JPH0965191A - Image input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize an image input device having both of the easiness to make ready by a user at the time of photographing an image and the easiness to be operated at the time of editing image data. SOLUTION: A device main body 10 having a finder 1 confirming the range of an inputted image, a storage part 2 storing the image confirmed by the finder 1 as image data and an edition operation part 3 for editing the image data stored in the storage part 2 is connected with a grip part 4 for supporting the device main body 10 via a hinge mechanism part 5. At the time of a photographing, the grip part 4 is rotated by the hinge mechanism part 5 and is moved to the location where the grip part 4 is located lower than the finder 1. At the time of the edition, the grip part 4 is moved to the location where the bottom surface of the body of the device main body 10 having the finder 1 and the bottom surface of the grip part 4 become the same surface.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image input device, and more particularly to an image input device capable of shooting and editing with the same device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional device of this type, an image input device such as a video camera or a still camera having a function of accumulating image data is widely used. These image input devices include an image pickup device such as a CCD (charge coupled device), convert an image formed on the image pickup device through a lens into an electric signal, and store the electric signal inside the device. Is.

When photographing is performed using such an image input device, it is general that the user himself supports the device main body by hand. In that case, the image to be input while looking through the finder is displayed. It is necessary to check the range and firmly support the device body by hand so that the device does not shake.

For this reason, in this type of conventional apparatus, a hand strap is provided in the housing so that the housing can be designed to have a shape that is round and easy to grasp, and the direction of the finder portion can be freely moved up and down. It has been devised so that it can be changed.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a conventional device of this type (first
FIG. 11 is a perspective view for explaining a conventional example of FIG.

FIG. 4A is a perspective view for explaining an image input device according to a first conventional example in which the direction of the finder can be freely changed up and down.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the image input device according to the first conventional example is a device main body in which a camera 41 and a storage device 42 (for example, a video tape is provided as a storage medium) are integrated. A finder portion 43 that is rotatable up and down is attached from a predetermined portion of.

Further, the finder section 4 is sandwiched by the apparatus main body.
On the side opposite to 3, a grip part 4 for supporting the main body of the apparatus is provided.
4 are provided. The user passes a hand through the inside of a hand strap (not shown) attached to the grip portion 44, firmly grips the grip portion 44 with the palm of the hand, and photographs a desired image in a posture in which the elbow is tightened.

When taking a picture, the finder section 43 is rotated up and down in accordance with the position of the eyes of the user. Generally, setting the finder portion 43 to be located above the grip portion 44 improves the usability for the user.

On the other hand, in the conventional apparatus of this type, it is general to perform the editing work such as checking the stored image data and deleting unnecessary images after photographing, but these editing works are performed. It is well known that a device body used for photographing can be simply used.

However, in a conventional device that allows simple editing work to be performed on the device body, an operation button for editing is provided on the top surface or side surface of the housing of the device body, or inside the case covered with a decorative lid. Therefore, it is not suitable for full-scale editing work such as repeatedly pressing operation buttons such as rewind, fast forward, and erase.

FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing a state in which the photographing device 49 is connected to the dedicated editing device 45.

As shown in FIG. 4 (B), when editing the once stored image data, not only the editing operation buttons provided on the main body of the photographing device 49 are used, but also the photographing operation is performed when necessary. An image input device in which the device 49 is connected to a dedicated editing device 45 via an adapter device 46 to enable editing is well known in the related art.

With such an image input device, the user can perform full-scale editing work by using the easy-to-operate editing operation buttons provided in the dedicated editing device 45. .

FIG. 5 is a perspective view for explaining another example (second conventional example) of the conventional device of this type.

As shown in FIG. 5 (A), an image input device according to a second conventional example having a 3-4 type liquid crystal display 51 instead of the finder used in the first conventional example. Is also well known from the past. In the image input device according to the second conventional example, the liquid crystal display 51 is used for confirming a photographed image at the time of photographing and for confirming a reproduced image at the time of editing / reproducing.

Further, in the image input apparatus according to the second conventional example, the CCD is provided in the grip portion 52 for supporting the apparatus body.
An imaging camera 53 is provided, and the grip portion 52 rotates with respect to the liquid crystal display 51 in a plane perpendicular to the device body.

According to the image input device of the second conventional example as described above, since the editing operation buttons and the like can be arranged at positions relatively easy to operate, the reproduction and the operation are easier than those of the first conventional example. There is an advantage that it is easy to edit easily.

[0019]

However, in the image input device according to the first conventional example, although it is easy to take an image, it is difficult to perform complicated editing work by the device alone, and the accumulated image data is stored. In order to perform full-scale editing, the adapter device 46 and the editing device 45 must be separately prepared, which is not convenient.

Further, in the image input apparatus according to the second conventional example, the editing work is relatively easy to perform, but the user takes a posture of tightening the elbow and looking into the finder to support the apparatus body at the time of photographing. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to capture a stable image without blurring for a long time shooting.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and it is easy for the user to hold the image at the time of shooting the image and to easily operate the image data once edited for editing. An object of the present invention is to provide an image input device having both functions.

[0022]

[Means for Solving the Problems] When taking an image, a stance is taken in which the elbow of the hand holding the device body is tightened in order to stably support the device body while looking through the finder and not shaking. It is preferable. Also, in order to shoot for a long time without using a tripod etc., it is generally more tolerant to fatigue to shoot with the elbows tightened instead of stretching the arms and shooting. It is possible to shoot stably.

In the posture in which the elbows are closed, the height of the palm is lower than the height of the eyes. Therefore, at the time of photographing, the positional relationship between the finder and the grip portion for supporting the apparatus main body is It is preferable that the grip portion is located below the finder while keeping the finder horizontal.

On the other hand, at the time of editing the input image data, it is necessary that the apparatus main body can be stably placed on a desk or a flat table and the operation buttons can be pressed freely, so that the editing operation section is provided. It is necessary to prevent the grip portion from becoming a protrusion with respect to the bottom surface of the housing of the device body.

From this point of view, therefore, in order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides ease of use when capturing an image,
In order to make it easy to edit on a desk etc., it is equipped with a connecting means that can change the angle between the viewfinder and the grip part, and the grip part can be moved so that it is below the viewfinder during shooting. (EN) Provided is an image input device in which a grip portion can be moved directly beside a device main body so that it can be stably placed on a desk or the like during editing.

Specifically, according to the present invention, a finder for confirming a range of an image to be input, a storage unit for storing the image confirmed by the finder as image data, and the image stored in the storage unit. In an image input device including an apparatus main body having an editing operation section for editing data, and a grip section for supporting the apparatus main body,
An image, characterized in that the apparatus main body and the grip section are connected to each other, and a connecting means for moving the grip section up and down with respect to the apparatus main body while keeping the finder in a predetermined horizontal position is provided. Provide an input device.

In the image input device of the present invention,
It is preferable that the bottom surface of the casing of the apparatus main body and the bottom surface of the grip portion are in the same plane when the grip portion is moved to a predetermined position for editing the image data.

In the image input device of the present invention,
It is preferable that the connecting means is a hinge mechanism that allows the grip portion to rotate up and down within a predetermined angle range with respect to the apparatus main body while keeping the finder at a predetermined horizontal position.

Further, in the image input device of the present invention, the hinge mechanism fixes the grip portion and releases the fixation at a desired position where the grip portion is below the finder. A notch mechanism may be provided.

[0030]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining the structure of an image input device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
FIG. 1A is a diagram for explaining a state during editing of the image input apparatus according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a diagram for explaining a state during shooting.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the image input apparatus according to this embodiment uses a finder 1 for confirming the range of an image to be input, and an image confirmed using the finder 1 as image data. A storage unit 2 for storing, an editing operation unit 3 for editing the stored image data, a grip unit 4 for supporting the apparatus body 10 by a user,
A hinge mechanism unit 5 that connects the grip unit 4 and the apparatus body 10 and can rotate the grip unit 4 below the finder 1 while keeping the finder 1 horizontal.
Is included as a main component.

The finder 1 is for transmitting the range of an image to be photographed to the user, and is taken in through an optical type constituted by a lens, a reflecting mirror or the like, or an image pickup device such as a CCD. It is possible to employ a method of electronically displaying the generated image on a small liquid crystal display. In the image input device according to the present embodiment, the finder 1 is fixedly provided on the front surface of the device body 10. However, if the position where the user can easily look into the viewfinder 1 is as shown in FIG.
The device body 1 is not limited to the position shown in FIG.
It can be installed at any position of 0. Further, if necessary, a variable structure such as the image input device according to the first conventional example can be adopted.

The storage unit 2 is provided inside the apparatus main body 10 and stores the image in the range confirmed by the finder 1 as image data.

As a storage medium, a flash memory that retains data even when the power is turned off, a semiconductor memory such as a RAM (random access memory) that retains data using a backup power source, or a disk-type medium is used to record data. Various media such as a magneto-optical disk, a disk type memory such as a magnetic disk, and a magnetic tape memory such as a video tape and a cassette tape can be used, and a memory drive unit for reading and writing suitable for these various media is provided.

The editing operation section 3 is provided on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 10 and has operation buttons necessary for various editing operations such as reproduction, deletion, fast forward, fast rewind, and selection of order. A liquid crystal display or the like may be provided for checking the image data.

The user operates the editing operation buttons provided in the editing operation section 3 to reproduce and confirm the image data once stored in the storage section 2, and change the order in which it is necessary or unnecessary. The deleted data part can be erased.

The grip portion 4 is a portion that is gripped by the user at the time of taking an image in order to support the apparatus main body 10. The grip portion 4 has rounded corners and has a shape and a size that are easy to grip.
The grip portion 4 is connected to the device main body 10 via the hinge mechanism portion 5.
Is connected to the side of the housing.

In the image input device according to the present embodiment, the grip part 4 can be rotated up and down with respect to the main body 10 of the device while keeping the finder 1 at a predetermined horizontal position via the hinge mechanism part 5. it can. When capturing an image, the grip portion 4 is rotated so as to be lower than the finder 1 as shown in FIG. 1B, and at the time of editing, the grip portion 4 is rotated as shown in FIG. Rotate it so that it is right next to.

The shape of the grip portion 4 is such that the bottom surface of the grip portion 4 is flush with the bottom surface of the casing of the apparatus main body 10 when the grip portion 4 is arranged right next to the grip portion 4 as shown in FIG. The arrangement is preferable.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view for explaining one structural example of the hinge mechanism of the image input apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the hinge mechanism portion 5 has a protruding portion 11 protruding from the grip portion 4 and a protruding portion 11.
A pair of protrusions 12 and 12 protruding from the apparatus main body 10 so as to sandwich them, and these three protrusions 11 and 12,
A shaft 13 that connects 12 while allowing them to rotate is included as a main component.

A projecting portion 11 extending from the grip portion 4 is provided with a hole 14 for allowing the shaft 13 to penetrate therethrough, and a pair of projecting portions 1 projecting from the apparatus main body 10 are provided.
2, 15 also have holes 15 for passing the shaft 13 through,
15 are provided.

Then, the shaft 13 is penetrated through the three holes 14, 15 and 15, and the projecting portions 11, 12 and 12 are sandwiched, and pressure is applied from both sides of the shaft 13 to press them. It should be noted that, when a certain specific rotational force is applied to the outside of the protruding portions 12 and 12, the protruding portion 11 and the protruding portion 1 are
Washer 1 to allow 2, 12 and 12 to slide on each other
6 are provided.

The tightening force between the shaft 13 and the nut 18 presses the three protruding portions 11, 12, 12 to adjust the force for rotating the hinge mechanism 5. In addition,
The hinge mechanism section 5 is provided with a stopper 17 for limiting the rotation angle between the grip section 4 and the apparatus body 10.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view for explaining another configuration example of the hinge mechanism of the image input apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the hinge mechanism of the image input apparatus according to this embodiment further includes a latch mechanism.
Instead of fixing the grip part 4 by the frictional force between the protruding parts as in the hinge mechanism part 5 shown in FIG. 2, the grip part 4 is fixed and released by the latch mechanism.

On the inner side surfaces of the pair of projecting portions 26, 26 protruding from the apparatus main body 10, four recesses 25 are provided around the holes 24, 24 for the shaft 23 to pass through. On the other hand, on both side surfaces of the protruding portion 22 protruding from the grip portion 4, there are formed a pair of a ball 28 and a spring 29 which are fitted in a recess 25 of the protruding portion 26 around a hole 27 through which the shaft 23 penetrates. A pair of latch components is provided for each.

Since the force of the spring 29 pushes the ball 28 outward, when the ball 28 fits into the recess 25 provided in the projecting portion 26 of the apparatus body 10, the rotation of the hinge mechanism is fixed. . Once the ball 28 and the recess 25 are engaged with each other, the fixing is not released below the weight of the grip portion 4, and the fixing is not performed until the user applies a force exceeding the force of the spring 29 supporting the pressing of the ball 25. Is released.

In the latch mechanism according to this configuration example, the four recesses 2 provided in each of the pair of protrusions 26, 26 are provided.
By engaging 5 with the pair of balls 28, the hinge mechanism can be fixed and released at two different angles. That is, when the user holds the grip portion 4 at the time of shooting, the angle at which the finder 1 can be seen with the elbow squeezed, that is, the angle at which the grip portion 4 is lower than that of the finder 1 held horizontally, is fixed and released. And a flat surface is formed on the bottom surface so that the grip portion 4 does not become an extra protrusion when the device is placed on a flat table such as a desk for playback or editing. Be able to fix and release it at various angles.

Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments and includes various embodiments in accordance with the principle of the present invention.

[0052]

As described above, according to the image input apparatus of the present invention, since the angle of the grip portion can be changed with respect to the apparatus body provided with the finder, the grip portion can be attached to the finder during photographing. It is possible to look down at the viewfinder with the arm lowered and the elbow squeezed, and at the time of editing, the grip part can be moved so as not to interfere with editing. Therefore, the annoyance at the time of editing can be reduced without impairing the ease of use at the time of shooting.

Further, according to the image input apparatus of the present invention, in order to ensure that the bottom surface of the casing of the apparatus main body and the bottom surface of the grip portion are in the same plane at the time of editing, on a flat table such as a desk. The operation button for editing can be pressed down stably.

Further, according to the image input device of the present invention,
Since the grip portion can be fixed and released at a desired position by using the latch mechanism, it is possible to prevent the grip portion from unintentionally rotating, and the grip during shooting and editing. It is possible to easily position the parts.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining a configuration of an image input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view for explaining a configuration example of a hinge mechanism of the image input device according to the embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view for explaining another configuration example of the hinge mechanism of the image input device according to the embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining an example of a conventional device (first conventional example).

FIG. 5 is a perspective view for explaining another example (second conventional example) of the conventional device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Finder 2 Storage part 3 Editing operation part 4 Grip part 5 Hinge mechanism part 11, 12, 22, 26 Projection part 13, 23 Shaft 14, 15, 24, 27 hole 16 Washer 17 Stopper 18 Nut 25 Recess 28 Ball 29 Spring 41 Camera 42 Storage device 43 Finder part 44, 52 Grip part 45 Editing device 46 Adapter device 49 Imaging device 51 Liquid crystal display 53 Imaging camera

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display area G11B 33/06 G11B 33/06 C

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A finder for confirming a range of an image to be input, a storage unit for storing the image confirmed by the finder as image data, and an edit for editing the image data stored in the storage unit. In an image input device including an apparatus main body having an operation section, and a grip section for supporting the apparatus main body, the apparatus main body and the grip section are connected to each other, and the finder is kept at a predetermined horizontal position. An image input device comprising a connecting means for moving the grip part up and down with respect to the device body. 2. The bottom surface of the casing of the apparatus main body and the bottom surface of the grip portion are in the same plane when the grip portion is moved to a predetermined position for editing the image data. The image input device according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The connecting means is a hinge mechanism that allows the grip portion to rotate up and down within a predetermined angle range with respect to the apparatus main body while keeping the finder at a predetermined horizontal position. The image input device according to claim 1 or 2. 4. The hinge mechanism comprises a notch mechanism for fixing and releasing the grip at a desired position where the grip is below the finder. The image input device according to claim 3.