JPH11136554A - Digital electronic camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital electronic camera of satisfactory operability, which automatically recognizes a function mode according to a direction where a photographing camera part faces at present and automatically selects a communication system corresponding to the function mode in the digital electronic camera having the function of a portable telephone set and PHS. SOLUTION: The digital electronic camera having the function of the portable telephone set and PHS is provided with a direction sensor 11 detecting the direction of the photographing camera part 21 where the photographing direction is variably provided. One function mode is selected according to the output of the direction sensor 11 and the communication system corresponding to the selected function mode is selected. An instruction is given to a communication system instruction circuit 12 and the camera functions as a television telephone mode under the management of a micro computer 7, for example.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a digital electronic camera, and more particularly, to a digital electronic camera having a function as a portable telephone or a PHS.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, digital electronic cameras for recording a photographed image in a semiconductor memory device have been marketed by various companies, and these digital electronic cameras are easier to take the recorded image into a personal computer than a conventional silver halide camera. In addition, mobile phones and PHS are rapidly spreading. In particular, PHS is attracting attention as a multimedia device capable of performing high-speed data communication as well as a purpose of telephone communication, and various types of devices in which a mobile phone or a PHS is integrated with a digital electronic camera have been proposed.

[0003]

Here, the following examples of a conventional digital electronic camera having the functions of a portable telephone and a PHS have been proposed. First, an arbitrary image is taken.
Next, an image to be transmitted is selected from the captured images.
Then, an operation for transmission is performed by switches, and transmission is started. The function of transmitting the captured image to a remote place is realized.

[0004] When used as a telephone, a function as a video phone in which users talk while confirming each other's faces has also been realized.

By the way, when using these functions, it is natural that the user has to switch the functions of how to use the digital electronic camera. When shooting and transmitting, it is necessary to operate switches for that. When using as a videophone,
After all, the operation for that is necessary. In other words, the user must perform operations according to the function,
Very cumbersome.

Further, there is a communication method most suitable for transmitting a still image to a remote place, and a communication method most suitable for use as a videophone. Therefore, the user can select PI according to the function mode.
It is necessary to switch the communication method such as AFS, αDATA, CDMA, etc., and there is a problem that erroneous operation or time consuming operation cannot be performed correctly or efficiently.

An object of the present invention is to automatically recognize a function mode in a digital electronic camera having a function of a cellular phone or a PHS according to a direction in which a photographing camera unit is currently pointed, and to respond to the mode. An object of the present invention is to provide a user-friendly digital electronic camera that automatically selects a communication method.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, an image pickup means for converting a subject image into an electric signal by a solid-state image pickup device, and a storage means for processing the electric signal and storing it as image information in a storage medium. In a digital electronic camera having a communication circuit for performing data communication and a display circuit for displaying various information, a photographing camera unit variably provided with a photographing direction with respect to a camera body unit and a direction of the photographing camera unit are detected. A direction sensor, and selects at least one function mode among a plurality of function modes of the digital electronic camera in accordance with the output of the direction sensor, and selects a communication method according to the selected function mode. A digital electronic camera is provided.

According to the above configuration, in a digital electronic camera having a function of a cellular phone or a PHS, the digital electronic camera can be changed depending on the direction in which the photographing camera section whose direction is variable with respect to the camera body is currently pointed. The function mode is automatically recognized, a communication method according to the function mode is selected, and operation becomes possible.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a digital electronic camera according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1A and 1B are external views of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a digital electronic camera of the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is a lens, 2 is an image pickup device such as a CCD, 3 is a signal processing device for creating image information, 4 is a memory A for storing at least one image information, and 5 is image information and text. LCD monitor for displaying information, 6 is a memory B for storing image information for a plurality of images, 7 is a microcomputer for system management, 8 is an operation switch for user operation, 9 is a microphone, 10 is a camera camera unit. , A hinge for pointing in an arbitrary direction; 11, a direction sensor for monitoring the direction in which the photographing camera unit is currently facing; 12, a communication system instruction circuit for indicating a communication system based on a signal from the microcomputer 7;
Reference numeral 3 denotes a communication circuit for performing communication, 14 denotes an antenna, 21 denotes a photographing camera unit, and 22 denotes a camera body unit.

Specific operations of the digital electronic camera configured as described above when photographing an image, communicating the photographed image, and functioning as a videophone will be described below. At the time of photographing an image, the user turns the photographing camera unit outward as shown in FIG. The direction sensor 11 mechanically or electrically or magnetically or optically recognizes that the photographing camera unit is currently directed outward, that is, the user intends to perform photographing, and notifies the microcomputer 7 that the photographing mode is set. .

The digital electronic camera will be described below with reference to a microcomputer 7.
Function as a shooting mode under the management of. The subject formed by the lens 1 is converted into an electric signal by an image pickup device 2 such as a CCD. The signal processing circuit 3 creates image information from the electric signal and writes the image information in the memories A and 4. Here, in the photographing standby state, the image information is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 5, and the user performs photographing while confirming the image on the display of the liquid crystal monitor 5. When the photographing is performed, the image information recorded in the image memories A and 4 is written into the memories B and 6 which store the image information of a plurality of images.

When transmitting the photographed image, memory B,
The thumbnail image of the image information recorded on the LCD 6 is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 5 via the memories A and 4. The user selects an image to be transmitted according to the display on the liquid crystal monitor 5, and only the selected image is written to the memories A and 4 as a full size image. Then, the signal is transmitted to a remote place by the communication circuit 13 and the antenna 14. At this time, the microcomputer 7 informs the communication system instruction circuit 12 that the photographing camera section is currently turned outward and the photographing mode is set. The communication system instruction circuit 12 instructs the communication circuit 13 to use the communication system most suitable for the shooting mode, and the communication circuit 13 uses the communication system most suitable for the shooting mode.

When an image is received, the image is similarly recorded in the memories B and 6 via the antenna 14, the communication circuit 13, and the memories A and 4. Image communication is performed as described above.

When used as a videophone, FIG.
As shown in (b), the user turns the photographing camera unit inward. The direction sensor 11 recognizes mechanically or electrically or magnetically or optically that the photographing camera unit is currently directed inward, that is, the user intends to use it as a videophone, and indicates that the microcomputer 7 is in the videophone mode.
Tell Hereinafter, the digital electronic camera functions as a videophone mode under the control of the microcomputer 7.

An image of the user himself / herself formed by the lens 1 is converted into an electric signal by an image pickup device 2 such as a CCD. The signal processing circuit 3 creates image information from the electric signal,
Write to memories A and 4. On the other hand, the image of the other user received by the antenna 14 and the communication circuit 13 is also written in the memories A and 4. Further, the images of the user and the other user written in the memories A and 4 are displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 5.

Here, a communication system for transmitting a user's own image to a partner user will be described. The microcomputer 7 informs the communication system instruction circuit 12 that the photographing camera unit is currently turned inward and is being used as a videophone. The communication system instruction circuit 12 instructs the communication circuit 13 to use the communication system most suitable for the videophone. The communication circuit 13 uses a communication method most suitable for a videophone. In this way, the user and the other user can use the microphone 9 while checking the display on the liquid crystal monitor 5 to use it as a videophone.

[0019]

As described above, in the digital electronic camera having the functions of the cellular phone and the PHS, the digital electronic camera automatically functions according to the direction in which the photographing camera section whose direction is variable is currently directed. Recognize the mode and automatically select the communication method according to the function mode. Therefore, there is no need for the user to select a function mode, and an easy-to-use digital electronic camera with few erroneous operations is realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a digital electronic camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital electronic camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 lens 2 CCD 3 signal processing circuit 4 memory A 5 liquid crystal monitor 6 memory B 7 microcomputer 8 operation switch 9 microphone 10 hinge 11 direction sensor 12 communication method instruction circuit 13 communication circuit 14 antenna 21 photographing camera section 22 camera body section

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup means for converting a subject image into an electric signal by a solid-state image pickup device, a storage means for processing the electric signal and storing it as image information in a storage medium; a communication circuit for performing data communication; A digital electronic camera having a display circuit for displaying a camera body, comprising: a photographing camera unit variably provided with a photographing direction with respect to the camera body unit; and a direction sensor for detecting a direction of the photographing camera unit. Correspondingly, at least one of the plurality of digital electronic camera function modes is selected, and a communication method according to the selected function mode is selected.