Imaging apparatus

• US 8,204,369 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2011
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Shinohara, Junichi, Yokoyama, Koji, Takano, Mayu, Morohoshi, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, W. B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, MINH Q
• Application Number:
  US13/022,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20110200311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 396/50, 396/52, 396281-283, 396/287, 396290-292, 396/296, 348/333.01, 348/333.02
• US Class Current: 396/50
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/18 Signals indicating condition of a camera member or suitability of light indicating depth of field G03B13/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• 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 imaging apparatus whose posture is easily adjustable is provided. The imaging apparatus is configured to include an inclination detector detecting a degree of inclination of one of the imaging apparatus and an image captured by the imaging apparatus relative to a horizontal direction orthogonal to a direction of gravity; a display unit; a first inclination indicator unit allowing the display unit to display an indicator to indicate the degree of inclination according to a detection result from the inclination detector; a second inclination indicator unit notifying via sound according to a detection result from the inclination detector that the degree of inclination is over a predetermined value; and a selector unit allowing at least one of the first and second inclination indicator units to operate.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit capturing an image of a subject;

a display unit on which the image is displayed;

an inclination detector detecting an inclination of the imaging apparatus;

an inclination indicator unit allowing the display unit to display an indicator to indicate the inclination on the image captured by the imaging unit based on a result of the detection of the inclination detector,

wherein the indicator comprises a plurality of indicator portions arranged with an equal interval in a predetermined criterial direction;

when the inclination detected by the inclination detector is within a predetermined range of angles, the inclination indicator unit integrally highlights an indicator portion located at a center, an upper edge line bridging upper ends of all the indicator portions and a lower edge line bridging lower ends of all the indicator portions to indicate that the imaging apparatus is in a horizontal state; and

when the inclination detected by the inclination detector is beyond the predetermined range of angles, the inclination indicator unit highlights one of the indicator portions in accordance with a degree of the inclination to indicate that the imaging apparatus is in an inclined state.

2. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

when the imaging apparatus is greatly inclined beyond a degree of inclination corresponding to an outermost one of the indicator portions, the inclination indicator unit integrally highlights one of two outermost indicator portions and upper and lower ends of indicator portions on an inclined side, to indicate that the imaging apparatus is in an extremely inclined state; and

when the inclination of the imaging apparatus becomes equal to or below the degree of inclination corresponding to the outermost one of the indicator portions, the inclination indicator unit highlights one of the indicator portions in accordance with a degree of the inclination detected by the inclination detector to indicate that the imaging apparatus is in an inclined state.

3. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the imaging apparatus is inclined beyond a predetermined angle in a plane orthogonal to the predetermined criterial direction, the inclination indicator unit concurrently highlights upper and lower ends of all the indicator portions, to indicate that the imaging apparatus is in an extremely turned state in a pitch direction.

4. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the indicator includes a target indicator indicating one of the indicator portions located at the center thereof.

5. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inclination indicator unit highlights the indicator portions in different colors for indicating the horizontal state and the inclined state.

6. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the inclination indicator unit highlights the indicator portions in different colors for indicating the horizontal state, the inclined state and the extremely inclined state.

7. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined criterial direction is set separately for a horizontal position and a vertical position of the imaging apparatus.

8. An imaging apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the display unit displays the indicator near a lower side thereof relative to a direction of gravity.

9. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the indicator is at least partially transparent.

10. An imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation unit through which a photographic instruction is given, wherein the imaging unit performs a photographic operation in accordance with the instruction given via the operation unit.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for a controller of an imaging apparatus which comprises an imaging unit capturing an image of a subject;

a display unit on which the image is displayed; and

an inclination detector detecting an inclination of the imaging apparatus, the program causing the controller to execute;

determining an inclination of the imaging apparatus according to an output signal from the inclination detector;

allowing the display unit to display an indicator to indicate the inclination on the image captured by the imaging unit based on a result of the detection of the inclination detector, the indicator comprising a plurality of indicator portions arranged with an equal interval in a predetermined criterial direction;

integrally highlighting an indicator portion located at a center, an upper edge line bridging upper ends of all the indicator portions and a lower edge line bridging lower ends of all the indicator portions to indicate that the imaging apparatus is in a horizontal state, when the inclination detected by the inclination detector is within a predetermined range of angles; and

highlighting one of the indicator portions in accordance with a degree of the inclination to indicate that the imaging apparatus is in an inclined state when the inclination detected by the inclination detector is beyond the predetermined range of angles.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein the program further causes the controller to execute:

integrally highlighting one of two outermost indicator portions, and upper and lower ends of indicator portions on an inclined side to indicate that the imaging apparatus is in an extremely inclined state, when the imaging apparatus is greatly inclined beyond a degree of inclination corresponding to an outermost one of the indicator portions; and

highlighting one of the indicator portions in accordance with a degree of the inclination detected by the inclination detector, when the inclination of the imaging apparatus becomes equal to or below the degree of inclination corresponding to the outermost one of the indicator portions.

13. The medium of claim 11, wherein the program further causes the controller to execute:

concurrently highlighting upper and lower ends of all the indicator portions to indicate that the imaging apparatus is in an extremely turned state in a pitch direction, when the imaging apparatus is inclined beyond a predetermined angle in a plane orthogonal to the predetermined criterial direction.

14. The medium of claim 11, wherein the program further causes the controller to execute allowing the imaging unit to perform a photographic operation in accordance with a photographic instruction.

15. An inclination display method using an imaging apparatus which comprises an imaging unit capturing an image of a subject, a display unit on which the image is displayed, and an inclination detector detecting an inclination of the imaging apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

determining an inclination of the imaging apparatus according to an output signal from the inclination detector;

allowing the display unit to display an indicator to indicate the inclination on the image captured by the imaging unit based on a result of the detection of the inclination detector, the indicator comprising a plurality of indicator portions arranged with an equal interval in a predetermined criterial direction;

integrally highlighting an indicator portion located at a center, an upper edge line bridging upper ends of all the indicator portions and a lower edge line bridging lower ends of all the indicator portions to indicate that the imaging apparatus is in a horizontal state, when the inclination detected by the inclination detector is within a predetermined range of angles; and

highlighting one of the indicator portions in accordance with a degree of the inclination to indicate that the imaging apparatus is in an inclined state, when the inclination detected by the inclination detector is beyond the predetermined range of angles.

16. An inclination display method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

integrally highlighting one of two outermost indicator portions, and upper and lower ends of indicator portions on an inclined side to indicate that the imaging apparatus is in an extremely inclined state, when the imaging apparatus is greatly inclined beyond a degree of inclination corresponding to an outermost one of the indicator portions; and

highlighting one of the indicator portions in accordance with a degree of the inclination detected by the inclination detector, when the inclination of the imaging apparatus becomes equal to or below the degree of inclination corresponding to the outermost one of the indicator portions.

17. An inclination display method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of concurrently highlighting upper and lower ends of all the indicator portions to indicate that the imaging apparatus is in an extremely turned state in a pitch direction, when the imaging apparatus is inclined beyond a predetermined angle in a plane orthogonal to the predetermined criterial direction.

18. An inclination display method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

allowing the imaging unit to perform a photographic operation in accordance with a photographic instruction while displaying the indicator on the display unit.