JP2001103349A - Camera for memory card - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a camera for memory card that is drastically miniaturized, surely held in one hand and can be operated only by the one hand without the need for operation of operation buttons by the other free hand. SOLUTION: An image pickup section 3 is provided to a front face of an outer package case 1 at its upper stage, a slot is provided to a lower stage of the outer package case 1, a viewfinder 8 is provided to a side face of the outer package case 1 at its middle stage and visual data are written in a memory card 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera which converts a photographed optical image into an electric signal and records it, and more particularly to a pocket-sized camera which can be used with only one hand.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Some digital video cameras and digital still cameras use a semiconductor memory card as a recording medium in consideration of miniaturization of the apparatus and mobility of recorded data. In some cases, a monitor of about 2.5 inches is provided on a side surface of the outer case so that the monitor can be used as a viewfinder used for photographing or a display unit for reproduction.

[0003]

However, these conventional devices are inoperable even when the operability with one hand is poor and the other hand needs to be attached to the outer case or can be held with one hand. When switching the state, it is necessary to operate the operation button with the other free hand.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a memory card camera that can be made more compact, can be securely held with one hand, and can be operated with only one hand without operating the operation button with the other free hand. The purpose is to:

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera for a memory card, comprising: an imaging section for converting an optical image taken on a front surface of the outer case into an electric signal at an upper stage of the outer case having a palm size. A slot for inserting a semiconductor memory card is provided at a lower stage of the outer case, a viewfinder is provided at a middle stage of the outer case on a side surface of the outer case, and visual data captured by an imaging unit is reproduced and displayed on the display unit. And an electric circuit for writing into the semiconductor memory card inserted into the slot is built in the outer case.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera for a memory card according to the first aspect, wherein a thumb operation button is provided at a position corresponding to a thumb of a hand holding the outer case at an upper portion of a rear surface of the outer case. The width of the case is formed narrower in the lower stage than in the middle stage. Claim 3 of the present invention
The camera for a memory card according to claim 2,
It is characterized in that the shape of the front and back of the outer case is formed into a curve along the palm.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera for a memory card according to the second aspect, wherein a concave portion is provided at a position corresponding to a thumb of a hand holding the outer case, and a thumb operation button is provided in the concave portion. Features. In the camera for a memory card according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in the third and fourth aspects, the thumb operation button includes a playback instruction button, a stop button, a forward search button, and a reverse search button.
It is characterized by having three buttons.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the camera for a memory card according to the first aspect, wherein the electric circuit is inputted to a position corresponding to the index finger of the hand holding the outer case below the imaging unit on the front surface of the outer case. An index finger operation button for instructing is provided.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A camera for a memory card according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the embodiments shown in FIGS. The memory card camera of the present invention having a function of recording and reproducing visual data and audio data of a moving image or a still image on a semiconductor memory card, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an imaging unit 3 is provided, and a slot 6 for inserting a semiconductor memory card 5 is formed on the back surface 4. The imaging unit 3 includes an optical lens 3a and a CCD 3b as shown in FIG.

A viewfinder 8 having a built-in color liquid crystal display is mounted on a side surface 7 of the outer case 1 so as to adjust an opening angle θ between a storage position indicated by a solid line and a use position indicated by a virtual line. ing. The detailed attachment state of the viewfinder 8 to the outer case 1 is indicated by arrow J.
, And is rotatable within the range of the opening angle θ with the screen 9 facing outward.

A thumb operation button 12 is provided in a concave portion 11 (see FIG. 5) formed on the rear surface 4 of the outer case 1 at a position corresponding to the thumb 10 of the hand gripped by the user as shown in FIG. Have been. The thumb operation button 12 includes a playback instruction button 12a, a stop button 12b, a forward search button 1
2c, a reverse search button 12d. Exterior case 1
As shown in FIG. 2B, an index finger operation button 14 is provided at a position corresponding to the index finger 13 of the user holding the outer case 1 on the front surface 2 of the camera 2 and below the imaging unit 3.

The outer case 1 contains an electric circuit 15 shown in FIG. 3 in addition to the above. This means that the operation of the thumb operation button 12 and the forefinger operation button 14 is recognized and the recording / reproduction is performed on the memory card 5, the signal of the microphone 16 is recorded on the memory card 5, and the audio signal is reproduced. The control unit 17 controls the execution. Specifically, the control unit 17 in the shooting state switches the switches 18a and 18b of the switching unit 18 to the lower side, converts the output of the CCD 3b to digital by the A / D converter 19, and
, The visual data is repeatedly written to the same area of the memory card 5 at the specific address. Similarly, the output of the microphone 16 is repeatedly written to the specific address of the memory card 5 after the digital conversion and operates so that only the latest data is left, and the previous data is not left. The content of the specific address of the memory card 5 in the shooting state is converted into an analog signal by the decoder 22 and the D / A converter 23, and displayed on the viewfinder 8 via the switch 18b. In this shooting state, the index finger operation button 14
When the control unit 17 detects that the is operated, the control unit 17 switches to a recording state in which the data recorded on the memory card 5 is left.

In the playback state, the playback control button 12a of the thumb operation button 12, the stop button 12b, the forward search button 12c, and the reverse search button 12d are recognized and the reading from the memory card 5 is controlled. I have.
The reproduced audio signal is reproduced from the speaker 21. As shown in FIG. 4, holes 24a, 24b on the upper surface of the outer case 1
Is a sound collection hole of the left and right microphones 16, and a hole 25 on the side surface of the outer case 1 is a sound emission hole of the speaker 21.

With such a configuration, the imaging unit 3 is arranged in the upper stage 1U of the outer case 1 and the viewfinder 8 is arranged in the middle stage 1M. Since the imaging unit 3 and the viewfinder 8 do not overlap each other, Can be made thinner. Further, the shape of the front surface 2 and the back surface 4 of the outer case 1 is formed into a curve along the palm of the user holding the outer case 1, and the width W1 of the lower part 1D of the outer case 1 (the width of the imaging unit in the optical axis direction). ) Is the middle 1M in which the viewfinder 8 is provided.
The width W2 is smaller than the width W2, so that it can be easily grasped with one hand.

Further, the thumb operation button 12 is provided in the recess 11.
, The thumb can be accurately guided to the position of the input button, there is no displacement of the thumb during operation,
Good operability can be expected. Note that the visual data written to the memory card in the above embodiment can be realized as either a moving image or a still image.

[0016]

As described above, according to the camera for a memory card of the present invention, an imaging section for converting an optical image taken on the front of the outer case into an electric signal at the upper stage of the outer case of palm size is provided. A slot for inserting a semiconductor memory card is provided in the lower part of the case, a viewfinder is provided in the middle part of the outer case on the side of the outer case, and the visual data captured by the imaging unit is reproduced and displayed on the display unit, and the slot is inserted into the slot. Since the electric circuit to be written into the inserted semiconductor memory card is built in the outer case, the outer case can be thinned to make it easier to grasp,
It is possible to reduce the size and hold with one hand.

Further, a thumb operation button is provided at a position corresponding to the thumb of the hand holding the outer case at the upper portion on the back of the outer case, so that the width of the outer case in the optical axis direction of the imaging unit is larger than that of the middle stage. When the lower stage is formed narrow, it is easy to hold with one hand, and the operability is improved. In addition, since a concave portion is provided at a position corresponding to the thumb of the hand holding the outer case and a thumb operation button is provided in the concave portion, there is no displacement of the thumb during operation, and good operability can be expected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a state in which a camera for a memory card according to a first embodiment of the present invention is used with one hand held.

FIG. 2 is a side view, a front view, and a rear view of the memory card camera of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an electric circuit diagram of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a top view of a main part of the memory card camera of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the concave portion according to the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 outer case 2 front of outer case 3 imaging section 4 back of outer case 5 memory card 6 slot 3 a optical lens 3 b CCD 7 side of outer case 8 viewfinder 11 recess 12 thumb operation button 12 a playback instruction button 12 b stop button 12 c Forward search button 12d Reverse search button 14 Index finger operation button 15 Electric circuit 16 Microphone 21 Speaker 1U Upper case of outer case 1M Middle of outer case T Thickness of device W1 Lower width of outer case W2 Middle width of outer case

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Satoshi Sakamoto 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Osaka Pref. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Terms (reference) 2H101 BB02 BB03 BB04 5B058 CA01 YA16 YA18 5C022 AA13 AC01 AC32 AC42 AC69 AC77 5C052 GA02 GB01 GC10 GE04 GE06 GE08

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus for recording photographed visual data on a semiconductor memory card, comprising: an imaging unit for converting a photographed optical image into an electric signal on a front surface of the outer case at an upper stage of a palm-sized outer case; A slot for inserting a semiconductor memory card is provided in a lower part of the outer case, a viewfinder is provided in a middle part of the outer case on a side surface of the outer case, and visual data captured by an imaging unit is reproduced and displayed on the display unit. A memory card camera in which an electric circuit for writing to a semiconductor memory card inserted into a slot is built in the outer case. 2. A thumb operation button is provided at a position corresponding to the thumb of the hand holding the outer case at the upper part on the back of the outer case, and the width of the outer case is formed to be narrower at the lower part than at the middle part. Camera for memory card. 3. The memory card camera according to claim 2, wherein the shape of the front and back surfaces of the outer case is formed into a curve along the palm. 4. The camera for a memory card according to claim 2, wherein a concave portion is provided at a position corresponding to the thumb of the hand holding the outer case, and a thumb operation button is provided in the concave portion. 5. The camera for a memory card according to claim 3, wherein the thumb operation buttons are four buttons of a reproduction instruction button, a stop button, a forward search button, and a reverse search button. 6. The memory card according to claim 1, further comprising an index finger operation button for instructing input to the electric circuit at a position corresponding to an index finger of a hand holding the exterior case on a front side of the exterior case and below the imaging unit. camera.