JPH07159880A - Display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a display device having necessary and sufficient response speed as the display device and which can execute appropriate display by the simple constitution of hardware and the easy control of software. CONSTITUTION:This display device is constituted of a master control means 300 controlling the sequence and the exposure calculation of a camera and a display driving means 400 for driving pointer-display according to a signal from the control means 300. By transmitting the serial or the parallel logical signal to the driving means 400 from the control means 300, the driving of the pointer is controlled. The logical signal is mainly constituted of a specified angle pointer moving instruction for rotating one pointer by a specified angle in a specified direction, a moving destination specifying pointer moving instruction for moving one pointer to a specified position, a two-pointer reference position pointer moving instruction for simultaneously driving two pointers to a reference position, and a two-pointer moving destination specifying pointer moving instruction for simultaneoulsy moving two pointers to the specified position.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a moving pointer type display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, a stepping motor used in a wristwatch or the like as a display member for displaying shooting information of a camera drives a pointer to rotate, and shooting conditions set by the photographer depending on the position pointed by the pointer and shooting. For this reason, a display device has been proposed which displays a distance measurement result and a photometry result measured by a camera.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present invention, there is provided a display device which has a response speed necessary and sufficient for a camera display by a simpler hardware configuration and software control and which can perform an accurate display with respect to the operation of the camera. The purpose is to get.

[0004]

The present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1, which is a claim correspondence diagram. In the present invention, the main control means 3 for controlling the sequence of the camera, the exposure calculation, and the like.
00 and display drive means 400 for driving the pointer display by a signal from the main control means, and drive control of the pointer by transmitting a serial or parallel logic signal from the main control means to the display drive means. It is carried out. The logic signal is mainly composed of a designated angle hand movement command for rotating one pointer at a designated angle and a designated direction, a movement destination designated hand movement command for moving one pointer to a designated position, and two pointers at the same time. It is composed of a two-needle reference position hand movement command for driving to a reference position, and a two-needle movement destination designation hand movement command for moving two needles to a simultaneously designated position. With the above instruction structure, it is possible to move the hands with a high response speed according to the operation of the camera with a small number of instructions.

[0005]

FIG. 2 is a top view of a camera equipped with a display device according to an embodiment. A photographic lens barrel 2 is attached to the camera body 1. Further, a release button 3, a mode selector 4, a command dial 5, an AF mode button 6, a display 7 and the like are provided on the upper surface.

The mode selector 4 has a program automatic exposure mode P (hereinafter referred to as P-AE mode) for automatically setting exposure according to a preset program diagram, and an aperture priority automatic exposure mode A (hereinafter referred to as A-AE mode). , And a selector for selecting a stop mode OFF of various operations of the camera. The command dial 5 is a dial for switching the aperture value and the AF mode button 6
If you turn the command dial 5 while pressing, the focus range from infinity ∞ to 0.4 m in the auto focus mode (hereinafter referred to as AF mode) and manual focus mode (hereinafter referred to as MF mode) The shooting distance can be set. The display unit 7 includes two rotation pointer type display units, a shooting distance display unit and a diaphragm display unit.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of one embodiment. The main control means 300 is composed of a microcomputer and peripheral parts, and receives signals from the operating means 100 and measuring means 200.
The sequence control of the camera and various calculations are performed on the basis of the signal from, and a control program described later is executed to output a drive command indicating a moving method for the pointer to reach the moving destination to the display driving means 400. The display driving means 400 drives the display means 500 based on the command.

The details will be described below. 3 of the operating means 100
Reference numerals a and 3b are switches that are turned on / off in conjunction with the release button 3, 3a is turned on when the release button 3 is half pressed, and 3b is turned on when the release button 3 is fully pressed. Switches 4a and 4b are turned on / off in conjunction with the mode selector 4, and 4a is turned on when the mode selector 4 is in the P position, and 4b is turned on when the mode selector 4 is in the A position. Also, 6a is A
Turns on when the F mode button 6 is pressed. Further, the pulse generator 5a generates a pulse according to the rotation amount and the rotation direction when the command dial 5 is turned. These are connected to the switch reading circuit 301 in the main control means 300.

The measuring means 200 comprises a distance measuring means 201 and a photometric means 202, and outputs distance information from the camera to the subject and luminance information of the subject to the arithmetic and control circuit 302, respectively. The arithmetic control circuit 302 represents a moving method for the sequence control of the entire camera and various calculations based on the information from the switch reading circuit 301 and the measuring means 200, and for the pointer to reach the destination via the drive command output circuit 303. The signal is output to the display driving means 400.

In the display drive means 400, the drive command receiving circuit 401 receives the signal, the decoder 402 separates the signal into signals for each display, and supplies the signals to the motor drive circuits 403 and 404. The motor drive circuits 403 and 404 are display means 50.
Step motors 501 and 502 that rotate two pointers of 0 (the same as the indicator 7 of FIG. 2) are driven. The step motor 501 rotationally drives the pointer of the distance display unit, and the step motor 502 rotationally drives the pointer of the aperture display unit.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the display device 7. The distance display section is composed of a pointer 22, a scale plate 21, a scale 23, and a typical distance and numerical values / symbols 24 indicating the AF mode, and displays the photographing distance. Reference numeral 25 is a rotating shaft of the pointer 22. In addition,
The symbol ∞ indicates infinity. The iris display section is composed of a pointer 32, a scale plate 31, a graduation 33 aperture value and a numerical value / symbol 34 indicating the P-AE mode, and displays the aperture value. Reference numeral 35 is a rotating shaft of the pointer 32.

The response of each display to the operation of the camera will be described. When the command dial 5 is rotated while the AF mode button 6 is turned on, the pointer 22 of the distance display section is rotationally driven according to the rotation direction and the rotation amount. For example, from AF (auto focus) mode to MF (manual focus)
To change the mode to the infinity position ∞, when the command dial 5 is turned counterclockwise by one click while pressing the AF mode button 6, the pointer 22 is rotated from the AF position to the infinity ∞ position.

On the other hand, when the release button 3 is pressed halfway while the pointer 22 is at the AF position, that is, when the AF mode is set, the pointer 22 reaches the position of the photographing distance detected by the distance measuring means 201. To rotate. For example, when the distance measuring means 201 detects a shooting distance of 1 m, the pointer 22 is rotated to a scale of 1 m as shown in FIG. When the command dial 5 is rotated while the mode switch 4 is selecting A, that is, when the command dial 5 is rotated, the pointer 32 of the aperture display section 31 is rotated by one click to move the pointer 12 to 12.
It is driven to rotate. That is, the aperture F5.6 to the aperture F22
To change to, turn the command dial 5 counterclockwise by 8 clicks.

On the other hand, when the mode selector 4 is at the P position, that is, when the P-AE mode is set, when the release button 3 is pressed halfway and the switch 3a is turned on, the brightness of the object detected by the photometric means 202 is detected. Then, the aperture is determined based on the preset and stored program diagram, and the pointer 22 is rotationally driven to the aperture value.
For example, if the diaphragm F5.6 is obtained on the basis of the subject brightness detected by the photometric means 202 and the program diagram, as shown in FIG.
To rotate.

That is, the P-AE mode is set and A
If the release button 3 is pressed halfway while the F mode is set, both the pointer 32 indicating the aperture value and the pointer 22 indicating the distance are rotationally driven, the P-AE mode is set, and the MF mode is set. When the release button 3 is half-pressed when is set, only the pointer 32 indicating the aperture value is rotationally driven, the A-AE mode is set, and the AF
When the release button 3 is pressed halfway while the mode is set, only the pointer 22 indicating the distance is rotationally driven, and when the A-AE mode is set and the MF mode is set, the release button 3 is released. When the button 3 is pressed halfway, neither pointer is driven to rotate.

The details of the operation will be described below with reference to a flowchart. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing routine for manual distance setting. The arithmetic control circuit 302 of the main control unit 300 operates the switch 6 when the AF mode button 6 is operated.
When a is turned on, execution of this processing routine is started.
In step S4, it is determined whether or not a pulse signal is input from the pulse generator 5a, and if a pulse signal is input, the process proceeds to step S5. If not, the switch 6a is turned off.
The input of the pulse signal is waited as long as N is input. As described above, the pulse generator 5a outputs a pulse signal according to the rotation amount and the rotation direction of the command dial 5. Step S5
Then, pointer position data for rotationally driving the pointer 22 is calculated according to the input pulse signal from the pulse generator 5a, and in step S6, a pointer driving command is generated to determine how to drive the pointer. Then, in step S7, the drive command output circuit 303 outputs a pointer drive command. The command is a serial or parallel logic signal, and is received by the drive command receiving circuit 401 in step S8. The decoder 402 performs a decoding operation from the received information to drive information for each display in step S9. The motor driving circuit 403 drives the stepping motor 501 by the decoded signal to drive the distance pointer 22. When the driving is completed, the process returns to step S2 and waits for the next switch input.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing routine of the manual aperture setting mode. In the arithmetic control circuit 302 of the main control means 300, the mode selector 4 selects A
When the AE mode is entered, the execution of this processing routine is started. In step S24, it is determined whether or not a pulse signal is input from the pulse generator 5a, and if a pulse signal is input, the process proceeds to step S25. If not, the input of the pulse signal is awaited as long as the switch 4b is ON.
As described above, the pulse generator 5a outputs a pulse signal according to the rotation amount and the rotation direction of the command dial 5.
In step S25, pointer position data for rotationally driving the pointer 32 is calculated according to the input pulse signal from the pulse generator 5a, and in step S26, a pointer driving command indicating how the pointer is driven A drive command output circuit 303 outputs a pointer drive command in step S27. The command is a serial or parallel logic signal, and in step S28 the drive command receiving circuit 401
Is received by. The decoder 402 performs a decoding operation from the received information to drive information for each display in step S29.
Done in. The motor drive circuit 40 according to the decoded signal
Reference numeral 4 drives the stepping motor 502 to drive the pointer 32. When the driving is completed, the process returns to step S22 to wait for the next switch input.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the release routine. The arithmetic control circuit 302 of the main control means 300 starts the execution of this routine when the release button 3 is half pressed and the switch 3a is turned on in step S51. In step S52, the pointer 22 of the distance display unit 21 is set to A
It is determined whether or not the AF mode is set at the F position. If the AF mode is set, the process proceeds to step S53. If not, the MF mode is determined and the process proceeds to step S55. If the AF mode is set, the distance to the object is detected by the distance measuring unit 201 in step S53, distance pointer position data is calculated in step S54, and the process proceeds to step 56. When the MF mode is set, it is assumed that the manual focus adjustment processing routine of FIG. 6 has already been executed and the shooting distance has been manually set by the command dial 5. Next, in step S56, the lens extension amount is calculated based on the distance measurement result of the distance measuring device or the set shooting distance.

In step S57, the brightness of the subject is detected by the photometric means 202, the exposure calculation is performed in step S58, the process proceeds to step S59, and the mode selector 4 determines whether or not the P-AE mode is set. When the switch 4a is on and the program exposure mode is set, the process proceeds to step S60, the aperture pointer position data is obtained, and the process proceeds to step S62.

If it is decided at step S59 that the P-AE mode is not set, then the processing advances to step S61.
The manual aperture setting processing routine of FIG. 7 has already been executed,
It is assumed that the aperture value is manually set by the command dial 5, and the aperture pointer is not driven. Next, in step S62, a pointer drive command is generated which indicates how to drive the pointer based on the position data of the distance pointer and the aperture pointer that have already been determined. At this time, if it is determined in step 55 or step S61 that the pointer is not driven, the drive command corresponds to only the pointer to be driven.

Next, in step S63, the drive command output circuit 303 outputs a pointer drive command. The command is a serial or parallel logic signal, and is received by the drive command receiving circuit 401 in step S64. The decoder 402 performs a decoding operation from the received information to drive information for each display in step S65. The motor drive circuits 403 and 404 drive the stepping motors 501 and 502 by the decoded signals to drive the hands 22 and 32.
After the driving is completed, the lens is extended for focusing in step S68. Then, in steps S69 and S70, the state of the release button is determined. If the half-pushed state is completed, the process is completed (step S73), and if the half-pushed state is continued, the full-press standby state is set. When the release button 3 is fully pressed from this state, the switch 3b is turned on and the process proceeds to step S71 to perform the photographing operation.

The operation of the pointer with respect to the mode of the camera is summarized as follows. If the release button 3 is pressed halfway while the P-AE mode is set and the AF mode is set, the pointer 22 indicating the distance and the aperture value are displayed based on the pointer position determined in steps S54 and S60. Both of the pointers 32 shown are rotationally driven. If the release button 3 is pressed halfway while the P-AE mode is set and the MF mode is set, step S5
Since it is determined in 5 that the distance pointer is not driven, only the pointer 32 indicating the aperture value is rotationally driven based on the pointer position determined in step S60.

If the release button 3 is pressed halfway while the A-AE mode is set and the AF mode is set, it is determined in step S61 that the aperture pointer is not driven, and therefore step S54. Only the pointer 22 indicating the distance is rotationally driven on the basis of the pointer position determined in. When the A-AE mode is set and the MF mode is set, when the release button 3 is half pressed, it is determined in steps S55 and S61 that the aperture pointer and the distance pointer are not driven together. , Neither pointer is driven to rotate.

Next, the pointer driving instruction will be described. The main control means 300 is a signal from the operating means 100, the measuring means 20.
A pointer drive command is created based on the measurement result from 0 and sent to the display drive means 400. Table 1 shows an example of the pointer driving instruction code. It consists of 4 instructions. When command 1 is transmitted, the display drive means rotates the aperture pointer 12 degrees clockwise. Similarly, when 2, 3 and 4 commands are sent, the pointer rotates as shown in Table 1. Consider this instruction structure corresponding to each of the above operations. In the manual distance setting and manual aperture setting shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 and 7, it is possible to drive the pointer by sending one of the commands 1 to 4 for each rotation of the command dial 5 for each click. Therefore, the necessary and sufficient operation can be performed with a small number of commands.

[0025]

[Table 1]

However, if the command in Table 1 is applied to the rotation of the pointer according to the measurement result at the time of half-pressing shown in the flow chart of FIG. 8, the main control means issues a command every 12 degrees of rotation of the pointer. It is necessary, and not only smooth rotation cannot be performed continuously, but also the processing of the arithmetic control circuit becomes complicated. In particular, when driving two hands at the same time, it is necessary to send a complicated command to drive each hand alternately every 12 degrees.

Table 2 shows a second embodiment of the pointer driving instruction code. This command is used in combination with the pointer drive destination position code list in Table 3. For example, following instruction 5, 48
When the command code "0101" for .degree. Is transmitted, the display driving means rotates the aperture pointer clockwise to the position of 48.degree. This command sends the absolute position regardless of the previous position of the pointer and drives the pointer to that position.

[0028]

[Table 2]

Consider the present instruction structure corresponding to each of the above operations. If the command of Table 2 is applied to the rotation of the pointer according to the measurement result at the time of half-pressing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 8, the absolute position is transmitted and the pointer is driven up to that point.
Continuous and smooth rotation is possible and processing is easy.
However, in the manual distance setting and the manual aperture setting shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 and 7, a command including the movement destination code must always be sent for each rotation of the command dial 5 for each click.

The display driving means must always process a command having a large amount of information. For example, if a 4-bit unit is transmitted from the main control means to the display drive means, this command is 6
Due to the bit configuration, the transmission is performed twice, and when a circuit with a slow processing speed is used as the display driving means, as a result, a delay in the operation of the display occurs. Especially, in the setting by the command dial, the rotation of the command dial is indicated by a pointer. Will not follow.

Table 4 shows an embodiment of the pointer driving instruction code which solves the above problems. Instructions 11, 12, 14, 1
Command numbers 5 and 18 are commands that enable the pointer to operate independently. Command 1
3, 16 and 18 are used in combination with the pointer drive destination position code list of Table 3. Instructions 11, 12, 14, 15
Are the same as instructions 1 to 4 in Table 1.

[0032]

[Table 3]

[0033]

[Table 4]

A command 18 is a command for returning both the aperture pointer and the distance pointer to the reference position at the same time when the half-press of the release button is released in the P-AE mode and the AF mode and when the photographing is completed. Instructions 13 and 16 are instruction 5 in Table 2.
Same as 6. The command 17 is a command for rotating both the aperture pointer and the distance pointer to the designated position at the same time when the release button is half-pressed in the P-AE mode and the AF mode.

Because of the above-described command configuration, in the manual distance setting and manual aperture setting shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 and 7, there are four commands that must be transmitted for each rotation of the command dial 5 for each click. It is a bit and is completed in one transmission. As a result, it becomes possible to drive the display with good followability to the rotation of the command dial. Further, even with respect to the rotation of the pointer according to the measurement result at the time of half-pressing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 8, since the absolute position is transmitted and the pointer is driven up to that point, continuous and smooth rotation is possible and processing is also possible. It's easy.

In the above embodiments, the present invention is applied to the display unit of the camera. However, the present invention is not limited to the display unit of the camera and can be applied to those having a similar display form. Needless to say.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention, the main control means 300 for controlling the sequence and exposure calculation of the camera and the display drive means 400 for driving the pointer display by the signal from the main control means. The main drive means controls the drive of the pointer by transmitting a serial or parallel logic signal from the main control means to the display drive means. The logic signal is mainly composed of a designated angle movement command for rotating one pointer at a designated angle and a designated direction, and
2 needle movements to move the needles to the specified position and 2 needles to move the 2 needles to the reference position at the same time. It is composed of a designated hand movement command. With such an instruction configuration, it is possible to move the hands with a high response speed according to the operation of the camera with a small number of instructions.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a claim correspondence diagram.

FIG. 2 is a top view of a camera including a display device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a display device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example of a display device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a manual distance setting processing routine.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a manual aperture setting processing routine.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a shooting preparation and a shooting routine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 camera body 2 taking lens barrel 3 release button 3a, 3b switch 4 mode selector 4a, 4b switch 5 command dial 5a pulse generator 6 AF mode button 6a switch 7 display 100 operating means 200 measuring means 300 main control means 400 display Drive means 500 Display means 201 Distance measuring device 202 Photometric device 301 Switch reading circuit 302 Operation control circuit 303 Drive command output circuit 401 Drive command receiving circuit 402 Decoder 403,404 Motor drive circuit 501,502 Stepping motor 22,32 Pointer 21,31 Scale plate 24,34 Numerical value 25,35 Rotating shaft 24,34 Numerical value / symbol

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Daiki Tsukahara 3 2-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Inside Nikon Corporation

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A display unit for displaying information by a pointer moving on a scale plate, a driving unit for driving the pointer, an operation unit for changing a display value of the display unit, and a measurement for measuring a physical quantity. Means, determining the destination of the pointer based on the signal of the operation value of the operating means or the signal of the measurement value by the measuring means,
A display device comprising: a main control unit that outputs a signal indicating a moving method for the pointer to reach a destination, and a display driving unit that drives the pointer of the display unit based on the signal indicating the moving method. 2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the signal indicating the moving method when driving the pointer in response to the operation of the operating means includes at least information about the rotating direction of the pointer. Display device. 3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the signal indicating the moving method when driving the pointer based on the signal of the measurement value by the measuring means includes at least information indicating the stop position of the pointer. A display device characterized by the above. 4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the signal representing the moving method when driving the pointer in response to the operation of the operating means drives the pointer based on the signal of the measured value by the measuring means. A display device having a smaller signal amount than a signal representing the moving method at the time. 5. A display means for displaying information by a plurality of pointers moving on a scale plate, a driving means for driving the pointers, an operation means for changing a display value of the display means, and a physical quantity measurement. Measuring means to determine the destination of the pointer based on a signal corresponding to the operation of the operating means or a signal of the measured value by the measuring means,
In a display device comprising: a main control unit that outputs a signal indicating a moving method for the pointer to reach a destination, and a display driving unit that drives the pointer of the display unit based on the signal indicating the moving method. A display device characterized in that a signal indicating a moving method when simultaneously driving the plurality of pointers to arbitrary positions includes at least information indicating a position where each of the plurality of pointers stops.