Digital camera and photographing direction acquisition method

• US 7,436,434 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Shibutani, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Misleh; Justin P
• Application Number:
  US10/461,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20030231243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,950 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.99, 348/333.02, 348/113, 348/116, 348/376, 701/207, 701/213, 701/214, 701/216, 701/220, 701/225
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/20 visible in viewfinder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3204 of data relating to a user, sender, addressee, machine or electronic recording medium H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3254 Orientation, e.g. landscape or portrait; Location or order of the image data, e.g. in memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera

Abstract

A camera includes an image sensing unit which is arranged to be pivotal with respect to a main body unit and is used to sense an object image, an azimuth sensor which is arranged in the main body unit and is used to detect the azimuth of the facing direction of the main body unit, a pivot angle detector which detects the pivot angle of the image sensing unit with respect to the main body unit, a control unit which corrects the azimuth of the facing direction of the main body unit detected by the azimuth sensor on the basis of the pivot angle detected by the pivot angle detector, and a display unit which superimposes the correction result on a through image.

Claims

1. A digital camera comprising:

an image sensing unit which is coupled to a main body unit so as to be pivotable with respect to the main body unit, and which is configured to sense an object image;

a pivot state detection unit configured to detect a pivot state of the image sensing unit with respect to the main body unit;

a photographing direction detection unit which is arranged in the main body unit, and which is configured to detect a photographing direction regardless of the pivot state of the image sensing unit detected by the pivot state detection unit; and

a correction unit configured to correct the photographing direction detected by the photographing direction detection unit, based on the pivot state detected by the pivot state detection unit;

wherein the photographing direction detection unit comprises a unit configured to detect an azimuth angle, and the correction unit comprises a unit configured to correct the azimuth angle detected by the photographing direction detection unit based on the pivot state detected by the pivot state detection unit.

2. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the pivot state detection unit comprises a unit configured to detect a pivot angle of the image sensing unit with respect to the main body unit.

3. The camera according to claim 2, wherein the correction unit comprises a unit configured to correct the photographing direction by making an addition or subtraction of the pivot angle detected by the pivot state detection unit and the photographing direction detected by the photographing direction detection unit.

4. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the photographing direction detection unit further comprises a unit configured to detect a tilt angle, and the correction unit further comprises a unit configured to correct the tilt angle detected by the photographing direction detection unit based on the pivot state detected by the pivot state detection unit.

5. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising a recording unit configured to record information based on the photographing direction corrected by the correction unit.

6. The camera according to claim 5, wherein the recording unit comprises a unit configured to record image data obtained by the image sensing unit, and the camera further comprises a recording control unit configured to control the recording unit to record the information based on the photographing direction corrected by the correction unit in association with the image data.

7. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display information based on the photographing direction corrected by the correction unit.

8. The camera according to claim 7, wherein the display unit comprises a unit configured to display image data obtained by the image sensing unit, and the camera further comprises a display control unit configured to control the display unit to display the information based on the photographing direction corrected by the correction unit together with the image data.

9. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission unit configured to transmit information based on the photographing direction corrected by the correction unit.

10. The camera according to claim 9, wherein the transmission unit comprises a unit configured to transmit image data obtained by the image sensing unit, and the camera further comprises a transmission control unit configured to control the transmission unit to transmit the information based on the photographing direction corrected by the correction unit together with the image data.

11. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit configured to determine, based on the pivot state detected by the pivot state detection unit, whether or not the photographing direction detected by the photographing direction detection unit need be corrected, wherein the correction unit corrects the photographing direction detected by the photographing direction detection unit only if the determination unit determines that the photographing direction need be corrected.

12. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the image sensing unit is pivotable about a plurality of pivot shafts with respect to the main body unit, the pivot state detection unit is configured to detect pivot states of the plurality of pivot shafts, and the correction unit is configured to correct the photographing direction detected by the photographing direction detection unit based on the pivot states of the plurality of pivot shafts detected by the pivot state detection unit.

13. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising a photographing instruction unit configured to instruct to start a photographing operation, wherein the photographing direction detection unit is configured to detect the photographing direction when the photographing instruction unit instructs to start the photographing operation.

14. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

a distance acquisition unit configured to acquire a distance to an object image;

a position acquisition unit configured to acquire a current position; and

an object position calculation unit configured to calculate a position of the object image based on the distance to the object image acquired by the distance acquisition unit, the current position acquired by the position acquisition unit, and the photographing direction corrected by the correction unit.

15. A photographing direction acquisition method comprising:

detecting a pivot state of an image sensing unit, which is coupled to a main body unit so as to be pivotable with respect to the main body unit;

detecting a photographing direction regardless of the detected pivot state of the image sensing unit, by using a detector provided to the main body unit; and

correcting the detected photographing direction based on the detected pivot state of the image sensing unit;

wherein detecting the photographing direction comprises detecting an azimuth angle, and correcting the detected photographing direction comprises correcting the detected azimuth angle based on the detected pivot state of the image sensing unit.

16. A digital camera comprising:

an image sensing unit which is coupled to a main body unit so as to be pivotable with respect to the main body unit, and which is configured to sense an object image;

a pivot state detection unit configured to detect a pivot state of the image sensing unit with respect to the main body unit;

a photographing direction detection unit which is arranged in the main body unit, and which is configured to detect a photographing direction regardless of the pivot state of the image sensing unit detected by the pivot state detection unit; and

a correction unit configured to correct the photographing direction detected by the photographing direction detection unit, based on the pivot state detected by the pivot state detection unit;

wherein the pivot state detection unit comprises a unit configured to detect a pivot angle of the image sensing unit with respect to the main body unit; and

wherein the correction unit comprises a unit configured to correct the photographing direction by making an addition or subtraction of the pivot angle detected by the pivot state detection unit and the photographing direction detected by the photographing direction detection unit.

17. A photographing direction acquisition method comprising:

detecting a pivot state of an image sensing unit, which is coupled to a main body unit so as to be pivotable with respect to the main body unit;

detecting a photographing direction regardless of the detected pivot state of the image sensing unit, by using a detector provided to the main body unit; and

correcting the detected photographing direction based on the detected pivot state of the image sensing unit;

wherein detecting the pivot state of the image sensing unit comprises detecting a pivot angle of the image sensing unit with respect to the main body unit; and

wherein correcting the detected photographing direction comprises making an addition or subtraction of the detected pivot angle and the detected photographing direction.

18. A digital camera comprising:

an image sensing unit which is coupled to a main body unit so as to be pivotable with respect to the main body unit, and which is configured to sense an object image;

a pivot state detection unit configured to detect a pivot state of the image sensing unit with respect to the main body unit;

a photographing direction detection unit which is arranged in the main body unit, and which is configured to detect a photographing direction regardless of the pivot state of the image sensing unit detected by the pivot state detection unit; and

a correction unit configured to correct the photographing direction detected by the photographing direction detection unit, based on the pivot state detected by the pivot state detection unit;

wherein the photographing direction detection unit comprises a unit configured to detect a tilt angle, and the correction unit comprises a unit configured to correct the tilt angle detected by the photographing direction detection unit based on the pivot state detected by the pivot state detection unit.

19. A photographing direction acquisition method comprising:

detecting a pivot state of an image sensing unit, which is coupled to a main body unit so as to be pivotable with respect to the main body unit;

detecting a photographing direction regardless of the detected pivot state of the image sensing unit, by using a detector provided to the main body unit; and

correcting the detected photographing direction based on the detected pivot state of the image sensing unit;

wherein detecting the photographing direction comprises detecting a tilt angle, and correcting the detected photographing direction comprises correcting the tilt angle based on the pivot state detected by the pivot state detection unit.