Abstract:
An image-pickup display apparatus including a camera unit with: an image-pickup optical system; an image-pickup device having a light intercepting surface at a position of image formation by the image-pickup optical system, a signal processing circuit for generating a picture signal based on an image-pickup signal output by the image-pickup device, and a controller for correcting exposure by controlling the image-pickup device and the signal processing circuit. The display unit also includes: a liquid-crystal display unit having a liquid-crystal display panel and a back-light, a driver for driving and controlling the liquid-crystal display panel, a back-light controller for driving and controlling the back-light, and a picture processor for outputting a driving signal to the driver on the basis of the picture signal generated by the signal processing circuit employed in the camera unit, where receiving a drive/control signal output by the driver employed in the display unit as a feedback signal, the controller employed in the camera unit controls the image-pickup device and the signal processing circuit employed in the camera unit as well as the picture processor and the back-light controller employed in the display unit to put the drive/control signal in an optimum range.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     In general, the present invention relates to an image-pickup display apparatus comprising a camera unit and a display unit. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image-pickup display apparatus capable of adjusting a display on a display unit thereof in accordance with the brightness of its circumference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Such an image-pickup display apparatus can be utilized as an electronic mirror of an automobile or a portable video camera. 
     With the image-pickup display apparatus used as an electronic mirror, for example, the camera unit takes a picture of the rear view and displays the picture on the screen of the display unit in close proximity to the driver. In this way, the image-pickup display apparatus can be utilized in place of the conventional side mirrors or the conventional rear-view mirrors. 
     In the image-pickup display apparatus serving as a portable video camera, on the other hand, the camera unit takes a picture of a photographic object and the screen of the display unit serves as a monitor of the photographic object. 
     In general, such an image-pickup display apparatus comprises a camera unit for taking a picture of a photographic object and a display unit for displaying the picture based on a picture signal output by the camera unit. 
     In the camera unit, a picture of a photographic-object image received through an image-pickup optical system is recognized by means of a solid image-pickup device such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) and the picture is converted into a picture signal by a signal processing circuit. 
     The display unit displays a photographed picture based on the picture signal output by the camera unit on a screen such as a liquid-crystal display panel. 
     By the way, the image-pickup display apparatus with such a configuration is designed so that the camera unit and the display unit independently carry out adjustments in accordance with the brightness of the circumference to produce an optimum picture. 
     To be more specific, a controller employed in the camera unit controls the image-pickup device and the signal processing circuit to adjust the diaphragm, changes the speed of the so-called shutter and/or adjusts the gain of a signal output by the CCD in accordance with the brightness of the circumference in order to correct the so-called exposure. 
     On the other hand, a driving controller employed in the display unit changes the contrast and the brightness of a picture appearing on the screen and/or adjusts the brightness of the back-light in accordance with the brightness of the circumference. 
     It is desirable, however, to carry out adjustments based on the brightness of the circumference so that a picture appearing on the screen of the display unit keeps up with variations in circumference brightness as quickly as possible. With the camera and display units carrying out the adjustments independently, nevertheless, the variation range of the level of a picture signal output by the camera unit increases while the so-called dynamic range of a display appearing on the liquid-crystal display panel of the display unit is narrow in some cases. The dynamic range is a range in which a taken picture can be represented. As a result, the level of the picture signal output by the camera unit goes beyond a dynamic range optimum for the display appearing on the liquid-crystal display panel of the display unit, raising a problem of generation of the so-called white or black collapse. 
     In addition, with the adjustment by the camera unit shifted along the time axis from the adjustment by the display unit, the level of the picture signal output by the camera unit may temporarily go beyond the dynamic range optimum for the display appearing on the liquid-crystal display panel of the display unit, making it difficult to keep up with variations in circumference brightness in a short period of time. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention addressing the problems described above to provide a picture-pickup display apparatus that is capable of producing an optimum screen display keeping up with variations in circumferential brightness by letting a camera unit and a display unit thereof carry out adjustments in a coordinated manner. 
     The object described above can be achieved by an image-pickup display apparatus provided by the invention which includes a camera unit comprising an image-pickup optical system, an image-pickup device having a light intercepting surface at a position of image formation by the image-pickup optical system, a signal processing circuit for generating a picture signal based on an image-pickup signal output by the image-pickup device, and a controller for correcting exposure by controlling the image-pickup device and the signal processing apparatus, and a display unit comprising a liquid-crystal display unit having a liquid-crystal display panel and a back-light, a driver for driving and controlling the liquid-crystal display panel, a back-light controller for driving and controlling the back-light, and a picture processor for outputting a driving signal to the driver on the basis of the picture signal generated by the signal processing circuit employed in the camera unit, wherein, receiving a drive/control signal output by the driver employed in the display unit as a feedback signal, the controller employed in the camera unit controls the image-pickup device and the signal processing circuit employed in the camera unit as well as the picture processor and the back-light controller employed in the display unit to put the drive/control signal in an optimum range. 
     According to the configuration, an image of a photographic object input through the image-pickup optical system and formed on the light intercepting surface of the image-pickup device is recognized by the image-pickup device generating an image-pickup signal which is converted by the signal processing unit into a picture signal. Then, the picture signal is supplied to the picture processor employed in the display unit outputting a driving signal to the driver to drive the liquid-crystal display panel. As a result, a picture appears on the liquid-crystal display panel. 
     By feeding back a drive/control signal output by the driver employed in the display unit to the controller in the camera unit, information on a picture appearing on the liquid-crystal display panel is supplied to the controller. 
     As described above, the controller corrects exposure by controlling the image-pickup device and the signal processing apparatus. In addition to the correction of exposure by controlling the image-pickup device and the signal processing circuit, the controller also controls the picture processor and the back-light controller employed in the display unit by referring to the information on the picture appearing on the liquid-crystal display panel so as to adjust the brightness and the contrast of the picture and the brightness of the back-light in order to put the drive/control signal in an optimum range or a dynamic range of the liquid-crystal display panel. 
     When the circumference is bright, for example, the image-pickup device employed in the camera unit is controlled by increasing the so-called shutter speed so as to lower the level of the picture signal. In this way, saturation of the image-pickup device can be avoided. In addition, the gain of the signal processing circuit is reduced. In the display unit, on the other hand, the brightness and the contrast of the display and the brightness of the back-light are increased so as to make the picture appearing on the liquid-crystal display panel bright. 
     When the circumference is dark, on the contrary, the image-pickup device employed in the camera unit is controlled by decreasing the so-called shutter speed so as to raise the level of the picture signal. In addition, the gain of the signal processing circuit is increased. In the display unit, on the other hand, the brightness and the contrast of the display are suppressed and the brightness of the back-light is decreased so as to make the picture appearing on the liquid-crystal display panel dark to reflect the circumference. 
     In another embodiment the camera unit further has a diaphragm device which is used for adjusting the quantity of light hitting the light intercepting surface after passing through the image-pickup optical system, and controlled by the controller along with the image-pickup device and the signal processing circuit in order to put the drive/control signal output by the driver employed in the display unit in an optimum range. The control of the diaphragm itself changes the quantity of light hitting the light intercepting surface after passing through the image-pickup optical system, allowing the controller to correct exposure with ease and with a high degree of reliability over a broad range. 
     In another embodiment the camera unit and the display unit are provided separately from each other; the camera unit has an output sub-unit for receiving a picture signal from the signal processing circuit; and the display unit has an input sub-unit for inputting a signal output by the output sub-unit employed in the camera unit. 
     In another embodiment the output sub-unit converts the picture signal into an analog signal and outputs the analog signal; the input sub-unit converts the analog signal received from the output sub-unit into a digital signal. Since the picture signal is transmitted by the camera unit to the display unit as an analog signal as described above, the picture signal can be transmitted with ease. 
     In another embodiment the output sub-unit transmits the picture signal by modulating a carrier signal, and the input sub-signal demodulates a signal received from the output sub-unit to extract the picture signal. Since the picture signal is transmitted by the camera unit to the display unit by modulation of a carrier signal, the picture signal can be transmitted with a higher degree of reliability by being hardly affected by external noise. 
     In another embodiment, the camera unit and the display unit are integrated to form a single body to allow a picture signal to be transferred from the signal processing circuit employed in the camera unit to the picture processor employed in the display unit directly. As a result, the circuit configuration can be made simple and the cost can be reduced. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment implementing an image-pickup display apparatus provided by the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment implementing an image-pickup display apparatus provided by the present invention; and 
     FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment implementing an image-pickup display apparatus provided by the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Some preferred embodiments of the present invention are explained in detail by referring to FIGS. 1 to  3 . 
     It should be noted that the embodiments described below are preferred embodiments on which some technological desirable limitations are imposed. However, the description is not intended to especially limit the scope of the present invention. That is to say, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments unless otherwise specified in particular. 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment implementing an image-pickup display apparatus provided by the present invention. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the image-pickup display apparatus  10  comprises a camera unit  11  and a display unit  20  which are provided independently of each other. 
     The camera unit  11  comprises an image-pickup optical system  12 , a diaphragm device  13 , an image-pickup device  14 , a signal processing circuit  15 , an output sub-unit  16  and a camera-unit controller  17 . 
     The image-pickup optical system  12  is an image-pickup compound lens comprising typically a plurality of lenses. Typically, by providing a focusing mechanism and a zooming mechanism which are not shown in the figure to the image-pickup optical system  12 , the image-pickup optical system  12  is capable of forming an image of a photographic object on a light intercepting surface of the image-pickup device  14  to be described later. 
     In the case of the embodiment shown in the figure, the diaphragm device  13  comprises a diaphragm vane  13   a  located typically on an optical path between the image-pickup optical system  12  and the image-pickup device  14 , a diaphragm control motor  13   b  for driving the diaphragm vane  13   a  to control the diaphragm squeezing, a detector  13   c  for detecting the squeezing position of the diaphragm vane  13   a  and a diaphragm control servo circuit  13   d  for driving and controlling the diaphragm control motor  13   b  in accordance with a detection signal output by the detector  13   c.    
     The image-pickup device  14  is typically a solid image-pickup device such as a CCD provided with a light intercepting surface placed at a position at which an image is formed by the image-pickup optical system  12 . An image of a photographic object formed on the light intercepting surface is recognized by the image-pickup device  14  to generate a image-pickup signal which is then output to the signal processing circuit  15 . 
     The image-pickup device  14  recognizes the image with timing set by a timing clock signal generated by a timing-clock generator  14   a . By properly adjusting the timing clock signal, it is possible to obtain an effect equivalent to that of adjustment of the so-called shutter speed. 
     The signal processing circuit  15  generates a picture signal based on the image-pickup signal output by the image-pickup device  14 . To put it in detail, in the signal processing circuit  15 , the image-pickup signal is subjected to a sample-holding process, A/D (analog-to-digital) conversion, γ correction (correction of γ characteristics of the image), an AE (automatic exposure) correction and AWB (automatic white balance) correction to generate a proper picture signal. 
     In the case of the embodiment shown in the figure, the output sub-unit  16  is a D/A conversion circuit for converting the digital picture signal back into an analog signal. 
     It should be noted that the output sub-unit  16  and an input sub-unit  21  of the display unit  20  to be described later can be omitted. In this case, the signal processing circuit  15  is connected directly to a picture processor  22  employed in the display unit  20 . 
     The camera-unit controller  17  receives data obtained as a result of the automatic-exposure correction carried out by the signal processing circuit  15 , controlling the control servo circuit  13   d  in accordance with the detection signal output by the detector  13   c  employed in the diaphragm device  13  described above. The control servo circuit  13   d  in turn drives the diaphragm vane  13   a  to properly adjust the squeezing position of the diaphragm vane  13   a . The camera-unit controller  17  also controls the timing-clock generator  14   a  to carry out adjustment equivalent for proper adjustment of the shutter speed. 
     It should be noted that the camera-unit controller  17  can also be typically designed into a configuration built in the signal processing circuit  15  to form a single body. 
     On the other hand, the display unit  20  comprises the input sub-unit  21  cited earlier, the picture processor  22  also cited earlier, a liquid-crystal display unit  23  comprising a liquid-crystal display panel  23   a  and a back-light  23   b , a driver  24  for driving and controlling the liquid-crystal display panel  23   a , a back-light controller  25  for driving the back-light  23   b  and a display-unit controller  26  for controlling the picture processor  22  and the back-light controller  25 . 
     In the case of the embodiment shown in the figure, the input sub-unit  21  is an A/D conversion circuit for converting the analog picture signal into a digital picture signal. 
     In the case of the embodiment shown in the figure, the picture processor  22  comprises a video-signal converter, a contrast controller and a brightness controller. The picture signal received from the input sub-unit  21  is converted by the video-signal converter into a video signal which is supplied to the contrast and brightness controllers for adjusting the contrast and the brightness of the video signal respectively. 
     The liquid-crystal display panel  23   a  of the liquid-crystal display unit  23  comprises typically a plurality of cells, that is, a plurality of pixels laid out to form a dot matrix. The individual cells are driven and controlled individually so that the cells as a whole display a picture. The picture is illuminated from the rear side by the back-light  23   b  so that the picture appears floated. 
     The driver  24  drives and controls the liquid-crystal display panel  23   a  on the basis of the video signal generated by the picture processor  22  to display a picture according to the video signal. 
     The back-light controller  25  drives and controls the back-light  23   b , turning on the back-light  23   b  in order to provide rear-side illumination to the liquid-crystal display panel  23   a.    
     The display-unit controller  26  receives a drive/control signal from the driver  24 , controlling the picture processor  22  and the back-light controller  25  so that the picture appearing on the liquid-crystal display panel  23   a  has properly adjusted brightness and contrast, being illuminated by the back-light  23   b  from the rear side. 
     It should be noted that the display-unit controller  26  can be manually adjusted properly by using a manual adjustment device  26   a  provided on the display unit  20 . 
     In addition, the display-unit controller  26  can also be designed into a configuration built in the picture processor  22  to form a single body. 
     Furthermore, the camera-unit controller  17  employed in the camera unit  11  is connected to the display-unit controller  26  employed in the display-unit  20 , allowing the drive/control signal generated by the driver  24  to be fed back to the camera-unit controller  17  by way of the display-unit controller  26 , and the camera-unit controller  17  to control the picture processor  22  as well as the back-light controller  25  employed in the display unit  20  through the display-unit controller  26 . 
     In this arrangement, the camera-unit controller  17  employed in the camera unit  11  is capable of controlling the diaphragm device  13 , the picture-pickup device  14  (to be more specific, the timing-clock generator  14   a ) and the signal processing circuit  15  as well as the picture processor  22  and the back-light controller  25  employed in the display unit  22  through the display-unit controller  26  by referring to the drive/control signal, that is, information on the picture appearing on the liquid-crystal display unit  23  employed in the display unit  20  to give a proper picture display on the liquid-crystal display unit  23 . 
     The image-pickup display apparatus  10  implemented by the embodiment has a configuration described above wherein, in the camera unit  11 , light from a photographic object passing through the image-pickup optical system  12  and the diaphragm vane  13   a  of the diaphragm device  13  forms an image of the object on the light intercepting surface of the image-pickup device  14 . The image is recognized by the image-pickup device  14  with timing determined by a timing clock signal output by the timing-clock generator  14   a  to produce an image-pickup signal. The image-pickup signal is subjected to processing such as a sample-holding process, A/D conversion, γ correction, an AE correction and AWB correction in the signal processing circuit  15  to generate a picture signal; and the picture signal is converted into an analog output picture signal by the output sub-unit  16 . 
     In the display unit  20 , on the other hand, the picture signal received by the input sub-unit  21  is supplied to the picture processor  22  which converts the picture signal into a video signal and adjusts the contrast and the brightness of the video signal by using the brightness and contrast controllers respectively before supplying the video signal to the driver  24 . The driver  24  outputs a drive/control signal based on the video signal received from the picture processor  22  to the liquid-crystal display panel  23   a , driving the liquid-crystal display panel  23   a  to display a picture. At that time, the liquid-crystal display panel  23   a  is illuminated by the back-light  23   b  from the rear side so that the picture on the liquid-crystal display panel  23   a  appears floated. 
     The drive/control signal output by the driver  24  is also supplied to the display-unit controller  26 , providing the controller  26  with information on the picture appearing on the liquid-crystal display unit  23 . The display-device controller  26  feeds back this information on the displayed picture to the camera-unit controller  17  employed in the camera unit  11 . 
     Thus, the camera-unit controller  17  employed in the camera unit  11  controls the diaphragm device  13  to adjust the diaphragm squeezing and controls the timing-clock generator  14   a  to adjust the so-called shutter speed of the image-pickup device  14  by referring to the information on the picture appearing on the display unit  20  on the basis of, among others, information on the automatic exposure correction received from the signal processing circuit  15  so as to appropriately regulate the quantity of light hitting the light intercepting surface of the image-pickup device  14 . In addition, the camera-unit controller  17  also controls the signal processing circuit  15  to adjust the gain thereof. 
     As a result, an image is created on the light intercepting surface of the image-pickup device  14  from a proper quantity of light, allowing the image-pickup device  14  to be prevented from entering the so-called saturation state. Moreover, the signal processing circuit  15  outputs a picture signal at a proper level. 
     In addition, the camera-unit controller  17  employed in the camera unit  11  also controls the picture processor  22  and the back-light controller  25  employed in the display unit  20  through the display-unit controller  26  on the basis of the information on the picture appearing on the display unit  20  in order to optimize the picture on the liquid-crystal display unit  23 , that is, in order to make the picture appearing on the liquid-crystal display unit  23  fall within a dynamic range. 
     In this way, the camera-unit controller  17  controls the camera unit  11  and the display unit  20  in a coordinated manner by referring to information on the picture appearing on the display unit  20  so as to optimize the picture appearing on the display unit  20 . As a result, on the liquid-crystal display panel  23   a  of the liquid-crystal display unit  23  employed in the display unit  20 , it is possible to display a picture that can be seen with ease. 
     When the circumference is bright, for example, in the camera unit  11 , the diaphragm device  13  is squeezed and/or the timing-clock generator  14   a  is controlled to increase the so-called shutter speed so that the level of an image-pickup signal generated by the image-pickup device  14  is lowered. As an additional result, the image-pickup device  14  can also be prevented from getting saturated. In addition, the gain of the signal processing circuit  15  can be adjusted to a low value to put a picture signal generated by the signal processing circuit  15  at a proper level. 
     In the display unit  20 , on the other hand, the picture processor  22  is controlled to increase the contrast and the brightness of the picture appearing on the liquid-crystal panel  23   a  and the back-light controller  25  is controlled to increase the brightness of the illumination provided by the back-light  23   b  so that, as a result, the picture becomes brighter. 
     Accordingly, even in a bright circumference, it is possible to display a picture which is bright and has high contrast with a bright back-light  23   b  properly for the circumference so that the picture can be seen with ease. 
     In a dark circumference, on the contrary, in the camera unit  11 , the diaphragm vane  13   a  employed in the diaphragm device  13  is released and/or the timing-clock generator  14   a  is controlled to decrease the so-called shutter speed so that the level of an image-pickup signal generated by the image-pickup device  14  is raised. As a result, the image-pickup signal generated by the image-pickup device  14  can be adjusted to an acceptably proper level. In addition, the gain of the signal processing circuit  15  can be further adjusted to a high value to put a picture signal generated by the signal processing circuit  15  at an eventually appropriate level. 
     In the display unit  20 , on the other hand, the contrast and the brightness of the picture appearing on the liquid-crystal panel  23   a  are suppressed and the brightness of the illumination provided by the back-light  23   b  is reduced so that, as a result, the picture becomes darker properly for the circumference. 
     Accordingly, even in a dark circumference, it is possible to display a picture which is dark and has low contrast with the back-light  23   b  adjusted to darkness properly for the circumference so that the picture can be seen with ease without dazzling the eyes. 
     In this way, the level of a picture signal generated by the camera unit  11  is optimized for the brightness of the circumference without regard to whether the circumference is bright or dark, and the brightness of a picture appearing on the liquid-crystal display panel  23   a  and the brightness of the back-light  23   b  in the display unit  20  are adjusted properly so that it is possible to display a picture that has neither white collapse nor black collapse going beyond the dynamic range of the liquid-display panel  23   a  and can be seen with ease. 
     As described above, in the embodiment, a picture signal generated by the camera unit  11  is converted by the output sub-unit  16  thereof into an analog signal which is converted back into a digital signal by the input sub-unit  21  employed in the display unit  20 . It should be noted, however, that the way in which the picture signal is transmitted from the camera unit  11  to the display unit  20  is not limited to these conversions. For example, the picture signal can also be transmitted from the camera unit  11  to the display unit  20  directly without being converted into an analog signal. 
     As another alternative, the output sub-unit  16  can also transmit the picture signal by properly modulating a carrier signal of a radio wave or an infrared pulse signal to the input sub-unit  21  employed in the display unit  20 . In this case, the input sub-unit  21  extracts the picture signal from the received signal by demodulation of the received signal. 
     FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment implementing an image-pickup display apparatus provided by the present invention. 
     The image-pickup display apparatus  40  shown in FIG. 2 comprises a camera unit  41  and a display unit  42  which are built to form a single body. Components of the image-pickup display apparatus  40  shown in FIG. 2 identical with those of FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as the latter and their explanation is not repeated. The image-pickup display apparatus  40  shown in FIG. 2 is different from the image-pickup display apparatus  10  shown in FIG. 1 in that the output sub-unit  16  and the input sub-unit  21  are omitted from the image-pickup display apparatus  40  shown in FIG.  2 . In addition, the camera-unit controller  17  and the display-unit controller  26  employed in the image-pickup display apparatus  10  shown in FIG. 1 are integrated into a single system controller  43  in the image-pickup display apparatus  40  shown in FIG.  2 . 
     In the case of the second embodiment, a manual adjustment device  44  provided on the display unit  20  outputs a control signal directly to the picture processor  22  and the system controller  43  which is provided in the camera unit  41 . In this way, information on adjustment is supplied to the system controller  43 . 
     The image-pickup display apparatus  40  with such a configuration has the same effects as the image-pickup display apparatus  10  shown in FIG.  1 . In the camera unit  41 , an image-pickup signal output by the image-pickup device  14  is processed by the signal processing circuit  15  to generate a picture signal which is supplied directly to the display unit  42  to be displayed on the liquid-crystal display panel  23   a  employed in the liquid-crystal display unit  23  by way of the driver  24 . 
     At that time, a drive/control signal output by the driver  24  is similarly supplied to the system controller  43  provided in the camera unit  41 . The system controller  43  in the camera unit  41  controls the diaphragm device  13  to adjust its squeezing position and properly adjusts the timing-clock generator  14   a  to regulate the so-called shutter speed of the image-pickup device  14  on the basis of data such as information on automatic exposure correction received from the signal processing circuit  15  by referring to information on the picture appearing on the display unit  42  received as the drive/control signal output by the driver  24  so as to obtain a proper quantity of light hitting the light intercepting surface of the image-pickup device  14 . In addition, the system controller  43  also adjusts the gain of the signal processing circuit  15 . 
     As a result, an image of a proper quantity of light is formed on the light intercepting surface of the image-pickup device  14  and the image-pickup device  14  can be prevented from entering the so-called saturation state. In addition, the signal processing circuit  15  generates a picture signal at a proper level. 
     Moreover, the system controller  43  in the camera unit  41  also controls the picture processor  22  and the back-light controller  25  employed in the display unit  42  on the basis of the information on the picture appearing on the display unit  42  so that the picture displayed on the liquid-crystal display unit  23  is optimized, that is, the picture appearing on the liquid-crystal display panel  23   a  falls within a dynamic range. 
     In this way, the system controller  43  controls the camera unit  41  and the display unit  42  in a coordinated manner by referring to the information on the picture appearing on the display unit  42  so that the picture displayed on the liquid-crystal display unit  23  employed in the display unit  42  is optimized. As a result, it is possible to display a picture that can be seen with ease on the liquid-crystal display panel  23   a  of the liquid-crystal display unit  23  employed in the display unit  42  without regard to whether the circumference is bright or dark. 
     FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment implementing an image-pickup display apparatus provided by the present invention. 
     The image-pickup display apparatus  50  shown in FIG. 3 comprises a camera unit  51  and a display unit  52  which are built to form a single body. Components of the image-pickup display apparatus  50  shown in FIG. 3 identical with those of FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals as the latter and their explanation is not repeated. The image-pickup display apparatus  50  shown in FIG. 3 is different from the image-pickup display apparatus  40  shown in FIG. 2 in that, in place of the system controller  43 , a built-in controller  53  is embedded in the signal processing circuit  15  to form a single body, and a decoder  54  is provided in the display unit  52 . 
     The built-in controller  53  has a configuration wherein there is no communication with the camera unit  52  and a drive/control signal generated by the driver  24  employed in the display unit  52  is supplied to the built-in controller  53 . By referring to this drive/control signal, the built-in controller  53  controls an exposure controller  15   a  provided in the signal processing circuit  15  to control the diaphragm control servo circuit  13   d  employed in the diaphragm device  13 . The diaphragm control servo circuit  13   d  in turn drives the diaphragm vane  13   a  employed in the diaphragm device  13  at a proper squeezing position. At the same time, the built-in controller  53  controls the timing-clock generator  14   a  to adjust the so-called shutter speed of the image-pickup device  14 . 
     In addition, the built-in controller  53  controls an automatic exposure corrector  15   b  provided in the signal processing circuit  15  to output correction data used in automatic exposure correction to the decoder  54  employed in the display unit  52 . 
     The decoder  54  controls the picture processor  22  and the back-light controller  25  on the basis of the automatic exposure correction data. 
     The image-pickup display apparatus  50  with such a configuration has the same effects as the image-pickup display apparatus  40  shown in FIG.  2 . In the camera unit  51 , an image-pickup signal output by the image-pickup device  14  is processed by the signal processing circuit  15  to generate a picture signal which is supplied directly to the display unit  52  to be displayed on the liquid-crystal display panel  23   a  employed in the liquid-crystal display unit  23  by way of the driver  24 . 
     At that time, a drive/control signal output by the driver  24  is similarly supplied to the built-in controller  53  provided in the camera unit  51 . The built-in controller  53  in the camera unit  51  controls the exposure controller  15   a  provided in the signal processing circuit  15 , controlling the diaphragm device  13  to adjust its squeezing position and properly adjusts the timing-clock generator  14   a  to regulate the so-called shutter speed of the image-pickup device  14  by referring to information on the picture appearing on the display unit  52  received as the drive/control signal output by the driver  24  so as to obtain a proper quantity of light hitting the light intercepting surface of the image-pickup device  14 . In addition, the built-in controller  53  also adjusts the gain of the signal processing circuit  15 . 
     As a result, an image of a proper quantity of light is formed on the light intercepting surface of the image-pickup device  14  and the image-pickup device  14  can be prevented from entering the so-called saturation state. In addition, the signal processing circuit  15  generates a picture signal at a proper level. 
     Moreover, the built-in controller  53  employed in the camera unit  51  controls the automatic exposure corrector  15   b  provided in the signal processing circuit  15  on the basis of information on the picture appearing on the display unit  52  to output correction data used in automatic exposure correction to the decoder  54  employed in the display unit  52 . In turn, the decoder  54  controls the picture processor  22  and the back-light controller  25  on the basis of the automatic exposure correction data so that the picture displayed on the liquid-crystal display unit  23  is optimized, that is, the picture appearing on the liquid-crystal display panel  23   a  falls within a dynamic range. 
     In this way, the built-in controller  53  controls the camera unit  51  and the display unit  52  through the exposure controller  15   a  and the automatic exposure corrector  15   b  in a coordinated manner by referring to the information on the picture appearing on the display unit  52  so that the picture displayed on the liquid-crystal display unit  23  employed in the display unit  52  is optimized. As a result, it is possible to display a picture that can be seen with ease on the liquid-crystal display panel  23   a  of the liquid-crystal display unit  23  employed in the display unit  52  without regard to whether the circumference is bright or dark. 
     In each of the image-pickup display apparatuses  10 ,  40  and  50  implemented by the embodiments described above, there is provided a diaphragm device  13  comprising the diaphragm control motor  13   b , the detector  13   c  and the diaphragm control servo circuit  13   d . It should be noted that, by employing a stepping motor in place of the diaphragm control motor  13   b , the detector  13   c  and the diaphragm control servo circuit  13   d  can be eliminated. 
     In addition, the diaphragm device  13  is placed typically on the optical path between the image-pickup optical system  12  and the image-pickup device  14 . It is worth noting that the diaphragm device  13  can be placed at any location as far as the diaphragm device  13  is capable of adjusting the quantity of light hitting the image-pickup device  14 . For example, it is obvious that the diaphragm device  13  can be placed between a plurality of lenses constituting the image-pickup optical system  12 . 
     Each of the image-pickup display apparatuses  10 ,  40  and  50  implemented by the embodiments described above comprises a camera unit and a display unit. Note that it is obvious that each of them may include a recording/playback unit as is the case with a portable video camera.