JPH03123277A - Electronic still camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To execute photography while sound-recording by displaying a photographing frame number, the number of remaining frames that can be photographed, and the remaining recordable time, and executing the sound recording operation while confirming these. CONSTITUTION:A memory card 12, which is a recording medium that records a photographed picture data, can be connected to the main body of an electronic still camera through an aperture 13. Plural numbers of picture and a few minutes of sound can be recorded in the card 12, and they can also coexist. And, the photographing number, the remaining number of frames that can be photographed, and the remaining time that can be recorded are displayed on a display device 14, and the contents of the card 12 is displayed on a liquid crystal display device 15. Here, when a sound recording button 19 is depressed, the sound recording is started, and photographing can be executed while confirming the remaining number of frames than can be photographed and the remaining time that can be recorded. Thus, the card is not occupied only by sound recording, and photographing can be executed while recording.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an electronic still camera that records still image signals taken on a memory card, and particularly relates to an electronic still camera that records not only still image signals but also audio signals. Regarding the camera.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, this type of electronic still camera uses a video floppy as a recording medium, and records not only a still image analog signal obtained from an image sensor but also an audio analog signal obtained from a microphone. I'm trying to make it possible.

Normally, audio recording can be started by pressing a dedicated recording button or lever.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in such conventional electronic still cameras, the remaining recording time was not displayed. However, there was a problem in that it was not possible to check how many seconds could be recorded.

Particularly when taking pictures while recording, a situation may occur in which the memory is occupied by just the recording and the picture cannot be taken.

The present invention has been made in view of these conventional problems, and provides an electronic still camera that allows you to record while taking pictures while checking the remaining number of shots and remaining recording time. The purpose is to provide.

[Means for Solving the Problems] First, the present invention records a still image digital signal obtained from an image sensor and A/D converted and an audio digital signal obtained from a microphone and A/D converted multiple times. The object of the present invention is an electronic still camera that has a memory card that can be attached and detached from the memory card.

In the present invention, for such an electronic still camera,
A display device is provided to display the photographing frame number, the remaining number of photographs that can be taken, and the remaining time that can be recorded.

Here, the display device can switch between displaying the remaining number of images that can be taken and the remaining time that can be recorded, and usually displays only one of them.

Further, the display device simultaneously displays the remaining number of pictures that can be taken and the remaining time that can be recorded, and by freely changing the number of pictures that can be taken by operating a dial or the like, the available recording time can also be changed at the same time.

Further, in the display device, only a display section for displaying the recordable time is provided independently in front of the camera or in a position that can be easily monitored by the person to be recorded.

[Function] According to the electronic still camera of the present invention having such a configuration, in addition to the remaining number of shots that can be taken, the remaining recording time is also displayed on the display device such as the LCD. Photographing can be performed while checking the remaining recording time, and appropriate recording and photographing work can be easily performed according to the planned number of photographic images and recording time, especially when photographing and recording are simultaneously performed at the same place.

[Embodiment] Two embodiments of the electronic still camera according to the present invention will be described in detail below.

FIG. 1 shows the external appearance of an electronic still camera according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 11 is an electronic still camera body;
A memory card 12, which is a recording medium for recording photographed image data, can be connected through the opening 13. The memory card 12 contains image data for multiple sheets,
It is possible to record several minutes of audio, and of course it is also possible to mix image data and audio recording. 14 is a display device, which displays the shooting frame number or the remaining number of shots that can be taken;
The remaining recording time is displayed. A liquid crystal display 15 displays the contents of the memory card 12 and is used as a viewfinder. A setting dial 17 is normally used to determine the shutter speed and aperture, but by rotating the setting dial 17 while holding down the select button 18, the display contents (display) on the liquid crystal display 15 can be changed. .

19 is a recording button, and when the recording button 19 is pressed, recording starts. 20 is an optical finder.

Also, instead of displaying the shooting frame number, the number of remaining shots that can be taken, and the remaining recording time on the display device 14, the LCD display 15
It may be displayed overlapping the image on top.

Further, as an example of the display on the liquid crystal display 15, the content specified in the memory card 12 is normally displayed, and by pressing the release button 16 halfway, the display may be switched to the viewfinder.

2 and 3 show an embodiment of the display device 14 in FIG. 1. FIG.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, 31 is a symbol mark indicating that the display device is displaying the remaining number of shots that can be taken or the shooting frame number, and 32 is a symbol mark that indicates that the display device is displaying the remaining recording time. This is a symbol mark indicating that 33 is a liquid crystal display indicating the number of remaining shots that can be taken or the number of frames to be taken.

Normally, the display device 14 displays the remaining number of shots that can be taken or the shooting frame number as shown in FIG.
When 9 is pressed to enter the recording state, the remaining recording time 34 is displayed as shown in FIG.

If it is necessary to take a picture during recording, press the release button 16 halfway to return to the display of the remaining number of shots shown in Figure 2, and then press the release button or release the release button again. The display shown in FIG. 3 will be obtained. Naturally, the remaining recording time is reduced by the amount of memory occupied by the number of captured images.

Note that normally, the display device 14 displays the shooting frame number,
The remaining number of frames that can be photographed may be displayed only while the release button is pressed halfway, and the remaining recording time may be displayed when the recording button is pressed and recording is in progress. At this time, if the release button is pressed halfway during recording, the remaining number of shots that can be taken will be displayed.

4 and 5 show other embodiments for displaying the information inside the finder in FIG. 1 together with other displays.

4 and 5, 41 is a field frame, 42 is a mode display, 43 is an aperture display, and 44 is a shutter time display. 45 is a symbol mark indicating that the display device is displaying the remaining number of shots that can be taken or the shooting frame number, and 46 is a symbol mark indicating that the display device is displaying the remaining time that can be recorded. . Reference numeral 47 denotes a liquid crystal display indicating the number of remaining pictures that can be taken or the number of frames to be taken. Normally, the display device 14 displays the remaining number of shots that can be taken or the shooting frame number as shown in FIG. 4, but the recording button 19
When the button is pressed to enter the recording state, the remaining recording time 48 is displayed as shown in FIG. If it is necessary to take a picture during recording, press the release button 16 halfway to return to the display of the remaining number of shots shown in Figure 4, and then press the release button or take your finger off the release button again. The display shown in FIG. 5 will be obtained.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the display device 14 in FIG.

In FIG. 6, 31 is a symbol mark indicating that the display device is displaying the number of remaining shots that can be taken or a serial number corresponding to a memory address, and 32 is a symbol mark that indicates that the display device is displaying the remaining recording time. This is a symbol mark indicating that 33 is a liquid crystal display showing the number of remaining shots that can be taken or a serial number corresponding to a memory address. 34 is a liquid crystal display indicating the remaining recording time.

In FIG. 6, the number of remaining discs and the remaining recordable time are displayed at the same time. For example, if you set the number of shots and recording time in program mode before shooting or recording, the sum of the memory occupied by the number of shots displayed in 33 and the time displayed in 34 will be the amount of remaining recordable memory. It can be summed up.

The ratio between the number of shots and the recording time can be easily varied by rotating the setting dial 19 in FIG. 1 during the program mode, for example. Such a program mode is convenient because, for example, at a concert, a plan can be set in advance to record the singer's song for, for example, three minutes and take four photos of the singer.

In the case of normal shooting/recording without setting a program, the remaining recording time display A4 is set to 0 or is not displayed during recording, while the remaining recording time display A4 is not displayed during recording.
It is also possible to set it to 0 or not display it.

FIG. 7 is an external view of an electronic still camera in which the display device 14 shown in FIG. 1 is also installed on the front so that the recording time can be monitored by the person being recorded.

In FIG. 7, numeral 71 is a display device that displays the remaining recording time that can be easily monitored by the person being recorded. In the example of FIG. 7, the remaining time is displayed digitally and can display up to 9 minutes and 59 seconds.

8 and 9 show other embodiments of the display device 71 in FIG. 7, respectively.

In FIG. 8, 81a and 81b located on the outer periphery are LEDs for displaying seconds, and 82a located on the inner periphery.
and 82b are LEDs for displaying the minutes.

Further, in FIG. 9, 91 is a digital liquid crystal display for displaying minutes. Here, 81a and 82a are LEDs that are emitting light, and 81b and 82b are LEDs that are not emitting light.
It represents D. The total sum of the LEDs that are emitting light represents the remaining time.

In the embodiment, one LED□D81a and 81b represents 10 seconds, and one LED 82a and 82b represents 1 minute.

In other words, both the example in Figure 8 and the example in Figure 9 are approximately 2/4
This indicates that there is 0 seconds of remaining recording time. LED
Since the numbers of 81a and 82a decrease with time, in order to eliminate the sense of incongruity with watches in real life, in this example, the LEs emitting light in a counterclockwise direction are used.
D is decreasing. Furthermore, when the LEDs 81a and 82a stop emitting light as the recordable time decreases, they may stop emitting light as is, but they may also be brought into a blinking state a certain amount of time before stopping emitting light.

81a, 81b, 82a, 8 in FIGS. 8 and 9
Although 2b is an LED in the embodiment, it goes without saying that it may be another display member such as a liquid crystal or an EL.

FIG. 10 is an external view of an electronic still camera having a display device that functions as both the display device 14 in FIG. 1 and the display device 71 in FIG. 7.

In FIG. 10, 101 is a display device, which displays the remaining number of images that can be taken and the remaining time that can be recorded. 10
2 is a switch, which detects the position of 101; The display device 101 can be monitored from in front of the electronic still camera by rotating as shown by the arrow in the figure.

FIG. 11 shows an example of the display of the display device in FIG. 10. 111a indicates minutes and seconds, but if the display device 101 comes to the position shown by the dotted line in FIG. 10, the display will be upside down and left and right. When it is detected by the switch 102 that the display device 101 is not in the predetermined position, the digital display 112 of the numbers on the display af101 is reversed horizontally and vertically, and the minutes and seconds display 111a is stopped. The minutes/seconds display 111b located in a point-contrasting position is displayed.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to perform work while checking the remaining number of images that can be taken and the remaining time that can be recorded. Furthermore, if this is combined with a mode in which the number of images to be taken and the recording time are set in advance, it is possible to easily perform photography while recording.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of an electronic still camera according to the present invention; FIGS. 2 and 3 are explanatory diagrams showing an embodiment of the display device shown in FIG. 1; FIGS. An explanatory diagram showing one embodiment of the display in the finder according to the invention; FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the display device according to the invention; FIG. 7 is an electronic still camera according to another embodiment of the invention External view of: Figure 8, 9rI! J is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the display device shown in FIG. 7; FIG. 10 is an external view of an electronic still camera according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the embodiment of the display device shown in FIG. 10. It is an explanatory diagram of an example. In the figure, 11: Electronic still camera body 12: Memory card 13: Opening 14: Display device 15: Liquid crystal display 16: Release button 17: Setting dial 18: Select button 19: Recording button 20: Optical viewfinder

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A memory card that is capable of recording a still image digital signal obtained from an image sensor and A/D converted and an audio digital signal obtained from a microphone and A/D converted multiple times; What is claimed is: 1. A removable electronic still camera, characterized in that the electronic still camera is equipped with a display device that displays a shooting frame number, the remaining number of shots that can be taken, and the remaining time that can be recorded. (2) The electronic still camera according to claim 1, wherein the display device can switch between displaying the remaining number of images that can be taken and the remaining time that can be recorded, and normally displays only one of them. . (3) The display device simultaneously displays the remaining number of shots that can be taken and the remaining time that can be recorded, and by freely changing the number of shots that can be taken by operating a dial etc., the available recording time can also change at the same time. Claim 1 characterized by
Electronic still camera described. (4) The electronic still camera according to claim 1, wherein the display device is arranged such that only a display portion of the recordable time is independently provided in front of the camera or in a position that can be easily monitored from the person being recorded.