Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
396050000 | ATTITUDE SENSING | 17 |
20080226274 | Systems For Improved Autofocus in Digital Imaging Systems - Systems to improve autofocus in digital imaging systems, such as digital cameras, are disclosed. Embodiments may include systems for, in response to locking of lens focus on a subject image, determining an initial subject focus distance and an initial attitude, and in response to a request for an exposure, determining a final attitude. System embodiments may also include determining a final target subject distance based on the initial subject focus distance and a focus correction distance, where the focus correction distance is based on the difference between the initial attitude and the final attitude. System embodiments may also include focusing the lens at the final target subject distance. Further system embodiments may include after focusing the lens at the final target subject distance, exposing an image. Other system embodiments may include determining the initial and final attitude with a micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS)-based sensor or other sensor. | 09-18-2008 |
20080232788 | Tilt-Sensitive Camera Projected Viewfinder - A tilt-sensitive viewfinder indicates the area of an object plane within view of the camera using a visible signal projected from the camera. A direction sensor determines the camera orientation and modifies the visible signal as the camera orientation changes. Changes in appearance of the visible signal reflect changes in the camera field of view. Data from the direction sensor describing camera orientation may be stored in a data storage device and may be associated with data describing the captured image. The stored camera orientation data improves processing of captured images by providing information about angular components of the captured images. | 09-25-2008 |
20080240694 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE - An electronic device includes an operation member which is arranged within a range where a particular finger of right hand gripping the electronic device in a vertical orientation reaches and in which assigned functions can be customized, a storage unit adapted to store information on a first function and a second function which are set in the operation member as the assigned functions, an orientation information obtaining unit adapted to obtain information on an orientation related to the electronic device, a function assignment control unit adapted to assign the first function to the operation member when it is determined based on the information on the orientation that the electronic device is in a horizontal orientation and assign the second function to the operation member when it is determined based on the information on the orientation that the electronic device is in the vertical orientation. | 10-02-2008 |
20090010630 | Camera System and Method of Correcting Camera Fitting Errors - A camera system includes a detection unit that detects fitting errors of a camera as displacement quantities in a first direction, a second direction and an optical axis rotating direction of an image picked up by the camera, a selection unit that selects a rotation correcting quantity corresponding to the displacement quantity in the optical axis rotating direction from plural rotation correction maps prepared in advance, a computation unit that computes the correcting quantities in the first direction and the second direction respectively based on the detected displacement quantities in the first direction and the second direction by means of linear expressions; and a correction unit that corrects the displacements in the first direction, the second direction and the optical axis rotating direction of the picked up image based on the selected rotation correcting quantity and the computed correcting quantities in the first direction and the second direction. | 01-08-2009 |
20090067826 | IMAGING APPARATUS - An imaging apparatus whose posture is easily adjustable is provided. The imaging apparatus is configured to include an inclination detector detecting a degree of inclination of one of the imaging apparatus and an image captured by the imaging apparatus relative to a horizontal direction orthogonal to a direction of gravity; a display unit; a first inclination indicator unit allowing the display unit to display an indicator to indicate the degree of inclination according to a detection result from the inclination detector; a second inclination indicator unit notifying via sound according to a detection result from the inclination detector that the degree of inclination is over a predetermined value; and a selector unit allowing at least one of the first and second inclination indicator units to operate. | 03-12-2009 |
20090080874 | PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS, METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME, PROGRAM FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME, AND RECORDING MEDIUM STORING THE PROGRAM - According to one embodiment, there is provided photographic apparatus which has image acquisition unit, image processing unit configured to process the image data acquired by image acquisition unit, display unit configured to display the image represented by the imaged data processed by image processing unit, attitude detection unit configured to detect the attitude of photographic apparatus and outputs attitude information, and control unit configured to controls image acquisition unit, image processing unit and display unit. The control unit outputs, to display unit, an inclination reference image that enables a user to visually perceive how much an image photographed when photographic apparatus actually inclines is inclined to an image photographed when photographic apparatus does not incline at all. The control unit controls the density of the inclination reference image, increasing the density when the inclination of photographic apparatus is large, and decreasing the density when the inclination is small. | 03-26-2009 |
20090154910 | Camera with Acceleration Sensor - A method and system for determining camera positioning information from an accelerometer mounted on a camera. The accelerometer measures the orientation of the camera with respect to gravity. Orientation measurement allows user interface information to be displayed in a “right side up” orientation on a viewfinder for any camera orientation. Alternatively, an artificial horizon indicator may be displayed in the viewfinder. The accelerometer may also measure camera movement. Camera movement information together with camera orientation can be used to determine camera usage. Additionally, camera movement information can be used to determine a minimum shutter speed for a sharp picture. | 06-18-2009 |
20100129068 | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DETECTING THE ORIENTATION OF AN ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - A device for detecting orientation includes: an inertial device, having a plurality of independent detection axes and configured to supply inertial signals indicating effects of the force of gravity according to respective detection axes; and a processing unit for configured to process the inertial signals. The processing unit includes an interrupt-generator module having a threshold-comparison stage, for configured to compare the inertial signals with respective thresholds, and a logic module, coupled to the threshold-comparison stage and configured to generate an interrupt signal on an interrupt terminal accessible from outside in response to the permanence of at least one of the inertial signals below the respective threshold for a time interval. | 05-27-2010 |
20110052163 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETECTING HORIZONTAL ORIENTATION OF CAMERA DEVICE - A method for detecting horizontal orientation of the picture in a camera device, and the method includes the following steps. A plurality of orientation changes are detected in the camera device and converted to voltage signals by a gravity sensor module. The voltage signals are received by a data processing module and value of the angle in which the camera device deviated from a defined horizontal orientation is calculated. The value of the angle in which the camera device deviated from the defined horizontal orientation is received by an output module. The output module indicates how to adjust the camera device to the defined horizontal orientation. | 03-03-2011 |
20110200311 | IMAGING APPARATUS - An imaging apparatus whose posture is easily adjustable is provided. The imaging apparatus is configured to include an inclination detector detecting a degree of inclination of one of the imaging apparatus and an image captured by the imaging apparatus relative to a horizontal direction orthogonal to a direction of gravity; a display unit; a first inclination indicator unit allowing the display unit to display an indicator to indicate the degree of inclination according to a detection result from the inclination detector; a second inclination indicator unit notifying via sound according to a detection result from the inclination detector that the degree of inclination is over a predetermined value; and a selector unit allowing at least one of the first and second inclination indicator units to operate. | 08-18-2011 |
20110255849 | Camera - To provide a camera that can perform a removal operation for particles adherent to a surface upon which light is incident, of a pickup device and a transmitting member disposed on an optical path of the pickup device in such a condition that the particles are properly removed. According to the present invention, a camera comprises a driving mechanism section to drop and remove particles on a cleaning target that is a surface of an image pickup device and/or a surface of a low-pass filter provided closer to a side of a subject in an optical path than the image pickup device, the subject light passing through the low-pass filter, which is provided with: a tilt sensor to detect an orientation of the camera; and a control section to judge whether a removal operation for the particles by the driving mechanism section should be carried out or not in accordance with the detected value from the tilt sensor. | 10-20-2011 |
20120027390 | IMAGE CAPTURE APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - An image capture apparatus comprises an inclination detection unit which detects an inclination of the image capture apparatus, a display unit which displays the inclination of the image capture apparatus, and a predetermined reference orientation set for the image capture apparatus, a still state determination unit which determines that the image capture apparatus is in a still state, if a variation of the inclination falls within a predetermined range, and a reference orientation setting unit which sets the reference orientation of the image capture apparatus, wherein the reference orientation setting unit does not set the reference orientation if the still state determination unit determines that the image capture apparatus is not in the still state. | 02-02-2012 |
20120070137 | PHOTOGRAPHING DEVICE EQUIPPED WITH GEOMAGNETIC SENSOR - Disclosed is a photographing device including a geomagnetic sensor which detects an intensity of geomagnetism, an image capture unit which captures an image, a lens tube including a part that exerts magnetic influence on the geomagnetic sensor, in which a position of the part shifts, a detection unit which detects a current shifted position of the part in the lens tube, an obtaining unit which obtains a magnetic field that exerts magnetic influence on the geomagnetic sensor from the lens tube corresponding to the current shifter position detected by the detection unit, and an orientation calculation unit which calculates an orientation by correcting an output of the geomagnetic sensor based on the magnetic field obtained by the obtaining unit. | 03-22-2012 |
20120177351 | IMAGING DEVICE - An imaging device includes a three-axis acceleration detector, an inclination calculator to calculate an amount of inclination of the imaging device according to an output value of the acceleration detector, a determining element to determine whether or not the imaging device is dropping or receiving an impact according to the output value of the acceleration detector, a mode switching element to set the acceleration detector to be in either an electronic level mode or an impact detection mode by changing at least one of a measuring range and a sampling rate of the acceleration detector, and a storing element to store detected acceleration data in time series. When the determining element determines that the imaging device has dropped or received an impact in the impact detection mode, the storing element stores acceleration data detected at a time when the drop or impact has occurred. | 07-12-2012 |
20120230662 | Imaging Apparatus - An imaging apparatus whose posture is easily adjustable is provided. The imaging apparatus is configured to include an inclination detector detecting a degree of inclination of one of the imaging apparatus and an image captured by the imaging apparatus relative to a horizontal direction orthogonal to a direction of gravity; a display unit; a first inclination indicator unit allowing the display unit to display an indicator to indicate the degree of inclination according to a detection result from the inclination detector; a second inclination indicator unit notifying via sound according to a detection result from the inclination detector that the degree of inclination is over a predetermined value; and a selector unit allowing at least one of the first and second inclination indicator units to operate. | 09-13-2012 |
20130142501 | CAMERA - To provide a camera that can perform a removal operation for particles adherent to a surface upon which light is incident, of a pickup device and a transmitting member disposed on an optical path of the pickup device in such a condition that the particles are properly removed. According to the present invention, a camera comprises a driving mechanism section to drop and remove particles on a cleaning target that is a surface of an image pickup device and/or a surface of a low-pass filter provided closer to a side of a subject in an optical path than the image pickup device, the subject light passing through the low-pass filter, which is provided with: a tilt sensor to detect an orientation of the camera; and a control section to judge whether a removal operation for the particles by the driving mechanism section should be carried out or not in accordance with the detected value from the tilt sensor. | 06-06-2013 |
20140147103 | CAMERA LENS ASSEMBLY - A camera lens assembly comprising a lens assembly housing and a compound lens and a motion sensor arrangement within the lens assembly housing, wherein the motion sensor arrangement comprises: angular rotation sensors configured to detect angular rotation about three orthogonal axes of rotation; and linear acceleration sensors configured to detect linear acceleration in three orthogonal directions. | 05-29-2014 |