JP2000197006A - Image information recording and reproducing device, and electronic equipment provided with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image information recording/reproducing device where noise and deterioration in resolution do not occur, when reproducing abbreviated picture information and also to provide electronic equipment having the device. SOLUTION: One piece is selected at every (n) image frames of image information, made to be abbreviated picture information and stored in a frame memory 3. The displacement speed of a recording head 8 is reduced to 1/n, as compared with the case of recording original image information by a recording and reproducing head speed varying means 41, the displacement speed of a magnetic tape 50 is reduced to 1/n similarly by an information recording medium speed varying means 40, the information unit of the image frame of abbreviated picture information is read by a rate, where abbreviated image information is reduced to be 1/n from the frame memory 3 and it is supplied to the recording head 8 and recorded in the magnetic tape 50. In a reproducing process, the displacement speed of magnetic tape 50 and a reproducing head is returned to the reproduction speed of image information.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image information recording / reproducing apparatus and an electronic apparatus having the same, and more particularly to a shortening method in which a plurality of image frames constituting image information are skipped and image frames are periodically selected. The present invention relates to an image information recording / reproducing apparatus for recording / reproducing image information and an electronic device including the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional image information recording / reproducing apparatus using an analog VCR will be described with reference to FIG. FIG.
FIG. 2A shows a case in which one image frame constituting image information is selected every six (n = 6), and the remaining image frames are skipped and recorded as shortened image information on the magnetic tape 50 shown in FIG. 2B. 1 shows a schematic configuration. Since the image information is given as an analog signal, the analog-to-digital converter A
The data is converted into digital data by / D1 and recorded in the frame memory 3.

[0003] The shortened image information recorded in the frame memory 3 is synchronized with 1/2 VD which is a synchronization pulse having a half cycle of the vertical drive signal VD shown in FIG.
Each frame is composed of selected image frames, and image frames not selected are skipped. Also,
As shown in FIG. 2A, the selected image frame is recorded in the frame memory 3 in an odd field and an even field by a switch SW1 (hereinafter abbreviated as SW1).

The image frame of the shortened image information recorded in the frame memory 3 is synchronized with a 1/2 VD synchronization pulse,
The read data is read out from the frame memory 3 in the order of odd field and even field by a switch SW2 (hereinafter abbreviated as SW2), converted into an analog signal by a digital / analog converter D / A5, frequency-modulated by an FM modulator 6, and recorded by a recording head 8. Is recorded on the magnetic tape 50.
The switch SW3 (hereinafter abbreviated as SW3) is connected to the recording head 8
It is for opening and closing the input to. Open when switching to a reproducing head not shown.

When recording shortened image information on the magnetic tape 50, the CPU 10 sets the rotation speed of the drum (not shown) to the normal rotation speed of the analog VCR,
Control is performed so that the traveling speed of 0 is reduced to 1/6 of the normal speed. In addition, in cooperation with the timing control 9, the timing of reading the image frame of the shortened image information from the frame memory 3 and the timing of the entire system are controlled. When reproducing the shortened image information recorded on the magnetic tape 50 by a reproducing head (not shown), the CPU 10 controls the running speed of the magnetic tape to return to the normal speed of the analog VCR.

The manner in which the shortened image information is recorded on the magnetic tape will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 1/2
At the rising point 2 of the VD synchronization pulse, the image frame converted into digital data by the analog-to-digital converter A / D1 is stored in the frame memory 3. Time point 7
, The odd field of the image frame stored from the frame memory 3 is read out, converted into an analog signal as described above, and frequency-modulated. Recording is performed in a period corresponding to an individual unit, that is, over three frames.

At time point 11, the even fields of the image frame are read from the frame memory 3 and recorded on the track 37 of the magnetic tape 50 in three frames. At this time, at time 9, the next image frame of the image information is already selected, converted into digital data by the analog-to-digital converter A / D1, stored in the frame memory 3, and rewriting the contents of the previous image frame.

As described above, the conventional analog VCR
For example, in an image information recording / reproducing apparatus that uses an image, for example, image information is periodically selected every six frames, stored in the frame memory 3, read out in odd fields and even fields, and recorded on the magnetic tape 50. When reproducing the recorded shortened image information, the magnetic tape 50 was run at a normal speed to obtain a reproduced signal of the shortened image information.

[0009] In addition to the above-described image information recording / reproducing apparatus for generating shortened image information by skipping a plurality of image frames of image information and recording / reproducing the same, the image information recording / reproducing apparatus has a similar purpose.
There is also an image information recording / reproducing apparatus that records and reproduces shortened image information using image compression such as EG.

[0010]

However, an image information recording / reproducing apparatus using the above-described analog VCR and an MP
The image information recording / reproducing apparatus using the EG has the following problems. First, a problem of the image information recording / reproducing apparatus using the analog VCR will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 shows tracks recorded on the magnetic tape 50. Tracks A and B are recording tracks formed by running the above-described magnetic tape 50 at 1/6 the normal running speed. It is. Also, tracks A ', B'
Is a recording track formed by running the magnetic tape 50 at a normal running speed. At this time, in both cases, the rotation speed of the drum is assumed to be a normal rotation speed for uncompressed image information.

Next, considering the case where the shortened image information recorded on the tracks A and B is reproduced by rotating the drum at a normal rotation speed and running the magnetic tape 50 at a normal traveling speed, the recording is normally performed. Since the rotational speed of the drum and the traveling speed of the magnetic tape 50 are the same in both the process of reproducing and the process of reproducing, the reproducing head provided on the drum traces on the tracks A 'and B'. Are mixed and reproduced. As a result,
An image containing noise called so-called band noise is reproduced.

Although not shown in the figure, in an image information recording / reproducing apparatus that records data on an information recording medium at a reduced MPEG data rate, the resolution of an image frame is degraded. When an image frame is displayed as a still image on a monitor, or when it is input to an information processing device and newly processed and used for another purpose, inconvenience often arises.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides an image information recording / reproducing apparatus which does not cause the above-described noise and deterioration of resolution when reproducing shortened image information, and an electronic apparatus having the same. The task is to

[0015]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, in an image information recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention and an electronic apparatus equipped with the same, a plurality of image frames constituting image information are represented by n (n is an integer). 1) Select one for each image and skip the rest, and the number of image frames constituting the image information is 1 / n
In an image information recording / reproducing apparatus for generating reduced image information of one sheet and recording / reproducing the reduced image information on an information recording medium using a recording / reproducing head, an image frame storage for storing 1 / n image frames of the reduced image information Means for reading the information unit of the image frame stored in the image frame storage means from the image frame storage means, and changing the rate of recording on the information recording medium to 1 / n compared to the rate for recording the information unit of image information. Means for changing an image frame information unit rate, and an information recording medium speed for changing the displacement speed of the information recording medium when recording shortened image information to 1 / n compared to the displacement speed of the information recording medium when recording image information. The variable speed of the recording head when recording the shortened image information is 1 / compared to the displacement speed of the recording / reproducing head when recording the image information. Characterized by comprising a write head speed varying means for varying the.

In a preferred embodiment of the image information recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention and an electronic apparatus equipped with the same, when reproducing the shortened image information, the information recording medium speed varying means determines the displacement speed of the information recording medium by using the image information. The recording / reproducing head speed varying means varies the displacement speed of the reproducing head to the displacement speed of the reproducing head for reproducing image information.

Further, when the image information is analog information, an analog-to-digital converter is provided to generate shortened image information from the image information.

Furthermore, the information recording medium speed varying means and the image frame information unit rate varying means intermittently perform displacement of the information recording medium and supply of image frame information units for a predetermined value of n or more. It is.

The operation of the above means will be described below. The image frame of the shortened image information is stored in the image frame storage unit, and the image frame is stored in the image frame information unit rate changing unit by 1/1 / の of the information unit rate of the image information.
The data is read out at a rate of n information units. On the other hand, the information recording medium is displaced by lowering to a displacement speed of 1 / n of the case where image information is recorded by the information recording medium speed varying means,
In addition, the recording head is displaced by reducing the displacement speed to 1 / n of the speed at which image information is recorded by the recording / reproducing head speed varying means. When reproducing the shortened image information recorded on the information recording medium as described above, the information recording medium and the recording / reproducing head speed varying means use the information recording medium and the reproducing head to change the original image based on the displacement speed of the reproducing head. By returning to the normal displacement speed at the time of recording and reproducing information, the reproducing head can correctly trace the track on the information recording medium on which the shortened image information is recorded.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an image information recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention and an electronic apparatus equipped with the same will be described below with reference to FIG. In the following description, an image information recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention and an electronic apparatus including the same will be described by taking a digital VCR using a DV format as an example. The electronic device described above is not limited to the present embodiment, but the information recording medium and the recording / reproducing head are relatively displaced at a relative speed, and the relative displacement causes the recording track of the shortened image information and the reproduction track of the original image information. Of course, the present invention can be applied to all image information recording / reproducing apparatuses in which the arrangement changes. Note that the displacement is a change in the position and direction of the object, and the displacement speed is the speed of the change. For example, in the case of a magnetic tape, it corresponds to the running speed. Further, in the following description, the same reference numerals are given to those indicating the same structure as the conventional technology.

FIG. 1 (a) shows a schematic configuration of an image information recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG. 1A, image information is converted into digital data by an analog / digital converter A / D1. Although illustration is omitted, if it is necessary to convert the converted digital data into the DV format, the converted digital data is converted into the DV format using the DV format converter of the digital VCR provided with the image information recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention. Is also good. Of course, this is not necessary when image information is provided in the form of digital data converted into the DV format.
Is unnecessary. The above is an embodiment of claim 3.

The converted image information is stored in the frame memory 3 by dividing it into odd fields and even fields by SW1. At this time, as described later, the vertical drive signal V
An image frame stored in the frame memory 3 is selected by a sync pulse 1/2 VD having a half cycle of D, and the rest are skipped. Therefore, the shortened image information is generated at the time when it is stored in the frame memory 3. Frame memory 3
Is an embodiment of the image frame storage means according to claim 1.

The image frames stored in the frame memory 3 are read out in the order of odd fields and even fields by the switch SW2.
5 controls the rate of the information unit constituting the image frame, that is, the reading speed. If the number of frames of the reduced image information is 1 / n with respect to the number of image frames of the image information, that is, if one frame is selected for each image frame n of the image information and the reduced image information is selected, , One-third of the reading speed when recording image information
n.

On the other hand, the recording / reproducing head speed varying means 41 controls the rotational speed of the drum to be 1 / n of that for recording image information, although not shown in the drawing. The displacement speed is also controlled to 1 / n. Also, the information recording medium speed varying means 40
The displacement speed of the magnetic tape is also controlled to 1 / n.

The manner in which the shortened image information is recorded on the magnetic tape will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The magnetic tape 50 embodies the information recording medium according to claim 1. At the rising point 32 of the 1/2 VD synchronizing pulse, an image frame converted into digital data (hereinafter referred to as DV format) by the analog-to-digital converter A / D1 is stored in the frame memory 3. Time point 3
5, the information unit of the odd field of the image frame stored from the frame memory 3 is read out by the image frame information unit rate varying means 25 at the above-mentioned speed of 1 / n. 1/2 VD
Recording is performed in a period corresponding to three synchronization pulses, that is, over three frames, and the recording is completed at time 38.

At time 38, the information unit of the even field of the image frame is read from the frame memory 3 and recorded on the track 37 of the magnetic tape 50 over three frames in the same manner. At time 42, the recording is completed. At this time, at time 39, the next image frame of the image information is already selected and stored in the frame memory 3, and the contents of the previous image frame are rewritten.

During the above-described recording, the rotation speed of the drum is controlled to 1 / n of the rotation speed when recording image information by the recording / reproducing head speed varying means 41, and the displacement speed of the recording head 8 is also the same. Becomes 1 / n. Further, as described above, the displacement speed of the magnetic tape 50 is also controlled to 1 / n by the information recording medium speed varying means 40.
In FIG. 1A, the recording / reproducing head speed changing means 41 and the information recording medium speed changing means 40 are constituted by the CPU 10 and a program loaded therein. The timing control 9 cooperates with the CPU 10 and the image frame information unit rate varying means 25 in the same manner as the case described with reference to FIG. And the timing of the entire system.

Next, when the shortened image information recorded as described above is reproduced, the rotational speed of the drum is returned to the rotational speed for reproducing the original image information by the recording / reproducing head speed varying means 41. The displacement speed of the magnetic tape 50 is also returned by the information recording medium speed changing means 40 to the speed at which the original image information is reproduced. At the time of reproduction, reproduction is performed by a reproduction head, though not shown. At this time, a reproducing device built in an electronic device provided with the image information recording / reproducing device of the present invention may be used. Of course, the image information recording / reproducing device of the present invention may include a reproducing head and a reproducing device. Further, a recording / reproducing head which can share recording and reproduction may be used.

As is apparent from the above description, in the image information recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention and the electronic apparatus equipped with the same, the information unit rate of the shortened image information in the recording process,
That is, the recording speed on the magnetic tape 50 is reduced to 1 / n, the displacement speed of the magnetic tape 50 is reduced to 1 / n, the displacement speed of the recording head 8 is reduced to 1 / n, and the recording speed is restored in the reproducing process. Therefore, the tracks match in the recording process and the reproducing process. That is, at the time of reproduction, the reproduction head can correctly trace along the recording track.

In the reproducing process, the shortened image information is reproduced from the magnetic tape 50 at a similar displacement speed of n times in the recording process, and the information unit rate of the reproduced shortened image information is stored in the frame memory 3. It becomes equal to the information unit rate when the shortened image information is stored. Therefore, if the reproduced shortened image information is observed using the display device, one image can be selected for each image frame n of the image information, and the shortened image can be viewed by skipping the rest.

When one image is selected for each image frame n of the above-described image information and the remaining image is skipped and reduced to 1 / n, the value of n is very large, for example, image information of 24 hours is converted into an image frame. In the case where the image information is skipped and reduced to 10 minutes, for example, the image frame period is set to 1/30 second, and after selecting one image frame and then selecting the next image frame, Δ (24 hours × 60 minutes) ) / 10
Min｝ = 144 image frames, 144 image frames × (1
(/ 30 seconds) = 4.8 seconds, and displacing the magnetic tape 50 at such a low speed may not be advantageous in terms of stability and configuration scale.

Therefore, an upper limit (nx) is provided for the value of the integer n, and when the value of n exceeds this value, the recording / reproducing head speed varying means 41, the information recording medium speed varying means 40, the image frame information unit The displacement speed of the magnetic tape 50, the displacement speed of the recording head 8, and the information unit rate of the reduced image information are all reduced to 1 / nx by the rate varying means 25. For example, assuming that nx is set to 30 and an operation of performing skip recording of n = 60 will be described.
The displacement speed of the recording head 8, the displacement speed of the recording head 8, and the information unit rate of the shortened image information are reduced to 1/30, and each image frame is selected for every 30 image frames. As soon as one is selected for each,
While the displacement speed of the recording head 8 remains unchanged, the supply of the magnetic tape 50 and the shortened image information is stopped by the information recording medium speed varying means 40 and the image frame information unit rate varying means 25, and the remaining 30 frames are Discard without handling. This means that one image frame has been selected for every 60 image frames. The same operation is performed in the next cycle, and image frames are skipped intermittently. The above is an embodiment of claim 4.

The image information recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention is provided in the above-mentioned DV format digital VCR, and is used for so-called video editing or for monitoring video data by shortening and observing long-time image information. If it is used for forming and recording / reproducing shortened image information that enables long-term monitoring, it is possible to record and reproduce high-quality reduced image information with little noise during reproduction and without deterioration in resolution of still images. It is. In addition, if the image processing apparatus is provided in an electronic device that processes image information, a high-quality still image can be always provided, which can be used for processing in the electronic device. Although the magnetic tape has been described as a recording medium in the case described above, a disc-shaped information recording medium may be used. The point is that the information recording medium and the recording / reproducing head are relatively displaced at a relative speed, and the relative displacement causes the arrangement of the recording track of the shortened image information and the arrangement of the reproducing track of the original image information to be applied to all image information recording / reproducing devices. You can do it.

[0034]

As described above, according to the image information recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention and the electronic apparatus equipped with the same, one of the image information is selected for each image frame n and the rest are skipped. In the recording process, the displacement speed of the information recording medium, the displacement speed of the recording head, and the input rate of the information unit of the shortened image information to the recording head are reduced to 1 / n in the case of recording and reproducing the image information, and the reproduction is performed. In the process, by returning the displacement speeds of the information recording medium and the reproducing head to the original, the reproduced track and the track to be recorded can be made to coincide with each other, and the band noise unlike the conventional example does not occur. In addition, since image compression as in the MPEG method is not used, the resolution of an image frame does not deteriorate. Therefore, if the image information recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention is provided in a digital VCR, a monitoring apparatus, and an information processing apparatus, there is an effect that a high-quality image with less noise and with no deterioration in the resolution of a still image can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image information recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of a conventional image information recording / reproducing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the relationship between tracks on a magnetic tape when recording and reproducing shortened image information in a conventional image information recording and reproducing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... analog-to-digital converter, 3 ... frame memory, 5
... Digital-to-analog converter, 6 ... FM modulator, 8 ... Recording head, 10 ... CPU, 9 ... Timing control,
25: image frame information unit rate varying means, 41: recording / reproducing head speed varying means, 40: information recording medium speed varying means, 36, 37 ... track, 50 ... magnetic tape,
2,7,11,9,12,32,35,38,39,4
2 ... Time of 1/2 VD synchronization pulse

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A method according to claim 1, wherein one of a plurality of image frames constituting the image information is selected every n (n is an integer) and the remaining image frames are skipped. An image information recording / reproducing apparatus which generates a piece of shortened image information and records / reproduces the shortened image information on an information recording medium using a recording / reproducing head, comprising: an image storing 1 / n image frames of the shortened image information Frame storage means, read out the information unit of the image frame stored in the image frame storage means from the image frame storage means, and set the recording rate on the information recording medium to the rate for recording the information unit of the image information. An image frame information unit rate changing unit that changes the ratio to 1 / n, and a displacement speed of the information recording medium when the shortened image information is recorded. An information recording medium speed varying means for varying the displacement speed of the information recording medium by 1 / n compared to the displacement speed of the information recording medium; and the recording when recording the image information by changing the displacement speed of a recording head when recording the shortened image information. An image information recording / reproducing apparatus comprising: a recording / reproducing head speed varying means for varying the speed of the reproducing head by 1 / n compared to the displacement speed of the reproducing head. 2. When reproducing the shortened image information, the information recording medium speed changing means changes the displacement speed of the information recording medium to the displacement speed of the information recording medium for reproducing the image information, 2. The image information recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the speed varying means varies a displacement speed of the reproducing head to a displacement speed of the reproducing head for reproducing the image information. 3. The image information according to claim 1, further comprising an analog-to-digital converter for generating the shortened image information from the image information when the image information is analog information. Recording and playback device. 4. The information recording medium speed varying means and the image frame information unit rate varying means intermittently control displacement of the information recording medium and supply of image frame information units for the predetermined value of n or more. The image information recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image information is recorded. 5. An electronic apparatus comprising the image information recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1.