Electronic devices, control methods, programs, storage media

Abstract

This makes it easy to acquire images with the settings desired by the user when multiple imaging devices are performing imaging simultaneously. [Solution] The electronic device includes a plurality of imaging means, including a first imaging means for acquiring a first image and a second imaging means for acquiring a second image; an acquisition means for acquiring the shooting parameters of at least one of the plurality of imaging means; and a control means for controlling whether or not to change the shooting parameters of the second imaging means based on the first shooting parameters when the shooting parameters of the first imaging means are changed to first shooting parameters by the user, depending on whether or not a first relationship, which is either the positional relationship between the first imaging means and the second imaging means or the relationship between the first image and the second image, satisfies a predetermined condition.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Some smartphones may have multiple cameras. And users may sometimes view multiple images with different shooting angles taken simultaneously by each camera at the same time. Also, using multiple images taken simultaneously, works such as a single image work or an album are often created, and balance such as brightness and color tone in multiple images is often required.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, in a photographing device having two cameras, when the photographing parameters of one camera (specifically, the gain for each color) are changed, a technique for changing the photographing parameters of the other camera is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in Patent Document 1, the change in the photographing parameters of one camera and the change in the photographing parameters of the other camera are always linked, and depending on the situation, images different from the user's intention may be obtained. For this reason, it becomes necessary for the user to reset the photographing parameters of the other camera, and the user cannot easily perform the settings for obtaining the desired image, feels bothered, and may miss a shutter chance.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a technology that makes it easy to acquire images with settings desired by the user when multiple imaging means perform imaging simultaneously. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the electronic device according to the present invention is A plurality of imaging means, including a first imaging means for acquiring a first image and a second imaging means for acquiring a second image, An acquisition means for acquiring the shooting parameters of at least one of the plurality of imaging means, When the user changes the shooting parameters of the first imaging means to the first shooting parameters, a control means controls whether or not to change the shooting parameters of the second imaging means based on the first shooting parameters, depending on whether or not a first relationship, which is either the positional relationship between the first imaging means and the second imaging means or the relationship between the first image and the second image, satisfies a predetermined condition. It holds. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, when multiple imaging means perform imaging simultaneously, it becomes possible to easily acquire images with settings desired by the user. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is an external view of the smartphone according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is an internal configuration diagram of a smartphone according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a diagram illustrating the display of an LV image according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a diagram illustrating the display of an LV image according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows the control process for shooting parameters according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0011] <Embodiment> Figures 1A to 1C are external views of a smartphone 100, which is an example of a device (electronic device) according to this embodiment.

[0012] Figure 1A is a front view of smartphone 100, and Figure 1B is a rear view of smartphone 100. Figure 1C is a front view of smartphone 100 with two front cameras.

[0013] The display 105 is a display unit located on the front of the smartphone 100. The display 105 displays images and various information on its surface. The display 105 can display live view images (LV images) captured by the rear camera unit 114 or the front camera unit 115 (front cameras 115a, 115b). The rear camera unit 114 includes a telephoto rear camera 114a, a standard rear camera 114b, and a wide-angle rear camera 114c. A live view image (LV image) is an image acquired in real time by the camera through image capture.

[0014] The control unit 106 includes a touch panel 106a, a power button 106b, a volume up button 106c, a volume down button 106d, and a home button 106e.

[0015] The touch panel 106a is a touch operation component. The touch panel 106a detects touch operations on the display surface (operation surface) of the display 105.

[0016] The power button 106b is used to switch the display 105 on and off (show and hide). Also, if the user continues to press (long-press) the power button 106b for a certain period of time (for example, 3 seconds), the smartphone 100 will switch on and off.

[0017] The volume plus button 106c and the volume minus button 106d are volume buttons for controlling the volume of the voice output by the voice output unit 112. When the user presses the volume plus button 106c, the volume of the voice output by the voice output unit 112 increases. On the other hand, when the user presses the volume minus button 106d, the volume of the voice output by the voice output unit 112 decreases.

[0018] Also, in the shooting standby state in which the camera application for shooting is started, the volume plus button 106c and the volume minus button 106d can also be used as a shutter button for instructing shooting each time they are pressed. When the power button 106b and the volume minus button 106d are pressed simultaneously, or when the volume minus button 106d is quickly pressed several times, the user can arbitrarily set so that the smartphone 100 executes a specific process.

[0019] The home button 106e is an operation button for displaying the home screen, which is the startup screen of the smartphone 100, on the display 105. When an arbitrary application is started (in use) in the smartphone 100 and the home button 106e is pressed, the home screen is displayed after the started application is temporarily closed. Although the home button 106e assumes a physical button (a button that can be physically pressed), it may be a button of a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed on the display 105. The home button 106e is an operation button for displaying the home screen, which is the startup screen of the smartphone 100, on the display 105. When an arbitrary application is started (in use) in the smartphone 100 and the home button 106e is pressed, the home screen is displayed after the started application is temporarily closed. Although the home button 106e assumes a physical button (a button that can be physically pressed), it may be a button of a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed on the display 105.

[0020] The voice output terminal 112a is a terminal for outputting voice to earphones, an external speaker, or the like. The voice output terminal 112a is, for example, an earphone jack. The speaker 112b is a built-in speaker for outputting voice. When voice is output from the voice output unit 112, if a predetermined terminal (for example, an earphone cord) is not attached to the voice output terminal 112a, voice is output from the speaker 112b.

[0021] Figure 2 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the smartphone 100 shown in Figures 1B and 1C. The smartphone 100 has a CPU 101, memory 102, non-volatile memory 103, processing unit 104, display 105, operation unit 106, storage medium interface 107, external interface 109, and communication interface 110. The smartphone 100 also has an audio output unit 112, attitude detection unit 113, rear camera unit 114, front camera unit 115, and processing unit 116. These components are connected to an internal bus 150 and can exchange data with each other via the internal bus 150.

[0022] The CPU 101 is a control unit that controls the entire smartphone 100. The CPU 101 has at least one processor or circuit. The CPU 101 controls each component of the smartphone 100, for example, by using memory 102 as work memory according to a program stored in non-volatile memory 103.

[0023] Memory 102 may include, for example, RAM (volatile memory using semiconductor elements). Non-volatile memory 103 stores image data, audio data, other data, and various programs for the operation of the CPU 101. Non-volatile memory 103 may include, for example, flash memory or ROM.

[0024] The processing unit 104 performs various image processing and subject recognition processing on the image acquired by the rear camera unit 114. These various image processing processes include, for example, A / D conversion, D / A conversion, image data encoding, compression, decoding, scaling (resizing), noise reduction, and color conversion.

[0025] The processing unit 104 includes a telephoto image processing unit 104a, a standard image processing unit 104b, and a wide-angle image processing unit 104c. The telephoto image processing unit 104a performs various image processing and subject recognition processing on images acquired by the telephoto rear camera 114a. The standard image processing unit 104b performs various image processing and subject recognition processing on images acquired by the standard rear camera 114b. The wide-angle image processing unit 104c performs various image processing and subject recognition processing on images acquired by the wide-angle rear camera 114c.

[0026] The processing unit 116 performs various image processing and subject recognition processing on the image acquired by the in-camera unit 115. The standard image processing unit 116a performs various image processing and subject recognition processing on the image acquired by the standard in-camera 115a. The wide-angle image processing unit 116b performs various image processing and subject recognition processing on the image acquired by the wide-angle in-camera 115b. In this embodiment, the telephoto rear camera 114a, standard rear camera 114b, and wide-angle rear camera 114c are Each is assumed to be an independent lens unit. That is, the rear camera unit 114 has three It consists of the lens unit. Similarly, the standard front camera 115a and the wide-angle front camera 115b are Each is an independent lens unit, and the front camera unit 115 consists of two lens units. In other words, the smartphone 100 shown in Figure 2 has five lens units.

[0027] In the following, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the telephoto rear camera 114a, the standard rear camera 114b, the wide-angle rear camera 114c, the standard front camera 115a, and the wide-angle front camera 115b, they will be collectively referred to simply as "cameras." Similarly, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the telephoto image processing unit 104a, the standard image processing unit 104b, the wide-angle image processing unit 104c, the standard image processing unit 116a, and the wide-angle image processing unit 116b, they will be collectively referred to simply as "image processing unit."

[0028] In this embodiment, one image processing unit is associated with one camera (imaging unit), but one image processing unit may be associated with two cameras, or with three cameras. In other words, one image processing unit may perform various image processing and subject recognition processing on images acquired by multiple cameras.

[0029] Each camera then captures an image of the subject according to the shooting parameters set for it. These shooting parameters include, for example, parameters related to brightness (shutter speed, aperture value, flash status, ISO sensitivity, or luminance) or parameters related to color (white balance (WB), color temperature). The CPU 101 can obtain the shooting parameters set for each camera from that camera.

[0030] Furthermore, each image processing unit can perform various image processing operations on various images (such as images stored in the non-volatile memory 103 or storage medium 108, images acquired via the external interface 109, or images acquired via the communication interface 110). Each image processing unit may consist of a dedicated circuit block for performing a specific image processing operation. Depending on the type of image processing, the CPU 101 may also perform image processing according to a program without using each image processing unit.

[0031] The display 105 displays images and GUI (Graphical User Interface) screens. The CPU 101 causes each component to generate images (image signals) based on display control signals according to the program. The display 105 displays the images generated by each component. The smartphone 100 itself may only have an interface for outputting images, and an external monitor (such as a television) may display the images instead of the display 105. In other words, the smartphone 100 does not have to include the display 105.

[0032] The operation unit 106 is an input device for receiving user input. The operation unit 106 includes a character information input device (such as a keyboard), a pointing device (such as a mouse or touch panel), buttons, dials, joysticks, touch sensors, or touchpads. The touch panel is an input device that is superimposed on the display 105 to form a planar surface and outputs coordinate information corresponding to the position of contact. In this embodiment, the operation unit 106 includes, as described above, a touch panel 106a, a power button 106b, a volume up button 106c, a volume down button 106d, and a home button 106e.

[0033] The storage medium interface 107 can accommodate storage media 108 such as memory cards, CDs, and DVDs. The storage medium interface 107 reads data from and writes data to the storage media 108. The storage media 108 may also be the built-in storage of the smartphone 100.

[0034] The external interface 109 is an interface for connecting to external devices via wired or wireless connections and for inputting and outputting images and audio. The communication interface 110 is an interface for communicating with external devices and networks 111, etc., and for sending and receiving various data such as files and commands.

[0035] The audio output unit 112 outputs audio from videos and music, operation sounds, ringtones, or various notification sounds. The audio output unit 112 includes an audio output terminal 112a for connecting earphones, etc., and a speaker 112b. The audio output unit 112 may also output audio wirelessly.

[0036] The attitude detection unit 113 detects the attitude of the smartphone 100 relative to the direction of gravity (the tilt of the attitude with respect to the yaw, roll, and pitch axes). Based on the attitude detected by the attitude detection unit 113, the CPU 101 can determine the state of the smartphone 100 (whether the smartphone 100 is held horizontally, vertically, facing upwards, facing downwards, or in an oblique position). The attitude detection unit 113 can use at least one of the following: an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a geomagnetic sensor, a compass sensor, an altitude sensor, etc., and it is also possible to use a combination of multiple sensors.

[0037] The rear camera unit 114 has three rear cameras (imaging units) located on the side opposite to the display 105 in the housing of the smartphone 100. As described above, the rear camera unit 114 has three rear cameras: a telephoto rear camera 114a, a standard rear camera 114b, and a wide-angle rear camera 114c.

[0038] The telephoto rear camera 114a has a longer focal length than the standard rear camera 114b. Therefore, the telephoto rear camera 114a can capture images at a more telephoto range in greater detail than the standard rear camera 114b. The wide-angle rear camera 114c has a shorter focal length than the standard rear camera 114b. Therefore, the wide-angle rear camera 114c can capture images at a wider angle than the standard rear camera 114b. In other words, the focal lengths decrease in the order of telephoto rear camera 114a, standard rear camera 114b, and wide-angle rear camera 114c, and the field of view widens accordingly. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the telephoto rear camera 114a has a lens with a mechanism that optically magnifies to a predetermined magnification, but it may also have a mechanism that allows the user to vary the magnification. Furthermore, the telephoto rear camera 114a, standard rear camera 114b, and wide-angle rear camera 114c can capture images simultaneously.

[0039] In this embodiment, it is assumed that one image sensor is provided for each rear camera. That is, the number of image sensors for the rear camera unit 114 of the smartphone 100 is equal to the number of rear cameras (three in this embodiment). Similarly, the number of image sensors for the front camera unit 115 is equal to the number of front cameras (two in this embodiment). However, it is not necessary to provide one image sensor for each camera (lens unit). That is, the three rear cameras 114a to 114c may share and use one image sensor (i.e., the number of image sensors for the rear camera unit 114 of the smartphone 100 is one). Although it has been stated above that the three rear cameras can capture images simultaneously (in parallel or in time division), it is not necessarily required that all three rear cameras capture images at the same time. Any two of the three rear cameras may capture images, or one camera may capture images independently.

[0040] The front camera unit 115 has two front cameras (imaging units) that are positioned on the same side as the display 105 in the housing of the smartphone 100. The front camera unit 115 is a standard It has a front camera 115a and a wide-angle front camera 115b.

[0041] Here, it is also possible to simultaneously drive one of the rear cameras 114a to 114c and one of the front cameras 115a or 115b to perform imaging.

[0042] Although it was mentioned above that the rear camera and front camera capture images simultaneously, it is not necessarily required that both cameras capture images at the same time; one of the rear or front cameras can capture images independently. Also, similar to the rear camera unit 114, it is possible to drive the two front cameras 115a and 115b simultaneously to capture images, or one front camera can capture images independently.

[0043] The smartphone 100 can display LV images acquired by each camera on the display 105. In other words, when multiple cameras are operating simultaneously, the LV images acquired by these multiple cameras are displayed side by side on the display 105 as shown in Figures 3A to 3C and Figures 4A to 4C.

[0044] In Figure 3A, the display 105 shows the LV image 301a acquired by the wide-angle rear camera 114c, the LV image 301b acquired by the standard rear camera 114b, and the image 301c acquired by the telephoto rear camera 114a. In other words, imaging is performed using all three rear cameras. In Figure 3A, from the composition of the LV images, it can be assumed that the three rear cameras are capturing the same subject (a person present in the LV image).

[0045] In Figure 3B, the display 105 shows the LV image 302a acquired by the standard rear camera 114b and the LV image 302a acquired by the telephoto rear camera 114a. The LV image 302a shows the first person captured by the standard rear camera 114b, and the LV image 30 2b displays a flower captured by the telephoto rear camera 114a. The LV image 302a shown in Figure 3B is an electronically zoomed LV image captured by the standard rear camera 114b. Yes. Therefore, the field of view is narrower than that of the LV image 301b acquired with the standard rear camera 114b, as shown in Figure 3A (the size of the first person is larger). In Figure 3B, Although two rear cameras are being used, it is assumed that the user is trying to photograph different subjects with both cameras, rather than the same subject.

[0046] Figure 3C shows LV image 303a captured by the telephoto rear camera 114a of a second person, and LV image 303b captured by the wide-angle rear camera 114c of multiple people including the second person. In Figure 3C, it is assumed that the user wants to include at least the same subject (the second person) in the LV images captured using the two rear cameras. For example, in a situation such as filming a theatrical performance on stage, the user may want to film the entire stage, but also want to zoom in and film a person they are personally supporting. In such a case, the user would use the telephoto rear camera 114a and the wide-angle rear camera 114c to capture the image. By doing so, you can achieve the shooting conditions described above.

[0047] In Figure 4A, the display 105 shows LV image 404a, captured by the wide-angle front camera 115b, of a third person, and LV image 404b, captured by the wide-angle rear camera 114c, of a house. Since the user is using both the front and rear cameras, it can be seen that the user is taking a picture of themselves with the front camera, while trying to take a picture of the scenery or other objects with the rear camera. In other words, it can be seen that the user is trying to take pictures with angles of view that are diametrically opposed in terms of the direction of shooting (the orientation in which the image is captured by the camera).

[0048] In Figure 4B, the display 105 shows LV image 405a captured by the wide-angle front camera 115b of a third person, and LV image 405b captured by the standard front camera 115a of the same third person. In Figure 4B, a situation similar to the shooting situation described in Figure 3C is assumed, where the user wants to use the two front cameras to photograph the same subject (in this case, the user themselves) at different angles of view. Note that only one subject is visible in Figure 4B. However, the following situations are possible. For example, when trying to take a group photo with multiple people using the front camera, the wide-angle camera 115b is used to frame the shot so that all people are included in the frame, and the standard front camera 115a is used to capture only oneself or a specific person. It is possible to zoom in and take pictures. This allows users to capture images with a wide field of view that include multiple subjects, while still being able to examine only the desired person in detail.

[0049] In Figure 4C, the display 105 shows LV image 406a captured by the standard front camera 115a of a third person, LV image 406b captured by the wide-angle front camera 115b of a third person, and LV image 406c captured by the wide-angle rear camera 114c of a house. In Figure 4C, the user can take a picture of themselves with the front camera while taking a picture of the scenery with the rear camera. For example, this is useful when a user wants to focus on capturing their own reactions while traveling, and also capture what kind of scenery they see and how they react.

[0050] In this embodiment, rectangular LV images are arranged side by side, but each LV image may be displayed in any shape, such as a circle. Also, although the example shows three or two LV images being displayed, more LV images may be displayed. Furthermore, the size of all LV images may be the same or different. For example, the shorter the focal length of the camera that acquired the LV image, the larger the size of the LV image may be.

[0051] The CPU 101 can detect the following operations or states on the touch panel 106a: • When a finger or pen that was not previously touching the touch panel 106a newly touches the touch panel 106a, i.e., the start of a touch (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Down). • The touch panel 106a is in a state where a finger or pen is touching it (hereinafter referred to as "Touch-On"). • The finger or pen is moving while touching the touch panel 106a (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Move). - The finger or pen that was touching the touch panel 106a has been lifted off the touch panel 106a, i.e., the touch has ended (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Up). - When nothing is being touched on the touch panel 106a (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Off)

[0052] When a touchdown is detected, a touch-on is also detected simultaneously. After a touchdown, touch-on is usually detected continuously unless a touch-up is detected. If a touch-move is detected, a touch-on is also detected simultaneously. Even if a touch-on is detected, a touch-move will not be detected if the touch position has not moved. When all fingers or pens that were touching the screen are detected to have touched up, a touch-off is detected.

[0053] These operations and states, as well as the position coordinates of the finger or pen touching the touch panel 106a, are notified to the CPU 101 via the internal bus. Based on the notified information, the CPU 101 determines what kind of operation (touch operation) was performed on the touch panel 106a.

[0054] Regarding touch movement, the direction of movement of a finger or pen moving on the touch panel 106a is also determined based on the change in position coordinates, for each vertical and horizontal component on the touch panel 106a. It can be determined. If a touch move of a distance greater than a predetermined distance is detected, it will be determined that a slide operation has been performed.

[0055] A flick is an operation in which a finger is touched on the touch panel 106a, moved quickly a certain distance, and then released. In other words, a flick is an operation in which the finger is quickly swiped across the touch panel 106a. 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 occurred (it can be determined that a flick followed a slide operation).

[0056] 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 106a 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. There are methods that detect a touch when there is contact with the touch panel, and methods that detect a touch when a finger or pen approaches the touch panel, and either method is acceptable.

[0057] (Control processing of shooting parameters) The following section uses the flowchart in Figure 5 to explain how the shooting parameters of other cameras are controlled (the process of controlling the shooting parameters) when the shooting parameters of one camera are changed while multiple cameras are simultaneously capturing images. Shooting parameters are parameters set on the camera when capturing an image. Specifically, shooting parameters can include parameters related to brightness (exposure value, shutter speed, F-number (aperture value), flash firing state, ISO sensitivity, or brightness). Alternatively, shooting parameters can include parameters related to color (white balance (WB), color temperature, or values ​​for processing so-called filters that perform color-related image processing on the captured image). Furthermore, shooting parameters are not limited to these; any values ​​(parameters) related to shooting that can be changed by the user are acceptable.

[0058] The processing shown in this flowchart is achieved by the CPU 101 loading the program stored in the non-volatile memory 103 into memory 102 and executing it. The flowchart in Figure 5 starts when the camera application for taking a picture is launched on the smartphone 100 and the device enters a shooting standby state.

[0059] In S501, the CPU 101 drives multiple cameras and starts imaging. Furthermore, the CPU 101 starts various image processing by the image processing unit corresponding to the multiple driven cameras (hereinafter referred to as "multiple driven cameras"). The multiple driven cameras may be two or more cameras selected by the user from the five cameras of the out-camera unit 114 and the in-camera unit 115. For example, the multiple driven cameras may be three: the telephoto out-camera 114a, the standard out-camera 114b, and the wide-angle out-camera 114c. Or, the multiple driven cameras may be two: the standard out-camera 114b and the standard in-camera 115a.

[0060] In S502, the CPU 101 simultaneously displays multiple LV images acquired by multiple drive cameras in S501 on the display 105. Even if all five cameras are operating, the system may automatically determine the scene from the view captured by the user and display LV images captured by at least two cameras on the display 105. Even if all five cameras are operating, until instructed by the user, LV images from the standard rear camera 114b and standard front camera 115a are displayed, and the system will then... The system adjusts the number of LV images displayed on display 105 and switches between cameras according to the instructions.

[0061] For example, as shown in Figures 3A to 3C and 4A to 4C, the CPU 101 displays multiple LV images side by side on the display 105. Even when the CPU 101 is driving three cameras, it may display only the LV images acquired by any two of the three cameras on the display 105.

[0062] In S503, the CPU 101 determines whether the shooting parameters of one of the multiple drive cameras (hereinafter referred to as the "first camera") have been changed by user operation. If the shooting parameters of the first camera have been changed, the process proceeds to S505; otherwise, it proceeds to S504.

[0063] For example, with multiple LV images displayed on the display 105 as shown in Figures 3A to 3C, the user selects an LV image from one of the cameras (for example, the wide-angle rear camera 114c) (for example, the LV image 301a in Figure 3A) by touching down. If the user then changes parameters related to the LV image (for example, exposure value, brightness, ISO sensitivity, etc., such as color tone and brightness) by touch-move or flick, the CPU 101 determines that the shooting parameters of the camera corresponding to that image have been changed. In this case, the CPU 101 changes the shooting parameters corresponding to the LV image so as to acquire the LV image whose parameters have been changed by touch-move or flick. In this embodiment, the shooting parameters were changed by touch operation on the touch panel, but they could also be changed using physically pressable operation buttons located on the smartphone 100.

[0064] In S504, the CPU 101 continues imaging using multiple drive cameras from S501 and displays the acquired LV images on the display 105. Note that in S504, the CPU 101 does not change the shooting parameters of the multiple drive cameras.

[0065] In S505, the CPU 101 saves the information of the modified shooting parameters of the first camera (for example, the wide-angle rear camera 114c) that was changed in S503 to the memory 102.

[0066] In S506, the CPU 101 determines whether the relationships between the multiple drive cameras satisfy predetermined conditions. Here, the relationships between the multiple drive cameras refer to either the positional relationships between the multiple drive cameras or the relationships between the multiple images acquired by the multiple drive cameras. If the relationships between the multiple drive cameras satisfy predetermined conditions, the process proceeds to S508. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S507. Here, the predetermined conditions are satisfied when the user desires that the shooting parameters of the multiple drive cameras be synchronized with each other.

[0067] For example, the predetermined condition is that multiple drive cameras are arranged on one side (the same side) of the smartphone 100. That is, if the multiple drive cameras are front cameras and rear cameras, the predetermined condition is met. On the other hand, if the multiple drive cameras are a mix of front and rear cameras, the predetermined condition is not met. Therefore, if only the two rear cameras are driven in the S501, the predetermined condition is met.

[0068] The specified condition may also be that all of the multiple drive cameras are imaging a specific subject (or the same subject) (the specific subject is visible in all LV images acquired by multiple cameras). Under this condition, as shown in Figure 3A, the specified condition is met when the specific subject is visible in all of the LV images 301a to 301c. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 3B, the specified condition is not met when the subjects visible in LV image 302a and LV image 302b are different. The specific subject is, for example, the object being imaged. The main subject is a person, an animal, or a designated building. The designated condition may also be that the same subject is in focus on multiple cameras.

[0069] The predetermined condition may be that the difference in luminance (mean, median, maximum, minimum, or mode of luminance) between multiple LV images acquired by multiple drive cameras is within a predetermined value. For example, the predetermined condition may be that the difference between the average luminance of the LV image with the highest average luminance and the average luminance of the LV image with the lowest average luminance is within a predetermined value. Alternatively, the predetermined condition may be that a specific subject (or the same subject) is captured in all of the multiple LV images acquired by multiple drive cameras, and the difference in luminance between the multiple LV images is within a predetermined value. Under this condition, even if a specific subject (the same person) is captured in both LV image 303a and LV image 303b, as shown in Figure 3C, the predetermined condition will not be met if the luminance between the LV images differs significantly.

[0070] In S507, the CPU 101 does not change the shooting parameters of any of the multiple drive cameras other than the first camera (hereinafter simply referred to as "other drive cameras"). Here, the CPU 101 is prevented from "changing the shooting parameters of other drive cameras based on the shooting parameters of the first camera." For this reason, if, for example, the user performs an operation to change the shooting parameters of another drive camera, the CPU 101 may change the parameters of the other drive camera in response to that operation.

[0071] In S508, the CPU 101 first retrieves the shooting parameters of the first camera stored in memory 102 in S505. Then, based on the shooting parameters of the first camera, the CPU 101 determines the new shooting parameters to be set for the other drive cameras (hereinafter referred to as "update parameters"). For example, the CPU 101 may simply determine the value of the shooting parameters of the first camera as the value of the update parameters. Alternatively, the CPU 101 may determine the value of the update parameters by increasing or decreasing the current shooting parameters of the other drive cameras by the amount of change made to the shooting parameters of the first camera in S503.

[0072] In S509, the CPU 101 changes (adjusts) the shooting parameters of the other drive cameras. Specifically, the CPU 101 changes the shooting parameters of the other drive cameras to the updated parameters determined in S508. At this time, the CPU 101 displays the LV image acquired by the other drive camera whose shooting parameters have been changed on the display 105.

[0073] In steps S506 to S509, processing is performed collectively for all other drive cameras, but the processing in steps S506 to S509 may also be performed individually for each of the other drive cameras. In other words, in S506, it may be determined whether each of the other drive cameras (LV images acquired by the other drive cameras) meets predetermined conditions, and whether or not to change the shooting parameters of that camera may be switched depending on the determination result in S506. This would allow for flexible adjustment of whether or not to change the shooting parameters for each camera, making it possible to acquire images that better match the user's intentions.

[0074] For example, in the example in Figure 4C, we assume that the first camera is the standard front camera 115a that captures the LV image 406a, and that a predetermined condition is that the first camera and the other drive cameras are located on one side of the smartphone 100. In this case, the wide-angle front camera 115b that captures the LV image 406b is located on the same side of the smartphone 100 as the standard front camera 115a, so the predetermined condition is met in S506. For this reason, the CPU 101 changes the shooting parameters of the wide-angle front camera 115b in S508 and S509. Meanwhile, the camera that captures the LV image 406c Since the wide-angle rear camera 114c is not positioned on the same plane as the standard front camera 115a in the smartphone 100, the predetermined conditions are not met in the S506. For this reason, the CPU 101 does not change the shooting parameters of the wide-angle rear camera 114c.

[0075] In S510, the CPU 101 determines whether or not a shooting instruction has been given. If a shooting instruction has been given, the process proceeds to S511; otherwise, it proceeds to S512. A shooting instruction is given, for example, by the user selecting (touching) a predetermined icon (an icon for taking a picture) displayed on the display 105. Alternatively, a shooting instruction may be given in response to the pressing of a dedicated physical button. A shooting instruction may be given in response to the pressing of the volume up button 106c or the volume down button 106d, the simultaneous pressing of the power button 106b and the volume down button 106d, or several quick presses of the volume down button 106d.

[0076] In the S511, the CPU 101 performs shooting preparation processing such as AF (autofocus) processing based on the display position of the AF frame, AE (automatic exposure) processing, and AWB (automatic white balance) processing. After that, the CPU 101 performs the shooting process (a series of processes from capturing images by multiple drive cameras to recording them as image files on the recording medium 200).

[0077] In S512, CPU101 determines whether the camera application will terminate. If the camera application terminates, the flowchart in Figure 5 is terminated. If the camera application does not terminate, the process returns to S503. Termination of the camera application can include, for example, closing the camera application or transitioning to another application (starting another application).

[0078] As described above, according to this embodiment, when multiple cameras are capturing images simultaneously, the CPU 101 switches whether or not to change the shooting parameters of other cameras when the shooting parameters of one camera are changed, depending on whether predetermined conditions are met. Specifically, if predetermined conditions are met (for example, when the user wants the shooting parameters of multiple cameras to be linked), the CPU 101 changes the shooting parameters of other cameras in conjunction with the change in the shooting parameters of one camera. By controlling in this way, even when shooting with multiple cameras, the user can acquire multiple LV images with the user's desired shooting parameters by changing the shooting parameters only once. Since the user does not need to change the shooting parameters for each LV image acquired by multiple cameras, they can take pictures without missing a photo opportunity. On the other hand, if predetermined conditions are not met, the CPU 101 does not change the shooting parameters of other cameras in conjunction with the change in the shooting parameters of one camera. Because predetermined conditions are not met, even if the user changes the shooting parameters of an LV image captured by one camera, it is highly likely that they do not want the changed parameters to be reflected. This type of control prevents accidental changes (linking) to shooting parameters against the user's intentions, reducing user frustration. As a result, even when multiple cameras are capturing images simultaneously, users can easily obtain the desired images and capture photos without missing any photo opportunities.

[0079] In the above explanation, shooting parameters were described as parameters set on the camera when it takes an image, but this is not limited to this. For example, if the shooting parameters are white balance, color temperature, or brightness, then the shooting parameters may also be parameters applied to the image acquired by the camera (i.e., parameters for editing the image acquired by the camera). In other words, if the shooting parameters of the image acquired by the first camera are changed, the CPU 101 may change the shooting parameters of the image acquired by the second camera. Even in this case, as a result, the smartphone 100 will be able to display the image desired by the user. It can be easily obtained.

[0080] Furthermore, the various controls described above, which are performed by the CPU 101, may be performed by a single piece of hardware, or multiple pieces of hardware (for example, multiple processors or circuits) may share the processing to control the entire device.

[0081] 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.

[0082] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiments used the application of the present invention to a smartphone as an example, the invention is not limited to this example and can be applied to any electronic device capable of simultaneously capturing images using multiple imaging means. In other words, the present invention can be applied to personal computers, PDAs, mobile phone terminals, portable image viewers, printer devices equipped with displays, digital photo frames, music players, game consoles, e-book readers, and the like.

[0083] Furthermore, each functional unit in each of the above embodiments (each modified example) may or may not be individual hardware. The functions of two or more functional units may be implemented by common hardware. Each of the multiple functions of a single functional unit may be implemented by individual hardware. Two or more functions of a single functional unit may be implemented by common hardware. In addition, each functional unit may or may not be implemented by hardware such as an ASIC, FPGA, or DSP. For example, the device may have a processor and a memory (storage medium) in which a control program is stored. The functions of at least some of the functional units of the device may be implemented by the processor reading and executing the control program from the memory.

[0084] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0085] 100: Smartphone, 101: CPU, 114: Rear camera unit, 115: Front camera unit, 114a: Telephoto rear camera, 114b: Standard rear camera, 114c: Wide-angle rear camera, 115a: Standard front camera, 115b: Wide-angle front camera

Claims

1. A plurality of imaging means, including a first imaging means for acquiring a first image and a second imaging means for acquiring a second image, An acquisition means for acquiring the shooting parameters of at least one of the plurality of imaging means, When the user changes the shooting parameters of the first imaging means to the first shooting parameters, a control means controls whether or not to change the shooting parameters of the second imaging means based on the first shooting parameters, depending on whether or not a first relationship, which is either the positional relationship between the first imaging means and the second imaging means or the relationship between the first image and the second image, satisfies a predetermined condition. An electronic device characterized by having the following features.

2. The control means controls the second imaging means to change the imaging parameters based on the first imaging parameters when the user changes the imaging parameters of the first imaging means to the first imaging parameters and the first relationship satisfies the predetermined conditions. The electronic device according to feature 1.

3. The aforementioned shooting parameters are parameters set on the imaging means, or parameters applied to the image acquired by the imaging means. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The plurality of imaging means include a third imaging means for acquiring a third image, The control means controls the third imaging means so as not to change the imaging parameters based on the first imaging parameters if the user changes the imaging parameters of the first imaging means to the first imaging parameters and the first relationship satisfies the predetermined conditions, unless either the positional relationship between the first imaging means and the third imaging means or the relationship between the first image and the third image satisfies the predetermined conditions. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The first relationship described above is the positional relationship between the first imaging means and the second imaging means. The positional relationship between the two imaging means satisfies the predetermined conditions when the two imaging means are provided on one surface of the electronic device. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The first relationship described above is the relationship between the first image and the second image. The relationship between two images satisfies the aforementioned predetermined conditions when a specific subject is depicted in both of the two images. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. The first relationship described above is the relationship between the first image and the second image. The relationship between two images satisfies the predetermined conditions if the difference in brightness between the two images is within a predetermined value. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

8. The first relationship described above is the relationship between the first image and the second image. The relationship between two images satisfies the predetermined conditions if a specific subject is depicted in both images, and the difference in brightness between the two images is within a predetermined value. 、 The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

9. The aforementioned shooting parameters include parameters related to brightness. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The aforementioned shooting parameters include at least one of the following: shutter speed, aperture value, flash firing state, ISO sensitivity, and brightness. The electronic device according to feature 9.

11. The aforementioned shooting parameters include parameters related to color, The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The aforementioned shooting parameters include at least one of white balance and color temperature. The electronic device according to feature 11.

13. A control method for electronic equipment having a plurality of imaging means, including a first imaging means for acquiring a first image and a second imaging means for acquiring a second image. An acquisition step of acquiring the shooting parameters of at least one of the plurality of imaging means, When the user changes the shooting parameters of the first imaging means to the first shooting parameters, a control step is provided to control whether or not to change the shooting parameters of the second imaging means based on the first shooting parameters, depending on whether or not a first relationship, which is either the positional relationship between the first imaging means and the second imaging means or the relationship between the first image and the second image, satisfies a predetermined condition. A control method characterized by having the following features.

14. A program for causing a computer to function as one of the electronic devices described in any one of claims 1 to 12.

15. 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 12.

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