JPH10333231A - Electronic image pickup device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely prevent an undesired object from being photographed by disposing a self-timer display window at a position near to the end face on one side of a camera main body and near to a base from a photographing lens. SOLUTION: The photographing lens 22 and an optical finder window 16 are disposed at the rightward position on the front surface of the front cover 20 of the camera main body 1. Furthermore, the self-timer display window is disposed in an obliquely lower corner on the right side in a range that a lens barrier 2 does not cover over. At the time of photographing, an operator's left thumb is put on the operation button of a switch for operating an LCD and the operator's forefinger is brought into contact with or locked on the self-timer display window arranged obliquely under the lens 22. Namely, the operation button and the self-timer display window are arranged at the proper positions where they correspond to each other while putting the main body 1 in between. By laying out the self-timer display window, the operation button and the lens 22 in such a way, the operator is instructed in the position to inhibit the finger from being put, so that the photographing a subject together with the finger is easily prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an electronic imaging device,
More specifically, the present invention relates to an electronic imaging device that electronically records an image captured by an imaging device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-201887.
As disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication, a flash projection is provided on the exterior of the lower surface of the strobe window so that a finger does not accidentally touch the light emitting surface of the strobe disposed at the upper right of the front of the camera body. Has been proposed.

Further, as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 12, a camera in which the entire support portion 101a of the camera 02 protrudes forward from the camera body 101,
There is known a camera provided with a group of minute projections 111 below a taking lens 112 on a front surface of a camera body 110.

[0004] On the other hand, there is known an electronic image pickup apparatus for checking a subject at the time of photographing with an image display unit such as a color LCD instead of an optical finder. In such an electronic image pickup apparatus, photographing is performed while operating an operation switch member for operating an image display unit at the time of photographing. However, this operation switch member is an electronic switch because of the advantage of flexible printed circuit board wiring and the like. It is often arranged near the electronic imaging device mode setting button on the upper surface of the dynamic imaging device.

[0005]

The camera disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8-201887 is a camera using a so-called silver halide film. It is usually arranged almost at the center of the camera body. On the other hand, in an electronic imaging apparatus such as a digital camera, while the restrictions imposed by the film are eliminated, since the internal substrate area needs to be ensured as large as possible, the photographing lens unit is not located at the center of the main body but at the left or right side Often, they are arranged in a distorted position.

In such an electronic image pickup apparatus, when the photographing lens is disposed on one of the left and right sides of the main body, it is easy to cover the front surface of the lens with a finger held during photographing. In general, electronic imaging devices have a shape that does not protrude the photographing lens from the front of the exterior to improve portability, so it is difficult to use the photographing lens barrel as a finger rest, and if it is forcibly realized, However, as shown in FIG. 11, the entire supporting portion of the photographing lens protrudes.

Further, in the case of a minute projection as shown in FIG. 12, there is a problem that the reliability is poor and the design is impaired by providing such a projection on the external surface.

Further, when the photographed image display unit is used, the image display unit has a drawback that the resolution is lower and the screen switching speed is slower than that of the optical viewfinder. However, there is a problem that it is hard to notice even if it enters.

As shown in FIG. 13, the operation switch member 1
31 is a photographed image display unit 13 on the rear side of the camera body 120
It is assumed that they are arranged diagonally above 0. At this time, if the operator puts his thumb on the operation switch during shooting and naturally tries to grasp the front side of the camera, as shown in FIG. 14, the possibility that the operator's finger gets on the shooting lens 122 increases, Fingers are easier to project.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic image pickup apparatus that reliably prevents an unwanted object from being reflected.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, a first electronic imaging device of the present invention is arranged so as to be deviated to one side from the center of the front surface of the main body of the electronic imaging device. A photographing lens and a rear surface of the electronic imaging device main body,
An image display portion for displaying an image, a projection portion provided at a position closer to one side end surface of the electronic imaging device main body than the photographing lens, and the projection shape portion sandwiching the electronic imaging device main body. And a switch member for operating the image display unit, which is disposed on a rear surface of the electronic imaging device main body substantially opposite to the above.

[0012] To achieve the above object, a second aspect of the present invention is provided.
The electronic imaging device according to the first electronic imaging device, wherein the projection-shaped portion is closer to one side end surface of the electronic imaging device main body than the photographing lens and closer to the bottom surface of the electronic imaging device main body. And at a position separated by a predetermined distance from the periphery of the taking lens.

[0013] In order to achieve the above object, a third aspect of the present invention is provided.
The electronic imaging device according to the first or second electronic imaging device is characterized in that the protruding portion is a display window for a self-timer.

[0014] In order to achieve the above object, a fourth aspect of the present invention is provided.
In the electronic imaging device of the second or third electronic imaging device, the electronic imaging device is disposed on a front surface of the electronic imaging device main body so as to be displaceable between a position covering the photographing lens and a position exposing the imaging lens. A photographic lens protection opening / closing lid is provided, and the projection-shaped portion is disposed at a predetermined position where the arrangement relationship with the photographic lens is always constant regardless of the displacement of the photographic lens protection opening / closing lid. I do.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 8 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view showing the appearance of a digital camera in a barrier closed state, and FIG. 2 is a front view showing the appearance of the digital camera in a barrier open state. 3 is a left side view showing the appearance of the digital camera, FIG. 4 is a right side view showing the appearance of the digital camera, FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the appearance of the digital camera, and FIG. 6 is a bottom view showing the appearance of the digital camera. FIG. 7 is a rear view showing the appearance of the digital camera, and FIG.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram mainly showing an electric configuration of a digital camera.

In this embodiment, the electronic imaging apparatus of the present invention is applied to a digital camera. First, the structure around the exterior will be described with reference to FIGS.
In addition, each electric control system element such as a switch and an LED used in the following description will be appropriately described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the camera body 1 of this digital camera is roughly composed of two exterior members, a front cover 20 and a rear cover 21. And
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a front cover 2 of the camera body 1 is provided.
On the front surface of the camera 0, a photographing lens 22 and an optical finder window 16b are provided at a position closer to the right. Further, a lens barrier 2 is provided for protecting the photographing lens 22 and the optical finder window 16b, and is slidable to the left and right opening and closing positions. Further, a self-timer display window 3 is provided in the lower right corner of the area not covered by the lens barrier 2.

The lens barrier 2 is used for photographing or
By sliding in the open / close direction when not shooting,
The photographic lens 22 and the optical finder window 16b can be exposed or covered. A lens barrier switch 35 that is turned on / off in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the lens barrier 2 is provided inside the main body. As the lens barrier switch 35 is turned on / off, the power of the camera system is turned on / off.
When the lens barrier 2 is at the barrier open position, a click force is acting and the barrier open state is maintained.

A flash window 19 is provided in the lens barrier 2, and a flash light emitting unit is accommodated in the flash window 19. The flash window 19 slides with the lens barrier 2 to move. The movement of the strobe light-emitting unit together with the lens barrier 2 in this manner allows the taking lens 2
It is possible to ensure an appropriate distance between the flashlight unit 2 and the flash unit.

The self-timer display window 3 is a substantially elliptical member made of a translucent material, and is provided so as to protrude from the camera body 1 as shown in FIG. An LED mounted on a printed circuit board (not shown) in the camera body 1 is provided inside the self-timer display window 3.
45 are located. The light emission of the LED 45 is controlled by the system controller 30 and emits light during the self-timer mode operation. However, as described above, the self-timer display window 3 has a substantially elliptical shape projecting from the window. Since the whole is illuminated, the lighting state can be observed from oblique directions other than the front.

As shown in FIG. 3, an openable / closable memory card cover 4 for covering an opening of a memory card 41 as a recording medium is provided on the left side of the camera body 1. The memory card cover 4 is composed of a pair of upper and lower hinge portions 4.
b, the hinge shaft 17 fixed to the camera body 1
To be rotatable.

A memory card cover switch 36 that is turned on / off in conjunction with opening and closing of the memory card cover 4 is provided.
It is provided inside the camera body 1. Therefore, if the digital camera is operated with the memory card cover 4 not completely closed when the memory card 41 is inserted, the output of the memory card cover switch 36 is detected. Then, a warning sound is emitted by the buzzer 55, and the memory card 41 can be protected more reliably.

At the intermediate position between the above-mentioned pair of upper and lower hinge portions 4b, there is provided a portion in which the exterior member of the camera body 1 is formed in a concave shape, and the hinge shaft 17 through which the hinge portion 4b is inserted is exposed. The hinge shaft 17 can be used as a shaft for hanging a portable hand strap.

As shown in FIG. 4, an openable / closable external terminal cover 8 is provided on the right side of the camera body 1 at a position close to the bottom surface. Inside the external terminal cover 8, an external device jack 56, which is an external terminal to which a video output and a digital output described later are connected, and an external power jack 54, which is an external terminal to which an external power supply is connected, are arranged. The external terminal lid 8 is provided to prevent dust from entering the external terminals when not in use. When the external terminal cover 8 is opened, the finger-holding recess 12 provided on the bottom side of the camera body 1 is used.
A fingertip can be inserted into the external terminal cover 8 (see FIG. 6), and the external terminal cover 8 can be opened by putting a finger on the lid 8.

As shown in FIG. 5, a mode LCD 5 for displaying the status of each operation mode of the digital camera is provided substantially at the center of the upper surface of the camera body 1, and a mode for setting an operation mode is provided. Three operation buttons 6a for the setting switch 6 are arranged on the right side and two on the left side. Further, an operation button 7a for the release switch 7 is provided on the upper left side. The release switch 7 is
This is a switch for inputting an instruction to photograph and record a subject. By operating this switch, image information being captured can be recorded on the memory card 41 or the like.

On the bottom side of the camera body 1, in addition to the finger-holding recess 12, as shown in FIG. Is provided, and a tripod mounting screw hole 18 is provided slightly to the left of the center.

The battery lid 10 has a substantially egg-shaped concave portion formed substantially at the center thereof, and a rotatable operation knob 11 is provided in the concave portion. This operation knob 11
By rotating the camera, the lock mechanism inside the battery cover 10 is released, and the battery cover 10 is rotated around the hinge portion near the center of the camera body to open and the battery can be replaced. The operation knob 11 is formed to have a thickness that fits within the depth of the substantially egg-shaped concave portion, and does not protrude from the bottom surface of the camera body 1.

As shown in FIG. 7, on the rear side of the camera body 1, a color liquid crystal display section 13 for displaying images is provided at the center.
Are arranged. The color liquid crystal display unit 13 is attached with its periphery surrounded by an auxiliary cover 14. On the left side of the color liquid crystal display unit 13, three operation buttons 15a, which are part of the components of the LCD operation switch 15, are arranged side by side. further,
Optical finder eyepiece window 1 for object confirmation on the upper back
6 is also provided.

Next, a configuration mainly related to an electric control system of the digital camera of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

In this digital camera, as shown in FIG.
Is controlled by the The electric control system is roughly divided into an image pickup section, a strobe light emitting section, a display / warning section, an operation switch section, and a power supply section.

When photographing is performed by the image pickup unit,
First, the subject light that has passed through the photographing lens 22 is formed on the imager 32 as a subject image. At this time, the exposure time and the amount of light passing through the imager
It is controlled by a mechanical shutter 37 provided therein. The focus of the photographing lens 22 is adjusted by the focus control unit 38 based on a command from the system controller 30.

The subject image is converted from an optical signal into an electric signal by the imager 32, and is converted into a video processing circuit 33.
After being temporarily stored in the built-in memory 39 via the digital processing circuit 34, it is recorded as image information on the memory card 41 connected to the card connector 40 as needed.

It should be noted that an image being photographed or an image recorded in the built-in memory 39 or the memory card 41 can be displayed on the color liquid crystal display unit 13. Also,
As the image output to the outside, two types of output signals, a video output converted by the video encoder 42 and a digital output converted by the digital interface (I / F) 43, can be selected. These outputs are taken out via an external device jack 56.

The strobe light emitting section includes a strobe circuit 31 for controlling light emission, a capacitor 44 for charging, a trigger transformer 25, a reflector 24, and a xenon tube 23. However, the trigger transformer 25, the reflector 24 and the xenon tube 23 are connected to the lens barrier 2
And is electrically connected to a printed circuit board in the camera body 1 using a lead wire 27a. In addition, the trigger transformer 25 and the xenon tube 23 are electrically connected in the lens barrier 2 via a lead wire 27b.

The display / warning section is driven by the system controller 30 via the driver 46, and includes an LED 45 for displaying a self-timer, a mode LCD 5 for displaying an operation mode setting state, and a warning. And a buzzer 55 for use.

The operation switch section includes a mode setting switch 6 for setting an operation mode and an LCD operation switch 1 for selecting an image to be displayed on the color liquid crystal display section 13.
5, a release switch 7 for instructing the capture of an image being captured, a memory card cover switch 36 for detecting the open / closed state of the memory card cover 4, and a lens barrier switch 35 for detecting the open / closed state of the lens barrier 2. It is configured to have. The mode setting switch 6 and the LCD
Outputs of the operation switch 15 and the release switch 7 are taken into the system controller 30 via an input section 47 which is a switch input circuit.

The power supply section includes a battery 51 for driving power of the camera, a power supply circuit 52, an external power supply jack 54 to which an external power supply can be connected, and a super capacitor 53 for supplying auxiliary power. Have been.

Next, a mechanism for holding the color liquid crystal display unit 13 in the digital camera of the present embodiment will be described.

FIG. 9 is a front view of the digital camera showing a state of being gripped by an operator during photographing using the digital camera of the present embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a rear view of the digital camera.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the digital camera of the present embodiment, the photographing lens 22 is disposed so as to be deviated to one side from the center of the front surface of the camera body 1. Further, the self-timer display window 3 is disposed closer to one side end face of the camera body 1 than the photographing lens 22 and closer to the bottom face. The self-timer display window 3 has a shape slightly protruding forward from the outer surface of the camera body 1.

Thus, the self-timer display window 3
Are arranged at positions separated by a predetermined distance from the periphery of the taking lens 22. The predetermined distance may be, for example, a distance of 15 mm or more, as described later. An LCD operation switch 1 is provided on the rear surface of the self-timer display window 3 substantially opposite to the self-timer display window 3 with the camera body 1 interposed therebetween.
A plurality of five operation buttons 15a are provided. As described above, these operation buttons 15a are provided near the color liquid crystal display unit 13 provided on the rear surface of the camera body 1 as shown in FIG. Further, an optical viewfinder 16 is provided on an upper portion of a rear surface of the camera body 1.

Next, let us consider the situation during photographing of the digital camera of the present embodiment in which the self-timer display window 3, the operation buttons 15a, and the photographing lens 22 have the above-described arrangement relationship.

When the operator uses the color liquid crystal display unit 13 as a finder, as shown in FIG. 10, the left thumb of the operator operates the LCD operation switch 15 for operating the color liquid crystal display unit 13 appropriately. On button 15a,
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, the index finger of the operator is arranged so as to be in contact with or locked to the self-timer display window 3 arranged obliquely below the taking lens 22.

In the present embodiment, the operation button 15a and the self-timer display window 3 correspond to each other with the camera body interposed therebetween so that the position of the hand on the side where the taking lens 22 is disposed is naturally determined. Position.

The distance between the photographing lens 22 and the self-timer display window 3 is such that, in the above-described photographing state, even if the operator's finger is slightly displaced, the distance that is not located in front of the photographing lens 22 is determined. In this embodiment, for example, a separation distance of 15 mm or more is ensured.

When taking a picture while looking at the optical viewfinder 16, the index finger of the operator's left hand points to the self-timer display window 3 disposed diagonally below the taking lens 22 as described above.
It takes

As described above, by laying out the self-timer display window 3, the operation buttons 15a, and the photographing lens 22 as in the digital camera according to the present embodiment, the operator can be instructed about the prohibited finger position. Can be easily prevented.

When photographing while confirming the photographed image on the color liquid crystal display unit 13, the position of the main finger of the hand holding the photographing lens 22 can be determined by the self-timer display window 3 and the operation button 15a. Therefore, it is possible to easily prevent a photographer's fingertip or the like from entering a part of the screen while looking at a captured image display unit such as an LCD having a low resolution and a low screen switching speed.

Further, the separation distance between the self-timer display window 3 and the photographing lens 22 is ensured because the distance which is not positioned in front of the photographing lens 22 is secured even if the operator's finger is displaced to some extent during photographing. The finger can be prevented from appearing in the image.

The self-timer display window 3 is not used at the time of normal photographing, and does not hinder the function even if the operator presses it with a finger. Further, since it is not necessary to provide a dedicated finger locking member, the present invention can be applied to an electronic imaging device having a limited front area. In addition, since the display window protrudes from the camera body surface, the LED emission can be easily viewed even in a diagonal direction where the angle is large, so that a person at an oblique position can clearly understand the shutter timing.

Further, since the self-timer display window 3 is provided not on the opening / closing cover (lens barrier) 2 for protecting the photographing lens but on the camera body 1, the wiring to the LED and the like to the self-timer display window 3 is short. Since the wiring is not particularly required, it is easy to assemble the opening / closing lid for protecting the photographing lens.

[0052]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic image pickup apparatus capable of reliably preventing an unwanted object from being reflected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an appearance of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention in a barrier closed state.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing an appearance of the digital camera of the embodiment in a barrier open state.

FIG. 3 is a left side view illustrating an appearance of the digital camera according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a right side view showing an appearance of the digital camera of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the appearance of the digital camera of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view showing the appearance of the digital camera of the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a rear view showing the appearance of the digital camera of the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an electric circuit block diagram showing an electric configuration of the digital camera of the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a front view of the digital camera showing a state of being gripped by an operator during photographing using the digital camera of the embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a rear view of the digital camera showing a state of being gripped by an operator during photographing using the digital camera of the embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a main part showing an example of a peripheral part of a photographing lens in a conventional imaging apparatus.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a main part showing another example of a peripheral part of a photographing lens in a conventional imaging apparatus.

FIG. 13 is a rear view of the conventional electronic imaging device, showing a state of gripping by an operator during photographing using the electronic imaging device.

FIG. 14 is a top view of the electronic imaging apparatus showing a state of being gripped by an operator during photographing using the electronic imaging apparatus shown in FIG. 13;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Camera main body 2 ... Lens barrier 3 ... Self-timer display window 13 ... Color liquid crystal display unit 15 ... LCD operation switch 15a ... Operation button 22 ... Photographing lens

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A photographing lens disposed on one side of a center of a front surface of an electronic imaging device main body, and an image display portion disposed on a rear surface of the electronic imaging device main body and displaying an image. A projection-shaped portion provided at a position closer to one side end surface of the electronic imaging device main body than the photographing lens; and the electron substantially opposite to the projection-shaped portion across the electronic imaging device main body. An electronic imaging device, comprising: a switch member for operating the image display unit, which is provided on a rear surface of the main imaging device main body. 2. The projection-shaped portion is located at a position closer to one side end face of the electronic imaging device main body than the photographing lens and closer to a bottom surface of the electronic imaging device main body, and a predetermined distance from the peripheral portion of the imaging lens. The electronic imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic imaging device is disposed at a position separated by a distance. 3. The electronic imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is a display window for a self-timer. 4. An electronic imaging device main body further comprising: a photographing lens protection opening / closing lid disposed on a front surface of the electronic imaging device main body so as to be displaceable between a position covering the photographing lens and a position exposing the photographing lens. 4. The electronic imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the electronic imaging device is disposed at a predetermined position where the arrangement relationship with the imaging lens is always constant regardless of the displacement of the opening / closing lid for protecting the imaging lens.