JPH0124394B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the field of image recording and reproduction technology, and in particular to self-developing cameras.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Self-developing photographic devices are well known in the prior art. This type of photographic equipment ranged from early versions that used peel-off film units that produced sepia-toned prints to non-peel monolithic film that allowed full-color photographs to be developed right in front of the user's eyes. Over the years, there has been continued progress toward today's highly automated cameras.

One advantage of self-developing photographic devices, compared to traditional photographic devices that require photographed film to be sent to a laboratory for development and printing, is that the user can see the results immediately after taking the film. The point is that it is possible. As often happens, if you are not satisfied with the result due to inaccurate focusing, poor composition, or being too far away from the subject, you may need to retake the shot.

In the case of photographic equipment, in which an optical image of the subject is formed on a photosensitive film to create a latent image, and the latent image is made visible using a chemical development method, the film is difficult to manufacture due to its silver content and complexity. Therefore, it is relatively expensive, and in order to check the photographic results, unfortunately, the price of one expensive film is required.

OBJECTIVES, SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION, AND COMPARISON WITH PRIOR APPLICATIONS The present invention provides a portable self-developing camera based on several principles that represent significant technical differences from conventional photographic processes, and which It allows you to view or examine images without having to print them.

Unlike the process of forming an optical image of a subject on a photosensitive film to create a latent image and visualizing that latent image using a chemical development method, the camera of the present invention converts the optical image into an electronic image signal. and is configured to represent the optical image in electronic data form by doing so and to store these signals in a signal receiving storage device. Preferred forms of signal receiving and storage include a memory capable of supplying an image signal to an electro-optical display for displaying the image so that the user can view the imaging results, and a memory such as magnetic tape. It includes a magnetic recording/reproducing device for recording an image signal on a magnetic recording medium and sending the image signal to a display device, and the signal receiving/storage device is selectively operated by a user to record the image signal. The image is sent to a printer, which prints the image (preferably a color print) on non-light-sensitive recording paper.
is now being carried out. It is also possible to record a plurality of images in the form of electronic image signals on magnetic tape for later use, such as displaying the images on an electro-optic display or making additional prints.

The present invention is called a self-developing camera, and while this is functionally correct, the technology most closely related to the present invention among the prior art is not so much the field of photography, but rather the field of television and facsimile cameras. It is a field of electronic engineering related to image recording and reproduction.

“Electronic Photography System” granted to Willis A. Adcock on November 8, 1977.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,830 discloses a portable electronic camera that converts an optical image of a subject into three primary color electronic image signals and records the signals on magnetic tape. However, this camera does not include any device for displaying recorded images when the user examines the photographic results or makes prints. This camera was intended for a playback format in which the magnetic tape was removed from the camera and transferred to another playback unit, and the image signal was sent from the playback unit to a color television receiver for video viewing.

Additionally, the "Electronic Engraving and Recording System" was granted to Katsuhiko Noda on April 13, 1976.
U.S. Patent No.
The system disclosed in No. 3950608 converts an optical image of a subject into an electronic image signal, stores the image signal in a memory, and displays the image on a television monitor using the signal from the memory.
This is a system for engraving a multicolor two-layered plastic board to create a visible facsimile image of a recorded image by driving or modulating an engraving machine with signals from a memory. However, this system was not created as a portable device;
It is a fairly large assembly of interconnected individual parts suitable for use in a fixed position. In addition, there is also a means for storing multiple recorded images that may be needed at a later date for displaying images or creating additional prints.
Not included in this system.

The present invention is a portable camera which electronically records an image of a subject, visually displays the recorded image on an electronic optical display device forming part of a camera, and produces a print of the recorded image on non-photosensitive recording paper. The company provides electronic cameras.

The camera has a camera housing sized to be held in the user's hand, and inside the housing,
A structure is created for accommodating a source of electrical energy, such as a battery, and a compartment for accommodating at least one sheet of receiver paper. This camera further includes an optical system including a finder device for viewing the composition of the subject, an objective lens for forming an optical image of the subject, and an optical system that receives the optical image of the subject from the objective lens. an electrically energized photosensitive transducer for representing an optical image in electronic data form by converting the image into an electronic image signal; and an electrically energized photosensitive transducer for receiving an electronic image signal from the transducer and storing the signal. an electrically energized electro-optical display for receiving an electronic image signal from the signal receiving and storing device and providing a visible image to a user;
an electrically energized printer that receives the electronic image signal from the signal receiving storage device and operates in conjunction with the image receiving paper to produce a print of the subject image on the image receiving paper; and at least one printer for connecting a power source to each component of the camera. The control system includes a manual operator. Note that when the photosensitive transducer, the signal reception storage device, and the electronic optical display device are electrically energized by the operation of the control system, an electronic image signal representing an optical image of the subject is transmitted from the photosensitive transducer. is generated and this signal is provided via a signal receiving storage device to an electronic optical display device to display a visible image on the display device, which is then, by selective manual operation of the control system, connected to the printer. is electrically energized and electronic image signals are provided from the signal receiving and storage device to the printer to produce a print of the image on the receiving paper.

In a preferred embodiment, a memory and a magnetic recording and reproducing device are included in the signal receiving storage device, the memory having the function of repeatedly supplying electronic image signals to the electronic optical display device to maintain the image display on the display device. have
The magnetic recording/reproducing device is loaded with a magnetic cassette containing a magnetic recording medium such as a magnetic tape, and records an electronic image signal while an image is displayed on the electronic optical display device. after that,
It is equipped with a function to reproduce the recorded image signal and output it as a signal for print creation. The magnetic recording device also has the ability to record a plurality of images in the form of electronic image signals on a magnetic tape and to supply those signals via memory in a selective manner to a display device or a printer for making prints. There is.

In a preferred embodiment, the camera is adapted to produce a full color print of the recorded image on receiver paper. To create full-color prints, a color separator is added to the camera that separates the optical image of the subject into its three primary color components: red, green, and blue. The separated three primary color components are imaged on a photosensitive transducer and converted into three primary color electronic image signals by the transducer.

The printer is configured to be responsive to the primary color image signals and includes a device for converting the primary color signals into equivalent secondary color signals. The secondary color signals obtained from the conversion device are converted into print signals by three printing transducers, and these print signals are cyan, magenta,
This signal is used to create an image print in the form of a three-layer subtractive mixed dot pattern, in the form of energy such as pressure to selectively transfer each yellow print medium from the transfer paper to the receiver paper.

The printer of the preferred embodiment is a scanning printer having a rotating drum for holding and rotating a web of receiver paper, and a printhead assembly having three print transducers attached thereto. The print head assembly and the print transducer simultaneously move linearly parallel to the drum axis, and the print transducer selectively transfers the print medium from the transfer paper to the receiver paper on the drum while receiving the image. The entire image forming area on the paper is scanned.

Preferably, the receiver paper is supplied from a cassette holding a plurality of receiver papers. The printer is configured to feed the receiving paper sheets in the cassette one by one into a working position with the drum, and then to feed the receiving paper sheets so as to at least partially exit the camera through a receiving paper drawer opening provided in the camera housing. Equipped with equipment.

In order to provide a camera of portable size with the above-mentioned functions, the main components of the camera are configured to be suitable for compact implementation. In a preferred embodiment, the display device comprises a laminar display panel, which forms at least part of the camera housing. Preferably, the receiver paper is used in a cassette containing a thin box-shaped portion, the magnetic tape is used in a thin flat tape cassette, and a thin flat battery is used as the power source. This camera has a display screen,
The box-shaped part of the image-receiving paper cassette, the magnetic tape cassette, and the flat battery are arranged almost parallel to each other, and the main part of the printer is arranged below these members, and the main part of the printer is arranged on the opposite side of the main parts of the printer, that is, the parallel arrangement member. It has a structure in which a flat circuit box containing control electronic circuits is placed above.

The present invention provides a portable self-developing electronic camera that has a function of electronically recording an image of a subject, a function of visually displaying the recorded image on a display device, and a function of creating a print of the recorded image. With the goal.

Further, the present invention provides a camera housing of portable size, a lens for creating an optical image of a field, a photosensitive transducer for converting the optical image into an electronic image signal in an electronic data format, a receiving and storing device for the electronic image signal, and an electronic image signal. It is an object of the present invention to provide a self-developing camera having a display device that provides a visible display of an image in response to an electronic image signal, and a printer that produces a print of the image on receiving paper in response to an electronic image signal.

In addition, the display device includes a flat display panel,
It is also an object of the invention to provide a camera configured such that the panel forms part of the camera housing.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent in the following description.

(Example) In order to explain the features and objects of the present invention in more detail, the details of the invention will be described below using the accompanying drawings.

It has the function of electronically recording the image of the subject, the function of displaying the recorded image on an electro-optical display device so that the photographic result can be viewed, and the function of printing a hard copy of the recorded image on receiving paper. The main components of the portable self-developing camera 10 equipped with the function of
It is shown in block diagram form in the figure.

Camera 10 includes a housing 12 and an objective lens or lens assembly 1 for creating an optical image of a field.
4, a color separator 15 for separating the optical image into the three primary color components of red, green, and blue; a photosensitive transducer 16 for representing data formation; an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter 18 for converting analog signals into digital signals; a memory 20 for receiving and storing digital signals; a D/A converter 22 for converting the digital signal back to analog form; and an electronic optical display 24 for receiving the electronic image signal provided from the memory 20 via the D/A converter 22 and providing a visible display of the image. and,
The electronic image signal supplied from the memory 10 via the D/A converter 22 is recorded on a magnetic recording medium such as a magnetic tape, and the magnetic recording medium is used to output an image signal from the tape when set to playback mode. A recording/reproducing device 26, a printer 28 for receiving an electronic image signal from a magnetic tape and creating an image print on receiving paper, and a control logic system for adjusting and controlling each member of the camera 10. It is equipped with

FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a camera 10 configured to produce full-color hardcopy color prints of recorded images.

The details will be explained later, but in order to create a full-color print, the primary color components of the optical image, namely red,
The green and blue components are separated into three types of electronic image signals that are expressed in electronic data format, and these signals are sent to the printer 2.
8 needs to be driven or modulated. These three types of separated electronic image signals are obtained by separating the optical image from the lens 14 into three primary color components by a color separator 15, and dividing the three primary color components by a photosensitive transducer 16 into three primary color components.
type of corresponding electronic image signal.

As the objective lens or lens assembly 14,
A variable focus type often used in photographic cameras can be used, and a type equipped with a variable aperture diaphragm for correcting various field conditions and adjusting the depth of focus can also be used. This lens 14 has the function of creating an optical image of the subject image to be recorded, and is attached to the camera housing in operative relationship with a color separator 15 and a photosensitive transducer 16, so that the primary color components of the optical image are transduced. It is designed to be focused on the diffuser 16.

Prior to explaining the color separator 15, the photosensitive transducer 16 will be described first. The photosensitive transducer 16 functions to electronically convert the optical image to generate an electronic image signal representing the image in the form of electronic data. Suitable transducers for use in the camera 10 include small vidicon devices and solid-state charge-coupled devices (CCDs) for imaging, but these are suitable for reasons of small size, low power consumption, and long life.
CCD is advantageous.

The basic structure of an imaging CCD device is a matrix array of elements or photosensitive elements that, when exposed to a light source, produce a charge or image signal proportional to the intensity of the incident light, and receive an image signal from the individual photosensitive elements. In other words, a shift register having the same number of receptor elements as photosensitive devices is integrally constructed on a single silicon chip. After the image signal is transmitted to the shift register, when appropriate vertical and horizontal clock voltages or transfer pulses are applied to the shift register array, the shift register array sequentially outputs the transmitted signal to the CCD in bucket brigade format or cascade format. The image signal can be read out by shifting to the gate.

Therefore, in the output of the CCD, output rankings are assigned to individual electronic image signals that define one frame's worth of image information in electronic analog data format.

One major advantage of electronic image recording is that no shutter mechanism is required. This is because the CCD has the ability to perform on/off operations electronically.

When operating the camera, the CCD is initially deenergized. The photosensitive element becomes partially or wholly charged by the incidence of ambient light. When the CCD is energized, it transfers the ambient light signal as a pulse signal to the shift register, clearing the photosensitive elements that were beginning to produce an image signal representative of the imaging from lens 14. During this integration or exposure period the shift register is also cleared and the ambient light signal that was being transferred up to that time is removed from the shift register. At the end of the exposure period, the image signal is transferred to the shift register and read out from the shift register by clock pulses and sent to memory 20 via A/D converter 18.

As in the preferred embodiment of camera 10 described above, the optical image from lens 14 is divided into three electronic images representing the three primary color components of the optical image by the action of color separator 15 and photosensitive transducer 16. converted into a signal.

In order to create these three types of signals, three imaging CCDs are used as the photosensitive transducer 16,
The color separator 15 has a beam splitting configuration in which dichroic mirrors are arranged to separate the optical image into red, green, and blue components and send these three components to the three corresponding CCDs. It is possible to use an optical system with

In addition, a CCD is used as the photosensitive transducer 16.
Only one is used, and the color separator 15 is red,
Using alternating green and blue filters,
By making each third of the photosensitive elements in the CCD array sensitive to each of the three primary color components, red, green, and blue electronic image signals can be obtained from a single CCD. This configuration is also a preferred alternative embodiment.

In the following description regarding camera 10,
The term "electronic image signal" refers to a set of three signals, each representing the three color components of an optical image.

The electronic image signal obtained from transducer 16 is converted from analog to digital format by A/D converter 18 and sent to memory 20 for storage.

The memory 20 is a dynamic circular memory,
It is possible to use formats such as MOS, CCD, and bubble domain. The main function of the memory 20 is D/
The electronic image signal is repeatedly transmitted via the A-converter 22 to the electronic optical display device 24. A digital memory approach is preferred since there is a continuous cycling of the electronic image signal within the memory 20, with a certain amount of signal loss occurring during each cycle.
This is because, in the case of digital memories, the distinctive characteristics of the digital signals are maintained over a fairly large number of cycles even when signal loss occurs. Memory 20 is controlled by control logic 30 to repeatedly cycle the electronic image signal to electronic optical display 24 at an image rate of approximately 30 times per second.

Preferably, electronic optical display 24 is a thin, flat electronic optical display panel or screen.

A suitable example of display panel 24 for use in camera 10 is an electroluminescent panel constructed from thin film transistors. This panel consists of a matrix array of individually addressable and energized picture elements housed between opposing glass plates. Each picture element is formed of two thin film transistors, one capacitor, and a fluorescent material.

The transistors in the panel are arranged in a matrix shape consisting of rows and columns, and by applying a signal to a specific matrix through an appropriate drive scanning circuit, when both transistors of a picture element are activated, current flows through the picture element. flows, which causes the phosphor to emit light. When such a transistorized matrix is used, only a specific picture element can be operated independently without operating other picture elements in the same column or in the same column. Other types of flat display panels include those utilizing liquid crystals and ferroelectric ceramics.

Another function of the memory 20 is to supply electronic image signals to a magnetic recording/reproducing device 26 via a D/A converter 22 in order to record one frame or one cycle's worth of image information on magnetic tape. . This signal supply operation is performed by the memory 20 at the same time as the electronic image signal supply to the electronic optical display panel 24. The recording/reproducing device 26 is of a type capable of recording and reproducing at different speeds.
In other words, when a tape is used to supply signals to the printer 28, high-speed image signal recording can be performed at video speed, and playback can be performed at a low speed. A/D
When the tape is used to send signals to memory 20 via converter 18, it can be played back at video speed.

As previously mentioned, the term electronic image signal refers to a set of three image signals, and the recording and reproducing device 26 is configured to record and reproduce these signals in three separate channels.

When creating a hard copy print of a recorded image, the recording/reproducing device 26 is operated in a slow reproduction mode to supply electronic image signals to the printer 28 .

As will be described in detail later, the printer 28 operates using a subtractive color method, and by superimposing equal color dot patterns on receiver paper, a color print that reproduces the brightness and hue of the original subject is created. . The dot pattern is created by selectively transferring secondary color (cyan, magenta, yellow) print media from transfer paper to receiver paper according to three types of secondary color image signals derived from three primary color image signals. made with

In a preferred embodiment, a high quality printing paper that is receptive to color print media such as inks, dyes, etc., such as those used in commercial printing processes, may be used as the image receiving material.

For color print media, it is desirable to use inks or dyes of equal colors (cyan, magenta, yellow) arranged adjacently in strips or lines on a transfer paper.

The printer 28 includes a device for electronically converting the three primary color image signals into respective corresponding secondary color image signals;
This is a scanning printer equipped with a rotating drum wrapped with image-receiving paper and a print head that moves in the direction of the drum axis in synchronization with the rotation of the drum. Each of these includes three corresponding printing transducers which transmit the secondary color image signals to the printing medium having the energy to effectuate the secondary color medium transfer to the transfer paper. converted into a signal.

The control logic system 30 includes a plurality of electronic circuits as described below, and these circuits have functions for generating various timing signals, gate opening/closing signals, sequence signals, control signals, and synchronization signals, and for generating the photosensitive transducers 16 and A. /D converter 18, memory 20,
It has a signal amplification function necessary for the D/A converter 22, display device 24, recording/reproducing device 26, and printer 28.

This control logic system also includes a control switch 3
2, 34, 36, 38, 40, and 42. The switches 32, 34, and 36 are push-button manual switches, and by operating them,
The following operations will begin. In other words, switch 3
2, the optical image is converted into an electronic image signal, and the signal is supplied via the memory 20 to the display device 24 for image display, and at the same time is also supplied to the recording/reproducing device 26 to be recorded on the magnetic tape. recorded above. When the switch 34 is operated, the magnetic tape holding a plurality of electronically recorded images is rewound to its leading edge. When the switch 36 is operated, the image information recorded on the magnetic tape is reproduced.
sent to the memory 20 via the A/D converter 18;
Furthermore, the signal is supplied from the memory 20 to the display device 24 via the D/A converter 22.

Switches 38, 40, and 42 are switches related to printer 28;
is operated by a movable printhead assembly, described below, which forms part of the. To explain briefly, the switch 38 switches the magnetic tape of the recording/reproducing device 26 to one
This is a switch for preparing to supply the electronic image signal including the image to the printer 28 by rewinding the image frame (one electronically recorded image). Switch 40 is actuated to begin a print cycle when the printhead assembly is placed in the print cycle start operating position. That is, actuation of this switch 40 sends an electronic image signal from the recording/reproducing device 26 to a converter in the printer 28 where it is converted into a secondary color signal, which is then supplied to the print transducer of the print head assembly. be done.
Simultaneously, the printer drum rotates and the printhead assembly is driven along the drum to effect selective transfer of the equal color print media from the transfer paper to the receiver paper on the drum. At the end of a print cycle, the printhead assembly switches to switch 4.
2, the actuation of which causes the receiving paper to be delivered from the printer drum to the outlet of the camera housing 12, from where it can be removed by the camera user.

The functions of the control logic system 30 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. It should be noted that each circuit designated by consecutive even numbers 44 to 66 in the figure forms part of the control logic system 30.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a camera operation cycle for electronically recording and reproducing a subject image and producing prints of the recorded image. After adjusting the focus of the lens 14 and framing the subject using the viewfinder described later, the normally open button switch 32 is pressed.
When manually operated, that is, when the switch is closed, an electronic image recording/reproducing cycle is started. When the switch 32 is closed, the transducer 16, the A/
D converter 18, memory 20, D/A converter 22,
The display device 24, the recording and reproducing device 26, and the control logic system 30 are connected to an electrical energy source such as a battery,
electrically energized. Note that this electric energy source will be described later along with a mechanical explanation of the camera 10.

Activation of switch 32 generates a cycle start signal. This signal causes transducer 16
A "CCD clear read" circuit 44 connected to (preferably a CCD) is activated. Then, the circuit 44 clears the CCD 16 and then clears the CCD 16.
Reading from the CCD 16 is performed. the result,
Red, green, and blue image signals are output from CCD16,
These image signals are supplied to the memory 20 via the A/D converter 18. As mentioned above, the exposure time is
Since it is controlled by the operation of CCD 16, camera 10 does not require a shutter. Before the CCD 16 is energized by operation of the switch 32, the photosensitive element of the CCD is considered to be fully or partially charged by the ambient light introduced from the lens 14. . first circuit 4
By providing a clear signal from 4 to CCD 16, the ambient light signal is transferred to the shift register and dropped from the shift register to ground by a clock pulse. The ambient light signal is thus ejected from the CCD. Once the photosensitive element is cleared, it begins to charge in proportion to the intensity of the optical image focused on the CCD 16. At the end of the exposure time, a pulse signal is output from circuit 44 to transfer the image signal from the photosensitive element to the shift register, followed by appropriate horizontal and vertical clock signals for reading out the red, green and blue electronic image signals. A voltage is applied to the shift register from circuit 44;
The electronic image signal read out is sent to the A/D converter 1.
8 to the memory 20. Note that this exposure time can be adjusted by a photovoltaic cell included in circuit 44 to monitor field illumination conditions.

After the cycle start signal generated by the closing of switch 32 passes through a delay circuit 46, it passes through a memory readout circuit 48 connected to memory 20, a display screen activation circuit 50 connected to display device 24, and a magnetic tape recording circuit. These are input signals to the one-frame recording circuit 52 connected to the playback device 26.

The delay circuit 46 provides an appropriate delay time in consideration of the time required for the CCD 16 to convert the optical image into a primary color electronic image signal and the time required for the primary color electronic image signal to be transferred to and stored in the memory 20. It is.

When the delay time provided by circuit 46 has elapsed, an appropriate clock gating signal is output from the "memory read" circuit 48, and this output is input to memory 20 so that the electronic image signal is Via a converter 22, it is provided to a display device 24 at a rate approximately equal to the video rate. At the same time, the display screen activation circuit 50 also provides appropriate drive scanning signals to the display 24 , which actuates the display 24 and which are supplied from the memory 20 via the D/A converter 22 . The recorded image is visually displayed according to the electronic image signal.

As mentioned above, in order to sustain the image display by the display device 24, it is necessary to repeatedly supply the output signal of the memory 20 to the display device 24. In order to maintain a continuous supply of this signal and synchronous operation of the display device 24, a portion of the output of the "memory read" circuit 48 is introduced into a delay circuit 54 whose delayed output is connected to the "memory read" circuit 48 and the "display screen". It is adapted to be fed back to each input of the "operation" circuit 50, thereby causing the two circuits to perform repetitive operations. The electronic image signal is continuously supplied to the display device 24 until it is deenergized by disengaging or opening the switch 32.

While visual display is being performed on the display device 24, the electronic image signal from the memory 20 is also supplied to a magnetic tape type recording and reproducing device 26 via the D/A converter 22, and this recording and reproducing device 26 It operates under control from the frame recording circuit 52. circuit 5
2 is operated by the delay signal from the delay circuit 46 and supplies an appropriate control drive signal to the recording/reproducing device 26. When this signal is supplied, the magnetic tape recording/reproducing device 26 operates in a high-speed recording mode that is comparable to the video speed of the electronic image signal from the memory, and records one frame's worth of image information on the magnetic tape. . This one frame worth of image information is stored in the memory 20.
It goes without saying that this corresponds to one period of the signal read out from the . Although the operation of supplying image signals from the memory 20 to the display device 24 is performed in continuous cycles, only one cycle of the memory output, that is, one frame, is recorded on the magnetic tape by the recording/reproducing device 26. . The circuit 52 also supplies the recording/reproducing device 26 with appropriate signals for recording cue signals at the front and rear ends of each frame for distinguishing between the sequentially and separately recorded image information frames.

While the switch 32 is closed or conductive, the electronic image signal is continuously supplied to the display device 26, as described above. When switch 32 is released or opened, the devices and circuits are de-energized and the electronic image signal is automatically erased from memory 20. However, on magnetic tape,
An electronic image signal corresponding to the optical image is recorded,
This recording signal can be input to the printer 28 to create a print, or input to the display device 24 for visual display.

After the first cycle of camera motion is over, the camera user can either take another "photo", i.e., record and display another image electronically, or perform another "photo" or The user can freely select whether to move on to print the recorded image on the magnetic tape using the printer 28 or not.

Initiation and control of the print production cycle is accomplished by the sequential actuation of switches 38, 40, and 42. The details will be explained later, but switch 38, 40
switch 42 is activated when the printhead assembly forming part of printer 18 is manually reset, and switch 42 is activated when the printhead is driven to one of two end positions after a print is made.

When switch 38 is first closed, magnetic tape recorder 26 and control logic system 30 are energized;
An input signal is provided for operating a "one frame rewind" circuit 54 connected to and forming part of system 30. When the circuit 54 is activated, the output signal of this circuit is supplied to the recording/playback device 26, which signal causes the tape drive system described below to invert and read one frame of tape at the same high speed as that employed during recording. rewinding is performed. Upon completion of one frame of tape rewind defined by the previously recorded cue signal, an appropriate signal is sent to circuit 54 to disconnect the tape drive system and reset it to forward drive mode.
The data is supplied to the recording/reproducing device 26 from there.

As will be described in detail later, moving the print head assembly by hand moves the receiver paper and transfer paper into the printer 2.
A hooking mechanism is activated to advance to the operational position relative to 8. At the end of this manual operation, the printhead assembly engages switch 40 to close it, thereby causing magnetic tape recording and reproducing device 26,
The printer 28, the "one frame readout" circuit 56 connected to the recording/reproducing device 26, and the printer operating circuit 58 connected to the printer 28 are each energized. An actuation signal for circuits 56 and 58 is also generated when switch 40 is closed. The output signal from the circuit 56 is input to the recording and reproducing device 26, which operates in a slow reproducing mode so that the three primary color electronic image signals are transmitted to the printer 2.
8. Simultaneously with the operation of the recording/reproducing device 26, a signal for energizing the motor of the printer 28 is output from the circuit 58. The function of this motor, which will be described later, is to rotate a drum containing paper and to linearly drive a printhead assembly with three print transducers aligned along the drum. . As previously mentioned, printer 28 includes equipment for electronically converting primary color electronic image signals to secondary color signals. The image signal converted by this device is sent to three print transducers and converted into a print signal. This print signal is used for magenta, cyan, and
A signal having the energy necessary to transfer a yellow print medium from a transfer sheet to a receiver sheet, for example, in the form of pressure.

The printhead assembly engages normally open switch 42 at the end of its linear travel. This engagement closes switch 42 and energizes print ejection circuit 60, which is connected to the drive motor of printer 28, and begins operation of that circuit. When the circuit 60 starts operating, a braking force is applied to the motor, and the rotation of the drum is stopped. Thereafter, a reverse rotation drive voltage is applied to the motor from the circuit 60, and the reverse rotation of the motor causes the drum to rotate once in the opposite direction to that in the print production mode. In this manner, one rotation of the drum in the opposite direction causes the print to be at least partially ejected from the print outlet of the camera housing 12, as will be discussed in more detail below.

Let us now consider a case where several recorded images are stored one after another on a magnetic tape and the images are viewed using the display device 24.

First, the tape must be completely rewound. For this purpose, the button switch 34 is operated by hand. As can be seen in FIG. 3, closing of switch 34 energizes magnetic tape recording/reproducing device 26, which in turn activates a "full tape rewind" circuit 62 connected to that device. At that time,
The output signal of circuit 62 is applied to magnetic tape recording/reproducing device 26, and the drive system of device 26 is set to a reverse mode and operates at high speed, thereby completely rewinding the magnetic tape. Once the tape has been rewound, circuit 62 switches the tape drive system to a forward drive mode, and device 26 and circuit 62 are deenergized.

When displaying the image on the tape, manually close the normally open button switch 36 (see FIG. 4) and open the magnetic tape recording/reproducing device 26, A/D converter 18, memory 20, and D/A converter. 22, energizes display device 24 and control logic system 30;
Closing the switch 36 sends a cycle start signal or activation signal to the "one frame read" circuit 64 connected to the magnetic tape recording/reproducing device 26. Appropriate control signals are sent from the circuit 64 to the recording and reproducing device 26, which controls the device 26.
operates in fast playback mode. This reproduction operation reads the primary color electronic image signals defining the first frame of the recorded image on the tape, and these signals are sent to the memory 20 via the A/D converter 18.
supplied to The actuation signal generated when switch 36 closes is routed to a delay circuit 66 that provides a delay time that fully takes into account the time required from when the first frame of image signals on the tape is read to when it is read into memory 20. It will be destroyed. The delayed activation signal passed through this circuit 66 is passed through the aforementioned "memory read" circuit 48.
and to the “display screen activation” circuit 50. A circuit 4 is configured to cause the electronic image signal in the memory 20 to be repeatedly supplied to the display device 24 via the D/A converter 22 at a speed substantially close to the video speed.
8 and 50 operate iteratively through a feedback loop including delay circuit 54, as described above. switch 3
6 is maintained in the closed state, the circulation of the image signal as described above continues, and the image display on the display device 24 is maintained. However, when switch 36 is turned off, the image signal is automatically erased from memory 20 because the circuits and devices are de-energized.

Images recorded on the magnetic tape can be sequentially reproduced by repeatedly operating the switch 36. Each time switch 36 is operated, the next frame of image information is read from the tape into memory 26 and from memory 20 is provided to display device 24. When the switch 36 is turned off, this image information is automatically erased from the memory 20 and the system is automatically reset to a state where the image information for the next frame on the tape can be displayed the next time the switch is operated.

To make a print of the displayed image, manually resetting the printhead assembly activates switches 38 and 40 to begin the print making cycle previously described in the related discussion of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 9, the camera housing 12 includes a first housing part 68, a second housing part 70, and a third housing part 72.

The first housing part 68 forms the main part of the housing, and includes a top wall 74, a pair of L-shaped side walls 76, 78, a bottom wall 80, a front wall 82, a rear wall 84.
is defined by The upper wall 74 and the upper narrowed portions of the side walls 76, 78 define the housing portion 6.
Three sides of the almost vertical frame-like upper rectangular parallelepiped part included in 8 are defined, and the fourth side is defined by the front wall 8.
It touches the upper edge of 2. And housing 68
The box-shaped hollow part forming the lower part of the vertical upper part, that is, the part extending rearward under the vertical upper part, has side walls 76, 78.
, a bottom wall 80 , a front wall 82 , and a rear wall 84 .

The second housing portion 70 includes a peripheral portion including an upper wall 88, a pair of side walls 90 and 92, and an inclined bottom wall 94;
and a generally square front wall 86 . Fifth
As shown, side wall 9 of housing portion 70
0 is hinged 96 to the upper front edge of the side wall 76 of the housing portion 68, and the rear edge of the housing portion 7
0 can rotate between a normally closed operating position shown by the solid line in FIG. 5 and an open position (the position shown by the phantom line in FIG. 5, which is further opened). In the normally closed operating position, the housing portion 70
abuts the upper portion of housing portion 68 to form an enclosed housing front extension. on the other hand,
In the open position, the housing portion 70 is separated from the front surface of the upper portion of the housing portion 68;
In this position tape cassettes can be loaded and unloaded. The tape cassette loading location, that is, the tape cassette storage chamber will be described later, but a portion of the cassette storage chamber is defined by the housing 70 when in the operating position (closed state).

The third housing portion 72 is defined by a top wall 98, a pair of side walls 100, 102, and a rear wall 104. A portion of this rear wall is then defined by a display device 24. Side wall 102 of housing portion 72
The leading edge of the housing part 7 is connected to the upper rear edge of the side wall 78 of the housing part 68 by a hinge 106.
2 can be rotated between a normally closed operating position and an open position (the position shown in FIG. 5, further open). In the normally closed operating position, the housing portion 72 abuts the upper portion of the housing portion 68 and extends over the rearward extension forming the lower portion of the housing portion 68 and the encircling rearward extension of the upper portion of the housing portion 68 . is formed. On the other hand, in the open position, the housing part 72 is separated from the rear surface of the upper part of the housing part 68, and in this position, a cassette containing deposited image-receiving paper and transfer paper can be loaded and unloaded. . The cassette loading place, that is, the cassette storage chamber will be described later, but a portion of the cassette storage chamber is defined by the housing portion 72 when in the closed position.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the latch member 108 on the side wall 92 is attached to the side surface 7 of the housing portion 68.
Housing portion 70 is latched in the closed position by engaging detents 8 of housing portion 68, and similarly, by engaging latch members 110 of side wall 100 with detents of side 76 of housing portion 68. Housing portion 72 is latched in the closed position.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 8, and 9, the objective lens 14 is attached to the upper corner of the housing portion 70 near the side wall 90, and
It is in a consistent state with respect to 2. Housing 6
A module 114 including a color separator 15 and a photosensitive transducer or imaging solid-state CCD 16 is mounted in optically aligned position behind the lens 14. A focus adjusting knob 116 is coupled to the lens 14, and this knob 116 comes out from a hole 118 in the upper wall 88 of the housing part 70, and by turning this knob 116 by hand when adjusting the focus,
The position of the lens 14 relative to the CCD 16 can be changed.

The optical system of the camera further includes a viewfinder device for viewing and framing a subject. In the illustrated camera 10, a viewfinder device is located on the top of the camera housing 12 opposite the lens 14, and includes a front lens element 120 attached to the front wall 86 of the housing portion 70 and a front lens element 120 attached to the front wall 86 of the housing portion 70. The lens element 120 is a direct view finder comprised of a rear lens or eyepiece 122 mounted to the rear wall 104 of the housing portion 72 in optical alignment with the lens element 120. Although the figure shows a direct view type, other types of finder systems may be used within the scope of the present invention, such as a single-lens reflex type finder system using the objective lens 14. be.

A flat thin box-shaped electronic circuit module 124 (see FIGS. 9 and 11) is located between the positions of the objective lens 14 and the module 114 and the position of the viewfinder device in the camera housing 12,
This module includes an A/D converter 18, memory 2
0, D/A converter 22, control logic system 30
(including the circuits and subsystems already described in the explanation of FIGS. 1 to 4), and a plurality of integrated circuits each defining a group of electronic circuits to be described later. Each electronic circuit is suitably interconnected and connected to each controlled device via appropriate wiring and flexible low-profile circuit connectors. However, these wirings and connectors are omitted in order not to complicate the accompanying drawings.

As can be seen from Figures 7, 8, and 12,
the upper portion of the housing portion 68 and the housing portion 70;
In the space below the lens 14, the module 114, the finder device, and the electronic circuit module 124 in the upper portion of the housing 12 defined by the tape cassette storage chamber 126 for removably storing the magnetic tape cassette 128, A mechanism defining the main parts of the recording and reproducing device 26, a cassette storage chamber 130 for removably housing a cassette 132 containing stacked image receiving paper and transfer paper, and a camera 10.
A device for holding and accommodating a thin battery 134 that supplies power to electrical components of the flat panel display device 24.
are arranged substantially parallel to each other and occupy the space. The upper portion of camera housing 12 also includes manual button switches 32, 34, which form part of control logic system 30.
36 is attached. These switches are located at the top of side wall 76 of housing portion 68 as shown in FIG. On the other hand, the lower part of the housing portion 68 is occupied by the main components of the printer 28.

The storage chamber 126 of the magnetic tape cassette 128 is located between the lower part of the housing part 68 when it is in the closed position and the vertical board or component mounting plate 136 of the recording/reproducing device 26 attached to the front part of the upper part of the housing part 68. defined by. Containment room 1
Loading or unloading of the cassette 128 into the recording/reproducing device 26 can be accomplished when the hinged housing portion 70 is opened.

As mentioned above, the magnetic tape recording/reproducing device 26
is a three-channel recording and reproducing device that can switch between high speed and low speed for both recording and reproducing.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, the recording/reproducing device 26 includes a three-channel magnetic recording/reproducing head 1.
38, and this head has a cassette 128
It is attached to the front side of the mounting plate 136 at a position where it engages with the magnetic tape extending between the supply reel and take-up reel. Mounted on the back side of the mounting plate 136 are a pair of spindles 140, 142 and a shaft or pin 114 for driving the capstan assembly, which extend through the mounting plate 136 and into the cassette receiving chamber 126. The spindles 140 and 142 are for inserting the hubs of the supply reel and take-up reel of the cassette 128, and the shaft 144 is rotatably driven to drive the tape 139 pressed by a rubber roller 146. This is for running on the recording/reproducing head 138. The rubber roller 146 is attached to the front side of the mounting plate 136 via a pivot bracket 148 which is forced by the force of a spring 50 in the direction of the capstan drive shaft 144 so that the rubber roller 146 is removed from the bracket 148. The tape is held while being pressed against the shaft 144 under pressure.

The capstan assembly is attached to the tape drive shaft 14
4. A spindle drive pulley 152 and a flywheel 154 are provided, and the pulley 152 and flywheel 154 are fitted onto the shaft 144 in an overlapping state, so that these three members rotate on a common axis. There is. A variable speed motor 156 is mounted to the side wall 76 of the housing portion 68 as a drive means for the capstan assembly, and the output shaft 158 of this motor is connected to the drive belt 160.
It is connected to the flywheel 154 via.

The rotary capstan assembly drives either one of the reel drive spindles 140, 142 depending on whether the tape is forwarded during recording or playback or reversed during tape rewinding.

As shown in FIG. 10, a pulley/sliding clutch assembly 162 is secured to the rear end of a spindle 140 that protrudes from the back side of the mounting plate 136, and a friction wheel 164 is secured to the rear end of another spindle 142. is fixed. The pin 166 on the back side of the mounting plate 136 has an L for reversing the spindle drive direction.
A lever 168 is pivotally connected to the pulley/clutch assembly 162 of the spindle 140.
A pulley 170 is attached to a portion of the lever 168 between the friction wheel 164 of the spindle 142 and the friction wheel 164 of the spindle 142 .

Spindle drive pulley 152 of the capstan assembly, pulley/clutch assembly 162 of the spindle 140, and lever 1 for reversing the spindle drive direction.
68 are connected to each other in a driving relationship via a highly elastic drive belt 172 made of a suitable elastic material such as rubber. When tension in drive belt 172 acts on pulley 170, lever 168
rotates counterclockwise about pin 166 and stops against stop pin 174 on mounting plate 136. The position of the lever 168 in that state is shown by the solid line in FIG. 10, and in this state the capstan assembly, including the pulley 152, is being driven counterclockwise by the motor 156 and is being driven accordingly. Reel driving spindle 140
receives a counterclockwise driving force from the belt 172. In this mode of operation, the cooperation of capstan tape drive shaft 144 and pressure roller 146 drives the tape forwardly over head 138 for recording or playback and connects it to spindle 140. The take-up reel of cassette 128 is driven by spindle 140 to take up the forward-feeding tape. In this tape forward feeding mode, the spindle 142 is not driven and is freely rotatable, and the supply reel connected to the spindle 142 is pulled by the forward feeding tape and rotates freely.

To rewind the tape, it is necessary to disconnect the tape drive and reverse the spindle drive.

Lever 168 is rotated clockwise about pin 166 to rotate pulley 170 until a portion of drive belt 172, which rests on pulley 170, is in friction drive engagement with friction wheel 146 of spindle 142. By displacing it in the direction of the friction wheel 164, a reversal of the spindle drive is effected. Movement of belt 172 to the spindle reversal drive position, shown in phantom in FIG.

As a means for moving the lever 168 from the spindle forward drive position to the reverse drive position,
Solenoid 17 attached to mounting plate 136
6 is used. This solenoid has an elongated shaft 178 whose free end 179 is connected to the lever 16.
8 is connected. FIG. 10 shows solenoid 176 in a de-energized state, with lever 168
is in the spindle forward drive position. When solenoid 176 is energized, shaft 178
The lever 168 is pushed downwardly from the position shown, so that the lever 168 rotates clockwise about the pin 166 and moves to the spindle reverse drive position.
Note that in order to free the tape when rewinding the tape by driving the spindle 142 clockwise, the pressure roller 146 and the recording/reproducing head 138 are moved upward when the lever 168 is rotated to the spindle reverse drive position. A linkage is included in the recording and reproducing device 26 for this purpose, but this linkage is not shown.

In this state, the capstan assembly is connected to the motor 15.
6 in the counterclockwise direction, the counterclockwise rotation of the drive belt 172 drives the friction wheel 164 and the spindle 142 in the clockwise direction, thus causing the cassette 1
28 supply reels are driven in a clockwise direction,
Tape rewinding is performed.

As described above, the recording/reproducing device 26 performs the following functions: 1) when recording an electronic image signal for the first time; 2) when rewinding the tape by one frame before making a print; or when rewinding the tape completely; ) When reproducing an electronic image signal to be input to the memory 20 when displaying an image on the display device 24, it operates at high speed (close to the video speed) and supplies the electronic image signal to the printer 28. It is configured to operate at low speed (speech speed) when spinning the tape. The operating speed of the recording/reproducing device 26 is changed by changing the rotational speed of the drive motor 156. The shifting operation of motor 156 is controlled by appropriate subcircuits included in logic control system 30. This subcircuit group also includes the solenoid 176
It also controls the operation of

Cassette 132 containing stacked image receiving paper and transfer paper
As shown in Figures 7, 8, and 12,
It is designed to be loaded into a cassette storage chamber 130 located at the back of the recording/reproducing device 26. The cassette receiving chamber 130 has a hinged housing part 7.
When the cassette 132 is opened and placed in the open position, the cassette 132 can be loaded.

As shown in FIG. 12, a flat display device 2
4 is fitted from the inside into an opening 174 provided in the rear wall 104 of the housing portion 72, so that it can be seen from the outside. Since display 24 and rear wall 104 cover the rear of camera 10, display 24 can be considered to partially define camera housing 12.

A flat battery 134 is further held inside the housing portion 72 so as to overlap parallel to the back surface of the display device 24 . A unitary horizontal support member 176 and a pair of vertical channel members 180 are provided as a means for receiving and retaining the battery 134 and extend from the bottom wall 178 of the housing portion 72. The battery is supported by sliding the side edges of the battery 134 into the member 180 until the bottom of the battery rests against the support member 176 (see FIG. 9).

Cassette 132 and its contents (piled receiver paper 1
82 and transfer paper 184), cassette storage chamber 13
Before explaining the 0-definition structure, let us explain the structure shown in FIGS.
The printer 28 will be explained based on FIGS. 1 to 13.

The printer 28, located within the lower portion of the housing portion 68, includes a rotatably mounted hollow cylindrical drum 186 and a rotatably mounted hollow cylindrical drum 186 mounted for linear movement along the drum surface in the direction of the drum axis. A printhead assembly 188 is included.
An image receiving paper 182 is wrapped around the outer surface of the drum 186 and rotates together with the drum. Print head assembly 188 includes three print transducers 190, 192, 194.
is attached, and three types of secondary color image signals derived from the three primary color image signals supplied to the printer 28 are transmitted to the transducers 190, 192, 19.
4, these signals are converted into print signals. Note that this print signal is a signal having the energy necessary for selectively transferring the secondary color print medium from the transfer paper 184 to the image receiving paper 182 on the drum 186, and is, for example, a signal expressed in the form of pressure. .

In the preferred embodiment, a small high speed reversible motor 196 and motor drive member is provided within the central cavity of the drum 186 as a means for driving the drum 186 and punthead assembly 188.

FIG. 13 is a view of the inner lower portion of the housing portion 68 seen from the rear of the camera 10 with the rear wall 84 removed, showing the drum 186, driving means,
The print head assembly 188 is attached to the housing portion 6.
U-shaped support frame 1 fixed to the bottom wall 80 of 8
98.

A pair of inner bearings 2 are mounted on opposing support members 204, 206 that are secured to opposite arms of the U-shaped frame 198 and extend into the central cavity of the drum 186.
00,202 are attached, and the hollow drum 186 is supported by these bearings,
It is rotatable.

Motor 196 includes a pair of power lines for energizing the motor, and is fixed to support member 206 . The output shaft 212 of this motor is connected to the support member 20
6 is connected to a reduction gear train assembly 214 fixed to 6. Reduction gear train assembly 214 includes an output shaft 216 . This output shaft 216
A drum drive gear 218 is fixed to. Drum drive gear 218 meshes with an internal gear 220 secured to the cylindrical inner surface of drum 186. The output shaft 216 of the reduction gear train assembly 214 extends further from the gear 218 and passes through the support member 204 and the support frame 198, and has a gear 222 fixed to the tip of the shaft. This gear 222 serves as a power supply gear for driving the printhead assembly 188.

As previously described, printhead assembly 188
is attached so as to move linearly in the direction of the drum axis as the drum 186 rotates. That is, during the print production cycle, the drum 186
The entire image receiving area of the upper receiving paper 182 is adapted to be scanned by print transducers 190, 192, 194.

As shown in FIGS. 11-13, the printhead assembly 188 includes a carriage member 2.
24 and an L-shaped print head 230. Carriage member 224 is defined by a pair of spaced apart vertical side walls 226 and a connecting rear wall 228 extending higher than side walls 226 . An L-shaped printhead 230 is disposed between sidewalls 226 and has a short leg 232 and a long leg 234. The short leg portion 232 includes a transducer 190,
192 and 194 are attached, and the elongated leg 234 projects out of the lower portion of the housing portion 68 through an elongated hole 236 in the rear wall 84.
This long leg 234 is attached to the printhead assembly 188.
Used as a control lever when operating manually.

The carriage member 224 and the L-shaped print head 230 are mounted on guide pins 238 that extend horizontally between opposite upright arms of the support frame 198 below the drum 186 and are located at a printing end position (proximal to one end of the drum 186). Figures 11 and 13
It is designed to slide between a position shown by a solid line in the figure) and a print start position near the other end of the drum 186 (a position shown by a phantom line in FIGS. 11 and 13).

The details will be described later, but the print head assembly 1
88 is manually moved along pin 238 from the print end position to the print start position, and then
It is designed to be driven from a print start position to a print end position during a print cycle.

As a means for driving printhead assembly 188, a finely threaded lead screw 240 is disposed horizontally over pin 238 and is rotatably attached to an upright arm of support frame 198. As shown in FIG. 13, the right end of the lead screw 240 passes through the right upright arm of the frame 198 and has a gear 242 secured to its tip. The gear 242 then meshes with a power supply gear 222 fixed to the motor drive output shaft 216 of the transmission gear train assembly 214.

The left end of the lead screw 240 is the carriage 2
24 through the hole in the side wall 226, and the tip thereof is normally connected to the half nut portion 2 of the print head 230.
44. This half-split nut part 244
The internal threads of the print head 230 engage the threads of the lead screw 240, thereby creating a driving relationship between the print head 230 and the lead screw 240.

When the printhead 230 is in the normal operating position shown by the solid line in FIG.
40 and in the non-operating position shown in phantom, the half-nut portion 244 and the lead screw 240 are disengaged and the print head assembly 188 is placed on the guide pin 238. It can be slid by hand.

A torsion spring 246 is used to bias and hold the half-nut 244 of the printhead 230 in an engaged position with the lead screw 240. The torsion spring 246 is connected at one end to the print head 230 and at the other end to the side wall 226 of the carriage 244, and is connected to the pin 2
Since a clockwise (rotation direction as seen in FIG. 12) rotational force about 38 is applied to the print head 230, the screw of the half nut portion 244 is pressed against the lead screw 240. In this operating position, lever portion 234 of printhead 230
are horizontal and print transducers 190, 192, 194 of print head 230
is located very close to the surface of the drum 186, in contact with a portion of the transfer paper 184 overlapping the image receiving paper 182 on the drum 186.

Lead screw 24 to print head 230
0, the lever 234 is pushed up with a finger, causing the print head 230 to rotate counterclockwise around the pin 238 against the force of the spring 246, and the half nut 244 The print transducer 19 rotates in the direction of disengaging from the lead screw 240.
0,192,194 are substantially away from the surface of drum 186. When the printhead 230 is thus disengaged, the printhead assembly 188 can be slid along the pin 238 by manually manipulating the raised lever 234 of the printhead 230. becomes.

The movement of printhead assembly 188 as it is manually moved from the end-of-print position to the start-of-print position functions to advance receiver paper 182 in cassette 132 into operative relationship with drum 186 and transfer paper 184. print head 230
upper printed transducer 190, 192,
194, which will be described in detail later.

As mentioned above, to create color prints of recorded images,
This is accomplished by selectively transferring cyan, magenta, and yellow print media from transfer paper 184 to receiver paper on drum 186.

The means for selectively transferring the secondary color print media described above are the three print transducers 190, 192, 194 described above. As will be described in more detail below, these transducers are modulated or driven by three types of secondary color image signals derived from the primary color image signals and supplied to the printer 28, which prints the secondary color image signals. Convert to signal. The print signal may be an energy signal, such as a pressure signal, such that when applied, the matching color print medium can be selectively transferred from the transfer paper 184 to the receiver paper 182; Three superimposed dot patterns are printed on the image receiving paper 182, and a recorded image is reproduced by the superimposed dot patterns in almost the same way as a printed image formed on the image receiving paper by a subtractive halftone printing method. be done.

As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the transfer paper 184 includes an elongated base material 248. As shown in FIGS. A preferred substrate 248 is made of a plastic material, such as Mylar, and has a plurality of conformal color bands formed thereon. These secondary color bands are obtained by applying cyan, magenta, and yellow inks onto the base material 248 using a binder such as wax, and include a cyan band 250, a magenta band 252, and a yellow band 254.
A large number of sets of color bands consisting of are arranged one after another on the substrate. These matching color bands are then covered from the opposite side of the substrate 248 by a thin layer 256 of a low coefficient of friction polymeric plastic material.

As will be described in detail later, when the transfer paper 184 is placed in a position in operational relationship with the printer 280, the transfer paper layer 256 faces the receiver paper 182 and the base material 248
is the print transducer 190, 192, 1
A set of three colors 250, 25 facing 94
2,254 is a print transducer 190,
192, 194 and receiver paper 182 on drum 186
located between the transducer 190,
Color bands 250, 252, 254 extending parallel to the drum 186 within the straight running paths of the transducers 192, 194 correspond to respective transducers 190, 192, 1.
94 position.

In this positional relationship, the layer 256 of the transfer paper 184 is in contact with the image receiving paper 182;
The low coefficient of friction of 56 allows receiver paper 182 to slide freely under layer 256 as drum 186 rotates. Layer 256 also ensures that appropriate print signals are transmitted to print transducer 19.
It also serves to prevent ink from being transferred from the equal color bands 250, 252, 254 until it is applied from 0, 192, 194 to the transfer paper 184.

As previously mentioned, receiver paper 182 is similar to transfer paper 18.
Made of high-quality printing paper that easily transfers cyan, magenta, and yellow inks or dyes.

In a preferred embodiment, a cassette 132 loaded into the cassette chamber 130 of the camera 10 contains a stack of receiver papers 182 (e.g., 10 sheets) and a transfer sheet having at least 10 sets of color bands 250, 252, 254. Contains paper.

As shown in FIGS. 7, 12, and 16, the cassette 132 has a thin flat box-like upper portion 25.
8 and a curved lower portion 260 in which a portion of the transfer paper 184 and a stack of receiver paper 182 are held. The lower portion 260 supports the portion of the transfer paper 184 extending from the upper portion 258, and supports the transfer paper 184 and the print transducer 190, 192, 190.
It also has the function of guiding you to the position in relation to the movement.

The upper portion 258 and the lower portion 260 form one wall 26
2 is shared. The wall 262 is curved at the lower portion 260 in the same shape as the drum 186.
The upper portion 258 is the upper portion of the wall portion 262 and the opposing wall portion 2
64, a top wall 266, a pair of side walls 268, and a bottom wall 270. And the bottom wall part 2
70 has an elongated outlet 2 near the wall 262.
72 is provided. Note that the intersection of the walls 264 and 270 of the cassette 132 forms a grooved interface 27.
4, and this surface 274 is connected to the cassette 13.
2 is inserted into the cassette storage chamber 130, it cooperates with the L-shaped flange 276 in the cassette storage chamber to act as a positioning guide surface for accurate positioning of the cassette.

The lower portion 260 of the cassette 132 has a pair of guide passages 278 integrally formed along the side edges of the wall 262.
The side edge of the transfer paper 184 passes through this guide path 278. This guideway structure is formed by the wall portion 262 as shown at 280.
1 on the transfer paper 184.
The color bands 250, 252, 254 of the set are this extension part 2.
When it reaches 80, the color band part of the above set becomes the wall part 26.
It is designed to come out before the bottom end of 2.

The transfer paper 184 is first placed with the base material 248 side facing the wall portion 26.
2 and extends from the interior of the upper portion 258 of the cassette through the outlet 272 and along the bend 260 of the wall 262 with the side edge in the guideway 278 .

As shown in FIG. 14, the transfer paper 184 is provided with a plurality of sprocket holes 282 along one side edge thereof. These sprocket holes align with openings 284 in cassette wall 262. A feeding mechanism, which will be described later, is inserted into the opening 262, and when the feeding mechanism engages with the sprocket hole 282, the transfer paper 184 is transferred to the cassette 132.
Print transducer 190, 192,
194.

A stack of receiver paper 182 is placed in the upper portion 258 of cassette 132 overlapping a portion of transfer paper 184. Of these image-receiving sheets 182 , the image-receiving sheet 182 at the frontmost position closest to the transfer sheet 184 is aligned with the outlet 272 .

One sprocket hole 286 is provided in one side edge of each receiving paper 182. This hole 286 is aligned with the opening 288 in the wall 262 of the cassette 132. A feeding mechanism, which will be described later, is inserted into the opening 288, and when the feeding mechanism engages with the sprocket hole 286, the image receiving paper 182 at the frontmost position is fed from the outlet 272 to an operating position on the drum 186. . In addition, the cassette 132
A spring plate 289 is provided therein to keep the stacked receiver paper 182 pressed against the wall 262.

As shown in FIG.
2 is shifted laterally to the transfer paper 184. That is, in order to avoid being obstructed by the transfer paper 184 when the feeding mechanism engages the image receiving paper 182 through the opening 288, the side edge of the image receiving paper 182 on the side of the sprocket hole 286 is moved away from the side edge of the transfer paper 184. It is made to stick out.

The cassette 132 can be loaded into the cassette storage chamber 130 by opening the housing portion 72 to which the display device 24 and the flat battery 134 are attached.

When loading cassette 132, print head 230 is manually rotated into a non-operational position to move print transducers 190, 192, 194 away from drum 186. Cassette storage chamber 13
The lower curved portion 260 of the cassette is inserted from above the drum 186 by tilting the cassette 132 relative to the 0 position. The curved portion 2 is attached to the outer shape of the drum 186.
60 and turn the cassette counterclockwise (see Figure 12), the guide path 2
The extension 280 of 78 is positioned in the normal position. When this state is reached, the three-color bands 250, 252,
254 is the transducer 190, 192, 19 when the print head 230 is returned to the operating position.
Aligned to position 4. When the cassette 132 is loaded in this manner, the cassette top 258 is in an operative position within the cassette receiving chamber 130. At this time, as shown in FIG.
The top of cassette 62 abuts a vertical locating plate 290 within the top of housing portion 68, and grooved surface 274 of cassette 132 rests on locating flange 276. The cassette 132 housed in the cassette storage chamber 130 in this state is further supported by being pressed against a portion of the battery insertion guide path 180 within the housing portion when the housing portion 72 is closed. Once the cassette 132 is thus placed in the operating position within the storage chamber 130, the print head 230 is rotated back to the operating position.

For each print-making operation, a new set of color bands 2
50, 252, 254 are aligned with the print transducers 190, 192, 194 as a means for stepping the transfer paper 184 and for transporting the receiver paper 182 into operative relationship with the drum 186. A mechanism 292 is provided. This mechanism 292 is adapted to operate when the printhead assembly 188 is manually moved from the print end position shown in solid lines in FIG. 11 to the print start position shown in phantom lines.

The hooking mechanism 292 includes an elongated sliding member 294, and sliding portions included on both sides of the member 294 fit into vertical guideways 296, 298 provided inside the side walls 76, 78 of the housing portion 68. ing. The sliding member 294 has guide paths 296 and 29.
Vertical slots 304, 306 are provided in the portions near 8, and the vertical sliding range of the sliding member 294 is limited by the fixing pins 300, 302 passed through the slots 304, 306.

The sliding member 294 has an integrated hook arm 3.
08, the hook-like upper end of this arm enters the cassette through the opening 288 in the cassette wall 262, engages with the sprocket hole 286 of the frontmost receiving paper of the stack of receiving papers 182, and slides in this state. Receiving paper is directed toward drum 186 through outlet 272 when member 294 is lowered.

Slide member 294 also includes another hook arm 310 whose hook-like upper end enters the cassette through an opening 284 in cassette wall 262 and engages one of the sprocket holes 282 in transfer paper 184. When the slide member 294 is lowered in this state, the transfer paper is sent through the outlet 272 toward the print transducer 190, 192, 194, and a new set of tricolor bands 250, 252, 2
54 is adapted to be aligned with the transducer.

The distance that the frontmost receiving paper 182 needs to move before it engages the drum 186 is greater than the distance that the transfer paper 184 needs to move to advance one set of color bands. Therefore, the hooking arm 31 is moved in such a way that such a distance difference occurs during the feeding operation.
0 is attached to the sliding member 294.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the hook arm 310 is fitted into a pair of guide paths 312 on the sliding member 294, and is capable of vertical movement relative to the sliding member 294. The lower end of arm 310 is a horizontal flange 314 whose distal end extends rearwardly below the lower edge of sliding member 294 . A guide pin 316 attached to the wall 82 of the housing portion 68 projects through a vertical slot 318 in the arm 310 and allows the recording and reproducing device 2
The other end of a spring 320 is fixed to the lug on the mounting plate 136 of No. 6, and the other end of the spring 320 is attached to the arm 310. The arm 310 is pulled upward by the tension of the spring 320, and the lower end of the slot 318
It is kept at 6. In this way, a predetermined distance is provided between the lower edge of the sliding member 294 and the flange 314.

As shown in FIG. 11, slide member 294 is provided with an angled slot 322 so that wall 228 of printhead carriage 224, which forms part of printhead assembly 188, has a pin-supporting extension. A drive pin 324 secured to section 326 is adapted to slide within this angled slot 322. As can be seen from the foregoing, when print head assembly 188 moves from the print end position to the print start position (from right to left in FIG. 11), it moves horizontally with pin 324 in slot 322. By this, the sliding member 29
4 is pulled down from the position shown in FIG.
Also, when print head assembly 188 is driven by lead screw 240 from a print start position to a print end position, pin 324
moves in the opposite direction, so the sliding member 294 is pushed upward.

Let us now consider the case where the print head assembly 188 is in the print end position (right end in FIG. 11) and the hook mechanism 292 is in the fully raised position as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. When the lever portion 234 of the print head 230 is manually lifted to begin the print-making cycle, the print head 230 rotates and the half nuts 244 are released from the lead screw 240 while the transducers 190, 192, 1
94 also leaves the drum 186. As can be seen in FIG. 12, print head 230 switches normally open switch 3 on carriage 224 when rotated to the disengaged position.
8 and closes this switch. Thereby, the circuit 54 is activated and the operation of the magnetic recording/reproducing device 26 is started, and the magnetic tape is rewound by one frame.

Printhead assembly 18 to the left in FIG.
8 by hand, the sliding member 294 is pulled down by the pin 324 in the slot 322, and the arm 308, which is integrated with the sliding member, is also lowered at the same time. Paper 182 is fed through outlet 272 towards drum 186 .

During the initial period during the downward movement of the sliding member 294, the hook arm 310 is held at the upper limit position by the tension of the spring 320 and therefore does not move. Arm 3
10 is held in this position by arm 310.
This is the period until the lower edge of the sliding member 294 contacts the horizontal flange 314 provided at the lower end, after which the sliding member 294 pushes down the arm 310 against the tension of the spring 320. As slide member 294 moves further down, arm 308 advances receiver paper 182 toward drum 186 while arm 310 simultaneously advances transfer paper 184 toward the operative positions of transducers 190, 192, 194. As mentioned above, the amount of feed required for the transfer paper 184 is smaller than that for the image receiving paper 182;
In order to do this, the hooking mechanism is given a slow movement characteristic such that the arm 310 begins to move after the movement distance of the arm 308 reaches a predetermined length.

As shown in FIG. 12, the drum 186 includes:
A slot 328 made along the drum axis to receive the leading edge (dotted line) of the image receiving paper 182
and a spring clip 330 for temporarily clamping the leading edge of the receiving paper within the slot.
As the hooking mechanism 292 approaches the end of its downward stroke, the arm 308 pulls the receiving paper 182 into the slot 3.
28, and the leading edge of the receiving paper is clamped by a spring clip 330. At this point, the arm 310 is already equipped with one set of color bands 250, 25.
A length of transfer paper 184 corresponding to
The feed has been completed to the operating positions 192 and 194. Although not shown in the figure, the arms 308, 3
A cam member is provided in the travel path of 10, and at the end of the downward stroke of the hook mechanism 294, each arm engages with the cam and moves slightly away from the cassette 132, thereby causing the arms 308, 310 to move slightly away from the cassette 132. The hook-like tips are adapted to come off each sprocket hole of the image receiving paper 182 and the transfer paper 184.

As shown in FIG. 13, the support frame 19
A button switch 40 is mounted on the horizontal portion of the drum 186 near the right end of the drum 186. When the printhead assembly 188 is in the print start position (the far right position in FIG. 13), the printhead 23
When the lever portion 234 of the print head 230 is manually raised, the print head 230 enters the operating position, at which time the print head hits the normally open switch 40, closing the switch.

When the switch 40 is closed, "1
The "frame reading" circuit 56 is activated, causing the magnetic tape recording/reproducing device 26 to operate in the playback mode and supplying the electronic image signal to the printer 28, and the closing of the switch 40 causes the "frame readout" circuit 56 to operate at the same time as the "printer" circuit 56. Activation'' circuit 58 is also activated and printer 28 begins operation.

The motor 196 applies a voltage of the appropriate polarity, ie, rotates the drum 186 counterclockwise (see FIG. 12) and moves the printhead assembly 188 to the print start position shown in phantom in FIGS. The lead screw 240 is energized with a voltage of a polarity that rotates the lead screw 240 in the direction of driving the lead screw 240 from the print end position shown by the solid line.

At the beginning of rotation of the drum 186, the front end of the image receiving paper 182 is held in the slot 328 by the clip 330, and is pulled out from the outlet 272 of the cassette 132 and wound onto the surface of the drum 186. As drum 186 rotates, printhead assembly 188
40, the print transducers 190, 192, 194 are selectively energized by the equal color image signals in registration with the color bands 250, 252, 254 of the transfer paper 184; This results in selective transfer of the equal color print medium from transfer paper 184 to receiver paper 182 to produce a print of the recorded image.

When printhead assembly 188 is being driven along lead screw 240, hook mechanism 292 is forced upwardly by pin 324 in slot 322.

When the print head assembly 188 reaches the end of print position, the left side wall 226 of the carriage 224
hits the normally open switch 42 attached to the left upright part of the frame 198 (see FIG. 13),
This switch closes. When switch 42 is closed, print ejection circuit 60 is activated to brake motor 196 and stop drum 186, as previously described. A reverse polarity voltage is then applied from circuit 60 to motor 196 to cause the motor to rotate briefly in reverse, thereby causing drum 18
6 rotates once in the clockwise direction. During this one rotation, the rear end (free end) of the image-receiving paper 182 on the drum 186 is exposed to the wedge-shaped stripper 33 extending from the tip of the rear wall 84 of the housing section 68 toward the drum 186.
2 (see FIG. 12) from the drum, and the rear end of the receiving paper is attached to the bottom wall 1 of the housing part 72 on the back side of the camera housing 12.
78 and stripper 332 through print outlet 334 . This drum 1
During rotation, at least a portion of the image receiving paper 182 is sent out of the camera 10 through the outlet 334, so if that portion is pinched and pulled out with fingers, the leading edge of the image receiving paper held in the clip 330 is separated from the clip. .

The transfer paper 184 is fed for each print, and each time a new set of color bands 250, 252,
254 is the print transducer 190, 19
2,194 and the used portions of the transfer paper 184 are stored in a container (not shown) located in the space between the bottom of the drum 186 and the rear wall 84 of the housing portion 68. In order to be able to remove used transfer paper from this container,
It is also possible to provide a small door (not shown) in the rear wall 84.

During a print production cycle, primary color electronic image signals of red, green, and blue representing the recorded image on the magnetic tape are supplied from the magnetic tape recording/reproducing device 26 to the printer 28. Since the printer 28 is designed to operate in a subtractive color scheme using three secondary colors: cyan, magenta, and yellow, the print transducer 1
90, 192, 194, it is necessary to convert the primary color image signals to corresponding secondary color image signals.

For example, the color red is reproduced by the printer 28 by superimposing magenta dots and yellow dots. Therefore, the red input signal must be converted into an equivalent magenta and yellow signal. Similarly, green is a combination of cyan and yellow dots, and blue is a combination of magenta and yellow dots.
Obtained by superimposing dots and cyan dots.

In the additive color method, colors are mixed by combining three primary color image signals, but in the subtractive color method, the same colors as in the additive color method are reproduced by combining the corresponding secondary color image signals. be done.

The relationship between the primary color signal and secondary color signal is determined by the color separator 15.
This can be mathematically expressed using simultaneous transformation equations to balance the color characteristics of the red, green, and blue filters of the image data and the color characteristics of the cyan, magenta, and yellow inks on the transfer paper 184. After the relationship between these two color mixing methods is defined by simultaneous transformation equations,
Color conversion can be performed electronically using matrix circuits.

As shown in FIG. 17, the printer 28 converts primary color image signals of red, green, and blue for additive color mixture into secondary color image signals of cyan, magenta, and yellow for subtractive color mixture. "Additive-subtractive signal conversion circuit"
It is equipped with an electronic matrix 336 called . This circuit 336 receives the primary color electronic image signals from the magnetic recording/reproducing device 26, converts them into equivalent equal color image signals, and provides those signals to print transducers 190, 192, and 194. Print transducer 190, 192, 194
Because they are located at separate locations on print head 230, phase adjustment of the secondary color image signals is necessary. In other words, in order for the three dots produced by the three transducers to overlap at one location on the receiving paper to form one picture element, the phase of the signal to each transducer must be adjusted appropriately. have to adjust. The preferred embodiment includes a device for adjusting the phase relationship of the secondary color image signals according to the physical spacing of the transducers 190, 192, 194, the diameter and rotational speed of the drum 186.

For each rotation of drum 186, a line of image information consisting of overlapping color dots is printed by print transducers 190, 192, and 194. Lead screw 240 connects printhead assembly 188 to drum 186.
The print transducers 190, 192, 194 are sent in synchronization with the rotation of the drum 186.
The image receiving area of the image receiving paper 182 is scanned while the print head assembly 188 reaches the print start position to the print end position.

As previously mentioned, in the preferred embodiment, when electronic image signals are provided to the print transducers 190, 192, 194, the signals are converted to print signals in the form of pressure, and the pressure is applied to the transfer paper 1.
84 causes print media to be transferred from transfer paper 184 to receiver paper 182 on drum 186.

An example of a printed transducer that provides pressure as an output in response to an electrical input signal is the first
This is shown in Figure 8.

The printed transducer 190 shown in FIG. 18 is an electromagnetic transducer (other transducer 192,
194), and the needle 337 is on the transfer paper 184.
When it hits the base material 248, the pressure is applied to the base material 248.
The ink is transferred to the receiver paper by applying a color band of ink through the receiver.
This can be thought of in the same way as ink on a ribbon being transferred to type paper when typing on a typewriter.

The transducer 190 includes a steel annular collar 338, an annular magnet 340, a steel substrate 342, a steel shaft 344, and a non-magnetic drive tube 348 around which a coil 350 is wound. color 3
38 is connected to one magnetic pole of a magnet 340, and the substrate 342 is connected to the other magnetic pole. A shaft 344 is attached to the substrate 342 and extends from there through the annular magnet 340 into the open central base of the collar 338;
An annular space 346 is formed between 44 and collar 338 . Drive tube 348 is mounted for axial sliding movement on shaft 344 within annular space 346 .

The drive tube 348 extends slightly beyond the tip of the shaft 344 and is attached to a bellows-shaped spring member 35.
2 to the collar 338. Drive tube 34
The open cavity at 8 is fitted with a conical diaphragm portion of member 354 having a diamond needle 337 attached thereto. The needle 337 then extends outwardly from the central opening of the transducer protective end cap 358.

Since the collar 338 and the shaft 344 are connected with opposite polarity to the magnet 340, they are magnetized in opposite directions and therefore the space 34
A magnetic field is generated at 6. When a secondary color electronic image signal flows through the coil 350, the interaction between the coil current and the magnetic field generates a thrust proportional to the signal strength.
The drive tube 348 is displaced toward the end cap 358 by this thrust, and accordingly, the drive tube 348 is displaced toward the end cap 358.
The needle 337 connected to 48 is also displaced in the same direction.
When the signal supply to the coil 350 ceases, the drive tube 348 and the needle 337 are returned to their initial positions by the bellows-like spring member 352. In this way, the needle 33
7 is driven in the axial direction with a force proportional to the strength of the image signal current applied to the coil 350.

3 transducers 190, 192, 19
4 is attached to the short leg 232 of the print head 230, and the attached state is such that when the print head 230 is in the operating position (solid line position in FIG. 12), an image signal is supplied to the coil 350 of each transducer. cyan color band 2 when not
It is preferable that the tip of the diamond needle of each transducer lightly touch the base material 248 of the transfer paper 184 including 50, magenta color band 252, and yellow band. However, the attachment may be adjusted so that the tip of the needle 337 is slightly separated from the base material 248 when there is no signal.

In any of the above cases, when an image signal is supplied to the coil 350 of any transducer,
The needle 337 of the transducer is connected to the drum 186.
The tip of the needle is driven linearly toward the surface of the transfer paper 18.
When it hits the substrate 248 of 4, pressure is applied to the print medium through the substrate, and this pressure causes the print medium to move from the color band to the receiver paper 1 on the drum 186.
82. The plastic layer 256 of the transfer paper 184 is thin enough to tear when pressed by the needle 337 so as not to interfere with the transfer of the print medium to the image receiving paper 182.

When the transfer of the print medium is performed, the receiver paper 1
Colored dots appear on 82. The size of the dot is proportional to the pressure applied to the transfer paper 184 from the needle 337. Since this pressure is proportional to the strength of the image signal supplied to coil 350, the dot size will be proportional to the strength of the signal. That is, as the image signal becomes stronger, the pressure increases, and as the pressure increases, the size of the dot increases.

As previously mentioned, the image is formed by printing a superimposed pattern of three equal color dots on receiver paper 182. This dot pattern is similar in some respects to a color halftone printing process. Each dot is placed on the receiving paper at essentially equal intervals. However, since the size of the dot changes in proportion to the intensity of the image signal, the density or color saturation changes. In other words, in the bright parts of the image,
The dimensions of each equally spaced dot are relatively small and the size of each evenly spaced dot is relatively small.
As the white background portion of 82 increases, the apparent color saturation becomes lower. On the other hand, in relatively dark areas, the size of each equally spaced dot is large and the white background area is small, so the apparent color saturation is quite high.

In the preferred embodiment of camera 10, the effective resolution of imaging system and printer 28 is approximately 80 lines/cm (200 lines/cm).
book/inch). The area of the image receiving area of the image receiving paper 182 is approximately 75 x 75 mm (3 x 3 inches), and the printing time required is 600 rpm for the rotation speed of the drum 186.
It takes about 1 minute at pm. The maximum diameter of each dot is approximately 0.2 mm (0.008 inch).

When using camera 10, magnetic tape cassette 128 and receiver paper/transfer paper cassette 132 are loaded into the camera. The printhead assembly 188 is then attached to the drum 1 shown in FIGS. 6 and 13.
The printing end position is set near the left end of 86.

When recording and displaying the image of the scene electronically,
Framing is performed while viewing the subject through a viewfinder consisting of lenses 120 and 122,
Focus adjustment knob 116 adjusts objective lens 14 and button switch 32 on side wall 76 of housing portion 68 is pressed.

When the switch 32 is actuated, the "CCD clear readout" circuit 44 causes the photosensitive transducer to
The ambient light signal in CCD 16 is cleared. The optical field image passing through the lens 14 is separated into the three primary color components of red, green, and blue by the color separator 15.
It is focused onto the CCD 16. Each photosensitive element of CCD 16 is charged in proportion to the intensity of this image beam, thereby converting the optical image into red, green, and blue electronic image signals, at which point the image is represented in electronic data form. Appropriate control signals are passed from circuit 44 to CCD 16.
These electronic image signals are supplied to CCD1
6 and transferred to the memory 20 via the A/D converter 18. The electronic image signal entering the memory 20 is repeatedly read out from the memory at a speed approximately close to the video speed under the control of the "memory read" circuit 48 and the delay circuit 54, and is then read out from the memory via the D/A converter 22. The signal is supplied to the display device 24. An image is then displayed on the display device 24 energized by the "display screen activation" circuit 50. During the image display period, the magnetic tape recording/reproducing device 26 operates in a high video speed recording mode in response to appropriate control signals from the "one frame recording" circuit 52;
One frame of the electronic image signal supplied from the memory 20 to the recording/reproducing device 26 via the D/A converter 22 is recorded on the magnetic tape. The image display operation of the display device 24 is maintained continuously as long as the button switch 32 is kept pressed. When the button switch 32 is released, the electronic image signal is automatically erased from the memory 20. However, an electronic image signal representing an image is stored on the magnetic tape, and by using this signal again, it is possible to create a print or display an image.

To make a print from a recorded image, printer 28 is reset by manually moving printhead assembly 188 from an end-of-print position to a start-of-print position. Note that this printing start position is the drum 186 in FIGS. 6 and 13.
It is near the right end of . And print head 23
When the lever portion 234 of the print head 230 is lifted, the half nut portion 244 of the print head 230 is separated from the lead screw 240, and the print head 230 is moved to the non-operating position. When printhead 230 approaches the inactive position, it hits normally open switch 38, causing it to close. Closing switch 38 activates a "one frame rewind" circuit 54 which sends appropriate control signals to magnetic tape recording/playback device 26 to cause device 26 to operate in rewind mode, during which time Then, the magnetic tape is rewound by one frame at high speed, and the magnetic tape is returned to the forefront of the newest recorded image.

Print head 230 is connected to lead screw 24
0, the print head assembly 188 is manually slid along the guide pin 238 and moved to the print start position, and the hook mechanism 2
92 works, and the receiving paper is delivered to the outlet 27 of the cassette 132.
The leading edge of the image receiving paper 182 enters a slot 328 of the drum 186 and is held by a clip 330. At the same time, the transfer paper 184 is also fed by the hook mechanism 292, and the new set of color bands 250, 252, 254
is the print transducer 190, 192, 1
94 operating position.

When the printhead assembly 188 is placed in the print start position and the printhead 230 is returned to the operating position, the nut half 244 engages the lead screw 240 and the print transducer 19
0,192,194 are moved to an operational position proximate the surface of drum 186. Note that when the print head 230 approaches the operating position, the normally open switch 4 is turned off.
0 and closes this switch. and,
Closing switch 40 activates the "read one frame" circuit 56 and printer activation circuit 58.

Circuit 56 sends appropriate control signals to recording and reproducing device 26.
The signal causes the device 26 to operate in a slow playback mode. From the recording/reproducing device 26,
The primary color image signals on the magnetic tape are supplied to an additive/subtractive signal conversion circuit 336 of the printer 28. circuit 33
6, these three primary color image signals are converted into their corresponding three types of subtractive color signals, and after phase adjustment of the image signals is performed to compensate for the spacing between the print transducers, these three primary color image signals are Signals are output from circuit 336 and provided to printed transducers 190, 192, and 194.

Printer activation circuitry 58 provides appropriate control signals to printer 28 which energizes circuitry 336 and drive motor 196. When motor 196 is energized, drum 186 and lead screw 240 are driven. drum 186
At the beginning of the rotation of the image receiving paper 18, the leading end of which is held in the drum slot 328 by the clip 330.
2 is pulled out from the cassette 132 and placed on the drum 18.
It can be wrapped around 6. As drum 186 rotates, lead screw 240 drives printhead assembly 188 linearly along the screw axis. The secondary color image signals output from circuit 336 are transmitted to print transducers 190, 192,
194 and is converted into a print signal in the form of pressure. This pressure is the transducer 19
Color band 25 of transfer paper 184 from 0,192,194
0,252,254, the cyan, magenta, and yellow print media are transferred from the color band to drum 18.
As a result, a dot pattern in which three types of equal color dots are superimposed is printed on the image receiving paper 182, and these patterns change the color of the recorded image. A print is made.

While the lead screw 240 drives the print head assembly 188 from the start print position to the end print position, the hook mechanism is activated by the pin 324 of the carriage 224 in the slot 322 of the slide member 294. 292 reset operation is performed.

When the printhead assembly 188 reaches the end-of-print position, the carriage 224 hits the normally open switch 42, closing the switch. switch 42
is closed, actuating print ejection circuit 60, which provides appropriate control signals to motor 196 to stop rotation of drum 196. Thereafter, a reverse polarity voltage for motor reversal is supplied from the circuit 60 to the motor 196, and while the drum 186 rotates once in the reverse direction, the image receiving paper 186 on the drum 186 is
A portion of the camera housing 12 is delivered from the outlet 334 to the outside of the camera housing 12 .

When reproducing the recorded image on the magnetic tape and converting it into a video, press the normally open button switch 34 on the side wall 76 of the camera housing 68. This switch 34 closes and the tape is fully rewound. ”Circuit 6
2 is activated and the magnetic tape recording/reproducing device 26 is activated by appropriate control signals supplied from this circuit 62.
operates in high-speed rewind mode, and the magnetic tape is fully rewound.

After the magnetic tape has been rewound, by repeatedly manually operating the button switch 36 on the side wall 76 of the housing section 68, each recorded image on the tape can be displayed on the display device 24 in sequence. can.

Each time the switch 36 is pressed, a "one frame readout" circuit 64 is activated, and an appropriate control signal supplied from this circuit 64 causes the recording/reproducing device 26 to
operates in a high-speed playback mode, and the electronic image signal for one frame on the tape is sent to the memory 20 via the A/D converter 18, and then displayed from the memory 20 via the D/A converter 22. The image is supplied to the device 24 and displayed as an image. As long as switch 36 remains closed, the image on display 24 is maintained. When the switch 36 is opened, the image signal in the memory 20 is automatically erased.

If there is an image to be printed while viewing the image of the recorded image, the print making cycle is started by manually moving the print head assembly 188 from the print end position to the print start position as described above. be able to.

Although the embodiment of the camera 10 described above is configured to produce color prints of recorded images, it is also possible to simplify the above-described camera based on the present invention and configure it for producing black and white prints. It would be possible. Additionally, although only one example of a circuit configuration with the desired functionality has been described with respect to control logic system 30, it will be apparent that many other circuit configurations are possible within the scope of the present invention.

Since the self-developing camera described above can be further modified within the scope of the present invention, the above description and accompanying drawings are merely illustrative means and do not limit the present invention. It has no meaning.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the main components of a portable self-developing electronic camera embodying the present invention, and FIG.
The figure shows a first camera operating cycle for electronically recording an image and simultaneously imaging it on an electronic optical display;
A block diagram showing the functional relationship between the camera components during the second camera operation cycle in which recorded images are printed on image-receiving paper. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the functional interrelationships between the camera components during the third camera operation cycle in which the tape is rewound to the leading edge. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the functional interrelationships between the camera components during a fourth camera operating cycle that supplies an electronic optical display, and is a front view of a camera embodying the present invention; 6th perspective view of the front of the camera showing the half-open state of the rotary housing section using imaginary lines.
The figure is a perspective view of the camera in figure 5 seen from the back.
The figure is a side view of a camera embodying the present invention, with internal members indicated by dotted lines;
FIG. 8 is a side view of the camera seen from the opposite side of FIG. 7, with internal members indicated by dotted lines, and FIG. 9 is a top view of the camera embodying the present invention, showing the internal components. A top view of the camera with members indicated by dotted lines, FIG. 10 is a front view of the camera with a portion of the housing cut away to show details of the magnetic recording/reproducing device of the camera embodying the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a front view of the camera showing the inside of the camera. A front view of the camera seen from the same direction as FIG. 10 to show details of the paper and transfer paper feeding mechanism, and FIG. 12 is an enlarged side view showing the structure of the printer and other components of the camera implementing the present invention. , FIG. 13 is an enlarged rear view showing details of the printer drum and drum/printhead assembly drive system included at the bottom of FIG. 12, and FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the transfer paper used in the camera of the present invention. 15 is a sectional view showing a part of the transfer paper in FIG. 14, FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the cassette containing the image receiving paper and the transfer paper, and FIG.
Figure 18 is a schematic diagram illustrating three print transducers included in a printer placed in operative relationship with respect to a set of equal color bands on a transfer sheet; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a printed transducer that converts into a Explanation of reference symbols, 10...Camera, 12...Housing, 14...Objective lens, 16...Transducer (CCD), 24...Display device, 26...
...Magnetic recording/reproducing device, 28...Printer, 20...
...Memory, 128...Magnetic tape cassette, 13
2... Image receiving paper/transfer paper cassette.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A housing having a first compartment and a second compartment; a substantially planar electro-optic display disposed on a side wall of one of the first compartments; and a device for mounting a battery disposed within one of the second compartments; at least one sheet of image-receiving material disposed within the first compartment and in communication with the second compartment; an objective lens attached to the first compartment and facing outwardly from the front wall of the first compartment, for allowing a user to observe a field to be recorded; an optical device for focusing an image of the field on a predetermined focal plane; forming an optical image of the field image located at and focused on the focal plane, and representing the optical image; a photosensitive transducer for converting into an electronic image signal in an electronic data format; a recording device provided in the first section for receiving and recording the electronic image signal from the transducer; and in the second section. a printer provided in operative association with the sheet of image-receiving material for printing an image of the scene on the sheet based on the electronic image signal provided from the recording device; at least one manual actuator located in a compartment and manually actuable from outside the first compartment to electrically connect the photosensitive transducer, the recording device, and the display device from the battery. energized to provide the electronic image signal from the transducer to the recording device, and to provide the electronic image signal from the recording device to the display device to display a visible image of the scene; a control device that selectively electrically energizes the printer according to a user's operation to apply the electronic image signal from the recording device to the printer to form a field image on the sheet of image-receiving material; a camera of suitable size and weight to be carried by a user, comprising: a controller including means for activating the printer to print; 2. According to claim 1, the recording device and the battery are made in a flat shape, the display device is provided on the rear wall of the housing, and a device for storing the recording device and the sheet of image-receiving material is provided. and a device for attaching the battery to the first part of the housing.
The camera is provided within a compartment between the rear wall and the display device.