JP2753514B2 - Electronic still camera - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an electronic still camera provided with an image memory for storing a plurality of images.

[Related Art and Problems to be Solved] In recent years, electronic still cameras have been put to practical use. This electronic still camera is very convenient because it can be immediately reproduced and displayed on a monitor or a TV screen or the like without developing even immediately after shooting. However, in an electronic still camera or a film camera, an instantaneous state of a subject is photographed, so that it is easy to miss a photo opportunity. For example, it is often the case that a model closes its eyes at the moment of pressing a shutter, and it is very difficult to accurately capture a photo opportunity. Some cameras have a continuous shooting function, but there is a problem that the number of shots immediately becomes full when continuous shooting is performed. Further, with an electronic still camera, an editing operation can be performed later to delete unnecessary photos, but this editing operation is also very troublesome.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic still camera that can easily capture an appropriate photo opportunity and can finely correct timing.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention includes an image memory capable of storing a plurality of images, starts photographing at a fixed time interval when a shutter standby state is established, and stores photographed images in the image memory. Then, when the shutter is pressed, the photographed image at that time is set as a reference image, and then the optimum image is selected and written on a recording medium while checking the contents of the image memory on a monitor.

[Operation] When a finger touches the shutter, the mode is set to a standby mode, and shooting is started at fixed time intervals, and the shot images are sequentially stored in the image memory. Then, when the shutter is operated, the photographed image at that time is recorded on the recording medium. Further, the contents of the image memory can be confirmed by a monitor as necessary, and an arbitrary image can be selected and recorded as a corrected image on the image recording medium.

Therefore, by selecting an image recorded in the image memory, selection of a shutter channel and fine correction of timing can be performed.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall circuit configuration. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes an optical system, which includes a lens 11, a shutter 12, an image pickup device 13 such as a CCD, and the like, and focus, exposure, and the like are automatically adjusted by an autofocus mechanism and an EE mechanism. Reference numeral 14 denotes a shutter control circuit. The shutter control circuit 14 controls the shutter 12 according to the operation of the shutter button 15. The above shutter button
15 is a shutter control circuit 14 by signal lines 16a and 16b.
When a finger touches the shutter button 15, a touch signal is transmitted to the shutter control circuit 1 via a signal line 16a.
4 and when the shutter button 15 is pressed, an ON signal is output to the shutter control circuit 14 via the signal line 16b. When a touch signal is sent from the shutter button 15, the shutter control circuit 14 adjusts focus and exposure by an auto focus and EE mechanism, and starts shooting according to the shooting mode at that time, for example, 1/60 second. Shutter at intervals
Make 12 work.

Then, with the operation of the shutter 12, an image of the subject is projected on the surface of the image sensor 13 via the lens 11 and the shutter 12, and a signal for the projected image from the image sensor 13, that is, an image signal is sent to the signal processing circuit 17. Sent. The signal processing circuit 17 processes the image pickup signal to generate a luminance signal Y and color difference signals RY and BY and outputs them to the display control circuit 18 via the signal line a. The signal output from the signal processing circuit 17 is sent to the modulation circuit 19 via the switch SW1, and is sent to the A / D conversion circuit 21 via the switch SW2. The switches SW1 and SW2 are on / off controlled by switch signals S1 and S2 from the control circuit 24. A / D above
The conversion circuit 21 converts the luminance signal Y and the color difference signals RY and BY sent from the signal processing circuit 17 into digital data, respectively, and outputs the digital data to an image memory, for example, a semiconductor memory 22. The semiconductor memory 22 has a capacity to store a plurality of images, for example, 180 images, and has a flag area 22b corresponding to the image storage area 22a as shown in FIG. The semiconductor memory 22 has A /
The image data sent from the D conversion circuit 21 is sequentially stored under the control of the memory control circuit 23. When 180 image data are stored, the first stored image data is sequentially rewritten with new image data. The memory control circuit 23 is supplied with a control signal from the control circuit 24 and a shutter signal from the shutter control circuit 14. The memory control circuit 23 starts image data writing control to the semiconductor memory 22 when a touch signal of the shutter button 15 is given from the shutter control circuit 14 in a specific operation mode, and thereafter, an ON signal of the shutter button 15 is given. Then, the shutter flag F is set in the flag area 22b corresponding to the image data stored in the semiconductor memory 22 at that time, and thereafter, the shutter flag F is set for one second.
The writing control of the image data to 22 is continued.

Then, the image data stored in the semiconductor memory 22 is read out by the memory control circuit 23 to the D / A conversion circuit 25, converted into an analog signal, and sent to the display control circuit 18 via the signal line b. The signal is input to the modulation circuit 19 via a switch SW3 that is turned on / off by a switch signal S3 from the control circuit 24. The modulation circuit 19 modulates a signal supplied from the signal processing circuit 17 via the switch SW1 or a signal supplied from the D / A conversion circuit 25 via the switch SW3, and outputs the modulated signal to the recording circuit 26. This recording circuit
Reference numeral 26 denotes a recording head for recording the signal sent from the modulation circuit 19.
The data is recorded on an image recording medium, for example, a floppy disk 28 via a. The floppy disk 28 can store, for example, about 50 images.

The image recorded on the floppy disk 28 is reproduced by a reproducing head 27b (generally, a recording head 27a) in a reproducing mode.
Read out by the demodulation circuit via the reproduction circuit 31
Sent to 32. The demodulation circuit 32 demodulates the reproduced signal and inputs the demodulated signal to the encoder 33, where the original luminance signal Y and color difference signal R
It returns to -Y and BY and outputs it to the display control circuit 18. The display control circuit 18 is connected to signal lines a, b, and c.
An image signal of the system is selected in accordance with an instruction from the control circuit 24, output to a monitor 34 such as a CRT, and displayed.

The control circuit 24 is supplied with a shutter ON signal from the shutter control circuit 14 and a key input unit 35.
Is connected. The key input unit 35 includes a photographing mode switching key for switching between a normal single image photographing mode and a front and rear photographing mode, an operation mode designating key for designating operation modes such as a photographing mode, a reproduction mode, and a correction mode. Various operation keys such as a forward key and a back key for moving the read address of the memory 22 back and forth, and a recording key for instructing recording on the floppy disk 28 are provided. The control circuit 24 controls ON / OFF of the switches SW1, SW2, and SW3 according to a key input signal from the key input unit 35 and a shutter ON signal from the shutter control circuit 14, and includes a memory control circuit 23, a display control circuit Give control commands to 18 and other circuits.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart. When taking a picture similar to a conventional camera,
A single image mode is designated by a photographing mode switching key provided on the key input unit 35. When the single-sheet mode is designated, the control circuit 24 starts the control operation shown in the flowchart of FIG. That is, when the single-image mode is designated, the control circuit 24 outputs a single-image mode signal to the shutter control circuit 14 and the memory control circuit 23, and switches the switch SW.
1, SW2 and SW3 are turned off, and the display control circuit 18 is instructed to select the signal line a. In this state, when the photographer touches the shutter button 15 with his finger lightly, a touch signal is sent to the shutter control circuit 14 to enter the shutter standby mode (step A1). When the touch signal is sent, the shutter control circuit 14 adjusts the focus and exposure by the auto focus and the EE mechanism, and sets the shutter 12 to 1/60.
Operate every second. As a result, an image of the subject is projected onto the surface of the image sensor 13 via the lens 11 and the shutter 12, and the image sensor 13 outputs a luminance signal Y and a color difference signal R corresponding to the projected image.
−Y and BY are output and sent to the display control circuit 18 via the signal line a. The display control circuit 18 selects a signal transmitted through the signal line a in accordance with an instruction from the control circuit 24, and displays the signal on the monitor 34 (step A2). With this monitor display, the photographer can check the state of the subject and can operate the shutter. Then, when the photographer presses the shutter button 15 (step A3), an ON signal is sent to the shutter control circuit 14. The shutter control circuit 14
When an ON signal is given, the ON signal is output to the control circuit 24, and thereafter, the shutter operation is temporarily stopped. Control circuit
When the shutter ON signal is sent from the shutter control circuit 14, the switch 24 turns on the switch SW1 for a certain time, for example, for 1/60 second. While the switch SW1 is ON, the photographing signal output from the signal processing circuit 17, that is, the luminance signal Y and the color difference signals RY and BY are modulated by the modulation circuit 19.
Is sent to the recording circuit 26 and modulated. The recording circuit 26 drives the recording head 27a in accordance with the signal sent from the modulation circuit 19, and records a captured image on the floppy disk 28 (Step A4). And the switch SW1
Is turned off, the shutter control circuit 14
Then, the control operation of the shutter 12 is restarted if the touch signal has been sent.
Hereinafter, photographing can be sequentially performed in the same manner.

In the single image mode, the image recording on the floppy disk 28 is limited when the shutter button 15 is pressed. However, when it is desired to finely adjust the shutter chance before and after the shutter operation, the photographing mode switching key is used to set the front and rear photographing mode. Specify switching. When the front / back photographing mode is designated, the control circuit 24 executes the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4, and first outputs the front / back photographing mode signal to the shutter control circuit 14 and the memory control circuit 23, and switches the switch SW1. , SW3 off, switch SW2 on, and further instructs the display control circuit 18 to select the signal line a. In this state, if the photographer touches the shutter button 15 lightly with his finger,
The touch signal is sent to the shutter control circuit 14 to enter the shutter standby mode (step B1). When the touch signal is sent, the shutter control circuit 14 adjusts the focus and exposure using an autofocus and EE mechanism, and operates the shutter 12 every 1/60 second. As a result, an image of the subject is projected on the surface of the image sensor 13 via the lens 11 and the shutter 12, and a luminance signal Y and color difference signals RY and BY corresponding to the projected image are output from the image sensor 13, and the signal It is sent to the display control circuit 18 via the line a. The display control circuit 18 selects a signal transmitted through the signal line a in accordance with the instruction of the control circuit 24, and displays it on the monitor 34 (step B2). With this monitor display, the photographer can check the state of the subject and can operate the shutter. Further, the image signal output from the signal processing circuit 17 is input to the A / D conversion circuit 21 via the switch SW2, converted into a digital signal, and input to the semiconductor memory 22.
At this time, a touch signal of the shutter button 15 is given from the shutter control circuit 14 to the memory control circuit 23. The memory control circuit 23 sequentially writes the image data output from the A / D conversion circuit 21 into the semiconductor memory 22 while the touch signal is being given (step B3). Are rewritten to new image data in order from the image data written in.

Then, when the photographer presses the shutter button 15 (step
B4), an ON signal is sent to the shutter control circuit 14. Upon receiving the ON signal, the shutter control circuit 14 outputs the ON signal to the memory control circuit 23 and the control circuit 24, and continues the shutter control operation for one second thereafter. When the shutter control signal is transmitted from the shutter control circuit 14, the memory control circuit 23 sets the flag F in the flag area 22b for the 1/60 second image recorded in the semiconductor memory 22 at that time (step B5). on the other hand,
The control circuit 24 outputs the shutter ON from the shutter control circuit 14.
When a signal is given, the switch SW1 is kept on for 1/60 second, and the image signal output from the signal processing circuit 17 is output to the modulation circuit 19 for modulation. And the data is recorded on the floppy disk 28 by the recording head 27a (step B6). After the shutter operation is performed, the memory control circuit 23 records an image continuously captured for one second in the semiconductor memory 22 (steps B7 and B8). Therefore, when the shutter button 15 is pressed, the photographed image for two seconds before the shutter operation (120 images) and the photographed image for one second after the shutter operation (60 images) are recorded in the semiconductor memory 22.

After taking a picture as described above, if you think that it was taken well, continue shooting as it is, and if you think that it failed, specify the correction mode with the operation mode designation key provided in the key input section 35. To perform the correction operation. Control circuit 24
Executes the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5 when the above-mentioned correction mode is designated. First, a correction mode signal is output to the memory control circuit 23, and the signal line b is selected by the display control circuit 18. To instruct. When the correction mode is specified, the memory control circuit 23 first reads out the image data in which the flag F is set in the semiconductor memory 22 to the D / A conversion circuit 25 (step C1), and And outputs it to the display control circuit 18. The display control circuit 18 selects an image signal sent from the D / A conversion circuit 25 according to an instruction from the control circuit 24, and
To be displayed. As a result, the captured image when the shutter button 15 is pressed can be confirmed on the monitor 34. In this state, when the forward key or the back key provided on the key input section 35 is operated (step C2), the operation signal is sent from the control circuit 24 to the memory control circuit 23, and the read address of the semiconductor memory 22 is changed. I do. That is,
When the forward key is operated, the next address of the semiconductor memory 22 is specified (step C3), and when the back key is operated, the previous address is specified (step C4). The stored data is read out and displayed on the monitor 34. Therefore, the image data can be sequentially read from the semiconductor memory 22 by operating the forward key or the back key and can be confirmed on the monitor 34. Then, after confirming the image by the above operation, an image of a favorite photo opportunity is selected and displayed on the monitor, and the recording key is operated. When the recording key is operated, the control circuit 24 holds the switch SW3 in the ON state for a certain period of time, and at this time, the D / A conversion circuit 2
The image signal read out via the line 5 is input to the modulation circuit 19, and further recorded on the floppy disk 28 via the recording circuit 26 and the recording head 27a (step C5). In this case, the frame is not fed to the floppy disk 28, and the image recorded immediately before is rewritten with the corrected image read from the semiconductor memory 22. When it is determined that the photographing has failed as described above, the photographed image can be corrected by selecting a desired shutter chance before and after the shutter operation.

If the user wants to reproduce the image recorded on the floppy disk 28, the user designates the reproduction mode. Control circuit
When the playback mode is specified, the playback control circuit 18 instructs the display control circuit 18 to select the signal line c, and plays the first image recorded on the floppy disk 28 by the playback head.
After being read by 27b and amplified by the reproduction circuit 31, it is input to the demodulation circuit 32 to perform a demodulation operation. This demodulation circuit
The signal demodulated by 32 is input to the encoder 33 and returned to the original luminance signal Y and color difference signals RY and BY, and is sent to the display control circuit 18 via the signal line c. The display control circuit 18 selects an image signal sent from the encoder 33 in accordance with an instruction from the control circuit 24, and displays the image signal on the monitor 34. By operating the forward key in this state, the recorded images on the floppy disk 28 are sequentially read out and displayed on the monitor 34.

FIG. 6 shows the relationship between the operation content in each of the designated modes, the ON / OFF states of the switches SW1 to SW3, and the display image on the monitor 34.

In the above embodiment, the shutter 12 is controlled every 1/60 second.However, if the shutter 12 is controlled at intervals of about 1/500 second and stored in the semiconductor memory 22, for example, Fine correction is possible.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the semiconductor memory 22 is used as the image memory has been described. However, for example, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, or the like may be used.

Further, in the above embodiment, the photographed image signal is recorded on the floppy disk 28. However, the image signal may be converted into an analog signal by the D / A conversion circuit 25 and printed on the film instead of the floppy disk.

In the above-described embodiment, the state in which the finger touches the shutter button is regarded as the shutter standby state. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the half-pressing state of the shutter may be regarded as the shutter standby state.

Further, in the above embodiment, the image data before and after the moment when the shutter is pressed is stored, but the image data only before or after may be stored.

In the above embodiment, the image data when the shutter is pressed is directly recorded on the floppy disk. However, the image data may be temporarily stored in the semiconductor memory and then recorded on the floppy disk by a specific operation.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above in detail, according to the present invention, an image memory capable of storing a large number of image data is provided, and when a finger touches a shutter button, shooting is started and image data is sequentially stored in the image memory. After storing and performing the shutter operation, the image data stored in the image memory is arbitrarily selected and recorded on a recording medium such as a floppy disk. When photographing a moving object such as a child or a child, the photo opportunity can be corrected, a good photograph can be left, and the recording medium is not wasted. In addition, since correction can be performed on the spot immediately after shooting, there is no need for editing later, which is very convenient. Further, since correction is required only when it is determined that a failure has occurred, the photographing can be continued as it is when it is determined that the image has been taken well.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an entire circuit configuration of an electronic still camera, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a storage configuration of a semiconductor memory in FIG. 1, and FIG. Is a flowchart showing the operation when the single image mode is designated;
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation when the front / rear shooting mode is designated, FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation when the correction mode is designated, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between each designated mode and the operation state of each part. 11 ... lens, 12 ... shutter, 13 ... image sensor, 14 ... shutter control circuit, 15 ... shutter button, 16a, 16b ... signal line, 17 ... signal processing circuit, 18 ... display control circuit, 19 ... modulation circuit, 21 ... A / D conversion circuit, 22: semiconductor memory, 23: memory control circuit, 24: control circuit, 25: D / A conversion circuit, 26: recording circuit, 27a: recording head, 27b: reproduction head, 28: floppy disk, 31 playback circuit, 32 demodulation circuit, 33 encoder, 34 monitor, 35 key input unit, SW1 to SW3 switches.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] In an electronic still camera, an image memory for temporarily storing a plurality of images, an image recording medium for recording a plurality of images, and a shutter standby state are detected to start photographing at predetermined time intervals. Photographing control means, storage means for sequentially storing image signals photographed by this means in the image memory, recording means for recording a photographed image when a shutter is operated on the image recording medium, and An electronic still camera, comprising: image correction means for arbitrarily reading a stored image and rewriting a recorded image on the image recording medium.