JPH06261275A - Electronic still camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To constitute the camera so that a large quantity of photographing images can be recorded. CONSTITUTION:To a serial interface 28, an external recording device 30 is connected. The external recording device 30 is provided with its own operating device 36 for operating at least a photographing mode (split scan or single scan) and a release. When a single scan/split scan mode is set by an operating device 42, a system control circuit 38 receives only the release by the operating device 42, and records a photographing image in a hard disk device 24. When the single scan/split scan mode is set by the operating device 36, only the release by the operating device 36 is received, and the photographing image is recorded in the hard disk device 24. It is also allowable that both of the operating devices 36, 42 receive the release.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to electronic still cameras.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an electronic still camera, captured image information is transferred to a flexible magnetic disk, a hard disk device,
Recording is performed electromagnetically or physically on a magneto-optical disk, an optical disk, a solid-state memory device, or the like.

Some electronic still cameras have a continuous shooting function, like the conventional still cameras that record shot images on a silver salt film. High-speed continuous shooting is possible by providing a large-capacity buffer memory between the image sensor and the hard disk device.

[0004]

Although optical storage media such as optical disks and magneto-optical disks are likely to have large capacities, they have the drawback of slow recording speed. In order to achieve continuous shooting speed above a certain level, recording is usually performed. A hard disk device is a realistic medium. Although the hard disk device has become smaller and has a larger capacity, the capacity is insufficient for recording a large number of images in the continuous shooting mode within a size that can maintain the portability.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic still camera that eliminates such inconvenience.

[0006]

An electronic still camera according to the present invention comprises an image pickup means for outputting an image signal of an object to be photographed, a recording medium for recording photographed image information by the image pickup means, a first operation means, And a camera body having external connection means, and second operation means, and in accordance with a specific operation of the first and second operation means, the imaged image information obtained by the image pickup means is stored in the recording medium and the storage medium. The data is recorded in at least one of the external storage means.

[0007]

With the above means, the external storage means can be used in addition to the recording medium that is usually equipped.
Even in the case of shooting a large number of images such as continuous shooting, it becomes possible to sufficiently cope with the situation.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 10 is a photographing lens, 12 is a mechanical shutter, 14 is an image sensor for converting an optical image into an electric signal, 16
Is a sample and hold (S / H) circuit that samples and holds the output of the image sensor 14, 18 is an A / D converter that converts the output of the S / H circuit 16 into a digital signal, 20
Is a memory control circuit that writes the output data of the A / D conversion circuit 18 to the memory 22 and reads the storage data of the memory 22 in accordance with the processing speed of the subsequent circuit.

Reference numeral 24 is a hard disk device which is a main recording medium for storing photographed images, and 26 is a data input / output interface of the hard disk device 24.

Reference numeral 28 is a serial interface for serially inputting / outputting image data to / from the outside, and reference numeral 30 is a large-capacity external storage device connectable to the serial interface 28. The external storage device 30 is, for example, a data recording device or a filing device using a magnetic tape as a storage medium, and may be directly connected to the serial interface 28 or may be connected via a wired or wireless communication line.

The external storage device 30 is a serial interface 3 facing the serial interface 28.
2. Storage device 34 for storing data and its operating device 3
It consists of 6. The operation device 36 includes an operation member for operating the camera.

Reference numeral 38 denotes a system control circuit for controlling the whole,
Reference numeral 40 denotes the image sensor 1 under the control of the system control circuit 38.
4, a pulse generation circuit for supplying appropriate timing pulses to the S / H circuit 16 and the A / D converter 18. 42
Is an operating device for inputting various instructions including a release to the system control circuit 38.

In the present embodiment, there are two operating devices 36 and 42, and either of them can be used to input a photographing mode (in this embodiment, continuous shooting or single shooting) and release.

In the first operation example, when the photographing mode is set by the operating device 42, the photographed image information is recorded in the hard disk device 24 according to the release operation of the operating device 42, and the photographing mode is set by the operating device 36. When set, the captured image information is recorded in the external storage device 30 according to the release operation of the operation device 36.

In the second operation example, when the photographing mode is set by the operation device 42, the photographed image information is obtained from the hard disk device 2 according to the release operation of the operation device 36 or 42.
4 and the photographing mode is set by the operation device 36, the photographed image information is recorded in the external storage device 30 according to the release operation of the operation device 36 or 42.

Referring to FIG. 2, the first embodiment of the embodiment shown in FIG.
The details of the operation example will be described. The operation signal of the operating device 36 is transferred to the system control circuit 38 via the serial interfaces 32 and 28. System control circuit 38
Indicates that the shooting mode (continuous shooting or single shooting) is the operating device 36, 42.
Which of the settings has been used to determine (S1), the operating device 4
If it is 2, the release operation by the operation device 42 is validated (S2), and if it is the operation device 36, the release operation by the operation device 36 is validated (S8).

For the release of the operating device 42 (S
2) The captured image data is recorded in the hard disk device 24 using the memory 32 as a buffer (S3 to 7). When the release is turned on, the memory 22 is completely empty (S3), and the system control circuit 38 sets the shutter 12
Is controlled to expose the image sensor 14 for a predetermined period of time, and an image is taken (S4).

The charge signal of the image pickup device 14 is sequentially read out to the S / H circuit 16 in accordance with the timing pulse from the pulse generation circuit 40. The S / H circuit 16 includes the image sensor 1
4 is sampled and held, and the A / D converter 18 digitizes the output of the S / H circuit 16. The memory control circuit 20 stores the output data of the A / D converter 18 in the memory 22.
(S5).

While the release switch of the operation device 42 is on, photographing (S4) and storage in the memory 22 (S5) are repeated, but during that time, if the memory 22 has no free space above a certain level (S3). , And are sequentially read and recorded in the hard disk device 24 via the interface 26 (S6). When the release switch of the operation device 42 is turned off (S2), the captured image data remaining in the memory 22 is read out and the interface 26 is read.
Is recorded in the hard disk device 24 via the (S
7).

For the release of the operating device 36 (S
8) Without using the memory 32 as a buffer, the memory control circuit 20 outputs the output data of the A / D converter 18 to the serial interface 28, and sequentially records the captured image data in the external storage device 30 (S9). ~ 12). During this time, the external storage device 30 successively transmits the remaining capacity of the storage device 34 to the system control circuit 38 via the serial interface 28.

While the release switch of the operating device 36 is on (S8) and the external storage device 30 has a remaining capacity (S9), the image pickup device 14 is exposed at predetermined intervals for a predetermined time (S10). The charge signal of the image pickup device 14 is sequentially read to the S / H circuit 16 in accordance with the timing pulse from the pulse generation circuit 40. The S / H circuit 16 includes the image sensor 1
4 is sampled and held, and the A / D converter 18 digitizes the output of the S / H circuit 16. The memory control circuit 20 directly outputs the output data of the A / D converter 18 to the serial interface 28 (S11).
The external storage device 30 is a serial interface 28.
Data input from the storage device 34 is recorded in the storage device 34, and the remaining capacity after recording is notified to the system control circuit 38 (S1).
2).

When the release switch of the operating device 36 is turned off (S8) or when the external storage device 30 runs out of remaining capacity (S9), photographing and recording are terminated.

In FIG. 2, it is determined which of the hard disk device 24 and the external storage device 30 the captured image is to be recorded, depending on which of the operating devices 36 and 42 is operated. Needless to say, may be provided in the operating device 36 and / or the operating device 42.

The case of continuous shooting has been described, but it is clear that the same applies to single shooting.

FIG. 3 shows a detailed flowchart of the second operation example of the embodiment shown in FIG. The difference from FIG. 2 is that S2
S22 for S8 and S28 for S8. The photographed image is recorded in the hard disk device 24 (S23 to 27) and the photographed image is stored in the external storage device 30 regardless of the release operation of either of the operating devices 36 and 42. (S29-32). Other than this, it is the same as FIG.

It goes without saying that in FIG. 3 as well, similar to FIG. 2, means for designating the recording destination may be provided in the operating device 36 and / or 42. Also, the case of continuous shooting has been described, but it is clear that the same applies to single shooting.

Of course, it is necessary to notify the user of which of the hard disk device 24 and the external storage device 30 is in an operation state for recording a photographed image by video, light emission, voice or the like.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the external storage device 3
A detection circuit 50 that detects the 0 connection may be provided. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, when the external storage device 30 is connected (S41), the operating device 42 is disabled and the external storage device 3 is disabled.
Only the command from the operating device 36 of 0 is accepted (S42), and when the external storage device 30 is not connected (S4).
1) The instruction from the operation device 42 is accepted (S43). All captured images are recorded in the external storage device 30. Also at this time, it goes without saying that the user is informed that the recording destination is the external storage device 30 by video, light emission, voice, or the like.

In FIG. 4 as well, as shown in FIG. 6, even when the external storage device 30 is connected (S51), only the single-shot operation device 4 is operated.
The release operation No. 2 may be enabled (S52). At this time, if the shot image data obtained by the release operation of the operating device 42 is recorded in the hard disk device 24, the single shot image and the continuous shot image are stored in the hard disk device 24 and the external storage device 30. It can be recorded separately and the post-management is easy. It goes without saying that the single shot image data may be recorded in the external storage device 30.

A hard disk device 24 as a recording medium
However, it is possible to use other recording media such as a flexible magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, and a solid-state memory device including a flash memory, an EEPROM, a battery-backed DRAM, and the like. Needless to say. As a solid-state memory device, a memory
The card is known.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the photographed image information is recorded as it is on the recording medium, but it goes without saying that it may be compressed by an appropriate compression method and recorded on the recording medium.

[0033]

As can be easily understood from the above description, according to the present invention, a large number of images can be photographed without worrying about the recording capacity normally equipped.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the first operation example of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a second operation example of FIG.

4 is a schematic block diagram of a modified embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a control flowchart for enabling / disabling the operating devices 36 and 42 in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a control flowchart for enabling / disabling the operating devices 36 and 42 in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

10: Photographing lens 12: Shutter 14: Image sensor
16: Sample and hold circuit 18: A / D conversion circuit 20: Memory control circuit 22: Memory 24: Hard disk device 26: Interface 28: Serial interface 30: External storage device 32:
Serial interface 34: Storage device 36:
Operating device 38: System control circuit 40: Pulse generation circuit 42: Operating device

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A camera body comprising an image pickup means for outputting an image signal of a subject to be photographed, a recording medium for recording photographed image information by the image pickup means, a first operation means, and an external connection means, and a second body. It is characterized by comprising an operating means, and recording the imaged image information by the imaging means in at least one of the recording medium and the external storage means in response to a specific operation of the first and second operating means. Electronic still camera. 2. The imaged image information operated by the first operation means is recorded in the recording medium, and the imaged image information operated by the second operation means is recorded in the external storage means.
Electronic still camera described in.