JPH05167906A - Video camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a video camera capable of easily and quickly forming a title. CONSTITUTION:A photographer's observing point position on a screen of a view finder 102 to be used also as a monitor is detected by visual line detecting systems 1, 2, 4, 5a, 5b, 5c, 6 and a signal processing circuit 109 and a visual line cursor is moved to the observing point position. A list of characters, codes, etc., for a title are displayed on the screen of the view finder 102 and required characters, codes, etc., are selected by moving the visual line and adopted (set up) by depressing a character title switch 122. since characters/codes are selected by the movement of the visual line, a trouble such as the operation of plural switches which is to be executed while observing the screen of the view finder for selection can be removed and the title can be formed easily and quickly.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video camera,
In particular, it relates to the creation of shooting titles.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a procedure for creating a character title in a conventional camera-integrated VTR, and FIG. 20 is a flow chart for explaining the procedure in FIG.

Below, referring to the flowchart of FIG. 20, FIG.
The conventional character title creation procedure of No. 9 will be described. (A) Press the character title button to display the title creation screen on the finder screen (see step S1).

(B) The feed button is pressed to move the cursor to determine the first character position (S2).

(C) Press the +/- button to select characters or numbers (S3).

(D) Select a title character from the list. When you press the + button, the display changes as A → B → C → D,
-Press the button to select a talent → & → * →! And vice versa.

Repeat until the desired character is displayed (S
4) When the desired character is displayed, press the feed button (S
5) Then, the next character is selected.

Thereafter, until the character title is completed, S3 → S
Repeat 4 → S5.

(E) When the title is completed, the character title button is pressed again to set the title. This completes the title creation work and the title is stored.

The above is the conventional work for creating a character title.

On the other hand, conventionally, the so-called line of sight (visual axis) for detecting which position on the observation surface the observer is observing
There have been proposed various devices for detecting the. For example, JP-A-6
In JP-A-172552, a parallel light flux from a light source is projected onto the anterior segment of an eyeball of an observer, and a visual axis is obtained by using a corneal reflection image due to reflected light from the cornea and an imaging position of a pupil. There is. 21 and 22 are explanatory views of the principle of this line-of-sight detection, FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram of the line-of-sight detection optical system, and FIG. 22 is an intensity diagram of an output signal from the photoelectric element array 6. In FIG. 21, reference numeral 5 denotes a light source such as a light emitting diode that emits infrared light insensitive to the observer, and is arranged on the focal plane of the light projecting lens 3.

The infrared light emitted from the light source 5 is projected by the projection lens 3
Collimated into parallel light and reflected by the half mirror 2, and the eyeball 20
Illuminate one cornea 21. At this time, the corneal reflection image d by a part of the infrared light reflected on the surface of the cornea 21 is transmitted through the half mirror 2, condensed by the light receiving lens 4, and re-imaged on Zd ′ at a position on the photoelectric element array 6.

The light fluxes from the ends a and b of the iris 23 pass through the half mirror 2 and the light receiving lens 4 and store the images of the ends a and b at positions Za 'and Zb' on the photoelectric element array 6. To do. When the rotation angle θ of the optical axis a of the eyeball with respect to the optical axis of the light receiving lens 4 (optical axis a) is small, and the Z coordinates of the end portions a and b of the iris 23 are Za and Zb, the center position c of the iris 23 is Coordinate Zc
Is expressed as Zc = (Za + Zd) / 2.

When the Z coordinate of the position d of the corneal reflection image is Zd and the distance between the center of curvature O of the cornea 21 and the center C of the iris 23 is OC, the rotation angle θ of the optical axis a of the eyeball is OC * sin θ. The relational expression of = Zc-Zd is substantially satisfied.

Here, the Z coordinate Zd of the position d of the corneal reflection image.
And the Z coordinate Z of the center of curvature O of the cornea 21 match.
Therefore, the computing means detects the position of each singular point (corneal reflection image d and the edges a and b of the iris) projected on the surface of the photoelectric element array 6 as shown in FIG. The rotation angle θ of B can be obtained. At this time,
Expression (1) can be rewritten as β * OC * sin θ = (Za ′ + Zb ′) / 2−Zd ′. However, β is a magnification determined by the distance L1 between the corneal anti-mapping position and the light-receiving lens 4 and the distance LO between the light-receiving lens 4 and the photoelectric element array 6, and is usually a substantially constant value.

[0016]

As described above, in the conventional camera-integrated VTR, when creating a character title, it is necessary to operate a total of four switches while looking at the viewfinder screen. It is troublesome and time-consuming.

The present invention has been made to solve this problem, and an object thereof is to provide a video camera capable of easily and quickly creating a title.

[0018]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention selects a character, a code, etc. from a title list by a gazing point position detecting means as described in "Prior Art". Specifically, the video camera is configured as shown in (1) below.

(1) A video camera equipped with a viewfinder that also serves as a monitor, wherein the gazing point position detecting means for detecting the gazing point position of the photographer on the screen of the viewfinder, and the gazing point position detecting means detect the gazing point position. A character code selecting means for selecting a character or code in a list of characters or codes at the point of gaze, and a display means for displaying the character or code selected by the character code selecting means on the viewfinder. Video camera.

[0020]

With the configuration (1), the characters and symbols in the list at the position of the photographer's gazing point on the viewfinder screen are selected to create a title.

[0021]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a "camera integrated VTR" according to the first embodiment.

In the figure, 1 is an eyepiece lens, 2 is visible light transmission,
It is a dichroic mirror that reflects infrared light. Reference numeral 4 is a light receiving lens, and 5a, 5b, 5c are illumination means, which are light emitting diodes. Reference numeral 6 is a photoelectric element array. The photoelectric element array 6 normally uses a device in which a plurality of photoelectric elements are arranged one-dimensionally in the direction perpendicular to the drawing, but a device in which photoelectric elements are arranged two-dimensionally is used as necessary. Each element 1, 2, 4, 5a, 5b, 5c, 6 constitutes a visual axis detection system for the eyeball.

Reference numeral 101 is an electronic viewfinder also used as a monitor, and 102 is a screen of the viewfinder 101. In the present embodiment, the image displayed on the viewfinder screen 102 is guided to the eyepoint E via the eyepiece 1.

The point-of-regard position detecting means of this embodiment is a visual axis detecting system composed of members indicated by reference numerals 1, 2, 4, 5a, 5b, 5c and 6, and a signal processing circuit 109 which is a calculating means. It includes an eyeball optical axis detecting circuit, an eyeball discriminating circuit, a visual axis correcting circuit, a gazing point detecting circuit, and the like.

In the line-of-sight detection system, the infrared light emitted from the infrared light emitting diodes 5a, 5b, 5c illuminates the eyeball 201 of the observer located near the eye point E. Further, the infrared light reflected by the eyeball 201 is reflected by the dichroic mirror 2 and is converged by the light receiving lens 4 to form an image on the photoelectric element array 6. The signal processing circuit 109
Is implemented in microcomputer software.

Reference numeral 130 is a video lens, 131 is a video lens drive circuit, 132 is a video image signal processing circuit, 11
Reference numeral 0 is a viewfinder video processing display circuit. 140
Is a video recorder and 133 is a video image recording / reproducing circuit.

The video image captured by the video lens 130 is displayed on the viewfinder image processing / display circuit 110, the viewfinder 101, and the finder screen 102 through the video image signal processing circuit 132, and the video image recording is performed. It is supplied to the reproducing circuit 133 and recorded by the video recorder 140. Reference numeral 120 is a character title creation circuit, and 121 is a character title switch.

The gaze point detecting means will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of the visual axis detection system of FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are optical principle diagrams of the visual axis detection system. The infrared light emitting diodes 5a, 5b, 5c for illumination are used in pairs to detect the distance between the camera and the eyeball of the observer, and the infrared light emitting diodes 5a, 5b can be set horizontally depending on the posture of the camera. The position and the vertical position are detected by the infrared light emitting diodes 5b and 5c. It should be noted that although the camera attitude detection means is not shown in the figure, the attitude detection means using a mercury switch or the like is effective.

The infrared light emitting diodes 5a and 5b are arranged in the row direction (Z direction) of the photoelectric element row 6 with respect to the optical axis (X axis) of the light receiving lens 4.
It is arranged at a position shifted in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction) and the column direction.

In FIG. 3, the infrared light emitting diodes 5a, which are separately arranged in the row direction (Z-axis direction) of the photoelectric element row 6,
The light flux from 5b forms corneal reflection images e and d at positions separated in the Z-axis direction. At this time, the Z coordinate of the midpoint of the corneal reflection images e and d coincides with the Z coordinate of the center of curvature o of the cornea 21. Further, since the interval between the corneal anti-maps e and d changes in accordance with the distance between the infrared light emitting diode and the observer's eyeball, the positions e ', d'of the cornea reflection image re-imaged on the photoelectric element array 6 are formed. It becomes possible to obtain the image forming magnification β of the anti-map from the eyeball by detecting. Further, in FIG. 4, the infrared light emitting diodes 5a (5b) arranged in the direction orthogonal to the row direction of the photoelectric element rows 6 illuminate the eyeball of the observer obliquely from above, so that the eyeball of the observer is in the vertical direction. When not rotating in the (XY plane), the corneal reflection image e (d) is + in the figure rather than the center of curvature of the cornea and the center of the pupil.
It is formed in the Y direction.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing reflection images from the eyeball projected on the plurality of photoelectric element array surfaces of the photoelectric element array 6 in this embodiment.

In the figure, the corneal reflection images e'and d'are re-imaged on the photoelectric element array Yp '. An output signal obtained from the photoelectric element array Yp 'at this time is shown in FIG.

Next, the visual axis detection method according to this embodiment will be sequentially described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the rotation angle of the eyeball optical axis is detected by the eyeball optical axis detection circuit included in the signal processing circuit 109. Next, the readout of the image signal of the photoelectric element array 6 is sequentially performed from the -Y direction shown in FIG. 5, and the photoelectric element array (line) Y on which the corneal reflection images e'and d'are formed.
p'is detected (# 1). At the same time, the corneal reflection images e'and d '
The generation positions Zd 'and Ze' in the column direction are detected (# 2),
The imaging magnification β of the optical system is obtained from the interval | Zd′−Ze ′ | of the corneal reflection images (# 3). Furthermore, a boundary point Z2 between the iris 23 and the pupil 24 is arranged on the photoelectric element array (line) Yp '.
b ', Z2a' are detected (# 4), and the photoelectric element array Yp 'is detected.
The upper pupil length | Z2a'-Z2b '| is calculated (#
5).

As shown in FIG. 5, the photoelectric element array Yp 'on which a corneal reflection image is formed is usually generated in the -Y direction in the figure from the photoelectric element array YO' in which the pupil center C'is present and the image signal Another photoelectric element array Y1 'to be read out is calculated from the values of the imaging magnification β and the pupil length (# 6). At this time, the photoelectric element array Y1 'is set to have a sufficient distance from the photoelectric element array Yp'. Similarly, the boundary points Z1a ′, Z between the iris 23 and the pupil 24 on the photoelectric element array Y1 ′ are arranged.
When 1b 'is detected (# 7), the boundary point (Z1a',
Y1 '), (Z1b', Y1 ') and the boundary point (Z
2a ', Yp'), (Z2b ', Yp') using at least three points C '(Zc', Y
c ') is required. Further, the position (Z
d ′, Yp ′) and (Ze ′, Yp ′) are used to transform the above equation (2), the rotation angles θz and θy of the optical axis of the eyeball become

[0036]

[Equation 1]

Satisfies the condition (# 8). However, δY ′ is because the infrared light emitting diode is arranged in the direction orthogonal to the row direction of the photoelectric element row 6 with respect to the light receiving lens 4, so that the re-imaging positions e ′ and d ′ of the corneal reflection image are the photoelectric elements. It is a value for correcting the amount of shift in the Y-axis direction with respect to the Y coordinate of the center of curvature of the cornea 21 on the row 6.

Further, in the eyeball discriminating circuit included in the signal processing circuit 109, it is discriminated whether the observer's eye looking through the finder is the right eye or the left eye, for example, from the distribution of the calculated rotation angle of the eyeball optical axis (# 9) Further, the visual axis correction circuit corrects the visual axis based on the eyeball discrimination information and the rotation angle of the eyeball optical axis (# 10). Further, in the gazing point detection circuit, the gazing point is calculated based on the optical constant of the finder optical system (# 11).

The character title creation in this embodiment will be described below.

8 to 13 are views showing the viewfinder screen 102 at the time of creating a character title in this embodiment, and FIGS. 14 and 15 are flowcharts showing the procedure of creating a character title.

Hereinafter, FIGS. 1 and 8 to 13 will be described in accordance with the flow charts of FIGS. 14 and 15.

First, the character title switch 122 is pressed (a-1) to display a list of title characters in the viewfinder (a-2). At this time, the viewfinder screen 1
In 02, a viewpoint cursor 125 indicating the gazing point of the photographer is displayed.
Is displayed (a-3) (see FIG. 8). When the photographer gazes at a desired character, the viewpoint cursor is moved to the character (b-1), the character moved by the viewpoint cursor 125 blinks (b-2), and the photographer selects the desired character. Character title switch 1 after confirming that blinked
22 is pushed and adopted (b-3). The operations (b-1), (b-2), and (b-3) are repeated until the character title is completed (see FIG. 9).

Next, in order to specify the color of the character title, the viewpoint cursor 1 is first displayed on the "color" of the character title list.
25 and push the character title switch 122 (c
-1). While confirming that the "color" is blinking, move the viewpoint cursor 125 to the desired color display and press the character title switch 122 while confirming the blinking color display (here "green") to determine the color. (C-2) (see FIG. 10).

Next, in order to store the character title in the memory, the viewpoint cursor 125 is moved to "memorize" and the character title switch 122 is pressed (d-1). In this embodiment, three types (1, 2, 3) can be stored. While confirming that "memory" blinks, move the viewpoint cursor 125 to the desired memory address "1", and set the character title switch 122.
When is pressed, the character title is stored in the memory address 1 (d-2) (see FIG. 11).

To display the stored character title on the recording screen, move the line-of-sight cursor 125 to "display" and press the character title switch 122 while confirming that "display" blinks. The displayed title remains the same. It remains on the screen (e-2) (see FIG. 12). Do not display,
If it is just to be stored in the memory, select "not displayed" and press the character title switch 122 (e-3). To call a title that is already stored in the memory, select (1,
This can be done by selecting only the memory addresses 2 and 3).

When finishing the work of creating the character title, select "End" with the line-of-sight cursor and select the character title switch 1
Press 22 (f) (see FIG. 13). In this way, character titles can be created easily and quickly.

Example 2 FIGS. 16 to 18 show Example 2
It is a figure which shows the finder screen at the time of the character title creation in. In the first embodiment, the character selection screens are separated from each other by at least the character width, and three screens are displayed.
6, FIG. 17 and FIG. 18 are divided to improve the selection accuracy by the line of sight.

On the screen of FIG. 16, the letters of the alphabet are selected, on the screen of FIG. 17, the numbers and symbols are selected, or the created character title is displayed or not displayed, and on the screen of FIG. The color selection, the storage of the created character title in the memory, and the end of the character title creation work are selected.

16 to 18, the procedure for creating a character title is the same as the procedure described in the flowcharts of FIGS. 14 and 15 of the first embodiment. However, when the desired character is not on the screen, it is necessary to switch the screens. For example, if / DOWN / is selected on the screen of FIG.
If the screen shifts to the character title selection screen of FIG. 17 and / DOWN / is selected on the line of sight of the screen of FIG. 17, the screen shifts to the screen of FIG. In the opposite case, if / UP / is selected in the line of sight on the screen of FIG. 18 or 17, the screen is switched to FIG. 12 → FIG. 11 and FIG. 11 → FIG.

In this embodiment, the character spacing is larger than that in the first embodiment, so that the selection by the line of sight can be performed more easily than in the first embodiment.

Although each of the above embodiments is a VTR with a built-in camera, the present invention is not limited to this and can be implemented by a video camera having no recording unit such as a VTR.

The selection in the present invention is not limited to alphabets and numbers, and for example,
Kanji, Hiragana or Katakana, other foreign language characters,
It may be a character symbol or a ready-made title.

[0053]

As described above, according to the present invention,
From the list of characters, codes, etc. for the title displayed on the viewfinder screen, you can select the required characters, codes, etc. from the line of sight, making it easy to create a title.
Can be done quickly.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of the line-of-sight detection system according to the first embodiment.

[Fig. 3] Optical principle diagram of line-of-sight detection

[Fig. 4] Optical principle diagram of line-of-sight detection

5 is a diagram showing a reflected image from an eyeball projected on the photoelectric element array surface in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an output signal of the photoelectric element array Yp ′ of FIG.

[Fig. 7] Flow chart of eye gaze detection

FIG. 8 is a view showing a screen of a viewfinder when creating a character title in the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a viewfinder screen when creating a character title according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a viewfinder screen when creating a character title in the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a viewfinder screen when creating a character title according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a screen of a viewfinder when creating a character title in the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a viewfinder screen when creating a character title in the first embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart (part 1) showing a procedure for creating a character title in the first embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a procedure for creating a character title in the first embodiment (part 2).

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a viewfinder screen when creating a character title in the second embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a viewfinder screen when creating a character title in the second embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a screen of a viewfinder when creating a character title in the second embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a procedure for creating a character title in a conventional example.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing a procedure for creating a character title in the conventional example.

FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram of a line-of-sight detection optical system.

22 is a diagram showing output signals of the photoelectric element array in FIG. 21.

[Explanation of symbols]

 102 Viewfinder screen 109 Signal processing circuit 110 Viewfinder video processing display circuit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A video camera equipped with a viewfinder which also serves as a monitor, wherein a gazing point position detecting means for detecting a gazing point position of a photographer on a screen of the viewfinder, and a gazing point detected by the gazing point position detecting means. A video camera, comprising: a display unit for selecting a character or code in a list of characters or codes at a viewpoint position and displaying the selected character or code on the viewfinder.