JP3812264B2 - Imaging device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an imaging device for capturing a three-dimensional image.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, when a three-dimensional image is taken with a digital still camera as a subject, the two images of the same subject with the same composition are taken after the first image is photographed and then the photographing position is moved sideways by about 10 cm. A three-dimensional image can be seen by taking an image of the eye and displaying the obtained two images side by side on the display monitor and viewing them in accordance with the intersection method or the parallel method.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, when capturing two images with a still life as the subject as described above, it is difficult to accurately match the framing, and as the number of portions where the shooting range is shifted between the two images increases, The range that can be stereoscopically viewed is narrowed.
[0004]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus capable of performing reliable framing during stereoscopic image shooting.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The invention described in claim 1 is an image pickup apparatus having a display unit for displaying an image to be photographed on a monitor, the first image obtaining means for obtaining the first image data, and the first image obtaining. Display control means for displaying a part of the first image data obtained by the means superimposed on an image displayed on the monitor by the display unit, second image acquisition means for obtaining second image data, and And recording control means for recording and storing the first and second image data obtained by the first and second image acquisition means as one image data arranged side by side.
[0006]
With such a configuration, it is possible to shoot images from a plurality of viewpoints in which subject images are accurately aligned with one imaging device and record them as one image data. If there is one, it is possible to easily capture and store a precise framing stereoscopic image with a single imaging device.
[0007]
The invention described in claim 2 further comprises storage means for storing photographing conditions at the time of image acquisition by the first image acquisition means in the invention described in claim 1, wherein the second image acquisition means comprises: The imaging condition at the time of capturing the second image data is limited based on the imaging condition stored in the storage means.
[0008]
With such a configuration, in addition to the operation of the first aspect of the invention, the first image shooting is performed for the content to be set to have the same shooting conditions such as the image quality, the focal length when the zoom lens is provided, and the white balance. By performing the second image shooting using the current shooting conditions, it is possible to prevent the two obtained images from feeling uncomfortable.
[0009]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the image data recorded and saved by the recording control means is recorded and saved as one file.
[0010]
With such a configuration, in addition to the operation of the first aspect of the invention, the image data can be recorded and saved as one file.
[0011]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention described above, the first image acquisition unit and the second image acquisition unit obtain images from the imaging unit. It is characterized by acquiring.
[0012]
With such a configuration, in addition to the operation of the first aspect of the invention, the first image acquisition unit and the second image acquisition unit can acquire an image from the imaging unit.
[0017]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(First embodiment)
A first embodiment when the present invention is applied to a digital still camera will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[0018]
FIG. 1 shows the circuit configuration, and 10 is a digital camera. The digital camera 10 can set a recording mode and a reproduction mode. In the recording mode, the CCD 12 disposed behind the lens 11 is scan-driven by a timing generator (TG) 13 and a vertical driver 14. Then, the photoelectric conversion output for one screen is output at every fixed period.
[0019]
The photoelectric conversion output is appropriately adjusted for each RGB color component by an AGC amplifier (not shown) in the state of an analog value signal, and then sampled and held by a sample hold circuit (S / H) 15 to be converted into an A / D converter. (A / D) 16 is converted to digital data, and color process processing including interpolation processing and γ correction processing is performed in the color process circuit 17 so that the digital luminance signal Y and the color difference signals Cb and Cr are converted into DMA (Direct). Memory Access) is output to the controller 18.
[0020]
The DMA controller 18 once converts the luminance signal Y and the color difference signals Cb and Cr output from the color process circuit 17 into a buffer inside the DMA controller 18 using the synchronization signal, memory write enable, and clock output from the color process circuit 17. Write and perform DMA transfer to DRAM 20 via DRAM interface (I / F) 19.
[0021]
After completing the DMA transfer of the luminance and color difference signals to the DRAM 20, the CPU 21 reads the luminance and color difference signals from the DRAM 20 via the DRAM interface 19 and writes them into the VRAM 23 via the VRAM controller 22.
[0022]
A digital video encoder (hereinafter abbreviated as “video encoder”) 24 periodically reads the luminance and color difference signals from the VRAM 23 via the VRAM controller 22, generates a video signal based on these data, and generates a display unit 25. Output to.
[0023]
The display unit 25 is composed of, for example, a backlit color liquid crystal display panel and its driving circuit, and is disposed on the back side of the camera, and functions as an EVF (Electronic View Finder) in the recording mode. Therefore, by performing display based on the video signal from the video encoder 24, an image based on the image information fetched from the VRAM controller 22 at that time is displayed.
[0024]
Then, when the shutter key constituting the key input unit 26 is operated at a timing when recording and saving are desired in a state where the image at that time is displayed as a monitor image in real time on the display unit 25 in this way, a trigger signal is generated. appear.
[0025]
In response to this trigger signal, the CPU 21 stops the path from the CCD 12 to the DRAM 20 immediately after the completion of the DMA transfer of the luminance and color difference signals for one screen captured from the CCD 12 to the DRAM 20 at that time, and records and saves them. Transition to the state.
[0026]
In this recording and storage state, the CPU 21 transmits the luminance and color difference signals for one frame written in the DRAM 20 through the DRAM interface 19 to each of the Y, Cb, and Cr components of 8 × 8 pixels. The data is read in units called blocks and written to the JPEG circuit 27. The JPEG circuit 27 compresses the data by performing processes such as ADCT (Adaptive Discrete Cosine Transform) and Huffman coding which is an entropy coding method. The encoded data is read out from the JPEG circuit 27 as one image data file and written into a flash memory 28 which is a non-volatile memory that is detachably mounted as a storage medium of the digital camera 10.
[0027]
Then, the CPU 21 activates the path from the CCD 12 to the DRAM 20 again as the luminance and color difference signals for one frame are compressed and the writing of all the compressed data to the flash memory 28 is completed.
[0028]
At this time, the CPU 21 also creates image data in which the number of constituent pixels of the original image data is greatly thinned out, and stores this in the flash memory 28 in association with the original image data as a preview image also called a thumbnail image. Let
[0029]
In addition to the shutter key described above, the key input unit 26 is a recording / re-mode switching key for switching between a recording (REC) mode and a reproduction (PLAY) mode, and a stereo for setting a stereoscopic image shooting mode in the recording mode. The key is composed of an image key, a cursor key for image selection, an “Enter” key, and the like, and a signal accompanying the key operation is directly sent to the CPU 21.
[0030]
Further, in the playback mode, the CPU 21 stops the path from the CCD 12 to the DRAM 20, and the CPU 21 reads the code data for a specific frame from the flash memory 28 according to the operation of the image selection key or the like of the key input unit 26, and JPEG. The YUV data for one frame is expanded and stored in the VRAM 23 via the VRAM controller 22 in units of basic blocks of 8 vertical pixels × 8 horizontal pixels obtained by writing to the circuit 27 and performing the decompression process by the JPEG circuit 27. Then, the video encoder 24 generates a video signal based on one frame of YUV data expanded and stored in the VRAM 23 and displays it on the display unit 25.
[0031]
Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described.
[0032]
FIG. 2 mainly shows the contents of control processing by the CPU 21 when a stereo image key of the key input unit 26 is operated to capture a stereoscopic image.
[0033]
As shown in the figure, when the stereo image key is operated at the beginning of processing, a stereoscopic image shooting mode is set (step A01), and a path from the CCD 12 to the DRAM 20 is activated to display the display unit 25. While the captured image is displayed on the monitor, the first image capture by the operation of the shutter key is awaited (step A02).
[0034]
FIG. 3 illustrates the content selected as the first image. When the shutter key is operated at the time when such a dice image as a subject is displayed on the display unit 25, the CPU 21 determines this. Then, the state immediately transitions to the record storage state, the luminance and color difference signals for one frame written in the DRAM 20 are taken in, the data is compressed by the JPEG circuit 27, and temporarily flashed as a temporary image data file. 28 is written (step A03).
[0035]
At the same time, the CPU 21 uses a part of the center of the image data written in the flash memory 28, for example, 1/16 of each left and right from the center line extending in the vertical direction, as shown in FIG. Image data having a transmittance of about 50% is created as a scale image (step A04).
[0036]
Then, the path from the CCD 12 to the DRAM 20 is activated again, and the scale image created in step A04 is superimposed on the display unit 25 to display the captured image on the monitor (step A05), and two sheets are operated by operating the shutter key. Waiting for the eye to take an image (step A06).
[0037]
In the second image capturing standby state, some of the conditions for capturing the first image, such as image quality (the number of pixels constituting the image), and if the lens 11 is a zoom lens, The focal length, white balance, etc. are locked, and these changing operations are not accepted.
[0038]
FIG. 5 illustrates an image displayed on the display unit 25 at this time. The digital camera 10 is shifted to the right by about 10 [cm] from the position at which the first image was taken, and the subject (in this case) The position and the imaging direction of the digital camera 10 are adjusted so that the dice) is positioned at the same position as the first image in the image frame.
[0039]
Then, as shown in FIG. 5, when the shutter key is operated at the time when the position of the subject to be photographed in the image frame seems to coincide with the transmission image of the first subject, the CPU 21 performs two steps at step A06. When it is determined that an instruction to take an image of the eye is instructed, the state immediately shifts to the recording and storage state, and the luminance and color difference signals for one frame written in the DRAM 20 are taken in and compressed by the JPEG circuit 27. This is also temporarily written in the flash memory 28 as a temporary image data file (step A07).
[0040]
Next, the CPU 21 reads the first image data and the second image data written in the flash memory 28, and one image data arranged side by side based on the cross method (or parallel method). A file is created and recorded again in the flash memory 28 (step A08).
[0041]
Thereafter, the set stereoscopic image shooting mode is canceled, the normal image shooting mode is restored (step A09), and this processing is completed.
[0042]
When shooting the second image, some of the shooting conditions used for shooting the first image, such as image quality (number of pixels constituting the image), if the lens 11 is a zoom lens, its focal length, and Taking over the white balance, etc.
[0043]
Therefore, there is no sense of incongruity between the first image and the second image, and the image can be stereoscopically viewed by the intersection method (or parallel method) very naturally.
[0044]
As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, if a subject is a still object or has little movement, an accurate framing stereoscopic image can be easily captured and stored with one imaging device. it can.
[0045]
(Second Embodiment)
A second embodiment in the case where the present invention is applied to a digital still camera system will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[0046]
FIG. 6 shows an external configuration thereof. Here, a combination bar 32 is mounted on a tripod head 31 (not shown) by screwing a tripod screw, and two digital cameras 10A and 10B are attached to the combination bar 32. It is assumed that they are mounted in the same manner with substantially the same imaging direction.
[0047]
Each of the two digital cameras 10A and 10B has, for example, a 1394 terminal conforming to the IEEE 1394 standard as a serial interface terminal. By connecting both terminals with a 1394 cable 33 as shown in the figure, image data, photographing conditions, shutter signals Various information such as control signals can be transferred. Here, it is assumed that the content transferred by the 1394 cable 33 adopts an isochronous transfer method.
[0048]
Next, FIG. 7 shows a circuit configuration of the digital camera 10A (10B). The basic configuration itself is the same as that shown in FIG. 1, and the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.
[0049]
Accordingly, a 1394 interface (I / F) 41 that transfers information by using the 1394 cable 33 with an externally connected device in accordance with the IEEE 1394 standard is further connected to the CPU 21.
[0050]
Also, the key input unit 26 includes a stereo image (main) key for setting that the main machine is to perform main control and record and save the captured stereoscopic image data when performing stereo (stereo) image mode shooting. And a step image (sub) key for setting to become a sub machine.
[0051]
Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described.
[0052]
FIG. 8 mainly shows the contents of control processing by the respective CPUs 21 when a stereoscopic image is shot by operating the stereo image key of the key input unit 26.
[0053]
Here, for example, assuming that the digital camera 10A is used as a main machine and the digital camera 10B is used as a sub-machine, the mode is set in advance by the stereo image (main) key and step image (sub) key in advance in each key input unit 26. Shall be kept.
[0054]
However, in the digital camera 10A as the main machine, the path from the CCD 12 to the DRAM 20 is activated, and the captured image is displayed on the display unit 25 (step B01). At the same time, the monitor image is used to transfer image data. Image data with a transmittance of about 50% is created as a scale image using a total of 1/8 of a part of the center, for example, 1/16 minutes each from the center line extending in the vertical direction (step B02). The scale image data is stored in the sub-device together with information such as a part of the shooting conditions at that time, for example, the image quality (the number of pixels constituting the image), the focal length, and the white balance when the lens 11 is a zoom lens. Shutter key operation while transmitting from a 1394 interface 41 to a digital camera 10B (step B03) Waits (step B04), repeatedly a process of execution.
[0055]
At this time, the digital camera 10B receives the shooting condition information and the scale image data sent from the digital camera 10a via the 1394 cable 33 by the 1394 interface 41 (step B31), and the received shooting condition information is received. Gives priority to this, activates the path from the CCD 12 to the DRAM 20, and acquires a monitor image (step B32).
[0056]
Whether or not a shutter signal as a control signal has been sent from the digital camera 10A while displaying an image obtained by superimposing the monitor image and the received scale image data on the display unit 25 (step B33). A determination is made (step S34), and if it is not sent, the process of returning to the process from step B31 again is repeatedly executed to wait for the arrival of the shutter signal.
[0057]
In this manner, the user adjusts the imaging range in a state where the monitor images are displayed on the digital camera 10A as the main machine and the digital camera 10B as the sub machine.
[0058]
In this case, the user first performs framing and other settings for the subject using the digital camera 10A as the main machine. At this time, when the monitor image displayed on the display unit 25 of the digital camera 10A has the contents shown in FIG. 3, the CPU 21 uses a part of the center of the image data as shown in FIG. Scale image data is created and transmitted to the digital camera 10B through the 1394 interface 41 together with information on the photographing conditions to the digital camera 10B as a sub-unit.
[0059]
On the other hand, in the digital camera 10B that is a sub-device that receives this, it seems that the position of the subject in the monitor image displayed on the display unit 25 matches the scale image as shown in FIG. Adjust by the mounting angle etc. on the combination bar 32.
[0060]
When the user operates the shutter key of the digital camera 10A on the main unit side at an arbitrary timing after adjusting both the digital cameras 10A and 10B, the digital camera 10A determines this in step B04, and the digital camera 10B After transmitting a shutter signal as a control signal to (step B05), the state immediately shifts to the record storage state, and the luminance and color difference signals for one frame written in the DRAM 20 are captured (step B06). The data is compressed by the JPEG circuit 27, and the obtained image data is temporarily written in the flash memory 28 as a temporary image data file (step B07). Thereafter, similar image data is sent from the digital camera 10B of the sub machine. Waiting to be received (step B08).
[0061]
In the digital camera 10B, when it is determined in step B34 that the shutter signal from the digital camera 10A has been received, the digital camera 10B immediately transitions to the recording / saving state in accordance with the signal, and the luminance of one frame written in the DRAM 20 Then, the color difference signal is taken in (step B35), the data is compressed by the JPEG circuit 27, and the obtained image data is temporarily written in the flash memory 28 as a temporary image data file (step B08).
[0062]
Then, after the image data written in the flash memory 28 is transmitted to the digital camera 10A as the main machine (step B37), the temporary image data file written in the flash memory 28 is erased to delete the temporary data in the flash memory 28. Arrangement is performed (step B38), and this processing is completed as described above, the stereoscopic image shooting mode is canceled, and the normal recording mode is restored.
[0063]
On the other hand, if the digital camera 10A as the main machine determines that the image data is received from the digital camera 10B in step B08, the image data from the digital camera 10B and the image data written in the flash memory 28 are two image data. Is used to create a single image data file arranged side by side based on the intersection method (or parallel method) (step B09), and re-record it in the flash memory 28, and arrange the flash memory 28 again. Delete unnecessary image data files (step B10).
[0064]
Thereafter, the set stereoscopic image shooting mode is canceled, and the normal image shooting mode is restored (step A09). This processing is terminated, and the stereoscopic image shooting mode is also canceled, Return to recording mode.
[0065]
In this way, the framing of the digital camera 10B as the sub-machine can be accurately adjusted in accordance with the monitor image obtained by the digital camera 10A as the main machine, and both are synchronized by the shutter operation only on the digital camera 10A side. Thus, a stereoscopic image can be obtained, so that even a fast moving subject can be photographed with accurate framing.
[0066]
In addition, since the digital camera 10B is used to shoot using the shooting conditions of the digital camera 10A, the shooting conditions such as image quality, focal length, focal position, exposure state, and white balance are unified to obtain a higher quality stereoscopic image. Can be obtained.
[0067]
In addition, the image data obtained from the digital camera 10A and the image data obtained by the digital camera 10B can be aggregated on the digital camera 10A side which is the main machine, and recorded and saved as one stereoscopic image data file. Since it is not necessary to perform a complicated editing operation using a personal computer or the like, a stereoscopic image can be easily taken.
[0068]
In the second embodiment, the two digital cameras 10A and 10B have been described as being connected to the serial interface in accordance with the IEEE 1394 standard. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) is used. Alternatively, it may be connected by infrared communication or wireless communication.
[0069]
In the first and second embodiments described above, it has been described that the stereoscopic image data file is recorded and stored in the flash memory 28 and then automatically returns to the normal recording mode. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It is good also as what can image | photograph a three-dimensional image continuously.
[0070]
In addition, the present invention can be variously modified and implemented without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0071]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to shoot images from a plurality of viewpoints in which subject images are accurately aligned with a single imaging device, and to record them as one image data, so there is little movement. If it is a subject, an accurate framing stereoscopic image can be easily taken and stored with a single imaging device.
[0072]
According to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 1 above, the contents for which the shooting conditions are to be made uniform such as the image quality, the focal length in the case of having a zoom lens, white balance, etc. By performing the second image photographing using the photographing conditions at the time of image photographing, it is possible to prevent the two obtained images from feeling uncomfortable.
[0073]
According to the invention described in claim 3 , in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 1, the image data can be recorded and saved as one file.
[0074]
According to the invention described in claim 4 , in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 1, the image data acquired by the first image acquisition means and the second image acquisition means can be acquired from the imaging means. .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a digital camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation processing content of stereoscopic image acquisition in the recording mode according to the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an image displayed on the electronic viewfinder during the operation according to the embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an image displayed on the electronic viewfinder during the operation according to the embodiment;
FIG. 5 is a view illustrating an image displayed on the electronic viewfinder during the operation according to the embodiment;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a digital camera system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of each digital camera according to the embodiment; FIG.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the contents of an operation process for obtaining a stereoscopic image in a recording mode according to the embodiment;
[Explanation of symbols]
10 ... Digital camera 11 ... Lens 12 ... CCD
13 ... Timing generator (TG)
14 ... Vertical driver 15 ... Sample hold circuit (S / H)
16 ... A / D converter (A / D)
17 ... Color process circuit 18 ... DMA controller 19 ... DRAM interface (I / F)
20 ... DRAM
21 ... CPU
22 ... VRAM controller 23 ... VRAM
24 ... Video encoder 25 ... Display unit 26 ... Key input unit 27 ... JPEG circuit 28 ... Flash memory 31 ... Pan head 32 ... Combination bar 33 ... 1394 cable 41 ... 1394 interface (I / F)

Claims (4)

An imaging apparatus having a display unit for displaying an image to be photographed on a monitor,
First image acquisition means for acquiring first image data;
Display control means for displaying a part of the first image data obtained by the first image acquisition means in a manner superimposed on an image displayed on the monitor by the display unit;
Second image acquisition means for acquiring second image data;
An image pickup apparatus comprising: a recording control unit that records and saves the first and second image data obtained by the first and second image acquisition units as one image data arranged side by side. Further comprising storage means for storing photographing conditions at the time of image acquisition by the first image acquisition means,
2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second image acquisition unit limits a shooting condition at the time of shooting the second image data based on the shooting condition stored in the storage unit. 2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image data recorded and saved by the recording control means is recorded and saved as one file. Furthermore , it has an imaging means for taking an image,
The first image acquisition unit and the second image acquisition unit acquire an image from the imaging unit.
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1.

Images