GB2096337A - Microprocessor camera - Google Patents

Abstract

A microprocessor camera has a control unit which is detachably connected to the camera body. The control unit and camera body transmit electrical signals, and no mechanical power or mechanical signals, to one another. The control unit may be incorporated in a detachable top cover, back lid, bottom cover or grip of a camera. A detached control unit may effect remote control with the aid of an extension cord (e.g. cord 6 of Fig. 3) or radio transmission/reception attachments. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Camera The present invention relates to a camera in which all the mechanical couplings between the control section of the camera and the body thereof are replaced by the electrical connections and the coupling of the control section is made detachable at will from the camera body.

In recent years, cameras have been automated in the exposure controls, the focus adjustments and so on thanks to the introduction of electronics and have also been enabled to make use of a variety of the photographic techniques thanks to the expansive availability of interchangeable lenses and a variety of accessories, and therefore the scope applicable to cameras and the classes of cameras users have been broadened.Under the circumstances as described above, cameras and the series of the accessories thereof are being collectively fixed to name as the so-called system camera. in a camera being the core of such a system and particularly in a single lens reflex camera, the camera body and the lens are formed respectively as a separate unit each other, and the camera unit comprises the constituents of the camera excluding the lens thereof, and in other words, it comprises a dark chamber, a film housing section, a film winding-up section, a control section including operating subsections for shutter release, shutter speed selection, film speed selection and the like, and a viewfinder, altogether in one unit.

It is impossible to take picture suitable for various photographing purposes until such camera unit is attached with an interchangeable lens and various types of accessories such as a flash unit, a motor-drive unit, a variety of shutter releasing means, and a variety of viewfinders.

Consequently, the fundamental performance of a system is conditioned by a camera unit. For example, it is impossible for a camera unit to photograph at any shutter speed faster than the maximum shutter speed of the camera unit, and is also impossible to photograph in a shutter speed priority if the camera unit is provided with an aperture priority automated exposure mechanism only. Therefore, if a system is not suitable for a certain photographing purpose, it is required to replace by the different type of a camera unit, and as circumstances require, all the series of the accessories should be replaced, accordingly.

The present invention is to make a variety of performances possible to demonstrate by further separating a conventional type of a camera unit into the two units, that is, a body unit comprising a dark chamber for forming an image, a film housing section and a film transport section and a control unit, and then by systemizing the camera unit itself through various combination of the body unit and the control unit with each other.

Fig. 1 is a conceptual view of the constitution of a camera in one of the examples of the invention: Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the control circuit of the same; Fig. 3 is a conceptual view showing the state of the connection of an extension cord to the same; Fig. 4, Fig. 5 and Fig.

6 are the other examples in which control units were provided respectively in the different portion of a camera; and Fig. 7, Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 are the reference examples showing the different types of display units and operating mechanisms, respectively.

The present invention will appear more fully from the following description referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 illustrates an example corresponding to a conventional type of a single lens reflex camera unit in which body unit BU comprises a dark chamber containing mirror 1, film housing section 2 and film winding-up section 3 which can be driven by a motor Mt; and control unit CU containing viewfinder 4 is connected only electrically through connector 5 without any mechanical power transmission at all between the control unit CU and body unit BU.

An example of the constitution of such control unit CU is shown in Fig. 2.

The reference character MP designates a microprocessor serving as the core of the control unit that is desirable to be constituted as a single tip microprocessor. The microprocessor MP comprises as a single tip microprocesssor. The microprocessor MP comprises central processing unit CPU; read-only memory ROM in which a predetermined control program is registered; random access memory RAM to memorize once a photographic information inputted from outside; programmable timer PT capable of regulating an optional period of time in accordance with a program; analog switch AS for switching a plurality of analog input such as output Al from photometric circuit AP and for introducing the analog input to CPU through A-D converter ADC; input-output circuit l/O comprising inputoutput buffer circuit and the like for controlling an input-output information; and oscillation circuit CK for generating and supplying a clock signal inside the microprocessor MP; and besides, data bus DB for connecting the above-mentioned articles to each other; and others. In the case of intending to display a photographing information on liquid crystal device LCD arranged inside a viewfinder, or on a viewfinder cover or on a back lid of a camera, driver DC is also incorporated inside the microprocessor MP for generating the liquid crystal device LCD according to the output data given from the micro-processor MP.

Input-output control circuit ClO is constituted in form of an integrated circuit IC and it comprises output control circuit RD comprising a register and a decoder and which stores and decodes an output information from the microprocessor MP in the register so as to generate the output to driver D; the driver D for driving magnets Mg of various kinds for shutter speed control, aperture diaphragm control, mirror drive and the like, in a body unit, and also for controlling motor Mt for film transport, mirror-box charge and the like; wave form shaping circuit WS for the signals given from aperture diaphragm signal detecting element FS, film transport signal detecting element FA, or information generating element Al for informing the performance of every kind that is originally innate in the body unit (for example: the information of minimum aperture value; the maximum and the minimum shutter speed; a programmed AE, an aperture-priority AE or a shutter speed-priority AE; or the picture frame advancing speeds of a motor-drive); battery checking circuit BC for checking a power supply voltage; input control circuit EC that encodes various information given from aforesaid WS, BC and, in addition, switch SW for the confirmation of the operation and detection of the condition of each unit and electroflash information input element EF, to reduce the number of input and then to input to MP; electric power supply control circuit PC for supplying the electric current from battery B1 on the camera body side to control unit CU as in the state where the camera is being operated; and constant voltage regulating circuit VR for supplying a constant voltage to AP, BC, a slide resistor, etc.

And, the output from input control circuit EC is inputted to MP through input-output circuit l/O of MP, and the output from MP is inputted to output control circuit RD through said input-output circuit I/O similarly to the above-mentioned case or is inputted to the same directly from CPU.

In the figure, the reference character 82 designates a memory backing-up battery for maintaining the memory contents of MP being out of operation; Q designates a vibrator for oscillation circuit CK; KB designates a means for inputting an information such as the sensitivity of a film used, a shutter speed, an aperture value, a photographing mode and a shutter release, and it is sometimes constituted in form of a push-button type key-board, and Fo designates a slide resistor for inputting the information of the full aperture value of a lens.

The operation of a camera having such a control circuit is similar to those of the ordinary types of built-in microprocessor cameras, and the detailed description thereof is omitted herein.

As described above, in the example, body unit BU has film winding-up section 3 driven by motor Mt, and master battery B1 is stored therein, while control unit CU comprises microprocessor MP and input-output control circuit ClO, and the connection between the body unit BU and the control unit CU is made with connector 5 only electrically. Accordingly, the remote control of a camera can be operated as occasion demands, as shown in Fig. 3, by detaching control unit CU from body unit BU and then by connecting the two units to each other by means of extension cord 6.

Numeral 7 indicates an Albada finder attached to a camera so that a photographer may be able to confirm the photographing field, after the camera was ready to shoot.

Also, it is very easily possible to wirelessly control a camera by attaching the wireless transmission and reception attachments to the connector 5, respectively.

In the example shown in Fig. 3, both of the body unit and the control unit were made in the same shape as those of the conventional types of single lens reflex camera unit and the top cover of the camera was constituted so as to serve as the control unit, however, it is free to provide such a control unit to other portion of a camera as occasion demands, that is one of the characteristics of the invention. Fig. 4 illustrates an example in which control unit CU was incorporated in an interchangeable back lid of a camera, and in which much spaces for the operating and displaying mechanism can be widely occupied. The contact point to a body unit can be arranged at a back lid hinge or a back lid lock.Fig. 5 illustrates an example in which a control unit was incorporated in a bottom cover of a camera, and in which an efficient space can be occupied for incorporating the control unit, while the operating mechanism is desirable to be located in the top cover of a camera. Fig. 6 illustrates an example in which a control unit was incorporated in a detachable grip, and in which it is good enough for improving the holdability of a camera and the constitution of the units is made easier. It is possible to arrange an operating mechanism in the cop cover of a camera, similar to the case as above.

Besides the above, the designs can be changed variously in such a manner that a lens is driven back and forth by a motor or a spring and the output from a photoelectrically focusing detector is displayed on a control unit and thus a remote control is performed including even the focussing control, or, as occasion demands, that control unit CU is provided only as a microprocessor and input-output control circuit ClO is incorporated in body unit BU.

As described above, it is also possible, as occasion demands, to combine a control unit selected out freely from various types thereof with a body unit. Some of the various types of control units are given as the reference examples in Fig. 7 through Fig. 9. Wherein Fig. 7(a) through Fig. 7(d) illustrate the front view, plan view, rear view and bottom view of a control unit incorporating a matrix display on the top cover of a camera, respectively, wherein numeral 7 designates a matrix display on which various information such as an aperture value, a shutter speed or an ASA index is displayed by means of an LED arranged matrixwise; numerals 8 and 9 are an up-down button respectively for making a numerical value increase or decrease; and switch button 10 selects for either a shutter speed or an aperture value to be effected; numeral 11 is a shutter release button; 12 is a main switch; 13 is a delayed action timer; 14 is an automatic exposure locking button; and 1 5 is a diopter adjusting button. Fig. 8 shows an example in which the functions of the reference example given in Fig. 7 were further improved, wherein there were arranged on board 1 6 with the operating mechanisms such as the one for ASA setting, multiple exposure setting, exposure mode setting and photometric mode setting, that is not usually used many times, and the board was folded down as illustrated in Fig. 8(d). Fig. 9 illustrates an example in which the up-down buttons were arranged respectively for aperture setting A, shutter speed S, and film speed ASA, and at the same time matrix display 7 was provided on the roof of a pentagonal prism.

The present invention is constituted as described above, it is therefore possible to photograph by making use of one and the same body unit, or of one and the same control unit together with a body unit in various forms and sizes, or in various photographic techniques, and it is also possible to broaden the system range for a system camera. And it is also possible to broaden the scope of the system for a system camera. Further, if a body unit is made in common with a control unit, the mass production thereof become possible, so that there can be effective remarkably for reducing the costs thereof.

Claims (8)

Claims

1. A camera comprising a body unit and a control unit, said body unit comprising operable elements including a dark chamber for forming an image, a film housing section and a film transport section, and said control unit being adapted to control the operation and the operational timing of said body unit operable elements, wherein said body unit and said control unit transmit neither mechanical power nor mechanical signals from either one to the other, and wherein said body unit and said control unit are electrically connected to one another.

2. A camera as set forth in claim 1 wherein the control unit is incorporated in a top cover of the camera.

3. A camera as set forth in claim 1 wherein the control unit is incorporated in an interchangeable back lid of the camera.

4. A camera as set forth in claim 1 wherein the control unit is incorporated in a bottom cover of the camera.

5. A camera as set forth in claim 1 wherein the control unit is incorporated in a detachable grip for the camera.

6. A camera as set forth in any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein a camera operating mechanism is arranged in the top cover of the camera.

7. A camera as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said body unit and said control unit are electrically connected to one another by a detachable electrical connector.

8. A camera substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.