JP6643036B2 - Zoom control device, control method for zoom control device, control program for zoom control device, and storage medium - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a zoom control device having a zoom function, a control method thereof, and the like.

  An imaging device such as a digital camera has at least one of an optical zooming (optical zoom) function by driving a zoom lens and an electronic zooming (electronic zoom) function to enlarge a part of an imaged area. There are things. In recent years, improvements in the performance of zoom lenses have made it possible to shoot with the same lens from ultra-wide-angle to super-telephoto, and the increase in the number of pixels in the image sensor has made it possible to shoot with sufficient resolution even at high magnifications. It has become to.

  In a camera having a high-magnification zoom function, when the angle of view is adjusted in a telephoto state, a slight movement of a subject may cause frame out. Also, a slight movement of the camera causes a large shift in the angle of view. Therefore, there has been proposed a method for enabling the subject to be captured again with a simple operation even when the subject goes out of frame.

  Patent Literature 1 discloses an imaging device having a function of quickly catching a subject when the subject goes out of a frame. According to the configuration of Patent Literature 1, when the start of the zoom function is instructed, the zoom position is zoomed out in the wide-angle direction, and the angle of view at the start of zooming is displayed by a frame. Further, when the end of the zoom function is instructed, control for zooming in to the zoom position at the start of zooming indicated by the frame is performed. According to this function, even when the subject goes out of the frame, the photographer can take a picture at a desired angle of view while immediately re-capturing the subject with a simple operation. Further, by operating the zoom lever while zooming out in the wide-angle direction, the size of the frame indicating the zoom-in position and the zoom-out angle of view can be changed.

  On the other hand, a so-called preset zoom function is known as a function of moving the image at a desired angle of view at a high speed. The preset zoom function is a function of moving from an arbitrary zoom position to a zoom position stored in a memory in advance by operating a switch by a user.

  According to the configuration of Patent Literature 2, an operation member for selecting a storage operation of a zoom position by a preset zoom function or a zoom operation to a stored zoom position, and another operation for executing the operation selected by the operation member The members can be operated with different fingers. This prevents erroneous operation of the preset zoom function.

JP 2012-60595 A JP 2001-117153 A

  In the function disclosed in Patent Literature 1, when the size of the frame indicating the zoom-in position or the zoom-out angle of view is changed by operating the zoom lever during zoom-out, it is necessary to previously set which to change by menu setting or the like. There is. However, in actual shooting, when it is desired to change the zoom-in frame and when changing the zoom-out angle of view, it is desirable to be able to change the setting immediately because it changes depending on the shooting scene.

  With the preset zoom function disclosed in Patent Literature 2, it is possible to quickly move to an angle of view at which shooting is desired. However, when it is desired to finely adjust the angle of view, it is necessary to operate the zoom lever as before. In addition, since the zoom lever is often arranged at the same position where the finger is operated with the release switch, it is necessary to temporarily release the finger from the release switch to operate the zoom lever. Therefore, there is a possibility that when a composition desired to be photographed is obtained, the photograph cannot be taken immediately and a photo opportunity is missed.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a zoom control device with improved operability for adjusting to a desired composition in telephoto shooting where framing is difficult.

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention provides a first operation unit and a second operation unit for instructing a change in zoom magnification, an operation of the first operation unit, and an operation of the second operation unit . A control unit for controlling a zoom magnification in response to an operation of an operation unit , wherein the control unit is configured to store a first zoom stored in response to an operation of the first operation unit. Switching between a first mode for changing the zoom magnification up to the magnification and a second mode for changing the zoom magnification in the telephoto direction at a lower speed than the first mode, controlling the zoom magnification, and performing the second operation In response to a first operation through the means, the current zoom magnification is stored as a second zoom magnification, and the zoom magnification is changed to a wide angle direction. After the first operation, the second operation means In response to a second operation via Changing the zoom magnification to a zoom magnification, changing the zoom magnification in the wide-angle direction in response to the first operation, and performing the second operation via the first operation means until the second operation is performed. The present invention is characterized in that the current zoom magnification is changed in response to the operation of No. 3, and the second zoom magnification is changed in response to a fourth operation different from the third operation via the first operation means. I do.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, a first operation unit and a second operation unit for instructing a change of the zoom magnification, and a zoom magnification in accordance with the operation of the first operation unit and the second operation unit. A control unit for controlling, wherein the control unit stores a current zoom magnification as a second zoom magnification in accordance with a first operation via the second operation unit. Changing the zoom magnification to a wide angle direction, and after the first operation, changing the zoom magnification to the second zoom magnification in accordance with a second operation via the second operation means, A third operation via the first operation means between a time when the zoom magnification is changed to a wide angle direction in response to the first operation via the second operation means and a time when the second operation is performed; The current zoom magnification is changed according to the operation, and the first operation The and changes the second zoom magnification in response to the third operation different from the fourth operation through.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to enhance the operability for adjusting to a desired composition in telephoto shooting where framing is difficult.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a digital camera according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a focal length and a focus lens position for each subject distance. FIG. 2 is an external view of the digital camera according to the embodiment. It is the figure which illustrated the change of the screen by the FA view angle adjustment function and the FA search function. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the entire operation of a photographer in telephoto shooting. 5 is a flowchart illustrating processing in an FA view angle adjustment function. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process in an FA search function.

[Example 1]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The function realized by this embodiment is a framing assist zoom function for assisting the framing by the photographer, and is referred to as a framing assist zoom function (hereinafter abbreviated as FA zoom function) for convenience. Also, of the FA zoom function, a function of performing coarse adjustment and fine adjustment of the angle of view using the first operation member is an FA angle of view adjustment function, and a function of re-capturing a subject out of the frame using the second operation member. Is called an FA search function.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a digital camera 100 as an example of a zoom control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The lens barrel 101 holds a lens group inside. The zoom lens 102 optically changes the angle of view (moves the zoom position) by adjusting the focal length by moving in the optical axis direction. The focus lens 103 adjusts the focus by moving in the optical axis direction. The image stabilizing lens 104 is a correcting lens that corrects image shake caused by camera shake. An aperture and a shutter 105 for adjusting the amount of light are used for exposure control. The light that has passed through the lens barrel 101 is received by an image sensor 106 using a CCD (charge coupled device), CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor), or the like, and is photoelectrically converted to generate an image signal. The image pickup signal is input to the image processing circuit 107, subjected to pixel interpolation processing, color conversion processing, and the like, and then sent to the image memory 108 as image data. The image memory 108 includes a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), and the like.

  The display unit 109 as a display unit is configured by a TFT-type LCD (thin-film transistor driven liquid crystal display) or the like, and displays specific information (for example, shooting information and an FA zoom frame to be described later) along with the shot image data. . Such an information display such as a live view realizes an electronic viewfinder (EVF) function for the user to adjust the angle of view.

  The aperture shutter drive unit 110 calculates an exposure control value (aperture value and shutter speed) based on the luminance information obtained by the image processing in the image processing circuit 107, and drives the aperture and the shutter 105 based on the calculation result. As a result, automatic exposure (AE) control is performed. The anti-vibration lens driving unit 111 calculates the amount of vibration applied to the digital camera 100 based on information from an angular velocity sensor such as a gyro sensor, and drives the anti-vibration lens 104 to cancel the vibration.

  The focus lens driving unit 112 drives the focus lens 103. For example, in the control of the contrast AF method, the focus lens 103 is driven so as to focus on the subject based on the focus adjustment information (contrast evaluation value) of the photographing optical system obtained by the image processing of the image processing circuit 107. In applying this embodiment, the focus adjustment control does not matter, so a phase difference AF method or a method combined with another method can be adopted.

  The zoom lens driving unit 113 drives the zoom lens 102 according to a zoom operation instruction. The operation unit 117 is provided with a zoom lever or a zoom button as a zoom operation member for the photographer to instruct the camera to perform zooming. A zoom drive speed and a drive direction are calculated by the system control unit 114 based on the operation amount and the operation direction of the zoom operation member used for the zoom instruction operation, and the zoom lens 102 moves along the optical axis according to the calculation result.

  The image data generated by the photographing operation is sent to a recording unit 116 via an interface unit (hereinafter referred to as an I / F unit) 115 and recorded. The image data is recorded in an external recording medium such as a memory card used by being mounted on the camera, a nonvolatile memory 118 built in the digital camera 100, or both.

  The operation unit 117 includes, in addition to the zoom operation members described above, a release switch 117c for instructing start of shooting, an FA view angle adjustment button 117a for instructing start and end of the FA view angle adjustment function, and instructing start and end of the FA search function. And an FA search button 117b. The operation signal is sent to the system control unit 114 described above. The memory 118 stores, in addition to computer program data and image data, setting information of the digital camera 100 and information such as a zoom position (zoom magnification) in an FA angle adjustment function and an FA search function described later.

  The system control unit 114 as a control unit is configured using an arithmetic device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls the entire camera by sending a control command to each unit according to the operation of the photographer. The system control unit 114 executes various control programs stored in the memory 118, for example, a program for performing control of the image sensor 106, AE / AF control, zoom control (including FA zoom processing), and the like.

  Next, control related to the FA zoom function in the system control unit 114 will be described. In FIG. 1, the internal processing of the system control unit 114 is represented by functional blocks 119 to 122.

  In order to maintain a focused state even when the angle of view is changed by optical zoom, in the case of a rear focus type lens barrel shown in the lens barrel 101, the focus lens 103 is moved to an appropriate focus position according to the position of the zoom lens 102. You need to move it. Such control is called computer zoom (CZ) control. FIG. 2 is a graph of a data table showing the relationship between the focal length of the zoom lens and the focus position where focus is achieved for each distance to the subject. This table is called a focus cam table. The horizontal axis indicates the focal length corresponding to the zoom position, the vertical axis indicates the focus position, and the side of each graph line indicates the distance from the camera to the subject (subject distance). The system control unit 114 performs a scanning operation by controlling the focus lens driving unit 112 during the AF operation to move the focus lens 103 within a predetermined range. The focus position, which is the focal point, is detected by a known method using a contrast evaluation value or the like obtained during this operation. The subject distance can be measured by referring to the focus cam table from the zoom position and the focus position at that time.

  The digital camera 100 has an optical zoom function and an electronic zoom function. The CZ control unit 119 and the zoom lens driving unit 113 are responsible for optical zoom driving. The CZ control unit 119 detects the position of the zoom lens 102 at a predetermined control cycle during the zoom operation, and drives the focus lens 103 to follow the focus cam table according to the zoom position. This makes it possible to perform the optical zoom operation while maintaining the in-focus state.

  On the other hand, the electronic zoom control unit 120 and the image memory 108 are responsible for electronic zoom driving. The electronic zoom control unit 120 realizes an electronic zoom function by cutting out a target area from the image data transferred to the image memory 108. Also, a smooth electronic zoom display is realized by gradually increasing the range of the video captured by the image sensor 106 at the frame rate cycle and displaying the range on the display unit 109. Note that only one of the optical zoom function and the electronic zoom function may be provided as the zoom function.

  When the photographer operates the zoom using the zoom operation member, the optical zoom is normally operated on the wide-angle side, and the electronic zoom is operated on the telephoto side. That is, when zooming in from the wide-angle end of the optical zoom in the telephoto direction, the electronic zoom is operated by the electronic zoom control unit 120 after the CZ control unit 119 operates to the telephoto end of the optical zoom. Conversely, when zooming out from the telephoto end of the electronic zoom in the wide-angle direction, the electronic zoom control unit 120 operates to the wide-angle end of the electronic zoom, and then the CZ control unit 119 operates the optical zoom. In the FA zoom function, similarly to the zoom operation by the zoom operation member, when the start of the FA zoom is instructed in the optical zoom region on the wide angle side, the optical zoom is operated, and the start of the FA zoom is instructed in the electronic zoom region on the telephoto side. Then, the electronic zoom is operated.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing (A) a left side surface, (B) a right side surface, and (C) an upper surface of the external appearance of the digital camera 100. In this embodiment, the FA angle-of-view adjustment button 117a (first operation member) and the FA search button 117b (second operation member) of the operation unit 117 are arranged on both side surfaces of the lens barrel 101. When the photographer grips the digital camera 100 in the normal position, the FA view angle adjustment button 117a is arranged at a position where the left thumb can be used, and the FA search button 117b can be operated at the left index finger or the middle finger. As a result, the FA view angle adjustment button 117a and the FA search button 117b can be simultaneously operated (with one hand). In addition, by arranging these two buttons at positions that can be operated with a finger different from the release switch 117c, it is possible to perform operations such as adjusting the angle of view while keeping the finger on the release switch 117c, and miss a shutter chance. It becomes difficult. However, the positions of the FA view angle adjustment button 117a and the FA search button 117b may be reversed. Furthermore, the position is not limited to this arrangement as long as both the FA view angle adjustment button 117a and the FA search button 117b can be simultaneously operated with a finger different from the release switch 117c. Further, the first operation member and the second operation member are not limited to the button member, but may be a lever member or the like.

  In the present embodiment, the two button operations will be described as a short-press operation in which the button is pressed and released shortly, and a long-press operation in which the button is continuously pressed. However, the operation is not limited to a single button operation. For example, when the operation button is a member such as a release switch that can be separated by a half-press / full-press depression amount, for example, a short-press operation is replaced with a half-press operation, and a long-press operation is replaced with a full-press operation. Is also good.

Next, an outline of the FA zoom function and the FA zoom frame control unit 121 and the FA zoom control unit 122 will be described with reference to FIG. FIGS. 4A to 4C are diagrams showing screens when the subject is captured by the FA view angle adjustment function and the angle of view is adjusted. Conventionally, after the photographer has activated the camera, the photographer has to perform the following operations before framing the subject.
-Zoom in by operating the zoom operation member to capture the subject at the angle of view-Adjust the angle of view while adjusting the operation amount of the zoom operation member

  For example, when framing a distant subject, it is necessary to adjust the view angle to a desired view angle after roughly zooming in on the subject by operating the zoom operation member to zoom in. At this time, it is desirable to perform the zoom-in operation quickly until the subject is captured within the angle of view.However, when adjusting the angle of view after capturing the subject, if the zoom speed is too fast, the subject is likely to go out of frame. Become.

  On the other hand, in the digital camera 100 equipped with the FA view angle adjustment function, when the subject is roughly captured in the view angle or when the view angle is finely adjusted, the photographer operates the FA view angle adjustment button 117a. I just need. FIG. 4A shows an example of the angle of view immediately after the camera is started. When the subject is extremely small with respect to the angle of view, the photographer short-presses the FA angle of view adjustment button 117a to instruct the camera to start the coarse adjustment mode of the FA angle of view adjustment. When the start of the coarse adjustment mode of the FA view angle adjustment is instructed, the FA zoom control unit 122 sets a high zoom speed to the CZ control unit 119 or the electronic zoom control unit 120. Next, the CZ control unit 119 or the electronic zoom control unit 120 starts the zoom operation to the zoom magnification stored in the memory 118 at the set zoom speed. When the zoom magnification reaches the zoom magnification stored in the memory 118, or when the subject becomes a certain size and the photographer short-presses the FA view angle adjustment button 117a again, the zoom-in operation is stopped (FIG. 4B). ).

  The zoom magnification stored in the memory 118 as the target zoom magnification in the coarse adjustment mode can be set to an arbitrary value by operating the setting menu. Further, for example, a configuration in which the focal length is set as a 35 mm equivalent focal length, or a configuration in which the focal length is internally set according to the shooting mode, such as 600 mm in the airplane mode and 800 mm in the bird mode, may be used. A configuration in which a plurality of focal lengths are set may be used. For example, when 400 mm / 600 mm / 800 mm is set, the zoom operation may be performed in a stepwise manner from 400 mm to 600 mm to 800 mm to 400 mm every time the coarse adjustment mode is started. As the focal length set in the coarse adjustment mode, it is desirable to set a focal length that is wider than the angle of view at which shooting is desired. This makes it possible to easily adjust the angle of view by capturing the subject with a wider angle of view in the coarse adjustment mode and then gradually narrowing the angle of view in the telephoto direction in the fine adjustment mode described below. Becomes

  When fine adjustment of the angle of view is performed, the photographer instructs the camera to start the fine adjustment mode of the FA angle of view adjustment by long-pressing the FA angle of view adjustment button 117a. When the start of the fine adjustment mode of the FA view angle adjustment is instructed, the FA zoom control unit 122 sets the zoom speed to a low speed for the CZ control unit 119 or the electronic zoom control unit 120. Next, the CZ control unit 119 or the electronic zoom control unit 120 starts the zoom-in operation in the telephoto direction at the set zoom speed. When the photographer reaches the angle of view desired to shoot, releasing the FA angle of view adjustment button 117a instructs the camera to end the fine adjustment mode of the FA angle of view adjustment, thereby stopping the zoom-in operation (FIG. 4C). .

FIGS. 4D to 4G are views showing screens when re-capturing a subject that has gone out of the frame by the FA search function. For example, when the subject goes out of frame while the photographer is framing the subject and waiting for a photo opportunity, the photographer has to perform the following operations.
Searching for a subject by zooming out by operating the zoom operation member.
-Adjust the angle of view by performing a zoom operation again until the desired angle of view is obtained.

  On the other hand, in the digital camera 100 equipped with the FA search function, if the subject is lost in a state where the angle of view is adjusted before shooting (hereinafter, referred to as a shooting preparation state), the photographer can use the FA search button 117b. Can be operated. Pressing the FA search button 117b instructs the camera to start the FA search. The FA zoom control unit 122 stores each zoom magnification (zoom magnification) of the electronic zoom and the optical zoom in the memory 118 in response to the FA search start instruction from the FA search button 117b. Further, the FA zoom control unit 122 instructs the CZ control unit 119 or the electronic zoom control unit 120 to zoom out in the wide angle direction according to the processing procedure of FIG. (Hereinafter referred to as a subject search state). In this embodiment, the zoom magnification is described as being stored, but any information corresponding to the zoom magnification may be used. For example, a value corresponding to the focal length, a pulse position or a step position (in the case of a stepping motor) in the case of optical zoom, and the like may be used.

  FIGS. 4D and 4G show the angle of view in the zoomed-in state, and FIGS. 4E and 4F show the angle of view in the zoomed-out state. When the subject goes out of frame (FIG. 4D), the photographer presses the FA search button 117b to search for the subject. While the FA search button 117b is pressed, the zoom-out state is maintained, and the FA zoom frame 400 indicating the zoom-in magnification is displayed on the display unit 109 so as to be superimposed on the image. When a desired subject is found in the subject search state (FIG. 4E), framing is performed using the FA zoom frame 400 as a guide so that the subject falls within the FA zoom frame (FIG. 4F). Thereafter, when the photographer releases the FA search button 117b and instructs the camera to end the FA search, the FA zoom control unit 122 performs electronic zoom or optical zoom up to the stored zoom magnification (zoom magnification) in the shooting preparation state. Performs a zoom-in operation. Thus, an optimal framing state as shown in FIG. 4 (G) is obtained.

  The FA zoom frame control unit 121 calculates the size indicating the stored angle of view in the shooting preparation state as shown in FIGS. 4 (E) and 4 (F), and displays the size at the center of the EVF on the display unit 109. The FA zoom frame 400 is displayed. The size of the FA zoom frame 400 is calculated based on the zoom magnification at the time of zooming out. For example, in the case where the electronic zoom magnification is set to 2 times and the optical zoom magnification is set to 3 times from the shooting preparation state to zoom out to enter the subject search state, the angle of view displayed on the EVF in the subject search state becomes ( An FA zoom frame having a size of (）) × (１ ／) =＝ is displayed. With this processing, the photographer can photograph the subject out of the frame at a desired angle of view while re-frame-in the subject by a simple operation.

  Next, a processing example of the FA zoom function will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the entire operation of the photographer in telephoto shooting. When performing telephoto shooting, the photographer starts framing by pointing the digital camera 100 at the subject.

  After capturing the subject within the angle of view, if the photographer determines in S500 that the size of the subject is not appropriate, the process proceeds to S501 to adjust the angle of view. In step S501, the angle of view is adjusted by the FA angle of view adjustment function described below until the subject becomes an appropriate size. If the angle of view adjustment has been completed in S501 or if it is determined in S500 that the size of the subject is appropriate, the process proceeds to S502.

  In S502, the photographer determines whether or not the subject has moved out of the frame while waiting for a photo opportunity by framing the subject. If the subject has gone out of the frame from the angle of view, the process advances to step S <b> 503, and the subject is captured again within the angle of view by the FA search function described later. If the subject out of the frame has been captured again in S503, or if the subject has been kept within the angle of view in S502, the process proceeds to S504.

  In S504, the photographer determines whether or not the desired composition has been obtained. If the desired composition has been obtained, the process proceeds to S505 and performs photographing. If it is determined in S504 that the desired composition is not obtained, the operations in S500 to S504 are repeated until the desired composition is obtained.

  After the photographing is performed in S505, the process proceeds to S506, and it is determined whether or not to terminate the photographing. If it is determined in step S506 that the photographing is to be ended, the photographing is terminated. If the photographing fails or the photographing is performed again with a different composition, the process returns to step S500 to perform framing and photographing of the subject.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing of the FA zoom control unit 122 when the angle of view is adjusted by the FA angle of view adjustment function in S501. If the photographer determines that the size of the subject is not appropriate in S500 in FIG. 5, the FA view angle adjustment function is started by pressing the FA view angle adjustment button 117a. In S600, when the FA zoom control unit 122 determines that the FA angle-of-view adjustment button 117a has been pressed, the process proceeds to S601.

  In S601, the FA zoom control unit 122 determines whether or not the FA view angle adjustment button 117a has been released within a predetermined time, that is, whether or not the button has been shortly pressed. Here, the state in which the FA view angle adjustment button 117a is released corresponds to the first state, and the state in which the button is pressed corresponds to the second state. If the FA view angle adjustment button 117a has been released within a predetermined time (in the case of a short press), the flow proceeds to S605, and if not released (in the case of a long press), the flow proceeds to S602. Here, if the difference between the size of the subject within the angle of view and the size of the subject to be photographed is large (the subject within the angle of view is too small), the angle of view is adjusted in the coarse adjustment mode. Briefly press the view angle adjustment button 117a. On the other hand, when the difference between the size of the subject within the angle of view and the size of the subject to be photographed is small, the photographer long-presses the FA view angle adjustment button 117a to perform the angle of view adjustment in the fine adjustment mode.

  Steps S605 to S608 indicate processing in the coarse adjustment mode. When the start of the coarse adjustment mode is instructed by a short press operation of the FA view angle adjustment button 117a, the FA zoom control unit 122 increases the zoom speed to the CZ control unit 119 or the electronic zoom control unit 120 in S605. Set. Further, the FA zoom control unit 122 sets the target zoom magnification stored in the memory 118 in the CZ control unit 119 or the electronic zoom control unit 120 based on the above-described setting, and starts the zoom operation.

  In S606, the FA zoom control unit 122 determines whether the target zoom magnification has been reached. If it is determined that the target zoom magnification has been reached, the process proceeds to S610. If it is determined that the target zoom magnification has not been reached, the process proceeds to S607. In S610, the FA zoom control unit 122 instructs the CZ control unit 119 or the electronic zoom control unit 120 to stop the zoom operation, and ends this flow.

  In S607, the FA zoom control unit 122 determines whether the FA view angle adjustment button 117a has been pressed. The processing of S605 to S607 is continued until the FA zoom control unit 122 determines in S606 that the target zoom magnification has been reached, or until it is detected in S607 that the FA view angle adjustment button 117a is pressed. If the press of the FA angle-of-view adjustment button 117a is detected in S607, the process proceeds to S608.

  In S608, the FA zoom control unit 122 instructs the CZ control unit 119 or the electronic zoom control unit 120 to stop the zoom operation. When the zoom operation is stopped, the process proceeds to S609.

  In S609, the FA zoom control unit 122 determines whether or not the FA view angle adjustment button 117a has been released within a predetermined time. That is, it is determined whether or not the press of the FA view angle adjustment button 117a detected in S607 is a short press operation. The short press operation of the FA angle-of-view adjustment button 117a here is an operation to instruct the end of the coarse adjustment mode. If the FA angle-of-view adjustment button 117a is released within a predetermined time (in the case of a short press), this flow is terminated. Perform the adjustment mode. Here, when the photographer determines that the appropriate subject size has been obtained by the angle of view adjustment in the coarse adjustment mode, the photographer short-presses the FA angle of view adjustment button 117a to terminate the FA angle of view adjustment function. On the other hand, when it is desired to finely adjust the size of the subject, the angle of view is adjusted in the fine adjustment mode by long-pressing the FA angle of view adjustment button 117a.

  S602 to S604 show processing in the fine adjustment mode. When the fine adjustment mode start is instructed by a long press operation of the FA view angle adjustment button 117a, the FA zoom control unit 122 lowers the zoom speed to the CZ control unit 119 or the electronic zoom control unit 120 in S602. Set. Further, the FA zoom control unit 122 sets the zoom magnification at the telephoto end as the target zoom magnification in the CZ control unit 119 or the electronic zoom control unit 120 and starts the zoom-in operation. The photographer continues the zoom-in operation by holding down the press of the FA angle-of-view adjustment button 117a until the subject size becomes appropriate. Then, when it is determined that the subject size is appropriate, the photographer instructs the end of the fine adjustment mode by releasing the FA view angle adjustment button 117a.

  In S603, the FA zoom control unit 122 determines whether or not the FA view angle adjustment button 117a has been released. If it is determined that the FA view angle adjustment button 117a has been released, the process proceeds to S604. In S604, the FA zoom control unit 122 instructs the CZ control unit 119 or the electronic zoom control unit 120 to stop the zoom operation, and ends the angle of view adjustment in the fine adjustment mode.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the process of the FA zoom control unit 122 when re-capturing the subject that has gone out of the frame by the FA search function in S503. When the photographer determines that the subject has gone out of the frame in S502 in FIG. 5, the FA search function is started by long-pressing the FA search button 117b. In S700, when the FA zoom control unit 122 determines that the FA search button 117b has been pressed and held (the pressed state is kept for a predetermined time), the process proceeds to S701.

  When the start of the FA search is instructed by the long press operation of the FA search button 117b, the FA zoom control unit 122 stores the zoom magnification at the start of the FA search in the memory 118 in S701. This zoom magnification is set as a target zoom-in magnification of a zoom-in operation at the end of the FA search described later. After storing the zoom magnification in the memory 118 in S701, the process proceeds to S702.

  In step S702, the FA zoom control unit 122 calculates a target zoom-out magnification based on the focal length corresponding to the zoom magnification at the start of the FA search and the zoom-out magnification stored in the memory 118. For example, if the focal length at the start of the FA search is 400 mm and the zoom-out magnification is 倍, the target zoom-out magnification is a zoom magnification corresponding to a focal length of 400 mm × (１ ／) = 200 mm. The FA zoom control unit 122 sets the calculated target zoom-out magnification in the CZ control unit 119 or the electronic zoom control unit 120 and starts the zoom-out operation.

  In S703, the FA zoom control unit 122 determines whether or not the target zoom-out magnification has been reached. The FA zoom control unit 122 continues the zoom-out operation of S702 until reaching the target zoom-out magnification, and proceeds to S704 when determining that the target zoom-out magnification has been reached. In S704, the FA zoom control unit 122 instructs the CZ control unit 119 or the electronic zoom control unit 120 to stop the zoom operation, and the CZ control unit 119 or the electronic zoom control unit 120 stops the zoom operation, and proceeds to S705. .

  In step S705, the FA zoom frame control unit 121 displays the FA zoom frame 400 indicating the angle of view corresponding to the zoom-in magnification stored in the memory 118 in step S701 on the image on the display unit 109. As a result, a subject search state is established by the FA search function. When the display of the FA zoom frame 400 is completed in S705, the process proceeds to S706.

  In S706, the FA zoom control unit 122 determines whether or not the FA angle-of-view adjustment button 117a has been pressed. If the FA view angle adjustment button 117a has been pressed, the process proceeds to S707, and if not, the process proceeds to S712.

  In S707, the FA zoom control unit 122 determines whether or not the FA view angle adjustment button 117a has been pressed and released within a predetermined time, that is, whether or not the button has been shortly pressed. If the FA angle-of-view adjustment button 117a has been released within a predetermined time (in the case of a short press), the flow proceeds to S702. If not released (in the case of a long press), the flow proceeds to S708.

  Here, if the photographer determines that the subject is not within the angle of view even in the subject search state, the photographer holds down the FA search button 117b while holding down the FA view angle adjustment button 117a. Press briefly. As a result, a re-search for the subject is instructed, and the current zoom magnification is changed to the wide angle direction. In this case, the FA zoom control unit 122 returns to the process in S702 and further zooms out by the predetermined amount of zoom-out magnification stored in the memory 118, thereby re-searching for the subject.

  On the other hand, it is assumed that the subject is framed in the angle of view, but the FA zoom frame 400 is smaller than the size of the subject, that is, the size of the subject is larger than the angle of view after the zoom-in operation. You. In this case, in order to adjust the size of the FA zoom frame 400, the photographer long-presses the FA view angle adjustment button 117a while holding down the FA search button 117b. If the photographer presses the FA view angle adjustment button 117a long while the FA search button 117b is pressed, the FA zoom control unit 122 instructs the FA zoom frame control unit 121 to enlarge the FA zoom frame 400 in S708. . In response to this instruction, the FA zoom frame control unit 121 updates the display on the display unit 109 so as to gradually enlarge the size of the FA zoom frame 400. While the FA view angle adjustment button 117a is pressed, the enlargement of the FA zoom frame 400 is continued, and the photographer releases the FA view angle adjustment button 117a when the size of the FA zoom frame 400 becomes appropriate.

  If the release of the FA view angle adjustment button 117a is determined in S709, the process proceeds to S710, where the FA zoom control unit 122 instructs the FA zoom frame control unit 121 to end the enlargement of the FA zoom frame 400. In this way, the photographer can adjust the size of the subject after the zoom-in operation to an appropriate size. When the size of the subject is smaller than the angle of view after the zoom-in operation, the angle of view can be adjusted in the telephoto direction by the fine adjustment mode of the FA angle-of-view adjustment function after the zoom-in operation. Therefore, during the FA search function, the adjustment of the FA zoom frame 400 only needs to be realized in the enlargement direction.

  In S711, the FA zoom control unit 122 calculates a zoom magnification corresponding to the angle of view indicated by the enlarged FA zoom frame 400, and updates the zoom-in magnification stored in the memory 118 based on the calculated zoom magnification. When the photographer determines that the FA zoom frame 400 displayed in S705 or the FA zoom frame 400 adjusted in S708 to S710 is appropriate, the FA search button 117b is released to instruct termination of the FA search function. . The FA zoom control unit 122 accepts the operation of the FA view angle adjustment button 117a in S706 until the FA search button 117b is released, and proceeds to S713 when it determines that the FA search button 117b is released in S712.

  In S713, the FA zoom control unit 122 sets the target zoom-in magnification stored in the memory 118 in S701 or S711 in the CZ control unit 119 or the electronic zoom control unit 120, and starts the zoom-in operation. The FA zoom control unit 122 continues the zoom-in operation until the target zoom-in magnification is reached, and proceeds to S715 if it is determined in S714 that the target zoom-in magnification has been reached. In S715, the FA zoom control unit 122 instructs the CZ control unit 119 or the electronic zoom control unit 120 to stop the zoom operation, and ends the subject search function.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, it is possible to switch between the coarse adjustment mode and the fine adjustment mode of the angle of view by performing different operations on the first operation member. Further, by operating the first operation member in the object search state by operating the second operation member, the subject out of the frame can be captured more easily. That is, by performing a short pressing operation of the first operation member in the subject search state, the angle of view can be further increased. This makes it possible to easily perform a re-search even if a subject cannot be found in the subject search state. Further, by performing a long-press operation of the first operation member in the subject search state, the FA zoom frame 400 is enlarged, that is, the FA zoom frame 400 is changed so that the zoomed-in angle of view after the FA search becomes a wide angle. it can. This makes it possible to easily change the zoom-in angle of view even when a subject approaches in the subject search state.

  By performing such control, in telephoto shooting where framing is difficult, rough field angle adjustment (coarse adjustment) and fine field angle adjustment (fine adjustment) can be easily switched, and the subject goes out of frame. Even in this case, it is possible to quickly re-capture the subject.

(Other embodiments)
The object of the present invention can also be achieved as follows. That is, a storage medium in which a program code of software in which a procedure for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is described is supplied to a system or an apparatus. Then, a computer (or CPU, MPU, or the like) of the system or apparatus reads out and executes the program code stored in the storage medium. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium implements the novel function of the present invention, and the storage medium and the program storing the program code constitute the present invention.

  Further, examples of a storage medium for supplying the program code include a flexible disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, and a magneto-optical disk. Further, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a CD-RW, a DVD-ROM, a DVD-RAM, a DVD-RW, a DVD-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, and the like can be used.

  Further, the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by enabling the computer to execute the readout program codes. Further, an OS (Operating System) or the like running on the computer performs part or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program code, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing. Is also included.

  Further, the following case is also included. First, the program code read from the storage medium is written to a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer. Thereafter, based on an instruction of the program code, a CPU or the like provided in the function expansion board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of actual processing.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to a device mainly for photographing such as a digital camera, but includes a built-in zoom control device such as a mobile phone, a personal computer (laptop type, desktop type, tablet type, etc.), a game machine, or the like. It can be applied to any externally connected device. Therefore, the “zoom control device” in this specification is intended to include any electronic device having a zoom function.

  As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist. The scene to be applied may be applied not only during the angle of view adjustment for still image shooting but also during the angle of view adjustment during moving image recording.

Reference Signs List 100 digital camera 102 zoom lens 114 system control unit 117 operation unit 118 memory 119 CZ control unit 120 electronic zoom control unit 122 FA zoom control unit

Claims (15)

A first operation unit and a second operation unit for instructing a change in zoom magnification;
A zoom control device comprising: a control unit configured to control a zoom magnification according to an operation of the first operation unit and an operation of the second operation unit ,
The control means includes: a first mode for changing a zoom magnification to a stored first zoom magnification in response to an operation of the first operation means; and a telephoto direction at a lower speed than the first mode. Switch to a second mode for changing the zoom magnification, control the zoom magnification ,
In response to a first operation via the second operation means, the current zoom magnification is stored as a second zoom magnification, and the zoom magnification is changed to a wide angle direction. The zoom magnification is changed to the second zoom magnification according to a second operation via the second operation means, and the zoom magnification is changed to a wide angle direction according to the first operation. Until the operation is performed, the current zoom magnification is changed according to the third operation via the first operation means, and the current zoom magnification is different from the third operation via the first operation means. A zoom control device, wherein the second zoom magnification is changed according to a fourth operation .   The zoom control device according to claim 1, wherein the first zoom magnification can be set to an arbitrary zoom magnification. When the first operation means is operated from the first state to the second state, a change in zoom magnification is instructed,
The control means controls the zoom magnification in the first mode when the time from when the first operation means is operated to the second state to when the first operation means returns to the first state is within a predetermined time. Controlling the zoom magnification in the second mode when the time from when the first operation means is operated to the second state to when the first operation means returns to the first state is longer than the predetermined time. The zoom control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein   In the first mode, when the first operation unit is again operated to the second state before the zoom magnification reaches the first zoom magnification, the control unit changes the zoom magnification. The zoom control device according to claim 3, wherein the zoom control device stops.   4. The control device according to claim 3, wherein, in the second mode, while the first operation device is operated in the second state, the control device continues to change the zoom magnification in a telephoto direction. Or the zoom control device according to 4. A first operation unit and a second operation unit for instructing a change in zoom magnification;
A zoom control device comprising: a control unit that controls a zoom magnification in accordance with an operation of the first operation unit and the second operation unit,
The control means stores a current zoom magnification as a second zoom magnification in accordance with a first operation through the second operation means, changes the zoom magnification in a wide-angle direction, and After the operation, the zoom magnification is changed to the second zoom magnification in accordance with the second operation through the second operation means, and the zoom magnification is changed in response to the first operation through the second operation means. And changing the current zoom magnification in accordance with a third operation through the first operation means between the time when the zoom magnification is changed to the wide angle direction and the time when the second operation is performed. A zoom control device, wherein the second zoom magnification is changed in accordance with a fourth operation different from the third operation via the first operation means. The control unit controls the first operation during a period from a time when a zoom magnification is changed to a wide angle direction in response to the first operation via the second operation unit until the second operation is performed. The zoom control according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the current zoom magnification is changed by a predetermined amount in the wide-angle direction in accordance with the third operation via a unit. apparatus. The control unit controls the first operation during a period from a time when a zoom magnification is changed to a wide angle direction in response to the first operation via the second operation unit until the second operation is performed. The zoom control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the second zoom magnification is changed in a wide-angle direction in accordance with the fourth operation via a unit. Further comprising display means for displaying an image,
The control means superimposes the image on an image between a time when the zoom operation is changed to a wide-angle direction in response to the first operation via the second operation means and the second operation is performed. zoom control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the displaying a frame indicating an angle corresponding to the second zoom magnification. The control unit changes a zoom magnification in a wide-angle direction in response to the first operation via the second operation unit and performs a current zoom magnification or a current zoom magnification during a period until the second operation is performed. The zoom control device according to claim 9 , wherein a size of a frame displayed on the display unit is updated according to a change in the second zoom magnification. The zoom control device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , wherein the first operation unit and the second operation unit are arranged at positions that can be simultaneously operated with one hand. A control method of a zoom control device having first operation means and second operation means for instructing a change in zoom magnification,
In response to an operation of the first operation means, the mode is switched between a first mode and a second mode to control a zoom magnification,
In the first mode, the zoom magnification is changed to the stored first zoom magnification,
In the second mode, changing the zoom magnification in the telephoto direction at a lower speed than in the first mode ;
In response to a first operation via the second operation means, the current zoom magnification is stored as a second zoom magnification, and the zoom magnification is changed to a wide angle direction. Changing a zoom magnification to the second zoom magnification according to a second operation through a second operation means;
After changing the zoom magnification in the wide-angle direction in response to the first operation via the second operation means and before the second operation is performed, a second operation via the first operation means is performed. The present invention is characterized in that the current zoom magnification is changed in response to the operation of No. 3, and the second zoom magnification is changed in response to a fourth operation different from the third operation via the first operation means. Control method of the zoom control device. A control method of a zoom control device having first operation means and second operation means for instructing a change in zoom magnification,
A zoom magnification is controlled according to an operation of the first operation means and the second operation means, and a current zoom magnification is changed to a second magnification according to a first operation through the second operation means. While storing as zoom magnification, change the zoom magnification to wide angle direction,
After the first operation, a zoom magnification is changed to the second zoom magnification in accordance with a second operation via the second operation means,
After changing the zoom magnification in the wide-angle direction in response to the first operation via the second operation means and before the second operation is performed, a second operation via the first operation means is performed. The present invention is characterized in that the current zoom magnification is changed in response to the operation of No. 3, and the second zoom magnification is changed in response to a fourth operation different from the third operation via the first operation means. Control method of the zoom control device. The control program of the zoom control apparatus characterized by being configured to execute a control method of the zoom control system according to the computer to claim 12 or 13. A storage medium storing a control program for the zoom control device according to claim 14 .

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