IMAGING APPARATUS

• US 20090224999A1
• Filed: 04/20/2009
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Koshiishi, Kazunori, Ehara, Yui, KUWAHARA, Masato
• Granted Patent: US 7,817,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.300
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/90 Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1093 using visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/695 Imported photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/531 being rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators

Abstract

An imaging apparatus 10 includes a lower housing 11, an upper housing 21, a lower LCD 12, an outer camera, a plurality of buttons 14A to 14E, and a touch panel 13. The lower housing 11 has a horizontally long shape. The upper housing 21 has a horizontally long shape, and a long side of the upper housing 21 is connected to an upper long side of the lower housing 11 such that the lower housing 11 and the upper housing 21 are foldable. The lower LCD 12 has a display screen which is provided in an inner surface of the lower housing 11. The outer camera is provided in an outer surface of the upper housing 21, and located at an end of the outer surface of the upper housing 21 which is opposite to a connection portion where the upper housing 21 is connected to the lower housing 11. The plurality of buttons 14A to 14E are provided on an inner surface of the lower housing 11 and on both sides of the display screen in a horizontal direction of the lower housing 11. The touch panel 13 is provided on the display screen.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a first housing having a main surface with a horizontally long shape and having a first projection which projects from the main surface of the first housing at an upper long side portion of the first housing in a direction perpendicular to the main surface of the first housing;

a second housing having a main surface with a horizontally long shape and having a second projection which projects from a side surface of the second housing at an lower long side portion of the second housing in a direction perpendicular to the side surface of the second housings the first and second housings being connected to each other so as to be foldable by the first and second projections being connected to each other;

a first display section having a display screen which is provided in an inner surface of the first housing which is a surface located inside when the first and second housings are folded;

a second display section having a display screen which is provided in an inner surface of the second housing which is a surface located inside when the first and second housings are folded;

a first imaging section provided in an outer surface of the second housing, which is a surface located outside when the first and second housings are folded, on a side of the second display section in a horizontal direction of the second housing, and at an end of the outer surface of the second housing, which is opposite to a connection portion where the second housing is connected to the first housing;

a second imaging section provided in the inner surface of the second housing at the second projection;

a plurality of operation buttons provided on the inner surface of the first housing and on both sides of the display screen in a horizontal direction of the first housing;

selector for selecting one of the first and second imaging sections;

two imaging instruction buttons located at ends of a side surface at the upper long side portion of the first housing, respectively, and each imaging instruction button being usable regardless of a selection state by the selector for performing an instruction to store a taken image; and

a touch panel provided on the display screen of the first display section.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein non-screen areas are provided on the inner surface of the second housing and on both sides of the second display section in the horizontal direction of the second housing so as to have widths which are the same as those of areas on the inner surface of the first housing on which the plurality of operation buttons are provided.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the second housing has a width which is the same as that of the first housing, and

the display screen of the first display section and a display screen of the second display section have the same widths as each other, and are provided in the same position in the longitudinal direction.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a speaker provided inside each of the non-screen areas of the second housing.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the second display section displays an image taken by the first imaging section in real time, and

the first display section displays an operation screen for performing an operation with respect to the imaging apparatus.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when a realtime image taken by the first imaging section is displayed on the second display section, the first display section displays an image for performing an input with respect to the touch panel as the operation screen.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first display section displays an image for editing with respect to a taken image.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein weights of the first housing and components provided in the first housing are heavier than those of the second housing and components provided in the second housing.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 8, wherein at least a battery, a circuit substrate on which electronic components are mounted, and a connector for detachably connecting to a storage medium are provided in the first housing.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second housing is capable of being opened and fixed with respect to the first housing at an angle smaller than 180 degrees.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first display section displays an image for performing an instruction to change an imaging section for taking an image between the first and second imaging sections.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first display section displays an image for performing an instruction to store a taken image.