JP2637713B2 - Camera and camera system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera and a camera system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a photographer cannot keep close to a subject, for example, when taking a picture at a fashion show, or taking pictures intermittently for a certain time to observe the ecology of animals. There are known imaging devices that can capture images in combination with a remote control (hereinafter, referred to as a remote control) device, even in such a state.

[0003]

However, in this type of photographing apparatus, there is an inconvenience that the photographed image of the camera cannot be seen when the user moves away from the camera body and performs remote control operation. (Purpose of the Invention) The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances described above,
An object of the present invention is to provide a camera and a camera system that allow a user to confirm a captured image of a camera even when the user performs remote control operation away from the camera body.

[0004]

[0005]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an image signal is transmitted to a display device separated from a camera body in response to being set to a remote control mode. And a camera having transmitting means for transmitting an image corresponding to the image signal on the display device. Also, the present invention provides a transmitting means on the camera body side for transmitting an image signal in response to setting the remote control mode, a receiving means for receiving an image signal transmitted from the transmitting means, and the receiving means. And a display system for displaying an image corresponding to the image signal received by the camera system, the display system being separated from the camera body.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a camera, 2 is a release button on the camera body side, 3 is an LCD display section on which an image is displayed by a finder, 4
Is a remote control mode setting lever, 5 is a light receiving element for receiving infrared light, 6 is a finder window having an objective lens LND for forming a finder image on a CCD described later,
7 is a transmitting device, 8 is a release button on the transmitting device side, 9 is an LCD display section for displaying a finder image sent from the camera body, 10 is a receiving antenna, and 11 is that the release button 8 is operated. Is a light emitting element that emits infrared light as a remote control signal. Reference numeral 30 denotes a photometric element for exposure control, and 31 denotes a display LCD for displaying an exposure value based on a photometric output of the photometric element 30, for example, a shutter time and an aperture value.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example for implementing the present invention. In the camera 1, an objective lens LND
A CCD 12 for outputting a finder image formed by the CCD as an image signal in time series, a signal processing circuit 13 for converting a signal from the CCD 12 into an image signal, and the signal processing circuit 13
A transmitter circuit 14 for transmitting a signal to the transmitting device 7, a release switch 15 that is turned on when the release button 2 is pressed, and release signal generation circuits 16 and 1.
7, a continuous switch 18 that switches according to the up and down position of the remote control mode setting lever 4, an LCD driver 19, and a shutter control circuit 21 that controls a shutter 20.

An exposure control circuit 32 calculates the shutter time and / or the aperture value based on the output to the photometric element 30. An exposure control member (not shown) controls the exposure control circuit in accordance with the output of the circuit. Is done. Reference numeral 33 denotes a driver of the LCD 31 which displays shooting information such as a shutter time or an aperture value calculated by the exposure control circuit 32.

The transmitting device 7 includes a receiving circuit 22 for receiving a signal input via the receiving antenna 10 and a signal processing circuit 2 for converting a signal from the receiving circuit 22 into an image signal.
3, an LCD driver 24, a switch 25 that is turned on by pressing the release button 8, and a drive circuit 26 for the light emitting element 11.

Next, the operation will be described. First, the case of performing a remote control release will be described. When the remote control mode setting lever 4 is slid upward, the interlock switch 18 is switched to the state shown in FIG. As a result, the image signal output from the signal processing circuit 13 is transmitted to the transmitting device 7 via the transmitter circuit 14 and the transmitting antenna 27,
Since the output of the signal processing circuit 13 is not transmitted to the driver 19, the operations of the LCD drivers 19 and 33 are stopped. The display on the LCDs 3 and 31 also stops. Therefore, useless power consumption can be prevented.

A signal transmitted from the camera 1 is received by a receiving circuit 22 via a receiving antenna 10.
The signal is converted into an image signal again by the signal processing circuit 23, and L
The finder image is displayed on the LCD via the CD driver 24.
Displayed on the display unit 9. The photographer is like this
The composition is determined while looking at the finder image displayed on the D display unit 9. When the composition is determined and the release button 8 is pressed with the light emitting element 11 of the transmitting device 7 directed toward the light receiving element 5 of the camera 1 in the state described above, the switch 25 is turned on and the driver circuit 26 is turned on. In operation, infrared light is projected from the light emitting element 11 and the light is received by the light receiving element 5. Then, a release signal is generated in the release signal generation circuit 17, and the shutter control circuit 21 operates to start a series of photographing operations.

In such a state, even if the release button 2 on the camera body is inadvertently pressed, the switch 15 is turned on and the release signal is generated in the release signal generation circuit 16, as described above. Since the continuous switch 18 is switched to the state shown in FIG. 2, the release signal is not transmitted to the shutter control circuit 21, and there is no inconvenience that the photographer does not intend to take a picture.

At the time of normal photographing, the remote control mode setting lever 4 is slid downward (the state shown in FIG. 1), so that the continuous switch 18 is switched to the state shown in FIG. It is possible to perform release. In this case, since the image signal output from the signal processing circuit 13 is input to the LCD driver 19, the finder image is displayed on the LCD display unit 3 of the camera 1 and the photographer is displayed on the LCD display unit 3. The composition is determined while looking at the viewfinder image.

Further, an exposure control circuit 32 and an exposure value display LCD driver 33 are connected in accordance with the state of the continuous switch 18, so that an exposure value such as a shutter time or an aperture value is displayed on the LCD 31. You can shoot while you.

In the above-described embodiment, the receiving antenna 10 and the receiving circuit 22 serve as receiving means of the present invention, and the LCD display unit 9, the signal processing circuit 23 and the LCD driver 24 serve as displaying means of the present invention, and the transmitter circuit 14 and the The transmitting antennas 27 correspond to the transmitting means of the present invention, respectively, but the present invention is not limited to these and, needless to say, may take other embodiments.

In this embodiment, the subject image displayed on the LCD 3 and the exposure value displayed on the LCD 31 both correspond to the photographing information of the present invention, but may be other information.

According to the above-described embodiment, the power consumption is suppressed by switching the remote control setting lever 4 to the remote control mode so as to stop the display on the LCD 3 and the LCD 31, thereby saving power. If set, the display may not be stopped, and the driving frequency of the LCD may be reduced to save power.

Further, in the remote control mode, the display state may be controlled so as to enlarge the photographing information such as the exposure value displayed on the LCD 31 so that the photographing information can be easily viewed even when the user is far away. Further, a display indicating the remote control mode, for example, a character such as "remote control" may be displayed on the LCD 3 or 31.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, the image state of the camera can be confirmed even when the user is away from the camera body and remote-controlled.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the same.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Release button 3, 31 LCD display unit 4 Remote control mode setting lever 5 Light receiving element 16, 17 Release signal generation circuit 18 Continuous switch

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Hideo Inogari 770 Shimonoge, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan Tamagawa Office (72) Inventor Makoto Miyawaki 770 Shimonoge, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Takushi Ikeda 770 Shimonoge, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside the Tamagawa Office of Canon Inc. (56) References JP-A-48-33820 (JP, A) JP-A-60-205432 (JP, A) 58-45526 (JP, U)

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] An image signal is transmitted to a display device separated from a camera body in response to setting of a remote control mode, and the display device displays an image corresponding to the image signal. A camera comprising means. 2. A transmitting means on a camera body side for transmitting an image signal in response to setting to a remote control mode, a receiving means for receiving an image signal transmitted from the transmitting means, and the receiving means. A camera system, comprising: display means for displaying an image corresponding to a received image signal, the display means being separate from the camera body.