KR100251500B1 - Line input apparatus for digital still camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An apparatus for inputting a line of a digital still camera is provided to enable a user to record a specific image to a memory selectively by inputting a moving image recorded by a digital camera or a camcorder through a line input. CONSTITUTION: A CCD(20) converts an image signal of a subject incident through a lens(10) into an electric signal. A CDS/AGC removes a noise of the electric signal and amplifies/controls a level of an inputted image signal automatically. An analog/digital converter(40) converts an analog image signal into a digital signal. A line inputting unit(50) receives a moving picture recorded by an external image recorder. A moving picture pickup unit(60) picks up a scene from moving pictures in accordance with a control signal from a control unit(80) and outputs the scene. A DSP unit(70) performs a white balance, an outline correction, and a luminance/color signal conversion of a signal outputted from the analog/digital converter(40) or the moving picture pickup unit(60) and outputs the signal to a memory(90) with compressing through a JPEG. The control unit(80) controls a whole operation of a digital still camera. The memory(90) saves and reproduces an image information of the first frame outputted from the DSP unit(50). A key inputting unit(100) approves a shutter, an auto focus control key and a moving picture pickup key to the control unit(80).

Description

Line input device of digital still camera

The present invention relates to a line input device of a digital still camera, and more particularly, a digital still camera for receiving a video photographed using a digital camera or a camcorder through line input and selectively recording a specific desired by a user. It relates to a line input device of.

In general, digital still cameras are video input peripherals used by connecting to personal computers (hereinafter, referred to as PCs), and are relatively small and light in size so that anyone can easily operate them with the recent expansion of home PCs. Camera.

Such a digital still camera converts the image information into an electrical signal and performs all the signal processing such as processing, recording, and reproduction.

In addition, as in a conventional camera using film, after shooting, it is not necessary to perform darkroom work or chemical processing for development, and to immediately check the captured image. Since the recorded image information is electronic, It can be used for post-processing and remote transmission from a PC by connecting to a variety of applications.

For example, you can make a homepage with your own personality by using images taken with a digital still camera by connecting to the Internet, and insert various images to create a report. Commemorative photos can be made on an electronic album or stored on diskette.

These digital still cameras typically offer VGA (640 × 480) or higher resolutions, and have a large memory to record and record dozens of shots at a time.

1 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a general digital still camera as described above.

As shown, a charge coupled device (CCD) 2 converts an image signal of a subject incident through the lens 1 into an electrical signal.

Various drive pulses for extracting the signal of this CCD 2 are controlled by the control part 6 mentioned later.

In addition, unlike the interlace method used in a conventional camcorder, the CCD 2 uses a progressive method.

In other words, in interlaced scanning, a field image is output every 1/60 seconds (the first field represents an odd line and the second field represents an even line). Since the frame signal is output at the interval of 1/30 second, one image is read at a time, so the vertical resolution is excellent compared to the interlaced scanning method.

CDS (Correlated Double Sampling) / AGC (Automatic Gain Contro) (3) eliminates the noise of the electrical signal output from CCD (2), and automatically gains the output so that it is always output even if the level of the input video signal changes. Amplify and adjust.

The analog / digital converter 4 converts the analog signal input from the CDS / AGC 3 into a digital signal.

The digital signal processing unit (hereinafter, abbreviated as DSP unit) 5 controls the white balance, contour correction, and luminance / color difference according to the control of the controller 6 described later to output the signal output from the analog / digital converter 4. Signal conversion and the like are performed, compressed by JPEG (Joint Photographic Coding Experts Group), and output to the memory 7 described later.

JPEG is an international standard for color still image coding, and although loss of data occurs during the compression process, it is possible to compress at a high compression rate and compresses data of an image region rather than using it to compress data of a text region. It is used a lot.

The control section 6 controls the digital still camera and the overall operations such as the operations of the CCD 2, the CDS / AGC 3, the analog / digital converter 4, and the DSP section 5 described above.

The memory 7 stores and reproduces image information of one frame output through the DSP 5 under the control of the control unit 6.

This memory 7 usually uses a flash memory that is a nonvolatile memory.

The key input unit 8 applies an operation such as a shutter or an auto focus control function according to a user's operation to the control unit 6.

When a desired scene is captured by the conventional digital still camera configured as described above, the DSP unit 5 performs white balance, outline correction, and luminance / color difference signal conversion under the control of the control unit 6, and then uses JPEG. It is compressed and stored in the memory 7.

The video signal recorded in the memory 7 is output to a PC connected to a digital still camera for editing after shooting so that the user can edit the recorded video to create various reports or to create an electronic album such as graduation or marriage. do.

However, in order to produce an electronic album using a conventional digital still camera as described above, the image must be taken in the field. At this time, since the memory capacity is limited, a large number of images such as continuous shooting cannot be taken. There was a problem.

In addition, there is a problem that it is difficult to produce an electronic album using a video taken by a digital camera or camcorder.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a line input device of a digital still camera that allows a user to selectively record a specific image to be recorded in a memory by receiving a video shot using a digital camera or a camcorder through line input. There is.

1 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a general digital still camera.

2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a digital still camera to which a line input device according to the present invention is applied.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

10 lens 20 CCD

30: CDS / AGC 40: analog / digital converter

50: line input unit 60: video pickup unit

70: DSP unit 80: control unit

90: memory 100: key input unit

The line input device of the digital still camera according to the present invention for achieving the above object is to control the overall operation of the device and the control signal for picking up one scene of the video recorded by the external video recording device according to the user's video pickup key input A control unit that outputs a control signal for the input, a CDS / AGC that automatically amplifies and adjusts the gain so that the output is always constant even if the input level is changed and noise is removed from the image signal input through the CCD. Analog to digital converter for converting the analog video signal to a digital signal, and a line input unit connected to an external video recording device through a signal line to receive a video shot from the external video recording device, and one of the video applied through the line input unit A video pickup unit for picking up a scene according to a control signal of a controller, and according to the control of the controller After performing the white balance, contour correction, and luminance / color difference signal conversion of the video signal output from the analog / digital converter or the video pickup unit, the DSP unit compresses by JPEG and the video signal output through the DSP unit. And a memory for outputting the recorded video signal according to the control.

Hereinafter, a line input device of a digital still camera of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a digital still camera to which a line input device according to the present invention is applied.

As shown, the CCD 20 converts an image signal of an object incident through the lens 10 into an electrical signal.

Various drive pulses for extracting the signal of this CCD 20 are controlled by the control part 80 mentioned later.

The CDS / AGC 30 removes the noise of the electrical signal input through the CCD 20 and automatically amplifies and adjusts the gain so that the output is always constant even if the level of the input image signal changes.

The analog / digital converter 40 converts an analog video signal input through the CDS / AGC 30 into a digital signal.

The line input unit 50 is connected to an external image photographing apparatus such as a digital camera or a camcorder through a signal line (not shown) to receive a video photographed by the external image photographing apparatus.

The video pickup unit 60 picks up and outputs one scene of a video applied through the line input unit 50 according to a control signal of the controller 80 to be described later.

The DSP unit 70 performs white balance, contour correction, and luminance / color difference signal conversion on the signal output from the analog / digital converter 40 or the video pickup unit 60 under the control of the controller 80 described later. It compresses by JPEG and outputs to the memory 90 mentioned later.

The controller 80 controls the overall digital still camera such as the CCD 20, the CDS / AGC 30, the analog / digital converter 40, the video pickup unit 60, the DSP unit 70, and the memory 90. Control the operation.

In addition, the control unit 80 receives a control signal for picking up one scene from a video recorded by an external video recording device such as a digital camera or a camcorder input through the line input unit 50 according to a user's video pickup key input. Output to the pickup section 60.

The memory 90 stores and reproduces image information of one frame output through the DSP unit 50 under the control of the controller 80.

This memory 90 uses flash memory normally.

The key input unit 100 applies a shutter or an auto focus control function key and a video pickup key according to a user's operation to the controller 80.

Next, the operation of the line input device of the digital still camera according to the present invention configured as described above will be described in detail.

First, when capturing an image, an image signal of a subject incident through the lens 10 is converted into an electrical signal by the CCD 20, and the image signal input through the above-described CCD 20 is transferred to the CDS / AGC 30. The noise is removed and the gain is adjusted so that the output is always constant even if the level of the input video signal changes.

The analog video signal output through the CDS / AGC 30 is converted into a digital signal through the analog / digital converter 40. The video signal output from the analog-to-digital converter 40 is compressed by JPEG after white balance, outline correction, and luminance / color difference signal conversion are performed by the DSP unit 70 under the control of the controller 80. )

As such, the image signal stored in the memory 90 is output to a PC connected to a digital still camera after shooting, and the user can edit the captured image to create various reports.The commemorative photo such as graduation or marriage makes an electronic album or Can be stored on diskette.

On the other hand, when the user connects the digital still camera with an external video recording device such as a digital camera or a camcorder through a signal line, and receives and edits a video recorded by the external video recording device, the external video recording is performed through the line input unit 50. Receive a video recorded on the device.

The video input through the line input unit 50 is applied to the video pickup unit 60, and when the user inputs the video pickup key of the key input unit 100 in the scene that the user wants to select, the control unit 80 outputs the video. A video of one scene is picked up according to the control signal.

As such, the video of one scene picked up by the video pickup unit 60 is subject to white balance, contour correction, and luminance / color difference signal under the control of the controller 80 in the DSP unit 70 as in the still image processing process described above. After the conversion is performed, it is compressed by JPEG, stored in the memory 90, and output to a PC after shooting, so that the user can edit the captured image to create an electronic album.

As described above, according to the line input device of the digital still camera of the present invention, since the user can selectively record a specific image desired by the user by receiving a video shot through the digital camera or the camcorder through the line input, the user can It is possible to select and record a desired scene from a video previously recorded through a digital camera or camcorder without using a direct shot, and then use it to produce an electronic album.

Claims (1)

Control signal for picking up one scene from a video recorded by an external video recording device according to a user's video pickup key input, a control unit for outputting a control signal for overall operation of the device, and noise of a video signal input through a CCD CDS / AGC which automatically amplifies and adjusts the gain so that the output is always constant even if the input level is changed, and analog / digital converter and signal line which converts the analog video signal inputted through the CDS / AGC into a digital signal. A video pickup for picking up one scene from a line input unit connected to the external image photographing device and receiving a video photographed by the external image photographing device and a video applied through the line input unit according to a control signal of the controller; Output from the analog / digital converter or the video pickup unit under control of the controller After performing the white balance, contour correction, and luminance / color difference signal conversion of the video signal, the DSP unit compresses by JPEG and the video signal output through the DSP unit, and stores the video signal recorded under the control of the controller. Line input device of a digital still camera, characterized in that consisting of a memory for outputting.

Images