JPS6380238A - Camera for executing liquid crystal display - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify the electric circuit constitution of the whole camera by providing a control circuit for outputting the photographing related information, and an LCD control circuit, on a camera body side, and a rear cover side, respectively. CONSTITUTION:On a body side, a control circuit 13 for controlling a function for photographing, and also, outputting the photographing related information is provided, and on a rear cover side, an LCD control circuit 15, an insert- photographing LCD 16, and a display use LCD 11 are provided. THe LCD control circuit 15 has a calendar function, receives the photographing related information by a serial signal, etc. outputted from the control circuit 13, and can execute simultaneously for a monitor use, an information display based on said information, and the same date information display as date information for executing imprinting of the imprinting LCD 16, with respect to the display use LCD 11. In this way, the control circuit for the LCD display is separated completely as to its functions, and the circuit constitution of the whole camera can be simplified remarkably.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field]

The present invention is capable of imprinting data information such as the date displayed on a liquid crystal display (LCD) onto the film, and uses another LCD different from the LCD to monitor the data information and to monitor other shooting-related information. Regarding a camera that performs display. (Prior Art) The electronicization of cameras and the technological progress of display elements such as LCDs have led to the provision of cameras that can imprint the shooting date (data) on the shooting screen of the film. In cameras like this, a transmissive liquid crystal is usually built into the back cover,
A lamp light source is used to record data information such as the date displayed on the LCD onto the film. In addition to the above-mentioned transmissive LCD, there is also a reflective LCD monitor on the back cover to enable monitoring of data such as the date that is captured.
I am trying to set up D. On the other hand, since there is a lot of information that should be displayed on a camera, some of the various shooting-related information of camera functions such as film counter, feed display, battery check, exposure control, and focus control were selected and provided on the camera body. Displays have started to be displayed on LCDs, and this has made it easier for users to take pictures. 4th r5! I is one of the cameras having such a display means.
This is an example. In the figure, 41 is a monitor LCD provided inside the camera back cover, and 42 is an LCD provided on the top of the camera body for displaying various information.
There are two D display panels (41 for monitor and 46 for imprinting) on the camera back, and one LCD (42) for displaying on the main body.If we focus on date imprinting, it is shown in Figure 4(b). It has a circuit configuration like this. The control circuit unit 43 includes a display LCD 42 and an LC
The LCD drive circuit 44 is provided in the camera body together with the D drive circuit 44, and based on information from the control circuit unit 43, the LCD drive circuit 44 generates an AC drive signal suitable for driving the display LCD 42. On the other hand, on the back cover side of the camera, an LCD drive circuit 45 is provided which is electrically connected to the monitor and photo LCDs 41 and 46. The calendar function of the drive circuit 45 counts the date and time, and each time is recorded. LCD41 for monitor
It is also displayed on the LCD 46 for photographing. Then, when taking pictures, the LCD drive circuit 45 on the back cover side causes the lamp L installed on the opposite side of the film to emit light for a certain period of time in response to the exposure signal issued from the main body side control circuit 43, and the The date will be printed on the top. Based on the above configuration, the number of signal cycles required between the camera body and the camera back is two lines: one for the photo signal, and one for the common line for grounding the circuit between the camera body and the camera back. Although it is possible to control the shooting, the camera as a whole has a complicated structure requiring two LCD drive circuits, a CD for display, a shooting LCD, and three LCD panels for monitoring.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

The present invention consolidates LCD displays, simplifies the electrical circuit configuration of the entire camera, and further reduces the space on the camera body side, resulting in a more compact configuration that displays various shooting-related information of the camera, such as date, etc. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a camera that is capable of taking pictures of images.

[Means to solve the problem]

The above purpose is to provide at least a control circuit for outputting photographing-related information on the camera body side, and an LCD1li for discriminating information output from the control circuit and driving the LCD.
A II control circuit is provided on the back cover side, and both circuits are connected by a connection line that transmits 1ifr information as a signal.Furthermore, an LCD for display and an L for imprinting are provided on the back cover side.
This is accomplished by associating the CD with the LCD so as to be driven by the LCD control circuit described above.

【Example】

FIG. 1 shows an outline of an embodiment of the present invention, and details of a control circuit (described later) provided for correctly performing the functions necessary for photographing on the main body side will be described below, referring to the main elements of the present invention. The explanation will be brief since this is not a real thing. As shown in FIG. 1(a), a display LCD II is provided on the outer surface of the back cover of the camera, which can monitor data information such as the date, and can also display other photographic-related information. The circuit configuration is as shown in Figure 1(b), on the main body side,
A control circuit 13 is provided that can correctly control functions for photographing and output photographing-related information.
D ill 114 circuit 15, imprint, “1LLcD16
, a display LCD 11 is provided. The LCD control circuit 15 has a calendar function, receives photographing-related information through a serial signal etc. output from the control circuit 13, displays information based on this information on the display LCD 11, and controls the image capture on the image capture LCD 18. The same date information can also be displayed for monitoring at the same time. Next, a more specific first embodiment will be explained with reference to FIG. C1)
11B and the display LCD 111 always display this date, etc. Furthermore, the display LCD 111 displays the film counter display, which is the number of photographed frames of the film in this embodiment, among the above-mentioned photographing-related information, and the camera battery. The battery is configured to display whether or not the remaining capacity of E1 and/or E2 poses a problem in operating the camera. The L CD @ control circuit 115 provided on the back cover side of the camera operates with a battery E2 also mounted inside the back cover, and uses the fundamental frequency obtained by dividing the original oscillation of the crystal oscillator to control the LCD control circuit 11.
5 is now operational. This control circuit 115 has a calendar function, and displays the year, month, day, time, etc. on the image capture LCD 116 and the display LCD 111, and also changes the date, mode, etc. using a switch group. This is possible with 120. Further, when the control circuit 113 provided on the main body side outputs photographing-related information for display by signal transfer or the like, the LCD control circuit 115 distinguishes this signal and displays it on the display LCD 111 in a predetermined display format ( For example, the display is performed using numbers, signals, patterns, etc.). This signal transfer mode can be performed by a known transfer method using a serial signal, etc., and as shown in the signal example in FIG.
By doing so, the LCD I control circuit 115 becomes ready for reception. The LCD control circuit 115 receives a data signal (DATA) when the synchronization signal (SCK) transmitted as a pulsed rectangular wave from the control circuit 113 falls.
), and in this embodiment, a 7-bit serial signal is used to combine various data into units. (hereinafter referred to as unit signal)
Based on this 7-bit data, the LCD control circuit 115 causes the display LCD to display as shown in Table 1, and also serves as an imprint control signal to light up the date imprint lamp L provided on the Xi. is also used. 1st
The unit signals are explained in detail using the table. In Table 1, if the vertical direction is 1 row and the horizontal direction is column D, the range of (n+ to n+2g) rows and (D+ to Ds) columns is data for film counting that counts the number of film frames (n+ to n+ts). The range of rows and 7 columns is specified at different timings for battery display, and the data indicating the display state at the time of shooting is in the range of (n+□, ~n, 2.) rows and (D, ~DS) columns. , instruction data for executing imprinting is shown in the range of (next to n12.) rows and one column. In other words, if you take the data in the (D+~DI) columns of each n row and set it as a data group that is always combined with the data in , and if you make the (D,~D?) columns correspond to each bit, it will be 7 bits. unit signal. Therefore, Table 1 also shows 128 unit signals. For example, in row 11, the columns (DI to D,) are all #0'' and 07
Since the column is "0", the film counter will display 0 and the battery display will be off.In the n2 rows, all columns (DI to D) are "0" and the first column will be "1", so the film counter will display 0 and the battery display will be lit. This is a signal for instructing to do this, and if you want to perform imprinting before or after the shirt shirt opening/closing operation, for example, if you transfer the signal for line n, 22, all (D+ to D,) will be "1". 0", so the film counter display is turned off, the battery display remains unchanged at the previous state, and the lamp L is turned on to take a picture.nttt
When the signal of the nttt row is transferred instead of (D l-
D s) All the columns are "1" and are "■", so the film counter lights up, and the battery display remains unchanged and becomes an instruction signal to execute the shooting, like 0 or more. By using ~D for display data allocation (DI~D) and function allocation, data setting signals and a function control signals can be made into a unit, and n12 can be used as a row or nl2s
Function control signals that do not have any particular data, such as rows, are decomposed into signals of (0+ to D,) and Dt, as described above, and by combining them as unit signals, it is now possible to control many functions. As shown in Figure 2 (a), by providing only four connecting edges, including a common contact, between the camera body and the back cover, it is possible to display the film counter from 0 to 62 using a 7-bit serial signal. This makes it possible to display battery warnings and control the imprinting of dates, etc. Next, another embodiment that is more practical than the above-mentioned embodiment that performs relatively simple display and control will be explained based on FIG. In addition to the display, there is also a film counter display,
The film feed display, battery remaining display, and presence/absence of the battery installed on the main body are displayed, but it goes without saying that other shooting-related information may also be displayed, and the number of displays also depends on the display area, etc. It may be increased or decreased accordingly. The display data from the camera body side to the back cover side consists of an 8-bit function control signal and an 8-bit data setting signal. The reason for dividing into two signal units as described above is that, as is clear from Table 2, there are function control signals that do not require data setting signals, as well as signals that do not require data, such as imprinting control signals. Only the 8-bit function control signal is sent from the main body side control circuit 213 to the back cover side LCD control circuit 21.
5, so there is no need to always transfer 16-bit signals, and only the necessary 8-bit signals can be transferred. On the other hand, 8-bit signals that have data setting signals
When the function control signal is sent, a data setting signal in which preset imaging related information is converted into a signal by 8-bit data allocation of Da to Dts is sent. In this way, by combining signals with 8 bits as a unit to form one display control unit signal (hereinafter referred to as unit signal), even when trying to change all displays at once as in the past, it is possible to change all segments at once. There is no need to send data, and data can only be sent using some unit signals, making it possible to improve the efficiency of signal transfer, that is, to significantly reduce data transfer time. Next, the display contents and each function of the control signal will be explained. Film counter In the first embodiment described above, the main body control circuit 113 counts up the value of the count display contents of the number of shots stored in the main body control circuit 113 every time a photograph is taken, and converts the counted up value into a 7-bit signal. , the data was transferred to the LCD control circuit 115 on the back cover, but in this embodiment, the function signal counts up (1000010G).
Or, since the countdown (1000G101) can be controlled, for example, when winding a film, even if only a 1-frame winding completion signal is sent from the control circuit 213, the LCD control circuit 215 can display the number of frames that have been counted up, and the number of frames to be taken can be displayed while the film is being wound. Similarly, when rewinding, the countdown of the display contents can be easily achieved by simply transmitting the 1-frame rewinding completion signal, and there is no need to store the film count value in the control circuit 213 on the main body side. Since it can be used in conjunction with other information displays, for example, it can be used to display the time of a self-timer, or a special button display that can be displayed using the two-digit, seven-segment display section of the counter. is also possible. Display of shooting related information such as film feed button, battery remaining button display, etc. Control signals from the main body control circuit 213 on the camera body side (10001000) (10001001)
It is possible to display arbitrary shooting-related information using a data setting signal and a data setting signal, and after receiving a control signal from the control circuit 213, if there is no signal to erase or change the display, the display is automatically displayed for a certain period of time. The LCD control circuit 215 has a function that allows the display to be erased, and erasure control can be performed independently only on the LCD control circuit 215 side. This is done in order to avoid unnecessary confusion for the photographer by continuously displaying information related to exposure control or focusing control that does not need to be continuously displayed until the next shooting, or to prevent unnecessary confusion from the photographer, or to control the camera body side. This prevents unnecessary display from continuing even if the circuit 213 becomes inoperable for some reason or accelerates battery consumption, and eliminates the need to provide a display erase signal every time a display is made. This is to enable deletion after a certain period of time. Battery presence/absence button display This is a display indicating whether or not the battery El, which can be inserted and removed from the camera body, is present in the battery compartment. Generally, a photographer needs to check the cover member of the battery compartment to confirm the presence or absence of the battery E1. In this embodiment, it is possible to easily determine the presence or absence of a battery without opening the battery cover and examining it. 0N-OF depending on the presence or absence of the main battery E1.
Information on the battery presence/absence switch B-3s that is turned on is displayed on the LC on the back cover side.
D control circuit 215, and according to this signal, the display LC
The presence or absence of the battery is displayed on D211. Note that when the absence of the battery E1 is detected in this display, all the buttons related to the remaining capacity display are immediately turned off. This avoids inconsistencies caused by differences in battery voltage detection and display methods, such as turning on the remaining battery level display even though the battery is absent, and eliminates confusion in the photographer's judgment. In this embodiment, the information is obtained from the battery presence/absence switch B-8w.
Information may be obtained and displayed by directly introducing the terminal of the main battery E1 into the LCD control circuit 215 and detecting whether or not voltage is applied.Of course, it is also possible to obtain and display information by introducing the terminal of the main body battery E1 directly into the LCD control circuit 215 and detecting whether or not voltage is applied. It may be detected and displayed. In order to display or operate the camera as described above, it has conventionally been necessary to provide a storage circuit within the camera to store photographing-related information as described above. When a memory circuit is built into the main body control circuit 213 on the main body side, the memory circuit always consumes current from the main body side battery El in order to continue storing data, while the back cover side consumes lithium current because the calendar function is always operating. The battery E2 is set up to be driven, and the current of the battery E2 is also consumed. Therefore, in this embodiment, the LCD control circuit 1 having a built-in memory circuit
15 on the back cover side eliminates the need for a memory circuit conventionally provided on the main body side, making it possible to reduce the current consumption of the entire camera. The storage circuit has 8-bit memory written therein with data of photographing-related information such as exposure compensation, self-timer, etc. that must be stored in the camera, and can be used for various purposes. When writing data from the main body control circuit 213 to the LCD control circuit 215 ([l] Synchronization signal (SCK) generated after the transfer control signal (-ε1-) is issued (shown in )
The data to be written in synchronization with the data input signal (DATAI)
It can be stored (written) by transferring it as N), and it can also be stored (written) by transferring it from the LCD control circuit 215 to the main body control circuit 21.
3, it is necessary to display and store information according to the information on the main unit, so data can be written and read, and in this case (shown in [2]), the data transfer method is In the same way as in the case of
DATA 0UT). Film ↓ Regarding the control of the exposure time when capturing this data information, conventionally the exposure time has been selected using a switch on the back cover of the camera, or the exposure time has been set from the camera body taking into account the sensitivity of the film, etc. The light source was controlled by introducing it as a 2-bit parallel signal, but in this embodiment, the control signal (10100000
) 4: Time-based a'in function from 1m 1, CD control circuit 2
15 and the subsequent data signal determines the lighting time of the light source such as the lamp L. Therefore, conventionally ISo 100.
The limit for time control was based on film sensitivity of about 200.460, but in this embodiment, no specific signal line is required, and time control is theoretically possible in a maximum of 256 ways, allowing film of any sensitivity to be controlled. It has become possible to improve the quality of the imprinted characters. In addition, in the camera of this embodiment, 0°/O
A back cover switch A-8- that turns FF is provided. This camera back switch A-Sw makes it unnecessary to display all information about camera operation when the camera back is on the camera back, and a meaningless display confuses the photographer, so the display LCD 211 Turn off all displays. Furthermore, it is also easy to clear the memory of shooting-related information that does not need to be kept, such as the number of frames shot and the film sensitivity used. However, it is preferable to leave this as long as the date is displayed. Leaving film in the camera for a long time is not a good idea as it will reduce the image quality of the film, so by displaying the date when the film was loaded into the camera, the photographer can easily see how long the film has been loaded in the camera. This will enable you to take better photos. One method is to store the calendar date by operating the back cover switch A-8s, and to store the calendar date by operating the mode switch.
- It is possible to display the date of operation of SW, that is, the date of film loading at any time. Of course, a dedicated switch may be provided for this purpose, and it is also possible to manually store the date of film loading or the date of film manufacture using the mode switch and correction switch. As mentioned above, the LCD control circuit 215 on the back cover side is always active, but on the main body side, the main body control circuit 213 is kept inactive so as not to waste battery power. However, if the camera is left unattended for a long time and the battery E1 on the main body side naturally discharges, or if the camera is moved to a cold region, there may be a difference between the previously displayed battery capacity display and the current display. For this reason, it is sufficient to constantly detect the capacity of the battery E1 on the main body side and display the result, but doing so will increase battery consumption. Therefore, if the performance of the battery El is checked at regular intervals, for example, every 24 hours, it is possible to display the battery level with low battery consumption and no problem in practical use.In this embodiment, the main body control circuit 213 A battery capacity test circuit is built into the
A power hold signal PH is sent from the control circuit 215 to the main body control circuit 213, a battery capacity test is performed, and the result is sent to the camera back via a serial signal etc. for display on the LCD 21.
The display of battery remaining 1 is rewritten to 1. [Effects of the Invention] The present invention centralizes the display of shooting-related information on the display LCD provided on the back cover side so that the photographer can obtain a lot of information at once. On the side is a control circuit that outputs camera operation and shooting related information.
The back cover side includes a memory circuit, and by providing an LCD that integrates an LCD control circuit that discriminates and displays the information, a monitor LCD, and a display LCD, the control circuit for LCD display can be fully functional. By separating them, the circuit configuration of the entire camera can be extremely simplified, and the current consumption can also be reduced by integrating the memory circuits. Furthermore, the data signal and the function control signal are clearly separated by making the information as a data signal as a unit signal of a predetermined bit, and the function control signal is also a unit signal of a predetermined bit. Since it is possible to transmit and receive signals, the means for transmitting and receiving signals between the two control circuits can also be performed using, for example, a serial transfer method.Even if the number of information increases, the number of signal lines can be reduced. It became. Due to the above effects, the present invention is small and multi-I! It has now become possible to provide a camera with a liquid crystal display that can display functions in a concentrated manner. Furthermore, the present invention has the following features. (a) The date imprinting control signal is controlled by a predetermined unitized serial signal. (b) The presence or absence of a battery is displayed by a means for detecting the presence or absence of a battery provided on the camera body side. (c) In the battery presence/absence display, when a negative display is made, the remaining battery capacity display is immediately erased. (d) The LCD display set/reset signal generating means is configured to generate signals in synchronization with the Urahishi Kaikan. (e) The imprinting time for date imprinting is transmitted by a unitized serial signal of predetermined bits. (f) A battery check start signal is sent from the back cover to the main body at regular intervals, and the remaining battery level is detected. (g) A part of the LCD display contents are turned off after a certain period of time after receiving a unit signal of a predetermined bit from the main body side control circuit.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows an overview of the present invention, with FIG. 1(a) showing a rear view of the camera and FIG. 1(b) showing a circuit outline. FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2(a) shows a circuit diagram, and FIG. 2(b) shows a signal example. FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3(11) shows a circuit diagram, and FIG. 3(b) shows an example of a signal. FIG. 4 shows a conventional example, with FIG. 4(,) showing a rear view of the camera and FIG. 4(b) showing a circuit outline. 11.111,211...Monitor display LCD13.1
13.213... Main body control circuit 15.115, 215
...LCD control circuit 16.116.216...LCDE1 for photographing...Battery on main body side E2...Battery on back base side

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A control circuit for outputting at least photography-related information is provided on the camera body side, and an LCD control circuit for determining the information output from the control circuit and driving the LCD is provided on the back cover side, and the information The above-mentioned two circuits are connected by a connecting line that transmits the signal as a signal, and the display LCD provided on the back cover side and the photo-image LCD are connected to the above-mentioned LC.
A camera characterized in that it is driven by a D control circuit. (2) The camera according to claim 1, wherein the signal transmits a data signal and a control signal as a serial signal.