Image pick-up apparatus

• US 6,518,956 B1
• Filed: 05/26/2000
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sato, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Application Number:
  US09/580,226
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/169, 345/126, 348/333, 348/373, 348/333.06, 348/346, 348/347, 348/333.01
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/531 being rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters

Abstract

A display unit is provided with a touch panel (contact-position detecting device) on the image display screen of the display unit and is used by inverting (0 and 180 degrees) or rotating (opening/closing state) the image display screen. An orientation detecting device is provided for detecting the orientation of the display unit. A table is provided for storing relationships between the coordinate positions of the touch panel and predetermined processing. When a predetermined operating part of the touch panel is touched, it is transformed into a coordinate position of the touch panel, and the predetermined processing corresponding to this coordinate position is performed.

Claims

1. An image pick-up apparatus comprising:

display means pivotally supported by a main unit of said image pick-up apparatus with respect to a vertical axis and rotatably supported by the main unit of said image pick-up apparatus with respect to a horizontal axis;

orientation detecting means for detecting an orientation of a display screen of said display means with respect to the main unit of said image pick-up apparatus;

contact-position detecting means mounted on the display screen of said display means, for detecting which part of the display screen is touched;

memory means for storing relationships between coordinate positions of said contact-position detecting means and predetermined processing; and

display control means for displaying an image on said display means based on a signal from said orientation detecting means, and upon detecting by said contact-position detecting means that a predetermined operating part is touched, for transforming the predetermined operating part into a coordinate position in said memory means according to the signal from said orientation detecting means, thereby performing the predetermined processing.

2. An image pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said orientation detecting means is coupled to a hinge unit formed between the main unit of said image pick-up apparatus and said display means, and said orientation detecting means comprises a first switch for determining whether said display means is in one of an open state and a closed state with respect to the main unit of said image pick-up apparatus and a second switch for determining whether said display means is located in one of a reference position and an inverted position.

3. An image pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said contact-position detecting means comprises a touch panel.

4. An image pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said memory means stores a table in which the relationships between the coordinate positions of said contact-position detecting means and the predetermined processing are set.