User interface for controlling cropping in electronic camera

• US 7,561,793 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Brost, Randolph C.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLACKMAN, ROCHELLE ANN J
• Application Number:
  US11/106,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20050174462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 396/380, 396/84, 396/141, 396/148, 396/311, 396/378, 396/379, 396/429, 396/435, 396/436, 348/64, 348/240.3, 348/220.1, 348/240.99, 348/240.1, 348/240.2, 348/333.01, 348/333.02, 348/333.03, 348/333.11, 348/333.12, 348/341, 358/906, 358/909.1
• US Class Current: 396/380
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/12 to compensate for change of camera lens or size of picture
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/20 visible in viewfinder
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2213/02 Viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/002 Details of arrangement of components in or on camera body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation

Abstract

A camera adjusts the aspect ratio of a viewfinder image. The camera has a body and a capture unit mounted in the body. The capture unit has an imager and storage media operatively connected to the imager. The capture unit selectively captures an electronic image of a scene. A viewfinder of the camera displays a light image of the scene. A cropper is disposed in the body. The cropper is switchable among a plurality of settings. Each setting defines a different rectangular cross-sectioned window in the viewfinder. A cropping control is operatively connected to the capture unit and cropper. The cropping control has a cropping input element that is accessible external to the body. The cropping input element is movable between first and second opposed cropping control positions to change the settings. The cropping control positions define a cropping control axis perpendicular to an optical axis of the capture unit.

Claims

1. A camera viewfinder system comprising:

(a) a viewfinder defining a viewfinder axis and having an adjustable zoom setting;

(b) a single user interface comprising;

(i) a cropping control movable in a direction perpendicular to said viewfinder axis to a plurality of positions between two opposing limits, with movement of the cropping control changing an aspect ratio in the viewfinder and

(ii) a zoom control movable in a direction parallel to said viewfinder axis to change said zoom ratio,

wherein movement of both controls is performed while continuously retaining one finger in contact with said cropping control.

2. The camera viewfinder system of claim 1, wherein said cropping control and said zoom control cause an image captured by a camera having the camera viewfinder to have an appearance that corresponds to the appearance of the image in the viewfinder.

3. The camera viewfinder system of claim 1, wherein said cropping control and zoom control are further movable to another position for indicating a time for capturing an image wherein movement of both controls and movement to the capture position is capable of being performed while continuously retaining one finger in contact with said cropping control.

4. The camera viewfinder system of claim 1, wherein said cropping control comprises a rocker button movable from a neutral position to one of four positions including a first position for increasing zoom, a second position for decreasing zoom, a third position for decreasing an extent of cropping and a fourth position for increasing an extent of cropping.

5. The camera viewfinder system of claim 1, wherein said cropping control comprises a force sensing switch that can sense a direction of applied force.

6. The camera viewfinder system of claim 1, wherein said cropping control comprises a rocker button movable from a neutral position to positions including a first position for increasing zoom, a second position for decreasing zoom, a third position for decreasing an extent of cropping and a fourth position for increasing an extent of cropping, said positions also include at least one intermediary position between one of the first, second, third and fourth positions.

7. A camera system comprising:

an archival image capture unit;

a viewfinder presenting a view of a scene that is cropped and zoomed within a range of extent of zoom and crop;

the archival image capture unit capturing an image of a scene and providing an image that has been zoomed and cropped;

a user input control movable between a neutral position and at least four positions relative to the neutral position in a manner that allows a user to make such movements using a finger and without removing said finger from the control; and

a controller adapted to receive signals from the user input control, with an extent of zoom adjustable to a greater extent when the user input control is moved to a first of the positions, with the extent of the zoom adjustable to a lesser extent when the user input control is moved to a second of the positions wherein the extent of crop is increased when the user input control is moved to a third of the positions and an extent of crop is decreased when the user input control is moved to a fourth of the positions,

wherein said controller uses the signals from the user input control to adjust cropping and zooming of the viewfinder and to cause the appearance of an image captured by the archival image to be adjusted to match the appearance of the scene provided by the viewfinder.

8. The camera of claim 7, wherein said controller uses the signals from the user input control to adjust cropping and zooming of the viewfinder and to cause the appearance of an image captured by the archival image to be adjusted to match the zoom and crop adjustments made to the viewfinder image.

9. The camera of claim 7, wherein said user input control is further movable between the neutral position, at least four positions relative to the neutral position and a fifth position indicating a desire to capture an image without further adjustment of the zoom and crop, with said user input control being movable between all five positions in a manner that allows a user to make such movements using a finger and without removing said finger from the user input control.

10. The camera of claim 9, wherein movement to the fifth position is made along and axis that is different than movement to the first four positions.

11. The camera of claim 9, wherein an additional switch is provided in the center of the user input control to enable movement to the fifth position.