JPS6215981A - Electronic camera apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To record voice in good sensitivity emitted from an object positioned far away from a camera by performing a sound recording in a state that a microphone unit is not mounted on a camera main body so as to receive a sound signal transmitted from a transmission means by a receiving means. CONSTITUTION:The voice caught by a microphone 34 in the state that a micro phone unit 32 is detached from a camera main body 2 is fetched in a sound recording circuit through the paths of a transmission sound forming circuit 44 a light emitting element 41 a light emitting element 7 a transmission sound receiving circuit 26. The transmission sound forming circuit 44 is con nected to a battery power source 43 through a contact point 45b, a terminal pin 36d and a contact point 45a, and the sound signal is modulated and also, is transmitted in wireless as the flash signal of the light emitting element 41. At the side of the camera main body 2, a photodetecting element 7 receives a signal from the light emitting element 41 and it is inputted to the receiving circuit 26 and is demodualated to the sound signal in the form that the micro phone 34 has caught it and is inputted to a compression circuit 27.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The electronic camera installation of the present invention will be explained according to the following items.

A. Industrial field of application B0 Overview of the invention C0 Background technology 0 Problems to be solved by the invention E0 Means for solving the problems F. Example F-1, First example [Fig. [Figures 1 to 4] a. Camera body [Figures 1 to 4] a-1. Appearance [Figures 2 and 3] a-2. Magnetic disk [Figure 1] a-3. R4! l configuration [Fig. 1] a-4, aperture blade, shutter C Fig. 1] a-56 circuit [Fig. 1] a-5-a, recording circuit [Fig. 1] a-5-b, receiving circuit a-5-c, SR sound circuit a-5-d, control circuit, microphone unit [Figures 1 to 4] b-1, outside a [Figures 2 and 3] b-20 circuit [ Fig. 1, Fig. 4] C. Attaching and detaching the microphone unit to the camera body [Fig. 2, Fig. 3] d. Switching the audio input path [Fig. 1, Fig. 4] d-1, Audio capture path with the microphone unit removed [Figure 1] d-2, Audio capture path with the microphone unit attached [Figure 4] e, Photography and recording F-2, Section 2nd embodiment [Fig. 5] F-3, 3rd embodiment [Figs. 6 and 7] F-4. Fourth
Embodiment [FIG. 8] Effects of the G6 invention (A. Field of industrial application) The present invention relates to a novel electronic camera device. In detail, it relates to an electronic camera device that is equipped with an image shooting function and an audio recording function. By installing a removable microphone unit with a transmitting function, it is possible to capture sounds from a position far away from the camera with high sensitivity, and the camera body and microphone unit can be handled as if they were a single device. This invention relates to a new electronic camera device that can also perform

(B. Summary of the Invention) The present invention provides an electronic camera device having an image capturing function and an audio recording function. A microphone and a microphone unit having a function of wirelessly transmitting the sound captured by the microphone are removably attached to the camera body, which is equipped with a mechanism etc. necessary for recording the sound received by the receiving means. Therefore, if the sound to be recorded is emitted at a location far from the camera body, the microphone unit can be removed from the camera body and recorded while being placed at the location where the sound is emitted. be.

(C. Background Art) Recently, still photography is performed by converting an image of a subject captured by an electronic camera, that is, a photography lens, into an electrical image signal and recording the image signal on a predetermined recording medium. Development of a camera that does this is progressing.

As a basic structure, such an electronic camera is equipped with a suitable recording medium and a means for recording electrical signals on the recording medium, so it is equipped with an audio capturing means for capturing audio and an appropriate recording medium. By providing recording means for recording the audio signal captured by the audio capturing means on the recording medium, it is possible to provide not only an image recording function but also an audio recording function.

In this case, it is conceivable to use a microphone as a means for capturing sound and provide it in the camera body.

(D. Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, when the microphone is provided in the camera body, there is a problem that the sounds that can be recorded are limited to those emitted from a position close to the camera. That is, in general, sounds that can be captured with good sensitivity by a microphone are those emitted from a position close to the microphone, so it is almost impossible to record sounds coming from a position far away from the camera.

Therefore, it may be possible to use a microphone with high sensitivity, but in that case, surrounding noise other than the necessary voice will be captured at the same level, so noise may not be included in the recorded voice. The problem arises that there will be more.

In addition, in order to be able to capture sounds from a location far away from the camera with good sensitivity, we equipped the camera with an appropriate receiving means and also prepared a wireless transmitter to record sounds from a distance. When doing so, it may be possible to transmit the audio to the camera using a wireless transmitter, and then receive and record the transmitted audio.

However, if you do this, the camera and transmitter
Since it is necessary to carry two devices, handling them becomes troublesome, and if the transmitter is forgotten, the receiving means provided in the camera becomes useless.

(E. Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the electronic camera device of the present invention has a mechanism necessary for photographing, such as a photographic lens for capturing a subject and a recording circuit, and an audio recording circuit. A microphone unit including a microphone and a transmitting means for wirelessly transmitting the sound captured by the microphone is removably attached to the camera body, which is equipped with a receiving means for receiving a signal, a recording circuit for recording the received audio signal, etc. At least, recording in a state where the microphone unit is not attached to the camera body is performed by the receiving means receiving an audio signal transmitted from the transmitting means.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the camera body and transmitter can be handled as if they were a single device, and if the sound to be recorded is emitted at a location far from the camera body, the microphone unit can be It is also possible to remove the device from the phone and record while nodding at the position where the sound is being emitted.

(F. Embodiments) Details of the electronic camera device of the present invention will be described below according to embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

(F-1, First Embodiment) [Figs. 1 to 4] Figs. 1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the electronic camera device of the present invention.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an electronic camera device, and the electronic camera device 1 consists of a camera body and a microphone unit detachably attached to the camera body.

(a, Camera body) [Figures 1 to 4] 2 is the camera body.

(a-1, Appearance) [Figures 2 and 3 1 3 is the body of the camera body 2, and 4 is a photographic lens provided so as to protrude forward from the front surface of the camera body 3. 5 is a finder, and its eyepiece part 5a
is located on the back of the camera body 3.

6 is a shutter release button for triggering a photographing operation and a recording operation. The shutter release button 6 is of a two-step push type, and when it is pushed to a position approximately in the middle of its full pressing stroke (hereinafter referred to as the "first step"), a motor activation signal and audio control are activated. A shutter release signal is output, and when the shutter is pushed to the lower limit position of the entire pushing stroke (hereinafter referred to as "second stage"), a shutter release signal is output. Further, when the shutter release button 6 is turned from the second ON position to the first OFF position, an audio recording signal is output.

7 is a light receiving element provided on the front surface of the camera body 3. The light receiving element 7 is for receiving light from a light emitting element provided in a microphone unit, which will be described later, and uses, for example, a phototransistor.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a female connector provided on one side 3a of the camera body 3, and the connector 8 is provided with terminal holes 9a, 9b, and 9C19d connected to a receiving circuit described later.

1O is a positioning hole formed at a predetermined position on one side 3a of the camera body 3, and a positioning pin provided on a microphone unit, which will be described later, is inserted into the positioning hole 10. Also, 11 is a screw hole formed at a predetermined position on one side 3a of the camera body 3,
The tip of a mounting member provided on the microphone unit is screwed into the screw hole 11.

(a-2, magnetic disk) [Figure 1] 12 is a magnetic disk as a recording medium.

The magnetic disk 12 has a recording surface made of a magnetic material formed on one surface thereof, and is rotatably housed in a thin cassette case (not shown). The cassette mounting section of the cassette is removably mounted.

(a-3, recording mechanism) [Figure 1] 13 is a disk motor provided in the camera body 3;
Further, 14 is a spindle rotated by the disk motor 13. The engaging portion of the spindle 14 is positioned so as to protrude into the cassette mounting portion of the camera body 3, and when the cassette case is installed in the camera body 3, the engaging portion is formed on the magnetic disk 12. The magnetic disk 12
is adapted to be rotated integrally with the spindle 14.

15 and 16 are magnetic heads for recording. One of these two magnetic heads 15 and 16 is for recording, and the image signal of the subject converted into a video signal by a recording circuit, which will be described later, is recorded on the magnetic disk 12 by this recording magnetic head 15. It looks like this. The other magnetic head 16 is for recording, and audio signals from a recording circuit, which will be described later, are sent to this recording magnetic head 16.
The information is recorded on the magnetic disk 12 by the following.

The recording of the image signal and the audio signal is carried out by the magnetic head 1.
By rotating the magnetic disk 12 once with 5 and 16 in contact with the recording surface of the magnetic disk 12, circular recording tracks are formed on the recording surface of the magnetic disk 12.

Incidentally, the image signal and the audio signal at the time of outgoing line photography are now recorded separately on two adjacent tracks, and the magnetic helads 15 and 16 are The head is moved to a position corresponding to the next track forming position by a head moving mechanism (not shown).

(a-4, aperture blade, shutter) [Fig. 1] Reference numeral 17 denotes an aperture blade arranged in the optical path of the light incident through the photographic lens 4, and the aperture blade 17 is adjusted upward by an aperture adjustment mechanism (not shown). The aperture amount is adjusted according to the brightness of the incident light.

18 is a shutter located behind the aperture blade 17, and 19 is a shutter located behind the shutter release button 6.
This is a shutter drive circuit that is driven by a shutter release signal that is output when the shutter is pushed to the third step, and the shutter 18 is opened and closed by a shutter drive mechanism (not shown) that is driven by a shutter drive circuit 19.

(a-5, circuit) [Figure 1] (a-5-a, recording circuit) [Figure W41] 20 is a solid-state imaging device such as a charge-coupled device (COD) placed behind the shutter 18, The optical image of the subject captured by the photographic lens 4 is converted into a predetermined electrical signal by the solid-state image sensor 20.

Reference numeral 21 denotes a video processor connected to the solid-state image sensor 20 via an amplifier 22, and the electrical signal output from the solid-state image sensor 20 is amplified by the amplifier 22 and then input to the video processor 21, where it is input to the video processor 21. It will be modulated into a video signal that can be recorded on the magnetic disk 12.

The recording magnetic head 15 is connected to the video processor 21 via an amplifier 23.

(a-5-b, receiving circuit) 24 and 25 are resistors connected in series, one of these resistors 24 and 25 is connected to the power supply, and the other 25 is connected to the collector of the phototransistor 7. It is connected to the. The emitter of the phototransistor 7 is grounded.

26 is a transmission audio receiving circuit, and the transmission audio receiving circuit 2
6 receives a signal from the connection point between the two resistors 24 and 25.

Then, the four terminal holes of the connector 8 described above, namely, the first terminal hole 9a, the second terminal hole 9b, and the third terminal hole 9C.
and the second terminal hole 9b and the third terminal hole 9d of the fourth terminal hole 9d.
and the terminal holes 9c are connected to each other. The terminal hole 9C is connected to the transmitted audio receiving circuit 26.

Note that the depth of the terminal holes 9a, 9b, 9C, and 9d of the connector 8 is such that only one of them, 9d, is shallower than the others.

(a-5-c, recording circuit) 27 is a compression circuit connected to the first terminal hole 9a of the connector 8, and the audio signal input to this compression circuit 27 is temporally compressed at a predetermined compression rate. It is now possible to do so.

That is, the temporal amount of audio that can be recorded on one track of the magnetic disk 12 is 10 seconds, and the time required for one rotation of the magnetic disk 12 is 1/60th.
If it is a second, then the audio signal will be temporally compressed to 1/600.

Note that the transmitted audio receiving circuit 26 is also connected to the input end side of the compression circuit 27.

28 is an audio processor connected after the compression circuit 27, and the audio signal temporally compressed in the compression circuit 27 is modulated by the audio processor 28 into a signal recordable on the magnetic disk 12.

Note that the compression circuit 27 is provided with an audio recording memory, and the audio signal is once written into this audio recording memory. Note that this audio recording memory has a recording capacity for a temporal amount of audio that can be recorded on one track of the magnetic disk 12, for example, 10 seconds. Of the audio signals that have been written for 10 seconds, the audio signals are overflowed, and newly captured audio signals are written in their place.

Then, an amplifier 2 is installed after the audio processor 28.
9 is connected, and the amplifier 29 is connected to the recording magnetic head 16.

The audio signal written in the audio memory is taken out to the compression circuit 27 and compressed in time at a predetermined timing, that is, when an audio recording command is issued by the shutter release button 6, and the audio signal is compressed in time by the audio processor. After being modulated by 28, the signal is amplified by an amplifier 29, and then supplied to the magnetic head 16.

It should be noted that the capture of audio into the recording circuit is started from the time when the motor activation signal from the shutter release button 6 is input.

(a-5-d, control circuit) 30 is a system controller, and the predetermined trigger signal etc. that are output when the shutter release button 6 is in a predetermined state are input to the system controller 30. It looks like this.

Further, the disk motor 13 is connected to a motor servo circuit 31.
It is connected to this system controller 30 via.

Then, the solid-state imaging device 20. video processor 21,
Compression circuit 27. A control signal line from the system controller 30 is connected to the audio processor T-289, and the operation timing of these circuits is controlled by the control signal output from the system controller 30 in response to the trigger signal. It has become.

(b, Microphone Unit) [Figures 11 to 4] Reference numeral 32 denotes a microphone unit that is detachably attached to the camera body 2.

(b-i, external appearance) [Figures 2 and 3] 33 is the outer casing of the microphone unit 32, and the outer casing 33 is the outer casing of the camera body 3.
The size is approximately one-third of that of the original.

34 is arranged such that its front part is located on the front surface 33a of the outer casing 33, that is, the surface that faces the same direction as the front surface of the camera body 3 when the microphone unit 32 is attached to the camera body 2. A microphone is provided.

35 is one side 33b of the outer casing 3, that is, the microphone unit 3
2 is attached to the camera body 2,
This is a female connector provided at a position corresponding to the connector 8 on the surface to be joined to one side 3a of the camera body 3, and a first terminal pin 36a connected to a circuit to be described later to the connector 35. , a second terminal pin 36b, a third terminal pin 36c, and a fourth terminal pin 36d.

Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 1, these terminal pins 36a, 36
The fourth terminal pin 36d among the terminal pins b, 36c, and 36d, that is, the terminal pin inserted into the fourth terminal hole 9d of the connector 8 provided on the camera body 2 side, is axially aligned to some extent within a certain range. It is supported in a movable state, and a contact portion 37 is integrally formed at its base end. This fourth terminal pin 36d is connected to the resilient member 38.
Therefore, it is always biased in the direction of protruding from the connector 35.

Reference numeral 39 denotes a positioning pin protruding from one side surface 33b of the outer casing 33 at a position corresponding to the positioning hole 10 provided on the camera body 2 side.

Reference numeral 40 denotes a substantially shaft-shaped mounting member rotatably supported by the outer casing 33, the tip 40a of which is formed in a spiral shape, and one side surface 33b of the outer casing 33 that is attached to the camera body z.
It is positioned so as to protrude from a portion corresponding to the screw hole 11 provided on the side. Reference numeral 40b represents an operating head of the mounting member 40, and the mounting member 40 is rotated by turning this head.

41 is a light emitting element provided on the back surface 33c of the outer casing 33. The light emitting element 41 is for outputting the sound captured by the microphone 34 as a light intensity signal (hereinafter referred to as "transmitted sound"), and is, for example, a light emitting diode.

(b-2, circuit) [Figures 1 and 4] 42 is an amplifier connected to the microphone 34, and the first terminal pin 36a of the connector 35 is connected to the microphone 34 via this amplifier 42. There is. Further, the second terminal pin 36b of the connector 35 is connected to the amplifier 42.

43 is a battery power source.

44 is a transmission sound forming circuit connected to the microphone 34. The transmission sound forming circuit 44 is a circuit that converts the sound signal captured by the microphone 34 so that the light emitting element 41 can output it in the form of a light intensity signal, and the light emitting element 41 is connected to the output terminal of this circuit 44. ing.

45a is a contact connected to the battery power source 43, and 45b is a contact connected to the transmitting audio forming circuit 44, and a connection between these contacts 45a and 45b is provided in the fourth terminal bin 36d of the connector 35. The contact portion 37 is opened and closed. That is, when the fourth terminal pin 36d is in the protruding position due to the elastic force of the resilient member 38 as shown in FIG. The fourth terminal pin 36d is located so as to bridge between
When pushed in against the elastic force of the elastic member 38, the contact portion 37 becomes the contact 45a.

45b and thus contacts 45a and 45
b is opened.

Note that the third terminal pin 36c of the connector 35 is also connected to the battery power source 43.

(C. Attaching and detaching the microphone unit to the camera body) [FIGS. 2 and 3] Therefore, the microphone unit 32 is attached to the camera body 2 in the following manner.

That is, from the state shown in FIG.
a, and insert the connector 35 and positioning pin 39 on the microphone unit 32 side into the connector 8 and positioning hole 10 on the camera body 2 side, respectively, and attach the head 40b of the mounting member 40 by appropriate means. When the mounting member 40 is turned in the screwing direction, the distal end 40a of the mounting member 40 is screwed into the screw hole 11 formed in the camera body 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, the microphone unit 32 is integrally attached to the camera body 2, and the circuit on the microphone unit 32 side and the circuit on the camera body 2 side are connected via the connectors 35 and 8. and are connected to each other in a predetermined state.

Also, when removing the microphone unit 32 attached to the camera body 2, turn the head 40b of the mounting member 40 in the unscrewing direction to remove the tip 40a of the mounting member 40 from the screw hole 11 of the camera body 3. Then, the connector 35 and positioning pin 39 on the microphone unit 32 side can be pulled out from the connector 8 and positioning hole 10 of the camera body 2.

(d. Switching of audio capture system path) [Figures 1 and 4] The microphone unit 32 is attached to the camera body 2 as the thread path for capturing the audio to the recording circuit of the camera body 2. The switching between the case and the case where it is removed is as follows.

(d-1, Audio capture path with the microphone unit removed) [Figure 1] When the microphone unit 32 is removed from the camera body 2, the audio captured by the microphone 34 is transmitted. The sound is taken into the recording circuit through a thread such as the sound forming circuit 44 - the light emitting element 41 - the light receiving element 7 - the transmitted sound receiving circuit 26.

That is, in this state, the connectors 8 and 35 that directly connect the circuit on the side of the microphone unit 32 and the circuit on the side of the camera body 2 are separated, so the audio signal is directly taken in via the connector 8.35. In this state, no pushing force is applied to the fourth terminal pin 36d of the connector 35 on the side of the microphone unit 32, so that the contact portion 37 contacts the contacts 45a and 45b. It is located in Therefore, the transmission sound forming circuit 44 includes the contact 45b, the terminal pin 36d, and the contact 45a.
It will be connected to the battery power source 43 via.

As a result, the transmission sound forming circuit 44 becomes operational, and the sound signal captured by the microphone 34 is modulated into a predetermined form in the transmission sound forming circuit 44, and is wirelessly transmitted as a blinking signal of the light emitting element 41. become.

Further, on the camera body 2 side, the light receiving element 7 receives a signal from the light emitting element 41, and the signal is transmitted to the transmitted audio receiving circuit 26.
is input. Then, the signal input to the transmission audio receiving circuit 26 is a normal audio signal, that is, the microphone 3
The demodulated audio signal is demodulated into an audio signal in the state captured by No. 4, and the demodulated audio signal is input to the compression circuit 27.

In addition, in this state, the amplifier 4 of the microphone unit 32
2 is not connected to the battery power source 43, so it is in an inactive state.

(d-2, Audio capture path when the microphone unit is attached) [Figure 4 1 When the microphone unit 32 is attached to the camera body 2, the audio captured by the microphone 34 is 42-first terminal pin 36a-first terminal hole 9a.

That is, when the microphone unit 32 is attached to the camera body 2 as described above, the connector 3 on the microphone unit 32 side
5 terminal pins 36a, 36b, 36c and 36d are connected to each terminal hole 9a, 9b, 9C of the connector 8 on the camera body 2 side.
and 9d with the same additional sign.

The fourth terminal pin 36d is inserted into the fourth terminal pin 36d.
Since the depth of the fourth terminal hole 9d is formed to be shallow, it is relatively pressed by the rear end surface of the fourth terminal hole 9d. Therefore, the microphone unit 32
In the state where the fourth terminal pin 38d is attached, the fourth terminal pin 38d is moved to a position where its contact portion 37 does not come into contact with the contacts 45a and 45b.

As a result, the transmission voice forming circuit 44 is connected to the battery power source 4.
The connection between 3 and 3 is now disconnected. That is, the transmission voice forming circuit 44 is in a non-operating state.

On the other hand, the amplifier 42 will be connected to a battery power source 43. That is, since the second terminal hole 9b and the third terminal hole 9c are connected as described above, the third terminal pin 36c connected to the battery power source 43 is connected to the third terminal pin 36c connected to the amplifier 42. These third terminal pins 36b are connected to the second terminal pin 36b.
They are connected through the terminal hole 9c and the second terminal hole 9b. As a result, the amplifier 42 becomes operational.

After the audio signal captured by the microphone 34 is amplified by the amplifier 42, the first terminal pin 36a,
It is input to the compression circuit 27 via the first terminal hole 9a.

Note that the transmitted audio receiving circuit 26 on the side of the camera body 2 is configured to be in a non-operating state when a power supply voltage is applied. Then, the microphone unit 32 is connected to the camera body 2.
When attached to the microphone unit 32 side, the transmitted audio receiving circuit 26 is connected to the battery power source 43 on the side of the microphone unit 32 via the third terminal hole 9c and the third terminal pin 36c, and a power source voltage is applied. become. Therefore, in this state, the transmitted audio receiving circuit 26 is in a non-operating state.

(e. Photography and Sound Recording) Photography and sound recording by the electronic camera device 1 described above are performed as follows.

In addition, when trying to record audio emitted from a position close to the camera body 2, the microphone unit 32 is placed close to the camera body 2.
Use it while it is attached to. In addition, the camera body 2
When attempting to record sounds emitted from a location far away from the camera body 2, the microphone unit 32 is removed from the camera body 2 and placed at the subject position, but in this case, the light emitting element 41 faces the camera body 2. It is necessary to place it in a posture.

Therefore, first, push the shutter release button 6 to the first step. This turns on the power to the circuit, starts the specified motor, and puts the mechanism involved in photography and recording into a state where it can take pictures and record. Ru. Also, from this point on, the recording circuit begins to capture the audio signal captured by the microphone 34.

When the shutter release button 6 is pushed to the second step, the shutter drive circuit 19 is driven.
The shutter 18 is opened and closed, and at the moment of opening and closing, the light from the subject that is irradiated onto the solid-state image sensor 20 is converted into a predetermined electrical signal by the solid-state image sensor 20. Further, the electrical signal is output to the video processor 21 via the amplifier 22 at a predetermined transfer timing, where it is converted into a video signal and then recorded on the magnetic disk as described above.

On the other hand, the audio taken into the recording circuit is once written into the audio recording memory, but the audio will overflow one after another after 10 seconds have elapsed since the writing.

Then, when the necessary audio has been captured, the shutter release button 6 is released. As a result, an audio recording command is input, and the audio signal currently written in the audio recording memory is extracted and temporally compressed by the compression circuit 27.
The information is recorded on the magnetic disk 12 in the manner described above.

(F-2, Second Embodiment) [FIG. 5] FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment 1A of the electronic camera device of the present invention.

The difference between what is shown in FIG. 5 and what is shown in the first embodiment described above is that the microphone unit is attached to the camera body and when it is removed from the camera body. This is only a means for switching the audio input path in the audio system.

Therefore, only the different parts will be explained, and the same parts will be given the same reference numerals as those used in the first embodiment, thereby omitting redundant explanation.

Incidentally, the relationship between the use of symbols and the omission of explanations is the same for the third and fourth embodiments described later.

46 is a changeover switch, and the changeover switch 46 has a first fixed contact 46a connected to the transmission audio forming circuit 44.
and a second fixed contact 46b connected to the amplifier 42,
It includes a common terminal 46c connected to the battery power source 43 and a switching contact 46d connected to the common terminal 46c. The switching contact 48d remains connected to the first fixed contact 46a when no switching voltage is applied thereto, and remains connected to the second fixed contact 46a when a switching voltage is applied thereto. 46b.

The first terminal pin 36a of the connector 35 on the side of the microphone unit 32 is connected to the microphone 34 via the amplifier 42 as in the first embodiment.
The second terminal pin 36b is connected to the changeover switch 46, and the third terminal pin 36c is connected to the battery power source 43.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, when the microphone unit 32 is not attached to the camera body 2, no switching voltage is applied to the changeover switch 46, so that the changeover contact 46d is connected to the first fixed contact. The state connected to 46a is maintained. As a result, the battery power source 43 is connected to the transmission voice forming circuit 44. Furthermore, in this state, the amplifier 42 is inoperative.

Therefore, when the microphone unit 32 is removed from the camera body, the sound captured by the microphone 34 is sent to the recording circuit via the transmission sound forming circuit 44 - the light emitting element 41 - the light receiving element 7 - the transmission sound reception circuit 26. It will be taken in.

Moreover, when the microphone unit 32 is attached to the camera body 2, the battery power source 43-third terminal bin 36cm
terminal hole 9C - second terminal hole 9b - second terminal pin 36
Since the circuit such as the b-changeover switch 46 is closed, the switching voltage from the battery power source 43 is applied to the changeover switch 46. As a result, the switching contact 46d is connected to the second fixed contact 4°6b, so that the amplifier 42
becomes operational by being connected to the battery power source 43. Furthermore, the transmission voice forming circuit 44 is disconnected from the battery power source 43, so it becomes inactive.

Therefore, when the microphone unit 32 is attached to the camera body 2, the sound captured by the microphone 34 is
Amplifier 42 - first terminal pin 36a - first terminal hole 9a
It will be taken into the recording circuit through a thread such as this.

Although the changeover switch 46 is shown as having a mechanical contact, it is preferable to configure it with an electronic switch because power consumption will be reduced.

(F-3, Third Embodiment) [Figs. 6 and 7] Figs. 6 and 7 show a third embodiment IB of the electronic camera device of the present invention.

In the first and second embodiments described above, the microphone unit 32 is attached to the camera body 2. In the third embodiment, the audio signal is input to the recording circuit through the connector on the microphone unit 32 side and the connector on the camera body 2 side. The acquisition of the audio signal in the above-mentioned state is also carried out via the transmitting means and the receiving means.

That is, 47 is a light receiving element provided on one side 3a of the camera body 3 as a receiving means when the microphone unit is attached, its collector is connected to the battery power supply via resistors 24 and 25, and its emitter is grounded. has been done.

Further, 48 is one side 3 of the outer casing 33 of the microphone unit 32.
3b is a light emitting element as a transmitting means when the microphone unit 32 is attached to the camera body 2, and is provided at a position facing the light receiving element 47 when the microphone unit 32 is attached to the camera body 2. It is connected to the. Therefore, this light emitting element 48 and other light emitting elements 41 work simultaneously.

Therefore, when the microphone unit 32 is attached to the camera body 2, the light emitting element 48 on the side of the microphone unit 32 and the light receiving element 47 on the side of the camera body 2 are positioned close to each other and facing each other. Therefore, the microphone unit 32
The audio signal captured by the microphone 34 installed in
Transmission sound forming circuit 44 - light emitting element 48 - light receiving element 47 -
The transmitted audio is taken into the recording circuit of the camera body 2 via the audio receiving circuit 26.

In addition, what is shown in the drawing is a transmitting means and a receiving means when the microphone unit is attached, and other light emitting elements 41
Although a device separate from the light-receiving element 7 is provided, 1
By doing the following, it is possible to perform transmission and reception when the microphone unit is attached, using one light emitting element and one light receiving element, respectively.

For example, a part of the light emitted by the light emitting element 41 provided on the back surface 33c of the outer casing 33 of the microphone unit 32 is guided by a light pipe or the like so that it is irradiated from a predetermined position on one side surface 33b of the outer casing 33. At the same time, by providing a light pipe on the camera body side that receives the guided light and guides it to the light receiving element 7, the microphone unit 32 can be attached to the camera body 2 or removed from the camera body 2. Transmission and reception of the audio signal in this state can be performed by one light-emitting element and one light-receiving element, respectively.

Further, for example, a portion may be placed at the corner where one side 33b of the outer casing 33 of the microphone unit 32 intersects with the front 33a or the back 33c.
In addition to providing several light emitting elements, it is also conceivable to provide one light receiving element at the corner where one side 3a of the camera body 3 intersects with the front or back surface.

(F-4, Fourth Embodiment) [FIG. 8] FIG. 8 shows a fourth embodiment 1C of the electronic camera device of the present invention.

49 is a light receiving element provided at a predetermined position on one side 3a of the camera body 3, and 50 is a light emitting element provided at a predetermined position on one side 33b of the outer casing 33 of the microphone unit 32. These light receiving element 49 and light emitting element 50 have the same functions as the light receiving element 47 and light emitting element 48 used when the microphone unit is attached in the third embodiment IB.

Further, 51 is a changeover switch provided in the circuit of the microphone unit 32, and the changeover switch 51 has a first fixed contact 51a connected to one of the light emitting elements 41, that is, the light emitting element for when the microphone unit is removed. , the other light emitting element 5
0, the common terminal 51c connected to the transmission audio forming circuit 44, and the common terminal 5
1c, and a switching contact 51d connected to the terminal 1c. The switching contact 51d remains connected to the first fixed contact 51a when no switching voltage is applied to the changeover switch 51, and is connected to the second fixed contact 51a when the switching voltage is applied. 51b.

Reference numeral 52 denotes a contact piece that is electrically connected to the mounting member 40 of the microphone unit 32, and the contact piece 5
2 is connected to a battery power source 43.

The positioning pin 39 is connected to a changeover switch 51.

On the other hand, the positioning hole 10 and the screw hole 11 provided in the camera body 3 are formed to have conductivity and are electrically connected to each other.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, when the microphone unit 32 is not attached to the camera body 2, no switching voltage is applied to the changeover switch 51, so that the changeover contact 51d is connected to the first fixed contact. The state connected to 51a is maintained. As a result, one of the light emitting elements 41, that is, the light emitting element 41 for when removed, works, and the other light emitting element 5
0, that is, the light emitting element for attachment does not work.

Therefore, when the microphone unit 32 is removed from the camera body 2, the audio signal captured by the microphone 34 is transferred to the transmission audio forming circuit 44 - the light emitting element 41 for when removed.
It is taken into the recording circuit through a thread such as the light receiving element 7 for removal and the transmitted audio receiving circuit 26.

Moreover, when the microphone unit 32 is attached to the camera body 2, the battery power source 43 - the contact piece 52 - the mounting member 40 -
Since the circuit including the screw hole 11 - positioning hole 10 - positioning pin 39 - changeover switch 51 is closed, the changeover voltage from the battery power source 43 is applied to the changeover switch 51. As a result, the switching contact 51d is connected to the second fixed contact stb, so that the light emitting element 50 for attachment is activated, and the light emitting element 41 for removal is not activated.

Therefore, when the microphone unit 32 is attached to the camera body 2, the audio signal captured by the microphone 34 is transmitted to the transmission audio forming circuit 44 - the light emitting element 50 for when attached.
It is taken into the recording circuit through a thread such as the light receiving element 49 for attachment and the transmitted audio receiving circuit 26.

By doing this, the light-emitting element and light-receiving element for transmitting and receiving audio signals and the microphone unit 32 can be removed from the camera body 2 while the microphone unit is attached to the camera body 2. Even if a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element are provided separately for transmitting and receiving audio signals, the function of the one not used for transmitting and receiving audio signals is automatically stopped in any of the conditions. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the battery from being wasted and also to prevent unnecessary audio signals from leaking.

(G. Effects of the Invention) As is clear from the above description, the electronic camera device of the present invention converts an image of a subject captured by a photographing lens into an electrical signal and records it on a predetermined recording medium. a camera body including a circuit, a receiving means for receiving an audio signal, and a recording circuit for recording the audio signal received by the receiving means on the recording medium, the camera body being detachably attached to the camera body; a microphone unit that includes a means for attaching to the camera, a microphone, and a transmitting means for wirelessly transmitting the sound captured by the microphone, and the microphone unit is coupled to the camera body to transmit the sound captured by the microphone of the microphone unit. The camera is characterized in that the recording circuit can record data either when the microphone unit is removed from the camera body or when the microphone unit is removed from the camera body.

Therefore, if the sound you want to record is emitted at a location far from the camera body, you can remove the microphone unit from the camera body and place it at the location where the sound is emitted while recording. It is possible to capture and record sounds such as voices emitted by a subject located far away with high sensitivity, and there is no fear that unnecessary sounds will be captured at the same level as necessary sounds.

Furthermore, in each of the embodiments described above, no microphone is provided on the camera body side, and when recording with the microphone unit attached to the camera body, the audio captured by the microphone of the microphone unit is transferred to the connector or transmitting means. Since this is done by inputting the sound to the camera body through each opposing part of the receiving means, no matter how far the sound to be recorded comes from with respect to the camera, the microphone unit/ ) is always required. Therefore, even if the microphone unit is removable from the camera body, there is no risk of forgetting or losing the microphone unit.

In addition, the above-mentioned 1st, 2nd. The fourth fruit, on the flow side,
Switching between the audio input path to the recording circuit when the microphone unit is removed from the camera body and the audio input path to the recording circuit when the microphone unit is attached to the camera body is possible with the microphone unit. Although this is done automatically when the camera is attached to or detached from the camera body, this makes handling easier and prevents erroneous operations.

In each of the embodiments described above, light is used as a carrier medium for the transmitting means for transmitting the sound captured by the microphone and the receiving means for receiving the transmitted sound. In addition to such means, the means and receiving means may include, for example, RF frequency, etc., as long as the audio signal can be wirelessly transmitted.
It doesn't matter what it is.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the electronic camera device of the present invention, and FIG. 1 shows the optical system and recording mechanism on the camera body side with the microphone unit removed from the camera body. , a block diagram showing the circuit and the circuit on the microphone unit side, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the microphone unit removed from the camera body, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the microphone unit attached to the camera body. Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram of the main parts when the microphone unit is attached to the camera body, and Fig. 5 shows a second embodiment of the electronic camera device of the present invention, in which the microphone unit is detached from the camera body. The circuit diagrams of the main parts in the removed state, FIGS. 6 and 7, show the third embodiment of the electronic camera device of the present invention, and FIG. 6 shows the circuit diagram of the main part with the microphone unit removed from the camera body. FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram of the main parts when the microphone unit is attached to the camera body, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the electronic camera device according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of main parts in a state where the camera is removed from the camera body. Explanation of symbols l: Electronic camera device. 2.φ.Camera body, 4.--Photographing lens, 7.-.Receiving means, 8..
Connector (on the camera body side), 1211 first recording medium second. 21.22.231111J recording circuit, ・27.28.
29... Recording circuit, 32... Microphone unit, 34... Microphone, 35... Connector 40 (on the microphone unit side)...
- Attachment means, 41 - Transmission means IA...Electronic camera device. 1B...Electronic camera device, 47... Opposing part of receiving means, 48... Opposing part of transmitting means, 1CII skewer/electronic camera device. 49... Opposing part of receiving means, 50... Opposing part of transmitting means Applicant Sony Corporation

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A recording circuit that converts an image of a subject captured by a photographic lens into an electrical signal and records it on a predetermined recording medium, a receiving means that receives an audio signal, and an audio signal received by the receiving means that is transferred to the recording medium. A camera body equipped with a recording circuit for recording data, a transmitting means detachably attached to the camera body, a microphone, and a transmitting means for wirelessly transmitting audio captured by the microphone. and a microphone unit, and the sound captured by the microphone of the microphone unit is recorded by the recording circuit whether the microphone unit is connected to the camera body or the microphone unit is detached from the camera body. An electronic camera device characterized by being capable of recording (2) Recording with the microphone unit attached to the camera body is performed by inputting the sound captured by the microphone to the recording circuit via the connector provided on the microphone unit side and the connector provided on the camera body side. An electronic camera device according to claim 1, characterized in that: (3) The transmitting means and the receiving means are provided with opposing parts that are positioned so as to face each other when the microphone unit is attached to the camera body, and recording is possible when the microphone unit is attached to the camera body. The electronic camera device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic camera device is configured such that the audio signal transmitted from the opposite part of the transmitting means is received by the opposite part of the receiving means.