ELECTROLUMINESCENT DISPLAY DEVICE AND A DIGITAL CAMERA USING AN ELECTROLUMINESCENT DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20070019942A1
• Filed: 07/21/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PENTAX RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
• Original Assignee: Pentax Corporation (Hoya Corporation)
• Inventors: KUROSAWA, Yuichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,606,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/287
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/02 Viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/20 visible in viewfinder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera

Abstract

An electroluminescent display device includes an electroluminescent display, and at least one switch which is positioned adjacent to an inner surface of the electroluminescent display, the switch being activated upon an outer surface of the electroluminescent display being pressed to resiliently deform the switch.

Claims

1. An electroluminescent display device comprising:

an electroluminescent display; and

at least one switch which is positioned adjacent to an inner surface of said electroluminescent display, said switch being activated upon an outer surface of said electroluminescent display being pressed to resiliently deform said switch.

2. The electroluminescent display device according to claim 1, wherein said electroluminescent display is flexible so that in the case where said outer surface of said electroluminescent display is depressed, a depressed portion thereof is deformed so that an inner surface of said depressed portion operates said switch.

3. The electroluminescent display device according to claim 2, wherein said electroluminescent display displays a predetermined indication at an area at which said switch is operated upon said depressed portion of said electroluminescent display being depressed.

4. The electroluminescent display device according to claim 3, wherein said predetermined indication indicates a function in accordance with said switch which is operated.

5. The electroluminescent display device according to claim 2, wherein said electroluminescent display device is incorporated in a digital camera to serve as a monitoring device for displaying object images captured via an image pickup device, and

wherein said flexible electroluminescent display extends over substantially an entire surface of a camera body.

6. The electroluminescent display device according to claim 5, wherein said flexible electroluminescent display displays information on various modes and a function of said switch in addition to said object images.

7. The electroluminescent display device according to claim 6, wherein said switch comprises:

an insulating substrate;

at least one switch pad formed on a surface of said insulating substrate; and

a resiliently deformable switch member which is resiliently deformed to come in contact with said switch pad when said resiliently deformable switch member is depressed toward said switch pad.

8. The electroluminescent display device according to claim 5, wherein said digital camera comprises a right release button and a left release button provided on right and left portions of said camera body, respectively,

wherein said right release button and said left release button are selectively enabled, and

wherein an indication pattern of said monitoring device is changed to correspond to one of said right release button and said left release button which is enabled.

9. The electroluminescent display device according to claim 8, said digital camera comprises a dominant-hand setting operation in which one of said right release button and said left release button is manually enabled.

10. The electroluminescent display device according to claim 9, wherein said flexible electroluminescent display displays a function of said switch on a right-sided portion in a display area of said monitoring device while said right release button is enabled, wherein said right release button is provided on a right side of said camera body with respect to a back side of said camera body, and

wherein said flexible electroluminescent display displays a function of said switch on a left-sided portion in said display area of said monitoring device while said left release button is enabled, wherein said left release button that is positioned on a left side of said camera body as viewed from said back side of said camera body.

11. The electroluminescent display device according to claim 9, wherein one of said right release button and said left release button is enabled when said digital camera is in a self-portrait mode, and

wherein said enabled one of said right release button and said left release button is visually distinguished from the other of said right release button and said left release button.

12. The electroluminescent display device according to claim 10, wherein each of said right release button and said left release button comprises a light emitter, and

wherein said light emitter of one of said right release button and said left release button which is enabled is made to emit light.

13. The electroluminescent display device according to claim 11, wherein each of said right release button and said left release button comprises a light emitter, and

wherein said light emitter of one of said right release button and said left release button which is enabled is made to emit light.

14. The electroluminescent display device according to claim 7, wherein each of said right release button and said left release button comprises a second flexible electroluminescent display and a switch positioned adjacent to an inner surface of said second flexible electroluminescent display, and

wherein said second flexible electroluminescent display of one of said right release button and said left release button which is enabled is made to display an indication indicating that said one of said right release button and said left release button is currently enabled.

15. The electroluminescent display device according to claim 2, wherein an inner layer of said flexible electroluminescent display adjacent to said switch is made of an opaque material.

16. The electroluminescent display device according to claim 7, wherein said resiliently deformable switch member comprises a dome-shaped tactile member.

17. The electroluminescent display device according to claim 8, wherein each of said right release button and said left release button comprises:

a push button member made of a translucent resin; and

a light emitter which illuminates said push button member when associated one of said right release button and said left release button is enabled.

18. The electroluminescent display device according to claim 8, wherein said right release button and said left release button are provided on the top of said camera body, and

wherein said electroluminescent display is provided on the back of said camera body.

19. The electroluminescent display device according to claim 5, wherein said camera comprises a self-portrait mirror fixed to a front surface of said camera body.