IMAGING APPARATUS

• US 20090067826A1
• Filed: 09/10/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Morohoshi, IIiroshi, Yokoyama, Koji, Takano, Mayu, Shinohara, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,907,836 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 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• 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 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes

Abstract

An imaging apparatus whose posture is easily adjustable is provided. The imaging apparatus is configured to include an inclination detector detecting a degree of inclination of one of the imaging apparatus and an image captured by the imaging apparatus relative to a horizontal direction orthogonal to a direction of gravity; a display unit; a first inclination indicator unit allowing the display unit to display an indicator to indicate the degree of inclination according to a detection result from the inclination detector; a second inclination indicator unit notifying via sound according to a detection result from the inclination detector that the degree of inclination is over a predetermined value; and a selector unit allowing at least one of the first and second inclination indicator units to operate.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an inclination detector detecting a degree of inclination of one of the imaging apparatus and an image captured by the imaging apparatus relative to a horizontal direction orthogonal to a direction of gravity;

a display unit;

a first inclination indicator unit allowing the display unit to display an indicator to indicate the degree of inclination according to a detection result from the inclination detector;

a second inclination indicator unit notifying via sound according to a detection result from the inclination detector that the degree of inclination is over a predetermined value; and

a selector unit allowing at least one of the first and second inclination indicator units to operate.

2. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first inclination indicator unit allows the display unit to display the indicator to indicate the degree of inclination with a resolution less than the predetermined value.

3. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a shake amount detector detecting an amount of shake of the imaging apparatus, wherein

the selector unit allows at least one of the first and second inclination indicator units to operate according to a detection result from the shake amount detector.

4. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a stability detector detecting a postural stability of the imaging apparatus, wherein

the selector unit allows at least one of the first and second inclination indicator units to operate according to a detection result from the stability detector.

5. An imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the stability detector detects that the imaging apparatus is mounted on a tripod.

6. An imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the stability detector detects that a bottom surface of the imaging apparatus is made in contact with a physical object which has a shape stable enough to have the imaging apparatus disposed thereon.

7. An imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the stability detector detects that an operator holds the imaging apparatus.

8. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the selector unit allows at least one of the first and second inclination indicator units to operate according to a change in time of the detection result from the inclination detector.

9. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the indicator comprises a plurality of indicator portions arranged with an equal interval and an index portion being any one of the indicator portions to be highlighted;

the imaging apparatus has a preset horizontal criterion; and

the first inclination indicator unit uses one of the indicator portions located at a center as the index portion to indicate that the imaging apparatus is in a horizontal state, when an angle between the horizontal criterion and the horizontal direction is within a predetermined range of angles; and

when the imaging apparatus is inclined beyond the predetermined range of angles, the first inclination indicator unit uses one of the indicator portions as the index portion according to the inclination, to indicate the degree of inclination.

10. An imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the indicator includes a target indicator indicating one of the indicator portions located at the center thereof.

11. An imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the first inclination indicator unit highlights the index portion in different colors for indicating the horizontal state and inclined state.

12. An imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the first inclination indicator unit integrally highlights the indicator portion located at the center, an upper edge line bridging upper ends of all the indicator portions and a lower edge line bridging lower ends of all the indicator portions, to indicate that the imaging apparatus is in the horizontal state.

13. An imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

when the imaging apparatus is greatly inclined beyond a range of angles corresponding to an outermost one of the indicator portions, the first inclination indicator unit uses, as the index portion, one of two outermost indicator portions which is in an upper position than the other, and highlights upper and lower ends of indicator portions from the one located at the center to the outermost one in the upper position, to indicate that the imaging apparatus is in an extremely inclined state.

14. An imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the first inclination indicator unit highlights the index portion in different colors for indicating the horizontal state, inclined state and extremely inclined state.

15. An imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the horizontal criterion is set separately for a horizontal position and a vertical position of the imaging apparatus.

16. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first inclination indicator unit allows the display unit to display the indicator near a lower side thereof relative to the direction of gravity.

17. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the indicator is at least partially transparent.

18. An imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the predetermined range of angles are set such that relative to the horizontal direction, clockwise rotation angle of the horizontal criterion and counterclockwise rotation angle thereof are to be equal.