Camera

• US 20010006400A1
• Filed: 12/05/2000
• Published: 07/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Kubo, Hiroaki, Morimoto, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 6,927,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/216 Arrangements for recording on different types of storage medium, e.g. IC card or magnetic tape; Recording on a plurality of storage media
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding

Abstract

The CPU 17 accesses multiple slots 41a and 41b in a digital camera 1 at regular intervals to detect whether or not memory cards 40a and 40b are mounted in the slots 41a and 41b, respectively. Based on whether or not memory cards 40a and 40b are mounted in the slots 41a and 41b, respectively, the CPU 17 selects one slot as the slot to be accessed. There are three modes available as the mode from which to perform this selection, i.e., a fixed mode, a priority mode and a manual operation mode.

Claims

1. A digital camera comprising:

a plurality of mounting portions to which recording media can be mounted;

a detector which detects whether or not the recording media are mounted to said mounting portions; and

a selector which selects from among said mounting portions a portion to be accessed based on the detection result of said detector,

wherein, where at least two recording media are mounted to said mounting portions, said selector selects the mounting portion to which the recording medium was mounted first as the mounting portion to be accessed.

2. A digital camera according to

claim 1

further comprising a first display which displays information regarding the mounting portion selected by said selector.

3. A digital camera according to

claim 2

further comprising a second display which displays the picked-up image, and said first display and said second display are located separately from each other.

4. A digital camera according to

claim 1

,

wherein each of said mounting portions is a connector to be mechanically and electrically connected to each of the recording media.

5. A digital camera according to

claim 1

,

wherein each of said mounting portions is a slot inside of which each of the recording media is housed.

6. A digital camera according to

claim 1

,

wherein each of said mounting portions has a slot inside of which each of the recording media is housed and a connector to which the recording media housed in said slot is mechanically and electrically connected.

7. A digital camera comprising:

a plurality of mounting portions to which recording media can be mounted;

a mode setting member which is operated to set a mode from among a plurality of selection modes in which to select the mounting portions to be accessed from among said plurality of mounting portions; and

a selector which selects one of said mounting portions to be accessed from among said plurality of mounting portions in accordance with the selection mode set by the operation of said mode setting member.

8. A digital camera according to

claim 7

,

wherein the selection modes include a mode in which a particular mounting portion is selected as the mounting portion to be accessed at all times from among said plurality of mounting portions.

9. A digital camera according to

claim 7

,

wherein the selection modes include a mode in which the mounting portion in which a storing medium was first mounted is selected as the mounting portion to be accessed.

10. A digital camera according to

claim 7

,

wherein the selection modes include a mode in which a mounting portion is selected from among said plurality of mounting portions as the mounting portion to be accessed based on an operation performed by means of an operating member.