Digital camera having a position sensor

• US 6,873,357 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2001
• Issued: 03/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PENTAX RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
• Original Assignee: Pentax Corporation (Hoya Corporation)
• Inventors: Kurosawa, Yuichi, Fuchimukai, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Ngoc-Yen, Vu, Ngoc-Yen
• Assistant Examiner(s): SELBY, GEVELL V
• Application Number:
  US09/752,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20010007469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: 348/208.99, 348/208.1, 348/208.2, 348/208.3, 348/699, 348/107, 348/382, 396/50, 396/52
• US Class Current: 348/208.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence

Abstract

A digital camera includes a position sensor which detects a position of the camera body relative to the direction of gravity, an acceleration sensor which detects an acceleration acted upon the camera body, a memory in which image data of a captured image is recorded, and a controller. If the magnitude of the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor when the captured image is produced is smaller than a predetermined value, the controller records the image data in the memory together with positional data of the camera body that is detected by the position sensor. If the magnitude of the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor when the captured image is produced is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the controller deems the data on the position of the camera body as invalid data and records only the image data in the memory.

Claims

1. A digital camera comprising;

a position sensor which detects a position of a camera body of said digital camera relative to the direction of gravity;

at least one acceleration sensor which detects acceleration acting upon said camera body;

a memory in which image data of a captured image is recorded; and

a controller,

wherein if the magnitude of said acceleration detected by said at least one acceleration sensor at the time said captured image is obtained is smaller than a predetermined value, said controller records said image data in said memory together with data on a position of said camera body that is detected by said position sensor at the time said captured image is obtained, and

if the magnitude of said acceleration detected by said at least one acceleration sensor at the time said captured image is obtained is equal to or greater than said predetermined value, said controller considers said data on said position of said camera body as invalid data, records said image data in said memory, and does not record said data on said position of said camera body in said memory.

2. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein said at least one acceleration sensor comprises:

a first acceleration sensor which exclusively detects an acceleration in a horizontal direction; and

a second acceleration sensor which exclusively detects an acceleration in a vertical direction perpendicular to said horizontal direction.

3. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein said position sensor comprises a ball, a surface layer of said ball comprising a conductive material.

4. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein said position sensor comprises a ball, a light emitting element and more than one light receiving element.

5. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein when an acceleration detected by said acceleration sensor is in a direction opposite to the direction of gravity, said data on said position of said camera is recorded regardless of the magnitude of said acceleration.

6. A camera comprising:

a position sensor which detects a position of a camera body of said camera relative to the direction of gravity;

at least one acceleration sensor which detects acceleration acting upon the camera body;

a memory in which image data of a captured image is recorded; and

a controller, which determines position data of the camera body relative to the direction of gravity as invalid data when it is determined that the magnitude of the acceleration detected by said at least one acceleration sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and controls a camera function to record said image data in said memory and to not record said position data in said memory in accordance with said determination.

7. The camera according to claim 6, wherein said controller records, in said memory, said image data and position data, detected by the position sensor, when the magnitude of the acceleration detected by said at least one acceleration sensor is smaller than a predetermined value.

8. The camera according to claim 6, wherein said at least one acceleration sensor comprises:

a first acceleration sensor which detects an acceleration in a horizontal direction; and

a second acceleration sensor which detects an acceleration in a direction substantially perpendicular to said horizontal direction.

9. The camera according to claim 6, said position sensor including a ball, a surface layer of said ball comprising a conductive material.

10. The camera according to claim 6, said position sensor including a ball, a light emitting element and more than one light receiving element.

11. The camera according to claim 6, wherein said controller records the position data when the acceleration detected by said acceleration sensor is in a direction opposite to the direction of gravity, regardless of the magnitude of the acceleration.

12. A camera comprising:

a position sensor which detects a position of a camera body relative to the direction of gravity;

at least one acceleration sensor which detects acceleration acting upon the camera body; and

a controller, which records image data and position data detected by the position sensor, when the magnitude of the acceleration detected by said at least one acceleration sensor is smaller than a predetermined value and does not record position data together with image data when the magnitude of the acceleration detected by said at least one acceleration sensor is equal to or greater than the predetermined value.

13. The camera according to claim 12, wherein said at least one acceleration sensor comprises:

a first acceleration sensor which detects an acceleration in a horizontal direction; and

a second acceleration sensor which detects an acceleration in a direction substantially perpendicular to said horizontal direction.

14. The camera according to claim 12, wherein said position sensor includes a ball, a surface layer of said ball comprising a conductive material.

15. The camera according to claim 12, wherein said position sensor includes a ball, a light emitting element and more than one light receiving element.

16. The camera according to claim 12, wherein said controller records the position data when the acceleration detected by said acceleration sensor is in the opposite direction to the direction of gravity, regardless of the magnitude of the acceleration.