JP3295208B2 - Electronic still camera - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic still camera, and more particularly to an image / sound recording / reproducing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, electronic still cameras are mainly used as input devices for image and audio data to information equipment. For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 4-225882 proposes a technique in which image data from an electronic camera is directly input to a personal computer without using any adapter or the like, and processing such as editing can be performed.

[0003]

However, current electronic still cameras have poor compatibility with these information devices and require hardware and software for an interface (I / F).

[0004] Specifically, there are the following problems.

(1) The image format used in the information equipment differs depending on the application program. If the format of the image file recorded by the electronic still camera does not match the application, it is necessary to create a file format conversion program. There is.

(2) An electronic still camera is a television
(NTSC) The aspect ratio of the pixel is not "1" because it is designed as a standard for reproduction and viewing on the screen.
If the file recorded in this way is reproduced on an information device such as a personal computer as it is, the screen becomes a crushed screen and the display becomes difficult to see.

(3) When image data is directly transferred to the information device via the recording medium I / F, the information device cannot display normally unless the image data synchronization position is also transferred.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems relating to the aspect ratio of a pixel and to provide an electronic device having excellent cost performance which is optimal for inputting multimedia information (image / audio) to information equipment. It is to provide a still camera.

[0009]

According to the present invention, there is provided a photographing means for photographing a subject and outputting image data; an image data encoding means for encoding image data; An electronic still camera provided with means for recording the image data on a recording medium, the electronic still camera further comprising means for changing the pixel aspect ratio of the image data recorded on the recording medium.

[0010]

According to the electronic still camera having the above-mentioned structure, since the means for changing the pixel aspect ratio of the image data recorded on the recording medium is provided, when the electronic device is used in various application programs in an information device, the pixel aspect ratio is changed. If the image is recorded by an electronic still camera according to the ratio, there is no need to perform aspect conversion.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, wherein 1 is a microphone, 2a and 2b are amplifiers, 3 is audio data encoding means for encoding / decoding audio data, and audio. An audio data compression / expansion circuit as data decoding means, 4 is an A / D (analog / digital) conversion circuit,
Denotes a D / A (digital / analog) conversion circuit.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a camera imaging unit including an imaging lens 7, an aperture 8, a CCD 9, and a CDS 10 serving as a camera control unit. Reference numeral 11 denotes a digital signal processing circuit for performing various types of image processing. , An image data compression / decompression circuit as image data encoding means and image data decoding means, a FIFO circuit 13, and a memory card I / F 14 as an interface (I / F) with a memory card.
F.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a mechanical drive unit (driver) of the camera imaging unit 6, 17 denotes an electrical timing signal generation unit (SG) of the camera imaging unit 6, 18 denotes a strobe as illumination means, and 19 denotes various modes. An operation unit for setting, 20 is a mode display unit for displaying the set mode, and 21 is a CPU for controlling each unit.

The recording media I / F 22a and 22b are connected to the memory card I / F 14 to interface with various recording media and the information equipment I / F for interfacing with various information devices. It is.

In FIG. 1, a subject image is formed by an imaging lens 7 on a CCD 9 serving as an imaging means.
The image picked up by is subjected to gain control by the CDS 10, and is converted into digital data by the A / D conversion circuit 4. The digital image data is subjected to gamma correction and aperture correction by a digital signal processing circuit 11, and is sent to an image data compression / expansion circuit 12, which is image signal encoding means, to be encoded. The digital signal processing circuit 11 has a built-in circuit that can change the pixel aspect ratio by setting from the CPU 21.

The method of setting the aspect ratio of an NTSC image to "1" is performed by vertical pixel interpolation. A specific method will be described below.

If the pixel before changing the aspect ratio is a (i, k) and the pixel after changing is b (i, k),

[0019]

M = (i / 6) +1 1 ≦ i ≦ 575, 1 ≦ k ≦ 768, and m is an integer,

[0020]

B (i, k) = {(5 + i−6m) / 6} × a (im, k) + {(1−i + 6m) / 6} × a ｛(im−1), k} However, a (0, k) = 0.

The encoded image data is sent to a FIFO circuit.
13 and sequentially recorded on a memory card as a recording medium through a memory card I / F 14.
Note that the above components are controlled by the CPU 21.

On the other hand, the voice is captured by the microphone 1,
Converted to electrical signals. This electric signal is amplified by an amplifier 2a, converted into digital data by an A / D conversion circuit 4, sent to an audio data compression / expansion circuit 3 as audio signal encoding means, and encoded. I have. The encoded audio data is transmitted to the memory card I via the CPU 21.
/ F14 to be recorded on the memory card. Several recording format files can be created for the recording format on the memory card by changing the header set by the CPU 21 when creating the file. Details of these will be described later with reference to FIG.

At the time of reproducing the data recorded on the memory card, the video and audio data is sent to the FIFO circuit 13 or the CPU 21 through the memory card I / F 14. The image data is an image data compression / decompression circuit
The data is subjected to data expansion (decoding) processing at 12, and is output as a video signal through the digital signal processing circuit 11.

On the other hand, the audio data is sent to the audio data compression / expansion circuit 3 via the CPU 21, is subjected to data expansion (decoding), and is output as an audio signal through the amplifier 2b.

The recording medium I / F 22a is commonly used for directly transferring data to and from an information device.
When transferring uncompressed image data to an information device, the image data subjected to gamma correction and aperture correction by the digital signal processing circuit 11 is output as it is from the image data compression / expansion circuit 12 and written into the FIFO circuit 13. FIFO circuit
The image data written in the memory card 13 is stored in the memory card I / F 14
Is output to the information device I / F 22b via the. When transferring uncompressed audio data to an information device, the audio data digitized by the A / D conversion circuit 4 is output from the audio data compression / expansion circuit 3 as it is and written to the FIFO circuit 13. The audio data written in the FIFO circuit 13 is transmitted to the information device I / F 22b via the memory card I / F 14.
Output to

FIGS. 3A and 3B show timing charts of information device data transfer. The image data output from the digital signal processing circuit 11 is directly output to the information device I / F 22b during the image valid period. In the vertical blanking period, in addition to audio data, an encoded vertical synchronization code indicating vertical blanking, an encoded status code indicating camera status, a control code indicating a control command to the information device, and a field number Alternatively, a code indicating the frame number is inserted and recorded.

During the horizontal blanking period, in addition to audio data, an encoded horizontal synchronization code indicating horizontal blanking, an encoded status code indicating camera status, and a control command to the information device are shown. A control code and a code indicating a horizontal scanning line number are inserted and recorded.

FIG. 2 shows a flow of file creation in this embodiment. In creating a file, first, the CPU 21
Set or select the creation format specification from 19 (S
1). The CPU 21 selects the file format (S2-1, S2-2, S2-2) selected when transferring the image data to the memory card.
A file is created by combining the header information matching S2-3) with the image data body and transferring the image data.
3).

[0029]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the electronic still camera of the present invention is provided with the means for changing the pixel aspect ratio of the image data recorded on the recording medium. When used with various application programs in an information device, recording with an electronic still camera in accordance with these pixel aspect ratios eliminates the need for aspect conversion, thereby increasing affinity.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic still camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of file creation according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart of information device data transfer.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Microphone, 2a, 2b ... Amplifier, 3 ... Audio data compression / expansion circuit, 6 ... Camera imaging part, 7 ... Imaging lens, 12 ... Image data compression / expansion circuit, 14, 22a, 22b
... Interface, 21 ... CPU (Central Processing Unit).

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An electronic still comprising: a photographing means for photographing a subject and outputting image data; an image data encoding means for encoding the image data; and a means for recording the encoded image data on a recording medium. An electronic still camera, comprising: means for changing a pixel aspect ratio of image data recorded on a recording medium.