JP4358372B2 - Camera system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention, camera and relates to a camera system comprising the charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery of the camera.
[0003]
[Prior art]
Normally, the camera has built-in sensors for compensating for temperature and humidity characteristics such as expensive photometry and distance measurement sensors and lenses for use during shooting. It is configured so that it can perform proper shooting.
[0004]
Also, batteries have been installed for a long time for various controls such as automatic exposure control based on these various sensor outputs and strobe light emission, but with the recent full automation by microcomputer control, more and more electric circuits Dependence is getting stronger.
[0005]
It is cumbersome to always be aware of this battery replacement, and a camera using a charger is proposed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-14615 in consideration of the environmental impact of battery disposal. .
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, with the development of portable devices, the number of products that depend on batteries continues to increase. From mobile phones and portable audio devices that are used when commuting to school, to children's game devices. Until now, chargers are overflowing in the home. Under such circumstances, if a battery charger is required for the camera, the entire house is flooded with battery chargers, and the usual living space is terrified.
[0007]
Also, if the camera charger is stowed in, etc., in a modern society where things are overflowing, it is easy to create a situation where you do not know where you put it.
[0008]
The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances described above, and the camera is always in a charged state while the camera is being charged and when the battery is not charged, while preventing the charging device from getting in the way and ensuring a comfortable living space. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a camera system that does not miss a photo opportunity.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
To achieve the above object, a camera system according to the present invention is a camera system comprising a camera and a separate charging device for charging a secondary battery of the camera,
The charging device is
A communication unit for communicating with the camera;
A clock part,
A display part provided on the exterior part for displaying the time measurement result by the clock part;
Display illumination for illuminating the display unit;
A charging unit for charging the secondary battery of the camera by non-contact charging using magnetic energy;
A charging state determination unit for determining a charging state of the secondary battery of the camera by the charging unit by a magnetic signal;
Control means for switching the operation sequence of the charging device according to the determination result of the charging state determination unit, or switching the operation sequence of the camera via the communication unit,
Equipped with a,
The control of the operation sequence of the camera is such that, during the charging, a signal based on photometric data by a photometric sensor for exposure control of the camera is output to the control means via the communication unit,
Control of the operation sequence of the charging device is to control lighting of the display illumination from a signal based on the photometric data during the charging.
It is characterized by that.
[0010]
In other words, according to the camera system of the present invention, since the charging device can be used as a watch, the charging device is not disturbed even during charging of the camera or other than during charging, so that the living space is comfortable. It is possible to provide a camera system that keeps the camera in a charged state while ensuring it and does not take a photo opportunity.
[0014]
Further, according to the camera system of the present invention, the control means can control the operation sequence of the camera or the clock display operation control sequence provided on the exterior of the charging device, depending on whether or not the camera is in a charged state. The operation sequence of the charging device is switched , specifically, the photometric data from the photometric sensor of the camera that controls the exposure at the time of shooting is used for lighting control for display illumination in the charged state. A watch that looks good even in a dark place can be provided .
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0016]
[First Embodiment]
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a usage state of the camera system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
[0017]
That is, the camera 1 is inserted into the charger 2 connected to the outlet 3 of the household AC power source, and in this state, the secondary battery in the camera is charged, and when the user 5 wants to use it, the energy is sufficiently stored. It seems to be.
[0018]
Therefore, the charger 2 has a clock display unit 4 and is configured to be an alarm clock. In other words, by having a second function different from that of the camera 1, the second function makes it impossible to make the charger 2 conscious of the camera, so that it can be absorbed into the indoor layout and atmosphere. be able to.
[0019]
There are other chargers or AC adapters such as telephone cordless handsets, portable CD players, electric toothbrushes, etc. in the user 5's room, and notebook computers also require chargers or AC adapters. If the complexity is increased, the richness is lost from the living space. Unlike the above products, the camera is used infrequently, it has a special character that it is preferable that the battery is charged at all times. Thus, the object of the present invention can be achieved.
[0020]
Here, the charger technology for charging the secondary battery differs depending on the allowable charging time and the battery used, but contact charging that electrically connects the charger and equipment with metal contact pins There are two types of non-contact chargers that use electromagnetism using a transformer and a transformer. For example, a personal computer or a telephone charger in FIG. 2 may be a contact type, and an electric toothbrush or the like is preferably a non-contact type in consideration of waterproof sealing.
[0021]
In the present embodiment, considering that the camera 1 is frequently used outdoors and water drops due to rain or snow are attached at that time, a non-contact rechargeable device will be assumed and described.
[0022]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electric circuit configuration of the camera system according to the present embodiment.
[0023]
The AC power source taken from the household outlet 3 is converted to a DC voltage by an input rectifying / smoothing circuit 21 built in the charger 2. In DC voltage, the transformers 12a and 12b are not coupled, and in order to increase the efficiency, electromagnetic coupling between the transformers is performed with high frequency oscillation higher than the commercial frequency. A circuit that performs this high-frequency oscillation is a resonance circuit 22. The primary transformer 12a is housed on the charger 2 side, but the secondary transformer 12b is housed on the camera 1 side and is opposed to the primary transformer 12a. Magnetic energy is transmitted between the transformers. Then, the secondary battery 201 is charged by the output rectifier circuit 13.
[0024]
As the secondary battery 201, a nickel cadmium battery, a nickel metal hydride battery, or the like can be used. The former has a characteristic that it can handle a large current and the latter has a large capacity. Although a device such as low rate charging can be considered for the charging method, it is an area that is not the essence of the invention, so the description thereof will be omitted.
[0025]
However, since the non-contact charger is heated and dangerous when a metal object is placed due to the release of magnetic energy, in the present embodiment, the non-contact charger is provided with the intermittent oscillation circuit 24 and is used when the camera 1 is not provided. It is made to operate intermittently. When the camera 1 contacts the charger, the transformers 25a and 25b combine the magnetic energy to drive the auxiliary power circuit 28 of the camera 1 and apply power to the control circuit (CPU) 10 of the camera 1. The CPU 10 causes the transformer 27 b to generate a magnetic signal by the oscillation circuit 29. Since this magnetic signal is detected by the transformer 27a on the charger side, the signal detection circuit 26a shapes the signal and inputs it to the control circuit (CPU) 20. Thereby, CPU20 by the side of a charger can discriminate | determine that the camera 1 is a chargeable state.
[0026]
The CPU 20 that controls the charger 2 has a clock function block 20a, and can display the time on the display unit 4 as shown in FIG. Further, for use as an alarm clock, a switch 20b for setting an alarm time or setting the time is provided on the exterior so that the user can operate the switch 20b.
[0027]
Further, a signal that cannot be communicated with sufficient accuracy only by a magnetic signal is communicated from the camera 1 to the charger 2 side by an LED 17a and a photodiode (PD) 17b forming a photocoupler. The driver 16 is a circuit that drives and drives a current through the LED 17a, and the sensor 26b is a circuit that shapes the signal of the PD 17b.
[0028]
Further, signals communicated from the charger 2 to the camera 1 are communicated by the LEDs 18a and PD 18b. Thereby, the information formed by the clock function block 20a of the charger 2 can be transmitted to the camera side. The camera 1 has a date function block 31 for recording date information magnetically or optically on a film shooting frame so that the date and time of shooting can be displayed on a print. The date function block 31 is controlled by the CPU 10 to record date information at the time of shooting on a film (not shown). What was optically imprinted in the film screen became a form in which characters appeared on the screen on the photo print during development printing, and the type of magnetic imprinting was magnetically recorded on the magnetic recording layer provided on the film Information is read at the time of printing, and the printing machine converts it into text and prints it on the photograph.
[0029]
This camera built-in date function causes the memory in the CPU 10 to not operate properly and become inaccurate when the voltage of the battery serving as the power source of the camera 1 decreases, so that the time and date are each time the battery is renewed. It is necessary to realign correctly. In the present embodiment, in order to eliminate the troublesomeness, a radio timepiece linked with a service of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications that transmits standard time by radio waves is adopted as the clock function on the charger 2 side.
[0030]
That is, the radio timepiece has a built-in antenna (reception unit 30 in the figure) that automatically receives the standard radio wave once a day, for example, at 1 am, and calibrates the clock display according to the result, so that the clock display is very high. It becomes a clock function of accuracy. Since this accurate clock data is transmitted to the camera 1 side by signal communication by the previous optical coupling (photocoupler), the camera side can always recognize the accurate time at the time of charging.
[0031]
Such an operation is performed as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3A under the control of the CPU 20 of the charger 2.
[0032]
That is, first, it is determined whether or not it is a predetermined time for receiving the standard radio wave (step S11). If so, the standard radio wave is received and the time is calibrated (step S12).
[0033]
Thereafter, or when it is determined in step S11 that it is not the standard radio wave reception time, it is determined whether or not the camera 1 is set (step S13). If the camera is not set, the process returns to step S11.
[0034]
On the other hand, when the camera 1 is set, charging is started (step S14). Thereafter, the charging is completed (step S15) after the charging is completed (step S15).
[0035]
Then, the clock information is transmitted to the camera 1 side (step S17), and if there is a reception response from the camera side (step S18), the process returns to step S11.
[0036]
In this way, the camera 1 that has run out of battery is automatically reset to the correct date during charging, and the correct date can always be imprinted during shooting.
[0037]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the charger 2 of the camera 1 using the secondary battery 201, the charger 2 is provided with a function that can be used only as a radio clock. If you use it instead of a clock, you can add the excellent merchantability that the correct date is automatically set for the camera without disturbing the place of placement.
[0038]
[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The present embodiment is an example in which the function of the camera 1 is used when the camera system is provided with a function as an alarm clock.
[0039]
FIG. 3B is a diagram showing the configuration, and the charger 2 with a built-in watch to which the camera 1 is set is provided with a button 2a for stopping the alarm, and the user 5 wakes up. The alarm is stopped by pressing this button 2a. Here, as an alarm, in addition to a normal alarm clock sound, the function of the camera 1 is used effectively, and the strobe light 14a is used together to enhance the alarm effect.
[0040]
The configuration of the camera 1 and the charger 2 at this time is as shown in FIG. Note that this figure shows a characteristic part for realizing the alarm clock function, and the camera 1 and the charger 2 naturally have the configuration shown in FIG.
[0041]
That is, in addition to the clock function block 20a, the CPU 20 of the charger 2 stores a set time storage unit 43 that stores a time set by a user who should generate an alarm, and a time stored in the set time storage unit 43. And a comparator 44 that compares the current time measured by the clock function block 20a. When the comparator 44 detects coincidence of both times, an alarm signal is provided to the CPU 10 on the camera 1 side. During charging, the charging signal indicating charging is supplied from the CPU 20 on the charger 2 side to the CPU 10 on the camera 1 side.
[0042]
Further, the CPU 10 on the camera 1 side includes a strobe light emission pattern 1 storage unit 40, a strobe light emission pattern 2 storage unit 41, and a selection circuit 42. When the strobe 14a is caused to emit light, the strobe light emission pattern 1 or By giving 2 to the strobe control circuit 14, the strobe 14a can emit light in that pattern. Here, the strobe emission pattern is as shown in FIG. That is, the strobe light emission pattern 1 is a light emission pattern in which minute light emission is repeated prior to the above photographing in order to reduce the pupil of a person as a subject at the time of photographing to prevent a so-called red-eye phenomenon. The strobe light emission pattern 2 is a light emission pattern that applies the technology and repeats light emission many times with a light amount that is not as large as light emission at the time of exposure, thereby enhancing the eye-opening effect.
[0043]
Such a light emission pattern is selected by the selection circuit 42 in accordance with the presence or absence of a charging signal.
[0044]
5A and 5B show flowcharts of the CPU 20 on the charger 2 side and the CPU 10 on the camera 1 side for performing such an operation.
[0045]
That is, the clock function is always working on the charger 2 side (step S21), and if the camera 1 is set in the charger (step S22), a charging signal is output to the camera 1 side (step S23). ). In this charging mode, when the alarm time is reached (step S24), an alarm is sounded (step S25), and an alarm signal is transmitted to the camera 1 side (step S26). Here, when the user 5 presses the button 2a (step S27), the alarm is stopped (step S28).
[0046]
On the camera side, the communication with the charger 2 determines whether or not the charger 2 is in a charging mode for driving the resonance circuit 22 of FIG. 1 (step S31). When the charging mode is not set, the camera is in the normal camera mode, so that the flash emission control is performed in accordance with the release SW 102 (step S32) and the shooting pattern (strobe emission pattern 1) shown in FIG. S33), exposure to a film is performed (step S34).
[0047]
On the other hand, when it is determined that the charging mode is set (step S31), it is determined whether or not the alarm signal is sent from the charger 2 side (step S35), and if the alarm signal is received, Strobe light emission control is performed using the light emission pattern (strobe light emission pattern 2) at the time of alarm of FIG. 4B (step S36).
[0048]
In this way, the camera system can be used as an alarm clock.
[0049]
Since the release SW 102 is not monitored during charging, even if the release SW 102 is accidentally pressed during charging, there is no possibility that the film is wasted and the film is not wasted. That is, since the sequence control of the camera is automatically switched depending on whether or not it is in a charged state, it is resistant to malfunction and can be effectively utilized by using different functions (here, a strobe and a photometric sensor).
[0050]
[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment is another example of switching the sequence on the charger side.
[0051]
That is, as shown in FIG. 5C, in the state before the camera 1 is set in the charger 2, the display unit 4 attached to the front surface of the charger performs a clock display or an alarm setting time display. ing. However, when the camera 1 is set in the charger 2, the charging mode is set. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5D, the charger 2 can display the time until the charging is completed in addition to the clock. It has become.
[0052]
By displaying how much charging has progressed in this way, the user can determine when the camera can be used.
[0053]
In this way, when displaying the time until the completion of charging, in order to clearly show that the display is different from the clock, the display is displayed as suspiciously shown in FIG. If blinking, the user will not make a mistake. Without such ingenuity, the user may mistake the time required for charging to end with the current time, for example, hurrying out, making it difficult to wait, and inconvenience the user. There is.
[0054]
Further, the display form may be changed by operating the button 2a for ending the alarm alarm attached to the charger 2. That is, in the state where the button 2a is pressed, the time required for charging or the setting time for the awakening may be switched depending on whether or not it is in a charged state.
[0055]
In this case, the CPU 20 on the charger side operates as shown in FIG. That is, when the button 2a is pressed (step S41), if the current mode is not being charged (step S42), the alarm setting time is displayed blinking on the display unit 4 (step S43). If charging is in progress, the time required for charging is displayed blinking on the display unit 4 (step S44).
[0056]
[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment is an example in which the sensor function of the camera 1 is applied. When the brightness is automatically measured and dark, a backlight is provided on the display unit 4 as shown in FIG. It lights up so that the display can be seen even in the dark.
[0057]
As shown in FIG. 4C, the output of the photometric sensor 50 for controlling the exposure device 15 of the camera 1 is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 51, and the CPU 20 of the charger 2 is converted from the CPU 10. This is realized by controlling the on / off of the backlight (B.L) 52 by supplying it.
[0058]
That is, the output of the photometric sensor 50 built in the camera 1 is converted into a digital value by the A / D converter 51 and input to the CPU 10 of the camera 1 as photometric data. When used as a camera, the CPU 10 uses the photometric data to control the exposure device 15 such as a shutter or a strobe. On the other hand, during charging, a backlight lighting signal is input to the CPU 20 of the charger 2 according to the value of the photometric data, and the CPU 20 on the charger side turns on the backlight 52 accordingly. If the control is executed, it is possible to provide a timepiece with a display illumination function having the above effect.
[0059]
FIG. 6C is an operation flowchart of the CPU 10 on the camera side for performing such an operation. That is, if charging is not in progress (step S51), a well-known shooting sequence is executed in the normal camera mode (step S52). During charging, photometry is performed by the photometric sensor 50 every predetermined time (step S52). S53). Then, when the A / D output value of the photometric sensor 50 is below a predetermined luminance, that is, dark (step S54), a backlight lighting signal is communicated to the CPU 20 of the charger 2 (step S55), and from the back of the display unit 4 By turning on the backlight 52 such as a lamp or LED, it is possible to provide a watch that can be seen well in a dark place.
[0060]
[Fifth Embodiment]
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment is an example in which a number of switches provided on the camera side are effectively used to help the clock function.
[0061]
FIG. 6D shows a state in which the display mode of the clock displayed on the display unit 4 is switched by a switch (not shown) provided on the back surface of the camera 1.
[0062]
For example, the user 5 can set an alarm time using a button provided on the back of the camera 1 before setting the camera 1 in the charger 2.
[0063]
Further, as shown in FIGS. 6E and 6F, the setting for setting the date in the Japanese style or the Western style is also performed by the switch of the camera 1, and the camera 1 after these settings are set. Is set in the charger 2, the display mode of the display unit 4 of the charger 2 is switched according to the setting by the camera 1.
[0064]
In other words, setting buttons and switches are not necessary on the charger side. As a result, cost reduction and space merit can be achieved.
[0065]
[Sixth Embodiment]
Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment is another example for effectively utilizing a number of switches provided on the camera side to help the clock function, and for releasing the alarm as shown in FIG. In this configuration, the button 2a can be eliminated.
[0066]
That is, as shown in FIG. 6G, the release button 60 of the camera 1 is also used as an alarm release switch. In this way, this switch can be used as a release switch in camera mode (during non-charging) and as an alarm release or display changeover switch in watch mode (during charging), reducing the number of switches, reducing costs, The effect of space merit can be produced.
[0067]
As described above based on the embodiments, according to the present invention, the camera switch is shared with the switch of the charger (clock). Therefore, a simple and inexpensive charger with an alarm clock function is used. Can be provided with a secondary battery compatible camera.
[0068]
Although the present invention has been described based on the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. Here, the gist of the present invention is summarized as follows.
[0069]
(1) A camera system comprising a camera powered by a secondary battery and a charging device dedicated to the camera,
A camera system, wherein when the camera is set in the charging device, a charging operation is performed without an electrical contact.
[0070]
(2) The camera system according to (1), wherein when the camera is set in the charging device, mutual communication is performed between the camera and the charging device.
[0071]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the camera is always charged while the camera is being charged and when it is not being charged, while preventing the charger from getting in the way and ensuring a comfortable living space. It is possible to provide a camera system that does not miss a photo opportunity.
[0072]
In other words, when you want to use it, you can provide a camera with a built-in secondary battery that is always charged, free from the hassle of battery replacement, and make it a highly mobile product without losing shutter chances. Is possible.
[0073]
In addition, it is possible to provide environment-friendly products by reducing the number of discarded batteries as in a camera using a primary battery.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electric circuit configuration of a camera system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a usage state of the camera system according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 3A is a flowchart for explaining the operation on the charger side in the camera system according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 3B is a camera system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the use condition of.
FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a characteristic part of a camera system according to a second embodiment, FIG. 4B is a timing chart for explaining a strobe light emission pattern, and FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the characteristic part of the camera system which concerns on 4th Embodiment.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are operation flowcharts of the charger-side CPU and the camera-side CPU for explaining the operation of the second embodiment, respectively. FIGS. It is a figure which shows the state before and before the camera was set to the charger in the camera system which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of invention.
6A is an operation flowchart of the charger side CPU for explaining the operation of the third embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a usage state of the camera system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4C is an operation flowchart of the camera side CPU for explaining the operation of the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 4D is a diagram showing a use state of the camera system according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. , (E) and (F) are diagrams showing display examples for explaining the fifth embodiment, and (G) shows the usage status of the camera system according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Camera 2 Battery charger 2a Button 3 Outlet 4 Display part 5 User 10 Control circuit (CPU)
12a Primary transformer 12b Secondary transformer 14 Strobe control circuit 14a Strobe 15 Exposure device 20 Control circuit (CPU)
20a Clock function block 20b Switch 30 Receiving unit 40 Strobe emission pattern 1 storage unit 41 Strobe emission pattern 2 storage unit 42 Selection circuit 43 Set time storage unit 44 Comparator 50 Photometric sensor 52 Backlight (BL)
60 Release button 102 Release SW
201 Secondary battery

Claims (1)

A camera system comprising a camera and a separate charging device for charging the camera and a secondary battery of the camera,
The charging device is
A communication unit for communicating with the camera;
A clock part,
A display part provided on the exterior part for displaying the time measurement result by the clock part;
Display illumination for illuminating the display unit;
A charging unit for charging the secondary battery of the camera by non-contact charging using magnetic energy;
A charging state determination unit for determining a charging state of the secondary battery of the camera by the charging unit by a magnetic signal;
Control means for switching the operation sequence of the charging device according to the determination result of the charging state determination unit, or switching the operation sequence of the camera via the communication unit,
Equipped with a,
The control of the operation sequence of the camera is such that, during the charging, a signal based on photometric data by a photometric sensor for exposure control of the camera is output to the control means via the communication unit,
Control of the operation sequence of the charging device is to control lighting of the display illumination from a signal based on the photometric data during the charging.
A camera system characterized by that.

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