Electronic apparatus and pointing device for imaging

• US 20030197801A1
• Filed: 05/22/2003
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1994
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hideyuki Arai, Hiroshi Hosoe, Junichi Doi, Kazunori Kashimura, Kunio Motohara, Yoshiyuki Toyoizumi
• Original Assignee: Hideyuki Arai, Hiroshi Hosoe, Junichi Doi, Kazunori Kashimura, Kunio Motohara, Yoshiyuki Toyoizumi
• Inventors: Doi, Junichi, Hosoe, Hiroshi, Toyoizumi, Yoshiyuki, Motohara, Kunio, Arai, Hideyuki, Kashimura, Kazunori
• Application Number:
  US10/443,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20030197801A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators

Abstract

An electronic apparatus according to this invention has a display unit for displaying an index, an operation unit used for moving the index displayed by the display unit, and an adjustment unit for adjusting the operation unit, so that the moving direction of the index displayed by the display unit matches a moving direction that an operator intended. This invention can provide an effect of matching the moving direction that the operator intended with the actual moving direction of the index.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus which can be used in a hand-held state, comprising:

a) display means for displaying an index;

b) operation means used for moving the index displayed by said display means; and

c) adjustment means for adjusting an attachment state of said operation means to said electronic apparatus to at least a first attachment state and a second attachment state different from the first attachment state,

wherein in the first and second attachment states, an operation for moving the index using said operation means can be performed.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said adjustment means adjusts the attachment state by pivoting said operation means with respect to said electronic apparatus.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said adjustment means adjusts the attachment state by changing an attachment angle of said operation means with respect to said electronic apparatus.

4. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a) display means for displaying an index;

b) operation means used for moving the index displayed by said display means; and

c) adjustment means for adjusting an attachment position of said operation means to said electronic apparatus by sliding said operation means at least from a first attachment position to a second attachment position different from the first attachment position,

wherein at the first and second attachment positions, an operation for moving the index using said operation means can be performed.

5. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a) display means for displaying an index;

b) operation means used for moving the index displayed by said display means; and

c) adjustment means for adjusting said operation means so that a moving direction of the index displayed by said display means matches a moving direction that an operator intended.

6. An operation device for an electronic apparatus, comprising:

a) a plurality of switch means;

b) operation means for turning on a predetermined one of said plurality of switch means in correspondence with an operation direction thereof; and

c) changing means for changing a relative positional relationship between the operation direction of said operation means and the switch means to be turned on.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said plurality of switch means are arranged on a pivotal substrate, and said changing means changes the relative positional relationship between the operation direction of said operation means and the switch means to be turned on by pivoting said substrate.

8. A device according to claim 6, wherein said operation means is pivotal, and said changing means changes the relative positional relationship between the operation direction of said operation means and the switch means to be turned on by pivoting said operation means.

9. A device according to claim 6, further comprising limiting means for limiting turn-on operations of said plurality of switch means, and wherein said changing means changes the relative positional relationship between the operation direction of said operation means and the switch means to be turned on by limiting the turn-on operations of said plurality of switch means using said limiting means.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein said limiting means comprises an insulating member.

11. A device according to claim 9, wherein said limiting means disconnects electrical connections of predetermined switch outputs of said plurality of switch means.

12. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a) image pickup means for picking up an object image;

b) operation means used for determining an image pickup condition of said image pickup means; and

c) adjustment means for adjusting an attachment position of said operation means to said image pickup means.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the image pickup condition of said image pickup means is an exposure amount.

14. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the image pickup condition of said image pickup means is a focal length.

15. An apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising display means for displaying the object image picked up by said image pickup means.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the image pickup condition of said image pickup means is an exposure amount.

17. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the image pickup condition of said image pickup means is a focal length.

18. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said display means displays an index for determining the image pickup condition of said image pickup means, and said operation means moves the index displayed by said display means.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the image pickup condition of said image pickup means is an exposure amount.

20. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the image pickup condition of said image pickup means is a focal length.

21. An operation device for an electronic apparatus, comprising:

a) operation means which is movable in a plurality of operation directions;

b) a plurality of switch means which are selectively operated in correspondence with the operation direction of said operation means; and

c) changing means for electrically changing a relative positional relationship between the operation directions of said operation means and said plurality of switch means.

22. A device according to claim 21, further comprising storage means for storing states of said plurality of switch means, and wherein said changing means changes storage contents of said storage means.

23. A device according to claim 21, further comprising registration means for registering, in advance, a change in relative positional relationship by said changing means.

24. A device according to claim 23, wherein said changing means changes the relative positional relationship between the operation directions of said operation means and said plurality of switch means so that the relationship is regularly rotated.

25. A device according to claim 22, wherein said changing means changes the relative positional relationship by regularly rotating the storage contents of said storage means.

26. A device according to claim 21, further comprising display means for displaying an index, and wherein said operation means moves the index displayed by said display means.

27. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a) image pickup means for picking up an image of an object;

b) display means for displaying the image picked up by said image pickup means for a reproduced image; and

c) operation means for moving a display frame, which indicates a setting range of an image pickup condition of said image pickup means on a screen of said display means, to a desired position on the screen,

wherein said operation means is arranged on a plane including the screen of said display means.

28. An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the image pickup condition of said image pickup means is an exposure amount.

29. An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the image pickup condition of said image pickup means is a focal length.

30. An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the screen of said display means comprises a liquid crystal screen.

31. An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said operation means comprises a joystick.

32. An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said operation means comprises a cross-shaped key.