JP3091628B2 - Stereoscopic video camera - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a three-dimensional video camera capable of photographing in either a two-dimensional photographing mode or a three-dimensional photographing mode.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a stereoscopic image pickup apparatus for photographing a stereoscopic image having left and right parallax with one image pickup device, for example,
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 57-62686 discloses a method.

According to this publication, a rotating mirror for alternately guiding left and right information to one image sensor at a field cycle is required, and there is a disadvantage that the structure is complicated. Further, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-84589, a half mirror and a shutter which opens and closes at a field cycle without using a rotating mirror are used.
There is a way to use multiple shutters.

However, this method does not require a complicated structure, but has a drawback that the use of a half mirror reduces the amount of light by half. The applicant of the present application has previously filed Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 5-1 as a stereoscopic video camera which has solved these disadvantages.
No. 59585. According to this application,
The right-eye information and the left-eye information are each halved in the horizontal direction.
An image is captured using an optical system that compresses the image to form an image in different regions on the left and right on one image sensor, for example, an anamorphic optical system, and the image output is recorded. And during playback,
By expanding the reproduction output twice in the horizontal direction, a video signal for the right eye and a video signal for the left eye can be obtained.

A so-called adapter-type stereoscopic video camera capable of performing a two-dimensional photographing mode and a three-dimensional photographing mode by using the above-described anamorphic optical system as an optical adapter and detachably using the same with a video camera having a single image pickup device is known. It becomes possible.

[0006]

However, conventionally,
In the adapter type stereoscopic video camera, it is necessary to change the signal processing method of the video signal processing circuit and the display circuit of the viewfinder between the two-dimensional shooting mode and the three-dimensional shooting mode, and there is a disadvantage that the operation is complicated. .

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned disadvantages,
An object of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional video camera in which a shooting mode is automatically switched in conjunction with attachment and detachment of an optical adapter.

The present invention is directed to a stereoscopic video camera capable of capturing a stereoscopic image having parallax with a single image pickup device by attaching an optical adapter to a main body. A signal processing circuit that performs the processing of (1) and (2) expanding the output of the signal processing circuit in the horizontal direction to synchronize the left and right video signals, and then interleaving the left and right video signals in the horizontal direction for each pixel and outputting A circuit, and detection means for detecting attachment / detachment of the optical adapter,
A selection circuit that selects and outputs the output of the decompression circuit or the output of the signal processing circuit based on the output of the detection means, and a display unit to which a video signal selected by the selection circuit is supplied; The output of the signal processing circuit is supplied to the display section when the adapter is detached from the main body, and the output of the decompression circuit is supplied to the display section when the optical adapter is attached to the main body.

[0009]

When the optical adapter is separated from the three-dimensional video camera body by the above means, the detecting means detects the separation and the output of the signal processing circuit is supplied to a display unit such as a viewfinder to display a two-dimensional image. When the optical adapter is attached to the three-dimensional video camera body, the detecting means detects the attachment, and the output of the expansion circuit is supplied to the display unit to display a three-dimensional image.

[0010]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an optical adapter used for a stereoscopic video camera in the present embodiment. Reference numerals 1 and 2 denote first and second anamorphic lenses to which right-eye information and left-eye information having parallax from a subject are emitted, and first and second anamorphic lenses 3 and 4 are first and second mirrors arranged behind the respective anamorphic lenses. Reference numerals 5 and 6 denote third and fourth mirrors for reflecting the light reflected by the first and second mirrors in the same direction, and these constitute an optical adapter 7.

The anamorphic lens is a lens that produces an image having different magnifications in the vertical and horizontal directions on the image plane. In the present embodiment, an image is produced in which the width is reduced by half compared to the vertical.

The first to fourth mirrors may be replaced by anamorphic mirrors instead of using anamorphic lenses in the optical system. Reference numeral 8 denotes a video camera body to which the optical adapter 7 can be attached and detached. The video camera body 8 includes an imaging lens 9 composed of a combination of a plurality of lenses and a detection switch 10 for detecting attachment and detachment of the optical adapter 7.

Next, FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the stereoscopic video camera of the present embodiment. 11 is a CCD, 12 is this CCD
A video signal processing circuit that receives an output and processes various video signals, and includes an AF (auto focus) circuit, an AE (auto iris) circuit, and an AWB (auto white balance) circuit. A control output, an AE control output, and an AWB control output are generated. 1
Reference numeral 3 denotes a recording circuit for recording the output of the video signal processing circuit in the VTR section 14, reference numeral 15 denotes a decompression circuit for extending the output of the video signal processing circuit 12 twice in the horizontal direction, and reference numeral 16 denotes the output of the decompression circuit or the video. A selection circuit 17 for selecting and outputting a signal processing circuit output is a viewfinder 17 to which the video signal selected by the selection circuit is supplied.
It is composed of a well-known parallax barrier type stereoscopic display. Reference numeral 18 denotes a CPU that switches each detection area in the AF circuit, the AE circuit, and the AWB circuit of the video signal processing circuit 12 and controls the selection circuit 16 based on a detection output from the detection switch 10.

Next, the operation of the circuit of this embodiment will be described. First, when the optical adapter 7 is detached, the detection switch 10 is turned off, and the CPU 18 outputs “L”.
Since an output is input, a two-dimensional imaging mode is set. In this mode, a two-dimensional image is captured in the imaging area (solid line) of the CCD 11 as shown in FIG. 3A. Further, each detection area of the AF circuit, the AE circuit, and the AWB circuit of the video signal processing circuit 12 is set so as to be located at the center of the imaging area as shown by a broken line. Further, the two-dimensional video signal processed by the video signal processing circuit 12 is supplied to the recording circuit 13 and selected by the selection circuit 16 to be output to the viewfinder 17.
And a two-dimensional image is displayed.

On the other hand, when the optical adapter 7 is mounted on the three-dimensional video camera body 8, the detection switch 10 is turned on and the "H" output is input to the CPU 18, so that the three-dimensional imaging mode is set. . In this mode, the imaging area is divided into left and right as shown in FIG. 3B, and the right-eye image and the left-eye image are each compressed and halved in the horizontal direction in each divided imaging area. The AF
The setting is changed so that each detection area of the circuit, the AE circuit, and the AWB circuit is located at the center of each divided imaging area as shown by a broken line. Further, the selection circuit 16 selects the output of the decompression circuit 15 and supplies it to the view finder 17. The expansion circuit 15 expands the input video signal in the horizontal direction, synchronizes the left and right video signals, and then interleaves the left and right video signals in the horizontal direction for each pixel and outputs the interleaved video signal. Therefore,
A stereoscopic image is displayed on the viewfinder 17 and stereoscopic viewing can be performed without glasses.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, the shooting mode is automatically switched in conjunction with the attachment / detachment of the optical adapter, so that the display unit such as a viewfinder can be switched between the two-dimensional shooting mode and the three-dimensional shooting mode. Are automatically switched, and a two-dimensional image or a three-dimensional image is selectively displayed on the display unit.

Further, since the detection areas of the AF circuit, the AE circuit and the AWB circuit are switched between the two-dimensional photographing mode and the three-dimensional photographing mode, each circuit can operate optimally according to each photographing mode.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing attachment and detachment of an optical adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a stereoscopic video camera in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a detection area in each shooting mode in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 7 Optical Adapter 8 Stereoscopic Video Camera Main Body 10 Detection Switch 11 CCD 12 Video Signal Processing Circuit 15 Decompression Circuit 18 CPU

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Seiji Okada 2-5-5 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Takashi Ikeda 2-5-2 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka No. 5 Inside Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (56) References Japanese Utility Model Hei 6-23048 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 13/00-15/00

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A stereoscopic video camera capable of photographing a stereoscopic image having parallax with a single imaging device by attaching an optical adapter to a main body, receiving an output from the imaging device and processing various video signals.
Signal processing circuit for performing the
After extending in the same direction and synchronizing the left and right video signals,
Outputs video signals interleaved in the horizontal direction for each pixel
A decompression circuit that detects the attachment or detachment of the optical adapter; and a decompression circuit output based on the output of the detection means.
Selection to select the output or the signal processing circuit output
Circuit and a video signal selected by the selection circuit are supplied
A display unit, wherein the signal is output when the optical adapter is detached from the main body.
No. processing circuit output is supplied to the display unit, the decompression circuit output when the optical adapter is attached to said body front
A stereoscopic video camera supplied to a display unit . Wherein said signal processing circuit autofocus circuit includes a automatic iris circuits and or auto white balance circuit, these circuits to said detecting means output
The three-dimensional video camera according to claim 1, wherein each detection area is changed based on the detection area.