JPH0870405A - Image pickup device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To sufficiently correct camera shake and to suppress the deterioration of image quality in picked up image. CONSTITUTION: A picture element matrix 1 where plural picture element arrays in which plural picture elements holding image pickup signals obtained by image pickup of a subject image in readable manner are arranged in a vertical direction, are arranged in a horizonatal direction, vertical registers 2 which are provided for the respective picture element arrays, which transfer the image pickup signals held by the respective picture elements forming the respective picture element arrays for respective vertical synchronising signals and which hold the image pickup signals so that they can be transferred, a horizontal regsiter 3 transferring the image pickup signals transferred from the respective picture element arrays to the respective vertical registers by shifting them in the vertical direction by the image pickup signals of one picture element and transmitting the image pickup signals which are shifted and transferred in synchronizing with horizontal synchronizing signals and a transfer clock generation means which can variably set the number of the transfer times of one horizontal scanning period generating a transfer clock signal for transferring the image pickup signals transferred to the vertical regsiters 2 to the horizonatal register 3 at every one horizontal synchronizing signal are provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image pickup device suitable for use in, for example, a video camera device provided with a CCD image sensor as an image pickup device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Today, a video camera device for forming an image pickup screen using a CCD image sensor for forming an image pickup signal by picking up an image of a subject is widely used.

Since the above video camera device is small and lightweight, there is a problem that camera shake is likely to occur during image pickup. If camera shake occurs during the above-described image pickup, for example, when a zoomed-up image is played back, a slight “shaking” occurs in the imaged image, making the imaged image very difficult to see.

As a method of correcting the "shake" caused by the hand shake to make the captured image easier to see, when the hand shake is detected, a part of the video signal obtained by picking up the image of the subject is taken out as an image frame, and the previous field is displayed. There is known a camera shake correction method in which an image obtained by enlarging the image frame of (1) and an image obtained by enlarging the image frame of the current field are moved so as to match each other, and a captured image is formed so that the positions of both image frames coincide with each other. There is.

In the camera shake correction method, when the positions of the image frames are made to coincide with each other, the image frames may be moved beyond the screen of the picked-up image. Therefore, the CCD image sensor provided in the video camera device is An image pickup device is used that allows image pickup in a wider area than the screen of the imaged image.

For example, NT in which 525 scanning lines are scanned
SC (National Television Sy)
A PLA (Phas) in which 625 scanning lines are scanned in a video camera device that reproduces a captured image by the system Commitee (Television System Committee) method.
e Alteration by Line: A CCD image sensor that can reproduce the captured image by the method of switching the phase of the carrier color signal for each scanning line) is used as an image sensor to capture an image in a wider area than the screen of the captured image in the vertical direction. And

In a video camera device configured to obtain an extra captured image in order to perform camera shake correction in this manner, the size of the extra captured image is adjusted in order to match the aspect ratio of the captured image. By deleting the image pickup signal at the edge of the image pickup screen generated by the CCD image sensor,
A captured image is formed with a standard aspect ratio.

[0008]

By the way, when the image pickup signal at the edge of the image pickup screen is deleted, the resolution of the CCD image sensor is lowered, so that the image quality of the picked up image is lowered.

In view of such problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image pickup apparatus which realizes a video camera apparatus which can obtain a picked-up image in which the shake has been sufficiently corrected without degrading the image quality of the picked-up image. To do.

[0010]

An image pickup apparatus according to the present invention has a plurality of pixel arrays, each of which has a plurality of pixels arranged in a vertical direction and which holds an image pickup signal obtained by picking up an image of a subject so as to be read out, arranged in a horizontal direction. A pixel matrix, and a vertical register that is provided for each of the pixel arrays and that transfers an image pickup signal held by each pixel forming the pixel array for each vertical synchronization signal and holds the image pickup signal in a transferable manner. ,
The image pickup signal transferred from each pixel array to each vertical register is transferred while shifting the image pickup signal of one pixel in the vertical direction, and the shifted image pickup signal is sent in synchronization with the horizontal synchronizing signal. A horizontal register and a transfer clock in which the number of transfers in one horizontal scanning period for generating a transfer clock signal for transferring the image pickup signal transferred to the vertical register to the horizontal register can be variably set for each horizontal synchronization signal. And generating means.

Further, there is provided a brightness division means for dividing the brightness of the image pickup signal supplied from the horizontal register by the number of transfers set by the transfer clock generation means.

Further, when the number of times of transfer is set to 1 or more by the transfer clock generation means and the image pickup signal transferred for the number of times of transfer from the vertical register to the horizontal register is mixed in one horizontal scanning period, this color mixing is performed. A color mixing replacement unit is provided which replaces the captured image signal with the captured signal transferred from the vertical register to the horizontal register when the transfer clock signal whose transfer count is set to 1 immediately before is generated, and sends the image signal.

[0013]

In the image pickup apparatus according to the present invention, the image pickup signal of one pixel is shifted from the vertical register to the horizontal register for one horizontal scanning period by the number of times of transfer determined by the transfer clock generating means, so that the image signals are transferred in one horizontal scanning period. It is possible to obtain the image pickup signal in which the number of scanning lines is added in the horizontal register.

Further, it is possible to gradually divide the luminance of the image pickup signal supplied from the horizontal register by the luminance division means by the number of times of transfer set by the transfer clock generation means.

Further, when the adjacent image pickup signals held in the horizontal register do not mix colors, the image pickup signal transferred from the horizontal register is added by the adding means by the number of transfer times determined by the transfer clock generating means. It is possible to obtain a signal. Further, when the adjacent image pickup signals have the color mixture, the image pickup signal transferred from the horizontal register immediately before the adjacent image signals having the color mixture can be obtained by the color mixture replacing means.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of an image pickup apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The image pickup device according to the present invention is provided in a video camera device using a PAL CCD image sensor 11 as an image pickup element as shown in FIG.

The video camera device shown in FIG. 1 provided with the above-mentioned image pickup device has an image pickup device 10 in which an image pickup signal is formed by picking up a subject image, and a picked-up image shakes from the image pickup signal formed in this image pickup device 10. A shake correction unit 20 that detects the amount and corrects a shake is provided, and an image output control unit 30 that outputs a captured image in which the shake is corrected by the shake correction unit 20 as an image.

The image pickup device 10 includes a CCD image sensor 11 for generating an image pickup signal by picking up a subject image, a transfer clock generating means 4 for generating a transfer clock signal, and an image pickup signal supplied from the CCD image sensor 11. The AGC amplifier 13 for adjusting the gain and the gain-adjusted image pickup signal supplied from the AGC amplifier 13 are
The brightness of the image pickup signal supplied from the A / D converter 14 when the pulse of the transfer clock signal is continuously generated (hereinafter, referred to as continuous pulse) when the A / D converter 14 performs A / D conversion. A luminance dividing means 5 for dividing by the number of pulses of the continuous pulse, and at the time of generating the continuous pulse,
When the adjacent image pickup signals supplied from the A / D converter 14 have a color mixture, the image pickup signal having the color mixture is replaced with the image pickup signal transferred from the A / D converter 14 immediately before, and the mixed color is sent. The replacement unit 6 and the camera signal processing circuit 15 for performing image processing so as to form a captured image from the captured image signal whose luminance and color signals are corrected.
With.

CCD image sensor 11 for PAL
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the vertical direction, a subject image guided by an objective lens provided in the video camera body and having an iris diaphragm adjusted by an iris is readably held as an imaging signal. Arrayed pixel G11 to pixel G1n, pixel G21 to pixel G2n, ..., And pixel Gm1 to pixel Gmn (where n and m are CCD
It is an integer based on the number of pixels in the vertical and horizontal directions preset according to the image sensor specifications. A pixel matrix 1 in which each pixel array consisting of
A vertical register V1 and a vertical register V2 to which an image pickup signal held in each pixel forming each pixel array is transferred.
... and a vertical register 2 having a vertical register Vm, and a horizontal register 3 to which the image pickup signal transferred to the vertical register 2 is transferred while shifting the image pickup signal of one pixel in the vertical direction.

In the pixel matrix 1, electric charges are accumulated by imaging an object, and 625 scanning lines are generated by an imaging signal formed according to the magnitude of the accumulated charges.
It is configured so that a captured image having an aspect ratio of 3: 4 is formed.

The vertical register 2 is supplied with a vertical synchronizing signal so that the image pickup signal held in each of the pixels G11 to Gnm forming each pixel array of the pixel matrix 1 is transferred for each vertical synchronizing signal. A vertical synchronizing signal input terminal u to which a vertical synchronizing signal is input, and for each pulse signal of a horizontal clock signal having a frequency n times or more that of the horizontal synchronizing signal,
A transfer terminal w to which the horizontal clock signal is input is provided so as to transfer the image pickup signal in the vertical F direction.

A horizontal clock signal is input to the horizontal register 3 so that the image pickup signal held in the vertical register 2 for each pulse signal of the horizontal clock signal is transferred while being shifted by the image pickup signal of one pixel in the F direction. Transfer terminal s
And a control terminal h to which the transfer clock signal is input so as to transfer the shifted and transferred image pickup signal to the AGC amplifier 13 for each transfer clock signal generated by the transfer clock generating means 4. To be

The transfer clock generating means 4 has a TG circuit 16 for generating a transfer clock signal, and a vertical driver circuit 17 for driving the vertical register 2 in synchronization with the transfer clock signal generated by this TG circuit.

In the TG circuit 16, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, a transfer clock signal is generated in synchronism with the horizontal synchronizing signal, and a continuous pulse consisting of two pulses is synchronized with the preset horizontal synchronizing signal. By generating a pulse, the image pickup signal is transferred from the vertical register 2 to the horizontal register 3 twice during one continuous pulse period, and the transfer is performed once by the transfer clock signal other than the continuous pulse.

Here, when a continuous pulse is generated,
Each time the transfer clock signal is generated once, the vertical register 2
Since the image pickup signal from the to the horizontal register 3 is transferred and held while shifting the image pickup signal of one pixel in the vertical direction, the horizontal register 3 has two scanning lines generated by the CCD image sensor 11 for PAL. The image pickup signal to which is added is held.

The TG circuit 16 appropriately sets the timing for generating continuous pulses in the transfer clock signal so that the imaging signals of the 625 scanning lines generated by the PAL CCD image sensor 11 are generated.
It is configured to match the specifications of the video camera device, which is 525 scanning lines.

Further, the TG circuit 16 includes a camera shake correction unit 20.
The vertical driver circuit 17 is driven so as to move the position of the pixel for transferring the image pickup signal from the pixel array to the vertical register 2 in a direction that cancels the vertical camera shake according to the output signal supplied from Is composed of.

As shown in FIG. 4, the brightness grading means 5 is a graduation device 41 for gradually decimating the brightness of the image pickup signal by the number of transfers set by the transfer clock generating means 4, and the transfer clock generating means 4. A continuous pulse is generated from the A / D converter, the output signal of the A / D converter is supplied to the divider 41, and in other cases, a switch S1 is provided to switch the output signal of the A / D converter. And this switch S
The image pickup signal sent from 1 is supplied to the adding means 6 and the camera signal processing circuit 15.

As shown in FIG. 4, the color mixture replacing means 6 normally supplies the image pickup signal sent from the brightness grading means 5, and when the transfer clock generating means generates a continuous clock signal, A switch S2 that holds the supplied image pickup signal, a shift register 42 that normally shifts the image pickup signal that is supplied from the switch S2, a shift register 43 that shifts the supplied image pickup signal, and the switch described above. An adder 44 for adding the output signal of S2 and the output signal of the shift register 43
And the switch S3 to which the output signal of the switch S2 is normally supplied and the output signal of the shift register 43 is supplied immediately after the generation of the continuous pulse, and the image pickup signal added by the horizontal register 3 when the continuous pulse is generated. Is not mixed, the output signal of the adder 44 is supplied, and when the added image pickup signal is mixed, the output signal of the switch S3 is supplied to the switch S4 and the output of the shift register 42. The signal and the output signal of the switch S4 are supplied to the switch S4 and the switch S5 for outputting different output signals of the shift register 42 from the output terminal Q and the output terminal R so that the same color signals are not adjacent to each other. Equipped with.

With the above structure, the brightness grading means 5
Normally, the image pickup signal supplied from the A / D converter 14 is supplied as it is to the color mixing / replacement means 6 and the switch S1 is switched in synchronization with the continuous pulse generated from the transfer clock generation means 4 to effect the A / D conversion. The luminance of the image pickup signal supplied from the converter 14 is gradually subtracted, and then supplied to the color mixture replacing unit 6.

In the color mixture replacing means 6, the image pickup signal supplied from the A / D converter 14 is normally supplied to the shift register 4.
The shift register 4 is shifted to 2, 43 and in synchronization with the continuous pulse generated from the transfer clock generating means 4.
2 and 43 are held, the shift register 42 holds the image pickup signal one pulse before the continuous pulse, and the shift register 43 holds the image pickup signal two pulses before the continuous pulse.

The image pickup apparatus 10 having the above-described structure is provided with an A / D
When the image pickup signals CR and CB shown in FIG. 5, for example, are supplied to the input terminal a point of the brightness grading means 5 as the output signal of the converter 14, the image pickup signals are usually shifted for each horizontal synchronizing signal. Are shifted to the output terminal b point of the shift register 42 and the image pickup signal is transferred with a delay of 1 horizontal synchronizing signal from the point a, and the output terminal c point of the shift register 43 is delayed with a horizontal synchronizing signal from the point b. The image pickup signal is transferred.

In addition, C for PAL is synchronized with the continuous pulse.
When the image pickup signals R2 and B2 are transferred after being added by the CD image sensor 11, the shift registers 42 and 43 are held as shown in FIG. 6, the shift register 42 holds the image pickup signal B1, and the shift register 43 is held. Then, the image pickup signal R1 is held.

In this held state, at the timing of output switching to the camera signal processing shown in FIG. 7, the image pickup signal B1 is sent from the shift register 42 to the terminal Q via the switch S5.
Then, the image pickup signal R1 is sent from the terminal R from the shift register 43 via the switches S3 and S5.

Similarly, in synchronization with the continuous pulse, the PAL CCD image sensor 11 picks up the image pickup signal B.
5, R6 or the image pickup signals R9, B9 are transferred after addition, the shift registers 42, 43 as shown in FIG.
Is held, and the image pickup signal R is stored in the shift register 42.
5 or B8 is held, and the shift register 43 holds the image pickup signal B4 or R8.

Similarly, in this held state, at the timing of output switching to the camera signal processing shown in FIG. 7, the image pickup signal R5 or R8 is output from the terminal Q from the shift register 42 via the switch S5. After that, the shift register 43 sends the image pickup signal B4 or R8 from the terminal R through the switches S3 and S5.

However, it is assumed that the image pickup signals R2 and B2, B5 and R6, R9 and B9 are color information of the image pickup signals which are mixed with each other.

Here, when the image pickup signals added in the horizontal register 3 do not cause color mixture, for example, when the picked-up image is in a stripe shape, the luminance subtraction means 5 subtracts the luminance of the image pickup signals added in the horizontal register 3. Then, the mixed color replacing means 6 sends the mixed color.

The camera shake correction unit 20 includes a shake amount detector 21y for detecting a shake amount caused by a roll direction of the video camera body (hereinafter referred to as a yawing direction), and a roll direction (hereinafter referred to as a pitching direction). .) And a shake amount detector 21p for detecting the shake amount due to
An amplifier 22y for amplifying the shake amount detection signals of y and 21p,
22p, A / D converters 23y and 23p for A / D converting the amplified shake amount detection signal, and a micro to which shake amount detection signals in the yawing direction and the pitching direction are supplied from the A / D converters 23y and 23p. A computer 24, a line memory 25 in which an image pickup signal forming a picked-up image of the current field is supplied from the camera signal processing circuit 15 of the image pickup apparatus 10, and a horizontal image pickup signal of the previous field is stored, and the shake amount detection. A memory controller 26 is provided which controls so as to match the horizontal direction of the image frames of the picked-up images of the current field and the previous field so as to cancel camera shake based on the signal.

The image output control unit 30 converts the image pickup signals of 625 scanning lines formed by using the CCD image sensor 11 for PAL into the image pickup signals of 525 scanning lines of the NTSC system, An NTSC encoder that supplies an image pickup signal with the number of scanning lines reduced to 21/25 from the image pickup apparatus 10 to multiply the picked-up image in the vertical direction by 25/21 so that the aspect ratio of the picked-up image is 3: 4. 31 and a D / A converter 32 for D / A converting the output signal of the NTSC encoder 31 and outputting the image on a monitor.

As described above, in the image pickup device 10 according to the present invention, when converting the number of scanning lines from the specifications of the CCD image sensor to the specifications of the video camera device, it is synchronized with the continuous pulse generated by the transfer clock generating means 4. Then, the luminance of the image pickup signals to be added is divided by the number of image pickup signals to be added in advance. Therefore, the brightness of the scanning line formed by the added image pickup signal becomes harmonious in the picked-up image.

Further, when the image pickup signal includes color information for forming a color picked-up image, when the pixels adjacent to each other in the vertical direction of the CCD image sensor are image pickup signals in which colors are mixed, the shift of the color mixture replacing means 4 Since the image pickup signal of the pixel adjacent to the two pixels that are mixed with each other is supplied from the register 44, the picked-up image is formed without giving a sense of discomfort to the color information.

With the above configuration, when the number of scanning lines of the picked-up image is converted from the PAL type specifications to the NTSC type specifications, for example, without changing the image pickup signals at the horizontal edges of the image pickup screen, By adding the image pickup signals in units of scanning lines for each continuous pulse generated by the transfer clock generating means 4 to reduce the number of scanning lines and convert to the specifications of the NTSC system, the image pickup signals in the vertical direction are not wasted. PAL
Since the specification of the system is converted to the specification of the NTSC system, an image pickup apparatus that realizes a video camera apparatus that can obtain a picked-up image that has been sufficiently shake-corrected without degrading the image quality of the picked-up image is realized.

[0044]

As described above in detail, according to the image pickup apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to obtain the image pickup signal in which the scanning lines of the number of transfers are added in the horizontal register in one horizontal scanning period. It is possible to efficiently convert the vertical image pickup signal from the number of scan lines of the CCD image sensor specifications to the number of scan lines of the video camera device specifications without changing the horizontal image pickup signals of the image pickup screen. Therefore, it is possible to provide an image pickup apparatus that realizes a video camera apparatus that can obtain a picked-up image in which camera shake is sufficiently corrected without degrading the image quality of the image pickup screen.

Further, the brightness division means can divide the brightness of the image pickup signal supplied from the horizontal register by the number of transfers set by the transfer clock generation means.
For this reason, it is possible to provide an image pickup apparatus that realizes a video camera apparatus that obtains a picked-up image in which a picked-up image with a natural brightness for each scanning line is formed.

If the adjacent image pickup signals held in the horizontal register do not have the color mixture, the image pickup signals are added by the adding means, and if the adjacent image pickup signals have the color mixture,
An image pickup signal transferred from the horizontal register immediately before the adjacent image pickup signals that are mixed with each other can be obtained from the color mixture replacement unit. Therefore, it is possible to provide an image pickup apparatus that realizes a video camera apparatus that obtains a picked-up image in which a picked-up image with natural color information is formed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a main part of a video camera device provided with an imaging device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a CCD provided in the image pickup apparatus according to the above embodiment.
It is a block diagram of an image sensor.

FIG. 3 is a time chart diagram of a transfer clock signal and a horizontal synchronization signal generated from a transfer clock generating means of the image pickup apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a main part of the image pickup apparatus according to the above embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a time chart diagram of an image pickup signal in the image pickup apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a case in which two horizontal scanning periods are performed in the image pickup apparatus.
It is a time chart figure of an image pick-up signal when a vertical shift is performed twice.

FIG. 7 is a time chart diagram of an image pickup signal when color signal processing is performed in the image pickup apparatus without giving discomfort to color information.

[Explanation of Codes] 1 Pixel matrix 2 Vertical register 3 Horizontal register 4 Transfer clock generating means 5 Luminance grading means 6 Color mixture replacing means

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A pixel matrix in which a plurality of pixel arrays, each of which has a plurality of pixels arranged in a vertical direction and which holds an image pickup signal obtained by picking up a subject image in a readable manner, are arranged in a horizontal direction, and each pixel array is provided. An image pickup signal held in each pixel forming each pixel array is transferred for each vertical synchronization signal, and a vertical register holding the image pickup signal transferably, and transferred from each pixel array to each vertical register. The image pickup signal is transferred while shifting the image pickup signal of one pixel in the vertical direction, and is transferred to the vertical register and the horizontal register for transmitting the image pickup signal which is shifted and transferred in synchronization with the horizontal synchronizing signal. A transfer clock signal for transferring the captured image signal to the horizontal register 1
An image pickup apparatus comprising: a transfer clock generation unit capable of variably setting the number of transfers in a horizontal scanning period for each horizontal synchronization signal. 2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a brightness division unit that divides the brightness of the image pickup signal supplied from the horizontal register by the number of transfers set by the transfer clock generation unit. 3. When the number of times of transfer is set to 1 or more by the transfer clock generation means and the image pickup signals for which the number of times of transfer is transferred from the vertical register to the horizontal register in one horizontal scanning period are mixed, the color mixture is performed. The color mixture replacing means for replacing the picked-up image pickup signal with the picked-up image signal transferred from the vertical register to the horizontal register when the transfer clock signal having the transfer count set to 1 immediately before is generated is provided. Alternatively, the imaging device according to claim 2.