JPH01176167A - Information signal recording system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the number of contacts of a connector used for signal supply and to improve durability and reliability by supplying an image pickup information signal and a voice information signal as analog signals. CONSTITUTION:A storage section 200 is provided with an analog digital (A/D) converter 201 converting an analog recording picture signal supplied from an image pickup section 100 via a contact 301 into a digital recording picture signal and outputting the result. Moreover, an A/D converter 202 converting an analog recording voice signal supplied from the image pickup section 100 via a contact 302 into a digital recording voice signal and outputting the result, is provided. Moreover, a memory circuit 203 is provided, which stores the digital recording voice signal outputted from the A/D converter 201 or the A/D converter 202. Thus, number of contacts of the connector is saved and the durability and reliability can be improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an information signal recording system for recording information signals.

[Conventional technology] Conventionally, CCD (Charge Coupled De
2. Description of the Related Art Electronic still cameras are known as devices that record still images captured by an image sensor such as an image sensor (Vice) or an MO3 type solid-state image sensor on a recording medium.

This type of electronic still camera is a device that performs FM modulation on a still image signal obtained from an image sensor and records it on a small magnetic floppy disk.

However, since this electronic still camera records still image signals on a rotating small magnetic disk, it inevitably requires a mechanical mechanism, and there are certain limits to the reliability of the camera body against vibrations and shocks. Furthermore, since magnetic recording is used, signal deterioration occurs during long recording and reproduction due to wear of the magnetic head and magnetic floppy disk. Furthermore, there is a limit to how small the mechanical mechanism can be made to be, and there is a limit to how small the camera can be made to be.

However, with the recent progress in IC memory, an image signal recording device that does not use a magnetic floppy and records image signals on the IC memory has been proposed (Japanese Patent Publication No. 1983-1999).
(Refer to Publication No. 43393 "Camera"). This image signal recording device converts a still image signal obtained from an image sensor such as a CCD or MO8 type image sensor into a digital signal using an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter.
The still image signal digitized as described above is recorded as digital data on a recording medium in which an IC memory such as an IC card is hybridized. It has several advantages.

(1) Hybridization of the imaging unit and recording unit and LS
It is possible to make the device smaller and lighter.

(2) Since the still image signal is digitized and recorded, signal deterioration does not occur even during recording/playback or repeated dubbing.

(3) Since the device does not include a complicated mechanical mechanism, it is highly reliable against vibrations and shocks.

The above-mentioned image signal recording device is composed of a camera section that forms a digitized still image signal and an IC memory for recording the digitized still image signal, and is detachable from the camera section. It is composed of a memory section and a memory section.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional image signal recording device of this type, it is necessary to supply digital still image signals from the camera unit to the memory unit. For example, it is necessary to supply digital still image signals in parallel. In order to do this, it was necessary to provide a connector section with a plurality of contacts between the camera section and the memory section. However, conventional devices having a plurality of contacts have a drawback in that they lack durability or reliability with respect to the operation of attaching and detaching the memory section.

In addition, it is possible to reduce the number of contacts by serially transmitting digital still image signals, but if the supply speed of digital still image signals is kept the same as before, the supply time will be longer than that of conventional supply. This becomes time multiplied by the number of bits per sample, resulting in a slow process.

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the conventional drawbacks as mentioned above,
An object of the present invention is to provide an information signal recording system with excellent durability and reliability.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The information signal recording system of the present invention includes an imaging information signal generating section that captures a subject image and generates an analog imaging information signal corresponding to the captured subject image; an audio information signal generation section that is provided integrally with the generation section and generates an analog audio information signal; and an audio information signal generation section that is provided removably from the imaging information signal generation section and the audio information signal generation section; an analog-to-digital conversion unit that converts at least one of the analog imaging information signal generated by the analog imaging information signal and the analog audio information signal generated by the audio information signal generation unit into a digital information signal, and outputs the digital information signal; - A storage section that is provided integrally with the digital conversion section and stores the digital information signal output from the analog-to-digital conversion section.

[Function] According to the above configuration, the imaging information signal and the audio information signal are supplied as analog signals, so the number of contacts of the connector used for supply can be reduced, and durability and reliability can be improved. I will be able to do it.

[Example] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail and specifically based on an example of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information signal recording system as an embodiment of the present invention.

The information signal recording system of this embodiment basically consists of an imaging section 10.
0 and a storage section 200, and the storage section 200 is detachably attached to the imaging section 100. In addition, the information signal recording system of this embodiment can record audio signals in addition to still image signals, and has a still image recording mode with audio that records still image signals and the corresponding audio signals, and a still image recording mode with audio that records only still image signals. It also has a still image recording mode without audio.

In the imaging unit 100, 101 is a lens, and 102 is an imaging device that captures an optical image formed by the lens 101, converts it into an electrical signal, and outputs it, such as a CCD (Ch
It is composed of semiconductor elements such as large coupled devices and MO3 type image sensors.

103 is an image signal record 1 that processes an image signal output from the image sensor 102 into a signal suitable for recording! processing circuit, 10
Reference numeral 4 denotes a gate circuit for controlling the supply of the recorded image signal processed by the image signal recording processing circuit 103.

Further, 105 is a microphone that converts audio into an electrical signal and outputs it, 106 is an audio signal recording processing circuit that processes the audio signal output from the microphone 105 into a signal that can be recorded, and 107 is an audio signal recording processing circuit 105. This is a gate circuit for controlling the supply of recorded audio signals processed in the .

108 is a synchronization signal generation circuit that generates various synchronization signals;
09 is an image sensor driving circuit that drives the image sensor 102 in accordance with the clock signal Ck output from the synchronization signal generation circuit 108; 110 is a vertical synchronization signal V output from the synchronization signal generation circuit 108; 111 is a power switch; 112 is a system controller that controls the operation of the device in synchronization with the system controller 11;
113 is a release switch that instructs the system controller 110 to start a recording operation, 114 is a playback instruction switch that instructs the system controller 110 to start a playback operation, and 120 is a memory circuit 203 during recording or playback. This is an area designation switch that specifies the write or read area above.

A power supply circuit 115 supplies power to each circuit by turning on the power switch 111.

Reference numeral 11B denotes an audio signal reproduction processing circuit for restoring a reproduced audio signal outputted from a storage unit 200, which will be described later, to the original audio signal, and 117 is an output terminal for the audio signal.

Further, 118 is an image signal reproduction processing circuit that restores a reproduced image signal outputted from the storage unit 200, which will be described later, to the original image signal, and 119 is an output terminal for the image signal.

In the storage unit 200, an analog recorder 201 converts an analog recorded image signal supplied from the imaging unit 100 via the contact 301 into a digital recorded image signal, and outputs the digital recorded image signal.
A digital (A/D) converter 202 converts an analog recorded audio signal supplied from the imaging unit 100 via a contact 302 into a digital recorded audio signal, and outputs the digital recorded audio signal.
A D converter, 203, is a memory circuit that stores the digital recorded image signal output from the A/D converter 201 or the digital recorded audio signal output from the A/D converter 202, and 204 is the memory. A memory control circuit 205 controls writing and reading operations of the digital recorded image signal or recorded audio signal in the circuit 203, and a memory control circuit 205 converts the digital recorded image signal read out from the memory circuit 203 into an analog reproduced image signal, The image signal reproduction processing circuit 1 via the contact 303
A digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion circuit 206 supplies the digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion circuit 206 to the memory circuit 203, which converts the digital recorded audio signal read out from the memory circuit 203 into an analog playback audio signal, and reproduces the audio signal via the contact 304. Processing circuit 1
16 is a D/A conversion circuit, and 207 is a storage unit 200.
When the memory circuit 2 is removed from the imaging unit 100, the memory circuit 2
03 is a battery circuit that supplies backup power; 208 is a power supply circuit 1 of the imaging unit 100 for each circuit in the storage unit 200 when the storage unit 200 is attached to the imaging unit 100;
15 through the contact 305, and the imaging unit 10
When the storage unit 200 is removed from the storage unit 0, a changeover switch 306 is used to supply power from the battery circuit 207 of the storage unit 200 to each circuit in the storage unit 200. The image sampling clock signal SV is stored in A in the storage unit 200.
/D converter 201 , contact for supplying to the D/A converter 205 , 307 is the synchronization signal generation circuit 1 of the imaging unit 100
Audio sampling clock signal SA output from 08
308 is a contact point for supplying the data to the A/D converter 202 and the D/A converter 206 in the storage unit 200;
This is a contact point for supplying various instruction signals for memory control from the system controller 110 to the memory control circuit 204 in the storage unit 200.

The information signal recording system in this embodiment is constructed as described above, and its recording operation will first be explained with reference to the operation flowchart shown in FIG.

First, when the storage unit 200 is attached to the imaging unit 100, the imaging unit 1
The changeover switch 20 is operated by the projection 100a provided on the
8 is switched from the A side to the B side in the figure, and the power supply circuit 115 of the imaging unit 100 and each circuit in the storage unit 200 are connected to the contact point 305.
electrically connected via.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2, in step #l, turn on the power switch 11.
1 is turned on, the imaging unit 100 and the storage unit 20
Power is supplied from the power supply circuit 115 to each circuit of 0, and the battery circuit 207 is charged. Then, the subject is captured by an optical finder (not shown) provided in the device, and the lens 1 is placed on the imaging surface of the image sensor 102.
By forming an image of the subject using 01,
An image signal corresponding to the subject image is output from the image sensor 102 and supplied to an image signal recording processing circuit 103.

Then, the image signal recording processing circuit 103 subjects the supplied image signal to various conversion processes and correction processes for recording, and then supplies it to the gate circuit 104 . Note that the image sensor 102 is driven by an image sensor drive circuit 109 in synchronization with a clock signal Ck output from a synchronization signal generation circuit 108. Note that the clock signal Ck is also synchronized with the vertical synchronization signal VD generated by the synchronization signal generation circuit 108, and one frame is output from the image sensor 102 between one fall of the vertical synchronization signal VD and the next fall. An image signal for one line will be output (see Figure 4).

In addition, the audio is converted into an audio signal by the microphone 105 and supplied to the audio signal recording processing circuit 106, where it is subjected to various conversion processing and correction processing including time axis compression processing for recording, and then sent to the gate circuit 107. Supplied.

On the other hand, the system controller 110 receives a vertical synchronization signal V from the synchronization signal generation circuit 108. Furthermore, the A/D conversion circuits 201 and 202 in the storage unit 200 receive an image sampling clock signal Sv and an audio sampling clock signal SA from the synchronization signal generation circuit 108 at contact 3.
06, 307.

Here, when the release switch 113 is turned on as shown in step #2 in FIG. 2, the system controller 110 detects the recording mode set by the recording mode switch 112, and the recording mode switch 112 When the still image recording mode is set, the gate circuits 104 and 107 are turned on, and when the audioless still image recording mode is set, only the gate circuit 104 is turned on (step #3 .#4.
#5).

Additionally, the system controller 110 performs step # above.
Along with the operations in steps #3 to #5, in step #6, the memory circuit 2 designated by the area designation switch 120
In order to set a write address corresponding to the write area on 03, an area designation signal is supplied from the system controller 110 to the memory control circuit 204 via the contact 308, and the write address is set in the memory control circuit 204. And step #7. At #8, the vertical synchronization signal VD supplied from the synchronization signal generation circuit 108
A write start instruction signal is supplied to the memory control circuit 204 via the contact 308 at the falling timing of , and the memory control circuit 204 is brought into a write operation start state.

Then, the recorded image signal and the recorded/reproduced signal are sent to the gate circuit 10.
4, 107, storage unit 20 via contacts 301, 302
0, is digitized by the A/D converters 201 and 202, is supplied to the memory circuit 203, and is supplied to the memory circuit 203 designated by the operation of the area designation switch 120 under the control of the memory control circuit 204. It will be recorded in the memory area.

And step #9. At #10, the system controller 110 receives the vertical synchronization signal V supplied from the synchronization signal generation circuit 108. At the next falling timing, a write operation end instruction signal is supplied to the memory control circuit 204 via the contact 308, and the memory control circuit 204 ends the write operation in the memory circuit 203.

Note that, as described above, the still image signal of one vertical interval, that is, one field period, and the audio signal corresponding thereto are stored in the memory circuit 203.

Below, as shown in step #11, release switch 1
13 is turned on, the above-described operation is repeated, and the memory circuit 203 of the storage section 200 stores still image signals for a plurality of fields and audio signals corresponding thereto.

Next, the operation during reproduction will be explained with reference to the operation flowchart in FIG.

When the storage section 200 is attached to the imaging section 100 in the same way as during recording, the changeover switch 208 is switched from the A side to the B side in the figure by the protrusion 100a provided on the imaging section 100, and the inside of the imaging section 100 and the storage section 200 is switched. Each circuit is power supply circuit 1
It is electrically connected to 15. Also, at this time, the storage unit 20
The battery circuit 207 inside the power supply circuit 115 is also electrically connected to the power supply circuit 115. When the power switch 111 is turned on as shown in step #12 in FIG. will be started.

Next, when the power switch 111 is turned on as described above, the operation of the system controller 110 is started, and the second
As shown in step #13 in the figure, the playback instruction switch 114
It is confirmed whether or not it is in the ON state, and if it is in the ON state, the device enters the playback mode.

In addition, in the above-mentioned playback mode, in order to playback the image signal of the screen to be played out of the image signals for multiple fields stored in the memory circuit 203, as shown in step #14, the area selection switch 120 is used to specify the image signal of the screen to be played back. Then, the system controller 110 selects the area designation switch 1.
The memory control circuit 20 sends a read address designation signal specifying the read address of the memory circuit 203 to the memory control circuit 204 via the contact 308 so that the image signal specified by 20 is read from the memory circuit 203.
Supply to 4.

Next, the system controller 110 receives the vertical synchronization signal V supplied from the synchronization signal generation circuit 108. At the falling timing of , an instruction signal to start reading out the image signal from the memory circuit 203 is supplied to the memory control circuit 204 via the contact 308 , and the memory control circuit 204 reads out the image signal from the memory circuit 203 . The operation is started (steps #15 and #16).

Then, the digital image signal read out from the memory circuit 203 is supplied to the D/A converter 205, and converted into an analog image signal in synchronization with the image sampling clock signal Sv supplied from the synchronization signal generation circuit 108. The signal is converted and supplied to the image signal reproduction processing circuit 118 via the contact 303.

The image signal reproduction processing circuit 118 performs various conversion processes and correction processes including skew compensation for reproduction to obtain a reproduced image signal, which is then outputted from a reproduced image signal output terminal 119. Further, if there is an audio signal corresponding to the image signal read out from the memory circuit 203, the audio signal is read out from the memory circuit 203 at the same time as the image signal, and the audio sampling clock signal is output from the synchronization signal generation circuit 108. After being converted from digital to analog audio signal in the supplied D/A converter 206,
The signal is supplied to the audio signal reproduction processing circuit 116 via the contact 304. Then, the audio signal reproduction processing circuit 116 performs various conversion processing and correction processing including time axis expansion for reproduction to obtain a reproduced audio signal, and then the reproduced audio signal output terminal 1
17.

The above reproducing operation is repeated until the reproducing instruction switch 114 is turned off as shown in step #17.

When the system controller 110 detects that the playback instruction switch 114 is in the F state, the system controller 110 outputs the vertical synchronization signal V generated by the synchronization signal generation circuit 108. At the falling timing of , a read operation end instruction signal is supplied to the memory control circuit 204 via the contact 308, the read operation from the memory circuit 203 is stopped, and the playback operation of the device is ended (step #18.# 19).

The information signal recording system of this embodiment is applicable not only to devices that record still image signals and audio signals as described above, but also to devices that record other information data.

In addition, in this embodiment, the still image signal is recorded at one frame position, but the present invention is not limited to this.
The data may be recorded in units of 2 fields. In addition,
By doing this, skew compensation processing during playback becomes unnecessary and the configuration becomes simple.

As shown in this embodiment, the information signal recording system of this embodiment includes an A/D converter and a D/A converter in the storage section, and exchanges information signals with the imaging section in an analog signal format. Therefore, the number of contacts for connecting the storage section and the imaging section can be reduced.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention makes it possible to provide an information signal recording system with excellent durability and reliability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information signal recording system as an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an operational flowchart during recording of the system shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. A flowchart of the operation of the system shown in FIG. 1 during playback is shown, and FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram of the vertical synchronization signal output from the synchronization signal generation circuit of FIG. 1. 100...Imaging unit, 200-...Storage unit, 201.202...Analog-digital converter, 2
03...Memory circuit, 204...Memory control circuit, 205.206...Digital-to-analog converter, 2
07... Battery circuit, 208... Changeover switch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) An imaging information signal generation unit that captures a subject image and generates an analog imaging information signal corresponding to the captured subject image; an audio information signal generation section that generates an audio information signal; an analog imaging information signal generated by the imaging information signal generation section that is detachably provided to the imaging information signal generation section and the audio information signal generation section; an analog-to-digital conversion section that converts at least one of the analog audio information signals generated by the audio information signal generation section into a digital information signal and outputs the digital information signal; and an analog-to-digital conversion section that is provided integrally with the analog-to-digital conversion section. ,
An information signal recording system comprising: a storage section that stores a digital information signal output from the analog-to-digital conversion section.