Digital camera

• US 20040212714A1
• Filed: 04/19/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta OPTO Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta OPTO Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakayama, Haruki, Mikoshiba, Hironobu
• Application Number:
  US10/827,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20040212714A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals

Abstract

A digital camera provided with an image pickup device; a readout controller for the electrical signals accumulated; a section to acquire image information according to the electrical signals readout; a controller for displaying images based on the image information; and a processor to output electrical signals accumulated in a first output area within an image capturing area at a first speed and to output electrical signals accumulated in the second output area at a second speed higher than the first speed; wherein the information of a predetermined area within the first output area is acquired during the signal output processing, and a moving image based on the image information of the predetermined area is displayed in a display area corresponding to the predetermined area during the signal output processing, and a still image is displayed in the other display area.

Claims

1. A digital camera comprising:

an image pickup device having an image capturing area for converting optical images of a photographic object into electrical signals to accumulate;

a readout controller to control readout of the electrical signals accumulated in the image capturing area of the image pickup device;

an image information acquiring section to acquire image information according to the electrical signals being readout under the control of the readout controller;

an image display controller for controlling a display section to display images based on the image information having been acquired by the image information acquiring section; and

a signal output process executing section for executing signal output processing to output electrical signals accumulated in a first output area within the image capturing area of the image pickup device at a first speed as well as to output electrical signals accumulated in the second output area other than the first output area at a second speed higher than the first speed;

wherein the image information acquiring section acquires image information of a predetermined area according to electrical signals of the predetermined area within the first output area having been output by the signal output process executing section during the signal output processing, and

the image display controller controls to display a moving image based on the image information of the predetermined area acquired by the image information acquiring section in a display area corresponding to the predetermined area within a display area of the display section during the signal output processing, as well as displaying a predetermined still image in the display area other than the display area corresponding to the predetermined area in the display section.

2. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein the predetermined still image is a predetermined color image.

3. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein the image information acquiring section acquires whole display area image information corresponding to a whole display area of the display section based on the electrical signals being readout under the control of the readout controller at a starting timing of the signal output processing,

and the image display controller controls to display an image, as the still image on the display section during the signal output processing, based on image information in which the predetermined area image information having been acquired by the image information acquiring section is removed from the whole display area image information.

5. The digital camera of claim 1, further comprising an auto focus processing section for executing an auto focus processing to adjust a focus automatically at the time of image capturing of a photographic object, wherein when the auto focus processing is executed, the signal output process executing section executes the signal output processing to output the electrical signals accumulated in the first output area within the image capturing area of the image pickup device at the first speed as well as to output the electrical signals accumulated in the second output area other than the first output area at the second speed.

7. The digital camera of claim 1, further comprising an auto focus processing section for executing an auto focus processing to adjust a focus automatically at the time of image capturing of a photographic object, wherein when the auto focus processing is executed, the signal output process executing section executes the signal output processing to output the electrical signals accumulated in the first output area within the image capturing area of the image pickup device at the first speed as well as to output the electrical signals accumulated in the second output area other than the first output area at the second speed,

wherein a predetermined area within the first output area includes a focus adjusting area where a focus adjusting position of the photographic object exists.

8. The digital camera of claim 3, further comprising an auto focus processing section for executing an auto focus processing to adjust a focus automatically at the time of image capturing of a photographic object, wherein when the auto focus processing is executed, the signal output process executing section executes the signal output processing to output the electrical signals accumulated in the first output area within the image capturing area of the image pickup device at the first speed as well as to output the electrical signals accumulated in the second output area other than the first output area at the second speed,

wherein a predetermined area within the first output area includes a focus adjusting area where a focus adjusting position of the photographic object exists.

10. The digital camera of claim 8, wherein the image information acquiring section acquires image information of the focus adjusting area based on the electrical signals of the focus adjusting area within the first output area having been output by the signal output process executing section during the auto focus processing, and

wherein the image display information controller controls to display an image based on image information in which the focus adjusting area image information having been acquired by the image information acquiring section is removed from the whole display area image information.

4. A digital camera comprising:

an image pickup device having an image capturing area for converting optical images of a photographic object into electrical signals to accumulate;

a readout controller to control readout of the electrical signals accumulated in the image capturing area of the image pickup device;

an image information acquiring section to acquire image information according to the electrical signals being readout under the control of the readout controller;

an image display controller for controlling a display section to display images based on the image information having been acquired by the image information acquiring section; and

a signal output process executing section for executing signal output processing to output electrical signals accumulated in a first output area within the image capturing area of the image pickup device at a first speed as well as to output electrical signals accumulated in the second output area other than the first output area at a second speed higher than the first speed;

wherein the image information acquiring section acquires a whole display area image information corresponding to the whole display area of the display section based on the electrical signals having been readout under control of the readout controller at the starting timing of the signal output processing by the signal output process executing section, and

the image display controller controls the display section to display a still image based on of the whole display area image information having been acquired by the image information acquiring section.

6. The digital camera of claim 4, further comprising an auto focus processing section for executing an auto focus processing to adjust a focus automatically at the time of image capturing of a photographic object, wherein when the auto focus processing is executed, the signal output process executing section executes the signal output processing to output the electrical signals accumulated in the first output area within the image capturing area of the image pickup device at the first speed as well as to output the electrical signals accumulated in the second output area other than the first output area at the second speed.

9. The digital camera of claim 4, further comprising an auto focus processing section for executing an auto focus processing to adjust a focus automatically at the time of image capturing of a photographic object, wherein when the auto focus processing is executed, the signal output process executing section executes the signal output processing to output the electrical signals accumulated in the first output area within the image capturing area of the image pickup device at the first speed as well as to output the electrical signals accumulated in the second output area other than the first output area at the second speed,

wherein a predetermined area within the first output area includes a focus adjusting area where a focus adjusting position of the photographic object exists.

11. A method for controlling a digital camera provided with an image pickup device having an image capturing area for converting optical images of a photographic object into electrical signals to accumulate and with a display for displaying images based on image information, the method comprising:

reading out of the electrical signals accumulated in the image capturing area of the image pickup device;

acquiring image information according to the electrical signals;

displaying images based on the image information having been acquired; and

executing signal output processing to output electrical signals accumulated in a first output area within the image capturing area of the image pickup device at a first speed as well as to output electrical signals accumulated in the second output area other than the first output area at a second speed higher than the first speed;

acquiring image information of a predetermined area according to electrical signals of the predetermined area within the first output area during the signal output processing; and

displaying a moving image based on the image information of the predetermined area in a display area corresponding to the predetermined area within a display area of the display section during the signal output processing, as well as displaying a predetermined still image in the display area other than the display area corresponding to the predetermined area in the display section.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the predetermined still image is a predetermined color image.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

acquiring whole display area image information corresponding to a whole display area of the display section based on the electrical signals being readout at a starting timing of the signal output processing; and

displaying an image as the predetermined still image on the display section during the signal output processing, based on image information in which the predetermined area image information having been acquired is removed from the whole display area image information.

15. The digital camera of claim 11, further comprising a step of executing an auto focus processing to adjust a focus automatically at the time of image capturing of a photographic object, wherein when the auto focus processing is executed, the signal output processing is executed to output electrical signals accumulated in a first output area within the image capturing area of the image pickup device at a first speed as well as to output electrical signals accumulated in the second output area other than the first output area at a second speed higher than the first speed.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising a step of executing an auto focus processing to adjust a focus automatically at the time of image capturing of a photographic object, wherein when the auto focus processing is executed, the signal output processing is executed to output the electrical signals accumulated in the first output area within the image capturing area of the image pickup device at the first speed as well as to output the electrical signals accumulated in the second output area other than the first output area at the second speed,

wherein a predetermined area within the first output area includes a focus adjusting area where a focus adjusting position of the photographic object exists.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising a step of executing an auto focus processing to adjust a focus automatically at the time of image capturing of a photographic object, wherein when the auto focus processing is executed, the signal output processing is executed to output the electrical signals accumulated in the first output area within the image capturing area of the image pickup device at the first speed as well as to output the electrical signals accumulated in the second output area other than the first output area at the second speed,

wherein a predetermined area within the first output area includes a focus adjusting area where a focus adjusting position of the photographic object exists.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

acquiring image information of the focus adjusting area based on the electrical signals of the focus adjusting area within the first output area during the auto focus processing, and

displaying an image based on image information in which the focus adjusting area image information is removed from the whole display area image information.

14. A method for controlling a digital camera provided with an image pickup device having an image capturing area for converting optical images of a photographic object into electrical signals to accumulate and with a display for displaying images based on image information, the method comprising:

reading out of the electrical signals accumulated in the image capturing area of the image pickup device;

acquiring image information according to the electrical signals being readout;

displaying images based on the image information having been acquired; and

executing signal output processing to output electrical signals accumulated in a first output area within the image capturing area of the image pickup device at a first speed as well as to output electrical signals accumulated in the second output area other than the first output area at a second speed higher than the first speed;

acquiring whole display area image information corresponding to a whole display area of the display section based on the electrical signals being readout at a starting timing of the signal output processing; and

displaying a still image based on the whole display area image information during the signal output processing.

16. The digital camera of claim 14, further comprising a step of executing an auto focus processing to adjust a focus automatically at the time of image capturing of a photographic object, wherein when the auto focus processing is executed, the signal output processing is executed to output electrical signals accumulated in a first output area within the image capturing area of the image pickup device at a first speed as well as to output electrical signals accumulated in the second output area other than the first output area at a second speed higher than the first speed.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising a step of executing an auto focus processing to adjust a focus automatically at the time of image capturing of a photographic object, wherein when the auto focus processing is executed, the signal output processing is executed to output the electrical signals accumulated in the first output area within the image capturing area of the image pickup device at the first speed as well as to output the electrical signals accumulated in the second output area other than the first output area at the second speed,

wherein a predetermined area within the first output area includes a focus adjusting area where a focus adjusting position of the photographic object exists.