Digital Camera Patent Abstract
The invention provides a digital camera with a disposition device
for automatically converting a picture to an appropriate image meeting
the vision via the viewfinder, wherein the disposition device for
auto-detecting the holding condition of a digital camera comprises:
an insulating envelope having a cavity which is formed by an insulating
bottom and side wall, wherein the cavity is divided into a plurality
of concave regions; a conductive plate covering the cavity of the
insulating envelope and connected to the power source; a plurality
of conductive pads selectively located on the insulating bottom;
and a conductive ball rolling in the cavity by the influence of
gravity, wherein the movable sensor touching one of the conductive
pads and the conductive plate represents the holding condition of
the digital camera. Digital Camera Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A disposition device for auto-detecting the holding condition
of a digital camera comprising: an insulating envelope having a
cavity which is formed by an insulating bottom and side wall; a
conductive plate for covering the cavity of the insulating envelope;
a plurality of conductive pads selectively located on the insulating
bottom; and a movable sensor moving in the cavity by the influence
of gravity, wherein the movable sensor touching one of the conductive
pads and the conductive plate represents the holding condition of
the digital camera.
2. A disposition device for auto-detecting the holding condition
of a digital camera as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cavity of
the insulating envelope is divided into a plurality of concave regions.
3. A disposition device for auto-detecting the holding condition
of a digital camera as claimed in claim 2, wherein every concave
region corresponds to one conductive pad.
4. A disposition device for auto-detecting the holding condition
of a digital camera as claimed in claim 2, wherein two of the concave
regions are symmetrically located.
5. A disposition device for auto-detecting the holding condition
of a digital camera as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movable sensor
is a conductive ball.
6. A digital camera with a disposition device for automatically
converting a picture to an appropriate image meeting the vision
via the viewfinder, including a housing, a button, a liquid crystal
display, a power source and a digital camera circuit, wherein the
disposition device for auto-detecting the holding condition of a
digital camera comprises: an insulating envelope having a cavity
which is formed by an insulating bottom and side wall, wherein the
cavity is divided into a plurality of concave regions; a conductive
plate covering the cavity of the insulating envelope and connecting
with the power source; a plurality of conductive pads selectively
located on the insulating bottom; and a conductive ball rolling
in the cavity by the influence of gravity, wherein the movable sensor
touching one of the conductive pads and the conductive plate represents
the holding condition of the digital camera.
7. A digital camera with a disposition device as claimed in claim
6, wherein as the conductive ball is located at one of the concave
regions, the conductive ball touches both the conductive plate and
the corresponding conductive pad.
8. A digital camera with a disposition device as claimed in claim
7, wherein as the button is pressed, a signal representing the holding
condition of the digital camera is generated.
9. A digital camera with a disposition device as claimed in claim
8, wherein the digital camera circuit automatically executes built-in
software to convert the pictures into images meeting the visions
via the viewfinder according to the signal.
10. A digital camera with a disposition device as claimed in claim
6, wherein two of the concave regions are symmetrically located.
11. A digital camera with a disposition device as claimed in claim
6, wherein the conductive pads respectively connect to a corresponding
I/O port on the digital camera circuit.
Digital Camera Patent Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a disposition device for auto-detecting
the holding condition of a digital camera. In particular, the invention
relates to a disposition device, which automatically detects a digital
camera whether it is held upright or horizontally.
2. Description of the Related Art
The charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide
semiconductor (CMOS) existing in the conventional video camera is
introduced into the digital camera and shoots a picture of a subject,
wherein the picture is stored in memory in order to show on the
display later. As shown in FIG. 1a, the digital camera is held upright
to shoot a full-length picture of a subject. As shown in FIG. 1b,
after shooting a picture of the subject, photographer commonly rotates
the digital camera to a horizontal condition, and the picture displayed
on the liquid crystal display of the digital camera is parallel
to the ground. If user wants to view a picture meeting the vision
via the viewfinder, the user can only rotate the digital camera
to the upright condition or utilize built-in software to convert
the picture into an upright image. However, whether the digital
camera is rotated by a user or by converting the image by utilizing
the built-in software, it is inconvenient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems
of the prior art by providing a disposition device for auto-detecting
the holding condition of a digital camera. Firstly, when a digital
camera shoots a picture of a subject, the disposition device detects
the holding condition of the digital camera, such as an upright
condition or a horizontal condition. Then, the disposition device
sends a signal to the digital camera circuit. According to the signal,
the digital camera circuit automatically executes the built-in software
to convert the picture into an appropriate image meeting the vision
via the viewfinder.
A second object of this invention is to provide a digital camera
with a disposition device for automatically converting a picture
to an appropriate image meeting the vision via the viewfinder, wherein
the disposition device can send out an electronic signal representing
the holding condition of the digital camera when shooting a picture
of a subject. Therefore, while displaying the images by a display,
a user can view an image meeting the appropriate vision via the
viewfinder at that time.
The invention provides a disposition device for auto-detecting
the holding condition of a digital camera, comprising: an insulating
envelope having a cavity which is formed by an insulating bottom
and side wall, a conductive plate for covering the cavity of the
insulating envelope, a plurality of conductive pads selectively
located on the insulated bottom, and a movable sensor moving in
the cavity according to the influence of gravity, wherein the movable
sensor touching one of the conductive pads and the conductive plate
represents the holding condition of the digital camera.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
This and other objects and features of the invention will become
clear from the following description, taken in conjunction with
the preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1a schematically shows a conventional digital camera shooting
a picture of a subject in an upright condition;
FIG. 1b schematically shows the display direction of a picture,
which is taken in the upright position by a conventional digital
camera;
FIG. 2a is a schematic cross-sectional view of a disposition device
of the invention;
FIG. 2b is an exploded diagram showing a disposition device of
the invention;
FIGS. 3a to 3c respectively show a digital camera capturing an
image of an object in different conditions; and
FIG. 4 schematically shows a digital camera circuit of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT
FIGS. 2a and 2b respectively show a cross-sectional view and an
exploded view of a disposition device of the invention. Referring
to FIG. 2b, the disposition device comprises: a conductive plate
A, a movable sensor B, such as a conductive ball, an insulating
envelope C, and a plurality of conductive pads D. As shown in FIG.
2a, the disposition device is a triangular structure, and has three
concave regions 20a, 20b, and 20c for positioning the conductive
ball B therein. Two of the concave regions 20a and 20b are symmetrically
located at two corners of the disposition device. As shown in FIG.
4, the conductive plate A connects with a power source 4, so that
the disposition device can send an electronic signal to a digital
camera circuit. In FIG. 2b, the insulating envelope C has a cavity
which is formed by an insulating bottom and side wall, wherein the
cavity is divided into three concave regions. Three conductive pads
D are respectively located on the bottom surface. The movable sensor
B, such as a conductive ball B, rolls in the cavity of the insulating
envelope C. The conductive ball B would be selectively located in
one of the concave regions by the influence of gravity. As the conductive
ball B is located in one of the concave regions, one of the conductive
pads locating on the insulating bottom touches the conductive ball
B. Therefore, a current supplied from the power source will pass
through the conductive plate A, the conductive ball B, and the conductive
pad D touching the conductive ball B, and then the current as a
signal sends out and represents the holding condition of the digital
camera.
FIGS. 3a to 3c respectively show a digital camera shooting a picture
of a subject in different holding conditions. As shown in FIGS.
3a to 3c, a digital camera 30 of the invention comprises a housing
32, a button 34, a liquid crystal display 36 and a disposition device
38. The disposition device 38 of the invention can be installed
at any location inside the digital camera. As shown in FIG. 3a,
while the digital camera 30 is set along the horizontal direction,
the conductive ball B is located at the concave region 20c. As shown
in FIGS. 3a and 3b, while the digital camera 30 is moved from the
horizontal position to an upright position by counterclockwise rotation,
the conductive ball B is rolled from the concave region 20c to another
concave region 20a by the influence of gravity. As shown in FIG.
4, when the digital camera shoots a picture of a subject, the power
source 4 provides the disposition device 38 with a current as a
signal that is conducted to a corresponding I/O port 5a on the digital
camera circuit 5 by the loop 1. Therefore, the digital camera circuit
5 receiving the electronic signal through the loop 1 represents
that the digital camera 30 is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise
and held upright. FIGS. 3a and 3c show another condition of the
digital camera 30 which is also moved from the horizontal position
to an upright position, and the conductive ball B is located at
the concave region 20b. As shown in FIG. 4, when the digital camera
shoots a picture of a subject, the power source 4 also provides
the disposition device 38 with a current as a signal that is conducted
to a corresponding I/O port 5b on the digital camera circuit 5 by
the loop 2. Therefore, the digital camera circuit 5 receiving the
electronic signal through the loop 2 represents that the digital
camera 30 is rotated 90 degrees clockwise and held upright.
Therefore, the disposition device automatically provides every
picture with a notation that depicts whether the digital camera
is held in the upright direction or the horizontal direction. According
to the notations, the digital camera circuit automatically executes
the built-in software to convert the pictures into images meeting
the visions via the viewfinder without user's operation. Therefore,
the display, for example a LCD on the digital camera, a desktop
monitor, a television, can show the images meeting the visions via
the viewfinder.
While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been
described, it is to be understood that modifications will be apparent
to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of
the invention. The scope of the invention, therefore, is to be determined
solely by the following claims. |