JP2002218383A - Digital camera - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] To provide a digital camera that can store image data in a direction intended by a photographer and can easily refer to an image according to a direction in a shooting state when referring to the image. provide. A direction of image data to be stored is designated by a direction designation switch provided on a camera body. For example, as shown in the figure, when the direction designating switch 2 is designated to the left and the image is taken, the direction of the image data stored inside the camera body 10 is stored such that the left side of the camera body 10 is upward. Thereby, the image data can be stored in the direction intended by the photographer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a digital camera capable of converting a still image into digital data and storing the digital data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional digital camera is configured such that an upper direction of a camera body is an upper direction of a stored image.

According to this conventional apparatus, when image data taken in a situation where the digital camera is turned sideways or tilted is taken into a personal computer or the like for reference,
The image is saved in a composition different from the photographer's expectations, and is displayed on the monitor sideways or upside down.

Therefore, in order to refer to the image according to the orientation in the shooting state, the image is taken into a personal computer or the like, and then, using an image direction changing program or the like, based on the judgment of the photographer,
It is necessary to determine the upper direction of the image and perform an operation such as re-saving.

It has also been considered that the inclination of the digital camera is automatically detected by using a sensor and the direction of the image is rotated. There is a problem that it is not oriented.

[0006]

As described above, in the conventional digital camera, image data taken in a situation where the camera is turned sideways or tilted is stored in a composition different from the photographer's intention, and the shooting state is changed. In order to refer to the image according to the direction in the above, it is necessary to perform an operation such as saving again based on the judgment of the photographer using an image direction changing program or the like, which is inconvenient.

[0007] Also, in the case of automatically detecting the tilt of a digital camera, the direction of image data to be stored is
There was a problem that the orientation was not always as expected by the photographer.

Therefore, the present invention eliminates this problem,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a digital camera capable of storing image data in a direction intended by a photographer and easily referencing an image according to a direction in a shooting state when referring to the image.

[0009]

According to the present invention, there is provided a digital camera, comprising: designating means for designating the direction of image data to be stored; and converting means for transforming the direction of photographed image data to the direction designated by the designating means. Storage means for storing the image data whose orientation has been converted by the conversion means.

According to the present invention, image data can be stored in a direction intended by a photographer.
An image according to the orientation in the shooting state can be easily referred to.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a system configuration thereof.

In FIG. 1, 10 is a camera body, 1 is a shutter, and 2 is a direction designation switch. The direction designation switch 2 designates the direction of the image data to be stored, and can designate any one of four directions.

In FIG. 2, 1 is a shutter, 2
Is a direction designation switch, 3 is an image pickup unit, 4 is an image input unit for taking in image data captured by the image pickup unit 3, 5 is an image data buffer, and 6 is a direction designation switch 2 for setting the direction of image data from the image data buffer 5. , An image data direction conversion unit for converting the image data into a direction designated by the image data conversion unit; Department.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an internal processing flow when a photograph is taken in this embodiment. The operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The photographer operates the direction specifying switch 2 to specify the direction of the image data to be stored (step S31), and then operates the shutter 1 to perform photographing (step S32).

The image data picked up by the image pickup unit 3 by the photographing operation is taken in by the image input unit 4 and temporarily stored in the image data buffer 5 (step S33). The image data from the image data buffer 5 is input to the image data direction conversion unit 6, and the image data direction conversion unit 6 captures the direction designation information from the direction designation switch 2 (step S3).
4) Branching is performed according to each direction designated by the direction designation switch 2 (step S35), and processing for converting the image data input from the image data buffer 5 to the designated direction is performed (steps S36 to S39).

That is, the direction designation switch 2 is connected to the camera body 1
If the left side of the image data is designated, the direction of the image data is converted so that the left side of the image data is upward (step S3).
6).

The direction specifying switch 2 is connected to the camera body 1
If specified to the right of 0, the direction of the image data is converted such that the right side of the image data is upward (step S3).
7).

If the direction designating switch 2 is designated on the upper side of the camera body 10, the image data is converted so that the upper side is located above the image data. In this case, however, the direction is not actually converted without being converted. (Step S3)
8).

If the direction designating switch 2 is designated on the lower side of the camera body 10, the lower part of the image data is upward.
The direction of the image data is converted (step S39).

The image data converted in the direction designated in accordance with the direction designation information is stored in the image data storage unit 7 in a floppy (registered trademark) disk,
A process of storing the data in a storage medium such as a (magneto-optical disk) is performed (step 40).

Accordingly, the camera body 10 is, for example, shown in FIG.
With the orientation as described above, the direction designation switch 2 is designated on the upper side of the camera body 10 and the shutter 3 is depressed to take a picture. However, if the picture is taken in this state, it is stored inside the camera body 10. Since the image data is converted in step S38 in FIG. 3 so that the upper side of the image data is upward, in this case, the direction is not actually converted, and the upper side of the camera body 10 is stored as the upward direction. Is done.

Next, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the left side of the camera body 10 is designated upward by the direction designation switch 2 and an image is taken. In this case, the direction designation switch 2
Is designated on the left side of the camera body 10, so that when photographing is performed in this state, the direction of image data stored inside the camera body 10 is stored such that the left side of the camera body 10 is upward.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining how to change the direction of the image when the image is taken with the left side of the camera body 10 set upward.

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 51 denotes an image of an image taken by specifying the left side of the camera body 10 in the upward direction;
Is an image of the image which is stored by converting the direction of the image. As shown in image 51 of the image, camera body 1
Usually, an image in which the left side of 0 is specified in the upper direction has the upper direction (head direction in the figure) on the left side, and has a composition different from the photographer's intention.

However, when the photographer previously designates the left side as the upward direction by the direction designation switch 2, the direction is changed so that the left side is upward in step S36 in FIG. 3 when the image data is stored. Since the image can be stored as an image having an upward direction as shown in the image 52 of the image, there is no need to convert the image after shooting.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining how to change the direction of the image when the image is taken with the right side of the camera body 10 set upward.

In FIG. 6, reference numeral 61 denotes an image of an image taken by specifying the right side of the camera body 10 in the upward direction;
Is an image of the image which is stored by converting the direction of the image.

As shown in the image 61 of the image, an image in which the right side of the camera body 10 is specified to be upward is normally the upper side (head direction in the figure) on the right side. Has a different composition.

However, when the photographer previously designates the right side as the upward direction with the direction designation switch 2, the direction is changed so that the right side is upward at step S37 in FIG. 3 when the image data is stored. Since the image can be stored as an image having an upward direction as shown in the image 62 of the image, there is no need to convert the image after shooting.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining how to convert the direction of an image when the camera body 10 is photographed with the lower side set upward.

In FIG. 7, reference numeral 71 denotes an image of an image taken by specifying the lower side of the camera body 10 in the upward direction;
Is an image of the image which is stored by converting the direction of the image.

As shown in the image 71 of the image, an image in which the lower side of the camera body 10 is specified as an upward direction is usually such that the upward direction (head direction in the figure) is the lower side and the photographer's The composition is different from the speculation.

However, when the photographer previously designates the lower side as the upward direction by the direction designation switch 2, the image data is converted so that the lower side is upward in step S39 in FIG. Since the image 72 can be stored as an image having an upward direction as shown in the image 72, there is no need to convert the image after shooting.

Thus, the image is always stored in the direction specified by the photographer.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the direction of the stored image can be designated by the photographer before the photographing by the direction designation switch 2, so that the image can be designated in the direction designated by the photographer in advance. Data can be saved. This has the following effects. (1) When an image is taken into a personal computer or the like and referred to, an image in a direction different from the original direction is not viewed, so that the viewer does not see an image different from the photographer's intention. (2) After the photographing, the trouble of the referrer determining the direction and saving the image again can be saved. (3) The orientation of the image is not mistaken. (4) The photographer does not need to memorize and record the orientation of the image.

[0038]

As described above, according to the digital camera of the present invention, image data can be stored in the direction intended by the photographer, and when referring to the image, the image according to the orientation in the shooting state can be obtained. Can be easily referred to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the digital camera according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an internal processing flow when an image is taken in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which an image is taken with the left side of the camera body set upward in the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a view for explaining how to set the left side of the camera body upward in the embodiment of the present invention to change the direction of a captured image.

FIG. 6 is a view for explaining changing the direction of an image captured by setting the right side of the camera body upward in one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a view for explaining how to set the lower side of the camera body to the upper side and convert the direction of a captured image in one embodiment of the present invention;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Shutter 2 ... Direction designation switch 3 ... Imaging part 4 ... Image input part 5 ... Image data buffer 6 ... Image data direction conversion part 7 ... Image data storage part 8 ... Control part 10 ... Camera body

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 5C022 AA13 AB00 AC32 AC69 CA00 5C053 FA08 GB40 KA03 LA01

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A designating means for designating the direction of image data to be stored, a converting means for converting the direction of photographed image data into a direction designated by the designating means, and an image having a direction converted by the converting means. A digital camera, comprising: storage means for storing data.