Electronic apparatus with display unit, information-processing method, and computer product

• US 20050216862A1
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Morikawa, Hiroshi, Shinohara, Michinari
• Granted Patent: US 7,493,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/825
• 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 23/634 Warning indications

Abstract

An electronic apparatus with a display unit that can display icons indicating an apparatus state or an operating condition based on an on-screen display function includes an apparatus-condition detecting unit that detects a change of the apparatus state or a change of a setting of the operating condition; an icon assigning unit that assigns an icon indicating the apparatus state or the operating condition for which the change is detected by the apparatus-condition detecting unit; and an on-screen-display controller that displays the icon assigned in a shape different from the icon before being assigned.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus with a display unit that can display icons indicating an apparatus state or an operating condition based on an on-screen display function, the electronic apparatus comprising:

an apparatus-condition detecting unit that detects a change of the apparatus state or a change of a setting of the operating condition;

an icon assigning unit that assigns an icon indicating the apparatus state or the operating condition for which the change is detected by the apparatus-condition detecting unit; and

an on-screen-display controller that displays the icon assigned in a shape different from the icon before being assigned.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the on-screen-display controller displays the icon assigned in the shape different from the icon before being assigned by changing at least one of a chrominance and a shape of the icon assigned, compared with the icon before being assigned.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the on-screen-display controller displays the icon in assigned in the shape different from the icon before being assigned by dynamically changing at least one of a chrominance and a shape of the icon assigned, compared with the icon before being assigned.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the on-screen-display controller displays the icon assigned in a large size such that the icon covers over a background image.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the on-screen-display controller controls a display of the icon assigned in such a manner that, when the icon displayed in the shape different from the icon before being assigned returns to a normal display shape, the shape different from the icon before being assigned dynamically changes to the normal display shape.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the on-screen-display controller controls a display of the icon assigned using at least one of a fade-in mode of gradually displaying the icon assigned when the icon assigned is displayed in the shape different from the icon before being assigned, and a fade-out mode of gradually disappearing the icon displayed when the icon displayed in the shape different from the icon before being assigned returns to a normal display shape.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operating unit that sets the operating condition by an input operation, wherein

the apparatus-condition detecting unit detects a change of a setting of the operating condition by the operating unit.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a human-body detecting unit that detects that an operator who operates the electronic apparatus is nearby, wherein

when the human-body detecting unit detects that the operator is nearby, the apparatus-condition detecting unit detects the change of the setting.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the human-body detecting unit is at least one of an infrared sensor, a distance sensor, a contact sensor, an optical sensor, an eyeball detection sensor, an eyeshot detection sensor, and a pressure sensor.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the on-screen-display controller controls a display of the icon assigned in the shape different from the icon before being assigned including an enlarged icon display in such manner that the icon assigned is displayed at a timing when the electronic apparatus is ready to start according to a setting condition.

11. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the on-screen-display controller controls a display of the icon assigned in the shape different from the icon before being assigned including an enlarged icon display in such manner that the icon assigned is displayed at a timing when the electronic apparatus is turned on.

12. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the on-screen-display controller controls a display of the icon assigned in the shape different from the icon before being assigned including an enlarged icon display in such manner that the icon assigned is displayed after a first predetermined time has elapsed since the electronic apparatus is turned on.

13. The electronic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the on-screen-display controller controls a display of the icon assigned in the shape different from the icon before being assigned including the enlarged icon display in such manner that the icon assigned is displayed after the first predetermined time has elapsed since the electronic apparatus is turned on until a second predetermined time has elapsed.

14. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic apparatus is a digital camera, and

the on-screen-display controller controls a display of the icon assigned in the shape different from the icon before being assigned including an enlarged icon display in such manner that the icon assigned is displayed at a timing when a focusing mechanism has focused on an object by a shutter button half pressed.

15. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the electronic apparatus a digital camera, and

the on-screen-display controller controls a display of the icon assigned in the shape different from the icon before being assigned including an enlarged icon display in such manner that the icon assigned is displayed on at least one of display units disposed in a liquid crystal monitor, an electronic view finder, and an optical finder.

16. The electronic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the on-screen-display controller carries out at least one of starting and ending of the enlarged icon display when the operating unit receives the input operation from a user.

17. The electronic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the on-screen-display controller carries out at least one of starting and ending of the enlarged icon display when the operating unit receives the input operation from a user.

18. The electronic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the on-screen-display controller carries out at least one of starting and ending of the enlarged icon display when the operating unit receives the input operation from a user.

19. The electronic apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the on-screen-display controller carries out at least one of starting and ending of the enlarged icon display when the operating unit receives the input operation from a user.

20. The electronic apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the on-screen-display controller carries out at least one of starting and ending of the enlarged icon display when the operating unit receives the input operation from a user.

21. The electronic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein when ending the enlarged icon display, the on-screen-display controller gradually decreases an enlarged size of the icon assigned, and shifts the icon to a predetermined position where the icon of a normal display size is disposed without covering the background image.

22. The electronic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein when ending the enlarged icon display, the on-screen-display controller gradually decreases an enlarged size of the icon assigned, and shifts the icon to a predetermined position where the icon of a normal display size is disposed without covering the background image.

23. The electronic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein when ending the enlarged icon display, the on-screen-display controller gradually decreases an enlarged size of the icon assigned, and shifts the icon to a predetermined position where the icon of a normal display size is disposed without covering the background image.

24. The electronic apparatus according to claim 14, wherein when ending the enlarged icon display, the on-screen-display controller gradually decreases an enlarged size of the icon assigned, and shifts the icon to a predetermined position where the icon of a normal display size is disposed without covering the background image.

25. The electronic apparatus according to claim 15, wherein when ending the enlarged icon display, the on-screen-display controller gradually decreases an enlarged size of the icon assigned, and shifts the icon to a predetermined position where the icon of a normal display size is disposed without covering the background image.

26. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the on-screen-display controller displays an enlarged icon display as a half-transparent image.

27. An information-processing method for controlling an electronic apparatus with a display unit that can display icons indicating an apparatus state or an operating condition based on an on-screen display function, the information-processing method comprising:

determining a change of the apparatus state or a change of a setting of the operating condition;

assigning an icon indicating the apparatus state or the operating condition for which the change is detected at the determining; and

displaying the icon assigned in a shape different from the icon before being assigned based on the on-screen display function.

28. A computer-readable recording medium that stores a computer program, wherein the computer program makes a computer execute

determining a change of the apparatus state or a change of a setting of the operating condition;

assigning an icon indicating the apparatus state or the operating condition for which the change is detected at the determining; and

displaying the icon assigned in a shape different from the icon before being assigned based on the on-screen display function.