JPH11275510A - Digital camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital camera that uses optimally a most up-to-date record medium that writes/reads data at a high speed. SOLUTION: Loading of a record medium 10 to a digital camera 1 is detected, the digital camera 1 is provided with a program memory 5 storing a access time and whether or not the writing or the like of the loaded record medium 10 is normally in operation is discriminated based on the access time. When the write operation is in operation by the access time, whether or not the writing is normally in operation at an access time faster than the above access time is discriminated and the discrimination is repeated till a fault takes place. On the occurrence of a fault, it is discriminated that one precedence access time before the fault takes place is an optimum access time and the access time of the program memory 5 is changed into the discriminated access time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a digital camera provided with image processing means for writing or reading image information to or from a recording medium, and more particularly to an optimal operation control of the recording medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there has been developed a digital camera which records image information obtained from an image sensor on a recording medium such as a built-in memory or an external memory card as a still image or reproduces the recorded still image to enjoy the image. Are known. Not only this type of digital camera but also the capacity of the recording medium is limited, and the number of recorded still images is limited. For this reason, a recording medium of this type of digital camera has a built-in memory and uses a high-capacity external memory card to secure an image recording area. However, semiconductor memories used in these recording media can be accessed at a higher speed than conventional products due to the latest improvements in semiconductor technology, and this is expected to continue in the future. If the control means of the recording medium provided in the digital camera is fixed to the optimum access time of the recording medium at that time, even if the latest recording medium is used, the same recording medium is controlled as before and the speed cannot be increased. There is a problem that the digital camera cannot be used effectively and the digital camera becomes obsolete.

[0003]

However, in order to allow the latest recording medium to be controlled by the digital camera, a new digital camera that can use the latest recording medium must be purchased or a digital camera currently in use. It is necessary to replace the camera control circuit etc.
In this case, there is a problem that the digital camera cannot be used during the replacement work. The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a digital camera that can effectively use the latest recording medium.

[0004]

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital camera including image processing means for writing or reading image information to or from a recording medium. Detecting means for detecting whether or not has been mounted,
By operating the program memory storing a predetermined access time and the detecting means, the image processing means is operated at the access time stored in the program memory to write or read predetermined data on the recording medium. First operation determining means for determining whether or not to operate normally; and when the first operation determining means has normally operated, the image processing means is operated with an access time even faster than the access time. To determine whether or not to operate normally, and to repeat this determination until an abnormality occurs. If an abnormality occurs by the second operation determination means, the abnormality is determined. Access time determining means for determining the immediately preceding access time that occurred as the optimum access time of the recording medium;
Changing means for changing the access time stored in the program memory to the access time determined by the access time determining means.

Further, the access time is defined as tc = (n−
m) T (n: current set value, m: natural number (initial value:
0), T: system clock), and the second operation determining means sequentially changes the numerical value m to obtain an optimum value.

[0006] With this configuration, the access time in the digital camera can be automatically changed even with the latest recording medium having a fast access time, so that the latest recording medium can be usefully used without deteriorating its function. .

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a digital camera according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation. FIG. 3 is a time chart for explaining an access operation of a flash memory or the like used for a recording medium. is there. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes the entire digital camera, 2 denotes an imaging unit, and 3 denotes a control unit, which controls the entire camera. In particular, the access time of the present invention is calculated. Reference numeral 4 denotes an operation unit, and 5 denotes a program memory, which has an access time of the digital camera itself in advance, and can be sequentially rewritten as described later.

Reference numeral 6 denotes an image processing unit, which converts video data taken from the imaging unit 2 into a predetermined video signal. 7
Is a video signal processed by the image processing unit, converted into a luminance signal and a chrominance signal, compressed and recorded on the external recording medium 10 through the external I / F unit 9, and the compressed data stored in the external recording medium 10 Is an image compression / decompression unit for decompressing.

Reference numeral 8 denotes an image display unit, which outputs data recorded directly from the imaging unit 2 or on the external recording medium 10 to an external I / O.
An image is displayed through the F unit 9, the control unit 3, the image processing unit 6, and the image compression / expansion unit 7.

Next, the operation in such a configuration will be described. In the recording / photographing operation of the digital camera 1, when the control unit 3 performs a recording / photographing operation on the operation unit 4, the imaging unit 2, the image processing unit 6, the image compression / decompression unit based on the recording operation program stored in the program memory 5. 7,
By controlling the image display unit 8 and the external I / F unit 9 in a predetermined manner, the image information of the subject is captured by the imaging unit 2, the image processing unit 6 performs image processing on the predetermined image data, and the image data is displayed on the image display unit. 8 to perform predetermined processing and monitor image information.

The image data is sent to an image compression / decompression unit 7.
Is input to the external storage medium 10 and is subjected to predetermined image compression to be recorded as recording image data on the external recording medium 10 via the image processing unit 6 and the external I / F unit 9. On the other hand, in the read operation,
When the control section 3 reads and operates the operation section 4, the image processing section 6, the external I / F section 9, the image compression / decompression section 7, and the image display section 8 are controlled in a predetermined manner based on the read operation program stored in the program memory 5. By doing so, the compressed image data recorded on the external recording medium 10 is read out to the image processing unit 6 via the external I / F unit 9 and the image compression / decompression unit 7
The image information obtained by expanding the predetermined image by inputting the image information to the image display unit 8 is further input to the image display unit 8 via the image processing unit 6 and subjected to predetermined processing to monitor the image information.

Next, writing or reading on the recording medium 10 will be described. As shown in FIG.
The address (ADD) is set at the data write timing, the chip enable signal (-CE) is set to "L", the output enable signal (-OE) is set to "H", and the write enable signal (-WE) is written. This is performed by controlling data (DATA) at a predetermined timing. Note that tc (= t1 + t2 + t3) is an access time, and the present invention changes this time.

T1 is an address setup time, t2
Is the write pulse width, t3 is the write recovery time, ts
u is a data setup time, and th is a data hold time.

On the other hand, to read data from the recording medium 10, an address (ADD) is set, the chip enable signal (-CE) is set to "L" and the write enable signal (-W).
E) is set to “H”, and the output enable signal (−O
E) is performed by controlling a predetermined timing. Note that t
c (= t1 + t4 + t5) is an access time, which changes this time. t1 is an address setup time, t4 is a read pulse width, t5 is an address hold time, and td is a read enable time.

The operation of the present invention in which the digital camera 1 can be upgraded and used by replacing the external recording medium 10 of the present invention with the latest recording medium will be described with reference to FIG. When the external recording medium 10 is mounted on the digital camera 1 (S1), the external I / O which is a detecting means of the mounting of the recording medium is used.
The F unit 9 detects that the recording medium 10 has been mounted, and outputs a detection signal to the control unit 3 which is a control unit of the recording medium 10.

Upon receiving this detection signal, the control unit 3 stores the current control specification, access time tc tc = (nm) T (program time) from the program memory 5 as storage means for storing the control specification of the recording medium 10. (n: current setting value, m: natural number, m = 0 T: system clock), and the external recording medium 10 mounted via the image processing unit 6 and the external I / F unit 9 is stored in the program memory 5. Predetermined test data is written and read (S2), and it is determined whether the data has been written and read normally (S3). If normal, the numerical value m is sequentially increased (S3).
4). With this numerical value m increased, test data is further written and read, and the process is repeated until a data abnormality occurs.

When a data error occurs, the access time tc immediately before the occurrence of the error is stored in the recording medium 10.
Is determined to be the optimum control specification (S5). As a result, the determined control specification is rewritten with the control specification of the original recording medium stored in the program memory 5 (S
6). Thereafter, the digital camera 1 can optimally use the latest recording medium, and can automatically improve the recording / photographing and reading operation functions.

Although the present embodiment deals with the case where the recording medium 10 is an external recording medium, it goes without saying that a digital camera in which the recording medium 10 is inside the digital camera 1 and is added internally may be used.

[0019]

As described above, according to the configuration of the present invention, the digital camera can optimally use the latest recording medium, and the recording, photographing and reading operation functions can be automatically improved. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of a first embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the first embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a time chart for explaining an access operation of a flash memory or the like used for a recording medium.

[Description of References] 1: Digital camera 2: Imaging unit 3: Control unit 4: Operation unit 5: Program memory 6: Image processing unit 7: Image compression / decompression unit 8: Image display unit 9: External I / F unit 10: External recording medium

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A digital camera comprising image processing means for writing or reading image information to or from a recording medium, detecting means for detecting that the recording medium has been attached or added to the digital camera, and a predetermined access time. By operating the detecting means, the image processing means is operated at the access time stored in the program memory to write or read predetermined data on the recording medium, and this operates normally. First operation judging means for judging whether or not the first operation judging means has been normally operated,
A second operation determining unit that determines whether or not the image processing unit operates normally at an access time that is even faster than the access time and that repeats this determination until an abnormality occurs; If an abnormality occurs due to the second operation determination means,
An access time determining means for determining an immediately preceding access time at which an abnormality has occurred as an optimal access time of the recording medium; and an access time determined by the access time determining means from the access time stored in the program memory. A digital camera, comprising: changing means for changing. 2. The access time is represented by tc = (nm) T
(N: current set value, m: natural number (initial value: 0),
2. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the second operation determination means is configured to sequentially change the numerical value m to obtain an optimum value.