JP2009171616A - Digital camera, control method thereof and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital camera which can perform photographing, without missing a shutter chance and in which a photographic lens can be kept stored, as it is, in processings other than photographing, such as, reproduction. <P>SOLUTION: In the digital camera, when it goes into a photographic mode, a lens movement control section 40 of a lens position control unit 35 moves a photographing lens 3, from a storing position S to a photographing position P and stores it by means of a lens-moving mechanism 30. When it goes into a reproducing mode, the lens movement control section 40 moves the photographic lens 3 from the photographic position P to the storing position S and stops it by means of the moving mechanism 30. Thus, since the photographic lens 3 is positioned, in accordance with the state (mode) of the digital camera, photographing can be performed, without missing the photographing opportunity, and furthermore, the photographic lens 3 can be kept stored, as it is, in a processing other than photographing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention has a photographing mode capable of storing image data photographed through a photographing lens in a recording medium, and a reproduction mode capable of outputting the image data stored in the recording medium to a display screen or an external device such as a personal computer. The present invention relates to a digital camera and a control method thereof.

In recent years, imaging devices equipped with CCDs, memories, and devices for controlling the devices have become compact, and some of them are of a size suitable for carrying to the extent that they can be stored in pockets. However, even if the body is very compact, some optical distance is required for imaging. In such a digital camera, when you carry it, store the photographic lens in the body or close to the surface of the body so that the whole is compact, and when you turn on the power to use the digital camera, the photographic lens will move to the body. And a predetermined optical distance is secured.

Such movement of the photographic lens is adopted in a compact type even in a conventional camera that stores an image on a film. For this reason, when taking a picture, the taking lens is in a predetermined position, and when carrying, the taking lens is housed and becomes compact, which is convenient for carrying.

However, the digital camera has a mode for shooting when the power is turned on, a mode for outputting the image data recorded in the memory to an external device such as a personal computer or a printer, or a mode for reproducing the image on a monitor mounted on the digital camera. Are provided with different modes of at least two processing contents. Therefore, if the taking lens protrudes from the body when the power is turned on, it is good to take a picture, but when performing other processes such as reproduction, the balance is poor and it is difficult to place it on the floor or desk. Furthermore, if the taking lens is in front, troubles such as damage to the taking lens are likely to occur.

On the other hand, by changing the position of the photographic lens in conjunction with the shutter switch, or by changing the position of the photographic lens manually or by operating the switch, the photographic lens can be housed when it is played back. However, when taking a picture, it takes time to move the taking lens, and there may be a problem that a photo opportunity is missed or a photograph cannot be taken because the lens operation is forgotten.

Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to shoot without burdening the switch operation on the user or without missing a photo opportunity, and in addition, the digital lens that can keep the photographic lens housed in processing other than shooting such as playback. An object is to provide a camera and a control method.

For this reason, in the present invention, the taking lens is taken in and out based on the processing mode such as the photographing mode and the reproduction mode. That is, in the digital camera of the present invention, when a shutter switch is operated, a shooting mode in which image data shot through a shooting lens can be stored in a recording medium, and image data recorded in the recording medium are displayed on a display screen or an external device. A digital camera having a playback mode capable of output, wherein the photographing lens protrudes from the body and a photographing position where the photographing lens can be moved from the photographing position to a storage position close to the body. And a lens position control means for moving the photographing lens to the photographing position when the photographing mode is set and moving the photographing lens to the storage position when the photographing mode is canceled.

The digital camera control method of the present invention includes a step of moving the photographing lens to a photographing position where the photographing lens protrudes from the body when the photographing mode is entered, and the photographing lens is photographed when the photographing mode is canceled. And a step of moving the photographic lens from the position to the storage position close to the body.

In the digital camera and the control method thereof according to the present invention, in order to perform processing, the taking lens is taken in and out based on the state (mode) set in the digital camera. For this reason, even if the power is turned on, if the photographing mode is not set, the photographing lens does not protrude to the photographing position. Even when the power is on, the photographic lens can be stored in the storage position simply by canceling the photographic mode. Therefore, when processing other than shooting such as playback is performed, the digital camera can be used in a compact and well-balanced state in which the shooting lens is housed. For this reason, when performing processing such as reproduction, the digital camera can be stably placed on a desk or the like. At that time, since the photographing lens is housed, the lens is not damaged.

Further, in the digital camera and the control method thereof according to the present invention, when the photographing mode is set, the photographing lens always protrudes to the photographing position, so that it is possible to photograph immediately by operating the shutter switch. Therefore, you can never miss a photo opportunity or forget to operate the photographic lens to take a picture. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to take a desired image without placing a burden on the lens operation on the user and without missing a photo opportunity, and in other cases, the digital camera is used in a compact state. it can.

Here, in the present invention, it is possible to provide a selector switch capable of switching between the photographing mode and the reproduction mode, and to move the photographing lens by operating this switch. In this way, the position of the photographic lens is automatically determined in conjunction with the mode set by the selector switch.

The above-described control method is a compact flash that can be read by a digital camera (
(Registered trademark) can be recorded on a recording medium such as a memory card. It can also be installed and used in a program memory of a digital camera from a user's personal computer.

(A) is a front view of a digital camera to which the present invention is applied, (B) is a right side view thereof, and (C) is a left side view thereof. (A) is a plan view of the digital camera shown in FIG. 1, (B) is a rear view thereof, and (C) is a bottom view thereof. (A) is a diagram showing a state in which the photographing lens of the digital camera is held in the storage position, and (B) is a diagram showing a state in which the photographing lens is held in the photographing position. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic system configuration of a digital camera. It is a block diagram which shows the general | schematic function of a digital camera. 4 is a flowchart illustrating movement control of a photographing lens in a digital camera when power is turned on. It is a flowchart which shows the movement control of the taking lens in the digital camera at the time of mode switching.

A digital camera to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 (A) and (B
) And (C) show an outline of the digital camera of this example having a front view, a left side view, and a right side view. 2A, 2B, and 2C are a plan view, a rear view, and a bottom view of the digital camera of this example, respectively. Further, FIGS. 3A and 3B show a state in which the photographing lens is in the storage position and a state in the photographing position in the digital camera 1 of the present example, respectively.

In the digital camera 1 of this example, a photographing lens 3 is provided at a position offset to one side of the surface of a housing 2 that is a body. The lens 3 can be inserted and removed in the front-rear direction, and can be stopped at a storage position S that is close to the surface of the housing 2 and a photographing position P that protrudes forward of the housing 2. The user can take a desired image such as a landscape by moving the taking lens 3 from the storage position S to the shooting position P and directing the shooting lens 3 in a desired direction and operating the shutter switch 4. The captured image (image data) is stored and held in a built-in memory.

The digital camera 1 is provided with a flash 5 for photographing in a dark place and a viewfinder 6 for viewing an image to be photographed. Therefore, various photographing can be performed. A liquid crystal panel (LCD) 8 for monitoring is disposed in the center of the back of the housing 2.
It is also possible to display an image to be photographed on the LCD 8. As a result, the user can shoot a predetermined subject while checking the image displayed on the LCD 8 instead of looking through the viewfinder 6.

Further, by operating various switches 7a to 7k provided on the back and top surfaces of the housing 2, the image recorded and held in the memory can be displayed on the LCD 8, and various processes such as selection of photographing quality can be performed. It has become. Of the switches 7a to 7k, the dial switch 7a disposed on the upper surface of the housing 2 is a change-over switch that can be turned on / off and switched between a photographing mode and a reproduction mode. The photographing mode is a state (mode) of the digital camera that can record the image data photographed through the photographing lens 3 in the built-in flash memory by operating the shutter switch 4. The reproduction mode is a state (mode) of the digital camera that can output image data stored in the flash memory to an external device such as the LCD 8 or a personal computer.

In the digital camera 1, when the dial switch 7a is stopped at the off position H1, the power is cut off. When the dial switch 7a is rotated clockwise from the off position H1 and stopped at the on position H2, the power is turned on. In addition, when the power is turned on, the camera shifts to an on mode in which photographing can be performed while looking through the viewfinder 6. At this time, the LCD 8 is off and can be monitored only by the viewfinder 6. When the dial switch 7a is further rotated clockwise from the on position H2 to stop at the view position H3, the view mode is entered and the LCD 8 is turned on. The LCD 8 can be used as a monitor, and L
Photography using the CD 8 or the viewfinder 6 can be performed. As described above, in the digital camera 1 of this example, in the on mode and the view mode, the state of the digital camera 1 is a state where the photographing can be performed, that is, the photographing mode described above.

On the other hand, when the dial switch 7a is rotated counterclockwise from the off position H1 and stopped at the playback position H4, the power is turned on and the image data recorded and held in the memory can be reproduced on the LCD 8. Enter back mode. That is, at this time, the state of the digital camera 1 becomes the above-described playback mode.

A panel 9 provided on the upper surface of the housing 2 is for displaying the number of images taken, the remaining battery level, and the like. A switch 7b provided on the rear surface of the housing 2 is a switch for waiting for a process of recording image data in a memory.

On the bottom surface of the digital camera 1, a lid 2a for mounting a CompactFlash (registered trademark) memory card is provided. Open this lid 2a and place a compact flash (
By installing a (registered trademark) memory card, an image recording memory can be expanded. On the side surface of the digital camera 1, an infrared interface for ensuring connection with an external device such as a personal computer, a printer, or a mobile phone, or an interface 11 that can be connected with an RS232C cable or a Centronics cable is also provided. Via this interface 11, image data recorded in the flash memory can be sent to an external device such as a personal computer, and the image can be edited or printed out in each external device.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic system configuration of the digital camera 1 using a block diagram. The entire digital camera 1 is controlled by a CPU 15, and an internal bus 16 connected to the CPU 15 has an imaging unit 17 that captures an image and generates digital image data, and a RAM 18 that is used as a temporary storage area. A ROM 19 storing a plurality of control programs for realizing each function of the CPU 15 and a built-in flash memory 21 for storing image data generated by the imaging unit 17 are connected. If the control program is recorded in the flash memory 21, the ROM 19 can be omitted.

The internal bus 16 has a switch control unit 23 that controls input instructions from the switch group 22 including various switches 7 a to 7 k provided outside the housing and transmits them to the CPU 15.
, A memory control unit 24 for controlling access to the mounted Compact Flash (registered trademark) memory card 10, and an LCD control unit 25 for controlling input / output of data to / from the LCD 8.
An interface control unit 26 that controls input / output of data of the interface 11 for connecting external devices is connected.

The digital camera 1 of this example has a lens moving mechanism 30 for moving the photographing lens 3 to the photographing position P and the storage position S. This lens moving mechanism 30 is adapted to be given a driving force by a driving motor 31, and the photographing lens 3 is moved to the photographing position P and the storage position S.
It is possible to move to one of the positions and stop at that position. The drive motor 31 is
A predetermined drive current is supplied from a drive circuit 32 connected to the internal bus 16. The drive current is controlled by the CPU 15 executing a control program stored in the ROM 19 at an appropriate timing. In this example, as will be described later, the digital camera 1 is in the shooting mode (
(On mode or view mode), the lens moving mechanism 30 automatically moves the photographing lens 3 to the photographing position P. On the other hand, when the photographing mode is canceled, that is, when the power is turned off and when the reproduction mode (playback mode) is entered, the photographing lens 3 is automatically moved to the storage position S.

In the digital camera 1, in the on mode or the view mode, when the shutter switch 4 is pressed while the photographing lens 3 is moved to the photographing position P, the light collected through the lens 3 is digitized by the CCD 33. After being converted into an electrical signal, it is input to the imaging unit 17 and converted into image data indicating an image to be photographed. Then, the image data is stored in one of the built-in flash memory 21 or compact flash (registered trademark) memory card 10. The focus adjustment of the image may be performed while the shutter switch 4 is pressed halfway.

FIG. 5 is a schematic functional block diagram of the digital camera 1 of this example. The digital camera 1 has a lens position control unit 35 configured around a CPU 15, and the position of the photographing lens 3 is controlled by the lens position control unit 35. This lens position control unit 35
Is a mode determination unit 36 for determining whether the shooting mode (on mode or view mode) or the shooting mode has been canceled, and the drive circuit 32 to the drive motor 31 based on the determination result of the mode determination unit 36. A lens movement control unit 40 that controls the drive current to be supplied and moves the lens 3 to the photographing position P or the storage position S is provided.

In this example, when viewed by function, there are two modes: a playback mode (playback mode) in which image data can be played back on the LCD 8 and a shooting mode in which an image can be shot. Of course,
It is possible to prepare a mode for executing functions other than shooting and reproduction. Even in such a digital camera, the position of the taking lens 3 becomes the storage position S when the shooting mode is canceled.

When the lens movement control unit 40 recognizes the on mode or the view mode from the determination result of the mode determination unit 36, the lens movement control unit 40 selects the function 37 for holding the photographing lens 3 at the photographing position P. In this function 37, when the on mode or the view mode is selected, the drive circuit 32 is selected.
Then, the driving current supplied to the driving motor 31 is controlled, and the lens moving mechanism 30 moves the photographing lens 3 from the storage position S to the photographing position P. As a result, the photographic lens 3 protrudes forward from the surface of the housing 2.

On the other hand, when the lens movement control unit 40 recognizes the playback mode from the determination result of the mode determination unit 36, the lens movement control unit 40 selects the function 38 for holding the photographing lens 3 in the storage position S. This function 38 controls the drive current supplied to the drive motor 31 when the playback mode is selected, and the lens moving mechanism 30 moves the photographing lens 3 from the photographing position P to the storage position S.
To move. As a result, the photographing lens 3 is housed on the surface side of the housing 2.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the movement control of the photographing lens when the power is turned on in the digital camera of this example. In the digital camera 1, first, when the dial switch 7a is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise from the off position H1 in step ST1, and the power is turned on, whether or not the mode is the on mode or the view mode in step ST2. Is judged.

If the mode is the on mode or the view mode in step ST2, the photographing lens 3 is moved from the storage position S to the photographing position P by the lens moving mechanism 30 in step ST3. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3 (B), the photographing lens 3 protrudes to the front of the housing 2, and photographing can be performed simply by pressing the shutter switch 4. On the other hand, dial switch 7
When a is turned from the off position H1 to the playback position H4, the state of the digital camera 1 when the power is turned on becomes the playback mode, so that the photographing lens 3 is held at the storage position S. As a result, the reproduction process can be executed in a compact state.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the movement control of the photographing lens at the time of mode switching in the digital camera of this example. First, when the dial switch 7a is operated and the mode is switched in step ST10, it is determined whether or not the mode is switched to the on mode or the view mode in step ST11. If it is determined in this step ST11 that the mode has been switched to the on mode or the view mode, the photographing lens 3 is in the storage position S before the dial switch 7a is operated, so the photographing lens 3 is moved to the photographing position P in step ST12. Let On the other hand, when the camera is switched to the playback mode, since the photographing lens 3 is at the photographing position S, the photographing lens 3 is moved to the storage position S in step ST13. As a result, the photographing lens 3 always protrudes forward of the housing 2 in the on mode or the view mode, and is always held in the storage position S close to the surface of the housing 2 in the playback mode.

Thus, in the digital camera 1 of this example, the taking lens 3 is inserted and removed based on the state (mode) of the digital camera. For this reason, even if the power is turned on, the photographing lens 3 does not jump out to the photographing position P unless it is in the photographing mode (on mode or view mode). Further, even if the photographing lens 3 protrudes to the photographing position P when the power is turned on and the photographing lens 3 protrudes to the photographing position P, the photographing lens 3 can be simply released by operating the dial switch 7a.
Can be returned to the storage position S. Accordingly, when processing other than photographing is performed, the photographing lens 3
Can always be stored at a position close to the surface of the housing 2. Therefore, when processing other than shooting is performed, the entire digital camera is kept in a compact and well-balanced state, so that it can be placed in a stable state on the desktop. At this time, since the photographing lens 3 is housed, there is no fear of damaging the lens.

Further, in the digital camera 1 of this example, when the on mode or the view mode is set, the photographing lens 3 protrudes to the photographing position P, so that it is possible to photograph immediately by operating the shutter switch 4. For this reason, it is possible to eliminate the shooting problem caused by the time required to move the photographic lens 3 such as when the photographic lens 3 is moved in conjunction with the shutter switch 4. For example, it is possible to avoid the problem that the timing of the photo opportunity is shifted and a desired image cannot be taken. Further, when operating a dedicated switch for manual operation or movement of the taking lens 3, there is a case where a photograph cannot be taken due to forgetting to take out the taking lens 3. However, in the digital camera 1 of this example, since the photographing lens 3 always jumps out to the photographing position P and is ready for photographing when entering the photographing mode, such a problem can be avoided.

Note that the digital camera 1 having two modes, ie, the shooting mode and the playback mode, has been described in terms of functions. However, the present invention can also be applied to a digital camera having a mode other than shooting and playback. Of course. In addition to a digital camera in which the photographing lens 3 is stopped at two positions of the storage position S and the photographing position P, a camera having a telephoto function and having photographing positions P prepared at a plurality of positions may be used.

In addition, the control method described above is a recording medium on which a program having instructions capable of executing processing corresponding to the steps of the flowcharts shown in FIGS.
9 or flash memory 21 can be used.

As described above, in the present invention, in a digital camera of a type in which a photographic lens is inserted into and removed from the body, the position of the photographic lens is changed according to the state of the camera. Therefore, if the photographing mode is not set when the power is turned on, the photographing lens does not protrude to the front of the body. Even if the photographing mode is set when the power is turned on and the photographing lens protrudes forward, it is possible to place the photographing lens close to the body simply by canceling the photographing mode. For this reason, when processing other than photographing is performed, it can be used in a compact and well-balanced state in which the photographing lens is housed. Therefore, it can be easily placed on the floor or desk in a stable state, and the lens can be protected. Further, according to the present invention, when the shooting mode is set,
Since the photographic lens always extends to the shooting position, you can shoot immediately by simply operating the shutter switch. For this reason, problems such as missing a photo opportunity or taking a picture do not occur.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Digital camera, 2 ... Housing (body), 3 ... Shooting lens, 7a ... Dial switch (changeover switch), 15 ... CPU, 22 ... Switch group, 30 ... Lens moving mechanism, 3
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Drive motor, 32 ... Drive circuit, 35 ... Lens position control part, 36 ... Mode determination part, 40
... lens movement control unit, P ... photographing position, S ... storage position.

Claims (4)

When the shutter switch is operated, it has a photographing mode capable of storing image data photographed through the photographing lens in a recording medium, and a reproduction mode capable of outputting the image data stored in the recording medium to a display screen or an external device. A digital camera,
A photographing position where the photographing lens protrudes from the body, and a lens moving mechanism capable of moving the photographing lens to a storage position where the photographing lens approaches the body from the photographing position;
A digital camera comprising: lens position control means for moving the photographing lens to the photographing position when the photographing mode is set and moving the photographing lens to the storage position when the photographing mode is canceled. 2. The digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising a selector switch capable of switching between the photographing mode and the reproduction mode, wherein the lens position control means moves the photographing lens when the selector switch is operated. When the shutter switch is operated, it has a photographing mode capable of storing image data photographed through the photographing lens in a recording medium, and a reproduction mode capable of outputting the image data stored in the recording medium to a display screen or an external device. A control method of a digital camera,
When in the photographing mode, the step of moving the photographing lens to a photographing position where the photographing lens protrudes from the body;
And a step of moving the photographing lens from the photographing position to a storage position approaching the body when the photographing mode is canceled. When the shutter switch is operated, there are a shooting mode in which image data taken through the taking lens can be stored in a recording medium, and a playback mode in which the image data stored in the recording medium can be output to a display screen or an external device. A digital camera control program comprising:
When in the shooting mode, a process of moving the shooting lens to a shooting position where the shooting lens protrudes from the body;
When the photographing mode is canceled, the control program having a command capable of executing a process of moving the photographing lens from the photographing position to a storage position approaching the body is stored. A computer-readable recording medium.

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