Camera with touchscreen

• US 6,919,927 B1
• Filed: 06/03/1999
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hyodo, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): MOE, AUNG SOE
• Application Number:
  US09/324,778
• Time in Patent Office: 2,238 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.99, 348/333.05, 348/333.02, 348/333.11, 348/341, 348/373, 348/211.8, 348/589, 348/600, 345/173, 345/179, 345/156, 386/52, 386/46
• US Class Current: 348/333.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/675 comprising setting of focusing regions

Abstract

A camera which can perform operations by touching a screen of an image display and can give different instructions according to different pressures applied on the touching. A digital camera has an LCD for displaying the captured image or a reproduced image. A touch panel for determining the position of a touched portion and the pressure applied to the touched portion is provided over the LCD. The camera gives a variety of instructions with respect to a camera operating system according to pressure applied to the touched portion on the touch panel. For example, the touch panel instructs an image-recording preparation in a case that the pressure is no more than a predetermined pressure, and instructs image-recording in a case that the pressure is more than the predetermined pressure. In short, adjusting a focus and an exposure to the principal subject by touching the principal subject displayed on the LCD, and touching the principal subject harder can record an image of the principal subject.

Claims

1. A camera, comprising:

an image display for displaying an image;

a touch panel for determining a pressure applied on a surface thereof, the touch panel being arranged over the image display; and

a controller for controlling operations of the camera according to the pressure determined by the touch panel, said controller performing a first control when the pressure applied on said touch panel is greater than a first predetermined value, and performing a second control when the pressure is greater than a second predetermined value larger than the first predetermined value,

wherein the first control is an image-recording preparation, and the second control is an image-recording.

2. The camera as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the touch panel determines a position of a touched portion on the surface thereof, and

the controller adjusts at least one of a focus and an exposure of the camera with respect to a principal subject corresponding to the position of the touched portion determined by the touch panel.

3. The camera as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the image displays a plurality of operational items,

the touch panel determines a position of a touched portion on the surface thereof, and

the controller performs an operation of one of the plurality of operational items corresponding to the touched portion determined by the touch panel.

4. A camera, comprising:

a touch panel for determining a pressure applied on a surface thereof; and

a controller for controlling operations of the camera according to the pressure determined by the touch panel, said controller performing a first control when the pressure applied on said touch panel is greater than a first predetermined value, and performing a second control when the pressure is greater than a second predetermined value larger than the first predetermined value,

wherein the first control is an image-recording preparation, and the second control is an image-recording.

5. A camera, comprising:

a touch panel that determines a pressure being applied on a surface thereof and outputting a signal indicative of the pressure;

a controller for continuously varying a speed of change of a parameter in proportion to the signal; and

an image display that displays a diagram indicative of the changes in the pressure.