JPH09186925A - Synchronizing signal transmitter for video camera equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To synchronize an operation timing of a camera main body side with a lens side by sending synchronizing timing information from the camera main body side to the lens side by means of data communication in the video camera equipment of a configuration sending/receiving information between the camera main body side and the lens side by means of the data communication. SOLUTION: A synchronizing information transmission control section 12 in a camera main body control section 10 generates specific bit pattern data KN based on a vertical synchronizing signal VD and sends the data to a lens side control section 20 via a data communication section 11. A synchronizing information reception display section 22 in the lens side control section 20 monitors data 21a received by a data control means section 21 and generates a synchronizing information reception output 22a when the specific bit pattern data KN are detected.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a synchronizing signal transmission device for a video camera device, and more particularly to a video camera device having a structure for performing data communication between a lens side control unit and a camera body side control unit. The present invention relates to a synchronization signal transmission device for a video camera device in which synchronization timing is sent from a main body side control unit to a lens side control unit via data communication to establish synchronization between both control units.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional broadcasting studio camera, a camera cable is connected between a camera head and a camera control device, and various kinds of information are transmitted and received as analog signals. Battery-operable and portable ENG (electrical news gathering)
ing) camera has a BTA (Broadcasting Technology) interface specification in which a 12-pin connector is used to connect between the lens side (camera head side) equipped with an imaging lens and the like, and the camera body side that processes image signals.
Association)). Since all of the 12 pins are already used, it is not possible to add a signal line for transmitting new information.

Therefore, considering that information can be transmitted and received between the camera body side and the lens side by data communication, by transmitting the data after the header portion indicating the type and item of the information. It is easy to increase the types of information to be sent and received.

[0004]

However, when it is necessary to synchronize the operation timings of the camera body side and the lens side, it is difficult to synchronize the operation timings. For example, when performing known hill climbing autofocus control, lens focus feed control on the lens side may be performed for each vertical synchronization period.
This is because in the hill climbing method, the focus direction is determined by paying attention to the high frequency component of the video signal, so that accurate focus is obtained even if the video signal is evaluated during the focus movement within one vertical synchronization period. I can't figure out the direction.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and in a video camera device configured to send and receive information by data communication between the camera body side and the lens side, the camera body is transmitted through the data communication. It is an object of the present invention to provide a synchronization signal transmission device of a video camera device capable of synchronizing the operation timings of the camera body side and the lens side by sending synchronization timing information from the side to the lens side.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a synchronization signal transmission device for a video camera device according to the present invention is provided in a camera body side control unit and has a specific bit pattern at a synchronization timing based on the synchronization signal. Generate a signal of
The camera body side control unit is provided with a synchronization information transmission control unit for transmitting the generated signal of the specific bit pattern to the lens side data communication unit via the camera body side data communication unit, and the lens side data communication is performed by the lens side control unit. The synchronization information receiving unit generates a synchronization information reception output when the reception data received by the unit is monitored and a signal having a specific bit pattern is detected.

Since the sync signal transmission device for a video camera device according to the present invention having the above-mentioned structure sends a signal of a specific bit pattern from the camera body side control section at a sync timing based on the sync signal, the lens side The control unit can execute the synchronization processing routine when it receives a signal having a specific bit pattern.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a sync signal transmission device for a video camera device according to the present invention. The synchronization signal transmission device 1 for a video camera device according to the present invention is provided in the camera body side data communication unit 11 and the synchronization information transmission control unit 12 provided in the camera body side control unit 10 and the lens side control unit 20. It comprises a lens side data communication unit 21 and a synchronization information receiving unit 22.

The data communication units 11 and 21 are, for example, RSs.
-It has a transmission / reception function equivalent to 232C, converts parallel bit data supplied to the transmission signal input terminal TI into serial bit data, sends it out from the transmission signal output terminal TX at a predetermined bit rate, and supplies it to the reception signal input terminal RX. The received serial bit data is received, the received serial bit data is converted into parallel bit data, and the parallel bit data is output from the reception signal output terminal RO. Using the data transmission cable 2, the transmission output terminal T of one of the data communication units 11 and 21.
X is connected to the reception signal input terminal RX of the other data communication unit 21, 11.

The transmission data generators 13 and 23, as shown in FIG. 2, according to the type of data to be transmitted, have a header H of 1 byte and a data D of 1 byte following the header H.
To generate code data K and output the generated code data K. In this embodiment, since 1 byte is allocated to the header H, it is possible to divide up to 256 items, but it is assumed that a specific header number N is used as synchronization information, and that data is not used when using this specific header number N. It is designed not to send and receive.

As shown in FIG. 1, the camera body side controller 1
At 0, the code data K generated by the transmission data generation unit 13 is supplied to the transmission signal input terminal TI of the camera body side data communication unit 11 via the synchronization information transmission control unit 12.
The transmission data generation unit 13 of the camera body side control unit 10 connects the synchronization information transmission control unit 12 to the code generation prohibition input terminal 13a.
When the synchronization information transmission request signal 12a is supplied from
The generation and output of the code data K is temporarily stopped.

When the synchronization information transmission control section 12 detects that it is the synchronization timing by detecting, for example, a rising edge of the vertical synchronization signal VD supplied to the vertical synchronization signal input terminal 14, it first outputs the synchronization information transmission request signal 12a. The code data K is supplied to the transmission data generation unit 13 and the output of the code data K from the transmission data generation unit 13 is stopped. Then, the code data KN with a specific header number N is generated, and the generated code data KN is used as camera main body side data. The signal is supplied to the transmission signal input terminal TI of the communication unit 11, and then the output of the synchronization information transmission request signal 12a is stopped. This synchronization information transmission control unit 1
2 is the transmission data generation unit 1 except at the synchronization timing.
The code data K supplied from 3 is relayed to the transmission signal input terminal TI of the camera body side data communication unit 11 as it is.

The reception data 11a output from the reception signal output terminal RO of the camera body side data communication section 11 is supplied to the reception data analysis section 15. Received data analysis unit 15
Identifies the item of the received data based on the header H in the received data 11a, and supplies the received data D according to the identified data item to a circuit unit or the like (not shown) that requires the data D. .

The reception data 21a output from the reception signal output terminal RO of the lens side data communication unit 21 is supplied to the synchronization information reception unit 22 and the reception data analysis unit 24. The synchronization information receiver 22 monitors the header H in the reception data 21a, and when detecting the header number N assigned as the synchronization information, generates the synchronization information reception output signal 22a and outputs it to the synchronization information detection output terminal 25. . The reception data analysis unit 24 identifies the item of the received data based on the header H in the reception data 21a, and converts the received data D according to the identified data item into the data D.
It is supplied to a circuit unit (not shown) in 0.

Next, the operation of this synchronous signal transmission device will be described. The transmission data generation unit 13 of the camera body side control unit 10
For the data to be transmitted to the lens side control unit 20,
Code data K including header H and data D shown in FIG.
Is generated and the generated code data K is supplied to the synchronization information transmission control unit 12. The synchronization information transmission control unit 12 relays the code data K supplied from the transmission data generation unit 13 as it is to the transmission signal input terminal TI of the camera body side data communication unit 11 at times other than the synchronization timing.

The camera body side data communication section 11 converts the supplied code data K into serial bit data,
The signal is output from the transmission signal output terminal TX at a predetermined bit rate. The serial bit data transmitted from the camera body side data communication unit 11 is supplied to the reception signal input terminal RX of the lens side data communication unit 21 via the data transmission cable 2.

The lens side data communication unit 21 converts the received serial bit data into parallel bit data and outputs it from the reception signal output terminal RO. The reception data analysis unit 24 identifies the item of the received data based on the header number H in the reception data 21a output from the reception signal output terminal RO, and supplies the data item to a circuit unit or the like that requires it.

The data that needs to be supplied from the lens side controller 20 to the camera body controller 10 is the lens side controller 2.
0 is converted into code data K by the transmission data generation unit 23, is supplied to the transmission signal input terminal TI of the lens side communication unit 21, is converted into serial bit data by the lens side communication unit 21, and is transmitted signal output terminal TX. And is supplied to the reception signal input terminal RX of the camera body side data communication unit 11 via the data transmission cable 2.

The camera body side data communication section 11 converts the received serial bit data into parallel bit data and outputs the parallel bit data from the reception signal output terminal RO. The reception data analysis unit 15 identifies the item of the received data based on the header number H in the reception data 21a output from the reception signal output terminal RO, and supplies the data item to a circuit unit or the like that requires it. In this way, the data of various items are transmitted and received between the camera body side control unit 10 and the lens side control unit 20, and the control and operation are performed in a coordinated manner between the control units 10 and 20.

Here, when the synchronization information transmission control unit 12 of the camera body side control unit 10 detects the vertical synchronization signal VD,
The synchronization information transmission request signal 12a is supplied to the transmission data generation unit 13 to temporarily stop the output of the code data K, and a specific header number N assigned as the synchronization information.
The code data KN is generated and the code data KN is output. The code data KN is transmitted to the lens side data communication section 21 via the camera body side data communication section 11 and the data transmission cable 2. The synchronization information receiving unit 22 of the lens side control unit 20 monitors the header number of the reception data output from the reception signal output terminal RO of the lens side data communication unit 21, and the specific header number assigned as the synchronization information. When N is detected, the synchronization information reception output signal 22a is output. The lens side control unit 20 determines the camera body side control unit 1 based on the synchronization information reception output signal 22a.
It is possible to perform a control operation that requires synchronization with the operation timing on the 0 side (for example, hill-climbing autofocus control).

The synchronization information transmission control unit 12, the transmission data generation unit and the reception data analysis unit 15 in the camera body control unit 10 are processed by software using a CPU (not shown) of the camera body side control unit 10. The function can be realized. Similarly, the synchronization information reception unit 22, the transmission data generation unit 23, and the reception data analysis unit 24 in the lens side control unit 20 perform their functions by software processing using the CPU (not shown) of the lens side control unit 20. Can be realized.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the operation of the camera body side controller 10.

That is, in the camera body side controller 10,
Whether or not the vertical synchronizing signal VD is present is determined (step S
1) If the vertical sync signal VD is not detected, the normal routine process is performed (step S2). When the vertical sync signal VD is detected, the sync signal transfer process is performed (step S3). In this step S3, the code information KN of the specific header number N assigned as the sync information by the sync information transmission control unit 12 is generated, and this code data KN is output.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the control operation of the lens side controller 20.

That is, the CPU of the lens side controller 20
Receives an interrupt signal indicating that there is received data from the lens side data communication unit 21 (step S11), determines whether the number of the header H is taken in is the specific number N assigned to the synchronization information. Yes (step S1
2). When the number of the header H is a specific number N, the CPU of the lens-side control unit 20 needs to perform operation control in synchronization with the camera-body-side control unit 10 such as hill-climbing autofocus control. The routine is executed (step S13). The number of header H is a specific number N
If not, the CPU of the lens side control unit 20 executes an asynchronous processing routine that does not need to perform operation control in synchronization with the camera body side control unit 10 (step S14).

[0026]

As described above, in the sync signal transmission device for a video camera device according to the present invention, a signal of a specific bit pattern is sent from the camera body side control unit to the lens side control unit at the synchronization timing based on the synchronization signal. Therefore, the lens side control unit can execute the synchronization processing routine at the time point when the signal of the specific bit pattern is received.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram of a synchronization signal transmission device of a video camera device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a structure of code data.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a control operation of a camera body side control section.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a control operation of a lens side control unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Sync signal transmission device for video camera device according to the present invention 2 Data transmission cable 10 Camera body side control unit 11 Camera body side data communication unit 12 Sync information transmission control unit 13 Transmission data generation unit 14 Reception data analysis unit 20 Lens side control Part 21 Lens side data communication part 22 Sync information receiving part 23 Transmission data generating part 24 Reception data analyzing part

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A lens-side control unit for controlling the operation of an optical system, a camera-body-side control unit for performing various processing on an image signal captured by an image sensor through the optical system, and a lens-side control unit. A lens-side data communication unit provided, a camera-body-side data communication unit provided in the camera-body-side control unit, and a signal having a specific bit pattern at synchronization timing based on a synchronization signal provided in the camera-body-side control unit Produces
A synchronization information transmission control unit for transmitting the generated signal of the specific bit pattern to the lens side data communication unit via the camera body side data communication unit, and the lens side data communication unit provided in the lens side control unit. A synchronization signal transmission device for a video camera device, comprising: a synchronization information receiving unit that monitors reception data received and generates a synchronization information reception output when a signal of the specific bit pattern is detected. 2. The synchronization signal transmission device for a video camera device according to claim 1, wherein the lens-side control unit executes a synchronization processing routine based on a synchronization information reception output from the synchronization information reception unit.