JPH11298831A - Electronic camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the perfect moment for a good picture from being missed during printing by permitting photographing by the operation of a release switch even when a printer that is built in or connects to the camera prints out an image. SOLUTION: When a release switch 50 is operated during printing by an internal printer 54 or an external printer 56, a main CPU 30 informs a print consecutive shot CPU 44 of a print interruption command. Thus, the print consecutive shot CPU 44 interrupts tentatively printing by the internal printer 54 or the external printer 56 and opens a memory bus 21. When the memory bus 21 is open, the main CPU 30 conducts photographing processing and recording processing onto a memory card 36 and gives a print restart command to restart printing to the print consecutive shot CPU 44, which restarts printing that has been tentatively interrupted by the internal printer 54 or the external printer 56.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic camera,
In particular, the present invention relates to an electronic camera capable of printing an image with a printer built in or connected to the camera.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been proposed an electronic camera equipped with a printer capable of recording a captured image on a memory card and printing the image with a printer (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-224).
No. 206). The electronic camera described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-224206 records an image on a memory card, particularly when a printer is not ready for printing and there is a memory card, and conversely, the preparation of the printer is completed. When there is no memory card, the printer prints the image, and when the printer is ready and there is a memory card, the image is printed and recorded.

That is, the electronic camera automatically determines the state of the printer and the state of the memory card, performs printing and recording in accordance with these states, and tries to avoid a shutter chance as much as possible.

[0004]

By the way, the electronic camera can print and record an image in a recording mode. In this case, first, a captured image is printed by a printer, and after the printing is completed, the image is printed. Is recorded on a memory card. On the other hand, when the print switch is turned on in the reproduction mode, the image read from the memory card is printed, but in this reproduction mode, photographing cannot be performed.

That is, the electronic camera cannot take a new image during printing with a printer, and misses a photo opportunity during printing. In addition, in recent years, high pixels (100
With an electronic camera capable of capturing an image of 10,000 pixels or more, the printing time is long, and it may take tens of seconds to several minutes. The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an electronic camera that can shoot even during printing with a printer built in or connected to the camera and does not miss a photo opportunity during printing The purpose is to provide.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application forms an image of an image of a subject on a light receiving surface of an image sensor, and forms an image on the light receiving surface of the image sensor. Imaging means for converting an imaged image light into an image signal; recording means for recording an image signal obtained by the imaging means on a recording medium when a shutter release switch is operated; and an image obtained by the imaging means Means for outputting a signal or an image signal read from the recording medium to a printer built in or connected to the camera, and causing the printer to print an image, and when the shutter release switch is operated during printing of an image by the printer. When the printing of the image by the printer is temporarily interrupted and the photographing is permitted, and when the recording of the image signal obtained by the photographing on the recording medium is completed,
Control means for restarting printing.

That is, the electronic camera according to claim 1 of the present invention
The camera is in a photographable state even while a printer built in or connected to the camera is printing an image. When a shutter release switch is operated, printing by the printer is temporarily stopped to permit photographing. Thus, a shutter chance is not missed even during printing. On the other hand, when the recording of the image signal obtained by the photographing is completed while the printing is suspended, the printing is restarted.

By interrupting the printing, no noise occurs during printing and the load on the power supply does not increase, and there is no problem even if the same bus is used for recording and printing. . Further, when the printer temporarily stops printing an image as described in claim 2 of the present application, if the printer is printing a certain line, the controller temporarily stops printing after the printing of the line is completed. Like that. Further, as set forth in claim 3 of the present application, the printer is a color printer that sequentially prints each color image of each color constituting a color image, and the control unit is configured to temporarily stop printing of the image by the color printer. In addition, when the color printer is printing a color image of a certain color, the printer temporarily stops after printing the color image of that color. As described in claim 2 or 3 of the present application, by interrupting printing at a well-divided location, it is possible to prevent adverse effects on image quality due to interruption and restart of printing.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of an electronic camera according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic camera according to the present invention. The electronic camera shown in the figure includes an internal printer 54 built in the camera, and records an image signal obtained by the imaging means on the memory card 36, and outputs an image signal obtained by the imaging means or an image signal read from the memory card 36. The image is output to the printer 54, and the image can be printed by the printer 54.

That is, when the shutter release switch 50 is pressed, the main CPU 30 detects this and the camera C
Sends a command to PU22. The camera CPU 22 performs focus control, photometry, and exposure control, and
Image light of a subject through a solid-state imaging device (CCD) 12
The image is formed on the light receiving surface of. The CCD 12 converts the image light focused on the light receiving surface into signal charges of an amount corresponding to the light amount. The signal charges thus accumulated are sequentially read out as voltage signals (image signals) corresponding to the signal charges based on the clock pulse from the clock generation circuit 24. C
The image signal output from the CD 12 is applied to an analog processing circuit 14, where white balance adjustment and gamma correction are performed. The image signal analog-processed by the analog processing circuit 14 is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 16 and then temporarily stored in the buffer memory 18.

The camera CPU 22 operates the flash control circuit 26 when the subject is dark. The strobe control circuit 26 controls the charging of a main condenser (not shown) and the discharge (light emission) to the xenon tube 28 in synchronization with the operation of the release switch 50 when the subject is dark.
Furthermore, the charge accumulation time (shutter speed) in the CCD 12 is controlled via the clock generation circuit 24. The clock generation circuit 24 includes the CCD 12 and the analog processing circuit 14.
And a clock pulse for driving the A / D converter 16 to synchronize each circuit.

The YC processing circuit 20 converts the image signal in the buffer memory 18 into a YC signal according to a command from the main CPU 30.
Signals (luminance signal Y and chroma signal C)
The signal is stored in the buffer memory 18 again. Thereafter, the main CPU 30 sends a command to the compression / expansion circuit 32, and the compression / expansion circuit 32
8 is compressed, and the compressed image data is recorded on the memory card 36 via the card interface 34.

Next, the printing operation will be described. When the print switch in the operation key 48 is pressed, the main CP
U30 detects this, and transmits a print start command to the print / continuous shooting CPU 44. Print / continuous shooting CPU 44
When the print start command is received, the memory bus 2
Occupy one. Subsequently, the print / continuous shooting CPU 44
The compression / decompression circuit 32 is controlled to read out the compressed image data stored in the memory card 36 via the card interface 34. The read compressed image data is expanded into a YC signal by the compression / expansion circuit 32 and then temporarily stored in the buffer memory 18.

The print / continuous photographing CPU 44 converts the YC signal stored in the buffer memory 18 into RGB data and stores the RGB data in the continuous photograph / print memory 42.
The GB data is output to the printer 54 via the printer interface 46, and the image is printed. At this time, the printer 54 is controlled by the print / continuous shooting CPU 44.

Reference numeral 23 denotes a control bus, 25 denotes a communication bus, 3
Reference numeral 8 denotes a liquid crystal display panel for performing various displays such as a frame number.
Reference numeral 0 denotes a battery that supplies power to each unit in the electronic camera including the internal printer 54. Next, the main CPU 30
The details of the processing will be described. FIG. 2 shows the main CPU 30.
4 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of the control procedure. As shown in the figure, first, the presence or absence of a key input is determined (switch S10), and if there is a key input, it is determined whether or not the release switch 50 is pressed (step S11).

If the release switch 50 is pressed, it is determined by the printer 54 whether an image is being printed (step S12). If the image is not being printed, photographing is performed by operating the release switch 50 (step S12). Step S
13) After compressing the image data captured at the time of shooting, the image data is recorded on the memory card 36 (step S1).
4).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S11 that the release switch 50 has not been pressed, the flow advances to step S1.
In step S5, it is determined whether the print switch has been pressed. If the print switch has been pressed, the main CPU 30 transmits a print start command to the print / continuous shooting CPU 44 via the communication bus 25 (step S16). If it is determined in step S15 that the print switch has not been pressed, it is determined whether or not another key input (for example, an input of a mode setting switch, a calendar setting switch, etc.) has been performed (step S17). A corresponding process is performed (step S18).

Now, the print / continuous shooting CPU 44 will be described with reference to FIG.
When it is determined that a command has been received from the main CPU 30 (step S41), it is determined whether the command is a print start command, a print stop command, or a print start command (steps S42, S43, S4).
4). Now, assuming that a print start command is transmitted from the main CPU 30, the print / continuous shooting CPU 44 first occupies the memory bus 21 (step S45), and then performs a printing process (step S46). That is, as described above, the print / continuous shooting CPU 44
And causes the compressed image data stored in the memory card 36 to be read out through the card interface 34, and the compressed image data is
2 is expanded into a YC signal via the buffer memory 1
8 once. Subsequently, the YC signal stored in the buffer memory 18 is converted into RGB data and stored in the continuous shooting / print memory 42, and the stored RGB data is output to the printer 54 via the printer interface 46 to print an image. Let it.

The printer 54 is, for example, a color printer of a light-fixing type thermal recording system. It has a transport mechanism for transporting the photographic paper on which the coloring layer is formed. When printing a color image, first, the printing paper is conveyed at a constant speed, and the thermal head is adjusted so that the yellow layer has a color density according to the color image within the range of thermal energy at which the yellow layer develops. Then, the yellow color is fixed by the fixing lamp, and the photographic paper is returned to the printing start position. Less than,
Similarly, the magenta layer and the cyan layer of the printing paper are colored and fixed, thereby printing a color image on the printing paper.

When the printing process in step S46 is completed, the memory bus 21 is released (step S47). Next, a case where the release switch is pressed during printing by the printer 54 will be described. Main CP
As shown in FIG. 2, U30 monitors the key input during printing by the printer 54 (step S10). If the release switch is pressed here, the process proceeds to step S11 via step S11 to determine whether or not printing is currently being performed. Is determined. Now
Since printing is being performed by the printer 54, the process proceeds to step S19, and the main CPU 30 transmits a print interruption command to the print / continuous shooting CPU 44 via the communication bus 25.

The print / continuous shooting CPU 44 monitors the command input as shown in FIG.
When the print interruption command is transmitted from the printer, step S43
Then, the processing shifts to step S48 through the step S, and the printing is interrupted. Here, when the printing is interrupted, the printing by the printer 54 may be immediately interrupted, or the printing may be interrupted after the coloring or fixing of the color currently being printed is completed. When interrupting the printing, the print / continuous shooting CPU 44 releases the memory bus 21 (step S4).
9).

When the memory bus 21 is released, the main CPU 30 proceeds from step S19 to step S20. In steps S20 and S21, the release switch 50 is set as in steps S13 and S14 described above.
The image data captured at the time of shooting is compressed, and then recorded on the memory card 36. Thereafter, the main CPU 30 transmits a print restart command to the print / continuous shooting CPU 44 via the communication bus 25 (step S22).

The print / continuous shooting CPU 44 includes a main CP
When the print restart command is transmitted from U30, the process proceeds to step S50 via step S44, and occupies the memory bus 21. Subsequently, the print / continuous shooting CPU 44
Restarts the printing process in the printer 54 that has been temporarily interrupted (step S51).
When the printing process is completed, the memory bus 21 is released (step S52).

In this embodiment, the internal printer 5
Although the description has been given of the electronic camera having the digital camera 4, the present invention can be applied to an electronic camera to which the external printer 56 can be connected. The type of the printer is not limited to the color printer of the light fixing type thermal recording type, but may be another printer such as a sublimation type thermal transfer type printer or an ink jet printer. Further, when printing is temporarily interrupted based on the operation of the shutter switch during printing by a printer that prints one line at a time, it is preferable that the printing be interrupted after printing of the currently printing line is completed.

[0025]

As described above, according to the electronic camera of the present invention, photographing by operating the release switch is permitted even while the printer is printing an image, and when the release switch is operated during printing. In addition, since the printing by the printer is temporarily suspended, the photographing process and the recording process on the recording medium are performed, and then the printing is restarted, a shutter chance is not missed during the printing. In addition, if the release switch is operated during printing, the printing is temporarily interrupted to prevent noise during printing and the load on the power supply from becoming large. The common bus can be used by switching the occupation of the bus between and.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic camera according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of a control procedure of a main CPU shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of a control procedure of a print / continuous shooting CPU shown in FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 optical unit 12 solid-state imaging device (CCD) 18 buffer memory 20 YC processing circuit 22 camera CPU 30 main CPU 32 compression / decompression circuit 34 card interface 36 memory card 40 battery 42 continuous shooting Print memory 44 Print / continuous shooting CPU 46 Printer interface 48 Operation keys 50 Release switch 54 Internal printer 56 External printer

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup means for forming an image of a subject on a light receiving surface of an image sensor, converting the image light formed on the light receiving surface of the image sensor into an image signal, and operating a shutter release switch. Recording means for recording an image signal obtained by the imaging means on a recording medium; and outputting an image signal obtained by the imaging means or an image signal read from the recording medium to a printer built in or connected to the camera. Means for causing the printer to print an image, and when the shutter release switch is operated during printing of the image by the printer, temporarily suspends printing of the image by the printer to permit shooting, and obtains the image by the shooting. Control means for restarting printing when the recording of the image signal on the recording medium is completed. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control unit temporarily suspends printing of an image by the printer, if the printer is printing a line, after printing of the line is completed. The electronic camera according to claim 1. 3. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the printer is a color printer that sequentially prints each color image of each color constituting the color image, and the control unit controls the color printer to temporarily suspend printing of the image by the color printer. 3. The electronic camera according to claim 2, wherein when a color image of a certain color is printed, the printing is temporarily stopped after the printing of the color image of the color is completed.