Photography – Having camera indicator – Nonmechanical visual display
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-21
2004-10-05
Adams, Russell (Department: 2851)
Photography
Having camera indicator
Nonmechanical visual display
C396S239000, C396S264000, C396S297000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06801718
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera, and more particularly to a camera having a display device, such as a liquid crystal display panel, for displaying modes of the camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional camera, a mode selector switch is allocated for each group of modes. In selecting a desired mode of the camera, every time a mode selector switch is pressed, the selected mode changes cyclically among the modes of the group which the switch serves, and an icon, characters or the like displaying the currently selected mode are displayed on a display unit.
For instance, every time a mode selector switch allocated to a group of flash lamp-related modes is pressed, the selected mode is cyclically switched to a low luminance automatic lighting mode, a red eye preventing mode, an all-time flash lamp lighting mode, a flash lamp forbidding mode, a night view portrait mode and back to the low luminance automatic lighting mode (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-142651). On the other hand, every time a mode selector switch allocated to a group of focusing-related modes is pressed, the selected mode is cyclically switched to an auto-focusing mode, a fixed infinite-distance focusing mode, a macro-focusing mode and so forth.
There also is a camera in which if, for instance, the fixed infinite-distance focusing mode is selected, any mode which would allow the flash lamp to be light is restricted in the group of flash lamp-related modes (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-142651).
Further, there is a camera according to the prior art which permits changing over among multiple self-photographing modes allowing choice of the number of self-taken pictures (for instance, a SELF 1 mode S
1
for automatically taking one picture, a SELF 2 mode S
2
for automatically taking two pictures, and a SELF 3 mode S
3
for automatically taking three pictures), a remote control mode Rem, and an Off mode OFF for canceling the multiple self-photographing modes and the remote control mode. When changing over a camera having these modes from one mode to another, the applicable one of the mode selector switches allocated to groups to which these modes respectively belong is pressed. Every time the mode selector switch is pressed, the selected mode changes cyclically in one direction in a sequence of OFF→S
1
→S
2
→S
3
→Rem→OFF and so on (see Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 9-96862 and 10-142651).
As described above, any conventional camera displays on its display unit only the mode selected with a mode selector switch, the screen size of the display unit can be kept small, but all selectable modes cannot be displayed. Therefore, it is impossible to check at a glance what modes are available with the camera and, moreover, what mode has been set needs to be checked on the display screen every time the mode selector switch is pressed, resulting in inconvenience in mode selection. There further is the problem that, where a large number of groups are involved, the number of switches allocated for the groups also increases.
Another conventional camera permitting limitation of the combinations of modes has a simplified displaying function, making it sometimes impossible to know in what mode a picture is being taken. If, for instance, the fixed infinite-distance focusing mode is selected, the signs of modes that permit lighting of the flash lamp are no longer displayed or, as modes related to the flash lamp and modes related to focusing are combined, no individual mode is displayed, again making it sometimes impossible to know in what mode a picture is being taken.
Moreover, as the above-described changing over to the multiple self-photographing mode, the remote control mode Rem and the Off mode OFF cyclically takes place in a single direction, there is the problem that if for instance the SELF 1 mode S
1
is desired but the mode selector switch is pressed more than once by mistake and the SELF 2 mode S
2
is selected, in order to select the SELF 1 mode S
1
anew, the mode selector switch will have to be pressed four times in the sequence of S
3
→Rem→OFF→S
1
.
It is conceivable to provide a switch permitting mode changes in the reverse sequence to the aforementioned (in other words, a switch capable of changing over in the counter-forward direction).
In this case, as the remote control mode Rem, for instance, is selected at the moment, if the mode change is accomplished in the reverse direction to select a self mode, the SELF 3 mode S
3
, which is the least frequently used, will be selected first.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention, attempted in view of these circumstances, is to provide a camera which permits recognition at a glance the selectable modes in each group and easy understanding of the way of mode selection because the selection of a group and that of a mode in each group match the arrangement of displayed mode signs. Another object is to provide a camera which can clearly indicate in what combination of modes a picture is to be taken, any limitation that may be applied to mode selection and any automatic change in the mode selected in another group. A still another object is to provide a camera which permits changing over in both directions, forward and backward, where choice is to be made out of a multiple self-photographing mode, a remote control mode and an Off mode, and more convenient changing over by differentiating selectable modes between the forward and backward directions.
In order to achieve the above-described objects, the present invention is directed to a camera, comprising: a display device which displays a plurality of modes of the camera, the display device classifying the plurality of modes into groups according to their type and simultaneously displaying the mode selected in each group in a different row or column for each group; and an operating member which selects a desired one out of the groups and selects a desired one out of the modes belonging to the selected group.
According to the present invention, the modes belonging to the groups are displayed on the display device on rows or columns differentiated by the group. The operating member enables the camera to be promptly set in the desired mode by selecting a desired one out of the groups and a desired mode out of the modes belonging to the selected group.
Preferably, the display device displays all selectable modes belonging to the group selected by the operating member, and displays only the mode selected for each group out of the modes belonging to the other groups not selected by the operating member.
Preferably, the display device distinguishably displays a selected mode and other modes out of selectable modes belonging to the group selected by the operating member.
Preferably, the display device intermittently displays one and continuously displays the others of the selected mode and other modes out of selectable modes belonging to a group selected by the operating member.
Preferably, the operating member comprises a cross-shaped button manipulable vertically and laterally; one group is selected out of groups arranged vertically or one mode is selected out of a plurality of grouped modes arranged vertically by vertical manipulation of the cross-shaped button; and one mode is selected out of a plurality of grouped modes arranged laterally or one group is selected out of groups arranged laterally by lateral manipulation of the cross-shaped button. According to the present invention, the manipulation of the cross-shaped button, selection of one group out of groups and selection of one mode out of each group match one another to make the handling easy to understand.
Preferably, the plurality of modes are classified into at least two or more groups out of a group of modes related to a flash lamp, a group of modes related to the start of shutter releasing, a group of modes related to focusing, and a group of modes related to date printing.
The pre
Akiba Makoto
Ishiguro Minoru
Nishitani Yasuhiro
Onozuka Haruo
Tanaka Kunihiko
Adams Russell
Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.
Smith Arthur A
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
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