JPH08125962A - Memory card with photographing function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a small-sized memory card with a photographing function capable of being directly mounted to an external controller with improved portability. CONSTITUTION: The video signals of CCD output are tentatively stored in a buffer memory 8 by a memory controller 15, then digitally computed by a DSP 9, converted into compressed picture signals or the R, G and B signals of a general purpose picture file format required for recording and stored in the buffer memory 8 again and the data of the signals are stored in a common memory 16 through the memory controller 15. At the time of transferring video information on the common memory 16 to the external controller 13, through the memory controller 15 and a card interface 10, the entire main body of this memory card 17 with the photographing function is mounted on the external controller 13 and the data are bidirectionally transferred.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a memory card type electronic camera capable of electronically recording a subject image, and more particularly to a memory card with a photographing function which can be detachably attached to an external control device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, commercialization of a so-called electronic still camera in which a subject image is picked up by a solid-state image pickup device and an image pickup signal is recorded as video information in a storage medium has been advanced. In recent years,
A small electronic still camera has been commercialized by utilizing a memory card having a built-in semiconductor memory as a storage medium and digitizing internal signal processing.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a conventional memory card mounted electronic still camera, and FIG. 7 is a block diagram of another conventional memory built-in electronic still camera.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an electronic still camera using a conventional memory card as a storage medium. In the figure, a light flux from a subject (not shown) passes through a lens 1 and an iris 2 on a CCD 3 which is a solid-state image pickup element. Image on. The video signal output from the CCD 3 according to the subject image is correlated 2
The CDS circuit 4 and the AGC circuit 5 that perform the multiple sampling process perform analog processing, and are quantized through the A / D converter 6.

The quantized CCD output video signal is temporarily transferred to the direct memory access controller (DMA).
C) 7, the data is stored in the buffer memory 8. The stored video signal output from the CCD is digitally operated by the DSP 9, converted into R, G, B signal format data of a general-purpose image file format required for recording, and stored again in the buffer memory 8. Data of the general-purpose image file formats R, G, B are supplied to the card slot 11 through the card interface circuit 10 and recorded in the memory card 12.

The memory card 12 is directly attached to the external control device 13 such as a personal computer and transfers necessary information. The operation of the electronic still camera using a memory card as the storage medium has been described above, but on the other hand, a non-detachable built-in memory type electronic still camera has been commercialized to make it a smaller electronic still camera. ing.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the built-in memory type electronic still camera, and the control of the built-in memory type electronic still camera will be described with reference to this figure. A light flux from a subject (not shown) passes through the lens 1 and the iris 2 and is a solid-state image sensor CCD
Image on 3. The video signal output from the CCD 3 according to the subject image is the correlated double sampling CDS 4, AGC 5
Is quantized through the A / D converter 6.

The quantized CCD output video signal is temporarily stored in the buffer memory 8 by the memory controller 15.
Stored in. The stored video signal of CCD output is D
Digitally operated by SP9, converted into R, G, B signals or compressed image signals of a general-purpose image file format necessary for recording, and stored again in the buffer memory 8.

General-purpose image file formats R, G, B
The data of the signal or the compressed signal is stored in the memory controller 15
Are stored in the common memory 16 through. When passing the video information on the common memory 16 to the external control device 13,
The connection cable 18 is passed to the external control device 13 through the memory controller 15 and the communication interface 14.

[0010]

As described above, as shown in FIG.
In the electronic still camera using the memory card as a storage medium, which is shown in Fig. 7, the size of the storage medium is inevitably larger than that of the storage medium. It was advantageous.

However, in the case of the built-in memory type electronic still camera, there is a drawback in that it must be connected to an external control device by wire, and the versatility is poor due to restrictions on the communication protocol.

If the storage medium itself of the electronic still camera is to be constructed as a versatile one, the miniaturization of the camera will be restricted, and if the miniaturization is prioritized, the versatility for an external control device will be limited. To solve the problem of being restricted, it is an object of the present invention to provide a memory card with a photographing function that is compact in size and has general versatility when transferring data to and from an external control device.

Here, a memory card as a storage medium that can be attached to and detached from a typical personal computer or the like as an external control device is
Slots are common to various interface cards typified by LAN cards such as personal computers and SCSI cards, so that they can be commonly used.

Since various kinds of functions can be considered for the interface card, the physical shape of the card tends to be gradually larger. The TYPE3 has a thickness of 10.5 mm, and the TYPE4 has a thickness of 16 mm, which is large enough to accommodate the shooting mechanism. The shooting mechanism is built into a memory card as a general-purpose storage medium. It is realized as a memory card with functions.

[0015]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises an image pickup means for optically picking up a subject image, a video process processing means for converting an image pickup signal into digital data and performing a process process.
Recording signal processing means for converting a video signal obtained by the process processing into a signal form necessary for recording as video information, and non-detachably built-in recording means for recording and holding a plurality of pieces of video information. A memory card having an external control device and a connector for transmitting and receiving data between the recording means, wherein the memory card is directly attached to the external control device and can transmit and receive data. To provide a memory card with a shooting function.

Further, the photographing lens is of a retractable type, has a lens barrier mechanism for photographing, and can be mounted on an external control device when the lens is retracted and the barrier is closed. To provide a memory card with a shooting function.

Further, the present invention provides a memory card with a photographing function, characterized in that a power source for photographing can be attached to and detached from the memory card, and the power source is removed when it is attached to an external control device.

[0018]

According to the structure of the present invention, a compact and portable electronic still camera in the form of a memory card can be obtained, and the video information recorded by this electronic still camera has versatility directly to an external control device. It can be delivered in video format.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 5 show an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a memory card with a photographing function which is an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a memory management diagram used in the present invention. Yes, FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the photographing function state of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the memory card state of the present invention,
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a memory card with a photographing function according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 1, a light flux from a subject (not shown) passes through the lens 1 and the iris 2 and forms an image on the CCD 3 which is a solid-state image pickup device. The video signal output from the CCD 3 according to the subject image is the correlated double sampling CDS 4,
The AGC 5 is subjected to analog processing and is quantized through the A / D converter 6. The quantized CCD output video signal is
It is temporarily stored in the buffer memory 8 by the memory controller 15. The stored video signal of CCD output is
It is digitally operated by the DSP 9, converted into R, G, B signals or compressed image signals of a general-purpose image file format handled by an external control device, and stored again in the buffer memory 8. Data of the general-purpose image file formats R, G, B signals or compressed signals are stored in the common memory 16 through the memory controller 15. When passing the video information on the common memory 16 to the external control device 13, the main body of the memory card 17 with a photographing function is attached to the external control device 13 through the memory controller 15 and the card interface 10, and the data is bidirectionally passed. Is done.

FIG. 2 shows a file management format described in the common memory 16, which is usually described in the DOS FAT file system. The image data 164 is described in an R, G, B point sequential format such as TIFF which is a general-purpose image file format, or
It is described in a general-purpose compression format such as JPEG compression.
When the external control device 13 reads / writes data in the memory card 17 with a photographing function, the external control device 13
First, the type of the common memory 16 described in the attribute memory 21 in the memory card 17 with a photographing function,
Attribute information such as capacity, reading speed, and writing speed is read, and communication control according to the common memory 16 is performed.

Next, the area in which the desired image information is described is determined from the directory information 163 and the FAT 162 information on the common memory 16, and read / write control is performed. By the above operation, the data of the memory card 17 with a photographing function can be exchanged with the external control device 13.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing that the memory card with a photographing function is in a photographable state. The retractable lens 1 is in an open state and protrudes from the outer shape of the memory card 17, and cannot be attached to an external control device in a photographable state. The power supply 19 for photographing is commonly attached to the contact for connection with the external control device of the card interface 10. Similarly, the power source 19 for photography cannot be attached to the external control device when the power source for photographing is attached.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a case where the memory card with a photographing function functions as a memory card which is a general-purpose storage medium of an external control device. The power supply 19 for photographing shown in FIG. 3 is removed from the memory card 17, and the lens 1 for photographing is housed in the memory card 17 and the lens barrier 2
Protected by 0. In this state, the photographing function and the function as the memory card are incorporated so that the physical shape is the same as the shape of the general-purpose card mounted on the external control device. When mounted on an external control device, power is supplied from the external control device and the device operates according to instructions from the external control device.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a memory card with a shooting / playback function according to another embodiment of the present invention. The digital image signal in the common memory 16 is NTSC-encoded by the DSP 9 by the reproduction instruction means (not shown), converted into an analog signal by the D / A converter 22, and the video signal is output.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a memory card having a small size, excellent portability, and a shooting function which can be directly mounted on an external control device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of a memory card with a photographing function according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a memory management diagram used in the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a photographing function state of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a memory card state of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a memory card with a photographing function according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a configuration block diagram of a conventional memory card-mounted electronic still camera.

FIG. 7 is a configuration block diagram of another conventional electronic still camera with a built-in memory.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Lens for photographing 2 Aperture mechanism 3 CCD 4 CDS circuit 5 AGC circuit 6 A / D converter 7 DMAC circuit 8 Buffer memory 9 DSP 10 Card interface 15 Memory controller 16 Common memory 17 Memory card with photographing function 19 Power supply for photographing 20 Lens barrier

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical indication H04N 5/765

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup means for optically picking up a subject image,
Video process processing means for converting an image pickup signal into digital data and performing process processing, recording signal processing means for converting the video signal obtained by the process processing into a signal form necessary for recording as video information, and a plurality of recording signal processing means. A memory card comprising a non-detachably built-in recording means for recording and holding video information, and a connector for transmitting and receiving data between an external control device and the recording means, wherein the memory card is an external control device. A memory card with a shooting function that can be directly attached to a device to send and receive data. 2. A photographing function according to claim 1, wherein a power source for photographing is attachable to and detachable from the memory card, and the power source is removed when the memory card is attached to an external control device. Memory card with.