determined to be the highest, and completes the pairing.

[0179] (Variation 19) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the pairing mode is terminated according to the setting of the pairing off timer. Alternatively, the duration of the pairing mode may be set according to the duration of the "handshake". As described above, the communication control circuit 22 is equipped with a human body communication function that communicates via the human body in response to instructions from the CPU 20. The CPU 20 measures the duration of the "handshake" via the communication control circuit 22 and sets the duration of the pairing mode according to the measured time. In this case, the CPU 20 may also terminate the pairing by either the pairing mode cancellation operation or the expiration of the pairing mode duration determined by the "handshake" time, whichever comes first. Furthermore, the duration of the pairing mode may be set according to the time spent "touching the camera". As described above, the CPU 20 detects whether the two electronic cameras 1 are in direct contact via the transmitting and receiving electrodes 22b to 22e and the communication control circuit 22 provided on the housing of the electronic camera 1. The CPU 20 measures the direct contact time between the two electronic cameras 1 through the communication control circuit 22 and sets the duration of the pairing mode according to the measured time. In this case, the CPU 20 may also terminate the pairing by either the pairing mode deactivation operation or the elapsed time of the pairing mode determined by the "touching the camera" time, whichever comes first. Additionally, the duration of pairing mode may be set according to the amount of time spent "touching the camera."

[0180] (Modification 20) Wireless communication can be performed by transmitting and receiving radio waves, or by transmitting and receiving infrared light. While the explanation uses electronic camera 1 as an example, electronic camera 1 may be a different model of camera, and the method can be applied to other electronic devices such as camera phones, video cameras, and music players.

[0181] (Example 21) The above explanation describes an example where there is one "master unit" and one "slave unit," but it is also possible to pair one "master unit" with multiple "slave units."

[0182] The above description is merely an example and is not limited in any way to the configuration of the embodiment described above. The configuration of the embodiment may be combined with one or more modified examples as appropriate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0183] 1…Electronic camera 11…Photography Optics 12…Image sensor 14…Image processing circuit 17…LCD monitor 19…Flash memory 20…CPU 21…Memory card interface 22...Communication control circuit 22b~22e...Electrodes for transmitting and receiving 23…Operating components 24…Attitude sensor 25…Audio processing circuit 29…Power circuit 51...Storage medium 52...Battery

Claims

[Claim 1] A means of communication for communicating with external devices, Based on at least one of the capacity of the external device and its own capacity, via the communication means An electronic device characterized by comprising control means for giving instructions to the external device.

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