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US 8,542,305 B2Granted
Imaging device having display brightness control function
AssigneeCasio Computer Co., Ltd.
InventorKenji Iwamoto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A control unit controls brightness of a liquid crystal display unit such that the brightness becomes darker as a distance between an electronic view finder and an operator measured by a distance measuring sensor becomes shorter. With this structure, even if the operator takes his or her eye off from the electronic view finder, the liquid crystal display unit is not switched from an OFF state to an ON state. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the brightness of the liquid crystal display unit from becoming burdensome to an operator when the eye of the operator approaches the electronic view finder.
Claims11
An imaging device comprising:
- an ocular finder;
- a display unit provided near the finder;
- a distance measuring unit that measures a distance between the finder and an operator;
- and
- a control unit that controls brightness of the display unit according to the distance measured by the distance measuring unit;
- wherein the control unit is configured to perform (i) a first brightness control such that the brightness becomes a first brightness value, (ii) a second brightness control such that the brightness becomes a second brightness value which is smaller than the first brightness value, and (iii) a third brightness control such that the brightness becomes darker in a continuous or stepwise manner between the first brightness value and the second brightness as the die measured by the distance measuring unit becomes shorter;
- wherein the control unit is configured such that:
- when the distance measured by the distance measuring unit is larger than a first threshold value, the control unit executes the first brightness control;
- when the distance measured by the distance measuring unit changes from being larger than the first threshold value to being between the first threshold value and a second threshold value which is smaller than the first threshold value, the control unit switches from the first brightness control to the third brightness control;
- and
- when the distance measured by the distance measuring unit changes from being between the first threshold value and the second threshold value to being smaller than the second threshold value, the control unit switches from the third brightness control to the second brightness control;
- and
- wherein the control unit controls the finder such that:
- in a state in which the control unit controls the brightness of the display unit to become darker as the distance measured by the distance measuring unit becomes shorter, the finder is in a display ON state of a given brightness value when the distance is smaller than a given threshold value, and the finder is in a display OFF state when the distance is equal to or larger than the given threshold value;
- and
- in a state in which the control unit controls the brightness of the display unit to become brighter as the distance measured by the distance measuring unit becomes longer, the finder is in a display ON state of a predetermined brightness value when the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value which is larger than the given threshold value, and the finder is in a display OFF state when the distance is larger than the predetermined threshold value.
13 more elements
A display brightness control method for an imaging device including an ocular finder, a display unit provided near the finder, and a distance measuring unit that measures a distance between the finder and an operator, the method comprising:
- measuring the distance between the finder and the operator;
- and
- controlling brightness of the display unit according to the measured distance;
- wherein the controlling comprises (i) a first brightness control such that the brightness becomes a first brightness value, (ii) a second brightness control such that the brightness becomes a second brightness value which is smaller than the first brightness value, and (iii) a third brightness control such that the brightness becomes darker in a continuous or stepwise manner between the first brightness value and the second brightness as the measured distance becomes shorter;
- wherein when the measured distance is larger than a first threshold value, the first brightness control is performed;
- wherein when the measured distance changes from being larger than the first threshold value to being between the first threshold value and a second threshold value which is smaller than the first threshold value, the control switches from the first brightness control to third brightness control;
- wherein when the measured distance changes from being between the first threshold value and the second threshold value to being smaller than the second threshold value, the control switches from the third brightness control to the second brightness control;
- wherein in a state in which the brightness of the display unit is controlled to become darker as the distance measured by the distance measuring unit becomes shorter, the finder is controlled to be in a display ON state of a given brightness value when the distance is smaller than a given threshold value, and the finder is controlled to be in a display OFF state when the distance is equal to or larger than the given threshold value;
- and
- wherein in a state in which the brightness of the display unit is controlled to become brighter as the distance measured by the distance measuring unit becomes longer, the finder is controlled to be in a display ON state of a predetermined brightness value when the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value which is larger than the given threshold value, and the finder is controlled to be in a display OFF state when the distance is larger than the predetermined threshold value.
7 more elements
A non-transitory recording medium having recorded therein a computer program for an imaging device including an ocular finder, a display unit provided near the finder, and a distance measuring unit that measures a distance between the finder and an operator, the computer program being executed by a computer incorporated in the imaging device to perform functions comprising:
- operating the distance measuring unit to measure the distance between the finder and the operator;
- and
- controlling brightness of the display unit according to the distance measured by the distance measuring unit;
- wherein the controlling comprises (i) a first brightness control such that the brightness becomes a first brightness value, (ii) a second brightness control such that the brightness becomes a second brightness value which is smaller than the first brightness value, and (iii) a third brightness control such that the brightness becomes darker in a continuous or stepwise manner between the first brightness value and the second brightness as the distance measured by the distance measuring unit becomes shorter;
- wherein when the distance measured by the distance measuring unit is larger than a first threshold value, the first brightness control is performed;
- wherein when the distance measured by the distance measuring unit changes from being larger than the first threshold value to being between the first threshold value and a second threshold value which is smaller than the first threshold value, the control switches from the first brigs control to the third brightness control;
- wherein when the distance measured by the distance measuring unit changes from being between the first threshold value and the second threshold value to being smaller than the second threshold value, the control switches from the third brightness control to the second brightness control;
- wherein in a state in which the brightness of the display unit is controlled to become darker as the distance measured by the distance measuring unit becomes shorter, the finder is controlled to be in a display ON state of a given brightness value when the distance is smaller than a given threshold value, and the finder is controlled to be in a display OFF state when the distance is equal to or larger than the given threshold value;
- and
- wherein in a state in which the brightness of the display unit is controlled to become brighter as the distance measured by the distance measuring unit becomes longer, the finder is controlled to be in a display ON state of a predetermined brightness value when the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value which is larger than the given threshold value, and the finder is controlled to be in a display OFF state when the distance is larger than the predetermined threshold value.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.