Camera having sound recording function

• US 5,099,262 A
• Filed: 08/04/1989
• Issued: 03/24/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Okada, Hiroyuki, Tanaka, Yoshito, Tanaka, Yoshihiro, Taniguchi, Nobuyuki, Tominaga, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Hix, L. T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Application Number:
  US07/389,870
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 354/105, 354/106, 354/109, 354/76, 354/75, 354/202, 354/195.1, 354/195.12, 354/187, 354/418, 352/1, 358/335, 358/906, 358/909
• US Class Current: 396/312
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/40 with delayed or timed action
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 31/06 in which sound track is associated with successively-shown still pictures
• 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 1/2129 Recording in, or reproducing from, a specific memory area or areas, or recording or reproducing at a specific moment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3264 of sound signals

Abstract

A camera has a function of recording sounds as well as recording images. In this camera, in a self mode in which photographing is executed using a self timer, sounds are recorded during counting of the self timer and in a usual photographing mode in which no self timer is used, sounds are recorded after completion of the photographing. These two modes are changed over automatically according to a selection of one mode. When a user fails to record sounds in the sound recording operation in this camera, the sounds in correspondence with related recorded images can be recorded again from the beginning by operating a reset means. Further, the recording time can be elongated by operating a means for changing over the recording mode during the sound recording operation.

Claims

1. A camera having a sound recording function comprising;

a means for controlling exposure by opening and closing a shutter, and photographing images,

a sound recording means,

a self timer means for opening the shutter after a predetermined time,

a selecting means for selecting either of a self mode in which the self timer means is used and a usual mode, and

a sequence changeover means which , in accordance with the operation of the selecting means, operates the sound recording means after completion of photographing when the self mode is not selected, and operates the sound recording means during self timer counting before photographing when the self mode is selected.

2. A camera having a sound recording function comprising:

a means for controlling exposure by opening and closing a shutter, and photographing an image,

a means for recording sounds for a predetermined time in relation to the image recording operation,

a switch which is operated during sound recording for resetting a recorded audio content, and

a means for controlling re-recording of sounds which starts the sound recording operation again from the beginning when the switch is operated.

3. A camera having a sound recording function comprising:

an image recording means for recording images,

a sound recording means for recording sounds,

an operating means for changing over photographing modes between a first mode in which sound recording is executed corresponding to the image recording and a second mode in which sound recording is not executed, and

a means for, when the operating means is operated during sound recording, judging this operation to be an input information instructing to elongate the sound recording time, and elongating the sound recording time by a predetermined unit time.

4. A camera having a sound recording function comprising:

an image recording means for recording images,

a sound recording means for recording sounds,

switching means for supplying electronic energy to the camera thereby enabling operation of said image recording means and said sound recording means, and

an operating means which operates under a condition in which the electronic energy is supplied for starting the operation of storing sounds in the sound memory by being operated prior to the initiation of photographing, and when operated again during the operation of sound recording, stopping the operation of the sound inputting means.

11. A camera as claimed in claim 4, wherein said means which is to be operated prior to the initiation of photographing includes a member for starting a photographing sequence.

5. A camera having a sound recording function comprising:

an image recording means for recording images,

a means for storing sounds in a sound memory,

a sound recording means for recording the stored sounds on a recording medium, and

a manual operating means for, when operated during the operation of storing sounds in the sound memory, stopping the operation of the sound storing means, and at the same time forbidding the operation of the sound recording means and nullifying the stored sound signal while the image recording is carried out.

6. A camera having a sound recording function comprising:

a means for recording images and sounds in interlocked relation to each other,

a sound memory in which inputted sounds are temporarily stored,

a sound recording circuit for recording the stored sounds in the sound memory in a floppy disk,

an image recording circuit for recording the image in the floppy disk, and

a driving means for driving the floppy disk, wherein the sound recording circuit and the driving means are kept stopped at least for a time from the beginning to the end of the operation of inputting sounds into the sound memory, and thereafter, the sound recording circuit and the driving means are actuated for the sound recording, while the image recording circuit and the driving means are actuated during the operation of exposure so as to record the image data on the floppy disk, immediately.

7. A camera having a sound recording function comprising:

a means for recording image information,

sound inputting means for executing a sound input operation wherein a microphone picks up ambient sounds,

a sound recording means for recording sound signal transferred thereto, and

an arrangement in which a recording mode in which sounds are recorded and a non-recording mode in which sounds are not recorded can be changed over to each other, and further a single mode in which images are recorded on a single frame of an image recording medium and a continuous photographing mode in which images are continuously recorded on a plurality of frames of the image recording medium can be changed over to each other,

wherein, the sound input operation is started after the continuous photographing operation is completed, when the recording mode and the continuous photographing mode are selected at the same time.

12. A camera as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

a flash provided inside or outside the camera, and

a means for detecting an uncharged state of the flash during the continuous photographing operation, wherein, when the flash is in the uncharged state, said control means terminates the continuous photographing operation and causes a sound input operation corresponding to said continuous photographing operation to be subsequently executed.

8. A camera having a sound recording function comprising:

a means for recording image information,

a sound recording means for recording sound inputted thereinto,

a means for changing over between a recording mode in which sounds are recorded and a non-recording mode in which sounds are not recorded , and

a means for changing over between a single mode in which images are recorded on a single frame of an image recording medium and a continuous photographing mode in which images are continuously recorded on a plurality of frames of the image recording medium ,

wherein, the sound input operation is executed during said continuous photographing mode, when the recording mode and the continuous photographing mode are selected at the same time while the sound input operation is executed after the image recording when the recording mode and the single mode are selected at the same time.

13. A camera as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

a flash provided inside or outside the camera, and

a means for detecting an uncahrged state of the flash during the continuous photographing operation, wherein, when the flash is in the uncharged state, said control means terminates the continuous photographing operation and causes a sound input operation corresponding to said continuous photographing operation to be subsequently executed.

9. A camera having a sound recording function comprising:

a sound recording means for recording sound inputted thereto,

a means capable of executing continuous photographing operation,

a flash provided inside or outside the camera,

a control means for executing sound input operation after or during the continuous photographing operation, and

a means for detecting an uncharged state of the flash during the continuous photographing operation, wherein, when the flash in in the uncharged state, said control means terminates the continuous photographing operation and causes a sound input operation corresponding to said continuous photographing operation to be subsequently executed.

10. A camera having a sound recording function comprising:

an image recording means for recording images,

a sound recording means for recording sounds, and

a manual operating means for, when operated during the operation of recording sound, stopping the operation of the sound recording means and nullifying the sound recorded from the beginning to stopping the operation of the sound recording means, while the operation of said image recording means is controlled to completion.