# US 10,321,063 B2 · Electronic apparatus and image pickup apparatus

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- Number: US 10,321,063 B2
- Document ID: US10321063B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/789,703
- Filed: 2017-10-20
- Published: 2018-04-26
- Granted: 2019-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2016-10-25
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Hiroshi Nakamura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10321063B2

## CPC

- H04N 23/63: by using electronic viewfinders
- H04N 23/51: Housings
- H04N 23/531: {being rotatable or detachable}
- H04N 25/00: Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes a display unit configured to be rotatable with respect to a main body unit in a first direction about a first axis and a second direction about a second axis, a magnet configured to generate a magnetic field, a first sensor configured to detect, based on the magnetic field, a first state of the display unit in the first direction, a second sensor configured to detect, based on the magnetic field, a second state of the display unit in the second direction, a third sensor configured to detect, based on the magnetic field, a third state of the display unit, and a control unit configured to control a display state of the display unit based on the first state, the second state, and the third state.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electronic apparatus comprising:
a display unit configured to be rotatable with respect to a main body unit in a first direction about a first axis and a second direction about a second axis being different direction from the first axis;
a magnet configured to generate a magnetic field;
a first sensor configured to detect, based on the magnetic field, a first state of the display unit in the first direction;
a second sensor configured to detect, based on the magnetic field, a second state of the display unit in the second direction;
a third sensor configured to detect, based on the magnetic field, a third state of the display unit; and
a controller configured to control a display state of the display unit based on the first state, the second state, and the third state,
wherein placement of the first and second sensors, and placement of the third sensor are symmetrical with respect to the second axis.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electronic apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the first axis and the second axis are perpendicular to each other,
wherein the first direction corresponds to an open/close direction of the display unit with respect to the main body unit, and the second direction corresponds to a rotation direction of the display unit with respect to the main body unit,
wherein the first sensor detects, as the first state, an open/close state of the display unit with respect to the main body unit, the second sensor detects, as the second state, a rotation state of the display unit with respect to the main body unit, and the third sensor detects, as the third state, a close state of the display unit with respect to the main body unit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The electronic apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the display unit is held in a movable display device configured to be rotatable with respect to the main body unit through a hinge unit,
wherein the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor are provided in the main body unit, and
wherein the magnet is provided in the movable display device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a magnetized direction of the magnet is perpendicular to a direction along the first axis.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The electronic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first sensor is disposed so as to incline with respect to the magnetized direction of the magnet.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The electronic apparatus according to claim 5,
wherein the magnet is provided at a position closer to the hinge unit than to a center of the movable display device, and
wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are provided on the first axis.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The electronic apparatus according to claim 5,
wherein the first sensor detects the magnetic field in a direction inclined with respect to the magnetized direction of the magnet, and
wherein the second sensor detects the magnetic field in a direction parallel to the first axis.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third sensor is provided at a position shifted from the first axis.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a distance from a center of the first sensor to the second axis is equal to a distance from a center of the magnet to the second axis.

### Claim 10

An image pickup apparatus comprising:
an image sensor configured to perform photoelectric conversion on an optical image formed through an image pickup optical system;
a display unit configured to be rotatable with respect to a main body unit in a first direction about a first axis and a second direction about a second axis being different direction from the first axis;
a magnet configured to generate a magnetic field;
a first sensor configured to detect, based on the magnetic field, a first state of the display unit in the first direction;
a second sensor configured to detect, based on the magnetic field, a second state of the display unit in the second direction;
a third sensor configured to detect, based on the magnetic field, a third state of the display unit; and
a controller configured to change a display state of an image obtained by the image sensor on the display unit according to the first state, the second state, and the third state,
wherein placement of the first and second sensors, and placement of the third sensor are symmetrical with respect to the second axis.