JPH01177282A - Multiple exposing device for electronic still camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To have a multiple exposing function by multiplying the coefficient of 1/number of the times of multiple exposure to respective pieces of picture information from a solid-state image pick-up element by a multiplying means at the time of the image pick-up, adding successively the multiplying result by an adding means and storing the adding result into a memory. CONSTITUTION:A multiple exposing circuit N is set by up-down switches 21 and 22 as a multiple exposure frequency setting means and a coefficient (1/N) in accordance with the multiple exposing circuit N is set to an analog multiplier 4. When pictures A1-AN are multiple-exposed, a first picture A1/N by the multiplier 4 enters a memory 7 first, when a next picture A2/N comes, added with the A1/N in a memory 7 by an adder 6, (A1+A2)/N enters the memory 7, and next, when a picture A3/N comes, added with (A1+A2)/N in the memory 7 and (A1+A2+A3)/N enters the memory 7. Successively, the picture is added into the memory 1 and finally, (A1+A2+...+AN)/N and an N number of pictures are added by the same weight (1/N). Thus, a stroboscope action multiple exposure function can be held.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a multiple exposure device for an electronic still camera for recording still images.

<Prior Art> In recent years, electronic still cameras have been commercialized that use solid-state image sensors such as CCDs and process image information from the solid-state image sensors and record them on magnetic disks (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 1983-1999).
(See Publication No. 194677, etc.).

Furthermore, on a magnetic disk called a still video floppy, in the case of field recording, one still image is recorded every track, and in the case of frame recording, one still image is recorded every two tracks, and a total of 25 to 50 still images are recorded. It is possible.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> By the way, since electronic still cameras handle image information as electrical signals within the camera, it is possible to provide various functions to the camera itself by appropriately processing this signal. It is possible.

It is an object of the present invention to utilize the advantages of such an electronic still camera to provide a multiple exposure function such as strobe action photography.

<Means for Solving the Problems> For this reason, the present invention provides a multiple exposure number setting means for setting the number of multiple exposures, and a multiplication means for multiplying each image information from a solid-state image sensor by a coefficient equal to 1 of the number of multiple exposures. A multiple exposure apparatus for an electronic still camera is provided, which includes: an addition means for sequentially adding the multiplication results; a memory for storing the addition results; and a recording means for transferring and writing the final addition results in the memory to a magnetic disk. It is composed of

<Operation> In the above configuration, the number of multiple exposures N is set by the multiple exposure number setting means, and when capturing an image, the number of multiple exposures N is set by the multiplication means for each image information from the solid-state image sensor.
The multiplication results are sequentially added by the adding means, and the addition results are stored in the memory. and,
When the multiple exposure times are completed, the recording means transfers and writes the addition results in the memory onto the magnetic disk. This allows multiple exposure.

<Example> The present invention will be explained in detail below.

FIG. 1 shows a system diagram of an electronic still camera according to a first embodiment.

In Fig. 1, 1 is an optical lens that forms an optical image of a subject, and 2 is a solid-state image sensor that photoelectrically converts the optical image formed on the light receiving surface by the optical lens 1 and outputs analog image information. CCD 3 is a process circuit that performs processing such as color separation based on image information from CCD 2.

The analog image information from the process circuit 3 is input to an analog multiplier 4 as a multiplication means and is multiplied by 1/N. This N is the number of multiple exposures, and the O of the multiple exposure switch 20 is
At N time, it is set by up/down switches 21 and 22 as multiple exposure number setting means, and is set in the analog multiplier 4 by the CPU 30.

The 1/N analog image information from the analog multiplier 4 is converted into digital image information by the A/D converter 5, and then input to an adder 6 as addition means.

The adder 6 adds a new 1/N to the memory contents in the memory 7 at the subsequent stage.
digital image information is added, the addition result is transferred to the memory 7, and the stored contents in the memory 7 are rewritten.

The final addition result in the memory 7 is input to a D/A converter 8 and converted into analog image information, then modulated by an FM modulation circuit 9 and sent to a recording circuit 10 as a recording means. The recording circuit 10 is connected to a recording head 11, and a magnetic disk (still video floppy) 13 is rotated by a motor 12 via the recording head 11.
Image information is recorded in analog form on the track.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a routine for imaging and recording.

First, step 1 (marked as Sl in the figure. The same applies below)
Initialize the number of multiple exposures N to 1 and set the counter C to 0. In the next step 2, determine whether the multiple exposure switch 20 is ON or OFF. If it is ON, proceed to step 3 and execute the N setting subroutine. let

In the N setting subroutine, the number of multiple exposures N is displayed on the operation panel (not shown), and the up/down switch 2 is pressed.
1. Monitor the operation in step 22 and change the number of multiple exposures N according to up and down. When the number of multiple exposures N is set in this manner, a coefficient (1/N) corresponding to the set number of multiple exposures N is set in the analog multiplier 4.

Next, in step 4, the operation of the release button (not shown) is monitored to determine whether or not the sequence is to start.
When the sequence starts, the process proceeds to step 5 and subsequent steps.

In step 5, exposure is performed. That is, analog image information from the CCD 2 is taken in and processed by the process circuit 3,
The analog image information from the process circuit 3 is multiplied by 1/N by an analog multiplier 4, and the multiplication result is converted into digital image information by an A/D converter 5. Then, the adder 6 adds new digital image information to the storage contents of the subsequent memory 7 (initially in a non-memory state), transfers the addition result to the memory 7, and rewrites the storage contents of the memory 7.

Next, in step 6, the value of counter C is incremented by 1, and in step 7, the value of counter C is compared with the set value N of the number of multiple exposures, and if C=N, the process returns to step 5 and the exposure is repeated.

Therefore, for example, when performing multiple exposure of images At, Az, ..., AH, the first image A1/N by the multiplier 4
first enters memory 7, and when the next image A2/N comes,
Adder 6 adds A and /N in memory 7,
(A I + A Z )/N enters memory 7.

Next time image A3/N comes, (A3/N in memory 7)
++Az)/N is added to (A, +Az+A,)/
N enters memory 7.

In this way, images are added one after another in the memory 7,
Finally, (A,+A2+...+A,l)/N and N images are added with the same weight (1/N), making multiple exposure possible.

If C=N as determined in step 7, the process proceeds to step 8 and recording is performed. That is, the stored contents of the memory 7 are transferred to the D/A converter 8 and converted into analog image information, then modulated by the FM modulation circuit 9, and recorded by the recording circuit 10 via the recording head 11 on the tracks of the magnetic disk 13 ( Recording is performed on one track in the case of field recording and two tracks in the case of frame recording. After recording, the recording head 11 is sent to the next track.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment.

In this embodiment, the analog image information from the process circuit 3 is converted into digital image information by the A/D converter 14, and then multiplied by 1/N by the digital multiplier 15. You can.

<Effects of the Invention> As explained above, according to the present invention, by taking advantage of the advantages of electronic still cameras, it is possible to provide multiple exposure functions such as strobe action photography, thereby further enhancing the usefulness of electronic still cameras. The effect is that it can be enhanced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of an electronic still camera showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a control flowchart, and FIG. 3 is a system diagram of an electronic still camera showing another embodiment.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an electronic still camera that processes image information from a solid-state image sensor and records it on a magnetic disk, there is a multiple exposure number setting means for setting the number of multiple exposures; It is characterized by having a multiplication means for multiplying coefficients, an addition means for sequentially adding the multiplication results, a memory for storing the addition results, and a recording means for transferring and writing the final addition results in the memory to a magnetic disk. Multiple exposure device for electronic still cameras.