JP3463680B2 - Electronic camera - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic camera for recording image information on a recording medium. 2. Description of the Related Art Magnetic disks are generally used as recording media for electronic cameras. When recording a photographed still image on the magnetic disk, the magnetic disk is mechanically rotated. [0003] However, under shooting conditions in which disturbance such as vibration or shock is applied to the camera body for some reason, the quality of the camera is affected by the disturbance that rotates the magnetic disk. There is a disadvantage that constant speed rotation of the magnetic disk, which is a premise of good image recording, is not guaranteed. [0004] In order to improve such disadvantages, there is one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 57-69499. This is to detect a deviation from the constant speed rotation of the magnetic disk due to a disturbance and give a warning to the photographer to that effect. However, this means does not fundamentally solve the inconvenience, but leaves a problem that images stored in the image sensor are wasted. The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has been described in detail with respect to a recording medium such as a magnetic disk, which is inexpensive and has a large capacity, which is vulnerable to external disturbances, and which can improve the quality of captured image information. It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus capable of performing good recording. According to the present invention, there is provided an image pickup means for picking up an image of a subject and outputting it as a signal corresponding to a still image; an instruction means for instructing recording of a signal corresponding to the still image; A continuous shooting mode for continuously recording a signal corresponding to a still image output from the imaging unit while the operation by the instruction unit is being performed; and an output from the imaging unit each time the operation by the instruction unit is performed. Switching means for switching between a single shooting mode for recording a signal corresponding to a single still image to be performed, and a semiconductor memory capable of temporarily storing signals corresponding to the still images for a plurality of screens in the continuous shooting mode. Display means for displaying a signal corresponding to the still image; a recording medium for recording a signal corresponding to the still image output from the semiconductor memory; Detecting means for detecting whether or not a recording abnormality has occurred in the recording medium, and detecting the recording abnormality by the detecting means, the signal corresponding to the still image targeted for the recording abnormality. Recording means for reading out a signal corresponding to the same still image as the signal from the semiconductor memory again and recording the signal on the recording medium. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0007] FIG.
An embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, a drive circuit 12 is connected to an image pickup unit 10 composed of an image pickup device such as a CCD.
Is performed. For example, the driving circuit 12 includes a crystal oscillator, and the imaging unit 10 is driven in a standard television signal format such as the NTSC system based on a signal having a stable frequency. ing. Next, the output side of the image pickup unit 10 is subjected to A / D conversion via an amplifier 14 for amplifying a signal to a predetermined level.
Input side of converter 16 and 2-input analog switch 18
Are connected to one input side 18A. And
The input side of the frame memory 20 is connected to the output side of the A / D converter 16. This frame memory 20
It has a storage capacity for at least one still image frame. The output side of the frame memory 20 is connected via a D / A converter 22 to the other input side 18 B of the analog switch 18. That is, the image information output from the imaging unit 10 is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 16 and stored in the frame memory 20. After being read from the frame memory 20, the D / A converter 22 Is converted into an analog signal, and the reproduced image information is output to the analog switch 18. Image information output from the imaging unit 10 is also input to the analog switch 18, and one of them is selected and output. Next, the output side of the analog switch 18
It is connected to a recording device 26 via a signal processing circuit 24. Among them, the signal processing circuit 24 performs color signal processing and γ correction of input image information, and is connected to an electronic viewfinder (EVF) as necessary. In this case, during shooting, a luminance signal or a composite color signal obtained by processing the output signal of the imaging unit 10 via the analog switch 18 is input to the electronic viewfinder, so that the shot image can be visually recognized. I have. When the image pickup section 10 is a single-chip color image pickup device, the signal processing circuit 24 performs color separation processing to obtain a luminance signal and a color signal, and a composite color signal can be easily obtained. Next, the recording device 26 is for recording on a recording medium such as a magnetic disk which is inexpensive but large in capacity but is vulnerable to disturbance. A control circuit 28 is connected to the drive circuit 12, the analog switch 18, the frame memory 20, the signal processing circuit 24, and the recording device 26 described above. A release switch 30, a continuous shooting single shooting changeover switch 32, and an image confirmation switch 34 are connected to the control circuit 28, and input from the drive circuit 12 in accordance with the ON / OFF state of these switches. A necessary timing signal is output to each section based on the clock signal and the synchronization signal, and the operation is controlled. The recording device 26 includes a disk drive device, and an FG signal (pulse train signal at intervals according to the rotation of the disk) from the disk drive device is input to the detection device 40. Next, the overall operation of the above embodiment will be described. First, the case of the single shooting mode will be described.
First, when a power switch (not shown) is turned “ON”, the input side 18A of the analog switch 18 is connected to the output side as shown in FIG. 2A, and the output signal of the imaging unit 10 is transmitted through the signal processing circuit 24. Is output to the electronic viewfinder as indicated by an arrow FA, and the image captured by the imaging unit 10 is displayed on the electronic viewfinder. Next, when the composition is determined and the release switch 30 is pressed to "ON" at a photo opportunity, as shown by an arrow FB in FIG. A certain image signal is A / D
The data is digitized by the converter 16 and stored in the frame memory 20. Then, immediately after the storage, the image is reproduced immediately, the input side 18B of the analog switch 18 is connected to the output side, and the image based on the image information stored in the frame memory 20 is reproduced as a still image on the electronic viewfinder. At the same time, the reproduced image information is also output to the recording device 26, and the recording is started. When a disturbance occurs during the recording operation and the pulse interval of the FG signal is disturbed to such an extent that the recording is adversely affected, the detection is detected by the detecting device 40 and a signal indicating that the recording is unsuccessful is output to the control circuit 28. Under the control of the control circuit 28, image information is recorded on the same track again.
Before re-recording, the previous recording is usually erased. This recording is repeated a plurality of times within a certain time range. If recording cannot be performed without being affected by disturbance during this time, a warning to that effect is given by, for example, a warning unit (not shown), and the photographer It is possible to know that the entire apparatus should strive to achieve a state with less disturbance. Normally, the writing of image information to the recording medium by the recording device 26 is almost satisfactorily performed, and after the recording is completed, the state shown in FIG. Note that FIG.
In the state shown in FIG. 3A, when the image confirmation switch 34 is turned on, the input side 18B of the analog switch 18 is connected to the output side as shown in FIG. The image in the frame memory 20 that has been photographed earlier is
Only during "N" is output and displayed on the electronic viewfinder as indicated by the arrow FC. At this time, the recording on the recording medium by the recording device 26 has not been performed because it has already been completed. Further, in such a case, if the recording device 26 has a reproducing function, when the image confirmation switch 34 is turned on after the recording is completed, the image in the recording medium is displayed by an arrow in FIG. If the information is reproduced and displayed on the electronic viewfinder as shown by the FD, it is possible to confirm whether or not the recording has been performed well, and the detection device 40 can have a different configuration from the above. That is, the recording device 26
And immediately after the completion of the recording on the recording medium, the detection device 40 detects the quality of the reproduced signal and makes a judgment. In this case, if the recording is not successful no matter how many times, there is a possibility that the disk is defective. Next, the case of the continuous shooting mode will be described. In this case, the continuous shooting single shooting switch 32 is set to “O
N ", and the continuous shooting is started when the release switch 30 is pressed. That is, the release switch 30
Are taken and recorded at fixed time intervals while is ON. At this time, at predetermined time intervals, an image is taken at the initial timing and image information is stored in the frame memory 20. At a later timing, the recording device 26 performs a recording operation on the recording medium. It is. Alternatively, the analog switch 18 is connected to 18A, and the output of the imaging unit 10 is sent directly to the recording device 26 to perform recording. Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the above-described embodiment, when performing continuous shooting, the frame memory 20 is not effectively used, and even if the recording operation of any image is incomplete, the next image must be recorded. According to this embodiment, there is no such inconvenience, and it is possible to satisfactorily record image information even in continuous shooting. In the present embodiment, the storage capacity of the frame memory 50 is configured to be equal to the storage capacity of the recording medium in the recording device 26. Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described. Regardless of single shooting or continuous shooting, as shown by arrows FE1, FE2, FE3,... In FIG. Are sequentially stored in the frame memory 50. The image information stored in the frame memory 50 is reproduced at the end of an appropriate photographing operation, for example, at the end of continuous shooting, and is indicated on a recording medium in the recording device 26 by an arrow FF in FIG. Is recorded as follows. In this embodiment, although the frame memory 50 is expensive, it can be considered that it has the same operation as the recording medium in the recording device 26, and when the frame memory 50 becomes full of image information, The recording may be performed by setting the magnetic disk in the apparatus main body. At this time, the image in the frame memory 50 may be checked with the electronic viewfinder, and only the necessary image may be recorded on the recording medium. Of course, the storage capacity of the frame memory 50 is not necessarily equal to the storage capacity of the recording medium in the recording device 26, and may be slightly smaller. Note that the detection circuit 40 is not limited to the above-described one. For example, an acceleration detection device may be used. good. As described above, according to the present invention, an electronic camera captures an image of a subject and outputs the signal as a signal corresponding to a still image, and records the signal corresponding to the still image. And a continuous shooting mode for continuously recording a signal corresponding to a still image output from the imaging unit while the operation by the instruction unit is performed, and the operation by the instruction unit is performed Switching means for switching between a single shooting mode for recording a signal corresponding to a single still image output from the imaging means for each time, and temporarily outputting signals corresponding to the still images for a plurality of screens in the continuous shooting mode. And a display means for displaying a signal corresponding to the still image, and a memory for recording a signal corresponding to the still image output from the semiconductor memory. Recording medium, each time a signal corresponding to the still image is recorded on the recording medium, the signal corresponding to the still image,
Detecting means for detecting whether or not a recording abnormality has occurred in the recording medium; and detecting the recording abnormality by the detecting means, wherein the signal is the same as a signal corresponding to the still image targeted for the recording abnormality. Recording means for reading out a signal corresponding to a still image from the semiconductor memory again and recording the signal on the recording medium; By re-recording the signal corresponding to the target still image on the recording medium, an electronic camera with improved recording reliability can be provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an operation of the embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an operation of the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment. [Description of Signs] 10 imaging unit 12 drive circuit 18 analog switch 20 frame memory 24 signal processing circuit 26 recording device 28 control circuit 40 detection circuit

Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ identification code FI // H04N 101: 00 H04N 5/781 510Z (58) Investigated field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 5/225 H04N 5/76 -5/956 H04N 101: 00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] Imaging means for imaging a subject and outputting it as a signal corresponding to a still image; instruction means for instructing recording of a signal corresponding to the still image; output from the imaging means while an operation by the instruction means is being performed; A continuous shooting mode for continuously recording a signal corresponding to a still image to be captured, and a single shooting mode for recording a signal corresponding to a single still image output from the imaging unit each time an operation is performed by the instruction unit Switching means for switching between modes, a semiconductor memory capable of temporarily storing signals corresponding to the still images for a plurality of screens in the continuous shooting mode, display means for displaying signals corresponding to the still images, A recording medium for recording a signal corresponding to the still image output from the semiconductor memory; and, each time a signal corresponding to the still image is recorded on the recording medium, the still image A detection unit that detects whether or not a recording abnormality has occurred in the recording medium; and, in response to the detection of the recording abnormality by the detection unit, the detection unit detects a recording abnormality in the still image that has been subjected to the recording abnormality. An electronic camera comprising: a recording unit that reads a signal corresponding to the same still image as the corresponding signal from the semiconductor memory again and records the signal on the recording medium. 2. 2. The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the recording unit repeats the recording operation a plurality of times while the recording abnormality is detected. 3. 2. The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the recording unit repeats the recording operation a plurality of times until a signal corresponding to the still image is normally recorded on the recording medium. 4. The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is a disk-shaped recording medium.