Electronic camera and image processing system

• US 20040165075A1
• Filed: 02/26/2004
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuo, Takashi, Ueyama, Masayuki, Matsuda, Shinya, Kuwana, Minoru, Kanbara, Tetsuro, Okada, Hiroyuki, Kondo, Takashi
• Application Number:
  US10/788,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20040165075A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/00 Viewfinders; Focusing aids for cameras; Means for focusing for cameras; Autofocus systems for cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/531 being rotatable or detachable
• 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 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/48 Increasing resolution by shifting the sensor relative to the scene

Abstract

An electronic camera is provided with an image pickup unit in a casing at a position opposite to an opening of the casing. The image pickup unit includes an image pickup device and an optical system. The electronic camera is further provided with a rotating mechanism for rotating the image pickup unit, a changer for changing over a photographing possible state and a photographing impossible state, and a controller for controlling the rotating mechanism to rotate the image pickup unit into a target position in response to the changer.

Claims

1. An electronic camera comprising:

a casing formed with an opening;

an image pickup unit provided in the casing at a position opposite to the opening, the image pickup unit including;

an image pickup device which converts an optical image of an object into an image signal; and

an optical system which introduces the optical image onto the image pickup device;

a rotating mechanism which rotates the image pickup unit;

a changer which changes over a photographing possible state and a photographing impossible state; and

a controller which controls the rotating mechanism to rotate the image pickup unit into a target position in response to the changer.

2. An electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the rotating mechanism to rotate the image pickup unit into a first position where an optical axis of the optical system intersects a plane bearing the opening perpendicularly when the changer changes from the photographing impossible state to the photographing possible state.

3. An electronic camera according to claim 2, wherein the changer includes a switch which switches on and off supply of power to activate and deactivate the camera.

4. An electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the rotating mechanism to rotate the image pickup unit into a second position where an optical axis of the optical system does not intersect the opening when the changer changes from the photographing possible state to the photographing impossible state.

5. An electronic camera according to claim 4, wherein the opening is closed by the image pickup unit when the image pickup unit is in the second position.

6. An electronic camera according to claim 5, wherein the changer includes a switch which switches on and off supply of power to activate and deactivate the camera.

7. An electronic camera according to claim 1, further comprising a designator which designates a photographing direction of the image pickup unit, wherein the controller controls the rotating system to rotate the image pickup unit in accordance with a photographing direction designated by the designator.

8. An electronic camera comprising:

an image pickup unit which is operable to execute a continuous photographing of picking up a whole image of an object and a specified number of partial images of the object continuously;

a release switch which generates a continuous photographing signal of instructing the continuous photographing;

a memory which stores picked up images; and

a photography controller which controls, in response to the continuous photographing signal, the image pickup unit to execute the continuous photographing, and send picked up whole image and partial images to the memory together with information concerning a relationship between the picked up whole image and the picked up partial images.

9. An electronic camera according to claim 8, further comprising:

a display device which displays an image stored in the memory;

a display switch which generates a display signal of instructing a display of stored image on the display device; and

a display controller which controls, in response to the display signal, the display device to display a whole image stored in the memory.

10. An electronic camera according to claim 9, further comprising:

a delete switch which generates a delete signal of instructing deletion of the whole image displayed on the display device and the partial images in connection with the whole image from the memory; and

a deleting device which deletes, in response to the delete signal, the whole image and the partial images in connection with the whole image from the memory.

11. An electronic camera according to claim 9, further comprising:

a cancellation switch which generates a cancellation signal of instructing cancellation of the relationship between the whole image displayed on the displayed device and the partial images;

a canceling device which deletes, in response to the cancellation signal, the relationship from the memory.

12. An electronic camera according to claim 11, wherein the canceling device further deletes the partial images in connection with the whole image displayed on the display device from the memory.

13. An electronic camera comprising:

an image pickup unit which is operable to execute a bracket-photographing of picking up a specified number of images continuously;

a release switch which generates a bracket-photographing signal of instructing the bracket-photographing;

a first memory which stores the specified number of images picked up in the bracket-photographing;

a display device which displays an image stored in the first memory;

a selector which enables a user to select a desired image among the specified number of images stored in the first memory based on displayed images on the display device; and

a second memory which stores a selected image.

14. An electronic camera according to claim 13, further comprising a controller which permits a given image among the specified number of images to be first stored in the second memory, and permits the first stored image to be replaced with a selected image if the selected image is different from the first stored image.

15. An electronic camera according to claim 14, wherein the controller prohibits the replacement of a selected image in the second memory after elapse of a predetermined time from a photographing.

16. An electronic camera according to claim 13, further comprising a controller which permits a given image among the specified number of images to be first stored in the second memory, and permits a selected image to be stored in the second memory in addition to the first stored image if the selected image is different from the first stored image.

17. An electronic camera according to claim 16, wherein the controller prohibits the addition of a selected image in the second memory after elapse of a predetermined time from a photographing.

18. An image processing system comprising:

a memory which stores a whole image of an object and partial images of the object;

an area calculator which adjusts the size of each of the whole image and the partial images, and calculates areas of the whole image that match with partial images, respectively; and

an image combining device which combines partial images with one another in accordance with calculated areas.

19. An image processing system according to claim 18, wherein the image combining device replaces image data in a matched area of the whole image with image data of a matched partial image.