JPH06268900A - High-definition camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an inexpensive high-definition camera by providing an anamorphic lens which converts the field angle from K:L to M:N. CONSTITUTION:An anamorphic lens 10 is provided to convert the field angle from 16:9 of K:L to 4:3 of M:N. A CCD 16 for green color where a ratio of the number of lateral picture element to that of longitudinal picture elements is 4X3 of MXN and a CCD element 15 for red color and a CCD element 17 for blue which are arranged at position obliquely deviated from the spatial position of the CCD element 16 for green color and a ratio of the number of picture elements is 4X3 are provided. Then, the light from an object is condensed through the anamorphic lens 10 by an image pickup lens 11, and light made incident on a dichronic prism 12 as a red color separation prism is separated into red (R), green (G), and blue (B), and they are made incident on CCD elements 15, 16, and 17 respectively. These light made incident on CCD elements are sent to a high definition processing circuit 20 after being photoelectrically converted by CCD elements 15, 16 and 17.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a high-definition camera which is capable of capturing a color image signal by picking up an image of a subject using a plurality of CCD elements and supporting a high-definition television.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an image displayed on a television screen has a resolution higher than that of a conventional standard such as an NTSC system or a PAL system such as a high definition television (so-called high definition). High resolution is desired.

In order to obtain a high resolution like that of a high definition television, conventionally, the following two methods have been adopted in a video camera.

That is, one method is to increase the number of pixels per unit area of the CCD element incorporated in the video camera, and the other method is to increase the area of the CCD element to increase the CCD element. Is composed of a large number of pixels.

The HDTV has a monitor aspect ratio of 16: 9 and the number of scanning lines is 1125, which is very different from the conventional format such as the NTSC system.

[0006]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention
In order to obtain a video signal for the above high definition television, in a video camera, a lens system, a CCD element,
The signal processing circuit and the like must have a new configuration different from that of the above-described conventional format video camera, which causes a cost increase. For example, in CCD devices for high-definition cameras, the production quantity is small because the demand is still low, and the number of pixels of the CCD devices has to be increased, so that the manufacturing yield is low and therefore the cost is high. .

Therefore, the present invention has been proposed in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an inexpensive high-definition camera.

[0008]

A high-definition camera of the present invention is proposed to achieve the above-mentioned object, and an anamorphic lens for converting an angle of view from K: L to M: N. The first CCD element in which the ratio of the number of horizontal and vertical pixels is M × N, and the first and second CCD elements are arranged obliquely with respect to the spatial position, and the ratio of the number of horizontal and vertical pixels is A multi-plate image pickup means which is made up of a second CCD element of M × N and which picks up light from a subject through the anamorphic lens, and a predetermined high-definition process is applied to a video signal from the image pickup means. And a high definition processing means.

Here, the K: L is 16: 9 (that is, so-called high-definition is supported), and the M: N is 4: 3 (that is, compatible with the current NTSC system and PAL system), and the high definition is provided. The video signal subjected to the high definition processing by the resolution processing means is a signal to be sent to the monitor means (that is, the high definition television) having an aspect ratio of 16: 9. Further, the video signal sent to the monitor means may be a video signal after the video signal subjected to the high definition processing by the high definition processing means is recorded and reproduced by the recording and reproducing means.

[0010]

According to the high-definition camera of the present invention, since the angle of view is converted from K: L to M: N by the anamorphic lens, each CCD element of the image pickup means has a vertical and horizontal pixel ratio. M × N can be used.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The high-definition camera of this embodiment has an angle of view of K:
An anamorphic lens 10 for converting from L to M: N,
A first CCD element (green CCD element) 16 in which the ratio of the number of horizontal and vertical pixels is M × N, and a position obliquely displaced from the spatial position of the first CCD element 16 The second CCD element (the CCD element 15 for red and the CCD element 17 for blue) in which the ratio of the number of horizontal and vertical pixels is M × N
A multi-plate (three-plate type) image pickup means for picking up light from a subject through the anamorphic lens 10, and a predetermined high definition described later with respect to video signals from the CCD elements 15, 16 and 17. High-definition processing circuit 2 for processing
0 and.

Here, in this embodiment, the above K: L is 1
6: 9 (that is, compatible with so-called high-definition), M: N is 4: 3 (that is, compatible with the current NTSC system and PAL system), and the high definition processing circuit 2 is
The video signal subjected to the high definition processing by 0 is a signal to be sent to the monitor 22 (that is, the high definition television) having the aspect ratio of 16: 9. The video signal subjected to the high definition processing by the high definition processing circuit 20 is recorded on a recording medium such as a magnetic tape or a magneto-optical disk by the recording device 23 and reproduced from the recording medium by the reproducing device 24. The generated video signal is sent to a monitor 25 similar to the monitor 22 described above.
It is also possible to send it to and display it.

The anamorphic lens 10 is an optical system (lens system) that produces images with different vertical and horizontal magnifications on the image plane. In the present embodiment, the angle of view is changed as described above. A conversion from 16: 9 to 4: 3 (contraction only in the horizontal direction) is used.

That is, in the high-definition camera of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the anamorphic lens 10 converts the angle of view from 16: 9 to 4: 3,
The ratio of the number of pixels in the vertical and horizontal directions as shown in FIG. 3 is 4: 3 (that is, 980 pixels in the horizontal direction and 580 pixels in the vertical direction, for example, P
An image is picked up by CCD elements 15, 16 and 17 (for the AL system), and a video signal from the CCD elements 15, 16 and 17 is processed by a high definition processing circuit 20, which will be described later, with high definition to obtain the image shown in FIG. As shown, a video signal having 1960 pixels in the horizontal direction and 1160 pixels in the vertical direction is obtained. BA, which is a standard for high definition television
According to the T standard, 1920 pixels in the vertical direction × 1035 in the horizontal direction
Since the video signal to be a pixel is standardized, it can be seen that the camera of this embodiment can obtain a necessary and sufficient video signal corresponding to this standard.

Further, in the high-definition camera of the present embodiment, the anamorphic lens 10 can be attached and detached, so that the camera can correspond to the high-definition television system as well as the existing PAL system and NTSC system. Becomes

The details will be described below. In FIG. 1, an imaging lens 11 is an optical system that collects light from a subject (not shown) via the anamorphic lens 10, and the light collected from the subject by the imaging lens 11 is color separated. Dichroic prism 1 as a prism
It is incident on 2. The light incident on the dichroic prism 12 is separated into red (R), green (G), and blue (B) components by the dichroic prism 12, and the CCDs provided in association with the respective color components are provided.
The light enters the element 15 (for red), the CCD element 16 (for green), and the CCD element 17 (for blue), respectively.

The red (R), green (G) and blue (B) angular component lights incident on the CCD elements 15, 16 and 17 are photoelectrically converted by the CCD elements 15, 16 and 17, respectively. After that, it is sent to the high definition processing circuit 20.

In the high-definition processing circuit 20, various pulses from a transfer pulse generating circuit (not shown) are converted into video signals (primary color signals), which are converted into digital signals by A / D conversion, and then, for example, in each frame. Store in memory etc.

Here, each CCD element 15, 16, 1
As shown in FIG. 5A, 7 is a CCD element 16 for green (G), where Px is the horizontal pitch of each pixel (indicated by a fine square in the drawing) and Py is the vertical pitch. CCD element 1 for red (R) and blue (B) with respect to the spatial position of
The pitch of 5, 16 is Px / 2 in the horizontal direction and Py / in the vertical direction.
2 staggered arrangement, that is, CCD element 16 for green (G)
The red (R) and blue (B) CCD elements 15 and 17 are obliquely displaced with respect to the spatial position (see B and C in FIG. 5).

The digital video signals respectively stored in the frame memories in the high definition processing circuit 20 are read out from the frame memories by an address signal supplied from a writing / reading circuit (not shown), and then, The high-definition processing circuit 20 performs the brightness high-frequency processing and the interpolation processing, which will be described later, as predetermined high-definition processing. Here, in the high definition processing circuit 20,
Interpolation processing is performed on the red (R), blue (B), and green (G) digital video signals read from the frame memory by the following method.

That is, as shown in FIG. 6, when the square indicated by the double frame in the drawing is the original signal and the other squares are the interpolation signals (points diagonally above, below, to the left, to the right of the original signal), the interpolation signal G
H1 is obtained by averaging the original signals G1 and G2, interpolation signal GV1 is obtained by averaging the original signals G1 and G3, and interpolation signal GHV is obtained by averaging the original signals G1, G2, G3, G4, The interpolated signal GV2 is obtained by averaging the original signals G2 and G4, and the interpolated signal GH2 is obtained as the original signals G3 and G4.
Is calculated by averaging. In this description, G, that is, the video signal of the green (G) component is described, but the interpolation processing is performed in the same manner for the video signals of red (R) and blue (B).

Taking the case of green (G) as an example, the expression
It is shown by (1) to formula (3).

GH1 = (G1 + G2) / 2 (1) GV1 = (G1 + G3) / 2 (2) GHV1 = (G1 + G2 + G3 + G4) / 4 (3)

In the case of red (R) and blue (B), the formula
It is similar to (1) to formula (3), and this is shown in formula (4) to formula (6) and formula (7) to formula (9).

RH1 = (R1 + R2) / 2 (4) RV1 = (R1 + R3) / 2 (5) RHV1 = (R1 + R2 + R3 + R4) / 4 (6)

BH1 = (B1 + B2) / 2 (7) BV1 = (B1 + B3) / 2 (8) BHV1 = (B1 + B2 + B3 + B4) / 4 (9)

In the high definition processing circuit 20, the following color processing, luminance low frequency processing and luminance high frequency processing are performed on the interpolated signal obtained by such interpolation processing.

That is, in the color processing, the interpolation signal corresponding to each color by the above-described interpolation processing and the low-frequency luminance signal Y described later are provided.
Generate color difference signals R-YL and B-YL based on L,
These are supplied to other circuits of the camera.

In the luminance low frequency processing, the low frequency luminance signal YL is generated based on the above interpolation signal. This low range brightness Y
For example, when the ratio of the R, G, and B components is calculated by the formula (10),
It is obtained by mixing R, G, and B so that the ratio becomes.

YL = 0.59G + 0.3R + 0.1B (10)

However, when the low-frequency luminance signal YL is generated, since the interpolation signal generated by the interpolation processing is used, the resolution cannot be improved.

Therefore, the following high-luminance processing is carried out, as shown in FIG.
As shown in, the resolution is improved.

In FIG. 7, among the squares indicated by double frames in the figure, the one marked "G" indicates the green (G) original signal,
The one marked "R" is the original signal of red (R), and the other squares marked "GV1" are the original signals of green (G) G1 as described in FIG. And G3
The interpolated signal obtained by adding and averaging "GV2" is the original signal G of green (G) as described in FIG.
The interpolation signal obtained by adding and averaging 2 and G4, which is described as "RV1", is red (R) as is clear from the description of FIG.
The interpolated signal obtained by averaging the original signals R1 and R3 of
What is described as "RV2" is an interpolation signal obtained by averaging the original signals R2 and R4 of red (R), as is clear from the description of FIG. When a blue (B) interpolation signal is used instead of a red (R) interpolation signal, “RV1” becomes “BV1” in correspondence with FIG. 7, and “BV1”
As is clear from the explanation of FIG. 6, the original signal B of blue (B) is
Even if the interpolation signal is obtained by averaging 1 and B3, "RV
2 "becomes" BV2 ", and" BV2 "is an interpolation signal obtained by adding and averaging the original signals B2 and B4 of blue (B), as is clear from the description of FIG.

That is, in the luminance high frequency processing, as shown in FIG. 7, for example, in the nth line, the green (G) original signal and the red (R) interpolation signal R only for vertical interpolation are used.
, V1, RV2, ..., RVn are alternately arranged side by side, n
In the + 1st line, the original signal of red (R) and the interpolation signals GV1, GV2, ...
Vn are arranged alternately. Equation (11) for obtaining the high-frequency luminance signal YH from these is shown.

YH = 0.5 G + 0.5 R (11)

When the blue (B) interpolation signal is used, for example, in the n-th line, the green original signal and the blue (B) interpolation signals B1, B2, ...
BVn are arranged alternately, and in the (n + 1) th line, the original signal of blue (B) and the interpolation signals G1, G2, ..., GVn of green (G) only for vertical interpolation are arranged alternately. . Equation (1 to obtain the high-frequency luminance signal YH from this
2) is shown.

YH = 0.5 G + 0.5 B (12)

The high-frequency luminance signal YH can also be obtained by using the following equation (13).

YH = 0.5 G + 0.25R + 0.25B (13)

As the array for obtaining the high-frequency luminance signal YH in the equation (13), for example, in the n-th line, the original signal of green (G) and the interpolation signal R of red (R) only for vertical interpolation are used.
, VV1, RV2, ..., RVn and blue (B) interpolation signals BV1, BV2, ..., BVn for vertical interpolation only, that is, (RV1 + BV1) / 2,
(RV2 + BV2) / 2, ..., (RVn + BVn)
/ 2 are alternately arranged, and in the (n + 1) th line, an average of the red (R) original signal and the blue (B) original signal and the green (G) interpolated signal GV1, which is only vertical interpolation,
An arrangement in which GV2, ..., GVn are arranged alternately is conceivable.

Further, it can be realized by the following method. That is, the original signals above and below red (R),
The sum of the original signals above and below the blue (B) signal, (R + R
In this arrangement, + B + B) / 4 and the green (G) original signal are alternately arranged.

Here, the high-frequency luminance signal YH and the low-frequency luminance signal YL obtained by the above-described processing are further subjected to luminance processing. This brightness process is a process of generating a brightness signal Y based on the low band brightness signal YL by the brightness low band process and the high band brightness process YH by the brightness high band process.

Here, the brightness processing will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 8, specifically, the luminance processing is realized by a circuit including at least the adding circuits 25 and 27 and the low-pass filter 26.

First, in step ST1, in the adder circuit 25, the low band luminance signal YL to the high band luminance signal YH.
Is subtracted and the result becomes as shown in step ST2.

Next, the addition output shown in step ST2 output from the adding circuit 25 is supplied to the low-pass filter 26 as shown in step ST3.
As shown in FIG. 3, the signal is low-pass filtered.

In the subsequent step ST4, the adder circuit 27 adds the low-pass filtered output obtained in step ST3 and the high-frequency luminance signal YH input in step ST1 to obtain the input height shown in step ST1. The low band part of the band brightness signal YH is the high band brightness signal of step ST3.
The low-frequency part of YH is offset, and as shown in step ST4, the low-frequency part of the low-frequency brightness signal YL and the high-frequency brightness signal YL.
It becomes the luminance signal Y in which the high frequency part of H is mixed.

Then, the luminance signal Y is supplied to other circuits of the camera (not shown).

The color difference signals R-YL and B-YL and the color video signal generated from the luminance signal Y are supplied to the terminal 21.
And is supplied to the monitor 22 and the recording device 23 via the. When the monitor 22 displays an image on its image display surface as an image, the number of pixels in the horizontal direction is doubled and equalized even though the same CCD element as the conventional one is used. Will be able to get the resolution of.

By the way, in the vertical direction, since the video signal is composed of the original signal and the vertical interpolation signal of the original signal, the resolution is improved although the number of pixels is not equal to twice. In addition,
If processing is performed by a two-dimensional filter, the original signal and the vertical interpolation signal can be used in the vertical direction, and the same effect as in the horizontal direction can be obtained.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the vertical / horizontal 1 / horizontal direction is set with respect to the spatial position of the green (G) CCD element 16.
Two pitches, that is, C for red (R), which is shifted diagonally
Using the CD element 15 and the blue (B) CCD element 17,
While obtaining a video signal, the signal from the green (G) CCD element 16 and the red (R) and blue (B) CCD elements 15 and 17 are obtained.
Among the interpolated signals of the video signal from, the vertical interpolation signal and the high-frequency luminance signal YH are generated, and the mixing ratio at the time of generation of the high-frequency luminance signal YH is 0.5G + 0.5R, 0.5G + 0.5.
B, 0.5G + 0.25R + 0.25B, etc. to obtain the high-frequency luminance signal YL, while the low-frequency luminance signal YL is 0.5.
9G + 0.3R + 0.11B is used to obtain the luminance signal Y composed of the low-frequency portion of the low-frequency luminance signal YL and the high-frequency portion of the high-frequency luminance signal YH in the luminance processing, and thus has been conventionally used. It is possible to obtain a video signal that is equal to the video signal obtained by using the CCD device, and it is possible to reduce the size and weight of the video camera and to use at least the same number of pixels without increasing the number of physical pixels. Thus, it is possible to obtain a video signal having a resolution twice or more the conventional resolution.

Further, as is apparent from the above, since the number of pixels of the CCD element is not increased, the power consumption increases,
Various inconveniences caused by increasing the number of pixels of the CCD element, such as yield deterioration, do not occur.

The above-described embodiment is an example of the present invention, and it goes without saying that various other configurations can be adopted without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0055]

As described above, in the high-definition camera of the present invention, the angle of view is set to K: by the anamorphic lens.
Since the image is converted from L to M: N, it is possible to use an image pickup unit having a ratio of the number of vertical and horizontal pixels of M × N. That is,
For example, it is possible to realize a high-definition camera for a high-definition television with an aspect ratio of 16: 9 using existing CCD elements for the NTSC system and the PAL system. The power consumption can be reduced, and the high definition television system and the existing television system can be compatible with each other.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a main part of a high definition camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining conversion of an angle of view by an anamorphic lens.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing pixels of a CCD element for PAL system.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing pixels obtained by the camera of this embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the spatial arrangement of each pixel of each CCD element of the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining interpolation processing in a high definition processing circuit.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining luminance high frequency processing in a high definition processing circuit.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining brightness processing in a high definition processing circuit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 --- Anamorphic lens 11 --- Imaging lens 12 --- Dichroic prism 15 --- Red (R) CCD element 16 --- ... CCD element for green (G) 17 ... CCD element for blue (B) 20 ... high-definition processing circuit 22, 25 ... monitor 23 ... .... Recording device 24 ...

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An anamorphic lens for converting an angle of view from K: L to M: N, a first CCD element having a ratio of horizontal and vertical pixels of M × N, and a first CCD element of the first CCD element. It is arranged diagonally to the spatial position and the ratio of the number of horizontal and vertical pixels is M ×
A multi-chip image pickup device which is composed of a second CCD element N, and which picks up light from a subject through the anamorphic lens, and a high-resolution image signal from the image pickup device which performs predetermined high-definition processing. A high-definition camera having a definition processing means. 2. The K: L is 16: 9, and the M:
N is 4: 3, and the aspect ratio of the video signal subjected to the predetermined high definition processing by the high definition processing means is 1
The high-definition camera according to claim 1, wherein the high-definition camera is a signal to be sent to a monitor means of 6: 9. 3. The video signal sent to the monitor means,
3. A high-definition camera according to claim 2, wherein the high-definition processing means is a video signal recorded and reproduced by a recording / reproducing means, which is a video signal subjected to a predetermined high-definition processing.