JP4006552B2 - Electronic device dial control unit structure - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a dial operation unit structure of an electronic apparatus, and more particularly to a structure of a dial operation unit that is used in an electronic camera or the like and enables multi-function switching operation in a small space.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As operation units of various electronic devices such as an electronic camera, a push operation type push button or a rotation operation type rotary dial is mainly used. With the downsizing and multi-functionalization of electronic devices, securing of the arrangement space for these operation units and the quality of operability have become important factors in product development. In this regard, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-31812 discloses a switch button structure in which a rotatable knob is arranged around an ON / OFF type push button. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-122842 discloses an operation unit structure in which two operation units (a switching dial and a switching lever) for switching a shooting mode of a camera are arranged coaxially to perform both rotation operations. Has been.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the switch button structure disclosed in the above Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-31812, the operation button provided on the inner side of the knob has only one function for switching ON / OFF, and various instruction inputs cannot be performed. It is. On the other hand, since the operation unit structure disclosed in the latter Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-122842 has a structure in which two rotation operation members are rotated coaxially, the inner rotation member and the outer It is necessary to form a step on both of the rotating members so that they can be rotated together. Actually, in this publication, the operation knob portion of the switching lever is projected outside the switching dial. Such a form has the disadvantages that it is difficult to operate with one hand, the operability is poor, and the appearance is not so good due to the many irregularities on the surface.
[0004]
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a dial operation unit structure of an electronic device that is excellent in operability, can input various instructions, and can obtain an appearance with less unevenness. With the goal.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a dial operation unit structure of an electronic device according to the present invention is: It is a structure of a dial operation unit used for a portable electronic device, A button operation member that can tilt in a plurality of directions according to the pressed position, and a button direction that detects a tilt direction of the button operation member in at least two or more directions among directions in which the button operation member can tilt. Detecting means; a ring-shaped dial member rotatably disposed around the button operating member; dial position detecting means for detecting a plurality of rotation stop positions of the dial member; and the plurality of dial members. And a locking mechanism for stopping at the rotation stop position. The plurality of rotation stop positions respectively correspond to mode setting positions for setting the mode of the electronic device, and the dial member has a symbol indicating the plurality of rotation stop positions on the upper surface or Characters and anti-slip means are formed, and on the upper surface of the button operation member is formed a recess composed of a hypotenuse part and a flat part directed inward from the outermost peripheral part of the button operation member. A shaft portion is provided at substantially the center of the lower surface, and a lower end portion of the shaft portion is connected to a holding member to support the button operation member, so that a pressing force is applied to the flat portion from above. The button operation member has a structure that does not sink, and the flat part becomes a finger rest part. Features and You The
[0006]
According to the present invention, since the ring-shaped dial member is arranged on the outer periphery of the push operation type button operation member that can be tilted in a plurality of directions, the inner button operation member can give various instructions according to the detection of the tilt direction. The outer dial member can also perform various switching operations and selection operations corresponding to the rotation stop position. Further, in such a dual-structure dial operation section, the outer dial member is rotated, whereas the inner button operation member is a pressing operation type, so that the operation is easy. Thereby, a multifunction dial / button with good operability can be realized in a small space.
[0007]
Further, in the dial operation unit structure of the electronic device according to the present invention, Before It is desirable to form a recess on the upper surface of the button operation member. By forming the recess on the upper surface of the button operation member in this manner, there is an advantage that the upper surface edge of the button operation member can be more easily pressed and this recess can be used as a finger rest.
[0008]
As one embodiment of the present invention, ,in front The dial operation part having a double structure comprising the button operation member and the dial member has a substantially frustoconical appearance, and an anti-slip means is provided on the upper surface of the dial member. Provided is a dial operation unit structure of an electronic device. With such a configuration, an appearance with less unevenness can be obtained, and the thickness (height) of the button operation unit is not impressed in terms of design. Further, by providing the dial member having the substantially frustoconical slope portion with the anti-slip means that becomes a finger hook during the rotation operation, even a thin dial member can be easily rotated without slipping.
[0009]
The dial operation part structure of the electronic device according to the present invention is , Shooting It is effective to convert an image photographed using an image means into an image signal and apply it to an electronic camera that records image data representing the photographed image on a recording medium, thereby reducing the size and operability of the electronic camera. Can be improved.
Also ,in front It is also possible to provide a dial operation unit having a double structure composed of the button operation member and the dial member on the back of the main body of the electronic camera. As described above, since the dial operation unit structure of the present invention can realize a thin operation unit, even if the dial operation unit is provided on the back of the electronic camera, it is possible to obtain an appearance with less unevenness. By arranging the grip at a position where it can be operated by the thumb of the hand holding the grip, it can be easily operated with one hand.
[0010]
When the dial operation unit of the present invention is used in an electronic camera, for example, Before It is possible to use the button operation member to change the zoom magnification or to instruct frame advance during reproduction, and to select the shooting mode using the dial member.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a dial operation unit structure of an electronic apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, a case where the dial operation unit structure of the present invention is applied to an electronic camera will be described as an example.
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an electronic camera according to an embodiment of application of the present invention. The exterior case 12 of the electronic camera 10 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped external shape, the dimension in the width direction is shorter than the dimension in the vertical direction of the camera, and the dimension in the front-rear direction (thickness direction) of the camera is in the width direction. It has a thin shape that is even shorter than the dimensions.
[0012]
A photographing lens 14 is disposed in the upper right part of the front surface of the outer case 12, and a finder window 16 is provided above the photographing lens 14. Although the detailed configuration of the photographic lens 14 is not shown, for example, a single focus lens of about F = 35 mm is used, and a CCD (imaging device) (not shown) is disposed behind the photographic lens 14. For the number of CCD pixels, it is necessary to select an appropriate one in relation to the desired image quality. For example, by using a 1.5 million pixel CCD, high image quality and high resolution (1280 × 1024 pixels) are realized and reproduced. The video output at that time has a horizontal resolution of 480 lines or more.
[0013]
In FIG. 1, a grip portion 18 is formed in the vertical direction on the left side of the outer case 12. 18 The photographer can hold the camera by holding it with his right hand. The strobe 20 is provided above the grip portion 18, that is, in the upper left corner of the front surface of the exterior case 12, and is disposed at a position where the strobe 20 is not hidden by the photographer's hand holding the grip portion 18. Further, a protrusion 22 is formed on the left edge of the strobe 20 in FIG. 1 in order to prevent the index finger of the hand holding the grip 18 from touching the strobe window. In addition, a mark provided on the left side of the taking lens 14 issue 24 is a flash light control sensor, issue Reference numeral 26 denotes a self-timer lamp.
[0014]
A shutter button 28 for instructing the start of shooting and a liquid crystal display panel 30 are provided on the upper surface of the outer case 12, and a strobe key 32 and a macro key 34 are disposed on the side of the liquid crystal display panel 30. The shutter button 28 is configured in a two-stage manner, and the automatic focusing (AF) and automatic exposure control (AE) are activated in a “half-pressed” state where the shutter button 28 is lightly pressed and stopped to lock AF and AE. Shooting is performed in the state of “full press”, which is further pressed from “half press”.
[0015]
The liquid crystal display panel 30 displays information related to the camera status, shooting mode, and the like. For example, battery check display, display of the number of frames that can be shot and playback frame number, presence / absence of flash emission, macro mode display, recording image quality Information such as (quality) display and pixel number display is displayed.
The strobe key 32 is a setting key that causes the strobe to emit light or prohibits light emission according to the shooting situation. Each time the strobe key 32 is pressed, the strobe setting changes from “auto flash” → “red-eye reduction” → “ There are four types of forced emission "→" prohibit emission "to switch to the circulation type. The setting contents of the strobe selected with the strobe key 32 are clearly shown on the liquid crystal display panel 30.
[0016]
The macro key 34 is a key for setting a short-distance (macro) shooting mode. By pressing the macro key 34, a short-distance shooting of about 9 to 50 cm can be performed.
A smart media holder 36 for inserting smart media (not shown in FIG. 1) corresponding to a recording medium is provided on the right side surface of the camera in FIG. In the electronic camera 10 according to the present embodiment, smart media (image memory card) is used as a medium for recording image data. However, the form of the recording medium is not limited to this, and a PC card or flash memory card is used. Various forms having a card shape such as an IC card, a floppy disk, and a magneto-optical disk (MO) are possible.
[0017]
The smart media holder 36 of the electronic camera 10 is arranged with the longitudinal direction of the insertion port 36A oriented in the vertical direction so that smart media can be inserted and removed along a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the photographing lens 14. Has been. Further, a smart media cover 38 for covering the insertion port 36A is provided at the insertion port 36A of the smart media holder 36 so as to be opened and closed via a hinge mechanism. When the smart media cover 38 is closed, the smart media cover 38 is held in the closed state by the engaging means 39, and when the smart media knob 40 is slid downward in FIG. The media cover 38 is opened.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 1, on the left side of the smart media holder 36, a power input (DC IN 5V) terminal 42, an image output (VIDEO OUT) terminal 44, and a digital input / output (RS232C) terminal 46 are arranged from the top. They are arranged in the vertical direction in order.
FIG. 2 is a rear view of the electronic camera 10 shown in FIG. On the rear side of the camera, a liquid crystal monitor 50, a power switch 52, a mode dial 54, a cross key (up / down key and left / right key) 56, a viewfinder 58, and the like are provided.
[0019]
The liquid crystal monitor 50 displays an image taken via a CCD, a reproduced image read from a smart media (card-like recording medium), and the like. For example, a 2-inch low-temperature polysilicon liquid crystal monitor is used. As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid crystal monitor 50 is disposed in the lower left part of the back of the camera, avoiding the grip portion 18, and from the left along the upper side of the liquid crystal monitor 50, the custom key 60, the display key 62, the power switch 52 and the menu / execution key 64 are sequentially arranged in a horizontal row.
[0020]
The mode dial 54 and the cross key 56 are provided in the upper right corner on the back of the camera, that is, the place where the thumb of the right hand holding the grip 18 on the right side of the camera is naturally located in FIG. In the dial operation unit including the mode dial 54 and the cross key 56, a ring member (dial member) 68 corresponding to the mode dial 54 is arranged on the outer periphery of a button member (button operation member) 66 corresponding to the cross key 56 2. The outer peripheral mode dial 54 is rotatable in both the clockwise and counterclockwise directions in FIG.
[0021]
The mode dial 54 is an operation means for changing the function (mode) of the camera according to the setting position of the dial. For example, the mode dial 54 is arranged in the circumferential direction within a range of about half a circle (on the left half side in FIG. Along each click stop position, “SETUP”, “Self-timer”, “Manual shooting”, “Auto shooting”, “Playback”, “Erase”, “Image protection (protect)”, “PC ( Symbols or characters indicating eight modes of “PC) connection” are formed in order.
[0022]
The mode dial 54 is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise in FIG. 2, and the mode setting is performed by matching a symbol or character representing a desired function with the index 70 among the above-described eight steps. Done. A small protrusion row is formed in an embossed shape as a non-slip (finger hook) 71 when the mode dial 54 is rotated on the remaining half of the upper surface of the mode dial 54 (on the right half side in FIG. 2). ing.
[0023]
On the button member 66 of the cross key 56 disposed inside the mode dial 54, triangular marks 72 indicating the operation directions are formed in four directions that are perpendicular to the top, bottom, left, and right. The button member 66 is tilted by pressing the vicinity of any one of the upper, lower, left and right triangular marks 72, and instructions in four corresponding directions (up, down, right, left) can be input. ing. The cross key 56 is used as an operation key for instructing selection of various setting items in the setting of the mode and the like and for changing the setting contents, as well as adjusting the magnification of the electronic zoom, instructing to move the zoom center, and sending / reproducing the playback frame. Used as a means for instructing the return. The detailed structure of the dial portion will be described later (FIGS. 4 to 6).
[0024]
Further, on the back surface of the exterior case 12, in a region between the mode dial 54 and the power switch 52, a small projection row corresponding to a finger rest portion (finger rest) 73 is formed in an embossed shape. The finger placement unit 73 is provided at a substantially central position in a range in which the thumb moves when operating the operation units such as the cross key 56, the mode dial 54, and the power switch 52. In addition to being suitable, it is also a position where the camera can be held stably.
[0025]
A sign 74 shown on the right side of the finder 58 is a finder lamp. The finder lamp 74 is lit, blinks, or turned off in three colors of green, orange, and red according to the state of the camera.
In FIG. 2, a strap attaching portion 75 is provided at the uppermost portion of the right side surface of the camera. The hand strap is attached by pulling the hand strap (not shown) through the ring portion at the tip of the hand strap (not shown) and pulling the strap through the hand strap. The camera can be prevented from being inadvertently dropped by taking a picture by gripping the grip portion 18 after passing the wrist through the attached hand strap.
[0026]
A battery cover 76 is provided on the bottom surface of the camera below the grip 18 so as to be freely opened and closed. When the battery cover 76 is slid in the right direction in FIG. 2, a locking mechanism (not shown) of the battery cover 76 is released, and the battery cover 76 is opened downward in FIG. Then, a substantially cylindrical battery (not shown in FIG. 2) is inserted vertically along the grip 18 from the bottom side of the camera, and the battery is loaded by closing the battery cover 76 in the reverse order of opening. Is done.
[0027]
Although not shown, an adjustment dial and a tripod screw hole for adjusting the brightness of the liquid crystal monitor 50 are provided on the bottom surface of the camera.
FIG. 3 shows a state in which the inside of the electronic camera 10 shown in FIG. 1 is viewed from the back side. As shown in the figure, when the inside of the camera is viewed from the back side, the battery 78 is arranged in a portion corresponding to the grip portion 18 on the right side so that the longitudinal direction thereof is vertically oriented, and the photographing lens is located in the upper left portion. 14 and an optical unit 80 on which the finder 58 is mounted. Although not shown in the figure, a substrate on which a CCD is mounted behind the photographing lens 14 is assembled integrally with the optical unit 80.
[0028]
A liquid crystal monitor 50 is disposed below the optical unit 80 and on the left side of the vertical battery 78 so as not to overlap the battery 78 along the back surface of the outer case 12. The smart media holder 36 is arranged in parallel to the liquid crystal monitor 50 at the back (front side of the camera). At this time, the smart media holder 36 is installed so that the smart media insertion slot 36A faces the side of the camera.
[0029]
An electronic circuit board 82 on which a signal processing circuit is mounted is disposed in front of the smart media holder 36, that is, in a space between the smart media holder 36 and the front surface of the outer case 12. At this time, the electronic circuit board 82 is arranged parallel to the surfaces of the liquid crystal monitor 50 and the smart media holder 36. Further, the strobe 20 is disposed on the right side of the optical unit 80 in FIG. A terminal portion that contacts the electrode of the battery 78 is provided in the space between the strobe 20 and the battery 78, and the sensor circuit of the strobe light control sensor 24 is provided in the space between the terminal portion and the optical unit 80. Is stored.
[0030]
As described above, the vertical dimension of the electronic camera 10 is roughly defined by the height dimension of the battery 78 disposed vertically along the grip portion 18. The strobe 20 is disposed above the battery 78, the optical unit 80 and the liquid crystal monitor 50 are arranged side by side next to the battery 78, and the smart media holder 36 and the electronic device are disposed behind the liquid crystal monitor 50. By arranging the circuit board 82 in parallel with the liquid crystal monitor 50, each component (ie, the optical unit 80, the strobe 20, the battery 78, the liquid crystal monitor 50, and the electronic circuit board is formed so as to form a substantially rectangular outline as a whole. 82) can be arranged compactly, and each component can be efficiently stored in the outer case 12 having a substantially rectangular shape. Thereby, the connection between each member can also be minimized and the downsizing of the camera can be achieved.
[0031]
In particular, in the present embodiment, since the smart media insertion port 36A is formed on the side of the camera opposite to the grip portion 18, the smart media can be easily inserted and removed, and the smart media can be inserted and removed even when the camera is fixed with a tripod or the like. There is an advantage that can be.
In this example, as the form of the battery 78, one dedicated rechargeable battery having a flat portion 78A obtained by cutting a part of a cylinder in parallel along the longitudinal axis is used. Not only this but what is necessary is just a substantially cylindrical thing and a substantially rectangular parallelepiped thing, and the form which arrange | positions several dry batteries in parallel may be sufficient.
[0032]
Next, the structure of the mode dial 54 and the cross key 56 will be described. 4 to 6 show the structure of the mode dial 54 and the cross key 56. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the dial operation unit, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a back view, and FIGS. issue The substrate indicated by 96 is omitted.
[0033]
As shown in these drawings, the dial operation unit assembled to the electronic camera 10 is mainly provided on the inner button member 66 constituting the cross key 56 and the outer periphery of the button member 66, and is attached to the mode dial 54. It consists of a corresponding ring member 68 and a holding member 84 that holds both.
The button member 66 has a so-called dish-like shape with a recessed central portion, and a triangular mark 72 that indicates four directions of operation in the upper, lower, left, and right directions on the slope portion 66C from the outer peripheral edge portion 66A toward the central flat portion 66B. Is formed. Each triangular mark 72 corresponds to the up key, down key, left key, and right key of the cross key 56, respectively. The triangular mark 72 is formed of a transparent body, and a lamp (not shown) is disposed below each mark. A lamp corresponding to the pressed key is turned on.
[0034]
As shown in FIG. 5, a shaft portion 88 is integrally formed at the approximate center of the lower surface of the button member 66, and the shaft portion 86 is inserted into a hole 84 </ b> A formed at the approximate center of the holding member 84. The lower end portion is connected to the holding member 84 via the C ring 90. The diameter of the hole 84A of the holding member 84 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft portion 88 of the button member 66, and the shaft portion 88 of the button member 66 is slightly in any direction around the center line. Tilt is possible.
[0035]
Further, a leaf spring 92 is provided between the lower surface of the button member 66 and the holding member 84, and the button member 66 is urged upward in FIG. The shaft portion 88 is held vertically along the center line so that the upper surface is horizontal.
At the lower part of the button member 66, pins 94 are protruded at four positions on the upper, lower, left and right sides corresponding to the pressing points of the up / down key and the left / right key, respectively. It is exposed from the opening 84B.
[0036]
On the other hand, on the substrate 96 disposed below the holding member 84, switch means (corresponding to button direction detecting means) 98 is disposed at a position facing each of the pins 94, and a slope portion 66C of the button member 66 is provided. When one of the pressing points corresponding to the up / down key and the left / right key is pressed, the shaft portion 88 of the button member 66 is tilted, and the pressed portion sinks, and the pin 94 at the corresponding position is depressed. The lower end of the switch is in contact with the switch means 92. When the finger is released from the button member 66 (when the pressing is released), the button member 66 is restored to the original horizontal state by the urging force of the leaf spring 92, and all the pins 94 are retracted from the switch means 98. By adopting such a mechanism, a single button member 66 can be used to constitute a four-way indicator switch (multi-function switch) in the vertical and horizontal directions with a simple mechanism.
[0037]
On the other hand, the ring member 68 disposed outside the button member 66 is rotatably supported with respect to the holding member 84 independently of the button member 66 about the center line of the button member 66 as a rotation center. The ring member 68 has a gentle slope portion 68A from the height of the outermost peripheral portion 66A of the button member 66 toward the surface of the exterior case 12, and the dial operation portion as a whole has a substantially frustoconical appearance. Is formed.
[0038]
In view of the fact that it is necessary to provide a certain thickness (height) at the portion to be pressed by the cross key 56, the required thickness portion (that is, the cross key 56) is arranged on the inner side and the outer side thereof. This is because the frustoconical side-shaped ring member 68 that gradually decreases from the thickness equivalent to the thickness dimension of the cross key 56 toward the outside is disposed. Such an external shape eliminates unevenness on the surface, improves the portability of the camera, and does not impress the thickness of the dial operation part in terms of design.
[0039]
The metal plate 100 is disposed below the ring member 68 in parallel with the surface of the substrate 96 with the holding member 84 interposed therebetween. The metal plate 100 is integrally connected to the ring member 68 via the connecting portion 102, and the metal plate 100 rotates with the rotation of the ring member 68. The metal plate 100 has a plurality of (four in this example) brushes 104 corresponding to contact pieces on the lower surface thereof, and these brushes 104 are formed on the substrate 96 as the ring member 68 rotates. The position of the mode dial 66 is detected by sliding and moving with a plurality of contacts and switching the contact pattern of the contacts.
[0040]
The metal plate 100 has a number of click holes 106 corresponding to the stop position (mode setting position) of the mode dial 66, and the click member 106 can be engaged with the click holes 106 on the holding member 84 side. A leaf spring 108 is provided.
Next, the operation of the electronic camera configured as described above will be described.
First, to charge the battery 78, the battery cover 76 is slid rightward in FIG. 2 to open the battery cover 76, and the battery 78 is inserted from the bottom of the camera. At this time, the flat part 78A of the battery 78 is directed to the inside of the camera, the battery 78 is pushed in until the electrode at the upper end of the battery 78 contacts a terminal part (not shown) inside the camera, and the battery cover 76 is closed.
[0041]
Then, an AC power adapter (not shown) is inserted into the power input terminal 42 of the camera, and then the AC power adapter is inserted into a power outlet. Thus, charging of the battery 78 is automatically started. During charging, the finder lamp 74 of the camera is lit in orange, and when charging is completed, the finder lamp 74 is turned off. Even if the charging is not completed, the camera can be used with the AC power adapter connected, but after the charging is completed, the camera can be used with only the battery 78 by removing the AC power adapter.
[0042]
Next, a procedure for attaching / detaching the smart media will be described.
When the smart media knob 40 is slid downward in FIG. 1, the smart media cover 38 is opened, and the insertion opening 36A of the smart media holder 36 is exposed. Next, the smart media is inserted into the smart media holder 36. At this time, the smart media electrode is slowly pushed into the smart media holder 36 along the plane orthogonal to the photographing optical axis so that the electrode portion of the smart media faces the front of the camera. When the smart media cover 38 is closed after inserting the smart media, the claw portion formed on the cover is engaged with the engaging means 39 and the smart media cover 38 is held in the closed state.
[0043]
When taking out the smart media from the camera, the smart media knob 40 is slid downward, the smart media cover 38 is opened, and the edge of the smart media exposed from the smart media holder 36 is once pushed slowly into the back as in the case of insertion. You can pinch the end and pull it out.
In the present embodiment, since the smart media insertion / removal port 36A is provided on the side of the camera and on the side opposite to the grip portion 18, the photographer holds the grip portion 18 of the camera as shown in FIG. Smart media can be inserted and removed. In this respect, there is an advantage that the operability is better than that of a type in which a recording medium such as smart media is inserted / removed from the upper surface or the bottom surface of the camera or the same side surface as the grip portion.
[0044]
Next, the photographing operation will be described.
As shown in FIG. 7, when the photographer holds the grip 18 of the camera with the right hand, slides the power switch 52 in the right direction on FIG. 7 and releases the finger, an opening screen is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 50. . When the finger is released from the power switch 52, the power switch 52 returns to its original position by a biasing force of a biasing means (not shown).
[0045]
Subsequently, the mode dial 54 is turned to the desired mode. The setup mode is a mode for setting quality (image quality), pixel (image quality), sharpness, color / monochrome, frame number memory, buzzer volume, date and time, custom key settings, and the like. When the mode dial 54 is set to “SETUP”, a setup screen is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 50. The photographer operates the up / down keys of the cross key 56 to select an item to be changed from the setup screen, and changes the setting contents with the left / right keys to input a desired setting.
[0046]
That is, each time the left / right key of the cross key 56 is pressed, the setting contents are switched. When the desired setting contents are displayed, the pressing of the left / right key is stopped. To determine the setting, the menu / execution key 64 is pressed or the mode dial 54 is switched to another mode.
For example, in the quality setting item, three types of image quality (recording compression ratio) of fine, normal, and basic can be selected in accordance with the purpose of shooting, fine is 1/4 (JPEG) compression, and normal is 1 / 8 (JPEG) compression, the basic is 1/16 (JPEG) compression. Note that the number of frames that can be taken varies depending on the selected image quality, and the liquid crystal display panel 30 clearly indicates whether fine, normal, or basic.
[0047]
In the self-timer shooting mode, self-timer shooting of about 10 seconds is possible. When the mode dial 54 is set to the self-timer position, a “self-timer” display appears on the liquid crystal monitor 50. When the composition is determined and the shutter button 28 is pressed halfway, AE and AF are activated. When the focus and exposure adjustment are completed, the finder lamp 74 is lit in green and a “standby” display appears on the liquid crystal monitor 50. Thereafter, when the shutter button 28 is fully pressed, the self-timer lamp 26 on the front side of the camera blinks and photographing is performed about 10 seconds later.
[0048]
The manual shooting mode is a mode in which an image captured by the camera can be confirmed on the liquid crystal monitor 50 (or a television connected to the video output terminal) and the image can be selected to be recorded on smart media or not. In this mode, white balance setting, brightness setting (exposure correction), strobe brightness setting, and continuous shooting (multi-REC) setting are further possible.
[0049]
When the mode dial 54 is set to the manual shooting mode and the menu / execution key 64 is pressed, various setting items are displayed. Select the item with the left / right key of the cross key 56 and change the setting with the up / down key. After that, the setting is confirmed with the left / right key. If the menu / execution key 64 is pressed during setting input, the original screen is restored.
[0050]
In addition, when the display key 62 is pressed under this manual shooting mode, a moving image before shooting (recording) (so-called through moving image) is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 50. When the photographer determines the composition while viewing this display, obtains the desired composition, and presses the shutter button 28 halfway, the camera automatically adjusts the focus and exposure. When preparation for shooting is completed (AF and AE are completed), the finder lamp 74 is lit in green and a “standby” display appears on the liquid crystal monitor 50.
[0051]
Thereafter, when the shutter button 28 is fully pressed, a buzzer sounds and a preview image (photographed still image) is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 50. When the image data of the preview image is not recorded on the smart media, the through key is restored by pressing the down key of the cross key 56. On the other hand, when the image data displayed on the preview image is recorded on the smart media, the menu / execution key 64 is pressed.
[0052]
While the image data is being recorded on the smart media, the finder lamp 74 is lit in orange, and photographing while the lamp is on is prohibited. When recording is completed, a buzzer sound is generated, and the number of frames that can be shot on the liquid crystal display panel 30 is reduced by one frame.
In the auto shooting mode, the camera automatically controls the exposure (combination of electronic shutter value and aperture value) and the focus according to the shooting situation, and automatically transfers the image data to the smart media when the shutter button 28 is fully pressed. It is a mode to save automatically. This auto shooting mode is a shooting mode that is simple and easy to use. When general shooting (normal shooting) is performed except for special shooting, this mode is mainly set to this mode.
[0053]
In the auto shooting mode, either shooting using the optical viewfinder without using the liquid crystal monitor 50 or shooting using the liquid crystal monitor 50 can be selected. In order to reduce battery consumption, it is desirable to photograph using an optical viewfinder, and it is preferable to photograph using the liquid crystal monitor 50 when it is desired to accurately determine the composition of an image to be photographed such as short-distance photographing.
[0054]
When the optical viewfinder is used, the composition is determined by looking at the viewfinder 58 and aligning the AF frame mark appearing at the approximate center of the field of view with the subject, and when the shutter button 28 is pressed halfway, the AE and AF functions are activated. When the shooting preparation is completed, the finder lamp 74 is lit in green. Thereafter, when the shutter button 28 is fully pressed, a buzzer sounds to notify the completion of shooting and starts recording image data on the smart media. During recording, the finder lamp 74 is lit in orange, and photographing during this lighting is prohibited. When recording is finished, a buzzer sounds and the number of frames that can be taken on the liquid crystal display panel 30 is reduced by one.
[0055]
On the other hand, when shooting using the liquid crystal monitor 50, the display key 62 is pressed after the mode dial 54 is set to the auto shooting mode. The display key 62 is a switch for switching on / off (OFF) of the liquid crystal monitor 50, and the liquid crystal monitor 50 is switched on / off each time the display key 62 is pressed. .
[0056]
When the display key 62 is pressed, a through moving image is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 50, and the photographer can determine the structure while viewing the monitor display. When the display on the liquid crystal monitor 50 is difficult to see, the brightness can be adjusted with the monitor brightness adjustment dial at the bottom of the camera. After the composition is determined, the shutter button 28 is half-pressed and fully pressed to perform shooting as described above.
[0057]
Further, in photographing using the liquid crystal monitor 50, a digital zoom (electronic zoom) photographing function can be used. That is, when the up key of the cross key 56 is pressed while the through moving image is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 50, “× 2” display appears at the upper left corner of the screen of the liquid crystal monitor 50, and the center point of the screen is set as the enlargement center. The center part of the screen is enlarged twice. When the composition is determined while looking at the liquid crystal monitor 50, the shutter button 28 is operated, and shooting is performed, the enlarged image data is recorded on the smart media.
[0058]
The playback mode is a mode that is set when a captured image is played back on the LCD monitor 50, a television, or the like. One-frame playback, multi-play (a mode in which images for a plurality of frames are played back simultaneously on the screen) There are forms such as automatic playback (auto play) in which the designated frames and subsequent frames are automatically and continuously played back at regular intervals. It is also possible to perform playback zoom for enlarging the playback image with an electronic zoom, image copy for copying image data to other media, color tone change (beautification of skin, sepia), and pixel number change (resize). In the operation of such various functions, predetermined input is performed by a combination of the cross key 54, the display key 62, the menu / execution key 64, and the custom key 60.
[0059]
When the mode dial 54 is set to the reproduction mode, the last frame recorded in the smart media is reproduced and displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 50 or the like. When playing back another frame, the left / right key of the cross key 56 is operated to advance the frame. When the right key is pressed once, one frame is advanced, and when the left key is pressed once, one frame is reversed.
During this single frame playback, the playback zoom function can be used. That is, if the up / down key of the cross key 56 is operated during one-frame playback, the image being played back is enlarged at an arbitrary magnification of 1 to 4 times with the center of the screen as the enlargement center point according to the pressing operation. Can be displayed. In this case, the up key corresponds to the enlargement key, and the down key corresponds to the reduction key. Further, when the cross key 56 is pressed while pressing the custom key 60, the zoom position can be moved. In order to stop the playback zoom function, the left / right key of the cross key 56 is pressed to advance the frame.
[0060]
The erase mode is a mode for erasing an image recorded on the smart media, and single-frame erase, all-frame erase, and smart media initialization can be performed according to the menu selection screen.
The protect mode is a mode in which the image data is read-only (read-only) data so that the photographed image is not accidentally erased. It is possible to unprotect all frames at once.
[0061]
The PC mode is a mode in which an electronic camera and a personal computer are connected with a dedicated cable and image data is transmitted and received between the two. This mode is used when capturing captured images on a computer, recording images on smart media using a computer, or erasing images.
According to the electronic camera according to the present embodiment, each operation unit such as the mode dial 54, the cross key 56, the power switch 52, the display key 62, the menu / execution key 64, and the like can be operated only with the thumb of the right hand holding the grip unit 18. Easy to operate. In particular, when operating the operation unit (mode dial 54 or cross key 56) related to switching / changing the display contents of the liquid crystal monitor 50, the liquid crystal monitor 50 is not hidden by hand, and reliable operation is performed while viewing the monitor display. There is an advantage that can be done.
[0062]
Further, in the electronic camera according to the present embodiment, the internal arrangement structure as described with reference to FIG. 3 is adopted, thereby eliminating the useless internal space as much as possible and realizing the miniaturization of the camera. Further, the smart media as a recording medium can be inserted / removed from the side of the camera opposite to the grip portion 18 to improve operability.
In addition, as described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, the mode dial 54 and the cross key 56 are configured in a double structure, thereby realizing a multi-function dial / button with a thin shape and less unevenness, and with less space. An operation unit with good operability is obtained. Further, with regard to the position of the multifunction dial / button, the relationship with the liquid crystal monitor 50 is taken into consideration, and the multifunction dial / button can be operated while viewing the screen of the liquid crystal monitor 50.
[0063]
Thus, the electronic camera according to the present embodiment is further reduced in size, thickness, and operability.
In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the finger placement portion 73 is formed on the back surface of the camera has been described. However, it is possible to use the concave portion of the button member of the cross key 56 to set the finger placement portion 73. When the pressing force is applied to the vicinity of the triangular mark 72 of the oblique side portion 66C, the button member 66 of the cross key 56 is inclined to be depressed, but the central portion (flat portion 66B) of the cross key 56 is subjected to the pressing force. The button member 66 is held horizontally without sinking. Accordingly, it is possible to place the thumb at the center of the cross key 56, and the sense of stability of the thumb can be obtained by the shape of the recess.
[0064]
In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to an electronic camera has been described. It can be widely applied to electronic devices.
[0065]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the dial operation part structure of the electronic device according to the present invention, the button operation member that can be tilted in a plurality of directions and the ring-shaped dial member that is rotatable around the outer periphery of the button operation member are combined. Thus, the multi-function dial / button with good operability can be realized in a small space. That is, it is possible to effectively use the internal space by rationally arranging the button portion (button operation member) requiring thickness in the center and the rotating dial (dial member) that can be thinned on the outer periphery. In addition, it is possible to provide a substantially conical slope around the rotary dial, improving the operability and reducing the step with the outer peripheral surface of the dial, and obtaining a good appearance. .
[0066]
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to further reduce the thickness of the dial operation unit, and it is possible to realize an electronic apparatus having an external shape with less unevenness.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an electronic camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a rear view of the electronic camera shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the electronic camera.
4 is an enlarged view of a dial operation unit including a mode dial and a cross key shown in FIG. 2;
5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the dial operation unit shown in FIG.
6 is a rear view of the dial operation unit shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state where the electronic camera according to the present embodiment is held.
[Explanation of symbols]
10. Electronic camera
12 ... Exterior case
14 ... Photography lens
16 ... finder window
18 ... Grip part
20 ... Strobe
28 ... Shutter button
50 ... LCD monitor
58 ... Finder
54 ... Mode dial
56 ... Cross key
62 ... Display key
71 ... Non-slip
73 ... Finger placement part
98 ... Switch means
104 ... Brush

Claims (7)

It is a structure of a dial operation unit used for a portable electronic device,
A button operation member that can tilt in a plurality of directions according to the pressed position;
A button direction detecting means for detecting a tilt direction of the button operation member in a plurality of directions of at least two directions among directions in which the button operation member can tilt;
A ring-shaped dial member rotatably disposed around the button operation member;
Dial position detecting means for detecting a plurality of rotation stop positions of the dial member;
A locking mechanism for stopping the dial member at the plurality of rotation stop positions;
Ri consists of,
The plurality of rotation stop positions respectively correspond to mode setting positions for setting the mode of the electronic device,
The dial member is formed on its upper surface with symbols or characters indicating the plurality of rotation stop positions and anti-slip means,
The upper surface of the button operation member is formed with a recess composed of a hypotenuse and a flat portion that extends inward from the outermost peripheral portion of the button operation member, and a shaft portion is provided at the approximate center of the lower surface of the button operation member. A structure in which the lower end portion of the shaft portion is connected to a holding member and the button operation member is supported so that the button operation member does not sink even if a pressing force is applied to the flat portion from above. A dial operation part structure for an electronic device , wherein the flat part is a finger rest part .   The locking mechanism is integrally connected to the dial member and has a plate member having a number of holes corresponding to the plurality of rotation stop positions, and holds the dial member and can be locked in the hole. The dial operation part structure of the electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a holding member provided with a locking member. The symbol or character which shows these rotation stop positions is formed in the range for a half circumference among the upper surfaces of the dial member, and a slip prevention means is formed in the range for the remaining half circumference. The dial operation part structure of the electronic device of 1 or 2 . The dial operation portion having a double structure composed of the button operation member and the dial member has a substantially frustoconical appearance, and the dial member is equivalent to the height of the outermost peripheral portion of the button operation member. claims from thick having a progressively thinner truncated cone side surface shaped outwardly, wherein said symbol or character and the slip means indicative of said plurality of rotation stopping position on the inclined surface portion is formed Item 4. The electronic device dial operation unit structure according to any one of Items 1 to 3. An image photographed using the imaging unit into image signals, in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it is applied to an electronic camera for recording image data representing the captured image on a recording medium The dial operation part structure of the electronic device as described. 6. The dial operation part structure of an electronic device according to claim 5 , wherein a dial operation part having a double structure composed of the button operation member and the dial member is disposed on a rear surface of the main body of the electronic camera. . The button operation member has a function of instructing at least a zoom magnification change or frame advance during reproduction, and the dial member is an operation unit for selecting and switching a photographing mode. Item 7. A dial operation unit structure of an electronic device according to Item 5 or 6 .

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