JP2000092437A - Digital camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To acquire functions for applying animation processing to plural still image data providing a consecutive motion by writing an output of a file processing means to an external storage medium. SOLUTION: Still image data that have once been written in a dynamic random access memory(DRAM) 9 are read and compressed by a CPU 12 by the LZW method. The CPU 12 processes the data into a file of graphics interchange format(GIF). When it is discriminated that the data by a prescribed number are processed, the still image data by the prescribed number are formed into a GIF file from consisting of a header block, a logical image description block, a color table block, an image data block and trailer block. Then the file data via an interface section 10 are fed to an external storage medium 11 and written in the prescribed areas of the medium 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a digital camera device for storing a photographed image in an external storage medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, digital cameras for recording an image of a subject as image data on a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device such as a flash memory or a recording medium such as a hard disk or a floppy disk instead of a silver halide film have been rapidly spreading. . Therefore, the digital camera device is configured to convert a photographed subject image into a digital image signal, compress the digital image signal, and record the compressed image information on a recording medium. Further, a digital camera device using a 3.5-inch floppy disk as a recording medium has a feature that image input to a personal computer is simple and easy to use. On the other hand, GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) animation, which is an image format of moving images, is widely used for moving images on homepages.
In order to create a GIF animation, software on a personal computer that combines continuous motion still image files into one according to a format is required.

[0003]

However, in order to create a GIF animation as described above, it is necessary to prepare software on a personal computer, and furthermore, it is necessary to perform the work of actually integrating the software. You.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a digital camera device having a moving image recording function and a function of converting a plurality of still image data of continuous motion into an image format widely used in personal computers. To provide.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital camera device for recording a photographed image as a digital signal in an external storage medium, wherein the photographed image is stored as digital data. Storage means, data compression means for reading a plurality of image data recorded in the storage means and compressing each data,
Filing means for forming a file format in which a plurality of pairs of compressed data and control data from the data compression means follow the header and are combined with the end data, and the output of the filing means is externally stored. A digital camera device characterized by writing on a medium.

According to the present invention, in the case of the animation mode, color reduction processing and data compression by the LZW method are performed. Then, the data is compiled into a GIF file format by the filing unit. GIF file format data is written to the external storage medium. By transferring the data to the console computer via the external storage medium, the image captured by the digital camera can be immediately used for a homepage or e-mail.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a digital camera device includes a lens unit 1, a CCD (Charge Coupled D).
evice) 2, sample and hold and A / D converter 3, camera signal processor 4, memory controller 5, buffer memory 6, D / A converter 7, LCD (Liquid Crystal Dis
play) 8, DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory)
9, interface unit 10, external storage medium 11, CP
U12, operation input unit 13, and encoder / decoder 1
5.

[0008] The lens unit 1 and the CCD 2 constitute an imaging unit. A control signal from the CPU 12 is supplied to the lens unit 1, and an automatic aperture control operation and an automatic focus control operation are performed. The CCD 2 switches between an operation mode for reading all pixels (photographing mode) and a line thinning operation mode for outputting a signal in which the number of lines is reduced to, for example, １ ／ (EtoE mode) by a control signal from the CPU 12. It is possible. The number of pixels of the CCD 2 is, for example, XGA (eX
tended Graphics Array, 1024 x 768 pixels).

In the EtoE mode, a display unit (LCD) is used without taking data of a photographed image into a recording medium (DRAM).
This is the mode displayed in 8). In EtoE mode,
The angle of view is determined during shooting, and the focus, exposure, and white balance are adjusted appropriately. That is, the EtoE mode is a state in which the subject is checked before the shutter is pressed in the photographing mode. In the EtoE mode, an image pickup signal of 1024 × 256 pixels is obtained. As an example, in the shooting mode, an imaging signal of 10 frames per second is output, and in the EtoE mode, an imaging signal of 30 frames per second is output.

An output signal of the CCD 2 is supplied to a sample hold and A / D converter 3, and the sample hold and A / D converter 3 generates a digital image signal of 10 bits per sample. Sample hold and A / D
The conversion unit 3 has a configuration of a correlated double sampling circuit,
Noise removal, waveform shaping, and compensation for defective pixels are performed.

The digital image pickup signal is transmitted to the camera signal processing unit 4
Supplied to The camera signal processing unit 4 includes a digital clamp circuit, a luminance signal processing circuit, a color signal processing circuit, a contour correction circuit, a defect compensation circuit, an automatic aperture control circuit, an automatic focus control circuit, an automatic white balance correction circuit, and the like.
The camera signal processing unit 4 generates a digital image signal in the form of a component signal composed of a luminance signal and a color difference signal converted from the RGB signals.

Each component of the digital image signal from the camera signal processing unit 4 is supplied to a memory controller 5. The display buffer memory 6 and the bus 14 of the CPU 12 are connected to the memory controller 5. The buffer memory 6 generates RGB signals by processing the component signals, and outputs the RGB signals to the D / A converter 7. An analog signal from the D / A converter 7 is supplied to the LCD 8. Further, the buffer memory 6 outputs the RGB signals at a timing corresponding to the display timing of the LCD 8.

A DRAM 9 and a CPU 1
2, encoder / decoder 15, interface unit 1
0 is connected. The DRAM 9 is controlled by addresses and control information supplied from the memory controller 5 or the CPU 12. Further, the memory controller 5 has a pixel number conversion function, converts the number of pixels according to the setting of the photographer, and forms a screen of a predetermined size.

The encoder / decoder 15 compresses (encodes) or decompresses (decodes) image data by a predetermined method. For example, when processing a still image in the normal mode, JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts G
roup) is used. Further, when the animation mode is set, the color reduction processing is first performed by software processing of the CPU 12, and then the LZW (Lempel Ziv W
The data is compressed by an elch) method, and necessary components are added to the compressed data to create a GIF file. The JPEG encoding / decoding process is also
The processing may be performed by software processing of the CPU 12.

The interface unit 10 is an interface between the external storage medium 11 and the CPU 12. For example, the interface unit 10 outputs a JPEG file (normal shooting mode) or a GIF file (animation mode) to the external storage medium 11 such as a floppy disk in the MS-DOS format.
As the external storage medium 11, a disk-shaped recording medium such as a floppy disk or a semiconductor memory such as a memory card is used.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 13 denotes an operation input unit. The operation input unit 13 is provided with a shutter button, switches for various settings operated by a photographer, and the like. I have. In the operation input unit 13, the operation states of the buttons and switches are detected, and this detection signal is supplied to the CPU 12 as operation information.

In the embodiment configured as described above, for example, a normal photographing mode and an animation mode can be set with respect to a subject taking operation in the photographing mode.

For example, when the shutter button is pressed in a state where normal shooting is set, the subject image at that timing is converted into a digital image signal by A / D conversion, and the obtained one still image is obtained. Image data is temporarily DRA
Written to M9. Then, the still image data once written in the DRAM 9 is read out, the data is compressed by JPEG, and the JPEG file data is stored in the external storage medium 1.
The data is supplied to the floppy disk 1 and written in a predetermined area.

In the animation mode, when the shutter button is pressed, an image is shot at a predetermined set time interval, and the image size during normal shooting, for example, XGA
Or VGA (Video Graphics Array, 640x480 pixels)
For example, CIF (Common Int.)
ermediate Format, 320x240 pixels) or QCIF
An image having a size of (quarter CIF, 160 × 120 pixels) is generated from the memory controller 5 and stored in the DRAM 9.

Then, the still image data once written in the DRAM 9 is read, a color reduction process is performed on the read data, and thereafter, data compression is performed by, for example, the LZW method. When the data compression is completed, the data is compiled into a GIF file format, and the file data is supplied to a floppy disk as the external storage medium 11 and written into a predetermined area.

The operation when the animation is performed in the continuous shooting mode described above will be further described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 shows a processing procedure of animation. First, in step S1, once written still image data of the DRAM 9 is read out and compressed by the CPU 12. That is, the color reduction processing is performed on the still image data (step S2). That is, data of a predetermined gradation is converted into data of, for example, 256 colors (or 16 colors) or less.

When the color reduction processing in step S2 is completed, data compression by the LZW method is performed in step S3. These steps S2 and S3
By the processing described above, the entire data amount of the still image data is significantly reduced, and the data becomes a predetermined amount of data.

When the data compression processing in step S3 is completed, a GIF file is created by the CPU 12 (step S4). That is, as described later, GI
Predetermined information is added so as to have an F file structure. When the process in step S4 is completed, it is determined in step S5 whether a process for a predetermined number of sheets, for example, nine sheets, has been performed.

If it is determined in step S5 that the number is less than the predetermined number, the process proceeds to step S1, and the above-described processes in steps S1 to S4 are repeated. If it is determined in step S5 that a predetermined number of processes have been performed, step S6
Move to In other words, by performing the processing of steps S1 to S5, a predetermined number of still image data is converted into a GIF file format including a header block, a logical screen description block, a color table block, an image data block, and a trailer block. It is put together in.

In step S6, output processing to an external storage medium is performed. File data via the interface unit 10 is supplied to the external storage medium 11 and written in a predetermined area. File data is stored in the external storage medium 11
, A series of animation processing ends.

The file structure of the above-mentioned GIF file and the function of each part thereof will be specifically described. FIG. 3 shows a file structure of a GIF file as an example. In the example shown in FIG. 3, three still image data are combined and animated.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 21 denotes a header block arranged at the head. The header block 21
For example, it is composed of 6 bytes. In the case of a GIF file, the process always starts from the head block 21, and the head block 21 indicates the version of the file. Note that the case shown in FIG. 3 indicates that the file is “GIF89a”.

The logical screen description block 22 is provided next to the head block 21. The logical screen description block 22 is always arranged second in the GIF file, and a display area is defined by the logical screen description block 22 and a background color other than the display area is defined. Further, the logical screen description block 22 includes a color table block of information related to a display color.
Any palette among 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, and 256 colors is defined.

The block next to the logical screen description block 22 is a specially inserted block for arbitrary processing. It is possible to configure a GIF file without disposing the block 23, but in this case, it is shown that arbitrary processing is performed in the application software “NETSCAPE”.

In FIG. 3, 24a, 24b, 2
A control block 4c is arranged before the actual image data block. The control method of the subsequent image data is controlled by the control blocks 24a, 24b and 24c, and the display timing and the display time interval are set.

Then, in FIG. 3, 25a, 25b,
Reference numeral 25c denotes a block of image data in which actual compressed still image data is stored. That is,
In the example shown in FIG. 3, three still image data are collected and animated.

Further, in FIG. 3, reference numeral 26 denotes a trailer block disposed at the end. In the case of a GIF file, it is configured to always end at the trailer block 26. The trailer block 26 cannot be changed.

[0033]

According to the present invention, it is possible to have a function of animating a plurality of still image data of continuous motion. In other words, you can have a video recording function,
Also, since the animated data can be recorded on a floppy disk or the like as an external storage medium, it can be used immediately on a homepage or e-mail without the need for software and complicated operations on a personal computer. It becomes possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart used to explain the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram used for describing the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Lens part, 2 ... CCD, 4 ... Camera signal processing part, 5 ... Memory controller, 9 ... DR
AM, 10 interface unit, 11 external storage medium, 12 CPU, 13 operation input unit
15 ... Encoder / decoder

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 5/92 H04N 5/781 510 9/64 5/92 H (72) Inventor Jun Nagai Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 6-73 Kita Shinagawa F-term (reference) in Sony Corporation 5B050 AA04 BA08 BA10 BA15 EA09 EA10 EA15 EA19 EA24 5C022 AA13 AB02 AB22 AB37 AB68 AC01 AC32 AC42 AC54 AC69 AC80 CA00 5C053 FA07 GA11 GB36 HA40 JA24 KA04 KA24 LA01 LA06 5C066 AA01 BA13 BA17 CA21 DA01 DC06 DD07 EC01 ED12 GA31 GB01 HA03 JA07 KE07 KE16 KE17 KE19 KE21 KG08 KM01 KM13 LA02 5C079 HB01 LA27 NA15 PA00

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A digital camera device for recording a photographed image as a digital signal in an external storage medium, a storage means for storing the photographed image as digital data, and a plurality of image data recorded in the storage means being read out and read, respectively. Data compression means for compressing the data of the above, and a plurality of pairs of compressed data and control data from the data compression means following the header, and filing means for forming a file format formed by combining the data at the end. A digital camera device comprising: writing an output of the filing means to an external storage medium. 2. The image data compression method according to claim 1, wherein the data compression means compresses the image data by performing a color reduction processing for reducing color information to a predetermined gradation or less and reducing a bit length of one data, and a data compression processing by an LZW method. A digital camera device, wherein the filing means forms a GIF file format.