JPH10282562A - Camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate the selection/input of information recorded together with an image and to effectively use an information recording region by providing a pointing device in the outside case of the camera body and generating the recorded information, based on the input from the pointing device. SOLUTION: A microcomputer 31 which is provided in a camera and for generating the information is connected to a pointing pad 21, an LCD 22, a selecting key 23, a releasing key 24, an SEL key 25, an ADJ key 26, a DATE key 27, a magnetic writing circuit 18, etc. The microcomputer 31 receives the output signal of the pointing pad 21, to detect the locus of the movement of the fingertip of a user and compares the image formed with the locus with the shape pattern of a character stored in a ROM 32, to specify the character shown by the image. Then, the standard font of the specified character is outputted to the LCD 22. On the LCD 22, the character outputted from the microcomputer 31 is displayed as a part of input information.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a camera having a function of recording information relating to shooting together with an image, and more particularly to a camera which generates information to be recorded in response to a user operation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A silver halide film camera having a function of recording photographing information together with a photographed image has become widespread. For example, recording of a photographing date or exposure conditions is performed. In such a camera, information is recorded as an image that can be directly read by a person by an optical method of exposing a silver halide film as a photographing medium. However, since the area of the silver halide film that can be used is limited, the amount of information that can be recorded is small. The type of information to be recorded is determined in advance, and selection of information to be recorded and setting of whether to record information are performed by operating keys.

A new photographic system recently put into practical use employs a method of magnetically recording information by providing a magnetic layer on a silver halide film, and the amount of information that can be recorded has been dramatically increased. . In addition, even a still video camera that converts received light into an electric signal to generate an image signal and records the image signal on a magnetic medium can record a large amount of information other than the image signal on the magnetic medium.

Some cameras and still video cameras compatible with the new photographic system record an image title. However, the user does not arbitrarily input characters, but selects a desired one from among several standard titles stored in the camera by key operation.

[0005]

However, in the conventional method of selecting recording information by key operation, items not included in the selection cannot be recorded, and the information that can be recorded is significantly limited. If a camera is provided with a large number of keys, such as a keyboard, characters can be freely entered and arbitrary information can be recorded. The operation becomes complicated and operability is impaired.

[0006] The film of the new photographic system and the magnetic medium of the still video camera have a capacity enough to record images representing characters and figures as information. However,
Since the keys are not suitable for inputting images, it is difficult to generate handwritten characters and graphics images by input operation and record them as information, and it is possible to make full use of the large-capacity information recording area. Can not.

As described above, in the conventional method, information recorded in terms of quantity and quality is restricted. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a camera in which information to be recorded together with an image can be easily selected and input, and an information recording area can be effectively used.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a camera for recording information relating to photographing together with a photographed image, comprising a pointing device on a body exterior, based on an input from the pointing device. Generate information to be recorded. The pointing device outputs a signal indicating the operated position or direction in response to a manual operation of the camera user. If a function is assigned to each position or direction of the operation, a function corresponding to the operation can be selected.

Further, by continuously detecting the output signal of the pointing device, the trajectory of the operation represented by the change in the position or the direction of the operation can be determined. Thus, it is possible to input a line having an arbitrary shape, and it is possible to input an image of a character or a figure. The input image can be recorded as information as it is, or can be handled in the same manner as a character input by a normal key operation by specifying a character by comparing it with a predetermined character pattern.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a camera according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the back of the camera according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The camera 1 is a compact camera using a film of a new photographic system, and records, for each taken image, arbitrary input information and the date of shooting on a magnetic layer provided on the silver halide film.

A finder eyepiece window 17 is provided on the back of the body.
In addition, a pointing pad 21 and a liquid crystal display (LCD) 22 are provided. Two keys 23 and 24 to which "select" and "cancel" are respectively provided are provided in the vicinity of the pointing pad 21, and "SEL", "ADJ" and "DATE" are provided beside the LCD 22. Three keys 25, 26, 27 are provided. The pointing pad 21 and the keys 23 and 24 are used for inputting information to be recorded, and the keys 25, 26 and 27 are used for setting a date. The LCD 22 displays the input information 28
And a cursor 29 as an index indicating the input state of the pointing pad 21.

The pointing pad 21 detects a part pressed by the user with a finger, and outputs a signal representing the coordinates of the position. There are two types of pointing pads, a piezoelectric type that directly detects applied pressure and an electrostatic type that detects a change in capacitance due to pressure. Either type may be used. The user can input an image of a character by lightly pressing the fingertip against the pointing pad 21 and moving the fingertip.

FIG. 2 shows a configuration for generating information to be recorded.
Is shown schematically in FIG. The camera 1 has a microcomputer 31 for generating information. The microcomputer 31 is connected to a pointing pad 21, an LCD 22, keys 23 to 27, a shutter release button 12, and a magnetic writing circuit 18. Further, the microcomputer 31 stores a ROM 32 storing a pattern of character shapes such as hiragana, katakana, and numbers and a standard font.
It has a RAM 33 for storing input information and a timer 34 for date generation.

A microcomputer 31 serving as a central processing unit receives the output signal of the pointing pad 21 and detects the locus of the movement of the fingertip of the user. The character represented by the image is specified in comparison with the shape pattern. Then, the standard font of the specified character is output to the LCD 22.
The LCD 22 displays the characters output from the microcomputer 31 as a part of the input information 28 (FIG. 1).

The user who sees the character displayed on the LCD 22 operates the selection key 23 when the character is the character intended by the user. When this operation is performed, the microcomputer 31 stores the character in the RAM 33 and accepts the input of the next character. When the displayed character is not the intended character, the user operates the release key 24.
With this operation, one character displayed on the LCD 22 is erased, and the character can be input again. In this way, characters are sequentially input, information to be recorded is generated, and stored in the RAM 33.

When the shutter release button 12 is operated to capture an image, the microcomputer 31
Generates a date from the output of the timer 34 and outputs the date and information stored in the RAM 33 to the magnetic writing circuit 18. The magnetic writing circuit 18 writes the given date and information on the magnetic layer near the captured image on the silver halide film.

By operating the keys 25 to 27, the format of the date to be set and recorded, for example,
“Year / Month / Day”, “Date / Time / Minute”, “Hour / Minute / Second” can be selected. It is also possible to omit recording the date.

As shown in FIG. 1, on the LCD 22, in addition to the input information 28, a cursor 30 and a menu 30 representing the functions of the camera are displayed. The user can move the cursor 29 in any desired direction up, down, left, or right by changing the position where the pointing pad 21 is pressed. By operating the selection key 23 when the cursor 29 is on the menu 30, the function represented by the menu can be selected.

FIG. 1 shows a state in which "Title" of the menu 30 is selected and information to be recorded is being input. By appropriately selecting the menu, single shooting and continuous shooting can be performed.
Switching of shooting modes such as automatic flash, forced flash, and non-flash, and setting of whether or not to perform self-timer shooting are performed. In this way, not only information input but also various settings relating to the operation of the camera can be performed by operating the pointing pad 21. Dials and buttons provided for each function in the conventional camera are omitted, and The configuration of the camera can be simplified. The setting of the time and the format of the date may be performed by a menu, and the keys 25 to 27 may be omitted.

In this embodiment, the ROM 3 is used to identify characters input from the pointing pad 21.
2, the character pattern may be stored when the camera is manufactured. In order to correspond to the character habit of each user, the trajectory of the user's operation is sampled. May be created. In the latter case, R
As the OM 32, an EEPROM that can be written and is not erased even when the power supply is stopped is used.

Further, the image itself input from the pointing pad 21 may be recorded as information without specifying the input character. In this case, it is desirable to adjust the thickness of the line so as to make the image displayed on the LCD 22 easier to see, or to perform compression processing to reduce the signal amount.

FIG. 3 shows a front view of a camera according to a second embodiment of the present invention. This camera 2 is a charge-coupled device (CCD)
Is a still video camera that captures an image according to the information and records the input information together with the captured image and the date of capture on a magnetic medium. The camera 2 includes a photographing lens 11 composed of a zoom lens, a finder objective window 13, a flash light emitting unit 14 that emits flash light for irradiating a subject, a distance measuring light emitting unit 15 that emits light for distance measurement toward a subject, and a remote control. Light receiving window 16 for receiving the signal light.

The camera 2, like the camera 1 of the first embodiment, has a pointing pad 21, an LCD 22, and keys 23 to 27. The pointing pad 21, keys 23 and 24 are on the front of the body, and the LCD 22 is In a viewfinder (not shown), keys 25 to 27 are arranged on the back of the body (not shown). In this camera 2, the user looks into the viewfinder and points at the pointing pad 2
1 is operated to input information and control the operation of the camera. FIG. 2 shows a configuration for generating information to be recorded.
Is the same as that shown in FIG.

An image captured by the still video camera 2 is magnetically recorded, and its image signal can be combined with another image signal during reproduction. Therefore, information recorded in the information recording area of the magnetic medium can be displayed as a telop by being superimposed on an image during reproduction. Also,
It is also possible to combine the input information stored in the RAM 33 with a captured image and record it as a part of an image signal.

Although not shown, a menu for instructing zooming of the photographing lens 11 is also displayed on the LCD 22 provided in the viewfinder. When the cursor 29 is positioned on the menu, pressing the upper part of the pointing pad 21 changes the focal length of the photographing lens 11 to the long focal length side, and pressing the lower part of the pointing pad 21 decreases the focal length. Change to the side. That is,
By operating the pointing pad 21, the focal length of the photographing lens 11 can be changed to set a desired photographing angle of view.

In the first and second embodiments, the pointing pad 21 is provided on the back or front of the body. However, the pointing pad 21 may be provided anywhere on the camera exterior as long as it can be easily operated. Good. The LCD 22 is not limited to one, and may be provided on both the body exterior and the viewfinder. In this case, it is possible to easily input information and set a shooting mode while looking at the display on the exterior, and to set the shooting mode and perform a zoom operation while viewing the display together with the subject in the viewfinder. FIG. 4 shows an example in which the pointing pad 21 and the LCD 22 are provided on the upper surface of the body.

The LCD 22 on the exterior does not necessarily need to be arranged at a position different from the pointing pad 21. For example, the pointing pad 21 may be formed using a transparent electrode, and the pointing pad 21 may be overlaid on the LCD 22. Alternatively, a detection period for detecting the capacitance between the contact portion and the electrode may be provided between the display periods of the LCD 22 so that the LCD 22 functions as both the display device and the pointing pad. FIG. 5 shows an example in which the pointing pad 21 and the LCD 22 are arranged at the same position. By arranging them at the same position in this way, it is not necessary to secure a separate arrangement space, and the camera can be downsized.

In the cameras 1 and 2, the information to be recorded is generated based on the input from the pointing pad 21 of the camera itself. However, a pointing device is provided outside, and the output signal of the pointing device is transmitted to the camera. Alternatively, the recording information may be generated by a camera. Alternatively, information to be recorded may be generated externally and transmitted to the camera. FIG. 6 shows a schematic configuration of a third embodiment having such a system.

In this embodiment, the still video camera 2 of the second embodiment, a personal computer 41 and a video camera 47 are used in combination. A mouse 42 as a pointing device and a keyboard 43 for inputting characters are connected to the personal computer 41, and a video camera 47 is connected via an interface 44. In addition, the personal computer 41 includes a transmission unit 45 that transmits a signal using infrared light.

The output signal of the mouse 42 is transmitted from the transmission unit 45 to the camera 2, and the camera 2 receives the output signal at the light receiving window 16 and handles the received signal in the same manner as the output signal of the pointing pad 21. That is, the microcomputer 31
Detects the locus of the movement of the mouse 42, compares the image formed by the locus with the shape pattern of the character stored in the ROM 32, specifies the character represented by the image, and displays the character on the LCD 22 in a standard font. It is displayed and stored in the RAM 33.
The information thus generated is recorded on the magnetic medium together with the date at the time of shooting.

The characters input from the keyboard 43 are transmitted from the transmission unit 45 to the camera 2, stored in the RAM 33 as information to be recorded, and displayed on the LCD 22. In this case, since the characters are transmitted as codes instead of images, the microcomputer 31 does not need to perform processing for specifying the characters.

The video camera 47 takes an image as information to be recorded, for example, an arbitrary character or figure written on a sheet. This image signal is transmitted from the transmitting unit 45 to the camera 2 and stored in the RAM 33 as it is. In this case, the image itself becomes information, but the microcomputer 3
1 performs compression processing such as deletion of a blank background portion to reduce the amount of stored signals. Video camera 4
The image photographed in 7 can be used as a telop as described above.

The pointing pad 2 shown in the above example
Instead of 1, the camera may be provided with another pointing device such as a trackball, a joystick, and a pin vise. These devices output a signal indicating the position and operation direction of the pointing pad, but output a signal indicating the operated direction. It can represent an image and is a simple input device like a pointing pad.

[0034]

According to the present invention, any character or figure can be input as information to be recorded, and the type and amount of information to be recorded are not limited. Therefore,
A large-capacity recording area can be fully utilized.
Moreover, since it is not necessary to provide many keys or the like for inputting information, the configuration of the camera is simplified, the size of the camera is avoided, and the input operation by the user is easy.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a rear view of a camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration for generating recording information in the camera of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a camera according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example in which a pointing pad and an LCD are provided on the upper surface of a camera.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example in which a pointing pad and an LCD are arranged so as to overlap with each other.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Camera 2 Still video camera 11 Photographing lens 12 Shutter release button 13 Finder objective window 14 Flash light emitting part 15 Distance measuring light emitting part 16 Remote control signal receiving window 17 Finder eyepiece window 18 Magnetic writing circuit 21 Pointing pad 22 Liquid crystal display (LCD) 23 selection key 24 release key 25, 26, 27 key 28 input information 29 cursor 30 menu 31 microcomputer 32 ROM 33 RAM 34 timer 41 personal computer 42 mouse 43 keyboard 44 interface 45 transmission unit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A camera for recording information related to photographing together with a photographed image, comprising a pointing device on a body exterior, and generating information to be recorded based on an input from the pointing device.