JP3610084B2 - Recording device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial application fields]
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that records image information such as moving images and still images.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, development of apparatuses capable of quickly recording and reproducing high-definition images has been active. On the other hand, it is desired to quickly capture a high-definition image in a computer. Conventional apparatuses for recording image information such as moving images and still images include a video tape recorder and a still video camera.
[0003]
The video tape recorder is configured to record moving image information obtained by a two-dimensional area sensor or the like on a tape medium. The still video camera is also configured to record still image information obtained by a two-dimensional area sensor or the like in a small floppy disk or a card-type IC memory.
[0004]
An optical memory is known as a large-capacity and high-speed portable computer memory. Among them, a magneto-optical disk memory capable of rewriting information is promising.
Further, there is a ZCAV type magneto-optical disk memory in which the recording area is divided into several areas, and the recording / reproducing clock frequency is changed in each area or the rotation speed of the disk is changed.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the above-mentioned video tape recorder is suitable for continuous recording and reproduction of long-time moving images. However, there is a disadvantage that the accessibility of the tape medium is poor for finding a desired moving image from among them and taking it into a computer. It was. Further, when it is not known when the moving image information to be recorded can be obtained, it is necessary to always record the moving image information, and there is a disadvantage that the recording capacity is used more than necessary.
[0006]
The still video has the disadvantage that the capacity is small when the recording medium is a floppy disk, and the capacity is small and expensive when the recording medium is an IC memory. In addition, there is a drawback that a photo opportunity is missed when it is not known when a still image to be recorded is obtained.
Conventionally, the ZCAV type magneto-optical disk memory has not been used as a record carrier for image information.
[0007]
In view of the above-described problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus that can record a large amount of image data and has excellent accessibility.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The recording apparatus of the present invention includes input means for inputting moving image information, memory control means for writing and reading moving image information input by the input means to a memory for temporarily storing the moving image information, The disk-shaped recording medium is divided into a plurality of recording areas, and the disk-shaped recording medium is rotated at different rotational speeds for each of the plurality of recording areas so that the plurality of recording areas have the same storage capacity. The recording means for recording the read moving image information and the recording information of the amount corresponding to one recording area of the disc-shaped recording medium, from the recording start instruction to the recording stop instruction. A series of moving image information input by the input means and stored in the memory is read from the memory and recorded in one area of the disk-shaped recording medium. It is characterized in that a control means for controlling said memory control means and said recording means.
[0009]
Another feature of the present invention is that the recording means records the moving image information recorded on the disc-shaped recording medium in the innermost recording area of the disc-shaped recording medium. It is characterized by recording information about.
[0010]
Another feature of the present invention is that it comprises compression means for compressing moving image information input by the input means, and the memory control means stores the moving image information compressed by the compression means in the memory. It is characterized by writing.
[0011]
Another feature of the present invention is that the input unit includes a photoelectric conversion unit, and the photoelectric conversion unit converts an optical image into moving image information and outputs the moving image information.
[0012]
[Action]
In the present invention, a disc-shaped recording medium on which moving image information is recorded is divided into a plurality of recording areas, and recording is stopped from a recording start instruction in units of moving image information having an information amount corresponding to one of the recording areas. Since a series of moving image information input by the input means and stored in the memory before the instruction is read from the memory and recorded, the accessibility can be improved.
[0013]
According to another aspect of the present invention, the disc-shaped recording medium is divided into a plurality of recording areas, and the plurality of recording areas have different rotational speeds so that the recording areas have the same storage capacity. Since the moving image information read from the memory is recorded by rotating the disk-shaped recording medium, it is possible to improve accessibility and recording density.
[0016]
【Example】
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a recording apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a recording area for explaining a record carrier used in the recording apparatus of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a rewritable optical disk memory as a record carrier. The optical disk memory described here will be described as a magneto-optical disk having a size of 3.5 inches and a capacity of about 350 Mbytes.
[0017]
The recording area of the magneto-optical disk 1 is divided into a plurality of areas indicated by a first zone 2, a second zone 3, a third zone 4,. In this embodiment, the description will be made assuming that the zone is divided into 30 zones. Each zone has approximately the same capacity as 10 MByte. This one area is used as a recording unit for image information and audio information corresponding thereto.
[0018]
Reference numeral 5 denotes a management zone that records the state of the recording area and the recording contents, and records information necessary for the image recording / reproducing apparatus during recording and reproduction. This includes an area in which read-only information is recorded.
[0019]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of an image recording / reproducing apparatus that uses the magneto-optical disk 1 as an image record carrier to capture and record and reproduce moving image or still image information.
[0020]
In FIG. 2, 6 indicates the main body of the image recording / reproducing apparatus. Reference numeral 7 denotes a bus for transmitting and receiving various types of information therein. A CPU 8 performs overall control of the image recording / reproducing apparatus 6. Reference numeral 9 denotes an internal memory composed of a ROM and a RAM for storing programs for the CPU 8 to control and various data. Reference numeral 10 denotes an image input controller for converting an image captured from the image input unit 11 into a digital signal. The image input controller 10 captures image information of a moving image or a still image.
[0021]
In addition, the image input unit 11 includes a photoelectric conversion unit including an imaging system 12 and a high-speed electronic shutter function 13. Reference numeral 14 denotes an image information compression circuit and expansion circuit. Image information obtained from the image input controller 10 and the external input device 27 is compressed and then recorded in the magneto-optical disk memory 1 mounted on the semiconductor memory 23 or the magneto-optical memory unit 24.
[0022]
In this embodiment, the recording density is increased without changing the accessibility by changing the recording / reproducing clock frequency or changing the rotational speed of the magneto-optical disk memory 1 in each recording zone.
[0023]
The image information recorded in the magneto-optical disk memory 1 or the like is decompressed and then displayed on the external monitor TV 34 or the like via the monitor output circuit 25 or output to the 35 video printers via the 26 video printer output circuits. Or
[0024]
Reference numeral 15 denotes an audio input / output controller that takes audio from the microphone 16 and converts it into a digital signal. Reference numeral 17 denotes an audio information compression circuit and expansion circuit. The audio information obtained from the audio input controller 15 and the external audio input device 28 is compressed in the same manner as the image information, and then recorded in the semiconductor memory 23, the magneto-optical disk memory 1 or the like while corresponding to the image information. The audio information recorded in the magneto-optical disk memory 1 or the like is decompressed and then output together with the image information to the monitor TV 34 via the monitor output circuit 25.
[0025]
Further, the image recording / reproducing apparatus 6 has an external control device interface 18 that can be controlled by an external control device 29 such as a personal computer, and an external memory interface 19 that can exchange information with a floppy disk memory device. doing.
[0026]
The external control device 29 is a computer or the like as described above, and controls the image recording / reproducing device 6 to execute the operation of recording the image / audio information sent from the external image input device 27 and the external audio input device 28. It is made to be able to. Further, the image and sound information recorded in the magneto-optical disk memory 1 can be processed. Further, the image recording / reproducing device can be used as an external memory of the external control device 29.
[0027]
The external memory 30 is constituted by a floppy disk memory, an IC memory card, another optical disk memory, or the like as described above, and can send and receive information such as images and sounds to and from the image recording / reproducing apparatus 6. ing. In the present embodiment, as a configuration for the user to operate the image recording / reproducing apparatus 6 alone, a key for inputting various commands, a plurality of switches for notifying timing of capturing image and audio information, and the like are provided. ing.
[0028]
In addition, an output device 21 is provided for displaying the contents of the commands given to the input device 20 and the image recording / reproducing device 6, the operation state, and the like. In addition, the wireless communication circuit 22 is provided that can receive a command from the remote controller 31 using optical communication or spread spectrum communication that is resistant to noise, or can transmit information to the external peripheral device 32.
[0029]
3 and 4 are flowcharts for explaining the procedure of recording and reproducing image information by the image recording / reproducing apparatus as described above. It should be noted that since the voice information can be performed in the same manner, the description is omitted here.
[0030]
In FIG. 3, when the operation is started in step S1, first, in step S2, the image recording / reproducing apparatus 6 is turned on and the magneto-optical disk memory 1 is mounted for operation. Next, an operation content for information recording or reproduction is input via the input device 20. In the case of the present embodiment, the input content is displayed on the output device 21 and can be easily confirmed by the operator (hereinafter, the input content and the operation content are similarly displayed on the display device 21 and confirmed. )
[0031]
Next, in step S3, it is determined whether the input operation content is recording or reproduction. As a result of the determination in step S3, in the case of recording, the process proceeds to step S4, and in the case of reproduction, the process proceeds to step S16 in FIG. Steps S4 and after in FIG. 3 are flowcharts for explaining the recording operation contents.
[0032]
That is, first, in step S4, it is input whether the recording condition is set manually or automatically. Then, the process proceeds to step S5, where it is determined whether the setting condition is manual or automatic. If it is manual, the process proceeds to step S6, and if automatic, the process proceeds to step S10.
[0033]
In step S6, it is input whether the image to be recorded is a moving image or a still image. In the case of a moving image, the process proceeds to step S8 to set the longest recording time, the number of pixels, the compression ratio, and the like. However, since the recording unit is determined, these setting values are limited. Therefore, it is necessary to decide whether to give priority to the recording time or to give priority to the image quality based on the number of pixels and the compression ratio.
[0034]
Further, it is determined at which timing the image is to be captured with reference to the time when the switch is pressed. For example, assuming that the longest recording time is L minutes, an image is started to be taken by the first switch, and the previous longest recording time L is taken on the basis of the time when the second switch is pressed, or the longest recording time after Settings such as taking in L minutes or taking in before x (L> x) and after (L−x) are performed.
[0035]
That is, the desired image can be obtained by matching the timing of the second switch with the photo opportunity according to whether the photo opportunity of the subject occurs at the end of the series of movements, at the beginning, or in the middle. It is possible to capture a series of moving images without waste. When the setting is completed, the process proceeds to step S11. On the other hand, in the case of a still image, the same setting is performed in step S9.
[0036]
In this case, the number of continuous shot frames, the continuous shooting interval, the number of pixels, the compression ratio, and the like are set. Similarly, since the recording unit is determined, these setting values are limited, and it is necessary to determine whether priority is given to the number of continuous shot frames, or priority to the image quality based on the number of pixels and the compression ratio. In addition, the timing at which the data is captured is determined.
[0037]
For example, if the maximum number of continuous shot frames is M, the first switch starts to capture an image, and the previous M is captured based on the time when the second switch is pressed, or the subsequent M is captured. Alternatively, settings such as fetching the front y (y <M) and the back (My) are performed. As described above, this makes it possible to capture a still image without missing a photo opportunity.
[0038]
On the other hand, when the automatic setting is selected, the image recording / reproducing apparatus 6 reads out the recording condition information recorded in the magneto-optical disk memory 1 in step S10, and performs the setting as performed in steps S6 to S9. Automatically, and go to step S11. These pieces of information are recorded in the management zone 5 and the like, and conditions previously set by the user may be recorded, or those which manufacture the magneto-optical disk memory 1 may be recorded in advance. .
[0039]
In the latter case, these pieces of information may be recorded as read-only information. That is, when the user is a beginner who handles the image recording / reproducing apparatus 6, the selection of the recording conditions performed in step S6 to step S9 is complicated. In this case, the user can easily capture the desired image by purchasing a magneto-optical disk in which the recording conditions capable of taking these images are recorded in the management zone 5 together with the sample image book and the sample video. Is possible.
[0040]
When the setting of the recording conditions is completed, it waits for the first switch to be pressed in step S11. When the first switch is pressed, the image input controller 10 starts taking an image from the image input unit according to the recording conditions. The captured image information is compressed by the image information compression circuit 14 and then recorded in the semiconductor memory 23 as a primary image record carrier.
[0041]
During this time, the power can be reduced by stopping the magneto-optical disk memory 1. In step S13, the process waits for the second switch to be pressed. When the second switch is pressed, the image information to be recorded is determined according to the set capture timing, and the image information is transferred from the semiconductor memory 23 to the recording area of the magneto-optical disk memory 1 as the secondary image record carrier. And record.
[0042]
Also, the recording conditions at this time are recorded in association with the images. This condition is used at the time of reproduction, but may be recorded in the management zone 5 or may be recorded in the same recording area as each image information. By performing recording as described above, it is possible to accurately capture a desired image and record image information in which unnecessary portions are omitted.
[0043]
As the first switch and the second switch, push buttons may be provided independently, or the first switch may be automatically entered at the same time as the recording condition is set. Alternatively, the first switch may be turned on when the push button as the second switch is half-pressed or touched, and the second switch may be turned on when the push button is fully pushed.
[0044]
In this embodiment, the capacity of the primary image record carrier is greater than or equal to the recording unit. Further, when the capacity of the image information exceeds the recording unit after the first switch is pressed and before the second switch is pressed, the older image information is erased and the newly acquired image information is recorded. Try to keep it.
[0045]
On the other hand, when the determined image information is less than the recording unit, the remaining part of the recording zone in which the information is recorded is left unused. The recording zone may be selected by automatically moving to an unrecorded zone sequentially and recording may be performed, or an already recorded zone may be selected and old information recorded there may be erased to record new information. Anyway.
[0046]
Although the semiconductor memory 23 has been used as the primary image record carrier so far, the magneto-optical disk memory 1 may be configured to also serve as the primary and secondary image record carriers. In this case, since the semiconductor memory can be omitted, the apparatus can be miniaturized. Information about the start and end of the image is recorded in the management zone 5.
[0047]
When the image information is recorded in the magneto-optical disk memory 1, the process proceeds to step S15. In step S15, it is selected whether to change the setting. If recording is to be continued, the recording that proceeds to step S11 is repeated. If another operation is to be performed or the setting is changed, the process returns to the operation content input in step S2. Of course, it is convenient in terms of operation if an interrupt such as step S15 can be performed from any step.
[0048]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation contents of the reproduction. First, an image to be reproduced is determined in step S16. When the image to be reproduced is determined, the process proceeds to step S17, where the image recording / reproducing apparatus 6 reads out the image information on the magneto-optical disk memory 1 and the recording conditions when it is recorded. The image information is expanded by the image information expansion circuit 14, then sent to the monitor output circuit 25, and output to the monitor TV 34 according to the recording conditions.
[0049]
In addition to normal playback of moving images, special playback such as fast-forwarding and rewinding can be performed. In addition to frame-by-frame playback for each frame, continuous frame playback can be performed using the keys of the input device 20 for still images.
[0050]
Next, the process proceeds to step S18 to input whether to perform image processing, and then proceeds to step S19, where it is determined whether to perform image processing. When image processing is performed, the process proceeds to step S20.
[0051]
In step S20, image reproduction is performed using information previously recorded in the management zone by the manufacturer. In step S21, a special filter is applied to the reproduced image, and processing editing such as enlargement / reduction or trimming is performed.
[0052]
Also in this case, if automatic reproduction can be performed in the same manner as during recording, a desired image can be reproduced even if the user is a beginner. If the image processing is completed or the image processing apparatus is not used, the process proceeds to step S22. In step S22, it is selected whether to change the setting. If recording is to be continued, the process proceeds to step S16, and reproduction is repeated. If another operation is to be performed or the setting is changed, the process returns to the operation content input in step S2.
[0053]
Up to this point, it has been explained that information that can be recorded and reproduced automatically is recorded in the magneto-optical disk memory 1, but information for further helping the user is recorded in the magneto-optical disk memory 1. In addition, when the user asks for help or when giving attention to the user, the information is read out, and the information is notified to the speaker (not shown) as a voice or as a letter to the output device 21, thereby ensuring more certainty. A desired image can be captured and recorded / reproduced.
[0054]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the present invention divides a disk-shaped recording medium on which moving image information is recorded into a plurality of recording areas, and starts a recording start instruction in units of moving image information corresponding to one of the areas. Since a series of moving image information input from the input means and stored in the memory until the recording stop instruction is read out from the memory and recorded, the accessibility can be improved.
[0055]
According to another aspect of the present invention, the disc-shaped recording medium is divided into a plurality of recording areas, and the plurality of recording areas have different rotational speeds so that the recording areas have the same storage capacity. Since the moving image information read from the memory is recorded by rotating the disk-shaped recording medium, it is possible to improve the accessibility and the recording density, and to produce a high-definition image on a computer. Can be quickly captured.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a recording area for explaining an image record carrier of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining an image recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for recording and reproducing image information by the image recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for recording and reproducing image information by the image recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Rewritable optical disk memory 2, 3, 4 Several recording area of image record carrier 5 Management zone 6 Main body of image recording / reproducing apparatus 7 Internal bus 8 CPU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 Internal memory 10 Image input controller 11 Image input part 12 Imaging system 13 High-speed electronic shutter function 14 Compression / decompression circuit 20 Input device 21 Output device 22 Wireless communication circuit 23 Semiconductor memory 24 Magneto-optical memory 25 Monitor output circuit 26 Video printer Output 27 External image input device 28 External audio input device 29 External control device 30 External memory 31 Remote controller 32 External peripheral device

Claims (4)

An input means for inputting moving image information;
Memory control means for writing and reading the moving image information input by the input means with respect to the memory for temporarily storing the moving image information;
The disk-shaped recording medium is divided into a plurality of recording areas, and the disk-shaped recording medium is rotated at different rotational speeds for each of the plurality of recording areas so that the plurality of recording areas have the same storage capacity. Recording means for recording the read moving image information;
A series of moving image information having an information amount corresponding to one recording area of the disk-shaped recording medium, which is input by the input means between the recording start instruction and the recording stop instruction and stored in the memory And a control means for controlling the recording means so as to read out the moving image information from the memory and record it in one area of the disc-shaped recording medium. 2. The recording unit records information related to the recording contents of moving image information recorded on the disc-shaped recording medium in a recording area on the innermost circumference of the disc-shaped recording medium. The recording device described in 1. 2. The recording according to claim 1, further comprising compression means for compressing moving image information input by the input means, wherein the memory control means writes the moving image information compressed by the compression means to the memory. apparatus. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the input unit includes a photoelectric conversion unit, and the optical conversion unit converts the optical image into moving image information and outputs the moving image information.

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