Hand-held imaging apparatus and storage medium storing program

• US 9,264,694 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Kuwahara, Masato, Koshiishi, Kazunori, Ehara, Yui, Imaizumi, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): PRABHAKHER, PRITHAM DAVID
• Application Number:
  US12/219,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20090278974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,763 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.06, 348/333.12, 348373-376
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

A hand-held imaging apparatus 10 comprises a lower housing 11, an upper housing 21, an outer camera 25, a lower LCD 12, a touch panel 13, and change means. The upper housing 21 is foldably connected to the lower housing 11. The outer camera 25 is provided in an outer surface of the upper housing 21 when folded. The lower LCD 12 has a display screen which is provided in an inner surface of the lower housing 11 when folded, and displays a live image which is currently taken by the outer camera 25. The touch panel 13 is provided on the display screen of the lower LCD 12. The change means makes a change to the live image based on an input with respect to the touch panel 13.

Claims

1. A hand-held imaging apparatus comprising:

a first housing;

a second housing foldably connected to the first housing;

a processing system, including a central processing unit;

a first camera provided in an outer surface of the second housing when folded;

a first display screen which is provided in an inner surface of the first housing when folded;

a touch panel for detecting touch coordinates with respect to the first display screen;

wherein the central processing unit is configured to perform at least;

displaying a live image which is currently taken by the first camera on the first display screen;

creating a new first image after the creation of the live image by receiving an input from the user with respect to the touch panel, in a state where the live image is displayed on the first display screen, and making a change also to an image taken by the first camera subsequently to the input obtained from the user, by combining the image taken by the first camera subsequently to the input obtained from the user and the first image, the hand-held imaging apparatus further comprising;

a second display screen which is provided in an inner surface of the second housing when folded;

storage locations in a memory;

wherein

the central processing unit is configured to further perform;

storing the changed live image as a stored image in the storage locations in accordance with a predetermined operation; and

displaying on the second display screen the changed live image,

wherein the central processing unit is configured to further perform displaying a stored image which is stored by the predetermined operation in accordance with the predetermined operation being performed.

2. The hand-held imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first camera is located in an area of the outer surface of the second housing corresponding to non-screen areas of the inner surface of the second housing which are provided on both right and left sides of the second display screen, and the distance of the location of the first camera from the first housing is larger than the distance of a center of the second housing from the first housing when the hand-held imaging apparatus is in an opened state.

3. The hand-held imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a predetermined image for performing a predetermined operation is displayed on the first display screen, and wherein

the central processing unit is configured to further perform:

storing the changed live image as a stored image in the storage locations in accordance with an operation of designating the predetermined image by means of the touch panel.

4. The hand-held imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an operation button provided at least at one of right and left ends of an upper side of the first housing; and

wherein

the central processing unit is configured to further perform

storing the changed live image as a stored image in the storage locations in accordance with an operation with respect to the operation button.

5. The hand-held imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

an operation button is provided at each of the right and left ends of the upper side of the first housing.

6. The hand-held imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

an operation button is provided at a left end of an upper side of the first housing as viewed from the inner surface of the first housing, and wherein

the central processing unit is configured to further perform

storing the changed live image as a stored image in the storage locations in accordance with an operation with respect to the operation button.

7. The hand-held imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a second camera provided in an inner surface of the second housing, wherein

the central processing unit is configured to further perform

displaying a live image which is currently taken by the first camera or the second camera on the first display screen.

8. The hand-held imaging apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

an operation button provided at least at one of right and left side of an upper side of the first housing;

and wherein the central processing unit is configured to further perform

storing the changed live image as a stored image in the storage locations in accordance with an operation with respect to the operation button, wherein

the first housing has a first axial portion which is provided so as to project from the inner surface of the first housing in a direction perpendicular to the inner surface of the first housing, the second housing has a second axial portion which is pivotally connected to the first axial portion, and the second imaging section is located in the second axial portion.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program which is executed by a computer that performs functions of a hand-held imaging apparatus comprising:

a first housing;

a second housing foldably connected to the first housing;

a first camera provided in an outer surface of the second housing when folded;

a first display screen which is provided in an inner surface of the first housing when folded; and

a touch panel for detecting touch coordinates with respect to the first display screen, the program causing the computer to;

display a live image which is currently taken by the first camera on the first display screen;

create a new first image after the creation of the live image by receiving an input from the user with respect to the touch panel, in a state where the live image is displayed on the first display screen and make a change also to an image taken by the first camera subsequently to the input obtained from the user, by combining the image taken by the first camera subsequently to the input obtained from the user and the first image, wherein

the hand-held imaging apparatus comprises a second display screen which is provided in an inner surface of the second housing when folded, and storage locations in a memory, and the program further causes the computer to;

store the live image which has been changed as a stored image in the storage locations in accordance with a predetermined operation; and

display on the second display screen the live image which has been changed,

wherein the computer displays a stored image which is stored by the predetermined operation on the second display screen in accordance with the predetermined operation being performed.