JP3546478B2 - Video camera equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial applications]
The present invention relates to a video camera using a semiconductor memory or a disk-type memory as storage means.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A conventional video camera uses a VTR as a recording means of a captured image and records the image on a magnetic tape. Then, in order to prevent overwriting on a magnetic tape on which an image has already been recorded, the user himself has set a nail for preventing overwriting of the tape cartridge.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the above prior art, since overwriting is permitted or not determined by the nail of the tape cartridge, in principle, a video camera device capable of prohibiting or permitting overwriting of a part of the recording medium is provided. Could not be realized. For this reason, the user sometimes forgets to rewind the tape during the shooting and overwrites the tape. In addition, since the user has to set whether or not the recording medium can be overwritten, another video may be erroneously recorded on the recorded tape.
[0004]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to realize a video camera device that automatically prohibits writing to a recording area where a video is recorded and does not accidentally erase a captured video.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a semiconductor memory or a disk-type memory is used as means for recording video data captured by a camera. Then, when the photographed video data is recorded in the recording means, information indicating write prohibition is written to the recording means simultaneously with the recording of the video data in order to prohibit the writing to the already recorded memory area. .
[0006]
[Action]
A semiconductor memory or a disk-type memory is used as a medium for recording video data, and in addition to the video data, information for prohibiting the writing of the portion where the video data is written to the memory area is simultaneously written to the recording medium. When recording video data, this write inhibition information is referred to, and video data is recorded only in a writable area. As a result, it is possible to prevent an accident that the photographed video is erased by mistake.
[0007]
Further, after outputting the video data recorded in the recording means to the external recording means via the digital signal output means, the write-protection to the memory area where the video data is recorded is automatically released. By doing so, video data can be recorded many times even when the recording unit is fixed to the imaging device. Furthermore, since the recording is performed while referring to the write prohibition information at the time of recording, even when the free space area of the memory is not continuous, the free area can be automatically searched for and recorded.
[0008]
In addition, since write-inhibition information and write-inhibition information to the recording means are automatically added at the time of shooting and output to the external recording means, the user does not need to perform any special operation, and overwriting due to an operation error can be avoided. Accidents can be prevented.
[0009]
【Example】
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the video camera device according to the present embodiment. In the figure, 1 is a lens, 2 is a CCD type or MOS type image sensor, 3 is a signal processing circuit, 4 is a compression / expansion processing unit, 5 is a semiconductor memory or disk type memory recording unit, and 6 is a 5 recording unit. 7 is a drive circuit for driving the two image sensors, 8 is a control circuit composed of a microcomputer or the like, 9 is output means, and 10 is a digital signal output terminal.
[0010]
In the above configuration, the optical image formed on the light receiving surface of the image sensor 2 by the lens 1 is photoelectrically converted by the image sensor 2 and output to the video signal processing unit 3 as an analog image signal. The timing of the photoelectric conversion and signal output is controlled by the drive circuit 7. The video signal processing means 3 performs a known A / D conversion process on the input analog image signal, converts the analog image signal into a digital image signal, generates a luminance signal and a color difference signal, and performs gamma correction and white balance correction. The digital video signal is generated by performing known signal processing and output to the compression / expansion means 4. The compression / decompression unit 4 applies a known compression process such as MPEG (Moving Picture Expert) to the digital video signal output from the video signal processing unit 3 to generate and output encoded video data to the recording unit 5. The recording unit 5 records the encoded video data output from the compression / expansion unit 4. The memory control means 6 is a circuit for controlling the memory of the recording means 5. The output circuit 9 includes a digital video signal output from the signal processing unit 3 under control of the control circuit 8, encoded video data output from the compression / expansion unit 4, and video data recorded on the recording unit 5. Is output to the digital signal output terminal 10.
[0011]
Here, the control operation of the memory control means 6 when recording video data will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the memory control means 6 sets a video data write address (1). Then, the memory control means 6 reads the write prohibition information corresponding to the memory area to be written from the recording means 5 (2), and judges whether or not the write is prohibited (3). The video data is written into the memory area where the writing was not prohibited (4), and further, a write-protection code is written into the write-protection information area corresponding to the memory area where the video data was written (5). Then, the video data write address is incremented (8), and the operations following (2) are repeated. However, when the discontinuity has occurred in the image data writing area, the jump destination memory address (7) is recorded in the area where the information is written, referring to the address of the memory where the video data is written immediately before the occurrence of the discontinuity. .
[0012]
When writing is prohibited, the address is incremented until a writable memory area is reached. At this time, however, a discontinuity occurs in the memory area where the video data is written, and a sign indicating that the discontinuity has occurred is set. (9) The memory address immediately before the occurrence of the discontinuity is held (10), and the following operations (2) are repeated. The numbers in parentheses in the text correspond to the numbers in parentheses in FIG.
[0013]
When outputting the video data recorded in the recording means 5 to the external recording means via the output means, the memory control means 6 sets the write-protection corresponding to the memory area where the externally output video data was written. A prohibition release code for releasing the write prohibition code is written in the information area.
[0014]
By doing so, the user can record the shot video in an area where the video data has not yet been recorded without the user being aware of it, so that the video camera that does not accidentally erase the shot video can be recorded. The device can be realized.
[0015]
Another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the video camera device according to the present embodiment. In the figure, reference numeral 11 denotes a switch for externally setting write inhibition and release to the recording means 5 from outside. In FIG. 3, the same parts as those in the embodiment of FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.
[0016]
The present embodiment is a video camera device in which writing of the recording means 5 and release of the inhibition can be preferentially set by pressing the switch 11. The control means 8 switches between the write-protection information priority written in the recording means 5, the switch-priority write-protection, and the switch-priority write-protect release in response to the operation of the switch 11. When the switch has priority, the entire memory area of the recording unit 5 can be set to a writable state or a non-writable state. By providing this switch 11, when the user intends, new video data can be overwritten even in an area where video data is already recorded.
[0017]
According to this embodiment, the same effect as that of the above embodiment can be obtained.
[0018]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, at the time of video recording, information that prohibits writing to the memory area of the portion where the video data has been written is simultaneously written on the recording medium. Record This allows the user to record the captured video in an area where no video is recorded, without being conscious of the user. Therefore, it is possible to realize a video camera device that does not cause an accident such as accidentally erasing a video that has been shot.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a video camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an operation of a memory control unit when recording video data according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a video camera device according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Lens 2 ... Imaging element 3 ... Signal processing means 4 ... Compression means 5 ... Recording means 6 ... Memory control means 7 ... Drive circuit 8 ... Control circuit 9 ... Output means 10 ... Output terminal 11 ... Switch

Claims (2)

An imaging device, a driving unit that drives the imaging device, a signal processing unit that processes an output signal from the imaging device, a compression unit that performs data compression on an output signal from the signal processing unit, Memory control means for controlling the memory of the recording means for recording the output compressed video data ,
When recording the compressed video data in the recording unit, writing information indicating write-protection to a memory area where the compressed video data is recorded ; and
Means for preferentially prohibiting writing of the compressed video data to the recording means, or setting means for canceling the writing prohibition,
A video camera device characterized by the above-mentioned. Digital signal output means for outputting the compressed video data recorded in the recording means to an external storage means, wherein the digital signal output means outputs the compressed video data recorded in the recording means to the outside; 2. The video camera device according to claim 1, wherein the write-protection of the memory area which has output the is released.

Images