JP3306808B1 - Electronic still camera - Google Patents

Abstract

[Abstract] [Purpose] To solve the problem of transferring the synchronous position of image data, and to provide multimedia information (image / audio) to information equipment.
To build an electronic still camera with the best cost performance to enter. The present invention outputs image data to an information device I / F as it is during an image valid period, and also encodes a vertical synchronizing code indicating vertical blanking other than audio data and a code indicating camera status during a vertical blanking period. A status code, a control code indicating a control command to the information device, and a code indicating a field number or a frame number are inserted and recorded. During the horizontal blanking period, encoded information indicating horizontal blanking other than audio data is recorded. A horizontal synchronization code, a coded status code indicating the status of the camera, a control code indicating a control command to the information device, and a code indicating a horizontal scanning line number are inserted and recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic still camera, and more particularly to an image / sound recording / reproducing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, electronic still cameras are mainly used as input devices for image and audio data to information equipment. For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 4-225882 proposes a technique in which image data from an electronic camera is directly input to a personal computer without using any adapter or the like, and processing such as editing can be performed.

[0003]

However, current electronic still cameras have poor compatibility with these information devices and require hardware and software for an interface (I / F).

[0004] Specifically, there are the following problems.

(1) The image format used in the information equipment differs depending on the application program. If the format of the image file recorded by the electronic still camera does not match the application, it is necessary to create a file format conversion program. There is.

(2) An electronic still camera is a television
(NTSC) The aspect ratio of the pixel is not "1" because it is designed as a standard for reproduction and viewing on the screen.
If the file recorded in this way is reproduced on an information device such as a personal computer as it is, the screen becomes a crushed screen and the display becomes difficult to see.

(3) When image data is directly transferred to the information device via the recording medium I / F, the information device cannot display normally unless the image data synchronization position is also transferred.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the problem relating to the transfer of a synchronous position of image data among the above-mentioned conventional problems, and to achieve an optimum cost performance for inputting multimedia information (image / audio) to information equipment. An object of the present invention is to provide an excellent electronic still camera.

[0009]

According to the present invention, there is provided a photographing means for photographing a subject and outputting image data; an image data encoding means for encoding image data; Means for recording the converted image data on a recording medium, means for converting audio to an electric signal, means for encoding the audio data converted to the electric signal, and means for recording the encoded audio data on a recording medium Means for transferring uncompressed image data to the recording medium interface unit, generating a code indicating image synchronization and inserting it into the uncompressed image data, and compressing in the time axis direction during the image blanking period. And means for inserting the voice data.

[0010] Further, the non-compressed image data transfer means is provided with means for generating and inserting a code indicating a field number or a frame number of an image during an image blanking period.

The non-compressed image data transfer means is provided with means for generating and inserting status information and control commands to a device connected to the recording medium interface during an image blanking period.

The uncompressed image data transfer means is characterized in that the data bus width to be transmitted is 16 bits, 8 bits are a luminance signal, and the remaining 8 bits are a subsampled color difference signal.

The non-compressed image data transfer means is characterized in that the data bus width to be transmitted is 16 bits, N bits are image data, and the remaining bits are audio data.

[0014]

According to the electronic still camera having the above-mentioned structure, there are provided means for transferring uncompressed image data to the recording medium interface unit and means for generating a code indicating image synchronization and inserting it into the uncompressed image data. Since the synchronization position of the image data is known, and means for inserting the audio data compressed in the time axis direction during the image blanking period is provided, the audio data is also transferred in real time.

In addition, since means for generating and inserting a code indicating a field number or a frame number of an image during an image blanking period is provided, even if a data transfer error occurs, normal display can be performed immediately after error recovery. Become.

[0016] Further, since there is provided means for generating and inserting status information and control commands to the device connected to the recording medium interface during the image blanking period, status monitoring and control of the information device are performed on the information device side. You.

Since the data bus width to be transmitted is 16 bits, 8 bits are a luminance signal, and the remaining 8 bits are a sub-sampled color difference signal, efficient image data transmission is achieved.

Further, since the data bus width to be transmitted is 16 bits, N bits are image data, and the remaining (16-N) bits are audio data, audio and image data can be transferred in real time.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, wherein 1 is a microphone, 2a and 2b are amplifiers, 3 is audio data encoding means for encoding / decoding audio data, and audio data. An audio data compression / expansion circuit as data decoding means, 4 is an A / D (analog / digital) conversion circuit,
Denotes a D / A (digital / analog) conversion circuit.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a camera imaging unit including an imaging lens 7, an aperture 8, a CCD 9, and a CDS 10 serving as a camera control unit. Reference numeral 11 denotes a digital signal processing circuit for performing various types of image processing. , An image data compression / decompression circuit as image data encoding means and image data decoding means, a FIFO circuit 13, and a memory card I / F 14 as an interface (I / F) with a memory card.
F.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a mechanical drive unit (driver) of the camera imaging unit 6, 17 denotes an electrical timing signal generation unit (SG) of the camera imaging unit 6, 18 denotes a strobe as illumination means, and 19 denotes various modes. An operation unit for setting, 20 is a mode display unit for displaying the set mode, and 21 is a CPU for controlling each unit.

The reference numerals 22a and 22b are connected to a memory card I / F 14, and a recording medium I / F for interfacing with various recording media and an information device I / F for interfacing with various information devices. It is.

In FIG. 1, a subject image is formed on a CCD 9 as an image pickup means by an image pickup lens 7, and the CCD 9
The image picked up by is subjected to gain control by the CDS 10, and is converted into digital data by the A / D conversion circuit 4. The digital image data is subjected to gamma correction and aperture correction by a digital signal processing circuit 11, and is sent to an image data compression / expansion circuit 12, which is image signal encoding means, to be encoded. The digital signal processing circuit 11 has a built-in circuit that can change the pixel aspect ratio by setting from the CPU 21.

The method of setting the aspect ratio of an NTSC image to "1" is performed by vertical pixel interpolation. A specific method will be described below.

If the pixel before changing the aspect ratio is a (i, k) and the pixel after changing is b (i, k),

[0027]

M = (i / 6) +1 1 ≦ i ≦ 575, 1 ≦ k ≦ 768, and m is an integer,

[0028]

B (i, k) = {(5 + i−6m) / 6} × a (i
−m, k) + {(1-i + 6m) / 6} × a} (im−
1), k} where a (0, k) = 0.

The encoded image data is sent to a FIFO circuit.
13 and sequentially recorded on a memory card as a recording medium through a memory card I / F 14.
Note that the above components are controlled by the CPU 21.

On the other hand, the voice is captured by the microphone 1,
Converted to electrical signals. This electric signal is amplified by an amplifier 2a, converted into digital data by an A / D conversion circuit 4, sent to an audio data compression / expansion circuit 3 as audio signal encoding means, and encoded. I have. The encoded audio data is transmitted to the memory card I via the CPU 21.
/ F14 to be recorded on the memory card. Several recording format files can be created for the recording format on the memory card by changing the header set by the CPU 21 when creating the file. Details of these will be described later with reference to FIG.

When reproducing the data recorded on the memory card, the video / audio data is sent to the FIFO circuit 13 or the CPU 21 through the memory card I / F 14. The image data is an image data compression / decompression circuit
The data is subjected to data expansion (decoding) processing at 12, and is output as a video signal through the digital signal processing circuit 11.

On the other hand, the audio data is sent to the audio data compression / expansion circuit 3 via the CPU 21, decompressed (decoded), and output as an audio signal through the amplifier 2b.

The recording medium I / F 22a is commonly used for directly transferring data to and from an information device.
When transferring uncompressed image data to an information device, the image data subjected to gamma correction and aperture correction by the digital signal processing circuit 11 is output as it is from the image data compression / expansion circuit 12 and written into the FIFO circuit 13. FIFO circuit
The image data written in the memory card 13 is stored in the memory card I / F 14
Is output to the information device I / F 22b via the. When transferring uncompressed audio data to an information device, the audio data digitized by the A / D conversion circuit 4 is output from the audio data compression / expansion circuit 3 as it is and written to the FIFO circuit 13. The audio data written in the FIFO circuit 13 is transmitted to the information device I / F 22b via the memory card I / F 14.
Output to

FIGS. 3A and 3B are timing charts of information device data transfer. The image data output from the digital signal processing circuit 11 is directly output to the information device I / F 22b during the image valid period. In the vertical blanking period, in addition to audio data, an encoded vertical synchronization code indicating vertical blanking, an encoded status code indicating camera status, a control code indicating a control command to the information device, and a field number Alternatively, a code indicating the frame number is inserted and recorded.

During the horizontal blanking period, in addition to audio data, an encoded horizontal synchronization code indicating horizontal blanking, an encoded status code indicating camera status, and a control command to the information device are shown. A control code and a code indicating a horizontal scanning line number are inserted and recorded.

FIG. 2 shows the flow of file creation according to this embodiment. In creating a file, first, the CPU 21
Set or select the creation format specification from 19 (S
1). The CPU 21 selects the file format (S2-1, S2-2, S2-2) selected when transferring the image data to the memory card.
A file is created by combining the header information matching S2-3) with the image data body and transferring the image data.
3).

[0037]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the electronic still camera according to the first aspect of the present invention generates the code indicating the image synchronization with the means for transferring the non-compressed image data to the recording medium interface unit. In addition, since a means for inserting the image data into the uncompressed image data is provided, the synchronization position of the image data can be known, so that the information device can normally display the image data. Since the audio data insertion means is provided, the audio data can also be transferred in real time, so that the information device has a sense of realism at the time of reproduction.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since a means for generating and inserting a code indicating a field number or a frame number of an image during an image blanking period is provided, even if a data transfer error occurs, Normal display becomes possible immediately after recovery.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided means for generating and inserting status information and control commands to the device connected to the recording medium interface during the image blanking period. It can monitor and control information equipment.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the data bus width to be transmitted is 16 bits, 8 bits are a luminance signal, and the remaining 8 bits are a sub-sampled color difference signal, so that efficient image data transmission is achieved. it can.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the data bus width to be transmitted is 16 bits, N bits are image data, and the remaining (16-N) bits are audio data. Is possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic still camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of file creation according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart of information device data transfer.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Microphone, 2a, 2b ... Amplifier, 3 ... Audio data compression / expansion circuit, 6 ... Camera imaging part, 7 ... Imaging lens, 12 ... Image data compression / expansion circuit, 14, 22a, 22b
... Interface, 21 ... CPU (Central Processing Unit).

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 5/225 H04N 5/76-5/956 H04N 5/06

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] A photographing means for photographing a subject and outputting image data; an image data encoding means for encoding the image data; a means for recording the encoded image data on a recording medium; In an electronic still camera including a means for converting a signal into a signal, a means for encoding the audio data converted into an electric signal, and a means for recording the encoded audio data on a recording medium, an uncompressed recording medium interface unit is provided. Means for transferring image data, and means for generating a code indicating image synchronization and inserting it into uncompressed image data, and inserting audio data compressed in the time axis direction during an image blanking period. Electronic still camera. 2. An electronic still camera according to claim 1, wherein said non-compressed image data transfer means includes means for generating and inserting a code indicating a field number or a frame number of an image during an image blanking period. . 3. The non-compressed image data transfer means includes means for generating and inserting status information and a control command to a device connected to a recording medium interface during an image blanking period. An electronic still camera as described. 4. The uncompressed image data transfer means, wherein a data bus width to be transmitted is 16 bits, 8 bits are a luminance signal, and the remaining 8 bits are a subsampled color difference signal. Electronic still camera. 5. The electronic still camera according to claim 1, wherein in the non-compressed image data transfer means, a data bus width to be transmitted is 16 bits, N bits are image data, and the remaining bits are audio data.