Image pickup apparatus that facilitates checking of tilt thereof, method of controlling the same, and storage medium

• US 8,482,648 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ohdate, Takayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Moe, Aung S
• Assistant Examiner(s): HSU, AMY R
• Application Number:
  US13/071,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20110242394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.02, 348/345, 348/333.03, 348/333.01
• US Class Current: 348/333.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications
• 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

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus that facilitates checking of the tilt thereof by changing a display position of a horizontal guide. A digital camera (image pickup apparatus) includes a tilt sensor for detecting a tilt of the camera. A system controller determines the display position of the horizontal guide based on the tilt of the camera detected by the tilt sensor such that it is displayed in an upper portion of the screen when an angle formed between the optical axis of the camera and a gravity direction is smaller than when the angle is equal to a predetermined angle. The system controller causes the horizontal guide to be displayed on the screen at the determined position, together with an image picked up by an image pickup device.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

an image pickup unit;

a tilt detection unit configured to detect a tilt of the image pickup apparatus;

a display unit configured to display an image;

a display control unit configured to control said display unit to display a horizontal guide which indicates an angle formed between a lateral direction of the image pickup apparatus which is perpendicular to an optical axis of the image pickup apparatus and a horizontal direction which is perpendicular to gravity direction, together with an image picked up by the image pickup unit;

wherein the horizontal guide is displayed in a first position of the display unit when an angle formed between the optical axis of the image pickup apparatus and a gravity direction is equal to a first angle smaller than a second angle, and

the horizontal guide is displayed in a second position lower than the first position of the display unit when the angle formed between the optical axis and the gravity direction is equal to the second angle.

2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal guide is displayed in a fixed position regardless of the angle formed between the optical axis of the image pickup apparatus and the gravity direction, when an angle of view of a lens mounted on the image pickup apparatus is not wider than a predetermined value.

3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal guide is displayed in a fixed position regardless of the angle formed between the optical axis of the image pickup apparatus and the gravity direction, when a current shooting mode of the image pickup apparatus is not suitable for scenery shooting.

4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display position of the horizontal guide is adjusted based on edge detection performed on a portion of an image to be displayed on the display unit, the portion corresponding to a horizon.

5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal guide is displayed in the vicinity of a reference line represented by a straight lateral line in the display unit, as a straight line which is indicative of a tilt of the image pickup apparatus in a lateral direction which is perpendicular to the optical axis, the tilt of the image pickup apparatus in the lateral direction being determined based on the tilt of the image pickup apparatus detected by said tilt detection unit.

6. A method of controlling an image pickup apparatus including an image pickup unit, and a display unit that displays an image, comprising:

detecting a tilt of the image pickup apparatus;

controlling the display unit to display a horizontal guide which indicates an angle formed between a lateral direction of the image pickup apparatus which is perpendicular to an optical axis of the image pickup apparatus and a horizontal direction which is perpendicular to gravity direction, together with an image picked up by the image pickup unit;

displaying the horizontal guide in a first position of the display unit when an angle formed between the optical axis of the image pickup apparatus and a gravity direction is equal to a first angle smaller than a second angle, and

displaying the horizontal guide in a second position lower that the first position of the display unit when the angle formed between the optical axis and the gravity direction is equal to the second angle.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program for causing a computer to execute a method of controlling an image pickup apparatus including an image pickup unit, and a display unit that displays an image,

wherein the method comprises:

detecting a tilt of the image pickup apparatus;

controlling the display unit to display a horizontal guide which indicates an angle formed between a lateral direction of the image pickup apparatus which is perpendicular to an optical axis of the image pickup apparatus and a horizontal direction which is perpendicular to gravity direction, together with an image picked up by the image pickup unit;

displaying the horizontal guide in a first position of the display unit when an angle formed between the optical axis of the image pickup apparatus and a gravity direction is equal to a first angle smaller than a second angle, and

displaying the horizontal guide in a second position lower that the first position of the display unit when the angle formed between the optical axis and the gravity direction is equal to the second angle.