JP2000196931A - Digital camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital camera the recycle of which can be systemized and which can be purchased with ease at a low price. SOLUTION: A digital camera 1 photographs videos by means of a solid-state image pickup element 4 and records video signals from the element 4 in a semiconductor memory after digitizing and enciphering the video signals by means of a video processing section 5. However, the camera 1 itself has no function of reading out the enciphered digital video signals from the memory 6 and decoding the signals. A photographer carries the camera 1 in a shop after photographing. The shop decodes the enciphered video signals by reading out the signals from the memory 6 of the camera 1 by using a device provided in the shop, writes the decoded digital video signals on an external recording medium, such as the magnetic disk, flash memory card and hands over the medium to the photographer. In addition, the shop sells the camera 1 to a selling shop after erasing the data in the memory 6 and charging a battery 7.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image (image) captured (captured) by a solid-state image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a MOS image sensor on a recording medium such as a semiconductor memory or a magnetic disk. It relates to a digital camera for recording.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Films with lenses called disposable cameras have become widespread. However, in the case of film,
Since development processing is required and chemicals are used, the system becomes large-scale and causes environmental destruction.

On the other hand, the development of digital cameras whose number of pixels is comparable to that of film has been progressing. The digital camera is an environmentally friendly product because the size of the system can be reduced and development processing is not required.

[0004]

However, although digital cameras have become considerably less expensive, they are, of course, significantly more expensive than disposable cameras. Therefore, if one forgets to carry a digital camera and goes to a holiday resort or the like, one must purchase a disposable camera and take a picture. However, in this case, the photographed image can only be printed. The digital camera has an advantage that various processes can be performed, such as capturing an image obtained by the digital camera into a personal computer or the like, inserting a photograph into a New Year's card, and creating an original New Year's card. However, substituting a disposable camera cannot take advantage of such a digital camera.

[0005] Therefore, it is preferable that there is a digital camera intended for temporary use. However, for that purpose, a digital camera intended for temporary use must be inexpensive. Although it is a digital camera, it is necessary to be able to purchase it easily when going to a vacation spot, if not as much as a disposable camera. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of environmental protection and resource saving, not only recycling is possible, but also recycling must be systematized and surely secured. Regarding disposable cameras, recycling of parts excluding film is also progressing. As for digital cameras intended for temporary use, they should be called "recycled digital cameras" rather than "disposable".
Recycling needs to be ensured.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves these problems at once, and enables a digital camera for recording an image photographed by a solid-state image sensor on a recording medium to be inexpensive and easy to purchase and to be able to systematize recycling. It is.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital camera including an imaging optical system including a lens and a shutter, a solid-state imaging device for capturing an image via the imaging optical system,
A video processing unit that digitizes and encrypts the video signal from the solid-state imaging device, and an internal recording medium on which the encrypted digital video signal from the video processing unit is recorded, the digital camera itself includes: It has no function of reading out the encrypted digital video signal from the internal recording medium and decrypting it.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a digital camera including an imaging optical system including a lens and a shutter, a solid-state imaging device that captures an image via the imaging optical system, and digitizing a video signal from the solid-state imaging device. A video processing unit, and an internal recording medium in which a digital video signal from the video processing unit is recorded with a specific password attached thereto, and the digital camera itself reads the digital video signal from the internal recording medium It has no function.

In the digital camera of the present invention configured as described above, the photographer reads out the encrypted digital video signal from an internal recording medium such as a semiconductor memory and decrypts it, or attaches a specific password. It is not possible to read out the digital video signal that has been recorded.
The photographer brings the digital camera to a third party after photographing to obtain a photographed image.

[0010] The third party reads the encrypted digital video signal from the internal recording medium of the digital camera and decrypts the digital video signal using the device provided therein, or inputs a specific password to read the digital video signal from the internal recording medium of the digital camera. The video signal is read, and the decoded or read digital video signal is written to an external recording medium such as a magnetic disk or a flash memory card and provided to the photographer, whereby the photographer can view the photographed video. And can be imported to a personal computer or the like.

Since the digital camera is collected as described above, the recycling can be systematized, and the digital camera can be cheaply and easily purchased.

[0012]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a digital camera according to the present invention. The digital camera 1 of this embodiment includes a lens 2, a shutter 3, a solid-state imaging device 4, a video processing unit 5, a semiconductor memory 6, and a battery 7.

As the lens 2 and the shutter 3, those similar to those used in a conventional so-called disposable camera are used. The solid-state imaging device 4 is a semiconductor imaging device such as a CCD imaging device or a MOS imaging device, and shoots an image via the lens 2 and the shutter 3.

The video processing unit 5 digitizes the video signal from the solid-state imaging device 4, subjects the digital video signal to video processing such as exposure correction, white balance, and gamma correction, and encrypts the digital video signal. Become The encryption method may be any known method. Then, the encrypted video signal from the video processing unit 5 is recorded in the semiconductor memory 6.

As the semiconductor memory 6, a large-capacity DRA
M or the like is used. In the case of a DRAM, a power supply is always required, and therefore, a battery 7 is provided in the digital camera 1. A recyclable battery such as a lithium ion battery is used as the battery 7.

The digital camera 1 itself does not have a function of reading out and decoding an encrypted digital video signal recorded in the semiconductor memory 6 as an internal recording medium.

Reading of a video signal from the digital camera 1 and recycling of the digital camera 1 are realized by a method as shown in FIG.

First, in step S1, the photographer
Purchase a digital camera from a retailer. It is desirable to have a large number of retail stores, including those at stations and other facilities, so that a photographer can easily purchase a digital camera when going to a resort or the like.

Next, in step S2, the photographer
Shoot with the purchased digital camera. At this time, as shown in FIG. 1 and described above, the digital video signal is encrypted and recorded in the semiconductor memory 6 as an internal recording medium.

When the photographing is completed, next, in step S3, the photographer brings the digital camera after the photographing to the store. The store is equivalent to a DPE store in the case of a photograph, and is desirably a large number of stores including a convenience store so that a photographer can easily bring a digital camera after photographing.

Next, in step S4, the store reads the encrypted video signal recorded on the digital camera from the semiconductor memory 6 as an internal recording medium of the digital camera brought in by the photographer by a device provided in the store. Is read and decoded, and in step S5, the decrypted digital video signal is written to an external recording medium such as a magnetic disk or a flash memory card by an apparatus provided in the store, and further in step S6, Deliver the external recording medium to the photographer in exchange for the price.

As a result, the photographer can obtain the photographed video and take it into a personal computer or the like. The external recording medium may be brought by the photographer into the store together with the digital camera.

Next, in step S7, the store erases the data in the semiconductor memory 6 as an internal recording medium of the digital camera, charges the battery 7, and cleans the lens 2 and the like, by using a device provided in the store. The data in the semiconductor memory 6 is erased by the DR
When the AM is used, it can be easily performed by turning off the power. When the appearance of the digital camera is made of paper, the appearance may be changed for each recycling. If a magnesium alloy or the like is used for the appearance of the digital camera, it can withstand dirt and impact, and can be recycled as it is.

Then, in step S8, the store determines
The digital camera after the refresh is sold to the above-mentioned store. This systematizes the recycling of digital cameras.

In the above-described embodiment, the digital video signal is encrypted and recorded on the internal recording medium.
The video signal itself may not be processed, and the digital video signal may be recorded on the internal recording medium with a specific password. In this case, the digital camera itself
It shall not have the function of reading digital video signals from the internal recording medium, and the photographer will bring the digital camera after shooting to the store, and enter a specific password at the store to enter the digital camera from the internal recording medium of the digital camera. A video signal is read, written to an external recording medium, and provided to a photographer.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to systematize the recycling of a digital camera which does not require a developing process and is environmentally friendly, thereby contributing to environmental protection and resource saving by reducing dust. can do. In addition, since the recycling is systematized, the digital camera can be easily purchased at a low cost.

Further, since the photographed image is directly passed to the photographer as a digital image signal, the trouble of reading a photograph with a scanner is not required, and the brightness can be corrected and processed freely. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing one embodiment of a digital camera of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a method of reading a video signal from a digital camera and recycling the digital camera according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Digital camera, 2: Lens, 3: Shutter, 4:
Solid-state imaging device, 5: video processing unit, 6: semiconductor memory (internal recording medium), 7: battery

Claims (4)

[Claims] An imaging optical system including a lens and a shutter, a solid-state imaging device that captures an image via the imaging optical system, and a video processing unit that digitizes and encrypts a video signal from the solid-state imaging device. And an internal recording medium on which the encrypted digital video signal from the video processing unit is recorded. The digital camera itself reads out the encrypted digital video signal from the internal recording medium and decodes it. A digital camera characterized by having no function. 2. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the encrypted digital video signal is read from the internal recording medium and decrypted by a third party recovering the digital camera. A digital camera, wherein a digital video signal after decoding is written to an external recording medium and provided to a photographer. 3. An imaging optical system including a lens and a shutter, a solid-state imaging device that captures an image via the imaging optical system, an image processing unit that digitizes a video signal from the solid-state imaging device, An internal recording medium on which a digital video signal from the processing unit is recorded with a specific password attached thereto, wherein the digital camera itself does not have a function of reading the digital video signal from the internal recording medium. And a digital camera. 4. The digital camera according to claim 3, wherein the digital video signal is read from the internal recording medium by inputting the specific password by a third party who collects the digital camera. ,
A digital camera, wherein the read digital video signal is written to an external recording medium and provided to a photographer.