JP3407323B2 - Camera with data imprint function - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera with a data imprinting function for imprinting data characters on a film surface in synchronism with film feeding.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been proposed a camera which detects a movement of a film while the film is running and causes a plurality of light emitting elements to emit light in synchronism with the movement to imprint data on the film surface.

Also, a camera capable of selecting a normal screen size (normal size) and a panorama size has already been proposed. Further, there has already been proposed a camera that switches and imprints the imprinting conditions such as the shape and position of the data imprinted character according to the switching between the panorama size and the normal size.

In the conventional camera, the film is wound after opening and closing the shutter for photographing. Data is imprinted in synchronization with film winding. The selection of the panorama mode is performed by the user of the camera operating the panorama mode selection means. Since the panorama mode selection means can be operated at all times, it can be operated after the shutter is opened and closed and before the winding is completed.

[0005]

In the conventional camera, when the user operates the panorama mode selecting means after opening and closing the shutter and before the completion of winding, the image capturing is performed in the normal mode, but the data imprinting is not performed. There is a problem that the image is imprinted in the panorama mode, or the image is imprinted in the panorama mode but the data imprint is imprinted as the normal mode.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and can cope with the screen size at the time of shooting even when the user operates the screen size selecting means after the shutter is opened and closed until the winding is completed. The purpose is to ensure that the data is imprinted correctly.

[0007]

In order to achieve this object, a camera with a data imprinting function according to the invention of claim 1 comprises a screen size selecting means for selecting a first screen size and a second screen size. , A screen size storage means for storing the screen size selected by the screen size selection means before starting film feeding, a data copying means for copying data on the film in synchronization with film feeding, and a data copying Control means for driving and controlling the embedding means, the screen size stored in the screen size storage means is read, and the shape of the characters imprinted is changed according to the screen size so that the character is imprinted. Controls the data imprinting means. The camera with a data imprinting function according to the invention of claim 2 reads the screen size stored in the screen size storage means in claim 1, and changes the width of the characters to be imprinted according to the screen size. The control means controls the data copying means.

[0008]

In the camera with the data imprinting function having the above-described structure, the shape of the imprinted character is switched and imprinted according to the selection state of the screen size selection means before the start of winding, so that the user releases the shutter. Even if the screen size selection unit is switched after the opening / closing and before the completion of the imprinting, imprinting corresponding to the screen size at the time of shooting is correctly executed.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block connection diagram showing an embodiment of a camera with a data imprinting function according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the battery 8 is connected to a motor drive circuit 13 and a constant voltage circuit 9. Constant voltage circuit 9
Is a stabilized power supply circuit that allows a constant voltage to be taken out even if the voltage of the battery 8 fluctuates. The stabilized voltage power is supplied to the CPU 10, the LED drive circuit 11, and the photo interrupter 12.

The CPU 10 is connected to a half-push switch 15 which is turned on by half-pressing the release button, a release switch 16 which is turned on by fully-pressing the release button, and a panorama switch 17 which selects a panorama mode.
An LED drive circuit 11 and a motor drive circuit 13 are also connected to the CPU 10. CPU10 and LED
The drive circuit 11 is connected by a plurality of control signals.

The LED drive circuit 11 includes LEDs 1 to LE.
Seven light emitting elements D7 are connected. The output signal (interrupter signal) of the photo interrupter 12 is the CPU
10 are being supplied. Further, a film feeding motor 14 is connected to the motor driving circuit 13, and the motor driving circuit 13 controls the film feeding motor 14 by a control signal from the CPU 10.

A member (not shown) for switching the photographing screen size is interlocked with the panorama switch 17, and when the panorama switch 17 is on, the screen size is the panorama size and the panorama switch 17 is When it is off, the screen size is set to normal size.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a film feeding system in an embodiment of a camera with a data imprinting function according to the present invention. The film 53 is in contact with the roller 51 by the pressing spring 52. Film feeding motor 14
When the film 53 is driven by (see FIG. 1),
The roller 51 rotates. Since the roller 51 and the encoder 50 have the same rotation axis, when the roller 51 rotates, the encoder 50 also rotates. In the encoder 50, non-transmissive parts and transmissive parts are alternately provided radially at predetermined rotation angles. By the rotation of the encoder 50, the transmissive portion and the non-transmissive portion of the encoder 50 are alternately passed between the light projecting portion and the light receiving portion of the photo interrupter 12, and the photo interrupter 12 detects the transmissive portion and the non-transmissive portion. can get. The data imprinting LED array 54 is an integrated array of seven LEDs and corresponds to the LEDs 1 to 7 shown in FIG. A condenser lens 55 condenses the light emitted by the LED array 54 on the surface of the film 53. As a result, the data is imprinted on the surface of the film 53. In this embodiment, 7 LEs
One row of characters is formed by D1 to LED7, and one row is formed by five rows.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the shape of the imprinted character according to this embodiment. The black circles in the drawing indicate that the LEDs 1 to 7 emit light at that timing and dots are imprinted on the surface of the film 53. In the white circles, LEDs 1 to 7 are controlled to be turned off and LEDs 1 to L
The ED 7 does not emit light, which means that nothing is imprinted on the surface of the film 53. 7 LEDs 1-L
Characters are formed by turning on or off the ED 7 five times in the A-row, B-row, C-row, D-row, and E-row.

The CPU 10 controls the entire sequence of the camera and operates according to the flow charts of FIGS. The CPU 10 is a one-chip microcomputer, and the processing shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.
3 shows a part of the program contained in the CPU 10 related to the present embodiment. Further, the timer, counter, etc. described in the flowchart are all built in the CPU 10.

Next, the flow of the photographing processing operation of one embodiment of the camera with the data imprinting function according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 4, it is assumed that the battery 8 has already been charged. When the half-push switch 15 is turned on, the process starts from step S300. First, step S
At 301, the CPU 10 sends a signal to a photometric circuit (not shown) to perform photometric processing, calculates the brightness of the subject from the amount of light input to the light receiving element in the photometric circuit, and obtains the shutter opening time. Next, in step S302, a distance measurement start signal is sent to a distance measurement circuit (not shown), and the distance measurement circuit starts distance measurement processing. When the distance measurement is completed, the distance measurement circuit outputs the distance measurement result to the CPU 10. Then, it progresses to the loop of step S303 and step S304. When it is confirmed in step S304 that the halfway press switch 15 is off, step S3
The processing ends at 05. In this case, shooting is not performed.

In step S303, the release switch 16
If it is confirmed to be ON, the process proceeds to step S306. In step S306, the lens is driven to a predetermined position according to the distance measurement value obtained in step S302. Then, step S
In 307, the shutter is opened and closed based on the opening time obtained in step S301. In the following step S308, the lens is returned to the initial position. Further, in step S309, the film 53 is wound up, and at the same time, the data is imprinted on the surface of the film 53. Details of the winding process and the imprinting process will be described later. Then, the process proceeds to step S310, and waits until the halfway press switch 15 is turned off. Step S31
When it is confirmed that the half-push switch 15 is off at 0, the process ends at step S311.

5 and 6 are flowcharts showing the winding process and the imprinting process. Step S in FIG.
The details of the winding process shown at 309 correspond to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Hereinafter, in the winding process of the embodiment of the present invention, it is assumed that one frame of the film 53 corresponds to the 360 edge of the interrupter signal. Further, it is assumed that the data imprinting is performed from the 200th edge during the feeding of one frame, and the imprinting is performed from the 200th edge to the 280th edge. Also, in normal mode, one edge is LE
D1 to LED7 emit light once, but in the panorama mode, they emit light twice per edge. As a result, in the panorama mode, the width of the characters printed on the film 53 becomes half of that in the normal mode, and the width of the characters on the print becomes appropriate.

When step S309 in FIG. 4 is reached,
The winding process (step S100) of FIG. 5 is called.
In the winding process of FIG. 5, first, the panorama switch 17 is read in step S101, and when it is off, step S
In 102, the normal mode is stored, and when it is on, the panorama mode is stored. After that, the panorama and the normal are discriminated based on the stored value, not the state of the panorama switch 17.

Next, in step S104, the end detection timer is started. The end detection timer is a timer for determining whether or not the film 53 has reached the end, and the time is up when the interrupter signal is not continuously input for a certain period of time. Next, in step S105, the edge counter is set to 0. The edge counter is a counter for counting the number of edges of the interrupter signal input during the feeding of one frame of film. Further step S10
At 6, the forward rotation of the motor 14 is started. When the motor 14 is normally rotated, the film 53 is fed in the winding direction. When the motor 14 starts normal rotation, the process proceeds to the loop of steps S107 to S108. It waits for the interrupt signal to be inverted in step S107 or for the termination detection timer to time up in step S108. When the termination detection timer times out in step S108, step S11
In step 6, the motor 14 is braked for 100 mS, and the motor 14 is stopped in step S117. In this case, the film 53 has reached the end. After that, step S11
8, the process proceeds to step S310 in FIG.

When the inversion of the interrupter signal is detected in step S107, the edge counter is incremented by 1 in step S109. Next, it is confirmed whether the edge counter is 190. If it is 190, the count value of the end detection timer is read in step S111, and 1/2 of the count value is stored in step S112. This is to be used as the processing time for performing the imprinting twice for one edge in the panorama mode. Next step S1
At 13, the end detection timer is restarted.

Next, in step S114, it is confirmed whether the edge counter is 200 or not. If it is 200, the process proceeds to step S200 of FIG. 6 to start the data imprinting process. If the edge counter is not 200, the process proceeds to step S115, and it is confirmed whether or not the edge counter is 360.
If it is 360, the feeding of one frame has been completed, the brake is applied for 100 mS in step S116, and the step S1 is performed.
In step 17, the motor 14 is stopped, and the process returns from step S118 to step S310 in FIG. 4 (step S110). If not 360 in step S115, step S108
The process proceeds to step S107 to step S108, and waits again for time-up or inversion of the interrupter signal.

Next, the process after the edge counter is 200 in step S114 and the process proceeds to step S200 (FIG. 6) will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 6, first, the flag A is cleared in step S200. Next, in step S201, it is determined whether or not the panorama mode is set. This is step S10.
2 or according to the stored value stored in step S103. In the normal mode, the process proceeds to step S205 and waits for the inversion of the interrupter signal. In the panorama mode, the process proceeds to step S202 and the flag A is inverted. Next, in step S203, it is determined whether the flag A is 1.

When the flag A is 1, the process proceeds to step S205 as in the normal mode, and waits for the inversion of the interrupter signal. When the flag A is 0, the process proceeds to step S204 and waits for the timer A to time up. In the panorama mode, by identifying with the flag A, the imprinting on the edge of the interrupter signal and the imprinting after a predetermined time has elapsed from the input of the interrupter signal are alternately executed. As a result, the imprinting is executed twice for one edge. The predetermined time is counted by the timer A, and the count value is set to the same time as the stored value stored in step S112.

The loop of steps S205 to S206 waits for the inversion of the interrupter signal. Step S20
When the end detection timer is reversed in step 6, step S11
Proceed to 6 (Fig. 5). When the inversion of the interrupter signal is detected in step S205, the process proceeds to step S207.
In step S207, the timer A for counting the panorama mode imprinting time is started. Next, step S2
At 08, the end detection timer is cleared and restarted. Next, in step S209, the edge counter is incremented by 1. Further, in step S210, it is confirmed whether the edge counter has reached 280. If the edge counter is 280, the copying process is terminated, the process proceeds to step S107 of FIG. 5, and the loop of steps S107 to S108 is repeated. If it is not 280 in step S210, the imprinting process is executed in step S211 and subsequent steps.

In step S210, the edge counter is set to 28.
When it is determined that it is not 0 and when the timer A times out in step S204, the imprinting is executed in step S211 and subsequent steps. The imprinting process starts with step S.
At 211, the imprinted data in the CPU 10 is transferred to the CPU 1
Read out to the imprint area inside 0. Then, in accordance with the read data, in step S212 the LED drive circuit 11
Output the imprinting signal to. After that, 100 μS is waited in step S213. This 100 μS is LED1 to LE
This is the lighting time of D7. After that, the imprinting signal is turned off in step S214, and the LE is turned on in step S212.
All D1 to LED7 are turned off.

Thus, the processing for one column of characters is completed. As a result, the column A of the desired character (see FIG. 3) is imprinted. After that, the process returns to step S201, and after repeating the same processing, waits for the next imprint timing. That is, in the normal mode, the next inversion of the interrupter signal is waited for, and in the panorama mode, the current step S205.
If the edge is detected and imaged in step S, step S
If the count-up of the timer A is awaited at 204, and the count-up of the timer A is detected and imaged at step S204 this time, the next interrupt signal inversion is awaited at step S205.

As described above, the imprinting is performed five times (A in FIG. 3).
Columns from column E) to form one character. This is repeated for the predetermined number of characters, and when the printing of the predetermined number of characters (here, up to 280 edges of the interrupter signal) is completed, from step S210,
It returns to the loop of step S107-step S108 shown in FIG.

As described above, the circuit configuration shown in the circuit diagram of FIG. 1 and the film feeding system shown in FIG.
If the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG.
Characters having a shape as shown in FIG. 3 are imprinted. Since the state of the panorama switch 17 is read and stored only once immediately before the start of winding (that is, immediately after closing the shutter), the user can perform panorama switch 17 within about 1 second from the closing of the shutter to the completion of winding. Even if 17 is switched, the imprinting corresponding to the screen size can be correctly executed.

In the above embodiment, the width of the character to be imprinted is switched by switching between the normal mode and the panorama mode.
By switching the judgment value of the edge counter in step S114 of FIG. 6 or step S210 of FIG. 6 between the normal mode and the panorama mode, the film 5
It is also possible to shift the imprinting position on the surface of No. 3 to the left or right. Also, considering the print size of the panoramic photo,
It is also possible to imprint different character shapes in the normal mode and the panorama mode. In all of these cases, whether or not the panorama mode is set is stored immediately before the start of winding, and the process may be executed based on the stored value.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the data to be imprinted has been described as being numbers, but the present invention can be applied to not only numbers but also letters such as alphabets, hiragana, katakana and kanji. .

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the LED
Although the case has been described in which the characters are printed by a combination of light emission and extinction of the array multiple times, the present invention can also be applied to the case of using a 7-segment LED that emits light only once in a predetermined shape. In this case, two types of 7 with different width
This can be realized by selecting the segment LED in the normal mode and in the panorama mode and controlling the lighting.

[0037]

As described above, according to the camera with the data imprinting function of the present invention, the stored contents of the screen size storage means for storing the screen size selected by the screen size selection means before the film feeding is started. The shape of the characters to be imprinted is switched according to the imprinting conditions, so even when the user operates the screen size selection means after the shutter is opened and closed until the winding (film feeding) is completed, It is possible to correctly imprint data corresponding to the screen size of.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block connection diagram showing an embodiment of a camera with a data imprinting function according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a film feeding system in an embodiment of a camera with a data imprinting function according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the shape of an imprinted character in one embodiment of a camera with a data imprinting function according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a photographing process in an embodiment of a camera with a data imprinting function according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a winding process in an embodiment of the camera with a data imprinting function according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a winding process in an embodiment of a camera with a data imprinting function according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1-7 LED 8 batteries 9 constant voltage circuit 10 CPU 11 LED drive circuit 12 Photointerrupter 13 Motor drive circuit 14 Film feeding motor 15 Half-press switch 16 Release switch 17 Panorama switch 50 encoder 51 Laura 52 Hold spring 53 films 54 LED array 55 Condensing lens

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page       (56) References Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-27823 (JP, A)                 JP 63-142338 (JP, A)                 JP-A-3-204631 (JP, A)

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A screen size selection means for selecting a first screen size and a second screen size, and a screen size storage for storing the screen size selected by the screen size selection means before starting film feeding. means and a data imprinting means imprint the data on the film in synchronization with feeding the film feeding, the data imprinting means and control means for controlling driving, screens are stored in the screen size storing means Read size
A camera with a data imprinting function, characterized in that the control means controls the data imprinting means so as to imprint and imprint differently shaped characters depending on the screen size . 2. A picture that is stored in the screen size storing means
It reads the face size, so as to cause different widths of characters imprinted in accordance with said screen size, with functional data imprinting of claim 1, wherein said control means and controls said data imprinting means camera.