JPH10150621A - Electronic still camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To effectively utilize a recording medium by using an existent display part so as to display the residual capacities of two modes in display the residual quantity of the recording medium of an electronic still camera. SOLUTION: Image data obtained by signal processing a photographed subject image is recorded in the recording medium 8 and when recordable capacity exists in one mode even when the recordable capacity does not exist in one mode in the electronic still camera having two kinds of recording modes, the remaining capacity is visually informed to a user without switching the mode. When a recordable residual capacity exists in a normal mode when the remaining capacity is zero in a fine mode, e.g. 'n1FO' is displayed on a display part 9.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic still camera which digitally processes a video signal from an image sensor and records the digital signal on a recording medium such as a semiconductor memory, and more particularly to a display of a capacity management state of the recording medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for an electronic still camera having two types of recording modes, for example, a normal mode and a fine mode, a technique for managing the capacity of a recording medium in each recording mode has been proposed.

[0003]

However, in the prior art, since the capacity of the recording medium is managed in each recording mode, a visual display for efficiently using a predetermined capacity of the recording medium is provided. There was a problem that could not be done.

For example, one unit is required for one frame in the normal mode and three units for one frame in the fine mode. When recording is performed in the fine mode on a 10-unit recording medium, three frames (9 units) can be recorded. is there. in this case,
Although the recording medium has one unit of space, the user cannot visually recognize that one frame can be recorded in the normal mode unless the recording mode is switched.

An object of the present invention is to provide an operation for visually informing the user when the number of recordable frames in the fine mode has become zero, but when there is a remaining recording medium available in the normal mode. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic still camera.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided an image pickup device for picking up a desired optical image, and a video signal picked up by the image pickup device is recorded on a recording medium such as a semiconductor memory. In the imaging apparatus, a conversion unit that converts a video signal captured by the imaging device from an analog signal to a digital signal, a storage unit that stores the digital signal, and a signal management unit that manages a signal stored in the storage unit Means and a display means for visually displaying the content managed by the signal management means.

Further, the display means is configured to display the contents managed by the signal management means in two digits.

The display means is configured to display the contents managed by the signal management means using two English characters and numerals.

According to the display method of the present invention, the user can visually know the remaining amount of the recording medium, and can effectively use the medium capacity.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of an electronic still camera according to the present invention. In the drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a camera unit, 2 denotes an A / D converter, 3 denotes a memory (for data processing), and 4 denotes a system. Controller, 5 is K
eye operation unit, 6 is a D / A converter, 7 is an output circuit, 8
Denotes a recording medium, and 9 denotes a display unit such as an LCD.

Next, the operation in such a configuration will be described. In the figure, a subject image is input to a camera unit 1 through a lens. The subject image converted to the electric signal is input to the A / D converter 2 and converted from an analog signal to a digital signal. After this, 1
It is stored next. The stored image signal is subjected to compression processing by the system controller 4. The compression mode at this time is the mode selected by the operation unit 5. The compressed image data is stored in the recording medium 8. The process up to this point is from shooting to recording. To reproduce the image data, the image data stored in the recording medium 8 is stored in a memory 3
Transfer to Since the transferred image data is compressed, the system controller 4 performs an expansion process. The decompressed image data is input to the D / A converter 6 and converted from a digital signal to an analog signal.
Thereafter, the image is output to the output circuit 7 and an image is displayed on a display or the like.

In the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, the remaining capacity of the recording medium 8 is visually displayed on the display unit 9. Here, an example will be described. One unit is required per frame in the normal mode and three units per frame in the fine mode. If recording is performed in the fine mode on a 10-unit recording medium, three frames (9 units) can be recorded. At this point, the recording medium has one unit space, but the number of recordable images is 0 in the fine mode.

Therefore, when the number of recordable images during the shooting in the fine mode is subtracted from..., 3, 2, and 1, when the recording medium becomes 0 when there is a remaining capacity that can be recorded in the normal mode. , "N1F0" is displayed on the display unit 9 to indicate that there is a remaining capacity recordable in the normal mode. The display of "n1F0" indicates the contents of the above example.

In the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2, when the number of recordable images at the time of photographing in the fine mode is subtracted from... If there is a remaining capacity available, "n1" and "F0" are alternately flashed on the display unit 9 to indicate that there is a remaining capacity that can be recorded in the normal mode. The indications of "n1" and "F0" indicate the contents of the above example.

In another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3, the letters "F" and "N" are blinked in correspondence with the fine mode and the normal mode, and the remaining capacity recordable on the recording medium is changed to the first digit. This is an example of blinking and displaying a number. In addition,
FIG. 4 shows a display example, in which FIG. 4A shows that the number of frames that can be taken in the fine mode is 0, but that it is possible to take a picture in the normal mode, and FIG. 4B shows both the fine mode and the normal mode. This indicates that the number of frames that can be taken is zero.

Here, when the number of recordable images at the time of photographing in the fine mode is subtracted from... 3, 2, and 1, when the number of recordable media becomes 0, the recording medium has a remaining capacity that can be recorded in the normal mode. Indicates that "F" and the first digit "0" blink on the display unit 9, and "N" indicates that the display is lit, indicating that there is a recordable remaining capacity in the normal mode. If the remaining capacity of the recording medium is less than the capacity required for recording in the normal mode, "F", "N"
And the first digit "0" blinks to indicate that there is no photographable frame number in all modes.

[0017]

As described above, according to the configuration and method of the present invention, in the display of the remaining capacity of the recording medium of the electronic still camera, the system for displaying the remaining capacity in two modes using the existing display unit. It is possible to construct
It is possible to effectively use the recording medium.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an electronic camera according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a display state of the embodiment in FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Camera unit 2 A / D converter 3 Memory 4 System controller 5 Key operation part 6 D / A converter 7 Output circuit 8 Recording medium 9 Display part

Claims (3)

[Claims] An image pickup device for picking up a desired optical image and an image pickup device for recording a video signal picked up by the image pickup device on a recording medium such as a semiconductor memory. Conversion means for converting a signal into a digital signal; storage means for storing the digital signal; signal management means for managing the signal stored in the storage means; and visual information managed by the signal management means. An electronic still camera, comprising: a display unit for performing an active display. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display means displays the contents managed by said signal management means in two digits.
An electronic still camera as described. 3. The electronic still camera according to claim 1, wherein said display means displays the contents managed by said signal management means in two alphabetic characters and numerals.