JP2000041163A - Camera device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To clearly show with which recording means of different types of means the data are being recorded by discriminating a recording mode display shown when the data are recorded to a any one storage means via a recording means corresponding to the said storage means from a recording mode display shown when the data are recorded to the other storage means via a recording means corresponding to the said storage means respectively. SOLUTION: The video signals are inputted to a display part 14 to show a moving picture or a still picture that is sent from a conversion processing part 13, and a control signal is inputted to the part 14 from a still picture microcomputer 9. The part 14 shows a recording mode display to show that the video signals showing a still picture are recorded on a tape type recording medium 15 in response to the control signal received from the microcomputer 9 and also shows a recording mode display to show that the video signals showing a still picture are recorded on a card memory 7. These two recording mode displays can be discriminated from each other by means of a memory recording bar and a memory icon, and it's possible to clearly discriminate and visually show whether the working medium is the memory 7 or the medium 15.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera apparatus for recording a still image or a moving image on a recording medium such as a tape-shaped recording medium or a card-shaped recording medium. The present invention relates to a camera device that displays a display during recording on a display monitor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional digital camera device often incorporates only a tape-shaped recording medium as a recording medium, and records a captured moving image or still image on the tape-shaped recording medium. Therefore, in the conventional digital camera device, even when a still image or the like is recorded on a tape-shaped recording medium, a recording display indicating that the still image is recorded on the tape-shaped recording medium, and a moving image is displayed on a tape. The recording state of the tape-shaped recording medium can be indicated to the user by performing a recording-in-progress display indicating that the recording is being performed on the tape-shaped recording medium.

[0003]

In the above-described digital camera apparatus, only a recording display of a moving image or a still image when only a tape-shaped recording medium is incorporated as a recording medium is performed. However, when another recording medium such as a card-shaped recording medium other than the on-tape recording medium is provided, it is desirable to perform the recording-in-progress display while distinguishing the card-shaped recording medium and the like from the tape-shaped recording medium.

[0004] That is, since the time required for recording a still image and the meaning are different between the card-shaped recording medium and the tape-shaped recording medium, it is necessary to clearly distinguish the display during recording shown to the user.

[0005] However, in the conventional camera device, while recording display indicating that a still image is recorded on a tape-shaped recording medium is generally known, a recording medium different from the tape-shaped recording medium, for example, In reality, there is no display during recording indicating that recording is being performed on the card-shaped recording medium.

Therefore, the present invention has been proposed in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and even when a still image is recorded by a camera device having a different type of recording medium, the still image can be recorded on any recording medium. It is an object of the present invention to provide a camera device that can clearly show a user whether an image is recorded.

[0007]

A camera apparatus according to the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems includes an image pickup means for picking up an image to generate data, and a plurality of storage means for storing data from the image pickup means. A plurality of recording units provided corresponding to the plurality of storage units and recording data in each storage unit,
Display means for displaying at least a recording display indicating that each recording means is recording data in each storage means, and recording the data in the one storage means by the recording means corresponding to the one storage means. Display control means for controlling the display means so as to distinguish between the display during recording when data is being recorded and the display during recording when data is being recorded in another storage means by the recording means corresponding to the other storage means. And characterized in that:

[0008] The camera device having the above-mentioned configuration provides a recording-in-progress display when data is recorded in one storage means,
A display is made so as to be distinguished from the recording-in-progress display when data is being recorded in the other storage means, and indicates to the user which storage means data is being recorded.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

A camera device 1 to which the present invention can be applied is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, a camera processing unit 2 that captures an image of a subject to generate a video signal, and an interface gate array (hereinafter, an I / F gate) that outputs a video signal from the camera processing unit 2 according to an operation mode 3) and I /
A first memory 4 for storing a video signal from the F gate array 3, a compression / expansion processing unit 5 for performing compression / expansion processing on the video signal, and a video signal which has been subjected to compression / expansion processing by the compression / expansion processing unit 5. A second memory 6 for storing, a detachable card memory 7 for recording a video signal indicating a still image, a memory controller 8 for managing input / output of a video signal indicating a still image recorded on the card memory 7, A still image microcomputer 9 that controls these units, an H / I controller 10 that is operated by a user to generate an operation signal, and a camera processing unit 2 based on an operation signal from the H / I controller 10.
And a mechanical controller 12 for mechanically controlling the camera device.

In the camera device 1, the still image microcomputer 9 generates a control command based on an operation signal from the H / I controller 10, and controls the I / F gate connected via an address bus, a data bus or the like. By outputting the control command to the array 3, the first memory 4, the compression / decompression processing unit 5, and the memory controller 8, these units are controlled.

Further, the camera device 1 includes a signal processing unit 3
A conversion processing unit 13 for converting a video signal from the camera into a predetermined format, and a display unit 14 for displaying a moving image and a still image
And a tape-shaped recording medium 15 for storing video signals representing moving images and still images, and a signal switching unit 16 for outputting video signals to the tape-shaped recording medium 15 or an external output terminal.

The camera processing unit 2 includes, for example, a CCD imager having a solid-state image sensor, and generates a video signal according to incident light. The camera processing unit 2 includes a camera controller 11 that indicates an operation mode of the camera device 1.
A video signal indicating a still image or a video signal indicating a moving image is generated in response to a control signal from. This camera processing unit 2
Outputs the generated video signal to the I / F gate array 3.

The I / F gate array 3 converts the video signal from the camera processing unit 2 into the first memory 4 or the conversion processing unit 13 based on a control signal from the still image microcomputer 9 indicating the operation mode of the camera device 1. Output to For example, when a control signal indicating a mode for recording a still image is input, the I / F gate array 3 outputs a video signal indicating the input still image to the first memory 4. Also, this I /
For example, when a control signal indicating a mode for capturing a moving image is input, the F gate array 3 outputs a video signal indicating the input still image to the conversion processing unit 13. Further, in the camera device 1, when a control signal for displaying a moving image or a still image is input to the display unit 14, a video signal indicating the moving image or the still image is output to the conversion processing unit 13.

The conversion processing unit 13 performs a process of converting a video signal indicating a moving image input from the I / F gate array 3 into a format conforming to a so-called digital video (DV) standard. This conversion processing unit 13
The video signal converted into a format conforming to the DV standard is output to the signal switching unit 16. Also, this conversion processing unit 1
When a control signal for displaying a video signal indicating a moving image or a still image is input, the input video signal is converted into a format that can be displayed on the display unit 14 and output to the display unit 14. I do. Further, the conversion processing unit 13
Has a memory therein, and temporarily stores a video signal to be output to the display unit 14 using the memory.

The signal switching section 16 receives signals from the conversion processing section 13
A video signal converted into a format conforming to the V standard is input. When a control signal for outputting a video signal to the outside is input, the signal switching unit 16 outputs the control signal to a DVI / F functioning as an external terminal interface to record a video signal indicating a moving image or a still image. Is output to the tape-shaped recording medium 15 when the control signal is input.

The tape-shaped recording medium 15 includes a signal switching unit 16
Is a medium from which a video signal in a format conforming to the DV standard is recorded, and the recorded video signal is read. As the tape-shaped recording medium 15, for example, a magnetic tape in which a video signal is recorded as residual magnetization on a medium on a tape can be used.

The camera device 1 displays a video signal indicating a moving image generated by the camera processing unit 2 on the display unit 14 via the I / F gate array 3 and the conversion processing unit 13 described above. The data is recorded on the tape-shaped recording medium 15 via the I / F gate array 3, the conversion processing unit 13, and the signal switching unit 16.

The first memory 4 has a capacity of about 4 Mb, for example.
It comprises a non-volatile semiconductor memory, and a video signal indicating a still image is input via the I / F gate array 3. The video signal stored in the first memory 4 is I / O
The data is read by the F gate array 3 and input to the compression / decompression processing unit 5 via the data bus as 8-bit data. Here, the I / F gate array 3 reads the video signal stored in the first memory 4 based on the control signal input from the still image microcomputer 9 via the address bus, and Output to

The compression / expansion processing section 5 receives a video signal representing a still image via the I / F gate array 3 and applies the video signal to a JPEG (joint photographic exp
(ertgroup) compression processing. The compression / decompression processing unit 5 performs a compression process on the video signal in accordance with a control signal from the still image microcomputer 9 indicating a predetermined compression ratio specified by an operation signal from the H / I controller 10. The compression / decompression processing unit 5 performs decompression processing on the video signal input from the memory controller 8 in response to a control command from the still image microcomputer 9 indicating, for example, displaying a still image.
Then, the compression / decompression processing unit 5 outputs the decompressed video signal to the I / F gate array 3.

The second memory 6 receives a video signal representing a still image which has been subjected to the compression processing by the compression / decompression processing unit 5 described above. At this time, the compression / decompression processing unit 5 stores the video signal at a predetermined address in the second memory 6 according to a control signal input from the still image microcomputer 9 via the address bus.

The card memory 7 stores a PCMCIA (person)
al computer card international association). This card memory 7 has about 2
A video signal having an Mbit capacity and stored in the second memory 6 is input via the memory controller 8.

The memory controller 8 converts the video signal read and compressed by the still image microcomputer 9 into an ATA (ATa) signal.
ttachment) forwarded through the interface. The memory controller 8 stores the video signal transferred from the still image microcomputer 9 in the card memory 7. Further, the memory controller 8 reads out the video signal stored in the card memory 7 according to a control command from the still image microcomputer 9 and outputs the video signal to the still image microcomputer 9.

The display unit 14 receives a video signal indicating a moving image or a still image from the conversion processing unit 13 and a control signal from the still image microcomputer 9. The display unit 14 displays a recording-in-progress display indicating that a video signal indicating a still image is being recorded on the tape-shaped recording medium 15 in response to a control signal from the still image microcomputer 9, and displays a still image on the card memory 7. A recording display indicating that a video signal indicating an image is being recorded is displayed.

The still image microcomputer 9 outputs a control signal to control the above-described units. This still image microcomputer 9 is H /
An operation signal from the I controller 10 is input, and a control signal for controlling each of the above-described units is generated based on the operation signal.

The still image microcomputer 9 is a camera processing unit 2
When the video signal representing the still image generated in step (1) is recorded in the card memory 7, the video signal stored in the first memory 4 is compressed and expanded by the compression / expansion processing unit 5 via the I / F gate array 3.
Then, the compressed video signal is stored in the second memory 6 via the data bus, and is controlled to be stored in the second memory 6. Then, the still image microcomputer 9
The video signal stored in the memory 6 is read out and output to the memory controller 8, and the memory controller 8 controls the video signal to be recorded in the card memory 7.

At this time, the still image microcomputer 9 outputs a control signal to the display unit 14 so as to perform a recording display indicating that a video signal indicating a still image is being recorded in the card memory 7.

When a video signal is being recorded in the card memory 7, the recording indication displayed on the display unit 14 is composed of a memory recording bar 21 and a card pattern memory icon 22, as shown in FIG. . When a video signal indicating a still image is recorded in the card memory 7, the memory recording bar 21 is turned off from the left side of the screen toward the memory icon 22 to indicate that recording is being performed. When the video signal indicating the image has been recorded, all the memory recording bars 22 are turned off.

When the still image microcomputer 9 records a video signal representing a still image generated by the camera processing unit 2 on the tape-shaped recording medium 15, the still image microcomputer 9 stores the video signal stored in the first memory 4 in the same manner as described above. Is compressed by the compression / decompression processing unit 5 and stored in the second memory 6, and the video signal stored in the second memory 6 is converted into the I / F gate array 3 and the conversion processing unit 1.
3. Control to record on the tape-shaped recording medium 15 via the signal switching unit 16.

At this time, the still image microcomputer 9 sends the control signal to the display unit 1 so as to display a recording in progress indicating that the video signal indicating the still image is being recorded on the tape-shaped recording medium 15.
4 is output.

When a still image is recorded on the tape-shaped recording medium 15, the display during recording displayed on the display unit 14 includes a memory recording point 31, a camera pattern memory icon 32, and the like, as shown in FIG. Consists of When a video signal indicating a still image is recorded on the tape-shaped recording medium 15, the memory recording point 31 is repeatedly turned off and on at a predetermined cycle from the right side of the screen toward the memory icon 32 to indicate that recording is in progress. Is displayed, and when the video signal indicating the still image has been recorded on the tape-shaped recording medium 15, the memory recording point 3
1 are all turned off.

The H / I controller 10 includes, for example, an operation panel, an operation dial, and a shutter switch operated by a user, and generates an operation signal when the operation panel or the like is operated by the user. The H / I controller 10 outputs the generated operation signals to the camera controller 11, the mechanical controller 12, and the still image microcomputer 9, thereby causing them to generate control signals.

The shutter button constituting the H / I controller 10 is a two-stage switch in the pressing direction. When the shutter button is pressed to the first-stage pressing position, a so-called "half-press" state is established. The so-called "fully-pressed" state is achieved by being pressed to the second-stage pressing position.

H / I provided with such a shutter button
The controller 10 outputs to the still image microcomputer 9 an operation signal indicating the half-pressed state by the user and an operation signal indicating the operation signal when the user is fully pressed by the user. Output to

The camera controller 11 performs the above-described H / I
A control signal is generated in accordance with an operation signal from the controller 10 to control processing contents of the camera processing unit 2. For example, when an operation signal designating the image quality of a still image is input, the camera controller 11 outputs a control signal indicating the input to the camera processing unit 2, and outputs the image at a resolution corresponding to the image quality of the designated still image. Control to generate a signal.

The mechanical controller 12 generates a control signal in accordance with the operation signal from the H / I controller 10 and, for example, a lens focus mechanism built in the camera processing unit 2 and a feed of the tape-shaped recording medium 15. Control the mechanism and the like.

Next, the processing contents when a still image is shot by the above-described camera device 1 and a video signal indicating the still image is recorded in the card memory 7 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

According to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4, first, in step S1, for example, the operation panel of the H / I controller 10 is operated. Here, it is assumed that a still image recording mode for capturing a still image has been selected.

In step S2, the H / I controller 10 detects a pressed state of a shutter switch for capturing a still image by a key operation. When the shutter switch is in the released state where the shutter switch is not pressed, the H / I controller 10 outputs an operation signal indicating that to the still image microcomputer 9 and proceeds to step S3, and when the shutter switch is half-pressed, An operation signal indicating this is output to the still image microcomputer 9 and the process proceeds to step S4. If the shutter switch is fully pressed, an operation signal indicating this is output to the still image microcomputer 9 and the process proceeds to step S5.

In step S3, the still picture microcomputer 9
Sets the display unit 14 to a steady display based on the operation signal input in step S2 described above. Here, the still image microcomputer 9 inputs a video signal indicating a moving image generated by the camera processing unit 2 to the I / F gate array 3 and causes the display unit 14 to display the moving image via the conversion processing unit 13. Thus, a steady display is performed.

At this time, the H / I controller 10 controls the camera controller 11 to display a moving image captured by the camera processing unit 2. Further, as shown in FIG. 5A, the still image microcomputer 9 has "STD" indicating an image quality mode (standard) for recording a still image in the still image recording mode at the top of the display screen, and the number of recorded still images. A memory icon indicating that a still image is to be recorded is displayed on the card memory 7 as the number of recordable still images / 100/1000.

Here, the image quality when recording a still image in the still image recording mode is of three levels, from super high, super fine, fine, and standard, and can be arbitrarily selected by the user. Further, when the user selects the image quality, the H / I controller 10 outputs an operation signal indicating the selection to the camera controller 11, and outputs the operation signal to the camera processing unit 2.
To capture a still image at a resolution corresponding to the image quality selected by the user. In addition, the number of recordable still images is reduced by selecting a mode with high image quality, since the information amount increases as the image quality increases.

In step S4, the H / I controller 10 outputs the operation signal generated in step S2 to the camera controller 11 so that the camera processing unit 2 generates a video signal indicating a still image. At this time, the still image microcomputer 9 controls the I / F gate array 3 so that a video signal indicating a still image generated by the camera processing unit 2 is temporarily stored in the first memory 4.

In step S5, the still picture microcomputer 9
5 is displayed on the display unit 14 in response to the operation signal from the H / I controller 10 generated in step S2 described above.
In addition to the display of “capture” shown in (b), a still image is displayed from the steady display described in step S3. In this step S5,
Still images are not recorded.

In step S6, the H / I controller 10 outputs the operation signal generated in step S2 to the still picture microcomputer 9, thereby outputting the video signal captured in the first memory 4 in the half-pressed state. Start recording. At this time, the still image microcomputer 9
As shown in (c), “STD”, a memory recording bar 21 and a memory icon 22 are displayed on the display unit 14 at the top of the display screen. The memory recording bar 21 displays the memory icon 2
This is a display that is displayed as 2 to 10 display units and indicates that a still image at the time of capture is recorded in the card memory 7.

In step S7, the still picture microcomputer 9
Inputs the video signal stored in the first memory 4 to the compression / decompression processing unit 5 through the I / F gate array 3 in the above-described step S4, and the compression / decompression processing unit 5 performs compression processing. Is stored in the second memory 6 and read therefrom, and the respective sections are controlled so that the memory controller 8 records the compressed video signal in the card memory 7. At this time, the still image microcomputer 9 turns off the memory recording bar 21 sequentially from the display of “STD” to the display of the memory icon 22 as shown in FIG. Here, as shown in FIG. 5E, the still image microcomputer 9 turns off all the memory recording bars 21 for about one second, for example, and repeatedly displays all the memory recording bars 21 again. . That is, when the still image microcomputer 9 is recording the video signal indicating the still image in the card memory 7, the display during recording shown in FIGS. 5C to 5E is repeated.

In step S8, the still picture microcomputer 9
Determines whether the video signal indicating the still image has been recorded in the card memory 7 as described in step S7 above. When the still image microcomputer 9 determines that the recording of the video signal indicating the still image in the card memory 7 has not been completed, the process returns to step S7 to repeat the above-described display. When the still image microcomputer 9 determines that the recording of the video signal indicating the still image in the card memory 7 has ended, the still image display shown in FIGS. 5C to 5E also ends. Then, when the recording of the video signal indicating the still image in the card memory 7 is completed, the still image microcomputer 9 performs control so as to return to the above-described normal display in step S3.

The camera device 1 to which the present invention is applied as described above.
5C shows the recording-in-progress display shown in FIG. 5C to FIG. 5E when performing processing for recording a video signal indicating a still image in the card memory 7, and transfers the video signal indicating the still image to a tape-shaped recording medium. When performing the process of recording in 15, the recording-in-progress display is performed using the memory icon 32 and the memory recording point 31 of the camera pattern, so that the memory-recording bar 21 and the memory icon 22 can distinguish the recording-in-progress display. The user can record a still image on the card memory 7.
Or the tape-shaped recording medium 15 can be clearly distinguished and visually indicated.

According to the camera device 1, FIG.
By performing the recording-in-progress display as shown in FIGS. 5C to 5E, the display can be performed such that the memory recording bar 21 is sequentially turned off toward the memory icon 22. It can be seen that the image is being recorded.

In the above description of the camera device 1, an example in which a still image is recorded in the card memory 7 when a steady display is performed as shown in FIG. 5A has been described. 5C to FIG. 5E described above may be performed even when the application is started and, for example, still image editing processing is being performed.

In the description of the camera device 1 described above, the display during recording when the video signal indicating only one still image is recorded on the card memory 7 or the tape-shaped recording medium 15 has been described. When recording video signals indicating two to four still images continuously and recording them on the card memory 7 or the tape-shaped recording medium 15, the display during recording may be performed, and furthermore, nine still images are displayed. A video signal indicating a still image captured in a multi-screen continuous shooting mode in which a video signal is continuously shot and a 9-split still image is displayed on one screen of the display unit 14 is recorded in the card memory 7 or the tape-shaped recording medium 15. It goes without saying that the display during recording may be performed at the time of execution.

[0052]

As described in detail above, the camera device according to the present invention provides a recording-in-progress display when recording is made in one storage means by the recording means corresponding to the one storage means, Display can be distinguished from the recording-in-progress display when data is recorded in the storage means by the recording means corresponding to the other storage means, so that even when a different type of recording medium is provided, Which recording means is recording data can be clearly shown to the user.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a camera device to which the present invention has been applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a recording-in-progress display displayed on a display unit when a video signal is being recorded in a card memory.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a recording-in-progress display displayed on a display unit when a still image is recorded on a tape-shaped recording medium.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating processing when a video signal indicating a still image is recorded in a card memory.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a recording-in-progress display displayed when a video signal representing a still image is recorded in a card memory.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 camera device, 7 card memory, 9 still image microcomputer, 10 H / I controller, 15 tape recording medium

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup means for picking up an image to generate data, a plurality of storage means for storing data from the image pickup means, and a plurality of storage means provided corresponding to the plurality of storage means to store data in each storage means. A plurality of recording means for recording; a display means for displaying at least a recording display indicating that each recording means is recording data in each storage means; and the one storage means corresponding to the one storage means In order to distinguish between the display during recording when data is being recorded by the recording means and the recording display when data is being recorded by the recording means corresponding to the other storage means in the other storage means, A camera device comprising: display control means for controlling display means. 2. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of storage units include a first recording medium for recording a still image, and a second recording medium for recording a still image and a moving image. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a first recording unit that records a still image on one recording medium; and a second recording unit that records a still image or a moving image on the second recording medium. Camera device. 3. The display control means includes a display unit indicating that the first recording means is recording a still image on the first recording medium and a display icon indicating the first recording medium. 2. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is controlled so as to be displayed as a display during recording. 4. The camera apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said display control means controls said display means so that said display units are sequentially turned off toward said display icons.