JPH0380674A - Digital electronic still camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain electric connection with an external device in one-touch while eliminating the need for a connection cord by forming an outer shape of a camera so as to be inserted to an insertion part of an external device and forming a guide to the camera. CONSTITUTION:A connector 34 for data transfer is provided to a digital electronic still camera 30. The outer shape of a camera insertion part 82 of an external device 90 having a means connecting at least to the connector 34 electrically and reading a data in a memory is formed so as to receive the digital electronic still camera 30 and the guide is formed to the insertion to a camera insertion part 92. Moreover, projecting rails 94, 94 guiding guide slots 35, 36 are used for the guide. Thus, when a data is transferred to the external device 90, no connection cord is required and the connection to the external device 90 is attained in one-touch.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a digital electronic still camera, and more particularly to a digital electronic still camera in which digital image signals are recorded in a memory built into the camera.

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, the analog image signal of a still image obtained from an image sensor placed at the imaging position of the photographic lens has been converted into a digital image signal, and then this signal has been recorded in a solid-state memory (memory cartridge) that can be attached to and removed from the camera. A digital electronic still camera has been proposed (1983)
-20225 specification).

In this digital electronic still camera, as shown in FIG.
A solid-state imaging device (CCD image sensor) 14 is arranged at the imaging position of the photographing lens unit 12.

Further, within this camera body 16, an A/D converter (analog signal) obtained from the CCD image sensor 14 is provided for converting an image signal (analog signal) into an image signal (digital signal) that can be recorded in the memory cartridge 10. (not shown)
, and the socket 18 for transmitting and receiving digital signals to and from the memory cartridge 10 are fixed to the A/D board 20. In the figure, 22 is a strobe, 24 is a battery box, 26 is a finder, and 28 is a power supply circuit.

On the other hand, for a digital electronic still camera using the above memory cartridge, the digital image signal is recorded in the camera's built-in memory, and the data in the memory is transferred via a connector provided in the camera. Something has also been proposed.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

By the way, in a digital electronic still camera that records digital image signals in the camera's built-in memory,
When transferring data to other external devices during playback, etc.
The connector on the camera side and the connector on the external device side must be connected using a connection cord. Therefore, a separate connection cord is required, and the digital electronic still camera cannot be connected to an external device with a single touch.

The present invention was developed in view of the above circumstances, and therefore enables a digital electronic still camera that records digital image signals in the camera's built-in memory to transfer data to an external device without the need for a connection cord and with a single touch. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a digital electronic still camera that can be connected to external equipment.

[Means to solve problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention reads an analog image signal for one screen from an image sensor disposed at the imaging position of a photographing lens when a shirt release button is pressed, and converts the analog image signal into a digital image signal. In a digital electronic still camera that records data in the camera's built-in memory after converting the data into a The outer shape of the digital electronic still camera is formed so that the digital electronic still camera can be inserted into a camera insertion portion of an external device having a means for reading data, and a guide is formed when the digital electronic still camera is inserted into the camera insertion portion. It is characterized by

[Effect]

According to the present invention, the digital electronic still camera itself is formed so that it can be inserted into other external equipment. That is,
The external shape of the camera is formed so that it can be inserted into a camera insertion section provided on an external device. Further, a guide is formed on the camera, and the camera is guided when the camera is inserted into the camera insertion section, so that the connector on the camera side and the connector inside the camera insertion section can be connected well.

〔Example〕

Preferred embodiments of the digital electronic still camera according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a first example of a digital electronic still camera according to the present invention.
It is a perspective view showing an example. As shown in the figure, this digital electronic still camera 30 is capable of recording digital image signals in the camera's built-in memory. A connector 34 is provided for transferring data to external equipment.

Further, this digital electronic still camera 30 itself is formed so that it can be inserted into an external device. That is, in the camera insertion area excluding the grip part 32, the front of the camera,
The back, top and bottom surfaces are substantially flat. Furthermore, guide grooves 36 and 36 are formed on the top and bottom surfaces of the camera.

In FIG. 1, 38 is a photographing lens, 40 is a finder, 42 is a strobe, 44 is a shirt release button, and 46 and 46 are camera display sections.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of the digital electronic still camera. In the figure, when the shirt release button 44 is pressed halfway, power is supplied from the battery 50 to each circuit, and the power of the battery 50 is boosted by the DC/DC converter 52 to output the solid-state imaging device (CCD) 54. It is supplied as driving power and becomes ready for photography.

The output of the CCD 54 is amplified by an amplifier 60 and applied to an exposure calculation circuit 62. The exposure calculation circuit 62 calculates the exposure amount based on the input signal, determines the aperture Ik of the diaphragm 56 and the shutter speed, and sends a signal indicating these to the central processing unit f! (CPU) Output to 64.

Now, with the above shooting ready state, press the shirt release button 44.
When pressed fully, the image formed on the light-receiving surface of the CCD 54 via the photographic lens 38, aperture 56, and optical filter 58 is photoelectrically converted, and the iI image information is transmitted from the clock oscillator 66 to the CCD! The images are sequentially scanned by timing pulses applied via the I-movement circuit 68 and output as analog image signals.

The analog image signal for one screen outputted from this CCD 54 is amplified by an amplifier 60 and then sent to an A/D converter 7.
0, it is converted into a digital image signal. After A/D conversion, the data is speed-converted according to the number of bits of the memory 76 by a process 72, and sequentially written to addresses in the memory 76 by address designation by the memory control circuit 74.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 78 denotes a strobe control circuit that controls strobe light emission in the event of insufficient exposure. In addition, 80 is a buzzer that informs the completion of #1 preparation for shooting, etc., and 82 and 84
are a light emitting diode and a liquid crystal display, respectively, which inform the photographer of information such as the completion of strobe charging and the number of shots to be taken.

Figures 3 and 4 show the digital electronic still camera 30.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of use during data transfer, and shows the digital electronic still camera before and after insertion into the external device 90, respectively.

The external TM device 90 may be, for example, an external memory having a magnetic disk with a relatively large storage capacity as a storage medium, and when the storage capacity of the memory 76 in the camera becomes full, the data in the memory is transferred to the external device 90. will be forwarded to.

Here, the external device 90 has a camera insertion section 92 as shown in FIG. 3, and the deep end of this camera insertion section 92 is connectable to the camera-side connector 34 (see FIG. 1). A connector (not shown) is provided. Further, the camera insertion B92 is formed with a convex rail 94.94 that guides the guide groove 36.36 on the camera side, so that the connector 34 on the camera side and the connector on the external device side can be reliably connected. I am guiding you.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, when the camera 30 is inserted into the camera insertion section 92 of the external device 90 and the connectors of both devices are connected, data transfer to the external device 90 becomes possible. Furthermore, as shown in the figure, the camera display section 46.4
6 is provided at a position that can be seen from the outside even when the camera 30 is inserted into the external device 90.

Next, the memory 76 of the digital electronic still camera 30
A case will be explained in which a digital image signal recorded in a digital image signal is played back.

As shown in FIG. 5, by inserting the camera 30 into a player 91 with a liquid crystal television, still images can be displayed on the liquid crystal television. Similarly, still images can be displayed on a television screen by inserting the camera 30 into a player 92 or an audio component 93 having a player. Furthermore, by inserting the camera 30 into the video phone 94, it is also possible to display a still image on the other party's video phone via the telephone line.

Furthermore, by inserting the camera 30 into the hard copy device 95, it can be printed out, or it can be displayed or printed out using a personal computer 96 or word processor 97. Furthermore, you may take the camera 30 to a DP shop and have them print it out.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned player, etc., has a camera insertion part similar to the external device 90 described above, and is electrically connected to the camera inserted into this camera insertion part via a connector, and has a function of reading data from the camera's built-in memory. Needless to say, it is equipped with the following.

FIG. 6 is a second diagram of the digital electronic still camera according to the present invention.
1 is a plan view showing the embodiment in a state where it is inserted into an external device 100. FIG. As shown in the figure, a convex rail 112, 112 is formed on a part of the insertion side of the digital electronic still camera 110, and a guide groove for guiding the convex rail 112, 112 is formed on the external device 100 side. 10
2.102 is formed. Further, a lock lever 104 is rotatably disposed on the external device 100 by a support shaft 106 . This lock lever 104 is biased counterclockwise in the figure by a compression spring 108, and a lock pawl 104A at the tip thereof projects into the guide groove 102.

Then, as shown in FIG. 6, when the camera 30 is inserted to a predetermined position and the connector 101 on the external device 100 side and the connector on the camera 110 are completely connected, the claw 104A of the lock lever 104 is inserted into the camera 110. Convex rail 11
2 and locks the camera 110 so that it does not come off.

On the other hand, when pulling out the camera 110 from the external device lOO, the lock release button 1 at the rear end of the lock lever 104
04B against the urging force of the compression spring 108 to rotate the lock lever 104 clockwise. As a result, the lock claw 104A of the lock lever 104 is unlocked, and the camera 110 can be pulled out.

Note that the guide formed on the digital electronic still camera is not limited to this example, and various types can be considered, and the point is that it can guide the connector so that the connector between the two can be reliably connected when inserted into the camera insertion section. It can be anything. Furthermore, by providing a step or the like on the left and right guides, it is possible to prevent incorrect insertion of the front and back sides of the camera.

Furthermore, the digital electronic still camera according to the present invention is
If the connector is constructed in the same way as the connector of the memory cartridge 10 shown in FIG. However, when using the memory cartridge 10, it is necessary to attach an adapter for the memory cartridge to, for example, a camera insertion portion of an external device.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of the present invention, and the digital electronic still camera shown in FIG. has been installed. Therefore, when removing the digital electronic still camera from the state shown in FIG.
15 can be extracted. Incidentally, if the grip portion 32 of the camera is formed in a shape that allows a finger to be held as shown in FIG. 7, it is also possible to remove the grip portion 32 by viewing the grip portion 32.

FIG. 8 shows the fourth example of the digital electronic still camera according to the present invention.
FIG. 9, a perspective view showing an embodiment, is an explanatory diagram showing a case where the digital electronic still camera of FIG. 8 is connected to an external device. At the top of the digital electronic still camera 116 shown in FIG. 8, there is a main switch 1 for turning the power on and off during shooting.
18 are provided. This main switch 118 is
It is a slide switch in which a slide knob 118A slides in the camera insertion/retrieval direction.
When A moves in the camera insertion direction, the camera power is turned on, and when A moves in the camera removal direction, the camera power source is turned off. Furthermore, the slide knob 118A protrudes from the top surface of the camera.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, a contact part 122 is formed in the camera insertion part 120 of the external device 119. Therefore, when the digital electronic still camera 116 is inserted into the camera insertion section 120 with the main switch 118 in the on state, the slide knob 118A of the main switch 118 comes into contact with the contact section 122, and the digital electronic still camera 116
is connected to connector 108, slide knob 1
18A is slid to the off position.

Thereby, the power of the digital electronic still camera 116 is reliably turned off by inserting the camera 116 into the camera insertion section 120, and it is possible to prevent the shirt from being accidentally released when an external device is connected. Further, the main switch 118 is not operated erroneously during image data transfer.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the digital electronic still camera according to the present invention does not require a connection cord when connecting to an external device for playback, etc., and can be electrically connected to the external device with a single touch with one hand. It has the advantage of being able to Furthermore, since the camera body is provided with a finger grip, the camera can be easily removed from the connector of the external device.

In addition, when a digital electronic still camera is connected to an external device, the camera's power is automatically turned off, so even if you forget to turn off the power, you can prevent accidental shooting while image data is being transferred. can.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a first example of a digital electronic still camera according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of the digital electronic still camera shown in FIG. A perspective view used to explain the example,
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between various external devices for reproducing digital image signals recorded in the memory of the digital electronic still camera of FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the digital electronic still camera according to the present invention. A plan view showing an example, FIG. 7'' is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of the digital electronic still camera according to the present invention, and No. 8rIIJ is a perspective view showing a fourth embodiment of the digital electronic still camera according to the present invention. Figure 9 is the 8th
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of a digital electronic still camera 2 using a conventional memory cartridge. 30.110S 115.116...Digital electronic still camera, 34.108...Connector, 3
6.102: Guide groove, 38... Photographic lens,
54...CCD, 70...A/D converter, 7
6...Memory, 90.100.119...External device, 92.120...Camera insertion section, 94.11
2...Convex rail, 114...Finger hook part, 1
18... Main switch, 120... Contact part.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) When the shutter release button is pressed, the analog surface image signal for one screen is read out from the image sensor placed at the imaging position of the photographic lens, and the analog image signal is converted into a digital image signal, and then the camera's built-in memory In the digital electronic still camera, the digital electronic still camera is provided with a connector for data transfer, and an external device having at least a means for electrically connecting to the connector and reading data in the memory. A digital electronic still camera characterized in that an external shape is formed so that the digital electronic still camera can be inserted into the camera insertion section, and a guide is formed when inserting the digital electronic still camera into the camera insertion section. . (2) Claim (1) characterized in that the digital electronic still camera is provided with a finger grip part used when removing the digital electronic still camera from the external device at a position opposite to the insertion side of the external device. The digital electronic still camera described. (3) having a slide knob that slides in the insertion and removal direction of the digital electronic still camera, and turning on the camera power by moving the slide knob in the camera insertion and removal direction;
A main switch to turn off is installed, and the slide knob of the main switch comes into contact with the abutting part of the camera insertion part when the camera is inserted into the camera insertion part, and moves to a position to turn off the power of the digital electronic still camera. The digital electronic still camera according to claim (1).