Image pickup device

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

The present invention relates to an imaging device that transfers video information from an imaging unit or video information recorded on a recording medium to an external device by wireless communication.

【0002】

[Conventional technology]

As an example of a conventional imaging device, the one described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-46525 is known. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional imaging device shown in the same publication. In this image pickup apparatus, the optical system 901 represented by a lens is provided with an aperture and a shutter (not shown) basically similar to those of a photographic camera using a silver halide film. Then, the aperture and the shutter are automatically adjusted based on the amount of the imaged light incident through the lens, and proper exposure is performed by so-called AE.

【0003】

A CCD solid-state image sensor (hereinafter referred to as an image sensor) 902 is mounted on the image pickup system, and a color video signal is output from the image sensor 902. The image pickup signal processing circuit 903 performs predetermined signal processing on the analog video signal and gives it to the A / D converter 904. The A / D converter 904 converts the output of the image pickup signal processing circuit 903 into, for example, an 8-bit / pixel digital signal, and converts it into a digital video signal for one screen (one frame or one field). This digital video signal is temporarily stored in the frame memory 905.

【0004】

The digital video signal read from the frame memory 905 is output to the data compression circuit 906. The data compression circuit 906 performs data compression such as the JPEG method, and records the compressed data in the memory card 907. By such a data compression process, the amount of recorded data is reduced.

【0005】

When the video information is recorded on the memory card 907, the video information is read from the memory card 907. Then, the communication interface (communication I / F) 908 transfers this video information to the external device 912 having a large-capacity storage function through a predetermined communication line Ln.

【0006】

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the external device 912. The external device 912 includes an application 1001, a communication interface 1002, and a large-capacity video recording means 1003, and records the transferred video information in the large-capacity video recording means 1003. In this case, the transferred video information is recorded as data that has been decompressed or compressed as necessary.

【0007】

Further, the operation unit 910 and the display / instruction unit 911 are connected to the system control circuit 909 including the microcomputer. The system control circuit 909 supplies various control signals for controlling the flow of video information as described above to the image pickup signal processing circuit 903, the frame memory 905, and the memory card 907.

【0008】

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

The imaging device is required to be small and lightweight so that it can be easily handled as a portable device. Some communication interfaces (communication I / F) 908 are provided as shown in Fig. 9 so that the photographer's actions are not restricted and communication is possible even when away from an external device. In this case, there is a stronger demand for the wireless communication interface than for the wired communication interface.

【0009】

However, although the image pickup device shown in FIG. 9 is equipped with a wired communication I / F908, if a wireless communication interface is to be provided, the image pickup device itself becomes large and the demand for small size and light weight can be satisfied. The problem of disappearing arises. Further, when trying to connect the wireless communication interface to the outside, there is a problem that a new connector cannot be added as long as the size and weight are maintained. Even if a wireless communication interface can be provided, there arises a problem that an application having a new communication procedure is required for an external device.

【0010】

The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems so that video information can be transferred to an external device by wireless communication without significantly changing the main body of the imaging device and the application. The purpose is to realize an image pickup device.

【0011】

[Means for solving problems]

The invention of claim 1 of the present application is a video signal processing means for signal processing a video signal from an imaging element, a coding processing means for coding a video signal from the video signal processing means, and the coding processing means. One of the recording means for recording or reading the video information from the recording medium on a detachable recording medium and the video information from the coding processing means and the video information recorded on the recording medium is wired. It is provided with a wired communication means that transfers to the outside by a communication procedure and a wireless communication means that is detachable from the wired communication means and has a virtual serial port interface that constructs a virtual communication cable by wireless communication, and provides video information. When transferring to an external device, the wireless communication means is connected to the wired communication means, and the wired communication means uses the wired communication procedure to transmit video information via a virtual communication cable constructed by the wireless communication means. It is characterized by doing so.

【0012】

The invention of claim 2 of the present application is a video signal processing means for signal processing a video signal from an imaging element, a coding processing means for coding a video signal from the video signal processing means, and the coding processing means. The first recording means for recording or reading the video information from the first recording medium on the detachable first recording medium and the second recording medium for which the video information from the coding processing means can be detached. A second recording means for recording or reading from the second recording medium, and a wireless communication means for attaching / detaching to / from the second recording means in place of the second recording medium, and externally providing video information. When transferring to the device, the wireless communication means is attached to the second recording means, and the video information from the coding processing means or the video information recorded on the first recording medium is transmitted by the wireless communication means. It is characterized by the fact that it is done.

【0013】

The invention of claim 3 of the present application is a video signal processing means for signal processing a video signal from an imaging element, a coding processing means for coding a video signal from the video signal processing means, and the coding processing means. A recording means for recording or reading video information from the recording medium on a detachable recording medium, and a memory which is detachable to the recording means instead of the recording medium and is composed of a memory unit and a wireless communication means. And wireless communication means, and when the video information is transferred to an external device, the memory and the wireless communication means are attached to the recording means, and the video information from the coding processing means or the said by the wireless communication means. It is characterized in that the video information recorded in the memory unit is transmitted to the outside.

【0014】

The invention of claim 4 of the present application is the imaging device of claim 3, wherein the wireless communication means is a virtual serial port interface for constructing a virtual communication cable by wireless communication, video information from the recording means, or the memory unit. It is characterized by providing an interface conversion means for converting recorded video information into a wired communication procedure and inputting the recorded video information to the virtual serial port interface.

【0015】

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(Embodiment 1) The image pickup apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image pickup apparatus according to the present embodiment, and the same parts as those of the conventional example will be described with the same reference numerals. The optical system 101 has a lens, and is provided with an aperture and a shutter similar to those of a photographic camera.

【0016】

The image pickup device 102 is composed of, for example, a CCD, and converts a subject into an image pickup signal. The A / D converter 103 converts a color video signal output from the image sensor 102 into, for example, a 10-bit / 1-pixel digital signal. The video signal processing circuit 104 is a video signal processing means that performs predetermined signal processing on the input digital video signal. The frame memory 105 temporarily stores the digital video signal for one screen (one frame or one field) output from the video signal processing circuit 104.

【0017】

The coding processing circuit 106 is a coding processing means that reads a digital video signal from the frame memory 105 and compresses the data by a coding process such as the JPEG method. The memory card I / F 107 is a recording means for recording the video information from the coding processing circuit 106 on the memory card 108, which is a detachable recording medium, and reading the video information from the recording medium. The memory card 108 is a recording medium that can be attached to and detached from the image pickup apparatus, and stores compressed data via the memory card interface (memory card I / F) 107.

【0018】

When the video information is recorded on the memory card 108, the wired communication interface (wired communication I / F) 109 reads the video information from the memory card 108 via the memory card I / F 107 and gives the video information to the wireless communication module 112. It is a wired communication means. The wireless communication module 112 is a wireless communication means for wirelessly transferring data to the external device 113. The external device 113 is provided with a large-capacity video recording means, and a personal computer (PC) also falls under this category.

【0019】

Further, an operation unit 110 having an operation key is connected to the system control circuit 111 including a microcomputer. The system control circuit 111 generates various control signals for controlling the flow of video information as described above, and the video signal processing circuit 104, the frame memory 105, the coding processing circuit 106, the memory card I / F 107, and It is supplied to the wired communication I / F 109.

【0020】

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the wireless communication module 112 used in the imaging device of the present embodiment. The wireless communication module 112 has a virtual serial port interface 201, wireless communication software 202, wireless communication hardware 203, and an antenna 204. The virtual serial port interface 201 is an I / F that constructs a virtual communication cable. The wireless communication software 202 is software in which a communication protocol stack or the like is installed. The wireless communication hardware 203 is hardware for performing wireless communication such as baseband and RF.

【0021】

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an external device 113 used in the image pickup device of the present embodiment. The external device 113 includes an application 301, a virtual serial port interface 302, wireless communication software 303, wireless communication hardware 304, an antenna 305, and a large-capacity video recording means 306. Application 301 is a program that performs decompression processing of compressed data and the like. The virtual serial port interface 302 is an I / F for constructing a virtual communication cable. The wireless communication software 303 is software in which a communication protocol stack or the like is installed. The wireless communication hardware 304 is hardware for performing wireless communication such as baseband and RF. The large-capacity video recording means 306 is a large-capacity storage medium for recording and reproducing data and a driver thereof.

【0022】

The operation of the image pickup apparatus of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a wired communication procedure according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 shows a communication procedure when transferring still image data from an imaging device such as a digital camera to an external device 113 such as a personal computer (PC). In the figure, ENQ indicates an inquiry, ACK indicates an approval response, and EOT indicates the end of transfer.

【0023】

In the optical system 101 of FIG. 1, the amount of the imaged light incident through the lens is automatically adjusted by the diaphragm and the shutter, and the so-called AE provides appropriate exposure. Next, the image pickup light from the optical system 101 is photoelectrically converted by the image pickup element 102 to become an analog video signal. The video signal of this color is converted into a digital video signal of, for example, 10 bits / pixel by the A / D converter 103. This digital video signal is input to the video signal processing circuit 104, and predetermined signal processing such as contour enhancement is performed. The output of the video signal processing circuit 104 is temporarily stored in the frame memory 105 as a digital video signal for one screen (one frame or one field).

【0024】

The digital video signal read from the frame memory 105 is input to the coding processing means 106, and in the case of a still image, for example, it is compressed and coded by a coding process such as the JPEG method. These compressed data are recorded in the memory card 108 via the memory card I / F 107. By encoding the video signal in this way, the amount of recorded video information can be reduced.

【0025】

Further, when the video information is recorded on the memory card 108 in the still image transmission mode, the recorded video information is read from the memory card 108. This video information is transferred to the external device 113 having a large-capacity video recording function through the wired communication I / F 109 and the wireless communication module 112.

【0026】

In this way, by making the wireless communication module 112 connectable to the wired communication I / F 109, it is possible to transfer the video signal by wireless communication without adding a new connector to the image pickup device.

【0027】

Further, in the moving image transmission mode, the digital video signal read from the frame memory 105 is compressed and coded by a coding process such as an MPEG method or a DV compression method. The video information of such a moving image is transferred to the external device 113 through the wired communication I / F 109 and the wireless communication module 112. In this case as well, the amount of recorded video information can be reduced by coding the video signal.

【0028】

By performing wireless communication, it is possible to shoot a moving image and record the moving image information for a long time without restricting the behavior of the photographer and even if the external device 113 is away.

【0029】

Further, the system control circuit 111 switches modes such as a moving image transmission mode for shooting / transmitting and a still image transmission mode for transmitting a still image recorded on the memory card 108 according to an instruction from the operation unit 110. Can be done. At this time, from the system control circuit 111, various control signals for controlling the flow of video information as described above are the video signal processing circuit 104, the frame memory 105, the coding processing circuit 106, the memory card I / F 107, and the wired. It is supplied to the communication I / F 109.

【0030】

Here, the operation of the wireless communication module 112 shown in FIG. 2 will be described. When the wireless communication module 112 is connected to the wired communication I / F 109, the virtual serial port interface 201 makes it appear as if the communication cable is connected when viewed from the wired communication I / F 109. Therefore, the wired communication I / F 109 can transmit video information to the external device 113 according to the conventional wired communication procedure. That is, the wireless communication software 202, the wireless communication hardware 203, and the antenna 204 can be used to transmit actual video information by wireless communication.

【0031】

Next, the operation of the external device 113 shown in FIG. 3 will be described. The video information transferred through the virtual communication cable is given to the application 301 via the wireless communication hardware 304, the wireless communication software 303, and the virtual serial port interface 302. In this way, the video information is reproduced according to the conventional wired communication procedure. The application 301 decompresses the video information and records it in the large-capacity video recording means 306 as needed, or records the compressed data as it is.

【0032】

Here, a wired communication procedure in the case of transmitting still image data from the imaging device to the personal computer (PC) which is the external device 113 will be described with reference to FIG. The wired communication I / F 109 of the image pickup apparatus and the application 301 in the external device 113 are equipped with software for realizing this wired communication procedure. When the PC captures still image data from the image pickup device, the ENQ is first transmitted from the PC to the image pickup device. Next, the image pickup device returns an ACK for ENQ to the PC. Next, a command for requesting transmission of still image data is transmitted from the PC to the imaging device. This send request command includes parameters such as the number of send bytes. When the image pickup device receives the transmission request command, it returns a command response signal. When the PC receives the command response signal, it returns an ACK. Now, the PC and the image pickup device are ready to send and receive still image data.

【0033】

The still image image information is divided into a plurality of still image data frames from the image pickup apparatus, and the still image data is transmitted in frame units. The PC returns an ACK every time it receives still image data in frame units. Then, when the still image data of the final frame is received, the PC returns an EOT. When the image pickup device receives the EOT, it returns an ACK and ends the transmission of the still image data.

【0034】

From the wired communication I / F 109 of the image pickup device on which such a wired communication procedure is implemented and the application 301 in the external device 113, it seems as if a communication cable is connected to the wireless communication module 112. Video information can be transmitted using this wired communication procedure.

【0035】

When the wired communication I / F 109 is used to connect the wireless communication module 112, video information is transferred to the external device 113 by wireless communication without changing the circuit configuration of the image pickup device or adding a new circuit. The effect of being able to do it is obtained.

【0036】

In addition, since the video information is transferred to the external device 113 by wireless communication using the originally built-in wired communication procedure, the effect of being able to communicate with the conventional application 301 without adding a new communication procedure is effective. Can also be obtained.

【0037】

Further, with such a configuration of the image pickup device, it is possible to shoot a moving image and record a large amount of moving image information without restricting the behavior of the photographer and even if the photographer is away from the external device 113. The effect of being able to do it is obtained.

【0038】

Further, when the wireless communication module 112 is not used, the effect that the image pickup device in actual use can be made smaller and lighter can be obtained by removing the wireless communication module 112.

【0039】

In the above description, the communication procedure is for transferring still image data, but the same effect can be obtained if the conventional communication procedure is for transferring moving image data.

【0040】

In the above description, it is assumed that the application 301 of the external device 113 transmits / receives video information using a wired communication procedure and records the video information in the large-capacity video recording means 306. However, if the application 301 includes this communication procedure, the video information can be displayed or printed, and the same effect as in the case of recording the video information can be obtained.

【0041】

In the above description, the external device 113 is a personal computer (PC), but any device having an application for realizing a communication procedure may be a display device, a printing device, a communication device, or the like. The same effect as in the case of a PC can be obtained.

【0042】

In the above description, the coding process of the coding processing circuit 106 is any of the JPEG method, the MPEG method, and the DV compression method, but any coding processing method that reduces the amount of information in the video information can be used. , The same effect as the above-mentioned coding processing method can be obtained.

【0043】

(Embodiment 2) Next, the image pickup apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image pickup apparatus according to the present embodiment, and the same parts as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted. This image pickup device includes an optical system 101, an image sensor 102, an A / D converter 103, a video signal processing circuit 104, a frame memory 105, a coding processing circuit 106, a memory card 108, an operation unit 110, and a system control circuit 111. What they are doing is similar to that shown in FIG. Unlike the first embodiment, in addition to the first memory card I / F507, a second memory card I / F509 is provided, and a removable wireless communication card 512 is prepared for the second memory card I / F509. Is a feature.

【0044】

The first memory card I / F 507 holds the memory card 108 freely and detachably, records compressed data of video signals and other data on the memory card 108, and reads compressed data and other data from the memory card 108. It is the first recording means. The second memory card I / F 509 is a second recording means having the same configuration as the first memory card I / F 507, and particularly in the present embodiment, the wireless communication card 512 is detachably held. The memory card 108 is a storage medium that can be attached to and detached from the first memory card I / F 507, and is referred to here as a first recording medium. On the other hand, when a removable storage medium is used for the second memory card I / F 509, this is called a second recording medium.

【0045】

The wireless communication card 512 is a wireless communication means that has a connection terminal having the same standard as the memory card 108 for input / output of video data and transfers data to the external device 113 by wireless communication. FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of the wireless communication card 512. The wireless communication card 512 has a memory card / serial communication conversion means 601, a virtual serial port interface 602, wireless communication software 603, wireless communication hardware 604, and an antenna 605. The memory card / serial communication conversion means 601 serially converts the data read from the memory card 108 to generate serial communication data. The virtual serial port interface 602 is an I / F that constructs a virtual communication cable. The wireless communication software 603 is software in which a communication protocol stack or the like is installed. The wireless communication hardware 604 is hardware for performing wireless communication such as baseband and RF.

【0046】

The operation of the image pickup apparatus according to the second embodiment configured as described above will be described. The configuration of the external device 113 is the same as that shown in FIG. The wired communication procedure is the same as that shown in FIG. In the optical system 101 of FIG. 5, the amount of the imaged light incident through the lens is automatically adjusted by the diaphragm and the shutter, and proper exposure is performed by the so-called AE. Next, the image pickup light from the optical system 101 is photoelectrically converted by the image pickup element 102 to become an analog video signal. The video signal of this color is converted into a digital video signal of, for example, 10 bits / pixel by the A / D converter 103. This digital video signal is input to the video signal processing circuit 104, and predetermined signal processing such as contour enhancement is performed. The output of the video signal processing circuit 104 is temporarily stored in the frame memory 105 as a digital video signal for one screen (one frame or one field).

【0047】

The digital video signal read from the frame memory 105 is input to the coding processing circuit 106, and in the case of a still image, for example, it is compressed and coded by a coding process such as the JPEG method. These compressed data are recorded in the memory card 108 via the first memory card I / F 507. By encoding the video signal in this way, the amount of recorded video information can be reduced.

【0048】

Further, when the video information is recorded on the memory card 108 in the still image transmission mode, the recorded video information is read from the memory card 108. This video information is transferred to the external device 113 having a large-capacity video recording function through the second memory card I / F 509 and the wireless communication card 512.

【0049】

By mounting the wireless communication card 512 on the second memory card I / F509 in this way, it is possible to obtain the effect that the video signal can be transferred by wireless communication without adding a new connector to the image pickup device.

【0050】

Further, in the moving image transmission mode, the digital video signal read from the frame memory 105 is compressed and coded by a coding process such as an MPEG method or a DV compression method. The video information of such a moving image is transferred to the external device 113 through the second memory card I / F 509 and the wireless communication card 512. In this case as well, the amount of recorded video information is reduced by coding the video signal.

【0051】

By performing wireless communication, it is possible to shoot a moving image and record the moving image information for a long time without restricting the behavior of the photographer and even if the external device 113 is away.

【0052】

Further, the system control circuit 111 composed of a microcomputer switches modes such as a moving image transmission mode for shooting / transmitting and a still image transmission mode for transmitting a still image recorded on the memory card 108 according to an instruction from the operation unit 110. Etc. can be performed. At this time, from the system control circuit 111, various control signals for controlling the flow of video information as described above are the video signal processing circuit 104, the frame memory 105, the coding processing circuit 106, the first memory card I / F 507, and the like. And it is supplied to the second memory card I / F509.

【0053】

Here, the operation of the wireless communication card 512 shown in FIG. 6 will be described. When the wireless communication card 512 is attached to the second memory card I / F 509, the video information of the memory card 108 is converted into serial communication data by the memory card / serial communication conversion means 601 and input to the virtual serial port interface 602. To. This virtual serial port interface 602 makes it appear as if a communication cable is connected from the memory card / serial communication conversion means 601. Therefore, the memory card / serial communication conversion means 601 can transmit video information to the external device 113 according to the conventional wired communication procedure. That is, the wireless communication software 603, the wireless communication hardware 604, and the antenna 605 can transmit the actual video information by wireless communication.

【0054】

Next, the operation of the external device 113 shown in FIG. 3 will be described. The video information transferred through the virtual communication cable is given to the application 301 via the wireless communication hardware 304, the wireless communication software 303, and the virtual serial interface 302. In this way, the video information is reproduced according to the conventional wired communication procedure. The application 301 decompresses the video information and records it in the large-capacity video recording means 306 as needed, or records the compressed data as it is.

【0055】

The wired communication procedure for transmitting still image data from the image pickup device to the personal computer (PC) which is the external device 113 is the same as the wired communication procedure in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted here.

【0056】

According to such a configuration, when the second memory card I / F509 is used to connect the wireless communication card 512, wireless communication is performed without changing the circuit configuration of the image pickup apparatus or adding a new circuit. This has the effect of being able to transfer video information to the external device 113.

【0057】

In addition, since the video information is transferred to the external device 113 by wireless communication using the conventional wired communication procedure, it is possible to communicate with the conventional application 301 without adding a new communication procedure. The effect is also obtained.

【0058】

Further, with such a configuration of the image pickup device, it is possible to shoot a moving image and record a large amount of moving image information without restricting the behavior of the photographer and even if the photographer is away from the external device 113. The effect of being able to do it is obtained.

【0059】

Further, when the wireless communication card 512 is not used, the effect that the image pickup device in actual use can be made smaller and lighter can be obtained by removing the wireless communication card 512.

【0060】

In the above description, the communication procedure for transferring still image data has been described as an example, but the same effect can be obtained if the communication procedure is conventionally provided such as for transferring moving image data. Obtainable.

【0061】

In the above description, the application 301 of the external device 113 transmits and receives video information using a wired communication procedure, and records the video information on the large-capacity video recording means 306. However, if the application 301 is provided with this communication procedure, the video information can be displayed or printed, and the same effect as in the case of recording the video information can be obtained.

【0062】

In the above description, the external device 113 is assumed to be a personal computer (PC), but if it is a device equipped with an application that realizes a communication procedure, it may be a display device, a printing device, a communication device, or the like. However, the same effect as in the case of a PC can be obtained.

【0063】

In the above description, the coding process of the coding processing circuit 106 has been described as being one of the JPEG method, the MPEG method, and the DV compression method. However, the coding processing method for reducing the amount of information of the video information is used. If there is, the same effect as the above-mentioned coding processing method can be obtained.

【0064】

(Embodiment 3) Next, the image pickup apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image pickup apparatus according to the present embodiment, and the same parts as those of the first or second embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted. This image pickup device includes an optical system 101, an image sensor 102, an A / D converter 103, a video signal processing circuit 104, a frame memory 105, a coding processing circuit 106, a memory card I / F 107, an operation unit 110, and a system control circuit 111. Is similar to that shown in FIG. Unlike the first embodiment, the output unit of the memory card I / F 107, which is a recording means, is characterized in that a memory and a wireless communication card 712 are provided.

【0065】

The memory and wireless communication card 712 is a memory and wireless communication means that can be attached to and detached from the memory card I / F 107, and is wireless with the memory unit 708 so as to have the functions of the memory card 108 and the wireless communication module 112 in FIG. It has a communication means 709. The memory and wireless communication card 712 have a connection terminal having the same standard as the memory card 108 for input / output of video data.

【0066】

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the memory and the wireless communication card 712. The memory and wireless communication card 712 have a memory card / serial communication conversion means 801, a memory means 802, a virtual serial port interface 803, wireless communication software 804, wireless communication hardware 805, and an antenna 805. Then, the memory card / serial communication conversion means 801 and the memory means 802 function as the memory unit 708 in FIG. 7.

【0067】

The memory card / serial communication conversion means 801 serially converts the data read from the memory means 802 to generate serial communication data. The virtual serial port interface 803 is an I / F that builds a virtual communication cable. The wireless communication software 804 is software in which a communication protocol stack and the like are installed. Wireless communication hardware 805 is hardware for performing wireless communication such as baseband and RF.

【0068】

The operation of the image pickup apparatus according to the third embodiment configured as described above will be described. The configuration of the external device 113 is the same as that shown in FIG. The wired communication procedure is the same as shown in Fig. 4. In the optical system 101 of FIG. 7, the amount of the imaged light incidented through the lens is automatically adjusted by the diaphragm and the shutter, and the so-called AE provides appropriate exposure. Next, the image pickup light from the optical system 101 is photoelectrically converted by the image pickup element 102 to become an analog video signal. The video signal of this color is converted into a digital video signal of, for example, 10 bits / pixel by the A / D converter 103. This digital video signal is input to the video signal processing circuit 104, and predetermined signal processing such as contour enhancement is performed. The output of the video signal processing circuit 104 is temporarily stored in the frame memory 105 as a digital video signal for one screen (one frame or one field).

【0069】

The digital video signal read from the frame memory 105 is input to the coding processing circuit 106, and in the case of a still image, for example, it is compressed and coded by a coding process such as the JPEG method. These compressed data are recorded in the memory unit 708 in the memory and the wireless communication card 712 via the memory card I / F 107. By encoding the video signal in this way, the amount of recorded video information can be reduced.

【0070】

Further, when the video information is recorded in the memory and the wireless communication card 712 in the still image transmission mode, the recorded video information is read from the memory unit 708. This video information is transferred to the external device 113 having a large-capacity video recording function through the memory card / serial communication conversion means 801, the virtual serial port interface 803, the wireless communication software 804, and the wireless communication hardware 805.

【0071】

In this way, by mounting the memory and the wireless communication card 712 on the memory card I / F 107, it is possible to transfer the video signal by wireless communication without providing a wired communication I / F or using a card dedicated to the wireless communication module. The effect is obtained.

【0072】

Further, in the moving image transmission mode, the digital video signal read from the frame memory 105 is compressed and coded by a coding process such as an MPEG method or a DV compression method. The video information of such a moving image is transferred to the external device 113 through the memory card I / F 107 and the memory and the wireless communication card 712. In this case as well, the amount of recorded video information is reduced by coding the video signal.

【0073】

By performing wireless communication, it is possible to shoot a moving image and record the moving image information for a long time without restricting the behavior of the photographer and even if the external device 113 is away.

【0074】

Further, the system control circuit 111 composed of a microcomputer has a moving image transmission mode for shooting / transmitting according to an instruction from the operation unit 110, a still image transmission mode for transmitting a still image recorded in a memory and a wireless communication card 712, and the like. Mode switching, etc. can be performed. At this time, the system control circuit 111 supplies various control signals for controlling the flow of video information as described above to the video signal processing circuit 104, the frame memory 105, the coding processing circuit 106, and the memory card I / F 107. To.

【0075】

Here, the operation of the memory and the wireless communication card 712 shown in FIG. 8 will be described. When the memory and wireless communication card 712 are attached to the memory card I / F107, the video information from the memory card I / F107 or the memory means 802 is converted into serial communication data by the memory card / serial communication conversion means 801. , Input to virtual serial port interface 803. This virtual serial port interface 803 makes it appear as if a communication cable is connected from the memory card / serial communication conversion means 801. Therefore, the memory card / serial communication conversion means 801 can transmit the video information to the external device 113 according to the conventional wired communication procedure. That is, the wireless communication software 804, the wireless communication hardware 805, and the antenna 806 can be used to transmit actual video information by wireless communication.

【0076】

Next, the operation of the external device 113 shown in FIG. 3 will be described. The video information transferred through the virtual communication cable is given to the application 301 via the wireless communication hardware 304, the wireless communication software 303, and the virtual serial interface 302. In this way, the video information is reproduced according to the conventional wired communication procedure. The application 301 decompresses the video information and records it in the large-capacity video recording means 306 as needed, or records the compressed data as it is.

【0077】

The wired communication procedure for transmitting still image data from the image pickup device to the personal computer (PC) which is the external device 113 is the same as the wired communication procedure in the first or second embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted here.

【0078】

According to such a configuration, in order to connect the memory and the wireless communication card 712, the video information is transmitted to the external device 113 by wireless communication without changing the circuit configuration of the imaging device or adding a new circuit. The effect of being able to transfer is obtained.

【0079】

In addition, since the video information is transferred to the external device 113 by wireless communication using the conventional wired communication procedure, it is possible to communicate with the conventional application 301 without adding a new communication procedure. The effect is also obtained.

【0080】

Further, with such a configuration of the image pickup device, it is possible to shoot a moving image and record a large amount of moving image information without restricting the behavior of the photographer and even if the photographer is away from the external device 113. The effect of being able to do it is obtained.

【0081】

Further, when the memory and the wireless communication card 712 are not used, the effect that the image pickup apparatus in actual use can be made smaller and lighter can be obtained by removing the card. Further, when the memory and the wireless communication card 712 are not used, the basic operation as an imaging device can be performed by removing the card and installing a memory card instead.

【0082】

In the above description, the communication procedure for transferring still image data has been described as an example, but the same effect can be obtained if the communication procedure is conventionally provided such as for transferring moving image data. Obtainable.

【0083】

In the above description, the application 301 of the external device 113 transmits and receives video information using a wired communication procedure, and records the video information on the large-capacity video recording means 306. However, if the application 301 is provided with this communication procedure, the video information can be displayed or printed, and the same effect as in the case of recording the video information can be obtained.

【0084】

In the above description, the external device 113 is assumed to be a personal computer (PC), but if it is a device equipped with an application that realizes a communication procedure, it may be a display device, a printing device, a communication device, or the like. However, the same effect as in the case of a PC can be obtained.

【0085】

In the above description, the coding process of the coding processing circuit 106 has been described as being one of the JPEG method, the MPEG method, and the DV compression method. However, the coding processing method for reducing the amount of information of the video information is used. If there is, the same effect as the above-mentioned coding processing method can be obtained.

【0086】

[Effect of the invention]

As described above, according to the imaging device according to claim 1, since the interface of the wired communication means is used when connecting the wireless communication means, the video information is transmitted to the external device by wireless communication without changing the imaging device. The effect of being able to transfer to is obtained. Further, since the video information is transferred to the external device by wireless communication using the wired communication procedure, it is possible to obtain the effect that the conventional application can perform communication without adding a new communication procedure. Further, when the wireless communication means is not used, the effect that the image pickup apparatus main body can be made smaller and lighter can be obtained by removing the wireless communication means.

【0087】

Further, according to the imaging device according to claim 2, since the interface of the second recording means is used when connecting the wireless communication means, the video information can be transferred to the external device by wireless communication without changing the imaging device. The effect of being able to transfer is obtained. Further, when the wireless communication means is not used, the effect that the image pickup apparatus main body can be made smaller and lighter can be obtained by removing the wireless communication means.

【0088】

Further, according to the imaging device according to claims 3 and 4, since the interface of the recording means is used when connecting the memory and the wireless communication means, the video information can be transmitted to the external device by wireless communication without changing the imaging device. The effect of being able to transfer is obtained. Further, when the memory and the wireless communication means are not used, the effect that the image pickup apparatus main body can be made smaller and lighter can be obtained by removing the memory wireless communication means.

[Simple explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1]

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the image pickup apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of this invention.

[Figure 2]

It is a block diagram of the wireless communication module used for the image pickup apparatus of Embodiment 1. FIG.

[Fig. 3]

It is a block diagram of the external apparatus used for the image pickup apparatus of each embodiment of this invention.

[Fig. 4]

It is a timing diagram which shows the wired communication procedure between the image pickup apparatus and an external apparatus of each embodiment of this invention.

[Fig. 5]

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the image pickup apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of this invention.

[Fig. 6]

It is a block diagram of the wireless communication card used for the image pickup apparatus of Embodiment 2.

[Fig. 7]

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the image pickup apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of this invention.

[Fig. 8]

It is a block diagram of the memory and the wireless communication card used for the image pickup apparatus of Embodiment 3. FIG.

[Fig. 9]

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the conventional image pickup apparatus.

[Fig. 10]

It is a block diagram of the external device used in the conventional image pickup apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

101 optics 102 Image sensor 103 A / D converter 104 Video signal processing circuit 105 frame memory 106 Coding processing circuit 107 Memory card interface (I / F) 108 memory card 109 Wired communication interface (I / F) 110 Operation unit 111 System control circuit 112 Wireless communication module 113 External device 201,302,602,803 Virtual serial port interface 202,303,603,804 Wireless communication software 203,304,604,805 Wireless communication hardware 204,305,605,806 antenna 301 application 306 Large-capacity video recording means 507 1st memory card interface (I / F) 509 2nd memory card interface (I / F) 512 wifi card 601,801 Memory card / serial communication conversion means 712 Memory and wireless communication card 708 Memory section 709 Wireless communication means