Image capturing apparatus and control method thereof with attitude control

• US 8,558,900 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2011
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• 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): CUTLER, ALBERT H
• Application Number:
  US13/208,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20110304761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 attitude detecting unit that detects an attitude of the image capturing apparatus; and

a control unit that (a) determines whether or not the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from a first attitude to a second attitude different from the first attitude, (b) determines whether or not the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the second attitude to the first attitude within a predetermined time after the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude, and (c) changes at least one of an ISO sensitivity, a white balance, and a color space if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time after the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude.

2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit avoids changing at least one of the ISO sensitivity, the white balance, and the color space if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is not changed from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time after the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude.

3. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image capturing apparatus is capable of acting as a digital camera or a digital video camera.

4. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image capturing apparatus is capable of acting as a portable phone.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a program for causing a computer to act as the image capturing apparatus according to claim 1.

6. A method comprising:

detecting an attitude of an image capturing apparatus;

determining whether or not the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from a first attitude to a second attitude different from the first attitude;

determining whether or not the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the second attitude to the first attitude within a predetermined time after the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude; and

changing at least one of an ISO sensitivity, a white balance, and a color space if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time after the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising avoiding changing at least one of the ISO sensitivity, the white balance, and the color space if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is not changed from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time after the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the image capturing apparatus is capable of acting as a digital camera or a digital video camera.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the image capturing apparatus is capable of acting as a portable phone.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a program for causing a computer to execute a method, the method comprising:

detecting an attitude of an image capturing apparatus;

determining whether or not the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from a first attitude to a second attitude different from the first attitude;

determining whether or not the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the second attitude to the first attitude within a predetermined time after the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude; and

changing at least one of an ISO sensitivity, a white balance, and a color space if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time after the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude.

11. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

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

a control unit that (a) determines whether or not the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from a first attitude to a second attitude different from the first attitude, (b) determines whether or not the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the second attitude to the first attitude within a predetermined time after the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude, and (c) determines whether or not to change at least one of an ISO sensitivity, a white balance, and a color space based on whether or not the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time after the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude.

12. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the control unit changes at least one of the ISO sensitivity, the white balance, and the color space if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time after the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude.

13. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the control unit avoids changing at least one of the ISO sensitivity, the white balance, and the color space if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is not changed from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time after the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude.

14. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the image capturing apparatus is capable of acting as a digital camera or a digital video camera.

15. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the image capturing apparatus is capable of acting as a portable phone.

16. A method comprising:

detecting an attitude of an image capturing apparatus;

determining whether or not the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from a first attitude to a second attitude different from the first attitude;

determining whether or not the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the second attitude to the first attitude within a predetermined time after the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude; and

determining whether or not to change at least one of an ISO sensitivity, a white balance, and a color space based on whether or not the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time after the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising changing at least one of the ISO sensitivity, the white balance, and the color space if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time after the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising avoiding changing at least one of the ISO sensitivity, the white balance, and the color space, if the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is not changed from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time after the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the image capturing apparatus is capable of acting as a digital camera or a digital video camera.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the image capturing apparatus is capable of acting as a portable phone.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a program for causing a computer to execute a method, the method comprising:

detecting an attitude of an image capturing apparatus;

determining whether or not the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from a first attitude to a second attitude different from the first attitude;

determining whether or not the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the second attitude to the first attitude within a predetermined time after the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude; and

determining whether or not to change at least one of an ISO sensitivity, a white balance, and a color space based on whether or not the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the second attitude to the first attitude within the predetermined time after the attitude of the image capturing apparatus is changed from the first attitude to the second attitude.