IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS AND DISPLAY CONTROL METHOD

• US 20090231470A1
• Filed: 03/11/2009
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hitosuga, Emi
• Granted Patent: US 8,773,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators

Abstract

When various kinds of information and various frames are superimposed on a displayed image of a subject during live view shooting, an object to be preferentially displayed is switched between the various kinds of information and the various frames in accordance with an overlapping state of the various kinds of information and the various frames if the various kinds of information overlap the various frames.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject to acquire image data;

a display unit configured to display the image of the subject based on the image data acquired by the image capturing unit; and

a display control unit configured to perform a control operation so that information displayed at a predetermined position and a movably displayed frame are superimposed on the image of the subject displayed by the display unit,

wherein the display control unit displays either the information or the frame preferentially in accordance with an overlapping state of the information and the frame when the information overlaps the frame.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit performs the control operation so that the frame is displayed more preferentially than the information when a predetermined part of the frame overlaps the information.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the frame is a rectangular frame that encloses a part of the image displayed by the display unit, and

wherein the display control unit performs the control operation so that the frame is displayed more preferentially than the information when at least one entire side of the frame overlaps the information.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the frame is a rectangular frame that encloses a part of the image displayed by the display unit, and

wherein the display control unit performs the control operation so that the frame is displayed more preferentially than the information when both ends of at least one side of the frame overlap the information.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein only both ends of each side of the rectangular frame that encloses a part of the image displayed by the display unit are shown, and

wherein the display control unit performs the control operation so that the frame is displayed more preferentially than the information when the both ends of at least one side of the frame overlap the information.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit performs the control operation so that the frame is displayed more preferentially than the information when a ratio of a part of the frame overlapping the information to the entire frame is equal to or higher than a predetermined value.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the frame is a circular frame that encloses a part of the image displayed by the display unit, and

wherein the display control unit performs the control operation so that the frame is displayed more preferentially than the information when a half or more of the circumference of the frame overlaps the information.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the frame is a circular frame that encloses a part of the image displayed by the display unit, and

wherein the display control unit performs the control operation so that the frame is displayed more preferentially than the information when a half or more of the circumference of the frame continuously overlaps the information.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a face detecting unit configured to detect faces of the subjects based on the image data acquired by the image capturing unit; and

a selecting unit configured to select a face of a main subject from the faces of the subjects detected by the face detecting unit,

wherein, when a plurality of the frames that enclose the faces of the subjects detected by the face detecting unit are displayed, the display control unit switches, in accordance with an overlapping state of the frame and the information, an object to be preferentially displayed between the information and the frame regarding the frame that encloses the face of the main subject selected by the selecting unit.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the display control unit performs the control operation so that the information is displayed preferentially when the information overlaps the frame that encloses a face of a subject other than the main subject.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the frames are displayed on the display unit, and

wherein the display control unit performs the control operation so that a smaller frame is displayed preferentially when two of the plurality of frames overlap each other.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit changes at least one of the position and the size of the frame in accordance with a user operation.

13. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject to acquire image data;

a display unit configured to display the image of the subject based on the image data acquired by the image capturing unit; and

a display control unit configured to perform a control operation so that a movably displayed frame and information that is displayed at a predetermined position and is semitransparent so that the image of the subject can be seen therethrough are superimposed on the image of the subject displayed by the display unit,

wherein the display control unit performs the control operation so that the information is displayed more preferentially than the frame when the information overlaps the frame and determines whether to make the information semitransparent so that the frame is seen therethrough in accordance with an overlapping state of the information and the frame.

14. A display control method comprising:

displaying an image of a subject on a display unit based on image data acquired by an image capturing unit; and

controlling information displayed at a predetermined position and a movably displayed frame to be superimposed on the image of the subject displayed on the display unit,

wherein, in the controlling step, either the information or the frame is displayed preferentially in accordance with an overlapping state of the information and the frame when the information overlaps the frame.

15. A display control method comprising:

displaying an image of a subject on a display unit based on image data acquired by an image capturing unit; and

controlling a movably displayed frame and information, which is displayed at a predetermined position and is semitransparent so that the image of the subject can be seen therethrough, to be superimposed on the image of the subject displayed on the display unit,

wherein, in the controlling step, the information is displayed more preferentially than the frame when the information overlaps the frame and whether to make the information semitransparent so that the frame is seen therethrough is determined in accordance with an overlapping state of the information and the frame.