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US 8,411,165 B2Granted
Microphone apparatus, reproducing apparatus, and image taking apparatus
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorKazuhiko Ozawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A microphone apparatus of the present invention is applied to a camera including a panel type view finder for displaying a picture taken by the camera, a touch panel for pointing a desired position of the picture displayed on the view finder, determining circuit for determining a direction of the real picture in accordance with the position pointed by the touch panel, a microphone device having a plurality of microphone units for collecting a sound that comes from the picture taken by the camera; and directivity generating circuit for generating a sound directivity signal with which the microphone device collects the sound coming from the direction determined by the determining circuit.
Claims14
A video camera, comprising:
- image taking means having a body containing at least an image pickup device, a lens provided on a first surface of the body and an eye piece view finder provided on a second surface of the body opposite to the first surface, the image taking means having an optical axis;
- panel type view finder, attached to a side surface of the body of the image taking means adjacent to the lens, for displaying a picture taken by said image taking means, said panel type view finder rotatable about both an X axis direction and a Y axis direction which are perpendicular to the optical axis;
- sound collecting means having a first microphone unit disposed on a rear surface side of said panel type view finder, a second microphone unit disposed on the first surface of the body and a third microphone unit disposed on an upper surface of the body, said sound collecting means having a sound directivity which is variable;
- and
- sound directivity generating means for changing the sound directivity with which said sound collecting means collects the sound, wherein;
- said panel type view finder, with said first microphone unit of said sound collecting means disposed thereon, rotate together, and
- said sound directivity generating means change the sound directivity of said sound collecting means based upon a rotation angle about the axis perpendicular to the optical axis of said panel type view finder.
4 more elements
A video camera, comprising:
- image taking unit having a body containing at least an image pickup device, a lens provided on a first surface of the body and an eyepiece view finder provided on a second surface of the body opposite the first surface, the image taking unit having an optical axis;
- panel type view finder display unit, rotatably attached to a side surface of the body of the image taking unit adjacent the lens, which displays a picture taken by said image taking unit, wherein the panel type view finder display unit is rotatable about both an X axis and a Y axis;
- and
- sound collecting unit having a first microphone unit disposed on a rear surface of said panel type view finder display unit, a second microphone unit disposed on the first surface of the body and a third microphone unit disposed on an upper surface of the body, wherein;
- said panel type view finder, with said first microphone unit of said sound collecting unit disposed thereon, rotate together about an axis perpendicular to the optical axis.
2 more elements
A microphone apparatus, comprising:
- displaying unit, rotatably attached to a side surface of a body of an image taking unit adjacent to a lens, the image taking unit having the body containing at least an image pickup device, the displaying unit displaying a picture taken by said image taking unit;
- rotation determining unit determining a rotating angle of the displaying unit about an axis perpendicular to an optical axis,
- sound collecting unit having a first microphone unit disposed on a rear surface of said displaying unit and having a sound directivity which is variable, a second microphone unit disposed on the first surface of the body and a third microphone unit disposed on an upper surface of the body;
- and
- sound directivity generating unit changing the sound directivity with which said sound collecting unit collects the sound;
- wherein said displaying unit, with said first microphone unit of said sound collecting unit disposed thereon, rotates together, and
- said sound directivity generating unit changes the sound directivity of the sound collecting means based upon the rotating angle of said displaying unit determined by the rotation determining unit.
4 more elements
A method of operating a microphone apparatus, comprising the steps of:
- providing a displaying unit, rotatably attached to a side surface of a body of image taking unit adjacent to a lens, the image taking unit having the body containing at least an image pickup device:
- determining a rotation angle of the displaying unit about an axis perpendicular to an optical axis;
- displaying a picture taken by said image taking unit;
- providing a sound collecting unit having a first microphone unit disposed on a rear surface of said displaying unit, a second microphone unit disposed on the first surface of the body and a third microphone unit disposed on an upper surface of the body and having a sound directivity which is variable;
- and
- providing a sound directivity generating unit changing the sound directivity with which said sound collecting unit collects the sound;
- wherein said displaying unit, with said first microphone unit of sound collecting unit disposed thereon, rotates together;
- and
- said sound directivity generating unit changes the sound directivity of the sound collecting means based upon the determined rotation angle of said displaying unit.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.