Electronic camera

Details Electronic camera Electronic camera

1987-05-12

1990-01-30

Hix, L. T.

Facsimile and static presentation processing

Facsimile

Recording apparatus

358906, 360 1011, H04N 576, H04N 5782

Patent

active

048977322

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION

The present invention relates to an electronic camera, that is, a camera for electronically recording an optical image and, more particularly, to an electronic camera having a recording section using a non solid-state memory, such as a disk, as a recording means.


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional electronic camera of this type consists of an image pickup section for converting an optical image into an electrical signal and a disk recording section for electronically or magnetically recording the electrical signal.
Alternatively, an electronic camera of this type has a solid-state memory, instead of a disk recording section, as the recording means, in order to eliminate a drawback.
However, the devices as described above have the following drawbacks.
First, an electronic camera having a disk recording section as a recording means has the following drawbacks:
(1) Since a recording disk and a disk drive for driving the same have predetermined sizes, miniaturization of the entire camera is limited.
(2) A predetermined time interval is required for the rise time of disk rotation when recording of an image is started, and a shutter release opportunity can be lost.
(3) The power consumption required for the disk servo is comparatively large, and disk servo time not contributing to recording is prolonged.
(4) The camera housing must be water- and dust-proofed for the necessity of a disk change, resulting in a high cost.
Meanwhile, an electronic camera using a solid-state memory as a recording means has the following drawbacks:
(1) It is difficult to increase the memory capacity above a predetermined degree, and the maximum number of photographing frames is smaller than that of an electronic camera which uses a disk.
(2) Since cost reduction of the memory is limited, reduction in photographing cost is also limited.
(3) A semiconductor memory requires power to maintain data of a recorded optical image, and it is difficult to reserve it permanently.
(4) If a replaceable memory pack is used to overcome the problem of the limited maximum number of photographing frames, the camera housing must be water- and dust-proofed, resulting in a high cost.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, according to the present invention, an
image pickup section including an image pickup element and a solid-state memory means for recording at least one-frame of image signals from the image pickup element, and an external recording section including a non solid-state memory means are provided separately, and the image pickup section and the external recording section are detachable.


BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the present invention will
be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 shows an outer appearance of the first embodiment;
FIG. 3 shows a flow chart and a waveform chart of the operation of the first embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 shows an outer appearance of the second embodiment;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a third embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7 shows an outer appearance of the third embodiment;
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a fourth embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 9 shows an outer appearance of the fourth embodiment.


DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an arrangement of an electronic camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The electronic camera of this embodiment basically comprises of an image pickup section 1 and a disk recording section 2.
The image pickup section 1 has a lens 3 and an image pickup element 4. The image pickup element 4 forms an optical image from the lens 3 and converts the optical image into an electrical signal, i.e., an image signal. The image pickup element 4 comprises a known image pickup means such as a CCD, a MOS, an image pickup tube and so on. A signal processing circuit 5 proces

REFERENCES:
patent: 4604668 (1986-08-01), Lemelson
patent: 4691253 (1987-09-01), Silver

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Electronic camera does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Electronic camera, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Electronic camera will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1927008