Television – Camera – system and detail – With electronic viewfinder or display monitor
Reexamination Certificate
1995-06-07
2001-02-06
Garber, Wendy (Department: 2712)
Television
Camera, system and detail
With electronic viewfinder or display monitor
C348S333110, C348S231900
Reexamination Certificate
active
06184930
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera, more particularly an electronic still camera which is easy to operate.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic still camera is comprised of an imaging device such as a charge coupled device (CDD), an optical system including lenses and a stop for forming an image of an object on the imaging device, a first storage unit for storing raw image data, a shutter unit, a secondary storage unit recording the picture data on a portable and detachable memory medium such as a memory card or an IC card provided with a memory, and a display unit such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) for showing the information input to the imaging device and the image data recorded in the first storage unit and/or the memory medium. An electronic still camera is designed to take and record still pictures.
An explanation will first be given of the EE mode (electric-electric) mode wherein the image of an object formed on the imaging device is shown as it is on the display unit. The image of the object formed on the imaging device through the optical system is converted into electrical signals and shown directly on the display unit. Pictures on the display unit in the EE mode are shown successively in short time periods, so are perceived by the user to be moving pictures. The picture on the display unit in this EE mode is called an EE picture. When using the electronic still camera to take a picture, the user decides on the composition of the object and then pushes the shutter. The image formed on the imaging device when the shutter is pushed is successively recorded in the memory medium by the secondary storage unit.
Next, an explanation will be made of a reproduction mode wherein the image data recorded in the memory medium by the secondary recording unit is displayed on the display unit. The user sets the electronic still camera to the reproduction mode and then designates the image to be reproduced. As a result of this operation, the electronic still camera reads out the designated image data from the memory medium through the secondary storage unit and shows it on the display unit. The picture in this reproduction mode is called the “reproduction picture”. The reproduced picture is shown one frame at a time on the display unit and therefore is a still picture.
The user takes a picture of an object while viewing the image in the EE mode and then examines the reproduced picture to confirm the image recorded in the memory medium loaded in the secondary storage unit. As a result, there are the following disadvantages in the image display in conventional electronic still cameras.
The image taken by the EE mode is used to decide on the composition of the shot and to take the picture. To check the image recorded in the memory medium loaded in the secondary storage unit as a result of this shot, it is necessary to set the electronic still camera once to the reproduction mode and then designate the image to be reproduced. Therefore, even when checking the image taken just before, it is necessary to set the electronic still camera from the EE mode to the reproduction mode each time desiring to check the picture and to designate the image desired to be confirmed, making the operation troublesome. Further, when desiring to resume taking pictures once again after the confirmation, it is necessary to set the electronic still camera again from the reproduction mode to the EE mode, making it extremely troublesome to shoot pictures and confirm them at the same time.
There is known a method of operating the electronic still camera in a predetermined manner so as to display information stored in a first memory unit temporarily storing image data for compression and recordal in a memory medium loaded in a secondary storage unit, but this method is for confirmation as to whether the still picture data had been suitably stored in the memory medium by the secondary storage unit, not the content of the still picture data recorded in the memory medium loaded in the secondary storage unit itself.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic still camera which enables reduction of the troublesome operation of the electronic still camera when shooting pictures while confirming the images recorded in a memory medium be a secondary recording unit.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electric still camera which enables confirmation of the still picture data recorded in the memory medium loaded in the secondary storage unit itself.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for displaying the images of the same.
In an electric still camera according to the present invention, a shutter button is arranged to be depressed to two levels. When pushed all the way in, the camera takes a picture of the object, while when pushed halfway and held in that state for a predetermined time, the last shot picture is read out from a memory shown on a display unit. In other cases, the image of an object is shown on the display unit in its original state. By this, it is possible to operate the shutter during picture taking and to check the content of the still picture data recorded just by the operation of the shutter button.
According to the present invention, there is provided an electronic still camera including: an image forming unit for forming an image of an object to be photographed and providing an electrical picture signal; a shutter for allowing light of the object to reach the image forming unit; a display unit for displaying a picture and/or information such as an operation mode of the camera; a mode setting switch for setting an operation mode including an EE mode; a first switching device having at least first and second contacts, the contacts being selectively energized; a picture data recording and reproducing unit including a memory for recording the picture data on the memory and reproducing the same; a second switching circuit, operatively connected among the image forming unit, the picture data recording and reproducing unit and the display unit, for selectively outputting the picture signal from the image forming unit or the reproduced picture signal from the picture data recording and reproducing unit to the display unit; and a control unit for controlling the shutter in response to the second contact of the first switching device, the second switching circuit in response to the first contact of the first switching device and/or the mode setting switch, and the picture data recording and reproducing unit. While the EE mode is set to continuously display the picture signal on the display unit through the second switching circuit, (a) the control unit energizes the shutter and the picture data recording and reproducing unit to take a picture of the object and record the picture data on the memory in the picture data recording and reproducing unit, when the second contact of the first switching device is energized, and (b) the control unit energizes the second switching circuit and the picture data recording and reproducing unit to reproduce the picture data recorded in the memory and display it on the display unit, when the first contact of the first switching device is energized and the energization is continued for a predetermined time.
The picture data recording and reproducing unit continuously records the picture signal in the memory in response to the energization from the control unit on the basis of the energization of the second contact of the first switching device.
Also, the control unit continues the energization of the picture data recording and reproducing unit to successively display the picture data recorded in the memory while the first contact of the first switching device is energized.
Preferably, the first switching device comprises a two-level pushbutton switch wherein the first contact is energized when the pushbutton it is pushed halfway and the second contact is energized when it is pushed all the way.
The picture dat
Gozu Satoru
Mitsuhashi Syoji
Garber Wendy
Limbach & Limbach L.L.P.
Sony Corporation
LandOfFree
Electronic still camera with dual contact shutter switch for... 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 still camera with dual contact shutter switch for..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Electronic still camera with dual contact shutter switch for... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2605436