JP2658249B2 - Solid camera - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a solid-state camera, and more specifically, to an electronic camera using a removable solid-state memory device as a recording medium.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, as a camera for recording a still image, there are a film camera using a silver halide photographic material and an electronic still video camera using a magnetic disk. In recent years, with the background of high integration and low price of semiconductor memories, electronic still video cameras (hereinafter, referred to as solid-state cameras) using cartridges or cards and using the semiconductor memory device as a recording medium have been proposed. . Solid-state cameras have a recording unit that is sensitive to external
Since there is no electromagnetic conversion system, there is an advantage that image recording can be performed stably and cost can be reduced.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conventional solid-state camera. However, the mounting portion of the memory cartridge is shown in a transparent state for easy understanding. 10 is a camera body, 12 is a memory cartridge that is detachable from the camera body 10, 14 is an insertion slot for mounting the memory cartridge 12 on the camera body 10, 16 is a guide that regulates the insertion direction of the cartridge 12, and 18 is A guide groove that fits the guide 16. When the memory cartridge 12 is inserted through the insertion slot 14, the guide 16 on the camera body 10 and the guide groove 18 on the memory cartridge 12 engage with each other, and the memory cartridge 12 is mounted on the camera body 10 in an appropriate direction. In the mounted state, the connector 20 of the cartridge 12 is electrically connected to the connector 22 of the camera body 10, the electric circuit in the camera body 10 is connected to the electric circuit in the memory cartridge 12,
Image recording on the memory cartridge 12 becomes possible. After a predetermined number of images have been taken, the memory cartridge 12 is removed from the camera body 10 and connected to an image playback (display) device to reproduce a recorded image on a printer or a television device.
Transmit to a remote location.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic block diagram of an electric circuit in the camera body 10. 24 is a photographic lens, 26 is a solid-state image sensor, 28 is a video signal processing circuit that performs white balance processing, etc.
29 is an A / D converter, and 30 is an interface circuit with the memory cartridge 12. The image sensor 26 converts an optical image from the photographing lens 24 into an electric signal. The output signal of the image sensor 26 is subjected to known video signal processing by a video signal processing circuit 28, digitized by an A / D converter 29, and converted into a format suitable for recording on the memory cartridge 12 by an interface circuit 30. The data is converted and recorded on the memory cartridge 12.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

In the above conventional example, the memory cartridge 12 can be inserted into the camera body 10 in only one direction, and when the memory cartridge 12 is replaced, the insertion direction must be checked at all times. Therefore, the replacement operation becomes complicated, and the user must temporarily look away from the subject for checking the orientation of the cartridge 12 during the replacement operation.
I tended to miss shutter chances. For example, there is a problem in that the subject is lost while photographing the animal.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a solid-state camera that allows easy and quick replacement of a memory cartridge.

[Means for solving the problem]

A solid-state camera according to the present invention is a solid-state camera which uses a solid-state memory cartridge having a first signal transmission means as a recording medium, the solid-state camera being detachable from a predetermined mounting position of a camera main body. When the memory cartridge is mounted in the camera body in the first direction with respect to the mounting position, the second signal transmitting means connected to the first signal transmitting means of the solid state memory cartridge is connected to the camera main body. The first signal transmission of the solid-state memory cartridge when the solid-state memory cartridge is mounted in the mounting position in a second direction different from the first direction with respect to the mounting position of the camera body. A third signal transmission means connected to the means is provided at the mounting position of the camera body.

[Action]

By providing the second and third signal transmission means,
Flexibility is created in the direction of insertion of the solid state memory cartridge, and the replacement operation can be performed without looking at the direction of the cartridge. Therefore, the replacement operation of the cartridge is simplified and can be performed quickly.

〔Example〕

 Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. 40 is a camera body, 42 is a memory cartridge detachable from the camera body 40, 44 is an insertion slot of the memory cartridge 42, 46 is a guide having the same shape as the guide 16 in FIG. It is a guide groove. However, the guide groove 48 passes from the front surface to the rear surface of the memory cartridge 42, so that the memory cartridge 12 can be inserted into the insertion slot 44 from the front surface or the rear surface as long as the guide groove 48 is turned upward. Has become. 50 is a connector having the same shape as the connector 22 in FIG. 3, 52 is a connector similar to the connector 20 in FIG. 3, and 54 is a second connector attached to the camera body 40.
Is inserted into the slot 44 from the rear, the connector 52
Are arranged so as to face each other properly.

Insertion port 44 of camera body 40, connector 50 and guide
Since 46 is the same as the conventional example of FIG. 3, it is compatible with the memory cartridge 12 of the conventional example.

The memory cartridge 42 is functionally the same as the conventional memory cartridge 12, but the guide groove 48 is different from the conventional guide groove 18, and the memory cartridge 42 is inserted into the insertion slot 44 from the rear side. Since the insertion of the memory cartridge 42 is allowed, two insertion directions of the memory cartridge 42 can be selected.
When the memory cartridge 42 is inserted in the direction shown in FIG. 1, the connector 52 is electrically connected to the connector 50, while the memory cartridge 42 is inserted from the rear.
When plugged into 44, connector 52 is electrically connected to connector 54. Therefore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, when the memory cartridge 42 is inserted into the camera body 40, it is only necessary to confirm that the guide groove 48 is at the top. Can be done quickly.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention. 60 is a camera body, 62 is a memory cartridge, 64 is a slot for the memory cartridge 62, and 66 is a guide for compatibility with the conventional camera body 10 (that is, its guide 16) shown in FIG. The groove, 68 is a connector provided at the same position as the connector 20 of FIG. 3, 70 is a connector provided at the same position as the connector 22 of FIG. 3, and 72, 74, and 76 are the memory cartridge 62, respectively. Is a connector that faces the connector 68 and is electrically connected when the connector 68 is inserted through the insertion port 64. That is, the guides 16, 4
No guide member equivalent to 6 is provided.
When the cartridge 62 is inserted from the insertion port 64 in any direction, the connector 68 is connected to any one of the connectors 70, 72, 74, and 76.

Note that the above-mentioned embodiment pays attention to the compatibility with the conventional example shown in FIG. 3, and when this compatibility is not required, the connector of the memory cartridge is inserted in order to obtain an arbitrary insertion direction of the memory cartridge. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the illustrated position with respect to the arrangement position and the like. In the above description, an electrical signal transmission method using a connector is taken as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, an optical signal may be partially or wholly used as a transmission medium.

〔The invention's effect〕

As can be easily understood from the above description, according to the present invention, flexibility is obtained in the insertion direction of the memory cartridge, and the operation of replacing the memory cartridge can be performed easily and quickly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conventional example, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a configuration block diagram. 10,40,60 …… Camera body, 12,42,62 …… Memory cartridge, 14,44,64 …… Cartridge slot, 16,46
…… Guide, 18,48,66 …… Guide groove, 20,22,50,52,68,7
0,72,74,76 …… Connector

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Nobuaki Date 770 Shimonoge, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside the Tamagawa Office of Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Hideaki Kawamura 770 Shimo-noge, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Canon Inc. In-house (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Horii 770 Shimonoge, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside the Tamagawa Works, Canon Inc. Takashi Suzuki 770 Shimonoge, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside the Tamagawa Works of Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Seiichi Ozaki 770 Shimo-noge, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki-shi Kanagawa Prefecture Inside the Tamagawa Works of Canon Inc. (JP, A)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A solid-state camera which uses, as a recording medium, a solid-state memory cartridge which is detachable from a predetermined mounting position of a camera body and has a first signal transmitting means, wherein the solid-state memory cartridge is provided. The second signal transmission means connected to the first signal transmission means of the solid state memory cartridge when the camera is mounted in the first direction with respect to the mounting position of the camera body. Connected to the first signal transmission means of the solid-state memory cartridge when the solid-state memory cartridge is mounted in a second direction different from the first direction with respect to the mounting position of the camera body. A third signal transmitting means provided at the mounting position of the camera body.