DE3933186C2 - - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an electronic single image Camera according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

With an electronic single image camera becomes an object image created with a lens converted into an electrical image signal that on a Magnetic disk can be recorded. It is also known an electronic still camera, with which a sound signal input via a microphone independent pending or recorded together with the image signal and can be played.

Use one in a single electronic camera The magnetic disk usually has a format  of fifty tracks so that one picture signal for one picture field on a track of the magnetic disk can be drawn. The sound signal is on the tracks recorded for the image signal. Accordingly, egg some tracks with image signals and others with sound signals described.

If in a z. B. from US-PS 45 31 161 known electronic still camera a recorded signal is reproduced, the User does not identify the type of signal, he can so don't determine if that got on a track recorded signal is an image signal or a sound signal, whether the picture signal alone or together with a sound signal is recorded or whether the sound signal alone or is recorded together with an image signal. This makes handling the camera more difficult.

For example, the user can play a Sound signal, even if an image signal appears at the same time drawn, fail to look at the picture.

Furthermore, the user can, for example, when opening took ten pictures together with sound signals Forget the sound recording only for the third picture. Becomes then reproduced first, a appears Picture without sound. In this case, the user can too incorrectly assume that the device is defective playback has function.

The object of the invention is therefore that disadvantages mentioned above with an electronic Avoid single-shot camera, during which Playback of sound and image signals one under separable display takes place whether sound and image signals are recorded independently or together.  

The invention solves this problem by the features of Claim 1. Advantageous further education is the subject of subclaims.

In the solution according to claim 1 takes place at Playback operation a display 1. record only the image signal, 2. the recording of the tone only gnals, 3. the recording of picture and sound signal, see above that the user easily reproduces the type of recorded signals.

The invention is described below with reference to the drawing explained further. It shows:

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a Anzeigesteu erschaltung for an LCD display for displaying a sound signal in an electronic still camera according to the invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the camera,

Figure 3 is a schematic representation plate. A sound track on a magnetic memory,

Fig. 4 is a diagram of a sound signal and a control code on the magnetic disk according to Fig. 2 and

Fig. 5, 6 and 7 are schematic representations of various Dener display modes of the LCD display for a sound signal in a camera according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows in perspective an electronic single image camera according to the invention. It has a camera housing 10 and a sound adapter 12 which can be detachably attached to the camera housing 10 . The sound adapter 12 is superfluous if only one picture is to be taken without sound. It is attached to the camera housing 10 if sound is also to be recorded or reproduced.

On the back of the camera body 10 , an LCD display 14 for displaying recording and playback, the track number for recording and playback, etc. and a group of switches are arranged, to which an up switch 16 A and a down switch 16 B for selecting the tracks belong to which a magnetic head 36 ( Fig. 1) is to be positioned, which is angeord net in the camera housing 10 . For this purpose, it can be switched one track outwards or inwards. Furthermore, an operating mode switch 16 D is provided for changing the operating mode between recording and playback. A trigger switch 16 C and a lid 18 for inserting a magnetic disk 15 are arranged on the top of the camera housing 10 .

A female header 20 positioning holes 22 and 24 and a threaded bore 26 are provided on one side of the camera housing 10 . The socket strip 20 can be connected to a plug strip 21 of the sound adapter 12 . Are both parts connected to one another, so who transmits the data (signals) between the sound adapter 12 and the camera housing 10 and the sound adapter 12 is electrically powered from the camera housing 10 , which contains a power source, not shown.

The positioning holes 22 and 24 take them to ordered projections (not shown) of the Tonadap age 12 when it is connected to the camera housing 10 . A screw (not shown) can be screwed into the threaded bore 26 and sits on a fastening button 28 of the sound adapter 12 . When this knob 28 is turned, the audio adapter 12 is connected to or detached from the camera body 10 . The camera body 10 also contains a photographic lens and image sensors, an optical viewfinder system and other required optical units. These are not shown in the figures.

The sound adapter 12 has a microphone 30 , a recording start switch 32 A for emitting signals at the beginning and end of the recording, a transmission switch 32 B for issuing a command for recording sound signals, which are temporarily in a sound memory 40 ( FIG. 1) Sound adapter 12 are stored on the magnetic disk 15 in the camera body 10 , and a time mode switch 32 C for changing the time in which a continuous recording is possible. An LCD display 34 , with which the time mode, the recording time, the playback time and the signal type of the recorded signals are displayed, is located on top of the sound adapter 12 .

Fig. 3 shows a sound track of the magnetic disk 15 , which is inserted into the camera housing 10 . The sound signals are recorded on tracks (one unit is a track) by operating the transfer switch 32 B according to a predetermined format on the magnetic disk 15 . The sound signals are sequentially recorded in four sectors that are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.

The magnetic disk 15 rotates once in about 1/60 second. Accordingly, the sound signals are recorded on the magnetic disk 15 as frequency-modulated signals, which are time-compressed. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the camera has two time operating modes of 10 seconds and 20 seconds in which recording is possible in each case. The time mode is selected using the time mode switch 32 C.

The image signal for one image plane is recorded on one of the tracks of the magnetic disk 15 in accordance with a predetermined format. With field recording, the image signal is recorded on one track and with full frame recording on two tracks.

When recording, control codes are created according to the Signal type recorded. For example, if the sound signals are recorded, so will at the same time the appropriate tax code added to the time operating mode etc. indicates. When image signals are recorded the corresponding one Control code for field or full frame recording, etc. recorded. If the sound signals are shared with the Image signals are recorded, so the corresponding Control code recorded simultaneously.  

Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of a display control circuit for the LCD display 34 of the sound adapter 12 . The sound adapter 12 is controlled in the exemplary embodiment shown with a system control 50 which is located in the camera housing 10 .

The sound memory 40 stores the sound signals as digital signals that are compressed in time so that they are output at normal speed or expanded to give out. The sound memory 40 is connected to a recording and reproducing circuit part 41 and a sound recording and reproducing circuit 42 as a signal processing circuit.

The recording and playback circuit part 41 converts an analog sound signal from the microphone 30 into a digital signal and transmits it to the sound memory 40 when the recording start switch 32 A is actuated and the recording begins. It converts the digital audio signal, which is extended in time and is output from the audio memory 40 , into an analog audio signal with which a loudspeaker 35 is controlled during playback.

The sound recording and playback circuit 42 converts the digital sound signal, which was temporarily stored in the sound memory 40 , into an analog signal when the transfer switch 32 B is actuated for recording. During playback, the sound recording and playback circuit 42 on the magnetic disk 15 before existing frequency-modulated signal on the magnetic head 36 , modulates it and converts it into a digital signal, which is then delivered to the audio memory 40 .

When recording the sound signal on the magnetic disk 15 with the sound recording and playback circuit 42 , a start flag and a control flag before the sound signal for each sector and an end flag after the sound signal are recorded, as shown in FIG. 4. Similarly, when a picture signal is recorded, the start flag, the control code, the picture signal and the end flag are recorded.

A timing part 43 is connected to the sound memory 40 and the recording and reproducing part 41 to synchronize the transmission of the sound signal between the two. During playback, the digital audio signal of the sound memory 40 is stretched by the time control part 43 and sent to the recording and playback circuit part 41 . When recording, the digital sound signal from the recording and playback circuit part 41 is compressed in time and stored in the sound memory 40 . The timing control part 43 and the system controller 50 form a compression device and stretching device for compressing and stretching the time axis of the sound signal.

A recording quantity operating circuit 44 arithmetically determines the temporal quantity of the sound signals which are output from the sound recording and reproducing circuit 42 to the sound memory 40 from the required storage capacity, ie from the addresses which are required for storing the sound signals.

Similarly, a playback amount operation circuit 45 arithmetically determines the time required for playback from the addresses of the audio signals read from the audio memory 40 .

The sound memory 40 is connected to the system control 50 , which controls the entire operation of the electronic still camera. It includes a microcomputer which includes the intake amount operation circuit 44 , the reproduction amount operation circuit 45, and a control code decryption circuit 47 .

The track positioning of the magnetic head 36 on the magnetic disk 15 can be done by a track control circuit 46 according to commands issued by the system controller 50 .

The magnetic head 36 is connected to the control code decryption circuit 47 as a signal detection circuit. The circuit 47 decrypts the control code, which is recorded on the magnetic disk 15 in order to recognize or discriminate the sound signal and the image signal. It is also possible to distinguish the sound signal from the image signal by detecting the presence or absence of a vertical synchronizing signal that is only included in the image signal.

A switching controller 48 is provided between the magnetic memory head 36 and the sound recording and reproducing circuit 42 , which selectively connects the magnetic head 36 to the sound recording and reproducing circuit 42 or to an image recording and reproducing circuit 51 . The switching process takes place in accordance with the control code, which was decrypted with the circuit 47 during playback. The control code supplied by the magnetic head 36 is decrypted such that when the sound signal is detected, the magnetic head 36 is connected to the sound recording and playback circuit 42 and when the image signal is detected to the image recording and playback circuit 51 . On the other hand, when recording, this control is initiated in accordance with the actuation of the trigger switch 16 C and the transfer switch 32 B.

The intake amount operation circuit 44 , the playback amount operation circuit 45 and the control code decryption circuit 47 are connected to the LCD display 34 , in which the display elements are driven in a manner to be described.

The system controller 50 is connected to the switches 16 A to 16 D of the camera housing 10 and the switches 32 A to 32 C of the sound adapter 12 . These switches are generally designated 49 in FIG. 1. The system controller 50 operates depending on the operation of the switches 49 and performs the various controls and arithmetic operations. It controls the rotation of a spindle motor 52 for the magnetic disk 15 via a driver 53 .

The display on the LCD display 34 is shown in FIGS. 5 to 7. The LCD display 34 has a display part with letters and marks formed from a large number of liquid crystal segments. The uppermost display section REC denotes the recording mode. The display section PLAY denotes the playback operation. In the illustrated embodiment, illuminated letters are shown in black. In Fig. 5 to 7 therefore, the reproducing operation is shown.

The white words AUDIO and VIDEO denote the audio signal and the video signal. Thus FIG. 5 shows that only audio signals are recorded, since the word AUDIO appears on a black background. Fig. 6 shows, however, that both kinds of signals are recorded. Fig. 7 shows only the recording of the image signal.

The display section 1020 SEC / TRACK under the section AUDIO VIDEO indicates the time for recording the sound signal on a track of the magnetic disk. In the illustrated embodiment, the camera has two time modes of 10 and 20 seconds, as described. 10 denotes 10-second operation and 20 denotes 20-second operation.

The bottom display section consists of ten bar code segments and is used to display the amount (time) of recorded audio signals. When recording, the bar code segments are turned on one after the other starting from the left with the time elapsing so that the user can easily see how long has been recorded. During playback, the bar code segments are switched on one after the other, starting from the left with progressive time. FIGS. 5 and 6 show that the receptacle 10 seconds in 10-second operation was long, since all ten bar code segments are illuminated.

The above-mentioned letters and numbers are controlled by the control code decision circuit 47 , while the bar code segments are controlled by the intake amount operation circuit 44 and the reproduction amount operation circuit 45 .

The electronic still camera according to the invention works as follows.

In sound mode, so when only sound is recorded, the sound adapter 12 is attached to the camera housing 10 , and the start switch 32 A is operated manually. This starts the recording, and the sound signals are written into the sound memory 40 . If the recording start switch 32 A is released, the recording is interrupted. The user operates the transfer switch 32 B to record the sound signals written in the sound memory 40 onto the magnetic disk 15 . As a result, the sound signals are input from the sound memory 40 into the camera body 10 so that they can be written to a predetermined track of the magnetic disk 15 via the magnetic head 36 . The control code is the same if recorded in the manner described with the sound signal.

The following way of working results with sound and picture operation. When recording sound and image at the same time, for example, the image is recorded during the sound recording, the sound is recorded during the self-timer operation, or the sound is recorded immediately after or within a predetermined time after the end of an image recording. With simultaneous recording of image and sound, the selector switch 16 D on the camera housing 10 is first operated to select the desired operating mode. Then the release button 16 C is pressed ge, so that the recording of sound and image is tet. The corresponding control code is also recorded in the manner described.

For playback, the selector switch 16 D is actuated to switch on this operating mode. Then the release button 16 C is pressed so that the spindle motor 52 rotates the magnetic disk 15 and thus the magnetic head 36 is brought to read a desired track ge for reading the signals. When reading the signals, the control code is first decrypted in the control code decoding circuit 47 to determine whether the audio signal or the image signal is read. In the case of the image signal, the image reproduction takes effect, in the case of the sound signal, the audio reproduction. A distinction is also made between single operation (only picture signal or only sound signal) or multiple operation (picture signal and sound signal). When the sound signal is recorded together with the image signal in 10-second operation, the display sections PLAY, AUDIO VIDEO and 10 of the LCD display 34 are turned on so that they light up.

The display as to whether only the image signal or only the sound signal or both are drawn and reproduced on the magnetic storage disk 15 is followed in this way.

If the control code obtained with the magnetic head 36 from the magnetic memory 15 only indicates the 10-second operation for the sound signal, the control code decoding circuit 47 detects only the control code corresponding to this sound signal. Thereby, the control code decoding circuit 47 causes the display AUDIO and 10 on the LCD display 34 in accordance with the detected control code, as shown in FIG. 5. Furthermore, the intake amount operation circuit 44 detects the recording time of the sound signal and causes the corresponding number of bar code segments to light up on the LCD display 34 .

If the signal obtained with the magnetic head 36 from the magnetic memory plate 15 indicates the simultaneous recording of the image signal and the audio signal in 10-second operation, the control code decryption circuit 47 detects two types of control codes corresponding to the audio signal and the image signal. As a result, this circuit 47 effects the display AUDIO, VIDEO and 10 on the LCD display 34 , as shown in FIG. 6. The recording quantity operation circuit 44 determines the recording time of the sound signal and causes the corresponding quantity display with the bar code segments of the LCD display 34 .

When the control code obtained with the magnetic head 36 from the magnetic memory plate 15 indicates the image signal which was recorded when the image signal was recorded, the control code decoding circuit 47 detects only the control code corresponding to this image signal. This causes it to display VIDEO on the LCD 34 as shown in FIG. 7.

As is apparent from the above description, the user can easily recognize the respective type of signal on playback, since the LCD display 34 indicates whether the signal reproduced from the magnetic disk 15 is the audio signal, the image signal or the audio and video signal.

Instead of an LCD display, another type of display can also be provided, for example an LED display with light-emitting diodes. Furthermore, the shape and pattern of the display portions of the LCD 34 are not limited to those described in the illustrated embodiment.

It is possible to design the sound adapter 12 uniformly with the camera housing 10 . The LCD display 14 of the camera housing 10 can then also be embodied uniformly with the LCD display 34 of the sound adapter.

The above description relates to an elec tronic single image camera with recording and re function. The invention can also in the same way  can be applied to a still image video camera that only has the playback function.

The invention enables three types of display with which recording only the image signal, only the sound signals or the simultaneous recording of both Si signals can be signaled to the user. He can therefore, the type of signal that is reproduced is easy identify. It is also easy to see whether when playing the sound signal, the sound signal alone or is recorded together with the image signal.

Claims (9)

1. Electronic still camera with an image recording and recording device, with a sound detection and sound recording device, with a playback device for reproducing the recorded image and sound signals, and with a control device for controlling the recording or playback, characterized in that control code signals corresponding to the predetermined Operating modes such as image recording, sound recording or video sound recording are recorded together with the image and / or sound signals, and that the respective recording mode is displayed with the aid of these control code signals during playback. 2. Camera according to claim 1, characterized in that a display device ( 34 ) side by side has a sound display section for displaying sound signals and an image display section for displaying image signals. 3. Camera according to claim 2, characterized in that the sound display section and / or the image display section are activated when a detection circuit ( 47 ) detects the recording of only sound signals or image signals. 4. Camera according to claim 3, characterized in that the sound display section and the image display section are activated when the detection circuit ( 47 ) detects the common recording of sound signals and image signals. 5. Camera according to claim 3 or 4, characterized by a reading device ( 36 ) for reading the signals from a recording medium, by an image signal reproducing device for the read image signals, by a sound signal reproducing device ( 35 ) for the read sound signals and by a switching device ( 48 ) for selectively connecting the reading device ( 36 ) to the image signal reproducing device and the sound signal reproducing device ( 35 ), the switching device ( 48 ) operating in accordance with the output signals of the detection circuit ( 47 ) which decrypts the control code signals. 6. Camera according to claim 5, characterized in that the detection circuit ( 47 ) discriminates the image signals by evaluating the control code signals. 7. Camera according to claim 6, characterized net that the control code signals vertical syn Chronic signals are in the image signals.   8. Camera according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a sound adapter ( 12 ) which can be detachably connected to the camera housing ( 10 ). 9. Camera according to claim 8, characterized in that the sound detection device ( 30 ), the sound reproduction device ( 35 ) and the display device ( 34 ) in the sound adapter ( 12 ) are included.