JPH07288760A - Electronic still camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a simple and inexpensive electronic still camera which converts the picked-up video signal into a digital signal to store it in a buffer memory and outputs the digital signal from the buffer memory synchronously with a rotating recording medium to record it in the recording medium. CONSTITUTION:An object image is inputted to a CCD sensor 1 through a lens, and the object image converted into an electric signal including a vertical synchronizing signal VD is inputted to an A/D converter 2 and is converted from the analog signal into a digital signal and is stored in a memory 4 through a process circuit 3. The memory 4 where the object image is stored sends the signal in accordance with the timing of the PG signal of a magnetic disk 11 rotated at a certain speed. The outputted signal is inputted to a D/A converter 5 and is converted from the digital signal into an analog signal and is recorded on the magnetic disk 11 through a modulator circuit 6, a recording amplifier 7, and a magnetic head 8.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic still camera which processes a video signal from an image pickup device and records it on a rotary recording medium such as a magnetic disk, and more particularly to a recording synchronizing means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional electronic still camera, video signals picked up by a solid-state image pickup device typified by a CCD (charge coupled device) are sequentially processed in the same manner as a video movie, and are output at the same time. A technique for recording an image by synchronizing the rotation cycle of a recording medium such as a magnetic disk with a synchronization signal (hereinafter referred to as VD) has been proposed (for example,
JP-A-2-87882).

[0003]

However, in the prior art, it is necessary to rotate the recording medium so that the phase of the vertical synchronizing signal VD obtained from the solid-state image pickup device and the phase of the rotating recording medium are synchronized. However, this requires a high level of servo technology and related devices, and has a problem in that it has a complicated structure and is expensive.

In addition, the rotation of the recording medium depends on the vertical synchronization signal VD.
However, there is a problem of time constraint that the photographing operation cannot be performed until it is synchronized with, the waiting time is generated, and the photo opportunity is lost.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve these problems of the prior art, and converts an imaged video signal into a digital signal and stores it in a buffer memory for external synchronization. An electronic still camera that performs a recording operation by outputting from a buffer memory in synchronization with a rotating recording medium, which is a speed control method that does not include a video signal captured by an optical system including an image sensor. In an electronic still camera for recording on a rotary recording medium, an A / D conversion means for converting the captured image signal from an analog signal to a digital signal, a storage means for storing the converted digital signal, and the storage means Output means for outputting the stored signal in synchronism with the rotation of the rotary recording medium, and conversion of the digital signal output from the output means into an analog signal. / A A conversion means, to provide an electronic still camera, which comprises recording an analog signal output from the D / A converting means to said rotary recording medium.

Corresponding to continuous shooting, a plurality of storage means for sequentially storing digital signals of a plurality of screens and a plurality of sheets of signals stored in the storage means are synchronized with the rotation of the rotary recording medium. An electronic still camera according to claim 1, further comprising: an output unit that sequentially outputs the digital still camera.

[0007]

According to the recording method of the present invention, it is not necessary to rotate the recording medium so as to synchronize the phase of the vertical synchronizing signal VD and the phase of the rotating recording medium at the time of photographing, and the image stored in the storage means is stored. Since the signal is output only in synchronization with the rotation of the recording medium, advanced servo technology and related devices are not required,
It has a simple structure and is inexpensive.

Further, the rotation of the recording medium depends on the vertical synchronizing signal VD.
There is no waiting time to synchronize with, and a single-shot or continuous-shot shooting operation can be performed without time restrictions.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a CCD sensor, 2 is an A / D converter, 3 is a process circuit, 4 is a memory, and 5 is a D / A.
Converter, 6 modulator circuit, 7 recording amplifier,
8 is a magnetic head, 9 is a PG amplifier, 10 is a PG coil,
Reference numeral 11 is a magnetic disk, and 12 is a system controller.

Next, the operation of such a configuration will be described. In the electronic still camera of this embodiment, a subject image is input to the CCD sensor 1 through a lens (not shown). The shutter timing of the CCD sensor 1 at this time is controlled by the system controller 12 to convert the subject image into an electric signal. The subject image converted into an electric signal is input to the A / D converter 2 including the vertical synchronizing signal VD, converted from an analog signal to a digital signal, and processed by the process circuit 3 to a predetermined signal, and then stored in the memory 4. Input and stored.

The magnetic disk 11 and the PG coil 10 which are controlled to rotate at a constant speed by the system controller 12 generate a PG signal of one rotation cycle. This PG signal is compared by the PG amplifier 9 and input to the system controller 12. The system controller 12 sends an output permission signal to the memory 4 in which the subject image is stored at the timing of the input PG signal. The timing of this signal complies with the still video format. The signal output from the memory 4 is D / A
The signal is input to the converter 5, converted from a digital signal to an analog signal, and is recorded on the magnetic disk 11 through the modulator circuit 6, the recording amplifier 7, and the magnetic head 8.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing the structure of another embodiment of the present invention, showing a structure which enables continuous photographing. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a plurality of memories 4 and a selection switch 1 are provided corresponding to continuous shooting.
3 is provided.

Next, the operation in such a configuration will be described. In the electronic still camera according to the present embodiment, when the selection switch 13 selects the memory 4 in which the image of the first frame is stored, it is the same as the above-mentioned embodiments and has already been described in detail.

When the image recording operation of the first frame is completed, the magnetic head 8 and the selection switch 13 are switched to the second frame, and the recording operation is performed in the same manner as the first frame.

Thereafter, this is sequentially repeated to perform a predetermined continuous shooting photographing recording operation.

[0016]

As described above, according to the configuration and method of the present invention, it is possible to provide a simple and inexpensive system for recording in an electronic still camera, which does not require any advanced servo technology and its related devices. .

Furthermore, single-shot and continuous-shot shooting operations can be performed without being restricted by the stable time of the rotating system of the recording medium.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing an embodiment (single shot) of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing another embodiment (continuous shooting) of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 CCD sensor 2 A / D converter 3 Process circuit 4 Memory 5 D / A converter 6 Modulator circuit 7 Recording amplifier 8 Magnetic head 9 PG
Amplifier 10 PG coil 11 Magnetic disk 12 System controller 13 Selection switch

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An electronic still camera for recording a video signal captured by an optical system having an image sensor on a rotary recording medium, the A / D conversion means converting the captured video signal from an analog signal to a digital signal. Storage means for storing the converted digital signal, output means for outputting the signal stored in the storage means in synchronization with rotation of the rotary recording medium, and digital signal output from the output means An electronic still camera, comprising: a D / A conversion unit for converting the analog signal into an analog signal; and a recording unit for recording the analog signal output from the D / A conversion unit on the rotary recording medium. 2. Corresponding to continuous shooting, a plurality of storage means for sequentially storing digital signals of a plurality of screens, and signals for a plurality of sheets stored in the storage means are synchronized with the rotation of the rotary recording medium. 2. An electronic still camera according to claim 1, further comprising output means for sequentially outputting the digital still camera.