Digital camera including a zoom button and/or a touch tablet useable for performing a zoom operation

• US 7,154,544 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2002
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Ohmura, Akira, Kowno, Yousuke
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LUONG TRUNG
• Application Number:
  US10/095,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20020093578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• Field of Search: 348/231.99, 348/240.1, 348/240.2, 348/240.3, 348/240.99, 348/333.02, 348/333.03, 348/333.11, 348/333.12, 345/179, 345/501
• US Class Current: 348/240.99
• 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

An information processing device includes a shooting lens assembly, a photoelectric conversion element, a memory, a display screen, a zoom designation device and an image size changing device (e.g., a controller). The photoelectric conversion element receives light from an object that is collected by the shooting lens assembly and converts the collected light into electrical signals representative of the object. The memory stores image data that is representative of objects. The display screen displays images of the object corresponding to the electrical signal converted by the photoelectric conversion element or images corresponding to the image data stored in the memory. The image size changing device magnifies or reduces an image size of the image displayed on the display screen regardless of whether the image is being supplied from the photoelectric conversion element or the memory.

Claims

1. A digital electronic camera, comprising:

a shooting lens that collects light from an object;

a photoelectric conversion element that receives light from the object that is collected by said shooting lens and converts the collected light into electric signals representative of the object;

a memory that stores image data representative of objects;

a display that displays images of the object corresponding to the electric signals converted by said photoelectric conversion element and displays images corresponding to the image data read from said memory;

a zoom designation device that is operable by a user to specify a change in magnification of the image displayed on said display;

an operating device that is operable by the user to specify a move of a central point of the image displayed on said display; and

a controller that changes the magnification of the image displayed on said display in response to said zoom designation device, regardless of whether the displayed image is supplied from said photoelectric conversion element or from said memory;

wherein said controller, responsive to said operating device, moves the central point of the image displayed on said display when the displayed image is supplied from said memory and does not move the central point of the image displayed on said display when the displayed image is supplied from said photoelectric conversion element.

2. The digital electronic camera claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller interpolates pixel values of said displayed image to magnify the displayed image.

3. The digital electronic camera claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller changes the magnification of the image of the object converted into electric signals by said photoelectric conversion element without changing a focal length of said shooting lens.

4. The digital electronic camera claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller changes the magnification of the image of the object converted into electric signals by said photoelectric conversion element by changing a focal length of said shooting lens.

5. The digital electronic camera claimed in claim 1, wherein said zoom designation device is a single member that is operable by the user.

6. The digital electronic camera claimed in claim 1, wherein said zoom designation device includes a touch screen operative to generate data signals for processing by said controller.

7. The digital electronic camera claimed in claim 6, wherein touching a first point on said touch screen and moving to a second point on said touch screen while maintaining contact with said touch screen to form a line between the first point and the second point causes the displayed image to either be magnified or reduced to a size relative to a distance between the first and second points and an angle formed relative to an imaginary horizontal line and the straight line.

8. The digital electronic camera claimed in claim 7, wherein, when the displayed image is magnified, the first point is centrally disposed within the display screen.

9. The digital electronic camera claimed in claim 7, wherein said touch screen includes a centering region disposed on the display screen when the displayed image is reduced and, touching the centering region causes the reduced display image to appear centrally within the display screen.

10. The digital electronic camera claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller determines whether the displayed image is supplied from said photoelectric conversion element or from said memory.