Electronic devices, methods for controlling electronic devices, programs, and storage media.

Abstract

Enables immediate changes to settings. [Solution] The AF area settings and detection target type settings stored in the memory process are recalled by a specific user operation, and subject detection processing and focus detection processing are executed according to the recalled settings.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device, a control method for an electronic device, a program, and a storage medium.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, imaging devices have improved in automatic exposure, AF performance, and subject detection performance, and most shootings have become possible in automatic mode. However, depending on the shooting scene, there are cases where it is better to set the shooting conditions individually, and in such cases, immediacy of setting change is required.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, there are provided setting means for setting a plurality of setting items respectively, designation means for designating registration target items to be registered among the plurality of setting items, registration control means for registering as registered shooting conditions, and in response to a calling operation by a user, an imaging device is proposed which is characterized by calling the registered shooting conditions and generating new shooting conditions that reflect them. Thus, the user pre-registers shooting settings and realizes immediacy of setting change by calling them.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the method of Patent Document 1 does not disclose registering settings related to subject detection, and does not show a method for fully utilizing the evolution of detection performance.

[0006] Thus, in the conventional calling of shooting functions, there are many that are limited to exposure and AF settings, and there is none that takes into account subject detection conditions.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to achieve immediate change of settings while taking subject detection into consideration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The technical features of the present invention include a first setting step of setting a first item relating to the type of object to be detected, a second setting step of setting a second item relating to the AF area, a detection step of executing a process to detect a subject of the type of subject set in the first setting step, a focus detection step of executing a focus detection process based on the AF area information set in the second setting step, and a storage step of storing the settings by combining the set first and second items, wherein the type of object to be detected can be set to "automatic" which automatically selects a type from a plurality of types, and the settings stored in the storage step can be recalled by a specific operation of the user, and the process of detecting the subject and the focus detection process are executed according to the settings after recall. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve immediate changes in settings while taking subject detection into consideration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is an external view of a digital camera. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing examples of digital camera configurations. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the menu for changing settings. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the menu for configuring the button customization function for activating tracking and calling up other functions. [Figure 5] This diagram shows icons indicating shooting information and settings. [Figure 6] This diagram shows the frame display before and after AF (operation) activation. [Figure 7] This diagram shows the frame display based on the combination of AF area and tracking settings. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates the screen transitions and operations involved in calling a function. [Figure 9] This diagram shows the execution patterns of function calls. [Figure 10A] This flowchart shows the control methods for calling up a combination of subject detection type and AF area. [Figure 10B] This flowchart shows the details of the function call. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] ● Digital camera configuration Figures 1(a) and 1(b) show an external view of a digital camera 100 as an example of a device (electronic device) to which the present invention can be applied. Figure 1(a) is a front perspective view of the digital camera 100, and Figure 1(b) is a rear perspective view of the digital camera 100. In Figure 1, the display unit 28 is a display unit located on the back of the camera that displays images and various information. The touch panel 70a can detect touch operations on the display surface (operating surface) of the display unit 28. The viewfinder-external display unit 43 is a display unit located on the top of the camera that displays various camera settings, including shutter speed and aperture. The shutter button 61 is an operation unit for giving shooting instructions. The mode switching switch 60 is an operation unit for switching between various modes. The terminal cover 40 is a cover that protects the connector (not shown) that connects the connection cable to an external device to the digital camera 100.

[0013] The main electronic dial 71 is a rotating control element, and by rotating it, settings such as shutter speed and aperture can be changed. The power switch 72 is a control element that switches the power of the digital camera 100 ON and OFF. The sub electronic dial 73 is a rotating control element that can be used to move the selection frame and advance images. The cross key 74 is a cross key control element (4-way key) with push buttons that can be pressed in four directions: up, down, left, and right. The operation corresponding to the direction in which the cross key 74 is pressed is possible. The SET button 75 is a push button and is mainly used to confirm selection items. The video button 76 is used to instruct the start and stop of video recording. The AE lock button 77 can be pressed in shooting standby mode to fix the exposure state. The zoom button 78 is a control button for turning the zoom mode ON and OFF in the live view display of the shooting mode. By turning the zoom mode ON and then operating the main electronic dial 71, the live view image can be enlarged or reduced. In playback mode, the playback button 79 functions as a zoom button to enlarge the playback image and increase the magnification ratio. The playback button 79 is an operation button that switches between shooting mode and playback mode. By pressing the playback button 79 while in shooting mode, the user switches to playback mode and the latest image recorded on the recording medium 200 is displayed on the display unit 28. When the menu button 81 is pressed, various configurable menu screens are displayed on the display unit 28. The user can intuitively make various settings using the menu screen displayed on the display unit 28, the directional keys 74, the SET button 75, or the multi-controller (hereinafter referred to as MC) 65. The MC 65 can accept directional input in eight directions and a press operation in the center.

[0014] The communication terminal 10 is a communication terminal for the digital camera 100 to communicate with a lens unit 150 (detachable, to be described later). The eyepiece part 16 is the eyepiece part of an eyepiece finder (a viewfinder of the looking-in type), and the user can visually recognize the image displayed on the internal EVF (Electric View Finder) 29 through the eyepiece part 16. The eyepiece detection part 57 is an eyepiece detection sensor that detects whether the user is looking through the eyepiece part 16. The lid 202 is the lid of the slot that stores the recording medium 200.

[0015] The grip part 90 is a holding part shaped such that it is easy for the user to hold with the right hand when holding the digital camera 100. With the grip part 90 held by the little finger, ring finger, and middle finger of the right hand to hold the digital camera, the shutter button 61 and the main electronic dial 71 are arranged at positions operable by the index finger of the right hand. Also, in the same state, the sub - electronic dial 73 is arranged at a position operable by the thumb of the right hand.

[0016] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment. In Figure 2, the lens unit 150 is a lens unit equipped with an interchangeable photographing lens. The lens 103 is usually composed of a plurality of lenses, but here it is simply shown as only one lens. The communication terminal 6 is a communication terminal for the lens unit 150 to communicate with the digital camera 100. The lens unit 150 communicates with the system control unit 50 via this communication terminal 6 and the aforementioned communication terminal 10, and controls the aperture 1 via the aperture drive circuit 2 by the internal lens system control circuit 4. Then, it focuses by displacing the lens 103 via the AF drive circuit 3.

[0017] The shutter 101 is a focal - plane shutter that can freely control the exposure time of the imaging unit 22 under the control of the system control unit 50.

[0018] The imaging unit 22 is an image sensor composed of a CCD or CMOS element, etc., which converts optical images into electrical signals. The A / D converter 23 is used to convert the analog signal output from the imaging unit 22 into a digital signal.

[0019] The image processing unit 24 performs resizing and color conversion processing, such as predetermined pixel interpolation and reduction, on the data from the A / D converter 23 or the data from the memory control unit 15 (described later). The image processing unit 24 also performs predetermined calculations using the captured image data. Based on the calculation results obtained by the image processing unit 24, the system control unit 50 performs exposure control, focus detection processing, and adjustment control. This enables TTL (through-the-lens) AF (autofocus), AE (automatic exposure), and EF (flash pre-flash) processing. The image processing unit 24 further performs predetermined calculations using the captured image data and performs TTL AWB (auto white balance) processing based on the obtained calculation results.

[0020] The memory control unit 15 controls the transmission and reception of data between the A / D converter 23, the image processing unit 24, and the memory 32. Output data from the A / D converter 23 is written to the memory 32 via the image processing unit 24 and the memory control unit 15, or directly via the memory control unit 15.

[0021] Memory 32 stores image data obtained by the imaging unit 22 and converted into digital data by the A / D converter 23. Memory 32 has sufficient storage capacity to store a predetermined number of still images, a predetermined amount of video footage, and audio. Memory 32 also serves as a memory for image display (video memory). Display image data written to memory 32 is displayed by the display unit 28 and EVF 29 via the memory control unit 15. The display unit 28 and EVF 29 display information on a display device such as an LCD or organic EL display according to the signal from the memory control unit 15. Live view display (LV display) can be performed by sequentially transferring the data that has been A / D converted by the A / D converter 23 and stored in memory 32 to the display unit 28 or EVF 29 for display. Hereinafter, the image displayed in live view will be referred to as a live view image (LV image).

[0022] The infrared light-emitting diode 166 is a light-emitting element for detecting the user's line of sight position within the viewfinder screen, and illuminates the user's eyeball (eye) 161, which is looking into the eyepiece 16, with infrared light. The infrared light emitted from the infrared light-emitting diode 166 is reflected by the eyeball (eye) 161, and the reflected infrared light reaches the dichroic mirror 162. The dichroic mirror 162 reflects only infrared light and transmits visible light. The infrared reflected light, with its optical path altered, is imaged onto the imaging surface of the gaze detection sensor 164 via the imaging lens 163. The imaging lens 163 is an optical component that constitutes the gaze detection optical system. The gaze detection sensor 164 consists of an imaging device such as a CCD type image sensor.

[0023] The gaze detection sensor 164 converts the incident infrared reflected light into an electrical signal via photoelectric conversion and outputs it to the gaze detection circuit 165. The gaze detection circuit 165 includes at least one processor and, based on the output signal from the gaze detection sensor 164, detects the user's gaze position from the image or movement of the user's eyeball (eye) 161 and outputs the detection information to the system control unit 50. Thus, the gaze detection block 160 is composed of the dichroic mirror 162, imaging lens 163, gaze detection sensor 164, infrared light-emitting diode 166, and gaze detection circuit 165.

[0024] In this embodiment, the gaze detection block 160 is used to detect the gaze using a method called the corneal reflection method. The corneal reflection method is a method that detects the direction and position of the gaze from the positional relationship between the reflected light, particularly the cornea of ​​the eyeball (eye) 161, and the pupil of the eyeball (eye) 161, which is emitted infrared light from the infrared light-emitting diode 166. In addition to this, there are various other methods for detecting the direction and position of the gaze, such as the scleral reflection method, which utilizes the fact that the reflectivity of light differs between the iris and the sclera. Note that any gaze detection method other than the one described above may be used as long as it can detect the direction and position of the gaze.

[0025] The external LCD display unit 43 displays various camera settings, including shutter speed and aperture, via the external display unit drive circuit 44.

[0026] The non-volatile memory 56 is an electrically erasable and recordable memory, such as Flash-ROM. The non-volatile memory 56 stores constants for the operation of the system control unit 50, programs, etc. The program referred to here is a computer program for executing various flowcharts described later in this embodiment.

[0027] The system control unit 50 is a control unit consisting of at least one processor or circuit, and controls the entire digital camera 100. It realizes each of the processes of this embodiment, which will be described later, by executing the program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56. For example, RAM is used in the system memory 52, and constants, variables for the operation of the system control unit 50, the program read from the non-volatile memory 56, etc. are stored there. The system control unit 50 also performs display control by controlling the memory 32, the display unit 28, etc.

[0028] The system timer 53 is a timekeeping unit that measures the time used for various controls and the time of the built-in clock.

[0029] The various operating components that serve as input units for receiving user input include at least the following: the operating unit 70, which includes the shutter button 61, MC65, touch panel 70a, main electronic dial 71, sub electronic dial 73, cross key 74, SET button 75, video button 76, AE lock button 77, zoom button 78, playback button 79, and menu button 81. In addition, the mode switch 60 and power switch 72 are also operating components that receive user input.

[0030] The control unit 70, mode selector switch 60, and power switch 72 function as operating means for inputting various operation instructions to the system control unit 50.

[0031] The mode switch 60 switches the operating mode of the system control unit 50 to one of the following: still image shooting mode, video shooting mode, etc. Modes included in the still image shooting mode include auto shooting mode, auto scene detection mode, manual mode, aperture priority mode (Av mode), shutter speed priority mode (Tv mode), and program AE mode (P mode). There are also various scene modes and custom modes that provide shooting settings for different shooting scenes. The user can switch directly to any of these modes using the mode switch 60. Alternatively, the user can switch to a list screen of shooting modes using the mode switch 60, select one of the displayed modes, and then switch using another operating element. Similarly, the video shooting mode may also include multiple modes.

[0032] Furthermore, the shutter button 61 is a two-stage switch consisting of a first shutter switch 62 and a second shutter switch 64.

[0033] The first shutter switch 62 turns ON during the operation of the shutter button 61 on the digital camera 100, specifically when it is half-pressed (indicating preparation for shooting), and generates the first shutter switch signal SW1. The first shutter switch signal SW1 initiates shooting preparation operations such as AF (autofocus), AE (automatic exposure), AWB (auto white balance), and EF (flash pre-flash).

[0034] The second shutter switch 64 turns ON when the shutter button 61 is fully pressed (shooting instruction), generating the second shutter switch signal SW2. The system control unit 50 starts a series of shooting processes, from reading the signal from the imaging unit 22 to writing the captured image as an image file to the recording medium 200, in response to the second shutter switch signal SW2.

[0035] The power control unit 80 consists of a battery detection circuit, a DC-DC converter, a switch circuit for switching which blocks are energized, and detects whether a battery is installed, the type of battery, and the remaining battery level. The power control unit 80 also controls the DC-DC converter based on the detection results and instructions from the system control unit 50, supplying the necessary voltage to each part, including the recording medium 200, for the required period. The power supply unit 30 consists of primary batteries such as alkaline batteries and lithium batteries, secondary batteries such as NiCd batteries, NiMH batteries, and Li batteries, and an AC adapter.

[0036] The recording medium I / F18 is an interface to the recording medium 200, such as a memory card or hard disk. The recording medium 200 is a recording medium such as a memory card for recording captured images, and is composed of semiconductor memory, magnetic disks, etc.

[0037] The communication unit 54 is connected wirelessly or via a wired cable and transmits and receives video and audio signals. The communication unit 54 can also connect to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or the internet. Furthermore, the communication unit 54 can communicate with external devices using Bluetooth® or Bluetooth Low Energy. The communication unit 54 can transmit images captured by the imaging unit 22 (including live view images) and images recorded on the recording medium 200, and can also receive images and other various information from external devices.

[0038] The attitude detection unit 55 detects the orientation of the digital camera 100 relative to the direction of gravity. Based on the orientation detected by the attitude detection unit 55, it is possible to determine whether the image captured by the imaging unit 22 was taken with the digital camera 100 held horizontally or vertically. The system control unit 50 can add orientation information corresponding to the orientation detected by the attitude detection unit 55 to the image file of the image captured by the imaging unit 22, or rotate the image before recording. An acceleration sensor or gyro sensor can be used as the attitude detection unit 55. It is also possible to detect the movement of the digital camera 100 (pan, tilt, lift, whether it is stationary or not, etc.) using the acceleration sensor or gyro sensor in the attitude detection unit 55.

[0039] The eyepiece detection unit 57 is an eyepiece detection sensor that detects the approach (eye-in) and departure (eye-out) of an eye (object) 161 to the eyepiece 16 of the viewfinder (proximity detection). The system control unit 50 switches the display (display state) / hidden (hidden state) of the display unit 28 and EVF 29 according to the state detected by the eyepiece detection unit 57. More specifically, at least when the digital camera 100 is in shooting standby mode and the setting for switching the display destination of the live view image captured by the imaging unit 22 is set to automatic switching, the display destination is set to the display unit 28 and the EVF 29 is hidden when the eye is not in use. When the eye is in use, the display destination is set to the EVF 29 and the display is turned on and the display unit 28 is hidden. The eyepiece detection unit 57 can use, for example, an infrared proximity sensor to detect the approach of any object to the eyepiece 16 of the viewfinder which has a built-in EVF 29. When an object approaches, infrared light emitted from the light-emitting unit (not shown) of the eyepiece detection unit 57 is reflected and received by the light-receiving unit (not shown) of the infrared proximity sensor. The amount of infrared light received can be used to determine how close the object is to the eyepiece (eyepiece distance). In this way, the eyepiece detection unit 57 performs eyepiece detection to detect the proximity distance of an object to the eyepiece 16. In this embodiment, the light-emitting unit and light-receiving unit of the eyepiece detection unit 57 are separate devices from the infrared light-emitting diode 166 and gaze detection sensor 164 mentioned above. However, the light-emitting unit of the eyepiece detection unit 57 may also be the infrared light-emitting diode 166. Also, the light-receiving unit may also be the gaze detection sensor 164. When an object is detected approaching the eyepiece 16 within a predetermined distance from a non-eyepiece state (non-approach state), it is detected that the eyepiece has been used. The system detects that an object has been moved away from the eyepiece (close-up) state if the object that was detected as approaching moves beyond a predetermined distance. The threshold for detecting eyepiece contact and the threshold for detecting eye separation may be different, for example, by providing hysteresis. After detecting eyepiece contact, the system remains in the eyepiece state until eye separation is detected. After detecting eye separation, the system remains in the non-eyepiece state until eyepiece contact is detected again. Note that the infrared proximity sensor is just one example, and the eyepiece detection unit 57 may use any other sensor that can detect the approach of an eye or object that can be considered as an eyepiece.

[0040] The system control unit 50 can detect the following operations or states based on the output from the gaze detection block 160. • The user's gaze, placed through the eyepiece 16, has been newly input (detected). In other words, the start of gaze input. • The user's gaze input is received through the eyepiece 16. • The user is looking intently at the eyepiece 16. - The user who was looking through the eyepiece 16 has moved away from their gaze input; in other words, the gaze input has ended. • The user is looking through the eyepiece 16 and has not entered any eye-tracking input.

[0041] In this context, "gazing" refers to a situation where the user's gaze position does not exceed a predetermined movement amount within a predetermined time.

[0042] The touch panel 70a and the display unit 28 can be configured as an integrated unit. For example, the touch panel 70a is configured such that its light transmittance does not interfere with the display of the display unit 28, and is mounted on the upper layer of the display surface of the display unit 28. Then, the input coordinates on the touch panel 70a are associated with the display coordinates on the display screen of the display unit 28. This makes it possible to provide a GUI (Graphical User Interface) that makes it seem as if the user can directly operate the screen displayed on the display unit 28. The system control unit 50 can detect the following operations or states on the touch panel 70a. - A finger or pen that was not previously touching the touch panel 70a now touches the touch panel 70a. In other words, the start of a touch (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Down). The touch panel 70a is being touched with a finger or pen (hereinafter referred to as Touch-On). - The user is moving while touching the touch panel 70a with their finger or pen (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Move). • The finger or pen that was touching the touch panel 70a is lifted. In other words, the touch action ends (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Up). • The touch panel 70a is not being touched (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Off).

[0043] When a touchdown is detected, a touch-on state is also detected simultaneously. After a touchdown, a touch-on state is usually detected unless a touch-up is detected. Touch move is also detected when a touch-on state is detected. Even if a touch-on state is detected, a touch move will not be detected if the touch position has not moved. After all fingers or pens that were touching have been detected as having touched up, the touch-off state is activated.

[0044] These operations and states, as well as the position coordinates of the finger or pen touching the touch panel 70a, are notified to the system control unit 50 via the internal bus. Based on the notified information, the system control unit 50 determines what kind of operation (touch operation) was performed on the touch panel 70a. For touch moves, the direction of movement of the finger or pen moving on the touch panel 70a can also be determined for each vertical and horizontal component on the touch panel 70a based on the change in position coordinates. If a touch move of a predetermined distance or more is detected, it is determined that a slide operation was performed. An operation in which a finger is touched on the touch panel and quickly moved a certain distance, and then released, is called a flick. In other words, a flick is an operation in which the finger is quickly traced across the touch panel 70a as if flicking it. If a touch move of a predetermined distance or more at a predetermined speed or faster is detected, and a touch-up is detected immediately afterward, it can be determined that a flick was performed (it can be determined that a flick followed a slide operation). Furthermore, touching multiple points (for example, two points) simultaneously to bring them closer together is called a pinch-in, and touching them further apart is called a pinch-out. Pinch-out and pinch-in are collectively referred to as a pinch operation (or simply a pinch). The touch panel 70a may use any of the various types of touch panels, such as resistive, capacitive, surface acoustic wave, infrared, electromagnetic induction, image recognition, and optical sensor types. Depending on the type, a touch may be detected when there is contact with the touch panel, or when a finger or pen approaches the touch panel; either type is acceptable.

[0045] When a touch-move operation is performed while the eyepiece is engaged, the user can set the method for specifying the position of the position indicator corresponding to the touch-move operation to either absolute position specification or relative position specification. For example, if the position indicator is an AF frame, in the case of absolute position specification, when the touch panel 70a is touched, the AF position corresponding to the touched position (the position entered in the coordinates) is set. In other words, the position coordinates where the touch operation was performed are associated with the position coordinates of the display unit 28. On the other hand, in the case of relative position specification, the position coordinates where the touch operation was performed and the position coordinates of the display unit 28 are not associated. In relative position specification, regardless of the touch-down position on the touch panel 70a, the touch position is moved from the currently set AF position by a distance corresponding to the amount of the touch-move movement in the direction of the touch-move movement.

[0046] ●Settings screen Figure 3 shows a menu for changing the settings displayed on the display unit 28 or EVF 29.

[0047] Figure 3(a) shows the settings screen in the menu, with 301-305 indicating each setting item and its value.

[0048] The 301 setting controls AF operation, allowing you to choose between "One-Shot AF," which locks the focus after AF is activated (after the shooting preparation command is given), and "Servo AF," which allows the focus to track.

[0049] The setting item 302 relates to the AF area (information), allowing you to set the size of the area where AF will be performed. If there are many setting values, you will need to go deeper into the hierarchy and set them on a dedicated screen (Figure 3(b)). As shown in Figure 3(b), the user selects a setting value from a list of settings (306).

[0050] The 303 setting is the tracking setting, which allows you to set whether or not to perform tracking after AF is activated (after the shooting preparation command is given). Before AF is activated (before the shooting preparation command is given), the subject to be tracked is determined from the AF area, and after AF is activated (after the shooting preparation command is given), the size of the AF area is expanded to cover the entire screen and tracking is performed.

[0051] Setting item 304 is the subject detection setting, where the type of object to be detected with priority is selected to determine the main subject. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3(d), it is possible to set from "Automatic", "Person", "Animal", "Vehicle", and "Do not detect" (310). Depending on this setting, if the main subject is detected, a detection frame will be displayed on the main subject to notify the user. Furthermore, as shown in 311, more detailed settings can be made depending on the setting value. Here, the image processing unit 24 can perform subject detection processing to detect a specific subject using the captured image data. In this embodiment, the specific subject is to detect people, animals such as dogs, cats, and birds, vehicles, and the main areas within those subjects (spot detection). For example, spot detection for a person would be the detection of the torso, head, pupils, and face. For example, spot detection for an animal would be the detection of the pupils, face, and body. Also, for example, when a vehicle is selected, a local area can be set for spot detection, and the driver of a car, the lead car of a train (railway), and the cockpit of an airplane will be detected with priority.

[0052] These detection methods utilize machine learning techniques and image processing for recognition.

[0053] For example, the types of machine learning include the following:

[0054] (1) Support Vector Machine (2) Convolutional Neural Network (3) Recurrent Neural Network Furthermore, as an example of recognition processing, when detecting a face, one method involves extracting the skin tone region from the gradation color of each pixel represented by the image data and detecting the face based on the degree of matching with a pre-prepared face contour plate. Another method involves using well-known pattern recognition techniques to extract facial feature points such as eyes, nose, and mouth to perform face detection. Moreover, the detection methods for the main regions applicable to the present invention are not limited to these methods, and other methods may also be used.

[0055] As shown in Figure 3(c), there is also a screen where you can set the AF area (309) and tracking (308) settings simultaneously. In this screen, the live view is displayed in the background, allowing you to change the settings while viewing the AF area 307 display.

[0056] Furthermore, if "Automatic" is selected in setting item 304, the optimal type will be automatically selected from multiple types as the type of detection target. Therefore, it may be possible to set other items (AF operation, AF area) in advance by linking them to the type of detection target.

[0057] ● Button customization function Figure 4 is a diagram showing a menu for setting the button customization function for activating tracking and calling up functions, which is displayed on the display unit 28 or EVF 29.

[0058] For customizing the button to activate tracking, for example, as shown in Figure 4(a) 401, when the user aligns the cursor (indicator) indicating the current target position with the desired control element (e.g., a button) on the screen, the assignable function will be displayed as shown in Figure 4(b) 402. In this figure, "Tracking Start / Stop" is assigned to the SET button. The Tracking Start / Stop function starts tracking based on the position of the AF area, regardless of the tracking settings, and also stops the tracking once it has started. This function can be activated from the shooting standby state (SW0), during AF activation (first shutter switch held, SW1 ON), and during servo AF continuous shooting (SW2 ON).

[0059] Furthermore, for example, as shown in 403 of Figure 4(c), when the user places the cursor over the button they want to assign on the screen, the assignable function will be displayed as selectable, as shown in 404 of Figure 4(d). In this figure, "Call Registered Function" is assigned to the AEL (AE Lock) button.

[0060] The registration function allows users to recall functions they have previously registered. When 405 in Figure 4(d) is pressed by the user, the detailed settings screen in Figure 4(e) opens. 406 in Figure 4(e) is a checkbox, and the user can register the function to be recalled by setting the desired setting item 407 and setting value 408, and then checking 406. In the diagram, "One Shot" is registered for AF operation and "HP (Home Position)" for recall position. Note that when setting an item, other items may be grayed out to indicate that they cannot be registered. For example, in Figure 4(e), the AF area is grayed out to indicate that it cannot be registered. Also, if an item cannot be checked by the user, such as the tracking setting or spot detection in Figure 4(e), the current setting value will not be changed.

[0061] ● Icons that display shooting information and settings Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the icons that show the shooting information displayed on the display unit 28 or EVF 29 and the settings.

[0062] Figure 5(a) shows an example of the display screen of the display unit 28. Icons 501, 502, 503, and 504 indicate the AF area and tracking settings, 501, 502, 503, 504, and 504 respectively. Icon 505 indicates the tracking activation status. By checking icons 501 to 505, the current settings and status can be determined.

[0063] Figure 5(b) shows an example of the icon display list. Icons representing combinations of AF area and tracking settings, such as 506, are displayed in 501. Icons prepared according to the setting values, such as 507, 508, and 509, are displayed in 502-504. Icons indicating the tracking control status, such as 510, are displayed in 505.

[0064] ●Frame display before and after AF activation Figure 6 shows the frame display before and after AF activation, as displayed on the display unit 28 or EVF 29.

[0065] In Figure 6, the frame display is shown differently before and after AF activation, but it may also be the same. Alternatively, one could use color to distinguish between one-shot AF and servo AF, for example, green.

[0066] 601 is an AF area frame that represents a narrow area such as a spot, a single point, or an expanded area. Before AF is activated, it is a rectangle, and after AF is activated, it becomes a thick rectangle like 602.

[0067] 603 is an AF area frame that represents a wide area, such as a zone or the entire screen. Before AF is activated, the area 603 is shown enclosed in brackets [], and after AF is activated, only the parts within the 603 area that are in focus will be displayed as small rectangular frames like 604. It is also possible to display multiple rectangular frames 604 within the area. In addition, when representing the entire screen area, such as the entire screen, the brackets 603 may not be displayed before AF is activated.

[0068] 605 indicates the detection frame. This frame is displayed on a specific subject that is automatically detected based on the setting for the specific subject to be detected. In the diagram, the setting is "Person," and a frame is displayed on the person's face. Depending on the eye detection setting, it is also possible to display the detection frame 605 in the area of ​​the pupil. If set to "Animals" or "Vehicles," the detection frame will be displayed on the entire body or face of the animal, or on the vehicle. After AF is activated, a rectangular frame 606 is displayed in accordance with the detection frame 605. In this embodiment, it is represented by a dotted line to distinguish it from 602. The detection frame is updated with each frame to track the subject, but the frame position is fixed at the focused position only after one-shot AF is activated.

[0069] 607 indicates the tracking frame. This is displayed when the user selects the detection frame 605 or when the user selects the subject to track. There are several user selection operations, including selection based on the position of operation on the touch panel 70a, selection by starting tracking, and selection of the detection frame using the directional buttons. After AF is activated, it is represented by a double dotted rectangle (608). Like the detection frame, the tracking frame is updated with each frame to track the subject, but only after one-shot AF is activated is the frame position fixed at the focused position.

[0070] 609 represents the HP frame (home position frame). This is stored by the user setting the AF area frame (601 or 603) to the desired position and performing the registration operation. It can be recalled using the "Call HP" or "Call Shooting Function" button customization options. The recall period can be limited to during operation or it can continue to be recalled until it is called again. After AF is activated, it is represented by a thick rectangular line (610), similar to the AF area.

[0071] ●Frame representation according to the combination of AF area and tracking settings Figure 7 shows the frame representation according to the combination of AF area and tracking settings.

[0072] The combinations of the AF area when the subject to be detected is 'None' are shown in states 7-A to I, and the combinations of the AF area when the subject to be detected is 'Automatic', 'People', 'Animals', or 'Vehicles' (when anything other than 'None' is selected) are shown in states 7-J to R, illustrating the conditions under which the "AF area frame", "detection frame", and "tracking frame" are active in each case.

[0073] First, let's explain the case where the subject to be detected is 'not detected' in states 7-A to I.

[0074] When the AF area frame is activated, an AF area frame corresponding to the setting will be displayed, such as the single-point AF area frame 701 or the zone AF area frame 702 (7-A, 7-B, 7-C).

[0075] If the subject to be detected is set to "Do not detect," subject detection will not be performed, and therefore the detection frame will not become active. For this reason, the frame will not be displayed in states 7-D, 7-E, and 7-F. For the sake of explanation, in Figure 7, states 7-D, 7-E, and 7-F are shown with a gray screen, but the live view display is still active.

[0076] Additionally, if tracking is performed at the user's discretion, a tracking frame 703 will be displayed (7-G, 7-H, 7-I). This tracking frame includes the frame used when tracking is initiated based on the position of operation on the touch panel 70a, and the frame used when tracking is initiated based on the position of operation to start tracking.

[0077] Next, we will explain the cases for states 7-J to 7-R other than those where no subject is detected.

[0078] In states 7-J to 7-O, if tracking is enabled, both the AF area frame and the detection frame will be displayed if the main subject is detected, and the frame used for actual focus will be activated when AF is activated. If the main subject is not detected, only the AF area frame will be displayed, which is the same as the pattern for when the subject is not detected.

[0079] When AF is activated after the main subject has been detected, the selection of the frame to actually focus on is done as follows:

[0080] First, the AF area frame becomes active when the detection frame does not overlap with the AF area frame (7-J, 7-K, 7-L). Note that if the AF area covers the entire screen and no subject is detected within the AF area, the entire AF area becomes active (7-L) as well, since the AF area covers the entire screen. However, because the AF area is the entire screen, the frame is not displayed. Therefore, for illustrative purposes, the screen is grayed out, but the live view display is active. When the AF area frame is active, the AF area frame (704) and (706) are displayed as solid lines, and the detection frame is represented by a transparent line (705). When AF is activated, focus adjustment is performed using the AF area frame.

[0081] Next, the detection frame becomes active when it overlaps with the AF area frame (7-M, 7-N, 7-O). In the case of eye detection or spot detection, the detection frame may become active even if the eye or spot does not overlap with the AF area, as long as the face or the entire body constituting the subject overlaps with the AF area frame. When the detection frame is active, it is represented by a solid line (707), and the AF area frame is represented by a transparent line (708).

[0082] When tracking is performed by user selection and tracking is enabled, if the main subject is detected, the tracking frame is active and only the tracking frame is displayed during tracking (7-P, 7-Q, 7-R) ​​(709). If the main subject is not detected, the tracking frame is displayed in the same way as in the pattern where the subject to be detected is disabled.

[0083] ● State transitions between shooting standby, shooting preparation, and shooting state. Figure 8(a) shows the state transitions between the shooting standby state (8-A, 8-D), the shooting preparation state (8-B, 8-E), and the shooting state (8-C, 8-F).

[0084] Icon 801 indicates the setting value for AF area × tracking settings. Icon 802 indicates the setting value for AF operation. Icon 803 indicates the setting value for the subject to be detected. Icon 804 indicates the setting value for eye detection. Icon 805 indicates the tracking status. Icon 806 is a frame display indicating the AF area for zone AF.

[0085] 807 is a frame indicator showing the detection frame of the detected subject. In the example in Figure 8(a), since a subject is detected within the AF area, the detection frame becomes active and the AF area becomes inactive. (See Figure 7) When operation 8a, AF start (SW1), is performed in state 8-A, the system transitions to state 8-B. At this time, the AF operation is performed in the active frame area.

[0086] In state 8-B, focus is indicated within the 808 frame. Since AF operation is set to one-shot, the frame position is locked. The user is notified of the focus status by changing color: green when in focus, and red when out of focus. When operation 8b, shooting start (SW2), is performed, it transitions to state 8-C.

[0087] In state 8-C, shooting takes place. 809 indicates that shooting is in progress. In the example, it may not be displayed because the shooting sound can determine this, but it is often displayed during silent shooting. Note that during continuous shooting in one-shot AF mode, the focus is locked, so the focus confirmation indicator 808 displayed in SW1 mode is not shown.

[0088] The above covers the basic transitions during shooting; next, we will explain the patterns for calling functions.

[0089] When the shooting function is called (operation 8c) while in state 8-A, the camera transitions to state 8-D. At this time, the icon 801 changes to "Full Range x Tracking", the icon 802 changes to "Servo AF", the icon 803 changes to "Animal", and the icon 804 changes to "Do not detect eyes". After the call, animal detection is performed across the entire range, so the small bird in the lower right is detected as the main subject, and detection frame 810 is displayed. Because the AF area is the entire range, 810 becomes the active frame.

[0090] When the shooting function (operation 8d) is invoked while in state 8-A, the system transitions to state 8-E. The display and other elements are the same as in operation 8c, but the difference is that AF operation is performed simultaneously, and the focus frame 811 is displayed after AF is executed. Operation 8d can also be performed in states 8-B and 8-C, resulting in the transitions shown in the diagrams.

[0091] If AF operation is performed by operation 8a while in state 8-D, the camera will transition to state 8-E. With tracking setting set to "On," and only when AF operation is servo AF, the AF area will be expanded to track the subject while AF operation is being maintained. To stop subject tracking, either stop the AF operation or perform the "Stop Tracking" operation in button customization.

[0092] If shooting is initiated by operation 8b while in state 8-E, the camera transitions to state 8-F. In servo continuous shooting mode, the camera tracks the subject, maintains focus, and repeatedly takes pictures.

[0093] Figure 8(b) shows the menu configured using the button customization function described above, as shown in Figure 4. The menu on the left is called up by operation 8c, and the menu on the right is called up by operation 8d.

[0094] ● Call patterns Figure 9 shows the call patterns of this embodiment, and three patterns are introduced as Figures 9(a) to 9(c).

[0095] Figure 9(a) shows the pattern of calling up "Zone x No Tracking x Detection OFF" from "Full Area x Person Detection". Before calling up, the camera prioritizes capturing people throughout the entire scene, and since the subjects are moving a lot, it uses servo mode. From here, if you want to primarily photograph objects rather than people, you can turn off the detection setting and perform automatic selection within a specific area. It is also possible to start AF at the same time, and you can take a picture immediately after calling up one-shot mode. This is effective when you want to focus on the flower closest to you within the area, as shown in Figure 9(a). It is also effective when switching to capturing the bouquet flying up from the bride during a wedding bouquet toss.

[0096] Figure 9(b) shows a pattern where "Full Area × Person Detection" is used to call up "1 Point (HP) × Track × Animal Detection". Before calling up the function, the camera prioritizes capturing people in the entire area. To handle situations where a subject with significant movement appears, one point is registered as an HP near the center to initiate servo AF. From there, when a subject with significant movement, such as an animal, appears, calling up this function will grab the subject from near the center and begin tracking. Even when a fast-moving dog appears, as shown in Figure 9(a), it becomes possible to grab the subject in the center and track it. Since the HP can remember its size (1 point, zone) and position, calling it up simultaneously with the detection settings expands the range of shooting possibilities.

[0097] Figure 9(c) shows the pattern of calling up "Zone x Person Detection" to "Whole Area x Vehicle Detection." Before calling up, the camera prioritizes capturing people in the entire area, and this is effective when shifting the main subject to a vehicle. Not only cars, but also motorcycles, trains, and airplanes can be detected as vehicles, making it effective for commemorative photos, circuit photography, and event photography. By using the spot detection settings explained in Figure 3, it is also possible to focus precisely on a point inside a vehicle.

[0098] Figure 9(d) shows the pattern of calling up "Full Area x Human Detection" to "Full Area x Automatic Detection." Before calling up, the camera prioritizes capturing people throughout the image, and is effective when you want to temporarily select the most suitable subject from people, animals, or vehicles and then shift the main subject to be photographed. The basic setting is to photograph people, but it is effective in everyday scenes where you want to temporarily detect subjects such as animals or vehicles. When calling up automatic selection of the subject to be detected, it is also possible to call up the entire AF area and control the camera to prioritize the automatic selection. Alternatively, as mentioned above, if "Automatic" is set, and other items (AF operation, AF area) are set in conjunction with the type of detection target, the stored settings will be called up.

[0099] There are many other effective scenarios besides those introduced here, and by combining AF area and detection settings, users can customize their settings and capture moments without missing a shot.

[0100] ●Control flow when calling up a combination of subject detection type and AF area Figure 10A is a flowchart showing the control of this embodiment. Each process is realized when the system control unit 50 loads a program stored in the non-volatile memory 56 into the system memory 52 and executes it.

[0101] The following flowchart is processed and controlled by the system control unit 50.

[0102] In S1001, it is determined whether a function call has been made. If a function call has been made, the process proceeds to S1002; otherwise, it proceeds to S1003.

[0103] S1002 initiates the control of the function call.

[0104] S1003 determines whether AF operation (SW1) has been performed. If AF operation has been performed, the process proceeds to S1004; otherwise, it returns to S1001. If normal shooting preparation settings (exposure change, AF area movement, other settings) are made during this time, the settings will be changed.

[0105] The S1004 performs autofocus (AF) operation. When One-Shot AF is set, the focus position is fixed after AF is completed, and when Servo AF is set, the focus continues to track even after AF is completed.

[0106] In S1005, it is determined whether a function call was made. If a function call was made, the process proceeds to S1006; otherwise, it proceeds to S1008.

[0107] S1006 initiates control over the function call.

[0108] In S1007, autofocus (AF) operation is performed. However, if no settings were changed in S1006, S1007 will skip the AF operation.

[0109] In S1008, it is determined whether a shooting operation (SW2) has been performed. If a shooting operation has been performed, the process proceeds to S1010; otherwise, it proceeds to S1009.

[0110] S1009 checks whether the AF operation (SW1) is being maintained. If it is, the process returns to S1005; otherwise, it returns to S1001.

[0111] The S1010 performs the shooting operation.

[0112] In S1011, it is determined whether a function call was made. If a function call was made, the process proceeds to S1012; otherwise, it proceeds to S1017.

[0113] In S1012, it is determined whether servo AF is in operation. If servo AF is in operation, proceed to S1014; otherwise, proceed to S1013.

[0114] In S1013, it is determined in advance whether there will be any changes to the AF operation when the function is called. If there are changes, proceed to S1015; otherwise, proceed to S1017.

[0115] In S1014 and S1015, control of the function call is activated.

[0116] At S1016, autofocus (AF) operation is performed. However, if the settings have not been changed in S1014 or S1015, AF operation will not be performed at S1016 and the process will be skipped.

[0117] In S1017, it is determined whether to perform continuous shooting. If continuous shooting is performed, the process proceeds to S1018; otherwise, it proceeds to S1019.

[0118] In S1018, the shooting operation is performed. Since this is continuous shooting, shooting is performed according to the set drive settings.

[0119] In S1019, it is determined whether the shooting has finished. If it has finished, the process in this flow is terminated; otherwise, the process returns to S1011.

[0120] ● Function readout control flow Figure 10B is a flowchart detailing the function readouts for S1002, S1006, S1014, and S1015 in Figure 10. Each process is realized when the system control unit 50 loads the program stored in the non-volatile memory 56 into the system memory 52 and executes it.

[0121] The following flowchart is processed and controlled by the system control unit 50.

[0122] In S1020, it is determined whether there have been any changes to the settings. If there have been changes, the process proceeds to S1021; otherwise, the subflow of the function call is terminated.

[0123] In S1021, it is determined whether there is a call to the home position (HP). If there is a call to the HP, proceed to S1024; otherwise, proceed to S1022.

[0124] In step S1022, the system determines if there has been a change in the AF area. If there has been a change in the AF area, it proceeds to step S1023; otherwise, it proceeds to step S1025.

[0125] In S1023, you can change the AF area.

[0126] In S1024, set the AF position to the HP position.

[0127] In step S1025, the system determines if there are any changes to the AF operation. If there are changes to the AF operation, the system proceeds to S1026; otherwise, it proceeds to S1027.

[0128] S1026 will change the AF operation.

[0129] S1027 determines if there have been any changes to the tracking settings. If there have been changes to the tracking settings, proceed to S1028; otherwise, proceed to S1029.

[0130] In S1028, you can change the tracking settings.

[0131] In S1029, it is determined whether there has been a change in the subject to be detected. If there has been a change in the subject to be detected, the process proceeds to S1030; otherwise, it proceeds to S1033.

[0132] In S1030, it is determined whether there have been any changes to the detailed settings for the subject to be detected. If there have been changes to the detailed settings, the process proceeds to S1032; otherwise, it proceeds to S1031.

[0133] In S1031, the settings for the subject to be detected are changed.

[0134] In S1032, you can change the subject detection settings and detailed settings.

[0135] In S1033, an active status is determined based on Figure 7, and the main subject is determined by the subject detection setting after the call. When the subject detection setting "Automatic" is called, the camera automatically selects the subject to be the main subject.

[0136] In S1034, it is determined whether there has been a change in the pupil detection settings. If there has been a change in the pupil detection settings, the process proceeds to S1035; otherwise, it proceeds to S1036.

[0137] In S1035, you can change the pupil detection settings.

[0138] In S1036, it is determined whether to perform a tracking operation. If the operation is performed, the process proceeds to S1037; otherwise, the subflow of the function call is terminated.

[0139] In the S1037, the AF area is expanded to cover the entire area, and tracking of the main subject begins.

[0140] In S1038, the screen indicator lights up for a certain period of time so that the user is aware of the changed setting. The display position and icon pattern are as explained in Figure 5.

[0141] Based on the above embodiment, the state transitions and flowcharts allow for a combination of various shooting and detection settings, enabling comfortable shooting and improving operability.

[0142] This is particularly effective as a means of determining shooting conditions with digital cameras, enabling comfortable shooting without missing photo opportunities.

[0143] In this embodiment, an example was described in which the display frame is represented by a rectangle as an indicator of position and size on the screen. However, it does not necessarily have to be a rectangle; it may be any shape, such as a circle or a hexagon. Alternatively, a crosshair or other reticle-like display that only indicates position may also be used.

[0144] Furthermore, the system control unit 50 can generate metadata based on shooting conditions that combine shooting settings and detection settings, and add it to the image data captured by the imaging unit 22 before recording it on the recording medium 200. When displaying the recorded image, the metadata recorded in relation to the image data may also be displayed. The recorded image data and metadata are recorded in accordance with standards such as Exif (Exchangeable Image File Format).

[0145] Furthermore, the various controls described above, which are performed by the system control unit 50, may be performed by a single piece of hardware, or multiple pieces of hardware may share the processing to control the entire device.

[0146] Furthermore, although the present invention has been described in detail based on its preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms that do not depart from the spirit of the invention are also included in the present invention. Moreover, each of the embodiments described above is merely one embodiment of the present invention, and it is possible to combine each embodiment as appropriate.

[0147] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiments explained the application of the present invention to a digital camera 100 as an example, the invention is not limited to this example and can be applied to any display control device capable of performing control related to image processing. In other words, the present invention can be applied to mobile phone terminals, portable image viewers, PCs, printer devices equipped with viewfinders, home appliances with display units, digital photo frames, projectors, tablet PCs, music players, game consoles, e-book readers, and the like.

[0148] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by performing the following process: supplying readable software (program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment to a system or device via a network or various storage media, and having the computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of that system or device read and execute the program code. In this case, the program and the recording medium storing the program constitute the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0149] 100 Digital Cameras 150 Lens Unit 50 System Control Unit 28 Display section 70a Touch Panel 22 Imaging Department 32 memory 70 Operation section 77 AE Lock Button 78 Enlarge button 75 SET button 79 Play button

Claims

1. A first setting means for setting a first item relating to the type of object to be detected, A second setting means for setting a second item related to the AF area, A detection means that performs a process to detect subjects of the type set by the first setting means, A focus detection means that performs focus detection processing based on information regarding the AF area set by the second setting means, The system includes a storage means for storing the settings by combining the first and second items that have been set, The aforementioned detection target type can be set to "automatic," which automatically selects a type from among multiple types. An electronic device characterized by retrieving settings stored in the storage means by a specific operation of the user, and executing a process to detect the subject and a focus detection process according to the settings after retrieval.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the type of the object to be detected is set to automatic, the type is automatically selected from at least one of a person, an animal, or a vehicle.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first setting means can further set at least one of a person, an animal, or a vehicle as the type of object to be detected.

4. The electronic device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first setting means further sets a specific part of the type of object to be detected.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4, characterized in that, when the type of object to be detected is a person, the specific part is at least one of the pupil, face, head, or torso.

6. The electronic device according to claim 4, characterized in that, when the type of object to be detected is an animal, the specific part is at least one of the pupil, face, or whole body.

7. The electronic device according to claim 4, characterized in that, when the type of object to be detected is a vehicle, the specific part is at least one of a local area or the whole.

8. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that when the user recalls a setting stored in the storage means by a specific operation, the detection means performs a process to detect the subject, prioritizing the type of detection target set by the first setting means.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first setting means can set the type of the object to be detected to none.

10. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the second setting means sets the size of the AF area.

11. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the second setting means sets the position of the AF area.

12. The storage means stores multiple combinations of the first and second items. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the plurality of combinations are assigned to a plurality of operating members.

13. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising a third setting means for setting a third item relating to exposure.

14. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the aforementioned specific operation can be performed even after a shooting preparation instruction has been given or during continuous shooting.

15. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that when the aforementioned specific operation is performed, the changed setting value is displayed on the screen for a certain period of time to notify the user.

16. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the process of detecting the subject is performed within the AF area set by the second setting means.

17. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the detection means is capable of detecting at least one of the following as the type of object to be detected: dog, cat, bird, car, motorcycle, train, or airplane.

18. The electronic device is characterized by having an imaging means, as described in any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. A first setting step involves setting a first item related to the type of object to be detected, The second setting step involves setting a second item related to the AF area, A detection step which performs a process to detect subjects of the type set in the first setting step, A focus detection step in which a focus detection process is performed based on the information regarding the AF area set in the second setting step, The system includes a storage step of storing the settings by combining the first and second items that have been set, The aforementioned detection target type can be set to "automatic," which automatically selects a type from among multiple types. A method for controlling an electronic device, characterized by recalling settings stored in the memory step by a specific operation of the user, and executing a process for detecting the subject and a process for detecting the focus according to the settings after recall.

20. A program for causing a computer to function as one of the electronic devices described in any one of claims 1 to 18.

21. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as one of the electronic devices described in any one of claims 1 to 18.

Images