Image capturing apparatus and control method thereof with attitude control

• US 8,013,894 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2005
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Niwa, Chiyumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): CUTLER, ALBERT H
• Application Number:
  US11/227,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20060061659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,183 Days
• Field of Search: 348/208.3, 348/333.12, 348/208.16, 382/216
• US Class Current: 348/208.16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera

Abstract

An image capturing apparatus includes an image capture unit for capturing an image, a reproducing unit for reproducing and displaying an image, an attitude detecting unit for detecting an attitude, and a control unit for executing a preset and predetermined operation if a predetermined attitude change pattern is detected with the attitude detecting unit.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

an image capture unit that captures an image;

an interface unit that writes an image file including the captured image to a storage medium;

a display unit that displays the captured image stored in the storage medium;

an attitude detecting unit that detects an attitude of the image capturing apparatus; and

a control unit that (a) controls the image capturing apparatus to display one captured image on the display unit if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from a first attitude to a second attitude different from the first attitude and then is returned from the second attitude to the first attitude within a predetermined time when an image display mode of the image capturing apparatus is a multiple image display mode for displaying a plurality of captured images on the display unit, and (b) controls the image capturing apparatus to display the plurality of captured images on the display unit if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude and then is returned from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time when the image display mode of the image capturing apparatus is a single image display mode for displaying one captured image on the display unit,

wherein the first attitude and the second attitude are produced by changing a position of the image capturing apparatus.

2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the image capturing apparatus not to display one captured image on the display unit if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude and then is not returned from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time when the image display mode of the image capturing apparatus is the multiple image display mode, and

wherein the control unit controls the image capturing apparatus not to display the plurality of captured images on the display unit if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude and then is not returned from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time when the image display mode of the image capturing apparatus is the single image display mode.

3. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image capturing apparatus is a digital camera.

4. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the multiple image display mode is one of a four-image display mode for displaying four captured images on the display unit and a nine-image display mode for displaying nine captured images on the display unit.

5. A method of controlling an image capturing apparatus which includes (a) an image capture unit that captures an image, (b) an interface unit that writes an image file including the captured image to a storage medium, and (c) a display unit that displays the captured image stored in the storage medium, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting an attitude of the image capturing apparatus;

controlling the image capturing apparatus to display one captured image on the display unit if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from a first attitude to a second attitude different from the first attitude and then is returned from the second attitude to the first attitude within a predetermined time when an image display mode of the image capturing apparatus is a multiple image display mode for displaying a plurality of captured images on the display unit; and

controlling the image capturing apparatus to display the plurality of captured images on the display unit if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude and then is returned from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time when the image display mode of the image capturing apparatus is a single image display mode for displaying one captured image on the display unit,

wherein the first attitude and the second attitude are produced by changing a position of the image capturing apparatus.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

controlling the image capturing apparatus not to display one captured image on the display unit if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude and then is not returned from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time when the image display mode of the image capturing apparatus is the multiple image display mode; and

controlling the image capturing apparatus not to display the plurality of captured images on the display unit if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude and then is not returned from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time when the image display mode of the image capturing apparatus is the single image display mode.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the image capturing apparatus is a digital camera.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the multiple image display mode is one of a four-image display mode for displaying four captured images on the display unit and a nine-image display mode for displaying nine captured images on the display unit.

9. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

an image capture unit that captures an image;

an interface unit that writes an image file including the captured image to a storage medium;

a display unit that displays the captured image stored in the storage medium;

an attitude detecting unit that detects an attitude of the image capturing apparatus; and

a control unit that (a) controls the image capturing apparatus to enlarge a predetermined area of the captured image displayed on the display unit if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from a first attitude to a second attitude different from the first attitude and then is returned from the second attitude to the first attitude within a predetermined time when an image display mode of the image capturing apparatus is a single image display mode for displaying a whole of the captured image displayed on the display unit, and (b) controls the image capturing apparatus to display the whole of the captured image displayed on the display unit if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude and then is returned from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time when the image display mode of the image capturing apparatus is an enlarged display mode for enlarging the predetermined area of the captured image displayed on the display unit,

wherein the first attitude and the second attitude are produced by changing a position of the image capturing apparatus.

10. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control unit controls the image capturing apparatus not to enlarge the predetermined area of the captured image displayed on the display unit if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude and then is not returned from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time when the image display mode of the image capturing apparatus is the single image display mode, and

wherein the control unit controls the image capturing apparatus not to display the whole of the captured image displayed on the display unit if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude and then is not returned from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time when the image display mode of the image capturing apparatus is the enlarged display mode.

11. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the image capturing apparatus is a digital camera.

12. A method of controlling an image capturing apparatus which includes (a) an image capture unit that captures an image, (b) an interface unit that writes an image file including the captured image to a storage medium, and (c) a display unit that displays the captured image stored in the storage medium, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting an attitude of the image capturing apparatus;

controlling the image capturing apparatus to enlarge a predetermined area of the captured image displayed on the display unit if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from a first attitude to a second attitude different from the first attitude and then is returned from the second attitude to the first attitude within a predetermined time when an image display mode of the image capturing apparatus is a single image display mode for displaying a whole of the captured image displayed on the display unit; and

controlling the image capturing apparatus to display the whole of the captured image displayed on the display unit if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude and then is returned from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time when the image display mode of the image capturing apparatus is an enlarged display mode for enlarging the predetermined area of the captured image displayed on the display unit,

wherein the first attitude and the second attitude are produced by changing a position of the image capturing apparatus.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

controlling the image capturing apparatus not to enlarge the predetermined area of the captured image displayed on the display unit if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude and then is not returned from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time when the image display mode of the image capturing apparatus is the single image display mode; and

controlling the image capturing apparatus not to display the whole of the captured image displayed on the display unit if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude and then is not returned from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time when the image display mode of the image capturing apparatus is the enlarged display mode.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the image capturing apparatus is a digital camera.