Digital camera

• US 7,742,093 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2007
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PENTAX RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
• Original Assignee: Hoya Corporation
• Inventors: Okamoto, Teppei
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz; David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Durnford-Geszvain; Dillon
• Application Number:
  US11/625,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20070171293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.02, 348/333.01, 348/333.06, 348/333.11
• US Class Current: 348/333.02
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/20 visible in viewfinder
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0442 Handling or displaying different aspect ratios, or changing the aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/18 Use of a frame buffer in a display terminal, inclusive of the display panel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0035 User-machine interface; Control console input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera

Abstract

A digital camera comprising an imaging device, a memory, a monitor, and a monitor controller is provided. The digital camera is used for photographing an optical image of an object as an image of a first rectangle. An aspect ratio of the first rectangle is a first aspect ratio. The imaging device generates an image signal. The monitor is a second rectangle. An aspect ratio of the second rectangle is a second aspect ratio. The second aspect ratio is decided to be lower than the first aspect ratio if the first aspect ratio is higher than one. The second aspect ratio is decided to be higher than the first aspect ratio if the first aspect ratio is lower than one. The monitor controller makes a displayed-image be displayed on the monitor according to a first or a second replay mode.

Claims

1. A digital camera for photographing an object and obtaining an optical image of the object as an image having a shape of a first rectangle that has a first aspect ratio, said first rectangle having first long sides and first short sides, said digital camera comprising:

an imaging device that generates an image signal corresponding to the optical image of the object;

a memory that stores said image signal generated by said imaging device;

a monitor on which an image corresponding to said image signal is displayed, said monitor including a second rectangle having a second aspect ratio, said second aspect ratio being lower than said first aspect ratio if said first aspect ratio is higher than one, said second aspect ratio being higher than said first aspect ratio if said first aspect ratio is lower than one, said second rectangle having first sides and second sides;

a monitor controller that causes a displayed-image corresponding to said image signal stored in said memory to be selectively displayed on said monitor in a first or in a second replay mode, said displayed-image being displayed such that one of said first long sides is parallel to one of said first sides and such that an aspect ratio of said displayed-image is the same as said first aspect ratio in said first replay mode, said displayed-image being displayed rotated by 90 degrees such that one of said first long sides is parallel to one of said second sides and such that an aspect ratio of said displayed-image is the same as a reciprocal of said first aspect ratio in said second replay mode; and

a position sensor that generates an inclination-signal when said position sensor detects that said digital camera is inclined with respect to a straight line perpendicular to a light receiving surface of said imaging device, and parallel to the horizon,

said memory storing said inclination-signal, generated concurrently with said image signal in association with said image signal, and said monitor controller switching between said first replay mode and said second replay mode based on said inclination-signal;

said digital camera including a photographing mode in which the positions of the image and photographic information on the monitor do not change in accordance with an orientation of the digital camera while the orientation of the photographic information on the monitor changes in accordance with the orientation of the digital camera,

wherein, in the replay modes, the positions of the image and photographic information on the monitor change in accordance with the orientation of the digital camera in the photographing mode, while the orientation of the photographic information on the monitor does not change in accordance with the orientation of the digital camera in the photographing mode.

2. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein said displayed-image is displayed at maximum along said first side in said first replay mode, and said displayed-image is displayed at maximum along said second side in said second replay mode.

3. A digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising a switch that causes said monitor controller to switch between said first replay mode and said second replay mode.

4. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein said monitor controller displays photographing information on a portion of said monitor that is distinct from a portion of said monitor for displaying said displayed-image, and

said monitor controller changes an orientation direction of said displayed photographing information based on said inclination-signal in a photographing mode where said image signal generated by said imaging device is stored in said memory when a photographing command is input.

5. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein said monitor controller displays photographing information on a portion of said monitor that is distinct from a portion of said monitor for displaying an image corresponding to said image signal generated by said imaging device on said monitor in a photographing mode where said image signal generated by said imaging device is stored in said memory when a photographing command is input.

6. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein

said memory stores a photographing signal, corresponding to photographing information, associated with said image signal, said photographing signal and said image signal being stored in associating with each other and being concurrently generated, and

said monitor controller displays said photographing information on a portion of said monitor that is distinct from a portion of said monitor for displaying said displayed-image in each of said first and said second replay modes.

7. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein an image receiving area, which captures an optical image of said object, of said imaging device has an aspect ratio similar to the aspect ratio of said first rectangle.

8. A digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising a signal processor that performs a trimming process for said image signal generated by said imaging device so that a processed image corresponding to the image signal having undergone said trimming process has an aspect ratio similar to the aspect ratio of said first rectangle, said processed image being displayed on said monitor.

9. The digital camera according to claim 1, said monitor defining a quadrilateral, wherein said monitor controller displays said displayed image on said monitor such that two adjacent corners of said displayed image are positioned at two different adjacent corners of said monitor in each of the first and second replay modes.

10. The digital camera according to claim 1, said monitor comprising an image display portion and a single photographic information display portion, an area of said image display portion and an area of said single photographic information display portion equaling a total area of said monitor.

11. An image replay machine, comprising:

an image signal receiver that receives an image signal corresponding to an image in the shape of a first rectangle having a first aspect ratio, said first rectangle having a first long side and a first short side;

a monitor on which an image corresponding to said image signal is displayed, said monitor including a second rectangle having a second aspect ratio, said second aspect ratio being lower than said first aspect ratio if said first aspect ratio is higher than one, said second aspect ratio being higher than said first aspect ratio if said first aspect ratio is lower than one, said second rectangle having a first side and a second side;

a monitor controller that selectively causes a displayed-image corresponding to said image signal received by said image signal receiver to be displayed on said monitor in a first or a second replay mode, said displayed-image being displayed such that said first long side is parallel to said first side and such that an aspect ratio of said displayed-image is the same as said first aspect ratio in the first replay mode, said displayed-image being displayed rotated by 90 degrees such that said first long side is parallel to said second side and such that an aspect ratio of said displayed-image is the same as a reciprocal of said first aspect ratio in the second replay mode,

said monitor controller switching between said first replay mode and said second replay mode based on an inclination-signal, the inclination-signal being generated by a position sensor when the position sensor detects that a digital camera is inclined with respect to a straight line perpendicular to a light receiving surface of an imaging device and parallel to the horizon, the digital camera including the imaging device and the position sensor, the imaging device generating said image signal, the inclination-signal being associated with said image signal, and said image signal being generated concurrently with the inclination-signal,

the digital camera including a photographing mode in which the positions of the image and photographic information on the monitor do not change in accordance with an orientation of the digital camera while the orientation of the photographic information on the monitor changes in accordance with the orientation of the digital camera,

wherein, in the replay modes, the positions of the image and photographic information on the monitor change in accordance with the orientation of the digital camera in the photographing mode, while the orientation of the photographic information on the monitor does not change in accordance with the orientation of the digital camera in the photographing mode.

12. An image replay machine according to claim 11, wherein

said image signal receiver receives a photographing signal, corresponding to photographing information, associated with said image signal, said photographing signal and said image signal being concurrently generated, and

said monitor controller displays said photographing information on a portion of said monitor that is distinct from a portion of said monitor for displaying said displayed-image in said first and said second replay modes.

13. The image replay machine according to claim 11, wherein said monitor controller displays photographing information on a portion of said monitor that is distinct from a portion of said monitor on which said displayed image is displayed, and said monitor controller changes an orientation of said displayed photographic information based on the inclination signal, in a photographing mode where said image signal generated by the imaging device is stored in a memory of the digital camera when a photographing command is input.

14. The image replay machine according to claim 11, said monitor defining a quadrilateral, wherein said monitor controller displays said displayed image on said monitor such that two adjacent corners of said displayed image are positioned at two different adjacent corners of said monitor in each of the first and second replay modes.

15. The image replay machine according to claim 11, said monitor comprising an image display portion and a single photographic information display portion, an area of said image display portion and an area of said single photographic information display portion equaling a total area of said monitor.

16. A digital camera for photographing an object and obtaining an optical image of the object as an image having the shape of a first rectangle that has a first aspect ratio, said first rectangle having first long sides and first short sides, said digital camera comprising:

an imaging device that generates an image signal corresponding to the optical image of the object;

a memory that stores said image signal generated by said imaging device;

a monitor on which an image corresponding to said image signal is displayed, said monitor having a square shape having first sides and second sides;

a monitor controller that causes a displayed-image corresponding to said image signal stored in said memory to be selectively displayed on said monitor in a first or a second replay mode, said displayed-image being displayed such that one of said first long sides is parallel to one of said first sides and such that an aspect ratio of said displayed-image is the same as said first aspect ratio in said first replay mode, said displayed-image being displayed as being rotated by 90 degrees such that one of said first long sides is parallel to one of said second sides and such that an aspect ratio of said displayed-image is the same as a reciprocal of said first aspect ratio in said second replay mode, and

a position sensor that generates an inclination-signal when said position sensor detects that said digital camera is inclined with respect to a straight line perpendicular to a light receiving surface of said imaging device, and parallel to the horizon,

said memory storing said inclination-signal, generated currently with said image signal in association with said image signal,

said monitor controller switching between said first replay mode and said second replay mode based on said inclination-signal,

said digital camera including a photographing mode in which the positions of the image and photographic information on the monitor do not change in accordance with an orientation of the digital camera while the orientation of the photographic information on the monitor changes in accordance with the orientation of the digital camera,

wherein, in the replay modes, the positions of the image and photographic information on the monitor change in accordance with the orientation of the digital camera in the photographing mode, while the orientation of the photographic information on the monitor does not change in accordance with the orientation of the digital camera in the photographing mode.

17. The digital camera according to claim 16, wherein said monitor controller displays photographing information on a portion of said monitor that is distinct from a portion of said monitor on which said displayed image is displayed, and said monitor controller changes an orientation of said displayed photographic information based on said inclination signal, in a photographing mode where said image signal generated by said imaging device is stored in said memory when a photographing command is input.

18. The digital camera according to claim 16, said monitor defining a quadrilateral, wherein said monitor controller displays said displayed image on said monitor such that two adjacent corners of said displayed image are positioned at two different adjacent corners of said monitor in each of the first and second replay modes.

19. The digital camera according to claim 16, said monitor comprising an image display portion and a single photographic information display portion, an area of said image display portion and an area of said single photographic information display portion equaling a total area of said monitor.