JP5532561B2 - Imaging device, image reproduction device, image conversion device, and image reproduction program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to moving image generation, reproduction display, and conversion.

  Conventionally, in playback of moving images recorded at a predetermined frame rate, normal playback or slow playback is performed by skipping frames during normal playback and playback without skipping frames during slow playback. There is known an image processing apparatus that reproduces a smooth moving image even if it exists (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2004-129217 A

  A moving image to be reproduced in the conventional image processing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 is recorded at a relatively high frame rate so that it can be smoothly reproduced even during slow reproduction. When the movement of the subject is large, it is necessary to record the moving image at such a high frame rate in order to ensure the quality of the moving image. However, when the movement of the subject is small, it is not always necessary to record a moving image at a high frame rate. Therefore, it is preferable to reduce the frame rate in order to reduce the information amount of the moving image. As described above, conventionally, the frame rate of the moving image cannot be optimized according to the movement of the subject.

An imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes an imaging unit that reads a plurality of image signals obtained by imaging a subject at a first frame rate, a detection unit that detects a movement of the subject based on the image signals read at the first frame rate , Based on the setting means for setting the second frame rate that is higher as the movement of the subject detected by the detection means is larger among the plurality of frame rate values equal to or lower than the first frame rate, and the image signal output from the imaging means. , the photographing instruction from the user is performed, and a generation means starts generating the moving image in the second frame rate set by the setting means immediately prior to its shooting instruction, generating means, shooting from a user The second frame in which the frame rate of the moving image is changed when the setting of the second frame rate is changed by the setting means after the instruction is made And wherein the changing the way in over and.
An image conversion apparatus according to the present invention includes a reading unit that reads a moving image recorded at a first frame rate, a detecting unit that detects a motion of a subject in the moving image read by the reading unit, and a plurality of frames equal to or lower than the first frame rate. The setting means for setting a higher second frame rate as the movement of the subject detected by the detection means increases, and the frame rate of the moving image is converted based on the second frame rate set by the setting means. Converting means for changing the second frame rate of the moving image in response to a change in the setting of the second frame rate by the setting means .
An image reproduction apparatus according to the present invention includes a reading unit that reads a moving image whose second frame rate has been converted by a captured image conversion device, and a reproduction display unit that reproduces and displays the moving image read by the reading unit.
An image reproduction program according to the present invention is executed in an image reproduction apparatus having a control unit and a display unit, and reads a moving image whose frame rate has been converted by the image conversion device, and displays the moving image read in the reading step. The control unit is caused to execute a reproduction display step for reproduction display on the unit.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to optimize the frame rate of a moving image according to the movement of a subject.

-First embodiment-
A digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a digital camera according to this embodiment. The digital camera 1 includes a photographing lens 10, an input device 13, a focus adjustment device 14, an image sensor 15, a control circuit 16, a DRAM 17, a flash memory 18, an LCD drive circuit 19, a liquid crystal monitor 20, and a memory card interface (I / F) 21. Is provided.

  The imaging element 15 is configured by a CCD or CMOS image sensor including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to pixels. The imaging element 15 captures a subject image formed on the imaging surface and outputs a photoelectric conversion signal (image signal) corresponding to the brightness of the subject image. R (red), G (green), and B (blue) color filters are provided on the imaging surface of the imaging element 15 so as to correspond to the pixel positions, respectively. Since the image pickup device 15 picks up a subject image through the color filter, the image signal output from each image pickup device has RGB color system color information.

  The image signal output from the image sensor 15 is input to the control circuit 16. The control circuit 16 performs various image processing on the image signal to generate still image data or moving image data. Then, the control circuit 16 performs compression processing on the generated image data by a predetermined method such as JPEG (in the case of a still image), Motion JPEG (in the case of a moving image), and the like via the memory card interface 21. Recording is performed on the recording medium 22. Accordingly, a still image or a moving image obtained by photographing the subject with the digital camera 1 is recorded on the recording medium 22. The control circuit 16 is composed of, for example, a RISC and controls each circuit shown in FIG.

  The focus adjustment device 14 performs a known focus evaluation value calculation based on the imaging signal output from the imaging element 15, and outputs the calculation result to the control circuit 16. Based on the calculation result, the control circuit 16 moves the photographing lens 10 to a position where the focus evaluation value is maximized.

  The DRAM 17 is used to temporarily store data during or after image processing, image compression processing, and display image data creation processing. The display image data is generated by the control circuit 16 based on the image data generated by the control circuit 16 based on the output from the image sensor 15 or the image data recorded on the recording medium 22. The generated display image data is stored in the DRAM 17 by the control circuit 16. The flash memory 18 is a non-volatile memory in which various processing programs for the control circuit 16 to perform operations are stored, for example.

  The LCD drive circuit 19 drives the liquid crystal monitor 20 based on a command from the control circuit 16 and causes the liquid crystal monitor 20 to display various images. When the control circuit 16 controls the LCD drive circuit 19, the liquid crystal monitor 20 reproduces and displays a captured image recorded on the recording medium 22, or displays various setting menu screens of the digital camera 1, for example.

  The input device 13 is a plurality of buttons used when the user operates the digital camera 1. The input device 13 includes various operation buttons described later in addition to the power button and the release button.

  Next, a process for recording a moving image in the digital camera 1 will be described. When the digital camera 1 records a moving image, the control circuit 16 executes the flowchart shown in FIG.

  In step S <b> 100, the control circuit 16 measures the luminance of the subject based on the image signal output from the image sensor 15. Then, based on the measured luminance of the subject, an ISO sensitivity optimum for photographing is selected. In accordance with the ISO sensitivity thus selected, the control circuit 16 performs charge accumulation control on the image sensor 15.

  In step S110, the control circuit 16 detects the movement of the subject. For example, an image difference between frames is obtained based on an image signal output from the image sensor 15, and the movement of the subject is detected from the difference. At this time, the part with the largest movement in the image may be determined as the subject, and the other part may be determined as the background. Alternatively, the movement of the subject may be detected by other methods. For example, it is possible to detect a part showing the feature of a person's face or a part matching a predetermined target feature by pattern matching and track the movement of that part.

  In step S120, the control circuit 16 sets an optimal frame rate based on the detection result of the subject movement by the process in step S110. Here, the frame rate is set by selecting any one of a plurality of predetermined frame rate values. For example, one of the frame rate values of 60 fps (frames per second), 30 fps, 15 fps, 5 fps, or 1 fps is selected according to the movement of the subject. At this time, the frame rate value is selected such that the greater the movement of the subject, the higher the frame rate.

  Note that each of the frame rate values exemplified above is a divisor of the upper frame rate value. The upper frame rate value here is a frame rate value higher than that when any one of the frame rate values is noted. That is, in the above example, 60 fps is an upper frame rate value for a frame rate value of 30 fps, and 60 fps and 30 fps are upper frame rate values for a frame rate value of 15 fps. For frame rates of 5 fps, 60 fps, 30 fps and 15 fps are upper frame rate values, and for 1 fps frame rates, 60 fps, 30 fps, 15 fps and 5 fps are upper frame rate values. is there. Since 60 fps is the highest frame rate value, there is no higher frame rate value.

  If a moving image has not yet been shot before the user gives a shooting instruction, the frame rate is set in step S120, and the moving image is shot in step S140, which will be described later. The frame rate at which to start is determined. In addition, if a moving image is being shot after a shooting instruction has been given from the user, the frame rate setting is changed in the middle of the moving image by setting the frame rate in step S120. Is done.

  In step S130, the control circuit 16 determines whether a moving image is being captured. When the user inputs a shooting instruction by performing a predetermined operation using the input device 13, the digital camera 1 starts shooting a moving image. If a moving image is being captured, the control circuit 16 proceeds to step S140. On the other hand, when the moving image is not being photographed, the control circuit 16 proceeds to step S150 without executing step S140.

  In step S140, the control unit 16 captures a moving image. At this time, based on the image signal output from the image sensor 15, the control circuit 16 generates a moving image having the frame rate set in step S120 executed immediately before. That is, generation of a moving image is started at the frame rate immediately after a shooting instruction is given from the user. Further, when the setting of the frame rate is changed by the process of step S120 after the user gives a shooting instruction, the frame rate of the moving image is changed in the middle accordingly. Note that when generating a moving image in step S140, the image signal output from the image sensor 15 is thinned out as necessary according to the frame rate. That is, the output rate of the image signal from the image sensor 15 is equal to or higher than the maximum value of the frame rate of the moving image that can be set in the digital camera 1. Or you may change the output rate of the image signal from the image pick-up element 15 according to the frame rate of a moving image. If step S140 is performed, it will progress to step S150.

  In step S150, the control circuit 16 determines whether or not to finish moving image shooting. The control circuit when the user inputs a predetermined shooting stop operation to the digital camera 1 using the input device 13, when the recording capacity of the recording medium 22 is low, or when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of shooting. In step S160, it is determined that shooting of the moving image is to be ended, and the process proceeds to step S160. On the other hand, when the shooting end condition is not satisfied, the control circuit 16 determines that the shooting of the moving image is not ended, returns to step S110, and repeats the processes of steps S110 to S140. Thus, the movement of the subject is detected by the process of step S110 before the start of shooting or in the middle of the moving image, and the frame rate setting can be changed by the process of step S120 according to the detection result.

  In step S160, the control circuit 16 creates a moving image file for recording based on the moving image generated by the process of step S140 executed so far. At this time, the control circuit 16 adds frame rate information representing the frame rate to the moving image generated in step S140. The frame rate information is added to the header file of the moving image and represents the frame rate at which the image of each frame is recorded for each frame. Alternatively, frame rate information may be added to each frame image of the moving image. In this case, frame rate information can be added as part of the meta information of the image. The moving image file created in step S160 is recorded on the recording medium 22.

  Note that the information of the moving image generated during shooting used when creating the moving image file in step S160 is temporarily stored in the DRAM 17 or the recording medium 22. This moving image is recorded at the frame rate set in step S120 as described above. Therefore, when the movement of the subject changes during shooting of the moving image, the frame rate is changed in the middle of the moving image in accordance with the change.

  If step S160 is performed, the control circuit 16 will complete | finish the flowchart of FIG. The moving image recording process is executed as described above.

  Next, a process for reproducing a moving image recorded in the digital camera 1 will be described. When the digital camera 1 reproduces a moving image, the control circuit 16 executes the flowchart shown in FIG.

  In step S200, the control circuit 16 reads the moving image file recorded by the moving image recording process of FIG. At this time, the user may be allowed to specify a moving image file to be read from moving image files recorded on the recording medium 22.

  In step S210, the control circuit 16 determines a reproduction frame rate for reproducing the moving image, based on the frame rate information added to the moving image file read in step S200. Specifically, the maximum frame rate represented by the frame rate information is set as the playback frame rate. For example, when a moving image file is recorded at frame rate values of 60 fps, 30 fps, 15 fps, and 5 fps, 60 fps is set as the playback frame rate.

  In step S220, the control circuit 16 duplicates the image of each frame of the moving image file read in step S200 according to the reproduction frame rate based on the reproduction frame rate determined in step S210. That is, for a portion recorded at a frame rate lower than the playback frame rate, the image of each frame in that portion is duplicated as much as the playback frame rate is insufficient. As a result, an image is interpolated for a portion having a low frame rate so that it can be reproduced and displayed at the reproduction frame rate.

  The manner in which the image of each frame is duplicated in accordance with the playback frame rate in step S220 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 4, the configuration of the read moving image file is shown on the left side, and the configuration of the moving image file after image duplication is shown on the right side. Here, a case where the read moving image file is divided into parts a to z and the frame rate of each part is 60 fps, 30 fps, 15 fps, or 5 fps will be described as an example.

  Since the maximum frame rate represented by the frame rate information in the moving image file shown in FIG. 4 is 60 fps, this 60 fps is set as the playback frame rate. Thereafter, the reproduction frame rate is divided by the frame rate of each part to obtain the number of duplicated images for each part, and the image is duplicated according to the number.

  For example, since the frame rate of the part a is 5 fps, the number of copied images for the part a is obtained as 60/5 = 12. Based on the calculation result, 11 images of each frame included in the portion a are duplicated so that the original image is combined with 12 images. On the other hand, since the frame rate of the portion b is 60 fps which is the same as the playback frame rate, the image is not duplicated.

  Also, since the frame rate of the x portion is 30 fps, the number of images after duplication for the x portion is obtained as 60/30 = 2. Based on the calculation result, the image of each frame included in the portion x is duplicated one by one so that there are two images together with the original image. Further, since the frame rate of the y portion is 15 fps, the number of images after duplication for the y portion is obtained as 60/15 = 4. Based on this calculation result, three images of each frame included in the portion y are duplicated so that there are four images together with the original image. Since the z portion has the same frame rate as the portion a, 5 fps, the image is duplicated in the same manner as the portion a.

  For each part other than those described above, the image is duplicated in accordance with the reproduction frame rate by the same method. By duplicating the image in this way, an image of a portion having a low frame rate is interpolated in the read moving image file. Note that when the frame rate of the moving image file does not change in the middle and is constant, it is not necessary to perform the process of step S220.

  By the way, when the frame rate of the moving image is set in step S120 described above, each of the selectable frame rate values is a divisor of the higher frame rate value. In this way, regardless of which frame rate value is set as the playback frame rate, a value obtained by dividing the playback frame rate by the frame rate of each part of the moving image can always be an integer value. Therefore, an image can be duplicated and interpolated according to the reproduction frame rate.

  Alternatively, a moving image file configuration as shown in FIG. 5 may be used. In this moving image file, the number of copies of the image of each part is recorded in the header file. Therefore, the number of copies of the image of each part can be obtained without dividing the reproduction frame rate by the frame rate of each part as described above.

  In step S230, the control circuit 16 sequentially reproduces and displays the image of each frame on the liquid crystal monitor 20 at the reproduction frame rate determined in step S210 based on the moving image file after the image of each frame is duplicated in step S220. . As a result, when the frame rate changes in the middle of the moving image in the moving image file read in step S200, the moving image is reproduced and displayed at the maximum frame rate.

  In step S240, the control circuit 16 determines whether or not to end the reproduction of the moving image. When the user inputs a predetermined playback end operation to the digital camera 1 using the input device 13 or when the playback of all the frames included in the moving image file is completed, the control circuit 16 selects the moving image. It is determined that the reproduction is finished, and the flowchart of FIG. 3 is finished. On the other hand, when the reproduction end condition is not satisfied, the control circuit 16 determines that the moving image shooting is not ended, returns to step S230, and repeats the process of step S230 described above. As described above, the moving image reproduction process is executed.

According to the first embodiment described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.
(1) The digital camera 1 captures an image of an object with the image sensor 15 and outputs an image signal. Further, the movement of the subject is detected by the processing of the control circuit 16 (step S110), and the frame rate is set based on the detected movement of the subject (step S120). And based on the image signal output from the image pick-up element 15, the moving image of the frame rate set by step S120 is produced | generated (step S140). Since it did in this way, the frame rate of a moving image can be optimized according to a motion of a subject.

(2) When a shooting instruction is given from the user using the input device 13, in step S140, the control circuit 16 starts generating a moving image at the frame rate set in step S120 immediately before that. Since it did in this way, the production | generation of a moving image can be started with an optimal frame rate.

(3) If the setting of the frame rate is changed in step S120 due to a change in the movement of the subject after the shooting instruction is issued from the user, the control circuit 16 in step S140 determines the frame rate of the moving image. Is changed on the way. Since this is done, the frame rate of the moving image can be optimized even when the movement of the subject changes during shooting of the moving image.

(4) When setting the frame rate in step S120, the control circuit 16 selects any one of a plurality of predetermined frame rate values such as 60 fps, 30 fps, 15 fps, 5 fps, and 1 fps. Each of the plurality of frame rate values selected here is a divisor of the higher frame rate value. Thus, when a moving image is reproduced and displayed, the image can be duplicated and interpolated in accordance with the determined reproduction frame rate.

(5) When shooting of the moving image is completed, the digital camera 1 creates a moving image file by the processing of the control circuit 16 (step S160). At this time, frame rate information is added to the header file of the moving image generated in step S140 or the image of each frame of the moving image generated in step S140. Since this is done, the playback frame rate can be determined when a moving image is played back and displayed.

(6) The digital camera 1 reads the moving image generated by the moving image generation process from the recording medium 22 by the process of the control circuit 16 (step S200), and reproduces and displays the read moving image (step S230). Since it did in this way, the moving image produced | generated in the digital camera 1 can be reproduced | regenerated and displayed.

(7) When the frame rate is changing in the middle of the moving image, the control circuit 16 reproduces and displays the moving image at the maximum frame rate in the moving image in step S230. Since it did in this way, the moving image from which a frame rate changes in the middle can be reproduced and displayed, without impairing the image quality.

-Second Embodiment-
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which a moving image recorded in the digital camera 1 is reproduced on a device other than the digital camera 1. FIG. 2 shows a configuration of the present embodiment, which includes a digital camera 1 and a computer 3. The circuit configuration of the digital camera 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG.

  The computer 3 includes an operation unit 31, a control unit 32, a display unit 33, a recording unit 34, and a memory card interface 35. The operation unit 31 is a part for detecting a user operation, and is configured by, for example, a keyboard or a mouse. The control unit 32 includes a CPU, a memory, and the like, and executes various processes. The display unit 33 is a part for displaying various images under the control of the control unit 32, and is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display. The recording unit 34 is a part for recording various programs and data, and is configured by, for example, a hard disk or a flash memory.

  Similar to the memory card interface 21 of the digital camera 1, the memory card interface 35 performs interface processing of data transmitted and received between the control unit 32 and the recording medium 22. The recording medium 22 removed from the digital camera 1 is attached to the memory card interface 35.

  Next, a process executed when the digital camera 1 records a moving image in the present embodiment will be described. When the digital camera 1 records a moving image, the control circuit 16 executes the flowchart shown in FIG. In the flowchart of FIG. 7, the same steps as those in the flowchart of the first embodiment shown in FIG. A description of the same processing is omitted.

  In step S171, the control circuit 16 creates a decompression program for the moving image file created in step S160. This decompression program is a program that instructs the computer 3 that has read the moving image file to make the frame rate of the moving image constant. That is, a program is generated for causing the computer 3 to set a playback frame rate as described in the first embodiment and to perform a process of copying an image in accordance with the playback frame rate.

  In step S181, the control circuit 16 adds the decompression program created in step S171 to the moving image file created in step S160. Thereby, a moving image file having a configuration as shown in FIG. 8 is created. This moving image file is recorded on the recording medium 22. If step S181 is performed, the control circuit 16 will complete | finish the flowchart of FIG. The moving image recording process is executed as described above.

  In the present embodiment, since the decompression program is added to the moving image file as described above, it is possible to reproduce the moving image at a desired frame rate without the frame rate information. Therefore, it is not necessary to add frame rate information when creating a moving image file in step S160.

  Next, when the recording medium 22 on which the moving image generated as described above is recorded is inserted into the memory card interface 35 of the computer 3, processing when the computer 3 reproduces the moving image will be described. . The computer 3 executes the flowchart shown in FIG. 9 in the control unit 32 when reproducing a moving image.

  In step S300, the control unit 32 reads from the recording medium 22 a moving image file generated by the digital camera 1 executing the moving image generation process of FIG. At this time, the user may be allowed to specify a moving image file to be read from moving image files recorded on the recording medium 22.

  In step S310, the control unit 32 executes the decompression program added to the moving image file read in step S300. By executing this decompression program, processing similar to steps S210 and S220 in FIG. As a result, the maximum frame rate among the frame rates in the moving image file is set as the reproduction frame rate, and the duplicated image is interpolated for a portion having a lower frame rate.

  In step S320, similarly to step S230 of FIG. 3, the control unit 32 reproduces the image of each frame based on the moving image file after interpolating the image of each frame by executing the decompression program in step S310. The images are sequentially reproduced and displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 20 at the frame rate. In the next step S330, the control unit 32 determines whether or not to end the reproduction of the moving image, similarly to step S240 in FIG. If the reproduction end condition as described above is satisfied, the flowchart of FIG. 9 is ended. If not satisfied, the process returns to step S320. As described above, the moving image reproduction process is executed.

According to the second embodiment described above, the following functions and effects can be obtained in addition to the functions and effects of the first embodiment.
(1) The digital camera 1 adds the decompression program to the moving image by the processing of the control circuit 16 (step S181). This decompression program instructs the computer 3 that has read the moving image to make the frame rate of the moving image constant. Since it did in this way, even if a special program is not installed in the computer 3 in advance, the moving image generated by the digital camera 1 can be reproduced and displayed on the computer 3.

-Third embodiment-
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which the computer 3 in FIG. 6 converts a normal moving image recorded at a constant frame rate into a moving image having a frame rate corresponding to the movement of the subject.

  In the present embodiment, processing executed in the computer 3 when the recording medium 22 on which a normal moving image is recorded is loaded in the memory card interface 35 of the computer 3 will be described. When the computer 3 converts the moving image, the control unit 32 executes the flowchart shown in FIG. In the flowchart of FIG. 10, the same steps as those in the flowchart of the second embodiment shown in FIG. A description of the same processing is omitted.

  In step S301, the control unit 32 detects the movement of the subject in the moving image file read in step S300. For example, an image difference between frames is obtained, and the movement of the subject is detected from the difference. At this time, similarly to step S110 in FIG. 2, the portion with the largest movement in the image may be determined as the subject, and the other portion may be determined as the background.

  In step S302, the control unit 32 sets an optimum frame rate, similar to step S120 in FIG. 2, on the basis of the detection result of the subject movement by the process in step S301. That is, the frame rate is set by selecting any one of a plurality of predetermined frame rate values. When the movement of the subject changes, the frame rate setting is changed in the middle of the moving image.

  In step S303, the control unit 32 determines whether or not the frame rate set in step S302 matches the original frame rate. If they match, the process proceeds to step S305, and if they do not match, the process proceeds to step S304.

  In step S304, the control unit 32 converts the frame rate of the moving image file read in step S300 to the frame rate set in step S302. Here, the frame rate is converted only for a part of the moving image file, not for the whole. Specifically, the frame rate is converted for the frame in which the movement of the subject is detected in step S302.

  Note that when the frame rate is converted in step S304, the image is interpolated or deleted according to the difference from the original frame rate. That is, when a frame rate higher than the original frame rate is set, the control unit 32 duplicates either the previous or next image, or generates a new image based on the previous or next image, Interpolate missing images. On the other hand, when a frame rate lower than the original frame rate is set, the control unit 32 deletes unnecessary images. In this way, the number of images corresponding to the converted frame rate is set for the moving image file.

  In step S305, the control unit 32 determines whether or not the frame rate setting by the processing in step S302 has been completed for all frames of the moving image file read in step S300. If it has not been completed, the process returns to step S302, and the above-described processing is repeated. If the frame rate has been set for all frames, the process proceeds to step S306.

  In step S306, the control unit 32 creates a decompression program for the moving image file after the frame rate conversion. Here, a decompression program similar to step S171 in FIG. 7 is created. In the next step S307, the control unit 32 adds the decompression program created in step S306 to the moving image file after the frame rate conversion. When step S306 is executed, the control circuit 16 ends the flowchart of FIG. As described above, the moving image conversion process is executed.

  The moving image whose frame rate has been converted by the moving image conversion process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 10 is reproduced and displayed by the computer 3 executing the flowchart of FIG. That is, the moving image file after frame rate conversion is read in step S300, the decompression program is executed in step S310 to interpolate the image of each frame, and the moving image file is reproduced and displayed in step S320. Alternatively, the flowchart of FIG. 9 may be executed on another computer to reproduce and display a moving image.

According to the third embodiment described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.
(1) The computer 3 reads the moving image from the recording medium 22 by the processing of the control unit 32 (step S300), and detects the movement of the subject in the read moving image (step S301). Then, the frame rate is set based on the detected movement of the subject (step S302), and the frame rate of the moving image is converted based on the set frame rate (step S304). Since it did in this way, with respect to a moving image with a constant frame rate, a frame rate can be optimized according to the motion of the subject of the moving image.

(2) When the frame rate setting is changed in step S302 due to a change in the movement of the subject, the control unit 32 changes the frame rate of the moving image halfway according to the change in the frame rate setting. . Since it did in this way, even when a subject's motion changes, the frame rate of a moving image can be optimized.

  It should be noted that a program for causing the control unit 32 of the computer 3 to execute the moving image reproduction process as described in the flowcharts of FIGS. 3 and 9 and a moving image conversion process as described in the flowchart of FIG. A program to be executed may be supplied to the computer 3. These programs may be supplied in a state of being recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, or a memory card, or may be supplied by a signal wave superimposed on a carrier wave transmitted and received over a network. Good.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments as long as the characteristics of the present invention are not impaired, and other forms conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention are also within the scope of the present invention. included.

  Note that the above description of the correspondence relationship is merely an example, and is not constrained when interpreting rights.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the digital camera by 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart of the process performed when the digital camera by 1st Embodiment records a moving image. It is a flowchart of the process performed when the digital camera by 1st Embodiment reproduces | regenerates a moving image. It is a figure for demonstrating a mode that the image of each frame is replicated according to a reproduction | regeneration frame rate. It is a figure which shows another structure of the moving image file which the digital camera by 1st Embodiment produces | generates. It is a figure which shows the structure of 2nd and 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart of the process performed when the digital camera by 2nd Embodiment records a moving image. It is a figure which shows the structure of the moving image file which the digital camera by 2nd Embodiment produces | generates. It is a flowchart of the process performed when the computer by 2nd Embodiment reproduces | regenerates a moving image. It is a flowchart of the process performed when the computer by 3rd Embodiment converts a moving image.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Digital camera 3 Computer 15 Image pick-up element 16 Control circuit 20 Liquid crystal monitor 22 Recording medium 32 Control part 33 Display part

Claims (11)

Imaging means for reading out a plurality of image signals obtained by imaging a subject at a first frame rate;
Detecting means for detecting movement of the subject based on an image signal read at the first frame rate ;
Setting means for setting a second frame rate that is higher as the movement of the subject detected by the detection means is larger among a plurality of frame rate values equal to or lower than the first frame rate;
Based on the image signal output from the imaging means, the imaging instruction from the user is performed, starts generating the video image in the second frame rate set by said setting means immediately prior to its imaging instruction Generating means ,
The generation unit may change the frame rate of the moving image to the changed second frame rate when the setting unit changes the setting of the second frame rate after a shooting instruction is given from a user. An imaging device characterized by being changed by the above. The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
The generating unit changes the frame rate of the moving image to a lower frame rate when the setting of the second frame rate is changed by the setting unit after a shooting instruction is given from a user. An imaging device. The imaging device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
Each of the plurality of frame rate values is a divisor of the frame rate value of the first frame rate. In the imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
An image pickup apparatus, further comprising: frame rate information adding means for adding information on the second frame rate of the moving image to a header file of the moving image or an image of each frame of the moving image. In the imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
The image processing apparatus further comprises decompression program adding means for adding to the moving image a decompression program for instructing the information processing apparatus that has read the moving image to make the second frame rate of the moving image constant. An imaging device. Reading means for reading a moving image generated by the imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
An image reproduction apparatus comprising: a reproduction display unit that reproduces and displays the moving image read by the reading unit. The image reproduction apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
When the second frame rate is changing in the middle of the moving image, the reproduction display means reproduces and displays the moving image at the maximum frame rate value of the second frame rate in the moving image. An image reproducing apparatus characterized by the above. An image reproduction program executed in an image reproduction apparatus having a control unit and a display unit,
A reading step of reading a moving image generated by the imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ;
An image reproduction program that causes the control unit to execute a reproduction display step of reproducing and displaying the moving image read in the reading step on the display unit. Reading means for reading a moving image recorded at the first frame rate;
Detecting means for detecting movement of a subject in the moving image read by the reading means;
Setting means for setting a second frame rate that is higher as the movement of the subject detected by the detecting means is larger from a plurality of values equal to or lower than the first frame rate;
Conversion means for converting the frame rate of the moving image based on the second frame rate set by the setting means ,
The image conversion apparatus characterized in that the conversion means changes the second frame rate of the moving image halfway in response to a change in the setting of the second frame rate by the setting means . Reading means for reading a moving image whose second frame rate has been converted by the image conversion device according to claim 9 ;
An image reproduction apparatus comprising: a reproduction display unit that reproduces and displays the moving image read by the reading unit. An image reproduction program executed in an image reproduction apparatus having a control unit and a display unit,
A reading step of reading a moving image whose frame rate has been converted by the image conversion device according to claim 9 ;
An image reproduction program that causes the control unit to execute a reproduction display step of reproducing and displaying the moving image read in the reading step on the display unit.

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