Television – Camera – system and detail – Still and motion modes of operation
Reexamination Certificate
1995-08-21
2001-09-18
Ho, Tuan (Department: 2712)
Television
Camera, system and detail
Still and motion modes of operation
C348S207110, C348S333020
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292217
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital still camera that can take up an image and convert the data of the image to digital data to record it on a recording medium, the recorded digital data being able to be reproduced by an external play back device.
2. Related Background Art
A digital still camera picks up the image of a photographic subject by using an imaging element such as a CCD, converts the image data to a digital data, which are the result of photographing, and then records the digital data to a recording medium such as a memory card. The data thus recorded are reproduced by a monitor connected to the camera.
However, the majority of digital still cameras in the prior art are not provided with reproducing functions. Because of this, in order to reproduce the images, a reproducing unit that transfers the digital data from the camera to the monitor must be mounted on the camera main body. Since it is bothersome to attach and detach the reproducing unit each time the photographer switches between photographing and reproduction, many photographers perform photographing with the reproducing unit left attached to the camera main body.
With the reproducing unit mounted, however, the overall weight and bulk of the camera equipment is increased and it becomes too cumbersome to carry around. And the mounted reproducing unit hinders photographing and may cause the photographer to miss good photographing opportunities.
Digital still cameras provided with reproducing functions are also known in the prior art. In this type of camera, in order to miniaturize the camera body, only the minimum required functionality of a normal reproducing unit is usually provided. Because of this, with this type of camera, while the frame number of the frame data that is currently being reproduced can be displayed on an indicator unit of the camera, the total frame number of the photographic data recorded on the memory card cannot be indicated.
In addition, when displaying the data recorded on the memory card on an external monitor, the recorded data must be converted to image signals. Widely known signal processing systems for image signals include the NTSC system and the PAL system. Digital still cameras equipped with reproducing functions in the known art only support one of either the NTSC system or the PAL system. This means that in order to connect a camera that outputs NTSC image signals to a PAL-type monitor, a time-consuming task of converting the image signals output from the camera to PAL type image signals must be completed before they can be input to the monitor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a digital still camera with which various reproducing functions can be both selected and indicated without adding new operating members by effectively using various operating members that are already provided in the camera body as in prior art. In order to achieve the object described above, the present invention is applied to a digital still camera that comprises a first operating member that can set photography-related information, an indicating device that can indicate photography-related information, an imaging device that outputs image data corresponding to the image of a photographic subject that has been picked up, a recording device that converts image data to digital data and records them to a recording medium and an image signal conversion circuit that converts the recorded digital data to image signals, and can output converted image signals to an external monitor. It further comprises a selecting member that can select either a photographing mode for performing photographing or a reproducing mode for performing reproduction, and a control circuit that, when the operation is switched from the photographing mode to the reproducing mode by the selecting member, causes the indicating device to display a first indication to the effect that the operation is in standby for the reproduction, and that when the first operating member is operated while the first indication is being displayed, outputs image signals to the monitor and causes the indicating device to display a second indication to the effect that reproduction is in progress.
With the digital still camera according to the present invention, since the reproduction standby status and the reproducing status are switched by operating the first operating member, which is originally provided to set the photography-related information, the reproducing functions can be selected without providing an additional operating member. Consequently, without new reproducing functions added, the camera body of a camera in the prior art can be used as is, achieving a cost reduction. Moreover, since the indication format on the indicating device of the camera is changed depending upon whether the operation is in the reproduction standby state or the reproducing state, it is possible to verify whether or not reproduction is currently in progress by the indication on the indicating device.
The present invention is also applied to a digital still camera comprising an imaging device that outputs image data corresponding to the image of a photographic subject which has been picked up and a recording device that converts image data to digital data and records them to a recording medium. The camera is further provided with an image signal conversion circuit that converts recorded digital data to image signals, an output circuit that outputs the image signals and photography-related information related to the image signals to an external monitor in a specific signal processing system and a photography-related information changing circuit that changes part of, or the whole of the photography-related information to be output to the monitor in correspondence to the signal processing system that is set in advance on the monitor.
Since the digital still camera according to the present invention changes part of, or all the photography-related information in correspondence to the signal type that is set in advance on the monitor, to display it on the monitor, the photography-related information can be displayed in a display format that is compatible with the signal processing system. Furthermore, by just looking at the photography-related information on the monitor, the signal processing system of the image signals output from the camera can be verified.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5146353 (1992-09-01), Isoguchi et al.
patent: 5448334 (1995-09-01), Kaihara et al.
patent: 5465133 (1995-11-01), Aoki et al.
patent: 5473370 (1995-12-01), Moranaga et al.
patent: 5479268 (1995-12-01), Young et al.
patent: 5576758 (1996-11-01), Arai et al.
Kawamura Koichiro
Uehara Ryo
Ho Tuan
Nikon Corporation
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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