JP2003116027A - Camera with display unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a camera which can hold the attitude of a display unit even when the attitude of a camera body is changed. SOLUTION: The camera with the display unit comprises the display unit 20 rotatable at least at one rotary shaft as a center with respect to the camera body 10, and attitude holding means (12, 13, 14, 131, 132, 141, and 142) for holding the attitude so that the attitude of the display unit is not changed if the attitude of the camera body is changed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera having a display unit rotatable with respect to a main body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a digital still camera or a digital video camera is equipped with a liquid crystal display section for confirming an image or the like, and this liquid crystal display section is mounted on a camera body with two vertical axes as a rotation axis. Many of them are rotatably mounted on the market.

However, this liquid crystal display unit has the same relative position with respect to the camera body, and when the subject is being followed while looking at the liquid crystal display unit at the time of photographing, the liquid crystal display unit changes due to the change in the attitude of the camera. However, if the operator does not change the position, there is a problem that the liquid crystal display section becomes difficult to see. In this way, when photographing a moving subject, for example, the operator also needs to move in order to confirm the image of the liquid crystal display unit from the front.

[0004]

As described above, when the subject is being tracked while looking at the liquid crystal display unit at the time of shooting, the liquid crystal display unit moves and becomes difficult to see.

The present invention provides a camera having a display unit rotatable with respect to the main body, which can maintain the posture of the display unit even when the posture of the camera main body is changed. The purpose is to do.

[0006]

The present invention has taken the following means in order to solve the above problems. A camera according to the present invention includes a display unit rotatable about at least one rotation axis with respect to a camera body, and an attitude of the display unit so as not to change when the attitude of the camera body changes. And a posture holding means for holding.

A preferred embodiment of the above camera is as follows. The following embodiments may be applied individually or in appropriate combination. (1) A tilt detecting unit that detects a tilt of the camera body is further provided, and the attitude holding unit controls the display unit around the at least one rotation axis according to a tilt amount detected by the tilt detecting unit. It has a drive means for rotating. (2) In (1), the tilt detecting means is a gyro sensor. (3) The posture holding means is a gyro provided in the display section. (4) In (3), the main axis of rotation of the gyro is perpendicular to the display surface of the display section. (5) The display unit is a liquid crystal display unit. (6) The tilt detecting unit and the driving unit are provided in the camera body, and the posture of the display unit is maintained by rotating the rotation shaft by the driving unit. (7) The display unit has an axis (first
Can be rotated about its axis). Furthermore, it must be rotatable about a second axis perpendicular to this first axis.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a camera to which the present invention is applied. In FIG. 1, the camera body 10 and the liquid crystal display unit 20 are shown for simplification. Camera body 1
0 is equipped with a viewfinder 11, and the viewfinder 11 can also confirm an image. The liquid crystal display unit 20 is provided with a liquid crystal panel 21 for image display (confirmation), and the liquid crystal panel 21 is centered on the first rotation axis X and the second rotation axis Y, and is indicated by arrows in the figure. Can be rotated in a first direction A (opening direction) and a second direction B (flapping direction). In this case, according to the present invention, even when the camera body 10 is tilted, the liquid crystal display unit 2
0 is configured to hold the posture. A specific configuration of this posture holding mechanism is shown in FIG. 2 corresponds to 2 in FIG.
2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration example for holding the attitude of the liquid crystal display unit. FIG.

In FIG. 2, first, when the camera body 10 is tilted, the tilt amount is detected by the gyro sensor 12. The first drive motor 13 and the second drive motor 14 are driven based on the output of the gyro sensor 12, and the liquid crystal display unit 20 is rotated to maintain the posture so that the posture of the liquid crystal display unit 20 does not change. . Specifically, it is as follows. For example, if the camera body 10
If it is tilted 5 degrees to the right, the gyro sensor 1
2 outputs to the control unit (not shown) that the camera body 10 is tilted 5 degrees to the right. The control unit instructs the first drive motor 13 arranged at the bottom of the camera body 10 to rotate the liquid crystal display unit 20 leftward by 5 degrees, and the first drive motor 13 causes the display unit to rotate leftward. The attitude of the liquid crystal display unit 20 is controlled by rotating the rotary shaft 132 connected by the gear 131 so as to rotate 5 degrees. The vertical control is the same as the horizontal control. When the gyro sensor 12 detects the vertical tilt, the second drive motor 14
Is controlled by a control unit (not shown) to perform the same control as in the left-right direction via the gear 141 and the rotary shaft 142.

As described above, according to the present invention, even if the posture of the camera body 10 changes, the posture of the display unit does not change. Therefore, for example, when a moving subject is photographed, the camera is not changed. Even if the posture of the main body 10 changes, the display of the subject does not become difficult to see.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments of the invention described above. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the display unit is the liquid crystal, but the display unit is not limited to the liquid crystal and may be any one capable of appropriately displaying an image or the like.

For the posture holding, an example of correction for two rotation axes is shown. However, for example, one direction (for example, direction A) may be used, or the rotation axis may be increased by one axis to correct the inclination in three directions. May be.

Further, although an example using a gyro sensor as the inclination detecting section is shown, a pressure sensor or the like for detecting the inclination by pressure may be used to detect a change in posture depending on the amount of change. A sensor may be used.

In the above embodiment, the tilt detecting section is provided in the camera body, and the display section is rotated in the opposite direction according to the detected amount. However, a gyro for holding the posture is provided in the display section. I don't mind. In this case, it is preferable that the rotation axis of the attitude-holding gyro is arranged to be perpendicular to the liquid crystal panel. Although such a configuration increases the size and weight of the display unit, the tilt detection is not required and the complicated control as described above is not required. Therefore, the structure is further simplified. .

The camera is not limited to a digital still camera or a digital video camera, and can be applied to any camera as long as it has the display section shown in the embodiment. Of course, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0016]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. Even if the posture of the camera body changes, the posture of the display unit is held so that the posture of the display unit does not change, and the posture of the display unit is held. Even if the posture changes, the operator can easily observe the display unit. Since the tilt is detected by the gyro and the rotation axis is rotated to maintain the attitude of the display unit, the attitude can be easily maintained with a simple configuration. When the display unit is provided with a gyro and the posture is maintained by utilizing the gyro posture holding effect (that is, the gyro effect), the posture can be easily held with a simpler configuration.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a camera to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example for holding a posture of a liquid crystal display unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Camera body 11 ... Viewfinder 12 ... Gyro sensor 13 ... First drive motor 131 ... Gear 132 ... rotary shaft 14 ... Second drive motor 141 ... Gear 142 ... Rotation axis 20 ... Liquid crystal display section 21 ... Liquid crystal panel

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A display unit rotatable about at least one rotation axis with respect to a camera body, and when the posture of the camera body changes, the posture is maintained so that the posture of the display unit does not change. And a posture holding means for controlling the posture. 2. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising a tilt detecting unit that detects a tilt of the camera body, wherein the attitude holding unit has at least the tilt according to the tilt amount detected by the tilt detecting unit. A camera comprising drive means for rotating the display section about one rotation axis. 3. The camera according to claim 2, wherein the tilt detecting means is a gyro sensor. 4. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the attitude holding unit is a gyro provided in the display unit.