Solid-state camera in which a removable solid state memory having a backup battery is used as an image recording device

• US 5,627,587 A
• Filed: 12/14/1994
• Issued: 05/06/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Murata, Yoshitaka, Horii, Hiroyuki, Takaiwa, Kan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan J.
• Application Number:
  US08/355,803
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207, 348/220, 348/222, 348/231, 348/232, 348/233, 348/257, 348/372, 348/373, 348/374, 348/375, 348/376, 348/909.1, 358/906, 358/335, 360/96.5, 360/96.6, 361/212, 361/220, 361/399, 361/326, 361/296, 354/21, 354/217, 354/218, 354/430
• US Class Current: 348/231.7
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2125 Display of information relating to the still picture recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/214 Checking or indicating the storage space

Abstract

A solid-state camera of the type which uses a solid-state memory as an image recording device. The solid-state camera includes an examining circuit for examining whether image recording is possible in response to a first stage of a release operation, and a control circuit for executing a predetermined warning operation in response to the output of the examining circuit. The solid-state camera is arranged to effect recording on the solid-state memory in a second stage of the aforesaid release operation.

Claims

1. A solid-state camera in which a removable solid-state memory having a backup battery is used as an image recording means, comprising:

detecting means for detecting said backup battery does not have a predetermined remaining power before a recording operation starts; and

control means for inhibiting said recording operation in response to an output of said detecting means, said solid-state camera being arranged to effect recording on said solid-state memory in response to an operation of a release operating member,

said detecting means being further operative for detecting the loading of said solid-state memory on said solid-state camera and a condition of the backup battery by effecting communication with said solid-state memory.

2. A solid-state camera according to claim 1, wherein said solid-state memory includes a semiconductor memory.

4. A solid-state camera according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means also detects the remaining electrical capacity of said solid-state memory.

3. An image pickup apparatus having a removable memory unit comprising:

(a) image pickup means for producing an image signal;

(b) two-stroke release switch for starting an image pickup operation bya first stroke and for starting a recording operation by a second stroke; and

(c) control means for checking a condition of said removable memory unit in said first stroke of said two-stroke release switch and for inhibiting said recording operation when said condition of said removable memory unit is not proper.

5. A camera system comprising:

a) a camera unit including image-sensing means;

b) a recording unit for recording an output of said image-sensing means, said recording unit having a backup power source and being removably attached to said camera unit, and said recording unit being arranged to be in its standby state in a first stage operation of a release operating member and to execute a recording operation in a second stage operation of the release operating member;

c) detecting means for detecting the power level of said backup power source by effecting data communication with said recording unit before said second stage of said release operating member, when said recording unit is attached to said camera unit; and

d) inhibit means for inhibiting a recording operation of said recording unit in response to a detecting result of said detecting means.

6. A camera system according to claim 5, wherein said recording unit includes a semiconductor memory.

7. A camera system according to claim 6, wherein said backup power source holds the contents stored in said semiconductor memory.

8. A camera system according to claim 5, wherein said detecting means includes communication means for allowing communication between said recording unit and said camera unit.

9. A camera system according to claim 5, wherein said detecting means is capable of detecting the remaining recording capacity of said recording unit.

10. A camera system according to claim 9, wherein said inhibit means controls the recording operation of said recording unit in response to said remaining recording capacity.

11. A solid-state camera comprising:

a) a camera unit having a release switch arranged to effect a recording operation in response to an operation of a release operating member;

b) a solid-state memory unit removably attachable to said camera unit and having a backup battery;

c) examining means for examining whether said solid-state memory unit is loaded into said camera unit or not by effecting communication between said solid-state memory unit and said camera unit, said examining means being further operative to examine whether a backup battery power is sufficient or not by effecting communication between said solid-state memory unit and the camera unit before said release operating member is operated; and

d) inhibit means for inhibiting a recording operation when said examining means detects said backup power is not sufficient.

12. A solid-state camera according to claim 11, wherein said solid-state memory includes a semiconductor memory.

13. A solid-state camera comprising:

a) a camera unit having a release switch arranged to effect a recording operation in response to an operation of a release operating member;

b) a solid-state memory unit having a backup battery removably attachable to said camera unit;

c) loading detecting means for detecting whether said solid-state memory unit is loaded into said camera unit or not by effecting mutual communication between said solid-state memory unit and said camera unit;

d) remaining backup battery capacity detecting means for detecting whether or not said solid-state memory unit can be backed up by the battery before the release operating member is operated, in response to an output of said loading detecting means; and

e) inhibit means for inhibiting the recording operation when said detecting means detects said solid-state memory cannot be backed-up by the battery.

14. A solid-state camera according to claim 13, further comprising prohibiting means for prohibiting recording on said solid-state memory in response to the output of said loading detecting means.

15. A camera system comprising:

a) a camera unit including image-sensing means;

b) a memory unit removably attachable to said camera unit through electrical contact and having a backup battery;

c) detecting means for detecting a condition of said backup battery by communicating with said memory unit through the electrical contact; and

d) inhibit means for inhibiting a recording operation of an output of said image-sensing means when said detecting means detects said backup battery cannot backup said memory unit.

16. The camera system according to claim 15, wherein said detecting means is arranged to further detect a storage capacity of said memory through said contact.

17. The camera system according to claim 15, wherein said detecting means is arranged to detect whether said memory unit is attached to the camera unit through said contact.

18. An image recording memory unit detachable to a camera body comprising:

(a) semiconductor memory circuits for storing an image data transmitted from said camera body;

(b) backup battery for backup said memory circuit; and

(c) transmit means for transmitting as a digital data to said camera body at least a condition of said backup battery.