JPH09161048A - Image pickup system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an image picup system allowing a connected computer to surely fetch picture data by driving an image pickup unit as fast as possible. SOLUTION: The image pickup system 11 is provided with a timing generator 106, which sends a timing pulse to CCD 102, and a control unit 107. The computer 12 connected to the image pickup system 11 is provided with CPU 110, a storage device 113 and an image pickup program 114. CPU 110 detects the difference between the fetching speed of picture signals by the computer 12 and the image pickup speed of the image pickup system 11 and when the detected speed difference is not less than a prescribed value, CPU 110 controls a control unit 107 so that the image pickup speed of the image pickup system 11 is slowed down.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention belongs to the technical field of an image pickup system including an image pickup unit connected to a computer and a computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a computer has a connection terminal that conforms to the PCMCIA standard, the PCMCI is connected to this connection terminal.
It is common to insert and use a card-shaped unit having various functions such as a fax card and a memory card having a connection terminal conforming to the A standard. On the contrary, a card having a connection terminal conforming to the PCMCIA standard can be used by connecting to various computers having the connection terminal.

Since the PCMCIA standard connection terminal transfers data at high speed, it is effective as an input means to a computer for an image requiring a large amount of data.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a conventional example of an image pickup system including an image pickup unit having a PCMCIA standard connection terminal and a computer having a same standard connection terminal.

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 51 is an image pickup unit having a PCMCIA standard connection terminal, 52 and 53 are computers, and 54 and 55 are PCMCIA standard connection terminals of the computer 52 and the computer 53, respectively.

The procedure for taking an image with the imaging system shown in FIG. 5 is as follows.

When the image pickup unit 51 is connected to the computer 52, when the user gives an image pickup instruction from the computer 52, the lens unit and the CCD section incorporated in the image pickup unit 51 first take an image. At this point, the captured image is accumulated in the CCD as electric charges.

Next, in the image pickup unit 51, the picked-up image is taken out from the CCD for each pixel and sequentially converted into digital data. At the same time as the conversion of the digital data, the computer 52 takes in the converted image data through the connection terminal 54. The captured image data is stored in the memory in the computer 52.

Even when the image pickup unit 51 is connected to the computer 53, image data can be taken in by the same procedure.

[0010]

In the above-mentioned image pickup system, in order to pick up an image of high image quality, the image pickup unit 51 takes out the charges accumulated in the built-in CCD in the shortest possible time and converts them into digital data. There is a need.

However, the speed at which a computer takes in digitally converted data through a connection terminal differs from computer to computer.

Therefore, if the speed at which the charge is taken out from the CCD (imaging speed) is set to a certain speed, for example, when the imaging unit 51 is connected to the computer 52, all the image data can be taken in from the imaging unit 51 without omission. Even if the same image pickup unit is connected to the computer 53, the image data may be missed because the speed at which the image data is taken in is slower than the image pickup speed.

Further, even if a certain computer sets the image pickup speed to a speed which is sufficient in a normal state, it is caused by the interruption of the processing of other processes in the computer while capturing the image data. However, the image data may be accidentally dropped.

Therefore, conventionally, in the above-described image pickup system, in order to prevent missing of the image, it is necessary to set the image pickup speed to be significantly slower than the image data fetching speed. However, slowing down the imaging speed leads to deterioration in image quality, such as increased image deletion and increased dark current noise.

A first object of the present invention is to provide an image pickup system capable of picking up an image at the highest image pickup speed and allowing a computer to reliably take in image data from an image pickup unit.

If the user moves the image pickup unit while the image pickup system is picking up an image, an image in a direction different from the intended direction may be recorded.

Therefore, a second object of the present invention is to provide an image pickup system having means for indicating to the user that the image pickup operation is being performed in the image pickup system.

[0018]

Therefore, the image pickup system according to the present invention achieves the above object by the following configuration.

(1) An image pickup system comprising an image pickup unit having a connection terminal for connecting to an external device and outputting an image signal by picking up an image, and a computer having a connection terminal connected to the connection terminal of the image pickup unit. Then, the computer has an image signal input means for taking in an image signal from the connected image pickup unit, the image pickup unit has an image pickup speed changing means for changing the image pickup speed, and the image pickup system is such that the computer receives the image signal. It has a detection means for detecting a speed difference between the capturing speed and the imaging speed of the imaging unit, and changes the imaging speed of the imaging unit when the speed difference detection value by the detection means is a predetermined value or more. And imaging system.

(2) An image pickup unit having a connection terminal for connecting to an external device and taking an image to output an image signal, and a digital signal processing device having a connection terminal connected to the connection terminal of the image pickup unit. In the imaging system, the imaging unit includes an imaging speed varying unit that changes an imaging speed, and a speed difference between an image signal input speed at which the digital signal processing device captures an image signal from the imaging unit and an imaging speed of the imaging unit. An image pickup system comprising: a detection unit for detecting, wherein the image pickup speed of the image pickup unit is changed when the speed difference detection value by the detection unit is a predetermined value or more.

(3) The detecting means for detecting the speed difference between the speed at which the computer or the digital signal processing device takes in the image signal and the speed at which the image pickup unit picks up the image signal is slower than the speed at which the image pickup unit takes the image signal. When an error is detected by the error detecting unit, the image capturing speed of the image capturing unit is changed to an image capturing speed slower than the image capturing speed when the error is detected. The imaging system according to (1) or (2), wherein an imaging operation is tried.

(4) The image pickup speed varying means for changing the image pickup speed of the connected image pickup unit is an error detecting means for detecting an error that occurs when the speed at which the computer takes in the image signal is slower than the image pickup speed of the image pickup unit. When no error is detected, the image pickup unit has an image pickup speed storage unit that stores the image pickup speed of the image pickup unit at that time as the image pickup success speed, and the image pickup speed changing unit sets the image pickup speed of the image pickup unit based on the image pickup success speed. The imaging system according to (3), wherein an initial value is set, and the initial value is picked up as a first imaging speed in the next imaging.

(5) In addition to the configuration of the image pickup system described in any one of (1) to (4) above, a determination means for determining whether or not the image signal has been captured successfully and operation information of the image pickup system. An image pickup system comprising: a display unit for displaying the image pickup unit, and the display unit displays to the user of the image pickup system that the image pickup operation is being performed when the image pickup unit is performing the image pickup operation.

(6) An image pickup system having an image pickup means and a communication means for communicating with an external device, wherein the image signal formed by the image pickup means is output via the communication means, wherein the external device is an image signal. An image pickup system comprising: a control unit that changes an image pickup speed of the image pickup unit according to a speed difference between a speed of capturing the image and a speed of the image pickup unit.

(7) An external device for inputting an image signal from an image pickup unit having a communication means between the image pickup means and the external device, wherein the speed at which the external device takes in the image signal and the image pickup speed of the image pickup unit. An external device comprising: a transmission unit that transmits a control signal for changing an image pickup speed of the image pickup unit according to a speed difference, to the image pickup unit.

[0026]

In order to achieve the above object, an image pickup system comprising an image pickup unit having at least one connection terminal and a computer having a connection terminal to which the image pickup unit can be connected, The computer has an image signal input means for taking in an image signal from the image pickup unit, the image pickup unit has an image pickup speed changing means for changing the image pickup speed, and the image pickup system has a speed at which the computer takes in an image signal and an image pickup speed. It is configured to have a detection unit that detects the difference between the two.

In the case of image pickup, the present invention is based on the fact that the speed at which the computer takes in an image signal is slower than the image pickup speed, and when the output of the detection means has a difference of a predetermined value or more, the image pickup of the image pickup unit By varying the speed, it is possible to control so that the computer can load the image data without omission.

To achieve the above object, the present invention has, in the image pickup system, means for the computer to determine whether or not the image signal has been captured successfully, and display means. The display means of the computer indicates that the image pickup operation is in progress until the computer determines that the image signal has been captured successfully.

[0029]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of an image pickup system of Embodiment 1. In this image pickup system, an image pickup unit 11 is connected to a computer 12 to pick up an image.

In the image pickup unit 11, 101 is a lens unit, 102 is a CCD, 103 is an A / D converter,
104 is a digital signal processor DSP, 105 is a FIF
O memory. A timing generator (TG) 106 sends a timing pulse to the CCD 102 and the A / D converter 103. 107 is the imaging unit 1
The first control unit includes a status flag 108 of the FIFO memory 105. Reference numeral 109 is an external connection interface such as PCMCIA.

On the other hand, in the computer 12, 110 is a C
A PU unit, 111 is a connection interface such as PCMCIA which is the same as the external connection interface 109 of the image pickup unit 11, 112 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display, 113 is a storage device, and 114 is an image pickup program.

The operation of picking up a still image by the present image pickup system having the above configuration will be described with reference to the flow charts shown in FIGS.

In this image pickup system, the image pickup unit 11 is controlled by the image pickup program 11 loaded in the CPU 110.
4 by sending a control command to the control unit 107 through the connecting interfaces 111 and 109.

The image pickup operation in the image pickup unit 11 is as follows.

First, in step S21 shown in FIG. 2, an imaging start command is sent from the imaging program 114 to the control unit 107 in the imaging unit 11.

Next, in step S22, the image pickup unit 11
Then, using the lens unit 101 and the CCD 102, information of a still image is accumulated in the CCD 102 as electric charges. C
The control unit 107 controls the charge storage time of the CD 102 through the TG 106.

Next, in step S23, the charge accumulated in the CCD 102 is read by the A / D converter 103. The reading timing of the CCD 102 is determined by the timing pulse sent from the TG 106, and the speed of the timing pulse is controlled by the control unit 107.

The signal A / D converted by the A / D converter 103 is subsequently converted into a luminance signal and a color difference signal by the DSP 104 in step S24, and the converted luminance signal,
The color difference signals are temporarily stored in the FIFO memory 105 in step S25.

The FIFO status flag 108 in the control unit 107 indicates the amount accumulated as an image signal in the FIFO memory 105, and is updated every time the image signal is input to or output from the FIFO memory 105. It In this embodiment, less than 50% of the total capacity of the FIFO memory 105 (state F0), 50% or more and less than 75% (state F1), 75% or more and less than 100% (state F2), FI.
It is assumed that the FO is full (state F3) in four stages.

The above steps S23 to S25
The above procedure is repeated for all the pixels of the image accumulated in step S22.

The image pickup operation on the computer side will be described. First, in step S31 shown in FIG.
The control unit 107 in 1 is instructed to initialize the FIFO 105 and set the TG 106.

Next, in step S32, an image pickup start command is issued to the control unit 107 in the image pickup unit 11. Then, in step S32, as described above, on the imaging unit 11 side, steps S22 to S2 are performed.
5, the image signals are sequentially transferred to the FIFO memory 105.
Is accumulated in

Next, in step S33, the FIFO status flag 108 is passed through the connection interfaces 109 and 111.
To monitor. On the imaging unit 11 side, the image signal is FIF
As it is accumulated in the O memory 105, the FIF
The O state flag 107 changes from F0 to F1 and from F1 to F2. When the FIFO status flag 108 indicates the status F1 in S33, the imaging program 114 fetches a certain amount of image signals from the FIFO memory 105 into the storage device 113 in the computer 12 through the connection interfaces 109 and 111 in step S34.

Then, in step S35, the FIFO status flag 108 is checked, and the FIFO status flag 108 is set to the status F2.
, The speed of capturing the image signal has not caught up with the imaging speed, and therefore, in step S36, the control unit 1
Send TG speed down command to 07. This makes T
The speed of the timing pulse output by G106 is reduced, and the accumulation speed of the image signal read from the CCD 102 in the imaging unit 11 and finally accumulated in the FIFO memory 105 becomes slow.

In step S35, the FIFO status flag 10
8 is not the state F2, or step S36
After sending the TG speed-down command in step S3,
In step 7, it is determined whether the computer 12 has fetched an image signal of 50% of the total capacity of the FIFO memory 105.

If it is less than 50% of the total capacity of the FIFO, the process of fetching a certain amount of image signals is performed again in step S34.

When it is determined that the image signal of 50% of the total capacity of the FIFO has been captured, it is determined in step S38 whether all the image signals of the still image have been captured.

When all the image signals of the still image have not been captured, the FIFO status flag 107 in step S33 is monitored again, and preparations are made for capturing the image stored in the FIFO memory 105 next.

When all the image signals of the still image have been captured, the capture of the still image is ended in step S39.

(Second Embodiment) A second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The operation of picking up a still image by the image pickup system of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flow charts shown in FIGS. Since the block configuration is the same as that of the above-mentioned embodiment, refer to FIG.

The image pickup operation in the image pickup unit 11 is performed according to the flow chart of FIG. 2 as in the first embodiment. Then, the imaging operation on the computer 12 side is carried out according to the flowchart of FIG.

First, in step S41 shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 107 in the image pickup unit 11 is set to FIFO.
The memory 105 is initialized and the TG 106 is set. At this time, the setting value of the TG 106 is the computer 12
The initial value is stored in a specific area of the storage device 113.

Next, in step S42, an image pickup start command is issued to the control unit 107 in the image pickup unit 11.

Next, in step S43, the FIFO status flag 108 is passed through the connecting interfaces 111 and 109.
To monitor.

The FIFO status flag 108 indicates four stages from status F0 to status F3 as in the first embodiment.
If the FIFO status flag 108 indicates the status F1, the imaging program 114 sends an image signal of 50% of the total capacity of the FIFO memory 105 from the FIFO memory 105 to the storage device in the computer 12 through the connection interfaces 109 and 111 in step S44. Take in 113.

Then, in step S45, the FIFO status flag 108 is checked, and the FIFO status flag 108 is set to the status F3.
In the case of indicating, in step S46, the control unit 107 in the image pickup unit is instructed to stop image pickup, and further, an instruction to initialize the FIFO memory 105 and set the TG 106 is issued. At this time, the set value of TG 106 is the current TG.
It is assumed that one unit speed is reduced from the set value of 106. As a result, the speed of the timing pulse generated by the TG 106 is reduced, and the CCD 102 in the image pickup unit 11 is reduced.
The accumulation speed of the image signal read out from and finally accumulated in the FIFO memory 105 becomes slow.

After step S46, step S42 is performed again.
Then, the control unit 107 in the image pickup unit is instructed to start image pickup and the information of the new still image is accumulated in the CCD as electric charge.

In step S45, the FIFO status flag 10
If 8 is not the state F3, it is determined in step S47 whether all the image signals of the still image have been captured.

When all the image signals of the still image have not been fetched, the FIFO status flag of the step 43 is monitored again, and the preparation for fetching the image accumulated in the FIFO memory 105 is made.

When all the image signals of the still image have been fetched, the initial value of the TG 106 at the time of the next still image fetch is calculated from the current set value of the TG 106 in step S48, and the storage device 113 in the computer 12 is specified. Save to the area.

At the time of capturing the next still image, since the initial value of the TG 106 stored at this time in step S41 is used, the still image can be captured at an appropriate image capturing speed from the beginning.

In step S48, the imaging speed at the time of successful imaging is stored in the storage device 113 in the computer 12, and the initial value of the imaging speed is calculated based on the successful imaging speed at the next imaging. You can also do it. Finally, in step S49, still image capturing is completed.

In the present image pickup system, immediately after the image pickup start command is given to the control unit 107 in the image pickup unit in step S42 in order to inform the user that the still image is being picked up during the image pickup operation, A mark indicating that the image capturing operation is being performed is displayed on the display device 112 of the computer 12.
Then, after it is determined in step S47 that all the signals of the still image have been captured, the mark indicating the image capturing operation of the display device 112 of the computer 12 is erased.

In the embodiment, the image pickup unit and the external device are connected by wire for communication, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may include wireless communication of image signals and commands.

[0067]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In an imaging system including an imaging unit having at least one connection terminal and a computer having a connection terminal to which the imaging unit can be connected, even if the speed at which the computer captures an image signal is different for each computer, The image pickup system takes an image at the highest image pickup speed, and the computer can surely take in the image data from the image pickup unit.

Further, the initial value of the image pickup speed in the next image pickup is calculated from the image pickup speed when the image pickup is successful, and is stored in the storage device in the computer, so that the image pickup is performed at the appropriate image pickup speed in the next image pickup. Can start.

While the image pickup system is performing image pickup, the user of the image pickup system is informed of the image pickup operation on the display or the like so that the user does not know that the image pickup operation is being performed. It is possible to avoid the blurring of the captured image caused by moving the.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the operation of the image pickup unit according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a computer operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a computer operation of the second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 image pickup unit 12 computer 51 image pickup unit 52 computer 53 computer 54 PCMCIA standard connection terminal of computer 52 55 PCMCIA standard connection terminal of computer 53 101 lens unit 102 CCD 103 A / D converter 104 digital signal processor (DSP) 105 FIFO Memory 106 Timing Generator (TG) 107 Control Unit 108 FIFO Status Flag 109 External Connection Interface 110 CPU Unit 111 External Connection Interface 112 Liquid Crystal Display 113 Storage Device 114 Imaging Program

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Inventor Takeshi Watanabe 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Koichi Sono 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Within the corporation

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup system comprising an image pickup unit having a connection terminal for connecting to an external device and taking an image to output an image signal, and a computer having a connection terminal connected to the connection terminal of the image pickup unit. The computer has an image signal input means for fetching an image signal from the connected image pickup unit, the image pickup unit has an image pickup speed changing means for changing the image pickup speed, and the image pickup system is such that the computer takes in an image signal. A detecting means for detecting a speed difference between a speed and an imaging speed of the imaging unit; and when the speed difference detection value by the detecting means is equal to or more than a predetermined value, the imaging speed of the imaging unit is changed. Imaging system. 2. An image pickup device comprising an image pickup unit having a connection terminal for connecting to an external device and taking an image to output an image signal, and a digital signal processing device having a connection terminal connected to the connection terminal of the image pickup unit. In the system, the image pickup unit detects an image pickup speed varying means for changing an image pickup speed, and a speed difference between an image signal input speed at which the digital signal processing device takes an image signal from the image pickup unit and an image pickup speed of the image pickup unit. And a detection unit that operates to detect the speed difference. When the speed difference detection value by the detection unit is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, the imaging speed of the imaging unit is changed. 3. The detecting means for detecting a speed difference between a speed at which the computer or the digital signal processing device captures an image signal and a speed at which the image pickup unit captures an image is faster than a speed at which the image signal is captured. When an error is detected by the error detecting means, the image pickup speed of the image pickup unit is changed to an image pickup speed slower than the image pickup speed when the error is detected, and the image pickup is performed. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging system attempts an operation. 4. An error detection means for changing the image pickup speed of the connected image pickup unit, wherein the image pickup speed changing means detects an error caused by a speed at which a computer takes in an image signal lower than an image pickup speed of the image pickup unit. When there is no detection, it has an imaging speed storage means for storing the imaging speed of the imaging unit at that time as the imaging success speed, and the imaging speed varying means has an initial imaging speed of the imaging unit based on the imaging success speed. The imaging system according to claim 3, wherein a value is set, and the initial value is imaged as a first imaging speed in the next imaging. 5. In addition to the configuration of the image pickup system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a determination means for determining whether or not the image signal has been captured successfully and a display for displaying operation information of the image pickup system. An image pickup system comprising: means for displaying the fact that the image pickup operation is being performed to a user of the image pickup system when the image pickup unit is performing an image pickup operation. 6. An imaging system, comprising an image pickup means and a communication means for communicating with an external device, wherein the image signal formed by said image pickup means is output via said communication means, wherein said external device outputs the image signal. An image pickup system comprising: a control unit that changes the image pickup speed of the image pickup unit according to a speed difference between a take-in speed and an image pickup speed of the image pickup unit. 7. An external device for inputting an image signal from an imaging unit having a communication means for communicating the imaging device and the external device, the speed being a speed at which the external device captures the image signal and an imaging speed of the imaging unit. An external device comprising: a transmission unit that transmits a control signal for changing an image pickup speed of the image pickup unit according to a difference to the image pickup unit.