JP2003018532A - Image sensing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image sensing device which records a highly precise still picture simultaneously with photographing of a dynamic picture, and can obtain a highly precise still picture of a desired scene when the dynamic picture is reproduced. SOLUTION: A dynamic picture and still picture selecting means which can select a dynamic picture image and a still picture image, and a dynamic picture still picture controlling means which controls the selecting means so as to record repeatedly dynamic picture image (n) frames and still picture image (m) frames are installed, and the dynamic picture and the still picture are recorded in the same medium.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus, and more particularly to an image pickup apparatus capable of shooting moving images and high-definition still images.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the number of pixels of electronic still cameras has increased, and as of 2001, even popular models for consumer use have 2 million to 3 million pixels. Furthermore, not only still images but also moving images using compression methods such as MPEG. There are also things that can be taken. There are also video cameras that can take not only moving images but also high-definition still images in the 1 million pixel class.

[0003]

However, most of the above-mentioned video cameras and electronic still cameras cannot take a still image and a moving image at the same time. Only a still image can be taken when taking a still image, and a still image can be taken when taking a moving image. Only one of them, such as a movie, can only be taken. Although some video cameras can shoot still images and moving images at the same time, the number of images that can be recorded is different because the medium for recording still images is a semiconductor memory with a relatively small capacity, which is different from the medium for recording moving images. Is limited. An image pickup device capable of simultaneously shooting a still image and a moving image is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-108133. This also waits for still image recording during recording of a moving image, temporarily stores it in a memory, and then records the moving image. After the end, to record the still image data stored in the memory on the recording medium,
Still images can be recorded only up to the limit of the temporary storage memory capacity.

Further, in the field of surveillance cameras, there is an increasing need for an image pickup device capable of simultaneously shooting both moving images and high-definition still images. In the prior art, still images and moving images are simultaneously transferred to a remote location for recording. I couldn't.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and provide an image pickup apparatus in which a moving image and a high-definition still image are recorded and a high-definition still image of a desired scene can be obtained when the moving image is reproduced. It is in.

[0006]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a still image which is a high-definition first image and a moving image which is a second image having a lower resolution than the first image. A selection means for selecting an image and a control means for controlling the selection means so as to output either one of the first image and the second image are provided, and the selected first image and second image are selected. The image is recorded on the same medium or output to an external transmission path. With this, it is possible to realize an imaging device that can obtain a high-definition image and a low-resolution image at the same time with a simple configuration, and that can obtain a high-definition image of a desired scene when the low-resolution image is reproduced. it can.

[0007]

1 is a block diagram of an image pickup apparatus showing a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1
Reference numeral 0 is an image sensor, 11 is an image sensor drive unit, 12 is an A / D converter, 13 is a moving image signal processing unit which is a second image signal processing unit, and 14 is a still image signal which is a first image signal processing unit. A processing unit, a moving image / still image selecting unit 15 is a selecting unit, a moving image / still image controlling unit 16 is a controlling unit, and a recording unit 17 is a recording unit.

FIG. 2 shows one mode of operation in the first embodiment. In FIG. 2, 20 is an output signal of the moving image signal processing unit 13, and 21 is a still image signal processing unit 14.
, 22 is a control signal of the moving image / still image control unit 16,
Reference numeral 23 is an output signal of the moving image / still image selection unit 15. Less than,
The structure of 1st Embodiment is shown. The image pickup device driving unit 11 drives the image pickup device 10, and at the same time, the moving image / still image control unit 16
To provide field or frame information. For example, when the image sensor is progressive, since frame reading is being performed, frame information, such as where the frame head is, is supplied to the moving image / still image control unit 16. The output signal of the image sensor 10 is supplied to the A / D converter 12. The output signal of the A / D converter 12 is supplied to the moving image signal processing unit 13 and the still image signal processing unit 14. The moving image / still image selection unit 15 selects either one of the output signal of the moving image signal processing unit 13 and the output signal of the still image signal processing unit 14 and supplies it to the recording unit 17. The moving image / still image control unit 16 supplies to the moving image / still image selecting unit 15 a control signal indicating whether to select a moving image or a still image based on the field or frame information supplied from the image pickup device driving unit 11. . Next, the operation will be described. The output signal of the image sensor 10 is A
It is converted into a digital signal by the / D converter 12. The video signal converted into a digital signal is subjected to camera signal processing such as luminance signal processing and color signal processing for moving images and still images in a moving image signal processing unit 13 and a still image signal processing unit 14, respectively. For example, when the image pickup device 10 is a progressive image pickup device and the pixels photoelectrically converted by the image pickup device are read out line by line independently in the four-field period of the moving image, the still image signal processing unit 15 reads the pixels from the image pickup device. A high-definition still image is generated using the read pixels. On the other hand, in the moving image signal processing unit 13, the signal read out over the four-field period is temporarily stored in a memory (not shown), and the image sensor 1
The signal read from 0 is converted into interlace.
The o and e of the output signal 20 of the moving picture signal processing unit in FIG. 2 represent the odd field and the even field of the moving picture, respectively. That is, from the image sensor, 4n, 4n + 1, 4n + 2, 4n + 3, ... (n
2 are read out sequentially in the first odd field of FIG. 2, 4n + 2 rows are read out in the next e field, and 4n + 2 rows are read out in the next odd field. A read operation of reading 4n rows and further reading 4n + 2 rows in the next e field is performed, and a moving image signal is generated by processing the read signals. Therefore, in the moving image and the still image in the present embodiment, since the same signal output from the image sensor is processed by the moving image signal processing unit and the still image signal processing unit, the time when the image is captured is the same, but the still image is still. The moving image is a low-resolution image compared to the high-definition image. Needless to say, since the moving image and the still image have different numbers of pixels, the moving image signal processing and the still image signal processing need to be different, such as resampling processing and filtering processing. The output signal 21 of the still image signal processing unit in FIG.
Shows an example in which the length of time of one frame of a still image corresponds to the period of two frames of a moving image, but this varies depending on the number of pixels of the image sensor and the operating frequency. The moving image / still image control unit 16 records either a moving image or a still image by using the field or frame information supplied from the image pickup device driving unit 11. Figure 2
The control signal 22 of the moving picture / still picture control unit represents an example in which one frame of a still picture is repeatedly recorded for four frames of a moving picture. A predetermined number is set, and the moving picture / still picture control unit 16 controls the moving picture / still picture selection unit 15 so as to automatically and alternately record. Video still image selection unit 1
5 is a moving image based on the control signal of the moving image / still image control unit 16,
One of the still images is selected, and the recording unit 17 records the output signal like the output signal 23 of the moving image / still image selecting unit in FIG. Note that the number of frames is not set in advance, but the moving image / still image control unit 16 controls the moving image / still image selecting unit 15 to record a still image when a still image recording instruction is given. Good.

In this embodiment, since the moving image and the still image are simultaneously generated from the signal output from the image pickup device, it is possible to record a high-definition still image together with the moving image, and a desired image can be reproduced at the time of reproducing the moving image. It is possible to realize a camera that can obtain a high-definition still image of a scene. Also, by recording n frames of moving images (n is a natural number) and m frames of still images (m is a natural number) repeatedly on a recording medium, a high-definition still image can be obtained intermittently. If you want to see a detailed still image, select the still image,
Since it is usually sufficient to watch a moving image, the usability is improved.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an image pickup apparatus showing a second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, 30 is a moving image compression unit, and 31 is a still image compression unit. Portions corresponding to those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted.
FIG. 4 shows one mode of operation in the second embodiment. In FIG. 4, 40 is an output signal of the moving image compression unit 30, 41 is an output signal of the still image signal processing unit 14 and the still image compression unit 31, and 42 is an output signal of the moving image still image selection unit 15. The parts corresponding to those in FIG. 2 are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted.

The configuration of the second embodiment will be described below. First
In the embodiment, the output signal of the moving image signal processing unit 13 is supplied to the moving image compression unit 30, the output signal of the still image signal processing unit 14 is supplied to the still image compression unit 31, and the moving image still image selection unit 15 moves the moving image. Either the output signal of the compression unit 30 or the output signal of the still image compression unit 31 is selected, and the recording unit 17
Supply to.

Next, the operation will be described. The moving image compression unit 30 and the still image compression unit 31 image-compress the output signals of the moving image signal processing unit 13 and the still image signal processing unit 14, respectively. JPEG is widely and commonly used for still image compression. The moving image compression is assumed here to use MPEG2 which is widely used as a motion compensation predictive coding system, but other motion guaranteed predictive coding systems such as MPEG1 and motion guaranteed predictive code such as Motion JPEG. You may use the compression system which does not perform conversion. When a bitstream of MPEG2 is generated, GOP (Group) is set as the minimum unit of motion compensation predictive coding.
OF Pictures) can be configured. In the present embodiment, it is premised that GOP is used, and in the output signal 40 of the moving image compression unit in FIG. 4, 1 GOP is 2 for simplification.
Although a frame is used, the number of frames of 1 GOP is not limited to this. Video still image control unit 1
Reference numeral 6 determines whether to record a moving image or a still image based on the field or frame information supplied from the image sensor driving unit 11. The control signal 22 of the moving image / still image control unit in FIG. 4 represents an example in which one frame of a still image is repeatedly recorded for a moving image 2 GOP (4 frames). The moving picture / still picture selection unit 15 selects either a moving picture or a still picture based on the control signal of the moving picture / still picture control unit 16, and records the output signal like the output signal 42 of the moving picture / still picture selection unit in FIG. The part 17 records. The present embodiment records moving images and still images that are image-compressed as compared with the first embodiment, and the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained, and recording can be performed for a longer time.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an image pickup apparatus showing a third embodiment of the present invention, in which recording of a still image is performed separately from that of the first embodiment. In FIG. 5, 50 is a buffer memory and 51 is a recording control unit.
Portions corresponding to those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted. 6 shows one mode of operation in the third embodiment. In FIG. 6, 60 is an output signal of the moving image signal processing unit 13, 61 is an output signal of the buffer memory 50, and 62 is a recording control unit. 51 is an output signal, 63 is a blanking portion of the output signal 60 of the video signal processing unit 13,
Reference numeral 64 is a still image signal portion in the output signal 62 of the recording control unit 51. The recording control unit of this embodiment includes an output of the moving image signal processing unit, a selection unit for selecting the output of the buffer memory, and a control unit for controlling the selection unit.

The configuration of the third embodiment will be described below. First
The output signal of the still image signal processing unit 14 in the above embodiment is supplied to the buffer memory 50. Video signal processing unit 13
And the output signal of the buffer memory 50 are supplied to the recording control unit 51. The field or frame information output from the image sensor 10 and the blanking position information are also supplied to the recording control unit 51. The control signal output from the recording control unit 51 is supplied to the buffer memory 50. The output signal of the recording control unit 51 is supplied to the recording unit 17. Next, the operation will be described. The output signal 20 of the video signal processing unit 13 in FIG. 2 actually has a blanking period, which is 60 in FIG. It is assumed that the time length of one still image frame is two moving image frames, as in the first embodiment. The output signal of the still image signal processing unit 14 is temporarily stored in the buffer memory 50 and then read according to the control signal output from the recording control unit 51. In the present embodiment, as in 61 of FIG. 6, a still image signal for one frame is temporarily stored in the buffer memory 50 and then read. The recording control unit 51 records the moving image signal output from the moving image signal processing unit 13 in the recording unit 17 while the moving image signal is in the image valid period, and temporarily in the buffer memory 50 during the vertical blanking period of the moving image signal. The accumulated still image signal is recorded in the recording unit 17. Therefore, the form of the output signal of the recording control unit 51 is as shown by 62 in FIG. When the recording unit 17 is a randomly accessible recording medium such as a disk medium or a semiconductor memory, when the recording control unit 51 records in the recording unit 17,
If the divided still image signal is written so as to become one still image as in 62, it is not necessary to reconstruct the still image at the time of reproduction. On the other hand, when the recording unit 17 is a recording medium such as a tape medium that is difficult to be randomly accessed, it is necessary to reconstruct the still image divided and recorded at the time of reproduction. In this embodiment, a still image signal is recorded at a time when it is not necessary to record a moving image signal, and the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. There is no discontinuity.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an image pickup apparatus showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention, in which a moving image and a still image which are image-compressed in the third embodiment are recorded. 2,
The parts corresponding to those in FIG. 5 are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted. FIG. 8 shows one mode of operation in the fourth embodiment. In FIG. 8, 80 is an output signal of the still image compression unit 30, 81 is an output signal of the still image compression unit 31, and 82 is a buffer. Output signal of memory 50, 83
Is an output signal of the recording control unit 51, and 84 is a still image signal portion in the output signal 83 of the recording control unit 51. Since the output signal 40 of the moving picture compression unit 30 in FIG. 4 is actually compressed, the data amount should be smaller than the two frames before compression, which is 80 in FIG. Similarly, the output signal 41 of the still image compression unit 31 in FIG.
The amount of data should be smaller than that of the frame, which is 81 in FIG. Then, as in the third embodiment, there is a time when it is not necessary to record a moving image signal, that is, a time other than the video valid period for outputting the output signal of the moving image compression unit 30 so as not to be lost, and the still image is generated at that time. The image signal is recorded. The present embodiment has the same effects as those of the second embodiment, and the moving images do not become discontinuous unlike the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an image pickup apparatus showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention, which is an embodiment in the case where the recording unit 17 is a case different from that of the first embodiment. . In FIG. 9, 90 is a camera unit, 91 is a camera unit output terminal, and 92 is a signal transmission path. Portions corresponding to those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted. A portion excluding the recording unit 17 from the first embodiment is a camera unit 90,
The camera unit output terminal 91 is provided to output the output signal of the moving image / still image selection unit 15 from the camera unit output terminal 91 to the outside of the camera unit 90. The output signal of the camera unit output terminal 91 is supplied to the recording unit 17 via the signal transmission line 92. This embodiment is essentially the same as the first embodiment, and the recording unit 17 is a separate casing from the first embodiment, and is therefore suitable for use as a surveillance camera, for example. Further, the signal transmission line 92 may be a network such as a LAN. Furthermore, the form in which the recording unit 17 is provided in a different casing as in the present embodiment can be applied to the second to fourth embodiments, and the same effect as this embodiment can be obtained.

[0017]

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize an image pickup apparatus which can obtain a high-definition image and a low-resolution image at the same time and can obtain a high-definition image of a desired scene when the low-resolution image is reproduced. can do.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing one mode of operation in the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a mode of operation according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a mode of operation according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a mode of operation according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Image sensor 11 ... Image sensor driver 12 ... A / D converter 13 ... Video signal processor 14 ... Still image signal processor 15 ... Video still image selector 16 ... video still image control unit 17 ... recording unit 20 ... output signal 21 of video signal processing unit 13 ... output signal 22 of still image signal processing unit 22 ... of video still image control unit 16 Control signal 23 ... Output signal 30 of moving image / still image selection unit 30 ... Moving image compression unit 31 ... Still image compression unit 40 ... Output signal 41 of moving image compression unit 30 ... Still image signal Processing unit 14 and still image compression unit 31
Output signal 42 of the video / still image selection unit 15 ... buffer memory 51 ... recording control unit 60 ... output signal 61 of the video signal processing unit 13 ... output of the buffer memory 50 Signal 62 ... Output signal 63 of recording control unit 51 ... Blanking portion of output signal 60 of moving image signal processing unit 64 ... Still image signal portion 80 of output signal 62 of recording control unit 51. ..Output signal 81 of still image compression unit 30 ... output signal of still image compression unit 31 ... output signal of buffer memory 50 ... output signal 84 of recording control unit 51 ... recording control unit Still image signal portion 90 in output signal 83 of 51 ... Camera section 91 ... Camera section output terminal 92 ... Signal transmission path

Continued front page    (72) Inventor Ryushi Nishimura             292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa             Ceremony Hitachi Digital Media Development Book             Department F-term (reference) 5C022 AA01 AC79 AC80                 5C052 AA17 DD04 GA01 GA03 GB01                 5C053 FA07 GB36 GB37 LA01 LA14

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup device, an image pickup device driving means for driving the image pickup device, an A / D converter for converting an output signal of the image pickup device into a digital signal, and an output signal of the A / D converter. A first image signal processing unit that generates a first image and a second image that has a lower resolution than the first image generated by the first image signal processing unit from the output signal of the A / D converter are displayed. A second image signal processing unit to be generated, an output signal of the first image signal processing unit, a selection means for selecting an output signal of the second image signal processing unit, and the first image signal processing unit And an output signal of the second image signal processing unit, and a control unit that controls the selection unit to output one of the output signals of the second image signal processing unit. 2. An image pickup device, an image pickup device driving means for driving the image pickup device, an A / D converter for converting an output signal of the image pickup device into a digital signal, and an output signal of the A / D converter. A first image signal processing unit that generates a first image, a first image compression unit that compresses an output signal of the first image signal processing unit, and a first signal from an output signal of the A / D converter. A second image signal processing unit for generating a second image having a lower resolution than the first image generated by the image signal processing unit of
Second image compression means for compressing the output signal of the second image signal processing section, output signal of the first image compression means, and selection means for selecting the output signal of the second image compression means And a control means for controlling the selection means so as to output either one of the output signal of the first image compression processing means and the output signal of the second image compression processing means. Imaging device. 3. The control means alternately outputs the second image n frames (where n is a natural number) and the first image m frames (where m is a natural number and m <n). The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the selection means is controlled. 4. The control means alternately outputs the second image n frames (where n is a natural number) and the first image m frames (where m is a natural number and m <n). The n-th frame is a natural number multiple (n = g × 1, 2, 3 ...) Of the minimum unit g-frame of the motion prediction coding of the second image compression means. The imaging device according to claim 2, wherein 5. An image pickup device, an image pickup device driving means for driving the image pickup device, an A / D converter for converting an output signal of the image pickup device into a digital signal, and an output signal of the A / D converter. A first image signal processing unit that generates a first image, a buffer memory that temporarily stores the output signal of the first image signal processing unit, and a first signal from the output signal of the A / D converter. A second image signal processing unit for generating a second image signal having a resolution lower than that of the first image generated by the image signal processing unit; an output signal of the second image signal processing unit; The selecting means for selecting the output signal and the output signal of the second image signal processing unit outputs the output signal of the second image signal processing unit during the video valid period, and outputs the output signal of the second image signal processing unit. When the output signal is in the vertical blanking period, the buffer memory Imaging apparatus characterized by comprising control means for controlling said selection means to output the al read signal. 6. An image pickup device, an image pickup device driving means for driving the image pickup device, an A / D converter for converting an output signal of the image pickup device into a digital signal, and an output signal of the A / D converter. A first image signal processing unit that generates a first image, a first image compression unit that compresses an output signal of the first image signal processing unit, and an output signal of the first image compression unit that is temporarily Image data processing for generating a second image having a lower resolution than the first image generated by the first image signal processing unit from the output signal of the A / D converter Section, second image compression means for compressing the output signal of the second image signal processing section, selection means for selecting the output signal of the second image compression means, and output signal of the buffer memory, During the video valid period of the output signal of the second image compression means The output means of the second image compression means is output, and the selection means is controlled so as to output the signal read from the buffer memory during the period when the output signal of the second image compression means is not output. An image pickup apparatus comprising: a control unit. 7. A recording means for recording the output signal of the selecting means on a recording medium.
The imaging device according to. 8. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an output unit that outputs the output of the selection unit to a transmission line.