ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20080240694A1
• Filed: 03/21/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: OKAZAKI, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,831,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/50
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/18 Signals indicating condition of a camera member or suitability of light indicating depth of field G03B13/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces

Abstract

An electronic device includes an operation member which is arranged within a range where a particular finger of right hand gripping the electronic device in a vertical orientation reaches and in which assigned functions can be customized, a storage unit adapted to store information on a first function and a second function which are set in the operation member as the assigned functions, an orientation information obtaining unit adapted to obtain information on an orientation related to the electronic device, a function assignment control unit adapted to assign the first function to the operation member when it is determined based on the information on the orientation that the electronic device is in a horizontal orientation and assign the second function to the operation member when it is determined based on the information on the orientation that the electronic device is in the vertical orientation.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

an operation member which is arranged within a range where a particular finger related to right hand gripping the electronic device in a vertical orientation reaches and in which assigned functions can be customized;

storage means adapted to store information on a first function and a second function which are set in the operation member as the assigned functions;

orientation information obtaining means adapted to obtain information on an orientation related to the electronic device;

function assignment control means adapted to assign the first function to the operation member when it is determined based on the information on the orientation that the electronic device is in a horizontal orientation and assign the second function to the operation member when it is determined based on the information on the orientation that the electronic device is in the vertical orientation,

wherein the horizontal orientation and the vertical orientation respectively correspond to a standard orientation and a non-standard orientation during use of the electronic device.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the operation member is arranged within a range where the particular finger related to the right hand gripping the electronic device in the horizontal orientation reaches.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an auxiliary tool which can be attached to the electronic device when the electronic device is used in the non-standard orientation,

wherein the operation member is arranged within a range where the particular finger related to the right hand gripping the electronic device to which the auxiliary tool is attached in the vertical orientation reaches.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the orientation information obtaining means includes:

an orientation detection sensor adapted to detect an orientation of the electronic device; and

means for obtaining information on the orientation based on a detection result in the orientation detection sensor.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the operation member enables a press operation and a detection through a distinction between a first press state and a second press state in accordance with a difference in pressed periods of time related to the press operation, and wherein

the orientation information obtaining means includes:

means for obtaining information on the orientation by associating the first press state with the horizontal orientation and associating the second press state with the vertical orientation.

6. An electronic device comprising:

an operation member which is arranged within a range where a particular finger related to right hand gripping the electronic device in a vertical orientation reaches and in which assigned functions can be customized;

a storage unit adapted to store information on a first function and a second function which are set in the operation member as the assigned functions;

an orientation information obtaining unit adapted to obtain information on an orientation related to the electronic device;

a function assignment control unit adapted to assign the first function to the operation member when it is determined based on the information on the orientation that the electronic device is in a horizontal orientation and assign the second function to the operation member when it is determined based on the information on the orientation that the electronic device is in the vertical orientation,

wherein the horizontal orientation and the vertical orientation correspond to a standard orientation and a non-standard orientation during use of the electronic device.