JPH0340677A - Still video camera and its reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify the reproduction operation by providing a pickup data recording means, recording a pickup data at that time into an external memory together with a digital picture signal for each picture and using a reproducer to apply optimum reproduction picture processing automatically in response to the pickup data. CONSTITUTION:A digital picture data from an A/D converter 29 is processed by a digital processing circuit 30 and written on a memory card 32 as an external memory connecting removably to a camera main body. When the memory card 32 is loaded to the reproducing device, a control block 33 of the reproducing device reads a pickup data of a picture together with a digital picture data to be reproduced. While a clock generating circuit 35 takes the timing, a digital processing circuit 36 of the control block 33 processes the inputted picture signal based on the read pickup data. Then a D/A converter 37 applies D/A conversion to the signal, which is processed by an analog processing circuit 38 and outputted as a picture signal.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a still video camera and a playback device thereof;
In particular, there is a still video camera configured to convert an analog image signal output from an image sensor into a digital image signal and record it in an external memory, and a still video camera that converts the digital image signal recorded in the external memory by this still video camera into a video signal. This relates to a playback device that converts.

<Conventional technology> In recent years, in place of conventional film cameras, optical image signals from a subject are converted into electrical image signals using an image sensor.
Still video cameras have been developed that store the electrical image signals in an external memory equivalent to film, and the electrical image signals stored in the external memory can be played back and viewed on a monitor or printed as hard copies. It has become.

A magnetic disk is generally used as external memory for such still video cameras, and in this case, for example, an optical image signal obtained by passing through an optical lens is transferred to a CC
After photoelectric conversion is performed using an image pickup device such as D, the electrical image signal obtained by the conversion is subjected to analog processing, and then subjected to electromagnetic conversion using a magnetic head or the like and magnetically recorded on a magnetic disk.

Furthermore, during playback, magnetic signals recorded on a magnetic disk are electromagnetically converted, processed into analog signals, and displayed on a monitor.

However, this method of magnetically recording analog signals on magnetic disks requires analog processing and electromagnetic conversion of the signals, which tends to cause signal deterioration.
Both the camera and playback device require a magnetic disk rotation drive mechanism, making them larger.

An increase in cost cannot be avoided, and this is causing a delay in its widespread use not only for commercial use but also for consumer use.

In view of this, the present applicant has proposed a device in which a digital signal obtained by A/D converting an electrical image signal obtained by an image sensor is stored in a semiconductor memory (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 183582/1983). ), according to this, there is no need for a drive mechanism as in the case of magnetic disks, so cameras.

The playback device can be made smaller and lighter, and costs can be reduced.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> By the way, in the still video camera configured to record digital image data in a semiconductor memory as described above, the fourth
As shown in the figure, an optical image signal of a subject obtained through an optical system 1 is converted from an image sensor 2 into an electrical image signal by a transfer pulse from an image sensor drive circuit 3, and is converted into an electrical image signal by an analog processing circuit. After signal processing in 4, the A/D converter 5
The digital image signal obtained by A/D conversion is
The digital processing circuit 6 processes the signal and the interface 7
is recorded in an external memory 8 made of semiconductor. These series of operations include the output data of various sensors 9 such as a photometer, a distance measuring element 9, a color temperature detection element, and the shooting data inputted by the operator using the input key 10, such as continuous shooting (quick shooting) and bracket shooting, and control. It is controlled by a control block 11 and a clock generation circuit 12 based on program data.

Further, the digital image data recorded in the external memory 8 in this manner can be reproduced by setting the external memory 8 in the reproduction device and importing the data into the reproduction device via the interface 13, as shown in FIG. , input key 1
Digital processing circuit 1 according to instructions inputted by 4.
5, the D/A converter 16 converts the signal into a D/A converter 16.
The signal is converted, subjected to signal processing in the analog processing circuit 17, and taken out as an image signal. These series of operations are controlled via a control block 18 and a clock generation circuit 19 in accordance with instructions from the input key 14 and a control program. Reference numeral 20 is an indicator that displays instructions for input keys 14, etc.

The digital processing in the digital processing circuit 15 includes, for example, as shown in FIG. The arithmetic circuit 15B performs calculations based on control signals from the control signal 18, and performs image processing such as image rotation and multi-image display.

In this case, in the past, it was necessary to determine what kind of image processing to perform on the image to be played back, for example, in which direction the image should be rotated, which images should be taken from a series of bracket shots or continuous shooting (snap shots), and which images should be displayed in multiple images. These operations were all performed manually using manual keys based on the operator's judgment, which was troublesome.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to automatically obtain reproduced image processing that matches the photographing conditions of recorded images.

<Means for Solving the Problems> For this reason, the present invention converts an optical image signal of a subject obtained by an optical lens into an electrical image signal by an image sensor,
In a still video camera configured to record a digital image signal obtained by sequentially A/D converting the electric image signal by an A/D converter in an external memory that is detachably connected to the camera body, The camera is configured to include a photographing data recording means for recording photographic data in an external memory together with the digital image signal.

In addition, digital image signals input from external memory can be
In a playback device that sequentially obtains a video signal through D/A conversion using a D/A converter, input image data is processed based on photographic data from an external memory in which images are recorded with the still video camera of the present invention. The system is equipped with a processing means.

<Function> According to this configuration, - for each image, the digital image signal and the photographic data at that time are recorded in the external memory. The playback device automatically performs optimal playback image processing according to the photographic data recorded in the external memory. This simplifies the playback operation.

<Example> Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

In FIG. 1 showing the system configuration of the still video camera of this embodiment, this system is controlled by a control block 23 and a clock generation circuit 24 based on detection signals from various sensors 21 and commands from an input key 22. An optical image signal from an optical system 25 composed of a lens, an aperture, a shutter, etc. is converted into an analog electrical image signal by an image sensor 27 such as a CCD, which is controlled by transfer pulses from an image sensor drive circuit 26.

This analog image signal is processed by an analog processing circuit 28 and then converted into digital image data by an A/D converter 29. The digital image data from the A/D converter 29 is subjected to signal processing by a digital processing circuit 30, and then written to a memory card 32 as an external memory that is detachably connected to the camera body via an interface 31. It will be done.

Here, the A/D conversion timing of the analog image signal is
A reference clock signal with a frequency determined by the control block 23 according to the number of pixels of the image sensor 27 in use and determined by the clock generation circuit 24 according to a command from the control block 23 is output to the A/D converter 29, A/D for each pixel of the image sensor 27 in synchronization with the reference clock signal.
configured to be converted.

Furthermore, when writing digital image signals to the memory card 32 via the interface 31, the sensor 112
1, photographing data S1 such as the photographing conditions specified by the input key 22 or the photographing program in the control block.
is recorded on the memory card 32 via the interface 31 along with the digital image signal.

In this way, when reproducing digital images from the memory card 30 on which digital images are recorded using a still video camera that records photographic data together with digital image signals, the reproducing apparatus shown in FIG. 2 is used.

In such a playback device, when the memory card 32 is set in the playback device, the control block 33 connects to the interface 34.
The photographing data of the image is read together with the digital image data to be reproduced (indicated by signal S2 in the figure).

The control block 33 performs signal processing on the input image signal in a digital processing circuit 36 based on the read photographic data while taking timing with a clock generation circuit 35, performs D/A conversion in a D/A converter 37, The analog processing circuit 38 processes the signal and outputs it as an image signal. still,
If necessary, the operator can use the input key 39 to give an instruction for a desired image, such as enlarging a part of the image, to display the image the operator desires. 40 is an indicator similar to the conventional one.

Next, an example of photographic data recorded by the above-mentioned still video camera will be described.

As a first example, the camera posture at the time of photographing is recorded.

For example, if the camera is photographed in a vertical position as shown in Figure 3 (A), the subject will be recorded horizontally as shown in Figure 3 (B).
If you play it back as is, it will be played back in the same state as it was recorded.

Therefore, if the photographer inputs the attitude of the camera at the time of shooting using the input key 22, or if a sensor is installed to detect the attitude of the camera, based on the detection signal from the sensor, data on the camera attitude at the time of shooting together with the captured image can be obtained. Record. As a result, the playback device automatically performs appropriate image processing such as scaling and one rotation processing according to the camera attitude data recorded with the image, and corrects the vertical direction of the image correctly during playback (C) As shown in the figure, the same image as the photographed subject can be automatically reproduced.

As a second example, photographing data indicating whether the photographed image is a frame image or a field image is input using the input key 22 and recorded together with the image signal. In this case, field images require half the amount of data compared to frame images, so not only can recording be made faster, but a memory card with the same memory capacity can record twice as many images as frame images. can save memory capacity.

As a third example, character information such as names of nine people at a location is input as photographic data using the input key 22 and recorded together with the image signal.

Thereby, for example, it is possible to search for an image to be reproduced based on the photographic data, and it becomes possible to search for a desired image in a short time.

As a fourth example, an auto-date function is provided on the camera side, and photographing data such as the date and time of photographing is recorded together with the image signal.

In this case as well, it is convenient to search for a desired image in a short time by searching based on the recorded photographing date and time as in the third example.

As a fifth example, at the time of photographing, data indicating that the photograph is taken by snapshot is recorded together with the image.

As for the data recording method, for example, for the first image of a buried image, data indicating the first image of the snapshot and data indicating the address of the next image data are recorded, and from the second image onwards, data indicating the address of the next image data is recorded. For the second to last image, record data indicating the address of the previous image data and the address of the next image data, respectively.
For the last image of the quick shot, data indicating the address of the previous image data and data indicating the end of the quick shot are recorded.

This makes it possible to automatically display a multi-image display or the like during playback based on the snapshot data recorded for a series of continuous images.

As a sixth example, shooting data indicating that a series of image data is bracket shooting during bracket shooting is recorded together with those image signals.

The shooting data that indicates bracket shooting is as follows:
For example, aperture value, shutter speed, etc. can be considered.

In this case as well, it is possible to automatically display a multi-image display of a series of bracketed images during playback, similar to the above-mentioned snapshot shooting.

<Effects of the Invention> As explained above, according to the present invention, along with the image signal,
Since the shooting data when the image was shot is also recorded at the same time, the image can be played back using a playback device that can perform appropriate playback processing based on the recorded shooting data.
A desired playback screen can be automatically obtained, making playback operations extremely simple. Furthermore, it becomes possible to facilitate the search work for recorded images.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

□ Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the still video camera of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the playback device of the invention, and Fig. 3 shows the camera posture during shooting. 4 is a block diagram of a conventional still video camera, FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a conventional reproduction device, and FIG. 6 is a configuration of a digital processing circuit of the same reproduction device. FIG. 21...Sensors 22.39...Input key
23.33...Control block 24.35...Clock generation circuit 25...Optical system 26...Image sensor drive circuit 27...Image sensor 29...A/
D converter 30.36...Digital circuit 32
...Memory card 37...D/A converter

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) The optical image signal of the subject obtained by the optical lens is converted into an electrical image signal by an image sensor, and the digital image signal obtained by sequentially A/D converting the electrical image signal by an A/D converter, A still video camera configured to record in an external memory detachably connected to the camera body, characterized by comprising a shooting data recording means for recording shooting data at the time of shooting into the external memory together with the digital image signal. Still video camera. (2) Digital image signal input from external memory,
In a playback device that sequentially performs D/A conversion using a D/A converter to obtain a video signal, input image data is processed based on photographic data from an external memory in which images are recorded by the still video camera according to claim 1. 1. A playback device comprising an image processing means.