Imaging device, control method for imaging device, program, and recording medium

Abstract

To enable a user to recognize time when a moving image can be recorded according to settings about moving image recording.SOLUTION: An image pickup device has: image pickup means; temperature acquisition means which acquires a temperature of the image pickup device; calculation means which calculates a photographable time based upon the temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition means; recording means which records a moving image acquired by the image pickup means on a loaded recording medium; output means which outputs the moving image acquired by the image pickup means to an external device connected to the image pickup device; reception means which receives settings of an external output mode in which the output means outputs the moving image to the external device; and control means which performs control to display information related to the photographable time calculated by the calculation means on display means in the external output mode when the recording medium is not loaded in the image pickup device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an imaging device connectable to an external device, a control method for the imaging device, a program, and a recording medium.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, many imaging devices capable of video recording have been known. When recording video, heat is generated inside the imaging device, and measures against the generated heat have become an important issue for user influence and device / image quality protection.

[0003] Also, conventionally, an external output mode for outputting moving image data to an external device connected to a digital camera is known. In the external output mode, not only can moving image data be output to the connected external device, but it is also possible to record the output moving image data on an external recording medium. At this time, even when no recording medium such as a memory card is mounted (inserted) inside the digital camera, the captured video can be recorded. Patent Document 1 discloses comparing the shooting possible time calculated from the free capacity of the recording medium mounted on the camera and the shooting possible time until the temperature at which video recording stops, calculated from the housing temperature of the camera, and displaying the shorter of the two times after starting video recording.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in Patent Document 1, even if a video recording instruction is given when a recording medium (internal recording medium) is not attached (inserted) to the digital camera body, video recording cannot be performed, and the user cannot understand why video recording cannot be performed. Also, there is no disclosure regarding the case of performing video recording on an external device connected to the camera, and no consideration is given to how to display and notify the user of the available recording time. If the available recording time is not displayed in such a case, the user may mistakenly think that video recording cannot be performed even though the settings for video recording on the external device are made, or may not be able to grasp how much time video recording can be performed, resulting in a poor user experience.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to enable a user to recognize the time during which video recording can be performed according to settings related to video recording.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention The imaging device includes imaging means, The above temperature acquisition means for acquiring the temperature of the imaging device, The above calculation means for calculating the shootable time based on the temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition means, The above recording means for recording the video acquired by the imaging means The above onto a recording medium attached to the imaging device, The above setting means for setting an external output mode for outputting the video acquired by the imaging means outside the video, The above when the external output mode is set, The above output means for outputting the video acquired by the imaging means The above to an external device connected to the imaging device, The above even when the recording medium The above is not attached to the imaging device, The above when the external output mode is set, The above control means for controlling to display information on the shootable time The above calculated by the calculation means on a display means. It is characterized by having the above.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, the time during which video recording can be performed is made recognizable to the user according to settings related to video recording.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] FIGS. 1(a) and (b) show an external view of a digital camera 100 as an example of an apparatus (electronic device) to which the present invention is applicable. 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. In FIG. 1, the display unit 28 is a display unit provided on the back of the camera that displays images and various information. The touch panel 70a is a touch operation member and can detect a touch operation on the display surface (operation surface) of the display unit 28. The external display unit 43 outside the viewfinder is a display unit provided on the upper surface of the camera, and various setting values of the camera such as shutter speed and aperture are displayed.

[0012] The shutter button 61 is an operation unit for giving a shooting instruction. The mode switch 60 is an operation unit for switching various modes. The terminal cover 40 is a cover for protecting a connector (not shown) that connects a connection cable with an external device and the digital camera 100. The main electronic dial 71 is a rotary operation member included in the operation unit 70. By turning this main electronic dial 71, changes in set values such as shutter speed and aperture can be made. The power switch 72 is an operation member for switching on and off the power of the digital camera 100. The sub - electronic dial 73 is a rotary operation member included in the operation unit 70 and can be used to move the selection frame, advance the image, etc. The cross - key 74 is included in the operation unit 70 and is an operation member having push buttons that can be pushed in four directions. Operations corresponding to the direction in which the cross - key 74 is pressed are possible. The SET button 75 is included in the operation unit 70, is a push button, and is mainly used for determining selected items, etc.

[0013] The movie button 76 is used for instructing the start and stop of movie recording (recording). The AE - lock button 77 is included in the operation unit 70, and by pressing it in the shooting standby state, the exposure state can be fixed. The zoom - in button 78 is included in the operation unit 70 and is an operation button for turning on and off the zoom - in mode in the live - view display of the shooting mode. By operating the main electronic dial 71 after turning on the zoom - in mode, the live - view image can be enlarged or reduced. In the playback mode, it functions as a zoom - in button for enlarging the playback image and increasing the magnification. The playback button 79 is included in the operation unit 70 and is an operation button for switching between the shooting mode and the playback mode. By pressing the playback button 79 during the shooting mode, the playback mode can be entered, and the latest image among the images recorded on the recording medium 200 can be displayed on the display unit 28. The menu button 81 is included in the operation unit 70, and by pressing it, various configurable menu screens are displayed on the display unit 28. The user can intuitively perform various settings using the menu screens displayed on the display unit 28, the cross - key 74, and the SET button 75.

[0014] The communication terminal 10 is a communication terminal for the digital camera 100 to communicate with the lens unit 150 (detachable, to be described later). The eyepiece part 16 is the eyepiece part of an eyepiece finder (a peeping-type finder), and the user can visually recognize the image displayed on the internal EVF (Electric View Finder) 29 through the eyepiece part 16. The eyepiece detection part 57 is an eyepiece detection sensor that detects whether the photographer is looking through the eyepiece part 16. The lid 202 is the lid of the slot that stores the recording medium 200. The grip part 90 is a holding part shaped such that it is easy for the user to hold with the right hand when holding the digital camera 100. With the grip part 90 held by the little finger, ring finger, and middle finger of the right hand to hold the digital camera, the shutter button 61 and the main electronic dial 71 are arranged at positions operable by the index finger of the right hand. Also, in the same state, the sub-electronic dial 73 is arranged at a position operable by the thumb of the right hand.

[0015] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment. In Figure 2, the lens unit 150 is a lens unit equipped with an interchangeable photographing lens. The lens 103 is usually composed of a plurality of lenses, but here it is shown simply as a single lens for simplicity. The communication terminal 6 is a communication terminal for the lens unit 150 to communicate with the digital camera 100. The lens unit 150 communicates with the system control unit 50 via this communication terminal 6 and the above-mentioned communication terminal 10, and controls the aperture 1 via the aperture drive circuit 2 by the internal lens system control circuit 4. Then, the focus is adjusted by displacing the lens 103 via the AF drive circuit 3.

[0016] 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.

[0017] The imaging unit 22 is an imaging element composed of a CCD, a CMOS element, etc. that convert an optical image into an electrical signal. The A / D converter 23 is used to convert the analog signal output from the imaging unit 22 into a digital signal.

[0018] The image processing unit 24 performs resizing processes such as predetermined pixel interpolation and reduction, and color conversion processes on the data from the A / D converter 23 or the data from the memory control unit 15 described later. Also, the image processing unit 24 performs predetermined arithmetic processing using the captured image data. Based on the arithmetic result obtained by the image processing unit 24, the system control unit 50 performs exposure control and distance measurement control. As a result, TTL (Through-The-Lens) AF (Auto Focus) processing, AE (Automatic Exposure) processing, and EF (Flash Pre-Firing) processing are performed. In the image processing unit 24, further, predetermined arithmetic processing is performed using the captured image data, and TTL AWB (Auto White Balance) processing is performed based on the obtained arithmetic result.

[0019] The memory control unit 15 controls the data transmission and reception among the A / D converter 23, the image processing unit 24, and the memory 32. The output data from the A / D converter 23 is written directly into the memory 32 via the image processing unit 24 and the memory control unit 15, or via the memory control unit 15. The memory 32 stores the image data obtained by the imaging unit 22 and converted into digital data by the A / D converter 23, and the image data for display on the display unit 28 and the EVF 29. The memory 32 has a storage capacity sufficient to store a predetermined number of still images, a moving image for a predetermined time, and audio.

[0020] Also, the memory 32 also serves as an image display memory (video memory). The image data for display written into the memory 32 is displayed by the display unit 28 and the EVF 29 via the memory control unit 15. The display unit 28 and the EVF 29 perform display according to the signal from the memory control unit 15 on a display such as an LCD or an organic EL. Live view display (LV display) can be performed by sequentially transferring the data A / D-converted by the A / D converter 23 and stored in the memory 32 to the display unit 28 or the EVF 29 for display. Hereinafter, the image displayed in the live view is referred to as a live view image (LV image).

[0021] On the external finder display unit 43, various setting values of the camera such as shutter speed and aperture are displayed via the external finder display unit drive circuit 44.

[0022] The non-volatile memory 56 is an electrically erasable and recordable memory, and for example, a Flash-ROM or the like is used. In the non-volatile memory 56, constants, programs, etc. for the operation of the system control unit 50 are stored. Here, the program refers to the program for executing various flowcharts described later in this embodiment.

[0023] The system control unit 50 is a control unit composed of at least one processor (CPU) or circuit, and controls the entire digital camera 100. The system control unit 50 realizes each process of this embodiment described later by executing the program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56 described above. For the system memory 52, for example, RAM is used, and constants, variables, programs read from the non-volatile memory 56, etc. for the operation of the system control unit 50 are expanded. In addition, the system control unit 50 also performs display control by controlling the memory 32, the display unit 28, etc.

[0024] The system timer 53 is a timing unit that measures the time used for various controls and the time of the built-in clock.

[0025] The mode switching switch 60, the first shutter switch 62, the second shutter switch 64, and the operation unit 70 are operation means for inputting various operation instructions to the system control unit 50. The mode switching switch 60 switches the operation mode of the system control unit 50 to any one of a still image shooting mode, a moving image recording 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), a program AE mode (P mode). There are also various scene modes and custom modes that are shooting settings according to the shooting scene. By the mode switching switch 60, the user can directly switch to any of these modes. Alternatively, after once switching to the list screen of the shooting mode with the mode switching switch 60, the user may select any one of the displayed plurality of modes and switch using other operation members. Similarly, the moving image recording mode may also include a plurality of modes.

[0026] The first shutter switch 62 is turned on during the operation of the shutter button 61 provided on the digital camera 100, that is, in a so-called half-press (shooting preparation instruction), and generates a first shutter switch signal SW1. By the first shutter switch signal SW1, shooting preparation operations such as AF (auto focus) processing, AE (auto exposure) processing, AWB (auto white balance) processing, and EF (flash pre-emission) processing are started.

[0027] The second shutter switch 64 is turned on when the operation of the shutter button 61 is completed, that is, in a so-called full-press (shooting instruction), and generates a second shutter switch signal SW2. The system control unit 50 starts a series of shooting processing operations from reading the signal from the imaging unit 22 to writing the captured image as an image file to the recording medium 200 by the second shutter switch signal SW2.

[0028] The operation unit 70 is various operation members that serve as an input unit for receiving operations from the user. The operation unit 70 includes at least the following operation units. Shutter button 61, touch panel 70a, main electronic dial 71, power switch 72, sub electronic dial 73, cross key 74, SET button 75, video button 76, AE lock button 77, zoom button 78, play button 79, menu button 81.

[0029] The power control unit 80 is composed of a battery detection circuit, a DC-DC converter, a switch circuit for switching the energized block, etc., and detects the presence or absence of battery installation, the type of battery, and the remaining battery level. Further, the power control unit 80 controls the DC-DC converter based on the detection result and the instruction of the system control unit 50, and supplies the necessary voltage to each part including the recording medium 200 for the necessary period. The power supply unit 30 consists of a primary battery such as an alkaline battery or a lithium battery, a secondary battery such as a NiCd battery, a NiMH battery, or a Li battery, an AC adapter, etc.

[0030] The recording medium I / F 18 is an interface with a recording medium 200 such as a memory card or a hard disk. The recording medium 200 is a recording medium such as a memory card for recording the captured image, and is composed of a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, etc. The recording medium 200 can be easily attached and ejected by the user to and from the camera 100 by a mounting and ejection mechanism (not shown).

[0031] The communication unit 54 connects to an external device or an external network by a wireless or wired cable and transmits and receives video signals and audio signals. The communication unit 54 can also be connected to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet. Further, the communication unit 54 can communicate with an external device using Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Bluetooth Low Energy. The communication unit 54 can transmit the image captured by the imaging unit 22 (including the live view image) and the image recorded on the recording medium 200, and can also receive an image and various other information from an external device.

[0032] The posture detection unit 55 detects the posture of the digital camera 100 with respect to the direction of gravity. Based on the posture detected by the posture detection unit 55, it is possible to determine whether the image captured by the imaging unit 22 is an image captured with the digital camera 100 held horizontally or an image captured with it held vertically. The system control unit 50 can add orientation information corresponding to the posture detected by the posture detection unit 55 to the image file of the image captured by the imaging unit 22, or rotate and record the image. As the posture detection unit 55, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, or the like can be used. It is also possible to detect the movement of the digital camera 100 (such as panning, tilting, lifting, whether it is stationary or not, etc.) using the acceleration sensor or gyro sensor that is the posture detection unit 55.

[0033] The eye contact detection unit 57 is an eye contact detection sensor that detects the approach (eye contact) and departure (eye release) of the eye (object) 161 with respect to the eyepiece part 16 of the viewfinder. The eye contact detection unit 57 can use, for example, an infrared proximity sensor and can detect the approach of any object to the eyepiece part 16 of the viewfinder incorporating the EVF 29. When an object approaches, the infrared rays projected from the light projecting part (not shown) of the eye contact detection unit 57 are reflected and received by the light receiving part (not shown) of the infrared proximity sensor. The amount of the received infrared rays can also be used to determine how close the object has approached the eyepiece part 16 (eye contact distance). In this way, the eye contact detection unit 57 performs eye contact detection to detect the proximity distance of the object to the eyepiece part 16. When an object that approaches within a predetermined distance to the eyepiece part 16 is detected from a non-eye-contact state (non-approach state), it is detected that eye contact has occurred. When an object that has been detected as approaching moves away by a predetermined distance or more from an eye-contact state (approach state), it is detected that the eye has been released. The threshold for detecting eye contact and the threshold for detecting eye release may be different, for example, by providing hysteresis. Also, after detecting eye contact, it is considered to be in an eye-contact state until eye release is detected. After detecting eye release, it is considered to be in a non-eye-contact state until eye contact is detected. Note that the infrared proximity sensor is just an example, and other sensors may be adopted for the eye contact detection unit 57 as long as they can detect the approach of an eye or object that can be regarded as eye contact.

[0034] The touch panel 70a and the display unit 28 can be integrally configured. 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, the input coordinates on the touch panel 70a are associated with the display coordinates on the display screen of the display unit 28. Thereby, a GUI (Graphical User Interface) can be provided as if the user can directly operate the screen displayed on the display unit 28. The system control unit 50 can detect the following operations or states on the touch panel 70a. · A finger or pen that was not touching the touch panel 70a newly touches the touch panel 70a. That is, the start of a touch (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Down). · The state of touching the touch panel 70a with a finger or pen (hereinafter referred to as Touch-On). · Moving while touching the touch panel 70a with a finger or pen (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Move). · The finger or pen that was touching the touch panel 70a is released. That is, the end of a touch (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Up). · A state where nothing is touching the touch panel 70a (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Off).

[0035] When Touch-Down is detected, Touch-On is also detected at the same time. After Touch-Down, Touch-On is usually continuously detected unless Touch-Up is detected. Touch-Move is also detected when Touch-On is detected. Even if Touch-On is detected, Touch-Move is not detected if the touch position does not move. After it is detected that all the fingers or pens that were touching have touched up, it becomes Touch-Off.

[0036] These operations, states, and the position coordinates on the touch panel 70a where a finger or a pen is touching are notified to the system control unit 50 through the internal bus. The system control unit 50 determines what kind of operation (touch operation) has been performed on the touch panel 70a based on the notified information. Regarding the touch move, the moving direction of the finger or the pen moving on the touch panel 70a can also be determined for each vertical component and horizontal component on the touch panel 70a based on the change in the position coordinates. When it is detected that the touch move has been made by a distance equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, it is determined that a slide operation has been performed. An operation of quickly moving a finger a certain distance while touching the touch panel and then releasing it is called a flick. In other words, a flick is an operation of quickly tracing on the touch panel 70a as if pushing it with a finger. When it is detected that the touch move has been made by a distance equal to or greater than a predetermined distance at a speed equal to or greater than a predetermined speed and then a touch up is detected immediately, it can be determined that a flick has been performed (it can be determined that there is a flick following the slide operation). Further, a touch operation of touching multiple locations (for example, two points) simultaneously and bringing the touch positions closer to each other is called a pinch-in, and a touch operation of moving the touch positions away from each other is called a pinch-out. The pinch-out and the pinch-in are collectively called a pinch operation (or simply a pinch). The touch panel 70a may use any of various types of touch panels, such as a resistive film type, a capacitive type, a surface acoustic wave type, an infrared type, an electromagnetic induction type, an image recognition type, an optical sensor type, etc. Depending on the type, there are a type that detects a touch when there is contact with the touch panel and a type that detects a touch when there is an approach of a finger or a pen to the touch panel, but any type may be used.

[0037] The temperature sensors 91a, 91b, and 91c are temperature sensors that measure the temperature on the surface / inside of the housing of the digital camera 100. That is, the temperature sensors 91a to 91c are temperature acquisition means. The temperature sensor 91a is a temperature sensor arranged near the insertion port (mounting port) of the recording medium 200 protected by the lid 202, and measures the temperature for calculating the surface temperature of the exterior of the recording medium inserted (mounted) into the digital camera 100. When the surface temperature of the exterior of the recording medium 200 becomes high, it is ensured that the user will not get burned when opening the lid 202 and removing the recording medium from the digital camera 100. The temperature sensor 91b is arranged near the imaging unit 22 and measures the temperature near the imaging unit 22. The temperature sensor 91c is a temperature sensor arranged near the system control unit 50 and measures the temperature near the system control unit 50.

[0038] Each device such as the imaging sensor of the imaging unit 22 and the IC chip of the system control unit 50 generates heat during the imaging operation of the camera 100. And when the temperature of each device becomes high (for example, 80 °C or higher), the device may not function properly, or the image quality may deteriorate such as an increase in noise. Therefore, the temperature is measured to prevent the failure of each device and the deterioration of the image quality. That is, when the temperatures measured by the temperature sensors 91b and 91c reach a specific temperature (Kh described later in FIG. 7), even if the user instruction or the shooting available time based on the temperature described later has not been reached (expired), the video recording is stopped and the power of the digital camera 100 is turned off. In this embodiment, temperature sensors are arranged near the imaging unit 22 and the system control unit 50, but the number and arrangement positions of the sensors are not limited to this.

[0039] The user can set the on / off of the external output mode on the setting menu screen. When the reception means receives the setting to turn on the external output mode, the video captured by the imaging unit 22 can be output to an external device (for example, an HDMI (registered trademark) device) connected to the digital camera 100 by wire / wirelessly via the communication unit 54. Some users may want to view the captured video on a screen larger than the display unit 28 of the digital camera 100. In such a case, since the video can be displayed on both the display unit 28 and the external device, for example, the external device is used in such a way that information such as the setting values of the digital camera 100 is not displayed as much as possible, and only the video is displayed. Thereby, only the video can be confirmed in detail on the external device. On the other hand, on the display unit 28 of the digital camera 100, the LV image is displayed together with the information display, and the current setting values, setting contents, and how much time of video can be recorded in the current setting (recording possible time) are displayed. Thereby, the user can confirm the setting values and the recording possible time by checking the display unit 28.

[0040] Also, when the external output mode is on, it is possible to record and save the video to the external device that is the output destination. When recording and saving the video to an external device (external recording medium), in this embodiment, in response to the recording instruction made in the digital camera 100, the system control unit 50 controls each unit to start recording on the external device. When the recording instruction is given in the digital camera 100, the internal state of the digital camera 100 is in the middle of video recording. The external output mode in this embodiment is a mode in which the video output to the external device can be output in the RAW format when set to on, and it is possible to record the video in the RAW format on an external recording medium. When recording and saving a RAW format video on an external recording medium with the external output mode set to on, the same video is also recorded and saved in the MP4 format on the recording medium 200 (memory card) attached to the digital camera 100.

[0041] On the other hand, when an instruction to start video recording is given on an external device, imaging can be performed via the imaging unit 22, and the external device can record the LV image output to the external device, but the internal state of the digital camera 100 does not enter the video recording state. That is, in the present embodiment, the instruction to start video recording is only one-way from the digital camera 100 to the external device, and only the instruction to start recording in the digital camera 100 can change the internal state of the digital camera 100.

[0042] Even when the external output mode is off, if an external device is connected to the digital camera 100, it is possible to output the LV image to the external device. However, in this case, the LV image output to the external device is not in the RAW format, but is output in a format compressed more than the RAW format such as the MP4 format. Also, when the external output mode is off, even if an instruction to start video recording is issued in the digital camera 100, the external device does not record the video. Instead, the video is recorded and saved to the recording medium 200 attached to the digital camera 100. Similar to when the external output mode is on, when an instruction to start video recording is given on the external device, imaging can be performed via the imaging unit 22, and the LV image displayed on the external device can be recorded, but the internal state of the digital camera 100 does not enter the video recording state. Also, at this time, the video recorded and saved on the external device is in a format compressed more than the RAW format.

[0043] Depending on the settings of the video recording image quality and video recording format, the temperature inside the digital camera 100 is less likely to rise when outputting to an external device or recording on an external device than when displaying on the display unit 28 of the digital camera 100 or recording on the recording medium 200.

[0044] The video recording quality includes the number of recorded pixels (recording size), such as FHD (1920 pixels horizontally × 1080 pixels vertically), 4K (3840 pixels horizontally × 2160 pixels vertically), and 8K (7680 pixels horizontally × 4420 pixels vertically). Also, the video recording quality includes the frame rate of the video, and any frame rate up to 120 frames per second can be set. The video recording format is the file format when recording a video. In video recording, either the RAW format or the MP4 format can be selected. The RAW format records the data output from the imaging device in a file format for RAW video without performing digital conversion and RAW development processing. If the video recording format is the RAW format, no compression is performed, so there is no load on the image processing unit 24. However, since it is raw data without compression, the data volume increases, and it becomes necessary to write to the recording medium 200 at high speed, resulting in a load during writing and heat generation. That is, the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 91a is likely to rise.

[0045] On the other hand, the MP4 format performs RAW development processing on the data output from the imaging device, and further compresses it in the image processing unit 24 according to the compression format settings and records it. The higher the video recording quality, the greater the load on the processing in the imaging unit 22 and the easier heat generation. However, since compression is performed, the data volume can be suppressed to a certain extent, so it is less likely to be loaded when recording on the recording medium 200. That is, the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 91a is less likely to rise, and the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 91c is more likely to rise.

[0046] That is, when the external output mode is on and the recording destination of the video is an external recording medium, no power is consumed for communication between the digital camera 100 and the recording medium 200, so the influence of the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 91a on the shooting possible time is small. On the other hand, when the external output mode is off, the recording destination of the video becomes the recording medium 200 attached to the digital camera 100. Therefore, regardless of the setting content of the video recording format, the influence of the temperature measured by any of the temperature sensors 91 on the shooting possible time is large.

[0047] In addition, in this embodiment, when the external output mode is input, the video is output in the RAW format regardless of the setting content of the video recording format. When a recording start instruction is given, the video is recorded in the RAW format on the recording medium (e.g., an external hard disk) of the external device. Therefore, even if the external output mode is input, when no external device is connected, no video recording is performed on the recording medium 200 even if the recording medium 200 is attached to the digital camera 100.

[0048] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of control processing related to the display on the display unit 28 and video recording when performing video recording in this embodiment. This control processing is realized by the system control unit 50 by expanding the program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56 into the system memory 52 and executing it in the digital camera 100. The flowchart of FIG. 3 starts when the digital camera 100 is activated (powered on). When starting the control flowchart of FIG. 3, the system control unit 50 initializes the flag (N), control variables, etc., and starts the processing. In this embodiment, the control processing for displaying on the display unit 28 is used, but it is also applicable when displaying on the EVF 29 or an external monitor.

[0049] In S301, the system control unit 50 determines whether a transition instruction to the setting menu screen has been given by the user. If a transition instruction has been given, the process proceeds to S302; otherwise, the process proceeds to S308. The transition instruction to the setting menu screen refers to pressing the menu button 81.

[0050] In S302, the system control unit 50 determines whether a setting instruction for the external output mode has been given. If a setting instruction for the external output mode has been given, the process proceeds to S304; otherwise, the process proceeds to S305.

[0051] In S303, the system control unit 50 turns off the setting of the external output mode, that is, sets it so that external output is not performed, and stores it in the non-volatile memory 56. Since it is set not to perform external output, when video recording starts, video recording is performed on the recording medium 200 attached to the digital camera 100. The video recording image quality and video recording format at this time refer to the non-volatile memory 56 and follow the set content.

[0052] In S304, the system control unit 50 turns on the setting of the external output mode, that is, sets it to output in RAW format to an external device, and stores it in the non-volatile memory 56. As will be described later, when video recording starts, the video is recorded on an external recording medium (for example, an external hard disk, etc.) provided in an external output device (for example, an HDMI device, etc.) connected to the digital camera 100 by wire or wirelessly.

[0053] In S305, the system control unit 50 determines whether an instruction for setting the video recording image quality has been given. If an instruction for setting the video recording image quality has been given, it proceeds to S306; otherwise, it proceeds to S307.

[0054] In S306, the system control unit 50 stores the video recording image quality setting in the non-volatile memory 56.

[0055] In S307, the system control unit 50 determines whether there is an instruction to transition to the shooting standby state. If there is an instruction to transition, it proceeds to S308; if not, it proceeds to S309. The instruction to transition to the shooting standby state refers to, for example, pressing the shutter button 61 or touching the return touch icon displayed on the display unit 28.

[0056] In S308, the system control unit 50 starts shooting the LV image by the imaging unit 22 and displays the LV image on the display unit 28. Also, when the external output mode is set to "in", the video captured by the imaging unit 22 is output from the communication unit 54. In the present embodiment, the imaging unit 22 captures and outputs a video with the number of pixels and frame rate set at the video recording image quality set in S306. This state is referred to as the shooting standby state. FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) show the shooting standby state displayed on the display unit 28 when the recording medium 200 (e.g., memory card) is mounted on the digital camera 100 in the present embodiment. A display example when the external output mode is "off" is shown in FIG. 5(a), and a display example when the external output mode is "in" is shown in FIG. 5(b). FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) show the shooting standby state displayed on the display unit 28 when the recording medium 200 is not mounted on the digital camera 100. A display example when the external output mode is "off" is shown in FIG. 6(a), and a display example when the external output mode is "in" is shown in FIG. 6(b).

[0057] In S309, the system control unit 50 performs other settings on the setting menu screen.

[0058] In S310, the system control unit 50 acquires the temperature measured by any one or a plurality of the temperature sensors 91a to 91c at that time. Then, from these temperatures, the shootable time based on the temperature is calculated. Specifically, the time until the temperature threshold for preventing device failure, image quality degradation, etc. set for each temperature sensor is reached is calculated and used as the shootable time. A temperature rise prediction graph for calculating the shootable time is shown in FIG. 7.

[0059] If the number of recording pixels is different, even if videos are recorded for the same amount of time, the one with a larger number of recording pixels uses more capacity of the recording medium. Therefore, for example, when the number of recording pixels is set to 4K instead of 8K, a longer video can be recorded. Also, not only during video recording, but the temperature on the surface / inside of the housing rises due to LV shooting in the shooting standby state (described later in FIG. 7). The rate of temperature rise varies according to the settings of the number of recording pixels and the frame rate, and the one with a larger number of recording pixels and frame rate has a higher rate of temperature rise.

[0060] In S311, the system control unit 50 determines whether the memory card, that is, the recording medium 200, is attached to the digital camera 100. If it is, the process proceeds to S312; otherwise, it proceeds to S316.

[0061] In S312, the system control unit 50 calculates the shootable time based on the card remaining capacity, based on the remaining capacity of the memory card (card remaining capacity) and the current video recording image quality setting.

[0062] In S313, the system control unit 50 determines whether the shootable time calculated from the card remaining capacity is equal to or greater than the shootable time calculated from the temperature (shootable time based on card remaining capacity ≥ shootable time based on temperature). If so, the process proceeds to S318; otherwise, it proceeds to S315. In this embodiment, the shootable time calculated from the housing temperature and the card remaining capacity is compared, but it is also possible to compare with the shootable time calculated from other factors such as the battery remaining capacity and the shootable time according to regulations in other countries, rather than the temperature and the card remaining capacity.

[0063] In S314, the system control unit 50 sets the flag N = 0 and stores it in the system memory 52. The flag N is a flag indicating whether the shootable time displayed on the display unit 28 depends on the temperature. When the flag N is 0, the shootable time displayed on the display unit 28 in the shooting standby state depends on the remaining capacity of the card. When the flag N is 1, it can be seen that the shootable time displayed on the display unit 28 in the shooting standby state depends on the temperature.

[0064] In S315, since it is determined as No in S313 (that is, the shootable time based on the remaining capacity of the card < the shootable time based on the temperature), the system control unit 50 displays the shootable time calculated from the remaining capacity of the memory card on the display unit 28. The shootable time displayed in this step is saved in the system memory 52. An example of the display at this time is shown in Fig. 5(a). In a state where the LV image is displayed on the display unit 28, the display item 501 is displayed on the display unit 28 as the shootable time. Since it is determined as No in S313, it can be seen that the display item 501 shown in Fig. 5(a) is the shootable time based on the remaining capacity of the memory card. The display item 501 is displayed as 13:59, and the user can visually recognize that if the video recording is started with the current settings and shooting environment, it is possible to record the video for 13 minutes and 59 seconds. The shootable time based on the remaining capacity of the card displayed here does not change until the user starts recording the video on the recording medium 200 as described later. Regardless of the setting content of the external output mode, when a memory card (recording medium 200) is mounted on the digital camera 100, the shorter of the shootable time based on the remaining capacity of the card and the shootable time based on the temperature is displayed on the display unit 28. As described above, even if the video recording is started with the external output mode set to input, the video in RAW format is recorded on the external recording medium, and the video in MP4 format is recorded on the memory card (internal recording medium 200). Therefore, even if the remaining capacity of the external recording medium is larger than the remaining capacity of the memory card, the video recording is stopped according to the remaining capacity of the memory card.

[0065] In S316, since it was determined to be No in S311, the system control unit 50 determines whether the external output mode is input. If the external output mode is input, it proceeds to S317; otherwise, it proceeds to S319.

[0066] In S317, the system control unit 50 determines whether an external recording device (medium) is connected. If it is connected, it proceeds to S318; otherwise, it proceeds to S320.

[0067] In S318, the system control unit 50 sets the flag N = 1 and stores it in the system memory 52. The flag N is a flag indicating whether the shooting available time displayed on the display unit 28 depends on the temperature. When the flag N is 1, it can be understood that the shooting available time displayed on the display unit 28 in the shooting standby state depends on the temperature, and when the flag N is 0, the shooting available time displayed on the display unit 28 in the shooting standby state depends on the remaining capacity of the card.

[0068] In S319, the system control unit 50 displays the shooting available time based on the temperature calculated in S310 on the display unit 28, and stores the shooting available time based on the temperature displayed in this step in the system memory 52. As described above, not only during video recording, but also during LV shooting in the shooting standby state, the temperature of the housing surface / inside rises (to be described later in FIG. 7). Therefore, the temperature of the housing surface / inside by the temperature sensors 91a to 91c is acquired at a certain interval (for example, every 20 seconds), and the shooting available time based on the temperature is calculated. That is, in this embodiment, the calculation process of the shooting available time based on the temperature in S310 is executed at a certain interval. When the shooting available time based on the temperature is newly calculated, the display is updated so that the currently calculated shooting available time is displayed, and the shooting available time continues to be displayed in a countdown format as time passes. The shooting available time is counted down and displayed until the shooting available time based on the temperature is calculated next.

[0069] Examples of what is displayed on the display unit 28 at this time are shown in FIGS. 5(b) and 6(b). FIG. 5(b) shows the case where the recording medium 200 is mounted and the external output mode is on, and FIG. 6(b) shows the case where the recording medium 200 is not mounted and the external output mode is on. Since "29:59" is displayed as the recordable time in the display item 503 and the display item 603, the user can visually confirm that if video recording is started with the current settings and shooting environment, only 29 minutes and 59 seconds of video can be shot at that time. Also, by superimposing and displaying the display items 502 and 602 on the LV image, it is shown that the LV image is being output to an external device. In FIGS. 5(b) and 6(b), "EXT HDMI" is displayed. Note that in this embodiment, when the external output mode is on, the output to the external device is always performed in the RAW format. However, when the format for outputting to the external device can be selected according to user settings, information indicating the recording format may be displayed together with the display items 502 and 602.

[0070] When the storage (recording) destination of the video is an external device (external recording medium), the recording capacity of the recording medium is often larger than that of the recording medium 200 mounted on the digital camera 100. Therefore, it is often sufficient to measure the temperature inside the digital camera 100 and only consider the recordable time based on the temperature. Therefore, only the recordable time based on the temperature is considered and the user is notified. At this time, if the external output mode is set to on and the settings for the video recording image quality and video recording format are assumed not to reach a high temperature that causes operation restrictions, it may be possible to control not to display the recordable time.

[0071] Note that if there is no instruction to record a video while in the recording standby state and time passes, it may happen that the recordable time based on the temperature becomes shorter as determined in S313. In that case, the display will switch from the display of the recordable time based on the remaining card capacity to the display of the recordable time based on the temperature.

[0072] In S320, the system control unit 50 displays a warning on the display unit 28 to notify the user. This warning is a guidance display indicating that the memory card is not installed (not inserted). An example of the display at this time is shown in Fig. 6(a). Figs. 6(a) and (b) show that since there is no attachment of the recording medium 200 and the external output mode is off, even if an external device or an external recording medium is attached to the digital camera 100, there is no destination to save the video, so video recording cannot be started. Therefore, the display item 601 is displayed with "No card inserted", and the display of the available shooting time as shown in Figs. 5(a) and (b) and Fig. 6(b) is not performed. As a result, the user can visually recognize that video recording cannot be performed unless a memory card (recording medium 200) is installed.

[0073] Also, in a situation where shooting is not possible, such as when the external output mode is set but the connection to the external device is not connected, it may be notified by displaying the available shooting time as zero or displaying a guidance display indicating that shooting is not possible. Note that if it is determined as No in S311 (that is, the recording medium 200 is not inserted) and the external output mode is on, the available shooting time depending on the temperature may be displayed on the display unit 28 without checking the presence or absence of the connection of the external device (for example, HDMI, etc.). That is, there is no problem even if S317 is skipped and the process proceeds from S316 to S318.

[0074] In S321, the system control unit 50 determines whether there is an instruction to start video recording. If there is an instruction to start, the process proceeds to S322; otherwise, it proceeds to S323. Specifically, the instruction to start video recording refers to the pressing of the video button 76 or the touch operation on the touch icon (REC icon) to start video recording displayed on the display unit 28. Also, when the external output mode is set to on, it is possible to assume that there is an instruction to start video recording by operating the video button or video icon provided in a device capable of remotely controlling an external device or the like.

[0075] In S322, the system control unit 50 starts the video recording process. The recording process will be described later with reference to FIG. 4.

[0076] In S323, the system control unit 50 determines whether the process has ended. If the process has ended, the control flowchart in FIG. 3 is terminated; otherwise, the process proceeds to S324. The end of the process refers to, for example, turning off the power of the digital camera 100.

[0077] In S324, similarly to S301, the system control unit 50 determines whether there is an instruction to transition to the setting menu screen. If there is, the process returns to S302; otherwise, the process returns to S310.

[0078] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the recording process described in S322 of FIG. 3. It is started when a Yes determination is made in S321 and S322 of the flowchart in FIG. 3.

[0079] In S401, the system control unit 50 refers to the non-volatile memory 56 and determines whether the external output mode is set to input. If the external output mode is set to input, the process proceeds to S402; otherwise, the process proceeds to S406.

[0080] In S402, the system control unit 50 determines whether an external device is connected to the digital camera 100. If it is connected, the process proceeds to S403; otherwise, the process proceeds to S406. The external device refers to, for example, an external monitor.

[0081] In S403, the system control unit 50 outputs the LV image to the connected external device. At this time, the user can arbitrarily set whether to output the LV image to both the display unit 28 and the external device or to only one of them.

[0082] In S404, the system control unit 50 determines whether an external recording medium (recording device) is connected. If it is connected, the process proceeds to S405; otherwise, the process proceeds to S406.

[0083] In S405, the system control unit 50 starts video recording. In this step, a video file is created in a recording device (medium) provided in an external device (e.g., an external hard disk, etc.) connected to the digital camera 100 by wire or wirelessly, and the video captured by the imaging unit 22 using the current setting content is recorded in the external recording device (medium). Note that when the external output mode is set to input and an external recording medium is connected, the video is recorded in RAW format on the external recording medium, and at the same time, the video is recorded in MP4 format on the recording medium 200 (memory card) attached to the digital camera 100.

[0084] In S406, similarly to S311, the system control unit 50 determines whether the memory card, that is, the recording medium 200, is attached to the digital camera 100. If it is, the process proceeds to S407; if not, the process returns to S310.

[0085] In S407, the system control unit 50 starts video recording. In this step, a video file is created in the recording medium 200 attached to the digital camera 100, and the video captured by the imaging unit 22 using the current setting content is recorded in the recording medium 200. Also, the shootable time displayed in S315 - S319 is saved in the system memory 52.

[0086] In S408, instead of displaying the shootable time, the system control unit 50 starts displaying the recording time. That is, after setting the recording time to 0 minutes 0 seconds at the start of recording, as time elapses, the recording time is displayed on the display unit 28 in a count - up format. The time from when video recording started in S405 or S407 is counted up as the recording time and displayed and saved in the system memory 52.

[0087] In S409, the system control unit 50 refers to the system memory 52 and determines whether the flag N = 1. If N = 1, the process proceeds to S410; if not (N = 0), the process proceeds to S411.

[0088] In S410, the system control unit 50 determines whether the recording time has reached the shootable time. Specifically, it determines whether the recording time, which is the time from when the video recording in S405 or S407 starts, has reached the shootable time displayed in S319. If it has reached, it proceeds to S414; otherwise, it proceeds to S412. Since it is determined as Yes in S409, it can be seen that the shootable time displayed on the display unit 28 in the shooting standby state (before the video recording start instruction) depends on the temperature. Even after the video recording starts, the temperature is periodically acquired by the temperature sensors 91a to 91c. However, if the temperature rises rapidly during the video recording and the video recording can only be performed for a time shorter than the shootable time based on the temperature displayed in the shooting standby state, the user is highly likely to lose the shooting opportunity. To reduce such inconvenience, the video recording can be performed for the time corresponding to the shootable time displayed in the shooting standby state (before the video recording). If the recording time has reached the shootable time, it proceeds to S414; otherwise, it proceeds to S412. S315 S318 That the recording time has reached the shootable time indicates that video recording for any further time cannot be performed.

[0089] Thus, when the shootable time based on the temperature is displayed in the shooting standby state, even if there is a large temperature change during the video recording, it is assumed that the video recording can be performed for the time corresponding to the shootable time based on the temperature displayed in the shooting standby state. On the other hand, when the shootable time based on the remaining capacity of the memory card is displayed in the shooting standby state, instead of determining whether the recording time has reached the shootable time displayed before the video recording start, it is determined whether the remaining capacity of the card acquired during the recording has become 0.

[0090] In S411, the system control unit 50 determines whether the remaining capacity of the memory card inserted into the digital camera 100 is 0. If it is 0, the process proceeds to S414; otherwise, it proceeds to S412. Since it was determined as No in S409, it can be seen that the available shooting time displayed before the start instruction of video recording (shooting standby state) depends on the remaining capacity of the memory card. The remaining capacity of the memory card may change during video recording. The remaining capacity may change while saving the video file recorded during video recording to the memory card (recording medium 200) from the time when the available shooting time based on the card remaining capacity was calculated before the start of video recording. As a result, the available shooting time based on the remaining capacity of the memory card may also change, but this change amount is small compared to the change amount of the available shooting time due to temperature change, and is about ten-odd seconds in terms of time. Therefore, even during video recording, the remaining capacity of the memory card periodically acquired is compared with the data capacity of the video recording, and it is determined whether the remaining capacity of the memory card at the acquired time has become 0.

[0091] In S412, the system control unit 50 determines whether a cause for emergency stop has occurred. If so, the process proceeds to S14; otherwise, it proceeds to S413. The cause for emergency stop refers to, for example, a case where the temperature of the digital camera 100 unexpectedly rises rapidly and reaches a temperature that may lead to a device failure inside the digital camera 100, or a malfunction of the internal system, etc., which are troubles that prevent continuous video recording. In such cases, the video recording is stopped without a user's instruction and even if the available shooting time has not elapsed.

[0092] In S413, the system control unit 50 determines whether an instruction to end video recording has been issued. If an instruction to end video recording has been issued, the process proceeds to S414; if not, it proceeds to S409. Specifically, the instruction to end video recording refers to pressing the video button 76 or touching a touch icon having a function to stop video recording.

[0093] Even if it is determined Yes in S409 and has reached any of the steps of S410, S412, and S413, information exchange with the memory card is periodically performed to check the remaining capacity of the card. As a result, during video recording, regardless of which step shown in FIG. 4, the remaining capacity of the memory card is compared with the data capacity of the video recording. If the remaining capacity of the memory card becomes 0, the video recording is stopped.

[0094] In S414, the system control unit 50 stops the video recording. When the recording stops, a close process (such as adding attribute information) of the video file created in the recording medium 200 or the external device is performed, and the system shifts to the standby state for shooting. Until the recording time reaches the shootable time in S410, the video recording is not stopped. By such control, during video recording, a decrease in the shootable time due to a rapid increase in the temperature of the housing surface or the like can be avoided, and video recording can be performed only for the shootable time displayed in S315 or S319. As a result, the user can perform video recording for the time visually recognized at the start of video recording, and it is possible to reduce the user's confusion caused by the video recording stopping in a shorter time than the time assumed before the start of video recording.

[0095] Although the pressing of the video button 76 or the touch operation on the touch icon has been described as the video recording stop instruction in S413, even when there is a mode switching operation, the pressing of the playback button 79 (instruction to transition to the playback mode process), or the operation of the power switch 72, the video recording is stopped. When there is a mode switching operation, the pressing of the playback button 79, or the operation of the power switch 72, control processing corresponding to each operation is performed.

[0096] By performing control as in the above-described embodiment, the user can visually recognize how long a video can be recorded. Also, it is possible to visually recognize that video recording cannot be performed with the current settings. When the recordable time displayed is shorter than the time desired by the user, the user can change the settings, replace the recording medium 200 with one having more remaining capacity, connect an external device to save to an external recording medium, etc. before starting video recording. This can reduce the chance of missing a shooting opportunity due to the video recording stopping in a shorter time than the time desired by the user after starting the video recording.

[0097] Even when the recording medium is not mounted (inserted) as in the above embodiment, it is possible to improve convenience by notifying the recordable time calculated from the housing temperature in the external output mode.

[0098] In the display examples of the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, since the aspect ratio of the video is 16:9 and the aspect ratio of the display unit 28 is 4:3, margins (black) are generated above and below the LV image displayed on the display unit 28. In FIG. 5(a), the control is such that the display item 501 is displayed in the margin portion, but it is not limited to this, and it is also possible to display the LV image over the entire display unit 28 (i.e., 4:3 display) and superimpose the display item 501 on the LV image.

[0099] When the mode dial or the like is operated during the control of the control flowcharts in FIGS. 3 and 4, perform an operation corresponding to the operation. That is, stop the video recording in response to the operation and perform the corresponding operation.

[0100] Figures 7(a) and 7(b) are graphs regarding the setting state of video recording and the rise in the temperature of the housing in the present embodiment. Figure 7(a) shows the temperature rise curves in four states. Curve 701 is for the case where the recording pixel count is set to 8K, and curve 702 is the temperature rise curve for the case where the recording pixel count is set to 4K. Curve 703 is the temperature rise curve in the shooting standby state, and curve 704 is the temperature rise curve in modes other than the shooting mode, that is, in the playback mode or the like. Note that it is assumed that the frame rate settings of curves 701 and 702 are the same. If the frame rate increases, that is, at 60 fps and 120 fps, more heat is released at 120 fps. In the graph of Figure 7(a), the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents temperature. It shows the temperature rise curve when the power of the digital camera 100 is turned on at time 0 [sec] and the housing surface temperature K0 [°C]. The temperature Kh [°C] is the temperature for device protection. When the temperature Kh is reached, even if the user gives an instruction to stop video recording or the video recording time has not reached the shootable time, the video recording is stopped. Also, the temperature K1 [°C] is the temperature for calculating the shootable time based on temperature in S310. Let the time until curve 701 reaches the temperature K1 [°C] be t1 [sec], and the time until curve 702 reaches the temperature K1 [°C] be t2 [sec]. As can be seen from Figure 7(a), immediately after the digital camera 100 is powered on, if it is set to 8K, the time t1 is displayed at the position of the display item 501 in Figure 5(a). If it is set to 4K, the time t2 is displayed. However, this is only the shootable time immediately after the digital camera 100 is powered on. The longer the shooting standby state continues after the power is turned on, the higher the temperature rises as shown by curve 703, and the shootable time for video recording decreases. Therefore, it becomes a time shorter than the above-mentioned times t1 and t2 (to be described later in Figure 7(b)).

[0101] Figure 7(b) is a graph showing that the power of the digital camera 100 is turned on at time 0 and the temperature K0 [°C] of the housing surface, and video recording is started at point A3 where time t2 has elapsed in the shooting standby state as shown by curve 703. At point A3, the temperature of the housing surface is K3. As described in Figure 7(a), immediately after the power is turned on, the time available for video recording at the 8K setting was displayed as t1, but after time t2 has elapsed in the shooting standby state, the time available for video recording at the 8K setting is t3 - t2, and at 4K it is t4 - t2 (t2 < t3 < t4). That is, even if LV shooting is being performed without video recording, the temperature of the housing surface / inside rises, and the time limit based on the temperature becomes shorter moment by moment. On the other hand, in the case of FHD setting or HD setting, there is less heat generation than in the 8K setting or 4K setting, and the possibility of being restricted by temperature is low. Therefore, in the case of FHD setting or HD setting, even if the shooting timing is being awaited in the shooting standby state, it does not significantly affect subsequent video recording.

[0102] When reaching point A1 and point A2 in Figure 7(a) and point A4 and point A5 in Figure 7(b) and turning off the power of the digital camera 100, the temperature of the housing surface / inside drops. For every 1°C drop in the temperature of the housing, the maximum recordable time extends by about 1 minute.

[0103] According to the above-described embodiment, when attempting to perform video recording, the user can recognize how long video recording can be performed with the current settings before the video recording instruction. Also, in the case where heat is generated just by being in the shooting standby state and the time available for video recording becomes short, it becomes easier for the user to judge any of the following. · Whether it is okay to turn on the power of the digital camera 100 before the video recording instruction and aim for the recording timing in the shooting standby state. · Whether it is better to wait with the power of the digital camera 100 turned off before the video recording instruction and turn on the power just before the timing desired by the user and start video recording.

[0104] This makes it possible to avoid inconveniences such as the user being unable to record a video as expected or being unable to continue video recording until the desired timing.

[0105] In addition, among the various controls described as being performed by the system control unit 50, each of them may be performed by one piece of hardware, or the entire device may be controlled by a plurality of pieces of hardware (for example, a plurality of processors or circuits) sharing the processing.

[0106] 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 within the scope that does not depart from the gist of this invention are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, each of the above-described embodiments merely shows one embodiment of the present invention, and it is also possible to appropriately combine the embodiments.

[0107] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the digital camera 100 has been described as an example, but this is not limited to this example, and the present invention is applicable to any electronic device that can be connected to an imaging device having imaging means capable of performing video recording. That is, the present invention is applicable to personal computers, external monitors, mobile phone terminals, portable image viewers, music players, game machines, and the like.

[0108] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the imaging device main body, and is also applicable to a control device that communicates with an imaging device (including a network camera) via wired or wireless communication and remotely controls the imaging device. Examples of devices for remotely controlling an imaging device include devices such as smartphones, tablet PCs, and desktop PCs. By notifying the imaging device from the control device side of commands for performing various operations and settings on the imaging device based on operations performed on the control device side or processing performed on the control device side, the imaging device can be remotely controlled. Also, the live view image captured by the imaging device may be received via wired or wireless communication and displayed on the control device side.

[0109] (Other Embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by executing the following processing. That is, software (program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or various storage media, and a computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or device reads and executes the program code. In this case, the program and the storage medium storing the program constitute the present invention.

Claims

1. An imaging device, comprising: imaging means; temperature acquisition means for acquiring the temperature of the imaging device; calculation means for calculating a shootable time based on the temperature acquired by the temperature acquisition means; recording means for recording a moving image acquired by the imaging means on a recording medium attached to the imaging device; setting means for setting an external output mode for outputting the moving image acquired by the imaging means to the outside of the moving image; output means for outputting the moving image acquired by the imaging means to an external device connected to the imaging device when the external output mode is set; control means for controlling to display information regarding the shootable time calculated by the calculation means on a display means when the external output mode is set even when the recording medium is not attached to the imaging device; An imaging device, characterized by comprising the above.

2. When the external output mode is set, there is provided recording control means for controlling such that the moving image output by the output means is recorded by an external device in response to an instruction to start recording of the moving image. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the recording control means controls to stop recording of the moving image by the external device in response to the remaining shootable time running out during recording of the moving image by the external device.

3. The imaging device according to claim 2, wherein the recording control means controls to stop recording of the moving image by the external device when the remaining shootable time runs out during recording of the moving image by the external device, even if there is remaining recording capacity in the external device.

4. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control means controls not to display information regarding the shootable time on the display means even when the external output mode is set when the recording medium is not attached to the imaging device and the external device is not connected to the imaging device.

5. When the recording medium is attached to the imaging device, the calculation means calculates a shootable time based on the remaining capacity of the recording medium. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control means controls to display information regarding the shorter of the shootable time calculated based on the temperature and the shootable time calculated based on the remaining capacity of the recording medium on the display means.

6. When the recording medium is not attached to the imaging device and the external output mode is not set, the control means controls the display means not to display information regarding the available shooting time, but to display information indicating that no recording medium is attached to the imaging device. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that.

7. The control means controls the display means to display information regarding the available shooting time together with the live view image obtained by the imaging means. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that.

8. When the external output mode is set, the recording control means controls the display means to hide the display of information regarding the available shooting time in response to an instruction to start recording a video, and to display information indicating the elapsed time since the start of recording the video. The imaging device according to claim 2, characterized in that.

9. When the external output mode is set, the control means displays information indicating that it is the external output mode together with the information regarding the available shooting time, together with the live view image obtained by the imaging means. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that.

10. When the external output mode is set, if the external device is not connected, the recording control means controls not to start recording a video regardless of whether the recording medium is attached. The imaging device according to claim 2, characterized in that.

11. The control means is When the recording medium is attached to the imaging device, it controls the display means to display information regarding the available shooting time regardless of whether the external output mode is set. When the recording medium is not attached to the imaging device, when the external output mode is set, it controls the display means to display information regarding the available shooting time, and when the external output mode is not set, it controls the display means to display information regarding the available shooting time. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that.

12. A control method for an imaging device having an imaging means, comprising: A temperature acquisition step of acquiring the temperature of the imaging device; A calculation step of calculating an available shooting time based on the temperature acquired in the temperature acquisition step; A recording step of recording the video acquired by the imaging means on the mounted recording medium; A setting step of setting an external output mode for outputting the video acquired by the imaging means to the outside; An output step of outputting the video acquired by the imaging means to an external device connected to the imaging apparatus when the external output mode is set; A control step of controlling to display information regarding the photographable time calculated by the calculating step on a display means when the external output mode is set even when the recording medium is not mounted on the imaging apparatus; A control method for an imaging apparatus, characterized by comprising the above.

13. A program for causing a computer to function as each means of the imaging apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 11.

14. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as each means of the imaging apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 11.

Images