Digital camera and photographing direction acquisition method

• US 20030231243A1
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Shibutani, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,436,434 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/20 visible in viewfinder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3204 of data relating to a user, sender, addressee, machine or electronic recording medium H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3254 Orientation, e.g. landscape or portrait; Location or order of the image data, e.g. in memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera

Abstract

A camera includes an image sensing unit which is arranged to be pivotal with respect to a main body unit and is used to sense an object image, an azimuth sensor which is arranged in the main body unit and is used to detect the azimuth of the facing direction of the main body unit, a pivot angle detector which detects the pivot angle of the image sensing unit with respect to the main body unit, a control unit which corrects the azimuth of the facing direction of the main body unit detected by the azimuth sensor on the basis of the pivot angle detected by the pivot angle detector, and a display unit which superimposes the correction result on a through image.

Claims

1. A digital camera comprising:

an image sensing unit, arranged to be pivotal with respect to a main body unit, configured to sense an object image;

a photographing direction detection unit, arranged in the main body unit, configured to detect a photographing direction;

a pivot state detection unit configured to detect a pivot state of the image sensing unit with respect to the main body unit; and

a correction unit configured to correct the photographing direction detected by the photographing direction detection unit on the basis of the pivot state detected by the pivot state detection unit.

2. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the pivot state detection unit includes a unit configured to detect a pivot angle of the image sensing unit with respect to the main body unit.

3. The camera according to claim 2, wherein the correction unit includes a unit configured to correct the photographing direction by making an addition or subtraction of the pivot angle detected by the pivot state detection unit and the photographing direction detected by the photographing direction detection unit.

4. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the photographing direction detection unit includes a unit configured to detect an azimuth angle, and

the correction unit includes a unit configured to correct the azimuth angle detected by the photographing direction detection unit on the basis of the pivot state detected by the pivot state detection unit.

5. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the photographing direction detection unit includes a unit configured to detect a tilt angle, and

the correction unit includes a unit configured to correct the tilt angle detected by the photographing direction detection unit on the basis of the pivot state detected by the pivot state detection unit.

6. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the photographing direction detection unit includes a unit configured to detect an azimuth angle and tilt angle, and

the correction unit includes a unit configured to correct the azimuth angle and tilt angle detected by the photographing direction detection unit on the basis of the pivot state detected by the pivot state detection unit.

7. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising a recording unit configured to record information based on the photographing direction corrected by the correction unit.

8. The camera according to claim 7, wherein the recording unit includes a unit configured to record image data obtained by the image sensing unit, and

the camera further comprises a recording control unit configured to control the recording unit to record the information based on the photographing direction corrected by the correction unit in association with the image data.

9. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display information based on the photographing direction corrected by the correction unit.

10. The camera according to claim 9, wherein the display unit includes a unit configured to display image data obtained by the image sensing unit, and

the camera further comprises a display control unit configured to control the display unit to display the information based on the photographing direction corrected by the correction unit together with the image data.

11. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission unit configured to transmit information based on the photographing direction corrected by the correction unit.

12. The camera according to claim 11, wherein the transmission unit includes a unit configured to transmit image data obtained by the image sensing unit, and

the camera further comprises a transmission control unit configured to control the transmission unit to transmit the information based on the photographing direction corrected by the correction unit together with the image data.

13. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit configured to determine, on the basis of the pivot state detected by the pivot state detection unit, whether or not the photographing direction detected by the photographing direction detection unit need be corrected, and

wherein the correction unit includes a unit configured to, when the determination unit determines that the photographing direction need be corrected, correct the photographing direction detected by the photographing direction detection unit.

14. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the image sensing unit is pivotal about a plurality of pivot shafts with respect to the main body unit,

the pivot state detection unit includes a unit configured to detect pivot states of the plurality of pivot shafts, and

the correction unit includes a unit configured to correct the photographing direction detected by the photographing direction detection unit on the basis of the pivot states of the plurality of pivot shafts detected by the pivot state detection unit.

15. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising a photographing instruction unit configured to instruct to start a photographing operation, and

wherein the photographing direction detection unit includes a unit configured to, when the photographing instruction unit instructs to start the photographing operation, detect the photographing direction.

16. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

a distance acquisition unit configured to acquire a distance to an object image;

a position acquisition unit configured to acquire a current position; and

an object position calculation unit configured to calculate a position of the object image on the basis of the distance to the object image acquired by the distance acquisition unit, the current position acquired by the position acquisition unit, and the photographing direction corrected by the correction unit.

17. A photographing direction acquisition method comprising:

a step of detecting a pivot state of an image sensing unit which is pivotal with respect to a main body unit;

a step of detecting a photographing direction by a detector provided to the main body unit; and

a step of correcting the detected photographing direction on the basis of the detected pivot state of the image sensing unit.