JPH09204263A - Image pickup system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To unnecessitate a case for an image pickup unit and to reduce the cost in a whole image pickup system by incorporating a hardware constituting the image pickup unit. SOLUTION: The image pickup unit 102, a mouse unit 103, a computer 115 and an interface 104 at the time of executing communication by the image pickup unit 102, the mouse unit 103 and the computer 115 are incorporated in an input equipment 101 with an image pickup device. A lens unit 105 and CCD 105 as an imaging device are inside the image pickup unit 102 but other imaging devices such as MOS and BASIS, are also adequate. Moreover, units such as an A/D converter 107, DSP 108, a memory 109, a timing generator 110 and a control part 111, etc., are incorporated inside the image pickup unit 102 but the units of the kind of these can be provided inside the computer so that it is sufficient that only the lens unit 105 and CCD 10 are incorporated inside the image pickup unit 102 at the least.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technical field of an image pickup system including a computer having a display device and an image pickup unit for supplying image pickup data to the computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there have been a video conference system and a digital camera system in which a computer and an image pickup unit are connected by a data line and a control line, the image pickup data is read into the computer, and the image pickup data is displayed on a display device of the computer. . An example of such an imaging system is shown in FIG.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 41 is a personal computer. 42 is an image pickup unit, which is a lens and CC
D, A / D converter, DSP, etc. Reference numeral 43 is a first connection terminal for connecting the image pickup unit 42 and the computer 41.

Reference numeral 44 denotes an input device which is an input device to the computer 41, and has a structure in which an arrow displayed on the display screen of the display device is moved to select an input item displayed and a button is pressed to input. , Also called a mouse. Four
Reference numeral 5 is a second connection terminal for connecting the input device 44 to the computer 41. Reference numeral 46 is a display device for displaying a user interface of various programs and for displaying image pickup data picked up by the image pickup unit 42.

[0005]

In the above conventional image pickup system, the casing of the image pickup unit 42 is required, which causes a cost increase. Further, as the computer peripheral device, the input device 44 and the image pickup unit 42, which are connected to each other, are inconvenient to carry, and a space for placing the image pickup unit 42 is required when the device is placed on the desktop.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image pickup system which is convenient for carrying and placing on a desk, and can reduce the cost. It is a thing.

[0007]

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

(1) A computer having a display device,
An imaging system comprising an input device for a user to input coordinate information, a communication path for transmitting the coordinate information input by the user with the input device to the computer, and an imaging unit for supplying imaging data to the computer. Then, at least a lens unit and an image pickup element, which are components of the image pickup unit, are built in the housing of the input device.

(2) The image pickup system according to (1), wherein the image pickup unit picks up an image in accordance with an image pickup command from the computer and transmits image pickup data to the computer.

(3) In the image pickup system described in (2), the image pickup data continuously photographed by the image pickup unit is displayed on the display device of the computer as moving image data, and a freeze command is input from the user. And an image pickup system which stores the image pickup data at the time of input as still image data in a memory for storing still image data.

(4) The image pickup system according to (3), wherein the freeze command is input by pressing an input button provided in the input device.

(5) The image pickup system according to (2), wherein the image pickup data picked up by the image pickup unit is transmitted to the computer via the communication path.

(6) The image pickup system according to (2), wherein the image pickup command is transmitted to the image pickup unit via the communication path.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In the image pickup system according to the present invention, the housing for the image pickup unit is provided by providing the hardware constituting the image pickup unit in the housing of the input device (mouse). This is a form that does not require and can save the space for placing the imaging unit.

The above embodiment will be described in detail with reference to examples.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of an embodiment of an image pickup system. Reference numeral 101 is a housing of an input device in the form of a mouse equipped with an image pickup device, and 115 is a computer. The input unit 101 with an image pickup device includes an image pickup unit 102, a mouse unit 103, and a computer 11.
5 and the image pickup unit 102, and the interface 104 when the computer 115 and the mouse unit 103 communicate with each other.

In the image pickup unit 102, 105 is a lens unit, 106 is a CCD as an image pickup element, and M
Other image sensors such as OS and BASIS may be used. 1
Reference numeral 07 is an A / D converter, 108 is a digital signal processor (DSP), and 109 is a memory. 110
Is a timing generator (TG) that sends timing pulses to the CCD 106 and the A / D converter 107, 111 is a control unit of the image pickup unit 102, 114 is a communication between the mouse side interface 104 with the image pickup device and the computer side interface 116. It is a communication path such as a cable or infrared communication for performing.

On the other hand, in the computer 115, 116 is a computer side interface, 117 is a CPU,
Reference numeral 118 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display, 119 is a keyboard used as one of the input devices, and 120
Is a storage device, and 121 is an imaging unit drive program for driving the imaging unit 102 via the communication path 114.

In this embodiment, units such as the A / D converter 107, the DSP 108, the memory 109, the timing generator 110, and the control unit 111 are built in the image pickup unit 102, but the present invention is not limited to this, and is similar to these. The unit may be provided in the computer 115, and at least the lens unit 105 and the CCD 106 may be incorporated in the imaging unit 102.

FIG. 2 shows the external appearance of the input device (mouse) with an image pickup device provided in this embodiment. In the present embodiment, the lens unit 105 is provided on the back side of the input device (mouse) 101, and when taking an image, the input device 101 is lifted and the image is taken toward the subject. Reference numeral 113 is a rubber ball which is a part of the mouse position movement sensor.

In the above arrangement, in the present image pickup system, when the image pickup unit drive program 121 is started from the state where the normal computer is used, the image pickup processing is performed according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, in step S1 of FIG.
A memory for storing a moving image is allocated on the memory 20. Next, in S2, a still image storage memory for storing the frozen still image is allocated on the storage device 120. Next, in step S3, the imaging unit drive program 121 executed by the CPU 117 sends a command to start image capturing to the control unit 111.

In the image pickup unit which has received the image taking command, the CCD 106 accumulates the electric charge in S4 and the A /
The D converter 107 converts the charge accumulated in the CCD 106 into digital data, the digital signal processor 108 performs digital signal processing, and the result is stored in the memory 1.
09. In S5, the control unit 111 uses the interface 104 and the communication path 114 to store the memory 10
The image pickup data for one frame stored in 9 is transmitted to the computer side.

In S6, the image pickup unit driving program 121 stores the received image pickup data in the moving image image memory and displays the image pickup data in the moving image display area on the display device 118. In S7, it is determined whether or not a still image capturing command (freeze command) has been input by the user. In the present embodiment, the freeze command can be input by pressing a predetermined key among the keys of the keyboard 119 or by pressing the mouse button 112. When the freeze command is input, the determination in S7 is Yes and the process proceeds to S8. If the freeze command has not been input, the determination in S7 is No, and the process proceeds to S9.

In step S8, the image pickup data currently stored in the moving image memory is copied to the still image memory as frozen still image image pickup data. Further, in S8, the still image captured data is displayed in the still image captured data display area on the display device 118, and then the process proceeds to S9.

In step S9, it is determined whether or not an image pickup unit drive program end command has been input by the user. If the user does not input the image pickup unit drive program end command, the determination in S9 is No.
After the contents of the moving image memory are cleared in S10, the process proceeds to S4 again. When the user inputs the image pickup unit drive program end command, the determination in S9 is Yes, the image pickup unit drive program is ended, and the image pickup operation of the present system is ended.

[0028]

As described above, in the image pickup system according to the present invention, the hardware constituting the image pickup unit is built in the housing of the input device.
The housing for the imaging unit is not required, and the cost of the entire imaging system can be reduced. Further, when the image pickup system is placed on the desktop, a place for the image pickup unit is not required, so that the desktop can be effectively used. Further, since it is only necessary to carry a computer for carrying an imaging system and an input device with an imaging device, it is possible to improve portability.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an input device (mouse) with an imaging device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of the image pickup system of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101 Input Device (Mouse) with Imaging Device 102 Imaging Unit 103 Mouse Unit 104 Interface 114 Communication Channel 115 Computer

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A computer provided with a display device, an input device for a user to input coordinate information, a communication path for transmitting the coordinate information input by the user with the input device to the computer, and an image pickup on the computer. An image pickup system comprising an image pickup unit for supplying data, wherein a lens unit and an image pickup element which are parts of the image pickup unit are built in a housing of the input device. 2. The image pickup system according to claim 1, wherein the image pickup unit picks up an image in accordance with an image pickup command from the computer and transmits image pickup data to the computer. 3. The image pickup system according to claim 2, wherein
The imaging data continuously captured by the imaging unit is displayed as moving image data on the display device of the computer, and when a freeze command is input by the user, the imaging data at the time of input is used as still image data to generate a still image. An imaging system characterized by storing in a memory for storing data. 4. The imaging system according to claim 3, wherein the freeze command is input by pressing an input button provided in the input device. 5. The image pickup system according to claim 2, wherein the image pickup data picked up by the image pickup unit is transmitted to the computer via the communication path. 6. The imaging system according to claim 2, wherein the imaging command is transmitted to the imaging unit via the communication path.