Camera

Abstract

When at least a portion of an aperture of a lens part is covered with some object, both adjusting of the sensitivity of an image pickup part and display of “though image” are inhibited. Also, it is able to shorten a length of time for which the camera enters into a power saving mode, and to prevent capture of improper images. Provided herein is a determining unit for determining whether at least a portion of the aperture of the lens part is covered. When the determining unit determines that it is covered, the camera inhibits the sensitivity adjustment of the image pickup part and the display of “though image”, shortens the length of time after which the camera enters into the power saving mode, interrupts shooting or continuous shooting, or a movie imaging, and inhibits a flash emission.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An electronic camera, comprising: 
 a lens part;    a covering unit for covering at least a portion of an aperture of said lens part;    a determining unit for determining whether at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is covered with said covering unit;    a release button for setting a shooting condition when half-pressed, and for executing a shooting when full-pressed; and    a shooting inhibiting unit for inhibiting the shooting when, upon said release button's being full-pressed, said determining unit determines that at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is covered.    
     
     
         2 . An electronic camera, comprising: 
 a lens part;    a covering unit for covering at least a portion of an aperture of said lens part;    a determining unit for determining whether at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is covered with said covering unit;    a continuous shooting unit for performing continuous shooting; and    a continuous shooting interrupting unit for interrupting the continuous shooting of said continuous shooting unit when said determining unit determines, during the continuous shooting, that at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is covered.    
     
     
         3 . The electronic camera according to  claim 2 , wherein 
 said continuous shooting interrupting unit resumes the continuous shooting when said determining unit determines, during the interruption of the continuous shooting, that neither a portion nor a whole of the aperture of said lens part is covered.    
     
     
         4 . An electronic camera, comprising: 
 a lens part;    a covering unit for covering at least a portion of an aperture of said lens part;    a determining unit for determining whether at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is covered with said covering unit;    a movie imaging unit for imaging a movie; and    an imaging interrupting unit for interrupting the movie imaging of said movie imaging unit when said determining unit determines, during the movie imaging, that at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is covered.    
     
     
         5 . An electronic camera, comprising: 
 a lens part;    a flash unit for flashing light;    a covering unit for covering at least a portion of an aperture of said lens part;    a determining unit for determining whether at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is covered with said covering unit; and    a shooting-process interrupting unit for interrupting a shooting processing when said determining unit determines, immediately before a flash emission from said flash unit, that at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is covered.    
     
     
         6 . The electronic camera according to  claim 5 , wherein 
 the flash emission is a preparative light emission.    
     
     
         7 . The electronic camera according to  claim 5 , wherein 
 the flash emission is a main light emission.    
     
     
         8 . The electronic camera according to  claim 5 , wherein 
 the flash emission is an auxiliary light emission for preventing red-eye effect.    
     
     
         9 . An electronic camera, comprising: 
 a lens part being position-changeably mounted on a body of said electronic camera;    a position changing unit for changing a degree of how much an aperture is hidden by said body, in accordance with a change of a position of said lens part;    a determining unit for determining whether at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is hidden by said body and hence the lens part is located at an unsuitable position for shooting an image;    a release button for setting a shooting condition when half-pressed, and for executing a shooting when full-pressed; and    a shooting inhibiting unit for inhibiting the shooting when said determining unit determines that, upon said release button's being full-pressed, said lens part is located at an unsuitable position for the shooting.    
     
     
         10 . An electronic camera, comprising: 
 a lens part being position-changeably mounted on a body of said electronic camera;    a position changing unit for changing a degree of how much an aperture is hidden by said body, in accordance with a change of a position of said lens part;    a determining unit for determining whether at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is hidden by said body and the lens part is located at an unsuitable position for shooting an image;    a continuous shooting unit for performing continuous shooting; and    a continuous shooting interrupting unit for interrupting the continuous shooting of said continuous shooting unit when said determining unit determines, during the continuous shooting, that said lens part is located at an unsuitable position for the shooting.    
     
     
         11 . The electronic camera according to  claim 10 , wherein 
 said continuous shooting interrupting unit resumes the continuous shooting when said determining unit determines, during the interruption of the continuous shooting, that the aperture of said lens part is not located at any position unsuitable for the shooting.    
     
     
         12 . An electronic camera, comprising: 
 a lens part being position-changeably mounted on a body of said electronic camera;    a position changing unit for changing a degree of how much an aperture is hidden by said body, in accordance with a change of a position of said lens part;    a determining unit for determining whether at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is hidden by said body and the lens part is located at an unsuitable position for shooting an image;    a movie imaging unit for imaging a movie; and    an imaging interrupting unit for interrupting the movie imaging of said movie imaging unit when said determining unit determines, during the movie imaging, that said lens part is located at an unsuitable position for the movie imaging.    
     
     
         13 . An electronic camera, comprising: 
 a lens part being position-changeably mounted on a body of said electronic camera;    a flash unit for flashing light;    a position changing unit for changing a degree of how much an aperture is hidden by said body, in accordance with a change of a position of said lens part;    a determining unit for determining whether at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is hidden by said body and the lens part is located at an unsuitable position for shooting an image; and    a shooting-process interrupting unit for interrupting a shooting processing when said determining unit determines, immediately before a flash emission from said flash unit, that said lens part is located at an unsuitable position for shooting an image.    
     
     
         14 . The electronic camera according to  claim 13 , wherein 
 said flash emission is a preparative light emission.    
     
     
         15 . The electronic camera according to  claim 13 , wherein 
 said flash emission is a main light emission.    
     
     
         16 . The electronic camera according to  claim 13 , wherein 
 said flash emission is an auxiliary light emission for preventing red-eye effect.    
     
     
         17 . An electronic camera, comprising: 
 a lens part;    a covering unit for covering at least a portion of an aperture of said lens part;    a determining unit for determining whether at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is covered with said covering unit;    an image pickup unit for imaging a subject with said lens part to produce an image signal;    an amplifying unit for amplifying the image signal outputted from said image pickup unit; and    a gain control unit for controlling a gain of said amplifying unit according to a determination result from said determining unit.    
     
     
         18 . The electronic camera according to  claim 17 , wherein 
 said gain control unit inhibits the control of the gain of said amplifying unit when said determining unit determines that at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is covered with said covering unit.    
     
     
         19 . An electronic camera, comprising: 
 a lens part;    a covering unit for covering at least a portion of an aperture of said lens part;    a determining unit for determining whether at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is covered with said covering unit;    an image pickup unit for imaging a subject with said lens part to produce an image signal;    a display unit for displaying an image of the subject according to the image signal produced by said image pickup unit; and    a display control unit for controlling image display of said display unit according to a determination result from said determining unit.    
     
     
         20 . The electronic camera according to  claim 19 , wherein 
 said display unit inhibits said display unit from displaying the image of the subject when said determining unit determines that at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is covered with said covering unit.    
     
     
         21 . The electronic camera according to  claim 19 , wherein 
 said display unit stops a driving of said image pickup unit when said determining unit determines that at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is covered with said covering unit.    
     
     
         22 . A camera, comprising: 
 a lens part;    a covering unit for covering at least a portion of an aperture of said lens part;    a determining unit for determining whether at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is covered with said covering unit;    an inoperative-state detecting unit for measuring a duration of time for which the camera is powered on but not in operation;    a power saving unit for setting an operation mode of the camera to a power saving mode when the duration of time measured by said inoperative-state detecting unit is equal to or longer than a predetermined duration of time, the power saving mode being a mode in which power consumption is reduced; and    a selecting unit for selecting one of predetermined durations of time according to a determination result from said determining unit, the predetermined durations of time being durations for which the camera is powered on but not in operation, and of which said power saving unit enters into the power saving mode on the basis.    
     
     
         23 . The camera according to  claim 22 , wherein 
 when at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is covered with said covering unit, said selecting unit sets the predetermined durations of time to smaller values than when the aperture of said lens part is not covered with said covering unit.    
     
     
         24 . The camera according to  claim 22 , wherein 
 said power saving unit cancels said power saving mode when said determining unit determines that a state of the aperture of said lens part shifts from a covered state to an uncovered state.    
     
     
         25 . An electronic camera, comprising: 
 a lens part being position-changeably mounted on a body of said electronic camera;    a position changing unit for changing a degree of how much an aperture is hidden by said body, in accordance with a change of a position of said lens part;    a determining unit for determining whether at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is hidden by said body and the lens part is located at an unsuitable position for shooting an image;    an amplifying unit for amplifying the image signal outputted from said image pickup unit; and    a gain control unit for controlling a gain of said amplifying unit according to a determination result from said determining unit.    
     
     
         26 . The electronic camera, according to  claim 25 , wherein 
 said gain control unit inhibits the control of the gain of said amplifying unit when said determining unit determines that at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is covered with said covering unit.    
     
     
         27 . An electronic camera, comprising: 
 a lens part being position-changeably mounted on a body of said electronic camera;    a position changing unit for changing a degree of how much an aperture is hidden by said body, in accordance with a change of a position of said lens part;    a determining unit for determining whether at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is hidden by said body and the lens part is located at an unsuitable position for shooting an image;    an image pickup unit for imaging a subject with said lens part to produce an image signal;    a display unit for displaying an image according to the image signal produced by said image pickup unit; and    a display control unit for controlling the image display of said display unit according to a determination result from said determining unit.    
     
     
         28 . The electronic camera according to  claim 27 , wherein 
 said display unit inhibits said display unit from displaying the image when said determining unit determines that at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is covered with said covering unit.    
     
     
         29 . The electronic camera according to  claim 27 , wherein 
 said display unit stops a driving of said image pickup unit when said determining unit determines that at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is covered with said covering unit.    
     
     
         30 . A camera, comprising: 
 a lens part being position-changeably mounted on a body of said electronic camera;    a position changing unit for changing a degree of how much an aperture is hidden by said body, in accordance with a change of a position of said lens part;    a determining unit for determining whether at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is hidden by said body and the lens part is located at an unsuitable position for shooting an image;    an inoperative-state detecting unit for measuring a duration of time for which the camera is powered on but not in operation;    a power saving unit for setting an operation mode of the camera to a power saving mode when the duration of time measured by said inoperative-state detecting unit is equal to or longer than a predetermined duration of time, the power saving mode being a mode in which power consumption is reduced; and    a selecting unit for selecting one of predetermined durations of time according to a determination result from said determining unit, the predetermined durations of time being durations for which the camera is powered on but not in operation, and of which said power saving unit enters into the power saving mode on the basis.    
     
     
         31 . The camera according to  claim 30 , wherein 
 when at least a portion of the aperture of said lens part is covered with said covering unit, said selecting unit sets the predetermined durations of time to smaller values than when the aperture of said lens part is not covered with said covering unit.    
     
     
         32 . The camera according to  claim 30 , wherein 
 said power saving unit cancels said power saving mode when said determining unit determines that a state of the aperture of said lens part shifts from a covered state to an uncovered state.