JP2004077752A - Walking stick with camera support mechanism, and electronic camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a walking stick with a camera support mechanism and an electronic camera capable of improving operation time even under a low temperature environment, and permitting safe camera operation even in a dangerous case. <P>SOLUTION: The camera 10 is fixed to a head part 21 of a grip part 21 of a stick, a pickel, or the like used for skiing and mountain climbing by using a fixing screw. Batteries 23 which can be used for a power source of the camera 10 are housed inside the grip part 21. Since the batteries 23 are insulated from external temperatures by the member of the grip part 21, the batteries are hardly influenced by the external temperatures. Moreover, since the grip part 21 is always gripped by a user and has also warmth retaining property, the life of the batteries can be extended even under a low temperature environment. Further, the grip part 21 is provided with an operation button 25 for releasing a release signal, and this permits stable photographing operation while gripping the grip part 21. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cane with a camera support mechanism and an electronic camera, and more particularly to an electronic camera suitable for use outdoors in a cold region and its peripheral devices.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-171888 proposes a support tool that prevents camera shake during shooting using a ski stock (ski cane) or a mountain climbing ice ax. In the specification of Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 5-59096, a method is proposed in which a camera is attached to the head of a ski stock and used as a substitute for a tripod.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
An electronic camera that converts an optical image of a subject into an electronic image signal and records it on a recording medium consumes more power than a silver halide camera. A battery is usually used as a power source for an electronic camera. However, in a low temperature environment, there is a problem that the discharge performance is lowered due to the performance of the battery, and the operation time of the camera becomes extremely short.
[0004]
Also, the methods proposed in each of the above publications have some dangers to the photographer, such as the body being unbalanced and falling easily when attempting to shoot while holding a stock or ice ax. Occurs.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and cane with a camera support mechanism and an electronic device that can improve the operation time even in a low temperature environment and can safely operate the camera even in a dangerous situation. The purpose is to provide a camera.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a cane with a camera support mechanism according to the present invention has a battery storage chamber formed in a grip of a cane such as stock or ice ax used for skiing or mountain climbing, and an upper end portion of the grip. Camera connecting means for fixing the electronic camera is provided, and an operating member for operating the electronic camera is provided on the grip.
[0007]
According to the present invention, the electronic camera is fixed to the upper end portion of the grip (grip part) of the cane represented by the stock or the pickle through the camera connecting means. A battery that can be used as a power source for the electronic camera is housed inside the grip portion. The battery is surrounded by a member of the grip part and separated from the outside air. Moreover, since the grip part is always held by the user (person), there is also heat retention. Therefore, the battery in the grip is not easily affected by the outside air temperature, and the battery life can be extended even in a low temperature environment.
[0008]
Furthermore, by providing an operation member for camera operation in the grip portion, stable operation can be performed while holding the grip. As an operation member, for example, it is preferable to provide a shooting button (release button or recording start / stop button) for instructing to start shooting.
[0009]
The battery in the grip can be used as a spare battery for replacement (ie, the grip part functions as a battery case for the spare battery), and the cane such as stock is electrically connected to the electronic camera. In addition, it is preferable that the power supply unit supply power to the electronic camera from the battery in the grip.
[0010]
An electronic camera that can be attached to a cane with a camera support mechanism according to the present invention described above includes a connecting part that can be connected to the camera connecting means, a signal receiving part that receives an operation signal according to an operation of the operating member, A control unit that controls the camera operation according to the operation signal received from the signal receiving unit.
[0011]
An electronic camera that receives power from a battery mounted inside the grip of the cane includes a power input unit for achieving electrical connection with the cane and introducing power.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Preferred embodiments of a cane with a camera support mechanism and an electronic camera according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0013]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic camera system comprising a combination of a cane with a camera support mechanism and an electronic camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this system, the main body of the camera 10 is attached to the head of the ski stock 20 so that the photographer can take a picture while holding the ski stock 20.
[0014]
The camera 10 is a digital camera that converts an optical image of a subject into digital image data and records it on a recording medium. A camera lens 12, a finder window 13, a flash (flash device) 14, and flash control are provided on the front of the camera. A sensor 15 is provided. A release button 16 is provided on the top surface of the camera, and a screw hole for fixing a tripod (hereinafter referred to as a tripod screw hole) 17 is formed on the bottom surface of the camera.
[0015]
A connector 18 is provided on the side surface of the camera for electrical connection with the ski stock 20. The connector 18 is composed of a composite connector in which a power supply terminal, a release signal line terminal, and other signal transmission terminals as necessary are combined into one connector.
[0016]
On the other hand, the head of the grip portion 21 of the ski stock 20 is provided with a camera fixing male screw (hereinafter referred to as a fixing screw) 22, and the fixing screw 22 is screwed into the tripod screw hole 17 of the camera 10. As a result, the camera 10 is connected and fixed to the head of the grip portion 21. The fixing screw 22 has a structure that can be protruded and retracted with respect to the grip portion 21, and the fixing screw 22 is inserted into the grip portion 21 so as not to disturb when the camera 10 is not connected to fix the camera 10. In this case, it is preferable that the fixing screw 22 protrude.
[0017]
The grip portion 21 has a mechanism that allows the battery 23 to be mounted therein. That is, a space (battery storage chamber) for storing the battery 23 is formed inside the grip portion 21, and the battery 23 can be loaded by opening a battery cover (not shown). The battery 23 may be a primary battery or a secondary battery.
[0018]
The grip portion 21 is made of a material such as rubber or synthetic resin (more preferably, a material having higher heat insulation than a material used for a grip portion of a normal ski stock). Is used to separate the battery 23 from the outside air. In order to increase the distance between the battery 23 and the outside air, the battery storage chamber is formed at a position closer to the center of the grip portion 21 (for example, on or near the center axis of the grip portion 21 or on the shaft 24). It is preferable.
[0019]
Further, the grip part 21 is provided with an operation button 25. The operation button 25 functions as a release button for instructing the camera 10 to execute shooting. The operation button 25 is attached to a position where it can be easily pressed with a finger while holding the grip portion 21.
[0020]
The camera 10 and the ski stock 20 are electrically connected via a cable 26, and the power of the battery 23 and the operation signal (release signal) of the operation button 25 are transmitted to the camera 10 side via the cable 26.
[0021]
The cable 26 can be wound and stored in the grip portion 21 of the ski stock 20, for example, and the electrical connection is achieved by pulling out the cable 26 as necessary and inserting the plug 27 into the connector 18 of the camera 10. To do. It should be noted that the outlet (not shown) of the cable 26 is close to the head of the grip portion 21 like the attachment portion of the wrist strap 28 so that the cable 26 does not get in the way when the user grips the grip portion 21. It is preferable that a part (upper position) is formed.
[0022]
The means for achieving electrical connection between the camera 10 and the ski stock 20 is not limited to the cable 26 described above. For example, a connector for connecting a cable may be provided on the grip portion 21 of the ski stock 20, and the camera 10 and the ski stock 20 may be connected using a detachable cable. Moreover, while providing the connector for electrical connection in the head part of the grip part 21, the connector corresponding to this is provided in the bottom face of the camera 10, and the aspect which connects both connectors directly is also possible. In the case of such an embodiment, the connection cable can be omitted.
[0023]
Furthermore, the power supply path from the battery 23 is wired via a cable or a connector, while the operation signal from the operation button 25 is the camera 10 by a wireless system using electromagnetic waves such as radio waves and infrared rays. A mode of transmission to the side is also possible.
[0024]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the electronic camera system described in FIG. The camera 10 includes a photographic lens 12 as a photographic optical system, a shutter combined diaphragm mechanism 30 and a CCD solid-state imaging device (hereinafter referred to as CCD) 31, and can record digital data of an image captured by the CCD 31 on a memory card 32.
[0025]
The camera 10 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 34 that functions as a system control unit. The CPU 34 functions as a control unit that controls the camera system according to a predetermined program, and also functions as a calculation unit that performs various calculations such as automatic exposure (AE) calculation and automatic focus adjustment (AF) calculation. The ROM 35 stores programs executed by the CPU 34 and various data necessary for control. A memory (RAM) 36 is used as a work area for the CPU 34 and also as a temporary storage area for image data. The ROM 35 which is a nonvolatile storage means may be non-rewritable or may be rewritable like an EEPROM.
[0026]
The CPU 34 controls each circuit of the camera 10 based on an instruction signal from the operation unit 38 of the camera body or the operation button 25 of the ski stock 20, and includes, for example, power ON / OFF control, lens drive control, photographing operation control, Image processing control, image data recording control, file management, strobe light emission control, liquid crystal monitor 40 display control, memory card 32 read / write control, and the like are performed.
[0027]
The operation unit 38 includes various operation means such as a power switch, a mode selection dial, a menu button, an OK button, a cancel button, and a cross button (not shown) in addition to the release button 16 described in FIG.
[0028]
When the power switch is turned on by the user, the CPU 34 shown in FIG. 2 detects this and gives a start command signal to the power circuit 42 to start the power circuit 42. The power circuit 42 includes a changeover switch for switching a power input path (whether power is supplied from the battery 43 in the camera 10 or power is supplied from the battery 23 on the ski stock 20 side), and a DC / DC converter.
[0029]
The electric power supplied from the battery 43 in the camera 10 or the battery 23 in the ski stock 20 is converted into a required voltage by the power supply circuit 42 and then supplied to each circuit block in the camera 10. The determination as to whether to use the battery 43 in the camera or the battery 23 in the ski stock 20 may be made automatically by the CPU 34 determining the connection of the battery 23, the camera 10 or the ski. An operation unit such as a power source switch may be provided in the grip portion 21 of the stock 20 so that the power source to be used is switched according to the user's selection operation.
[0030]
The photographing function of the camera 10 will be described. In the photographing mode, the light that has passed through the photographing lens 12 of the camera 10 is incident on the CCD 31 after the amount of light is adjusted by the shutter and diaphragm mechanism 30. The optical image of the subject incident on the light receiving surface of the CCD 31 is photoelectrically converted by the CCD 31. A large number of photodiodes (light receiving elements) are two-dimensionally arranged on the light receiving surface of the CCD 31, and are provided with a G stripe, Bayer array, and other predetermined color filter array structures. The CCD 31 has an electronic shutter function for controlling the charge accumulation time (shutter speed) of each photodiode. In place of the CCD 31, a CMOS image sensor or other imaging device may be used.
[0031]
The signal charge accumulated in each photodiode of the CCD 31 is sequentially read out as a voltage signal (image signal) corresponding to the signal charge based on the drive pulse given from the CCD driver 45. The image signal output from the CCD 31 is sent to the analog processing unit 46, and the analog processing unit 46 performs necessary processing such as correlated double sampling (CDS) processing, color separation, and gain adjustment. The image signal generated by the analog processing unit 46 is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 47 and then sent to the signal processing unit 48.
[0032]
A timing generator (TG) 49 provides timing signals to the CCD driver 45, the analog processing unit 46, and the A / D converter 47 in accordance with instructions from the CPU 34, and each circuit is synchronized by this timing signal. .
[0033]
The signal processing unit 48 functions as an image processing unit including a synchronization circuit, a luminance / color difference signal generation circuit, a gamma correction circuit, a sharpness correction circuit, a white balance correction circuit, and the like, and processes an image signal according to a command from the CPU 34. The image data input to the signal processing unit 48 is converted into a luminance signal (Y signal) and a color difference signal (Cr, Cb signal) and subjected to predetermined processing such as gamma correction and then stored in the memory 36. Is done.
[0034]
When the image being captured is output to the monitor, the image data generated by the signal processing unit 48 is sent to the display circuit 50. The display circuit 50 converts the input image data into a predetermined display signal (for example, an NTSC color composite video signal) and outputs it to the liquid crystal monitor 40. The display image data in the memory 36 is periodically rewritten by the image signal output from the CCD 31, and the video signal generated from the image data is supplied to the liquid crystal monitor 40, so that the video being captured is real-time. Displayed as a video. The photographer can check the shooting angle of view from the moving image (through movie) displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 40.
[0035]
When the release button 16 of the operation unit 38 or the operation button 25 of the ski stock 20 is pressed, a shooting start instruction (release ON) signal is issued. When the CPU 34 detects that the button (16 or 25) is half-pressed (S1 = ON), the CPU 34 performs automatic focus adjustment (AF) control and automatic exposure (AE) control, and fully presses the button (16 or 25) (S2 = ON). ) Is detected, CCD exposure and readout control for capturing an image for recording is started.
[0036]
The signal processing unit 48 includes means that functions as an auto calculation unit that performs calculations necessary for automatic focus adjustment (AF) control and automatic exposure (AE) control, and performs focus evaluation value calculation and AE based on the input image signal. Calculation is performed and the calculation result is transmitted to the CPU. The CPU 34 controls driving means including a motor (not shown) based on the calculation result of the auto calculation unit to move the focus adjustment lens of the photographing optical system to the in-focus position, and sets the shutter combined diaphragm mechanism 30 to an appropriate aperture value. The mechanical shutter and the charge accumulation time (electronic shutter) of the CCD 31 are controlled. Further, the CPU 34 performs light emission control of the strobe 14 as necessary.
[0037]
The image data captured in response to the full release (S2 = ON) of the release button 16 or the operation button 25 is subjected to luminance / color difference signal conversion processing (YC processing) and other predetermined signal processing in the signal processing unit 48, and is stored in memory. 36. The generated image data is sent to the compression / decompression unit 51, and is compressed by the compression / decompression unit 51 according to a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format or other predetermined format, and then via the card interface unit 52. 32.
[0038]
The means for storing the image data is not limited to the semiconductor memory represented by the memory card 32, and various recording media such as a magnetic tape, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, and a magneto-optical disk can be used. The recording medium is not limited to a removable medium that can be attached to and detached from the camera 10, and may be a recording medium (internal memory) built in the camera 10.
[0039]
When the camera 10 is set to the playback mode by mode setting means such as a mode selection dial, the latest image file (last recorded image file) recorded on the memory card 32 is read. The compressed data of the read image file is expanded into an uncompressed YC signal via the compression / decompression unit 51.
[0040]
The expanded YC signal is converted into a display signal and output to the liquid crystal monitor 40 via the display circuit 50. As a result, the reproduced image is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 40. During single-frame playback, the file to be played can be switched by operating the right key or left key of the cross button.
[0041]
According to the system including the camera 10 and the ski stock 20 configured as described above, the ski stock 20 can be used as a substitute for a tripod (monopod), and the battery 23 is housed inside the grip portion 21. Therefore, the battery 23 can be used as a power source (or spare battery) for the camera 10. The battery 23 loaded in the ski stock 20 is isolated from the outside air by the material of the grip part 21, and since the grip part 21 is always gripped, it has heat retention and can extend the battery life even in a low temperature environment. .
[0042]
Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, since the operation button 25 is provided on the grip portion 21, the camera 10 can be operated (photographing operation) while holding the ski stock 20, so that a safe operation is possible. Become.
[0043]
In the above embodiment, the camera 10 is fixed to the grip portion 21 of the ski stock 20 using the tripod screw hole 17; however, the means for fixing the camera 10 is not limited to this example, and the connection structure or hold by fitting is not limited to this example. Other mechanisms that can attach and detach the camera 10 such as a fixing mechanism using a member or the like may be used.
[0044]
In the above embodiment, the digital camera for recording a still image has been described as an example. However, the scope of application of the present invention is not limited to this, and a portable type used outdoors such as a digital camera or a video camera capable of recording a moving image. The present invention can be applied to an electronic camera (of a battery drive type).
[0045]
In the above-described embodiment, ski stock is exemplified, but the scope of application of the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be similarly applied to canes for various uses such as ice ax and hiking stick used for mountain climbing.
[0046]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the battery storage space is formed inside the grip such as stock and ice ax, and the camera operating means is provided on the grip, so that the camera operation time (battery life) is maintained even in a low temperature environment. The camera can be operated safely even in dangerous scenes.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a system composed of a cane with a camera support mechanism and an electronic camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the system shown in FIG.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Camera, 17 ... Tripod screw hole, 18 ... Connector, 20 ... Ski stock, 21 ... Grip part, 22 ... Fixing screw, 23 ... Battery, 25 ... Operation button, 26 ... Cable, 34 ... CPU

Claims (4)

A battery compartment is formed in the grip of canes such as stock and ice ax used for skiing and mountain climbing,
Camera coupling means for fixing the electronic camera to the upper end of the grip is provided,
An operation member for operating the electronic camera is provided on the grip. The cane with a camera support mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising power supply means for supplying electric power to the electronic camera from a battery stored in the battery storage chamber. An electronic camera attachable to the cane with a camera support mechanism according to claim 1,
A connecting portion connectable with the camera connecting means;
A signal receiving unit for receiving an operation signal corresponding to the operation of the operation member;
A control unit for controlling the camera operation according to the operation signal received from the signal receiving unit;
An electronic camera characterized by comprising: The electronic camera according to claim 3, further comprising a power input unit that receives power from a battery stored in the battery storage chamber.

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