Electronic device having pivotal display and stereo speakers

• US 6,937,280 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2001
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kawai, Kenji, Chichimatsu, Shigenobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vieaux, Gary C.
• Application Number:
  US09/781,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20010055071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,660 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.01, 348/333.06, 348/375, 348/340, 345/6, 345/649, 386/96
• US Class Current: 348/333.06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/162 changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1688 the I/O peripheral being integrated loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/531 being rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

It is an object of this invention to properly output sounds in stereo at the time of reproducing of images in a video camera having a pivotal image display unit. The invention includes an image display unit which can pivot on an electronic device body and displays images, first and second sound output units, a detection unit for detecting pivoting operation of the image display unit, and a control means for controlling switching of sound signals output to the first and second sound output units upon pivoting operation of the image display unit.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a display panel for displaying an image;

first and second sound output units for outputting sounds in stereo in response to displaying the image;

a pivoting member for pivoting said display panel;

a detection member for detecting that a display screen of said display panel is physically set in a predetermined direction by a pivoting operation of said pivoting member; and

a control unit for reversing an image and a sound in response to an output signal of said detection member,

wherein said control unit outputs a sound, which is to be output from said first sound output unit, from second sound output unit, and outputs a sound, which is to be output from said second sound output unit, from said first output unit when the display screen of said display panel becomes substantially parallel to a panel support surface of said electronic device on which said display panel is supported and set in a direction in which the display screen of said display panel can be seen.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said first sound output unit is an L-channel speaker, and said second sound output unit is an R-channel speaker.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein a display screen of said display panel is a liquid crystal display.

4. The device according to claim 1, further comprising an operation member which is arranged on a front surface of a body of said electronic device to operate said electronic device.

5. A method of controlling an electronic device for outputting first and second sound signals in response to displaying an image, said method comprising:

a detection step of detecting that a display screen for displaying the image is physically set in a predetermined direction by a pivoting operation;

a controlling step of automatically reversing an image and a sound in response to a signal output in said detection step;

wherein, in said controlling step said first sound signal, which is to be output from first sound output unit, is output from second sound output unit, and said second sound signal, which is to be output from said second sound output unit, is output from said first sound output unit when the display screen of said display panel becomes substantially parallel to a panel support surface of said electronic device on which said display panel is supported and set in a direction in which the display screen of said display panel can be seen.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein said electronic device comprises an operation member which is arranged on a front surface of a body of said electronic device to operate said electronic device.