JP2009033398A - Digital camera - Google Patents

Abstract

A user other than a registered user is prohibited from changing a custom setting value of the registered user.
An ID is acquired (S2), a registered user is identified by comparing the acquired ID with a registered ID (S4), and a custom setting value of a camera for each registered user is stored in a memory 10b. When the custom setting value corresponding to the registered user is read from the memory 10b and set in the camera (S5), the user other than the registered user is prohibited from changing the custom setting value corresponding to the registered user (S10). ).
[Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital camera.

  There is known a camera in which various types of information relating to shooting such as a shooting mode and a focus adjustment mode are selected according to user preferences and stored as custom setting values (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior art documents related to the invention of this application include the following.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 04-219738

  However, the conventional camera has a problem that the custom setting value is easily changed when one camera is used by a plurality of users.

(1) According to the first aspect of the present invention, an identification unit for identifying a user by ID, a setting unit for performing a custom setting corresponding to the user identified by the identification unit on the camera, and a user other than the user identified by the identification unit And prohibiting means for prohibiting the change of the custom setting value corresponding to the identified user.
(2) In the digital camera of claim 2, the identification unit includes an ID acquisition unit that acquires an ID, and a registered user identification unit that identifies the registered user by comparing the ID acquired by the ID acquisition unit with the registration ID. In addition, the setting means reads from the setting value storage means the setting value storage means for storing the custom setting value of the camera for each registered user, and the custom setting value corresponding to the registered user identified by the registered user identification means, Custom setting means for setting in the camera, and prohibiting means prohibits a user other than the registered user from changing the custom setting value corresponding to the registered user.
(3) The digital camera according to claim 3 is configured such that the ID acquisition means performs wireless communication with the portable device and receives the ID transmitted from the portable device.
(4) In the digital camera according to claim 4, when the mode for registering a new user is set by the registered user identifying unit, the ID acquired by the ID acquiring unit does not match the registered ID. Is registered as a new user ID, and the setting means stores the setting value of the camera set by the newly registered user in the setting value storage means as the custom setting value of the registered user.
(5) In the digital camera according to claim 5, when the registered user identified by the registered user identifying unit changes the custom set value by the setting unit, the registered user's custom stored in the set value storing unit is stored. The setting value is updated to the changed setting value.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a user other than the registered user from changing the custom setting value of the registered user.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a digital camera according to one embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a portable device according to one embodiment. A digital camera according to an embodiment includes a camera body 100 and a portable device 200. The portable device 200 is owned by a plurality of users. In this embodiment, the card-type portable device 200 will be described as an example. However, the shape and structure of the portable device 200 are not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a wireless tag.

  In FIG. 1, a photographing lens 1 includes a zooming lens 1 a, a diaphragm 1 b, a focusing lens 1 c, and the like, and forms a subject image on a light receiving surface of an image sensor 2. The imaging element 2 has a plurality of imaging pixels arranged on a two-dimensional plane, and outputs an image signal of a subject image formed by the photographing lens 1.

  The signal processing circuit 3 is a circuit that performs amplification processing and gain adjustment on the image signal output from the image sensor 2. The A / D converter 4 converts the processed image signal into a digital signal. The image processing circuit 5 is a circuit that generates an image signal by performing various correction processes and compression processes on the image signal. The recording device 6 records a captured image on a removable recording medium such as a memory card, and the display device 7 displays a through image of the captured image and information related to various types of shooting on an LCD provided on the back of the camera.

  A driving circuit 8 controls driving of the zooming lens 1a, the diaphragm 1b, and the focusing lens 1c, and a timing generator (T / G) 9 performs various processes on the image pickup device 2, the signal processing circuit 3, the A / D converter 4, and the image processing circuit 5. A timing signal for starting or ending is output. The control device 10 includes a CPU 10a, a memory 10b, and the like, and controls the image processing circuit 5, the recording device 6, the display device 7, the drive circuit 8, the timing generator 9, and the wireless communication device 12 to control the sequence of the camera, the imaging control, and the focus. Detection control, focus adjustment control, image processing control, image recording control, image display control, wireless communication control, and the like are performed. The control device 10 is connected to operation members 11 such as switches for performing various operations of the camera, command dials, selector switches, and direction keys.

  A memory 10b built in the control device 10 has a nonvolatile memory unit, and stores ID codes of a plurality of registered users of the camera body 100, custom setting values for each registered user, and the like. Here, the custom setting value is a setting value in which each registered user selects various setting values related to shooting such as the shooting mode and the focus adjustment mode according to his / her own preference. For example, the menu screen has a setting value of the menu screen configured to the user preference different from the standard menu screen. The wireless communication device 12 performs wireless communication with the portable device 200 and transmits or receives various information.

  Next, in FIG. 2, the portable device 200 includes a wireless communication circuit 21, a control circuit 22, a memory 23, and the like. The wireless communication circuit 21 performs wireless communication with the camera body 100 and transmits or receives various information. The control circuit 22 includes a microcomputer (not shown) and its peripheral components, and performs wireless communication control with the camera body 100 and the like. The memory 23 is a non-volatile memory, and stores the user ID code of the portable device 200.

  FIGS. 3A and 3B are flowcharts showing the camera setting process when the power is turned on. FIG. 3A shows the operation of the camera body 100 and FIG. 3B shows the operation of the portable device 200. When the power switch of the operation member 11 is turned on, the microcomputer 10a of the control device 10 starts the camera setting process shown in FIG. In step 1, an ID transmission request is sent to the portable device 200 via the wireless communication device 12.

  The portable device 200 receives an ID transmission request from the camera body 100 via the wireless communication circuit 21 in step 15. In subsequent step 16, the ID code for identifying the user is read from the memory 23, and the ID code is transmitted to the camera body 100 via the wireless communication circuit 21.

  The camera body 100 receives the ID code sent from the portable device 200 via the wireless communication device 12 in step 2. Here, the explanation is based on the assumption that the user operating the camera body 100 has the portable device 200 and both the camera body 100 and the portable device 200 are within the communicable distance range. If both are outside the communicable distance range, or if the wireless communication device 12 of the camera body 100 or the wireless communication circuit 21 of the portable device 200 has failed and communication is impossible, the ID code is received from the portable device 200. Cannot receive, performs error warning and stops processing.

  In step 3, the ID code received from the portable device 200 is collated with the ID code stored in advance in the memory 10b to determine whether or not the user who owns the portable device 200 is a registered user. If the received ID code and the stored ID code match and it is confirmed that the user is a registered user, the process proceeds to step 5. On the other hand, if the received ID code and the stored ID code do not match and it is determined that the user is not a registered user Advances to step 10.

  If the user is a registered user, the custom setting value corresponding to the received ID code is read from the memory 10b and set in the camera body 100 in step 5. In subsequent step 6, it is confirmed whether or not the setting value of the camera has been changed, that is, whether or not the custom setting value set in the camera body 100 in step 5 has been changed. If there is no custom setting value changing operation, the process proceeds to step 9 to shift to a normal photographing operation. Note that description of the normal shooting operation is omitted here.

  On the other hand, if the custom setting value has been changed, the process proceeds to step 7 where the set switch of the operation member 11 is turned on to confirm whether or not an operation for changing the custom setting value to a new setting value has been performed. If an operation has been performed, the process proceeds to step 8, where the changed set value is stored in the memory 10b, and the custom set value is updated.

  On the other hand, if the custom setting value is not reset in step 7, the change of the custom setting value is only temporary at the time of the current shooting, and the update of the custom setting value stored in the memory 10b is performed. Since it is determined that it is not necessary, the process proceeds to step 9 to shift to a normal photographing operation.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a new user registration process and a custom setting value storage process according to an embodiment, where (a) shows the operation of the camera body 100 and (b) shows the operation of the portable device 200. . When the custom setting mode is set by the selector switch of the operation member 11, the microcomputer 10a of the control device 10 starts the process shown in FIG. In step 21, an ID transmission request is sent to the portable device 200 via the wireless communication device 12.

  The portable device 200 receives an ID transmission request from the camera body 100 via the wireless communication circuit 21 in step 31. In subsequent step 32, an ID code for identifying the user is read from the memory 23, and the ID code is transmitted to the camera body 100 via the wireless communication circuit 21.

  The camera body 100 receives the ID code sent from the portable device 200 via the wireless communication device 12 in step 22. In step 23, the ID code received from the portable device 200 is collated with the ID code stored in advance in the memory 10b to determine whether or not the user who owns the portable device 200 is a registered user. If the received ID code and the stored ID code match and it is confirmed that the user is a registered user, the process proceeds to step 25. On the other hand, if the received ID code and the stored ID code do not match and it is determined that the user is not a registered user Advances to step 10.

  If the user is a registered user, it is checked in step 25 whether or not an operation for changing the setting value of the camera has been performed by the operation member 11. If there is an operation for changing the custom setting value, the process proceeds to step 26, and the setting after the change is made. The value is stored in the memory 10b, and the custom setting value is updated.

  On the other hand, if the user is not a registered user, the received ID code is stored in the memory 10b at step 27 and registered as a new user ID code. At this time, the user may be requested to input an authentication password for validating ID code registration. In subsequent step 28, various setting values of the camera set by the newly registered user using the operation member 11 are read, and these setting values are stored as custom setting values of the newly registered user in the memory 10b in association with the ID code.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example of updating to a custom setting value reset by a registered user has been shown. However, a change of a setting value by a registered user is learned, and the custom setting value is updated based on a learning history. You may do it. For example, when the same item is changed a predetermined number of times, the changed setting value of the item is stored as a custom setting value.

  As described above, according to one embodiment, when a user is identified by an ID and a custom setting corresponding to the identified user is performed on the camera, a custom corresponding to the identified user is provided to a user other than the identified user. The change of setting value is prohibited. More specifically, the ID is acquired, the registered ID is compared with the registered ID to identify the registered user, and the camera custom setting value for each registered user is stored in the memory 10b. When the corresponding custom setting value is read from the memory 10b and set in the camera, the user other than the registered user is prohibited from changing the custom setting value corresponding to the registered user. Thereby, it is possible to prevent a user other than the registered user from changing the custom setting value of the registered user.

  Moreover, according to one embodiment, since the ID is acquired by performing wireless communication with the portable device 200 and receiving the ID transmitted from the portable device 200, other than the registered user who owns the portable device 200. Can reliably prevent users from changing the custom settings of registered users.

  Further, according to one embodiment, when the mode for registering a new user is set, if the acquired ID does not match the registered ID, the acquired ID is registered as the new user ID and newly registered. Since the setting value of the camera set by the user is stored in the memory 10b as the custom setting value of the registered user, new user registration and registration of the custom setting value can be easily performed.

  According to one embodiment, when a user identified as a registered user by comparing the acquired ID with the registered ID changes the custom setting value, the registered user's custom setting stored in the memory 10b The value is updated to the set value after the change. In other words, when changing the custom setting value of a registered user, the user is changed after identifying the registered user by ID verification, so that a user other than the registered user can change the custom setting value of the registered user. It can be surely prevented.

The figure which shows the structure of the camera main body of one Embodiment The figure which shows the structure of the portable device of one Embodiment The flowchart which shows the setting process of the camera at the time of power-on of one embodiment Flowchart showing a new user registration process and a custom setting value storage process according to an embodiment

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Control apparatus 10b Memory 12 Wireless communication apparatus 100 Digital camera 200 Portable device

Claims (5)

An identification means for identifying a user by an ID;
Setting means for performing a custom setting on the camera corresponding to the user identified by the identifying means;
A digital camera comprising: a prohibiting unit that prohibits a user other than the identified user by the identifying unit from changing a custom setting value corresponding to the identified user. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein
The identification means includes an ID acquisition means for acquiring an ID, and a registered user identification means for identifying a registered user by comparing the ID acquired by the ID acquisition means with a registration ID,
The setting means reads from the setting value storage means a setting value storage means for storing a custom setting value of the camera for each registered user, and a custom setting value corresponding to the registered user identified by the registered user identification means. Custom setting means to set to,
The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the prohibiting unit prohibits a user other than the registered user from changing a custom setting value corresponding to the registered user. The digital camera according to claim 2,
The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the ID acquisition means performs wireless communication with a portable device and receives an ID transmitted from the portable device. The digital camera according to claim 2 or claim 3,
The registered user identification unit registers the acquired ID as a new user ID if the ID acquired by the ID acquisition unit does not match the registered ID when a mode for registering a new user is set. ,
The digital camera characterized in that the setting means stores a setting value of the camera set by the newly registered user in the setting value storage means as a custom setting value of the registered user. The digital camera according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
When the registered user identified by the registered user identifying unit changes the custom setting value, the setting unit changes the custom setting value of the registered user stored in the setting value storage unit after the change. A digital camera characterized by updating to a value.

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