Imaging device, control method thereof, and program

Abstract

To allow motion photographing without requiring a complicated setting change to improve convenience.SOLUTION: For each of recording media 200 determined to be in a mounted state, a photographing enabled state or a photographing disabled state is determined based on a recording speed and a recording condition. In a simultaneous recording mode, if any one of the recording media 200 determined to be in the mounted state is in the photographing disabled state, simultaneous recording is inhibited. When a result of determination on the mounting of one of the recording media 200 is switched from the mounted state to a non-mounted state during the inhibition of the simultaneous recording, single recording of moving image information in the other of the recording media 200 is permitted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an imaging device capable of recording moving images, and a control method and program thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Imaging devices such as digital cameras having a function of shooting moving images are known. In these devices, when shooting moving images, the moving image information is stored in a temporary storage area and then written to a recording medium such as a memory card or a hard disk. However, in recent years, the bit rate of the recording quality of moving images has improved, and depending on the recording medium, the speed at which moving image information is written to the temporary storage area may be faster than the recording speed (writing speed), and the temporary storage area may become full. In such a case, the moving image shooting may stop after shooting has started. In response to this, a technology has been proposed that does not allow shooting to start when a recording medium with a slow recording speed is set to record at a high bit rate.

[0003] On the other hand, imaging devices are also known that can accommodate multiple recording media and have a simultaneous recording mode in which moving image information is recorded simultaneously on multiple recording media. In this simultaneous recording mode, if the multiple recording media loaded include recording media with slow recording speeds, it becomes impossible to record moving images with a video shooting setting that requires a high bit rate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-313978 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2014-33354 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As described above, if there is a situation where recording cannot be performed on any of the recording media due to a combination of recording conditions such as bit rate and recording speed, the action shooting itself can be performed by changing the settings so that the recording destination is limited to recording media that can be recorded. However, changing the settings is time-consuming and inconvenient.

[0006] On the other hand, Patent Document 1 proposes a method for recording only to one recording medium when simultaneous recording of moving images is possible because the temperature is below a standard. Patent Document 2 proposes a method for recording only to the other recording medium when simultaneous recording of moving images is possible because the free space on one recording medium is exhausted. Patent Documents 1 and 2 provide a solution to the inability to record moving images due to temperature or free space on the recording medium. However, they do not provide a solution for the case where simultaneous recording of moving images is not possible due to a problem with the combination of recording conditions and recording speed.

[0007] The present invention aims to improve convenience by enabling action shooting without requiring troublesome setting changes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention Imaging device is a device that can hold a recording medium. Two a setting unit for setting image recording conditions; Two To the mounting part each Installed Two Whether or not an image can be recorded on the recording medium is determined based on the recording conditions set by the setting means. each A determination means for determining Two The attachment parts are attached to Two In a simultaneous recording mode for recording an image on the recording medium, Two At least one of the recording media About the recording medium When the determination means determines that the image cannot be recorded, Two of images to the recording medium simultaneous and a control means for controlling the recording so as to prohibit recording, wherein the control means, in the simultaneous recording mode, One of the two recording media is determined to be capable of recording an image, but the other recording medium is determined to be incapable of recording an image. The above Two of images to the recording medium simultaneous Prohibit recording If , the above The other The recording medium is no longer attached to the mounting portion. Depending on , the above On the other hand Image transfer to recording medium single Allow recording Control so that It is characterized by: Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to perform action shooting without making it necessary to make complicated setting changes, thereby improving convenience. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external view of an imaging device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a digital camera. [Diagram 3] 13 is a flowchart showing a main process. [Figure 4] 13 is a flowchart showing a single recording process. [Diagram 5] 13 is a flowchart showing a simultaneous recording process. [Figure 6] 13 is a flowchart showing a simultaneous recording process. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a notification screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a notification screen. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a notification screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] 1(a) and (b) are external views of an imaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This imaging device is configured as a digital camera 100. In particular, Fig. 1(a) is a front perspective view of the digital camera 100, and Fig. 1(b) is a rear perspective view of the digital camera 100. The present invention is applicable to imaging devices having a video capture function.

[0013] The display unit 28 is provided on the rear surface of the digital camera 100, and displays images and various information. The touch panel 70a can detect touch operations on the display surface (touch operation surface) of the display unit 28. The outside-finder display unit 43 is provided on the top surface of the digital camera 100, and displays various settings of the digital camera 100, including the shutter speed and aperture. The shutter button 61 is an operation member for issuing shooting instructions. The mode change switch 60 is an operation member for switching between various modes. The terminal cover 40 is a cover that protects a connector (not shown) for a connection cable or the like that connects the digital camera 100 to an external device.

[0014] The main electronic dial 71 is a rotary operation member. The user can change settings such as shutter speed and aperture by turning the main electronic dial 71. The power switch 72 is an operation member that switches the power of the digital camera 100 between ON and OFF. The sub electronic dial 73 is a rotary operation member. The user can move the selection frame (cursor) and advance images by turning the sub electronic dial 73. The four-way key 74 is configured so that the up, down, left, and right parts can each be pressed, and a process corresponding to the part of the four-way key 74 that is pressed is executed. The SET button 75 is a push button, and is mainly used to confirm a selection item, etc.

[0015] The video button 76 is used to start and stop video shooting (recording). The AE lock button 77 is a push button, and when the user presses the AE lock button 77 in shooting standby mode, the exposure state can be fixed. The enlarge button 78 is an operation button for switching the enlargement mode ON and OFF in the live view display (LV display) in shooting mode. The user can enlarge or reduce the live view image (LV image) by operating the main electronic dial 71 after turning on the enlargement mode. In playback mode, the enlargement button 78 functions as an operation button for enlarging the playback image and increasing the magnification ratio.

[0016] The playback button 79 is an operation button for switching between the shooting mode and the playback mode. When the user presses the playback button 79 during the shooting mode, the mode is switched to the playback mode, and the latest image among the images recorded on the recording medium 200 (FIG. 2) can be displayed on the display unit 28. The menu button 81 is a push button used to perform an instruction operation to display a menu screen, and when the menu button 81 is pressed, a menu screen on which various settings can be made 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 four-way key 74, and the SET button 75.

[0017] The touch bar 82 (multifunction bar: M-Fn bar) is a line-shaped touch operation member (line touch sensor) capable of receiving touch operations. The touch bar 82 is disposed at a position where it can be touched by the thumb of the right hand when the grip part 90 is held in the right hand so that the shutter button 61 can be pressed by the index finger of the right hand. The touch bar 82 can receive tap operations (operations of touching and releasing without moving within a predetermined period of time) and slide operations to the left and right (operations of touching and then moving the touched position while keeping the touch) on the touch bar 82. The touch bar 82 is an operation member different from the touch panel 70a, and does not have a display function.

[0018] The communication terminal 10 is a communication terminal for the digital camera 100 to communicate with the lens unit 150 (FIG. 2). The eyepiece 16 is a portion of the eyepiece finder 17 that is placed in front of the eye. The user can view an image displayed on an internal EVF (Electronic View Finder) 29 (FIG. 2) through the eyepiece 16. The eyepiece detection unit 57 is an eyepiece detection sensor that detects whether or not the user (photographer) places his / her eye on the eyepiece 16. The cover 202 is a cover for a slot that stores a recording medium 200 (FIG. 2). The grip unit 90 is a holding unit that is shaped so that the user can easily hold it with the right hand when holding the digital camera 100. The shutter button 61 and the main electronic dial 71 are arranged at positions that can be operated by the index finger of the right hand when the digital camera 100 is held by holding the grip unit 90 with the little finger, ring finger, and middle finger of the right hand. In the same state, the sub electronic dial 73 and the touch bar 82 are arranged at positions that can be operated by the thumb of the right hand. Thumb rest section 91 (thumb standby position) is a grip member provided at a position on the rear side of digital camera 100 where it is easy to place the thumb of the right hand when gripping grip section 90 without operating any of the operation members. Thumb rest section 91 is made of a rubber member or the like to enhance holding power (grip feeling).

[0019] 2 is a block diagram of digital camera 100. Lens unit 150 is detachable from digital camera 100. In other words, digital camera 100 is an image capture device body that allows lens replacement. Note that the present invention may also be applied to an image capture device with an integrated lens.

[0020] The lens unit 150 is a lens unit that has a photographing lens mounted thereon. The lens 103 is usually composed of multiple lenses, but is shown in FIG. 2 as a single lens for simplicity. The communication terminal 6 is a communication terminal that allows the lens unit 150 to communicate with the digital camera 100, and the communication terminal 10 is a communication terminal that allows the digital camera 100 to communicate with the lens unit 150. 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 unit 2 by the internal lens system control unit 4. The lens unit 150 also adjusts the focus by displacing the position of the lens 103 via the AF drive unit 3 by the lens system control unit 4.

[0021] The shutter 101 is a focal plane shutter that can freely control the exposure time of the imaging unit 22 under the control of the system control unit 50. The imaging unit 22 is an imaging element (image sensor) composed of a CCD, CMOS element, or the like that converts an optical image into an electrical signal. The imaging unit 22 may have an imaging surface 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.

[0022] The image processing unit 24 performs predetermined processing (pixel interpolation, resizing such as reduction, 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 arithmetic processing using the captured image data, and the system control unit 50 performs exposure control and distance measurement control based on the arithmetic results obtained by the image processing unit 24. This allows TTL (through-the-lens) type AF (autofocus) processing, AE (autoexposure) processing, EF (flash pre-flash) processing, etc. to be performed. The image processing unit 24 further performs predetermined arithmetic processing using the captured image data, and performs TTL type AWB (auto white balance) processing based on the obtained arithmetic results.

[0023] 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, and image data to be displayed on the display unit 28 and EVF 29. The memory 32 has a storage capacity sufficient to store a predetermined number of still images and a predetermined period of moving images and audio.

[0024] The memory 32 also serves as a memory for image display (video memory). The D / A converter 19 converts the image display data stored in the memory 32 into an analog signal and supplies it to the display unit 28 or the EVF 29. In this way, the display image data written in the memory 32 is displayed on the display unit 28 or the EVF 29 via the D / A converter 19. The display unit 28 and the EVF 29 are displays such as LCDs and organic EL displays, and perform display according to the analog signal from the D / A converter 19. The digital signal that has been A / D converted by the A / D converter 23 and stored in the memory 32 is converted into an analog signal in the D / A converter 19, and the analog signal is sequentially transferred to and displayed on the display unit 28 or the EVF 29, thereby enabling a live view display (LV).

[0025] The system control unit 50 is a control unit made up of at least one processor and / or at least one circuit, and controls the entire digital camera 100. The system control unit 50 realizes each process described below by executing programs recorded in the non-volatile memory 56. The system control unit 50 also performs display control by controlling the memory 32, the D / A converter 19, the display unit 28, the EVF 29, etc.

[0026] The system memory 52 is, for example, a RAM, and the system control unit 50 loads constants and variables for the operation of the system control unit 50 as well as programs and the like read from the non-volatile memory 56 into the system memory 52. ​​The non-volatile memory 56 is an electrically erasable and recordable memory, for example, an EEPROM. The non-volatile memory 56 records constants and programs and the like for the operation of the system control unit 50. The programs referred to here include programs for executing various flowcharts described later.

[0027] The system timer 53 is a timing unit that measures the time used for various controls and the time of a built-in clock. The communication unit 54 transmits and receives video signals and audio signals to and from an external device connected wirelessly or via a wired cable. The communication unit 54 can also connect to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet. The communication unit 54 can also communicate with external devices via Bluetooth (registered trademark) or 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 various other information from external devices.

[0028] The attitude detection unit 55 detects the attitude of the digital camera 100 with respect to the direction of gravity. Based on the attitude detected by the attitude detection unit 55, it is possible to determine whether the image captured by the imaging unit 22 was captured with the digital camera 100 held horizontally or vertically. The system control unit 50 can add orientation information corresponding to the attitude detected by the attitude detection unit 55 to the image file of the image captured by the imaging unit 22, or rotate and record the image. An acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, or the like can be used as the attitude detection unit 55. It is also possible to detect the movement of the digital camera 100 (panning, tilting, lifting, whether it is stationary, etc.) using the acceleration sensor or gyro sensor that is the attitude detection unit 55.

[0029] The eyepiece detection unit 57 is an eyepiece detection sensor that detects the approach (approach) and departure (away) of an eye (object) to the eyepiece unit 16 of the eyepiece finder 17. The system control unit 50 switches between display and non-display of the display unit 28 and the EVF 29 according to the state detected by the eyepiece detection unit 57. More specifically, at least in a shooting standby state and when the display destination switching setting is automatic switching, when the eye is not placed in contact with the camera, the display is turned on as the display unit 28 and the EVF 29 is not displayed. Also, when the eye is placed in contact with the camera, the display is turned on as the display unit 29 and the display is not displayed. For example, an infrared proximity sensor can be used as the eyepiece detection unit 57, and it can detect the approach of some object to the eyepiece unit 16 of the eyepiece finder 17 incorporating the EVF 29. Various settings of the camera, including the shutter speed and the aperture, are displayed on the outside-viewfinder display unit 43 via the outside-viewfinder display unit drive unit 44.

[0030] The power supply control unit 80 is composed of a battery detection circuit, a DC-DC converter, a switch circuit for switching between blocks to which electricity is applied, and the like, and detects whether a battery is attached, the type of battery, and the remaining battery power. The power supply control unit 80 also controls the DC-DC converter based on the detection results and instructions from the system control unit 50, and supplies the necessary voltage for the necessary period to each unit including the recording medium 200. The power supply unit 30 is composed of primary batteries such as alkaline batteries and lithium batteries, secondary batteries such as NiCd batteries, NiMH batteries, and Li batteries, an AC adapter, and the like.

[0031] The recording medium I / F 18 is an interface with a plurality of recording media 200. The recording media 200 are recording media such as memory cards and hard disks for recording captured images, and are composed of semiconductor memories, magnetic disks, and the like. The mounting unit 190 has a first mounting unit 190A and a second mounting unit 190B, and can simultaneously mount two recording media 200. The recording media 200 mounted in the first mounting unit 190A and the second mounting unit 190B are referred to as recording media 200A and recording media 200B, respectively.

[0032] In this embodiment, the mounting units 190A and 190B take the form of card slots as an example. Therefore, hereinafter, the "mounted state" of the recording media 200A and 200B is used synonymously with the "inserted state," and the recording media 200A and 200B may be referred to as card 1 and card 2, respectively. The system control unit 50 determines whether the recording media 200A and 200B are mounted in the mounting units 190A and 190B based on a signal from the recording medium I / F 18. A physical mounting / removal sensor may be provided, and the system control unit 50 may determine whether the recording media 200 are mounted based on a signal from the mounting / removal sensor. The number of recording media 200 that can be mounted simultaneously in the mounting unit 190 may be three or more.

[0033] The operation unit 70 is an input unit that accepts operations from the user (user operations) and is used to input various operation instructions to the system control unit 50. As shown in Fig. 2, the operation unit 70 includes a shutter button 61, a mode changeover switch 60, a power switch 72, a touch panel 70a, other operation members 70b, etc. The other operation members 70b include a main electronic dial 71, a sub electronic dial 73, a four-way key 74, a SET button 75, a movie button 76, an AE lock button 77, a magnification button 78, a playback button 79, a menu button 81, a touch bar 82, etc. (Fig. 1).

[0034] The shutter button 61 includes a first shutter switch 62 and a second shutter switch 64. The first shutter switch 62 is turned on when the shutter button 61 is pressed halfway (instruction to prepare for shooting) during operation and generates a first shutter switch signal SW1. In response to the first shutter switch signal SW1, the system control unit 50 starts preparation operations for shooting, such as AF (autofocus) processing, AE (auto exposure) processing, AWB (auto white balance) processing, and EF (pre-flash) processing.

[0035] The second shutter switch 64 is turned on when the shutter button 61 is fully pressed (photographing instruction) and generates a second shutter switch signal SW2. The system control unit 50 starts a series of photographing processing operations, from reading out a signal from the imaging unit 22 to writing the captured image to the recording medium 200 as an image file, based on the second shutter switch signal SW2.

[0036] The mode changeover switch 60 changes the operation mode of the system control unit 50 to one of a still image shooting mode, a video shooting mode, a playback mode, etc. Modes included in the still image shooting mode include an auto shooting mode, an auto scene discrimination mode, a manual mode, an aperture priority mode (Av mode), a shutter speed priority mode (Tv mode), and a program AE mode (P mode). In addition, there are various scene modes and custom modes that are shooting settings according to shooting scenes. The mode changeover switch 60 allows the user to directly switch to one of these modes. Alternatively, after switching once to a list screen of shooting modes with the mode changeover switch 60, the user may selectively switch to one of the multiple displayed modes using other operating members. Similarly, the video shooting mode may also include multiple modes. Particularly in this embodiment, the video shooting mode includes a single recording mode in which video information is recorded on one recording medium 200 and a simultaneous recording mode in which video information is recorded on multiple recording media 200 simultaneously. The system control unit 50 can alternatively select one of these modes according to a user operation.

[0037] The touch panel 70a is a touch sensor that detects various touch operations on the display surface (operation surface of the touch panel 70a) of the display unit 28. The touch panel 70a and the display unit 28 can be configured integrally. For example, the touch panel 70a is configured so that the light transmittance does not interfere with the display of the display unit 28, and is attached to the upper layer of the display surface of the display unit 28. Then, input coordinates on the touch panel 70a and display coordinates on the display surface of the display unit 28 are associated with each other. This makes it possible to provide a GUI (Graphical User Interface) that makes it seem as if the user can directly operate the screen displayed on the display unit 28.

[0038] The system control unit 50 can detect operation states such as touch down, touch on, touch move, touch up, and touch off on the touch panel 70a. These operation states and the position coordinates of the touch panel 70a touched by a finger or pen are notified to the system control unit 50 via the internal bus. Then, the system control unit 50 determines what kind of operation has been performed on the touch panel 70a based on the notified information.

[0039] 3 is a flowchart showing the main processing. This processing is realized by the system control unit 50 expanding a program stored in the non-volatile memory 56 into the system memory 52 and executing it. This processing starts when the power switch 72 is turned on and the movie mode is set.

[0040] In step S301, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not an instruction to set the simultaneous recording mode, i.e., a simultaneous recording setting instruction, has been issued. If a simultaneous recording setting instruction has been issued, the system control unit 50 proceeds to step S302, and if not, the system control unit 50 proceeds to step S308.

[0041] In step S302, the system control unit 50 stores the simultaneous recording setting, i.e., the setting of the simultaneous recording mode, in the memory 32. In step S303, the system control unit 50 sets the recording destination settings to card 1 (recording medium 200A) and card 2 (recording medium 200B), and this setting is stored in the memory 32. This setting means that moving image information is recorded in parallel on cards 1 and 2.

[0042] In step S304, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not an instruction has been given to set the recording quality of the moving image to be recorded on the card 1. The setting of the recording quality of the moving image includes setting the bit rate when recording the moving image. If an instruction has been given to set the recording quality of the moving image to be recorded on the card 1, the system control unit 50 proceeds to step S305, and if not, the system control unit 50 proceeds to step S306. In step S305, the system control unit 50 stores the recording quality setting of the moving image to be recorded on the card 1 in the memory 32, and proceeds to step S306.

[0043] In step S306, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not an instruction has been given to set the recording quality of the moving image to be recorded on card 2. If an instruction has been given to set the recording quality of the moving image to be recorded on card 2, the system control unit 50 proceeds to step S307, and if not, the system control unit 50 proceeds to step S314. In step S307, the system control unit 50 stores the recording quality setting of the moving image to be recorded on card 2 in memory 32, and proceeds to step S314.

[0044] In step S308, the system control unit 50 stores in the memory 32 that a single recording setting, i.e., a single recording mode, has been set. In step S309, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not an instruction has been given to set the recording destination to card 1. If an instruction has been given to set the recording destination to card 1, the system control unit 50 sets the recording destination to card 1 (recording medium 200A) in step S310 and stores this setting in the memory 32. This setting means that video information is recorded only on card 1. On the other hand, if an instruction has not been given to set the recording destination to card 1, the system control unit 50 sets the recording destination to card 2 (recording medium 200B) in step S311 and stores this setting in the memory 32. This setting means that video information is recorded only on card 2.

[0045] After steps S310 and S311, in step S312, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not an instruction to set the video recording quality has been given. If an instruction to set the video recording quality has been given, the system control unit 50 proceeds to step S313, and if an instruction to set the video recording quality has not been given, the system control unit 50 proceeds to step S314. In step S313, the system control unit 50 stores the video recording quality setting in memory 32, and proceeds to step S314.

[0046] When instructing the setting of the video recording quality, the user does not need to be aware of whether the video recording destination is card 1 or card 2. For example, when starting video recording, if the recording destination setting is card 1, the video will be recorded in the video recording quality set for card 1, and if the recording destination setting is card 2, the video will be recorded in the video recording quality set for card 2.

[0047] In step S314, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not a simultaneous recording setting is stored in the memory 32. If a simultaneous recording setting is not stored, the system control unit 50 executes a single recording process (described later in FIG. 4) in step S315, and proceeds to step S317. On the other hand, if a simultaneous recording setting is stored, the system control unit 50 executes a simultaneous recording process (described later in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6) in step S316, and proceeds to step S317.

[0048] In step S317, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not an instruction has been given to turn off the power switch 72. If an instruction to turn off the power switch 72 has not been given, the system control unit 50 returns to step S301, and if an instruction to turn off the power switch 72 has been given, the system control unit 50 ends the process shown in FIG.

[0049] Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the single recording process executed in step S315 of Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are flowcharts showing the simultaneous recording process executed in step S316 of Fig. 3. Figs. 7(a)(b), 8(a)(b), and 9 are diagrams showing examples of notification screens displayed on the display unit 28.

[0050] First, the single recording process in the single recording mode will be described with reference to Fig. 4. In step S401, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the card set as the recording destination is determined to be in an inserted state (attached state).

[0051] If it is determined in step S401 that the card set as the recording destination is not inserted, the system control unit 50 displays on the display unit 28 in step S402 that the recording destination card is not inserted. For example, as shown in Fig. 8(a), the system control unit 50 notifies the user by displaying on the screen 701 that the recording destination card is not inserted. Thereafter, the system control unit 50 advances the process to step S409.

[0052] On the other hand, if it is determined that the card set as the recording destination is in an inserted state, the system control unit 50 acquires the recording speed (writing speed) of the recording destination card in step S403. At this time, the system control unit 50 may acquire the recording speed from the speed class (transfer speed information) or from the card standard (standard information) of the SD card, CFexpress card, CFast card, or the like.

[0053] In step S404, the system control unit 50 acquires the moving image recording quality setting of the recording destination card set in the memory 32. In step S405, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not shooting (recording) is possible using the recording destination card based on the bit rate indicated by the acquired moving image recording quality setting and the recording speed of the recording destination card. That is, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not shooting can be continued while recording the shot moving image information on the recording destination card. Therefore, if moving images can be recorded by a combination of recording conditions such as the bit rate and the recording speed, it is determined that shooting is possible, and if moving images cannot be recorded by the above combination, it is determined that shooting is not possible.

[0054] The state of the recording destination card indicating whether recording is possible or not includes a "recordable state" and a "recordable state". If the result of the determination in step S405 indicates that recording is possible using the recording destination card, the system control unit 50 sets the state of the recording destination card indicating whether recording is possible or not to a "recordable state" in step S406 and records this setting in the memory 32. However, if recording is not possible using the recording destination card, the system control unit 50 displays on the display unit 28 in step S407 that the recording destination card is a recording medium that is not recordable. For example, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the system control unit 50 notifies the user by displaying on a screen 601 that video information cannot be recorded on the recording destination card due to a combination of recording conditions and recording speed. The screen 601 displays medium information (for example, that it is an SD card) of the recording medium determined to be unable to record video information. The medium information may include a speed class (transfer speed information) and a card standard (standard information). In step S 408 , the system control unit 50 sets the recording destination card's status indicating whether or not image capture is possible to “image capture not possible state” and records this setting in the memory 32 .

[0055] After steps S406 and S408, the system control unit 50 advances the process to step S409. In step S409, the system control unit 50 refers to the state of the recording destination card, recorded in the memory 32, indicating whether recording is possible or not, and determines whether the recording destination card is in a recording possible state. If the recording destination card is not in a recording possible state, moving image recording is not possible, so the system control unit 50 returns the process to step S401. If the recording destination card is in a recording possible state, the system control unit 50 determines in step S410 whether a moving image recording start instruction has been issued. The presence or absence of a moving image recording start instruction is determined by whether the moving image button 76 has been pressed.

[0056] If a video recording start instruction is not given, the system control unit 50 returns the process to step S401. If a video recording start instruction is given, the system control unit 50 executes video shooting start processing such as starting signal reading from the imaging unit 22 in step S411. In step S412, the system control unit 50 executes a series of image recording operations to store the shot video data in a buffer and then write the data to a recording destination card. At this time, the amount of video data stored in the buffer changes depending on the bit rate of the video being shot, and the amount of video data written from the buffer to the card changes depending on the writing speed of the recording destination card.

[0057] In step S413, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not a video recording stop instruction has been issued by pressing the video button 76. If a video recording stop instruction has not been issued, the system control unit 50 returns to step S412. If a video recording stop instruction has been issued, the system control unit 50 executes video shooting end processing, such as stopping signal readout from the imaging unit 22, in step S414. Thereafter, the system control unit 50 ends the processing shown in Fig. 4. Note that if an abnormal operation, such as operating the mode dial, is performed in the processing shown in Fig. 4, the processing shown in Fig. 4 may be interrupted or ended midway.

[0058] The operational procedure of the simultaneous recording process will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. In step S501, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the card 1 is determined to be in an inserted state.

[0059] Here, the results of the determination by the system control unit 50 as to whether or not a card is attached to the mounting unit 190 include an "inserted state determination" and a "non-inserted state determination." An "inserted state determination" indicates a state in which the card set as the recording destination is physically attached (inserted) to the mounting unit 190 and is not virtually set to a non-inserted state. A "non-inserted state determination" indicates a state in which the card set as the recording destination is not physically attached (inserted) to the mounting unit 190, or is physically attached (inserted) to the mounting unit 190 but is virtually set to a non-inserted state.

[0060] The switching between the inserted state and the non-inserted state will be described with reference to FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 9, touch buttons 801 and 802 are displayed on the display unit 28. The touch button 801 is a touch button that toggles the card mounted in the first mounting unit 190A between a virtual inserted state and a non-inserted state while the card remains in a physically mounted state. The touch button 802 is a touch button that toggles the card mounted in the second mounting unit 190B between a virtual inserted state and a non-inserted state. Note that a toggle operation using the touch button cannot be performed on a card that is not physically inserted in the mounting unit. Therefore, a card that is not mounted in the mounting unit 190 is not judged to be in an inserted state.

[0061] For example, assume that the touch button 801 is touched when the card 1 mounted in the first mounting portion 190A is determined to be in an inserted state. In this case, for example, the state of the card 1 mounted in the first mounting portion 190A is switched from the inserted state to the non-inserted state by stopping the power supply to the card from the recording medium I / F 18. Furthermore, when the touch button 801 is touched once more in this state, the power supply to the card 1 mounted in the first mounting portion 190A is started, and the state of the card 1 is again switched from the non-inserted state to the inserted state. Note that the determination is also switched to the non-inserted state by removing the card determined to be in the inserted state from the mounting portion 190.

[0062] If it is not determined that the card 1 is inserted as a result of the determination in step S501, the system control unit 50 notifies the user in step S502 by displaying on the display unit 28 that the card 1 is not inserted. In the simultaneous recording mode in this embodiment, even if one of the cards 1 and 2 set as the recording destination is not inserted, simultaneous recording is not possible, but recording to the other card is not prohibited and recording is permitted. For example, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the system control unit 50 displays on the screen 702 that the card 1 is not inserted. In addition to this, the screen 702 also displays that when video shooting is started, simultaneous writing is not possible, but recording is only performed on the other inserted card. This notification means that even if video shooting is started, single recording is performed, and it is possible to avoid the misunderstanding that simultaneous recording has been achieved. After step S502, the system control unit 50 advances the process to step S509.

[0063] If it is determined in step S501 that card 1 is inserted, card 1 may be usable as a recording destination, so in step S503, the system control unit 50 acquires the recording speed of card 1, similar to step S403. In step S504, the system control unit 50 acquires the moving image recording quality setting for card 1, which is set in memory 32, similar to step S404.

[0064] In step S505, similar to step S405, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not shooting is possible using the card 1 based on the bit rate and recording speed indicated by the acquired movie recording quality setting. If the result of this determination is that shooting is possible using the card 1, the system control unit 50 sets the status of the card 1 indicating whether shooting is possible or not to "shooting possible state" in step S506, similar to step S406.

[0065] However, if it is not possible to shoot using the card 1, the system control unit 50 displays on the display unit 28 in step S507 that the card 1 is a recording medium that cannot be shot. For example, the system control unit 50 notifies the user by displaying on the screen 602 shown in FIG. 7B that moving image information cannot be recorded on the card 1 (recording is not possible) due to a combination of the recording conditions and the recording speed, and therefore recording on the cards 1 and 2 is not possible. In addition to this, the system control unit 50 notifies the user by displaying on the screen 602 that shooting and recording will be possible by removing the card 1 that has a problem with the recording speed. Note that only when it is determined that shooting can be performed on the card 2, it may be configured to display that shooting and recording will be possible by removing the card 1. In response to this notification, the user can remove the card 1 or operate the touch button 801 to switch the card 1 to a non-inserted state (described later in S520). In step S508, system control unit 50 sets the state of card 1 indicating whether photography is possible or not to the "photography not possible state" as in step S408, and records this setting in memory 32.

[0066] After steps S506 and S508, the system control unit 50 advances the process to step S509. In step S509, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not it is determined that the card 2 is in an inserted state. If it is determined that the card 2 is not in an inserted state as a result of the determination in step S509, the system control unit 50 notifies the user in step S510 by displaying on the display unit 28 that the card 2 is not in an inserted state. For example, the system control unit 50 displays that the card 2 is not inserted on a screen similar to the screen 702 (FIG. 8(b)). In addition to this, the screen 702 also displays that when video shooting is started, simultaneous writing is not possible, but that recording will only be performed on the other inserted card.

[0067] If it is determined in step S509 that card 2 is inserted, there is a possibility that card 2 can be used as a recording destination, so in step S511 the system control unit 50 acquires the recording speed of card 2. In step S512, the system control unit 50 acquires the moving image recording quality setting for card 2 set in memory 32.

[0068] In step S513, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not shooting is possible using the card 2 based on the bit rate and recording speed indicated by the acquired video recording quality setting. If the result of this determination is that shooting is possible using the card 2, the system control unit 50 sets the status of the card 2 indicating whether shooting is possible or not to "shooting possible state" in step S514, and records this setting in the memory 32.

[0069] However, if it is not possible to shoot using the card 2, the system control unit 50 displays on the display unit 28 in step S515 that the card 2 is a recording medium that is not recordable. For example, the system control unit 50 notifies the user by displaying on the screen 602 shown in FIG. 7B that video information cannot be recorded on the card 2 due to a combination of the recording conditions and the recording speed, and therefore recording to the cards 1 and 2 is not possible. In addition to this, the system control unit 50 notifies the user by displaying on the screen 602 that shooting and recording will be possible by removing the card 2 that has a problem with the recording speed. Note that only when it is determined that shooting is possible on the card 1, it may be configured to display that shooting and recording will be possible by removing the card 2. In response to this notification, the user can pull out the card 2 or operate the touch button 802 to switch the card 2 to a non-inserted state (described later in S521). In step S516, the system control unit 50 sets the state indicating whether or not shooting is possible on the card 2 to a "shooting not possible state" and records this setting in the memory 32.

[0070] After steps S510, S514, and S516, the system control unit 50 advances the process to step S517 (FIG. 6). In step S517, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not there is a card that is determined to be in an inserted state and set to a state in which photography is not possible. If there is no card that is determined to be in an inserted state and set to a state in which photography is not possible, the system control unit 50 advances to step S522. If there is a card that is determined to be in an inserted state and set to a state in which photography is not possible, the system control unit 50 determines in step S518 whether or not an instruction has been given to change the card determined to be in an inserted state to a non-inserted state.

[0071] Here, the instruction to change to the non-inserted state is given by removing the card from the mounting section 190 or by operating the touch buttons 801, 802. For example, if the card that is determined to be in the inserted state and is set to the non-photographing state is card 1, the user can issue an instruction to change card 1 to the non-inserted state by removing card 1 from the first mounting section 190A. Alternatively, the user can issue an instruction to change card 1 to the non-inserted state by touching the touch button 801. The user can select and execute one of the above two methods to input an instruction to change to the non-inserted state.

[0072] If the determination result in step S518 is that the card determined to be in the inserted state is not instructed to be changed to the non-inserted state, the system control unit 50 proceeds to step S528. If the card determined to be in the inserted state is instructed to be changed to the non-inserted state, the system control unit 50 determines in step S519 whether the card instructed to be changed to the non-inserted state is card 1. If the card instructed to be changed to the non-inserted state is card 1, the system control unit 50 switches the determination result regarding whether or not card 1 is inserted to "non-inserted state determination" in step S520 and proceeds to step S528. On the other hand, if the card instructed to be changed to the non-inserted state is card 2, the system control unit 50 switches the determination result regarding whether or not card 2 is inserted to "non-inserted state determination" in step S521 and proceeds to step S528.

[0073] In step S522, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not all of the cards determined to be in an inserted state are set to a shooting enabled state. If the result of this determination is that even one of the cards determined to be in an inserted state is not set to a shooting enabled state, the system control unit 50 proceeds to step S528. If there is no card determined to be in an inserted state, the system control unit 50 proceeds to step S528. By proceeding from step S522 to step S528, recording of moving image information is essentially prohibited.

[0074] However, if all of the cards determined to be inserted are set to a shooting enabled state, shooting and recording are possible, so the system control unit 50 proceeds to step S523. For example, if only card 1 is determined to be inserted and card 1 is set to a shooting enabled state, the system control unit 50 proceeds to step S523. However, if cards 1 and 2 are determined to be inserted and card 1 or card 2 is set to a shooting disabled state, the system control unit 50 proceeds to step S528.

[0075] Even if step S522 returns No, the result of the determination as to whether or not the card is inserted may change to "inserted" in step S528. In this case, when the process proceeds from step S522 to step S523, the inhibition of recording of moving image information is substantially lifted.

[0076] In step S528, the system control unit 50 switches between the inserted state and the non-inserted state according to the conditions. Here, the process corresponding to steps S518 to S521 is executed. For example, when a toggle switching operation is performed using a touch button corresponding to a card determined to be in the inserted state / non-inserted state, the system control unit 50 switches the determination result regarding the presence or absence of the card to a non-inserted state determination / inserted state. In addition, when a removal / insertion operation is performed for a card determined to be in the inserted state / non-inserted state, the system control unit 50 switches the determination result regarding the presence or absence of the card to a non-inserted state determination / inserted state. Note that, in step S528, if there is no operation of the touch button or an insertion / removal operation, the system control unit 50 does not perform any process. After step S528, the system control unit 50 returns to step S501.

[0077] In step S523, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not a moving image recording start instruction has been issued. The presence or absence of a moving image recording start instruction is determined by whether or not the moving image button 76 has been pressed. If a moving image recording start instruction has not been issued, the system control unit 50 proceeds to step S528. If a moving image recording start instruction has been issued, the system control unit 50 proceeds to step S524.

[0078] In steps S524 to S527, the system control unit 50 executes the same processes as steps S411 to S414 in Fig. 4. However, if both cards 1 and 2 are inserted, video information is recorded in parallel on these cards 1 and 2. However, if only one of cards 1 and 2 is inserted, video information is recorded only on the inserted card. After step S527, the system control unit 50 ends the process shown in Fig. 6.

[0079] Incidentally, even in the single recording mode (FIG. 4), the function of switching between the inserted state and the non-inserted state by the touch buttons 801 and 802 may be enabled.

[0080] According to this embodiment, recording conditions can be set for each recording medium 200 (S305, S307, S313), and the attached / unattached state of the recording medium 200 for each of the multiple mounting units 190 is determined (S520, S521, S528). In addition, for each recording medium determined to be in an attached state, a recording-enabled / unattached state is determined based on the recording speed and recording conditions (S406, S408, S506, S508, S514, S516). In the simultaneous recording mode, if even one of the recording media determined to be in an attached state is in an unattached state, simultaneous recording of moving image information is prohibited (S522). In addition, if the determination result of one of the recording media changes from an attached state to an unattached state while simultaneous recording is prohibited, single recording of moving image information is permitted for the recording media that are attached and in an enabled state (S522). In particular, the user can physically remove the recording medium that is not available for recording or switch it to the non-attached state with a touch button to enable single recording. This eliminates the need to change the settings to set the recording destination to only recordable recording media in order to ensure recording operations, which saves time and effort. This makes it possible to record motion images without the need for complicated setting changes, improving convenience.

[0081] In addition, a function has been provided that allows the user to switch between attached and unattached states with a touch button while the recording medium remains physically attached to the mounting section (Figure 9), which means that switching can be done without having to insert or remove the recording medium, making it very convenient.

[0082] In addition, when simultaneous recording is prohibited, if the recording medium in the non-photographable state is unmounted, a notification is made that single recording is possible (S507, S515, FIG. 7(b)). Therefore, when simultaneous recording is prohibited, the system does not automatically switch to single recording. Moreover, when only one recording medium is determined to be mounted in the simultaneous recording mode, a notification is made that video information will be recorded only on the recording medium determined to be mounted by instructing to start recording (S502, S510, FIG. 8(b)). Therefore, when only one recording medium is mounted, it is possible to inform the user that single recording is possible, although simultaneous recording is not possible. From these, the user is unlikely to misunderstand that simultaneous recording is being performed, when in fact single recording is being performed. Suppose that a method of automatically determining a recordable recording medium and permitting photography is adopted as another method. With this method, there is a possibility that the user will start recording while misunderstanding that simultaneous recording and photography are possible. In this embodiment, it is possible to avoid such a misunderstanding.

[0083] Furthermore, if the video information cannot be recorded on the recording destination card due to a combination of recording conditions and recording speed, the medium information of the recording medium on which it is determined that the video information cannot be recorded is notified (S407, S507, S515, FIG. 7(b)). This makes it possible to inform the user that there is a possibility that recording will be possible if the recording medium causing the video information to be unavailable is replaced.

[0084] (Other Examples) The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for implementing one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions.

[0085] The present invention has been described above in detail based on preferred embodiments thereof, but the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 50 System control section 100 Digital Camera 190A First Mounting Part 190B Second mounting part 200A, 200B Recording medium

Claims

1. Two mounting sections into which recording media can be mounted; A setting means for setting image recording conditions; a determination unit that determines whether or not an image can be recorded on each of the two recording media mounted in the two mounting units based on the recording conditions set by the setting unit; a control means for controlling the recording apparatus so as to prohibit simultaneous recording of images onto the two recording media when the determination means determines that recording of an image is not possible for at least one of the two recording media in a simultaneous recording mode in which images are recorded onto the two recording media respectively mounted on the two mounting portions, The control means controls the imaging device to permit single recording of an image onto one of the two recording media in the simultaneous recording mode when it is determined that one of the two recording media is capable of recording an image, but the other recording media is determined not to be capable of recording an image, thereby prohibiting simultaneous recording of images onto the two recording media, in response to the other recording media being unmounted in the mounting section.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising a first notification means for notifying a user that, when the determination means determines that the image cannot be recorded on one of the two recording media mounted in each of the two mounting portions in the simultaneous recording mode, the image cannot be simultaneously recorded on the two recording media because the one recording medium is not recordable.

3. 3. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising a second notification means for notifying a user that, in the simultaneous recording mode, when the determination means determines that recording of the image is not possible for one of the two recording media attached to each of the two mounting portions and the determination means determines that recording of the image is possible for the other of the two recording media, by unattaching the one of the recording media, single recording of the image on the other recording medium is possible.

4. 4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an insertion state determination unit that determines whether or not a recording medium is inserted in each of the two mounting portions.

5. a switching unit for switching the recording media mounted in each of the two mounting units to an unmounted state in response to a user operation, 5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the insertion state determination means handles the recording medium switched to the unattached state by the switching means as being in the unattached state.

6. The imaging device according to claim 5, further comprising an accepting means for accepting a user operation to switch one of the two recording media mounted in each of the two mounting sections to a non-mounted state by the switching means when the determining means determines that the image cannot be recorded on the one of the two recording media mounted in each of the two mounting sections in the simultaneous recording mode.

7. 7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit is capable of setting the recording conditions of an image for each recording medium mounted in each of the two mounting portions.

8. 8. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein recording media conforming to different standards can be mounted in the two mounting sections.

9. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the determination means determines whether or not it is possible to record an image on each of the mounted recording media, depending on the recording speed on the recording media mounted in each of the two mounting sections and the recording conditions of the image set by the setting means.

10. 10. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the recording condition for the image is a recording condition related to a bit rate of a moving image.

11. A method for controlling an imaging device having two mounting sections into which recording media can be mounted, comprising the steps of: Set the image recording conditions, determining whether or not an image can be recorded on each of the two recording media mounted in the two mounting portions based on the set recording conditions; in a simultaneous recording mode in which images are recorded on two recording media respectively mounted in the two mounting portions, when it is determined that recording of an image is not possible on at least one of the two recording media, control is performed so as to prohibit simultaneous recording of images on the two recording media; A control method for an imaging device, characterized in that in the simultaneous recording mode, when one of the two recording media is determined to be capable of recording images, but the other recording media is determined to be unable to record images, and therefore simultaneous recording of images to the two recording media is prohibited, when the other recording media is not attached to the mounting section, control is performed to allow single recording of an image to one of the recording media.

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

Images