IMAGING DEVICE

• US 20140168470A1
• Filed: 05/22/2013
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshino, Hideyuki, Ishihara, Takashi, Satou, Mitsuru, Hirouchi, Yasuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,219,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.7
• 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: G03B 17/38 Releasing-devices separate from shutter integral with shutter G03B9/08
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/675 comprising setting of focusing regions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations

Abstract

An imaging device includes: an imaging portion; a memory capable of storing images imaged by the imaging portion; a display portion; and a touch panel arranged to overlap with the display portion and capable of detecting a distance to an indicator. When the distance is equal to or less than a first distance and more than a second distance less than the first distance, the memory stores the images at predetermined time intervals. Then, when the distance becomes equal to or less than the second distance and equal to or more than 0, the display portion displays the image that is stored in the memory before the distance becomes equal to or less than the second distance and equal to or more than 0.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

an imaging portion;

a memory capable of storing images imaged by the imaging portion;

a display portion; and

a touch panel arranged to overlap with the display portion and capable of detecting a distance to an indicator, wherein

when the distance is equal to or less than a first distance and more than a second distance less than the first distance, the memory stores the images at predetermined time intervals,

then, when the distance becomes equal to or less than the second distance and equal to or more than 0, the display portion displays the image that is stored in the memory before the distance becomes equal to or less than the second distance and equal to or more than 0.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

when the distance is equal to or less than the second distance and equal to or more than 0, the memory stops storing the images at the predetermined time intervals.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the memory is set as a first memory,

the imaging device is capable of mounting a second memory, and

when the distance is equal to or less than the second distance and equal to or more than 0, an image, which is stored in the first memory before the distance is equal to or less than the second distance and equal to or more than 0, can be stored in the second memory.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the second distance is 0.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the indicator is a finger or a pen.

6. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein when the distance is at least equal to or less than the first distance and larger than the second distance being smaller than the first distance, the display portion displays an image imaged by the imaging portion.

7. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the display portion displays a predetermined icon.

8. An imaging method that can be utilized in an imaging device which includes an imaging portion, a memory capable of storing images imaged by the imaging portion, a display portion, and a touch panel arranged to overlap with the display portion and capable of detecting a distance to an indicator, the imaging method comprising;

a step of storing the images at predetermined time intervals in the memory when the distance is equal to or less than the first distance and larger than a second distance which is less than the first distance; and

a step of displaying in the display portion, when the distance becomes equal to or less than the second distance and equal to or more than 0, the image which is stored in the memory before the distance becomes equal to or less than the second distance and equal to or more than 0.

9. An imaging device comprising:

an imaging portion;

a display portion; and

a touch panel arranged to overlap with the display portion and capable of detecting a distance to an indicator, wherein

when the distance is equal to or less than the first distance and larger than a second distance which is less than the first distance, execution of a predetermined function is started,

then, when the distance becomes equal to or less than the second distance and equal to or more than 0, the display portion displays the image imaged by the imaging portion.

10. The imaging device according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined function is at least one of focus-adjustment, exposure-adjustment, and white-balancing.

11. The imaging device according to claim 9, wherein when the distance is equal to or less than the first distance and larger than the second distance being less than the first distance, the execution of the predetermined function on a predetermined area in the display portion is started.

12. The imaging device according to claim 9, wherein when the distance is equal to or less than the first distance and larger than the second distance being less than the first distance, the execution of the predetermined function on an area corresponding to the indicator in the display portion is started.

13. The imaging device according to claim 9, comprising a memory, wherein

when the distance becomes equal to or less than the second distance and equal or larger than 0, the memory stores an image imaged by the imaging portion

14. The imaging device according to claim 9, wherein the second distance is 0.

15. The imaging device according to claim 9, wherein the indicator is a finger or a pen.

16. An imaging method that can be utilized in an imaging device which includes an imaging portion, a display portion, and a touch panel arranged to overlap with the display portion and capable of detecting a distance to an indicator, the imaging method comprising:

a step of starting execution of a predetermined function when the distance is equal to or less than the first distance and larger than a second distance less than the first distance; and

a step of displaying the image captured by the imaging portion in the display portion when the distance becomes equal to or less than the second distance and equal to or more than 0.

17. An imaging device comprising:

an imaging portion capable of capturing an image;

a display portion; and

a touch panel arranged to overlap with the display portion and capable of detecting a distance to an indicator, wherein

when, for a predetermined time, the distance is equal to or less than the first distance and larger than the second distance being less than the first distance, the display portion displays the image.

18. The imaging device according to claim 17 comprising a memory, wherein

when, for a predetermined time, the distance is equal to or less than the first distance and larger than the second distance being less than the first distance, the display portion displays the image and the memory stores the image.

19. The imaging device according to claim 18, wherein the memory is detachably mounted.

20. The imaging device according to claim 17, wherein when the distance is equal to or less than the first distance and larger than the second distance being less than the first distance, the display portion indicates that image-capturing timing is approaching.

21. The imaging device according to claim 20, wherein it is schematically indicated that the image-capturing timing is approaching.

22. An imaging method that can be utilized in an imaging device which includes an imaging portion capable of imaging an image, a display portion, and a touch panel arranged to overlap with the display portion and capable of detecting a distance to an indicator,

the imaging method comprising displaying the image in the display portion when, for a predetermined time, the distance is equal to or less than the first distance and larger than the second distance being less than the first distance.