JPH0537855A - Picture signal synthesis and separation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve roughness in the time axis direction without much deterioration in the resolution of a picture by synthesizing and separately recording plural pictures and reproducing the picture. CONSTITUTION:Recorded plural picture signals 5 are inputted to a picture signal synthesizing separator 2, in which the plural picture signals are synthesized and the result is recorded on a VTR 1, a composite picture signal 6 reproduced by the VTR 1 is inputted to a picture signal synthesis/separating device 3, only a selected picture signal 7 is outputted and displayed on a monitor 4. That is, a synchronizing signal being a reference signal is generated from one of the recorded plural pictures and the signal is written in the picture memory based on the synchronizing signal and the signal is read in a synthesis timing by each recording format in the selected recording mode respectively and the composite picture signal 6 is generated through the combination of the composite and the synthesis of the picture signals, a discrimination code is added to each frame and the result is recorded as a composite picture signal. Thus, while the unnatural movement of the picture due to thinning out in the time axis direction is reduced, the deterioration in the resolution of the picture is prevented.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image signal synthesizing device having a circuit for synthesizing a plurality of images and recording the same in a recording device, and then separating and reproducing the composite image signal recorded in the recording device into respective images. -It relates to a separation device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 7 shows a conventional structure for simultaneously recording and reproducing a plurality of images. In FIG. 7, 1 is a device for recording and reproducing images,
Reference numeral 2 is an image signal synthesizing device for recording a plurality of images, 3 is an image signal separating device for reproducing a composite image signal, 4 is a monitor for displaying the reproduced image signal, and 5 is an image signal for recording (a
1, a2, an) and 6 are composite image signals to be recorded and reproduced, and 7 is an image signal to be reproduced (b1, b2, bn).

The conventional means for simultaneously recording a plurality of images is configured as described above, and here, only the case of recording and reproducing four kinds of image signals will be limited and described.
As shown in FIG. 8, one frame of one image is recorded, A1 image is recorded in the first frame, B2 image is recorded in the second frame, C3 image is recorded in the third frame, D4 image is recorded in the fourth frame, then A5 image, next In addition, the B6 image ... Is arranged in the order of 4 frames, and the discrimination code is added and recorded. In reproducing each image, each image signal is recorded in every four jumps. Therefore, in order to return to the time rate before recording, the same frame is repeatedly reproduced four times, and each image is reproduced. Play.

[0004]

In the conventional apparatus for recording and reproducing a plurality of images as described above, when the recorded images are reproduced, the images are updated only once every four frames in the time axis direction. The movement of the image may be awkward and important parts of the data may not be recorded. Further, when the number of images to be recorded is a small number, a portion where no image signal is input is left blank and is recorded as useless data.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus provided with a circuit for reducing the unnaturalness of the movement of an image even if the recorded composite image signal is separated and reproduced. It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus including a circuit that minimizes blank recording of a blank portion of an image even when the number of images to be recorded is small.

[0006]

A reference synchronizing signal is created from one of a plurality of images to be recorded, and each is written into an image memory based on the synchronizing signal, and each of them is classified by a recording format in a preselected recording mode. The above problem is solved by using a device which reads out at the composition timing of 1), creates a composite image signal by combining the composition and decoding of image signals, and adds a discrimination code to each frame and records it as a composite image signal. It is a thing.

In reproducing the composite image signal recorded by the above method, the image signal synthesizing / separating apparatus writes each image data in the image memory based on the discrimination code for distinguishing the image to be reproduced. Then
By reading out only the preselected image data into the image memory and repeating the recording every 3 frames when recording three or more screens in order to restore the time rate at the time of recording, by using the means for alternately reading and reproducing the image data, This is to solve the above problem.

[0008]

As an operation of the present invention, a plurality of image signals are simultaneously recorded while thinning out in the time axis direction and vertical and horizontal thinning out of the image signals, and even if they are reproduced as individual images, they are thinned out in the time axis direction. While reducing the unnaturalness of the movement of the image, it also prevents the resolution of the image from decreasing.

[0009]

EXAMPLES Example 1. A first embodiment in simultaneous recording of a plurality of images on one recording device and separation and reproduction of each image will be described. Further, in order to simplify the description here, the description will be limited to the case of recording and reproducing four types of the same image signal. FIG. 1 shows a structure for recording and reproducing a plurality of images according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a recording device, 4 is a monitor for displaying reproduced images, 5 (a ₁ , a ₂ , a _n ) are a plurality of input image signals, and 7 (b ₁ , b ₂ , b _n ). Is an image signal selected to be reproduced, 2 is an image signal synthesizer / separator according to the present invention, 3 is an image signal synthesizer / separator according to the present invention, and 6 is conceived according to the present invention 7 shows a composite image signal. In FIG. 2, 1,
Reference numerals 2 and 5 are the same as those of the above conventional apparatus, 8 is a sync signal separated from an image signal, 9 is a reference clock generation, 11,
12 is a memory for controlling writing of image data in the memory.
Control, 10 is a memory for writing image data, 1
3 is image data composition and composite processing based on the selected recording mode, 14 is an image memory for writing the composite and composite processed image data, and 15 is image data composition, composition and output of discrimination code Reference numeral 16 denotes a composite timing circuit for controlling, and 16 denotes an imposing circuit for adding a discrimination code to the output composite image signal. In FIG.
Reference numerals 1, 3, 4, 6, and 7 are the same as those of the conventional device, 17 is a circuit for extracting an image synchronization signal from the reproduced and input composite image signal, 18 is a circuit for extracting a discrimination code from the synchronization signal, Reference numeral 19 is an image switching circuit for separating the composite image data and writing each image data into the image memory. Reference numeral 20 is a memory control for controlling from separation of the composite image data to reproduction of each image data.
Is an image processing unit that restores the composite image data to each image data, 22 is the writing of image data to be reproduced and output,
9 illustrates an image memory in which reading is controlled by a synthesis switching timing circuit.

The operation of the image signal synthesizing / separating device and the image signal synthesizing / separating device configured as described above will be described. Image signal synthesis of 4 input image signals 5
The sync signal is input to the separation device 2, the sync signal is separated from the image signal by the sync separation circuit 8, and the reference clocks 9 and 10 for operating each circuit are generated from the sync signal. The image data separated from the synchronization signal is temporarily written in the image memory 11 under the control of the memory control 12. Even if the input image signals are asynchronous, the clocks of the clock generation circuit 9 are used as reference clocks for the process of reading image data from all the image memories 11 to synchronize the image signals. The image data written in the image memory 11 is read by the read control of the memory control 12 and sent to the image processing 13. In the image processing 13,
According to the recording mode selected by the switch on the front panel, the composition timing circuit 15 controls the image data from the image memory 11 to be combined, combined, and written in the image memory 14. To the composite image data read out from the image memory 14 under the control of the composition timing circuit, a discrimination code similarly generated by the composition timing circuit is added to the sync signal by the imposing unit 16 and output as one type of image signal. . The composite image signal 6 output from the image signal synthesis / separation device 2 is recorded in the recording device 1.

The composite image signal 6 recorded in the recording device 1 is reproduced and input to the image signal synthesizing / separating device 3. The input composite image signal is divided into a sync signal and an image signal by a sync separation circuit, and a discrimination code is extracted from the sync signal.
Then, the recording mode signal is sent to the memory control. Under the control of the memory control 20, the composite image data is divided by the composite image separation circuit 19 based on the data of the discrimination code, and written in each image memory 21. It is read by the control of the memory control to output the image selected by the switch from the recorded image signals,
The image memory 2 is returned to the same time as the recorded time rate.
Written to 2. The normal image signal 7 is output to the monitor for the image selected earlier than the image signal combining / separating device.

FIG. 4 illustrates a recording mode selectable by the image signal synthesizing / separating apparatus, and a recording method and a reproducing method thereof. There are three recording modes, FIG. 4 (a) normal recording mode, FIG. 4 (b) two-screen recording mode, and FIG.
(C) The 4-screen recording mode is set. FIG. 4 (a) In recording and reproducing in the normal recording mode, one image signal is recorded, and is recorded in the recording device 1 without being subjected to image processing, and in reproducing, no processing is performed in the image signal synthesizing / separating device. Output without it. In recording and reproduction in the two-screen recording mode of FIG. 4B, two screens A and B are recorded as shown in FIG. As a method for this, two images are combined into one frame by utilizing the property that human eyes do not notice much even if the resolution in the diagonal direction or the resolution of movement in the image is limited. The method of compositing and recording A and B images is shown in FIG.
One frame of the A image of FIG. 5 is alternately thinned out in pixel units as shown in FIG. 5C, and the B image of FIG. 5B is also similarly thinned by shifting one pixel (FIG. 5D), A image and B
A composite image is obtained by superimposing the images in the image memory (FIG. 5E), and the discrimination code is added to the empty area of the vertical blanking section shown in FIG.
At the time of reproduction, which recording mode is determined based on the discrimination code, each image of A and B is written in two image memories, and each image is reproduced as an image for A image and an image for B image and reproduced twice. The time rate before recording is restored by repeatedly reading and reproducing every two frames. In recording and reproduction in the 4-screen recording mode, 4-screen recording of A, B, C, and D is performed by the method shown in FIGS. The recording method is basically the same as the two-screen recording mode, but the data for two images is written in one frame, and the data of the A image and the C image in one frame are alternated on the scanning line as shown in FIG. Pixels are thinned out, A image and C image are overlapped and mixed, two image data are written in one frame, and the same process is performed for B image and D image, and then AC combined image and BD combined The images are read alternately, the maximum value of the recorded image number is added to the discrimination code for each frame, and the discrimination code is recorded in the recording device as an image signal. In the reproduction, the combined image signal is separated into respective image data based on the discrimination code, written in the image memory, and placed, and is reproduced every two frames as in the two-screen recording mode.

Example 2. In the reproduction of the composite image of the first embodiment, it is possible to reproduce each image independently, but it is impossible to directly compare them. Therefore,
When returning the recorded composite image to each image, each image signal is reduced to 1/2 in the vertical direction and 1 in the horizontal direction.
/ 2 is thinned out, 4 images are combined, and 4 images are displayed at once on one screen.
By adding the function to play the screen, it is possible to directly compare the images.

In the second embodiment, when a problem occurs due to thinning in the vertical and horizontal directions, an output terminal dedicated to each image is provided, the recorded composite image is returned to each image, and four output terminals are respectively provided. You can connect a monitor and compare the displays. As a result, it becomes possible to compare the images without performing the image thinning process.

Although the discrimination code is added to each image in the first embodiment, the discrimination code is added to each frame of the image signal of the head (here, A image) input to each recording mode. . As the added code, a code indicating the number of images to be recorded is added. This method also makes it possible to identify each image during recording and reproduction.

[0016]

The present invention is constructed as described above and exhibits the effects as described below.

By synthesizing and recording a plurality of images of Example 1 and reproducing them separately, the roughness in the time axis direction can be improved without significantly lowering the resolution of the images.

Even if a plurality of image signals are combined and recorded by adding the discrimination code of the first embodiment to the synchronizing signal, the discrimination can be made at the time of reproduction and the reproduction can be performed separately.

Recording can be performed according to the number of image signals input by setting the recording mode in the first embodiment, and recording of unnecessary portions can be suppressed to a minimum.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an internal block diagram of an image signal synthesizing / separating apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an internal configuration diagram of an image signal synthesizing / separating apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a recording / reproducing system for a plurality of image signals according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a two-image combining method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how a discrimination code is added to a vertical synchronizing signal according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a conventional device of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a four-image recording / reproducing system of a conventional apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 recording device 2 Image signal synthesizer / separator 3 Image signal synthesizer / separator 4 monitors 5 Multiple image input 6 Composite image signal 7 Playback image signal 8 Sync separation circuit 9 Clock generator 10 Clock generator 11 Image memory 12 Memory control 13 Image processing 14 image memory 15 Synthesis timing control circuit 16 Imposing circuit 17 Sync separation circuit 18 Code discrimination circuit 19 Image switching circuit 20 memory control 21 Temporary writing memory 22 Image memory

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image signal synthesizing / separating device for synthesizing a plurality of image signals and recording the same on a recording device, and a clock generator for generating a reference synchronizing signal for synchronizing the respective image signals; An image memory unit for temporarily writing each image signal based on the synchronization signal,
Based on the reference clock from the memory control unit and the clock generation circuit unit that reads out image data from the image memory based on the reference clock, the modification processing of the recording format according to the number of image signals to be recorded in the recording device is performed. A combination timing switching control circuit section, an image processing section that reads and writes from the image memory while switching and selecting image data by a combination timing switching control signal, and recognizes each written image data as composite image data in the memory. A combination timing switching circuit section for generating a discrimination code and a circuit for synthesizing the composite image data and the discrimination code for each frame of each image signal read out from the image memory and outputting as a composite image signal are provided. Image signal synthesizer / separator. 2. A composite image signal recorded in a recording device,
In the image signal synthesizing / separating device for separating and reproducing each image before synthesizing, a code discriminating unit that detects and decodes the discrimination code added to discriminate each composite image, The input image signal is switched to each image data by the discrimination signal output from the code discriminating unit, and the image switching circuit unit for writing to the image memory and the image selected by the image switching circuit unit based on the discrimination code An image signal synthesizing / separating device comprising a memory control unit for reading only data from an image memory, and a circuit for synthesizing image data and an image synchronizing signal and reproducing and outputting as an image signal before synthesizing.