Patent Publication Number: US-2011063327-A1

Title: Display and imager displaying and magnifying images on their screen

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a display that displays and magnifies an item. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,430,008 discloses a digital camera that has a display having a touch panel. When a user touches the touch panel according to a predetermined touch pattern, the digital camera detects the touch pattern on the touch panel and changes a displaying mode based on the touch pattern. 
     However, a user cannot arbitrarily select any point on the screen because the digital camera detects touches based on the predetermined pattern. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a display and an imager that displays and magnifies a plurality of selected items with ease. 
     A display is provided having a screen and an operating part. The screen displays three or more selection items. The operating part is used to select two or more items among the selection items displayed on the screen. The screen displays and magnifies the two or more selection items that are selected. 
     An imager is provided having a display. The display comprises a screen and a touch panel. The screen displays three or more thumbnail images. The touch panel is provided on said screen, and selects two or more images among three or more thumbnail images displayed on the screen when the touch panel is touched. The screen displays and magnifies the images corresponding to the touched area of the touch panel. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The objects and advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the following description, with references to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an imager according to the present embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  shows a screen that displays sixteen thumbnail images; 
         FIG. 3  shows a screen displaying thumbnail images when a user draws a circular arc on the touch panel; 
         FIG. 4  shows a screen that displays and magnifies eight selected images in order of their file names; 
         FIG. 5  shows a screen that displays and magnifies eight selected images in the order corresponding to their order of selection, which is the order in which the items were touched on the touch panel; 
         FIG. 6  shows a screen displaying thumbnail images when a user draws a circle on a touch panel; 
         FIG. 7  shows a screen that displays and magnifies eight selected images and one image that is surrounded by the eight selected images, in the order of file name; 
         FIG. 8  is a flowchart of a display process; 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic view of an imager having an operating part that is provided independently from a touch panel; and 
         FIG. 10  shows a screen that displays thumbnail images with checkboxes on each thumbnail image. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention is described below with references to the embodiment shown in the drawings. 
     A digital camera  10  is an imager according to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , and comprises an imaging sensor  11 , a focusing lens  12 , an image processor  13 , a release button  14 , a screen  15  with a touch panel  18 , a storage medium  16 , and a controller  17 . 
     Reflected light from an object strikes the imaging sensor  11  after passing through the focusing lens  12 , so that the imaging sensor  11  converts an optical image to an electric image signal and outputs the signal. The image processor  13  creates image data by processing the image signal. The image data is then sent to the screen  15 , upon which an image is displayed based on the image data. In the case where the digital camera carries out such procedures for one frame, the screen  15  displays a through image, which is called a live view. The controller  17  controls each part of the digital camera  10 , e.g. the image processor. 
     When the release button  14  is depressed halfway, the image processor  13  brings an object into focus by controlling the focusing lens  12 , and calculates exposure conditions, e.g. aperture value and exposure time, etc., based on a brightness signal included in the image signal. While the focusing lens  12  is focused on an object, the image processor  13  directs the movement of the focusing lens  12  along its axis while calculating contrast values based on the brightness signal from a predetermined period. Then, when the image processor  13  determines that an object is in focus of the focusing lens  12  and the contrast value is at its maximum, the focusing lens  12  is fixed it its current position that is focused on the object. 
     When the release button  14  is fully depressed, the image processor  13  keeps the object in focus of the focusing lens  12  while the imaging sensor  11  captures an image under the calculated exposure conditions. The image processor  13  then creates image data by processing the image signal, and a still image based on the image date is displayed on the screen  15 . The image file including the image data is stored in the storage medium. 
     The screen  15  is controlled by the controller  17 , so as to display a live view, an image stored in the storage medium  16 , a magnified image or a plurality of thumbnail images.  FIG. 2  shows the screen  15  displaying  16  thumbnail images. In this particular case, the thumbnail images are aligned in the order of their filenames, from 1 to 16, which were decided according to their order of photographing. 
     The touch panel  18  is provided on the surface of the screen  15 . By touching one or more thumbnail images displayed on the screen  15 , a user selects which images on the touch panel  18  are displayed and magnified. By continuously touching the touch screen and tracing a circular pattern, a user can select all touched images and those inside the circular pattern to be displayed and magnified on the screen  15 . All of the displayed images are magnified as large as possible. 
     For example, when a user traces a circular pattern on the screen  15  by touching the thumbnail images in the order of 12, 8, 4, 3, 2, 6, 10 and 11, as illustrated by the arrow in  FIG. 3 , the screen  15  displays and magnifies only these images (refer to  FIGS. 4 and 5 ). 
       FIG. 4  shows the screen  15  when it displays and magnifies the images in the order corresponding to the rank predetermined for each image. For example, the images are displayed in the order 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12.  FIG. 5  shows the screen  15  when it displays and magnifies the images in the order corresponding to their touched order. 
     For example, the images are displayed in the order 12, 8, 4, 3, 2, 6, 10, 11. In this case, a user not only selects which images are to be magnified, but also determines their order of display. 
     When a user touches the thumbnail images on the screen  15  in the order 11, 12, 8, 4, 3, 2, 6, 10, 11 as illustrated by the arrow in  FIG. 6 , i.e. as drawing circle, the screen  15  displays and magnifies these touched images along with image  7  that is encircled by the circular pattern traced on the touch panel  18 .  FIG. 7  shows screen  15  displaying and magnifying these images. By properly tracing a circular pattern, a user can determine whether or not the image positioned inside the pattern is selected and magnified. 
     A user selects images while thumbnail images are displayed on the screen  15 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 6 , so that the images that a user intends to view or make comparisons with are displayed and magnified. 
     The display process is described hereinafter with reference to  FIG. 8 . The display process is the process of the screen  15  displaying and magnifying images based on an area that is specified by the touch of a user, and starts when the digital camera  10  is powered on. 
     In Step S 11 , when the screen  15  displays thumbnail images, the controller  17  determines whether or not a user touches the touch panel  18 . In the case that the touch panel  18  is not touched, Step S 11  is repeated until the touch panel  18  is touched. In the case that the touch panel  18  is touched, the process continues to Step S 12 . 
     In Step S 12 , the controller  17  determines whether a user touches only one single image on the touch panel  18 . In the case that a user touches only one image, the process continues to Step S 13 . Otherwise a plurality of images is touched and the process proceeds to Step S 14 . 
     In Step S 13 , the controller  17  directs the screen  15  to display the image that is selected by a user. 
     In Step S 14 , the controller  17  determines whether or not a pattern touched on the touch panel  18  by a user for a predetermined period forms a circle. In the case a circle is formed, the process continues to Step S 15 , otherwise it proceeds to Step S 16 . 
     In Step S 15 , the screen  15  displays and magnifies eight images that are on the circular pattern and one image that is surrounded by the selected eight images, in other words, encircled by the circular pattern. 
     In Step S 16 , the screen  15  displays and magnifies images on the pattern which is circular arc, not a complete circle. 
     The thumbnail images are too small to observe in detail. However, according to the embodiment, the screen  15  magnifies and displays any image that a user desires to observe in detail. Therefore, a user can easily observe images in detail. According to the embodiment, a user views thumbnail images and intuitively manipulates the touch panel  18  to select images to be magnified. 
     In this embodiment, the thumbnail images are displayed and magnified; however, icons for the configuration of the digital camera  10 , i.e. a configuration menu, may instead be magnified and displayed on the screen  15 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , the digital camera  10  may comprise an operating part  19  that a user operates by marking or unmarking a checkbox on a thumbnail image to select an image to be magnified (refer to  FIG. 10 ). 
     Concerning the selection of a thumbnail image, the digital camera  10  may display a determination icon on the screen  18 . The digital camera  10  determines selected images after a user touches the touch panel  18  and the determination icon. 
     In the embodiment, the digital camera  10  having the screen  15  is described as one example of the invention, however, the screen can be applied to other devices that can display three or more items on one screen, and then magnify and display two or more selected items on one screen. 
     Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described herein with references to the accompanying drawings, obviously many modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     The present disclosure relates to subject matter contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-210678 (filed on Sep. 11, 2009), which is expressly incorporated herein, by reference, in its entirety.