JPH0813118B2 - Image signal recording system - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an image signal recording system for storing an image signal.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, an electronic still camera has been known as a device for recording a still image captured by an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a MOS type solid-state image sensor on a recording medium. This type of electronic still camera is a device that FM-modulates a still image signal obtained from an image sensor and records it on a small magnetic floppy disk.

However, since this electronic still camera is a method of recording a still image signal on a rotating small magnetic disk, a mechanical mechanism is inevitably required, and there is a certain limit to the reliability of the camera body against vibration and shock. Since it is magnetic recording, signal deterioration occurs during long-term recording / reproduction due to friction of the magnetic head and magnetic floppy disk. In addition, there is a limit in reducing the mechanical mechanism, and there is a limit in reducing the size of the camera.

However, with the recent progress of IC memories, an image signal recording device for generating an image signal in the IC memory without using a magnetic floppy has been proposed (Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-43393).
(See "Camera" in the publication). This image signal recorder is CC
A still image signal obtained from an image sensor such as a D or MOS type image sensor is converted into a digital signal by an analog-to-digital (A / D) converter, and is recorded on a recording medium in which an IC memory such as an IC card is hybridized. As described above, the digitized still image signal is recorded as digital data, and has the following advantages over the electronic still camera using the magnetic floppy disk described above.

(1) Hybridization of imaging unit and recording unit and LSI
It is possible to reduce the size and weight of the device.

(2) Since the still image signal is digitized and recorded, signal deterioration does not occur even during recording / reproduction or repeated dubbing.

(3) Since the device does not include a complicated mechanical mechanism, it has high reliability against vibration and shock.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the image signal recording apparatus described above. In FIG. 3, 10 and 20 surrounded by a broken line are a camera section and a memory section, respectively. Further, 30 is a connector portion that can connect and disconnect the camera unit 10 and the memory unit 20,
CT ₁ and CT ₂ are connection terminals provided on the connector section 30, respectively. The camera unit 10 includes an optical system lens 201, a solid-state image sensor 202, a sample-and-hold circuit 203, and a signal processing circuit 20.
4. It has three A / D converters 205 and 206, 207 for a luminance signal and a chrominance signal, a switch S ₁ and a battery (including a power supply circuit) 208, and the memory unit 20 has an IC memory 210 and a secondary battery (power supply). (Including a circuit) 211.

Next, the operation of the image signal recording device shown in FIG. 3 will be described.

In FIG. 3, the image formed on the imaging surface of the solid-state image sensor 202 by the lens 201 is displayed on the solid-state image sensor 202 as a still image by a mechanical shutter mechanism (not shown) or an electronic shutter function of the solid-state image sensor 202. It is imaged. Since the solid-state image sensor 202 is provided with a color filter (not shown), the solid-state image sensor 202 converts the amount of incident light into an electric signal and sequentially outputs, for example, RGB signals to generate a sync signal (not shown). The RGB signal electric signal is output to the sample and hold circuit (S / H) 203 in synchronization with the transfer clock signal generated by the circuit. In the sample-and-hold circuit (S / H) 203, the solid-state image sensor
The output of 202 is sampled and held in synchronization with the transfer clock signal. Then, in a signal processing circuit 204 including a well-known matrix circuit, the RGB signal from the solid-state imaging device obtained as described above is processed by a matrix circuit or the like into a luminance signal, that is, a Y signal and a color difference signal, that is, RY.
Signals and BY signals are generated. The Y signal, the RY signal and the BY signal are converted into digital signals of 8 bits to 6 bits per sample in A / D converters 205, 206 and 207, respectively. And the switch circuit S ₁
, The digital Y, RY, BY signals are time-division multiplexed by sequentially switching and outputting these signals, and the IC memory of the memory unit 20 is connected via the connection terminal CT ₁ of the connector unit 30. It is supplied to 210 and stored.

In this image signal recording device, the camera unit 10 and the memory unit 20 can be separated by the connector unit 30, and the memory unit 20 has a rechargeable secondary battery 211. When the memory unit 20 and the memory unit 20 are separated, a battery 20 provided in the camera unit 10 is controlled by a power supply switching circuit (not shown).
At the same time that a decrease in the supply voltage from 8 is detected, the secondary battery 211 of the memory unit 20 operates as a backup power source for the entire memory unit 20. Furthermore, in the state where the camera unit 10 and the memory unit 20 are connected.
The memory unit 20 can be supplied with power from the battery 208 of the camera unit 10 and can also charge the secondary battery 211.
(See JP-A-57-91079).

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the above-mentioned conventional image signal recording apparatus, the IC memory for storing image data is non-volatile such as EEPROM, EPROM or bipolar ROM in view of storage capacity. That is, since it is difficult to use an IC memory in which stored contents are saved even when the power is turned off, it is unavoidable to use a MOS RAM such as a static RAM or a dynamic RAM.

Therefore, when the memory unit 20 is removed from the camera unit 10, it becomes necessary to use the secondary battery 211 in the memory unit 20 as a backup power source for the IC memory 210, but the data retention time is also limited. , It is necessary to keep the holding time as long as possible.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image signal recording system in which the backup power supply to the memory is held for as long as possible in order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems. is there.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an image signal recording system according to the present invention is an imaging unit that captures a subject image and generates an image signal corresponding to the captured subject image. A storage unit having a plurality of memories for storing the image signals generated by the image pickup unit; a register unit for holding each storage state of each memory of the storage unit; and a storage unit of each memory of the storage unit. A power supply that supplies backup power for holding,
And a control unit that supplies a backup power supply for storage and storage to the memory storing the image signal based on the content held in the register unit.

[Operation] In the present invention, each storage state for each memory of the storage unit is held in the register unit, and the supply of backup power to each memory is controlled based on the stored contents of the register unit. The stored image signal can be held for a long time depending on the storage state of the memory.

[Examples] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail and specifically using one example of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a recording device in an image signal recording system as an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart of the recording apparatus shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, 1 and 2 surrounded by a broken line are a camera unit and a memory unit, respectively. Reference numeral ₃ is a connector section for connecting and disconnecting the camera section 1 and the memory section 2, and CT ₃ , CT ₄ and CT ₅ are connection terminals provided in the connector section 3. The camera unit 1 includes a lens 101, a solid-state image sensor 102,
Sample and hold circuit 103, signal processing circuit 104, A / D
It has converters 105, 106 and 107, a switch circuit S _2, and further a system controller (syscon) 109 and a battery (including a power supply circuit) 108. In addition, the memory unit 2 is the IC memory 110.
A secondary battery (including a power supply circuit) 111 and a register 112 that stores the usage state of the IC memory chip in the IC memory 110.
Have.

Next, the recording operation of the recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to the operation flowchart shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, the image formed on the imaging surface of the solid-state image sensor 102 by the lens 101 is captured as a still image on the solid-state image sensor 102 by a mechanical shutter mechanism (not shown) or an electronic shutter function of the solid-state image sensor 102. To be done.
Since the solid-state image pickup device 102 is provided with a color filter (not shown), the solid-state image pickup device 102 converts the incident light amount into an electric signal and sequentially outputs, for example, RGB signals to generate a synchronization signal (not shown). The signal is output to the sample and hold circuit 103 in synchronization with the transfer clock signal generated by the circuit. The sample-and-hold circuit 103 samples and holds the output signal from the solid-state image sensor 102 in synchronization with the transfer clock signal. Based on the RGB signal from the solid-state image sensor 102 thus obtained, the signal processing circuit 104 outputs the Y signal, the RY signal, and the BY signal.
Signals are generated, and these signals are respectively supplied to the A / D converter 105.
.. are converted to digital signals of 8 bits to 6 bits per sample at 107, and the digital signals Y, R-Y, and B-Y are time-divided by sequentially switching and outputting these signals at the switch circuit S ₂ . It is multiplexed, and further supplied through the connection terminal CT ₃ of the connector part 3 on the IC memory 110 provided in the memory unit 2 (step # 1, # 2), the stored (step # 3).

The system controller 109 controls the overall operation of the IC memory 110 and, at the same time, the register 112 determines which memory chip among the plurality of memory chips 402 arranged in the IC memory 110 as shown in FIG. When an instruction is given (step # 4) and, for example, image pickup is performed, the picked-up image number is stored in the register 112 of the memory unit 2 together with the number of the memory chip in which the image data is stored prior to storing the image data. . The contents stored in the register 112 are always sent to the IC memory 110.

Next, a power supply operation to the IC memory 110 will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 2, S is a power supply switch for each memory chip 402, and 401 is a power supply controller for ON / OFF controlling the power supply switch S for each memory chip 402. Here, the storage content of the register 112 is configured to be input to the power supply controller 401.
Then, the power supply to each memory chip 402 is controlled based on the storage contents of the register 112 as described above. That is, since it is necessary to hold data in a memory chip that stores even one copy of image data, the power supply controller 401 controls switching so that power is supplied to the memory chip. Further, the memory chip that does not store any image data is controlled by the power supply controller 401 so as to cut off the power supply. (Step # 5).

Further, when the next recording operation is subsequently performed, the above operation is repeated (step # 6).

In FIG. 1, the camera unit 1 and the memory unit 2 can be separated via the connector unit 3. The memory unit 2 has a rechargeable secondary battery 111,
When the camera unit 1 and the memory unit 2 are separated, it is detected that the supply voltage from the battery 108 on the camera unit 1 side decreases, and at the same time, the secondary battery 111 on the memory unit 2 side causes the entire memory unit 2 to operate. It is designed to work as a backup power source. Furthermore, when the camera unit 1 and the memory unit 2 are connected, the memory unit 2 receives power supply from the battery 108 on the camera unit 1 side and also charges the secondary battery 111.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to supply a backup power supply for storage and storage to a memory holding an image signal based on the storage content in the register section. It becomes possible to retain the stored image signal for a long period of time.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a recording device in an image signal recording system of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a memory in the recording device shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a conventional image signal recording. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the apparatus, and FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart of the recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1 ... Camera section, 2 ... Memory section, 3 ... Connector section,
101 ... Lens, 102 ... Solid-state image sensor, 103 ... Sample-and-hold circuit, 104 ... Signal processing circuit, 105-10
7 …… A / D converter, 108 …… Battery, CT _{1 to} CT ₅ …… Connection terminals, 110 …… Memory, 111 …… Secondary battery, 112 …… Register, 401 …… Power controller, 402 …… Memory chip,
S ... switch.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup unit for picking up a subject image and generating an image signal corresponding to the picked-up subject image; and a storage unit having a plurality of memories for storing the image signals generated by the image pickup unit. A register unit that holds each storage state for each memory of the storage unit; a power supply unit that supplies backup power for storage storage to each memory of the storage unit; and the image based on the stored contents of the register unit. An image signal recording system, comprising: a control unit that supplies a backup power supply for storage and storage to the memory that stores signals.