JP2004186916A - Digital camera and version upgrading method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable digital cameras to upgrade the version with each other. <P>SOLUTION: To upgrade the version of a digital camera 10, a digital camera 100 is powered on, and then the camera is brought into a set-up mode. When "data recording" is selected in the set-up mode, version upgrading data stored in the digital camera 100 are copied into a memory card 21. Subsequently, the digital camera 10 is powered on, and then the memory card 21 storing the version upgrading data is installed in the digital camera 10. When "data update" is selected with the digital camera 10 in a set-up mode, the version upgrading data are written into the digital camera 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a digital camera, and more particularly to a digital camera capable of upgrading a control program and control data.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Digital cameras that record captured images as digital data have become widespread. The digital camera captures an image of an object by an image capturing unit such as a CCD, converts the captured image into digital data, and stores it in a storage medium such as a memory card. The digital camera is controlled and operated by a control program. The control program and control data used for the control program are stored in a storage unit provided inside the digital camera.
[0003]
However, there is a case where a version upgrade of the control program and control data is required because a bug exists in the control program and control data or a better control program or control data has been developed. Under these circumstances, there is a demand for a device that can change the control program and control data even after purchasing the product.
[0004]
As a method for upgrading a control program and control data, there has been conventionally proposed an electronic device in which a device program can be changed via a personal computer (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In addition, a flash memory in which data can be rewritten is provided in the main body of the apparatus, and in this flash memory, a user area for programming data by a user and a firmware area for controlling writing, erasing and reading to the user area are provided There has also been proposed a data processing apparatus that eliminates firmware bugs and that can handle version upgrades (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2001-282545 A [Patent Document 2]
JP 2000-348012 A [0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the method described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-282545, the version of the control program and control data cannot be upgraded between digital cameras, and a personal computer must be used, which is troublesome. It was.
[0007]
Further, in the apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-348012, a device for supplying upgrade data to the apparatus is separately required when the version is upgraded. It takes time as well as the case.
[0008]
In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a control program for controlling a digital camera and a digital camera capable of upgrading the version of control data used in the control program between the digital cameras.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a digital camera of the present invention includes a control program for controlling the digital camera, a storage unit storing control data used for the control program, a storage medium storing various data, and the storage In a digital camera provided with an attachment / detachment means for making a medium detachable from a digital camera body, a data recording process for reading a part or all of a control program and control data from the storage unit and writing to the storage medium, and the storage A data transfer unit is provided that reads out part or all of the control program and control data stored in the medium and performs data update processing for rewriting the control program and control data stored in the storage unit. It is said. The storage medium may be a memory card that stores image data.
[0010]
The version upgrade method of the digital camera of the present invention operates based on the control program and the control data used in the control program, and the image data generated at the time of shooting is provided detachably from the device body. In a digital camera to be stored in a storage medium, a part or all of the control program and control data is transferred to the storage medium, and the storage medium is set in a digital camera using a different version of the control program and control data. It is characterized by rewriting part or all of the control program and control data.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The external appearance of the front side and the back side of the digital camera 10 to which the present invention is applied is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively. The camera body 11 has a thin, substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a half-moon-shaped lens barrier 12 that can be slidably operated is assembled on the front surface thereof. By sliding the lens barrier 12 to the open position shown in FIG. 1, the photographing lens 13, the strobe light emitting unit 64, and the strobe light receiving unit 65 are exposed.
[0012]
On the rear surface of the camera body 11, a liquid crystal monitor 15, an operation button unit 25 for performing various operations, and a cursor operation button 30 are provided. Three buttons are arranged on the operation button unit 25. These buttons are a power button 27 that switches the power switch on and off each time a pressing operation is performed, and a mode selection button that is operated when selecting whether the digital camera is operated in the shooting mode / playback mode / setup mode. 28. A decision button 29 for confirming an option selected in the setup mode or the like when pressed.
[0013]
The cursor operation button 30 moves the cursor in the setup screen displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 15 when the mode selection button 28 is pressed to enter the setup mode, and performs various operations. In the cursor operation button 30, as shown by a circular index in FIG. 2, the upper, lower, left, and right four portions that equally divide the circumference serve as pressing operation portions. It can be moved vertically and horizontally. Note that the number and arrangement positions of buttons and the assigned functions are not limited to those described above as long as they are changed in accordance with the functions of the digital camera.
[0014]
A CCD image sensor (CCD) 34 (see FIG. 3) is incorporated behind the photographic lens 13 to photoelectrically convert an optical image of the subject obtained through the photographic lens 13 and output an imaging signal. The imaging signal from the CCD 34 is sequentially converted into image data by A / D conversion and various signal processing, and the subject image can be observed as a through image on the liquid crystal monitor 15.
[0015]
Since the liquid crystal monitor 15 tends to consume power, an optical viewfinder is incorporated so that framing can be performed without using the liquid crystal monitor 15. Reference numerals 16 and 17 denote a finder objective window and a finder eyepiece window, respectively.
When the release button 20 is pressed after framing, the image signal for one screen obtained from the CCD image sensor 34 is converted into image data and then stored in the removable memory card 21.
[0016]
The memory card 21 is attached / detached from a slot 23 provided on the side surface of the camera body 11. Inside the slot 23, a memory card connector connected to the memory card 21 is provided, and the digital camera 10 and the memory card 21 exchange data through this memory card connector. As the memory card 21, a flash memory which is a nonvolatile semiconductor memory is used.
[0017]
FIG. 3 shows a schematic configuration of the digital camera 10. As shown in the figure, a control unit 40 is provided inside the digital camera 10. Further, the control unit 40 is provided with a storage unit 48, an image data processing unit 43, a system controller 31, and an I / O circuit 49.
[0018]
The storage unit 48 stores a control program for controlling each unit of the digital camera 10 and control data used by the control program. The storage unit 48 is divided into two areas, a program area 61 and a data area 62. The control area is stored in the program area 61, and the control data is stored in the data area 62. The system controller 31, the image data processing unit 43, and the I / O circuit 49 control each unit of the digital camera 10 based on the control program and control data stored in the storage unit 48.
[0019]
As the control program, there is a drive program that is read and executed by the system controller 31 in order to control each drive unit such as a CCD drive unit, an LCD drive unit, and a strobe drive unit. With this drive program, each drive unit is controlled differently from normal shooting so that shooting can be performed well even under special circumstances. As a driving program under special circumstances, for example, when shooting at night, it is possible to capture beautifully both the subject (person) placed on the near side and the subject placed at the back (night view). There are programs for shooting.
[0020]
The control program includes an image processing program (image processing program) read and executed by the image processing unit 43. In addition to this, a control program of recorded image data (image management program) read and executed by the I / O circuit 49 is also included in the control program. In addition to erasing recorded image data in the memory card 21, the image management program groups recorded image data, and creates and stores a directory for each group.
[0021]
The control data includes character font data, background color data, frame line data, and the like displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 15 during execution of the image management program. In addition to this, as control data, it is used during the execution of the drive program, and is used for shooting condition data for determining the aperture, shutter speed, strobe emission amount, etc., and used during the execution of the image processing program, and gamma correction. , Correction data for white balance correction and the like.
[0022]
The I / O circuit 49 is connected to the release button 20, the operation button unit 25, and the operation buttons of the cursor operation button 30. The I / O circuit 49 transmits input signals from these operation buttons to the system controller 31. Based on this operation signal, the system controller 31 controls the lens driving unit 36, the aperture driving unit 37, the CCD driving unit 38, the strobe driving unit 42, and the like.
[0023]
The lens driving unit 36 drives the photographing lens 13. With this driving, focusing is performed and the zoom magnification is changed. Further, the aperture driving unit 37 drives the aperture plate 33 to switch the aperture value. The strobe driving unit 42 measures the illuminance of the subject from a light control sensor provided in the strobe light receiving unit 65, and adjusts the light emission amount of the strobe light emitting unit 64 based on the illuminance information.
[0024]
The CCD drive unit 38 drives the CCD 34. The CCD 34 converts subject light into an electrical signal and outputs it as an imaging signal. The CCD drive unit 38 adjusts the charge accumulation time, that is, the shutter speed of the electronic shutter. The imaging signal is sent to the A / D converter 41 via the amplifier 39. The A / D converter 41 digitally converts the imaging signal and transmits the image data to the image data processing unit 43.
[0025]
The image data processing unit 43 controls the LCD driving unit 46 and performs various signal processing such as gamma correction and white balance correction on the image data sent from the A / D converter 41. The image data subjected to various signal processing can be observed as a through image by the liquid crystal monitor 15 driven by the LCD drive unit 46 and is simultaneously transmitted to the I / O circuit 49 via the system controller 31.
[0026]
In addition to the operation buttons, the I / O circuit 49 is connected to a slot 23 into which the memory card 21 is inserted. The I / O circuit 49 writes the image data into the memory card 21 through the slot 23. On the other hand, the I / O circuit 49 also reads image data written in the memory card 21 when the digital camera 10 is in the playback mode.
[0027]
Further, the I / O circuit 49 reads the control program and control data stored in the storage unit 48 when the digital camera 10 is in the setup mode, and writes the control program and control data to the memory card 21 via the slot 23. Process. Further, the I / O circuit 49 reads the control program and control data stored in the memory card 21, and converts the control program and control data stored in the storage unit 48 into the control program and control data stored in the memory card 21. Data update processing to be rewritten is performed.
[0028]
As described above, the digital camera 10 can write not only the captured image data to the memory card 21 but also the control program and control data stored in the storage unit 48. The digital camera 10 can rewrite the control program and control data stored in the storage unit 48 with the control program and control data stored in the memory card 21.
[0029]
Hereinafter, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. The digital camera 10 shown in FIG. 4A stores an old version control program and control data (old version data). FIG. 2B shows a screen of the liquid crystal monitor 15 displayed when the digital camera 10 executes the image management program.
[0030]
On the other hand, the digital camera 100 shown in FIG. 3C has the same configuration as the digital camera 10 (see FIG. 3), and stores a new version of the control program and control data (version upgrade data). . FIG. 4D shows a screen of the liquid crystal monitor 15 displayed when the digital camera 100 executes the image management program.
[0031]
As shown in the figure, the image management program of the digital camera 10 has neither protection nor batch deletion. The digital camera 10 and the digital camera 100 have different character fonts and frame lines. Note that “protect” is a program for prohibiting erasure of recorded image data, and “batch erasure” is a program for collectively erasing recorded image data.
[0032]
FIG. 5 shows a flowchart in a case where the old version data stored in the digital camera 10 is rewritten with the upgrade data stored in the digital camera 100 (upgrading the digital camera 10). When the user wants to upgrade the version of the digital camera 10, the user turns on the power of the digital camera 100 and then presses the mode selection button 28 to put the digital camera 100 into the setup mode.
[0033]
In the setup mode, “data recording” or “data update” can be selected. When “data recording” is selected here, the upgrade data stored in the digital camera 100 is copied to the memory card 21. Subsequently, after the power of the digital camera 10 is turned on, the memory card 21 to which the upgrade data is copied is set in the digital camera 10.
[0034]
Next, the mode selection button 28 is pressed to place the digital camera 10 in the setup mode. In the setup mode, “data recording” or “data update” can be selected, so “data update” is selected. At this time, a message for confirming that the version upgrade is to be performed is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 15, and if the confirmation is selected, the old version data in the storage unit 48 is rewritten with the version upgrade data.
[0035]
In this way, as shown in FIG. 6A, the upgrade data of the digital camera 100 is stored in the storage unit 48 of the digital camera 10, and the upgrade is completed. As shown in FIG. 6B, protection and batch erasure can be used in the digital camera 10 as compared with the image management program before the upgrade shown in FIG. 4B. Further, the character font and frame line used in the digital camera 100 are also applied in the digital camera 10.
[0036]
In this way, version upgrade can be performed between two digital cameras having the same configuration. In addition, no device for reading or writing the upgrade data from the digital camera is required in the course of this upgrade.
For this reason, it is possible to easily upgrade the version of the digital camera.
[0037]
In the above embodiment, the example has been described in which all the old version data is rewritten to the upgrade data, but the present invention is not limited to this. A part of the old version data may be rewritten to the upgrade data. In this case, at the time of data recording to write the upgrade data to the memory card, the user may be allowed to select the type of control program or control data to be written, or the control program to be written at the time of data update to rewrite the old version data to the upgrade data. Alternatively, the user may select the type of control data.
[0038]
As a result, for example, it is possible to upgrade only the font data of characters, and a necessary control program or control data can be selected and upgraded according to the user's preference. This is because some users may prefer the old version data that they are used to.
[0039]
The control program stored in the storage unit is not limited to the one described in the above embodiment. For example, a continuous shooting setting program for continuous shooting in a short time, or a fixed point shooting program for shooting at a set time every day to record plant growth and the like can be considered. The control data is not limited to that described above. The stored control data may be changed according to the control program.
[0040]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the digital camera and the digital camera version upgrade method of the present invention, the control program for controlling the digital camera with respect to the removable storage medium from the digital camera body and the control program are used. Some or all of the control data to be transferred can be transferred and written. Also, a control program for controlling the digital camera and a part or all of the control data used for the control program can be transferred and rewritten from the storage medium to the storage unit of the digital camera. This makes it possible to easily upgrade the version between digital cameras without using other devices.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the front side of a digital camera.
FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the back side of the digital camera.
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a digital camera.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the difference between a digital camera with built-in old version data and a digital camera with built-in upgrade data.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a version upgrade procedure.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a digital camera after completion of version upgrade.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 100 Digital camera 13 Shooting lens 15 Liquid crystal monitor 20 Release button 21 Memory card 23 Slot 25 Operation button part 30 Cursor operation button 31 System controller 40 Control part 43 Image data processing part 48 Storage part 49 I / O circuit 61 Program area 62 Data area

Claims (3)

A control program for controlling the digital camera, a storage unit storing control data used in the control program, a storage medium storing various data, and an attaching / detaching means for making the storage medium detachable from the digital camera body In the digital camera
A data recording process for reading a part or all of the control program and control data from the storage unit and writing to the storage medium, and a part or all of the control program and control data stored in the storage medium are read and stored. A digital camera comprising a data transfer unit for performing a data update process for rewriting a control program and control data stored in the unit. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the storage medium is a memory card that stores captured image data. In a digital camera that operates based on a control program and control data used in the control program, and image data generated at the time of shooting is stored in a storage medium that is detachable from the device body,
A part or all of the control program and control data is transferred to the storage medium, and the storage medium is set in a digital camera using a different version of the control program and control data. A digital camera upgrade method characterized by rewriting all of them.

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