Image processing apparatus

Abstract: An image processing apparatus having a solid state image sensor for inputting an optical image thereto and converting the image into an electrical signal; an image memory having a general-purpose DRAM formed by at least one chip and required to control the refresh operation from the outside of the memory chip; a timing signal generator for generating timing of read from the solid state image sensor; a transfer/storage control device for horizontally reading data from the solid state image sensor synchronously with the horizontal read timing signal generated from the timing signal generator, transferring the read data and storing the data in the DRAM; a first refresh signal generator for refreshing the DRAM at predetermined time intervals when no data is read from the solid state image sensor; and a second refresh signal generator for refreshing the DRAM a predetermined number of times during the dormant period of the horizontal read timing signal. In the apparatus, the second refresh signal generator is made effective synchronously with the horizontal read timing signal during the time of read from the solid state image sensor, and the first refresh signal generator is made effective during a time other than the time of read from the solid state image sensor.

Description: The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus such as an electronic camera or the like which is configured so as to electronically record image information, and particularly to an image processing apparatus in a memory control system in which the output data from a solid state image sensor is stored in a DRAM. A conventional electronic camera corresponding to a television system (NTSC or PAL) frequently uses SRAM as memory for storing the data of a solid state image sensor because of high access speed. The SRAM has the disadvantage that a memory capacity which is only enough for one image can be contained in the camera body because of the small capacity and high cost of the SRAM. However, the SRAM has advantages with respect to simple control of writes and reads, rapid access, and a relatively short time required for transferring data because the data capacity handled in the camera is small, as described above. The execution of writes and reads to and from memory and the memory address management accompanying the execution can be controlled directly by a microprocessor, without the need for a special memory control system. However, when a recent HDTV system (High Definition Television) is used, the memory capacity must be increased as the amount of the pixel data for one image is increased, and reads, writes and transfers of the data must be performed at high speed. It is preferable from the viewpoint of a balance of cost and packaging area to use a general purpose DRAM memory for an electronic camera which requires a large amount of data. However, when DRAM is used as memory, read from a solid state image sensor must be temporarily (refresh cycle) stopped for a refresh operation of the DRAM. The time taken from charge storage in the solid state image sensor to data read therefrom is increased by the stop time, thereby generating much dark current and causing noise spots on the sensor. The control of the DRAM is also complicated, and the processing speed thereof is lower than that of the SRAM. In addition, the refresh operation is required for holding the stored contents, conditions for address setting and write and read timing are severe, and the access speed is low. A system is thus required for appropriately controlling the DRAM while relating it to the solid state image sensor and other peripheral devices. In consideration of the above problems of conventional apparatuses, the invention, as defined in claim 1 of the appended claims, aims to provide an image processing apparatus which can obtain a good image without the remarkable unevenness caused by differences in the storage time of a solid state image sensor. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, described in detail hereinafter, the image processing apparatus comprises image data input means including a solid state image sensor, for converting an optical image into digital data; an image memory comprising a general purpose DRAM formed by at least one chip and having the need for controlling refresh operations from the outside of the memory chip, signal generator means for generating vertical and horizontal synchronisation signals for synchronising reading from the solid state image sensor; first refresh signal supply means for supplying a first refresh pulse signal for refreshing the DRAM at predetermined time intervals (i.e. maintenance mode time intervals) when no data is read from the solid state image sensor; and second refresh signal supply means for supplying a second refresh pulse signal for refreshing the DRAM a predetermined number of times during the blanking intervals of the horizontal synchronisation signal. In the apparatus, the second refresh signal generation means is made effective synchronously with the horizontal synchronisation signal during read from the solid state image sensor (i.e. during an access mode time interval); and the first refresh signal generation means is made effective during times other than the times of reading from the solid state image sensor (i.e. during each maintenance mode time interval). In accordance with the preferred embodiment, refresh operation of the DRAM is also performed during blanking periods of the horizontal read signal, whereby reading from the solid state image sensor is not stopped in the course of reading an image. In the claimed image processing apparatus, means (second refresh signal supply means) are provided for refreshing the dynamic random access memory during access mode time intervals. In this context it is mentioned that an image processing apparatus of this kind has been disclosed in United States Patent US-A-4972376. In that apparatus, the conventional means for refreshing the memory during each maintenance mode time interval is replaced by alternative means for refreshing the memory during each read or write access mode time interval. A predetermined number of other memory rows are refreshed each time a row of the memory is addressed and data is written into or is read from the memory cells of that row. The row refresh operations are not performed during respective blanking intervals between the reading of each respective row and the reading of each next respective row. In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic camera in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the memory controller shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a block diagram continued from Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a drawing illustrating timing diagrams for data read from a solid state image sensor; Fig. 5 is another drawing illustrating frame data read from the solid state image sensor; and Fig. 6 is a drawing illustrating a circuit related to refresh timing control. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an image processing apparatus (electronic camera) in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an image pickup lens; reference numeral 2, a light control member comprising a diaphragm, a shutter and so on; reference numeral 3, a solid state image sensor such as CCD or the like; reference numeral 4, a sample-and-hold circuit for sampling and holding the output from the solid state image sensor 3; reference numeral 5, an A/D converter; reference numeral 6, a memory controller for controlling the refresh operation of DRAM, write and read; reference numeral 7, the DRAM; reference numeral 8, a timing signal generator for generating a timing signal and a sample-and-hold pulse for driving the solid state image sensor 3, and an A/D conversion pulse; reference numeral 9, a control section for controlling a system for an image pickup sequence; reference numeral 10, a storage medium such as a hard disk; and reference numeral 11, a trigger switch. A description will now be made of a flow of image data accompanying photography by a camera. An object image passed through the image pickup lens 1 is projected on the solid state image sensor 3. At this time, the control section 9 controls the light control member 2 so that exposure is performed appropriately. The image data stored in the solid state image sensor 3 is successively read synchronously with the timing signal generated from the timing signal generator 8. The data is then sampled and held by the sample-and-hold circuit 4, and converted to a digital value by the A/D converter 5. The A/D converted data is stored in the DRAM 7 under control by the memory controller 6. The image data stored in the DRAM 7 is read with predetermined timing by the control section 9, and is transferred to the hard disk 10 to bring the data flow to an end. The storage of the A/D converted data in the DRAM 7 under control by the memory controller 6 as an example of the present invention is described in detail below. Figs. 2 and 3 are block diagrams of the memory controller 6 shown in Fig. 1. In Figs. 2 and 3, reference numeral 125 denotes a system bus which is connected to the control section 9 shown in Fig. 1 so that a command and data are transmitted between the control section 9 and the memory controller 6 through the system bus 125. In the drawings, reference numerals 101, 102, 103 and 104 respectively denote DRAM address registers for specifying addresses in the DRAM. The address registers 101 and 102 set READ addresses for reading data from the DRAM, and the address registers 103 and 104 set WRITE addresses for writing data to the DRAM. The address registers 101 and 103 set the start addresses which will be described below, and the address registers 102 and 104 set the ending addresses. Reference numerals 105 and 107 each denote a counter for updating an address for accessing the DRAM, and reference numerals 106 and 108 each denote a comparator for making comparison and decision whether or not the present access address reaches the ending address. Reference numeral 109 denotes a register for setting a DRAM refresh cycle; reference numeral 114, a refresh counter for counting the refresh cycle; reference numeral 110, a register for receiving a command given from the control section 9 to the memory controller 6; reference numeral 115, a command interpreter for interpreting the kind of the command; reference numeral 111, a WRITE data register for holding write data when any desired data is written in the DRAM; reference numeral 112, a READ data register for transferring the data read from the DRAM to the control section 9; reference numeral 113, a constant register for storing correction constant data for correcting the data stored in the DRAM; reference numeral 117, a register or buffer for storing data to be written to or read from the DRAM; reference numeral 118, an operation section for computing a correction value; reference numeral 119, a buffer for inputting data read from the DRAM thereto; reference numeral 120, a buffer for writing data to the DRAM; reference numeral 121, a data width converter for rearranging the data (40 bits) from the DRAM to the bus width (16 bits) of a hard disk interface; reference numeral 122, a hard disk interface for transmitting data and commands to the hard disk 10; and reference numeral 123, an A/D data register for holding the data output from the A/D converter and timing with the inside of the memory controller 6, which register is latched with clock CLK2. Although not shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the whole memory controller 6 is operated with timing with clock CLK1. Reference numeral 124 denotes a data bus having a 40 bit width for reading and writing data from and in the DRAM. Reference numeral 116 denotes a controller for controlling the execution timing of the command received by the controller in the memory controller 6 from the outside and for controlling data transfer. Reference numerals 126 and 127 each denote a trigger signal for reading data from the A/D converter 5. The trigger signal 126 is a signal for specifying the start timing of vertical read from the solid state image sensor 3, which is referred to as "VGATE" hereinafter. The trigger signal 127 is a signal for specifying the start timing of horizontal read, which is referred to as "HGATE" hereinafter. Reference numeral 128 denotes a line group output from the command interpreter 115. Reference numeral 129 denotes a refresh request signal output from the refresh counter 114. Reference numeral 130 denotes a DRAM address buffer for outputting the contents of the counter 105 or 107 to the DRAM on the basis of a selection signal output from the controller 116. A description will now be made of the operation of storing data from the solid state image sensor to the DRAM in this embodiment configured as described above. The addresses of writes to the DRAM are previously set in the address registers 103 and 104 shown in Fig. 2. The command (referred to as "PAGE WR MODE" hereinafter) to read from the solid state image sensor is written in the command register 110. The timing signal generator 8 shown in Fig. 1 generates the signals VGATE and HGATE synchronously with the read from the solid state image sensor. This is described below with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 4 is a conceptual drawing of timing of the above-described signals VGATE and HGATE. In Fig. 4, when the signal VGATE is at a HIGH level, data is read from the solid state image sensor. When the signal HGATE is at a LOW level, data read is stopped. Data for a predetermined horizontal line is read from the solid state image sensor during the time from rising of the signal HGATE from the LOW level to the HIGH level to fall to the LOW level. This is described with reference to Fig. 5. The portion ab of the signal HGATE shown in Fig. 4 corresponds to the portion ab shown in Fig. 5. Likewise, the portion cd of the signal HGATE shown in Fig. 4 corresponds to the portion cd shown in Fig. 5. The refresh operation of the DRAM is performed when the signal HGATE is LOW. The refresh timing control is described below with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 shows a circuit contained in the controller 116 shown in Fig. 2. However, Fig. 6 shows only the timing control section for the refresh operation which is directly related to the present invention, not the whole controller 116. Reference numeral 128 denotes one of the output signals from the command interpreter 115 shown in Fig. 2. The signal 128 indicates a mode for writing data read from the solid state image sensor to the DRAM and which is referred to as "PAGE WR MODE" (Page Write Mode) hereinafter. Reference numerals 200 and 201 each denote a NAND gate; and reference numerals 202, 203, 204 and 205 each denote anINVERTER gate. Reference numeral 206 denotes a NOR gate: reference numeral 207, a DRAM signal generator for generating, to the DRAM, various signals such as RAS 209, CAS 210, /W 211 etc; reference numeral 208, a refresh request signal generation counter for generating a refresh request signal in the PAGE WR MODE; reference numeral 209, a row address strobe for the DRAM; reference numeral 210, a column address strobe for the DRAM; reference numeral 211, a write strobe; reference numeral 212, a refresh request signal in a normal state; reference numeral 213, a refresh request signal in the PAGE WR MODE; and reference numeral 214, a refresh execution signal. The operation of the circuit shown in Fig. 6 is described below. When no data is read from the solid state image sensor, both signals VGATE and HGATE are at the LOW level, as described above. At this time, the refresh request signal is periodically brought into the HIGH level by the refresh counter 114 shown in Fig. 2. The NAND gate 200 thus periodically outputs the signal Low, and the refresh execution signal is periodically input to the DRAM signal generator 207 through the NOR gate 206. The DRAM signal generator 207 consequently generates the refresh signal. The refresh operation may be performed by, for example, the CAS BEFORE RAS method. The DRAM signal generator 207 is a sequencer which is designed so as to output the CAS BEFORE RAS signal once when receiving the refresh execution signal 214. Data read from the solid state image sensor is described below. When data is read from the solid state image sensor, both signals VGATE and HGATE are as shown in Fig. 4, as described above. Since the signal VGATE becomes the HIGH level, the normal refresh request signal (SREREQ 212) is not generated because the RFREQ signal 129 is inhibited by the NAND gate 200. On the other hand, the gate 205 becomes the LOW level during the time the signal HGATE is the LOW level (during the period bc shown in Fig. 4). The refresh request signal generation counter 208 for the PAGE WR MODE generates the refresh request signal a predetermined number of times, as shown by PRFREQ in Fig. 4. In Fig. 4, the refresh request signal is generated two times during the time the signal HGATE is at the LOW level). In this way, when data is read from the solid state image sensor, the refresh operation is executed during the time the signal HGATE is the LOW level. Although, in this embodiment, the number of refresh operations is two during the time the signal HGATE is the LOW level, the number of refresh operations chosen depends upon the kind of the DRAM, the number of element lines possessed by the solid state image sensor, and the time required for reading data from the elements. For example, when the refresh operation is performed with refresh cycles of 4096 cycles/64 ms i.e. = 64 kHz, by the CAS BEFORE RAS method according to the specifications of the DRAM, and when the solid state image sensor has 1024 x 1024 pixels and requires 100 µs for reading data for one row, since the minimum cycles for read of one row (100 µs) are 6.4 cycles, at least 7 cycles of refresh operations may be performed. The horizontal read ending period is of course set to a time sufficient to perform at least 7 refresh operations. Although write in the DRAM is not described above, the write in the DRAM may be performed in the high-speed page mode. The number of refresh cycles may be changed so as to cope with other types of DRAM and solid state image sensors. Since the usual refresh cycles may be changed by changing the count period of the counter 114 shown in Fig. 2, desired cycle data may be written in the refresh cycle register 109. Similarly, when data is read from the solid state image sensor, the counter 208 shown in Fig. 6 may be set to a value PRESETABLE. As a result, since the PRFREQ (refresh request signal) is output any desired number of times, the number of refresh operations during the time the signal HGATE is the LOW level can be changed. Although, in the above description, it is assumed for the sake of simplification that data is read, line by line, from the solid state image sensor, data for several lines may be read at a time. In this case, the solid state image sensor may have a plurality of output terminals, and a change-over switch may be provided in front of a single A/D converter. Alternatively, data from the plurality of output terminals may be written in the memory as it is. All of these cases, of course, are within the scope of the present invention. As described above, since the DRAM is refreshed each time immediately after data for one or several lines is read from the solid state image sensor, reading from the solid state image sensor is not stopped in the course of reading of an image, thereby obtaining a good image without the remarkable unevenness caused by variations in the storage time of the solid state image sensor.

Claims: An image processing apparatus comprising: image data input means (3-5), including a solid state image sensor (3), for inputting digital data representing an optical image; a dynamic random access memory (7) for receiving and storing the digital data; signal generator means (8) for generating vertical and horizontal synchronisation signals (VGATE, HGATE), which vertical synchronisation signal (VGATE) is to define the access mode time interval of vertical read from said image sensor (3), and which horizontal synchronisation signal (HGATE)/ has blanking intervals and is to define the time of each horizontal read from said image sensor (3); first refresh signal supply means (109, 114,200, 202, 203), for supplying a periodic first refresh pulse signal (RF REQ) during each maintenance mode time interval; and refresh operation sequencing means (207), responsive to the periodic first refresh pulse signal (RF REQ), to refresh said memory (7) during each maintenance mode time interval; which apparatus also includes: second refresh signal supply means (201,205,208), responsive to the vertical synchronisation signal (VGATE), and to the horizontal synchronisation signal (HGATE), for supplying a second refresh pulse signal (PRFREQ) having a predetermined number of refresh pulses defined only in respective blanking intervals of the horizontal synchronisation signal (HGATE); said refresh operation sequencing means (207), also being responsive to the second refresh pulse signal (PRFREQ), to refresh said memory (7) during access mode time intervals. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said second refresh signal supply means (201,205,208) is for supplying a second refresh pulse signal (PRFREQ) having at least two pulses defined in each respective blanking interval (bc,d-) following each respective horizontal reading interval (ab, cd). An electronic camera comprising: an image pick-up lens (1), a light control member (2) comprising a diaphragm and a shutter; and the image processing apparatus (3-9) of either of claims 1 or 2.

Inventors: FUKUSHIMA NOBUO, FUKUSHIMA, NOBUO
Applicants: CANON KK, CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1993
Main classification: H04N1
IPC codes: H04N5, G11C11, G11C7, H04N1