JP2731523B2 - Camera system - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an electronic still camera, and more particularly to a camera system that stores a video signal representing a still image in a storage device in the form of digital data. BACKGROUND ART For example, an electronic still camera described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-183592 has a memory that is detachably connected to a camera body having an imaging optical system and a solid-state imaging device, and a video signal representing a still image captured by the imaging device. It is stored in this memory in the form of a digital signal. The memory in which the video signal is stored is detached from the electronic still camera and loaded into the playback device, and the video signal read from the memory by the playback device is played back as a visible image on the screen of the video monitor. The electronic still camera is held horizontally in normal photographing, is photographed on a horizontally long screen, and this image is stored in a memory. Therefore, the video monitor of the playback device that plays back this image also has a horizontally long screen. Therefore, if the electronic still camera is held vertically during shooting and the image is shot on a vertically long screen, the image stored in the memory will be the image of the opposite vertical length, and the vertical and horizontal directions will be displayed on the video monitor of the playback device during playback. There is a problem that the image is displayed and it is difficult to appreciate. An object of the present invention is to provide a camera system that enables a playback apparatus to display an image in a correct orientation even when a camera is held in any of vertical and horizontal directions. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a digital electronic still camera to which a semiconductor storage module in which a video signal representing a still image is stored in the form of digital data is detachably connected is provided. A connection means for connecting, an imaging means having a solid-state imaging device, imaging the object scene with the solid-state imaging device, and outputting a video signal representing the object scene, and a digital corresponding to the video signal output from the imaging means A signal conversion unit that converts the signal into a signal and outputs the signal to the connection unit; and controls the imaging unit and the signal conversion unit to cause the imaging unit to perform imaging, and causes the signal conversion unit to perform conversion to a digital signal. Control means for supplying a control signal for writing to the semiconductor memory module, and a camera attitude detecting means for detecting the orientation of the camera with respect to the object scene And control means including camera attitude information generation means for generating information representing the orientation of the camera with respect to the object scene detected by the camera attitude detection means, and Is supplied to the connection means together with a control signal. Description of Embodiments Next, embodiments of a digital electronic still camera according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, an outline of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 1A, a horizontally long image 300 captured by holding the digital electronic still camera 10 according to the present invention horizontally is:
A vertically long image which is displayed as it is on the horizontally long monitor 134 of the playback device and is shot with the electronic still camera 10 held vertically as shown in FIG.
In 4 it is displayed upside down. Conventionally, as shown in FIG.
The image 310 shot with the
Although displayed as it is at 44, the image 312 taken with the camera 100 held vertically as shown in FIG. 4 (b) was displayed on the monitor 144 of the playback device in a horizontal orientation. The present invention solves such a conventional drawback, and displays an image in a natural orientation on a playback apparatus regardless of the orientation of the camera at the time of shooting. Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an embodiment of a digital electronic still camera according to the present invention. In this embodiment, a camera 90 having an image pickup section 12 and a memory 90 detachably connected thereto via a connector 14 are shown. And In the figure, an element part on the left side of the connector 14 is mounted on a single housing as a digital electronic still camera. The memory 90 is a “module” such as an SRAM semiconductor memory, such as an integrated circuit (IC) card or cartridge.
A rewritable digital storage device mounted in the form of: a data input / output line 92, an address, a read /
A control line 94 including write enable, chip select, strobe, clock and the like is connected to the camera 10 via the connector 14. The connector 14 may have a power supply line for the memory 90. In the memory 90, for example, when an image of one frame is represented by data of 1 M to 1.5 M bits, an SRAM having a storage capacity of 16 M bits per chip will realize a storage device of 24 frames with two chips. The imaging unit 12 is required for photographing still images such as an imaging lens 16, an aperture 18, a shutter 20, an imaging device 22, a side light / ranging mechanism, a viewfinder (not shown), and a driving mechanism thereof as shown in the figure. The control circuit 24 controls the focusing of the imaging lens 16, the control of the diaphragm 18, the opening and closing of the shutter 20, and the like.
From the control line 26. The imaging device 22
For example, a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD or MOS is advantageously applied. Imaging cell array 28 of solid-state imaging device 22
Is provided with a color filter, and outputs a video signal color-modulated in response to a clock received from the synchronization signal generating circuit 30 through the drive line 32 to its output 34 in a dot (pixel) sequence.
As the imaging device 22, an arrangement of the photosensitive cells of the imaging cell array 28, that is, a device having an appropriate number of pixels in the photosensitive region is used, and the color segment arrangement of the color filter may be of any type. A video signal output 34 of the imaging device 22 is connected to an input of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 36, which converts the analog video signal at the input 34 to corresponding digital data of, for example, 8 bits. And its output 42
Is a signal conversion circuit that outputs the signal to The output 42 is connected to the connector 14 via the switch circuit 192 as shown in the figure, and finally to the data input / output line 92 of the memory 90. The control circuit 24 is a control function unit that controls the operation of the entire apparatus in response to an instruction signal from the operation display unit 44 via a signal line 52, and the control signal is transmitted through the control line 46 to the synchronization generation circuit 30. To the imaging unit 12 via the control line 26, and the control line
It is connected to a vertical code generation circuit 184 via 180. The control circuit 24 also monitors the state of each part of the apparatus by using these control lines 46 and 26. The control circuit 24 also has a function of mainly controlling writing of the memory 90, and includes a control line 54 including its write address, write enable, chip select, clock, and the like.
Are connected to the connector 14. The control circuit 24 is advantageously configured in a processing system, to which a memory for storing, for example, various data and programs is connected by a bus (not shown). The vertical sensor 40 is a sensor that detects the orientation of the camera 10 during shooting. The vertical sensor 40 is, for example, a fifth
As shown in the figure, three arc-shaped contacts 402, 404, 406
Are arranged on the same circumference, and a contact piece 408 that contacts these contact points 402, 404, 406 is rotatably supported by a shaft 410.
A weight 412 is fixed to the lower end of the contact piece 408, and gravity acts on the weight 412 to move the contact piece 408 in a direction perpendicular to the ground, so that the contact piece 408 contacts the direction of the camera 10. The contacts are switched. Therefore, for example, when the camera 10 is held sideways, the contact piece 408 contacts the contact point 404, and the camera 10
When the camera 10 is held vertically, it contacts the contact point 402 or 406 depending on whether the camera 10 is held upright or left. The vertical sensor 40 sends a signal indicating the orientation of the camera 10 detected in this manner to the control circuit 24 via the control line 188. As shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-58026, the vertical sensor 40 has three contacts separated on the outer side of a U-tube with both ends closed, and the inner side faces the contacts. And a conductive fluid such as mercury contained in the U-shaped tube is moved by gravity according to the direction of the camera, and any one of the three contacts on the outer portion is connected to the conductive contact on the inner portion. May be connected. The vertical weft code generation circuit 184 is an encoding circuit whose control input 180 is connected to the control circuit 24 and generates a signal representing a vertical or horizontal code corresponding to an instruction from the control input 180 at its output 190. is there. Control input 180 includes camera 1
A signal indicating the direction of 0 is transferred from the control circuit 24. The output 190 of the horizontal code generator 184 is connected to a switch circuit 192 as shown. The switch circuit 192 is a selection circuit that selectively takes a connection position shown in the drawing and a connection position opposite thereto under control of the control circuit 24, as conceptually indicated by a dotted line 194. The synchronization signal generation circuit 30 is controlled by the control circuit 24 via a control line 46, and outputs a drive signal such as a clock or an address necessary to drive the imaging device 22 and output a video signal from its output 34. And a drive signal for driving the analog / digital converter 36.
Is a synchronizing signal generating circuit that outputs the signal. The operation display section 44 has a shutter release button, an automatic /
It has various manual operation buttons such as manual setting, exposure setting, white balance adjustment, etc., and has a function of inputting an operator's instruction to the apparatus and giving this to the control circuit 24 by a signal line 52. Has a display function of receiving a signal indicating the state of the apparatus from the signal line 52 and displaying the signal to the operator. The operation will be described. The memory 90 is attached to the camera 10 by the connector 14, and the operation display unit 44 is operated to perform a shooting operation of the subject. One frame of the subject image captured by the imaging device 22 when the shutter 20 is opened by operating the shutter release button is transmitted from the synchronization signal generation circuit 30 to the clock line 32.
Is output from the imaging device 22 to the output 34 in the form of a dot-sequential video signal in accordance with a clock given through. Regardless of the orientation of the camera 10 at the time of shooting, this output signal is output to the upper left corner of a horizontally long screen in the case of a vertically shot image, similarly to the output of a normal horizontally shot image. Are sequentially scanned and read out. At that time, the control circuit 24
The switch circuit 192 is set to the connection state shown in FIG. The control circuit 24 activates the analog / digital converter 36 in accordance with the synchronization signal generated by the synchronization signal generation circuit 30.
Therefore, the point-sequential video signal is converted to an analog
The data is converted into corresponding digital data by 36 and output from the output 42 to the connector 14 through the switch circuit 192. The control circuit 24, together with the control line 54,
Control signals such as a write address, a write enable, a chip select, and a clock are output to 90. In synchronization with this, the video signal input to the data line 92 is sequentially written to each address of the memory 90. In this way, the video signal data of one frame image is stored in the storage area of the memory 90. When the video signal is stored in the memory 90, the control circuit 24
Using the idle time, the switch 192 is switched to a state opposite to the connection state shown in the figure, and information indicating the direction of the camera, that is, whether the recorded image was obtained by holding the camera sideways or vertically. Information that indicates which of the left and right sides is up, in the case of one obtained vertically, and a predetermined address in the memory 90 via the control line 190 from the vertical code generation circuit 184. To memorize. For example, when the video signal of one frame or one field is read from the imaging device 22, the idle time may use a portion of the video signal that is not reproduced as an image, that is, a scanning period that is not included in the effective scanning period. Further, a horizontal retrace period or a vertical retrace period may be used. Furthermore, since the address space of the memory 90 is normally assigned to be suitable for the binary system, the direction of the camera 10 is stored in a storage position of the address space corresponding to the difference of the number of pixels of one horizontal scanning line with respect to the binary address space. May be stored. The control circuit 24 controls the switch circuit 192 at the timing of such an idle time of the video signal to switch to a state opposite to the connection state shown. The control circuit 24 then gives an instruction regarding the direction of the camera 10 to the control output 180 at an appropriate timing. The side-by-side code generation circuit 184 generates a code signal indicating the direction of the camera corresponding to these instructions at its output 190, and this code signal is output to a switch circuit 192.
Through to the connector 14. The control circuit 24 outputs a signal indicating an address for storing data relating to the orientation of the camera 10 and a control signal similar to that described above.
The code data relating to the orientation of the camera 10 is stored at a predetermined address in the memory 90. In this embodiment, every time an image of one frame is captured by the imaging device 22, data on the orientation of the camera 10 is stored in a memory.
90 memorized corresponding to those frames. By doing so, for each frame image stored in the memory 90, the reproduction device can reproduce the image in the correct direction using the data relating to the orientation of the camera 10 stored in correspondence with them. Can be. The video signal stored in the memory 90 in the apparatus of this embodiment is output to the reproducing apparatus 12 having a configuration as exemplified in FIG.
Reproduced at 0. The playback device 120 has a connector 122 to which the memory 90 is detachably connected, whereby the read data line 96 is connected to the input 202 of the signal processing circuit 200. The control line 98 is connected to the control circuit 128 via the connector 122.
It is connected to the. The signal processing circuit 200 performs color separation of the digital video signal of the input 202, for example, white balance adjustment and gradation (γ)
Necessary video signal processing such as correction is applied to this. Further, when the digital video signal of the input 202 is obtained by shooting the camera 10 vertically, the video signal processing for reducing the image is performed in order to change the direction of the image and to display the image on the video monitor. , And a gray mask generating process for displaying a uniform gray pattern in blank areas generated on the left and right sides of the video monitor due to image reduction. Data for appropriately performing the above-described video signal processing, for example, the pixel number information and the color separation information of the upright of the imaging device 22 for performing color separation and video signal processing in accordance with the vertical and horizontal directions are transmitted to the control circuit 12.
8 is set to the signal processing circuit 200 via the control line 206,
The circuit 200 performs video signal processing based on this. The output 204 of the signal processing circuit 200 is connected to a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 124. The digital / analog converter 124 is a signal processing circuit 200
Is a signal conversion circuit that converts the video signal of the output 204 into a corresponding analog signal and outputs it to the output 126 thereof. The output 126 of the digital / analog converter 124 is connected to the NTSC processing circuit 130 via a switch. The NTSC processing circuit 130 includes a digital / analog converter 124
The analog signal output from the control circuit 128 is converted into a luminance signal and a color-difference signal together with a synchronization signal from the control circuit 128.
A matrix and an encoder that convert the signal into a composite video signal and output it to the device output 132; A video monitor 134 is connected to the device output 132, whereby the composite video signal of the output 132 is output as a visible image. Each element of the playback device 120 is controlled by the control circuit 128.
An operation display unit 136 and a data file 208 are connected to the control circuit 128 as shown in the figure, and are advantageously configured in a processing system. The operation display unit 136 has various manual operation buttons such as a play button, a frame designation button, a white balance adjustment, and a gradation adjustment, and inputs an operator's instruction to the apparatus, and controls this by a signal line 210. In addition to having a function of giving the signal to the circuit 128, the display circuit has a display function of receiving a signal indicating the state of the apparatus from the control circuit 128 from the signal line 210 and displaying the signal to the operator. The data file 208 is a storage device that stores various data necessary for the operation of the control circuit 128, and includes, for example, an RO
It is composed of M. The data held in the data file 208 is, for example, information on the number of pixels of the imaging device 22 for the video signal stored in the memory 90, and this is used when the video signal is obtained by pointing the camera vertically. Includes pixel number information and color separation information for reduction. The information preferably includes, for all or most types of available imaging devices, pixel number data specifying the number of pixels in their imaging cell array and color separation data specifying the arrangement of the color filter segments. Including. The control circuit 128 supplies a read control signal to the control line 94 of the memory 90 according to a predetermined frequency in response to an operator's instruction input from the operation display unit 136. As a result, first, a data code indicating the direction of the camera at the time of shooting of the specified frame is read out from the memory 90 to the signal processing circuit 200, and then the video signal data of the frame and the pixel number information and color The code indicating the separation information is read by the signal processing circuit 200. The data code indicating the direction of the camera and the code indicating the pixel number information and the color separation information are taken into the control circuit 128 from the signal processing circuit 200 through the control line 206. The control circuit 128 first determines the camera orientation at the time of shooting based on the data code indicating the camera orientation. If the camera orientation is horizontal when shooting, the control circuit
The reference numeral 128 sequentially sends read addresses to the control line 98 in a normal order so that subsequent video signals are read from the memory 90 in a normal order from the upper left of the screen. If the camera orientation is vertical during shooting, the control circuit
128 reads the subsequent video signal from the memory 90,
The read addresses are sequentially transmitted to the control line 98 such that the vertical and horizontal directions of the screen are reversed. As a result, the video signal is read from the memory 90 so that the vertical and horizontal directions of the captured screen are reversed and the screen is rotated by 90 °. When the camera is in portrait orientation at the time of photographing, the control circuit 128 determines from the data code whether the photographing was performed with the right end of the camera facing up or the left end of the camera facing up. The read address from 90 is sequentially supplied to the control line 98. In addition, when the camera is in a vertical orientation at the time of shooting, the control circuit 128 searches the data file 208 for information on the number of pixels for reduction in order to reduce the image displayed by the video signal read from the memory 90. For example, by supplying a read address to the memory 90 every other pixel according to the number of pixels of the video signal stored in the memory 90, the video signal of the reduced image is supplied to the signal processing circuit 200. read out. Further, the control circuit 128 sends an instruction signal for adding a gray pattern to the video signal representing the image thus reduced to the signal processing circuit 200. The control circuit 128 also searches the data file 208 by a code indicating the pixel number information and the color separation information, and finds the corresponding one of the pixel number data and the color separation data. The control circuit 128 determines the rate of a control signal such as a clock to be supplied to the signal processing circuit 200 and the digital-to-analog converter 124 according to the retrieved data. In accordance with this, the signal processing circuit 200 includes:
Data for appropriately performing video signal processing, for example, pixel number information and color separation information of the imaging device 22 for performing color separation are set through the control line 206. The control circuit 128 supplies a read address to the memory 90 from the control line 98 according to the direction of the camera as described above, and reads a video signal of a specified frame from the memory 90, which is input to the signal processing circuit 200. Is done. As described above, the video signal input to the signal processing circuit 200 is the same as the video signal stored in the memory 90 when the camera orientation at the time of shooting is horizontal, and when the camera orientation is vertical, Is a video signal obtained by reversing the vertical and horizontal addresses of the video signal stored in the memory 90, and is a signal having a reduced number of pixels. The signal processing circuit 200 converts the dot-sequential video signal obtained at the input 202 into each color signal, for example, red (R), according to a pixel clock received from the control circuit 128 through the control line 206.
Separates into green (G) and blue (B). This color separation is performed according to the pixel number information and the color separation information set in the signal processing circuit 200, that is, the imaging device used in the camera 10.
This is performed according to the number of pixels of the 22 imaging cell arrays 28 and the segment arrangement of the color filters. Therefore the playback device 12
0 can handle any type of pixel arrangement or color filter segment arrangement. The signal processing circuit 200 also corrects a shift in white balance due to the color temperature of the light source when the image is picked up by the image pickup device 22, and corrects a shift in gradation due to non-linear characteristics of the image pickup device 22 and the like. In the case where the orientation of the camera at the time of shooting is vertical as shown in FIG. 3 (b), the image based on the video signal is reduced so that the image can be displayed on the video monitor 134. In order to display a gray pattern in a blank generated on the left and right of the image when displayed on the monitor 134, the signal processing circuit 200 further generates a gray pattern video signal and superimposes it on a video signal representing a reduced image. The video signal data output from the signal processing circuit 200 is
The digital signal is converted into an analog signal by a digital / analog converter 124, and a luminance signal and a color difference signal are obtained in an NTSC processing circuit 130, output to a device output 132 in the form of an NTSC composite video signal, and reproduced as a visible image on a video monitor 134. You. As shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), the image displayed on the video monitor 134 is the image stored in the memory 90 as it is when the orientation of the camera at the time of shooting is horizontal. When the camera orientation is vertical, the image stored in the memory 90 is inverted, the reduced image is displayed, and a gray pattern is displayed on the left and right sides of the reduced image. As described above, according to the present embodiment, the orientation of the camera at the time of shooting is detected by the vertical sensor 40, and data indicating the orientation of the camera is stored at a predetermined address of the memory 90. Therefore, the playback device determines the orientation of the image based on this data, and when the camera is shot vertically, the video signal is read from the memory 90 by reversing the vertical and horizontal addresses so that the vertical and horizontal images are reversed. Also, even when the image is taken with the camera held vertically, an image in the correct orientation can be displayed on the video monitor 134 without displaying an image with the reversed length and width. Well, from the memory 90 to the signal processing device 200
When a video signal is read out, the pixels are read out with a reduced number of pixels so that the image is reduced. Nothing. In the above embodiment, the processing circuit 130 processes the signal of the NTSC system.
The present invention is not limited to the TSC, and may be configured to process other standard television signal systems such as the PAL system and SECAM. Effects According to the present invention, as described above, when a digital electronic still camera captures an image of a field and accumulates a video signal in a semiconductor storage module, the direction of the camera with respect to the field at the time of capturing is detected, and this direction is determined. Since the data to be represented is also stored in the semiconductor storage module, the playback device can display an image in the correct orientation regardless of the orientation of the camera at the time of shooting. Therefore, a natural reproduced image that is not affected by the direction of the camera at the time of shooting can be viewed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of a digital electronic still camera according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 reproduces a video signal stored in a memory according to the embodiment shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of a reproducing apparatus, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the direction of an electronic still camera at the time of shooting according to the present invention and a reproduced image, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the orientation and the reproduced image. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of the vertical sensor shown in FIG. Description of Signs of Main Parts 12 ... Imaging Unit 22 ... Solid-State Imaging Devices 24 and 128 ... Control Circuit 28 ... Imaging Cell Array 30 ... Synchronization Signal Generating Circuit 36 ... Analog / Digital Converter 90 ... Memory 120 ... Playback Device 184 ... Circuit 192 ... Switch circuit 200 ... Signal processing circuit 208 ... Data file

   ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page    (56) References JP-A-59-183592 (JP, A)                 JP-A-58-182964 (JP, A)                 JP-A-58-182965 (JP, A)                 JP-A-59-72879 (JP, A)                 JP-A-60-62283 (JP, A)                 JP-A-59-123386 (JP, A)                 JP-A-59-70083 (JP, A)                 JP-A-62-67981 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A camera including a digital electronic still camera to which a semiconductor storage module for storing a video signal representing a still image in the form of digital data is detachably connected, and a playback device for playing back video data stored in the semiconductor storage module In the system, the camera includes: first connection means for detachably connecting the semiconductor storage module in a circuit form; and a solid-state imaging device. Imaging means for outputting a video signal representing the following; signal conversion means for converting a video signal output from the imaging means into corresponding digital video data and outputting the digital video data to the connection means; Controlling the imaging means to perform imaging, causing the signal conversion means to perform conversion to the video data, and Control means for supplying a control signal for writing video data to the body memory module to the connection means; camera attitude detection means for detecting the orientation of the camera; Designation information generating means for generating designation information corresponding to a direction, the designation information designating a reading direction of a still image represented by video data in the semiconductor storage module; and the control means further comprises: Means for reading the still image represented by the video data stored in the semiconductor storage module in accordance with the orientation of the camera detected by the camera attitude detecting means during the imaging by the first means. And an address for writing the designation information into the semiconductor memory module. The supplies control signals including the No. to the first connecting means 1 of the control means and a second for storing said designation information supplied to the first connecting means in a predetermined address of the semiconductor storage module
A second connection unit for detachably connecting the semiconductor storage module on which the video data and the designation information are recorded in a circuit-like manner; and the second connection unit. Playback control means for controlling reading of video data stored in the semiconductor storage module connected to the first storage control means, wherein the playback control means reads out the specified information from the semiconductor storage module, A second playback control unit for determining a method of reading video data stored in the semiconductor storage module in accordance with the designation information read by the first playback control unit; and a determination result of the second playback control unit. Third reproduction control means for reading out desired video data from the semiconductor memory module in accordance with the second connection means. Is supplied to the connected semiconductor memory module,
A camera system for reproducing an image represented by video data stored in the semiconductor storage module in a direction according to the designated information. 2. 2. The camera system according to claim 1, wherein said control means reads out a video signal from said imaging means and supplies the video signal to said first connection means. Is supplied to the first connection means together with the address signal. 3. 3. The camera system according to claim 2, wherein the designation information generation unit reads out a video signal from the imaging unit and supplies the video signal to the connection unit, except for an effective image area of a still image represented by the video signal. A camera system that generates the designation information at a timing corresponding to the region of (a). 4. 2. A camera system according to claim 1, wherein said designation information generating means supplies code data representing said designation information to said first connection means. 5. 5. The camera system according to claim 4, wherein said designation information generating means generates code data for selecting one of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction as the direction of the camera. . 6. 2. The camera system according to claim 1, wherein said reproduction device has signal processing means for processing video data read from a semiconductor storage module connected to said second connection means, and The processing means reduces an image represented by the video data read by the third reproduction control means in accordance with a result of the determination by the second reproduction control means, and outputs video data representing the reduced image. A camera system.