JP2007173979A - Shooting system - Google Patents

Abstract

An imaging system capable of obtaining a composition assumed by a photographer is provided.
When a remote operation mode is set with a digital camera, a through image signal is transmitted from the digital camera to a mobile phone. In the mobile phone, a through image captured by the digital camera from the LCD is displayed in response to the through image signal. When the zoom operation button is pressed while a through image is displayed from the LCD of the mobile phone, a zoom signal is transmitted from the mobile phone to the digital camera. In response to this, the digital camera performs zoom control of the through image. When the remaining time of the self-timer circuit becomes “0” or the shutter button of the cellular phone is pressed, a photographing signal is transmitted to the digital camera. In response to this, in the digital camera, a subject image is photographed, and image data obtained by photographing is written in the memory card.
[Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a photographing system capable of remotely controlling a digital camera by an external terminal.

2. Description of the Related Art Digital cameras having a self-timer function that allows a photographer himself to be a subject and appear in an image are widely known. When taking a picture using the self-timer function, the composition is assumed in advance by confirming a through image displayed on the liquid crystal display or by looking into the viewfinder. Then, after determining the composition of the image to be photographed, the self-timer is operated, and if the photographer moves within the photographing range during the operation of the self-timer, the photographer himself can be reflected in the image. However, in a digital camera having a cell timer function, an operation associated with the operation such as setting an operation time of the self-timer is required, which may cause trouble for the photographer. For this reason, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, it is conceivable that a photographer can be photographed as an object by enabling a shutter operation with a remote controller (remote controller). As a result, the photographer can be reflected in the image as a subject without any troublesome operations.
JP 2003-309757 A

  However, in any of the above methods, the photographer needs to make an approximate prediction so that an image with a predetermined composition can be obtained, so that the background of the assumed range is necessary. In some cases, an image with a composition assumed in advance cannot be obtained, for example, because the balance between the subject and the background is different from the assumed balance. In this case, the photographing must be repeated until an image having a composition assumed in advance is obtained, which makes the photographer feel inconvenient. In addition, for example, when adjusting the composition of an image by performing a zoom operation of the through image, it is necessary to perform the zoom operation while checking the through image with a digital camera each time, which also feels annoying to the photographer. I was letting. Furthermore, the method disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a drawback in that when a shutter operation is performed using a remote controller, the operation is reflected in the image, and an image having a composition assumed by the photographer cannot be obtained.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an imaging system capable of obtaining a composition assumed by a photographer.

  An imaging system of the present invention includes a digital camera capable of zoom control of a through image, and an external terminal that displays the through image and that can perform zoom operation of the through image and shutter operation of the digital camera. In the digital camera, zoom control is performed in response to a zoom signal transmitted wirelessly when a zoom operation is performed on the external terminal, and transmitted when a shutter operation is performed on the external terminal. A subject image is shot in response to a shooting signal, and the external terminal displays a through image in response to a through image signal transmitted wirelessly when the through image is taken by a digital camera. is there.

  The digital camera has a self-timer function, and the external terminal can be operated by a timer for operating the self-timer. In the digital camera, when the timer is operated by an external terminal. Preferably, the self-timer is activated in response to a timer activation signal transmitted wirelessly.

  The external terminal can perform a timer setting operation for setting the operation time of the self-timer, and the operation time set by the timer setting operation is preferably transmitted to the digital camera by a timer operation signal.

  In the photographing system of the present invention, in a digital camera, zoom control is performed in response to a zoom signal transmitted wirelessly when a zoom operation is performed on an external terminal, and a shutter operation is performed on the external terminal. The subject image is shot in response to the shooting signal sent at the time of shooting, and the external terminal displays the through image in response to the through image signal sent wirelessly when the through image is taken by the digital camera. Therefore, it is possible to check the through image and perform the zoom operation while staying within the shooting range of the digital camera, and the composition assumed by the photographer can be obtained.

  Also, in the digital camera, since the self-timer operates in response to a timer operation signal transmitted wirelessly when a timer operation is performed on the external terminal, the external terminal is connected to the digital camera while the self-timer is operating. It is possible to move the camera outside the shooting range and prevent the operation when the external terminal is operated from being reflected in the image. Thereby, the composition assumed by the photographer can be obtained more reliably.

  In addition, the external terminal can perform a timer setting operation to set the operation time of the self-timer, and the operation time set by the timer setting operation is transmitted to the digital camera by the timer operation signal. Therefore, it is possible to determine the time for preparing for shooting according to the intention of the photographer, and it is possible to more reliably obtain the composition assumed by the photographer.

  In FIG. 1, the photographing system 2 includes a digital camera 3 and a mobile phone (external terminal) 4. The digital camera 3 includes an imaging lens 10, a CCD image sensor 11, a system controller 12, a ROM 13, a RAM 14, an operation unit 15, a liquid crystal display (LCD) 16, and the like. Each unit is connected to the system controller 12 via a data bus 17. The ROM 13 stores programs and data for controlling the operation of the digital camera 3. The system controller 12 reads programs and data in the ROM 13 and controls each unit. The RAM 14 includes a working memory and is used for temporarily storing data associated with the control of the digital camera 3. The digital camera 3 is set with a normal shooting mode for performing a shutter operation by pressing a shutter button provided on the operation unit 15 and a remote operation mode for performing a shutter operation in response to a shooting signal from the mobile phone 4. Yes. These shooting modes are selected by a shooting mode selection switch provided on the operation unit 15.

  The CCD image sensor 11 captures (photoelectrically converts) the subject light captured through the photographing lens 10. The imaging lens 10 includes a main lens, a zoom lens, and a focus lens. A lens motor 10a is connected to the zoom lens and the focus lens, and each lens is individually driven by the lens motor 10a. The lens motor 10a is a stepping motor, and its driving is controlled by a driving pulse transmitted from the system controller 12 via the motor driver 10b.

  The system controller 12 moves the zoom lens to the wide side or the tele side in response to the operation of the zoom operation button 31b (see FIG. 2) provided on the mobile phone 4, and sets the focus lens to the in-focus position at each focal length. Move. Thereby, zoom control of the through image is performed.

  The CCD image sensor 11 sequentially outputs image pickup signals to the outside in accordance with pulses supplied from the CCD driver 18. The analog signal processing unit 19 takes in the imaging signal output from the CCD image sensor 11 and performs predetermined analog signal processing such as correlated double sampling processing and gain adjustment. The A / D converter 20 digitizes the imaging signal output from the analog signal processing unit 19.

  The digital signal processing unit 21 captures the imaging signal output from the A / D converter 20 and performs predetermined processing such as luminance / color difference signal conversion processing, gamma correction, sharpness correction, contrast correction, and white balance correction on the imaging signal. The image processing is performed. The image data that has undergone image processing is stored in the frame memory 22.

  In the frame memory 22, image data for one frame subjected to various processes by the digital signal processing unit 21 is written. The system controller 12 converts the image data written in the frame memory 22 into the NTSC system. In the normal photographing mode, the converted image data is displayed from the LCD 16 as a through image.

  The image compression unit 23 compresses the image data in the frame memory 22 according to a predetermined compression format (for example, JPEG format) when a shutter operation is performed. The compressed image data is written into the memory card 25 by the media controller 24.

  The infrared communication unit 26 performs infrared data communication with the mobile phone 4. In the remote operation mode, the image data written in the frame memory 22 is transmitted from the infrared communication unit 26 to the mobile phone 4 as a through image signal.

  The digital camera 3 is provided with a cell timer circuit 27 to add a self-timer function. The system controller 12 sets the time set by the photographer in the self-timer circuit 27. The self-timer circuit 27 starts counting down the set time together with its operation. When the remaining time in the self-timer circuit 27 becomes “0”, a still image is taken.

  In FIG. 2, the operation of the mobile phone 4 is controlled by the system controller 30. Various operations for operating the mobile phone 4 are performed in the operation unit 31. When an operation on the operation unit 31 is performed, the system controller 30 controls the operation of the mobile phone 4 in response thereto.

  The ROM 32 stores programs and data for controlling the operation of the mobile phone 4. The system controller 30 reads programs and data in the ROM 32 and controls each unit. The RAM 33 is composed of a working memory, and is used for temporarily storing data accompanying the control of the mobile phone 4.

  The mobile phone 4 includes an infrared communication unit 34. The infrared communication unit 34 performs infrared data communication with the digital camera 3. When the infrared communication unit 34 receives the through image signal transmitted from the digital camera 3, the system controller 30 writes the image data included in the through image signal in the frame memory 35. Then, the system controller 30 converts the image data written in the frame memory 35 into the NTSC system, and displays the converted image data from the LCD 36 as a through image.

  The operation unit 31 includes a shutter button 31a, a zoom operation button 31b, a timer operation button 31c, and a timer setting dial 31d in addition to push buttons used for inputting a telephone number and the like.

  When the shutter button 31 a is pressed (shutter operation), an imaging signal is transmitted from the infrared communication unit 34 to the digital camera 3. In response to this, in the digital camera 3, the image data in the frame memory 22 is written into the memory card 25.

  When the zoom operation button 31 b is pressed (zoom operation), a zoom signal is transmitted from the infrared communication unit 34 to the digital camera 3. In response to this, in the digital camera 3, the zoom motor and the focus lens are driven by the lens motor 10a, and zoom control of the through image is performed.

  When the timer operation button 31 c is pressed (timer operation operation), a timer operation signal is transmitted from the infrared communication unit 4 to the digital camera 3. In response to this, the self-timer circuit 27 is operated in the digital camera 3.

  The timer setting dial 31d is operated before the timer operation button 31c is pressed. When the timer setting dial 31d is operated (timer setting operation), the operation time of the self-timer circuit 27 is set. The operating time set by the timer setting dial 31d is transmitted to the digital camera 3 by the timer operating time. In the digital camera 3, the operation time set by the timer setting dial 31 d is set in the self-timer circuit 27.

  The radio communication unit 37 transmits and receives radio signals (sending signals and receiving signals) to and from other mobile phones and fixed phones via a base station and a line network. The audio processing unit 38 converts the radio wave signal received by the radio wave communication unit 37 into an electrical audio signal. The reception speaker 39 converts this electrical audio signal into sound and outputs it to the outside. The transmission microphone 40 converts the voice of the speaker into an electrical voice signal. In contrast to the above, the audio processing unit 38 converts an electrical audio signal into a radio signal and causes the radio communication unit 37 to output the radio signal.

  Next, the flow of processing when the remote operation mode is set with the digital camera 3 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, when the digital camera 3 is set to the remote operation mode (step S101), a through image signal is transmitted from the digital camera 3 to the mobile phone 4 (step S102). In the mobile phone 4, a through image captured by the digital camera 3 from the LCD 36 is displayed in response to the through image signal (step S103). When the zoom operation button 31b is pressed while the through image is displayed from the LCD 36 of the mobile phone 4, a zoom signal is transmitted from the mobile phone 4 to the digital camera 3 (step S104). In response to this, the digital camera 3 performs zoom control of the through image (step S105). When the photographer operates the timer setting dial 31d with the cellular phone 4 and presses the timer activation button 31c, a timer activation signal is transmitted from the cellular phone 4 to the digital camera 3 (step S106). In the digital camera 3, in response to the timer operation signal, the operation time set by the photographer is set in the self-timer circuit 27 (step S107), and the self-timer circuit 27 starts operating (step S108). When the self-timer circuit 27 starts operating, the operation time set in the cell timer circuit 27 is counted down (step S109). When the remaining time of the self-timer circuit 27 becomes “0” (step S110), a subject image is photographed (step S111), and image data obtained by the photographing is written into the memory card 25. If the self-timer circuit is not activated, a shooting signal is transmitted to the digital camera 3 when the shutter button 31a of the mobile phone 4 is pressed during the through image display (step S112). In response to this, the digital camera 3 captures the subject image (step S113), and the image data obtained by the capturing is written in the memory card 25.

  In the above embodiment, the mobile phone 4 has been described as an example of the external terminal, but an appropriate terminal device such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) may be used as the external terminal.

  In the above embodiment, data transmission / reception between the digital camera 3 and the mobile phone 4 is performed by infrared communication. However, for example, the digital camera 3 can be connected to the digital camera 3 by an appropriate method such as Bluetooth or IEEE802.11b + g. Data transmission / reception with the mobile phone 4 may be performed.

It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the digital camera which comprises the imaging | photography system of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the mobile telephone which comprises the imaging | photography system of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of the imaging | photography system at the time of selecting remote control mode with a digital camera.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 Shooting system 3 Digital camera 4 Cellular phone 12 System controller 26, 34 Infrared communication part 27 Self-timer circuit 30 System controller 31 Operation part 31a Shutter button 31b Zoom operation button 31c Timer operation button 31d Timer setting dial

Claims (3)

A digital camera capable of zoom control of a through image; and an external terminal capable of displaying the through image and performing a zoom operation of the through image and a shutter operation of the digital camera,
In the digital camera, zoom control is performed in response to a zoom signal transmitted wirelessly when a zoom operation is performed on the external terminal, and is transmitted when a shutter operation is performed on the external terminal. The subject image is shot in response to the shooting signal,
In the external terminal, a through image is displayed in response to a through image signal transmitted wirelessly when a through image is captured by a digital camera. The digital camera has a self-timer function, and the external terminal can be operated by a timer to operate the self-timer.
2. The photographing system according to claim 1, wherein in the digital camera, a self-timer operates in response to a timer operation signal transmitted wirelessly when a timer operation is performed at an external terminal. The operation time set by the timer setting operation is transmitted to the digital camera by a timer operation signal, wherein the external terminal can perform a timer setting operation for setting an operation time of the self-timer. 2. The photographing system according to 2.

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