JP2003274263A - Electronic camera and recording method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To provide an electronic camera and a shooting and recording method for eliminating inconvenience in performing a commemorative photographing and the like, and a program for realizing the method. SOLUTION: For example, one of two persons is caused to perform a first photographing with the other as a subject. At this time, the subject is positioned on the right side of the screen. Next, change the subject with the photographer,
The other is caused to perform a second photographing with one as a subject. At this time, the subject is positioned on the left side of the screen. The right partial image of the first captured image and the left partial image of the second captured still image are combined to generate and record one still image. You can take a commemorative photo of two people together without the help of a third party or using a tripod.
At the time of the second photographing, while displaying the partial image 101a taken at the first time on the right side of the screen of the monitor displaying the through image, only the left partial image 102a of the sequentially photographed image is displayed at the left side of the screen. To facilitate framing.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic camera suitable for use in, for example, commemorative photographing, and a photographing recording method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, electronic cameras (digital still cameras) are provided with various functions so that high quality pictures can be taken by a simple operation regardless of whether or not there is a photographing technique. Examples include functions such as AE (automatic focus control), AE (automatic exposure control), AWB (auto white balance), and automatic setting of shooting conditions (shutter speed, aperture, white balance, etc.) suitable for a shooting scene.
Furthermore, electronic cameras are generally equipped with functions that take advantage of the characteristics that are different from those of silver halide cameras, such as video recording functions that enable continuous recording of moving images as well as still images. Not only the improvement of function,
Functions that cannot be obtained with conventional silver halide cameras tend to be expanded.

[0003]

However, although the usability is improved and the functions are diversified as described above, the basic functions such as "taking a picture" in the electronic camera are as follows. There was a problem. That is, when a person is photographed, the photographer usually does not appear in the photograph, so when taking a commemorative photograph at a tourist spot, for example,
To get a picture of all your friends, colleagues, family, etc.,
It was necessary to request a shutter operation to a third party who was present at the scene, or to perform a shooting operation by a self-timer (or remote controller) using a tripod. In other words, in the former case, since the other person's hands are bothered, it is necessary to give some consideration to the other party, and moreover, it is not possible to shoot in a place where a third party is not present. In the latter case, it is necessary to prepare a tripod in advance, and it becomes baggage except when shooting.
Therefore, although usability and diversification of functions are progressing, the inconvenience since the silver halide camera has not been eliminated when taking a commemorative photo.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an electronic camera and a photographing / recording method capable of eliminating the inconvenience in taking a commemorative photograph and the like, and a program for realizing the method. The purpose is to

[0005]

In order to solve the above problems, in the invention of claim 1, an image pickup means for picking up an image of a subject and an image picked up by the image pickup means in a shooting standby state are displayed as a through image. In the electronic camera provided with the display unit, different image pickup regions are images of the subject imaged by the image pickup unit in response to a plurality of image pickup operations, and are divided and set to the same number as the number of image pickup operations. From a plurality of partial images respectively corresponding to (1) and (2), a combining means for combining (connecting, superimposing, etc.) a new image having the same size as the image captured by the image capturing means in the normal shooting mode, and this combining means. And an image recording means for recording the recorded image.

In such a construction, when a plurality of times of photographing are performed, the synthesizing means causes a subject disappeared in a certain region in the frame and a subject appearing in another region (same or different) in the second and subsequent photographings. Both the subject and the subject are captured, and an image of the same size as an image obtained by normal photography is combined and recorded. That is, the subjects (same or different subjects) photographed in multiple times can be photographed together in the same photograph. In addition, the angle of view of the finally recorded image becomes the same as the angle of view recorded in normal shooting, and the photographer can determine the composition himself at the time of the first shooting.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the image pickup standby state in a predetermined image pickup mode, the display unit displays a new image by the synthesizing unit in the image taken by the image pickup unit in accordance with the current shooting operation. Area teaching means for displaying the through image in a form of allowing the photographer to distinguish the area of the partial image used for synthesizing the different images from the area of the other partial image.

In such a structure, the photographer can confirm the position of the object to be photographed in a plurality of times from the through image, and the framing in which the object is located at an appropriate place can be easily performed.

According to the third aspect of the invention, there is provided area setting means for allowing the photographer to set the division mode of the image pickup area.

In such a structure, by changing the division mode of the image pickup area, it is possible to obtain various compositions in which the positions of the objects to be photographed in a plurality of times are different.

Further, in the invention of claim 4, the partial image of the subject imaged by the image pickup means in accordance with the preceding image pickup operation in the image pickup standby state in the predetermined image pickup mode is displayed by the display means. A control means is provided for displaying the partial image in the corresponding display area and displaying the through image in the other display area remaining in the display means.

In such a structure, since the partial images captured before that time are displayed on the through image at the time of the second and subsequent photographing, the through image is changed for the partial image by changing the through image with respect to the partial image. At that time, it is possible to easily secure the same composition as originally decided.

Further, according to the invention of claim 5, the moving image shooting function is provided, and the images synthesized by the synthesizing means are individually and continuously photographed by the image sensing means in accordance with a plurality of moving image shooting operations. Between the images of the multiple frames
It is assumed that the moving image is a new moving image having the image size obtained in the normal moving image shooting mode, which is composed of the partial images in the image of the corresponding frame.

In such a structure, according to the same principle as that of the first aspect of the present invention, a subject (same or different subject) photographed in a plurality of times is taken together in an image of the same frame constituting a moving image. You can

Further, according to the invention of claim 6, in response to a moving image shooting operation in a predetermined moving image shooting mode, each of a plurality of frames of images successively picked up by the image pickup means in accordance with the preceding moving image shooting operation. The control means for displaying the moving image composed of the partial image in (1) in the display area of the display means corresponding to the partial image is provided.

In such a configuration, when the second and subsequent moving image shooting operations are started, the moving image display of the subject imaged before that is simultaneously started in the corresponding display area, so that the framing during the second and subsequent moving image shooting operations is started. Can be done easily.

Further, according to the invention of claim 7, a timer means for measuring the moving image shooting time, a storage means for storing the first moving image shooting time measured by the timer means, and a moving image for the second time and thereafter. The control means for forcibly ending the moving image shooting is provided when the time measured by the timer means becomes the first moving image shooting time stored in the storage means during shooting.

In such a configuration, the moving image capturing time for the second time and thereafter is surely shorter than the first moving image capturing time, and therefore, for the second and subsequent moving image captures, accumulation of images unnecessary for composition of frame images to be recorded. Can be eliminated.

Further, according to the invention of claim 8, there is provided an electronic camera comprising image pickup means for picking up an image of a subject, and display means for displaying an image picked up by the image pickup means in a shooting standby state as a through image. An image size obtained in a normal photographing mode while arranging them in predetermined positions from a plurality of partial images which are the central portions of the respective images of the subject imaged by the imaging means in accordance with a plurality of photographing operations. It is provided with a synthesizing means for synthesizing (connecting, superimposing, etc.) a new image having the above, and an image recording means for recording the image synthesized by this synthesizing means. Note that the central portion includes a central portion only in a predetermined direction such as a vertical direction or a horizontal direction.

In such a configuration, when the same or different subjects are photographed a plurality of times while being positioned in the central portion of the frame, all of the subjects are photographed by the synthesizing means, and an image obtained by normal photographing is taken. An image of the same size as is combined and recorded. That is,
Subjects (same or different subjects) shot in multiple times can be taken together in the same photograph. At the same time, the images to be recorded are combined from the central portion of each captured image, which provides high image quality.

Further, in the invention of claim 9, in the shooting standby state in a predetermined shooting mode, only the central portion of the through image is arranged and displayed on the display means at the predetermined position. Is provided with a control means for setting the image corresponding to the central portion of the through image in accordance with the shooting operation to the position corresponding to the arrangement in the new image to be synthesized by the synthesizing means.

In such a structure, since it is possible to perform a plurality of times of photographing while confirming where in the image to be recorded the subject to be photographed is arranged in the recorded image, the subject can be photographed at a desired position. Framing can be easily performed.

Further, in the invention of claim 10, the central portion is a central portion in a predetermined direction corresponding to the arrangement of the plurality of partial images in the new image combined by the combining means. did.

In this structure, the image to be recorded is
It is possible to combine the partial images having higher image quality, and it is possible to secure higher image quality for the image to be recorded.

According to the invention of claim 11, there is provided a method of photographing an object with an electronic camera and recording the image, wherein the image of the object is photographed a plurality of times by a plurality of photographing operations. From the plurality of partial images corresponding to different image capturing areas divided and set to the same number as the number of image capturing operations,
The method includes a process of synthesizing a new image having the same size as an image captured by a normal shooting operation and a process of recording the synthesized image.

According to such a method, when a plurality of photographing operations are performed, a subject disappeared in a certain area in the frame and a subject appearing in another area (same or different subject) in the second and subsequent photographing operations. Both of them are captured, and an image of the same size as an image obtained by normal photographing is combined and recorded. That is, a subject (same or different subject) photographed in multiple times can be photographed in the same photograph.

According to the twelfth aspect of the invention, the electronic camera has an image pickup means for picking up an image of a subject, and a display means for displaying an image picked up by the image pickup means in a shooting standby state as a through image. A plurality of partial images of the subject captured by the image capturing means in response to a plurality of image capturing operations of the computer and corresponding to different image capturing areas divided and set to the same number as the number of image capturing operations. Therefore, the program is made to function as a synthesizing unit that synthesizes a new image of the same size as the image captured by the image capturing unit in the normal shooting mode.

By using such a program, the inventions of claims 1 and 11 can be implemented.

[0029]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of an electronic camera 1 according to the present invention. This electronic camera 1 continuously captures not only still images, but also still images,
It is provided with a moving image shooting function that enables playback of moving images by displaying them (frame images) in the order of shooting at the time of playback, and includes CCD 2 and DSP / CPU 3 which are image pickup means.
And have. The DSP / CPU 3 is a one-chip microcomputer that has various digital signal processing functions including compression / expansion of image data by the JPEG method and controls each unit of the electronic camera 1. In DSP / CPU3,
A TG (Timing Generator) 4 that drives the CCD 2 is connected, and the TG 4 is connected to a unit circuit 5 to which an analog image pickup signal corresponding to the optical image of the subject output from the CCD 2 is input. The unit circuit 5 includes a CDS that holds the input image pickup signal, a gain adjustment amplifier (AGC) that amplifies the image pickup signal, and an A / D converter (AD) that converts the amplified image pickup signal into a digital image pickup signal.
The output signal of the CCD 2 is sent to the DSP / CPU 3 as a digital signal via the unit circuit 5.

The DSP / CPU 3 is connected with a display device 6, a key input section 7, a clock section 8, and a DRAM 10, an internal flash memory 11 and a card interface 12 via an address / data bus 9. Has been done. Further, the card interface 12 is connected to a memory card 13 which is detachably attached to a card slot (not shown) of the camera body. D
The RAM 10 is a buffer for temporarily storing the image data of the subject which is imaged and digitized by the CCD 2 when the photographing standby mode is set, and also the DSP / CPU.
3 is also used as a working memory and functions as the storage means of the present invention. The image data temporarily stored in the DRAM 10 is compressed, and finally the memory card 13
(Image recording means). The built-in flash memory 11 stores an operation program of the DSP / CPU 3 and various data used for controlling each unit.
The CPU 3 functions as the synthesizing means, the area teaching means, and the control means of the present invention by operating according to the operation program. Further, it functions as an area setting unit together with various operation keys included in the key input unit 7, and functions as a timer unit together with the clock unit 8.

The display device 6 includes a color LCD and a drive circuit thereof, displays a subject image picked up by the CCD 2 as a through image when in a photographing standby state, and is read from the memory card 13 when a recorded image is reproduced. The display means of the present invention displays the expanded recorded image. The key input unit 7 includes a plurality of operation keys such as a shutter key, a power key, a mode selection key, and a cross key, and outputs a key input signal according to a user's key operation to the DSP / CPU.
Output to 3. The clock unit 8 has a calendar function for counting the date and time and a clock function, and the date data and the time data can be used for DSP /
Send to CPU3.

Next, the operation of the electronic camera 1 having the above configuration when the two-shot shooting mode is selected by the user will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. Note that, here, it is assumed that the user, for example, travels to a tourist resort, a theme park, an amusement park, etc. as a family and takes a commemorative photo there.

First, the photographer (first person) selects the two-shot photographing mode by operating the mode selection key. When this mode is selected, the electronic camera 1 moves to the position shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, after the photographing standby state, the subject image captured by the CCD 2 is displayed as a through image on the screen of the display device 6 (step SA1), the through image 101 is displayed as shown in FIG. The boundary line L is displayed in an overlapping manner (step SA2). This boundary line L is a through image 10
1 in the horizontal direction in the shooting target area A and the non-shooting area B 2
In the initial state, the dividing line is the shooting target area A on the right side of the boundary line L and the non-shooting area B on the left side.
Has become. Although not shown, in order to show the photographer which one of the right and left is the photographing target area A, for example, a character or mark indicating the fact is displayed in the photographing target area A, or the floor of the non-photographing area B is displayed. Processing such as losing the tone, displaying as a black and white image, or displaying a colored frame surrounding the outer periphery of the shooting target area A is performed together with the display of the boundary line L.

In this state, the photographer sees the through image 10
Determine the desired composition while looking at 1. At that time, the photographer
Later I pre-determine where I should fit in the frame and keep that in mind when deciding on the composition. Next, by performing a predetermined key operation, the areas of the shooting target area A and the non-shooting area A are adjusted so that the place where the user should fit is the non-shooting area B described above. In the meantime, in the electronic camera 1, when the user gives an instruction to move the boundary line L by operating the cross key (YE in step SA3).
S), the display position of the boundary line L is moved in the designated direction (up, down, left and right) (step SA4). Here, in the present embodiment, as the boundary line L, in addition to the boundary line L shown in FIG.
A plurality of patterns as shown in (e) are prepared, and the direction in which the moving operation can be performed is determined for each pattern. It should be noted that the boundary line L shown in FIG. 4A is allowed to move only in the horizontal direction, and the boundary line L of the pattern shown in FIG. 7E is allowed to be moved only in the vertical direction. .

In addition, the electronic camera 1 operates the key to instruct the pattern change of the boundary line L immediately after moving the boundary line L or immediately when the determination result of step SA3 is NO and there is no movement instruction. It is determined whether or not there is (step SA5). If there is a change instruction (step S
If YES in A5), the boundary line L displayed on the through image 101 is changed to another pattern (step SA6). In the pattern change processing at this time, in response to the key operation, as shown in FIG.
The patterns shown in (a) to (e) are sequentially switched and displayed on the through image 101. That is, when the pattern of FIG. 7A is displayed as shown in FIG.
It is switched to the pattern of FIG. 7B and displayed on the image 101.

Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the user has instructed to reverse the photographing target area A (step SA
7) When there is a reverse rotation instruction (Y at step SA7)
ES), the shooting target area A of the through image 101 at that time is set as the non-shooting area, and conversely, the non-shooting area B is set as the shooting target area (step SA).
8). Further, it is determined whether or not the user has instructed the free setting of the boundary line L (step SA9). Here, when the free setting is instructed (step SA9
YES), the cursor is operated by the photographer using the cross key, and as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B,
A free boundary line LL other than the above-described prescribed boundary line L is drawn, and the through image 101 is divided in a desired shape (step SA10). Also, at this time,
An area to be the shooting target area is selected from the two divided areas. The drawing of the free boundary line LL may be performed by pen input if the display device 6 has a touch panel capable of pen input.

Then, the electronic camera 1 repeats the above-described operation until the photographing operation is performed by the shutter key (NO in step SA11). During this period, the electronic camera 1 stores area information for specifying the photographing target area A and the non-photographing area B in the photographed image area in the DRAM 10, and the user changes the position of the boundary line L (step SA4). , Pattern change of boundary line L (step SA
6), reverse rotation instruction of the shooting target area A (step SA
8) When any of the free boundary lines LL is drawn (step SA10), the area information is updated at that time.

On the other hand, the photographer decides the desired composition as described above, and after adjusting the area A and the non-photographing area B within the composition, presses the shutter key to take the first picture. At this point, the family shown in the above-mentioned through image 101 is asked to take turns, and the user moves to a predetermined place, that is, a place corresponding to the non-shooting area B.

Hereinafter, the continuation of the operation of the electronic camera 1 will be described assuming that the previous photographer presses the shutter key while the through image 101 shown in FIG. 4A is being displayed. As shown in FIG. 3, the electronic camera 1 performs the shooting operation as described above (YES in step SA11).
S) The photographing process of the first image is executed, the subject image is captured by the CCD 2, and the photographing target area A (right side) indicated by the area information described above is used.
The data of the partial image 101a shown in (b) is cut out,
It is temporarily stored in the DRAM 10 (step SA1)
2).

Next, a partial image that has already been photographed based on the image data temporarily stored here is displayed in the photographing target area A (right side) on the screen of the display device 6, but the partial image is not displayed. On B (left side), a portion corresponding to the non-photographing area B of the subject images sequentially captured by the CCD 2 is displayed as a through image (step SA1).
3), and this is repeated until there is a photographing operation with the shutter key (NO in step SA14). During this period, the next photographer photographed the previous photographer in the through image 102 on the left side of the screen of the display device 6 as shown in FIG. Framing is performed so as to match the partial image 101a in which the user is shown. That is, only the left side of the screen of the display device 6 is used as a viewfinder for framing. Then, when you can do that, press the shutter and take the second picture.

On the other hand, when there is a second photographing operation (YES in step SA14), the electronic camera 1 executes the photographing process of the second image and displays it as a through image 102 from the image photographed by the CCD 2. Non-shooting area B
The partial image 102a corresponding to (left side) is cut out (step SA15). Subsequently, based on the data of the partial image 102a cut out here and the data of the partial image 101a previously stored in the DRAM 10, that is, the image data acquired by the two photographing operations, the partial image 101
A combining process is performed in which the positional relationship between a and 102a is maintained, and a combined image 103 as shown in FIG. 6 is generated (step SA16). Then, the data of the generated combined image is compressed and recorded as a photographed image in the memory card 13 (step SA17), and the photographing is completed.

Therefore, the electronic camera 1 of the present embodiment
By shooting in the two-shot shooting mode, the user can easily take a commemorative group photo without requesting a third person who is present to operate the shutter or using a tripod. Moreover, since the angle of view of the image finally recorded is the same as the angle of view recorded in the normal shooting mode, the user (photographer) composes himself at the time of the first shooting. You can decide. Therefore, even in the two-shot shooting mode, the same usability as in the normal shooting mode can be secured.

In this embodiment, the through line image 101 (see FIG. 4 (a)) displayed prior to the first shooting has a boundary line L which divides the shooting target area A and the non-shooting area B. However, as described above, the gradation of the non-shooting area B is reduced, a black and white image is displayed, or a colored frame surrounding the outer periphery of the shooting target area A is displayed to perform shooting. When teaching the person to be photographed the area A, the display of the boundary line L can be omitted. In that case, the boundary line moving process in step SA4 and the boundary line pattern changing process in step SA6 are processes for changing the shapes and ranges of the shooting target area A and the non-shooting area B.

Further, in the present embodiment, the through image 101 of the entire subject is displayed on the screen of the display device 6 at the time of the first image capturing as in the normal image capturing, and the boundary line is formed on the through image 101. By displaying L and informing the photographer of the photographing target area A, it is possible to facilitate the framing considering the arrangement of the subject. However, separately from this, only the through image of the photographing target area A may be displayed. Absent. In this case, although the usability is slightly inferior, the photographer can check the entire image of the composition using the optical viewfinder provided in the camera body.

In the processing of step SA13 between the end of the first shooting and the second shooting, the partial image 101a acquired in the first shooting is taken as the shooting target on the screen of the display device 6. While displaying the area A, the corresponding portion of the live view image 102 at that time is displayed in the non-photographing area B on the screen (see FIG. 5A), and thereby the appropriate composition corresponding to the originally determined composition is displayed. However, the following framing may be performed. For example, in the shooting target area A of the through image (entire) at that time, 1
The partial image 101a obtained by the second photographing may be superimposed and displayed in a semi-transparent state. In that case, the above framing when the next photographer performs the second photographing becomes easier.

Further, in the present embodiment, in the image pickup process of the first image (step SA12), the partial image 101a corresponding to the image pickup area A is cut out and only the data is temporarily stored in the DRAM 10. However,
At that time, the image data captured by the CCD 2 (image data of the entire area of the subject image) may be stored as it is.

Also, the operation in the two-shot shooting mode in which the shooting operation is performed twice has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the partial images of the subject shot three or more times are combined to record an image. It is also possible to provide a shooting mode for generating. In such a shooting mode, the subject having the initially determined composition is divided into a plurality of regions as shown in FIGS. 9A to 9C, and partial images corresponding to the respective regions are sequentially shot to obtain all partial images. The image obtained by synthesizing the above may be used as the recorded image. The numbers in the figure are an example of the order of shooting. In that case, the number of areas to be shot as partial images, the shape of each area, and the shooting order may be fixedly set on the camera side, or multiple candidates may be prepared in advance so that the user can select them. May be. Further, some or all of them may be set by the user as necessary. Further, in the operation, in the shooting standby state of the third time or the fourth time and thereafter, similar to the present embodiment, the through image on which the partial image acquired in the previous shooting is displayed in the corresponding area is displayed on the screen of the display device 6. Should be displayed in. Further, in the two-shot shooting mode and other shooting modes described above, in addition to the commemorative photo, it is possible to easily take a photo in which the same person exists in the same landscape, for example.

Further, in the two-shot photographing mode described in the present embodiment, the partial images 101a and 102a to be combined as a commemorative photograph are continuously photographed, but the following photographing modes are separately provided. May be. That is, first, a plurality of different partial images are stored by performing shooting for obtaining the partial image on the side of the shooting target area A, and then these partial images are sequentially displayed on the through image. , Non-imaging area B corresponding to each
Shoot for capturing a partial image on the side. Then, each time a partial image on the non-shooting area B side is acquired in accordance with a shooting operation corresponding to the partial image displayed on the through image, both partial images are linked and combined, and the combined image is recorded. It is also possible to provide a shooting mode to be performed, or a shooting mode in which the recording images are combined and recorded all at once when the shooting on the non-shooting region B side is completed. The use of such a shooting mode is convenient because it is not necessary to change the photographer many times when taking a commemorative photo having a different composition or a commemorative photo having the same composition but different contents.

Further, one or both of the partial image 101a of the photographing target area A acquired in the first photographing and the partial image 102a of the non-photographing target area B acquired in the second photographing extend to the other area. The overlap portion is secured in advance, and both partial images 101a, 1a are obtained in step SA16.
When synthesizing the recorded image 103 (commemorative photo) based on 02a, the position of the boundary portion between the photographing target area A and the non-photographing target area B due to the framing error by the photographer is used by using the above-mentioned overlap. You may make it perform the position adjustment process which absorbs a gap.

Further, in the present embodiment, partial image data (through image, recorded image) is obtained by cutting out (extracting) a part of the image picked up by the CCD 2, but the CCD 2 is partial. Partial image data (through image, recorded image) may be obtained by performing partial imaging as long as exposure and reading are possible.

(Second Embodiment) Next, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
An embodiment will be described. The present embodiment is the same as the electronic camera 1 having the same configuration as that shown in FIG.
The control program for performing the operation in the two-shot shooting mode different from that of the embodiment is stored in the built-in flash memory 11.

The operation of the electronic camera 1 when the two-shot photographing mode is selected by the user will be described below along with the photographing procedure of the user according to the flowchart of FIG.

First, the photographer (first person) selects the two-shot photographing mode by operating the mode selection key. When this mode is selected, the electronic camera 1 performs an image capturing process, captures a subject image with the CCD 2, and loads the image data into the DRAM 10 (step SB).
1). Next, as shown in FIG. 11, from the captured image data that has been captured, a predetermined region in the center portion of the captured image 201 in the horizontal direction (in the present embodiment, a region whose horizontal size is ½) 202 12 cuts out the data of the partial image corresponding to
As shown in (a), a through image is displayed on the right half of the screen of the display device 6 (step SB2), and this is repeated until a photographing operation is performed by the shutter key (step S).
No in B3). At this time, on the left half of the screen of the display device 6 which does not display the through image, for example, a guidance for explaining the shooting procedure in the two-shot shooting mode is displayed, or in order to make composition determination easier. The through image may be displayed only on the right half of the left half of the screen that can be displayed.

On the other hand, during this period, the photographer decides, for example, by using an optical viewfinder or the like provided on the camera main body, a composition in which the accompanying friend or the like is positioned on the right side of the screen, and at the right half of the composition. Framing is performed so that the corresponding image is displayed as a through image. Then, if you can do that, press the shutter key and shoot the first time, ask the person who was in the through image at this time to switch the shooting, and I decided in advance corresponding to the left half of the composition Move to a place.

On the other hand, when the photographing operation is performed as described above (YES in step SB3), the electronic camera 1 executes the photographing process of the first image, and the CCD 2 captures the subject image and the captured subject. The data of the partial image 202a corresponding to the above-mentioned central portion is cut out from the image data of the image, and is cut as DRA as the right half image data.
The data is temporarily stored in M10 (step SB4). Continuing,
As shown in FIG. 12B, while the captured partial image 202a based on the image data stored here is displayed on the right half of the screen of the display device 6, the left half of the screen has subject images sequentially captured from the CCD 2 on it. The partial image corresponding to the above-mentioned central portion is displayed as a through image 203 (step SB5), and this is repeated until a photographing operation is performed by the shutter key (NO in step SB6).

In the meantime, the next photographer puts the former photographer in the left half (in the live view) of the screen of the display device 6, and shot that portion immediately before the right half of the screen was shown. Framing is performed so as to match the partial image 202a. That is, only half the screen of the display device 6 is used as a viewfinder for framing. After that, press the shutter key and take the second picture.

When the second photographing operation is performed (YES in step SB6), the electronic camera 1 executes the photographing process of the second image, and the CCD 2 captures the subject image (step SB7). Data of the partial image corresponding to the above-mentioned central portion is cut out from the image data of the subject image, and this is made the image data of the left half, and
Based on the image data and the right half image data temporarily stored in the DRAM 10, a combining process for connecting the central portion of the first image and the central portion of the second image is performed, and FIG. () Is generated (step SB8). Then, the generated composite image 2
The data No. 04 is compressed and recorded as a photographed image in the memory card 13 (step SB9), and the photographing is completed.

Therefore, also in the present embodiment, the user of the electronic camera 1 requests the shutter operation to a third person present at the spot or uses the tripod by performing shooting in the two-shot shooting mode. You can easily take a commemorative group photo without. As a result, the inconvenience of taking a commemorative photo is relieved.

In addition to this, in the present embodiment, 1
Since the right half image obtained by the second shooting and the left half image obtained by the second shooting are the central portion in the lateral direction of the subject image picked up by the CCD 2, respectively You can get a high image (commemorative photo). This is because the right half image and the left half image to be combined as a recorded image are images based on the image signal photoelectrically converted by the CCD 2 in the lateral center portion of the photosensitive surface, which has a higher light condensing effect than the outer peripheral portion. . Especially when taking a commemorative photo with a large view of the shooting location in the background using the wide-angle side of the wide-angle lens or zoom lens,
At the outer peripheral portion of the photosensitive surface of the CCD 2, the degree of reduction of the light condensing effect on the central portion becomes larger, and moreover, the distortion of the optical image by the lens becomes more remarkable, so that the above effect is large.

In this embodiment, the partial image to be divided and photographed in the two-shot photographing mode is the CCD.
Although the description has been made assuming that the image is fixed to the right half image and the left half image of the image picked up by 2, the partial image to be divided and taken is not limited to this, for example, the first image.
In the above embodiment, the partial images may have different shapes and sizes from each other, or the subject may be divided into three or more regions as shown in FIG. May be. Even in that case, the same effect as that of the second embodiment can be obtained. Further, if the user can select or set them as in the first embodiment, the convenience is improved.

In addition, the partial images (the right half image and the left half image) to be finally combined as a commemorative photograph are not continuously photographed, but the right half image is photographed plural times corresponding to different compositions. , When the left half images corresponding to those images are photographed multiple times later, and when the corresponding right half images and left half images are aligned, or when the left half images are all captured It is also possible to provide a shooting mode for collectively synthesizing and recording images. The use of such a shooting mode is convenient because it is not necessary to change the photographer many times when taking commemorative photos having different compositions or commemorative photos having the same composition but different contents.

In the same way as in the first embodiment, when one or both of the right and left halves of the image have an overlap for the other area and the left and right partial images are combined. , The overlap adjustment may be used to perform the position adjustment processing for absorbing the positional deviation of the boundary portion between the two images due to the framing error by the photographer.

In the process of step SB5 from the end of the first shooting to the second shooting, the partial image 202a acquired in the first shooting is displayed on the right half of the screen of the display device 6. While displaying, the corresponding part of the through image 203 at that time is displayed on the left half of the screen (see FIG. 12 (b)), thereby performing appropriate framing corresponding to the originally determined composition. I made it easier,
You may do as follows. For example, the through image may be displayed in a semi-transparent state in a superimposed manner only in the displayable left half of the right half of the screen. In that case, the above framing when the next photographer performs the second photographing becomes easier.

Further, in the present embodiment, partial image data (through image, recorded image) is obtained by cutting out (extracting) a part of the image picked up by the CCD 2, but the CCD 2 is a partial image data. Partial image data (through image, recorded image) may be obtained by performing partial imaging as long as exposure and reading are possible.

(Third Embodiment) Next, the third embodiment of the present invention will be described.
An embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, in the electronic camera 1 having the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 1, a control program for operating in a two-shot moving image shooting mode described later is stored in the built-in flash memory 11. It is a thing.

The operation of the electronic camera 1 when the user selects the two-shot moving image shooting mode will be described below with reference to FIG.
A description will be given according to the flowchart of No. 3. Note that, here, it is assumed that a moving image in which two or more persons who are present in a certain place are taken is described, and the shooting procedure of the user in that case is also described.

First, the photographer (first person) selects the two-shot moving image photographing mode by operating the mode selection key. When this mode is selected, the electronic camera 1 executes a divided area setting process (step SB1). This process is the same as steps SA1 to SA10 of FIG. 2 described in the first embodiment, and the boundary line L is formed on the screen of the display device 6 as a through image (see FIG. 4A).
Is displayed and the photographer is allowed to set the photographing target area and the non-photographing area. Note that the details are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The photographer operates a predetermined key here,
Preparatory work is performed to determine the shooting target area and the non-shooting area on the screen of the moving image to be shot. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the photographer adjusts the shooting target area and the non-shooting area so that the screen is divided into left and right, and the right half thereof is set as the shooting target area. Then, when preparation is completed, the shutter key is pressed with another person in the shooting target area (right half) of the through image, and the first moving image shooting is started.

On the other hand, when the shutter key is pressed (YES in step SC2), the electronic camera 1 starts measuring the moving image shooting time by the clock unit 8 (step SC3) and executes the first moving image shooting process. Run and CCD
2 captures the subject image and cuts out data of the right half partial image corresponding to the shooting target area,
The image data is temporarily stored in the DRAM 10 (step SC4). Then, while the shutter key is being pressed (YES in step SC5), the moving image shooting process (still image shooting process at a predetermined interval) is repeatedly executed, so that the DRAM 10 is shown in FIG. The moving image data including the data of a plurality of still images 301a having different contents and corresponding to the shooting target area is stored. After that, the photographer stops pressing the shutter key at an arbitrary time, ends the photographing operation, and switches the photographing with another person.

When the photographing operation is completed (NO in step SC5), the electronic camera 1 finishes measuring the moving picture photographing time (step SC6) and stores the measured moving picture photographing time in the DRAM 10 (step SC7). . Next, of the moving image data stored in step SC4, the first (first frame) still image data is read out, and as shown in FIG.
As shown in (b), an image 301a, which is a partial image based on the image and in which a changed photographer is shown, is displayed in the shooting target area (right half) on the screen of the display device 6 to which it corresponds, and Non-shooting area on screen (left half)
Then, the partial image corresponding to the non-photographing area in the image captured by the CCD 2 is displayed as the through image 302 (step SC8). Then, the process of step SC8 is repeated until the photographer who replaced the shutter button is pressed (NO in step SC9). Then, the changed photographer presses the shutter key in such a state to start the second moving image photographing, and performs the photographing while performing the framing so that the previous photographer is included in the through image 302.

When the shutter key is pressed (YES in step SC9), the electronic camera 1 starts measuring the moving image shooting time by the clock unit 8 (step SC1).
0) The second moving image photographing process is executed, the subject image is captured by the CCD 2, the data of the left half partial image corresponding to the non-photographing area is cut out, and the image data is temporarily stored in the DRAM 10 (step SC1).
1) Also, during this period, the non-shooting area on the screen (left half), while displaying the corresponding portion of the through image 302 at that time, the shooting target area on the screen (right half)
The moving image data including the data of a plurality of still images 301a acquired in the first moving image shooting is displayed. Then, until the moving image capturing time being measured by the clock unit 8 reaches the first moving image capturing time stored in the DRAM 10 (NO in step SC12), the moving image capturing process is repeatedly executed, and the DRAM 10 of FIG. A plurality of still images 3 having different contents corresponding to the non-photographing area as shown in (c)
The moving image data including the data of 02a is accumulated.

After that, the electronic camera 1 executes the moving image synthesizing process when the moving image capturing time during measurement has exceeded the first moving image capturing time (YES in step SC12). That is, the data of each still image 301a in the shooting target area (right half) side stored in the DRAM 10 stored in the first moving image shooting and the shooting target area (left half) side stored in the second moving image shooting The data of each still image 302a is sequentially read out, and the still images of the frames corresponding to each other are combined to form a still image that constitutes each frame of the moving image (step SC13). Then, while compressing the data of the plurality of still images 303a having different contents as shown in FIG.
The moving image data is recorded in the memory card 13 (step SC14), and the moving image shooting is completed.

Therefore, the electronic camera 1 of the present embodiment
The user can easily shoot a moving image of all the persons (two people) who are present at the spot by shooting the moving image in the two-shot moving image shooting mode described above.

Further, since the second moving image shooting time is limited to the first moving image shooting time or less, unnecessary images are unnecessarily taken in generating the finally recorded moving image data when the second moving image shooting is performed. It is possible to eliminate wasteful consumption of memory and electric power. In addition to this, 2
There is no particular limitation on the moving image shooting time for the second time, and when the second moving image shooting time is shorter than the first moving image shooting time, the moving image data for that time is combined and recorded. The moving image data for the moving image shooting time may be combined and recorded. That is, the corresponding still images 301a, 30
It is also possible to automatically combine and record the moving image data of the number of frames for which 2a are stored together.

Further, in the present embodiment, during the first moving image shooting, data in the shooting target area (right half) side is extracted from the imaged image data and stored as moving image data. During the second moving image shooting, the data on the non-shooting area (left half) side is extracted from the imaged image data and is stored as moving image data.
Therefore, for example, in the first and second moving image shootings, the captured image data is stored as it is, and then the moving image data for recording is extracted while extracting the data of the shooting target area side and the data of the non-shooting area side. Before the final moving image data is generated, the DRAM 10
It requires less memory area to secure. Therefore, it is possible to shoot a moving image for a longer time. It should be noted that the moving image data (a plurality of still image data) obtained in the first and second moving image recordings is DR
The data may be stored in the memory card 13 instead of the AM 10.

After the second moving image shooting process is completed, the still image data of each frame constituting the moving image data for recording is collectively composed, but the second moving image shooting process (step SC11 ), When the data of the partial image corresponding to the non-shooting area is cut out, the still image data of the shooting target area accumulated in the first moving image shooting process corresponding thereto is continuously read out and sequentially processed at this point. Still image data of each frame may be combined and stored from the data.

Also in the present embodiment, as described in the first and second embodiments, the partial images corresponding to each other are stored for the plurality of partial images accumulated at the first and second moving image capturing operations. One or both images have an overlap amount that covers the other area, and when the still images that make up the moving image are combined, the overlap amount is used and both are caused by the framing error by the photographer. The position adjustment processing for absorbing the positional deviation of the boundary portion of the image may be performed.

In addition, the second moving image photographing process (step S
In C11), the display device 6 displays moving image data including data of a plurality of still images 301a acquired in the first moving image shooting.
While displaying on the right half of the screen, on the left half of the screen,
The corresponding portion of the live view image 302 at that time is displayed (see FIG. 14B), thereby facilitating proper framing corresponding to the originally determined composition. However, the following may be performed. For example, the live view image at that time may be displayed on the entire screen, and at the same time, the moving image data obtained by the first moving image shooting may be displayed in a semi-transparent state in the right half of the screen. In that case, the above framing when the next photographer shoots the second moving image becomes easier.

Further, in this embodiment, partial moving image data (through image, recorded image) is obtained by cutting out (extracting) a part of the image picked up by the CCD 2, but the CCD 2 is partially Partial moving image data (through image, recorded image) may be obtained by performing partial image pickup as long as exposure / readout is possible.

[0080]

[Effect of the invention] (Please match the complaint)

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the subjects (same or different subjects) photographed a plurality of times can be photographed together in the same photograph. For this reason, when taking a commemorative photo or the like of two people in a certain place, one first takes the first shot with the other as the subject, and then the photographer and the subject are replaced,
If the other one takes the second shot with one as the subject, the above-mentioned souvenir photograph or the like can be obtained without the help of a third party or using a tripod. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the inconvenience when taking a commemorative photo. Moreover, since the photographer can determine the composition by himself / herself at the time of the first photographing, it is possible to ensure the same usability as in the normal photographing.

Further, in the invention of claim 2, since the photographer can confirm the position of the object to be photographed in a plurality of times from the through image, the framing in which the object is located in an appropriate place can be easily performed. Can be done.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, by changing the division mode of the image pickup area, it is possible to obtain various compositions in which the positions of the objects to be photographed in a plurality of times are different.

Further, in the invention of claim 4, since the partial images photographed before the second photographing are displayed on the through image at the time of the second and subsequent photographing, by changing the through image with respect to the partial image, It is possible to easily secure a composition similar to that originally decided at the time of the second and subsequent shootings.

Further, in the invention of claim 5, the subject (same or different subject) photographed in a plurality of times is
It is now possible to take pictures together with the images of the same frame that make up a moving image. Therefore, it is possible to shoot a moving image of all the people present at the scene without the help of a third party or using a tripod.

Further, in the invention of claim 6, when the second and subsequent moving image shooting operations are started, the moving image display of the object imaged before that is simultaneously started in the corresponding display area, so that the second and subsequent moving image operations are started. It facilitates framing during movie shooting.

Further, in the invention of claim 7, since the moving image capturing time of the second time and thereafter is definitely less than or equal to the first moving image capturing time, it is possible to combine the frame images to be recorded in the second and subsequent movie recording. It is possible to eliminate the accumulation of unnecessary images. Therefore, useless memory consumption during movie shooting is eliminated.

Further, in the invention of claim 8 as well, since the subject (same or different subject) photographed a plurality of times can be photographed together in the same photograph,
When taking a souvenir photo or the like showing two people at a certain place, the souvenir photo or the like can be obtained without the help of a third party or using a tripod. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the inconvenience when taking a commemorative photo. At the same time, since the image to be recorded is composed from the central portion of each imaged image, which is high in image quality, it is possible to secure high image quality in the image to be recorded.

In the ninth aspect of the invention, since it is possible to perform a plurality of times of photographing while confirming where in the image to be recorded the subject to be photographed is arranged with the through image, It is possible to easily perform framing in which the subject is at a desired position.

According to the tenth aspect of the invention, the image to be recorded can be composed from the partial images which can obtain higher image quality, and the higher image quality can be secured for the image to be recorded.

Further, in the invention of claim 11, since the subject (same or different subject) photographed a plurality of times can be photographed together in the same photograph, it is possible for two persons to be photographed at a certain place. When taking a commemorative photo or the like showing a person, the commemorative photo or the like can be obtained without the help of a third party or using a tripod. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the inconvenience when taking a commemorative photo.

According to the twelfth aspect of the invention, by using the program of the present invention, the inventions of the first aspect and the eleventh aspect can be implemented, and the existing electronic camera can realize the invention. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic camera common to first, second and third embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation in a two-shot shooting mode according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart following FIG.

FIG. 4A is a diagram showing a display screen of the display device in a first image capturing standby state, and FIG. 4B is a diagram showing a partial image on the image capturing target area side.

FIG. 5A is a view showing a display screen of the display device in a second shooting standby state, and FIG. 5B is a diagram showing a partial image on the non-shooting area side.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a finally recorded composite image.

7A and 7B are diagrams showing changeable boundary line patterns and pattern transitions during a change operation.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a form of division of an imaging target area and a non-imaging area by a free boundary line by a user.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of area division of partial images to be combined.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an operation in a two-shot shooting mode according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a region used as a partial image in a captured image.

FIG. 12A is a display screen of the display device in a first shooting standby state, FIG. 12B is a display screen of the display device in a second shooting standby state, and FIG. 12C is a finally recorded composite image. FIG.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an operation in a two-shot moving image shooting mode according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing moving image data accumulated at the time of shooting, moving image data recorded after shooting, and the like.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 electronic camera 2 CCD 3 DSP / CPU 6 Display device 7 Key input section 8 clock section 10 DRAM 11 Built-in flash memory 13 memory cards

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] March 20, 2002 (2002.3.2)
0)

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0080

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[0080]

【The invention's effect】

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification Code FI Theme Coat (Reference) H04N 5/907 H04N 5/91 J 5/91 NLF Term (Reference) 5B057 CA08 CA12 CA16 CB08 CB12 CB16 CC01 CE08 CH08 5C022 AA11 AC03 AC42 AC52 AC69 5C052 AA17 AB02 CC11 DD04 GA01 GB01 GB06 GC05 GE08 5C053 FA07 FA14 GA11 GB36 KA04 KA05 KA24 LA01 LA06 5C076 AA17 AA19 BA06

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. An electronic camera comprising: an image pickup means for picking up an image of a subject; and a display means for displaying an image picked up by the image pickup means in a shooting standby state as a through image. The plurality of partial images corresponding to different image capturing areas divided and set in the same number as the number of image capturing operations are captured by the image capturing unit in a normal image capturing mode. An electronic camera comprising: a synthesizing unit for synthesizing a new image having the same size as that of the image, and an image recording unit for recording the image synthesized by the synthesizing unit. 2. A partial image used for composition of a new image by the composition means in the image taken by the imaging means in association with the current photography operation on the display means in a photography standby state in a predetermined photography mode. 2. The electronic camera according to claim 1, further comprising area teaching means for displaying the through image in a form that allows a photographer to distinguish between the area (1) and the area of the other partial image. 3. A region setting means for allowing a photographer to set a division mode of the image pickup region is provided.
Alternatively, the electronic camera described in 2. 4. A partial image of a subject imaged by said image pickup means in accordance with a preceding image pickup operation is displayed in a display area corresponding to said partial image of said display means in a shooting standby state in a predetermined shooting mode. The control means for displaying the through image in another display area remaining on the display means is provided.
Electronic camera described. 5. An image having a moving image shooting function, wherein the images synthesized by the synthesizing unit correspond to images of a plurality of frames individually and continuously shot by the image sensing unit in accordance with a plurality of moving image shooting operations. 5. The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the electronic camera is a new moving image having an image size obtained in a normal moving image shooting mode, the moving image including each of the partial images in the frame image. 6. A moving image composed of each of the partial images in a plurality of frames of images continuously picked up by the image pickup means in response to a moving image shooting operation in a predetermined moving image shooting mode, in accordance with a preceding moving image shooting operation, 6. The electronic camera according to claim 5, further comprising control means for displaying a moving image in a display area corresponding to the partial image of the display means. 7. A timer means for measuring a moving image shooting time, a storage means for storing the first moving image shooting time measured by the timer means, and a measuring time by the timer means during the second and subsequent moving image shootings. 7. The electronic camera according to claim 5, further comprising a control unit for forcibly ending the moving image shooting when the first moving image shooting time stored in the storage unit is reached. 8. An electronic camera comprising: an image pickup means for picking up an image of a subject; and a display means for displaying an image picked up by the image pickup means in a shooting standby state as a through image. A synthesizing means for synthesizing a new image having the image size obtained in the normal shooting mode from a plurality of partial images which are the central part of each image of the subject captured by And an image recording means for recording the image combined by the combining means. 9. In a shooting standby state in a predetermined shooting mode, the display means is arranged to display only the central portion of the through image at a predetermined position, and the predetermined position is displayed as the through image along with the shooting operation. 9. The electronic camera according to claim 8, further comprising control means for setting an image corresponding to a central portion to a position corresponding to an arrangement in a new image to be combined by the combining means. 10. The central portion in a predetermined direction corresponding to the arrangement of the plurality of partial images in a new image to be synthesized by the synthesizing means, wherein the central portion is a central portion in a predetermined direction. Electronic camera. 11. A subject is photographed by an electronic camera,
A method of recording the image, which is a process of capturing an image of a subject a plurality of times by a plurality of capturing operations, and the captured images are different from each other and are divided and set to the same number as the number of capturing operations. A shooting record, which is composed of a process of combining a new image of the same size as an image captured by a normal shooting operation from a plurality of partial images each corresponding to an imaging region, and a process of recording the combined image. Method. 12. A computer having an electronic camera having an image pickup means for picking up an image of a subject and a display means for displaying an image picked up by the image pickup means in a shooting standby state as a through image, in association with a plurality of shooting operations. In the normal shooting mode, the image capturing unit is operated in a normal shooting mode from a plurality of partial images, which are images of the subject captured by the image capturing unit and respectively correspond to different image capturing areas divided and set to the same number as the number of image capturing operations. A program that functions as a synthesizing unit that synthesizes a new image of the same size as the image captured by.