JP4135527B2 - Camera system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a camera system, and more particularly to a camera system that displays a subject image captured by a lens system having a zoom function on a display.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Many conventional camera systems have a lens system having a zoom function for photographing a subject by zooming up or zooming back (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). The camera system described in Patent Document 1 has a lens system including a zoom lens having a zoom function and an extender lens having an extender function, the extender lens is provided in the optical path of the zoom lens, and a video camera device Includes a zoom switch for driving the zoom lens and an extender switch for driving the extender lens, and the zoom switch and the extender switch are integrally formed. The above extender function is a function for instantly enlarging and reducing the subject.
[0003]
In the camera system described in Patent Document 2, the amount of received light and the distance between the video camera and the subject are measured by a sensor built in the video camera, and an image from the subject is displayed on a monitor (display) screen connected to the video camera. In addition to displaying the measured light receiving amount and distance on the monitor screen through a computer connected to the video camera and monitor, the computer displays an instruction signal to adjust the aperture and focus of the video camera and input Move the cursor on the monitor screen through the device, specify a frame in the screen, specify and input an arbitrary enlargement / reduction ratio or movement distance, and change the size and position of the image.
[0004]
The zoom operation of the video camera constituting the conventional camera system described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 is performed by a zoom operation switch or lever, or an input device. Further, the zoom function and extender function are often performed on both the tele end and wide end of the zoom operation switch or lever.
[0005]
In the camera system described in Patent Document 1, the zooming switch or lever for zooming can be zoomed in slowly by moving the zoom operation switch or lever a little, and fast zooming by moving the zoom system. It is controlled by operating. Further, in the camera system described in Patent Document 2, for example, a photographer performs zooming by moving a cursor in a screen via a mouse.
[0006]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent No. 2724911 (page 1-2)
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent No. 2934518 (2nd page)
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in a conventional camera system, a photographer can only adjust the zoom speed by operating a zoom operation switch or lever or an input device such as a mouse while viewing a photographed image input to a viewfinder or a liquid crystal panel. In order to achieve the desired zoom speed, skill is required.
[0008]
In addition, with the miniaturization of video cameras, the zoom operation switch or lever has also become smaller, making it difficult to handle. Furthermore, since the zoom speed cannot be achieved as expected, the subject cannot be captured at the desired size, and it is necessary to make adjustments by repeating subtle zoom-up and zoom-back. There is a problem such as losing sight of the place where the filming is taking place.
[0009]
The present invention has been made in view of the above points. In the case of zooming up, the photographer specifies a range to be enlarged by a frame, and in the case of zooming back, the photographer determines the reduction ratio while confirming the reduced image. It is an object of the present invention to provide a camera system that can automatically perform zooming at an appropriate speed.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention captures a subject and converts an electrical signal that is photoelectrically converted by the camera unit into a video signal, and includes a camera unit that photoelectrically converts incident light. And a display unit for displaying a subject image based on a video signal from the signal processing unit, the angle of view of the subject image is fixed by an on operation, and zoom processing is performed by an off operation When the zoom lock button and zoom lock button are on, specify the enlarged area of the subject image with a fixed angle of view or the reduced size of the subject image with a fixed angle of view. , in the state in which the zoom lock button is turned off, the display object image to be displayed on the display unit at a desired magnification or reduction ratio When image reduction calculates the desired and zoom switch to display an image that is set in advance in the peripheral region of the subject image is reduced at the reduction ratio, magnification or reduction ratio of the object image based on the operation amount of the zoom switch, a zoom When the zoom lock button is turned off after the switch is operated, the subject image displayed on the display unit is enlarged to the designated area after enlargement based on the calculation result of the enlargement rate or reduction rate, or the size of the display unit is enlarged. And a processing means for performing zooming processing for displaying the reduced subject image with the specified length as it is and erasing the preset image displayed in the peripheral area of the reduced subject image .
[0011]
In the present invention, the field angle of the subject image displayed on the display unit with the zoom lock button turned on is fixed, and the enlarged region in the subject image with the field angle fixed by operating the zoom switch Alternatively, after specifying the size of the reduced subject image, the zoom lock button is turned off to enlarge the subject image displayed on the display unit to the specified enlarged area, or in the display unit It is possible to perform a zooming process in which the reduced subject image whose size is specified is displayed as it is and the preset image displayed in the peripheral area of the reduced subject image is deleted.
[0012]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention captures a subject and has a zoom function in which an enlargement ratio and a reduction ratio can be changed by a control signal, and photoelectric conversion of incident light transmitted through the lens group. A conversion unit that converts the electrical signal photoelectrically output by the camera unit into a video signal, and a display unit that displays a subject image based on the video signal from the signal processing unit. A zoom lock button for fixing a field angle of a subject image by an on operation and executing a zoom process by an off operation and a zoom lock button being on after the subject imaging starts . Then, specify the area after enlargement in the subject image with a fixed angle of view or the size after reduction of the subject image with a fixed angle of view, When the mode lock button is off, the zoom switch that displays the subject image to be displayed on the display unit at the desired enlargement or reduction rate, and the enlargement or reduction rate of the subject image is calculated based on the amount of operation of the zoom switch. When the zoom lock button is turned off after the zoom switch is operated, a control signal is generated and output based on the calculation result of the enlargement ratio or reduction ratio, and the magnification in the lens group is specified by the zoom switch operation. And a control means for controlling to gradually change the rate or the reduction rate.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a configuration diagram of an embodiment of a camera system according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the camera system 100 according to the present embodiment includes a camera unit 20 for capturing an image of a subject 10, an electrical signal processing unit 30, and a user interface unit 40.
[0014]
The camera unit 20 is an imaging lens system, and includes a lens group 21, a lens driving device 22 that drives and controls the lens group 21, a diaphragm mechanism 23 that controls the amount of incident light transmitted through the lens group 21, and the diaphragm mechanism 23. A diaphragm driving device 24 for driving and controlling the shutter, a shutter mechanism 25 for passing or blocking incident light transmitted through the diaphragm mechanism 23, a shutter driving device 26 for driving and controlling the shutter mechanism 25, a lens group 21, and a diaphragm mechanism 23. A charge transfer element (CCD) 27 for photoelectrically converting a subject image obtained by the shutter mechanism 25 and a CCD driving device 28 for driving and controlling the CCD 27 are configured. These lens driving device 22, aperture driving device 24, shutter driving device 26, and CCD driving device 28 are driven and controlled by a control device 34. The lens group 21 also performs focus adjustment by a known method.
[0015]
The signal processing unit 30 includes a video signal processing device 31, an image memory 32, an image recording device 33, and a control device 34. The video signal processing device 31 converts the electrical signal output from the CCD 27 into image data that is a digital video signal, and supplies the image data to the image memory 32 and the control device 34. The image memory 32 is configured by a semiconductor memory or the like, can store image data of still images or video images, and its operation is controlled by the control device 34. The image memory 32 is used as a primary storage location of the original image when displaying an enlarged or reduced image on the display unit 41 in zooming processing, for example.
[0016]
The image recording device 33 records the output image data of the image memory 32. Conversely, the image recording device 33 can read out the recorded image data and take it into the image memory 32. The image recording device 33 is composed of a magnetic disk, a magnetic tape, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, or the like that can store a plurality of image data.
[0017]
The control device 34 is configured around a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory. The control device 34 controls the lens driving device 22, the aperture driving device 24, the shutter driving device 26, and the CCD driving device 28, processes the image data input from the video signal processing device 31, and displays it on the display unit 41. Stores programs and data for processing such as and performs processing. In addition, the control device 34 has an electronic zoom function for enlarging and reducing still images or video images output from the video signal processing unit 31 and the image memory 32 and outputting them.
[0018]
The user interface unit 40 includes a display unit 41 and an operation unit 42. The display unit 41 is a display and a viewfinder using liquid crystal, a cathode ray tube (CRT), or the like, and displays images and various types of information. The display in the display unit 41 includes a touch panel.
[0019]
The operation unit 42 includes various switches such as a zoom switch 43 and a zoom lock button 44, a touch panel attached to the surface of the display unit 41, a remote controller, various data input devices, a data input device using voice recognition, and the like. The zoom lock button 44 is a zoom fixing button for causing the control device 34 to perform an operation such as inputting a command to lock and release the zoom function and extender function of the lens driving device 22.
[0020]
When the zoom function and the extender function are not locked (fixed) by the zoom lock button 44, the zoom switch 43 performs a normal zoom processing operation for controlling the zoom function and the extender function of the lens driving device 22 by the control device 34. In addition, when the zoom function and extender function are locked (fixed) by the zoom lock button 44, the zoom control button is used to select an area to be enlarged by the photographer or to perform an operation for reducing the image. . That is, the zoom switch 43 is commonly used for normal zoom processing and processing for displaying on the display unit 41 a frame for the photographer to specify a zoom range or a reduction range.
[0021]
On the touch panel, when a user touches an icon or the like displayed on the display unit 41 with a finger, corresponding data and commands are input. In a data input device using voice recognition, corresponding data and commands are input when a user utters a voice.
[0022]
In this camera system 100, incident light from the subject 10 is collected by the lens group 21, and zoomed up or zoomed back at a desired magnification as required by the lens driving device 22, and also extended as necessary. The function enlarges or reduces the subject instantly. Incident light that has passed through the lens group 21 is controlled to a desired aperture value by the aperture mechanism 23, passes through the shutter mechanism 25, enters the CCD 27, and is converted into an electrical signal. This electrical signal is converted into image data which is a digital video signal by the video signal processing device 31, and then supplied to and stored in the image memory 32, while being supplied to the control device 34.
[0023]
The control device 34 controls the lens driving device 22, the aperture driving device 24, the shutter driving device 26, and the CCD driving device 28 according to the operation signal from the operation unit 42, and the image data output from the video signal processing device 31. Is displayed on the display unit 41. Further, the control device 34 performs predetermined control for zooming processing and the like based on the operation signal from the operation unit 42.
[0024]
Next, zooming processing according to the present embodiment will be described. This zooming process facilitates zooming when a photographer zooms in or zooms out on a subject, especially when shooting for the purpose of showing an image to a third party, such as a self-produced movie or a document video. This is the process used to do it.
[0025]
When a photographer performs zooming on a subject, the subject is generally zoomed up to approximately the size of the subject imaged by the photographer, and then gradually zoomed up and zoomed back to adjust the size of the subject. However, the screen is not stable for images in which zoom up and zoom back are frequently repeated, and the viewer feels it difficult to see. In order to shoot images that can be viewed comfortably for the viewer, the viewer must pay attention to camera shake, zoom speed, and zooming to accurately capture the subject.
[0026]
In order to solve this problem, means for specifying an enlargement range with a frame as a pre-process for subject zooming, or automatically zooming at an appropriate zoom speed after confirming and determining a reduced image May be provided. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the photographer locks the zoom function and extender function with the zoom lock button 44 to fix the angle of view of the subject image, and then zooms 43 while viewing the subject image displayed on the display unit 41. When the enlargement range is selected by a frame, or after confirming the reduced image and determining the reduction ratio, the lock is released by the zoom lock button 44, and then the reduction ratio (reduction ratio or enlargement ratio calculated by the control device 34 is obtained. ) Is configured to perform zooming at an appropriate zoom speed.
[0027]
Next, the zooming operation of the embodiment of FIG. 1 will be described in more detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. First, when the photographer performs zooming, the photographer views the subject image displayed on the display unit 41, and when the desired subject image is displayed, turns on the zoom lock button 44 to turn on the zoom function and extender. The function is locked to fix the angle of view of the subject image (step S10 in FIG. 2). The image (1 in FIG. 3A) displayed on the display unit 41 at this time is an initial image for zooming. At this time, the driving of the focusing lens or the like not related to the zoom function in the lens group 21 is not locked.
[0028]
When the zoom function and the extender function are locked by the zoom lock button 44, the photographer uses the zoom switch 43 while viewing the subject image (1 in FIG. 3A) displayed on the display unit 41. When the image is enlarged, the operation is performed on the enlargement side. When the image is reduced, the operation is performed on the reduction side.
[0029]
When the zoom switch 43 is operated to the enlargement side, the display image on the display unit 41 does not change with the same size as the display image (1 in FIG. 3A) when the zoom function and the extender function are locked. On the other hand, the size of the frame indicating the size of the screen changes in accordance with the operation amount of the zoom switch 43, and the photographer can set the enlargement range to be the final enlarged image when zooming up (see FIG. 3 (b1)). Select in 2).
[0030]
On the other hand, when the zoom switch 43 is operated to the reduction side, the size of the display image on the display unit 41 (1 in FIG. 3A) when the zoom function and the extender function are locked is zoomed. As the amount of operation of the switch 43 is gradually reduced, the reduced image 5 is displayed at the center of the screen, as shown in FIG. A pattern is displayed. The photographer selects a reduced image to be the final reduced image when zooming back while viewing the display image on the display unit 41.
[0031]
The center of gravity of the frame or reduced image used for selecting the enlarged image coincides with the center of gravity of the entire image, and the size of the frame and the reduced image is controlled by the control device 34 so as to change in proportion to the operation amount of the zoom switch 43. The At this time, the enlargement ratio or reduction ratio is always calculated by the control device 34, and the image data stored in the image memory 32 or the control device 34 is converted into a reduced image from the calculation result and displayed on the display unit 41. That is, at the time of reduction, the output video signal of the video signal processing device 31 is temporarily stored in the image memory 32 and then output to the image recording device 33, and at the same time, is output to the control device 34 and is reduced by the control device 34. Is output to the display unit 41. Further, when the enlargement rate or reduction rate reaches the limit, the photographer is informed by, for example, blinking a hatched portion other than the frame or the reduced image.
[0032]
When the enlargement range or reduction ratio is determined (step S12 in FIG. 2), the zoom lock button 44 is turned off to unlock the zoom function and extender function (step S13 in FIG. 2). When the lock is released, the control device 34 calculates the enlargement ratio or reduction ratio from the size of the frame surrounding the enlargement range or the reduced image (step S14 in FIG. 2).
[0033]
Subsequently, the control device 34 performs zooming by driving the lens driving device 22 from the calculation result of the enlargement ratio or reduction ratio (step S15 in FIG. 2). Accordingly, the display image of the display unit 41 is changed from the display image (initial image) of the display unit 41 at the time of locking the zoom function and the extender function shown in FIG. 3A to FIG. The size of the image gradually increases toward the enlarged image shown, and the hatched portion 4 shown in FIG. 3 (b2) decreases during zoom back. At the time of zoom back, the magnification of the electronic zoom in the control device 34 changes to 1 with the movement of the zoom lens so that the size of the shaded portion 4 gradually changes, and finally FIG. The image shown in (c2) is displayed.
[0034]
The speed of changing the size of the display image, that is, the zooming speed is set in advance to the speed desired by the photographer, or can be selected from the operation unit 42 when the zoom lock is released, and is controlled by the control device 34. . For example, the operation amount of the zoom switch 43 may be used to control the zoom speed until zooming is completed. Further, the frame surrounding the enlarged range or the hatched portion around the reduced image disappears from the display unit 41 during zooming, and the original image is displayed.
[0035]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the photographer performs zooming, the zoom lens driving device 22 is locked by the zoom lock button 44 and then the zoom range is specified by the zoom switch 43 or the reduced image is displayed. After determining the reduction ratio while confirming the zoom, the zoom lens driving device 22 is unlocked by the zoom lock button 44 and the zoom lens driving device 22 is driven and controlled to perform zooming automatically and at the desired speed. The desired zoom image can be obtained smoothly.
[0036]
The above is a description of the case of optical zoom. Next, the operation of the present embodiment in the case of electronic zoom will be described. In the case of an apparatus that performs enlargement / reduction by electronic zoom, the electronic zoom may already function in a state before the zoom lock button 44 is turned on. At this time, the output video signal of the video signal processing device 31 is electronically zoomed by the control device 34 and then output to the display unit 41 and the image memory 32, and the output image data of the image memory 32 is further output to the image recording device 33. Has been supplied to.
[0037]
When the zoom switch 43 is operated in the enlargement or reduction direction after the zoom lock button 44 is turned on, the control device 34 stores the subject image in the state (view angle) of FIG. Is output and stored, and the display unit 41 has an image in which an enlarged area as shown in FIG. 3B1 is designated, or a subject whose angle of view as shown in FIG. 3B2 is fixed. Display an image with a specified size after image reduction.
[0038]
That is, the control device 34 detects whether the zoom switch 43 is operated in the enlargement direction or the reduction direction, and when detecting that the zoom switch 43 is operated in the enlargement direction, the output video of the video signal processing device 31 is detected. A video signal having a frame with an area corresponding to the amount of operation of the zoom switch 43 is generated and multiplexed on the signal and supplied to the display unit 41 to display the image shown in FIG. 3B1 and calculate the enlargement ratio.
[0039]
On the other hand, when the control device 34 detects that the zoom switch 43 has been operated in the reduction direction, the control device 34 reduced the output video signal of the video signal processing device 31 at a magnification corresponding to the operation amount of the zoom switch 43. In addition to generating the video signal, the video signal of the hatched portion 4 in FIG. 3 (b2) is generated to multiplex both signals, and the multiplexed signal is supplied to the display unit 41 to display the image shown in FIG. 3 (b2). Display and calculate reduction ratio.
[0040]
Thereafter, when the zoom lock button 44 is turned off, the control device 34 enlarges or reduces the enlargement ratio or the size of the surrounding image portion of the reduced image with respect to the output video signal of the video signal processing device 31. Processing is performed to generate a video signal in which the display image of the display unit 41 gradually changes so that the enlargement ratio designated by the zoom switch 43 is reached or the surrounding image portion of the reduced image is eliminated. Output to. As described above, when the video signal is reduced using the electronic zoom, it is necessary to output the two reduced images shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B2. Therefore, the control device 34 has two different magnifications. The video signal of the image can be output.
[0041]
In the above embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the subject image when the angle of view is fixed with the zoom lock button 44 turned on (FIG. 3A) and the final subject image subjected to zoom-in processing (FIG. 3C1). ) Or (c2)) has been described as being the same image, but the subject image when the angle of view is fixed and the final subject because the camera unit 20 is moved or the subject itself is moved during zoom-in processing. Even when the images are different, the present invention can be applied, and the subject image to be captured may be either a still image or a moving image. Furthermore, at the time of enlargement, the enlargement ratio or reduction ratio can be calculated only by the size of the frame or only by the size of the image around the reduced subject image (image 4 in the shaded area).
[0042]
In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the present invention can be applied to devices that use zooming in general.
[0043]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the angle of view of the subject image displayed on the display unit is fixed while the zoom lock button is turned on, and the angle of view is fixed by operating the zoom switch. After specifying the size of the magnified subject image or the size of the subject image after reduction, the zoom lock button is turned off, so that the subject image displayed on the display unit reaches the designated magnified region. Zooming processing is performed to enlarge or reduce an image portion around a reduced subject image whose size is specified, so that zooming can be performed automatically and at a desired speed. Anyone can do it easily without skill.
[0044]
Further, according to the present invention, since it is not affected by the size of the zoom switch and the zoom lock button, a desired zooming process can be performed without hindrance even when applied to a small video camera, and further, a fine zoom up and zoom back can be performed. Since repetitive adjustment is unnecessary, it is possible to capture an image that can be comfortably viewed by a viewer, and to save a battery for driving a photographing lens driving device and the like.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of a camera system of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining a procedure of zoom processing in FIG. 1;
3 is an image explanatory diagram of a display screen during the zoom process of FIG. 1. FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Subject 20 Camera part 21 Lens group 22 Lens drive device 23 Aperture mechanism 24 Aperture drive device 25 Shutter mechanism 26 Shutter drive device 27 Solid-state image sensor (CCD)
28 CCD Drive Device 30 Signal Processing Unit 31 Video Signal Processing Device 32 Image Memory 33 Image Recording Device 34 Control Device 40 User Interface Unit 41 Display Unit 42 Operation Unit 43 Zoom Switch 44 Zoom Lock Button 100 Camera System

Claims (2)

A camera unit that includes a conversion unit that photoelectrically converts incident light while capturing an image of a subject, a signal processing unit that converts an electrical signal that has been photoelectrically converted by the camera unit, and output the video signal, and the signal processing unit A camera system having a display unit for displaying a subject image by a video signal from
A zoom lock button that fixes the angle of view of the subject image by an on operation and executes zoom processing by an off operation;
In a state in which the zoom lock button is turned on, a region after enlargement in the subject image with a fixed angle of view or a size after reduction of the subject image with a fixed angle of view is designated, In a state where the zoom lock button is turned off, the subject image to be displayed on the display unit is displayed at a desired enlargement ratio or reduction ratio, and at the time of image reduction, the subject image reduced at the desired reduction ratio is displayed . A zoom switch for displaying a preset image in the peripheral area ;
An enlargement ratio or reduction ratio of the subject image is calculated based on an operation amount of the zoom switch, and an off operation of the zoom lock button after the operation of the zoom switch is performed based on a calculation result of the enlargement ratio or reduction ratio. The subject image displayed on the display unit is enlarged to the designated area after the enlargement, or the reduced subject image whose size is designated on the display unit is displayed as it is, and the reduced subject image And a processing unit for performing a zooming process for erasing the preset image displayed in the peripheral area . A camera unit including a lens group having a zoom function that images a subject and whose magnification rate and reduction rate are variable by a control signal, and a conversion unit that photoelectrically converts incident light transmitted through the lens group, and the camera A signal processing unit that converts an electrical signal photoelectrically converted by the unit into a video signal, and a display unit that displays a subject image based on the video signal from the signal processing unit,
A zoom lock button for fixing a field angle of a subject image by an on operation and executing a zoom process by an off operation after starting the imaging of the subject;
In a state in which the zoom lock button is turned on, a region after enlargement in the subject image with a fixed angle of view or a size after reduction of the subject image with a fixed angle of view is designated, In a state where the zoom lock button is turned off, a zoom switch for displaying a subject image to be displayed on the display unit at a desired enlargement ratio or reduction ratio;
An enlargement ratio or reduction ratio of the subject image is calculated based on an operation amount of the zoom switch, and an off operation of the zoom lock button after the operation of the zoom switch is performed based on a calculation result of the enlargement ratio or reduction ratio. Control means for generating and outputting the control signal, and controlling the magnification in the lens group so as to gradually change to a magnification or reduction specified by operation of the zoom switch. .

Images