IMAGE CAPTURING CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20170230578A1
• Filed: 02/02/2017
• Published: 08/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kitaya, Koki
• Granted Patent: US 9,986,161 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/672 based on the phase difference signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method

Abstract

An image capturing control apparatus configured to switch between a first mode in which a specific setting relating to image capturing is automatically performed and a second mode in which the specific setting is performed based on an amount of user operation and a control unit configured to perform control, in a case where the first mode is switched to the second mode by a user operation before the image capturing preparation instruction is received, the second mode is not switched to the first mode based on a release of the image capturing preparation instruction, and in a case where the first mode is switched to the second mode by a user operation during the image capturing preparation instruction is being received, the second mode is switched to the first mode based on the release of the image capturing preparation instruction is being received.

Claims

1. An image capturing control apparatus configured to switch between a first setting mode in which a specific setting relating to image capturing is automatically performed and a second setting mode in which the specific setting is performed based on an amount of a user operation performed on a first operation member, the image capturing control apparatus comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive an image capturing preparation instruction to prepare for image capturing; and

a control unit configured to perform control in such a manner that the first setting mode is switched to the second setting mode based on a user operation,

wherein, in a case where the first setting mode is switched to the second setting mode by a user operation before the reception unit receives the image capturing preparation instruction, the control unit performs control in such a manner that the second setting mode is not switched to the first setting mode when the reception unit is released from a state of receiving the image capturing preparation instruction, and

wherein, in a case where the first setting mode is switched to the second setting mode by a user operation in a state of the reception unit receiving the image capturing preparation instruction, the control unit performs control in such a manner that the second setting mode is switched to the first setting mode when the reception unit is released from the state of receiving the image capturing preparation instruction.

2. The image capturing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs control to switch from the first setting mode to the second setting mode based on a specific operation either in one of a state the image capturing preparation instruction is accepted and a state in which the image capturing preparation instruction is being received.

3. The image capturing control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the specific operation is an operation performed on the first operation member.

4. The image capturing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specific setting is a focus setting.

5. The image capturing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specific setting is any of a shutter speed setting, a diaphragm setting, and an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) sensitivity setting.

6. The image capturing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where the specific setting is the first setting mode, the control unit performs control in such a manner that the specific setting is performed in the first setting mode when the image capturing preparation instruction is issued.

7. The image capturing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image capturing preparation instruction is issued when a shutter button provided separately from the first operation member is pressed to a predetermined pressed state in which the shutter button is in the middle of completely pressed.

8. The image capturing control apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein an image capturing instruction is issued based on the shutter button having been completely pressed, and

wherein, in a case where the specific setting is the first setting mode, the control unit performs control in such a manner that the specific setting is not performed in the first setting mode even in a case where the shutter button is pressed to the predetermined pressed state after the image capturing instruction is issued.

9. The image capturing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs control to, based on the specific setting having been switched from the first setting mode to the second setting mode, display a guide indicating that the second setting mode has been set.

10. The image capturing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs control to, in a case where the image capturing preparation instruction is issued without the first setting mode being switched to the second setting mode by a user operation before the image capturing preparation instruction is issued, display a guide indicating that a user can switch to the second setting mode during a period from a time point at which an operation on the first operation member is performed to a time point at which the image capturing preparation instruction is not issued.

11. The image capturing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where the first setting mode is switched to the second setting mode by a user operation before the image capturing preparation instruction is issued, the control unit performs control in such a manner that the second setting mode is switched to the first setting mode based on a user operation performed after the image capturing preparation instruction is cancelled.

12. The image capturing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where a first setting relating to a setting mode of the specific setting is set, the control unit performs control in such a manner that the first setting mode is switched to the second setting mode based on an operation performed on the first operation member before the image capturing preparation instruction, and, in a case where the first setting is not set, the control unit performs control in such a manner that the first setting mode is not switched to the second setting mode even in a case where an operation is performed on the first operation member before the image capturing preparation instruction.

13. The image capturing control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, in a case where a second setting relating to the setting mode of the specific setting is enabled, the control unit performs control in such a manner that the specific setting in the second setting mode is set based on an operation having been performed on the first operation member after the specific setting in the first setting mode is set, and in a case where the second setting is disabled, the control unit performs control in such a manner that the specific setting in the second setting mode is not set even in a case where an operation on the first operation member is performed after the specific setting in the first setting mode is set.

14. The image capturing control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, in a case where the first setting is set and the second setting is enabled, the control unit performs control in such a manner that, in a case where the first setting mode is switched to the second setting mode by a user operation before the reception unit receives the image capturing preparation instruction, the second setting mode is not switched to the first setting mode even when the reception unit is released from the state in which the image capturing preparation instruction is being received, and

wherein in a case where the first setting mode is switched to the second setting mode by a user operation in a state in which the reception unit is receiving the image capturing preparation instruction, the control unit performs control in such a manner that the second setting mode is switched to the first setting mode based on the reception unit having been released from the state in which the image capturing preparation instruction is being received.

15. The image capturing control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, in a case where the first setting is set, the control unit displays a guide indicating that the specific setting in the second setting mode is set by a user operation before the image capturing preparation instruction.

16. The image capturing control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a recording unit configured to record that a setting mode of the specific setting is the first setting mode or the second setting mode,

wherein the control unit performs control in such a manner that, in a case where the first setting mode is switched to the second setting mode before the reception unit receives the image capturing preparation instruction, the setting mode to be recorded on the recording unit is switched to the second setting mode, and in a case where the first setting mode is switched to the second setting mode after the image capturing preparation instruction is received, the setting mode to be recorded on the recording unit is not switched to the second setting mode.

17. The image capturing control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first operation member is a rotatable member.

18. A method for controlling an image capturing control apparatus configured to switch between a first setting mode in which a specific setting relating to image capturing is automatically performed and a second setting mode in which the specific setting is performed based on an amount of a user operation performed on a first operation member, the method comprising:

receiving an image capturing preparation instruction to prepare for image capturing; and

performing control in such a manner that the first setting mode is switched to the second setting mode based on a user operation,

wherein, in a case where the first setting mode is switched to the second setting mode by a user operation before the image capturing preparation instruction is received in the receiving, the control is performed in such a manner that the second setting mode is not switched to the first setting mode even in a case where a state in which the image capturing preparation instruction is being received in the receiving is released, and

wherein, in a case where the first setting mode is switched to the second setting mode by a user operation in a state in which the image capturing preparation instruction is being received in the receiving, the control is performed in such a manner that the second setting mode is switched to the first setting mode based on release from the state in which the image capturing preparation instruction is being received in the receiving.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for executing the method according to claim 18.