Image pickup apparatus and method, signal processing apparatus and method, and wearable signal processing apparatus
First Claim
1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:
- video signal generating means for generating video signals in a first direction and a second direction;
signal processing means for changing a first direction frame rate of said video signals and for changing a second direction frame rate of said video signals;
detection means for detecting that a state of the apparatus matches a predetermined condition for changing the first direction frame rate and the second direction frame rate of the video signals; and
controlling means for controlling said signal processing means to change the first direction frame rate and the second direction frame rate as a function of said predetermined condition corresponding to the state of the apparatus detected by said detection means,wherein the predetermined condition indicates a mode in which the video signals are generated, wherein the mode the video signals are generated comprises;
a normal mode wherein the first direction frame rate and the second direction frame rate are equal at a given time;
a first direction priority mode wherein the first direction frame rate is higher than the second direction frame rate at a given time; and
a second direction priority mode wherein the second direction frame rate is higher than the first direction frame rate at given time.
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to an image pickup method and apparatus. The image pickup apparatus may include a video signal generating device that generates video signals in a first direction and a second direction and a signal processing device that changes one of a frame rate and a compression rate of the video signals in the first and second direction. The apparatus may further include a detection device for detecting that a state of the apparatus matches a predetermined condition for changing the frame rate and/or compression rate of the video signal and a controller for controlling the signal processing device so as to change the frame rate and/or compression rate of the video signals in the first and/or the second direction on the basis of the detected condition.
73 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:
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video signal generating means for generating video signals in a first direction and a second direction; signal processing means for changing a first direction frame rate of said video signals and for changing a second direction frame rate of said video signals; detection means for detecting that a state of the apparatus matches a predetermined condition for changing the first direction frame rate and the second direction frame rate of the video signals; and controlling means for controlling said signal processing means to change the first direction frame rate and the second direction frame rate as a function of said predetermined condition corresponding to the state of the apparatus detected by said detection means, wherein the predetermined condition indicates a mode in which the video signals are generated, wherein the mode the video signals are generated comprises; a normal mode wherein the first direction frame rate and the second direction frame rate are equal at a given time; a first direction priority mode wherein the first direction frame rate is higher than the second direction frame rate at a given time; and a second direction priority mode wherein the second direction frame rate is higher than the first direction frame rate at given time.
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2. A signal processing apparatus for processing a video signal, said apparatus comprising:
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generating means, having bi-directional image pickup devices, for shooting scenes in a first direction and a second direction and for generating a first video signal and a second video signal respectively corresponding to the scenes of the first and second directions; compression means, connected to said generating means, for receiving said first and second video signals and for performing a compression process on said first and second source video signals with variable compression rates to generate a first compressed video signal and a second compressed video signal; transmitting means for transmitting said first and second compressed video signals with variable transmission rates; detecting means for detecting an event in a shooting position to generate a detection signal indicating at least a direction in which said event occurred; and controlling means for controlling the compression process on the first and second video signals and for controlling the transmission process of the first and second video signals as a function of the detection signal indicating the direction the event occurred, wherein, in response to the detection signal indicating a direction, the compression process switches from a normal mode wherein the first direction compression rate and the second direction compression rate are equal at a present time to either a first direction priority mode, wherein the first direction compression rate is decreased and the video signal from the first direction is of higher quality than that of the second direction; or to a second direction priority mode wherein the second direction compression rate is decreased and the video signal from the second direction is of higher quality than that of the first direction.
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3. An image pickup apparatus comprising:
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video signal generating means for generating video signals for a plurality of directions; signal processing means for changing a first direction frame rate, a second direction frame rate, a first direction compression rate and a second direction compression rate of said video signals; detection means for detecting a predetermined condition; and controlling means for controlling said signal processing means to change the first direction frame rate, the second direction frame rate, the first direction compression rate and the second direction compression rate as a function of the detected predetermined condition, whereby said image pickup apparatus is intended to be mounted on an article of clothing worn by an operator, wherein the predetermined condition indicates a mode in which the video signals are generated, wherein the mode the video signals are generated comprises; a normal mode wherein a combination of the first direction frame rate, the second direction frame rate, the first direction compression rate, and the second direction compression rate result in a first direction video signal being of equal quality to a second direction video signal; a first direction priority mode wherein the combination of the first direction frame rate, the second direction frame rate, the first direction compression rate, and the second direction compression rate result in the first direction video signal being of higher quality than the second direction video signal; and a second direction priority mode wherein combination of the first direction frame rate, the second direction frame rate, the first direction compression rate, and the second direction compression rate result in the second direction video signal being of higher quality than first direction video signal. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A signal processing method for processing a video signal, said method comprising the steps of:
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capturing scenes in a first direction and a second direction and generating a first video signal and a second video signal respectively corresponding to the scenes of the first and second directions using a bi-directional image pickup device; detecting an event and generating a detection signal in response thereto; processing said first and second video signals so as to perform a compression operation in which said first and second video signals are processed with variable compression rates and a frame rate operation in which said first and second video signals are processed with variable frame rates so as to form first and second processed video signals; transmitting said first and second processed video signals; and controlling the appropriate one or ones of said variable compression rates and said variable frame rates in response to said detection signal, wherein the bi-directional image pickup device is intended to be mounted on an article of clothing worn by an operator, wherein the detection signal indicates a mode in which the video signals are generated, wherein the mode the video signals are generated comprises; a normal mode wherein a combination of the first direction frame rate, the second direction frame rate, the first direction compression rate, and the second direction compression rate result in a first direction video signal being of equal quality to a second direction video signal; a first direction priority mode wherein the combination of the first direction frame rate, the second direction frame rate, the first direction compression rate, and the second direction compression rate result in the first direction video signal being of higher quality than the second direction video signal; and a second direction priority mode wherein combination of the first direction frame rate, the second direction frame rate, the first direction compression rate, and the second direction compression rate result in the second direction video signal being of higher quality than first direction video signal.
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Specification