Digital camera having input devices and a display capable of displaying a plurality of set information items

• US 7,936,390 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Advanced Interconnect Systems Limited (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Yukio, Okuma, Keisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Henn; Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US12/334,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20090096888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.01, 348/333.02, 348/333.13, 348/372
• US Class Current: 348/333.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes

Abstract

An LCD (21) for displaying a plurality of set information items is provided for a digital camera (10). When a plurality of input keys disposed around the LCD (21) are depressed, set information which is displayed adjacent to the input key can be changed. A control portion of the digital camera (10) performs a variety of control operations of the digital camera (10) in accordance with set information. Therefore, the position of the input portion which is used when the setting of the digital camera (10) can easily be understood. Thus, the setting can be changed by performing only a simple operation.

Claims

1. A digital camera comprising:

an image pickup element which converts light from an object to be photographed into image data;

a display capable of displaying an image based on the image data;

a view finder for confirming the object;

a setting selector which selects one of settings including a first setting, a second setting and a third setting, wherein

in a case that the first setting is selected, photographing operation is performed with the view finder without activating the display, and when a photographing region cannot be accurately confirmed with the view finder, the display is activated,

in a case that the second setting is selected, a menu for setting the digital camera is displayed on the display without displaying the image, and when a photographing region cannot be accurately confirmed with the view finder, the menu and the image are concurrently displayed on the display, and

in a case that the third setting is selected, the display is activated and the image is displayed on the display.

2. The digital image according to claim 1, wherein

when a first switch is operated, one of a setting for using the view finder and the third setting is selected,

when a second switch is operated, one of the first setting and the second setting is selected, and

when the setting for using the view finder is selected by the first switch and the first setting is selected by the second switch, the photographing operation is performed in the first setting.

3. The digital image according to claim 1, wherein

the settings include a fourth setting,

when a first switch is operated, one of a setting for using the view finder, the third setting and the fourth setting are selected, and

in the fourth setting, by operating a second switch, one of the first setting and the second setting is selected.

4. The digital image according to claim 1, wherein

the settings includes a fourth setting in which the photographing operation is not performed and a setting menu is displayed on the display, and

when the fourth setting is selected, one of the first setting and the second setting is selected with the setting menu on the display.

5. The digital image according to claim 1, wherein

in the case that the second setting is selected, when the photographing region cannot be accurately confirmed with the view finder, the menu and the image are overlapped with each other on the display.