JPH08168029A - Image input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To automatically switch resolution between portrait and graphics photographs. CONSTITUTION: A camera base control circuit 26 detects whether a camera 22 is directed horizontally or faced down vertically with a switch provided on a structure supporting the camera 22 so that the camera can be changed between the horizontal and vertically downward directions. The detection result is transferred to a video processing circuit 28. The video processing circuit 28 places the camera 22 in normal resolution mode when the camera 2 faces horizontally and in high resolution mode when the camera 22 faces down vertically. In the high resolution mode, the camera 22 outputs an image composed of images before and after the optical axis is displaced laterally by a 1/2 pixel.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image input device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Imaging is performed by relatively optically displacing an optical axis of incident light incident on an imaging surface of a CCD image sensor by a specific amount (for example, 1/2 pixel in the right direction, the downward direction or the lower right direction). However, an image input device that generates a high-resolution image by combining images before and after the displacement is well known in the art.

In the videophone / videoconference system, one camera is used for photographing a person and a document,
An image input system in which the input image is turned upside down in the drawing mode when the camera is oriented horizontally and in the portrait mode when the camera is directed vertically down to the writing stand is also well known. ing.

[0004]

In the latter conventional example, the resolution of the input image is constant in both the portrait mode and the drawing mode, so that a specific portion of the drawing or a small drawing must be used.
There was a drawback that the characters could not be identified due to lack of resolution.

In such a situation, by combining the former conventional example and the latter conventional example, an image input device capable of freely selecting high resolution / normal resolution is provided with a person mode / writing mode automatic switching function. There is a demand for an apparatus configuration in which the high resolution mode is automatically selected.
By doing so, it is not necessary to manually switch to the high resolution mode each time the writing mode is set.

It is an object of the present invention to present an image input device that satisfies such a demand.

That is, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image input device which has a normal resolution in the portrait mode and a high resolution mode in the writing mode.

[0008]

An image input apparatus according to the present invention is capable of high resolution by combining a normal resolution mode and a plurality of images captured by displacing an optical axis of incident light incident on an image pickup surface by a specific amount. An image input device having a high resolution mode for generating a resolution image, comprising: an orientation changing means for changing the orientation of the imaging means, and a mode switching means for switching between the normal resolution mode and the high resolution mode according to the orientation of the imaging means. It is characterized by including.

[0009]

By the above means, the normal resolution and the high resolution can be automatically switched according to the object of image input.
You can save the trouble of operation.

[0010]

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

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention implemented by a computer system.
In FIG. 1, 10 is a CPU that controls the whole according to a program, 12 is a ROM that stores a BIOS (basic input / output system), 14 is a RAM that temporarily stores programs and data, and 16 is a well-known VGA or the like. A video display circuit for generating a video signal based on the standard and displaying it on the monitor 18, 20 is an external storage device such as a hard disk device, and 21 is a CPU bus.

Reference numeral 22 denotes a video camera having the above-mentioned 1/2 pixel displacement mechanism, and 24 supports the camera 22 and its direction can be freely changed within a horizontal plane (pan) and a vertical plane (tilt). It is a camera stand. A camera base control circuit 26 for controlling the orientation of the camera 22 is built in the camera base 24. Reference numeral 28 denotes an image processing circuit that processes the output image signal of the camera 22 and supplies it to the video display circuit 16. The image processing circuit 28 controls the camera 22 and the camera base control circuit 26 according to the control signal from the CPU 10, and also controls the camera 22 and It has a function of transferring the status signal of the camera base 26 to the CPU 10.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic block diagram of the camera 22. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 30 denotes a taking lens having a zoom mechanism, and 32 denotes 1 / the horizontal direction of the optical axis of the taking lens 30.
An optical axis displacement mechanism for displacing two pixels, 34 an optical axis displacement mechanism 32
And an image sensor for converting the subject light that has passed through the taking lens 30 into an electric signal, 36 is a signal processing circuit that adjusts the gain of the output signal of the image sensor 34 and supplies the signal to the video processing circuit 28, and 38 is the video processing circuit 28. The photographing lens 30 (zoom and focus), the optical axis displacement mechanism 32, the image sensor 34, and the signal processing circuit 36 according to the control signal from
It is a control circuit that transmits the state of each of these parts to the video processing circuit 28.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of the video processing circuit 28. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 40 is a control circuit for controlling the entire video processing circuit 28 in accordance with a control command from the CPU 10, and 42 is A / A for converting an analog video signal from the signal processing circuit 36 of the camera 22 into digital video data.
D conversion circuit, 44 is a frame memory for storing digital video data, and 46 is an A / D under the control of the control circuit 40.
A memory control circuit 48 stores the output video data from the conversion circuit 42 at a designated address of the frame memory 44 and reads the video data stored at the designated address of the frame memory 44, and 48 is under the control of the control circuit 40. , A format conversion circuit that converts the video data read from the frame memory 44 into a specified format such as RGB format and YUV format and supplies the converted video data to the video display circuit 16.

The control circuit 40 further interprets the control command received from the CPU 10, generates control data for the camera 22 and the camera base control circuit 26, and transmits the control data to the camera 22 and the camera base control circuit 26.
The control data or status data received from the camera base control circuit 26 is transferred to the CPU 10.

4 and 5 are side views showing an example of the camera stand 24. 4 shows the camera 22 in the horizontal direction, and FIG. 5 shows the vertical downward direction. 5
Reference numeral 0 is a base of the camera stand 24, which is a book stand on which a book or the like is placed, and a fixed column 52 is set up at the end thereof.
The camera 22 is attached to the camera mounting column 54, and the camera mounting column 54 can swing freely between a position in which the camera 22 is oriented horizontally (FIG. 4) and a position in which the camera 22 is oriented toward the writing stand 50 (FIG. 5). It is attached to the fixed support column 52 from a joint 56.

FIG. 6 shows the camera base 2 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a camera base control circuit 26 built in the digital camera 4. Reference numeral 60 is a swing detection switch provided on the joint 56, and 62 is a control circuit for notifying the video processing circuit 28 of the state of the swing detection switch 60. The swing detection switch 60 is turned off when the camera mounting column 54 is upright as shown in FIG. 5, and is turned on when the camera mounting column 54 is tilted 90 degrees as shown in FIG. When the head swing detection switch 60 changes from on to off, or from off to on, the control circuit 62
The change of the switch 60 is controlled by the control circuit 40 of the video processing circuit 28.
To notify.

FIG. 7 shows an operation flowchart of this embodiment using the camera base 24 having the structure shown in FIGS. This process is started by receiving a command from the video processing circuit 28. It is determined whether the command received from the video processing circuit 28 is a swing control command (S1), and if it is a swing control command (S1), it is determined whether the swing state is ON or OFF (S2). If the swinging state is on (S2), the high resolution input mode command is transmitted to the image processing circuit 28, and if the swinging state is off (S2), the normal resolution input mode command is transmitted to the image processing circuit 28. To do. If it is not a swing command (S
1), the process corresponding to the command is executed (S5).

In FIGS. 4 and 5, as the camera stand 24,
Although the camera 22 has a structure in which the orientation of the camera 22 can be changed between the horizontal orientation and the vertical downward orientation, a general pan and tilt camera base may be used. For example, it is effective when a chart or the like is written or fixed on a blackboard, a white board or the like placed side by side with a person. FIG. 8 is a side view of a configuration in which the camera base 24 is pan / tilt freely, and FIG. 9 is a plan view thereof. A pan mechanism 72 that rotates in a horizontal plane is placed on the upper surface of the base 70, and a tilt mechanism 7 that rotates the camera 22 in a plane perpendicular to the pan mechanism 72.
4 is fixed. The pan by the pan mechanism 72 and the tilt by the tilt mechanism 74 can be operated independently of each other, and at the same time. Such a camera stand itself is well known.

FIG. 10 shows the camera 2 using the tilt mechanism 74.
2 is a side view in a state where the camera 22 is slightly upward, and FIG. 11 is a side view in which the camera 22 is a little downward, on the contrary. FIG.
2 shows a plan view of the camera 22 directed leftward by the pan mechanism 72, and FIG. 13 shows a plan view of the camera 22 turned rightward.

FIG. 14 is a schematic block diagram of a camera base control circuit built in the camera base described with reference to FIGS. Reference numeral 80 is a pan operation motor provided in the pan mechanism 72, 82 is a tilt operation motor provided in the tilt mechanism 74, and 84 is a pan operation motor 80 and a tilt operation motor 82 according to a control signal from the video processing circuit 28.
Is a control circuit for driving the.

FIG. 15 shows an example of a camera control window displayed on the monitor 18 for the user to operate the camera stand described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 13. 100 is a directional button for pointing the camera to the left, 102 is a directional button for pointing the camera upward, 104 is a directional button for pointing the camera right, 106 is a directional instruction for pointing the camera downward. Buttons, 108 are preset buttons for storing the current camera orientation, 110, 1
Reference numerals 12, 114 and 116 are preset number buttons for designating a preset number, and 118 is a still image button for designating a video input in the high resolution mode. In this embodiment, since four preset number buttons 110 to 116 are provided, four camera directions can be preset.

16 and 17 show the operation flow chart of the embodiment using the pan / tilt free camera base 24 described in FIGS. 8 to 13 as a whole. This operation flow corresponds to button 1 of the camera control window shown in FIG.
It is activated by pressing 00 to 118.

First, the preset operation flag indicating whether or not the preset operation is being performed is checked (S1). This preset operation flag is stored in the RAM 14. If the preset operation flag is on (S11), S2 in FIG.
Go to 2. If the preset operation flag is off (S1
1), the pressed button is the direction instruction buttons 100 to 10
6, still image button 118 and preset button 108
(S12, S13, S
14).

If the direction instruction buttons 100 to 106 are present (S12), a camera direction designation command for the direction corresponding to the pressed button is generated, transmitted to the video processing circuit 28 (S20), and the process is terminated.

If the pressed button is the still image button 118 (S13), the image input mode setting subroutine is executed (S21), and the process ends.

The pressed button is the preset button 1.
If it is 08 (S14), the preset operation flag is turned on (S22) so that the subsequent button operation can be processed by the preset operation (S22), and the process ends.

If none of the direction indicating buttons 100 to 106, the still image button 118 and the preset button 108, that is, the pressed button is the preset number button 1.
If it is any of 10 to 116 (S14), the preset information of the corresponding number is read from the RAM 14 (S1).
5). A camera orientation designation command is generated from the camera orientation information included in the read preset information, and is transmitted to the video processing circuit 28 (S16). The still image information included in the preset information is checked (S17), and if the still image is designated, the high resolution input mode command is sent to the video processing circuit 28.
(S18), and if there is no still image designation, the normal resolution input mode command is transmitted to the video processing circuit 28, and the process ends.

Even when the preset operation flag is on (S11), the pressed buttons are the direction instruction buttons 100 to 106, the still image button 118, and the preset button.
It is checked whether any of the buttons 108 is present (S2
3, S24, S25).

If the direction instruction buttons 100 to 106 are present (S23), it is understood that the preset operation is stopped, and a camera direction designation command for the direction corresponding to the pressed button is generated as instructed, and the video processing circuit 28 is instructed. Send (S2
8). The preset operation flag is turned off in order to prevent the subsequent processing from being the preset operation (S27), and the process is ended.

Even when the pressed button is the still image button 118 (S24), it is understood that the preset operation is stopped, and the image input mode setting subroutine is executed as instructed (S29). Then, the preset operation flag is turned off in order to stop the subsequent processing from the preset operation (S27), and the process is ended.

The pressed button is the preset button 1
If it is 08 (S25), it is understood that the preset operation is stopped, the preset operation flag is turned off (S27), and the process ends.

When none of the direction instruction buttons 100 to 106, the still image button 118, and the preset button 108, that is, the pressed button is the preset number button 1.
If any of 10 to 116 (S25), RAM1
Information on the current camera orientation and image input mode is stored in the preset information storage area of the corresponding number 4 (S26). This completes the preset operation, so the preset operation flag is turned off (S27) and the preset operation is completed.

FIG. 18 is a detailed flowchart of the image input mode setting subroutine of S21 and S29. The still image flag is checked (S31). If the still image flag is on, the high resolution mode is set, and if it is off, the normal resolution mode is set. If the still image flag is on (S31), it is an instruction to change the high resolution mode to the normal resolution mode. Therefore, the still image flag is turned off (S32), and the normal resolution input mode command is transmitted to the video processing circuit 28. Then (S33), the process returns. If the still image flag is off (S31), it is an instruction to change the normal resolution mode to the high resolution mode.
The still image flag is turned on (S34), and the high resolution input mode command is transmitted to the video processing circuit 28 (S3).
5) Return.

In FIGS. 15 to 18, the camera control window displayed on the monitor is used to change the camera orientation, change the image input mode, and perform preset operations, but this may be hardware buttons or the like. That is clear.

[0036]

As can be easily understood from the above description, according to the present invention, the switching between the normal resolution in the portrait mode and the high resolution in the drawing mode is automatically performed, which saves the operation.

Since the direction of the camera that serves as a reference for switching between the normal resolution input and the high resolution input can be specified in advance, when a person is facing in a video conference or the like, a normal resolution moving image is displayed as a white image. Switching to a high-resolution still image when facing a boat or a post is automated, improving usability.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an internal configuration of a camera 22.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of an internal configuration of a video processing circuit 28.

FIG. 4 is a side view of an example of a camera stand 24 in a state in which a camera is oriented in a horizontal direction.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing an example of the camera stand 24 with the camera facing downward.

6 is a schematic block diagram of a camera stand control circuit 26 built in the camera stand shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG.

FIG. 7 is an operation flowchart when the camera base shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 is used.

FIG. 8 is a side view of another example of the camera base 24.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of another example of the camera base 24.

FIG. 10 is a side view of another example of the camera stand 24 in which the camera 22 is tilted slightly upward.

FIG. 11 is a side view of another example of the camera stand 24 in which the camera 22 is tilted slightly downward.

FIG. 12 is a plan view of another example of the camera stand 24 with the camera 22 panned slightly to the left.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of another example of the camera stand 24 with the camera 22 panned slightly to the right.

14 is a schematic block diagram of a camera stand control circuit incorporated in the camera stand 24 shown in FIGS. 8 to 13. FIG.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a configuration of a camera control window.

16 is a camera base 24 shown in FIGS. 8 to 14 and FIG.
6 is a part of an operation flowchart when the camera control window shown in FIG. 5 is used.

17 is a view of the camera base 24 shown in FIGS. 8 to 14 and FIG.
6 is a part of an operation flowchart when the camera control window shown in FIG. 5 is used.

FIG. 18 is a detailed flowchart of an image input mode setting subroutine in S21 and S29.

[Explanation of symbols]

10: CPU 12: ROM 14: RAM 16: Video display circuit 18: Monitor 20: External storage device 21: Bus 22: Video camera 24: Camera stand 26: Camera stand control circuit 28: Video processing circuit 30: Shooting lens 32 : Optical axis displacement mechanism 34: Image sensor 36: Signal processing circuit 38: Control circuit 40: Control circuit 42: A / D conversion circuit 44: Frame memory 46: Memory control circuit 48: Format conversion circuit 50: Writing board 52: Fixed support 54: Camera support support 56: Joint 60: Swing detection switch 62: Control circuit 70: Base 72: Pan mechanism 74: Tilt mechanism 80: Pan operation motor 82: Tilt operation motor 84: Control circuit 100: Left Direction button 102: Up direction button 104: Right direction button 106: Down direction Display buttons 108: preset buttons 110, 112, 114, 116: Preset number buttons 118: still image button

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image input device having a normal resolution mode and a high resolution mode for generating a high resolution image by synthesizing a plurality of images captured by displacing an optical axis of incident light incident on an imaging surface by a specific amount. An image input device, comprising: an orientation changing means for changing the orientation of the imaging means, and a mode switching means for switching between the normal resolution mode and the high resolution mode according to the orientation of the imaging means. 2. The image input device according to claim 1, further comprising a specifying unit that specifies in advance a direction of the image pickup unit that serves as a reference for switching between the normal resolution mode and the high resolution mode. 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an image is input in a normal resolution mode when the image pickup unit is in a direction for inputting a moving image, and in a high resolution mode when the image pickup unit is in a direction for inputting a still image. The image input device described.