JPH07109475B2 - Memory backup device for camera - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a memory backup device for a camera.

[Conventional technology]

Currently, in compact cameras, monitoring of shooting modes such as film winding and rewinding, and retention of data such as the number of shots are performed by a microcomputer and a volatile memory (hereinafter referred to as RAM) accessed by the microcomputer. Has become. That is, the microcomputer provided on the body side of the camera performs each processing in accordance with the shooting sequence program written in the ROM, and the progress is temporarily stored in the RAM and rewritten. The sequence continues. In such a camera, drive the shutter,
The power supply battery for driving the film feeding motor is also used as the power supply for storing data in the microcomputer and RAM, so when replacing the battery, the moment the battery is removed Moreover, the data on the RAM will be lost.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, in the camera as described above, the battery replacement is not always performed after the use of the camera is completely completed. That is, it is not uncommon for the battery to be replaced during continuous shooting or during rewinding of the film. Then, when the battery is replaced at such a timing, the battery is once removed, so that the execution of the photographing sequence by the microcomputer is interrupted and the data on the RAM is also erased. Therefore, as a result of the loss of the information on the number of sheets up to which the number of shots has been taken during shooting, it becomes impossible to properly count the number of films after a new battery is loaded.
Also, during film rewinding after shooting,
Normally, each circuit unit is reset to the processing state by removing the battery, so it may not be possible to resume film rewinding after a new battery is loaded. Absent.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and while using a volatile memory for data storage, even if the battery is replaced at any time during use of the camera, An object of the present invention is to provide a memory backup device for a camera, which can surely continue the processing after the interruption after battery replacement.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is equipped with a date module for imprinting shooting date and time data on a film in the latest camera, and this date module is powered by a power supply battery different from the power supply battery built in the camera body main body side. Paying attention to the fact that this is done, a RAM for sequentially holding data of various operations performed by the camera is newly installed on the module side in addition to the RAM provided conventionally. And
In this newly provided RAM, the data to be written in the RAM on the body side is written in parallel or temporarily when the battery is replaced, and the first time the microcomputer is started by the new battery. At this point, the data on the RAM on the data module side is written to the RAM on the body side.

[Action]

According to the above configuration, even if the data on the RAM accessed by the microcomputer is lost when electronic exchange is performed on the camera body, this data is retained on the RAM newly installed on the date module side. Therefore, regardless of the timing of battery replacement, it is possible to reliably restart the process before the interruption based on the data held as described above.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a view of the main body 1 of the compact camera according to the present invention as viewed from the back side. A liquid crystal plate (LCD) 4 for displaying the number of shots is provided on the right side of the finder 3 in the center of the upper part. An LCD 5a for displaying date and time is provided on a back cover 2 which is attached to the main body 1 so as to be openable and closable, and is operated by a date module section 9 (FIG. 3) provided with the back cover 2 as described later. To be done. As shown in FIG. 2, the date module section 9 is provided with a date imprinting LCD 5b for imprinting the shooting date and time from the back side of the film, and displays the same data as the above-mentioned display LCD 5a. The data to be imprinted on the film (date and time)
The buttons 6 and 7 provided on the back surface of the back cover 2 can be used to select whether or not to switch or to imprint, and to adjust the date and time. A film rewind button 27 is provided on the bottom surface of the camera body 1.

FIG. 2 is a view of the half-opened back cover 2 viewed from the open side. The back of the pressure plate 22 attached to the inner surface of the back cover 2,
That is, the date module portion 9 is arranged in a portion which is directly behind the LCD window 5a shown in FIG. This date module 9 has conductive pins 31 when the back cover 2 is closed.
It is electrically connected to the main body 1 side via a and 31a so as to receive a data imprinting signal synchronized with the operation of the shutter. A shutter release button 10 is provided on the upper surface of the camera body 1.

FIG. 3 is a main body electric device for controlling main camera functions centering on the date module 9a provided on the back cover 2 and an MPU (microprocessor unit) 12 provided on the main body 1 side. 1 is a block diagram of a circuit unit 11.

In FIG. 3, the MPU 12 built in the main body 1 side counts the image pickup mechanism of the camera also built in the main body 1 side, that is, the autofocus device 17, the shutter device 18, the film feeding device 19, and the number of photographic films. Sheet counter 2 for
The operation of 0 is controlled, and they are supplied with power from, for example, AA type dry batteries 8 loaded in the main body 1.

A program ROM 21 is connected to the MPU 12. A sequence program for operating the camera is stored in the program ROM 21, and the sequence program is accessed by the MPU 12 to perform a sequence device in the photographing mode or a sequence process in the rewind mode, for example. When these sequence processes are executed, data indicating how many processes have been executed for each operation of each mechanical unit processed as a subroutine, that is, the autofocus device 17, the shutter device 18, etc. is used for sequence program monitoring. Will be written to RAM14 of the. Further, the number counter 20 has a shutter device 18
A count-up signal is output each time, and this count value is displayed on the LCD 4.

An output terminal of a check circuit 28 that monitors the power supply voltage of the dry cell 8 is connected to the MPU 12. This check circuit 28
Detects that the voltage applied to both ends thereof has risen from "0" to a predetermined level, and inputs a data transfer signal to the MPU 12.

The date module section 9 on the side of the case back 2 is a timepiece including a date module 9a which is also composed of an MPU, an LCD 5b for imprinting data, a lighting circuit 24 for driving a light source for imprinting data, a crystal oscillator, etc. A circuit 25 and a RAM 13 additionally provided for monitoring the sequence program are included, which are operated by receiving a power supply from a dedicated lithium battery 15 in addition to the dry battery 8 on the main body 1 side.

The improvement of the above configuration is performed as follows.
First, when the loading of the film cartridge is detected when the back cover 2 is closed, the MPU 12 accesses the program ROM 21 and the sequence program is started in the normal photographing mode. Then, first, the film feeding device 19 is operated to feed the film in the air, and the preparation for photographing is completed.

When the shutter button 10 is pressed to the first stage, the MPU 12 gives an operation command signal to the autofocus device 17 in response to a signal from the release signal generation circuit 16, whereby the autofocus device 17 operates and focus adjustment is performed. When the focus adjustment is completed, the second-step pressing of the shutter button 10 is allowed, and the shutter device 18 is operated by performing the operation to take an image. When the shutter device 18 operates, a date imprinting signal is provided from the MPU 12 to the date module 9a via the communication line 31, and the lighting circuit 24 operates to imprint the data information displayed on the LCD 5b on the film. When the data imprinting is completed, the film feeding device 19 operates to wind the film by one frame,
The number counter 20 is incremented by "1". After that, shooting can be continued in the same manner.

While the normal shooting mode described above is being executed, in addition to the shooting mode being set at the present time, the autofocus device 17, the shutter device 18, the film feeding device are set.
The process in which the routine such as 19, the number of sheets counter 20 is exhausted is written in the RAM 14 as binary data.
The data thus written in the RAM 14 by the MPU 12 is also supplied to the date module 9a via the intersection line 32, and the date module 9a also writes it in the RAM 13. That is, as the data storage memory for monitoring the execution of the sequence program, the RAM 13 accessed by the data module is used together with the RAM 14 accessed by the MPU 12. Moreover, since the RAM 13 also has a number counter area for counting the number of shots, the number of shots information can also be saved.

On the other hand, when the shooting of all the frames of the film loaded in the camera is completed, the sequence program in the shooting mode ends, and the rewind standby state is set. When the rewind button 27 is pressed from this state, the rewind signal generation circuit 26 is sent to the MPU 12.
The start signal is supplied from the program ROM21.
The processing in the rewind mode stored in memory is started, and the film feeding device 19 operates to rewind the film to the cartridge side. When this rewind mode is activated,
Data such as that the rewind mode is set, the film feeding device 19 is operating for rewinding, or the rewinding is completed is sequentially written to both the RAM 14 and the RAM 13. It is something that goes.

By the way, when the dry battery 8 is exhausted during the normal operation such as the shooting mode and the rewind mode and taken out to the dry battery 8 for replacement, the function of the MPU 12 is stopped and read by the RAM 14. The existing information is lost. However, since the electronic circuit on the main body 1 side and the electronic circuit on the back cover 2 side are electrically independent from each other, the date module unit 9 is supplied from the lithium battery 15 and continues to operate normally. Therefore, the clock circuit 25 continues the time counting operation, and the added RAM 13 stores the data written before the function of the MPU 12 is stopped.

Then, when the dry battery 8 is replaced and a new dry battery 8 is connected, the check circuit 28 detects a rise from the voltage "0" to a predetermined voltage and supplies a transfer signal to the MPU 12.

In this way, when the MPU 12 is activated by the predetermined dry battery 8, the MPU 12 receives the transfer signal and the program ROM
The transfer processing program in 21 is first executed to transfer the data stored in the RAM 13 to the RAM 14. As a result, RAM
The data in the state just before the operation of the MPU 12 is stopped will be restored in 14. Then, the MPU 12 restarts the sequence program based on the data restored in the RAM 14, so even if the dry battery 8 is replaced in the middle of film one-frame feeding after shooting, the operation is restarted from the film one-frame feeding. To be done. Of course, at this time, data is written in the number counter 21 according to the number of shots held in the RAM 13. Further, when the dry battery 8 is replaced in the middle of the rewind mode, after the new dry battery 8 is connected, the film rewinding is started.

In the above embodiment, the data writing to the RAM 13 is performed in parallel with the data writing to the RAM 14, but the initial operation at the time of battery replacement, for example, the operation of opening the lid of the battery chamber The data in the RAM 14 may be transferred to the RAM 13 when the operation is performed, and the data may be transferred from the RAM 13 to the RAM 14 again when a new battery is connected.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, in order to successively monitor the imaging sequence, in addition to the volatile memory operated by the power supply on the main body side, the volatile auxiliary memory operated by the dedicated battery on the date module side is provided. It is provided and used as backup memory in case of emergency. Therefore, even if the battery is replaced in any state of the camera without using an expensive non-volatile memory, the camera sequence program such as the identification data of the shooting mode and the rewind mode and the number of film shots can be continued. Since the necessary data can be saved, the sequence program after the interruption can be continued and restarted after the replacement of the battery.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a rear view of a camera body using the present invention. FIG. 2 is an external view showing a state where the back cover of the camera is opened. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. 4 …… Film counter display window 5a …… LCD window 8 …… Dry battery 9 …… Date module section 11 …… Main body electric circuit section 15 …… Lithium battery 31a, 32a …… Conductive pin

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A control circuit which receives power from a power supply battery built in the body of the body for controlling the operation sequence of the camera, and an auxiliary power supply which is different from the power supply battery for imprinting a date on a film. A date module which receives power from the device, a volatile main memory which is accessed by the control circuit and sequentially stores the progress of the operation sequence of the camera, and a date module which is accessed by the date module and simultaneously with the main memory or the power supply battery. A volatile auxiliary memory in which the same information as the information stored in the main memory is written at the time of replacement, and the information stored in the auxiliary memory when a new power battery is connected by replacing the power battery Memory is written in the main memory. Up apparatus.