JP2012053303A - Stereoscopic camera device and electronic information device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a stereoscopic camera device with a high degree of freedom which can create a stereoscopic image by controlling a convergence angle based on the distance to any subject present in a designated imaging angle without using a conventional range finder.SOLUTION: In a stereoscopic camera device, subject distance calculating means 72 calculates a distance between a camera (imaging sections 2a and 2b) and a predetermined subject on a display screen which has been selected through a touch panel 11 from among a plurality of objects present in a designated imaging angle according to a lens position defined by auto-focusing on the predetermined subject, the lens position being defined by focus controlling by focus controlling means 71 and an AF operation section. A stereoscopic image is displayed on the display screen by controlling a convergence angle 2θ, at which two optical axes OR and OL of respective lenses of a right side imaging optical system RL and a left side imaging optical system LL cross with each other, based on the calculated distance to the subject with convergence angle controlling means 73 and a convergence angle controlling mechanism 13.

Description

  The present invention relates to a stereo camera device that displays 3D video and an electronic information device such as a television phone device or a camera-equipped mobile phone device that uses the stereo camera device as an image input device.

  In recent years, display devices that display 3D images, such as flat-screen televisions, have become widespread. Furthermore, in order to handle 3D images in electronic information devices using electronic image sensors such as digital still cameras and video cameras as video input devices, they are arranged symmetrically using CMOS image sensors and CCD image sensors as solid-state image sensors. The subject is photographed by the two cameras, and the photographed image is recorded on a recording medium as stereoscopic video data.

  These two symmetrically arranged cameras, that is, a stereo camera (or a 3D camera) are provided with a pair of left and right objective optical systems in which the photographing optical axes are parallel, and images from the left and right objective optical systems are individually provided. It is recorded. In order to view a stereoscopic display image based on an image taken with this conventional stereo camera, the left and right images with parallax taken at the same time are superimposed on one screen, and the left and right images are placed on the left and right eyes. It is necessary to selectively input. The parallax generated by the left and right cameras taken at the same time depends on the distance between the left and right images by arranging the left and right cameras at a certain distance d in the horizontal direction (for example, the distance between the left and right eyes of a human). Therefore, there is a difference due to deviation in the horizontal direction. This is called parallax. By overlapping the left and right images with parallax on one screen and selectively inputting the left and right images to the left and right eyes, the sense of distance of the subject obtained from the display device can be obtained according to the parallax. It will be.

  On the other hand, when shooting with a stereo camera (stereoscopic camera) that records a subject image using at least a pair of shooting optical systems arranged symmetrically, or shooting with a telephoto shooting optical system When performing, the overlap area | region of each right-and-left picked-up image decreased, and it was difficult to image | photograph a three-dimensional image.

  In order to avoid this problem, the stereo camera disclosed in Patent Document 1 is complicated even when a subject in a relatively short distance is to be photographed or when photographing is performed using a telephoto photographing optical system. In order to provide a stereo camera that enables a good stereoscopic image by giving an appropriate convergence angle to the left and right imaging optical axes without requiring an operation, and at least a pair of imaging optical systems arranged on the left and right, A convergence angle control mechanism for controlling a convergence angle formed by the optical axes of the pair of photographing optical systems according to subject distance information. According to this configuration, it is not necessary to manually adjust the convergence angle every time the shooting distance changes, and the operability is good, and the object distance information used for the convergence angle control is obtained separately from the shooting optical system. A distance device is used.

  FIG. 10 is an external view showing a schematic configuration example of a conventional stereo camera disclosed in Patent Document 1. In FIG.

  In FIG. 10, a conventional stereo camera 100 is an electronic still camera that captures a subject image using an image sensor, and has a pair of left and right photographing optical systems RL and LL on the front surface of a box-shaped casing 101. Further, on the front surface of the box-shaped casing 101, an infrared active distance measuring device 102 is provided at an intermediate position between the pair of left and right photographing optical systems RL and LL.

  The right imaging optical system RL is fixed to a box-shaped right imaging unit 103. Similarly, the left photographing optical system LL is fixed to the box-shaped left photographing unit 104. Each photographing optical system RL, LL has an AF lens (not shown) movable along the optical axis. A pair of photographing units 103 and 104 arranged symmetrically have the same structure.

  FIG. 11 is a plan view schematically showing a specific example of the convergence angle control mechanism in the conventional stereo camera of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 11, a right CCD 105 that captures a subject image formed by the photographing optical system RL is fixed behind the photographing optical system RL in the photographing unit 103 in the optical axis direction. Similarly, a left CCD 106 that captures a subject image formed by the photographing optical system LL is fixed behind the photographing optical system LL in the photographing unit 104 in the optical axis direction.

  The left and right photographing units 103 and 104 are respectively fixed on rotating plates 107 and 108 having rotation centers parallel to each other. Fan-shaped gear portions 107a and 108a are formed on the rotating plates 107 and 108, and these gear portions 107a and 108a are always meshed. By the gear portions 107a and 108a, the left and right rotating plates 107 and 108 can be rotated in opposite directions in conjunction with each other. A fan-shaped worm wheel 108b is formed on the rotating plate 108 to which the left photographing unit 104 is fixed. The worm wheel 108b always meshes with a worm 109a fixed on the rotating shaft of the motor 109 provided in the vicinity of the rotating plate 108. The convergence angle control mechanism 117 is constituted by the rotating plates 107 and 108, the gear portions 107a and 108a, the worm wheel 108b, the worm 109a, the motor 109, and the like.

  FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view for explaining the convergence angle control in the conventional stereo camera of FIG.

In FIG. 12, f ₀ is a subject distance, θ is a half angle of convergence (ie, 2θ is a convergence angle), and P is an origin located at the center between the left and right imaging optical systems RL and LL. ing. A state in which the optical axes OR and OL of the left and right photographing units 103 and 104 are crossed at the front position (screen surface) of the stereo camera 100, that is, the left and right photographing optical systems RL and LL have a convergence angle, Shooting units 103 and 104 are arranged. Further, the left and right photographing optical systems RL and LL are arranged at an interval of the base line length d with the origin P as the center.

  FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration example of the conventional stereo camera 100 of FIG.

  In FIG. 13, a conventional stereo camera 100 has a system control circuit 110 that controls the entire camera. The system control circuit 110 is connected to a release switch 111 that is turned on / off by a button operation, operation switches 112 and 113 that are turned on / off by an operation, and a function dial switch 114 that changes a switch state by the operation. Yes. The release switch 111 is a switch for photographing, and is a two-stage switch for detecting half-press and full-press of the release button.

  The system control circuit 110 drives the ranging device 102, the AF lens of the right photographing optical system RL, the lens driving circuit 115 that drives the AF lens of the left photographing optical system LL, and the right CCD 105, and A CCD drive circuit 116 for driving the left CCD 106 and a convergence angle control mechanism 117 are connected to each other. Further, the system control circuit 110 is connected to a first LCD driving circuit 119 for driving the right LCD 118 and a second LCD driving circuit 121 for driving the left LCD 120.

  Furthermore, the system control circuit 110 removes noise from the first CCDS / AGC circuit 122 that performs analog gain control after removing noise from the imaging signal from the right CCD 105 and the imaging signal from the left CCD 106. After the removal, the second CDS / AGC circuit 123 for performing analog gain control, the first A / D converter 124 for A / D converting the output signal from the first CDS / AGC circuit 122, and the output from the second CDS / AGC circuit 123 A second A / D converter 125 for A / D converting the signal, a memory 126 for temporarily storing each digital value from the first A / D converter 124 and the second A / D converter 125, and color interpolation for the data from the memory 126 Signal processing unit 12 for performing various signal processing such as white balance When an image storage controller 128 for storing control processing such as compressing data from the memory 126 are connected. The storage device controller 128 is connected to an image storage device 129 for recording image data on a storage medium (not shown) such as a floppy disk or flash memory.

  With the above configuration, first, the system control circuit 110 acquires distance information about the subject using the distance measuring device 102, and the system control circuit 110 drives the convergence angle control mechanism 117 based on the subject distance information to The convergence angle is controlled so as to meet.

  Next, the system control circuit 110 acquires imaging contrast information for the subject from the memory 126, and the system control circuit 110 performs lens driving via the lens driving circuit 115 based on the imaging contrast information, thereby focusing the camera. Adjust the position. If the focus position is correct, shooting starts.

  At this time, the imaging signal acquired by the right CCD 105 is A / D converted by the first A / D converter 124 via the first CDS / AGC circuit 122 and temporarily stored as a right image signal in the memory 126. Similarly, the imaging signal acquired by the left CCD 106 is A / D converted by the second A / D converter 125 via the second CDS / AGC circuit 123 and temporarily stored as a left image signal in the memory 126.

  Subsequently, the image signal once stored in the memory 126 is subjected to predetermined signal processing via the signal processing unit 127, and then output to the right LCD 118 and the left LCD 120, respectively, and displayed in a three-dimensional manner.

  The signal processing unit 127 outputs each image signal output to the right LCD 118 and the left LCD 120 to the storage device controller 128. When the release button is pressed and the release switch 111 is turned on, the image signal is output. The data is compressed by the storage device controller 128 and is recorded as stereoscopic image data on a storage medium such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk or a flash memory by the image storage device 129.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-22014

  However, in the conventional stereo camera 100 disclosed in Patent Document 1, a distance measuring device 102 for obtaining subject distance information is arranged at the center of at least a pair of imaging optical systems arranged symmetrically, and an imaging angle of view is obtained. The distance information from only the subject (for example, the center of the angle of view) of the subject existing within the subject is acquired, and the convergence angle is given to the left and right imaging optical axes based on the distance information. Although it is possible to shoot a stereoscopic image, it is not possible to shoot a stereoscopic image by selecting a subject from the distance information of any subject existing within the shooting angle of view and giving a convergence angle to the right and left shooting optical axes. was there. In short, the distance measuring apparatus 102 acquires distance information only for one subject at the center of the screen, and cannot acquire distance information for a subject at an arbitrary position on the screen.

  Further, in order to obtain subject distance information, the distance measuring device 102 is required in addition to the pair of imaging optical systems arranged on the left and right, and accordingly, there is a problem that the control is complicated and expensive. .

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problem, and without using a conventional distance measuring device, performs a convergence angle control based on a distance to an arbitrary subject existing within a specified shooting angle of view. It is an object of the present invention to provide a stereo camera device having a high degree of freedom capable of capturing an image and an electronic information device such as a television phone device or a camera-equipped mobile phone device using the stereo camera device as an image input device. To do.

  The stereo camera device of the present invention includes a left and right imaging unit that can capture a plurality of subjects, a focus adjustment unit that adjusts each focus by moving each lens position of the left and right imaging units, and the plurality of the plurality of subjects. A subject selection unit that enables selection of one subject from the subject, and a subject that calculates distance information between the selected subject and the left and right imaging units based on the lens position at the time of focusing of the subject selected by the subject selection unit Each optical axis is aligned so that the intersection position where the optical axis of the right imaging unit and the optical axis of the left imaging unit intersect the distance calculation means and the screen surface corresponding to the distance information of the selected subject. And a convergence angle setting means for setting a convergence angle at which the crossing points meet, thereby achieving the above object.

  Preferably, the subject selection means in the stereo camera device of the present invention divides the imaging screen into a plurality of areas, selects the subject by selecting the one area from the divided areas, and calculates the subject distance. For each area, the means calculates and processes the distance information between the subject in the area and the left and right imaging units, and the distance information of one selected area from the distance information of the plurality of areas. The convergence angle setting means sets the convergence angle based on the selected distance information.

  Further preferably, the subject selection means in the stereo camera device of the present invention divides the imaging screen into a plurality of areas, selects the subject by selecting the one area from the divided areas, and calculates the subject distance. The means calculates the distance information between the subject in the selected area and the left and right imaging units, and the convergence angle setting means sets the convergence angle based on the calculated distance information.

  Further preferably, the subject selection means in the stereo camera device of the present invention is a touch panel arranged on a display screen of a 3D liquid crystal display unit for displaying a 3D image, and a coordinate position in the display screen can be designated by the touch panel. The subject at the designated coordinate position is selected.

  Further preferably, the subject selection means in the stereo camera device of the present invention is a touch panel arranged on a display screen of a 3D liquid crystal display unit for displaying a 3D image, and the touch panel is arranged in a plurality of areas in the display screen. By dividing and designating one area from the plurality of divided areas, a subject in the designated area is selected.

  Further preferably, the focus adjustment means in the stereo camera device of the present invention includes a focus control means for performing focus control so that the contrast of the image signal of the subject selected by the subject selection means is maximized, and the focus control means. Controlled, the lens position of the right imaging unit is moved in a direction perpendicular to the imaging element surface of the right imaging unit to focus on the subject, and the lens position of the left imaging unit is Auto-focus driving means for moving the subject in the direction perpendicular to the imaging element surface of the left imaging unit to focus on the subject.

  Further preferably, the convergence angle setting means in the stereo camera device of the present invention selects the intersection position of the optical axis of the right imaging unit and the optical axis of the left imaging unit based on the distance information. The convergence angle control means for controlling the convergence angle so as to match the screen surface on which the subject is present, and the convergence angle control means controls the rotation of the right imaging unit and the left imaging unit in opposite directions. A convergence angle control mechanism for setting the convergence angle.

Furthermore, preferably, the focus adjustment means in the stereo camera device of the present invention comprises:
Continuously with respect to the specified imaging screen area within the shooting angle of view during single focus autofocus control that is executed only once when the operation switch is pressed halfway, during preview operation, and during movie recording Perform focus control.

  Further preferably, in the stereo camera device of the present invention, the distance information between the selected subject and the left and right imaging units includes a first surface including a straight line drawn between the left and right imaging units, and the first surface. This is distance information between the second surface that is parallel and includes the selected subject.

  Further preferably, in the stereo camera device of the present invention, the second surface is the screen surface.

  Further preferably, in the stereo camera device of the present invention, the first surface is a surface including a straight line drawn between the center points of the image sensor surfaces of the left and right imaging units.

  Further preferably, in the stereo camera device of the present invention, a subject to be used when obtaining distance information used at the time of convergence angle control performed by the convergence angle setting unit, and a subject to be used at the time of focus adjustment performed by the focus adjustment unit Are at least identical.

  The electronic information apparatus of the present invention uses the stereo camera apparatus of the present invention as an image input device, and thereby the above object is achieved.

  With the above configuration, the operation of the present invention will be described below.

  In the present invention, left and right imaging units capable of imaging a plurality of subjects, focus adjustment means for adjusting each focus by moving each lens position of the left and right imaging units, and one subject from the plurality of subjects A subject selection unit that calculates the distance information between the selected subject and the left and right imaging units based on the lens position at the time of focusing of the subject selected by the subject selection unit; Convergence angle setting means for setting the convergence angle at which the optical axes intersect so that the intersection position at which the optical axis of the right imaging unit and the optical axis of the left imaging unit intersect with each other is provided on the corresponding screen surface. is doing.

  As a result, without using a conventional distance measuring device that measures the distance between the right photographing unit and the left photographing unit and the subject, one subject among a plurality of subjects existing within the designated photographing angle of view is obtained. The distance f0 with respect to the one subject is selected from the lens position at the time of autofocus with respect to the predetermined subject, and the convergence angle at which the optical axes of the lenses intersect is controlled based on the distance f0 of the selected subject. Thus, a stereo camera device having a high degree of freedom can be obtained.

  As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of subjects existing within a designated shooting angle of view can be used without using a conventional distance measuring device that measures the distance between the right photographing unit and the left photographing unit and the subject. Among them, the distance f0 between a predetermined subject on the display screen selected by the subject selection means and the camera (the right photographing unit and the left photographing unit) is obtained from the lens position at the time of autofocus with respect to the predetermined subject, and the selection is made. A stereo camera device with a high degree of freedom capable of taking a stereoscopic image by controlling the convergence angle 2θ at which the optical axes of the lenses of the right photographing unit and the left photographing unit intersect based on the distance f0 of the subject. Can be obtained.

  Further, since the distance information with respect to the subject can be obtained from the movement amount of the lens position by the focus adjustment function by moving the lens position to the photographing optical system, it is not necessary to use a distance measurement sensor. An inexpensive stereoscopic camera system without complicated control can be obtained.

It is a block diagram which shows the circuit structural example of the stereo camera in Embodiment 1 of this invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a distance relationship between a focus lens position and a selected subject in the right photographing optical system and the left photographing optical system in FIG. 1. It is a figure for demonstrating the relationship between a focus position and a to-be-photographed object distance. It is a figure which shows the convergence angle with respect to a screen surface. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance structural example of the stereo camera apparatus in Embodiment 2 of this invention, Comprising: The upper side of a figure is the surface figure, and the lower side of the figure is the back view. FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a case where a farthest subject is selected, where FIG. 5A illustrates a convergence angle with respect to the screen surface, and FIG. 5B illustrates whether the subject is visible in the back or in front of the screen surface. (C) is a display screen diagram showing a subject and a selection area on the view display screen. FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a case where a subject at an intermediate position is selected, where FIG. 5A illustrates a convergence angle with respect to the screen surface, and FIG. 5B illustrates whether the subject can be seen in the back or in front of the screen surface. (C) is a display screen diagram showing a subject and a selection area on the view display screen. FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a case where the closest subject is selected, where FIG. 5A illustrates a convergence angle with respect to the screen surface, and FIG. 5B illustrates whether the subject can be seen behind or in front of the screen surface. (C) is a display screen diagram showing a subject and a selection area on the view display screen. It is a block diagram which shows the schematic structural example of the electronic information device using the stereo camera of Embodiment 1, 2 of this invention as Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is an external view which shows the schematic structural example of the conventional stereo camera currently disclosed by patent document 1. FIG. It is a top view which shows typically the specific example of the convergence angle control mechanism in the conventional stereo camera of FIG. It is a schematic top view for demonstrating the convergence angle control in the conventional stereo camera of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the circuit structural example in the conventional stereo camera of FIG.

Hereinafter, Embodiments 1 and 2 of the stereo camera device of the present invention and Embodiment 3 of an electronic information device such as a camera-equipped mobile phone using the embodiment 1 or 2 of the stereo camera device as an image input device will be described. This will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, each thickness, length, etc. of the structural member in each figure are not limited to the structure to illustrate from a viewpoint on drawing preparation.
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a circuit configuration example of a stereo camera according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, the stereo camera 1 according to the first embodiment includes a right imaging unit 2a configured by an AF lens of the right imaging optical system RL and a right CCD 2R, and an AF lens and left CCD 2L of the left imaging optical system LL. Connected to the left imaging unit 2b and the right imaging unit 2a, which removes noise by double sampling and performs analog gain control, and is connected to the left imaging unit 2b and removes noise by double sampling. The second CDS / AGC circuit 3b that performs analog gain control, the first A / D converter 4a that performs A / D conversion on the output signal from the first CDS / AGC circuit 3a, and the output signal from the second CDS / AGC circuit 3b A second D / A converter 4b for D / D conversion and a first A / D converter 4 And a signal processing unit 5 that performs various signal processing such as color interpolation and white balance on the digital signal from the second A / D converter 4b, and a memory 6 that is connected to the signal processing unit 5 and stores an image signal after signal processing. And a system controller 7 that receives an image signal after signal processing from the signal processing unit 5 and performs various controls.

  In the system controller 7 of the stereo camera 1, single search autofocus control is executed only once in the half-pressed state, and an image is taken by operating the operation SW8 having a shutter function for shooting in the fully-pressed state and the operation SW8. A storage unit 9 for compressing and saving the image data and a 3D liquid crystal display unit 10, and a subject for selecting which subject distance information is to be obtained from the touched display screen position on the display screen A touch panel 11 as selection means and an LCD drive circuit 12 for driving the right LCD and driving the left LCD to the 3D liquid crystal display unit 10 are connected. In short, the touch panel 11 selects one subject from a plurality of subjects on the display screen according to the touch position.

  In addition, the system controller 7 includes a focus control unit 71 that performs focus control so that the contrast in the image signal of the subject selected from the signal processing unit 5 and selected by the touch panel 11 is maximized, and the display selected by the touch panel 11. Subject distance for calculating distance information between the subject selected on the touch panel 11 and the left and right imaging units 2a and 2b based on the lens position at the time of focusing (maximum contrast) of the subject corresponding to the touch position on the screen As shown in FIG. 4, based on the distance information f0 obtained by this calculation, the intersection position between the optical axis OR of the right imaging unit 2a and the optical axis OL of the left imaging unit 2b is obtained as a subject. And a convergence angle control means 73 for controlling a convergence angle 2θ at which the optical axes OR and OL intersect so as to match the screen surface where There.

  Further, the system controller 7 drives the right-side imaging unit 2a and the left-side imaging unit 2b in opposite directions to control the convergence angle 2θ, and the right-side CCD 2R. The position of the AF lens of the right imaging optical system RL in the right imaging unit 2a is moved in a direction perpendicular to the imaging element surface of the right CCD 2R, controlled by the CCD driving unit 14 that drives the CCD 2L and the focus control unit 71. Thus, the subject selected on the touch panel 11 is focused, and the lens position of the AF lens of the left imaging optical system LL in the left imaging unit 2b is moved in a direction perpendicular to the imaging element surface of the left CCD 2L. AF driving as an autofocus driving means for focusing on the subject selected on the touch panel 11 And part 15 are connected.

  The convergence angle control unit 13 and the convergence angle control unit 73 constitute a convergence angle setting unit. The convergence angle setting unit is based on the distance information f0 of the subject selected on the touch panel 11, and the right imaging unit 2a. A convergence angle 2θ at which the optical axis OR of the left and the optical axis OL of the left imaging unit 2b intersect is set. In short, the convergence angle setting means is based on the distance information f0 of the subject selected on the touch panel 11, and the subject determines the intersection position of the optical axis OR of the right imaging unit 2a and the optical axis OL of the left imaging unit 2b. A convergence angle 2θ at which the optical axes OR and OL intersect is set so as to match the existing screen surface. More specifically, the convergence angle setting means controls the convergence angle so that the intersecting positions of the optical axes OR and OL are aligned with the screen surface at the position of the subject distance information f0 selected by the convergence angle control means 73 on the touch panel 11. The mechanism 13 is controlled, and the convergence angle control mechanism 13 sets the convergence angle 2θ by rotating the right imaging unit 2a and the left imaging unit 2b in opposite directions.

  The AF drive unit 15 and the focus control unit 71 constitute a focus adjustment unit, and the focus adjustment unit performs each focus adjustment by moving the lens positions of the left and right imaging units 2a and 2b, respectively.

  As described above, the subject distance calculation unit 72 of the system controller 7 uses the AF driving unit 15 from the camera based on the lens position (position where the contrast is maximum) focused on the subject selected by the touch panel 11. The distance to the subject selected on the touch panel 11 can be calculated and obtained.

  As described above, the characteristic configuration of the stereo camera 1 according to the first embodiment is that the left and right imaging optical systems (right imaging optics) are controlled by AF driving control from the AF driving unit 15 to the right imaging optical system RL and the left imaging optical system LL. Based on the focus adjustment function by moving the lens position of the system RL and the left photographing optical system LL) to the focus position of a predetermined subject selected on the touch panel 11, and the lens position obtained by this focus adjustment function A distance information calculation function for obtaining subject distance information corresponding to the coordinate position of the display screen selected in 11, and a convergence angle control function for driving and controlling the convergence angle 2θ of the selected subject based on the obtained subject distance information. Have.

  That is, the feature configuration of the stereo camera 1 according to the first embodiment is that the focus adjustment means (the AF drive section 15 and the focus control means 71) perform the respective focus adjustments by moving the lens positions of the left and right imaging sections 2a and 2b. ) And the distance information between the subject selected by the subject selecting means such as the touch panel 11 and the left and right imaging units 2a and 2b based on the lens position at the time of focusing of the subject selected by the subject selecting means such as the touch panel 11. Based on the distance information of the subject selected by the subject distance calculation means 72 and the subject selection means such as the touch panel 11, the convergence angle at which the optical axis oR of the right imaging unit 2a and the optical axis LL of the left imaging unit 2b intersect. It has a convergence angle setting means (a convergence angle control mechanism 13 and a convergence angle control means 73) for setting 2θ.

  Here, a case will be described in which distance information between the subject and the left and right imaging units 2a and 2b is calculated based on the lens position when the subject is focused.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the distance relationship between the lens position in the right photographing optical system RL and the left photographing optical system LL in FIG. 1 and a selected subject. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the focal position and the subject distance.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lenses as the right photographic optical system RL and the left photographic optical system LL have a specific refractive index, and the incident angle on the lens surface depends on the distance from the subject to the lens. Therefore, the incident position on the image sensor is also determined. Accordingly, the distance of the subject from the lens surface can be obtained by obtaining the best focus position (position where the contrast is maximum) of the subject obtained by moving the lens. Thus, based on the distance information between the obtained subject and the imaging optical system (right imaging optical system RL and left imaging optical system LL), distance information f0 for controlling the convergence angle 2θ as shown in FIG. Can be used to control the intersection position of the optical axes OR and OL of the left and right imaging optical systems to the screen surface on which the subject selected by the touch panel 11 is present.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, the conventional photographing device that measures the distance between the right photographing optical system RL and the left photographing optical system LL and the subject is used, and is present within the designated photographing angle of view. The focus control means 71 and the AF drive unit focus-control the distance between a predetermined subject on the display screen selected by the touch panel 11 and the camera (the right photographing optical system RL and the left photographing optical system LL) among the plurality of subjects. The subject distance calculation means 72 calculates the lens position from the lens position at the time of autofocus with respect to the predetermined subject, and the convergence angle control means 73 and the convergence angle control mechanism 13 based on the obtained distance. The convergence angle 2θ at which the optical axes OR and OL of the lenses of the right photographic optical system RL and the left photographic optical system LL cross each other is controlled on the display screen. Body image can be displayed.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, the touch panel 11 is arranged in the display screen of the 3D liquid crystal display unit 10 and the case where the subject corresponding to which coordinate position in the display screen is selected to be focused has been described. In the second embodiment, the display screen is divided into a plurality of areas, and one area is selected from the divided areas, thereby selecting which area in the display screen the subject is to be focused on. The case where it does is demonstrated.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a general configuration of the stereo camera device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in which the upper side of the figure is a front view thereof and the lower side of the figure is a rear view thereof. In addition, the same member number is attached | subjected and demonstrated to the member which show | plays the same effect as the structural member of FIG.

  In FIG. 5, the stereo camera 1A according to the second embodiment includes a right imaging unit 2a including an AF lens of the right imaging optical system RL and a right CCD, and a left imaging optical system LL on the surface side of the outer casing 20. The left imaging unit 2b composed of the left AF lens and the left CCD is disposed at a predetermined distance d on the left and right.

  Further, on the back side of the outer casing 20 of the stereo camera 1A, a view display screen 21 such as a view LCD on which a 3D captured image captured by the right imaging unit 2a and the left imaging unit 2b is displayed in real time is arranged. It is installed. The view display screen 21 is divided into a plurality of matrix-like areas indicated by, for example, grid-like broken lines. As a method for designating one area from among the plurality of areas, for example, for the view display screen 21 By attaching the touch panel 11A on the liquid crystal panel and touching and specifying an arbitrary area from the touch panel 11A, it is possible to select a subject in the specified area.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, the system controller 7A is a focus control unit that performs focus control so that the contrast in the image signal of the subject for each area is the image signal input from the signal processing unit 5. 71 and subject distance calculation means 72A for calculating distance information between the subject for each area and the left and right imaging units 2a and 2b based on the lens position when focusing the subject for each area (maximum contrast); As shown in FIG. 4, the screen surface (subject exists) from the camera by the distance of the distance information f0 calculated from the focus lens position of the subject corresponding to the touch position of the area on the display screen selected by the touch panel 11. The screen surface is aligned with the intersection position of the optical axis OR of the right imaging unit 2a and the optical axis OL of the left imaging unit 2b. So that the, and a convergence angle control unit 73 for the optical axes OR, OL controls the convergence angle 2θ crossing.

  With the above configuration, first, the system controller 7A obtains distance information from each subject to the lens (or image sensor) for each area by the subject distance calculation means 72A during focus adjustment by the focus adjustment means, The acquired distance information is stored in the storage unit 9 in advance.

  Next, the system controller 7A stores, from the storage unit 9, distance information from the subject to the lens (or the image sensor) within the area designated by selection by the touch panel 11A from all the areas of the view display screen 21. Take out. In short, as a method for selecting an arbitrary subject from a plurality of areas in the display screen, for example, a plurality of areas in which the display screen is divided into a matrix using the touch panel 11A arranged on the view display screen 21 such as a view LCD. By selecting one area by touching, an object in the one area can be selected.

  Subsequently, the convergence angle setting means has a convergence angle control mechanism so that the crossing positions of the optical axes OR and OL are aligned with the screen surface at the position of the object distance information f0 selected by the convergence angle control means 73 on the touch panel 11. 13, the convergence angle control mechanism 13 sets the convergence angle 2θ by rotating the right imaging unit 2a and the left imaging unit 2b in opposite directions.

  As described above, the stereo camera 1A according to the second embodiment moves the lens position as shown in FIG. 2 in at least a pair of the photographing optical systems (the right photographing optical system RL and the left photographing optical system LL) arranged on the left and right. The imaging screen is divided into a plurality of areas, and as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the subject distance calculation means 72A of the system controller 7A optimizes the focus of the subject for each area. The distance from the lens position to the subject can be obtained by calculation. Further, distance information f0 with one subject selected from the plurality of subjects existing in the display screen is extracted from the plurality of distance information f0 with the subject for each area obtained using the touch panel 11A, Based on the extracted distance information f0 with one subject, the convergence angle setting means can give an optimal convergence angle 2θ and photograph a stereoscopic image.

  Here, using the touch panel 11A, the distance f0 of the subject is calculated and obtained for one subject selected from the plurality of subjects existing in the display screen, and the screen surface at the obtained distance f0 is congested. A three-dimensional image is taken with the angle 2θ. The three-dimensional image will be described in more detail.

  FIGS. 6 to 8 are diagrams showing a sense of distance of an image that can be seen when image data recorded by performing convergence angle control of the left and right imaging optical systems is displayed on a display screen as a stereoscopic display image. Is a diagram showing the convergence angle θ with respect to the screen surface, (b) is a perspective view showing whether the subject is seen in the back or in front of the screen surface, and (c) is on the view display screen 21. It is a display screen figure which shows a to-be-photographed object and a selection area. 6 shows the case where the farthest subject is selected, FIG. 7 shows the case where the subject at the intermediate position is selected, and FIG. 8 shows the case where the nearest subject is selected.

  6 to 8, the designated subject that is reproduced by displaying the video data recorded by performing the convergence angle control based on the distance information between the designated subject and the lens (or the image sensor) as a stereoscopic image display image. Is displayed with a sense of distance on the screen surface (display screen) without parallax between the left and right eyes. As a result, the subject image farther than the specified subject appears behind the screen surface (display screen), and the subject image closer to the specified subject appears as if it is raised with a sense of distance in front of the screen surface (display screen). Will be. At this time, the target subject may be the same or different in the convergence angle control and the focus adjustment, and in making a picture of which position the focus is focused on from the perspective of the screen surface of the stereoscopic image display device Adjustable.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 6, video data from a stereoscopic display device can be viewed with the left and right eyes based on a captured image by giving an optimal convergence angle to a subject designated from a plurality of areas in the shooting screen. The subject image has less left-right parallax on the 3D display surface, and subject images that are closer to the shooting optical system than the specified subject in the shooting screen A stereoscopic view can be realized such that the surface of the stereoscopic display device is raised closer to the vicinity due to the parallax.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, for example, by giving an optimal convergence angle to a subject specified from a plurality of areas in the shooting screen, the video data from the stereoscopic display device is converted to the left and right eyes based on the shot image. When the subject is viewed on the stereoscopic display device, the left and right parallax is small on the stereoscopic display device, and the subject image that is farther from the imaging optical system than the designated subject in the shooting screen is displayed on the stereoscopic display device surface. The left and right parallax can provide a stereoscopic view that is farther away from the surface of the stereoscopic display device, the photographer can select a subject to be placed on the surface of the stereoscopic display device, can be placed in front of and behind other subjects, Creation becomes easy.

  Although not specifically described in the first and second embodiments, in addition to the first and second embodiments, the autofocus control is a single search auto that is executed only once when the operation SW 8 is half-pressed. In addition to focus control, the subject and image obtained in this way can be captured even when focus control is continuously performed for a specified area within the shooting angle of view from the preview operation before the start of movie recording to during movie recording. Based on the distance information with the optical system (lens), the convergence angle shown in FIG. 3 is used as distance information for drive control, and the left and right camera optical axes can be controlled to match the subject position.

  In the first embodiment, the touch panel 11A divides the imaging screen into a plurality of areas in a matrix shape, and selects one of the divided areas by touching one area, thereby selecting a subject in the selected area. Then, the subject distance calculation means 72A calculates the distance information between the subject in the area and the left and right imaging units 2a and 2b for each area, and selects the distance information selected from the distance information of a plurality of areas. In the above description, the convergence angle setting means sets the convergence angle 2θ at which the optical axes OR and OL intersect based on the selected distance information. The touch panel 11A divides the imaging screen into a plurality of areas in a matrix shape, selects a subject by selecting one area from the divided areas, and calculates the subject distance. The means 72A calculates the distance information between the subject in the selected one area and the left and right imaging units 2a, 2b, and the convergence angle setting means, based on the calculated distance information, each optical axis OR, The convergence angle 2θ at which the OL intersects may be set.

  In the first embodiment, the stereo camera 1 includes the right imaging unit 2a and the left imaging unit 2b, the first CDS / AGC circuit 3a and the second CDS / AGC circuit 3b, the first A / D converter 4a, and the second A / D. Converter 4b, signal processing unit 5, memory 6, system controller 7, operation SW 8, storage unit 9, 3D liquid crystal display unit 10, touch panel 11, LCD drive circuit 12, and convergence angle control mechanism 13 In the second embodiment, the stereo camera 1A includes the right imaging unit 2a and the left imaging unit 2b, and the first CDS / AGC circuit 3a. And the second CDS / AGC circuit 3b, the first A / D converter 4a and the second A / D converter 4b, the signal processing unit 5, the memory 6, and the system Controller 7A, operation SW 8, storage unit 9, 3D liquid crystal display unit 10, touch panel 11A, LCD drive circuit 12, convergence angle control mechanism 13, CCD drive unit 14, and AF drive unit 15 However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and in addition to the storage unit 9 and the 3D liquid crystal display unit 10, a communication unit, an image output unit, and the like may be included. This case will be described with reference to the third embodiment.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of an electronic information device using the stereo camera 1 or 1A according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention as the third embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 9, the electronic information device 90 of the third embodiment performs predetermined signal processing for communication with the stereo camera 1 or 1A of the first and second embodiments and the color image signal from the stereo camera 1 or 1A. 2D or 3D display on a display screen such as a liquid crystal display screen after a predetermined signal processing for display of the color image signal from the stereo camera 1 or 1A and a communication unit 91 such as a transmission / reception device that enables communication processing later A display unit 92 such as a liquid crystal display device (TV / PC monitor, etc.) and a printer capable of performing print processing after performing predetermined print signal processing for color image signals from the stereo camera 1 or 1A for printing And an image output unit 93. In this case, as described above, the stereo camera 1 or 1A includes the memory 6 such as a recording medium and the recording unit 9 that can record data after the color image signal from the signal processing unit 5 is subjected to predetermined signal processing for recording. And a 3D liquid crystal display unit 10 that can display the color image signal from the signal processing unit 5 on a display screen such as a liquid crystal display screen after performing predetermined signal processing for display. The electronic information device 90 is not limited to this, but includes a communication unit 91, a display unit 92, and an image output unit 93 such as a printer, in addition to the memory 6, the recording unit 9, and the 3D liquid crystal display unit 10. It may have either.

  As described above, the electronic information device 90 includes, for example, a digital camera such as a digital video camera and a digital still camera, an in-vehicle camera such as a surveillance camera, a door phone camera, and an in-vehicle rear surveillance camera, and a video phone camera. An electronic apparatus having an image input device such as an image input camera, a mobile phone device with a camera, and a personal digital assistant (PDA) is conceivable.

  Therefore, according to the third embodiment, based on the color image signal from the signal processing unit 5, it can be displayed on the display screen, or can be printed out on the paper by the image output unit 93. (Print), communicate this as communication data in a wired or wireless manner, store it in the memory 6 or the recording unit 9 by performing a predetermined data compression process, and perform various data processing Can be done.

  Although not specifically described in the first and second embodiments, the left and right imaging units capable of imaging a plurality of subjects and the respective lens positions of the left and right imaging units are moved to perform respective focus adjustments. Focus adjustment means, subject selection means that enables one subject to be selected from a plurality of subjects, and distance information between the selected subject and the left and right imaging units based on the lens position at the time of focus of the subject selected by the subject selection means Each optical axis intersects the subject distance calculation means for calculating the distance between the optical axis of the right imaging unit and the optical axis of the left imaging unit on the screen surface corresponding to the distance information. Convergence angle control is performed based on the distance to an arbitrary subject existing within a specified shooting angle of view, without using a conventional distance measuring device. Solid Can achieve the object of the present invention can be obtained a stereo camera apparatus 1 or 1A high degree of freedom which can be taken an image.

  Although not particularly described in the first and second embodiments, the distance information between the subject selected by the touch panel 11 or 11A and the left and right imaging units 2a and 2b is separated by a distance d as shown in FIG. This is distance information between a first surface that includes a straight line drawn between the left and right imaging units 2a and 2b and a second surface that is parallel to the first surface and includes the selected subject. The second surface is a screen surface corresponding to distance information between the subject selected by the touch panel 11 or 11A and the left and right imaging units 2a and 2b. The first surface is a surface including a straight line drawn between the center points of the imaging element surfaces (imaging surfaces) of the left and right imaging units 2a and 2b.

  In the first and second embodiments, the stereo camera device 1 or 1A has been described. However, a part of the components of the stereo camera device 1 or 1A, for example, the 3D liquid crystal display unit 10 is provided outside as the 3D liquid crystal display device. The present invention can be applied even to a stereo camera system. The present invention can also be applied to a stereo camera system in which a part of the constituent members of the stereo camera device 1 or 1A, for example, the storage unit 9 is provided outside as a storage device. Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to a stereo camera system in which part of the components of the stereo camera device 1 or 1A, for example, the storage unit 9 and the 3D liquid crystal display unit 10 are both provided outside. The stereo camera system 1 or 1A may be included including these stereo camera systems, and the electronic information device as in the third embodiment may be included.

  As mentioned above, although this invention has been illustrated using preferable Embodiment 1-3 of this invention, this invention should not be limited and limited to this Embodiment 1-3. It is understood that the scope of the present invention should be construed only by the claims. It is understood that those skilled in the art can implement an equivalent range based on the description of the present invention and the common general technical knowledge from the description of specific preferred embodiments 1 to 3 of the present invention. Patents, patent applications, and documents cited herein should be incorporated by reference in their entirety, as if the contents themselves were specifically described herein. Understood.

  The present invention relates to a stereo camera device that displays 3D video images, and a right photographing unit and a stereo camera device that uses the stereo camera device as an image input device, such as a television telephone device and a mobile phone device with a camera. Without using a conventional distance measuring device that measures the distance between the left photographing unit and the subject, a predetermined on the display screen selected by the subject selecting means from among a plurality of subjects existing within the designated photographing angle of view. A distance f0 between the subject and the camera (the right photographing unit and the left photographing unit) is obtained from the lens position at the time of autofocusing with respect to the predetermined subject, and the right photographing unit and the right photographing unit and the camera are determined based on the distance f0 of the selected subject. A highly flexible stereo camera device capable of capturing a stereoscopic image by controlling the convergence angle 2θ at which the optical axes of the lenses of the left imaging unit intersect is obtained. Door can be. Further, since the distance information with respect to the subject can be obtained from the movement amount of the lens position by the focus adjustment function by moving the lens position to the photographing optical system, it is not necessary to use a distance measurement sensor. An inexpensive stereoscopic camera device without complicated control can be obtained.

1, 1A Stereo camera 2a Right side imaging unit 2b Left side imaging unit 2R Right CCD
2L left CCD
3a 1st CDS / AGC circuit 3b 2nd CDS / AGC circuit 4a 1st A / D converter 4b 2nd A / D converter 5 signal processing unit 6 memory 7, 7A system controller 71 focus control means 72, 72A subject distance calculation means 73 convergence angle control 73 8 Operation SW (operation switch)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 Memory | storage part 10 3D liquid crystal display part 11, 11A Touch panel 12 LCD drive circuit 13 Convergence angle control mechanism 14 CCD drive part 15 AF drive part RL Right imaging | photography optical system LL Left imaging | photography optical system 90 Electronic information equipment 91 Communication part 92 Display part 93 Image output unit

Claims (13)

  Left and right imaging units capable of imaging multiple subjects, focus adjustment means for adjusting each focus by moving each lens position of the left and right imaging units, and one subject can be selected from the plurality of subjects Subject selection means, subject distance calculation means for calculating distance information between the selected subject and the left and right imaging units based on the lens position at the time of focusing of the subject selected by the subject selection means, and the selected A convergence angle at which each optical axis intersects is set so that an intersection position where the optical axis of the right imaging unit and the optical axis of the left imaging unit intersect with the screen surface corresponding to the distance information of the subject. A stereo camera device having a convergence angle setting means. The stereo camera device according to claim 1,
The subject selecting means divides the imaging screen into a plurality of areas, selects the subject by selecting the one area from each of the divided areas,
The subject distance calculating means calculates, for each area, distance information between a subject in the area and the left and right imaging units, and selects one of the distance information of the plurality of areas. Select the area distance information,
The convergence angle setting means is a stereo camera device that sets the convergence angle based on the selected distance information. The stereo camera device according to claim 1,
The subject selecting means divides the imaging screen into a plurality of areas, selects the subject by selecting the one area from each of the divided areas,
The subject distance calculation means calculates the distance information between the subject in the selected area and the left and right imaging units,
The convergence angle setting means is a stereo camera device that sets the convergence angle based on the calculated distance information. The stereo camera device according to claim 1,
The subject selection means is a touch panel arranged on a display screen of a 3D liquid crystal display unit that displays a 3D image, and the coordinate position in the display screen can be designated by the touch panel, and the subject at the designated coordinate position is selected. Stereo camera device to do. The stereo camera device according to claim 1,
The subject selection means is a touch panel arranged on a display screen of a 3D liquid crystal display unit that displays a 3D image. The touch panel divides the display screen into a plurality of areas, and one of the divided areas is used. A stereo camera device that selects a subject in a specified area by specifying the area. The stereo camera device according to claim 1, wherein the focus adjustment unit includes:
Focus control means for performing focus control so that the contrast of the image signal of the subject selected by the subject selection means is maximized;
Controlled by the focus control means, the lens position of the right imaging unit is moved in a direction perpendicular to the imaging element surface of the right imaging unit to focus on the subject, and the left imaging unit A stereo camera device having autofocus driving means for moving the lens position in a direction perpendicular to the imaging element surface of the left imaging unit to focus on the subject. The stereo camera device according to claim 1, wherein the convergence angle setting means includes:
Based on the distance information, the convergence angle is controlled so that the intersection position of the optical axis of the right imaging unit and the optical axis of the left imaging unit matches the screen surface on which the selected subject exists. Angle control means;
A stereo camera device having a convergence angle control mechanism that sets the convergence angle by controlling the right imaging unit and the left imaging unit to rotate in opposite directions by the convergence angle control unit. The stereo camera device according to claim 1,
The focus adjusting means includes
Continuously with respect to the specified imaging screen area within the shooting angle of view during single focus autofocus control that is executed only once when the operation switch is pressed halfway, during preview operation, and during movie recording Stereo camera device that performs focus control. The stereo camera device according to claim 1,
The distance information between the selected subject and the left and right imaging units includes a first surface that includes a straight line drawn between the left and right imaging units, and a second surface that is parallel to the first surface and includes the selected subject. Stereo camera device that is distance information between.   The stereo camera device according to claim 9, wherein the second surface is the screen surface.   The stereo camera device according to claim 9, wherein the first surface is a surface including a straight line drawn between the center points of the image pickup device surfaces of the left and right image pickup units. The stereo camera device according to claim 1,
A stereo camera device in which a subject to be obtained when obtaining distance information used at the time of convergence angle control performed by the convergence angle setting means and a subject to be targeted at the time of focus adjustment performed by the focus adjustment means are at least the same.   An electronic information device using the stereo camera device according to claim 1 as an image input device.