JPH10164521A - Image processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] To automatically extract and lay out a video part in a teletext and its related characters, and print it on one sheet of paper. A teletext signal selected by a tuner (2) is input to a still image capturing unit (4), and the movement of the video signal is detected. When the state in which the movement is equal to or less than the threshold continues for a certain period of time, one frame of a still image signal is taken into the image memory 43. At this time, the character data extracting unit 3 extracts related character data from the vertical blanking period and stores the character data in the text memory 34 as text information. These still images and text information are flowed into a predetermined output format, laid out, and stored in the output layout memory 5 as one image. The stored image is output to the printer 7 via the printer control unit 6 and printed on one sheet of paper.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus suitable for receiving and processing a television signal on which data is superimposed during a vertical blanking period, such as a teletext broadcast.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional teletext is a type of data broadcast in which a video signal of a television broadcast is transmitted by superimposing data in a vertical blanking period that is not displayed as an image on a display screen and transmitted. The data is assembled and displayed as a still image such as a character or a drawing.

As shown in FIG. 6, conventional teletext broadcasting in Japan includes fourteenth, fifteenth,
16, 21H (in the second field, 277, 278,
279, 284H) during the four horizontal scanning periods. On the other hand, as shown in FIG.
12, 13H (Nos. 273, 274, 275, 276)
Data broadcasting in which data is superimposed during the horizontal scanning period of H) has been started.

[0004] The amount of data superimposed on these conventional text broadcasts and new data broadcasts is 176 bits (2 bits) per horizontal scanning period excluding a synchronization signal and a signal for error correction.
2 bytes), it is 1320 bytes in one second (60 fields). Such data is transmitted not as a video but as a binary crest value of “1” and “0” that is clocked by a clock of 5.72 MHz. The information is extracted, a frame image is configured so that the information can be viewed as characters and graphics, and displayed as a still image.

[0005] Teletext broadcast programs include subtitle programs sent in synchronization with conversations in the video screen, programs that are not synchronized but are related to the video, or programs that are independent of the video and are independent. There is. Among them, in the case of a program related to the video, if the video and the superimposed data are linked and displayed on one screen, it is easy to understand and the utility value increases. Although this may be displayed on a television screen, text information such as characters and graphics that are originally displayed statically is easier to read when printed on paper. This can be achieved relatively easily today when printers are available at low cost.

That is, as shown in FIG. 7, it is conceivable to lay out text information of teletext and a still image extracted from a video signal related to the text information and print the layout on a piece of paper. For example, if you have a cooking show and the associated recipe is being sent by teletext at the same time,
A method of laying out and printing the recipe information and the completed dish on a piece of paper is conceivable.

In order to execute the above usage, conventionally, the following operation is required. (1) Capture an optimal still image from a video of a broadcast program. (2) Write the text information of the teletext corresponding to this while watching the screen, or obtain the text information on the computer via the teletext adapter for the computer. (3) The still image and the text information are edited by using a computer or a word processor, and output on one sheet of paper.

[0008]

In the above operation (1), as a method for capturing a still image most suitable for the contents of teletext, a method of pressing a trigger key when a scene considered to be optimal while a broadcast screen is displayed is displayed. Can be considered.
However, it is difficult to take such a timing to actually perform such an operation, and the above (1) and (2)
Each of the operations (3) is very complicated and impractical.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus which automatically executes the above-mentioned operation, automatically lays out a still image and text information in an optimum format, and outputs the layout to a printer or the like. And

[0010]

According to the present invention, there is provided a receiving means for receiving a television signal including a video signal and data superimposed in a vertical blanking period, wherein the motion amount of the received video signal is a predetermined value. Capturing means for capturing a still image signal from the video signal in response to the state of being equal to or less than the predetermined value for a predetermined time or more, and a predetermined data from a vertical blanking period when the still image signal is captured. And a layout means for laying out the captured still image signal and the extracted data in a predetermined output format.

[0011]

According to the present invention, when the motion of a received video signal is small and continues for a certain period of time or longer, a still image signal is automatically taken in, and data such as character data at that time is extracted. The data and the still image signal are automatically laid out in a predetermined format. Therefore, by outputting the laid out signal to a printer or the like, one laid out image can be obtained.

[0012]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is an antenna, 2
Is a tuner for selecting a desired channel from a television broadcast wave signal obtained from the antenna 1, and extracts a baseband television signal. Reference numeral 3 denotes a character data extraction unit for extracting teletext data from the vertical blanking period of the television signal. Reference numeral 4 denotes a still image extraction unit which detects a motion of a video signal of the television signal and automatically extracts a still image signal. An output layout memory 5 for laying out the extracted still image signal and the extracted text information on a memory in a format suitable for the printer, and outputting the readout signal to a printer 7; And a printer controller 7 for printing the output image signal on paper.

Reference numeral 8 denotes an input / output interface unit for inputting a command signal and outputting and displaying a display signal, 9 a clock unit, and 10 a CPU for controlling the whole.

Next, in the character data extracting unit 3, reference numeral 31 denotes a character extracting unit for extracting teletext data from the signal of the channel selected by the tuner 2 at 5.72 MHz.
With the clock of (0.175 μs), the peak value of the transmission waveform is sampled at the position where the eye pattern is most open,
“1” and “0” are determined by comparing with a predetermined threshold. 32 is a buffer memory for temporarily storing the extracted data, 33 is a data analysis and extraction control unit for analyzing the data stored in the buffer memory 32 and taking in necessary text information, and 34 is a text for storing the text information. A memory 35 is a ROM in which processing programs and data for analyzing and determining character data are stored.

In the still image extracting section 4, 4
1 demodulates a baseband signal of a channel selected by the tuner 2 and outputs a luminance signal and a color difference signal or three primary colors (RG
B) A decoder that separates and extracts the signal, monitors the movement of the luminance signal (video signal), and detects that the amount of movement is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value and that the state of being equal to or less than the threshold value continues for a predetermined time. A motion detection trigger generation circuit 43 for generating a trigger signal is an image memory for taking in a one-frame still image signal from the video signal extracted by the decoder 41 in response to the trigger signal. From the viewpoint of saving the memory in a range where the information is not lost, it is preferable that the image memory 43 stores the luminance signal and a color difference signal sampled at a half sampling frequency of the luminance signal separately. Also, from the viewpoint of simplicity of the subsequent processing, the image data may be separated into three primary color signals and stored.

Next, in the input / output interface section 8, reference numeral 81 denotes a main body interface for inputting a command signal by operating an operation button of the main body, and reference numeral 82 denotes a remote control interface for inputting a command signal by operating an operation button of a remote control.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. First, step S
At step 1, the process of reserving a text broadcast is performed, and the number of the desired program, the channel of the television broadcast related thereto, and the start and end times of the program are specified. These are designated by operating the operation buttons on the main body or the remote controller. After the designation, the main body and the printer 7 are kept in a state where power is not consumed. Next, at the designated time, a start-up process is performed by a timer in step S2, and the power is turned on to the main body and the printer 7. Subsequently, in step S3, extraction of the video signal and teletext data is started. From here, step S in FIG.
4 and subsequent still image capturing processing and step S13 in FIG.
The flow branches to the subsequent character data extraction processing.

First, the still image capturing process will be described with reference to FIG. A method of automatically extracting an appropriate scene from a moving image without actually seeing the image is a general method that an image of an important subject is kept stationary for a while. It is based on facts. Therefore, first, in step S4, a threshold value M _{0 of the} amount of motion and a threshold value T _{0 of} a time period during which the state of the threshold value M ₀ or less continues. These values of M ₀ and T ₀ are initially prepared in the ROM 35 as processing program data. Next, in step S5, the amount of movement M is measured. This measurement is performed continuously until the end of the program. The motion amount detection is performed by calculating a level difference between corresponding pixels of adjacent frame images, and a detailed circuit configuration will be described later. The detection of the amount of movement is performed while resetting one frame period at a time and reading that it changes one after another.

[0019] At next step S6, and compares the detected motion amount M and M _0, starts time measurement in step S7 from the time it becomes M ≦ M _0. And comparing the time T and T ₀ measured in step S8, when it becomes T ≧ T _0, still to generate the trigger signal in step S9 from the time that matches the next vertical synchronizing signal for one frame The image signal is taken into the image memory 43.

Next, when M> M ₀ in step S10, the time T measured up to that point is stored in step S11, the measurement is terminated, and T ₀ is replaced with T.
Steps S5 to S11 are performed until the program ends in step S12.

Next, the character data extraction processing will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the program management data or the page data of the data in the teletext is configured as a 19-byte program data header or a page data header starting with a 1-byte header start code (SOH). Therefore, the 19-byte data is analyzed, and in step S13, the data header identification code of the eighth byte is checked. If the data header identification code is "02/0", the data is the program management data. The program number data in the byte is compared with the specified program number, and when they match, step S
In step 14, the total number of pages in the 13th byte is set in the counter.

Next, starting from SOH sent 19
For the byte data, the identification code of the eighth byte is “0”.
If it is "2/1", it is a page data header. In this case, when the program numbers in the eleventh and twelfth bytes match the specified program number, the data in the thirteenth byte indicates the page number. Because it is, step S1
At 5, the page number data is written to the text memory 34. Hereinafter, in step S16, the data headers successively sent are checked, and if the fetched page data matches the total number of pages, all the text information corresponding to the program number specified in step S17 has been accumulated.

Next, the still image data of the image memory 43 and the text information of the text memory 34 obtained as described above are flowed into an output format prepared in advance in step S18, and the result is output to the output layout memory 5. To store. Then, in step S19, the stored data is output to the printer 7. Thus, the printer 7 can print an image laid out as shown in FIG. 7 on one sheet of paper, for example. Then, in step S20, the power of the main body and the printer is shut off, and the process ends. The above processing procedure is stored in the ROM 35 or the like.

FIG. 5 shows the motion detection trigger generation circuit 42 of FIG.
An example of the configuration will be described. In FIG. 5, when a luminance signal demodulated by the decoder 41 of FIG. 1 is input, a synchronization signal detection circuit 421 detects a synchronization signal and generates a timing generation circuit 422.
Is the reference of the clock generated in. Also, the decoder 4
1 is an analog video signal, the A / D converter 42
After digitizing by 3, the frame buffer 424 stores 1
Delay the frame. Next, the difference between the signal delayed by one frame and the current signal not delayed is calculated for each pixel by a subtracter 425, and the difference value is added to an integrating circuit 426 to obtain an integrated value for one frame period. This integrated value is latched as a motion amount M until the next frame.

Next, the amount of movement M is calculated by a comparator 427 as a threshold M
₀Compare with The result of this comparison is M ≦ M₀Or M> M₀so
High (or low) level or low (or high) level as far as possible
Becomes The result of this comparison is sent to the time measurement circuit 428 and the timer 4
29 as a reference value. The time measurement circuit 428 has M ≦
M₀As long as the clock from the timing generation circuit 422 is
The time is measured by the lock. Therefore, this time measurement circuit
428 is always M ≦ M ₀Outputs the maximum value of the duration of
This is stored in the timer 429 for the set time T.₀Give as. Thailand
The timer 429 measures the time with the above clock, and₀Reach
And generate a trigger pulse. Vertical synchronization with this trigger pulse
From the point in time when the
The number is taken into the image memory 43.

Although the above configuration example is for capturing only one scene with the longest resting time, a plurality of frames may be captured by increasing the memory capacity. In this case, the process of replacing the connection time of M ≦ M _{0 in} step S11 with the past maximum value is omitted, and the frame (or field) is sequentially stored in the image memory 43 having the increased capacity every time a trigger pulse is generated. The processing for capturing the image may be performed. In addition, all the captured images are displayed, and the optimum image can be manually selected from the displayed images.

In the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which a television broadcast is broadcast in real time and a text broadcast related to the television broadcast is described. After recording a received television signal including a teletext, the reproduced television signal may be reproduced, a still image signal and text information may be extracted from the reproduced signal, and these may be laid out. Thus, printing can be performed at any time regardless of the broadcast time.

To do this concretely, the above-mentioned recording / reproducing apparatus is provided, the output of the tuner 2 including the waveform of the vertical blanking period is recorded and stored, and the reproduced output is output to the character data extracting unit 3 and the still image. What is necessary is just to comprise so that it may give to the take-out part 4. At that time, in the process of FIG. 2, a slight change such as inputting "0: 0: 0" as the broadcast start and end times in step S1 may be performed.

In the present embodiment, the layout is performed in the output layout memory 5 in the output format suitable for the printer 7. However, the output format suitable for displaying on the display of the computer may be used. Further, an output format suitable for recording and reproduction by a VTR or the like may be used, and an output unit corresponding to each output format may be provided.

The image processing apparatus according to the present invention may be built in a printer, or may be a video camera,
It may be incorporated in an imaging device such as a video still camera, a television receiver, a VTR, or the like.

Although the description has been given using a broadcasting system in Japan, the same concept can be applied to other teletext systems.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A still image signal and teletext data are automatically obtained in response to a state in which the motion of the video signal is small for a certain period of time, and these can be automatically laid out according to a predetermined format. Therefore, an effect is obtained in which the laid-out image can be sent to an external device such as a printer for printing and display.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a desired television broadcast program can be automatically selected, and the above effect can be obtained for the television signal.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, for a program in which a video signal and teletext data are related, a still image and data related to each other can be laid out in one image. it can.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, by preparing various output formats in the storage means, a layout suitable for the type of the external device can be performed.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the automatically laid-out image can be printed on one sheet of paper using a printer.

According to the invention of claim 6, the automatically laid-out image can be easily displayed on the screen of a computer. Furthermore, according to the invention of claim 7, the automatically laid-out image can be easily recorded and reproduced.

Further, according to the eighth, ninth and tenth aspects of the present invention, it is possible to obtain an image pickup apparatus, a printer, and a television receiver incorporating the image processing apparatus having the above-described effects of the present invention.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the above effects can be obtained by reproducing the recorded television signal at any time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a data configuration of teletext program management data or a page data header.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a motion detection trigger generation circuit in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a timing chart showing a signal configuration of a text broadcast or a data broadcast to which the present invention can be applied.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of an image printed by a printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Antenna 2 Tuner 3 Character data extraction part 4 Still image capture part 5 Output layout memory 6 Printer control part 7 Printer 8 I / O interface part 9 Clock 10 CPU

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A receiving means for receiving a television signal including a video signal and data superimposed in a vertical blanking period, wherein a motion amount of the received video signal is equal to or less than a predetermined value and equal to or less than the predetermined value. Capturing means for capturing a still image signal from the video signal in response to the continuation of a predetermined time or more, data extracting means for extracting predetermined data from a vertical blanking period when the still image signal is captured, An image processing apparatus comprising: layout means for laying out a captured still image signal and the extracted data in a predetermined output format. 2. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a designating means for designating a broadcast program of said television signal. 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contents of the video signal and the data superimposed during the vertical blanking period are related. 4. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said layout means has a storage means for storing said output format. 5. The image according to claim 1, wherein the output format is a format that can be printed by a printer, and output means for outputting the laid-out still image signal and data to the printer is provided. Processing equipment. 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said output format is a format that can be displayed on a display screen of a computer, and output means for outputting the laid-out still image signal and data to the computer is provided. Image processing device. 7. An output means for outputting the laid-out still image signal and data to a recording / reproducing apparatus which records / reproduces the laid-out still image signal and data on / from the recording medium. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: 8. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said means is provided in an imaging device. 9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the units is provided in a printer. 10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the units is provided in a television receiver. 11. A recording / reproducing means for recording a television signal received by said receiving means on a recording medium including a waveform of a vertical blanking period thereof, and for inputting a reproduced signal to said capturing means and said data extracting means. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: