JP3370206B2 - Digital camera device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a personal computer, a workstation, a videophone, a video conference, and the like.
The present invention relates to a digital camera device having an interface characterized by multiplexing and transmitting auxiliary information such as a still image. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a device for transmitting image data and auxiliary information from a video camera to a personal computer, a work station, or the like, is required to transmit image data and auxiliary information data as specified in IEEE P1394. A transmission area is defined, and auxiliary information is multiplexed in the defined area. [0003] If the above-described transmission processing is performed, the CI is determined by the image format conversion processing.
An image format such as F, QVGA, or VGA is generated. When image data and auxiliary information are multiplexed and transmitted via a digital interface in this image format, the auxiliary information is constant if the transmission speed is constant,
A space is created in the image data area. in this case,
Unused areas are generated in the data portion output from the digital interface, and the data transmission efficiency becomes inefficient as the data transmission efficiency deteriorates. [0004] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the digital camera device of the present invention, the amount of data that can be used as a blanking period is determined according to the amount of image data that has been subjected to image format conversion . This fixed data
The auxiliary information can be multiplexed according to the length of the blanking period by varying the blanking period according to the amount, and the length of the auxiliary information accepted is output to the auxiliary information generation circuit. This makes it possible to easily multiplex auxiliary information of any length. Also, the compression ratio of audio and still images can be changed according to the length of the blanking period. Therefore, according to the above configuration, it is possible to automatically and efficiently multiplex data such as audio and still images other than video data on the digital interface for transmitting video data.
A very good digital interface can be constructed. Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the digital camera device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of a digital camera device according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, an image pickup means 11 is an image pickup device for converting a light image captured by a lens into an electric signal, and an output from the image pickup device. CDS for sampling and holding signals, AGC for automatic gain correction of output signals from the CDS, drive timing pulses for driving to control the image sensor, timing for generating video signal synchronization pulses and video signal processing clocks It consists of a pulse generator. The video signal processing means 12 converts an output signal from the imaging means 11 into digital data in pixel units, and a luminance signal (Y) and a color difference signal (Y) based on the digital data output from the AD converter. RY, BY), performs white balance processing, gamma correction processing, and the like, and outputs a luminance signal (Y) and a color difference signal (RY, BY) as dot-sequential color difference digital signals. It is composed of a video signal processing unit. [0008] The image format conversion means 13
The image signal is converted into a predetermined image size such as CIF or QVGA based on the luminance signal and the color difference signal output from the signal processing unit 12 and output to the digital interface unit. That is, the image format conversion means 13 converts the signal from the image sensor of the imaging means 11 into the video signal
2, the luminance signal (Y) and the color difference signal (R
Based on (Y, BY), an externally connected personal computer or the like generates image data corresponding to an arbitrary image size set in the control means 18. The control means 18 includes an imaging means 11, a video signal processing means 12, an image format conversion means 13,
Digital interface means 14, auxiliary information input means 1
5. The operation of the blanking length output means 16 is controlled. The digital interface unit 14 multiplexes image data including a luminance signal (Y) and color difference signals (RY, BY) output from the image format unit 13 and auxiliary information data output from the auxiliary information input unit 15. a digital interface for outputting to an external personal computer or workstation as the parallel signals or serial signals. The auxiliary information input means 15 receives the auxiliary information input permission signal output from the auxiliary information input means 15 and multiplexes the auxiliary information output from the auxiliary information generation means 17 during the blanking period of the digital interface means 14. Things. The image format conversion means 13
The video signals that have been converted into image formats such as CIF and QCIF generated by the above have different resolutions. That is, for example, in the case of CIF, the resolution is 352 (H) ×
288 (V), and the horizontal active data length with a luminance and color difference of 4: 2: 2 is 704 words. QCI
In the case of F, the resolution is 176 (H) × 144 (V), and the horizontal active data length of luminance and color difference is 352 words. 288 lines in the vertical direction, 144
Line. If the sampling frequency is 27 MHz, that is, the data transfer rate is 27 MHz, the total line length that can be transferred is 1 for both CIF and QCIF.
This is 716 words. As a result, the vertical blanking length, which is the length of data other than active data, that is, the length of data multiplexed during the blanking period, is CIF, QCI
F has 27 lines. The image format conversion means 13
Outputs a signal indicating a horizontal synchronizing signal, a vertical synchronizing signal, a sampling clock, and active data, together with the video data subjected to the image format conversion. As can be seen from the above, the length of the video active data of various formats converted into the image format varies depending on the mode. That is, the blanking length (vertical blanking period) varies depending on the mode (FIGS. 2, 3, and 4). Also,
Although the description has been made with CIF and QCIF at present, the effect is most effective in an arbitrary image size. The actual blanking length is the “L” portion of the HVACT signal indicating that the horizontal video data is valid, and the “L” portion of the VVACT indicating that the vertical video data is valid. The HVACT signal and the VVACT signal are output from the image format conversion means 13. The blanking length output means 16 outputs the HVACT output from the image format conversion means 13.
The signal is counted from the fall of the signal to the rise during the “L” period, and the counted value is used as the horizontal blanking length. Also, from the falling edge of the VVACT signal, "L"
The period is counted up to the rise, and the counted value is defined as the vertical blanking length. The counted vertical / horizontal blanking length is output to the auxiliary information generating means 17. The auxiliary information generating means 17 generates auxiliary data to be multiplexed to the digital interface means 14 through the auxiliary information input means 15 based on the vertical and horizontal blanking length. [0015] 5 to 7 show a second embodiment of a digital camera apparatus of the present invention, hereinafter, a description will be given of a second embodiment of a digital camera apparatus of the present invention in conjunction with FIGS. 5-7. 5, the horizontal blanking counter 21 outputs the horizontal blanking register 22 as a data length of the horizontal blanking at the timing shown in FIG. In the counting operation, the period in which HVACT is “ L ” is counted by the transfer clock DCLK, and the count value is stored in the horizontal blanking register 22 at the falling edge of HSYC. Then, a counter for counting horizontal blanking at the rising edge of HSYC is reset. The horizontal blanking register 22 is HSYC
Length of the horizontal blanking period counter value output from the horizontal blanking counter 21 in synchronization result of the comparison period of VS YC every HS Y C, the vertical and horizontal blanking data generating unit 26 as long as the same value to Output data. The vertical blanking counter 23 counts the pulses of the VS YC inputted to period of the signal VVACT is "L" indicating the vertical blanking interval, and outputs a count value in the vertical blanking register 24 in field signal. The reset of this vertical blanking counter is shown in FIG.
This is performed at the rise of the field signal as shown in FIG. The vertical blanking register 24 compares the counter values output from the vertical blanking counter 23 in synchronization with the field signal.
Vertical blanking is applied to the vertical / horizontal blanking data generator 26.
Output the length data of the logging period. The mode switching signal generator 25 receives the signal from the control means 18 indicating that the resolution setting has changed, and outputs a mode switching signal and a BSEL signal for setting the auxiliary information bus to the output mode. The vertical / horizontal blanking data generator 26 is provided with the horizontal blanking register 22.
The horizontal and vertical blanking data is generated in synchronization with the mode switching signal based on the horizontal blanking period length data output from the controller and the vertical blanking data output from the vertical blanking register 24 to generate auxiliary information.
Output to means 17. The data is output to the data bus switching unit 27 in synchronization with the BSEL signal. Each blanking data is stored in units of 2 bytes. The data bus switching section 27 multiplexes the horizontal / vertical blanking data output from the horizontal / vertical blanking data generating section 26 onto the auxiliary information data bus. The auxiliary information bus is an output bus when the BSEL signal is "H", and is output horizontally to the auxiliary information generating means 17 because the auxiliary information bus is a bidirectional bus. Output vertical blanking data. This output timing is shown in FIG. By switching the image conversion mode,
A mode switching signal and a BSEL signal are generated, and blanking data is output in order of horizontal blanking data and vertical blanking data according to this timing. The output of the horizontal / vertical blanking data is enabled only when the image conversion mode is switched. This data is output for one field. FIG. 8 through FIG. 9 shows a third embodiment of a digital camera apparatus of the present invention, hereinafter, a description will be given of a third embodiment of the digital camera device of the present invention in conjunction with FIGS. 8 to 9. In FIG. 8, the auxiliary input means 15, the horizontal blanking counter 21, the horizontal blanking register 22, the vertical blanking counter 23, the vertical blanking register 24, and the horizontal / vertical blanking data generator 26 are described in the second embodiment. The same operation as that of the same reference numeral is performed. The mode switching signal generator 32 receives the signal output from the controller 18 indicating that the resolution setting has changed, and outputs a mode switching signal and valid data indicating blanking signal period data valid for the auxiliary information generator. Output a signal. The serial interface unit 31 is an interface that converts the parallel data output from the vertical and horizontal blanking data generation unit 26 into a serial data signal and outputs the serial data to the auxiliary information generation unit according to the timing shown in FIG. [0024] Figure 10 shows a fourth embodiment of a digital camera apparatus of the present invention, a fourth embodiment of a digital camera apparatus of the present invention will be described in conjunction with FIG. 10 below. FIG. 10 shows FIG.
Is a block diagram of the auxiliary information generating means 17 of FIG. Here, the compression of an audio signal is mentioned as an example, but the same can be applied to the compression of still images without any problem. The microphone 41 is a microphone phone for inputting an audio signal. The AD converter 42 digitizes an analog audio signal input from the microphone 41 into a digital signal.
Output the sampled digital audio signal. The audio compressor 43 is a digital audio signal compressor that compresses the digital audio signal input from the AD converter 42 to an arbitrary bit rate. The auxiliary information output interface 44 converts the data from the audio compression section 43 compressed at the compression bit rate controlled by the compression control section 45 together with information on the compression ratio into the auxiliary information input section 15 of the digital camera.
Output to The blanking length input interface 46 receives the total blanking length data for one field from the blanking length data input from the blanking length output means 16 and outputs it to the compression control unit 45. The compression control section 45 adds up all the blanking length data input from the blanking length input interface 46 and calculates the total blanking length in one field period. The bit rate of audio compression is calculated from the total blanking length data. That is, if the audio signal is not continuously transmitted without interruption, the audio will be interrupted, so that the audio data must be continuously transmitted. For this reason, the amount of data to be transferred in one field period is determined, and the data of one field period is stored in the memory on the receiving side, and the voice expansion process is performed.
Therefore, the horizontal blanking length and the vertical blanking length in one field period are summed up, and the capacity capable of transmitting the audio signal is determined by the summed blanking length. The maximum data amount that fits in this capacity is the bit capacity that can be transmitted. That is, it becomes the compression bit rate of the audio compression. The compression rate of the audio control unit 45 is determined based on the compression bit rate obtained by the compression control unit 45. Since the digital camera device of the present invention has the above-described configuration, the area in which the amount of auxiliary information is large varies according to the capacity of the image data whose image format has been converted. Since the auxiliary information can be easily input from the outside by outputting the length of the variable period, a digital interface for transmitting data efficiently with a simple circuit can be configured. When the resolution of an image changes arbitrarily in an interface having a predetermined transmission capacity, the data capacity occupied by the image data changes accordingly. Due to this change, the capacity for transmitting data other than the image also changes. By automatically recognizing the length of the area for transmitting data other than the image, that is, the auxiliary information data area, and efficiently multiplexing auxiliary information such as audio, a video digital interface with less waste can be provided. .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of a digital camera device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a video area and a blanking area in FIG. FIG. 3 is a timing chart showing a horizontal video active period and a horizontal blanking period in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing a vertical video active period and a vertical blanking period in FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the digital camera device of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a timing chart of the horizontal blanking counter in FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a timing chart of blanking data output in FIG. 5; FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of the digital camera device of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a timing chart of serial data output in FIG. 8; FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a fourth embodiment of the digital camera device according to the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Digital camera means 11 Imaging means 12 Video signal processing means 13 Image format conversion means 14 Digital interface means 15 Auxiliary information input means 16 Blanking length output means 17 Auxiliary information generation means 18 Control means

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An image pickup device for converting an image pickup light from an object to be incident into an electric signal, and noise suppression for an output signal from the image pickup device, automatic gain control, etc. Image signal processing means for performing a pre-process of performing an image processing, converting an output signal from the image sensing means from an analog signal to a digital signal, and performing luminance signal processing and color signal processing, and output from the image signal processing means. and an image format conversion means the digital image data into a variety of image formats, the length information between blanking period of the image data output from image format converting means, blanking for outputting to the outside of the auxiliary information generation means and ranking length output means, complementary to output the auxiliary information into auxiliary information input means according to the length information of the blanking period which is output from the blanking length output means The auxiliary information generating means and the auxiliary information generated by the auxiliary information generating means are
Auxiliary information input means for inputting to the interface means, and image data output from the image format conversion means.
Input from the auxiliary information input means during the blanking period
Data that multiplexes the extracted auxiliary information and outputs it as a digital signal.
A digital camera device comprising: a digital interface unit; and a control unit that controls the system.