Image display apparatus

• US 5,798,750 A
• Filed: 06/06/1997
• Issued: 08/25/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation, Nikon Systems Inc. (Nikon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation, Nikon Systems Inc. (Nikon Corporation)
• Inventors: Ozaki, Kazuchika
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOW, DOON Y
• Application Number:
  US08/870,599
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 345/121, 345/122, 345/123, 345/125, 345/126, 345/165, 345/146, 345/156, 345/173, 345/179, 345/437, 382/296, 178/18, 178/19, 341/22
• US Class Current: 345/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters

Abstract

An image display apparatus is provided with a memory for storing electrically converted image information therein, a monitor having an image display area for displaying the image information and at least one display orientation designating area for designating an orientaion of the image, an orientation designating unit for designating the display designating area, a detecting unit for detecting the orientation designated by the designating unit, and an orientation converting unit for converting the image information so that the image information displayed on the image display area may be rotated by a predetermined amount in a direction associated with the orientation detected by the detecting unit, and causing the converted information to be displayed on the image display area of the monitor.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing electrically converted image information therein;

a monitor having an image display area for displaying an image based on said image information and at least three display orientation designating areas for designating display orientation of the image;

a detector for detecting the designated orientation;

an orientation converting device for converting said image information to conform with an orientation in which the image is rotated, about an axis perpendicular to said image display area, by a predetermined amount in a direction associated with the orientation detected by said detector, and for causing the image to be displayed on said image display area based on the converted image information,

wherein said three display orientation designating areas are located respectively on a left side, a right side, and a lower side of said image display area, at respective positions each associated with a different rotational orientation of the image about said axis, for designating the associated orientation.

2. An image display apparatus capable of changing an orientation of an image to be displayed thereon, said apparatus comprising:

a memory having a plurality of memory areas, each assigned a respective set of coordinates, and storing a plurality of image data representative of the image in the respective memory areas;

a monitor including an image display area having a plurality of pixels corresponding to respective sets of said coordinates for displaying said image, and at least three display orientation designating areas for designating rotational orientation of the image about an axis perpendicular to said image display area;

a detector for detecting the designated orientation; and

an orientation converting device for converting the coordinates of said memory areas in accordance with the orientation detected by said detector, and for causing the image data from each memory area before conversion of the coordinates to be displayed by the pixel corresponding to the coordinates of that memory area after the conversion,

wherein said three display orientation designating areas are provided at different sides of said image display area;

at respective positions each associated with a different rotational orientation of the image about said axis, for designating the associated orientation.