JPH01189290A - Color image input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To input a color moving image in the same way as a conventional way and, simultaneously, to input a monochromatic image or a still color image with a high resolution by differently filtering a still picture or monochromatic moving picture input and a color moving picture input. CONSTITUTION:At the time of image-picking-up a moving picture, a color filter 64 is arranged in a position in which the image of a body 52 to be image-picked- up is image-formed by a first lens group 51, and the picture is image-formed to an image pick-up element 55 by a second lens group 54. At such a time, respective picture elements of the image image-formed in the positions of respective small filters 64a of the color filter 64 are projected to respective picture element input parts 55a of the image pick-up element 55 by one-to-one. At the time of inputting the still image, first, a red filter 61 is arranged in a position to be image-formed by the first lens group 51. Next, a signal processing part reads information from the image pick-up element 55 and stores it into a memory. Next, a blue filter 62 and a green filter 63 are arranged in order in the above-mentioned positions, thereafter, the signal processing part synthesizes the image information of respective colors stored in the memory, and color image information is obtained.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field 1 The present invention relates to a color image input device.

[US technology 1 Conventionally, a color image input device has been configured as shown in FIG. 4, for example. The image of the object to be imaged 10 is captured by the objective lens 13.
As shown in FIG. 5, an image is formed on the image sensor 23 through a color filter 29 that is in close contact with the image sensor 23. The color filter 29 is composed of small color filters of red, green, blue, etc. arranged on each pixel input section of the image sensor 23. The image receiving circuit 24 has a function of converting a color image captured by the image sensor 23 into a signal of TV ink 7ace. Furthermore, a control circuit 2 with a microprocessor at its core
2, an image receiving unit 28, and an operation panel 25 for a user's man-machine interface. Image receiving circuit 2
The TV 7-mat signal 1 from 4 is separated into a video signal 2 and a sync signal 3 by a sync separation circuit 40. The video signal 2 is converted into a digital signal by an A/D converter 41 and stored in a memory 44 under the control of an image control circuit 43 having an image processing processor as its core. Further, the synchronization signal 3 is counted by a counting circuit 42, and the counting result is sent to an image control circuit 43. After appropriately processing the contents of the memory 44, the image control circuit 43 reads out the digitalized video signal from the memory 44 again, and the D/A converter 45 converts the video signal into i [Problems to be Solved by the Invention] as described above. Since the device handles color images using a monochromatic image sensor, it has the disadvantage that the resolution of the output image is one-third of the basic performance of the image sensor. Therefore, in the case of monochromatic image input or still image input that does not require temporal resolution, it is possible to replace the filter, but it is impossible to replace the filter installed just in front of the image sensor as shown in Figure @S. Furthermore, in order to solve this problem, if a gap is provided between the image sensor and the color filter, there is a drawback that the color resolution deteriorates.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to input a single-color image or a +'rl fixed color image at high resolution while also being able to input a galley moving image in the same manner as before. The object of the present invention is to provide a color image input device that is capable of inputting color images.

[Means for Solving the Problems 1] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises: an image sensor having a large number of pixel input sections arranged; a first optical means for forming an image of an object to be imaged; a second optical means for forming an image formed by the first optical means on the image sensor; and at least two or more optical means for forming an image of the object to be imaged by the first optical means. arranging means for selectively arranging filters, at least one of the two or more filters has a large number of color filters arranged on its filter surface, and each color filter is further arranged by the second optical means. It is characterized in that it is arranged at a position where images are formed one-to-one on each pixel input section of the image sensor.

[Function] In the invention having the above configuration, when inputting a moving image, a filter including the plurality of color filters arranged above is used,
When inputting a still image or monochrome video, use the corresponding filter.

[Example] An example embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

W up to optical-electrical conversion of the color image input device of this embodiment
In FIG. 1 showing one structure, the first lens group 51 corresponding to the first optical means is at the focal point ll! It has an adjustment function and can always form an image at a fixed position with respect to the imaged object 52 at an arbitrary position. A filter unit 53 corresponding to the arrangement means is provided at a position where the image of the imaged object 52 on the right side in the Pt4i diagram of the first lens group 51 is formed. Further to the right of this filter unit 53, a second lens group 54 corresponding to the second optical means and an image pickup element 55 are arranged, and the image formed by the lens group 51 of tjtJ1 is further transferred to an image pickup element. 55. This image sensor 55 has a large number of pixel input sections 55a arranged on its imaging surface as shown in FIG.

Next, the filter unit 53 will be explained.

The filter unit 53 includes a red filter 61 that transmits only red light, a green filter 62 that transmits only green light, a blue filter 3 that transmits only blue light, and as shown in FIG. A color filter 64 in which type 3a color filters (hereinafter referred to as small filters) 64a that transmit blue light and green light are regularly arranged at the same -ffi degree is arranged in the filter frame 66.

This filter frame 66 is connected to the motor 65,
By driving the motor 65, the first lens group 51
Accordingly, each filter is selectively placed at a position where a virtual image of the imaged object 52 is formed. Further, the small filter 64a of the color filter 64 is connected to the image sensor 55.
are arranged in the same way as the pixel input section 55a, and when the color filter 64 is arranged at a position where the image is formed by the first lens group 51, each small filter 64a
The image formed at the position is formed by the second lens group 54 in a one-to-one correspondence with each pixel input section 55a on the image sensor 55.

The image sensor 55 includes a circuit 6 connected to the image sensor 23 in the conventional color image input device shown in FIG.
A circuit similar to 9 is connected.

Hereinafter, the entire circuit connected to the image sensor 55 will be referred to as a signal processing section 69.

The operation of the color imaging device configured as above will be explained below.

First, the case of capturing a moving image will be explained. The motor 65 is rotated and the color filter 64 is placed at a position where the image of the object 52 is formed by the first lens group 51 . The image formed by the first lens group 51 is formed on the image sensor 55 by the second lens group 54 . At this time, each pixel of the image formed at the position of each small filter 64a of the color filter 64 is projected one-on-one onto each pixel input section 55a of the image sensor 55 by the action of the second lens group 54. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that obtained by immersing a small filter in the conventional III elementary input section. The signal processing unit 69 obtains color image information by processing the information of the image formed on the image sensor 55 separately for each color filter.

Next, the case of inputting a still image will be explained.

The motor 65 is rotated, and the red filter 61 is first placed at a position where the first lens group 51 forms an image. Next, the signal processing unit 69 reads information from the image sensor 55 and stores the information in the memory 44 as red image information.
Next, rotate the motor 65, and similarly
, and green filters 63 are arranged in order at the positions, and similarly, the signal processing unit 69 stores the information read from the image sensor 55 as green image information and blue image information, respectively, into the memory 44.
to be memorized. Thereafter, the signal processing unit 69 synthesizes the image information of each color stored in the memory 44 to obtain color image information.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, by arranging a total transmission filter in place of the red filter 61, green filter 62, and proof filter taro 3 of this embodiment, monochrome moving images can be enhanced. You can also get it in resolution.

[Effect of the Invention 1] As is clear from the above detailed description, the present invention performs separate filtering for still image or monochrome video input and color video input, thereby achieving the same resolution as before for video. When inputting images, still images, or monochrome moving images, this method has an excellent effect in that it is possible to input images with a resolution three times higher than that of the conventional method.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 5 are for explaining an embodiment embodying the present invention and a conventional technique. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the original image system of this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an imaging system. 3 is a front view of a color filter 64, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a conventional device and a signal processing circuit 69 connected to the image sensor 55 in this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an image sensor 23 and a color filter 29 in a conventional device. 51... First lens group, 52... Imaged object, 53
... filter unit, 54 ... second lens group,
55... Image sensor, 55a... Image input unit, 64...
...Color filter, 64a...Small filter, patent applicant Katsuji Kawanari, President and Director of Brother Industries, Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] An image sensor (55) in which a large number of pixel input sections (55a) are arranged, and a first optical means (51) that forms an image of an imaged object (52).
), and an imaged object (
a second optical means (54) for forming an image of the object (52) on the image sensor (55);
and arranging means (53) for alternatively arranging at least two or more filters at a position where the image of 2) is formed, and at least one of the two or more filters has a plurality of filters on its filter surface. color filters (64a) are arranged, and each color filter (64a) has an image formed at the position thereof sent to each pixel input section (55a) of the image sensor (55) by the second optical means (54). A color image input device characterized in that it is arranged at a position where images are formed on a one-to-one basis.