Video camera having a liquid-crystal monitor with controllable backlight

• US 6,714,245 B1
• Filed: 03/16/1999
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ono, Yasumasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHIPKEY, JASON T
• Application Number:
  US09/270,686
• Time in Patent Office: 1,841 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.01, 348/333.02, 348/333.03, 348/333.04, 348/333.05, 348/333.06, 348/333.07, 348/333.08, 348/333.09, 348/333.1, 348/333.11, 348/333.12, 348/333.13, 348/790, 348/791, 345/63, 345/102
• US Class Current: 348/333.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

A video camera includes a liquid-crystal monitor for displaying an image picked up by the camera, a backlight provided behind the liquid-crystal monitor, a switch for turning on/off a power supply of the camera, and a controller for reducing luminance of the backlight when the power supply has been turned on.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

liquid-crystal display means;

backlight means provided behind said liquid-crystal display means;

means for turning on/off a power supply;

measurement means for measuring a time period during which the power supply is turned off; and

control means for reducing luminance of said backlight means when the power supply has been turned on, wherein said control means reduces the luminance of said backlight means when the measured time period exceeds a predetermined time period when the power supply changes from an off-state to an on-state.

2. A device according to claim 1, further comprising detection means for detecting a voltage of the power supply, and wherein said control means reduces the luminance of said backlight means in accordance with the detection when the power supply has been turned on.

3. A device according to claim 1, further comprising setting means for setting the luminance of said backlight means, wherein said control means reduces the luminance irrespective of the setting.

4. A video camera comprising:

a liquid-crystal monitor for displaying an image picked up by said camera;

backlight means provided behind said liquid-crystal monitor;

means for turning on/off a power supply of said camera;

measurement means for measuring a time period during which the power supply is turned off; and

control means for reducing luminance of said backlight means when the power supply has been turned on, wherein said control means reduces the luminance of said backlight means when the measured time period exceeds a predetermined time period when the power supply changes from an off-state to an on-state.

5. A video camera according to claim 4, further comprising detection means for detecting a voltage of the power supply, and wherein said control means reduces the luminance of said backlight means in accordance with the detection when the power supply has been turned on.

6. A video camera according to claim 4, further comprising setting means for setting the luminance of said backlight means, and wherein said control means reduces the luminance irrespective of the setting.

7. A video camera comprising:

a liquid-crystal monitor for displaying an image picked up by said camera;

backlight means provided behind said liquid-crystal monitor;

means for turning on/off a power supply of said camera;

a standby switch for switching said video camera to a standby state; and

control means for reducing luminance of said backlight means when the power supply has been turned on while said standby switch switches said video camera to the standby state.

8. A storage medium capable of being read by a computer, and storing a program, said program causing the computer to perform:

a measurement step of measuring a time period during which a power supply is in an off-state; and

a control step of reducing luminance of a liquid-crystal monitor when the measured time period is more than a predetermined time period after the power supply has changed from the off-state to an on-state.