Image capturing apparatus, electronic apparatus, display method, and program

• US 20070258005A1
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Noriaki, Takahashi, Masahiro, Sasaki, Kayo, Takimoto, Yuuji, Koike, Tatsunobu
• Granted Patent: US 7,750,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.110
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters

Abstract

An image capturing apparatus may include a function holding unit configured to hold functions of the image capturing apparatus, the functions being classified into corresponding categories; an identifier holding unit configured to hold category identifiers indicating the categories and function identifiers indicating the functions; a category display control unit configured to allow the category identifiers to be displayed along the horizontal direction; a function display control unit configured to allow the function identifiers corresponding to the category to be operated in accordance with an operation input to be displayed along the vertical direction; and an operation accepting unit configured to accept an operation input for selecting one of the function identifiers displayed by the function display control unit.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

function holding means for holding functions of the image capturing apparatus, the functions being classified into corresponding categories;

identifier holding means for holding category identifiers indicating the categories and function identifiers indicating the functions;

category display control means for allowing the category identifiers to be displayed along the horizontal direction;

function display control means for allowing the function identifiers corresponding to the category to be operated in accordance with an operation input to be displayed along the vertical direction; and

operation accepting means for accepting an operation input for selecting one of the function identifiers displayed by the function display control means.

2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the function holding means further holds function explanations corresponding to the functions,

the image capturing apparatus further comprising function explanation display control means for allowing the function explanation corresponding to the function selected by the operation input to be displayed.

3. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the category display control means allows the category identifiers to be displayed above the function identifiers.

4. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the function display control means allows the function identifiers corresponding to the category identifier of the category to be operated by the operation input to be displayed under the category identifier.

5. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the category display control means allows the category identifier corresponding to the category to be operated by the operation input to be displayed at a fixed position, and, upon change of the category to be operated by the operation input, the category display control means moves the category identifiers so that the category identifier corresponding to the category to be newly operated is displayed at the fixed position.

6. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the category display control means allows all of the category identifiers to be displayed in an initial state.

7. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation accepting means includes a menu button to activate or inactivate display of the category identifiers and the function identifiers controlled by the category display control means and the function display control means.

8. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the operation accepting means further includes a special button to execute an assigned function.

9. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

control means for executing a predetermined function on the basis of the operation input accepted by the operation accepting means,

wherein, in the control means, a function executed on the basis of selection of one of the function identifiers is equal to a function executed by an operation of the special button.

10. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the categories of the image capturing apparatus include at least a category to capture an image of a subject, a category to play back a recorded image, and a category to transmit the recorded image through a network connected to the apparatus.

11. An electronic apparatus comprising:

function holding means for holding functions of the electronic apparatus, the functions being classified into corresponding categories;

identifier holding means for holding category identifiers indicating the categories and function identifiers indicating the functions;

operation accepting means for accepting an operation input to select one of the function identifiers;

category display control means for performing control so that the category identifiers are displayed along the horizontal direction; and

function display control means for performing control so that the function identifiers corresponding to the category to be operated in accordance with the operation input are displayed along the vertical direction.

12. A display method in an electronic apparatus including function holding means for holding functions of the electronic apparatus, the functions being classified into corresponding categories;

identifier holding means for holding category identifiers indicating the categories and function identifiers indicating the functions; and

operation accepting means for accepting an operation input to select one of the function identifiers, the display method comprising;

accepting the operation input;

determining whether a menu button has been pressed in the operation input;

determining whether a menu is displayed if the menu button has been pressed;

performing control so as to display the category identifiers along the horizontal direction and to display the function identifiers corresponding to the category to be operated in accordance with the operation input along the vertical direction as the menu if the menu is not displayed; and

performing control so as to inactivate display of the menu if the menu is displayed.

13. A program allowing a computer to execute, in an electronic apparatus including function holding means for holding functions of the electronic apparatus, the functions being classified into corresponding categories;

identifier holding means for holding category identifiers indicating the categories and function identifiers indicating the functions; and

operation accepting means for accepting an operation input to select one of the function identifiers,

accepting the operation input;

determining whether a menu button has been pressed in the operation input;

determining whether a menu is displayed if the menu button has been pressed;

performing control so as to display the category identifiers along the horizontal direction and to display the function identifiers corresponding to the category to be operated in accordance with the operation input along the vertical direction as the menu if the menu is not displayed; and

performing control so as to inactivate display of the menu if the menu is displayed.

14. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

a function holding unit configured to hold functions of the image capturing apparatus, the functions being classified into corresponding categories;

an identifier holding unit configured to hold category identifiers indicating the categories and function identifiers indicating the functions;

a category display control unit configured to allow the category identifiers to be displayed along the horizontal direction;

a function display control unit configured to allow the function identifiers corresponding to the category to be operated in accordance with an operation input to be displayed along the vertical direction; and

an operation accepting unit configured to accept an operation input for selecting one of the function identifiers displayed by the function display control unit.

15. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a function holding unit configured to hold functions of the electronic apparatus, the functions being classified into corresponding categories;

an identifier holding unit configured to hold category identifiers indicating the categories and function identifiers indicating the functions;

an operation accepting unit configured to accept an operation input to select one of the function identifiers;

a category display control unit configured to perform control so that the category identifiers are displayed along the horizontal direction; and

a function display control unit configured to perform control so that the function identifiers corresponding to the category to be operated in accordance with the operation input are displayed along the vertical direction.