Patent ID: 7268806
Filing Date: 2007-09-11
Classification: G03B

Abstract:
1. A device for controlling an exposure of an electronic camera, said camera being mounted on an electronic apparatus having a display screen and the camera being capable of setting a photographing direction to at least a forward direction or a rearward direction relative to the front of said display screen, said device comprising: exposure detecting means for generating exposure detection information indicative of the average magnitude of video signals of a photographed image based on video signals generated by the electronic camera, exposure adjusting means for adjusting the exposure of the electronic camera based on said exposure detection information generated by said exposure detecting means, first and second camera support means for rotating the electronic camera in a plane perpendicular to and in a plane that vertically extends from the display of the electronic apparatus, photographing direction detecting means for outputting a corresponding direction detection signal when the photographing direction of the electronic camera is set to the rearward direction, wherein said exposure detecting means logically divides one photographed image according to first and second patterns, and in the division by said first pattern, divides said photographed image into an upper area and a lower area to generate first exposure detection information relatively strongly reflecting the magnitude of said video signal corresponding to said lower area, and in the division by said second pattern, divides the photographed image into a central area and a peripheral area to generate second exposure detection information relatively strongly reflecting the magnitude of the video signal corresponding to said central area, wherein said first and second camera support means are respectively located on a first end and a second end of the electronic camera, wherein said photographing direction detecting means is adjacent to said first camera support means, said exposure adjusting means adjusts the exposure of the electronic camera on the basis of said first exposure detection information when said photographing direction detecting means outputs said direction detection signal, wherein said exposure adjusting means adjusts the exposure of the electronic camera on the basis of said second exposure detection information when the photographing direction detecting means does not output a direction detection signal, which occurs when the photographing direction is rotated on said first and second camera support means in a range of θf corresponding to said forward direction, wherein said photographing direction detecting means outputs the direction detection signal only when the photographing direction is rotated on said first and second camera support means in a range of θb corresponding to said rearward direction, and wherein the total range of θf and θb is approximately 180 degrees, and the range of θf is approximately 60 degrees, such that the photographing direction is in the range of θb when it is about 60 degrees or more away from the front of said display screen.