JP2012083529A - Electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem in which the light of a light often enters into the eyes of a user when the user performs self-photographing while checking the display screen on which the user is shown.SOLUTION: A body 301 includes an image imaging section 312 for capturing an image of an imaging range, a display section 310 on which the imaging range of the image imaging section 312 is shown, and a lighting section 321 for lighting an imaging direction of the image imaging section 312. The lighting section 321 is disposed on the opposite side of an end side of the body 301 on which the display section 310 is disposed, apart from the display section 310.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device, and more particularly to an electronic device including a camera and a light that illuminates a subject.

  In recent years, digital electronic devices having a display screen and portable electronic devices such as mobile phones equipped with a digital camera function have become widespread. In the mobile phone equipped with the digital camera function, the display screen 410 and the camera 412 are arranged in the same direction as the mobile phone shown in FIG. In some cases, a preview image taken by the camera 412 can be displayed on the display screen 410 to photograph itself. In such a mobile phone, as shown in FIG. 1A, a light 413 is arranged in the vicinity of the camera 412 in the same direction. This is a very effective configuration in a case where the distance to the subject is long, or in an apparatus in which the camera is configured to be rotatable and the shooting direction can be freely changed.

JP 2004-214798 A

  However, in the mobile phone shown in FIG. 1, in the case of so-called “self-portrait” in which shooting is performed while checking the display screen on which the user is projected, a light is arranged in the vicinity of the display screen. Is likely to enter directly into the eyes of the user U. Then, the photographer who performs “self-portrait” closed his eyes due to glare and became fine, and it was difficult to photograph his face beautifully.

  In addition, since the camera 412, the light 413, and the display screen 410 are arranged in the vicinity and face the same direction, the light is efficiently applied to the photographer's eyeglasses that are the subject, the metal part of the accessory, the makeup foundation, and the like. There are also problems such as reflection and, in some cases, unevenness between overexposed and underexposed areas.

  On the other hand, as a technique for solving the above-described problem, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for performing control to reduce the light emission amount of an illumination light to emit light. However, even with the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the light is arranged in the vicinity of the display screen, the problem that the light of the light easily enters the eyes of the user who is the subject is still solved. Absent.

  The above-described problem can occur not only in a mobile phone equipped with a digital camera function but also in any electronic device that can perform so-called “self-portrait”.

  For this reason, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem that the light of the light easily enters the eyes when photographing itself while confirming the display screen on which the subject is projected. .

In order to achieve the above object, an electronic device according to an aspect of the present invention is provided.
The housing includes an image photographing unit that captures an image of the photographing range, a display unit that displays a photographing range by the image photographing unit, and an illumination unit that illuminates a photographing direction by the image photographing unit,
The illumination unit is arranged apart from the display unit on the side opposite to the end side of the housing where the display unit is arranged.
The configuration is as follows.

  The present invention is configured as described above, so that it is possible to realize a favorable shooting situation when shooting the image of himself / herself while confirming the display screen on which he / she is projected.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the mobile telephone relevant to this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the mobile telephone in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the mobile telephone in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the mode of lighting control of the light mounted in the mobile telephone in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the mobile telephone in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the other structural example of the mobile telephone in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the other structural example of the mobile telephone in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the other mode of lighting control of the light mounted in the mobile telephone in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the mobile telephone in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the illumination state of the light mounted in the mobile telephone in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the electronic device in attachment 1 of this invention.

<Embodiment 1>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 3 are diagrams showing the configuration of the mobile phone according to the present embodiment, and FIGS. 4 to 5 are diagrams showing the operation of the mobile phone. 6 to 8 are diagrams illustrating other examples of the mobile phone.

[Constitution]
As shown in FIGS. 2 (A) and 2 (B), the cellular phone according to the present embodiment has one housing 1 and the other housing 2 connected to each other via a hinge 3 so as to be rotatable. And has a folded foldable housing.

  And the display part 10, such as a liquid crystal display, is provided in the surface located inside when one housing | casing 1 is folded. In addition, the camera 12 (image capturing unit) is located near the rotation end of one casing 1, that is, near the upper end in FIGS. 2 (A) and 2 (B), in the center in the width direction of one casing 1. Is provided, and on the left side thereof, there is provided a receiver 11 for outputting a reception sound.

  Here, the camera 12 provided on the display unit 10 side is a camera suitable for photographing a subject having a relatively close distance by activating and using an application incorporated in the mobile phone. Then, the camera 12 captures images of the shooting range at regular time intervals, and sequentially displays the images on the display unit 10, so that a preview image of the shooting range can be displayed on the display unit 10. Furthermore, by pressing the shutter key, it is possible to capture and save an image in the captured imaging range. By providing such a function, the mobile phone in this embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 2B, the user U holding the mobile phone takes a picture of himself / herself with the camera 12 facing his / her face. So-called “selfie” is possible.

  In addition, a plurality of operation keys such as a key for performing a direction operation, a function call, and a determination operation, and a numeric keypad for inputting characters and numbers are provided on a surface located inside when the other casing 2 is folded. An operation unit 20 is provided. Further, a light 21 is provided near the rotation end of the other casing 2, that is, near the lower end in FIGS. 2A and 2B, in the center of the other casing 2 in the width direction. ing. For example, in the example of FIG. 2B, the light 21 is disposed at the center of the lowermost row of the operation unit 20. And since the light 21 is provided in the mounting surface side of the camera 12 with which the one housing | casing 1 mentioned above was equipped, it can illuminate the imaging | photography direction by the said camera 12. FIG. However, the light 21 is not necessarily limited to being provided near the rotation end of the other housing 2. That is, the light 21 may be disposed at a position that is separated from the display unit 10.

  The light 21 is composed of an LED (Light Emitting Diode), and is configured to obtain a sufficient amount of light to illuminate the face of the subject himself / herself during so-called “self-photographing”. . Since the light 21 uses LEDs, it is likely to be linear light. To prevent this, the light is evenly distributed in the illumination direction by the shape, color, and painting method of lenses and sheets (not shown) placed directly above the LEDs. It is preferable to constitute so as to scatter. Here, it is configured such that light is evenly scattered around the normal direction from the surface on which the operation unit 20 of the other housing 2 is disposed.

  The light 21 is provided in the vicinity of the rotation end of the other housing 2, and is thus separated from the display unit 10 provided in the one housing 1 described above. It will be arrange | positioned on both sides. At this time, when the folding case is opened, the display unit 10 is arranged on one end side in the longitudinal direction of the folding case, and the light 21 is arranged near the other end on the opposite side. It can be said that.

  As described above, by disposing the display unit 10 and the light 21 at a distance, the light output from the light 21 is incident on the eyes of the user U who views the display unit 10 during so-called “selfie”. Can be suppressed, and can be suppressed from feeling dazzling. At this time, by arranging the light 21 in the lowermost row of the operation unit 20, it is possible to suppress the light 21 from being hidden by the user's finger or hand during the photographing operation. Further, since the camera 12 and the light 21 are separated from each other by a large distance, there is no need to provide a structure for preventing light leakage from the light 21 around the camera 12.

  When the folding housings 1 and 2 in the present embodiment are opened, one housing 1 and the other housing 2 are bent and fixed with a predetermined angle. Then, as shown by an arrow Y2 in FIG. 2B, the light 21 provided in the vicinity of the rotation end of the other housing 2 is in a state where the direction of the light to illuminate the face of the user U from below. Become. That is, the optical axis indicating the shooting direction of the camera 12 indicated by the arrow Y1 in FIG. 2B and the optical axis indicating the illumination direction of the light 21 are not the same or parallel, and are a predetermined distance from the housings 1 and 2. It is a positional relationship that intersects at a location that is far away. Thereby, the light of the light 12 can be prevented from directly entering the eyes of the user U looking at the display unit 10, and the user U's face can be appropriately illuminated.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3A, the cellular phone 1 in the present embodiment further includes a main camera 22 on the surface opposite to the operation unit 20 arrangement side of the other housing 2 and the main camera 22. And a main light 23 (second illuminating unit) for illuminating the subject when photographing at 22.

  The main camera 22 has higher performance than the camera 12 disposed inside the foldable casings 1 and 2 shown in FIG. 3B, and can capture a high-resolution image, for example. Further, the main light 23 can illuminate light having a stronger intensity than the light 21 disposed inside the folding housings 1 and 2 shown in FIG.

  Here, FIG. 3C shows the internal structure of the other housing 2. The other housing 2 is equipped with a substrate 4, on the surface of the substrate 4 opposite to the side on which the operation unit 20 is mounted, that is, on the surface located outside the folding housing. The main camera 22 and the main light 23 described above are mounted. Accordingly, a main light driver IC 43 (second illumination state control unit) for controlling the illumination operation of the main light 23 is mounted on the surface of the substrate 4 on which the main light 23 is mounted. The main light driver IC 43 performs control so that the amount of light output instantaneously becomes maximum when the main light 23 is turned on.

  In addition to the light 21 described above, a plurality of operation keys constituting the operation unit 20 are provided on the surface of the board 4 on which the operation unit 20 is mounted, that is, the surface located inside the folding housing. A plurality of operation key lights 42 (operation key illumination units) that illuminate from the inside of the housing 2 are mounted. The operation key light 42 illuminates the operation key from the inside of the housing, so that light is exposed to the outside from the translucent portion formed around each operation key and the key top of each operation key. It gives a visual effect.

  An operation key light driver IC 41 (operation key illumination state control unit) for controlling the illumination operation of the operation key light 42 is mounted on the surface of the substrate 4 on which the operation key light 42 is mounted. When the operation key light 42 is turned on, the operation key light driver IC 41 does not light up so that the light amount suddenly becomes maximum, but lights up so that the light amount gradually increases as shown in FIG. Control as follows. Such lighting control is lighting by PWM control, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The operation key driver IC 41 is also connected to the light 21 and controls the illumination operation of the light 21. At this time, the illumination control of the light 21 is not performed so that the amount of light suddenly becomes the maximum as in the case of the operation key light 42 described above, but is performed so that the amount of light gradually increases as shown in FIG. Control to do. Therefore, the glare of the light from the light 21 that is illuminated when the user U takes a selfie is reduced.

[Operation]
Next, the operation of the mobile phone described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, when performing so-called “self-portrait” in which the user U photographs his / her face using the mobile phone, the menu of the mobile phone is displayed to activate the photographing function (step S1). At this time, when a plurality of cameras are mounted, the camera 12 on the inside of the folding housing, that is, the upper side of the display unit 10 is designated from the menu.

  Subsequently, when the photographing function is activated, the user U operates whether or not to turn on the light 21 that illuminates the subject (step S2). When the lighting operation is performed, the light amount of the light 21 gradually increases. Light up to increase. Thereby, it will be in a photography possible state (step S3).

  In this photographing enabled state, the camera 12 captures images in the photographing range at regular time intervals and sequentially displays the preview on the display unit 10. Therefore, the user U can see his / her face as the subject displayed on the display unit 10 and can see his / her face like a hand mirror.

  At this time, the light from the light 21 is illuminated toward the user U from a position away from the display unit 10 viewed by the user U, and the face of the user U is illuminated from below. ing. Therefore, the light of the light 21 can be prevented from directly entering the eyes of the user U looking at the display unit 10, and the user U's face can be appropriately illuminated. In particular, since the light 21 irradiates light from the lower side of the user U's face, it is difficult for light reflected by glasses, accessories, and makeup to enter the camera 12 directly, so that uneven exposure is suppressed. Further, the light 21 is controlled by the operation key light driver IC 41 described above not to suddenly light up so that the light amount becomes maximum, but to light up gradually so that the user U feels dazzled. This can be suppressed.

  At this time, the display unit 10 may be controlled to be brighter than normal, and the light of the display unit 10 may illuminate the face of the user U as the subject. For example, when the display unit 10 is an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), the light amount of the backlight is increased, and when the display unit 10 is an organic EL (electroluminescence), the white area is increased. Thereby, when only the light 21 is illuminated, the amount of light of the light becomes too strong when the surrounding environment is dark, and thus there may be a shadow around the nose of the user U, but this can be reduced.

  Thereafter, the user U looks at his / her own image displayed on the display unit 10 and operates the shutter key when shooting. Thereby, the image of the imaging range captured from the camera 12 can be saved.

  In the above description, the foldable cases 1 and 2 are described as an example of the mobile phone, but the mobile phone may be of any case. For example, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, a pair of casings 101 and 102 that are substantially rectangular and overlapped with each other slide in a long side direction. The present invention is also applicable to a mobile phone provided with 102.

  Specifically, in the example of FIGS. 6A and 6B, one housing 101 positioned above when sliding is equipped with a display unit 110 and a camera 112 and a receiver unit 111 on the upper side. ing. In addition, the other casing 102 positioned below when slid is equipped with an operation unit 120 and a light 121 near its lower end. However, the light 121 is not necessarily limited to being provided near the lower end of the other housing 102. That is, the light 121 may be disposed at a position separated from the display unit 110.

  Even in the mobile phones of the sliding casings 101 and 102, similarly to the above, the light from the light 121 is illuminated toward the user U from a position away from the display unit 110 that the user U is viewing. It will be. Therefore, the light of the light 121 can be prevented from directly entering the eyes of the user U looking at the display unit 110, and the user U's face can be appropriately illuminated.

  Further, the mobile phone may be a straight type mobile phone including a substantially rectangular casing as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, for example. Specifically, in the example of FIGS. 7A and 7B, a display unit 210 is provided on the upper side, which is one end side of the housing 201, and a camera 212 and a receiver unit 211 are provided on the upper side. Further, on the lower side, which is the other end side of the housing 201, an operation unit 220 and a light 221 near the lower end of the housing 201 which is further below the operation unit 220 are provided. However, the light 221 is not necessarily limited to being provided near the lower end of the housing 201. That is, the light 221 may be disposed at a position separated from the display unit 210.

  Even in the straight-type mobile phone, the light from the light 221 is illuminated toward the user U from a position away from the display unit 210 viewed by the user U, as described above. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the light of the light 221 from directly entering the eyes of the user U looking at the display unit 210 and to appropriately illuminate the face of the user U.

  Note that, in the mobile phone having the sliding housing and the straight-type mobile phone, the irradiation directions of the lights 121 and 221 do not face obliquely upward compared to the above-described mobile phone having the folding housing. Therefore, the orientation of the lights 121 and 221 and the shape of the lens and sheet member may be devised so that the illumination direction is slightly upward (camera 112, 212 side) rather than the normal direction to the housing surface. . Further, the light 21 may be attached to the housing 2 via a movable mechanism so that the direction of the light 21 is movable. Thereby, the optical axis of the illumination direction of the light 21 can be varied, and the user U can be prevented from being dazzled when taking a selfie.

  In the above description, the mobile phone is described as an example of the electronic apparatus according to the present invention. However, the electronic apparatus according to the present invention only needs to be equipped with the above-described function of photographing the camera 12 and the light 21. Any electronic device such as a digital camera or a portable video game machine may be used.

  Further, the display unit 10 described above is not necessarily limited to having a function of displaying a preview of an image in the shooting range captured from the camera 12. For example, the display unit 10 may be a mirror, or may be one that reflects and captures a shooting range of the camera 12.

  In addition, the lighting control method of the lights 21, 121, and 221 described above may periodically change the light amount as shown in FIG. Further, in the example of FIG. 8, the case where the light amount is linearly changed is illustrated, but may be changed in a sinusoidal curve. Thereby, a photograph can be taken aiming at a state in which the shadows of the lights 21, 121, and 221 are reduced, or a photograph can be taken while observing the balance with the amount of light with the display unit as auxiliary illumination.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the mobile phone according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an illumination state by a light.

  The mobile phone according to the present embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the mobile phone shown in FIG. 2 described in the first embodiment. In addition to this, the mobile phone of the present embodiment is different in that a plurality of lights 21 are arranged. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the light 21 is near the rotation end (near the lower end) of the other housing 2 located on the lower side where the operation unit 20 is disposed. The casing 2 is provided near both sides in the width direction.

  The arrangement of the light 21 described above can also be applied to the other mobile phones and other electronic devices described with reference to FIGS. In other words, two lights may be provided in the vicinity of the other end of the casing so as to be separated from each other in the width direction of the casing that is perpendicular to a straight line connecting one end and the other end of the casing of the electronic device. .

  As a result, the shadow areas formed on both sides of the nose N of the user U as the subject can be narrowed as shown in FIG. 10B, compared to the case where there is only one light 21 shown in FIG. Is possible. FIGS. 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams in which illumination is extremely applied from below the nose N, but as shown by an arrow Y2 in FIG. Since it is exposed to light, there are fewer shadow areas that can actually be formed, and it is possible to eliminate shadows that can be raised upward from the head of the nose.

  Note that the number of lights 21 described above is not limited to two, and more lights may be provided in the vicinity of the end of the housing or in other locations.

<Appendix>
Part or all of the above-described embodiment can be described as in the following supplementary notes. Hereinafter, an outline of a configuration of an electronic apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. However, the present invention is not limited to the following configuration.

(Appendix 1)
The housing 301 includes an image shooting unit 312 that captures an image of the shooting range, a display unit 310 that displays a shooting range of the image shooting unit 312, and an illumination unit 321 that illuminates the shooting direction of the image shooting unit 312. ,
The illumination unit 321 is arranged away from the display unit 310 on the side opposite to the end side of the housing 301 on which the display unit 310 is arranged.
Electronics.

(Appendix 2)
The electronic device according to attachment 1, wherein
The display unit is disposed on one end side of the casing, and an operation unit having a plurality of operation keys is disposed on the other end side of the casing with respect to the display unit, and the other end of the casing In the vicinity, the illumination unit is arranged with the operation unit sandwiched away from the display unit,
Electronics.

(Appendix 3)
The electronic device according to appendix 1 or 2,
The illumination unit is arranged so that an optical axis representing the illumination direction of the illumination unit and an optical axis representing the imaging direction of the image capturing unit intersect at a predetermined distance from the housing. ,
Electronics.

(Appendix 4)
An electronic device according to any one of appendices 1 to 3,
The housing is a foldable housing in which one housing provided with the display unit and the other housing provided with the illumination unit are connected to each other so as to be rotatable.
The illumination unit is disposed near the rotation end of the other casing,
Electronics.

(Appendix 5)
The electronic device according to attachment 4, wherein
When the foldable casing is opened, the one casing and the other casing are bent at a predetermined angle.
Electronics.

(Appendix 6)
The electronic device according to any one of appendices 1 to 5,
A plurality of the illuminating portions are arranged apart from each other in the width direction that is perpendicular to a straight line connecting one end and the other end of the housing.
Electronics.

(Appendix 7)
The electronic device according to any one of appendices 1 to 6,
A plurality of operation key illumination units that illuminate the operation keys from the inside of the housing, and an operation key illumination state control unit that controls the illumination state of the operation key illumination unit,
The illumination state of the illumination unit is controlled by the operation key illumination state control unit.
Electronics.

(Appendix 8)
The electronic device according to appendix 7,
A second illumination unit that illuminates light having a stronger intensity than the light illuminated from the illumination unit, and a second illumination state control unit that controls the illumination operation of the second illumination unit,
The operation key illumination state control unit controls to illuminate light having a weaker intensity than the light from the second illumination unit from the illumination unit and the operation key illumination unit.
Electronics.

(Appendix 9)
The electronic device according to attachment 8, wherein
The operation key, the operation key illumination unit, and the operation key illumination state control unit are mounted on a surface of the substrate provided in the housing on the side where the operation unit is disposed,
The second illumination unit and the second illumination state control unit are mounted on the surface of the substrate opposite to the side where the operation unit is disposed,
Electronics.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Case 10 Display part 11 Earpiece part 12 Camera 2 Other case 20 Operation part 21 Light 22 Main camera 23 Main light 3 Hinge 4 Board | substrate 41 Operation key light driver IC
42 Operation key light 43 Main light driver IC
101 One housing 110 Display unit 111 Reception unit 112 Camera 102 Other housing 120 Operation unit 121 Light 201 Case 210 Display unit 211 Reception unit 212 Camera 202 Other case 220 Operation unit 221 Light 301 Case 310 Display unit 312 Image Shooting Unit 321 Illumination Unit U User N Nose

Claims (9)

The housing includes an image photographing unit that captures an image of the photographing range, a display unit that displays a photographing range by the image photographing unit, and an illumination unit that illuminates a photographing direction by the image photographing unit,
The illumination unit is arranged apart from the display unit on the side opposite to the end side of the housing where the display unit is arranged.
Electronics. The electronic device according to claim 1,
The display unit is disposed on one end side of the casing, and an operation unit having a plurality of operation keys is disposed on the other end side of the casing with respect to the display unit, and the other end of the casing In the vicinity, the illumination unit is arranged with the operation unit sandwiched away from the display unit,
Electronics. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2,
The illumination unit is arranged so that an optical axis representing the illumination direction of the illumination unit and an optical axis representing the imaging direction of the image capturing unit intersect at a predetermined distance from the housing. ,
Electronics. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The housing is a foldable housing in which one housing provided with the display unit and the other housing provided with the illumination unit are connected to each other so as to be rotatable.
The illumination unit is disposed near the rotation end of the other casing,
Electronics. The electronic device according to claim 4,
When the foldable casing is opened, the one casing and the other casing are bent at a predetermined angle.
Electronics. An electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A plurality of the illuminating portions are arranged apart from each other in the width direction that is perpendicular to a straight line connecting one end and the other end of the housing.
Electronics. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A plurality of operation key illumination units that illuminate the operation keys from the inside of the housing, and an operation key illumination state control unit that controls the illumination state of the operation key illumination unit,
The illumination state of the illumination unit is controlled by the operation key illumination state control unit.
Electronics. The electronic device according to claim 7,
A second illumination unit that illuminates light having a stronger intensity than the light illuminated from the illumination unit, and a second illumination state control unit that controls the illumination operation of the second illumination unit,
The operation key illumination state control unit controls to illuminate light having a weaker intensity than the light from the second illumination unit from the illumination unit and the operation key illumination unit.
Electronics. The electronic device according to claim 8,
The operation key, the operation key illumination unit, and the operation key illumination state control unit are mounted on a surface of the substrate provided in the housing on the side where the operation unit is disposed,
The second illumination unit and the second illumination state control unit are mounted on the surface of the substrate opposite to the side where the operation unit is disposed,
Electronics.

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