JPH11313281A - Image pickup device, image data recording method and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To record data effectively and to enhance the image quality of a recorded image by reading and recording frame image data at a speed in matching with a field image recorder. SOLUTION: When write catches up with read, with a changeover circuit switched, hereafter a progressive interlace conversion circuit writes to a memory an image converted in advance into a field image. When stopping video recording, if there is any image stored in the memory, the image is all read out and recording on a tape 107 is stopped. While a frame image is being written in the memory, an index signal denoting storage of the frame image is simultaneously stored. When the write catches up with the read, with start of a stage of recording the field image, the index signal is changed so as to represent field recording and stored. A recording signal processing circuit 105 records the frame recording mode or the field recording mode on the video tape 107 using the index signal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus, an image data recording method, and a storage medium, and more particularly, to an image pickup apparatus suitable for use in a video camera recorder having an image pickup device capable of reading all pixels.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With recent advances in semiconductor technology, many image pickup devices capable of extracting data of all pixels (frame pixels) during a field period have come to be seen. In particular, such an image sensor is often used for recording a still image or the like. However, taking advantage of the high vertical resolution, the image sensor has been increasingly used as an image pickup device for moving image shooting. I have.

However, most of the current consumer moving image recording apparatuses are based on field recording, and cannot record all the frame image signals obtained from the all pixel readout type image pickup device.

Therefore, normally, frame image data shot during a field period is converted to field image data and recorded by thinning out fields. This poses no problem in normal moving image shooting.

In recent years, since the image quality of a recording apparatus has been improved, there are many systems that record a still image in a moving image recording area. In such a system,
Either store the captured frame image in memory and record it still, or thin out the frame image into field images and double the frame interval to reproduce There is also a method in which images of frames are continuously obtained.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a conventional imaging apparatus. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 301 denotes an image pickup device capable of taking a frame image from which pixel data of a frame can be taken out at one time, 302 denotes an image pickup signal processing circuit, 305 denotes a recording signal processing circuit, 306 denotes a recording head, 307 denotes a magnetic tape, 308 is a controller.

In FIG. 5, a signal picked up by an image pickup element 301 is processed by an image pickup signal processing circuit 302, sent to a recording signal processing circuit 305, and recorded on a magnetic tape 307 by a recording head 306. You.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the captured frame image (30 flame / Sec) is converted by a progressive-interlace conversion circuit 403 into a field image (60 field / Sec).
Sec).

[0009]

However, in the above-described conversion system, the frame image can be obtained in the same period as the normal field period as the capability of the original imaging device due to the limitation of the recording device. , And only outputs image data in half the cycle. Therefore, in the case of the conventional imaging apparatus, although there is no particular problem when viewed as a moving image, there is a problem that it is hard to say that all of the performance of the imaging element can be recorded.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to enable effective recording of frame pixel data taken out of an image sensor configured to be capable of reading all pixels.

[0011]

An image pickup apparatus according to the present invention has an image pickup element capable of picking up a frame image for extracting all of image data constituting a frame image at a time, and has a recording apparatus for recording a field image. The apparatus is suitable for a writing unit for sequentially and sequentially writing image data of a frame image output from the image sensor to a memory, and a recording device for performing the field image recording of the image data of the frame image written to the memory. Recording means for reading and recording at a predetermined speed. According to another feature of the imaging apparatus of the present invention, the writing unit performs the writing operation at a speed corresponding to the recording speed of the recording device when the writing area of the memory is full. It is characterized by. Another feature of the imaging apparatus of the present invention is that, when the recording unit is in a recording stop state, the recording unit records all the image data written in the memory in the recording device, and then performs an operation. It is characterized by stopping.

According to the image data recording method of the present invention, an image pickup device having a recording device for performing field image recording and an image pickup device having a frame image pickup device for extracting all of image data constituting a frame image at a time are provided. A recording apparatus for sequentially and sequentially writing image data of a frame image output from the imaging device to a memory, and recording the image data of the frame image written to the memory in the field image. And reading and recording at a speed suitable for Another feature of the image data recording method of the present invention is that, when the writing area of the memory becomes full, the writing operation is performed at a speed corresponding to the recording speed of the recording device. It is characterized by performing. Another feature of the image data recording method of the present invention is that, in the recording process, when the recording is stopped, all the image data written in the memory is recorded in the recording device. The operation is stopped.

[0013] The storage medium of the present invention is characterized by storing a program for causing a computer to function as each of the above means. Another feature of the storage medium of the present invention is that the steps constituting the image data recording method are stored so as to be readable by a computer.

[0014]

Since the present invention comprises the above technical means, frame image data obtained from an image sensor configured to be readable from all pixels is sequentially and continuously written in a memory, and is adapted to a field image recording apparatus. By reading and recording at such a speed, it is possible to effectively record data obtained from the image sensor.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 10
Reference numeral 1 denotes an image pickup element capable of taking out frame pixel data at one time, capable of taking a frame image; 102, an image pickup signal processing circuit; 103, a storage circuit; 104, a switching circuit; 105, a recording signal processing circuit; , 107 is a magnetic tape, and 108 is a controller.

In FIG. 1, an image signal picked up by an image pickup device 101 is subjected to necessary processing by an image pickup signal processing circuit 102 and is input to one input terminal of a storage circuit 103 and one input terminal of an input switching circuit 104. And this input switching circuit
The signal is sent to a recording signal processing circuit 105 via a recording head 104 and is recorded on a magnetic tape 107 by a recording head 106.

The image signal input from the imaging signal processing circuit 102 to the storage circuit 103 is stored, read out at a predetermined speed, and input to the other input terminal of the switching circuit 104.

The storage circuit 103 according to the present embodiment has a configuration as shown in the memory explanatory diagram of FIG. In FIG. 2, 201 is a memory, 202 is a switching circuit, and 203 is a progressive-interlace conversion circuit. The input frame image signal passes through the switching circuit 202, is stored in the memory 201, and is read out therefrom at a half cycle, so that it is recorded at the maximum recordable cycle of the recording apparatus.

The address of the memory circuit 201 is shown in FIG.
As shown in the figure, the start point and the end point are connected in a ring shape, and the reading is performed so as to follow the writing.

Incidentally, the capacity of the memory 201 is limited. In the present embodiment, the reading is performed in a half cycle of the writing, so that the writing catches up with the reading. However, beyond that, the switching circuit 202 in FIG.
By writing in the memory 201 an image that has been converted into a field image in advance by the interlace conversion circuit 203, recording at the maximum performance is impossible, but recording can be continued as a continuous image without failure.

When recording is stopped, if there are images stored in the memory 201, the tape 107 is read out after all of the images are read out.
It operates so as to stop recording. Further, while the frame image is being written into the memory 201, an index signal indicating that the frame image is stored in a partial area of the memory 201 is also stored at the same time.

Then, the write catches up with the read,
From the stage of storing the field image, the index signal is changed to that of field recording and stored. This index signal is supplied to the recording signal processing circuit 105.
Then, the fact that the mode is the frame recording or the field recording mode is recorded in an area defined in advance as an information area other than the image on the video tape 107.
These controls are performed by the controller 108 in FIG.

Next, an image data recording method performed by the controller 108 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When recording of image data is started in the first step S1, a frame writing mode is set in a step S2.

Next, after the frame write flag is set in step S3, writing to the memory 201 is started in the next step S4. Also, at the same time when the image signal is written to the memory 201,
An index signal indicating that a frame image is stored is recorded in a partial area of the memory 201 (step S).
5).

The image signal and the index written in the memory 201 are read out under the control of the controller 108 (steps S6 and S6).
7), recorded on the video tape 107 (step S
8).

Next, in step S10, it is determined whether or not the writing has caught up with the reading. If the result of this determination is that the writing has caught up with the reading, the process proceeds to step S11, where the field writing mode is set, and in step S12, the frame writing flag is reset.

Next, in step S13, it is determined whether or not a recording stop operation has been performed. If the recording stop operation has not been performed, the process returns to step S4 to repeat the above processing. If the result of determination in step S10 is that writing has not caught up with reading, processing jumps from step S10 to step S13.

On the other hand, if the result of determination in step S13 is that a recording stop operation has been performed, the flow advances to step S14 to determine whether reading of the memory 201 has been completed. If the result of this determination is that reading has not been completed, processing returns to step S6, where image data remaining in the memory 201 is read. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S14, if all the image data written in the memory 201 has been read, the process proceeds to step S15, and the recording process ends.

In FIG. 1, the imaging device and the imaging signal processing device are configured to be able to read at twice the speed of the recording device, but operate at, for example, 3 times or any other magnification. What is done is also valid.

(Other Embodiments of the Present Invention) The present invention is applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.), but is also applicable to an apparatus composed of one device. You may.

Further, in order to realize the functions of the above-described embodiments, a device connected to the above-mentioned various devices or a computer in a system is operated so as to operate various devices so as to realize the functions of the above-described embodiments. The present invention also includes programs implemented by supplying the program code of the software described above and operating the various devices according to programs stored in a computer (CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus.

In this case, the program code of the software realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the program code itself and means for supplying the program code to the computer,
For example, a storage medium storing such a program code constitutes the present invention. As a storage medium for storing such a program code, for example, a floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM,
A magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

When the computer executes the supplied program code, not only the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized, but also the OS (Operating System) or other operating system running on the computer. Needless to say, even when the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized in cooperation with application software or the like, such program codes are included in the embodiments of the present invention.

Further, after the supplied program code is stored in a memory provided in a function expansion board of the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, the function expansion board or the function expansion unit is operated based on the instruction of the program code. It is needless to say that the present invention also includes a case where the CPU or the like provided in the first embodiment performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

[0035]

As described above, the present invention has an image pickup device capable of performing frame image pickup capable of extracting pixel data of a frame at a time, and an image pickup device provided with a recording device for performing field image recording. In the device,
By sequentially and sequentially writing frame image data obtained from the image pickup device to a memory, and reading and recording the data at a speed compatible with a field image recording device, a large amount of data obtained from the image pickup device can be recorded on a recording medium. Can be effectively recorded, and the image quality of the recorded image can be improved. According to another feature of the present invention, when the recording is stopped, the image data written in the memory is completely recorded in the recording device, and then the operation is stopped. Is performed, it is possible to prevent a disadvantage that captured image data is not recorded.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an imaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic operation of a memory circuit portion in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an outline of an address state of a memory;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an image data recording method according to an embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of an imaging device showing a conventional example.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic operation of a signal flow in a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101 imaging element 102 imaging signal processing circuit 103 storage circuit 104 switching circuit 105 recording signal processing circuit 106 recording head 107 magnetic tape 108 controller 201 memory 202 switching circuit 203 progressive interlace conversion circuit

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup apparatus having an image pickup device capable of taking a frame image for extracting all of image data constituting a frame image at a time and having a recording device for performing field image recording, wherein a frame outputted from the image pickup device is provided. Writing means for sequentially and sequentially writing image data of an image in a memory; and recording means for reading and recording the image data of the frame image written in the memory at a speed compatible with the recording apparatus for performing the field image recording. An imaging device, comprising: 2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said writing means performs a writing operation at a speed corresponding to a recording speed of said recording device when there is no more free space in a writing area of said memory. apparatus. 3. The recording device according to claim 1, wherein when the recording device is set to the recording stop state, the recording device records all the image data written in the memory in the recording device and then stops the operation. 3. The imaging device according to 2. 4. A method for recording image data in an imaging device having an imaging element capable of taking a frame image for extracting all of image data constituting a frame image at a time and having a recording device for performing field image recording, A process of sequentially and sequentially writing image data of a frame image output from an image sensor to a memory; and reading image data of a frame image written to the memory at a speed suitable for a recording device that performs the field image recording. And an image data recording method. 5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein in the writing process, when there is no more free space in the writing area of the memory, the writing operation is performed at a speed corresponding to the recording speed of the recording device. Data recording method. 6. The recording process according to claim 4, wherein when the recording is stopped, the image data written in the memory is completely recorded in the recording device, and then the operation is stopped. 6. The image data recording method according to 5. 7. A storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as each means according to claim 1. Description: 8. A storage medium, wherein the steps constituting the image data recording method according to claim 4 are stored so as to be readable by a computer.