Electronic camera with detachable buffer memory

• US 5,737,014 A
• Filed: 03/16/1995
• Issued: 04/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kinoshita, Takao, Sakai, Shinji, Tojo, Akihiko, Ozaki, Seiichi, Tanno, Takemi, Tezuka, Nobuo, Suzuki, Yasutomo
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho, Tuan V.
• Application Number:
  US08/413,780
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207, 348/220, 348/372, 348/373, 348/374, 348/375, 348/376, 348/231, 348/232, 348/221, 348/233, 358/335, 358/906
• US Class Current: 348/220.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/216 Arrangements for recording on different types of storage medium, e.g. IC card or magnetic tape; Recording on a plurality of storage media
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence

Abstract

An electronic camera including an image pickup element, a solid state memory of relatively small capacity for storing at least one frame of a video signal produced by the image pickup element and a non-solid state memory of relatively large capacity for storing the video signal stored in the solid state memory, wherein these memories each are made releasably attached to the image pickup element.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus having a body comprising:

(a) image pickup means for converting an optical image into an electrical image signal;

(b) signal processing means for processing said electrical image signal to display said electrical image signal;

(c) a recess having a plurality of direct signal terminals therein for transmitting said electrical image signal to a detachable buffer memory unit when said buffer memory unit is directly inserted into said recess;

(d) switch means for switching between a first mode for supplying said electrical image signal generated by said image pickup means to said signal processing means through said buffer memory unit when said buffer memory unit is directly inserted into said recess and a second mode for supplying said electrical image signal generated by said image pickup means to said signal processing means bypassing said buffer memory unit.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said buffer memory unit is a digital memory.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said buffer memory unit has a backup power source.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said buffer memory unit has direct contact terminals for receiving signals from said image pickup means in a state where said buffer memory unit is mechanically attached to the image pickup apparatus.

5. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a main memory unit having a larger capacity than said buffer memory unit for storing said electrical image signal output from said buffer memory unit.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said buffer memory unit is arranged to effect time base correction of the signal stored therein and output to said main memory unit.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said main memory unit is mechanically detachable from said image pickup apparatus.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said main memory unit has direct contact terminals for receiving signals from said buffer member unit in a state where said main memory unit is mechanically attached to the image pickup apparatus.

9. An image signal processing apparatus having a body comprising:

(a) image signal source for generating an electrical image signal;

(b) signal processing means for processing said electrical image signal to display said electrical image signal;

(c) a recess arranged on said body and having a plurality of direct signal terminals therein for transmitting said electrical image signal to a detachable buffer memory unit when said buffer memory unit is directly inserted into said recess;

(d) switch means for switching between a first mode for supplying said electrical image signal generated by said image signal source to said signal processing means through said buffer memory unit when said buffer memory unit is directly inserted into said recess and a second mode for supplying said electrical image signal generated by said image signal source to said signal processing means bypassing said buffer memory unit.

10. An image signal processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said image signal source includes image pickup means.

11. An image signal processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said buffer memory unit includes a digital memory.

12. An image signal processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said buffer memory unit has a backup power source.

13. An image signal processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said buffer memory unit has direct contact terminals for receiving signals from said image signal source when said buffer memory unit is mechanically attached to the image recording apparatus.

14. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a main memory unit having a larger capacity than said buffer memory unit for storing said electrical image signal output from said buffer memory unit.

15. An image signal processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said buffer memory unit is arranged to effect time base correction of the signal stored therein and output to said main memory unit.

16. An image signal processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said main memory unit has direct contact terminals for receiving signals from said buffer memory unit when said main memory unit is mechanically attached to the image recording apparatus.

17. An image pickup apparatus having a body comprising:

(a) image pickup means for converting an optical image into an electrical image signal;

(b) signal processing means for processing said electrical image signal to display said electrical image signal;

(c) a recess having a plurality of direct signal terminals therein for transmitting said electrical image signal to a detachable first memory having a relatively small capacity when said first memory is directly inserted into said recess;

(d) switch means for switching between a first mode for supplying said electrical image signal generated by said image pickup means to said signal processing means through said first memory when said first memory is directly inserted into said recess and a second mode for supplying said electrical image signal generated by said image pickup means to said signal processing means bypassing said first memory; and

(e) second memory having a relatively larger capacity than said first memory for storing said electrical image signal output from said first memory.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said first memory is a digital memory.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said first memory is arranged to effect time base correction of the signal stored therein and output to said second memory.

20. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said second memory is mechanically detachable from said image pickup apparatus.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said second memory has direct contact terminals for receiving signals from said first memory in a state where said second memory is mechanically attached to the image pickup apparatus.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said second memory has a recess which can directly receive the first memory.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said second memory contains an interface which reads out the data from the first memory through the recess of the second memory.

24. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said first memory has direct contact terminals for receiving signals from said image pickup means in a state where said first memory is mechanically attached to the image pickup apparatus.

25. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said first memory includes a semiconductor memory.

26. An image pickup apparatus, comprising:

an image pickup element,

a first attaching portion having a first engaging portion for selective engagement with a first memory unit for storing an image signal formed by the image pickup element, and a first group of contacts for electrical connection with the first memory unit when the first memory unit is engaged with the first engagement portion,

a second attaching portion having a second engagement portion for selective engagement with a second memory unit having a memory capacity larger than a memory capacity of the first memory unit and a second group of contacts for electrical connection with the second memory unit when the second memory unit is engaged with the second attaching portion, and

a control circuit which transfers the image signal, formed by the image pickup element under conditions that the first memory unit is attached to the first attaching portion and the second memory unit is attached to the second attaching portion, from the first memory unit to the second memory unit through the first and second groups of contacts, and makes the image signal storable in the second memory unit.

27. An apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said first memory unit includes a semiconductor memory.

28. An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said second memory unit includes a magnetic recording medium.