JPH10301188A - Camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To restore a character in process when interrupting the input of the character and to easily input the character again by providing a storage device for storing the inputted character and allowing a photographer to store the character after its input is completed, without erasing this character, for a photographing chance obtained during the input of the character. SOLUTION: This camera is provided with a title button 15, a selecting button 14, a setting button 13, a KANA (Japanese syllabary) button 16, further, a date button 17 and a printing button 12, in an adjacent state to a liquid crystal display part (LCD) 2 outside the camera. When photographing is executed because an inadvertent shutter chance has just come, in the process of input-setting the character, the LCD 2 returns to a display for photographing. Therefore, the character in the process of input-setting the character is stored and when the photographer inputs the character again after photographing is completed, the stored character is restored and the succeeding character is inputted to complete the input-setting of the character. Thus, the character can easily be inputted again.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera having means for magnetically or optically writing information on a film, and more particularly to a camera capable of imprinting a title or the like on the back of a photographed picture.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a camera which uses a film having a magnetic storage unit and which can write date, time, photographing information, and the like on the magnetic storage unit with a magnetic head has been proposed in US Pat. No. 4,864,332. Have been. As a function of this camera, a function of setting a title on a photograph by a photographer is introduced, and there are two types of title input as follows.

The first method is to select a country code character string code standardized in advance on a camera, magnetically record the selected code on a film, decode the code, and convert a fixed character string from the code into a photograph into a photograph. This is a method of printing on the back side. This method has the simplicity that it is only necessary to specify a desired character string.

The second method is a method in which a user records a character code for each character and creates a free character string.
It goes without saying that the printer decodes each character and prints the character string desired by the user.

[0005]

In the conventional method, since the character input means and the display device for confirming the input characters become large, a camera incorporating the function itself has not been put to practical use at present. Therefore, in order to realize the function of the free title in the camera, it is necessary to reduce the size of the character input operation means and the display device.

To solve these problems, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
No. 246626 introduces a camera related to miniaturization of a display device. At the same time as the size reduction of the camera, how easily a character input by the photographer can be set for printing at the time of a photo opportunity is also an important factor in realizing the camera.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method in which a photographer interrupts an input at an abrupt shutter chance when inputting a character, performs photographing, and thereafter returns to the character input state again. Provide a camera that can restore characters in the middle of the last interruption.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a camera provided with means for magnetically or optically writing information on a film, comprising: an information selecting means for selecting the information; Information display means for displaying the information selected by the information selection means on the same display unit, an operation member for inputting alphabets, kana characters, etc. for the photographer to imprint a desired title, and the input characters And a storage device for storing, in a photographing opportunity, a character that has already been inputted without deleting the inputted character, in a photographing chance that has occurred during the character input by the photographer.

That is, as a means for setting a print print by providing a magnetic writing device, means for selecting alphabets, kana, etc., means for allowing a user to freely set a title with the selected characters, and display of these Using a dot matrix type liquid crystal device and a camera having a means for storing the set title in advance, a user input title composed of arbitrary characters is recorded while checking the liquid crystal device at the shooting location.

When the writing mode of the camera is changed from an arbitrary character writing mode (user input title writing mode) to a shutter speed or aperture value writing mode, the data of the user input title character itself is changed to a shutter mode. Write as character data representing seconds and aperture values. At this time, the arbitrary title characters are also erased on the liquid crystal display, and the shutter time and the aperture value are displayed instead. On the other hand, when indicating the date and time of the film counter, the display of the liquid crystal is switched and displayed.

According to the above configuration and method, at the shooting location,
A user input title consisting of arbitrary characters can be recorded while checking the liquid crystal device, and when a photographer has a chance to take a picture during character input, the characters that have already been input halfway are stored in the storage means without being erased. can do.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a camera according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a title setting device, 2 is an external display LCD, 3 is an EEPROM, 4 is a magnetic writing device, 5 is a CPU, 6 is a distance measuring circuit, 7 is a light measuring circuit, 8 is a distance measuring control circuit, and 9 is a shutter. Control circuit, 1
Numeral 0 is a film feed control circuit.

Here, the camera sets a title by the title setting device 1 and records it on the film by the magnetic writing device 4, and further records the shutter time and aperture value which are shooting conditions. The CPU 5 determines and performs processing according to an instruction from the switching means. After photographing these data, when the film is to be wound by the film feeding control circuit 10, magnetic writing is performed on the film.

FIG. 2 is a view showing an arrangement of operation switches of the camera according to the present invention.
CD) 2, a title button 15, a select button 14 or a select dial 19, a setting button 1
3, a kana button 16, a date button 17, and a print button 12 are provided. In consideration of the operability, FIG.
FIG. 2B shows a case where the select button 15 in FIG. Here, when the title button 15 is pressed while the date is displayed, the mode transits to the title change mode. When the date button 17 is pressed while the title is displayed, the mode transits to the date change mode. If you press the title button multiple times,
Each time the title button is pressed, a transition is made as shown in FIG.

Next, FIG. 4A shows an example of transition of a screen displayed on the LCD 2 when selecting and changing a selectable title and selecting a previously input and stored user input title. First, the title button 15 is set to the "regular character string, history arbitrary character string selection mode" shown in FIG. When the setting button 13 is pressed, the language code (here, “JP”) blinks as shown in FIG. Here, the operator presses the select button 14 (or turns the select dial 19) to match the desired language. Here, FIG. 4 (a) 21 shows that it is combined with "EN". To change the message code at the same place, press the set button 13 again.
push. Then, the screen displayed on the LCD 2 starts blinking of the message code portion. Here, FIG. 4 (a) 22 shows that "5" blinks. If the message code does not need to be changed, the print setting is completed by pressing the print button 12.

FIG. 4B shows an example of a transition flow of the setting of these messages. Here, in the specified character string / arbitrary history character string selection mode, this display stores the code set last time and displays it when the mode is switched to this mode. It consists of a select title (prescribed character string) and the latest three different character strings arbitrarily created by the user. The numbers are examples, and the number of arbitrary character strings may be, for example, one, or an arbitrary character string may not be selected in this mode.

To change this setting, first press the setting button 13 to change the country code, stop at the desired location, and then press the select button 14 to set the selectable character string.

Here, APS (Advanced Photo System)
Is selected from the specified character string defined by the above and three latest different arbitrary character strings, and a desired specified character string code or an arbitrary character string in the past is selected by the select button 15 or the select dial 19. Pressing the select button 14 again returns to the change of country code.

Finally, the print data is determined by the print button 12, and the data is written at a predetermined position on the film as magnetic data when the film is wound.

Next, FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 show a state in which a selectable title is imprinted. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the shutter time and the aperture value are imprinted. In a mode in which shooting information such as shutter time and aperture data is written, the latest shutter control value is displayed. In the embodiment, the setting button and the select button are not accepted in this mode. For example, the shutter second side may be selected as a fraction display or a decimal number display, or the aperture side may be selected as an aperture value or an aperture amount. Similarly, finally, the print button is set, and the data is written as magnetic data together with the winding.

The display data in this mode stores the latest three arbitrary character strings, which can be selected or partially corrected. Further, the number of characters to be stored is not specified, and may be set each time without storing.

FIG. 6 shows a state in which a kana character or an alphabet character is input. The case where an initial character string does not exist in the arbitrary character string creation mode will be described. First, the first character string blinks as the character "A". By selecting "A" ← → "A" with the character type button, the input character type can be changed. Press the select button to change to a, i, c ... and press the setting button at the target character to target the next right character. The display on the LCD flashes the characters to be edited,
The confirmed character is lit. The number of characters can be up to 16 characters, and if the setting is pressed with the last character, the first character will be edited again. Finally, the character string is determined by the print button, and is written as magnetic data with the winding.

The data magnetically recorded with the print button is automatically written as the latest history to the arbitrary character in the selected character string mode, and is deleted from the old arbitrary character instead. Here, if the character string matches a character string in the past three character strings, the character string is not deleted and only the history order is replaced. When the print button is pressed, the character string in the arbitrary character string creation mode is cleared. When the print button is not used, the character string being edited is stored in the memory (for example, when one round is performed with the title button or the like). Leave on, do not clear. Editing can be continued from the middle even if the operation is accidentally made one round.

FIG. 7 shows a state in which the date is imprinted. When the date is confirmed in the title change mode and it is desired to make a correction, the date button 17 is pressed to transit to the date display and change mode.

The operation flow described in detail above is shown in FIG.
9 and FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a procedure for setting a title, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure for inputting a user input title subsequent to FIG.

Next, a method of restoring the character input of the photographer will be described. In FIG. 9, if a photograph is taken at a shutter chance that has occurred unexpectedly during character input setting, the display device returns to the display at the time of photographing. Therefore, the character in the middle of character input setting is stored. When the user performs the character input again, the stored character is restored, and the subsequent characters are input to complete the character input setting. FIG. 10 shows an example of this character restoration. If a shutter chance occurs when the character is input and the release button is pressed, the key is stored in the memory, and the display device displays "JP-14" when the date and time of the shooting and the print setting of the select title are valid. Is displayed, indicating that the number of frames that can be taken is "25". After the release sequence is completed, the display returns to the display of the key in the user input title input state, and the state in which the input can be continued.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, even if the user interrupts character input and shoots, the character at the time of interruption is restored when the character is input again. Can be re-input easily.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a camera according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing types and arrangements of operation switches of a camera according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an order in which a mode is switched each time a title button is pressed.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a selectable title is imprinted.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a shutter time and an aperture value are imprinted.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of an arbitrary character string creation mode.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a date is imprinted.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a procedure for setting a title.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure for inputting a user input title;

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of character restoration according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Title setting device 2 External display LCD 3 EEPROM 4 Magnetic writing device 5 CPU 6 Distance measuring circuit 7 Light measuring circuit 8 Distance measuring control circuit 9 Shutter control circuit 10 Film feed control circuit 12 Print button 13 Setting button 14 Select button 15 Title button 16 Kana button 17 Date button 19 Select dial

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A camera provided with means for magnetically or optically writing information on a film, an information selecting means for selecting the information, and information selected by the information selecting means on the same display unit. Information display means for displaying, an operation member for inputting alphabets and kana characters for the photographer to imprint a favorite title, and storage means for storing the input characters, wherein the photographer On the occasion of the shooting chance that occurred,
A camera characterized in that the characters for which the characters have been input are stored in the storage means without being deleted.