Imaging apparatus and method for displaying zoom information

• US 8,040,398 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2007
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Yoshida, Tohru
• Primary Examiner(s): Henn; Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US11/893,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20080055429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: 3482401-2403, 348/333.01, 348/333.02, 348/333.04, 348/333.11
• US Class Current: 348/240.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

An imaging apparatus is provided, which includes an image capturing unit, an adjusting unit and a display unit. The adjusting unit adjusts a clipped area for an image captured by the image capturing unit on photographing mode. The display unit displays a first number of pixels of the clipped area adjusted by the adjusting unit.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an image capturing unit;

an imaging lens;

a moving unit that moves the imaging lens;

a digital zoom starting point setting unit that presets a digital zoom starting point in a movable range of the imaging lens between a tele side and a wide side of an optical zooming;

an adjusting unit that adjusts a clipped area for an image to be captured by the image capturing unit;

a position setting unit that causes the moving unit to move the imaging lens to a given position between the tele side and the wide side of the optical zooming when the adjusting unit starts to adjust the clipped area, wherein the given position corresponds to the preset digital zoom starting point;

a display unit that displays, at a first location, a first number of pixels of the clipped area adjusted by the adjusting unit;

a storage unit;

a setting unit that presets a second number of pixels of an image to be recorded in the storage unit;

a judging unit that judges whether or not the first number of pixels is larger than the second number of pixels; and

a display controller that controls the display unit to display the second number of pixels at the first location in place of the first number of pixels when the judging unit judges that the first number of pixels is larger than the second number of pixels,

wherein a display operation based on the display unit, the judging unit and the display controller is performed before capture of the image to be captured by the image capturing unit.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an acquiring unit that acquires a photographing condition of the imaging apparatus corresponding to the given position of the imaging lens when the adjusting unit starts to adjust the clipped area;

wherein the display controller further controls the display unit to display the acquired photographing condition in addition to a zoom magnification corresponding to the clipped area before the capture of the image to be captured by the image capturing unit.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display controller further controls the display unit to display a zoom magnification corresponding to the clipped area adjusted by the adjusting unit before the capture of the image to be captured by the image capturing unit.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays the second number of pixels at a second location that is different from the first location, regardless of a result of the judging by the judging unit.

5. A method for determining a position of an imaging lens in an imaging apparatus which includes a moving unit for moving the imaging lens, and a storage unit for recording an image, the method comprising:

presetting a digital zoom starting point in a movable range of the imaging lens between a tele side and a wide side of an optical zooming;

adjusting a clipped area for an image to be captured;

causing the moving unit to move the imaging lens to a given position between the tele side and the wide side of the optical zooming when the adjustment of the clipped area is started, wherein the given position corresponds to the preset digital zoom starting point;

displaying, at a first location, a first number of pixels of the clipped area, wherein a second number of pixels of the image to be recorded in the storage unit have been preset;

judging whether or not the first number of pixels is larger than the second number of pixels; and

displaying the second number of pixels at the first location in place of the first number of pixels when it is judged that the first number of pixels is larger than the second number of pixels,

wherein a display operation based on;

(i) the display of the first number of pixels, (ii) the judgment of whether or not the first number of pixels is larger than the second number of pixels, and (iii) the display of the second number of pixels when it is judged that the first number of pixels is larger than the second number of pixels, is performed before capture of said image to be captured.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising displaying the second number of pixels at a second location that is different from the first location, regardless of a result of the judging.