Camera

• US 5,162,833 A
• Filed: 11/04/1991
• Issued: 11/10/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Taka, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, W. B.
• Application Number:
  US07/789,425
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 354/75, 354/76, 354/289.1, 354/289.12, 354/474, 354/202, 354/471, 354/465, 358/906, 358/909
• US Class Current: 396/287
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/18 Signals indicating condition of a camera member or suitability of light indicating depth of field G03B13/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00925 Inhibiting an operation
• 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 1/2137 with temporary storage before final recording, e.g. in a frame buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• 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

Abstract

A camera comprises a display for displaying image information, a memory facility for memorizing a plurality of image information, reading circuitry for reading the plurality of image information from the memory facility successively according to a predetermined read address to cause the display to display the image information and prohibiting circuitry for prohibiting a further advance of the read address after the read address corresponds to the newest or oldest one of the plurality of image information. Release circuitry provides for rendering the prohibiting circuitry ineffective under certain conditions. A sub-memory is included for memorizing an area where the image information has been memorized and the prohibiting circuitry prohibits the reading circuitry from reading from an area of the memory facility which stores no image information, depending upon an output of the sub-memory.

Claims

1. A camera comprising:

(A) display means for displaying image information;

(B) memory means for memorizing a plurality of image information;

(C) read means for reading said plurality of image information from said memory means successively according to a predetermined read address to cause said display means to display said plurality of image information; and

(D) prohibiting means for prohibiting a further advance of said read address after said read address corresponds to the newest or oldest one of said plurality of image information.

2. A camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

release means for rendering an operation of said prohibiting means ineffective to allow said read means to perform reading while rolling said read address.

3. A camera comprising:

(A) display means for displaying image information;

(B) memory means having a plurality of storage areas for memorizing image information;

(C) read means for reading the image information from said memory means to cause said display means to display the image information;

(D) sub-memory means for memorizing an area where the image information has been memorized; and

(E) prohibiting means for prohibiting said read means from reading from an area of said memory means which stores no image information, depending upon an output of said sub-memory means.

4. The camera according to claim 3, wherein said memory means includes a semiconductor memory.

5. A camera according to claim 3, wherein said display means comprises a liquid crystal display element unitarily arranged with a camera body.

6. A image pickup apparatus, comprising:

(A) image pickup means for picking up an image light coming from an object and for photoelectrically converting the image light into an image signal;

(B) A/D converter means for A/D converting said image signal into a digital image signal;

(C) first memory means for memorizing the A/D converted digital image signal;

(D) second memory means for memorizing a plurality of outputs of the first-memory means;

(E) memory control means for selectively reading the outputs of said first and second memory means;

(F) D/A converter means for D/A converting the digital image signal read out from said first or second memory means;

(G) display means for displaying the image defined in the D/A converted image signal;

(H) sub-memory means for memorizing an area of said second memory means where the digital image signal has been memorized; and

(I) prohibiting means for prohibiting said memory control means from reading from an area of said second memory means which stores no digital image signal, depending upon an output of said sub-memory means.

7. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said first memory means includes a semiconductor memory.

8. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said display means comprises a liquid crystal display element unitarily arranged with a camera body.

9. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 6, further including a plurality of operating means and wherein said memory control means is arranged to change control of the reading from and writing into the respective memories in accordance with the operation of said plurality of operating means.