JP2005241814A - Camera-incorporated mobile device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a camera-incorporated mobile device with which a subject can be photographed while the subject is illuminated with auxiliary light without using a flash even in dark outdoor daylight. <P>SOLUTION: The camera-incorporated mobile device includes a switching means 36 for switching the direction of a light source such that the light of the light source is emitted to the back of a liquid crystal display 22 as back light for the liquid crystal display 22 when display is shown on the liquid crystal display 22 whereas the light of the light source is emitted to a subject as an auxiliary light source for photographing when the subject is photographed with a camera 26. Alternatively, control may be exerted such that the light of the light source is used as back light for display by showing prescribed display onto the liquid crystal display 22 when the liquid crystal display 22 is used whereas the light of the light source is transmitted through all the pixels of the liquid crystal display 22 in order to use the light source as an auxiliary light source for photographing when the subject is photographed with the camera 26. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a camera-equipped mobile device, and more particularly to a camera-equipped mobile device including a display that performs display using a backlight light source.

  Mobile phones with cameras are becoming popular with general users. In general, a camera-equipped mobile phone has various functions such as photographing a subject, storing an image on a recording medium, and sending / receiving an e-mail with an image, in addition to a call function. A camera-equipped mobile phone is generally provided with a liquid crystal display, and performs various displays such as an image display in addition to the display of a telephone number. As such a liquid crystal display that performs various types of display, a backlight light source is often used in order to display clearly.

Further, Patent Document 1 describes a device that includes two displays, and displays power capacity and reception standby display on the other display even when power supply to one display is cut off. Yes.
JP-A-10-180964

  As a light source for irradiating a subject with auxiliary light under dark external light such as indoor lighting, an electronic flash that emits a flash by ionizing xenon gas in a discharge tube with a DC voltage obtained by accumulating in a capacitor (simply It is also difficult to equip a camera-equipped mobile phone with a flash that requires a large-capacity capacitor because of its portability.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a camera-equipped portable device that can shoot a subject by illuminating a subject with auxiliary light without requiring a flash even under dark external light. To do.

  In order to achieve the object, the invention according to claim 1 is a display for displaying a predetermined image, a light source used as a backlight of the display when displaying on the display, a camera for photographing a subject, A finder for confirming the photographing range when the photographing lens of the camera is pointed at a subject, and when displaying on the display, the light source is used as a backlight of the display to illuminate the back of the display, and the camera When photographing a subject, the light source is used as an auxiliary light source for photographing, and switching means for switching the direction of the light source itself is provided so as to illuminate the subject.

  With this configuration, when the display is performed on the display, the light from the light source illuminates the back of the display and a clear display is performed on the display. On the other hand, the orientation of the light source itself is switched by the switching means, so Since the light from the light source illuminates the subject when an image is taken, the subject can be illuminated and photographed without the need for a dedicated light source such as a flash.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the light source includes a light emitting diode disposed on a holding member, and the switching unit rotates the holding member. It has become.

  With this configuration, clear display on the display and illumination of the subject can be achieved by using a common light emitting diode with low cost, low power consumption, and a simple configuration.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display for displaying a predetermined image, a light source used as a backlight of the display when displaying on the display, a camera for photographing a subject, and a photographing lens of the camera as a subject. A viewfinder for checking the shooting range when facing the camera, and when displaying on the display, when the subject is photographed with the camera using the light source as a display backlight by causing the display to display a predetermined display All the pixels of the display are configured to include display control means for controlling the display so that the light from the light source is transmitted and the light source is used as an imaging auxiliary light source.

  With this configuration, when the display is performed on the display, the light from the light source is used as a backlight for displaying an image, and a predetermined image is clearly displayed on the display. Since the light from the light source illuminates the subject by being transmitted through all pixels of the display, the subject can be illuminated and photographed without the need for a dedicated light source such as a flash.

  For example, an optical finder or a liquid crystal display device is used as the finder.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, when the light source is used as an auxiliary light source for photographing, the amount of light of the light source is increased compared to when the light source is used as a backlight. Thus, the light amount control means for controlling is provided.

  With this configuration, when the display is performed for a relatively long time, the display can be illuminated with low power by the amount of light required for the display, while the subject is brightly illuminated when the camera is used for a relatively short time. can do.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to shoot a subject by illuminating the subject with auxiliary light without requiring a flash even under dark external light.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  The camera-equipped mobile phone (hereinafter simply referred to as “mobile phone”) according to the present embodiment is a folding type, and an external view of one side (hereinafter referred to as “front”) viewed obliquely in an open state is shown in FIG. FIG. 1B shows an external view of the other surface (hereinafter referred to as “rear surface”) observed obliquely in the same open state shown in a).

  1A and 1B, a mobile phone 1 is configured by a first panel 2 and a second panel 4 being connected via a hinge 6 so as to be opened and closed. On the front of the mobile phone 1, the first LCD 22, the light source window 24, the camera 26, and the open / close detection switch 28 are disposed on the first panel 2, and the front operation key 30 is disposed on the second panel 4. ing. On the back surface of the mobile phone 1, a second LCD 32 and a back operation key 34 are disposed on the first panel 2. On the side surface of the mobile phone 1, an auxiliary light switch 36 and a shutter switch 38 are disposed on the first panel 2.

  The first LCD 22 can display a predetermined image, and a transmissive LCD or a transflective LCD is used. In a transmissive LCD, display is performed using light illuminated from the back. In a transflective LCD that is a combination of a transmissive LCD and a reflective LCD, in general, display is performed using light illuminated from the back when the external light is dark, and display is performed using external light when the external light is bright. It has become.

  The camera 26 shoots a subject and has a photographic lens 12 on which reflected light from the subject is incident.

  The light source window 24 is a transparent member for transmitting auxiliary light emitted from a light source described later to irradiate the subject.

  The second LCD 32 is used as a finder for confirming the photographing range when the photographing lens 12 of the camera 26 is directed toward the subject. In addition, when the mobile phone 1 is closed, various types of information can be displayed.

  The open / close detection switch 28 detects an open state and a closed state of the mobile phone 1.

  The auxiliary light switch 36 switches between turning off the light source described later as the backlight of the first LCD 22 and turning it on to use the light source as an auxiliary light source for photographing the subject.

  The shutter switch 38 is operated when photographing an object with the camera 26.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of the light source 50. In FIG. 2, the light source 50 is a plurality of light emitting diodes 50 arranged on a holding member 52. When the auxiliary light switch 36 is slid to switch between an on state and an off state, the linear movement of the auxiliary light switch 36 is converted into a circular movement by the rack 54 and the pinion 56, the holding member 52 rotates, and the light emitting diode The direction of 50 itself is switched. 2 shows an example in which the rack 54 and the pinion 56 are used. However, the present invention is not limited to the rack 54 and the pinion 56, and other mechanism elements are used to connect the auxiliary light switch 36 to the holding member 52. Movement transmission may be performed. In FIG. 2, the auxiliary light switch 36 for the slide operation is shown as an example. Instead, a mechanism element that uses the auxiliary light switch for the rotation operation to transmit the rotational movement of the auxiliary light switch to the holding member. May be provided.

  FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of the first panel 2 showing the direction of the light source 50 when the auxiliary light switch 36 is in the OFF state, and FIG. 3B is a case when the auxiliary light switch 36 is in the ON state. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the first panel 2 showing the direction of a light source 50. FIG.

  In the off state of the auxiliary light switch 36, the back surface of the first LCD 22 is illuminated by the light source 50 via the light guide plate 58, as shown in FIG.

  When the auxiliary light switch 36 is on, the light source 50 illuminates the subject through the light source window 24 as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a principal block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the mobile phone 1.

  In FIG. 4, the mobile phone 1 mainly includes a photographing lens 12, an image sensor 14, a signal processing circuit 16, a first LCD 22, an open / close detection switch 28, a front operation key 30, a second LCD 32, a rear operation key 34, an auxiliary light switch 36, The shutter switch 38, the light source 50, a CPU (central processing unit) 60, a recording unit 62, and a power supply circuit 64 are included. The camera 26 is configured by the photographing lens 12 and the image sensor 14.

  In FIG. 4, the photographing lens 12 forms a subject image on the light receiving surface of the image sensor 14. The image sensor 14 converts the formed subject image into an electrical signal. The signal processing circuit 16 performs predetermined signal processing such as gamma correction and white balance correction on the electrical signal (image) output from the image sensor 14.

  When the open / close detection switch 28 detects the closed state of the mobile phone 1, the power supply from the power supply circuit 64 to the light source 50 is cut off. When the open / close detection switch 28 detects the open state of the mobile phone 1, power is supplied from the power supply circuit 64 to the light source 50.

  When the auxiliary light switch 36 is in the OFF state in the opened state of the mobile phone 1, the light source 50 is connected to the first LCD 22 via the light guide plate 58 as the backlight of the first LCD 22 as shown in FIG. Illuminate the back. Further, power is supplied from the power supply circuit 64 to the first LCD 22, and display is performed on the first LCD 22. Here, when the auxiliary light switch 36 is switched from the off state to the on state, the light source 50 rotates, and as shown in FIG. 3B, the light source 50 passes through the light source window 24 as a photographing auxiliary light source. To illuminate the subject. Note that the CPU 60 changes the light amount of the light source 50 by controlling the voltage applied to the light source 50 from the power supply circuit 64. Specifically, when the light source 50 is used as the auxiliary light for photographing, the light source 50 is controlled to increase the amount of light compared to when the light source 50 is used as the backlight of the first LCD 22.

  With the subject illuminated by the auxiliary light, the subject image is output from the camera 26, and the subject image is displayed on the second LCD 32. Here, when the shutter switch 38 is pressed, the image of the subject output from the camera 26 is recorded on a predetermined recording medium by the recording unit 62.

  When the auxiliary light switch 36 is switched from the on state to the off state, the light source 50 illuminates the back surface of the first LCD 22 via the light guide plate 58 as a backlight of the first LCD 22 as shown in FIG. To do. It is also possible to display a photographed subject image on the first LCD 22.

  The case where the subject is photographed using the second LCD 32 disposed on the back surface of the first panel 2 as described above has been described. However, the photographer photographs himself / herself using the first LCD 22 disposed on the front surface of the first panel 2 as a viewfinder. Doing so-called “selfie” is also possible. In this case, when the cellular phone 1 is in the open state, first, the auxiliary light switch 36 is turned off, and an image of the user output from the camera 26 is displayed on the first LCD 22 to check the photographing range. Next, when auxiliary light is required, the auxiliary light switch 36 is switched from the off state to the on state, and the light from the light source 50 illuminates itself. When the shutter switch 38 is pressed, the self output from the camera 26 is displayed. Are recorded on a predetermined recording medium by the recording unit 62. It is also possible to switch the auxiliary light switch 36 from the on state to the off state and display the photographed image on the first LCD 22.

  External views of the mobile phone 10 according to another embodiment are shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, and a main part of an internal configuration example of the mobile phone 10 is shown in FIG. The same components as those of the cellular phone 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  5A and 5B, the mobile phone 10 is not provided with the light source window 24 and the auxiliary light switch 36 shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, and the light source 50 always faces the back of the first LCD 22. It comes to illuminate. The first LCD 22 uses the property that the arrangement of molecules changes when the voltage of the liquid crystal is changed, thereby changing the voltage applied to the liquid crystal to transmit or reflect light. In the present embodiment, when display is performed on the first LCD 22, the CPU 600 controls the light source as a display backlight, transmits light from the light source 50 only to predetermined pixels of the first LCD 22, and displays the predetermined display on the first LCD 22. Let On the other hand, when the subject is photographed by the camera 26, the light of the light source 50 is transmitted through all the pixels of the first LCD 22 under the control of the CPU 600, and the light source 50 is used as an auxiliary light source for photographing. Thus, when the light source 50 is used as photographing auxiliary light, the light source 50 is controlled to increase the amount of light compared to when the light source 50 is used as the backlight of the first LCD 22.

  1 and 5, the camera 26 is disposed on the first panel 2, but the camera 26 may be disposed on the hinge 6.

  Moreover, although the case where the mobile phone is a foldable type has been described as an example, the present invention may be applied to a mobile phone that is not a foldable type. For example, in FIGS. 1 and 5, the hinge 6 and the opening / closing switch 28 may be omitted, and the first panel 2 and the second panel 4 may be formed integrally.

  Further, although the case where the second LCD 32 is used as the finder for confirming the photographing range has been described as an example, the present invention is not limited to this, and the same effect can be obtained even when an optical finder is used as the finder.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to a mobile phone, and the present invention may be applied to other camera-equipped mobile devices such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a digital still camera, and a digital video camera that include a backlight light source display and a camera. Good.

External view of camera-equipped mobile phone according to one embodiment The figure which shows the example of the light source in the mobile telephone with a camera of one Embodiment Sectional drawing for demonstrating direction of the light source in the mobile telephone with a camera of one Embodiment 1 is a principal block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a camera-equipped mobile phone according to an embodiment; External view of mobile phone with camera according to another embodiment The principal part block diagram which shows the internal structural example of the mobile phone with a camera of other embodiment

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 ... Shooting lens, 22 ... 1st LCD, 24 ... Light source window, 26 ... Camera, 32 ... 2nd LCD, 36 ... Auxiliary light switch (switching means), 38 ... Shutter switch, 50 ... Light source, 52 ... Holding member, 58 ... Light guide plate, 60, 600 ... CPU (display control means, light quantity control means), 62 ... recording section, 64 ... power supply circuit

Claims (5)

A display for displaying a predetermined image;
A light source used as a backlight of the display when displaying on the display;
A camera to shoot the subject,
A viewfinder for confirming the shooting range when the shooting lens of the camera is directed toward the subject;
When displaying on the display, the light source is used as a backlight of the display to illuminate the back of the display, and when the subject is photographed with the camera, the light source itself is used to illuminate the subject using the light source as an auxiliary light source for photographing. Switching means for switching the orientation of
A camera-equipped mobile device comprising: The light source is a light emitting diode disposed on a holding member,
The portable device with a camera according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit switches the direction of the light source by rotating the holding member. A display for displaying a predetermined image;
A light source used as a backlight of the display when displaying on the display;
A camera to shoot the subject,
A viewfinder for confirming the shooting range when the shooting lens of the camera is directed toward the subject;
When displaying on the display, a predetermined display is displayed on the display and the light source is used as a backlight for display. When a subject is photographed with the camera, light from the light source is transmitted through all pixels of the display. Display control means for controlling the display to use a light source as an auxiliary light source for photographing;
A camera-equipped mobile device comprising:   The portable device with a camera according to claim 1, wherein the finder is an optical finder or a liquid crystal display device.   5. The light source control device according to claim 1, further comprising a light amount control unit configured to control the light amount of the light source to be higher when the light source is used as an imaging auxiliary light source than when the light source is used as a backlight. The camera-equipped mobile device described in 1.

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