Camera with touch sensitive control

• US 5,923,908 A
• Filed: 10/30/1997
• Issued: 07/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Schrock, Anthony W., Spencer, Paul E.
• Primary Examiner(s): PERKEY, WILLIAM B
• Application Number:
  US08/960,822
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 396/85, 396/88, 396/263, 396/268, 396/299, 396/287, 396/290, 396/502, 396/291, 396/292
• US Class Current: 396/85
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/38 Releasing-devices separate from shutter integral with shutter G03B9/08
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/093 for control of exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/53 of electronic viewfinders, e.g. 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 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming

Abstract

A camera having a touch sensitive control with first and second positions spaced apart along a surface of the camera, and a shutter. A processor is connected to the touch sensitive control and the shutter, so that as a user slides a finger from the first to the second positions, the shutter is operated. The sliding shutter control inhibits vibration during picture taking while allowing a two-position shutter control. The touch sensitive control may particularly be a touch sensitive screen and icons controlling other camera functions can be presented thereon. These camera control icons can be re-positioned or re-sized on the screen to suit user preferences and/or physical limitations.

Claims

1. A camera comprising:

(a) a touch sensitive control having first and second positions spaced apart along a surface of the camera;

(b) a shutter; and

(c) a processor connected to the touch sensitive control and the shutter, so that as a user slides a finger from the first to the second positions, the shutter is operated.

2. A camera comprising:

(a) a touch sensitive screen;

(b) a shutter; and

(c) a processor connected to the touch sensitive screen and the shutter, so that as a user slides a finger from a first to a second position, the shutter is operated.

3. A camera according to claim 2 wherein the processor causes the touch sensitive screen to display a shutter icon, and wherein the first and second positions correspond to first and second positions of the icon.

4. A camera according to claim 2 additionally comprising a sensor to sense at least one scene parameter, and wherein when the user'"'"'s finger is placed on the first position of the icon the processor determines one or more picture taking parameters from the sensor information.

5. A camera according to claim 4 wherein the processor activates a user indicator or disables shutter activation, when a determined picture taking parameter is outside a preselected value.

6. A camera according to claim 2 wherein the processor resets the determined picture taking parameters when a user moves from touching the first position to another position on the touch screen other than the second position.

7. A camera according to claim 2 wherein the processor can display the shutter icon at different user selectable positions on the screen.

8. A camera according to claim 7 wherein the processor has a user selectable shutter icon positioning mode, which displays the shutter icon and allows the user to move the position of the icon on the screen by touch selection.

9. A camera comprising:

(a) a touch sensitive screen;

(b) a zoom lens control with multiple zoom positions; and

(c) a processor connected to the touch sensitive screen and the zoom control, to display a camera zoom icon with a first position, a second position, and one or more intermediate positions, so that a user can select multiple zoom positions of the camera by touching respective positions on the icon.

10. A camera according to claim 9 wherein the processor alters the zoom position at a rate corresponding to the rate of a sliding motion detected along the zoom icon.

11. A camera comprising:

(a) a touch sensitive screen;

(b) a camera control which controls at least one function of the camera; and

(c) a processor connected to the touch sensitive screen and the camera control, to display a camera control icon at different user selectable positions or sizes on the screen, so that touching the icon controls the corresponding camera function.

12. A camera according to claim 11 wherein the processor has a user selectable icon positioning or sizing mode, which displays the icon and allows the user to change the position or size of the icon on the screen by touch selection.

13. A camera according to claim 11 wherein the camera control is selected from a camera shutter, aperture control, flash unit control, film position control within the camera, power control, captured picture format control, and zoom control.