JP2505523B2 - Image processing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image processing system for digitizing and processing a video signal input from a TV camera or the like, and particularly to a pipeline type image processing capable of processing a still image in addition to a moving image process. Regarding the device, in addition to moving image processing of images, it is possible to perform still image processing that can set the number of frames to be processed arbitrarily, and input digitized by A / D converter Start of processing in a pipeline type image processing device that sends image signals to a group of processing modules connected in a pipeline via a network and continuously outputs them via a D / A converter after a certain delay time And a start / end control unit for controlling the end, and a first output unit for switching between the input image signal and the non-signal according to the output of the start / end control unit and outputting to the network. Second switching means for switching between the input image signal and the output signal from the network processed by the module group according to the output of the start / end control means and outputting to the D / A converter. And a frame number counting unit that counts the number of image frames processed only during still image processing and causes the start / end control unit to end the image processing when the number of frames reaches a set number of frames. To do.

[Industrial applications]

The present invention relates to an image processing system for digitizing and processing a video signal input from a TV camera or the like, and more particularly to a pipeline type image processing apparatus capable of processing still images in addition to moving image processing.

[Conventional technology]

The field of application of image processing technology is expanding rapidly, not only for industrial use but also for geographical use and the spread of home video cameras. As an example of a system that performs such image processing, a video signal input from a TV camera or the like is converted into a digital signal by an A / D converter and sent to a group of processing modules connected in a pipeline, with a certain delay time. There is a pipeline type image processing device which obtains a continuous output later.

A block diagram of a conventional example of such a pipeline type image processing apparatus is shown in FIG. In the figure, reference numeral 1 is an image processing apparatus, which image-processes an image input signal from a TV camera 2 or a video tape recorder (VTR) 3 and outputs the result to a monitor 4.

The image processing apparatus 1 includes an A / D converter 5 for converting an image input signal into a digital signal, a processing (processing) module group (PM) 6 for performing various basic operations of image processing, and outputs from each processing module to other processing. It is composed of a network 7 for transmitting to the module, and a D / A converter 8 for converting the processed digital image signal into an analog signal and outputting the analog signal.

Here, there are various kinds of image processing contents performed by each module of the processing module (PM) group 6, but as an example, noise reduction by averaging a number of images of the same subject for each pixel is performed. Moving object detection by taking the difference between two corresponding images,
There is binarization as a process for separating the object from the background.

In the pipeline type image processing apparatus of FIG. 3, the image signal digitized by the A / D converter 5 is pipelined to several kinds of processing module groups 6 by a network 7 which is set according to the necessity of processing. Are sequentially input. The processed image signal is converted into an analog signal by the D / A converter 8 and output to the monitor 4.
The image data continuously input to the A / D converter 5 will be continuously output after a certain delay time.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

In the conventional pipeline type image processing device as described above, it is possible to perform image processing and output of image signals that are continuously input, that is, perform moving image processing, but a mechanism for controlling the image synchronization signal is provided. There is a problem that it is not provided and still images cannot be processed. Therefore, conventionally, a completely different method is used for still image processing, for example, the still image is stored in the image memory and then processed.

It is an object of the present invention to perform not only moving image processing of images but also still image processing capable of arbitrarily setting the number of frames to be processed.

[Means for solving the problem]

An overall block diagram of the image processing apparatus of the present invention is shown in FIG. In the figure, the TV camera 2, VTR 3, monitor 4, A / D converter 5, processing module (PM) group 6, network 7, and D / A converter 8 in the conventional example of FIG. 3 are shown.
In addition to the above, a still image / moving image processing control unit 10 is provided.

The still image / moving image processing control unit 10 includes a start / end control unit 11, a first switching unit 12, a second switching unit 13, and a frame number counting unit 14. The start / end control means 11 controls the start and end of image processing. Here, the start of the still image / moving image processing and the end of the moving image processing are controlled, for example, according to an input signal from a central processing unit (CPU) not shown.

According to the output of the start / end control means 11, the first switching means 12 outputs the signal from the A / D converter 5 to the network 7 when executing the processing, and outputs no signal when not executing, that is, outputs nothing. .

The frame number counting means 14 measures the number of processed image frames by the output signal of the network 7 at the time of still image processing, and when the number of frames reaches a preset set frame number, the start / end control means 11 The signal is output and the image processing is ended.

It is also possible to provide image freeze control means for outputting a processed image from the D / A converter 8 for each frame to the monitor 4 after the image processing is completed and fixing the image on the monitor.

[Action]

First, in the moving image processing, the start / end control means 11 causes the first processing means 12 and the second switching means 13 to start the image processing in response to a signal from a central processing unit not shown in FIG.
Instruct. The first switching means 12 outputs the signal from the A / D converter 5 to the network 7, and the image signal processed by the processing module group 6 via the network 7 passes through the network 7 to the second switching means. Enter in 13. At this time, the second switching means 13 outputs the signal from the network 7 to the D / A converter 8, so that the processed image signal is converted into an analog signal and displayed on the monitor 4. The frame number counting means 14 does not operate during the moving image processing, and the moving image processing is continued until the processing end signal from the central processing unit is input to the start / end control means 11.

Next, in the still image processing, similar to the moving image processing, processing is started by a signal input from the central processing unit (not shown) to the start / end control means 11, but at the same time the central processing unit should process the frame number counting means 14. Enter the setting value for the number of image frames. If this setting value is set to '1', it will be the processing of only one frame, that is, the same as the conventional still image processing,
When set to '2', processing of 2 frames is performed. Similar to the moving image processing, the processed image data is input to the second switching means 13 via the network 7. At this time, the frame number counting means 14 counts the number of processed image frames to set the set frame. When the number is reached, a signal is output to the start / end control means 11. Thereby, the start / end control means 11
Switches the outputs of the first and second switching means 12 and 13,
The signal from the / D converter 5 is output as it is to the D / A converter 8 and no signal is output to the network 7, resulting in a non-processing state.

As described above, in the present invention, the number of image frames to be processed can be set arbitrarily.

〔Example〕

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the still image / moving image processing control unit in the present invention. The circuit in the figure is the still image in Figure 1.
An embodiment of the moving image processing control unit 10 is shown, in which four registers 15, 16, 17, and 18, a counter 19, two AND circuits 2 are provided.
0,21 and two selectors 22,23.

The selector 23 outputs the input image data from the A / D converter 5 to the network 7 during image processing, and outputs a zero signal when the processing is not executed, that is, outputs nothing to the network 7. The selector 22 outputs the processed image data output from the network 7 to the D / A converter 8 while the image processing is being executed, and the input data from the A / D converter 5 is directly D / A when the processing is not executed. Output to the converter 8.

The register 16 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) not shown.
It is turned on by the processing start signal from. At this time, the input image data from the A / D converter 5 is input to the clock (CK) terminal of the register 17, and the register 17 is turned on in synchronization with this input image data. The output of the register 17 is input to the control (CTL) terminals of the selectors 22 and 23 to start image processing. At the time of moving image processing, a processing end signal from the CPU is input to the register 16 and the registers 16 and 17 are turned off to end the processing.

That is, when the processing start signal from the CPU is input to the register 16 at the time of moving image processing and the register 17 is turned on in synchronization with the input image signal from the A / D converter 5, the image data is sent to the network via the selector 23. 7, processed by the processing module group 6, again passed through the network 7 and the selector 22, converted into analog by the D / A converter 8, and output to the monitor 4. This processing is continued until the processing end signal from the CPU is input to the register 16.

When processing a still image, the register 15 is turned on by a signal from the CPU, and at the same time, the number of image frames to be processed is set in the counter 19. Similar to the moving image processing, the data processing is started in synchronization with the image input signal to the clock terminal of the register 17 after the processing start signal is input to the register 16 from the CPU. The processed image data is input from the network 7 to the selector 22 and simultaneously to the AND circuit 20. Since the output of the register 15 is input to the other input terminal of the AND circuit 20 and is ON during the still image processing, the AND circuit 20 counts the clock signal synchronized with each frame of the processed image data. Output to 19. The counter 19 counts the number of image frames processed by this clock signal, outputs a reset signal to the register 16 when the number of set frames instructed by the CPU is reached, turns off the registers 16 and 17, and ends the image processing. .

That is, in the still image processing, the processing start is controlled by the input of the signal from the CPU to the register 16 and the input of the image data to the clock terminal of the register 17, as in the moving image processing, and the data is processed by the selector 23, the network 7 and the processing. Module group 6, network 7, selector 22, D / A
The number of image frames processed at the same time is output to the monitor 4 via the converter 8 and is counted by the counter 19. When the number of set frames is reached, the register 16 is turned off, and the process ends.

The register 18 and the AND circuit 21 are used to freeze the processing result on the screen of the monitor 4 after the image processing is completed. This is done when the image processing is not executed,
For example, it is realized by preparing an original image freeze memory as a memory for the D / A converter 8 and outputting the data in the memory to the monitor 4 as data of each frame. That is, when the image processing is not executed, the signal from the CPU is input to the register 18, and the outputs of the registers 18 and 17 send the D / A freeze signal, which is the output of the AND circuit 21, to the D / A converter 8, The processing result is output from the freeze memory for the A converter 8 to the monitor 4 as an image of each frame.

As described above, according to the present invention, in addition to the conventional moving image processing, processing in which the number of image frames to be processed is arbitrarily set, that is, still image processing can be performed. Further, when the processing is not executed, the input image can be automatically output to the monitor as it is, and the processed image can be stopped on the monitor after the processing is completed.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, in the pipeline type image processing device, in addition to moving image processing, still image processing capable of arbitrarily setting the number of image frames to be processed can be performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall block diagram of an image processing apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a still image / moving image processing control unit, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a conventional example of a pipeline type image processing apparatus. 5 ... A / D converter, 6 ... Processing module group,
7 ... Network, 8 ... D / A converter, 15,16,17,18 ...
… Register, 19 …… Counter, 20,21 …… AND circuit, 2
2,23 …… Selector.

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. An input image signal digitized by an A / D converter (5) is sent to a processing module group (6) connected in a pipeline through a network (7), and after a certain delay time D In a pipeline type image processing apparatus for continuously outputting via an A / A converter (8), a start / end control means (11) for controlling the start and end of processing.
A first switching means (12) for switching between the input image signal and no signal according to the output of the start / end control means (11) and outputting to the network (7); and the start / end control means ( According to the output of 11), the input image signal and the output signal from the network (7) processed by the module group (6) are switched to switch the
The second switching means (13) for outputting to the D / A converter (8) and the number of image frames processed only during still image processing are measured, and when the number of frames reaches the set number of frames, the start is started. An image processing apparatus comprising: an end control means (11) and a frame number counting means (14) for ending the image processing. 2. The D / A when the processed image signal output from the second switching means (13) is not processed.
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising image freeze control means for outputting each frame from the converter (8).