JP2014187456

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DESCRIPTION JP2014187456
Abstract: [Problem] To provide an imaging device capable of effectively collecting even a distant
voice. An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit that captures an object image incident
through an optical system and outputs image data, a main body, and a microphone provided in
the main body and picking up voice and outputting an audio signal. A movable part capable of
taking at least a first position and a second position with respect to the main body, and a
movable part provided on a surface on the microphone side of the movable part when the
movable part is in the second position A reflective surface does not reflect external sound toward
the microphone when the unit is in the first position, and reflects external sound toward the
microphone when the movable unit is in the second position. [Selected figure] Figure 1
Imaging device and sound collecting device
[0001]
The technology disclosed herein relates to an imaging device capable of picking up voice and
recording voice data.
[0002]
In recent years, imaging devices capable of recording audio data have become widespread.
In an imaging apparatus having such a voice recording function, a technology (acoustic zoom
function) for changing the area to be picked up by adjusting the directivity of the microphone
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based on focal length (zoom position) information of the lens Are known (see, for example, Patent
Document 1).
[0003]
Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 8-182091
[0004]
In the conventional imaging device, the level of the audio signal when the sound emitted from the
sound source is collected is lowered according to the distance from the sound source, so the S /
N ratio of the audio signal when the remote sound is collected Could be worse.
[0005]
An object of the technology disclosed herein is to provide an imaging device capable of
effectively collecting even a distant voice.
[0006]
The imaging apparatus disclosed herein includes an imaging unit that captures a subject image
incident through an optical system and outputs image data, a main body, and a microphone that
is provided in the main body and picks up sound and outputs an audio signal. A movable portion
capable of taking at least a first position and a second position with respect to the main body,
and provided on a surface of the movable portion on the microphone side when the movable
portion is in the second position, A reflective surface that reflects external voice toward the
microphone when the movable part is in the first position, and reflects external voice toward the
microphone when the movable part is in the second position .
[0007]
According to the technology disclosed herein, it is possible to provide an imaging device capable
of effectively picking up even distant voices.
[0008]
The schematic diagram which shows the outline ¦ summary of the digital camera which concerns
on Embodiment 1 The block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the digital camera
which concerns on Embodiment 1 A flowchart which shows the flow of operation ¦ movement at
the time of moving image shooting mode of the digital camera which concerns on Embodiment 1.
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[0009]
Embodiment 1 Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described using the
drawings.
In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same
or similar reference numerals.
However, the drawings are schematic, and ratios of respective dimensions may be different from
actual ones.
Therefore, specific dimensions and the like should be determined in consideration of the
following description.
Moreover, it is a matter of course that portions having different dimensional relationships and
ratios among the drawings are included.
[0010]
In the following embodiments, a digital camera will be described as an example of an imaging
apparatus which is an electronic apparatus equipped with a sound collecting device.
In the following description, the direction toward the subject is frontward , the direction
toward the opposite side of the subject is backward , and the vertically upward direction is
upper , with reference to the imaging device in the normal posture (hereinafter referred to as
sideways posture). Vertically downward is expressed as downward , rightward in the state of
facing the subject rightward , and leftward in the state of facing the subject leftward .
[0011]
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The digital camera 100 according to the first embodiment includes a microphone unit 111,
which is picked up by the microphone unit 111 at the time of moving image shooting, and
performs sound recording as well as image recording.
The configuration and operation of the digital camera 100 will be described below.
[0012]
〔１． Configuration] [1-1. Configuration of Digital Camera 100] The configuration of the digital
camera 100 will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[0013]
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an outline of a digital camera 100 according to the present
embodiment.
[0014]
The digital camera 100 includes a main body unit 101, a flash unit 200, and a microphone unit
111.
The flash unit 200 is attached to the main body unit 101 so as to be able to open and close.
[0015]
FIG. 1A is a schematic view of the digital camera 100 in a state where the flash unit 200 is closed
(stored in the main body). The strobe unit 200 is provided with a microphone opening 200a.
When the strobe unit 200 is closed, the microphone unit 111 is located in the microphone
opening 200a and exposed to the outside. Therefore, ambient sound can be collected by the
microphone unit 111 even when the flash unit 200 is closed.
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[0016]
FIG. 1B is a schematic view of the digital camera 100 in a state in which the flash unit 200 is
open upward (in a state where it protrudes upward from the main body). The strobe unit 200 is
provided with a reflection plate 300, and both effects are obtained when ambient sound is picked
up directly by the microphone unit 111 and when the sound further forward is guided to the
microphone unit via the reflection plate 300. It is a configuration that can be obtained.
[0017]
FIG. 2 is an electrical block diagram of the digital camera 100. As shown in FIG. The digital
camera 100 includes an image input system 140, an audio input system 110, a digital image /
sound processor 120, a controller 130, a RAM 150, a flash unit 200, a flash open / close
detection unit 202, a flash open / close drive unit 203, an external storage medium 160, and a
ROM 170. , An operation unit 180, a display unit 190, a viewfinder 191, and a speaker 195.
[0018]
The digital camera 100 generates image information and an audio signal based on information
obtained from the outside. Image information is generated by the image input system 140. The
audio signal is generated by an audio input system 110. The image information and audio signal
generated here are A / D converted, subjected to each processing by the digital image / audio
processor 120, and then recorded in the external storage medium 160 such as a memory card.
The image information recorded in the external storage medium 160 receives the operation of
the operation unit 180 by the user, and is displayed on the display unit 190 and / or the
viewfinder 191. The audio signal recorded in the external storage medium 160 receives an
operation of the operation unit 180 by the user, and is output from the speaker 195.
[0019]
The details of each part shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described below.
[0020]
The image input system 140 includes a lens barrel 141, a lens control unit 142, a CCD image
sensor 143, and an AFE (analog front end) 144.
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[0021]
The lens barrel 141 is an optical system having a plurality of lenses.
The lens barrel 141 performs focus adjustment of the subject, adjustment of the angle of view,
adjustment of the amount of incident light, camera shake correction, and the like by a motor
driven according to the control signal notified from the lens control unit 142, and forms a subject
image.
[0022]
The CCD image sensor 143 captures an object image formed through the lens barrel 141 to
generate image information.
On the light receiving surface of the CCD image sensor 143, a large number of photodiodes are
two-dimensionally arranged (in a matrix). In addition, R, G or B primary color filters
corresponding to each photodiode are arranged. The R, G and B primary color filters are
arranged in a predetermined arrangement structure. Light from an object to be imaged passes
through the lens barrel 141 and is imaged on the light receiving surface of the CCD image sensor
143. The formed object image is converted into respective color information sorted into R, G, or
B according to the amount of light incident on each photodiode. As a result, image information
indicating the entire subject image is generated. Each photodiode corresponds to a pixel of the
CCD image sensor 143. However, the color information actually output from each photodiode is
any one of R, G, and B primary color information. Therefore, the color to be developed in each of
the pixels is the primary color information (color, light quantity) output from the photodiode
corresponding to each pixel and the photodiode in the periphery thereof in the digital image /
sound processing unit 120 in the subsequent stage. Generated based on When the digital camera
100 is in the shooting mode, the CCD image sensor 143 can generate image information of a new
frame at regular intervals.
[0023]
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In the AFE 144, noise suppression by correlated double sampling is performed on image
information read from the CCD image sensor 143, amplification to the input range width of the A
/ D converter by the analog gain controller, A / D conversion by the A / D converter Is applied.
Thereafter, the AFE 144 outputs the image information to the digital image / sound processing
unit 120.
[0024]
The strobe open / close detection unit 202 detects whether the strobe unit 200 is in the open
state or in the closed state, and inputs the detection result to the controller 130. The detection of
the open / close state is, for example, provided with a switch that is pressed by the flash unit 200
to be turned on when the flash unit 200 is closed and turned off when the flash unit 200 is
opened. It is realized by doing.
[0025]
A flash opening and closing drive unit 203 performs an opening and closing operation of the
flash unit 200. For example, in the case of moving image shooting start, when the user operates
the operation unit 180 to issue an instruction to start moving image shooting, a control signal is
input from the operation unit 180 to the controller 130. The flash drive unit 203 is controlled to
open the flash unit 200. Similarly, when the photographing is completed, a control signal is input
from the operation unit 180 to the controller 130, and the controller 130 controls the flash
opening / closing drive unit 203 to close the flash unit 200 according to the detection result.
[0026]
The voice input system 110 includes a microphone unit 111 and an analog voice processing unit
115. The microphone unit 111 is disposed on the top surface of the main body unit 101. The
microphone unit 111 converts an acoustic signal into an electrical signal by each microphone
and outputs an audio signal. The output audio signal is input to the analog audio processing unit
115. The analog audio processing unit 115 performs A / D conversion of the processed audio
signal by the A / D converter, and outputs the converted audio signal to the digital image / audio
processing unit 120.
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[0027]
The digital image / sound processing unit 120 performs various processes on the image
information output from the AFE 144 and the sound signal output from the analog sound
processing unit 115. For example, the digital image / sound processing unit 120 performs
gamma correction, white balance correction, flaw correction, encoding processing, and the like
on image information in accordance with an instruction from the controller 130. Further, the
digital image / sound processing unit 120 performs various processes on the sound signal in
accordance with an instruction from the controller 130. The digital image / sound processing
unit 120 may be realized by a hard-wired electronic circuit or may be realized by a
microcomputer or the like that executes a program. The digital image / sound processing unit
120 may be realized as one semiconductor chip integrated with the controller 130 or the like.
The microphone unit 111 may be realized with a single microphone configuration or may be
configured with a plurality of microphones.
[0028]
The display unit 190 is disposed on the back of the digital camera 100. In the present
embodiment, the display unit 190 is a liquid crystal display. The display unit 190 displays an
image corresponding to the image information processed by the digital image / sound processing
unit 120. Images displayed by the display unit 190 include a through image and a reproduced
image. The through image is an image of a frame that is continuously newly generated by the
CCD image sensor 143 at fixed time intervals. Normally, when the digital camera 100 is set in the
shooting mode, the digital image / voice processing unit 120 generates the CCD image sensor
143 when the camera is in a standby state where still image shooting is not performed or in a
moving image shooting state. A through image is generated from the processed image
information. The user can capture the subject while confirming the composition of the subject by
referring to the through image displayed on the display unit 190.
[0029]
The reproduced image is generated by the digital image / sound processor 120 when the digital
camera 100 is in the reproduction mode. The reproduction image is an image obtained by
reducing the recording image of high pixels recorded in the external storage medium 160 or the
like to low pixels in accordance with the size of the display unit 190. The image information of
high pixels recorded in the external storage medium 160 is processed by the digital image /
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voice processing unit 120 based on the image information generated by the CCD image sensor
143 after the operation unit 180 receives a predetermined operation by the user. Generated by
The speaker 195 outputs an audio signal recorded in the external storage medium 160. The
display content displayed by the display unit 190 can also be displayed on the view finder 191.
[0030]
The controller 130 generally controls the operation of the entire digital camera 100.
[0031]
The ROM 170 centrally controls programs executed by the controller 130, for example,
programs related to auto focus control (AF control), automatic exposure control (AE control),
light emission control of the flash unit 200, and the like, and the entire digital camera 100. The
program etc. are stored.
[0032]
The ROM 170 also stores various conditions and settings for the digital camera 100, including
the detection result of the strobe open / close detection unit (the result of detection as to
whether the strobe is in the closed state or in the open state).
In the present embodiment, the ROM 170 is a flash ROM.
[0033]
The controller 130 may be realized by a hard-wired electronic circuit or may be realized by a
microcomputer that executes a program.
Moreover, the controller 130 may be realized as one semiconductor chip integrally with the
digital image / sound processing unit 120 and the like. In addition, the ROM 170 does not have
to exist outside the controller 130 (as a separate body from the controller 130), and may be
incorporated inside the controller 130.
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[0034]
The RAM 150 functions as a work memory of the digital image / sound processor 120 and the
controller 130. The RAM 150 can be realized by an SDRAM, a flash memory, or the like. The
RAM 150 also functions as an internal memory for recording image information and audio
signals. The detection result of the strobe open / close detector may be stored in the RAM 150.
[0035]
The external storage medium 160 is an external memory provided with a non-volatile storage
unit such as a flash memory. The external storage medium 160 can record data such as image
information and an audio signal to be processed by the digital image / audio processor 120.
[0036]
The operation unit 180 is a generic term for operation interfaces such as operation buttons and
operation dials disposed on the exterior of the digital camera 100. The operation unit 180
includes a release button and a zoom lever. The operation unit 180 receives an operation by the
user. When the operation unit 180 receives an operation by the user, the operation unit 180
notifies the controller 130 of a signal instructing various operations.
[0037]
The flash unit 200 includes a microphone opening 200 a and a reflector 300. The strobe unit
200 is in a closed state (or a closed position) positioned at a storage position along the main
body portion 101 of the digital camera 100 and in a projecting position where the xenon tube
201 is projected above the digital camera 100 It is possible to take an open state (or an open
position). The strobe unit 200 can be switched between the closed state and the open state by
the strobe opening and closing drive unit 203, that is, an opening and closing operation is
possible. The microphone opening 200 a is formed so as to open in accordance with the shape of
the microphone unit 111. When the strobe unit 200 is closed, the microphone unit 111 is
exposed to the outside by being located inside the microphone opening 200 a, and ambient
sound can be picked up.
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[0038]
Further, the reflection plate 300 can reflect the ambient sound of the photographed subject in
the forward direction of the digital camera 100 toward the microphone unit 111 and effectively
collect the sound in the microphone unit 111 in the state where the flash unit 200 is opened
upward. Arranged and configured. The reflection plate 300 is provided on the surface of the
strobe unit 200 that is on the microphone unit 111 side when the strobe unit 200 is in the open
state. The reflection plate 300 does not reflect external sound toward the microphone unit 111
when the flash unit 200 is in a closed state, and directs external sound to the microphone unit
111 when the flash unit 200 is in an open state. To reflect. The reflecting plate 300 has a
concave surface recessed with respect to the microphone unit 111 so that more sound from the
outside can be reflected toward the microphone unit 111 when the flash unit 200 is in the open
state. The concave surface is preferably positioned and shaped such that the focal point is
substantially equal to the position of the microphone unit 111 when the strobe unit 200 is open.
In addition, it is desirable that the concave surface be disposed in a direction in which the
direction in which the sound reflected toward the microphone unit 111 comes is substantially
the same as the direction of the optical axis of the lens barrel 141 of the digital camera 100. In
this way, the ambient sound of the subject can be directly collected by the microphone unit 111,
and the ambient sound of the subject can be collected by the microphone unit via the reflection
plate 300.
[0039]
The flash unit 200 also includes a xenon tube 201. The xenon tube 201 is driven by a capacitor,
a booster circuit, and a light emission trigger circuit. The booster circuit applies a high voltage to
the capacitor in accordance with the control signal from the controller 130. The light emission
trigger circuit discharges a high voltage to the capacitor in synchronization with imaging.
Specifically, the light emission trigger circuit discharges the high voltage to the capacitor that has
been charged according to the control signal from the controller 130, and causes the xenon gas
in the xenon tube 201 to emit light instantaneously. The xenon tube 201 can emit light when the
flash unit 200 is in the open state. Thus, the digital camera 100 can capture an illuminated
subject. That is, when the xenon tube 201 of the flash unit 200 emits light momentarily to an
object at the time of imaging, it is possible to capture an image by compensating for the
brightness of the object.
[0040]
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The light emission of the xenon tube 201 of the flash unit 200 includes pre-emission and main
emission. Pre-emission is emission before shooting. In pre-emission, the degree of the amount of
light reflected from the subject is measured by the light emission of the xenon tube 201, and the
distance to the subject is determined based on the degree of the amount of reflected light. Then,
in accordance with the determination result, the light emission amount of the xenon tube 201 at
the time of photographing is obtained. The main light emission is performed in synchronization
with the timing of photographing with the amount of light emission determined by the pre-light
emission.
[0041]
〔１−２． Correspondence Relationship with Present Technology] The CCD image sensor 143 is
an example of an imaging unit. The main body portion 101 of the digital camera 100 is an
example of the main body of the present invention. The flash unit 200 is an example of a
movable unit. The microphone unit 111 is an example of a microphone. The reflecting plate 300
is an example of a reflecting surface. The xenon tube 201 is an example of a flash. The lens
barrel 141 is an example of an optical system. The digital camera 100 is an example of an
imaging device and a sound collection device of the present invention. The digital camera 100 is
an example of the electronic device of the present invention.
[0042]
〔２． Operation] Subsequently, an operation in the moving image shooting mode of the digital
camera 100 according to the first embodiment will be described. The digital camera 100 displays
the through image on the display unit 190 in the standby state in the moving image shooting
mode or in the moving image shooting state in which the moving image shooting is in progress.
In the following, the flow of the voice recording operation in the moving image shooting mode
will be described with reference to FIG.
[0043]
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the operation of the digital camera 100 in the moving
image shooting mode. The user operates the operation unit 180 to set the digital camera 100 to
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the moving image shooting mode. Then, the digital camera 100 enters a moving image shooting
mode. The standby state in step S501 includes the through image display process in step S501a,
the strobe open / close detection process in step S501b, and the strobe open / close drive
process in step S501c. In step S501a, the controller 130 causes the display unit 190 to display
the through image output from the digital image / sound processing unit 120. In step S501 b, the
strobe open / close detection unit 202 detects whether the strobe unit 200 is in a closed state or
an open state, and inputs the detection result to the controller 130. Step S501 is a standby state
in the moving image shooting mode. In the case of the moving image shooting mode, when it is
detected that the strobe unit 200 is closed in the strobe opening / closing detection processing
S501b, the controller 130 controls the strobe opening / closing driving unit 203 to open the
strobe unit 200 by the strobe opening / closing driving processing S501c. Do. As a result, the
state of the flash unit 200 changes from the closed state to the open state. Next, in step S502, the
controller 130 determines whether the release button has been pressed.
[0044]
When controller 130 determines in step S502 that the release button has been pressed (Yes in
S502), the moving image shooting operation of step S504 is performed. The moving image
shooting operation of step S504 includes the image recording operation of step S504 v and the
voice recording operation of step S504 a. In the moving image shooting operation of step S504,
recording processing of image information and audio signals for one frame period, for example,
is performed. Note that one frame period is the reciprocal of the frame rate at the time of moving
image shooting, and for example, if the frame rate is 60 frames / second, one frame period is
1/60 seconds.
[0045]
Further, in the voice recording operation of step S504a, the microphone unit 111 picks up
ambient sound that directly arrives from the periphery of the subject, picks up ambient sound
reflected by the reflection plate 300, and outputs it as a voice signal. The audio signal is input to
the analog audio processing unit 115 and processed, and is further output to the digital image /
audio processing unit 120 at the subsequent stage. For example, when a user operates the zoom
lever of the operation unit 180 at the time of moving image shooting, the controller 130 controls
the lens control unit 142 according to this operation, and changes the zoom position of the lens
barrel 141. As a result, the magnification of the subject image formed on the CCD image sensor
143 changes. Then, based on the information on the zoom position at this time (or the operation
of the zoom lever), the sound signal from the microphone unit 111 is gain-controlled by the
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analog sound processing unit 115, thereby making the distant sound a larger sound signal. It is
possible to capture and record. In addition, the reflection of the sound by the reflector 300
makes it possible to clearly capture and record a far-off sound with less noise as compared to the
sound processing by only increasing the gain of the sound signal so far. .
[0046]
Subsequently, in step S505, the controller 130 determines whether the release button has been
pressed. When controller 130 determines in step S505 that the release button is not pressed (No
in S505), controller 130 performs a moving image shooting operation for the next one frame
period in step S504. If the controller 130 determines that the release button has been pressed
(Yes in S505), the controller 130 ends the moving image shooting operation and manages the
standby state in step S501. As described above, in the moving image shooting mode, the digital
camera 100 performs a moving image shooting operation from when the release button is
pressed until when the release button is pressed again.
[0047]
On the other hand, when it is determined in step S502 that the controller 130 has not pressed
the release button (No in S502), the controller 130 determines the shooting mode in step S503.
In step S503, the controller 130 determines whether the current operation mode is a moving
image shooting mode. In step S503, when the controller 130 determines that the operation mode
is the moving image shooting mode (Yes in S503), the controller 130 executes step S501, which
is the start point of the operation of the moving image shooting mode, again. In step S503, when
controller 130 determines that the operation mode is not the moving image shooting mode (No
in S503), controller 130 ends the operation of the moving image shooting mode and drives
strobe opening / closing drive unit 203 to close strobe unit 200. Do. As a result, the flash unit
200 transitions from the open state to the closed state.
[0048]
〔３． Summary] As described above, in the digital camera 100 according to the present
embodiment, the reflector 300 is configured to reflect and guide the sound in front of the
microphone unit 111 when the main unit of the digital camera 100 and the flash unit 200 are
open. Can provide an apparatus capable of effectively collecting and recording distant voices.
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[0049]
Other Embodiments The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various
embodiments are conceivable. Hereinafter, other embodiments of the present invention will be
collectively described.
[0050]
In the above embodiment, the strobe unit 200 including the microphone unit 111 is housed in
the main body of the digital camera 100 by being rotated within a predetermined range with
respect to the main body of the digital camera 100 (closed state) , And the state of being
projected upward (opened state). However, the flash unit 200 may have a variable position and /
or orientation with respect to the main body of the digital camera 100. More strictly speaking, at
least one of the position and the orientation of the reflecting plate 300 is changed by moving or
rotating from the closed state of the strobe unit 200, and sound from the outside is reflected and
guided to the microphone unit 111. It should just be comprised so that it can do.
[0051]
In the above embodiment, the strobe unit 200 is driven by the strobe opening and closing drive
unit 203 to perform the opening and closing operation. However, the strobe unit 200 may be
configured to be manually opened and closed by the user.
[0052]
In the above embodiment, the digital camera 100 has been described as an example of the
imaging device and the sound collecting device. However, any electronic device having a similar
configuration for sound collection may be used. That is, it may be an apparatus that does not
perform processing related to an image, and may be an electronic device such as a voice
recorder. Further, the movable portion for the main body does not have to be the flash portion
200, and if a member for reflecting the sound to the microphone portion 111 provided in the
main body portion 101 is disposed on the member movable for the main body portion 101.
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Good.
[0053]
In the above embodiment, the xenon tube 201 has been described as an example of the light
emitting unit of the flash unit 200. However, the light emitting unit may have a configuration
other than the xenon tube, for example, an LED or the like.
[0054]
Although the digital image / sound processing unit 120 and the controller 130 are described as
having the above-described functions and configurations in the above embodiment, these
functions and configurations are partially included in the other. It may be
[0055]
Although the CCD image sensor 143 has been described as an example of the imaging unit in the
above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this.
That is, the present invention is applicable to other imaging devices such as a MOS image sensor.
[0056]
According to the technology disclosed herein, it is possible to provide an imaging device capable
of effectively picking up even distant voices. Therefore, the present invention is also applicable to
devices that record audio data, such as digital cameras, movie cameras, mobile phones, and voice
recorders.
[0057]
100 digital camera 110 voice input system 111 microphone unit 115 analog voice processing
unit 120 digital image / voice processing unit 130 controller 140 image input system 141 lens
barrel 142 lens control unit 143 CCD image sensor 150 RAM 160 external storage medium 170
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ROM 180 operation unit 190 display unit 195 speaker 200 strobe unit 201 xenon tube 202
strobe opening detection unit 203 strobe opening and closing drive unit
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