JP4046271B2 - Warning device for camera - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for informing a user of a warning when a use condition of a camera is inappropriate.
[0002]
[Prior art]
With conventional cameras, when the camera usage conditions are inappropriate, such as underexposure, out of focus, or insufficient number of shots, a warning message is displayed on the liquid crystal display (LCD) or a warning display lamp such as an LED. Flashes or lights up to alert the user of the warning.
[0003]
In the warning notification method as described above, when the user is looking through the viewfinder to take a picture of the subject, the user cannot take an image without noticing the warning because the LCD and the warning display lamp cannot be viewed. there were. In order to solve this problem, a device has been proposed in which a vibration member is provided on a release button or the like, and when the use conditions are inappropriate, the vibration member is vibrated to notify a warning tactilely (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei. No. 5-158120, JP-A-9-5852).
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the devices described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 5-158120 and 9-5852 must be provided with a vibration member that is not used for other than informing a warning. There is a problem that the installation space is limited and the cost is increased.
[0005]
An object of the present invention is to provide a camera warning notification device that can reliably notify a warning without adding a specific component.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the warning device for a camera according to the present invention uses a driving unit provided in the camera as a means for issuing a warning, and when the warning is notified, the driving unit operates differently from that during normal use. It is characterized by doing. Note that the operation is preferably changed for each type of warning.
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An overview perspective view of the front and back of a digital camera embodying the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively. A lens barrier 3 that is slidable in the direction of the arrow is provided in front of the digital camera 2. When the lens barrier 3 is slid to the open position shown in FIG. 1, the imaging lens 4 and the strobe light emitting unit 5 are exposed and the photographing is possible. A CCD 32 (see FIG. 3) is disposed behind the imaging lens 4.
[0008]
The imaging signal from the CCD 32 is converted into image data by various signal processing described later. This image data is displayed as a so-called through image on a liquid crystal display (LCD) 6 provided on the back of the digital camera 2. In addition, an optical finder (not shown) is incorporated in the digital camera 2, and the subject image can be framed through the finder objective window 7 and the finder eyepiece window 8.
[0009]
A release button 9 provided on the upper surface of the digital camera 2 is a two-stage push switch. When the release button 9 is lightly pressed after framing by the LCD 6 or the optical viewfinder, various shooting preparation processes such as exposure adjustment and focus adjustment of the imaging lens 4 are performed. The image pickup signal subjected to the image pickup preparation process is data-locked until the user releases the release button 9. In this state, when the release button 9 is pressed once again, the imaging signal for one screen subjected to the imaging preparation process is converted into image data, and then the built-in memory 40 (see FIG. 3) or a memory card slot (not shown). The data is stored in a removable memory card 42 (see FIG. 3).
[0010]
On the back of the digital camera 2, in addition to the LCD 6, a power button 10 for switching on / off the power, and a zoom operation unit 11 for zooming the zoom lens (not shown) of the photographing lens 4 to the wide side and the tele side. Further, there are provided a mode switching knob 12 for selecting various modes, and an operation unit 14 (a portion surrounded by an alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 2) including a cursor operation plate 13 for moving a cursor in a menu screen displayed on the LCD 6. The operation unit 14 is connected to the CPU 22 (see FIG. 3), and operates each unit of the digital camera 2 via the CPU 22.
[0011]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the digital camera 2. The lens barrier 3 is connected to a lens barrier detection switch 21 that detects the open / closed state of the lens barrier 3. The lens barrier detection switch 21 transmits the detection result to the CPU 22. A zoom motor 23, an iris motor 24, and a focus motor 25 are connected to the imaging lens 4. These motors 23 to 25 are driven and controlled via first to third motor drivers 26 to 28 connected to the CPU 22, and perform photographing preparation processing by the first pressing operation of the release button 9. The zoom motor 23 operates the zoom lens to the wide side or the tele side to perform zooming of the imaging lens 4. The iris motor 24 and the focus motor 25 operate an iris and a focus lens (not shown) to perform exposure adjustment and focus adjustment of the imaging lens 4 so that the photographing conditions are optimized.
[0012]
Behind the imaging lens 4 is disposed a mechanical shutter 31 that is opened and closed via a fourth motor driver 29 and a shutter motor 30 by a second pressing operation of the release button 9. Behind the mechanical shutter 31 is a CCD 32 that images subject light that has passed through the imaging lens 4. A timing generator 33 controlled by the CPU 22 is connected to the fourth motor driver 29 and the CCD 32, and a timing signal (clock pulse) is input from the timing generator 33. The imaging signal output from the CCD 32 is input to a correlated double sampling circuit (CDS) 34, and output as R, G, B image data that accurately corresponds to the accumulated charge amount of each cell of the CCD 32. Image data output from the CDS 34 is amplified by an amplifier (AMP) 35 and converted to digital data by an A / D converter 36.
[0013]
The image input controller 37 is connected to the CPU 22 via the data bus 38 and controls the CCD 32, the CDS 34, the AMP 35, and the A / D converter 36 in accordance with a control command from the CPU 22. The image data output from the A / D converter 36 is displayed on the LCD 6 via the LCD driver 39. Alternatively, it is displayed on the optical viewfinder via an optical viewfinder driver (not shown). Alternatively, it is stored in the built-in memory 40. The image data saved in the built-in memory 40 is recorded / saved in the memory card 42 via the media controller 41.
[0014]
The image signal processing circuit 43 performs various types of image processing such as gradation conversion, color conversion, hypertone processing, and hyper sharpness processing on the image data. For example, the compression processing circuit 44 connects the digital camera 2 to a personal computer and compresses the captured image data into a predetermined file format (for example, JPEG format) when transferring the captured image data.
[0015]
The data bus 38 includes an AP detection circuit 45 that detects whether or not the focus adjustment of the imaging lens 4 is appropriate for shooting, and an AE / that detects whether exposure adjustment and white balance correction of the imaging lens 4 are appropriate for shooting. An AWB detection circuit 46 is connected. The detection circuits 45 and 46 transmit the detection result to the CPU 22 via the data bus 38 after the shooting preparation process is performed by the first pressing operation of the release button 9.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 4A, shooting preparation processing is performed in response to the first pressing operation of the release button 9, and normal shooting is performed by the lens barrier detection switch 21, the AF detection circuit 45, and the AE / AWB detection circuit 46. Is detected until the second pressing operation of the release button 9, the data by the shooting preparation process is locked, and the second pressing operation of the release button 9 generates an opening / closing pulse from the timing generator 33, and the fourth motor After the shutter motor 30 is driven via the driver 29 and the mechanical shutter 31 is in a closed state from the open state for a predetermined time (for example, time required for one image processing), it is again in the open state to complete one shooting. To do.
[0017]
On the other hand, the lens barrier detection switch 21, the AF detection circuit 45, and the AE / AWB detection circuit 46 detect that the camera usage conditions are inappropriate, such as underexposure, out of focus, or shooting while the lens barrier 3 is closed. In this case, a warning notification signal is issued from the CPU 22, and the mechanical shutter 32 repeats the opening / closing operation by the continuous opening / closing pulse from the timing generator 33 as shown in FIGS. Announce a warning. In this way, since the warning is tactilely notified even when the user is looking through the optical viewfinder, the warning can be reliably notified.
[0018]
(B) is a case where when the first pressing operation of the release button 9 is performed, an attempt is made to take a picture with the lens barrier 3 closed, and a through image is displayed on the optical viewfinder, and the user releases the release button 9. Until the button 9 is released, the mechanical shutter 32 repeats the opening and closing operation to notify a warning. Although a through image is displayed on the optical viewfinder, the display may be turned off to reduce power consumption because it is the same as nothing is displayed because the lens barrier 3 is closed.
[0019]
(C) shows that the focus adjustment, exposure adjustment, and white balance correction of the imaging lens 4 are performed by the AF detection circuit 45 and the AE / AWB detection circuit 46 after the shooting preparation process is performed by the first pressing operation of the release button 9. When it is detected that it is inappropriate for photographing, a warning is notified until the second pressing operation of the release button 9 is performed after the photographing preparation process is completed. Alternatively, as in (B), a warning is notified until the user releases the release button 9. Although the second press operation of the release button 9 is performed in spite of the warning being notified as shown in the figure, the image data obtained by this photographing may be erased as invalid, After performing the same process as in normal shooting, the user may be able to select save / delete.
[0020]
In the above embodiment, the warning is notified with the same opening / closing pulse regardless of the type of warning, but it is preferable to change the warning for each type of warning. For example, the amplitude or period of the opening / closing pulse generated from the timing generator 33 is changed, or the opening / closing time of the mechanical shutter 32 is changed. In the above embodiment, the mechanical shutter 32 is used as a means for issuing a warning. However, other drive units such as the zoom motor 23, the iris motor 24, and the focus motor 25 may be used, and an actuator built in the function of the camera. May be used. Moreover, you may change and use these drive parts for every kind of warning. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to digital cameras, and can be widely applied to other cameras.
[0021]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the warning notification device for a camera of the present invention, the driving unit provided in the camera is used as a means for issuing a warning, and the warning is issued by causing the driving unit to perform an operation different from that during normal use. A warning can be reliably notified without adding a specific part.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a digital camera embodying the present invention.
2 is a rear perspective view of the digital camera shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the digital camera.
4A and 4B are timing charts for explaining the operation of the mechanical shutter. FIG. 4A is a case of normal photographing, FIG. 4B is a case of photographing with the lens barrier closed, and FIG. The cases where it is detected that the exposure adjustment and the white balance correction are inappropriate for photographing are respectively shown.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Digital Camera 3 Lens Barrier 4 Imaging Lens 9 Release Button 21 Lens Barrier Detection Switch 22 CPU
26 to 29 Motor driver 30 Shutter motor 31 Mechanical shutter 32 CCD
33 Timing generator 45 AF detection circuit 46 AE / AWB detection circuit

Claims (7)

Usage conditions of a digital camera including a mechanical shutter that opens and closes the subject light to be incident on the solid-state image pickup device and blocks the subject light, and an image display unit that displays an image based on the image pickup signal output from the solid-state image pickup device In a device that alerts the user when the
The mechanical shutter and the image display means, used as a means for emitting the warning before Symbol differently closing operation the mechanical shutter is the normal use, that display state of the image display unit along with this change, auditory A warning notification device for a digital camera , wherein the warning is issued visually, tactilely, and visually . The warning notification device for a digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the opening / closing operation is changed for each type of warning. In a digital camera including a mechanical shutter that makes subject light incident on a solid-state image sensor and opens and closes to shield the subject light, and an image display unit that displays an image based on an imaging signal output from the solid-state image sensor.
The mechanical shutter and the image display means are used as means for issuing a warning to a user when usage conditions are inappropriate, and the mechanical shutter performs an opening / closing operation different from that during normal use. A digital camera characterized in that the warning is audibly, tactilely, and visually when a display state changes. The digital camera according to claim 3, wherein the opening / closing operation is changed for each type of warning. The said mechanical shutter and said image display means issue the said warning until a release button is operated and photographing is executed or an operation of the release button is released when use conditions are inappropriate. The digital camera according to 3 or 4. When the image is taken by operating the release button in spite of the warning, the obtained image data is erased, or the data is saved or erased. Item 6. The digital camera according to any one of Items 3 to 5. When the release button is operated with the lens barrier that opens and closes to cover the imaging lens being exposed to the outside, the imaging lens that focuses the subject light on the solid-state imaging device is turned off. The digital camera according to claim 3, wherein the digital camera is a digital camera.

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