Imaging apparatus, control method therefor, and program

Abstract

An imaging apparatus comprising a first display part disposed in a finder, and a second display part different from the first display part, the imaging apparatus characterized by comprising an approach detection means capable of detecting approach of an object to the finder, a control means for controlling display to the first display part and display to the second display part, and a setting means for setting a display destination mode, wherein, when a first display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, the control means performs control so as to perform the display to the first display part and not to perform the display to the second display part when the imaging apparatus is in imaging mode, and performs control so as to switch between the display to the first display part and the display to the second display part in accordance with the result of detection by the approach detection means when in a playback mode or for menu screen display.

Description

Imaging device, control method thereof, and program

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

[0002] In recent years, imaging devices such as digital cameras have begun to display live view images (hereinafter referred to as "LV images") on display units such as rear monitors and electronic viewfinders (EVFs) in the finders, allowing users to capture images while checking the subject.

[0003] However, displaying an LV image on a rear monitor or EVF during shooting increases power consumption, which is a problem. To address this issue, Patent Document 1 discloses an imaging device that drives the EVF when the user is looking into the EVF and stops driving the EVF when the user is not looking into the EVF.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses an imaging device that determines that the eyepiece is not in contact with the subject and stops displaying an LV image on a small display panel when a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-4509 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-209712

[0006] The present invention realizes a technology that enables a display unit disposed in a viewfinder such as an EVF in an imaging device to display an appropriate image in accordance with the user's intentions and the usage status of the imaging device.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the imaging device of the present invention is an imaging device having a first display unit arranged in a viewfinder and a second display unit different from the first display unit, and is characterized in that it has an approach detection means capable of detecting the approach of an object to the viewfinder, a control means for controlling display on the first display unit and display on the second display unit, and a setting means for setting a display destination mode, wherein when the first display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, the control means controls the imaging device to display on the first display unit and not on the second display unit in shooting mode, and controls to switch between display on the first display unit and display on the second display unit in playback mode or menu screen display depending on the detection result by the approach detection means.

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an appropriate display on a display unit arranged in a finder such as an EVF in an imaging device, in accordance with the user's intentions and the usage situation of the imaging device.

[0009] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar elements are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0010] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0011] 1 is an external view of a digital camera 100. FIG. 1 is an external view of the digital camera 100. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of an in-camera unit 170 of the digital camera 100. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the digital camera 100. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of EVF display / hide switching processing according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of menu / playback display control processing according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of menu / playback display control processing according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is an external view of a digital camera 100 according to a third embodiment. FIG. 8 is an external view of a digital camera 100 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of EVF display / hide switching processing according to the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of EVF display / hide switching processing according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 11 is an example of a menu screen for setting a display destination mode according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 12 is an example of a menu screen for setting a display destination mode according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart of display processing of a digital camera 100 according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 14 is a flowchart of display processing in a viewfinder-priority shooting mode according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 15 is a flowchart of display processing in a viewfinder-priority playback mode, menu screen display according to the fifth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart of a monitor-fixed display process according to a fifth embodiment; a viewfinder-fixed display process according to a fifth embodiment; and an automatic switching (auto) display process according to a fifth embodiment.

[0012] 1A and 1B are external views of a digital camera 100, which is an example of an imaging device according to this embodiment. Fig. 1A is a view showing the external shape of the digital camera 100 from the front, and Fig. 1B is a view showing the external shape of the digital camera 100 from the back.

[0013] The display unit 28 is provided on the rear surface of the digital camera 100 and displays images and various information. The touch panel 70a can detect touch operations on the display surface (touch operation surface) of the display unit 28. In this embodiment, the display unit 28 is configured with a thin film transistor liquid crystal display, and will hereinafter also be referred to as the display unit 28 or the TFT 28. Instead of a TFT, the display unit 28 may use an organic electroluminescence (EL) display, as described below.

[0014] The outside viewfinder display unit 43 is a display unit provided on the top surface of the digital camera 100, and displays various settings of the digital camera 100, such as the shutter speed and aperture.

[0015] The shutter button 61 is an operating member for issuing instructions to prepare for photography and to take a photograph. By pressing the shutter button 61 halfway, the brightness of the subject is measured and the camera is focused. By pressing the shutter button 61 all the way, the shutter is released and an image is taken.

[0016] The main electronic dial 71 is a rotary operating member that the photographer turns to set values ​​such as shutter speed and aperture, and to fine-tune the magnification in magnification mode. The power switch 72 is an operating member for switching on and off the power supply from the power supply circuit. When the power switch 72 is on, power is supplied to the digital camera 100.

[0017] The sub electronic dial 73 is a rotary operation member, and the photographer turns this sub electronic dial 73 to set settings such as aperture and exposure compensation, or to advance one image at a time while the image is displayed.

[0018] The multi-controller 74 is an operating member that can be operated in multiple directions, and is used to move the cursor between menu items, etc., as well as to set the focus point, which is the starting point for autofocus, and to move the enlargement frame (enlarged area) when an enlarged image is displayed. The SET button 75 is a push button, and is mainly used to confirm selected items.

[0019] The protect button 76 is an operating member for carrying out processes such as protection and rating on images stored on recording media inside or outside the digital camera 100 .

[0020] The delete button 77 is an operating member for issuing an instruction to delete an image stored in a recording medium inside or outside the digital camera 100. The enlarge button 78 is an operating member for accepting an operation to issue an instruction to transition to enlargement mode (an instruction to start enlargement mode) and an instruction to exit enlargement mode (an instruction to end enlargement mode) in the playback state.

[0021] The playback button 79 is an operating member for displaying images stored in a recording medium inside or outside the digital camera 100 on the display unit 28. The video button 80 is used to start or stop video shooting (recording). The AE lock button 81 is a push button, and pressing the AE lock button 81 in the shooting standby state can fix the exposure state. The menu button 82 is an operating member for displaying various setting screens on the display unit 28.

[0022] The eye proximity detection unit 57 and the in-camera unit 170 will be described later.

[0023] (Block Diagram of Digital Camera 100) FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a digital camera 100, which is an example of an image capturing apparatus according to this embodiment.

[0024] The lens unit 150 is a lens unit equipped with an interchangeable photographic lens. The lens 103 is usually composed of multiple lenses, but for simplicity's sake, only one lens is shown in Figure 3. The communication terminal 6 is a communication terminal that allows the lens unit 150 to communicate with the digital camera 100, and the communication terminal 10 is a communication terminal that allows the digital camera 100 to communicate with the lens unit 150.

[0025] The lens unit 150 communicates with the system control unit 50 via these communication terminals 6 and 10. The lens unit 150 controls the aperture 1 via the aperture drive circuit 2 by the internal lens system control circuit 4. The lens unit 150 also adjusts the focus by displacing the position of the lens 103 via the AF drive circuit 3 by the lens system control circuit 4.

[0026] The shutter 101 is a focal plane shutter that can freely control the exposure time of the imaging unit 22 under the control of the system control unit 50 .

[0027] The imaging unit 22 is an imaging element (image sensor) configured with a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) element that converts an optical image into an electrical signal. The imaging unit 22 may have an imaging surface phase difference sensor that outputs defocus amount information to the system control unit 50. The A / D converter 23 converts the analog signal output from the imaging unit 22 into a digital signal.

[0028] The image processing unit 24 performs predetermined processing (pixel interpolation, resizing such as reduction, color conversion, etc.) on the data from the A / D converter 23 or the data from the memory control unit 15. The image processing unit 24 also performs predetermined arithmetic processing using the captured image data, and the system control unit 50 performs exposure control and distance measurement control based on the arithmetic results obtained by the image processing unit 24. This allows for TTL (through-the-lens) AF (autofocus) processing, AE (autoexposure) processing, EF (pre-flash) processing, etc. to be performed. The image processing unit 24 also performs predetermined arithmetic processing using the captured image data, and performs TTL AWB (auto white balance) processing based on the arithmetic results obtained.

[0029] The output data from the A / D converter 23 is written into the memory 32 via the image processing unit 24 and the memory control unit 15. Alternatively, the output data from the A / D converter 23 is written into the memory 32 via the memory control unit 15 without going through the image processing unit 24. The memory 32 stores image data obtained by the imaging unit 22 and converted into digital data by the A / D converter 23, as well as image data to be displayed on the display unit 28 and the EVF 29. The memory 32 has a storage capacity sufficient to store a predetermined number of still images and a predetermined period of moving images and audio.

[0030] The memory 32 also serves as a memory for image display (video memory). The D / A converter 19 converts image display data stored in the memory 32 into analog signals and supplies them to the display unit 28 or the EVF 29. The display image data written to the memory 32 in this manner is displayed on the display unit 28 or the EVF 29 via the D / A converter 19. The display unit 28 and the EVF 29 are each a display such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence), and perform display in accordance with the analog signal from the D / A converter 19. The digital signal that has been A / D converted by the A / D converter 23 and stored in the memory 32 is converted into an analog signal by the D / A converter 19, and the analog signal is sequentially transferred to and displayed on the display unit 28 or the EVF 29, thereby displaying an LV image.

[0031] The system control unit 50 is a control unit configured with at least one processor and / or at least one circuit, and controls the entire digital camera 100. The system control unit 50 is both a processor and a circuit. The system control unit 50 executes programs recorded in the non-volatile memory 56 to realize each process of this embodiment, which will be described later. The system control unit 50 also performs display control by controlling the memory 32, D / A converter 19, display unit 28, EVF 29, etc.

[0032] The system memory 52 is, for example, a RAM, and the system control unit 50 loads constants and variables for the operation of the system control unit 50, programs read from the nonvolatile memory 56, and the like into the system memory 52.

[0033] The nonvolatile memory 56 is an electrically erasable and recordable memory, such as an EEPROM, etc. Constants, programs, etc. for the operation of the system control unit 50 are recorded in the nonvolatile memory 56. The programs referred to here are programs for executing various flowcharts described later in this embodiment.

[0034] The system timer 53 is a timekeeping unit that measures the time used for various controls and the time of a built-in clock.

[0035] The communication unit 54 transmits and receives video signals and audio signals to and from external devices connected wirelessly or via a wired cable. The communication unit 54 can also connect to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet. The communication unit 54 can also communicate with external devices via Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Bluetooth Low Energy. The communication unit 54 can transmit images (including LV images) captured by the imaging unit 22 and images recorded on the recording medium 200, and can receive image data and various other information from external devices.

[0036] The orientation detection unit 55 detects the orientation of the digital camera 100 with respect to the direction of gravity. Based on the orientation detected by the orientation detection unit 55, it is possible to determine whether an image captured by the imaging unit 22 was captured with the digital camera 100 held horizontally or vertically. The system control unit 50 can add orientation information corresponding to the orientation detected by the orientation detection unit 55 to the image file of the image captured by the imaging unit 22, or rotate and record the image. An acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, or the like can be used as the orientation detection unit 55. The acceleration sensor or gyro sensor of the orientation detection unit 55 can also be used to detect movement of the digital camera 100 (such as panning, tilting, lifting, and whether the digital camera 100 is stationary).

[0037] The eyepiece detection unit 57 is a proximity detection sensor that detects an object approaching the eyepiece unit 16 of the eyepiece finder (hereinafter simply referred to as "finder"). When an object approaching within a predetermined distance from the eyepiece unit 16 is detected from a non-eyepiece state (non-approaching state), it is detected as an object being placed in eye contact. When an object whose proximity was detected moves away from the eyepiece state (approaching state) by a predetermined distance or more, it is detected as an object being moved away. The threshold for detecting eye contact and the threshold for detecting eye separation may be different, for example, by providing hysteresis. Furthermore, after eye contact is detected, the eyepiece remains in the eye contact state until eye separation is detected. After eye separation is detected, the eyepiece remains in the non-eye contact state until eye contact is detected.

[0038] The eyepiece detection unit 57 can be, for example, an infrared proximity sensor, which can detect the approach of an object to the eyepiece 16 of the viewfinder incorporating the EVF 29. When an object approaches, infrared light is emitted from a light-emitting unit (not shown) of the eyepiece detection unit 57, reflected by the object, and received by a light-receiving unit (not shown) of the infrared proximity sensor. The amount of received infrared light can also be used to determine the distance the object has approached from the eyepiece 16 (eyepiece distance). Note that the infrared proximity sensor is one example of the eyepiece detection unit 57, and other sensors may be used for the eyepiece detection unit 57 as long as they can detect a state that can be considered as eye proximity.

[0039] The system control unit 50 switches between display (display state) and non-display (non-display state) on the display unit 28 and the EVF 29 depending on the state detected by the eyepiece detection unit 57. By displaying information on only one of the display unit 28 or the EVF 29 in this way, power consumption can be reduced compared to when information is always displayed on both the display unit 28 and the EVF 29. Details will be described later.

[0040] Various camera settings such as shutter speed and aperture are displayed on the outside viewfinder display section 43 via an outside viewfinder display section drive circuit 44 .

[0041] The power supply control unit 80 is composed of a battery detection circuit, a DC-DC converter, a switch circuit for switching between powered blocks, etc., and detects whether a battery is installed, the type of battery, and the remaining battery power. The power supply control unit 80 also controls the DC-DC converter based on the detection results and instructions from the system control unit 50, and supplies the required voltage for the required period to each unit, including the recording medium 200. The power supply unit 30 is composed of primary batteries such as alkaline batteries or lithium batteries, secondary batteries such as NiCd batteries, NiMH batteries, or Li batteries, an AC adapter, etc.

[0042] The recording medium I / F 18 is an interface with a recording medium 200 such as a memory card or a hard disk. The recording medium 200 is a recording medium such as a memory card for recording captured images, and is composed of a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or the like.

[0043] The operation unit 70 is an input unit that accepts operations from the photographer and is used to input various operational instructions to the system control unit 50. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B , the operation unit 70 includes a shutter button 61, a power switch 72, a touch panel 70a, and other operation members 70b. The other operation members 70b include a main electronic dial 71, a sub electronic dial 73, a multi-controller 74, a SET button 75, a protect button 76, and the like. The other operation members 70b further include a delete button 77, a magnify button 78, a playback button 79, a video button 80, an AE lock button 81, a menu button 82, and the like.

[0044] The shutter button 61 includes a first shutter switch 62 and a second shutter switch 64. The first shutter switch 62 is turned on when the shutter button 61 is pressed halfway (a shooting preparation command) during operation, generating a first shutter switch signal SW1. The system control unit 50 starts shooting preparation operations such as AF (autofocus) processing, AE (auto exposure) processing, AWB (auto white balance) processing, and EF (pre-flash) processing in response to the first shutter switch signal SW1.

[0045] The second shutter switch 64 is turned ON when the shutter button 61 is fully pressed (photographing instruction) and generates a second shutter switch signal SW2. The second shutter switch signal SW2 causes the system control unit 50 to start a series of photographing processing operations, from reading out a signal from the imaging unit 22 to writing the captured image to the recording medium 200 as an image file.

[0046] A mode selector switch (not shown) included in the operation unit 70 switches the operating mode of the system control unit 50 between a still image capture mode, a video capture mode, a playback mode, etc. Modes included in the still image capture mode include an auto capture mode, an auto scene determination mode, a manual mode, an aperture priority mode (Av mode), a shutter speed priority mode (Tv mode), and a program AE mode (P mode). There are also various scene modes and custom modes that provide capture settings for specific capture scenes. The mode selector switch allows the photographer to directly switch to one of these modes. Alternatively, after first switching to a list screen of capture modes with the mode selector switch, another operation member may be used to selectively switch to one of the displayed modes. Similarly, the video capture mode may also include multiple modes.

[0047] The touch panel 70a is a touch sensor that detects various touch operations on the display surface of the display unit 28 (the operation surface of the touch panel 70a). The touch panel 70a and the display unit 28 can be configured as an integrated unit. For example, the touch panel 70a is configured so that its light transmittance does not interfere with the display of the display unit 28, and is attached to the upper layer of the display surface of the display unit 28. Input coordinates on the touch panel 70a are associated with display coordinates on the display surface of the display unit 28. This makes it possible to provide a GUI (graphical user interface) that allows the photographer to directly operate the screen displayed on the display unit 28.

[0048] The line-of-sight detection unit 160 is a block for detecting the line of sight of the photographer who has placed his / her eyepiece through the eyepiece unit 16 and, if so, at what position the photographer is looking. The line-of-sight detection unit 160 includes a dichroic mirror 162, an imaging lens 163, a line-of-sight detection sensor 164, an infrared light-emitting diode 166, and a line-of-sight detection circuit 165.

[0049] The infrared light emitting diode 166 is a light emitting element that emits infrared light onto the eyeball (eye) 161 of the photographer placed in the eyepiece 16. The infrared light emitted from the infrared light emitting diode 166 is reflected by the eyeball (eye) 161, and the reflected infrared light reaches the dichroic mirror 162. The dichroic mirror 162 reflects only the infrared light and transmits visible light. The reflected infrared light, whose optical path has been changed, forms an image on the imaging surface of the line of sight detection sensor 164 via the imaging lens 163.

[0050] The imaging lens 163 is an optical element that constitutes the line-of-sight detection optical system. The line-of-sight detection sensor 164 is composed of an imaging device such as a CCD image sensor. The line-of-sight detection sensor 164 photoelectrically converts the incident reflected infrared light into an electrical signal and outputs it to the line-of-sight detection circuit 165. The line-of-sight detection circuit 165 includes at least one processor, and detects the line-of-sight position of the photographer from the image or movement of the photographer's eyeball (eye) 161 based on the output signal of the line-of-sight detection sensor 164, and outputs the detection information to the system control unit 50.

[0051] In this embodiment, the gaze detection unit 160 detects the gaze using a method called the corneal reflex method. The corneal reflex method detects the gaze direction and position based on the positional relationship between the pupil of the eyeball (eye) 161 and the light reflected from the infrared light emitted from the infrared light-emitting diode 166 and reflected by the cornea of ​​the eyeball (eye). There are various other methods for detecting the gaze direction and position, such as a method called the scleral reflex method, which utilizes the difference in light reflectance between the black and white of the eye. Note that other gaze detection methods may be used as long as they can detect the gaze direction and position. In this embodiment, the light-emitting unit and light-receiving unit of the eyepiece detection unit 57 are described as being separate devices from the infrared light-emitting diode 166 and the gaze detection sensor 164. However, this is not limited to this. The infrared light-emitting diode 166 may also serve as the light-emitting unit of the eyepiece detection unit 57, and the gaze detection sensor 164 may also serve as the light-receiving unit.

[0052] The system control unit 50 can detect the following operations or states based on the output from the gaze detection unit 160: - The gaze of the photographer who has placed his / her eye on the eyepiece unit 16 has been newly input (detected). In other words, the start of gaze input. - A state in which the photographer who has placed his / her eye on the eyepiece unit 16 has input his / her gaze. - A state in which the photographer who has placed his / her eye on the eyepiece unit 16 is gazing. - A state in which the gaze of the photographer who has placed his / her eye on the eyepiece unit 16 has not been input (detected), for example, because the photographer has closed his / her eyes. In other words, the end of gaze input.

[0053] The term "gazing" as used herein means that the photographer continues to look at approximately the same position for a certain period of time. Gazing is determined, for example, when the photographer's gaze position does not exceed a predetermined amount of movement for a predetermined period of time (e.g., approximately 0.5 seconds). The predetermined period of time may be set by the photographer, may be a fixed period of time, or may vary depending on the distance between the previous and current gaze positions. For example, the system control unit 50 determines that the photographer is gazing when, based on the detection information received from the gaze detection circuit 165, the photographer's gaze is detected at approximately the same position (no gaze movement state) for a period of time exceeding a predetermined time (threshold period). Furthermore, the system control unit 50 determines that the photographer is gazing when, for example, the average position of the gaze detection position over a short period of time (≦the aforementioned threshold period) including the most recent detection timing falls within a predetermined range and the variance (dispersion) is less than a predetermined value.

[0054] The in-camera unit (hereinafter simply referred to as the "in-camera") 170 is a camera unit disposed on the rear surface of the digital camera 100. The in-camera 170 can capture an image of a subject through a lens 173 disposed on the rear surface of the digital camera 100 and acquire the image data. In this embodiment, the in-camera 170 is used to capture an image of the photographer. Therefore, the in-camera 170 captures an image of the display unit side (the rear surface side on which the display unit 28 and the EVF 29 are disposed). In other words, the imaging unit 174 of the in-camera 170 captures an image of a subject located in a different direction from the imaging unit 22, which captures an image through a lens 103 disposed on the front surface of the digital camera 100. Note that, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to record the image captured by the imaging unit 174 of the in-camera 170 on the recording medium 200. It is also not necessary to display the image captured by the imaging unit 174 of the in-camera 170 on the display unit 28 or the EVF 29.

[0055] 2 is a diagram illustrating the placement of the in-camera 170 of the digital camera 100, which is an example of an imaging device according to this embodiment. In FIG. 2, an oval indicates the portion that will be covered by a finger or hand when operating the digital camera 100 to prepare for shooting. As shown in FIG. 2, the in-camera 170 is located at the lower left, not far from the center of the display unit 28, so that it is difficult to cover with a finger or hand when operating the digital camera 100 to prepare for shooting.

[0056] The imaging unit 174 constituting the in-camera 170 is an imaging element (image sensor) constituted by a CCD, CMOS element, or the like that converts an optical image into an electrical signal. The imaging unit 174 may have an imaging surface phase difference sensor that outputs defocus amount information to the system control unit 50. The A / D converter 175 converts the analog signal output from the imaging unit 174 into a digital signal.

[0057] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process for switching the EVF display on and off in the digital camera 100, which is an example of an image capture device according to this embodiment, to turn on the EVF display before the photographer places his or her eye on the viewfinder, even if the EVF display is temporarily turned off. This process is realized by the system control unit 50 loading a program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56 into the system memory 52 and executing it. This process continues until the image capture mode is ended or the image capture device is powered off.

[0058] In S401, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the power of the digital camera 100 is ON. If it is determined that the power of the digital camera 100 is ON, the process proceeds to S402; if not, the process of S401 is repeated.

[0059] In S402, the system control unit 50 controls the system timer 53 to start timer measurement.

[0060] In S403, the system control unit 50 turns on the EVF 29 to bring it into a display state (ON). First, it is assumed that the camera is in at least a shooting standby state, and information (such as an LV image) is displayed on the EVF 29, while the display unit 28 is in a non-display state and does not display any information.

[0061] In S404, the system control unit 50 turns on the eye proximity detection unit 57 (eye proximity detection sensor).

[0062] In S405, the system control unit 50 turns on the line-of-sight detection unit 160 (line-of-sight detection sensor 164) and starts the process of detecting the line-of-sight position of the photographer whose eye is placed in the viewfinder.

[0063] In S406, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the photographer's eye has been placed in the viewfinder. If it is determined that the photographer's eye has been placed in the viewfinder (Yes in S406), the process proceeds to S407; otherwise (No in S406), the process proceeds to S421. In this flowchart, the eye-contact detection unit 57 (eye-contact detection sensor) detects the photographer's eye being placed in the viewfinder. However, the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164) may also be used in addition to the eye-contact detection unit 57 (eye-contact detection sensor) to determine whether or not the photographer's eye has been placed in the viewfinder.

[0064] In S407, the system control unit 50 determines whether the photographer has operated the shooting operation members. If it is determined that the photographer has operated the shooting operation members (Yes in S407), the process proceeds to S408. If not (No in S407), the process proceeds to S414. Here, the shooting operation members are operation members that are used when performing operations related to shooting, such as the shutter button 61, the AE lock button 77, and the magnification button 78, among the multiple operation members included in the operation unit 70.

[0065] In S408, the system control unit 50 executes a process corresponding to the photographing operation member whose operation has been detected. For example, if it is determined that the photographer has pressed the shutter button 61, the system control unit 50 executes a photographing process.

[0066] Alternatively, for example, if it is determined that the photographer has pressed the AE lock button 77, the exposure is fixed, and if it is determined that the photographer has pressed the enlarge button 78, the LV image is enlarged and displayed.

[0067] In S409, since the shooting operation member has been operated (Yes in S407), the system control unit 50 resets the timer measurement and controls the system timer 53 to start measuring the timer, thereby making it possible to measure the time during which no operation has been performed on the operation unit 70 (no-operation time).

[0068] In S410, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not placing the eye on the viewfinder has been detected. If it is determined that placing the eye on the viewfinder has been detected (Yes in S410), the process proceeds to S407; if not (No in S410), the process proceeds to S411.

[0069] In S411, the system control unit 50 determines whether a second predetermined time (e.g., about one minute) has elapsed since the timer started counting in S402. If it is determined that the second predetermined time has elapsed (Yes in S411), the process proceeds to S412. If not (No in S411), the process proceeds to S407. Note that the timer starts counting in S402 when the power of the digital camera 100 is turned on, the EVF is in an operational state (ON), the eyepiece detection sensor is in an operational state (ON), the gaze detection sensor is in an operational state (ON), or the last operation on the operation unit 70 is detected.

[0070] In S412, the system control unit 50 turns off the EVF 29, setting it to a non-display state (OFF). If a second predetermined time has elapsed without detecting the photographer placing their eye on the viewfinder or operating the operation unit 70, the system control unit 50 determines that the photographer is not using the EVF 29 and sets the EVF 29 to a non-display state (OFF). The display unit 28 also remains turned off, setting it to a non-display state (OFF). This allows the power consumption of the digital camera 100 to be reduced.

[0071] In S413, the system control unit 50 turns on the in-camera 170, starts image capturing processing using the in-camera 170, and proceeds to S431.

[0072] In S414, the system control unit 50 determines whether the photographer has operated the menu / playback operation member. If it is determined that the photographer has operated the menu / playback operation member (Yes in S414), the system control unit 50 executes menu / playback display control processing; if not (No in S414), the system control unit 50 proceeds to S410. Here, the menu / playback operation member is an operation member that is used to perform an operation related to the menu / playback display, such as the playback button 79 or the menu button 82, among the multiple operation members included in the operation unit 70.

[0073] The menu / playback display control process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0074] In S421, the system control unit 50 stops (turns off) driving of the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164) and ends the gaze position detection process. If the system control unit 50 does not determine that the eye has been placed near the viewfinder, it determines that the photographer is not using the EVF 29 and stops driving of the gaze detection unit 160, which detects the photographer's gaze in the EVF 29. This reduces the power consumption of the digital camera 100. After executing the process of S421, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S422.

[0075] In S422, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the photographer has operated the operation unit 70. If it is determined that the photographer has operated the operation unit 70 (Yes in S422), the process proceeds to S424; otherwise (No in S422), the process proceeds to S423.

[0076] In S423, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the photographer has placed his / her eye on the viewfinder. If it is determined that the photographer has placed his / her eye on the viewfinder (Yes in S423), the process proceeds to S424. If not (No in S423), the process proceeds to S425.

[0077] In S425, the system control unit 50 determines whether the timer has measured a first predetermined time (e.g., about 7 seconds). If it has determined that the first predetermined time has elapsed (Yes in S425), the process proceeds to S426. If not (No in S425), the process proceeds to S422.

[0078] In S426, the system control unit 50 turns off the EVF 29 and sets it to a non-display state (OFF). If a first predetermined time has elapsed without detecting the photographer placing his / her eye on the viewfinder or without operating the operation unit 70, it is determined that the photographer is not using the EVF 29, and the system control unit 50 sets the EVF 29 to a non-display state (OFF).

[0079] In S427, the system control unit 50 turns on the in-camera 170, starts image capturing processing using the in-camera 170, and proceeds to S431.

[0080] In S431, the system control unit 50 executes a subject recognition process on the image captured by the in-camera 170, and determines whether or not the face of the photographer has been detected from the captured image. If it is determined that the face of the photographer has been detected from the image captured by the in-camera 170 (Yes in S431), the process proceeds to S432; otherwise (No in S431), the process proceeds to S434.

[0081] In S431, the system control unit 50 determines whether a person's face is present in the image captured by the in-camera 170. The person captured by the in-camera 170 is considered to be the photographer, and it estimates whether the photographer is about to start capturing images. However, it may also be possible to determine whether the photographer's face has been detected based not only on the presence or absence of a person's face, but also on the position, orientation, and size of the face. For example, if a person's face is detected in the image captured by the in-camera 170 and the position of the face is not higher or lower than the position of the face when looking at the display unit 28, it is estimated that the person is about to start capturing images and it is determined that the photographer has been detected (Yes in S431). On the other hand, if a person's face is detected in the image captured by the in-camera 170 but the position of the face is higher or lower than the position of the face when looking at the display unit 28, it is estimated that the person is not about to start capturing images (No in S431).

[0082] Also, for example, if the face of the photographer is detected from an image captured by the in-camera 170 and the size of the face is larger than the size of the face when looking at the display unit 28, it is presumed that the person is about to start taking pictures and it is determined that the photographer has been detected (Yes in S431).On the other hand, if the size of the face is smaller than the size of the face when looking at the display unit 28, it is presumed that the photographer is not about to start taking pictures and it is determined that the photographer has not been detected (No in S431).

[0083] Furthermore, for example, even if the face of the photographer is detected from an image captured by the in-camera 170, if it is determined that the photographer is not looking at the display unit 28 based on the photographer's line of sight estimated from the face, it is presumed that the photographer is about to start shooting (Yes in S431). On the other hand, if it is determined that the photographer is looking at the display unit 28 based on the photographer's line of sight estimated from the face, it is presumed that the photographer is not about to start shooting, and it is determined that the photographer has not been detected (No in S431).

[0084] Also, for example, an image of the photographer's face is registered in advance, and the image is compared with the face of the person detected from the image captured by the in-camera 170. If the face is recognized as the same person, it is determined that the photographer has been detected (Yes in S431).

[0085] In this way, the accuracy of estimating whether the photographer is about to start taking pictures can be improved by detecting the position, size, and direction of the face (eye direction) of the person's face from the image captured by the in-camera 170.

[0086] In S432, the system control unit 50 stops driving the in-camera 170 (sets it to a non-driving state (OFF)) and stops the image capture process by the in-camera 170. If the photographer's face is detected (Yes in S431), the system control unit 50 sets the in-camera 170 to a non-driving state (OFF) because there is no need to continue the process to estimate whether the photographer is about to start capturing images. This allows the power consumption of the digital camera 100 to be reduced.

[0087] In S433, the system control unit 50 turns on the EVF 29, sets it to the display state (ON), and proceeds to S422. Even when the eyepiece is not in contact with the camera, if a face is detected, information (such as an LV image) is displayed on the EVF 29, and information is not displayed on the display unit 28.

[0088] In this way, the system control unit 50 estimates that the photographer is about to start shooting by detecting the face from the image captured by the in-camera 170. When the photographer approaches the viewfinder to start shooting, that is, before the photographer places his or her eye on the viewfinder, the EVF 29 is in an active state (ON). Therefore, when the photographer places his or her eye on the viewfinder and looks at the EVF 29, the LV image is already displayed, so the photographer will not miss a photo opportunity.

[0089] In S434, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the photographer has operated the operation unit 70. If it is determined that the photographer has operated the operation unit 70 (Yes in S434), the process proceeds to S435; otherwise (No in S434), the process proceeds to S441.

[0090] In S435, the system control unit 50 stops (OFF) the driving of the in-camera 170, then in S436, turns on the EVF 29 and sets it to a display state (ON), and in S437, sets the gaze detection unit 160 to a driving state (ON), and proceeds to S407.

[0091] In S436, the system control unit 50 turns on the EVF 29 and sets it to the display state (ON), thereby restarting the display of information on the EVF 29 and allowing the photographer to quickly start shooting.

[0092] Then, in S437, the system control unit 50 sets the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164) to the driving state (ON), and proceeds to S407.

[0093] In S441, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not placing the eye on the viewfinder has been detected. If it is determined that placing the eye on the viewfinder has been detected (Yes in S441), the process proceeds to S435; otherwise (No in S441), the process proceeds to S442.

[0094] In S442, the system control unit 50 determines whether the timer's measured time has passed a second predetermined time (for example, about 1 minute), and if so (Yes in S442), proceeds to S443; if not (No in S442), proceeds to S431.

[0095] In S443, the system control unit 50 deactivates (turns off) the eye proximity detection unit 57 (eye proximity detection sensor). If the second predetermined time has elapsed without the system control unit 50 determining that the photographer has placed his or her eye on the viewfinder, the system control unit 50 determines that the photographer is not using the EVF 29, and deactivates (turns off) the eye proximity detection sensor. This allows the power consumption of the digital camera 100 to be further reduced.

[0096] In S444, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the photographer has operated the operation unit 70. If it is determined that the photographer has operated the operation unit 70 (Yes in S444), the system control unit 50 proceeds to S445; otherwise (No in S444), the system control unit 50 proceeds to S451.

[0097] In S445, the system control unit 50 turns on the eye proximity detection unit 57 (eye proximity detection sensor), and then proceeds to S435.

[0098] In S451, the system control unit 50 determines whether the time measured by the timer has passed a third predetermined time (e.g., about 30 minutes). If it is determined that the third predetermined time has passed (Yes in S451), the system control unit 50 proceeds to S452. If not (No in S451), the system control unit 50 proceeds to S431. Here, the value of the third predetermined time is greater than the values ​​of the first predetermined time and the second predetermined time.

[0099] In S452, the system control unit 50 determines whether the digital camera 100 is set to the auto power off mode. If it is determined that the digital camera 100 is set to the auto power off mode (Yes in S452), the process proceeds to S456; otherwise (No in S452), the process proceeds to S453.

[0100] In S453, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the photographer has pressed the power button. If the system control unit 50 determines that the photographer has pressed the power button (Yes in S453), the process proceeds to S456; otherwise (No in S453), the process proceeds to S454.

[0101] In S454, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the photographer has operated the operation unit 70. If it is determined that the photographer has operated the operation unit 70 (Yes in S454), the process proceeds to S435; otherwise (No in S454), the process proceeds to S455.

[0102] In S455, similarly to S431, the system control unit 50 executes the subject recognition process on the image captured by the in-camera 170 and determines whether or not the face of the photographer has been detected from the captured image. If it is determined that the face of the photographer has been detected from the image captured by the in-camera 170 (Yes in S455), the process proceeds to S435; otherwise (No in S455), the process proceeds to S453.

[0103] In S456, the system control unit 50 executes control to turn off the power of the digital camera 100, such as by deactivating the in-camera 170, deactivating the eye proximity detection sensor, and controlling the system timer 53 to reset the timer measurement. Then, this process ends.

[0104] (Menu / Playback Display Control Processing) FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the menu / playback display control processing according to this embodiment.

[0105] In S501, since the menu / playback operation member has been operated (Yes in S418), the system control unit 50 resets the timer measurement and controls the system timer 53 to start measuring the timer again, thereby making it possible to measure the time during which no operation has been performed on the operation unit 70 (no-operation time).

[0106] In S502, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not placing the eye on the viewfinder has been detected. If it is determined that placing the eye on the viewfinder has been detected (Yes in S502), the process proceeds to S521. If not (No in S502), the process proceeds to S503.

[0107] In S503, the system control unit 50 turns off the EVF 29 to put it in a non-display state (OFF), and the process proceeds to S504.

[0108] In S504, the system control unit 50 stops (turns off) the driving of the line-of-sight detection unit 160 (line-of-sight detection sensor 164), and proceeds to S505.

[0109] In S505, the system control unit 50 turns on the display unit 28 (denoted as "TFT" in the flowchart of FIG. 5) to bring it into a display state (ON), and the process proceeds to S506.

[0110] In S506, the system control unit 50 executes a display control process to display a menu / playback screen on the display unit 28, and then the process proceeds to S508.

[0111] In S508, the system control unit 50 determines whether the photographer has operated the menu / playback operation member. If it is determined that the photographer has operated the menu / playback operation member (Yes in S508), the process proceeds to S509; otherwise (No in S508), the process proceeds to S514. Here, the menu / playback operation member is an operation member, among the multiple operation members included in the operation unit 70, that is used when performing menu / playback operations on the multi-controller 74, touch panel 70a, etc.

[0112] In S509, the system control unit 50 executes a process corresponding to the type of menu / playback operation member operated by the photographer.

[0113] For example, if the system control unit 50 determines that the multi-controller 74 or an operation unit equivalent to an independent up, down, left, or right button has been pressed, it moves the cursor to the menu item to be selected on the menu / playback screen. If the system control unit 50 determines that the SET button 75 has been pressed to confirm the selection of a menu item by the photographer, it confirms the selected menu item.

[0114] In S510, since the menu / playback operation member has been operated (Yes in S508), the system control unit 50 resets the timer measurement and controls the system timer 53 to start measuring the timer again, thereby making it possible to measure the time during which no operation has been performed on the operation unit 70 (no-operation time).

[0115] In S512, the system control unit 50 determines whether a fourth predetermined time (e.g., about 30 seconds) has elapsed since the timer started counting. If it is determined that the fourth predetermined time has elapsed (Yes in S512), the process proceeds to S513. If not (No in S512), the process proceeds to S508.

[0116] In S513, the system control unit 50 turns off the display unit 28 to bring it into a display state (OFF), and proceeds to S431.

[0117] In this embodiment, when the fourth predetermined time has elapsed, it is determined that the menu / playback operation has ended, and the process proceeds to S513. This makes it possible to turn off the display unit 28 and automatically end the menu / playback display control process, thereby reducing the power consumption of the digital camera 100.

[0118] In S514, the system control unit 50 determines whether an operation to end the menu / playback display control process has been performed. Specifically, it determines whether the photographer has pressed the menu button 82. If it is determined that the menu button 82 has been pressed (Yes in S514), the process proceeds to S515; otherwise (No in S514), the process proceeds to S511.

[0119] In S515, the system control unit 50 turns off the display unit 28 to put it in a non-display state (OFF), and ends the menu / playback display control process. Then, in S517, the system control unit 50 turns on the EVF 29 to put it in a display state (ON), and in S518, puts the eye proximity detection unit 57 (eye proximity detection sensor) in an activated state (ON), and proceeds to S407.

[0120] In S521, the system control unit 50 executes a display control process to display a menu / playback screen on the EVF 29, and then the process proceeds to S522.

[0121] In S522, the system control unit 50 determines whether the photographer has operated the menu / playback operation member. If it is determined that the photographer has operated the menu / playback operation member (Yes in S522), the process proceeds to S523; otherwise (No in S522), the process proceeds to S531.

[0122] In S523, the system control unit 50 executes processing corresponding to the type of menu / playback operation member operated by the photographer, similar to S509.

[0123] In S524, since the menu / playback operation member has been operated (Yes in S522), the system control unit 50 controls the system timer 53 to reset the timer measurement and start the timer measurement, as in S510.

[0124] In S525, the system control unit 50 determines whether the gaze position has been detected. If it is determined that the gaze position has been detected (Yes in S525), the process proceeds to S522. If not (No in S525), the process proceeds to S526.

[0125] In S526, the system control unit 50 determines whether a fourth predetermined time (e.g., about 30 seconds) has elapsed since the timer started measuring, as in S512. If it is determined that the fourth predetermined time has elapsed (Yes in S526), ​​the process proceeds to S527; otherwise (No in S526), ​​the process proceeds to S522.

[0126] In S527, the system control unit 50 turns off the EVF 29 to put it in a non-display state (OFF), ends the menu / playback display control process, and proceeds to S528.

[0127] Then, in S528, the system control unit 50 stops driving the gaze detection unit 160 (OFF), in S529, it sets the eye proximity detection unit 57 (eye proximity detection sensor) to a non-driving state (OFF), in S530, it sets the in-camera 170 to a driving state (ON), and proceeds to S431.

[0128] As described above, in this embodiment, if the fourth predetermined time has elapsed without detecting the gaze position, it is determined that the menu / playback operation has ended, and the process proceeds to S527. This makes it possible to automatically end the menu / playback display control process and turn off the EVF 29, for example, when the photographer is wearing the digital camera 100 around their neck and is not touching or looking at the digital camera 100. This makes it possible to reduce the power consumption of the digital camera 100.

[0129] Second Embodiment The second embodiment has the same basic configuration as the first embodiment, but differs in some aspects of the menu / playback display control process. Figure 6 is a flowchart for explaining the menu / playback display control process according to this embodiment. Explanation of the components common to the flowchart in Figure 5 will be omitted.

[0130] The system control unit 50 executes the above-described processes of S501 to S506, and then proceeds to S607.

[0131] In S607, the system control unit 50 turns on the in-camera 170, and then the process proceeds to S508. The system control unit 50 executes the above-described processes of S508 to S510, and then the process proceeds to S611.

[0132] In S611, similarly to S431, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the face of the photographer has been detected from the image captured by the in-camera 170. If it is determined that the face of the photographer has been detected from the image captured by the in-camera 170 (Yes in S611), the process proceeds to S508; otherwise (No in S611), the process proceeds to S512.

[0133] The system control unit 50 executes the above-described processes of S512 and S513, and then proceeds to S431.

[0134] If it is not determined that the photographer has operated the menu / playback operation member (No in S508), the process proceeds to S514, the processes of S514 and S515 are executed, and the process proceeds to S616.

[0135] In S616, the system control unit 50 stops driving the in-camera 170 (turns it off).

[0136] As described above, in this embodiment, if the fourth predetermined time has elapsed without the photographer's face being detected from the image captured by the in-camera 170 (No in S611), it is determined that the menu / playback operations have ended, and the process proceeds to S513. This makes it possible to turn off the display unit 28 and automatically end the menu / playback display control process, for example, when the photographer is wearing the digital camera 100 around their neck and is not touching or looking at the digital camera 100. This makes it possible to reduce the power consumption of the digital camera 100.

[0137] <Third Embodiment> The basic configuration of the third embodiment is the same as that of the first and second embodiments, so the same symbols are used for the same configurations and processes, and descriptions are omitted, and only the differences are described.

[0138] 7A and 7B are external views of a digital camera 100, which is an example of an imaging device according to this embodiment. Fig. 7A is a view showing the external shape of the digital camera 100 from the front, and Fig. 7B is a view showing the external shape of the digital camera 100 from the back.

[0139] The menu button 82 is an operating member for displaying various setting screens on the display unit 28. When the menu button 82 is pressed, a menu screen on which various settings can be made is displayed on the display unit 28. The user can intuitively make various settings using the menu screen displayed on the display unit 28, the multi-controller 74, and the SET button 75.

[0140] Grip unit 90 is a holding unit shaped to be easily gripped with the right hand when the photographer holds digital camera 100. With digital camera 100 held by gripping grip unit 90 with the little finger, ring finger, and middle finger of the right hand, shutter button 61 and main electronic dial 71 are positioned so that they can be operated with the index finger of the right hand.

[0141] Furthermore, the sub electronic dial 73 is located in a position that can be operated with the thumb of the right hand when the digital camera 100 is held by gripping the grip portion 90 with the little finger, ring finger, and middle finger of the right hand. The shutter button 61, main electronic dial 71, multi-controller 74, AE lock button 81, and grip 90 are each provided in duplicate so that the photographer can use them depending on the orientation of the digital camera 100. The photographer uses 171 (the area surrounded by a solid line frame) when holding the digital camera 100 horizontally to take a photo (landscape orientation shooting), and 172 (the area surrounded by a dotted line frame) when holding the digital camera 100 vertically to take a photo (portrait orientation shooting). This allows the photographer to select an operating member that is easy to operate depending on how the digital camera 100 is held.

[0142] 8 is a flowchart illustrating the process of switching between displaying and hiding the EVF in the digital camera 100, which is an example of an image capture device according to this embodiment. This process is realized by the system control unit 50 loading a program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56 into the system memory 52 and executing it. This process continues until the shooting mode is ended or the image capture device is powered off.

[0143] The processes of S401 to S4327, S432 to S433, and S441 to S456 are the same as the processes of the same numbers in the flowchart of FIG. 4 of the first embodiment, and therefore descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0144] In S431, the system control unit 50 performs the same processing as in Embodiment 1. If the system control unit 50 determines that the face of the photographer has been detected from the image captured by the in-camera 170 (Yes in S431), the process proceeds to S432; otherwise (No in S431), the process proceeds to S461.

[0145] In S461, the system control unit 50 determines whether the photographer has operated any of the operation members of group 1. If it is determined that the photographer has operated any of the operation members of group 1 (Yes in S461), the system control unit 50 proceeds to S462; otherwise (No in S461), the system control unit 50 proceeds to S441.

[0146] Here, the operation members of group 1 are the magnify button 78, the play button 79, etc., which are expected to be operated by the photographer without looking into the EVF 29. In other words, the operation members of group 1 refer to operation members that are located in positions that make it difficult for the photographer to operate them with their fingers when the photographer is holding the digital camera 100 and has their eye positioned near the viewfinder.

[0147] In S462, the system control unit 50 determines whether the photographer has operated any of the operation members of group 2. If it is determined that the photographer has operated any of the operation members of group 2 (Yes in S462), the system control unit 50 proceeds to S432; otherwise (No in S462), the system control unit 50 proceeds to S435.

[0148] Here, the operating members of group 2 are the shutter button 61 and the like that are expected to be operated by the photographer while looking into the EVF 29. In other words, the operating means of group 2 refer to operating members that are located in positions that are easily reachable by the photographer's fingers when the photographer is holding the digital camera 100 and has their eye positioned near the viewfinder.

[0149] The following describes a case where the photographer operates an operation member of group 1 (Yes in S461) and then operates an operation member of group 2 (Yes in S462). For example, in manual focus (MF) mode, if the photographer operates the magnify button 78 when manually focusing, the live view image (LV image) is enlarged and the photographer can accurately determine the position where he or she wants to focus. At that time, even if the LV image is being enlarged by operating the magnify button 78, if the photographer operates the shutter button 61, an image is taken. In this way, a case is assumed in MF mode where the photographer operates the magnify button 78 and then operates the shutter button 61.

[0150] In S435, similarly to the first embodiment, the system control unit 50 stops driving the in-camera 170 (sets it to a non-driving state (OFF)).

[0151] In S463, the system control unit 50 determines whether a fifth predetermined time has elapsed since the in-camera 170 was deactivated in S435. If it is determined that the fifth predetermined time has elapsed (Yes in S463), the process proceeds to S464. If not (No in S463), the process proceeds to S463. After the fifth predetermined time has elapsed, the system control unit 50 activates the in-camera 170 (ON) to estimate the timing at which the photographer intends to start capturing images. This allows the EVF 29 to be turned on before the photographer places his or her eye on the viewfinder. The fifth predetermined time can be changed by the photographer; for example, the photographer can change the predetermined time as desired on the menu screen displayed by pressing the menu button 82.

[0152] In this flowchart, the timing for turning on the inner camera 170 is set when the fifth predetermined time has elapsed, but this is not limiting.

[0153] For example, this may be the case when an accessory is connected via the communication unit 54 or when the display unit 28 is in a hidden state. When the display unit 28 is in a hidden state, it may be the case when the display destination is fixed to the EVF 29 or when the display unit 28 is in a closed position. Here, the closed position of the display unit 28 refers to a state in which the display surface of the display unit 28 is not facing the rear side, as opposed to the state in which the display unit 28 is folded so that the display surface faces the rear side of the digital camera 100, which is opposite to the subject side, as shown in FIG. 1B .

[0154] In S464, the system control unit 50 turns on the in-camera 170, and the process proceeds to S431.

[0155] In this way, if an operation member that is expected to be operated without looking into the EVF 29 is operated, it is conceivable that the photographer will continue to perform the operation without looking into the EVF 29. During this time, there is no need to estimate the timing when the photographer will start shooting, so the in-camera 170 is put into a non-operating state (OFF), and power consumption of the digital camera 100 is reduced.

[0156] However, when a fifth predetermined time has elapsed since the in-camera 170 was put into the non-operating state, the in-camera 170 is put into the operating state (ON) to estimate the timing when the photographer will start shooting, which makes it possible to turn on the EVF 29 before the photographer places his / her eye on the viewfinder.

[0157] If it is determined in S461 that the photographer has operated the operation members of group 1 (Yes in S461), the driving of in-camera 170 may be immediately stopped (set to a non-driven state (OFF)) and the image capturing process by in-camera 170 may be stopped. For example, if playback button 79 is operated, it is assumed that the photographer will not start capturing images for a while, so in-camera 170 may be set to a non-driven state (OFF), thereby reducing the power consumption of digital camera 100.

[0158] <Fourth Embodiment> The basic configuration of the fourth embodiment is the same as that of the third embodiment, so the same components and processes are denoted by the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted, and only the differences will be explained.

[0159] 9 is a flowchart illustrating the process of switching between displaying and hiding the EVF. This process is realized by the system control unit 50 loading a program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56 into the system memory 52 and executing it. This process continues until the shooting mode is ended or the power of the imaging device is turned off.

[0160] The processes of S401 to S433 and S441 to S456 are the same as the processes of the same numbers in the flowchart of FIG. 4 of the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0161] In S461, the system control unit executes the same process as in the third embodiment. If the system control unit 50 determines that the photographer has operated the operation member of group 1 (Yes in S461), the process proceeds to S462; otherwise (No in S461), the process proceeds to S471.

[0162] The same processes as those in the third embodiment are executed in steps S462, S435, S436, and S434.

[0163] In S471, if no operation is performed on the operation members of group 1 (operation members that are operated without looking into the EVF) in S461, the system control unit 50 acquires the operating posture of the photographer's digital camera 100.

[0164] In S472, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not an operation has been performed on the photographing operation member that matches the photographer's operating posture of the digital camera 100.

[0165] Specifically, the system control unit 50 first determines whether the digital camera 100 is in a landscape or portrait orientation when taking a photograph, based on the orientation detected by the orientation detection unit 55. Figures 1A and 1B show the digital camera 100 in a normal orientation (landscape orientation). When the digital camera 100 is rotated 90 degrees from the landscape orientation shown in Figures 1A and 1B, it becomes a portrait orientation (portrait orientation).

[0166] Next, it is determined whether or not an operation member is being operated that matches the operating orientation of the digital camera 100. When the digital camera 100 is being used for photographing in the landscape orientation, if the operation member 171 for landscape orientation photographing is being operated, the process proceeds to S441; otherwise, the process proceeds to S462.

[0167] Also, when the digital camera 100 is operated in the portrait orientation, if the operation member 172 for portrait orientation photography is operated, the process proceeds to S441, and if not, the process proceeds to S462.

[0168] Here, the operation members 171 for horizontal position shooting include the shutter button 61, the main electronic dial 71, the grip 90, the multi-controller 74, and the AE lock button 81. The operation members 172 for vertical position shooting include the shutter button 61, the main electronic dial 71, the grip 90, the multi-controller 74, and the AE lock button 81.

[0169] In this way, for example, when digital camera 100 is held in the horizontal (or vertical) position, if the operation member for vertical (or horizontal) position shooting is operated, it is possible that the photographer is continuing an operation that is not related to shooting. During this time, there is little need for the photographer to estimate the timing to start shooting, so by putting in-camera 170 in a non-operating state, the power consumption of digital camera 100 is reduced.

[0170] Compared to the third embodiment, the fourth embodiment can put the in-camera 170 into a non-operating state in more cases, and therefore can reduce the power consumption of the digital camera 100.

[0171] Fifth Embodiment In the fifth embodiment, the configuration of the external view and block diagram of a digital camera 100, which is an example of an image capturing apparatus, is the same as in the first and second embodiments, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0172] The fifth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it has a plurality of display destination modes, and the display switching process differs depending on the display destination mode.

[0173] 10A and 10B show examples of a menu screen for setting a display destination mode. When the menu button 82 is operated, the system control unit 50 displays a menu screen on the display unit 28 or the EVF 29. A plurality of setting items are displayed on the menu screen, and the user can change various settings of the digital camera 100 by operating the operation unit 70 to operate the menu screen, selecting a setting item, and changing the setting (setting value) for the selected setting item. The system control unit 50 records the various settings set on the menu screen in the non-volatile memory 56, and can obtain the current settings by reading out the various settings recorded in the non-volatile memory 56.

[0174] As shown in FIG. 10A, the menu screen has setting items for setting the display destination mode, namely, a finder display priority mode 1010 and a screen display destination setting 1020.

[0175] The item "viewfinder display priority mode" 1010 can be set to either ON or OFF. When "ON" is set in the viewfinder display priority mode 1010, the system control unit 50 sets the display destination mode to "viewfinder display priority," and the setting of the screen display destination setting 1020 cannot be changed and is displayed grayed out. When "OFF" is set in the viewfinder display priority mode 1010, the screen display destination setting 1020 becomes enabled and can be set, and the display destination set in the item "screen display destination setting 1020" is set to the display destination mode.

[0176] When this item is selected while the screen display destination setting 1020 is enabled (by moving the cursor to the screen display destination setting 1020 and pressing the SET button 75, or by touching the screen display destination setting 1020), a setting screen for the screen display destination setting as shown in Fig. 10B is displayed. As the screen display destination setting 1020, one of Auto 1021, Finder Fixed 1022, and Monitor Fixed 1023 can be set. When the display destination is set on the setting screen for the screen display destination setting, the screen returns to the screen of Fig. 10A, and a value or icon indicating the current setting set on the screen of Fig. 10B is displayed.

[0177] In this embodiment, the viewfinder display priority mode 1010 and the screen display destination setting 1020 are displayed adjacent to each other on one menu screen, but they may also be displayed on different screens (such as different pages of the menu screen).

[0178] (Display Processing of Digital Camera 100) Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the display processing of the digital camera 100. This processing is realized by the system control unit 50 loading a program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56 into the system memory 52 and executing it. This processing continues until the power to the digital camera 100 is turned off. Note that this processing is a flowchart that excerpts processing related to display in the digital camera 100.

[0179] First, when the electronic camera of the digital camera 100 is turned on, in S1101, the system control unit 50 starts up the digital camera in a shooting mode.

[0180] Next, in S1102, the system control unit 50 determines the setting of the display destination mode. As described above, when the viewfinder display priority mode 1010 is set to ON, the display destination mode is determined to be viewfinder priority. When the viewfinder display priority mode 1010 is set to OFF, the display destination mode is determined to be the setting in the screen display destination setting 1020. If the system control unit 50 determines that the display destination mode is viewfinder priority, the process proceeds to S1103 and executes viewfinder priority display processing. If the system control unit 50 determines that the display destination mode is monitor fixed, the process proceeds to S1104 and executes monitor fixed display processing. If the system control unit 50 determines that the display destination mode is viewfinder fixed, the process proceeds to S1105 and executes viewfinder fixed display processing. If the system control unit 50 determines that the display destination mode is auto, the process proceeds to S1108 and executes automatic switching display processing.

[0181] (Viewfinder-priority display processing) The viewfinder-priority display processing will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 12 and 13. This processing is realized by the system control unit 50 loading a program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56 into the system memory 52 and executing it. This processing is executed until the digital camera 100 is powered off. Note that FIG. 12 shows the viewfinder-priority display processing when the digital camera 100 is set to the shooting mode, and FIG. 13 shows the viewfinder-priority display processing when the digital camera 100 is set to the shooting mode.

[0182] First, in S1201, the system control unit 50 turns off the display unit 28 (TFT) to set the display to the OFF state. Furthermore, the system control unit 50 turns on the in-camera 170 and starts image capture processing using the in-camera 170. The system control unit 50 also turns on the eye proximity detection unit 57 (eye proximity detection sensor) to start detecting eye proximity to the viewfinder.

[0183] In S1202, the system control unit 50 turns off the EVF 29 and stops driving the line-of-sight detection unit 160 (line-of-sight detection sensor 164) (OFF).

[0184] In S1203, the system control unit 50 starts counting the auto power off timer. The auto power off function is a function that turns off the power of the digital camera 100 when the period of no operation (no operation on the operation unit, no eye contact, etc.) after the EVF 29 is turned off exceeds TH1, which is the auto power off threshold. In S1203, since the EVF 29 is turned off, counting of the auto power off timer is started to determine whether the auto power off function should be executed.

[0185] In S1204, the system control unit 50 determines whether an operation related to photography has been performed on the operation unit 70. This determination may be made based on the type of operation unit that has been operated (e.g., the shutter button 61), or the type of processing that is executed by the operation. If it is determined that an operation related to photography has been performed, the process proceeds to S1205; otherwise, the process proceeds to S1208.

[0186] In S1205, the system control unit 50 turns on the EVF 29, sets it to the display state (ON), and starts displaying information. Since the current mode is shooting mode, the EVF 29 displays a shooting screen including an LV image, etc. Then, in S1206, the system control unit 50 executes processing corresponding to the shooting-related operation determined in S1204. For example, if the shutter button 61 is operated, the system control unit 50 executes still image shooting (recording) processing, and if the video button 80 is operated, the system control unit 50 starts video shooting (recording) processing.

[0187] In S1207, if the eye proximity detection sensor 57 is in a stopped state (OFF), the system control unit 50 switches the eye proximity detection sensor 57 to a driven state (ON) and starts detecting the presence of an eye in the viewfinder. If the eye proximity detection sensor 57 is in a driven state, this process is skipped. Then, the process proceeds to S1217.

[0188] In S1208, the system control unit 50 determines whether the eye proximity sensor 57 has detected the eye being placed in the viewfinder. If the eye proximity sensor 57 has detected the eye being placed in the viewfinder, the process proceeds to S1209. If the eye proximity sensor 57 has not detected the eye being placed in the viewfinder, the process proceeds to S1211. Note that if the eye proximity sensor 57 is in a stopped (OFF) state, the process proceeds to S1211 without performing S1208.

[0189] In S1209, the system control unit 50 turns on the EVF 29 to bring it into a display state, and executes display of information (such as an LV image) on the EVF.

[0190] In S1210, the system control unit 50 turns on the line-of-sight detection unit 160 (line-of-sight detection sensor 164) and starts the process of detecting the line-of-sight position of the photographer who has placed his / her eye close to the viewfinder. Then, the process proceeds to S1217.

[0191] In S1211, the system control unit 50 executes a subject recognition process on the image captured by the in-camera 170 and determines whether a face has been detected from the captured image. If it is determined that a face has been detected from the image captured by the in-camera 170, the process proceeds to S1212; otherwise, the process proceeds to S1214.

[0192] In S1212, the system control unit 50 turns on the EVF in the same manner as in S1205, and then proceeds to S1217.

[0193] In S1214, the system control unit 50 determines whether a playback / menu-related operation has been performed on the operation unit 70. This determination may be made based on the type of operation unit that has been operated (e.g., the playback button 79 or the menu button 82), or the type of processing that is executed by the operation. If it is determined that a playback / menu-related operation has been performed, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1301; otherwise, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1215.

[0194] In S1215, the system control unit determines whether the time measured by the auto power off timer exceeds a threshold value TH1. If it is determined that the time measured by the auto power off timer exceeds the threshold value TH1, the process proceeds to S1215; otherwise, the process proceeds to S1204. The auto power off timer is started when the display unit 28 / EVF 29 is turned off. If the display off state continues beyond the threshold value TH1 without any user operation, eye contact detection, or face detection by the in-camera, the auto power off function is executed. Note that the threshold value TH1 may be a fixed value, or may be user-configurable on the menu screen from among values ​​such as 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or 30 minutes. Furthermore, the user may be able to set the menu screen to not execute auto power off. If the setting to not execute auto power off is selected, processing related to the auto power off function and the auto power off timer is not executed. That is, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1204 without executing the process of S1203, and also proceeds to S1204 without executing the process of S1215.

[0195] In S1216, the system control unit 50 turns off the power to the digital camera 100 to execute the auto power off function, and then ends the process.

[0196] In S1217, because the EVF 29 has been turned ON, the system control unit 50 starts counting an EVF off timer to determine whether the viewfinder off function should be executed. The EVF off timer is a timer for determining whether the viewfinder off function should be executed, and this function will be described later. Note that the EVF off timer starts counting only when the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is in an activated state (ON), and the EVF off timer remains stopped when the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is in an inactivated state.

[0197] In S1218, the system control unit 50 stops the auto power off timer.

[0198] In S1219, the system control unit 50 determines whether the eye proximity detection sensor 57 has detected a change in the result of eye proximity detection on the viewfinder. If it determines that the previous eye proximity detection result and the current eye proximity detection result are the same and no change has occurred, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1224. If it determines that there has been a change from the previous detection result and that the current eye proximity detection result is eye separation (for example, if eye proximity detection was detected last time and eye separation was detected this time, or if the eye proximity detection sensor 57 was OFF and did not detect anything last time but eye separation was detected this time), the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1220. If there has been a change from the previous detection result and that the current eye proximity detection result is eye proximity (for example, if eye separation was detected last time and eye proximity was detected this time, or if the eye proximity detection sensor 57 was OFF and did not detect anything last time but eye proximity was detected this time), the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1222.

[0199] If it is determined that the eye contact state has changed to eye contact, the system control unit 50 starts counting the non-eye contact timer in S1220, turns off the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164) in S1221, and proceeds to S1224.

[0200] If it is determined that the eye position has changed to a distance from the eye, the system control unit 50 stops the non-eye contact timer in S1222, turns the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164) on in S1223, and proceeds to S1224.

[0201] In S1224, the system control unit 50 determines whether an operation related to photography has been performed, similarly to S1204, and if an operation related to photography has been performed, the process proceeds to S1225, and if not, the process proceeds to S1227.

[0202] In S1225, the system control unit 50 executes processing corresponding to the operation related to shooting in S1224. Then, in S1226, the system control unit 50 resets the EVF off timer and non-eyepiece timer because a user operation has been performed. If the non-eyepiece timer is stopped, it is not reset and remains stopped. Also, if the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is OFF, the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is turned ON to start eyepiece detection. Then, the process proceeds to S1219.

[0203] In S1227, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not an operation related to playback / menu has been performed, similarly to S1214. If an operation related to playback / menu has been performed, the process proceeds to S1301, and if not, the process proceeds to S1228.

[0204] In S1228, the system control unit 50 determines whether the digital camera 100 is currently capturing images. If the digital camera 100 is currently capturing images, the process returns to S1224 without performing the EVF off timer and non-eyepiece timer determination processes in S1229 and S1231. If the digital camera 100 is not currently capturing images, the process proceeds to S1229.

[0205] In S1229, the system control unit 50 determines whether the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold value TH2. If the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold value TH2, the process proceeds to S1230; otherwise, the process proceeds to S1231. Note that if the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is in a stopped state, the EVF off timer is stopped, and the process proceeds to S1231 without executing this process. If the EVF 29 is turned on, the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is in a driven state, and the period of no user operation of the operation unit 70 exceeds the threshold value TH2, the viewfinder off function is executed. By executing the viewfinder off function, the EVF 29 is turned off (OFF), and the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is also brought into a stopped state (OFF). After the viewfinder off function is executed, the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is turned off, so the EVF 29 will not be turned on even if an object approaches the eyepiece detection sensor 57. When the operation unit 70 is operated, the viewfinder-off function is reset, the EVF is turned on, and the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is turned on. The threshold value TH2 may be a fixed value, or may be set by the user on the menu screen to one of values ​​such as 1 minute or 3 minutes. The user may also be able to set a setting on the menu screen to not execute the viewfinder-off function. If the viewfinder-off function is set not to be executed, it is preferable that processing related to the viewfinder-off function and the EVF-off timer is not executed. In this case, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1218 without executing the processing of S1217, and proceeds to S1231 without executing the processing of S1229.

[0206] In S1230, the system control unit 50 stops driving (OFF) the eye proximity detection sensor 57, and proceeds to S1232.

[0207] In S1231, the system control unit 50 determines whether the non-eyepiece timer has exceeded the threshold value TH3. If the non-eyepiece timer has exceeded the threshold value TH3, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1232. If not, in S1232, the system control unit 50 stops the EVF off timer and the non-eyepiece timer. Then, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1202. Then, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1219.

[0208] In S1301, the system control unit 50 executes processing corresponding to the user's operation related to playback / menu determined in S1214 or S1227.

[0209] In S1302, the system control unit 50 resets and starts measuring the EVF off timer, and turns on the eye proximity detection sensor 57.

[0210] In S1303, the system control unit 50 determines whether the eye is in contact with the eye as detected by the eye proximity detection sensor 57. If it is determined that the eye is in contact with the eye, the process proceeds to S1304, and if not, the process proceeds to S1316.

[0211] In S1304, the system control unit 50 turns on the EVF 29 to display the playback screen / menu screen on the EVF 29, and turns off the TFT 28 to make the TFT 28 non-display.

[0212] In S1305, the system control unit 50 turns on the line-of-sight detection unit 160 (line-of-sight detection sensor 164).

[0213] In S1306, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not an operation related to playback / menu has been performed, similarly to S1214 and S1227. If an operation related to playback / menu has been performed, the process proceeds to S1307, and if not, the process proceeds to S1310.

[0214] In S1307, the system control unit 50 executes processing corresponding to the playback / menu-related operation in S1306. In S1308, the system control unit 50 resets the EVF off timer. In S1309, the system control unit 50 determines whether the processing executed in S1307 was processing to change the display destination mode setting, and if the display destination mode setting has been changed, the process proceeds to S1102; if not, the process proceeds to S1310.

[0215] In S1310, the system control unit 50 determines whether an operation to end the playback / menu has been performed. Specifically, this includes pressing the menu button 82 or the shutter button 61, and includes operations to end the display of the playback / menu screen and transition to shooting mode. If an operation to end the playback / menu has been performed, the process proceeds to S1311; if not, the process proceeds to S1312.

[0216] In S1311, the system control unit 50 executes the process corresponding to the operation determined in S1310, and proceeds to S1217 to transition to the shooting mode.

[0217] In S1312, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the eye separation has been detected by the eye proximity detection sensor 57. If the eye separation has been detected, the process proceeds to S1316, and if not, the process proceeds to S1313.

[0218] In S1313, the system controller 50 determines whether the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold value TH2. If it is determined that the EVF off timer TH2 has been exceeded, the system controller 50 proceeds to S1314, and if not, the system controller 50 proceeds to S1306.

[0219] In S1314, the system control unit 50 stops driving of the eye proximity detection sensor 57 (OFF) to execute the viewfinder-off function, and proceeds to S1315. The process of turning off the display of the EVF 29 is executed in S1315.

[0220] In S1315, the system control unit 50 turns off both the EVF 29 and the TFT 28 to put them in a non-display state, and then proceeds to S1202.

[0221] In S1316, the system controller 50 starts counting the monitor-off timer. The monitor-off timer is a timer for determining whether to execute the monitor-off function, which will be described later.

[0222] In S1317, the system control unit 50 turns on the TFT 28 to display the playback screen / menu screen on the TFT 28, and turns off the EVF 29 to hide the EVF 29.

[0223] In S1318, the system control unit 50 stops driving (OFF) the line-of-sight detection unit 160 (line-of-sight detection sensor 164).

[0224] In S1319, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not an operation related to playback / menu has been performed, similarly to S1306. If an operation related to playback / menu has been performed, the process proceeds to S131320; otherwise, the process proceeds to S1323.

[0225] In S1320, the system control unit 50 executes processing corresponding to the playback / menu-related operation in S1319. In S1321, the system control unit 50 resets (starts measurement of) both the monitor-off timer and the EVF-off timer. Furthermore, if the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is in a stopped state, it is turned on. In S1322, similar to S1309, the system control unit 50 determines whether the processing executed in S1320 was processing to change the display destination mode setting. If the display destination mode setting has been changed, the process proceeds to S1102; if not, the process proceeds to S1323.

[0226] In S1323, the system control unit 50 determines whether an operation to instruct the end of playback / menu has been performed, as in S1310. If an operation to instruct the end of playback / menu has been performed, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1324, and if not, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1325.

[0227] In S1324, the system control unit 50 executes processing corresponding to the operation in S1323, and then proceeds to processing of S1315. When the playback / menu screen is ended in S1324, the camera is in the eye-away state, and therefore the display of the EVF 29 and the TFT 28 is turned off, and the system control unit 50 transitions to the shooting mode. Therefore, after the processing of S1324, the system control unit 50 executes processing of S1315, and then proceeds to processing of S1202 in the shooting mode.

[0228] In S1325, the system controller 50 determines whether the eye proximity sensor 57 has detected eye proximity. If eye proximity is detected, the process proceeds to S1304; if not, the process proceeds to S1326. Note that if the eye proximity sensor 57 is in a stopped state as a result of the process in S1328 (described later), the process proceeds to S1326 without performing the process in S1325.

[0229] In S1326, the system control unit 50 determines whether the monitor-off timer has exceeded a threshold value TH4. If it is determined that the monitor-off timer has exceeded TH4, the process proceeds to S1315 to execute the monitor-off function; otherwise, the process proceeds to S1327. The monitor-off function is a function that turns off the display on the TFT 28 when the absence of a user operation or eye proximity detection change exceeds a threshold value TH4 while the TFT 28 is in the display state (ON). This threshold value TH4 may be a fixed value, or may be user-configurable on the menu screen from among values ​​such as 5 seconds, 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and 30 minutes. Furthermore, the user may be able to set the monitor-off function not to be executed on the menu screen. If the monitor-off function is not set to be executed, processing related to the monitor-off function and the monitor-off timer may not be executed.

[0230] In S1327, the system controller 50 determines whether the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold value TH2. If it is determined that the EVF off timer has exceeded TH2, the system controller 50 proceeds to S1328, and if not, the system controller 50 proceeds to S1319.

[0231] In S1328, the system control unit 50 stops driving the eye proximity detection sensor 57 (turns it off), and proceeds to S1319.

[0232] The above is the display process when the display destination mode is viewfinder priority.

[0233] When viewfinder priority is set, the TFT 28 is turned off in shooting mode, i.e., when the shooting screen is displayed, and the EVF 29 is turned on in response to user operation, eye proximity detection, or face detection by the in-camera, and information is displayed on the EVF 29. In contrast, when the playback mode / menu screen is displayed, i.e., when the playback screen / menu screen is displayed, the display on the EVF 29 and the display on the TFT 28 are automatically switched depending on the results of eye proximity detection. In this case, the display is not switched using the face detection results of the in-camera. In other words, when the playback mode / menu screen is displayed, the display corresponds to the display processing for automatic switching. This is because even when a user uses the EVF 29 in shooting mode, the playback mode / menu screen is often displayed by operating the operation unit 70 while looking at the TFT 28, and therefore such display processing is performed. Note that, in the playback mode / menu screen, data captured by the in-camera 170 is not used, so the in-camera 170 is in a stopped state. The in-camera 170 may also be switched to an active state in response to switching to shooting mode.

[0234] Furthermore, if the viewfinder-off function is set to be executed in playback mode / menu screen display, once the viewfinder-off function is executed, the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is deactivated. Therefore, the display will not be switched even if the proximity of an object to the eyepiece detection sensor 57 changes. After that, if the user operates the operation unit, the viewfinder-off function (EVF off timer) is reset, and the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is activated, so that automatic switching of the display destination according to the results of eyepiece detection will once again occur.

[0235] In the above description, in FIG. 11 , it is assumed that the digital camera 100 is started in the shooting mode, and therefore the viewfinder-priority display processing starts from S1201 in FIG. 12 . However, in the playback mode, the viewfinder-priority display processing may start from S1301 in FIG. 13 . In particular, if display processing in another display mode is executed, the display mode is switched to the playback mode / menu screen, and the display mode is then changed to the viewfinder-priority display processing, the viewfinder-priority display processing should start on the playback mode / menu screen. Therefore, in such a case, it is preferable to start from S1301 in FIG. 13 . If the process starts from S1301, the in-camera 170 may be activated in S1301, or the in-camera 170 may be activated when the camera subsequently transitions to the shooting mode.

[0236] In the above description, when S1313 returns Yes and the viewfinder-off function is executed, or when S1326 returns Yes and the monitor-off function is executed, the display is turned off in S1315, and then the process transitions to the shooting mode display process of S1202. However, the playback mode may be continued. In this case, after transitioning to S1202, S1202 and S1203 are executed, and then, among the determination processes of S12041, S1208, S1211, S1214, and S1215, the determination processes of S1208 and S1211 are preferably not executed.

[0237] (Monitor-Fixed Display Processing) The monitor-fixed display processing will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 14. This processing is realized by the system control unit 50 loading a program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56 into the system memory 52 and executing it. This processing is executed until the digital camera 100 is powered off.

[0238] In S1401, the system control unit 50 turns on the TFT 28 to display information according to the current mode (shooting mode, playback mode, menu screen display), turns off the EVF 29 to put it in a non-display state, and stops the eye contact detection sensor 57, the line-of-sight detection unit 160 (line-of-sight detection sensor 164), and the in-camera 170.

[0239] In S1402, the system control unit 50 starts counting the monitor-off timer.

[0240] In S1403, the system control unit 50 determines whether a user operation has been performed on the operation unit 70 and whether a photographing operation is currently in progress. If a user operation has been performed or photographing is in progress, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1404; otherwise, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1407.

[0241] In S1404, the system control unit 50 executes processing corresponding to the operation / shooting in S1403.

[0242] In S1405, the system control unit 50 resets the monitor-off timer and starts measuring.

[0243] In S1406, the system control unit 50 determines whether the processing executed in S1404 was a processing to change the display destination mode setting, and if the display destination mode setting was changed, proceeds to S1102, and if not, proceeds to S1407.

[0244] In S1407, the system controller 50 determines whether the monitor-off timer has exceeded the threshold value TH4. If it is determined that the monitor-off timer has exceeded the threshold value TH4, the system controller 50 proceeds to S1408; otherwise, the system controller 50 proceeds to S1403.

[0245] In S1408, the system control unit 50 turns off the TFT 28 to put it into a non-display state.

[0246] In S1409, the system control unit 50 starts counting the auto power off timer.

[0247] In S1410, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not a user operation has been performed on the operation unit 70. If an operation has been performed, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1411; if not, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1413.

[0248] In S1411, the system control unit 50 executes processing corresponding to the operation in S1410, stops the auto power off timer in S1412, and proceeds to S1401 to resume display on the TFT 28 (monitor).

[0249] In S1413, the system control unit 50 determines whether the auto power off timer has exceeded the threshold value TH1, and if it is determined that the timer has exceeded the threshold value TH1, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1414, and if not, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1401.

[0250] In S1414, the system control unit 50 turns off the power of the digital camera 100 and ends the process.

[0251] In this way, when the display destination mode is set to monitor fixed, the display is performed on the TFT 28, and not on the EVF 29. Also, no distinction is made between display processing in shooting mode and playback mode / menu screen display. The auto power off function and monitor off function are executed, but as mentioned above, if the setting is such that these functions are not executed, processing related to the auto power off function and monitor off function is not executed.

[0252] (Viewfinder Fixed Display Processing) The viewfinder fixed display processing will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 15. This processing is realized by the system control unit 50 loading a program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56 into the system memory 52 and executing it. This processing is executed until the digital camera 100 is powered off.

[0253] In S1501, the system control unit 50 turns on the EVF 29 to display information according to the current mode (shooting mode, playback mode, menu screen display), turns off the TFT 28 to enter a non-display state, and then sets the eye proximity detection sensor 57 to an active state, the line-of-sight detection unit 160 (line-of-sight detection sensor 164) to an active state, and the in-camera 170 to a non-active state.

[0254] In S1502, the system control unit 50 starts measuring the EVF off timer.

[0255] In S1503, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the eye is placed near the object using the eye-contact detection sensor 57. If the eye is placed near the object, the process proceeds to S1504. If the eye is not placed near the object, i.e., if the eye is not removed from the object, the process proceeds to S1505.

[0256] In S1504, the system control unit 50 turns on (ON) the EVF 29 to display information, sets the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164) to a driving state (ON), and proceeds to S1506. Note that if the EVF and the gaze detection sensor are already on, this processing may be skipped. In S1505, the system control unit 50 turns off (OFF) the EVF 29 to a non-display state, sets the gaze detection unit 160 (gaze detection sensor 164) to a driving stop state (OFF), and proceeds to S1506. Note that if the EVF and the gaze detection sensor are already off, this processing may be skipped.

[0257] In S1506, the system control unit 50 determines whether a user operation has been performed on the operation unit 70 and whether a photographing operation is currently in progress. If a user operation has been performed or photographing is in progress, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1507; otherwise, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1511.

[0258] In S1507, the system control unit 50 executes processing corresponding to the operation / shooting in S1406.

[0259] In S1508, the system control unit 50 resets the EVF off timer and starts counting. If the eye proximity sensor 57 is in a stopped state, the system control unit 50 switches the eye proximity sensor 57 to a driven state.

[0260] In S1509, if the EVF is OFF, the system control unit 50 turns on the EVF to display information, and puts the line-of-sight detection unit 160 (line-of-sight detection sensor 164) into an operating state.

[0261] In S1510, the system control unit 50 determines whether the processing executed in S1507 was a processing to change the display destination mode setting, and if the display destination mode setting was changed, proceeds to S1102, and if not, proceeds to S1511.

[0262] In S1511, the system control unit 50 determines whether the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold value TH2. If it is determined that the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold value TH2, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1512; otherwise, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1503.

[0263] In S1512, the system control unit 50 turns off the EVF 29 to put it in a non-display state, stops driving the eye proximity detection sensor 57, and stops driving the line-of-sight detection unit 160 (line-of-sight detection sensor 164).

[0264] In S1513, the system control unit 50 starts counting the auto power off timer.

[0265] In S1514, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not a user operation has been performed on the operation unit 70, and if an operation has been performed, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1515, and if not, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1517.

[0266] In S1515, the system control unit 50 executes processing corresponding to the operation in S1514, stops the auto power off timer in S1516, and proceeds to S1501 to resume display on the EVF 29 (finder).

[0267] In S1517, the system control unit 50 determines whether the auto power off timer has exceeded the threshold value TH1, and if it is determined that the timer has exceeded the threshold value TH1, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1518, and if not, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1514.

[0268] In S1518, the system control unit 50 turns off the power of the digital camera 100 and ends the process.

[0269] In this way, when the display destination mode is set to viewfinder fixed, the display is made on the EVF 29 and not on the TFT 28. Also, the EVF 29 displays when eye contact is detected and does not display when the eye is away. Also, no distinction is made between display processing in shooting mode and playback mode / menu screen display. The auto power off function and viewfinder off function are executed, but as mentioned above, if the settings are such that these functions are not executed, processing related to the auto power off function and viewfinder off function is not executed.

[0270] (Automatic Switching Display Processing) The automatic switching (auto) display processing will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 16. This processing is realized by the system control unit 50 loading a program recorded in the non-volatile memory 56 into the system memory 52 and executing it. This processing is executed until the digital camera 100 is powered off.

[0271] In S1601, the system control unit 50 turns on the eye proximity detection sensor 57 to start detecting proximity of the eye to the viewfinder, and stops driving the in-camera 170.

[0272] In S1602, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the eye is placed near the object using the eye proximity detection sensor 57. If the eye is placed near the object, the process proceeds to S1613 to perform processing for monitor display, and if the eye is removed from the object, the process proceeds to S1603 to perform processing for EVF display.

[0273] In S1603, the system control unit 50 starts counting the monitor-off timer.

[0274] In S1604, the system control unit 50 turns on the TFT 28 to display information, turns off the EVF 29 to set it to a non-display state, and sets the line-of-sight detection unit 160 to a drive-stop state.

[0275] In S1605, the system control unit 50 determines whether a user operation has been performed on the operation unit 70 and whether a photographing operation is currently in progress, similarly to S1403. If a user operation has been performed or photographing is in progress, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1606; otherwise, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1609.

[0276] In S1606, the system control unit 50 executes processing corresponding to the operation / shooting in S1605.

[0277] In S1607, the system control unit 50 resets the monitor off timer and starts counting. If the EVF off timer is currently counting, the system control unit 50 also resets the EVF off timer and starts counting. If the EVF off timer is currently stopped, it does not need to start counting. Also, if the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is OFF, it is set to an active state.

[0278] In S1608, the system control unit 50 determines whether the processing executed in S1606 was a processing to change the display destination mode setting, and if the display destination mode setting was changed, proceeds to S1102, and if not, proceeds to S1609.

[0279] In S1609, the system control unit 50 determines whether the eye is placed near the eyepiece using the eyepiece detection sensor 57. If the eyepiece is placed near the eyepiece, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1614 and automatically switches the display to the EVF 29; if not, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1610. Note that if the eyepiece detection sensor 57 is in a stopped state, the system control unit 50 skips S1609 and proceeds to S1610.

[0280] In S1610, the system controller 50 determines whether the monitor-off timer has exceeded the threshold value TH4. If it is determined that the monitor-off timer has exceeded the threshold value TH4, the system controller 50 proceeds to S1622; otherwise, the system controller 50 proceeds to S1611.

[0281] In S1611, the system controller 50 determines whether the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold value TH2. If it is determined that the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold value TH2, the system controller 50 proceeds to S1612; otherwise, the system controller 50 proceeds to S1616.

[0282] In S1612, the system control unit stops driving the eye proximity detection sensor 57, and then proceeds to S1616.

[0283] In S1613, the system control unit 50 starts measuring the EVF off timer.

[0284] In S1614, the system control unit 50 turns on the EVF 29 to display information, and turns off the TFT 28 to set it to a non-display state. Furthermore, the system control unit 50 sets the line-of-sight detection unit 160 to a drive state.

[0285] In S1615, the system control unit 50 determines whether a user operation has been performed on the operation unit 70 and whether a photographing operation is currently in progress. If a user operation has been performed or photographing is in progress, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1616; otherwise, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1619.

[0286] In S1616, the system control unit 50 executes the process corresponding to the operation / shooting in S1615.

[0287] In S1617, the system control unit 50 resets the EVF off timer and starts counting. If the eye proximity sensor 57 is in a stopped state, it is set to a driven state.

[0288] In S1618, the system control unit 50 determines whether the processing executed in S1616 was a processing to change the display destination mode setting, and if the display destination mode setting was changed, proceeds to S1102, and if not, proceeds to S1619.

[0289] In S1619, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the eye has been removed by the eye proximity detection sensor 57. If the eye has been removed, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1603 and automatically switches the display to the TFT 28; otherwise, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1620.

[0290] In S1620, the system controller 50 determines whether the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold value TH2. If it is determined that the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold value TH2, the system controller 50 proceeds to S1621; otherwise, the system controller 50 proceeds to S1615.

[0291] In S1621, the system control unit stops driving the eye proximity detection sensor 57, and then proceeds to S1622.

[0292] In S1622, the system control unit 50 turns off the TFT 28 to put it in a non-display state, turns off the EVF 29 to put it in a non-display state, and stops driving the eye proximity detection sensor 57.

[0293] In S1623, the system control unit 50 starts counting the auto power off timer.

[0294] In S1624, the system control unit 50 determines whether the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold value TH2. If it is determined that the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold value TH2, the process proceeds to S1625; otherwise, the process proceeds to S1626. In S1625, the system control unit stops driving the eye proximity detection sensor 57, and then proceeds to S1626. Note that if it has already been determined in S1620 that the EVF off timer has exceeded the threshold value TH2, the process may proceed to S1626 without performing the processes of S1624 and S1625.

[0295] In S1626, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not a user operation has been performed on the operation unit 70, and if an operation has been performed, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1627, and if not, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1629.

[0296] In S1627, the system control unit 50 executes processing corresponding to the operation in S1626, and in S1628 stops the auto power off timer, and then proceeds to S1601 to resume display on the TFT 28 or EVF 29.

[0297] In S1629, the system control unit 50 determines whether the auto power off timer has exceeded the threshold value TH1, and if it is determined that the timer has exceeded the threshold value TH1, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1630, and if not, the system control unit 50 proceeds to S1624.

[0298] In S1630, the system controller 50 turns off the power of the digital camera 100 and ends the process.

[0299] As described above, when the display destination mode is set to auto (automatic switching), the display on the TFT and the display on the EVF 29 are switched depending on the results of eye proximity detection. Furthermore, display processing is not differentiated between shooting mode and playback mode / menu screen display. The auto power off function, viewfinder off function, and monitor off function are executed, but as described above, if the camera is set to not execute these functions, processing related to the auto power off function and viewfinder off function is not executed. When the viewfinder off function is set to be executed, once the viewfinder off function is executed, the eye proximity sensor 57 is deactivated, so the display is not switched even if the proximity of an object to the eye proximity sensor 57 changes. The viewfinder off function (EVF off timer) is reset by a user operation on the operation unit, and the eye proximity sensor 57 is activated, allowing automatic switching of the display destination depending on the results of eye proximity detection to be performed again.

[0300] <Other Embodiments> The various controls described above as being performed by the system control unit 50 may be performed by a single piece of hardware, or the entire device may be controlled by multiple pieces of hardware (for example, multiple processors or circuits) sharing the processing.

[0301] Furthermore, although the present invention has been described in detail based on preferred embodiments thereof, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various forms within the scope of the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, each of the above-described embodiments merely represents one embodiment of the present invention, and each embodiment can be combined as appropriate.

[0302] The present invention can also be realized by executing the following process. That is, software (programs) that realize the functions of the above-described embodiments are supplied to a system or device via a network or various storage media, and the computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or device reads and executes the program code. In this case, the program and the storage media storing the program constitute the present invention.

[0303] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the present invention.

[0304] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-072443 filed on April 26, 2024, Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-072442 filed on April 26, 2024, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-067773 filed on April 16, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. An imaging device having a first display unit arranged in a viewfinder and a second display unit different from the first display unit, comprising: an approach detection means capable of detecting an object approaching the viewfinder; a control means for controlling the display on the first display unit and the display on the second display unit; and a setting means for setting a display destination mode, wherein when the first display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, the control means controls so that when a shooting screen is displayed, the image is displayed on the first display unit and not on the second display unit, and when a playback screen or menu screen is displayed, the control means controls so that the image is displayed on the first display unit and not on the second display unit depending on the detection result by the approach detection means.

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

3. The imaging device of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when a third display mode is set as the display mode, the control means controls the display to be on the first display unit without displaying on the second display unit, regardless of whether the shooting screen, playback screen, or menu screen is displayed.

4. An imaging device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that when the fourth display mode is set as the display mode, the control means controls the display to be on the second display unit without displaying on the first display unit, regardless of whether the shooting screen, playback screen, or menu screen is displayed.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means, when a second display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, controls to switch between displaying on the first display unit and displaying on the second display unit according to the detection result by the approach detection means, regardless of whether the shooting screen, the playback screen, or the menu screen is displayed; when a third display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, controls to display on the first display unit without displaying on the second display unit, regardless of whether the shooting screen, the playback screen, or the menu screen is displayed; and when a fourth display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, controls to display on the second display unit without displaying on the first display unit, regardless of whether the shooting screen, the playback screen, or the menu screen is displayed.

6. An imaging device as described in claim 5, characterized in that it has a display control means for controlling the display of a menu screen display so that setting item I for setting the first display destination mode and a second setting item for selecting the second, third, or fourth display destination mode are displayed as setting items for setting the display destination mode, wherein said setting means sets the first display destination mode as the display destination mode when the first display destination mode is set in setting item I, and sets the display destination mode selected in the second setting item as the display destination mode when the first display destination mode is not set in setting item I.

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

8. An imaging device as described in claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the setting means makes it impossible to change the setting for the second setting item when the first display destination mode is set in the first setting item.

9. An imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it has a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit that images the first display unit side, and the control means controls the first display unit to switch from a non-display state to a display state in response to detecting that a face is included in an image captured by the second imaging unit when the first display mode is set as the display mode.

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

11. A control method for an imaging device having a first display unit arranged in a viewfinder and a second display unit different from the first display unit, comprising: an approach detection step capable of detecting an object approaching the viewfinder; a control step for controlling display on the first display unit and display on the second display unit; and a setting step for setting a display destination mode, wherein in the control step, if the first display destination mode is set as the display destination mode, when displaying a shooting screen, control is made to display on the first display unit and not on the second display unit, and when displaying a playback screen or menu screen, control is made to switch between display on the first display unit and display on the second display unit depending on the detection result by the approach detection means.

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

13. A computer-readable storage medium having recorded thereon a program for causing a computer to function as each means of the imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Images