JPH05183800A - Camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automatically conduct diopter correction when a photographer uses a camera again after he once manually correct the diopter of the finder of the camera in the case where the camera is used by several persons. CONSTITUTION:When the photographer looks into the finder (S21), pupil information is taken by a line-of-sight detector (s22), whether or not the same pupil information is present among past information is discriminated (S23, S24), and in the case of presence (S24), the diopter correction is automatically made based on the stored diopter correction information related to the pupil information. In the case of absence (S24), a diopter correction mark is displayed on a finder screen and manual diopter correction is prompted (S26). The diopter correction information and pupil information taken at this time are stored for the provision for the future diopter correction.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera such as a video camera, and more particularly to a diopter correction of its finder.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various devices have been proposed for detecting what position on an observation surface an observer is observing, that is, detecting a so-called line of sight (visual axis).

For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 61-172552, a parallel light flux from a light source is projected onto the anterior segment of the eyeball of an observer, and a corneal reflection image by the reflected light from the cornea and an image forming position of the pupil are used. I am seeking the visual axis. 8A and 8B are explanatory views of the principle of line-of-sight detection, FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram of the line-of-sight detection optical system, and FIG. 8B is an intensity diagram of an output signal from the photoelectric element array 6. In FIG. 8 (a), 5 is a light source such as a light emitting diode that emits infrared light insensitive to the observer,
It is arranged on the focal plane of the light projecting lens 3. The infrared light emitted from the light source 5 becomes parallel light by the light projecting lens 3 and is reflected by the half mirror 2 to illuminate the cornea 21 of the eyeball 201.
At this time, the corneal reflection image d by a part of the infrared light reflected on the surface of the cornea 21 is transmitted through the half mirror 2, condensed by the light receiving lens 4, and re-imaged at the position Zd ′ on the photoelectric element array 6.

Light fluxes from the ends a and b of the iris 23 form images of the ends a and b at positions Za 'and Zb' on the photoelectric element array 6 via the half mirror 2 and the light receiving lens 4. To do. When the rotation angle θ of the optical axis a of the eyeball with respect to the optical axis of the light receiving lens 4 (optical axis a) is small, and the Z coordinates of the ends a and b of the iris 23 are Za and Za, the center position c of the iris 23 is Coordinate Zc
Is expressed as Zc≈ (Za + Zb) / 2.

If the Z coordinate of the position D of the corneal reflection image is Zd and the distance between the center of curvature O of the cornea 21 and the center C of the iris 23 is OC, the rotation angle θ of the optical axis a of the eyeball is OC * sin θ. ≈Zc-Zd (1) The relational expression (1) is substantially satisfied.

Here, the Z coordinate Zd of the position d of the corneal reflection image
And the Z coordinate Z of the center of curvature O of the cornea 21 match.
Therefore, the computing means detects the position of each singular point (corneal reflection image d and iris edges a and b) projected on the surface of the photoelectric element array 6 as shown in FIG. The rotation angle θ of B can be obtained. At this time, the equation (1) can be rewritten as β * OC * sin θ≈ (Za ′ + Zb ′) / 2−Zd ′ (2). However, β is a magnification determined by the distance L1 between the corneal reflection image generation position and the light receiving lens 4, and the distance L0 between the light receiving lens 4 and the photoelectric element array 6, and is usually a substantially constant value.

On the other hand, in a conventional camera-integrated VTR,
When the photographer tried to input various functions during shooting, he had to perform the operation while looking through the viewfinder. In addition, in order to operate while checking the switches of various functions, it is necessary to take an eye off the viewfinder once, which may disturb the shooting screen or lose the subject. Further, in recent years, various functions associated with a camera-integrated VTR have been increasing due to diversification of user applications. In view of this background, for example, applying the line-of-sight detection device just described, detecting the line-of-sight in the viewfinder, using the menu screen, etc., if applied to various function input, keep an eye on the viewfinder Without this, it becomes possible to easily perform function input and the like.

[0008]

In a general camera-integrated VTR, the diopter correction of the camera has been performed manually. However, when one camera is used by several people, it is necessary to perform diopter correction every time when using it, which may be troublesome. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a camera capable of automatically correcting the diopter of a photographer in a viewfinder after the photographer once manually corrects the diopter. To do.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, a camera according to the present invention is configured as in the following (1), (2) and (3).

(1) The pupil information detecting means for detecting the information of the pupil peculiar to the photographer, the diopter correcting means for correcting the diopter of the finder for displaying the photographed image, and the pupil information of the pupil information detecting means. A camera having an adjusting means for adjusting the diopter correcting means according to the camera.

(2) Pupil information detecting means for detecting information on the pupil looking into the finder, diopter correcting means for correcting diopter of the finder, and correction when the diopter correcting means is manually operated. A storage unit that stores information and the pupil information of the pupil information detection unit detected at that time in association with each other, and the pupil information detected by the pupil information detection unit and the storage unit when looking into the finder. And a correction information stored in the storage unit in association with information of the pupil when the determination unit determines that the pupil is the same. The camera according to (1), further comprising: a driving unit that drives the diopter correction unit based on the above.

(3) The camera according to (2), further comprising an instruction means for instructing a photographer to manually operate the diopter correction means when the determination means cannot determine the same pupil.

[0013]

According to the configuration of (1), the pupil information peculiar to the photographer is detected when looking into the viewfinder, and the diopter correction of the viewfinder is automatically performed.

According to the above configurations (2) and (3), when looking into the viewfinder, the pupil information detected by the pupil information detecting means and the pupil information stored in the storing means are compared to determine whether the pupils are the same. It is determined whether or not. When the pupil is the same, the diopter correction unit is driven based on the correction information stored in the storage unit in association with the pupil, and the diopter correction is automatically performed.

In the configuration (3), when the same pupil cannot be determined, the photographer is instructed to manually perform diopter correction.

[0016]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a main part of a “video camera” that is an embodiment. In the figure, 1 is an eyepiece lens, and 2 is a dichroic mirror that transmits visible light and reflects infrared light, and also serves as an optical path splitter.

Reference numeral 4 is a light receiving lens, and 5a, 5b and 5c are illuminating means, which are, for example, light emitting diodes. 6
Is a photoelectric element array. The light receiving lens 4 and the photoelectric element array 6 form one element of the light receiving means. The photoelectric element array 6 normally uses a device in which a plurality of photoelectric elements are arranged one-dimensionally in the vertical direction of the drawing, but a device in which photoelectric elements are arranged two-dimensionally is used as necessary. Each element 1, 2, 4, 5a,
An eye-gaze detecting system is constituted by 5b, 5c and 6.

Reference numeral 101 is an electronic viewfinder, and 102 is a finder screen. In this embodiment, the image displayed on the viewfinder screen 102 is guided to the eyepoint E via the eyepiece 1.

The line-of-sight detection apparatus according to the present embodiment has a reference numeral 1,
A line-of-sight detection system composed of members indicated by 2, 4, 5a, 5b, 5c, and 6, and a signal processing circuit 10 which is an arithmetic means.
9 includes an eyeball optical axis detection circuit, an eyeball discrimination circuit, a visual axis correction circuit, a gazing point detection circuit, and the like.

In the visual axis detection system, the infrared light emitted from the infrared light emitting diode 5 illuminates the eyeball 201 of the observer located near the eyepoint E. Also, the eyeball 20
The infrared light reflected by 1 is reflected by the dichroic mirror 2 and is converged by the light receiving lens 4 to form an image on the photoelectric element array 6. Further, the signal processing circuit 109 is executed by software of the microcomputer 110.

The visual axis detection will be described below. Figure 2
1 is a perspective view of a main part of the line-of-sight detection system in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an optical principle diagram of the line-of-sight detection system. Infrared light emitting diode 5a for illumination,
Reference numerals 5b and 5c are used in pairs to detect the distance between the camera and the eyeball of the observer, and the infrared light emitting diodes 5a and 5b are positioned laterally according to the posture of the camera. The vertical position is used for detection. It should be noted that although the posture detecting means of the camera is not shown in the figure, the posture detecting means utilizing a mercury switch or the like is effective.

The infrared light emitting diodes 5a and 5b are located at positions shifted with respect to the optical axis (X axis) of the light receiving lens 4 in the row direction (Z axis direction) of the photoelectric element row 6 and in the direction orthogonal to the row direction. It is arranged.

In FIG. 3 (a), the light beams from the infrared light emitting diodes 5a and 5b separately arranged in the row direction (Z-axis direction) of the photoelectric element row 6 are reflected on the cornea at positions separated in the Z-axis direction. Images e and d are formed, respectively. At this time, the Z coordinate of the midpoint of the corneal reflection images e and d coincides with the Z coordinate of the center of curvature o of the cornea 21. Further, since the interval between the corneal reflection images e and d changes according to the distance between the infrared light emitting diode and the observer's eyeball, the positions e ′ and d ′ of the corneal reflection images re-imaged on the photoelectric element array 6 are formed. It is possible to obtain the imaging magnification β of the reflected image from the eyeball by detecting See also FIG.
In (b), the infrared light emitting diode 5a (5b) arranged in the direction orthogonal to the row direction of the photoelectric element rows 6 illuminates the eyeball of the observer obliquely from above, so that the eyeball of the observer is vertical. When not rotating in the direction (in the XY plane), the corneal reflection image e (d) is formed in the + Y direction in the figure with respect to the center of curvature of the cornea and the center of the pupil.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing reflection images from the eyeball projected on the plurality of photoelectric element array surfaces of the photoelectric element array 6 in this embodiment.

FIG. 4A shows a reflected image from the eyeball projected on the photoelectric element array 6. In the figure, the corneal reflection images e'and d'are re-imaged on the photoelectric element array Yp '. The output signal obtained from the photoelectric element array Yp 'at this time is shown in FIG.

Next, the visual axis detection method in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be sequentially described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the rotation angle of the eyeball optical axis is detected by the eyeball optical axis detection circuit included in the signal processing circuit 109. Next, the readout of the image signal of the photoelectric element array 6 is sequentially performed from the -Y direction shown in FIG. 4A, and the corneal reflection images e'and d'are formed.
Yp 'is detected (S1). At the same time, the corneal reflection image e ′,
The generating positions Zd 'and Ze' in the column direction of d'are detected (S
2) The imaging magnification β of the optical system is determined from the interval | Zd′−Ze ′ | of the corneal reflection images (S3). Furthermore, a boundary point Z between the iris 23 and the pupil 24 is arranged on the photoelectric element array (line) Yp '.
2b ', Z2a' are detected (S4), and the photoelectric element array Y
A pupil diameter on p '| Z2a'-Z2b' | is calculated (S
5).

As shown in FIG. 4A, the photoelectric element array Yp 'on which a corneal reflection image is normally formed is generated in the -Y direction in the figure from the photoelectric element array Y0' in which the pupil center C'is present. Another photoelectric element array Y1 'from which an image signal should be read is calculated from the values of the imaging magnification β and the pupil diameter (S).
6). At this time, the photoelectric element row Y1 'is changed to the photoelectric element row Yp'.
Are set to have a sufficient distance with respect to. Similarly, the boundary point Z between the iris 23 and the pupil 24 on the photoelectric element array Y1 '
When 1a 'and Z1b' are detected (S7), the boundary points (Z1a ', Y1'), (Z1b ', Y1') and the boundary points (Z2a ', Yp'), (Z2b ', Yp') are detected. Of the center position C '(Z
c ', Yc') is obtained. Further, when the equation (2) is modified by using the positions (Zd ', Yp') and (Ze ', Yp') of the corneal reflection image, the rotation angles θz, θy of the optical axis of the eyeball.
Is

[0028]

[Equation 1]

Satisfies the condition (S8). However, δY ′ is because the infrared light emitting diode is arranged in the direction orthogonal to the row direction of the photoelectric element row 6 with respect to the light receiving lens 4, so that the re-imaging positions e ′ and d ′ of the corneal reflection image are the photoelectric elements. It is a value for correcting the amount of shift in the Y-axis direction with respect to the Y coordinate of the center of curvature of the cornea 21 on the row 6.

Further, in the eyeball discriminating circuit included in the signal processing circuit 109, it is discriminated whether the observer's eye looking through the finder 101 is the right eye or the left eye from the distribution of the calculated rotation angle of the eyeball optical axis ( In S9), the visual axis correction circuit further corrects the visual axis based on the eyeball discrimination information and the rotation angle of the eyeball optical axis (S10). Further, in the gazing point detection circuit, the gazing point is calculated based on the optical constant of the finder optical system (S11).

Now, the microcomputer 110 shown in FIG.
A program for taking in pupil information as data, a program for correlating current information with stored data, a program for outputting drive data to the motor drive driver 8 for moving the eyepiece lens 1, and a drive driver 8 There is a program for fetching and storing the position information from the encoder 111 when the motor 7 is driven to move the eyepiece 1.

The operation of diopter correction according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. S21 is a program for determining whether the photographer looks into the finder 101,
This is judged by the eyeball discrimination circuit in the signal processing circuit 109. If it is confirmed that the user is looking into the finder 101, the program proceeds to S22, and the image information (pupil information) of the photographer's pupil is fetched from the photoelectric element array 6 and stored. Since the shape of the eyes differs depending on the photographer, it is possible to identify the individual.

Next, the correlation between the pupil information data stored in the past in the memory and the data just captured is S2.
Take 3 If the photographer looks into the finder 101 for the first time this time, there is no past data, so it is determined that there is no matched data in the past in the program of S24.
Go to. Here, the diopter correction mark in the viewfinder screen 102 is turned on, and the photographer is instructed to perform diopter correction. When the photographer completes the diopter correction and presses some operation, for example, a switch on the camera body, this is confirmed in S27, and the current lens position data and pupil information data are stored in association with each other in S28. As a result, the current best state of the diopter correction of the photographer is stored in the microcomputer 110. Finder 1 from next time
When looking into 01, coincidence data is confirmed in the correlation of S23, and the lens automatically moves to the diopter correction position of the photographer having the pupil information (S2).
5).

Next, a method of obtaining the correlation of the above-mentioned pupil information data will be described with reference to FIG. When taking correlation,
As shown in FIG. 7 (a), the area is divided into several areas, and one area is moved by ± 10 areas with respect to one area (information of one pupil), and the absolute value of the difference in each area is calculated. Is determined by the level at which the sum of
When taking the correlation between (a) and (b), the images will match if the coordinates of (b) are moved by (2.2), but the calculation result in examining the correlation at this time is (c) Indicated by. Then, it is judged whether or not the correlation is obtained, based on the level of the minimum value in (c). However, since it takes time to view the entire screen, the representative points are generally used for correlation. This is a method in which, as shown in (d), some representative points are provided on the screen and the correlation at the points is obtained.

In the present embodiment, when the correlation of the image signal of the pupil is obtained, the correlation is also based on the representative points, but when the pupil is open and closed because the size of the pupil changes. There is a case where the correlation cannot be obtained with. Therefore,
A threshold level is set for the level of the image signal of the pupil, and the representative points below that level are not correlated. As can be seen from FIG. 8B, the level of the reflected light from the pupil is low. So Fig. 7
As shown in (f), the correlation is ensured by removing the low level from the correlation.

The method of diopter correction has been described above, but the driving motor 7 for the lens for correction may be any one as long as it has high positional accuracy. Further, although the manual diopter correction instruction is displayed on the finder screen 102 in the embodiment, any instruction such as a warning sound that can be known by the photographer looking through the finder may be used.

Although the embodiment is a video camera, the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to an appropriate camera provided with a viewfinder having a diopter correction mechanism.

[0038]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The diopter correction of the viewfinder will be automatically performed on the camera side. Therefore, it is not necessary to manually perform the diopter correction each time as in the conventional method, and since the diopter correction is automatically performed every time, the accuracy of the gaze detection is increased as a result, and the gaze detection is used. A camera that performs camera processing can perform its operation more comfortably.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a main part of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of a line-of-sight detection system.

[Figure 3] Optical principle diagram of the line-of-sight detection system

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a reflection image from an eyeball.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation of line-of-sight detection of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of diopter correction according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a correlation of pupil information data.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of the principle of eye gaze detection.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Eyepiece lens 2 Dichroic mirror 4 Light receiving lens 5a, 5b, 5c Illumination means 6 Photoelectric element array 7 Motor 8 Motor driver 109 Signal processing circuit 110 Microcomputer 201 Eyeball

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location H04N 5/225 B 9187-5C

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A pupil information detecting means for detecting information of a pupil peculiar to a photographer, a diopter correcting means for correcting diopter of a viewfinder for displaying a photographed image, and the pupil information of the pupil information detecting means. And adjusting means for adjusting the diopter correction means. 2. A pupil information detecting means for detecting information of a pupil looking into the finder, a diopter correcting means for correcting diopter of the finder, and correction information when the diopter correcting means is manually operated. And a storage unit that stores the pupil information of the pupil information detection unit detected at that time in association with each other, and the pupil information detected by the pupil information detection unit and the storage unit when looking into the viewfinder. When the determination means determines that the pupils are the same, the correction information stored in the storage means in association with the information of the pupil The camera according to claim 1, further comprising a driving unit that drives the diopter correction unit. 3. The camera according to claim 2, further comprising instruction means for instructing the photographer to manually operate the diopter correction means when the determination means cannot determine the same pupil.