JP4804121B2 - Digital camera - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital camera having a wireless transmission function for wirelessly transmitting a captured image.

  Some digital cameras have a wireless communication function so that an image captured by the camera can be wirelessly transmitted to an information terminal such as a personal computer using electromagnetic waves. In this type of digital camera, when the wireless communication function is set to ON, electromagnetic waves are always output from the wireless communication unit regardless of the usage status of the user and the setting mode of the digital camera.

  In recent years, SAR (Specific Absorption Rate: specific absorption rate of electromagnetic wave energy applied to a specific part of a human body) is being legalized worldwide. Mobile phones used in the vicinity of the human body and digital cameras with wireless communication functions are also subject to regulation, and measurement tests are mandatory.

In the case of a digital camera with a wireless communication function, when shooting while looking at the monitor, the human head and face are separated from the digital camera, but when shooting while looking through the viewfinder, the human head and face There is concern about the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body due to the proximity to the digital camera.
JP 2005-286627 A

  According to the present invention, when the wireless communication function is turned on, the photographer can be warned when there is a high possibility that the photographer's head and face are close to the digital camera. The purpose is to provide a digital camera.

  In addition, the present invention reduces the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body when the radio communication function is on and the photographer's head and face are likely to be close to the digital camera. An object of the present invention is to provide a digital camera capable of performing the above.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, in a digital camera having a wireless transmission function for wirelessly transmitting a captured image, when the wireless transmission function is set to on, the operation mode is the camera mode and the monitor is turned off. In order to reduce the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body, a warning generation means for generating a warning is provided.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in a digital camera having a wireless transmission function for wirelessly transmitting a captured image, when the wireless transmission function is set to on, the operation mode is a camera mode and the monitor is turned off. And a warning generating means for generating a warning in order to reduce the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body when a manual operation for photographing is being performed.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in a digital camera having a wireless transmission function for wirelessly transmitting a captured image, the digital camera main body is provided near the finder and detects that the human body is close to the digital camera main body. And when the operation mode is the camera mode and the detection means detects that the human body is close to the digital camera body when the detection means for performing the operation and the wireless transmission function are set to ON. In order to reduce the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body, a warning generation means for generating a warning is provided.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the invention according to any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising means for preventing a warning from being generated by the warning generating means when the self-timer is set. Features.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, the warning generating means displays a warning message on the monitor after the monitor is turned on.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in a digital camera having a wireless transmission function for wirelessly transmitting a captured image, when the wireless transmission function is set to on, the operation mode is the camera mode and the monitor is turned off. In this case, the wireless communication mode switching means for switching the wireless communication mode to a mode that reduces the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body is provided.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in a digital camera having a wireless transmission function for wirelessly transmitting a captured image, when the wireless transmission function is set to on, the operation mode is a camera mode and the monitor is turned off. In addition, the wireless communication mode switching means for switching the wireless communication mode to a mode for reducing the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body when a manual operation for photographing is performed is provided.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, in a digital camera having a wireless transmission function for wirelessly transmitting a captured image, the digital camera main body is provided near the finder and detects that the human body is close to the digital camera main body. And when the operation mode is the camera mode and the detection means detects that the human body is close to the digital camera body when the detection means for performing the operation and the wireless transmission function are set to ON. The wireless communication mode switching means for switching the wireless communication mode to a mode that reduces the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body is provided.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the sixth to eighth aspects of the invention, there is provided means for preventing the wireless communication mode from being switched by the wireless communication mode switching means when the self-timer is set. It is characterized by.

  The invention according to claim 10 is the invention according to claims 6 to 9, wherein the wireless communication mode switching means switches the wireless communication mode to a mode with a low wireless output level or a mode with a low transmission rate. It is characterized by.

  The invention according to claim 11 is the invention according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the wireless communication mode switching means switches the wireless system to a wireless system with a low peak output level.

  According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in any of the sixth to ninth aspects of the invention, the wireless communication mode switching means is configured to make the wireless output sleep mode or stop.

  According to the present invention, when the wireless communication function is on, it is possible to urge the photographer to warn when the photographer's head and face are likely to be close to the digital camera. become.

  In addition, according to the present invention, when the wireless communication function is turned on, the possibility that the photographer's head and face are close to the digital camera is reduced. To be able to.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a digital camera with a wireless communication function.

  An output signal from the CCD 1 is sent to the ADC 3 through a preprocessing unit 2 including a CDS (correlated double sampling) circuit and an AGC (automatic gain control) circuit, and becomes a digital signal. This digital signal is sent to the signal processing and image compression circuit 4. In the signal processing and image compression circuit 4, the digital signal is subjected to signal processing such as color separation, gamma correction, and contour compensation, and then subjected to compression processing and recorded on the recording medium 5. A monitor (liquid crystal monitor) 6 displays a captured image or the like. In the playback mode, the image recorded on the recording medium 5 can be displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 6. In this digital camera, the wireless communication unit 7 can also wirelessly communicate a captured image to a personal computer.

  Each part of the digital camera is controlled by the CPU 10. Although not shown, various operation buttons such as a shutter button are connected to the CPU 10. The wireless communication unit 7 is driven when the wireless communication function is set to ON. In addition, this digital camera has a function of setting the monitor 6 to OFF (non-driving state) in order to suppress battery consumption.

  In the first embodiment, when the wireless communication function is set to ON, the CPU 10 performs shooting when the operation mode is the camera mode (shooting mode), the self-timer is not set, and the monitor is turned off. In order to reduce the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body, a warning is issued to the photographer.

  FIG. 2 shows a procedure of electromagnetic wave countermeasure processing executed by the CPU 10 in order to reduce the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body.

  First, it is determined whether or not the wireless communication function is set to ON (step S1). If the wireless communication function is not set to ON, the process returns to step S1.

  If it is determined in step S1 that the wireless communication function is set to ON, it is determined whether the operation mode is the camera mode (shooting mode) or the playback mode (step S2). When the operation mode is the playback mode, the player sees the reproduced image displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 6, and therefore it can be determined that the player's head and face are away from the digital camera, and the process returns to step S1. .

  If it is determined in step S2 that the operation mode is the camera mode, it is determined whether or not a self-timer is set (step S3). When the self-timer is set, that is, when shooting is set to take a few seconds after the shutter is pressed, the photographer's head and face are attached to the digital camera. The close time is determined to be short, and the process returns to step S1.

  If it is determined in step S3 that the self-timer is not set, it is determined whether or not the monitor is off (step S4). If the monitor is on, the photographer is shooting while looking at the monitor, and therefore it can be determined that the photographer's head and face are away from the digital camera, and the process returns to step S1.

  If it is determined in step S4 that the monitor is turned off, it is determined that the photographer's head and face are close to the digital camera because the photographer is shooting through the viewfinder. After forcibly turning on the monitor (step S5), a warning message is displayed on the monitor (step S6). Then, the process returns to step S1. As the warning message, for example, “please shoot with the head away from the camera”, “shoot with the monitor”, etc. are used.

  Instead of displaying the warning message on the monitor, a warning sound may be output, a warning LED may be provided to light or blink the LED, or the warning message may be output as a voice.

  In the second embodiment, when the wireless communication function is set to ON, the CPU 10 (see FIG. 1) is in camera mode (shooting mode), the self-timer is not set, and the monitor is turned off. In this case, it is determined that the photographer is shooting through the viewfinder, and the wireless communication mode is set to a special mode in order to reduce the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body.

  When the wireless communication mode is set to the special mode, the wireless output level is lowered compared to the normal mode. Instead of lowering the wireless output level, the transmission rate may be slowed down, the sleep mode may be forcibly set, or the transmission function may be forcibly stopped.

  Also, since the SAR value is proportional to the peak output level of the radio output, even if the radio system is switched to a system with a low peak output level, or even within the same radio system, the modulation system is switched to a system with a low peak output level. Good.

  Table 1 shows measured values of the wireless peak output level when the wireless system, the modulation system, and the transmission rate are changed in a wireless LAN with a non-modulation output of 10 dBm.

  As an example of switching the wireless system to a system with a low peak output level, switching from IEEE802.11g / 64QAM to IEEE802.11b / BPSK can be considered. As an example of switching the modulation method to a method having a low peak output level even in the same wireless method, when the wireless method is IEEE802.11g, the modulation method is switched from 64QAM to BPSK, or the wireless method is IEEE802.11b. In some cases, the modulation method may be switched from CCK to BPSK.

  FIG. 3 shows a procedure of electromagnetic wave countermeasure processing executed by the CPU 10 in order to reduce the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body.

  When the wireless communication function is switched from the off state to the on state, the wireless communication unit 7 (see FIG. 1) is in the driving state, but the normal mode is set as the wireless communication mode at the start of driving. Shall.

  First, it is determined whether or not the wireless communication function is turned on (step S11). If the wireless communication function is not set to ON, the process returns to step S11.

  If it is determined in step S11 that the wireless communication function is set to ON, it is determined whether the operation mode is the camera mode (shooting mode) or the playback mode (step S12). If the operation mode is the playback mode, the wireless communication mode is set to the normal mode (step S16), and the process returns to step S11.

  If it is determined in step S12 that the operation mode is the camera mode, it is determined whether or not a self-timer is set (step S13). If the self-timer is set, the wireless communication mode is set to the normal mode (step S16), and the process returns to step S11.

  If it is determined in step S13 that the self-timer is not set, it is determined whether or not the monitor is off (step S14). If the monitor is on, the wireless communication mode is set to the normal mode (step S16), and the process returns to step S11.

  If it is determined in step S14 that the monitor is turned off, it is determined that the photographer's head and face are close to the digital camera because the photographer is shooting through the viewfinder. After setting the wireless communication mode to the special mode (step S15), the process returns to step S11.

  In the third embodiment, when the wireless communication function is set to ON, the CPU 10 (see FIG. 1) operates in the camera mode (shooting mode), the self-timer is not set, and the monitor is turned off. And when a manual operation for shooting (zoom wide operation, focus operation, iris operation or shutter operation) is being performed, it is determined that the photographer is shooting through the viewfinder, and the electromagnetic wave is applied to the human body. In order to reduce the influence of the camera, a warning is issued to the photographer.

  FIG. 4 shows a procedure of electromagnetic wave countermeasure processing executed by the CPU 10 in order to reduce the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body.

  First, it is determined whether or not the wireless communication function is turned on (step S21). If the wireless communication function is not set to ON, the process returns to step S21.

  If it is determined in step S21 that the wireless communication function is set to ON, it is determined whether the operation mode is a camera mode (shooting mode) or a playback mode (step S22). If the operation mode is the playback mode, the process returns to step S21.

  If it is determined in step S22 that the operation mode is the camera mode, it is determined whether or not a self-timer is set (step S23). If the self-timer is set, the process returns to step S21.

  If it is determined in step S23 that the self-timer is not set, it is determined whether or not the monitor is off (step S24). If the monitor is on, the process returns to step S21.

  If it is determined in step S24 that the monitor is off, whether a manual operation for shooting (zoom wide operation, focus operation, iris operation or shutter operation) is being performed (operating) It is determined whether or not (step S25). When manual operation for photographing is not performed, the process returns to step S21.

  If it is determined in step S25 that the manual operation for photographing is being performed, the photographer is photographing through the viewfinder, so the photographer's head and face are digital cameras. Is determined to be close to the monitor, the monitor is forcibly turned on (step S26), and a warning message is displayed on the monitor (step S27). Then, the process returns to step S21. As the warning message, for example, “please shoot with the head away from the camera”, “shoot with the monitor”, etc. are used.

  Instead of displaying the warning message on the monitor, a warning sound may be output, a warning LED may be provided to light or blink the LED, or the warning message may be output as a voice.

  In the fourth embodiment, when the wireless communication function is set to ON, the CPU 10 (see FIG. 1) operates in the camera mode (shooting mode), the self-timer is not set, and the monitor is turned OFF. And when a manual operation for shooting (zoom wide operation, focus operation, iris operation or shutter operation) is being performed, it is determined that the photographer is shooting through the viewfinder, and the electromagnetic wave is applied to the human body. In order to reduce the influence of the wireless communication mode, the wireless communication mode is set to special mode. The special mode of the wireless communication mode is the same as that described in the second embodiment.

  FIG. 5 shows a procedure of electromagnetic wave countermeasure processing executed by the CPU 10 in order to reduce the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body.

  When the wireless communication function is switched from the off state to the on state, the wireless communication unit 7 (see FIG. 1) is in the driving state, but the normal mode is set as the wireless communication mode at the start of driving. Shall.

  First, it is determined whether or not the wireless communication function is set to ON (step S31). If the wireless communication function is not set to ON, the process returns to step S31.

  If it is determined in step S31 that the wireless communication function is set to ON, it is determined whether the operation mode is a camera mode (shooting mode) or a playback mode (step S32). If the operation mode is the playback mode, the wireless communication mode is set to the normal mode (step S37), and the process returns to step S31.

  If it is determined in step S32 that the operation mode is the camera mode, it is determined whether or not a self-timer is set (step S33). If the self-timer is set, the wireless communication mode is set to the normal mode (step S37), and the process returns to step S31.

  If it is determined in step S33 that the self-timer is not set, it is determined whether or not the monitor is off (step S34). If the monitor is on, the wireless communication mode is set to the normal mode (step S37), and the process returns to step S31.

  If it is determined in step S34 that the monitor is off, whether a manual operation for shooting (zoom wide operation, focus operation, iris operation or shutter operation) is being performed (during operation) It is determined whether or not (step S35). When manual operation for photographing is not performed, the wireless communication mode is set to the normal mode (step S37), and the process returns to step S31.

  If it is determined in step S35 that a manual operation for photographing is being performed, the photographer is photographing through the viewfinder, so the photographer's head and face are digital cameras. After determining that the wireless communication mode is close to the wireless communication mode and setting the wireless communication mode to the special mode (step S36), the process returns to step S31.

  In the fifth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, an optical proximity sensor 102 for detecting the proximity of a human body is provided near the viewfinder 101 of the digital camera 100. As shown in FIG. 7, the optical proximity sensor 102 includes a light emitting unit 102a and a light receiving unit 102b. The light emitted from the light emitting unit 102a is reflected by the photographer 200 who is photographing with the eyes close to the viewfinder 101, and enters the light receiving unit 102b. The light receiving unit 102b converts an optical signal into an electrical signal. The signal output from the light receiving unit 102 b is amplified by the amplifier 103 and then sent to the comparator 104.

  The comparator 104 compares the input voltage from the amplifier 103 with a preset reference voltage, and outputs a signal corresponding to the comparison result. For example, the reference voltage is set to a value that can determine whether the distance between the sensor 102 and the photographer is within 1 cm or more. For example, the comparator 104 outputs an H level determination signal when the distance between the sensor 102 and the photographer is within 1 cm, and the L level when the distance between the sensor 102 and the photographer exceeds 1 cm. Outputs a judgment signal.

  The determination signal output from the comparator 104 is sent to the CPU 10 (see FIG. 1). The CPU 10 determines that the human body is close to the camera when the determination signal output from the comparator 104 is at the H level, and the human body is close to the camera when the determination signal is at the L level. It is determined that it is not. Hereinafter, the case where the determination signal output from the comparator 104 is at the H level is referred to as the case where the optical proximity sensor 102 detects that the human body is close to the camera.

  In the fifth embodiment, when the wireless communication function is set to ON, the CPU 10 (see FIG. 1) operates in the camera mode (shooting mode), the self-timer is not set, and the optical proximity When it is detected by the sensor 102 that the human body is close to the camera, it is determined that the photographer is taking a picture through the viewfinder, and in order to reduce the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body, A warning is issued to the person.

  FIG. 8 shows a procedure of electromagnetic wave countermeasure processing executed by the CPU 10 in order to reduce the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body.

  First, it is determined whether or not the wireless communication function is set to ON (step S41). If the wireless communication function is not set to ON, the process returns to step S41.

  If it is determined in step S41 that the wireless communication function is set to ON, it is determined whether the operation mode is a camera mode (shooting mode) or a playback mode (step S42). If the operation mode is the playback mode, the process returns to step S41.

  If it is determined in step S42 that the operation mode is the camera mode, it is determined whether or not a self-timer is set (step S43). If the self-timer is set, the process returns to step S41.

  If it is determined in step S43 that the self-timer has not been set, it is determined whether or not the optical proximity sensor 102 has detected that the human body is close to the camera (step S44). If it is not detected by the optical proximity sensor 102 that the human body is close to the camera, the process returns to step S41.

  If it is determined in step S44 that the optical proximity sensor 102 detects that the human body is close to the camera, it is determined whether the monitor is on (step S45). If the monitor is on, a warning message is displayed on the monitor (step S47). If the monitor is off in step S45, the monitor is forcibly turned on (step S46), and then a warning message is displayed on the monitor (step S47). Then, the process returns to step S41. As the warning message, for example, “please shoot with the head away from the camera”, “shoot with the monitor”, etc. are used.

  Instead of displaying the warning message on the monitor, a warning sound may be output, a warning LED may be provided to light or blink the LED, or the warning message may be output as a voice.

  In the sixth embodiment, as in the fifth embodiment, an optical proximity sensor 102 for detecting the proximity of a human body is provided near the viewfinder 101 of the digital camera 100.

  In the sixth embodiment, when the wireless communication function is set to ON, the CPU 10 (see FIG. 1) has the operation mode set to the camera mode (shooting mode), the self-timer is not set, and the optical proximity When it is detected that the photographer is close to the camera by the sensor 102, it is determined that the photographer is photographing through the viewfinder, and wireless communication is performed to reduce the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body. Set the communication mode to the special mode. The special mode of the wireless communication mode is the same as that described in the second embodiment.

  FIG. 9 shows a procedure of electromagnetic wave countermeasure processing executed by the CPU 10 in order to reduce the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body.

  When the wireless communication function is switched from the off state to the on state, the wireless communication unit 7 (see FIG. 1) is in the driving state, but the normal mode is set as the wireless communication mode at the start of driving. Shall.

  First, it is determined whether or not the wireless communication function is turned on (step S51). If the wireless communication function is not set to ON, the process returns to step S51.

  If it is determined in step S51 that the wireless communication function is set to ON, it is determined whether the operation mode is a camera mode (shooting mode) or a playback mode (step S52). If the operation mode is the playback mode, the wireless communication mode is set to the normal mode (step S56), and the process returns to step S51.

  If it is determined in step S52 that the operation mode is the camera mode, it is determined whether or not a self-timer is set (step S53). If the self-timer is set, the wireless communication mode is set to the normal mode (step S56), and the process returns to step S51.

  If it is determined in step S53 that the self-timer is not set, it is determined whether or not the optical proximity sensor 102 detects that the human body is in proximity to the camera (step S54). If it is not detected by the optical proximity sensor 102 that the human body is close to the camera, the wireless communication mode is set to the normal mode (step S56), and the process returns to step S51.

  If it is determined in step S54 that the optical proximity sensor 102 has detected that the human body is close to the camera, the photographer is taking a picture through the viewfinder. After determining that the face and face are close to the digital camera and setting the wireless communication mode to the special mode (step S55), the process returns to step S51.

It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the digital camera with a wireless communication function. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of electromagnetic wave countermeasure processing in the first embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of electromagnetic wave countermeasure processing in the second embodiment. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of electromagnetic wave countermeasure processing in the third embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of electromagnetic wave countermeasure processing according to a fourth embodiment. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an optical proximity sensor 102 provided near a viewfinder 101 of the digital camera 100. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the comparator 104 into which the amplifier 103 into which the output of the optical proximity sensor 102 is input, and the output of the amplifier 103 is input. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of electromagnetic wave countermeasure processing according to a fifth embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of electromagnetic wave countermeasure processing according to a sixth embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1 CCD
2 Pre-processing unit 3 ADC
4 signal processing and image compression circuit 5 recording medium 6 monitor 7 wireless communication unit 10 CPU
102 Optical proximity sensor

Claims (11)

In a digital camera having a wireless transmission function for wirelessly transmitting a captured image, when the wireless transmission function is set to ON, when the operation mode is the camera mode and the monitor is OFF, the electromagnetic wave is transmitted to the human body. A digital camera comprising a warning generating means for generating a warning in order to reduce the influence of the camera. In a digital camera with a wireless transmission function that wirelessly transmits captured images, when the wireless transmission function is set to on, the operation mode is camera mode, the monitor is off, and manual operation for shooting A digital camera comprising warning generation means for generating a warning in order to reduce the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body when the operation is performed. In a digital camera equipped with a wireless transmission function for wirelessly transmitting captured images,
When the digital camera body is located near the viewfinder and the detection means for detecting that the human body is close to the digital camera body and the wireless transmission function is set to ON, the operation mode is camera mode. Warning generating means for generating a warning to reduce the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body when the detection means detects that the human body is close to the digital camera body,
A digital camera characterized by comprising: When the self-timer is set, the digital camera according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that generation of the warning by a warning generating means includes means to prevent done. Warning generation means, after turning on the monitor, a digital camera according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that to display a warning message on the monitor. In a digital camera having a wireless transmission function for wirelessly transmitting a captured image, when the wireless transmission function is set to ON, the wireless communication mode is set to electromagnetic wave when the operation mode is the camera mode and the monitor is OFF. A digital camera comprising wireless communication mode switching means for switching to a mode that reduces the influence on the human body. In a digital camera with a wireless transmission function that wirelessly transmits captured images, when the wireless transmission function is set to on, the operation mode is camera mode, the monitor is off, and manual operation for shooting A digital camera comprising a wireless communication mode switching means for switching the wireless communication mode to a mode for reducing the influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body when the operation is performed. In a digital camera equipped with a wireless transmission function for wirelessly transmitting captured images,
When the digital camera main body is located near the viewfinder and the optical proximity sensor for detecting that the human body is close to the digital camera main body and the wireless transmission function are set to ON, the operation mode is Wireless communication mode switching means for switching the wireless communication mode to a mode with a low transmission rate when the camera mode is detected and the human proximity to the digital camera body is detected by the optical proximity sensor ,
A digital camera characterized by comprising: When the self-timer is set, the digital camera according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that it comprises a means for so is not performed switching the wireless communication mode according to the wireless communication mode switching means . In a digital camera equipped with a wireless transmission function for wirelessly transmitting captured images,
An optical proximity sensor for detecting that the human body is close to the digital camera body, and provided near the viewfinder in the digital camera body; and
When the wireless transmission function is set to ON, the wireless method is peaked when the operation mode is the camera mode and the optical proximity sensor detects that the human body is close to the digital camera body. Wireless communication mode switching means for switching to a wireless system with a low output level,
A digital camera characterized by comprising: In a digital camera equipped with a wireless transmission function for wirelessly transmitting captured images,
An optical proximity sensor for detecting that the human body is close to the digital camera body, and provided near the viewfinder in the digital camera body; and
When the wireless transmission function is set to ON, the wireless output is set to sleep when the operation mode is the camera mode and the optical proximity sensor detects that the human body is close to the digital camera body. Mode or means to stop,
A digital camera characterized by comprising:

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