JP2004213925A - Battery device equipped with data storage function - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To thin an apparatus as a whole by thinning a battery device, in a portable apparatus such as a digital camera and a cellular phone. <P>SOLUTION: A recording part for executing data communication with the portable apparatus is detachably or integrally and inseparably attached to the battery device itself for supplying power to the portable apparatus. As a result, the need of an independent separate memory card is obviated, and the apparatus can be thinned as a whole by a portion obtained by dispensing with a space between the battery device and the memory card. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a battery device having a data storage function.
[0002]
2. Description of the Related Art
2. Description of the Related Art Digital cameras have become very popular in recent years, and demands for miniaturization and thinning have been increasing.
[0003]
The present applicant has recently developed a thin digital camera that has an optical zoom function by moving a zoom lens group in the height direction of the camera and does not allow the zoom lens to pop out. FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal sectional view of a lens barrel portion of such a digital camera. The photographing light 100 entering from the entrance window 101 provided on the front surface of the camera is reflected by the bending mirror 101 at an angle of 90 °, passes through the lens group, and is guided to the imaging CCD 103.
[0004]
This camera has a strong image that it is thin and compact because the lens does not protrude from the front of the camera even during zooming. In such a camera, achieving a thinner camera body is very significant.
[0005]
On the other hand, in general, a thin digital camera employs a configuration in which a plate-shaped battery and a memory card are inserted into separate slots, but in order to achieve a further reduction in thickness, it is necessary to integrate them. Conceivable.
[0006]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a PC card in which a battery and a volatile memory are integrated has been known (for example, see Patent Document 1). However, this is an information processing device that incorporates a battery that supplies power for refresh operation into a PC memory card in order to restore the state immediately before power-off at power-on without increasing the size of the device. It is. That is, this battery cannot supply power to the outside of the PC memory card.
[0007]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-2000-227880 (paragraph 0004, FIG. 2)
[0008]
[Means, actions and effects to solve the problem]
The present invention has been made in order to effectively solve the above-described problem, and integrates the functions of both a “battery that supplies power to a portable device” and a “recording unit that performs data communication with the portable device”. A possible configuration is provided, thereby contributing to a reduction in the thickness of a portable device. Representative examples of the “portable device” in the present invention include a digital camera and a mobile phone with a photographing function, but are not limited thereto.
[0009]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
First Embodiment (FIGS. 2 and 3)
The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the digital camera 1 including the battery device according to the first embodiment as viewed from the front side. The digital camera 1 includes the zoom lens mechanism shown in FIG. 1, and the entrance window 101 is located at the upper right corner.
[0010]
FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view for explaining a method of mounting the battery device. In the battery device of the present invention, the recording medium 20 can be detachably attached to the device main body 10. The recording medium 20 is for recording a photographed digital image, and has a data communication connection terminal 21 for performing data communication with the digital camera 1 on an outer surface.
The battery device main body 10 has a holding portion for holding the recording medium 20 on its outer surface, and the recording medium 20 is detachably held here. A power supply connection terminal 11 for supplying power to the digital camera 1 is provided on an outer surface of the battery device main body 10.
[0011]
In FIG. 3, when the recording medium 20 is attached to the battery device body 10, the power supply connection terminal 11 and the data communication connection terminal 21 are arranged on the same surface. The connection terminals may be provided on opposite surfaces. For example, the power supply connection terminals 11 may be arranged on the surface opposite to the arrangement surface in FIG. In order to simplify the terminal arrangement provided inside the digital camera 1, it is preferable to arrange both connection terminals on the same surface as shown in FIG.
[0012]
In the battery device according to the first embodiment, the recording medium 20 mounted on the battery device main body 10 has the outer surface flush with the outer surface of the device main body 10 and the data communication connection of the recording medium. The terminal 21 is held so as to be exposed to the outside.
Since the apparatus main body 10 and the recording medium 20 are flush, the structure of the battery slot on the digital camera 1 side can be simplified. In addition, since the data communication connection terminal 21 of the held recording medium is exposed to the outside, the entire battery device can be simply inserted into the battery slot and mounted, and at the same time, the connection terminal 21 and the inside of the digital camera 1 are connected. When the connection with the terminal is completed, data communication becomes possible.
[0013]
Second embodiment (FIG. 4)
FIG. 4 illustrates the battery device according to the second embodiment, and is a perspective view of the digital camera 1 as viewed from the rear similarly to FIG. The battery device according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the recording medium holding unit receives the recording medium 20 in a slot manner.
[0014]
On the outer surface of the battery device main body 30, a recording medium connection terminal 32 is arranged at a position adjacent to the power supply connection terminal 31. Since the recording medium 20 is received in a slot type, the terminal 21 is located in the apparatus main body 30. For this reason, a connection terminal 32 that is electrically connected to the data communication connection terminal 21 of the recording medium held in the slot is arranged on the surface of the apparatus main body 30. That is, the held recording medium 20 performs data communication with the digital camera 1 via the recording medium connection terminal 32.
[0015]
Benefits of thinning (Fig. 5)
The fact that the thickness of a portable device such as the digital camera 1 can be reduced by the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5A is a longitudinal sectional view showing a case where the battery device of FIG. 4 is mounted on a digital camera. On the other hand, FIG. 5B shows a corresponding sectional view of a camera according to the related art in which the battery 130 and the memory card 120 are inserted into separate slots.
As is apparent from a comparison between the two, in the present invention, an independent and separate memory card is omitted, and there is no need to secure a space between the battery device and the memory card. Thinning has been achieved.
[0016]
Description by block diagram Next, the battery device of the present invention will be described with reference to a block diagram in comparison with a conventional example.
[0017]
Block diagram of conventional example (FIG. 6)
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a digital camera configured to insert a battery device and a memory card (recording medium) into separate slots.
The battery 130 loaded in the direction of the arrow supplies power to the DC / DC converter 133 via the battery terminal 132 built in the camera. The DC / DC converter 133 converts the power supplied from the battery 130 into a plurality of stable power supplies used in the camera and outputs the converted power.
The memory card 120 loaded in the direction of the arrow is connected to the I / F 137 via a memory card terminal 136 built in the camera. On the other hand, the captured image captured by the CCD is processed by the digital image processing unit and then recorded on the memory card 120 via the I / F 137. At the time of reproduction, an image recorded on the memory card 120 is taken out via the I / F 137 and displayed on the LCD.
[0018]
Block diagram of the present invention (FIG. 7)
On the other hand, FIG. 7 shows a portion corresponding to “battery, memory card unit” in the block diagram shown in FIG. The configuration of other parts is the same as that of FIG. When the battery device main body 10 (30) holding the memory card 20 is inserted from the direction of the arrow, at the same time, the connection with the DC / DC converter 133 and the I / F 137 is achieved via the terminal 134 built in the camera. .
[0019]
Example of application to mobile phone (Fig. 8)
FIG. 8 shows an example in which the battery device shown in FIG. The mobile phone 50 has an imaging mechanism (not shown) on the back side of the LCD display unit 51, and the captured image data is recorded on the recording medium 20. The effects of the structure and the reduction in thickness of the battery device are the same when applied to a mobile phone and when applied to a digital camera.
[0020]
Third embodiment (FIG. 9)
Next, a battery device according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 corresponds to the battery main body 10 (30) in the block diagram of FIG.
[0021]
The battery device of the third embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments in which the recording medium is detachably held, and the memory portion is not separable from the battery device. This embodiment is advantageous in that the memory card can be reduced in thickness because the exterior of the memory card can be omitted. On the other hand, in the first and second embodiments, a general-purpose memory card can be exchanged and used, which is advantageous when a large number of images are to be recorded at once.
[0022]
The battery device 70 includes a battery unit 80 and a memory unit 90 therein, and the memory unit 90 cannot be removed from the device main body. The battery unit 80 supplies power to the portable device or is charged through a power supply connection terminal 81 provided in the battery device main body.
[0023]
The memory section 90 is controlled by the CPU 92 according to an operation program stored in the ROM 93. The battery device main body is provided with a data communication connection terminal 91, and the CPU 92 is connected to the terminal 91 via an I / F 96. Note that the CPU 92 and the terminal 91 may be directly connected without intervening the I / F.
The photographed image is recorded in the flash memory 94. The SRAM 95 is used to temporarily store input / output data and data in the middle of calculation.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a zoom lens barrel in which a lens group moves in a vertical direction of a camera.
FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the digital camera on which the battery device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is mounted.
FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the digital camera of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of a digital camera illustrating a method of mounting a battery device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the merits of thinning according to the present invention in comparison with a conventional example.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional digital camera in which a battery device and a memory card are separately mounted.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a battery device according to the present invention.
8 is a perspective view showing an example in which the battery device shown in FIG. 4 is applied to a mobile phone.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a battery device according to a third embodiment in which a battery unit and a memory unit are integrally formed as an integral unit.
[Explanation of symbols]
Reference Signs List 1 Camera body 3 Optical finder 4 Flash light emitting unit 5 Release button 6 Slot lid 7 Finder block 8 LCD display unit 9 Flash condenser
10 Battery unit
11 Connection terminal for power connection
20 Recording media
21 Data communication connection terminal
30 Battery device body
31 Power supply connection terminal
32 Connection terminal for recording medium
50 mobile phone
51 LCD display
101 entrance window

Claims (5)

A battery device used by being mounted in a battery slot of a portable device,
A recording medium holding unit for detachably holding a recording medium having a data communication connection terminal for performing data communication with a portable device;
A battery device comprising: a power supply connection terminal for supplying power to a portable device. The recording medium holding unit holds the recording medium such that an outer surface of the recording medium is flush with an outer surface of the battery device and a data communication connection terminal of the recording medium is exposed to the outside. The battery device according to claim 1. The recording medium holding unit receives a recording medium in a slot manner,
On the outer surface of the battery device, there is provided a recording medium connection terminal that is electrically connected to the data communication connection terminal of the recording medium held in the slot, and the held recording medium is provided with the recording medium connection terminal. 2. The battery device according to claim 1, wherein data communication is performed with a portable device via the portable device. A battery device used by being attached to a battery slot of a portable device having an imaging mechanism,
A power supply connection terminal for supplying power to the portable device when attached to the battery slot,
A flash memory unit that stores image data captured by the imaging mechanism,
A data communication connection terminal for performing data communication between the portable device and the flash memory unit. A portable device comprising a battery slot into which the battery device according to claim 1 can be mounted.

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