Recently, to meet consumers' needs, imaging apparatuses which can be also adapted to a wide screen with an aspect ratio of 16:9 (a ratio in the vertical direction: a ratio in the horizontal direction) have been developed. Here, as a method for selectively obtaining an object image (image) in a current screen size with an aspect ratio of 4:3 and an object image (image) in a size of the wide screen, the Japanese Publication for Laid-Open Patent Application No. 5-252452/1993 (Tokukaihei No. 5-252452), for example, discloses a method as follows. A wide-screen-use CCD (charge coupled device) (aspect ratio: 16:9) is used in the method. In the case where an object image which is optically determined through a converging lens has an aspect ratio of 16:9, an overall imaging surface of the CCD. On the other hand, in the case where the aspect ratio of the object image has an aspect ratio of 4:3, the wide-screen-use CCD is adapted to a screen in the current screen size (aspect ratio: 4:3) by utilizing only an area with an aspect ratio of 4:3 in the center of the imaging surface of the CCD.
However, the above conventional method has a drawback in that image quality is degraded in the case where an object image with a certain aspect ratio is projected on the CCD having a different aspect ratio. The reason is as follows. In the case where the aspect ratio of the object image is different from the aspect ratio of the CCD, not all the elements of the CCD are used, and the number of effective elements decreases, compared with the case where all the elements of the CCD are utilized.
As a method for using all the elements of the CCD in the case where the object image in the current screen size which has been optically determined through the converging lens is projected on the wide-screen-use CCD, the Japanese Publication for Laid-Open Patent Application No. 5-316406/1993 (Tokukaihei No. 5-316406) discloses a method described below. In the arrangement of the above publication, light having entered through the converging lens is reflected by first reflecting means disposed in front of the converging lens, and the reflected light is again reflected by second reflecting means which has a focal distance different from that of the first reflecting means. By doing so, an object image in the current screen size is optically changed into an object image in the wide screen size so as to be suited for the wide-screen-use CCD.
However, the foregoing method of Tokukaihei 5-316406 is a method for projecting an object image in the current screen size onto the wide-screen-use CCD having more elements so that an image of higher quality is obtained, and object images (images) are obtained only in one screen size. Therefore, now demanded is an imaging apparatus which is capable of taking (imaging) object images in a plurality of screen sizes without decreasing the number of the effective elements in the CCD.
Besides, even though the conventional imaging apparatus is capable of storing object images in a plurality of screen sizes (for example, the wide screen size and the current screen size) in a form of image signals and reproducing them, the images are reproduced only in either of the screen sizes, in the case where the object images in the plural screen sizes are stored all together. Therefore, it is difficult to reproduce (display) each stored object image at its correct aspect ratio. In other words, it is difficult for the conventional imaging apparatus to reproduce an object image in the original screen size. Therefore, demanded is an imaging apparatus which is capable of, even though the object images in a plurality of screen sizes are stored, displaying each image at its correct aspect ratio.
Furthermore, in the case where a control panel such as application keys for controlling display of a display screen is displayed on the display screen when an object image imaged by the CCD is displayed on the display screen such as a display panel, the control panel is displayed always in a predetermined set area on the display surface. Therefore, there may occur drawbacks in that no images are displayed in some areas or the object images are displayed smaller than their intended sizes. For this reason, an imaging apparatus which is capable of efficiently carry out display without wasting spaces, in accordance with a required aspect ratio, is now demanded.
Furthermore, generally, in the case where an object before the user is to be taken, coverage widely ranges, and hence a microphone is required to catch sounds from a wide range. On the other hand, in the case where a vis-a-vis operation is carried out with the converging lens of the imaging apparatus directed toward the user, usually sounds may be caught only from the vicinity of the imaging apparatus.
However, as to the conventional imaging apparatus, no consideration is given to the directivities of the microphone with respect to sounds in the case of the normal operation with respect to objects in a relatively wider range and in the case of the vis-a-vis operation with respect to objects within a relatively short distance.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds