Photographing apparatus capable of multilingual display

• US 7,280,138 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2003
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Shibutani, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): PRABHAKHER, PRITHAM DAVID
• Application Number:
  US10/648,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20040041925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,506 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.02, 348/333.01, 348/239, 348/207.99, 348/222.1, 348/231.3
• US Class Current: 348/239
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/58 Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0035 User-machine interface; Control console input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00498 Multi-lingual facilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

In an electronic camera apparatus, a memory is provided. This memory is used to store a plurality of messages having the same meanings, which are expressed in different languages such as Japanese, English, and French. A user is previously required to designate a main language corresponding to a mother tongue of this user, and also, to designate a sub-language corresponding to a language which is used in a travel destination area. These main language and sub-language are previously stored in the memory. When a travel mode is set, for instance, a photograph request button is depressed, both a photograph requesting message written in the main language and another photograph requesting message written in the sub-language are displayed on a display screen at the same time. As a result, since such a user who is very weak in English shows the request messages to a third party, this user can simply request the third party to photograph a picture where the own user appears. At the same time this user can confirm the contents of the request messages.

Claims

1. A camera apparatus comprising:

a photographing unit for photographing a subject;

an image storage unit for storing an image photographed by the photographing unit;

a message storage unit for storing a plurality of groups of messages, each said group comprising a plurality of messages having a same meaning that are expressed in respective different languages;

a language setting unit for setting one of the different languages as a first language and for setting another of the different languages as a second language in response to a request made by a user;

a message reading unit for reading out, from the message storage unit, both a message in the first language and a message in the second language from the same group as the message in the first language;

a message output unit for outputting, in combination, the message in the first language and the corresponding message in the second language read out by the message reading unit;

wherein the language setting unit comprises;

a language specifying unit for specifying a plurality of the different languages as proposed languages for said second language based on a time difference between a reference area and another area defined by said user; and

a language selecting unit for prompting the user to select one of said proposed languages as said second language.

2. The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reference area corresponds to the first language.

3. The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the message output unit causes the message in the first language and the corresponding message in the second language read out by the message reading unit to be simultaneously displayed on a same display screen.

4. The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the message output unit causes the message in the first language and the corresponding message in the second language read out by the message reading unit to be output through a voice output unit in a continuous manner.

5. The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the meaning of the messages of at least one of the groups of messages is related to operation of the camera apparatus.

6. The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the groups of messages comprise at least one of:

a group of messages expressing a request for a photographing operation, a group of messages corresponding to a photographing method of the camera apparatus, and a group of messages corresponding to an operation manual of the camera apparatus.

7. The camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the meaning of the messages of one of the groups of messages expresses thanks for a photographing operation, and wherein the message expressing thanks is output by the message output unit in the first language and in the second language after the photographing operation is accomplished.

8. A method of outputting a message in a camera apparatus, wherein the camera apparatus includes:

(i) a photographing unit for photographing a subject, (ii) an image storage unit for storing an image photographed by the photographing unit, and (iii) a message storage unit for storing a plurality of groups of messages, each said group comprising a plurality of messages having a same meaning that are expressed in respective different languages, said method comprising;

setting one of the different languages as a first language;

specifying a plurality of the different languages, other than the first language, as proposed languages for a second language based on a time difference between a reference area and another area defined by a user request;

selecting one of the proposed languages as the second language;

reading out, from the message storage unit, both a message in the first language and a message in the selected second language from the same group as the message in the first language;

outputting, in combination, the read out message in the first language and the read out corresponding message in the second language.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the reference area corresponds to the first language.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein outputting the read out message in the first language and the read out corresponding message in the second language comprises simultaneously displaying the read out messages on a same display screen.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein outputting the read out message in the first language and the read out corresponding message in the second language comprises outputting the read out messages through a voice output unit in a continuous manner.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the meaning of the messages of at least one of the groups of messages is related to operation of the camera apparatus.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the groups of messages comprise at least one of:

a group of messages expressing a request for a photographing operation, a group of messages corresponding to a photographing method of the camera apparatus, and a group of messages corresponding to an operation manual of the camera apparatus.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the meaning of the messages of one of the groups of messages expresses thanks for a photographing operation, and wherein the message expressing thanks is output in the first language and in the second language after the photographing operation is accomplished.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, said computer program being readable by a computer in a camera apparatus, wherein the camera apparatus includes:

(i) a photographing unit for photographing a subject, (ii) an image storage unit for storing an image photographed by the photographing unit, and (iii) a message storage unit for storing a plurality of groups of messages, each said group comprising a plurality of messages having a same meaning that are expressed in respective different languages, said computer program being readable by the computer to cause the computer to execute functions comprising;

setting one of the different languages as a first language;

specifying a plurality of the different languages, other than the first language, as proposed languages for a second language based on a time difference between a reference area and another area defined by a user request;

selecting one of the proposed languages as the second language;

reading out, from the message storage unit, both a message in the first language and a message in the selected second language from the same group as the message in the first language;

outputting, in combination, the read out message in the first language and the read out corresponding message in the second language.

16. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the reference area corresponds to the first language.

17. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein outputting the read out message in the first language and the read out corresponding message in the second language comprises simultaneously displaying the read out messages on a same display screen.

18. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein outputting the read out message in the first language and the read out corresponding message in the second language comprises outputting the read out messages through a voice output unit in a continuous manner.

19. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the groups of messages comprise at least one of:

a group of messages expressing a request for a photographing operation, a group of messages corresponding to a photographing method of the camera apparatus, and a group of messages corresponding to an operation manual of the camera apparatus.

20. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the meaning of the messages of one of the groups of messages expresses thanks for a photographing operation, and wherein the message expressing thanks is output in the first language and in the second language after the photographing operation is accomplished.