Resetting single-control apparatus
First Claim
1. A portable apparatus comprising a clock for outputting a time reference:
- characterized by having a flat shape, said flat shape being characterized by having a lowest-volume enclosing rectangular cuboid that belongs to the group of rectangular cuboids capable of enclosing said shape and that has the lowest volume of all members of said group, said lowest-volume cuboid having the three dimensions of length, width, and depth, where said length is greater than or equal to said width and said width is greater than said depth, and where said depth is no more than eighteen percent of said width; and
having at least one control assembly facing out of said apparatus toward one of said lowest-volume rectangular cuboid'"'"'s narrow faces, said narrow faces being the ones where one of said narrow face'"'"'s dimensions is said depth;
said apparatus being adapted;
to perform a first predetermined action upon actuation of said control assembly when said apparatus is in an initial state;
upon said predetermined action to transition to a second state;
to perform a second predetermined action upon actuation of said control assembly if said apparatus is in said second state, said second predetermined action being substantively different from said first predetermined action and said second predetermined action being not only a return to said initial state; and
to transition from said second state back to said initial state if said control assembly is not being actuated for a predetermined amount after the apparatus entered said second state.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
According to one embodiment, an image-taking apparatus wherein a first actuation of a control element locks image-taking parameters and a subsequent actuation of this control element causes a picture to be taken. In one embodiment, the apparatus is a cellular telephone equipped with a camera wherein a first press on the volume up button locks focus and exposure. The photographer can then recompose the picture according to the ‘half-press’ technique and take a picture with a subsequent press on the volume up button. The locked focus and exposure may be unlocked after a predetermined timeout period during which no picture was taken. Other embodiments are described.
23 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A portable apparatus comprising a clock for outputting a time reference:
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characterized by having a flat shape, said flat shape being characterized by having a lowest-volume enclosing rectangular cuboid that belongs to the group of rectangular cuboids capable of enclosing said shape and that has the lowest volume of all members of said group, said lowest-volume cuboid having the three dimensions of length, width, and depth, where said length is greater than or equal to said width and said width is greater than said depth, and where said depth is no more than eighteen percent of said width; and having at least one control assembly facing out of said apparatus toward one of said lowest-volume rectangular cuboid'"'"'s narrow faces, said narrow faces being the ones where one of said narrow face'"'"'s dimensions is said depth; said apparatus being adapted; to perform a first predetermined action upon actuation of said control assembly when said apparatus is in an initial state; upon said predetermined action to transition to a second state; to perform a second predetermined action upon actuation of said control assembly if said apparatus is in said second state, said second predetermined action being substantively different from said first predetermined action and said second predetermined action being not only a return to said initial state; and to transition from said second state back to said initial state if said control assembly is not being actuated for a predetermined amount after the apparatus entered said second state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus comprising a camera, a clock for outputting a time reference, at least one locking control, and at least one shutter control:
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said locking control and said shutter control being arranged so that is is possible to actuate said shutter control without simultaneously actuating said locking control; and said apparatus being adapted to lock at least one image-taking parameter upon actuation of said locking control; to take a picture using said locked image-taking parameter if a user actuates said shutter control within a predetermined time period as measured by said time reference; and to unlock said image-taking parameter if said user does not actuate one out of a group of at least one control elements within said predetermined time period. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A portable apparatus comprising a binary control element and a display, and having a sleep mode, a status mode, and a normal operating mode:
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said binary control element being characterized by having exactly two mutually exclusive user interaction states, actuated and non-actuated, and being adapted so that an actuation by a user transitions said binary control element from said non-actuated state to said actuated state; and said apparatus being adapted to blank said display or show a predetermined set of information on said display when said apparatus is in said sleep mode; to show a predetermined set of information different from what is shown in said sleep mode when said apparatus is in said status mode; to allow user interaction and display information different from what is shown in said sleep and status modes when said apparatus is in said normal operating mode; said sleep, status, and normal operating modes being mutually exclusive at any given time; said apparatus being further adapted to transition from said sleep mode to said status mode upon a first actuation of said binary control element; and transition from said status mode to said normal operating mode upon a second actuation of said binary control element. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method for controlling a camera, comprising:
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reading the actuation status of at least one locking control and of at least one shutter control; locking at least one image-taking parameter upon actuation of said locking control; taking a picture using said locked image-taking parameter if a user actuates said shutter control within a predetermined time period as measured by a clock for outputting a time reference; and unlocking said image-taking parameter if said user does not actuate one out of a group of at least one control elements within said predetermined time period; where said locking control and said shutter control are arranged on an apparatus so that is is possible to actuate said shutter control without simultaneously actuating said locking control. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method for controlling a display, comprising:
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blanking said display or showing a predetermined set of information on said display when the apparatus containing said display is in a sleep mode; showing a predetermined set of information different from what is shown in said sleep mode when said apparatus is in a status mode; allowing user interaction and displaying information different from what is shown in said sleep and status modes when said apparatus is in a normal operating mode; transitioning from said sleep mode to said status mode upon a first actuation of a binary control element; and transitioning from said status mode to said normal operating mode upon a second actuation of said binary control element; where said sleep, status, and normal operating modes are mutually exclusive at any given time; and where said binary control element is characterized by having exactly two mutually exclusive user interaction states, actuated and non-actuated, and is adapted so that an actuation by a user transitions said binary control element from said non-actuated state to said actuated state. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification