JPH0888802A - Ccd camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To convert an aspect ratio by utilizing a CCD element having many picture elements in a CCD camera. CONSTITUTION: This camera is constituted of a horizontal expansion circuit 1 provided with a horizontal synchronizing signal generation part 1b, a clock signal generation part 1c, a counter 1d for counting clock signals from the clock signal generation part and generating prescribed horizontal timing signals synchronized with horizontal data relating to aspect ratio setting and a PLL circuit 1e for phase-comparing horizontal synchronizing signals and the horizontal timing signals and controlling the phase of the clock signals generated by the clock signal generation part based on the phase comparison, the CCD element 2 and a drive signal generation part 3 for generating horizontal and vertical CCD element drive signals based on the clock signals from the clock signal generation part 1 and the horizontal data and vertical data relating to the aspect ratio setting and making the video images of the required aspect ratio be outputted from the CCD element by the drive signals.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a CCD camera,
More specifically, the present invention relates to aspect ratio conversion using a CCD element having a large number of pixels.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Currently, in Japan, the aspect ratio is 1
6-body 9 high-definition televisions are in widespread use, and along with this, so-called wide (horizontal) television receivers that display general images other than high-definition images in the same aspect ratio as the high-definition televisions have been receiving attention. There is. Under such circumstances, it is necessary for the CCD camera to be compatible with the wide television receiver.

Conventionally, in CCD cameras, the following methods are available for obtaining a video output with an aspect ratio of 16 bodies 9. (1) Use a CCD with an aspect ratio of 16 bodies 9. (2) Using an NTSC CCD with an aspect ratio of 4: 3 and masking the top and bottom of the screen, the aspect ratio is 16
Use NTSC video. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the above (2). As shown in the figure, in order to set the image of H1: V1 = 4: 3 to H1: V2 = 16: 9, the parts (a) and (b) in the upper and lower parts of the figure are masked (discarded). In this case, V1 corresponds to 525 scan lines and V2 corresponds to about 390 scan lines, so the number of scan lines requiring a mask is 525.
-390 = 135 (about 25% of 525).

[0004]

However, in the case of the above (1), there is a drawback that the CCD element of 16 bodies 9 has not been generalized at present, so that it is expensive in price.
Also in the case of (2), since the aspect ratio conversion is performed under the same method (NTSC), about 25% of the vertical image data of the CCD is wasted and the scanning line becomes rough. There is a drawback that the vertical resolution is degraded. The present invention has been made in view of such drawbacks, and an object of the present invention is to provide a CCD camera using an existing general CCD element to obtain an image with an aspect ratio of 16 bodies 9. .

[0005]

According to the present invention, a horizontal synchronizing signal generating section for generating a horizontal synchronizing signal, a clock signal generating section for generating a clock signal, and a clock signal generated by the clock signal generating section are counted. , A counter for generating a predetermined horizontal timing signal synchronized with horizontal data relating to the aspect ratio setting, a phase comparison between the horizontal synchronization signal from the horizontal synchronization signal generator and the horizontal timing signal from the counter, and the same phase comparison PLL for controlling the phase of the clock signal generated by the clock signal generator based on
A horizontal expansion circuit including a circuit, and a CC for imaging
Horizontal and vertical CCD element drive signals are generated based on the D element, the phase-controlled clock signal from the clock signal generator in the horizontal expansion circuit, and the horizontal and vertical data relating to the aspect ratio setting; The present invention provides a CCD camera including a drive signal generator that outputs a video having a required aspect ratio from the CCD element by driving the CCD element with the same drive signal.

[0006]

The 16: 9 NTSC image can be obtained by using the PAL CCD element having the aspect ratio of 4: 3.
The number of pixels in the vertical direction of the PAL CCD element is about 582 pixels. On the other hand, in the case of 16: 9, the required number of pixels in the vertical direction (the number equivalent to the vertical blanking period is subtracted) is about 494 pixels. By discarding the difference of 88 pixels, NT of 525 scanning lines is provided.
Supports SC method.

On the other hand, the number of pixels in the horizontal direction of the PAL system CCD element is about 752 pixels, whereas the number of pixels required in the horizontal direction in the case of 16: 9 (the number corresponding to the horizontal blanking period is subtracted) is about There are 852 pixels, which is 100 pixels short.
Therefore, in order to correct the shortage of the number of pixels in the horizontal direction, the horizontal expansion circuit expands the horizontal direction. Based on the clock signal from the horizontal expansion circuit and the vertical data from the input section, the drive signal generation section generates horizontal and vertical drive signals for driving the PAL CCD element. The drive signal causes the PAL CCD element to output a 16: 9 video signal.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A CCD camera according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of essential parts showing an embodiment of a CCD camera according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1
Is a horizontal expansion circuit consisting of the following, 1a is an input section for setting and inputting horizontal data and vertical data relating to the aspect ratio to be converted, 1b is a horizontal synchronization signal generating section for generating a horizontal synchronization signal, and 1c is a clock signal. Generated clock signal generator,
1d is a counter that counts the clock signals generated by the clock signal generation unit 1c and generates a predetermined horizontal timing signal D3 that is synchronized with the horizontal data D1 from the input unit 1a, and 1e is a horizontal synchronization signal from the synchronization signal generation unit 1b. And a horizontal timing signal D3 from the counter, and controls the phase of the clock signal generated by the clock signal generator 1c based on the same phase comparison.

Further, 2 is a CCD element for the PAL system having a number of pixels in the vertical direction corresponding to the number of scanning lines in the aspect ratio to be converted and a predetermined number of pixels in the horizontal direction, and 3 is a clock signal generator in the horizontal expansion circuit 1. A horizontal and vertical CCD element drive signal D4 is generated based on the phase-controlled clock signal CK from 1c and the horizontal data D1 and vertical data D2 from the input section 1a, and the CCD signal for the PAL system is generated by the same drive signal. Is a drive signal generator for driving the.

Next, regarding the operation of the present invention, a 16: 9 NT using a PAL CCD element having an aspect ratio of 4: 3 is used.
An example will be described in which the SC system image is obtained. Since the CCD element 2 for the PAL system has a larger number of scanning lines than the NTSC system, it has a large number of pixels. It is a pixel. On the other hand, to support a wide (horizontally long) television receiver (NTSC system) with an aspect ratio of 16: 9 and 525 scanning lines, 494 effective pixels in the vertical direction are required. On the other hand, since the vertical effective pixel number of the CCD element 2 for the PAL system is 582 pixels as described above, the difference between the two is 88
Pixels (582-494) are not needed. The unnecessary pixels are not output from the camera. That is,
I will throw it away.

Further, the number of effective pixels in the horizontal direction is 852 in order to correspond to the above 16: 9. But P
Since the number of effective pixels in the horizontal direction of the CCD element 2 for the AL system is 752 pixels as described above, 100 pixels are short. Therefore, with this shortage remaining, it is about 1 on the left and right of the screen compared to 16: 9.
The aspect ratio is insufficient. The above is illustrated in FIG. The vertical effective pixel number 494 is the number obtained by subtracting the vertical blanking period from 525 scanning lines, and the horizontal effective pixel number 852 is also the number obtained by subtracting the horizontal horizontal blanking period.

In order to solve the above shortage of the number of effective pixels in the horizontal direction, the horizontal decompression circuit 1 corrects the shortage.
That is, the horizontal expansion circuit 1 generates a CCD horizontal drive signal required for the aspect ratio of the image output from the CCD element 2 to be a desired one (16: 9). Specifically, the procedure is as follows. The aspect ratio to be converted is specified by the input unit 1a. By this designation, the horizontal data D1 and the vertical data D2 are output, the horizontal data D1 is sent to the counter 1d and the drive signal generator 3, and the vertical data D2 is sent to the drive signal generator 3.

On the other hand, the horizontal sync signal generator 1b generates a horizontal sync signal, and the clock signal generator 1c generates a predetermined clock signal. The counter 1d counts the clock signal of the clock signal generator 1c, generates a horizontal timing signal D3 that is synchronized with the input horizontal data D1, and sends it to the PLL circuit 1e. In the PLL circuit 1e, the same horizontal timing signal D3
Phase comparison with the horizontal synchronization signal from the horizontal synchronization signal generator 1b, and controls the phase of the clock signal generated by the clock signal generator 1c so that the phase of the horizontal timing signal D3 matches the phase of the horizontal synchronization signal. To do. By this phase control,
The clock signal CK output from the clock signal generator 1c corresponds to the horizontal data D1. Same clock signal CK
Is sent to the drive signal generator 3. The drive signal generator 3 receives the P signal based on the clock signal CK, the horizontal data D1 and the vertical data D2.
A horizontal drive signal D4 and a vertical drive signal D5 for driving the AL type CCD device 2 are generated. The drive signals D4 and D5 are the same C
The CD element 2 outputs a video signal having an aspect ratio of 16: 9, both of which are pulse signals. The CCD element 2 driven by the drive signals D4 and D5 outputs a video signal Vo having an aspect ratio of 16: 9.

The above is a method for obtaining an NTSC system image of 16: 9 from a PAL system CCD device having an aspect ratio of 4: 3, which is currently generalized, but a CCD capable of obtaining a required number of pixels both horizontally and vertically. When the element is used, the horizontal expansion circuit as described above is unnecessary. In this case, both the horizontal data D1 and the vertical data D2 are directly input to the drive signal generator 3 to generate the required drive signal and drive the CCD element. As a result, a 16: 9 NTSC image is output from the CCD device. Also, the above explanation is for an aspect ratio of 16
Although it is conversion to the NTSC system of 9 to 9, conversion to the aspect ratio of 16 to 9 in the PAL system is also possible. However, P
Since the number of scanning lines in the AL system is 625, it is premised that a CCD element having a number of pixels (582 or more) corresponding to the number of scanning lines is used even when converted to 16: 9. As long as this condition is satisfied, a PAL system image with an aspect ratio of 16: 9 can be obtained by the same means as the above-mentioned conversion to the NTSC system.

[0015]

As described above, according to the present invention, the existing PAL type CCD device having an aspect ratio of 4: 3 is used as a general device, and is now becoming popular in Japan.
It is possible to obtain a camera image corresponding to a 16: 9 wide (horizontal) television receiver. The present invention is premised on a general-purpose element as described above, and the required number of scanning lines is secured. Therefore, unlike the method of converting the aspect ratio by cutting the number of effective scanning lines, there is no drawback of insufficient resolution in the vertical direction due to roughening in the vertical direction due to insufficient number of scanning lines. Further, the aspect ratio conversion can be realized at low cost because of the general device. Furthermore, by using a CCD device having a large number of pixels, the present invention can be applied to conversion to an aspect ratio of 16: 9 in the PAL system.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a principal block diagram showing an embodiment of a CCD camera according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an aspect ratio explanatory diagram for explaining FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an aspect ratio explanatory diagram for explaining conventional aspect ratio conversion.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Horizontal expansion circuit 1a Input section 1b Horizontal sync signal generation section 1c Clock signal generation section 1d Counter 1e PLL circuit 2 Drive signal generation section 3 CCD element for PAL system

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A horizontal sync signal generator for generating a horizontal sync signal, a clock signal generator for generating a clock signal, and a clock signal generated by the clock signal generator for counting horizontal data for aspect ratio setting. A counter for generating a predetermined horizontal timing signal synchronized with
And a PLL circuit that compares the phase of the horizontal synchronization signal from the horizontal synchronization signal generator with the horizontal timing signal from the counter and controls the phase of the clock signal generated by the clock signal generator based on the same phase comparison. A horizontal expansion circuit, an image pickup CCD element, a phase-controlled clock signal from a clock signal generator in the horizontal expansion circuit, and horizontal and vertical data related to the aspect ratio setting. A CCD camera comprising a vertical CCD element drive signal, and a drive signal generator for driving the CCD element with the same drive signal to output an image having a required aspect ratio from the CCD element. 2. An input section for setting horizontal data and vertical data relating to an aspect ratio to be converted is provided, and the CCD element has an aspect ratio of 4: 3 and is a C for PAL system.
NTSC with a CD element and an aspect ratio of 16: 9
2. The CCD camera according to claim 1, wherein the CCD camera is converted into a system. 3. An input section is provided for setting horizontal data and vertical data relating to the aspect ratio to be converted, and 5
Using a CCD device having a pixel number of 82 pixels or more,
2. The CCD camera according to claim 1, wherein the PAL system having an aspect ratio of 16: 9 is used for conversion.