JP2001292356A - Imaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging apparatus where an operator operates a changeover switch to freely invert a display of an image on a monitor. SOLUTION: A main body 5 has an upper face, a bottom face, and 1st and 2nd side faces opposed to each other so as to connect the upper face and the bottom face. A camera section 8 whose upper face is notched to be nearly a channel shape and having a lens container section 7 in the notch is supported by a horizontal spindle 6 so that a lens section is turned in 1st and 2nd side face directions. An LCD 2 displaying an image photographed by the camera section 8 is placed on the 1st side face of the main body 5. An operation button 31 to control the operation of the LCD 2 is provided to the 1st side face. By operating a counter changeover switch, a display state of an image is freely inverted in vertical and horizontal directions.

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 in which an image pickup section and a monitor display element are integrated.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional camera-integrated display device, for example, a movie with a liquid crystal TV, the contents recorded by a VTR are immediately reproduced on the spot and observed on a liquid crystal television for monitoring (hereinafter, monitor TV). Alternatively, the video from the camera can be directly displayed on the monitor TV for observation.

[0003] For this reason, a movie with a liquid crystal TV is widely used, for example, it can be used for research on forms in various sports, and checking of dressing and makeup. The advantage of using a movie with a liquid crystal TV for checking dressing and makeup in this way is that, since the screen is reduced, the user can visually recognize himself / herself more than if he / she sees it in a mirror.

[0004]

However, in such a conventional display device, in order to display an image taken by a camera as it is on a monitor TV in the same manner as a television by a normal scanning method, A mirror image [an image in which the left and right are reversed when a person faces the mirror] cannot be obtained.

Therefore, while watching a movie with a liquid crystal TV,
For example, there is a problem that the user feels somewhat confused when studying sports forms, checking dressing or makeup, and it has been desired to improve this point. That is, since an image on the monitor TV in a display device such as a movie with a liquid crystal TV is not inverted in the horizontal direction, a mirror image cannot be obtained. However, the position and the moving direction of the image on the observer side did not match when the monitor TV was observed. In such a case, the observer himself has to consciously invert the image in the horizontal direction and re-recognize the image, which is confusing.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to rotate the camera unit to monitor the operator himself as a subject by the image display device, and to freely reverse the image displayed on the monitor to obtain a desired image. It is an object of the present invention to provide an imaging device which can be in a display state, and which can convert an image of the operator into a desired display state, for example, a mirror image, and display the image even when the camera unit is turned to the operator.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus having an image pickup section having a lens and a display section having a display means for displaying an image picked up by the image pickup section. An imaging apparatus characterized in that it is rotatable about one axis so that a subject in a forward or backward direction of the display means can be photographed, and has an operable changeover switch for inverting the display of the display means. It is.

[0008] Since the camera section of the main body is rotatably mounted, when an image is monitored at the time of photographing with the camera, an image corresponding to the rotating state of the camera section is displayed on the image display element. Inverts the scanning direction of the image display element vertically or horizontally even if the camera unit does not rotate and the image display state does not change, as well as when the camera unit rotates and the image display state changes. By doing so, the display state of the image can be freely converted to the state desired by the operator. Further, when the camera unit is rotated to the operator side, the operator himself is photographed as a subject, and an image in a state where the mirror image of the operator is vertically inverted is displayed on the image display element. As a result, the mirror image of the operator can be displayed by inverting only in the vertical direction of the scanning direction of the image display element.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the present invention is applied to a display device having a VTR and a liquid crystal display (hereinafter, LCD).

This camera-integrated display device has a camera unit 1
LCD 2 as an image display element, and image display circuit 3
, A VTR unit 4 and a main body 5 as a cabinet.

The camera unit 1 captures a subject and converts it into a color image signal S1 and outputs it to an image display circuit 3 to display the subject as an image P on the LCD 2, or the VTR unit 4 outputs the color image signal S1 together with an audio signal. To be recorded on a VTR tape (not shown). The camera unit 1 is attached to a horizontal support shaft 6 at an upper end portion.
A camera 8 which is rotatable in the circumferential direction (in the direction of arrow C) and has a lens housing 7 and is mounted on the horizontal support shaft 6 coaxially with the camera 8 so as to move the camera 8 in the circumferential direction (indicated by arrow (In the direction C).

The LCD 2 is driven by driving the pixel E.
The desired image P is displayed. The LCD 2 is on the front side of the main body 5
Surface 10, and m row electrodes X
And n columns of column electrodes Y. Then, when displaying the image P,
The i-th row electrode X _i And the j-th column electrode Y_j 
To the drive signal SM supplied from the image display circuit 3
And the pixel E at the intersection_ijIs performed.

The image display circuit 3 (see FIG. 2) is provided with a drive signal SM and three primary color signals (described later) based on a color video signal S1 supplied from the camera unit 1, VTR unit 4, or a TV tuner unit (not shown). Is formed and applied to the LCD 2 to form an image P
Is displayed. The image display circuit 3 includes a signal processing circuit 11, a synchronization control circuit 12, an LCD drive control circuit 13, a column electrode selection drive circuit 14, and a row electrode selection drive circuit 15. Signal processing circuit 11
Are the camera unit 1, VTR unit 4, input from the terminal 16,
Alternatively, a color video signal S from a TV tuner or the like (not shown)
1 to perform processing such as YC separation, color demodulation, matrix calculation, etc., and supply a horizontal synchronization signal SH and a vertical synchronization signal SV included in the color video signal S1 to the synchronization control circuit 12, and 13, the color video signal S1 is separated and supplied to red (R), blue (B), and green (G) primary color signals.

The synchronization control circuit 12 supplies a timing signal ST to the LCD drive control circuit 13 based on the horizontal / vertical synchronization signals SH and SV from the signal processing circuit 11, and supplies a column and row electrode selection drive circuit 14, Horizontal for each of the 15
Clock signal CL synchronized with vertical synchronization signals SH and SV
H and CLV are supplied.

The LCD drive control circuit 13 generates a primary color signal R.
G and B, an inverted signal * R * G * B (* means inversion) is formed, and these primary color signals R * G
-Voltages V1 and V formed from B and * R * G * B
2 and V3 are applied to the column electrode selection drive circuit 14.

As shown in FIG. 3, the column electrode selection drive circuit 14 is provided with a counter 17 for receiving the clock signal CLH from the synchronization control circuit 12 and counting the clock signal CLH. This counter 17 is a so-called up / up counter capable of performing a counting operation in an addition direction (up) or a subtraction direction (down).
This is a down counter.

To switch the counting direction of the counter 17, a counter changeover switch 18 is provided. The counter changeover switch 18 has terminals 19, 20, 21
An H level voltage is applied to one terminal 20, and the other terminal 21 is grounded to be at an L level. The counter 17 forms an up counter by connecting the terminals 19 and 20 (that is, H level), and forms a down counter by connecting the terminals 19 and 21 (that is, L level). The binary signal output from the counter 17 is supplied to the BCD decoder 22,
The decoder 22 generates a column electrode selection signal Sr.
Further, the column electrode selection drive circuit 14 includes a column electrode selection signal Sr
And a driving circuit 23 for selecting a corresponding column electrode Y based on the driving signal SM and applying a driving signal SM to the column electrode Y.

The row electrode selection drive circuit 15 has a configuration similar to that of the column electrode selection drive circuit 14, and includes a counter 24 for counting the clock signal CLV from the synchronization control circuit 12, and a binary signal output from the counter 24. It comprises a BCD decoder 25 for outputting a row electrode selection signal Sc, a counter changeover switch 26, and a driving device 27. The counter changeover switch 26 is linked with the rotation of the camera 8. That is, when the camera 8 is facing forward (direction indicated by arrow F), the terminals 28 and 29 are connected to make the counter 24 an up counter, and the camera 8 is facing rearward (direction indicated by arrow B). In this case, the terminals 24 are connected to make the counter 24 a down counter.
The connection state of the counter changeover switch 26 can be released by operating the operation button 31, so that the counter 24 can be set to any of an up counter and a down counter.

The VTR section 4 is formed below the main body 5 and records a color video signal S1 supplied from the camera section 1 or a TV tuner (not shown) together with an audio signal on a VTR tape (not shown). It is to let. At the time of reproduction, the VTR unit 4 outputs a color video signal S1 to the image display circuit 3 to display the image P on the LCD2.

Next, a normal image P and a mirror image PM are displayed on the LCD 2 of the camera-integrated display device by using the camera 8.
Will be described.

(1) Displaying a Normal Image P As shown in FIG. 4, the camera 8 is pointed at a subject (not shown), and the terminals 19 and 20 of the counter changeover switch 18 are displayed.
To apply an H level voltage to the counter 17 to make the counter 17 an up counter. On the other hand, the counter changeover switch 26 is in a state in which the terminals 28 and 29 are connected because the camera 8 is facing forward (the direction indicated by the arrow F).
The counter 24 is an up counter.

When the clock signal CLV is applied to the counter 24 of the row electrode selection drive circuit 15 which is an up counter, the clock signal CLV is counted and the counted value is supplied to the BCD decoder 25 as a binary signal. BC
The D decoder 25 applies the row electrode selection signal Sc to the drive circuit 27 from the first binary signal. Driving circuit 27 selects the row electrodes X ₁ of the first row by the row electrode selection signal Sc applies a driving signal SM.

When the clock signal CLH is applied to the counter 17 of the column electrode selection drive circuit 14 as an up counter, the clock signal CLH is counted and the counted value is supplied to the BCD decoder 22 as a binary signal. BCD
The decoder 22 outputs a column electrode selection signal S from the first binary signal.
r is applied to the drive circuit 23. Drive circuit 23 applies a driving signal SM select the column electrodes Y ₁ of the first row by the column electrode selection signal Sr.

As a result, the drive signal SM is applied to each of the first row electrode X ₁ and the first column electrode Y ₁ , and the pixel E _1,1 at the intersection is driven.

When the next clock signal CLH is applied to the counter 17 of the column electrode selection drive circuit 14, the counter 17
Is incremented in the addition direction and the second column electrode Y ₂
There pixel E _{1, 2} are selected drive signal SM is applied at the column electrode selection signal Sr is driven. And row electrodes X ₁ of the first row in this manner, which with the driving of the pixel E _{1, j} at the intersection of the respective column electrode Y _j crossing until the n-th column from the first column, increasing direction (column When the clock signal CLV is applied to the counter 24 of the row electrode selection drive circuit 15 after the operation is performed in the direction of increasing the electrode Y (the direction of the arrow YU), the counter 24 increments in the addition direction and then passes through the BCD decoder 25. Second
Row electrode selection signal Sc so as to select the row electrodes X ₂ of row is output to the drive circuit 27, a drive signal SM to the second row of the row electrodes X _2, based on the driving circuit 27 row electrode selection signal Sc Add.

The drive signal SM is applied to the row electrodes X ₂ of the second row sequentially to the column electrodes Y _j from the first column to the n-th column in the same manner as the row electrode X ₁ of the first row. Pixels E _{2,1 to} E
_{2, n} is driven. Thus, the row electrode X
The row numbers are sequentially selected from the first row to the m-th row in the direction in which the number of rows increases (the direction in which the row electrodes X increase, the direction indicated by the arrow XU). While the drive signal SM is continuously applied to one row electrode X _i ,
The column electrodes _Yj are sequentially selected from the first column to the n-th column in the direction in which the number of columns increases (the direction indicated by the arrow YU), and the drive signal SM is applied. Thus the row electrodes X _i and column electrodes Y _j
Intersection pixel E _{i of, j} are sequentially driven. During this time, the drive circuit 23 of the column electrode selection drive circuit 14 applies voltages V1 to V corresponding to the primary color signals output from the LCD drive control circuit 13.
3, and the hue, saturation, and luminance of the pixel Ei _{, j at} the time of driving are determined by the levels of the voltages V1 to V3. When all the pixels E _{1,1 to} Em _{, n} of the LCD 2 are driven, an image P is completed, and the above processing is continuously repeated,
A moving image can be realized.

Thus, the subject in the forward direction (the direction indicated by the arrow F) is displayed on the LCD 2 as it is.

(2) When Mirror Image PM is Displayed (Refer to Mirror Image PM shown in FIGS. 5 and 3) As shown in FIG. 5, when it is desired to use this camera-integrated display device instead of a mirror, The mirror image PM is displayed on the LCD 2. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, when the camera 8 is rotated (in the direction of arrow C) and turned to the side of the operator Ope (that is, the rearward direction, the direction of arrow B), the direction of the camera 8 is linked. The counter changeover switch 26 is connected to terminals 28 and 30 to form a down counter. On the other hand, the counter changeover switch 18 is kept as an up counter as in (1). This is because, when the camera 8 is directed to the operator Ope's own side (arrow B direction), the LCD 2 is inverted in both the vertical direction (arrow V direction) and the horizontal direction (arrow H direction). This is because the mirror image PM needs to be inverted only in the vertical direction (the direction indicated by the arrow V).

Counter 24 of row electrode selection drive circuit 15
Since a down counter, the row electrodes X _m of the m-th row are selected by the row electrode selection signal Sc when the counter 24 has counted the first-time clock signal CLV, the row electrode X _m driving signal SM is applied Is done. On the other hand, in the column electrode selection drive circuit 14, since the counter 17 is an up counter,
When the clock signal CLH is counted, the driving signal SM is applied by selecting the _first column electrode Y1. This allows
Is selected and the m-th row electrode X _m and the row electrode Y ₁ of the first row are each driving signal SM is applied the intersection of the pixel E _{m, 1}
Is driven.

When the counter 17 of the column electrode selection drive circuit 14 increments in the addition direction based on the next clock signal CLH, the second column electrode Y ₂ is selected, and the drive signal SM is applied.

In this way, the m-th row electrode X _m ,
After the pixels Em _{, 1 to} Em _{, n} at all the intersections with the respective column electrodes _Yj from the first column to the n-th column are driven in the direction indicated by the arrow YU, the row electrode selection drive circuit 15 is driven. When the clock signal CLV is applied to the counter 24, the row electrode selection signal Sc is output through the BCD decoder 25, and the drive circuit 27 outputs the row electrode selection signal Sc.
The row electrode _Xm-1 of the -1st row is selected, and the drive signal SM is applied.

[0032] The m-1 th row of the row electrode X _m-1, similar to the m-th row of the row electrodes X _m, the column electrodes Y _j toward the n-th column from the first column are sequentially selected To sequentially drive each pixel _{Em-1, j} .

In this manner, the row electrodes X are sequentially selected from the m-th row to the first row in the direction in which the number of rows decreases (the direction in which the row electrodes decrease, the direction indicated by the arrow XD). _While the drive signal SM is continuously applied to 1, the column electrode _Yj is in the direction in which the number of columns increases from the first column to the n-th column (arrow YU).
Direction), and the pixels E _{i, j} are sequentially driven.

As a result, the image P displayed in the order described in (1) is displayed in the direction of decreasing the number of rows from the m-th row to the first row in (2), and the display order in the column direction is reversed. Is the same, and if the image P displayed in (1) is used as a reference, an image in which the image P is vertically inverted (that is, a mirror image PM) is obtained.

According to this embodiment, when the camera unit 1 is directed to the operator Ope side (rearward direction), the mirror image PM can be displayed on the LCD 2 by the operation of the image display circuit 3,
This camera-integrated display device can be used as a mirror. In this embodiment, an example in which a mirror image is obtained by using the camera unit 1 is described. However, a mirror image can be obtained in the same manner when reproducing a VTR or receiving a TV.

In this embodiment, only the case where the image P is not inverted and the case where the image P is inverted in the vertical direction are described. However, by operating the counter changeover switches 18 and 26, As described below, the display state of the image P can be freely changed by reversing both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

(3) When the image is inverted in the horizontal direction (row electrode (up count) to column electrode (down count)) In this case, the counter 24 of the row electrode selection drive circuit 15
Is connected to the terminal 19 and the terminal 21 of the counter changeover switch 18 of the column electrode selection drive circuit 14, and an L level voltage is applied to the counter 17 to form a down counter.

[0038] Thus, the row electrodes X until m-th row from the first row are sequentially selected in a direction (arrow XU direction) the number of rows is increased, also connected to one row electrode X _i driving signal SM Is applied, the column electrodes Y _j are sequentially selected in the direction in which the number of columns decreases from the n-th column to the first column (the decreasing direction of the column electrodes Y, the YD direction indicated by the arrow), the row electrode X _i and column electrodes Y _j pixel E _i of the intersection of _{the, j} are sequentially driven.

As a result, the images P displayed in the order already described in (1) are displayed sequentially in the direction of decreasing number of columns from the n-th column to the first column in (3). (1)
With reference to the image P obtained by the above, an image in a state where this is inverted in the horizontal direction can be obtained.

(4) When the image is inverted in the horizontal and vertical directions (row electrode (down count) to column electrode (do
wn count)) In this case, the counter 2 is operated by operating the counter changeover switches 18 and 26 of the row and column electrode selection drive circuits 15 and 14.
An L level voltage is applied to 4 and 17 to form a down counter.

Since both the counters 24 and 17 of the row / column electrode selection drive circuits 15 and 14 are down counters, both counters 24 and 17 output the first clock signals CLH and C
At the time of counting the LV, the row electrodes X, the row electrodes X _m and the column electrodes Y in the m-th row, the n-th column electrode Y _n is selected each driving signal SM is applied.

[0042] In this way, row electrodes X until the first row from the m-th row are successively selected in the direction (arrow XD direction) the number of rows is reduced, also continues to be driven to one row electrode X _i while the signal SM is applied, the column electrode Y _j will be sequentially selected in the direction (arrow YD direction) the number of columns is decreased toward the first row from the n-th column, and the row electrode X _i The pixels E _{i, j at} the intersections of the column electrodes Y _j are sequentially driven.

As a result, in (4), images are sequentially displayed in the direction in which the number of rows decreases from the m-th row to the first row, and in the direction in which the number of columns decreases from the n-th column to the first column. If the image P obtained in (1) is used as a reference, an image obtained by inverting the image P in both the vertical and horizontal directions can be obtained.

The present invention is not limited to this embodiment, but can be applied to any of a simple matrix system, an active matrix system, and a double matrix electrode driving system. However, the present invention is not limited to this type of LCD, and can be applied to any type of LCD.

In this embodiment, an example is described in which the camera unit 1 is rotatable around the horizontal support shaft 6 and a mirror image is obtained by this. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
The horizontal support shaft 6 may be provided vertically with respect to the main body 5 to form a vertical support shaft, and a camera unit may be provided around the vertical support shaft to form a turret-like camera unit. In this case,
The mirror image is obtained by inverting the image in the horizontal direction.

[0046]

According to the present invention, a camera unit rotatably attached to an end of a main body and one side surface of the main body are provided.
Since at least a monitor capable of displaying an image from the camera unit is provided, there is an effect that, when shooting with the camera, the camera unit is rotated so that the operator himself can be freely monitored as a subject by the liquid crystal monitor.

Further, in addition to the above configuration, the display on the display means is switched to the inverted display in accordance with the rotation state of the imaging unit and the display unit, so that the display state desired by the observer is always maintained regardless of the orientation of the camera unit. There is an effect that an image can be obtained. Thereby, when the camera unit is pointed at the operator himself, it is easy to obtain a mirror image by inverting the display of the image on the monitor, and it can also be used for studying forms in various sports, checking makeup and dressing, etc. There is also the effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an LCD and an image display circuit used in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a row and column electrode selection drive circuit in the image display circuit.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of use of the camera-integrated display device.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of use of the camera-integrated display device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Camera part, 2: LCD, 3: Image display circuit, 5: Main body, 10: Side surface, P: Image, V: Vertical direction, H: Horizontal direction

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup apparatus comprising: an image pickup unit having a lens; and a display unit having a display unit for displaying an image picked up by the image pickup unit. An image pickup apparatus comprising: a switch that is rotatable about one axis so that a subject in a forward direction or a backward direction can be photographed, and that is operable to invert the display of the display unit.