JP2012175170A - Camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a camera in which a function for extracting a still picture from a motion picture and a function for extracting a part of motion picture can be simultaneously utilized.SOLUTION: A camera 100 includes a first motion picture storage unit 112 which stores on a storage medium 171 a first motion picture constituted of a plurality of frames, a first selection unit 113 which selects any one of the plurality of frames as a first frame of interest, a second selection unit 114 which selects a second frame of interest and a third frame of interest from among the plurality of frames on the basis of a position of the first frame of interest, a second still picture storage unit 115 which stores on the storage medium 171 a frame positioning between a frame positioning at the head in a time-sequential order among the three frames of interest and a frame positioning at the tail, and a second motion picture storage unit 116 which stores on the storage medium 171 a second motion picture constituted of frames between the frame of interest positioning at the head in the time-sequential order among the plurality of frames and the frame of interest positioning at the tail.

Description

  The present invention relates to a camera.

  In a digital camera capable of shooting a moving image, a function of extracting a still image from a moving image by a user operation is known. For example, a camera capable of shooting a moving image described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a mode for shooting a still image by manual operation during shooting of a moving image.

JP 2007-259390 A

  The conventional camera has a problem that the function of extracting a still image from a moving image and the function of extracting a part of the moving image cannot be used at the same time.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a first moving image storage unit that stores, in a storage medium, a first moving image that includes a plurality of frames that are imaged by an image sensor and are arranged in time series. First selection means for selecting any one frame as the first target frame, and second selection for selecting the second target frame and the third target frame from the plurality of frames based on the position of the first target frame Of the three frames of the means, the first frame of interest, the second frame of interest, and the third frame of interest, the frame positioned between the frame positioned at the forefront in time-series order and the frame positioned at the back Between the still image storage means for storing the image as a still image in the storage medium, and the frame positioned at the forefront and the frame positioned at the back of the plurality of frames in time series order. A second moving image storage means for storing a second video consisting of a frame in a storage medium, a camera comprising: a.

  According to the present invention, the function of extracting a still image from a moving image and the function of extracting a part of the moving image can be used at the same time.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the camera which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram of the display screen in a moving image edit mode. It is a figure explaining the still image file and moving image file which are memorize | stored in moving image edit mode. It is a flowchart of the process performed by the control circuit 110 in a moving image edit mode. It is a figure which shows the example with two or more 1st attention frames. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the camera which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship of the 1st attention frame, 2nd attention frame, and 3rd attention frame in 3rd Embodiment.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a camera according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The camera 100 is a lens-integrated digital camera, and includes a photographing lens 120 that forms a subject image on the imaging surface of the imaging element 130. The image sensor 130 is configured by an image sensor such as a CCD or CMOS provided with a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to pixels.

  The image sensor 130 captures a subject image formed on the imaging surface and outputs a photoelectric conversion signal (image signal) corresponding to the brightness of the subject image to the control circuit 110. On the imaging surface of the imaging device 130, R (red), G (green), and B (blue) color filters are provided so as to correspond to the pixel positions, respectively.

  The control circuit 110 includes a microprocessor and its peripheral circuits, and controls each unit by executing a predetermined control program stored in the flash memory 150 which is a nonvolatile storage medium. The control circuit 110 generates image data based on the output of the image sensor 130 and temporarily stores it in the DRAM 140. The generated image data is stored in a portable storage medium 171 attached to the memory card I / F 170 or displayed on a liquid crystal monitor 161 which is a display device driven by the LCD drive circuit 160.

  Connected to the control circuit 110 is an input device 180 including various operation members provided outside the camera 100 such as a release button (not shown). When the user operates each operation member, the input device 180 outputs an operation signal corresponding to the operation to the control circuit 110.

  The control circuit 110 includes a first still image storage unit 111, a first moving image storage unit 112, a first selection unit 113, a second selection unit 114, a second still image storage unit 115, and a second moving image storage unit 116 in a software form. Prepare. Each of these units is realized by software when the control circuit 110 executes a predetermined control program stored in the flash memory 150. The operation of each part will be described in detail later.

  The camera 100 of the present embodiment has several operation modes such as a still image shooting mode, a moving image shooting mode, and a moving image editing mode. The user can switch between these operation modes by operating an operation member (for example, a mode dial) included in the input device 180.

(Explanation of still image shooting mode)
The still image shooting mode is an operation mode for shooting a still image. When the user presses the release button, an operation signal is output from the input device 180 to the control circuit 110. The first still image storage unit 111 causes the image sensor 130 to perform an image according to the operation signal. The first still image storage unit 111 performs various image processing on the image signal output from the image sensor 130 and creates image data. The first still image storage unit 111 compresses the image data by a predetermined method such as JPEG, and stores it in the storage medium 171 as a still image file in a format such as EXIF.

  In the still image shooting mode, the control circuit 110 continues to display a so-called through image on the liquid crystal monitor 161. That is, the image sensor 130 is repeatedly imaged at predetermined intervals (for example, 1/30 second), and various image processing for through images is performed on the image signal. Then, the image data created as a result of the image processing is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 161.

(Description of movie shooting mode)
The moving image shooting mode is an operation mode for shooting a moving image. The first moving image storage unit 112 causes the image sensor 130 to repeatedly perform image capturing at predetermined intervals (for example, 1/30 second) in response to an operation signal of a moving image shooting start operation (for example, pressing a release button) by the user. The first moving image storage unit 112 performs various image processing on the image signal output from the image sensor 130 to create image data. The first moving image storage unit 112 performs the above operation until the moving image shooting end operation is performed by the user. When the user performs a moving image shooting end operation, the first moving image storage unit 112 performs compression processing on the plurality of pieces of image data continuously created in this way by a predetermined method such as MPEG to obtain a moving image file. Store in the storage medium 171. In the following description, each still image constituting the moving image file is referred to as a frame. That is, the moving image file is composed of a plurality of frames arranged in time series.

(Description of video editing mode)
The moving image editing mode is an operation mode in which one new still image file and one moving image file are created from the moving image file stored in the storage medium 171. When the moving image editing mode is entered, a moving image selection screen S1 shown in FIG. On the moving image selection screen S1, thumbnail images 10 of moving image files stored in the storage medium 171 are displayed in a list on the liquid crystal monitor 161. The user selects one moving image file to be edited from the plurality of thumbnail images 10 using the input device 180.

  When the user selects a moving image file, an edit screen S2 shown in FIG. A slider 12 corresponding to each frame of the selected moving image file is displayed at the bottom of the editing screen S2. The slider 12 has a left end corresponding to the start frame of the moving image file and a right end corresponding to the end frame, and the frame indicated by the knob 13 is displayed in the frame display area 11. The user moves the knob 13 left and right, and performs a frame designation operation (for example, pressing the release button) in a state where the target frame is displayed in the frame display area 11. The control circuit 110 newly stores one still image file and one moving image file in the storage medium 171 based on the frame specified by the user through the frame specifying operation.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining still image files and moving image files stored in the moving image editing mode. A straight line 20 shown in FIG. 3 represents the entire moving image file to be edited, with the left end representing the first frame f0 of the moving image file and the right end representing the end frame fn of the moving image file. The first selection unit 113 selects a frame currently displayed on the editing screen S2 (that is, a frame indicated by the knob 13) among a plurality of frames constituting the moving image file in response to the user's determination of the attention frame. Select as the first frame of interest f1.

  Next, the second selection unit 114 selects a frame f2 that is a predetermined number N1 before the first target frame f1 as the second target frame, and a third frame that is a predetermined number N2 after the first frame f1. Select as a frame. That is, the second attention frame f2 and the third attention frame f3 are selected based on the position of the first attention frame f1. The predetermined numbers N1 and N2 may be fixed values embedded in the control program in advance, or may be values preset by the user. Further, it may be a value that changes according to the result of image analysis of each frame, the shooting mode, and other various shooting conditions.

  Thereafter, the second still image storage unit 115 selects between the first frame of interest, the second frame of interest f2, and the third frame of interest f3, the frame positioned at the front and the frame positioned at the rearmost in chronological order. Is stored in the storage medium 171 as a still image file. As shown in FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, the first frame in the time series order is the second target frame f2, and the last frame in the time series order is the third target frame f3. That is, the second still image storage unit 115 stores the first frame of interest f1 as a still image file in the storage medium 171.

  In parallel with (or before and after) the storage of the still image file by the second still image storage unit 115, the second moving image storage unit 116 further includes a plurality of frames (from the first frame f0) constituting the editing target moving image file. Among the frames up to the end frame fn), the moving image file including the frames between the second target frame f2 and the third target frame f3 is stored in the storage medium 171.

  That is, in the moving image editing mode, when the user performs a frame designation operation for designating the first target frame, the first target frame is stored in the storage medium 171 as a still image file, and a range including the first target frame is included. The video file is cut out and stored in the storage medium 171.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart of processing executed by the control circuit 110 in the moving image editing mode. First, in step S400, the control circuit 110 selects a moving image file to be edited in accordance with a user operation. In step S410, an operation for designating a frame (that is, the first frame of interest) stored as a still image file is input from the input device 180. In step S420, the first selection unit 113 selects the first frame of interest based on a user operation. In step S430, the second selection unit 114 selects the second target frame and the third target frame. In step S440, the second still image storage unit 115 stores the first frame of interest in the storage medium 171 as a still image file. In step S450, the second moving image storage unit 116 stores in the storage medium 171 a moving image file composed of each frame between the second target frame and the third target frame.

According to the camera according to the first embodiment described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.
(1) The first selection unit 113 selects any one frame as a first frame of interest from a plurality of frames imaged by the image sensor 130 and arranged in time series. The second selection unit 114 selects the second target frame and the third target frame based on the position of the first target frame. The second still image storage unit 115 includes a first frame of interest, a second frame of interest, and a third frame of interest, the first frame in the chronological order, the last frame, Are stored in the storage medium 171 as a still image file. The second moving image storage unit 116 stores, in the storage medium 171, a moving image file including each frame between the attention frame positioned at the forefront and the attention frame positioned at the rearmost in chronological order. Since it did in this way, the function which extracts a still image from a moving image, and the function which extracts a part of moving image can be utilized simultaneously.

(2) The first selection unit 113 selects the first frame of interest by operating an operation member provided outside the camera 100. The second selection unit 114 selects the second target frame and the third target frame based on the position of the first target frame selected by the first selection unit 113. Since it did in this way, the storage of a still image file and the storage of a moving image file can be utilized simultaneously by one operation by a user, and a complicated operation becomes unnecessary.

(Second Embodiment)
The camera according to the second embodiment has the same configuration as the camera 100 according to the first embodiment, but the first selection unit 113 can select a plurality of first attention frames in the moving image file to be edited. This is different from the first embodiment.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example in which there are two or more first target frames. When a plurality of first attention frames are selected, for each of the plurality of first attention frames, selection of the second attention frame and the third attention frame by the second selection unit 114 and still images by the second still image storage unit 115 are selected. The storage of the file and the storage of the moving image file by the second moving image storage unit 116 are performed. However, as shown in FIG. 5, when the same frame is included in each moving image file stored by the second moving image storage unit 116, the second moving image storage unit 116 includes a plurality of first attentions. Only one moving image file composed of each frame between the first frame and the last frame in time series order among the frame, the plurality of second attention frames, and the plurality of third attention frames is stored.

  For example, in FIG. 5, it is assumed that the first frames of interest f1a and f1b are selected. At this time, if it is normal, it corresponds to the moving image file composed of each frame f4 between the second target frame f2a and the third target frame f3a corresponding to the first target frame f1a, and the first target frame f1b. A moving image file composed of each frame f5 between the second focused frame f2b and the third focused frame f3b is stored.

  However, in FIG. 5, since the third frame of interest f3a exists after the second frame of interest f2b, the same frame f6 is included in the two moving image files. Therefore, the second moving image storage unit 116 stores in the storage medium 171 only one moving image file composed of each frame between the second target frame f2a and the third target frame f3b.

According to the camera of the second embodiment described above, the following functions and effects can be obtained in addition to the functions and effects obtained by the first embodiment.
(1) The first selection unit 113 can select a plurality of first attention frames, and the second selection unit 114 can select, for each of the plurality of first attention frames, a second attention frame corresponding to the first attention frame. And the third frame of interest is selected. When the moving image file corresponding to each of the plurality of first attention frames is stored in the second moving image storage unit 116, if the same frame is included in each moving image file, the plurality of first attention frames is stored. In addition, only one moving image file composed of each frame between the first frame and the last frame in the time series order among the plurality of second attention frames and the plurality of third attention frames is stored. Since it did in this way, while being able to cut out many still images simultaneously, it can prevent that the scene corresponding to each still image is shredded.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a camera according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the location similar to the camera which concerns on 1st Embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and description is abbreviate | omitted. The camera 200 according to the third embodiment includes a focus adjustment unit 290, a microphone 291, an attitude sensor 292, and a detection unit 217 in addition to the components of the camera 100 according to the first embodiment.

  The focus adjustment unit 290 detects the focus state of the photographic lens 120 and drives the focusing lens included in the photographic lens 120 in accordance with the focus state detection result to adjust the focus of the photographic lens 120. The focus state is detected by a known method such as a contrast method or a phase difference detection method. The microphone 291 converts the sound around the camera 200 into an electrical signal and outputs it to the control circuit 110. The attitude sensor 292 is a sensor that detects the amount of movement of the camera 200 and outputs a movement signal.

  The detection unit 217 included in the control circuit 110 detects a change in a predetermined shooting situation from the plurality of frames in parallel with the imaging of the plurality of frames by the image sensor 130. In the present embodiment, the predetermined shooting situation is any one of the in-focus state of the shooting lens 120, the posture of the camera 200, and the volume around the camera 200. When any one of the above-described shooting situations changes, the first selection unit 113 selects a frame corresponding to the change as the first frame of interest. That is, when any one of the in-focus state of the photographing lens 120, the posture of the camera 200, and the sound volume around the camera 200 changes, the detection unit 217 detects the change, and the first selection unit 113 detects the change. One frame of interest is selected.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship among the first target frame, the second target frame, and the third target frame in the present embodiment. In the first embodiment, the first target frame is always located between the second target frame and the third target frame in time series order. In the present embodiment, the positional relationship of the first attention frame, the second attention frame, and the third attention frame in the time series order changes depending on the type of change in the shooting state detected by the detection unit 217. Hereinafter, how the first attention frame, the second attention frame, and the third attention frame are selected for each shooting state that can be detected by the detection unit 217 will be described.

  When the user performs a predetermined operation such as half-pressing the release button, automatic focus adjustment by the focus adjustment unit 290 is performed. Each frame captured during the automatic focus adjustment is not focused on the target subject, and it is considered that the user does not want such a frame. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7A, the detection unit 217 according to the present embodiment detects the completion of automatic focus adjustment, that is, the fact that the subject is in focus as a change in the shooting state. In response to this detection, the first selection unit 113 selects the latest imaging frame as the first frame of interest f7. Then, the second selection unit 114 selects a frame after a predetermined number N3 from this frame as the second target frame f8 and a frame after the predetermined number N4 as the third target frame f9. After that, the second still image storage unit 115 stores the second frame located between the first frame of interest f7 positioned most forward in time-series order among these three frames and the third frame of interest f9 positioned most rearward. The attention frame f8 is stored in the storage medium 171 as a still image file. In addition, the second moving image storage unit 116 stores a moving image file including each frame between the first target frame f7 and the third target frame f9 in the storage medium 171.

  When the user shakes the camera 200 during shooting of a moving image file (ie, pans) and the output of the posture sensor 292 exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the detection unit 217 causes the panning as shown in FIG. An operation is detected as a change in the shooting situation. In response to this detection, the first selection unit 113 selects the latest imaging frame as the first frame of interest f10. This is because the fact that panning was performed during shooting of a moving image file is considered that the user is following the moving subject. In this case, the still image file and the moving image file are stored in the same manner as the change in the focus state described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 7C, the second selection unit 114 may select a frame before the first target frame as the second target frame and the third target frame. That is, the second moving image storage unit 116 may store a moving image file that ends at the end of the camera swing.

  When the volume of the sound input to the microphone 291 during moving image shooting becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value and then falls below the predetermined threshold value, the detection unit 217 has a function as shown in FIG. The change in volume is detected as a change in shooting situation. In response to this detection, the first selection unit 113 selects the latest imaging frame as the first frame of interest f13. This is because, for example, when shooting a stage such as a theatre, the decrease in volume represents the start of a scene that should be noted by the user so that the seat becomes quieter as the curtain rises. In this case, the still image file and the moving image file are stored in the same manner as the above-described change in focus state.

  Contrary to the above, when the volume of the sound input to the microphone 291 is less than a predetermined threshold during moving image shooting, and then the volume is increased above the predetermined threshold, the detecting unit 217 As shown in FIG. 7 (e), the change in volume may be detected as a change in shooting situation. This is because, for example, a sudden increase in sound volume may indicate the occurrence of a scene that should be noticed by the user, such as when cheering is raised during sports watching. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7E, it is desirable to select the second target frame f14 so as to be positioned in time series order before the first target frame f13.

  As described above, each shooting situation has been described. However, the predetermined numbers N3 to N8 for determining the positions of the second attention frame and the third attention frame may be all different for each kind of shooting situation, or all the same. It may be.

According to the camera according to the third embodiment described above, the following functions and effects can be obtained in addition to the functions and effects obtained by the camera according to the first embodiment.
(1) The first selection unit 113 selects a frame corresponding to a change in a predetermined shooting state detected from the plurality of frames by the detection unit 217 as the first frame of interest. Since it did in this way, the special operation by a user is unnecessary and operation is simplified.

(2) The detection unit 217 detects a predetermined shooting situation in parallel with the imaging of a plurality of frames by the imaging device 130. Since it did in this way, the user can obtain the still image file and moving image file from which the best shot and the best scene were extracted with the completion of moving image shooting.

  The following modifications are also within the scope of the present invention, and one or a plurality of modifications can be combined with the above-described embodiment.

(Modification 1)
In the first embodiment, new still image files and moving image files are stored from the moving image files stored in the storage medium 171. The operation for storing these two files may be performed during shooting of a moving image file (that is, during operation in the moving image shooting mode). For example, when a release button is pressed during shooting of a moving image file, a frame captured immediately before the pressing may be selected as the first frame of interest. The second still image storage unit 115 may store the first frame of interest as a still image file in the storage medium 171 during shooting of the moving image file, or store the still image file after shooting of the moving image file ends. It may be.

  Similarly, the second moving image storage unit 116 may store a moving image file composed of frames between the second frame of interest and the third frame of interest after shooting of the moving image file is completed. Alternatively, each frame captured by the image sensor 130 is buffered in the DRAM 140 for a certain period, and a new moving image file is stored in parallel with the storage of the moving image file by the first still image storage unit 111. Good.

(Modification 2)
In the third embodiment, the change of the shooting situation and the selection of the frame of interest are performed during the shooting of the moving image file. Either one or both of these may be performed after shooting the moving image file. For example, the first moving image storage unit 112 may store a moving image file including additional information for the detection unit 217 to detect a predetermined shooting situation. Examples of the additional information include sound recorded by the microphone 291, output of the attitude sensor 292, information indicating the timing when the automatic focus adjustment is performed by the focus adjustment unit 290, and the like. Alternatively, information indicating the detection result by the detection unit 217 may be added to the captured moving image file so that the first frame of interest is automatically selected based on the detection result in the moving image editing mode. .

(Modification 3)
Changes in the shooting situation may be other than the three shown in the third embodiment. For example, when the photographing lens 120 is a zoom lens, the detection unit 217 may detect a change in focal length.

(Modification 4)
The still image file may be stored in the second still image storage unit 115 and the moving image file may be stored in the second moving image storage unit 116 in the still image shooting mode. In this case, the second still image storage unit 115 and the second moving image storage unit 116 store a still image file and a moving image file for the through image. For example, the first selection unit 113 and the second selection unit 114 select each frame constituting the through image, and the second still image storage unit 115 and the second moving image storage unit 116 store each frame constituting the through image. be able to.

(Modification 5)
In the third embodiment, similarly to the second embodiment, the first selection unit 113 can select a plurality of first frames of interest. That is, the first selection unit 113 may be configured to select the first frame of interest each time the detection unit 217 detects a change in a predetermined shooting situation in one moving image file.

(Modification 6)
In each of the above embodiments, the present invention is applied to a lens-integrated digital camera, but the present invention is not limited to such a digital camera. For example, the present invention can be applied to an interchangeable lens digital camera or a single-lens reflex camera. Further, the present invention can be applied not only to a camera but also to an image editing apparatus that performs image editing.

  As long as the characteristics of the present invention are not impaired, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and other forms conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention are also included in the scope of the present invention. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100, 200 ... Camera, 110 ... Control circuit, 111 ... 1st still image memory | storage part, 112 ... 1st moving image memory | storage part, 113 ... 1st selection part, 114 ... 2nd selection part, 115 ... 2nd still image memory | storage part 116 ... second moving image storage unit, 120 ... photographing lens, 130 ... imaging element, 171 ... storage medium, 180 ... input device, 217 ... detection unit, 290 ... focus adjustment unit, 291 ... microphone, 292 ... attitude sensor

Claims (7)

First moving image storage means for storing, in a storage medium, a first moving image composed of a plurality of frames imaged by an image sensor and arranged in chronological order;
First selecting means for selecting any one of the plurality of frames as a first frame of interest;
Second selection means for selecting a second target frame and a third target frame from the plurality of frames based on the position of the first target frame;
Of the three frames of the first attention frame, the second attention frame, and the third attention frame, a frame that is positioned between a frame that is positioned at the forefront in time-series order and a frame that is positioned at the end A still image storage means for storing the image as a still image in a storage medium;
Second moving image storage means for storing, in a storage medium, a second moving image composed of each frame between the frontmost frame and the rearmost frame among the plurality of frames in time series order; ,
A camera comprising: The camera of claim 1,
A detecting means for detecting a change in a predetermined shooting situation from the plurality of frames;
The camera according to claim 1, wherein the first selection unit selects a frame corresponding to a change in the predetermined photographing state detected by the detection unit as the first frame of interest. The camera according to claim 2,
The predetermined photographing situation is at least one of a focusing state of the imaging optical system, a focal length of the imaging optical system, a posture of the camera, and a sound volume around the camera. Camera. The camera according to claim 2 or 3,
The first moving image storage means stores the first moving image including additional information for detecting a change in the predetermined shooting situation,
The second moving image storage means stores the second moving image in a storage medium based on the first moving image stored in the storage medium. The camera according to claim 2 or 3,
The said detection means detects the said predetermined imaging | photography condition in parallel with the imaging of these frames. The camera of claim 1,
The camera according to claim 1, wherein the first selection means selects the first frame of interest by operating an operation member provided outside the camera. In the camera according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The first selection means can select a plurality of the first frames of interest;
The second selection means selects, for each of the plurality of first attention frames, the second attention frame and the third attention frame corresponding to the first attention frame;
When the second moving image storing means stores the second moving image corresponding to each of the plurality of first attention frames, the same frame is included in each of the second moving images. Is composed of each frame between the first frame and the last frame in chronological order among the plurality of first attention frames, the plurality of second attention frames, and the plurality of third attention frames. A camera storing only one second moving image.

Images