JPH01312768A - Still video camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily record additional information after photographing by recording a still video signal by means of leaving a track where the additional information should be recorded vacant in case of photographing and recording. CONSTITUTION:When a set recording mode is a skip mode, a step motor 87 is driven by a driver 86 by referring to a formed track map. A magnetic head 2 is shifted to a track positioned in a forward direction by two tracks from the track finally recorded of a video floppy 1. In the video floppy 1 where recording is performed with the action in the skip mode, one track adjacent to the track already recorded in the forward direction is left as an unrecorded track. An additional information signal such as voice, etc., is recorded in said unrecorded track. The additional information signal is inputted in a signal processing circuit 71 from an input device such as a microphone, etc., converted into a specified format and outputted to the line of a luminance signal Y.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention Summary of the Invention In a magnetic recording device capable of setting normal mode and skip mode, when the normal mode is set, magnetic recording is performed on tracks adjacent to the last recorded track in the forward direction. Position the head. When the skip mode is set, an empty track is placed adjacent to the last recorded track in the forward direction, and the magnetic head is positioned on the next track. Thereby, when the skip mode is set, it is possible to always reserve a track adjacent to a recorded track as an empty track.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to still fist video cameras (electronic still cameras). In this specification, still/video conference cameras include not only cameras that only take pictures and record, but also still/video cameras that have a playback function.

A still camera that captures an image of a subject using a solid-state electronic imaging device, etc., and magnetically records the still video signal on a video floppy.
Video cameras (electronic still cameras) are already in practical use. In such a still video camera, still video signals representing captured images of a subject are sequentially recorded on tracks of a magnetic recording medium. therefore.

It has been difficult to record audio, music, and other additional information on a track adjacent to a track on which a certain still image is recorded, and to play it back simultaneously with or in conjunction with the still image. In order to achieve this, it was necessary to use a special magnetic recording device to edit the still images on a different magnetic recording medium than the one on which they were recorded.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is capable of recording photographed still video signals by indicating the track on which additional information is to be recorded during photographing and recording, so that additional information can be easily recorded after photographing. (This motion is called Suki Nobu Sho mode) The purpose is to provide a still/video camera.

A still video camera according to this invention.

A head transport device for transporting a magnetic head in the radial direction of a rotating magnetic recording medium having a plurality of tracks, means for setting a skip mode and a normal mode, and a means for setting the last recorded track when the normal mode is set. When the skip mode is set so that the magnetic head is moved to a track adjacent in the forward direction for positioning, an empty track is placed at a position adjacent to the last recorded track in the forward direction and the magnetic head is moved to the next track. The head transfer device is characterized in that it includes a control means for controlling the head transfer device to position the head.

In the case of a magnetic recording medium where all tracks are unrecorded,
The last recorded track refers to a virtual track adjacent to the first track in the opposite direction.

The still video camera according to the present invention can be set to normal mode and skip mode. In the normal mode, the magnetic head is positioned on a track adjacent in the forward direction to the last recorded track that has already been photographed and recorded, just as in a conventional still video camera.
Next shoot.

Prepare for recording. In this way, each still video signal is sequentially recorded on the magnetic recording medium in the forward direction in the order of shooting, without leaving any empty tracks between the tracks. When the skip mode is set, a track adjacent in the forward direction to the last recorded track is set as an empty track, and the magnetic head is positioned on the next track to prepare for primary photographing and recording. Therefore, the track next to the recorded track becomes an empty track, and additional information such as audio can be easily recorded on this empty track later.

An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a still video camera with a playback function will be described in detail below, but it goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to a still video camera without a playback function.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows the system configuration of a still/video document camera.

This still video camera has three controllers: system controller 10. It is controlled by the photographing control device 30 and the recording control device 70. These control devices 10
．． Each of the 30.70 is composed of a CPU (for example, a microprocessor), a memory (RAM, ROM, etc.) for storing its programs and necessary data, and necessary interface circuits. The CPU of the system control device 10 is the main CPU, and controls the overall operation of the still video camera. Shooting control device 30
and jj $11 @ CPU of device 70 is sub CPU
It operates in response to instructions from the main CPU. The photographing control device 30 performs control related to photographing such as focusing, aperture, shutter speed, and zooming. The recording control device 70 performs υl related to recording of video signals on the video floppy 1, such as driving the disk motor 3, loading/unloading the magnetic head 2, and transporting the magnetic head 2. These control devices 10, 30, 70 are interconnected by serial transmission lines and communicate with each other.

A regenerator (regeneration adapter) 90 can also be connected.

This regenerator 90 demodulates the video signal read out from the video floppy 1 and uses, for example, an NTSC format.
Converts to a color video signal and outputs it. Regenerator 9
0 also includes a CPU and memory, and this CPU is positioned as a sub-CPU to the main CPU.

The still video camera is provided with a packet that can be opened and closed, and the video floppy 1 is inserted into the opened packet, and when the packet is closed, the video floppy 1 is inserted into the disk drive motor 3. Chucked onto the spindle.

The video floppy 1 has a plurality of (for example, 50) wooden tracks (for example, a track pitch of 100μ11) arranged in concentric circles, and depending on the shooting process, one field or one frame (one frame) is placed on one or two tracks. FM-modulated color video signals (including luminance signals, color difference signals, etc.) are magnetically recorded. The 50 tracks arranged concentrically on the magnetic recording surface of the video floppy 1 are arranged in order from the outer circumferential side to the inner circumferential side.
Tracks Nα from L1 to N0.50 are attached. The home position HP (original position or standby position) is outside the No. 1 track, and the end position EP is inside the No. 50 track.

The system control device IO includes a power switch 16° and various mode switches 11 to 14. A packet switch 7 that detects the open/closed state of a packet containing a video floppy and a manual switch signal for the shutter release button 15, etc.
The detection signal of the floppy sensor 8, which detects whether the video floppy disk 1 is blank or not, etc., are manually generated. The modes that can be set include a frame/field mode that indicates frame 5 self-recording or feedback, a normal mode that sequentially records on each track, a skip mode that creates an empty track that is not recorded on the video floppy,
There is an edit mode for recording on empty tracks. These set modes, the track number to be recorded, and other information are displayed on the LCD display 21.
will be displayed. This display 21 is the system controller 10
It is connected by bus. Further, when any of the five abnormal conditions occurs, the buzzer 22 sounds an alarm.

The shutter release button 15 is of a two-stage stroke type, in which the first stage of depression releases switch S1, and the second stage of further depression of button I5 causes switch S2.
are respectively turned on. When switch S1 is turned on, disk motor 3 is driven. After this, switch S2
When turned on, photographing and recording are performed.

The imaging optical system includes a zoom lens system 31. An imaging lens system 32 for forming a subject image. Aperture 33. A beam that is deflected in order to make a part of the incident light enter the photometric element 51.
Splitter 34. It is composed of an infrared cutoff filter 35 and a shutter 36. The illuminance detection signal of the photometric element 51 is input to the photographing control device 30 via the logarithmic amplifier 52. By the shooting control device 30.

/lJl] A process of calculating an aperture value and a shutter speed based on the incident light illuminance detected by the optical sensor 51.

The aperture 33 is controlled based on the determined aperture value, and the shutter 36 is opened and closed based on the determined shutter speed. The aperture 33 is opened and closed by an aperture motor 48 driven by a driver 47. Aperture 33
A switch 49 is also provided for detecting the opening and closing limit positions of the opening and closing limits. Unlatching and unwinding of the leading and trailing curtains of the shutter 36 are performed by a shutter drive device including a shutter motor 54 driven by a driver 53. The rotation angle of the motor 54 is detected by a rotary encoder 55 and fed back to the device 30.

The color detection signal from the color sensor 61 is subjected to predetermined processing in a white balance processing circuit 62 and then input to the device 30 manually. This white balance data is applied to the R in the variable gain amplification circuit described later in the signal processing circuit 71.
, G, and B signals for amplification gain control.

In order to measure the distance to the subject, an infrared light emitting diode 63 and a light receiving element 64 that receives the reflected light are provided. Based on the output signal of the light receiving element 64, a focusing processing circuit 65 measures the distance to the subject. The data that represents this is obtained. Using this data, the device lock 30 Lll? XJ
An autofocus motor 4B is driven via a driver 45 under the 45th direction, and focusing control is performed.

In addition, there is a telephoto to manually control the degree of zoom.

In response to a signal from the wide switch 3L 39, the zoom motor 42 is driven by the control device 30 via the driver 41 to set a predetermined magnification.

The rotation angle of the motor 42 is detected by a rotary encoder 43 and fed back to the device 30.

At the focal plane of the imaging optical system, a solid-state electronic imaging device 37 for three primary colors is arranged, for example, a two-dimensional imaging cell array such as a COD.

The image data accumulated in the imaging device 37 when the shutter 36 is opened is read out as a serial still video signal (R, G, B) in synchronization with vertical and horizontal synchronizing signals given from the signal processing circuit 71. Then, the signal processing circuit 71 is manually operated.

The signal processing circuit 71 includes an oscillation circuit, and generates and outputs a vertical reference signal VD and a reference clock signal from the output signal of the oscillation circuit. The vertical reference signal VD is supplied to the system controller 10. It is given to the photographing control device 30 and the recording control device 70, and serves as a reference for the operation timing in these devices. The reference clock signal is given to the servo 1 control circuit 80. As will be described later, the phase pulse PC representing the reference phase of rotation of the video floppy 1 is transmitted to the signal processing circuit 71.
System control device 10. It is provided to the recording control device 70 and the reproducing device 90. A reset signal given from the recording control device 70 adjusts the vertical reference signal VD in the signal processing circuit 71 so as to maintain a constant phase relationship with the phase pulse PG. The signal processing circuit 71 also generates vertical and horizontal synchronization signals having a constant phase relationship with the phase pulse PG.

The signal processing circuit 71 further includes a preamplifier circuit for still video signals (R, G, B), a variable gain amplifier circuit (white balance adjustment circuit), and a process matrix circuit operated by one person. In the process matrix circuit, a luminance signal Y and two color difference signals R-Y, B-Y
is created. These color difference signals R-Y and B-Y are then line-sequentialized for each IH in a line-sequentialization circuit 72. The luminance signal Y and the line-sequential color difference signal pass through a pre-emphasis circuit (path shown) and are FM-modulated in different frequency bands in FM modulation circuits 73 and 74, respectively.
It is synthesized in 5.

additional information signal to track of floppy disk 1,
ic! It is also possible to record. The additional information signal means an acoustic signal (representing voice such as narration, music, etc.) or a display signal (representing text information, for example). This additional information signal is input to the signal processing circuit 71 from a microphone or other human-powered device (as shown), converted into a predetermined format, and output to the luminance signal Y line. The additional information signal S may be superimposed on the luminance signal Y, or may be skipped or
This signal S to the empty track left in the mode of operation.
When only the data is recorded in the edit mode operation, it is output alone.

Furthermore, video floppy disks have nJ capability for data multiplex recording. This multiplexed data includes initial bits, field/frame data, and track addresses (N
O, ) data, date data, and user usage data. These data are stored in the system controller 10
, and the signal processing circuit 71 calculates D P S K (
Dirfcrntjal PhaseShlft K
eying) is modulated, is combined with the above-mentioned FM modulated video signal in a combining circuit 76, and is input to a recording amplifier circuit 77.

Magnetic helad 2 for writing still video signals, etc. of the photographed body on a predetermined track of the video floppy 1
(two pieces are provided at intervals so that they are located on adjacent tracks so that 61 frames can be recorded) are moved in the radial direction of the video floppy 1 by the transfer drive control device r: supported in the J depression. And the transfer is controlled in the Jj direction. The transfer drive controller includes a stepper motor 87 and its driver 86. The recording control device 70 gives instructions regarding the direction and movement of the magnetic head 2 to the transfer drive control device. A home position switch 6 for detecting that the magnetic head 2 has reached the home position HP is also provided, and a detection signal from this switch 6 is given to a recording control device 70. Transferring the magnetic head 2 from the outer circumferential side of the video floppy disk to the inner circumferential side is called forward transfer, and transferring it in the opposite direction is called reverse transfer.

A head loading device is provided to prevent marks from being formed on the floppy disk due to the magnetic head 2 coming into contact with the stopped video floppy disk 1 for a long period of time. This device is a head load solenoid 85
3j of the recording control device 70, and its driver 84.
Q? ; Under the IJ, there is another setting so that the magnetic head 2 contacts the video floppy 1 only during recording or 111 playback (when the video floppy 1 is rotating), or only while the power is turned on. At this time, the magnetic head 2 is displaced (moves forward or backward) away from the floppy disk 1.

In order to improve the contact between the magnetic head 2 and the rotating video floppy 1, a regulating plate (not shown) is provided on the opposite side of the magnetic head 2 with the video floppy 1 in between. In addition, in the core of Video Fronbi 1,
Detect leakage magnetic flux of permanent magnet for chucking and record video
A phase detector 5 that outputs a phase detection signal when the floppy disk l reaches a predetermined angle (+'t,
The waveform is shaped by the waveform shaping circuit 82 and output as a phase pulse PC, which is then sent to the apparatus 10°70, 90.
It is input to circuit 71 and recording gate circuit 78 . One phase pulse PC is generated for each rotation of the video floppy 1.

The disk motor 3 is driven by its driver 81. The rotational speed of the disk motor 3 is detected by a frequency generator 4 and output from this frequency generator 4.

A detection signal with a frequency proportional to the rotational speed of the motor 3 is manually input to the servo control circuit 80. The servo control circuit 80 controls the motor 3 based on the clock signal manually input from the signal processing circuit 71 and the frequency detection signal manually input from the detector 4.
is controlled to rotate at a constant speed (for example, 3.[100r, p, m,). Also the servo control circuit 80. The motor 3 is started and stopped in accordance with commands from the recording control device 70.

The still video signal etc. amplified by the recording amplifier circuit 77 is input to the recording gate circuit 7B. and recording control device 7
When a recording command is given from 0, this gate circuit 78
The gate is opened at the timing of the manually applied phase pulse PG until the next phase pulse is applied manually. As a result, video signals and the like are applied to the magnetic head 2, and recording of still video signals and the like onto predetermined tracks of the video floppy disk 1 is performed. This recording is on video floppy 1
This is done only during one revolution. This is the case for field recording. Gate circuit 7 in case of frame recording
8 opens its gate for two rotations of the video floppy 1, and in the first rotation of the video floppy 1, the video signal of the first floppy is transferred to a certain track by the head 2 of one no. With this rotation, the video signal of the second field is recorded by the other disc 2 in the tracks adjacent to the above track in the forward direction.

It is also possible to reproduce video signals etc. from the video floppy disk 1 using the magnetic head 2. The FM modulated video signal etc. read from the magnetic head 2 similarly passes through the gate circuit 7B, is amplified by the amplifier circuit 77, and is sent to the envelope detection circuit 8.
3 and regenerator 9o. This reproduction is used for track search processing not only in the reproduction mode but also in the recording mode.

The envelope detection circuit 83 is a detection circuit that detects the envelope of the read signal of the magnetic head 2, that is, the FM modulated video signal recorded on the track of the video floppy 1, and outputs a voltage signal corresponding to the envelope. It includes an A/D (analog/digital) conversion circuit. The voltage signal representing the envelope is converted into a digital quantity by an A/D conversion circuit, and is converted into an 8-bit digital signal representing, for example, 256 quantization levels, and is input to the recording control device 70.

The envelope detection signal is used by the recording control device 70 to determine whether a track on the video floppy 1 is unrecorded or recorded (track search processing). If the level of the detected signal does not reach a predetermined threshold level when the magnetic head 2 is moved across a track, that track is unrecorded, and if it has reached the threshold level, then The track has already been recorded. Track search processing is performed when a new video floppy is loaded, when a video floppy is replaced, etc., and the result of this processing, that is, the data on whether the track is unrecorded or has been recorded, is , are stored as a track map in the memory of the recording control device 70 or the system control device IO corresponding to each track.

If necessary, the envelope detection signal is also used in the recording check process. The recording check process is to check whether the recorded still/video signal was recorded on a predetermined track using the magnetic head 2 as described above, and whether the envelope detection signal was properly recorded. If the threshold level is greater than or equal to the threshold level, it is determined that recording has occurred.

The envelope detection signal is also used to detect the peak position of the track in playback mode.

FIG. 2 shows the state of recording on the video floppy 1 recorded by operation in the skip mode. In this figure, the shaded area indicates that the track is a recorded track.

Tracks marked with "empty" indicate unrecorded tracks. As described above, there are two recording modes: a frame recording mode and a field recording mode. In either recording mode, one track adjacent to the recorded trunk in the forward direction is left as an unrecorded track. Additional information signals such as audio are recorded on this unrecorded track.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure for transporting and positioning the magnetic head in recording processing. Normal mode and skip mode are considered here. Edit mode is excluded here because the magnetic head is transferred to a designated track.

The open/closed state of the packet is checked based on the presence or absence of a detection signal from the packet switch 7 (step 101);
The presence or absence of the video floppy 1 in the packet is determined by the video floppy detection switch 8 (step ID2). Video floppy 1 is stuck inside the packet,
and the packet is closed (step 101.
(YES in step 102), it is checked whether a track map indicating whether or not each track of video footage 1 has been recorded has already been created (step 103).
. Since the track map is saved in the recording control device 70 or the system control device 10 as described above, it can be set by checking the save state, or set when the track map is created and reset by opening the packet. It is determined whether the trunk map has been created or not by checking the flag.

When the packet is opened, it is assumed that the video floppy has been replaced, and the track map is cleared or the above-mentioned flag is reset. In such a case, that is, if the track map has not been created (No in step 103).

The creation process is performed (step 104). As mentioned above, the track map transports the magnetic head 2 from the home position to the end position.
Whether or not to record is determined based on whether the envelope detection signal of each track exceeds a predetermined threshold level, and this determination is made for all tracks to create the recording. Next, the system controller [0
It is determined whether the set recording mode is the normal mode or the skip mode based on the input signal states of the various mode switches 11 to 14 input to the recording mode (step 105).

When the set recording mode is the skip mode, the step motor 87 is driven by the driver 86 with reference to the created track map.

Magnetic head 2 (referring to the one on the outer circumferential side of the two magnetic heads; the same applies hereinafter regarding magnetic head movement) is transferred to a track located two tracks forward from the last recorded track of the video floppy L. (Step 10
6). The last recorded track is a recorded track in which all the tracks located forward from the track are unrecorded, or a virtual track adjacent in the opposite direction to the track No. 1, so to speak. This is a track (if all tracks on the video floppy are unrecorded). In the example shown in FIG. 2, the last recorded track is the track of trunk N (L7), so the magnetic head 2 is transferred to track Nα9 and positioned on this track.

When all tracks are unrecorded, the magnetic head 2 is
It is positioned on track O12.

Thereafter, the still video signal photographed by photographing and recording processing is recorded on the track positioned by the magnetic head 2 in step 106 described above. When the magnetic head 2 finishes recording on this track (Y in step 107)
ES), field recording mode or frame jc! It is determined whether the mode is M mode based on the setting input signal of mode switch It-14 (step 108).

When the field recording mode is set, a number of drive pulses corresponding to forward movement of the magnetic head 2 by two tracks are applied to the step motor 87. As a result, the magnetic head 2 is moved and positioned by two tracks in the forward direction, and the video floppy 1 is provided with an unrecorded empty track adjacent to the recorded track in the forward direction (step 109). In the example shown in FIG. 2, track No.
When the recording to 7 is completed, the magnetic head 2 is sent to track N (L 9), leaving 8 unrecorded in track N. In this way, the magnetic head 2 will next record. The camera is positioned on the unrecorded track to be recorded and prepared for secondary photography.

When frame recording mode is set, for primary shooting and recording after recording processing.

The magnetic head 2 is moved three tracks in the forward direction.

In the video recorder 1, one unrecorded empty track is provided adjacent to the recorded track in the forward direction (step 11O).

The reason why three tracks are transferred in the forward direction in the frame recording mode is that in frame recording, signals are recorded on two adjacent tracks using two magnetic heads as described above. For example, in the example shown in FIG.
When recording on the tracks No. 4 and No. 5 is completed, the two magnetic heads are moved to positions Nα7 and N018.

If the set recording mode is normal mode (step +05), there is no need to provide empty tracks, so the created track map is referred to.

The magnetic head 2 is moved to a track located one track inner than the last recorded track and positioned on this track (step 111). In the example shown in FIG. 2, the last recorded track is track No. 7, so the magnetic head 2 is positioned at track No. 8 and stands by.

In a video floppy on which all tracks are unrecorded, the magnetic head 2 is positioned at track No. 1.

Thereafter, when photographing is performed, the still video signal is recorded on the track where the magnetic head 2 is located.

When this recording is finished (YIES in step 112),
A determination is made as to whether the mode is field recording mode or frame recording mode (step 113).

When set to field recording mode.

The magnetic head 2 is moved one track in the forward direction and positioned adjacent to the recorded track (step 114).

When set to frame recording mode, magnetic head 2
is moved forward by two tracks and positioned adjacent to the recorded track (step 115). In this way, in the normal mode, the camera is positioned on a track adjacent in the forward direction to the previously recorded track in preparation for the next photographic recording.

If a track map has already been created (step 10)
3 (YIES), set recording mode status, ie skip mode or normal mode, is determined by mode switch 1.
1 to 14 are examined based on human power signals (step 1
16). In this case, since one magnetic head 2 has already been positioned on the trunk to be recorded, step 106.
The process of step 111 is not performed, and if the mode is skip mode, the process moves to step 107, and if the mode is normal mode, the process moves to step 112. Then, when the photographing and recording to the trunk where the magnetic head 2 is positioned is completed, in the skip mode, the processing in step +09 or +10 described above is performed in accordance with the set field or frame mode. In the mode, steps 114 and +15 are respectively performed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of a still video camera, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the recording state of a video floppy recorded in skip mode, and Figure 3 is a process for controlling the movement of the magnetic head. f is a flowchart showing the order. 1...Video floppy. 2...Magnetic head. 10... System control device. 11-14...Mode switch. 70... Recording control device. 83...Envelope/detection circuit. 86...driver. 87...Step motor. Patent applicant: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Agent
Patent attorney Asamichi Kato (
(1 person outside) Figure 2 1z'7 No. I 2 3 4
5 62nd record

Claims (1)

[Claims] A head transport device for transporting a magnetic head in the radial direction of a rotating magnetic recording medium having a plurality of tracks, means for setting a skip mode and a normal mode, and when the normal mode is set. When the skip mode is set so that the magnetic head is moved and positioned to the track adjacent to the last recorded track in the forward direction, an empty track is placed at a position adjacent to the last recorded track in the forward direction, and then the next track is moved. a still video camera comprising: control means for controlling a head transport device to transport and position a magnetic head;