JPH06343147A - Video printer, camcorder and video printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve operability and to easily provide desired still pictures. CONSTITUTION:Video pictures are fetched by operating a high-speed shutter for every several frames at the time of photographing moving pictures by a video camera I and ID signals for indicating appropriate printing frames are superimposed on the video signals of the frames. At the time of a printing operation for selecting a desired picture while reproducing the moving pictures by the video camera I and printing it to the still picture, by depressing the printing button of the operation part 22 of this video printer II, a control CPU 14 turns the video camera I to a PAUSE mode at the point of time of detecting the ID signal, also lets the appropriate printing frame to be fetched to a frame memory 19 and lets the still picture to be printed by a printer head 20. After printing is ended, the reproduction of the moving pictures by the video camera I is restarted. An operator can print the still picture of the desired printing appropriate frame just by depressing the printing button.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video printing system, and more particularly to a video printing system which is useful when a video signal of a frame selected by an operator among video signals of a video camera is printed as a still image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A video printer has been developed which prints an arbitrary image in moving image information taken by a video camera as a still image. This video printer reproduces a moving image captured by a video camera on a monitor screen, and an operator selects a desired image in the moving image by operating an operation button such as a print button, and a video signal of this image is selected. Based on this, a still image is printed. Therefore, when selecting a print frame, the operator operates the video camera in the reproduction mode, and when he or she finds a desired image while looking at the monitor screen, selects the print button of the video printer. By this selection operation, the video signal of a predetermined frame is taken into the frame memory of the video printer, and a still image is printed based on the video signal taken into the frame memory.

[0003]

According to the above-mentioned prior art, when the video camera is not stopped, the video camera continues the reproduction operation even during the printing operation of the video printer, so that the predetermined operation is performed. When the printing operation is completed and the operation to search for the desired print frame while looking at the monitor screen again is resumed, rewind the video tape to the vicinity of the frame where the print frame selected immediately before exists, and then play it back. Restart the video printer, or operate the stop button on the video camera at the same time as the print button on the video printer. In any case, in addition to the print operation on the video printer, stop and restart the video camera at an appropriate timing. Is required, which makes the whole operation complicated and complicated.

In view of the above prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a video printer, an integrated video camera and a video print system which are excellent in operability and can easily obtain a desired still image.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] First to achieve the above object
According to the configuration of the invention, a video printer that reproduces a video signal sent from a video camera on a monitor screen and prints a video signal of a predetermined frame as a still image based on a print command specified by an operator operating an operation unit, It is characterized in that it has a control section for sending out a control signal for stopping the reproduction of the moving image by the integrated video camera when the print mode is set.

The structure of the second invention is characterized by having a control unit for stopping the reproduction operation of the moving image in response to the control signal sent from the video printer.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the moving image information is recorded as a video signal, the video camera for reproducing the video signal and the video signal sent by the video camera are reproduced on the monitor screen and operated by the operator. In a video printing system having a video printer that prints a video signal of a predetermined frame as a still screen based on a print command specified by the operation of the control section, a high-speed electronic shutter is operated at the time of recording the video signal, and the printability recorded is appropriate. A video camera that records an identification code unique to a frame that is a frame in association with a predetermined frame of a video signal,
When the video signal is reproduced by the video camera, the reproduction of the moving image by the video camera is stopped at the time when the latest identification code after the time when the operator issues a print command is detected, and the print proper frame to which the identification code is attached is stopped. It is characterized by having a control unit for printing the video signal as a still image, and further for sending a control signal for receiving the print end signal and restarting the reproduction of the moving image by the video camera.

[0008]

According to the present invention having the above-described structure, when the video printer enters the still image print mode, the video camera automatically stops the reproduction of the moving image, and when the still image printing is finished thereafter, the moving image of the moving image is displayed. Resume playback.

At this time, in particular, according to the third aspect of the invention, the print proper frame captured by operating the high speed shutter of the video camera is selected and printed as a still image.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, this embodiment comprises a video camera I, a video printer II and a monitor device III.

The video camera I is connected to the CC via the lens 1.
The signal processing unit 3 forms a video signal based on the image formed on D2, and the video signal is recorded on the video tape 6 via the recording unit 4 and the head 5. At this time, the CCD driver 7 normally reads the charge of the CCD 2 in the field cycle (1/60 seconds) based on the control signal of the control CPU 8, but at a high speed (1/250 seconds) once every several frames. There is. That is, the high-speed shutter of 1/250 second operates every few frames. At the same time, when the high-speed shutter operates in this way, the light amount decreases in inverse proportion to the shutter speed, so the gain of the amplifier of the signal processing unit 3 is instantaneously increased so as to compensate for this insufficient light amount. Thus, the video signal captured by operating the high-speed shutter is recorded every few frames. In this way, the image based on the video signal captured by operating the high-speed shutter has less blurring and is suitable for printing as a still image (hereinafter referred to as a proper print frame).

The mixer 9 superimposes on the video signal of the frame corresponding to the print appropriate frame an ID signal, which is a binary signal for print designation indicating the print appropriate frame. This ID signal is sent by the index generator 10 in conjunction with the operation of the high speed shutter by the control signal sent by the control CPU 8. The sync signal generator 11 supplies a sync signal serving as a control reference to the CCD driver 7 and the index generator 10.

The reproducing unit 12 processes the video signal reproduced through the head 5 and sends it to the video printer II. The VTR control unit 13 transmits and receives control signals to and from the control CPU 14 of the video printer II, and at the same time performs video functions of the video camera I, such as running modes of the head 5 and the video tape 6, selection of modes such as recording / playback, and the like. It controls the entire system.

The video printer II supplies the video signal sent from the video camera I to the monitor device III via the A / D converter 15 and the monitor display switching section 16, and
The output signal of the / D converter 15 is taken in the frame memory 19. The video signal taken into the frame memory 19 is supplied to the monitor device III via the monitor display switching section 16 and also to the printer head 20. Thus, the printer head 20 prints a still image corresponding to the video signal stored in the frame memory 19, and the monitor device III reproduces the video signal printed at this time.

The timing control unit 21 includes a control CPU 14
Is used to generate a write timing signal for the A / D converter 15 and the frame memory 19. The operation unit 22 selects each mode of the video printer II, that is, a moving image mode, a print mode, etc., by an operation of the operator.

Although the above construction is no different from that of the conventional video printer, in this embodiment, the following functions are added to the control CPU 14 together with the print ID detector 24.

That is, the print ID detector 24 detects the ID signal superimposed on the video signal by the video camera I on the basis of the sync signal separated from the video signal by the sync separation circuit 23 and supplies the ID signal to the control CPU 14. CPU14
When the print button of the operation unit 22 is pressed, the following operation is performed.

That is, when the ID signal of the nearest frame after the time when the print button of the operation unit 22 is pressed is detected, the VTR control unit 13 is controlled to put the video camera I into the PAUSE mode, and The image signal of the print proper frame to which the ID signal is added is taken into the frame memory 19, and the printer head 20 is made to print a still image. At the same time, the monitor display switching unit 16 is switched to select the output signal of the frame memory 19, and the monitor device is selected.
Control to display the still image being printed on III. The monitor display switching unit 16 controls the switching of the control CPU 14 so that the monitor device III reproduces this moving image during normal operation of the video camera I reproducing the moving image.
The output signal of the converter 15 is directly selected.

The control CPU 14 controls the VTR controller 13 to set the video camera I to the moving picture mode again by the print end signal supplied at the same time as the print operation by the printer head 20 is completed, and every time the print button is pressed. The same operation is repeated.

According to the above embodiment, the video camera I is
When shooting a video with this, the video signal of the frame captured by the high-speed shutter, that is, as shown in FIG.
The proper print frame includes ID signals S ₁ , S ₂ , which indicate that the print is a proper print frame by the index generator 10.
S ₃ , S ₄ , S ₅ , and S ₆ are superposed.

When the print designation frame is designated by the video printer II, the video camera I is set in the moving image mode and this moving image is reproduced by the monitor device III via the monitor display switching section 16. The operator is a monitor device III
While looking at the monitor screen, the print button of the operation unit 22 is pressed as appropriate when the image desired to be printed is found. As a result, the control CPU 14 detects the nearest ID signals S _{1 to} S ₆ after pressing the print button, and then the VTR controller 13
Is controlled to set the video camera I to the PAUSE mode to stop the reproduction of the moving image, capture the video signal of the print proper frame on which the ID signal is superimposed in the frame memory 19, and print the still image by the printer head 20. During this time, the monitor device III fetches the video signal corresponding to the still image being printed, which is fetched in the frame memory 19, through the monitor display switching section 16 and is reproducing it.

When the printing of the still image is completed, the control CPU
Since 14 sets the video camera I again in the moving image mode via the VTR control unit 13, the same operation is repeated thereafter.

FIG. 3 shows the time-series relationship between the video signal and the operation of the frame memory 19 during this period.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the operator can interactively print on the still image of the print proper frame only by operating the operation unit 22 of the video printer II while looking at the monitor screen III. it can.

In the above embodiment, the ID signals S _{1 to} S ₆ are given to the proper print frame, but the present invention is not limited to this. The point is that an ID signal is given when the video camera I shoots a moving image, and when the video camera I is then playing back a moving image while still image printing is performed, the video camera I plays back based on the detection of the ID signal. Any operation may be performed as long as the operation is interrupted and the print operation is started at the same time, and the reproduction operation of the video camera I is restarted when the print operation is completed.

Therefore, the following can be considered as another embodiment of the present invention. That is, the video camera I
Then, the ID signal may be superposed on the video signals of all the frames at the time of shooting the moving image, and the video printer II may specify the print frame in the same manner as in the above embodiment. The still image in this case is a normal CCD, as in a normal moving image.
The image quality is equivalent to that obtained at a shutter speed of 1/60 seconds, which is the read speed of 2, and the image quality is inferior to that of the proper print frame in the above-mentioned embodiment, but a still image closer to the decisive moment desired by the operator can be obtained. it can.

In the case of the present embodiment, it is more convenient to have a continuous print mode. That is, a continuous print button may be provided on the operation unit, and when the continuous print button is pressed, the video signals of a plurality of consecutive frames from that point may be continuously printed. During this period, the video camera I is naturally stopped.

[0029]

As described above in detail with reference to the embodiments, according to the present invention, a still image can be printed only by operating the operation unit of the video printer while reproducing a moving image by the video camera. This makes the work extremely easy.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a video signal of the video camera in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a time-series relationship between a video signal during printing and an operation of a frame memory in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 I Video camera II Video printer III Monitor device

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A video printer that reproduces a video signal sent from a video camera on a monitor screen and prints a video signal of a predetermined frame as a still image based on a print command specified by an operator by operating an operation unit. A video printer having a control unit for transmitting a control signal for stopping reproduction of a moving image by the integrated video camera when the mode is set. 2. When a print command is issued by the operation of the operation unit, a control unit is provided to control so as to continuously print a video signal of a predetermined number of fields from a video signal of a predetermined frame as a still image. The video printer according to claim 1, wherein the video printer is a video printer. 3. An integrated video camera having a control section for stopping the reproduction operation of a moving image in response to a control signal sent from a video printer. 4. A video camera which records moving image information as a video signal, reproduces the video signal, and reproduces the video signal sent by the video camera on a monitor screen, and an operator specifies the operation signal through an operation unit. In a video printing system that has a video printer that prints a video signal of a predetermined frame as a still screen based on a print command, when recording the video signal, it is unique to the frame that is a print proper frame that is recorded by operating a high-speed electronic shutter. Video code that records the identification code of the video signal corresponding to a predetermined frame of the video signal, and when the video signal is played back by the video camera, the video is detected when the latest identification code after the print command is issued by the operator is detected. When the camera stops playing the video, the identification code is added. Video printing system characterized by comprising a control unit for the video signal of the printed properly frame is printed as a still image, and sends the resume control signals to play the video by the video camera further receives the print end signal. 5. When reproducing a moving image with a video camera,
6. The video print according to claim 5, wherein the video printer has a control unit for reproducing the moving image on the monitor screen and reproducing the still image being printed on the monitor screen during the printing operation. system.