JPH02178646A - Panoramic photographing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To correctly join a picture to be photographed as a panoramic picture by providing a panoramic photographing device with a display means for a photographic picture, a storing means for a past photographic picture, and a control means for simultaneously displaying present and past photographic pictures, and simultaneously displaying previously photographed image plane and a present image plane to be photographed. CONSTITUTION:An object picture formed by an image pickup element 401 is digitally converted and is stored in a RAM 403. A pattern signal stored in the RAM 403 is analogically converted according to an image pickup address 404; and the object picture is displayed in a place of a display means 410, which is specified by a display address generating means 406. A phase control means 405 provides phase to display and image pickup addresses so as to display a start address of a display means 410 which is seemingly changed substantially. Before or after that, the phase control means 405 transmits a signal to a RAM select means 411 so that data next to the RAM 403 is displayed on the display means 410, thereby panoramically displaying a previously photographed image plane and a present image plane to be photographed. Thus, desired panoramic photographing can be considerably easily and securely executed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention relates to a panoramic photographing device for a camera or the like equipped with an electronic viewfinder.

[Prior art]

Traditionally, when taking panoramic photos, photographers had to memorize the seams in their heads.

I also used a tripod to stabilize the camera to some extent.

In this way, when conventionally taking panoramic shots, the photographer has to memorize the seam in his or her head, which is troublesome, and also makes it difficult for the photographer to make sure that the screen on the viewfinder connects to this seam in the next shot. However, you may have to imagine that the seam you memorized in your head is on the opposite side of the viewfinder from when you memorized it, or if the seam does not have much of a feature, such as in a distant view. Because of this, it was difficult to match this seam properly. Also, if you forget the joint part, you have to start over again, and even if you remember the left and right directions again,
It was difficult to adjust vertically without a tripod, and even if the position of the camera shifted slightly when held in hand, it was difficult to adjust the next shot.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and includes a display means for displaying photographed images, a storage means for storing past photographed images, a current photographic image, and a display means for storing photographed images in the past. and a control means for simultaneously displaying previously photographed images on the display means, so that the previous screen that has already been photographed and the current screen that will be photographed from now on are displayed simultaneously so that the photograph to be taken from now on will be correctly inherited as a panoramic photograph. The aim is to provide a panoramic photographing device that can

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows an example of a camera equipped with the device of the present invention. In the following description, the same reference numerals in the drawings have the same functions.

In Fig. 1, l is the camera body, 2 is the release button, 3 is the display means, 4 is the button to which the left scroll switch is activated, 5 is the button to which the right scroll switch is activated, and 6 is the button on the film or image sensor. This is a lens that forms an image of the subject.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a circuit incorporated in the camera of FIG. That is, a subject image is output as an image signal by the image sensor 401 according to the image capture address generation means 404, converted into a digital value by the A/D conversion means 402, and stored in the RAM 403. The RAM 403 has numbers 1 to 36, each having a film counter 4.
RAM selection means 411 selects according to the information of No. 12.

The image signal stored in the RAM 403 is sent to the D/A conversion means 409 according to the imaging address 404, and the analog signal is sent to the display address generation means 4.
06 is displayed on the display means 410.

Here, the phase control means 405 gives a phase to the display address and the imaging address, and causes the display means 410 to display a display in which the start address of the display means 410 has been substantially changed as shown in FIG. 4, which will be described later. Further, before and after that, the phase control means 405 sends a signal to the RAM selection means 411 to select the RAM according to the address shown in FIG. 4, which will be described later.
The data adjacent to M403 is also displayed on the display means 410,
These display results as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), which will be described later.

The switches 407 and 408 shown in Fig. 2 are switches for selecting either a rightward panorama or a leftward panorama, and are either (a) in Fig. 3 or (b) in Fig. 3, which will be described later. Select.

3(a) and 3(b) show a first example of the display by the camera of FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. First, (a) in Figure 3
means panoramic shooting in the right direction, and if this is set using the switch 407 mentioned above, only the diagonal lined part of the n-th image, which is the image of the previous photograph taken, will be displayed on the left edge of the image currently in the viewfinder. Ru. Furthermore, the next image to be taken will be displayed as a video, with the diagonal area of the n+1th image being composited with the rest of the right part of the viewfinder, and the nth image from the previous screen and the n+1 image to be taken from now on.
It becomes possible to align the boundaries of the sheets accurately. In this case, panoramic photography involves moving from the landscape on the left to the right, but the reverse can also be selected using the switch 408 described above. In other words, as shown in Figure 3(b), by displaying the diagonal line on the left side of the n-th image on the right side of the viewfinder and displaying the diagonal line area on the n+1-th image on the left side of the viewfinder, you can move from the scenery on the right to the left. It is also possible to take panoramic shots.

FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) show the addresses in the horizontal direction when the n-th and (n+1)-th images are displayed on the finder.

4(a) corresponds to FIG. 3(a), and FIG. 4(b) corresponds to FIG. 3(b).

In (a) of Figure 4, one image is in the horizontal direction 00H.
Assume that there is data from FF to 4. The data from horizontal direction COH to FFH of the n-th image data should be displayed from OOH to 3F, l on the finder, and the data from OOH to BFH of the n+1-th image data should be displayed from 40H to FFH on the finder. Become.

The same applies to FIG. 4(b).

From the above, it can be seen that the display shown in FIG. 3 can be realized by changing the starting position of the horizontal address of the display.

FIG. 5 shows a second example of the display of the present invention. This displays two images side by side on one screen. In the circuit shown in FIG. 2, the photographing address generating means 404 reads out the data in the RAM 403 one by one in both the vertical and horizontal directions, and the phase control means 405 and the RAM selection means 411 read out the data of the n-th, n+1 This can be achieved by setting the start address of the display of the first page so as to correspond to that shown in FIG. 5, and specifying the display address range in the vertical direction to the display address generating means 406.

FIG. 6 shows a third example of the display of the present invention. In Figure 3 above, a fixed value was set as the phase of the address, but in this example, the buttons 4 and 5 in Figure 1 can be used to scroll the screen and control the remaining amount of the previous screen. It is something. In other words, (a) → (b) → in the same figure
(C) shows gradual scrolling.

That is, on the finder, the n+1th screen is displayed as a moving image on the right side as an image to be photographed, and the nth already photographed screen is displayed as a still image on the left side.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a circuit that realizes the display shown in FIG.

The object is converted into an image signal by the image sensor 401,
It is converted into a digital value by the A/D conversion means 402 and stored in the RAM.
It is output to DI terminals 703 to 705. RAM703
705 constitute the aforementioned RAM 403 (although not shown here, the number of RAMs 703 to 705 corresponds to the number of frames). Image sensor 401
The vertical direction transfer lock φV is counted up by the imaging vertical address counter 717 and the vertical direction address is sent to the imaging device 401 and the RAMs 703 to 705. This counter is initially reset by the vertical blanking signal VD when a predetermined number of transfer locks φV are output.

Similarly, horizontal transfer lock φH of the image sensor 401
is counted up by the imaging horizontal address counter 718 and the horizontal address is transferred to the imaging element 401 and the RAM.
Send to 703-705. This counter is transfer lockφ
When a predetermined number of H signals are output, an initial reset is performed by a horizontal blanking signal HD.

On the other hand, in response to a signal representing the number of frames of the film from the film counter 412, the decoder 715 controls the RAMs 703 to 7.
Send a signal to the WE terminal of 05, RAM703~7050
One is selected and the image signal from the image sensor 401 is loaded into the selected RAM. Film counter 412
The counter is incremented by one in response to the exposure timing signal from the shutter control means 729, and the output of the decoder 715 is thereby switched, and the image data at that time is stored as a still image in the RAM that was previously selected by the decoder 715. recorded. Note that the image data up to that point is sequentially sent to the D/A conversion means 409 via the RAM, converted into an analog signal, and displayed as a moving image on the display means 410 as the current image.

In addition, when reading data from the RAMs 703 to 705, a decoder 715 and an exclusive OR gate 7 to be described later are used.
26. According to the output of 727, AND gate 709~
714, data is output only from the RAM to which the signal is sent to the OE terminal via the select gate consisting of OR gates 706 to 7o8.

Switches 723 and 724 are switches that are linked to buttons 4 and 5 in FIG. 1 and instruct scrolling in the right or left direction, respectively. When these switches are turned on, the clock is output from the clock generation means 730 to the address difference counter. 720 up or down terminal. Address difference counter 72 for the sent clock
0 counts up or counts down. The count value here is the nth and n+ displayed as the scroll amount.
This is the offset value for the first boundary. Also, depending on whether the address difference counter starts down or up, the direction detection means 728 selects whether the first image displayed on the display means 410 is on the right side or on the left side as the scroll direction.

The comparator 719 is the imaging horizontal address counter 718
The contents of address difference counter 720 are judged to be large or small, and outputs of large (>) and small (<) are output to exclusive OR gates 726 and 727, respectively.

The count value of the address difference counter 720 is compared with the contents of the imaging horizontal address counter 718 by a comparator 719, and in the case of rightward scrolling according to the output of the direction detection means 728, the count value of the imaging horizontal address counter 7
18 is greater than the count value of the address difference counter 720 (>), the output of the exclusive OR gate 726 is “
H", the output of the exclusive OR gate 727 becomes "L", and at this time, if the content of the film counter 412 is the n+1th film, the output of the decoder 715 causes the AND gate 7 to
12 is selected, and the n-th image data which is the previous screen is R.
The signal is read from the AM 704 and input to the display means 410 via the D/A conversion means 409. The display means 410 is
Display is performed according to the addresses specified in the display horizontal address counter 721 and the display vertical address counter 722, but the display horizontal address counter 721 is reset when the comparator 719 outputs a match signal (=), so the imaging horizontal address counter After the content of 718 becomes larger than the count value of the address difference counter 719, the image data in the RAM 704 corresponding to the address of the imaging horizontal address counter 718, that is, the n-th right image is displayed on the left side of the display means 410. .

Then, the imaging horizontal address counter 718 is initially reset by the horizontal blanking signal HD, and the contents of the imaging horizontal address counter 718 are transferred to the address difference counter 719.
When the count value becomes smaller ((<), comparator 7
19, the output of exclusive OR gate 726 becomes “L”.
”, the output of the exclusive OR gate 727 becomes “H”,
This time, AND gate 713 is selected and the current screen is n.
The +1st image data is read from the RAM 705 and input to the display means 410 via the D/A conversion means 409.

As a result, the display means 410 displays such that the image data corresponding to the first address of the imaging horizontal address counter 718 is located at a position corresponding to the address designated by the display horizontal address counter 721 at that time. Therefore, the display means 410 displays n+1 as shown in FIG.
The left side of the nth image is displayed on the right side of the nth image following the nth image.

On the other hand, in the case of leftward scrolling, the direction detection means 728
The outputs of the exclusive OR gates 726 and 727 are reversed, and the switching of the outputs of the exclusive OR gates 726 and 727 is opposite to the case of rightward scrolling, and the display means 410 displays the (n+1)th image on the left side of the display means 410. The right side of the n-th image is displayed on the right side of the display means 410, and subsequently the left side of the n-th image is displayed on the right side of the display means 410.

Note that the imaging address generation means 404 in FIG. 2 can be composed of the imaging vertical address counter 717 and the imaging horizontal address counter 718 of this embodiment, and the phase control means 405 of FIG. Difference counter 720
The RAM selection means 411 in FIG. OR gates 706 to 708 and AND gate 70 of the embodiment
9 to 714 and a decoder 715, and the display address generation means 406 in FIG.
22.

FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) show a fourth example of the display of the present invention. In other words, it is made easier to identify by displaying a border line at the border of the screen, as shown in (b) in the same figure.
Even when they are close to matching, you can easily know which part to look at to determine the seam.

In order to implement this, the coincidence signal (=) of the comparator 719 in FIG. Data from the RAM 403 is input to the other input terminal of the gate 1202, and its output is input to D.
/A conversion means 409 may be operated manually. As a result, when a match signal is output from the comparator 719, the output of the data in the RAM 403 to the D/A conversion means 409 is blocked by the AND gate 1202, and this portion is displayed as a boundary line as shown in FIG. That will happen.

FIG. 10 shows a display in which the scrolling function of FIG. 7 is developed, and the address difference counter 720 of FIG. By subtracting or adding the contents of the film counter and sending the contents to the decoder 715 when going to the previous or next screen,
This allows scrolling on multiple screens. In other words, if you take three panoramas (n-2nd, n-1st, and nth panoramas in Figure 1O), press the scroll button to move display range A left and right and display them on the viewfinder. It displays the screen. This makes it possible to check the panoramic photo on the electronic viewfinder after shooting.

FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b) show a sixth example of the display of the present invention. That is, the n+1th screen is displayed in an overlapping manner, leaving a part of the previous screen, which is the nth screen. Figure 12 (a) shows that the overlapping parts do not match, and the first
FIG. 2(b) shows how the overlapping portions match and are no longer displayed. With this method, there will be overlapping parts on the print, which may look undesirable, but
This can be done by displaying images outside of the print using an image sensor.

With this display, it is possible to simply determine whether or not they match, making it easier to match seams.

FIG. 13 shows an example of a circuit that implements the display shown in FIG.
is sent to the display means 410, and the data from the RAM 1102 is displayed on the display means 410 in correspondence with the same address as the address of the RAM 1102. - On the other hand, the address offset value of the RAM 1101 that captures the n-th image, which is the previous screen, is set in the panorama address generation means 1104 by the presetting means 1103, and
will read data from this offset value.

Further, data in RAM 1102 and RAM 1101 enters exclusive OR gate 1107, and when they match, a low level is output. In other words, exclusive OR gate 110
7 outputs the overlapping portion of image data in RAM 1101 and RAM 1102. On the other hand, the comparator 1105 compares the counter values of the panorama address generation means 1104, and in this case, when the image data in the RAM 1101 reaches the right end, which is FFH, a high level is output. By inputting a high level to A/D gate 1109 via AND gate 1106, the output of exclusive OR gate 1107 is input to A/D via AND gate 1109 and OR gate 1110.
is sent to the converting means 409, and the first
A display as shown in Figure 2 is displayed. Also, as mentioned above, RA
When the image data of M1101 reaches the right end of FFH, the output of the comparator 1105 is inverted, so the OR gate 1110 receives RA via the AND gate 11O8.
Only the output of M1102 is input, and the A/D conversion means 40
9, a display as shown in FIG. 12 is displayed on the right side of the display means 410.

Figure 14 shows panoramic expansion in the vertical direction. In this case, this can be achieved by changing the circuit shown in Figure 7 from controlling the horizontal address counter to a vertical address counter. be.

FIG. 15 shows the scroll of FIG. 10 expanded in the vertical direction. In this case as well, in the circuits of FIGS. 7 and 11, the one controlling the horizontal address counter may be changed to the vertical address counter.

FIG. 16 shows a combination of left and right scrolling and up and down scrolling, which makes it easier to photograph with the composition shown in the figure. Of course, it is also possible to scroll freely by combining the above embodiments.

FIG. 17 shows a case where the embodiment of FIG. 16 is converted into text.

In other words, in the case of characters, the number of characters that can be recognized on one screen is, for example,
01 and the number of pixels of the display means 410. Therefore, by recording the subject separately,
This makes it possible to record many texts. Here, if you take a panoshima-style shot vertically and horizontally, you can see which side the next screen will touch, so you can record this in memory, etc., and control the screen memory with a microcomputer to create a split screen. can be automatically viewed next to each other by scrolling.

FIG. 18 shows another embodiment of the circuit of the present invention using a microcomputer. That is, when panoramic photography is performed, the microcomputer 1701 captures the direction from the direction detecting means 728 and stores it in the direction RAM 1702. During playback, the microcomputer 1701 captures the direction from the direction RAM 1702.
01 outputs and controls an address to the RAM 403 in response to scrolling.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, the previous screen that has already been photographed and the current screen that will be photographed are displayed in a panoramic manner, so that the photographer can take the desired image by viewing the display while photographing. Panoramic photography can now be performed extremely easily and reliably, and its effectiveness as a device for panoramic photography is extremely high.

[Brief Description of the Drawings] Each drawing shows an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a camera, and Fig. 2 shows a main circuit incorporated in the camera shown in Fig. 1. Explanatory diagram, Figure 3 (a), (
b) is an explanatory diagram of the first example of the display by the camera in Fig. 1, and Figs. 4(a) and (b) are respectively Fig. 3(a). An explanatory diagram of the horizontal address of the image corresponding to (b), Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the second example of the display by the camera in Fig. 1, Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the third example, and Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a circuit for displaying the display shown in FIG. 6, FIG. 8(a),
(b) is an explanatory diagram of a fourth example of the display by the camera in FIG. 1,
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a circuit for displaying the display in FIG. 8, FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the fifth example, FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a circuit for displaying the display in FIG. Figure (a),
(b) is the same (an explanatory diagram of the sixth example, FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the circuit for displaying the display in FIG. 12, FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of the seventh example of the display by the camera in FIG. 1, Figure 15 is the same (an explanatory diagram of the 8th example of the display, Figure 16 is the 9th example of the display)
An explanatory diagram of an example, FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of the first O example similarly displayed, and FIG. 18 is another explanatory diagram of a circuit when a microcomputer is used. l...Camera, 2...Release button, 3...Display means, 4, 5...Button, 6
...Lens, 401...Image sensor, 40
2... A/D conversion means, 403... RAM. 404... Imaging address generation means, 405... Phase control means, 406... Display address generation means, 407.408... Switch, 409... D/A conversion means, 410... Display Means, 411... RAM selection means, 412... Film counter. Immunity 3 cause finder Fai〉Ri゛4th ward (ku) Le first photo + first photo? The first piece of 9 cm (F)? The second piece + 1 second piece ζ + 1 #, @ 71 ridge large size 1 maki 4 mouth n - size 1 save eye 瑣蜘花 + 1 piece (ni 4.)? L & eye 4th dimension 1st eye (shi) 7t, day n+1th eye (C) n1st sentence

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A display means for displaying photographed images, a storage means for storing past photographed images, and a display means for displaying the present photographed image and past photographed images stored in the storage means on the display means. A panoramic photographing device characterized by comprising a control means for simultaneously displaying images. (2) The panoramic photographing apparatus according to claim (1), wherein the control means includes means for causing the display means to display the current photographed image and the past photographed image so that they are connected. (3) The display means includes means for changing the position of a connected portion between the current image and the past image on the display means.
2) The panoramic photographing device described in section 2).