Imaging device, control method, and program

Abstract

To prevent light and a sound indicating that an instruction to start recording a moving image has been received from being recorded in a moving image file when an instruction to start recording a moving image is received during pre-recording.SOLUTION: An imaging apparatus can record moving images with or without voice. The imaging apparatus comprises: notification means that notifies, using light emission and / or the voice, that a predetermined instruction to start recording the moving image has been received; and control means that stores moving images taken prior, by a predetermined time, to a time when the instructions are received and performs control so that emitting light and / or outputting the voice is not be executed when the predetermined instruction is received in a state in which a pre-recording function to record the stored moving images is enabled in response to receipt of the predetermined instruction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to control technology during video recording.

Background Art

[0002] When recording a video with an imaging device such as a digital camera, in addition to the method of operating the recording button on the camera body, there is also a method of remotely operating using a remote control or the like for the video recording start instruction. Patent Document 1 describes a pre-recording function in which video data before the start of video recording is buffered so as not to miss an unexpected shooting chance during video recording, and the buffered video data is recorded for a predetermined time at the start of video recording.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When giving an instruction to start video recording remotely to a camera using a remote control or the like, in order to notify the user that the operation has been received, a lamp may light up or an electronic sound may sound. In Patent Document 1, when video data is buffered before the start of video recording by the pre-recording function, there is a possibility that light or sound indicating that the video recording start instruction has been received will be recorded in the video file.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to realize a technique for preventing light or sound indicating that a video recording start instruction has been received from being recorded in a video file when a video recording start instruction is received during pre-recording.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides an imaging device capable of recording a moving image, comprising: notification means for notifying, by light emission and / or sound, that a predetermined instruction to start recording the moving image has been received; and upon receiving the predetermined instruction ru before taken at recording the moving image temporarily for storage and in response to receiving the predetermined instruction said temporarily for storage done the moving image to the recording medium with a pre-recording function for recording enabled 、 when the predetermined instruction is received 、 control means for controlling notify that the predetermined instruction has been received the notification means not to perform light emission and / or sound output.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, when a moving image recording start instruction is received during pre-recording, it is possible to prevent light or sound indicating that the moving image recording start instruction has been received from being recorded in the moving image file.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiments, not all of these plurality of features are essential to the invention, and the plurality of features may be arbitrarily combined. Further, in the accompanying drawings, the same or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the imaging device of the present invention is applied to a digital single-lens reflex camera capable of taking still images and recording moving images will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] <Device Configuration> First, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the configuration and functions of the digital camera of the present embodiment will be described.

[0012] FIG. 1(a) is a front perspective view of the digital camera 100 with the lens unit 200 removed, and FIG. 1(b) is a rear perspective view of the digital camera 100.

[0013] In FIG. 1, the rear display unit 101 is an external display unit for the viewfinder that displays images and various information, and is a display device such as an LCD provided on the back of the camera body. Further, the rear display unit 101 has functions of still image playback after still image shooting, moving image display during recording, and live view display. A touch panel 270a is provided on the rear display unit 101. The touch panel 270a is a touch operation member capable of detecting contact (touch operation) with respect to the display surface of the rear display unit 101 (the touch operation surface of the touch panel 270a).

[0014] The external viewfinder display unit 243 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. The shutter button 102 is an operation unit for giving a shooting instruction. The mode switch 103 is a rotary dial type operation unit for switching various modes. The terminal cover 104 is a cover member for protecting a connector (not shown) for connecting the external device and the digital camera 100 via a cable such as USB. The main electronic dial 105 is a rotary operation member included in the operation unit 270 to be described later with reference to FIG. 2. By turning the main electronic dial 105, setting values such as shutter speed and aperture can be changed.

[0015] The power switch 106 is an operation member for switching the power of the digital camera 100 on and off. The sub - electronic dial 107 is also a rotary operation member included in the operation unit 270 to be described later with reference to FIG. 2, and can be used for moving the selection frame, image scrolling, etc. The cross - key 108 is also a movement instruction member included in the operation unit 270 to be described later with reference to FIG. 2, and is a four - direction operation button having push buttons that can be pushed in four directions: up, down, left, and right. Operations corresponding to the direction in which the cross - key 108 is pushed can be performed. The SET button 109 is also a push button included in the operation unit 270 to be described later with reference to FIG. 2, and is mainly used for determining selected items, etc.

[0016] The recording button 110 is also included in the operation unit 270 to be described later with reference to FIG. 2, and is used for instructing the start or stop of video recording. The AE lock button 112 is also included in the operation unit 270 to be described later with reference to FIG. 2, and by pressing it in the shooting standby state, the exposure state can be fixed. The zoom in / zoom out button 111 is also included in the operation unit 270 to be described later with reference to FIG. 2, and is an operation button for turning on and off the zoom mode in the live view display of the shooting mode. After turning on the zoom mode, by operating the main electronic dial 105, the live view image can be zoomed in and out. In the playback mode, it functions as a zoom - in button for enlarging the playback image and increasing the magnification.

[0017] The playback button 113 is also included in the operation unit 270, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 2, and is an operation button for switching between the shooting mode and the playback mode. By pressing the playback button 113 during the shooting mode, the camera shifts to the playback mode, and the latest image among the images recorded on the recording medium 250 can be displayed on the rear display unit 101. The menu button 114 is also included in the operation unit 270, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 2, and pressing it causes various configurable menu screens to be displayed on the rear display unit 101. The user can intuitively perform various settings using the menu screen displayed on the rear display unit 101, the cross keys 108, the SET button 109, or the touch bar 115.

[0018] The touch bar 115 (multi-function bar) is also included in the operation unit 270, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 2, and is a linear touch operation member (line touch sensor) capable of receiving touch operations. The touch bar 115 is positioned such that it can be touched (touched) with the right thumb in a state where the grip portion 116 is held in the right hand (a state where it is held with the little finger, ring finger, and middle finger of the right hand) so that the shutter button 102 can be pressed with the index finger of the right hand. That is, the touch bar 115 is arranged at a position where it can be operated in a state (shooting posture) where the user is looking through the viewfinder with the eye against the eyepiece portion 216 and can press the shutter button 102 at any time. The touch bar 115 is a reception unit capable of receiving tap operations (operations of touching and releasing without moving within a predetermined period) and left-right slide operations (operations of moving the touch position while keeping the touch after touching) on the touch bar 115. The touch bar 115 is an operation member different from the touch panel 270a and does not have a display function.

[0019] The multi-function button 118 is also included in the operation unit 270, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 2, and is arranged at a position where it can be operated with the index finger in a state where the grip portion 116 is held in the right hand. That is, the multi-function button 118 is arranged at a position where it can be operated while looking through the viewfinder with the eye against the eyepiece portion 216.

[0020] The grip portion 116 has a shape that is easy to hold with the right hand when the user holds the digital camera 100. With the grip portion 116 held by the little finger, ring finger, and middle finger of the right hand to hold the digital camera 100, the shutter button 102 and the main electronic dial 105 are arranged at positions operable by the index finger of the right hand. Also, in the same state, the sub-electronic dial 107 and the touch bar 115 are arranged at positions operable by the thumb of the right hand. The lid 117 is a member that opens and closes a slot for attaching and detaching the recording medium 250 to the digital camera 100.

[0021] The communication terminal 210 is an electrical contact for the digital camera 100 to communicate with the lens unit 200. The eyepiece portion 216 is a viewfinder type eyepiece finder. The user can visually recognize the image displayed on the electronic viewfinder (EVF), which is the finder internal display portion 229, through the eyepiece portion 216, and can check the focus and composition of the subject image captured through the lens unit 200, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 2.

[0022] The eyepiece detection unit 217 is arranged near the eyepiece portion 216 and can detect the approach of any object to the eyepiece portion 216. For example, an infrared proximity sensor is used as the eyepiece detection unit 217.

[0023] The thumb rest portion 119 (thumb standby position) is a grip member provided on the back side of the digital camera 100 at a location where it is easy to place the thumb of the right hand that is holding the grip portion 116 without operating any operation member. The thumb rest portion 119 is composed of a rubber member or the like for enhancing the holding force (grip feeling).

[0024] The AF frame selection button 120 is included in the operation unit 270, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 2, and an AF position (frame) for focusing can be selected by operating the cross key 108 or the like.

[0025] The light-emitting unit 121 is an LED or the like provided on the front surface of the camera body, and emits red light by lighting up according to the operating state of the digital camera 100 or the like. The light-emitting unit 121 is provided on the front surface (subject side) of the camera body, and the light-emitting unit 121 can be confirmed from the subject side. Therefore, the user can perform self-photography by remote control using a remote control or the like while checking the lighting state of the light-emitting unit 121.

[0026] The voice output unit 122 is a speaker or the like provided on the front surface of the camera body, and emits a voice such as an electronic sound according to the operating state of the digital camera 100 or the like.

[0027] The voice input unit 123 is one or a plurality of microphones built in the digital camera 100 or connected via a voice terminal, and generates an analog voice signal that collects the voice around the digital camera 100.

[0028] Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the internal configurations of the digital camera 100 and the lens unit 200 of the present embodiment will be described. In FIG. 2, the same reference numerals are given to the configurations common to FIG. 1.

[0029] In FIG. 2, the lens unit 200 mounts a photographing lens 207 and is detachable from the digital camera 100. The photographing lens 207 is usually composed of a plurality of lenses, but here it is simply shown as only one lens. The communication terminal 206 is an electrical contact for the lens unit 200 to communicate with the digital camera 100. The communication terminal 210 is an electrical contact for the digital camera 100 to communicate with the lens unit 200. The lens unit 200 communicates with the system control unit 201 via the communication terminal 206, and the built-in lens control unit 204 controls the aperture drive circuit 202 to drive the aperture 205 and controls the AF drive circuit 203 to displace the position of the photographing lens 207 to focus.

[0030] The focal plane shutter 221 can freely control the exposure time in the imaging unit 222 in response to an instruction from the system control unit 201. The imaging unit 222 is an image sensor composed of an imaging element such as a CCD or CMOS that converts a subject image into an electrical signal. The A / D converter 223 converts the analog signal output from the imaging unit 222 into a digital signal.

[0031] The image processing unit 224 performs resizing processes such as predetermined pixel interpolation and reduction, and color conversion processes on the data from the A / D converter 223 or the data from the memory control unit 215. Also, in the image processing unit 224, predetermined arithmetic processing is performed using the captured image data, and the system control unit 201 performs exposure control and distance measurement control based on the arithmetic result. As a result, AF (autofocus) processing, AE (automatic exposure) processing, and EF (flash pre-emission) processing in the TTL (through-the-lens) method are performed. In the image processing unit 224, further, predetermined arithmetic processing is performed using the captured image data, and AWB (auto white balance) processing in the TTL method is also performed based on the arithmetic result.

[0032] The memory control unit 215 controls the transfer of data among the A / D converter 223, the image processing unit 224, and the memory 232. The digital data output from the A / D converter 223 is written directly into the memory 232 via the image processing unit 224 and the memory control unit 215, or via the memory control unit 215. The memory 232 stores the image data obtained from the imaging unit 222 and the A / D converter 223, and the image display data for display on the rear display unit 101 or the in-finder display unit 229. The memory 232 has a storage capacity sufficient to store a predetermined number of still images, a moving image for a predetermined time, and audio. Also, the memory 232 serves as an image display memory (video memory).

[0033] The D / A converter 219 converts the image display data stored in the memory 232 into an analog signal and supplies it to the rear display unit 101 or the in-finder display unit 229. The image display data written in the memory 232 is displayed by the rear display unit 101 or the in-finder display unit 229 via the D / A converter 219. The rear display unit 101 and the in-finder display unit 229 perform display according to the analog signal from the D / A converter 219 on the display device. In this way, by converting the digital signal stored in the memory 232 into an analog signal and sequentially transferring it to the rear display unit 101 or the in-finder display unit 229 for display, it functions as an EVF that performs live view (LV) display (through-image display).

[0034] On the external-finder display unit 243, various information of the camera such as the shutter speed and aperture at the time of shooting is displayed via the external-finder display unit drive circuit 244.

[0035] The non-volatile memory 256 is an electrically erasable and recordable memory, and for example, a flash ROM or the like is used. In the non-volatile memory 256, constants, programs, etc. for the operation of the system control unit 201 are stored. Here, the program refers to the program for executing the flowchart described later.

[0036] The system control unit 201 is an arithmetic processing device composed of at least one processor and / or at least one circuit, and comprehensively controls the entire digital camera 100. The system control unit 201 realizes each process of the flowchart described later by executing the program stored in the non-volatile memory 256. In the system memory 252, for example, RAM is used, and it is also used as a work memory for expanding constants, variables for the operation of the system control unit 201, programs read from the non-volatile memory 256, etc. Further, the system control unit 201 also performs display control by controlling the memory 232, the D / A converter 219, the rear display unit 101, the in-finder display unit 229, etc. The system timer 253 is a timing unit that measures the time used for various controls and the time of the built-in clock.

[0037] The mode switching switch 103, the first shutter switch 211, the second shutter switch 212, and the operation unit 270 are operation means for inputting various instructions to the system control unit 201. The mode switching switch 103 switches the operation mode of the system control unit 201 to any one of a still image shooting mode, a moving image recording mode, and a playback mode. The still image shooting mode includes, for example, 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). Further, the still image shooting mode includes, for example, various scene modes and custom modes that are shooting settings according to the shooting scene.

[0038] The user directly switches to any of these shooting modes by operating the mode switching switch 103. Alternatively, after once switching to the operation mode list screen with the mode switching switch 103, any one of the plurality of shooting modes displayed in the list may be selected and switched using other operation members. Similarly, the moving image recording mode and the playback mode may also include a plurality of modes.

[0039] The first shutter switch 211 is turned on during the operation of the shutter button 102 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.

[0040] The second shutter switch 212 is turned on when the operation of the shutter button 102 is completed, that is, in a so-called full-press (shooting instruction), and generates a second shutter switch signal SW2. The system control unit 201 starts a series of shooting processing operations from reading the signal from the imaging unit 222 to writing the captured image as an image file to the recording medium 250 by the second shutter switch signal SW2.

[0041] The operation unit 270 consists of operation members such as various switches and buttons that receive various operations from the user and notify the system control unit 201, and includes at least the following operation members. Shutter button 102, mode switch 103, main electronic dial 105, power switch 106, sub electronic dial 107, cross key 108, SET button 109, recording button 110, zoom in / zoom out button 111, AE lock button 112, playback button 113, menu button 114, touch bar 115, multifunction button 118, AF frame selection button 120.

[0042] The power control unit 280 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 280 controls the DC-DC converter based on the detection result and the instruction of the system control unit 201, and supplies the necessary voltage to each part including the recording medium 250 for the necessary period.

[0043] The power supply unit 230 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-ion battery, an AC adapter, etc. The recording medium I / F 218 is an interface with a recording medium 250 such as a memory card or a hard disk. The recording medium 250 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.

[0044] The communication unit 254 is communicably connected to external devices via a wireless antenna or a wired cable, and transmits and receives images and audio. The communication unit 254 can also be connected to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet. The communication unit 254 can transmit the image data captured by the imaging unit 222 (including live view images) and the image files recorded on the recording medium 250 to an external device, and can also receive image data and various other information from the external device. Note that the communication unit 254 may use not only a wireless LAN, but also wireless communication modules such as infrared communication, Bluetooth (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy, and WirelessUSB. Alternatively, the communication unit 254 may use wired connection means such as a USB cable, HDMI (registered trademark), or IEEE 1394.

[0045] The attitude detection unit 255 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 255, it is possible to determine whether the image captured by the imaging unit 222 is an image captured with the digital camera 100 held horizontally or vertically. The system control unit 201 can add orientation information corresponding to the attitude detected by the attitude detection unit 255 to the image file of the image captured by the imaging unit 222, or rotate and record the image. As the attitude detection unit 255, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, or the like can be used. By using an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor, the attitude detection unit 255 can also detect the movement of the digital camera 100 (such as panning, tilting, lifting, and stationary).

[0046] Note that, as one of the operation units 270, it has a touch panel 270a capable of detecting a touch operation on the rear display unit 101. The touch panel 270a and the rear display unit 101 can be integrally configured. For example, the touch panel 270a is configured so that the light transmittance does not interfere with the display of the rear display unit 101, and is attached to the upper layer of the display surface of the rear display unit 101. Then, the input coordinates on the touch panel 270a are associated with the display coordinates of the rear display unit 101. Thereby, a GUI can be configured as if the user can directly operate the screen displayed on the rear display unit 101. The system control unit 201 can detect the following operations or states on the touch panel 270a.

[0047] · A finger or pen that was not touching the touch panel 270a newly touches the touch panel 270a. That is, the start of a touch (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Down).

[0048] · The state of touching the touch panel 270a with a finger or pen (hereinafter referred to as Touch-On).

[0049] · Moving while touching the touch panel 270a with a finger or pen (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Move).

[0050] · The finger or pen that was touching the touch panel 270a is lifted. That is, the end of a touch (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Up).

[0051] · A state where nothing is touching the touch panel 270a (hereinafter referred to as Touch-Off).

[0052] When a touch - down is detected, it is also detected that it is a touch - on at the same time. After a touch - down, unless a touch - up is detected, usually the touch - on is continuously detected. When a touch - move is detected, it is in a state where the touch - on is detected. Even if the touch - on is detected, if the touch position has not moved, the touch - move is not detected. After it is detected that all fingers or pens that were touching have touched up, it becomes a touch - off.

[0053] These operations and states, and the position coordinates where a finger or pen is touching the touch panel 270a are notified to the system control unit 201 through the internal bus. The system control unit 201 determines what kind of operation (touch operation) has been performed on the touch panel 270a based on the notified information.

[0054] Regarding the touch - move, for the moving direction of the finger or pen moving on the touch panel 270a, it can also be determined for each vertical and horizontal component of the touch panel 270a based on the change in position coordinates. If it is detected that the touch - move has been made for a distance equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, it is determined that a slide operation (drag) has been performed. An operation of quickly moving a finger a certain distance while touching the touch panel 270a and then leaving it is called a flick. In other words, a flick is an operation of quickly tracing the touch panel 270a as if pushing it away with a finger. If it is detected that the touch - move has been made for a distance equal to or greater than a predetermined distance at a speed equal to or greater than a predetermined speed and then the 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 a drag). Furthermore, a touch operation of touching multiple locations (for example, two points) simultaneously and bringing their touch positions closer is called a pinch - in, and a touch operation of moving their touch positions farther apart is called a pinch - out. The pinch - out and pinch - in are collectively called a pinch operation (or simply a pinch).

[0055] The touch panel 270a may use any of various types of touch panels, such as a resistive film type, a capacitance 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 methods of detecting a touch when there is contact with the touch panel, and methods of detecting a touch when there is an approach of a finger or a pen to the touch panel. Any method may be used.

[0056] The eye detection unit 217 detects the approach (eye contact) and separation (eye release) of the eye (object) to / from the eyepiece unit 216 (approach detection). The system control unit 201 switches the display (display state) / non-display (non-display state) of the rear display unit 101 and the in-finder display unit 229 according to the state detected by the eye detection unit 217. When at least in the shooting mode and the switching of the display destination is automatic, the system control unit 201 sets the display destination to the rear display unit 101 and turns off the in-finder display unit 229 when not in eye contact. Also, when in eye contact, the system control unit 201 sets the display destination to the in-finder display unit 229 and turns off the rear display unit 101.

[0057] When an object approaches, the infrared light irradiated from the light projecting unit (not shown) of the eye detection unit 217 is reflected and enters the light receiving unit (not shown) of the infrared proximity sensor. Based on the incident light amount of the infrared light received by the infrared proximity sensor, it is possible to determine the detection of the approach of any object to the eyepiece unit 216 and how close the object has approached the eyepiece unit 216 (eye contact distance). When the approach of an object to the eyepiece unit 216 is detected, the system control unit 201 can start the display of the in-finder display unit 229. As a result, when the user looks into the eyepiece unit 216, the in-finder display unit 229 can be displayed with as little delay as possible.

[0058] In addition, when the eyepiece detection unit 217 detects an object approaching within a predetermined distance from the non-eyepiece state (non-approaching state) to the eyepiece unit 216, it determines that an eyepiece has been detected and sends an eyepiece detection notification to the system control unit 201. Also, when an object that was detected as approaching moves away by a predetermined distance or more from the eyepiece state (approaching state), it determines that the eye has left and sends an eye-leaving detection notification to the system control unit 201. The threshold value for detecting an eyepiece and the threshold value for detecting an eye leaving may be different, for example, by providing hysteresis. Also, after detecting an eyepiece, it is considered to be in the eyepiece state until an eye leaving is detected. After detecting an eye leaving, it is considered to be in the non-eyepiece state until an eyepiece is detected. Thereby, the system control unit 201 performs display control of the rear display unit 101 and the in-finder display unit 229 according to the eyepiece state or the eye-leaving state detected by the eyepiece detection unit 217.

[0059] Note that the eyepiece detection unit 217 is not limited to an infrared proximity sensor, and other sensors may be used as long as they can detect the approach of an eye or an object that can be regarded as an eyepiece.

[0060] Also, when the system control unit 201 remotely operates the digital camera 100 using a remote control or the like, it lights the light emitting unit 121 and / or sounds the audio output unit 122 to notify that a user operation has been received. In this embodiment, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 3, when a video recording start instruction is input during pre-recording, control is performed so that the light emitting unit 121 is not lit and / or the audio output unit 122 does not sound.

[0061] The audio input unit 123 converts an analog audio signal generated by collecting audio around the digital camera 100 into a digital signal and outputs it to the system control unit 201. The system control unit 201 performs various audio processes on the digital signal generated by the audio input unit 123 to generate audio data. The microphone may be a directional microphone or an omnidirectional microphone.

[0062] During the video recording mode and during pre-recording, the system control unit 201 combines the audio data generated by the audio input unit 123 and the video data consisting of a plurality of frames generated by the imaging unit 222 to generate a video file in a predetermined format and records it on the recording medium 250.

[0063] <Control Process>Next, with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5, the control process during video recording by the digital camera 100 of the present embodiment will be described.

[0064] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the control process during video recording by the digital camera 100 of the present embodiment. The process of FIG. 3 is realized by the system control unit 201 expanding the program stored in the non-volatile memory 256 into the system memory 252 and executing it to control each part of the digital camera 100. Further, the process of FIG. 3 is started when the power of the digital camera 100 is turned on and the operation mode of the system control unit 201 is set to the video recording mode.

[0065] In S301, the system control unit 201 determines whether an instruction to set the pre-recording function to on (enabled) has been input. If the system control unit 201 determines that an instruction to set the pre-recording function to on (enabled) has been input, the process proceeds to S303, and if it determines that an instruction to set the pre-recording function to on (enabled) has not been input, the process proceeds to S302.

[0066] In S302, the system control unit 201 sets the pre-recording function to off (disabled) and stores the information that the pre-recording function has been set to off (disabled) in the memory 232.

[0067] In S303, the system control unit 201 sets the pre-recording function to on (enabled) and stores the information that the pre-recording function has been set to on (enabled) in the memory 232.

[0068] In S304, the system control unit 201 determines whether an instruction to set the pre-recording time for buffering a video before the start of video recording in the pre-recording function to a first time (for example, 3 seconds) has been input. If the system control unit 201 determines that an instruction to set the pre-recording time by the pre-recording function to the first time (for example, 3 seconds) has been input, the process proceeds to S306. Also, if the system control unit 201 determines that an instruction to set the pre-recording time by the pre-recording function to the first time (for example, 3 seconds) has not been input, the process proceeds to S305.

[0069] In S305, the system control unit 201 sets the pre-recording time to a second time (for example, 5 seconds) and stores the information indicating that the pre-recording time has been set to the second time (for example, 5 seconds) in the memory 232.

[0070] In S306, the system control unit 201 sets the pre-recording time to the first time (for example, 3 seconds) and stores the information indicating that the pre-recording time has been set to the first time (for example, 3 seconds) in the memory 232.

[0071] In S307, the system control unit 201 determines whether an instruction to set the recording image quality has been input. If the system control unit 201 determines that an instruction to set the recording image quality has been input, the process proceeds to 308, and if it determines that an instruction to set the recording image quality has not been input, the process proceeds to 309.

[0072] In S308, the system control unit 201 sets the recording image quality and stores the setting information of the recording image quality in the memory 232.

[0073] In S309, the system control unit 201 determines whether an instruction to transition to the live view screen has been input. If the system control unit 201 determines that an instruction to transition to the live view screen has been input, the process proceeds to 310, and if it determines that an instruction to transition to the live view screen has not been input, the process returns to S301.

[0074] In S310, the system control unit 201 displays the live view screen on the rear display unit 101.

[0075] FIG. 5(a) illustrates a live view screen displayed on the rear display unit 101 when the pre-recording function is set to off (invalid). FIG. 5(b) illustrates a live view screen displayed on the rear display unit 101 when the pre-recording function is set to on (valid). The information display 501 in FIG. 5(a) and the information display 502 in FIG. 5(b) indicate the recordable time of the video. The information display 501 indicates the recordable time of the video calculated from the recordable data capacity of the recording medium 250. The information display 502 indicates the time obtained by subtracting the pre-recording time from the recordable time of the video calculated from the recordable data capacity of the recording medium 250.

[0076] The information display 503 in FIG. 5(b) indicates that the pre-recording function is set to on (valid) and the pre-recording time is the first time (3 seconds). Note that when pre-recording is not possible, such as when no lens is attached to the digital camera 100, the information display 503 may be blinked to notify the user.

[0077] In S311, the system control unit 201 calculates the recordable time of the video from the recordable data capacity of the recording medium 250.

[0078] In S312, the system control unit 201 determines whether the pre-recording function is set to on (valid). If the system control unit 201 determines that the pre-recording function is set to on (valid), the process proceeds to 313. If the system control unit 201 determines that the pre-recording function is not set to on (valid), the process proceeds to 315.

[0079] In S313, the system control unit 201 subtracts the pre-recording time from the recordable time of the video calculated from the recordable data capacity of the recording medium 250.

[0080] In S314, the system control unit 201 starts pre-recording processing to temporarily store (buffer) the video data generated by the imaging unit 222 and the audio data generated by the audio input unit 123 in the memory 232. Hereinafter, it will be described assuming that the video data includes audio data.

[0081] In S315, the system control unit 201 displays the recordable time of the video on the rear display unit 101.

[0082] In S316, the system control unit 201 determines whether a video recording start instruction has been input. If the system control unit 201 determines that a video recording start instruction has been input, the process proceeds to 317. If it determines that no video recording start instruction has been input, the process proceeds to 322.

[0083] In S317, the system control unit 201 determines whether the video recording start instruction input in S316 was input by remote operation using a remote control or the like. If the system control unit 201 determines that the video recording start instruction was input by remote operation, the process proceeds to 318. If it determines that the video recording start instruction was input by an operation other than remote operation, the process proceeds to 321.

[0084] Note that a video recording start instruction by an operation other than remote operation is assumed to be, for example, a recording start instruction by operating the recording button 110. Also, the communication method for remote operation is not limited to wireless communication such as infrared rays or Bluetooth, and wired communication means such as cable connection may be used.

[0085] In S318, the system control unit 201 determines whether the pre-recording function is set to on (enabled) and whether pre-recording is in progress. If the system control unit 201 determines that pre-recording is in progress, the process proceeds to 321. If it determines that pre-recording is not in progress, the process proceeds to 319.

[0086] In S319, the system control unit 201 turns on the light emitting unit 121 to notify the user that a video recording start instruction has been received by remote operation.

[0087] In S320, the system control unit 201 causes the audio output unit 122 to sound in order to notify that a video recording start instruction has been received by remote operation.

[0088] Note that in S319 and S320, in order to notify that a video recording start instruction has been received, the light emitting unit 121 emits light and the audio output unit 122 sounds, but either the lighting of the light emitting unit 121 or the sounding of the audio output unit 122 may be performed.

[0089] In S321, the system control unit 201 executes the recording process described later with reference to FIG. 4.

[0090] In S322, the system control unit 201 determines whether an end instruction has been input. The end instruction is input, for example, when the power switch 106 is turned off or when the operation mode is changed to a mode other than the video recording mode. When the system control unit 201 determines that an end instruction has been input, it ends the process of FIG. 3, and when it determines that no end instruction has been input, it returns the process to S301.

[0091] <Recording Process>Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the recording process in S321 of FIG. 3 will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the recording process in S321 of FIG. 3.

[0092] In S401, the system control unit 201 determines whether the pre-recording function is set to on (enabled). When the system control unit 201 determines that the pre-recording function is set to on (enabled), the process proceeds to 402, and when it determines that the pre-recording function is not set to on (enabled), the process proceeds to 403.

[0093] In S402, the system control unit 201 records the buffered video data from the time point of the video recording start instruction to the time before the pre-recording time on the recording medium 250. In this embodiment, for example, when the pre-recording time is set to the first time (3 seconds), the system control unit 201 records the buffered video data from 3 seconds before the video recording start instruction time on the recording medium 250. Also, when the pre-recording time is set to the second time (5 seconds), the system control unit 201 records the buffered video data from 5 seconds before the video recording start instruction time on the recording medium 250. Note that when the time of the buffered video data is less than the pre-recording time, all the buffered video data is recorded on the recording medium 250. In this embodiment, for example, when the pre-recording time is set to the second time (5 seconds) and the time of the buffered video data is 2 seconds, all the video data for 2 seconds is recorded on the recording medium 250.

[0094] In S403, the system control unit 201 records the video data after the video recording start instruction on the recording medium 250.

[0095] In S404, the system control unit 201 counts and displays the elapsed time (recording time) from the video recording start time.

[0096] FIG. 5(c) illustrates a live view screen displayed on the rear display unit 101 during video recording. The information display 504 indicates the elapsed time (recording time) from the video recording start time.

[0097] Note that the counting starts from 0 seconds regardless of whether the pre-recording function is set to on (enabled) or off (disabled). This is to enable grasping of the time until video recording becomes impossible by subtracting the pre-recording time from the video recording available time in the live view screens of FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) when the pre-recording function is set to on (enabled).

[0098] In S405, the system control unit 201 determines whether the elapsed time from the start time of video recording, when the count was started in S404, has reached the video recording possible time. If the system control unit 201 determines that the elapsed time from the start time of video recording has reached the video recording possible time, the process proceeds to S407. If it determines that the elapsed time from the start time of video recording has not reached the video recording possible time, the process proceeds to 406.

[0099] In S406, the system control unit 201 determines whether a video recording stop instruction has been input. If the system control unit 201 determines that a video recording stop instruction has been input, the process proceeds to S407. If it determines that a video recording stop instruction has not been input, the process proceeds to S403.

[0100] In S407, the system control unit 201 performs a recording stop process and proceeds to S322 in FIG. 3.

[0101] Note that if an abnormal operation such as rotation of the mode dial or the like is performed during the processing in FIG. 4, the processing may be interrupted midway.

[0102] According to this embodiment, when the pre-recording function is set to on (effective) and a video recording start instruction is input during pre-recording a predetermined time before the start time of video recording, the light emission unit 121 that notifies the user of the reception of the video recording start instruction and the start of video recording and / or the sound output unit 122 does not perform lighting or sounding. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the light and sound at the time of switching from pre-recording to video recording from being recorded in the video file.

[0103] Also, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to an imaging device such as a digital camera has been described as an example, but it is not limited to this example, and any device that has a pre-recording function for video including video and audio and a notification unit that notifies the device state and the like by light or sound and is capable of remote operation is applicable. For example, the present invention is also applicable to a personal computer, a tablet terminal, a mobile phone, and a smartphone which is a kind of mobile phone.

[0104] [Other Embodiments] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and causing one or more processors in a computer of the system or device to read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0105] The invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the claims are appended to disclose the scope of the invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0106] 100... Digital camera, 110... Recording button, 121... Light emitting unit, 122... Audio output unit, 201... System control unit

Claims

1. An imaging device capable of recording videos, comprising: notification means for notifying, by light emission and / or sound, that a predetermined instruction to start recording the video has been received; control means for temporarily storing a video shot before receiving the predetermined instruction and recording the temporarily stored video on a recording medium in response to receiving the predetermined instruction, and for controlling, when the predetermined instruction is received, not to execute the light emission and / or sound output for notifying by the notification means that the predetermined instruction has been received in a state where a pre-recording function is effective; An imaging device characterized by comprising:

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls to execute light emission and / or sound output by the notification means to notify that the predetermined instruction has been received when the predetermined instruction is received in a state where the pre-recording function is invalid.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control means sets the pre-recording function to be effective or invalid according to a user operation.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the control means executes light emission and / or sound output by the notification means when the predetermined instruction is received by remote operation when the video is not being stored by the pre-recording function, and controls not to execute the light emission and / or sound output by the notification means when the predetermined instruction is received by remote operation during storage of the video by the pre-recording function.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls not to execute light emission and / or sound output by the notification means when the predetermined instruction is received by an operation other than remote operation in a state where the pre-recording function is effective.

6. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control means notifies predetermined information when starting to record the video in response to receiving the predetermined instruction, regardless of whether the pre-recording function is in an effective state or an invalid state.

7. The imaging device according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined information is the recordable time of the video.

8. further comprising display means for displaying the video to be recorded; In a state where the pre-recording function is valid, the control means obtains a recordable time of video from a data capacity recordable on the recording medium, and subtracts a recording time of video stored by the pre-recording function from the recordable time of the video, and causes the display means to display the resulting time as the recordable time of the video. The imaging device according to claim 7, characterized in that.

9. The notification means according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it notifies that a predetermined instruction to start recording video has been received by causing a light emitting portion provided on the front surface of the imaging device to emit light. Imaging device.

10. A control method for an imaging device including notification means for notifying by light emission and / or sound that a predetermined instruction to start recording video has been received, A pre-recording function for temporarily storing a video shot before receiving the predetermined instruction and recording the temporarily stored video on a recording medium in response to receiving the predetermined instruction is valid. When the predetermined instruction is received, the method includes a step of controlling so as not to execute light emission and / or sound output for notifying that the predetermined instruction has been received by the notification means. Control method characterized by having.

11. A program for causing a computer to function as the control means of the imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images