JP3298145B2 - Viewfinder for video camera - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic or optical viewfinder used for a video camera.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, a so-called viewfinder is provided in a camera body of an 8 mm video camera, an electronic still camera and the like which are rapidly spreading. These viewfinders are for confirming an image of a subject, and an electronic viewfinder has a function of displaying an image according to an image signal from a solid-state image sensor in an electronic viewfinder. .

In the above-mentioned 8 mm video camera and the like, the functions of the 8 mm video camera and the like are diversified, and the arrangement of operation buttons of various functions is required in order to improve user operability, portability, or design. Ingenuity of the configuration is various, and in general, a button group to be used in the camera shooting mode and a button group to be used in the recording / reproducing mode are arranged and set separately in the camera device body. ing.

The development of functions, data codes, and time codes for recording a video signal with date and time superimposed on the video signal and for recording various types of date and time information on a tape is also remarkable. is there.

[0005]

However, since the operation buttons for the various functions described above are merely provided on the main body of the apparatus, a user who operates the camera while checking the subject image with the viewfinder is used. When the operation buttons used in the mode are switched, there is an inconvenience that the user must once take his / her eyes off the viewfinder, select a plurality of functions, and then look through the viewfinder again. Then, when the user takes his / her eyes away from the viewfinder, there arises a problem that blurring of a subject image and shooting outside the target are induced in camera shooting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a viewfinder for a video camera capable of operating a camera photographing mode and the like accurately and easily while checking a subject image.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is annular,
Provided on the outer periphery of a substantially cylindrical viewfinder,
Operating means capable of moving in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation direction; rotation angle detection means for detecting rotation angle information obtained by rotation of the rotation switch; Movement detection means for detecting movement information obtained by moving in a substantially vertical direction, and a plurality of function display units disposed around a subject image confirmation area in the viewfinder and displaying a plurality of functions of the video camera. And selecting a function of the video camera according to the rotation angle information, setting a function display section corresponding to the selected function to a display form different from other function display sections, and moving the function of the selected video camera to the above-mentioned position. A control unit for determining the information according to the information.

[0008]

According to the present invention, since the function corresponding to the selection of the switch is displayed in the viewfinder, a plurality of functions of the video camera can be selected without keeping an eye on the viewfinder.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. This embodiment is applied to an 8 mm video camera that is rapidly spreading at present. As described below, a switch for selecting a plurality of functions is provided outside the viewfinder, while the viewfinder is used. , A plurality of function display units selected by at least the above switch are arranged inside, and one function selected by the above switch is displayed.

First, as shown in FIG. 2, the 8-mm video camera 1 has a viewfinder 2 disposed on the side where the left hand of the user is located, and operation buttons (not shown) used in a recording / reproducing mode. The groups are unified on the upper surface side of the apparatus main body.

The viewfinder 2 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and a ring-shaped rotary switch 3 is fitted on the outer periphery thereof. The rotary switch 3 is configured to be able to rotate the outer peripheral portion of the viewfinder 2 in the XX direction in FIG. 1 and to move in the YY direction in the length direction in FIG.

Among the functions to be used when the video camera 1 is in the camera shooting mode, the ring-shaped rotary switch 3 has a FADER function for a fade operation, a DATE function for recording a date, and a time record. The setting is made so that various functions such as a TIME function for switching are performed. That is, every time the rotary switch 3 is rotated by a predetermined angle in the XX direction in FIG.
Various functions such as functions are switched. The function such as FADER is determined by moving the viewfinder 2 in the Y-Y direction in FIG. 1 along the length direction of the viewfinder 2 while maintaining the various rotation angles of the rotary switch 3. .

That is, the above configuration will be described with reference to the block circuit shown in FIG.
A position detection device 11 for detecting rotation angle information obtained by the rotation of the rotation switch 3, a decision information switch 12 for detecting information on a movement position due to a lengthwise movement of the viewfinder 2, and obtaining these information. Above FAD
A microcomputer 13 for controlling the selected function display section to a display form different from other function display sections by color display or the like along with switching of various functions such as ER; a viewfinder 2 for displaying a plurality of functions; And a mechanical control microcomputer 14.

As shown in FIG. 3, a function display section 6 is provided around a display screen (subject image confirmation area) 5 of the viewfinder 2, and a date data function (date DC) is provided in the center. ), A display section 8 for a fader function and a display section 9 for a time data function (time DC) are arranged on both sides of the display section 7 for the date DC. The display section of the function is arranged. As described above, the display screen 5 in the viewfinder 2 displays all the functions corresponding to the rotation angle of the rotation switch 3.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the position detecting device 11 detects rotation angle information of a plurality of function selections obtained by the rotation of the rotary switch 3, and determines each function selection by the viewfinder 2 described above. Information of the movement position by the longitudinal movement of the
Is detected. Then, the information is supplied to the microcomputer 13 and the microcomputer 13
The various functions such as the above-mentioned FADER are switched, and various functions are displayed on the display screen 5 in the viewfinder 2, and the function display section selected by the rotary switch 3 shows a colored display or the like. Control to a display mode different from that of the other function display sections.

That is, the microcomputer 13
Activates the viewfinder 2 and, as shown in FIG.
Each function selected by the rotary switch 3 is displayed on the display screen 5 in the viewfinder, and the selected one is displayed.
Two functions are displayed by white or coloring.

Next, a process of selecting a function according to this embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. As a premise, the process proceeds as follows with a switch (not shown) for switching between the photographing mode and the recording / reproducing mode of the camera apparatus body 1 set to the camera photographing mode.

When the rotary switch 3 is rotated, ring control is started (first step S1), and all the function displays corresponding to the rotation angle of the rotary switch 3 are made. , Or a state in which whitening or coloring is performed. Then, under the control of the microcomputer 13, various types of function display can be selected, and the process proceeds to a second step (S <b> 2) of selecting the angle information corresponding to the rotation angle of the rotary switch 3, and displaying the information. The process proceeds to a third step (S3) in which each function display in the screen 5 is changed to a display with one color for each rotation angle. In this state, the colored display of the various function display units (7, 8, 9 and the like) 6 around the display screen 5 moves sequentially.

When the function changed to the colored display is desired by the user, the movement of the rotary switch 3 in the longitudinal direction is switched, and the determination information from the determination information switch 12 is changed by this movement switching. When the microcomputer 13 has read, the process proceeds to a fourth step (S4) for determining the function of the colored display. For example, if the DC date is determined, as shown in FIG. 3, the colored display of the function display unit 7 (date DC) of the display screen 5 is determined, and “date” is displayed on the display screen 5 and “date” is displayed. Then, the shooting mode is set (fifth step S5). Then, the ring control ends (sixth step S
6).

On the other hand, when the selected function is not the desired one, the movement of the rotary switch 3 in the longitudinal direction is not switched. In this case, the microcomputer 13 reads the confirmation information from the confirmation information switch 12. Instead, the process returns to the second step S2 in which angle information from the rotary switch 3 is detected again to select a function.

Although the present embodiment has the above-described configuration, it can be configured as follows. First, in the present embodiment, the functions mainly used in the photographing mode are set. However, according to the present invention, not only the functions in the photographing mode but also the functions in the recording / playback mode can be set. In addition, the function display on the display screen 5 can be changed as appropriate in accordance with actual use, and it is necessary to display the function display so that the rotation operation can be switched from the most frequently used one in the use operation. preferable. Further, FIG. 3 is a diagram in which the display of the date data function is selected. When there are two or more selected functions, each display can be displayed with a color or the like. If another different color is used, the use condition can be further improved.

[0022]

According to the present invention, since a plurality of function displays corresponding to the rotation of the rotary switch for selecting a plurality of functions are displayed in the viewfinder, the rotary switch can be operated without keeping an eye on the viewfinder. Can select and confirm a plurality of functions. That is, the function can be selected and confirmed by operating the rotation switch while looking through the viewfinder and checking the subject. As a result, the operation of the rotary switch is simplified, and the problem of blurring of a subject or non-target shooting in camera shooting caused by taking an eye from a viewfinder can be solved.

Further, since the display of a plurality of functions necessary for the operation can be known on the display screen of the viewfinder, it is possible to easily know without having to examine operation manuals and the like in detail and to operate the operation buttons. The operability of the video camera is improved through reduction, unification of the arrangement of operation buttons, and the like.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram of a camera viewfinder according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of an 8 mm video camera having a camera viewfinder according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an internal display of a camera viewfinder according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process of selecting a function of a camera viewfinder according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Video camera (8 mm video camera) 2 ... Viewfinder 3 ... Rotation switch 5 ... Display screen (subject image confirmation area) 6 ... Function display part

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 5/225-5/247

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An annular, substantially cylindrical viewfinder.
Is provided on the outer periphery of the
Operation means capable of moving in a straight direction, and rotation angle information obtained by rotation of the rotation switch
A rotation angle detecting means for detecting, transfer the rotary switch to a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of rotation
Movement detection that detects movement information obtained by moving
And a plurality of function tables disposed around the subject image confirmation area in the viewfinder and displaying a plurality of functions of the video camera.
Select the video camera function according to the display section and the above rotation angle information
And the function display section corresponding to the selected function is displayed in another function table.
The display format is different from that of the display
Control to determine the function of the video camera according to the above movement information
Viewfinder for a video camera, characterized in that it comprises a part.