JP3477823B2 - Imaging device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus, and more particularly, to a video camera unit having a lens with a shutter for generating an image pickup signal, and converting the image pickup signal into image data and stopping the operation. The present invention relates to an imaging device that stores image data of an image and is separated from a digital processor unit that outputs the image data. 2. Description of the Related Art An imaging apparatus for photographing a subject and outputting image data of a still image is photographed using a video camera including an image pickup tube, a solid-state image pickup device, and the like. After performing so-called process processing such as white balance, gamma correction, white clipping, knee processing, and the like, the imaging signal is converted into image data, and this image data is stored in the memory as image data of a still image. For example, image data of a still image stored in a memory is converted into a so-called small computer system interface (hereinafter, SCSI: Small Computer System Interface).
That. ) To a video printer to print (print out) a still image based on the image data, and transfer the image data to an information processing device such as a personal computer or a workstation via SCSI for use. Alternatively, a still image is displayed on a so-called CRT provided in the information processing apparatus. In a conventional imaging apparatus, a part for generating an imaging signal and performing a process process (hereinafter referred to as a video camera unit) is a part for converting the imaging signal into image data and outputting it to a video printer or the like. (Hereinafter referred to as a digital processor unit), a portable unit (video camera unit) is reduced in size and weight, for example, to improve operability, etc. [0004] By the way, since the above-mentioned conventional imaging apparatus uses a video camera, a still subject is to be photographed. Therefore, it is conceivable to attach a lens with a shutter to a video camera in which the lens can be exchanged, and photograph a moving subject. That is, it is conceivable that the timing of opening the shutter of the lens with shutter and the timing of writing image data to the memory are synchronized (synchronized) to enable photographing of a moving subject, that is, so-called high-speed photographing.
Conventional imaging devices do not have a function of controlling a lens with a shutter. The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and has as its object to provide an imaging apparatus capable of controlling a lens with a shutter and enabling high-speed photographing. [0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an image pickup apparatus according to the present invention comprises a camera section for photographing a subject and outputting an image pickup signal, and an image pickup signal from the camera section. An image pickup apparatus including a processor unit for storing image data of a still image, wherein a camera unit and a processor unit are separated. When the release button is operated, the camera unit transmits a release timing signal to the processor unit when the release button is operated, and also controls the shutter of the lens with shutter based on the shutter signal received from the processor unit. Control means for controlling opening and closing. A processor configured to store the image signal from the camera unit as image data of a still image, and to control writing of the image data to the storage unit based on a release timing signal from the camera unit; And control means for transmitting to the camera unit. According to the present invention, when the release button is operated, the control means of the camera section transmits a release timing signal to the processor section. The control unit of the processor unit controls writing of image data to the storage unit based on the release timing signal and transmits a shutter signal to the camera unit. The control means of the camera unit opens the shutter of the lens with shutter based on the shutter signal. An embodiment of an image pickup apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, for example, an imaging apparatus to which the present invention is applied has a video camera 10 having a shutter attached thereto, a video camera 20 for photographing a subject and outputting an imaging signal, and an imaging signal from the video camera 20. Is converted into image data and stored as image data of a still image, a monitor receiver 1 for displaying a still image or the like based on an image signal from the digital processor 30, and a viewfinder 2. The video camera 20 and the digital processor 30 are separated and connected by a multi-core cable 7 for transmitting analog image signals and the like and performing serial data communication such as control data. [0009] The video camera 20 controls the opening and closing of the shutter of the video lens 10 to photograph a subject, and supplies an obtained image signal to the digital processor 30. The digital processor 30 converts an imaging signal from the video camera 20 into image data, stores the converted image data as still image data, and then stores the stored image data as necessary in an information processing device, for example, a personal computer (hereinafter simply referred to as a personal computer). The image data is converted into image signals and supplied to the monitor receiver 1 and the viewfinder 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the imaging apparatus includes a remote controller (hereinafter, simply referred to as a remote controller) 3, a generator 4, a flash 5, and a foot switch 6. By operating the release button 3a, the foot switch 6, and the like, normal photographing or flash synchronized photographing can be performed. Further, the image pickup apparatus is provided with a color temperature conversion characteristic, a white balance, an ISO
Setting items of shooting conditions such as sensitivity and electronic shutter speed are displayed as so-called menus on the monitor receiver 1 and the viewfinder 2 in accordance with the frequency of use, and setting operations can be performed using the menus. ing. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the video lens 10 includes an optical shutter 11, a driver 12 for driving the shutter 11,
A microcomputer 13 for controlling opening and closing of the shutter 11 based on a control signal from 0; The video lens 10 is composed of a lens with a shutter that can remotely control, for example, aperture, zoom, focus, and the like.
Is controlled by a control signal supplied from the video camera 20.
The aperture, zoom, and focus are controlled, and the opening and closing of the shutter 11 is controlled via the driver 12. And
When the shutter 11 is opened, the video lens 10 condenses light from a subject and makes the light enter the light receiving unit of the video camera 20. As shown in FIG. 1 described above, the video camera 20 includes an image sensor 21 for receiving light from a subject and outputting an image signal, an operation unit 22 operated by a photographer, and the monitor receiver 1. Etc., a character generator 23 for generating a character for displaying setting items, a microcomputer (hereinafter simply referred to as a microcomputer) 24 for controlling the character generator 23 and the like in accordance with the output of the operation unit 22, and the remote controller An analog / digital converter (hereinafter, referred to as an A / D converter) that converts the release signal from 3 into data and supplies the data to the microcomputer 24.
25. The image pickup device 21 is composed of, for example, three charge-coupled solid-state image pickup devices (so-called CCD), receives light from a subject incident through the video lens 10, and outputs image signals of three primary colors. The data is supplied to the digital processor 30 via the cable 7. Further, the microcomputer 24 and a digital processor 3 described later are connected via the cable 7.
0, serial data communication is performed between the microcomputers 38. That is, the operation unit 22 is provided with the video camera 2
The operation unit 22 includes a button switch (hereinafter, referred to as a menu button) 22a for turning on / off a menu display and a release button 22b, for example, as shown in FIG. Function buttons 22c and 2 for moving a so-called cursor.
2d, a data button 22e for changing a numerical value,
22f, a connector 27 for connecting the cable 7 between the digital processor 30 and the video lens 10
And a connector for supplying a control signal to the viewfinder 2 and the like. When the release button 3a of the remote controller 3 or the release button 22b of the operation unit 22 is pressed, the microcomputer 24 transmits a release timing signal indicating release timing to the digital processor 30 as serial data via the cable 7 through the cable 7. I do. Also,
The microcomputer 24 supplies a control signal for controlling opening and closing of the shutter 11 and the like to the microcomputer 13 of the video lens 10 via the connector 28 based on a shutter signal described later from the digital processor 30. The microcomputer 24 has a menu button 2
A signal corresponding to the operation of a button switch such as 2a is received, and the character generator 23 is controlled so that, for example, every time the menu button 22a is pressed, the display of a normal menu including frequently used setting items is repeatedly turned on / off. At the same time, when the menu button 22a is pressed for a predetermined time, for example, three seconds or more, the character generator 23 is controlled to display a setup menu including setting items that are not frequently used. The character generator 23 generates characters for a normal menu or a setup menu, and supplies these characters to the digital processor 30 via the cable 7. The digital processor 30 is the same as that shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, an A / D converter 31 for converting an image signal from the video camera 20 into image data, and an image memory 32 for storing the image data from the A / D converter 31 as image data of a still image. A memory controller 33 for controlling the image memory 32; a character generator 34 for generating a display character for displaying an aperture value or the like; characters from the character generators 23 and 34 and an image from the image memory 32 An image synthesizing circuit 35 for synthesizing data, a D / A converter 36 for converting image data from the image synthesizing circuit 35 into an image signal,
A small computer system interface (hereinafter, SCSI: Small Computer System) that outputs image data stored in the image memory 32 to the personal computer 40.
It is called System Interface. A) a circuit 37 and a microcomputer 38 for controlling the whole. The A / D converter 31 converts the image signal supplied from the video camera 20 into image data,
This image data is supplied to the image memory 32 and the image synthesizing circuit 35. The image memory 32 includes a plurality of frame memories, and the memory controller 33 controls the release button 22
When b or the like is pressed, a frame memory for storing image data is selected according to an instruction from the microcomputer 38, and control for storing the image data supplied from the A / D converter 31 in this frame memory is performed. The image synthesizing circuit 35 synthesizes the display character from the character generator 34 with the image data from the A / D converter 31 and supplies it to the D / A converter 36. The image composition circuit 35 supplies the image data read from the image memory 32 to the D / A converter 36. On the other hand, when setting photographing conditions such as color temperature conversion characteristics, white balance, ISO sensitivity, and electronic shutter speed during flash synchronous photographing, the image synthesizing circuit 35 is used.
Supplies a character for a normal menu or a character for a setup menu supplied from the character generator 23 of the video camera 20 to the D / A converter 36. The D / A converter 36 converts the image data from the image synthesizing circuit 35 into an image signal, and
And the view finder 2. Thus, in the monitor receiver 1 or the like, for example, in a state where the shutter 11 is opened and the aperture is opened, an image in which a display character indicating the aperture value is combined with a moving image captured by the video camera 20 is displayed. Is displayed. Further, on the monitor receiver 1 or the like, a photographed still image, that is, a still image based on image data stored in the image memory 32, or a menu for setting photographing conditions is displayed. As a result, the photographer can adjust the focus and the like while watching the moving image displayed on the monitor receiver 1 and the like, and can confirm the aperture value. Further, the photographer can determine the quality of the photographed still image based on the still image displayed on the monitor receiver 1 or the like. Further, the photographer can easily set the photographing conditions by operating the function buttons 22c and 22d and the data buttons 22e and 22f while viewing the normal menu or the setup menu displayed on the monitor receiver 1 or the like. . In this imaging device, if necessary,
That is, for example, the image data read from the image memory 32 in response to a request from the personal computer 40 is transferred to the SCSI circuit 3
The information is transferred to an information processing device such as a personal computer 40, a work station, a digital video printer, or the like via the. As a result, a still image based on the image data stored in the image memory 32 is printed (printed out).
A still image based on the image data is displayed on a so-called CRT of the personal computer 40 or the like. Here, the specific control of the shutter 11 provided in the video lens 10 will be described. The microcomputer 24 of the video camera 20, for example, as shown in FIG.
Release button 22b of operation unit 22 or remote control 3
When the release button 3a is pressed, a release timing signal is transmitted to the microcomputer 38 of the digital processor 30 via the cable 7, for example, as shown in FIG. 3C. When the microcomputer 38 receives the release timing signal supplied via the cable 7 or the release timing signal from the foot switch 6, the microcomputer 38 converts the shutter signal for opening the shutter 11 via the cable 7 into serial data. 24. Further, the microcomputer 38 sends out a light emission timing signal indicating the light emission timing of the flash 5 to the generator 4 via the terminal 39 based on the release timing signal at the time of flash synchronized shooting. When the microcomputer 24 receives the shutter signal via the cable 7, it sends a control signal for opening the shutter 11 to the microcomputer 13 of the video lens 10, for example, as shown in FIG. 3D. The microcomputer 13 performs control to open the shutter 11 for a predetermined time according to the control signal, for example, as shown in FIG. 3E. As a result, this video camera 20
For example, as shown in FIG. 3F, the charge accumulated in the field where the shutter 11 is opened is read out in the next two fields, and the A / D converter 31 of the digital processor 30 outputs the image signal as an image signal. Supplied to Then, the microcomputer 38 controls the memory controller 33 so that the image data of the imaging signal is stored in the image memory 32. Thus, in this imaging apparatus, the timing of opening the shutter 11 of the video lens 10 and the image memory 3
2 can be synchronized (synchronized), and for example, a subject moving at high speed can be photographed. In other words, this imaging device can perform high-speed shooting. As apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, when the release button is operated, the control unit of the camera unit transmits a release timing signal to the processor unit. The control means of the processor controls the writing of image data to the memory and transmits a shutter signal to the camera based on the release timing signal. The control unit of the camera unit can synchronize the timing of opening the shutter with the writing of image data to the storage unit by opening the shutter of the lens with shutter based on the shutter signal. You can also shoot. That is, high-speed shooting can be performed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a specific circuit configuration of an imaging device to which the present invention has been applied. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a specific configuration of an operation unit of a video camera included in the imaging device. FIG. 3 is a time chart for explaining an operation of the imaging apparatus. [Description of Signs] 3 Remote control 3a Release button 7 Cable 10 Video lens 11 Shutter 12 Microcomputer 20 Video camera 21 Image sensor 24 Microcomputer 30 Digital processor 31 A / D converter 32 Image memory 33 Memory controller 38 Microcomputer

Claims (1)

(57) [Claim 1] A camera unit for photographing a subject and outputting an image pickup signal, and a processor unit for storing the image pickup signal from the camera unit as image data of a still image, An imaging apparatus in which the camera unit and the processor unit are separated, wherein the camera unit transmits a release timing signal to the processor unit when the shutter button, a release button, and the release button are operated. Control means for controlling opening and closing of the shutter of the lens with shutter based on a shutter signal received from the processor unit, wherein the processor unit converts an image signal from the camera unit into image data of a still image A storage unit for storing the image data in the storage unit based on a release timing signal from the camera unit; A control unit for controlling the shutter signal and transmitting the shutter signal to the camera unit.