JPH09289602A - Image photographing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To photograph at a desired view angle with high image quality by a simple operation by dividing a desired image and successively fetching and recording the divided respective images. SOLUTION: At the time of photographing, a photographer decides a zoom magnification A to the viewing angle capable of obtaining desired image quality by a zoom mechanism 5 corresponding to an operation switch 8. The zoom magnification A is tentatively stored in a signal processing system 3 and standby is performed. The mechanism 5 is moved again by the switch 8 and the desired view angle is set. That is, the entire view angle is selected and the zoom magnification B at the time is decided. Then, an arithmetic operation is performed by using the zoom magnifications A and B and a division number is decided. Based on the division number, an optical system 1 is moved by an optical system driving mechanism 6, division is performed and the view angles by the zoom magnifications B and A are successively photographed. The successively fetched images are processed in the signal processing system 3 and stored in a memory 4.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image capturing apparatus using a photoelectric conversion element, and more particularly to a still image capturing / recording apparatus capable of capturing a desired angle of view with a desired image quality.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional video recording devices include a silver salt camera that records an image on a silver salt film by utilizing a chemical reaction phenomenon and an electronic camera that captures an image in a memory by utilizing a photoelectric conversion phenomenon and records the image. . Electronic cameras include a system that uses a CCD for capturing an image and a magnetic disk for a memory. Compared to a silver salt camera, the electronic camera does not have a developing process and is excellent in convenience, and image information is digitized. The advantage of this is that image processing is easy because of the presence.

However, the electronic camera has a drawback that the resolution is inferior to that of the silver halide camera. For example, when shooting a large number of people, when individual faces are crushed or characters are copied, a large angle of view is taken. There was a problem that it could not be identified.

Several proposals have been made in order to compensate for such drawbacks and realize a high-resolution image capturing apparatus. For example, it has been proposed that the image quality and the angle of view are set to desired positions by performing zooming by enlarging or reducing pixels (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-111685).

Further, there has been proposed a device which obtains high resolution by moving an optical system in a unit smaller than one pixel of an image pickup device, photographing the image, and adding it to the original image (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-283999). issue).

[0006]

In a conventional electronic camera in which image quality and angle of view are set at desired positions by performing zooming by enlarging or reducing pixels, the image quality limit depends on the CCD. I couldn't solve the basic problem.

Further, in the case of obtaining high resolution by moving the optical system in a unit smaller than one pixel of the image pickup device and taking an image and adding it to the original image, the information taken in the memory is subjected to some signal processing. Therefore, there is a problem that the processing is complicated and sufficient image information is not always obtained.

That is, the angle of view must be sacrificed in order to depend on the performance of the CCD or to secure the image quality, and it is difficult to achieve both.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic camera which can make up for the drawback of the low resolution of the conventional electronic camera and obtain image information of a desired angle of view.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve these problems of the prior art, and a still image is captured by a photoelectric conversion element via an optical system having a zoom mechanism, and after signal processing. Provided is an image capturing device for recording in a memory, wherein a desired angle of view is divided, and each divided screen is sequentially captured and recorded.

Further, at the time of capturing an image, the optical system is zoom-driven to select and store a zoom magnification A of a desired image quality, and then the optical system is zoom-driven again to set a zoom magnification B which gives a desired angle of view. Then, the number of screen divisions is determined using the zoom magnification A and the zoom magnification B, the optical system is moved, and the respective divided screens are sequentially captured to record an image.

According to the above arrangement, by recording a desired angle of view with a desired number of divisions, it is possible to obtain an image with high resolution, which is a drawback of the electronic camera.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system configuration of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the present invention. In the drawings, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In FIG. 1, 1 is an optical system, 2 is a CCD, 3 is a signal processing system, 4
Is a memory, 5 is a zoom mechanism, 6 is an optical system drive mechanism, 7 is a control system, and 8 is an operation switch.

Next, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the optical system 1 including a lens captures an image. When shooting, first select the angle of view for one screen. That is, the zoom magnification A is set to the angle of view that allows the photographer to obtain the desired image quality according to the operation switch 8 (S201). Then, the zoom magnification A is temporarily stored in the signal processing system 3 in the apparatus and stands by (S202).

Then, the zoom mechanism 5 is pressed by the operation switch 8.
Move again and set the desired angle of view this time. That is, the entire angle of view is selected and the zoom magnification B at that time is determined (S203). Next, zoom magnification A and zoom magnification B
To calculate the number of divisions (S204). For example, the number of divisions is simply set to A / B.

Based on the determined number of divisions, the optical system 1 is moved by the optical system drive mechanism 6 and divided as shown in FIG. 3, and the angle of view at the zoom magnification A is sequentially photographed at the zoom magnification B. Go (S205). These sequentially captured images are processed by the signal processing system 3 and stored in the memory 4. Since the memory contains the same amount of information as the number of divided screens,
Removable memory or large capacity memory is preferable.

Here, a motor, a piezoelectric element, an active prism or the like may be used for the optical system drive mechanism 6 which is the moving means of the optical system 1. Also, instead of the optical system 1, a CCD
2 may be moved. Further, although the image capturing apparatus has the above-described operation mode, it is of course possible to perform normal capturing.

Further, the signal processing system 3 is used to
If D conversion is performed and the data is digitized, connection with a computer is possible, and split screens can be collected and viewed as one screen.

[0019]

As described above, according to the configuration and method of the present invention, a high resolution image can be obtained by compensating for the low resolution defect of the conventional electronic camera, and a desired angle of view can be obtained without deteriorating the image quality. An electronic camera capable of capturing and storing image information can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration block diagram showing an embodiment of an electronic camera of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing an operation procedure of the electronic camera of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a screen division state corresponding to zoom magnifications A and B.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Optical System 2 CCD 3 Signal Processing System 4 Memory 5 Zoom Mechanism 6 Optical System Drive Mechanism 7 Control System 8 Operation Switch

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image capturing apparatus for capturing a still image by a photoelectric conversion element through an optical system equipped with a zoom mechanism, recording the image in a memory after signal processing, dividing a desired angle of view, and dividing each divided screen. An image capturing apparatus characterized by sequentially capturing and recording. 2. When an image is captured, the optical system is zoom-driven to select and store a zoom magnification A of a desired image quality, and then the optical system is zoom-driven again to set a zoom magnification B that provides a desired angle of view. 2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image capturing apparatus is selected, the number of screen divisions is determined using the zoom magnification A and the zoom magnification B, and the divided screens are sequentially captured by moving the optical system.