JPH03132170A - Electronic still camera pickup and reproduction controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To control camera photographing and reproduction in the case of interval photographing using a strobo by providing an interval setting means, a reproduction time calculation means and a control means. CONSTITUTION:An interval timer 46 sets a time resulting from subtracting a time required for charging a strobo of a camera 12 from a prescribed interval time inputted by the operator from a remote controller input section 36 as a reproduction time possible for reproduction display on a monitor together with the interval time. Then after the end of pickup of the camera, the time is counted and when a reproduction display time elapses, a signal is outputted to a control section 40. Thus, since a time for charging the strobo is provided from the track movement to the succeeding photographing, after the strobo is charged sufficiently, the succeeding photographing is implemented. Moreover, since the photographing picture is reproduced for the photographing interval except the charging time of the strobo, monitor pattern is not blank for the interval.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a photographing and playback control device for an electronic still camera.

1 and 1 As is well known, an electronic still camera photographs a subject and records the photographed image on a magnetic disk or the like. The recorded image is reproduced by a reproduction device.

A playback adapter is used that is connected to such an electronic still camera, plays back images taken and recorded by the camera, and outputs a playback signal to a monitor. Such an adapter is usually connected to a camera and also to a monitor, reads out an image signal photographed and recorded by the camera, converts it into a video signal, performs necessary processing, and outputs it to the monitor.

In addition to visually reproducing recorded images on a monitor, the reproduction adapter as described above is also used as a control device for controlling the photographing operation of a camera. For example, it is used as a control device that sends a release control signal to a camera at predetermined time intervals and causes the camera to perform interval photography. In this case, between shooting and the next shooting, the image taken just before is played back and displayed on the monitor as an already shot image to facilitate operations for the next shooting. .

In this case, when photographing the next image, the recording head in the camera is moved to the next unrecorded track.

By the way, when shooting with a strobe in such interval shooting, the camera needs time to charge the strobe, so after playing back the previous image during the shooting interval, the camera is activated when shooting the next image. When the recording head is moved to the next unrecorded track,
Photography cannot be performed until the charging time of the strobe has elapsed.On the other hand, if the head is moved to the next track immediately after layering, the image cannot be reproduced during the interval until the next photograph.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the problems of the prior art, and provides a method for controlling the shooting operation and playback of an electronic still camera when the electronic still camera performs interval shooting using a strobe. The purpose is to provide a control device.

According to the present invention, the device is connected to an electronic still camera to control photography by the electronic still camera, and is connected to a monitor to reproduce images taken by the electronic still camera and recorded on a recording medium on the monitor. The device includes an interval setting means for setting an interval for interval shooting using an electronic still camera, and a playback time on a monitor is calculated by subtracting the charging time for strobe charging of the electronic still camera from the interval set by the interval setting means. and a control means that controls the camera and the monitor, and the control means outputs a release signal to the camera and then calculates the playback time by the playback time calculation means when causing the camera to perform interval shooting. When the playback time has elapsed, the electronic still camera is charged with a strobe light, and after the release signal is output, when an interval has elapsed, the release signal is output to the camera again.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment of an electronic still camera photographing and playback control device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an electronic still camera photographing and playback control device according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the playback adapter IO is connected to the electronic still camera 12 via the connector 42. An image signal of a still image photographed by the electronic still camera 12 is input through the connector 42 and sent to the non-reproduction system processing circuit 14 and the reproduction system processing circuit 16. Non-reproduction processing circuit 14
The output of the reproduction system processing circuit 16 is inputted to the reproduction system processing circuit 16, and the output of the reproduction system processing circuit 16 is outputted to the monitor terminal 18. The reproduction system processing circuit 16 has a monitor connected to a monitor terminal 18,
It performs processing necessary for visual reproduction on a monitor, such as processing for converting an image signal input from a camera into a video signal for monitor reproduction. The non-reproduction processing circuit 14 processes image signals other than the processing performed by the recycled yarn processing circuit 16, such as RF signals reproduced by a camera or DPS.
It performs communication processing to instruct the camera to perform operations such as demodulating the K signal, erasing images recorded on a specific track, erasing all tracks, and advancing tracks.

The monitor terminal 18 is a pin jack with a switch connected to a monitor. When the monitor terminal 18 is connected to a monitor, image signals from the non-reproduction processing circuit 14 and the reproduction processing circuit I6 are sent to the monitor. When the monitor terminal 18 is connected to a monitor, the switch of the monitor terminal 18 is turned on, and its output is sent to the control section 40 .

The control unit 40 is a control unit that controls each functional unit of the playback adapter IO, and is advantageously configured by, for example, a one-chip microcomputer. When the passage of a predetermined time is detected by a signal from an interval timer 46 (to be described later), the control unit 40 sends a charge start signal to the camera 12 via the interface 44 to charge the strobe, and also sends a release signal. Output.

The camera 12 is caused to take a picture. The control unit 40 further senses the input from the monitor terminal 18 at predetermined time intervals,
It is detected whether the monitor terminal 18 is connected to a monitor.

An interface 44 is connected to the control unit 40, and the interface 44 is connected to the camera 12 via a connector 42. Interface 44 is connected to camera 12 through control signal line R and data line 0. Release control from the control unit 40 to the camera 12.

Control signals for track forwarding, erasing, etc. are sent via the data line. In addition, a data line is connected from the camera 12 to the control unit 40.
It is used to send shooting data and camera status to the camera. By setting the control signal line R to the L level, the playback swallowtail lO becomes able to communicate with the camera.

The regeneration adapter IO also has a battery terminal 28 to which a battery is connected and an AC adapter terminal 30 to which an AC adapter is connected. By connecting the battery or AC adapter to any of these terminals,
Necessary power is supplied to the playback adapter IO. The battery terminal 28 and the AC adapter terminal 30 are connected to two inputs 26a and 26b of the relay circuit 26, respectively. Relay circuit 26 connects battery terminal 28 and A
This is a selection circuit that selects either one of the C adapter terminals 30. Power output from relay circuit 26 is supplied to regulators 22 and 24. regulator 22
supplies a predetermined power to the non-reproduction processing circuit 14 and the reproduction processing circuit 16.

The output of the regulator 22 is sent to the non-regenerative processing circuit 14 and also to the switch 20. switch 2
0 is controlled by a control signal from the control unit 40 and is connected only when the monitor terminal 18 is connected to a monitor.
As a result, power from the regulator 22 is sent to the reproduction system processing circuit 16 when the monitor is connected. For example, a transistor is advantageously used as the switch 20. On the other hand, the regulator 24 supplies a predetermined power to the control section 40.

Input from AC adapter terminal 30 is also available. It is input to the batch no adapter detector 32. When power is supplied from the battery terminal 28 or the AC adapter terminal 30, the battery adapter detector 32 detects which source the power is being supplied from, that is, whether the battery or the AC adapter is being used as a power source.

The output from the battery adapter detector 32 is sent to the control unit 40.
sent to.

The control section 40 is further connected to a power switch 34 and a remote control input section 36. power switch 34
is operated by the operator to turn on and off the power supplied to the playback adapter 10. The remote control input section 36 is constituted by a light receiving section provided on the side surface of the playback adapter 10.
Instructions by the operator using the remote control, such as setting the interval time for interval photography, frame advance, playback, and deletion, are input.

There is an interval timer 46 inside the control unit 40,
The interval timer 46 sets the predetermined interval time inputted by the operator through the remote control input section 36 by subtracting the time required to charge the strobe of the camera 12 as a playback time that can be played back and displayed on the monitor. After the camera finishes taking pictures, it counts the time and outputs a signal to the control unit 40 when the playback display time described above has elapsed.

Next, the operation of this apparatus will be explained using the flowchart shown in FIG.

The camera 12 is connected to the connector 42, the playback monitor is connected to the monitor terminal 18, and the AC adapter is connected to the AC adapter terminal 30. When the operator turns on the power switch 34, power is supplied from the AC adapter (step 102).When the operator inputs the interval time for interval photography from the remote control input section 36 (step 104), the control section 40 The reproduction time obtained by subtracting the time required for charging the strobe of the camera 12 from this interval time is set in the interval timer 46 (step 16).

The interval time for interval photography is set to, for example, 1 to 99 minutes, and the time required to charge the camera's strobe is, for example, 8 seconds.

In preparation for shooting, when the operator selects an unrecorded track using the track feed key on the remote control, a control signal is sent from the control unit 40 to the camera 12 through the interface 44i3 and the data line, and the recording head of the camera 12 selects the unrecorded track. The camera moves to the truck and enters standby mode for shooting. When the operator inputs an instruction for interval shooting from the remote controller human power section 36, the control section 4a outputs a release control signal to the camera 12, and the camera 12 takes a photo (step 1081) When the shooting is completed, the data line is sent from the camera 12. When the data indicating the completion of normal imaging is input to the control unit 40 through the data line, the control unit 40 outputs a reproduction command to the camera 12 through the data line, and reproduces the photographed image.

The photographed image data is read out from the camera 12, processed by the non-reproduction system processing circuit 14 and the reproduction system processing circuit 16, and then sent to the monitor through the monitor terminal 18, and the photographed image is visually reproduced on the monitor. (step 110).

On the other hand, the interval timer 46 counts the elapsed time from the end of shooting, and the elapsed time reaches the above playback time, that is, the time obtained by subtracting the time required to charge the strobe of the camera 12 from the interval time for shooting. Then (step 112), a signal is output to the control section 40 indicating that the playback B-¥ question has elapsed. When the control unit 40 receives this signal, it determines whether there are any unrecorded tracks remaining based on the camera status, and if there are any unrecorded tracks (step 126), it outputs a signal to stop playback to the camera 12 (step 126). 1141 The control unit 40 also determines whether the track at the current recording head position has been recorded based on the data from the camera 12 (step 116).
), if recording B has been completed, send a track movement command to the camera 12 through the data line to move the recording head to the next unrecorded track (step 118)! When the recording head is on an unrecorded track as at the start of shadowing, the control unit 4G does not output a track movement command and no track movement is performed.

When the reproduction by the monitor is stopped and the movement of the recording head to the unrecorded track is completed, the control unit 40 outputs a charging start signal to the camera 12 through the interface 44. The camera 12 then starts charging the strobe (
step +20). Note that instead of outputting the charging start signal, charging may be started when the camera moves to an unrecorded track.The interval timer 46 further counts the elapsed time, and when the strobe charging time has elapsed (step 122), that is, when the interval time has elapsed since the time of bottle shadowing, a signal to that effect is output to the control unit 40. The control unit 40 then outputs a release command to the camera 12, and the camera 12 takes the next image (step 108).

When the control unit 40 receives the shooting completion data from the camera 12 after the shooting is finished, it outputs a playback command to perform playback on the monitor, and resets the interval timer 46. As a result, the interval timer 46 starts counting the playback time again. When the playback time has elapsed, the control unit 40 stops the playback and moves to an unrecorded track in the same manner as described above. Thereafter, the charging time is counted, and when the charging time has elapsed, the release signal is output again.

The above-described operations are repeated and when there are no unrecorded tracks on the magnetic disk (step 126), the interval photographing ends.

As described above, according to this embodiment, in interval shooting, the time required for charging the strobe is calculated from the preset interval time, and after shooting, the image is After the playback time has elapsed, the track is moved to an unrecorded track, and the strobe is then charged. Therefore, since there is time to charge the strobe between the movement of the truck and the next m shadow, the next photograph can be taken after the strobe has been sufficiently charged. Moreover, since the already shot images are played back during the shooting interval, excluding the strobe charging time, the monitor screen does not go blank during the shooting interval.

According to the present invention, in interval photography, since the time required for charging the strobe is provided before photography, photography using a strobe is possible. Furthermore, since the image is played back excluding the time required to charge the strobe, there is less time during which the image is blank during the interval.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an electronic still camera photographing and playback control device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of interval photographing by the device of FIG. B, 'J Reproduction Agebuta camera Non-reproduction system processing circuit Regeneration system processing circuit Monitor terminal switch Battery terminal AC adapter terminal Battery attack detector 34° Power switch 36° Remote control input section 46° Interval timer

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Connected to an electronic still camera to control photography by the electronic still camera, and connected to a monitor to reproduce images taken by the electronic still camera and recorded on a recording medium on the monitor. In the apparatus, the apparatus includes: an interval setting means for setting an interval for interval shooting by the electronic still camera; and a charging time for subtracting a charging time for strobe charging of the electronic still camera from the interval set by the interval setting means. and a control means for controlling the camera and the monitor, and the control means sends a release signal to the camera when causing the camera to perform interval shooting. After the output, playback is performed on the monitor for the playback time calculated by the playback time calculation means, and when the playback time has elapsed, the strobe of the electronic still camera is charged, and after the release signal is output, the interval is 1. A photographing and playback control device for an electronic still camera, characterized in that a release signal is outputted to the camera again after the elapse of time. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means further moves the recording means of the electronic still camera to the next unrecorded track after the playback time has elapsed. Still camera shooting and playback control device.