Digital Camera Patent Abstract
A digital camera stores image data, which represent object images
captured via a taking lens and a charge coupled device, in a built-in
memory, which is provided in a camera body and which is able to
store image data of plural object images. When the built-in memory
is filled with the image data, a memory card is inserted into a
card slot so that the memory card connects to a card connector,
and then the image data stored in the built-in memory are automatically
transferred to the memory card. In this case, more than 1/3 of the
memory card in the insertional direction is exposed, and hence the
camera can be small-sized without being restricted by standards
of the memory card. Digital Camera Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A digital camera for capturing images, comprising:
a camera body;
a built-in memory for storing image data representing captured
images, said built-in memory being provided in said camera body;
a detachable memory card for storing image data, said detachable
memory card having a larger storage capacity than said built-in
memory;
a card slot for receiving said detachable memory card, said card
slot being provided in said camera body;
a connector for connecting with said detachable memory card, said
connector being arranged in said card slot; and
memory control means for transferring image data from said built-in
memory to said detachable memory card,
wherein said detachable memory card is for attachment when the
digital camera is not being used to capture images and is detached
when the digital camera is being used to capture images and when
said detachable memory card is inserted into said card slot and
connects to said connector, more than 1/3 of said detachable memory
card is exposed in an insertional direction of said detachable memory
card.
2. The digital camera as defined in claim 1, further comprising
detecting means for detecting that said connector connects with
said detachable memory card, and wherein when said detecting means
detects that said connector connects with said detachable memory
card, said memory control means automatically transfers the image
data stored in said built-in memory to said detachable memory card
and initializes said built-in memory to allow for new image capturing.
3. The digital camera as defined in claim 1, wherein said camera
body the insertional direction of said detachable memory card is
shorter than said detachable memory card in the insertional direction
of said detachable memory card.
4. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein when said detachable
memory card is inserted into said card slot and connects to said
connector, said detachable memory card is partially exposed so that
a user can grasp said detachable memory card by the exposed part
to remove said detachable memory card from said camera body.
5. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein a part for guiding said
detachable memory card in said card slot is shorter than 2/3 of
a length of said detachable memory card in the insertional direction
of said detachable memory card.
6. A digital camera for capturing images, comprising:
a camera body;
a built-in memory for storing image data representing captured
images, said built-in memory being provided in said camera body;
a detachable memory card for storing image data, said detachable
memory card having a larger storage capacity than said built-in
memory;
a card slot for receiving said detachable memory card, s aid card
slot being provided in said camera body;
a connector for connecting with said detachable memory card, said
connector being arranged in said card slot; and
memory control means for transferring image data from said builtin
memory to said detachable memory card,
wherein said detachable memory card is mainly for attachment when
the digital camera is not being used to capture images and is normally
detached when the digital camera is being used to capture images,
with the digital camera being usable to capture images when the
detachable memory card is both attached and detached, and wherein
when said detachable memory card is inserted into said card slot
and connects to said connector, more than 1/3 of said detachable
memory card is exposed in an insertional direction of said detachable
memory card.
7. The digital camera as defined in claim 6, further comprising
detecting means for detecting that said connector connects with
said detachable memory card, and wherein when said detecting means
detects that said connector connects with said detachable memory
card, said memory control means automatically transfers the image
data stored in said built-in memory to said detachable memory card
and initializes said built-in memory to allow for new image capturing.
8. The digital camera as defined in claim 6, wherein said camera
body, in an insertional direction of said detachable memory card,
is shorter than said detachable memory card in the insertional direction
of said detachable memory card.
9. The digital camera as defined in claim 6, wherein when said
detachable memory card is inserted into said card slot and connects
to said connector, said detachable memory card is partially exposed
so that a user can grasp said detachable memory card by the exposed
part to remove said detachable memory card from said camera body.
10. The digital camera as defined in claim 6, wherein a part for
guiding said detachable memory card in said card slot is shorter
than 2/3 of a length of said detachable memory card in the insertional
direction of said detachable memory card.
Digital Camera Patent Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a digital camera, and
more particularly to a digital camera which is provided with a built-in
memory for storing image data of plural images.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are two types of conventional digital cameras: in one type,
image data representing object images, which are captured via a
taking lens and an image pickup device, are stored in a built-in
memory. In the other type, image data are stored in an external
memory such as a memory card which is inserted and pulled out from
the camera body.
In the above-stated conventional digital cameras, the built-in
memory and the external memory must have a large capacity in order
to increase the number of capturing images. If the built-in memory
has a large capacity, the built-in memory is large-sized and high-priced.
Thus, the camera is large-sized and high-priced. For this reason,
there is a problem in that the digital camera which uses the built-in
memory cannot increase the number of capturing images. In order
to transfer the image data from the built-in memory to a personal
computer, etc., the digital camera must be connected to the personal
computer via an interface cable in a complicated manner.
On the other hand, in the case of the digital camera which uses
a memory card in accordance with the standards of the Personal Computer
Memory Card International Association (a PCMCIA card) for example,
which is ordinarily used in a laptop computer, etc., the camera
body must be provided with a card slot, which houses the memory
card. Thus, the camera cannot be very small.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed in view of the above-described
circumstances, and has as its object the provision of a digital
camera which not only uses an external memory such as a memory card,
which can also be small-sized without being restricted by the size
of the external memory and which can further easily increase the
number of capturing images.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a digital camera
of the present invention, which captures object images via a taking
lens and an image pickup device, comprises: a camera body; a built-in
memory for storing image data representing captured object images,
which built-in memory is provided in the camera body; a detachable
memory card for storing the image data, which memory card has a
larger capacity than the built-in memory; a card slot for receiving
the memory card, which card slot is provided on the camera body;
a connector for connecting with the memory card, which connector
is arranged at an internal end of the card slot; a memory control
means for transferring the image data from the built-in memory to
the memory card; and in the digital camera of the present invention,
when the memory card is inserted into the card slot and connects
to the connector, the memory card is partially exposed.
That is, according to the present invention, there is no need to
use the memory card during the photographing. Thus, the camera can
be small-sized without being restricted by standards of the memory
card. If the built-in memory is filled with the image data, the
memory card is connected to the connector so that the image data
stored in the built-in memory can be transferred to the memory card.
Thus, the capacity of the built-in memory does not restrict the
number of capturing images.
Moreover, the digital camera of the present invention further comprises:
a detecting means for detecting that the connector connects with
an external memory such as a memory card; a memory control means
for transferring the image data from the built-in memory to the
external memory; and in the digital camera of the present invention,
when the detecting means detects that the connector connects with
the external memory, the memory control means transfers the image
data stored in the built-in memory to the external memory and initializes
the built-in memory to allow new capturing. That is, if the built-in
memory is filled with the image data, the image data can automatically
be transferred from the built-in memory to the external memory only
by connecting the external memory in the connector. Then, the built-in
memory is automatically initialized, and thus new image data can
be stored in the built-in memory. Since the transfer of the image
data and the initialization of the built-in memory are automatically
performed, the complicated operations are not required for the transfer
of the image data and the initialization of the built-in memory.
Moreover, the important image data can be prevented from being lost
by the incorrect operation.
These and other objects of the present application will become
more readily apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter.
However, it should be understood that the detailed description and
specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the
invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various
changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention
will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed
description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The nature of this invention, as well as other objects and advantages
thereof, will be explained in the following with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate
the same or similar parts throughout the figures and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a view illustrating an embodiment for the digital camera
according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a view illustrating the digital camera in FIG. 1 when
a memory card is mounted;
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the digital camera in
FIG. 1, including a card slot;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the inner construction of
the digital camera in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a view illustrating another embodiment for the digital
camera according to the present invention; and
FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a camera substrate of the digital
camera in FIG. 5, including a card connector, etc.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an embodiment for a digital camera according
to the present invention. In FIG. 1, a detachable memory card 12,
such as a PCMCIA card, has not yet been inserted in a digital camera
10. In FIG. 2, the memory card 12 has already been inserted in the
digital camera 10. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the
digital camera 10 including a card slot 14.
As illustrated in the drawings, the digital camera 10 is provided
with the card slot 14 on the side thereof. The card slot 14 receives
a part (about 1/4 of the memory card 12 in an insertion direction
shown with an arrow in FIG. 1) of the memory card 12.
As shown in FIG. 3, a card connector 16, which connects with the
memory card 12, is arranged at the inner end of the card slot 14.
The card connector 16 is mounted on a camera substrate 18, on which
a built-in memory and a variety of circuits are mounted.
The digital camera 10 is small-sized as is clear from the comparison
with the memory card 12. During the photographing, the memory card
12 is not mounted on the camera 10. Image data, which are captured
during the photographing, are stored in a built-in memory, which
will be described later. When the built-in memory is filled with
the image data, the memory card 12 is connected to the card connector
16 via the card slot 14 so that the image data can be transferred
from the built-in memory to the memory card 12.
In FIG. 1, 20 is a taking lens, 22 is a finder, 24 is a strobe
light, and 26 is a shutter release button.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the inner construction of
the digital camera 10 shown in FIG. 1. When the shutter release
button 26 (see FIG. 1) is pressed, an object image, which is formed
on a light-receiving surface of a charge coupled device (CCD) 30
via the taking lens 20, is photoelectrically transduced to electric
signals. Each signal is then sequentially read out as a CCD output
signal by a driving pulse, which is supplied by a CCD driver 38.
The CCD output signals are sent to an analog processing circuit
32, which includes a CDS cramp circuit, a gain adjusting circuit,
a color balance adjusting circuit, etc. After the CCD output signals
are analog-processed, the CCD output signals are converted into
digital signals by an A/D converter 34, and the converted digital
signals are output to a digital image processing circuit 36. According
to timing signals, which are supplied by a timing generator 40,
the driving pulses are output from the CCD driver 38, and the analog
processing circuit 32, the A/D converter 34, etc. are synchronized.
The digital image processing circuit 36 includes a luminance signal
generating circuit, a color difference signal generating circuit,
a gamma correcting circuit, a data compressing circuit, etc. The
digital image processing circuit 36 outputs the image data, which
have been processed in the above-mentioned circuits, to the built-in
memory 42 (e.g. a flash memory built in the camera 10). The image
data are stored in the built-in memory 42 under the control of a
memory control circuit 44. The built-in memory 42 has a capacity
for storing the image data of plural capturing images (e.g. from
ten to dozens). The memory card 12 has a larger capacity (e.g. from
forty to one hundred of images) than the built-in memory 42.
A system control circuit 46 unites and controls the circuits in
the camera 10. The system control circuit 46 controls the photographing
(capturing) of images in accordance with signals from an operated
unit 48 including the shutter release button 26. It further controls
a liquid crystal display unit (LCD) 50 to display the number of
captured images, etc. and controls the strobe light control circuit
52 to control the emission of the strobe light 24. Finally, it controls
writing/reading the image data in/out the built-in memory 42 via
the memory control circuit 44 and controls the transfer of the image
data when the memory card 12 is inserted as described later, and
the like.
Next, an explanation will be given about the operation of the digital
camera 10.
As stated previously, the digital camera 10 is used during the
photographing in such a state that the memory card 12 is not inserted
into the card slot 14. The image data, which are captured in each
photographing, are stored in the built-in memory 42. The system
control circuit 46 makes the LCD 50 display the number of captured
images stored in the built-in memory 42, and when the built-in memory
42 is filled with the image data, the system control circuit 46
makes the LCD 50 indicate such (to that effect).
When the built-in memory 42 is filled with the image data, or when
the image data stored in the built-in memory 42 are input to a laptop
computer, etc., the memory card 12 is inserted into the card slot
14 so that the memory card 12 can be connected to the card connector
16 (see FIG. 2). The system control circuit 46 is able to detect
whether the card connector 16 has connected with the memory card
12 or not, for example, according to information from a specific
terminal pin of the card connector 16. When the system control circuit
46 detects that the card connector 16 connects with the memory card
12, the system control circuit 46 reads out the image data from
the built-in memory 42 via the memory control circuit 44, and stores
the readout image data in the memory card 12 via an interface (not
shown) and the card connector 16. After the transfer of the image
data stored in the built-in memory 42 is completed, the system control
circuit 46 clears the built-in memory 42 and initializes the number
of captured images, etc. displayed on the LCD 50, and thus preparing
for the new capturing (photographing).
FIG. 5 is a view illustrating another embodiment for the digital
camera according to the present invention. Parts similar to those
in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a detailed
explanation of them will be omitted.
As shown in FIG. 5, the digital camera 100 is provided with a card
slot 114 such that the insertional direction of the memory card
12 can be parallel to the optical axis of the taking lens 20. Hence,
as shown in FIG. 6, the camera substrate 118, on which the card
connector 116 is mounted, can have a larger mount area than the
camera substrate 18 in FIG. 3.
As is the case in the embodiment described in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3,
the memory card 12 is connected to the card connector 116 and is
inserted into the camera 100 by about 1/4 thereof in the insertional
direction. The present invention, however, is not restricted to
this. At least, the memory card is inserted in such a state that
more than 1/3 thereof in the insertional direction is exposed so
that the user can grasp the memory card by the exposed part with
fingers to pull it out. In these embodiments, the image data output
from the built-in memory are relayed by the memory card; however,
the camera body may be further provided with an NTSC video output
terminal and/or a digital output terminal (e.g. RS-232C).
As set forth hereinabove, according to the digital camera of the
present invention, there is no need to use the memory card during
the photographing. Moreover, the whole memory card does not have
to be housed in the camera body when the image data are transferred
from the built-in memory to the memory card. Hence, a small-sized
camera can be made without being restricted by the standards of
the memory card. The image data are transferred from the built-in
memory to the external memory such as the memory card, etc., and
thus the capacity of the built-in memory can be relatively small.
The built-in memory can be small-sized and low-priced, and the camera
body can also be small-sized, lightweight and low-priced, as a result.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, when the external
memory is connected to the connector of the camera, the transfer
of the image data stored in the built-in memory and the initialization
of the built-in memory are automatically performed. For this reason,
the complicated operations are not required for the transfer of
the image data and the initialization of the built-in memory, and
the important image data can be prevented from being lost by the
incorrect operation.
It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to
limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed, but on the
contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, alternate
constructions and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope
of the invention as expressed in the appended claims. |