Imaging apparatus

• US 20090278764A1
• Filed: 05/01/2008
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Koshiishi, Kazunori, Kuwahara, Masato, Ehara, Yui
• Granted Patent: US 9,325,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.300
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 29/00 Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1692 the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2621 Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability

Abstract

An imaging apparatus 10 includes a lower housing 11, an upper housing 21, a lower LCD 12, an outer camera, a plurality of buttons 14A to 14E, and a touch panel 13. The lower housing 11 has a horizontally long shape. The upper housing 21 has a horizontally long shape, and a long side of the upper housing 21 is connected to an upper long side of the lower housing 11 such that the lower housing 11 and the upper housing 21 are foldable. The lower LCD 12 has a display screen which is provided in an inner surface of the lower housing 11. The outer camera is provided in an outer surface of the upper housing 21, and located at an end of the outer surface of the upper housing 21 which is opposite to a connection portion where the upper housing 21 is connected to the lower housing 11. The plurality of buttons 14A to 14E are provided on an inner surface of the lower housing 11 and on both sides of the display screen in a horizontal direction of the lower housing 11. The touch panel 13 is provided on the display screen.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a first housing having a horizontally long shape;

a second housing having a horizontally long shape, a long side of the second housing being connected to an upper long side of the first housing such that the first and second housings are foldable;

a first display section having a display screen which is provided in an inner surface of the first housing which is a surface located inside when the first and second housings are folded;

a first imaging section provided in an outer surface of the second housing which is a surface located outside when the first and second housings are folded, and located at an end of the outer surface of the second housing which is opposite to a connection portion where the second housing is connected to the first housing;

a plurality of operation buttons provided on the inner surface of the first housing and on both sides of the display screen in a horizontal direction of the first housing; and

a touch panel provided on the display screen.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second display section provided in an inner surface of the second housing which is a surface located inside when the first and second housings are folded, wherein

non-display-screen areas are provided on the inner surface of the second housing and on both sides of the second display section so as to have widths which are the same as those of areas on the inner surface of the first housing on which the plurality of operation buttons are provided.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the second housing has a width which is the same as that of the first housing, and

the display screen of the first display section and a display screen of the second display section have the same widths as each other, and are provided in the same position in the longitudinal direction.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a speaker provided inside each of the non-display-screen areas of the second housing.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the second display section displays an image taken by the first imaging section in real time, and

the first display section displays an operation screen for performing an operation with respect to the imaging apparatus.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when a real-time image taken by the first imaging section is displayed on the second display section, the first display section displays an image for performing an input with respect to the touch panel as the operation screen.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first display section displays an image for editing with respect to a taken image.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second imaging section provided in an inner surface of the second housing which is located inside when the first and second housings are folded, and provided on a side closer to the connection portion of the first and second housings than a display screen of the second display section.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an imaging instruction button located at a right end of the upper long side of the first housing for performing an instruction to store a taken image.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising two imaging instruction buttons located at ends of the upper long side of the first housing, respectively, for performing an instruction to store a taken image.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein weights of the first housing and components provided in the first housing are heavier than those of the second housing and components provided in the second housing.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least a battery, a circuit substrate on which electronic components are mounted, and a connector for detachably connecting to a storage medium are provided in the first housing.

13. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second housing is capable of being opened and fixed with respect to the first housing at an angle smaller than 180 degrees.