JP2003295308A - Battery unit and camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a battery from being consumed in a cold district. <P>SOLUTION: The battery 1 is put in an inside pocket of a user 9. A glove 8 has electrodes 6 and 7 and a voltage is developed between the electrodes 6 and 7 through a cable 2. A camera having electrodes formed on its grip is gripped in a hand wearing the glove 8 and the voltage of the battery 1 is applied to the camera. The battery 1 is warmed with the bodily temperature of the user 9 and therefore prevented from being consumed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a battery device and a camera driven by the battery device.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In cold regions, battery consumption is severe. For example, if it is used outdoors at -20 ° C, it may be usable for several months in summer, but may not be usable in about 3 days.
For this reason, it may not be usable when using the battery. Therefore, a camera that uses a battery as its operating power source may not be able to take pictures in cold regions.

[0003]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims at suppressing the consumption of a battery in a cold region.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a camera suitable for a battery device which can suppress the consumption of the battery.

The battery device according to the present invention is characterized by including a battery, gloves having an electrode (first electrode) formed on the outside, and a cable connecting the battery and the electrode.

A camera suitable for using the battery device according to the present invention is a power supply for supplying power to circuits inside the camera based on electrodes formed on the outer surface of the grip of the camera and the voltage applied to the electrodes. It is characterized by having a circuit.

According to the present invention, the battery is stored in the chest, pocket, etc. of the cameraman and is warmed by the body temperature of the cameraman. The photographer wears gloves.
The grip of the camera can be gripped with a gloved hand. An electrode is formed on the grip of the camera, and the electrode of the glove and the electrode of the camera are electrically connected. The voltage from the battery is applied to the glove electrodes via the cable. The voltage is applied to the electrodes formed on the grip of the camera and supplied to the circuit inside the camera.

Since the battery is warmed by the body temperature of the cameraman, it is possible to suppress consumption even when used in cold regions. Moreover, since the camera and the cameraman are separated from each other if the cameraman releases his hand from the camera, it is possible to prevent the movement of the cameraman from being restricted.

In the above, the electrode and the glove may or may not be removable. Also, the cable will usually be about the length of the arm of a typical user (cameraman). The battery can be warmed on the user's chest while wearing gloves. Further, the cable may be detachable from at least one of the electrode and the battery.

The camera may further include a shutter release button and a second electrode formed on a depressed portion of the shutter release button. in this case,
The power supply circuit will supply power to the circuit inside the camera based on the voltage applied to the electrode (first electrode) formed on the grip of the camera and the second electrode.

In a battery device suitable for such a camera, the electrodes of the glove will be formed at the tip portion of the glove and the palm portion.

When the gloved hand holds the camera grip and the gloved hand presses the shutter release button, the battery voltage is applied to the electrodes formed on the camera. . A voltage is applied when actually taking a picture.

The power supply circuit of the camera may turn on the power of the camera in response to the voltage being applied to the first electrode.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention and shows the external appearance of a battery device.

The battery device includes a small and portable battery 1. One end of a cable 2 is connected to the battery 1. At the other end of the cable 2,
A socket 3 is provided. The cable 2 is slightly longer than the length of the arm of a user who uses the battery device. Needless to say, it is not necessary to be limited to such a length.

The battery device also includes gloves 8. Electrodes 6 and 7 protruding outward are exposed on the palm surface of the glove 8. These electrodes 6 and 7 may be flat and flexible without protruding. One end of a cable 5 is connected to the electrodes 6 and 7. The cable 5 passes through the inside of the glove 8 and is guided to the outside from the mouth through which the hand is put. A plug 4 is provided at the other end of the cable 5.

By inserting the plug 4 into the socket 3, the output voltage of the battery 1 is changed to the electrodes 6 and 7 of the glove 8.
Occurs in

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the cable 2 and the cable 5 are detachably connected by the socket 3 and the plug 4, but they are not necessarily detachable. Also, the cable 2 will be detachable from the battery 1.

FIG. 2 shows a usage state of the battery device.

The socket 3 of the battery device is inserted into the plug 4. The battery 1 of the battery device is
It is stored in the inner pocket of the outer jacket of the user 9. The cables 2 and 5 are passed inside the right sleeve of the outer jacket of the user 9. The gloves 8 are put on the right hand of the user 9.

Since the battery 1 is housed in the inner pocket of the outer jacket of the user 9, it does not come into direct contact with the outside air. The battery 1 is warmed up by the user 9. For this reason, battery consumption can be suppressed even in cold regions.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of a digital still camera suitable for use with the battery device described above.

On the upper surface of the digital still camera 10, a shutter release button 11 is provided on the right side when viewed from the rear side.

An optical view finder 12 is formed on the upper left of the rear surface of the digital still camera 10. On the upper right, there is a rotatable mode setting dial 13 for setting the recording mode or the playback mode.
On the mode setting dial 13, "Record" indicating the recording mode
Character and “reproduction” character indicating the reproduction mode are added. An index 15 is formed on the left side of the mode setting dial 13. When the character "record" is positioned at the index 15, the recording mode is set, and when the character "reproduction" is positioned at the index 15, the reproduction mode is set.

Inside the mode setting dial 14, up / down / left / right buttons 14 are formed so as to be pressed.

A liquid crystal display screen 19 is formed at the lower left of the rear surface of the digital still camera 10. A power switch 18 is provided on the liquid crystal display screen 19.

The right side portion of the digital still camera 10 is a grip 10A that the user holds when holding the digital still camera 10. In this grip 10A,
Electrodes 16 and 17 are formed. These electrodes 16 and 17 are recessed. The reason for recessing will be described later.

FIG. 4 shows a state in which the user 9 wearing the battery device as described above is holding the digital still camera 10.

As described above, the electrodes 6 and 7 are formed on the palm of the glove 8. Further, the electrodes 16 and 17 are provided on the grip 10A portion of the digital still camera 10.
Are formed. When the user 9 grips the grip 10A of the digital still camera 10 with the gloved hand, the electrodes 6 and 7 formed on the glove 8 are electrodes 16 and 17 formed on the digital still camera 10. Enter and come into contact. As a result, the voltage supplied from the battery 1 is applied to the digital still camera 10 via the electrodes 6 and 7 and the electrodes 16 and 17. The electrodes 16 and 17 are recessed as described above in order to ensure contact with the electrodes 6 and 7.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the electrical construction of the digital still camera.

The entire operation of the digital still camera is controlled by the control circuit 20.

Output signals from the power switch 18, the shutter release button 11, the mode setting dial 13 and the up / down / left / right buttons 14 are input to the control circuit 20.

The digital still camera 10 includes a changeover switch 36. The internal battery 34 is connected to the terminal a of the changeover switch 36. The electrodes 16 and 17 are connected to the terminal b of the changeover switch 36. When the user 9 wearing the battery device and wearing the glove 8 holds the digital still camera 10 as described above, the electrodes 6 and 7 of the glove 8 and the electrodes 16 and 17 of the digital still camera 10 come into contact with each other. To do. The contact is detected by a detection circuit (not shown), and the changeover switch 36 is connected to the b terminal side by the system control circuit 20. The voltage of the battery (external battery) 1 constituting the battery device is applied to the power supply circuit 35 via the electrodes 6, 7, 16, 17 and the changeover switch 36. When the user wearing the glove 8 releases the digital still camera 10, the electrodes 6 and 7 and the electrodes 16 and 17 are separated. Then, the changeover switch 36 is connected to the a terminal side, and the output voltage from the internal battery 34 is applied to the power supply circuit 35.

However, when the battery device according to this embodiment is used, it is often a cold region, and it is considered that the internal battery 34 is consumed greatly. Therefore,
The internal battery 34 may be removed by the user from the digital still camera 10.

When the recording mode is set by the mode setting dial 13, the optical image formed by the imaging lens 21 is
An image is formed on the light receiving surface of the CCD 25 through the diaphragm 22.

The digital still camera 10 includes a timing generator 24, and outputs various clock pulses and the like. Clock pulse is CCD
It is given to the drive circuit 23, and a drive pulse is generated in this CCD drive circuit 23. The generated drive pulse is given to the CCD 25.

A video signal representing a subject image is output from the CCD 25 and input to the analog processing circuit 26. In the analog processing circuit 26, predetermined signal processing such as gamma correction and white balance adjustment is performed. The video signal output from the analog processing circuit 26 is converted into digital image data in the analog / digital conversion circuit 27. The digital image data is given to the digital image processing circuit 28,
Predetermined digital signal processing such as generation of luminance data and color difference data is performed. The image data output from the digital image processing circuit 28 is given to the memory 29. Memory 29
Is controlled by the memory control circuit 33, and the input image data is temporarily stored.

The image data read from the memory 29 is
It is given to the display control circuit 30. As a result, the subject image is displayed on the display screen 19 of the display device 31.

When the shutter release button 11 is pressed, the image data temporarily stored in the memory 29 as described above is read out and given to the recording control circuit 32.
The recording control circuit 32 causes the image data to be transferred to the memory card 40.
Recorded in.

When the reproduction mode is set, the image data recorded in the memory card 40 is read and the image represented by the read image data is displayed on the display screen 17 of the display device 31. .

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure until the power supply of the digital still camera. This flowchart is when the power of the digital still camera 10 is off.

When the user wearing the glove 8 as described above holds the digital still camera 10 (step
51), electrodes 6 and 7 of glove 8 and digital still
The electrodes 16 and 17 of the camera 10 are brought into contact with each other, and the voltage of the battery 1 is supplied to the digital still camera 10.

When the user turns on the power switch 18 of the digital still camera 10 (YES in step 52), the power circuit 35 causes the digital still camera 10 to turn on.
A voltage is supplied to each of the 10 circuits (step 53). Since the battery 1 is warmed up by the user's body temperature,
Consumption can be suppressed even in cold regions.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure until the power supply of the digital still camera. In this flowchart, the power of the digital still camera 10 is on.

As mentioned above, the glove 8 as described above
When the user who wears the hand holds the digital still camera 10 (step 61), the electrodes 6 and 7 of the glove 8 come into contact with the electrodes 16 and 17 of the digital still camera 10, and the voltage of the battery 1 is changed. Digital still camera
Supplied to 10.

Since the power switch 18 of the digital still camera 10 is turned on, a voltage is supplied from the power circuit 35 to each circuit of the digital still camera 10 (step 62).

FIG. 8 shows a modified example and shows gloves forming a battery device.

The glove 8A has one electrode 6A at the tip of the finger.
Are formed. The other electrode 7 is formed on the palm of the glove 8A.

A digital still camera suitable for using the battery device having the glove 8A is as follows.
As described above, the one electrode 17 is formed on the grip 10A and the other electrode is formed on the shutter release button 11.

When the user wearing the glove 8A grips the grip of the digital still camera, the electrode 7 of the glove 8A and the electrode 17 of the digital still camera come into contact with each other. When the upper part of the shutter release button 11 is pressed with a finger wearing a glove 8A, the electrode 6A and the electrode formed on the upper part of the shutter release button 11 come into contact with each other, and the voltage from the battery constituting the battery device is digital. -It will be supplied to the still camera.

In this case, the shutter release button would be pushed after the power switch 18 was turned on.

In the above embodiment, either of the electrodes 6 (6A) and 7 may be a positive electrode or a negative electrode. The electrodes 16 and 17 will have polarities depending on the polarities of the electrodes 6 (6A) and 7.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an external view of a battery device.

FIG. 2 shows a usage state of the battery device.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the digital still camera.

FIG. 4 shows a state where a user is holding a digital still camera.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a digital still camera.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing power supply to the digital still camera.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing power supply to a digital still camera.

FIG. 8 shows a modified example and shows gloves forming a battery device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 battery A few cables 6,6A, 7,16,17 electrodes 8.8A gloves 10 Digital still camera 11 Shutter release button

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F-term (reference) 2H100 DD01                 2H105 DD08 EE26                 5C022 AA00 AB00 AC22 AC42 AC73                       AC77                 5G003 BA02 DA03 FA03 GC05                 5H040 AA29 AS15 AS18

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A battery device comprising a battery, gloves having electrodes formed on the outside, and a cable connecting the battery and the electrodes. 2. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein the electrodes are formed on a tip portion and a palm portion of the glove. 3. A camera comprising: an electrode formed on an outer surface of a grip of the camera; and a power supply circuit for supplying power to a circuit inside the camera based on a voltage applied to the electrode.