Abstract:
A digital image recording/reproducing apparatus to which a camera is connectable includes a connection unit, a digital memory unit, an external input unit, and a recording control unit. The connection unit connects the apparatus with the camera. The digital memory stores digital image data. The recording control unit selectively records an image signal input from the connected camera and an image signal input from the external input unit on the digital memory unit.

Description:
[0001]     This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/007,102, filed Jan. 14, 1998, now allowed, which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 08/636,630, filed Apr. 23, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,049, issued Mar. 10, 1998, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/301,034, filed Sep. 6, 1994, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/795,336, filed Nov. 20, 1991, now abandoned. The enumerated applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to an image processing system and an apparatus for forming the image processing system.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Background Art  
         [0005]     A TV telephone apparatus for use as an example of an image processing system is formed into an integrated structure in such a manner that a camera serving as an image input device is included in the body of the TV telephone apparatus. Furthermore, regarding an image recording means used in the TV telephone apparatus, a method has been known in which a signal, which has been modulated so as to be transmitted, is recorded on a cassette tape after it has been fetched through the audio output. Another method has been known in which a video signal is recorded on a video tape after it has been fetched through a video output.  
         [0006]     However, the above-described conventional structures encounter the following problems:  
         [0007]     Since the conventional structure is arranged in such a manner that the camera and the transmission portion are integrally formed and the position of the camera is fixed, there has been a limit present in the compositions which can be photographed, and it is often difficult to photograph a document or a subject. For example, a subject present outdoors or a subject positioned in another space cannot be photographed.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing system capable of overcoming the above-described conventional problems.  
         [0009]     Another object of the present invention is to provide a system capable of causing a camera to face a subject and transmit, if necessary, through a public circuit, an image photographed by the camera.  
         [0010]     In order to achieve the above-described objects, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system comprising a camera which has an image pickup portion, a recording portion and an interface portion, for an adapter, and an adapter which transmits an image to a public circuit and which has an interface portion for the above-described camera.  
         [0011]     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera which is detachable from an adapter for transmitting an image to a public circuit and which has an image pickup portion, a recording portion and an interface portion for the adapter.  
         [0012]     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an adapter for a public circuit which is detachable from a camera which has an image pickup portion, a recording portion and an interface portion for the adapter, the adapter having an interface portion for the above-described camera.  
         [0013]     Another object of the present invention is to provide an image processing system capable of supplying electric power to each of the elements when an image signal generating means, such as a camera and a device for receiving an image signal supplied from the above-described means, are constituted as individual members.  
         [0014]     Another object of the present invention is to provide an image processing system having a novel structure, function, or interface.  
         [0015]     Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be appear more fully from the following description. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram which illustrates an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  illustrates the structure of the combining detection means  43  shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart which illustrates a freezing operation;  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart which illustrates a through/memory displaying operation;  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is a chart which illustrates the flow of a signal at the time of a recording mode;  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  is a chart which illustrates the flow of a signal at the time of a transmission mode;  
         [0022]      FIG. 7  is a chart which illustrates the flow of a signal at the time of a receiving mode;  
         [0023]      FIG. 8  illustrates the configuration of switches according to this embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0024]      FIG. 9  illustrates an interface means according to another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0025]      FIG. 10  illustrates the connections established between command I/Os according to this embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0026]      FIG. 11  illustrates a command I/O flow (from an SV floppy camera to a TV telephone adapter) according to this embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0027]      FIG. 12  is a time chart for a command I/O (from an SV floppy camera to a TV telephone adapter) according to this embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0028]      FIG. 13  is a time chart which illustrates a process according to the present invention when an error has taken place;  
         [0029]      FIG. 14  illustrates a command I/O flow (from a TV telephone adapter to an SV floppy camera) according to this embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0030]      FIG. 15  illustrates a command I/O time chart (from a TV telephone adapter to an SV floppy camera) according to this embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0031]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram which illustrates a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 1 , a portion above a short dash line illustrates an SV camera, while a portion below the same illustrates a block of a TV telephone adapter.  
         [0032]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , reference numeral  1  represents a CCD which is an image pickup device of a camera and  2  represents an image pickup processing circuit for converting a signal transmitted from the CCD  1  into a video signal. Reference numeral  3  represents a record processing circuit for modulating the video signal into a signal to be written to a floppy disk  5 . Reference numeral  4  represents a head for recording/reproducing the signal to and from the floppy disk  5 . Reference numeral  5  represents the floppy disk serving as a recording medium for an image and  6  represents a reproduction processing circuit for demodulating a reproduction signal transmitted from the floppy disk  5  into the video signal. Reference numeral  7  represents a CPU for controlling the overall control operation of the camera portion. Reference numeral  8  represents a command I/O for establishing a command interface with an adapter for a public circuit transmission (hereinafter called a “TV telephone adapter”). Reference numeral  9  represents a command I/O for establishing a command interface with an SV camera and  10  represents a CPU for controlling the overall control operation of the TV telephone adapter portion. Reference numeral  11  represents an I/O for controlling the manipulation system of the TV telephone and  12  represents a photodetector which is an infrared ray remote control light receiving device. Reference numeral  13  represents a manipulation unit fastened to the TV telephone adapter and  14  represents a D/A converter for D/A converting a signal transmitted from an image memory  17  to transmit it to the SV camera portion. Reference numeral  15  represents an A/D converter for A/D converting the video  11  signal transmitted from the camera portion to record it to the image memory  17 . Reference numeral  16  represents a memory controller for establishing an interface between the image memory and an external portion to write/read the signal to and from the memory  17 . Reference numeral  18  represents a D/A converter for converting data stored in the image memory  17  into an analog signal  16  of a video rate. Reference numeral  19  represents a video encoder for converting a signal transmitted from the D/A converter  18  into a video signal. Reference numeral  20  represents a video decoder for converting a video signal transmitted from an external portion into a signal to be recorded to the image memory  17 . The structure constituted by the above-described elements  18  to  20  may be provided for an adapter portion for public circuit transmission as an alternative to the camera portion. Reference numeral  21  represents an A/D converter for converting a signal transmitted from the video decoder  20  into a digital signal. Reference numeral  22  represents a D/A converter for converting data transmitted from the CPU  10  into an analog signal. Reference numeral  23  represents a modulation circuit for modulating a signal transmitted from the D/A converter  22  into a signal of a transmission format adaptable to the TV telephone. Reference numeral  24  represents an NCU (Network Control Unit) for establishing an interface between the telephone circuit and the TV telephone adapter. Reference numeral  25  represents a demodulation circuit for demodulating the received signal into a signal of a base band. Reference numeral  26  represents an A/D converter for digital-converting the demodulating signal so as to transmit it to the CPU  10 . Reference numeral  27  represents a switch for selecting a signal supplied from the CCD 1  or a signal transmitted from the floppy disk  5  so as to transmit the selected signal to the record processing circuit  3 . Reference numeral  28  represents a switch for selecting data recording to the floppy disk  5  or data reading from the same. Reference numeral  29  represents a switch for selecting a signal supplied from the CCD 1  or that supplied from the floppy disk  5  so as to transmit the selected signal to the TV telephone portion. Reference numeral  41  represents a camera manipulating unit,  42  represents an I/O device,  43  represents a combining detection circuit for the SV camera and  44  represents a combining detection circuit for the TV telephone adapter. Reference numeral  45  represents a battery for the SV camera,  46  represents a battery charging circuit for supplying electric power to the adapter elements. The battery charging circuit  46  charges the battery  45  after it has converted the electric power supplied from a commercial power source.  
         [0033]      FIG. 2  illustrates the combining detection circuits  43  and  44  shown in  FIG. 1  in detail. Reference numeral  30  represents the SV camera and  31  represents a combining detection contact for the SV camera  30 . Reference numeral  32  represents a combining detection contact for the TV telephone adapter,  33  represents a TV telephone adapter and  47  and  48  represent a combining voltage detection circuit.  
         [0034]     Since the structure is constituted as described above, when the SV camera  30  is combined with the TV telephone adapter  33 , the combining detection contacts  31  and  32  may encounter short circuits, causing combining voltage detection circuits  47  and  48  to fail. The combining voltage detection circuits  47  and  48  convert the combining voltage into digital signals so as to transmit them to the corresponding CPUs as detection signals. When the CPU  7  of the SV camera  30  detects the thus-supplied signal, the SV camera  30  temporarily stops its camera operation but commences an operation to serve as an image input and recording device for the TV telephone. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the TV telephone adapter  33  is provided with the charging circuit  46  for the SV camera  30  so that charging of the battery  45  of the SV camera  30  is commenced simultaneously docking. The SV camera and the TV telephone adapter thus combined with each other operate while performing communication by means of their CPUs via the command I/Os  8  and  9 .  
         [0035]      FIG. 8  illustrates the configuration of the manipulation switches according to this embodiment. Referring to  FIG. 8 , reference numeral  30  represents the SV camera,  33  represents the TV telephone adapter and  34  represents a shutter switch for the camera  30 , the shutter switch  34  acting as a memory freeze switch when combining has been completed. Reference numerals  35  and  36  respectively represent an ADDRESS-UP switch and an ADDRESS-DOWN switch for the camera  30 , the two switches  35  and  36  acting after combining has been completed. Reference numeral  38  represents a Rec trigger switch for recording data to the floppy disk  5 , which is a recording medium and which is loaded into the camera  30 . Reference numeral  39  represents a TV telephone transmission switch and  40  represents a switch for selecting an input signal for any of three inputs, that is, the input for the camera system, that for the floppy system (according to this embodiment, it is expressed as “SV” because the SV floppy disk is employed) and that for an external system. When any of the above-described switches is depressed, the corresponding CPU discriminates this fact so as to perform a control operation by means of communication.  FIG. 10  illustrates the status of wiring arranged in the command I/Os  8  and  9  which will be described.  
         [0036]      FIG. 11  is a flow chart which illustrates the contents of the command interface when the switch for the SV camera  30  is depressed. In a state where no switch is depressed, an “I/F Enable/{overscore (Disable)}” signal is enabled. When any of the switches for the camera  30  is depressed, the CPU 7  for the camera  30  sets any of the internal switches  27 ,  28  or  29  in accordance with the type of function of the depressed switch. After setting of any of the switches  27 ,  28  or  29  has been completed, the CPU 7  disables the “I/F Enable/{overscore (Disable)}” signal at the I/O 8  as well as activating the “Command” signal. When the CPU 10  of the TV telephone adapter  33  confirms that the above-described two signals have been activated, it disables the “I/F Enable/{overscore (Disable)}” signal at the command I/O 9  to make a response. When the CPU 7  of the SV camera  30  detects a response signal thus-transmitted, the CPU 10  discriminates that the command wait state has been realized and it transmits a Clock signal and a command data signal which is in synchronization with the Clock signal so as to supply command information to the CPU 10 . If, for example, the freeze switch  34  shown in  FIG. 8  is depressed, the SV camera side CPU 7  switches over the internal switches  27  to  29  in accordance with setting of the input signal switch  40  before it issues a freeze command to the adapter side CPU 10  (in a case where the address UP and DOWN switches  35  and  36  are depressed, the command issue can be eliminated). The CPU 10 , which has received the above-described signal, reads the command in response to a synchronization signal before it interprets the command to execute it. In a case where no error takes place after the execution, the “I/F Enable/{overscore (Disable)}” signal is again enabled before camera side CPU 7  is acquainted with the completion of the execution. If an error has taken place, an “Error” signal is, as shown in  FIG. 13 , activated to transmit/return error information as “Data” which is in synchronization with “Clock” before the “I/F Enable/{overscore (Disable)}” signal is again enabled to complete the communication. When the camera side CPU 7  for the SV camera  30  detects the “Error” signal, it reads error data before it confirms a fact that the “I/F Enable/{overscore (Disable)}” signal has been enabled. Then, it again enables the “I/F Enable/{overscore (Disable)}” signal at the command I/O 8  to complete the communication. If no error has taken place, the fact that the “I/F Enable/{overscore (Disable)}” signal at the command I/O 9  has been enabled is confirmed as shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12  before it enables the “I/F Enable/{overscore (Disable)}” signal at the command I/O 8  to complete the communication. The communication protocol is arranged to act as described above when the manipulation switch for the SV camera  30  is depressed.  
         [0037]     Also, in a case where the switch for the TV telephone adapter  33  is depressed, command data is communicated so that the adapter side CPU 10  causes the camera side CPU 7  to operate correspondingly. Since the difference from the above-described case lies in only a fact that the switch is set after the command has been issued from the TV telephone adapter  33  because the internal switches  27 ,  28  and  29  are disposed in the portion of the camera  30 . All of the other operations are performed in accordance with the same protocol.  FIGS. 14 and 15  respectively illustrate a flow chart and a time chart concerning the above-described operation. Since the construction is arranged in such a manner that the SV camera and the TV telephone adapter shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12  are replaced with each other, their descriptions are omitted here.  
         [0038]     The flow of an image signal and setting of the internal switches in each of the operational modes will now be described.  
         [0039]      FIG. 3  illustrates the flow of the signal when the freeze signal is depressed. In the freeze operational mode, the CPU 10  discriminates the input signal to be frozen in accordance with the input signal switch  40 . In a case where the camera has been set, an image signal transmitted from the CCD 1  passes through the image pickup processing circuit  2  so as to be converted into a color difference signal before it is received by the switch  29  via the switch  27 . In a case where the SV is set by the input signal switch  40 , a reproduction signal  6  supplied from the floppy disk  5  is reproduced by the head  4 . The reproduction signal thus-read passes through the switch  28  before it is, by the reproduction processing circuit  6 , converted into a color difference signal which can be frozen in the image memory  17 . The converted signal is then supplied to the switch  29 . As described above, the image signal from the camera or the SV passes through the switch  29  before it is received by the A/D converter  15  so as to be converted into a digital signal. The digital signal thus-obtained is supplied to the memory controller  16 . The memory controller  16  fetches the thus-supplied digital signal into the image memory  17  in accordance with the command issued from the CPU 10  so that the freeze operation is completed. In a case where an external  16  input signal is frozen, an image signal supplied through the VIDEO IN is converted into a color difference signal by the decoder  20  before it is converted into a digital signal by the A/D converter  21 . The digital signal thus-obtained is then supplied to the memory controller. The memory controller fetches the above-described digital signal into the image memory  17  in accordance with a command issued from the CPU 10  so that the image signal is frozen.  
         [0040]     An operation of displaying the throughput image and that of displaying the memory image will now be described.  FIG. 4  is a flow chart which illustrates the flow of the signal for use in the above-described operation. When the “through/memory” display switch is depressed, the CPU 10  first discriminates that the state is the through display mode or the memory display mode. In a case of the through display mode, the input signal switch  40  is used to discriminate the input signal to be through-displayed. The result of this discrimination is any of the through display of the camera image, the through display of the SV reproduction image or the through display of the external input image. The image signal flows as follows, but the flow from each device to the memory controller  16  is omitted here because it is the same as that which takes place in the above-described freezing operation: the image signal supplied to the memory controller  16  passes through the memory controller in which it is not subjected to any operation before it is transmitted to the D/A converter  18 . The image signal is again converted into the analog signal in the D/A converter  18  before it is converted into a video signal by the encoder  19 . The video signal thus-obtained is transmitted through a VIDEO OUT terminal. In a case of the memory display, the data in the image memory  17  is read by the memory controller  16  in synchronization with the video signal before it is converted into an analog signal by the D/A converter  18 . The analog signal thus-obtained is transmitted through the VIDEO OUT terminal. Thus, the through image and the memory image are through-displayed.  
         [0041]     Then, the flow of the signal at the time of an operation of recording (Rec) data to the floppy disk  5  will now be described with reference to  FIG. 5 . When the Rec switch  38  is depressed, the CPU 10 , similar to the above-described freezing operation, discriminates the device which has transmitted the signal to be recorded, the discrimination being made in accordance with the action of the input signal switch  40 . In a case where data supplied from the camera is recorded, the signal supplied from the CCD 1  is converted into the color difference signal by the image pickup processing circuit  2  before it is supplied to the switch  27 . In a case where data supplied from the image memory  17  is recorded, the content of the image memory  17  is read by the memory controller  16  before it is D/A-converted by the D/A converter  14  so as to transmit it to the switch  27 . In a case where data of an external input signal is recorded (EXT), a signal supplied through the VIDEO IN terminal is made to be a difference signal by the decoder  20  before it is transmitted to the A/D converter  21 . Then, it passes, in the form of the digital signal, through the memory controller  16  before it is again converted into the analog signal by the D/A converter  14 . The analog signal is then transmitted to the switch  27 . The signal thus-supplied to the switch  27  is converted into a signal to be recorded on the floppy disk  5  by the record processing circuit  3  before it passes through the switch  28 . As a result, data is recorded on the floppy disk  5  by the head  4 .  
         [0042]     The flow of the data transmission will now be described with reference to  FIG. 6 . When the transmission switch  39  disposed in the manipulating portion  13  is depressed, the CPU 10  discriminates it so that a transmission sequence is commenced. In the transmission sequence, pixel data at an arbitrary address, which corresponds to the transmission mode, is sequentially read from the image memory  17  by using the memory controller  16 . Data thus-read out is transmitted to the D/A converter  22  by the CPU 10  before it is converted into an analog signal. Then, it is, by the modulation circuit  23 , modulated in synchronization with the carrier and in accordance with the transmission format for the TV telephone before it is transmitted to the NCU 24 . The NCU 24  performs terminative and unbalanced/balanced conversions to transmit the above-described signal to the telephone circuit. The transmission sequence is constructed as described above.  
         [0043]     The receiving sequence will now be described with reference to a flow chart shown in  FIG. 7 . The data receiving operation is completely automated while eliminating the provisions of switches. Data supplied to the NCU 24  through the telephone circuit is subjected to the terminative and unbalanced/balanced conversions in the NCU 24  before it is supplied to the demodulation circuit  25 . The signal is then converted into the video rate signal in the demodulation circuit  25  before it is digital-converted by the A/D converter  26  so as to be read by the CPU 10 . The signal read by the CPU 1  is transmitted to the memory controller  16  so that it is written to an address in an arbitrary image memory  17  which corresponds to the transmission mode. The data receiving sequence is constructed as described above.  
         [0044]     The basic operation according to this embodiment is arranged as described above. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a modification may be employed in which the signal supplied from the floppy disk  5  is fetched by a means which freezes it to the image memory  17  before the floppy disk  5  is interchanged so as to record it by a means capable of recording the signal in the image memory  17  to another floppy disk  5 . In this case, data dubbing and editing can be performed. Another structure may be employed in which the photodetector  12  is provided for enabling all of the switches to be operated in a remote-control manner, such that data is read through the I/O 11  by the CPU 10  to perform the above-described operations.  
         [0000]     Other Embodiments  
         [0045]     Another method of the interface to be established between the SV camera  30  and the TV telephone adapter  33  will now be described with reference to  FIG. 9 , this method being able to be employed as an alternative to the method of the command interface according to the first embodiment shown in FIGS.  1  to  8 . This embodiment is arranged to be different from the above-described method in which hand shaking is performed by means of the command I/O but it is arranged in such a manner that the CPU 10  for the TV telephone adapter  33  controls the overall operation. When the SV camera  30  and the TV telephone adapter  33  are combined with each other, the TV camera side CPU 7  is perfectly separated from the other I/O devices by a bus controller  50  so that it is brought into an independent state. However, a microcomputer bus (an address bus, a data bus and the like) for the TV telephone adapter  33  is connected by a connector  49  so that each I/O device of the camera  30  is brought into a state under control of the CPU 10 . As a result, the CPU 10  is enabled to perform all of the controls such as scanning of the manipulation switches of the two elements, input the image and the operation of the floppy disk. As a result, problems which can take place due to the hand shake operation, such as the time lag, can be overcome. The most significant advantage obtainable from this method lies in that no structure must be provided for software for the camera  30  to act when the TV telephone adapter  33  is connected, and thereby a load required to develop it can be reduced.  
         [0046]     As described above, according to this embodiment, the TV telephone adapter is combined with the SV camera to constitute a still image TV telephone apparatus, and the camera is enabled to act as the image input apparatus and image recording apparatus. As a result, the subject to be photographed can be varied considerably and filing and search of the image can be completed easily. Therefore, a photograph taken at the time of a tour by the user can easily be transmitted to friends, or a photograph of a baby of the user can also easily be transmitted to the user&#39;s parents living far away. Furthermore, if the TV telephone adapter  33  is previously connected to a monitor TV, the necessity of connecting the SV camera  30  to the monitor TV for the purpose of reproducing the image can be eliminated. Therefore, a user who cannot easily establish the wire connection can easily produce the image. Also, charging can be performed simply by placing the SV camera  30  on the TV telephone adapter  33 . Therefore, charging can be easily performed while eliminating a necessity of performing a particular charging operation.  
         [0047]     Although the recording medium for use in the recording portion comprises the SV floppy disk according to the above-described embodiments, the present invention is not limited to this. Another recording medium, for example, an optical disk or a tape-like medium may be employed. As an alternative to this, a solid memory, for example, a semiconductor memory or a Bloch line memory may be employed.  
         [0048]     Although the analog circuit is employed as the telephone circuit according to the above-described embodiments, it may be replaced by a digital circuit such as an ISDN. In this case, the NCU is used for the ISDN circuit.  
         [0049]     Although the adapter for transmitting a still image is employed as the TV telephone adapter for use to serve as the public circuit adapter according to the above-described embodiments, an adapter for transmitting movable images may be used in place of the above-described adapter. The necessity lies in that it can be mounted on a detachable camera and it is able to transmit an image signal supplied from the camera or transmit the same reproduced from a record reproducing portion of the camera.  
         [0050]     Although the attachment/detachment detection means is structured as shown in  FIG. 2 , the present invention is not limited to this. Another method, for example, a method for simply detecting the state of the switch, may be employed.  
         [0051]     As described above, according to the above-described embodiments, the camera having the image pickup portion and the recording portion is made to be detachable from the image transmission adapter. Therefore, the subject can freely be photographed and the image obtained by photographing can be transmitted through a public circuit.  
         [0052]     Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form may be changed in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be modified without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.