As such an electronic apparatus, a mobile phone capable of executing a mail application program for transmitting electronic mail and a camera application program for performing a camera shooting is known. In this mobile phone, after storing image data obtained by performing an image shooting with image shooting means such as a CCD camera, etc., in an internal memory by executing a camera application program, the image data can be attached to an electronic mail and sent to a specific person by executing a mail application program. When the mobile phone is made to execute these operations, a user must perform the following key operations. First, after performing a key operation for starting the camera application program, a user performs a key operation for release to shoot a subject, and then performs a key operation for storing image data obtained by shooting in the internal memory. Then, after performing a key operation for ending the camera application program, the user performs a key operation for starting the mail application program and makes the mobile phone display a mail composition screen (input screen), and inputs a destination address, a subject, and a body text by key operations. Furthermore, the user performs a key operation for attaching a file to the electronic mail to select and attach the image data stored in the internal memory to the electronic mail. Thereafter, the user performs a key operation for transmitting the electronic mail. On the other hand, as described in Patent Document 1, a small-sized information processing apparatus including attitude detection means for performing attitude detection is known. This small-sized information processing apparatus detects a tilt angle of the display unit (tilt angle with respect to gravity direction) by a tilt sensor as the attitude detection means when a scroll start switch is depressed. After this detection, a tilt angle of the display unit is detected again by the tilt sensor, and from the tilt angle detected at this time, the tilt angle at the time of depressing (basic attitude data) is subtracted to calculate a relative tilt angle from the time of depressing. Then, based on this relative tilt angle, the screen of the display unit is scrolled. More specifically, from the relative tilt angle, a relative tilt direction of the display unit from the time of depressing is recognized, and a process for scrolling the screen toward a direction corresponding to the tilt direction is performed. Furthermore, a process is also performed for reducing the screen scroll speed when this relative tilt angle is less than a predetermined angle (motion identification data), and increasing the same when the relative angle is not less than the predetermined angle. According to this apparatus, the scroll operation which has been conventionally performed by a key operation is performed by an operation of tilting the main body of the apparatus, so that a user can scroll the screen by operation easier than conventionally.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H07-64754.
As described above, conventionally, when image data obtained by shooting with image shooting means is attached to an electronic mail and sent the mail, it is necessary to perform a number of key operations to perform a series of operations for starting a camera application program, releasing, storing the image data obtained by shooting, ending the camera application program, starting a mail application program, inputting predetermined items in the electronic mail, attaching the image data, and transmitting the mail. When the number of key operations is thus large, convenience for users is deteriorated. In addition, such a large number of key operations are necessary each time the series of operations are performed, and this is very troublesome for users. Therefore, a mobile phone capable of performing the series of operations by a smaller number of key operations is demanded.
Therefore, the present inventors have focused on attitude of a mobile phone when the series of operations is performed as described above. That is, in many cases of image shooting performed by using the camera application program, the attitude of the mobile phone is set so that the screen thereof becomes horizontally long as shown in FIG. 3C, that is, the longitudinal direction of the screen is substantially in the horizontal direction (horizontal attitude). On the other hand, in many cases of using the mail application program, the attitude of the mobile phone is set so that the screen is vertically long as shown in FIG. 3A, that is, the longitudinal direction of the screen is substantially in the vertical direction (vertical attitude). Therefore, when the series of operations is performed, a user starts the camera application program and performs an image shooting by setting the mobile phone to the horizontal attitude, and then uses the mail application program upon setting the mobile phone to the vertical attitude in many cases. Therefore, if the attitude change of the mobile phone during the series of operations can be detected and switching from the camera application program to the mail application program can be performed based on the detection results, at least the key operations for ending the camera application program and starting the mail application program can be omitted. Without limiting the series of operations described above, in the case where after one application program is used, the attitude of the mobile phone is changed and another application program is used, the key operations can be similarly omitted.
The same applies to other electronic apparatus as well as the mobile phone.
For example, in a voice recording/playback apparatus such as a voice recorder, recording is performed by using a recording application program by the apparatus in an attitude laid on a desk in many cases. After recording, in many cases, in order to confirm whether the recorded voice has been properly recorded, the apparatus is held by hand and changed in attitude to play the voice back by using a playback application program. In such a case, if the application program can be switched by detecting the attitude change of the apparatus, at least key operations for ending the recording application program and starting the playback application program can be omitted.
For example, in a digital camera, an image shooting is generally performed by using an image shooting application program by the digital camera in an attitude in which the finder screen is substantially parallel to the vertical direction. Thereafter, in many cases, in order to confirm the shot image, the camera is changed into an attitude in which the finder screen tilts from the vertical direction and the image is displayed by using a display application program. Also in this case, if the application program can be switched by detecting the attitude change of the digital camera, at least key operations for ending the image shooting application program and starting the display application program can be omitted.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an electronic apparatus capable of improving convenience for users by omitting key operations that -have been conventionally necessary for using application programs.