JP4123352B2 - Movie imaging device and movie playback device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a moving image capturing apparatus and a moving image reproducing apparatus.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A method called auto bracketing has been used for still image capturing. This is a method of capturing a plurality of photographs continuously by changing the exposure condition stepwise by one shooting instruction (pressing the shutter button).
[0003]
As a result, shooting with the exposure conditions changed little by little in the same scene is automatically performed, so it is possible to select the photograph with the exposure conditions that most reflects the photographer's intention by looking at the finish of the photograph after shooting. .
[0004]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-303130 discloses an exposure value shift range determined by the number of shots and exposure correction amount, and an exposure upper limit value and an exposure lower limit value in an apparatus that performs exposure correction step by step to capture a predetermined number of images. The exposure value that exceeds the exposure upper limit value among the exposure values in the shift range is changed to a predetermined range that includes the exposure upper limit value, and the exposure lower limit value among the exposure values in the shift range. An auto bracket photographing apparatus is disclosed in which an exposure value lower than 1 is changed within a predetermined range including an exposure lower limit value.
[0005]
JP-A-8-262524 discloses an auto bracket device that obtains a photometric value for each first stroke operation of a release button and performs auto bracketing between the first and second photometric values among the photometric values. Has been.
[0006]
Even in moving image capturing, if the exposure conditions set at the time of image capturing are not appropriate, an overexposed or underexposed moving image may be captured.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In view of this point, the present invention intends to propose a moving image capturing apparatus capable of selecting moving image information with appropriate exposure conditions after moving image capturing.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A first invention is a moving image imaging apparatus capable of auto bracketing imaging in which moving image imaging is performed with different exposure conditions for the same subject, and m (m is an integer of 2 or more) types having different exposure conditions. An exposure condition is prepared, and an imaging unit that captures an image at a frame rate of n × m (n is an integer equal to or greater than 2) frames per second and an exposure condition in the imaging unit are set to m types of exposure conditions. It is a moving image pickup apparatus comprising exposure control means for sequentially switching and setting each frame in a predetermined order.
[0009]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the moving image pickup device of the first aspect, a frame image captured at a frame rate of n × m frames per second is converted into a moving image having a frame rate of n frames per second for each of m types of exposure conditions. As a moving image imaging apparatus having recording means for recording as m independent moving image files on a recording medium.
[0010]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the moving image pickup device of the first aspect, a frame image picked up at a frame rate of n × m frames per second is recorded on a recording medium as one first moving image file in the order of picked-up time In addition, the moving image imaging apparatus includes a recording unit that records information on m types of exposure conditions as a first moving image file on a recording medium.
[0011]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a moving picture reproducing apparatus for reproducing a frame image recorded as a first moving picture file on a recording medium in the moving picture imaging apparatus of the third invention, based on information on m kinds of exposure conditions. The thinning means for thinning out the frame image recorded as the first moving image file on the recording medium to 1 / (m) of the exposure condition, and the thinned out frame image for n frames per second It is a moving picture reproducing apparatus provided with a frame rate converting means for outputting at a frame rate.
[0012]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the video playback device of the fourth aspect of the invention, the frame image output from the frame rate conversion means is associated with information relating to the exposure condition corresponding to the frame image, and is separate from the first video file. This is a moving image reproducing apparatus having recording means for recording on the recording medium as the second moving image file.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an example of an imaging apparatus to which a moving image capturing apparatus and a moving image reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention are applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, an example of an imaging apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. This imaging device is a digital camera that stores single-shot or continuous-shot still image information and moving image information in a memory card 42, and the operation of the entire camera is centrally controlled by a central processing unit (CPU) 24. Yes.
[0014]
The operation unit 26 of the digital camera includes a power switch, a shutter button, a mode changeover switch for switching between a shooting mode and a playback mode, a multifunction cross key for outputting various command signals such as zoom and frame advance. Various operation signals from the operation unit 26 are applied to the CPU 24. This digital camera continuously shoots at a predetermined interval while the shutter button is on, in addition to the normal shooting mode (still image shooting mode) in which a still image is shot each time the shutter button is turned on. There are a continuous shooting mode and a moving image shooting mode for performing the above, and these modes can be appropriately selected by an operation on the operation unit 26.
[0015]
When the shutter button is turned on in the normal shooting mode, the image light indicating the subject is imaged on the light receiving surface of the image sensor (CCD) 14 through the lens optical system 10 including the focus lens and the diaphragm 12. The signal charge accumulated in the CCD 14 is sequentially read out as a voltage signal corresponding to the signal charge by a transfer pulse applied from the CCD driver 16. The CCD 14 has a so-called electronic shutter function that controls the charge accumulation time (shutter speed) of each photosensor according to the timing of the shutter gate pulse.
[0016]
The voltage signal sequentially read from the CCD 14 is applied to the analog processing unit 18. The analog processing unit 18 includes signal processing circuits such as a sampling hold circuit, a color separation circuit, and a gain adjustment circuit. The analog processing unit 18 performs correlated double sampling (CDS) processing and color separation processing on each of the R, G, and B color signals. The signal level is adjusted (pre-white balance processing). The signal output from the analog processing unit 18 is converted into a digital signal (hereinafter referred to as “CCDRAW data”) by the A / D converter 20 and then stored in a temporary storage device 32 such as an SDRAM.
[0017]
The temporary storage device 32 has a storage capacity capable of temporarily storing CCDRAW data for five sheets so that, for example, high-speed continuous shooting of a maximum of five frames can be performed. In addition, the temporary storage device 32 has a storage capacity capable of temporarily storing CCDRAW data of a predetermined number of frames when capturing a moving image. The storage capacity of the temporary storage device 32 is not limited to these. The timing generator (TG) 22 provides timing signals to the CCD driver 16, the analog processing unit 18 and the A / D converter 20 in accordance with instructions from the CPU 24. The circuits are synchronized by this timing signal. ing.
[0018]
The ROM 34 stores programs and adjustment values for single shooting, continuous shooting, moving image shooting, image processing, and the like in advance, and these programs and adjustment values are read as appropriate.
[0019]
Although not shown, the signal processing unit 36 adjusts the gains of the R, G, and B signals to perform white balance (WB) correction, and performs WB correction on each of the R, G, and B signals. A gamma correction unit that performs gamma correction according to a ROM table in which predetermined gamma characteristics are stored, a color interpolation processing unit that performs color interpolation processing corresponding to the color filter array of the CCD 14, luminance data Y and color difference data C _r , C Noise reduction processing that performs noise reduction processing such as smoothing processing and median filter processing, a YC processing unit that performs _b generation processing (YC conversion), a contour enhancement unit that adds an aperture signal to luminance data Y and performs contour enhancement A processing unit and a saturation emphasizing unit that increases or decreases the gains of the color difference data C _r and C _b , and sequentially performs signal processing on each CCDRAW data stored in the temporary storage device 32. I do.
[0020]
The image data processed by the signal processing unit 36 is encoded by the video encoder 28 and output to a liquid crystal monitor (LCD) 30 provided on the back of the camera, whereby a subject image is displayed on the display screen of the LCD 30. .
[0021]
The CCDRAW data stored in the temporary storage device 32 is rewritten with the image data (YC data) processed by the signal processing unit 36, and the YC data stored in the temporary storage device 32 is compressed (not shown). The data is output to the decompression processing unit, and a predetermined compression process such as JPEG (joint photographic experts group) or Motion JPEG is executed and stored in the temporary storage device 32 again. The media controller 38 records the compressed data temporarily stored in the temporary storage device 32 on the memory card 42 via the card interface 40.
[0022]
Next, the moving image capturing operation will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 2 and the timing chart of FIG. FIGS. 1A and 1B both show the case where 10 frames of moving images are taken per second, for example.
[0023]
This moving image capturing apparatus is provided with two types of moving image capturing modes, one of which is a normal moving image capturing mode and the other is an auto bracketing moving image capturing mode. These two moving image capturing modes are switched by operations of a moving image mode switching button, a switching lever, and the like attached to the housing of the digital camera, although not shown.
[0024]
Next, the normal moving image capturing mode in FIG. 1A will be described. At the beginning of each frame of 100 msec, image light indicating the subject is imaged on the light receiving surface of the image pickup device (CCD) 14 via the lens optical system 10 including the focus lens and the diaphragm 12, for example, an exposure time of 8 msec. The signal charge is accumulated in the CCD 14 (EXP1), and the signal charge accumulated in the CCD 14 is converted into a voltage signal corresponding to the signal charge by a transfer pulse applied from the CCD driver 16 within the subsequent non-accumulation time of 92 msec. The data is sequentially read out, supplied to the A / D converter 20 through the analog processing unit 18 and converted into CCDRAW data, and then stored in the temporary storage device 32. The frame CCDRAW data is stored in the temporary storage device 32.
[0025]
After the moving image is captured, the CCDRAW data stored in the temporary storage device 32 is rewritten with the image data (YC data) processed by the signal processing unit 36, and the YC data stored in the temporary storage device 32 is shown in FIG. The data is output to the omitted compression / decompression processing unit, Motion JPEG moving image compression processing is executed, and stored again in the temporary storage device 32. The media controller 38 stores the compressed data temporarily stored in the temporary storage device 32 as a moving image file in the memory card 42.
[0026]
Next, the auto bracketing moving image capturing mode will be described with reference to the block diagrams of FIGS. 2 and 3 and the timing chart of FIG. 1B. In this auto bracketing moving image capturing mode, m (m is an integer of 2 or more) types of exposure conditions with different exposure conditions, here two types of exposure time, for example, 8 msec and 4 msec are prepared. Then, the CCD 14 takes an image at a frame rate of n × m (n is an integer of 2 or more) frames, that is, 10 × 2 = 20 frames per second. The repetition of the two types of exposure times of 8 msec and 4 msec for each frame is realized by repetitive control of the accumulation time of 8 msec and 4 msec for each frame of the CCD 14 by the exposure control means 24EC (see FIG. 3) of the CPU 24. Each frame is repeated with an initial accumulation time of 8 msec, a subsequent non-accumulation time of 4 msec, a subsequent accumulation time of 4 msec, and a subsequent non-accumulation time of 84 msec.
[0027]
At the beginning of each frame of 100 msec, image light indicating the subject is imaged on the light receiving surface of the image pickup device (CCD) 14 via the lens optical system 10 including the focus lens and the diaphragm 12, and the first exposure time, That is, for example, signal charges are accumulated in the CCD 14 over an exposure time of 8 msec (EXP1), and the signal charges accumulated in the CCD 14 are signaled by transfer pulses applied from the CCD driver 16 within the subsequent non-accumulation period of 4 msec. It is sequentially read out as a voltage signal corresponding to the electric charge, supplied to the A / D converter 20 through the analog processing unit 18 and converted into a digital signal (CCDRAW data), and then stored in the temporary storage device 32. Thus, 10 frames of CCDRAW data per second are stored in the temporary storage device 32 during the moving image period.
[0028]
After the moving image is captured, the CCDRAW data stored in the temporary storage device 32 is rewritten with the image data (YC data) processed by the signal processing unit 36, and the YC data stored in the temporary storage device 32 is shown in FIG. Is output to a compression / decompression processing unit from which “” is omitted, and a moving image compression process such as Motion JPEG is executed and stored in the temporary storage device 32 again. The media controller 38 uses the compressed data temporarily stored in the temporary storage device 32 as the first moving image file 42a (see FIG. 3) in the memory card 42, together with the exposure condition, that is, the exposure time (accumulation time) of 8 msec. save.
[0029]
Further, after 4 msec non-accumulation time of each frame of 100 msec, image light indicating the subject is formed on the light receiving surface of the image sensor (CCD) 14 through the lens optical system 10 including the focus lens and the diaphragm 12. The signal charge is accumulated in the CCD 14 over the second exposure time, that is, for example, the exposure time of 4 msec (EXP2), and the signal charge accumulated in the CCD 14 is stored in the CCD within the subsequent non-accumulation time of 84 msec. It is sequentially read out as a voltage signal corresponding to the signal charge by a transfer pulse applied from the driver 16, supplied to the A / D converter 20 through the analog processing unit 18, converted into a digital signal (CCDRAW data), and then temporarily. It is stored in the storage device 32, and in this way, 10 frames of CCDRAW data per second is stored in the temporary storage device 32 during the moving image capturing period. .
[0030]
After the moving image is captured, the CCDRAW data stored in the temporary storage device 32 is rewritten with the image data (YC data) processed by the signal processing unit 36, and the YC data stored in the temporary storage device 32 is shown in FIG. The data is output to the omitted compression / decompression processing unit, is subjected to moving image compression processing such as Motion JPEG, and is stored in the temporary storage device 32 again. The media controller 38 uses the compressed data temporarily stored in the temporary storage device 32 as the second moving image file 42b (see FIG. 3) in the memory card 42, and exposes the exposure conditions, that is, the exposure time (accumulation time) of 4 msec and the exposure conditions. Is stored with 2 being the number of.
[0031]
In this manner, the image data having the exposure times of 8 msec and 4 msec respectively stored in the memory card 42 as the first and second moving image files 42a and 42b are selectively read and decompressed, respectively. Thereafter, the images are individually supplied to the LCD 30, and the first and second moving images are individually displayed, and the moving image frame having the appropriate exposure time is selected.
[0032]
Next, a modification of the auto bracketing moving image capturing mode will be described with reference to the block diagrams of FIGS. 2 and 4 and the timing chart of FIG. 1B. The CCDRAW data stored in the temporary storage device 32 is rewritten with the image data (YC data) processed by the signal processing unit 36, and the YC data stored in the temporary storage device 32 is compressed / decompressed (not shown). The video data is output to the video recording unit, is subjected to moving image compression processing such as Motion JPEG, and is stored in the temporary storage device 32 again. The media controller 38 stores the compressed data temporarily stored in the temporary storage device 32 as a moving image file 42M in the memory card 42 together with exposure conditions, that is, exposure times (accumulation time) of 8 msec and 4 msec.
[0033]
Since the moving image data stored as the moving image file 42M in the memory card 42 is supplied to the thinning means 44 and thinned out, two types of frame images having an exposure time of 8 msec and 4 msec are obtained separately. By supplying these two types of frame images to the frame rate converting means 46, each frame image is converted into n frame images per second.
[0034]
Two types of frame images having an exposure time of 8 msec and 4 msec, which are outputs of the frame rate conversion means 46, are recorded on the memory card 42 as moving image files 42A and 42B.
[0035]
In the auto bracket moving image capturing mode, it is possible to discretely set three or more exposure times (accumulation times) with different times for each frame.
[0036]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a moving image capturing apparatus capable of performing auto bracketing imaging in which moving image capturing is performed with different exposure conditions on the same subject, each having different exposure conditions m (m is an integer of 2 or more). When preparing exposure conditions of various types, imaging means for imaging at a frame rate of n × m (n is an integer of 2 or more) frames per second, and setting the exposure conditions in the imaging means, m types of exposure conditions Is provided with exposure control means for sequentially switching and setting for each frame in a predetermined order, so that it is possible to obtain a moving image pickup apparatus capable of selecting moving image information under appropriate exposure conditions after moving image shooting.
[0037]
Further, according to the second invention, in the moving picture imaging apparatus of the first invention, a frame image captured at a frame rate of n × m frames per second is converted into n frames per second for each of m types of exposure conditions. Since it has recording means for recording on a recording medium as m moving image files that are independent as frame rate moving images, a moving image imaging device capable of selecting moving image information with appropriate exposure conditions after moving image capturing and immediately reading the moving image information is obtained. Can do.
[0038]
Further, according to the third invention, in the moving image pickup apparatus of the first invention, frame images picked up at a frame rate of n × m frames per second are taken as one first moving image file in order of picked-up time series. Since it has a recording means for recording information on the m kinds of exposure conditions on the recording medium as a first moving image file while recording on the recording medium, it is possible to select moving image information with appropriate exposure conditions after moving image capturing, It is possible to obtain a moving image imaging apparatus capable of quickly recording a frame image captured at a frame rate of n × m frames per second on a recording medium as a moving image file.
[0039]
Further, according to the fourth invention, in the moving image pickup apparatus of the third invention, a moving image reproducing apparatus for reproducing a frame image recorded as a first moving image file on a recording medium, which relates to m kinds of exposure conditions. Based on the information, the thinning means for thinning out the frame image recorded as the first moving image file on the recording medium to 1 / (m) of the exposure condition, and the thinned out frame image for 1 second Since the frame rate conversion means for outputting at a frame rate of n frames is provided, a moving image reproducing apparatus capable of selecting and reproducing moving image information under appropriate exposure conditions after moving image capturing can be obtained.
[0040]
Further, according to the fifth invention, in the moving image playback device of the fourth invention, the frame image output from the frame rate converting means is associated with the information relating to the exposure condition corresponding to the frame image, and the first moving image Since it has a recording means for recording on a recording medium as a second moving image file different from the file, a moving image reproducing apparatus capable of quickly reproducing by selecting moving image information with appropriate exposure conditions after moving image capturing Can do.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1A is a timing chart showing a normal moving image capturing mode.
B is a timing chart showing an auto bracketing moving image capturing mode.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of an imaging apparatus (digital camera) to which the image processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a part of another example of an imaging apparatus (digital camera) to which the image processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a part of another example of an imaging apparatus (digital camera) to which the image processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Lens optical system, 12 ... Aperture, 14 ... Imaging device (CCD), 16 ... CCD driver, 18 ... Analog processing part, 20 ... A / D converter, 22 ... Timing generator, 24 ... CPU, 26 ... Operation part 28 ... Video encoder, 30 ... LCD, 32 ... Temporary storage device, 34 ... ROM, 36 ... Signal processing unit, 38 ... Media controller, 40 ... Card interface, 42 ... Memory card, 44 ... Thinning means, 46 ... Frame rate Conversion means

Claims (5)

A video imaging device capable of auto bracketing imaging that performs video imaging with different exposure conditions for the same subject,
Prepare exposure conditions of m types (m is an integer of 2 or more) with different exposure conditions,
Imaging means for imaging at a frame rate of n × m (n is an integer of 2 or more) frames per second;
Exposure control means for sequentially setting the m kinds of exposure conditions in a predetermined order for each frame when setting the exposure conditions in the imaging means ;
Frame rate conversion means for converting a frame image captured at a frame rate of n × m frames per second into a moving image having a frame rate of n frames per second for each of the m types of exposure conditions;
A moving image pickup apparatus comprising: The moving image capturing apparatus according to claim 1,
A frame image captured at a frame rate of n × m frames per second is recorded on a recording medium as m moving image files independent as a moving image having a frame rate of n frames per second for each of the m types of exposure conditions. A moving image pickup apparatus comprising a recording unit. The moving image capturing apparatus according to claim 1,
A frame image captured at a frame rate of n × m frames per second is recorded on the recording medium as a first moving image file in the time-series order, and information on the m types of exposure conditions is recorded in the first A moving image imaging apparatus comprising recording means for recording on the recording medium as one moving image file. The moving image reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the frame image recorded as the first moving image file on the recording medium is reproduced.
Thinning means for thinning out the frame image recorded as the first moving image file on the recording medium to 1 / (m) of the exposure conditions based on the information on the m kinds of exposure conditions;
And a frame rate conversion means for outputting the thinned frame image at a frame rate of n frames per second. The video playback device according to claim 4,
Recording in which the frame image output from the frame rate converting means is recorded on the recording medium as a second moving image file different from the first moving image file in association with information relating to an exposure condition corresponding to the frame image A moving image reproducing apparatus comprising: means.

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