Imaging device, its control method, and program

Abstract

To provide an imaging apparatus, a method for controlling the same, and a program for displaying a time code while reducing power consumption.SOLUTION: An imaging apparatus 100 has a display 115 that can display a picked-up image and a display 125 that displays information on photography, and the imaging apparatus has: time code generation units 117, 124 that generates time codes corresponding to the frame rate at which the imaging unit picks up an image; a display control unit 114 that controls the display 115 to display the time code generated by the time code generation unit 117 at a first period; and a display control unit 125 that controls a display 126 to display the time code generated by the time code generation unit 117 at a second period longer than the first period.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for displaying a time code in an imaging device.

Background Art

[0002] An imaging device represented by a digital camera is equipped with a display panel that can display camera setting information such as shutter speed, white balance setting, and autofocus setting, the number of still images that can be recorded on a recording medium, the video recording time, and warning information, and the state of the camera. There is also a device that displays the above information on the display screen even when the power is OFF.

[0003] Normally, a display panel such as an LCD panel provided in a digital camera is often driven at 60 Hz or 30 Hz in order to display the video acquired by the imaging sensor as a live view. However, in order to display information on the display panel while the power is OFF, it is necessary to suppress power consumption. Therefore, it is necessary to keep the display update cycle of the display panel low.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a technique for reducing the frame rate of a display device when the processing load of a camera is greater than the reference load in normal operation.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, Patent Document 1, mentioned above, reduces the frame rate of the display device to reduce the processing load when the processing load on the camera is high, and does not reduce power consumption when the processing load on the camera is not high.

[0007] This invention aims to provide a technology for displaying time codes while reducing power consumption. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve this problem, for example, the imaging apparatus of the present invention has the following configuration. That is, An imaging device having a first display unit capable of displaying an captured image and a second display unit that displays information related to the image capture, A generation means for generating a timecode corresponding to the frame rate captured by the imaging means, A first display control means controls the first display unit to display the timecode generated by the generation means in a first period, A second display control means controls the second display unit to display the timecode generated by the generation means in a second period that is longer than the first period. to have death, The generation means includes a first timecode generation unit and a second timecode generation unit. The first display control means controls the timecode generated by the first timecode generation unit to be displayed on the first display unit in the first period, The second display control means controls the timecode generated by the second timecode generation unit to be displayed on the second display unit at the second period. do. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to display time codes while suppressing power consumption. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] External view of the display device in this embodiment. [Figure 2] A schematic block diagram of the display device in this embodiment. [Figure 3] A diagram showing an example of the display screen to be displayed on the display panel in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] Operation flowchart of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] Operation flowchart of the second embodiment. [Figure 6] A diagram showing an example of the display screen to be displayed on the display panel in the second embodiment. [Figure 7] Operation flowchart of the third embodiment. [Figure 8] A diagram illustrating timecode synchronization in the first embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention to the claims. While the embodiments describe multiple features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any way. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, identical or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0012] Figures 1(a) and 1(b) show an external view of a digital camera 100 as an example of a display device to which this embodiment can be applied. Figure 1(a) is a front perspective view of the digital camera 109, and Figure 1(b) is a rear perspective view of the digital camera 100. The display unit 115 is located on the back of the device and displays captured images and various information. The viewfinder-external display unit 126 is located on the top of the digital camera and displays various camera settings, including shutter speed and aperture. The display unit 115 has high resolution as it is also used by the user to check captured images. In contrast, the display unit 126 displays information held inside the device, such as shooting parameters and time codes, in monochrome binary using characters, symbols, and other symbols, and has a much lower resolution than the display unit 115. The shutter button 61 is an operation unit for giving shooting instructions. The mode switching switch 60 is an operation unit for switching between various modes. The terminal cover 40 is a cover that protects connectors (not shown) such as connection cables that connect external devices to the digital camera 100. The main electronic dial 71 is a rotating control element included in the control unit 107, and by rotating this main electronic dial 71, settings such as shutter speed and aperture can be changed. The power switch 72 is a control element that switches the power of the digital camera 100 ON and OFF. The sub electronic dial 73 is a rotating control element included in the control unit 107, and is used for moving selection frames and advancing images. Inside the sub electronic dial 73, there is a cross key 74 which is part of the control unit 70. This cross key 74 has a structure that allows the up, down, left, and right parts to be pressed, and processing is performed according to the part pressed by the user. For example, menu item selection is performed by the user operating the cross key 74. The SET button 75 is a push button included in the control unit 107 and is mainly used for confirming selection items. The LV button 76 is part of the control unit 107 and is a button that switches the live view (hereinafter referred to as LV) ON and OFF in the menu buttons. In video recording mode, the LV button 76 is used to start and stop video recording.The zoom button 77 forms part of the operation unit 107 and is an operation button for turning on / off the zoom mode and changing the zoom ratio during the live view display in the shooting mode. During the playback mode, this zoom button 77 functions as a zoom button for increasing the zoom ratio of the playback image to be enlarged. The zoom-out button 78 forms part of the operation unit 107 and is a button for reducing the zoom ratio of the enlarged playback image and shrinking the displayed image. The playback button 79 forms part of the operation unit 107 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 user can shift to the playback mode and display the latest image recorded on the first recording medium 105 or the second recording medium 106 on the display unit 28. The assign button 95 forms part of the operation unit 107 and is a button that allows the user to freely assign its function. In the initial state, it functions as a button for displaying the status screen, and as other functions, it can be assigned functions such as changing the setting contents or status related to video shooting and playback, and starting video shooting (recording). Also, the function of displaying the status screen can be assigned to other assign buttons other than the assign button 95. This status screen is a screen composed of multiple pages that displays the setting contents or status related to video shooting and playback, the internal status of the digital camera, etc.

[0013] The quick return mirror 12 is moved up / down by an actuator (not shown) under the instruction from the system control unit 50. The communication terminal 10 is a communication terminal for the digital camera 100 to communicate with the lens (detachable). The viewfinder 16 is a peephole type finder for checking the focus and composition of the optical image of the subject obtained through the lens unit 101. Note that inside the viewfinder 16, a display unit for simply displaying parameters related to imaging, etc. is housed outside the frame for displaying the optical image.

[0014] The cover 202 is a cover for the slots that store the first recording medium 105 and the second recording medium 106. The grip portion 90 is a holding portion shaped such that it is easy for a user to hold with the right hand when holding the digital camera 100.

[0015] The above is the description of the structure of the digital camera as a display device to which the embodiment is applied. Hereinafter, on the premise of the above structure, the first to third embodiments will be described.

[0016] [First Embodiment] FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram of the digital camera 100 in the first embodiment.

[0017] The lens unit 101 forms an image of the incident subject image on the imaging surface of the imaging device 102. This lens unit 101 is composed of a fixed lens group for light collection, a zoom lens group, an aperture, and a correction lens group. The correction lens group functions to correct the imaging position shifted by the movement of the zoom lens group and to perform focus adjustment.

[0018] The imaging device 102 is, for example, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor or the like, which exchanges the incident light intensity for an electric charge amount and generates an image signal. The imaging device 102 outputs an image signal of 4K images (horizontal 4096 images × vertical 2160 pixels) at 60 frames per second.

[0019] The camera signal processing unit 103 performs predetermined processing on the image signal from the imaging device 102 and outputs the processed image data.

[0020] The encoding processing unit 112 encodes each frame of the moving image (4K moving image) obtained by the camera signal processing unit 103 by inter-frame predictive encoding or the like, with a GOP (Group of Picture) as the compression unit, and generates encoded data. The type of the encoding method is not particularly limited, but for example, it shall follow H.264.

[0021] The recording unit 104 records the video encoding data generated by the encoding processing unit 112 as a video file on the first recording medium 105 or the second recording medium 106. The first recording medium 105 and the second recording medium 106 may be the same type of memory card or different types of memory cards. The recording unit 104 also manages the video files recorded on the first recording medium 105 and the second recording medium 106 according to a predetermined file system.

[0022] The control unit 107 functions as a means for the user to input various instructions to the digital camera 100. The control unit 107 then supplies the user's instruction input to the microcontroller 108. As already described, the control unit 107 includes a START / STOP button for instructing video recording, a menu button for instructing setting changes, and a display switching button for instructing changes to the display content of the display units 115 and 126.

[0023] Microcontroller 108 functions as the main microcontroller that controls the entire digital camera 100. ROM 109 is a non-volatile memory such as flash ROM, and stores the program executed by microcontroller 108 and various data. RAM 110 is a volatile memory used by microcontroller 108 as a work area.

[0024] DRAM 111 is a volatile memory used to temporarily store image data that is the target of processing and the result of processing by the camera signal processing unit 103, the encoding processing unit 112, and the recording unit 104. Specifically, the camera signal processing unit 103 stores the developed image data in DRAM 111. The encoding processing unit 112 reads a series of image data stored in DRAM 111, compresses it, and writes the encoded video data back to DRAM 111. The recording unit 104 sequentially reads the encoded video data from DRAM 111 and records it on the first recording medium 105 and the second recording medium 106.

[0025] The output unit 113 outputs the video signal to an external display device in a predetermined digital format, such as an HDMI® signal or an SDI signal. The display control unit 114 is a means for controlling the image display of the display unit 115, and, according to instructions from the microcontroller 108, superimposes various setting menus, titles, and time codes generated by the time code generation unit 117 onto the video data and displays them on the display unit 115. The display unit 115 has, for example, a liquid crystal panel and displays images under the control of the display control unit 114. In this embodiment, the display control unit 114 updates the display unit 115 at 60Hz. This is to realize live view display at the frame rate of moving images. The display control unit 114 can also superimpose various messages on the video and display them on the display unit 115. The bus 116 is used for transmitting data and control signals between the above-mentioned elements of the display device 100.

[0026] The power control unit 118 consists of a battery detection circuit, a DC-DC converter, a switching circuit for switching which blocks are energized, and detects whether a battery 119 is installed, the type of battery 119, and the remaining charge of the battery 119. The power control unit 118 also controls the DC-DC converter based on the detection results and instructions from the microcontroller 108, supplying the necessary voltage to each part, including the display unit 126, for the required period. The battery 119 can be a primary battery such as an alkaline battery or a lithium battery, or a secondary battery (rechargeable battery) such as a NiCd battery, a NiMH battery, or a Li battery.

[0027] Furthermore, the power control unit 118 has a terminal for connecting an AC adapter 150 (external power supply device) other than the battery 119. When the AC adapter 150 is connected, the power control unit 118 charges the battery 119 with power from the AC adapter and supplies that power to each circuit of the digital camera 100, enabling the digital camera 100 to operate. Therefore, the power control unit 118 can determine whether or not the AC adapter is connected from the voltage at the terminal for connecting the AC adapter, and can notify the microcontroller 108 of the determination result. A sensor for detecting whether or not the AC adapter is connected may also be provided at the terminal.

[0028] Microcontroller 121 functions as a sub-microcontroller in the digital camera 100. In this embodiment, the main processing of microcontroller 121 is the control of the display unit 126 via bus 127. Microcontroller 108 and microcontroller 121 are connected by a serial bus, and data can be sent and received between them via this serial bus. ROM 122 is a ROM such as flash ROM, and stores programs executed by microcontroller 121. RAM 123 consists of non-volatile memory used as the work area of ​​microcontroller 121.

[0029] The display control unit 125 displays various setting menus and the timecode generated by the timecode generation unit 124 on the display unit 126, according to instructions from the microcontroller 121.

[0030] The timecode counted by the timecode generation unit 124 can be changed by setting it from the microcontroller 121. As will be described in detail later, the microcontroller 121 communicates with the microcontroller 108 at a predetermined interval and obtains the timecode counted by the timecode 117 on the microcontroller 108 side. The microcontroller 121 then sets the obtained timecode to the timecode generation unit 124. As a result, synchronization between the timecode generation unit 117 and the timecode generation unit 124 is achieved at the predetermined interval mentioned above.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, the digital camera 100 of this embodiment consists of two independent buses: bus 116 to which the microcontroller 108 is connected, and bus 127 to which the microcontroller 121 is connected. The camera signal processing unit 103, display control unit 114, encoding processing unit 112, recording unit 104, etc., which are directly connected to bus 116 directly below the microcontroller 108, must process the image data obtained from the image sensor 102 within a preset time. Therefore, the operating clock of the processing units on bus 116 must be sufficiently high, and the transmission bandwidth of bus 116 must also be sufficiently wide. On the other hand, the number of processing units directly connected to bus 127 directly below the microcontroller 121 is smaller than that of bus 116. Also, since the main processing of the microcontroller 121 is the display control of the display unit 125 via bus 116, the transfer bandwidth of bus 127 can be much narrower than that of bus 116. Therefore, the clock on which the processing units connected to the bus 127, including the microcontroller 121, operate, and the data transfer clock of the bus 127, are much lower than the clocks on the microcontroller 108 and the bus 116. The power consumed by the processing units connected to the microcontroller 121 and the bus 127 can be made sufficiently smaller than the power consumed by the processing units connected to the microcontroller 108 and the bus 116.

[0032] Figures 3(a) to 3(c) show examples of screens displayed on the display unit 26 in this embodiment. Figure 3(a) is a screen that displays the time code. This screen displays the time code "hours:minutes:seconds:frames" generated by the time code generation unit 124. The video footage captured and recorded in this embodiment is 60 frames per second (60fps). The update cycle of the display unit 126 by the display control unit 125 in this embodiment is 1 / 15 second (15Hz). Therefore, the lowest digit "frame" of the time code displayed on the display unit 126 is not incremented by 1, but is displayed as 0, 4, 8..., skipping 4 frames.

[0033] Figure 3(b) shows an example of a screen other than the time code displayed on the display unit 126. In the illustration, WB, F value, ISO value, etc. are displayed. Unlike Figure 3(a), in Figure 3(b), the display control unit 125 updates the display content of the display unit 126 only when the value of the displayed information changes due to user operation.

[0034] Furthermore, the user may configure the display unit 126 to switch between the screens shown in Figure 3(a) and Figure 3(b) each time they perform an on / off operation of a predetermined button on the control unit 107.

[0035] Figure 3(c) shows an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 126 when the digital camera 100 is powered off. It displays the state set before the digital camera 100 was powered off. Therefore, the screen is not updated while the power is off. Also, even when the power is off, power is supplied to the display control unit 125 and the display unit 126, making it possible to display as shown in the figure.

[0036] Switching the screen to the display unit 126 is performed by the user pressing the display panel screen display switching button provided on the operation unit 107. Each time this button is pressed, the microcontroller 108 notifies the microcontroller 121 that the button has been pressed. Each time the microcontroller 121 receives this notification from the microcontroller 108, it controls the display control unit 125 to alternately switch the screens shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b) for display on the display unit 126. However, if the microcontroller 121 receives notification from the microcontroller 108 that a power-off operation has occurred, it sets the latest setting information in the display control unit 125. As a result, the display unit 126 displays the screen shown in Figure 3(c). After this, the microcontroller 121 sends a response to the power-off notification back to the microcontroller 108. After receiving this response, the microcontroller 108 sets the power control unit 118 to turn off the digital camera's power and transitions to the power-off state.

[0037] Figure 8 is a diagram showing the synchronization timing of the timecode in the embodiment.

[0038] The "Main Timecode" in the figure is the timecode generated by the timecode generation unit 117, which is a high-precision timecode and is the same as the timecode displayed on the display unit 115. Since the frame rate of the video image of the digital camera 100 in this embodiment is 60fps, the timecode generation unit 117 will count up at intervals of 1 / 60th of a second. The display unit 115 will also update and display the timecode at intervals of 1 / 60th of a second.

[0039] On the other hand, the "Timecode for display panel" in Figure 8 is the Timecode generated by the Timecode generation unit 124 and is the Timecode displayed on the display unit 126. The Timecode generated by the Timecode generation unit 124 is less accurate than the Timecode generated by the Timecode generation unit 117, and in this embodiment, the Timecode counts up at a 1 / 15 second period (15 Hz). In other words, the Timecode generation unit 124 counts up the Timecode at a 1 / 15 second period, skipping 4 frames (0, 4, 8...), and the display unit 126 updates the screen at 15 Hz. However, it is necessary to maintain the accuracy of the Timecode generated by the Timecode generation unit 117. Therefore, in this embodiment, the Timecode generation unit 124 generates the Timecode in synchronization with the Timecode generation unit 117, for example, at a 1-second period. Specifically, at a 1-second period, the microcontroller 108 acquires the Timecode from the Timecode generation unit 117 and supplies it to the microcontroller 121. The microcontroller 121 sets the timecode received from the microcontroller 108 into the timecode generation unit 124 to synchronize. The timecode generation unit 124 then counts up the timecode at a period of 1 / 15 of a second based on the set timecode.

[0040] Figure 4 shows the operation flowchart in this embodiment.

[0041] In S401, when the user inputs a command from the operation unit 107 to switch the display screen of the display unit 126 to the time code display screen, the microcontroller 108 notifies the microcontroller 121 of this. Upon receiving this notification, the microcontroller 121 controls the display control unit 125 to switch the display unit 126 from the screen shown in Figure 3(b) to the screen shown in Figure 3(a), and displays the time code screen.

[0042] Next, the microcontroller 108 waits for the user to press the video recording start / stop button on the control unit 107. This recording start / stop button is used to start recording with the first press and to stop recording with the second press.

[0043] When the microcontroller 108 receives a signal from the operation unit 107 indicating that the user has pressed the video recording start / stop button, it proceeds to process S403.

[0044] At this time, the microcontroller 108 controls the image sensor 102, camera signal processing unit 103, encoding processing unit 112, and recording unit 104 to start capturing moving images and recording them to recording media 105 and 106. However, this process is not the main focus of the present invention, so its explanation is omitted here.

[0045] In S403, microcontroller 108 requests microcontroller 121 to set the update cycle of the display unit 126 to 15Hz. Upon receiving this request, microcontroller 121 controls the display control unit 125 to set the time code display update cycle to 15Hz (1 / 15 second).

[0046] Then, in S404, the microcontroller 108 instructs the timecode generation unit 117 to start the timecode step-by-step. Also, in S405, the microcontroller 108 requests the microcontroller 121 to start the timecode step-by-step. Upon receiving this request, the microcontroller 121 instructs the timecode generation unit 124 to start the timecode step-by-step.

[0047] The time difference between S403 and S404 described above is negligible. Therefore, the processing in S404 and S405 can be considered the initial synchronization process between the timecode generation unit 117 and the timecode generation unit 123 when the recording of the moving image is started. In this embodiment, since the frame rate of the moving image is set to 60fps, there is no particular problem as long as the time difference between the timecodes of the timecode generation unit 117 and the timecode generation unit 123 is 1 / 120 or less, which is half of 1 / 60.

[0048] In S406, the microcontroller 108 determines whether 1 second has elapsed since the last synchronization process. The previous synchronization process includes the processes shown in S403 and S404 above.

[0049] If the microcontroller 108 determines that 1 second has elapsed since the last synchronization process, it proceeds to S407; otherwise, it proceeds to S408.

[0050] At S407, microcontroller 108 synchronizes the timecode generation units 117 and 124. Specifically, microcontroller 198 acquires the timecode being counted by timecode generation unit 117 and notifies microcontroller 121. Upon receiving this notification, microcontroller 121 sets the notified timecode to the timecode generation unit 124. As a result, timecode generation units 117 and 124 begin counting up again from the same timecode.

[0051] In S408, the microcontroller 108 determines whether or not the user has given an input to stop video recording (whether or not the start / stop recording button was pressed again during video recording).

[0052] In step S408, if the microcontroller 108 determines that there was no instruction to stop recording, it returns to step S406 and continues recording the video. As a result, as long as video recording is in progress, the display unit 115 will display the timecode generated by the timecode generation unit 117, and the display unit 126 will display the timecode generated by the timecode generation unit 124 (both when the button to display the timecode is pressed). While video recording is in progress, the timecode generation units 117 and 124 will synchronize at 1-second intervals.

[0053] Meanwhile, in S408, if the microcontroller 108 determines that there is an instruction to stop recording, it proceeds to S409.

[0054] In step S409, the microcontroller 108 stops the timecode generation unit 117 from counting (stepping) the timecode. The microcontroller 108 also stops the capture of the video and its recording to the recording medium.

[0055] Next, in S410, the microcontroller 108 synchronizes the timecode generation units 117 and 124. When recording is stopped, the timecode generation unit 117 counts the correct timecode, but the frame value of the lowest digit of the timecode counted by timecode 124 is a discrete value such as 0, 4, 8..., so the two may not match. By performing the process in S410, the timecode held by timecode 124 can be made to match the timecode held by timecode generation unit 117.

[0056] Then, at S411, microcontroller 108 requests microcontroller 121 to stop counting the timecode. Microcontroller 121 receives this request and stops counting up timecode 124.

[0057] Then, at S412, the microcontroller 108 stops updating the display unit 115 and requests the microcontroller 121 to stop updating the display. Upon receiving this request, the microcontroller 121 controls the display control unit 125 to stop updating the display unit 126.

[0058] As described above, according to this embodiment, even while slowing down the time code update cycle in the microcontroller 121 system, it is possible to synchronize with the time code of the microcontroller 108 system, where high processing speed is desired, at 1-second intervals. Therefore, the user can check the highly accurate time code at the start and end of recording from either the display unit 115 or 126.

[0059] The above example describes the display of the timecode during video recording. However, regardless of video recording, if the user operates the control unit 107 and sets it to Free RUN, which advances the timecode regardless of whether video recording is in progress or not, the loop from S403 to S408 may be executed. When the user inputs a stop command, this loop is exited and the process moves to S409. On the other hand, if it is set to REC RUN, which advances the timecode only during video recording, the processing from S401 to S412 should be performed.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the time code generated by the time code generation unit 117 is displayed on the display unit 115 at a period of 60 Hz. However, if the processing units such as the camera signal processing unit 103 and the encoding processing unit 112 are under heavy load, the time code update period may be temporarily set to 30 Hz or the like. As a result, the usage rate per unit time of the bus 116 between the display control unit 114 and the time code generation unit 117 is reduced, allowing the processing units with heavy processing loads to increase the usage rate (bus bandwidth) of the bus 116.

[0061] Furthermore, the control panel may be provided with buttons or switches for selecting whether to display or hide the timecode, and if so, whether to display it on both display units 115 and 126 or on only one of them.

[0062] Furthermore, if there is an instruction input to display the timecode on the display unit 126 during video recording (when S401 in Figure 4 becomes Yes), the display on the display unit 115 may be stopped and the timecode display on the display unit 126 may be performed. In this case, the display unit 115 does not need to perform display processing such as live view, so the power consumption related to the display can be further reduced.

[0063] [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described. The configuration of the digital camera 100 in this second embodiment is the same as in the first embodiment (Figures 1 and 2).

[0064] Figure 5 is an operation flowchart in the second embodiment. In Figure 5, the same number is used for processes that are the same as in Figure 4, and their detailed explanations are omitted. As previously explained, the digital camera 100 in this embodiment can be connected to a battery 119 and an AC adapter 150.

[0065] In S501, the microcontroller 108 determines whether or not it is operating on power from the battery 119 based on information from the power control unit 119. If it determines that it is operating on power from the battery 119, the microcontroller 108 proceeds to S502. In S502, the microcontroller 108 requests the microcontroller 121 to hide the least significant digit frame of the timer code below the seconds. Upon receiving this request, the microcontroller 121 controls the display control unit 125 and instructs the display unit 126 to hide the least significant digit of the timer code and display the time code up to the seconds. Figure 6(a) shows an example of the timer code display including the least significant digit frame, and Figure 6(b) shows an example of the timer code display with the least significant digit frame hidden. As a result of the processing in S502, the display unit 126 displays the timer code as shown in Figure 6(b). Then, in S503, the microcontroller 108 requests the microcontroller 121 to set the update cycle of the display unit 126 to 1 Hz (1 second). Upon receiving this request, the microcontroller 121 instructs the display control unit 125 to set the update cycle of the display unit 126 screen to 1 Hz. At this time, the microcontroller 121 may also instruct the timecode generation unit 124 to set the timecode step cycle to 1 Hz and the step unit to 60 frames.

[0066] If, in S501, the microcontroller 108 determines, based on information from the power control unit 125, that the system is operating on power from the AC adapter 150 (the battery 119 is charging), then the process proceeds to S403.

[0067] As a result of the above, when power is not supplied from the AC adapter 150, the update cycle of the timer count of the display unit 126 is 1 Hz, which further reduces power consumption compared to the first embodiment. In the above, the display update cycle of the display unit 126 was set to 1 Hz when powered by the battery 119, but an update cycle lower than 15 Hz (for example, 2 Hz) may also be used.

[0068] In S408, if the microcontroller 108 determines that the user has given an input to stop video recording, it proceeds to S409.

[0069] In S409, the microcontroller 108 instructs the timecode generation unit 117 to stop counting the timecode. The microcontroller 108 also stops capturing video and recording it to the recording medium. In S410, the microcontroller 108 synchronizes the timecode generation units 117 and 124. In S411, the microcontroller 108 requests the microcontroller 121 to stop counting the timecode. The microcontroller 121 receives this request and stops counting up the timecode 124.

[0070] In S504, the microcontroller 108 determines whether the lowest digit frame of the time code displayed on the display unit 126 is hidden. If it is hidden, the microcontroller 108 proceeds to S505. In S505, the microcontroller 108 requests the microcontroller 121 to display the lowest digit frame of the time code. Upon receiving this request, the microcontroller 121 instructs the display control unit 125 to display the time code held by the synchronized time code generation unit 124, including its lowest digit. As a result, the display on the display unit 126 switches from the state shown in Figure 6(b) to the display shown in Figure 6(a).

[0071] As described above, according to this second embodiment, when operating solely on battery 119, the display update cycle of the display unit 126 can be made longer (15Hz → 1Hz) compared to when operating on power from the AC adapter 150 (external power supply device), thereby enabling the display of a time code with even lower power consumption. Furthermore, when video recording is stopped, the time code generation unit 117 and the time code generation unit 124 are synchronized, and the display unit 126 can display all digits of the time code after the synchronization process.

[0072] In this second embodiment, when operating solely on battery 119, the number of digits displayed for the timecode is reduced, and only seconds are displayed, without showing the frame number. However, regardless of whether battery power is used or not, the display may be set to show the frame number during video recording (while the timecode is progressing). In this case, the frame number of the timecode should be hidden (displayed only up to the second) when video recording starts (Yes in S402), and the timecode should be synchronized (S410) and the frame number displayed (S505) when video recording stops (Yes in S408).

[0073] [Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment will be described. In this third embodiment, the configuration and basic operation of the digital camera 100 are the same as in the first and second embodiments, and their description will be omitted.

[0074] Figure 7 is an operation flowchart in the third embodiment. In Figure 6, the same number is used for processes that are the same as those in Figures 4 and 5, and their detailed explanations are omitted.

[0075] When video recording begins, microcontroller 108 notifies microcontroller 121 of the start of recording. Upon receiving this notification, microcontroller 121 controls the display control unit 125 to change the update cycle of the screen displayed on the display unit 126 to 15Hz. Then, in S404 and S405, the time code generation unit 117 and time code generation unit 124 start incrementing the time code, respectively.

[0076] In S701, the microcontroller 108 determines whether the digital camera 100 is operating on battery 119 (AC adapter 150 is not connected) and whether the remaining power of battery 119 is below a threshold. If the microcontroller 108 determines that these conditions are met, it proceeds to 702. If the microcontroller 108 determines that these conditions are not met, that is, if the digital camera is operating on power from AC adapter 150, or if it is operating on battery 119 and the remaining power of battery 119 is above the threshold, it proceeds to S406.

[0077] In step S702, microcontroller 108 requests microcontroller 121 to set the screen cycle of the display unit 126 to 1Hz in order to reduce power consumption. Microcontroller 121 receives this request and controls the display control unit 125 to set the time code update cycle to 1Hz. Microcontroller 121 also instructs the time code generation unit 124 to set the time code advance cycle to 1Hz and to advance in units of 60 frames.

[0078] Next, at S703, the microcontroller 108 requests the microcontroller 121 to display the frame with the lowest digit of the time code to be displayed on the display unit 126. Upon receiving this request, the microcontroller 121 controls the display control unit 125 to display the frame with the lowest digit of the time code. As a result, the display screen of the display unit 126 becomes as shown in Figure 6(b).

[0079] The following steps are the same as the flowchart in Figure 5, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0080] As described above, according to the third embodiment, if the remaining charge of the battery 119 falls below a threshold while shooting and recording moving images using power from the battery 119, the screen update of the display unit 126 switches from 15Hz to 1Hz, and the frame of the least significant digit of the time code is also hidden. As a result, battery consumption is further reduced, and power can be preferentially used for recording moving images.

[0081] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0082] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, claims are attached to disclose the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 100...Digital camera, 101...Lens, 103...Camera signal processing unit, 108...Microcontroller, 114...Display control unit, 115...Display unit, 116...Bus, 117...Time code generation unit, 121...Microcontroller, 124...Time code generation unit, 125...Display control unit, 126...Display unit

Claims

1. An imaging device having a first display unit capable of displaying an captured image and a second display unit for displaying information related to the image capture, A generation means for generating a timecode corresponding to the frame rate captured by the imaging means, A first display control means controls the first display unit to display the timecode generated by the generation means in a first period, A second display control means controls the second display unit to display the timecode generated by the generation means in a second period that is longer than the first period. It has, The generation means includes a first timecode generation unit and a second timecode generation unit. The first display control means controls the timecode generated by the first timecode generation unit to be displayed on the first display unit at the first cycle, The imaging apparatus is characterized in that the second display control means controls the time code generated by the second time code generation unit to be displayed on the second display unit at the second period.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the second display unit is a display unit that displays information related to imaging held inside the imaging apparatus using symbols including characters and symbols.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first period is a period equal to or greater than the frame rate.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the first period is a period corresponding to the frame rate.

5. The first timecode generation unit is connected to a first bus for processing images obtained by the imaging means. The second timecode generation unit is independent of the first bus and is connected to a bus with a narrower bandwidth than the first bus. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

6. The system further includes synchronization control means for synchronizing the second timecode generation unit with the first timecode generation unit at a predetermined interval. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

7. When a command to stop the timecode display is received, The synchronization control means synchronizes the second timecode generation unit with the first timecode generation unit. The second display control means displays the timecode held by the second timecode generation unit after synchronization on the second display unit and stops the display update. The imaging device according to feature 6.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the second display control means controls the time code generated by the second time code generation unit to be displayed on the second display unit at the second period during the stepping of the time code.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the second display control means controls the display of time codes with a minimum number of digits not to be displayed while the time code is progressing, and controls the display of time codes with a minimum number of digits not to be displayed when the time code has stopped progressing.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the second display control means controls to display timecode up to seconds while the timecode is progressing, and controls to display timecode for frames of seconds or less in response to the timecode progression stopping.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the generation means advances the time code from the instruction to start recording for recording the video captured by the imaging means to the instruction to stop recording the video.

12. It further includes a means for determining whether it is operating on power from a battery or from an external power source. The second display control means is: If the determination by the determination means indicates that the operation is powered by the external power supply, the time code generated by the generation means is displayed on the second display unit in the second cycle. If the determination by the determination means indicates that the system is powered by the battery, the second display control means displays the time code, excluding the least significant digit of the frame, on the second display unit at a rate of one second. The imaging device according to feature 6.

13. When a command to stop the timecode display is received, The synchronization control means synchronizes the second timecode generation unit with the first timecode generation unit. The second display control means displays the time code, including the least significant digit frame, held by the second time code generation unit after synchronization, on the second display unit, and stops the display update. The imaging apparatus according to feature 12.

14. A first determination means for determining whether the device is operating on battery power or power from an external power source, A second determination means for determining the remaining charge of the battery, It further possesses, The second display control means is: If the result of the determination by the first determination means indicates that the device is operating on power from the battery, and the remaining battery level determined by the second determination means is below a preset threshold, the time code, excluding the least significant frame, is displayed on the second display unit at a frequency of one second. If the above conditions are not met, the time code will be displayed on the second display unit in the second cycle. The imaging apparatus according to feature 1.

15. When a command to stop the timecode display is received, The synchronization control means synchronizes the second timecode generation unit with the first timecode generation unit. The second display control means displays the time code, including the least significant digit frame, held by the second time code generation unit after synchronization, on the second display unit, and stops the display update. The imaging device according to feature 6.

16. A control method for an imaging device having a first display unit capable of displaying an captured image and a second display unit for displaying information related to imaging, A generation process for generating a timecode corresponding to the frame rate captured by the imaging means, A first display control step involves controlling the first display unit to display the timecode generated in the generation step in a first period, A second display control step controls the second display unit to display the timecode generated in the generation step with a second period that is longer than the first period. It has, The generation process includes a first timecode generation process and a second timecode generation process. In the first display control step, the timecode generated in the first timecode generation step is controlled to be displayed on the first display unit at a first cycle. A control method for an imaging device, characterized in that the second display control step controls the time code generated in the second time code generation step to be displayed on the second display unit at the second period.

17. A program for causing a computer to perform each step of the method according to claim 16.

Images