Method and apparatus for designing a position on a view finder based on motion detection

• US 5,808,678 A
• Filed: 11/14/1996
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sakaegi, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): GARBER, WENDY RAE
• Application Number:
  US08/749,079
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 348/350, 348/335, 348/334, 348/333, 348/240, 348/169, 348/15
• US Class Current: 348/333.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators

Abstract

A small-sized and cost-saving position designating apparatus without specific operation device. As an area designation SW 21 is pressed, a cursor mark 203 is displayed in the finder image on an electronic view finder 19. A motion detecting unit 6 detects the motion of an object in the finder image by moving the camera while pressing the area designation SW 21. The cursor 203 moves with the image based on the detected motion information, and a circle 202 is displayed. As the area designation SW 21 is released and the angle of the camera is returned to the initial angle, the area surrounded by the circle 202 or point is designated. Within this point or area, light, color and focal length are measured.

Claims

1. A camera apparatus comprising:

image input means;

display means for displaying a fixed indication corresponding to a predetermined camera control function on an image input by said image input means;

motion detection means for detecting motion of said camera apparatus based on an output from said image input means;

generation means for generating a cursor on the image input by said image input means;

cursor shift means for shifting a position of said cursor generated by said generation means based on an output from said motion detection means; and

designation means for allowing execution of the predetermined camera control function corresponding to said fixed indication by operating a predetermined operation member when said cursor overlaps with said fixed indication on the image input by said image input means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said operation member includes a manual switch.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said fixed areas are on a display of said display device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said fixed area is used to execute the predetermined function.

3. A position designating method for designating a fixed area on a display device, comprising the steps of:

displaying a cursor for designating said fixed area on an image;

moving said cursor according to a movement of said display device;

judging whether a position of said cursor overlaps on said fixed area; and

operating an operation member so that a predetermined camera control function, in respect to said fixed area, can be executed.

6. An image area designating apparatus comprising:

image input means;

displaying means for displaying an image input by said image input means;

creating means for creating a desired image area on said display means based on a locus of motion relatively between an object image and the image area designating apparatus;

motion detection means for detecting motion of the object image;

moving means for moving the desired image area created by said creating means in response to the motion of the object image detected by said motion detection means; and

designation means for allowing execution of a predetermined function based on image signals within the desired image area moved by said moving means.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said position designating apparatus is a camera apparatus.

8. A method for designating an image area comprising:

receiving an input image;

creating a desired image area on a display based on a locus of motion relatively between an object image and a position designating apparatus;

detecting motion of the object image;

moving the desired image area in response to the detected motion of the object image; and

allowing execution of a predetermined function based on image signals within the desired image area.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said position designating apparatus is a camera apparatus.