Image-pickup device

• US 20040201741A1
• Filed: 03/19/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Ban, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,239,350 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9201 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the video signal

Abstract

The objective of the present invention is to achieve an image-pickup device which, when the user picks up an image of a subject using the image-pickup device, makes it possible to reduce a failure relating to framing techniques and image-pickup techniques. Guide information relating to framing techniques or image-pickup techniques is preliminarily stored in the image-pickup device, and during an image-pickup mode, guide information suitable for the subject is displayed for the user. The guide information includes sample images, GS, etc., and the user is allowed to carry out framing by reference to this displayed image at the time of picking up an image; thus, it becomes possible to reduce a failure in picking up an image.

Claims

1. An image-pickup device which picks up an image of a subject, comprising:

an informing unit for giving desired information to a user; and

a controller which, in an image-pickup mode, gives guide information relating to framing techniques or image-pickup techniques that is suitable for a subject to said informing unit so as to allow said guide information to be informed.

2. The image-pickup device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storing unit for storing a plurality of pieces of said guide information; and

a selection unit for selecting one piece of guide information from said pieces of said guide information,

wherein said controller gives said guide information selected by said selection unit to said informing unit so as to allow said guide information to be informed.

3. The image-pickup device according to claim 2, wherein

each of said plurality of pieces of guide information is made in association with image-pickup parameters related to image-pickup conditions at the time of picking up an image, and

said controller gives said guide information selected by said selection unit to the informing unit so that the guide information is informed, and sets said image-pickup conditions based upon said image-pickup parameters related to said guide information selected by said selection unit.

4. The image-pickup device according to claim 1, wherein

said informing unit comprises a first display unit for displaying a desired image.

5. The image-pickup device according to claim 4, wherein

said controller displays an image relating to a subject on said first display unit, and also displays said guide information at one area of said first display unit so as to allow said guide information to be informed.

6. The image-pickup device according to claim 4, wherein

said informing unit further includes a second display unit having a display size smaller than said first display unit, and

said controller selectively allows one of said first display unit and said second display unit to display said guide information.

7. The image-pickup device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image processor which, in accordance with said guide information that has been informed prior to an image-pickup process, carries out an image processing on an image resulting from said image-pickup process.

8. The image-pickup device according to claim 1, wherein

said guide information related to framing techniques is information that gives instructions as to which direction an image should be picked up from with respect to a subject, and

said guide information related to image-pickup techniques is information that gives instructions as to how to place or direct a subject with respect to said image-pickup device.

9. An information supplying system, which has an information supplying device and a communication terminal device that are connected to each other in a mutually communicatable state with said communication terminal device being connected to an image-pickup device in a mutually data exchangeable state through a cable or radio or a predetermined recording medium, wherein:

said information supplying device comprises a storing unit for storing guide information related to framing techniques or image-pickup techniques in accordance with a subject;

said image-pickup device comprises an informing unit for giving desired information to the user and a controller which gives said guide information to said informing unit so as to allow said guide information to be informed; and

said controller gives said guide information acquired from said information supplying device through said communication terminal device to said informing unit so as to allow said guide information to be informed.

10. An information supplying system, which has an information supplying device and an image-pickup device that are connected to each other in a mutually data exchangeable state through a cable or radio or a predetermined recording medium, wherein:

said information supplying device comprises a storing unit for storing guide information related to framing techniques or image-pickup techniques in accordance with a subject;

said image-pickup device comprises an informing unit for giving desired information to the user, a controller which gives said guide information to said informing unit so as to allow said guide information to be informed; and

said controller gives said guide information acquired from said information supplying device to said informing unit so as to allow said guide information to be informed.

11. An information supplying device, which is capable of exchanging data with an image-pickup device through a cable or radio or a predetermined recording medium, comprising:

a storing unit which stores a plurality of kinds of guide information for respective models of said image-pickup device, said guide information being related to framing techniques or image-pickup techniques suitable for a subject, used at the time of picking up an image by using said image-pickup device;

a model identifying unit which identifies a model of said image-pickup device that is capable of exchanging data with said information supplying device at the time of transmitting said guide information;

a guide information extracting unit which extracts said guide information from said storing unit based upon the model of said image-pickup device that has been identified by said model identifying unit; and

a transmitting unit for transmitting said guide information extracted by said guide information extracting unit to said image-pickup device.