JP4275643B2 - Digital stereo camera or digital stereo video camera - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital stereo camera or a digital stereo video camera, and more particularly, to a digital stereo camera or a digital stereo video camera that improves the reproducibility of a 3D stereoscopic image.

  3D stereo photographs and 3D stereo videos that allow viewers to view stereoscopic images by viewing two images taken from two different points of view left and right, with the left and right eyes, have a long history. In stereo photography, the positional matching of the left and right images is important in order to obtain a suitable stereo effect. If the matching is inconsistent, the stereo effect will be diminished and the eyes will be significantly fatigued. become.

  The applicant has already made many proposals for means for matching at the time of shooting and means for matching when a film is mounted on a slide mount in a conventional silver film type stereo camera or stereo slide. (Patent Documents 1, 2, 3 etc.).

In addition, as a technique of stereo photography in a digital camera, for example, a mirror type (prism type) stereo adapter having two right and left mirrors (prisms) is attached to a photographing lens of a general digital camera having one photographing lens, There has been proposed a technique for taking a stereo photograph by projecting an image incident on each of two right and left mirrors (prisms) separately into left and right halves of one image sensor (Patent Document 4).
Japanese Patent No. 2880131 Japanese Patent No. 2880132 Japanese Patent No. 3370051 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-140280

  In stereo photography, positional matching of a pair of left and right images (adjustment of the distance at which the stereo composite image can be seen) is important, but for matching, not only the position of the main subject image in the left and right images, but also the shooting distance of the main subject There are various factors that affect visual matching, such as the distance between the optical axes of the left and right photographic lenses, and the positional relationship between the main subject image and other subject images and the background. It is known to be difficult to obtain.

  In other words, in order to create a high-quality stereo photo, such as a stereo photo without matching adjustment or a stereo photo with coarse matching adjustment, adjust the stereoscopic effect for each shooting, Alternatively, it is necessary to carry out each time a set of stereo photo prints or stereo slides is created. This also applies to 3D cinema, and should preferably be adjusted for each scene, but at present, technologies such as digital stereo cameras and 3D projectors with matching adjustment means that can be adjusted to perfect conditions. Seems to be unknown.

  Therefore, there is a technical problem to be solved in order to enable easy and accurate matching of the left and right screens of the stereo video at the time of shooting or after shooting, and the present invention solves the above problem. Objective.

This invention is proposed in order to achieve the above object, a pair of left and right imaging optical systems, and one or two imaging elements that individually receive a pair of images through the pair of imaging optical systems, A digital stereo camera or digital stereo video camera comprising a pair of left and right electronic displays for individually displaying a pair of images projected on the image sensor in an upright state and a stereo viewfinder having an eyepiece. Means for displaying an image on the pair of left and right electronic displays with a narrower aspect ratio of the image display area of the electronic display with respect to the aspect ratio of the captured image and masking a part of the captured image; Means for displaying collimation patterns of the same shape and position on the left and right electronic displays superimposed on the image, and images on the pair of left and right electronic displays; A manual scrolling means for varying the spacing of the same object image symmetrical in the image display area of the left and right horizontally scroll, being equal to the display image obtained by horizontally scrolling optionally, and does not include the collimation pattern display signal The present invention provides a digital stereo camera or a digital stereo video camera provided with means for externally outputting left and right image data as a set of stereo image data.

  In addition, a pair of left and right imaging optical systems, one or two imaging elements that individually receive a pair of images through the pair of imaging optical systems, and a pair of images projected on the imaging element in an upright state A digital stereo camera or digital stereo video camera provided with a pair of left and right electronic displays and eyepieces for individually displaying a captured image on the pair of left and right electronic displays with respect to the aspect ratio of the captured image Means for narrowing the aspect ratio of the image display area of the electronic display, masking and displaying a part of the photographed image, and collimation patterns of the same shape and position on the left and right electronic displays are displayed superimposed on the image And an image on the pair of left and right electronic displays are horizontally scrolled horizontally to change the interval between the same subject images in the left and right image display areas. Digital stereo camera or digital stereo video camera comprising manual scroll means and means for externally outputting original image data projected on the pair of left and right image sensors and scroll data indicating a scroll state when arbitrarily scrolled horizontally Is to provide.

  Also provided is a display control means for displaying the collimation pattern by detecting the operation start of the operation switch or operation key of the manual scroll means and stopping the collimation pattern display after the switch operation is released or after a predetermined time. A digital stereo camera or a digital stereo video camera is provided.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a digital stereo camera or digital stereo video camera which has a built-in data communication interface connected to a mobile phone, a mobile phone module, or a telephone modem, and can transmit and receive data through a telephone line.

The digital stereo camera or digital stereo video camera of the present invention can horizontally and horizontally scroll a pair of left and right images displayed on an electronic display in a stereo view finder having an electronic display configuration, so that images can be viewed while looking through the finder. Shooting or editing can be performed as an optimal stereoscopic effect scrolling state, and high-quality stereo photographs and stereo cinemas can be created.
In particular, the invention of claim 3 detects the start of the switch operation of the manual scroll means and displays the collimation pattern, and automatically stops the display of the collimation pattern after releasing the switch operation or after a certain time. The on-off operation of the pattern display at the time of matching adjustment becomes unnecessary and the usability is improved.
Further, since the digital stereo camera or digital stereo video camera according to the invention of claim 4 can transmit and receive image data to and from the outside, for example, the data communication terminal of the stereo camera and the data of the mobile phone or PHS with a data communication cable corresponding to the interface. By connecting the communication connector, wireless communication of live or photographed stereo still image data or stereo moving image data can be performed between two digital stereo cameras via a telephone line. It also enables wireless video distribution to video equipment such as 3D monitor displays and 3D projectors with communication functions.

When the digital stereo camera or digital stereo video camera of the present invention displays captured images on a pair of left and right electronic displays, the aspect ratio of the image display area of the electronic display is narrower than the aspect ratio of the captured images. Means for masking and displaying a part of an image, means for displaying a collimation pattern of the same shape and position on the left and right electronic displays superimposed on the image, and images on a pair of left and right electronic displays symmetrically a manual scrolling means for varying the spacing of the same object image in the image display area of the left and right horizontally scroll, being equal to the display image obtained by horizontally scrolling optionally and left and right does not include the collimation pattern display signal Configure the image data to be output externally as a set of stereo image data, or a pair of left and right imaging elements It is easy to adjust the matching of the left and right screens of the stereo image at the time of shooting or after shooting by configuring to output the original image data projected on the screen and scroll data indicating the scroll state when arbitrarily scrolling horizontally And the goal of being able to do it accurately was achieved.

  FIG. 1 shows an example of a digital stereo camera according to the present invention. A digital stereo camera 1 includes an imaging unit 2 and a stereo viewfinder 3 and has a stereoscopic matching adjustment function (masks the left or right end of an image). The stereo viewfinder 3 having a function) and the imaging unit 2 are coupled by, for example, a fitting mechanism 4 such as a hot shoe or an accessory shoe of a general camera, and electrically connected via an electrical contact 5 disposed in the fitting mechanism. Connected. At the time of editing after shooting, the imaging unit 2 and the stereo viewfinder 3 can be separated, and matching adjustment can be performed by the stereo viewfinder 3 alone.

  The image pickup unit 2 includes two digital cameras 8 each having a photographing lens 6 and a CCD image pickup device 7 (hereinafter simply referred to as an image pickup device 7), and a base 9 that supports the two digital cameras 8. The digital camera 8 is engaged with a guide rail portion 9a on the upper surface of the base 9, can be slid along the guide rail portion 9a, and can be fixed at an arbitrary position by a lock mechanism (not shown). Thus, the ability to adjust the distance between the optical axes of the left and right digital cameras 8 is particularly advantageous for close-up photography. This is because, in close-up photography, the distance between the optical axes set to the standard distance between the human eyes is often excessive, and a smaller distance between the optical axes is required.

  The stereo viewfinder 3 includes a pair of left and right TFT color liquid crystal displays (not shown) in the body, and images of a pair of left and right TFT color liquid crystal displays (hereinafter simply referred to as liquid crystal displays) are displayed as a pair of left and right eyepieces 10. It has a structure to observe separately. Although not shown, the body incorporates a display drive circuit, a display control unit having a stereoscopic sensation editing function, which will be described later, and an SD memory card (registered trademark) for storing image data or a compact flash (registered). Removable memory such as trademark and smart media (registered trademark) and a power battery are installed in each dedicated slot. In addition, a power switch, a shutter button, an editing operation key, a video signal output terminal, a USB terminal, and the like are arranged at appropriate positions on the outer peripheral surface of the body.

  FIG. 2 shows a system camera 11 in which the digital stereo camera 1 is developed. The base 9 of the imaging unit 2 is attached to the top of the column 12, the stereo viewfinder 3 is attached to the upper and lower middle portions of the column 12, and the stereo viewfinder 3 is attached. A forehead pad 13 is attached above the head.

  A vertical grip 14 and a horizontal grip 15 in a direction perpendicular to the vertical grip 14 are provided at the lower portion of the column 12, and a shoulder pad 16 extends on the opposite side of the horizontal grip 15 extending to the left. The horizontal grip 15 is provided with a control switch portion 17 including an activation switch, zoom operation, focus adjustment, exposure adjustment, and other switch buttons, and the vertical grip 14 is provided with a photographing button 18. Although illustration is omitted, the forehead rest 13 and the shoulder rest 16 are equipped with a position adjusting mechanism, and hold the horizontal grip 15 and the vertical grip 14 with the left and right hands, respectively, and look into the eyepiece 10 of the stereo viewfinder 3. Then, the position of the forehead pad is adjusted so that the forehead pad 13 hits the forehead of the photographer, and the shoulder pad 16 is also adjusted to an appropriate position. If the start switch of the control switch unit 17 is turned on in this state, the image of the stereo viewfinder 3 can be monitored stably. Then, when the photographing button 18 is pressed, the image data data projected on the pair of left and right imaging elements is recorded in the memory.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the parallax of the stereo camera, and shows a state where a subject (character F) at a short distance is photographed. The distance P _S between the centers of the imaging elements of the left and right imaging units is set equal to the distance P _L between the optical axes of the left and right imaging lenses. When shooting an infinite subject, light rays from the same point of the infinite subject enter the left and right photographing lenses 6 in parallel, so the distance between the centers of the left and right images formed on the left and right image sensors 7 P _I is equal to the distance P _L between the optical axes of the left and right photographing lenses 6. On the other hand, when shooting a subject at a finite distance as shown in FIG. 3, the center-to-center distance P _I of the subject image projected on the left and right imaging elements 7 is larger than the center-to-center distance P _S of the left and right imaging elements 7. Increased (P _I > P _S ).

FIG. 4 shows the full width of the original image data projected on the image sensor 7 of FIG. 3 in accordance with the screen widths of the left and right liquid crystal displays D, and the screen is viewed stereoscopically (of the eyepiece). Since the inverted image projected on the image pickup device of the stereo camera is displayed as an upright image rotated 180 degrees on the liquid crystal display D, the center-to-center distance P _I ′ between the left and right images is left and right. The distance is smaller than the distance P _D between the centers of the screens (P _I ′ <P _D ).

When stereoscopic such stereograph with both eyes, the stereoscopic image I _S looks in front of "stereo window" I _W, "stereo window" I _W is not fused to one, as shown two It looks out of place, making it unnatural and difficult to see. Therefore, in order to obtain a natural three-dimensional effect, it is necessary to adjust the matching of the left and right images.

In stereo photography, it is common sense that the subject at the shortest distance should be adjusted so that it can be seen at a distance equal to or longer than the “stereo window”. The viewfinder matching adjustment function may be adjusted so that the center-to-center distance P _I ′ of the subject image with the shortest distance is equal to or greater than the center-to-center distance P _D between the left and right screens.

  Fig. 5 shows the matching adjustment function of the stereo viewfinder. (a) is a short-distance subject image (letter F) on the image sensor, which is rotated 180 degrees upright. (b) is an image display area when the pair of left and right liquid crystal displays is edited (a state in which the aspect ratio is narrower than that at the time of shooting), and (c) is an image display area of (b) with no offset (a (D) is a state in which the inner vertical sides of the left and right images are made to coincide with the inner vertical sides of the image display area, and the distance between the centers of the left and right images is offset to the longest.

  Hereinafter, the procedure of matching adjustment will be described. An image projected onto the image sensor 7 at the time of shooting is monitored in real time by a stereo viewfinder 3 including a pair of liquid crystal displays D.

  When performing matching adjustment, switch to the edit mode with the mode switch, and when editing a captured image, press the image selection switch to display the stereo photograph on the liquid crystal display D sequentially (in any order) for each set. . The initial position of the image that is redisplayed during editing is not limited.However, when the offset is zero in Fig. 5 (c), the left and right ends of the image are equally divided to the left and right of the display frame of the liquid crystal display. Excessive shielding (blackout).

  Matching adjustment is performed by using the scroll operation keys provided on the stereo viewfinder 3, and the right and left images are displayed by pressing either end of the scroll operation keys in the same way as a normal seesaw key for electric zooming operation. The state displayed on the liquid crystal display D by scrolling (offset) horizontally or offset symmetrically within the range of 5 (c) and Fig. 5 (d), adjusting to an appropriate scroll state, and then performing a save operation Are stored in the memory as a single piece of stereo image data.

The image display method at the time of editing includes a method of reducing the display frame size of the liquid crystal display D from the state of 100% field of view at the time of shooting to the narrow width shown in FIG. having original display an enlarged image of the actual display screen width W _P which is narrower than the width W _O of the image to the width W _D of the same width of the liquid crystal display, redisplay width during editing after shooting even and W _D There is a way to do it.

In either case, when original image data of width W _O is recorded in the image memory at the time of shooting, the former method can monitor the image over the entire width at the time of shooting, but the screen at the time of redisplay (during matching adjustment) becomes small. . On the other hand, the latter method has an advantage that the screen at the time of re-displaying is enlarged to the width of the liquid crystal display instead of the entire display of the captured image at the time of shooting, but the screen width at the time of matching adjustment is not reduced. The method may be used.

  About the image data storage method, save 100% image data of the image sensor, save the scroll data in the state of matching adjustment separately, and enable matching editing as many times as possible after shooting, There is a method of saving image data that has been horizontally scrolled at the time of shooting, and the latter can reduce the amount of data, but any method may be adopted depending on the degree of requirement of the matching editing function.

  In the above embodiment, a configuration in which two independent image sensors are mounted as an image pickup unit has been described. However, a stereo image through left and right photographing lenses is divided into left and right images and projected onto one image sensor. May be.

In the first embodiment, the case where the distance P _L between the optical axes of the left and right photographing lenses 6 is equal to the distance P _S between the centers of the left and right imaging elements 7 has been described.In this case, as shown in FIG. In the state where the left and right center of the screen of the liquid crystal display D and the left and right center of the photographed image match and the object at infinity and the “stereo window” appear to be at infinity, the left and right ends of the photographed image are equally masked. .

  As shown in Fig. 5 (d), when the left and right images are scrolled to the outermost end in the direction of moving outward, the mask amount inside the image becomes zero, and the "stereo window" has the shortest focusing distance. It looks equidistant from the subject. That is, since the offset adjustment range of the image is the range of the state of FIG. 5 (c) and the state of FIG. 5 (d), the masked portion outside the left and right images in FIG. It does not appear in the screen display range of the display, resulting in screen loss. In practice, even when an infinite subject is photographed, the stereoscopic effect is better if the “stereo window” is seen at a finite distance and the infinite subject image is seen on the other side.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining means for improving the above-described image loss and stereoscopic effect. The selection range (width W _E ) at the time of editing on the exposure surface of the image sensor is set at the inner end between the left and right image sensors. In this case, the distance P _L between the optical axes of the left and right photographing lenses is set smaller than the distance P _E between the centers of the left and right editing selection ranges W _E at this time.

FIG. 7 (a) shows a case where the image taken with the camera of FIG. 6 is re-displayed on the liquid crystal display D of the stereo viewfinder 3 in the edit mode, and the outer edge of the original image data with the width W _O is the display. It is consistent with the outer end of the actual display screen W _P. FIG. 7B is an actual display screen (width W _P ) in the editing mode of the display D. Then, it is possible to offset to the inside edge of the original image data of the width W _O as shown in FIG. 7 (c) matches the inner end of the actual display screen W _P of the display.

In Fig. 7 (a), in order for the stereoscopic image F at infinity to be seen beyond the stereo window, that is, to make the stereo window appear at a finite distance, the left and right images on display D The center distance P _I ′ may be set to a distance larger than the center distance P _WP of the actual display screen of the display (P _I ′> P _WP ). When shooting a subject at a close distance, it is necessary to make the center-to-center distance P _I ′ of the left and right images on the display equal to the center-to-center distance P _WP of the actual display screen of the display, as shown in FIG. As shown, the center-to-center distance P _I ′ of the close-up subject image (letter F) is adjusted to be equal to P _WP (P _I ′ = P _WP ).

6, the image on the imaging element 7 are the inverted image, positional relationship between the erect finder becomes opposite, infinity image data selection range W of the left and right image pickup device camera during photographing _E is It approaches the innermost end of the entire width W _S of the image sensor.

The relationship between the image sensor and the _{display, W O: W S = W} P: is proportional to W _E, the distance between the centers of the data selection W _E of the imaging element 7 of the camera shown in FIG. 6 and P _E If the distance between the centers of the images on the left and right image sensors 7 is P _I and the distance between the optical axes of the left and right imaging lenses 6 is P _L , the light rays emitted from the same point at infinity are when entering the photographing lens 6, to become parallel to each other, the distance between the centers of the right and left images is equal to distance between the optical axes of the right and left photographing lenses 6, and _{P L = P I <P E} .

As described above, if the distance between the optical axes of the left and right photographing lenses 6 of the stereo camera is set to the above dimensional condition of P _L , the image loss in the example of FIG. 5 is eliminated and the image loss as shown in FIG. 7 is minimized. Stereo photo data can be obtained.

  Next, as a means for improving the visibility of the matching state, a case where a plurality of vertical line patterns P shown in FIG. 8 (a) and FIG. 8 (b) are displayed over the image on the liquid crystal display D will be described. To do. The vertical line pattern P is at the same position on the left and right editing screens, and when the left and right screens are viewed with both eyes, the left and right vertical line patterns P appear to match the distance of the “stereo window”. Then, it is only necessary to adjust the distance between the centers of the left and right images so that all the subject images can be seen on the other side of the vertical line pattern P. Can be tested.

8 (a) is represents the selection from the original image data W _O when adjusted value at the time of matching adjustment of zero (the state of FIG. 7 (a)), FIG. 8 (b) If the adjustment value is maximum 8 shows the display range (the state shown in FIG. 7 (c)). Re-displaying during matching adjustment can be done from either direction, with the state shown in Fig. 8 (a) as the initial position and Fig. 8 (b) as the initial position, but it can be repeated in both directions for careful adjustment. It is desirable.

8 (a) and 8 (b) illustrate both ends of the adjustment value, but in reality, the adjustment is often performed between FIG. 8 (a) and FIG. 8 (b). In such a case, because both sides in the original image of the actual display screen width W _D on the liquid crystal display D of the left and right both are masked, look at the monitor at the time of editing, those who are interested in people of both the left and right of the three-dimensional field of view Depending on whether or not, the entire left and right images can be scrolled in the same direction. This adjustment can be performed up to the position of the final end (both left and right ends) of the pair of left and right image data.

The above matching adjustment, is performed by changing the distance between the centers of the left and right images by scrolling the image to display the display area of the predetermined width W _D, a pseudo zooming instead of the image scrolling digital It is also possible to use zoom (a technique for enlarging the display by changing the readout ratio of the video data stored in the image memory in a digital television or digital camera). You may comprise so that the distance between the centers of an image may be changed.

  The image data edited by the matching adjustment can be stored in a memory as a single piece of image data in which the left and right images are integrated, and output to a digital silver halide printing system, a computer, a printer, or the like as needed. Further, in the configuration in which the vertical line pattern P is superimposed and displayed during editing, it is natural that only the image data is stored without storing the vertical line pattern data when storing the image data.

  The vertical line pattern P described above is unnecessary except when matching is adjusted, and therefore the display control means may be configured to display only when the scroll operation key is operated. If the display continues for a few seconds after the key operation or the pattern display continues until the finger is released from the scroll adjustment key so that the pattern display automatically disappears after matching adjustment, the pattern display on / off operation becomes unnecessary. And easy to use.

Next, a technique for facilitating the focus adjustment operation of a digital stereo camera using a liquid crystal display as a viewfinder will be described. For example, in the stereo viewfinder of the stereo camera shown in FIG. 6, the vertical line pattern P of FIG. 8 is displayed on the left and right liquid crystal displays by software control even during shooting. Then, in conjunction with the focus adjustment of the taking lens 6 at the time of shooting, the center-to-center distance P _E of the image selection range W _E on the left and right image sensors is changed, and the center-to-center distance between the left and right subject images that are in focus to match the P _E to P _I.

FIG. 9 illustrates a state in which the camera shown in FIG. 6 focuses on a short-distance subject at the time of shooting. As described above, the distance P _I between the centers of the short-distance subject images is the left and right photographing lenses 6. The dimension P _I > PL is larger than the center-to-center distance P _L.

In the state shown in FIG. 9, the center-to-center distance P _E of the image selection range W _E of the image sensor 7 is set to the minimum distance similarly to the center-to-center distance P _E in FIG. If the vertical line patterns are superimposed and displayed on the stereo viewfinder, the subject image (letter F) appears at a close distance as shown in FIG. In addition, in the state shown in FIG. 9, if the center-to-center distance PI of the subject image is equal to the center-to-center distance PE of the image sensor selection range WE (PE = PI), the selection range is moved in the direction of the state). center distance P _D center distance P _I of the image to be displayed with the liquid crystal display D of 'is made to coincide with the (P _D = P _I'). Therefore, the vertical line pattern appears at the same distance as the subject image in stereoscopic view at the time of shooting.

In order to set the stereo viewfinder so that the state of P _E = P _I shown in FIG. 9 is always set, in FIG. 9, the moving amount of the photographic lens in the optical axis direction during focus adjustment in FIG.
Focal length of taking lens… f
Distance from main point of photographic lens to object… L
Distance between optical axes of left and right photographic lenses… P _L
Distance between centers of images projected on left and right imaging elements… P _I
given that,
The amount of movement Δf of the photographic lens in the optical axis direction during focus adjustment is Δf = f ² / (L−f), and the center-to-center distance P _I of the image projected on the left and right image sensors is P _I = P since the _{L (1 + Δf / f)} , so as to satisfy the condition of the Delta] f and P _I of the above equation, if conjunction with controlling the amount of horizontal scrolling left and right images in accordance with the focusing of the taking lens 6, FIG. 11 as shown in the three-dimensional image I _S stereo viewfinder 3, it appears to "stereo window" I _W and equidistant.

For example, when moving adjusting the photographic lens 6 manually, the position of the lens detected by the encoder or potentiometer, a horizontal scroll amount of the read range W _E of the original image data W _O so as to satisfy the above condition automatically The subject image may be seen at a position equidistant from the collimation pattern of the stereo viewfinder by interlocking adjustment. In the case of the auto-focusing type, it may be automatically controlled horizontal scroll amount of the read range W _E of the image data of the image pickup device from the in-focus distance data by calculation and allocation to meet the above equation.

  The above embodiment uses the vertical line pattern P as the collimation pattern, but is not limited to this. For example, if the left and right displays have the same shape and position, a circular index is used. These indicators may be used in combination with vertical lines.

  Conventional ordinary cameras cannot focus unless the focusing target or distance measuring means such as a reticle is aligned with the shooting target, but the method of the present invention can visually recognize the in-focus state in the entire field of view of the viewfinder, so An operation to match the target is not necessary. This is particularly important in shooting scenes in which subjects overlap multiple times. Even when the focusing mechanism of the camera of the present invention is designed to be an autofocus system, it is possible to focus on any subject distance at the time of shooting. Since it can be seen without changing the framing, it becomes very convenient.

  In the above description of the matching adjustment at the time of editing, the stereo photograph states that a subject image located at an infinite distance must be visible beyond the “stereo window”. This also applies to the sense of stereoscopic view of the viewfinder when the collimation pattern is displayed on the viewfinder at the time of shooting.

  Even when shooting at infinity, the distance from which the “stereo window” can be seen is preferably about 3 meters, but it may be set to 5 to 10 meters, for example. In stereo photography, it is often preferable to shoot in a pan-focus state. The aperture of the lens at the time of shooting is narrowed down, and focus adjustment is fixed at a distance of about 3 to 5 meters to focus from the foreground to the distant view. I often shoot it. However, in close-up shooting (close-up state) of about 1 meter or less, it is better that the subject image at the time of shooting be seen at a position equidistant from the collimation pattern.

This is because when the focus adjustment during shooting is adjusted to infinity, the image at infinity appears beyond the collimation pattern that appears at a distance of about 3 to 5 meters, and the focus adjustment is close to 1 meter or less. When the distance is adjusted, the shooting is calculated with the above Δf = f ² / (L−f) and P _I = P _L (1 + Δf / f) so that the subject image appears at a distance equal to the collimation pattern. When the focus adjustment value (Δf value) at the time and the selection range of the finder display are linked, P _I shown in FIG. 11 is P _I ′> P _D at infinity, and P _I ′ = P _D at short distance. Thus, the arithmetic control program may be configured to adjust the P _I ′ value.

  Although the collimation pattern display color is preferably black, it may be difficult to see in a dark environment or a dark subject. As a countermeasure in such a case, the display control unit is provided with a collimation pattern display color switching function so that it can be switched between black and white, for example. Depending on the collimation pattern, it may be possible to identify the shooting mode or the editing mode by changing the color or shape.

  Since the image data output from the image sensor can be output in real time as a video signal, the digital stereo camera of the present invention is also equipped with a video signal output terminal, so that an external 3D can be provided from the video signal output terminal. Video signals can be output to a monitor display or 3D projector to watch live video, or input to a digital video recorder for recording.

  The image data transmission / reception method at this time is also equipped with a scroll function that outputs image data in a horizontally scrolled state and outputs 100% image data and scrolled data after matching adjustment. It is conceivable to perform display by performing scroll control on the receiving device.

  In the latter method, the original image data is sent in a full width without image loss, and is automatically scrolled and displayed based on the scroll data received by the receiving device. If the receiving device is switched between automatic scroll control and manual scroll control, the scroll amount can be readjusted arbitrarily on the receiving side.

  By installing a data communication function such as USB or IEEE1394 on a digital stereo camera, you can connect the data communication terminal of the stereo camera to the data communication connector of a mobile phone or PHS with a data communication cable that supports these interfaces. Wireless communication of live or photographed stereo still image data or stereo video data can be performed between two digital stereo cameras via a telephone line. Wireless video distribution to video equipment such as 3D monitor displays and 3D projectors with communication functions is also possible. As for the connection with the telephone line, in addition to the above-described form, a form in which a mobile phone module is built in and integrated with a mobile phone, or a form in which a telephone modem is built in are conceivable.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the technical scope of the present invention, and it is natural that the present invention extends to those modifications.

The perspective view which shows one Embodiment of the digital stereo camera of this invention. The perspective view which shows one Embodiment of the digital stereo camera of this invention. Illustration of parallax of stereo camera. Illustration of the stereo image forming action of a stereo camera. (a) (b) (c) (d) is an explanatory diagram of the matching adjustment function of the digital stereo camera of the present invention. Explanatory drawing for demonstrating the screen loss elimination means in a stereo camera. (a) (b) (c) is an explanatory diagram of the matching adjustment range by the stereo camera of FIG. (a) (b) is an explanatory diagram of a stereo viewfinder image displaying a vertical line collimation pattern. Action explanatory diagram of matching adjustment in digital stereo camera. Illustration of the stereo image forming action of a stereo camera. Illustration of the stereo image forming action of a stereo camera.

Explanation of symbols

1 Digital stereo camera
2 Imaging unit
3 Stereo viewfinder
6 Shooting lens
7 CCD image sensor
10 Eyepiece
P _L Distance between the optical axes of the left and right photographic lenses
P _S Center distance between left and right image sensors
The distance between the centers of the left and right image projected onto P _I imaging element
D display
I _W stereo window
I _S stereoscopic image
P _D Center distance between left and right displays
P _D ´ Distance between the centers of the left and right displays that are shielded and reduced in area
P _I ´ Center distance of images on the left and right displays
W _P Actual screen display width
W _O Full width of original image data
W _D Display width
W _E Selected image width
Full width of W _S image sensor
P _E Distance between the centers of the selected range when the selected range of the original image is moved closer to the inner edges of the left and right image sensors
P _WP Distance between the centers of the actual display width of the left and right displays
P collimation pattern
L Shooting distance
f Focal length of photographic lens Δf Amount of focus adjustment lens movement in the optical axis direction

Claims (4)

A pair of left and right imaging optical systems, one or two imaging elements that individually receive a pair of images through the pair of imaging optical systems, and a pair of images projected on the imaging elements individually in an upright state A digital stereo camera or digital stereo video camera having a pair of left and right electronic displays to be displayed and a stereo viewfinder having an eyepiece, and when the captured images are displayed on the pair of left and right electronic displays, The aspect ratio of the image display area of the electronic display is narrow with respect to the aspect ratio of the image, and means for displaying a masked part of the captured image and the collimation pattern of the same shape and position on the left and right electronic displays are imaged. And images on the pair of left and right electronic displays are horizontally scrolled symmetrically in the left and right image display areas. And manual scroll means for varying the spacing of the same object image, optionally in a state equal to the display image is horizontally scrolling and external outputs image data of the right and left not including the collimation pattern display signal as a set of stereo image data A digital stereo camera or a digital stereo video camera.   A pair of left and right imaging optical systems, one or two imaging elements that individually receive a pair of images through the pair of imaging optical systems, and a pair of images projected on the imaging elements individually in an upright state A digital stereo camera or a digital stereo video camera provided with a pair of left and right electronic displays and an eyepiece for displaying the captured image on the pair of left and right electronic displays with respect to the aspect ratio of the captured image Means for narrowing the aspect ratio of the image display area and masking and displaying a part of the photographed image, and means for displaying the collimation pattern of the same shape and position on the left and right electronic displays superimposed on the image, Manually changing the interval of the same subject image in the left and right image display areas by horizontally scrolling the images on the pair of left and right electronic displays horizontally Crawling means and a digital stereo camera or a digital stereo video camera and means for externally outputting the scroll data indicating scrolling state in which optionally the projected original image data to the pair of left and right image pickup element is horizontally scrolled.   Claims provided with display control means for sensing the start of operation of an operation switch or an operation key of the manual scroll means and displaying the collimation pattern, and stopping display of the collimation pattern after releasing the switch operation or after a predetermined time. Item 3. The digital stereo camera or digital stereo video camera according to Item 1 or 2.   3. The digital stereo camera or digital stereo video camera according to claim 1, wherein a data communication interface connected to a mobile phone, a mobile phone module, or a telephone modem is built in, and data can be transmitted and received through a telephone line.

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