JP2004117950A - Camera system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely convey information about photographing conditions and information about a record medium to an operator even if the operator is a visually handicapped person. <P>SOLUTION: A display part 60 of information about number of film sheets is equipped with an indicator aperture 62 and a slide plate 64. At the slide plate 64, a rack section 65 is formed and further the rack section 65 engages with a pinion 67 which is axially supported in a casing 11. The pinion 67 is connected with a film winding shaft via a gear row mechanism (illustration is abbreviated). Thereby as photographing is performed by a camera 10 and film remainder decreases, the slide plate 64 slides by a distance corresponding to number of photographed film sheets to a reduction side of the film remainder (in figure 2 to a left side) along the indicator aperture 62. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a camera apparatus that photographs a subject according to preset photographing conditions and records a photographed image obtained by photographing the subject on a recording medium such as a photographic film or an electronic storage element.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Recently, cameras equipped with an AE (automatic exposure) mechanism and an AF (automatic focusing) mechanism have become common, and in such a camera, an operator sets shooting conditions such as an aperture and a shutter speed at the time of shooting. You can set the shooting conditions automatically without having to. In addition, even when a camera (including a photographic film with a lens) that does not have an AE mechanism, an AF mechanism, etc. is used, the photographic film itself has improved in performance. As a result, except when shooting in an extremely high or low brightness environment, It is now possible to shoot sufficiently high-quality photos without setting shooting conditions according to the shooting environment. Against this background, the number of people who have a visual impairment (hereinafter referred to as “visually impaired”) is increasing the number of people who enjoy photography as a hobby.
[0003]
However, information necessary for using a camera is mainly displayed on a display unit such as a liquid crystal monitor. Some of these information includes information that may be problematic if you don't know it, even if the camera is automated as described above. Have difficulty. In particular, information such as whether a recording medium such as a film is loaded in the camera and how long a picture can be taken later is information that should be known at a minimum.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Therefore, it is convenient if the photographer can determine the state of the camera including the presence or absence of photographic film by a sense other than vision. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a camera that generates a warning sound every time a setting value of shooting information (shooting conditions) is changed. This camera is used after a photographer turns on the camera. By changing the settings by operating the camera in some way, the state of the camera can be understood for the first time by a warning sound, and when taking a picture, the state of the camera cannot be determined by a sense other than vision.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 62-38692 (page 10, FIGS. 3-4)
[0006]
In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to provide a camera device that allows an operator to know the state of the camera by a tactile sense other than vision.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a camera device according to the present invention is a camera device that photographs a subject in accordance with preset photographing conditions and records a photographed image obtained by the photographing on a recording medium. It has the 1st information transmission means which transmits the information about to an operator via a tactile sense.
[0008]
According to the camera device of the present invention, the first information transmission means transmits information about the recording medium to the operator via the tactile sense, so that the operator (photographer) of the camera device is visually impaired. Even so, the operator can surely recognize both of the information about the recording medium by tactile sense, so that the operator with visual impairment can surely grasp the state of the recording medium before and after photographing.
[0009]
Here, as the first information transmission means, for example, a photographic film loaded state with respect to the film loading unit is transmitted to the operator via a tactile sense, and a photographic film loaded in the film loading unit is used. On the other hand, there is a film number information display section for transmitting the number of photographed images already recorded or the number of photographed images that can be recorded on a photographic film to the operator via a tactile sense.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0011]
(Configuration of the embodiment)
1 and 2 show a camera apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The camera 10 uses a 135-size photographic film 70 (see FIG. 3) as a recording medium for captured images.
[0012]
As shown in FIG. 1, the camera 10 includes a casing 11 as an outer portion, and an infrared signal as an operation signal is received on the front surface of the casing 11 from a strobe 16 and a remote control unit (not shown). Remote control light-receiving unit 18, autofocus AF light-receiving unit 20, and automatic aperture control AE light-receiving unit 22. A slide cover 24 is slidably disposed between the open position and the closed position on the front surface of the casing 11. In the camera 10, when the operator slides the slide cover 24 to the open position shown in FIG. 1, the lens 12 protrudes forward from the inside of the casing 11, and the operator faces the slide cover 24 from the open position to the lens 12. When sliding to the closed position, the lens 12 sinks into the casing 11 in conjunction with this. The slide cover 24 is configured as a switch for turning on / off the main power source of the camera 10. When the slide cover 24 is slid to the open position, the main power source is turned on to enable photographing, and the slide cover 24 is also slid. When the cover 24 is slid to the closed position, the main power supply is cut off and the camera 10 enters a standby state.
[0013]
Further, on the upper surface portion of the casing 11, when a subject is photographed by the shutter button 14 and the camera 10, a date recording unit that records a date display such as a photographing date and time together with a photographed image recorded on a photographic film. An on / off switch 26 is arranged. The on / off switch 26 is configured as a lever-type switch that is rotatable between an on position and an off position. The on / off switch 26 has a protrusion protruding from the base end of the disk shape toward the outer peripheral side. A lever 28 is formed.
[0014]
Here, when the on / off switch 26 is rotated to the on position shown in FIG. 1, the date recording unit is activated to record the date display together with the photographed image on the photographic film 70, and to the off position shown in FIG. When rotated, the date recording unit enters a stopped state in which recording of date display on the photographic film 70 is stopped. On the upper surface of the casing 11, “ON” and “OFF” Roman letters are three-dimensionally displayed (inscribed or inscribed) at portions corresponding to the ON position and the auto film loader position on the outer peripheral side of the ON / OFF switch 26. Yes. As a result, the operator can determine whether the date recording unit is in the operating state or in the stopped state only by tactile sense based on the position of the protrusion 34 of the on / off switch 26 and the display positions of “ON” and “OFF”. Easy to judge.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 2, a plate-like back cover 30 is provided on the back surface of the casing 11 so as to be openable and closable. By opening the back cover 30, a film loading section (not shown) provided in the casing 11 is exposed to the outside, and the photographic film 70 stored in the cartridge 72 (see FIG. 3) is loaded into the film loading. Alternatively, the photographic film 70 loaded in the film loading unit can be taken out together with the cartridge 72. A disc-shaped mode dial switch 32 is rotatably disposed at a substantially central portion of the back cover 30. The mode dial switch 32 is wired to a control unit (not shown) for controlling the entire camera 10, and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the position in the rotation direction to the control unit.
[0016]
A protrusion 34 is formed on the outer peripheral side of the upper surface portion of the mode dial switch 32, while a rib-like shape extending on the outer peripheral side of the mode dial switch 32 around the mode dial switch 32 is formed on the back cover 30. A plurality of bar indexes 36 are formed. These bar indexes 36 correspond to shooting modes such as flash on / off, distant view mode, foreground mode, AE priority mode, AF priority mode, and full auto mode, respectively. In the camera 10, the mode dial switch 32 is rotated so that the protrusion 34 is aligned with the bar index 36 corresponding to the desired shooting mode, so that an operation signal corresponding to the desired shooting mode is received from the mode dial switch 32. Is output. Thus, the control unit sets a shooting mode corresponding to the position of the mode dial switch 32, and shooting conditions are set according to the set shooting mode when shooting the subject.
[0017]
Here, for example, when the mode dial switch 32 is rotated to set the flash emission to ON, the flash 16 is activated and the subject emits light to illuminate the subject, and when the flash emission is set to OFF, the flash 16 Is stopped, and the flash 16 does not emit light when the subject is photographed. When the full-auto mode is set by the mode dial switch 32, the control unit determines the distance to the subject, the brightness of the shooting environment, and the like, and makes the flash 16 emit light only when necessary to obtain a high-quality image. .
[0018]
For visually impaired persons who are not accustomed to the operation of the camera 10, a sticker in which braille representing each shooting mode in the camera 10 is recorded, or Roman letters, hiragana, katakana, etc. representing each shooting mode are three-dimensionally printed. These stickers may be used as fixtures for the camera 10, and these stickers may be attached in the vicinity of the bar index 36.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 2, the back cover 30 of the camera 10 is provided with a CC window 38 facing the film loading unit, and a film loading display unit 40 is provided below the CC window 38. . The CC window 38 is fitted with a transmissive member 39 made of glass, transparent resin or the like, and an operator who does not have a visual impairment or an operator with a visual impairment of longitude passes through the transmissive member 39 to a film loading section. It can be visually confirmed whether or not the cartridge 72 (photographic film 70) is loaded.
[0020]
As shown in FIG. 3, the film loading display unit 40 is fastened and fixed by a screw 46 to the inner surface of the back cover 30 facing the housing recess 42 and the housing recess 42 provided in the back cover 30. A display protrusion 52 is provided in the storage chamber 50 formed by the cap member 44, the storage recess 42 and the cap member 44. Here, the display protrusion 52 is movable along the thickness direction (arrow T direction) of the back cover 30. A coil spring 56 is disposed in the storage chamber 50 together with the display protrusion 52. The coil spring 56 always urges the display protrusion 52 toward the film loading portion. On the other hand, an insertion hole 58 is formed in the back cover 30 so as to face the storage chamber 50, and the head 54 of the display protrusion 52 is inserted into the insertion hole 58 so as to be able to appear and retract.
[0021]
The display protrusion 52 is movable along the thickness direction between a loading display position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 3 and an unloading display position indicated by a two-dot chain line (imaginary line). As a result, in the film loading display section 40, when the cartridge 72 is loaded in the film loading section in the casing 11 and the back cover 30 is closed, the display protrusion 52 is pressed by the cartridge 72 so that the display protrusion 52 is coiled. It moves to the loading display position against the spring 56. At this loading display position, the projection length of the display projection 52 from the insertion hole 58 of the head 54 becomes longer. In addition, when the cartridge 72 is not loaded in the film loading unit and the back cover 30 is closed, the display protrusion 52 is held at the unloaded display position by the biasing force of the coil spring 56. In this unloaded display position, the protrusion length of the display protrusion 52 from the insertion hole 58 of the head 54 becomes short. Therefore, even if the operator of the camera 10 is visually impaired, the operator can determine the protrusion length of the head 54 of the display protrusion 52 by tactile sense, so that the inside of the casing 11 is kept closed. It can be easily recognized whether or not the cartridge 72 (photographic film 70) is loaded in the film loading section.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 2, on the back side of the casing 11, a film number information display unit 60 is disposed above the back cover 30. This film number information display section 60 includes an indicator opening 62 that is elongated in the casing 11 along the width direction (arrow W direction), and a slide plate 64 that is disposed inside the indicator opening 62. The slide plate 64 is supported by the casing 11 so as to be slidable along the width direction. A cylindrical pointer protrusion 66 is formed on the slide plate 64, and the tip end portion of the pointer protrusion 66 has an indicator opening 62. It protrudes to the outside of the casing 11 through. In the casing 11, a plurality of indicator portions 68 are formed in a notch shape or a protrusion shape at a predetermined pitch along the width direction along the indicator opening 62. These index portions 68 represent the number of images (film remaining number) that can be recorded on the photographic film 70 loaded in the film loading portion. For example, the remaining number of films is 36, 24, 12 and Each is provided corresponding to 0 sheets.
[0023]
Here, when the photographic film 70 accommodated in the cartridge 72 is loaded into the film loading unit, the camera 10 is configured to mount the photographic film 70 on the film winding shaft (on the side opposite to the film loading unit in the casing 11). A pre-rewind method is employed in which the photographic film 70 is rewound from the film take-up shaft to the cartridge 72 at the time of photographing after all the film is taken up. On the other hand, a rack portion 65 is formed on the slide plate 64 as shown in FIG. 2, and a pinion 67 pivotally supported in the casing 11 is engaged with the rack portion 65. The pinion 67 is connected to the film take-up shaft via a gear train mechanism (not shown) having a predetermined reduction ratio. As a result, the slide plate 64 slides along the indicator opening 62 by a distance proportional to the rotation amount of the film take-up shaft.
[0024]
Specifically, in the camera 10, when the photographic film 70 stored in the cartridge 72 is loaded in the film loading section, all the photographic films 70 are extended from the cartridge 72 and wound on the film winding shaft. . In conjunction with this, the pointer protrusion 66 of the slide plate 64 moves to the index portion 68 corresponding to the number of photographic films 70 wound on the film winding shaft. Thereafter, as the number of remaining films decreases as the image is taken by the camera 10, the slide plate 64 slides along the indicator opening 62 toward the decreasing side (left side in FIG. 2) by the distance corresponding to the number of shots. To do. As a result, the operator confirms the position of the pointer protrusion 66 of the slide plate 64 and the index portions 68 corresponding to 36, 24, 12 and so on by tactile sense, so that the remaining film that can be photographed on the photographic film 70 is obtained. The number can be easily determined.
[0025]
Note that, in a camera that does not employ the prewind method, contrary to the camera 10 of the present embodiment, if the number of already photographed films (number of films used) in the photographic film 70 is displayed, the present embodiment is related. The number of films used can be displayed simply by reversing the operating direction of the slide plate 64 using the same structure as the film number information display section 60.
[0026]
(Operation of the embodiment)
According to the camera 10 according to the present embodiment described above, the slide cover 24 is configured as a switch for turning on / off the main power supply of the camera 10, and the main power supply is turned on when the slide cover 24 is slid to the open position. When the slide cover 24 is slid to the closed position, the main power supply is cut off and the camera 10 is in a standby state, so that even when the operator of the camera 10 is visually impaired, The operation of turning on / off the main power source of the camera 10 can be performed without error, and the on / off state of the main power source of the camera 10 can be recognized by confirming the position of the slide cover 24 by touch.
[0027]
According to the camera 10, as described above, date recording is performed by confirming the positions of the on / off switch 26, the mode dial switch 32, the film loading display unit 40, and the film number information display unit 60 by touch. Operation state, photographing mode, loading state of the photographic film 70 and the remaining number of the loaded photographic film 70 can be easily recognized, so that even if the operator of the camera 10 is visually impaired, The operator who has the ability to shoot without making a mistake in operation, and can surely grasp the state of the photographic film 70 and various shooting conditions.
[0028]
In the above description of the present embodiment, the configuration according to the present invention has been described only for the camera 10 that records (exposes) a photographed image on a 135-size photographic film 70. However, the configuration according to the present invention has a 135 size. It can also be applied to a photographic film other than the photographic film 70, for example, a camera loaded with an APS type photographic film, a film with a lens in which the photographic film and the camera are integrated, Therefore, the present invention can be applied to a digital camera that processes the image data and records the image data in an electronic internal information recording medium such as a RAM or an IC memory or an electronic external information recording medium such as a memory card. When the present invention is applied to a digital camera, for example, the recordable amount of information (remaining memory) in the information recording medium is converted into the number of images that can be photographed, and the pointer protrusion 66 corresponds to the number of images in the indicator opening 62. Move to the position to be Accordingly, the operator can easily determine the number of images that can be captured by the digital camera by checking the position of the pointer protrusion 66 and the index unit 68 by touch.
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the camera device of the present invention, information about the recording medium such as the number of images that can be captured by touch can be transmitted to the operator.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a front portion of a camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a back surface portion of the camera according to the embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a film loading display unit in the camera shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Camera (Camera device)
24 Slide cover 26 ON / OFF switch (second information transmission means, date recording operation display section)
32 Mode dial switch (second information transmission means)
36 bar index (second information transmission means)
40 Film loading display section (first information transmission means)
60 Film number information display section (first information transmission means)

Claims (4)

A camera device for photographing a subject in accordance with preset photographing conditions and recording a photographed image obtained by the photographing on a recording medium,
A camera apparatus, comprising: a first information transmission unit configured to transmit information about the recording medium to an operator via a tactile sense. A film loading section on which the photographic film as the recording medium is detachably loaded;
2. The film loading state display unit for transmitting to the operator via tactile sense whether or not a photographic film is loaded in the film loading unit as the first information transmission unit. The camera device described. A film loading section on which the photographic film as the recording medium is detachably loaded;
As the first information transmission means, either the number of photographed images already recorded on the photographic film loaded in the film loading section or the number of photographed images recordable on the photographic film is determined via a tactile sense. The camera apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a film number information display section for transmitting to an operator. A date recording unit that records a photographing time together with a photographed image on a photographic film, and a second information transmission unit that transmits information about photographing conditions to an operator via a tactile sense;
As the second information transmission means, whether the date recording unit is in an operation state for recording the photographing time together with a photographed image on a photographic film or is in a stopped state for stopping the recording of the photographing time on a photographic film. 4. The camera device according to claim 1, further comprising a date recording operation display unit for transmitting to an operator via a sense of touch.

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