DISPLAY DEVICE AND IMAGING APPARATUS

• US 20100066888A1
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakai, Yasunori
• Granted Patent: US 8,305,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.10
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/20 visible in viewfinder
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/26 Power supplies; Circuitry or arrangement to switch on the power source; Circuitry to check the power source voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders

Abstract

A display device includes first and second display units each operable to display an image; a state detecting unit operable to detect a first state and a second state; a manipulation unit operable to be manipulated; and a control unit operable to control the first and second display units, wherein the control unit causes the first display unit to display the image when the state detecting unit detects the first state, and causes the second display unit to display the image when the state detecting unit detects the second state, the control unit switches a display unit to be activated from the first or second display unit which is displaying the image to the first or second display unit which is not displaying the image when the manipulation unit is manipulated, and the control unit causes the first or second display unit activated when the manipulation unit is manipulated to continuously display the image until the manipulation unit is manipulated again or until a change in state is detected twice by the state detecting unit.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

first and second display units each operable to display an image;

a state detecting unit operable to detect a first state and a second state;

a manipulation unit operable to be manipulated; and

a control unit operable to control the first and second display units, wherein

the control unit causes the first display unit to display the image when the state detecting unit detects the first state, and causes the second display unit to display the image when the state detecting unit detects the second state,

the control unit switches a display unit to be activated from the first or second display unit which is displaying the image to the first or second display unit which is not displaying the image when the manipulation unit is manipulated, and

the control unit causes the first or second display unit activated when the manipulation unit is manipulated to continuously display the image until the manipulation unit is manipulated again or until a change in state is detected twice by the state detecting unit.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the state detecting unit is a sensor that can detect a person or an object is close within a predetermined distance.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the first display unit is a display unit on which a user can visually recognize a display content by bringing one of eyes of the user close to the display unit, and

the second display unit is a display unit on which the user can visually recognize the display content without bringing one of eyes of the user close to the display unit.

4. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising a recording unit which stores image data,

wherein the first and second display units can display images based on the image data stored in the recording unit.

5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the manipulation unit is a push switch.

6. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging device operable to output an image signal of a subject;

first and second display units each operable to display an image based on the image signal supplied from the imaging device;

a state detecting unit operable to detect a first state and a second state;

a manipulation unit operable to be manipulated; and

a control unit operable to control the first and second display units, wherein

the control unit causes the first display unit to display the image based on the image signal when the state detecting unit detects the first state, and causes the second display unit to display the image based on the image signal when the state detecting unit detects the second state,

the control unit switches a display unit to be activated from the first or second display unit which is displaying the image based on the image signal to the first or second display unit which is not displaying the image based on the image signal when the manipulation unit is manipulated, and

the control unit causes the first or second display unit activated when the manipulation unit is manipulated to continuously display the image based on the image signal until the manipulation unit is manipulated again or until a change in state is detected twice by the state detecting unit.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the state detecting unit is a sensor that can detect a person or an object is close within a predetermined distance.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first display unit is a display unit on which a user can visually recognize a display content by bringing one of eyes of the user close to the display unit, and

the second display unit is a display unit on which the user can visually recognize the display contents without bringing one of eyes of the user close to the display unit.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a recording unit which stores image data based on the image signal,

wherein the first and second display units can display the images based on the image data stored in the recording unit.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the manipulation unit is a push switch.

11. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a state detecting unit operable to detect a plurality of states;

a manipulation unit operable to be manipulated;

an automatic mode in which an operation of the imaging apparatus is switched according to the state detected by the state detecting unit; and

a forced mode in which the operation of the imaging apparatus is switched to an operation corresponding to the manipulation when the manipulation unit is manipulated in the automatic mode,

wherein the forced mode returns to the automatic mode when the state detecting unit detects a change in state.