Electronic camera

Details Electronic camera Electronic camera

1999-01-15

2003-07-08

Garber, Wendy R. (Department: 2612)

Television

Camera, system and detail

Support or housing

C348S373000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06590614

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic camera and, more particularly, to that which employs a memory cartridge as a recording medium.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
In recent years, electronic still cameras which focus a subject image through an image sensing lens onto an image sensing device such as a charge coupled device (referred to as “CCD”) etc. as a still picture and thereby transform it photo-electrically into image data to be further converted into a digital signal which is storable in the recording media have rapidly prevailed in the market. Those sorts of electronic still cameras employ either a memory cartridge (a semiconductor memory or a magnetic disc which is encapsulated in a flat plastic case) or a memory card as the recording media, a singularity of which can store from several to some tens sheets of the sensed images. The sensed images stored in the recording media are characterized by that photo-retouches are easily available if the image data are transferred to a personal computer either by loading the memory cartridge, which has been unloaded from the camera, or by connecting the cartridge through an exclusive connecting cable to the personal computer. Accordingly, beside an advantage that monitoring the image is easily capable on a display device such as a cathode ray tube (referred to as “CRT”), those configurations have another advantage that it is unnecessary to ask an external shop for photo-printings which silver halide films would require.
FIGS. 8 and 9
are schematic block diagrams showing a first example of conventional electronic still cameras. In
FIGS. 8 and 9
, a numerical sign
101
stands for a main body of the conventional electronic still camera which has an appearance resembling a single lens-type reflex camera utilizing the silver halide films except for the body height. An image sensing lens
102
for sensing the images is installed on a front wall of the main body
101
of the camera while an eyepiece window
101
a
of a finder is equipped on an upper portion of a rear wall of the main body. Numerical signs
103
and
104
stand for a battery and a memory cartridge, respectively, both of which are built-in in the main body
101
, while their installation and disconnection are carried out through an insertion entrance
105
formed on a sidewall of the main body
101
. The memory cartridge
104
installed at a standing status in a lower space inside the main body
101
is replaceable by loading and unloading through the insertion entrance
105
. On the other hand, the battery
103
is disposed vertically in a vicinity of the memory cartridge
104
in the lower space inside the main body
101
. In the figures, an alphabetic character h stands for a height of the main body
101
and d stands for a depth of the main body
101
.
FIGS. 10 and 11
are schematic block diagrams showing a second example of the conventional electronic still cameras. In
FIGS. 10 and 11
,
111
stands for a main body of the camera,
111
a
stands for an eyepiece window of a finder which is equipped on an upper portion of a rear wall of the main body
111
,
112
stands for an image sensing lens,
113
stands for a battery and
114
stands for a memory cartridge. The memory cartridge
114
is loaded through an insertion entrance
115
and vertically disposed inside the main body
111
, being adjacent to the rear wall. Meanwhile the battery
113
is vertically disposed in a vicinity of one of sidewalls of the main body
111
.
The electronic still camera shown as the first conventional example in
FIGS. 8 and 9
has a tall constitution as the main body. On the contrary, the electronic still camera shown as the second conventional example in
FIGS. 10 and 11
has a low outside look with a thick depth as the main body, which is quite different from an ordinary constitution of the silver salt film cameras.
FIGS. 12 and 13
are schematic block diagrams showing a third example of the conventional electronic still cameras. In
FIGS. 12 and 13
,
121
stands for a main body of the camera,
122
stands for an image sensing lens,
123
stands for a battery and
124
stands for a memory cartridge. The memory cartridge
124
is inserted through an insertion entrance
121
a
, which is provided on a sidewall of the main body
121
, to be disposed horizontally in a lower space inside the main body
121
. Meanwhile the battery
123
is disposed below the memory cartridge
124
and the longitudinal direction of the battery is aligned in a depth direction of the main body
121
. A numeric sign
121
b
stands for an eyepiece window of a finder opened on an upper portion of a rear wall of the main body.
The constitution shown as the third conventional example in
FIGS. 12 and 13
can be lowered in height compared with the constitution shown as the first conventional example in
FIGS. 8 and 9
while can be thinned in depth compared with the constitution shown as the second conventional example in
FIGS. 10 and 11
.
However, the conventional examples mentioned above have problems as follows:
(A) In the case of the first conventional example shown in
FIGS. 8 and 9
, both the battery
103
and the memory cartridge
104
are disposed vertically on the lower portion inside the main body
101
so that the height h of the main body
101
grows tall though the depth d of the main body can be made thin. The tall height h of the main body
101
degrades the portability.
(B) In the case of the conventional example shown in
FIGS. 10 and 11
, the memory cartridge
114
is disposed vertically in the vicinity of the rear wall inside the main body
111
and the battery
113
is disposed vertically in the vicinity of one of the sidewalls inside the main body
111
. As a result, the main body
111
grows thicker in depth d though the main body
111
can be reduced in height h. Accordingly, it turns difficult to sense the image at a vertical frame position in view finder, namely to sense the image in portrait angle, by means of holding the lower portion of the camera.
(C) In the case of the conventional example shown in
FIGS. 12 and 13
, the memory cartridge
124
is displaced horizontally in the lower space inside the main body
121
while the battery
123
is disposed below the memory cartridge
124
, the longitudinal edge being aligned in parallel to the depth direction of the main body
121
so that both the height h and the depth d of the battery
123
turns larger. Accordingly, beside the worsening in portability, it turns difficult to sense the images in portrait angle, not in landscape angle, by means of holding the lower portion of the camera.
(D) Furthermore, in the all cases of the three conventional examples mentioned above, both easiness of operation and feeling during usage are quite different from those of the traditional silver salt film camera because the appearance of the main body differs much from that of the silver salt film camera.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is carried out to solve the problems mentioned above. An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic camera which can attain an excellent portability as well as can sense images in portrait angle by means of holding a lower portion of the camera and can further obtain drivability and feeling during the usage which are equivalent to those of the silver halide film camera.
(1) A constitution carrying out the object according to the present invention into practice is an electronic camera comprising:
image sensing means for transforming an optical image into electrical image data;
a recording medium for storing aforesaid image data; and
a battery for supplying electric power to built-in electronic components, wherein:
aforesaid battery and aforesaid recording medium are disposed in a vertical vicinity of each other near a bottom portion of a main body of aforesaid electronic camera, both width directions of the battery and the recording medium being aligned in a depth direction of the main body of the camera as well as both

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-3021374