CCD digital camera system with selectable memories

• US 5,534,921 A
• Filed: 09/23/1994
• Issued: 07/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PENTAX RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
• Original Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Sawanobori, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Greening, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho, Tuan V.
• Application Number:
  US08/311,357
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333, 348/207, 348/341, 348/335, 348/231, 358/335
• US Class Current: 348/333.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00129 with a display device, e.g. CRT or LCD monitor with a television apparatus H04N1/00283; arrangements for control of display devices G09G
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2137 with temporary storage before final recording, e.g. in a frame buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders

Abstract

A CCD digital camera system has a digital camera and a detachable display device. The digital camera includes an imaging device for receiving an image of an object to be photographed, the imaging device outputting a digital signal corresponding to the received image. The digital camera also includes a data memory for storing a portion of the digital signal and a controller for controlling a transfer of a first portion of the digital signal from the imaging device to the memory. The display device has an image memory for storing image data and a display for displaying an image corresponding to the image data stored in the image memory. The controller monitors one of its inputs for a predetermined signal, the predetermined signal indicating whether the display device is attached to the digital camera. If a presence of the predetermined signal is detected, the controller transfers all of the digital signal to the image memory.

Claims

1. A CCD digital camera system including a digital camera and a detachable display device, said digital camera comprising:

an imaging device for receiving an image of an object to be photographed, said imaging device outputting a digital signal corresponding to said received image;

a data memory for storing a portion of said digital signal; and

a controller for controlling a transfer of a first portion of said digital signal from said imaging device to said data memory, said display device comprising;

an image memory for storing image data; and

a display for displaying an image corresponding to said image data stored in said image memory,

said controller monitoring an input from said display device for a predetermined signal indicating that said display device is attached to said digital camera, said controller transferring all of said digital signal to said image memory if a presence of said predetermined signal is detected; and

said digital camera further comprising a compression unit for compressing said digital signal, said compression unit receiving said digital signal from said image memory if said controller detects said predetermined signal.

2. The CCD digital camera system according to claim 1, said compression unit receiving said digital signal from said data memory if said controller of said digital camera fails to detect said predetermined signal.

3. The CCD digital camera system according to claim 1, wherein said compression unit receives said digital signal from said data memory if said controller of said digital camera fails to detect said predetermined signal.

4. The CCD digital camera system according to claim 1,

said digital signal being also supplied to said display device to display said image.

5. The CCD digital camera system according to claim 1, said digital camera further comprising a storage device, said compression unit outputting a compressed signal having a predetermined compression ratio, said compressed signal being stored in said storage device.

6. The CCD digital camera system according to claim 5, said digital camera further comprising an expansion unit, said compressed signal stored in said storage device being read out of said storage device and expanded at an expansion ratio determined in accordance with said compression ratio when a reproducing mode is selected.

7. The CCD digital camera system according to claim 1, said imaging device comprising:

a data processing unit; and

a CCD, said CCD comprising;

a matrix of photoelectric detectors, each of said photoelectric detectors outputting an electrical signal corresponding to light from said received image;

a plurality of column shift registers, each of said plurality of column shift registers having a plurality of column registers, each of said plurality of column registers being connected to a corresponding one of said photoelectric detectors aligned in a single column of said matrix, each of said plurality of column registers storing a charge corresponding to said electrical signal output by said photoelectric detectors; and

a row shift register having a plurality of row registers, each of said row registers being connected to an output of a corresponding one of said column shift registers,

said controller controlling said plurality of column shift registers to shift said charge to said corresponding row registers, and

said controller controlling said row shift register to transfer said charge to said data processing unit, said data processing unit outputting said digital signal to said image memory if said predetermined signal is detected.

8. The CCD digital camera system according to claim 7, said controller controlling said row shift register to transfer said charge to said data processing unit, said data processing unit outputting said digital signal to said data memory if said predetermined signal is not detected.

9. The CCD digital camera system according to claim 8, said controller controlling said column shift registers and said row shift register to transfer a predetermined number of charges from said column registers to said data processing unit, said predetermined number of charges corresponding to a first portion of said digital signal stored in said memory.

10. The CCD digital camera system according to claim 9,

said digital camera further comprising a compression unit for compressing said digital signal, said compression unit outputting a compressed signal, and

said first portion of said digital signal being transferred to said compression unit in a plurality of data blocks, each of said plurality of data blocks corresponding to a second portion of said digital signal, said second portion of said digital signal being a portion of said first portion of said digital signal.

11. The CCD digital camera system according to claim 10,

said controller outputting vertical drive pulses for shifting said charge stored in said column shift registers to an adjacent register.

12. The CCD digital camera system according to claim 11,

said digital camera further comprising a storage device for storing said compressed signal, said controller inhibiting an output of said vertical drive pulses until all of said first portion of said digital signal has been stored in said storage device.

13. A method of storing an image of an object photographed using a CCD digital camera system, the CCD digital camera system comprising a digital camera and a detachable display device, the method comprising:

converting an optical image of an object to be photographed into a digital signal;

detecting a presence of a predetermined signal, the predetermined signal being present if the display device is attached to the digital camera;

storing the digital signal in an image memory contained within the display device if a presence of the predetermined signal is detected;

storing the digital signal in a data memory contained within the digital camera if the presence of the predetermined signal is not detected;

compressing said image signal stored in said image memory if said presence of said predetermined signal is detected; and

outputting said compressed image signal to a storage device.

14. The method of storing an image according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

compressing the image signal stored in the data memory if the presence of the predetermined signal is not detected; and

outputting the compressed image signal to a storage device.

15. A CCD digital camera system including a digital camera and a detachable display device, said display device comprising:

an image memory for storing image data; and

a display for displaying an image corresponding to said image data stored in said image memory, said digital camera comprising;

an imaging device for receiving an image of an object to be photographed, said imaging device outputting a digital signal corresponding to said received image; and

a controller,

said controller monitoring an input for a predetermined signal indicating that said display device is attached to said digital camera, said controller storing said digital signal in said image memory of said display device when a presence of said predetermined signal is detected;

said digital camera comprising a signal processing unit,

said predetermined signal stored in said memory being read out of said memory and processed by said signal processing unit when said controller detects said presence of said predetermined signal.

16. The CCD camera system according to claim 15, said digital camera further comprising a storage device, said signal processing unit compressing said predetermined signal, said compressed predetermined signal being stored in said storage device.