JPH1075415A - Still picture recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To record not only the still picture of an object but also the conditions on that site while keeping portability by recording either the photographed still picture of a subject or its caught sound through a recording means at least. SOLUTION: When a user pushes a shutter 5, a CPU generates a signal to write data into a memory and generates an address signal for an address circuit at prescribed timing. Thus, on a memory card 2, image data are successively written in the address corresponding to the address signal from an address generating circuit for the image data area of the memory. Besides, an audio signal from a microphone is recorded on the memory card 2. Thus, with such an electronic still camera, when the shutter 5 is pushed, the subject is photographed as a still picture by a CCD, the sound is caught by the microphone, and they are respectively recorded on the memory card 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a still image recording device such as an electronic still camera.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a camera widely used at present, a silver halide film is used as a recording medium, and this film is developed by chemical processing after photographing, so that an image photographed by the camera can be instantly viewed. That was impossible.

[0003] In recent years, video cameras that record analog video on a tape-shaped magnetic recording medium have appeared, and it has become possible to instantly see and hear images and sounds taken by the video camera. However, the image quality is poor because the analog data is analog, and the data is large and heavy because a mechanical drive system is required.

Therefore, in recent years, a still image recording apparatus including a semiconductor memory element capable of electrically rewriting data and a liquid crystal display element, that is, an electronic still camera has been developed.

[0005] This electronic still camera is compact and lightweight because it can record a subject as a still image without having a mechanical drive system, and can display an image of the captured subject on a liquid crystal display element on the spot. is there.

Although the appearance of the electronic still camera seems to have almost satisfied the needs of the user, some users desire to record not only the image of the subject but also the situation at that place. .

[0007]

As described above, the above-described conventional still image recording apparatus records only a still image, and cannot satisfy the user's demand for recording the atmosphere of the place. Was. It is an object of the present invention to provide a still image recording apparatus capable of recording not only a still image of a subject but also the situation at the place while maintaining the portability of the camera. And

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A still image recording apparatus of the present invention captures a subject image as a still image, captures the still image into an electric signal, captures audio, and converts the audio into an electrical signal. Audio conversion means for converting the electric signals of the still image and sound into digital data, and recording means for recording at least one of the digital data converted by the conversion means. is there.

In the present invention, at least one of a still image of a subject image picked up by the image pickup means and digital data of audio captured by the sound conversion means is recorded by the recording means. Not only that, but also audio can be recorded.

As a result, it is possible to record not only a still image of the subject but also the situation at the place while maintaining the portability of the camera.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an electronic still camera according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The electronic still camera shown in FIG. 1 includes a camera main body 1 and a memory card which is detachable from the main body 1. The camera body 1 includes a lens barrel 3, a viewfinder 4, a shutter 5, and the like, like a normal camera.
An opening 6 into which the memory card 2 is inserted is provided. The memory card 2 fulfills the function of a film used in a normal camera.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the camera body 1.

In FIG. 1, a lens indicated by reference numeral 7 is disposed in the lens barrel 3, and an image of a subject is projected on the CCD 8 disposed on the back of the lens 7 by the lens 7. The CCD 8 outputs an analog electric signal in accordance with the brightness of the image projected in this manner. This electric signal is converted into a digital signal by an A / D converter 9 and then converted into a band compression circuit. The band is compressed by 10 and input to the memory card control circuit 11.

Reference numeral 41 denotes a microphone arranged outside the main body 1, and an audio signal inputted from the microphone 41 is transmitted through an A / D converter 42 and a digital audio circuit 43 to the memory card control circuit 11. Is input to

The CPU 12 controls the entire electronic still camera including the memory card 2, and controls the driving of the CCD 8 via the driving system 13, and controls the compression ratio of the band compression circuit 10. , And also controls the memory card control circuit 11 and the memory card 2.

FIG. 3 shows a memory card control circuit 11.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram for describing a configuration around the device.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 14 denotes a band compression circuit 1.
0 or an I / O control circuit for performing input / output control between the CPU 12 and the memory card 2 for exchanging data signals between them.

That is, a data input terminal indicated by reference numeral 15 is for inputting a data signal relating to an image from the band compression circuit 10, and a data input terminal indicated by reference numeral 44 is a data signal relating to audio from the digital audio circuit 43. The data signal and the data signal generated by the CPU 12 are sent from the data input / output terminal 16 to the memory card 2 via the I / O control circuit 14.

On the other hand, the data signal from the memory card 2 input from the data input / output terminal 16 is transmitted to the I / O control circuit 1
4 to the CPU 12.

Here, the CPU 12 and the I / O control circuit 14
A memory 17 is interposed on the data line between the two, and an interface of the data transfer speed is provided between them. That is, hand data signal inputted and outputted CPU12 is Ru slow der a serial signal, the data signals input and output the I / O control circuit 14 is a high speed a parallel signal, the memory 17 These serial signals or parallel signals are converted into parallel signals or serial signals, respectively.

Reference numeral 18 denotes an address generation circuit. The address generation circuit 18 sequentially generates an address signal corresponding to an initial address value designated by the CPU 12 and an address value obtained by sequentially adding "1" to this value. This address signal is sent from the address output terminal 19 to the memory card 2.

Further, reference numeral 20 denotes a timing signal generation circuit, and this timing signal generation circuit 20
2, the I / O control circuit 14, the memory 1
7. A predetermined timing signal is generated from the address generating circuit 18 or the timing output terminal 21 to the memory card 2.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the memory card 2, which has a large number of RAMs E ² on a substrate 22.
A memory 23 for electrically rewriting data such as a ROM is mounted, and connection terminals 24 connected to the camera body 1 are arranged at one end.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of such a memory card 2. As shown in FIG. Reference numeral 24a is the main body 1.
Data input / output terminal connected to the terminal 16 on the
The data input / output terminal 24a is connected to each data input / output terminal of the memory 23 via the I / O control circuit 25.

Reference numeral 24b denotes an address input terminal connected to the terminal 19 of the main body 1, and the address input terminal 24b is connected to each address input terminal of the memory 23 and the chip select circuit 26.

Reference numeral 24c denotes a timing input terminal connected to the terminal 21 of the main body 1, and the timing input terminal 24c is connected to each timing input terminal of the memory 23.

Note that the chip select circuit 26 is
A predetermined memory 23 to be operated according to an address signal from the side is selected.

FIG. 6 is a memory map for explaining a memory area constituted by a large number of memories 23 mounted on the memory card 2.

As shown in the figure, the memory area includes a card header area 27 in which data unique to the memory card 2 itself is recorded, and a start address 28a and an end address 28b of an area in which each image data is recorded.
Are stored in the image data area 29 in which the image data is actually recorded.

The card header area 27 has a card number where data unique to the memory card 2 itself is recorded. The remaining memory capacity area 2 in which the remaining data of the area where the data can be written in the area 27a and the image data area 29 is recorded.
7b, a captured image number area 27c in which data of the number of captured images of the memory card 2 is recorded, and an image data final address area 27d in which data of the last use address of the image data in the image data area 29 is recorded.

The data area 29 is recorded in one screen data areas 29a... Divided for each screen, and these one screen data areas 29a are respectively composed of an image header area 29b and an image in which actual image data is recorded. And a data area 29c.

The image header area 29b includes an information classification area 29d indicating what kind of data, for example, image and audio data is recorded in the image data area 29c of the one screen data area 29a, and an image data area. 29c
What kind of image processing system, for example, NTSC, CCIR
A system area 29e indicating whether data is recorded by a method such as a method, a screen number area 29f in which screen number data is recorded, for example, an image quality in which data of an image quality mode set by a compression ratio of the band compression circuit 10 is recorded. It includes a mode area 29g, time areas 29h to 29m in which data of the recorded time is recorded, a title area 29n in which data of a title of a recorded image is recorded, and the like. Next, the photographing operation of the electronic still camera configured as described above will be described.

First, when a memory card is inserted into the camera body 1 through the opening 6, the terminals 16, 19, 21 of the memory card control circuit 11 in the body 1 are connected to the terminals 24a, 24b, 24c in the memory card 2, respectively. Is done.

Thereafter, the CPU 12 causes the timing signal generating circuit 20 to generate a signal for reading data from the memory 23, and causes the address generating circuit 18 to generate an address of the card header area 27.

Thus, a signal relating to data in the card header area 27 of the memory 23 of the memory card 2 is transferred to the CPU 12 via the I / O control circuit 25, the I / O control circuit 14, and the memory 17, and the CPU 12 Whether or not image data can be written from the data in the card header area 27 to the memory 23 of the memory card 2 is determined by writing the next image data from an address (start address) to an address (end address) in the memory. Confirm whether it is good, and calculate.

When the image data can be written, the CPU 12 sets the start address and the end address in the address generation circuit 18.

Thus, the camera is operated by the user's shutter O
It is in a state of waiting for N.

Then, when the user presses the shutter 5, C
The PU 12 supplies a memory 2 to the timing signal generation circuit 20.
3, a signal to be written with data is generated, and the address signal set to the address generation circuit 18 as described above is generated at a predetermined timing.

Therefore, thereafter, the image data signal from the CCD 8 is sent to the memory card 2 via the A / D converter 9, the band compression circuit 10, and the I / O control circuit 14. At the same time, the address signal generated by the address generation circuit 18 is also sent to the memory card 2 side.

As a result, in the memory card 2,
Address generation circuit 1 for image data area 29 of memory 23
The image data is sequentially written to the address corresponding to the address signal from No. 8.

The audio signal input from the microphone 41 is input to the memory card control circuit 11 via the A / D converter 42 and the digital audio circuit 43, and is recorded on the memory card 2 in the same manner as the above-mentioned still image. You.

When such writing is completed, the CPU 1
2 is input to the memory 23 via the memory 17, the I / O control circuit 14, and the I / 0 control circuit 25, and the card header area 27 is updated. The data signals of the start address and the end address corresponding to the written image data are also sent from the CPU 12 to the memory 23, and these data are written in the direct area 28. After this, C
The PU 12 causes the timing signal generation circuit 20 to generate a signal for stopping a series of write operations to the memory 23.

As described above, according to the electronic still camera of this embodiment, when the shutter 5 is pressed, the subject image is captured as a still image by the CCD 8 and the voice is captured by the microphone 41, and each is recorded on the memory card 2. Therefore, it is possible to record not only a still image of a subject but also the situation at that place while maintaining the portability of the camera.

That is, if the sound is recorded in association with the still image, the situation at the time of reproducing the still image can be reproduced more clearly. Note that the still image and the sound may be recorded simultaneously as described above, or may be recorded independently. On the other hand, as described above, the memory 23 of the memory card 2 has a memory area, a card header area 27 in which data unique to the memory card 2 itself is recorded, and a strike address 28a of an area in which each image data is recorded. And the director area 28 in which the end address 28b is stored, and the image data area 29 in which each image data is actually recorded. These areas are further subdivided according to the functions. Therefore, address management can be performed reliably and easily.

[0047]

As described above, according to the still image recording apparatus of the present invention, at least one of the still image of the subject image captured by the imaging means and the audio captured by the audio conversion means is recorded by the recording means. Therefore, it is possible to record not only a still image of a subject but also the situation at that place while maintaining portability.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an electronic still camera according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the electronic still camera of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a memory card control circuit shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the inside of the memory card shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the memory card shown in FIGS. 1 and 4;

FIG. 6 is a view for explaining a memory area of a memory in the memory card shown in FIG. 5;

[Explanation of symbols]

1 camera body, 2 memory card, 7 lens, 8 ...
9) A / D converter, 11 memory card control circuit, 12 CPU, 14, 25 I / O control circuit, 17 memory, 18 address generation circuit, 20 timing signal generation circuit, 23 memory, 27 card header area, 28 directory area, 29 data area, 41 microphone, 42 A / D converter, 43 digital audio circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] An image capturing means for capturing a subject image as a still image and converting the still image into an electrical signal; an audio converting means for capturing audio and converting the audio into an electrical signal; A still image recording apparatus comprising: a conversion unit for converting each of the electrical signals into digital data; and a recording unit for recording at least one of the digital data converted by the conversion unit.