Display control apparatus and control method thereof

• US 9,671,932 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2013
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kitaya, Koki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): SPELLMAN, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US13/738,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20130198689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,608 Days
• Field of Search: 715821, 715835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing 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

Abstract

A display control apparatus displays a selection screen, which displays a plurality of options as icons, on a display device, and when one of the plurality of options is selected, it controls to switch a display to a screen according to the selected option and to display a variable icon, a display form of which is changed according to a processing result, on that screen. The display control apparatus controls to transition the display in response to a predetermined user operation accepted when the screen according to the selected option is displayed, so that the display form of the variable icon is changed to a display form corresponding to the selected option on the selection screen, and the selection screen is displayed after the change.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus comprising an image sensor, a memory and at least one processor which performs the functions of a display control unit, a switching unit and a scene determination unit, wherein:

the display control unit is configured to control a display unit to display a selection screen for selecting one of a plurality of operation modes including a plurality of image capturing modes, the selection screen including a plurality of icons as options, which respectively represents the plurality of operation modes;

the switching unit is configured to switch an operation mode of the image capturing apparatus to one of the plurality of operation modes, which corresponds to an icon selected in the selection screen; and

the scene determination unit is configured to determine one scene from a plurality of scenes based on characteristics of an image captured by the image sensor,

wherein the display control unit, in a case where a specific icon among the plurality of icons in the selection screen is elected when the selection screen is displayed, switches from displaying the selection screen to displaying an image display screen of a specific operation mode corresponding to the specific icon,

wherein the image display screen of the specific operation mode includes scene determination icon,

wherein the scene determination icon is an icon, a display form of which is responsive to a determination result of the scene determination unit,

wherein when an instruction to display the selection screen is detected when the image display screen of the, specific operation node is being displayed, the display control unit displays, on the display screen, at a place where the scene determination icon was being displayed, without displaying the selection screen, an icon a display form of which has been changed from a display form of the scene determination icon to a display form of the specific icon previously selected on the selection screen, and

wherein the selection screen is displayed after the display form of the scene determination icon is changed to the display form of the specific icon on the selection screen.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scene determination icon is able to accept a selecting operation from a user,

wherein a predetermined user operation is an operation for selecting the variable icon.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in response to a predetermined user operation accepted Then the image display screen of the specific operation mode is being displayed, the display control unit controls to transition the display, so that the display form of the scene determination icon is changed to a display form, which is identifiable as a display form indicating the specific icon on the selection screen, and the selection screen is displayed after the display form of the scene determination icon is changed.

4. The apparatus cording to claim 2, wherein the memory and the at least one processor further function as:

a touch detection unit configured to detect a touch operation on the display unit; and

a detecting unit configured to detect the predetermined user operation based on a touch operation on the scene determination icon detected by the touch detection unit.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the detecting unit detects a touch operation made on the scene determination icon as the predetermined user operation.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the detecting unit detects a touch-up operation from the scene determination icon as the predetermined user operation.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit changes the display form of the scene determination to the display form which corresponds to a display form indicating the specific operation mode on the selection screen, and is independent from an image captured by the imaging sensor, and keeps that display for a predetermined time period, and then makes transition to the selection screen.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the display control unit displays the scene determination icon on a predetermined background different from a background before a predetermined user operation is accepted on the image display screen of the specific operation mode before an elapse of the predetermined time period.

9. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the display control unit changes the display form of the scene determination icon in response to detection of a touch operation on the scene determination icon, and

the display control unit executes transition of the display to the selection screen in response to detection of a touch-up operation from the scene determination icon.

10. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the display control unit changes the display form of the scene determination icon when the touch operation on the scene determination icon is kept for a predetermined time period, and

the display control unit executes transition of the display to the selection screen when a touch-up operation from the scene determination icon is detected after the touch operation on the scene determination icon is continued for the predetermined time period.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit displays a moving process of the scene determination icon to a position of a corresponding icon on the selection screen by animation.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the display form of the scene determination icon includes a first display form indicating a first scene and a second display form indicating a second scene different from the first scene, and

the display control unit changes, in a case where a predetermined user operation is accepted, the display form of the scene determination icon to a specific display form that is different from both the first and the second display form and is independent from the captured image.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image captured by the imaging sensor is used for displaying live view image.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specific operation mode is an operation mode in which image shooting is performed with an imaging condition determined based on an input image data.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the scene determination icon is displayed with one of display forms corresponding to determination based on an input image data, among a predetermined plurality of display forms.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the determination result of the scene determination unit includes either object information or exposure value in the captured image.

12. A control method of an image capturing apparatus, comprising:

controlling a display unit to display a selection screen for selecting one of a plurality of operation modes including a plurality of image capturing modes, the selection screen including a plurality of icons as options, which respectively represent the plurality of operation modes;

switching an operation mode of the image capturing apparatus to one of the plurality of operation modes, corresponding to an icon selected in the selection screen; and

determining one scene from a plurality of scenes based on characteristics of a captured image,

wherein in a case where a specific icon among the plurality of icons in the selection screen is selected when the selection screen is displayed, switching from displaying the selection screen to displaying an image display screen of a specific operation mode corresponding to the specific icon,

wherein the image display screen of the specific operation mode includes a scene determination icon,

wherein the scene determination icon is an icon, a display form of which is responsive to a determination result of the determining step,

wherein when an instruction to display the selection screen is detected when the image display screen of the specific operation mode is being displayed, displaying, on the display screen, at a place where the scene determination icon was being displayed, without displaying the selection screen, an icon a display form of which has been changed from a display form of the scene determination icon to a display form of the specific icon previously selected on the selection screen, and

wherein the selection screen is displayed after the display form of the scene determination icon is changed to the display form of the specific icon on the selection screen.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as:

a display control unit configured to control a display unit to display a selection screen for selecting one of a plurality of operation modes including a plurality of image capturing modes, the selection screen including a plurality of icons as options, which respectively represents the plurality of operation modes;

switching unit configured to switch an operation mode of the image capturing apparatus to one of the plurality of operation modes, which corresponds to an icon selected in the selection screen; and

a scene determination unit configured to determine one scene from a plurality of scenes based on characteristics of an image captured by an imaging unit,

wherein the display control unit, in a case where a specific icon among the plurality of icons in the selection screen is selected when the selection screen is displayed, switches from displaying the selection screen to displaying an image display screen of a specific operation mode corresponding to the specific icon,

wherein the image display screen of the specific operation mode includes a scene determination icon,

wherein the scene determination icon is an icon, a display form of which is responsive to a determination result of the scene determination unit,

wherein when an instruction to display the selection screen is detected when the image display screen of the specific operation mode is being displayed, the display control unit displays, on the display screen, at a place where the scene determination icon was being displayed, without displaying the selection screen, an icon a display form of which has been changed from a display form of the scene determination icon to a display form of the specific icon previously selected on the selection screen, and

wherein the selection screen is displayed after the display form of the scene determination icon is changed to the display form of the specific icon on the selection screen.