Imaging device, control method for imaging device, and program

Abstract

The objective is to provide an imaging device that can not only adjust the position of the display unit but also perform image inversion according to user requests. [Solution] An imaging device comprising a main body having an imaging unit and a display unit whose position relative to the main body can be changed, wherein the device includes a detection means for detecting the position of the display unit relative to the main body, A control means for controlling the display unit to display a live view image captured by an imaging unit, and further comprising a control means for controlling the display unit to invert the live view image according to the position of the display unit detected by a detection means, wherein the control means can switch whether or not to perform inverted display according to the position of the display unit in response to a specific operation on the display unit in a specific shooting mode.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an imaging device having a display unit with a vari-angle mechanism whose display surface for displaying a captured image can be rotated in the left-right direction or a tilt mechanism that can be rotated upward or downward is known. In Patent Document 1, it is disclosed that, according to the posture of the camera body part and the position of the display unit, the captured image is displayed in a direction that is vertically and horizontally reversed with respect to the display surface, so that the captured image can be displayed in the direction desired by the user.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when the display unit is in the self-portrait position, it is not always preferable to automatically reverse and display the captured image. The photographer may check the image from various directions. In this case, if the display direction of the captured image is automatically reversed, it may conversely make it difficult for the photographer to check the image.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an imaging device capable of performing reverse display of an image according to user requirements as well as the position of the display unit.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, the imaging device of the present invention An imaging device comprising a main body having an imaging unit, and a display unit whose position relative to the main body can be changed, wherein the device includes a detection means for detecting the position of the display unit relative to the main body, A control means for controlling the display unit to display a live view image captured by an imaging unit, and further comprising a control means for controlling the display unit to invert the live view image according to the position of the display unit detected by a detection means, wherein the control means can switch whether or not to perform inverted display according to the position of the display unit in response to a specific operation on the display unit in a specific shooting mode. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] This makes it possible to provide an imaging device that can not only position the display unit but also perform image inversion according to user requests. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] External view of a digital camera according to the present invention [Figure 2] Block diagram showing the configuration of the digital camera according to the present invention [Figure 3] Display example in the process of fixing the display direction [Figure 4] Flowchart for the process of fixing the display direction [Figure 5] Diagram illustrating the rotation angle of the display unit 28. [Figure 6] Diagram illustrating the handheld shooting setup. [Figure 7] Flowchart for determining the state of handheld shooting [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] Figures 1(a) and 1(b) show external views of a digital camera as an example of the imaging device of the present invention. Figure 1(a) is a rear view of the digital camera 100, and Figure 1(b) is a front view of the digital camera 100. In Figure 1, the display unit 28 is a display unit that displays images and various information. The hinge unit 90 is a hinge unit that connects the display unit 28 to the camera body housing. Because the camera body housing and the display unit 28 are connected by the hinge unit 90, the photographer can freely change the angle of the display unit 28 relative to the camera body housing 110 according to the shooting posture, and can shoot while checking the subject at various angles. The hinge unit 90 is a connecting part with a two-axis rotation mechanism located between the display unit 28 and the housing 110, and is configured to change the position of the display unit 28 relative to the housing 110. The two-axis rotation mechanism has a first rotation axis parallel to the height direction of the digital camera 100 and a second rotation axis perpendicular to the first rotation axis. By rotating around the first axis of rotation, the display unit 28 is configured to rotate between a closed position (Figure 1(a)) in contact with the housing 110 and an open position (Figure 1(b)) rotated 180 degrees from the closed position away from the housing. Furthermore, by rotating around the second axis of rotation, the orientation of the display screen of the display unit 28 can be changed. The hinge unit 90 can detect the rotation state (rotation angle, closed position, open position) of the first axis of rotation of the display unit 28 and the rotation state (rotation angle) of the second axis of rotation, and can detect the position state of the display unit 28 relative to the housing 110.

[0011] The shooting lens 103 is a lens group including a zoom lens and a focus lens. The shutter button 61 is an operation unit for issuing a shooting command. The mode selector switch 60 is an operation unit for switching between various modes. The connector 112 is a connector between the digital camera 100 and a connection cable 111 for connecting to external devices such as a personal computer or printer. The operation unit 70 is an operation unit consisting of various switches, buttons, touch panels, and other operating elements that accept various operations from the user. The controller wheel 73 is a rotatable operating element included in the operation unit 70. The power switch 72 is a push button for switching the power on and power off. The recording medium 200 is a recording medium such as a memory card or hard disk. The recording medium slot 201 is a slot for storing the recording medium 200. The recording medium 200 stored in the recording medium slot 201 can communicate with the digital camera 100 and can record and play back data. The cover 202 is the cover of the recording medium slot 201. In the figure, the cover 202 is opened and a portion of the recording medium 200 has been removed from the slot 201 and exposed.

[0012] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the digital camera 100 according to this embodiment.

[0013] In Figure 2, the photographic lens 103 is a lens group including a zoom lens and a focus lens. The shutter 101 is a shutter equipped with an aperture function. The imaging unit 22 is an image sensor composed of a CCD or CMOS element that converts an optical image into an electrical signal. The A / D converter 23 converts an analog signal into a digital signal. The A / D converter 23 is used to convert the analog signal output from the imaging unit 22 into a digital signal. The barrier 102 covers the imaging system of the digital camera 100, including the photographic lens 103, the shutter 101, and the imaging unit 22, thereby preventing dirt and damage to the imaging system. The image processing unit 24 performs predetermined resizing processes such as pixel interpolation and reduction, and color conversion processes on the data from the A / D converter 23 or the data from the memory control unit 15. The image processing unit 24 also performs predetermined calculations using the captured image data, and the system control unit 50 performs exposure control and distance measurement control based on the obtained calculation results. 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 (Automatic White Balance) processing based on the obtained calculation results. The 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. The memory 32 stores image data obtained by the imaging unit 22 and converted into digital data by the A / D converter 23, as well as image data for display on the display unit 28. The memory 32 has sufficient storage capacity to store a predetermined number of still images, predetermined duration of video, and audio.

[0014] Furthermore, memory 32 also serves as memory for image display (video memory). The D / A converter 13 converts the image display data stored in memory 32 into an analog signal and supplies it to the display unit 28. In this way, the display image data written to memory 32 is displayed by the display unit 28 via the D / A converter 13. The display unit 28 displays on a display device such as an LCD according to the analog signal from the D / A converter 13. The digital signal, which has been A / D converted once by the A / D converter 23 and stored in memory 32, is converted to analog by the D / A converter 13 and sequentially transferred to the display unit 28 for display, thereby functioning as an electronic viewfinder and enabling through-image display (live view image display).

[0015] In the digital camera of this embodiment, the system control unit 50 acquires the rotation state of the second rotation axis of the display unit 28 from the hinge unit and controls the system to perform "image inversion display according to rotation state," which inverts the image according to the acquired rotation state. Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining the determination of the rotation angle of the display unit 28, showing the state in which the display unit 28 has rotated around the first rotation axis and is in the open position. Figure 5(a) shows the state in which the display screen 28a of the display unit 28 is facing the digital rear side, and the hinge unit 90 detects this state as a state in which the camera has rotated 0° or 360° around the second rotation axis. At this time, the system control unit displays the live view image or captured image in the positive direction. The positive direction is the display direction in which the live view image / captured image is displayed when the top and bottom direction of the display unit 28 and the top and bottom direction of the image are aligned in Figure 5(a). When the hinge detects that the display unit 28 has been rotated 151 to 210° around the second rotation axis (as shown in Figure 5(b)), the system control unit 50 sets the display direction to an inverted direction, which is either vertically or horizontally inverted relative to the positive direction. The system control unit then controls the display to show the live view image / captured image on the display unit 28 in the inverted direction. In Figure 5(b), compared to Figure 5(a), the display screen 28a is facing the shooting direction instead of the back, and the vertical direction of the display screen 28a has changed. Therefore, by displaying in the inverted direction, the live view image / captured image is displayed with its vertical orientation intact.

[0016] The non-volatile memory 56 is a memory as an electrically erasable and recordable recording medium, and for example, an EEPROM or the like is used. In the non-volatile memory 56, constants for the operation of the system control unit 50, programs, and the like are stored. Here, the program refers to a computer program for executing various flowcharts described later in the present embodiment.

[0017] The system control unit 50 controls the entire digital camera 100. By executing the program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56 described above, each process of the present embodiment described later is realized. A RAM is used for the system memory 52. In the system memory 52, constants, variables for the operation of the system control unit 50, programs read from the non-volatile memory 56, and the like are expanded. Further, the system control unit 50 also performs display control by controlling the memory 32, the D / A converter 13, the display unit 28, and the like.

[0018] The system timer 53 is a timing unit that measures the time used for various controls and the time of the built-in clock.

[0019] The mode changeover switch 60, the shutter button 61, and the operation unit 70 are operation means for inputting various operation instructions to the system control unit 50.

[0020] The mode switch 60 switches the operating mode of the system control unit 50 to one of the following: still image recording mode, video recording mode, playback mode, etc. Modes included in the still image recording mode include auto shooting mode, auto scene detection mode, manual mode, aperture priority mode (Av mode), and shutter speed priority mode (Tv mode). There are also various scene modes, program AE mode, custom mode, etc., which are shooting settings for different shooting scenes. Furthermore, in the digital camera of this embodiment, a product review mode can also be set. One of these modes can be switched directly using the mode switch 60. Alternatively, the mode switch 60 may be used to switch to a list screen of shooting modes, and then one of the displayed modes can be selected and switched using other operating elements. Similarly, the video recording mode may also include multiple modes. In addition, the shooting mode may be switched by operating the operation unit 70 on the menu screen.

[0021] 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 operations such as AF (autofocus), AE (automatic exposure), AWB (auto white balance), and EF (flash pre-flash).

[0022] 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 image data to the recording medium 200, in response to the second shutter switch signal SW2.

[0023] Each operating element of the control unit 70 is assigned a function as appropriate for each situation by selecting various function icons displayed on the display unit 28, and acts as various function buttons. Examples of function buttons include an exit button, back button, image advance button, jump button, filter button, attribute change button, etc. For example, when the menu button is pressed, various configurable menu screens are displayed on the display unit 28. Users can intuitively make various settings using the menu screen displayed on the display unit 28 and the four directional buttons (up, down, left, right) and the SET button.

[0024] The controller wheel 73 is a rotatable operating element included in the operating unit 70, and is used in conjunction with the directional buttons to indicate selection items. When the controller wheel 73 is rotated, an electrical pulse signal is generated according to the amount of rotation, and the system control unit 50 controls various parts of the digital camera 100 based on this pulse signal. This pulse signal allows the system control unit 50 to determine the angle by which the controller wheel 73 has been rotated and how many rotations it has made. The controller wheel 73 can be any operating element that can detect rotation. For example, it could be a dial operating element in which the controller wheel 73 itself rotates in response to the user's rotation and generates a pulse signal. Alternatively, it could be an operating element consisting of a touch sensor, in which the controller wheel 73 itself does not rotate, but detects the rotational movement of the user's finger on the controller wheel 73 (a so-called touch wheel).

[0025] 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 the power control unit 80 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 of time.

[0026] 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. The recording medium I / F 18 is an interface with 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, optical disks, magnetic disks, etc.

[0027] The communication unit 54 is connected wirelessly or via a wired cable and transmits and receives video signals, audio signals, etc. The communication unit 54 can also connect to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet. The communication unit 54 can transmit images (including pass-through images) captured by the imaging unit 22 and images recorded on the recording medium 200, and can also receive image data and other various information from external devices.

[0028] 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 a gyroscope can be used as the attitude detection unit 55.

[0029] Furthermore, the operation unit 70 includes a touch panel 70a capable of detecting contact with the display unit 28. The touch panel 70a and the display unit 28 can be configured as an integral unit. For example, the touch panel 70a can be configured such that its light transmittance does not interfere with the display of the display unit 28, and it can be mounted on the upper layer of the display surface of the display unit 28. Then, the input coordinates on the touch panel 70a can be associated with the display coordinates on the display unit 28. This makes it possible to configure a GUI (Graphical User Interface) that makes it appear as if the user can directly operate the screen displayed on the display unit 28. The system control unit 50 detects touch operations on display items such as buttons / icons displayed on the touch panel and controls the system control to execute the function corresponding to the display item. 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).

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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, and the system control unit 50 determines what operation was performed on the touch panel 70a based on the notified information. 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. Furthermore, when a touch is made on the touch panel 70a from a touch-down to a touch-up after a certain touch-move, it is considered that a stroke has been drawn. An operation that draws a stroke quickly is called a flick. A flick is an operation in which a finger is touched on the touch panel 70a and then quickly moved a certain distance, and then released; in other words, it is an operation that quickly traces across the touch panel 70a as if flicking it with the finger. 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 has been performed. Furthermore, if a touch-move of a predetermined distance or more at a speed less than the predetermined speed is detected, it is determined that a drag has been performed. Furthermore, touching multiple locations (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.

[0032] The operation of the digital camera in this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 3 to 7.

[0033] In this embodiment, the shooting mode can be set to product review mode by operating the operation unit 70 or the mode switch 60. Product review mode is one of the video shooting modes for taking selfies, and is a shooting mode in which AF is performed so that not only the face but also the subject (product) in front of the face is in focus. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the shooting mode is product review mode, the direction of the monitor display can be switched by user operation. Note that switching to product review mode may not be done by operating the operation unit 70 or the mode switch 60, but rather by automatically switching to product review mode (selfie shooting mode) when the display screen of the display unit 28 is facing the shooting direction. Alternatively, when the display screen of the display unit 28 is facing the shooting direction, an icon for switching to product review mode may be displayed on the display screen, and the shooting mode may be switched to product review mode when this icon is touched. In the digital camera of this embodiment, the process related to fixing the display direction in Figure 4, which will be described below, will be explained assuming that it is performed when the shooting mode is product review mode. However, even if it is determined that the camera is in a handheld shooting state based on the angle of the display unit 28, the orientation of the main unit, and the subject, the process for fixing the display direction may be executed. The determination of the handheld shooting state will be explained with reference to Figure 7.

[0034] Figure 4 is a flowchart of the process for fixing the display direction in the digital camera of this embodiment. This process is realized by the system control unit 50 executing a program stored in the non-volatile memory 56, which is then loaded into memory 32, and controlling various calculation processes and components. This process is executed when the shooting mode is switched to product review mode or when it is determined that the camera is in a handheld shooting state.

[0035] First, in S400, the system control unit 50 displays a display direction lock On button 301 on the display unit 28, as shown in Figure 3(a). The display direction lock On button 301 is a button to switch off the "image inversion display according to rotation state". In other words, it is a button to turn on (execute) the "display direction lock" function, which fixes the display direction and displays the image even when the display unit 28 rotates around the second rotation axis. The display direction lock On button 301 is displayed superimposed on the live view image. The display direction lock On button 301 also indicates that the "display direction lock" function is currently OFF. Therefore, instead of displaying "On" as in Figure 3, the button could be displayed as, for example, "Fixed Display · Off → On". Note that in Figure 3(a), the rotation angle of the second rotation axis of the display unit 28 is 280°, and the display screen 28a is facing the shooting direction, so the display direction is inverted, and the live view image 303 is displayed. When the "Lock Display Direction" function is turned ON, "Image Inversion Based on Rotation" is not performed, and a specific display direction is affirmed regardless of the rotation state.

[0036] In S401, the system control unit 50 receives a user operation and determines the received user operation. If the received user operation is a touch operation to the display direction lock On button 301, proceed to S402. If the received user operation is a touch operation to the display direction lock Off button 302, proceed to S404. If the received user operation is an angle change operation by rotating the second rotation axis center of the display unit 28, proceed to S408. If the received user operation is an operation to end the product review mode, proceed to S412.

[0037] In S402-1, the system control unit 50 turns on the display direction lock flag. Then, in S402-2, the system control unit 50 switches the display direction lock On button 301 to the display direction lock Off button 302 and displays it. Furthermore, in S402-3, the system control unit 50 displays the inverted direction live view image 303 regardless of the rotation angle of the second rotation axis of the display unit 28. By executing the processes in S402-1 to S402-3 in this way, the state shown in Figure 3(b) or Figure 3(d) is reached. Figure 3(b) is the case when the rotation angle is 151 to 210°, and Figure 3(d) is the case when the rotation angle is 0 to 150° or 211 to 360°. In either case of rotation angle, the display direction lock Off button 302 and the inverted direction live view image 303 are displayed. The Display Direction Lock Off button 302 is used to turn off (disable) the "Display Direction Lock" function, and is displayed superimposed on the live view image. The Display Direction Lock Off button 302 also indicates that the "Display Direction Lock" function is currently ON. Therefore, instead of displaying "Off" as shown in Figure 3, the button could be displayed as, for example, "Fixed Display · On → Off". After S402-3, the process returns to S401, where it receives events and repeatedly executes processing according to the events.

[0038] In S403-1, the system control unit 50 turns off the display direction lock flag. Then, in S402-2, the system control unit 50 switches the display direction lock Off button 302 to the display direction lock On button 301 and displays the result. Then, the process proceeds to S404.

[0039] In S404, the system control unit 50 obtains the rotation angle of the second rotation axis of the display unit 28 detected by the hinge unit 90 and determines the angle. As shown in Figure 5(b), if the angle is 151 to 210° (502), the process proceeds to S406. As shown in Figure 5(a), if the angle is 0 to 150° (501) or 211 to 360° (503), the process proceeds to S407.

[0040] In S405, the system control unit 50 displays the display on the display unit 28 in the reverse direction. That is, in this state, the reversed live view image 303 and the display direction fixed On button 301 are displayed, as shown in Figure 3(a). Then, the process returns to S401.

[0041] In S406, the system control unit 50 displays the display unit 28 in the forward direction. That is, at this point, the forward-direction live view image 304 and the display direction lock On button 301 are displayed, as shown in Figure 3(c). Then, the process returns to S401.

[0042] In S407, the system control unit 50 obtains the rotation angle of the second rotation axis of the display unit 28 detected by the hinge unit 90 and determines the angle. As shown in Figure 5(b), if the angle is between 151 and 210° (502), the process proceeds to S409. As shown in Figure 5(a), if the angle is between 0 and 150° (501) or between 211 and 360° (503), the process proceeds to S410.

[0043] In S408, the system control unit 50 displays the display on the display unit 28 in the reverse direction. In this case, the reverse direction live view image 303 and the display direction lock On button 301 are displayed as shown in Figure 3(a), or the reverse direction live view image 303 and the display direction lock Off button 302 are displayed as shown in Figure 3(a). After that, the process returns to S401. In S409, the system control unit 50 determines whether the display direction lock flag is ON. If it is ON, the process proceeds to S411. If it is OFF, the process proceeds to S412.

[0044] In S410, the system control unit 50 displays the display on the display unit 28 in the reverse direction. That is, in this state, as shown in Figure 3(d), the reversed live view image 303 and the display direction lock Off button 302 are displayed. Then, the process returns to S401.

[0045] In S411, the system control unit 50 displays the display unit 28 in the forward direction. As shown in Figure 3(c), the forward-direction live view image 304 and the display direction lock On button 301 are displayed. Then, the process returns to S401.

[0046] In S412, the system control unit 50 hides the currently displayed display direction lock On button 301 and display direction lock Off button 302, and terminates this process. In other words, when the showroom review mode ends and another shooting mode is selected, the display direction lock On button 301 and display direction lock Off button 302 are not displayed. Therefore, in other shooting modes, the user cannot switch the "display direction lock" function ON / OFF by operating the display direction lock On button 301 or display direction lock Off button 302, and "image inversion display according to rotation state" is always performed.

[0047] Thus, in the digital camera of this embodiment, during product review mode, the user can choose whether or not to perform the "display direction lock" function without performing the "image inversion display according to the rotation state". The "display direction lock On" button 301 is displayed when the camera switches to product review mode, making it easy to perform the "display direction lock" function. In the embodiment described above, when the "display direction lock" function is turned ON, the display direction is locked to the inverted direction. However, the display direction may be locked to the direction at the time the "display direction lock" function is turned ON, that is, at the time the "display direction lock On" button 301 is touched (the display direction is maintained regardless of the rotation state). In addition, the "display direction lock On" button 301 and the "display direction lock Off" button 302 may be made to disappear after a predetermined time has elapsed after being touched, or after video recording has started. Alternatively, the button display may be made to disappear (hide) after a predetermined time has elapsed after the "display direction lock On" button 301 is displayed when the camera switches to product review mode. Furthermore, the ON / OFF switching of the "Display Direction Lock" function may be assigned to another control element rather than by touching the Display Direction Lock On button 301 or Display Direction Lock Off button 302, and may only be operable during product review mode. Also, in the above explanation, the "Display Direction Lock" function is made executable during product review mode. However, not limited to product review mode, the Display Direction Lock On button 301 may be displayed and the "Display Direction Lock" function made executable when switching to a shooting mode for selfie photography.

[0048] In the above explanation, live view image 303 was described as the inverted direction and live view image 304 as the forward direction. However, if live view image 303 is defined as the forward direction, then live view image 304 becomes the inverted direction.

[0049] Furthermore, as explained above, when the handheld shooting state determination process determines that the camera is in a handheld shooting state, the display direction lock On button 301 may be displayed, allowing the user to switch the "display direction lock" function ON / OFF according to their operation.

[0050] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of the hand-held shooting state determination process in this embodiment.

[0051] Figure 1(a) shows a side view of the digital camera 100, where the angle of the digital camera 100 is 0° when the direction the photographic lens 103 is pointing is perpendicular to the ground.

[0052] 601 indicates that the angle of the digital camera 100 is in the range of 0 to 30°.

[0053] 602 indicates that the angle of the digital camera 100 is in the range of 31 to 150°.

[0054] 603 indicates that the angle of view for the digital camera 100 is in the range of 151 to 360°.

[0055] Figure 7 is a flowchart of the handheld shooting state determination process in this embodiment. This process is achieved by the system control unit 50 executing a program stored in the non-volatile memory 56, which is then loaded into memory 32.

[0056] In S701, the system control unit 50 initializes the discrimination result to "non-handheld shooting".

[0057] In S702, the system control unit 50 determines the angle of the digital camera 100. If the angle is between 31 and 150° as shown in 602, the process proceeds to S703. If the angle is between 0 and 30° or between 151 and 360° as shown in 601 and 603, the process terminates.

[0058] In S703, the system control unit 50 determines the angle of the display unit 28. If the angle is between 151 and 210° as shown in 502, the process proceeds to S704. If the angle is between 0 and 150° or between 211 and 360° as shown in 501 and 503, the process terminates.

[0059] In S704, the system control unit 50 determines whether the subject is a person. If it is not a person, the process proceeds to S705. If it is a person, the process ends.

[0060] In step S705, the system control unit 50 updates the discrimination result to "handheld shooting" and terminates the process.

[0061] <Other Embodiments> The present invention can also be realized by performing the following process: supplying software (programs) that realize the functions of the embodiments described above 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 storage medium storing the program constitute the present invention.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising a main body having an imaging unit, and a display unit whose position relative to the main body can be changed, A detection means for detecting the position of the display unit relative to the main body, Control means for controlling the display unit to display a live view image captured by the imaging unit, and further control means for controlling the display unit to perform inverted display by inverting the live view image according to the position of the display unit detected by the detection means, The control means, in a specific shooting mode, can switch whether or not to perform the inverted display according to the position of the display unit in response to a specific operation on the display unit. An imaging device characterized by the following features.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means controls the display item for switching whether or not to perform the inverted display according to the position of the display unit in the specific shooting mode to be superimposed on the live view image.

3. It has a switching mechanism for switching shooting modes, The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the control means controls the display item to be superimposed on the live view image in response to being switched to the specific shooting mode.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the control means controls the display item to be hidden when a predetermined time has elapsed since switching to the specific shooting mode.

5. The imaging device according to claim 2, characterized in that the control means controls the display of the display item not to be displayed when a shooting mode other than the specific shooting mode is used.

6. The aforementioned display unit is capable of accepting touch operations. The imaging device according to claim 2, characterized in that the control means switches whether or not to perform the inverted display according to the position of the display unit in response to a touch operation on the display item.

7. The imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforementioned specific shooting mode is a shooting mode for taking selfies.

8. The imaging device according to claim 7, characterized in that the aforementioned specific shooting mode is a product review mode.

9. The control means is In the first state in which the inverted display is performed according to the position of the display unit, the system is controlled to superimpose and display a first display item on the live view image in order to switch to the second state in which the inverted display is not performed. In response to an operation performed on the first display item, the system switches to the second state and controls the system to switch from the display of the first display item to the display of the second display item for switching to the first state. In response to an operation performed on the second display item, the system switches to the first state and controls the system to switch from displaying the second display item to displaying the first display item. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the control means controls the device to switch to the specific shooting mode, to bring it to the first state, and to display the first display item.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the control means controls the display to be performed in a specific display direction regardless of the position of the display unit in the second state.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the control means controls the display direction at the time of switching to the second state, regardless of the position of the display unit, in the second state.

13. A control method for an imaging device having a main body with an imaging unit and a display unit whose position relative to the main body can be changed, A detection step for detecting the position of the display unit relative to the main body, A control step for controlling the display unit to display a live view image captured by the imaging unit, comprising a control step for controlling the display unit to perform inverted display by inverting the live view image according to the position of the display unit detected in the detection step, In the control step described above, in a specific shooting mode, it is possible to switch whether or not to perform the inverted display according to the position of the display unit in response to a specific operation on the display unit. A control method for an imaging device, characterized by the following:

14. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the imaging apparatus described in claim 1.

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