JPH04227168A - Image pickup device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To image-pick up an object to be photographed as confirming the status of the periphery of a recording image pickup area by outputting a prescribed area out of image pickup areas photographed by an image pickup element by extracting as the recording image pickup area. CONSTITUTION:In an image pickup device, a CCD output signal S1 outputted from the image pickup element 11 in which the recording image pickup area ARR and a peripheral image pickup area ARM in accordance with the peripheral area of the area ARR are set as the image pickup areas AR is stored sequentially in a memory circuit 13, and after that, the video information of the image pickup area AR is displayed on a view finder 16, and also, a prescribed image pickup area ARR or ARX out of the image pickup areas AR is outputted as a recording video signal S2 via an interpolation memory circuit 14, thereby, it is possible to image-pick up the object to be photographed as confirming the status of the periphery of the recording image pickup area ARR outputted as the recording video signal S2 in the peripheral image pickup area ARE, and to effectively evade possibility to photograph an undesired image.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an imaging device, and is suitable for application to, for example, a video camera that outputs a video signal.

0002

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In a conventional video camera, an image of the recording imaging area ARR (the area surrounded by a broken line in FIG. 7) corresponding to the recorded video signal currently being recorded by the video camera is displayed in the viewfinder. It is made to be.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, when photographing the photographing object 1 based only on the displayed image displayed in the viewfinder, the field of view becomes narrow because the situation around the recording and photographing area ARR cannot be confirmed, and the photographing becomes difficult. Even inside, I had to take my eyes off the viewfinder and check my surroundings. However, if there is a delay in checking the surroundings when the video camera is panning, etc., there have been cases where unintended objects such as the garbage can 2 or telephone pole 3 are imaged.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to propose an imaging device that can image a subject while easily confirming the situation in the surrounding area of the recording and imaging area. .

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the problems, the present invention provides an image sensor 11 that outputs a video signal S1 of the imaging area AR, and a storage device that stores the video signal S1 output from the image sensor 11. 13, display means 17 for displaying the video signal S1 stored in the storage means 13 on the viewfinder 16, and a desired area AR of the imaging area AR.
Recording means 1 for recording designated video signal S2 corresponding to R or ARZ
3, and converting means 14 for converting the read specified video signal S2 into a video output signal S3, and the video output signal S3 is outputted from the converting means 14.

[0006]

[Operation] Based on the video signal S1 output from the image sensor 11, the image of the imaging area AR is displayed on the viewfinder 16, and the imaging device 10 displays a designation corresponding to a desired area ARR or ARZ in the imaging area AR. By outputting the video signal S2 as the video output signal S3, the photographer can image the object while checking the situation of the peripheral imaging area ARN of the recording imaging area ARR more easily than before.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a video camera as a whole, for example, a CCD (charge coupled device).
ce) C output from the image sensor 11 consisting of an image sensor
The CD output signal S1 is converted to an analog/digital conversion circuit (A
/D) 12, a memory circuit 13, an interpolation memory circuit 14, and a digital/analog conversion circuit (D/A) 15, and output as a recorded video signal S3.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the image sensor 11 is
It has a recording area imaging unit 11A and a peripheral area imaging unit 11B, and is configured to simultaneously image the recording imaging area ARR output as the recording video signal S3 and the peripheral imaging area ARN which is the peripheral area thereof as the imaging area AR. (Figure 3). The memory circuit 13 is configured to sequentially store image information of the entire imaging area AR input via the analog/digital conversion circuit 12 in the memory.

The memory circuit 13 also supplies the stored image information to the viewfinder 16 as a captured video signal S4, so that the photographer can easily confirm the image of the imaging area AR currently being captured by the imaging device 11. It is done like this. Further, address data S5 is supplied to the memory circuit 13 from an address data generation circuit 17. The address data generation circuit 17 includes an address conversion table in electronic zoom mode,
Enlarged image area A specified by system control circuit 18
An address information signal S5 consisting of RZ (FIG. 4) enlargement ratio, offset information, etc. is output.

Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the address conversion table shows pixel coordinates (Bx, By) after expansion and before expansion when the enlarged image area ARZ is located at the center of the recording and imaging area ARR. Original pixel coordinates (Ax
, Ay), and is designed to instruct which pixel information of the previous pixel or the next pixel should replace the pixel information that becomes insufficient due to enlargement. The interpolation memory circuit 14 is configured to sequentially store the image data read out as the designated video signal S2 from the memory circuit 13 based on the address information signal S5 and output it to the digital/analog conversion circuit 15.

In the above configuration, the video camera 10 uses the imaging area AR currently being imaged by the imaging element 11 as the imaging area signal S4 and converts it into the analog/digital conversion circuit 1.
2. Input to view finder 16 via memory circuit 13. When the video camera 10 reads data of the recording imaging area ARR designated by the system control circuit 18 from the imaging area AR imaged by the imaging element 11 as the designated video signal S2, the interpolation memory circuit 14 and the digital/analog conversion circuit 15, and output as a video output signal. At this time, the viewfinder 16 has a video camera 1 as shown in FIG.
A recording imaging area ARR indicating the imaging area AR currently being output from 0 as the recording video signal S3 is displayed surrounded by a cursor in the imaging area AR.

[0013] With this cursor display, the photographer can check the recorded image capturing area ARR outputted as the recorded video signal S3, and use the viewfinder to check the situation of the surrounding area such as the garbage can 2 and the utility pole 3 imaged in the peripheral image capturing area ARN. 16
This allows the photographer to easily check the surrounding situation. In addition, when enlarging and outputting a part of the captured image AR, the address data generation circuit 17 generates an offset address (x0, y0) of the enlarged image area ARZ specified by the photographer via the system control circuit 18.
The address correspondence information corresponding to the enlargement ratio Z is stored in the memory circuit 1.
Output to 3.

The memory circuit 13 sequentially reads out the image data stored in the memory during the vertical blanking period based on the address information input from the address data generation circuit 17 and stores it in the interpolation memory circuit 14 . As a result, the enlarged image is outputted from the video camera 10 as the recorded video signal S3.

At this time, the enlarged image area ARZ is displayed in the viewfinder 16 surrounded by a cursor in the imaging area AR, and the photographer can obtain a zoomed image of the object to be imaged while checking the entire imaging area AR. It is possible to easily check the situation around the visual field, which tends to be narrowed due to the nature of the camera, and to effectively avoid delays in judgment.

According to the above configuration, the recording imaging area ARR
and the surrounding imaging area ARN is provided as an imaging area AR, image information of a predetermined range of the imaging area AR is read out from the storage means 13 as a designated video signal S2, and the read designated video signal S2 is recorded. Imaging area ARR
By converting the recorded video signal S3 into the recorded video signal S3 and outputting the recorded video signal S3, it is possible to photograph while confirming the situation around the recorded imaging area more easily.

[0017] In the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which the image sensor 11 having an imaging area AR including peripheral imaging areas ARN located on both sides of the recording imaging area ARR is used, but the present invention is not limited to this. First, as shown in FIG. 6, an imaging element 11 having an imaging area AR that includes the recording imaging area ARR in the vertical and horizontal directions may be used.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, a case has been described in which the previous pixel or the next pixel in the original pixel is used to compensate for missing pixels in the enlarged image. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is not limited to this. An enlarged image may be obtained by interpolating the missing pixel information from the original pixel information.

Further, in the above-described embodiments, a case has been described in which a CCD image sensor is used as the image sensor 11, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various types of image sensors can be applied.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, by extracting and outputting a predetermined area from the imaging area photographed by the image sensor as the recording imaging area,
It is possible to take an image of the object while checking the situation around the recording/imaging area.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a video camera according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining an image sensor.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining an imaging area.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining designation of an enlarged image area.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining an enlarged screen.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining another embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining a conventional imaging area.

[Explanation of symbols]

10...Video camera, 11...Image sensor, 13...Memory circuit, 14...Interpolation memory circuit, 16...View finder, 17...Address data generation circuit, 18...
System control circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An imaging device that outputs a video signal of an imaging area, a storage device that stores the video signal output from the imaging device, and a display device that displays the video signal stored in the storage device on the finder. a display means for reading out a specified video signal corresponding to a desired area of the imaging area from the storage means and converting means for converting the read specified video signal into a video output signal, An imaging device characterized in that a signal is output from the conversion means.