US7230648B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Image sensing apparatus and method of focusing and enlarging/reducing the in-focus image data on a display device
Assignee: Fujifilm Corp
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Filing: 2001-01-26
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Granted: 2007-06-12
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Expires: 2021-01-26
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed is a digital still camera in which focusing can be checked easily even if a display device constituting the viewfinder is comparatively small. When a shutter-release button is pressed half-way, focusing is performed and the image in a focusing zone is made larger than the part of an angle-of-view confirmation image that corresponds to the focusing zone. An in-focus confirmation image of the enlarged focusing zone is displayed on the display screen of the viewfinder. When focusing is performed, the in-focus confirmation image is enlarged in comparison with the corresponding area of the angle-of-view confirmation image. This makes it easier to determine whether an image is in focus or not.
Inventors
- 👤 Toshiharu Ueno
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 12:18
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N23/00; H04N23/60; H04N23/67; H04N23/675; H04N23/63; H04N23/631; H04N23/632
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
230 words
An image capturing apparatus, comprising: an image sensing unit configured to sense an image of a subject; an image data conversion unit configured to convert the image of the subject from the image sensing unit to an angle-of-view confirmation image and configured to convert a focusing zone of the image of the subject from the image sensing unit to an in-focus confirmation image; a focusing zone image data conversion unit configured to convert the image of the subject from the image sensing unit to the in-focus confirmation image; a focusing zone storage device configured to store the in-focus confirmation image from the focusing zone image data conversion unit; a temporary storage device configured to store the angle-of-view confirmation image and the in-focus confirmation image from the image data conversion unit; a display unit configured to display one or both of the angle-of-view confirmation image and the in-focus confirmation image retrieved from the temporary storage; and a controller configured to control the display unit to display the one or both of the angle-of-view confirmation image and the in-focus confirmation image, wherein a magnification of the in-focus confirmation image is greater than a magnification of the angle-of-view confirmation image, and wherein the temporary storage device is configured to store the angle-of-view confirmation image from the image data conversion unit and to store the in-focus confirmation image from the focusing zone storage device.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
230 words
An image capturing apparatus, comprising: an image sensing unit configured to sense an image of a subject; an image data conversion unit configured to convert the image of the subject from the image sensing unit to an angle-of-view confirmation image and configured to convert a focusing zone of the image of the subject from the image sensing unit to an in-focus confirmation image; a focusing zone image data conversion unit configured to convert the image of the subject from the image sensing unit to the in-focus confirmation image; a focusing zone storage device configured to store the in-focus confirmation image from the focusing zone image data conversion unit; a temporary storage device configured to store the angle-of-view confirmation image and the in-focus confirmation image from the image data conversion unit; a display unit configured to display one or both of the angle-of-view confirmation image and the in-focus confirmation image retrieved from the temporary storage; and a controller configured to control the display unit to display the one or both of the angle-of-view confirmation image and the in-focus confirmation image, wherein a magnification of the in-focus confirmation image is greater than a magnification of the angle-of-view confirmation image, and wherein the temporary storage device is configured to store the angle-of-view confirmation image from the image data conversion unit and to store the in-focus confirmation image from the focusing zone storage device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The image capturing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an area of the focusing zone is dynamically selectable anywhere within the image of the subject based on a user input.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The image capturing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the magnification of the in-focus confirmation image is dynamically selectable based on a user input.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
57 words
The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the temporary storage device includes a first image memory and a second image memory, wherein both the first and second memories are each capable of storing the angle-of-view confirmation image, and wherein both the first and second memories are each capable of storing the in-focus confirmation image.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to display the in-focus confirmation image on an entirety of the display unit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to superimpose the in-focus confirmation image over the angle-view-confirmation image on the display unit.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein both the angle-of-view confirmation image and the in-focus confirmation image are derived from a single frame of the image of the subject.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image capturing apparatus is a still image capturing apparatus.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2010-06-11 | 2010-12-11 | 2011-06-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2014-06-11 | 2014-12-11 | 2015-06-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2018-06-11 | 2018-12-11 | 2019-06-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |