Imaging apparatus

• US 9,210,340 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2014
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mizutani, Yoichi, Takezawa, Masayuki, Matsumoto, Hideki, Nakajima, Ken, Yamamoto, Toshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, TUAN V
• Application Number:
  US14/453,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20140347520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 34823199-2313, 34833301-33312
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2137 with temporary storage before final recording, e.g. in a frame buffer
• 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 23/843 Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/42 by switching between different modes of operation using different resolutions or aspect ratios, e.g. switching between interlaced and non-interlaced mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/70 SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/71 Charge-coupled device [CCD] sensors; Charge-transfer registers specially adapted for CCD sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array

Abstract

An imaging apparatus for performing efficient signal processing depending on the operational mode. In the finder mode, a CCD interface 21a decimates horizontal components of image data supplied from an image generating unit 10 to one-third and moreover processes the decimated image data with data conversion and resolution conversion to produce Y, Cb and Cr image data which are routed to and written in an image memory 32 over a memory controller 22. In the recording mode, the CCD interface 21a causes the image data from the image generating unit 10 to be written in the image memory 32 via memory controller 22 after decimation and gamma correction etc. The camera DSP 21c reads out the image data via memory controller 22 from the image memory 32 to effect data conversion for writing the resulting data via memory controller 22 in the image memory 32.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an image sensor configured to generate image data from incident light and to decimate the image data at least in a vertical direction;

a signal processor coupled to the image sensor and configured to perform selected one or more signal processing operations on the image data including a conversion processing of the image data into a luminance signal and two chrominance signals and a high resolution processing, the signal processor including a data bus for interconnecting a plurality of components of the signal processor for data exchange;

a storage interface coupled to the signal processor configured for connection to a recording medium for recording the image data; and

a memory coupled to the signal processor and configured to store the image data from the image sensor;

the imaging apparatus being operable (a) in a finder mode wherein (i) image data output from the image sensor is decimated and stored in the memory, and (ii) the image data output from the signal processor is low resolution, lower than said high resolution, appropriate for display; and

(b) in a recording mode wherein (x) image data output from the image sensor is in high resolution and stored in the memory, and (y) the signal processor compresses the image data into compressed image data for recording on the recording medium.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging apparatus is operable (c) in a reproducing mode, wherein the compressed image data is read out from the recording medium, decompressed by the signal processor, and stored in the memory, and the signal processor processes the decompressed image data to low resolution for output for display.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a signal processing of the signal processor encodes the luminance and the two chrominance signals into a television format.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the television format is one of NTSC format and PAL format.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an output interface to output the image data outside the imaging apparatus.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the output interface is configured for wireless communication.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display device for displaying the low resolution image data.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal processor is configured to compress the luminance signal and the two chrominance signals of the image data.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal processor is configured to synthesize on screen display data and the image data.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a shutter control which, when operated by a user during the finder mode causes the imaging apparatus to change to the recording mode.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, in response to the shutter control during the finder mode, the image sensor stops decimating the image data and outputs image data which is not decimated.

12. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an image sensor configured to generate image data from incident light and to decimate the image data;

a signal processor coupled to the image sensor and configured to perform selected one or more signal processing operations on the image data including a conversion processing of the image data into a luminance signal and two chrominance signals and a high resolution processing, the signal processor including a data bus for interconnecting a plurality of components of the signal processor for data exchange;

a storage interface coupled to the signal processor configured for connection to a recording medium for recording the image data thereon;

a memory coupled to the signal processor and configured to store the image data from the image sensor; and

an output interface to output the image data outside the imaging apparatus;

the imaging apparatus including a shutter control and being operable (a) in a finder mode wherein (i) image data output from the image sensor is decimated and stored in the memory, (ii) the image data output from the signal processor is low resolution, lower than said high resolution, appropriate for display; and

(iii) the imaging apparatus changes to a recording mode in response to operation of the shutter control, and (b) in the recording mode wherein (x) image data output from the image sensor is in high resolution and stored in the memory, and (y) the signal processor compresses the image data into compressed image data for recording on the recording medium by way of the storage interface.

13. The imaging apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a signal processing of the signal processor encodes the luminance and the two chrominance signals into a television format.

14. The imaging apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the television format is one of NTSC format and PAL format.

15. The imaging apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the signal processor is configured to compress the luminance signal and the two chrominance signals of the image data.

16. The imaging apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the signal processor is configured to synthesize on screen display data and the image data.

17. The imaging apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the output interface is configured for wireless communication.

18. The imaging apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a display device for displaying the low resolution image data.

19. The imaging apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the imaging apparatus is operable (c) in a reproducing mode wherein the compressed image data is read out from the recording medium, decompressed by the signal processor, and stored in the memory, and the signal processor processes the decompressed image to low resolution for output for display.