Imaging device, its control method, and program

Abstract

The aim is to provide appropriate displays for viewfinders, such as EVFs, in imaging devices, in accordance with the user's intentions and the usage conditions of the imaging device. [Solution] An imaging device having a first display unit located in a viewfinder and a second display unit different from the first display unit, comprising proximity detection means capable of detecting the approach of an object to the viewfinder, control means for controlling the display on the first display unit and the display on the second display unit, and setting means for setting a display destination mode, wherein the control means controls the imaging device to display on the first display unit and not on the second display unit when the first display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, and in playback mode or menu screen display mode, controls the device to switch between the display on the first display unit and the display on the second display unit according to the detection result by the proximity detection means.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, a control method thereof, and a program. BACKGROUND ART

[0002] In recent years, in imaging apparatuses such as digital cameras, a live view image (hereinafter referred to as "LV image") is displayed on a display unit such as a rear monitor or an electronic viewfinder (EVF) in a viewfinder. This allows a user to shoot while confirming a subject.

[0003] However, there has been a problem that displaying an LV image on the rear monitor or the EVF during shooting increases power consumption. Accordingly, Patent Document 1 discloses an imaging apparatus that drives the EVF when a user is looking through the EVF, and stops driving the EVF when the user is not looking through the EVF.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses an imaging apparatus that stops displaying an LV image on a small display panel when it is determined that a non-eye-contact state is established and a predetermined time has elapsed. PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS PATENT DOCUMENTS

[0005] PATENT DOCUMENT 1 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-4509 PATENT DOCUMENT 2 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-209712 SUMMARY OF INVENTION PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0006] An object of the present invention is to perform appropriate display in accordance with a user's intention and the usage status of the imaging apparatus, for a display unit arranged in a viewfinder such as an EVF in the imaging apparatus. MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the imaging apparatus of the present invention is An imaging device having a first display unit located within a viewfinder and a second display unit different from the first display unit, comprising proximity detection means capable of detecting the approach of an object to the viewfinder, control means for controlling the display on the first display unit and the display on the second display unit, and setting means for setting a display destination mode, wherein the control means controls the imaging device to display on the first display unit and not on the second display unit when the first display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, and controls the device to switch between the display on the first display unit and the display on the second display unit in playback mode or menu screen display mode according to the detection result by the proximity detection means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, a display unit located within a viewfinder, such as an EVF in an imaging device, can display information appropriately according to the user's intentions and the usage conditions of the imaging device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is an external view of the Digital Camera 100. [Figure 2] This diagram illustrates the arrangement of the in-camera unit 170 of the digital camera 100. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of digital camera 100. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart of the EVF display / hide switching process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart of the menu / playback display control process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart of the menu / playback display control process according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7]This is an external view of the digital camera 100 according to the third embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart of display / hide switching processing for an EVF according to the third embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart of display / hide switching processing for an EVF according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 10] This is an example of a menu screen for setting a display destination mode according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart of display processing of the digital camera 100 according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart of display processing in a viewfinder-priority shooting mode according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 13] This is a flowchart of display processing in a viewfinder-priority playback mode and menu screen display according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 14] This is a flowchart of fixed-monitor display processing according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 15] This is a flowchart of fixed-viewfinder display processing according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 16] This is a flowchart of automatic switching (auto) display processing according to the fifth embodiment. [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0010] <First Embodiment> (External View of Digital Camera 100) Figure 1 is an external view of the digital camera 100, which is an example of the imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment. Figure 1(a) is a diagram showing the external shape of the digital camera 100 as viewed from the front, and Figure 1(b) is a diagram showing the external shape of the digital camera 100 as viewed from the back.

[0011] The display unit 28 is a display unit provided on the back surface of the digital camera 100, and displays images and various types of information. The touch panel 70a can detect a touch operation on the display surface (touch operation surface) of the display unit 28. In the present embodiment, the display unit 28 is configured as a Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display, and is hereinafter also referred to as the display unit 28 or TFT 28. The display unit 28 may use organic EL (Electro Luminescence) instead of a TFT, as will be described later.

[0012] The outside-viewfinder display unit 43 is a display unit provided on the top surface of the digital camera 100, and displays various setting values of the digital camera 100 including shutter speed and aperture.

[0013] The shutter button 61 is an operation member for issuing a shooting preparation instruction and a shooting instruction. By half-pressing the shutter button 61, the luminance of the subject is measured and focusing is performed. Further, by fully pressing the shutter button 61, the shutter is released and an image is captured.

[0014] The main electronic dial 71 is a rotary operation member, and a photographer can rotate this main electronic dial 71 to set setting values such as shutter speed and aperture, or perform fine adjustment of the magnification in the enlargement mode. The power switch 72 is an operation member for switching ON and OFF of power supply from the power supply circuit. When the power switch 72 is ON, power is supplied to the digital camera 100.

[0015] The sub-electronic dial 73 is a rotary operation member, and a photographer can rotate this sub-electronic dial 73 to set setting values such as aperture and exposure correction, or perform a one-frame advance operation of images in an image display state.

[0016] The multi-controller 74 is a multi-directional control element that can be used to move the cursor for menu items, set the autofocus starting point (autofocus point), and move the magnification frame (magnified area) when the image is magnified. The SET button 75 is a push button and is mainly used to confirm selected items.

[0017] The protect button 76 is an operating component used to apply processing such as protection and rating to images stored on recording media inside or outside the digital camera 100.

[0018] The delete button 77 is an operating component for instructing the deletion of images stored on recording media inside or outside the digital camera 100. The zoom button 78 is an operating component for receiving commands to transition to zoom mode (start zoom mode) and to exit zoom mode (end zoom mode) during playback.

[0019] The playback button 79 is an operating element for displaying images stored on a recording medium inside or outside the digital camera 100 on the display unit 28. The video button 80 is used to instruct the start and stop of video recording. The AE lock button 81 is a push button, and by pressing the AE lock button 81 in the shooting standby state, the exposure state can be fixed. The menu button 82 is an operating element for displaying various setting screens on the display unit 28.

[0020] The eyepiece detection unit 57 and the in-camera unit 170 will be described later.

[0021] (Block diagram of Digital Camera 100) Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a digital camera 100, which is an example of an imaging device according to this embodiment.

[0022] The lens unit 150 is a lens unit equipped with an interchangeable photographic lens. The lens 103 is usually composed of multiple lenses, but in Figure 3 it is simplified and shown as a single lens. Communication terminal 6 is a communication terminal for the lens unit 150 to communicate with the digital camera 100, and communication terminal 10 is a communication terminal for the digital camera 100 to communicate with the lens unit 150.

[0023] The lens unit 150 communicates with the system control unit 50 via these communication terminals 6 and 10. The lens unit 150 controls the aperture 1 via the aperture drive circuit 2 using the internal lens system control circuit 4. The lens unit 150 also focuses by displacing the position of the lens 103 via the AF drive circuit 3 using the lens system control circuit 4.

[0024] The shutter 101 is a focal-plane shutter that allows the exposure time of the imaging unit 22 to be freely controlled by the system control unit 50.

[0025] The imaging unit 22 is an image sensor composed of a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) element, etc., which converts optical images into electrical signals. The imaging unit 22 may also have an image plane phase difference sensor that outputs defocus amount information to the system control unit 50. The A / D converter 23 converts the analog signal output from the imaging unit 22 into a digital signal.

[0026] The image processing unit 24 performs predetermined processing (such as pixel interpolation, resizing, color conversion, etc.) 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 calculation results obtained by the image processing unit 24. This enables TTL (through-the-lens) AF (autofocus), AE (automatic exposure), EF (flash pre-flash), etc. The image processing unit 24 further performs predetermined calculations using the captured image data and performs TTL AWB (auto white balance) processing based on the obtained calculation results.

[0027] 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. Alternatively, the output data from the A / D converter 23 is written to the memory 32 via the memory control unit 15 without going through the image processing unit 24. 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 and EVF 29. The memory 32 has sufficient storage capacity to store a predetermined number of still images, a predetermined amount of video footage, and audio.

[0028] Furthermore, memory 32 also serves as memory for image display (video memory). The D / A converter 19 converts the image display data stored in memory 32 into analog signals and supplies them to the display unit 28 and EVF 29. In this way, the display image data written to memory 32 is displayed by the display unit 28 and EVF 29 via the D / A converter 19. The display unit 28 and EVF 29 are displays such as LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and OLED (Electro Luminescence), respectively, and display according to the analog signals from the D / A converter 19. The digital signals that have been A / D converted by the A / D converter 23 and stored in memory 32 are converted into analog signals by the D / A converter 19 and sequentially transferred to the display unit 28 or EVF 29 for display, thereby displaying the LV image.

[0029] The system control unit 50 is a control unit composed of at least one processor and / or at least one circuit, and controls the entire digital camera 100. The system control unit 50 is both a processor and a circuit. The system control unit 50 realizes each of the processes of this embodiment, which will be described later, by executing a program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56. The system control unit 50 also performs display control by controlling the memory 32, D / A converter 19, display unit 28, EVF 29, etc.

[0030] The system memory 52 is, for example, RAM, and the system control unit 50 loads constants, variables, programs read from the non-volatile memory 56, etc., for the operation of the system control unit 50 into the system memory 52.

[0031] The non-volatile memory 56 is an electrically erasable and recordable memory, such as an EEPROM. Constants for the operation of the system control unit 50, programs, etc., are stored in the non-volatile memory 56. The program referred to here is a program for executing various flowcharts described later in this embodiment.

[0032] The system timer 53 is a timekeeping unit that measures the time used for various controls and the time of the built-in clock.

[0033] The communication unit 54 transmits and receives video and audio signals to and from external devices connected wirelessly or via wired cables. The communication unit 54 can also connect to wireless LAN (Local Area Network) and the internet. Furthermore, the communication unit 54 can communicate with external devices using Bluetooth® and Bluetooth Low Energy. The communication unit 54 can transmit images (including LV images) captured by the imaging unit 22 and images recorded on the recording medium 200, and can receive image data and other various information from external devices.

[0034] The attitude detection unit 55 detects the orientation of the digital camera 100 relative to the direction of gravity. Based on the orientation detected by the attitude detection unit 55, it is possible to determine whether the image captured by the imaging unit 22 was taken with the digital camera 100 held horizontally or vertically. The system control unit 50 can add orientation information corresponding to the orientation detected by the attitude detection unit 55 to the image file of the image captured by the imaging unit 22, or rotate the image before recording. An acceleration sensor or gyro sensor can be used as the attitude detection unit 55. It is also possible to detect the movement of the digital camera 100 (pan, tilt, lift, whether it is stationary or not, etc.) using the acceleration sensor or gyro sensor in the attitude detection unit 55.

[0035] The eyepiece detection unit 57 is a proximity detection sensor that detects the approach of an object to the eyepiece section 16 of the eyepiece finder (hereinafter simply referred to as "finder"). When an object is detected approaching the eyepiece section 16 within a predetermined distance from the non-eyepiece state (non-approach state), it is detected that the eye has been placed. When the object that was detected approaching moves beyond a predetermined distance from the eyepiece state (approach state), it is detected that the eye has been removed. The threshold for detecting eye placement and the threshold for detecting eye removal may be different, for example, by providing hysteresis. After detecting eye placement, the eyepiece remains in the eyepiece state until eye removal is detected. After detecting eye removal, the eyepiece remains in the non-eyepiece state until eye placement is detected again.

[0036] For the eyepiece detection unit 57, for example, an infrared proximity sensor can be used to detect the approach of any object to the eyepiece 16 of the viewfinder which incorporates the EVF 29. When an object approaches, infrared light emitted from the light emitter (not shown) of the eyepiece detection unit 57 is reflected by the object and received by the light receiver (not shown) of the infrared proximity sensor. The amount of infrared light received can be used to determine how close the object is to the eyepiece 16 (eyepiece distance). Note that the infrared proximity sensor is just one example of the eyepiece detection unit 57, and other sensors that can detect a state that can be considered as an eyepiece may be used for the eyepiece detection unit 57.

[0037] The system control unit 50 switches the display (display state) / hidden (hidden state) of the display unit 28 and EVF 29 according to the state detected by the eyepiece detection unit 57. By displaying information on only one of the display unit 28 or EVF 29 in this way, power consumption can be reduced compared to when information is always displayed on both the display unit 28 and EVF 29. Further details will be provided later.

[0038] The external viewfinder display unit 43 displays various camera settings, including shutter speed and aperture, via the external viewfinder display unit drive circuit 44.

[0039] The power control unit 80 consists of a battery detection circuit, a DC-DC converter, a switch circuit for switching which blocks are energized, and detects whether a battery is installed, the type of battery, and the remaining battery level. The power control unit 80 also controls the DC-DC converter based on the detection results and instructions from the system control unit 50, supplying the necessary voltage to each part, including the recording medium 200, for the required period. The power supply unit 30 consists of primary batteries such as alkaline batteries and lithium batteries, secondary batteries such as NiCd batteries, NiMH batteries, and Li batteries, and an AC adapter.

[0040] The recording medium I / F18 is an interface to the recording medium 200, such as a memory card or hard disk. The recording medium 200 is a recording medium such as a memory card for recording captured images, and is composed of semiconductor memory, magnetic disks, etc.

[0041] The operation unit 70 is an input unit that receives operations from the photographer and is used to input various operation instructions to the system control unit 50. As shown in Figure 1, the operation unit 70 includes a shutter button 61, a power switch 72, a touch panel 70a, and other operating members 70b. Other operating members 70b include a main electronic dial 71, a sub electronic dial 73, a multi-controller 74, a SET button 75, a protect button 76, and more. Furthermore, other operating members 70b include a delete button 77, a zoom button 78, a playback button 79, a video button 80, an AE lock button 81, a menu button 82, and more.

[0042] The shutter button 61 is equipped with a first shutter switch 62 and a second shutter switch 64. The first shutter switch 62 turns ON during the operation of the shutter button 61, specifically when it is half-pressed (indicating preparation for shooting), and generates a first shutter switch signal SW1. The system control unit 50 starts shooting preparation operations such as AF (autofocus) processing, AE (automatic exposure) processing, AWB (auto white balance) processing, and EF (flash pre-flash) processing in response to the first shutter switch signal SW1.

[0043] 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 operations, from reading the signal from the imaging unit 22 to writing the captured image as an image file to the recording medium 200, in response to the second shutter switch signal SW2.

[0044] A mode switch (not shown) included in the control unit 70 switches the operating mode of the system control unit 50 to one of the following: still image shooting mode, video shooting mode, playback mode, etc. Modes included in the still image shooting mode include auto shooting mode, auto scene detection mode, manual mode, aperture priority mode (Av mode), shutter speed priority mode (Tv mode), and program AE mode (P mode). There are also various scene modes and custom modes that provide shooting settings for different shooting scenes. The photographer can switch directly to any of these modes using the mode switch. Alternatively, the photographer may switch to a list screen of shooting modes using the mode switch, and then selectively switch to one of the displayed modes using another operating component. Similarly, the video shooting mode may also include multiple modes.

[0045] The touch panel 70a is a touch sensor that detects various touch operations on the display surface of the display unit 28 (the operating surface of the touch panel 70a). The touch panel 70a and the display unit 28 can be configured as an integrated unit. For example, the touch panel 70a is configured such that its light transmittance does not interfere with the display of the display unit 28, and is mounted on the upper layer of the display surface of the display unit 28. Then, the input coordinates on the touch panel 70a are associated with the display coordinates on the display surface of the display unit 28. This makes it possible to provide a GUI (Graphical User Interface) that makes it seem as if the photographer can directly operate the screen displayed on the display unit 28.

[0046] The gaze detection unit 160 is a block for detecting whether the photographer, who has placed their eyepiece in the eyepiece 16, is looking at the EVF 29, and if so, where they are looking. The gaze detection unit 160 includes a dichroic mirror 162, an imaging lens 163, a gaze detection sensor 164, an infrared light-emitting diode 166, and a gaze detection circuit 165.

[0047] The infrared light-emitting diode 166 is a light-emitting element that illuminates the photographer's eyeball (eye) 161, which is placed in the eyepiece 16, with infrared light. The infrared light emitted from the infrared light-emitting diode 166 is reflected by the eyeball (eye) 161, and the reflected infrared light reaches the dichroic mirror 162. The dichroic mirror 162 reflects only infrared light and transmits visible light. The infrared reflected light, whose optical path has been altered, is imaged onto the imaging surface of the gaze detection sensor 164 via the imaging lens 163.

[0048] The imaging lens 163 is an optical component that constitutes the gaze detection optical system. The gaze detection sensor 164 consists of an imaging device such as a CCD type image sensor. The gaze detection sensor 164 converts the incident infrared reflected light into an electrical signal via photoelectric conversion and outputs it to the gaze detection circuit 165. The gaze detection circuit 165 includes at least one processor and, based on the output signal of the gaze detection sensor 164, detects the gaze position of the photographer from the image or movement of the photographer's eyeball (eye) 161 and outputs the detection information to the system control unit 50.

[0049] In this embodiment, the gaze detection unit 160 is used to detect the gaze using a method called the corneal reflection method. The corneal reflection method is a method that detects the direction and position of the gaze from the positional relationship between the reflected light, particularly the cornea of ​​the eyeball (eye) 161, and the pupil of the eyeball (eye) 161, which is emitted infrared light from the infrared light-emitting diode 166. In addition to this, there are various other methods for detecting the direction and position of the gaze, such as the scleral reflection method, which utilizes the fact that the reflectivity of light differs between the iris and the sclera. Note that any gaze detection method other than those described above may be used as long as it can detect the direction and position of the gaze. In this embodiment, the light-emitting unit and light-receiving unit of the eyepiece detection unit 57 have been described as separate devices from the infrared light-emitting diode 166 and the gaze detection sensor 164. However, this is not the only option, and the light-emitting unit of the eyepiece detection unit 57 may be combined with the infrared light-emitting diode 166, and the light-receiving unit may be combined with the gaze detection sensor 164.

[0050] The system control unit 50 can detect the following operations or states based on the output from the gaze detection unit 160. • The photographer's gaze, placed through the eyepiece 16, has been newly input (detected). In other words, the start of gaze input. • The photographer's gaze input is registered through the eyepiece 16. The photographer must be looking intently at the eyepiece 16. - The photographer, who is looking through the eyepiece 16, has closed their eyes, or for other reasons, resulting in no gaze input (detection). In other words, gaze input has ended.

[0051] The term "gazing" as used here means that the photographer has kept their eyes on approximately the same location for a certain period of time. To determine whether or not someone is gazing, for example, if the photographer's line of sight does not exceed a predetermined amount of movement for a predetermined period of time (e.g., about 0.5 seconds), then it is determined that the photographer is gazing. The predetermined period may be set by the photographer, fixed in advance, or vary depending on the distance between the previous line of sight and the current line of sight. For example, the system control unit 50 determines that the photographer is gazing if, based on the detection information received from the line of sight detection circuit 165, the duration of the state in which the photographer's line of sight is detected at approximately the same location (no line of sight movement) exceeds a predetermined period of time (threshold period). The system control unit 50 also determines that there is no line of sight movement if, for example, the average position of the detected line of sight over a short period including the most recent detection timing (≤ the aforementioned threshold period) falls within a predetermined range and the variability (dispersion) is less than a predetermined value.

[0052] The in-camera unit (hereinafter simply referred to as "in-camera") 170 is a camera unit positioned on the back of the digital camera 100. The in-camera 170 captures images of a subject via a lens 173 positioned on the back of the digital camera 100 and can acquire them as image data. In this embodiment, it is used to capture images of the photographer. Therefore, the in-camera 170 captures images of the display unit side (the back side where the display unit 28 and EVF 29 are located). In other words, the imaging unit 174 of the in-camera 170 captures images of subjects located in a different direction from the imaging unit 22, which captures images via a lens 103 positioned on the front of the digital camera 100. In this embodiment, it is not necessary to record the images captured by the imaging unit 174 of the in-camera 170 onto the recording medium 200. Furthermore, it is not necessary to display the images captured by the imaging unit 174 of the in-camera 170 on the display unit 28 or EVF 29.

[0053] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the in-camera 170 of a digital camera 100, which is an example of an imaging device according to this embodiment. In Figure 2, the area that is covered by fingers or hands when operating the digital camera 100 in preparation for shooting is indicated by an ellipse. As shown in Figure 2, the in-camera 170 is positioned in the lower left so as to be difficult to cover with fingers or hands when operating the digital camera 100 in preparation for shooting, and not far from the center of the display unit 28.

[0054] The imaging unit 174, which constitutes the in-camera 170, is an image sensor composed of a CCD or CMOS element, etc., that converts an optical image into an electrical signal. The imaging unit 174 may have an image plane phase difference sensor that outputs defocus amount information to the system control unit 50. The A / D converter 175 converts the analog signal output from the imaging unit 174 into a digital signal.

[0055] (Toggle EVF display / hide process) Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the process of turning on the EVF display in a digital camera 100, which is an example of an imaging device according to this embodiment, even if the EVF display is temporarily turned off, before the photographer looks through the viewfinder. This process is achieved by the system control unit 50 executing a program stored in the non-volatile memory 56 by loading it into the system memory 52. ​​This process is executed until the shooting mode is terminated or the power of the imaging device is turned off.

[0056] In S401, the system control unit 50 determines whether the power to the digital camera 100 is turned ON or OFF. If it determines that the power to the digital camera 100 is ON, the process proceeds to S402; otherwise, the process in S401 is repeated.

[0057] In S402, the system control unit 50 controls the system timer 53 to start timer measurement.

[0058] In S403, the system control unit 50 lights up the EVF 29 and sets it to display state (ON). At this point, assuming that it is at least in shooting standby state, information (such as an LV image) is displayed on the EVF 29, while the display unit 28 is set to a non-display state and does not display any information.

[0059] In S404, the system control unit 50 sets the eyepiece detection unit 57 (eyepiece detection sensor) to the driven state (ON).

[0060] In S405, the system control unit 50 turns on the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164) and starts the process of detecting the position of the photographer's gaze as they look through the viewfinder.

[0061] In S406, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the photographer has placed their eye into the viewfinder. If it determines that the photographer has placed their eye into the viewfinder (Yes in S406), the process proceeds to S407; otherwise (No in S406), the process proceeds to S421. In this flowchart, the eyepiece detection unit 57 (eyepiece detection sensor) detects when the photographer places their eye into the viewfinder. However, the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164) may also be used to determine whether or not the photographer has placed their eye into the viewfinder.

[0062] In S407, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the photographer has operated the shooting control member. If it is determined that the photographer has operated the shooting control member (Yes in S407), the system proceeds to S408; otherwise (No in S407), the system proceeds to S414. Here, the shooting control member is one of the multiple control members included in the operation unit 70 that is used when performing shooting-related operations such as the shutter button 61, AE lock button 77, and zoom button 78.

[0063] In S408, the system control unit 50 executes the processing corresponding to the shooting operation member whose operation has been detected. For example, if it is determined that the photographer has pressed the shutter button 61, the system control unit 50 executes the shooting process.

[0064] Alternatively, for example, if it is determined that the photographer has pressed the AE lock button 77, the exposure is fixed, and if it is determined that the photographer has pressed the zoom button 78, the LV image is enlarged and displayed.

[0065] In S409, the system control unit 50 controls the system timer 53 to reset the timer measurement and start timer measurement because there has been an operation on the shooting control member (Yes in S407). This makes it possible to measure the time when no operation is performed on the operation unit 70 (idle time).

[0066] In S410, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not an eyepiece has been detected in the viewfinder. If it determines that an eyepiece has been detected in the viewfinder (Yes in S410), proceed to S407; otherwise (No in S410), proceed to S411.

[0067] In S411, the system control unit 50 determines whether a second predetermined time (for example, about 1 minute) has elapsed since the start of timer measurement in S402. If it determines that the second predetermined time has elapsed (Yes in S411), the process proceeds to S412; otherwise (No in S411), the process proceeds to S407. Note that the start of timer measurement in S402 can be rephrased as the start of measurement when the digital camera 100 is powered ON, the EVF is in operation (ON), the eyepiece detection sensor is in operation (ON), the gaze detection sensor is in operation (ON), or the last operation on the operation unit 70 is detected.

[0068] In step S412, the system control unit 50 turns off the EVF 29, putting it into a non-display state (OFF). If the photographer does not look through the viewfinder and no operation is performed on the control unit 70, and the second predetermined time has elapsed, it is assumed that the photographer is not using the EVF 29, and the EVF 29 is turned off. The display unit 28 is also kept off, putting it into a non-display state (OFF). This reduces the power consumption of the digital camera 100.

[0069] In S413, the system control unit 50 turns the in-camera 170 into an operating state (ON), starts imaging processing using the in-camera 170, and proceeds to S431.

[0070] In S414, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the photographer has operated the menu / playback operation member. If it is determined that the photographer has operated the menu / playback operation member (Yes in S414), the menu / playback display control process is executed; otherwise (No in S414), the process proceeds to S410. Here, the menu / playback operation member is one of the multiple operation members included in the operation unit 70, and is used when performing operations related to the display of the menu / playback, such as the playback button 79 and the menu button 82.

[0071] The menu / playback display control process will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 5.

[0072] In S421, the system control unit 50 stops the operation of the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164) and terminates the gaze position detection process. If the system control unit 50 does not determine that the photographer is looking into the viewfinder, it assumes that the photographer is not using the EVF 29 and stops the operation of the gaze detection unit 160 that detects the photographer's gaze in the EVF 29. This reduces the power consumption of the digital camera 100. After executing the process in S421, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S422.

[0073] In S422, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the photographer has operated the operation unit 70. If it determines that the photographer has operated the operation unit 70 (Yes in S422), the system proceeds to S424; otherwise (No in S422), the system proceeds to S423.

[0074] In S423, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the photographer has placed their eyepiece into the viewfinder. If it determines that the photographer has placed their eyepiece into the viewfinder (Yes in S423), the system proceeds to S424; otherwise (No in S423), the system proceeds to S425.

[0075] In S425, the system control unit 50 determines whether a first predetermined time (for example, about 7 seconds) has elapsed since the timer started measuring. If it determines that the first predetermined time has elapsed (Yes in S425), it proceeds to S426; otherwise (No in S425), it proceeds to S422.

[0076] In S426, the system control unit 50 turns off the EVF 29, putting it into a non-display state (OFF). If the photographer does not look through the viewfinder and no operation is performed on the control unit 70, and the first predetermined time has elapsed, the system control unit 50 assumes that the photographer is not using the EVF 29 and puts the EVF 29 into a non-display state (OFF).

[0077] In S427, the system control unit 50 turns the in-camera 170 into an operating state (ON), starts imaging processing using the in-camera 170, and proceeds to S431.

[0078] In S431, the system control unit 50 performs subject recognition processing on the image captured by the in-camera 170 and determines whether or not it has detected the photographer's face from the captured image. If it determines that it has detected the photographer's face from the image captured by the in-camera 170 (Yes in S431), it proceeds to S432; otherwise (No in S431), it proceeds to S434.

[0079] In S431, the system control unit 50 determines from the image captured by the in-camera 170 whether or not there is a person's face. It considers the person captured by the in-camera 170 to be the photographer and estimates whether the photographer is about to start taking pictures. However, it may also determine whether or not the photographer's face has been detected based not only on the presence or absence of a person's face, but also on the position of the face, the orientation of the face, and the size of the face. For example, if a person's face is detected from the image captured by the in-camera 170, and the position of the face is not higher or lower than the position of the face when looking at the display unit 28, it is estimated that the person is about to start taking pictures and the system control unit 50 determines that the photographer has been detected (Yes in S431). On the other hand, even if a person's face is detected from the image captured by the in-camera 170, if the position of the face is higher or lower than the position of the face when looking at the display unit 28, it is estimated that the person is not about to start taking pictures (No in S431).

[0080] Furthermore, for example, the camera detects the photographer's face from the image captured by the front camera 170, and if the size of the face is larger than the size of the face when looking at the display unit 28, it is presumed that the person is about to start taking a picture, and the camera is determined to have been detected (Yes in S431). On the other hand, if the size of the face is smaller than the size of the face when looking at the display unit 28, it is presumed that the photographer is not about to start taking a picture, and the camera is determined not to have been detected (No in S431).

[0081] Furthermore, for example, even if the photographer's face is detected from the image captured by the in-camera 170, if it is determined that the photographer is not looking at the display unit 28 based on the gaze direction estimated from the face, it is presumed that the photographer is about to start taking pictures (Yes in S431). On the other hand, if it is determined that the photographer is looking at the display unit 28 based on the gaze direction estimated from the face, it is presumed that the photographer is not about to start taking pictures, and it is determined that the photographer is not detected (No in S431).

[0082] Furthermore, for example, an image of the photographer's face can be pre-registered, and the face of a person detected from an image captured by the front camera 170 can be compared with it. If it is recognized as the same person, it is determined that the photographer has been detected (Yes in S431).

[0083] In this way, the accuracy of estimating whether the photographer is about to start taking a picture can be improved by detecting the position of a person's face, the size of the face, and the orientation of the face (direction of the eyes) from the image captured by the front camera 170.

[0084] In S432, the system control unit 50 stops the operation of the in-camera 170 (deactivates it to a non-operating state (OFF)) and stops the image capture process by the in-camera 170. If the photographer's face is detected (Yes in S431), the in-camera 170 is deactivates to a non-operating state (OFF) because it is not necessary to continue the process of estimating whether the photographer is about to start taking pictures. This reduces the power consumption of the digital camera 100.

[0085] In S433, the system control unit 50 lights up the EVF 29, putting it into display mode (ON), and proceeds to S422. Even when not using the eyepiece, if a face is detected, information (such as an LV image) is displayed on the EVF 29, but no information is displayed on the display unit 28.

[0086] In this way, the system control unit 50 estimates that the photographer is about to start shooting by detecting a face from the image captured by the in-camera 170. When the photographer approaches the viewfinder to start shooting, that is, before the photographer puts their eye into the viewfinder, the EVF 29 is already in the operating state (ON). Therefore, when the photographer puts their eye into the viewfinder and looks at the EVF 29, the LV image is already displayed, so the photographer will not miss the photo opportunity.

[0087] In S434, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the photographer has operated the operation unit 70. If it determines that the photographer has operated the operation unit 70 (Yes in S434), the system proceeds to S435; otherwise (No in S434), the system proceeds to S441.

[0088] In S435, the system control unit 50 stops (turns off) the drive of the in-camera 170. Next, in S436, it lights up the EVF 29 and puts it into display mode (ON). In S437, it puts the gaze detection unit 160 into drive mode (ON) and proceeds to S407.

[0089] In S436, the system control unit 50 lights up the EVF29 and sets it to display state (ON). This allows the display of information on the EVF29 to resume, and the photographer can quickly start shooting.

[0090] Then, in S437, the system control unit 50 turns the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164) into an activated state (ON) and proceeds to S407.

[0091] In S441, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not an eyepiece has been detected in the viewfinder. If it determines that an eyepiece has been detected in the viewfinder (Yes in S441), proceed to S435; otherwise (No in S441), proceed to S442.

[0092] In S442, the system control unit 50 determines whether the timer measurement time has elapsed to a second predetermined time (for example, about 1 minute). If it has elapsed (Yes in S442), proceed to S443; otherwise, proceed to S431 (No in S442).

[0093] In step S443, the system control unit 50 sets the eyepiece detection unit 57 (eyepiece detection sensor) to a non-driven state (OFF). If the system control unit 50 does not determine that the photographer has placed their eyepiece into the viewfinder, and the second predetermined time has elapsed, the system control unit 50 assumes that the photographer is not using the EVF 29, and the eyepiece detection sensor is also set to a non-driven state (OFF). This further reduces the power consumption of the digital camera 100.

[0094] In S444, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the photographer has operated the operation unit 70. If it determines that the photographer has operated the operation unit 70 (Yes in S444), the system proceeds to S445; otherwise (No in S444), the system proceeds to S451.

[0095] In S445, the system control unit 50 turns the eyepiece detection unit 57 (eyepiece detection sensor) into an activated state (ON) and proceeds to S435.

[0096] In S451, the system control unit 50 determines whether the timer measurement time has elapsed to a third predetermined time (for example, about 30 minutes). If it determines that the third predetermined time has elapsed (Yes in S451), it proceeds to S452; otherwise (No in S451), it proceeds to S431. Here, the value of the third predetermined time is greater than the values ​​of the first predetermined time or the second predetermined time.

[0097] In S452, the system control unit 50 determines whether the digital camera 100 is set to auto power-off mode. If it determines that the digital camera 100 is set to auto power-off mode (Yes in S452), the process proceeds to S456; otherwise (No in S452), the process proceeds to S453.

[0098] In S453, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the photographer has pressed the power button. If the system control unit 50 determines that the photographer has pressed the power button (Yes in S453), proceed to S456; otherwise (No in S453), proceed to S454.

[0099] In S454, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the photographer has operated the operation unit 70. If it determines that the photographer has operated the operation unit 70 (Yes in S454), the system proceeds to S435; otherwise (No in S454), the system proceeds to S455.

[0100] In S455, similar to S431, the system control unit 50 performs subject recognition processing on the image captured by the in-camera 170 and determines whether or not the photographer's face has been detected in the captured image. If it is determined that the photographer's face has been detected in the image captured by the in-camera 170 (Yes in S455), the process proceeds to S435; otherwise (No in S455), the process proceeds to S453.

[0101] In S456, the system control unit 50 performs control to turn off the power to the digital camera 100, such as deactivating the in-camera 170, deactivating the eyepiece detection sensor, and controlling the system timer 53 to reset the timer measurement. Then, this process ends.

[0102] (Menu / Playback display control processing) Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the menu / playback display control process according to this embodiment.

[0103] In S501, the system control unit 50 controls the system timer 53 to reset the timer measurement and start timer measurement because an operation was performed on the menu / playback operation member (Yes in S418). This makes it possible to measure the time when no operation is performed on the operation unit 70 (idle time).

[0104] In S502, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not an eyepiece has been detected in the viewfinder. If it determines that an eyepiece has been detected in the viewfinder (Yes in S502), proceed to S521; otherwise (No in S502), proceed to S503.

[0105] In S503, the system control unit 50 turns off the EVF29, putting it in a non-display state (OFF), and proceeds to S504.

[0106] In S504, the system control unit 50 stops the operation of the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164) and proceeds to S505.

[0107] In S505, the system control unit 50 lights up the display unit 28 (labeled "TFT" in the flowchart of Figure 5), sets it to the display state (ON), and proceeds to S506.

[0108] In S506, the system control unit 50 executes display control processing to display the menu / playback screen on the display unit 28, and then proceeds to S508.

[0109] In S508, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the photographer has operated the menu / playback operation member. If it is determined that the photographer has operated the menu / playback operation member (Yes in S508), the process proceeds to S509; otherwise (No in S508), the process proceeds to S514. Here, the menu / playback operation member is one of the multiple operation members included in the operation unit 70 that is used when performing menu / playback operations such as the multi-controller 74 or the touch panel 70a.

[0110] In S509, the system control unit 50 executes processing corresponding to the type of menu / playback operation member operated by the photographer.

[0111] For example, if the system control unit 50 determines that a press has been made on the multi-controller 74 or an independent up, down, left, or right button, it moves the cursor to the desired menu item on the menu / playback screen. Then, if the system control unit 50 determines that the photographer has pressed the SET button 75 to confirm the selection of a menu item, it confirms the selected menu item.

[0112] In S510, the system control unit 50 controls the system timer 53 to reset the timer measurement and start timer measurement because an operation was performed on the menu / playback operation member (Yes in S508). This makes it possible to measure the time when no operation is performed on the operation unit 70 (idle time).

[0113] In S512, the system control unit 50 determines whether a fourth predetermined time (for example, about 30 seconds) has elapsed since the start of timer measurement. If it is determined that the fourth predetermined time has elapsed (Yes in S512), the process proceeds to S513; otherwise (No in S512), the process proceeds to S508.

[0114] In S513, the system control unit 50 turns off the display unit 28, setting it to display state (OFF), and proceeds to S431.

[0115] Thus, in this embodiment, if the fourth predetermined time has elapsed, the system proceeds to S513, assuming that the menu / playback operations have been completed. This makes it possible to turn off the display unit 28 and automatically terminate the menu / playback display control process, thereby reducing the power consumption of the digital camera 100.

[0116] In S514, the system control unit 50 determines whether an operation to instruct the termination of the menu / playback display control process has been performed. Specifically, it determines whether the photographer has pressed the menu button 82. If it is determined that the menu button 82 has been pressed (Yes in S514), the process proceeds to S515; otherwise (No in S514), the process proceeds to S511.

[0117] In S515, the system control unit 50 turns off the display unit 28, putting it into a non-display state (OFF), and terminates the menu / playback display control processing. Then, in S517, the system control unit 50 turns on the EVF 29, putting it into a display state (ON), and in S518, it turns on the eyepiece detection unit 57 (eyepiece detection sensor), and proceeds to S407.

[0118] In S521, the system control unit 50 executes display control processing to display the menu / playback screen on the EVF29, and then proceeds to S522.

[0119] In S522, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the photographer has operated the menu / playback control member. If it is determined that the photographer has operated the menu / playback control member (Yes in S522), the system proceeds to S523; otherwise (No in S522), the system proceeds to S531.

[0120] In S523, the system control unit 50 performs processing corresponding to the type of menu / playback operation member operated by the photographer, similar to S509.

[0121] In S524, the system control unit 50 controls the system timer 53 to reset the timer measurement and start timer measurement, similar to S510, because there was an operation on the menu / playback operation member (Yes in S522).

[0122] In S525, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not it has detected the position of the line of sight. If it determines that it has detected the position of the line of sight (Yes in S525), it proceeds to S522; otherwise (No in S525), it proceeds to S526.

[0123] In S526, the system control unit 50 determines, similar to S512, whether a fourth predetermined time (for example, about 30 seconds) has elapsed since the start of timer measurement. If it is determined that the fourth predetermined time has elapsed (Yes in S526), ​​the process proceeds to S527; otherwise (No in S526), ​​the process proceeds to S522.

[0124] In S527, the system control unit 50 turns off the EVF 29, putting it into a non-display state (OFF), and terminates the menu / playback display control processing before proceeding to S528.

[0125] Then, in S528, the system control unit 50 stops the drive of the gaze detection unit 160 (OFF), in S529, it deactivates the eyepiece detection unit 57 (eyepiece detection sensor) (OFF), and in S530, it activates the in-camera 170 (ON), before proceeding to S431.

[0126] Thus, in this embodiment, if the fourth predetermined time elapses without detecting the position of the gaze, the system proceeds to S527, assuming that the menu / playback operation has been completed. This makes it possible to automatically terminate the menu / playback display control process and turn off the EVF29 if, for example, the photographer is wearing the digital camera 100 around their neck and is not touching or looking at the digital camera 100. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the digital camera 100.

[0127] <Second Embodiment> The second embodiment has the same basic configuration as the first embodiment, but some of the menu / playback display control processing differs. Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the menu / playback display control processing according to this embodiment. The configuration common to the flowchart in Figure 5 will not be explained.

[0128] The system control unit 50 executes the processes described in S501 to S506 and proceeds to S607.

[0129] In S607, the system control unit 50 turns the in-camera 170 into an operating state (ON) and proceeds to S508. The system control unit 50 executes the processes described in S508 to S510 above and proceeds to S611.

[0130] In S611, the system control unit 50 determines, similar to S431, whether or not it has detected the photographer's face from the image captured by the in-camera 170. If it determines that it has detected the photographer's face from the image captured by the in-camera 170 (Yes in S611), it proceeds to S508; otherwise (No in S611), it proceeds to S512.

[0131] The system control unit 50 executes the processes described in S512 and S513 above, and then proceeds to S431.

[0132] If it is not determined that the photographer has performed an operation on the menu / playback control element (No in S508), the process proceeds to S514, the processes in S514 and S515 described above are executed, and then the process proceeds to S616.

[0133] In S616, the system control unit 50 stops (turns off) the operation of the in-camera 170.

[0134] Thus, in this embodiment, if the photographer's face is not detected from the image captured by the in-camera 170 (No in S611) and the fourth predetermined time has elapsed, the system proceeds to S513, assuming that the menu / playback operation has been completed. This makes it possible to automatically turn off the display unit 28 and terminate the menu / playback display control process, for example, when the photographer is wearing the digital camera 100 around their neck and is not touching or looking at the digital camera 100. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the digital camera 100.

[0135] <Third Embodiment> Since the third embodiment has the same basic configuration as the first and second embodiments, the same reference numerals are used for components and processes that are the same, and their descriptions are omitted. The differences will be described.

[0136] Figure 7 is an external view of a digital camera 100, which is an example of an imaging device according to this embodiment. Figure 7(a) shows the external shape of the digital camera 100 from the front, and Figure 7(b) shows the external shape of the digital camera 100 from the rear.

[0137] The menu button 82 is an operating component for displaying various setting screens on the display unit 28. When the menu button 82 is pressed, a menu screen with various settings is displayed on the display unit 28. The user can intuitively make various settings using the menu screen displayed on the display unit 28, the multi-controller 74, and the SET button 75.

[0138] The grip section 90 is a holding section shaped to be easily gripped by the photographer with their right hand when holding the digital camera 100. With the digital camera 100 held by gripping the grip section 90 with the little finger, ring finger, and middle finger of the right hand, the shutter button 61 and the main electronic dial 71 are positioned so that they can be operated with the index finger of the right hand.

[0139] Furthermore, the sub-electronic dial 73 is positioned so that it can be operated with the right thumb when the digital camera 100 is held by gripping the grip section 90 with the little finger, ring finger, and middle finger of the right hand. The shutter button 61, main electronic dial 71, multi-controller 74, AE lock button 81, and grip 90 are each provided in pairs so that the photographer can choose which one to use depending on the orientation of the digital camera 100. When the photographer holds the digital camera 100 horizontally (landscape orientation), they use 171 (the area enclosed by the solid line frame), and when holding it vertically (portrait orientation), they use 172 (the area enclosed by the dotted line frame). This allows the photographer to select the most convenient operating part depending on how the digital camera 100 is held.

[0140] (Toggle EVF display / hide process) Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the process of switching the display / hide status of the EVF in a digital camera 100, which is an example of an imaging device according to this embodiment. This process is achieved by the system control unit 50 executing a program stored in the non-volatile memory 56 by loading it into the system memory 52. ​​This process is executed until the shooting mode is terminated or the power of the imaging device is turned off.

[0141] Note that the processes S401-S4327, S432-S433, and S441-S456 are the same as the processes with the same numbers in the flowchart of Figure 4 of the first embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0142] In S431, the system control unit 50 performs the same processing as in the first embodiment. If the system control unit 50 determines that it has detected the face of the photographer from the image captured by the in-camera 170 (Yes in S431), it proceeds to S432; otherwise (No in S431), it proceeds to S461.

[0143] In S461, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the photographer has operated on the operating member of group 1. If it is determined that the photographer has operated on the operating member of group 1 (Yes in S461), the system proceeds to S462; otherwise (No in S461), the system proceeds to S441.

[0144] Here, the operating components of Group 1 are those assumed to be operated by the photographer without looking through the EVF29, such as the magnification button 78 and the playback button 79. In other words, the operating components of Group 1 refer to those that are positioned in a location that is difficult for the photographer to operate with their fingers when the photographer is holding the digital camera 100 and looking through the viewfinder.

[0145] In S462, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the photographer has operated the operating member of group 2. If it is determined that the photographer has operated the operating member of group 2 (Yes in S462), the system proceeds to S432; otherwise (No in S462), the system proceeds to S435.

[0146] Here, the operating components of Group 2 are the shutter button 61 and the like, which are assumed to be operated by the photographer while looking through the EVF 29. In other words, the operating means of Group 2 refer to operating components that are positioned within easy reach of the photographer's fingers while the photographer is holding the digital camera 100 and looking through the viewfinder.

[0147] This section explains the case where, after the photographer operates the control components of Group 1 (Yes in S461), the photographer then operates the control components of Group 2 (Yes in S462). For example, in manual focus (MF) mode, when manually focusing, if the photographer operates the magnification button 78, the live view image (LV image) will be magnified, allowing the photographer to precisely determine the point where they want to focus. In this case, even while the LV image is magnified by operating the magnification button 78, if the photographer operates the shutter button 61, the picture will be taken. Thus, this assumes a case in MF mode where the photographer operates the magnification button 78, and then subsequently operates the shutter button 61.

[0148] In S435, similar to the first embodiment, the system control unit 50 stops the driving of the in-camera 170 (de-driving state (OFF)).

[0149] In S463, the system control unit 50 determines whether a fifth predetermined time has elapsed since the in-camera 170 was put into a non-driven state in S435. If it determines that the fifth predetermined time has elapsed (Yes in S463), the process proceeds to S464; otherwise (No in S463), the process proceeds to S463. Once the fifth predetermined time has elapsed, the in-camera 170 is put into a driven state (ON), and the timing of when the photographer intends to start shooting is estimated. This makes it possible to light up the EVF 29 before the photographer puts their eye into the viewfinder. Here, the fifth predetermined time can be changed by the photographer; for example, by pressing the menu button 82, the predetermined time can be arbitrarily changed on the menu screen that is displayed.

[0150] In this flowchart, the timing for turning the in-camera 170 into the driven state (ON) is defined as the elapsed time of the fifth predetermined time, but this is not the only condition.

[0151] For example, this may occur when an accessory is connected via the communication unit 54 or when the display unit 28 is in a non-display state. The non-display state of the display unit 28 may occur when the display destination is fixed to the EVF 29 or when the display unit 28 is in the closed position. Here, the closed position of the display unit 28 is different from the state shown in Figure 1(b), where the display surface of the display unit 28 is folded facing the back of the digital camera 100, opposite to the subject side, and is a state where it is folded without facing the back side.

[0152] In S464, the system control unit 50 turns the in-camera 170 into an operating state (ON) and proceeds to S431.

[0153] Thus, if an operation is performed on an operating component that is expected to be operated without looking through the EVF29, it is conceivable that the photographer will continue to operate without looking through the EVF29. During this time, the photographer does not need to estimate when to start shooting, so the in-camera 170 is turned off to reduce the power consumption of the digital camera 100.

[0154] However, after the in-camera 170 is deactivated and a fifth predetermined time has elapsed, the in-camera 170 is activated (ON) to estimate the timing for the photographer to start shooting. This makes it possible to light up the EVF29 before the photographer puts their eye into the viewfinder.

[0155] Furthermore, if it is determined in S461 that the photographer has operated the control element of group 1 (Yes in S461), the drive of the in-camera 170 may be immediately stopped (de-driven state (OFF)) and the imaging process by the in-camera 170 may be stopped. For example, if the playback button 79 is operated, it is presumed that the photographer will not start shooting for a while, so the in-camera 170 can be de-driven (OFF) to reduce the power consumption of the digital camera 100.

[0156] <Fourth Embodiment> Since the fourth embodiment has the same basic configuration as the third embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for components and processes that are the same, and their descriptions are omitted. The differences will be described.

[0157] (Toggle EVF display / hide process) Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating the process of switching the EVF display / hide status. 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 the system memory 52. ​​This process continues until the shooting mode is terminated or the power to the imaging device is turned off.

[0158] Note that the processes S401-S433 and S441-S456 are the same as the processes with the same numbers in the flowchart of Figure 4 of the first embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0159] In S461, the system control unit performs the same processing as in the third embodiment. If the system control unit 50 determines that the photographer has operated on the operating member of group 1 (Yes in S461), it proceeds to S462; otherwise (No in S461), it proceeds to S471.

[0160] The same processing as in the third embodiment is performed for S462, S435, S436, and S434.

[0161] In S471, if no operation was performed on the Group 1 operating member (an operating member operated without looking through the EVF) in S461, the system control unit 50 acquires the operating posture of the photographer's digital camera 100.

[0162] In S472, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not an operation has been performed on the shooting control member that matches the photographer's operating posture of the digital camera 100.

[0163] Specifically, first, the system control unit 50 determines whether the digital camera 100 is taking a picture in a horizontal or vertical position based on the posture detected by the posture detection unit 55. Figure 1 shows the digital camera 100 in its upright position (horizontal position). Rotating it 90 degrees from the horizontal position in Figure 1 results in a vertical position (vertical position).

[0164] Next, it is determined whether the operating member corresponding to the operating orientation of the digital camera 100 is being operated. If the digital camera 100 is shooting in a horizontal position and the operating member 171 for horizontal shooting is being operated, the process proceeds to S441; otherwise, the process proceeds to S462.

[0165] Furthermore, if the digital camera 100 is being operated in a vertical position, and the vertical shooting control member 172 is being operated, the process proceeds to S441; otherwise, the process proceeds to S462.

[0166] Here, the operating components 171 for horizontal shooting include a shutter button 61, a main electronic dial 71, a grip 90, a multi-controller 74, and an AE lock button 81. The operating components 172 for vertical shooting also include a shutter button 61, a main electronic dial 71, a grip 90, a multi-controller 74, and an AE lock button 81.

[0167] Thus, for example, when the digital camera 100 is held horizontally (or vertically), if the control element for vertical (or horizontal) shooting is operated, it is possible that the photographer will continue to perform operations that are not related to shooting. During this time, there is little need for the photographer to estimate when to start shooting, so the power consumption of the digital camera 100 is reduced by keeping the front camera 170 in a non-operating state.

[0168] Compared to the third embodiment, the fourth embodiment allows the in-camera 170 to be kept in a non-operating state in more cases, thereby reducing the power consumption of the digital camera 100.

[0169] <Fifth Embodiment> In the fifth embodiment, the external view and block diagram of the digital camera 100, which is an example of an imaging device, are the same as in the first and second embodiments, so their description will be omitted.

[0170] In the fifth embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, there are multiple display destination modes, and the display switching process is different depending on the display destination mode.

[0171] (Display destination mode setting) Figure 10 shows an example of a menu screen for setting the display destination mode. When the menu button 82 is operated, the system control unit 50 displays the menu screen on the display unit 28 or EVF 29. Multiple setting items are displayed on the menu screen, and the user can change various settings of the digital camera 100 by operating the operation unit 70 to operate the menu screen, selecting a setting item, and changing the setting (setting value) for the selected setting item. The system control unit 50 records the various settings set on the menu screen in the non-volatile memory 56, and can obtain the current settings by reading the various settings recorded in the non-volatile memory 56.

[0172] As shown in Figure 10(a), the menu screen has two setting items for setting the display destination mode: a viewfinder display priority mode 1010 and a screen display destination setting 1020.

[0173] The Finder Display Priority Mode 1010 can be set to either ON or OFF. If ON is set for Finder Display Priority Mode 1010, the System Control Unit 50 sets the display destination mode to [Finder Display Priority], and the screen display destination setting 1020 becomes unchangeable and is grayed out. If OFF is set for Finder Display Priority Mode 1010, the screen display destination setting 1020 becomes configurable and enabled, and the display destination set in the screen display destination setting 1020 is set as the display destination mode.

[0174] When the screen display destination setting 1020 is enabled, selecting this item (by moving the cursor to screen display destination setting 1020 and pressing the SET button 75, or by touching screen display destination setting 1020) will display the screen display destination setting screen as shown in Figure 10(b). For screen display destination setting 1020, one of the following can be set: Auto 1021, Viewfinder Fixed 1022, or Monitor Fixed 1023. Once a display destination is set on the screen display destination setting screen, the screen returns to the screen shown in Figure 10(a), and a value or icon indicating the current setting set on the screen shown in Figure 10(b) is displayed.

[0175] In this embodiment, the viewfinder display priority mode 1010 and the screen display destination setting 1020 are displayed adjacent to each other on a single menu screen, but they may be displayed on different screens (such as different pages of the menu screen).

[0176] (Display processing for digital camera 100) Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the display process of the digital camera 100. This process is achieved by the system control unit 50 loading the program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56 into the system memory 52 and executing it. This process is executed until the power of the digital camera 100 is turned off. Note that this flowchart is an excerpt of the display-related processing in the digital camera 100.

[0177] First, when the digital camera 100's electronic eye is turned on, in S1101, the system control unit 50 starts the digital camera in shooting mode.

[0178] Next, in S1102, the system control unit 50 determines the display destination mode setting. As mentioned above, if the viewfinder display priority mode 1010 is set to ON, the display destination mode is determined to be viewfinder priority. If the viewfinder display priority mode 1010 is set to OFF, the setting in the screen display destination setting 1020 is determined to be the display destination mode. If the system control unit 50 determines that the display destination mode is viewfinder priority, it proceeds to S1103 and executes viewfinder priority display processing. If the system control unit 50 determines that the display destination mode is fixed to the monitor, it proceeds to S1104 and executes monitor-fixed display processing. If the system control unit 50 determines that the display destination mode is fixed to the viewfinder, it proceeds to S1105 and executes viewfinder-fixed display processing. If the system control unit 50 determines that the display destination mode is auto, it proceeds to S1108 and executes automatic switching display processing.

[0179] (Viewfinder-priority display processing) The viewfinder-priority display processing will be explained with reference to the flowcharts in Figures 12 and 13. This processing is achieved by the system control unit 50 executing a program stored in the non-volatile memory 56, which is then loaded into the system memory 52. ​​This processing continues until the power of the digital camera 100 is turned off. Figure 12 shows the viewfinder-priority display processing when the digital camera 100 is set to shooting mode, and Figure 13 shows the viewfinder-priority display processing when the digital camera 100 is set to shooting mode.

[0180] First, at S1201, the system control unit 50 turns off the display unit 28 (TFT) to set the display to OFF state. Furthermore, the system control unit 50 turns on the in-camera 170 and starts imaging processing using the in-camera 170. In addition, the system control unit 50 turns on the eyepiece detection unit 57 (eyepiece detection sensor) and starts eyepiece detection in the viewfinder.

[0181] In S1202, the system control unit 50 turns off the EVF 29 and stops the eye-tracking unit 160 (eye-tracking sensor 164) from operation (turns it off).

[0182] In S1203, the system control unit 50 starts measuring the auto power-off timer. The auto power-off function turns off the power of the digital camera 100 when the period of inactivity (no operation to the control panel, no eyepiece use, etc.) after the EVF 29 has been turned off exceeds the auto power-off threshold TH1. In S1203, since the EVF 29 has been turned off, the system control unit 50 starts measuring the auto power-off timer to determine whether to execute the auto power-off function.

[0183] In S1204, the system control unit 50 determines whether an operation related to shooting has been performed on the operation unit 70. This determination may be made based on the type of operation unit that was operated (for example, the shutter button 61), or based on the type of process executed by the operation. If it is determined that an operation related to shooting has been performed, the system proceeds to S1205; otherwise, it proceeds to S1208.

[0184] In S1205, the system control unit 50 lights up the EVF 29, setting it to display state (ON), and begins displaying information. Since it is currently in shooting mode, the shooting screen, including the LV image, is displayed on the EVF 29. Then, in S1206, the system control unit 50 executes the processing corresponding to the shooting operation determined in S1204. For example, if the shutter button 61 is pressed, the system control unit 50 executes the still image shooting (recording) process, and if the video button 80 is pressed, the system control unit 50 starts the video shooting (recording) process.

[0185] In S1207, the system control unit 50, if the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is in a deactivated state (OFF), activates the eyepiece detection sensor 57 and starts eyepiece detection in the viewfinder. If the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is already activated, this step is skipped. Then, the process proceeds to S1217.

[0186] In S1208, the system control unit 50 determines whether the eyepiece detection sensor 57 has detected an eyepiece being placed in the viewfinder. If an eyepiece is detected, the process proceeds to S1209; otherwise, the process proceeds to S1211. If the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is in the deactivated (OFF) state, the process in S1208 is skipped, and the process proceeds to S1211.

[0187] In S1209, the system control unit 50 lights up the EVF 29 to put it into display mode and displays information (such as the LV image) on the EVF.

[0188] In S1210, the system control unit 50 turns on the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164) and starts the process of detecting the position of the photographer's gaze as they look through the viewfinder. The process then proceeds to S1217.

[0189] In S1211, the system control unit 50 performs subject recognition processing on the image captured by the in-camera 170 and determines whether or not a face has been detected in the captured image. If it determines that a face has been detected in the image captured by the in-camera 170, the process proceeds to S1212; otherwise, the process proceeds to S1214.

[0190] In S1212, the system control unit 50 illuminates the EVF, similar to S1205. Then, the process proceeds to S1217.

[0191] In S1214, the system control unit 50 determines whether a playback / menu operation has been performed on the operation unit 70. This determination may be based on the type of operation unit that was operated (for example, the playback button 79 or the menu button 82), or on the type of process performed by the operation. If it is determined that a playback / menu operation has been performed, the system proceeds to S1301; otherwise, it proceeds to S1215.

[0192] In S1215, the system control unit determines whether the measurement time of the auto power-off timer has exceeded the threshold TH1. If it is determined that the measurement time of the auto power-off timer has exceeded the threshold TH1, the system proceeds to S1215; otherwise, it proceeds to S1204. The auto power-off timer is started in response to the display unit 28 / EVF29 being turned off. If there is no user operation, eyepiece detection, or face detection by the in-camera, and the display remains OFF for longer than the threshold TH1, the auto power-off function is executed. The threshold TH1 may be a fixed value, or it may be set by the user from a selection of values ​​such as 15 seconds / 30 seconds / 1 minute / 3 minutes / 5 minutes / 10 minutes / 30 minutes on the menu screen. The user may also be able to set a setting on the menu screen to not execute auto power-off. If it is set not to execute auto power-off, the auto power-off function and the processing related to the auto power-off timer are not executed. In other words, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1204 without executing the process in S1203, and also proceeds to S1204 without executing the process in S1215.

[0193] In S1216, the system control unit 50 turns off the power to the digital camera 100, executes the auto power-off function, and terminates the process.

[0194] In S1217, the system control unit 50 starts measuring the EVF off timer to determine whether to execute the viewfinder off function because the EVF 29 has been turned ON. The EVF off timer is a timer used to determine whether to execute the viewfinder off function, and this function will be described later. Note that the EVF off timer measurement is started only when the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is in the driven state (ON), and the EVF off timer remains stopped when the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is in the driven state.

[0195] In S1218, the system control unit 50 stops the auto power-off timer.

[0196] In S1219, the system control unit 50 determines whether the eyepiece detection result on the viewfinder by the eyepiece detection sensor 57 has changed. If the current eyepiece detection result is the same as the previous one and no change is determined, the system proceeds to S1224. If there has been a change since the previous time and the current eyepiece detection result is determined to be eye-separated (for example, if eye-separated was detected last time and eye-separated is detected this time, or if the eyepiece detection sensor 57 was OFF and did not detect anything last time but eye-separated is detected this time), the system proceeds to S1220. If there has been a change since the previous time and the current eyepiece detection result is determined to be eye-seated (for example, if eye-separated was detected last time and eye-seated is detected this time, or if the eyepiece detection sensor 57 was OFF and did not detect anything last time but eye-seated is detected this time), the system proceeds to S1222.

[0197] If the system control unit 50 determines that the user has switched to eyepiece mode, it starts measuring the non-eyepiece timer in S1220, turns off the eye-gaze detection unit 160 (eye-gaze detection sensor 164) in S1221, and proceeds to S1224.

[0198] If the system control unit 50 determines that the eyes have moved away from the eyepiece, it stops the non-eyepiece timer in S1222, turns on the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164) in S1223, and proceeds to S1224.

[0199] In S1224, the system control unit 50 determines whether an operation related to photography has occurred, similar to S1204. If an operation related to photography has occurred, the system proceeds to S1225; otherwise, it proceeds to S1227.

[0200] In S1225, the system control unit 50 executes processing corresponding to the shooting operation in S1224. Then, in S1226, because of the user's operation, the system control unit 50 resets the EVF off timer and the non-eyepiece timer. If the non-eyepiece timer is stopped, it remains stopped without being reset. Also, if the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is OFF, it is turned ON to activate eyepiece detection. After that, the process proceeds to S1219.

[0201] In S1227, the system control unit 50 determines, similar to S1214, whether or not there was an operation related to playback / menu. If there was an operation related to playback / menu, the process proceeds to S1301; otherwise, it proceeds to S1228.

[0202] In S1228, the system control unit 50 determines whether the digital camera 100 is currently taking a picture. If it is taking a picture, it returns to the process in S1224 without performing the EVF off timer and non-eyepiece timer determination processes in S1229 and S1231. If it is not taking a picture, it proceeds to S1229.

[0203] In S1229, the system control unit 50 determines whether the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold TH2. If the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold TH2, the process proceeds to S1230; otherwise, it proceeds to S1231. Note that if the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is in a stopped state, the EVF off timer is stopped, so this process is not executed and the process proceeds to S1231. The finder off function is executed when the EVF 29 is lit, the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is in a driven state, and the period of no user operation on the control unit 70 exceeds the threshold TH2. By executing the finder off function, the EVF 29 is turned off, and the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is also turned off. After the finder off function is executed, the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is OFF, so even if an object approaches the eyepiece detection sensor 57, the EVF 29 will not turn ON. If there is an operation on the control unit 70, the finder off function is reset, the EVF turns ON, and the eyepiece detection sensor 57 turns ON. The threshold TH2 may be a fixed value, or it may be set by the user from a selection of values ​​such as 1 minute / 3 minutes on the menu screen. Furthermore, the user may be able to set the viewfinder off function to not be executed on the menu screen. If the viewfinder off function is set to not be executed, the processing related to the viewfinder off function and the EVF off timer should not be executed. In that case, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1218 without executing the process in S1217, and also proceeds to S1231 without executing the process in S1229.

[0204] In S1230, the system control unit 50 turns off the eyepiece detection sensor 57 and proceeds to S1232.

[0205] In S1231, the system control unit 50 determines whether the non-eyepiece timer has exceeded the threshold TH3. If the non-eyepiece timer has exceeded the threshold TH3, the process proceeds to S1232. Otherwise, in S1232, the system control unit 50 stops the EVF off timer and the non-eyepiece timer. Then, the process proceeds to S1202. Then, the process proceeds to S1219.

[0206] In S1301, the system control unit 50 executes processing corresponding to the user's playback / menu operation determined in S1214 or S1227.

[0207] In S1302, the system control unit 50 resets / starts the EVF off timer and turns on the eyepiece detection sensor 57.

[0208] In S1303, the system control unit 50 determines whether the detection result from the eyepiece detection sensor 57 indicates that the eyepiece is in the eyepiece state. If it determines that the eyepiece is in the eyepiece state, the system proceeds to S1304; otherwise, it proceeds to S1316.

[0209] In S1304, the system control unit 50 turns on the EVF 29 to display the playback screen / menu screen on the EVF 29, and turns off the TFT 28 to hide it.

[0210] In step S1305, the system control unit 50 turns the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164) into an activated state (ON).

[0211] In S1306, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not there has been an operation related to playback / menu, similar to S1214 and S1227. If there has been an operation related to playback / menu, the process proceeds to S1307; otherwise, it proceeds to S1310.

[0212] In S1307, the system control unit 50 executes a process corresponding to the playback / menu operation in S1306. In S1308, the system control unit 50 resets the EVF off timer. In S1309, the system control unit 50 determines whether the process executed in S1307 was a process to change the display destination mode setting. If there was a change in the display destination mode setting, it proceeds to S1102; otherwise, it proceeds to S1310.

[0213] In S1310, the system control unit 50 determines whether an operation to terminate playback / menu has been performed. Specifically, this includes operations such as pressing the menu button 82 or the shutter button 61, which terminate the display of the playback / menu screen and transition to shooting mode. If an operation to terminate playback / menu has been performed, the process proceeds to S1311; otherwise, it proceeds to S1312.

[0214] In S1311, the system control unit 50 executes the process corresponding to the operation determined in S1310 and proceeds to S1217 to transition to shooting mode.

[0215] In S1312, the system control unit 50 determines whether the eyepiece detection sensor 57 has detected eye separation. If eye separation is detected, the process proceeds to S1316; otherwise, it proceeds to S1313.

[0216] In S1313, the system control unit 50 determines whether the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold TH2. If it determines that the EVF off timer has exceeded TH2, the system proceeds to S1314; otherwise, it proceeds to S1306.

[0217] In S1314, the system control unit 50 performs the viewfinder off function by turning off the eyepiece detection sensor 57, and then proceeds to S1315. The process of turning off the display of the EVF 29 is performed in S1315.

[0218] In S1315, the system control unit 50 turns off both the EVF29 and TFT28, making them invisible, and then proceeds to S1202.

[0219] In S1316, the system control unit 50 starts measuring the monitor off timer. The monitor off timer is a timer used to determine whether to execute the monitor off function, which will be described later.

[0220] In S1317, the system control unit 50 turns on the TFT 28 to display the playback screen / menu screen on the TFT 28, and turns off the EVF 29 to hide it.

[0221] In S1318, the system control unit 50 turns off the drive of the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164).

[0222] In S1319, the system control unit 50 determines, similar to S1306, whether or not there was an operation related to playback / menu. If there was an operation related to playback / menu, the process proceeds to S131320; otherwise, it proceeds to S1323.

[0223] In S1320, the system control unit 50 executes processing corresponding to the playback / menu operation in S1319. In S1321, the system control unit 50 resets (starts measurement) both the monitor off timer and the EVF off timer. Furthermore, if the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is in a stopped state, it turns it on. In S1322, similar to S1309, the system control unit 50 determines whether the processing executed in S1320 was a process to change the display destination mode setting. If there was a change in the display destination mode setting, it proceeds to S1102; otherwise, it proceeds to S1323.

[0224] In S1323, the system control unit 50 determines, similar to S1310, whether an operation to instruct the end of playback / menu has been performed. If an operation to instruct the end of playback / menu has been performed, the process proceeds to S1324; otherwise, it proceeds to S1325.

[0225] In S1324, the system control unit 50 executes the process corresponding to the operation in S1323 and proceeds to the process in S1315. When exiting the playback / menu screen in S1324, the eyes are turned off, so the display of the EVF29 and TFT28 is turned OFF when transitioning to shooting mode. Therefore, after the process in S1324, the process in S1315 is executed and the process in shooting mode proceeds to S1202.

[0226] In S1325, the system control unit 50 determines whether the eyepiece detection sensor 57 has detected an eyepiece. If an eyepiece is detected, the process proceeds to S1304; otherwise, it proceeds to S1326. If the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is in a stopped state due to the processing in S1328 described later, the process in S1325 is skipped and the process proceeds to S1326.

[0227] In S1326, the system control unit 50 determines whether the monitor off timer has exceeded the threshold TH4. If it determines that the monitor off timer has exceeded TH4, it proceeds to S1315 to execute the monitor off function; otherwise, it proceeds to S1327. The monitor off function is a function that turns off the display of the TFT28 when the TFT28 is in the display state (ON) and the period without user operation or change in eyepiece detection exceeds the threshold TH4. This threshold TH4 may be a fixed value, or it may be set by the user from values ​​such as 5 seconds / 15 seconds / 30 seconds / 1 minute / 3 minutes / 5 minutes / 10 minutes / 30 minutes on the menu screen. Alternatively, the user may set a setting on the menu screen to not execute the monitor off function. If it is set not to execute the monitor off function, it is appropriate to not execute the processing related to the monitor off function and the monitor off timer.

[0228] In S1327, the system control unit 50 determines whether the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold TH2. If it determines that the EVF off timer has exceeded TH2, the system proceeds to S1328; otherwise, it proceeds to S1319.

[0229] In S1328, the system control unit 50 turns off the eyepiece detection sensor 57 and proceeds to S1319.

[0230] The above describes the display process when the display mode is set to viewfinder priority.

[0231] When viewfinder priority is set, the TFT28 is turned off when the shooting mode, i.e., the shooting screen, is displayed. The EVF29 is then illuminated in response to user operation, eyepiece detection, and face detection by the front camera, and information is displayed on the EVF29. In contrast, when the playback mode / menu screen is displayed, i.e., when the playback screen / menu screen is displayed, the display on the EVF29 and the TFT28 are automatically switched according to the result of eyepiece detection. In this case, the display switching is not performed using the face detection result from the front camera. In other words, when the playback mode / menu screen is displayed, the display will correspond to the automatic switching display process. This is because even users who use the EVF29 in shooting mode often operate the control unit 70 while looking at the TFT28 when using the playback mode / menu screen. Note that in playback mode / menu screen, data captured by the front camera 170 is not used, so the front camera 170 is set to a deactivated state. The front camera 170 may be switched to an activated state when the camera switches to shooting mode.

[0232] Furthermore, if the viewfinder off function is enabled in playback mode / menu screen display, the eyepiece detection sensor 57 will stop operating once the viewfinder off function is executed. Therefore, even if the approach status of an object to the eyepiece detection sensor 57 changes, the display will not switch. Subsequently, by performing a user operation on the control panel, the viewfinder off function (EVF off timer) is reset, and the eyepiece detection sensor 57 becomes operational again, allowing the automatic switching of the display destination according to the eyepiece detection result to resume.

[0233] In the above explanation, since the digital camera 100 is assumed to be started in shooting mode in Figure 11, the viewfinder-priority display processing is started from S1201 in Figure 12. However, in playback mode, it may be executed from S1301 in Figure 13. In particular, if display processing is executed in another display destination mode, a switch to playback mode / menu screen is made, and then the display destination mode is changed to viewfinder priority, the viewfinder-priority display processing should be started on the playback mode / menu screen. Therefore, in such cases, it is preferable to execute from S1301 in Figure 13. When executing from S1301, the in-camera 170 should be put into a driving state at S1301, or if the camera then transitions to shooting mode, the in-camera 170 should be put into a driving state thereafter.

[0234] Furthermore, in the above explanation, when S1313 is answered with Yes and the viewfinder off function is executed, and when S1326 is answered with Yes and the monitor off function is executed, the display is turned OFF in S1315, and then the process transitions to the shooting mode display process in S1202. However, it is also acceptable to continue in playback mode. In that case, after transitioning to S1202, S1202 and S1203 are executed, and then, among the judgment processes in S12041, S1208, S1211, S1214, and S1215, the judgment processes in S1208 and S1211 should be omitted.

[0235] (Display processing with fixed monitor) The display process for fixed monitor settings will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 14. 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 the system memory 52. ​​This process continues until the power to the digital camera 100 is turned off.

[0236] In S1401, the system control unit 50 turns on the TFT 28 to display information according to the current mode (shooting mode, playback mode, menu screen display), and turns off the EVF 29 to make it invisible. Then, it stops the eyepiece detection sensor 57, the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164), and the in-camera 170.

[0237] In S1402, the system control unit 50 starts measuring the monitor off timer.

[0238] In S1403, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not there has been a user operation on the operation unit 70 and whether or not shooting is currently in progress. If there has been a user operation or if shooting is in progress, the process proceeds to S1404; otherwise, it proceeds to S1407.

[0239] In S1404, the system control unit 50 executes the corresponding processing during the operation / shooting described in S1403.

[0240] In S1405, the system control unit 50 resets the monitor off timer and starts the measurement.

[0241] In S1406, the system control unit 50 determines whether the process executed in S1404 was a process to change the display destination mode setting. If there was a change in the display destination mode setting, it proceeds to S1102; otherwise, it proceeds to S1407.

[0242] In S1407, the system control unit 50 determines whether the monitor off timer has exceeded the threshold TH4. If it determines that the monitor off timer has exceeded the threshold TH4, the system proceeds to S1408; otherwise, it proceeds to S1403.

[0243] In S1408, the system control unit 50 turns off the TFT 28, making it invisible.

[0244] In S1409, the system control unit 50 starts measuring the auto power-off timer.

[0245] In S1410, the system control unit 50 determines whether there has been a user operation on the operation unit 70. If there has been an operation, the system proceeds to S1411; otherwise, it proceeds to S1413.

[0246] In S1411, the system control unit 50 executes the process corresponding to the operation in S1410, and in S1412, it stops the auto power-off timer and proceeds to S1401 to resume display on the TFT28 (monitor).

[0247] In S1413, the system control unit 50 determines whether the auto power-off timer has exceeded the threshold TH1. If it has exceeded the threshold, it proceeds to S1414; otherwise, it proceeds to S1401.

[0248] In S1414, the system control unit 50 turns off the power to the digital camera 100 and terminates the process.

[0249] Thus, when the display mode is set to fixed to the monitor, the display is shown on the TFT28 and not on the EVF29. Also, the display processing is not differentiated between shooting mode and playback mode / menu screen display. Furthermore, the auto power off function and monitor off function are executed, but as mentioned above, if these functions are not set to be executed, the processing related to the auto power off function and monitor off function will not be executed.

[0250] (Display processing with viewfinder fixed) The display process for fixing the viewfinder will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 15. 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 the system memory 52. ​​This process continues until the power to the digital camera 100 is turned off.

[0251] In S1501, the system control unit 50 turns on the EVF 29 to display information according to the current mode (shooting mode, playback mode, menu screen display), and turns off the TFT 28 to make it invisible. Then, it drives the eyepiece detection sensor 57, drives the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164), and stops the in-camera 170.

[0252] In S1502, the system control unit 50 starts measuring the EVF off timer.

[0253] In S1503, the system control unit 50 determines whether the eyepiece detection sensor 57 has detected an eyepiece. If an eyepiece is detected, the process proceeds to S1504; if an eyepiece is not detected, i.e., if the eyepiece is not positioned away from the eyepiece, the process proceeds to S1505.

[0254] In S1504, the system control unit 50 turns on the EVF 29 to display information, turns on the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164), and proceeds to S1506. Note that if the EVF and gaze detection sensor are already ON, this process may be skipped. In S1505, the system control unit 50 turns off the EVF 29 to hide it, turns off the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164), and proceeds to S1506. Note that if the EVF and gaze detection sensor are already OFF, this process may be skipped.

[0255] In S1506, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not there has been a user operation on the operation unit 70 and whether or not shooting is currently in progress. If there has been a user operation or if shooting is in progress, the process proceeds to S1507; otherwise, it proceeds to S1511.

[0256] In S1507, the system control unit 50 executes the corresponding processing during the operation / imaging described in S1406.

[0257] In S1508, the system control unit 50 resets the EVF off timer and starts measurement. If the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is in a stopped state, it is then activated.

[0258] In S1509, if the EVF is OFF, the system control unit 50 turns on the EVF to display information and activates the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164).

[0259] In S1510, the system control unit 50 determines whether the process executed in S1507 was a process to change the display destination mode setting. If there was a change in the display destination mode setting, it proceeds to S1102; otherwise, it proceeds to S1511.

[0260] In S1511, the system control unit 50 determines whether the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold TH2. If it determines that the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold TH2, the system proceeds to S1512; otherwise, it proceeds to S1503.

[0261] In S1512, the system control unit 50 turns off the EVF 29, making it invisible. It then stops the eyepiece detection sensor 57 and the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164).

[0262] In S1513, the system control unit 50 starts measuring the auto power-off timer.

[0263] In S1514, the system control unit 50 determines whether there has been a user operation on the operation unit 70. If there has been an operation, the system proceeds to S1515; otherwise, it proceeds to S1517.

[0264] In S1515, the system control unit 50 executes the process corresponding to the operation in S1514, and in S1516, it stops the auto power-off timer and proceeds to S1501 to resume display on the EVF29 (viewfinder).

[0265] In S1517, the system control unit 50 determines whether the auto power-off timer has exceeded the threshold TH1. If it has exceeded the threshold, it proceeds to S1518; otherwise, it proceeds to S1514.

[0266] In S1518, the system control unit 50 turns off the power to the digital camera 100 and terminates the process.

[0267] Thus, when the display mode is set to fixed to the viewfinder, the display is shown on the EVF29 and not on the TFT28. Furthermore, the EVF29 displays when eyepiece detection occurs and hides when the eye is not focused. Also, there is no distinction in display processing between shooting mode and playback mode / menu screen display. The auto power-off and viewfinder-off functions are executed, however, as mentioned above, if these functions are disabled, the processing related to the auto power-off and viewfinder-off functions will not be performed.

[0268] (Automatic switching display process) The automatic switching (auto) display process will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 16. 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 the system memory 52. ​​This process continues until the power of the digital camera 100 is turned off.

[0269] In S1601, the system control unit 50 activates the eyepiece detection sensor 57 to start eyepiece detection in the viewfinder and deactivates the in-camera 170.

[0270] In S1602, the system control unit 50 determines whether the eyepiece detection sensor 57 has detected an eyepiece. If an eyepiece is detected, the process proceeds to S1613 to perform processing for monitor display. If the eyepiece is not detected to be separated from the eyepiece, the process proceeds to S1603 to perform processing for EVF display.

[0271] In S1603, the system control unit 50 starts measurement by the monitor-off timer.

[0272] In S1604, the system control unit 50 turns on (ON) the TFT 28 to perform information display, and turns off the EVF 29 to set it to a non-display state. Further, the system control unit 50 sets the gaze detection unit 160 to a drive stop state.

[0273] In S1605, similarly to S1403, the system control unit 50 determines whether a user operation on the operation unit 70 has been performed, or whether a shooting operation is currently in progress. If a user operation has been performed or shooting is in progress, the process proceeds to S1606, and if not, the process proceeds to S1609.

[0274] In S1606, the system control unit 50 executes processing corresponding to the operation / shooting in progress in S1605.

[0275] In S1607, the system control unit 50 resets the monitor-off timer and starts measurement. If the EVF-off timer is under measurement, the EVF-off timer is also reset and measurement is started. If the EVF-off timer is in a measurement stopped state, measurement does not need to be started. Further, if the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is OFF, the system control unit 50 sets it to a driven state.

[0276] In S1608, the system control unit 50 determines whether the processing executed in S1606 is display destination mode setting change processing. If there has been a display destination mode setting change, the process proceeds to S1102, and if not, the process proceeds to S1609.

[0277] In S1609, the system control unit 50 determines whether an eyepiece is detected by the eyepiece detection sensor 57. If an eyepiece is detected, the process proceeds to S1614 to perform automatic display switching to the EVF 29, and if not, the process proceeds to S1610. Note that if the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is in a drive stop state, the processing of S1609 is not executed, and the process proceeds to S1610.

[0278] In S1610, the system control unit 50 determines whether the monitor off timer has exceeded the threshold TH4. If it determines that the monitor off timer has exceeded the threshold TH4, the process proceeds to S1622; otherwise, the process proceeds to S1611.

[0279] In S1611, the system control unit 50 determines whether the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold TH2. If it determines that the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold TH2, the system proceeds to S1612; otherwise, it proceeds to S1616.

[0280] In S1612, the system control unit deactivates the eyepiece detection sensor 57 and proceeds to S1616.

[0281] In S1613, the system control unit 50 starts measuring the EVF off timer.

[0282] In S1614, the system control unit 50 turns on the EVF 29 to display information and turns off the TFT 28 to disable it. Furthermore, it activates the gaze detection unit 160.

[0283] In S1615, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not there has been a user operation on the operation unit 70 and whether or not shooting is currently in progress. If there has been a user operation or if shooting is in progress, the process proceeds to S1616; otherwise, it proceeds to S1619.

[0284] In S1616, the system control unit 50 executes the corresponding processing during the operation / imaging described in S1615.

[0285] In S1617, the system control unit 50 resets the EVF off timer and starts measurement. If the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is in a stopped state, it is then activated.

[0286] In S1618, the system control unit 50 determines whether the process executed in S1616 was a process to change the display destination mode setting. If there was a change in the display destination mode setting, it proceeds to S1102; otherwise, it proceeds to S1619.

[0287] In S1619, the system control unit 50 determines whether the eyepiece detection sensor 57 has detected eye separation. If eye separation is detected, the process proceeds to S1603 to automatically switch the display to the TFT 28; otherwise, the process proceeds to S1620.

[0288] In S1620, the system control unit 50 determines whether the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold TH2. If it determines that the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold TH2, the process proceeds to S1621; otherwise, it proceeds to S1615.

[0289] In S1621, the system control unit deactivates the eyepiece detection sensor 57 and proceeds to S1622.

[0290] In S1622, the system control unit 50 turns off the TFT 28 to make it invisible, and turns off the EVF 29 to make it invisible. It also stops the eyepiece detection sensor 57 from being driven.

[0291] In S1623, the system control unit 50 starts measuring the auto power-off timer.

[0292] In S1624, the system control unit 50 determines whether the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold TH2. If it determines that the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold TH2, it proceeds to S1625; otherwise, it proceeds to S1626. In S1625, the system control unit stops the eyepiece detection sensor 57 from driving and proceeds to S1626. If it has already been determined in S1620 that the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold TH2, it is preferable to skip the S1624 and S1625 processes and proceed directly to S1626.

[0293] In S1626, the system control unit 50 determines whether there has been a user operation on the operation unit 70. If there is an operation, the process proceeds to S1627, and if not, the process proceeds to S1629.

[0294] The system control unit 50 executes processing corresponding to the operation in S1626 at S1627, stops the auto power off timer at S1628, then proceeds to S1601 to resume display on the TFT 28 or the EVF 29.

[0295] In S1629, the system control unit 50 determines whether the auto power off timer has exceeded a threshold TH1. If it is determined that the threshold is exceeded, the process proceeds to S1630, and if not, the process proceeds to S1624.

[0296] In S1630, the system control unit 50 turns off the power of the digital camera 100 and terminates the processing.

[0297] In this way, when the display destination mode setting is auto (automatic switching), the display on the TFT and the display on the EVF 29 are switched according to the result of eye proximity detection. Further, the display processing is not distinguished between the shooting mode and the playback mode / menu screen display. Then, the auto power off function, the finder off function, and the monitor off function are executed, but as described above, when the setting is made not to execute these functions, the processing related to the auto power off function and the finder off function is not executed. When execution of the finder off function is set, once the finder off function is executed, the eye proximity detection sensor 57 enters a drive stop state, so even if the approach state of an object to the eye proximity detection sensor 57 changes, display switching is not performed. The finder off function (EVF off timer) is reset by a user operation on the operation unit, and the eye proximity detection sensor 57 enters a driving state, whereby automatic switching of the display destination according to the result of eye proximity detection is performed again.

[0298] <Other Embodiments> The various controls described above, which are performed by the system control unit 50, may be performed by a single piece of hardware, or multiple pieces of hardware (for example, multiple processors or circuits) may share the processing to control the entire device.

[0299] 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.

[0300] 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.

[0301] Furthermore, the disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration, method, program, and storage medium.

[0302] [Configuration 1] An imaging device having a first display unit located within the viewfinder and a second display unit different from the first display unit, An approach detection means capable of detecting the approach of an object to the viewfinder, Control means for controlling the display on the first display unit and the display on the second display unit, A setting means for setting the display destination mode, It has, The control means, when the first display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, controls the imaging device to display on the first display unit and not on the second display unit in shooting mode, and in playback mode or menu screen display mode, controls the device to switch between displaying on the first display unit and displaying on the second display unit according to the detection result by the proximity detection means. An imaging device characterized by the following features.

[0303] [Configuration 2] The imaging device according to Configuration 1, characterized in that, when the second display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, the control means controls the switching between the display on the first display unit and the display on the second display unit in accordance with the detection result by the proximity detection means, regardless of whether the imaging device is in shooting mode, playback mode or menu screen display mode.

[0304] [Configuration 3] The imaging device according to configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that, when the third display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, the control means controls the imaging device to display on the first display unit without displaying on the second display unit, regardless of whether the imaging device is in shooting mode, playback mode, or menu screen display mode.

[0305] [Structure 4] The imaging device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that when the fourth display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, the control means controls the imaging device to display on the second display unit without displaying on the first display unit, regardless of whether the imaging device is in shooting mode, playback mode, or menu screen display mode.

[0306] [Composition 5] The control means is If a second display destination mode is set as the aforementioned display destination mode, the system controls the display to switch between the display on the first display unit and the display on the second display unit, regardless of whether the imaging device is in shooting mode, playback mode, or menu screen display mode, according to the detection result by the proximity detection means. If the third display destination mode is set as the aforementioned display destination mode, the system is controlled to display on the first display unit without displaying on the second display unit, regardless of whether the imaging device is in shooting mode, playback mode, or menu screen display mode. If the fourth display destination mode is set as the aforementioned display destination mode, the system controls the system to display on the second display unit instead of the first display unit, regardless of whether the imaging device is in shooting mode, playback mode, or menu screen display mode. The imaging apparatus according to configuration 1, characterized by the features described above.

[0307] [Composition 6] The system includes a display control means that controls the display of the following setting items for setting the display destination mode: an I setting item for setting the first display destination mode, and a second setting item for selecting the second, third, and fourth display destination modes, on the menu screen display. The setting means is, If the first display destination mode is set in the setting item I above, the first display destination mode is set as the display destination mode. If the first display destination mode is not set in the setting item I above, the display destination mode selected in the second setting item is set as the display destination mode. The imaging apparatus according to configuration 5, characterized in that it is a device.

[0308] [Composition 7] The imaging apparatus according to configuration 6, characterized in that the display control means controls the second setting item to be grayed out when the first display destination mode is set in the setting item I.

[0309] [Structure 8] The imaging apparatus according to configuration 6 or 7, characterized in that the setting means makes it impossible to change the setting for the second setting item when the first display destination mode is set in the setting item I.

[0310] [Composition 9] It has a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit that images the side of the first display unit, The imaging apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, characterized in that, when the first display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, the control means controls the first display unit to switch from a non-display state to a display state in response to detecting that a face is included in the image captured by the second imaging unit.

[0311] [Configuration 10] The imaging device according to configuration 9, characterized in that, when the first display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, in the shooting mode, the control means controls the first display unit to switch from a hidden state to a displayed state in response to the detection that a face is included in the image captured by the second imaging unit, and in the playback mode or menu screen display mode, the control means controls the display to switch between the display on the first display unit and the display on the second display unit in response to the detection result by the proximity detection means without using the second imaging unit.

[0312] [Method 1] A control method for an imaging device having a first display unit located within a viewfinder and a second display unit different from the first display unit, A proximity detection step capable of detecting the approach of an object to the viewfinder, A control process for controlling the display on the first display unit and the display on the second display unit, The setup process for setting the display destination mode, It has, In the control step described above, if the first display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, in shooting mode, the control is performed to display on the first display unit and not on the second display unit, and in playback mode or menu screen display, the control is performed to switch between displaying on the first display unit and displaying on the second display unit according to the detection result by the proximity detection means. A control method for an imaging device, characterized by the following:

[0313] [program] A program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of an imaging apparatus described in any of configurations 1 to 10.

[0314] [Storage medium] A computer-readable storage medium on which a program is recorded causing the computer to function as one of the means of the imaging apparatus described in any of configurations 1 to 10.

Claims

1. An imaging device having a first display unit located within the viewfinder and a second display unit different from the first display unit, An approach detection means capable of detecting the approach of an object to the viewfinder, Control means for controlling the display on the first display unit and the display on the second display unit, A setting means for setting the display destination mode, It has, When the first display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, the control means controls the display of the shooting screen to be shown on the first display unit and not on the second display unit, and when the playback screen or menu screen is displayed, it controls the display to switch between the display on the first display unit and the display on the second display unit according to the detection result by the proximity detection means. An imaging device characterized by the following features.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the second display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, the control means controls the switching between the display on the first display unit and the display on the second display unit according to the detection result by the proximity detection means, regardless of whether the shooting screen, playback screen, or menu screen is displayed.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that when the third display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, the control means controls the display to be shown on the first display unit without showing anything on the second display unit, regardless of whether the shooting screen, playback screen, or menu screen is shown.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that when the fourth display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, the control means controls the display to be shown on the second display unit and not on the first display unit, regardless of whether the shooting screen, playback screen, or menu screen is displayed.

5. The control means is If the second display destination mode is set as the aforementioned display destination mode, the system controls the display to switch between the display on the first display unit and the display on the second display unit, regardless of whether the shooting screen, playback screen, or menu screen is displayed, according to the detection result by the proximity detection means. If the third display destination mode is set as the aforementioned display destination mode, the system controls the system to display the image on the first display unit without displaying the image on the second display unit, regardless of whether the shooting screen, playback screen, or menu screen is displayed. If the fourth display destination mode is set as the aforementioned display destination mode, the system controls the system to display the image on the second display unit without displaying anything on the first display unit, regardless of whether the shooting screen, playback screen, or menu screen is displayed. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

6. The system includes a display control means that controls the display of the following setting items for setting the display destination mode: an I setting item for setting the first display destination mode, and a second setting item for selecting the second, third, and fourth display destination modes, on the menu screen display. The setting means is, If the first display destination mode is set in the setting item I above, the first display destination mode is set as the display destination mode. If the first display destination mode is not set in the setting item I above, the display destination mode selected in the second setting item is set as the display destination mode. The imaging apparatus according to feature 5.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the display control means controls the second setting item to be grayed out when the first display destination mode is set in the setting item I.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, when the first display destination mode is set in the setting item I, the setting means makes it impossible to change the setting for the second setting item.

9. It has a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit that images the side of the first display unit, The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the first display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, the control means controls the first display unit to switch from a non-display state to a display state in response to detecting that a face is included in the image captured by the second imaging unit.

10. The imaging device according to claim 9, characterized in that when the first display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, the control means controls the first display unit to switch from a hidden state to a displayed state when displaying the shooting screen, in response to the detection that a face is included in the image captured by the second imaging unit, and when displaying the playback screen or menu screen, the control means controls the display to switch between the display on the first display unit and the display on the second display unit in response to the detection result by the proximity detection means, without using the second imaging unit.

11. A control method for an imaging device having a first display unit located within a viewfinder and a second display unit different from the first display unit, A proximity detection step capable of detecting the approach of an object to the viewfinder, A control process for controlling the display on the first display unit and the display on the second display unit, The setup process for setting the display destination mode, It has, In the control step described above, if the first display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, when displaying the shooting screen, the control is performed so that it is displayed on the first display unit and not on the second display unit, and when displaying the playback screen or menu screen, the control is performed so that the display on the first display unit and the display on the second display unit are switched according to the detection result by the proximity detection means. A control method for an imaging device, characterized by the following:

12. A program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of an imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. A computer-readable storage medium on which a program is recorded causing the computer to function as each of the means of the imaging apparatus described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

Images