JP2006129045A - Camera system and battery pack for camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a camera system which is not made large-sized regardless of attachment of a plurality of accessory devices and is easy for a user to use and to provide a battery pack for cameras which is used in the same. <P>SOLUTION: A grip device 2 for vertical attitude photographing, which improves operability for a vertical attitude of a camera 1 is attached to a housing part of the camera 1. This grip device 2 is provided with an opening 4 for storing a battery pack, and a battery pack 5 for power supply to the camera 1 is stored through the opening 4. The battery pack 5 has a radio transmission function, and pictures photographed by the camera 1 can be transmitted to an external device by radio transmission when the battery pack 5 is stored in the camera 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a camera system including an accessory device that can be attached to a digital camera and a digital camera, and a camera battery pack used in the camera system.

  In order to improve the operability of a digital camera (hereinafter referred to as a camera) and to extend the functions of the camera, many proposals have been made regarding an accessory device that is attached to a camera body.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, even when the camera is held in the vertical position, in order to ensure the same operability as when the camera is held in the horizontal position, the position is easy to operate when the camera is held in the vertical position. A detachable vertical position photographing grip device in which a release button is arranged has been proposed. Also, this type of vertical position photographing grip device in which a large-capacity battery is incorporated and the vertical position photographing grip device can be used as an auxiliary power supply device for a camera is already on the market.

  Patent Document 2 proposes a wireless transmission device that can be attached to and detached from the camera body in order to add to the camera a wireless transmission function for transferring an image file obtained by photographing to an external device.

Furthermore, in Patent Document 3, a multi-function connection terminal is provided in the battery housing portion of the camera body, and a wireless receiver adapter or an AC adapter is attached to the battery housing portion to add a wireless reception function to the camera. A technique has been proposed in which a camera can be supplied with power via an AC adapter.
JP 10-31254 A JP 2001-69384 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-94584

  By making the accessory device as described above freely attachable to the camera body, the functions of the camera can be expanded. On the other hand, when accessory devices having different functions are used in combination, the size of the entire camera is inevitably increased. End up.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a camera system that is easy for a user to use without increasing the size even when a plurality of accessory devices are mounted, and a camera battery pack used in such a camera system. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, a camera system according to a first aspect of the present invention has a digital camera that obtains image data by photographing, a first function, and is configured to be detachable from an exterior portion of the digital camera. And a second accessory device having a second function different from the first function and configured to be housed inside the first accessory device. Features.

  According to the first aspect, since the second accessory device can be stored inside the first accessory device that is detachable from the exterior of the digital camera, even if a plurality of accessory devices are mounted on the camera. The camera does not increase in size.

  In order to achieve the above object, a camera battery pack according to a second aspect of the present invention is a camera battery pack for supplying power to a digital camera. The camera includes a battery body and a function expansion device for extending the functions of the digital camera, and the camera battery pack is housed in an accessory device attached to the digital camera.

  According to the second aspect, since the battery pack including the function expansion device can be stored inside the accessory device that is detachable from the exterior of the digital camera, even if a plurality of accessory devices are mounted on the camera. The camera does not increase in size.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a camera system that is easy to use for a user and a camera battery pack used in such a camera system without increasing the size even when a plurality of accessory devices are mounted.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is an external view of a camera used in the camera system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Here, FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state when the single-lens reflex camera is held in the horizontal position. The camera 1 in FIG. 1 has a conventionally well-known configuration, and includes a body unit 50 and a lens unit 51. The body unit 50 is the main body of the camera 1. Here, a release button 50a for starting a photographing operation is disposed on the exterior of the body unit 50. The lens unit 51 is a lens barrel configured to be detachable via a lens mount (not shown) provided on the front surface of the body unit 50.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in a state where the camera 1 is held in the horizontal position, the user can easily operate the release button 50 a provided on the camera 1. However, when the user holds the camera 1 as shown in FIG. 2, the user's finger does not reach the release button 50a.

  Therefore, in order to improve the operability when the camera 1 is held in the vertical position, the vertical position photographing grip device 2 is mounted on the exterior of the camera 1 as shown in FIG. The vertical position photographing grip device 2 is configured to be attachable to the bottom surface of the camera 1 and is fixed to the main body of the camera 1 by a tripod screw 3. Here, a release button 2 a is provided in the vertical position photographing grip device 2. The release button 2a is provided at a position where the user can easily operate when the camera 1 is held in the vertical position as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 3 is an external view of the camera system according to the first embodiment of the present invention, which includes a camera, a vertical position photographing grip device, and a camera battery pack (hereinafter referred to as a battery pack). As shown in FIG. 3, the battery pack 5 is configured to be housed in the vertical position photographing grip device 2 through the battery pack housing opening 4 provided in the vertical position photographing grip device 2. Thereby, power can be supplied from the battery pack 5 to the camera 1. Here, the power source of the battery pack 5 is assumed to be a DC power source having a larger capacity than the power source built in the camera 1.

  FIG. 4 is an external view showing the configuration of the battery pack 5. In the first embodiment, the battery pack 5 functions as a wireless transmission device for wirelessly transmitting image data captured by the camera 1 to an external device, in addition to the function of supplying power to the camera 1. Also have. That is, the battery pack 5 according to the first embodiment includes a battery main body 5a for supplying power to the camera 1, and a wireless device 5b as a function expansion device for adding a wireless transmission function of image data to the camera 1. It consists of and. Detailed configurations of the battery body 5a and the wireless device 5b will be described later.

  In FIG. 4, the battery body 5 a is provided with power connection terminals 303 and 304 for electrically connecting the battery pack 5 when the battery pack 5 is stored in the vertical position grip device 2. Electric power is supplied from the power supply battery provided in the battery main body 5a through these power connection terminals 303 and 304.

  In FIG. 4, an antenna 5 e is arranged in the wireless device unit 5 b of the battery pack 5. Here, the configuration of the antenna 5e is not particularly limited. For example, the antenna can be downsized by using a surface-mounted antenna such as a chip antenna or a film antenna.

  Further, the battery pack 5 shown in FIG. 4 is provided with a lock lever 5c and a lock pin 5d. Here, the lock pin 5d is configured to come out and retract by rotating the lock lever 5c. With such a configuration, the battery pack 5 can be fixed to the vertical position photographing grip device 2 via the lock pin 5d.

  5 shows the battery pack 5 when viewed from the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 4, that is, when the battery pack 5 is stored in the vertical position photographing grip device 2 from the surface direction in contact with the vertical position photographing grip device 2. It is an external view. As shown in FIG. 5, a storage detection member 5f and a wireless device communication connector 112 are provided on the contact surface.

  The storage detection member 5 f is a member for detecting that the battery pack 5 is stored in the vertical position photographing grip device 2. That is, when the battery pack 5 is stored in the vertical position photographing grip device 2, the storage detection member 5f is pushed, and by detecting this, the battery pack 5 is stored in the vertical position photographing grip device 2. Can be detected.

  The wireless device communication connector 112 is a connector for communication connection between the vertical position photographing grip device 2 and the battery pack 5. The image data obtained by the camera 1 is transferred to the wireless device unit 5 b of the battery pack 5 through the wireless device communication connector 112.

  FIG. 6 is an external view when the vertical position photographing grip device 2 is attached to the camera 1 in a state where the battery pack 5 is housed in the vertical position photographing grip device 2. As shown in FIG. 6, in the first embodiment, the camera 1 can be provided with a vertical position photographing function, power can be supplied from the battery pack 5, and image data obtained by the camera 1 can be wirelessly transmitted to an external device. However, since the battery pack 5 itself can be accommodated in the vertical position photographing grip device 2, the size of the entire camera can be adjusted for vertical position photographing. Only the size of the grip device 2 is increased. In addition, the antenna 5e is also a small antenna so that it does not get in the way during shooting.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an electric circuit configuration of the communication system and the power supply system inside the camera 1, the vertical position photographing grip device 2, and the battery pack 5.
As shown in FIG. 7, the battery pack 5 includes a battery 201, an electric circuit 1111 within the wireless device, a stabilization circuit 1112, and a PW switch (PWSW) 1113. In such a configuration, when the battery pack 5 is attached to the vertical position photographing grip device 2, the power of the battery 201 is supplied to the vertical position photographing grip device 2 via the power connection terminals 303 and 304. Also, the storage detection member 5f is pressed to turn on the power SW 1113, and the wireless device internal circuit 1111 as the second control circuit provided inside the wireless device unit 5b of the battery pack 5 via the stabilization circuit 1112 Supplied. In addition, the stabilization circuit 1112 stabilizes the voltage of the power supplied from the battery 201.

  The power supplied via the power connection terminals 303 and 304 is supplied to the body unit 50 of the camera 1 via the power connection terminals 307 and 308 provided in the vertical position photographing grip device 2. The grip side operation switch (SW) 117 is a switch member that is turned on / off in response to the operation of the release button 2a of the vertical position photographing grip device 2. When the release button 2a is pressed by the user, a shooting start signal for starting shooting is received from the grip side operation SW 117 via the grip communication connector 118 in the camera as the first control circuit in the body unit 50. It is output to the electric circuit 501.

  The power supply voltage supplied to the body unit 50 via the power supply connection terminals 307 and 308 is stabilized by the stabilization circuit 502 and then supplied to the in-camera electric circuit 501 and the in-lens electric circuit 511 inside the lens unit 51. Is done.

  Further, the body unit 50 can communicate with an in-wireless device electric circuit 1111 provided in the wireless device portion 5 b of the battery pack 5 via the grip communication connector 118 and the wireless device communication connector 112.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing detailed electric circuit configurations of the camera 1, the vertical position photographing grip device 2, and the wireless device portion 5b of the battery pack 5. In FIG. 8, the power supply system is not shown.

  In FIG. 8, the lens unit 51 includes photographing lenses 61a and 61b, a diaphragm 62, a lens driving mechanism 63, a diaphragm driving mechanism 64, and a lens control microcomputer 65.

  The photographic lenses 61a and 61b are driven in the optical axis direction (direction indicated by a one-dot chain line in the drawing) by a DC motor (not shown) existing in the lens driving mechanism 63. The diaphragm 62 is driven by a stepping motor (not shown) existing in the diaphragm drive mechanism 64, and adjusts the amount of light from a subject (not shown) that is incident through the photographing lenses 61a and 61b so as to be incident in the direction of the body unit 50. . The lens control microcomputer 65 drives and controls each part in the lens unit 51 such as the lens driving mechanism 63 and the aperture driving mechanism 64. The lens control microcomputer 65 is configured to be capable of data communication with a body control microcomputer 85 to be described later via a lens communication connector 55, and is controlled according to a command from the body control microcomputer 85. . The body control microcomputer 85 is connected to the image processing controller 81, the photometry circuit 86, the mirror drive mechanism 87, the AF sensor drive circuit 88, the shutter drive control circuit 90, and the like inside the body unit 50. These circuits are also controlled. Such control is performed according to a predetermined control program stored in a non-volatile memory (for example, EEPROM) 91 provided so as to be accessible from the body control microcomputer 85. The nonvolatile memory 91 also stores predetermined control parameters necessary for camera control.

  At the time of shooting, a light beam from a subject (not shown) is incident on the quick return mirror 70 in the body unit 50 through the shooting lenses 61 a and 61 b in the lens unit 51 and the diaphragm 62. Here, the quick return mirror 70 is configured to be movable by a mirror drive mechanism 87. That is, the mirror drive mechanism 87 is a drive mechanism for moving the quick return mirror 70 to an up position (a position retracted from the optical axes of the photographing lenses 61a and 61b) and a down position (the position shown in the drawing).

  When the quick return mirror 70 is moved to the down position by the mirror driving mechanism 87, a part of the light flux from the photographing lenses 61a and 61b is reflected by the quick return mirror 70 and passes through the focusing screen 71 and the pentaprism 72. The eyepiece 73 is reached. As a result, the user can see the subject through the eyepiece 73. A photometric circuit 86 is disposed in the vicinity of the pentaprism 72. The photometric circuit 86 is provided with a photosensor (not shown), and a well-known photometric process is performed based on the amount of light flux detected by the photosensor.

  Further, a part of the light beam incident on the quick return mirror 70 is transmitted through the quick return mirror 70, and the transmitted light beam is reflected by the sub mirror 75 installed in the quick return mirror 70. Then, the light beam reflected by the sub mirror 75 is guided to an AF sensor unit 76 for performing automatic distance measurement. An AF sensor (not shown) is provided in the AF sensor unit 76, and an output from the AF sensor is transmitted to the body control microcomputer 85 via the AF sensor driving circuit 88. Then, a well-known distance measuring process is performed in the body control microcomputer 85.

  Further, behind the quick return mirror 70, an imaging unit including a focal plane shutter unit 21 and an imaging unit 22 that houses an imaging device (CCD) 40 for photoelectrically converting a subject image that has passed through the optical system. Modules are provided.

  Here, the shutter unit 21 is driven to open and close by a shutter drive control circuit 90. When a shutter drive control signal from the body control microcomputer 85 is input to the shutter drive control circuit 90, the shutter unit 21 is controlled based on the signal. At the same time, a strobe tuning signal for causing the strobe to emit light at a predetermined timing is output from the shutter drive control circuit 90 to the body control microcomputer 85. Based on this strobe tuning signal, a light emission command signal is output from the body control microcomputer 85 to the strobe unit 53.

  Here, the strobe unit 53 includes a flash light emitting unit 101, a strobe light emitting circuit 102, a strobe control microcomputer 103, and a battery 104. That is, the strobe unit 53 can be mounted so as to be communicable with the body unit 50 via the strobe communication connector 57.

  When the quick return mirror 70 is moved to the up position by the mirror drive mechanism 87 and the shutter 21 is opened by the shutter drive control circuit 90, the light flux that has passed through the photographing lenses 61a and 61b is imaged on the image sensor 40. Here, when the quick return mirror 70 is in the up position, the sub mirror 75 is folded.

  An image sensor interface circuit 80 is connected to the image sensor 40. In the image sensor interface circuit 80, an image signal obtained by photoelectric conversion in the image sensor 40 is read in accordance with an image signal read start signal from the body control microcomputer 85. Thereafter, the read image pickup signal is converted into digital image data, and the converted image data is stored in the SDRAM 82 which is a temporary storage memory via the image processing controller 81. The SDRAM 82 is used as a work area when image data is converted.

  The image data stored in the SDRAM 82 is read by the image processing controller 81, and known image processing such as image white balance correction processing, color conversion processing, and gamma conversion processing is performed on the read image data. The Thereafter, a known JPEG compression process is performed to generate JPEG data, and the obtained JPEG data is stored in the SDRAM 82. The JPEG data stored in the SDRAM 82 is read again by the image processing controller 81 and recorded on the recording medium 52 via the communication connector 56. Here, the recording medium 52 is an external recording medium such as various memory cards or an external hard disk drive (HDD), and is attached to the body unit 50 via the communication connector 56 so as to be exchangeable.

  The body control microcomputer 85 is further connected to an operation display LCD 92 and a camera operation switch (SW) 93.

  The operation display LCD 92 is used to notify the user of the operation state of the camera 1 by display output.

  The camera operation SW 93 is, for example, a release switch that turns on / off in response to a release button 50a that instructs execution of a shooting operation, a mode change switch that switches the camera operation mode between a shooting mode and an image display mode, and It is composed of a switch group such as a power switch for turning on / off the power of the camera 1.

  When the user operates the mode change switch in the camera operation switch 93 to switch the camera operation mode from the shooting mode to the image display mode, the JPEG data stored in the recording medium 52 is read by the image processing controller 81. It is put out and extended. Thereafter, the decompressed data is converted into a video signal, and an image is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 83.

  When the vertical position photographing grip device 2 is attached to the camera 1, the body control microcomputer 85 in the camera 1 communicates with the grip communication connector 118 of the vertical position photographing grip device 2 and the wireless device communication of the battery pack 5. The connector 112 is connected to the wireless device control microcomputer 115 provided in the wireless device section 5b of the battery pack 5 so as to be communicable. As a result, the image data processed by the image processing controller 81 can be transferred from the body control microcomputer 85 to the wireless device control microcomputer 115.

  In the wireless device control microcomputer 115, processing necessary for wireless transmission such as modulation processing is performed on the transferred image data, and the processed image data is output to the wireless transmission circuit 113. The SDRAM 114 is connected to the wireless device control microcomputer 115. The SDRAM 114 is used as a work memory for various processes related to wireless transmission in the wireless device control microcomputer 115.

  When the image data is output to the wireless transmission circuit 113, the wireless device control microcomputer 115 executes control for controlling the wireless transmission circuit 113 and transmitting the image data to the external device via the antenna 5e.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, since the wireless transmission function is added to the battery pack that can be accommodated in the vertical position photographing grip device, the camera can be added even if a plurality of functions not provided in the camera are added at the same time. There is no increase in size.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The second embodiment is an example in which a large-capacity recording device is added as a function expansion device added to the battery pack 5.

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing detailed electric circuit configurations of the camera 1, the vertical position photographing grip device 2, and the recording device unit 211 of the battery pack 5. Since the power supply system is the same as that described in the first embodiment, the illustration thereof is omitted.

  In the following description, description of the same parts as those of the first embodiment will be omitted. In other words, in the second embodiment, when the vertical position photographing grip device 2 is attached to the camera 1, the body control microcomputer 85 in the camera 1 is connected to the grip communication connector 118 of the vertical position photographing grip device 2. And a recording device control microcomputer 215 provided in the recording device section 211 of the battery pack 5 via the recording device connector 112a of the battery pack 5 so as to be communicable with each other. As a result, the image data processed by the image processing controller 81 can be transferred from the body control microcomputer 85 to the recording apparatus control microcomputer 215.

  The recording apparatus control microcomputer 215 causes the recording circuit 213 to record the transferred image data. Here, an SDRAM 214 is connected to the recording apparatus control microcomputer 215. The SDRAM 214 is used as a work memory in which image data transferred from the body control microcomputer 85 is stored.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, since the image data recording function is added to the battery pack that can be stored in the vertical position photographing grip device, the camera can be added even if a plurality of functions are added to the camera at the same time. There is no increase in size.

  Although the present invention has been described based on the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and applications are naturally possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

  For example, in each of the above-described embodiments, the vertical position photographing grip device 2 can store the battery pack 5 having the image data wireless transmission function and the image data recording function. In addition, the wireless transmission device and the recording device may be stored directly.

  Further, the above-described embodiments include various stages of the invention, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent elements. For example, even if some constituent requirements are deleted from all the constituent requirements shown in the embodiment, the problem described in the column of the problem to be solved by the invention can be solved, and the effect described in the column of the effect of the invention Can be extracted as an invention.

1 is an external view of a camera used in a camera system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows a mode when the grip apparatus for vertical position imaging | photography is mounted | worn with a camera. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an external view of a camera system according to a first embodiment of the present invention that includes a camera, a vertical position grip device, and a camera battery pack. It is an external view shown about the structure of a battery pack. It is an external view when the battery pack is viewed from the surface direction in contact with the vertical position photographing grip device when the battery pack is housed in the vertical position photographing grip device. It is an external view when the vertical position photographing grip device is attached to the camera in a state where the battery pack is housed in the vertical position photographing grip device. It is a figure shown about the electric circuit structure of the communication system and power supply system inside a camera, the grip apparatus for vertical position imaging | photography, and a battery pack. It is a block diagram shown about the detailed electrical circuit structure of the radio | wireless apparatus part of a camera, the grip apparatus for vertical position imaging | photography, and a battery pack. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed electric circuit configuration of a camera, a vertical position photographing grip device, and a recording device unit of a battery pack in a camera system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Camera, 2 ... Vertical position imaging | grip apparatus, 2a, 50a ... Release button, 3 ... Tripod screw, 4 ... Battery pack accommodation opening, 5 ... Battery pack, 5a ... Battery main-body part, 5b ... Radio | wireless apparatus part, 5c ... Lock lever, 5d ... Lock pin, 5e ... Antenna, 5f ... Storage detection member, ... Body unit, 112 ... Wireless device communication connector, 112a ... Recording device connector, 113 ... Wireless transmission circuit, 114, 214 ... SDRAM, 115 ... Microcomputer for wireless device control, 117 ... Grip side operation switch (SW), 118 ... Grip communication connector, 201 ... Battery, 211 ... Recording device section, 213 ... Recording circuit, 215 ... Microcomputer for recording device control, 303, 304, 307, 308 ... power connection terminal, 501 ... electric circuit in camera, 502 ... stable Circuit, 511 ... lens in an electrical circuit, 1111 ... wireless device in an electrical circuit, 1112 ... stabilization circuit, 1113 ... PW switch (SW)

Claims (9)

A digital camera that obtains image data by shooting;
A first accessory device having a first function and configured to be detachable from the exterior of the digital camera;
A second accessory device having a second function different from the first function and configured to be housed inside the first accessory device;
A camera system comprising: The first accessory device includes a vertical position photographing grip device having a function of improving operability when the digital camera is held in a vertical position as a first function,
The camera system according to claim 1, wherein the second accessory device includes a wireless device having a function of wirelessly transmitting image data obtained by the photographing to an external device as a second function. The first accessory device includes a vertical position photographing grip device having a function of improving operability when the digital camera is held in a vertical position as a first function,
The camera system according to claim 1, wherein the second accessory device includes a recording device having a function of storing image data obtained by the photographing as a second function. The first accessory device includes a battery pack having a function of supplying power to the digital camera as a first function,
The camera system according to claim 1, wherein the second accessory device is provided in the battery pack. The digital camera includes a first control circuit,
The camera system according to claim 1, wherein the second accessory device includes a second control circuit electrically connected to the first control circuit via the first accessory device. . In camera battery packs for supplying power to digital cameras,
A battery body for supplying power to the digital camera;
A function expansion device for expanding the functions of the digital camera;
Including
The camera battery pack, wherein the camera battery pack is housed in an accessory device attached to the digital camera.   7. The camera battery pack according to claim 6, wherein the function expansion device includes a wireless device that wirelessly transmits image data obtained by photographing with the digital camera to an external device.   7. The camera battery pack according to claim 6, wherein the function expansion device includes a recording device for storing image data obtained by photographing with the digital camera.   The camera battery pack according to claim 6, wherein the accessory device includes a vertical position photographing grip device for improving operability when the digital camera is held in a vertical position.

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