JPH02309874A - Still video device containing image input/output device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain the communication of picture data even with an external image processor containing no image interface by using an interface which outputs the picture signal reproduced by a reproducer to the external image processor as the picture information. CONSTITUTION:An interface line driver 49 converts the read digital picture signal into a prescribed communication standard signal and outputs it to a interface connector 51. That is, the picture data is outputted from the connector 51. Thus the images recorded to a magnetic disk 23 are inputted to a personal computer 63 as the picture information when the connector 51 is connected to the interface connector of the computer 63. As a result, the images recorded to a still video device can be inputted to an image processor containing no image interface, e.g. a personal computer as the picture data.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an image input/output device for a still video device that can directly input an image signal recorded on a recording medium to an image processing device such as a personal computer.

[Prior art and its problems] In recent years, various electronic still cameras that record images as electrical signals and still video playback devices that can display or print images shot (recorded) with the electronic still cameras have been developed. has been done. In this specification, the electronic still camera, still video playback device, and the like are hereinafter referred to as a "still video device."

Furthermore, recent computers, particularly personal computers (hereinafter referred to as "personal computers"), have become capable of processing not only numerical and character information, but also image information. Image information, for example, image data read by an image scanner, is usually input from a communication interface provided in a personal computer. This communication interface is generally standardized in terms of versatility (for example, R5-232C or 5C8I).
.

However, the image output standards of still video devices do not meet the standards of the conventional communication interface. Therefore, in order to input recorded images from a still video device into a personal computer as image data, the personal computer must be provided with an image interface formed for image data communication. Moreover, since this image interface includes a signal processing circuit that overlaps with that of the still video device, the circuit configuration becomes complicated and the number of signal processing steps increases (resulting in deterioration of the image signal).

``Object of the Invention'' The present invention has been made based on the above-mentioned problem awareness, and is an image input/output device that can directly input recorded images of a still video device to an image processing device such as a personal computer that does not have an image interface. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a still video device equipped with the following.

"Summary of the Invention" The present invention achieves the above object, in a still video device equipped with a playback device that plays back an image signal recorded on a recording medium, the image signal played back by the playback device is subjected to external image processing as image information. It is characterized by providing an interface for outputting to the device.

According to the above configuration, images recorded in a still video device can be input as image data to an image processing device that does not have an image interface, such as a personal computer.

Also, if the image interface has an input function,
It becomes possible to record image data processed by a personal computer on a still video device.

“Embodiments of the invention” The present invention will be explained below based on illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 is an example of a control circuit of a still video apparatus IO equipped with an image signal input device of the present invention.

A video signal consisting of a luminance signal and a color difference signal is input to the image input terminal 11 from, for example, a CCD image sensor.

The video signal input from the image input terminal 11 is processed into a luminance signal and a color difference signal by the image signal processing circuit 13, FM modulated by the FM modulation circuit 15, further amplified by the recording amplifier 17, and then sent via the changeover switch 19. and sent to the magnetic head 21. And this magnetic head 21
Accordingly, zero or more image signal processing circuits 13, F recorded on a predetermined track of a magnetic disk 23 as a recording medium.
M modulation circuit 15, recording amplifier 17 and magnetic head 21
This constitutes an image signal recording device.

The magnetic disk 23 is rotationally driven by a servo motor 25 driven by a servo circuit 27 . The servo circuit 27 controls the rotation of the servo motor 25 in response to pulse signals from the PG coil 29, and also tracks the magnetic head 21.

The operation of the image signal processing circuit 13, the switching operation of the changeover switch 19, and the motor control and tracking operations of the servo circuit 27 are controlled by the system controller 31. This system controller 31 is usually composed of a microcomputer, and generally controls the operation of each member of the still video apparatus according to a program written in an internal memory.

On the other hand, the image signal recorded on the magnetic disk 23 is read by the magnetic head 21 and output to the reproduction amplifier 33 via the changeover switch 19. The image signal consisting of the luminance signal and color difference signal amplified by the reproduction amplifier 33 is demodulated by the FM demodulation circuit 35, combined with a video signal by the image signal processing circuit 37, and outputted to the image output terminal 39. If an image input terminal of a monitor television 61 is connected to this image output terminal 39, the image can be viewed on the monitor television 61 (see FIG. 4). Note that the above magnetic head 21,
A reproduction amplifier 33, an FM demodulation circuit 35, and an image signal processing circuit 37 constitute a reproduction device.

The operation unit 41 includes switches for starting operations such as recording and playback of the still video apparatus, and each switch is connected to the system controller 31. The display section 43 displays information regarding the functions of the still video apparatus, such as recording, playback, recording and playback tracks, and the display is controlled by the system controller 31.

The configuration described above is similar to that of a conventional still video device, but next, the configuration of the interface, which is a feature of the present invention, will be explained.

An A/D converter 45 is connected to the output of the FM demodulation circuit 35. This A/D converter 45 is connected to the FM demodulation circuit 3
The analog luminance signal and color difference signal output from 5 are converted into digital signals and output to the RAM 47 as a buffer via a data bus. Luminance signals and color difference signals for one screen are sequentially written into the RAM 47 on a pixel-by-pixel basis.

When writing of the image signal for one screen is completed, the written luminance signal and color difference signal are processed by the digital signal processing circuit 53 into a digital image signal that can be output to a personal computer. Then, the processed digital image signals are sequentially read out and output to the interface line driver 49 via the data bus.

The interface line driver 49 converts the read digital image signal into a predetermined communication standard signal and outputs it to the interface connector 51. In other words,
Image data is output from this interface connector 51. Therefore, this interface connector 5
1 is connected to the interface connector of the personal computer 63, the image recorded on the magnetic disk 23 is inputted to the personal computer 63 as image information.

The interface line driver 49 is configured to be capable of input/output, and when image data is input from the interface connector 51, the image data is transferred to the RAM.
47. This image data is sequentially written to the RAM 47 pixel by pixel as in the case of reproduction.

The image data for one screen written in the RAM 47 is processed by the digital signal processing circuit 53 into a digital image signal that can be recorded on the magnetic disk 23, read out from the RAM 47 in order, and converted into an analog luminance signal by the D/A conversion circuit 55. It is converted into an image signal consisting of a signal and a color difference signal, and F
The signal is output to the M modulation circuit 15. Then, like the image signal output from the image signal processing circuit 13, it is FM modulated by the FM modulation circuit 15, amplified by the recording amplifier 17, and recorded on the magnetic disk 23 by the magnetic head 21.

The operations of the A/D converter 45, RAM 47, interface line driver 49, and D/A converter 55 are as follows:
It is controlled by a digital signal processing circuit 53. The digital signal processing circuit 53 is usually composed of a microcomputer, and works with the system controller 31 to control the A/D converter 45.
, writing and reading data into and from the RAM 47, processing digital image signals written in the RAM 47, and controlling the operations of the interface line driver 49 and D/A converter 55. Playback and recording operations via the interface are performed by the operating section. 41.

Although the system controller 31 and the digital signal processing circuit 53 are configured separately in this embodiment, they may also be configured using the same microcomputer.

Although the above embodiment describes a still video device having a recording function, the present invention can also be applied to a still video device having only a playback function and no recording function. A second embodiment without this recording function is shown in FIG. The circuit configuration of this second embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment except that it does not include an image input terminal 11, an image signal processing circuit 13, an FM modulation circuit 15, a changeover switch 19, and a D/A conversion circuit 55 for image input. Since the circuit configuration is the same as that of the example, the same reference numerals are given to members having similar functions.

The composite image signal read from the magnetic disk 23 via the magnetic head 21 is amplified by the reproduction amplifier 33, FM demodulated by the FM demodulation circuit 35, and output to the image signal processing circuit 37 and the A/D converter 45. .

The image signal consisting of a luminance signal and a color difference signal input to the image signal processing circuit 37 is here combined with a video signal and output to the image output terminal 39. On the other hand, the image signal input to the A/D converter 45 is A/D converted here.
The data is written to the RAM 47 in units of pixels via the data bus.

The digital image signal written in the RAM 47 is processed into a digital image signal that can be output to a personal computer, read out in order, and output to the interface line driver 49 via the data bus, where the interface line driver 49 converts the digital image signal to a predetermined communication standard. It is converted into a signal and output to the interface connector 51 as image data. When an interface connector of a personal computer 63 is connected to this interface connector 51, a digital image signal is inputted to the personal computer 63 as image data.

FIG. 3 shows a control circuit according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

This third embodiment has an interface for personal computer communication, but does not have a normal image output terminal. Note that members having the same functions as those in the first and second embodiments are given the same reference numerals.

Image signals recorded on predetermined tracks of the magnetic disk 23 are read by the magnetic head 21 and output to the reproduction amplifier 33. The image signal is amplified by the reproduction amplifier 33, FM demodulated by the image signal processing circuit 37, and output to the A/D converter 45 and the synchronous separation circuit 61. The image signal input to the A/D converter 45 is converted into a digital image signal here, and sequentially written into the RAM 47. On the other hand, the synchronization separation circuit 57 separates the synchronization signal from the image signal, and outputs this synchronization signal to the system controller 59.

Based on this synchronization signal, the system controller 59 sequentially writes the digital luminance signal and color difference signal output from the A/D converter 45 to the RAM 47 pixel by pixel, processes them into signals that can be output to a personal computer, and reads them. Note that the system controller 59 is a microcomputer that centrally controls the operation of the entire still video apparatus.

When a digital image signal for one screen is written into the RAM 47, the digital image signal is processed into a digital image signal that can be output to a personal computer, read out from the RAM 47 in order, and sent to the interface line driver 49 via the data bus. Output. Then, it is converted into image data of a predetermined communication standard in the interface line driver 49, and outputted to the interface connector 51 as image data.

As described above, the still video device of this embodiment has an interface that can input recorded image signals as image data to an external image processing device, so it is possible to input image signals to a personal computer that does not have an image interface. can.

Further, in this embodiment, the image signal is processed by the image signal processing circuit 37.
Since the image data is converted into image data that can be input to a personal computer without passing through the image data, the circuit configuration is simpler than that of an image interface installed in a personal computer, and there are fewer signal processing steps and less deterioration of the image signal.

Furthermore, in the first embodiment, images are subjected to various processing such as composition and character insertion on a personal computer, and then recorded on a still video device, which can be viewed on a television monitor or printed out.

In addition, in the first embodiment, image data can be input and output, so it functions as an external storage means for a computer, and images taken with an electronic still camera can be subjected to various image processing on a computer and then saved again. be able to.

Although the present embodiment has been described as an embodiment provided with an interface for a personal computer, the present invention is not limited to personal computers, and can be applied to so-called workstations, office computers, word processors, facsimile machines, etc. that can process image data. It can be made compatible with processing equipment.

"Effects of the Invention" As is clear from the above explanation, the still video device of the present invention is capable of communicating image data even with an external image processing device that is not equipped with an image interface. Since the circuit configuration is simple and the number of processing steps is small, there is little image deterioration and it can be manufactured at low cost.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a first embodiment of the still video apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the second embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the third embodiment, and FIG. 4 is an external view of the still video apparatus connected to a monitor television and a personal computer. 11... Image input terminal, 13... Image signal processing circuit, 15... FM modulation circuit, 17... Recording amplifier, 1
9... Selector switch, 21... Magnetic head, 23
... magnetic disk, 31 ... system controller, 33 ... playback amplifier, 37 ... image signal processing circuit, 39 ... image output terminal, 45 ... A/D converter,
47...RAM. 49...Interface line driver, 51...
・Interface connector, 53... Digital signal processing circuit, 55... D/A converter, 57... Synchronous separation circuit 59
...System controller, Patent applicant Asahi Optical Co., Ltd. Agent Kunio Miura

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A still video device equipped with a playback device that plays back image signals recorded on a recording medium, characterized by being provided with an interface that outputs the image signal played back by the playback device as image information to an external image processing device. A still video device equipped with an image input/output device. (2) In a still video device equipped with a recording device that records image signals on a recording medium and a playback device that plays back the image signals recorded on the recording medium, image information output by an external image processing device is output to the recording device. A still video apparatus equipped with an image input/output device, further comprising an interface for outputting the image signal reproduced by the reproduction apparatus as image information to the external image processing apparatus.