JP4923943B2 - Imaging device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery-powered video apparatus, and in particular, a power supply that has a standby mode that can reduce the time required from the power-on to the shooting enabled state while suppressing the battery consumption, and that performs normal power on / off. In addition to the switch, the present invention relates to an imaging apparatus including a sub power switch for switching between the standby mode and the normal power-on mode.

  In an imaging apparatus such as a video camera driven by a battery, it is necessary to turn the power on and off in a complicated manner in order to suppress battery consumption. However, the conventional imaging apparatus has a problem in that it takes a long time from when the power is turned on until the subject can be photographed. For this reason, there is a possibility that a momentary photographing opportunity that suddenly occurs when the power is off may be missed.

In order to solve this problem, for example, in Patent Document 1, a system control unit for performing normal control and a subsystem control for controlling the control of mechanical parts such as time-consuming lens extension separately from the system control unit. The prior art of providing a part has been proposed. In this conventional technique , when the operation key is not input to the imaging apparatus for a certain period of time in a normal power-on state, that is, when the user does not operate the imaging apparatus for a certain period of time, the subsystem controller is turned on. state one maintain quality, Ru Ofusu the system power control unit. This shortens the startup time when the power is turned on (the system control unit is also turned on) from a state where the system control unit is turned off .
JP 2000-209485 A

However, in the prior art described in Patent Document 1, the system controller cannot be turned off unless there is no input of an operation key for a certain period of time, that is, when the user does not operate the imaging device for a certain period of time. Therefore, since the electric power is completely consumed for the predetermined time, there is a problem that the effect of suppressing the consumption of the battery is not so high.

The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the prior art, while maintaining the effect of the prior art that can shorten the startup time, which can be further suppressed than the prior art battery drain imaging An object is to provide an apparatus.

Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following apparatus.
(1) an image pickup means that includes a movable optical lens and an image pickup device, and takes an image of a subject;
Display means for displaying an image of a subject photographed by the imaging means on an image display section having an opening / closing mechanism;
Clock generation means for generating a first system clock and a second system clock;
Digital signal processing means for generating a digital video signal by performing predetermined signal processing on an image captured by the imaging means, and a digital signal processing means operating based on the first system clock;
Recording means for recording the digital video signal;
Means for controlling each functional block including at least the clock generation means, the imaging means, the display means, the digital signal processing means, and the recording means by reading and executing a control program stored in a memory And a control means that operates based on the second system clock;
Power supply means for supplying power for driving the apparatus;
A first power control means connected to a subsequent stage of the power supply means for controlling whether or not to supply the power;
Connected to the subsequent stage of the first power control means and connected to the preceding stage of other functional blocks other than the predetermined functional block including at least the digital signal processing means, the control means, and the clock generation means. Second power control means for controlling whether to supply the power to the other functional block, which is power control means;
Have
The second power control unit is interlocked with an opening / closing mechanism of the image display unit of the display unit, and controls to supply the power to the other functional block when the image display unit is opened. And when the said image display part is closed, it is an electric power control means which controls not to supply the said electric power to said other functional block, The imaging device characterized by the above-mentioned.
(2) The control means sets the frequencies of the first system clock and the second system clock when the second power control means performs control so as not to supply the power to the other functional blocks. The imaging apparatus according to (1), wherein each of the clock generation units is controlled to have a frequency lower than a current frequency.
(3) having lens position storage means for storing lens position information indicating the position of the movable optical lens in the imaging means;
When the second power control unit performs control so that the second power control unit does not supply the power to the other functional block, the control unit obtains lens position information indicating the position of the movable lens at the time of the control. When the second power control unit is controlled to supply the power to the other functional block, the lens position information is read from the lens position storage unit and stored in the lens position storage unit. The imaging apparatus according to (1) or (2), wherein the imaging apparatus is means for moving the movable lens to a position corresponding to the read lens position information.
(4) having a timer for measuring time,
The control unit causes the timer to start measurement when the second power control unit performs control so that the power is not supplied to the other functional block, and then a predetermined time elapses. When the information indicating that it has been acquired is obtained from the timer, the first power control unit is instructed not to supply the power, and the apparatus is externally connected before the predetermined time elapses. The imaging apparatus according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein when an operation is performed, the timer is a means for restarting the measurement of the predetermined time from the beginning.

According to the present invention, while maintaining the effect of the prior art that can shorten the startup time, it is possible to further suppress than the prior art battery power.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[overall structure]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an embodiment of an imaging apparatus of the present invention.

The imaging unit 1 includes a focus lens, a zoom lens, a CCD, and the like, and converts a photographed subject into an analog video signal by photoelectric conversion and outputs the analog video signal to the A / D converter 2.
The A / D converter 2 converts the analog video signal output from the imaging unit 1 into a digital video signal and outputs the digital video signal to the DSP 3.

  The DSP 3 performs digital signal processing such as encoding and addition of error correction data on the digital video signal output from the A / D converter 2 at the time of shooting, generates digital data, and outputs it to the recording unit 4 To do. When reproducing the digital data recorded in the recording unit 4, the digital stream data reproduced and input from the recording unit 4 is decoded to generate digital video data, which is output to the D / A converter 5.

  The recording unit 4 includes recording media such as HD (hard disk) and DVD (digital versatile disc), and records digital data on these recording media. The recorded digital data is reproduced.

The D / A converter 5 converts the digital video signal output from the DSP 3 into an analog video signal and outputs it to the LCD 6 during reproduction.
The LCD 6 is a display unit such as a liquid crystal display. The LCD 6 is used for confirming a subject at the time of photographing and for displaying a reproduced image when reproducing a recorded photographed image. The LCD 6 is of an open / close type, and is opened at a position where the user can easily see when shooting or playing back (in the power-on mode), and closed in the standby mode or the power-off mode.

The lens driving unit 7 moves the focus lens and the zoom lens to predetermined positions in accordance with instructions from the microcomputer 8 and outputs position information of these lenses to the microcomputer 8.
The microcomputer 8 reads and executes a control program incorporated in an internal or external memory, and outputs various control signals at any time so as to make a predetermined function work for each functional block. Further, the state of each functional block is monitored, and the output or stop of the control signal is determined according to these states.

  In the nonvolatile memory 9, position information of the focus lens and the zoom lens obtained from the lens driving unit 7 is recorded via the microcomputer 8. This position information is used to store each lens position when the power is turned off and to move the lens to this lens position when the power is turned on again.

The clock generator 10 mainly generates a master clock that is a basis of a system clock necessary for operating the DSP 3 and the microcomputer 8.
The frequency divider 11 divides the master clock generated by the generator 10 as the clock, and generates various system clocks used by the DSP 3, the microcomputer 8, and the like. Further, the frequency division ratio for this frequency division can be changed according to an instruction from the microcomputer 8.

The power supply 12 supplies power necessary for driving the imaging apparatus. This consists of a dry cell or a rechargeable battery.
The main power switch 13 is a switch that is directly operated by the user with an operation button or the like. When this switch is turned off, the power supply to all the blocks in the imaging apparatus is stopped and the power-off mode is set. For example, a mechanical switch such as a slide switch or a dial switch is used as the main power switch 13.

  The internal main power switch 14 realizes the same function as the main power switch 13, but this switch is controlled by an instruction from the microcomputer 8, and basically switches from a power-on state to a power-off state. Only do. As this internal main power switch, for example, an electronic switch using a semiconductor such as an IC or a transistor, which can be electrically turned on / off, is used.

  The sub power switch 15 is a switch that is directly operated by the user. When this switch is turned off, the power supply in the sub power line indicated by the dotted line in the figure is stopped and the standby mode is set. As the sub power switch 15, for example, a switch that can be turned on / off in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the LCD 6 or a viewfinder (not shown) is used.

  The timer 16 measures various times. In the present embodiment, in particular, the timer 16 measures the time from the time of transition to the standby mode, and notifies the microcomputer 8 of the time when, for example, 15 minutes have passed. When the microcomputer 8 receives the notification from the timer 16, the microcomputer 8 controls the internal main power switch 14 to turn off the power.

The above is the internal configuration of the imaging apparatus of the present embodiment.
[Operation details]
The detailed operation content of the imaging apparatus of the present embodiment will be described.
<Power supply mode>
The image pickup apparatus of the present embodiment has at least the power on mode, the standby mode, the power off mode, and the above three power modes.

  The power-on mode is a mode for normal shooting, and is a mode in which power is supplied to most of the functional blocks in the imaging apparatus. The main power switch 13, the internal main power switch 14, and the sub power switch 15 in FIG. 1 are all turned on, and power is supplied to the main power line indicated by the solid line and the sub power line indicated by the dotted line.

  The power off mode is a mode in which the supply of power to all functional blocks in the apparatus is stopped. Either the main power switch 13 or the internal main power switch 14 in FIG. 1 is turned off, and power is not supplied to any functional block.

However, power is always supplied to a timer (built-in clock) or the like from a button battery (not shown) for backup that is separately facilitated.
The standby mode is a mode in which power is supplied only to the microcomputer 8, the DSP 3, the clock generator 10, and the frequency divider 11 shown in FIG. In this mode, the main power switch 13 and the internal main power switch 14 are on, and only the sub power switch 15 is off. Accordingly, power is not supplied to the sub power supply line indicated by the dotted line.

  The microcomputer 8 and the DSP 3 each realize a functional operation by reading and executing a control program that is software stored in an internal memory or an external memory. However, recent imaging apparatuses are remarkably high in functionality, and the capacity of these control programs is enormous. Therefore, the initialization time from when the power is off to when the control program is read from the memory and executed to realize the functional operation tends to be long. Most of the start-up time until the imaging can be performed when the image pickup apparatus is turned on is occupied by the initialization time of the microcomputer 8 and the DSP 3. Therefore, if the microcomputer 8 and the DSP 3 are shifted to the power-on mode from the standby mode in which the microcomputer 8 and the DSP 3 are in an operating state, the microcomputer 8 and the DSP 3 need not be initialized. it can.

Next, the flow of the state transition process between the power supply modes of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.
<Status transition from power-on mode to standby mode>
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing when the state transitions from the power-on mode to the standby mode. Hereinafter, each step will be described.

  Step S101: In the power-on mode, the user switches the sub power switch 15 from on to off. At this time, the microcomputer 8 periodically monitors the state of the sub power switch 15 (for example, every second). If the microcomputer 8 detects that the switch is turned off, the power mode changes from the power on mode to the standby mode. Judge that it has changed.

  The detection of the state of the sub power switch 15 is not performed by the microcomputer 8 periodically as described above, but the sub power switch 15 actively transmits a signal indicating the power mode state to the microcomputer 8. A simple configuration may be used.

  Step S102: The microcomputer 8 acquires information indicating the positions of the focus lens and the zoom lens from the lens driving unit 7, and stores the acquired position information in the nonvolatile memory 9.

  As described above, by storing the position information of the focus lens and the zoom lens in the nonvolatile memory 9, the positions of the focus lens and the zoom lens are returned based on the position information when returning from the standby mode to the power-on mode. By setting, the lens initialization operation can be omitted.

  Step S103: The microcomputer 8 controls the frequency divider 11, and the frequency of each system cook supplied to the DSP 3 and the microcomputer 8 can be set within a range where the DSP 3 and the microcomputer 8 can operate at the minimum in the standby mode. Lower as much as possible.

Thus, the power consumption of the DSP 3 and the microcomputer 8 can be reduced by lowering the frequency of the system clock.
Step S104: The microcomputer 8 sets a predetermined time (for example, 15 minutes) preset in the microcomputer 8 to the timer 16 and starts time measurement. This predetermined time is a time for shifting the power mode from the standby mode to the power off mode.

In addition, from step S102 to step S104, it is not necessary to perform processing in this order, and processing may be performed from any step.
<Status transition from standby mode to power off mode>
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing flow at the time of transition from the standby mode to the power-off mode. Hereinafter, each step will be described.

Step S201: The microcomputer 8 sets a predetermined time in the timer 16 and starts time measurement. This step corresponds to step S104 in FIG.
Step S202: Next, it is periodically monitored (for example, every second) whether or not the user has performed any operation on the imaging apparatus. If no operation is performed as a result of the monitoring, the process proceeds to step S203. If the operation has been performed, the process returns to step S201.

  Step S203: When the set predetermined time has elapsed, the timer 16 notifies the microcomputer 8 that the predetermined time has elapsed. When the microcomputer 8 receives this notification, the microcomputer 8 shifts the processing to step S204. If the predetermined time has not elapsed and no notification has been received from the timer, the process returns to step S202.

Step S204: When the predetermined time has elapsed, the internal main power switch 14 is turned off to shift the power mode to the power off mode.
In the above, an example in which the predetermined time is set every time the microcomputer 8 starts the measurement by the timer 16 is shown. However, the microcomputer 8 starts the measurement by setting the predetermined time directly in the timer 16 at the initial setting. It is good also only to give the instruction to do.
<Status transition from standby mode to power-on mode>
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing flow at the time of transition from the standby mode to the power-on mode. Hereinafter, each step will be described.

  Step S301: In the standby mode, the user switches the sub power switch 15 from off to on. At this time, the microcomputer 8 periodically monitors the state of the sub power switch 15 (for example, every second). If the microcomputer 8 detects that the switch is turned on, the power mode changes from the standby mode to the power on mode. Judge that it has changed.

  The detection of the state of the sub power switch 15 is not performed by the microcomputer 8 periodically as described above, but the sub power switch 15 actively transmits a signal indicating the power mode state to the microcomputer 8. A simple configuration may be used.

  Step S302: The microcomputer 8 acquires the position information of the focus lens and the zoom lens from the nonvolatile memory 9, and controls the lens driving unit 7 to move the focus lens and the zoom lens to the positions indicated by the position information.

  Step S303: The microcomputer 8 controls the frequency divider 11 to return the frequency of each system cook, which is supplied to the DSP 3 and the microcomputer 8 and corresponding to the standby mode, to the frequency during normal use.

Step S304: The microcomputer 8 stops the time measurement of the timer 16 whose time measurement has been started in step S104 (step S201). Note that it is not necessary to execute steps S302 to S304 in this order. Processing may be performed from the step.

The above is the processing flow of the state transition between the power supply modes in the present embodiment.
According to the above-described embodiment, by providing the sub power switch 15, it is possible to immediately shift from the power-on mode to the standby mode without waiting for a certain period of time. Become. In addition, by providing a standby mode and shifting from the standby mode to the power-on mode when the power is turned on, it is possible to shorten the start-up time from when the power is turned on to when shooting is possible.

Further, since the on / off of the sub power switch 15 is linked with the opening / closing operation of the LCD 6 and the viewfinder (not shown), the standby mode and the normal power on / off are made without making the user aware of the switching of the power mode. It is possible to switch between modes.
<Processing when standby mode is disabled>
Although the above description is an embodiment in which the standby mode is always valid, this standby mode may not be necessary depending on the situation. As a countermeasure in this case, for example, a setting for enabling or disabling the standby mode is performed on the menu screen displayed on the LCD 6.

  When the standby mode is set to be disabled by the menu screen, the power on mode is set when both the main power switch 13 and the sub power switch 15 are on, and either the main power switch 13 or the sub power switch 15 is set. When is off, the power off mode is set. In this case, even when only the sub power switch 15 is turned off, the power supply on the main power source side must be turned off. Accordingly, when the microcomputer 8 detects that the sub power switch 15 is turned off, the microcomputer 8 controls the internal main power switch 14 to be turned off.

  The present invention also includes a program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the apparatus described above. These programs may be read from a recording medium and loaded into a computer, or may be transmitted via a communication network and loaded into a computer.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of one Example of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of one Example of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of one Example of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of one Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Imaging unit 2 A / D converter 3 DSP
4 Recording unit 5 D / A converter 6 LCD
7 Lens drive unit 8 Microcomputer 9 Non-volatile memory 10 Clock generator 11 Frequency divider 12 Power supply 13 Main power switch 14 Internal main power switch 15 Sub power switch 16 Timer

Claims (4)

An imaging unit that includes a movable optical lens and an imaging element and shoots a subject;
Display means for displaying an image of a subject photographed by the imaging means on an image display section having an opening / closing mechanism;
Clock generation means for generating a first system clock and a second system clock;
Digital signal processing means for generating a digital video signal by performing predetermined signal processing on an image captured by the imaging means, and a digital signal processing means operating based on the first system clock;
Recording means for recording the digital video signal;
Means for controlling each functional block including at least the clock generation means, the imaging means, the display means, the digital signal processing means, and the recording means by reading and executing a control program stored in a memory And a control means that operates based on the second system clock;
Power supply means for supplying power for driving the apparatus;
A first power control means connected to a subsequent stage of the power supply means for controlling whether or not to supply the power;
Connected to the subsequent stage of the first power control means and connected to the preceding stage of other functional blocks other than the predetermined functional block including at least the digital signal processing means, the control means, and the clock generation means. Second power control means for controlling whether to supply the power to the other functional block, which is power control means;
Have
The second power control unit is interlocked with an opening / closing mechanism of the image display unit of the display unit, and controls to supply the power to the other functional block when the image display unit is opened. And when the said image display part is closed, it is an electric power control means which controls not to supply the said electric power to said other functional block, The imaging device characterized by the above-mentioned.   When the second power control unit controls the other functional blocks not to supply the power, the control unit sets the frequencies of the first system clock and the second system clock to current levels, respectively. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit is a unit that controls the clock generation unit to have a frequency lower than the frequency of the first frequency. Lens position storage means for storing lens position information indicating the position of the movable optical lens in the imaging means;
When the second power control unit performs control so that the second power control unit does not supply the power to the other functional block, the control unit obtains lens position information indicating the position of the movable lens at the time of the control. When the second power control unit is controlled to supply the power to the other functional block, the lens position information is read from the lens position storage unit and stored in the lens position storage unit. 3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable lens is a means for moving the movable lens to a position corresponding to the read lens position information. Has a timer to measure time,
The control unit causes the timer to start measurement when the second power control unit performs control so that the power is not supplied to the other functional block, and then a predetermined time elapses. When the information indicating that it has been acquired is obtained from the timer, the first power control unit is instructed not to supply the power, and the apparatus is externally connected before the predetermined time elapses. The imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when an operation is performed, the timer is means for restarting the measurement of the predetermined time from the beginning.

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