High speed image capturing apparatus and method

• US 8,849,090 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2007
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kosakai, Ryota, Aiki, Katsutoshi, Sato, Nobuyuki, Nagahama, Hiroki, Sase, Masatoshi, Yoneda, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADAMS, EILEEN M
• Application Number:
  US12/447,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20100061707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,545 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 386/219
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/006 with video camera or receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/10 for generating image signals from different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/83 specially adapted for colour signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/843 Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/88 for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0105 using a storage device with different write and read speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0127 by changing the field or frame frequency of the incoming video signal, e.g. frame rate converter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/69 for modifying the colour signals by gamma correction controlling camera response for colour signals H04N23/83
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7904 : using intermediate digital signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/80 : Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/87 : Regeneration of colour television signals H04N9/80 takes precedence

Abstract

In a high speed image capturing state, a camera signal processing circuit is not needed to perform a signal process at a high screen rate, but at a regular screen rate. In the high speed image capturing mode, raw data of 240 fps received from an image sensor 101 are recorded on a recording device 111 through a conversion processing section 201 and a recording device controlling circuit 210. Raw data that have been decimated and size-converted are supplied to a camera signal processing circuit 203 through a pre-processing circuit 202 and an image being captured is displayed on a display section 112 with a signal for which a camera process has been performed. In a reproducing state, raw data are read from the recording device 111 at a low screen rate according to a display performance of the display section 112 and the raw data that have been read are processed are processed by the pre-processing circuit 202 and the camera signal processing circuit 203 and a reproduced image is displayed by the display section 112.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus, comprising:

record medium control circuit (a) recording captured image data, obtained at a first screen rate from a solid state image capturing device via a conversion device, to a record medium and (b) reading the captured image data at a second screen rate, which is lower than the first screen rate, from the record medium;

the conversion device, during recording, converting the captured image data, obtained at the first screen rate from the solid state image capturing device, into the captured image data having the second screen rate only when an image signal is to be output to a display processing circuit of the image capturing apparatus for display; and

the conversion device, during reproducing, outputting the captured image data obtained at the second screen rate, which is lower than the first screen rate, from the record medium control circuit when the image signal is to be output to the display processing circuit;

camera signal processing circuit processing circuit performing a camera signal process for the captured image data having the second screen rate obtained from the conversion device during recording and obtained from the record medium control circuit by way of the conversion device during reproduction;

and the display processing circuit generating the image signal to be displayed from an image signal obtained from the camera signal processing circuit.

2. The image capturing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

compression and decompression circuit compression-encoding the captured image data recorded on the record medium and decompression-decoding for the captured image data read from the record medium.

3. An image capturing apparatus, comprising:

record medium control circuit (a) recording captured image data, obtained at a first screen rate from a solid state image capturing device via a conversion device, to a record medium and (b) reading the captured image data at a second screen rate, which is lower than the first screen rate, from the record medium;

the conversion device, during recording, converting the captured image data, obtained at the first screen rate from the solid state image capturing device, into the captured image data having the second screen rate only when an image signal is to be output to a display processing circuit of the image capturing apparatus for display;

first camera signal processing circuit performing a camera signal process for the captured image data having the second screen rate obtained from the conversion device only during recording;

second camera signal processing circuit performing a camera signal process for the captured image data read at the second screen rate from the record medium control circuit only during reproducing; and

the display processing circuit generating the image signal to be displayed from an image signal obtained from (a) the first camera signal processing circuit during recording and (b) the second camera signal processing circuit during reproducing,

wherein the first camera signal processing circuit is simply structured in comparison with the second camera signal processing circuit.

4. An image capturing apparatus, comprising:

first record medium control circuit (a) recording captured image data, obtained at a first screen rate from a solid state image capturing device via a conversion device, to a first record medium and (b) reading the captured image data at a second screen rate, which is lower than the first screen rate, from the record medium;

the conversion device, during recording, converting the captured image data, obtained at the first screen rate from the solid state image capturing device, into the captured image data having the second screen rate only when an image signal is to be output to a display processing circuit of the image capturing apparatus for display;

first camera signal processing circuit performing a camera signal process for the captured image data having the second screen rate obtained from the conversion device only during recording;

second camera signal processing circuit performing a camera signal process for the captured image data read at the second screen rate from the first record medium control circuit during a recording pause period;

second record medium control circuit (a) recording an output image signal of the second camera signal processing circuit to a second record medium during the recording pause period and (b) reading an image signal from the second record medium at the second screen rate during reproducing; and

the display processing circuit generating the image signal to be displayed from (a) an output image signal obtained from the first camera signal processing circuit during recording and (b) an output image signal of the second record medium control circuit during reproducing,

wherein the first camera signal processing circuit is simply structured in comparison with the second camera signal processing circuit.

5. An image capturing method, comprising:

a record medium control step for (a) recording captured image data, obtained at a first screen rate from a solid state image capturing device via a conversion device, to a record medium and (b) reading captured image data at a second screen rate, which is lower than the first screen rate, from the record medium;

a conversion step for (a) during recording converting the captured image data, obtained at the first screen rate from the solid state image capturing device, into the captured image data having the second screen rate only when an image signal is to be output for a display processing step of an image capturing apparatus for display and (b) during reproducing, outputting the captured image data obtained at the second screen rate, which is lower than the first screen rate, from the record medium control step when the image signal is to be output for display;

a camera signal processing step for performing a camera signal process for the captured image data having the second screen rate, wherein the captured image data obtained from the conversion step during recording and obtained from the record medium control step during reproduction;

and the display processing step for generating the image signal to be displayed from an image signal, obtained from the camera signal processing step.

6. The image capturing method as set forth in claim 5, further comprising:

a compression and decompression step for compression-encoding the captured image data recorded on the record medium and decompression-decoding for the captured image data read from the record medium.

7. An image capturing method, comprising:

a record medium control step for (a) recording captured image data, obtained at a first screen rate from a solid state image capturing device via a conversion device, to a record medium and (b) reading the captured image data at a second screen rate, which is lower than the first screen rate, from the record medium;

a conversion step for, during recording, converting the captured image data, obtained at the first screen rate from the solid state image capturing device, into the captured image data having the second screen rate only when an image signal is to be output for a display processing step of an image capturing apparatus for display;

a first camera signal processing step for, only during recording, performing a camera signal process for the captured image data having the second screen rate obtained from the conversion step;

a second camera signal processing step for, only during reproducing, performing a camera signal process for the captured image data read at the second screen rate from the record medium control step; and

the display processing step for generating the image signal to be displayed from an image signal obtained from (a) the first camera signal processing step during recording and (b) the second camera signal processing step during reproduction,

wherein the first camera signal processing step is simply structured in comparison with the second camera signal processing step.

8. An image capturing method, comprising:

a first record medium control step for (a) recording captured image data, obtained at a first screen rate from a solid state image capturing device via a conversion device, to a first record medium and (b) reading the captured image data at a second screen rate, which is lower than the first screen rate, from the record medium;

a conversion step for, during recording, converting the captured image data, obtained at the first screen rate from the solid state image capturing device, into the captured image data having the second screen rate only when an image signal is to be output for a display processing step of an image capturing apparatus for display;

a first camera signal processing step for performing a camera signal process for the captured image data having the second screen rate obtained from the conversion step only during recording;

a second camera signal processing step for performing a camera signal process for the captured image data read at the second screen rate from the first record medium control step during a recording pause period;

a second record medium control step for (a) recording an output image signal of the second camera signal processing step to a second record medium during the recording pause period and (b) reading an image signal from the second record medium at the second screen rate during reproducing; and

the display processing step for generating the image signal to be displayed from (a) an output image signal obtained from the first camera signal processing step during recording and (b) an output image signal of the second record medium control step during reproduction,

wherein the first camera signal processing step is simply structured in comparison with the second camera signal processing step.

9. An image capturing apparatus, comprising:

an image sensor for outputting first RAW data having a first frame rate;

conversion device (a) during recording, converting the first RAW data into second RAW data having a second frame rate which is lower than the first frame rate and (b) during reproduction, outputs recorded RAW data having the second frame rate without converting the recorded RAW data;

camera signal processing circuit performing a camera signal processing operation on the second RAW data to output an image signal on which the camera signal processing operation has been performed;

recording medium control circuit controlling recording of the first RAW data onto a recording medium and controlling reading of the first RAW data from the recording medium; and

control circuit controlling at least the recording medium control circuit and the camera signal processing circuit to record the first RAW data to the recording medium without processing by the camera signal processing circuit;

during recording of the first RAW data, (a) the conversion device converts the first RAW data into the second frame rate and (b) the camera signal processing circuit processes the second RAW data output from the conversion device at the second frame rate to output processed second RAW data for display; and

during reproducing of the first RAW data, (a) the recording medium control circuit reads the first RAW data, recorded on the record medium, at the second frame rate to output recorded RAW data to the conversion device, and (b) the camera signal processing circuit processes the recorded RAW data at the second frame rate from the conversion device to output processed RAW data for display.

10. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a compression and decompression circuit compressing and decoding the RAW data, wherein the compression and decompression circuit compresses the first RAW data in advance of recording to the record medium when recording;

and

the compression and decompression circuit decompress the first RAW data reproduced from the record medium to obtain and output the RAW data to be processed by the camera signal processing circuit.

11. An image capturing method comprising the steps of:

outputting first RAW data, having a first frame rate, from an image sensor;

(a) converting the first RAW data having the first frame rate into second RAW data having a second frame rate which is lower than the first frame rate during recording and (b) outputting recorded RAW data having the second frame rate during reproduction without converting the recorded RAW data;

performing a camera signal processing operation on the second RAW data to output an image signal on which the camera signal processing operation has been performed;

controlling recording of the first RAW data onto a recording medium and controlling reading of the first RAW data from the recording medium; and

controlling at least a recording medium control circuit and a camera signal processing circuit to record the first RAW data of the first frame rate on to the recording medium without processing by the camera signal processing circuit;

during recording of the first RAW data, (a) converting the first RAW data of the first frame rate from the image sensor into the second RAW data of the second frame rate and (b) processing the second RAW data of the second frame rate at the second frame rate to output processed second RAW data for display; and

during reproducing of the first RAW data, (a) causing the first RAW data recorded on the record medium to be read at the second frame rate to output the recorded RAW data and (b) processing the recorded RAW data at the second frame rate to output the processed RAW data for display.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

compressing the first RAW data in advance of recording to the record medium when recording; and

decompressing the first RAW data reproduced from the record medium to obtain and output the RAW data to be processed by the camera signal processing circuit.

13. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium which when executed by an image capturing apparatus, causes the image capturing apparatus to carry out a method according to claim 11.

14. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium which when executed by an image capturing apparatus, causes the image capturing apparatus to carry out a method according to claim 12.