JP2008134438A - camera - Google Patents

Abstract

A camera capable of notifying a user of a detailed operation state without impairing design is provided.
A digital camera is provided with a lens barrier that slides between an open position for exposing a photographic lens and a closed position for covering and protecting the photographic lens. Near the center of the lens barrier 15, a logo mark 18 representing the model name of the digital camera 2 is provided. The logo mark 18 is made of a translucent plate having translucency. Inside the camera body 4 is provided an LED that faces the logo mark 18 when the lens barrier 15 moves to the open position. The LED emits the logo mark 18 by illuminating the translucent plate from the inside. The digital camera 2 notifies the user by changing the light emission state of the logo mark 18 in accordance with the operation status.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a camera provided with a lens barrier.

  A camera is known that includes a lens barrier that slides between a closed position that covers the photographic lens and an open position that exposes the photographic lens (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such a slide-type lens barrier protects the photographic lens appropriately, and unlike a detachable cap, there is no risk of losing it, so an embedded photographic lens or a retractable photographic lens fixed to the camera body It is preferably used for a compact type camera equipped with the above.

Some cameras with sliding lens barriers are designed to improve operability by switching the power ON / OFF according to the movement of the lens barrier and switching the camera operation mode. is there. However, if the operation mode of the camera is switched by moving the lens barrier, it is difficult to determine which operation mode is set, and there is a problem that the setting is easy to make mistakes during shooting. For this reason, in the camera described in Patent Document 1, a display window for displaying the set operation mode is provided in the lens barrier so that it can be easily recognized which operation mode the camera is set to.
JP 2003-186080 A

  However, if a display window or the like is provided on the lens barrier that becomes the face of the camera, there is a problem that the appearance is poor and the design is impaired. In recent years when various types of cameras are sold, design is also one of the important factors that motivate users to purchase, and a design with a high appeal is desired at the time of over-the-counter sales.

  In addition, cameras have been improved in functionality, and various operation situations have been included in one operation mode. Although there are many requests to be able to notify the user of such detailed operation status, it is difficult to realize the notification of the operation status using the display window.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a camera capable of notifying a user of a detailed operation state without impairing design.

  In order to achieve the above object, the camera of the present invention is freely movable between a main body provided with a photographing lens for forming a subject image, a closed position covering the photographing lens, and an open position exposing the photographing lens. A lens barrier attached to the body, a logo mark formed on the lens barrier, a light source that emits the logo mark, an illumination emission mode that emits the logo mark in a certain state, and a predetermined operation state And a light emission control means for changing the light emission state of the logo mark in an operation-specific light emission mode in which the logo mark emits light in a state different from the illumination light emission mode.

  The logo mark includes a cut-out part obtained by cutting the lens barrier into a logo shape, and a translucent member fitted into the cut-out part. The light source is provided inside the main body, and the translucent member is provided from the inside. It is preferable to cause the logo mark to emit light by irradiating the optical member with light. At this time, it is preferable that the translucent member has translucency and also has light diffusibility.

  Further, the light source includes an opening position irradiation unit that faces the light transmissive member when the lens barrier moves to the open position, and the light source faces the light transmissive member when the lens barrier moves to the closed position. It is preferable to have a closed position irradiation section.

  In addition, in the self-timer shooting mode in which shooting is performed after a certain time has passed since the release button operation, the timer for counting the certain time is provided, and the operation-specific light-emitting mode includes the timer when the timer is activated. It is preferable that a self-timer notification mode for notifying activation of the timer by changing the light emission state of the logo mark is included.

  In addition, it has an autofocus processing means for performing autofocus processing for automatically adjusting the focus of the photographing lens, and in the operation-specific light emission mode, the light emission state of the logo mark is displayed when the autofocus processing is performed. It is preferable that an auto-focus notification mode for notifying the focusing of the photographing lens by changing is included.

  An image sensor that captures the subject image formed by the photographing lens and obtains image data corresponding to the subject image; and a face that analyzes the image data and extracts the face of the subject from the image data A face extraction for notifying the face extraction by changing the light emission state of the logo when the face extraction means extracts the face of the subject. It is preferable that a notification mode is included.

  Further, when the macro mode for performing close-up photography is set as the operation-specific emission mode, the logo mark is emitted with a higher light intensity than the illumination mode, so that the logo mark is emitted for macro photography. It is preferable that a macro photography light emission mode used as illumination of the above is included.

  In the operation-specific light emission mode, the charging state of the battery is changed by changing the light emission state of the logo mark according to the amount of charge of the battery while charging a battery that supplies power to the light source. It is preferable that a charging status notification mode for notifying the user is included.

  The operation-specific light emission mode includes a remaining capacity notification mode for notifying the remaining capacity of the battery by changing the light emission state of the logo mark according to the remaining capacity of the battery that supplies power to the light source. It is preferred that

  Furthermore, it is preferable that the light emission control unit emits the logo mark in the remaining capacity notification mode when the power is turned off.

  It is preferable that the power supply is set to ON when the lens barrier moves to the open position, and the power supply is set to OFF when the lens barrier moves to the closed position.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the change in the light emission state of the logo mark is any one of blinking, change in emission color, and change in light quantity.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that the logo mark represents a model name.

  According to the camera of the present invention, the logo mark is formed on the lens barrier, and the logo mark is emitted in the illumination light emission mode and the operation-specific light emission mode, so that the detailed operation status can be obtained without impairing the design. Can be notified.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the digital camera (camera) 2 includes a camera body 4 formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. On the front surface of the camera body 4, a photographing lens 10 that forms a subject image and a strobe light emitting unit 11 that irradiates the subject when photographing is provided. Also, on the upper surface of the camera body 4, there are a release button 12 for instructing execution of shooting, and a mode switch 13 for switching between a still image shooting mode for shooting still images and a playback mode for playing back and displaying the shot images. Is provided.

  The release button 12 is a two-stage push switch, and when it is lightly pressed (half-pressed), various shooting preparation processes such as automatic focus adjustment (AF) and automatic exposure adjustment (AE) are performed. When the release button 12 is pressed once again (fully pressed) from this half-pressed state, the camera body 4 is instructed to execute shooting, and the image pickup signal for one screen on which shooting preparation processing has been performed is converted into image data. .

  The camera body 4 is slidably moved between an open position (position shown in FIG. 1) where the photographing lens 10 is exposed and a closed position (position shown in FIG. 2) which covers and protects the photographing lens 10. A flat lens barrier 15 is attached. The lens barrier 15 also has a function of a power switch of the digital camera 2. The power source of the digital camera 2 is set to ON when the lens barrier 15 is moved to the open position, and is set to OFF when the lens barrier 15 is moved to the closed position. In addition, what is necessary is just to use well-known switches and sensors, such as a limit switch and a photo interrupter, for example for the detection of each position of the lens barrier 15.

  The lens barrier 15 is provided with a strobe window 16 for exposing the strobe light emitting unit 11 and a logo mark 18 representing the model name of the digital camera 2. The strobe window 16 is formed in a through hole shape, and is positioned so as to face the strobe light emitting unit 11 when the lens barrier 15 is moved to the open position. Accordingly, the strobe light emitting unit 11 is exposed through the strobe window 16 by moving the lens barrier 15 to the open position. Further, when the lens barrier 15 moves to the closed position, the strobe light emitting unit 11 is displaced from the strobe window 16 and is covered with the lens barrier 15.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the logo mark 18 provided near the center of the lens barrier 15 is formed by fitting a translucent plate (translucent member) 22 into a cutout portion 20 obtained by cutting out the lens barrier 15 into a logo shape. Consists of. The translucent plate 22 is formed of a material having translucency and light diffusibility, such as milky white acrylic resin or milky white epoxy resin. The light transmitting plate 22 is formed with a protruding portion 22a protruding in the shape of a logo. The height of the protruding portion 22a is adjusted to the thickness of the cutout portion 20 portion of the lens barrier 15. Thereby, the logo mark 18 is formed substantially flush with the front surface of the lens barrier 15 by fitting the protruding portion 22 a into the cutout portion 20. The translucent plate 22 is fixed to the back surface of the lens barrier 15 by, for example, bonding, claw locking, or screwing. Moreover, in this embodiment, although the plate-shaped translucent board 22 is shown as a translucent member, a translucent member is not restricted to this, For example, according to the shape of the cutout part 20 (logo) It may be a block shape or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a liquid crystal panel 30 and an operation unit 31 are provided on the back surface of the camera body 4. The liquid crystal panel 30 displays captured images, so-called through images at the time of shooting, various menu screens, and the like. The operation unit 31 includes a zoom operation button 32 for changing the magnification of the photographing lens 10 to the wide angle side or the telephoto side, and a menu button operated when displaying a menu screen on the liquid crystal panel 20 or determining a selection content. 33, a cross key 34 operated when moving the cursor in the menu screen, a display switching button 35 for switching display items on the menu screen, a self-timer for setting the digital camera 2 to the self-timer shooting mode A setting button 36, a macro setting button 37 for setting the digital camera 2 to the macro shooting mode, a face extraction setting button 38 for setting the digital camera 2 to the face extraction mode, and the like are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a circuit board 40 on which various circuits for controlling the digital camera 2 are provided is provided inside the camera body 4. On the circuit board 40, an LED (light source) 42 that irradiates light toward the front surface of the camera body 4 is mounted. The LED 42 is positioned so as to face the logo mark 18 when the lens barrier 15 moves to the open position (see FIG. 5A). The LED 42 illuminates the logo mark 18 by illuminating the translucent plate 22 from the inside when the lens barrier 15 is in the open position.

  A light pipe 44 that guides the light emitted from the LED 42 to the translucent plate 22 is provided in front of the LED 42. The light pipe 44 is formed in a substantially quadrangular pyramid shape that expands the cross-sectional area toward the front surface. Light emitted from the LED 42 is transmitted through the light pipe 44 while being totally reflected, and is applied to the light transmitting plate 22. The light pipe 44 efficiently applies the irradiation light of the LED 42 to the light transmitting plate 22 by preventing unnecessary scattering of the irradiation light in the camera body 4. Further, the light pipe 44 irradiates the entire light transmitting plate 22 with the irradiation light by diffusing the irradiation light along the side surface inclination when the irradiation light passes through the inside. The light pipe 44 is formed of, for example, optical plastic such as polycarbonate or optical glass such as crown glass.

  The light emitted from the LED 42 irradiated to the light transmitting plate 22 is further diffused by the light diffusing light transmitting plate 22 and is emitted to the outside of the digital camera 2 through the cutout portion 20. Thus, by transmitting the light transmitting plate 22, the entire logo mark 18 can be made to emit light with a substantially uniform light amount. For example, the digital camera 2 appeals the model name of the digital camera 2 by causing the logo mark 18 to emit light when the power is on.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the lens barrier 15 is in the closed position, the translucent plate 22 is completely detached from the light pipe 44 so that the whole is covered by the front surface of the camera body 4. Become. Thereby, when the lens barrier 15 is in the closed position, the logo mark 18 is reliably prevented from emitting light.

  An outline of the electrical configuration of the digital camera 2 is shown in FIG. The photographing lens 10 includes a zoom lens 50, a diaphragm 51, and a focus lens 52 that are arranged along the optical axis L. A lens motor 53 is connected to the zoom lens 50. The lens motor 53 moves the zoom lens 50 to the wide angle side or the telephoto side in conjunction with the operation of the zoom operation button 32. An iris motor 54 is connected to the diaphragm 51. The iris motor 54 adjusts the amount of light incident from the zoom lens 50 by changing the aperture area of the diaphragm 51 during the shooting preparation process when the release button 12 is half-pressed. A lens motor 55 is connected to the focus lens 52. The lens motor 55 adjusts the focus of the photographing lens 10 to the near side or the infinity side by moving the focus lens 52 in the optical axis direction in accordance with zooming of the zoom lens 50 or the like.

  Each motor 53, 54, 55 is connected to a motor driver 56. The motor driver 56 is connected to a CPU (light emission control means) 57 that comprehensively controls the digital camera 2, and transmits a drive pulse to each of the motors 53, 54, 55 based on a control signal from the CPU 57. Each of the motors 53, 54, 55 rotates the rotation shaft in accordance with the drive pulse. For example, a stepping motor or the like is used for each of the motors 53, 54, and 55.

  Behind the photographic lens 10, a CCD (imaging device) 58 that images a subject image formed by the photographic lens 10 is disposed. A timing generator (TG) 59 controlled by the CPU 57 is connected to the CCD 58, and the shutter speed of the electronic shutter is determined by a timing signal (clock pulse) input from the TG 59.

  The image data output from the CCD 58 is input to a correlated double sampling circuit (CDS) 60 and output as R, G, B image data that accurately corresponds to the accumulated charge amount of each cell of the CCD 58. The image data output from the CDS 60 is amplified by an amplifier (AMP) 61 and converted into digital image data by an A / D converter (A / D) 62.

  The image input controller 63 is connected to the CPU 57 via the bus 64 and controls each part of the CCD 58, the CDS 60, the AMP 61, and the A / D 62 in accordance with a control command from the CPU 57. The image data output from the A / D 62 is temporarily recorded in the SDRAM 65.

  The image signal processing circuit 66 reads the image data from the SDRAM 65, performs various image processing such as gradation conversion, white balance correction, and γ correction processing, and records the image data in the SDRAM 65 again. The YC conversion processing circuit 67 reads the image data subjected to various processes by the image signal processing circuit 66 from the SDRAM 65, and converts it into a luminance signal Y and color difference signals Cr and Cb.

  The VRAM 68 is a memory for outputting a through image to the liquid crystal panel 30, and stores image data that has passed through the image signal processing circuit 66 and the YC conversion processing circuit 67. The VRAM 68 has a memory for two frames so that image data can be written and read in parallel. The image data stored in the VRAM 68 is converted into an analog composite signal by the LCD driver 69 and displayed on the liquid crystal panel 30 as a through image.

  The compression / decompression processing circuit 70 compresses the image data YC converted by the YC conversion processing circuit 67 in a predetermined compression format such as TIFF or JPEG. The media controller 71 accesses a memory card 72 that is detachably attached to the media slot, and reads and writes compressed image data.

  The release button 12, the mode switch 13, the operation unit 31, the EEPROM 75, and the LED driver 76 are connected to the CPU 47. The EEPROM 75 stores various control programs and setting information. The CPU 57 reads these pieces of information from the EEPROM 75 to the SDRAM 65, which is a working memory, and executes various processes.

  The LED driver 76 is connected to the LED 42. The LED driver 76 applies a voltage to the LED 42 in accordance with a control signal from the CPU 57 to light the LED 42. As a result, the CPU 57 controls the turning on / off of the LED 42 and the like.

  Further, the LED driver 76 causes the logo mark 18 to emit light in various light emission modes by adjusting the luminance, blinking cycle, and the like of the LED 42 according to the control signal. The CPU 57 sets a light emission mode corresponding to the operation state in the LED driver 76 by transmitting a control signal corresponding to the operation state of the digital camera 2 to the LED driver 76. The logo mark 18 can be emitted in, for example, an illumination emission mode in which the logo mark 18 emits light in a certain state when the power is turned on, or a self-timer by flashing the logo mark 18 in the self-timer shooting mode. There is a self-timer notification mode for informing the activation of the device.

  In addition to the above, the bus 64 includes a strobe controller 80, an AE / AWB detection circuit 81, an AF detection circuit (autofocus processing means) 82, a timer circuit (timer) 83, and a face extraction section (face extraction means). ) 84 and the like are connected. Each of these circuits included in the digital camera 2 is configured by various electronic components mounted on the circuit board 40, for example. The strobe control unit 80 causes the strobe light emitting unit 11 to emit light according to the strobe light emission signal transmitted from the CPU 57.

  The AE / AWB detection circuit 81 calculates a photometric value representing the luminance of the subject based on the integrated value of the luminance signal Y of the image data YC converted by the YC conversion processing circuit 67 and the color difference signals Cr and Cb. The calculation result is transmitted to the CPU 57. The CPU 57 determines the appropriateness of the exposure amount and white balance based on the photometric value transmitted from the AE / AWB detection circuit 81, and controls the operations of the aperture 51, the CCD 58, and the like.

  The AF detection circuit 82 is for performing a so-called contrast AF process, calculates a focus evaluation value representing the contrast of the image from the image data digitized by the A / D 62, and sends the calculation result to the CPU 57. Send. The focus evaluation value is obtained by performing contour extraction processing on a specific area of the image, for example, the image data of the central portion of the captured image with a high-pass filter or the like, and extracting the contour signal and the luminance value of the image data of the central portion. Obtained by integrating. Note that the larger the focus evaluation value is, the more high-frequency components are in the portion, and the portion is in focus.

  The CPU 57 drives the lens motor 55 and moves the focus lens 52 by a predetermined amount from close to infinity or from infinity to close during the shooting preparation process when the release button 12 is half-pressed. The AF detection circuit 82 is caused to calculate the focus evaluation value at the point. Then, the point with the maximum focus evaluation value is determined as the in-focus position, and the focus lens 52 is moved to that point, thereby terminating the AF process.

  When the self-timer shooting mode or the like is set, the timer circuit 83 starts measuring a predetermined time in response to a start signal from the CPU 57, for example, for 1 second until the time measurement ends. A clock signal is transmitted to the CPU 57 at a cycle such as. The CPU 57 performs self-timer shooting by determining the elapse of a fixed time based on a timing signal from the timer circuit 83 and instructing the CCD 58 to execute shooting. In addition, it is preferable that the predetermined time of the self-timer photographing can be arbitrarily set via the operation unit 31 or the like, for example.

  The face extraction unit 84 extracts the face of the subject from the image data recorded in the SDRAM 65 or the VRAM 68 when the CPU 57 instructs the face extraction. The face extraction unit 84 that has extracted the face from the image data transmits the extracted face position information and the like to the CPU 57. For example, when the face extraction mode is set by the face extraction setting button 38, the CPU 57 instructs the face extraction unit 84 to extract a face. The CPU 57 having the face extraction unit 84 extract the face performs, for example, exposure control according to the face portion, digital zoom processing of the face portion, and the like based on the received position information. In addition, what is necessary is just to use a well-known pattern matching technique for the face extraction by the face extraction part 84. FIG.

  Next, the operation of the digital camera 2 configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The digital camera 2 is turned on by moving the lens barrier 15 to the open position. When the power is turned on, the CPU 57 of the digital camera 2 transmits a control signal to the LED driver 76 to set the illumination light emission mode in the LED driver 76. The LED driver 76 in which the illumination light emission mode is set turns on the LED 42 and causes the logo mark 18 to emit light with a constant light amount.

  By causing the logo mark 18 to emit light in this way, the model name of the digital camera 2 can be appealed to the user, for example, in store sales. Further, since the logo mark 18 is provided near the center of the lens barrier 15, the logo mark 18 is not hidden by a photographer's finger or the like during shooting. In the illumination light emission mode, the light emission is not limited to the constant light quantity, and for example, the light quantity may be periodically changed. That is, the illumination light emission mode may be a constant light emission state at all times or a constant light emission state periodically.

  Further, when the power is turned on, the CPU 57 causes the logo mark 18 to emit light and starts driving the CCD 58 and the liquid crystal panel 30 to display a through image on the liquid crystal panel 30. The CPU 57 that has emitted the logo mark 18 and displayed a through image checks whether or not the self-timer shooting mode has been set by the self-timer setting button 36. In the normal shooting mode in which the self-shooting mode is not set, the CPU 57 performs power supply for executing shooting preparation processing in response to half-pressing of the release button 12 and executing shooting in response to full-pressing of the release button 12. Repeat until is turned off.

  On the other hand, when the self-photographing mode is set, the CPU 57 transmits a start signal to the timer circuit 83 in response to the full press of the release button 12 to start the timer circuit 83, and the timer circuit 83 is set for a predetermined time. Start timing. In addition, the CPU 57 transmits a start signal to the timer circuit 83 and transmits a control signal for the self-timer photographing mode to the LED driver 76 to set the self-timer notification mode in the LED driver 76. The LED driver 76 in which the self-timer notification mode is set notifies the user that the timer circuit 83 has started by repeatedly turning on and off the LED 42 and blinking the logo mark 18.

  Receiving the start signal, the timer circuit 83 starts measuring a certain time and transmits the time signal to the CPU 57 at a predetermined cycle. The CPU 57 determines whether or not a certain time has elapsed based on the time signal from the timer circuit 83, and executes photographing as the certain time elapses. The CPU 57 that has performed photographing again sets the illumination light emission mode to the LED driver 76, and returns the logo mark 18 to the original light emission state. The light emitted from the logo mark 18 is turned off by moving the lens barrier 15 to the closed position and turning off the power of the digital camera 2.

  In this way, by changing the light emission state of the logo mark 18, it is possible to notify the user of the activation of the timer circuit 83 without impairing the design. Further, since it is not necessary to separately provide a tally lamp for a self-timer, the number of parts can be reduced. In the present embodiment, when the self-timer notification mode is set, the fact that the timer circuit 83 is activated by flashing the logo 18 is not limited to this. For example, You may make it alert | report by changing the luminescent color of the logo mark 18 (LED42), or changing the light quantity of the logo mark 18. FIG.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the logo mark 18 is always blinked at the same cycle for a fixed time. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the display state of the logo mark 18 is changed in several stages during the fixed time. You may make it make it. For example, not only that the timer circuit 83 is started but also the timing at which shooting is performed is notified to the user by increasing the blinking period as time elapses based on the time signal from the timer circuit 83. Can do.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The digital camera 2 is turned on by moving the lens barrier 15 to the open position. When the power is turned on, the CPU 57 of the digital camera 2 sets an illumination light emission mode in the LED driver 76 and causes the logo mark 18 to emit light with a constant light amount. Further, the CPU 57 causes the logo mark 18 to emit light and starts driving the CCD 58 and the liquid crystal panel 30 to display a through image on the liquid crystal panel 30.

  The CPU 57 that has emitted the logo mark 18 and displayed a through image performs photographing preparation processing such as AE processing and AF processing in response to the release button 12 being pressed halfway. The CPU 57 that has performed the shooting preparation process transmits an AF control signal to the LED driver 76 when the focusing lens 10 is focused on the subject by the AF process, and sets the AF notification mode in the LED driver 76.

  The LED driver 76 in which the AF notification mode is set controls the turning on and off of the LED 42 to blink the logo mark 18 for a predetermined time. The LED driver 76 having blinked the logo mark 18 for a certain period of time resets the light emission mode to the illumination light emission mode, and returns the logo mark 18 to the original light emission state. The CPU 57 informs the user that the photographing lens 10 has focused on the subject by blinking the logo mark 18 for a certain period of time.

  The CPU 57 repeats the photographing preparation process related to the half-press until the release button 12 is fully pressed. Then, the CPU 57 performs shooting in response to the release button 12 being fully pressed. Further, the above-described processes by half-pressing and fully-pressing the release button 12 are repeated while the digital camera 2 is in the ON state. The light emitted from the logo 18 is turned off by moving the lens barrier 15 to the closed position and turning off the power of the digital camera 2.

  As described above, by changing the light emission state of the logo mark 18, it is possible to notify the user that the photographing lens 10 has focused on the subject without impairing the design. At this time, since the logo mark 18 is provided on the front surface of the digital camera 2, it is easy to know whether or not the camera is in focus when the photographing lens 10 is directed toward the photographer, so that it is particularly useful. is there. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a dedicated lamp or the like, the number of parts can be reduced. The notification by the logo mark 18 is not limited to blinking, but may be a change in the emission color or a change in the amount of light as described above.

  Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The digital camera 2 is turned on by moving the lens barrier 15 to the open position. When the power is turned on, the CPU 57 of the digital camera 2 sets an illumination light emission mode in the LED driver 76 and causes the logo mark 18 to emit light with a constant light amount. Further, the CPU 57 causes the logo mark 18 to emit light and starts driving the CCD 58 and the liquid crystal panel 30 to display a through image on the liquid crystal panel 30.

  The CPU 57 that has emitted the logo mark 18 and displayed the through image checks whether or not the face extraction mode is set by the face extraction setting button 38. When the face extraction mode is not set, the CPU 57 performs the shooting preparation process in response to half-pressing of the release button 12 and the shooting in response to full-pressing of the release button 12 until the power is turned off. repeat.

  On the other hand, when the face extraction mode is set, the CPU 57 instructs the face extraction unit 84 to extract a face. The face extraction unit 84 instructed to extract extracts the face of the subject from the image data for the through image recorded in the SDRAM 65 or the VRAM 68. The face extraction unit 84 that has extracted the face from the image data transmits the extracted face position information and the like to the CPU 57. Note that the face extraction unit 84 extracts a face from the image data of each through image frame until shooting is performed once or the face extraction mode is canceled by the face extraction setting button 38.

  When the CPU 57 receives the first position information from the face extraction unit 84, it transmits a face extraction control signal to the LED driver 76 and sets the face extraction notification mode in the LED driver 76. The LED driver 76 in which the face extraction notification mode is set controls the lighting and extinguishing of the LED 42 to blink the logo mark 18 for a certain period of time. The LED driver 76 having blinked the logo mark 18 for a certain period of time resets the light emission mode to the illumination light emission mode, and returns the logo mark 18 to the original light emission state. The CPU 57 thus informs the user that the face of the subject has been extracted by blinking the logo mark 18 for a certain period of time.

  The CPU 57 having blinked the logo mark 18 executes photographing preparation processing such as AE processing and AF processing in response to the release button 12 being pressed halfway. At this time, for example, exposure control according to the face portion, digital zoom processing of the face portion, or the like may be performed based on the received position information. Further, based on the received position information, a frame surrounding the extracted face portion may be displayed superimposed on the through image. It should be noted that it is preferable that the user can arbitrarily set whether or not to perform these processes in preparation for shooting.

  Then, the CPU 57 performs shooting in response to the release button 12 being fully pressed. Each of the above processes is repeated while the digital camera 2 is in the ON state. The light emitted from the logo 18 is turned off by moving the lens barrier 15 to the closed position and turning off the power of the digital camera 2.

  Thus, by changing the light emission state of the logo mark 18, it is possible to notify the user that the face has been extracted without impairing the design. At this time, since the logo mark 18 is provided on the front surface of the digital camera 2, it is easy to understand whether or not a face has been extracted when the photographing lens 10 is directed to the photographer himself, so-called self-portrait, and is particularly useful. It is. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a dedicated lamp or the like, the number of parts can be reduced.

  In this embodiment, the logo mark 18 is blinked only when the face is extracted. However, the logo mark 18 is blinked when the detection of the face is interrupted due to, for example, the removal of the subject. It may be. Further, the logo 18 may be blinked while the face extraction unit 84 is extracting the face (while receiving the position information). Further, the notification by the logo mark 18 is not limited to blinking, but may be a change in the emission color or a change in the amount of light as described above.

  Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The digital camera 2 is turned on by moving the lens barrier 15 to the open position. When the power is turned on, the CPU 57 of the digital camera 2 sets an illumination light emission mode in the LED driver 76 and causes the logo mark 18 to emit light with a constant light amount. Further, the CPU 57 causes the logo mark 18 to emit light and starts driving the CCD 58 and the liquid crystal panel 30 to display a through image on the liquid crystal panel 30.

  The CPU 57 that has emitted the logo mark 18 and displayed the through image checks whether or not the macro shooting mode has been set by the macro setting button 37. If the macro shooting mode is not set, the CPU 57 performs the shooting preparation process in response to half-pressing of the release button 12 and the shooting in response to full-pressing of the release button 12 until the power is turned off. repeat.

  On the other hand, when the macro shooting mode is set, the CPU 57 first drives the lens motors 53 and 55 to move the zoom lens 50 and the focus lens 52 to the macro shooting area. The CPU 57 that has moved the lenses 50 and 52 transmits a macro shooting control signal to the LED driver 76, and sets the macro shooting emission mode in the LED driver 76. The LED driver 76 in which the macro photographing light emission mode is set increases the light amount of the logo mark 18 by increasing the voltage applied to the LED 42, for example. The CPU 57 uses the logo mark 18 as illumination during macro photography by increasing the amount of light of the logo mark 18 in this way.

  The CPU 57 having increased the amount of light of the logo mark 18 executes photographing preparation processing such as AE processing and AF processing in response to the release button 12 being pressed halfway. Then, the CPU 57 performs shooting in response to the release button 12 being fully pressed. Each of the above processes is repeated while the digital camera 2 is in the ON state. Although not shown in the flowchart of FIG. 10, when the macro shooting mode is once set and then the macro shooting mode is canceled, the flash mode is reset to the illumination mode and the logo mark 18 is displayed. Return the light intensity to its original state. The light emitted from the logo mark 18 is turned off by moving the lens barrier 15 to the closed position and turning off the power of the digital camera 2.

  If the strobe light emitting unit 11 is used as illumination in the macro shooting mode, the distance to the subject is short, which causes a so-called whiteout. On the other hand, as shown in the present embodiment, by using the light emitted from the logo mark 18 using the LED 42 as a light source as illumination, whiteout at the time of macro photography can be appropriately prevented.

  Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, about the same thing as each said embodiment on function and a structure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted. The digital camera 100 is charged by being set in the cradle 140. The cradle 140 is provided with a connection portion 142 having a substantially bottomed hole shape corresponding to the shape of the camera body 4. The digital camera 100 is set in the cradle 140 by inserting the camera body 4 into the connecting portion 142.

  A plug connector 144 for obtaining an electrical connection with the digital camera 100 is provided on the inner bottom surface of the connection portion 142. On the other hand, a socket connector 102 corresponding to the plug connector 144 is provided on the bottom surface of the digital camera 100. The connectors 102 and 144 are fitted to each other by setting the digital camera 100 on the cradle 140, and electrically connect the digital camera 100 and the cradle 140.

  The cradle 140 is connected to a personal computer or the like by a cable (not shown). As a result, the digital camera 100 is charged via the cradle 140 and image data is transferred via the cradle 140.

  The configuration around the power source of the digital camera 100 is shown in FIG. The digital camera 100 has a battery storage chamber (not shown), and a battery 104 is detachably held in the battery storage chamber. The battery 104 is connected to a DC / DC converter (DC / DC) 106 and a power supply control circuit 108 through electrodes provided in the battery storage chamber. As the battery 104, for example, a known secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery may be used.

  The DC / DC 106 steps down or boosts the voltage of the battery 104 to a predetermined voltage to be supplied to each part of the digital camera 100. The power control circuit 108 is connected to a limit switch 110 that detects that the lens barrier 15 has moved to the open position. The power supply control circuit 108 controls ON / OFF of the output of the DC / DC 106 according to the detection result of the limit switch 110. Thus, by moving the lens barrier 15 to the open position, the power transformed by the DC / DC 106 is supplied to each part of the digital camera 100, and the digital camera 100 is activated.

  The battery 104 and the power supply control circuit 108 are connected to the socket connector 102. The battery 104 is charged with electric power from the cradle 140 supplied via the socket connector 102 when the digital camera 100 is set in the cradle 140. The power control circuit 108 detects that the digital camera 100 is set in the cradle 140 by monitoring the presence / absence of power supply from the cradle 140.

  When the power supply control circuit 108 detects that the digital camera 100 is set in the cradle 140, the power control circuit 108 sends power from the cradle 140 to the DC / DC 106 to activate the digital camera 100. The power supply control circuit 108 is connected to the CPU 57, and the power supply control circuit 108 activates the digital camera 100 in response to the detection and outputs a detection signal indicating that the digital camera 100 is set in the cradle 140. It transmits to CPU57.

  Further, when the power supply control circuit 108 detects that the digital camera 100 is set in the cradle 140, the power supply control circuit 108 periodically measures the voltage of the battery 104 or calculates the integrated value of the charging current, for example. The charge amount (remaining capacity) of the battery 104 is calculated. The power supply control circuit 108 that has calculated the charge amount transmits information on the charge amount to the CPU 57. In the present embodiment, it is detected that the digital camera 100 is set in the cradle 140 depending on whether or not power is supplied. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, it may be detected by a switch or a sensor. Also good.

  As shown in FIG. 13, on the circuit board 40 of the digital camera 100, an opening position LED (opening position irradiator) 120 facing the logo 18 when the lens barrier 15 is in the open position (FIG. 13 (a)). )) And a closing position LED 121 (see FIG. 13B) facing the logo 18 when the lens barrier 15 is set to the closing position. Further, in front of the LEDs 120 and 121, an opening position light pipe 122 and a closing position light pipe 123 for guiding each irradiation light to the light transmitting plate 22 are provided. Accordingly, the digital camera 100 can light the logo mark 18 even when the lens barrier 15 is in any position by selectively lighting the LEDs 120 and 121. Each LED 120 and 121 is connected to the CPU 57 via the LED driver 76, and lighting / extinguishing is controlled by the CPU 57.

  As the closed position LED 121, a three-color LED in which RGB three-color light emitting elements are housed in one package is used. The closing position LED 121 emits light of various colors by adjusting the luminance of each light emitting element. For example, the digital camera 100 notifies the user of the charging status of the battery 104 by turning on the closing position LED 121 during charging and changing the emission color according to the amount of charge of the battery 104. The closed position LED 121 is not limited to a three-color LED, and may be a two-color LED or the like. Further, the opening position LED 120 may be a multicolor LED or a monochromatic LED.

  Next, the operation of the digital camera 100 configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. When the lens barrier 15 is moved to the open position, the movement is detected by the limit switch 110. When the limit switch 110 detects that the lens barrier 15 has moved to the open position, the power supply control circuit 108 causes the DC / DC 106 to start supplying power. Thereby, each part of the digital camera 100 is activated, and the power of the digital camera 100 is turned on.

  The CPU 57 of the activated digital camera 100 sets the illumination light emission mode in the LED driver 76. The LED driver 76 in which the illumination light emission mode is set turns on the opening position LED 120 and causes the logo mark 18 to emit light with a constant light amount. Further, the CPU 57 causes the logo mark 18 to emit light and starts driving the CCD 58 and the liquid crystal panel 30 to display a through image on the liquid crystal panel 30. The CPU 57 that has emitted the logo mark 18 and displayed a through image has a power supply that executes shooting preparation processing in response to half-pressing of the release button 12 and shooting in response to full-pressing of the release button 12. Repeat until OFF.

  When the power supply control circuit 108 confirms that the lens barrier 15 has moved to the closed position based on the detection result of the limit switch 110, the power supply control circuit 108 stops the power supply to the DC / DC 106 and turns off the power supply of the digital camera 100. When the power is turned off, the voltage applied to the opening position LED 120 is naturally interrupted, and the logo mark 18 is turned off.

  When the digital camera 100 is set in the cradle 140 with the power turned off, the connectors 102 and 144 are fitted, and the digital camera 100 and the cradle 140 are electrically connected. The cradle 140 supplies power to the digital camera 100 from a separately connected personal computer, AC adapter, or the like, and charges the battery 104 of the digital camera 100.

  When the power supply control circuit 108 detects that the digital camera 100 is set in the cradle 140 by supplying power from the cradle 140, the power supply control circuit 108 sends the power to the DC / DC 106 to activate the digital camera 100. The CPU 57 of the activated digital camera 100 sets the charging status notification mode in the LED driver 76 in response to receiving the detection signal from the power supply control circuit 108. The LED driver 76 in which the charging status notification mode is set turns on the closing position LED 121 and causes the logo mark 18 to emit light.

  At this time, the LED driver 76 adjusts the brightness of each light emitting element included in the closed position LED 121 based on the information on the charge amount of the battery 104 sent from the power control circuit 108, thereby adjusting the charge amount of the battery 104. The logo mark 18 is caused to emit light with a corresponding color. The LED driver 76 changes the color in the order of, for example, blue, light blue, green, yellow, orange, red (charge completion) in ascending order of charge amount. The CPU 57 and the LED driver 76 notify the user of the state of charge of the battery 104 by changing the emission color of the logo mark 18 in this way.

  The charging state is notified by light emission of the logo mark 18 until the digital camera 100 is removed from the cradle 140. Note that the change in emission color may be performed stepwise or gradationally.

  As described above, by changing the light emission state of the logo mark 18, it is possible to notify the user of the charging state of the battery 104 without impairing the design. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a dedicated lamp or the like, the number of parts can be reduced. Note that the notification by the logo mark 18 is not limited to the change in the emission color, but may be blinking or the amount of light may be changed as described above. In this embodiment, the battery 104 is charged via the cradle 140. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an AC adapter is directly connected to the digital camera 100 for charging. Also good.

  Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. When the lens barrier 15 is moved to the open position, the movement is detected by the limit switch 110. When the limit switch 110 detects that the lens barrier 15 has moved to the open position, the power supply control circuit 108 causes the DC / DC 106 to start supplying power. Thereby, each part of the digital camera 100 is activated, and the power of the digital camera 100 is turned on.

  The CPU 57 of the activated digital camera 100 sets the illumination light emission mode in the LED driver 76. The LED driver 76 in which the illumination light emission mode is set turns on the opening position LED 120 and causes the logo mark 18 to emit light with a constant light amount. Further, the CPU 57 causes the logo mark 18 to emit light and starts driving the CCD 58 and the liquid crystal panel 30 to display a through image on the liquid crystal panel 30. The CPU 57 that has emitted the logo mark 18 and displayed a through image has a power supply that executes shooting preparation processing in response to half-pressing of the release button 12 and shooting in response to full-pressing of the release button 12. Repeat until OFF.

  When the power supply control circuit 108 confirms that the lens barrier 15 has moved to the closed position based on the detection result of the limit switch 110, the power supply control circuit 108 calculates the remaining capacity of the battery 104 based on the voltage value of the battery 104 and the integrated value of the discharge current. calculate. The power supply control circuit 108 that has calculated the remaining capacity transmits information on the remaining capacity to the CPU 57. The CPU 57 that has received the remaining capacity information transmits a control signal including the remaining capacity information to the LED driver 76, and sets the LED driver 76 to the remaining capacity notification mode. The LED driver 76 in which the remaining capacity notification mode is set adjusts the luminance of each light emitting element included in the closing position LED 121 and turns on the closing position LED 121. The CPU 57 and the LED driver 76 notify the user of the remaining capacity of the battery 104 by causing the logo mark 18 to emit light in a color corresponding to the remaining capacity of the battery 104 as described above.

  Further, the LED driver 76 causes the logo mark 18 to emit light for a predetermined time (about several seconds) necessary for notification of the remaining capacity, and then turns off the LED 121 for the closing position. The power supply control circuit 108 confirms that the remaining capacity has been notified by a signal from the CPU 57, etc., and then stops the power supply to the DC / DC 106 and turns off the digital camera 100.

  Thus, by changing the light emission state of the logo mark 18, the user can be notified of the remaining capacity of the battery 104 without impairing the design. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a dedicated lamp or the like, the number of parts can be reduced. Furthermore, since notification can be performed without using the liquid crystal panel 30 or the like, useless power consumption of the battery 104 can be suppressed. Note that the notification by the logo mark 18 is not limited to the change in the emission color, but may be blinking or the amount of light may be changed as described above.

  In the present specification, the embodiments have been described separately for each operation situation of the digital cameras 2 and 100, but the present invention naturally includes each operation situation in one digital camera 2 and 100. It's okay. In each of the above embodiments, the self-timer notification mode, the AF notification mode, and the like are shown as the operation-specific light emission mode, but the operation-specific light emission mode is not limited to these. For example, in addition to the above, a mode for notifying the self-diagnosis result of the digital camera 2 (so-called diagnosis) may be provided.

  Further, in each of the above embodiments, the character string “Z5” representing the model name is shown as the logo mark 18, but the logo mark 18 is not limited to this, and naturally other character strings may be used. It may be a model name or a model name. Furthermore, the logo mark 18 is not limited to a model name, and may be a logo representing any other item such as a manufacturer name or mark.

  Further, in each of the above embodiments, the lens barrier 15 that slides in the horizontal direction is shown. However, the lens barrier 15 may slide in the vertical direction and the oblique direction. Further, the lens barrier 15 is not limited to sliding movement, and may be one that rotates and moves via a hinge, for example.

  In each of the above embodiments, the LED 42 as the light source is provided on the camera body 4 side. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the LED 42 may be provided on the lens barrier 15 side. However, if the light source is provided on the lens barrier 15 side, complicated wiring is required between the camera body 4 and the lens barrier 15, which may increase the cost. The light source is not limited to the LED, and may be any other device such as a laser diode, a light bulb, or an organic EL element. Furthermore, in each said embodiment, when changing the luminescent color of the logo mark 18, multicolor LED is used, However, The change of luminescent color is not restricted to this, A plurality of monochromatic light sources are arranged. Alternatively, a filter or the like may be passed.

  Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the example in which the present invention is applied to a digital camera has been shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is not limited to this, for example, the present invention is applied to a so-called silver salt camera that records an object image on a photographic film. The invention may be applied.

It is a perspective view of the digital camera which shows the state which has a lens barrier in an open position. It is a perspective view of the digital camera which shows the state which has a lens barrier in a closed position. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of a logo mark roughly. It is a rear view which shows the structure of a digital camera roughly. It is explanatory drawing which shows the internal structure of a camera main body roughly. It is a block diagram which shows the outline of an electrical structure of a digital camera. It is a flowchart which shows the example which combines the light emission of a logo mark with the display of a self-timer. It is a flowchart which shows the example which combines the light emission of a logo mark with the alerting | reporting of focus focusing. It is a flowchart which shows the example which combines the light emission of a logo mark with the notification of face extraction. It is a flowchart which shows the example which combines the light emission of a logo mark with the illumination of macro photography. It is a perspective view which shows the example which sets a digital camera to a cradle. It is a block diagram which shows roughly the structure around the power supply of a digital camera. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example which provided LED for opening positions, and LED for closed positions. It is a flowchart which shows the example which combines the light emission of a logo mark with the alerting | reporting of a charge condition. It is a flowchart which shows the example which combines the light emission of a logo mark with the alert | report of battery remaining capacity.

Explanation of symbols

2,100 Digital camera (camera)
4 Camera body (main body)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Shooting lens 15 Lens barrier 18 Logo mark 20 Cutout part 22 Translucent board (translucent member)
42 LED (light source)
57 CPU (light emission control means)
58 CCD (imaging device)
76 LED driver 82 AF detection circuit (autofocus processing means)
83 Timer circuit (Timer)
84 Face extraction unit (face extraction means)
104 battery 108 power supply control circuit 120 LED for opening position (irradiation part for opening position)
121 LED for closed position (irradiation part for closed position)

Claims (14)

A main body provided with a photographing lens for forming a subject image, and a lens barrier attached to the main body movably between a closed position that covers the photographing lens and an open position that exposes the photographing lens. In the camera
A logo formed on the lens barrier;
A light source for emitting the logo mark;
Light emission of the logo mark in an illumination light emission mode in which the logo mark is emitted in a certain state and an operation-specific light emission mode in which the logo mark is emitted in a state different from the illumination light emission mode when a predetermined operation state is reached. A camera comprising a light emission control means for changing a state. The logo mark is composed of a cutout part obtained by cutting out the lens barrier in the shape of a logo, and a translucent member fitted in the cutout part,
The camera according to claim 1, wherein the light source is provided inside the main body, and the logo mark is emitted by irradiating the light transmitting member with light from the inside.   The camera according to claim 2, wherein the translucent member has translucency and light diffusibility.   The light source includes an opening position irradiation unit that faces the translucent member when the lens barrier moves to the open position, and a closed surface that faces the translucent member when the lens barrier moves to the closed position. 4. The camera according to claim 2, further comprising a position irradiation unit. In the self-timer shooting mode in which shooting is performed after a certain period of time has elapsed from the operation of the release button, a timer for measuring the certain period of time
The self-timer notification mode for notifying the start of the timer by changing the light emission state of the logo mark when the timer is started is included in the operation-specific light emission mode. 5. The camera according to any one of 4 above. An autofocus processing means for performing autofocus processing for automatically adjusting the focus of the photographing lens;
The operation-specific light emission mode includes an autofocus notification mode for notifying the focus of the photographing lens by changing a light emission state of the logo mark when the autofocus process is performed. The camera according to any one of claims 1 to 5. An image sensor that captures the subject image formed by the photographing lens and acquires image data corresponding to the subject image, and a face extraction unit that analyzes the image data and extracts the face of the subject from the image data And
The operation-specific emission modes include a face extraction notification mode that notifies the extraction of the face by changing the light emission state of the logo mark when the face of the subject is extracted by the face extraction means. The camera according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that:   When the macro mode for performing close-up shooting is set in the operation-specific emission mode, the logo mark is emitted with a higher light intensity than in the illumination mode, thereby causing the logo mark to emit light for macro photography. The camera according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a macro photographing light-emitting mode used as is included.   In the operation-specific light emission mode, the battery charging status is notified by changing the light emission state of the logo mark according to the amount of charge of the battery while charging the battery that supplies power to the light source. The camera according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a charging status notification mode is included.   The operation-specific light emission mode includes a remaining capacity notification mode for notifying the remaining capacity of the battery by changing the light emission state of the logo mark according to the remaining capacity of the battery that supplies power to the light source. The camera according to claim 1, wherein:   The camera according to claim 10, wherein the light emission control unit causes the logo mark to emit light in the remaining capacity notification mode when power OFF is set.   12. The power supply is set to ON when the lens barrier moves to the open position, and the power supply is set to OFF when the lens barrier moves to the closed position. The camera according to item 1.   The camera according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the change in the light emission state of the logo mark is any one of blinking, a change in emission color, and a change in light quantity.   The camera according to claim 1, wherein the logo mark represents a model name.

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