JP2942012B2 - I/O Card - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates to an I/O card,
In particular, the I/F is useful for transmitting and receiving information between a device such as a solid-state memory camera and an external device.
/Regarding O cards.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A solid-state memory camera uses a memory card such as an IC card instead of a silver halide film as a recording medium for recording an optical image, and records, reads and reproduces the image through a predetermined electrical process such as digital processing, making the reproduction process easy and various processing of the image easy. In the image recording and reproduction process of this type of camera, during recording, the subject image (optical image) passing through an optical system such as a lens is focused on an optical conversion element such as a CCD and converted into an electrical signal (image data), and the obtained image data is recorded on a memory card inserted in a slot of the camera body, and when the subject image is reproduced as a still image, the subject image is reproduced based on the image data read from the memory card. The image data recorded on the memory card is a digital format signal, which is convenient for use after various signal processes are performed by a computer or the like. Therefore, this type of camera is highly useful as an input device for image data. In addition, by making it possible to insert an I/O card into the slot of the camera body, data can be exchanged between the camera body and an external device such as a computer. The I/O card is a
Standardization is being considered by EIDA (Japan Electronic Industry Development Association) and other organizations, and the connector shape (pin arrangement) is the same as that of a memory card.

[0003]

As described above, the conventional solid-state memory camera is provided with a slot for inserting a card,
By inserting either a memory card or an I/O card, the camera executes an operation corresponding to the inserted card. However, since only one of a memory card or an I/O card can be inserted into the slot provided in the camera body, when an I/O card is inserted, a memory card in which image data is recorded or will be recorded cannot be inserted. As a result, a problem occurs in that the image data stored in the memory card cannot be used within the I/O card insertion system. This problem is not limited to solid-state memory cameras, but also occurs in any other device that uses a memory card, and it occurs in the above-mentioned I/O card input/output (I/O) devices that perform signal conversion for data exchange between this device and other external devices.
It also occurs when the card is used.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide an I/O card that allows data to be exchanged between a device using a memory card and an external device with a simple configuration.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the I/O card according to the present invention is an I/O card which is loaded into a specified device and performs signal conversion to transmit and receive information between the device and another specified external device, and which is provided with an external bus interface for transmitting and receiving information to and from the specified external device, and a memory card interface for transmitting and receiving information to and from a memory card. The memory card interface has at least a first information transmitting means for enabling the specified device into which the I/O card is loaded to recognize first information relating to the presence or absence of a memory card being connected, and a second information transmitting means for providing the memory card with second information for selectively accessing the attribute information memory area and the data area of the memory card from the specified device.

[0006]

[Function] In the present invention, a memory card can be loaded into an I/O card which functions as an interface with a specified external device, and data is sent and received between the loaded memory card and the device in which the I/O card is loaded via an interface section built into the I/O card, thereby forming an interface which sends and receives information to and from the specified external device and to and from the memory card, and which not only provides the I/O card's original interface function with external devices, but also enables the sending and receiving of data to and from the memory card.

[0007]

[Embodiment] The present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a block diagram of the basic configuration showing an example in which an I/O card according to the present invention is applied to a solid-state memory camera. An object image is formed on an imaging circuit 12 such as a CCD through a photographing lens 11, converted into an electric signal there, and then converted into a digital signal by an A/D converter 13 and recorded in a RAM 14 as image data for one frame. During playback, the image data read from the RAM 14 is converted into an analog signal by a D/A converter 15, and converted into a normal video signal by a video encoder 16 for output. On the other hand, when image data is to be sent to a memory card 2 loaded in the camera body 1 or an external device 4 such as a computer, the image data read from the RAM 14 is subjected to orthogonal transformation processing by a compression/expansion circuit 17, and sent to a bus switching unit 18 as compressed image data. The compression/expansion circuit 17 may be a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) or ...
The system control circuit 19 is a circuit for controlling the overall operation of the camera, and includes, for example, a bus switching unit 1
The bus switching unit 18 controls the switching of the system control circuit 18 and the display of the display unit 20. The display unit 20 has a display element such as an LCD, and displays the camera operation state, etc. The operation unit 21 is an operation unit for outputting operation instruction signals of the camera, and is composed of a tactile switch, etc. The bus switching unit 18 controls the switching of the system control circuit 18 and the display of the display unit 20.
The compression/expansion circuit 17 and the card interface (I/F) section 22 are switched and connected to the system control circuit 19 by a bus switching signal from the system control circuit 19 .

[0008] Figure 2 shows a simplified perspective view of the camera and cards (I/O card and memory card) of the embodiment shown in Figure 1. The camera body 1 is provided with a loading slot 10 into which the connector section 3A of the I/O card 3 or the connector section 2A of the memory card 2 is inserted and loaded, and the I/O card 3 is further provided with a loading slot 30 into which the connector 2A of the memory card 2 is inserted and loaded. The connector sections 3A and 2A of the I/O card 3 and memory card 2, respectively, are of the same shape and arrangement.
A bus cable (in a format such as SCSI, GPIB, or RS232C) 5 for transmitting and receiving data between an external device 4 and the I/O card 3 is connected to the camera body 1. As shown in FIG.
and a card interface section 22 is provided between the loaded I/O card 3 and the bus switching section 18, and processes such as data format conversion are performed to conform to data exchange between the camera body 1 and the external device 4 or memory card 2. Compressed image data sent via the card interface section 22 on the camera body 1 side and the I/O card pins 311 and card interface section 312 of the I/O card 3 is recorded on the memory card 2.
The image data read from the memory card 2 is sent in the reverse direction via the bus switching unit 18 to the compression/expansion circuit 17 where it is expanded and recorded in the RAM 14 .

The I/O card 3 is a card having pins in the same positions as the memory card 2, and receives image data supplied from the card interface unit 22 on the camera body 1 side as an I/O
The image data is received by the card pin 311, converted into a predetermined format, and sent to an external device 4 such as a computer via a cable 5. The image data can also be recorded in a memory connected to the external device 4. On the other hand, the image data supplied from the external device 4 is transferred to the I/F 310 via the cable 5.
/O card 3 and the card interface unit 22
The data is converted to data that conforms to the format on the camera body 1 side via the bus switch 18.
Image data from the camera body 1 is recorded on the memory card 2 via the card interface unit 312, and conversely, image data read from the memory card 2 is supplied to the camera body 1 via the card interface unit 312 and the I/O card pin 311.

The memory card 2 has a configuration as shown in FIG. 3, and the connector section 2A is connected to the slot 3 of the I/O card 3.
When the memory card 2 is inserted into the I/O card 3, the connector section 2A is coupled to the card interface section 312 of the I/O card 3. The connector section 2A is provided with a write enable (WE) terminal, a data terminal, an address terminal, a REG terminal, and a detection terminal. The memory card 2 also has an attribute information memory 211 and an image data memory 212.
One of the memories is selected by a REG signal supplied from a terminal, and this selection is performed by supplying a REG signal to a chip select (CS) terminal of each memory.
For this reason, an inverter 213 is provided between the attribute information memory 211 and the REG terminal.
data related to the physical and electrical characteristics of the IC memory card conforming to the JEIDA card standard, for example, information indicating that it is a memory card, is stored in. The image data memory 212 is a memory such as an SRAM conforming to the JEIDA standard, and receives a WE signal from the WE terminal of the connector 2A and stores compressed image data, etc.
The detection terminal of the connector portion 2A is grounded, and when the memory card 2 is inserted and loaded into the slot 30 of the I/O card 3, the ground potential is applied to the input signal terminal (detection) terminal of the I/O card 3 to detect the memory card 2.
indicates that a cartridge has been loaded.

4 shows a detailed configuration diagram of the I/O card 3. The I/O card 3 has I/O card pins 311 which are electrically connected to the camera body 1 side.
A card interface (I/F) section 312 which serves as an electrical connection section with the memory card 2 side, a buffer 313,
The I/O section 310 is configured to include I/O 20, 321, 322, an attribute information memory 314, inverters 315, 316, a buffer/decoder 317, and a bus controller 318.
The card pins 311 include a WE terminal for receiving a WE signal from the camera body 1 (host side) to instruct writing image data to the memory card 2, a main I/O card function,
That is, the camera body 1 is connected to either the external device 4 or the memory card 2 to transmit and receive data.
The connection switching is performed by the buffer/decoder 317 and the bus controller 31
A buffer/decoder 317 supplies an I/O signal to a chip select (CS) terminal of I/O card pin 311 via an inverter 316. The I/O card pin 311 is also provided with an address terminal and a data terminal for sending and receiving address data and data.
A REG signal for selecting a memory card or an I/O card is supplied from a REG terminal in the I/O card pin 311 to a CS terminal of a buffer 313 and is also supplied to an inverter 314.
The signal is supplied to the CS terminal of the attribute memory 314 via 15. The detection terminal is also grounded, and when the I/O card 3 is inserted into the slot 10 of the camera body 1, the camera body 1 detects this ground potential to detect the insertion state of the I/O card. The buffer 313 and buffer/decoder 317 store data corresponding to addresses,
Data is exchanged between the two. Buffer/Decoder 3
Reference numeral 17 has a buffer function and a decode function, switches address data, decodes predetermined upper bits of address data from the host side (camera body 1 side), and supplies the signal as a chip select (CS) signal to each CS terminal of a latch 319 and buffers 320 to 322. The latch 319 is made writable by a CS signal from a buffer/decoder 317, and data is written into it by address data from the camera body 1 side.

The card interface section 312 includes an I/
a WE terminal connected to the WE terminal of the O card pin 311; an output signal terminal for outputting a signal (including a REG signal) from the latch 319 to the memory card 2 side;
The buffer 320 has an address terminal for transmitting and receiving address data between the buffer 321 and the memory card 2, a data terminal for transmitting and receiving image data between the buffer 321 and the memory card 2, and an input signal terminal for detecting the ground potential of the detection terminal of the memory card 2 when the memory card 2 is loaded into the slot 30 of the I/O card 3 and sending this detection signal to the buffer 322. This detection signal of the memory card loaded state is stored in the buffer 322 and latched by the latch 319. That is, the latch 319 operates by the CS signal from the buffer/decoder 317, and latches the detection signal as a REG signal in response to the WE signal.
The buffer/decoder 317 receives signals from the buffer 322 via an address bus and a data bus, and transmits and receives address data and image data between the buffer/decoder 317 and the address terminal and data terminal of the card interface unit 312 .

The operation and processing of the present invention will be described below with reference to the flow charts of Figures 5 and 6. The flow charts shown in Figures 5 and 6 show the processing procedure for an example in which compressed image data in a memory card is expanded by an expansion circuit and transmitted to an external device. First, when the operation is started, the I
Connector section of I/O card 3 (I/O card pin 311)
By detecting the ground potential from the detection terminal, it is judged whether or not a card is loaded (step S1). If it is judged that a card is loaded, a REG signal is sent to read the stored contents of the attribute information memory 314 of the card in question (step S2), and it is judged whether or not the card in question is a memory card (step S3). If it is a memory card, the normal operation for when a memory card is loaded is carried out (step S4). At this time, "Memory Card" is displayed on the display unit 20. If it is judged in step S3 that it is not a memory card, the next card loaded is the one shown in FIG.
A card interface (I/F) unit 312 as shown in
It is determined whether the card is a memory card (I/O card) with a built-in memory (step S5).
The I/O card having only an external interface function is operated (step S6), and the display unit 20 displays "I
If it is determined in step S5 that the card is an I/O card with a card interface unit, "Card I/O" is displayed on the display unit 20, and the buffer 313 is operated by the REG signal (step S7). The bus controller 318 is disabled by the I/O signal, and the buffer/decoder 317 is operated to connect the bus to the card interface unit 312 side (step S8). The detection signal of the memory card 2 input via the input signal terminal of the card interface unit 312 is read from the buffer memory 322 (step S9). Then, the memory card It is determined whether memory card 2 has been detected (step S10). When memory card 2 is detected, data is written to the latch address of the output signal terminal of latch 319 so that the REG signal selects attribute memory 211 (step S11), and attribute information is read from attribute information memory 211 (step S12). Here, the attribute information in memory card 2 is read by manipulating the output signal from the output signal terminal corresponding to the REG signal. That is, the latch 319 is controlled via the address data bus to set the REG signal of the memory card and specify the read memory.

Next, the contents stored in the attribute information memory 211 are read out to determine whether or not it is a memory card (step S
If it is not a memory card, a warning process is performed and a message is displayed urging the user to insert a memory card (step S1
4). If it is determined in step S13 that the card is a memory card, the REG signal is inverted and switched to the image data memory 212 side (step S15). Furthermore, the image data is read out and restored to image data by the compression/expansion circuit 17 and stored in the RAM 14 (step S16). Thereafter, the buffer/decoder 317 is disabled by an I/O signal to operate the bus controller 318, switching the bus to the controller 318 side (step S17), and the image data on the RAM 14 is read out sequentially and written to the transmission data register of the bus controller 318 (step S18). The bus controller 318
When data is written to the transmit register, the device automatically outputs the data to an external bus in accordance with a specific protocol. The external device reads the data in accordance with, for example, a SCSI interface.

In the above embodiment, an example is described in which image data from a memory card is sent to the camera body, where it is subjected to the specified processing and then sent to an external device. However, it is of course possible to similarly send data from an external device such as a personal computer to the memory card, and it is clear that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned solid-state memory camera but can also be applied to any other device (information device that uses a memory card, such as a word processor).

[0016]

As described above, the I/O device according to the present invention
The I/O card has a structure that allows a memory card to be loaded into the I/O card, and data is exchanged between the loaded memory card and the device in which the I/O card is loaded via an interface section built into the I/O card. This not only enables the I/O card to perform the original interface function with external devices, but also enables data exchange and interface functions with memory cards, thereby significantly improving usability and simplifying the configuration since the device in which the I/O card is loaded requires only one slot for loading.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of application of an I/O card according to the present invention to a solid-state memory camera.

FIG. 2 is a simplified perspective view showing an example of application of an I/O card according to the present invention to a solid-state memory camera.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a memory card according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an I/O card in an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a flowchart showing an operation process procedure in the embodiment shown in FIG.

6 is a flowchart showing an operation process procedure in the embodiment shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Camera body 2 Memory card 2A, 3A Connector section 3 I
/O card 4 External device 5 Bus 11 Taking lens 12 Taking circuit 13 A/D converter 14 R
AM 15 D/A converter 16 Video encoder 17 Compression/expansion circuit 18 Bus switching circuit 19 System control circuit 20 Display unit 21 Operation unit 22 Card interface (I/F) unit 10, 30 Slot 211, 314 Compressed information memory 212 Image data memory 213, 315, 316 Inverter 311 I/O card pin 312 Card interface unit 313, 320-322 Buffer 317 Buffer/decoder 318 Bus controller 319 Latch

Continued from the front page (58) Fields searched (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G06K 17/00 G06F 3/00 - 3/08 H04N 5/225 H04N 5/907 H01R 31/06

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] [Claim 1] An I/O card that is loaded into a specified device and performs signal conversion to exchange information between the device and another specified external device, said I/O card comprising an external bus interface for exchanging information with the specified external device, and a memory card interface for exchanging information with a memory card. [Claim 2] The I/O card of claim 1, wherein the memory card interface has at least a first information transmission means for enabling a specified device in which the I/O card is loaded to recognize first information relating to whether or not a memory card is connected, and a second information transmission means for providing the specified device with second information for selectively accessing the attribute information memory area and data area of the memory card to the memory card.