Imaging device, display controller, and display apparatus

• US 7,639,300 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2005
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yumiki, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yoder, III; Chriss S
• Application Number:
  US11/264,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20060098186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,518 Days
• Field of Search: 348/231.2, 348/231.3, 348/231.6, 348/333.05, 348/333.11, 348/333.12, 348/207.1, 348/239, 348/333.01, 345/649, 345/656, 345/658, 345/659
• US Class Current: 348/333.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

An imaging device includes a display unit for displaying an image, an imaging optical system, an imaging unit, a posture detector for detecting a posture of the imaging device in shooting, a recording unit for recording a reduced image of a shot image, and posture information on a posture of the imaging device corresponding to the reduced image, an image extracting unit for extracting reduced images including the same posture information among said reduced images recorded on the recording unit, and an image display controller for displaying the reduced images extracted by the image extracting unit on the display unit, wherein the image display controller reconstructs, on the basis of the posture information, a horizontal and vertical direction of the reduced images extracted by the image extracting unit to the posture of the imaging device in shooting, and displays the reduced image being reconstructed on the display unit. Thereby, that makes it possible to display a comfortable reduced image.

Claims

1. An imaging device for producing an electrical image signal obtained by converting an optical image of a subject, the imaging device comprising:

a display unit for displaying an image on the basis of said image signal;

an imaging optical system for forming the optical image of the subject;

an imaging unit for receiving the optical image formed by said imaging optical system to convert the optical image into the electrical image signal;

a posture detector for detecting a posture of said imaging device in shooting;

a recording unit for recording a reduced image of the shot image obtained by said imaging unit, and posture information on the posture of said imaging device, the posture being detected by said posture detector and corresponding to the reduced image;

an image extracting unit for extracting reduced images recorded on said recording unit; and

an image display controller for reconstructing, on the basis of said posture information, a horizontal and vertical direction of said reduced images extracted by said image extracting unit to said posture of said imaging device in shooting, and for causing said display unit to display said reconstructed reduced images,

wherein, in the case where a direction along a short side of said display unit is defined as a first direction and a direction along a long side of said display unit is defined as a second direction, said image display controller controls said display unit such that;

a dimension in the first direction of a reduced image, whose dimension in the first direction is larger than a dimension in a second direction, is larger than a dimension in the first direction of a reduced image whose dimension in the first direction is smaller than a dimension in the second direction, and

a dimension in the second direction of the reduced image, whose dimension in the first direction is larger than the dimension in the second direction, is different from the dimension in the first direction of the reduced image whose dimension in the first direction is smaller than a dimension in the second direction.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein said image display controller controls, based on said posture information, the maximum number of reduced images displayed by said display unit.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising a record controller for storing said reduced image including the same posture information in the same folder of said recording unit.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising an image blur compensation unit for detecting a vibration applied to said imaging device to thereby drive a compensation lens of said imaging optical system in two directions perpendicular to an optical axis,

wherein said posture detector determines the posture of said imaging device by detecting a signal for driving said compensation lens.

5. The imaging device according to claim 4, wherein

said image blur compensation unit includes first and second actuators for driving said compensation lens in two directions perpendicular to the optical axis, and

said posture detector determines the posture of said imaging device by detecting a driving current value of at least either of said first and second actuators.

6. An imaging device that produces an electrical image signal obtained by converting an optical image of a subject, and is connectable to a display unit, the imaging device comprising:

an imaging optical system for forming the optical image of the subject;

an imaging unit for receiving the optical image formed by said imaging optical system to convert the optical image into the electrical image signal;

a posture detector for detecting a posture of said imaging device in shooting;

a recording unit for recording a reduced image of the shot image obtained by said imaging unit, and posture information on the posture of said imaging device, the posture being detected by said posture detector and corresponding to the reduced image;

an image extracting unit for extracting reduced images on said recording unit;

an image display controller for generating a control signal to reconstruct, on the basis of said posture information, a horizontal and vertical direction of said reduced images extracted by said image extracting unit to said posture of said imaging device in shooting, and cause said display unit to display unit to display said reconstructed reduced images; and

an output unit for supplying said control signal and said reduced image to said display unit,

wherein, in the case direction along a short side of said display unit is defined as a first direction and a direction along a long side of said display unit is defined as a second direction, said image display controller controls said display unit such that;

a dimension in the first direction of a reduced image, whose dimension in the first direction is larger than a dimension in a second direction, is larger than a dimension in the first direction of a reduced image whose dimension in the first direction is smaller than a dimension in the second direction, and

a dimension in the second direction of the reduced image, whose dimension in the first direction is larger than the dimension in the second direction, is different from the dimension in the first direction of the reduced image whose dimension in the first direction is smaller than a dimension in the second direction.

7. The imaging device according to claim 6, wherein said image display controller controls, based on said posture information, the maximum number of reduced images displayed by said display unit.

8. The imaging device according to claim 6, further comprising a record controller for storing said reduced image including the same posture information in the same folder of said recording unit.

9. The imaging device according to claim 6, further comprising an image blur compensation unit for detecting a vibration applied to said imaging device to thereby drive a compensation lens of said imaging optical system in two directions perpendicular to an optical axis,

wherein said posture detector determines the posture of said imaging device by detecting a signal for driving said compensation lens.

10. The imaging device according to claim 9, wherein

said image blur compensation unit includes first and second actuators for driving said compensation lens in two directions perpendicular to the optical axis, and

said posture detector determines the posture of said imaging device by detecting a driving current value of at least either of said first and second actuators.

11. A display apparatus for reading a reduced image of a shot image, and posture information on a posture of an imaging device corresponding to said reduced image recorded on a recording unit to thereby display said reduced image, the display apparatus comprising:

a read unit for reading said reduced image, and said posture information corresponding to said reduced image recorded on a recording unit;

an image extracting unit for extracting reduced images read by said read unit; and

an image display controller for reconstructing, on the basis of the posture information, a horizontal and vertical direction of said reduced images extracted by said image extracting unit to said posture of said imaging device in shooting, and causing said reconstructed reduced images to be displayed by said display apparatus,

wherein, in the case where a direction along a short side of said display apparatus is defined as a first direction and a direction along a long side of said display apparatus is defined as a second direction, said image display controller controls said display apparatus such that;

a dimension in the first direction of a reduced image, whose dimension in the first direction is larger than a dimension in a second direction, is larger than a dimension in the first direction of a reduced image whose dimension in the first direction is smaller than a dimension in the second direction, and

a dimension in the second direction of the reduced image, whose dimension in the first direction is larger than the dimension in the second direction, is different from the dimension in the first direction of the reduced image whose dimension in the direction is smaller than a dimension in the second direction.

12. The display apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said image display controller controls, based on said posture information, the maximum number of reduced images displayed by said display apparatus.

13. A display controller connectable to a display unit, the display controller comprising:

a read unit for reading a reduced image of a shot image, and posture information on a posture of an imaging device corresponding to said reduced image recorded on a recording unit;

an image extracting unit for extracting reduced images read by said read unit;

an image display controller for generating a control signal to reconstruct, on the basis of said posture information, a horizontal and vertical direction of said reduced images extracted by said image extracting unit to said posture of said imaging device in shooting, and cause said display unit to display said reconstructed reduced images; and

an output unit for supplying said control signal and said reduced image to said display unit,

wherein, in the case where a direction along a short side of said display unit is defined as a first direction and a direction along a long side of said display unit is defined as a second direction, said image display controller controls said display unit such that;

a dimension in the first direction of a reduced image, whose dimension in the first direction is larger than a dimension in a second direction, is larger than a dimension in the first direction of a reduced image whose dimension in the first direction is smaller than a dimension in the second direction, and

a dimension in the second direction of the reduced image, whose dimension in the first direction is larger than the dimension in the second direction, is different from the dimension is the first direction of the reduced image whose dimension in the first direction is smaller than a dimension in the second direction.

14. The display controller according to claim 13, wherein said control signal includes a signal capable of controlling, based on said posture information, the maximum number of reduced images displayed by said display unit.

15. A display controller connectable to a read unit for reading a reduced image of a shot image, and posture information on a posture of an imaging device corresponding to said reduced image recorded on a recording unit, and a display unit, the display controller comprising:

an image extracting unit for extracting reduced images read by said read unit;

an image display controller for generating a control signal to reconstruct, on the basis of said posture information, a horizontal and vertical direction of said reduced images extracted by said image extracting unit to said posture of said imaging device in shooting, and cause said display unit to display said reconstructed reduced images; and

an output unit for supplying said control signal and said reduced image to said display unit,

wherein, in the case where a direction along a short side of said display unit is defined as a first direction and a direction along a long side of said display unit is defined as a second direction, said image display controller controls said display unit such that;

a dimension in the first direction of a reduced image, whose dimension in the first direction is larger than a dimension in a second direction, is larger than a dimension in the first direction of a reduced image whose dimension in the first direction is smaller than a dimension in the second direction, and

a dimension in the second direction of the reduced image, whose dimension in the first direction is larger than the dimension in the second direction, is different from the dimension in the first direction of the reduced image whose dimension in the first direction is smaller than a dimension in the second direction.

16. The display controller according to claim 15, wherein said control signal includes a signal capable of controlling, on said posture information, the maximum number of reduced images displayed by said display unit.