# US 2014/0192244 A1 · Image pickup device and image pickup method

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- Number: US 2014/0192244 A1
- Document ID: US20140192244A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/240,778
- Filed: 2012-10-03
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2011-10-07
- Assignees: Panasonic Corporation
- Applicants: Panasonic Corporation
- Inventors: Takashi Ishihara; Kazutaka Yamamoto; Katsuyuki Ito
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192244A1

## CPC

- H04N 23/667: Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
- G06F 3/04817: using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34)
- G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
- G06F 3/04845: for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
- G06F 3/0488: using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
- G06F 3/04883: for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
- G06F 3/04897: {Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability}
- G09G 3/3406: {Control of illumination source (illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336)}
- H04N 23/51: Housings
- H04N 23/62: Control of parameters via user interfaces
- H04N 23/631: {Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters}
- H04N 23/633: {for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera}
- H04N 23/651: {for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera}
- H04N 23/73: by influencing the exposure time
- G03B 17/02: Bodies
- G03B 17/20: visible in viewfinder
- G06F 3/04886: by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
- G09G 2320/0626: for control of overall brightness
- H04M 1/72403: with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
- H04M 2250/12: including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
- H04M 2250/22: including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
- H04M 2250/52: including functional features of a camera
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00)
- G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D)
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

An image pickup device includes: a camera unit; a display unit which displays an image captured by the camera unit; and a touch panel disposed so as to overlap the display unit. When a predetermined operation is performed on the touch panel, a brightness of the display unit is changed from a first brightness to a second brightness brighter than the first brightness. The display unit displays thereon an indication showing that the brightness has increased. The indication showing that the brightness has increased is continued even at least after changing to the second brightness.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image pickup device comprising:
a camera unit;
a display unit which displays an image captured by the camera unit; and
a touch panel disposed so as to overlap the display unit,
wherein when a predetermined operation is performed on the touch panel, a brightness of the display unit is changed from a first brightness to a second brightness brighter than the first brightness,
wherein the display unit displays thereon an indication showing that the brightness has increased, and
wherein the indication showing that the brightness has increased is continued even at least after changing to the second brightness.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image pickup device according to claim 1,
wherein the predetermined operation is a flick operation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The image pickup device according to claim 2,
wherein the display unit has a rectangular shape, and
wherein the flick operation is a flick operation along a transverse direction of the rectangular shape.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The image pickup device according to claim 2, further comprising:
a sensor which detects a vertical direction,
wherein the flick operation is a flick operation from down to up along the vertical direction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The image pickup device according to claim 3,
wherein the flick operation is defined as a first flick operation, and
wherein when a second flick operation in an opposite direction to the first flick operation is performed, the brightness of the display unit is changed from the second brightness to the first brightness.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The image pickup device according to claim 1,
wherein the indication showing that the brightness has increased is displayed by an icon.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The image pickup device according to claim 1,
wherein the indication showing that the brightness has increased is displayed for a predetermined time.

### Claim at position 8

8-12. (canceled)

### Claim 13

An image pickup method which can be used in an image pickup device comprising a camera unit, a display unit which displays an image captured by the camera unit, and a touch panel disposed so as to overlap the display unit, said image pickup method comprising:
changing a brightness of the display unit from a first brightness to a second brightness brighter than the first brightness when a predetermined operation is performed on the touch panel; and
displaying on the display unit an indication showing that the brightness has increased,
wherein the indication showing that the brightness has increased is continued even at least after changing to the second brightness.

### Claim 14

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing an image pickup program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause an image pickup device, which comprises a camera unit, a display unit which displays an image captured by the camera unit, and a touch panel disposed so as to overlap the display unit, to execute:
changing a brightness of the display unit from a first brightness to a second brightness brighter than the first brightness when a predetermined operation is performed on the touch panel; and
displaying on the display unit an indication showing that the brightness has increased,
wherein the indication showing that the brightness has increased is continued even at least after changing to the second brightness.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

A server comprising the non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 14 storing the image pickup program so as to be downloadable.

### Claim 16

A display device comprising:
a display unit which displays an image; and
a touch panel disposed so as to overlap the display unit,
wherein when a predetermined operation is performed on the touch panel, a brightness of the display unit is changed from a first brightness to a second brightness brighter than the first brightness,
wherein the display unit displays thereon an indication showing that the brightness has increased, and
wherein the indication showing that the brightness has increased is continued even at least after changing to the second brightness.

### Claim 17

An image pickup device comprising:
a camera unit;
a display unit which displays an image captured by the camera unit; and
a touch panel disposed so as to overlap the display unit,
wherein when a predetermined operation is performed on the touch panel, a gamma characteristic of the display unit is changed from a first gamma characteristic to a second gamma characteristic,
wherein the display unit displays thereon an indication showing that the gamma characteristic of the display unit has been changed, and
wherein the indication showing that the gamma characteristic has been changed is continued even at least after changing to the second gamma characteristic.

### Claim 18

An image pickup device comprising:
a camera unit;
a display unit that displays an image captured by the camera unit; and
a touch panel disposed so as to overlap the display unit,
wherein when a predetermined operation is performed on the touch panel, an imaging condition in the camera unit is changed from a first imaging condition to a second imaging condition different from the first imaging conditions.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The image pickup device according to claim 18, further comprising:
a synthesizing unit which performs at least one of synthesizing processing and animation processing on a first image captured under the first imaging condition and a second image captured under the second imaging condition,
wherein the first and second images after at least one of the synthesizing processing and the animation processing is performed are displayed on the display unit.

### Claim 20

An image pickup device comprising:
a camera unit;
a flashlight unit capable of emitting light at a time of imaging of the camera unit;
a display unit which displays an image captured by the camera unit; and
a touch panel disposed so as to overlap the display unit,
wherein when a predetermined operation is performed on the touch panel, setting of the flashlight unit is changed.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The image pickup device according to claim 20,
wherein the setting of the flashlight unit comprises at least one of auto flash, flash ON, flash OFF, and steady lighting.

### Claim 22

An image pickup device comprising:
a camera unit;
a display unit which displays an image captured by the camera unit;
a touch panel disposed so as to overlap the display unit; and
a storage unit which stores a predetermined operation on the touch panel in association with a function to be executed, by a setting operation on the touch panel.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The image pickup device according to claim 22,
wherein when a second predetermined operation different from the predetermined operation is performed on the touch panel, the predetermined operation on the touch panel and the function to be executed, which are stored in the storage unit in association with each other, are read and listed on the display unit.

### Claim 24

(canceled)

### Claim 25 (depends on 18)

The image pickup device according to claim 18,
wherein the second imaging condition allows a plurality of imaging conditions to be changed continuously.

### Claim 26

(canceled)

### Claim 27

An image pickup device comprising:
a camera unit;
a display unit; and
a touch panel disposed so as to overlap the display unit,
wherein the display unit has at least a first mode in which an image captured by the camera unit is displayed, and a second mode in which a predetermined image is displayed,
wherein in the first mode, the touch panel has an unresponsive region with a predetermined width in a peripheral portion of the display unit, and
wherein in the second mode, the touch panel does not have the unresponsive region.

### Claim 28

An image pickup device comprising:
a camera unit;
a display unit; and
a touch panel disposed so as to overlap the display unit,
wherein the display unit has at least a first mode in which an image captured by the camera unit is displayed, and a second mode in which a predetermined image is displayed,
wherein in the first mode, the touch panel has an unresponsive region with a first width in a peripheral portion of the display unit, and
wherein in the second mode, the touch panel has an unresponsive region with a second width, which is smaller than the first width, in the peripheral portion of the display unit.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The image pickup device according to claim 27,
wherein the display unit has a rectangular shape, and
wherein the unresponsive region is disposed along at least one side of the rectangular shape.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The image pickup device according to claim 29,
wherein in the display unit in the first mode, an icon is displayed in a range of a predetermined distance from a first side of the rectangular shape, and
wherein the unresponsive region is disposed along the first side and does not include at least a part of a region where the icon is displayed.

### Claim 31 (depends on 29)

The image pickup device according to claim 29,
wherein in the display unit in the first mode, an icon is displayed in a range of the predetermined distance from the first side of the rectangular shape,
wherein the unresponsive region comprises at least a first unresponsive region disposed along the first side and a second unresponsive region disposed along a second side adjacent to the first side, and
wherein a width of the first unresponsive region is larger than a width of the second unresponsive region.

### Claim at position 28

32-41. (canceled)

### Claim 42 (depends on 27)

The image pickup device according to claim 27,
wherein in a region of the touch panel other than the unresponsive region, an input of at least one functions (1) to (5) is received as follows:
(1) selection of an object of auto focus;
(2) shutter;
(3) selection of an object of electronic zoom;
(4) selection of an object to adjust exposure; and
(5) selection of an object to adjust white balance.

### Claim 43

An image pickup device comprising:
a camera unit;
a display unit which displays an image captured by the camera unit; and
a touch panel disposed so as to overlap the display unit,
wherein the image pickup device has at least a first mode and a second mode,
wherein switching from the first mode to the second mode occurs by a first flick operation in a first direction, and
wherein a predetermined program is allowed to be started in the second mode.

### Claim 44 (depends on 43)

The image pickup device according to claim 43, further comprising:
a communication unit capable of performing radio communication with an outside is provided, and
wherein the predetermined program is obtainable through the communication unit.

### Claim 45

(canceled)

### Claim 46 (depends on 43)

The image pickup device according to claim 43,
wherein the predetermined program is allowed to be set by the user,
wherein if the predetermined program is set and switching from the first mode to the second mode occurs, the predetermined program starts, and
wherein if the predetermined program is not set and switching from the first mode to the second mode occurs, an indication prompting setting of the program is displayed.

### Claim 47 (depends on 43)

The image pickup device according to claim 43,
wherein the predetermined program is allowed to be set by the user,
wherein if the predetermined program is set and switching from the first mode to the second mode occurs, the predetermined program starts, and
wherein if the predetermined program is not set and switching from the first mode to the second mode occurs, a function of prompting setting of the program starts.

### Claim 48 (depends on 43)

The image pickup device according to claim 43,
wherein switching from the second mode to the first mode occurs due to a second flick operation in a second direction that is an opposite direction to the first direction.

### Claim at position 36

49-51. (canceled)

### Claim 52 (depends on 43)

The image pickup device according to claim 43,
wherein the display unit has a rectangular shape,
wherein the first direction is a direction away from a predetermined side of the rectangular shape, and
wherein in the first mode, when a region of a predetermined width from the predetermined side is touched on the touch panel, display corresponding to the second mode is performed.

### Claim 53

(canceled)

### Claim 54 (depends on 52)

The image pickup device according to claim 52,
wherein after the region of the predetermined width is touched, an input of the first flick operation is allowed continuously.

### Claim 55 (depends on 52)

The image pickup device according to claim 52,
wherein when the region of the predetermined width from the predetermined side is touched on the touch panel for a predetermined time, display corresponding to the second mode is performed.

### Claim at position 41

56-61. (canceled)