JPH04286286A - Still picture recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform the continuous photographing and to apply to the practicability without increasing a recording transmitting rate at a recording device side. CONSTITUTION:Plural digital still picture data obtained successively by photographing continuously by an electronic still camera 11 are successively stored into a memory 23, the digital still picture data stored in the memory 23 are successively read by the timing corresponding to the recording transmitting rate of a still picture recording and reproducing device 15 and recorded to a magnetic tape 18. In the condition to close all storing areas of the memory 23, the electronic still camera 11 is controlled in the photographing prohibiting condition, and the number of the screens of the digital still picture data capable of being stored into the memory 23 is calculated and displayed.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a still image recording apparatus for recording digital still image data output from an electronic still camera onto a recording medium such as a magnetic tape.

0002

[Prior Art] As is well known, a typical camera forms an optical image taken on a silver halide film, so unless the film is chemically treated and developed, the photographed image cannot be viewed. is not possible. In recent years, however, electronic still camera systems have been developed that eliminate the need for cumbersome chemical processing by converting the captured optical image into an electrical image signal and displaying the image on a television receiver. It is becoming popular. This electronic still camera system includes an electronic still camera that converts captured optical images into digital still image data, and a tape, disk, or drum made of magnetic material that converts the digital still image data output from the electronic still camera into digital still image data. The digital still image data is demodulated and displayed on a television receiver.

FIG. 5 shows the configuration of such a conventional electronic still camera system. That is, on the electronic still camera 11 side, a photographed optical image of the subject 12 is converted into an electrical still image signal by a solid-state image sensor 13 made of, for example, a CCD (charge coupled device). The still image signal output from the solid-state image sensor 13 is then supplied to the image signal processing section 14 where it is converted into digital still image data and undergoes other necessary processing. supplied to In the still image recording and reproducing device 15, the recording signal processing unit 16 adds parity, formats, etc. to the input digital still image data. Thereafter, the digital still image data output from the recording signal processing section 16 is recorded on the magnetic tape 18 by a helical scan method via a head (not shown) of the rotating drum 17. During playback, the magnetic tape 18 on which digital still image data has been recorded as described above is helically played back by the head of the rotating drum 17, and an error occurs in the obtained digital still image data in a playback signal processing section (not shown). After performing correction processing, D/A (digital/analog) conversion processing, etc., the image is displayed on a television receiver.

However, in the conventional electronic still camera system as described above, as shown in FIG.
Compared to the time it takes for one screen worth of digital still image data to be output from the image signal processing unit 14 via the still image recording and reproducing device 15, one screen worth of digital still image data is recorded on the magnetic tape 18. The time it takes to
It turns out that it is very long. This is electronic still camera 1
1 has an information rate of 200 Mbit/sec to obtain the same quality as general silver halide photography, whereas the still image recording/reproducing device 15 has an information rate of several Mbit/s.
This is because it usually only has a recording rate of ec. For this reason, it takes several seconds to several tens of seconds for the still image recording and reproducing device 15 to record one screen worth of digital still image data onto the magnetic tape 18, which makes it difficult to handle continuous shooting and is not practical. The problem has arisen that it is unsuitable for

[0005]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As described above, in the still image recording means in the conventional electronic still camera system, the recording transmission rate on the recording device side is lower than that on the camera side. The problem is that it takes time to record images and cannot support continuous shooting.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and provides an extremely good still image recording system that enables continuous shooting without increasing the recording transmission rate on the recording device side and is suitable for practical use. The purpose is to provide equipment.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems] A still image recording device according to the present invention records and transmits digital still image data for multiple screens sequentially output from an electronic still camera at a predetermined transmission rate at a rate lower than the transmission rate. The target is those that record on a recording medium with a recording device that has a certain rate. and a memory having a capacity to record digital still image data for multiple screens, and a first control means for sequentially storing digital still image data for multiple screens output from the electronic still camera at a predetermined transmission rate in this memory. a second control means for sequentially reading and recording digital still image data for a plurality of screens stored in the memory by the first control means on a recording medium at a timing corresponding to a recording transmission rate of the recording device; a third control means that sets the electronic still camera to a photography prohibition state with the digital still image data stored in the entire storage area of the memory, and calculates and displays the number of screens of digital still image data that can be stored in the memory. and a fourth control means.

[0008]

[Operation] According to the above-described configuration, a plurality of digital still image data sequentially obtained by continuously photographing with an electronic still camera are sequentially stored in the memory, and the digital still image data stored in this memory is By sequentially reading and recording on the recording medium at a timing that corresponds to the recording transmission rate of the recording device, and controlling the electronic still camera to prohibit shooting when the memory storage area is completely occupied, the recording device side Continuous photographing becomes possible without increasing the recording transmission rate, making it fully suitable for practical use. Furthermore, since the number of screens of digital still image data that can be stored in the memory is calculated and displayed, it is possible to prevent the user from becoming confused due to sudden inability to take pictures during continuous shooting.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, parts that are the same as those in FIG. 5 are designated by the same reference numerals.
The digital still image data outputted from the image signal processing section 14 of 1 is supplied to the recording signal processing section 16 via the delay circuit 19 within the still image recording/reproducing device 15 . This delay circuit 19 is controlled by a control circuit 20 comprised of a microcomputer or the like built into the still image recording/reproducing device 15. Moreover, this control circuit 20
A REC ON/OFF signal is outputted to the running drive system of the rotating drum 17 and the magnetic tape 18 to cause the recording operation of digital still image data. Further, the control circuit 20 controls a display unit 21 built in a finder of the electronic still camera 11, which will be described later, and outputs a prohibition signal STOP to the electronic still camera 11 to prohibit its photographing operation.

Here, the delay circuit 19 is constructed as shown in FIG. That is, electronic still camera 1
Digital still image data outputted from 1 is supplied to an output selector circuit 22 . This output selector circuit 22
is the select signal SI output from the control circuit 20
Based on this, input digital still image data is selectively output from four output terminals. The four output terminals of this output selector circuit 22 are connected to four storage areas M0, M1, M2, and M3 of a memory 23, each having a capacity to store digital still image data for one screen. . Therefore, the digital still image data selectively output from any output terminal of the output selector circuit 22 is stored in the storage area M0 of the memory 23 corresponding to that output terminal.
, M1, M2 or M3.

[0011]Furthermore, the four storage areas M of the memory 23 are
The digital still image data stored in 0, M1, M2, and M3 is sent to the control circuit 2 by the input selector circuit 24.
The signals are selectively read out based on the select signal SO output from 0 and output to the recording signal processing section 16. In this case, the output and input selector circuits 22 and 24 output the select signals SI and SO as binary "00" and "00" respectively.
When the value is "01", "10", or "11", storage areas M0, M1, M2, and M3 of the memory 23 are selected.

The operation of the above configuration will be explained below with reference to FIG. That is, the subject 12 is continuously photographed with the electronic still camera 11, and one screen worth of digital still image data G0, G1, G2, . First, the digital still image data G0 obtained first is stored in the storage area M0 of the memory 23 via the output selector circuit 22. At this time, the REC ON/OFF signal from the control circuit 20 is still at the L (low) level, and the running drive system for the magnetic tape 18 is not driven and no recording operation is performed. Then, when the second digital still image data G1 is obtained, the digital still image data G1 is stored in the storage area M1 of the memory 23 via the output selector circuit 22, and the input selector circuit 24 Digital still image data G0 stored in area M0 is read. At this time, the control circuit 20 sets the REC ON/OFF signal to H (high) level, and the running drive system of the magnetic tape 18 is driven.
Here, the magnetic tape 18 of digital still image data G0 is
A recording operation is performed. Looking at the relationship between the select signals SO and SI at this time, they are each "00" in binary.
, "01", the result of subtracting the select signal SI from the select signal SO is SO-SI="11".
”, indicating that the remaining capacity of the memory 23 is “3”, that is, there are empty spaces in the three storage areas M0, M2, and M3 of the memory 23.

Next, the third digital still image data G
2 is obtained, the digital still image data G2 is stored in the storage area M2 of the memory 23 via the output selector circuit 22. Note that at this time, the digital still image data G0 is still being recorded, and the input selector circuit 2
4 is not read from the memory 23. Looking at the relationship between the select signals SO and SI at this time, they are "00" and "10" in binary, respectively, so the result of subtracting the select signal SI from the select signal SO is:
SO-SI="10" and the remaining capacity of the memory 23 becomes "2".
'', that is, it can be seen that there are empty spaces in the two storage areas M0 and M3 of the memory 23. After that, when the fourth digital still image data G3 is obtained, the digital still image data G3 is stored in the storage area M3 of the memory 23 via the output selector circuit 22, and the input selector circuit 24 The digital still image data G1 stored in the area M1 is read out, and the recording operation of the digital still image data G1 onto the magnetic tape 18 is performed here. Looking at the relationship between the select signals SO and SI at this time, they are "01" and "11" in binary, respectively, so the result of subtracting the select signal SI from the select signal SO is SO - SI = “10” and memory 23
It can be seen that the remaining capacity is "2", that is, there is space in the two storage areas M0 and M1 of the memory 23.

[0014] Thereafter, similar operations are repeated, and the digital still image data G4, G5, . . . are sequentially stored in the storage areas M0, M1, . . . of the memory 23, and
Digital still image data G2, G3, . . . are sequentially read out from storage areas M2, M3, . When such an operation is performed, the seventh digital still image data G6
is stored in the storage area M2 of the memory 23 via the output selector circuit 22, the remaining capacity of the memory 23 is "0", that is, all four storage areas M0 to M3 of the memory 23 are occupied, and at this time , the control circuit 20 outputs an H-level prohibition signal STOP to the electronic still camera 11, thereby setting the electronic still camera 11 in a photographing prohibition state, such as when the shutter cannot be released. In this case, in order to avoid confusion when the user suddenly becomes unable to shoot during continuous shooting, the control circuit 20 notifies the user of the remaining capacity of the memory 23 through the display unit 21, and if continuous shooting continues, the control circuit 20 The remaining amount of 23 is “
0'' and photography will be prohibited. As shown in FIG. 4, the remaining capacity of the memory 23 is displayed in the upper right corner of the finder 25, each corresponding to 1/4 of the memory 23's four storage areas M0 to M3.
A circular mark is displayed, and each time the remaining amount decreases, the mark changes to 1.
This is done by disappearing one by one.

Further, in the lower right corner of the finder 25, a number indicating the remaining amount of the magnetic tape 18 is displayed. Naturally, the remaining capacity display of the memory 23 and the remaining capacity display of the magnetic tape 18 have completely different meanings, and the remaining capacity display of the magnetic tape 18 only decreases as shooting progresses. On the other hand, the remaining capacity of the memory 23 is displayed as the number of marks decreases as the shooting progresses.
When recording is performed on the magnetic tape 18, the number returns to the original number.

Therefore, according to the configuration of the above embodiment, a plurality of digital still image data G0, G1, G2, . While sequentially storing it in M3,
The digital still image data G0, G1, G2, . , memory 23
Since the electronic still camera 11 is controlled to prohibit shooting when all four storage areas M0 to M3 are occupied, continuous shooting can be performed without increasing the recording transmission rate on the still image recording and reproducing device 15 side. This makes it possible and fully suitable for practical use. Further, since the remaining capacity of the memory 23 is displayed in the finder 25, it is possible to prevent the user from becoming confused due to sudden inability to take pictures during continuous shooting.

In the above embodiment, the memory 23 has four
Although the present invention is designed to have two storage areas M0 to M3, it goes without saying that the number of storage areas may be freely increased as necessary. Furthermore, the remaining capacity of the memory 23 can be determined not only by subtracting the select signal SI from the select signal SO, but also by, for example, the number of times digital still image data is sent to the delay circuit 19, that is, the number of times the output selector circuit 22 is switched. It can also be determined by counting the number of times digital still image data is sent out from the memory 23, that is, the number of times the input selector circuit 24 is switched, and subtracting the difference between them from a constant (the number of storage areas in the memory 23). can. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the gist thereof.

[0018]

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to provide an extremely good still image recording device that enables continuous photographing without increasing the recording transmission rate on the recording device side and is suitable for practical use.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a still image recording device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram showing details of main parts of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart shown to explain the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram shown for explaining the display form of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a conventional electronic still camera system.

FIG. 6 is a timing diagram shown to explain the operation of the conventional system.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11... Electronic still camera, 12... Subject, 13... Solid-state image sensor, 14... Image signal processing section, 15... Still image recording and reproducing device, 16... Recording signal processing section, 17... Rotating drum, 1
8... Magnetic tape, 19... Delay circuit, 20... Control circuit, 2
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Display part, 22...Output selector circuit, 23...Memory,
24...Input selector circuit, 25...Finder.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Still image recording in which digital still image data for multiple screens sequentially output from an electronic still camera at a predetermined transmission rate is recorded on a recording medium by a recording device having a recording transmission rate lower than the transmission rate. The device includes: a memory having a capacity to record the digital still image data for a plurality of screens; and a first memory for sequentially storing the digital still image data for the plurality of screens output from the electronic still camera at a predetermined transmission rate. a second controller for causing the first controller to sequentially read digital still image data for a plurality of screens stored in the memory and record it on the recording medium at a timing corresponding to a recording transmission rate of the recording device; a third control means for setting the electronic still camera to a photographing prohibition state with the digital still image data stored in the entire storage area of the memory; and a third control means for controlling the digital still image data that can be stored in the memory The fourth step calculates and displays the number of screens of image data.
1. A still image recording device comprising: a control means.