Imaging system for recording or reproducing a photographed image signal or input audio signal as a digital signal

• US 5,786,851 A
• Filed: 01/29/1997
• Issued: 07/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kondo, Hiroshi, Suzuki, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIA, SHERRIE Y
• Application Number:
  US08/790,438
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 348/222, 348/231-233, 348/239, 348/240, 348/459, 358/909.1, 358/906
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/01 Conversion of standards , e.g. involving analogue television standards or digital television standards processed at pixel level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

An image signal obtained by an image pickup device is inputted to a signal processing apparatus. A frame rate of the input image signal is changed and a changing operation is controlled in the signal processing apparatus. With such a construction, a frame rate upon recording of the image signal can be changed in accordance with an application of the image. By providing a function such as a changing operation of the frame rate or the like for the signal processing apparatus side, a size and costs of the image pickup device are minimized, while an expansion of the function and a change in performance in which the recording and reproduction of an image are set to fundamental operations can be easily performed.

Claims

1. An image signal and audio signal recording system comprising:

(A) an image pickup apparatus including

(a) image pickup means,

(b) audio input means,

(c) single A/D converting means for converting an image signal from said image pickup means and an audio signal from said audio input means to digital image and audio signals,

said image signal being constructed by a plurality of picture planes, and

(d) first means for outputting the digital image signal and the digital audio signal from said A/D converting means;

(B) a recording apparatus for recording the digital image signal and the digital audio signal from said first means; and

(C) a signal processing apparatus including

(a) second means for inputting the digital image signal and the digital audio signal from said first means, and

(b) changing means for changing the number of picture planes per unit time of the digital image signal inputted by said second means.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said image pickup apparatus includes selecting means for selectively outputting the image signal from said image pickup means and the audio signal from said audio input means to said A/D converting means.

3. A system according to claim 1, further comprising an arithmetic operating apparatus including:

processing means for performing a process to the image signal in which the number of picture planes per unit time was changed by said changing means; and

means for controlling a changing operation of said changing means in accordance with the number of picture planes which can be processed by said processing means.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said changing means includes thinning-out means for thinning out the picture planes of the image signal from said second means in a time base direction.

5. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

(a) image pickup means for generating a still image signal;

(b) audio generation means for generating an audio signal;

(c) a single A/D converter for converting the still image signal generated by said image pickup means and the audio signal generated by said audio generation means into a digital still image signal and a digital audio signal, respectively;

(d) recording means for recording the digital still image signal and the digital audio signal on a recording medium, said recording means recording the digital still image signal and ID data for the digital still image signal in a first area of the recording medium and recording the digital audio signal and ID data for the digital audio signal in a second area different from the first area of the recording medium, the ID data for the digital still image signal and the ID data for the digital audio signal being used for reproducing the digital still image signal and the digital audio signal from the recording medium; and

(e) mode setting means for setting a mode of said apparatus, which operates in a plurality of modes, said plurality of modes including a first mode in which said single A/D converter converts the still image signal generated by said image pickup means into the digital still image signal, and a second mode in which said single A/D converter converts the audio signal generated by said audio generation means into a digital audio signal.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

signal processing means for processing the respective digital still image signal and digital audio signal output from said single A/D converter.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said signal processing means includes a common memory for storing the digital image signal and the digital audio signal.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said signal processing means includes compression means for compressing an information amount of the digital still image signal stored in said common memory.

9. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said signal processing means processes in the first mode, the digital still image signal output from said single A/D converter and processes in the second mode, the digital audio signal output from said single A/D converter.

10. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said plurality of modes further includes a third mode in which said single A/D converter alternately converts the still image signal generated by said image pickup means and the audio signal generated by said audio generation means into the digital still image signal and the digital audio signal.

11. An image output apparatus for receiving an image signal from a signal processing apparatus which receives an image signal and an audio signal from a peripheral device and processes the image and audio signals, and for displaying images represented by the received image signal from said signal processing apparatus, said image output apparatus outputting a control signal indicating a frame rate of the image signal which can be displayed, to said signal processing apparatus, said signal processing apparatus receiving the output control signal indicating a frame rate of the image signal which can be displayed, to said signal processing apparatus, said signal processing apparatus receiving the output control signal and changing the frame rate of the image signal to be supplied to said image output apparatus according to the control signal.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said peripheral device includes a video camera.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said signal processing apparatus has signal processing means for compressing an information amount of the image signal received by said peripheral device.

14. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said image output apparatus displaying the images whose frame rate is changed by said signal processing apparatus.