JP2007228318A - Imaging apparatus, and operation guidance system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging apparatus and an operation guidance system which are easy to understood, and capable of performing useful operation guidance. <P>SOLUTION: A help memory and a history memory are built into a digital camera. Guidance display data for displaying operation guidance are previously recorded in the help memory. An operation history for recording operation information in time series into the history memory is to be produced by recording the operation information in response to its operation at each operation of an operating unit. When a help button is depressed, an objective operation estimated to be objected by an operator is to be estimated, based on the operation history recorded in the history memory until. Then guidance display data which are needed for the operation guidance of performing an operation for realizing the objected operation are to be read from the help memory, then the operation guidance is displayed on a monitor screen. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a photographing apparatus and an operation guidance system.

  In recent years, digital cameras that take still images and moving images with an image sensor such as a CCD image sensor and store the obtained image data in a storage medium such as a memory card are widely used as photographing apparatuses. Such a digital camera has become more multifunctional and has increased setting items and complicated operations, making it difficult and difficult for an operator to operate and set.

  In order to solve the above problems, digital camera manufacturers attach instruction manuals to digital cameras and provide operation guides such as online manuals that can be referenced using CD-ROM or the Internet. Was. In addition, there is also a technology that incorporates a storage means for storing operation guidance called so-called help in the digital camera, and displays the operation guidance on the monitor screen of the digital camera, etc. during operation of the digital camera if necessary. (For example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

In Patent Document 1, a digital camera includes first and second display units, and a menu screen including setting items, instruction contents, and the like is displayed on the first display unit. The convenience of operation is improved by displaying an explanation of the item selected on the display unit 1 and its submenu. In addition, Patent Document 2 describes the operation member that is operated when another operation member is pressed simultaneously with the help button provided on the digital camera, or when another operation member is operated after the help button is pressed. Explanations of supported functions and operation methods are displayed.
JP 2001-36780 A JP 2001-66684 A

  By the way, for example, the display method of operation guidance as in Patent Documents 1 and 2 is effective when the operator understands to some extent what setting should be made from now on, but various operations are being tried. It is unclear which operation the operator will perform next, such as when it is set to an unintended state or when it is not clear what state it is set to. It is not suitable for some cases. Therefore, it cannot be said that it is preferable for an inexperienced operator who easily falls into such a state.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide an imaging device and an operation guidance system that are easy to understand and can perform useful operation guidance.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, operation information that has been operated by the operator is stored as an operation history in the photographing apparatus, and the operation history is stored when the operator becomes stuck. Operation guidance that is judged to be appropriate is presented. In the photographing apparatus according to claim 1, operation history storage means for holding an operation history by recording operation information according to operations of a plurality of operation members, and data for informing operation guidance are stored. Data for determining an operation for realizing the intended operation of the operator estimated based on the operation information stored in the guidance data storage means and the operation history storage means, and guiding the determined operation Is provided from the guidance data storage means, and notification means for notifying operation guidance based on the data extracted by the determination means.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, data for displaying the operation guidance is stored in the guidance data storage means, and the notification means displays the operation guidance for characters, images and the like. According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a photographing apparatus including a monitor device for displaying an image on a monitor screen, wherein the notification means is the monitor device, and operation guidance is displayed on the monitor screen. Further, in the photographing apparatus according to the fourth aspect, data for outputting the operation guidance by voice is stored in the guidance data storage means, and the notification means outputs the voice.

  The photographing apparatus according to claim 5 includes a guide operation member that is operated from the outside when notifying operation guidance, the determination unit operates in response to the operation of the guide operation member, and the notification by the notification unit is performed. It is what I do.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, based on the operation history storage means for holding the operation history by recording operation information corresponding to the operation of the plurality of operation members, and the operation history stored in the operation history storage means. A determination unit that determines an operation for realizing the intended operation of the operator that is estimated, and that extracts data for guiding the determined operation from the guidance data storage unit; Output means for outputting and displaying data on an external display device. In the photographing apparatus according to the seventh aspect, the display device is a computer device provided with a monitor, and the output means is a communication means for exchanging data with the computer device.

  9. The photographing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein operation information storage means for holding an operation history by recording operation information according to operations of a plurality of operation members, and guide data storing data for notifying operation guidance. Storage means and output means for outputting the operation history stored in the guidance data storage means to the outside as a data file in response to a predetermined operation.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the photographing apparatus is a digital camera that records image data obtained by photographing a subject with an image sensor on a recording medium.

  The operation guidance system according to claim 10, comprising an imaging device that is operated by operating a plurality of operation members, and a computer device connected to the imaging device, and is provided in the imaging device and operates the operation members. Operation history storage means for holding operation history by recording operation information according to the above, guidance data storage means provided in the computer device for storing data for displaying operation guidance, the imaging device or Provided in any one of the computer devices, determine an operation for realizing the intended operation of the operator estimated based on the operation history stored in the operation history storage means, and guide the determined operation And determining means for extracting data for the purpose from the guidance data storage means, and provided in the computer device, and extracted by the determining means And those in which a display means for displaying an operation guidance based on the data.

  According to the present invention, when an operation history corresponding to the operation of a plurality of operation members is created and an operation guidance is displayed, an operation intended by the operator is estimated based on the operation history, and the operation is Since the operation guidance for realizing this function is provided, appropriate operation guidance is presented to the user even when the user is stuck in the operation or when the target action cannot be performed without knowing the setting. can do.

  The front of the digital camera embodying the present invention is shown in FIG. 1, and the back is shown in FIG. On the front surface of the digital camera 2, a photographing lens 3, a strobe light emitting unit 4, an objective window 5a of an optical finder 5 are provided, and a release button 6 is provided on the upper surface. Further, an eyepiece window 5b of the optical viewfinder 5, a monitor screen 7a of the monitor device 7, a mode operation member 8, a menu button 9, a cross key 10, and a help button 11 are provided on the rear surface.

  The side surface of the digital camera 2 is provided with a memory slot in which a memory card 13 (see FIG. 3) is mounted and a communication terminal 14 (see FIG. 3) for connecting to an external device. Image data obtained by shooting is recorded in the memory card 13 mounted in the memory slot.

  By removing the optical viewfinder 5, the photographing range by the photographing lens 3 can be observed. As the monitor device 7, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is used. The monitor device 7 constitutes a so-called electronic viewfinder that displays a subject image in real time and is used for image reproduction. Therefore, the operator can check the shooting range using either the optical viewfinder 5 or the monitor screen 7a. The monitor device 7 is also used as notification means for displaying operation guidance on the monitor screen 7a. Note that the notification means for displaying the operation guidance is not limited to a monitor device used in an electronic viewfinder or the like, and it may be provided exclusively.

  The mode operation member 8 performs power on / off and mode switching. The illustrated off position, the shooting mode position slid to the right from the off position, and the playback mode position further slid. It can be moved freely. By setting the mode operation member 8 to the off position, the power of the digital camera 2 is turned off, and when the mode operation member 8 is set to the shooting mode position and the playback mode position, the power is turned on. When the mode operation member 8 is in the shooting mode position, the shooting mode is set to take a still image in response to the pressing operation of the release button 6, and when in the playback mode position, the image recorded on the memory card 13 is displayed on the monitor screen 7a. The playback mode for playback display is displayed.

  By pressing the menu button 9, a menu can be displayed on the monitor screen 7a. From this menu, various settings of the digital camera 2, such as switching of the flash emission mode under the shooting mode, or shooting at a normal shooting distance can be performed. It is possible to switch between a normal shooting mode for performing shooting and a macro shooting mode for shooting at close range. The cross key 10 is composed of an UP key, a DOWN key, a LEFT key, and a RIGHT key, and is used for various setting operations such as item selection in a menu, frame advance and selection operation of a reproduced image, and the like.

  The strobe light emitting unit 4 emits strobe light toward the subject in synchronization with the shooting of a still image. The flash emission is controlled according to the flash mode set on the menu screen. As the strobe mode, there are an automatic light emission mode in which strobe light is automatically emitted when the subject brightness is below a predetermined level, a forced light emission mode in which strobe light is emitted regardless of the subject brightness, and a light emission prohibition mode in which strobe light is not emitted.

  The help button 11 is a guidance operation member that is operated from the outside when notifying operation guidance. By pressing this, the help button 11 is based on an operation history recorded up to that point, as will be described later. Operation guidance necessary for realizing the estimated operation intended by the operator is displayed on the monitor screen 7a.

  The configuration of the digital camera 2 is shown in FIG. The system control unit 20 controls each part of the digital camera 2 in accordance with operation signals from the help button 11 and the operation unit 21. The operation unit 21 includes a release button 6, a mode operation member 8, a menu button 9, and a cross key 10, and sends an operation signal corresponding to these operations to the system control unit 20.

  The system control unit 20 is connected to a ROM 20a and a RAM 20b. In the ROM 20a, a program for executing various operations of the digital camera 2, a program for creating an operation history, which will be described later, and an operation intended by the operator are estimated based on the operation content recorded in the operation history. A program, a program for determining operation guidance necessary for realizing the intended operation of the estimated operator, and the like are stored, and the system control unit 20 operates according to the program. The RAM 20b is used as a work memory in which various variables necessary for program execution are temporarily written.

  The lens driving unit 24 drives the photographing lens 3 under the control of the system control unit 20. In the normal shooting mode, the focusing lens of the shooting lens 3 is moved to perform focusing so that the focus is matched from 1 m to infinity, for example. In the macro shooting mode, other lenses that constitute the shooting lens 3 are formed together with the focus lens. By moving the lens, the camera is brought into focus at a close distance, for example, an imaging distance of about 30 cm. The lens driving unit 24 includes a sensor that detects a focus position that is the position of the focus lens of the photographing lens 3, and sends focus position information corresponding to the focus position to the system control unit 20. The system control unit 20 detects the shooting distance to the subject based on the focus position information.

  A CCD image sensor 25 is disposed behind the photographing lens 3, and a diaphragm of the diaphragm mechanism 26 and a shutter blade of the shutter mechanism 27 are disposed between the photographing lens 3 and the CCD image sensor 25. The CCD image sensor 25 is driven by the CCD drive unit 28, converts an optical subject image formed by the photographing lens 3 into an electrical photographing signal, and outputs it. A photographing signal from the CCD image sensor 25 is sent to the A / D converter 29 and converted into image data. The image sensor is not limited to a CCD image sensor, and for example, a MOS type image sensor or the like may be used.

  The exposure amount of the CCD image sensor 25 is adjusted by the electronic shutter (charge accumulation time) of the CCD image sensor 25 and the diaphragm of the diaphragm mechanism 26. The diaphragm of the diaphragm mechanism 26 and the electronic shutter are controlled by the system control unit 20 based on an AE signal described later. The shutter blades of the shutter mechanism 27 are normally opened so that the light from the photographing lens 3 is incident on the CCD image sensor 25 and closed after the charge accumulation of the CCD image sensor 25 in response to the pressing operation of the release button 6 is completed. Thus, the occurrence of smear is prevented by blocking the incidence of light on the CCD image sensor 25.

  The system control unit 20, A / D converter 29, AE / AF processing unit 31, image processing unit 32, media I / F (interface) 33, internal memory 34, external I / F (interface) 35, data bus 39 It is possible to exchange data between each other.

  Based on the image data from the A / D converter 29, the AE / AF processing unit 31 sends to the system control unit 20 an AE signal corresponding to the luminance of the object being photographed and an AF signal corresponding to the contrast of the image. The system control unit 20 controls the electronic shutter speed and the aperture so that an appropriate exposure amount is obtained based on the AE signal. Further, the system control unit 20 controls the lens driving unit 24 so that the contrast is maximized based on the AF signal so that the subject being photographed is brought into focus. The image processing unit 32 performs data processing such as gamma correction, white balance adjustment, data compression of image data, and decompression of compressed data.

  The media I / F 33 performs writing and reading of the memory card 13 mounted in the memory slot. The image data obtained in response to the pressing operation of the release button 6 is processed by the image processing unit 32 and then sent to the media I / F 33 to be given a predetermined file name and written to the memory card 13. Further, at the time of reproduction, image data is read from the memory card 13 by the media I / F 33, processed by the image processing unit 32, and then sent to the internal memory 34, whereby the image recorded on the memory card 13 is recorded. It is displayed on the monitor device 7.

  In the internal memory 34, image data to be processed by the image processing unit 32 is temporarily written. In the VRAM area 34a provided in the internal memory 34, image data of an image to be displayed on the monitor screen 7a or guidance display data for operation guidance is written. The monitor device 7 includes a monitor screen 7a and a monitor driver 7b. When the monitor driver 7b repeatedly reads out the data written in the VRAM area 34a, an image or an operation guide is displayed on the monitor screen 7a. The

  The external I / F 35 includes a communication terminal 14. By connecting an external device such as a personal computer via a communication cable connected to the communication terminal 14, data can be exchanged between the digital camera 2 and the external device.

  The system control unit 20 is connected to a help memory 40 as a guidance data storage unit and a history memory 41 as an operation history storage unit. The help memory 40 is a ROM, and the history memory 41 is a RAM that can be freely read and written and erased.

  In the help memory 40, data for operation guidance according to the notification method is written in advance at the time of manufacture. In this example, guide display data for displaying various operation guides on the monitor screen 7 a is written in the help memory 40. An operation history is recorded in the history memory 41 by the system control unit 20.

  As schematically shown in FIG. 4 as an example of the operation history, the operation history is a record of operation information in time series. As the operation information, for example, an operation unit 21 such as a “release button pressing operation” is used. Information indicating the operation itself, information set / changed by the operation unit such as “set to automatic light emission mode”, and the like. This operation history is created by adding new operation information corresponding to each time the operation unit 21 is operated or each time a setting or the like is changed by operation of the operation unit 21. The history memory 41 has a storage capacity capable of recording a large amount of operation information. When the storage capacity is full, the oldest operation information is erased and new operation information is written.

  It should be noted that the operation information recording form / recording content may be recorded to such an extent that the operation intended by the operator immediately before the help button 11 is pressed can be estimated. For example, by recording all operations performed on the operation member as an operation history and sequentially reproducing according to each operation information of the operation history from the initial state after the power is turned on, the digital camera at any operation You may record so that the state of 2 can be grasped.

  When the help button 11 is pressed, the system control unit 20 accesses the history memory 41 and immediately before the help button 11 is pressed based on each operation information of the operation history until immediately before the help button 11 is pressed. The operator estimates the purpose, that is, the desired operation of the digital camera 2 (hereinafter referred to as the target action). Further, the system control unit 20 reads out guide display data for displaying an operation guide indicating an operation procedure and an operation method necessary for realizing the estimated target operation from the help memory 40, and stores it in the VRAM area 34a. Write.

  The operation of the above configuration will be described. When shooting, playing back or deleting an image recorded on the memory card 13, or changing the setting of the digital camera 2, the mode operation member 8 is moved from the off position to the shooting mode position or played back. Slide to the mode position.

  When the system controller 20 detects that the mode operation member 8 has been moved to the shooting mode position or the playback mode position, the system controller 20 turns on the power of the digital camera 2 as shown in FIG. Ready for operation. After the power is turned on, the system control unit 20 operates the mode operation member 8 to turn on the power, and operation information indicating that the photographing mode or the reproduction mode is set is recorded in the history memory 41.

  Thereafter, the operation of the operation unit 21 is monitored by the system control unit 20. When the operation of the operation unit 21 is performed, the operation and setting change corresponding to the operation are performed, and the corresponding operation information is additionally recorded in the history memory 41. Thereby, the operation history is updated.

  On the other hand, the operator switches to a necessary mode and makes necessary settings to perform desired operation (target operation) for shooting and image reproduction. When the user does not know or the desired operation cannot be obtained, the help button 11 is pressed.

  When the help button 11 is pressed, operation information indicating that the help operation has been performed (hereinafter referred to as help operation information) is recorded in the history memory 41, and then the system control unit 20 accesses the history memory 41. Based on the operation information recorded up to the most recently recorded help operation information, the target action desired by the operator immediately before the pressing operation of the help button 11 is estimated. Subsequently, the system control unit 20 determines operation guidance necessary for realizing the estimated target action. In making these determinations, appropriate operation guidance is determined in consideration of, for example, the appearance frequency and appearance order of various types of operation information and the mode and parameters set when the help button 11 is pressed.

  When appropriate operation guidance is determined as described above, the system control unit 20 accesses the help memory 40, reads guidance display data corresponding to the operation guidance determined to be appropriate, and stores it in the VRAM area 34a. Write to. Then, the guidance display data is periodically read out by the monitor driver 7b, so that an operation guidance for a target operation is displayed on the monitor screen 7a.

  For example, when the operation history having the contents as shown in FIG. 4 is recorded in the history memory 41, the release button 6 is operated three times immediately before the help button 11 is operated. Is presumed to be filming. Since the playback mode is set, in order to realize the target operation, it is necessary to switch to the shooting mode and operate the release button 6. Therefore, as shown in FIG. The operation guide 42 is displayed on the monitor screen 7a as follows: “Change the mode to the shooting mode by operating the mode operation member. Then press the release button.” The operator can perform shooting by setting the shooting mode with reference to the operation guide 42 displayed on the monitor screen 7a. Note that the operation guidance to be displayed is not limited to characters, and may be displayed as a figure or animation.

  As described above, the operation guidance displayed by operating the help button 11 is guidance for realizing the target motion estimated based on the operation history, and therefore the operator is trying various operations. Even when the state is not intended or when it is not known what state is set, the operator can know the operation for the target motion.

  In the above embodiment, the help button is operated when displaying the operation guidance. However, the necessary operation guidance may be automatically displayed in response to the operation of the operation unit 21. Further, the operation guidance is not limited to the operation procedure, and may be explanations related to the target action, corresponding contents of the online manual, and the like.

  The example shown in FIG. 7 records operation-related information together with operation information in the history memory, refers to the operation information and operation-related information, estimates the target operation, and provides operation guidance necessary for realizing the target operation. Is to be judged. In addition, except being demonstrated below, it is the same as that of the said embodiment, The same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the substantially same structural member, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In this example, when the operation unit 21 is operated, operation related information at the time of operation is recorded in the history memory 41 together with operation information corresponding thereto. Examples of the motion-related information include the AE signal obtained from the AE / AF processing unit 31 when the release button is pressed, the AE control based on the AF signal, the result of the AF control, and the focus position information obtained from the lens driving unit 24. As a result of focus control based on the information, information regarding the operation of various digital cameras 2 such as a strobe light emission ready state, a remaining battery capacity as a power source, and a remaining memory capacity can be recorded.

  When the help button 11 is pressed, the system control unit 20 estimates the target action immediately before the help button 11 is pressed based on the operation information and the action related information recorded in the history memory 41. Then, an operation guide suitable for realizing the target operation is determined, and the operation guide is displayed on the monitor screen 7a.

  According to this, for example, a plurality of pieces of operation information indicating the pressing operation of the release button 6 in the operation history and the normal shooting mode when the release button 6 is operated, and AF control based on the AF signal results in an error. When the focus position information obtained from the lens driving unit 24 indicates the short distance side or the like is recorded as the motion related information, the target motion is estimated to be a close distance shooting, and the macro shooting mode is switched to. The operation guide for pressing the release button 6 is determined to be appropriate, and is displayed on the monitor screen 7a. Thereby, more appropriate operation guidance can be displayed.

  FIG. 8 shows an example in which operation guidance is displayed on an external display device connected to the digital camera 2. In addition, except being demonstrated below, it is the same as that of 1st embodiment, The same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the member of substantially the same function, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  When displaying the operation guidance, the digital camera 2 is connected to a PC (personal computer) 45 as an external display device via a communication cable 44, for example, a USB cable. The PC 45 is under the control of the hard disk 46 in which various programs are recorded, the CPU 47 that operates according to the program written in the hard disk 46, the I / F 48 that transmits and receives data to and from external devices, and the CPU 47. A monitor 49 made up of a CRT, LCD or the like is provided. When the guidance display data is input from the digital camera 2 to the I / F 48, the CPU 47 drives the monitor 49 based on the guidance display data to display the operation guidance on the monitor 49.

    As shown in FIG. 9, when the help button 11 is pressed once, help operation information is recorded in the history memory 41. After that, when the digital camera 2 is connected to the PC via the cable and the help button 11 is pressed again, the system control unit 20 is based on the operation history recorded in the history memory 41 as in the first embodiment. Thus, the target action of the operator immediately before the pressing operation of the help button 11 is estimated, and appropriate operation guidance is determined in order to realize the target function. Then, guidance display data corresponding to the operation guidance determined to be appropriate is read from the help memory 40 and sent to the PC 45 via the external I / F 35, the communication terminal 14, and the cable 44. Thereby, a guidance display for realizing the target operation is displayed on the monitor 49. The operator can check the operation guidance on the large monitor 49 of the PC 45.

  In the above embodiment, the help memory 40 is provided in the digital camera 2, but guide display data may be stored in the PC 45. In this case, guidance display data is recorded in advance on the hard disk 46 of the PC 45, for example. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the system control unit 20 accesses the hard disk 46 in the PC via the CPU 47 and the like, reads the guidance display data, and displays it on the monitor 49. According to this, operation guidance can be displayed even with a digital camera having a small internal memory capacity. Note that the operation history may be sent from the digital camera side to the PC, and operation guidance determination, guidance display data identification, and the like for realizing the target operation may be executed on the PC side.

  FIG. 11 shows an example in which an operation history is output as a data file from a digital camera and can be sent to a support center or the like. In addition, except being demonstrated below, it is the same as that of 1st embodiment, The same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the substantially same member, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As illustrated in FIG. 12, the system control unit 20 outputs a log file when a specific operation is performed on the operation unit 21. The log file is obtained by converting the operation history recorded in the history memory 41 into a data file of a predetermined format, and is sent to the PC 51 via the external I / F 35, the communication terminal 14, and the cable 44. It is desirable that the contents of the log file be prevented from being viewed / changed by anyone other than the support center 50, for example. In this example, the contents of the log file, that is, the operation history is encrypted so that anyone other than the support center 50 cannot refer to or change the log file.

  The PC 51 has the same configuration as that of the PC 45 in the example of FIG. 8 except that the PC 51 includes a communication unit 51a for connecting to the reception server 53 of the support center 50 via a communication network 52 such as the Internet. The operator operates the PC 51 to transmit the log file output from the digital camera 2 to the reception server 53. In response to receiving the log file from the digital camera 2, the operator automatically receives the log file. You may comprise so that it may transmit to. The reception server 53 receives the log file from the PC 51, decrypts the content of the log file, and displays it on the terminal 54.

  Note that the PC 51 is for transmitting a log file to a third party such as the support center 50. If the log file can be transmitted, the log file may be transmitted using another device. For example, it may be a mobile phone, a PDA, or a device installed in a store. In addition, a transmission device may be built in the digital camera itself, or the transmission device may be attached. Furthermore, a digital camera may be directly connected to the receiving server at the support center 50 or the like.

  When receiving operation support with the digital camera 2 configured as described above, as shown in FIG. 13, the operator makes an inquiry to the support center 50 by telephone or the like. In the support center 50, when there is an inquiry, the operator instructs the user (operator) a specific operation for outputting the log file, and instructs the procedure for transmission. The user operates the digital camera 2 accordingly to output a log file and transmits it to the support center 50 by the PC 51.

  The log file sent to the support center 50 is decrypted by the reception server 53 and displayed on the terminal 54. The operator refers to the contents of the log file displayed on the terminal 54 in this way, grasps the situation, and answers the inquiry contents from the user. And according to this, when a user operates digital camera 2, a user can perform desired operation. At this time, by confirming a series of operations performed by the user from the operation information recorded in the log file, it is possible to guess the target operation desired by the user with high accuracy. Since there is almost no need to grasp the situation by requesting explanations, it is possible to solve the problem efficiently and to give an appropriate answer without wasting time.

  FIG. 14 shows an example in which operation guidance is given by voice instead of the display on the monitor screen. The digital camera 2 has a built-in speaker 61 as a notification means for outputting sound, and an output hole 62 for outputting sound from the speaker 61 is provided on the back surface of the digital camera 2. The help memory stores guidance voice data for performing operation guidance by voice. At the time of the operation guidance, as shown in FIG. 15, the speaker 61 is driven based on the voice guidance data read by the system control unit 20, so that the voice operation guidance is output.

  By outputting the voice guidance in this way, the display on the monitor screen is not disturbed by the operation guidance. Therefore, the operation guidance can be performed without giving the user an interval at which the operation is interrupted. .

  In each of the above embodiments, the digital camera has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be used for various types of photographing apparatuses such as a camera using a photographic film and a video camera.

It is a front view which shows the front of the digital camera which implemented this invention. It is a rear view which shows the back surface of a digital camera. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a digital camera. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the content of the operation history. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the recording of operation history, and the display of operation guidance. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example in the display of operation guidance. It is a flowchart of the example which records operation | movement relevant information. It is a block diagram which shows the structure in the example which displays operation guidance on a personal computer. It is a flowchart which shows the process in the example which displays operation guidance on a personal computer. It is a flowchart which shows the example which recorded the guidance display data of operation guidance on the personal computer. It is a block diagram which shows the structure in the example which outputs operation history and transmits to a support center. It is a flowchart which shows the process in the case of outputting operation history. It is explanatory drawing which shows the flow of a process in the case of receiving support based on an operation history. It is a rear view of the digital camera in the example which outputs the operation guidance by voice. It is a flowchart which shows the process in the example in the example which outputs the operation guidance by voice.

Explanation of symbols

2 Digital Camera 7 Monitor Device 11 Help Button 20 System Control Unit 40 Help Memory 41 History Memory 45, 51 Personal Computer

Claims (10)

In an imaging device operated by operating a plurality of operation members,
Operation history storage means for holding operation history by recording operation information according to operation of the operation member, guidance data storage means for storing data for notifying operation guidance, and storage in operation history storage means A determination unit that determines an operation for realizing the intended operation of the operator estimated based on the operation information that has been performed, and that extracts data for guiding the determined operation from the guidance data storage unit; An image pickup apparatus comprising: an informing means for informing operation guidance based on data extracted by the judging means.   2. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide data storage means stores data for displaying an operation guide, and the notification means displays an operation guide for characters, images, and the like.   The photographing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a monitor device that displays an image on a monitor screen, wherein the notification unit is the monitor device and displays operation guidance on the monitor screen.   2. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guidance data storage means stores data for outputting operation guidance by voice, and the notification means outputs voice.   A guidance operation member that is operated from the outside when notifying operation guidance is provided, and in response to an operation of the guidance operation member, the determination unit operates to perform notification by the notification unit. The imaging device according to any one of 1 to 4. In an imaging device operated by operating a plurality of operation members,
Operation history storage means for holding operation history by recording operation information corresponding to the operation of the operation member, and an object of the operator estimated based on the operation history stored in the operation history storage means The operation for realizing the operation is determined, the determination means for extracting the data for guiding the determined operation from the guidance data storage means, and the data extracted by the determination means are output to an external display device. An imaging apparatus comprising output means for displaying.   The photographing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the display device is a computer device including a monitor, and the output unit is a communication unit that exchanges data with the computer device. In an imaging device operated by operating a plurality of operation members,
An operation history storage unit that holds an operation history by recording operation information corresponding to the operation of the operation member, a guidance data storage unit that stores data for notifying operation guidance, and a response to a predetermined operation And an output means for outputting the operation history stored in the guide data storage means to the outside as a data file.   9. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the photographing apparatus is a digital camera that records image data obtained by photographing a subject with an image sensor on a recording medium.   An imaging device that is operated by operating a plurality of operation members and a computer device connected to the imaging device, and is provided in the imaging device and records operation information corresponding to the operation of the operation members. The operation history storage means for holding the operation history by the above, provided in the computer device, guidance data storage means for storing data for displaying the operation guidance, provided in either the imaging device or the computer device, The guidance data storage means determines the operation for realizing the intended operation of the operator estimated based on the operation history stored in the operation history storage means and guides the determined operation to the guidance data storage means. A determination means to be taken out from the computer, and an operation guide provided on the computer device based on the data extracted by the determination means Operation guidance system characterized in that a shown means.

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