JPH08293956A - Recording device and its method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a print having high picture quality from image data recorded on a video tape. CONSTITUTION: According to the standard of digital video tape recorders(DVTR), image data are recorded on the video tape. The image data expressing a picture desired to be printed are found out and transformed to the data structure of an interface at the interface of the DVTR. The image data transformed to the data structure of the interface are transformed to the data structure of a floppy disk FD at a format transforming circuit 42 of the recorder. The image data transformed to the data structure of the floppy disk FD are recorded onto the floppy disk FD by a magnetic head 46. The floppy disk FD, on which the image data are recorded, is carried into a laboratory system and the print having high picture quality can be provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention selects data relating to image data representing an image to be printed on a digital video tape on which digital image data representing a plurality of images is recorded, and selecting from the data relating to the selected image data. , A device for recording data related to digital image data on an intermediate recording medium (magnetic disk, magneto-optical disk, etc.) in order to obtain a print image at a photo lab (including a photo shop capable of developing and printing services) (called a laboratory) And about the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an analog video tape recorder, when a print is to be obtained from a video tape, reproduction is performed, a desired image is searched for, and a video signal representing the desired image is given to a printer. However, the prints thus obtained from the printer have low resolution, and high-quality prints cannot be obtained. In order to obtain high quality prints, it is necessary to use a commercial high resolution printer. However, in order to obtain a print from a high resolution printer, a device for converting the video signal output from an analog video tape recorder, a computer device, etc. are required, and personally, it is easy to obtain a high quality print. Was difficult.

[0003]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to obtain a high quality print from digital image data recorded on a digital video tape relatively easily.

In the recording apparatus according to the present invention, digital image data representing a plurality of images is converted into digital video data.
Data relating to image data recorded on the tape and representing an image to be printed from the digital video tape is selected in the digital video tape recorder, and a print image is obtained from the data relating to the selected digital image data. A device for recording data relating to digital image data on an intermediate recording medium for the purpose of recording data relating to digital image data given from a digital video tape recorder from the recording format of the digital video tape recorder. Convert to the recording format of the medium,
A recording control means for recording the converted recording format on the intermediate recording medium is provided.

The present invention also provides a recording method. That is, digital image data representing a plurality of images is recorded on a digital video tape, and data relating to image data representing an image to be printed from this digital video tape is selected by the digital video tape recorder. And a method for recording data relating to digital image data on an intermediate recording medium in order to obtain a print image from the data relating to this selected digital image data. Data relating to digital image data provided from a digital video tape recorder. Is converted from the recording format of the digital video tape recorder to the recording format of the intermediate recording medium, and is recorded on the intermediate recording medium in the converted recording format.

The recording process is usually executed by the user. Most of the above recording process may be performed in a laboratory.

In the above recording process, data relating to image data (image data, data such as date of photography, time of photography) is transferred from the recording format of the digital video tape recorder to an intermediate recording medium (magnetic disk, magneto-optical disk, etc.). It is converted to the format and recorded on the intermediate recording medium.

The user brings the intermediate recording medium to the laboratory, and the printing process is performed in the laboratory. As a result, high-quality prints can be obtained even if the user does not have a high-quality printer.

A recording device normally owned by a user may have a reproducing function. This makes it easy to confirm the image to be printed.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a digital video tape.
Block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the recorder, Fig. 2 (A) is the format diagram of the digital video tape, Fig. 2 (B)
Is a track format diagram, FIG. 3 is a format diagram of output data of a digital interface, and FIG. 4 is a recording device for converting output data of a digital video tape recorder into a floppy disc format and recording it on a floppy disc. 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of FIG.

When the image data recorded on the digital video tape is read and printed as it is, the print has a low resolution. To obtain high resolution prints, it is necessary to use a commercial high resolution printer. In this embodiment, image data is obtained from the digital video tape recorder shown in FIG. 1 to obtain a high resolution print, and the digital video tape format is changed to the floppy disk format in the recording apparatus shown in FIG. Convert to floppy
Image data representing an image to be printed is recorded on the disc. In this way, by bringing in the image data recorded on the floppy disk to the laboratory, it is possible to obtain a high-resolution print using the commercial high-resolution printer installed in the laboratory.
Laboratories have traditionally had a system for obtaining high-resolution prints from floppy disks, and this system can be used to obtain high-quality prints.

Before explaining the structure and operation of the digital video tape recorder,
The existing standard industry standards regarding the recording method on the magnetic tape by the tape recorder will be described.

The recording format of the magnetic tape is shown in FIG.
And (B). FIG. 2A shows the tracks Tr of the magnetic tape 8. A large number of tracks Tr are formed at a constant angle in the oblique direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the magnetic tape 8. Consecutive 10 of these many tracks Tr
One track of digital image data is recorded using this track.

The track format is shown in FIG. One track Tr includes a subcode recording area, a video recording area, an auxiliary recording area, an audio recording area, and a track information recording area. Information such as a time code and an absolute track number for high speed search is recorded in the sub code recording area. Digital image data representing a subject image is recorded in the video recording area. Data representing sound is recorded in the audio recording area. Information serving as a reference of the track Tr for the magnetic head to trace the center of the track Tr is recorded in the track information recording area. Auxiliary recording areas are provided discretely, and additional information is recorded in this auxiliary recording area.
Illustrations of the gaps provided between the regions are omitted.

The CCD used in the imaging section of a digital video tape recorder is generally (conventional) a horizontal C
72 horizontal direction with a CD transfer clock frequency of 13.5 MHz
A pixel with about 350,000 pixels of 0 pixels and 480 pixels in the vertical direction is used. Digital image data for one frame obtained by using such a CCD is recorded on the magnetic tape 8
Recorded on 10 tracks. This is an existing standard.

The configuration and operation of the digital video tape recorder will be described with reference to FIG. Since the digital video tape recorder shown in FIG. 1 is already known, the description will be simplified.

In the recording mode, 1 by the CCD 11
The subject is continuously shot at a cycle of / 30 seconds. CCD11
The analog video signal output from the data rearrangement circuit
The image data is rearranged so that the analog video signal is converted to digital image data and serial image data is arranged into an array of 720 pixel image data in the horizontal direction and 480 pixel image data in the vertical direction. Processing is performed.

The image data is subjected to data compression such as DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform) processing in the data compression circuit 13 and given to the error correction code addition circuit 14. In the error correction code addition circuit 14, a code for error correction is added to the image data. The image data is modulated by the modulation circuit 15 and amplified by the recording amplification circuit 16. The amplified image data is given to the magnetic head 17, and the image data for one frame is recorded over 10 tracks of the magnetic tape 8.

The digital video tape recorder also has a reproducing function. In the reproducing mode, the image data recorded on the magnetic tape 8 is read by the magnetic head 21 and amplified by the reproducing / amplifying circuit 22. The amplified image data is demodulated in the demodulation circuit, and the error correction circuit
Given to 24. In the error correction circuit 24, error correction processing based on the error correction code is performed and the result is given to the data expansion circuit 25.

In the data expansion circuit 25, the compressed image data is expanded and given to the data rearrangement circuit 26. In the data rearrangement circuit 26, a data array suitable for displaying image data is provided to the display device 27. As a result, the image represented by the image data recorded on the magnetic tape 8 is displayed on the display device 27.

The digital video tape shown in FIG.
The recorder can input data from an external device and output data to the external device, and a digital interface 28 is provided for that purpose.

Data supplied from an external device is supplied to the error correction code adding circuit 14 via the digital interface 28. As a result, it is given to the magnetic head 17 via the modulation circuit 15 and the recording / amplification circuit 16 and recorded on the magnetic tape 8. The data read from the magnetic tape 8 is output from the error correction circuit 24 to an external device via the digital interface 28.

FIG. 3 shows a digital interface (D
(IF) shows the data structure (data format).

In the digital interface 28, the data structure according to the recording format of the digital video tape recorder shown in FIG. 2 is converted into the data structure of the digital interface shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the electrical construction of the recording apparatus. The recording apparatus shown in FIG. 4 records the data output from the digital video tape recorder shown in FIG. 1 on a floppy disk FD.

5 to 7 show the floppy disk FD.
The file structure (data structure) of is shown.

Referring to FIG. 5, the floppy disk F
D is a directory and an index for managing all data recorded on the floppy disk FD.
File, image file that recorded image data, resource A
File that records UX information, script file,
There are image cast files and additional image files. The directory stores the album name (file name) and the path to the index file.

FIG. 6 shows the details of the index file.

The index file includes a header, image entries, reduced image data and representative image data.

The header of the index file is I
D, version, path to representative image, date of creation of this file, date of modification of this file (if necessary), number of images stored in this file (number of registered images), shooting date, etc. Image information and the like are included.

The one that most simply expresses a plurality of images contained in one file is called a representative image. The representative image is preferably used to obtain a target image from many images.

The image entry is created for each image and the data relating to the image is stored. The image entry includes an image file ID number, an album name (file name), an image ID number, a path to image data, attributes, parameters, image information such as AUX, and the like.

FIG. 7 shows details of the image file.

The image file has a header, an image information area, an image frame information area, a path area and an image data area.

In the image information area, a table storing version number, compression method, image rotation information (image can be rotated by a predetermined angle if necessary, rotation information at that time), image type, resolution, etc. ， The creation date of this file is stored.

FIG. 8 shows the processing procedure of the recording apparatus shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG.
When the image data recorded on the video tape is recorded on the floppy disk FD, the reproduction mode is set in the digital video tape recorder, the moving image is reproduced and displayed on the display device 27. When the desired image is displayed on the display device 27, the still playback mode is selected in the digital video tape recorder. When the still reproduction mode is selected, the selected image is displayed on the display device 27 as a still image.

When the desired image is found, the digital video tape recorder (DVTR) and recording device
Connected via digital interfaces 28 and 41. Next, the floppy disk FD was added to the recording device.
Is inserted (step 51), the floppy
When the disk FD is inserted, the floppy disk F
The registered image number data stored in the D index file is read by the magnetic head 46. The read registered image number data is given to the control device 30. This causes the display device 47 to display the number of recorded floppy disks FD and the number of remaining recordable disks. If the remaining number of sheets is smaller than the number of sheets to be recorded, the floppy disk FD having a larger remaining number is replaced.

An input device for inputting a comment (image title, description, etc.) displayed with the image to the recording device
31, Confirm button 32 that is pushed down when recording desired image data on the floppy disk FD, Recording mode setting button 33, Erase mode setting button 34, End setting button
35 and piece No. Includes setting button 36. The comment input data given from these input devices 31 and the signal representing the depression of the buttons 32 to 36 are given to the control device 30.

When the recording mode setting button 33 is pressed (step 53), the recording device is put in the standby state (step 54). At this time, image data representing a desired still image is given from the digital video tape recorder, and is input to the recording device via the digital interface 41. Image information other than image data (photographing date, etc.) is also input from the digital video tape recorder to the recording device. The image information is recorded in a predetermined portion within the video recording area A ₃ of the magnetic tape 8.

When image data representing a desired still image is input to the recording device, if the confirm button 32 is pressed, the given image data is transferred via the digital interface 41 and the format conversion section 42. It is given to the memory 40 and temporarily stored (step 55).
The image data once stored in the memory 40 is read from the memory 40 and given to the format conversion circuit 42. The format conversion circuit 42 converts the data structure in the digital interface 28 shown in FIG. 3 into a floppy disk F.
It is a circuit for converting to a D data structure. Since the data supplied from the digital video tape recorder has the data structure in the digital interface 28 shown in FIG. 3, it is converted into the data structure of the floppy disk FD shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 in the format conversion circuit 42. It If necessary, a comment is input from the comment input device 31 and data representing the comment is also given to the format conversion circuit 42. The data representing the comment is stored in the resource AUX information file shown in FIG.
Data is created in the format conversion circuit 42.

The data output from the format conversion circuit 42 is applied to the thinning circuit 43 and the modulation circuit 44, respectively. The recording apparatus shown in FIG. 4 can record reduced image data representing a reduced image in addition to recording image data representing a normal image. The thinning circuit 43 is a circuit that creates reduced image data. In the thinning circuit 43, thinning processing of image data is performed so as to represent a reduced image. The reduced image data output from the thinning circuit 43 is also given to the modulation circuit 44.

In the modulation circuit 44, the input data is modulated and given to the recording amplification circuit 45 and amplified. The data amplified by the recording amplifier circuit 45 is the magnetic head 46.
Is recorded on the floppy disk FD (step 56). As a result, the reduced image data is indexed.
The image data is recorded in the file, the image data is recorded in the image file, and the comment input data is recorded in the resource AUX information file. Of course, data other than these data (image information etc.) is also recorded on the floppy disk FD according to the file structure shown in FIGS.

It is determined whether recording is continued (step 57). When it is determined that the recording is to be continued, steps 54 to 57 are repeated, and when it is determined that the recording is not to be continued, the process returns to step 52. The determination as to whether or not to continue recording can be made, for example, by whether or not the enter button 32 is pressed within a fixed time after the end of recording the image data.

When the erase mode setting button 34 is pressed (step 53), the mode shifts to the erase mode. Piece No. designation button
36 is used to specify the number indicating the frame to be erased (step 58). When the frame number is specified, the erase signal is sent to the magnetic head 46.
Image data and reduced image data for the designated frame are erased from the floppy disk FD (step 59). When the erasing process is continued, the processes from step 58 to step 60 are repeated (step 60
If YES, the process returns to step 52 if the erasing process is not continued (NO in step 60).

When the end mode setting button 35 is pressed (step 53), all the processes of the recording device are ended.

As described above, the image data representing the desired still image among the image data recorded on the video tape 8 is recorded on the floppy disk FD. The user can obtain a high-quality print by bringing the floppy disk FD in which image data representing a desired still image is recorded into the laboratory.

FIG. 9 shows a laboratory system installed in the laboratory.

The laboratory is a developing device 81 for developing an undeveloped film (negative or positive) deposited by a customer (user), and a printing device for printing (or printing) an image appearing on the developed film on photographic paper. 82 are provided. There is also a type in which the developing device 81 and the printing device 82 are integrated. In any case, these developing devices 81
And the printing device 82 is known. If necessary, these devices 81, 82 are electrically connected to the computer system 70 of the laboratory system. Even if you consider including these devices 81 and 82 in the laboratory system,
Either need not be included.

The laboratory system is a computer
The system 70 is included, and the computer system 70 includes an input device 71, a film reading device 73, and an image data processing device 7.
4, photo printer 75, disk driver 72, and playback and display control circuit 76 are connected by a bus, cable or serial communication line. A display device (for example, a CRT display device, a liquid crystal display device, etc.) is connected to the reproduction and display control circuit 76.

The input device 71 includes a keyboard and a mouse,
It is used to input various data, commands and the like to be given to the computer system 70 or various devices 72 to 76 connected thereto. Further, the input device 71 is operated by an operator of the laboratory system (a worker in a photo lab, etc.) in order to make selections in the menu displayed on the display screen of the display device 77 and to specify images.

The computer system 70 controls the devices 72 to 76 individually and controls the operation of the entire laboratory system. Computer system 70
Includes memory (semiconductor memory, floppy disk, hard disk, etc.) and other peripheral devices.

The film reading device 73 picks up an image of each frame represented on the developed film and outputs digital image data representing the picked-up image. The film reading device 73 is an image pickup device including a light source for illuminating the film, an image pickup optical system (including a diaphragm, a shutter, a zoom lens, etc. if necessary), and a solid-state electronic image pickup device (may be a line sensor) such as a CCD. , A necessary signal processing circuit (a white balance circuit, a gamma correction circuit, a negative / positive inversion circuit, etc.) for processing a video signal (or digital image data after A / D conversion) obtained from an image pickup device is included. ), A / D conversion, etc. The digital image data output from the film reader 73 is temporarily stored in the memory in the computer system 70. An image identification number is assigned to the digital image data for each frame. The resolution (the number of pixels and the number of gradations) of the original digital image data is determined according to the degree required in photographic printing (for example, the number of pixels is 3072 × 2048, 20).
48 x 1536 etc.).

The disk driver 72 is a laboratory
The data recorded on the floppy disk FD inserted in the system is read.

The image data processing circuit 74 is a circuit for decompressing the image data read from the floppy disk FD by the disk driver 72 and obtaining image data representing a high quality image. The image data processing circuit 74 can be realized by, for example, an image data interpolation circuit and a data expansion circuit, and is converted into high pixel image data.

The photographic printer (hard copy unit) 75 uses the specified digital image data recorded on the floppy disk (the one for which an additional order has been ordered) and uses the digital image data. The image represented is printed on paper. This printed one is a reprinted photograph.

After developing the film, the image represented on the film may be printed on paper by using the photographic printer 75 to produce a print photograph. In this case, the printing device 82 can be omitted. That is, the digital image data obtained by reading the film with the film reading device 73 is given to the photographic printer 75 (after being once stored in the memory of the host computer if necessary).

The reproduction / display control circuit 76 and the display device 77 are used for displaying a menu screen and the like when an operator operates the laboratory system, displaying an image and the like. When it comes to displaying images, the film reader 73
The image represented by the image data output from the computer and the image represented by the image data read from the floppy disk FD are displayed on the display screen of the display device 77 as needed.

In such a laboratory system, a floppy disk in which image data is recorded by the user
When the disc FD is brought in, the floppy disc FD is attached to the laboratory system. The image data recorded on the floppy disk FD mounted on the laboratory system is read by the disk driver 72. The image data read by the disk driver 72 is given to the memory of the computer system 70 and temporarily stored therein.

The image data is read from the memory of the computer system 70 and given to the image data processing circuit 74. Image data representing a high-quality image is obtained by performing data expansion processing, interpolation processing, etc. in the image data processing circuit 74. The image data representing the high quality image output from the image data processing circuit 74 is a photographic printer.
Given to 75. As a result, high quality prints can be obtained from the photo printer 75.

10 and 11 show another embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a recording / reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing image data recorded by a digital video tape recorder on a floppy disk, and FIG. 11 is a recording diagram shown in FIG. It is a flow chart which shows a processing procedure in a reproducing device. In FIG. 10, the same parts as those shown in FIG. 4 are designated by the same reference numerals, and in FIG. 11, the same processes as those shown in FIG.

The recording apparatus shown in FIG. 4 is an apparatus for converting the image data given from the digital video tape recorder into the format of the floppy disk FD and recording it, while the recording / reproducing shown in FIG. The device is
In addition to converting the image data supplied from the digital video tape recorder into the format of the floppy disk FD and recording the image data, the image data recorded on the floppy disk is reproduced and the image represented by the image data is reproduced. It is a device that can display.

The recording / reproducing apparatus shown in FIG. 10 includes a reproduction mode setting button 37.

When the reproduction mode setting button 37 is pressed, the reproduction mode is entered (step 53). Continuation piece
The frame number to be reproduced is designated by the NO. Designation button 36 (step 61). When the frame No. to be reproduced is designated, the image data of the designated frame is read by the magnetic head 46. The read image data is amplified in the reproduction amplifier circuit 91 and given to the demodulation circuit 92. The image data is demodulated in the demodulation circuit 92, passed through the format conversion circuit 93, given to the memory 40, and temporarily stored.

The format conversion circuit 93 is a floppy
A circuit for converting the data structure of the disk FD into a data structure suitable for display and a data structure of the digital interface 28 included in the digital video tape recorder.

The data suitable for display, which has undergone the format conversion in the format conversion circuit 93, is given to the data expansion circuit 94, and the compressed image data is expanded. The output data of the data expansion circuit 94 is given to the data rearrangement circuit 95 and arranged in the display array of the display device 96.
The output data of the data rearrangement circuit 95 is given to the display device 96, and the image represented by the image data recorded on the floppy disk FD is displayed on the display device 96 (step 62).

When the image data recorded on the floppy disk FD is recorded on a video tape, the format conversion circuit 93 uses the floppy disk FD.
The data converted into the data structure of the digital interface is given to the digital interface 41. This data is output through the digital interface 41 and given to the digital video tape recorder. In the digital video tape recorder, the supplied data is supplied to the magnetic head 17 via the digital interface 28, the error correction code addition circuit 14, the modulation circuit 15 and the storage amplification circuit 16, and the video tape 8 is supplied. Recorded in.

Also in the recording / reproducing apparatus shown in FIG. 10, data can be recorded in the format of the floppy disk FD. By bringing the floppy disk FD on which the image data is recorded into the laboratory system, a high quality image can be obtained. You can get a print.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical structure of a digital video tape recorder.

[Figure 2] (A) shows the format of video tape,
(B) shows the track format.

FIG. 3 shows a data structure of a digital interface.

FIG. 4 shows an electrical configuration of a recording device.

FIG. 5 shows a data structure of a floppy disk.

FIG. 6 shows a data structure of an index file.

FIG. 7 shows a data structure of an image file.

FIG. 8 shows a recording / erasing process procedure of the recording device.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a laboratory system.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a recording / reproducing apparatus.

FIG. 11 shows a recording, erasing, and reproducing processing procedure in the recording and reproducing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 8 Magnetic tape 28,41 Digital interface 30 Controller 42,93 Format conversion circuit

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. Digital image data representing a plurality of images is recorded on a digital video tape,
Data relating to image data representing an image to be printed from this digital video tape is selected in the digital video tape recorder, and data relating to digital image data is used to obtain a print image from the data relating to this selected digital image data. Is a device for recording data on an intermediate recording medium, converting data relating to digital image data given from a digital video tape recorder from the recording format of the digital video tape recorder to the recording format of the intermediate recording medium. A recording device comprising recording control means for recording on the intermediate recording medium in a converted recording format. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising reproducing means for reproducing data relating to the image data whose recording format has been converted. 3. Digital image data representing a plurality of images is recorded on a digital video tape,
Data relating to image data representing an image to be printed from this digital video tape is selected in the digital video tape recorder, and data relating to digital image data is used to obtain a print image from the data relating to this selected digital image data. Is recorded on an intermediate recording medium by converting data relating to digital image data given from a digital video tape recorder from the recording format of the digital video tape recorder to the recording format of the intermediate recording medium. A recording method of recording on the intermediate recording medium in the converted recording format.