JP7282524B2 - Display control device, its control method and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a display control device, its control method, program and recording medium.

A photographing device such as a digital camera stores and manages photographed images in a folder. Patent Document 1 discloses an image processing apparatus that creates a new folder when, for example, a change in date and time occurs by setting folder creation conditions in advance, and saves the next captured image in the new folder. It is
When shooting multiple related images using continuous shooting, focus bracketing, etc., the same subject will be shot many times at once. It is desirable that

JP 2007-27995 A

On the other hand, if a folder is created each time shooting is performed in continuous shooting, focus bracket shooting, or the like, there is a risk that the maximum number of folders that can be created will soon be reached. In addition, in focus bracket photography, the user mainly performs trial and error, in which the user photographs by changing the width of the focus shift, and readjusts the photographed image while viewing the photographed image. Therefore, there is a demand to separate a folder for storing images obtained by multiple times of focus bracketing as a trial and images obtained by focus bracketing for recording purposes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to enable a user to create a folder for storing a plurality of related images as needed.

The present invention comprises setting means capable of setting a specific mode for photographing a plurality of related images, display control means controlling display means to display a live view image photographed by the photographing means, and the photographing means. and a control means for controlling to store an image captured by a folder in a folder, wherein in a state in which the specific mode is set by the setting means, the display control means controls the When waiting for photographing by the photographing means, an instruction item for instructing creation of a new folder for storing a plurality of related images photographed by the photographing means in the specific mode is sent to the live After controlling to superimpose and display the view image, and after the photographing of the plurality of related images by the photographing means is started and before the photographing of the plurality of related images is completed, the following It is characterized by performing control so that the instruction item is superimposed on the live view image and displayed when the related image is waiting to be photographed.

According to the present invention, a user can create a folder for storing a plurality of related images as needed.

It is a figure which shows an example of an external appearance structure of a camera. It is a figure which shows an example of an internal structure of a camera. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for focus bracket shooting mode; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an outline of focus bracket photography; FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of file search processing; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a menu screen for folder creation; FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of storage destination folder determination processing; FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of folder creation processing; It is a figure which shows an example of the display screen of a photography standby state.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a case where the display control device is a digital camera (imaging device) will be described as an example.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an external configuration of a digital camera 100 (hereinafter referred to as camera 100) viewed from the rear side.

The display unit 101 displays images and various information. The display unit 101 corresponds to an example of display means. A shutter button 102 is an operation unit for a user to issue a photographing instruction. A mode switch 103 is an operation unit for switching between various modes. The connector 104 is a connecting portion for connecting a connection cable 105 for connecting with an external device.

The operation unit 106 receives various operations from the user. The operation unit 106 includes operation members such as various switches, buttons, a controller wheel 107 and a touch panel 108 . The operation unit 106 corresponds to an example of reception means.
A power switch 109 is a switch for switching between power on and power off.
A recording medium 110 is a memory card, a hard disk, or the like. A recording medium slot 111 accommodates the recording medium 110 . The recording medium 110 accommodated in the recording medium slot 111 can communicate with the camera 100, and can record captured images and reproduce images. The recording medium slot 111 is closed with a lid 112 . FIG. 1 shows a state in which the cover 112 is opened and the recording medium 110 is taken out from the recording medium slot 111 to partially expose it.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the camera 100. As shown in FIG. In addition, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted as appropriate.
A photographing lens 200 is a lens group including a zoom lens and a focus lens. Shutter 201 is a focal plane shutter. The image pickup unit 202 is an image pickup device configured by a CCD, a CMOS device, or the like that converts an optical image into an electric signal. The imaging unit 202 corresponds to an example of imaging means. The A/D converter 203 converts the analog signal output from the imaging unit 202 into a digital signal. The barrier 204 covers the imaging system including the imaging lens 200 of the camera 100 to prevent the imaging system including the imaging lens 200, the shutter 201, and the imaging unit 202 from being soiled or damaged.

The image processing unit 205 performs various image processing under the control of the system control unit 50 . That is, the image processing unit 205 performs resizing processing such as predetermined pixel interpolation and reduction, and color conversion processing on the image data from the A/D converter 203 or the image data from the memory control unit 208 . Further, the image processing unit 205 performs predetermined arithmetic processing using the photographed image data, and the system control unit 50 performs exposure control and ranging control based on the obtained arithmetic results. As a result, TTL (through-the-lens) AF (autofocus) processing and AE (automatic exposure) processing are performed. Further, the image processing unit 205 performs predetermined arithmetic processing using the photographed image data, and performs TTL AWB (Auto White Balance) processing based on the obtained arithmetic result.
The image processing unit 205 also has an image synthesis unit 206 and an image analysis unit 207 . An image synthesizing unit 206 performs processing for synthesizing a plurality of images. An image analysis unit 207 analyzes image data input to the image processing unit 205 . Specifically, the image analysis unit 207 detects a specific subject such as a person included in the image.

The image data from the A/D converter 203 is written directly to the memory 209 via the image processing section 205 and memory control section 208 or via the memory control section 208 . The memory 209 stores image data obtained by the imaging unit 202 and converted into digital data by the A/D converter 203 and image data to be displayed on the display unit 101 . The memory 209 has a storage capacity sufficient to store a predetermined number of still images, moving images for a predetermined period of time, and audio. The memory 209 also serves as an image display memory (video memory).

The D/A converter 210 converts image data for display stored in the memory 209 into an analog signal and supplies the analog signal to the display unit 101 . Therefore, the image data for display written in the memory 209 is displayed by the display unit 101 via the D/A converter 210 . The display unit 101 displays an analog signal from the D/A converter 210 on a display such as an LCD. A digital signal that is once A/D converted by the A/D converter 203 and stored in the memory 209 is converted to analog by the D/A converter 210, and is sequentially transferred to the display unit 101 for display, thereby displaying a live view image. and functions as an electronic viewfinder.

The nonvolatile memory 211 is an electrically erasable/recordable memory, and for example, an EEPROM or the like is used. The nonvolatile memory 211 stores constants for the operation of the system control unit 50, programs, and the like. This program is a program for executing various flowcharts of this embodiment, which will be described later.

System controller 50 has at least one processor or circuit and controls camera 100 as a whole. The system control unit 50 corresponds to an example of setting means, display control means, control means, and notification means. The system control unit 50 executes the programs stored in the nonvolatile memory 211 to realize each process of the present embodiment, which will be described later. The system control unit 50 also performs display control by controlling the memory 209, the D/A converter 210, the display unit 101, and the like.
A RAM, for example, is used for the system memory 212 . The system memory 212 develops constants and variables for operation of the system control unit 50, programs read from the nonvolatile memory 211, and the like. A system timer 213 is a timer that measures the time used for various controls and the time of a built-in clock.

The mode changeover switch 103 , the first shutter switch 214 , the second shutter switch 215 , and the operation unit 106 are operation means for inputting various operation instructions to the system control unit 50 .
A mode switch 103 switches the operation mode to any one of a still image shooting mode, a moving image shooting mode, a playback mode, and the like. The system control unit 50 sets the operation mode switched by the mode switch 103 . Modes included in still image shooting mode include auto shooting mode, auto scene detection mode, manual mode, various scene modes with shooting settings for each shooting scene, program AE mode, wide-angle image composition mode, custom mode, focus bracket shooting mode, panorama shooting mode, continuous shooting mode, etc. The user can directly switch to any of the modes included in the still image shooting mode by means of the mode switch 103 . Alternatively, the mode switching switch 103 may be used to temporarily switch to the still image shooting mode, and then another operation member may be used to switch to any of the modes included in the still image shooting mode. It should be noted that the moving image shooting mode may similarly include a plurality of modes.

The first shutter switch 214 is turned on when the shutter button 102 is being operated, that is, when the shutter button 102 is half-pressed (imaging preparation instruction), and generates a first shutter switch signal SW1. The system control unit 50 starts operations such as AF processing, AE processing, and AWB processing in response to the first shutter switch signal SW1.
The second shutter switch 215 is turned on when the operation of the shutter button 102 is completed, that is, when the shutter button 102 is fully pressed (imaging instruction), and generates a second shutter switch signal SW2. In response to the second shutter switch signal SW2, the system control unit 50 starts a series of shooting processing operations from signal reading from the imaging unit 202 to writing of image data to the recording medium 110. FIG. Although the second shutter switch signal SW2 is detected to start shooting, the shutter 201 may be operated or switched according to the setting.

Each operation member of the operation unit 106 is appropriately assigned a function for each scene by selecting and operating various function icons displayed on the display unit 101, and acts as various function buttons. As function buttons, for example, there are an end button, a return button, an image forward button, a jump button, a narrow-down button, an attribute change button, and the like. For example, when a menu button is pressed, a menu screen on which various settings can be made is displayed on the display unit 101 . The user can intuitively perform various settings by using the menu screen displayed on the display unit 101, the up, down, left, and right four-direction buttons and the SET button.

The operation unit 106 includes a controller wheel 107 . The controller wheel 107 is a rotatable operating member, and is used together with up, down, left, and right direction buttons to specify setting items.
When the controller wheel 107 is rotated, an electrical pulse signal is generated according to the amount of operation. The system control section 50 controls each section of the camera 100 based on the generated pulse signal. That is, the system control unit 50 can determine the angle at which the controller wheel 107 is rotated, the number of revolutions, and the like, based on the generated pulse signal. Note that the controller wheel 107 may be any operating member that can detect a rotating operation. For example, it may be a dial operation member that rotates the controller wheel 107 itself in accordance with a user's rotation operation to generate a pulse signal. Alternatively, the controller wheel 107 itself may not be rotated, but may be a so-called touch wheel that detects the rotational movement of a user's finger on the controller wheel 107, which is an operation member made up of a touch sensor.

The operation unit 106 also includes a touch panel 108 . Touch panel 108 detects contact with display unit 101 . The touch panel 108 and the display unit 101 can be configured integrally. For example, the touch panel 108 is attached to the upper layer of the display surface of the display unit 101 so that the light transmittance does not interfere with the display of the display unit 101 . By associating the input coordinates on the touch panel 108 with the display coordinates on the display unit 101, a GUI is configured as if the user can directly operate the screen displayed on the display unit 101. be able to. The touch panel 108 can use any one of various methods such as a resistive film method, a capacitance method, a surface acoustic wave method, an infrared method, an electromagnetic induction method, an image recognition method, and an optical sensor method. Depending on the method, there is a method of detecting that there is a touch when the touch panel 108 is touched, and a method of detecting that there is a touch when a finger or pen approaches the touch panel 108 . may

The power supply control unit 216 includes a battery detection circuit, a DC-DC converter, a switch circuit for switching blocks to be energized, and the like, and detects whether or not a battery is installed, the type of battery, and the remaining battery level. Also, the power supply control unit 216 controls the DC-DC converter based on the detection results and instructions from the system control unit 50, and supplies necessary voltage to each unit including the recording medium 110 for a necessary period. The power source unit 217 includes a primary battery such as an alkaline battery or a lithium battery, a secondary battery such as a NiCd battery, a NiMH battery, or a Li battery, an AC adapter, or the like. A recording medium I/F 218 is an interface with the recording medium 110 . The recording medium 110 is composed of a semiconductor memory, an optical disk, a magnetic disk, or the like.

The orientation detection unit 219 detects the orientation of the camera 100 with respect to the direction of gravity. The system control unit 50 calculates the angle and movement amount of the camera 100 from the detection result by the posture detection unit 219 . For example, when the detection result by the orientation detection unit 219 is angular velocity, the system control unit 50 calculates the angle and the position by integrating each. The orientation detection unit 219 is composed of a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, and the like.
The strobe 220 emits light in response to a photographing instruction when the subject field is dark or the like, and compensates for the lack of light quantity.

Next, focus bracket photography by the camera 100 will be described.
Focus bracket photography is a method of photographing by shifting the in-focus position from the position at the start of photography. A plurality of images having different focal positions can be captured with one shooting instruction by focus bracket shooting. A plurality of images with different focal positions are combined in a post-process to generate an omnifocal image in which the entire image is in focus. A plurality of images captured by focus bracketing corresponds to an example of a plurality of related images.

First, the case of setting the focus bracket shooting mode in which focus bracket shooting can be performed will be described. Here, the focus bracket shooting mode corresponds to an example of a specific mode. When the user operates the operation unit 106 , the system control unit 50 displays the main setting screen of the focus bracket shooting mode on the display unit 101 .

FIG. 3A is a diagram showing an example of a main setting screen 300 in focus bracket shooting mode. Setting items 301 to 303 are displayed on the main setting screen 300 . The user selects a setting item to be set from the setting items 301 to 303 and presses the SET button to change the screen.

FIG. 3B is a diagram showing an example of a detailed setting screen 310 that is transitioned and displayed when the setting item 301 of the main setting screen 300 is selected. On the detailed setting screen 310, it is possible to select whether or not to set the focus bracket shooting mode. The system control unit 50 sets the focus bracket shooting mode to on when the user selects "perform" focus bracket shooting, and sets the focus bracket shooting mode to off when the user selects "not to perform" focus bracket shooting. do. In addition, the system control unit 50 displays and notifies the user of guidance 311 that recommends creating a new folder to the user when the user selects "perform" focus bracket shooting.

FIG. 3(c) is a diagram showing an example of a detailed setting screen 320 that is transitioned and displayed when the setting item 302 of the main setting screen 300 is selected. On the detailed setting screen 320, the number of shots in the focus bracket shooting mode can be set. Here, the user can arbitrarily set the number of shots. The system control unit 50 shoots the set number of images according to the user's instruction for focus bracket shooting.

FIG. 3D is a diagram showing an example of a detailed setting screen 330 that is transitioned and displayed when the setting item 303 of the main setting screen 300 is selected. The step width can be set on the detail setting screen 330 . The step width is the width by which the focus is shifted for each shooting in one focus bracket shooting, that is, the amount of focus movement (defocus amount). The system control unit 50 shoots images by shifting the focus by the step width set for each shooting until the set number of shots is reached in response to the user's instruction for focus bracket shooting.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an outline of focus bracket photography.
Each number 401 given at intervals in the horizontal direction shown in FIG. 4 corresponds to the number of shots set on the detailed setting screen 320 of FIG. 3(c). Here, an example in which 11 shots are set as the number of shots is shown. A horizontal interval 402 shown in FIG. 4 corresponds to the step width set on the detailed setting screen 330 of FIG. 3(d).
The system control unit 50 starts shooting in response to a focus bracket shooting instruction from the user, that is, when the shutter button 102 is pressed. The system control unit 50 shoots until the set number of shots is reached while shifting the in-focus position by a set step width from the position at the start of shooting. At this time, the system control unit 50 sets an appropriate aperture value and shutter speed for each photographed image, and performs photographing. In this way, a plurality of images having different focal positions can be captured with one image capturing instruction. The system control unit 50 records the multiple captured images in the recording medium 110, thereby completing the focus bracket imaging.
The number of shots and the step size are not limited to the case where the user sets the number of shots and the step size.

Next, an image synthesizing process for synthesizing images obtained by focus bracketing to generate an omnifocal image will be described. The image synthesizing process is performed by the image synthesizing unit 206 in a post-process of focus bracket imaging. Here, the image synthesizing unit 206 starts processing in response to a user's instruction to generate an omnifocal image after focus bracket imaging is completed, but the processing may be started immediately after focus bracket imaging is completed.

The image synthesizing unit 206 sequentially reads from the recording medium 110 the images that have been photographed first toward infinity from the image with the closest focus position. Next, the image synthesizing unit 206 selects and synthesizes the pixel values of the image with the highest sharpness, that is, the most focused image from among the plurality of read images, and synthesizes them into a final image at any position within the screen. However, an omnifocal image, which is an image with a high degree of sharpness, can be obtained.

Specifically, the image synthesizing unit 206 is capable of performing four synthesizing processes: additive synthesizing, weighted additive synthesizing, comparatively bright synthesizing, and comparatively dark synthesizing. I_i (x, y) (i = 1 to N, x, y represent the coordinates in the screen) are the pixel values of each image before synthesis, and the pixel values of the image after synthesis of those N images are Let I(x,y). Here, the pixel values may be the values of the R, G1, G2, and B signals in the Bayer array output from the image processing unit 205, and are obtained from the groups of the R, G1, G2, and B signals. It may be a luminance signal value (luminance value). Furthermore, the luminance value may be calculated for each pixel after the Bayer array signal is interpolated so that there are R, G, and B signals for each pixel. As an arithmetic expression for the luminance value, for example, if the luminance value is Y, there is a method of calculating by weighted addition of R, G, and B signals such as Y=0.3×R+0.59×G+0.11×B. mentioned. A plurality of pieces of image data are subjected to processing such as alignment as necessary, and each processing is performed according to the following formula for each pixel value associated with each other.

That is, the additive synthesizing process is
I(x,y)=I_1(x,y)+I_2(x,y)+...+I_N(x,y)
The combined image data is obtained by adding the pixel values of N images for each pixel.
The weighted sum synthesis process uses ak as a weighting factor,
I(x,y)=(a1*I_1(x,y)+a2*I_2(x,y)+...+aN*I_N(x,y))/N
, and weighted addition processing of pixel values of N images for each pixel is combined image data.
The lightening compositing process is
I(x, y) =
max(I_1(x,y),I_2(x,y),...,I_N(x,y))
The synthesized image data is obtained by selecting the maximum value of the pixel values of the N images for each pixel.
The comparative dark synthesis process is
I(x, y) =
min(I_1(x,y),I_2(x,y),...,I_N(x,y))
The composite image data is obtained by selecting the minimum value of the pixel values of the N images for each pixel.

Next, a case where a plurality of images obtained by focus bracketing are managed by folders will be described. First, processing that is a premise for managing newly shot images in folders, not limited to focus bracket shooting, will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. FIG.
FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an example of file search processing for searching for files recorded in the recording medium 110 . This file search process is a process necessary to determine the folder in which the newly shot image is to be stored.
The flowchart of FIG. 5 is started when the camera 100 is powered on. Each process in the flowchart of FIG. 5 is implemented by the system control unit 50 loading the program stored in the nonvolatile memory 211 into the system memory 212 and executing the program.

In S501, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the final image recorded in the recording medium 110 has been finalized. If the final image has been finalized, the process proceeds to S511; otherwise, the process proceeds to S502.
In S502, the system control unit 50 reads the root directory entry from the recording medium 110. FIG.

In S503, the system control unit 50 analyzes the read root directory entry and determines whether or not the "/DCIM" folder (directory) exists. If the "/DCIM" folder exists, the process advances to step S504, and if the "/DCIM" folder does not exist, the processing ends assuming that no image is recorded on the recording medium 110. FIG.
In S504, the system control unit 50 reads the directory entry of "/DCIM".

In S505, the system control unit 50 sets the search folder number (DirNum) to 999, which is the maximum number in the DCF standard, and sets the variable (FileNum) indicating the number of files to 0.
In S506, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the corresponding folder exists. Specifically, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not [/DCIM/“DirNumXXXXXX”] exists in the recording medium 110 . Here, (DirNum) in the folder name is the value of the variable DirNum, that is, the DCF directory number (999 to 100), and X is any ASCII single-byte alphanumeric character. If the corresponding folder exists, proceed to S507; otherwise, proceed to S512.

In S507, the system control unit 50 reads the directory entry of the corresponding folder.
In S508, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not a reproducible file exists. If there is a reproducible file, proceed to S509; otherwise, proceed to S512.

In S509, the system control unit 50 determines the file with the largest DCF file number among the reproducible files as the final image. The DCF file number is a number from "0001 to 9999" forming the lower four characters of the DCF file name (8 characters).
In S510, the system control unit 50 sets the DCF file number of the final image to the variable FileNum.

In S<b>511 , the system control unit 50 stores the final image-related information in the system memory 212 . The final image-related information includes the DCF directory number (DirNum) of the folder in which the final image exists, the total number of images in the folder, the DCF file number (FileNum) of the final image, the shooting time and time stamp, and the like.
When proceeding from S501 to S511, the system control unit 50 stores the confirmed DCF directory number (DirNum) and DCF file number (FileNum) in the system memory 212 as the final image-related information. It is determined in S501 that the final image has been finalized, for example, when the DCF directory number (DirNum) and DCF file number (FileNum) of the final image have already been retrieved in the previous file retrieval process.

On the other hand, when proceeding from S506 to S512, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the DCF directory number (DirNum) has reached the minimum value (=100). If the value of DirNum is the minimum value, the process proceeds to S511. If the value of DirNum is greater than the minimum value, the process proceeds to S513.
In S513, the system control unit 50 decrements the value of the DCF directory number (DirNum) by 1, returns to S506, and searches for the next folder.

The system control unit 50 determines the storage destination folder and file name of the new image based on the DCF directory number and the DCF file number of the final image retrieved in the file retrieval process described above.
Note that in the flowchart of FIG. 5, the file with the largest DCF file number in the DCF standard is searched as the final image, but the search is not limited to this case. For example, the last image in a specific DCF directory under the DCF standard, the last file in the recording order on the recording medium 110, or the like may be the final image.

Next, a method of creating a new folder at the time of photographing and determining a folder for storing the photographed image will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining how the user creates a new folder during normal shooting. When the user operates the operation unit 106 , the system control unit 50 displays a folder creation menu screen 600 on the display unit 101 .
FIG. 6A shows an example of a menu screen 600 for creating a new folder. A menu screen 600 displays a selection item 601 for creating a folder. When the user selects the selection item 601 and presses the SET button, the screen transitions.
FIG. 6B is a diagram showing an example of a confirmation screen 610 that is transitioned and displayed when the selection item 601 of the menu screen 600 is selected. A confirmation screen 610 displays a message 611 indicating the DCF directory number of the newly created folder. The system control unit 50 creates a new folder in response to the user's OK folder creation instruction.

Next, a storage destination folder determination process for determining a storage destination folder will be described with reference to FIG. The flowchart of FIG. 7 is started by, for example, displaying the confirmation screen 610 of FIG. 6B described above. Each process in the flowchart of FIG. 7 is implemented by the system control unit 50 loading the program stored in the nonvolatile memory 211 into the system memory 212 and executing the program.

In S701, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not there is a folder creation instruction. Here, the folder creation instruction corresponds to the case where the user presses the OK button on the confirmation screen 610 shown in FIG. 6B. However, the folder creation instruction is not limited to an instruction by the user, and may be an instruction by the system control unit 50 itself when the shooting time date included in the final image-related information is different from the current date. If there is an instruction to create a folder, the process proceeds to S702; otherwise, the process proceeds to S703.
In S702, the system control unit 50 sets a folder creation flag. Specifically, system control unit 50 stores a folder creation flag in system memory 212 .
In S703, the system control unit 50 clears the folder creation flag. Specifically, when the folder creation flag is stored in the system memory 212, the system control unit 50 erases the folder creation flag.

In S704, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the folder creation flag is set. Specifically, system control unit 50 determines whether or not a folder creation flag is stored in system memory 212 . If the folder creation flag is not set, the process proceeds to S705, and if the folder creation flag is set, the process proceeds to S706.
In S705, the system control unit 50 determines an existing folder and file name for storing the newly captured image. Specifically, the system control unit 50 determines the existing folder having the DCF directory number (DirNum) included in the final image-related information as the storage destination folder. Also, the system control unit 50 determines the next number following the DCF file number (FileNum) included in the final image-related information as the file name of the image.

In S706, the system control unit 50 creates a new folder. The system control unit 50 determines the DCF directory number of the created new folder to be a value obtained by adding 1 to the DCF directory number (DirNum) included in the final image-related information.
In S707, the system control unit 50 clears the folder creation flag. Specifically, system control unit 50 erases the folder creation flag stored in system memory 212 . By clearing the folder creation flag in this way, redundant creation of folders can be prevented. Also, by referring to the folder creation flag, the system control unit 50 can recognize that a new folder has already been created and the folder creation instruction has been cleared.

In S708, the system control unit 50 determines the folder and file name for storing the newly captured image. Specifically, the system control unit 50 determines the new folder created in S706 as the storage destination folder. Also, the system control unit 50 determines a file name with the DCF file number set to "0001".

Next, an example of folder creation processing for creating a folder for storing a plurality of images obtained by focus bracketing will be described with reference to FIG.
The flowchart in FIG. 8 is started when the user switches to the still image shooting mode using the mode switch 103 . Each process in the flowchart of FIG. 8 is implemented by the system control unit 50 loading the program stored in the nonvolatile memory 211 into the system memory 212 and executing the program.

In S801, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the state has changed to the shooting standby state. If the state has changed to the shooting standby state, the process advances to step S802. Note that the system control unit 50 displays a live view image on the display unit 101 in the shooting standby state.
In S802, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the focus bracket shooting mode is set to ON. Specifically, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the user has selected "perform" focus bracket shooting from the detailed setting screen 310 shown in FIG. 3B to set the focus bracket shooting mode to ON. . If the focus bracket shooting mode is set to ON, the process proceeds to S803. On the other hand, when the focus bracket shooting mode is set to OFF, the processing of the flowchart of FIG. 8 is terminated because the processing is the same as in the normal still image shooting mode.

In S803, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not a new folder can be created. For example, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the maximum number of folders that can be created has been reached, based on the DCF directory number included in the final image-related information. If the number has not reached the upper limit, it is determined that a new folder can be created, and the process proceeds to S804. On the other hand, if the upper limit has been reached, it is determined that a new folder cannot be created, and the process proceeds to S805.
In S804, the system control unit 50 displays an instruction item for instructing creation of a new folder on the display unit 101 by superimposing it on the live view image. In this embodiment, it is assumed that a folder creation shortcut button is displayed as an instruction item.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a folder creation shortcut button 904 displayed on the display screen 900 in the shooting standby state.
On the display screen 900, a focus bracket shooting icon 902, a shooting information icon 903, a folder creation shortcut button 904, and the like are displayed superimposed on the live view image 901. FIG.
A focus bracket shooting icon 902 is a display item indicating that the focus bracket shooting mode is set to ON. On the display screen 900 shown in FIG. 9 , the set number of shots “100” is displayed near the focus bracket shooting icon 902 .
A shooting information icon 903 is a display item for displaying set shooting information. On the display screen 900 shown in FIG. 9, ISO sensitivity, which is one piece of shooting information, is displayed as a shooting information icon 903 .

A folder creation shortcut button 904 is a button that allows the user to instruct whether or not to create a new folder that collectively stores a plurality of images obtained by focus bracket imaging. The user selects a folder creation shortcut button 904 when he/she wants to store a plurality of images obtained by focus bracketing in a new folder instead of an existing folder. The folder creation shortcut button 904 of this embodiment is a touch GUI button that can be directly pressed by the user via the touch panel 108 . However, the folder creation shortcut button 904 is not limited to the touch GUI button, and may be configured so that the user can select it via the operation unit 106 such as up, down, left, and right four-way buttons or a SET button.

In S<b>805 , the system control unit 50 displays the shooting information superimposed on the live view image on the display screen 900 . Specifically, the system control unit 50 displays a shooting information icon 903 as shown in FIG. Here, if the process proceeds to S805 by branching to No from S803, S804 is skipped.
Note that when proceeding from S803 to S805, the system control unit 50 may gray out the folder creation shortcut button 904, for example, so that the user can understand that a new folder cannot be created. Furthermore, the system control unit 50 may display the reason why a new folder cannot be created by guidance.

In S806, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the instruction item displayed on the display screen 900 has been selected. Specifically, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the user has pressed the folder creation shortcut button 904 via the touch panel 108 . If the instruction item is selected, the process proceeds to S807, and if the instruction item is not selected, the process proceeds to S808.

In S807, the system control unit 50 displays a confirmation screen asking whether to create a new folder. Specifically, the system control unit 50 displays a confirmation screen 610 as shown in FIG. 6(b). Here, the system control unit 50 displays a value obtained by adding 1 to the DCF directory number (DirNum) included in the final image-related information as the DCF directory number of the folder displayed in the message 611 of FIG. 6B. .

In S808, the system control unit 50 performs storage destination folder determination processing. Specifically, the system control unit 50 performs the processing from S701 to S708 in the flowchart of FIG. That is, in S701, the user's folder creation instruction is determined from the confirmation screen 610 of FIG. 6B. If there is no folder creation instruction, in S705 an existing folder is determined as a storage destination folder for storing a plurality of images obtained by focus bracket imaging. On the other hand, if there is a folder creation instruction, in S708 a new folder is determined as a storage destination folder for storing a plurality of images obtained by focus bracket imaging.

In S<b>809 , the system control unit 50 determines whether or not a user's shooting instruction has been received via the operation unit 106 . Specifically, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the shutter button 102 has been fully pressed by the user. If the photographing instruction has been accepted, the process proceeds to S810, and if the photographing instruction has not been accepted, the photographing instruction is awaited.
In S810, the system control unit 50 performs focus bracket photography according to the photography instruction. Specifically, as described above, the system control unit 50 shoots a plurality of images while shifting the focus by the step width set for each shot until the set number of shots is reached, and then shoots the shot images. Record on the recording medium 110 .

In S811, the system control unit 50 stores the image obtained by focus bracketing in the determined storage destination folder. Specifically, the system control unit 50 stores an image obtained by focus bracketing in a new folder determined as a storage destination folder when a folder creation instruction is received. On the other hand, the system control unit 50 stores the image obtained by the focus bracket shooting in the existing folder determined as the storage destination folder when there is no folder creation instruction. At this time, the system control unit 50 assigns a determined file name to each image obtained by focus bracket photography, and updates the final image-related information based on the last photographed image.

In S812, the system control unit 50 determines whether or not the focus bracket shooting mode has been set to off. If the focus bracket shooting mode is continuously set to ON, the process proceeds to S813, and if the focus bracket shooting mode is set to OFF, the process proceeds to S814.
In S813, the system control unit 50 transits to the shooting standby state to prepare for the next focus bracket shooting, and returns to S803. Therefore, the system control unit 50 again determines whether or not a new folder can be created. If a new folder can be created, the process proceeds to step S804, and again instructs the display screen of the display unit 101 to create a new folder. An instruction item to be displayed is superimposed on the live view image. By displaying an instruction item for instructing creation of a new folder in this way, the user can decide whether to create a folder for storing images obtained by focus bracketing for each focus bracketing shooting. can be selected.

In S814, the system control unit 50 cancels the focus bracket shooting mode and sets the normal still image shooting mode (a mode for shooting one image in one shot). Next, the system control unit 50 creates a new folder for storing images shot in the normal still image shooting mode, and ends the processing of the flowchart of FIG. That is, the system control unit 50 creates a new folder separate from the folder in which the images captured by focus bracketing are stored. At this time, the system control unit 50 determines the DCF directory number of the new folder to be a value obtained by adding 1 to the DCF directory number (DirNum) included in the final image-related information.

The system control unit 50 creates a new folder in S814 to prevent images shot in normal still image shooting mode from being mixed in folders storing images obtained by focus bracket shooting. can be done. Note that the timing at which a new folder is created in S814 is not limited to the timing described above, and may be the timing at which an image is actually captured in the normal still image capturing mode. Further, the system control unit 50 may generate a new folder even when the focus bracket shooting mode is canceled and a mode other than the focus bracket shooting mode is set according to the user's selection.

Only the images obtained by the focus bracket shooting are stored in the folder by the end of the flow chart of FIG. Therefore, images obtained by focus bracketing can be easily managed.
For example, when the user wants to check an image obtained by focus bracketing, the system control unit 50 displays the image stored in the folder on the display unit 101 in response to the user's operation of checking the inside of the folder. Therefore, the user can quickly check only the images obtained by focus bracketing.
Further, when there are a plurality of folders due to a plurality of focus bracket shootings, the system control unit 50 selects the leading or trailing image among the images stored in the folder according to the user's image forwarding operation for each folder. to display respectively. That is, the system control unit 50 performs image forwarding for each folder and displays the leading or trailing image, thereby allowing the user to easily grasp the images stored in a plurality of folders.

Further, when the user wants to collectively delete images obtained by focus bracketing, the system control unit 50 deletes each folder or within a folder according to the user's operation of deleting each folder or deleting all images in a folder. Delete all images. Therefore, the user can easily delete the images collectively when the desired focus bracket shooting cannot be performed.

Further, in the flowchart of FIG. 8, focus bracket shooting is performed a plurality of times without canceling the focus bracket shooting mode, a new folder is created in the first loop, and a new folder is created in the second loop. Assume that you do not create In this case, according to the flowchart of FIG. 8, the system control unit 50 also stores the images obtained by the focus bracket shooting in the second loop in the folder created in the first (previous) loop. Therefore, it is possible to store images obtained by performing focus bracketing multiple times for trial and images obtained by focusing bracketing to be recorded in different folders. In this case, the user can delete the images obtained by the multiple times of focus bracket shooting performed on a trial basis by performing an operation to delete each folder.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the system control unit 50 instructs creation of a new folder for storing a plurality of related images obtained by shooting when waiting for shooting in the focus bracket shooting mode. The instruction item is displayed superimposed on the live view image. If the user wants to collectively store a plurality of related images shot in the focus bracket shooting mode in a new folder, the user instructs from the instruction item. Do not instruct from the instruction item. Therefore, the user can give an instruction to create a folder for storing a plurality of related images as needed.

In this embodiment, the case where the image synthesizing unit 206 synthesizes images obtained by focus bracket imaging to generate an omnifocal image has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, an image obtained by focus bracketing is transferred from the camera 100 to an information processing device such as a personal PC, and the control unit of the information processing device executes a program to synthesize the images and generate an omnifocal image. good too. At this time, the folder in which the images obtained by the focus bracketing are stored is transferred to the information processing apparatus, so that the control unit of the information processing apparatus or the user of the information processing apparatus can generate images for generating omnifocal images. can be easily selected.

Also, in the present embodiment, the case where the specific mode for photographing a plurality of related images is the focus bracket photographing mode has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this case. The specific mode may be, for example, a panorama shooting mode for shooting a panoramic image in which a plurality of images shot while swinging the camera 100 in one direction are synthesized in a post-process. It may be a shooting mode or the like.
Also, in this embodiment, the case where the guidance 311 recommending creation of a new folder is displayed on the detailed setting screen 310 of FIG. 3B, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, the system control unit 50 may display a recommendation to create a new folder near the folder creation shortcut button 904 on the display screen 900 in the shooting standby state shown in FIG.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is also realized by executing the following processing. That is, a program that implements the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or various recording media, and a computer (CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or device reads and executes the program code. be. In this case, the program and the recording medium storing the program constitute the present invention.

Although the present invention has been described along with various embodiments, the present invention is not limited only to these embodiments, and modifications and the like are possible within the scope of the present invention. may
Note that the various controls described above that are performed by the system control unit 50 may be performed by one piece of hardware, or a plurality of pieces of hardware (for example, a plurality of processors or circuits) may share the processing, so that the apparatus Overall control may be performed.

Further, in the above-described embodiments, the case where the present invention is applied to an imaging device has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this case, and can be applied to any device capable of displaying a live view image. That is, the present invention is applicable to smartphones, tablet PCs, portable personal computers, PDAs, portable image viewers, digital photo frames, music players, game machines, electronic book readers, and the like.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the main body of the imaging device has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this case. It can also be applied to a control device that remotely controls the . Examples of devices that remotely control imaging devices include devices such as smartphones, tablet PCs, and desktop PCs. It is possible to remotely control the image capturing apparatus by notifying the image capturing apparatus of commands for performing various operations and settings from the control apparatus side based on operations performed on the control apparatus side and processing performed on the control apparatus side. be. Also, a live view image captured by an imaging device may be received via wired or wireless communication and displayed on the control device side.

100: camera 101: display unit 102: shutter switch 106: operation unit 108: touch panel 202: imaging unit 205: image processing unit 206: image composition unit 901: live view image 904: folder creation shortcut button (instruction item) 50: system control unit

Claims (18)

setting means capable of setting a particular mode of capturing a plurality of related images;
display control means for controlling display of a live view image captured by the image capturing means on the display means;
A display control device comprising control means for controlling to store an image photographed by the photographing means in a folder,
In a state in which the specific mode is set by the setting means, the display control means
an instruction item for instructing creation of a new folder for storing a plurality of related images shot by the shooting means in the specific mode when waiting for shooting by the shooting means; controlling to display superimposed on the live view image ;
After the photographing of the plurality of related images by the photographing means has started and before the photographing of the plurality of related images is completed, and when waiting for the photographing of the next related image, controlling to superimpose and display the instruction item on the live view image;
A display control device characterized by: In a state where the specific mode is set, the control means creates a new folder in response to an instruction to create a new folder through an operation on the instruction item, and executes the creation instruction. controlling to store images taken later in the newly created folder;
The display control device according to claim 1, characterized by: In the state in which the specific mode is set, the display control means, after the shooting of the plurality of related images by the shooting means is started and before the shooting of the plurality of related images is finished, controlling to superimpose and display the instruction item on the live view image every time it transitions to a state of waiting for capturing the next related image ;
3. The display control device according to claim 1 , wherein: The control means is
creating a new folder in response to a user operation on the instruction item , and controlling to store a plurality of related images captured by the imaging means in the new folder ;
4. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , characterized in that: The display control means is
controlling to display a predetermined item for confirming an instruction to create a new folder in response to a user operation on the instruction item;
The control means is
controlling to create a new folder in response to a user operation on the predetermined item;
5. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The display control means is
In the state where the specific mode is set , even if the photographing means is waiting for photographing, if the new folder cannot be created, the instruction item is not displayed, or the new folder is created. control to display that the folder cannot be created ,
6. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising notifying means for notifying a user to recommend creation of a new folder for storing a plurality of related images in response to said specific mode being set. 7. The display control device according to any one of items 1 to 6 . The control means is
creating a new folder in response to a user operation on the instruction item when waiting for the first photographing by the photographing means in a state in which the specific mode is set;
When a new folder is not created in response to no user operation on the instruction item when waiting for the second shooting by the shooting means in the state where the specific mode is set teeth,
A plurality of related images photographed by the photographing means for the second time are stored in a new folder created in response to a user operation on the instruction item when waiting for the first photographing by the photographing means. control to
8. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , characterized by: The control means is
controlling to create a new folder for storing images newly captured by the imaging means when the setting of the specific mode is canceled;
9. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , characterized in that: The control means is
control to collectively delete multiple related images stored in a folder according to user operations ;
10. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , characterized in that: The display control means is
control to display the leading or trailing image among the plurality of related images stored in the folder in accordance with the user's operation to transfer images for each folder ;
The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , characterized in that: The specific mode is
12. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , characterized in that it is a mode for photographing in order to synthesize a plurality of related images in a post-process. The specific mode is
13. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 12 , characterized in that it is a mode for photographing by shifting a focused position from a position at the time of photographing start. The specific mode is
13. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the mode is a panoramic image shooting mode. The specific mode is
12. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein the display control device is in a continuous shooting mode. a setting step capable of setting a particular mode of taking a plurality of related images;
a display control step for controlling display of a live view image captured by the image capturing means on the display means;
A control method for a display control device, comprising: a control step of controlling to store an image captured by the capturing means in a folder,
In the state in which the specific mode is set by the setting step, the display control step includes:
an instruction item for instructing creation of a new folder for storing a plurality of related images shot by the shooting means in the specific mode when waiting for shooting by the shooting means; controlling to display superimposed on the live view image ;
After the photographing of the plurality of related images by the photographing means has started and before the photographing of the plurality of related images is completed, and when waiting for the photographing of the next related image, A control method , comprising: controlling to superimpose and display the instruction item on the live view image . A program for causing a computer to function as each means of the display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 15 . A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as each means of the display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 15 .

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