JPH0453633Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a display device for displaying the number of camera shots, that is, the number of cumulatively counted camera shots.

[Conventional technology]

The total number of shots taken by a camera, which is the total number of shots taken each time you perform a shooting operation, regardless of film changes, is extremely useful information when repairing or inspecting the camera, for example. be.

Furthermore, some recent compact cameras have built-in lithium batteries as power batteries.
Lithium batteries have a lifespan of several years, even considering the normal frequency of use of the camera, and eliminate the need for troublesome battery replacements compared to traditional cameras that use alkaline-manganese batteries. become. However, lithium batteries have the disadvantage that they are difficult to perform a battery check, which is possible with conventional alkaline-manganese batteries. In other words, when the power supply voltage gradually drops as the power supply is consumed, as with alkaline-manganese batteries, this can be detected electrically.
In the case of lithium batteries, the voltage drop occurs rapidly, and by the time this is detected, the camera may already be rendered unusable.

In such a case, if the total number of shots of the camera can be known, it will be possible to infer when the power supply will run out from this total number of shots. Therefore, being able to know the total number of shots of a camera is not only effective when performing repairs or inspections. For cameras that use lithium batteries, this is also effective in determining when to replace the battery.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

However, in the past, in order to count and display the number of shots taken by a camera, a displacement signal was extracted from a mechanical part that was activated each time a shooting operation was performed, and this signal was used to rotate a reel-type display scale. The display is performed by Therefore, a space for installing a component for counting and displaying the total number of shots must be secured separately from other components of the camera, which also increases costs. Therefore, the reality is that shot number counters have so far only been used in a particularly limited number of cameras, such as large, expensive cameras for professional use.

Additionally, many modern compact cameras have built-in strobes. In cameras with built-in strobes, the consumption of the built-in power supply is greatly affected not only by the number of shutter operations but also by the number of times the strobe is used. It was not possible to know the degree of

The present invention has been developed in light of such conventional technology, and it is possible to monitor not only the number of shots but also the number of strobe flashes in total, and display the degree of power consumption by also using the display for data imprinting. Furthermore, when the power consumption reaches a predetermined level, a warning is displayed.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention combines a shutter signal that is output with a constant value each time the shutter operates, and a strobe light emission signal that is weighted to a larger value than the shutter signal each time the strobe fires. Both values are integrated by a shot number counter, the integrated value is displayed on a date imprinting display, and a warning is displayed when the integrated value reaches a predetermined value.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[Embodiment] In FIG. 2 showing the appearance of the rear side of a camera using the present invention, a back cover 2 is attached to a camera body 1 so as to be openable and closable. On the back cover 2, there is a monitor liquid crystal display 3 (hereinafter referred to as display LCD 3).
is provided. This display LCD 3 digitally displays date data such as ``year, month, and day'' or time data such as ``hour and minute'' measured by a clock circuit.

A mode switching button 5 and a data adjustment button 6 are provided near the display LCD 3. By operating the mode switching button 5, the display LCD 3
You can change the display mode. That is, in addition to the "Year/Month/Day" display mode shown in Figure 2, the "Hour/Minute" display mode in Figure 3A, the no display mode in Figure 3B, and the total shot number in Figure 3C. It can be set to any of the display modes. Further, by operating the data adjustment button 6, the date data and time data of the clock circuit are adjusted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the display LCD 3 is a microprocessor unit 10 (hereinafter referred to as MPU 10) provided on the back cover 2. Clock circuit 1
1. Driven via LCD driver 12.
A clock pulse train from a clock pulse generator 14 is supplied to the MPU 10, and this is supplied to the clock circuit 1.
It is timed at 1. The clock circuit 11 includes a data counter 11a and a time counter 11b, each of which holds "year/month/day" data and "hour/minute" data obtained by appropriately dividing a clock pulse train. .

Data from either the data counter 11a or the time counter 11b is supplied to the LCD drivers 12 and 15 in response to the operation of the mode switching button 5. Then, the display LCD 3 is driven by the LCD driver 12, and the data selected by the mode switching button 5 is displayed. Further, the count data of the shot number counter 20 is also input to the LCD driver 12, and the lever can also be displayed on the display LCD 3 by operating the mode switching button 5.

The other LCD driver 15 drives a printing LCD 16 also provided on the back cover 2. The display surface of this printing LCD 16 is close to the back of the film loaded in the camera. Then, by lighting up a light emitting diode 18 for illumination provided on the back cover 2, the displayed data is imprinted onto the film surface.

Controller 2 installed on camera body 1 side
2 detects that the shutter has been operated by operating the shutter button 7 (Fig. 2), and the MPU 10
A data print signal and a shot number counter up signal are supplied to the printer. The MPU 10 controls the light emitting diode 1 by receiving the data print signal.
8 is turned on for a predetermined period of time, and this allows for printing.
The data on the LCD 16 is printed on the film surface. The shot number counter up signal outputs a digital value "1" for every pulse of the shutter operation signal, and this is accumulated and counted by the shot number counter 20.

Furthermore, when a strobe is used for photographing, a strobe light emission signal is input to the controller 22. By inputting this strobe light emission signal, the controller 22 outputs a digital value "4" to the MPU 10 as the shot number counter up signal.
Output to. That is, the shot number counter up signal is supplied to the MPU 10 as a weighted value corresponding to the amount of power consumed during photographing, and the shot number counter 20 integrates and counts the values.

Furthermore, the MPU 10 has a preset counter 2.
4 and a reset signal from the controller 22. The preset counter 24 is preset with an allowable number of shots, which is calculated by taking into consideration the capacity of, for example, a lithium battery built into the camera body 1 and the amount of power consumed when a shutter or strobe is used. . And this preset counter 24
The allowable number of shots and the count value of the shot number counter 20 are compared and contrasted by the MPU 10, and when these values match, a warning device 25 that displays a lamp or sounds is activated. Further, the reset signal is transmitted to the camera body 1.
This reset signal is generated when the side power supply battery is replaced with a new one, and when this reset signal is input to the MPU 10, the count value of the shot number counter 20 is reset to "0".

By operating the mode switching button 5, the
When the "month/day" display mode is selected, the clock data from the data counter 11a is supplied to the LCD drivers 12, 15, and the display LCD 3 and print LCD 16 display "year/month/day" data. . When the shutter button 7 is operated in this state to take a picture, the data print signal is output from the controller 22, the light emitting diode 18 lights up for a predetermined period of time, and the "Year/Month/Day" data is copied onto the film surface. be included. Also, at this time
Since the shot number counter up signal "1" is supplied to the MPU 10, the shot number counter 20
will count this. In addition, "hour/minute"
When data is to be imprinted or when data is not to be imprinted, the user may operate the mode switching button 5 accordingly, check the display on the display LCD 3, and then operate the shutter button 7.

As photography is repeated in this manner, the count value of the shot number counter 20 increases, and when a strobe is used during photography, the increase in the shot number counter 20 is accelerated. Unlike well-known film counters, the counted value of the shot number counter 20 is not reset when the film is replaced, and as long as the same power battery is used, it takes into account the use of a strobe. Numerical information corresponding to the number of shots taken, that is, power consumption, is held as the total number of shots. And shot number counter 20
When the count value reaches the allowable number of shots of the preset counter 24, the warning device 25 is activated to notify that the time for battery replacement is approaching.

In this way, by using the shot number counter 20, it becomes possible to issue a battery warning even for batteries, such as lithium batteries, whose voltage drops rapidly when the power is exhausted. Furthermore, since the shot number counter 20 is reset to "0" when the battery is replaced with a new one, the counted value of the shot number counter 20 indicates a value corresponding to the consumption amount of the battery currently being used. The counted value can also be confirmed on the display LCD 3 by operating the mode switching button 5. Therefore, in relation to the allowable number of shots, a simulated battery check can be performed at any time. In the illustrated embodiment, the count value of the shot number counter 20 is determined by the LCD driver 15 on the data print side.
At this time, the LCD for printing is not supplied.
16 is not displayed at all.

In the above embodiment, the value weighted by the power consumption is counted as the number of shots, and the shot number counter 20 is used for a simulated battery warning and battery check. By ignoring the signal and counting only the number of shutter operations using the shot number counter 20, and making it impossible to reset this count value,
It becomes possible to grasp the number of shutter operations after manufacturing as the total number of shots. The total number of shots thus determined becomes extremely useful information when repairing the camera. In this case, there is no need to supply a reset signal from the controller 22 to the MPU 10, and
Preset counter 24 also becomes unnecessary. In addition, the count value of the shot number counter 20 is displayed on the LCD 3.
It is preferable that the operation button to be displayed on the screen is provided in a place where the user will not operate it, for example, inside the camera body 1.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, according to the shot number display device of the present invention, the data display section for monitoring the data imprinting device that is included in many recent compact cameras can be used to display the number of shutter operations and the flash light emitting circuit. It also serves as a display section for displaying the integrated value obtained by totaling both. Therefore, it is possible to display the degree of power consumption depending on the shutter operation and the number of times the strobe flashes, even without incorporating a separate display, and it is possible to accurately notify the user when it is time to replace the battery. Further, by displaying a warning when the integrated value reaches a predetermined value, the user can be prompted to replace the battery.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear view of a camera using the present invention. FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are explanatory diagrams showing respective display forms of the display LCD. 1...Camera body, 2...Back cover, 3...Display LCD, 5...Mode switching button, 10...
MPU, 11... Clock circuit, 12, 15... LCD
Driver, 16... LCD for printing, 20...
Shot number counter, 24...Preset counter.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] (1) In a camera equipped with a display that displays data such as the date and time imprinted on the film surface, a shutter signal that is output with a constant value each time the shutter is operated; and a strobe light emission signal that is outputted with a value weighted larger than the value of the shutter signal each time the strobe fires, and the shot number counter integrates both of them, and displays the integrated value on the display, A shot number display device for a camera, characterized in that a warning is displayed in response to the integrated value reaching a predetermined value. (2) The shot number display device for a camera according to claim 1, wherein the display device is a liquid crystal display device.