JPH0256772A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the capacity of a voice memory and to make the scale of a circuit small by using the memory part of a frame memory for images which is no used for temporarily storing a voice signal. CONSTITUTION:After the voice and video signals generated respectively by a microphone 16 and a photographic lens 10 through an image pickup element are respectively stored in a buffer memory 64 and the frame memory 26 provided with memories 28A and 28B for 1st and 2nd fields, they are recorded in a magnetic disk 48 through a recording head 46. In such a case, switches 62 and 30 are controlled by a clock control circuit 70 so as to store the voice signal in the memory 28A which is not used during the recording period of the memory 28B between the memories 28A and 28B where write and readout are alternately performed and to write the voice signal in the memory 28B which is not used during the recording period of the memory 28A in the same way, whereas the memory part of the frame memory 26 which is not used can be used for temporarily storing the voice signal.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to an image and audio recording device.

[Conventional technology]

As a device for simultaneously recording images and audio, an electronic still camera that allows audio recording is known. That is, regarding still video floppies, which are the recording media of electronic still cameras, recording formats are specified for each of video and audio, and in particular, for audio recording,
Standards for recording information on tracks on which related videos are recorded are also defined. In electronic still cameras, it takes a relatively long time for the recording magnetic disk to start rotating when taking pictures, so waiting for the magnetic disk to start rotating (that is, for the rotation to stabilize) will not allow you to take a photo. To avoid this, a memory is provided for images and audio, the captured image and the audio at the time of capture are temporarily stored in the memory, and once the rotation of the magnetic disk has stabilized, the stored signals in the memory are read out. , magnetic recording is performed on the magnetic disk.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a conventional electronic still camera. In FIG. 2, 10 is a photographic lens, 12 is an image sensor that converts an optical image produced by the photographic lens into an electrical signal, and 1
4 is a video signal processing circuit that performs known video signal processing such as gamma correction and addition of a synchronization signal on the output of the image sensor 12; 16 is a microphone; 18 is an audio processing circuit; 20.
22 is an A/D converter, 24 is a memory for audio, and 26 is a frame memory for images. Frame memory 26
, 28A and 28B are field memories, 30
32 is a write field changeover switch, and 32 is a continuous field changeover switch. 34° 36 is a D/A converter, 38
is a switch that selects the output of the D/A converter 34°36,
40 is a recording signal processing circuit, 42 is an FM modulation circuit, 44 is a recording amplifier, 46 is a recording head, 48 is a magnetic disk,
50 is a disk drive device, and 52 is a clock control circuit.

The operation shown in FIG. 2 will be explained. The image sensor 12 converts the optical image formed by the Yang lens into an electrical signal, and the output signal of the image sensor 12 is subjected to known processing in the video signal processing circuit 14 and digitized by the A/D converter 22. field memory 2 of frame memory 26 for each field.
8A and 28B. When the rotation of the magnetic disk 48 by the disk drive device 50 becomes stable, the frame
The stored signal in the memory 26 is read out and sent to the D/A converter 34.
The signal is returned to an analog signal and applied to the recording processing circuit 40 via the switch 38. The signal recorded by the recording processing circuit 40 is FM modulated by the FM modulation circuit 42, and is applied to the recording head 46 via the recording amplifier 44.
It is recorded on the magnetic disk 48.

On the other hand, the audio signal output from the microphone 16 is subjected to processing such as amplification in the audio processing circuit 18 and then digitized by the A/converter 30. AD from the clock control circuit 52
The clock supplied to the /converter 20 converts the image signal into
This is slower than D conversion. The output of the A/D converter 20 is stored in the audio memory 24, and this stored signal is read out after recording the image signal on the magnetic disk 48 and digitized by the D/A converter 36.

The clock supplied from the clock control circuit 52 to the D/A converter 36 is faster than the clock supplied to the A/D converter 20, thereby compressing the audio signal on the time axis. The output of the D/A converter 36 is applied to a recording signal processing circuit 40 via a switch 38. From then on, the processing proceeds in the same way as for images, and the image is recorded on the magnetic disk 48 by the magnetic head 46.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the conventional example described above, a voice memory 24 having a considerable storage capacity must be used, resulting in an increase in circuit scale and manufacturing costs.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image and audio recording device that can perform similar functions with a smaller circuit.

[Means to solve the problem]

A recording device according to the present invention is a recording device that is equipped with a frame memory that temporarily stores a frame image signal and an audio memory that temporarily stores an audio signal, and records images and audio on a recording medium. It is characterized in that an unused memory portion of the memory is used for temporary storage of audio signals.

[Effect]

With the above means, the storage capacity of the voice memory can be reduced, and the circuit size can be reduced.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention applied to an electronic still camera. The same components as in FIG. 2 are given the same reference numerals. 60 and 62 are switches that are switched in conjunction with each other, and 64 is a storage capacity corresponding to the total time required for the magnetic disk 48 to start up (stabilize its rotation) and the time required to record the video signal of the first field. 66 is a switch for selecting the output of the frame memory 26 (more precisely, the switch 32) or the output of the buffer memory 64; 68 is a D for analogizing the digital signal selected by the switch 66; The /A converter 70 is a clock control circuit that controls the operation timing of each part as explained below.

Specifically, the clock control circuit 70 controls the switch 6
0 is the rising period of rotation of the magnetic disk 48 and the first
During the recording period of the field video signal, the switch 60 is on the a contact (buffer memory 64) side, and the switch 62 is on the b side.
Connected to the contact (A/D converter 22) side, the video signal of the first field of the frame memory 26 is transferred to the magnetic disk 48.
After the data is recorded, the switch 60 is connected to the B contact side, and the switch 62 is connected to the A contact side. Since the B contact of the switch 60 is connected to the A contact of the switch 62, the video signal of the first field of the frame memory 26 is transferred to the magnetic disk 48.
After being recorded, the audio digital signal (output of A/D converter 20) will be input to frame memory 26 (particularly field memory 28A). As will be explained later, during the recording period of the video signal of the second field, the switch 30 is connected to the a contact side, and the audio signal is stored in the field memory 28A.

Until the rotation of the magnetic disk 48 starts, the switch 60 is connected to the a contact side and the switch 62 is connected to the b contact side, operating in the same manner as in the conventional example, and the buffer memory 64 stores audio signals during that time. When the rotation starts, the frame
The stored signal in the field memory 28A of the memory 26 is read out and applied to the D/A converter 68 via the switch 66, and the D/A converter 68, recording signal processing circuit 40, F
The data is recorded on the magnetic disk 48 by the M modulation circuit 42, the recording amplifier 44, and the magnetic head 46. The audio signal during this time is also stored in the buffer memory 64 in the same way.

Thereafter, the video signal of the second field is read out from the field memory 28B and similarly recorded on the magnetic disk 48. While the video signal of the second field is magnetically recorded on the magnetic disk 48, the switch 60 is connected to the b contact side, the switch 62 is connected to the a contact side, and the switch 30 is connected to the a contact side.

As a result, the output (digital audio signal) of the A/D converter 20 is transmitted to the switches 60, 62, and 30.
to field memory 28A and is stored therein. When the recording of the video signal of the second field is completed, the audio signal will be recorded next, but first, the switch 66 is connected to the a contact side, and the buffer memory 64
The stored signals of circuits 68, 40, 42, 44 .
Then, the switch 66 is connected to the B contact side and the switch 32 is connected to the A contact side to read out the stored signal (audio) in the field memory 28A, and the circuit 68゜40.42,44.4
6 to record on the magnetic disk 48.

In this way, by using a portion of the frame memory 26 for audio storage, the memory capacity for audio storage can be reduced.

Although the above description has taken an electronic still camera as an example, the present invention is generally applicable to other recording devices that record video and audio on a recording medium.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As can be easily understood from the above description, according to the present invention, frame images and audio can be recorded on a recording medium with a small memory capacity, and the device can be made smaller and lower in price.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the configuration of a conventional example.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A recording device that is equipped with a frame memory that temporarily stores a frame image signal and an audio memory that temporarily stores an audio signal, and records images and audio on a recording medium, the memory portion of the frame memory being unused. A recording device characterized in that it is used for temporary storage of audio signals.