JP2004180245A - Portable terminal device, imaging device, imaging method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to accurately recognize the content being imaged at that time while using a monitor display unit as a light source for illuminating a subject at a close distance.
A digital camera (1) having a mechanism in which an image pickup unit (7) having a lens optical system (8) also faces a monitor display unit (2) having a backlight in the same direction, wherein the image pickup unit (7) has the same opposition as the monitor display unit (2). An angle sensor 30 for detecting the state, and a monitor image being captured corresponding to the detection result is displayed in a part of the screen of the monitor display unit 2, for example, in the center, and other parts of the screen are displayed. For example, a control unit 21 for illuminating a subject with light emission from a peripheral portion is provided.
[Selection] Fig. 2

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a portable terminal device such as a digital camera having a liquid crystal display panel with a backlight as a monitor display unit, an imaging device, an imaging method, and a program.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, without using special accessories such as adapters, and without increasing the number of parts such as optical fibers, and without using a strobe, it is possible to use macro equipment for macro photography As a method of realizing the illumination light source described above, a method of using a backlight portion of a liquid crystal monitor capable of rotating / swinging the mounting angle has been considered. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1.)
This type of camera illuminates the subject at the macro position over the entire surface of the LCD monitor or over the entire surface of the backlight with the backlight part temporarily separated from the LCD panel of the LCD monitor in terms of lighting efficiency. Shall do.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-2002-169198
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, as described above, when the entire surface of the liquid crystal monitor or its backlight is used as the light source, the original function of the liquid crystal monitor, that is, the content of the subject image captured by the image sensor at that time cannot be confirmed. . For this reason, there is a problem that the user has to rely on the composition in spite of macro photography requiring an accurate composition.
[0005]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object the purpose of using a monitor display unit as a light source for illuminating a subject at a close distance, while capturing images captured at that time. It is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile terminal device, an imaging device, an imaging method, and a program that can accurately visually recognize the image.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an imaging apparatus provided with a mechanism in which a display unit having a self-luminous element and an imaging unit can face in the same direction, wherein the display unit and the imaging unit face in the same direction and are substantially coplanar. Detecting means for detecting this when it becomes, and displaying a monitor image picked up by the image pickup unit on a part of the screen of the display unit in accordance with the detection result of the detecting means, And display control means for illuminating the subject with the light emission of the other portions.
[0007]
With such a configuration, while the monitor image is displayed on a part of the screen of the display unit, the other part is used as a light source to illuminate the subject. It can be used as a light source while obtaining composition.
[0008]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the display control means varies the amount of light emitted from other portions of the display unit except for a portion displaying a monitor image.
[0009]
With such a configuration, in addition to the effect of the first aspect of the invention, an appropriate exposure state can always be obtained by varying the amount of emitted light in accordance with, for example, the distance to the subject or the brightness of the subject image. On the other hand, the exposure state as intended by the user can be obtained by variably setting the amount of emitted light.
[0010]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the display control means changes a luminescent color of another part of the display unit except for a part displaying the monitor image.
[0011]
With such a configuration, in addition to the effect of the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to obtain a color filter effect according to the subject and the photographing intention.
[0012]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a storage means for storing a plurality of light emission pattern information, and a selection means for selecting one of the light emission pattern information stored in the storage means are further provided. The display control means changes a light emission pattern of another part of the display unit except a part for displaying a monitor image based on the light emission pattern information selected by the selection means.
[0013]
With such a configuration, in addition to the operation of the invention described in the first aspect, in the case of a luminance distribution illuminating the subject or a moving image shooting, a time-sequential light emission pattern is arbitrarily selected to execute shooting. Thus, it is possible to realize shooting with a variety of expressions.
[0014]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is further provided a setting means for additionally setting the light emission pattern information stored in the storage means.
[0015]
With such a configuration, in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 4, it is possible to photograph an image with an exposure expression more suitable for the photographing intention of the user.
[0016]
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an imaging method for an imaging apparatus including a mechanism in which a display unit having a self-luminous element and an imaging unit can face in the same direction, wherein the display unit and the imaging unit are in the same direction. A detection step for detecting when they face each other and are substantially on the same plane, and a monitor image captured by the imaging unit on a part of the screen of the display unit in accordance with the detection result in the detection step. And a display control step of illuminating the subject with light emission of the other part of the screen.
[0017]
According to such a method, the monitor image is displayed on a part of the screen of the display unit, but the other part is used as a light source to illuminate the subject. It can be used as a light source while obtaining composition.
[0018]
The invention according to claim 7 is a program that is executed by a computer of an imaging apparatus provided with a mechanism in which a display unit having a self-luminous element and an imaging unit can face in the same direction, wherein the display unit and the imaging unit are the same. A detection step of detecting when the directions are substantially on the same plane in the direction, and corresponding to the detection result in the detection step, an image is captured by the imaging unit on a part of the screen of the display unit. Displaying a monitor image and illuminating the subject with light emission of the other portion of the screen.
[0019]
With this kind of program content, while displaying the monitor image on a part of the screen of the display unit, the other part is used as a light source to illuminate the subject, so the original function of the monitor display unit is performed and accurate. It can be used at the same time as a light source while obtaining a perfect composition.
[0020]
The invention according to claim 8, wherein in a portable terminal device including a display unit having a self-luminous element and an imaging unit, a monitor taking an image of a part of the screen of the display unit by the imaging unit in a shooting operation state. Display control means for displaying an image and illuminating a subject with light emission of the other part of the screen is provided.
[0021]
With such a configuration, while the monitor image is displayed on a part of the screen of the display unit, the other part is used as a light source to illuminate the subject. It can be used as a light source while obtaining composition.
[0022]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a digital still camera (hereinafter, abbreviated as “digital camera”) mainly for photographing still images will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0023]
FIGS. 1A and 1B both show the external configuration of the digital camera 1 mainly from the rear side. On the back of the digital camera 1, a monitor display 2, a cross key 3, and an enter key 4 are provided.
[0024]
The monitor display unit 2 functions as an electronic finder for monitoring the content being captured at that time in the photographing mode, while reproducing and displaying the recorded image data in the reproduction mode.
[0025]
The cross key 3 is integrally provided with up, down, left, and right directional keys for selecting / updating various items, and the enter key 4 determines and executes the content selected by the cross key 3.
[0026]
On the upper surface of the digital camera 1, a shutter key 5 is provided at the right end, and various menu keys 6 are provided.
[0027]
In this digital camera 1, the shutter key 5 operates in two stages of strokes, and AF (automatic focusing) and AE (automatic exposure) in a first stage operation state generally expressed as "half-press". , And the photographing is executed in the operation state of the second stage, which is generally expressed as “fully pressed”, which is pressed more strongly.
[0028]
The left side of the housing of the digital camera 1 is rotatable with respect to the main body of the digital camera 1 provided with the monitor display unit 2, the cross key 3, the enter key 4, the shutter key 5, and various menu keys 6. The imaging unit 7 is provided.
[0029]
In the normal photographing mode shown in FIG. 1A, a lens optical system 8 and a strobe light are provided to the image pickup section 7 so as to pick up an image of a subject located in front of the housing as shown by an arrow A1 engraved on the image pickup section 7. 9 (both not shown in FIG. 1A).
[0030]
On the other hand, when the user rotates the imaging unit 7 by 180 degrees with respect to the main body in accordance with the arrow A1, the lens optical system 8 and the strobe 9 of the imaging unit 7 are connected to the monitor display unit 2 as shown in FIG. The camera is in a shooting mode in which the user who owns the digital camera 1 is shot in the same direction as that of the digital camera 1, hereinafter referred to as “self-portrait mode”.
[0031]
In the self-photographing mode shown in FIG. 1B, an arrow A2 engraved on the upper surface of the imaging unit 7 located on the lower surface in FIG. 2) shows the rotation direction of the imaging unit 7 for returning to the normal shooting mode shown in FIG.
[0032]
Next, the configuration of an electronic circuit built in the digital camera 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
The digital camera 1 can be set by switching between a shooting mode and a reproduction mode as a basic mode.
In the monitoring state in the photographing mode, the CCD 12, which is a solid-state image pickup device disposed behind the photographing optical axis of the lens optical system 8 whose focus position and aperture position are moved by driving the motor 11, is a timing generator ( TG) 13, and is scanned and driven by the vertical driver 14, and outputs one frame of photoelectric conversion output corresponding to the optical image formed at regular intervals.
[0033]
The photoelectric conversion output is appropriately adjusted in gain for each of the RGB primary color components in the state of an analog value signal, then sampled and held by a sample and hold circuit 15, converted to digital data by an A / D converter 16, and converted into color data. Output to the process circuit 17.
[0034]
The color process circuit 17 performs a color process process including a pixel interpolation process and a γ correction process on the digital data of the image sent from the A / D converter 16, and outputs a digital luminance signal Y and color difference signals Cb, Cr. Is generated and output to a DMA (Direct Memory Access) controller 18.
[0035]
The DMA controller 18 converts the luminance signal Y and the color difference signals Cb and Cr output from the color process circuit 17 into the DMA controller 18 using the composite synchronization signal, the memory write enable signal, and the clock signal from the color process circuit 17 once. And a DMA transfer output to a DRAM 20 used as a buffer memory via a DRAM interface (I / F) 19.
[0036]
After the DMA transfer of the luminance and chrominance signals to the DRAM 20 is completed, the control unit 21 reads the luminance and chrominance signals from the DRAM 20 via the DRAM interface 19 and writes the signals into the VRAM 23 via the VRAM controller 22.
[0037]
The digital video encoder 24 periodically reads the luminance and color difference signals from the VRAM 23 via the VRAM controller 22, generates a video signal based on these data, and outputs the video signal to the monitor display unit 2.
[0038]
The monitor display unit 2 includes, for example, a color liquid crystal display panel with a backlight and their respective driving circuits, and functions as an electronic finder in a shooting mode. That is, the monitor display unit 2 performs display based on the video signal from the digital video encoder 24, thereby displaying an image (hereinafter, also referred to as a “through image”) based on the image information fetched from the VRAM controller 22 at that time. indicate.
[0039]
The backlight of the monitor display unit 2 is driven and controlled by a backlight controller 25 operating under the control of the control unit 21.
[0040]
In the state where the live view image at that time is displayed on the monitor display unit 2 in real time, the shutter key 5 among the plurality of keys constituting the key input unit 26 is operated at a timing when a still image is to be taken. Then, a trigger signal is generated.
[0041]
In response to the trigger signal, the control unit 21 immediately stops the path from the CCD 12 to the DRAM 20 after completing the DMA transfer of the luminance and color difference signals for one frame currently captured from the CCD 12 to the DRAM 20 at the time, and performs recording. Transit to the save state.
[0042]
In this recording and storage state, the control unit 21 transmits the luminance and color difference signals for one frame written in the DRAM 20 via the DRAM interface 19 to each of the Y, Cb, and Cr components by 8 pixels by 8 pixels. Is written in a unit called a basic block of JPEG (Joint Photograph Coding Experts Group) circuit 27, and the JPEG circuit 27 uses an adaptive discrete cosine transform (ADCT), an entropy coding method. Data compression by processing such as conversion.
[0043]
Then, the obtained code data is read out from the JPEG circuit 27 as a data file of one frame, and is written on a memory card 28 which is detachably mounted as a recording medium of the digital camera 1 and in which a flash memory as a nonvolatile memory is enclosed. Put in.
[0044]
Then, with the completion of the compression processing of the luminance and color difference signals for one frame and the completion of the writing of all the compressed data to the memory card 28, the control unit 21 activates the path from the CCD 12 to the DRAM 20 again.
[0045]
The above is the role of each component circuit based on a series of basic still image shooting processes. For example, a case where temporally continuous still image shooting is performed according to a standard called motion JPEG or the like, or a moving image shooting is performed. In this case, it is also possible to execute this continuously.
[0046]
The key input unit 26 includes a cross key 3, an enter key 4, a shutter key 5, and various menu keys 6 in addition to the shutter key 5, and a key operation signal thereof is directly transmitted to the control unit 21. You.
[0047]
Note that the control unit 21 is further connected with a flash control unit 29 and an angle sensor 30.
The strobe control unit 29 flashes the strobe lamp 9a, which is a xenon tube of the strobe 9, based on the charging of the main capacitor C when necessary in the normal shooting mode.
[0048]
The angle sensor 30 is for detecting the rotation angle of the image pickup unit 7 including the lens optical system 8, the strobe 9, the motor 11, and the CCD 12, and the image pickup unit 7 is particularly shown in FIG. As described above, when the lens optical system 8 and the strobe 9 face the rear side of the main body of the digital camera 1 so as to be in the self-photographing mode, a detection signal is sent to the control unit 21.
[0049]
Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described.
FIG. 3 mainly shows the content of processing in the self-photographing mode, which is executed by the control unit 21 based on the operation program when the photographing mode is selected as the basic mode.
[0050]
At the beginning of the operation, whether the lens optical system 8 of the imaging unit 7 is in the self-shooting mode in the same facing direction as the monitor display unit 2 is determined based on the presence or absence of the detection signal from the angle sensor 30. (Step A01).
[0051]
If it is determined that the camera is not in the self-photographing mode, a photographing process in a normal photographing mode is executed (step A02), but a detailed description thereof will be omitted in the present embodiment.
[0052]
If it is determined in step A01 that the self-shooting mode has been set based on the detection signal from the angle sensor 30, shooting using the strobe 9 is prohibited as the self-shooting mode setting. From the state where the through image is displayed using the entire screen of No. 2, the state shifts to the state where the captured image is further reduced and displayed using only the center part of the monitor display unit 2 (step A03).
[0053]
FIG. 5A illustrates a display state on such a monitor display unit 2. As shown in the figure, the through image TI is displayed at the center of the monitor display unit 2, while the other peripheral portions are made to make the liquid crystal display panel constituting the monitor display unit 2 fully transparent, and a light source constituting a backlight, such as a cold source, is used. The light emitted from the white light source of the cathode ray tube is directly emitted to the user of the digital camera 1 which is the subject.
[0054]
In the state where the display and illumination of the subject are being executed on the monitor display unit 2 as described above, it is determined whether or not the shutter key 5 of the key input unit 26 is half-pressed (step A04). If not, the flow returns to the process from step A01, and the processes in steps A01, A03, and A04 are repeatedly executed, and the process waits for the shutter key 5 to be half-pressed.
[0055]
When it is determined that the shutter key 5 has been half-pressed, the AF process and the AE process are executed to lock the focus value and the exposure value (steps A05 and A06).
[0056]
Next, it is determined whether or not a light emission setting of a specific pattern in a peripheral portion of the monitor display unit 2 referred to as “appearance setting” described later (step A07).
Here, if it is determined that the appearance setting has not been made, the subject is uniformly white-light-emitted at the peripheral part except the central part displaying the through image on the monitor display unit 2 as before. Illuminate (step A08).
[0057]
If it is determined in step A07 that the appearance has been set, the periphery of the monitor display unit 2 is illuminated in a specific pattern according to the set contents to illuminate the subject (step A09).
[0058]
While the through image is displayed at the center of the monitor display unit 2 and the subject is illuminated by light emission at the peripheral portion, whether or not the shutter key 5 of the key input unit 26 is fully pressed is further determined. (Step A10), and if the full-press operation is not performed, it is confirmed that the half-press operation state of the shutter key 5 is still maintained (Step A11). Wait for 5 to be fully pressed.
[0059]
If the shutter key 5 is released from the near-press operation state, this is determined in step A11, and the process returns to step A01.
[0060]
If the shutter key 5 has been fully pressed, this is determined in step A10, the shooting is performed under the lighting environment in the self-portrait mode, and the obtained image data is recorded on the memory card 28. (Step A12), and the process returns to Step A01 for the next photographing again.
[0061]
In this manner, while displaying a part of the screen of the monitor display unit 2, for example, the through image that is being captured at that time at the center, the other part, for example, the peripheral part is used as a light source to illuminate the subject. I did it.
[0062]
Therefore, as long as the lens optical system 8 of the imaging unit 7 is in the same facing direction as the monitor display unit 2, the original function of the monitor display unit 2 can be achieved and an accurate composition can be obtained, and at the same time, it can be used as a light source. Can be.
[0063]
In the description of FIG. 5A, the liquid crystal display panel of the monitor display unit 2 is set to be in a completely transmitting state and the light emitted from the light source of the backlight is directly emitted toward the subject. The amount of emitted light may be adjusted by controlling the drive voltage or by increasing or decreasing the density (degree of black component) of the peripheral portion of the liquid crystal display panel as a gray display.
[0064]
By doing so, for example, if the amount of emitted light is varied in accordance with the distance to the subject or the brightness of the image of the subject, an appropriate exposure state can always be obtained, but the user dares to adjust the amount of light regardless of those. By performing arbitrary adjustment, it is possible to obtain an exposure state as intended by the user.
[0065]
Next, before executing the photographing process in the self-portrait mode described above with reference to FIG. 4, the processing contents of the appearance setting that the user should select and set in order to cause the peripheral portion of the monitor display unit 2 to emit light in a specific pattern. explain.
[0066]
Here, the content of the appearance setting includes a default one fixedly stored in advance in a memory in the control unit 21 of the digital camera 1 in advance, and a user of the digital camera 1 manually creating the emission pattern content. It is assumed that there is a user setting to be set, and a default setting cannot be deleted. However, a user setting is once created and set, and then can be optionally deleted by a user as necessary.
[0067]
FIG. 4 shows one of the user setting items to be executed by operating the various menu keys 6, the cross key 3, and the enter key 4 of the key input section 26. At first, the contents of the appearance setting are newly set. It is determined whether or not an input is set (step B01).
[0068]
If it is determined that a new setting is not to be made, a selection is made from those already set, so the names of the appearance settings that have already been set are displayed in a list, and one of them, for example, While a certain item is designated by the cursor and displayed in a reverse manner to prompt the selection (step B07), it is determined whether or not the item designated by the cursor is selected by operating the enter key 4 (step B08). Alternatively, by repeatedly determining whether or not to specify another one by operating the cross key 3 (step B09), the key operation of the enter key 4 or the cross key 3 is awaited.
[0069]
When the key operation of the cross key 3 is performed, this is determined in step B09, and after the cursor designated position is moved in accordance with the operated direction, or the range displayed in the list is scrolled as necessary, etc. (Step B10) The process returns to the process from step B07 again.
[0070]
If there is an operation of the enter key 4 for the content designated by the cursor, this is determined in step B08, and it is determined whether the selected appearance setting has been set by the user. Is determined (step B11).
[0071]
If it is determined that the content is set by the user, the content can be deleted.
"This" User setting ○ "can be deleted."
Do you want to delete it? "
A guide message prompting the user to select whether deletion is possible and whether or not to delete is displayed (step B13), and it is determined whether or not deletion is selected by a response operation to the display (step B14).
[0072]
When it is determined that the deletion is selected, the contents of the user setting are deleted according to the selection instruction (step B15), and the process of FIG. 4 is temporarily terminated.
[0073]
If it is determined in step B11 that the content selected is not the one set by the user, and if it is determined in step B14 that deletion has not been selected, the appearance setting based on the selected content is performed as follows. After the setting is made so as to be executed in the self-portrait mode (step B12), the processing of FIG. 4 is terminated, and the light emission display of the monitor display section 2 based on the setting is executed in step A09 of FIG. Wait for.
[0074]
If it is determined in step B01 that the content of the appearance setting is to be newly input and set, the user of the digital camera 1 sequentially executes a new appearance setting input process in accordance with a previously prepared procedure. Then, when the input setting is completed, it is confirmed that the contents are not the same as those already set (step B03).
[0075]
If the appearance setting of the same content already exists, a message indicating that the content is duplicated is displayed in a guide message by listing the existing setting name (step B06), and the process of FIG. I do.
[0076]
When it is confirmed in step B03 that there is no appearance setting having the same contents, the setting contents corresponding to the setting contents, for example, “user setting ○” are added and stored in the memory in the control unit 21. After setting (Step B04), the stored appearance setting is set so as to be executed in the next self-portrait mode (Step B05), the processing of FIG. 4 ends, and the processing of Step A09 of FIG. Waits for the light emission display of the monitor display unit 2 to be executed based on the setting.
[0077]
FIGS. 5B, 5C, and 6 specifically illustrate light emission patterns on the monitor display section 2 based on appearance settings selected or set by the user in the processing of FIG.
[0078]
FIG. 5B shows a case where the light emission luminance is set to gradually decrease from the upper side to the lower side of the peripheral part except for the through image TI displayed in the center part of the monitor display unit 2.
[0079]
In this case, the backlight, which is the light emitting element of the monitor display unit 2, is driven to emit light so as to be uniformly bright over the entire surface, while the liquid crystal display panel allows the entire light emission of the backlight to pass through above the peripheral portion, By performing the gray gradation display so that the transmittance gradually decreases as the position is gradually lowered, the light emission pattern as described above can be realized.
[0080]
By performing light emission on the monitor display unit 2 with such an appearance setting, an extremely natural orientation pattern such as a light source is provided to the user of the digital camera 1 as a subject in particular. Obtainable.
[0081]
FIG. 5C shows a case where a single color is set to be displayed in the entire periphery except for the through image TI displayed in the center of the monitor display unit 2.
[0082]
In this case, the backlight, which is a light emitting element of the monitor display unit 2, is driven to emit light so as to be uniformly bright over the entire surface, while a specific color, such as a fluorescent lamp, is applied to the entire peripheral part by the liquid crystal display panel. Under a white light source environment, a complexion tends to be bluish white, so by displaying red or pink so as to correct this, it is possible to change the color tone so that the skin appears beautifully.
[0083]
As described above, by displaying an arbitrary color in accordance with the setting of the user and using it as an auxiliary light source, it is possible to obtain a color filter effect according to a subject or a photographing intention.
The color displayed in the peripheral portion of the monitor display unit 2 can be set arbitrarily. However, when a dark color is used, the amount of light radiated to the subject is reduced. desirable.
[0084]
FIGS. 6A and 6B show peripheral portions excluding the through image TI displayed at the center of the monitor display unit 2 when a plurality of temporally continuous images such as motion JPEG and moving images are photographed. 5 shows the display state of the display.
[0085]
In this case, the backlight which is a light emitting element of the monitor display unit 2 is driven to emit light so as to be uniformly bright over the entire surface, while the entire peripheral portion is gradually transmitted by the liquid crystal display panel as time passes. By performing a gray display in which the black component increases as the rate decreases, it is possible to realize a light emission pattern of a fade-out effect.
[0086]
By performing light emission on the monitor display unit 2 according to the appearance setting in conjunction with such temporally continuous image capturing, continuous images of various expressions corresponding to the user's capturing intention can be obtained.
[0087]
Note that, in FIG. 6 described above, the emission luminance in the peripheral portion of the monitor display unit 2 is gradually changed when a temporally continuous image is captured. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the monitor display unit 2 is not limited to this. The color display on the liquid crystal display panel may be changed so that the color of the light source changes over time.
[0088]
As described above, the luminance distribution and color for illuminating the subject and, in the case of time-continuous shooting, arbitrarily select a time-series light-emitting pattern and execute shooting to achieve a more varied expression. Shooting can be realized.
[0089]
In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the user of the digital camera 1 can arbitrarily additionally set a light emission pattern corresponding to the position, color, and time in the peripheral portion of the monitor display unit 2, so that the user An image with an exposure expression suitable for the intended photographing can be taken.
[0090]
Although the above embodiment has been described with reference to a case where the present invention is applied to a digital camera, for example, the same applies to a case where the present invention is applied to a mobile phone terminal with a camera.
[0091]
FIG. 7 shows an external configuration of the camera-equipped mobile phone terminal 40. In the drawing, the lens unit 41 and the display unit 43 are not shown, but may be provided on the opposite surface.
[0092]
In the camera-equipped mobile phone terminal 40, in the photographing mode or the self-portrait mode, an image is taken from the lens unit 41 having a CCD or C-MOS and displayed on the display unit 43 as a through image. The photographing is performed by pressing the shutter button 44, the image is captured, and stored in a memory (not shown) inside the housing. Then, in the reproduction mode, the image stored in the display unit 43 is reproduced and displayed.
[0093]
In the photographing mode or the self-portrait mode, a through image is displayed at the center of the display unit 43 as shown in FIG. In the transmissive state, light emitted from a light source, such as a cold cathode tube, LED, or EL, which constitutes a backlight, is radiated as it is to the user of the mobile phone terminal 40, which is the subject.
[0094]
As described above, the above embodiment can be applied to a camera-equipped mobile phone terminal, and the same effects as in the above embodiment can be obtained.
[0095]
In addition, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to any portable terminal having a camera function such as a video movie camera or a personal computer, or any other device having a shooting unit and a display unit having a self-luminous element. Of course. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be variously modified and implemented without departing from the gist thereof.
[0096]
Further, the embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent elements. For example, even if some components are deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment, at least one of the problems described in the column of the problem to be solved by the invention can be solved, and the problem described in the column of the effect of the invention can be solved. If at least one of the effects described above can be obtained, a configuration from which this configuration requirement is deleted can be extracted as an invention.
[0097]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, while displaying the monitor image on a part of the screen of the display unit, the other part is used as a light source to illuminate the subject, so that the monitor display unit performs its original function. It can be used as a light source while obtaining an accurate composition.
[0098]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first aspect of the present invention, an appropriate exposure state is always achieved by varying the amount of emitted light in accordance with, for example, the distance to the subject or the brightness of the subject image. On the other hand, the exposure state as intended by the user can be obtained by arbitrarily setting the amount of emitted light variably.
[0099]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to obtain a color filter effect according to a subject or a photographing intention.
[0100]
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first aspect of the present invention, in the case of a luminance distribution for illuminating a subject or a moving image shooting, a time-series light emitting pattern is arbitrarily selected to execute shooting. By doing so, it is possible to realize shooting with more varied expressions.
[0101]
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to photograph an image with an exposure expression more suitable for the photographing intention of the user.
[0102]
According to the invention described in claim 6, since the monitor image is displayed on a part of the screen of the display unit, the other part is used as a light source to illuminate the subject, so that the monitor display unit performs its original function. It can be used as a light source while obtaining an accurate composition.
[0103]
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, while displaying the monitor image on a part of the screen of the display unit, the other part is used as a light source to illuminate the subject, so that the monitor display unit performs its original function. It can be used as a light source while obtaining an accurate composition.
[0104]
According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, while the monitor image is displayed on a part of the screen of the display unit, the other part is used as a light source to illuminate the subject, so that the monitor display unit performs its original function. It can be used as a light source while obtaining an accurate composition.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an exemplary perspective view showing an external configuration of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention, mainly on a rear side;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration according to the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is an exemplary flowchart showing processing contents mainly in a self-portrait shooting mode according to the embodiment;
FIG. 4 is an exemplary flowchart showing processing contents of appearance setting according to the embodiment;
FIG. 5 is an exemplary view showing a display state on a monitor display unit according to the embodiment.
FIG. 6 is an exemplary view showing a temporally continuous display state on the monitor display unit according to the embodiment;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an external configuration when the present invention is applied to a mobile phone terminal with a camera.
[Explanation of symbols]
1: Digital camera
2. Monitor display
3: Cross key
4 ... Enter key
5 Shutter key
6. Various menu keys
7 ... Imaging unit
8 Lens optical system
9. Strobe
11 ... Motor
12 ... CCD
13. Timing generator (TG)
14. Vertical driver
15 ... Sample hold circuit (S / H)
16 A / D converter
17 ... Color process circuit
18 DMA controller
19 ... DRAM interface (I / F)
20 ... DRAM
21 ... Control unit
22 VRAM controller
23 ... VRAM
24 ... Digital video encoder
25 ... Backlight controller
26 ... Key input section
27 ... JPEG circuit
28… Memory card
29 ... Strobe control unit
30 ... Angle sensor
40… Mobile phone terminal with camera
41 ... Lens part
42 ... Microphone
43 Display unit
44 Shutter button
45 ... Various keys
46… Speaker
47… Hinges
C ... (strobe) main condenser

Claims (8)

In an imaging apparatus having a mechanism in which a display unit having a self-luminous element and an imaging unit can face the same direction,
Detecting means for detecting when the display unit and the imaging unit are oriented in the same direction and are substantially on the same plane,
Display control for displaying a monitor image captured by the imaging unit on a part of the screen of the display unit in accordance with the detection result of the detection unit, and illuminating the subject with light emission of the other part of the screen. An imaging apparatus characterized by comprising: 2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control means changes a light emission amount of another part of the display unit except a part for displaying a monitor image. 2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit changes a light emission color of another part of the display unit except a part that displays a monitor image. Storage means for storing a plurality of light emission pattern information;
Selecting means for selecting one from the light emission pattern information stored in the storage means,
The display control means includes:
2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a light emission pattern of another portion of the display unit is changed based on the light emission pattern information selected by the selection unit, except for a portion displaying a monitor image. 5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising setting means for additionally setting light emission pattern information stored in said storage means. An imaging method for an imaging device including a mechanism in which a display unit having a self-luminous element and an imaging unit can face in the same direction,
A detection step of detecting when the display unit and the imaging unit face substantially the same plane in the same direction,
In response to the detection result in the detection step, a monitor image captured by the imaging unit is displayed on a part of the screen of the display unit, and a subject is illuminated by light emission of the other part of the screen. An imaging method, comprising: a control step. A computer-executed program executed by a computer of an imaging apparatus having a mechanism in which a display unit having a self-luminous element and an imaging unit can face in the same direction,
A detection step of detecting when the display unit and the imaging unit face substantially the same plane in the same direction,
In response to the detection result in the detection step, a monitor image captured by the image capturing unit is displayed on a part of the screen of the display unit, and a subject is illuminated by light emission of the other part of the screen. A program causing a computer to execute the control steps. In a portable terminal device including a display unit having a self-luminous element and an imaging unit,
Display control means for displaying a monitor image captured by the imaging unit on a part of the screen of the display unit in a shooting operation state, and illuminating a subject with light emission of the other part of the screen. A mobile terminal device characterized by the above-mentioned.

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