Electronic still camera with image pick-up unit and card unit

Details Electronic still camera with image pick-up unit and card unit Electronic still camera with image pick-up unit and card unit

2001-04-02

2003-02-25

Ho, Tuan (Department: 2612)

Television

Camera, system and detail

Combined image signal generator and general image signal...

C348S375000, C348S333070

Reexamination Certificate

active

06525767

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an electronic still camera and an image signal processing apparatus, and more particularly to an electronic still camera which uses a memory card, and an image signal processing apparatus which comprises a laptop computer which uses the electronic still camera and the memory card, a personal data terminal (PDA), and a host computer such as an electronic notebook.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 49
illustrates an electronic still camera using a conventional memory card, and a laptop computer using the memory card. As shown in
FIG. 49
, a card slot
2
is formed in the electronic still camera
1
. In order to take a picture using the electronic still camera
1
, a memory card
3
is inserted into the card slot
2
, and image data captured during photographing are recorded in the memory card
3
.
In order to store the image data recorded in the memory card in an image file in a laptop computer
4
, the memory card
3
is removed from the electronic still camera
1
, and the memory card
3
is inserted into the card slot
5
of the laptop computer
4
.
In the above-described conventional system, however, the memory card
3
is inserted into the electronic still camera
1
during photographing, and in order to transfer the image data recorded in the memory card
3
to the laptop computer
4
, the memory card
3
must be drawn out from the electronic still camera
1
and inserted into the laptop computer
4
. During photographing using the electronic still camera
1
, the number of photographing is restricted by the capacity of a power source in the camera and the recording capacity of the memory card.
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication Nos. 7-312716, 7-322117 and 8-9215 disclose an electronic still camera which can be used in the same manner as the PC card in which the size and the shape of the connector are standardized. That is, the electronic still camera is composed of a PC card part and image input device. The PC card part is inserted into the card slot of an external information processing unit such as a laptop computer, so that the external information processing equipment can monitor the camera in real time and the external information processing equipment can have access to an image memory in the camera.
The PC card section of the electronic still camera has the same thickness as the PC card, but the image input device including the taking lens is bulky, and the camera as a whole is larger than the PC card.
Thus, the camera is not well-balanced, and it is inconvenient for carrying in a state for being inserted into the external information processing equipment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide the image signal processing apparatus which is able to alleviate the trouble of inserting and drawing a memory card during photographing or when image data are transferred to a host computer such as a laptop computer, and which is able to supply electricity from the host computer to a camera body and control the system of the camera body.
It is another object of the present invention to provide the electronic still camera which a small memory card is easily attached to and detached from, and which is able to select the appearance of the camera and an operation system such as a shutter release button to a user's desire, and which is able to make the camera body smaller.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide the electronic still camera which has a power source of a battery in the camera body that is flat and thin, so that the camera as a whole can be the same size as a PC card.
According to the present invention, an image signal processing apparatus which comprises a camera body, a memory card which is inserted into and drawn out from the camera body, and a host computer which transmits and receives image data to and from the memory card, is characterized in that: the memory card has two connectors which are connected to the camera body and the host computer, the memory card being constructed in such a way that the two connectors can be simultaneously mounted in the camera body and the host computer; the camera body has means for detecting the state of the first connection where only the memory card is connected, and the state of the second connection where only the host computer is connected via the memory card; if detecting the first connection, the camera body supplies a power source to the memory card and turns into a normal mode for executing a normal photographing sequence of recording image data captured during photographing in the memory card, and if detecting the second connection, the camera body receives a power source from the host computer via the memory card and a photographing command including a shutter release instruction and enters a host computer remote mode for photographing; and the host has a function of executing an image transfer/regenerate sequence between the host computer and an image memory in the memory card, and a function of supplying a power source from the host computer to the camera body via the memory card and transmitting a photographing command including the shutter release instruction. According to the present invention, if the memory card only is inserted into the camera body, a normal camera sequence is executed, and if the memory card only is inserted into the host computer, a normal image transfer/regenerate sequence is executed. When both the camera body and the host computer are connected via the memory card, the camera body turns into a host computer remote mode to be controlled by the host computer. During the host computer remote mode, the power source can be supplied to the camera body and the memory card from the host computer.
According to the present invention, an electronic still camera which comprises an image pickup unit and an IC card capable of being attached to and detached from the image pickup unit; is characterized in that: the image pickup unit includes a taking lens, an image pickup element, and the first connector which the IC card is attached to and detached from, the image pickup unit transmitting a signal representing an object image obtained through the taking lens and the image pickup element to the IC card attached to the first connector; and the IC card comprises the second connector provided at one short side of the IC card and connected to the first connector, signal processing means for processing a signal representing the object image, the third connector provided at the other short side of the IC card and transferring image data stored in a small memory card to external apparatus to which the IC card is attached, the fourth connector to which the small memory card is attached to and detached from, and a card slot at a long side of the IC card where the second and third connectors are not provided, the small memory card being inserted into said card slot.
According to the present invention, the card slot which has the fourth connector is provided at the long side of the IC card where the third connector is not provided, or there is provided a card housing part which has the fourth connector on the surface of the IC card, so that the small memory card can be easily attached and detached.
According to another mode of the present invention, an electronic still camera which composes a camera body and a camera casing which is mounted in a manner which partially or fully covers the camera body and is able to change an appearance of a camera, is characterized in that: the camera casing includes at least a taking lens, an image pickup element, a finder, operation means including a shutter release button, and the first connector outputting an image signal captured through the taking lens and the image pickup element and an operation signal from the operation means; and the camera body includes at least the second connector connected to the first connector when being mounted in the camera casing, signal processing means for processing the ima

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