KR100257332B1 - Digital still camera and thereof control method capable of games - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A digital still camera having a game function and a control method thereof are provided to use a digital still camera as a game device by using an advantage of portability simultaneously with a photographing. CONSTITUTION: A lens unit(10) adjusts and passes an external light. A CCD unit(20) receives the light. An analog/digital converter(30) converts an electric signal outputted from the CCD unit(20) into a digital signal. A data storage unit(40) stores digital video data. A liquid crystal display unit(50) displays video data on a screen. A digital signal processing unit(70) stores the video data on the signal outputted from the analog/digital converter(30) in the data storage unit(40). A camera control unit(80) loads a game program to the data storage unit(40), and controls the CCD unit(20) and the digital signal processing unit(70). A key input unit(90) receives a key input of a user, and transmits the key input to the camera control unit(80).

Description

DIGITAL STILL CAMERA AND THEREOF CONTROL METHOD CAPABLE OF GAMES

The present invention relates to a digital still camera having a game function and a control method thereof. More specifically, the present invention relates to a digital still camera having a game function that can be used as a game machine as well as shooting. will be.

In general, a digital still camera includes an electronic sensor for capturing an image of a subject, a signal processor for processing an image signal corresponding to the captured image, and a storage device for storing the image signal. And the like.

A charge coupled device (CCD) is commonly used as the electronic sensor.

The original purpose of such digital still cameras is to take an image of the subject, compress the captured image and store it in a storage device such as a memory card, and then later Editing and modifying are displayed on the monitor or output to the printer.

As a result, the conventional digital still camera is not used for any purpose other than the purpose of photography.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a digital still camera with a built-in game function that can be used as a game machine in addition to taking advantage of the portability of the digital still camera.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a control method of a digital still camera incorporating the game function described above.

1 is a block diagram of a digital still camera incorporating a game function according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a view showing the appearance of a digital still camera with a game function according to an embodiment of the present invention,

3 is a flowchart of a control method of a digital still camera incorporating a game function according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

A digital still camera incorporating a game function according to one feature for achieving the above object of the present invention is to store an image pickup device for outputting a video signal of the subject, and the video data provided therefrom in a video storage unit, A digital still camera comprising signal processing means for compressing stored image data and storing it in a detachable auxiliary storage unit.

A game program storage unit for storing a game program;

A scroll key for accepting a user's key input and a key input unit for generating a signal corresponding to the scroll key;

A loading unit;

A display unit which displays a game performance state; And

And a camera controller configured to load a game program stored in the game program storage unit into the loading unit when the game mode is set by the user from the key input unit, and to perform a game execution state according to an operation of the key input unit. .

In addition, a control method of a digital still camera incorporating a game function according to one feature for achieving the above object of the present invention,

(Iii) checking whether a menu for a mode of use of the digital still camera is displayed;

(Ii) displaying a menu for the use mode of the digital still camera in the case of menu display in step (iii);

(Iii) checking whether the selected menu is completed;

(Iii) checking whether the shutter button of the camera is pressed when the selection of the menu is completed in step (iii) and when the menu is not displayed in step (iii);

(Iii) checking whether the use mode of the digital still camera is a game mode when the shutter button of the camera is pressed in step (iii);

(Iii) in the step (iii), performing a normal shooting mode when not in a game mode, and loading a stored game program in the game mode; And

(Iii) executing the game program loaded in step (iii).

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram of a digital still camera incorporating a game function according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a digital still camera incorporating a game function according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a lens unit 10 for adjusting and passing external light; CD unit 20 for receiving the light passing through the lens unit 10 and outputting the analog signal; An analog / digital converter 30 for converting an electrical signal output from the CD unit 20 into a corresponding digital signal and outputting the digital signal; A data storage unit 40 for storing digital image data; A liquid crystal display unit 50 for displaying a screen for image data; The image data for the signal output from the analog-to-digital converter 30 is stored in the data storage unit 40, and the image data stored in the data storage unit 40 by compression is compressed to the removable memory card 60. A digital signal processor 70 for storing; When the game mode is set by the user, the game program loaded in the memory card 60 is loaded into the data storage unit 40, and then the game program is executed. The CD unit 20 and the digital signal processor 70 A camera control unit 80 for controlling; And a key input unit 90 which receives a key input from the user and transmits the key input to the camera controller 80.

2 is a diagram illustrating an appearance of a digital still camera incorporating a game function according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, a digital still camera having a game function according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a shutter button 100 for starting shooting or starting a game when in a game mode; A scroll key 110 for moving a cursor to select one menu among camera menus displayed on the liquid crystal display 50; A power button 120 for turning on / off the power of the camera; A menu display button 130 for displaying a camera menu on the liquid crystal display 50; Memory card button 140 for removing memory card 60 is included.

Here, the enter key 150 may be further needed depending on the type of game.

3 is a flowchart of a control method of a digital still camera incorporating a game function according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the method for controlling a digital still camera incorporating a game function according to an embodiment of the present invention includes determining whether to display a menu relating to a camera (S1); Displaying a menu relating to a camera (S2); Determining whether the menu selection regarding the camera is completed (S3); Determining whether the shutter button 100 has been pressed (S4); Determining whether the camera mode is a game mode (S5); Loading a game program (S6); Performing a game program (S7); In step S8, the imaging is performed.

The operation of the digital still camera incorporating the game function according to the embodiment of the present invention by the above configuration is as follows.

First, when the power button 120 of the camera is pressed and power is supplied to the camera, the camera is initialized. At this time, the use mode of the camera is not a game mode.

In order to play the game, the user needs to change the use mode of the camera to the game mode, so the user presses the menu display button 130 (S1).

When the menu display button 130 is pressed, the camera controller 80 displays a camera menu on the liquid crystal display 50 (S2).

The user moves the cursor up, down, left, and right using the scroll key 110 to place the cursor in a menu for converting to a game mode.

Next, when the menu display button 130 is pressed, the use mode of the camera is changed to the game mode (S3).

In this way, when the use mode of the camera is changed to the game mode, the user can play the game. Therefore, the user mounts the memory card 60 on which the game program is mounted to the camera body.

Next, when the shutter button 100 is pressed (S4), the camera controller 80 determines whether the camera use mode is a game mode (S5). If the camera use mode is a game mode, the camera controller 80 determines whether the camera mode is a game mode. After loading the loaded game program into the data storage unit 40 (S6), the game program is performed (S7).

As such, when a game program is performed by the camera controller 80, a game-related screen is displayed on the liquid crystal display 50, and the user proceeds to play the game using the scroll key 110.

The user's key input through the scroll key 110 is input to the camera controller 80 through the key input unit 90.

In this case, the enter key 150 may be used together with the scroll key 110.

On the other hand, when the game is completed, if you press the shutter button 100 to start the game again, since the use mode of the camera is still set to the game mode, the game can continue to be enjoyed.

If the use mode of the camera in the step (S5) is not the game mode, the camera controller 80 controls to shoot.

That is, the image of the subject is transmitted to the CD unit 20 through the lens unit 10, the CD unit 20 outputs an analog signal for the image of the subject, and the analog-to-digital converter 30 is the CD unit 20. The analog signal output from) is converted into a digital signal.

The digital signal processing unit 70 converts the digital signal output from the analog / digital converter 30 into corresponding image data, stores it in the data storage unit 40, and displays an image corresponding to the image data on the liquid crystal display unit 50. do.

Since the shutter button 100 has been pressed, the digital signal processing unit 70 compresses the image data stored in the data storage unit 40 and stores the image data in the memory card 60 (S8).

On the other hand, the user who enjoys the game in the game mode to exit the game mode through the above steps (S1 to S3) to change the use mode of the camera back to the shooting mode.

At this time, by pressing the memory card button 140, the memory card 60 on which the game program is mounted is separated from the camera body, and the memory card 60 for storing compressed image data is mounted in the camera body.

As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a digital still camera having a game function that can be used as a game machine in addition to shooting and taking advantage of being portable, and a control method thereof.

Claims (2)

A digital still camera comprising: an image pickup device for outputting an image signal of a subject; and signal processing means for storing the image data provided therefrom in an image storage unit, and storing the stored image data in a secondary storage unit that compresses the stored image data. , A game program storage unit for storing a game program; A scroll key for accepting a user's key input and a key input unit for generating a signal corresponding to the scroll key; A loading unit; A display unit which displays a game performance state; And And a camera controller configured to load a game program stored in the game program storage unit into the loading unit when the game mode is set by the user from the key input unit, and perform a game execution state according to the manipulation of the key input unit. Digital still camera with built-in game features. (Iii) checking whether a menu for a mode of use of the digital still camera is displayed; (Ii) displaying a menu for the use mode of the digital still camera in the case of menu display in step (iii); (Iii) checking whether the selected menu is completed; (Iii) checking whether the shutter button of the camera is pressed when the selection of the menu is completed in step (iii) and when the menu is not displayed in step (iii); (Iii) checking whether the use mode of the digital still camera is a game mode when the shutter button of the camera is pressed in step (iii); (Iii) in the step (iii), performing a normal shooting mode when not in a game mode, and loading a stored game program in the game mode; And (Iii) a control method of a digital still camera incorporating a game function comprising the step of executing a game program loaded in step (iii).

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