JP2006033022A - Image pickup device and image recording method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique of an image pickup device capable of easily reducing the data size of a recorded image in sequentially picking up a frame image at a high-speed frame rate. <P>SOLUTION: The image pickup device can photograph at a high-speed frame rate of three times a frame rate of motion picture reproduction. When this image pickup device photographs a motion image, a photographing operation is repeated while a focusing condition is changed in a three stages concerning, for example, a focusing position of a main object, thereby enabling sequentially acquiring three kinds of image data (a-c sequence) such as image data Da of rear focus, image data Db of just focus and image data Dc of front focus and recording the acquired data. In recording the data, the recording is performed while the image data Da, Dc of a and c sequences are set at a high compression rate with respect to the image data Db of the b sequence whose focus condition is proper. As this result, the data size of the recorded image can be easily reduced. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique of an imaging device that records a captured frame image.

  For imaging devices such as surveillance cameras, a technology that makes the quality and amount of captured images appropriate for recording and data transmission by automatically changing the frame rate at the time of shooting and the compression rate of the shot image according to the situation. (See Patent Document 1).

JP 2003-274360 A

  However, in the technique of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the frame rate and the image compression rate are automatically changed according to the case, so that the configuration for making this change becomes complicated.

  Further, in the technique of Patent Document 1, there is no mention of imaging at a frame rate faster than the display frame rate for displaying a moving image, and even in such a case, the data size of the recorded image is not always appropriate. Absent.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides an imaging device technology that can easily reduce the data size of a recorded image when sequentially capturing and recording frame images at a high frame rate. With the goal.

  In order to solve the above problems, the invention of claim 1 is an imaging device having a display means capable of displaying an image, wherein (a) an imaging means for sequentially generating frame images relating to a subject; and (b) Driving means for driving the imaging means at a plurality of timings during one frame period related to a display frame rate when displaying a moving image on the display means; and (c) periodically activating the driving means, The recording control means for sequentially acquiring the frame images, and (d) a recording control means for recording the frame images sequentially acquired by the imaging control means in a predetermined recording means, d-1) designation means for designating one or more timings among the plurality of timings as main timing; and (d-2) recording a frame image captured at the main timing at a predetermined image compression rate, Multiple taimi Frame compression means for recording a frame image captured at a timing other than the main timing in the recording at a high compression rate with respect to the predetermined image compression rate.

  The invention of claim 2 is an image pickup apparatus having a display means capable of displaying an image, wherein (a) an image pickup means for sequentially generating frame images relating to a subject, and (b) a moving image on the display means. Driving means for driving the imaging means at a plurality of timings during one frame period related to a display frame rate at the time of display; and (c) periodically activating the driving means so that the frame images are sequentially Photographing control means for acquiring, and (d) recording control means for recording the frame images sequentially acquired by the photographing control means in a predetermined recording means, wherein the recording control means comprises (d-3) the plurality of (D-4) time axis compression for each frame image group at each timing; and (d-4) defining means for defining a frame image group at each timing composed of frame images periodically captured at each timing. Conduct And time axis compression means for recording in the predetermined recording means.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the imaging device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the driving means is (c-1) photographing based on a predetermined change pattern at each timing in the plurality of timings. Means for changing conditions is provided, and the predetermined change pattern is a pattern for changing the photographing condition into a plurality of stages.

  Further, the invention of claim 4 is the imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving means includes (c-2) means for changing the photographing condition at each timing in the plurality of timings, The recording control means includes: (d-3) defining means for defining a frame image group at each timing composed of frame images periodically captured at each of the plurality of timings; and (d-4) each timing. A time axis compression unit that performs time axis compression for each frame image group and records in the predetermined recording unit, and (d-5) the frame compression unit and the time axis compression unit according to the shooting conditions. And selecting means for selectively activating.

  Further, the invention of claim 5 is the imaging apparatus according to the invention of claim 4, further comprising: (e) means for driving an optical member for forming a subject light image on the imaging means; When the shooting condition is changed by driving the optical member, the frame compression means is activated, and when the shooting condition is changed without driving the optical member, A means for activating the time axis compression means;

  The invention of claim 6 is an image recording method of an imaging apparatus comprising display means capable of displaying an image and imaging means for sequentially generating frame images relating to a subject, wherein (a) a moving image is displayed on the display means. A driving step of driving the imaging means at a plurality of timings during one frame period related to a display frame rate when displaying the image, and (b) periodically repeating the driving step to sequentially acquire the frame images. A shooting step; and (c) a recording step of recording frame images sequentially acquired in the shooting step in a predetermined recording means, wherein the recording step is designated from (c-1) the plurality of timings. A frame image captured at one or more timings is recorded at a predetermined image compression rate, and a frame image captured at a timing other than the one or more timings among the plurality of timings is recorded as the predetermined Having a frame compression step of recording at a high compression ratio with respect to the image compression ratio.

  Further, the invention of claim 7 is an image recording method of an image pickup apparatus having a display means capable of displaying an image and an image pickup means for sequentially generating a frame image related to a subject, wherein (a) a moving image is displayed on the display means. A driving step of driving the imaging means at a plurality of timings during one frame period related to a display frame rate when displaying the image, and (b) periodically repeating the driving step to sequentially acquire the frame images. And (c) a recording step of recording the frame images sequentially acquired in the imaging step in a predetermined recording means, and the recording step is (c-1) periodic at each of the plurality of timings. A time-axis compression step of performing time-axis compression for each frame image group at each timing constituted by the captured frame images and recording the frame images in the predetermined recording means.

  According to the first and third to fifth aspects of the present invention, a frame image captured at a main timing designated from a plurality of timings at which the imaging means is driven during one frame period related to the display frame rate. Recording is performed at a predetermined image compression rate, and a frame image captured at a timing other than the main timing is recorded at a high compression rate with respect to the predetermined image compression rate. As a result, the data size of the recorded image can be easily reduced when imaging at a high frame rate. Also, by correcting an image with a high compression rate using an image with a predetermined compression rate (low compression rate), a moving image with much difference is obtained at any timing image although it takes time.

  According to the second and third aspects of the present invention, each of the frame images that are periodically captured at each of a plurality of timings at which the imaging means is driven during one frame period related to the display frame rate. Time axis compression is performed for each timing frame image group and recorded in a predetermined recording means. As a result, the data size of the recorded image can be easily reduced when imaging at a high frame rate.

  In the invention of claim 3, since the shooting condition is changed at each timing based on the change pattern for changing the shooting condition to a plurality of stages, a plurality of moving images having different shooting conditions can be relatively captured by one shooting. Can be acquired with a small data size.

  In the invention of claim 4, since the frame compressing means and the time axis compressing means are selectively activated according to the photographing conditions to be changed at each timing, an appropriate recording process can be performed.

  In the invention of claim 5, when the photographing condition is changed by driving the optical member, the frame compression means is activated, and the photographing condition is changed without driving the optical member. Activates the time axis compression means, so that an optimal recording process can be performed.

  According to the invention of claim 6, a frame image captured at one or more timings specified from a plurality of timings at which the imaging means is driven during one frame period related to the display frame rate is subjected to predetermined image compression. The frame image captured at a timing other than the designated timing is recorded at a high compression rate with respect to a predetermined image compression rate. As a result, the data size of the recorded image can be easily reduced when imaging at a high frame rate.

  According to the invention of claim 7, frame images at respective timings composed of frame images periodically taken at a plurality of timings at which the imaging means is driven during one frame period related to the display frame rate. Time-axis compression is performed for each group and recorded in a predetermined recording means. As a result, the data size of the recorded image can be easily reduced when imaging at a high frame rate.

<First Embodiment>
<Principal configuration of imaging device>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an imaging apparatus 1A according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the image pickup apparatus 1A. 1 and 2 show three axes of X, Y, and Z that are orthogonal to each other in order to clarify the orientation relationship.

  The imaging apparatus 1A is configured as a digital camera, for example, and a photographing lens 11 and a flash 12 are provided on the front surface of the camera body 10. A C-MOS sensor (hereinafter simply referred to as “CMOS”) 21 as an image pickup device that photoelectrically converts a subject image incident through the shooting lens 11 to generate a color image signal is provided behind the shooting lens 11. It has been.

  The photographing lens 11 includes a zoom lens 111 and a focus lens 112 (see FIG. 3). By driving these lenses in the optical axis direction, zooming and focusing of a subject image formed on the CMOS 21 are performed. Can be realized.

  A shutter button 13 is disposed on the upper surface of the imaging apparatus 1A. The shutter button 13 is configured as a two-stage switch that can detect a half-pressed state (S1 state) and a fully-pressed state (S2 state). Here, if the fully-pressed state (S2 state) is set while moving image shooting is set as the shooting mode, moving image shooting is performed during the period until the fully-pressed state is reached again.

  A mounting portion 14 for mounting a memory card 9 for recording image data obtained by the main photographing operation accompanying the pressing operation of the shutter button 13 is formed on the side surface portion of the imaging device 1A. Further, a card eject button 15 that is operated when the memory card 9 is ejected from the mounting portion 14 is disposed on the side surface of the imaging apparatus 1A.

  On the back of the imaging device 1A, a liquid crystal display (LCD) 16 that displays a live view display that displays the subject in a moving image mode before the actual shooting, and an image display such as a shot image, a shutter speed and a zoom. And a rear operation unit 17 for changing various setting states of the imaging apparatus 1A.

  The rear operation unit 17 includes a plurality of operation buttons 171 to 173. For example, zoom operation and exposure setting can be performed by operating the operation buttons 171 and moving image shooting mode and playback mode can be set by operating the operation buttons 173. it can.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks of the imaging apparatus 1A. Below, the function of each part is demonstrated along the sequence of video recording. In the present embodiment, the Motion JPEG (hereinafter also referred to as “MJPEG”) format is used as the moving image format.

  When the main switch is operated and the camera is activated, a subject light image is formed on the CMOS 21 through the zoom lens 111 and the focus lens 112, and frame images of analog signals related to the subject are sequentially generated. The analog signal is converted into a digital signal by A / D conversion in the signal processing unit 22 and is temporarily stored in the memory 23.

  The image data primarily stored in the memory 23 is subjected to image processing such as γ conversion and aperture control in the image processing unit 24, and then subjected to processing for display on the LCD 16, and is displayed on the LCD 16 in a live view.

  The composition of the subject can be confirmed by such a live view display of the subject, and the angle of view can be changed by operating the operation button 171 while visually recognizing the subject image. In this case, when the zoom operation by the operation button 171 is detected by the control unit 20A, the zoom lens 111 is driven to set the angle of view desired by the user. Note that the CMOS 21 of the imaging apparatus 1A can capture an image at 90 fps as described later, but the image is updated once every three frames on the LCD 16 during live view display.

  When the control unit 20A detects that the shutter button 13 is half-pressed (S1), the AE calculation unit 25 calculates an appropriate exposure amount for the entire captured image based on the output from the CMOS 21, and the shutter speed and signal The gain of the amplifier in the processing unit 22 is set.

  When the calculation in the AE calculation unit 26 is completed, the white balance (WB) calculation unit 27 calculates an appropriate WB setting value, and the image processing unit 24a sets R gain and G gain for performing white balance correction. .

  When the calculation in the WB calculation unit 27 is completed, the focus calculation unit 25 calculates an AF evaluation value used in contrast AF based on the output from the CMOS 21, and drives the focus lens 112 based on the calculation result. Is controlled by the control unit 20A to focus on the subject. Specifically, a focus motor (not shown) is driven to detect a lens position where the high frequency component of the image acquired by the CMOS 21 reaches a peak, and the focus lens 112 is moved to this position.

  Next, when the shutter button 13 is fully pressed, moving image shooting starts. During moving image shooting, the image data from the image processing unit 24 is stored in the memory card 9. When the full press is performed again, the moving image shooting is finished. Live view display continues.

  The moving image shooting sequence of the imaging apparatus 1A described above is executed by the control unit 20A controlling each unit in an integrated manner.

  The control unit 20A includes a CPU that functions as a computer, and includes a flash ROM 201 and a RAM 202. The flash ROM 201 stores various control programs for controlling the imaging apparatus 1A.

  Hereinafter, the moving image shooting operation and the reproduction operation of the imaging apparatus 1A will be described in detail.

<Movie shooting and playback operations>
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a moving image shooting operation and a reproduction operation in the imaging apparatus 1A. 4A to 4D, the horizontal axis represents the time axis.

  In the CMOS 21 of the image pickup apparatus 1A, as shown in FIG. 4A, moving images can be taken at 90 fps, that is, the time interval between frames is about 11.1 ms. That is, three timings (hereinafter, these three timings are referred to as “first timing”, during one frame period (33.3 ms) related to a display frame rate (30 fps) when displaying a moving image on the LCD 16. By periodically repeating the operation of driving the CMOS 21 at the display frame rate at “second timing” and “third timing”, the display frame rate is three times as high as the display frame rate. Frame images can be acquired sequentially. The numbers 1, 2, 3,... In FIG. 4 (a) are frame numbers (No) and indicate that the image was taken later as the number increased.

  Even if a video is recorded at such a frame rate, if it is played back at a general frame rate of 30 fps (the time interval between frames is about 33.3 ms), it will be sufficient as a video as far as the human eye can see. In the image pickup apparatus 1A, a moving image recorded at 90 fps is thinned out and reproduced.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4B, among the frame groups (Nos. 1 to 24) shown in FIG. 4A, the frame numbers corresponding to the first timing are 1, 4, 7,. ... That is, an image having 3n-2 (n is a natural number) is extracted and reproduced as a moving image. In the following, for convenience of explanation, images with frame numbers 1, 4, 7,..., That is, images taken at the first timing are referred to as a-series image groups, and a1, a2, a3. Also display.

  As shown in FIG. 4 (c), among the frame groups (No. 1 to 24) shown in FIG. 4 (a), the frame numbers corresponding to the second timing are 2, 5, 8,. That is, an image of 3n-1 (n is a natural number) is extracted and reproduced as a moving image. In the following, for convenience of explanation, an image having a frame number of 2, 5, 8,..., That is, an image captured at the second timing is referred to as a b-sequence image group, and b1, b2, b3. Also display.

  As shown in FIG. 4D, among the frame groups (No. 1 to 24) shown in FIG. 4A, the frame numbers corresponding to the third timing are 3, 6, 9,. That is, an image having 3n (n is a natural number) is extracted and reproduced as a moving image. In the following, for convenience of explanation, an image with a frame number of 3, 6, 9,..., That is, an image captured at the third timing is referred to as a c-sequence image group, and c1, c2, c3. Also display.

  As described above, the image capturing apparatus 1A can simultaneously acquire a group of ac images in one shooting, but can acquire three types of moving images by shooting under different shooting conditions in each of the ac sequences. Is possible. For example, in each of the image series of a to c series, the photographic lens is focused on the main subject (here, the part located in the center of the image), focused slightly forward, focused slightly behind. By shooting while changing to three stages of the in-focus position, three types of in-focus moving images can be acquired. Specifically, the frame condition is sequentially acquired at a frame rate of 90 fps while changing the photographing condition based on the change pattern for sequentially changing the focusing condition to the above three focusing positions for each driving of the CMOS 21. .

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining three types of in-focus states. FIGS. 5A to 5C show scenes in which three automobiles P1 to P3 are traveling, respectively, and the distance from the imaging device 1A increases in the order of the automobiles P3, P2, and P1. ing.

  In the image shown in FIG. 5A, after the focus calculation unit 25 performs a focus calculation on the automobile P2 of the main subject (focused subject), the focus position is set slightly behind the focus position. This is a photographed image and is focused on the automobile P1. 5A to 5C express that the line is drawn out of focus as the line width for drawing the automobiles P1 to P3 increases.

  The image shown in FIG. 5B is an image taken at this in-focus position after the focus calculation unit 25 performs the focus calculation on the car P2 of the main subject, and is focused on the car P1 in the center of the screen. ing.

  The image shown in FIG. 5C is an image obtained by performing the focus calculation for the automobile P2 as the main subject in the focus calculation unit 25 and then setting the focus position slightly before this focus position. Focusing on the car P3.

  As described above, since the imaging apparatus 1A can shoot in three types of in-focus states, the user cares whether or not the user wants to accurately focus on the vehicle that he / she wants to shoot in the in-focus state during video shooting. You can concentrate on shooting without.

  A specific moving image shooting operation for acquiring moving images in the above three types of in-focus states will be described below.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the moving image shooting operation in the imaging apparatus 1A. This operation is executed by the control unit 20A.

  First, it is determined whether or not the shutter button 13 has been half-pressed by the user while the moving image shooting mode is set and the preview display is performed on the LCD 16 by operating the operation button 173 (step ST1). If the shutter button 13 is half-pressed, the process proceeds to step ST2. If the shutter button 13 is not half-pressed, step ST1 is repeated.

  In step ST2, the AE calculation unit 26 performs AE calculation to determine an appropriate shutter speed of the CMOS 21 and a gain of the signal processing unit 22.

  In step ST3, the WB calculation unit 27 performs WB calculation to determine appropriate R gain and B gain.

  In step ST4, the focus calculation unit 25 performs focus calculation, and the focus lens 112 is moved to the focus position of the main subject by the above-described contrast AF.

  In step ST5, it is determined whether the shutter button 13 has been fully pressed by the user. If the shutter button 13 is fully pressed, the process proceeds to step ST6. If the shutter button 13 is not fully pressed, the process returns to step ST2.

  In Step ST6, the focus position of the focus lens 112 is set to the back side. Specifically, the focus lens 112 is moved in the direction corresponding to the back side from the focus position of the main subject detected in step ST4.

  In step ST7, an a-series image as shown in FIG. 5A in the focused state set in step ST6 is taken at the first timing. Here, the image acquired by the CMOS 21 is subjected to signal processing by the signal processing unit 22 and temporarily stored in the memory 23, and then subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 24a and image compression at a compression ratio of 1/16. To the memory card (recording means) 9.

  In step ST8, the focus lens 112 is set to the in-focus position. Specifically, the focus lens 112 is moved to the focus position of the main subject detected in step ST4.

  In step ST9, a b-series image as shown in FIG. 5B is taken at the second timing with the subject in focus. Here, the image acquired by the CMOS 21 is subjected to signal processing by the signal processing unit 22 and temporarily stored in the memory 23, and then subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 24a and image compression at a compression rate of 1/8. Is recorded on the memory card 9.

  In step ST10, the focus position of the focus lens 112 is set to the near side. Specifically, the focus lens 112 is moved from the in-focus position of the main subject detected in step ST4 in a direction corresponding to the near side of the in-focus position.

  In step ST11, a c-sequence image as shown in FIG. 5C is taken at the third timing in the in-focus state set in step ST10. Here, the image acquired by the CMOS 21 is subjected to signal processing by the signal processing unit 22 and temporarily stored in the memory 23, and then subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 24a and image compression at a compression ratio of 1/16. Is recorded on the memory card 9.

  In step ST12, it is determined whether the shutter button 13 is fully pressed again. If the shutter button 13 is fully pressed, the process proceeds to step ST13. If not, the process returns to step ST6 to repeat the photographing operation.

  In step ST13, post-processing is performed. Specifically, the image processing is performed on the image still remaining in the memory 23 by the operations of the above-described steps ST7, ST9, and ST11, an operation of creating a tab to be described later, and recording it on the memory card 9 is performed.

  In step ST14, it is determined whether the post-processing has been completed. Here, when the post-processing is completed, the process returns to step ST1, and when the post-processing is not completed, step ST13 is repeated.

  Through the moving image shooting operation as described above, an image of each frame shown in FIG. 7 can be acquired. That is, the a series of frames f1 (a1), f4 (a2), f7 (a3), and f10 (a4) are sequentially taken by the operation of step ST7, and the frames f2 (b1) and f5 are taken by the operation of step ST9. (b2), f8 (b3), and f11 (b4) b-sequence images are sequentially taken, and frames f3 (c1), f6 (c2), f9 (c3), f12 (c4) are obtained by the operation of step ST11. ) C-series images are sequentially taken.

  In steps ST6 and ST10 described above, it is not essential to set the main subject in a predetermined amount before and after the in-focus position. For example, the focus calculation for each of the automobile P1 and the automobile P3 shown in FIG. 5 is performed. You may make it focus every time imaging is performed. In this case, focusing accuracy is improved for targets other than the main subject.

  The recording of the frame image shot as described above will be described below.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the data arrangement of the frame images recorded on the memory card 9. 8A to 8C correspond to frame images of a to c series, respectively.

  Tag information TG indicating shooting conditions and the like is added to the recorded image data Da to Dc of each frame of the a to c series, and the image data is included in a part of the tag information TG under any shooting conditions. Shooting condition tags TGa to TGc indicating that the shot has been taken are provided. Specifically, the a series of image data Da is provided with a shooting condition tag TGa indicating shooting in a focused state set from the in-focus side of the main subject to the b series of image data Db. Is assigned with a shooting condition tag TGb indicating shooting in the focused state set at the focus position of the main subject, and set to the near side from the focus position of the main subject in the c-series image data Dc. An imaging condition tag TGc indicating the imaging in the focused state is added.

  In this way, by adding discrimination information for distinguishing each stage of the shooting condition to the frame image, it is possible to determine whether the recorded image data corresponds to an image of a series, b series, or c series, and an appropriate Can play.

  Further, the image data Da to Dc of the frames of the a to c series have different data sizes because the image compression rates when recording on the memory card 9 are not the same as described above. That is, the compression rate of the image data Db considered to be appropriate for the focus condition of the main subject is set to 1/8, and the image data Da set to the back side from the focus position of the main subject and set to the near side. The compression rate of the image data Dc is set to 1/16 of a high compression rate with respect to the compression rate of the image data Db, and the image is compressed by the JPEG method and recorded in the memory card 9. The image compression rate is changed by switching between a compression table with a compression rate of 1/8 and a compression table with a compression rate of 1/16, which are stored in the image processing unit 24a.

  As described above, the image is picked up at the second timing (main timing) designated as an appropriate in-focus state for the main subject among the three timings when the CMOS 21 is driven during one frame period of the display frame rate (30 fps). B-series frame images are recorded at a compression rate of 1/8, and the a-c sequence frame images captured at the first and third timings other than the second timing are compressed at the second timing compression rate. Although recording at a higher compression ratio of 1/16 reduces the quality of a / c series frame images in which the in-focus state is not appropriate, the data size for recording a moving image acquired by the moving image shooting operation described above Can be reduced.

  Next, playback processing of the moving image (frame image group) recorded as described above will be described.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the reproduction process. Note that the frame images f1 to f12 in this figure correspond to the frame images f1 to f12 at the time of moving image shooting shown in FIG.

  When the a series is designated by the user as a reproduction target, the frame images f1 (a1), f4 (a2), f7 (a3), f10 (a4) to which the shooting condition tag TGa shown in FIG. ) Are extracted from all the frame images and reproduced and displayed on the LCD 16 in order.

  When the b series is designated by the user as a reproduction target, the frame images f2 (b1), f5 (b2), f8 (b3), f11 to which the shooting condition tag TGb shown in FIG. (b4) is extracted from all the frame images and reproduced and displayed on the LCD 16 in order.

  Similarly, when the user designates the c series as a reproduction target, the frame images f3 (c1), f6 (c2), f9 (c3), to which the shooting condition tag TGc shown in FIG. f12 (c4) is extracted from all the frame images and reproduced and displayed on the LCD 16 in order.

  With the operation of the imaging apparatus 1A described above, when recording each frame image shot while changing the focusing condition in three stages at a high frame rate, the compression condition of the b-series image data with the proper focusing condition is Since the compression rate of the a / c series image data is set high, the data size of the recorded image can be easily reduced.

Second Embodiment
An imaging apparatus 1B according to the second embodiment of the present invention has a configuration similar to that of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, but the configuration of the control unit is different.

  That is, in the control unit 20B of the imaging apparatus 1B, a control program for performing a moving image shooting operation described below is stored in the ROM 201.

<Movie shooting operation>
In the imaging apparatus 1B, similarly to the imaging apparatus 1A of the first embodiment, 90 fps moving image shooting shown in FIG. 4 can be performed, and three types of moving images a to c can be acquired by one shooting. In the imaging apparatus 1B, the focusing condition is not changed to three stages as in the first embodiment, but the exposure condition is changed to three stages.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining three types of exposure states. In each of the images shown in FIGS. 10A to 10C, the person SB is photographed in a backlight state.

  The image shown in FIG. 10 (a) is an image taken by setting the underexposure from the proper exposure state to the entire image after performing the AE calculation by the AE calculation unit 26.

  The image shown in FIG. 10 (b) is an image taken after the AE calculation unit 26 performs the AE calculation and sets the appropriate exposure state (reference parameter) for the entire image.

  The image shown in FIG. 10 (c) is an image taken by setting the overexposure state from the appropriate exposure state for the entire image after performing the AE calculation by the AE calculation unit 26. Note that, since the shooting is performed in the backlight, the image shown in FIG. 10C taken with overexposure to the person SB rather than the image shown in FIG. On the other hand, the exposure is appropriate.

  As described above, since the imaging apparatus 1B can shoot in three types of exposure states, the user can concentrate on shooting without worrying about whether or not the person SB is properly exposed during moving image shooting.

  A specific moving image shooting operation for acquiring the above three types of exposed moving images will be described below.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart for describing a moving image shooting operation in the imaging apparatus 1B. This operation is executed by the control unit 20B.

  In steps ST31 to ST35, operations similar to those in steps ST1 to ST5 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 are performed.

  In step ST36, the exposure is set to under. Specifically, the shutter speed of the CMOS 21 and the gain of the signal processing unit 22 determined in step ST32 are changed by a predetermined amount in the under-exposure direction.

  In step ST37, an a-series image as shown in FIG. 10A is taken with underexposure. Here, the image acquired by the CMOS 21 is subjected to signal processing by the signal processing unit 22 and temporarily stored in the memory 23, and then subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 24a and image compression at a compression ratio of 1/16. Is recorded on the memory card 9.

  In step ST38, the exposure is set appropriately. Specifically, the shutter speed of the CMOS 21 and the gain of the signal processing unit 22 determined in step ST32 are set.

  In step ST39, a b-series image as shown in FIG. 10B is taken with the exposure being appropriate. Here, the image acquired by the CMOS 21 is subjected to signal processing by the signal processing unit 22 and temporarily stored in the memory 23, and then subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 24a and image compression at a compression rate of 1/8. Is recorded on the memory card 9.

  In step ST40, overexposure is set. Specifically, the shutter speed of the CMOS 21 and the gain of the signal processing unit 22 determined in step ST32 are changed by a predetermined amount in the overexposure direction.

  In step ST41, a c-sequence image as shown in FIG. 10C is taken with overexposure. Here, the image acquired by the CMOS 21 is subjected to signal processing by the signal processing unit 22 and temporarily stored in the memory 23, and then subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 24a and image compression at a compression ratio of 1/16. Is recorded on the memory card 9.

  In steps ST42 to ST44, operations similar to those in steps ST12 to ST14 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 are performed.

  With the moving image shooting operation as described above, an image of each frame shown in FIG. 12 can be acquired. That is, a series of images of frames g1 (a1), g4 (a2), g7 (a3), and g10 (a4) are sequentially taken by the operation of step ST37, and frames g2 (b1), g5 are taken by the operation of step ST39. The b-series images of (b2), g8 (b3), and g11 (b4) are sequentially taken, and the frames g3 (c1), g6 (c2), g9 (c3), g12 (c4) are performed by the operation of step ST41. ) C-series images are sequentially taken.

  As for the image data of each frame of the ac series, the data size is different because the image compression rate when recording on the memory card 9 is not the same as described above. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the compression rate of image data Db with proper exposure that is considered to be appropriate is set to 1/8, and the compression rate of underexposed image data Da and overexposed image data Dc is set to 1/8. The compression rate is set to 1/16, which is higher than the compression rate appropriate for exposure, and the image is compressed by the JPEG method and recorded in the memory card 9.

  By making the compression ratio for the a · c series image data Da and Dc, which are frame images according to the above, larger than the compression ratio for the b series image data Db, which is the main frame image, the above-described moving image shooting operation is performed. The data size at the time of recording the acquired moving image (frame image group) can be reduced.

  For reproduction of the moving image shot as described above, the same operation as in the first embodiment is performed.

  That is, when the a series is designated by the user as a reproduction target, the frame images g1 (a1), g4 (a2), g7 (a3) of FIG. 12 to which the shooting condition tag TGa shown in FIG. ), G10 (a4) are extracted from all the frame images and reproduced and displayed on the LCD 16 in order.

  When the b series is designated as a reproduction target by the user, the frame images g2 (b1), g5 (b2), g8 (b3) of FIG. 12 to which the shooting condition tag TGb shown in FIG. ), G11 (b4) are extracted from all the frame images and reproduced and displayed on the LCD 16 in order.

  Further, when the c series is designated as a reproduction target by the user, the frame images g3 (c1), g6 (c2), g9 (c3) of FIG. 12 to which the shooting condition tag TGc shown in FIG. ), G12 (c4) are extracted from all frame images and reproduced and displayed on the LCD 16 in order.

  With the operation of the imaging apparatus 1B described above, when recording each frame image shot while changing the exposure condition in three stages at a high frame rate, the a. Since the compression rate of the c-series image data is set high, the data size of the recorded image can be easily reduced.

  In addition, when there is no change in composition, it is possible to obtain a beautiful image even at a high compression rate by correcting a high compression rate image group using a low compression rate image group. Become.

<Third Embodiment>
An imaging apparatus 1C according to the third embodiment of the present invention has a configuration similar to that of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, but the configuration of the control unit is different.

  That is, in the control unit 20C of the imaging apparatus 1C, a control program for performing a moving image shooting operation described below is stored in the ROM 201.

<Movie shooting operation>
In the imaging apparatus 1C, similarly to the imaging apparatus 1A of the first embodiment, 90 fps moving image shooting shown in FIG. 4 can be performed, and three types of moving images a to c can be acquired by one shooting. In the imaging apparatus 1C, the zoom condition (the focal length condition regarding the photographing lens 11) is changed to three stages without changing the focusing condition to three stages as in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining three types of zoom states. In each of the images shown in FIGS. 13A to 13C, a person OB is taken.

  The image shown in FIG. 13A is an image captured by setting the telephoto side somewhat from the zoom value (focal length) set by the user.

  The image shown in FIG. 13B is an image taken at a zoom value set by the user.

  The image shown in FIG. 13C is an image captured by setting the zoom value slightly wider than the zoom value set by the user.

  As described above, since the imaging apparatus 1C can shoot in three types of zoom states, the user can concentrate on shooting without worrying about the angle of view during moving image shooting.

  A specific moving image shooting operation for acquiring moving images in the above three zoom states will be described below.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart for describing a moving image shooting operation in the imaging apparatus 1C. This operation is executed by the control unit 20C. The photographer performs desired zoom magnification setting with the operation member while viewing the LCD preview screen.

  In steps ST51 to ST55, operations similar to those in steps ST1 to ST5 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 are performed.

  In step ST56, the telephoto side is set from the zoom value designated by the user. Specifically, the zoom lens 111 is moved to the telephoto side with respect to the focal length of the photographing lens 11 set by the user operation on the operation button 171 before photographing. At this time, the focus lens 112 is also driven so that the focus state of the subject does not change.

  In step ST57, an a-series image as shown in FIG. 13A is shot in the tele zoom state. Here, the image acquired by the CMOS 21 is subjected to signal processing by the signal processing unit 22 and temporarily stored in the memory 23, and then subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 24a and image compression at a compression ratio of 1/16. Is recorded on the memory card 9.

  In step ST58, the zoom value designated by the user is set. Specifically, the zoom lens 111 is moved to a position corresponding to the focal length set before photographing. At this time, the focus lens 112 is also driven so that the focus state of the subject does not change.

  In step ST59, a b-sequence image as shown in FIG. 13B is taken in the zoom state designated by the user. Here, the image acquired by the CMOS 21 is subjected to signal processing by the signal processing unit 22 and temporarily stored in the memory 23, and then subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 24a and image compression at a compression rate of 1/8. Is recorded on the memory card 9.

  In step ST60, the zoom value is set wider than the zoom value designated by the user. Specifically, the zoom lens 111 is moved to the wide side with respect to the focal length set before photographing. At this time, the focus lens 112 is also driven so that the focus state of the subject does not change.

  In step ST61, a c-sequence image as shown in FIG. 13C is taken in the zoom state on the wide side. Here, the image acquired by the CMOS 21 is subjected to signal processing by the signal processing unit 22 and temporarily stored in the memory 23, and then subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 24a and image compression at a compression ratio of 1/16. Is recorded on the memory card 9.

  In steps ST62 to ST64, operations similar to those in steps ST12 to ST14 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 are performed.

  With the moving image shooting operation as described above, an image of each frame shown in FIG. 15 can be acquired. That is, a series of images of frames h1 (a1), h4 (a2), h7 (a3), and h10 (a4) are sequentially taken by the operation of step ST57, and frames h2 (b1) and h5 are taken by the operation of step ST59. The b-sequence images of (b2), h8 (b3), and h11 (b4) are taken sequentially, and the frames h3 (c1), h6 (c2), h9 (c3), h12 (c4) are performed by the operation of step ST61. ) C-series images are sequentially taken.

  As for the image data of each frame of the ac series, the data size is different because the image compression rate when recording on the memory card 9 is not the same as described above. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the compression rate of the image data Db corresponding to the zoom state specified by the user for which the zoom condition is considered preferable is set to 1/8, and the image data Da in the tele zoom state and the wide side are set. The compression rate of the image data Dc in the zoom state is set to 1/16 of a compression rate higher than the compression rate in the zoom state designated by the user, and the image is compressed by the JPEG method and recorded in the memory card 9.

  By making the compression ratio for the a · c series image data Da and Dc, which are frame images according to the above, larger than the compression ratio for the b series image data Db, which is the main frame image, the above-described moving image shooting operation is performed. The data size at the time of recording the acquired moving image (frame image group) can be reduced.

  For reproduction of the moving image shot as described above, the same operation as in the first embodiment is performed.

  That is, when the a series is designated by the user as a reproduction target, the frame images h1 (a1), h4 (a2), h7 (a3), h10 of FIG. 15 to which the shooting condition tag TGa shown in FIG. 8 is added. (a4) is extracted from all frame images, and reproduced and displayed on the LCD 16 in order.

  When the b series is designated as a reproduction target by the user, the frame images h2 (b1), h5 (b2), h8 (b3), h11 in FIG. 15 to which the shooting condition tag TGb shown in FIG. (b4) is extracted from all the frame images and reproduced and displayed on the LCD 16 in order.

  When the c-sequence is designated as a reproduction target by the user, the frame images h3 (c1), h6 (c2), h9 (c3), h12 of FIG. 15 to which the shooting condition tag TGc shown in FIG. (c4) is extracted from all the frame images, and reproduced and displayed on the LCD 16 in order.

  With the operation of the imaging apparatus 1C described above, in recording each frame image taken while changing the zoom (focal length) condition at three stages at a high frame rate, b-series image data corresponding to the zoom state specified by the user Since the compression rate of the a · c series image data is set higher than the compression rate, the data size of the recorded image can be easily reduced.

<Fourth embodiment>
An imaging apparatus 1D according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention has a configuration similar to that of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, but the configuration of the control unit is different.

  That is, in the control unit 20D of the imaging apparatus 1D, a control program for performing a moving image shooting operation described below is stored in the ROM 201.

<Movie shooting operation>
In the imaging device 1D, similarly to the imaging device 1A of the first embodiment, 90 fps moving image shooting shown in FIG. 4 can be performed, and three types of moving images a to c can be acquired by one shooting. In the imaging apparatus 1D, the focus condition is not changed to three stages as in the first embodiment, but the white balance (WB) condition is changed to three stages.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining three types of WB states. In each of the images shown in FIGS. 16A to 16C, an evening scene is captured.

  The image shown in FIG. 16 (a) is an image taken after setting the WB calculation value to be reddish from an appropriate WB control value after the WB calculation unit 27 performs the WB calculation. In this case, since the WB control value is set red, an image showing a vivid evening scene can be acquired.

  The image shown in FIG. 16 (b) is an image that is captured by setting the appropriate WB control value after the WB calculation unit 27 performs the WB calculation. In this case, an image that is shot with an appropriate value based on the WB calculation but is somewhat unsatisfactory as an evening scene is acquired.

  The image shown in FIG. 16 (c) is an image taken after the WB calculation unit 27 performs the WB calculation and is set to a bluish color with an appropriate WB control value. In this case, since the WB control value is set to be bluish, an image that is somewhat lacking in sunset scenery is acquired.

  As described above, since the imaging apparatus 1D can shoot in three types of WB states, the user can concentrate on shooting without worrying about whether or not the white balance is intended for moving image shooting.

  A specific moving image shooting operation for acquiring moving images in the three types of WB states as described above will be described below.

  FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a moving image shooting operation in the imaging apparatus 1D. This operation is executed by the control unit 20D.

  In steps ST71 to ST75, operations similar to those in steps ST1 to ST5 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 are performed.

  In step ST76, the white balance is set red. Specifically, among the R gain and B gain determined in step ST73, the R gain is increased.

  In step ST77, an a-series image as shown in FIG. 16A is taken in a reddish WB state. Here, the image acquired by the CMOS 21 is subjected to signal processing by the signal processing unit 22 and temporarily stored in the memory 23, and then subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 24a and image compression at a compression ratio of 1/16. Is recorded on the memory card 9.

  In step ST78, the white balance is set to an appropriate value. Specifically, the R gain and B gain determined in step ST73 are set.

  In step ST79, a b-sequence image as shown in FIG. 16B is taken in an appropriate WB state. Here, the image acquired by the CMOS 21 is subjected to signal processing by the signal processing unit 22 and temporarily stored in the memory 23, and then subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 24a and image compression at a compression rate of 1/8. Is recorded on the memory card 9.

  In step ST80, the white balance is set to bluish. Specifically, the B gain is increased among the R gain and B gain determined in step ST73.

  In step ST81, a c-sequence image as shown in FIG. 16C is taken in a bluish WB state. Here, the image acquired by the CMOS 21 is subjected to signal processing by the signal processing unit 22 and temporarily stored in the memory 23, and then subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 24a and image compression at a compression ratio of 1/16. Is recorded on the memory card 9.

  In steps ST82 to ST84, operations similar to those in steps ST12 to ST14 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 are performed.

  Through the moving image shooting operation as described above, an image of each frame shown in FIG. 18 can be acquired. That is, the a series of frames k1 (a1), k4 (a2), k7 (a3), and k10 (a4) are sequentially taken by the operation of step ST77, and the frames k2 (b1), k5 are taken by the operation of step ST79. The b series images of (b2), k8 (b3), and k11 (b4) are sequentially taken, and the frames k3 (c1), k6 (c2), k9 (c3), and k12 (c4) are performed by the operation of step ST81. ) C-series images are sequentially taken.

  As for the image data of each frame of the ac series, the data size is different because the image compression rate when recording on the memory card 9 is not the same as described above. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the compression rate of WB appropriate image data Db that is considered to be appropriate for the WB condition is set to 1/8, and image data Da in a red WB state and image in a blue WB state are set. The compression rate of the data Dc is set to 1/16 of a compression rate higher than the compression rate appropriate for WB, and the image is compressed by the JPEG method and recorded in the memory card 9.

  By making the compression ratio for the a · c series image data Da and Dc, which are frame images according to the above, larger than the compression ratio for the b series image data Db, which is the main frame image, the above-described moving image shooting operation is performed. The data size at the time of recording the acquired moving image (frame image group) can be reduced.

  For reproduction of the moving image shot as described above, the same operation as in the first embodiment is performed.

  That is, when the a series is designated by the user as a reproduction target, the frame images k1 (a1), k4 (a2), k7 (a3), k10 of FIG. 18 to which the imaging condition tag TGa shown in FIG. (a4) is extracted from all frame images, and reproduced and displayed on the LCD 16 in order.

  When the b series is designated as a reproduction target by the user, the frame images k2 (b1), k5 (b2), k8 (b3), k11 of FIG. 18 to which the shooting condition tag TGb shown in FIG. (b4) is extracted from all the frame images and reproduced and displayed on the LCD 16 in order.

  Further, when the c series is designated as a reproduction target by the user, the frame images k3 (c1), k6 (c2), k9 (c3), k12 of FIG. 18 to which the shooting condition tag TGc shown in FIG. 8 is added. (c4) is extracted from all the frame images, and reproduced and displayed on the LCD 16 in order.

  With the operation of the imaging apparatus 1D described above, in recording of each frame image shot while changing the WB condition in three stages at a high frame rate, the a. Since the compression rate of the c-series image data is set high, the data size of the recorded image can be easily reduced.

<Fifth Embodiment>
An imaging apparatus 1E according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention has a configuration similar to that of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, but the configurations of the image processing unit and the control unit are different. In addition, the photographing apparatus 1E can change each photographing state regarding the focusing condition, the exposure condition, the zoom condition, and the WB condition of the first to fourth embodiments. Here, the shooting condition to be changed is set by a user operation on the rear operation unit 17.

  In the image processing unit 24b of the imaging apparatus 1E, in addition to the JPEG method in the first to fourth embodiments, the MPEG method can be used for image compression, and these compression methods can be switched. Since the MPEG type image compression can perform temporal compression using the correlation between frames, there is a case where a higher compression ratio can be realized than the JPEG method that performs spatial compression in each frame image.

  FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining image compression by the MPEG method. FIGS. 19A to 19C correspond to moving image data of a to c series, respectively.

  In the imaging apparatus 1E, for example, when the frame images f1 to f12 illustrated in FIG. 7 are acquired, the a series of frames configured by the frames f1 (a1), f4 (a2), f7 (a3), and f10 (a4) are obtained. MPEG compression using the correlation between frames for the image group is performed and recorded in the memory card 9 as a-series moving image data Ma. Further, MPEG system compression is performed on the b-sequence image group composed of the frames f2 (b1), f5 (b2), f8 (b3), and f11 (b4), and is recorded in the memory card 9 as b-sequence moving image data Mb. At the same time, MPEG system compression is performed on the c-sequence image group composed of the frames f3 (c1), f6 (c2), f9 (c3), and f12 (c4) to the memory card 9 as c-sequence moving image data Mc. Record.

  As described above, the frame images at the respective timings constituted by the frame images of the a to c series that are periodically imaged at the three timings when the CMOS 21 is driven during one frame period of the display frame rate (30 fps). By defining the group and performing MPEG time axis compression for each frame image group and recording it on the memory card, the data size when recording the movie (frame image group) acquired by the movie shooting operation is reduced. it can.

  Note that tag information TK is added to each of the recorded a to c series of moving image data Ma to Mc, and each of the a to c series of moving image data Ma to Mc is added to a part of the tag information TK. Shooting condition tags TKa to TKc are provided to indicate the shooting conditions (for example, in-focus state). With the shooting condition tags TKa to TKc, the recorded moving image data Ma to Mc are associated with the shooting conditions, and appropriate reproduction can be performed.

  In the control unit 20E of the imaging apparatus 1E, a control program for performing a compression method setting operation described below is stored in the ROM 201.

<Compression method setting operation>
In the image pickup apparatus 1E, the compression method can be switched between the JPEG method and the MPEG method as described above, but both compression methods are used in consideration of the following points.

  -The JPEG method is easy to use when used as a still image during playback. On the other hand, in the MPEG system, it can be cut out as a still image only at a specific timing.

  When changing the zoom or focus (in the case of the first and third embodiments), there are many cases where the movement is large because the individual states change. The MJPEG method is better when it is desired to reproduce such a large motion as a still image.

  -When changing the color and density (exposure) (in the second and fourth embodiments), it is considered that the movement is relatively small, so there are many cases where the above specific timing may be used. It is enough.

  Therefore, when the photographing condition is changed by driving the photographing lens 11 (optical member) as in the first and third embodiments, the JPEG compression method is set. On the other hand, when the shooting condition is changed without driving the optical member, such as the change of the exposure condition of the second embodiment or the change of the WB condition of the fourth embodiment, the MPEG compression method is set. To do.

  FIG. 20 is a flowchart for explaining the compression method setting operation in the imaging apparatus 1E. This operation is executed by the control unit 20E.

  In the imaging apparatus 1E, the four shooting conditions shown in the first to fourth embodiments can be changed. However, the shooting condition to be changed is any of the focusing condition, the exposure condition, the zoom condition, or the WB condition. It is checked whether there is any (step ST91).

  In step ST92, it is determined by the check in step ST91 whether or not the change of the photographing condition is an optical system. Specifically, as described above, it is determined whether the change of the focusing state and the change of the zoom condition accompanied by the driving of the photographing lens 11 are set by the user. As a result, depending on the shooting conditions, execution of compression (frame compression) using the JPEG method and compression (time axis compression) using the MPEG method are selected.

  If the photographing condition is changed in the optical system in step ST92, the process proceeds to step ST93. Otherwise, specifically, if the exposure condition is changed and the WB condition is changed, the process proceeds to step ST94.

  In step ST93, the JPEG system is set. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, each captured frame image is subjected to JPEG compression with the a / c series image compression rate higher than the b series image compression rate.

  In step ST94, the MPEG system is set. As a result, as shown in FIG. 19, the frame image group to be shot is recorded as moving image data Ma to Mc after MPEG compression is performed on each of the a to c series frame image groups. Become.

  Note that the moving image shooting operation of the imaging apparatus 1E is the same as the first to fourth embodiments shown in FIGS. 6, 11, 14, and 17. However, the operations in steps ST6 to ST11 in FIG. 6 (steps ST36 to ST41 in FIG. 11, steps ST56 to ST61 in FIG. 14, steps ST76 to ST81 in FIG. 17) are set by the above-described compression method setting operation. JPEG or MPEG image compression is performed, and the captured image is recorded in the memory card 9.

  The operation of the imaging apparatus 1E described above provides the same effects as those of the first to fourth embodiments. Furthermore, since the image compression method is set to the JPEG method or the MPEG method according to the shooting conditions involving the change, the data size of the recorded image can be further appropriately reduced.

  In the image pickup apparatus 1E, it is not essential to perform MJPEG image compression only when the shooting condition is changed by driving the shooting lens (optical system) 11, and the exposure condition is not changed without driving the optical system. Even when the WB condition is changed, compression may be performed using the MJPEG method.

<Modification>
In the first to fourth embodiments described above, it is not essential to set the b-series frame image specified as the reference by changing the imaging condition to the lowest compression rate. May be set to the lowest compression rate. Further, for example, a minimum compression rate may be set for frame images of two or more sequences such as a sequence and b sequence. In such a case, the shooting conditions that the user wants to achieve a low compression rate are specified in advance before shooting.

  In each of the above embodiments, it is essential to change one of the focusing condition, the exposure condition, the zoom (focal length related to the imaging optical system) condition, and the white balance condition as the shooting condition. Alternatively, a plurality of conditions may be combined and changed from these four types of shooting conditions.

  In each of the above embodiments, it is not essential to use a CMOS as an image sensor, and a CCD may be used.

1 is a perspective view showing an imaging apparatus 1A according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a rear view of imaging device 1A. It is a figure which shows the functional block of 1 A of imaging devices. It is a figure for demonstrating the video recording operation | movement and reproduction | regeneration operation | movement in 1 A of imaging devices. It is a figure for demonstrating three types of focusing states. It is a flowchart explaining the moving image shooting operation | movement in 1 A of imaging devices. It is a figure for demonstrating the frame image acquired by video recording. 4 is a diagram for explaining a data arrangement of frame images recorded on a memory card 9. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating reproduction | regeneration processing. It is a figure for demonstrating three types of exposure states in the imaging device 1B which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining the moving image shooting operation | movement in the imaging device 1B. It is a figure for demonstrating the frame image acquired by video recording. It is a figure for demonstrating three types of zoom states in 1 C of imaging devices which concern on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining the video recording operation | movement in 1 C of imaging devices. It is a figure for demonstrating the frame image acquired by video recording. It is a figure for demonstrating three types of WB states in the imaging device 1D which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining the moving image shooting operation | movement in imaging device 1D. It is a figure for demonstrating the frame image acquired by video recording. It is a figure for demonstrating the image compression by the MPEG system in the imaging device 1E which concerns on 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining the setting operation of the compression system in the imaging device 1E.

Explanation of symbols

1A to 1E Imaging device 9 Memory card 16 Liquid crystal display (LCD)
20A to 20E Controller 21 CMOS
22 Signal processing unit 23 Memory 24a, 24b Image processing unit 25 Focus calculation unit 26 AE calculation unit 27 WB calculation unit 111 Zoom lens 112 Focus lens 171 to 173 Operation button 201 Flash ROM
f1 to f12, g1 to g12, h1 to h12, k1 to k12 Frame image Da a series image data Db b series image data Dc c series image data Ma a series moving picture data Mb b series moving picture data Mc c series Video data TGa to TGc, TGp

Claims (7)

An imaging apparatus having display means capable of displaying an image,
(a) imaging means for sequentially generating frame images related to the subject;
(b) driving means for driving the imaging means at a plurality of timings during one frame period related to a display frame rate when displaying a moving image on the display means;
(c) imaging control means for sequentially and repeatedly activating the driving means to sequentially acquire the frame images;
(d) recording control means for recording the frame images sequentially acquired by the photographing control means in a predetermined recording means;
With
The recording control means includes
(d-1) designation means for designating one or more timings as the main timing among the plurality of timings;
(d-2) A frame image captured at the main timing is recorded at a predetermined image compression rate, and a frame image captured at a timing other than the main timing among the plurality of timings is set to the predetermined image compression rate. Frame compression means for recording at a high compression rate,
An imaging device comprising: An imaging apparatus having display means capable of displaying an image,
(a) imaging means for sequentially generating frame images related to the subject;
(b) driving means for driving the imaging means at a plurality of timings during one frame period related to a display frame rate when displaying a moving image on the display means;
(c) imaging control means for sequentially and repeatedly activating the driving means to sequentially acquire the frame images;
(d) recording control means for recording the frame images sequentially acquired by the photographing control means in a predetermined recording means;
With
The recording control means includes
(d-3) defining means for defining a frame image group at each timing composed of frame images periodically captured at each timing at each of the plurality of timings;
(d-4) Time axis compression means for performing time axis compression for each frame image group at each timing, and recording in the predetermined recording means;
An imaging device comprising: In the imaging device according to claim 1 or 2,
The driving means includes
(c-1) means for changing the photographing condition based on a predetermined change pattern for each timing in the plurality of timings,
Have
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined change pattern is a pattern for changing the imaging condition in a plurality of stages. The imaging device according to claim 1,
The driving means includes
(c-2) means for changing imaging conditions at each timing in the plurality of timings;
And having
The recording control means includes
(d-3) defining means for defining a frame image group at each timing composed of frame images periodically captured at each of the plurality of timings;
(d-4) Time axis compression means for performing time axis compression for each frame image group at each timing, and recording in the predetermined recording means;
(d-5) a selection unit that selectively activates the frame compression unit and the time axis compression unit according to the shooting condition;
An image pickup apparatus further comprising: The imaging apparatus according to claim 4,
(e) means for driving an optical member for forming a subject light image on the imaging means;
Further comprising
The selection means includes
When the imaging condition is changed by driving the optical member, the frame compression means is activated, and when the imaging condition is changed without driving the optical member, the time Means for activating axial compression means;
An imaging device comprising: An image recording method for an imaging apparatus having display means capable of displaying an image and imaging means for sequentially generating frame images related to a subject,
(a) a driving step of driving the imaging unit at a plurality of timings during one frame period related to a display frame rate when displaying a moving image on the display unit;
(b) The driving process is repeated periodically, and the frame image is sequentially acquired, and
(c) a recording step of recording the frame images sequentially acquired in the photographing step in a predetermined recording unit;
With
The recording step includes
(c-1) A frame image captured at one or more timings specified from the plurality of timings is recorded at a predetermined image compression rate, and is captured at a timing other than the one or more timings among the plurality of timings. A frame compression step of recording the frame image at a high compression rate with respect to the predetermined image compression rate,
An image recording method for an imaging apparatus, comprising: An image recording method for an image pickup apparatus, comprising: a display means capable of displaying an image; and an image pickup means for sequentially generating a frame image related to a subject,
(a) a driving step of driving the imaging unit at a plurality of timings during one frame period related to a display frame rate when displaying a moving image on the display unit;
(b) The driving process is repeated periodically, and the frame image is sequentially acquired, and
(c) a recording step of recording the frame images sequentially acquired in the photographing step in a predetermined recording unit;
With
The recording step includes
(c-1) a time-axis compression step of performing time-axis compression for each frame image group at each timing constituted by frame images periodically captured at each of the plurality of timings and recording the predetermined recording means,
An image recording method for an imaging apparatus, comprising:

Images