JPH06189175A - Image pickup device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide clear moving images and still pictures by processing image signals in the unit of a field with the encoder of a moving image signal output means and the encoder of a still picture signal output means and separately displaying them. CONSTITUTION:One frame of a subject formed by an image pickup optical system 1 is scanned at the unit of the field obtd. by dividing one frame into plural parts, successively converted to electric signals and outputted by a solid- state imaging device 3. Then, an encoder 7 of the moving image signal output means outputs one frame signal moving image signal obtd. by synthesizing the same kind of field signals in plural frames, and the moving image is displayed on a monitor 9 or a VCR 8. Similarly. The still picture signal of one frame signal is generated by an encoder 17 of the still picture signal output means, outputted and displayed on a monitor 19 or a VCR 18. Since the device uses this simultaneous processing and the respective display parts, clear moving images and still pictures can be provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image pickup device capable of picking up an image of a subject and simultaneously obtaining a moving image signal and a still image signal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In order to obtain a moving image and a still image in a conventional image pickup device, generally, a moving image signal obtained by dividing one frame into two fields by interlaced scanning so as to comply with the NTSC (National Television System Committee System) system. Then, it was recorded on a video tape recorder or the like, and a still image was obtained from the moving image signal.

[0003]

When a still picture is obtained from a moving picture signal of the NTSC system, the still picture obtained from the image signal of one field is a scanning line as in the case of stopping a home video tape. Since every other is missing, the resolution is very poor.

Therefore, from the image signals of 2 fields, 1
Although some still images of frames are obtained, the two fields are imaged at intervals of 1/60 second, so when the subject is moving, the images of adjacent scanning lines alternate. There is a gap in the image, resulting in a very unclear still image.

However, when watching a stop motion such as sumo or baseball, there is no problem even with such a sharpness. However, for example, when using a television for a medical examination, it is necessary to watch a moving image in real time during the examination, and at the same time, a clear stop-motion image of the important scenes necessary for diagnosis is considered during the examination after the examination. is necessary.

However, in the conventional image pickup device, it was not possible to obtain a clear still image necessary for such a specialized use together with a moving image. Therefore, in the past, when a clear still image was required, an image pickup device dedicated to a still image that can obtain a still image signal in frame units was used, but during inspection, a moving image pickup device and a still image pickup device are used. Since the device has to be replaced, the operation is very complicated, and even if a valuable scene appears in a moving image, it cannot be left as a still image, making it difficult to obtain a valuable record.

Further, it is conceivable that such still images are continuously picked up and a moving image is obtained from the image signal. In that case, one frame of the moving image is formed in one frame unit. Therefore, the screen flickers and it becomes very difficult to see.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image pickup apparatus capable of simultaneously obtaining a clear moving image and a clear still image.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, an image pickup apparatus of the present invention scans an image of a subject formed by an image pickup optical system sequentially in field units obtained by dividing one frame into a plurality of fields. A video signal output that inputs a solid-state image sensor that converts to an electric signal and outputs the image signal in the field unit from the solid-state image sensor, synthesizes signals of the same field in a plurality of frames, and sequentially outputs as one field signal Means and a still image signal output means for inputting the image signal in the field unit from the solid-state image sensor and outputting one frame signal obtained by combining a plurality of field signals in the same frame. .

[0010]

The solid-state image pickup device outputs an image signal in units of fields, and the moving image signal output means synthesizes signals of the same field in a plurality of frames in the image signal input from the solid-state image pickup device into one field signal. The image signals are sequentially output, and the still image signal output means synthesizes a plurality of field signals in the same frame in the image signal input from the solid-state image sensor to output a still image signal as one frame signal.

[0011]

Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, and 1 is an image pickup optical system for forming an image of a subject. A zoom optical system or the like may be used when the subject is directly imaged. When applied to an endoscope, the observation optical system of the endoscope directly constitutes a part or all of the imaging optical system.

The light receiving surface of the solid-state image pickup device 3 is arranged at the image forming position of the image pickup optical system 1, and the optical image of the object formed there is converted into an electric signal. As the solid-state imaging device 3, here, a color CCD (charge coupled device) that outputs a signal decomposed into three color image signals of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) by one chip is used. Used. However,
Any solid-state image sensor other than CCD such as CMD (charge modulation device) may be used, and an independent solid-state image sensor may be provided for each color.

The solid-state image pickup device 3 is a drive circuit (driver).
Scan every other scan line by 4 and scan 1
It is driven so as to output an image signal for each field obtained by dividing the frame into two fields. However, NTSC
In the method, one field is scanned at a speed of 1/60 second, but here, it is scanned at an integral multiple speed, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, one field is scanned at a speed of 1/240 second. .

R, G, B output from the solid-state image sensor 3
The image signals of the three colors are divided into two and input to the moving image signal preamplifier 5 and the still image signal preamplifier 15. Then, various corrections are added to the signal amplified by the moving image signal preamplifier 5 in the moving image signal correction circuit 6. The corrections added there are, for example, as follows.

Hum cancellation for canceling hum induced in the cable, cable compensation for compensating for high frequency components of the image which is reduced by the cable length, color temperature correction for correcting the color tone of the image, and sharpening the contour of the image to sharpen the image. Contour correction to correct the color, a linear matrix that improves the color reproduction by correcting the color reproduced on the screen, shading correction that corrects the fall of the peripheral part of the image, white compression to prevent the white part from skipping, Gamma correction that corrects the brightness characteristic of the monitor's cathode ray tube.

The image signals of the three colors output from the moving image signal correction circuit 6 are input to the moving image signal encoder 7, where the final three colors of R, G, and B are combined, and the luminance signal is added thereto. Then, a moving picture signal for a color television that conforms to the NTSC system is output.

However, in the moving picture signal encoder 7,
The first field is divided into eight field signals that form four consecutive frames, and the first field is synthesized by taking the average value of the signals of the first field in each of the four frames as shown in FIG. An image signal composed of a signal and a second field signal synthesized by taking the average value of the signals of the second field in each of the four frames is output.

This image signal is an image signal in field units at intervals of 1/60 second in which one frame is divided into two fields by interlaced scanning, and is output to the moving image monitor 9 to display the subject on the monitor screen of the cathode ray tube. A full-color moving image is reproduced, and at the same time, it is output to a moving image VCR (video cassette recorder) 8 and magnetically recorded.

On the other hand, the image signals of the three color R, G, and B field units input from the solid-state image pickup device 3 to the preamplifier 15 for a still image signal are amplified by the preamplifier 15 for a still image signal, and then the still image signal. In the correction circuit 16 for use, various kinds of correction similar to the signal for moving images are added.

The three-color image signal output from the still image signal correction circuit 16 is input to the still image signal encoder 17, where one frame signal from the two field signals is three colors of R, G, and B. Are formed, combined with each other, and a luminance signal is added thereto, and a still image signal converted into a format suitable for a recording apparatus used is output.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the image forming one frame is obtained at a high speed of 1/120 second, which is a combination of two fields.
Compared to a 1/30 second frame image formed by the SC method, the image becomes clearer with less blur.

This still picture signal is recorded in the still picture VCR 18 in frame units. Note that various recording devices of analog or digital type can be used in place of the VCR.

The still picture VCR 18 is driven at a high speed so as to record more data. And still picture V
The still image signal recorded in the CR 18 can be output to the still image monitor 19 as necessary to reproduce a full-color still image of the subject on the monitor screen.

Reference numeral 21 is a synchronizing circuit for outputting a signal for synchronizing the solid-state image pickup device 3 with the moving image signal encoder 7 and the still image signal encoder 17, and according to the synchronizing signal output from the synchronizing circuit 21. , 1 field is synchronized with a 1/240 second or a 1/60 second cycle synchronized with the 1/240 field.

The synchronizing circuit 21 is connected with a setting circuit 22 for arbitrarily setting the synchronization timing of a still picture signal with respect to a moving picture signal, and a still picture is picked up in an arbitrary cycle in synchronization with the moving picture signal. Can be set to

In this way, according to the apparatus of this embodiment, N
It is possible to simultaneously output a TSC color moving image signal and a clear color still image signal captured at high speed and simultaneously record them.

The scanning speed is not always 2 fields.
It is not necessary to scan at 1/40 second intervals, for example, at an interval that is an integral multiple of 1/60 second, and the average value of the field signals obtained by multiple scans is calculated at 1/60 second intervals. It may be output as an NTSC signal at a speed.

Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and for example, a moving picture signal may be a so-called high-definition system which divides one frame into four fields instead of the NTSC system which divides one frame into two fields. .

[0029]

According to the image pickup apparatus of the present invention, since the moving image signal in the field unit and the still image signal in the frame unit captured at high speed can be output at the same time, a clear moving image without flicker and high resolution can be obtained. It has an excellent effect that a clear still image can be obtained at the same time.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a time chart showing the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a time chart showing the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a time chart showing the operation of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Imaging optical system 3 Solid-state image sensor 5,15 Preamplifier 6,16 Correction circuit 7,17 Encoder 8,18 VCR

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A solid-state image sensor for scanning an image of a subject formed by an image-pickup optical system in units of fields obtained by dividing one frame into a plurality of fields, and sequentially converting the signals into electric signals for output. A video signal output unit for inputting a unit image signal, synthesizing signals of the same field in a plurality of frames and sequentially outputting as a single field signal, and inputting the image signal for each field unit from the solid-state imaging device An image pickup apparatus comprising: a still image signal output means for outputting one frame signal obtained by combining a plurality of field signals in a frame.