JP2003204464A - Playback camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To propose a camera for realizing an idea that photographs are already present in the camera while there used to be a conventional idea that photographs are photographed by a camera, and to realize the camera for preventing a carrier from missing any shutter chance by making the camera always operate while the carrier is active. <P>SOLUTION: This electronic picture inputting/recording equipment is constituted of an image inputting means, a temporary memory and preservation memory, a control part, an instruction inputting means, and a power source part, and at least the image inputting means is mounted in the neighborhood of the head or the upper half of the chest of a carrier so as to be matched with the direction of a line of sight of the carrier, and the other parts are configured so as to be always operable by carriably holding a large capacity of battery to make those parts operate in a long time. The control part makes the image inputting means input images with preliminarily instructed time intervals, and makes the temporary memory record/update the images to overwrite them on the temporally old images, and makes the preservation memory record the previous image group and the photographing date according to the instruction of the carrier from the instruction inputting means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a digital camera, and more particularly to a playback camera which a person always wears and never misses a photo opportunity.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, digital cameras, video cameras, etc. capable of shooting and recording digital still images or moving images have been put into practical use for photography. However, in general, taking a photograph is a human act, and most of the instantaneous scene recordings have to be resorted to by chance in the case of an encounter while traveling or a sudden event in daily life. Video cameras have been able to operate for long periods of time, and given the optimism of technological advances, it is not a dream that a person can carry all the events of a day at any time, and it is an unexpected event. It is also possible to play back as a screen after all. However, current video cameras do not capture unless they are aimed at the subject, and
Even if you can shoot all the events of the day, it is troublesome to spend a long time looking for an image that records a moment.

Conventional examples proposed as a camera that does not miss a photo opportunity include an event camera and a digital camera with a continuous shooting function. The former event camera is used exclusively for monitoring and assumes a typical event occurrence to detect the event occurrence and capture an image. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-23319 proposes to register various event types and record an image that matches the event, but it is impossible to register all event types at a travel destination, and it is not possible to register in real time. Systems that require image recognition are expensive and portability is questionable. The latter digital camera with continuous shooting function captures images at regular time intervals, and reads them when a photo opportunity is missed to save an appropriate image. Although there are examples of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 10-257370 and 2000-78452, there are drawbacks in that an image cannot be secured unless the camera is aimed at the subject, and the system is not always activated with the activity of the wearer. In other words, in case of an unexpected event that the carrier needs to take action, there is no room to turn on the camera or point the camera in advance, and in many cases, the user wants to save the image.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to propose a camera based on a new idea that a photo is already in the camera from the conventional concept of pointing a camera and taking a picture. We will realize a playback camera that always works during activities and never misses a photo opportunity.

[0005]

A playback camera according to the present invention comprises an image input means, a temporary memory and a storage memory, a control section, an instruction input means, a power supply section and the like, and at least the image input means. Is an image input / recording device which is always operated by being worn near the head of the wearer or in the upper half of the chest, and the control unit causes the image input means to input image data at a predetermined time interval and stores it in a temporary memory. Overwrite the old image data in time so that the image data within a certain period of time immediately before remains, and record and update it, and record the immediately preceding image data group in the storage memory together with the shooting time according to the user's instruction from the instruction input means. Let

The image input means is separated from the other parts and is minutely constructed so that it can be worn on the wearer's head or chest clothes, while the control part including the power supply part is in the pocket or waist.
It is mounted in a portable object and has compatibility with holding a large capacity battery for long-term continuous operation and portability.

Further, a battery is saved as an automatic start method which is equipped with an acceleration sensor and is configured to turn on the power of the playback camera for a certain period of time when acceleration is detected so that the operation is continued only while the wearer is active. The playback camera should not be forgotten to start.

[0008]

As described above, the playback camera of the present invention has portability that can be worn by a person at all times, image input means having a shooting direction that substantially matches the line of sight of a person, and is always activated when a person is active. The automatic start-up mechanism that activates the operation, the ability to hold a large battery that guarantees long-term operation, etc. are always held in the temporary memory with the latest image data for a certain period of time. Is stored in the storage memory and saved, so you do not miss a photo opportunity even in the unlikely event. In addition, the amount of image memory required is not large, and it can be realized with a semiconductor memory at the current technical level, so that the feasibility and portability are not impaired.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A playback camera according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings showing an embodiment, a principle operation and the like.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a playback camera which is a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the playback camera includes an image input unit 11, a temporary memory 17, a storage memory 18, a control unit 19, and a power supply unit 2.
0, an instruction input means 21, an image display means 22, and an acceleration detector 16. Only the image forming optical system 14 and the image pickup device 15 are shown as elements constituting the image input means 11, and the diaphragm mechanism, shutter mechanism, automatic focusing mechanism, etc. are not shown. The image input means 11 is made minute and is attached to the upper half of the body of the wearer such as the head or chest according to the line of sight of the wearer. The main body 12 other than the image input means is fixed in a pocket or waist of the wearer and carried, and the image input means 1
A cable 13 is used to connect between 1 and 1.

The acceleration detector 16 detects the acceleration caused by the movement of the wearer, and the control unit 19 automatically turns on the power while the wearer is active by turning on the power for a certain period of time after detecting the acceleration above a predetermined level. Keep the back camera running.
The image input means 11 is mounted on the upper half of the body according to the line-of-sight direction of the wearer, and the image formed by the imaging optical system 14 is the image pickup device 15.
Is converted into an electric signal by. The control unit 19 converts the image into an electric signal by the image pickup device 15 according to the time interval set in advance and sends the electric signal to the temporary memory 17, and stores it in the empty area together with the shooting time. When there is no free area in the temporary memory 17, the oldest image data storage location is overwritten and the latest image data within a fixed time is always stored in the temporary memory 17. If there is an unexpected event and the carrier wants to save the image data relating to the unexpected event, the instruction input means 21
The image display device 22 confirms and selects a predetermined number of image data and copies the image data to the storage memory 18 by instructing from the above.

[0012] In photographing by the image input means 11, it is desirable to automatically adjust the aperture, shutter speed, etc. at the time of photographing from the ambient brightness or the motion analysis of the subject captured as an image, but it is known in ordinary cameras. The explanation is omitted because it is a technology. Further, although the instruction input means 21 is constituted by a push button switch, a changeover switch, etc., it may be operable by a voice instruction of the wearer, and the image display means 22.
It can be used to display and edit the images saved after the fact, or to be used as a viewfinder when shooting, as with conventional cameras.

FIG. 2 is a view showing an example of carrying the playback camera according to the first embodiment of the present invention together with a wearer, and shows three arrangement examples of the image input means. As shown in the figure, the image input means (number 11 in FIG. 1) is minutely constructed and is preferably mounted near the head of the wearer 23 at a position so as to cover the line of sight of the wearer 23. Example of wearing on the spectacle frame 24 of the figure (number 1
1a) or an example (number 11b) attached to the hat 25 is that. However, in these cases, the cable 13 shown in the drawing needs to be routed between the image input means 11a and 11b and the main body 12 which is a component other than the image input means, and a troublesome surface remains. The second best method is to attach the image input means to the vicinity of the chest of the wearer 23 (No. 11c), in which case the cable 13 can be stored inside the clothes. The main body 12 is fixed to the waist so that a large capacity battery can be used for long-term operation.

The image display portion 22 shown in FIG.
It is used for selecting the image data in the temporary memory 17 or for editing the stored image data afterwards, but if it is arranged on the spectacle frame 24, the playback camera of the present invention can be used as a normal camera. It can also be used as a finder when used as.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining the basic operation of the playback camera in the first embodiment. The operation will be described with reference to FIG. << 1. The timer in the control unit 19 is reset to 0 by "timer reset", and << 2. "Count Up" will increment the timer by 1. << 3. Is it a predetermined value? >> checks whether the timer value is a predetermined value corresponding to a predetermined time interval for capturing an image, and if it is not the predetermined value, << 2. Return to Count Up, and if it has reached the predetermined value, << 4. By "image capture", the control unit 19 sends a signal to the image input means 11 to send the image to the temporary memory 17. << 5. Temporary memory? >> to find an empty area in the temporary memory 17, and if there is an empty area << 6. The image data captured by “Record in free space” is recorded in the free space together with the shooting time information. If there is no free space, << 7. Overwrite oldest image data >> overwrites the oldest image data with the image data taken in together with the shooting time information.

<< 8. Save instruction? >>, it is checked whether or not the photographer inputs a save instruction by key input from the instruction input means 21. If there is no save instruction, << 1. If there is a save instruction, go to "Timer reset", and then << 9. Individual confirmation selection? Check the presence / absence of an instruction as to whether or not to select and confirm the image data to be stored in advance, and if there is no instruction, << 10. Copy a certain number of image data groups to the storage memory >> to copy a predetermined number of previous image data to the storage memory 18. When there is an instruction to confirm the image, << 11. The selected image data is copied to the storage memory >>, and the image display unit 22 sequentially displays and confirms the immediately preceding image data to receive a storage instruction and copy it to the storage memory 18. After the copying of the image data to the storage memory 18 is completed, << 1. Go to "Timer reset" and return to the image capture routine at a predetermined time interval.

As described above, according to the playback camera of the present invention, even if an unexpected event occurs and the camera passes by without being able to take a picture with the camera, the image data of the immediately preceding fixed time is always stored in the temporary memory. Since the image data is stored in 17, it is possible to save the image data from it and never miss a photo opportunity. In a 1.5 million-pixel digital camera currently available on the market, the standard storage capacity after compression processing is about 160 kilobytes, and if image data is stored in the temporary memory 17 at a speed of about 5 sheets per second. , 1 in 8 MB of temporary memory 17
Image data for 0 seconds can be retained. If the number of pixels is set to about 500,000 which is practically sufficient, 30 seconds of image data can be held. Even if a 64-megabyte flash memory is provided as the storage memory 18 and image data for 2 seconds is stored every time the wearer instructs, image data of 120 or more scenes can be stored. Image data to be stored can be checked and selected to limit the number, or if a small HDD is provided as a storage memory, more scenes can be stored, which is sufficient for short trips or daily memos.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example in which the photographing time interval is controlled according to the moving speed of the image input unit 11 as the second embodiment of the present invention. If something unexpected happens around you will naturally face you in that direction and its speed will be proportional to the degree of startle. If the shooting time interval is set to be relatively long, there is a possibility that the event cannot always be shot even if the face is aimed at the subject. In the second embodiment, assuming such a case, the image input means 11, 11a, 11b, 11c
If the moving speed is high, the shooting time interval is shortened to increase the probability of capturing a captured image associated with an unexpected event. Specifically, in FIG. 1, the image input means 11
The output of the acceleration detector 16 provided in the above is integrated to calculate the moving speed of the image input means, and the photographing time interval is set to be short in proportion to the magnitude of the moving speed. In FIG. 4, the horizontal axis 41
Represents time, and the acceleration 4 output from the acceleration detector 16
The speed 43 is calculated from 2, and the number 44 indicates the photographing time.
Assuming that the normal shooting time interval is set to D seconds, the shooting time interval is D / n near the center of FIG.
It is set to 2 seconds, which is half the normal time.

Although the photographing time interval is related to the moving speed 43 in FIG. 4, the meaning of shortening the photographing time interval may be reduced as a steady state when the speed 43 is constant. In consideration of such a case, when the absolute value of the acceleration 42 becomes larger than a predetermined value, the photographing time interval may be controlled to be shortened. Since the shutter opening time is related to the moving speed of the subject, it may be controlled in association with the speed 43.

In the first embodiment, as the memory for recording the image data, the temporary memory 17 is a DRAM having a high writing speed,
The storage memory 18 was properly used as a nonvolatile flash memory. However, if a non-volatile memory with a sufficient writing speed and rewritable number is used, and if there is an instruction to save image data, overwriting is prohibited on the data management table as "not overwritable". It can be configured with an integrated memory. It is also possible to always implement a non-volatile memory as a system by backing up the DRAM with a battery. In these cases, the usable area as a temporary memory decreases as the amount of stored image data increases, but as a whole, the amount of memory provided is reduced to enable cost reduction.

FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment in which the temporary memory and the storage memory are managed as an integrated memory on the data management table as image data of the temporary memory and the storage memory. In the figure, numeral 51 indicates a data management table,
The number 55 indicates a memory area. Memory area 55
Is formatted with a capacity corresponding to one image data as a sector, and the data management table 51 has a sector number 52 and a photographing time 5 for at least one image data.
3, including information such as flag 54, sector number 52
Indicates a specific area within the memory area. In the sector number 52 column, 198, 199,000,000, 001,
The photographing times of 002, 005, 006, 007, and 008 are continuous, and the photographing times of the sector numbers of 003 and 004 indicate old times. This indicates that the image data of 003 and 004 is the image data in the storage memory state, and the rest is image data in the temporary memory. As the identification, the flag 54 identifies and manages 0 for the image data for the temporary memory and 1 for the image data for the storage memory. A hatched area 56 in the memory area 55 indicates an image data area in the storage memory corresponding to the data management table 51.

In the playback camera, the convenience is increased if the image data for which the shooting time can be traced back as much as possible is held in the temporary memory, but the increase in the capacity of the temporary memory leads to an increase in cost. The fourth embodiment will explain an example in which the photographing time that can be traced back can be lengthened without increasing the capacity of the temporary memory. In the process of updating and recording the image data in the temporary memory 17, the old image data is not uniformly updated and recorded, but the image data at the older time is updated and recorded so that the thinning rate becomes larger, and the temporary memory 17 having the same capacity is used. However, it makes it possible to temporarily store image data that has been traced back for a long time.

In FIG. 6, the horizontal axis represents time, and the number 61
Indicates the current time, the number 62 indicates the photographing time of the image data held in the temporary memory, and the number 63 indicates the scheduled photographing time in the future. In the time area near the current time 61, the shooting time interval of the held image data is T, as indicated by numeral 65, and in the area 66, which is temporally retroactive from that area, the shooting time of the held image data. The interval is 2T, and the image data at the old shooting time is thinned and held so that the shooting time interval of the held image data is 4T in the area 67 which is further retroactive.
The number 64 indicates the shooting time of the thinned image data. In the area of the temporary memory, the thinned-out image data indicated by the number 64 is not blank, and image data having a new photographing time is recorded.

The playback camera of the present invention is a camera for later judging various scenes and storing the image data. However, like the conventional camera, the camera is equipped with a GPS when the image data is stored. It is desirable for the purpose of the present invention to save and record information, information about image data, etc. as key information by a photographer's key input or voice.
It is also desirable for the purpose of the playback camera to capture as wide an image as possible with a fisheye lens. In this case, it is suitable to install image input means near the top of the cap 25 shown in FIG.

[0025]

As described above with reference to the embodiments, according to the playback camera of the present invention, the image input means is separated and the portability is maintained, and the head is mounted on the head or chest of the wearer. A structure that can always capture images in the direction of the person's line of sight, a structure that automatically operates when the wearer is active, a structure that can separate the main body and hold a large capacity battery for long-term operation, etc. The camera that can store the image data in the direction almost along the line of sight of the user for a certain period of time in the temporary memory and save the image data by judging after the occurrence of an unexpected event can be missed the shutter chance in the destination or daily life. Disappears.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a playback camera.

FIG. 2 shows a mounting example of a playback camera.

FIG. 3 shows an example of an operation flowchart in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows an example in which the shooting time interval is changed depending on the moving speed of the image input means.

FIG. 5 shows an example of updating image data when a temporary memory and a storage memory are integrated.

FIG. 6 shows an example of image data in a temporary memory with a high thinning rate of old image data.

[Explanation of symbols]

11, 11a, 11b, 11c ... Image input means, 12
... Main body, 13 ... Cable, 14 ... Imaging optical system, 15 ...
・ Imaging device, 16 ・ ・ ・ Accelerometer,
17 ... temporary memory, 18 ... storage memory,
19 ... control unit, 20 ... power supply unit,
21 ... Instruction input means, 22 ...
Image display means, 23 ... carrier, 24
... Eyeglass frames, 25 ... Hats,
41 ... Horizontal axis, 42 ... Acceleration, 43 ... Velocity, 44 ...
..Shooting timing, 51 ... Management table,
52 ... sector number, 53 ... shooting time, 54 ... flag, 55 ...
・ Memory area, 56 ・ ・ ・ Saved image data, 61 ・ ・ ・ Current time, 62 ・
..Shooting time of image data, 63 ... Scheduled shooting time,
64 ... Shooting time of erased image data, 65 ... Time region in which image data is not thinned, 66, 67 ... Time region in which image data is thinned

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An image input unit, a temporary memory and a storage memory, a control unit, an instruction input unit, and a power supply unit, and at least the image input unit is attached near the head of the wearer or the upper half of the chest. It is an electronic image input / recording device that adjusts to the line of sight of the wearer and holds a large-capacity battery so that it can be operated for a long period of time and is always activated. The photographed image data is inputted from the input means, and the temporally old image data is overwritten and recorded and updated so that the image data within a certain time immediately before remains in the temporary memory, and then the portable image from the instruction input means is carried out. A playback camera characterized in that the immediately preceding image data group is recorded together with the shooting time from the temporary memory to the storage memory according to a user's instruction. 2. The playback camera according to claim 1, wherein the power supply is turned on for a certain period of time after the movement of the wearer is detected by having an acceleration detector, and is automatically activated while the wearer is active. Playback camera characterized by continuous operation 3. The playback camera according to claim 1, wherein an acceleration detector is provided in the image input means, and the acceleration applied to the image input means or the moving speed calculated from the acceleration is large and the photographing time interval and the photographing time are increased. Playback camera characterized by controlling the shutter opening time and so on 4. The playback camera according to claim 1, wherein the temporary memory and the storage memory are integrated memories, and the image data group is used by distinguishing between the temporary memory and the storage memory on the memory management table. Playback camera featuring 5. The playback camera according to claim 1, wherein the image data group immediately before being stored in the storage memory according to the instruction of the wearer has a predetermined number of image data groups or the configuration according to claim 1. In addition, the playback camera is a group of image data selected by the wearer by the image display unit equipped 6. The playback camera according to claim 1, wherein the image data group held in the temporary memory is controlled to record and update so that the image data group has a larger shooting time interval as the image data group becomes older, and the image is updated. Playback camera characterized by making the shooting time retroactive in the data group