JPH09205605A - Image pickup device system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate the effect of a release time lag of an image pickup device. SOLUTION: Part of areas of an internal memory 9 of a computer is reserved in advance as an image buffer and the latest image data from a digital camera unit 15 are stored continually for a prescribed time's share thereto. Then preceding image data by a length (time) of a release time lag from a point of time when the operator makes an image pickup command are given to the computer as image pickup data and displayed on a monitor 7 or stored in an external storage device such as a hard disk unit 13.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image pickup system including an information processing apparatus such as a computer and an image pickup apparatus such as a digital camera connected thereto, and more particularly to an image pickup system for eliminating the influence of a release time lag. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, a system using a digital camera as an external input device of a computer is known. In this system, the control unit such as CPU and RO
Storage device such as M, RAM or hard disk device,
It also has a keyboard for data input, a monitor for display, and the like.

The digital camera unit also has a CCD
Image pickup device such as A / D converter for converting an analog image pickup signal into a digital signal, a digital signal processing circuit, F
An IFO memory, various control units, etc. are provided.
Then, image data taken by the digital camera unit is processed by a computer, and the image is displayed on a monitor or recorded in a storage device.

[0004]

However, in the conventional image pickup system as described above, when the operator gives a photographing instruction at an arbitrary time while looking at the monitor (finder), the scene ( Even if an instant shooting instruction is issued to (frame), it takes time until the shooting instruction is issued for the reaction time of the operator, and there is a problem that there is a release time lag. As a result, a scene slightly after the scene to be shot. Image data of will be recorded as shooting data.

The present invention has been made by paying attention to the above problems, and by constantly storing some recent image data from the image pickup device in a memory,
An object of the present invention is to provide an imaging system that eliminates the influence of release time lag.

[0006]

An image pickup system according to the present invention is an image pickup system comprising an information processing device and an image pickup device connected thereto, and stores image data for a predetermined time until the present time of the image pickup device. It is provided with a storage device to be stored, and a control means for inputting the image data of the previous image data corresponding to the release time lag of the operator at the time of photographing from the image data to the information processing device.

Further, there is provided a measuring means for measuring the release time lag time of the operator and a deciding means for deciding the storage capacity of the storage device according to the measurement result.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of this embodiment.
The external appearance of a computer 1 which is an external information device and a digital camera unit 15 which is an imaging device connected to the computer 1 is shown.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of this digital camera system. It should be noted that FIG. 2 does not show components that are naturally included in each component of the present system but are not directly necessary for explaining the present invention.

This system has an arithmetic processing unit (CPU) 8 as a control unit (control means), an internal memory 9 composed of ROM and RAM as a storage device, a hard disk device (HD) 13 as an external auxiliary storage device, and It has a floppy disk device (FD) 14 and stores a program for controlling the entire system, a program relating to a flowchart described later, various data, and the like.

In addition, the present system, as user interface hardware, allows a user to input data to the system through a general-purpose input / output interface 10 and a pointing device 11 and a keyboard 12.
Further, it has a monitor 7 and a monitor controller 6 for giving visible data to the user, and further has a digital camera unit 15 as an external input device (image pickup device) for taking in image data. It should be noted that here, the constituent elements other than the digital camera unit 15 are included in the computer 1.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of the digital camera unit 15. In the figure, 151 is a lens unit, 152 is a CCD which is an image pickup device, and 15
3 is an A / D converter for converting an analog output signal of the CCD 152 into a digital signal, 154 is a digital signal processing circuit (DSP), 155 is a FIFO memory, 156 is a timing generator (TG), 157 is an image pickup control unit, and automatic exposure is performed. It has an (AE) control unit 158 and an automatic white balance (AWB) control unit 159. 160 is a connection terminal (I /
F: interface).

Here, a part of the internal memory 9 of FIG. 2 is secured in advance as an image buffer, and the latest image data from the digital camera unit 15 up to the present is constantly stored therein for a fixed time (predetermined time). ) Is configured to store minutes. Then, the arithmetic processing unit 8 stores, in the computer 1, the image data that is earlier than the release data lag time (length) from the time when the operator gives a shooting instruction at the time of shooting, as shooting data. It is designed to be entered and recorded.

Further, the arithmetic processing unit 8 automatically measures the measuring means for measuring the release time lag time of the photographer and the storage capacity of the image buffer secured in the internal memory 9 based on the information obtained from the measurement result. It constitutes a decision means for making a positive decision.

Next, an operation procedure for taking an image with the digital camera system having the above configuration will be described. When the digital camera unit 15 of FIG. 2 is connected to the computer 1, when the computer 1 issues an imaging instruction, first, the lens unit 1 built in the digital camera unit 15 is first provided.
The image is taken by the CCD 51 and the CCD 152. After that, various processes are performed, and as a result, the captured image is stored in the FIFO memory 15
5 is stored.

The computer 1 takes in the image data stored in the FIFO memory 155 through the general-purpose input / output interface 10. Then, by sequentially displaying the images on the monitor 7, the monitor 7 is used as a finder of the digital camera. The operator can store the image displayed on the monitor 7 in the external storage device by giving a shooting instruction at an arbitrary time while looking at the monitor screen.

FIG. 4 shows a display screen of the monitor 7 when an image is taken by the digital camera.

In the image display area 71 shown in FIG. 4, a live image (moving image) taken by the digital camera unit 15 is displayed and used as a viewfinder of the digital camera. The release button 72 is instructed when taking a picture of the image by viewing the image display area 71 as a finder.

The release time lag measurement button 73 is designated when measuring the release time lag of the operator, whereby the system enters a mode for measuring the release time lag. The option button 74 is used to make various settings of the system, and by doing so, it is possible to set the location where the captured image data is saved as a file. The exit button 75 is designated when ending the processing of the system.

Note that all of these buttons are displayed on the monitor 7, and the pointing device 11 is used to operate the cursor to give instructions.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure for measuring the release time lag.

When the release time lag measurement button 73 is operated, a message for notifying the operator of the start of the time lag measurement is first displayed in the image display area 71 in step S1 as shown in FIG. After that, in step S2, the process waits for the state to continue for a while. This waiting time is determined by the random number generating means. The random number generating means is not directly related to the present invention, and therefore its explanation is omitted.

When the waiting is completed in step S2, a mark image as shown in FIG. 6B is displayed in step S3. Then, the operator operates the release button 72 after this is displayed. In step S4,
The measurement of the time (release time lag) from when the mark image is displayed until the release button 72 is designated is started.

In step S5, it is checked whether the release button 72 has been designated. If it is not designated, step S5 is repeated, and if it is designated, the measurement is ended in step S6. As a result, step S4
The time taken from step S6 to step S6 is the release time lag.

In step S7, an area for storing image data sent from the digital camera unit 15 during that period is secured as an image buffer in the memory 9 from the obtained release time lag. If the image buffer having the required capacity cannot be secured in the memory 9, the other portion except the memory capacity required for the system from the free memory capacity is secured as the image buffer.

In the memory 9, there is an image buffer 9 for storing the image data sent from the digital camera unit 15 at the time corresponding to the above-mentioned release time lag.
1 is reserved for each frame area 92 as shown in FIG. The latest image data from the latest image to the image traced back by the release time lag is always stored therein. Therefore, each time the latest image data is sent from the digital camera unit 15, the oldest image data in the image buffer 91 is discarded and the latest image data is stored.

Next, after instructing the release button 72 to take an image with the digital camera unit 15,
The operation until the image data is actually stored in the external auxiliary storage device as an image file will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, in step S11, the release button 7
If 2 is specified, the image buffer 91 is displayed in step S12.
The oldest image data stored in the image display area 71 is displayed in the image display area 71. Then, step S1
In step 3, the data is saved as a file in a predetermined location in the external auxiliary storage device. The location in the external auxiliary storage device where the image data is stored can be set by designating the option button 74.

As described above, in the digital camera system of this embodiment, it is possible to capture an image which is not affected by the release time lag.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By securing a memory area for storing image data between release time lags and storing the latest image data in that order, the effect of the release time lags can be removed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital camera system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a digital camera unit.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a display screen when a digital camera is shooting.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for measuring a release time lag.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a display screen when measuring a release time lag.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an image buffer in an internal memory.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when shooting with a digital camera unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 computer (information processing device) 7 monitor 8 arithmetic processing device (control means, measuring means, determining means) 9 internal memory (storage device) 10 general-purpose input / output interface 13 hard disk device 14 floppy disk device 15 digital camera unit (imaging device) 91 image buffer

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup system comprising an information processing apparatus and an image pickup apparatus connected thereto, wherein: a storage apparatus for storing image data for a predetermined time until the present time of the image pickup apparatus; An image pickup system comprising a control means for inputting image data before the release time lag of the operator at the time of shooting to the information processing apparatus. 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: a measuring unit that measures a release time lag time of an operator, and a determining unit that determines the storage capacity of the storage device according to the measurement result. Imaging system.