JPH10285452A - Image-pickup device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To display a laterally/longitudinally long image as an erected image by providing a pixel number conversion section that converts number of longitudinal/lateral pixels of the image, based on an output of the aspect selector to a device. SOLUTION: A digital video signal S8 outputted from a camera signal- processing section 5 is given to a pixel number conversion section 54 and stored in a RAM 6a. The video signal S8 is read from the RAM 6a by a prescribed method, with a memory address signal 60 being outputted from a read address generating circuit 57 and a video signal S9 for an erected image of a longitudinally long image for laterally long indication is obtained. The video signal S9 is given to a terminal 62 and given to a color liquid crystal display section 75, through the control of switches 65, 69 by a control signal S37 from an RISC- CPU 7 by an aspect selector 16. On the other hand, a digital video signal S8 (erected image of a longitudinally long image for longitudinally long indication) is given to a display memory 68, and an output signal S10 from the memory 68 is given to a display section 75 via the switch 69.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the prior art, the Journal of the Institute of Television Engineers of Japan 1
FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of a circuit of the electronic still camera disclosed in June 996, Vol. 50, pp1219. In the case of a video camera, the lens 1 to the IPP unit 5 in FIG.
Up to this point, the same signal processing is performed, and in the subsequent stage, only the signal processing is performed by the change of the recording medium from the memory card to the magnetic tape and the image is recorded, and almost the image recording / reproducing operation can be handled similarly. Therefore, although the following description is made with reference to an electronic still camera, the present invention also applies to a video camera and its digitalized digital video camera.

[0003] An electronic still camera mainly captures a landscape image, but captures a portrait image by tilting it to portrait display (eg, a whole body image of a person can be larger in a portrait image than in a landscape image). ). In this case, the erect image is mainly recorded in the portrait display. However, in the multi display or the album display in which a plurality of recorded images are displayed collectively on the same screen in the landscape display, the portrait image photographed in the portrait display is horizontally landscaped. In the display, it was shown as a lying image.

In addition, the title "All about Digital Cameras" was published; AI Publishing, July 31, 1996, and books; Junichi Ito, Tomoyuki Okamura, as described in pp. 124-142, an electronic camera photographed on a personal computer. When importing images, even portrait images taken with the electronic camera in portrait
In the landscape display, the thumbnail image displayed as the landscape image of the landscape image is displayed as an album in the same manner as the image captured in the landscape display.

Further, as shown in the title "Introduction to Digital Cameras Enjoyed by Personal Computer", author: Tadashi Suzuki, Publishing Office, Nihon Jitsugyo Publishing Co., Ltd., published on June 20, 1996, p. The landscape image in landscape view recorded on the card camera is transmitted to the personal computer and stored, and the landscape image is selected from the landscape images, and the image is rotated in portrait by editing the image on the computer. The image is stored again at the same position, and the horizontal image is corrected from the horizontal image to the erect image of the vertical image while the horizontal image is displayed. Further, at the time of the correction to the erect image, the rotation processing of the lying image has been performed without changing the size of the image.

[0006] Further, in the horizontal and vertical image capturing of the same book, the shutter switch of the electronic still camera body is operated only at one place.

In a portable information processing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-168529, the position of an operator is detected by an optical sensor provided around the display device, and the display direction is changed according to the position. There is a configuration for switching to portrait or landscape.

[0008]

However, in the prior art described above, when the photographed image is advanced by frames or when a plurality of screens are displayed collectively on the same screen, the portrait display in which the camera is photographed in the vertical direction is correct. The standing image is displayed as a landscape image as a landscape image in the landscape display. In the image understanding operation, a head shaking operation is performed to correct the lying image upright. Further, when the operation is not performed, there is a disadvantage that it takes time because thinking of the direction conversion from the lying image is added. In general, image recording is performed with the movement of a place or with the passage of time. Therefore, there is a case where the memory of a photographer and a subject (model) are collated according to the order of reproduced images, and changes and differences are compared and verified. Yes. At that time, in the list display,
If a lying image is included, the relevance is determined by remembering the images before and after the lying image from the landscape image to the lying image or from the lying image to the landscape image. At this time, there is a disadvantage that it is difficult to understand and takes time because the above-described thinking of the direction change is added. Further, there is a similar drawback in selecting a good image from a plurality of images in image editing. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that the photographer or the judge cannot easily verify the image.

[0009] In the album display or multi-display of a thumbnail image, which is a part or all of the memory image of the electronic still camera on the same screen of the personal computer, and is displayed collectively, the editing operation of the image rotation on the personal computer is performed. In order to correct a landscape image to a portrait image (erect), it is necessary to select a smaller number of landscape images from many landscape images and correct the landscape image to an erect image (vertical image). There are drawbacks.

In the case of a display unit separated from the camera unit or an image recording unit or the like and a display sensor having a setting sensor for portrait or landscape display on the display unit side, an aspect accompanying rotation of the optical axis of the camera unit is provided. There is a disadvantage that the operation of changing the set value of the selector cannot be easily performed because it is necessary to grasp the optical axis rotation position of the camera unit.

Also, when comparing a horizontally long image and a vertically long image (erect image) among images in which a plurality of images are displayed collectively, the vertically longer image (erect image) has a longer vertical length than the horizontally long image. There is a disadvantage that the display area of each image is reduced because a margin is provided in other horizontally long images to prevent overlapping of images. Further, the screen when the margin of the image is eliminated has a drawback that the display becomes uneven, and the upper and lower portions of the vertically long image are cut into another image, and the image is hidden.

The shutter switch for instructing recording of a captured image is operated separately from the aspect selector.
There is a disadvantage that the number of operations increases.

[0013] An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional art, and to record a vertically long image mainly by converting the number of pixels at the time of photographing with a camera and displaying a plurality of images collectively on the same screen.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an imaging apparatus that displays an erect image even when a horizontally long image and a vertically long image are mixed.

[0014]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a pixel number conversion unit is provided after a camera signal processing of an image pickup apparatus or before an image compression signal processing, so that a vertical length or After the vertical or horizontal pixel number conversion is performed according to the aspect selector instruction of the horizontal image,
Make a record.

Further, an aspect data generating unit is provided after the image is compressed or before the recording unit, and the aspect data is added to the image data by an instruction of an aspect selector, and the image data is reproduced based on the aspect data. In the horizontal display state, a batch display of a plurality of images or a horizontal image during frame advance display is automatically selected, and the selected image is converted into a pixel number conversion program (corresponding to a conventional 90-degree rotation process of an image). ) To automatically correct the display from the lying image to the vertically long erect image and display the image.

Also, a plurality of aspect selectors are provided so as to be integrated with the camera unit, the aspect selector is designated according to the rotational position of the camera unit, and the setting of the aspect selector value is simplified.

Further, an enlargement section for enlarging an image of an erect image of a portrait image in a landscape display state, and a vertical compression section for compressing an image in the vertical direction are provided, and are set to the same size as the landscape image.
A configuration that eliminates blanks between images is used.

Also, a plurality of aspect selectors are provided,
The aspect selector is also used as a shutter switch to simplify the operation.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the imaging apparatus according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the present invention.
In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an optical system unit that guides visible light passing through a lens to an image sensor, and 2 denotes an image sensor (CC) that converts an optical signal into an electric signal.
D) 3 is a CDS unit for reducing the noise of the image sensor, 4 is an A / D unit for converting an analog signal into a digital signal, 5 is a digital image data which is divided into color difference and luminance, and processed.
Camera signal processing unit (or IPP unit) for correction, 6
Is a RAM (Random Access Memory), 6a is a frame memory for recording a frame image, 6b is a strip bach that can convert raster data into data for each block, and can also perform the reverse direction, and 7 is the operation and data of each unit. RISC-CPU for controlling data transmission / reception and performing a program operation at high speed; DCT for orthogonal transformation of image compression / decompression; 9; CODER for Huffman encoding of image compression / decompression; Is a memory control (hereinafter referred to as MCC) for controlling the reading of the recorded data or recording the processed image and audio data in the CAD memory.
), 12 is a microphone for converting sound into an electric signal, 1
3 is an ADPCM for compressing audio data, 14 is a remote control receiving unit, 15 is a key integrally expressing various operation instruction keys, 16 is an aspect selector for giving an instruction of a portrait / landscape image, 54 is an image rotating process, A pixel number conversion unit for converting the number of pixels in the vertical and horizontal directions and erecting an image; 56, a write address generating circuit for instructing writing of data to a memory address; 57, a read address for instructing reading of data written in the memory Generator circuit, 53, 65, 69 are RISC
A changeover switch for switching a signal in accordance with each instruction of the CPU 7, 71 is an adder for adding data, 73 is a character / graphic generation circuit for generating characters or figures of a vertically or horizontally long image recording, and 75 is a liquid crystal for images and characters. And a color liquid crystal display section for displaying.

In FIG. 1, a light image S1 from an optical system 1 is received by an image sensor 2 and converted into an electric signal S2. The signal S2 outputs a signal S3 whose noise has been reduced by the CDS unit 3 and is input to the A / D unit 4 to convert an analog video signal into a digital video signal S4. Signal S4 and RISC
A setting signal and a clock signal S6 from the CPU 7 are input to the camera signal processing unit 5; Then, the input signal S4 is subjected to a correction process to generate a digital video signal S8. Also,
The output signal S5 of the camera signal processing unit 5 is a reference clock signal that sets the operation timing of each unit. The output signal S7 of the camera signal processing unit 5 transmits a signal such as a response or data to the RISC-CPU 7, and communicates with the RISC-CPU 7. The digital video signal S8 is input to the terminal 50 and the display memory 68, and further input to the pixel number conversion unit 54 via the terminal 50, the switch 53, and the terminal 51. The pixel number conversion unit 54 is a RAM (Random Access Memory) 6
a, a write address generation circuit 56, a read address generation circuit 57, etc., and the digital video signal S8 is stored in the RAM 6a of the pixel number conversion unit 54. Where RIS
In synchronization with the synchronizing signal S15 from the C-CPU 7, the digital video signal S8 is changed to R by the memory address signal 59 output from the write address generating circuit 56 in a predetermined order.
It is stored at a predetermined memory address on the AM 6a. RA
The digital video signal S8 once stored in the M6a is then output to the read address generation circuit 5 synchronized with the synchronization signal S15.
7, the memory address signal 60 output from
The read address is read from the AM 6a.
The address generation order of ROM1 (Read
Only Memory, not shown. ), And the synchronization signal S1
The read addresses are sequentially output from the ROM 1 by a counter synchronized with the counter 5.

Here, the display surface of the display unit is located in the landscape display state, and in order to convert the landscape image into an erect image of the portrait image, first, the color liquid crystal display unit 75 and the landscape display such as a personal computer screen are displayed. The scanning direction is a horizontal direction from the upper left end to the right end toward the landscape display screen. In addition, the scanning direction of the display surface of the portrait image captured in the portrait display state is performed in the order of shifting from the upper right end toward the column direction toward the display screen, and at the same time, writing and recording in the storage unit in the same order. Is done. Then, pixel reading is performed in the order of shifting from the upper left end to the row direction toward the same display screen (in the case of an erect image in the portrait display),
This is displayed by horizontal scanning in landscape display. for that reason,
First, the video signal of the lying image is stored in the RAM 6a in the scanning order. The read address starts from the first address of the row n corresponding to the upper left end of the memory position written by the previous write address generating circuit 56 when viewed vertically in the screen of the erect image. Read the addresses in order.
When the row is completed, the process proceeds to the first address of the next row n + 1 of the previous write address generation circuit 56, and the same reading is performed. At this time, the number of pixels in the vertical and horizontal directions recorded in the RAM 6a is converted by reading the RAM 6a such that the number of pixels in the vertical and horizontal directions is switched. Thereby, the erect image of the vertically long image can be converted in the state of the horizontally long display. That is, the digital video signal S8 for one field of the television signal is stored in the RAM 6a.
And reading it out by the above-described method in the next field period, a video signal S9 of an erect image of a vertically long image in a horizontally long display can be obtained. To obtain a continuous television signal, 2
RAM for storing digital video signals S8 for fields
6a, the signal written one field period ago may be read at the same time as writing a field signal of a certain video.

Next, the digital video signal S9 converted into the erect image of the portrait image in the landscape display state is input to the terminal 62.

On the other hand, the digital video signal S8 (an erect image of a portrait image in portrait display) is input to the display memory 68, and the shutter image is temporarily stored as it is. Display memory 68
Is input to one of the adders 71 via the terminal 67 and the switch 69. An output signal of the character / graphics generating unit 73 is transmitted to the other input of the addition circuit 71, and the RISC-
In response to a control signal S38 from the CPU 7, characters or graphics recorded as a portrait image or a landscape image as a shutter image are input to the color liquid crystal display unit 75 together with a photographed image. In the color liquid crystal display unit 75, the display memory 68 provides an integrated display of the color liquid crystal display unit 75 and the camera. For a portrait image obtained by rotating the camera by 90 degrees from the landscape image, the color liquid crystal display unit 75 is similarly rotated. Therefore, an image similar to the captured image is displayed. At this time, the image recorded on the recording unit converted by the pixel number conversion unit 54 is not displayed on the color liquid crystal display unit 75. Therefore, since the operation of the aspect selector 16 by the manual instruction is likely to be erroneous, the state of the aspect selector is displayed by the character / graphic generation unit 73 to prevent the erroneous operation.

When the color liquid crystal display section 75 and the camera are not integrated, the color liquid crystal display section 75 and the memory card 1
For example, when the video signal S9 that has passed through the pixel number conversion unit 54 is also input to the color liquid crystal display unit 75, an erect image can be displayed. In that case, the switches 65 and 69 are controlled by the control signal S37 from the RISC-CPU 7, the output signal S9 of the pixel number conversion unit 54 is input to the terminal 68, and the color liquid crystal display unit 75 is added via the adder 71. To enter. Therefore, in the color liquid crystal display section 75, an erect image of a vertically long image is obtained.

From these, in the color liquid crystal display section 75,
It can also be used in a configuration separated from or integrated with the camera unit.

Next, the digital video signal S9 is supplied to the switch 6
5, input to the strip bach 6b via the terminal 64, the input raster data is converted into data for each block, image-compressed via the DCT 8 and CODER 9, and input to the memory control 10. The memory control 10 transmits the image compression signal S22 to the memory card 1
Record in order to 1. At this time, the RISC-CPU 7 controls each unit described above in detail. Therefore, the erect image of the portrait image is stored in the memory card 11 in the landscape display state. The storage of the erect image of the landscape image in the landscape display state, which is generally performed, is performed by performing the address generation of the read address generation circuit 57 of the pixel number conversion unit 54 in the same order as the write address generation circuit 56. As read in
It is switched by the instruction signal S39 of the ISC-CPU7. Therefore, the memory card 11 records an erect image of a landscape image in a general landscape display state and an erect image of a portrait image in a landscape display state. Further, an erect image of a horizontally long image in a generally performed horizontally long display state is recorded. In addition, the order varies depending on the photographer at the time of photographing, and is recorded unspecified.

In order to reproduce the recorded data of the memory card 11 in the same device, the flow of the stored data signal is opposite to the flow of the stored data signal. , CO
Via DER 9, DCT 8, strip bach 6b,
The image is expanded and restored to the original image. The restored erect image signal S44 of the portrait image in the landscape display state is supplied to the terminal 5
2, via the switch 53 and the terminal 51, is input to the RAM 6a of the pixel number conversion unit 54, and one frame image is temporarily stored. Next, the calling of the address of the read address generation circuit 57 is performed by a generally-used method for reading an erect image of a landscape image in a landscape display state, and the RAM 6a
To obtain one still image video signal S9. Thus, by providing the pixel number conversion unit 54 before the image compression unit,
In the restoration operation from the memory card 11, the pixel number conversion process is not performed again. Also, in the image restoration processing using a personal computer which generally has software for image expansion processing to be described later, the pixel number conversion processing can be similarly unnecessary. (If the pixel number conversion unit 54 is provided after image compression,
It is necessary to perform a pixel number conversion process and restore the image rotation. ) And the signal S9 is the terminal 62, the switch 65,
Terminal 63, furthermore, terminal 66, switch 69, terminal 68
Is input to the color liquid crystal display unit 75 via the, and one still image is displayed.

The batch display of a plurality of images on the same screen is generally performed by a memory control 10 in accordance with an instruction of the RISC-CPU 7, by partially thinning out the pixels of each image of the plurality of images recorded on the memory card 11, and Are processed and transferred so that a plurality of images can be displayed in one frame, and finally, six, nine, and 56 images are collectively displayed on the same screen. At this time, as described above, the portrait image of the portrait display is converted to the erect image of the portrait image in the landscape display state, so that it is displayed together with the image of the erect image of the landscape image in the landscape display state, Operation or image rotation thinking can be omitted. Further, all the list images can be compared and examined quickly without changing the image observation in the landscape display.

The compressed image on the memory card 11 can be stored in a RISC-C by an operation from a personal computer (not shown).
The data is transferred to the personal computer via the PU 7 and the memory control 10. PCs generally have the same software for image decompression as described above, so restore compressed images and read multiple images on the same screen of the PC.
They are displayed collectively in that order. At this time, similarly to the above, the erect image of the portrait image is restored together with the image of the erect image of the landscape image in the landscape display state, and the list is displayed in the recording order, and the same heading or image rotation thinking is performed. Can be omitted. Further, all the list images can be compared and examined quickly without changing the image observation in the landscape display.

In the embodiment, the strip number converter 54 is connected to the strip bach 6b on the output side. However, a temporary storage unit of a frame memory is provided on the output side, and the output signal may be input to the strip bach 6b. However, there is no problem in the image recorded on the recording medium only by increasing the delay amount. Although the RAM 6a of the pixel number conversion unit 54 is also used as a frame memory, even if a frame memory is provided on the input side of the pixel number conversion unit 54, there is no problem for the same reason as the frame memory on the output side.

In the figure, the temporary storage unit (RAM 6a)
And a configuration including the image compression unit 8, but since they are for recording on a memory card, a pixel between the configuration of the camera unit and the storage unit, such as a video camera without them, is described. Even when the number conversion unit 54 is provided, it is obvious that the same effect can be obtained when a plurality of images are displayed collectively on the same screen.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

The signal of the aspect selector 16 is input to the RISC-CPU 7 by a switch operation of the operator himself when shooting with the camera in a vertical shape. RISC-C
The PU 7 sets the flag 1 for making an erect image of the portrait image in the landscape display state, inputs the flag to the header of the landscape image (landscape image) file in the landscape display state via the memory control 10, 11 is recorded. Then, the recorded image is transferred by reading the image from the personal computer. At this time, the personal computer side detects the flag 1 in the header portion of the landscape image file in the landscape display state by remote operation, rotates the landscape image of the landscape image by 90 degrees, and changes the portrait image in the landscape display state. Convert to an erect image and display. FIG. 3 shows a flowchart from the flag detection of the operation to the 90-degree rotation processing. In the figure, the header part of the read image is detected by 201, and
As a result, the aspect flag 1 therein is detected. Because of the flag 1, the obtained image is still a lying image, so the commonly-used 90-degree rotation process of 203 is executed. When the rotation processing of 204 is completed, the flag of 205 is set to 0, and the processing ends. This allows the operator of the personal computer to omit operations such as selecting a lying image in the landscape display state and correcting the erect image. In the present invention, the flag 1 for converting an elongate image into an erect image is added via the memory control 10, but the present invention is not limited to this. The flag 1 for making an erect image of the portrait image is included in the recorded image,
The same effect can be obtained by the configuration to be reproduced. Also,
Although the aspect data is flag 1, the rotation angle of the camera is set by each aspect selector instruction, the rotation angle data is added instead of flag 1, and the data is converted by a personal computer. Based on this, the image rotation angle may be controlled.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

When the camera unit, the storage unit and the display unit 75 are connected by a cord, infrared rays, or wirelessly,
When the camera rotates, the captured image may not be erected on the display screen of the display device. Therefore, a plurality of aspect selectors are provided around the optical axis of the camera (not shown) on the exterior part of the cylindrical camera part using the lens shape of the camera part, and when the camera rotates around the optical axis of the lens. By pressing the aspect selector at the top of the screen, the rotation angle of the shooting screen is indicated.
And the reading order of the pixel number conversion unit 54 is controlled. At this time, the read side prepares a plurality of read ROMs corresponding to each aspect selector position, selects the corresponding ROM by the RISC-CPU 7, and displays the erect image in the landscape display state by the ROM. Is instructed to read. Therefore, by always pressing the aspect selector 16 located above the camera unit in response to the rotation of the camera unit, an aspect selector instruction rotated around the optical axis of the camera is issued, and the pixel number conversion unit 5
4 can be controlled to display an oblique image or an erect image of a vertically long image in a horizontally long display state.

Although the aspect selector 16 is described as a switch, the present invention is not limited to this. Kinji Tanikoshi, author of the conventional inclination sensor: Name; : P146 to p147
The rotation of the camera may be detected by using a configuration for detecting a change in capacitance or a position of a pendulum described in the above section. As a result, the aspect instruction is automated and the shutter switch can be used at hand, so that the normal top and bottom recording can be performed even underwater or in an airplane.

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 81 is an enlargement unit that enlarges the coordinate position of the pixel of the image by calculation processing, and at that time, interpolates the data value of the pixel at the vacant coordinate position with the values of the left and right pixels, 82 temporarily stores the image in the frame memory, At the time of the reading, a line pixel in the horizontal direction is thinned out, and the thinning rate is increased as the image is closer to the top and bottom of the image, and the image is constituted by an upper and lower compression unit that outputs a temporarily stored image.

Next, the operation of FIG. Pixel number converter 5
The output signal S9 (image converted to an erect image of a vertically long image in a horizontally long display (height: 680 pixels, width: 480 pixels)) of the output signal S9 of FIG.
1, the entire image is enlarged by about 1.416 times (width 680 pixels), enlarged, and the signal is input to the vertical compression unit 82. The average of the enlarged image in the vertical direction is approximately 0.468 (length 480 pixels). Compress. At this time, the compression ratio of the upper and lower portions of the screen is particularly increased, the center portion is performed by a method of almost zero, and the center portion of the screen is not distorted so as to have the same size as the horizontally long screen (480 pixels vertically, 680 pixels horizontally). Set to. Then, the upper and lower image compression section 82 is input to the strip bach 6b or the color liquid crystal display section 75, stored or displayed, and the erect image of the portrait image is converted into an erect image compressed to a landscape image. Is obtained. At this time, in the multi or album display in which a plurality of images are collectively displayed on the same screen, only the horizontally long images are displayed. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate a blank portion on the display unit and to hide a part of other images. Can be prevented. here,
Since the enlargement unit 81 and the up-down compression unit 82 are provided on the output side of the pixel number conversion unit 54, they are passed without function (not shown) when the image is reproduced by the same device. Even if these are provided on the input side of the pixel number conversion unit 54, there is no problem in operation. Further, since the enlargement unit 81 and the vertical compression unit 82 are configured to perform processing at a stage prior to the DCT 8, when reproducing an image on a personal computer, processing opposite to that at the time of recording (image reduction, vertical image expansion, etc.) becomes unnecessary.

Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

In the same figure, 15a is a power switch for turning on / off the power of the electronic still camera, 16a is a landscape shutter switch which also serves as a landscape shutter and an aspect selector in landscape mode, and 16b is a shutter and aspect of portrait mode in portrait mode. A vertically long shutter switch also serving as a selector, 101 is an exterior of the electronic still camera.

Next, the operation of FIG. At the same time when the landscape shutter switch 16a of the landscape image is pressed in the landscape display, the shutter instruction of the camera and the aspect selector instruction of the landscape display are transmitted to the RISC-CPU 7, and the RISC-CPU
7, the pixel number conversion unit 54 and each changeover switch 5
By controlling 3, 65, 69, an erect image of the landscape image is recorded and displayed. Next, the electronic still camera 101 is tilted from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction so that the vertical shutter switch 16b is at the top, and the vertical shutter switch 16b is pressed, and at the same time, the shutter instruction of the camera and the aspect selector instruction of the vertical display are transmitted to the RISC-CPU 7. Is transmitted to the pixel number conversion unit 54 and the respective changeover switches 53, 65, 69.
, And an erect image of the portrait image is recorded and displayed in the landscape display state. As described above, by using a plurality of aspect selectors also as shutter switches, two instructions can be performed simultaneously by one operation, so that the operation can be simplified. Although only vertical and horizontal directions are described in the figure, the present invention is not limited to this, and the outer shape of the camera is made circular, and a plurality of shutter switches are provided on the outer portion at a radial position around the optical axis of the camera. And they are all used as the aspect selector instruction. Then, in the RISC-CPU 7, the aspect selector instruction changes the program to the processing for the radial position, and the read R for the pixel number conversion unit.
By supporting all OMs with the aspect selector instruction,
In the landscape display, an image of an erect image is always obtained.

According to the present invention, the compressed image is recorded on the recording medium. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the same configuration can be applied to an uncompressed image recording configuration of a video camera or a digital video camera. .

[0043]

According to the present invention, by performing the pixel number conversion processing after the camera signal processing or before the image compression processing, the color liquid crystal display surface can display an image photographed in a portrait orientation in a landscape orientation. In this state, the erect image can be reproduced, so that the tilting operation of the head and the thinking operation of rotating the image can be eliminated. In addition, when displaying a plurality of images on the same screen at the same time, when observing a landscape image to a portrait image and a portrait image to a landscape image,
Since both landscape images are erect, the relevance can be immediately observed.

When transferring the data of the recording unit to a personal computer to obtain a reproduced image, it is more preferable to perform the pixel number conversion processing before the image compression processing of the present invention than to perform the pixel number conversion processing after the image compression processing. The effect that processing can be made unnecessary and the personal computer can obtain an erect image of a portrait image in a landscape display state only by activating only software for image expansion processing that is generally performed.

Further, in the transfer data to the memory card or the personal computer, since the image is converted to the erect display of the portrait image in the landscape display state, a plurality of images recorded on the memory card are displayed on the same screen of the camera or the personal computer. This eliminates the need to select and rotate a horizontally lying image such as a multi-image or a thumbnail image for batch display, and speeds up the comparison of landscape and portrait images.

In addition, the aspect generation signal is added at the time of data transmission to a memory card or a personal computer, and the number of pixels is automatically converted in the personal computer from the aspect generation signal. Can be eliminated, and the comparison between the landscape image and the portrait image can be quickly performed.

Further, since the character / graphic generator is switched by the aspect selector to display the setting contents of the selector, setting errors can be prevented.

Further, a plurality of aspect selectors are integrally provided radially around the optical axis of the camera, and the number of pixels is converted by selecting the aspect selector on the upper side of the camera. The selection of the aspect selector and the setting of the rotation value can be omitted.

Further, by automatically performing the aspect selector, the pixel number conversion processing can be automated, and furthermore, an upright image with a normal top and bottom can be displayed even underwater or in flight.

Further, when the vertically long image is an erect image in the horizontally long display state, the image is compressed vertically and expanded left and right so as to have the same size as the horizontally long image. Margins can be eliminated, and a vertically long image can be prevented from being embedded in another image and hiding another image.

Also, a plurality of aspect selectors are provided,
Since the aspect selector is also used as a shutter switch, the operation can be simplified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a circuit according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a circuit according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of processing of an aspect flag according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a circuit according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a conventional circuit.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 imaging device, 5 camera signal processing, 6a strip bach, 7 RISC-CPU, 8 DCT, 9 CO
DER, 10: memory control, 11: card memory, 15: key, 16: aspect selector, 16a ...
Horizontal shutter switch, 16b Vertical shutter switch, 75: Color liquid crystal display unit, 53, 65, 69: Switch, 54: Pixel number conversion unit, 6a: RAM, 56
.. Write address generation circuit, 57 read address generation circuit, 73 character / graphic generation circuit, 81 enlargement section, 82 vertical compression section, 101 exterior of electronic still camera.

Claims (6)

[Claims] A camera unit comprising a lens, an image sensor, and signal processing thereof; a recording unit for recording a video or character signal on a recording medium; or a display unit for displaying the signal; An aspect selector for indicating an angle or a position in the rotation direction about the optical axis of the image sensor, and a vertical or horizontal pixel of an image such as a video or a character according to the output of the aspect selector. A number-of-pixels conversion unit for converting the number, the recording unit for inputting the output signal of the number-of-pixels conversion unit, or a configuration for inputting the display signal to a display unit. An imaging device characterized by displaying. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said camera section, said recording section, said pixel number conversion section, said aspect selector section, an image compression section for compressing image signals, and a temporary storage section for temporarily storing image signals. A storage unit, an input of the pixel number conversion unit,
Alternatively, the temporary storage unit is provided on the output side, and the output signal of the camera unit is input to the image compression unit via the pixel number conversion unit and the temporary storage unit, and the output signal of the image compression unit is recorded. An imaging device comprising a configuration for inputting to a unit. 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the camera unit, the image compression unit, the recording unit, the aspect selector unit, the output signal of the camera unit, or the output signal of the camera unit is used as the image signal. An image pickup apparatus comprising: a signal addition unit that adds an output signal of the aspect selector unit to a signal that has passed through a compression unit; and a configuration that inputs an output signal of the signal addition unit to the recording unit. 4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said aspect selector is provided integrally with said camera section. 5. An enlarged image section for enlarging an image, an up / down compression section for compressing an up / down direction of the image, and an input or output side of the pixel number conversion section. An imaging device that converts a vertically long image into a horizontally long image by a configuration including the enlarged image section and the vertical compression section. 6. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5,
An image pickup apparatus comprising: a plurality of shutter switches for instructing recording of a captured image of the camera unit; and the shutter switch also serves as the aspect selector.