JP2001069388A - Camera and charger - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a camera and a charger in which the connection state of the camera and the charger is detected without using exclusive parts, which can inexpensively be constituted with low current consumption and whose charging efficiency is satisfactory. SOLUTION: In a camera 100 having a secondary battery 103 which can repetitively be charged and charging the secondary battery 103 by a charger 200 having no contact point, a POSSW detecting that the camera 100 is installed in a charging possible state and a CPU 101 which shifts an operation mode to the charging possible state based on the output of the POSSW are installed in the charging 200.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a camera and a charger for charging energy from a home AC power supply.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, cameras have been used for automatic exposure control,
Although a battery is mounted for strobe light emission, the reality is that, with the recent full automation by microcomputer control, the dependence on electric circuits tends to increase.

[0003] Under such a tendency, it is troublesome to always be aware of battery replacement when using a camera, and it is also necessary to consider the effect on the environment due to battery disposal.

In view of this, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5 (1999) -2005 discloses a technique related to a power supply system of a camera which is rechargeable using a charger.

[0005] That is, in the technology disclosed in the publication,
A rechargeable secondary battery is loaded into the camera body, and a contactless charging is performed by a charger, and contactless communication is performed to update a charging level and the like.

[0006]

However, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
A technology related to a power supply system of a camera disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 14615 is to charge a secondary battery in the camera in a contactless manner based on a switch for detecting fixing of the camera and data communication means. No detailed description of the charge control was given.

That is, according to the technology, the camera side detects whether or not the camera is set in the charger by data communication. Therefore, it is necessary to always perform communication while the camera is off, and the battery is significantly consumed. Further, if a separate switch is provided so that the camera recognizes the installation of the charger, the cost may be increased.

In this technique, whether or not a camera is set in a charger is detected by communication with a fixed detection switch. Therefore, it was not possible to detect the displacement, and as a result, there was a possibility that the charging efficiency would be significantly reduced. Further, in particular, when a metal object is placed in place of the camera and a malfunction occurs and magnetic energy is supplied, the metal object generates heat and may cause a burn to the user.

[0009] On the other hand, with the development of portable devices, the number of products that rely on batteries has been increasing steadily, from those used for commuting to work such as mobile phones and portable audio devices.
Homes are full of chargers, even to children's game consoles.

[0010] Under such circumstances, if a charger is also required for the camera, the whole house is flooded with the charger, and a normal living space is threatened.

[0011] In addition, in a modern society where things are overflowing, there is a possibility that a situation where it is impossible to know where and what is placed may be caused if it is stowed in forcing or the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to detect the connection state between a camera and a charger without using dedicated components, and to configure the camera at low cost and low current consumption. Another object of the present invention is to provide a camera and a charger with high charging efficiency. Furthermore, a camera and a battery charger that realizes that the camera is always in a charged state while ensuring a comfortable living space by devising such that the battery charger does not become an obstacle even during and during charging of the camera. Is to provide.

[0013]

In order to achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a secondary battery which can be repeatedly charged, and the secondary battery is charged by a contactless charger. An installation mode detecting means for detecting that the camera is installed in the charger in a chargeable state, and shifting an operation mode to a chargeable state based on an output of the installation mode detecting means. And a mode switching means for causing the camera to switch.

According to a second aspect, in a camera having a secondary battery that can be charged repeatedly and capable of charging the secondary battery with a contactless charger, a communication that can communicate with the charger is provided. Means, camera operation means for performing a predetermined camera operation, and when the camera operation means is operated in a power saving state, the power saving state is released and a communication operation is performed using the communication means. If the operation is not performed normally, an operation mode setting unit that sets the camera to the power saving state again is provided.

Further, in a third aspect, in a contactless charger to which a camera having a rechargeable secondary battery can be mounted, a positioning mechanism for correctly positioning the camera at a predetermined position, and And a detecting means for detecting whether or not the battery is correctly positioned.

According to the above-described first to third aspects, the following operations are provided.

That is, in the first aspect of the present invention, the installation detecting means detects that the camera has been installed in the charger in a chargeable state, and the mode switching means detects the camera based on the output of the installation detecting means. As a result, the operation mode is shifted to a chargeable state.

In the second mode, when the camera operation means is operated in the power saving state by the operation mode setting means, the power saving state is released and the communication operation is performed using the communication means. If the communication operation is not performed normally, the camera is set to the power saving state again.

Further, in the third aspect, the positioning mechanism correctly positions the camera at a predetermined position, and the detecting means detects whether the camera is correctly positioned at the predetermined position.

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In the first embodiment, a control circuit and a display unit are provided on the charger side to realize a display that is more easily understood by the user.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a camera system according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG.
Above 0, a release button RSW, a mode switching button MDSW, a film rewind button RWSW, and an LCD display unit 105 for performing various displays are provided.

On the front surface of the camera body 100, a lens barrel 181 and a power switch PWSW are provided.
When the power switch PWSW is turned on, the lens barrel 181 is extended from the retracted state and protrudes to the front.

On the front of the camera, ZUPSW, ZDNSW for zooming up and down, and a finder window 18 are provided.
2. Each window of the photometry sensor 109, the remote control sensor 110, and the self-timer display LED 112, the xenon tube 1
A strobe window including 54 is provided. Further, a light projecting unit 107 for distance measurement is provided below the lens barrel 181.
A light receiving unit 108 is provided.

A tripod mounting screw hole H101 is provided at the bottom of the camera body 100. further,
Inside the camera body 100, various electric circuits including the CPU 101, a secondary battery 103, a coil L1 for charging the secondary battery 103, and the like are provided.

On the other hand, in a charger 200 for charging the secondary battery 103 in the camera 100 in a non-contact manner, a CPU 201 for performing various controls of the charger 200,
AC-AC converter 20 controlled by 201
2. Socket 203 for supplying power from a household outlet, coil L2 for charging camera 100
Etc. are provided. Further, on the front surface of the charger 200, an LCD display 205 for performing various displays is provided.

The charger 200 is provided with an opening in the center thereof in which the camera 100 can be installed, and a photoreflector 206 for detecting that an object has been installed is provided on the side of the opening. At the bottom thereof, a protruding switch POSSW for detecting a tripod screw hole is provided. The switch POSSW is turned off when protruding, and turned on when pressed. When the camera 100 is correctly installed on the charger 200, the photo reflector 206 is turned on, and the POSSW is turned off with its projection entering the tripod screw hole of the camera 100.

Further, a communication light emitting element 207 and a light receiving element 208 are provided on the side surface of the opening of the charger 200, and the distance measuring light emitting section 107 and the light receiving section 1 of the camera 100 are provided.
08, and optical communication is possible. A projection P202 is provided at a position of the camera 100 facing the ZDNSW.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of the camera system according to the first embodiment. First, the camera 100
The configuration on the side will be described.

In FIG. 1, a CPU as a central processing unit constituted by a one-chip microcomputer or the like
101 controls the camera side.

Further, an EEPROM as a nonvolatile memory
Reference numeral 102 stores various data including the current number of shot frames.

A rechargeable secondary battery 103 is disposed inside the camera 100. The coil L2 is connected to the secondary battery 103 via a switch CHSW controlled by the CPU 101. The secondary battery 103 has a voltage detection circuit 10
Through the 3d, the open circuit voltage of the divided secondary battery 103 is A / D-converted by the CPU 101 and can be detected.

A regulator 104 is provided inside the camera 100 to prevent an excessive voltage from being applied to the CPU 101 and the like.

Further, an LCD is provided inside the camera 100.
A display 105 is provided so that information such as the number of frames of the camera and a setting mode can be externally displayed.

The camera 100 includes an AFIC
106, a light projecting unit 107 constituted by an infrared LED for active distance measurement, and a light receiving unit 108 constituted by a PSD are provided, and a known active triangulation can be performed.

Further, there are provided a photometric sensor 109 composed of a CDS or SPD, a remote control sensor 110 composed of an SPD or the like, an LED light emitting circuit 111, and an LED 112 for notifying a self-timer of the fact.

The ports of the CPU 101 are connected to the various switches (RWSW, RSW, ZUPSW, ZDSW) described above.
NSW, MDSW, PWSW) are electrically connected. Further, information on the loaded film is input to the port of the CPU 101 in the form of a DX code.

Here, when the camera 100 is correctly set on the charger 200, the ZDNSW of the camera 100
Pressing is performed by a projection P202 provided at a position opposed to the DNSW to turn it on (see FIG. 4B).
(Refer to (a)).

Further, a flash circuit 150 is provided in the camera 100. This is the charging circuit 151,
It comprises a rectifier diode 152, a strobe capacitor 153, a xenon tube 154, and a trigger circuit 155. The start and stop of charging and the trigger control are controlled by the CPU 101.

Next, the configuration of the charger 200 will be described.

A charger 201 is provided inside the charger 200, and controls each unit by this. A
The C / AC converter 202 converts a household AC power supply (for example, 100 V, 50 Hz) into a frequency / voltage (for example, 10 V, 100 kHz) suitable for charging. This power is supplied from the outlet 203, and the converted output is output to the coil L1. The AC / AC converter 202 turns on / off the conversion operation by the CPU 2.
It is configured to be able to be turned off.

The AC / DC converter 204 converts the household AC power into a DC power (for example, 5V).
With this power supply, the CPU 201 operates.

The LCD display 205 displays information on the operation of the charger 200.

The photoreflector (PR) 206 determines whether or not the camera 100 has been set in the charger 200, as described above.
It is transmitted to 201. Light emitting element 20 capable of outputting infrared rays
7 is driven based on a signal from a port of the CPU 2. On the other hand, the light receiving element 208 detects infrared rays from the camera 100 and transmits the output to the CPU 2.

In the first embodiment, the light emitting element 10
7 is received by the light receiving element 208 and the light emitting element 207
Is received by the light receiving element (PSD) 108, the camera 100 and the charger 200 perform communication.

In addition to the above, the camera 100 is properly
A POSSW for detecting whether or not it is installed at 00 is provided, and the output is connected to the CPU 201.

Here, if the camera 100 is set at the correct position of the charger 200, the POSSW is turned off by entering the tripod screw hole as shown in FIG.
If the set position is shifted, the POSSW is turned ON as shown in FIG. At this time, the self-timer LED of the camera and other display means are controlled so that the user can recognize whether or not the camera is correctly set.

Hereinafter, referring to the flowchart of FIG.
A sequence of processing for charging the camera by the CPU 1 will be described.

In the camera 100, since the lens barrel 181 is extended forward in the power-on state, the charger 2 is
Cannot be set to 00.

Accordingly, the camera 100 is set with the power turned off. However, since the camera 100 is in the standby state (power saving state) at this time, the camera starts from the standby state when charging ( Step S101).

At this time, PWSW, RWSW, and ZDN
Standby release is activated by SW,
When the standby release is performed by the ZDNSW, the process proceeds to step S102. In step S102, the light emitting element 107 is caused to emit light according to a predetermined protocol, and it is determined whether or not the light receiving element 108 has received a predetermined response (echo back) (step S103).

Here, if there is a predetermined response, a subroutine "charging mode" described later is executed (step S30).
0). On the other hand, if there is no response, the communication operation is continuously retried at predetermined intervals while monitoring whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of communication (step S104). When the predetermined time has elapsed, the process returns to step S101 to be in the standby state.

Here, the sequence of the subroutine "charge mode" will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, the voltage of the secondary battery 103 is detected by the CPU 101, and a value corresponding to the voltage at the time of full charge read from the EEPROM 102 is read from the value of the secondary battery 103.
It is determined whether or not No. 03 is fully charged (step S301). If it is full, the process proceeds to step S306, and if not, the process proceeds to step S302.

In step S302, the normally turned off CHSW is turned on to prevent the leakage current, and then a charging command is transmitted to the charger 200 (step S303). Next, it is determined whether or not there is an echo back from charger 200 (step S30).
4) If there is an echo back from the charger 20, the process proceeds to step S305, and if there is no echo back, the process proceeds to step S3.
Go to 09.

Subsequently, the LCD display 105 of the camera described later is set (step S305). Then, the level of the charged electric charge is transmitted to the charger 200 by communication (step S306), and the remaining frame number of the film is transmitted to the charger 200 by communication (step S307).

Then, the voltage of the strobe capacitor 153 is detected using the A / D converter of the CPU 101, and charging is performed if necessary (step S308). On this occasion,
The notation of a lamp (not shown) indicating that charging is in progress indicates that the secondary battery 1
No display during 03 charging. The details of charging will be described later. After the processing in step S308, the process returns to step S301.

In step S304, if there is no echo back, it is determined that the camera 100 has been removed from the charger 200 or that the power of the charger has been disconnected.
The CHSW is turned off (step S309), and the process returns (step S310).

Next, referring to the flowchart of FIG.
A sequence of a process related to the control of the charger 200 by the CPU 201 will be described.

The charger 200 is connected to the camera 1
Enter the standby mode waiting for setting of 00 (step S20)
1). Then, by operating the PR 206, the camera 100
It is determined whether or not an object such as is set (step S
202, S203). If no object is detected, the process returns to step S201. If an object is detected, the process proceeds to step S204 and subsequent steps.

In step S204, POSSW is set to OF
It is determined whether or not the camera is set to F (S204). If it is not turned off, it is determined that the camera is not set correctly (the camera 100 is misaligned or an object other than the camera 100 is placed). Return to

On the other hand, if OFF is confirmed in step S204, a command receiving mode is entered and the camera 100
Wait for communication from (step S205). If the command is sent by communication within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S208.

On the other hand, if the command is not sent by communication within the predetermined time, the charging operation is performed for the predetermined time and then the charging is turned off (step S207). This is because when the secondary battery 103 of the camera is exhausted so that the CPU 101 cannot operate, the camera is charged to such an extent that the CPU 101 can be started. In order to prevent the camera 100 from malfunctioning and not operating, or from operating for a long time with an object other than the camera 100, the charging is turned off after a predetermined time.

Subsequently, a predetermined code is echoed back to inform the camera 100 that the charger 200 has accepted the communication from the camera 100 (step S20).
8). Then, an operation corresponding to the received command (for example, turning on the AC / AC 202 to start the charging operation) is performed (step S209), and a display corresponding to the operation is set (step S210), and the above-described step S20 is performed.
Return to 5.

Next, referring to FIG.
The display setting of the CD display 105 will be described.

When the camera 100 is powered off (standby state), the display is turned off (FIG. 8).
(A)). When the power is on, a display as shown in FIG. 8B is performed. On the other hand, when the secondary battery 103 is being charged, the display shown in FIGS. 8C to 8F is made.

At this time, the level of the above-mentioned charged electric charge,
That is, the remaining battery level is displayed according to the level from L0 to L2.

Next, referring to FIG.
The display setting of the CD display 205 will be described.

When the outlet of the charger 200 is not set, the display is off as shown in FIG. The outlet is plugged in, the camera 100 is not set in the charger 200, the setting is incorrect, or even if the camera 100
When the PU 101 cannot operate, the display shown in FIG. 9B is made. When the battery is being charged, the display shown in FIGS. 9C to 9F is made similarly to the camera 100.

It is assumed that the camera 100 is connected to the charger 20 during charging.
9 when the level immediately before L0 is removed and the state immediately before the L0 level cannot guarantee the shooting of one film.
As shown in FIG. 9G, the battery mark blinks for a certain period of time and emits a warning sound to give a warning.
The display returns to (b).

The condition for making the warning display shown in FIG. 9 (g) is that the setting can be changed on the charger 200 side, and when a film is loaded in the camera 100 being charged, the camera 100 Information on the number of remaining frames sent from
It is also possible to set so that the warning is issued only when the charger 200 determines that the remaining number of frames is not charged to a level capable of photographing based on the detailed information on the battery level.

Next, the charging operation of the strobe capacitor 153 will be described with reference to FIG. In the first embodiment, while the camera 100 is set in the charger 200, if the camera 100 is detached from the charger 200, the flash condenser 153 is always used so that flash photography can be performed immediately. Are controlled to charge to a level at which light can be emitted. That is, as shown in FIG. 10, when the lower limit voltage at which light emission is possible is reached, strobe charging is performed.

Next, referring to FIG.
The details of charging the battery will be described.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a voltage change of the secondary battery 103 when the camera 100 loaded with the secondary battery 103 whose discharge has advanced is set in the charger 200.

When the discharge is completely advanced, the CPU 101
, The communication between the camera 100 and the charger 200 is not performed. In that case, as mentioned earlier, the CPU
The charger is forcibly charged up to a level Lcpu at which the 101 becomes operable.

When the secondary battery 103 reaches the level of Lcpu, the camera 100 and the charger 200 charge while communicating with each other.

In the drawing, L0 is the voltage of the rechargeable battery 103 at a level at which, for example, 36 sheets of film can be photographed at room temperature, L1 is the level at which one film can be photographed at the specified minimum temperature, and L2 is the camera assured. L3 is a voltage indicating that the rechargeable battery 103 is fully charged, that is, a level at which, for example, 10 films of 24 films can be photographed at room temperature. When the camera 100 is set in the charger 200, it is charged to the L3 level without fail, and thereafter,
When the Lc level provided between 3 and L2 is reached, L
It is decided to charge up to 3.

As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, since the camera and the charger proceed with the charging and the like while communicating with each other in a non-contact manner, both the charging and the charging are performed. Appropriate display including the level can be performed, and charging can be controlled based on an accurate secondary battery voltage detected on the camera side. Therefore, high-speed charging can be performed without causing overcharging.

Further, since it is detected whether the camera is set correctly, an unnecessary charging operation may be performed, or when another metal or other object is set, the object may be heated by the charging operation. Absent. In addition, the camera is normally in a standby state with the power turned off, the consumption of the battery can be minimized, and when the camera is set in the charger, the standby is released, so that the camera can enter the charging mode and respond to charging.

Also, the battery has been completely discharged,
Even if the camera is unable to communicate, the camera is forcibly charged to a level at which communication is possible, so that charging can be performed regardless of the state of the secondary battery to be charged. Further, when the camera is removed from the charger, a warning is issued according to the degree of charge of the battery, so that the possibility that the user runs out of the battery unexpectedly during shooting can be reduced.

During charging, according to the degree of charging,
Since the level is displayed on both the camera and the charger, the angle at which the display can be viewed is wide and easy to see. In addition, the misalignment detection is performed using a tripod screw hole, and when the charger is set, the camera is used for both charging and shooting. Can be reduced in size and cost can be reduced.

It is needless to say that the first embodiment can be variously improved and changed without departing from the gist of the first embodiment. For example, a warning when charging is insufficient may be performed not only on the charger side but also on the camera side or on both sides. Further, the communication means on the camera side does not need to use a distance measuring device, and may use a light measuring means, a remote control sensor, any display light emitting element including self-lighting, other light emitting means such as a strobe, and a light receiving means. Good. Also, the standby release means when set in the charger may be performed by other switches such as PWSW and RWSW other than ZDNSW.

FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram of the second embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the camera 1 is inserted into a charger 2 connected to an outlet 3 of a home AC power supply, and in this state, a secondary battery (not shown) in the camera is charged. Have been. As described above, by charging the camera 1, when the user 5 uses the camera 1, sufficient energy is stored.

The charger 2 has a clock display unit 4 and is configured to function also as an alarm clock. That is, the camera 1 has a second function different from that of the camera 1, and the second function does not make the charger 2 conscious, and further impairs the indoor layout and scenery other than when the camera 1 is charged. Not even.

In the user's room, there are other chargers or AC adapters such as a telephone handset, a portable CD player, and an electric toothbrush.
If a C adapter is required, and if the complexity of the electric product further increases, the richness will be lost from the living space. Unlike the above products, the camera 1 is used less frequently and, on the other hand,
It has the character that it is expected that it is always charged so that it can function sufficiently when it is desired to use it. However, by adopting the above configuration, it is possible to achieve the object of the second embodiment. I have.

Incidentally, the technology of the charger for charging the secondary battery differs depending on the allowable charging time and the battery used, but the contact technology for electrically connecting the charger and the device with a metal contact pin. Two types of battery chargers are generally employed: a non-contact type charger that uses electromagnetic force using a transformer. For example, also in FIG. 12, the charger of the personal computer or the telephone may be of a contact type, and the electric toothbrush or the like is preferably of a non-contact type in consideration of hermeticity for waterproofing. As described in detail below, in the second embodiment, a non-contact rechargeable camera is used in consideration of the fact that the camera is frequently used outdoors and water drops due to rain or snow adhere to the camera. are doing.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of an electric circuit of a camera and a charger according to the second embodiment.

In the figure, reference numeral 3 denotes an AC power source taken from a household outlet, and is converted into a DC voltage by an input rectifying and smoothing circuit 21 built in the charger 2.

With a DC voltage, no coupling is performed between the transformers 12a and 12b. In order to increase the efficiency, electromagnetic coupling between the transformers is performed by high-frequency oscillation higher than the commercial frequency. This high-frequency oscillation is performed by the resonance circuit 22.

The primary transformer 12a is accommodated in the charger 2 side, but the secondary transformer 12b is arranged at a position facing the primary transformer 12a on the charger 2 side in the camera 1. . When magnetic energy is transmitted between the transformers 12a and 12b, the secondary battery 11 is charged by the output rectifier circuit 13.

As the secondary battery 11, a nickel-cadmium battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery or the like can be used. The former has a characteristic that it can cope with a large current and the latter has a characteristic that it has a large capacity. Further, the charging method may be devised such as low-rate charging. However, since it is not a characteristic part of the second embodiment, detailed description will be omitted.

However, the contactless charger is dangerous because it emits magnetic energy and is heated when metal objects or the like are placed. Therefore, the intermittent oscillation circuit 24 is provided, and when the camera 1 is not set, the intermittent oscillation circuit 24 is operated intermittently.

When the camera 1 contacts the charger 2, the transformers 25a and 25b couple magnetic energy and
Of the camera control circuit 10
Apply power. Thereby, the control circuit 10 causes the oscillation circuit 29 to generate a magnetic signal in the transformer 27b. This magnetic signal is detected by the charger side 27a, and the signal detection circuit 26a shapes the signal and inputs it to the control circuit 20. Based on the shaped magnetic signal, the control circuit 20 of the charger 2 can determine that the camera 1 is in a chargeable state.

Further, a control circuit 20 for controlling the charger 2
Has a clock function block, and can display time as shown in FIG. In addition, a switch 20b for setting the time of an alarm and adjusting the time is provided on the exterior part so that the user 5 can operate the alarm 20 for use as an alarm clock.

Signals that cannot be communicated with sufficient accuracy only by magnetic signals are provided by an LED forming a photocoupler.
Communication is performed from the camera 1 to the charger 2 via the photodiode 17a and the photodiode (PD) 17b. For convenience of explanation, a circuit for supplying a current to the LED 17a and driving the LED 17a is referred to as a driver, and a circuit for shaping a PD signal is referred to as a sensor.

The signal transmitted from the charger 2 to the camera 1 is transmitted by the LED 18a and the PD 18b.
Thus, information formed by the clock function of the charger 2 can be transmitted to the camera. Note that the camera 1 has a date function 3 for magnetically or optically recording date information on a film frame so that the date and time when the image was captured can be displayed on a print.
1 is assumed. And the control circuit 10
Thus, the date function is controlled, and date information at the time of shooting can be recorded on a film (not shown).

When the phenomenon is printed optically on the film screen, the characters appear on the screen on the photographic print when the phenomenon is printed, and the type of magnetic printing is on the magnetic recording layer provided on the film. The recorded information is read at the time of printing, the printing machine converts it to characters,
Take the form to print on the photo.

The date function built into the camera 1 is such that when the voltage of the battery serving as the power supply of the camera 1 drops, the memory in the control circuit 20 does not operate normally and becomes inaccurate. It is necessary to adjust the time and date correctly every time. In the present invention, in order to eliminate the complexity, as the clock function of the charger 2, a radio clock that links the standard time with the service of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications that sends the standard time by radio is adopted.

This radio timepiece has a built-in antenna (in the figure,
The receiver unit 30) automatically receives the standard time signal once at a time and calibrates the clock display based on the result.
This is a very accurate clock function. Since this accurate clock data is transmitted to the camera side by the signal communication by the optical coupling (photocoupler), the camera 1 side can always recognize the accurate time at the time of charging.

Hereinafter, the operation of the time adjustment on the charger side will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. That is, until the camera 1 is set, the time is set each time the standard power is received (steps S401 to S403). When the camera 1 is set, charging starts, and when charging ends, clock information transmission is performed. When the camera 1 receives this, the process returns to step S401, and the above operation is repeated (steps S404 to S408). With such an example sequence, the correct date is automatically reset during charging of a camera that has run out of batteries, and the correct date can always be imprinted during shooting.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, in the camera charger using the secondary battery, the charger is provided with a function that can be used by itself as a radio clock. If used as a substitute for an alarm clock, the camera can be added to the camera without any distractions and the correct date is automatically set for the camera.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The camera and the charger according to the third embodiment emphasize the wake-up function mentioned in the description of the second embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a configuration diagram of a camera and a charger according to the third embodiment.

In the same figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a camera, reference numeral 2 denotes a charger built in a clock 4, reference numeral 2a denotes a button for stopping an alarm, and a user 5 wakes up and presses this button. If the alarm stops. Here, in addition to the alarm by the sound of the normal alarm clock, the strobe 1 is used by effectively using the function of the camera.
The wake-up effect is further enhanced by using the light emission of No. 4 together.

FIG. 16 shows an example of a light emission pattern at the time of this alarm.

In order to reduce the pupil of the subject at the time of photographing and to prevent the so-called red-eye phenomenon, a technique of repeating minute light emission prior to the above-mentioned photographing is known. Here, the technique is applied. As shown in the figure, the light emission is repeated many times with a light amount not so large as the light emission at the time of exposure to enhance the wake-up effect.

FIG. 17 is a conceptual diagram showing in more detail the configurations of the charger and the camera according to the third embodiment. The CPU 20 on the charger side sets a time setting section 43 for setting the time.
, A timer unit 20a, and a function of a comparator 44 for comparing the outputs of the two. On the other hand, the CPU 10 on the camera side
It has the functions of the areas 40 and 41 for holding the information of the light emitting pattern 1 and the light emitting pattern 2 and the selecting section 42 for selecting either of them. A charging signal from the charger side is input to the selection unit 42, and an output of the selection unit 42 is connected to an input of the strobe 14.

Hereinafter, the operations of the CPUs on the charger side and the camera side will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

First, the operation of the CPU of the charger 2 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the present embodiment, the clock function always operates on the charger 2 side (step S501), and when the camera 1 is set on the charger 2 (step S502), a charging mode signal is output to the camera 1 side. (Step S503) In the charging mode,
When the wake-up time comes (step S504), an alarm is sounded (step S505), and a wake-up timing signal is transmitted to the camera 1 (step S50).
6). Then, when the user presses the switch (step S
507), the alarm stops (step S508).

Next, the operation of the camera 1 side CPU will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When it is determined by the communication between the camera 1 and the charger 2 that the charger 2 is in the charging mode for driving the resonance circuit 22 (step S601), the apparatus stands by until an alarm signal is transmitted from the charger 2 side. (Step S602) Upon reception, strobe light emission control is performed with the light emission pattern (pattern 2) at the time of alarm shown in FIG. 16 (Step S603).

On the other hand, when the camera is not in the charging mode (step S601), since the camera is in the normal camera mode, the strobe light emission is controlled in accordance with the photographing pattern (pattern 1) shown in FIG. 16 in conjunction with the release button (step S604). (Step S605), exposure is performed (Step S6)
06).

As described above, in the third embodiment, since the release switch is not monitored during charging, even if the release button is erroneously pressed during charging, the photographing is performed and the film is wasted. There is nothing.

That is, depending on whether or not the battery is in a charged state,
Since the camera sequence control is automatically switched, malfunctions can be prevented, and effective use can be achieved by using different functions (in this case, a strobe).

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

This is characterized by further applying the concept of the third embodiment described above and switching the sequence on the charger side as described later.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a configuration of a camera and a charger according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 20A shows a state before the camera 1 is set on the charger 2.

At this time, the clock display unit 4 attached to the front of the charger 2 performs clock display or alarm clock set time. However, when the camera 1 is set in the charger 2, the charging mode is set. So, in such a state,
On the charger 2 side, the time until the charging is completed can be displayed in addition to the clock.

By displaying the progress of charging, the user can determine when the camera can be used. When the time until the completion of charging is displayed, in order to easily show that the display is different from the clock, FIG.
If the display is made to blink as shown in FIG.

By taking such measures, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the time required for the user to complete charging is mistaken for the current time, thereby causing inconvenience.

Here, the display mode can be switched by operating the alarm alarm ending button 2a provided on the charger 2. In this case, in a state where the button 2a is pressed, the time required for charging or the wake-up time may be switched depending on whether or not the battery is in the charging state.

Hereinafter, the operation of the charger 2 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Button 2
When a is pressed (step S701), if charging is being performed, a blinking display for a time required for charging is performed (step S704). If charging is not being performed, a wake-up setting time is blinking displayed (step S701). S703).

Next, a fifth embodiment will be described.

In the embodiment in which the clock function during charging is enhanced by using the function of the camera, the example in which the wake-up function by strobe light emission is employed has been described above. Instead, the sensor function of the camera is applied.

If the camera activates the clock display backlight function according to the output of the photometric means used for exposure control,
When it is dark, as shown in FIG. 24 (a), the photometric sensor 50 detects it and turns on a lamp or LED from the table of the LCD 4 of the clock display of the charger 2 to provide a clock that can be seen well in a dark place. be able to.

FIG. 22 is a block circuit diagram showing the functions of the camera and the charger according to the fifth embodiment.

As shown in the figure, the output of the sensor 50 provided in the camera 1 is converted into a digital value by the A / D converter 51 and transmitted to the CPU 20 of the camera 1 as photometric data. When used as the camera 1, the exposure control unit 53 including a shutter and a strobe is controlled. However, during charging, the CPU 20 of the charger 2 supplies B.P. If the L lighting required signal is input and the CPU 20 of the charger 2 executes the lighting control accordingly, a timepiece with a display illumination function having the above-described effect can be provided.

Hereinafter, the control operation of the CPU 1 of the camera 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
During charging, the CPU 10 of the camera 1 repeats the photometric sequence at predetermined time intervals (steps S801 and S80).
2) When the brightness becomes dark (step S803),
A lighting request signal is output to charger 2 (step S80)
4). If the battery is not being charged, a normal camera mode operation is performed (steps S801 and S805).

Here, with reference to FIG. 23, a description will be given of a modification in which a large number of switches provided on the camera 1 are effectively used to assist the timepiece function.

As shown in FIG. 23 (a), in this modification, the display of the clock can be switched by a switch provided on the back of the camera 1.

Before setting the camera 1 in the charger 2, the user 5 sets a wake-up time by using a button provided on the back of the camera 1.

As shown in FIGS. 23 (b) and 23 (c), it is possible to set the date according to the Japanese style or the Western style by using the switch of the camera 1. . When the camera 1 after these settings is set in the charger 2, the display of the charger 2 is switched according to the settings of the camera 1. That is, the setting button and the number of switches are not required on the charger 2 side. As a result, effects of cost reduction and space merit can be obtained.

Next, a sixth embodiment will be described.

This embodiment has been made in view of the fact that careless emission of a magnetic signal in a rechargeable camera is not preferable in terms of energy saving and safety.

FIG. 25 is a diagram showing a configuration of a camera and a charger according to the sixth embodiment.

In the figure, when the camera 1 is set to the charger 2, the switch 60b of the charger 2 is pressed and closed by the elasticity of the release switch 61 of the camera 1. Only when a signal from this switch is input, the CPU 20 of the charger 2 operates the resonator 22. This prevents the charger 2 from inadvertently emitting magnetic energy.

It is needless to say that the same effect can be obtained even if the same control is performed in synchronization with the operation of the zoom switch instead of the release button.

Here, referring to FIG. 27A, FIG.
The operation of further improving the reliability during charging by performing optical communication between the camera 1 and the charger 2 via the photocouplers 17 and 18 described above will be described in detail.

When the switch 60 is turned on (step S
901), a signal for checking whether or not to start charging from the charger 2 to the camera 1 is sent to the photocouplers 17 and 1;
8 (step S90).
2).

At this time, if the camera 1 is in a state suitable for charging, a response signal is transmitted. Only when the response signal is received (step S903), the charger 2 transmits the resonance circuit and starts charging (step S903). S906). During charging, as shown in FIG. 27 (b), a charging indication is displayed on the liquid crystal on the front of the charger (step S907).

Then, when the camera is fully charged, the camera 1 detects this and outputs an end signal. If the charger 2 receives this end signal, or if the switch 60 is turned off without receiving this end signal, it is determined that the camera has been pulled out and the resonance circuit is turned off (steps S908 to S910).

When the energy in the battery of the camera 1 is completely exhausted and the camera 1 cannot respond (step S903), the resonance circuit is oscillated for a predetermined time, the camera 1 is started, and then the camera 1 is activated again. After checking the response signal reception, the resonance circuit is continuously oscillated (step S
904, S905).

Here, careless application of magnetic energy to the camera 1 may cause a malfunction. In view of such a point, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 26, as a countermeasure against malfunction, the camera 1 can be inserted into the charger 2 only when the camera 1 is collapsed and the lens 1 is deactivated. . FIG. 26A shows the ON state, and FIG.
(B) shows an OFF state.

When such a contrivance is made, the camera is moved to the position shown in FIG.
If the battery energy is exhausted in the lens setup state of FIG. 6 (a), it will not be possible to charge the battery again. Therefore, in the sequence control of the camera, the end of the battery use must be as shown in FIG. 26 (b). It is necessary to use a contrivance such as waiting for charging after collapsing.

In FIG. 26, since it is difficult to determine the position of the small main switch 1b, the lens is set up when the main switch 1b is ON, and the lens is retracted when the main switch 1b is OFF. are doing.

In the ON state of the main switch 1b,
Since strobe light emission, shutter control, winding, rewinding, and the like are permitted, the camera may operate unexpectedly due to magnetic noise. In that regard, it can be said that there is no such a concern in the OFF state of the main switch 1b.

Only when the main switch 1b is in the OFF state (the lens is retracted), the switch 60 operates as shown in FIG. 25, so that a rechargeable camera with less risk of malfunction can be provided. The watch LC on the front of the charger 2
Since the display during charging is performed by effectively utilizing D4, it is suggested to the user that the camera 1 is improperly inserted into the charger 2 and cannot be charged.

The above embodiment of the present invention also includes the following invention.

(1) A camera in which a secondary battery that can be repeatedly charged is built in or can be loaded and the secondary battery can be charged by a contactless charger is provided in the camera. It is characterized by comprising: installation detection means for detecting installation in a chargeable state; and mode switching means for shifting an operation mode to a chargeable state based on an output of the installation detection means. camera.

(2) The camera according to (1), wherein the operation mode is switched from the power saving operation mode to the non-power saving operation mode based on the output of the installation detecting means.

(3) The camera according to (1), wherein the installation detecting means is configured by a combination of a change in the state of an operation member of the camera and mutual communication with the charger.

(4) The camera according to (1), wherein the operation member of the camera is any of a power switch, a release button, a zoom operation member, a mode setting operation member, and a film rewind operation member.

(5) The camera according to (1) above, wherein the mutual communication with the charger of the camera is any of photometric means, distance measuring means, remote control detecting means, and self-timer displaying means.

(6) A camera which is configured so that a secondary battery that can be repeatedly charged is built-in or can be loaded therein and is capable of charging the secondary battery with a contactless charger, including communication means capable of communicating with the charger. When a predetermined camera operation member is operated in the power saving state, the power saving state is released and a communication operation is performed using the communication unit. When the communication operation is not performed normally, the camera is again turned off. A camera comprising: an operation mode setting unit for setting a power state.

(7) A contactless charger in which a rechargeable rechargeable battery is built-in or can be loaded with a camera, and a positioning mechanism for correctly positioning the camera with respect to the charger, and the charger Detecting means for detecting whether the camera is correctly positioned with respect to the battery charger.

(8) The charger according to (7), wherein when the detection means detects that the camera is not correctly positioned, the charger prohibits a charging operation for the secondary battery.

(9) When the detection means detects that the camera is not correctly positioned, the charger issues a warning to the charger or issues a warning to the camera. ) Charger.

The charger according to claim 3.

(10) The charger according to (8) above, wherein the detecting means detects whether the camera is correctly positioned by detecting the external characteristics of the camera.

(11) The battery charger according to (10) above, wherein the external characteristic of the camera is a tripod mounting hole.

(12) The charger further includes communication means for communicating with the camera. If it is determined that the camera is correctly positioned and communication is not normally performed, charging is performed for a predetermined time. Operation (11) above
Charger.

(13) In a camera which is configured such that a secondary battery which can be repeatedly charged is built in or can be loaded and which can charge the secondary battery with a non-contact charger, a photographing operable state provided in the camera is provided. An operation mode switching means for switching between a photographing operation prohibited state and a camera which can be charged by the charger only when the operation mode switching means is set to a photographing operation prohibited state.

(14) In a non-contact charger which can be equipped with a rechargeable secondary battery and can be mounted on a camera and which can be mounted on a camera, a discriminating means for discriminating whether or not the camera is in a non-operating state; A charging permitting means for permitting charging only in a non-operating state based on the output.

(15) In a camera which is constructed so that a secondary battery which can be repeatedly charged is built-in or can be loaded and which can charge the secondary battery by a contactless charger, a capacity for detecting the charged capacity of the secondary battery. A detection unit, a decoupling detection unit that detects the decoupling of the non-contact charger, and a warning if the charged capacity of the secondary battery cannot guarantee a predetermined amount of photographing operation. Or a warning means for issuing a warning to the charger.

(16) The camera according to (15) above, wherein the charged capacity corresponding to the predetermined amount of photographing operation is a capacity necessary for removing the film loaded at that time.

(17) The camera according to (16), wherein the charged capacity corresponding to the predetermined amount of photographing operation is a capacity necessary for photographing one image.

(18) In a camera equipped with a strobe, which is configured such that a secondary battery that can be repeatedly charged is built-in or can be loaded and can charge the secondary battery with a contactless charger, the camera is set in the charger. A strobe condenser voltage maintaining means for controlling the strobe condenser of the strobe to maintain a voltage at which light can be emitted.

[0172]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to detect the coupling state between the camera and the charger without using dedicated components, to configure the camera at low cost and low current consumption, and to provide a camera and a charger with high charging efficiency.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a camera system according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a circuit configuration of the camera system according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an operation state of a switch POSSW.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an operation state of a switch ZDNSW.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining a sequence of processing relating to charging of the camera by the CPU 1;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a sequence of a process related to control of charger 200 by CPU 201.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a sequence of a subroutine “charge mode” in detail.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for describing display settings on an LCD display 105 of the camera 100.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining display settings on an LCD display 205 of the charger 200.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a charging operation of a strobe capacitor 153.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating details of charging a secondary battery 103.

FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of an electric circuit of a camera and a charger according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of time adjustment on the charger side.

FIG. 15 is a configuration diagram of a camera and a charger according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a light emission pattern at the time of alarm.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of a camera and a charger according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the CPU on the charger 2 side in the camera and the charger according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a camera 1 side CPU in the camera and the charger according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a camera and a charger according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the CPU on the charger 2 side in the camera and the charger according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a block circuit diagram illustrating various functions that are features of the camera and the charger according to the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a view for explaining a modification in which a large number of switches provided on the camera 1 side are effectively used to assist the timepiece function.

24A is a diagram illustrating a display mode according to the fifth embodiment, and FIG. 24B is a flowchart illustrating a control operation of the CPU 10 of the camera 1; FIG.

FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a camera and a charger according to a sixth embodiment.

FIG. 26 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the collapsed state of the lens of the camera 1 and the state of installation on the charger 2.

FIG. 27 (a) shows an example in which photocouplers 17 and 18
It is a flowchart explaining in detail the operation | movement which improved the reliability at the time of charge by performing optical communication between the camera 1 and the charger 2, and (b) shows the display mode of 6th Embodiment. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 100 Camera 101 CPU 103 Secondary battery H101 Tripod mounting screw hole 200 Charger 201 CPU 202 AC-AC converter 205 LCD display 206 Photoreflector 207 Light emitting element 208 Light receiving element P202 Projecting portion

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H02J 7/00 301 H02J 7/00 301D (72) Inventor Keigo Ito 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo No. Within Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (72) Takahiro Nishida, Inventor 2-43-2, Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (72) Osamu Nonaka 2-43, Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo No. 2 F-term in Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (reference) 2H002 BC01 2H102 AB01 BB08 2H105 EE27 5C022 AA13 AB15 AB40 AB67 AC16 AC69 AC73 AC78 5G003 AA01 BA01 DA07 FA03 FA07

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A camera having a secondary battery that can be repeatedly charged and capable of charging the secondary battery with a contactless charger, wherein the camera is installed in the charger in a chargeable state. A camera comprising: an installation detection unit configured to detect that the operation has been performed; and a mode switching unit configured to shift an operation mode to a chargeable state based on an output of the installation detection unit. 2. A camera having a secondary battery that can be repeatedly charged and capable of charging the secondary battery with a non-contact charger, comprising: communication means capable of communicating with the charger; and a predetermined camera. When the camera operation means for performing the operation and the camera operation means are operated in the power saving state, the power saving state is released, the communication operation is performed using the communication means, and the communication operation is not performed normally. And an operation mode setting means for setting the camera to the power saving state again. 3. A contactless charger to which a camera having a rechargeable rechargeable battery can be mounted, wherein: a positioning mechanism for correctly positioning the camera at a predetermined position; and whether the camera is correctly positioned at a predetermined position. And a detecting means for detecting the condition.