JP2002094844A - Image pickup device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image pickup device where a recording device is incorporated, a projecting part projected much more than the other part is installed in a face becoming a lower face in a recording posture, and photographing and recording postures can satisfactorily be maintained without damaging a main body, a photographing lens, a finder and the like. SOLUTION: The image pickup device having the recording device where a recording head discharging ink and recording data is arranged has at least one or above projecting parts projected much more than the other part on the face becoming the lower face in the recording posture.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera device having a recording device, and more particularly to a camera device having a built-in printer.
The present invention relates to a camera device called a so-called digital camera such as a photographing device that records an image as a digital signal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in a camera device as a photographing device for recording an image as a digital signal, it is possible to immediately print out photographed contents by incorporating a printer. In these devices, the size of the recording paper is about the size of a credit card in order not to increase the size of the photographing device. As a printing means, a thermal transfer method has been considered to be advantageous because of a limited power supply capacity and a size capable of being built in. However, power saving, improvement in image quality, and high-speed printing are also considered. Therefore, an inkjet method is suitable from these viewpoints.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional ink jet printer, the recording paper is conveyed horizontally and the recording head ejects ink downward in order to keep the image quality constant. desirable. However, when the printer is built in the camera, the photographing and printing apparatus postures do not always match. If this is not possible, the operability of each of the apparatuses, such as enlargement of the apparatus, photographing, printing, etc., will be poor. Therefore, in general, when the photographing and printing postures are not the same, a photographing lens, a viewfinder, a strobe light emitting unit, and the like are usually provided on the front of the camera. This can cause the camera to wobble or rub, causing scratches on the exterior of the camera. In particular, a scratch on the optical component may cause an obstacle to the photographing function.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems by incorporating a printer and providing a protruding portion that protrudes from the other surface on the lower surface in the printing position. It is an object of the present invention to provide a camera device capable of maintaining a good photographing and printing posture without damaging a camera, a photographing lens, a viewfinder, and the like.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an image pickup apparatus according to the present invention is provided in an image pickup apparatus having a recording apparatus provided with a recording head for ejecting and recording ink. It is characterized by having at least one or more protrusions protruding from other parts on the surface serving as the lower surface.

[0006] In the imaging device of the present invention, the protrusion may be:
It is characterized in that it is provided at four locations near the front corner of the imaging device body.

Further, the image pickup apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the projection is a projecting member made of an elastic material projecting from the front of the image pickup apparatus main body.

Further, according to the image pickup apparatus of the present invention, in an image pickup apparatus having a recording apparatus provided with a recording head for ejecting and recording ink, a lower surface in a recording posture protrudes from other portions. Thus, a grip formed on one side as described above, and a paper discharge cover protrudably provided on the other side of the surface are provided.

In the image pickup apparatus according to the present invention, the discharge cover is
The recording apparatus is characterized in that it always covers the paper discharge port of the recording apparatus, and projects forward to support the imaging apparatus body during recording.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a camera device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In this specification, the term "print" (sometimes referred to as "recording") refers not only to the formation of significant information such as characters and figures, but also to the perception of humans irrespective of significance. Regardless of whether or not it is evident, it refers to a case where an image, a pattern, a pattern, or the like is widely formed on a print medium, or a case where the print medium is processed.

The term "print medium" means not only paper used in general printing apparatuses but also inks such as cloth, plastic films, metal plates, glass, ceramics, wood, leather and the like. I also say things like

In this specification, a "camera" refers to a device or device that optically captures an image and converts an optical image into an electric signal, and is referred to as an "imaging unit" in the following description.

Further, "ink" (sometimes referred to as "liquid") is to be interpreted broadly as in the definition of "print" described above. , A pattern, etc., processing of a print medium, or ink processing (for example, solidification or insolubilization of a coloring material in ink applied to the print medium).

[Basic Configuration] First, the basic configuration of the device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. An apparatus described in this example includes an imaging unit (hereinafter, also referred to as a “camera unit”) that optically captures an image and converts it into an electrical signal, and an image that records an image based on the captured electrical signal. Recording unit (hereinafter,
(Also referred to as a “printer unit”). Hereinafter, the information processing apparatus described in this example will be described as a “camera with a built-in printer”.

In the apparatus body A001, the camera section A
A printer unit (recording device unit) B100 is integrated with the back side of the unit 100. The printer unit B100 records an image using ink and a print medium supplied from the media pack C100. In this configuration, the device body A
As is clear from FIG. 5 when the exterior is removed from the outer side of FIG. 5, the media pack C100 is inserted into the right side of the apparatus main body A001 in the figure, and the printer unit B100 is inserted into the left side of the apparatus main body A001 in the figure. Is arranged. When recording is performed by the printer unit B100, the camera unit A1
The position of the apparatus main body A001 can be set so that the liquid crystal display unit A105 described later at 00 is located above and the lens A101 is located below. In this printing position, a printing head B120 described later in the printer unit B100 is used.
Is in a posture of discharging ink downward. The recording posture may be the same posture as the posture in the shooting state by the camera unit A100, and is not limited to the above-described recording posture. The above-described recording posture is preferable from the viewpoint of the stability of the recording operation.

In the following, the mechanical basic configuration of the apparatus of this embodiment will be described by dividing it into A “camera unit”, B “media pack”, and C “printer unit”. Will be described as D “signal processing system”.

A "Camera Unit" The camera unit A100 basically constitutes a general digital camera, and includes a printer unit B10 described later.
The digital camera with a built-in printer as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 1 to 3, A101 is a lens, A102 is a finder, A1
02a is a finder window, A103 is a flash, A10
Reference numeral 4 denotes a release button, and A105 denotes a liquid crystal display unit (external display unit). As will be described later, the camera unit A100
Processing of data captured using CD, Compact Flash (registered trademark) memory card (CF card) A107
It stores images in the printer unit, displays the images, and exchanges various data with the printer unit B100. A discharge unit A109 discharges a print medium C104 on which an image has been recorded when the photographed image is recorded on a print medium C104 described below. A108 shown in FIG. 5 is a battery as a power source for the camera unit A100 and the printer unit B100.

B "Media Pack" The media pack C100 is attachable to and detachable from the apparatus main body A001. In the case of the present embodiment, the medium pack C100 is inserted from the insertion portion A002 (see FIG. 3) of the apparatus main body A001 to thereby obtain the state shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. The insertion portion A002 is closed as shown in FIG. 3 when the media pack C100 is not mounted, and is opened when the media pack C100 is mounted. FIG. 5 shows the media pack C100.
Shows a state in which the exterior has been removed from the apparatus main body A001 to which is attached. Pack body C101 of media pack C100
As shown in FIG. 4, a shutter C102 is provided so as to be slidable in the direction of arrow D. Shutter C102
When the media pack C100 is not mounted on the apparatus main body A001, it slides to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG.
When it is attached to the position 1, it slides to the position indicated by the solid line in FIG.

An ink pack C is provided in the pack body C101.
103 and a print medium C104 are accommodated. FIG.
In the ink pack C103, the print medium C1
04. In the case of this example, ink pack C
103 are provided so as to individually accommodate Y (yellow), M (magenta), and C (cyan) inks, and about 20 print media C104 are accommodated in a stacked manner. Those inks and print medium C104
Means that the best combination for image recording was selected,
They are housed in the same media pack C100. Therefore, various media packs C100 (for example, media packs for ultra-high image quality, normal image quality, seals (split seals), etc.) having different combinations of ink and print medium are prepared, and the images to be recorded are prepared. These media packs C100 are selectively loaded into the apparatus main assembly A0 in accordance with the type and use of the print medium on which the image is formed.
By mounting the ink cartridge on the print medium 01, an image suitable for the purpose can be reliably recorded using the optimal combination of ink and print medium. Further, the media pack C100 is provided with an EEPROM (identification IC) to be described later, and the EEPROM stores identification data such as ink contained in the media pack and the type and remaining amount of the print medium.

When the media pack C100 is mounted on the main assembly A001 of the apparatus, the ink pack C103 has Y,
Through three joints C105 corresponding to the M and C inks, respectively, it is connected to an ink supply system of the apparatus main body A001 described later. On the other hand, the print medium C104
Are separated one by one by a separation mechanism (not shown), and are then sent out in the direction of arrow C by a feed roller C110 (see FIG. 9) described later. The driving force of the paper feed roller C110 is supplied from a transport motor M002 (see FIG. 9), which will be described later, provided on the apparatus main assembly A001 side, via a connecting portion C110a.

The pack body C101 is provided with a wiper C106 for wiping a recording head of a printer unit, which will be described later, and an ink absorber C107 for absorbing waste ink discharged from the printer unit. ing. The recording head in the printer section reciprocates in the main scanning direction indicated by arrow A as described later. When the media pack C100 is detached from the apparatus main body A001, the shutter C102 slides to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4, and the joint C105, the wiper C106,
And protect the ink absorber C107 and the like.

C "Printer Unit" The printer unit B100 of this embodiment is of a serial type using an ink jet recording head. This printer section B1
00 will be described separately for C-1 "print operation unit", C-2 "print medium transport system", and C-3 "ink supply system".

C-1 "Print Operation Unit" FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the entire printer unit B100, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the printer unit B100 with a part thereof removed.

As shown in FIG. 5, the leading end of the media pack C100 mounted on the apparatus main body A001 is located at a fixed position inside the main body of the printer section B100. The print medium C104 sent out from the media pack C100 in the direction of arrow C is transmitted to
While being sandwiched between the F roller B101 and the LF pinch roller B102, the sheet is conveyed on the platen B103 in the sub-scanning direction indicated by the arrow B. A carriage B104 is reciprocated in the main scanning direction indicated by the arrow A along the guide shaft B105 and the lead screw B106.

On the carriage B104, as shown in FIG.
A bearing B107 for the guide shaft B105 and a bearing B108 for the lead screw B106 are provided. At a fixed position of the carriage B104, as shown in FIG. 7, a screw pin B109 protruding inside the bearing B108 is attached by a spring B110. Then, the tip of the screw pin B109 fits into the spiral groove formed on the outer peripheral portion of the lead screw B106, so that the rotation of the lead screw B106 is converted into the reciprocating movement of the carriage B104.

The carriage B104 has Y, M,
Ink jet recording head B1 capable of discharging C ink
20 and a sub-tank (not shown) for storing ink to be supplied to the recording head B120. The recording head B120 is formed with a plurality of ink ejection ports B121 (see FIG. 8) arranged in a direction intersecting the main scanning direction of the arrow A (in this example, orthogonal to the main scanning direction). The ink discharge port B121 forms a nozzle capable of discharging ink supplied from the sub tank. As a means for generating energy for ejecting ink, an electrothermal converter provided for each nozzle can be used. The electrothermal transducer generates bubbles in the ink in the nozzles by being driven to generate heat, and discharges ink droplets from the ink discharge port B121 by the bubbling energy.

The sub-tank has a smaller capacity than the ink pack C103 stored in the media pack C100, and has a size that stores at least an amount of ink necessary for recording an image of one print medium C104.
In the sub-tank, an ink supply section and a negative pressure introduction section are respectively formed in the ink storage sections for each of the Y, M, and C inks, and these ink supply sections are individually provided to the corresponding three hollow needles B122. The negative pressure introduction sections are connected to a common supply air port B123. In such a sub-tank, as described later,
When the carriage B104 moves to the home position as shown in FIG. 6, ink is supplied from the ink pack C103 of the media pack C100.

In the carriage B104 shown in FIG.
Reference numeral 24 denotes a needle cover. When the needle B122 and the joint C105 are not connected to each other, the needle cover 122 is moved to a position for protecting the needle B122 by the force of the spring as shown in FIG. When connecting, the needle B122 is pushed upward in the figure against the force of the spring to release the protection of the needle B122. The moving position of the carriage B104 is the carriage B1.
04 encoder sensor B131 and printer unit B1
00 linear scale B132 on the main body side (see FIG. 6)
And is detected by. The movement of the carriage B104 to the home position indicates that the carriage B10 has moved.
The HP (home position) flag B133 on the fourth side and the HP sensor B134 (FIG.
See).

In FIG. 7, at both ends of the guide shaft B105, support shafts (not shown) are provided at positions eccentric from the center axis. The position of the carriage 104 is adjusted by rotating and adjusting the guide shaft B105 about its support shaft, so that the recording head B120 and the platen B
The distance between the print medium 103 and the print medium C 104 (also referred to as “paper distance”) is adjusted. The lead screw B106 is driven to rotate by a carriage motor M001 via a screw gear B141, an idler gear B142, and a motor gear B143. Also,
B150 is a flexible cable for electrically connecting a control system described below and the recording head B120.

The recording head B120 includes a carriage B10
By ejecting ink from the ink ejection port B121 in accordance with the image signal while moving in the main scanning direction indicated by the arrow A together with 4, the image for one line is recorded on the print medium on the platen B103. By repeating such a recording operation for one line by the recording head B120 and a conveyance operation of a predetermined amount of the print medium in the sub-scanning direction of an arrow B by a print medium conveyance system described later, images are sequentially printed on the print medium. Record

C-2 "Print Medium Transport System" FIG. 9 is a perspective view of components of the print medium transport system in the printer section B100. In FIG. 9, B201
Denotes a pair of discharge rollers, and one of the upper discharge rollers B201 in the figure includes a discharge roller gear B202 and a relay gear B2.
03, and is driven by the transport motor M002.
Similarly, the above-described LF roller B101 is connected to the transport motor M via the LF roller gear B204 and the relay gear B203.
002. The discharge roller B201 and the LF roller B101 convey the print medium C104 in the sub-scanning direction indicated by the arrow B by the driving force of the conveyance motor M002 at the time of normal rotation.

On the other hand, when the transport motor M002 rotates in the reverse direction, the switching slider B211 and the switching cam B2
The pressure plate head B 213 and a lock mechanism (not shown) are driven via the drive unit 12, and a driving force is transmitted to the transport roller C 110 on the media pack C 100 side. That is,
The pressure plate head B 213 is driven by the driving force of the transport motor M002 during the reverse rotation, passes through the window C102A of the shutter C102 of the media pack C100 (see FIG. 4), and print media C integrated in the media pack C100.
104 is pressed downward in FIG. As a result, the print medium C104 at the lowermost position in FIG.
100 is pressed onto the transport roller C110. A lock mechanism (not shown) locks the media pack C100 with respect to the apparatus main body A001 by the driving force of the transport motor M002 at the time of reverse rotation, and
0 removal is prohibited. Media pack C10
The zero-side transport roller C110 carries out one print medium C104 at the lowermost position in FIG. 4 in the direction of arrow C by transmitting the driving force at the time of reverse rotation of the transport motor M002.

As described above, when the transport motor M002 rotates in the reverse direction, only one print medium C104 is taken out from the media pack C100 in the direction of the arrow C. Thereafter, when the transport motor M002 rotates forward, the print medium C104 is rotated. Is transported in the direction of arrow B.

C-3 "Ink Supply System" FIG. 10 is a perspective view of components of the ink supply system in the printer section B100, and FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state where the media pack C100 is mounted on the components of the ink supply system. It is a top view.

The joint C105 of the media pack C100 mounted on the printer unit B100 is connected to the needle B12 on the carriage B104 that has moved to the home position.
2 (see FIG. 8). The main body of the printer unit B100 is provided with a joint fork B301 (see FIG. 10) located below the joint C105, and the joint fork B301 is connected to the joint C1.
By moving 05 upward, the joint C105 is connected to the needle B122. This forms an ink supply path between the ink pack C103 on the media pack C100 side and the ink supply unit of the sub tank on the carriage B104 side. A carriage B10 moved to the home position is provided on the main body of the printer unit B100.
A supply joint B302 is provided below the fourth supply air port B123 (see FIG. 8). This supply joint B302 is provided via a supply tube B303.
It is connected to a pump cylinder B304 of a pump as a negative pressure source. The supply joint B302 is connected to the supply air port B123 on the carriage B104 side by being moved up by the joint lifter B305. Thus, a negative pressure introducing path is formed between the negative pressure introducing portion of the sub tank on the side of the carriage B104 and the pump cylinder B304. The joint lifter B305 moves the joint fork B301 up and down together with the supply cap B302 by the driving force of the joint motor M003.

The negative pressure introducing portion of the sub tank is provided with a gas-liquid separating member (not shown) that allows the passage of air and prevents the passage of ink. The gas-liquid separation member allows the air in the sub-tank to be sucked through the negative pressure introduction passage, thereby supplying ink from the media pack C100 to the sub-tank. When the ink in the sub-tank reaches the gas-liquid separation member, when the ink is sufficiently replenished, the gas-liquid separation member stops the passage of the ink, so that the ink supply is automatically stopped. The gas-liquid separation member is provided in an ink supply unit in an ink storage portion for each ink in the sub tank, and automatically stops replenishing ink for each of those ink storage portions.

The main body of the printer unit B100 is provided with a suction cap B310 capable of capping the recording head B120 (see FIG. 8) on the carriage B104 moved to the home position. The suction cap B310 has a suction tube B311 inside.
, A negative pressure is introduced from the pump cylinder B304 through the ink discharge port B1 of the recording head B120.
The ink can be sucked and discharged (suction recovery processing) from the ink cartridge 21. The recording head B120 also removes ink that does not contribute to image recording, if necessary, with a suction cap B3.
10 (preliminary discharge processing). Suction cap B
The ink in the ink cartridge C107 in the media pack C110 flows from the pump cylinder B304 through the waste liquid tube B312 and the waste liquid joint B313.
Is discharged.

The pump cylinder B304 constitutes a pump unit B315 together with a pump motor M004 for reciprocating the pump cylinder B304. Pump motor M004 is
It also functions as a drive source for moving the wiper lifter B316 (see FIG. 10) up and down. Wiper lifter B31
No. 6 moves the wiper C106 to a position where the recording head B120 can be wiped by moving the wiper C106 of the media pack C100 mounted on the printer unit B100 upward.

In FIGS. 10 and 11, B321
Is a pump HP sensor for detecting that the operating position of the pump constituted by the pump cylinder B 304 is at the home position. A joint HP sensor B322 detects that the ink supply path and the negative pressure introduction path described above have been formed. B323 is a chassis that forms the main body of the printer unit B100.

D "Signal Processing System" FIG. 12 is a schematic block diagram of the camera unit A100 and the printer unit B100.

In the camera section A100, 101 is a CCD as an image sensor, 102 is a microphone for voice input, 103 is an ASIC for performing hardware processing, 10
Reference numeral 4 denotes a first memory for temporarily storing image data and the like;
Reference numeral 5 denotes a CF card (“CF card A1
07), an LCD (corresponding to the “liquid crystal display unit A105”) for displaying a captured image or a reproduced image, and 120
Is a first CPU for controlling the camera unit A100.

In the printer section B100, 210 is
An interface 201 between the camera unit A100 and the printer unit B100, an image processing unit 201 (2 for binarizing an image)
202, a second memory used for performing image processing; 203, a band memory control unit;
4 is a band memory, 205 is a mask memory, 206 is a head controller, and 207 is a printhead (“printhead B12
0), 208 is an encoder (corresponding to “encoder sensor B131”), 209 is an encoder counter, 2
Reference numeral 20 denotes a second CPU for controlling the printer unit B100;
1 is a motor driver, 222 is a motor (“motor M00
1, M002, M003, M004 ")
Is a sensor ("HP sensors B134, B321, B322").
224, an EEPROM built in the media pack C100, 230, an audio encoder unit, 25
0 is a power supply unit ("Battery A108") for supplying power to the entire apparatus.
).

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of signal processing in the camera unit A100. In the shooting mode, the lens 107
The image captured by the CCD 101 through the
Signal processing (CCD signal processing) by C103
It is converted into a V luminance two-color difference signal. Further, the image data is resized to a predetermined resolution, JPEG-compressed, and recorded on the CF card 105. The voice is input from the microphone 102 and stored in the CF card 105 via the ASIC 103. Regarding the recording of the sound, it can be stored at the same time as the shooting or as a post-recording after the shooting. In the playback mode, the JPE
The G image is read out, JPEG-decompressed by the ASIC 103, and further resized to the display resolution.
06 is displayed.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of signal processing in the printer section B100.

The image reproduced on the camera unit A100 side, that is, the image read from the CF card 105, is JPEG-decompressed by the ASIC 103 and resized to a resolution suitable for the printing resolution as shown in FIG. Then, the resized image data (YUV) is sent to the printer unit B100 via the interface unit 210. As shown in FIG. 14, the printer unit B100 performs image processing on the image data sent from the camera unit A100 using the image processing unit 201, converts the image data into RGB signals, performs input γ correction according to the characteristics of the camera, and looks Color correction and color conversion using an up table (LUT), and conversion into a binary signal for printing. At the time of the binarization process, the second memory 202 is used as an error memory in order to perform an error diffusion (ED) process. In the case of this example, the binarization processing unit in the image processing unit 201 performs an error diffusion process, but other processes such as a binarization process using a dither pattern may be performed. The binarized print data is temporarily stored in the band memory 204 by the band memory control unit 203. An encoder pulse from the encoder 208 is input to the encoder counter 209 of the printer unit B100 every time the carriage B104 on which the recording head 207 and the encoder 208 are mounted moves a predetermined distance. Then, print data is read from the band memory 204 and the mask memory 205 in synchronization with the encoder pulse, and the head control unit 206 controls the print head 207 to perform printing based on the print data.

The hand memory control in FIG. 14 will be described as follows.

The plurality of nozzles in the recording head 207 are formed in rows so as to have a density of, for example, 1200 dpi. When the carriage is scanned once in order to print an image using such a recording head 207, the number of nozzles in the sub-scanning direction (hereinafter, also referred to as “vertical (Y direction)”) is equal to the number of nozzles in the main scanning direction (hereinafter, referred to as “vertical (Y direction)”). , "Horizontal (X direction)
In this case, it is necessary to create print data for the print area (print data for one scan) in advance.
After the recording data is created by the image processing unit 201,
Band memory 204 by band memory control unit 203
Is stored once. After one scan of print data is stored in the band memory 204, the carriage is scanned in the main scanning direction. At this time, encoder pulses input from the encoder 208 are counted by the encoder counter 209, print data is read from the band memory 204 according to the encoder pulses, and ink droplets are ejected from the print head 207 based on the image data. You. When the bidirectional printing method of printing an image (forward printing and backward printing) at the time of forward scan and backward scan of the print head 207 is adopted, image data is transferred from the band memory 204 according to the scan direction of the print head 207. Is read. For example, at the time of forward pass recording, the address of the image data read from the band memory 204 is sequentially incremented, and at the time of backward pass recording, the address of the image data read from the band memory 204 is sequentially decremented.

Actually, when the image data (C, M, Y) created by the image processing unit 201 is written into the band memory 204 and one band of image data is prepared, the scanning of the recording head 207 is performed. Becomes possible. Then, the recording head 207 is scanned, image data is read from the band memory 204, and the recording head 207 records an image based on the image data. During the recording operation, image data to be recorded next is created in the image processing unit 201,
The image data is written to an area of the band memory 204 corresponding to the recording position.

As described above, the band memory control is performed for the recording data (C, M, Y) created by the image processing unit 201.
Are written in the band memory 204 and the operation of reading out the print data (C, M, Y) to be sent to the head control unit 206 in synchronization with the scanning operation of the carriage.

The mask memory control in FIG. 14 will be described as follows.

This mask memory control is required when the multi-pass printing method is adopted. In the case of the multi-pass printing method, a print image for one row having a width corresponding to the length of the nozzle row of the print head 207 is printed by dividing the print head 207 into a plurality of scans. That is, the transport amount of the print medium that is transported intermittently in the sub-scanning direction is set to 1 / N of the length of the nozzle row. For example, when N = 2, one row of the recorded image is scanned twice. (N-pass printing), and when N = 4, a print image for one line is printed in four scans (4-pass printing). Similarly, when N = 8, 8-pass printing is performed, and when N = 16, 16-pass printing is performed. Therefore, the recording image for one line is recorded by the recording head 207.
Is completed by multiple scans.

Actually, the mask memory 205 stores mask data for allocating the image data to the plurality of scans of the print head 207, and stores the logical product (AND) data of the mask data and the image data. Then, the recording head 207 ejects ink to record an image.

In FIG. 14, the CF card 105
Are sent to the printer unit B100 via the interface 210 by the ASIC 102 in the same manner as the image data. Printer section B100
Is encoded (encoded) by the audio encoder 230 and recorded as code data in an image to be printed. When it is not necessary to add audio data to a print image, or when printing an image without audio data, naturally, coded audio data is not printed and only the image is printed.

In the present embodiment, the description has been given of a camera with a built-in printer in which the camera section A100 and the printer section B100 are integrated. However, the camera unit A100
And the printer unit B100 can be separated into separate devices, and the same configuration can be realized in a configuration in which they are connected by the interface 210, and the same function can be realized.

[Characteristic Configuration] Hereinafter, embodiments of the characteristic configuration of the present invention will be described.

(Embodiment 1) FIGS. 15 and 16 are views showing Embodiment 1 of the camera apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a perspective view of Embodiment 1 of the camera apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 15 is a side view at the time of printing in which a part of the camera device of the present invention is cut away.

As shown in the figure, the camera device of the present invention has substantially the same basic structure as that of the above-described camera device, and a detailed description of the structure is omitted here. And

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the camera device according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a camera unit A10.
0 and a camera device main body A00 integrated with the camera device main body A001.
1 and a printer unit B100 built in the camera unit A100.
01, viewfinder A102, and flash unit A103
And four protrusions 1, 2, 3, and 4, which are main parts of the present invention, are laid out and provided on a surface 6 serving as a front surface.
The photographing lens A101 and the finder A1
02 and the strobe light emitting unit A103 are disposed so as to be retracted from the front surface 6 when photographing the camera device main body A001. Further, the photographing lens A101
It protrudes when shooting, and when power off or printing,
A retractable type that is stored in the camera device main body A001 is preferable.

A plurality of projections 1, 2, 3, 4 in the illustrated embodiment, which constitute a main part of the present invention, are connected to the camera section A1.
00, which are provided near four corners of the front surface 6 respectively, and are made of an appropriate material such as an elastic material represented by rubber, a synthetic resin material, or the like, into an appropriate shape such as a hemisphere or a disk. And is attached to the surface 6 of the camera unit A100 by bonding, fitting, or the like.

Further, on one side of the camera apparatus main body A001, there is provided a discharge section A109 as a discharge port of a print medium C107 such as recording paper printed by the built-in printer section B100.

Accordingly, during printing, the camera apparatus of the present invention configured as described above is placed on a plate surface 8 such as a desk or table as shown in FIG. 16 to perform printing. In such a case, in the camera device of the present invention, the desirable posture during printing is horizontal conveyance.
Is placed on the plate surface 8 with the surface 6 facing down as shown in FIG.
As described above, when the camera device of the present invention is placed on the plate surface 8 with the surface 6 facing down, the camera device of the present invention has the protrusions 1, 2, 3, 4, which are protrusion members such as rubber. As a result, a gap is formed between the surface 6 and the plate surface 8, so that not only the surface 6 of the camera device but also the photographing lens A 101, the finder A 102, and the strobe light emitting unit A 103 do not directly touch the plate surface 8. No worries about scratching. Further, in this embodiment, since the projections 1, 2, 3, and 4 are formed of rubber or the like, the projections are prevented from slipping carelessly at the time of printing. Is small and does not obstruct the operation of the camera device or the storage of the camera.

(Embodiment 2) FIGS. 17 and 18 are views showing a camera apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of Embodiment 2 of the camera apparatus of the present invention, and FIG.
18 is a perspective view of the camera device of FIG. 17 at the time of printing with the paper ejection cover opened.

As shown in the figure, the camera device of the present invention is substantially the same as the camera device of the first embodiment described above.
001 and a printer unit B1 integrated with the camera device main body A001 and built in the camera device main body A001.
00, a photographing lens A101, a finder A102, and a strobe light emitting unit A103 are laid out on the front of the camera unit A100. In addition to this, in this embodiment, the grip 10 formed on one side so as to protrude from the surface 6 which becomes the front when photographing and the lower surface in the posture at the time of printing from other parts.
And a discharge cover 12 protrudably provided on the other side of the surface 6, which is different from that of the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 17, the grip 10 holds the camera device at the time of photographing. For example, the camera device main body A001 is easily held by the right hand on the side of the dominant arm.
Is formed so as to protrude forward along one side edge portion of the. On the other hand, a paper discharge cover 12 is slidably provided on the side edge opposite to the camera apparatus main body A001 so as to cover a discharge portion A109 of a print medium such as recording paper at the time of printing. Therefore, the discharge cover 12 covers the discharge portion A109 of the print medium to prevent intrusion of dust and the like into the inside except during printing, and slides forward of the camera device during printing as shown in FIG. 18 during printing. And discharge section A1
09 can be opened for printing. Therefore, the paper discharge cover 12 slid forward during printing is
Since it protrudes forward by approximately the same amount as the grip 10, the tip of the grip 10 and the paper output cover 12 are placed on a table or desk when the printer is placed on a table or desk with the surface 6 facing down for printing. The built-in printer can be maintained in an optimal posture in contact with the plate surface. Further, in this embodiment, since the surface 6 floats greatly, the safety against scratches and the like is further improved, and it is not necessary to completely retract the photographing lens. The increased space is advantageous in terms of performance and cost. In addition, since the paper ejection cover 12 does not protrude except during printing, there is no disadvantage to the photographing operation and the housing of the camera. In addition, since the front of the camera device is protected by providing protrusions such as grips and paper ejection covers, it is not necessary to force the shooting and printing postures to match.
The layout in the product becomes free, and the miniaturization and the operability of each can be sufficiently considered.

[0066]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image pickup apparatus having a recording apparatus provided with a recording head for ejecting and recording ink, wherein the other portion is provided on a surface which becomes a lower surface in a recording posture. Since it has at least one projection that protrudes from the table, the imaging device placed on a table or a desk during recording can be favorably and stably supported without slipping, and can be suitably interposed. The gap can be maintained.

In the image pickup apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention, the projections are provided at four locations near the front corner of the image pickup apparatus main body. The gap can be favorably maintained by being stably placed on the top.

In the imaging device according to the third aspect of the present invention, the projection is an elastic member projecting from the front of the imaging device main body, so that the imaging device placed on a table or desk during recording can be used. Good support can be obtained without slippage.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image pickup apparatus having a recording apparatus provided with a recording head for ejecting and recording ink, wherein a surface which is a lower surface in a recording posture is smaller than other portions. It has a grip formed on one side so as to protrude, and a paper ejection cover protrudably provided on the other side of the surface, so that the imaging device placed on a table or desk during recording may slip. Can be favorably and stably supported, a sufficient gap can be suitably maintained therebetween, dust can be prevented from entering at times other than recording, and the image pickup device can be gripped by a photographer during photographing. Can be held firmly.

In the image pickup apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the discharge cover always covers the discharge port of the recording apparatus, and projects forward to support the image pickup apparatus main body during recording.
Except during recording, the paper output cover can cover the paper output port to prevent intrusion of dust and the like. During recording, the grip and the paper output cover cooperate well to support the imaging device body for recording. Can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a camera with a built-in printer to which the present invention can be applied.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the camera of FIG. 1 as viewed obliquely from the front.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the camera of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a media pack that can be mounted on the camera of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an arrangement relationship of main components inside the camera of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a printer unit in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the printer shown in FIG. 6 with a part removed.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a carriage in the printer unit of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of components of a print medium transport system in the printer unit of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of components of an ink supply system in the printer unit of FIG.

11 is a plan view when a media pack is mounted on a component of the ink supply system of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a schematic block diagram of a camera unit and a printer unit in the camera of FIG. 1;

13 is an explanatory diagram of signal processing in the camera unit in FIG.

14 is an explanatory diagram of signal processing in the printer unit of FIG.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing Embodiment 1 of the camera device of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a side view of the camera device of the present invention shown in FIG. 15 when a printer is used.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing Embodiment 2 of the camera device of the present invention.

18 is a perspective view of the camera device of FIG. 17 at the time of printing with the paper ejection cover opened.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 2, 3, 4 Projection 10 Grip 12 Discharge cover A001 Device body A002 Insertion section A100 Camera section A101 Lens A102 Finder A102a Finder window A103 Strobe A104 Release button A105 Liquid crystal display (external display) A107 Compact flash memory card (CF card) A108 Battery A109 Paper discharge unit B100 Printer unit (recording unit) B101 LF roller B102 LF pinch roller B103 Platen B104 Carriage B105 Guide shaft B106 Lead screw B107 Bearing B108 Bearing B109 Screw pin B110 Spring B120 Recording head B121 Outlet B122 Needle B123 Supply air port B124 Needle cover B131 Encoder B B132 Linear scale B133 HP flag B134 HP sensor B141 Screw gear B142 Idler gear B143 Motor gear B201 Paper discharge roller B202 Paper discharge roller gear B203 Relay gear B204 LF roller gear B211 Switching slider B212 Switching cam B213 Pressure plate head B301 Joint supply fork B 302 Pump cylinder B305 Joint lifter B310 Suction cap B311 Suction tube B312 Waste liquid tube B313 Waste liquid joint B315 Pump unit B316 Wiper lifter B321 Pump HP sensor B322 Joint HP sensor B323 Chassis C100 Media pack C101 Pack body C102 Shutter C102A Window C103 Ink pack C104 Print medium C105 Joint C106 Wiper C C107 Ink absorber C110 Feed roller C110a Connecting part M001 Carriage motor M002 Transport motor M003 Joint motor M004 Pump motor 101 CCD 102 Microphone 103 ASIC 104 First memory 105 CF card (Corresponding to “CF card A107”) 106 LCD (corresponding to “liquid crystal display unit A105”) 107 Lens 120 First CPU 201 Image processing unit 202 Second memory 203 Band memory control unit 204 Band memory 205 Mask memory 206 Head control unit 207 Recording head (corresponding to “recording head B120”) 208 Encoder (corresponding to “encoder sensor B131”) 209 en Dakaunta 210 interface 220 first 2-CPU 221 motor driver 222 a motor ( "motor M001, M002, M00
223 sensor (“HP sensor B134, B321, B
224 ”224 EEPROM 230 Voice encoder 250 Power supply (corresponding to“ Battery A108 ”)

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 5C022 AA13 AC77 5C052 AA11 AA17 AB04 CC11 DD02 EE02 EE03 EE08 FA02 FA03 FB01 FE07 FE08

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup apparatus having a recording device provided with a recording head for ejecting and recording ink, wherein at least one projection projecting from a lower surface in a printing posture from other portions is provided. An imaging device, comprising: 2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the protrusions are provided at four positions near a front corner of the image pickup apparatus main body. 3. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is a projecting member made of an elastic material protruding from a front surface of the imaging device main body. 4. An image pickup apparatus having a recording device provided with a recording head for ejecting and recording ink, wherein a recording surface is formed on one side so as to protrude from a lower surface in a recording posture so as to protrude from other portions. An imaging apparatus comprising: a grip; and a paper ejection cover protrudably provided on the other side of the surface. 5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the discharge cover always covers a discharge port of the recording apparatus, and projects forward to support a main body of the image pickup apparatus during recording.