JPH07177413A - Image handling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To fetch high definition images with simple constitution by reflecting incident light from an image pickup area in a direction where an image pickup system is arranged and driving an optical element by a driving device so as to change the direction of reflection corresponding to the division of the image pickup area. CONSTITUTION:The rotation of a mirror driving motor 3 is transmitted through a deceleration mechanism 2 composed of a gear train to a mirror block 1 and the mirror block 1 is stepwisely rotated with a rotation center chaft CC as a center. The mirror block 1 is provided with a rectangular parallelopiped shape and the mirrors 1A-1D of respective prescribed angles are attached to four sides. Then, light from an image pickup object area is passed through a protective lens 4 along an optical path and reflected at the mirror 1C of the mirror block 1. The reflected light is passed through a lens system 5 and a filter lens 7, made incident to a CCD 8, converted to video signals and outputted to an image pickup amplifier.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image handling device,
Particularly, the present invention relates to an image handling device that can obtain a highly accurate image with a simple configuration.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An image handling apparatus which obtains an image of an original image pickup target area by electrically pasting divided image data obtained by dividing an image pickup target area into an image
Since a high-definition image can be obtained, it is highly useful in the field of letters and figures drawn on a blackboard or a white board, and also in the field of OA equipment for picking up images of books.

In such divided image pickup of the image pickup target area, for example, a mirror is rotated to obtain an image obtained by temporally dividing the horizontal direction or the horizontal direction (the rotation direction of the mirror), and
Two CCDs as image pickup devices are installed at positions slightly or vertically displaced from the rotation direction of the mirror to obtain a divided image in the vertical direction.

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a main part of this type of image handling apparatus. The optical system base 200 is provided with a mirror 21 fixed to a mirror base 21B that is rotationally driven by an actuator 30 about a mirror rotation center 21C. Image light from the imaging target is incident on the mirror 21 through the optical paths A, B, and C corresponding to the rotation angle position. The reflected light from the mirror 21 is
The light passes through the lens frame 41 installed on the optical system base 200 and enters the prism block 43 through the optical filter 42. CCD on the side of the prism block 43 at right angle
51 and 52 are attached. These CCDs 51 and 52 are attached at positions slightly shifted in the vertical direction in order to obtain an image obtained by dividing the image pickup target area into two in the vertical direction.

FIG. 8 shows divided areas A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2 obtained by the image handling apparatus having the above-mentioned structure.
The image arrangement example of is shown. In this example, the optical path A in FIG.
The image for the CCD 5 is vertically displaced.
Images A1 and A2 vertically divided into two by 1 and 52
As shown. As the mirror 21 rotates, the image areas B1 and B2 of the optical path B, and further the image area C1 of the optical path C
And the image of C2 is obtained. Split image A thus obtained
One image is obtained by electrically bonding 1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2 together and performing a combining process.

[0006]

As described above, an image handling apparatus which divides an image pickup target area into two directions and inputs an image has a position displaced in the vertical direction with respect to an optical path of reflected light from a mirror. It is necessary to paste the two CCDs onto the prism with high accuracy.

However, since two CCDs are required, not only the cost problem arises, but also the technique of attaching the prism on the side surface of the prism with high precision is not simple and the adjustment is very difficult. .

In order to solve this problem, it is conceivable that one CCD is attached to the side surface of the prism and the mirror is also driven in the vertical direction so that the image can be divided in the vertical direction. Two drive systems are required, which occupies a large space and goes against the demand for miniaturization of the apparatus, and also causes a disadvantage in terms of cost.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image handling apparatus capable of obtaining divided images with a simple mechanism.

[0010]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an image handling apparatus according to the present invention divides an image-capturing target area into images, and data representing a plurality of images obtained as a result of imaging according to the division. Is a device that obtains image data corresponding to a high-definition image by electrically bonding these images, and has a reflection surface that reflects incident light from the imaging region in the direction in which the imaging system is arranged. And an optical element for driving the optical element in order to change the direction of the reflection in accordance with the division of the image pickup area.

[0011]

According to the present invention, an image handling apparatus for electrically bonding a plurality of image data obtained by divided image pickup of an image pickup target area is provided with a reflecting surface for reflecting incident light in the direction in which the image pickup system is arranged. The optical element thus formed is driven by the driving means to change the reflection direction in various ways in accordance with the division. At this time, it is possible to give a displacement by driving so as to take a posture such that each corresponding divided area in the imaging target area is sequentially scanned in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a main part of an application example of an image handling apparatus according to the present invention to a camera. Further, FIG. 2 shows a plan view of an arrangement relationship of each component of the apparatus shown in FIG.

The optical system base 11 in the camera housing 100
The components of this embodiment are mounted on the display unit 0, and a viewfinder 9, a battery 10 and a memory card card slot 11 are provided. A memory card 12 as a recording medium for recording image information is inserted and mounted in the memory card card slot 11.

The optical system base 110 is provided with a mirror block 1 to which the rotational movement from the mirror drive motor 3 is transmitted via a reduction mechanism 2 such as a gear to rotate. Mirrors 1A to 1D having positions and angles as described later are fixed to the mirror block 1. Figure 2 on the mirror
Lights A to D from the divided areas as shown in FIG. The reflected light from each mirror passes through a shutter 51 and a lens group (not shown) in the lens frame 52, and further enters a CCD unit 8 through a filter lens unit 7 and is converted into an electric signal. At the time of image capturing, focusing control is performed by the AF motor 6, and an image is captured by controlling the shutter 51.

A more detailed schematic perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. A stepping motor is used as the mirror drive motor 3, and the rotation of the mirror drive motor 3 is transmitted to the mirror block 1 via the speed reduction mechanism 2 including a gear train, and the mirror block 1 is stepped around the rotation center axis CC. Rotate. Mirror block 1
Has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and mirrors 1A to 1D each having a predetermined angle are attached to the four surfaces.

Light from the image pickup area passes through the protective lens 4 along the optical path and is reflected by the mirror (mirror 1C in the figure) of the mirror block 1. The reflected light passes through the lens system 5 and the filter lens 7 and is incident on one CCD 8 to be converted into an image signal and output to the image pickup amplifier.

The mirrors 1A to 1D of the mirror block 1 are
For example, it is configured as shown in FIG. In the figure (A),
A front view of the mirror block 1, a side view of the same (B), and a bottom view of the same (C) are shown, and a mirror is attached to each of the four surfaces of the mirror block 1. As is clear from FIG. 2B, the mirror 1D is attached at an angle of φ with respect to the longitudinal direction (axial direction) of the mirror block 1, and the mirror 1B is attached at an angle of −φ in the opposite direction. There is. Further, as shown in FIG. 6C, the mirror 1C is not tilted in the axial direction, and the mirror 1A is mounted tilted by −2φ.

The mirror block 1 having the above structure is used as the rotating shaft 1.
When the mirror is rotated in the direction of the arrow (right) around C, the light enters from the imaging target area in the order of mirror 1C → mirror 1D → mirror 1A → mirror 1B every 90 ° rotation. Become. Therefore, every time the mirror block 1 is rotated by 90 degrees, the imaging target area incident on the CCD is scanned in the lateral direction (horizontal direction).

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the vertical division of the image pickup target area by the vertical (vertical) scan of the mirror. As shown in FIG. 5 (A), a state of a position P1 inclined by α from the reference axis and a position P inclined by −α as shown in FIG. 5 (B).
In the state of 2, the images from the upper and lower regions of the imaging target region are incident on the CCD. In this way, the optical path can be changed in the vertical direction by rotating the mirror stepwise so that the mirror is tilted by α with respect to the reference axis.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the image division areas in the above embodiment. In FIG. 6, an image of a total of 8 divided regions, that is, the image pickup target region is divided into two in the vertical direction and four in the horizontal direction, is obtained. In FIG. 6, the rotation axis CC of the mirror block 1 is rotated by the stepping motor as described above, and the point X shown in the drawing is the center point on which the light from the imaging region enters. The mirror block 1 is rotated so that each image area divided into four in the horizontal direction is imaged on the CCD with the point X as the center of the mirrors 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D. Further, the positions P1 and P which are inclined by + α and −α with respect to the reference axis
By setting to 2, a divided image in the vertical direction can be obtained.

In FIG. 6, the upper image areas obtained by the respective mirrors 1A to 1D are indicated by A1 to D1 and the lower image areas are indicated by A2 to D2. The image area obtained in the actual imaging mode is A1 → A2 → B1 → B2 → C1 →
It can be changed in the order of C2 → D1 → D2 ... However, if the images are captured in such an order, the stepping motors rotate only in the same direction, which is preferable in operation.

In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the image pickup area is divided into the horizontal direction and the vertical direction has been described. However, if the mirror structure is modified, the image pickup area can be divided only in the horizontal direction or only in the vertical direction. Of course, you can also do it.

[0023]

As described above, the image handling apparatus according to the present invention requires only one drive motor for driving the mirror system and one image pickup element (CCD), and the bonding of the CCDs is less restricted in terms of accuracy. It is possible to capture a high-definition image at a low cost with a simple configuration.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a main part of an application example of an image handling apparatus according to the present invention to a camera.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an arrangement relationship of each component of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a more detailed schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view, a side view, and a bottom view of mirrors 1A to 1D of a mirror block 1 in the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining vertical division of an imaging target area by vertical (vertical) scanning of a mirror according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an image division area in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a main part of a conventional image handling device.

8 is a divided area A obtained by the image handling apparatus of FIG.
It is a figure which shows the image arrangement of 1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Mirror Block 1A to 1D Mirror 2 Reduction Mechanism 3 Mirror Drive Motor 4 Protective Lens 5 Lens System 6 AF Motor 7 Filter Lens Unit 8 CCD Unit 9 Finder 10 Battery 11 Card Throttle for Memory Card 12 Memory Card 51 Shutter 52 Mirror Frame 100 Housing Body 110 Optical system base

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A high-definition image is processed by subjecting an image-capturing target area to image-capturing, and electrically attaching these images to data representing a plurality of images obtained as a result of image-capturing according to the division. An apparatus for obtaining image data, comprising an optical element having a reflecting surface for reflecting incident light from an image pickup area in a direction in which an image pickup system is arranged, and a reflection direction corresponding to division of the image pickup area. An image handling apparatus comprising: a driving unit that drives the optical element to change the image. 2. The driving means is configured to give a displacement to the optical element so as to take a posture such that each corresponding divided area in the imaging target area is sequentially scanned in the horizontal direction. The image handling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The driving means is configured to give a displacement to the optical element so as to take a posture of sequentially scanning each corresponding divided area in an image pickup target area in a vertical direction. The image handling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: