Electronic device including a camera unit with an image capturing function and an operations-unit illuminating function

• US 7,969,505 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2007
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Saito, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEN, CHIA WEI A
• Application Number:
  US11/896,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20080002049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 348/370, 348/371, 348/373, 362/7, 362/8, 362/11, 362/269, 362/277, 362/285, 362/287
• US Class Current: 348/373
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means

Abstract

An electronic device is disclosed that includes an operations unit disposed in a device main body for input operations, and a camera unit including a camera for image capturing and a light source that emits light for image capturing. A light irradiation position of the light source is variable so that the light source illuminates the operations unit.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

an operations unit disposed in a device main body for input operations;

a camera unit including a camera for image capturing and a light source that emits light to provide either an auxiliary image capturing function or an operations-unit illuminating function, both the camera and the light source being housed in a casing of the camera unit, and a light irradiation position of the light source being variable so that the light source illuminates the operations unit;

a light intensity detector to detect a brightness level of the light irradiation position of the light source on the operations unit; and

a control unit to separate the emission of light by the light source from the image capturing by the camera when the camera unit is in an operations-unit illuminating position for emitting light to provide the operations-unit illuminating function, to interlock the emission of light by the light source with the image capturing by the camera when the camera unit is in an image capturing position for emitting light to provide the auxiliary image capturing function, and to start the emission of light by the light source to provide the operations-unit illuminating function when the brightness level detected by the light intensity detector is below a threshold level.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a light source position detector to detect a position of the light source to generate position detection information; and

a light source control unit to receive the position detection information generated by the light source position detector.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device main body includes a first section in which the operations unit is disposed and a second section in which the camera unit is disposed, the second section being openable relative to the first section.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the casing is movable relative to the device main body;

and

when the camera unit is in the operations-unit illuminating position for emitting light for illuminating the operations unit, the casing projects from the device main body such that the light source faces the operations unit.

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of microswitches to detect a position of the light source; and

a light source control unit to receive the position of the light source detected by the plurality of microswitches.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the camera includes the light intensity detector.