JP2003298920A - Digital camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital camera provided with a plurality of photographing optical systems and imaging elements for realizing high magnification zooming without interruption and upsizing. <P>SOLUTION: The digital camera has two kinds of modes comprising: a high image quality mode for processing an image obtained by composing high quality image information with a small field angle and possible for optical zooming obtained by a combination of a first CCD 30 with a small size and high pixel density, a first imaging lens 12 with a short focal length, a second CCD 32 with a large size and low pixel density, and a second imaging lens 14 with a long focal length and slightly lower quality image information with a large field angle by an image interpolation means; and a high magnification mode for processing an image obtained by composing high quality image information with a minimum field angle obtained by a combination of the first CCD 30 and the second imaging lens 14, and the second CCD 32 and the first imaging lens 12 and low quality image information with a large field angle by the image interpolation means 38. Each mode can be selected by selecting an optical path from each lens to each CCD to change the combination of the lenses and the CCDs. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a digital camera.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a so-called fixed lens type camera in which the photographing lens cannot be exchanged, it was necessary to mount a high-power zoom lens in order to enlarge the photographing area. The overall length and weight of the
There are problems that the open F value is dark and the optical performance is deteriorated.

For this reason, there has been devised a system in which a plurality of optical systems having a zoom function are provided instead of a single zoom lens, and switching is performed to enlarge a photographing area.

Further, there has been devised a device which has a single optical system and a plurality of image pickup devices of different sizes, and which switches the image pickup device to enlarge the photographing area. The shooting area cannot be changed continuously and continuously.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In consideration of the above facts, the present invention is a digital camera equipped with a plurality of photographing optical systems and image pickup devices, and has a high-magnification zoom that is continuous and continuous without increasing the size of the apparatus. The challenge is to achieve.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital camera including: a first image pickup device; a second image pickup device which is larger in size than the first image pickup device and has a lower pixel density; A photographic lens, a second photographic lens having a focal length longer than that of the first photographic lens, and light passing through the first photographic lens to the first image sensor or the second image sensor, or An optical path switching unit that guides the light that has passed through a second photographing lens to the first image sensor or the second image sensor, and the optical path switch unit to operate the first image sensor and the second image sensor. And image complementing means for selectively using image information obtained from the elements according to the required image quality.

In the invention of the above structure, the first image pickup device having a small size and a high pixel density and the first photographing lens having a short focal length, the second image pickup device having a large size and a low pixel density and the second photographing lens having a long focal length. Obtained by a combination of
It is possible to realize a high image quality mode based on an image obtained by synthesizing two pieces of high quality image information having a small angle of view and image information having a large angle of view and slightly low image quality by the image complementing means. In addition, the first image sensor having a small size and a high pixel density and the second image sensor having a long focal length
Two pieces of high-quality image information with a very small angle of view and low-quality image information with a large angle of view, which are obtained by a combination of a photographing lens, a second imaging element having a large size and a low pixel density, and a first photographing lens having a short focal length. It is possible to realize a high-magnification mode based on an image obtained by synthesizing with the image complementing means. That is, in the above configuration, two types of modes can be selected: a high image quality mode having a low zoom ratio but high image quality and a high magnification mode having a low image quality but a high zoom ratio.

The two types of modes can be selected by switching the optical path from each photographing lens to each image pickup element and changing the combination of the photographing lens and the image pickup element. Normally, the main subject is captured in the center of the screen for shooting, so if high-quality image information is used in the center of the screen, the image quality of the center of the screen including the main subject can be improved.

In the digital camera according to a second aspect of the present invention, the diagonal length ratio of the first image pickup device and the second image pickup device is equal to the focal length ratio of the first image pickup lens and the second image pickup lens. Characterized by being large or large.

In the invention of the above-mentioned structure, the field angle ratios of the two images obtained by the combination of the first image pickup device and the first taking lens and the second image pickup device and the second taking lens are the first and the second. It is a quotient obtained by dividing the diagonal length ratio of the second image pickup element by the focal length ratio of the first and second photographing lenses. When the diagonal length ratio is equal to the focal length ratio, the angles of view of the two images are equal. That is, the same image size difference is obtained.

Further, the angle-of-view ratios of two images obtained by the combination of the first image pickup element and the second image pickup lens and the second image pickup element and the first image pickup lens are as follows. Is the product of the diagonal length ratio and the focal length ratio of the first and second taking lenses.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a digital camera has a single operation section for the optical path switching means and the zoom means, and combines the picked-up images obtained by the first image pickup device and the second image pickup device, It is characterized by continuous and seamless changes.

In the invention having the above-mentioned structure, the image obtained by the first image pickup device having a small angle of view and a high pixel density is placed at the center of the photographed image, and the image is obtained by the second image pickup device having a large angle of view and a low pixel density. The captured image constitutes the peripheral part of the captured image. The above two images are combined by the image complementing means to form one image,
The minimum image obtained by the first image sensor is continuously changed to the maximum image obtained by the second image sensor without any break.

Even if the high image quality mode is set, continuous operation of the zoom means at the time when the angle of view becomes maximum or minimum automatically switches to the high magnification mode, and the zoom is not interrupted. Absent.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a digital camera according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the digital camera 1
Reference numeral 0 is a box shape, and is provided with a release button 16, a zoom button 18, a strobe 20, and the like. On the front surface of the digital camera 10, a first taking lens 12 and a second taking lens 14 are provided in a horizontal row at intervals of about 60 mm, and images are formed on a first CCD 30 and a second CCD 32 which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the digital camera 1
An LCD monitor 22 for the finder is provided on the back side of 0. Further, an optical finder 24 is separately provided. Switches such as a power switch 26 and a mode switching button 28 are also provided, and information such as mode switching and zooming is displayed on the LCD monitor 20.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the internal structure of the digital camera 10 according to the first embodiment.

The light passing through the first taking lens 12 is the first CC
The light imaged on D30 and passed through the second taking lens 14 is imaged on the second CCD 32, and the optical data is converted into electrical image data. This image data is stored in the image processing unit 34,
It is sent to 35 for image processing. The image data processed by the image processing units 34 and 35 is sent to the image complementing unit 38 in the control unit 36 and is combined into one image.

FIG. 3 shows an image synthesizing method performed by the image complementing unit 38.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the image of the first CCD 30 having a high pixel density is displayed in the center of the image, and the peripheral portion is complemented by using the image of the second CCD 32 having a low pixel density. In order to make the boundary between the image of the first CCD 30 and the image of the second CCD 32 inconspicuous, as shown in FIG.
A process for smoothly joining the image of the second CCD 32 is performed in the peripheral portion of the image of the CCD 30. For example, the first CC
When there is a difference in brightness between the image of D30 and the image of the second CCD 32, the vertical axis Y in FIG.
The brightness y is gradually changed from the image outer edge portion a2 of the CD 30 to the inner portion a3 provided at a certain distance to make the joints inconspicuous. Specifically, the second CCD 32 in a2
From the y value (ya2) of the first CCD30 in a3
Up to the y numerical value (ya3) of FIG.
(B) The numerical value y may be changed so that y1: y2 in the above is always x1: x2. Naturally, similar processing is performed for numerical values other than luminance.

FIG. 4 shows a first CCD 30 and a second CCD 32.
The images obtained in 1) are shown for each combination of the taking lens and the CCD.

Here, the first CCD 30 having a small size and a high pixel density and the second CC 30 having a large size and a low pixel density are used.
The diagonal length ratio of D32 is 1: 4, and the focal length ratio of the first taking lens 12 and the second taking lens 14 is 1: 2.

Further, the first taking lens 12 and the first CCD 3
The angle of view obtained by the combination of 0 is equivalent to a telephoto 96 mm lens in terms of 35 mm camera, the second taking lens 14 and the second CCD
The angle of view obtained with the combination of 32 is equivalent to a standard 48 mm lens in terms of 35 mm camera, the first taking lens 12 and the second CC
The angle of view obtained by the combination of D32 is also equivalent to the wide-angle 24 mm lens, and the angle of view obtained by the combination of the second taking lens 14 and the first CCD 30 is also equivalent to the telephoto 192 mm.

First, in the high image quality mode, as shown in FIG. 4A, the first taking lens 12 having a short focal length, the first CCD 30 having a small size and a high pixel density, and the second taking lens 14 having a long focal length are included. Second with large and low pixel density
Image information is obtained by a combination of CCDs 32. The obtained image information is 96 m from the first taking lens 12 / first CCD 30.
Since the second photographing lens 14 / the second CCD 32 is equivalent to a 48 mm lens, an image corresponding to the 96 mm lens of the first CCD 30 having a high image quality is placed in the center of the screen and the periphery is a 48 mm lens of the second CCD 32 as shown in FIG. 4A. By synthesizing images by image complementation using equivalent images, it is possible to obtain images seamlessly from a screen corresponding to a standard 48 mm lens to a screen corresponding to a telephoto 96 mm lens.

Next, in the high magnification mode, as shown in FIG. 4B, the second taking lens 14 having a long focal length, the first CCD 30 having a small size and a high pixel density, the first taking lens 12 having a short focal length, and a size. Large and low pixel density
Image information is obtained by a combination of CCDs 32. The obtained image information is 192 by the second taking lens 14 / first CCD 30.
mm lens equivalent, first taking lens 12 / second CCD 32
Since it is equivalent to a 24 mm lens, an image corresponding to the 192 mm lens of the first CCD 30 having high image quality is placed in the center of the screen as shown in FIG. 4B, and the periphery is composed by image complementing using the image corresponding to the 24 mm lens of the second CCD 32. Thus, it is possible to obtain an image seamlessly from a wide-angle 24 mm lens equivalent screen to a telephoto 192 mm lens equivalent screen. However, since the proportion of the first CCD 30 having a high pixel density is narrower than that in the high image quality mode, the image quality of the entire image is lower than that in the high image quality mode.

Next, the mode switching will be specifically described.

When the digital camera 10 is set to the high image quality mode, as shown in FIG.
Light incident from the first CCD 30 is guided to the first CCD 30, and light incident from the second taking lens 14 is guided to the second CCD 32.
As a result, the high-quality image obtained by the first taking lens 12 having a short focal length and the first CCD 30 having a high pixel density is placed at the center of the screen, and the high image taking portion obtained by the second taking lens 14 having a long focal length and the second CCD 32 having a low pixel density is obtained. By arranging the low image quality portion around the image, an image in which the angle of view ratio between the two images is small but the high image quality portion is large can be obtained.

When the photographer switches to the high-magnification mode with the mode switching button 28, as shown in FIG.
The light entering from the first taking lens 12 is reflected by the movable mirror 42 and the fixed mirror 44 and guided to the second CCD 32, and the light entering from the second taking lens 14 is reflected by the movable mirror 42. First CCD 30
Be led to. As a result, the high image quality portion obtained by the second taking lens 14 having a long focal length and the first CCD 30 having a high pixel density is placed in the center of the screen, and the high image quality portion obtained by the first taking lens 12 having a short focal length and the second CCD 32 having a low pixel density is obtained. By arranging the low-quality image portion around the high-quality image portion, an image having a large angle-of-view ratio between the two images can be obtained, but a high-magnification zoom is possible.

In the first embodiment, the focal length ratio of the first taking lens 12 and the second taking lens 14 and the first C
If the diagonal length ratios of the CD 30 and the second CCD 32 are equal,
In the high image quality mode, the angles of view of the two images are the same. For example, when the focal length ratio of the taking lens and the diagonal length ratio of the CCD are both 1: 2, the first CCD 30
If the combination of the second taking lens 14 is equivalent to 112 mm,
If the combination of the CD 32 and the first taking lens 12 is equivalent to 28 mm, the two images are both 56 mm in the high image quality mode.
It becomes a considerable angle of view.

Therefore, images having the same angle of view can be obtained from the two taking lenses 12 and 14 arranged side by side at intervals of about 60 mm. If these two image sizes are unified and output side by side, it becomes a stereo photograph.

FIG. 6 shows the structure of a digital camera according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6A, the digital camera 10 has a shape in which two boxes are connected, and the two boxes are rotatably connected by a rotary shaft 46 located at the center of the joint surface.

A box on the front side of the photographer, that is, a CCD
A power switch 26, a zoom button 18, and a release button 16 are provided in the portion 48, and the first CCD 30 is provided on the joint surface.
And a second CCD 32 are provided. The lens unit 50, which is rotatably supported on the CCD unit 48 by the rotary shaft 46, has
It can be freely rotated 360 degrees around the
The taking lens 12 and the second taking lens 14 are housed. The light passing through the first and second photographing lenses is the first light, respectively.
The first CC of the CCD unit 48 passes through the window 52 and the second window 54.
An image is formed on D30 and the second CCD 32. Information is exchanged between the CCD unit 48 and the lens unit 50, power supply for AF, and the like are performed through the electric contacts 56.

When the photographer switches modes, the CCD unit 48 and the lens unit 50 are held 180 degrees about the rotary shaft 46.
Rotate it once. As a result, the first taking lens 12 and the second taking lens 14 of the lens unit 50, and the first CCD 3 of the CCD unit
The combination of 0 and the second CCD 32 is reversed. Since the optical axes of the taking lens and the CCD are symmetrical with respect to the rotation axis 46, the optical axes do not change even if the CCD section 48 and the lens section 50 are rotated 180 degrees. Since the electric contact 56 is also symmetrical with respect to the rotation axis, it does not hinder the transmission of information and electric power.
In addition, the lock mechanism 58 prevents the camera from rotating carelessly during shooting.
Needless to say, to provide.

Further, the lens portion may be painted in two-tone color or the shape may be made asymmetric so that the current combination of lens / CCD can be seen at a glance as either high image quality or high magnification.

FIG. 7 shows the external appearance of the digital camera according to the third embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 7, the digital camera 10 has a shape in which two boxes are connected in the same manner as in the second embodiment, but in the third embodiment, there is no rotation axis, and the joint surface on the side of the CCD unit 48. U
The support portion 60 has a V shape, and the locking portion 62 that forms the joint surface on the lens portion 50 side is fitted and fixed from above.

At the time of mode switching, the lens unit 50 is once removed, rotated 180 degrees about the lens optical axis direction, and then fitted into the CCD unit 48. As a result, the combination of the photographing lens / CCD is changed, and the photographing mode can be changed.

At this time, it is necessary to provide the lock mechanism 64 to prevent the CCD unit 48 and the lens unit 50 from being unintentionally disconnected.

FIG. 8 shows a sectional view of the optical system according to the fourth embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8A, the light incident from one opening is split into two by the half prism 66, and one of them is reflected by the mirror 68, and the first taking lens 12 and the second taking lens 14 respectively. After leading to the 1st and 2nd CC
Image on D. After this, as shown in FIG. 8B, the combination of the taking lens and the CCD is switched by a method based on any of the first to third embodiments.

At this time, since the first taking lens 12 and the second taking lens 14 are optically coaxially arranged, even if the distance to the subject becomes short, two lenses are provided between the images from the two CCDs. There is an advantage that parallax (parallax) due to the position shift of does not occur.

A half mirror may be used instead of the half prism 66, and the difference in brightness between the two taking lenses is corrected by adjusting the reflection / transmission ratio of the half prism / half mirror. You may do it.

[0044]

Since the present invention has the above-described structure, it is possible to realize continuous high-power zoom without interruption without increasing the size of the apparatus.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a digital camera according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the digital camera according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of screen composition of the digital camera according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of screen composition of the digital camera according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an internal structure diagram of the digital camera according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the digital camera according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a digital camera according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an internal structural diagram of a digital camera according to a fourth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 digital camera 12 First photography lens 14 Second photography lens 16 Release button 18 Zoom button 26 Power switch 30 First CCD 32 Second CCD 42 Movable mirror 44 fixed mirror 46 rotation axis 48 CCD section 50 lens part 52 First window 54 second window 56 electrical contacts 60 Support 62 Locking part 66 half prism

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) H04N 5/225 H04N 5/225 D // H04N 101: 00 101: 00 F term (reference) 2H054 AA01 BB02 BB05 BB07 2H101 DD16 EE08 5C022 AA13 AB66 AC42 AC54 AC69

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A first image pickup device, a second image pickup device having a larger size and a lower pixel density than the first image pickup device, a first photographing lens, and a focal length longer than that of the first photographing lens. A long second taking lens, and light passing through the first taking lens to the first image pickup device or the second image pickup device, or light passing through the second taking lens to the first image pickup device. Image sensor or the second
Optical path switching means for guiding the image pickup element to the image pickup element, and image complementing means for operating the optical path switch means to selectively use image information obtained from the first image pickup element and the second image pickup element according to the required image quality. A digital camera characterized by that. 2. A diagonal length ratio between the first image pickup device and the second image pickup device is equal to or larger than a focal length ratio between the first image pickup lens and the second image pickup lens. The digital camera according to claim 1. 3. The operation unit of the optical path switching unit and the zoom unit is united, and the captured images obtained by the first image pickup device and the second image pickup device are combined and continuously changed without a break. Claim 1 or claim 2 characterized in that
Digital camera described in.