JPS63174477A - Camera able to limit shooting function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To set respective functions installed in a camera in a specified condition so as to shoot pictures by connecting an external storing medium to the camera which can limit a shooting function and reading function limiting information stored in the external storing medium. CONSTITUTION:The camera 40 has a connection port part 20 into which an IC card 50 where the function limiting information is stored is inserted and when the IC card 50 is inserted into the connection port part 20, an IC card reading part 22 reads it and transmits to a microcomputer 24. The microcomputer 24 is a control circuit which controls a pickup system and a video signal system and limits the respective functions installed in the camera 40 according to the function limiting information from the IC card reading part 22. If the contents of the IC card 50 is the function limiting information for a beginner, a white balance, an exposure and a focusing among the functions installed in the camera 40, are automatically set and as for a zooming function a zooming ratio is limited less than three magnifications.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Technical field The present invention relates to a camera device.

BACKGROUND ART Due to the accelerated progress of the electronic industry, camera devices, such as video camera devices, are becoming more sophisticated and multi-functional, and are also becoming lighter and smaller. This trend is very pleasing for enthusiasts (advanced photographers), and since a single device is equipped with a wide variety of functions, it is possible to create wonderful works by fully utilizing each function. It also becomes possible.

On the other hand, increasing the number of functions of a device increases the number of operation buttons required for each function. Recently, in order to simplify the operation buttons, there has been an increase in the concentration of buttons in which several types of functions are operated by one button, and this has conversely made the operation more and more complicated.

For example, if a beginner who is unaccustomed to camera operations tries to take a picture of a desired subject using a video camera, it will take a lot of time to learn how to use the operation buttons, and even after mastering the operation buttons, he will still be able to use the functions. I can't do it,
There is also the problem that failures may occur due to erroneous operations when photographing.

If all the functions of a camera are automated to make it easier for beginners to use, a fully automatic "Pacachon camera" will not be enough for enthusiasts or even beginners who have become accustomed to operating it to some extent.

A method that has been proposed in the past to solve this problem is to cover the operation panel. According to this, the number of erroneous operations during shooting will certainly be reduced, but the operation buttons will still be used to initialize the device to the state in which beginners handle it when closing the lid. This is still troublesome, and if the operation button is set to the wrong state, there is a risk that the photographing operation will fail.

As mentioned above, while video camera devices are progressing at an accelerating pace, one device can be used by everyone from beginners to enthusiasts.
Moreover, there is a problem in that it is not possible to obtain a device equipped with satisfactory operational specifications.

OBJECTS It is an object of the present invention to provide a camera that eliminates the drawbacks of the prior art and allows appropriate photography depending on the skill level of the camera user and the photography situation.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, in a camera having an imaging means for photographing an object scene and a control means for controlling the imaging means, the camera includes a connecting means for connecting an external storage medium, and a connecting means for connecting the external storage medium. The control means has a reading means for reading information stored in the external storage medium, and the external storage medium stores function-limiting information for setting the functions of the camera to predetermined conditions. The present invention is characterized in that each function of the camera is set to the predetermined conditions according to the read function limitation information.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of a camera capable of limiting photographing functions according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a configuration diagram of a video camera (hereinafter referred to as a camera) with limited shooting functions as an embodiment of the present invention.

When the IC cart 5o is inserted (connected) to the camera 40, the IC cart 5o is stored with function limitation information that sets predetermined conditions, such as limiting the range of functions that can be manually operated. Function limitation information is read from the IC card 5°, and each function installed in the camera 40 is limited according to the information.

The camera 40 includes a connection port section 20, an IC card reading section 22, a microcomputer 24, and a zoom switch 2.
6. Zoom control unit 28, zoom lens 3o, focal length detection unit 32, automatic white balance/outdoor/indoor switch 34 (hereinafter referred to as white balance switch 34), automatic exposure movement designation switch 36 (hereinafter referred to as white balance switch 34), (referred to as exposure switch 36), auto/manual focus designation switch 38 (referred to as focus switch 38 hereinafter), white balance control circuit 42, exposure control circuit 44, focus control circuit 46, display section 48, as well as an imaging system , video signal system, etc. In addition,
The imaging system, video signal system, etc. are not shown because they are not directly related to the understanding of the present invention.

The connection port section 20 is a connection section into which an IC card 50 in which limited function information is stored is inserted and connects the IC card 50 to the camera 40 . The IC card reading section 22
When the C card 50 is inserted into the connection port section 20,
The function limitation information stored in the IC cart 50 is read and sent to the microcomputer 24.

The microcomputer 24 is a control circuit that controls each part of the camera 40, including an imaging system and a video signal system. This limits each function installed in the camera 40 according to the function limitation information read by the IC card reader 22, and functions that are not subject to limitation are limited when the switch of the device 1 to be used is turned on. It also has a machine that sends instructions to the control unit corresponding to the switch.

Zoom switch 2B, white balance switch 34,
Each switch of the exposure switch 36 and the focusing switch 38 is
These buttons are used to activate each function of the camera 40, and are so-called operation buttons operated by an operator, and the states of each switch are read into the microcomputer 24.

The zoom control unit 28 operates a zoom motor (not shown) in accordance with instructions from the microcomputer 24 to control the zoom lens 30 such as wide angle, telephoto, and zoom speed. The zoom lens 30 operates according to instructions from the zoom control section 28. The focal length detection unit 32 detects the value of the focal length of the zoom lens 30 controlled by the zoom control unit 28,
The detection results are sent to the microcomputer 24.

The white balance control circuit 42 controls a white balance sensor (not shown) and the like according to instructions from the microcomputer 24, and measures color temperature. The exposure control circuit 44 measures the brightness of the field according to instructions from the microcomputer 24, and controls the aperture or shutter speed of the lens. The focus controller 4B focuses on the designated subject according to instructions from the microcomputer 24.

The display section 48 is disposed inside the viewfinder or on the outside of the camera 40, and displays functions limited by the function limitation program recorded on the IC card 50, operating status of the wipe function, fader function, etc., title, date and time, etc. Displays the camera's functional operating status and information necessary for shooting.

FIG. 2 shows an example of limited function information for beginners stored in the IC card 50 and an example of limited information on the operator's machine 17 for comparison. This example of limited function information is about the zoom lens, white balance, exposure, focusing, and time-lapse functions among the functions equipped in the camera 40.

The limited function information for beginners can be obtained by inserting the IC card 50 storing this information into the connection port section 20.
It is used when a person who is not familiar with camera operation, such as a beginner, takes pictures, and most of the functions equipped in the camera 40 are set to auto. In the IC card 50 in which limited function information for advanced users is stored, the number of limited functions is reduced, and most of the functions must be operated manually. When the IC card 50 is not inserted into the connection port section 20, the camera 40 can utilize all of its functions. In other words, each function can be manually operated according to the shooting situation during shooting. In this embodiment, limited function information for beginners will be explained.

The limited function information for beginners indicates that among the functions equipped on the camera 40, white balance, exposure, and focusing are set to auto, and the zoom function is set to the zoom lens 3.
The zoom ratio of 0 is limited to 3x or higher, which causes less camera shake. Also, the time-lapse function is set to be disabled.

For example, as shown in FIG.
4 and the IC card 50 are substantially connected via the IC card reading section 22.

The microcomputer 24 is the IC cart reading section 2
2 to read the information stored in the IC card 50. When the limited function information for beginners is read from the IC card 50 into the IC card reader 22, the microcomputer 24 sets the white balance, exposure, and focus of the camera 40 to auto according to the read information. Set to disable time-lapse shooting. The zoom range of the zoom control unit 28 is limited so that the zoom ratio of the zoom lens does not exceed 3 times I-.

The above operations are strictly limited to one at the circuit level by instructions from the microcomputer 24. therefore,
Among the switches on the operation panel 60 (see Figure 3) arranged on the outside of the camera 40, the switches (operation buttons) whose functions are subject to functional limitations are disabled, and the operations whose functions are subject to limitation are disabled. Even if the button is touched by mistake, the microcomputer 24 does not react to it.

As described above, according to this embodiment, when the IC card 50 storing the function limitation information that limits the functions of the camera 40 (7) 8m is inserted (connected) to the IC card reading section 22, the IC card 50 The stored function limitation information can be read and each function equipped in the camera 40 can be limited according to the function limitation information.

In addition, in this example, limited function information for beginners,
We have explained the limited function information for advanced users, but by using an IC card that stores limited function information not only for the two levels, beginner and advanced, but also for the intermediate level between the two, it is possible to It goes without saying that this device may be configured to further limit its functionality at an intermediate stage. Further, by utilizing the present invention, that is, by using multiple-level IC cards according to the progress of skill level, it is possible to acquire photographic techniques step by step from beginner to intermediate and from intermediate to advanced.

In addition to limiting the functions depending on the shooting level of the photographer, for example, if you want to limit the functions that will not be used when photographing a sports day, you can use an IC card that stores function-limiting information that limits the functions depending on the shooting situation and purpose of shooting. It is also possible to use In this way, limited function information can be created depending on the shooting level of the photographer or the shooting situation.
The created function limitation information can be input into the IC card 50 using a device such as an IC card writer.

In this embodiment, the functions limited by the IC card 50 are limited to the zoom lens, white puff, exposure, focusing, and time-lapse shooting, but the functions are not limited to the above functions, but include fade-in, fade-out, Other functions such as wipe can also be restricted.

The camera shown in this embodiment can be applied to a video camera with an integrated recorder, and can also be applied to low-electronic still cameras and silver halide cameras.

Effects According to the present invention, since the camera capable of limiting the shooting function is equipped with the connection means for connecting the external storage medium and the reading means for reading the storage information of the external storage medium, the external storage medium is not connected to the connection means. By doing so, it is possible to read the function limitation information stored in the external storage medium, set each function installed in the camera to predetermined conditions according to the function limitation information, and perform photographing.

Therefore, it is possible to limit the functions of the camera according to the shooting situation and purpose of shooting, and it is also possible to respond to differences in the shooting level of the photographer, making it possible to make effective use of each function equipped on the camera. can.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a camera capable of limiting photographing functions according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of function limitation information stored in an IC card, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing an example of an operation panel of a camera capable of limiting photographing functions. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view showing the appearance of one embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. Explanation of symbols of main parts 20, . . . Connection port section 22, . . . IC card reading section 24, . . . Microcomputer 2B, . . . Zoom switch 28, . Focal length detection unit 34, White balance eye movement/outdoor/indoor selector switch 3B, Auto/manual exposure switch 38, Automatic focus manual switch 40, Camera 42, White balance control Circuit 44, . . . Exposure control circuit 4B, . . . Focus control circuit 48, . . . Display section Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A camera having an imaging means for photographing a scene, and a control means for controlling the imaging means, the camera comprising: a connection means for connecting an external storage medium; and a connection means for connecting an external storage medium to the connection means. reading means for reading information stored in the connected external storage medium; function limitation information for setting functions of the camera to predetermined conditions is stored in the external storage medium; A camera capable of limiting photography functions, characterized in that each function of the camera is set to the predetermined conditions according to function limitation information read from the external storage medium by a reading means. 2. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the connecting means is equipped with an IC card connector, and the reading means is an IC card reading means.