Portable information terminal equipped with camera

This application is a division of application Ser. No. 11/338,769, filed Jan. 25, 2006, which is a division of application Ser. No. 09/733,033, filed Dec. 11, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,046,287, and is based on Japanese Patent Applications Nos. 11-367810, 11-367811, and 11-367812, all filed Dec. 24, 1999, by Masaaki Nishino, Masakatsu Takizawa, Norihisa Mitsuyu, Shuji Yamaguchi and Satoshi Machida. This application claims only subject matter disclosed in the parent application and therefore presents no new matter.

1. Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a portable information terminal equipped with camera which is applied to a portable television telephone and other general purposes.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Conventional portable information terminal with camera of this type is provided with a camera function unit which is arranged on an information terminal body, and a display unit is used as a finder in a photographing optical system of the camera function unit. In this manner, when the portable information terminal is equipped with the camera and used as a digital camera, it is desired that the portable information terminal has operability equal to that of a normal camera and consumes less electric power.

Further, in a portable information terminal with camera of this type, an information terminal body is equipped with a camera function unit, and a shutter button arranged in a photographing optical system of the camera function unit is arranged on the information terminal body. In this manner, when the portable information terminal is equipped with the camera, high operability equal to that of a normal camera and the operability of the camera when the portable information terminal is used as a portable information terminal are desirably compatible. In general, in order to secure the operability of the camera, it may be effective that the position of the shutter is arranged at a shoulder portion of a case.

Furthermore, as a portable information terminal with camera of this type, for example, devices disclosed in JP 8-22343 (1996) and JP 11-69214 (1999) are known. In particular, in the device disclosed in JP 11-69214 (1999), an information terminal is equipped with a camera function unit, and the information terminal body is designed to foldably pivot a pair of flat cases each having a display unit through a hinge portion, and the hinge portion has a photographing optical system of the camera function unit, having a lens opening in a direction perpendicular to the axial center of the hinge portion. In this case, when the portable information terminal is equipped with the camera, the photographing optical system of the camera must be attached to an end of the device body for the sake of a screen arrangement. For this reason, the hinge portion for folding the cases of the device is designed to form a lens opening for the optical system. In addition, since the lens opening can be headed in a free direction ranged to some extent, the cases can be switched from a folded state to open states of several steps, and the usage of the portable information terminal is designed in various modes.

However, a power for screen display must be switched on to perform photographing while the display unit of the portable information terminal is used as a finder. For this reason, a power consumption increases, and the portable information terminal can not be used for many hours. In addition, when a subject is photographed without using display finder, the photographing cannot be performed at a good camera angle.

Further, when the portable information terminal is operated as a portable information terminal, and when a shutter is arranged at the shoulder portion of the case, every camera photographing, the device must be changed in holding state such that the shutter operation can be easily performed, and a finger placed on the terminal operation button must be moved to the position of the shutter arranged at the shoulder of the case. This action is a considerable disadvantage to operability. In addition, when the display screen is used as a vertically long screen or a horizontally long screen, if a shutter release button is arranged at a convenient position, the operability is improved. Therefore, on the operations obtained when the portable information terminal is used as a camera and a portable information terminal, the shutter must be always located at a proper position where the shutter does not degrade the operability. However, the increase in the number of shutter release buttons must be avoided because the cost increases by increasing the number of parts and because the number of times of action that a user changes her/his finger position cannot be reduced by increasing the number of shutter release buttons.

Furthermore, when this portable information terminal equipped with camera is used in video recording, the display unit (liquid-crystal display unit) display, for a photographer, a subject image by the lens. Therefore, the subject person can not know the present camera angle. This is because the displayed image cannot be seen from the subject side.

An object of the present invention is to provide a portable information terminal with camera which is equipped with a viewfinder corresponding to a photographing optical system of a camera function unit independently of a display unit, used as a viewfinder, for an information terminal when the portable information terminal is used in a photographing mode of a camera, which does not degrade the operability of the camera, which suppresses a power consumption, and which can be used for many hours.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable information terminal with camera which can always acquire proper and comfortable operability of a camera without increasing the number of parts and complication of structure.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable information terminal with camera including an information terminal body having display units arranged in a pair of cases folded through a hinge portion, wherein the portable information terminal is designed such that photographing can be performed while an image is also checked from a subject side by effectively using the two display units.

There is provided a portable information terminal with camera in which an information terminal body is equipped with a camera function unit, and a display unit of the information terminal is used as a viewfinder in a photographing optical system of the camera function unit, characterized in that the information terminal body is equipped with a viewfinder for the photographing optical system such that the viewfinder is adjusted to a direction of an optical lens of the photographing optical system. The viewfinder may be arranged in the information terminal body such that the viewfinder can be retracted in the information terminal body. The information terminal body may be designed to foldably pivot a pair of flat cases at least one of which has a display unit through a hinge portion, and the hinge portion is preferably equipped with the photographing optical system of the camera function unit and the viewfinder corresponding to the photographing optical system

Further, there is provided a portable information terminal with camera in which an information terminal body is equipped with a camera function unit, and an operation button for a shutter arranged in the photographing optical system is arranged on the information terminal body, characterized in that the same function as that of the operation button for the shutter is set in one function operation of a terminal operation button arranged on the information terminal body. The information terminal body may be designed to foldably pivot a pair of flat cases at least one of which has a display unit through a hinge portion, and it is practically preferable that the hinge portion is equipped with the photographing optical system of the camera function unit. It is effective that the terminal operation button is a scroll button related to the display unit of the information terminal body, it is effective that the scroll button has a vertically pressing function, and the function is caused to correspond to the function of the operation button for the shutter, and it is effective that the terminal operation button causes one function operation to correspond to the function of the operation button for the shutter by function mode switching on the information terminal body side.

Furthermore, there is provided a portable information terminal with camera in which an information terminal body is equipped with a camera function unit, the information terminal body is designed to foldably pivot a pair of flat cases each having a display unit through a hinge portion, and the hinge portion is equipped with a photographing optical system for the camera function unit having a lens opening in a direction perpendicular to an axial center of the hinge portion, characterized in that the cases have the display units such that the display units face outside in a folded state. The hinge portion may have a structure in which the cases are pivoted by two parallel shafts with respect to a housing equipped with the photographing optical system, the display units are designed to select two states such that the display units face inside of the information terminal body in a folded state and face outside in a developed state, and the display units can be selected and switched with respect to a normal image such that one of the display units facing the subject side displays an inverted image through image inversion means to display the horizontal inverted image of a photographed image. The display units arranged in the cases may have use modes which can be switched such that the cases are opposite to each other in the folded state of the cases and face the same side when the display units are developed about the hinge portion at 180°, and a housing equipped with the photographing optical system for the camera function unit is pivotally supported by the two parallel shafts, is rotated at 360° through the cases such that the display units can be located inside or outside the information terminal in a folded state, and can be developed such that the display units can be located on the same side in the middle of the rotation. The information terminal body is equipped with a camera function unit, the information terminal body has two display units and is equipped with a photographing optical system, having a lens opening, for the camera function unit, and one of the display units is designed to be used as a viewfinder of the camera.

According to the present invention a viewfinder which is arranged in a conventional camera is arranged in an information terminal body, a subject can be correctly captured even though the display unit of the information terminal is not used as a viewfinder. Since the display unit is not powered on, it is advantageous that a power consumption can be reduced.

Further, according to the present invention, a shutter release button is located at a position similar to the position of a shutter release button of a conventional camera, operability equal to that of a conventional camera can be realized even in the portable information terminal, and camera shake in photographing or difficulty in performing the operation can be canceled. In addition, even though a shutter operation function is added to the terminal operation button (for example, posture without any excessive actions such as a change in holding state of the device and a motion or change in the positions of fingers.