KR101058017B1 - Method of controlling menu display of digital shooting device and digital shooting device employing this method - Google Patents

Abstract

The method according to the present invention is a method of controlling a menu display of a digital photographing apparatus that displays menu items belonging to a category on a screen when a category is selected in a menu use mode for using functions of menu items classified into one or more categories. Regarding, in the menu use mode, the menu display structure according to the user's selection to change the menu editing mode, setting the menu display structure according to the user's selection in the menu editing mode, and the menu editing mode Displaying the categories and menu items in the menu usage mode as set in.

Digital cameras, menu display control

Description

Method for controlling menu display in digital photographing apparatus, and digital photographing apparatus using the method

1 is a perspective view showing the front and upper side appearance of a digital camera as a digital photographing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view illustrating a rear side appearance of the digital camera of FIG. 1.

3 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the digital camera of FIG. 1.

4 and 5 illustrate an example of a menu screen of the digital camera of FIG. 1.

6 is a flowchart showing an algorithm of the method for controlling menu display of the present invention.

7 illustrates a screen displayed when a menu editing mode, that is, a menu editing category is selected.

8A and 8B show a case of changing the order of categories as an example of menu editing.

9A and 9B are diagrams showing a case of changing the display order of menu items in a category as an example of menu editing.

 <Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

1 ... digital camera, 11 ... self-timer lamp,                 

12 ... flash, 13 ... shutter release button,

14 ... mode dial, 15 ... function buttons,

17a, 17b ... view finder, 19 ... flash-light sensor,

20 lens part, 21 external interface part,

MIC ... microphone, SP ... speaker,

31 ... power button, 32 ... monitor button,

33 ... auto-focus lamp, 34 ... flash standby lamp,

35 ... color LCD panel, 36 ... manual-focusing / delete button,

37 ... Manual-adjust / play button, 39 _W ... Wide-Zoom button,

39 _T ... telephoto-zoom button, OPS ... optical system,

OEC ... photoelectric converter, M _Z ... zoom motor,

M _F ... focus motor, M _A ... aperture motor,

501 analog-to-digital converter, 502 timing circuit,

503 ... real time clock, 504 ... DRAM,

505 ... EEPROM, 506 ... memory card interface,

507 ... digital camera processor, 508 ... RS232C interface,

509 ... video filter, 21a ... USB connection,

21b ... RS232C connection, 21c ... video output,

510 ... lens drive, 511 ... flash controller,                 

512 ... microcontroller, INP ... user input,

LAMP ... light emitting unit, 513 ... audio processor,

LCD driver, ME1, ME2 ... menu edit buttons

The present invention relates to a method for controlling a digital photographing apparatus and a digital photographing apparatus employing the method, and more particularly, to a method for controlling a menu display of a digital photographing apparatus for displaying and changing a menu display structure as desired by a user. It relates to a digital photographing apparatus employing.

Conventional digital photographing apparatus, e.g., digital camera of US Patent Publication No. 119,876 (Method of Invention: Method of notification of inadequate picture quality) of 2004, filed by the present applicant for the setting of various functions of the digital camera It provides a menu. When the menu is output to the display unit of the digital camera, the menu items are classified by categories, and typically one category at a time is displayed, and one category displays a number of menu items ranging from several to many. In general, since the menu output to the display unit of the digital camera is a menu set at the time of design, the menu is displayed according to the display order set at the time of design regardless of the frequency of use of the user.

However, as the functions of the digital photographing device become more diverse and complicated, the number of menu items is increasing. Accordingly, the user's inconvenience is increased, such as the number of operations of the navigation buttons that need to be operated to find a desired menu item. . On the other hand, the frequency of use of each menu item varies depending on the user, and some menu items are rarely used. Accordingly, there has been a study related to changing the menu display structure from the default value set at design time for the convenience of the user.

As a related art related to a change in the menu display structure, for example, US Patent No. 6,177,957 (name of the invention: System and method for dynamically updating features in an electronic imaging device) and Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2000-020838 ( Title of the Invention: Apparatus and method for controlling menu output of an electronic camera.

The former installs additional software as a removable memory device that cannot be loaded due to insufficient memory of the digital still camera, and the digital still camera starts to use it without recognition and reboot, and deletes the software when the removable memory is removed. have. However, due to the development of memory-related technology, it is not necessary to install additional programs because the capacity of the memory installed in the digital photographing apparatus is basically sufficient enough to increase the capacity of the loaded program. In addition, this technique has nothing to do with proper handling of less frequently used menu items to improve menu usability.

On the other hand, the latter is to improve the user convenience by automatically collecting the menus with a low frequency of use in a category called a menu warehouse according to the user identification display, and automatically displaying only the frequently used menus. However, it was not possible to change the menu display structure at once as the user wanted and the menu display structure was arranged for the user's convenience only after using a certain frequency or more.

The present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art related to the change of the menu display structure as described above, and the method and method for controlling the menu display of the digital photographing apparatus to allow the user to change the menu display structure as desired An object of the present invention is to provide an adopted digital photographing apparatus.

In order to achieve the above object, the menu display control method of the digital photographing apparatus according to the present invention belongs to a category when a category is selected in a menu use mode for using a function of menu items classified into one or more categories. A menu display control method of a digital photographing apparatus for displaying menu items on a screen, the method comprising: going to a menu editing mode according to a user's selection to change a menu display structure in the menu use mode, and the user in the menu editing mode. The menu display structure is set according to the selection of, to display categories and menu items in the menu use mode as set in the menu edit mode.

In the menu editing control method of the digital photographing apparatus, in the menu editing mode, a user selection for a category and menu items not to be displayed in the menu using mode is received, and the setting according to the selection is stored, and the menu using mode , It is preferable not to display categories and menu items not to be displayed according to the settings stored in the menu editing mode.

In addition, the method of controlling the menu display of the digital photographing apparatus may further include user selection for categories and menu items that are not displayed in the current menu use mode but restored and displayed by the previous setting in the menu editing mode. It is preferable to receive the input and store the settings according to the selection, and to display the categories and menu items to be restored and displayed according to the settings stored in the menu editing mode in the menu use mode.

The method of controlling menu display of the digital photographing apparatus may further include receiving a user selection about a category and a display order of menu items in the menu use mode in the menu editing mode, and storing a setting according to the selection and using a menu. In the mode, it is preferable to display the categories and menu items in the display order according to the settings stored in the menu editing mode.

In order to achieve the above object, the digital photographing apparatus according to the present invention employs the menu display control method of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1, in front of the digital camera 1 as an example of the digital photographing apparatus according to the present invention, a microphone (MIC), a self-timer lamp 11, a flash 12, a shutter release button 13, the view finder 17a, the flash-light amount sensor 19, the power switch 31, the lens unit 20, and the remote receiver 41.

In the self-timer mode, the self-timer lamp 11 operates for a set time from the time when the shutter release button 13 is pressed to the time when the image starts to capture. The flash-light amount sensor 19 detects the light amount when the flash 12 operates and inputs the light amount to the digital signal processor 507 of FIG. 3 through the microcontroller 512 of FIG. 3. The remote receiver 41 receives a command signal from a remote controller (not shown), for example, a photographing command signal, and inputs it to the digital signal processor 507 through the microcontroller 512.

Referring to FIG. 2, the rear of the digital camera 1 according to the present invention has a mode dial 14, function buttons 15, a manual-focusing / deleting button 36, a manual-adjusting / playing / stopping button ( 37, playback mode button 42, speaker (SP), monitor button 32, auto-focus lamp 33, viewfinder 17b, flash standby lamp 34, color LCD panel 35, wide angle wide angle-zoom button 39 _W , telephoto-zoom button 39 _T , and external interface 21.

The mode dial 14 selects any one of operation modes of the camera, for example, a video shooting mode, a night view shooting mode, a scene shooting mode, a manual shooting mode, a user-set shooting mode, a voice recording mode, and the like. Used to.

The function buttons 15 are used by the user to perform specific functions of the digital camera 1 while being used as direction-shift buttons and the like of the activation cursor in the menu screen of the color LCD panel 35.

For example, the user and the macro / down in a still image or a moving picture pick-up mode is close automatic focusing by pressing a shift button (15 _P) is set. In addition, when the user presses the menu / selection-confirmation button ( _15M ), a menu for setting the conditions that can be set in the current operation mode is displayed, and when the user presses the macro / down-movement button ( _15P ), the active cursor Is moved downward.

On the other hand, when the user presses the voice-memo / up-move button 15 _R , recording is possible for 10 seconds after the subsequent shooting operation. In addition, the user the menu / selection-confirmation button (15 _M) for in by pressing with a menu for setting the conditions of the current operating mode of the display state, the user voice-notes / up-shift button (15 _R) Press to move the active cursor up. In addition, the active cursor is user menu / selection in a state located in any one of the selection - Press the OK button (15 _M) the operation corresponding to the selected item is performed.

Manual-adjust / play / stop button 37 is used for manual adjustment of certain conditions. In addition, in the playback mode, when the user presses the manual-adjustment / playback / stop button 37 while selecting one video file, the user may play or stop the selected video file.

The manual focusing / deletion button 36 is used for the user to focus manually in the shooting mode or to perform the delete operation in the playback mode.

The monitor button 32 is used by the user to control the operation of the color LCD panel 35. For example, in the shooting mode, when the user presses the monitor button 32 first, the image of the subject and the shooting information thereof are displayed on the color LCD panel 35, and when the user presses the monitor button 32 first, it is applied to the color LCD panel 35. Power is cut off. In addition, in the playback mode, when a user presses the monitor button 32 first while a video file is being played back, shooting information of the video file being played is displayed on the color LCD panel 35, and secondly. Press to display only pure images.

The playback mode button 42 is used for switching to the playback or preview mode.

The auto-focus lamp 33 operates when the focus is well achieved. The flash standby lamp 34 operates when the flash (12 in FIG. 1) is in standby for operation. Mode refers to the selection mode of the indicator lamps (14 _L), a mode dial 14.

Below the LCD panel 35 are menu editing buttons ME1 and ME2 that are directly related to the present invention.

3 shows the overall configuration of the digital camera 1 of FIG. Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the overall configuration and operation of the digital camera 1 of Figure 1 will be described.

The optical system OPS including the lens unit and the filter unit optically processes light from a subject.

The lens unit of the optical system OPS includes a zoom lens, a focus lens, and a compensation lens.

When the user presses the wide angle-zoom button 39w or the telephoto-zoom button 39t included in the user input unit INP, a corresponding signal is input to the microcontroller 512. Accordingly, as the microcontroller 512 controls the lens driver 510, the zoom motor M _Z is driven to move the zoom lens. That is, when the wide-angle zoom button 39w is pressed, the focal length of the zoom lens is shortened to widen the angle of view, and when the telephoto-zoom button 39t is pressed, the focus of the zoom lens is pressed. The longer the length, the narrower the angle of view. Here, since the position of the focus lens is adjusted while the position of the zoom lens is set, the angle of view is hardly influenced by the position of the focus lens.

Meanwhile, in the auto focus mode, the focus motor M _F is driven by the main controller embedded in the digital signal processor 507 controlling the lens driver 510 through the microcontroller 512. As a result, the focus lens is moved, and in this process, the position of the focus lens where the high frequency component of the image signal is the largest, for example, the number of driving steps of the focus motor M _F is set.

The compensating lens of the lens unit of the optical system OPS is not driven separately because it serves to compensate the overall refractive index. Reference numeral M _A denotes a motor for driving an aperture (not shown).

In the filter section of the optical system OPS, an optical low pass filter removes optical noise of high frequency components. Infra-Red cut filter cuts the infrared component of the incident light.

A photoelectric conversion unit (OEC) of a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) converts light from an optical system (OPS) into an electrical analog signal. Here, the digital signal processor 507 controls the timing circuit 502 to control the operations of the photoelectric converter OEC and the analog-digital converter 501. The CDS-ADC (Correlation Double Sampler and Analog-to-Digital Converter) element 501 as an analog-to-digital converter processes the analog signal from the photoelectric converter (OEC), removes the high frequency noise, and adjusts the amplitude. After that, it is converted into a digital signal.

The real time clock 503 provides time information to the digital signal processor 507. The digital signal processor 507 processes the digital signal from the CDS-ADC element 501 to generate a digital image signal classified into luminance and chroma signals.

The light-emitting portion LAMP driven by the microcontroller 512 according to control signals from the digital signal processor 507 incorporating the main controller includes a self-timer lamp 11, an auto-focus lamp 33, A mode indication lamp 14 _L and a flash standby lamp 34 are included. The user input unit INP includes a shutter release button 13, a mode dial 14, function buttons 15, a monitor button 32, a manual focusing / delete button 36, a manual adjustment / playback button ( 37), wide-zoom button 39 _W , telephoto-zoom button 39 _T , and the like.

The digital video signal from the digital signal processor 507 is temporarily stored in the DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) 504. The EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory) 505 stores algorithms and setting data necessary for the operation of the digital signal processor 507. In the memory card interface 506, a user's memory card is detached.

The digital image signal from the digital signal processor 507 is input to the LCD driver 514, whereby an image is displayed on the color LCD panel 35.

On the other hand, the digital video signal from the digital signal processor 507 can be transmitted by serial communication via a universal serial bus (USB) connection 21a or an RS232C interface 508 and its connection 21b, and a video filter ( 509 and the video output unit 21c can be transmitted as a video signal. Here, the digital signal processor 507 incorporates a microcontroller therein.

The audio processor 513 outputs the audio signal from the microphone MIC to the digital signal processor 507 or the speaker SP, and outputs the audio signal from the digital signal processor 507 to the speaker SP.

On the other hand, the microcontroller 512 drives the flash 12 by controlling the operation of the flash controller 511 according to the signal from the flash-light amount sensor 19.

A menu display control method directly related to the present invention will be described below.

The digital camera 1 to turn on the power switch 31, menu / selection of the structure as described above - by pressing the OK button (15 _M), the menu screen on the digital signal processor 507 is displayed deny the color LCD panel 35 Display. This menu screen is related to the current camera operation modes selected according to the mode dial 14, i.e., the mode selected from among the movie shooting mode, the night scene shooting mode, the scene shooting mode, the manual shooting mode, the custom shooting mode, the voice recording mode, and the like. In order to set the specific setting, Figure 4 shows an example of a menu screen.

In FIG. 4, a resolution category, or a resolution tab, for setting a size of a photographed picture is displayed on a menu screen. The menu items belonging to the resolution category, 2272 * 1704, 2048 * 1536, 1600 * 1200, 1280 * 960, 1024 * 768, etc., are displayed and the bar-shaped activation cursor is located at 2048 * 1536. Active cursor macro / down-move button (15 _R) is pressed when moving the up-shift button (15 _P) is pressed and moves downward, negative-notes / upward. Activate the menu item corresponding to the desired picture resolution by operating the macro / down-move button ( _15P ) or the voice-note / up-move button ( _15R ). Press ( _15M ) to set the resolution of the picture to be taken to the resolution indicated by the menu item where the active cursor is located.

On the other hand, move between categories, menu / selection-is carried out by as operating the shift button (15 _R) - OK button (15 _M) flash / leftward of the left-moving button (15 _L) and the self-timer / remote control / rightward. When the self-timer / remote control / right-movement button 15 _R is pressed once in the state shown in FIG. 4, the resolution category disappears and the image quality category corresponding to the icon on the right side is displayed, and the state becomes as shown in FIG. 5. The quality category includes menu items such as TIFF, Ultra High Definition, High Definition, and General Definition.

The icon on the right of the icon representing the image quality category represents a metering category with menu items such as multi-field metering, spot metering, etc., and the icon on the left of the resolution category has menu items such as start image, start sound and shutter sound. Represents the category "My Camera".

Since the above-mentioned categories are for using the functions of the menu items belonging to them, selecting a category to display the series of menu items belonging to the category to use the functions of the menu items is referred to as a menu use mode hereinafter. . Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 4, there is an icon labeled "EM" on the left side of the icon representing the "My Camera" category, which is a menu editing category as related to the feature of the present invention, and is selected to use a function of a menu item. It is not a category but a "menu editing" category, which is a category for setting a menu display structure. Hereinafter, selecting and displaying a menu editing category is referred to as a menu editing mode to distinguish it from a menu use mode.

6 is a flowchart showing an algorithm of the method for controlling menu display of the present invention.

As shown in the drawing, the menu display control method of the present invention first includes a step (S1) of proceeding to a menu editing mode according to a user's selection. In the present embodiment, the user selects the menu editing category so that the digital signal processor 507 proceeds to the menu editing mode to display the menu editing screen. However, there is a separate button for editing the menu, it is of course possible to display the menu editing screen by pressing the button.

In the menu editing mode, the menu display structure is set according to the user's selection (S2). The setting of the menu display structure preferably includes setting of whether to display the category and the menu item and setting of the display order of the category and the menu item. This setting is stored in the EEPROM 505. Thereafter, the digital signal processor 507 displays the category and menu item in the menu use mode as set in the menu setting mode (S3).

7 shows a screen of a menu editing mode, that is, a screen displayed when a menu editing category is selected in the present embodiment.

As shown in the figure, in the menu editing mode, each category of the menu use mode such as "My Camera" and "Resolution" is all listed, and a menu item list in which all menu items belonging to each category are listed under the category is shown. Is displayed. An active cursor is located at the center of the menu screen, and a scroll bar is located at the right side of the menu screen, so that the user can determine how far the category or menu item in which the active cursor is located is located in the entire menu item list. In the menu editing mode, in addition to the menu item list, there are "move" and "hide (restore)" graphic buttons for allowing a user to manipulate whether or not the menu items are displayed. These graphic buttons are linked to the first and second menu edit buttons ME1 and ME2 located below the LCD panel 35 of FIG. 2, respectively, so that the user can edit the desired menu.                     

As an example of setting the menu display structure, a case of setting whether to display a category and a menu item is described.

In the menu setting mode screen, the active cursor is always in the center of the screen and the voice-note / up-move button (15 _R ) and the macro / down-move button (15 _P ) move the categories and menu items represented in the text. It is desirable to. If you want to hide a less frequently used category or menu item in the menu display mode, proceed to the menu edit mode and then operate the voice-note / up-move button ( _15R ) and the macro / down-move button ( _15P ). Position the active cursor on the category or menu item you want to hide. At this time, the hide (restore) graphic button is displayed as "hide". This indicates that the category or menu item in which the active cursor is located is displayed in the menu use mode. In this state, pressing the second menu edit button (ME2) associated with the "Hide" graphic button changes "Hide" to "Restore", which means that the category or menu item in which the currently active cursor is located is not displayed in the menu use mode. It indicates that that, the status menu / selected from - press the OK button (15 _M) is stored in the current set. As a result, the categories and menu items selected for hiding are not displayed in the menu use mode.

On the contrary, if you want to restore and display categories and menu items that are set to hide and are not displayed in the menu use mode, go to the menu edit mode and press the voice-note / up-move button ( _15R ) and macro / down- Operate the move button 15 _P to position the active cursor in the category or menu item you want to restore and display. At this time, the hide (restore) graphic button is displayed as "restore". This indicates that the category or menu item in which the active cursor is located is hidden in the menu use mode. In this state, pressing the second menu edit button (ME2) associated with the "Restore" graphic button changes "Restore" to "Hide", which means that the category or menu item where the currently active cursor is located is displayed in the menu use mode. It shows that, in this state, the menu / selection - press the OK button (15 _M) is stored in the current set. As a result, the category and menu item selected for restoration in the menu editing mode are displayed in the menu usage mode.

As another example of setting the menu display structure, a case of changing the display order of the category and menu item in the menu use mode is described.

8A and 8B show a case of changing the order of categories. In FIG. 8A, the activation cursor is positioned in the image quality category, and the resolution category is positioned above it. In this state, if the order of the categories is to be changed so that the image quality category is above the resolution category, first press the first menu edit button ME1 linked to the "move" graphic button. Then, pressing the voice-memo / up-move button 15 _R once puts the position of the resolution category below the image quality category, as shown in FIG. 8B, above the original resolution category. My camera category was placed. In this state, pressing the Menu / Select-OK button ( _15M ) saves the current settings. In the menu use mode, the left and right display order of categories, which are My Camera-Resolution-Quality, is displayed in the order of My Camera-Quality-Resolution.

9A and 9B show a case of changing the display order of menu items in a category. If the user who uses the 1280 * 960 resolution most frequently wants to display the 1280 * 960 resolution on the top of the resolution category for ease of key operation, first use the voice-note / up-move button ( _15R ) and macro / down-press the navigation button (15 _P) the operation to activate the cursor as shown in Figure 9a in a state in which the top position 1280 * 960, "movement" of the first menu edit button (ME1) linked to the graphical button. Is to move the uppermost button to the menu items in the category resolution as shown in Figure 9b Pressing four times to 1280 * 960 is moved up by one each time the _(R 15) - Then, the voice-notes / upward. In this state, pressing the Menu / Select-OK button ( _15M ) saves the current settings. As a result, in the menu use mode, 1280 * 960 is displayed as the top menu item of the resolution category.

As described above, according to the method of controlling the menu display of the digital photographing apparatus according to the present invention and the digital photographing apparatus employing the method, the user can change and display the menu display structure as desired, thereby improving user convenience. Can be.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but may be modified and improved by those skilled in the art within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims (5)

A method of controlling a menu display of a digital photographing apparatus in which a menu item belonging to a category is displayed on a screen when a category is selected in a menu use mode for using a function of menu items classified into one or more categories. Proceeding to a menu editing mode according to a user's selection to change a menu display structure in the menu use mode; Setting a menu display structure according to a user's selection in the menu editing mode; Displaying categories and menu items in a menu use mode as set in the menu edit mode, The menu editing mode, Receiving a user selection about a category and a display order of menu items in the menu use mode, and storing a setting according to the selection; The menu use mode, And displaying categories and menu items in a display order according to the settings stored in the menu editing mode. The method of claim 1, The menu editing mode, Receives a user selection for a category and menu items not to be displayed in the menu use mode, and stores a setting according to the selection; The menu use mode, And not displaying categories and menu items not to be displayed according to the stored settings in the menu editing mode. The method of claim 2, The menu editing mode, Save the settings according to the selection by receiving a user selection for the category and menu items that are not displayed in the current menu use mode by the previous settings but want to be restored and displayed, The menu use mode, And displaying categories and menu items to be restored and displayed according to the settings stored in the menu editing mode. delete A digital photographing apparatus employing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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