Image pickup apparatus and a method for operating same

• US 20020105588A1
• Filed: 05/14/2001
• Published: 08/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nishimura, Yoshihiko
• Granted Patent: US 6,597,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/531 being rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus and its method of operation eliminate complicated operations of a touch panel and simplify its operation. An image pickup apparatus has an electronic viewfinder provided on a video camera body so as to enable a user to watch a shooting subject image through an eyepiece. A liquid crystal display monitor externally provided on the video camera body includes a touch panel on a display screen thereof. A plurality of icons representing distinct operations of the image pickup apparatus are displayed at predetermined positions of a finder screen of the electronic viewfinder. Touch sensitive areas of the touch panel corresponding to the icon positions displayed on the finder screen can be touch-operated to select a desired operation.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus, comprising:

a body having an image pickup element for converting an incident image into a video signal, a recording mechanism for recording said video signal and a playback mechanism for reproducing said video signal;

an electronic viewfinder provided on said body to enable a user to watch a shooting subject image through an eyepiece, said viewfinder displaying a series of icons at predetermined positions thereof, each icon representing a distinct operation;

a display externally provided on said body, said display having a touch panel provided thereon, said touch panel having a series of actuating areas located in set positions relative to said display, each set position corresponding to one of said predetermined positions of said viewfinder, whereby said operation represented by an icon in one of said predetermined positions can be selected by touching said actuating area of said touch screen in said set position corresponding to said one of said predetermined positions.

2. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined positions are located at four corners of said viewfinder and said set positions are located at four corners of said display.

3. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display is a liquid crystal display having a backlight, and said backlight is turned off when said electronic viewfinder is enabled for a user to take a picture.

4. A method of operating an image pickup apparatus having a body, an electronic viewfinder mounted on the body to enable a user to watch a shooting subject image through an eyepiece, and a display externally mounted on the body, the display having a touch panel provided thereon, said method comprising:

displaying in the viewfinder a series of icons at predetermined positions thereof, each icon representing a distinct operation;

providing the touch panel with a series of actuating areas located in set positions relative to the display, each set position corresponding to one of the predetermined positions of the viewfinder; and

selecting the operation represented by an icon in one of the predetermined positions by touching the actuating area of the touch screen in the set position corresponding to the one of the predetermined positions.