Imaging apparatus, function control method, and function control program

• US 8,325,251 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2008
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takachi, Tomoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLEMAN, STEPHEN P
• Application Number:
  US12/329,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20090185047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 348/222.1, 348/208.11, 348/348, 396/89, 396/72, 396/529
• US Class Current: 348/240.99
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/36 Autofocus systems
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• 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 23/72 Combination of two or more compensation controls

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes: receiving means for receiving selection input for an imaging mode; discriminating means for discriminating, when the selection input is received through the receiving means, a selected imaging mode on the basis of the received selection input; and scanning controlling means for causing, when it is discriminated by the discriminating means that a simple imaging mode for limiting operation input and allowing a user to appropriately take an image of a subject is selected, the imaging apparatus to execute scanning processing for specifying a position of the subject, which is performed to set focus on the subject, in a maximum range from a near scene to a distant scene.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

receiving means for receiving selection input for an imaging mode, the imaging mode comprising a normal imaging mode, and a simple imaging mode;

discriminating means for determining the imaging mode that has been selected on the basis of the received selection input;

receiving means for receiving selection input for an auto focus mode comprising a normal mode, a macro mode, and an automacro mode when the normal imaging mode is selected; and

scanning controlling means for causing the imaging apparatus to execute scanning processing for determining a position of a subject to set focus on the subject, by scanning in a maximum range from a near scene to a distant scene when the simple imaging mode is selected.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display controlling means for limiting display information to be displayed on a display device provided in the imaging apparatus and controlling a display form of the display information when the simple imaging mode is selected.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising operation controlling means for performing control to limit operable operation keys of the operation-input receiving means that receives operation input from the user when the simple imaging mode is selected.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the maximum range from a near scene to a distance scene is a range from a position 8 centimeters from the imaging apparatus to infinity.

5. A function control method comprising the steps of:

receiving selection input for an imaging mode, the imaging mode comprising a normal imaging mode, and a simple imaging mode;

determining the imaging mode that has been selected on the basis of the received selection input;

receiving selection input for an auto focus mode comprising a normal mode, a macro mode, and an automacro mode, when the normal imaging mode is selected; and

causing the imaging apparatus to set the auto focus mode to the automacro mode and execute scanning processing for determining a position of the subject to set focus on the subject, by scanning in a maximum range from a near scene to a distant scene when the simple imaging mode is selected.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute the steps of:

receiving selection input for an imaging mode, the imaging mode comprising a normal imaging mode, and a simple imaging mode;

determining the imaging mode that has been selected on the basis of the received selection input;

receiving selection input for an auto focus mode comprising a normal mode, a macro mode, and an automacro mode, when the normal imaging mode is selected; and

causing the imaging apparatus to set the auto focus mode to the automacro mode and execute scanning processing for determining a position of the subject to set focus on the subject, by scanning in a maximum range from a near scene to a distant scene when the simple imaging mode is selected.

7. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving selection input for an imaging mode, the imaging mode comprising a normal imaging mode, and a simple imaging mode;

a discriminating unit for determining the imaging mode that has been selected on the basis of the received selection input;

receiving means for receiving selection input for an auto focus mode comprising a normal mode, a macro mode, and an automacro mode when the normal imaging mode is selected; and

a scanning controlling unit for causing the imaging apparatus to execute scanning processing for determining a position of the subject to set focus on the subject, by scanning in a maximum range from a near scene to a distant scene when the simple imaging mode is selected.

8. The imaging apparatus of claim 7, wherein the normal imaging mode further comprises an exposure fixed mode.

9. The imaging apparatus of claim 8, wherein the normal imaging mode further comprises a white balance fixed mode.

10. The imaging apparatus of claim 9, wherein the normal imaging mode further comprises a shutter speed fixed mode.

11. The imaging apparatus of claim 10, wherein in the normal mode, the scanning controlling unit scans in a range from 50 centimeters from the imaging apparatus to infinity.

12. The imaging apparatus of claim 11, wherein in the macro mode, the scanning controlling unit scans in a range from 8 centimeters from the imaging apparatus to 50 centimeters from the imaging apparatus.

13. The imaging apparatus of claim 7, wherein when the simple imaging mode is selected, the auto focus mode is set to the automacro mode.

14. The imaging apparatus of claim 13, wherein when the simple imaging mode is selected, exposure is selected based on an automatic exposure adjusting function.

15. The imaging apparatus of claim 14, wherein when the simple imaging mode is selected, white balance is selected based on an automatic white balance adjusting function.