JPH05183855A - Camcorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the power consumption by supplying no electric power to an image pickup system in a stand-by state by turning ON a recording switch after turning ON a main switch. CONSTITUTION:When a user turns ON the main switch 11A at a point t1 of the time, a power source supplies electric power S1, but only a control circuit 12 is placed in operation in this state and the electric power is supplied to none of other circuit parts such as the stop device of an optical system 16, an automatic focusing device, a camera signal processing circuit 18, a VTR signal processing circuit 19, a recording amplifier circuit 21, a system control circuit 13, and a servo circuit 14. The user, however, can see a subject image to be picked up through an optical viewfinder 15 even in this stand-by state corresponding to an angle of actual photography. Then the recording switch 11B is turned ON at a point t2 of the time and all the circuit parts following the circuit 12 are supplied with the electric power to start recording operation.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

[Table of Contents] The present invention will be described in the following order. Field of Industrial Application Conventional Technology (FIG. 3) Problem to be Solved by the Invention (FIG. 3) Means for Solving the Problem (FIG. 1) Action (FIG. 1) Example (FIGS. 1 and 2) effect

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video tape recorder (VTR) integrated with a camera, and more particularly to reducing power consumption.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a camera-integrated VTR,
There is one using a display device such as a CRT as a viewfinder.

In this camera-integrated VTR, after the main switch is turned on, the standby switch is turned on to turn on the power of the viewfinder and the image pickup system. As a result, the user can confirm the subject to be captured while viewing the image of the viewfinder in the standby state.

[0005]

By the way, in this type of camera-integrated VTR, the CRT is attached to the viewfinder.
However, there is a problem that the power consumption increases in the standby state in which the viewfinder is powered on by using the electronic display device such as. Particularly in a camera-integrated VTR, a small battery is mounted in order to improve portability, and it is necessary to reduce power consumption as much as possible.

As one method for solving this problem, a camera integrated type V using an optical buffer is used.
There is TR. In this optical view finder, it is considered that the subject can always be seen through the optical system composed of lens elements, so that no power is consumed and the power consumption of the camera-integrated VTR can be reduced accordingly.

However, in a camera-integrated VTR using this type of optical viewfinder, as shown in FIG. 3, the main switch is turned on to turn on the power supply (ie, the main power supply shown in FIG. 3A). At the time when the control signal S _POW rises, the power of the camera signal processing system for obtaining the video signal from the image pickup signal and the power of the video signal processing system for obtaining the recording signal from the video signal are turned on (that is, FIG. The signal processing system drive signal S _DRV shown in C) rises).

Accordingly, after the main switch is turned on, a time t2 when the recording switch for actually starting recording is turned on (that is, a time when the recording control signal S _REC shown in FIG. 3B rises). Even during the period (standby state), power consumption in these processing circuits causes a problem that the power consumption of the camera-integrated VTR increases. In particular, when the standby state becomes long, the power consumption increases and the battery duration becomes short.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and an object thereof is to propose a video tape recorder integrated with a camera that can further reduce power consumption.

[0010]

In order to solve such a problem, in the first invention, an image pickup system 2 for picking up a subject image and converting the image pickup signal S11 into a predetermined video signal S12.
3, a video signal processing system 24 for converting the video signal S12 into a predetermined recording signal S13, recording means 14, 25, 27 for recording the recording signal S13 on a predetermined recording medium 30, and a recording medium 30 running. Traveling means 14, 26, 29,
Imaging system 23, video signal processing system 24, and recording means 2
Control circuit 1 for controlling 5, 27 and traveling means 26, 29
2 and an optical display device 15 for visually confirming the subject image, in the camera-integrated video tape recorder 10, when the main switch 11A is turned on, the control circuit 12 is controlled to the operating state and the recording switch 11B is turned on. When operated, the image pickup system 23, the video signal system 24, the recording means 25, 27, and the traveling means 26, 29 are controlled to the respective operating states, and after a predetermined synchronization time T1 has elapsed, the recording signal is recorded on the recording medium 30. Recording is started in S13.

Further, in the second invention, when the recording switch 11B is turned on, the time constant of the circuit which requires a predetermined time constant until the operation is stabilized is shortened.

[0012]

In the standby state from the time when the main switch 11A is turned on until the time when the recording switch 11B is turned on, the subject can be visually observed using the optical display device so that the imaging system 23 can be operated. You don't have to. Therefore, in the standby state, the imaging system 23
Power is not supplied to the video signal processing system 24 and the recording means 1 in the standby state.
By not supplying electric power to the power transmission systems 4, 25, 27 and the traveling systems 14, 26, 29, the power consumption can be significantly reduced in the standby state.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 indicates a camera-integrated VTR as a whole, and a user uses an optical viewfinder 15
You can see the subject image through.

In the image pickup system 23, a subject image is incident on the image pickup device (CCD) 17 through the optical system 16 and photoelectrically converted by the image pickup device 17 to obtain an image pickup signal S11. The image pickup signal S11 is subjected to AGC control, white balance adjustment, and other processing in the subsequent camera signal processing circuit 18, and is converted into a video signal S12 via a matrisk circuit provided in the camera signal processing circuit 18.

In the video signal processing system 24, the video signal S12 is input to the VTR signal processing circuit 19 to obtain the recording signal S13. The recording signal S13 is amplified to a predetermined level in the recording amplifier circuit 21 and recorded on the magnetic tape 29 via the magnetic heads 28A and 28B provided on the rotating drum 27.

The image pickup system 23 operates the autofocus device of the optical system 16 to adjust the light quantity and focus of the subject image, and the camera signal processing circuit 18 sets the optical system according to the brightness level of the image pickup signal S11. The diaphragm provided at 16 is variably controlled.

Here, the diaphragm of the optical system 16 and the autofocus device, the image pickup device 17, the camera signal processing circuit 18, V
The TR signal processing circuit 19 and the recording amplifying circuit 21 are provided with control signals SC5, SC1 from the system control circuit 13, respectively.
It is controlled by SC2, SC3 and SC4.

Further, the system control circuit 13 is connected to a control circuit 12 having a microcomputer configuration, and the system control circuit 13 is operated by a control signal S3 from the control circuit 12.

Here, the control circuit 12 has a main switch 1
1A and the recording switch 11B are connected, and when the main switch 11A is turned on, the electric power S from the power source V is
1 is input to the control circuit 12, and the control circuit 12 becomes the operating state.

When the recording switch 11B is turned on, the recording control signal S2 is input to the control circuit 12, whereby the optical system 16, the image pickup device 17, the camera signal processing circuit 18, the VTR signal processing circuit 19, and the recording amplification are performed. The circuit 21 is supplied with electric power, these are controlled to the operating state, and the system control circuit 13 sends the servo control signal S4 to the servo circuit 14, so that the drum motor control signal S5 is sent to the drum motor 25. And the capstan motor control signal S6 is transmitted to the capstan motor 26.
And the drum motor 25 is rotationally driven to rotationally drive the rotary drum 27, and the capstan motor 26 is rotationally driven to rotationally drive the capstan 29.

In the above configuration, when the user turns on the main switch 11A at the time point t1 as shown in FIG. 2, the power S1 from the power source V at the time point t1.
Rises to supply.

In this state, only the control circuit 12 is controlled to be in an operating state, and the other circuit parts (a diaphragm device and an autofocus device of the optical system 16, the camera signal processing circuit 1).
No power is supplied to the VTR signal processing circuit 19, the recording amplification circuit 21, the system control circuit 13, and the servo circuit 14).

Even in this state (standby state),
The user can view the subject image to be captured from the optical viewfinder 15 at the angle at which the image is actually captured.

Thereafter, when the user turns on the recording switch 11B at time t2, the recording control signal S2 rises as shown in FIG. 2 (B), so that power is supplied to all the circuit parts after the control circuit 12. Then, the recording operation is started.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2C, the image pickup system 2 is operated at a time point t2 when the recording switch 11B is turned on.
3 (a diaphragm device of the optical system 16 and an autofocus device,
Image sensor 17, lamella signal processing circuit 18) and video signal processing system 24 (VTR signal processing circuit 19, recording amplification circuit 2)
Power is supplied to 1) to start the operation of these circuits.

Further, at the time point t2, FIG.
As shown by the broken line in FIG. 2, the start-up pulse signal shown in FIG. 2E has a predetermined time constant until the rotation operation of the rotary drum 27 and the operation of the AGC circuit of the camera signal processing circuit 18 become stable. By raising STP, these rising characteristics can be corrected to the characteristics shown by the solid line in FIG.

At the time point t2 when the recording switch 11B is turned on, the end portion of the recorded track formed on the magnetic tape 30 is searched, and a new recording is executed following the end portion. Recording processing (synchronization) is performed. The time T1 required for this joint recording processing is about 0.3 [seconds], and as shown in FIG.
As shown in (F), the synchronization control signal SYN for executing the connection recording process rises at the time point t2 when the recording switch 11B is turned on, and the time point t2.
The capstan motor 26 starts to drive and the capstan 29 starts to rotate at the time t3 when the continuous recording time T1 has elapsed from 2 (FIG. 2 (G)).

Here, the rotary drum 27 and the AGC circuit whose rising operation is shortened by the start-up pulse signal STP are designed to be stabilized by the time T1 required for the joint recording process. As a result, the recording operation can be started immediately at the time point t3 when the connection recording process is completed.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 2H, the camera-integrated VTR 10 which has been in the standby state at the time t1 when the main switch 11A is turned on is connected and recorded from the time t2 when the recording switch 11B is turned on. Recording is actually started at time t3 when the time T1 has elapsed.

As described above, at the time t1 when the main switch 11A is turned on, only the control circuit 12 is activated, and at the time t2 when the recording switch 11B is actually turned on, each circuit, the recording means, and the running. By controlling the means to the operating state, from time t1 to time t
During the standby state up to 2, the power consumption in T (ST) can be significantly reduced.

Therefore, even if the standby state is long, the consumption of batteries can be minimized.

According to the above construction, by using the optical viewfinder 15, the standby state (see FIG. 2,
The image pickup system 23 in t1 to t2) may not be operated, and in the standby state, the video signal processing system 24, the recording means 14, 25, 27 and the traveling means 2
By not operating 6 and 29 in the same manner, the power consumption can be remarkably reduced in the standby state.

In the above embodiment, the operation of the image pickup system 23 and the video signal processing system 24 is started when the recording switch 11B is turned on, but the present invention is not limited to this. , Integrated camera V
A sensor is provided in a portion of the housing of the TR10 held by the user, and when the user holds the camera-integrated VTR10, the sensor detects the sensor, and at this point, the imaging system 2
3, the operation of the video signal processing system 24, the recording means (25, 27) and the traveling means (26, 29) may be started up.

[0035]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the main switch is turned on, only the control circuit is controlled to the operating state, and then the recording switch is turned on, whereby the image pickup system and the video signal processing are performed. The system, the recording means, and the running system are controlled to be in an operating state, and at this time, a joint recording process (synchronization) is performed so that the recording signal on the recording medium is recorded continuously from the previous recording signal, and the joint recording is performed. Since the recording signal is started to be recorded on the recording medium at the time when the main processing is completed, after the main switch is turned on,
It is possible to drastically reduce the power consumption in the standby state until the recording switch is turned on.

Further, by shortening the time constant of the circuit in which the rising operation is not stable until the joint recording (synchronization) is completed, the recording can be started immediately when the joint recording is completed. ..

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a camera-integrated video tape recorder according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a signal waveform diagram showing an operation at the start of recording according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a signal waveform diagram showing an operation at the start of recording in a conventional camera-integrated video tape recorder.

[Explanation of symbols]

10-camera integrated videotape recorder, 11A ...
… Main switch, 11B …… Record switch, 12 ……
Control circuit, 13 ... System control circuit, 14 ... Servo circuit, 15 ... Optical type buffer, 16 ... Optical system, 17 ... Imaging device, 18 ... Camera signal processing circuit,
19 ... VTR signal processing circuit, 21 ... recording amplification circuit,
23 ... Imaging system, 24 ... Video signal processing system.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Masaya Fukuda 6-735 Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Sony Corporation

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup system for picking up a subject image and converting the image pickup signal into a predetermined video signal; a video signal processing system for converting the video signal into a predetermined recording signal; Recording means for recording a recording signal, traveling means for traveling the recording medium, a control circuit for controlling the imaging system, the video signal processing system, the recording means and the traveling means, and an optical for visually confirming a subject image In a camera-integrated video tape recorder having a display device, the control circuit is controlled to an operating state when the main switch is turned on, and the image pickup system, the video signal system, and the video signal system when the recording switch is turned on. The recording means and the traveling means are respectively controlled to be in an operating state, and after a predetermined synchronization time has elapsed, the recording signal is started to be recorded on the recording medium. Camera-integrated video tape recorder, characterized in that the. 2. When the recording switch is turned on,
2. The camera-integrated video tape recorder according to claim 1, wherein the time constant of a circuit that requires a predetermined time constant until the operation is stabilized is shortened.