Digital Camera Patent Abstract
A digital camera for electrically photographing an image, which
includes an electrical photography unit and a display unit having
a liquid crystal display (LCD). The display unit is disposed in
a camera body and the electrical photography unit is disposed in
a swing cover attached to the body. The swing cover is rotatable
between an angle of complete closure of the LCD and an angle of
disclosure of the LCD. Digital Camera Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A digital camera comprising: an electrical photography unit
that includes an image sensor that converts an optical image to
an electrical image, and an optical system that focuses said optical
image on an image receiving surface of said image sensor; a display
unit comprising a liquid crystal display (LCD) that displays said
electrical image; a camera body having a front surface in which
said display unit is disposed; a swing cover attached to said camera
body, said swing cover rotates between a closed position that covers
said LCD and an open position that uncovers said LCD, said electrical
photography unit being disposed in said swing cover; and a switch
that controls an electrical power supplied to said digital camera
such that said electrical power is turned OFF when said swing cover
covers said LCD and said power is turned ON when said swing cover
uncovers said LCD, said switch comprising a rotary switch that detects
an angle of said swing cover such that one of at least three cover-controlled
operation modes of said digital camera changes in response to a
change in said angle.
2. The digital camera according to claim 1 wherein said swing cover
is a rectangular plate having a shape corresponding to a shape of
said LCD, said rectangular plate having a back surface that faces
said LCD in said closed position and a front surface on which said
optical system is mounted.
3. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein said cover-controlled
operation mode changes from a "Shutdown" mode, to a "Photography"
mode, to a "Slide" mode as said angle increases, said
electric power being turned OFF in said "Shutdown" mode,
said image being still-photographed in said "Photography"
mode, and said photographed still-image being displayed on said
LCD in said "Slide" mode.
4. The digital camera of claim 3, wherein said rotary switch includes:
an electrode plate having a plurality of arcuate conductor lines;
and a brush having a plurality of terminals corresponding to said
arcuate conductor lines each of said terminals contacts a corresponding
conductor line in a predetermined angle in response to said angle
such that said angle is electrically detected and said cover-controlled
operation mode is accordingly changed.
5. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein said cover-controlled
operation mode changes from a "Photography" mode to a
"Slide" mode, as said angle increases, said image being
still-photographed in said "Photography" mode, and said
photographed still-image being displayed on said LCD in said "Slide"
mode.
6. The digital camera according to claim 1, said rotary switch
being positioned about a swing axis of said cover.
7. A digital camera comprising: an electrical photography unit
that includes an image sensor that converts an optical image to
an electrical image, and an optical system that focuses said optical
image on an image receiving surface of said image sensor; a display
unit comprising a liquid crystal display (LCD) that displays said
electrical image; a camera body having a front surface in which
said display unit is disposed; a swing cover attached to said camera
body, said swing cover rotates between a closed position that covers
said LCD and an open position that uncovers said LCD, said electrical
photography unit being disposed in said swing cover; and a switch
that controls an electrical power supplied to said digital camera
such that said electrical power is turned OFF when said swing cover
covers said LCD and said electrical power is turned ON when said
swing cover uncovers said LCD said switch being operated by said
swing cover covering and uncovering said LCD, said switch comprising
a rotary switch that detects an angle of said swing cover such that
one of at least three cover-controlled operation modes of said digital
camera changes in response to a change in said angle.
8. The digital camera according to claim 7, said rotary switch
being positioned about a swing axis of said cover.
9. The digital camera according to claim 7, wherein said swing
cover is a rectangular plate having a shape corresponding to a shape
of said LCD, said rectangular plate having a back surface that faces
said LCD in said closed position and a front surface on which said
optical system is mounted.
10. A digital camera comprising: an electrical photography unit
that includes an image sensor that converts an optical image to
an electrical image, and an optical system that focuses said optical
image on an image receiving surface of said image sensor; a display
unit comprising a liquid crystal display (LCD) that displays said
electrical image; a camera body having a front surface in which
said display unit is disposed; a swing cover attached to said camera
body, said swing cover rotates between a closed position that covers
said LCD and an open position that uncovers said LCD, said electrical
photography unit being disposed in said swing cover; and a rotary
switch that switches an electrical power supplied to said digital
camera such that said power is turned OFF when said swing cover
covers said LCD and said power is turned ON when said swing cover
uncovers said LCD, said rotary switch comprising a cam plate having
an arcuate guide channel slidably engaging a pin that electrically
changes said cover-controlled operation mode, a smooth plateau being
provided at an intermediate position of said guide channel between
a first mode, being one of a "Photography" mode and a
"Slide" mode, and a second mode being the other of said
"Photography" mode and said "Slide" mode.
11. The digital camera according to claim 10, said rotary switch
being positioned about a swing axis of said cover.
12. The digital camera according to claim 10, said rotary switch
defining at least three cover-controlled operation modes of said
digital camera.
13. The digital camera according to claim 10, wherein said swing
cover is a rectangular plate having a shape corresponding to a shape
of said LCD, said rectangular plate having a back surface that faces
said LCD in said closed position and a front surface on which said
optical system is mounted.
Digital Camera Patent Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital camera that includes
a liquid crystal display (LCD) for displaying an image to be photographed.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital camera is known that includes a display unit containing
a liquid crystal display (LCD) for displaying an image to be photographed.
The display unit is movably attached to a body of the digital camera
such that a photographer can view the image at a convenient angle.
The conventional digital camera is sometimes troublesome for the
photographer, because an angle and position of the display unit
has to be adjusted. Disadvantageously, a surface of the LCD easily
attracts particulate matter, for example, finger smudges and dust,
during the adjustment, and no protection is provided for the LCD
to prevent accumulation of particulate matter during photography.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an
uncomplicated, easily adjustable LCD display unit on a digital camera,
which is protected from accumulation of particulate matter.
A digital camera according to the present invention comprises an
electrical photography unit that includes an image sensor converting
an optical image to an electrical image, and an optical system focusing
the optical image on an image receiving surface of the image sensor,
a display unit that has a liquid crystal display (LCD) displaying
the electrical image on the LCD, a camera body having a front surface
in which the display unit is disposed, and a swing cover attached
to the camera body that rotates between a closed position that completely
covers the LCD and an open position that discloses the LCD. The
electrical photography unit is disposed in the swing cover.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be better understood from the description
of the preferred embodiments of the invention set forth below together
with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a digital
camera according to the present invention displaying an LCD;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first embodiment with the LCD
covered;
FIG. 3 is a perspective bottom view of the first embodiment with
an open cover;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the first embodiment with the cover
opened to a maximum angle;
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a cam plate of a rotary switch of
the first embodiment;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the first embodiment;
FIG. 7 is a plan view of a cam plate of a rotary switch of a second
embodiment according to the present invention; and
FIG. 8 is block diagram of the second embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Hereinafter, the preferred embodiments of the present invention
are described with reference to the attached drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a digital
camera according to the present invention. The digital camera 10
includes a body 11 having a shape of a substantially rectangular
plate, a display unit 12 having a rectangular liquid crystal display
(LCD) 12a disposed in the body 11, such that the LCD 12a is positioned
at a center of a top surface 11a of the body 11. A swing cover 13
is positioned at an upper end of the body 11 to pivot around an
axis adjacent and parallel to an upper edge of the LCD 12a. The
swing cover 13 is a rectangular plate corresponding to the shape
of the LCD 12a and is swingable in an angular range shown by a single-chained
line A in FIG. 1. An angle .alpha. of the cover 13 can be changed
between a minimum angle (0 deg) where the swing cover 13 is closed
to completely cover the LCD 12a and a maximum angle (270 deg) where
the LCD 12a is completely disclosed. The cover 13 has a back surface
13c and a front surface 13d (see FIG. 2), and the back surface 13c
faces the LCD 12a when the LCD 12a is covered by the cover 13.
An electrical photography unit 20 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) is disposed
in the cover 13 for electrically photographing an image which is
displayed by the display unit 12 on the LCD 12a.
In FIG. 2, when the cover 13 completely covers the LCD 12a, an
electrical power of the digital camera 10 is turned OFF such that
the digital camera is shut down. A recess 14 (FIG. 1), having low
tolerance dimensions to smoothly receive the cover 13 is formed
on the top surface 11a of the body 11 at the position of the LCD
12a, such that the bottom (i.e., back) surface 13c of cover 13 is
received below the top surface 11a of the body 11 when the cover
13 is completely closed, allowing optimum protection of the LCD
12a. A switch 15, (FIG. 1) exhibiting a closed state during camera
operation, is disposed on a bottom surface 14a of the recess 14
adjacent to a lower edge of the LCD 12a. When the cover 13 is completely
closed over the LCD 12a, a portion of the bottom surface 13c of
the cover 13, corresponding to the switch 15 and adjacent a bottom
side surface 13a (FIG. 1), depresses the switch 15, thus shutting
down the digital camera 10. When the cover 13 is again opened, disclosing
(i.e., uncovering), the LCD 12a (FIG. 1), the switch 15 is released,
entering an ON state, and allowing an electrical power to be supplied
to the digital camera 10. The switch 15 is used as a main power
switch. Since the power supply is automatically stopped by depressing
the switch 15, unexpected power consumption due to carelessness
is prevented once the cover 13 is closed.
Since the photographing angle is selected by the angle a of the
cover 13 (FIG. 1) pivoting around the body 11, and the display unit
12 is fixed in the body 11, the position and angle a of the display
unit 12 is directly and easily adjustable by moving the body 11,
and the LCD 12a does not accumulate particulate matter, such as
finger-smudges. Further, the LCD 12a (FIG. 1) is protected from
particulate matter and damage due to the cover 13 when the digital
camera 10 is shut down.
A pair of cylindrical dials 13b are fixed to the cover 13, coaxial
to and at opposite ends of the swing axis of the cover 13. A plurality
of axial grooves are formed on a circumference of the dials 13b
for an increased frictional engagement with a finger of a photographer.
The cover 13 can be easily rotated by twisting one or both of the
dials 13b. A rotary switch 16, driven by the rotation of the dial
13b, is mechanically connected to one of the dials 13b for detecting
the angle .alpha. of the cover 13.
A mode selection switch 17 is disposed on the top surface 11a of
the body 11, for selecting a switch-controlled operation mode of
the digital camera 10. Direction buttons 18a and 18b are disposed
on the top surface 11a of the body, for adjusting a luminance of
the LCD 12a (FIG. 1) and for controlling forward and backward feeding
of images photographed. When the upper button 18a is pushed, the
luminance is increased or the images are fed forwards. When the
lower button 18b is pushed, the luminance is decreased or the images
are fed backwards. An input/output terminal 19 is disposed on a
side surface 11b of the body 11, for externally outputting a photographed
image to a personal computer (not shown) or other peripheral apparatus,
and for inputting an image from such an apparatus to the digital
camera 10. Due to a majority of people being right-handed, the mode
selection switch 17 and the dection buttons 18a and 18b are positioned
on a right side portion of the top surface 11a.
As shown in FIG. 3, the cover 13 is wide open for photographing
an image. In this state, the display unit 12 is fully disclosed
to the photographer. The cover 13 projects from the upper end of
the top surface 11a of the body 11. The electrical photography unit
20 includes an optical system 21 and an image sensor 30 (shown in
FIG. 6), for optically focusing an image on a visual field of the
image sensor 30, which then converts the focused image to electrical
image-pixel signals. The image sensor 30 is preferably an area sensor.
An automatic focusing apparatus 22 is disposed in the optical system
21, and includes a light-emitting diode 22a and a photo-sensor 22b.
The automatic focusing apparatus 22 measures a distance from the
digital camera 10 to an object, in a well-known manner. A lens 21a
(FIG. 2), being part of the optical system 21, is disposed on the
front surface 13d for focusing a visual field on the image sensor
30. The cover 13 is designed to have a thickness sufficient to include
the optical system 21 within the cover 13 and to allow the front
surface 13d to be completely flat. However, a modification allows
the lens 21a of the optical system 21 to project from the front
surface 13d of the cover 13, whereby the cover 13 is made thinner.
A shutter button 23 is disposed on a top side surface 11c of the
body 11 for driving both a shutter (not shown) of the optical system
21 and a memory controller 42 (FIG. 6: described later).
As shown in FIG. 4, when the cover 13 is swung open to the maximum
angle of 270 deg, the cover 13 projects obliquely downward from
a bottom surface of the body 11, and the LCD 12a faces upward. In
this position, the digital camera 10 may be positioned on a flat
surface, such that photographed images may be scrolled through at
leisure by a photographer. Thus, it is unnecessary to hold the body.
A cover-controlled operation mode of the digital camera 10 is changed
in response to an angle a of the cover 13, as shown in the following
table 1:
Table 1 Cover-controlled Operation Modes Selected by the Swing
Cover 13:
Angle .alpha. Operation Mode Operation .alpha. = 0 Shutdown Power
off 0 < .alpha. < 210 Photography 1) Input image is displayed
in real-time before photographed. Photographing is possible. 2)
Photographed image is displayed. 210 < .alpha. < 270 Slide
Photographed still images are displayed frame by frame.
In the "Shutdown" mode, the electrical power of the digital
camera 10 is off, as mentioned previously.
In the "photography" mode, an image input to the electrical
photography unit 20 is displayed by the display unit 12 in real-time
as a moving image. The photographer can observe and confirm the
image to be photographed. When the shutter button 23 is pushed,
an image of one frame of the moving image is photographed and the
photographed image is displayed on the LCD 12a as a still image.
In the "Slide" mode, the photographed still image is
displayed. When a plurality of still images have been photographed,
the photographer can select the images frame by frame using the
direction buttons 18a and 18b, similar to a conventional slide projector.
When the button 18a is pushed, the slides are forwarded toward a
most recent image, and when the button 18b is pushed, images going
back in chronological order are successively displayed.
The mode selection switch 17 manually selects switch-controlled
operation modes, as shown in table 2:
Table 2 Switch-controlled Operation Modes Selected by the Mode
Selection Switch 17:
Operation Mode selected Mode by swing cover 13 Operation Delete
"Slide" Photographed image is deleted. Superimpose "Photography"
Or Data is written on "Slide" photographed image. Single/Multi
"Slide" one image is displayed in "single" mode.
Plural images are displayed in "multi" mode.
In the "Delete" mode, a photographed image, displayed
at the LCD 12a, is deleted.
In the "Superimpose" mode, data, such as year, month,
date, and messages, are written on the photographed still image.
In the "Single" mode, one of the photographed still images
is displayed on a full area of the LCD 12a.
In the "Multi" mode, a plurality of photographed still
images are simultaneously displayed on the LCD 12a.
Further, it is also possible to manually change the cover-controlled
operation modes controlled by the rotary switch 16 using the mode
selection dial 17.
In FIG. 5, a cam plate 170, included in the rotary switch 16, is
securely connected to and rotates together with the dial 13b. An
arcuate circular guide channel 171 is formed on a surface of the
cam plate 170, which slidably engages a pin (not shown) for electrically
changing the above mentioned cover-controlled operation modes of
the digital camera 10. The guide channel 171 starts from an end
171a corresponding to the angle .alpha. of 0 deg of the swing cover
13 and terminates at another end 171b corresponding to the angle
.alpha. of 270 deg. At an intermediate position of the guide channel
171, corresponding to an angle .alpha. of 210 deg, a smooth plateau
171c is formed. The pin is pushed by the plateau such that the cover-controlled
operation mode is changed from "Photography" to "Slide"
or vice versa.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the digital camera 10. In the swing
cover 13, the optical system 21 is connected to the automatic focusing
apparatus 22, and the area sensor (image sensor) 30 on which the
image in the visual field is focused by the optical system 21 is
provided on an optical axis of the optical system 21. The optical
image is converted into analog image-pixel signals by the image
sensor 30, amplified by an amplifier 31, and then converted by an
A/D converter 32 into digital image-pixel signals. The area sensor
30 is controlled by a sensor driving circuit 33. The automatic focusing
apparatus 22 and the sensor driving circuit 33 are controlled by
a CPU 40 in the body 11, such that photography is performed when
the cover-controlled operation mode is the "Photography"
mode and no photography is performed when in the "Slide"
mode or "Shutdown" mode.
Output digital image-pixel signals from the A/D converter 32 are
input to a digital signal processor (DSP) 41, such that the digital
image-pixel signals undergo various image processings, such as a
shading compensation and a noise reduction. The processed digital
image-pixel signals in the DSP 41 are once stored in an image memory
43 according to a control of a memory controller 42. The processed
digital signals stored in the image memory 43 are read by the memory
controller 42 from the image memory 43, and encoded by the DSP 41
from red (R), green (G) and blue (B) digital image-pixel signals
to a video signal format consisting of color differential signals
(Cr, Cb) and a luminance signal (Y). The video signal is input through
the CPU 40 to an LCD driving circuit 48 which drives the LCD 12a.
Since images are continuously input to the area sensor 30 and transferred
to the image memory 43, the image in the visual field is displayed
by the LCD 12a as a motion picture in real-time.
The digital image-pixel signals stored in the image memory 43 and
a memory 44 can be output from the input/output terminal 19 to a
peripheral apparatus. While, image data contained in the peripheral
apparatus can be input to the input/output terminal 19 through the
DSP 41 to the image memory 43, and is once stored in the image memory
43. The image data in the image memory 43 is then read out of the
image memory 43 according to a control by the CPU 40, undergoes
predetermined image processing by the DSP 41, and the processed
image is displayed on the LCD 12a.
When the shutter button 23 is half-depressed, a single-frame image
is held in the image memory 43 and a still image is displayed on
the LCD 12a. When the shutter button 23 is further depressed, the
photographed still image is stored in the memory 44, which stores
photographed still images successively. In the "Slide"
mode, the images in the memory 44 can be successively displayed,
as previously described.
In the body 11, a battery 46 is disposed for supplying the electric
power to the components of the digital camera 10, such as the LCD
driving circuit 48, the automatic focusing apparatus 22, the sensor
driving circuit 33. The electric power of the battery 46 is supplied
through the switch 15 to an electric power control circuit 45, which
stabilizes the electric power and controls the electric power supply
to the components of the digital camera 10.
FIG. 7 shows a rotary switch 70 of a second embodiment, and FIG.
8 is a block diagram incorporating the second embodiment. Similar
portions to the first embodiment exhibit like references. In the
second embodiment, the switch 15 of the first embodiment for turning
off the electric power supply is omitted, and the rotary switch
16 is substituted by the rotary switch 70. The rotary switch 70
is connected between the battery 46 and the electric power circuit
45, and to the CPU 40, so as to be used as a main power switch (the
switch 15 of the first embodiment) as well as for the angle detection
switch (the rotary switch 16 of the first embodiment). Input and
output terminals 22 for connection to a peripheral apparatus are
shown in FIG. 8 as is a mode selection dial 50. Both the input and
output terminal, as well as the mode selection dial are connected
to the CPU 40.
The rotary switch 70 includes an electrode plate 700 as shown in
FIG. 7, which is securely connected to and rotates together with
the dials 13b. Arcuate conductor lines 701, 702 and 703 are formed
on a surface of the electrode plate 700, which slidably contact
a brush 705. The brush 705 includes terminals 705a, 705b and 705c
corresponding to and contacting the electrodes 701, 702 and 703,
respectively. The conductor line 701 extends between angular positions
of 0 deg and 270 deg, the conductor line 702 extends between angular
positions of 60 deg and 270 deg. The conductor line 703 extends
between angular positions of 0 deg and 60 deg, and between angular
positions of 210 deg and 270 deg. The respective angular positions
correspond to the rotation angle of the swing cover 13, similarly
to the first embodiment.
The brush 705 is input with a predetermined voltage and the conductor
lines 701 to 703 are grounded.
In the angular range between 0 deg and 60 deg, the terminals 705a
and 705c are grounded through conductor lines 701 and 703, respectively,
and are equal in voltage. While, the terminal 705b is higher than
the voltage of the terminals 705a and 705c. Thus, this angular range
is detected and the power is turned OFF.
In the angular range between 60 deg and 210 deg, the terminals
705a and 705b are grounded through conductor lines 701 and 702,
respectively, and are equal in voltage. While, the terminal 705c
is higher than the voltage of the terminals 705a and 705b. Thus,
this angular range is detected and the cover-controlled operation
mode is set to the "Photography" mode.
In the angular range between 210 deg and 270 deg, all the terminals
705a to 705c are grounded through conductor lines 701 to 703, respectively,
and are equal in voltage. Thus, this angular range is detected and
the cover-controlled operation mode is set to the "Slide"
mode.
Consequently, a similar effect to that of the first embodiment
is achieved by the second embodiment.
Finally, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that
the foregoing description is of preferred embodiments of the device,
and that various changes and modifications may be made to the present
invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.
The present disclosure relates to subject matters contained in
Japanese Patent Application No.10-130045 (filed on May 13, 1998)
which is expressly incorporated herein, by reference, in its entirety.
|