Electronic still camera

• US 4,742,369 A
• Filed: 07/28/1987
• Issued: 05/03/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Seki, Tatsuyuki, Ishii, Hiroshi, Nakazawa, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, W. B.
• Application Number:
  US07/080,162
• Time in Patent Office: 280 Days
• Field of Search: 354/410, 354/105, 354/432, 354/106, 354/219, 354/75, 354/76, 354/210, 354/435-455, 354/289.1, 354/289.12, 358/209, 358/225, 358/226, 358/228, 358/214, 358/906, 358/909
• US Class Current: 396/213
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 19/02 Still-picture cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/006 with video camera or receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2116 Picture signal recording combined with imagewise recording, e.g. photographic recording photographic cameras G03B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/906 Hand-held camera with recorder in a single unit

Abstract

In an electronic still camera, a solid-state imaging element and a photosensitive film which receive an object image and arranged on the optical path of an optical lens system. The object image is simultaneously formed on the solid-state imaging element and the photosensitive film upon depression of a shutter switch.

Claims

1. An electronic still camera, comprising:

optical lens system means including a lens and a diaphragm;

solid-state imaging element means on which an object image incident through said optical lens system means is focused;

image signal storage means having a plurality of memory areas, and coupled to said solid-state imaging element means, for storing in each of said memory areas an image signal corresponding to the object image focused on said solid-state imaging element means;

means for receiving photosensitive film means arranged at a position different from said solid-state imaging element means and on which the object image incident through said optical lens system means is focused;

shutter means arranged in front of said photosensitive film means, and normally closed for preventing the object image incident through said optical lens system means from reaching said photosensitive film means;

switch means;

control means coupled to said switch means, said control means including means for outputting first, second and third control signals when said switch means is operated;

storage control means for controlling the storing of a still image signal, said storage control means including means responsive to said first control signal for causing said image signal storage means to sequentially store in different memory areas still image signals which correspond to respective object image which are incident through said optical lens system means and which are focused on said solid-state imaging element means;

shutter drive means responsive to said second control signal for opening said shutter means so that a still image of the object image, which is incident through said optical lens system means, is formed on photosensitive film means in said receiving means; and

optical system control means responsive to said third control signal for controlling the amounts of light representing an object image which pass through said diaphragm of said control lens system means during the operation of said storage control means and during the operation of said shutter drive means, so that the amount of light representing the object image at the position of said solid-state imaging element means during operation of said storage control means, is substantially equal to the amount of light representing the object image at the position of said receiving means during operation of said shutter drive means.

2. The camera of claim 1, further comprising a reflection mirror arranged in the optical path of said optical lens system for selectively causing the object image to be incident on said solid-state imaging element means or on said photosensitive film means.

3. The camera of claim 1, wherein said solid-state imaging element means is arranged on a reflection optical path formed by said reflection mirror.

4. The camera of claim 1, wherein said control means outputs said first and second control signals at different times.

5. The camera of claim 1, wherein:

said switch means comprises a self-return type push-button switch; and

said control means outputs said first and second control signals upon a single depression of said push-button switch.

6. The camera of claim 1, wherein said storage means comprises a magnetic floppy disk.

7. The camera of claim 1, wherein said storage means comprises a RAM.

8. The camera of claim 1, further comprising read control means for reading the still image signals stored in said image signal storage means for display.

9. The camera of claim 8, wherein said read control means comprises:

key switch means for reading out from said storage means an image signal of a still image stored therein; and

display means for displaying the image signal read out by said key switch means.

10. The camera of claim 9, wherein said display means is a liquid-crystal display device.

11. The camera of claim 8, wherein said read control means comprises:

number storage means for storing a storage number corresponding to the number of object images stored in said storage means; and

display means for displaying a content of said number storage means.

12. The camera of claim 1, further comprising:

date counting means for counting at least date data; and

date storage control means for causing said storage means to store date data provided by said date counting means.

13. The camera of claim 1, further comprising:

key-operation input means for inputting character and numeral data; and

numeral storage control means for causing said storage means to store one of character and numeral data input from said key-operation input means.

14. The camera of claim 1, further comprising:

voice input means for inputting an external voice; and

voice storage control means including means for converting the voice input by said voice input means into voice data, and means for causing said storage means to store the voice data.