Information input apparatus and method

Abstract

An electronic camera is capable of recording image, voice, text, line-drawn information and the like. A release switch in the electronic camera is operated to photograph a subject image. When recording voice with the electronic camera, shutter sound effects are not output with the recorded voice. Further, the photographic operation can be indicated to the user by lighting a light-emitting diode in a finder when the release switch is operated.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An information input apparatus, comprising: 
 an imaging device that forms images of a subject;    a sound recording device that records sounds;    a storage medium that stores at least one of the images formed by the imaging device and the sounds input by the sound recording device;    a release switch that initiates a predetermined process;    a sound effect output device that outputs a preset sound effect when the release switch is operated; and    a control device that controls the sound effect output device so that the preset sound effect will not be output with the sounds recorded by the sound recording device when the release switch initiated the predetermined process.    
     
     
         2 . The information input apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a view finder through which the subject can be observed; and    an information output device that outputs visual information within the viewfinder, wherein the predetermined process is an image recording process that forms at least one image of the subject using the imaging device and stores the at least one image in the storage medium, wherein the control device further controls the information output device to output a visual release switch indication when the release switch is operated.    
     
     
         3 . The information input apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the preset sound effect is a shutter sound effect, wherein the storage medium stores a plurality of types of the shutter sound effect, and wherein the sound effect output device outputs one of the plurality of types of the shutter sound effect when the release switch is operated.  
     
     
         4 . The information input apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the storage medium stores the images and the sounds together.  
     
     
         5 . The information input apparatus further comprising a setting device that sets a photographic environment, wherein when the release switch is operated the sound effect output device further outputs sound effects based on the photographic environment set by the setting device.  
     
     
         6 . The information input apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the setting device is a compression device that compresses the images formed by the imaging device at a selected one of a plurality of compression rates.  
     
     
         7 . The information input apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein a frequency of the sound effects output by the sound effect output device is changed based on the selected compression rate.  
     
     
         8 . The information input apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the setting device further sets an information input apparatus operating mode, wherein the sound effect output device outputs the sound effects based on the operation mode set by the setting device.  
     
     
         9 . The information input apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a changing device that changes the sound effects corresponding to the operation mode.  
     
     
         10 . The information input apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a sound playback device that outputs the sounds stored in the storage medium; and    a sound removing device that silences all or part of the preset sound effect when the preset sound effect is included in the sounds stored by the storage medium.    
     
     
         11 . The information input apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a selection device that selects whether to remove the preset sound effect included in the sounds output by the sound playback device, wherein the sound removing device silences all or part of the preset sound effect when removing the sound effect is selected by the selection device.  
     
     
         12 . The information input apparatus further comprising a deleting device that deletes all or part of the preset sound effect from the sounds output by the sound playback device when the preset sound effect was included in the sounds that the sound recording device records.  
     
     
         13 . The information input apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the sound effect output device outputs the preset sound effect having a frequency incapable of being recorded by the sound recording device, incapable of being stored by the storage medium, or incapable of being played back by the sound playback device.  
     
     
         14 . The information input apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a display that displays the images formed by the imaging device and the images stored by the storage medium.  
     
     
         15 . The information input apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an illumination device that illuminates the subject with light.  
     
     
         16 . An information input apparatus, comprising: 
 imaging means for forming images of a subject;    sound recording means for inputting sounds;    storage means for storing the images formed by the imaging means and the sounds input by the sound recording means;    indicating means for indicating start of a predetermined process;    sound effect output means for outputting preset sound effects when the indicating means indicates the predetermined process is started; and    control means for controlling the sound effect output means, wherein the preset sound effects will not be output with the sounds input by the sound recording means when the predetermined process is started.    
     
     
         17 . The information input apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 observation means for observing the subject; and    information output means for outputting visual information within the observation means, wherein the indicating means is a release button, wherein the predetermined process is an image recording process that stores the images formed by the imaging means in the storage means, wherein the control means controls the information output means to output a visual release button indication when the predetermined process is started.    
     
     
         18 . The information input apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising setting means for setting one compression rate among a plurality of compression rates for the images formed by the imaging means, wherein a frequency of the preset sound effects corresponds to the compression rate set by the setting means.  
     
     
         19 . The information input apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the setting means further sets an information input apparatus operating mode, wherein the preset sound effects correspond to the operation mode set by the setting means.  
     
     
         20 . The information input apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 sound playback means for playback of the sounds stored in the storage means; and    sound silencing means for silencing all or part of the preset sound effects when the preset sound effects are included in the sounds stored by the storage means.    
     
     
         21 . The information input apparatus of  claim 20 , further comprising selecting means for selecting whether the preset sound effects included in the sounds played back by the sound playback means are silenced, wherein the sound silencing means silences all or part of the preset sound effects when silencing the sound effects is selected by the selecting means.  
     
     
         22 . The information input apparatus of  claim 20 , further comprising deleting means for deleting all or part of the preset sound effects the sounds input by the sound recording means.  
     
     
         23 . The information input apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the sound effect output means outputs the preset sound effects with a frequency incapable of being input by the sound recording means, incapable of being stored by the storage means, or incapable of being played back by the sound playback means.  
     
     
         24 . A method of controlling an information input apparatus, comprising: 
 forming images of a subject using an imaging device;    performing sound recording of sounds occurring near the information input apparatus using a sound recording device;    storing the images formed by the imaging device and the sounds recorded by the sound recording device in a storage medium;    operating a release switch to initiate a predetermined process;    outputting a sound effect when the predetermined process is initiated; and    controlling the output of the sound effect during the sound recording so that when the predetermined process is initiated the sound effect will not be output.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising: 
 observing the subject through a viewfinder; and    outputting visual information within the viewfinder, wherein the predetermined process is an image recording process that stores the images formed by the imaging device in the storage medium, wherein the visual information is a release switch operation indication when the release switch is operated.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising setting the photographic environment with a setting device, wherein the sound effect outputting step outputs the sound effect based on the photographic environment set by the setting device.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the setting step sets an information input apparatus operating mode and the outputting step outputs the sound effect based on the operation mode set by the setting device.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising: 
 playing back the sounds stored in the storage medium with a speaker; and    silencing the sound effect when the sound effect is included in the sounds recorded by the sound recording device.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the silencing step comprises deleting the sound effect from the sounds when the sound effect is included in the sounds recorded by the sound recording device.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the sound outputting step outputs the sound effect using a frequency outside a frequency range of the sound recording device, the storage medium or the speaker.