JPH0727160B2 - Digital electronic still camera - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a digital electronic still camera for exchanging photographed video signals with digital image data and outputting the digital image data, and more particularly to an image memory for storing the image data. The present invention relates to a digital electronic still camera with a removable memory cartridge.

The so-called electronic still camera or still video camera currently realized and commercially available is one in which a video signal is FM-modulated and recorded in the form of an analog signal on a magnetic disk as a recording medium. The magnetic disk is rotatably housed inside a so-called case or jacket. Video signals of about 50 frames can be recorded on the magnetic disk. When such a magnetic disk is loaded into a reproducing apparatus equipped with a CRT display device and driven for reproduction, the video signal recorded on the magnetic disk is reproduced and displayed on the CRT display device.

With the progress of IC memory manufacturing technology in recent years, a large-capacity semiconductor memory chip has been realized, and a memory cartridge for digitally storing image data and a digital electronic device capable of recording a captured image on the memory cartridge. The still camera shines in the limelight. Such a memory cartridge and a digital electronic still camera store image data in the form of an easy-to-use digital signal, and thus have a possibility of developing various applications.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a digital electronic still camera having a new and convenient function in combination with a memory cartridge.
The purpose is to provide a camera.

The digital electronic still camera according to the present invention is provided with a slot for a memory cartridge equipped with an image display device,
A storage space for storing the memory cartridge inserted from the insertion port, a connector formed at the end opposite to the insertion port in the storage space, and formed between the insertion port and the connector, The image display device of the memory cartridge housed in the housing space is provided with a window that is exposed.
A memory cartridge is a concept in which a semiconductor memory is housed in a case or a cartridge and includes a memory card.

The memory cartridge equipped with the image display device is inserted from the insertion port and stored in the storage space. As a result, the connector formed in the storage space and the connector formed in the memory cartridge are electrically connected.

In the storage space, a window is formed between the insertion port and the connector, and when the memory cartridge is stored in the storage space, the image display device of the memory cartridge is exposed through the window.

According to the present invention, the image displayed on the display unit of the memory cartridge can be viewed from the window with the memory cartridge mounted on the digital electronic still camera. Image data representing an image taken using a digital electronic still camera can be given to the memory cartridge via the connector, and the taken image can be immediately displayed on the display unit of the memory cartridge.
It is possible to confirm whether or not a desired image has been captured. Further, since the image can be displayed on the display unit of the memory cartridge before the image data is recorded in the memory cartridge and can be seen through the window, the image display of the memory cartridge mounted on the digital electronic still camera is displayed. It is also possible to deploy the device as a viewfinder.

Description of Embodiments FIG. 1 shows the appearance of a memory cartridge. The memory cartridge 20 has a number of terminals 29 for electrically connecting to the digital electronic still camera when mounted in the camera. These terminals 29 connect a data bus, an address bus, a control line and the like. A liquid crystal display 24 is provided on a part of the surface of the memory cartridge 20.
In addition to the image represented by the image data stored in the semiconductor image memory (reference numeral 22 in FIG. 4) described later in the cartridge 20, the number of remaining frames that can be stored in the image memory 22 or the frame number D1, which indicates the shooting order, The shooting date D2 etc. is displayed. In addition to these data, data indicating the shooting location, other index information, etc. may be displayed. On the surface of the memory cartridge 20 on which the display 24 is provided, a solar cell 27 that supplies operating power to the display 24 is arranged. Further, a frame feed switch 23 for feeding the frame of the image to be displayed on the display 24 in the forward direction or the reverse direction is provided. The image memory 22 stores data of a plurality of images in a fixed order (for example, shooting order). By pressing the frame feed switch 23, the next or previous image in the above order of the currently displayed image is read from the memory 22 and displayed on the display 24.

2 and 3 show the memory cartridge 20 described above.
1 shows an external view of a digital electronic still camera to which is mounted. An optical system 12 including a lens is provided on the front surface of the digital electronic still camera 10, a shutter 17 is provided on the upper right corner of the upper surface, and a view finder 31 is provided on the upper left corner of the rear surface. In addition, a memory
A recess 33 for mounting the cartridge 20 is formed.
Guide grooves 32 are formed on both sides of 33 in the vertical direction. The rear surface of the recess 33 is open (reference numeral 34). The memory cartridge 20 is inserted into the recess 33 along the guide groove 32 from above with the terminal 29 facing downward as shown by the arrow in FIG. When detaching, the cartridge 20 is pulled out upward. Many terminals (not shown) are provided on the lower bottom of the recess 33 so as to contact the terminals 29 at the lower end of the memory cartridge 20 mounted in the recess 33.

Since both sides of the memory cartridge 20 are guided by the guide grooves 32 and are mounted in the recesses 33 having the rear surfaces opened 34, as shown in FIG. 2, with the memory cartridge 20 mounted in the camera 10. The image displayed on the liquid crystal display 24 can be seen from the outside. Further, the light receiving surface of the solar cell 27 of the cartridge 20 is also exposed through the rear opening 34 of the recess 33, so that external light is incident on this light receiving surface and the solar cell 27 generates an electromotive force.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the electrical configuration of the digital electronic still camera 10 and the memory cartridge 20.

The memory cartridge 20 is electrically connected to the digital electronic still camera 10 by the connector 30 when it is mounted in the recess 33 described above. The connector 30 includes the above-mentioned terminal 29 on the cartridge 20 side and a terminal provided below the recess 33 of the camera 10.

The system controller 11 controls shooting by the digital electronic still camera 10, transfer of various data including image data to the memory cartridge 20, and other processing. The system controller 11 is composed of a CPU, a ROM storing its execution program, a RAM for storing necessary data, a clock for clocking the date and time, a counter for counting the number of frames and the like.

The subject image is formed on the image sensor 13 through the optical system 12, and the image sensor 13 outputs a video signal. This video signal is then subjected to necessary signal processing such as amplification, exposure adjustment, and color adjustment in the signal processing circuit 14, and then the A / D conversion circuit.
Converted to a digital signal at 15. This digital signal is further subjected to necessary processing such as decomposition into color components in the signal processing circuit 16. The data bus on the output side of the signal processing circuit 16 is connected to the connector 30. The address bus, data bus and control line of the system controller 11 are also connected to the connector 30. The shutter signal from the shutter 17 is given to the system controller 11.

The memory cartridge 20 contains a digital electronic still
An image memory 22 for storing digital image data given from the camera 10 and other display data D1, D2, etc., and a display buffer memory 26 for temporarily storing the digital image data read from the image memory 22 for display. , The liquid crystal display 24 described above, a display drive circuit 25 including a D / A converter for converting digital image data into an analog video signal, the frame feed switch 23, and frame feed control performed in response to input from the switch 23. A display control CPU (including a memory storing a program) 21, the solar cell 27, an image memory 22, a display memory 26, a drive circuit 25, and a dry cell 28 for supplying operating power to the CPU 21 are provided. There is. Depending on the type of display device, the drive circuit 25 does not necessarily need to be provided with the D / A converter.

The memory cartridge 20 with the LCD 24 is the camera
FIG. 4 shows an example of the function of displaying the image captured by the camera 10 on the display device 24 immediately when it is mounted on the display 10, and checking whether the image captured is desired by this display. The operation of this system will be described.

When the memory cartridge 20 is mounted, the system controller 11 of the camera 10 searches the contents of the image memory 22 and obtains data indicating the location of the empty area and the number of remaining frames or the next frame number. The number of remaining frames or the frame number is counted by the above counter for each shooting. The mounting of the cartridge 20 is detected by a detector (not shown) provided on the camera 10 side.

When the shutter 17 is pressed, the photographing process is started, and the image data obtained at this time is given from the signal processing circuit 16 to the image memory 22 through the connector 30. Further, the address signal indicating the address to write the image data and the write command from the system controller 11 are memorized through the connector 30.
Since it is given to the memory 22, the above-mentioned image data is stored in the designated location of the memory 22. From the controller 11, remaining frame number data, frame number data, date data, etc. are given to the memory 22 and stored in the same manner.

Subsequently, a display command from the controller 11 is issued for the cartridge 20.
Since it is given to the CPU 21, the CPU 21 reads the written image data from the memory 22 and writes it in the display memory 26, and at the same time, starts the operation of the drive circuit 25. The image captured in this manner is displayed on the display 24. At this time, the number of remaining frames, frame number D1, date D2, etc. are also displayed.

If the operator sees this display and determines that the image is a desired image, the image data is stored in the memory 22 as it is, and if it is considered that the image is not desired, the cancel push button (not shown) of the camera 10 is used to cancel. Give input. Then, the controller 11 or the CPU 21 erases the corresponding image data in the image memory 22.

In the above example, the CPU 21 in the cartridge 20 controls the display of the memory cartridge 20.
The display control may be performed by the controller 11 of 0. Further, the photographed image data may be directly given to the buffer memory 26 for display. And record
The image data of the buffer memory 26 is stored in a predetermined area of the memory 22 in response to the input of OK.

The image displayed on the display 24 may be all or part of the captured image.

The memory cartridge 20 can also be used as a view finder. In this case, the image data of the subject image to be input is always given to the display buffer memory 26 of the memory cartridge 20 and displayed on the display 24. Then, when the shutter 17 is pressed, the image data of the buffer memory 26 is stored in a predetermined area of the image memory 22.

The image can be displayed on the display 24 even after the memory cartridge 20 is removed from the camera 10. At this time, the CPU 21 reads out and displays the data of the designated image in response to the input from the frame feed switch 23. If necessary, the cartridge 20 may be provided with a power switch so that an image is displayed only when the power switch is turned on. It is preferable that the image with the smallest frame number is automatically displayed when the power switch is turned on.

The power of the dry battery 28 may be supplied only to the CPU 21 and the image memory 22, and the other circuits 24, 25 and 26 may be operated by the solar battery 27. If the image memory 22 is a non-volatile memory, power supply may be unnecessary in the inactive state.

In the above embodiment, when the memory cartridge is mounted on the digital electronic still camera, it is connected to the camera by electrical contacts, but it may be connected by optical or magnetic coupling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a memory cartridge. 2 and 3 show the appearance of the digital electronic still camera. FIG. 2 is a perspective view and FIG. 3 is a plan view. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration when the memory cartridge is mounted on the digital electronic still camera. 10: Digital electronic still camera, 20: Memory
Cartridge, 32 ... Guide groove, 33 ... Memory cartridge mounting recess, 34 ... Opening.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An insertion port of a memory cartridge having an image display device, a storage space for storing the memory cartridge inserted from the insertion port, and a storage space formed at an end opposite to the insertion port. Digital still camera, comprising: a connector, and a window formed between the insertion port and the connector, through which the image display device of the memory cartridge housed in the housing space is exposed.