Image sensing apparatus and control method therefor

• US 20050174459A1
• Filed: 04/28/2004
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Naka, Yasutaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,486,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes

Abstract

An image sensing apparatus having an image sensing mode for electrically sensing an object and storing an acquired image and a reproduction mode for reproducing and displaying the stored image includes a view angle changing unit for changing an angle of view of an image to be sensed in the image sensing mode and a magnification of an image to be displayed in the reproduction mode, a control unit that, in the reproduction mode, maintains the magnification of the image unchanged from before a start of operation of the view angle changing unit until an extent of operation of the view angle changing unit exceeds a preset first threshold value, and changes the magnification of the image depending on the extent of operation if the preset first threshold value is exceeded, and a display unit that displays a reproduction image at a magnification changed by the control unit.

Claims

1. An image sensing apparatus having an image sensing mode for electrically sensing an object and storing acquired image data on a storage medium and a reproduction mode for reproducing and displaying the stored image, the apparatus comprising:

a view angle changing unit for designating an angle of view of an image to be sensed in the image sensing mode and a magnification of an image to be displayed in the reproduction mode;

a control unit that, in the reproduction mode, maintains the magnification of the image at a value prior to a start of operation of said view angle changing unit since the start of operation until an extent of operation of said view angle changing unit exceeds a preset first threshold value, and changes the magnification of the image depending on the extent of operation if the first threshold value is exceeded; and

a display unit that displays a reproduction image at a magnification changed by said control unit.

2. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit, if the extent of operation of said view angle changing unit does not exceed the first threshold value within a preset period of time, maintains the magnification of the image at the value prior to the start of operation of said view angle changing unit until the extent of operation exceeds a preset second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value.

3. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit maintains the magnification of the image at the value prior to the start of operation of said view angle changing unit until either the extent of operation of said view angle changing unit exceeds the first threshold value or a period of time through which said view angle changing unit is continuously operated exceeds a preset period of time.

4. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said control unit, in the image sensing mode, maintains the angle of view of an image at the value prior to the start of operation of said view angle changing unit since the start of operation until the extent of operation of said view angle changing unit exceeds a preset third threshold value, and changes the angle of view of the image depending on the extent of operation if the third threshold value is exceeded; and

said display unit displays an object image acquired at an angle of view changed by said control unit,

the first threshold value in the reproduction mode being greater than the third threshold value in the image sensing mode.

5. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said control unit, in the image sensing mode, if the extent of operation of said view angle changing unit does not exceed the third threshold value within a preset period of time, maintains the angle of view of the image prior to the start of operation of said view angle changing unit until the extent of operation of said view angle changing unit exceeds a preset fourth threshold value that is greater than the third threshold value.

6. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said control unit, in the image sensing mode, maintains the angle of view of the image prior to the start of operation of said view angle changing unit until either the extent of operation of said view angle changing unit exceeds the third threshold value or a period of time through which said view angle changing unit is continuously operated exceeds a preset period of time.

7. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a zoom lens,

wherein said view angle changing unit includes a zoom ring for driving said zoom lens and a ring rotation detection unit for detecting an amount of rotation of the zoom ring,

the extent of operation of said view angle changing unit being the amount of rotation of the zoom ring.

8. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said view angle changing unit is an operation member adapted to detect an extent of operation from a center position,

the extent of operation of said view angle changing unit being the extent of operation from the center position of said view angle changing unit.

9. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

an enlargement designation unit for designating enlargement of an image displayed on said display unit in the reproduction mode; and

a reduction designation unit for designating reduction of an image displayed on said display unit in the reproduction mode,

wherein said display unit, in the reproduction mode, is adapted to display one image on a single display screen in a first display method and to display a plurality of images on the single display screen in a second display method,

said display unit switching to the first display method to display a reproduction image when said enlargement designation unit is operated while images are being displayed according to the second display method, and changing to a designated magnification to display a reproduction image with a maximum magnification as a limit at all other times,

said display unit switching to the second display method when said reduction designation unit is operated while an image is being displayed at full screen size magnification according to the first display method, and changing to a designated magnification to display a reproduction image with a full screen size magnification as a limit at all other times.

10. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said display unit in the reproduction mode, is adapted to display one image on a single display screen in a first display method and to display a plurality of images on the single display screen in a second display method;

when magnification enlargement is designated by said view angle changing unit and said display unit is displaying images according to the second display method in the reproduction mode, said control unit maintains to display images according to the second display method when the extent of operation of said view angle changing unit is less than a preset fifth threshold value and changes to the first display method when the fifth threshold value is exceeded;

when magnification reduction is designated by said view angle changing unit and said display unit is displaying an image at full screen size magnification according to the first display method in the reproduction mode, said control unit maintains the magnification of the image at the value prior to the start of operation of said view angle changing unit when the extent of operation of said view angle changing unit is less than the fifth threshold value and changes to the second display method when the fifth threshold value is exceeded; and

the fifth threshold value being different from the first threshold value of the reproduction mode.

11. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said control unit maintains the magnification of the image at the value prior to the start of operation of said view angle changing unit until a preset sixth threshold value that is greater than the fifth threshold value is exceeded if the extent of operation of said view angle changing unit does not exceed the fifth threshold value with a preset period of time.

12. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said control unit maintains the magnification of the image at the value prior to the start of operation of said view angle changing unit until either the extent of operation of said view angle changing unit exceeds the fifth threshold value or the amount of time through which said view angle changing unit is continuously operated exceeds a preset period of time.

13. A method of controlling an image sensing apparatus having an image sensing mode for electrically sensing an object and storing acquired image data on a storage medium and a reproduction mode for reproducing and displaying the stored image, a view angle changing unit for setting an angle of view of an image to be sensed in the image sensing mode and a magnification of an image to be displayed in the reproduction mode, and a display unit that displays a reproduction image, the control method comprising:

determining an operating mode of the image sensing apparatus;

detecting an operating state of the view angle changing unit;

in the reproduction mode, maintaining a view angle of the image at a value prior to a start of operation of the view angle changing unit since the start of operation until an extent of operation of the view angle changing unit exceeds a preset first threshold value, and changing a magnification of the image depending on the extent of operation when the first threshold value is exceed; and

displaying a reproduction image at the display unit at a magnification changed in said controlling.

14. The control method according to claim 13, wherein in said controlling, if the extent of operation of the view angle changing unit does not exceed the first threshold value within a preset period of time, the magnification of the image is maintained at the value prior to the start of operation of the view angle changing unit until the extent of operation exceeds a preset second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value.

15. The control method according to claim 13, wherein in said controlling, the magnification of the image is maintained at the value prior to the start of operation of the view angle changing unit until either the extent of operation the view angle changing unit exceeds the first threshold value or a period of time through which the view angle changing unit is continuously operated exceeds a preset period of time.

16. The control method according to claim 13, wherein:

in said controlling, in the image sensing mode, the angle of view of the image is maintained at the value prior to the start of operation of the view angle changing unit since the start of operation until the extent of operation of the view angle changing unit exceeds a preset third threshold value, and the angle of view of the image is changed depending on the extent of operation if the third threshold value is exceeded; and

in said displaying, an object image acquired at an angle of view changed in said controlling is displayed,

the first threshold value in the reproduction mode being greater than the third threshold value in the image sensing mode.

17. The control method according to claim 16, wherein in said controlling, in the image sensing mode, if the extent of operation of the view angle changing unit does not exceed the third threshold value within a preset period of time, the angle of view of the image prior to the start of operation of the view angle changing unit is maintained until the extent of operation exceeds a preset fourth threshold value that is greater than the third threshold value.

18. The control method according to claim 16, wherein in said controlling, in the image sensing mode, the angle of view of the image prior to the start of operation of the view angle changing unit is maintained until either the extent of operation of the view angle changing unit exceeds the third threshold value or a period of time through which the view angle changing unit is continuously operated exceeds a preset period of time.

19. The control method according to claim 13, wherein the image sensing apparatus further comprises a zoom lens, and wherein the view angle changing unit includes a zoom ring for driving the zoom lens and a ring rotation detection unit for detecting an amount of rotation of the zoom ring,

the extent of operation being the amount of rotation of the zoom ring.

20. The control method according to claim 13, wherein the view angle changing unit of the image sensing apparatus is a control member adapted to detect an extent of operation from a center position,

the extent of operation of the view angle changing unit being the extent of operation from the center position of the view angle changing unit.

21. The control method according to claim 13, wherein the image sensing apparatus further comprises:

an enlargement designation unit for designating enlargement of an image displayed in said displaying in the reproduction mode; and

a reduction designation unit for designating reduction of an image displayed in said displaying in the reproduction mode,

and wherein the display unit, in the reproduction mode, is adapted to display one image on a single display screen in a first display method and to display a plurality of images on the single display screen in a second display method,

the control method further comprising;

switching to the first display method to display a reproduction image when the enlargement designation unit is operated while images are being displayed according to the second display method, or changing to a designated magnification to display a reproduction image with a maximum magnification as a limit at all other times; and

switching to the second display method when the reduction designation unit is operated while an image is being displayed at full screen size magnification according to the first display method, and changing to a designated magnification to display a reproduction image with a full screen size magnification as a limit at all other times.

22. The control method according to claim 13, wherein the display unit, in the reproduction mode, is adapted to display one image on a single display screen in a first display method and to display a plurality of images on the single display screen in a second display method, the control method further comprising:

when magnification enlargement is designated by the view angle changing unit and, in said displaying, images are displayed according to the second display method in the reproduction mode, the second display method is maintained when the extent of operation of the view angle changing unit is less than a preset fifth threshold value and changes to the first display method when the fifth threshold value is exceeded in said controlling; and

when magnification reduction is designated by the view angle changing unit and, in said displaying, an image is displayed at full screen size magnification according to the first display method in the reproduction mode, the magnification of the image is maintained at the value prior to the start of operation of the view angle changing unit when the extent of operation of the view angle changing unit is less than the fifth threshold value and the first display method is changed to the second display method when the fifth threshold value is exceeded in said controlling,

the fifth threshold value being different from the first threshold value of the reproduction mode.

23. The control method according to claim 22, wherein in said controlling, the magnification of the image is maintained at the value prior to the start of operation of the view angle changing unit until a preset sixth threshold value that is greater than the fifth threshold value is exceeded if the extent of operation of the view angle changing unit does not exceed the fifth threshold value with a preset period of time.

24. The control method according to claim 22, wherein in said controlling, the magnification of the image is maintained at the value prior to the start of operation of the view angle changing unit until either the extent of operation of the view angle changing unit exceeds the fifth threshold value or the amount of time through which the view angle changing unit is continuously operated exceeds a preset period of time.