Digital camera with a number of photographing systems

• US 8,098,287 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2003
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Misawa, Atsushi, Nakazawa, Michitaka, Uchida, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): LAM, HUNG H
• Application Number:
  US10/370,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20030160886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,249 Days
• Field of Search: 348/208.12, 348/333.02, 348/345
• US Class Current: 348/208.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay

Abstract

A digital camera comprises two photographing systems which are independent of and substantially identical to each other, and each of which includes a photographing optical system and an image pickup device. The photographing optical system is configured to include a photographing lens, a focusing lens and an aperture stop. The focusing lens of one of the photographing systems is driven stepwise from a first predetermined position at which it is to be located when a focusing position lies at an infinite distance, toward a second predetermined position at which it is to be located when the focusing position lies at the closest distance, while the focusing lens of the other photographing system is driven stepwise from the second predetermined position toward the first predetermined position every step width. The contrasts of images formed by the respective photographing systems are evaluated while the two focusing lenses are being moved, and a position corresponding to the maximum value of the contrasts is determined as the focusing position.

Claims

1. A handheld single-housing portable digital camera comprising:

a first photographing system and a second photographing system which are integrally provided in the digital camera and each of the systems respectively photograph same subject;

a changeover switch which selects one of said first and second photographing systems for photographing the subject;

a display control unit which displays an image formed by one photographing system determined by said changeover switch, and which performs a display control so as to display information other than the formed image along with the formed image; and

a display unit that comprises a main-region and a sub-region, wherein the display control unit displays the image formed by the photographing system selected by the changeover switch at the main-region, and displays the image formed by the other photographing system at the sub-region,

wherein the first and second photographing systems respectively comprise a focal lens and a focus adjustment unit that performs auto focusing, and the display control unit further displays onto the formed image indications of a result of focus adjustment by the auto focusing and a focusing range,

wherein said display control unit performs the display control so as to display image information which is the information other than said formed image, and which represents an image formed by the photographing system other than the photographing system determined by said changeover switch, and

wherein the indications of the result of the focus adjustment by the auto focusing comprises an indication of whether or not the auto focusing is successful or not, and the indications of the result of the focusing range comprise an indication of a range of the subject on which the focus is directed as a result of the auto focusing.

2. The digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising a splitting device, which receives light from the same focal lens and splits the received light into at least two parts and provides a first part to the first photographing system and a second part to the second photographing system.

3. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the first photographing system is in a wide mode state and wherein the second photographing system is in a telescopic state.

4. The digital camera according to claim 3, wherein a first image for the display is formed from the image captured by the first photographing system and wherein the second image for the display is formed from the image captured by the second photographing system.

5. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the first photographing system captures the subject with surroundings and wherein the second photographing system captures the subject substantially without the surroundings.

6. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein:

a photographing state of said second photographing system differs from a photographing state of said first photographing system.

7. The digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising a recording unit which records the image formed by said one photographing system determined by said changeover switch.

8. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein said first and said second photographing systems are respectively constructed of photographing systems whose image angles are different from each other.

9. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein:

said first and said second photographing systems each include image pickup device which picks up an image of the subject, an optical system which forms an image of the subject on said image pickup devices, and a focus adjustment unit which adjusts a focus for the subject; and

said display control unit performs the display control so as to display a focus adjustment state which indicates a state of the focus adjustment based on said focus adjustment unit of said photographing system determined by said changeover switch, as information other than the formed image.

10. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein said display control unit performs the display control to display the image formed by the photographing system other than the photographing system selected by said changeover switch regardless of whether said first photographing system or said second photographing system is selected by said changeover switch.

11. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein when said changeover switch is caused to changeover a photographing system for photographing the subject from said first photographing system to said second photographing system or from said second photographing system to said first photographing system, said display control unit performs a display control to display the image formed from the photographing system determined by the changeover switch and performs a display control as to display image information which is the information other than said formed image, and which represents an image formed by the photographing system previously selected by said changeover switch.

12. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises first and second display units that respectively correspond to the main-region and the sub-region.

13. A handheld single-housing portable digital camera comprising:

a first photographing system and a second photographing system which are integrally provided in the digital camera and each of the systems respectively photograph same subject;

a changeover switch which selects one of said first and second photographing systems for photographing the subject;

a display control unit which displays an image formed by one photographing system determined by said changeover switch, and which performs a display control so as to display information other than the formed image along with the formed image; and

a first display unit that displays the image formed by the photographing system selected by the changeover switch; and

a second display unit that displays the image formed by the other photographing system,

wherein the first and second photographing systems respectively comprise a focal lens and a focus adjustment unit that performs auto focusing, and the display control unit further displays onto the formed image indications of a result of focus adjustment by the auto focusing and a focusing range,

wherein said display control unit performs the display control so as to display image information which is the information other than said formed image, and which represents an image formed by the photographing system other than the photographing system determined by said changeover switch, and

wherein the indications of the result of the focus adjustment by the auto focusing comprises an indication of whether or not the auto focusing is successful or not, and the indications of the result of the focusing range comprise an indication of a range of the subject on which the focus is directed as a result of the auto focusing.