JPS5821725A - Camera provided with electrical film counter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce electric power consumption with respect to a camera wherein various parts are controlled by a microcomputer (MCU) and the number of wound frames of films is displayed electrically, by allowing the MCU to assume a holding mode and to stop electric power supply to peripheral circuits while the camera is not in use. CONSTITUTION:Since an end switch 13 is closed upon ending of a series of photographing sequence, an MCU10 goes to a holding mode, thus assuming the state of consuming electric power slightly. At the same time, the transistor TR of a switching circuit 11 goes off to stop supplying electric power to peripheral circuits ARC. Since the 2nd oscillator in the MCU10 is operating during the period of the holding mode, a display circuit 16 for the number of wound frames of films is driven by said oscillator, and the number of wound frames of the film is kept displayed. Thus the rate of electric consumption of the camera while not in use is made slight and the electric power consumption thereof is reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a camera equipped with an electric film counter, and more preferably equipped with a microcomputer,
This allows the camera to control the photographing sequence and exposure, as well as to automatically count and display the number of frames that have been wound on the film.

Recent cameras have become increasingly electronic, with built-in control ICs that automatically control each camera element. Furthermore, this control IC is progressing to a dedicated LSI or a microcomputer. Since the microcomputer is a general-purpose IC, if it is used as a control IC, costs can be reduced. Additionally, using a microcomputer allows you to easily change the system by changing the software, and if you develop the software in-house, it has the advantage of ensuring confidentiality. From these points, what about cameras based on microcomputers? ll'l111 is currently attracting the most attention. By the way, it is essential for a camera to have a film counter that displays the number of film winding frames and stitches, but conventional cameras still use mechanical film counters with complicated configurations. This is an obstacle to making cameras smaller and lighter. Despite this problem, electric film counters are not used because it is necessary to always maintain the number of frames in memory for the first roll. This is because the battery must be used for cram school, and the power consumption during that time will drain the battery. In other words, C-MO8 with extremely low power consumption
Even if you use a computer with a microphone, the power consumption of the microcomputer over a long period of time will cause the battery to run out, resulting in a situation where the camera will not work during actual use.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and uses a microcomputer that has two oscillators and can switch to Hall (1iALT) mode to perform various controls, so that it can be used not only during photometry but also during shooting sequence. When the state is not in progress, the microcomputer is put into a halt mode, the CPU-driven oscillator, which is one of the λ generators, is stopped, and the other oscillator drives the display device to advance the number of frames of the film. By displaying % and stopping the power supply to peripheral circuits to minimize power consumption when not shooting, it is possible to use a camera equipped with an electric film counter without causing power consumption problems. This has been achieved.

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

The figure is a configuration diagram of the main parts of an embodiment of a shutter speed priority type camera with a built-in wine goo controlled by a micro combinator according to the present invention.

In the figure, l is a photometric circuit, C is a setting circuit, and J is an analog calculation circuit. The charge current of the dimmer circuit/Fi and the external photometric photoelectric element/a is logarithmically converted and amplified to facilitate post-processing, and the resulting luminance information P of the target object is output.・The setting circuit J includes a sliding resistor V for opening r value which is set by attaching the photographic lens, and a sliding resistor Vits for film sensitivity which is set by the mm dial.
* Consists of sliding resistance Vll for the shutter speed, which is rotated by the shutter dial, and sliding resistance v1
1 e vlm + vII divides the reference pressure Vr, and at the sliding resistance vR1, the open r value information r.
For resistor vR1, film sensitivity information @8.

The sliding resistor Yls converts the shutter time information into a solder pressure value number and outputs it. The analog calculation circuit J is
Based on the analog information of the luminance information P, the aperture value information 1@, the film sensitivity information and the shutter time information T, the automatic aperture value information 1 is determined. #C In the analog switch circuit, the appropriate aperture 9 output by the analog calculation circuit J
Shutter time information T obtained from value information r and sliding resistance Vl is alternately selected, and analog/digital conversion @ (hereinafter referred to as MuD converter) is performed! It is given to

4 is a pulse generator for controlling the aperture p.7 is a pulse generator for controlling the film counter, and the former pulse generator for controlling the aperture p -4 generates a pulse corresponding to the amount of aperture narrowing as the lens aperture narrows. The pulse generation lI7 for controlling the film counter shown in * is 1, where a pulse 11i, which is equal to the amount of film feed, is generated as the film is fed. It has the same structure as the above pulse generator 4.7ri.

- For example, it has a structure in which the light from the photo cup two is interrupted by a slit plate that rotates in conjunction with an aperture ring or sprocket. t is a drive circuit; It drives the mirror and shutter, the film feed motor, and the charge basket. or.

The display circuit D displays exposure information (i and r) in the finder.

MCUlo has various signals such as MuDl! ! Exchange! It receives the output signals of the pulse generator 4.7 and the output signals of the pulse generator 4.7, and sends out and controls the necessary signals to each part based on the pre-installed 9G. 8 modules for storage, central processing unit (CPU) that is the center of control, XLO port for inputting and outputting data and control signals, CPU glue 1
It consists of a 1g/* generator that supplies clock pulses and a fourth generator that supplies clock pulses to a film frame number display circuit 16, which will be described later. This MCUlo is in HALT mode, that is, the power is turned on, but the 7th oscillator is stopped and the CPtJO operation is temporarily stopped, but the #I oscillator is operating. It has a halt terminal and allows you to foreshadow it.

Furthermore, to describe this halt mode in detail,
In the halt mode, the system clock drive circuit operates, but the system clock is supplied only to the clock control circuit and not to the entire CPU. Eventually, the CPU stops operating, but the clock IIIJ11
The tgl path, count clock drive circuit, and system clock drive circuit are operating. Therefore, the controller/driver of the timer counter and the display circuit (film frame number display circuit # mentioned above) is in a high operating state. or,
MCUlo is a Vp hold port (", 'o port) for outputting °L' signal during execution of a shooting sequence.
-! are doing.

// is a switch circuit, /ko is a release switch, %/J is a photographing sequence end switch, /411 is a line light switch, /J is a battery, and /4 is a film frame number display circuit. The switch circuit l/ is.

It supplies power to the peripheral circuit RC of the MCU#), and its emitter is connected to the battery 12 using nine PNP switching transistors TIE and transistors TB.
There is a resistivity of 11% between the base of the transistor TR and the base switch #1 of the transistor TR. &I and resistivity. This switch circuit/
The common image continuation point M of the resistor R of / and the photometric switch l is M
ji to the CUIO halt terminal and Vp halt terminal
[Ill be. Both the release switch circuit and the dimmer switch circuit are opened and closed by the release button VC.

In other words, the λ-stage switch is in a bad shape, and the metering switch is set to /4 when the Leeds button is pressed. - is closed, and the release switch l- is closed at the second stage. This release switch/Jlj, MCUlo's 110
Connected to the port and co4/twin threshold. Also, -
The j source switch/l switch is also connected to the common line. The shooting sequence end switch 13 is a switch that is closed while the shooting sequence is being executed and opened after the shooting sequence is completed.
Connected between the 110 port and the common line.

The film frame number display circuit lt indicates the number of film winding frames.
For example, it is placed above the camera and displayed on an LCD or the like, and is provided outside the peripheral circuit ABC.

The operation of the embodiment of the present invention in this configuration will be described next.

First, when the release button is pressed to the 7th step, the photometric switch circuit is closed, and the manual signal to the MCUIO halt terminal becomes @L", which releases the tMCUlo halt mode. Meanwhile, the switch circuit // transistor T.R.
is turned ON when the photometry switch 1 is closed, and power starts to be supplied from the battery 14I to the peripheral circuit RC.This causes the photometry circuit that has started side lighting operation.
The luminance information P of the subject is output to the analog arithmetic circuit 3. Also, from the setting circuit, the lens aperture information F
o, film sensitivity information S and shutter time information T
is output to the analog arithmetic circuit 3. In the analog calculation circuit 3, appropriate aperture value information F is obtained, and this information F and the shutter time information T are used in the analog switch circuit l.
The data is read and stored in MCUlo through AD conversion and converter j. MCUlo drives the display circuit to display this read information in the viewfinder. In the case of overexposure, underexposure, or underexposure, a warning to that effect is displayed in the viewfinder. This is the preparatory stage for shooting.

When the release button is further pushed to the second step, the release switch is closed and an "L" signal is given to the MCUlo's ■10 port connected to it. MCUlo
When it takes in this "L" signal, it outputs an "L" signal from the Vp hold terminal and enters the following photographing sequence. That is, the aperture magnet and the start magnet are driven by the drive circuit g to ensure that the aperture ring can be rotated, and the mirror is raised and the rotation of the aperture ring is started. By this rotation of the aperture ring, the lens is folded, and the aperture p control pulse generator 4 sends the rt
A pulse signal is output to McUlo. MCU#) is
When these pulses are counted and the ridge value (corresponding to the amount of aperture) is equal to the value of the aperture value r that was previously rejected, the drive circuit relents and stops the first drop to the magnet, causing the aperture to stop. 9 Lock the ring. Next, MCU/0
The front curtain magnet is driven by the drive IIIJ circuit to move the shutter forward 4tN rows. Thereafter, when the time specified by the already stored shutter speed information @ilT has elapsed, the trailing curtain magnet is driven to cause the shutter trailing curtain to run. This camera, MCUlo, uses a drive circuit t to drive a charge motor to charge the aperture 9I mirror, shutter, etc., and then to drive the film feeder. When the film feeding motor operates, the pulse generator 7 for controlling the film counter generates pulses corresponding to the amount of film movement. When the pulses are counted, the drive circuit t is controlled to stop the film feeding motor, the number of film winding frames is incremented, and the film frame number display circuit 12 is made to display the new number of film winding frames (in addition, When the back cover of the camera is opened to change the film, the number of film winding frames in the JJMCU 10 is reset to a constant value by interrupt processing, etc.).

- When the slow shooting sequence is finished, the Geetance end switch 13 is closed, so the 9 MCU 1 is connected to this.
The signal given to the 110 port of 0 becomes L''.MC
When Ulo takes in this "L" signal, it makes the Vp hold signal @H'".

At this point, the release button has returned to its open state before being pressed, so the photometry switch/41C is open.

After that, MCUlo goes into halt mode and becomes a state of minimal power consumption. At the same time, the switch circuit/l
The transistor TR is in the OFF state, and the peripheral circuit R is turned off.
The power supply to C is stopped, and the power consumption in the peripheral circuit ABC becomes zero. Furthermore, during the period of halt mode, MCU1
Since the second oscillator in 0 is operating, the frame number display circuit/6 is driven by this oscillator.
The number of film frames is displayed. In this way, to move to the 0th-order photographing where the -th photographing is completed, the release button can be pressed in exactly the same way as in the case described above. This closes the photometry switch 81, cancels the halt mode, and repeats the same operation as above.

The above explanation is for a camera whose release button is a λ membrane switch mechanism, and also has an AI right camera with built-in wine goo shutter priority, but the present invention can also be applied to cameras other than this type. Applicable. or,
Immediately after the photometry switch/4C is open and the smoke sequence end switch/3 is closed, the power supply to the peripheral circuit ARC is stopped and the MCUlo is placed in halt mode. However, the state may be changed to the above state after a certain period of time has elapsed.

As explained above, in the present invention, the state is shifted to a state where photometry is not in progress and the shooting sequence is not in progress.
The ninth step is to put the CU into standby mode and stop supplying power to the peripheral circuits.
To realize a camera which can be made compact and equipped with an electric film counter, that is, a camera which can electrically indicate the number of stitches of a film to be wound and the number of frames, without causing the problem of power consumption.

4. #A11fli')fljllL&a The figure is a diagram showing the configuration of essential parts of an embodiment of a camera equipped with an electric film counter according to the present invention.

L...Photometering circuit C...Setting circuit 3...Analog calculation circuit Reference...Analog switch circuit!・・・
・MuD converter 6...Pulse generator for controlling the aperture 9...Pulse generator for controlling the film counter L...
Drive circuit? ...Display circuit IO...Microcomputer/l...Switch circuit l...Release switch l! ... Shooting sequence end switch l... Metering switch /j... Battery...
・Film frame number display circuit Muo C... Peripheral circuit patent ratio - person Konishi Rokureimi Kogyo Co., Ltd. Daiba fPj1 Shiijima Toji

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. It has λ oscillators and is equipped with a microcomputer that takes and obtains HALT mode, and controls the photographing sequence and exposure using the microcomputer.1. If the A゛11 state occurs even when the photographing sequence is not in progress, the microcomputer is caused to take a halt mode, one of the λ oscillators, the CPU drive IIb@fjR unit, is stopped, and the other one is stopped. Nine cameras equipped with an electric film counter whose special feature is that an oscillator drives the film frame number display circuit to display the number of film winding frames, and also stops the supply of electricity to the peripheral circuits. .