JP2006129391A - Imaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

A tilted photographed image taken with a camera body tilted is corrected by the tilted angle so as to return to a substantially horizontal state.
A CCD that outputs a photographed image of a subject input via a lens device, a gravity sensor that is attached to the camera body and detects the direction of gravity and outputs a detection signal thereof, and a sensor from the sensor. Based on the detection signal, the tilt angle calculating means for calculating the tilt angle of the camera body and outputting the tilt angle signal is stored, and the tilt angle of the camera body is stored in association with the photographed image taken at that time. Image storage means capable of outputting the processed information as an image signal, and image processing means for correcting the image to an image that has been tilted in the opposite direction by the tilt angle and corrected to a substantially horizontal state at the time of output.
[Selection] Figure 15

Description

  According to the present invention, an image that can be taken out as an image that has been imaged in a state in which the imaging device main body is tilted with respect to the optical axis of the lens of the lens device as a substantially horizontal state on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. It relates to the device.

  As a conventional imaging apparatus of this type, there is an apparatus described in Patent Document 1, for example. Patent Document 1 describes a camera-integrated recording apparatus with a monitor, which is provided with a monitor unit that can easily view the photographing state of a subject.

  This camera-integrated recording apparatus with a monitor is described as follows: “A monitor / recording unit in which a recording unit that records a captured image on a recording medium and a monitor unit that displays the captured image are integrated; and a rotation mechanism in the monitor / recording unit. In a camera-integrated recording apparatus with a monitor including a camera unit rotatably attached to the camera unit, a state in which the rotation mechanism functions as a horizontal axis by detecting an inclination of the apparatus main body, and the rotation mechanism is vertical An inclination detection means for determining a state functioning as an axis, and when the inclination detection means determines that the rotation mechanism is in a state of functioning as a vertical axis, a recorded image recorded by the recording unit is And a control means for converting to an erect image having the same aspect ratio as the recorded image recorded by the recording unit in a state where the rotation mechanism functions as a horizontal axis. It is.

  According to the camera-integrated recording apparatus with a monitor having such a configuration, “when the apparatus main body is tilted 90 degrees and the camera unit can be rotated in the horizontal direction with the rotation mechanism as the vertical axis. Also, an effect such as “a desired photographed image, that is, an erect image can be recorded” is expected.

  Moreover, as another conventional imaging device of this type, for example, there is a device described in Patent Document 2. Patent Document 2 describes a digital camera provided with a detecting means for detecting the posture of the camera body with respect to the direction of gravity.

  This digital camera includes a “camera posture detection means for detecting the posture of the camera body relative to the direction of gravity, a storage means for storing the posture information of the camera body detected by the camera posture detection means at the time of imaging together with the captured image data, According to the monitor for displaying the reproduced image of the image data, the posture information stored by the storage means together with the image data when the image data is reproduced, and the posture information of the camera body detected by the camera posture detecting means. And display means for displaying the reproduced image on the monitor in a different display form ”.

  According to the digital camera having such a configuration, “when reproducing the image data, according to the posture information of the camera body stored by the storage means together with the image data and the posture information of the camera body detected by the camera posture detection means. Since the display control means for displaying the playback image on the monitor with different display forms is provided, the playback image can be easily viewed in the playback mode for playing back the captured image data regardless of the orientation of the camera. Can be displayed on a monitor. "

  However, in the above-described camera-integrated recording apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the camera lens and the monitor unit face the same direction, but the tilted captured image captured with the camera body tilted is in a horizontal state. It was not something that could be fixed.

In addition, the digital camera described in Patent Document 2 described above can display a reproduced image on a monitor in an easy-to-view direction regardless of the orientation of the camera in a reproduction mode for reproducing captured image data. Thus, the tilted captured image taken with the camera body tilted cannot be restored to the horizontal state.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-88758 JP 2001-189879 A

  The problem to be solved is that a tilted photographed image taken with the camera body tilted in the rolling direction cannot be corrected to an almost horizontal state by correcting the tilted image.

  The invention according to the present application includes an imaging device main body that holds a lens device, imaging means that converts a photographed image of a subject input via the lens device into a digital signal, and is attached to the imaging device main body and gravity. Gravity detection means that detects the direction of the image and outputs the detection signal, and calculates the rolling inclination angle of the imaging apparatus body in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens of the lens apparatus based on the detection signal from the gravity detection means The rolling inclination angle calculation means for outputting the rolling inclination angle signal, and the rolling inclination angle of the imaging apparatus main body based on the rolling inclination angle signal from the rolling inclination angle calculation means in association with the photographed image taken at that time Image storage means capable of storing and outputting the stored information as an image signal, and at least an image signal from the image storage means On output, and an image processing means for modifying the image fix in a substantially horizontal state inclined in the reverse direction by the rolling inclination angle, the most important feature that was provided.

  In the invention according to the present application, the image processing unit fills a portion of the corrected image that has been corrected to a substantially horizontal state that is not included in the photographed image having the rolling inclination angle so as to be substantially the same according to the surrounding situation. It is characterized by correction.

  The invention according to the present application is characterized in that the image processing means performs image trimming by cutting out a substantially maximum horizontal rectangle from a corrected image corrected to a substantially horizontal state.

  In the invention according to the present application, the image processing unit includes a superimposing unit synthesizing unit that lays a plurality of consecutively obtained captured images side by side in the order in which the images were captured, and combines overlapping portions between adjacent captured images. In addition, a panoramic image is formed by connecting a plurality of photographed images horizontally.

  According to an embodiment of the present application, an imaging apparatus includes a direction detection unit that detects a direction in which an optical axis of a lens faces, and a still image shooting unit that automatically captures a still image according to a change in the detected direction. And is configured to take a still image every time the direction changes by a predetermined angle.

  The invention according to the present application is characterized in that the angle change of the direction in which a still image is taken is corrected by the magnitude of the rolling tilt angle signal.

  In the invention according to the present application, when the rolling inclination angle is larger than the predetermined rolling inclination angle, the angle change of the smaller direction than the angle change of the direction that is automatically shot at the predetermined rolling inclination angle. The feature is that a still image is taken by.

  In the invention according to the present application, the rolling tilt angle is corrected for a change in the direction of shooting a still image based on a result of comparison between the current rolling tilt angle and the rolling tilt angle when the previous shooting was performed. It is characterized by doing so.

  According to the invention of the present application, since the imaging apparatus main body, the imaging means, the gravity detection means, the rolling tilt angle calculation means, the image storage means, and the image processing means are provided, the gravity detection means in the rolling direction of the camera body. The inclination is detected, the inclination angle is calculated by the rolling inclination angle calculation means, the calculated inclination angle is stored in the image storage means in association with the shooting screen, and the image signal output as the stored information is stored. At least at the time of output, by tilting in the opposite direction by the rolling tilt angle and correcting it to an image that is almost horizontal, the image processing means corrects the tilted captured image that was captured with the camera body tilted in the rolling direction, It is possible to correct the tilted angle and restore it to a substantially horizontal state. Therefore, it is possible to automatically correct the inclination of the unintended photographed image and display the corrected image corrected to the substantially horizontal state by the correction on a display device such as a flat panel or store it in the storage device. .

  According to the invention of the present application, a portion of the corrected image that has been corrected to a substantially horizontal state that is not included in the captured image having the rolling tilt angle is made up by the image processing unit so as to be substantially the same according to the surrounding situation. This makes it possible to obtain a clean image with no missing parts.

  According to the invention of the present application, an image corrected to a substantially horizontal state can be obtained by cropping and trimming the image from a corrected image that has been corrected to a substantially horizontal state with a horizontal rectangular image that is substantially maximum. .

  According to the invention of the present application, by sequentially arranging a plurality of photographed images obtained in the order photographed by the superimposing unit synthesizing means, and by synthesizing overlapping portions between adjacent photographed images A plurality of captured images can be connected horizontally to obtain a panoramic image having a wide horizontal screen.

  According to the invention according to the present application, the direction in which the optical axis of the lens is directed is detected by the direction detection unit, and a still image is automatically captured by the still image capturing unit as the direction changes, A panoramic image can be obtained easily and reliably.

  According to the invention of the present application, by correcting the change in the direction of taking a still image by the magnitude of the rolling tilt angle signal output from the rolling tilt angle calculating means, regardless of the magnitude of the rolling tilt angle. A panoramic image can be obtained.

  According to the invention of the present application, when the rolling inclination angle reaches a predetermined rolling inclination angle, the change is smaller than the angle change of the direction that is automatically photographed at the predetermined rolling inclination angle. By taking a still image by changing the direction angle, it is possible to prevent the panoramic image from having a vertical width smaller than a predetermined width and to obtain a panoramic image having a wide vertical width.

  Further, according to the invention of the present application, when the rolling tilt angle is larger than the predetermined rolling tilt angle, the angle change of the direction at the time of the next one shooting is performed, and the angle of the direction from the previous one shooting is changed. By taking a still image at an angle smaller than the change, it is possible to prevent the panorama image from being reduced in width in the vertical direction and obtain a panoramic image having a wide width in the vertical direction.

  At least when outputting image data, the objective of outputting image data that was tilted in the opposite direction by the tilt angle of the shot image that was shot tilted in the rolling direction and was restored to a substantially horizontal state was realized with a simple configuration. .

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 21 illustrate an example of an embodiment of an imaging apparatus according to the present invention. 1 to 10 show an embodiment of the imaging apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view, FIG. 2 is a front view, FIG. 3 is a rear view, FIG. 4 is a plan view, and FIG. 6 is a right side view, FIG. 7 is a left side view, FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are a right side view and a plan view showing the rotation state of the lens device, respectively, and FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the hinge mechanism, FIG. 12 is an explanatory view of the hinge mechanism as viewed from the camera body side, and FIGS. 13A to 13F are explanatory views of the rotating state of the lens device.

  FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of the internal configuration of the imaging apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the internal configuration of the imaging apparatus of the present invention. Is an explanatory diagram for explaining the concept of panoramic image step angle and panoramic image by the imaging apparatus of the present invention, FIGS. 17A to 17D are explanatory diagrams showing a panoramic image creation process by the imaging apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of auto horizontal control used in panorama shooting by the imaging apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 20 is an optical zoom and steps performed by the imaging apparatus of the present invention. FIGS. 21A to 21C are explanatory diagrams for explaining how to obtain the angle, and illustrate the vertical change of the optical axis by a camera having a lens device without a hinge mechanism according to the imaging apparatus of the present invention. It is an explanatory diagram.

  1 to 10 is an electronic still camera 1 shown as a first embodiment of the present invention. This electronic still camera 1 includes a camera main body 2 showing a specific example of an image pickup apparatus main body, a lens main body 3 formed separately from the camera main body 2 and having the lens device 4, and the camera main body 2 and the lens main body 3. And a hinge mechanism 5 that is coupled so that the posture can be changed.

  As shown in FIG. 10 and the like, the camera body 2 includes a camera case 6 formed of a horizontally long casing having a space therein. In the internal space of the camera case 6, although not shown, a wiring board on which various electronic components are mounted, a battery power source, a storage device, and other various electronic components, mechanical components, devices, and the like are stored. A spherical surface receiving portion 7 including a substantially hemispherical concave portion for rotatably supporting the lens body 3 is provided at a substantially central portion of the front surface of the camera case 6. Furthermore, a gripping portion 6 a for gripping the camera case 6 is provided on the right side of the front of the camera case 6. The entire gripping portion 6a of the camera case 6 protrudes forward and is shaped to be easily gripped with one hand. A shutter button 8 for photographing a subject is arranged on the upper surface of the grip portion 6a.

  An electronic viewfinder 9 is provided on the upper surface of the camera case 6. The electronic viewfinder 9 is arranged at the center so that the center thereof substantially coincides with the center of the spherical surface receiving portion 6 of the camera body 2 and is formed so as to protrude upward from the rear portion to the back surface. On the back surface of the camera case 6, as shown in FIG. 3, a flat display panel 10 made of a liquid crystal display or the like showing a specific example of the display means is provided.

  The lens body 3 includes a lens case 12 formed of a vertically long casing having a space inside, and a hemispherical shell member 13 fixed to the back surface of the lens case 12. The lens case 12 houses the lens device 4 and the strobe device 14, and a solid-state imaging device (CCD), an image processing circuit, and the like that show a specific example of an imaging unit (not shown). The lens device 4 is disposed substantially at the center of the lens case 12, and at least a part of the movable lens barrel 4 a protrudes forward of the lens case 12.

  The lens unit of the lens device 4 is a combination of a plurality of lenses, and a photographing lens arranged at the tip thereof is attached to the tip of the movable lens barrel 4a. A CCD (solid-state imaging device) as an imaging means is disposed at the rear portion on the optical axis of the lens unit so that the centers thereof are substantially coincided with each other. In addition, a bulging portion 12 a that protrudes in the same direction as the movable lens barrel 4 a is provided on the upper portion of the lens case 12. A stroboscopic device 14 is accommodated in the bulging portion 12a, and the light emitting portion is exposed on the front surface of the bulging portion 12a. A hemispherical shell member 13 is integrally fixed to the rear surface of the lens case 12 by fixing means such as screws.

  The hemispherical shell member 13 includes a hemispherical shell portion 13a that is substantially half of a spherical shell, and a mounting portion 13b that is integrally provided on a part of the outer peripheral edge of the hemispherical shell portion 13a. The hemispherical shell member 13 is fastened and fixed to the lens case 12 by tightening a plurality of fixing screws inserted through the attachment portion 13b. As shown in FIG. 12, the hemispherical shell portion 13a of the hemispherical shell member 13 is provided with a cross-shaped guide groove 16 extending in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

  That is, the guide groove 16 includes a groove center 16C where the upper and lower grooves intersect with the left and right grooves, a groove upper portion 16U extending upward from the groove center 16C, and a groove lower portion 16D extending downward. It has a groove left side portion 16L extending to the left side and a groove right side portion 16R also extending to the right side. A hinge member of the hinge mechanism 5 is slidably inserted into the guide groove 16.

  As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 11, the hinge mechanism 5 includes a fixed frame member 20, a rotating frame member 21, a hinge member 22, and the like. Each of the fixed frame member 20 and the rotating frame member 21 is formed of a rectangular frame, and the rotating frame member 21 is rotatably accommodated inside the fixed frame member 20 with the longitudinal direction thereof being directed vertically. It is said. The fixed frame member 20 and the rotating frame member 21 have their upper surface portions rotatably connected by an upper rotating shaft 23a and their lower surface portions rotatably connected by a lower rotating shaft 23b. . The upper and lower rotary shafts 23 a and 23 b are arranged so that their respective axis centers coincide on the same line at a substantially central portion in the width direction of the fixed frame member 20. Thereby, the rotation frame member 21 is supported with respect to the fixed frame member 20 so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction around the upper and lower rotation shafts 23a and 23b.

  The hinge member 22 of the hinge mechanism 5 is formed as a hollow rectangular tube having a rectangular cross-sectional shape. The hinge member 22 is sized so as to be able to rotate inside the rotating frame member 21, and one end of the hinge member 22 is arranged at a substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction of the rotating frame member 21. It is rotatably connected by a horizontal rotation shaft 24 penetrating in the horizontal direction. The axial center line HC of the lateral rotation shaft 24 is configured to be orthogonal to the axial center line VC of the upper and lower rotation shafts 23a and 23b. As shown in FIG. 12, the free end side of the hinge member 22 can be rotated in both the up-down direction X and the left-right direction Y as well as in the oblique direction by combining these up-down and left-right turning mechanisms. It is possible.

  The fixed frame member 20 of the hinge mechanism 5 is fixed to the lens case 12 (which may be a hemispherical shell member 13). On the other hand, the free end side of the hinge member 22 supported by the fixed frame member 20 via the rotating frame member 21 passes through the guide groove 16 provided in the hemispherical shell portion 13a of the hemispherical shell member 13, The front end of the camera case 6 is pivotally connected to the central portion of the spherical surface receiving portion 7. Accordingly, since the guide groove 16 has a cross shape and extends only in the vertical direction X and the horizontal direction Y, the hinge member 22 is guided by the guide groove 16 in the vertical direction X and the horizontal direction Y. It is only movable.

  The tip of the free end side of the hinge member 22 is rotatably supported by the central portion of the spherical surface receiving portion 7 of the camera case 6. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 13A to 13F, the lens body 3 can be rotated up and down and left and right via the hinge mechanism 5 to change the posture relative to the camera body 2. be able to. In this case, the camera body 2 and the lens body 3 can be electrically connected by passing a harness, a flexible printed wiring board, etc. through the hole of the hinge member 22.

  Further, the hemispherical shell portion 13a of the hemispherical shell member 13 on the lens body 3 side is a hemispherical convex portion, and the spherical surface receiving portion 7 of the camera body 2 that is in sliding contact with this has a radius of curvature of the hemispherical shell portion 13a. Since it is a hemispherical concave portion having a corresponding radius of curvature, it can be smoothly rotated without interfering with each other. In addition, since the cross-shaped guide groove 16 is provided in the hemispherical shell portion 13a, the movement of the hinge member 22 is restricted by the guide groove 16, and the rotation operation of the lens body 3 can be made smooth.

  In this embodiment, the hemispherical shell portion 13a has a hemispherical convex shape, and the spherical receiving portion 7 of the camera case 6 that engages with the hemispherical convex portion has a hemispherical concave shape. May be configured as a hemispherical concave shape, and the spherical receiving portion 7 engaged therewith may be configured as a hemispherical convex shape. Even in such a case, the same effect as the present embodiment can be obtained.

  FIG. 8 shows a state in which the lens body 3 is turned upward by approximately 45 ° with the camera body 2 facing forward. At this time, the hinge member 22 that connects the camera body 2 and the lens body 3 enters the groove upper portion 16U of the guide groove 16. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the lens body 3 is rotated approximately 45 ° to the left in the state where the camera body 2 is directed to the front. At this time, the hinge member 22 that connects the camera body 2 and the lens body 3 enters the groove left side portion 16 </ b> L of the guide groove 16.

  13A to 13F continuously show the posture change of the lens body 3 with respect to the camera body 2. 13A to 13C are views of the electronic still camera 1 as viewed from the right side. FIG. 13A shows an upward state in which the lens body 3 is rotated upward by about 45 °, and FIG. 13B shows the lens body 3. FIG. 3C shows a state in which the lens body 3 is turned to the front in the horizontal direction, and a downward state in which the lens body 3 is rotated downward by approximately 45 °. FIGS. 13D to 13F are views of the electronic still camera 1 as viewed from above. FIG. 13D is a right-handed state in which the lens body 3 is rotated approximately 45 ° to the right, and FIG. FIG. 8F shows a state in which the lens body 3 is turned to the front and leftward when the lens body 3 is turned to the left by approximately 45 °.

  FIG. 14 shows a schematic configuration of the electronic still camera 1 having the above-described configuration. In the electronic still camera 1, an operation system and a display system are mainly provided on the camera body 2 side, and an imaging optical system, a signal processing unit, a drive circuit, and the like are mainly provided on the lens body 3 side. ing. Then, the lens body 3 executes the process for the operation input performed in the camera body 2, and a processing signal, a display signal, and the like are returned from the lens body 3 to the camera body 2. .

  A specific configuration of the electronic still camera 1 is as shown in FIG. That is, the camera body 2 is provided with a power supply 30, a shutter button (release button) 8, a recording unit 31, a key input unit 32, an LCD (liquid crystal display) 33, an electronic viewfinder 9, and the like. Yes. The power supply 30 is constituted by a battery made of, for example, a secondary battery and is detachably attached to the camera case 6. The recording unit 31 is configured by a storage device such as a built-in ROM or RAM, or a storage device such as an externally attached semiconductor storage memory that is detachably mounted. The key input unit 32 includes a control button, an operation button, a zoom button, a mode switching dial, and the like attached to the camera case 6. The LCD 33 is a rectangular flat monitor, and is fixedly attached to the back surface of the camera case 6 or is rotatable.

  The lens body 3 includes a control device 40, a signal processing unit 41, a CCD 42, a shutter drive unit 43, a camera drive unit (AF / aperture / zoom, etc.) 44, a distance measurement unit 45, and a photometry unit 46. An exposure control unit 47 and the like are provided. The control device 40 is constituted by, for example, a microcomputer having an arithmetic processing device and a storage device (ROM, RAM). In addition to the signal processing unit 41, the shutter driving unit 43, the camera driving unit 44, the distance measuring unit 45, the photometric unit 46, and the exposure control unit 47, the control device 40 is connected to the power supply 30 of the camera body 2. The shutter button, the recording unit 31, the key input unit 32, the LCD 33, and the electronic viewfinder 9 are connected to each other.

  Further, the signal processing unit 41 is connected to a CCD 42 disposed at the rear of the lens unit of the lens device 4. The imaging signal output from the CCD 42 is converted into an information signal by the signal processing unit 41, and the information signal is input to the control device 40. The shutter drive unit 43 controls the opening / closing speed and the opening / closing amount of the shutter. The camera drive unit 44 adjusts the position of the lens of the lens device 4 to control AF (auto focus), the aperture amount, the wide angle of zoom, the telephoto, and the like. The distance measuring unit 45 measures the distance to the subject. The photometry unit 46 measures the brightness of the subject and its surroundings. The exposure control unit 47 adjusts the shutter aperture based on the amount of light measured by the photometry unit 46.

  According to the electronic still camera 1 having such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 13A, by facing the lens body 3 upward, low-angle shooting can be performed with the camera body 2 in the horizontal position. Then, as shown in FIG. 13C, the high-angle shooting can be performed in the state where the camera body 2 is in the horizontal position by turning the lens body 3 downward. Further, as shown in FIG. 13D, low-angle shooting can be performed with the camera body 2 in the vertical position by turning the lens body 3 to the right. Then, as shown in FIG. 13F, by turning the lens body 3 to the left, high angle shooting can be performed with the camera body 2 in the vertical position.

  In addition, with the electronic still camera 1 held at a certain height, the surrounding area is sequentially photographed at a certain angle, and a single panoramic photograph that is long in the lateral direction is obtained by stitching the photographed images horizontally. Can be formed. This panorama shooting mode can be set, for example, in the contents of a menu switching button for switching the display contents of the menu. Then, by selecting the panorama shooting mode at the time of shooting, it is possible to arbitrarily enjoy panorama shooting.

  In order to perform this panoramic photographing, the electronic still camera 1 is provided with gravity detecting means for detecting the direction of gravity and outputting the detection signal. As this gravity detection means, for example, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, or other devices, for example, an electrical or mechanical method for determining the direction of gravity, such as a three-axis acceleration sensor manufactured by Hitachi Metals, Ltd. Various things that can be detected by, for example, can be applied. By detecting the direction of gravity with the gravity sensor 50 as the gravity detecting means, the tilt angle of the camera case 6 in the rolling direction on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens unit (lens) of the lens device 4 based on the detection signal. (Hereinafter referred to as “rolling inclination angle”) is calculated by a rolling inclination angle calculation means. Then, the rolling tilt angle calculation means outputs a rolling tilt angle signal corresponding to the calculated tilt angle.

  In consideration of the forward / backward tilt of the electronic still camera 1, the “direction of gravity” referred to here is expressed as the direction when the direction of gravity is projected onto a plane perpendicular to the optical axis when viewed from the optical axis direction. You can also

  The gravity sensor 50 composed of the acceleration sensor, the gyro sensor, or the like may be provided with a dedicated sensor independently, but it is not always necessary to provide it independently. For example, it is a matter of course that a camera shake correction detection sensor provided for correcting camera shake at the time of shooting may also be used. By using the detection sensor in this way, the direction of the optical axis of the lens unit of the lens apparatus 4 and the direction of the surface perpendicular to the optical axis can be detected without increasing the cost, and the camera case 6 can be directed to the perpendicular surface. The rolling tilt angle can be detected.

  Based on the rolling tilt angle signal output from the rolling tilt angle calculation means, the rolling tilt angle of the electronic still camera 1, which is the rolling tilt angle of the camera case 6, is an image signal corresponding to the shooting screen shot at that time. It is stored in association with the image storage means. The image signal output from the image storage means is corrected to an image that has been tilted in the reverse direction by the rolling inclination angle at the time of shooting and is restored to a substantially horizontal state at least during output.

  Here, as an output signal of the electronic still camera 1, as shown in FIG. 15, a digital video output D for output to a personal computer or the like and a video signal output V for projection on a television receiver are output. It is like that.

  As the digital video output D, the video D1 (FIG. 15B) that has been shot without correcting the rolling tilt at the time of shooting, and the video that has been corrected for the tilt without changing the scale, is almost the smallest An image D2 surrounded by a rectangle having a size and an image D3 obtained by trimming and cropping a rectangle having a substantially maximum size with a long side horizontal from the image D2 after correcting the inclination are selectively output. It has become. The video D2 is for creating a panoramic image to be described later. Further, in the video D3, since the tilt at the time of shooting is corrected, it can be directly printed out by a printer or the like.

  On the other hand, the video signal output V projects a still image on a screen having a predetermined aspect ratio, such as a television receiver. For example, the video signal output V can be configured to output three types of video images V1, V2, and V3. That is, the video V1 is a video that is displayed on the TV screen as it is. The video V2 is obtained by correcting only the tilt without changing the scale for enlarging or reducing the video V1.

  At this time, triangular portions S1, S2, S3, and S4 having no video signal are formed at the four corners of the video V2, and the triangular portions S1 to S4 correspond to surrounding conditions, colors, patterns, textures, and the like. It is also possible to make a correction by making up to be the same as the above. For example, when a person is photographed against a sea, which will be described later, the sea portion lacked by tilting the photographed image is corrected so as to have the same sea color according to the color of the surrounding sea. In the television screen, it is generally said that the user looks at the center of the screen and sees the image without paying much attention to the peripheral portion, and such correction is particularly effective. Further, in the case of the video V2, since the scale of the screen is not changed, it is suitable for creating a panoramic video by image processing.

  Further, based on the video V1, the video V3 is obtained by trimming and cutting out the television screen with a substantially maximum rectangle having a predetermined aspect ratio, and further expanding it to the size of the television screen. By enlarging in this way, the triangular portions S1 to S4 having no video signal are not displayed, and the screen can be easily viewed as a whole.

  Furthermore, the image processing means is provided with an overlapping portion synthesizing means for performing panoramic photography. The superimposing unit combining means arranges a plurality of photographed images obtained by continuously photographing the periphery at the same height in the order of photographing, and synthesizes overlapping portions between adjacent photographed images. It is. A panoramic image can be formed by making the horizontally long image combined in this way into one print.

  Next, formation of a panoramic image will be described. In order to form this panoramic image, the electronic still camera 100 according to the present embodiment has a configuration as shown in FIG. That is, FIG. 15 shows an example of the internal configuration of the electronic still camera 100, but shows only the parts related to the imaging operation, signal processing, and recording processing of the imaging signal, and the processing system of the audio signal obtained by the microphone, The description of the interface system with external devices and other parts not directly related to the present invention is omitted.

  In FIG. 15, the controller unit 40 controls the operation of the entire electronic still camera 100, and includes, for example, a microcomputer equipped with a CPU, a storage device such as a RAM and a ROM, and the like. The controller unit 40 controls the video recording / reproducing circuit 57 and the like to execute various operations during imaging and reproduction. Further, in accordance with the user's operation, the lens device 4 is controlled to be directed at a predetermined angle with respect to the direction of gravity, and other necessary control is performed.

  Imaging light from a subject by the lens device 4 of the electronic still camera 100 is converted into a video signal by a CCD (solid-state imaging device) 42. Then, predetermined signal processing such as gain adjustment by the amplifier 55 is performed, and the output signal is supplied to the video signal processing unit 56. In the video signal processing unit 56, necessary signal processing such as frame processing and compression processing is performed on the video signal from the lens device 4, and the processed signal is supplied to the video recording / reproducing circuit 57. .

  In the video recording / reproducing circuit 57, the signal is directly recorded in a built-in storage device (built-in memory) 58, if necessary, or by an external storage device attached to the recording medium connection unit 61 via the interface unit 59. Recorded in a certain semiconductor storage memory (for example, memory stick, memory card, etc.) 62 or supplied to an LCD (liquid crystal display, etc.) 33 via a monitor drive unit 63, and an image corresponding to the subject is displayed by the video signal To do.

  Further, the video recording / reproducing circuit 57 is connected to a video signal output terminal 68 for outputting a digital video signal and a video signal output terminal 69 for outputting a video signal. From the video signal output terminal 68, video signals corresponding to the images D1 to D3 can be taken out. In addition, a signal conversion circuit 67 is interposed between the video recording / reproducing circuit 57 and the video signal output terminal 69. The signal conversion circuit 67 converts the signal into a predetermined signal and converts it into an image from V1 to V3. A corresponding video signal can be taken out from the video signal output terminal 69.

  In the present embodiment, the operation unit 32 connected to the controller unit 40 is a menu button, a control button, or the like. The panorama shooting mode is selected by operating these buttons or the like and selecting a menu. Furthermore, a gravity sensor (gravity detection means) 50, a direction sensor 51, a tilt sensor 52, a camera drive unit 23, and an angle sensor 66 are connected to the controller unit 40 via an interface 64. The gravity sensor 50 detects the direction of gravity acting on the electronic still camera 100 and outputs the gravity detection signal. The gravity detection signal of the gravity sensor 50, the direction detection signal of the direction sensor 51, and the inclination detection signal of the inclination sensor 52 are always input to the controller unit 40 via the interface 64, respectively.

  The camera drive unit 23 is for performing control to direct the lens device 4 at a predetermined angle with respect to the direction of gravity. An angle sensor 66 for detecting the rotation angle of the lens device 4 of the lens body 3 is connected to the camera drive unit 23. The rotation angle of the lens device 4 is detected by the angle sensor 66, and the detection signal is input to the controller unit 40. As a result, the controller unit 40 outputs a control signal to the camera driving unit 23, and the lens device 4 is rotated in a predetermined direction by an amount of rotation corresponding to the command.

  In order to process the gravity detection signal output from the gravity sensor 50, the camera body 2 may be provided with camera control means. The camera control means can be constituted by a microcomputer having a central processing unit (CPU), a storage device such as a RAM and a ROM, an input / output device, and the like. The camera control means receives the gravity detection signal of the gravity sensor 50 and outputs a predetermined control signal to the camera rotation means so that the lens body 3 faces in the horizontal direction. For example, when the camera body 2 is tilted from the horizontal direction during shooting, the optical axis of the lens of the lens body 3 is always set to the horizontal direction.

  FIG. 18 shows an example of the entire panoramic shooting mode, and is a control example in which various controls necessary for taking a panoramic picture are performed only while the panoramic shooting mode is entered. If it is determined in step S1 that the panoramic shooting mode is set, the process proceeds to step S2 and the camera shake correction control is turned on. Next, the process proceeds to step S3, and a command for directing the lens device 4 in the horizontal direction is output so that the optical axis of the lens is always directed in the horizontal direction regardless of the posture of the camera body 2. It is rotated. Next, the process proceeds to step 4 to start the measurement of the direction in which the lens is facing and the measurement of the composition inclination.

  In the next step S5, a shooting step angle required for panoramic shooting is calculated from the optical zoom magnification when the panoramic shooting mode is entered. 20A and 20B show how to determine the optical zoom magnification and the step angle.

FIG. 20A shows a case where the zoom position is the wide (wide angle) end and the viewing angle is 60 degrees, for example. In this case, for example, to shoot 360 degrees, if one shot is divided into seven directions and seven shots are taken, a sufficient amount is considered in consideration of the width of the overlapping portion. That is, since 360/60 = 6, if seven images are taken, the entire circumference can be taken even if adjacent overlapping portions are taken into consideration. In this case, the step angle θ1 is
θ1 = 360 degrees / 7 = 51 degrees, and the overlapping portions on both sides are each 4.5 degrees.

FIG. 20B shows a case where the zoom position is at the telephoto (telephoto) end and the viewing angle is 20 degrees, for example. In this case, for example, in order to photograph 360 degrees, if 19 to 20 images are photographed, the amount of the overlapping portion is sufficient. That is, since 360/20 = 18, if 19 to 20 images are taken, it is possible to take an image of the entire circumference of the surroundings even when considering adjacent overlapping portions. In this case, the step angle θ2 is
θ2 = 360 degrees / 19 = 19 degrees or θ2 = 360 degrees / 20 = 18 degrees, and the polymerization portions on both sides are 0.5 degrees or 1 degree, respectively.

  If the zoom position is between the wide end and the tele end, the number of shots is determined by the same calculation. Unless the user ends up to the number determined here, shooting is repeated, and continuous images taken later are stitched together so that a panoramic image of 360 degrees at maximum can be created.

  In the next step 6, when the photographer takes the first panoramic photo, the process proceeds to step S7. In step S7, the photographed direction and the inclination of the composition are recorded together with the video. Then, from the second photograph, in step S11, it is determined whether or not the lens device 4 has peeled the direction of the step angle calculated in step S4. As a result of the determination, if the directions match, the process proceeds to step S12 and automatic photographing is performed. Next, the process proceeds to step S13, and the photographed direction and the inclination of the composition are recorded together with the video. These processes are repeated until the number of 360 degrees is photographed in step S14, or until the photographer performs a photographing end operation in step S15.

  At that time, in step S8 or S16, it is determined whether or not the inclination of the composition photographed one frame before is substantially zero, and if it is substantially zero, the process proceeds to step S10. Then, it is determined whether or not the inclination of the camera composition is substantially zero. Here, if the inclination of the camera composition is substantially zero, the process proceeds to step S11, and photographing is performed at the point where the calculated step angle coincides. However, if the inclination of the camera composition is not substantially 0, the step angle is corrected to be smaller from the amount of inclination of the camera composition, and the process proceeds to step S12 with an early composition to automatically shoot.

  On the other hand, if the shot composition is not substantially 0 in step S8 or S16, the process proceeds to step S9. In step S9, the step angle is corrected from the inclination of the composition, and the process proceeds to step S10. In addition, when the 360-degree shooting is finished in step S14 or the shooting by the photographer is finished in step S15, the process proceeds to step S17. In step S17, the panoramic image is synthesized, cut, and saved. And it transfers to step S18 and it is determined whether it is panorama mode.

  If it is determined in step S18 that the panorama mode is not selected, the process proceeds to step S19, and direction measurement and composition inclination measurement are turned off. Then, the process proceeds to step S20, and the automatic horizontal control is turned off. Next, the process proceeds to step S21, and the camera shake correction is turned off. On the other hand, if the panorama mode is maintained in step S18, the panorama mode is determined, so that the process returns to step S5 to start the next panorama shooting.

  FIG. 19 shows an embodiment of automatic horizontal control of the lens body 3 by the gravity sensor 50, and is an example of control in which the automatic horizontal control of the lens device 4 is performed only during the panoramic shooting mode. When the auto horizontal control is turned on in the process of step S3 shown in FIG. 18, it is determined in step S31 of FIG. 19 whether or not the direction of the optical axis of the lens of the lens device 4 is substantially horizontal. As a result of the determination, when it is determined that the direction of the optical axis of the lens of the lens device 4 is in a substantially horizontal state, the process proceeds to step S32, the rotation of the electric motor is stopped, and the process is ended. .

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S31 that the direction of the optical axis of the lens of the lens device 4 is not substantially horizontal, the process proceeds to step S33. In step S <b> 33, based on the direction of gravity detected by the gravity sensor 50, it is determined whether or not the lens body 4 is rotated forward with respect to the camera body 2. This determination is to see whether the optical axis of the lens of the lens device 4 should be lowered or raised upward in order to orient the lens in the substantially horizontal direction. The rotation of the lens device 4 upward or downward can be automatically performed using drive means such as an electric motor, but may be performed manually by the photographer.

  If it is determined in step S33 that, for example, the electric motor is rotated forward, the process proceeds to step S34. In step S34, control for rotating the electric motor forward is executed. Then, the process returns to step S31. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S33 that the electric motor is rotated backward, the process proceeds to step S35. In step S35, control for rotating the electric motor backward is executed. Then, the process returns to step S31.

  By performing such control, the direction of the optical axis of the lens of the lens body 3 is substantially horizontal during the panoramic shooting mode regardless of the posture of the camera body 2. Control to turn in the direction can be performed.

  16A to 16E are diagrams illustrating a process of creating one panoramic photo image from a plurality of captured images. FIG. 16A shows an example in which an actual scene is schematically shown. The actual scene includes a sun 70, two persons 71, a mountain 72, two blocks 73, and a tree 74. . This actual scenery is photographed as shown in FIG. 16B, for example, by the inclination of the composition at the time of photographing.

  The first image N <b> 1 is photographed so as to rise to the right with respect to the horizon (or horizontal line or the like) that is a reference line, and only the sun 70 and one person 71 are captured. The second image N2 is photographed so as to rise to the left with respect to the horizon, and two persons 71 and a part of the mountain 72 are photographed. The third image N3 is taken substantially horizontally with respect to the horizon, and substantially the entire mountain 72 and a part of the block 73 are captured. Further, the fourth image N4 is photographed so as to rise to the right with respect to the horizon, and substantially the entire two blocks 73 and the tree 74 are imprinted. And each direction data is recorded simultaneously regarding each image N1-N4.

  In accordance with this direction data, as shown in FIG. 16C, the images N1 to N4 are arranged side by side in the order in which they were photographed. Then, the cut-out size is determined so that the cut-out can be performed with the maximum-size rectangle with no image loss in all the images N1 to N4. At this time, the width H in the vertical direction is determined by the position of the innermost intersection point 76 in the upper cutout line 75 and the lower cutout line 77 is determined by the position of the innermost intersection point 78 in the overlapping portion of the images. Further, the horizontal length L is determined so that the panorama picture becomes the maximum rectangle when the upper cutout line 75 and the lower cutout line 77 are cut. That is, the left cut-out line 81 is determined by the intersection 82 or the like where the first image N1 and the upper cut-out line 75 intersect, and the right cut-out line 83 is the intersection 84 or the like at which the last image N4 and the lower cut-out line 77 intersect. Determined by.

  In this case, with respect to the synthesis of the overlapping portions 85a, 85b, and 85c where adjacent images overlap, as shown in FIG. 16D, the two overlapping images are averaged, or one side photograph is formed into an overlapping shape. Image processing is performed such as cutting and pasting the image on the other side instead. When all the images have been connected in this way, finally, as shown in FIG. 16E, the image is cut with a predetermined cut-out size, and the panoramic image N0 is stored in the recording medium as a new image file. The stored panoramic image N0 is taken out from the recording medium and printed to obtain a panoramic photograph as shown in the figure.

  17A to 17D are diagrams illustrating the relationship between the step angle and the panoramic image. As shown in FIG. 17A, when all the inclinations of the composition of the four images N1 to N4 are substantially zero, the width L1 of the overlapped portion 85 may be small when stitching together as a panoramic image, and the above-described step angle. The quantification described in the example of calculating θ may be used. However, as shown in FIG. 17B, if the inclination of the composition increases, if the images are not damaged when stitched together as a panoramic image, the vertical and horizontal cut lines 75, 77, 81, 83 are used as described above. Therefore, the length of the panoramic image in the vertical direction cannot be made large, and the length H1 becomes small.

  Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 17C and 17D, when the composition inclination is not substantially 0 as in the first and second photographed images N1 and N2, the step angle of the next photography is reduced. Thus, correction (correction 1, correction 2) is applied so as to enlarge the overlapped portion 85. Even if the composition inclination is substantially 0 as in the third photographed image N3, the camera composition is substantially zero when the camera is moved for photographing the next fourth image N4. If the camera is tilted at a different angle, the photograph is taken on the spot, and the correction is made so that the step angle is reduced as in correction 3. As a result, the length H2 in the vertical direction of the panoramic image can be increased.

  FIGS. 21A to 21C are diagrams for explaining an embodiment applied to a camera having the lens device without the rotation mechanism described above. In the drawing, a cross shape indicated by reference numeral 91 is projected on a flat panel 92 made of a liquid crystal display or the like provided on the back surface of the camera body 90, and indicates the horizontal direction in the direction in which the camera is facing. In this camera, a horizontal guide is displayed by automatic horizontal control. At this time, the horizontal direction and the inclination in the oblique direction may be displayed with a guide.

  FIG. 21A shows that a cross 91 is located at the center upper portion of the flat panel 92, and this state indicates that the camera body 90 faces downward from the horizontal. FIG. 21B shows that the cross 91 is located at the center of the flat panel 92, and this state indicates that the camera body 90 is oriented in the horizontal direction. In FIG. 21C, a cross 91 is located at the lower center of the flat panel 92, and this state indicates that the camera body 90 faces upward from the horizontal.

  In this way, if the horizontal guide display is displayed on the monitor screen by automatic horizontal control according to the amount of horizontal displacement of the camera, the photographer looks at the guide display and keeps the camera as horizontal as possible. It is also possible to take a picture while moving the camera so that the camera is directed, and the above-described camera drive unit that moves in the horizontal direction is unnecessary. In this case, since the blur in the horizontal direction occurs from a camera that can rotate the camera unit, when the panoramic image is synthesized and cut out later, the vertical direction of the image may be reduced. By using such a guide display method, it is possible to display a guide for the direction and inclination in addition to the horizontal direction.

  According to the electronic still camera 1 of this embodiment, when a user (photographer) takes continuous pictures for connecting panoramic pictures, and enters the panoramic photography mode, the lens is always kept in the horizontal direction by automatic horizontal control. The camera can be moved while keeping it, and the shooting step angle is determined by the zoom ratio, and the image is automatically taken when the lens direction reaches the step angle. In addition, when the composition is automatically taken when the composition has a predetermined inclination by the composition inclination detection means, and the inclination of the previous image is not substantially 0, the step angle is not set to the predetermined direction. Since the image is automatically shot with a small correction, there is no loss of shooting a part of the image.

  Furthermore, the optical camera shake correction function prevents camera shake even when automatic shooting is performed while the camera body is moving. In addition, by controlling the camera body, the horizontal position and the tilt are corrected and stitched according to the angle at which the continuous images were taken, and the overlapping image portions are combined to create an effective image. By cutting the line with the maximum width in which the image is not lost in the horizontal direction and the line with the maximum width in the left-right direction, the finished shape can be finished to the maximum rectangle. For this reason, it is possible to easily obtain panoramic pictures by hand-held shooting.

  As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to an electronic still camera (digital camera) as an imaging device has been described. Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to apparatuses such as video cameras, personal computers with cameras, and PDAs. As described above, the present invention can be variously modified without departing from the scope of the invention.

It is the perspective view which looked at the electronic still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention from the front side diagonally upward. It is a front view of the electronic still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention. It is a rear view of the electronic still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention. It is a top view of the electronic still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention. It is a bottom view of the electronic still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention. It is a right view of the electronic still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention. It is a left view of the electronic still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which rotated the lens main body of the electronic still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention diagonally upward. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which rotated the lens main body of the electronic still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention to the left side. It is a perspective view which decomposes | disassembles and shows the electronic still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which expands and shows the hinge mechanism of the electronic still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the hemispherical shell part and hinge mechanism of the electronic still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention. 1A shows a rotating state of a lens body of an electronic still camera according to a first embodiment of an image pickup apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 1A shows an upward rotating state, FIG. 1B shows a horizontal state, and FIG. FIG. 4D is an explanatory view showing a downward rotation state, FIG. D is a right side rotation state, FIG. E is a horizontal state, and FIG. F is a left side rotation state. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of an internal configuration of an imaging apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. It is block explanatory drawing which shows the 2nd Example of the internal structure of the imaging device of this invention. The panorama image creation process by the image pickup apparatus of the present invention is shown, in which FIG. A is an actual scene, FIG. B is a shooting state, FIG. C is a cutout size determination, and FIG. FIG. 8E is an explanatory diagram showing cut and storage. The relationship between the step angle of shooting by the image pickup apparatus of the present invention and the panoramic image will be described. FIG. A shows composition tilt = 0 and step angle = quantitative, and FIG. B shows composition tilt description ≠ 0 and step angle = quantitative. FIG. 8C is an explanatory diagram showing the composition inclination = 0 and the step angle = correction, and FIG. D shows the composition inclination ≠ 0 and the step angle = correction. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a first embodiment of panoramic shooting by the imaging apparatus of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the Example of the auto horizontal control used by the panorama imaging | photography with the imaging device of this invention. The method for obtaining the optical zoom and the step angle in panoramic photography by the imaging apparatus of the present invention will be described. FIG. A shows a state where the viewing angle is 60 degrees, and FIG. B shows the state where the viewing angle is 20 degrees. It is explanatory drawing. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a change in an optical axis in a camera having a lens body without a rotation mechanism according to a second embodiment of the imaging apparatus of the present invention. FIG. A is a state in which the camera is directed downward from the horizontal, B is an explanatory view showing a state in which the camera is directed horizontally, and FIG. C is an explanatory view showing a state in which the camera is directed upward from the horizontal.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,100 ... Electronic still camera (imaging device), 2 ... Camera body (imaging device body), 3 ... Lens body, 4 ... Lens device, 5 ... Hinge mechanism, 6 ... Camera case, 7 ... Spherical surface receiving part, 8 ... Shutter button, 9 ... Electronic viewfinder, 10 ... Flat panel display, 12 ... Lens case, 13 ... Hemispherical shell member, 13a ... Hemispherical shell part, 15 ... Imaging lens, 16 ... Guide groove, 20 ... Fixed frame material, 21 ... Rotating frame material, 22 ... Hinge mechanism, 42 ... CCD (imaging means), 50 ... Gravity sensor (gravity detection means), 75, 77, 81, 83 ... Cut line, HL ... Horizontal line (reference line), D1, D2 , D3 ... Video, S1, S2, S3, S4 ... Triangle, V1, V2, V3 ... Video, θ1, θ2 ... Step angle

Claims (8)

An imaging device body that holds the lens device;
Imaging means for converting a photographed image of a subject input via the lens device into a digital signal and outputting the digital signal;
Gravity detection means attached to the imaging device body and detecting the direction of gravity and outputting the detection signal;
Rolling inclination angle calculating means for calculating a rolling inclination angle signal of the imaging apparatus main body in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens of the lens apparatus based on a detection signal from the gravity detecting means and outputting the rolling inclination angle signal; ,
An image capable of storing the rolling inclination angle of the imaging apparatus main body in association with the photographed image taken at that time and outputting the stored information as an image signal based on the rolling inclination angle signal from the rolling inclination angle calculating means Storage means;
Image processing means for correcting to an image that is tilted in the opposite direction by the rolling tilt angle and corrected to a substantially horizontal state at least upon output of an image signal from the image storage means;
An image pickup apparatus comprising:   The image processing means corrects a portion of the corrected image that has been corrected to the substantially horizontal state that is not included in the captured image having the rolling inclination angle by making up substantially the same according to the surrounding situation. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:   2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing unit performs image trimming by cutting out a substantially maximum horizontal rectangle from the corrected image corrected to the substantially horizontal state.   The image processing means includes a superimposing unit synthesizing unit that lays out a plurality of consecutively obtained captured images in the order in which the images were captured, and combines overlapping portions between adjacent captured images. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the panorama image is formed by stitching the images horizontally. The imaging device includes a direction detection unit that detects a direction in which the optical axis of the lens is facing, and a still image shooting unit that automatically captures a still image in accordance with a change in the detected direction,
The imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a still image is captured every time the direction changes by a predetermined angle.   6. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 5, wherein an angle change in a direction in which the still image is taken is corrected by a magnitude of the rolling tilt angle signal.   When the rolling tilt angle is larger than a predetermined rolling tilt angle, a still image is shot with an angle change smaller than the direction that is automatically shot at the predetermined rolling tilt angle. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, which is configured as described above. The rolling tilt angle is corrected for a change in the direction of shooting the still image according to a result of comparison between the current rolling tilt angle and the rolling tilt angle when the previous one was shot. The imaging device according to claim 6.

Images