JP4614246B2 - Camera with communication function - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a digital camera, a silver salt camera, and a video camera, and particularly to a camera having a communication function.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A camera with a mobile phone function that combines a mobile phone with a communication function and a digital camera has been proposed.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the switching operation between the shooting function and the communication function is complicated, there is a case where a shooting opportunity is missed. Also, when a signal from another telephone is received during shooting, it may not be able to respond appropriately.
An object of this invention is to provide the camera with a communication function which can respond | correspond appropriately with these imaging | photography functions and a communication function.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In the camera with a communication function according to the first aspect of the present invention, a communication unit that communicates with another communication device, an imaging unit that captures a subject image, a communication mode that communicates with the communication unit, and an image is captured by the imaging unit. Switching means for switching between shooting modes, and when there is a communication request from another communication device during moving image shooting, the switching means performs a notification based on the communication request for a predetermined period, and the predetermined period The communication mode is switched from the shooting mode to the communication mode according to the user's communication operation, and the communication mode is switched to the shooting mode when communication in the communication mode ends.
[0005]
In the camera with a communication function according to a second aspect of the present invention, in the camera with a communication function according to the first aspect, the communication operation of the user is an operation indicating an instruction to end moving image shooting.
[0006]
In the camera with a communication function according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the camera with a communication function according to the first or second aspect, control is performed so as to store a received signal from another communication device during photographing by the imaging means. And a control means. In the camera with a communication function according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the camera with a communication function according to the first or second aspect, when there is communication from another communication device during photographing by the imaging means, the communication means And a control means for controlling to transmit a message.
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an external view of a camera with a communication function according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, a camera with a communication function (hereinafter referred to as a camera) 1 includes a photographing lens 2, a speaker 3, a display unit 4, a photographing start button 5, a “Yes” button 6, a “No” button 7, a dial button 8, and a mode switching button. 9, a microphone 10 and an antenna 11 are provided.
[0008]
The photographing lens 2 is a lens for forming a subject image on an image sensor 201 described later, and is provided so as to be rotatable by 180 degrees. The speaker 3 is for converting an electrical signal into sound. The display unit 4 is composed of an LCD or the like, and displays various information such as image information and character information. The recording start button 5 is a button for starting recording various information according to the mode setting by the mode switching button 9. The “Yes” button 6 and the “No” button 7 are buttons for the user to operate according to the will in response to an inquiry from the camera. The dial button 8 is a group of buttons used for inputting a telephone number. The mode switching button 9 is a button group for setting various modes such as power-off, call mode, still image shooting mode, moving image shooting mode, and voice recording mode. The microphone 10 is for converting sound into an electrical signal. The antenna 11 is for transmitting and receiving radio waves.
[0009]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal mechanism of the camera 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 2, the camera 1 includes an image sensor 201, an image processing circuit 202, a frame memory 203, a compression / decompression circuit 204, a flash memory 205, a microphone circuit 206, an audio processing circuit 207, a speaker circuit 208, a CPU 209, and a display circuit 210. A switch circuit 211, a vibration circuit 212, and a telephone circuit 213.
[0010]
The imaging element 201 is a photoelectric conversion element such as a CCD, and outputs a subject image as image data of an electrical signal.
The image processing circuit 202 performs various image processing on the image data output from the image sensor 201.
The frame memory 203 is a volatile semiconductor memory that temporarily stores image data and audio data subjected to image processing.
[0011]
The compression / decompression circuit 204 is a circuit for compressing and decompressing image data and audio data.
The flash memory 205 is a non-volatile memory that records image data and audio data.
The microphone circuit 206 is a circuit that drives the microphone 10.
[0012]
The audio processing circuit 207 performs various processes on the audio data input from the microphone 10.
The speaker circuit 208 is a circuit that drives the speaker 3.
The CPU 209 is electrically connected to a circuit in the camera 1 of the present embodiment, and is a circuit that controls all the control in the camera 1. The CPU 209 includes a timer and a memory. Various guides for notifying the user are stored in advance in the memory.
[0013]
The display circuit 210 is a circuit that drives the display unit 4.
The switch circuit 211 is a circuit that transmits operation states of switches and buttons to the CPU 209.
The vibration circuit 212 is a circuit for causing the camera 1 to signal in order to notify the user of an incoming call by vibration.
[0014]
The telephone circuit 213 is a circuit that realizes a telephone function for transmitting and receiving information.
Hereinafter, control performed by the CPU 209 of the camera according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.
This flowchart starts by receiving a call signal from the other party's telephone.
[0015]
In step S1, it is detected whether or not the mode selected by the mode switching button 9 is the still image shooting mode. If it is the still image shooting mode, the process proceeds to step S2, and if it is not the still image shooting mode, the process proceeds to step S11.
In step S2, incoming notification by vibration and display is prohibited, incoming notification by sound is performed, and the other party is notified by voice. Here, incoming notifications by display are also prohibited. This is because composition is important for still image shooting. This is because it is considered that the image displayed on the display unit 4 is not a little hidden when the display notification is performed. However, it goes without saying that an incoming call notification by display may be performed.
[0016]
In step S3, a voice guide indicating whether to talk while interrupting shooting or recording is read from the memory in the CPU and output from the speaker 3.
In step S4, it is detected whether or not the “Yes” button 6 has been pressed. If it is detected that the button has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S5. If it is not detected that the button has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S8.
[0017]
In step S5, the shooting mode or the voice recording mode is switched to the call mode, and a call with the other party is made possible.
In step S6, it is detected whether or not the call has ended. If it is detected that the call has ended, the process proceeds to step S7. If not ended, step S6 is repeated and the end of the call is detected continuously.
[0018]
In step S7, the process returns to the shooting mode or the voice recording mode.
In step S8, when it is not detected that the “Yes” button 6 is pressed in step S4, it is detected whether or not the “No” button 7 is pressed. If it is detected that the button has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S10. If it is not detected that the button has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S9.
[0019]
In step S9, it is detected by the timer in the CPU whether or not 10 seconds have elapsed since the incoming call. If 10 seconds have elapsed, the process proceeds to step S10. If 10 seconds have not elapsed, the process returns to step S3.
In step S10, the flow shown in FIG. 4 is executed.
In step S11, if it is not the still image shooting mode in step S1, it is detected whether the mode is the moving image shooting mode or the voice recording mode. If it is the moving image shooting mode or the voice recording mode, the process proceeds to step S12. If it is not the moving image shooting mode or the voice recording mode, the process proceeds to step S19.
[0020]
In step S12, it is detected whether shooting is being performed or recording is being performed in the moving image shooting mode or in the audio recording mode. If recording is in progress, the process proceeds to step S13. If not, the process proceeds to step S2.
In step S13, the incoming call notification by vibration and voice is prohibited, the incoming call notification by display on the display unit 4 is performed, and the call partner is displayed.
[0021]
In step S14, a guide as to whether or not shooting or recording is interrupted and the call is made is read from the memory in the CPU and displayed on the display unit 4.
In step S15, it is detected whether or not the shooting start button 5 has been pressed. If it is detected that the button has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S5. If it is not detected that the button has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S16.
[0022]
In step S16, it is detected whether or not the “No” button 7 has been pressed. If it is detected that the button has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S18. If it is not detected that the button has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S17.
In step S17, it is detected by the timer in the CPU whether or not 10 seconds have elapsed since the incoming call. If 10 seconds have elapsed, the process proceeds to step S18. If 10 seconds have not elapsed, the process returns to step S14.
[0023]
In step S18, the flow shown in FIG. 4 is executed.
In step S19, since it is determined that the mode is not the still image shooting mode in step S1 but the moving image shooting mode or the voice recording mode in step S11, the incoming call of vibration, sound, and display is notified, and the other party is notified.
In step S20, a call is started.
[0024]
In step S21, it is detected whether or not the call has ended. If it has been completed, this flow ends. If not finished, the process returns to step S20 to continue the call.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the control performed in steps S10 and S18 of FIG.
[0025]
In step S201, the other party is notified that the call cannot be made, and a message is sent.
In step S202, when the other party's telephone number and the other party have sent a message, the message is recorded. Here, the message can be stored in a memory in the camera, or can be stored in a predetermined telephone company memory.
[0026]
In step S203, it is detected whether or not the shooting mode has been switched to the call mode. If it is detected that the switch has been made, the process proceeds to step S204. If it is not detected that the switch has been made, it will continue to be detected that the shooting mode is switched to the call mode.
In step S204, it is detected whether a message from the other party is recorded. If a message is recorded, the process proceeds to step S205. If no message is recorded, the process proceeds to step S210.
[0027]
In step S205, whether or not to listen to the message is notified by voice and display.
In step S206, it is detected whether or not the “Yes” button 6 has been pressed. If it is detected that the button has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S207. If it is not detected that the button has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S208.
[0028]
In step S207, the recorded message is reproduced and this flow ends.
In step S208, if it is not detected that the “Yes” button 6 is pressed in step S206, it is detected whether or not the “No” button is pressed. If it is detected that the button has been pressed, this flow ends. If it is not detected that the button has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S209.
[0029]
In step S209, the timer detects whether 10 seconds have elapsed since the message was heard or notified. When 10 seconds have elapsed, this flow ends. If 10 seconds have not elapsed, the process returns to step S206.
In step S210, whether or not to call the other party is notified by voice and display.
In step S211, it is detected whether or not the “Yes” button 6 has been pressed. If it is detected that the button has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S212. If it is not detected that the button has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S214.
[0030]
In step S212, the recorded telephone number is dialed.
In step S213, a call is started.
In step S214, it is detected whether or not the call has ended. If it has been completed, this flow ends. If not finished, the process returns to step S213 to continue the call.
[0031]
In step S215, when it is not detected that the “Yes” button 6 is pressed in step S211, it is detected whether or not the “No” button 7 is pressed. If it is detected that the button has been pressed, this flow ends. If it is not detected that the button has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S216.
In step S216, it is detected by the timer whether 10 seconds have elapsed since the call was notified to the other party. When 10 seconds have elapsed, this flow ends. If 10 seconds has not elapsed, the process returns to step S211.
[0032]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, notification of incoming calls due to vibration is prohibited during still image shooting, standby, and moving image shooting standby, so that the shot image is not blurred. In addition, during shooting of moving images, the notification of incoming calls by vibration and sound is prohibited, so that the image being shot is not blurred and the ringtone is not recorded.
[0033]
In addition, since the shooting is interrupted and the mode is changed to the call mode and then the mode is returned to the shooting mode in response to the end of the call, the shooting can be resumed immediately after the end of the call.
In addition, when there is an incoming call notification during shooting, the operation can be switched to the call mode by an operation to stop shooting, so that a call can be made immediately after shooting is stopped.
[0034]
In addition, when an incoming call is received during shooting, a message indicating that a call cannot be made to the other party is automatically transmitted, so that the other party can be informed of his / her situation without interruption.
In addition, when a call is received during shooting, the other party's telephone number is automatically stored, so that a call can be made after shooting is completed.
[0035]
In addition, since the other party's message can be stored when an incoming call is received during shooting, the other party's message can be stored without interrupting shooting, and the requirements of the other party after shooting can be known.
In this embodiment, an electronic camera that can capture a moving image and a still image has been described. However, an electronic camera that can capture only a still image can also be realized. It can also be realized with a film camera that records on a silver salt film.
[0036]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, since it is configured to switch to the shooting mode in response to the end of communication, shooting can be performed immediately after the end of communication, so that a shooting opportunity is missed. There is no.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, since it is configured to switch to the communication mode in response to the end of shooting, communication can be performed immediately after shooting.
[0037]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to store the signal from the other party without interrupting the shooting because the reception signal from the other communication device is stored during the shooting.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a message is transmitted when there is a communication from another communication device during shooting, so that it is possible to notify the other party of his / her situation without interrupting shooting. .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external view of a camera with a communication function according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal mechanism of the camera 1 in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the control performed by the CPU 209 of the camera in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the control performed in steps S10 and S18 of FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Camera with a communication function 2 ... Shooting lens 3 ... Speaker 4 ... Display part 5 ... Shooting start button 6 ... "Yes" button 7 ... "No" button 8 ..Dial button 9 ... mode switching button 10 ... microphone 10
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Antenna 201 ... Image sensor 202 ... Image processing circuit 203 ... Frame memory 204 ... Compression / decompression circuit 205 ... Flash memory 206 ... Microphone circuit 207 ... Audio processing circuit 208 ... Speaker circuit 209 ... CPU
210: Display circuit 211 ... Switch circuit 212 ... Vibration circuit 213 ... Telephone circuit

Claims (4)

A communication means for communicating with other communication devices;
An imaging means for capturing a moving image;
Switching means for switching between a communication mode for communication by the communication means and a photographing mode for photographing by the imaging means;
The switching means performs a notification based on the communication request for a predetermined period when there is a communication request from another communication device during shooting of a moving image, and according to a user's communication operation within the predetermined period, A camera with a communication function, wherein the camera is switched from a shooting mode to the communication mode, and is switched to the shooting mode when communication in the communication mode ends. The camera with a communication function according to claim 1,
The camera according to claim 1, wherein the user's communication operation is an operation indicating an instruction to end moving image shooting. The camera with a communication function according to claim 1 or 2,
A camera with a communication function, comprising: a control unit that controls to store a reception signal from another communication device during imaging by the imaging unit. The camera with a communication function according to claim 1 or 2,
A camera with a communication function, comprising: a control unit configured to control a message to be transmitted by the communication unit when there is communication from another communication device during imaging by the imaging unit.

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