JP2801383B2 - Information signal control system - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information signal control system having a data holding device which is detachable from an apparatus and holds various data.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a video signal or an audio signal obtained by, for example, shooting with a video camera or the like is recorded on a recording medium, a video effect is enhanced for the video signal to be recorded on the recording medium. For the purpose, there are various methods for synthesizing images such as characters, symbols or specific pictures by superimposing, or multiplexing background music, sound effects, etc. with the audio signal to be recorded. It is considered.

First, as a method of combining another image signal with a video signal obtained by shooting, for example, there is a method using a so-called character generator.

This method uses a pattern ROM (read-only memory) that stores patterns such as characters and symbols that can be displayed in advance.
A register for storing the type of character to be displayed for each display position, and a reading unit for reading out the contents of the pattern ROM corresponding to the contents of the register according to horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals, and synthesizing the contents into a video signal. When a character is displayed, the type of the character to be displayed is written into a register at a display position by a microcomputer or the like.

As another method, an image signal captured by a video camera or the like is converted into a digital image signal of about 1 to several bits by an A / D converter, stored in a memory for each display pixel, and converted into a horizontal and vertical synchronization signal. Accordingly, the contents stored in the memory are sequentially read, and another image signal is synthesized with a video signal obtained by separately capturing an image with a video camera.

As still another method, a graphic memory having an address corresponding to each pixel position on a screen, a microcomputer for writing data to an address to be displayed among the addresses of the graphic memory, and a graphic computer A readout circuit for reading out the contents stored in the memory. The readout circuit reads out the contents stored in the graphic memory in accordance with the horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals, and outputs another image signal obtained by photographing with a video camera. This is to synthesize image signals.

In addition, as a method of synthesizing another audio signal with an audio signal recorded at the time of shooting by a video camera, a device that generates an audio signal such as a record player, a tape player, an electronic sound generator, etc. is prepared, and at the time of shooting, There is a method of synthesizing an audio signal to be recorded or an audio signal collected after shooting by using a mixing amplifier or the like with an audio signal generated from the above-described apparatus.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, in the video signal photographed as described above,
When synthesizing another image or synthesizing another audio signal with a recorded audio signal, the equipment required for synthesizing the image or synthesizing the audio is different, and connection lines for connecting the equipment are required. Is also necessary, so that the connection of the device and the operation of the device are complicated, so that there are many erroneous operations and the like, which is inconvenient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an information signal control system which can synthesize an image signal or an audio signal with another image signal or an audio signal by a simple operation without requiring a special operation. I do.

[Means for Solving the Problems] To achieve the above object, an information signal control system according to the present invention includes an information signal generating device that generates a first image signal and a first audio signal; Image information data that is detachable from the device and that corresponds to a second image information signal that is combined with the first image signal generated by the information signal generator; Audio information data corresponding to a second audio signal to be synthesized with the first audio signal, image synthesis control data for controlling the image signal synthesis operation, and audio synthesis control for controlling the audio signal synthesis operation A data holding device that holds data and synthesis control timing instruction data that indicates synthesis control timing based on the image synthesis control data and the audio synthesis data. .

[Operation] With the above-described configuration, it is possible to synthesize an image signal or an audio signal with another image signal or an audio signal by a simple operation without requiring a special operation.

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a video camera system to which the present invention is applied as one embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a video camera system main body, 2 is an imaging lens, 3 is an image sensor, 4 is an image sensor driver, 5 is a camera signal processing circuit, 6 is a synthesizing circuit that synthesizes a video signal and a title image signal, 7 is a VTR unit, 8 is a video signal output terminal, 9 is an external storage device that is detachably connected to the main body 1 of the video camera system, and 10 is a connection unit that connects the external storage device 8 to the main body 1 , 11 are controls of the external storage device 8,
A control unit for transmitting and receiving data, controlling a mixer amplifier 19, controlling a switch, and displaying information on an EVF (Electronic View Finder) 21; 12, 13, 14 are switches; 15 is an image generation unit for generating a title image signal; 16 is an external storage device 9
A read / write memory for holding image data among the title data supplied from the camera; 17 is a microphone attached to the main body 1 for recording audio; 18 is an audio amplifier for amplifying audio signals; and 19 is an audio amplifier. A mixer amplifier for synthesizing an audio signal supplied from the external storage device 9 according to a control signal from the control unit 11 with a signal output from the audio amplifier 18, an audio signal output terminal 20, and a recording / reproducing terminal 21. This is an electronic viewfinder for displaying captured or reproduced video and displaying character information indicating the operation state of the system.

In FIG. 1, a subject image (not shown) is formed on an image pickup surface of an image pickup device 3 by an image pickup lens 2 and photoelectrically converted by the image pickup device into an image pickup video signal which is supplied to a camera signal processing circuit 4. .

Note that the image sensor 3 operates according to a timing pulse output from the image sensor driver 4.

The camera signal processing circuit 5 performs a predetermined process on the supplied captured image signal, and outputs the processed image signal to a combining circuit 6. The captured video signal is combined with a title image signal described later in the combining circuit 6, and the VTR unit 7 Is recorded on a magnetic tape as a recording medium.

The video signal reproduced from the VTR unit 7 during reproduction is output from the output terminal 8 and supplied to an external device such as a television monitor.

On the other hand, the audio signal output from the microphone 17 is amplified by the audio amplifier 18 and synthesized and output by the mixer amplifier 19 with the audio signal supplied from the external storage device 9 described later.

The audio signal output from the mixer amplifier 19 is recorded together with the video signal by frequency-multiplexing the video signal on a predetermined audio track or video track of a magnetic tape in the VTR section 7.

The control unit 11 sends data to the image generation unit 15 and outputs the data to the image generation unit 15 in accordance with the state of the switches 12 to 14, the type and connection state of the external connection device 9 connected to the connection unit 10, and the data.
15 to control the transmission of image information signals such as characters to the EVF 21.

The image generation unit 15 writes the data supplied from the control unit 11 into the memory 16, and further generates an image signal by reading out the data held in the memory 16 in accordance with a command from the control unit 11, as described above. In the synthesizing circuit 5, the image signal supplied from the camera signal processing circuit 5 is synthesized.

The connection unit 10 is configured such that various types of external storage devices 9 can be selectively attached to and detached from the main body 1.

2A to 2C are diagrams for explaining the external storage device 9 of the present embodiment, and FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the external storage device 9.

In the figure, 100 is a microcomputer, 101 is a ROM built in 100, 102 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit), 103 is a serial communication port, 104 is an I / O port for input / output, and 105 is a A connector for electrically connecting the external storage device 9; 106, a ROM table in which data such as a voice length, a waveform, and a pitch pattern is written; 107, a ROM
Read data from the table,
8, a control circuit for controlling the envelope circuit 109 and the like,
Reference numeral 108 denotes a sound source, and 109 denotes an envelope circuit for changing the amplitude of a sound signal output from the sound source 108.

In FIG. 2A, the connector 10 is
When the command is sent to the external storage device 9 via the communication port 5 and the communication port 103, the CPU 102 performs an operation corresponding to the command, for example, the ROM 1
Reads out the data held in 01 and sends it to communication port 10
3. Send to camera body 1 via connector 105,
The port 104 is controlled.

Further, the control circuit 107 reads out the contents held in the ROM table 106 in order to select a song and start / stop the song according to the control signal supplied from the I / O port 104, The sound source 108 and the envelope circuit 109 are set.

FIG. 2B is a view showing the contents of data held in the ROM 101 of FIG. 2A.

As shown in FIG. 2 (B), the head of the address stores a control program for performing the above-described communication, interpretation of instructions, reading of data, control of I / O ports, and the like. There are headers that contain data such as the type of external storage device, the number of built-in scenario data, and the start address of each built-in data, followed by other image signals and audio signals in addition to video and audio signals. The scenario data 1-2, the image data 1-4, and the control data 1-5, which contain the basic order for synthesizing, are stored in this order at the addresses shown in the figure. Is stored.

FIG. 2 (C) shows a display screen in the EVF 21 when the external storage device 9 is connected to the main unit 1.

As shown in FIG. 2 (C), reference numerals 1 and 2 indicate scenario data numbers, and “AAAA”, “BBBB”, etc. indicate data displayed on the EVF 21 by the control unit 11 according to the menu data shown in FIG. 2 (B). It indicates the name and type.

The arrow on the screen shown in FIG. 2 (C) indicates that this item scenario data is currently selected.

FIG. 3 shows the microcomputer 10 in the external storage device 9.
It is a flowchart showing the operation of 0.

As shown in FIG. 3, after the start, first, at 302, the read address is moved to the head address of the header to adapt to the type discriminating operation on the camera body 1 side as described later.

Thereafter, at 303, the instruction from the main unit 1 is received, and at 304, the instruction is determined. If the instruction is a read instruction, the read address is received from the main unit 1 at 305, and the read address data is read from the ROM 101 at 306. Send to 1 and 30
Return to 3.

If it is determined in 304 that the instruction is a music control instruction, a predetermined control signal corresponding to the music control instruction is output from the I / O port 104 to the control circuit 107 in 307, and the process returns to 303. Done.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the scenario data and control data in FIG. 2 (B).

FIG. 4A shows scenario data. First, control data 1 is called at 401, and control data 2 is called at 402.
Is called, the control data 3 is called at 403, and the operation returns to the address indicated by START in the figure at 404, and the above operation is repeated.

FIG. 4 (B) shows, for example, control data 1, in which data 405 to 411 and 414, 416 to 418 are data for controlling the image generating unit 15, and data 412 and 420 are music. The data for control, and the data of 413 and 419, are data for controlling the mixer amplifier 19.

In FIG. 4B, first, the image data 1 is read into the memory 16 at 405.

Then, the title display position is set to the position of the lower end of the screen at 406, the color of each part of the title is set at 407, the display is turned on at 408, the scrolling is started upward at 409, and the title is set at the predetermined at 410. After waiting for a time a to move to the position for a second (waiting), scrolling is stopped at 411.

Then, the music is started at 412, and the mixer amplifier is turned on at 413.

By this point, both the title and the music are synthesized into the captured image and the recorded voice.

Next, after waiting for a predetermined time b seconds in 414, fade-out of the music in the mixer amplifier 19 is started in 415.

Then, scroll up the title at 416,
At 17, wait (c seconds) until the title image disappears from the screen.

Thereafter, the display of the title is turned off at 418, the mixer amplifier is turned off at 419, and the music is turned off at 420.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show the control unit shown in FIG.
11 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of FIG.

In FIG. 5A, after starting at 501, connection of the external storage device 9 is detected at 502.

In addition, this detection reads the voltage of the terminal of the connection section 10, and
If the voltage is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, it is determined that the external storage device 9 is connected.

If the external storage device 9 is not connected in 503, 502
Returning to, the detection operation is repeated until the external storage device 9 is connected, and if the external storage device 9 is connected at 503, the type in the header supplied from the connected external storage device 9 at 504 is changed. The read data is read, and if the type does not match at 505, the process returns to 502.

If the type of the external storage device 9 is appropriate, the process proceeds to step S506.
If W1 (switch 12 in FIG. 1) is ON or OFF, if OFF, the process returns to 506. If ON, menu data is read at 507, and a screen corresponding to the read menu data is displayed at 508 on the EVF 21. .

At 509, one of the scenario data 1 and 2 displayed on the menu screen is selected by operating SW2 (switch 13 in FIG. 1).
It is determined whether or not the switch 14) in the figure has been pressed. If the switch has not been pressed, the process returns to step 509. If the switch has been pressed, the reading address of the data is selected in step 511 of FIG. 5B. Set to the first address.

At 512, one line of the scenario data at the address set at 511 is read.

Then, in 513, if it is the image generation unit control data, in 516 the image generation unit 15 according to the image generation unit control data
Then, the process returns to 512, and if it is mixer amplifier control data, the mixer amplifier 19 is controlled according to the mixer amplifier control data at 517, and the process returns to 512.If it is music control data, the process returns to 512 at the mixer control data. In response, the control circuit 107 in the external storage device 9 is controlled via the communication port to control the music and return to 512 again.

If it is detected in 513 that the control data is called, a so-called subroutine call is performed in which the current address is saved in the stack and the address of the called control data is set to the next read address.

If it is detected in 513 that the control data has ended, it is determined in 514 whether or not the stack is empty. If the stack is empty, the process returns to 506 in FIG. 5A, and the above operation is repeated. If it is not empty, pull the return address from the stack, set it to the next read address, and
Then, these operations are repeated.

As described above, in the video camera system shown in the present embodiment, another video signal and an audio signal formed in the video camera main body are combined in the external storage device detachable from the video camera main body. Image data and audio data for forming an image signal and an audio signal, and an image synthesizing operation and a scenario data for instructing the order of the audio synthesizing operation are held, and no special connection operation is required. By attaching an external storage device to the video camera body, it is possible to synthesize video signals and audio signals with other image signals or audio signals in a predetermined order or combination by a simple operation. Will not be spoiled.

In the above-described embodiment, the title image signal generated by the image generation unit 15 is synthesized by the synthesizing circuit 6 on the input side of the VTR unit 7 into a captured video signal corresponding to the captured video. The output side of the VTR 7 may be combined with a video signal reproduced from the VTR section 7 or may be configured to be combined on both the input side and the output side.

Similarly, the audio signal is configured such that the audio signal supplied from the external storage device 9 can be combined with the audio signal reproduced from the VTR unit 7 or can be synthesized on both the input side and the output side. May be.

Further, the audio signal has been described as a music, but is not limited thereto, and may be another audio signal such as a sound effect, a synthesized voice, or a digital synthesized sound.

Further, the menu screen displayed on the EVF 21 is not limited to the mode of the embodiment, and may display the operation mode of the connected external storage device, menu data in the external storage device, In this example, the menu screen is displayed on the EVF, but it can be displayed on another display, for example, a liquid crystal display.

Further, in the present embodiment, a case has been described in which a video signal and an audio signal formed by a video camera are used as information signals, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to this.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, an image signal or an audio signal can be combined with another image signal or an audio signal by a simple operation without having a special operation. An information signal control system can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a video camera system to which the present invention is applied as an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2A to 2C are diagrams for explaining the configuration and operation of the external storage device 9 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is an operation flowchart of the microcomputer 100 in the external storage device 9 of this embodiment. FIGS. 4A and 4B show examples of scenario data and control data of the present embodiment. FIGS. 5A and 5B are operation flowcharts of the control unit 11 of the present embodiment. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Camera body, 3 ... Image sensor, 5 ... Camera signal processing circuit, 6 ... Synthesis circuit, 7 ... VTR section, 9 ... External storage device, 10 ... Connection section, 11 ... Control section , 12-14 ... switch, 15 ... image generation unit, 16 ... memory, 100 ... microcomputer, 101 ... ROM, 102 ... CPU, 103 ... communication port, 104 ... I / O port, 106: ROM table, 107: Control circuit, 108: Sound source, 109: Envelope circuit.

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) H04N 5/91 H04N 5/781 H04N 5/262-5/265

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An information signal generator for generating a first image signal and a first audio signal, the information signal generator being detachable from the information signal generator,
Image information data corresponding to a second image information signal to be synthesized with the first image signal generated by the information signal generator and a first audio signal generated by the information signal generator. Audio information data corresponding to a second audio signal, image synthesis control data for controlling the operation of synthesizing the image signal, audio synthesis control data for controlling the operation of synthesizing the audio signal, the image synthesis control data, An information signal control system, comprising: a data holding device for holding synthesis control timing instruction data for instructing synthesis control timing based on voice synthesis control data.