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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for producing and
recording a panorama image from an image signal produced by imaging a
subject by means of an imaging element such as a CCD (charge coupled
device) apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Apparatus wherein an image signal produced by imaging a subject by means of
an imaging element such as a CCD apparatus is recorded onto a recording
medium and is supplied to a viewfinder and the thus recorded image signal
is reproduced and supplied to a monitor are known and used conventionally.
A typical one of such apparatus is a video tape recorder integrated with a
camera (hereinafter referred to as video camera-tape recorder) or an
electronic still camera.
In such a conventional video camera-tape recorder or a like apparatus as
mentioned above, the image signal supplied to the viewfinder or the
monitor represents the subject for each screen, and accordingly, also the
image displayed in the viewfinder or on the monitor represents the subject
for each screen. Consequently, the image displayed at a time is limited to
an image of a narrow area of the subject, and it is impossible for the
user to see a wide scene or spectacle at a glance.
Thus, a panorama image producing apparatus has been proposed wherein a
subject is imaged to produce an image signal and a plurality of images
formed from the image signal are joined together to produce a panorama
image. The panorama image producing apparatus photographs a subject while
being panned or tilted and controls the width with which a plurality of
images are joined together in accordance with a motion vector of the
image. Accordingly, in order to produce a panorama image with a high
degree of accuracy, it is necessary to accurately detect a motion vector
of an image.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and an
apparatus by which a panorama image signal is produced from an image
signal produced by imaging a subject by means of an imaging element such
as a CCD apparatus.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image signal
recording apparatus and an image signal recording and reproducing
apparatus wherein a panorama image can be produced from an image signal
produced by imaging a subject by means of an imaging element such as a CCD
apparatus.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an image signal
recording apparatus and an image signal recording and reproducing
apparatus wherein a panorama image can be produced with a high degree of
accuracy from an image signal reproduced by means of a video camera-tape
recorder.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a motion
vector detecting method and apparatus by which a motion vector can be
detected accurately upon production of a panorama image from an image
signal produced by imaging a subject by means of an imaging element such
as a CCD element.
It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a panorama
image producing method and apparatus by which a panorama image of a high
quality can be obtained by varying the screen dividing mode in response to
an image obtained by photographing.
It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a panorama
image producing method and apparatus by which a panorama image which has a
minimized degree of distortion at a joining portion thereof can be
produced.
It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide an imaging
and recording apparatus by which a panorama image can be produced and a
proceeding condition of imaging for production of a panorama image can be
visually observed.
In order to attain the objects described above, according to an aspect of
the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for recording an
image signal, which comprises imaging means for imaging a subject, motion
vector detecting means for detecting motion vector information from an
image signal from the imaging means, and recording means for recording the
motion vector information from the motion vector detecting means onto a
recording medium together with the image signal from the imaging means.
The motion vector information may be recorded into a video subcode area of
the recording medium. Panning information of the apparatus may be
additionally recorded onto the recording medium.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an
apparatus for recording and reproducing an image signal, which comprises
imaging means for imaging a subject, motion vector detecting means for
detecting motion vector information from an image signal from the imaging
means, recording means for recording the motion vector information from
the motion vector detecting means onto a recording medium together with
the image signal from the imaging means, reproducing means for reproducing
the image signal and the motion vector information from the recording
medium, image forming means for forming a plurality of successive images
from the image signal reproduced by the reproducing means, joining means
for joining at least portions of the images from the image forming means
to form a panorama image, and control means for controlling the width of
the portions of the images with which the images are joined together by
the joining means. The recording means may additionally record panning
information onto the recording medium whereas the reproducing means
reproduces also the panning information from the recording medium, and the
control means automatically retrieves the panning information to cause the
joining means to automatically produce a panorama image.
With the image signal recording apparatus and the image signal recording
and reproducing apparatus, a panorama image with a high degree of accuracy
can be produced from an image signal reproduced from a recording medium
such as a video tape. Further, by automatically retrieving the panning
information recorded on the recording medium, a panorama image can be
produced automatically. Further, since a panorama image can be produced
form an image signal produced by photoelectric conversion of a subject, a
wide scene or spectacle can be seen at a glance. Furthermore, since it is
not required to detect a motion vector from an image signal whose signal
to noise ratio has been degraded by way of a recording and reproducing
process, the accuracy in production of a panorama image is enhanced. In
addition, where panning information is additionally recorded, a panning
image can be retrieved readily upon reproduction, and a panorama image can
be produced automatically from such panning image.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
method of producing a panorama image by joining at least portions of a
plurality of images formed from an image signal produced by imaging a
subject, wherein the position at and/or the width with which portions of
each two adjacent images are joined with each other are variable.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention, there is
provided an apparatus for producing a panorama image from an input image
signal produced by imaging a subject, which comprises image storage means
for storing the input image signal for a plurality of images, read means
for reading the image signal from the image storage means, joining means
for joining at least portions of the images of the image signal read out
from the storage means to form a panorama image, and control means for
controlling the timing to enable storage of the input image signal into
the image storage means thereby to control the position at and/or the
width with which portions of each two adjacent images are joined with each
other.
According to a yet further aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a method of producing a panorama image by joining at least
portions of a plurality of images formed from an image signal produced by
imaging a subject, wherein portions of the images originating from a
central portion of a lens for forming an image of the subject on an
imaging element are joined with each other.
According to a yet further aspect of the present invention, there is
provided an apparatus for producing a panorama image, which comprises a
lens, an imaging element for imaging a subject by way of the lens, storage
means for selectively storing, from an image signal outputted from the
imaging element, portions of a plurality of images of the image signal
originating from a central portion of the lens, read means for reading the
image signal from the image storage means, and joining means for joining
those portions of the images of the image signal read out from the storage
means which originate from the central portion of the lens to form a
panorama image.
With the panorama image producing methods and apparatus, since the position
at and/or the width with which portions of each two adjacent images are
joined with each other are variable in response to the images, the
position of each joining portion and the distance between joining portions
of a panorama image can be varied. Accordingly, a panorama image of a high
quality can be produced. Further, since a panorama image can be produced
from an image signal produced by photoelectric conversion of a subject, a
wide scene or spectacle can be seen at a glance. Furthermore, by varying a
joining location or the width of a portion to be extracted from an image
in accordance with the photographed images, a panorama image of a high
quality can be obtained. Further, since those portions of the images
originating from the central portion of the lens are used, a panorama
image whose distortion at a joining portion is little can be obtained.
Furthermore, since those portions of the images originating from the
central portion of the lens are extracted automatically, the user need not
pay attention to a joining portion.
According to a yet further aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a method of producing a panorama image by joining at least
portions of a plurality of images formed from an image signal produced by
imaging a subject, wherein the width with which portions of each two
adjacent images are joined with each other is controlled in response to a
motion vector of an image.
According to a yet further aspect of the present invention, there is
provided an apparatus for producing a panorama image from an input image
signal produced by imaging a subject, which comprises image storage means
for storing the input image signal, motion vector detecting means for
detecting a motion vector of an image from the input image signal, and
control means for controlling the storage position of the image storage
means in response to the motion vector detected by the motion vector
detecting means to-control the width with which portions of each adjacent
images are joined with each other in accordance with the motion vector of
the image. The input image signal may be produced by imaging a subject
during panning motion of the apparatus. Alternatively, the input image
signal may be produced by imaging a subject during tilting motion of the
apparatus.
With the panorama image producing method and apparatus, a single wide angle
still image can be produced by joining portions of images with each other
using motion vectors of the images. Thus, only by panning or tilting the
apparatus to image a subject, such a panorama image as can be obtained
using a wide angle lens can be obtained. Further, comparing with a
panorama image obtained by simply joining two still images to each other,
in a panorama image obtained by the panorama image producing method and
apparatus of the present invention, the distortion caused by a lens at a
joining portion between two images is reduced significantly.
According to a yet further aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a motion vector detecting method for a panorama image producing
apparatus wherein, when a plurality of images formed from an image signal
produced by imaging a subject are to be joined together to form a panorama
image, the width with which the images are joined together is controlled
in response to a motion vector of an image, wherein a motion vector having
a vertical component lower than a predetermined value is used as a motion
vector upon panning imaging.
According to a yet further aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a motion vector detecting apparatus for a panorama image
producing apparatus wherein, when a plurality of images formed from an
image signal produced by imaging a subject are to be joined together to
form a panorama image, the width with which the images are joined together
is controlled in response to a motion vector of an image, which comprises
motion vector detecting means for detecting a motion vector of an image,
and means for detecting, from the output of the motion vector detecting
means, that motion vector which has a vertical component lower than a
predetermined value.
According to a yet further aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a motion vector detecting method for a panorama image producing
apparatus wherein, when a plurality of images formed from an image signal
produced by imaging a subject are to be joined together to form a panorama
image, the width with which the images are joined together is controlled
in response to a motion vector of an image, wherein a motion vector having
a horizontal component lower than a predetermined value is used as a
motion vector upon tilting imaging.
According to a yet further aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a motion vector detecting apparatus for a panorama image
producing apparatus wherein, when a plurality of images formed from an
image signal produced by imaging a subject are to be joined together to
form a panorama image, the width with which the images are joined together
is controlled in response to a motion vector of an image, which comprises
motion vector detecting means for detecting a motion vector of an image,
and means for detecting, from the output of the motion vector detecting
means, that motion vector which has a horizontal component lower than a
predetermined value.
With the motion vector detecting methods and apparatus, by making use of
the information of "vertical motion .apprxeq.0" or "horizontal motion
.apprxeq.0" obtained by motion vector detection, wrong discrimination in
motion vector detection upon panning photographing or tilting
photographing can be reduced. Thus, even when the image exhibits motion of
a subject or is low in signal to noise ratio or contrast, wrong detection
of a motion vector of the image can be reduced. As a result, a panorama
image with a high degree of accuracy can be produced.
According to a yet further aspect of the present invention, there is
provided an apparatus for recording an image signal, which comprises
imaging means for imaging a subject, motion detecting means for detecting
motion of an image from an image signal outputted from the imaging means,
joining means for joining a plurality of images formed from the image
signal from the imaging means to form a panorama image, calculating means
for calculating, in response to an output of the motion detecting means, a
cumulative amount of motion of the image after a point of time at which
imaging for production of a panorama image is started and calculating an
amount of motion of the image necessary to produce a panorama image, and
displaying means for displaying a proceeding condition of imaging for
production of a panorama image in response to an output of the calculating
means. The motion detecting means may include a motion vector detector for
detecting a motion vector between images of different fields by image
processing. Alternatively, the motion detecting means may include an
angular velocity sensor. The displaying means may include a viewfinder in
which the proceeding condition of imaging for production of a panorama
image is displayed.
With the image signal recording apparatus, since motion of an image is
detected and displayed in the viewfinder or the like when panorama
photographing is performed, the user of the apparatus can know a
proceeding condition or an end of the panorama photographing from the
display. Further, the user can adjust the photographing speed.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent from the following description and the
appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in
which like parts or elements are denoted by like reference characters.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1(a) to 1(i) are diagrammatic views illustrating a principle of
production of a panorama image according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a time chart illustrating the timing relationship between a
horizontal write enable signal for an image memory and a horizontal
synchronizing signal of an image signal;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a panorama image producing apparatus showing a
preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a table illustrating an example of bit allocation of a video
subcode in the panorama image producing apparatus of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a process of automatically producing a
panorama image in the panorama image producing apparatus;
FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a process of detecting a panning
condition based on the output of a motion vector detector of the panorama
image producing apparatus of FIG. 3;
FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating motion vector detection based on
the representative point matching method;
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a detailed construction of a motion
vector detector in the panorama image producing apparatus of FIG. 3;
FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating motion vector calculation processing of
a microcomputer of the panorama image producing apparatus of FIG. 3;
FIGS. 10(a) to 10(i) are diagrammatic views illustrating another principle
of production of a panorama image according to the present invention;
FIG. 11 is a time chart illustrating the timing relationship between a
write enable signal in a horizontal direction for an image memory and an
image signal for a one horizontal scanning period in the production of a
panorama image illustrated in FIGS. 10(a) to 10(i);
FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a modified panorama image producing
apparatus;
FIGS. 13(a) to 13(i) are diagrammatic views illustrating a first screen
dividing mode of the panorama image producing apparatus of FIG. 12;
FIG. 14 is a time chart illustrating the relationship between an image
signal and write enable signals at the first, fourth and seventh fields in
the panorama image producing apparatus of FIG. 12;
FIGS. 15(a) to 15(i) are diagrammatic views illustrating a second screen
dividing mode of the panorama image producing apparatus of FIG. 12;
FIGS. 16(a) to 16(i) are diagrammatic views illustrating a third screen
dividing mode of the panorama image producing apparatus of FIG. 12;
FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing another modified panorama image
producing apparatus; and
FIGS. 18(a) to 18(d) are diagrammatic views showing an example of a display
of a proceeding condition of panorama photographing in the panorama image
producing apparatus of FIG. 17.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIGS. 1(a) to 1(i) illustrates a principle of production of a panorama
image according to the present invention. Referring first to FIG. 1(a),
there is shown a relationship between a subject and an image. Here, the
subject includes a regular repeat pattern of a triangle and is shown for
three screens in a horizontal direction. Numbers in circles indicated at
the top of FIG. 1(a) represent field numbers when panning is performed
from the left to the right of the subject. In short, while the field of
view moves by a six field distance from the first field to the seventh
field, panning for two screens is performed. Then, a single panorama image
is produced from the images of the two screens.
FIG. 1(b) indicates an image of the first field. A portion of the width
x.sub.0 on the left side with respect to the center of the screen is
extracted and is written into an image memory while being reduced to one
half in size both in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction. Such
reduction in size is performed in order to allow a panorama image from two
screens to be produced in one screen. FIG. 1(f) shows the image thus
written in the image memory. The top and bottom portions of the screen
each having one fourth height are blanked while the image is written into
the remaining central portion of the screen having one half height. Here,
the portion of the width x.sub.0 indicated in FIG. 1(b) is written at a
portion of the width x.sub.0 /2 from the left end of the screen. In order
to extract the portion of the width x.sub.0 from the screen of FIG. 1(b)
and reduce it to one half in the horizontal and vertical directions, the
image memory is used. For example, when the portion of the image of FIG.
1(b) is to be written into the image memory, every other picture element
of the image signal is supplied to the image memory.
FIG. 1(c) shows an image of the second field. Since the image of the second
field is displaced by a distance x.sub.1 in the horizontal direction from
the image of the first field, a portion of the image of the width x.sub.1
from the center of the screen is extracted and written into the image
memory while being reduced to one half in size both in the horizontal
direction and the vertical direction. FIG. 1(g) shows the portion of the
image written in the image memory. Here, the portion of the image is
written at a portion of the width x.sub.1 /2 in the image memory next to
the portion written at the stage of FIG. 1(f).
Similarly, FIG. 1(d) shows an image of the third field. Since the image of
the third field is displaced by a distance x.sub.2 in the horizontal
direction from the image of the second field, a portion of the image of
the width x.sub.2 from the center of the screen is extracted and written
into the image memory while being reduced to one half in size both in the
horizontal direction and the vertical direction. FIG. 1(h) shows the
portion of the image written in the image memory. Here, the portion of the
image is written at a portion of the width of X.sub.2 /2 in the image
memory next to the portion written at the stage of FIG. 1(g).
By repeating such a sequence of operations as described above up to the
seventh field, a panorama image from two screens can be produced in one
screen. However, since the portion of the width x.sub.0 has been extracted
and written into the image memory in the first field, the width of a
portion of the image in the seventh field is reduced as much. Here,
completion of writing of a panorama image can be detected from the fact
that the write address for the image memory reaches a value corresponding
to the right end of the screen or from a timing of a write enable signal
which will be hereinafter described. It is to be noted that
representations of the fifth and following screens are omitted in the
drawings.
FIG. 2 is a time chart illustrating the timing relationship between a write
enable signal (WE: indicated in the negative logic in FIG. 2) for the
image memory described above with reference to FIGS. 1(a) to 1(i) and an
image signal for a one horizontal scanning period. The waveform (a) in
FIG. 2 shows the image signal while the waveforms (b) to (e) show write
enable signals WE.sub.1 to WE.sub.4 for the first to fourth fields of FIG.
1, respectively. When the write enable signal is at the low level, writing
into the image memory is performed.
Also with regard to the vertical direction, such writing control as seen
from FIGS. 1(f) to 1(i) can be achieved by applying a similar write enable
signal to the image memory.
FIG. 3 shows a panorama image producing apparatus to which the present
invention is applied. The panorama image producing apparatus serves as an
image signal recording and reproducing apparatus in the form of video
camera-tape recorder, which has a panorama image producing function so
that it can produce a panorama image or panorama image signal upon
recording or reproduction onto or from a video tape.
Referring to FIGS. 1(a) to 1(i), 2 and 3, when recording is to be
performed, the user will manually operate a mode switch 17b to put the
panorama image producing apparatus into a mode in which it produces a
panorama image upon recording, and will manually operate a REC (recording)
button (not shown) into an on-state to start photographing. Then, when
panning photographing is to be performed, the user will manually operate a
panorama switch 17a into an on-state.
An image of a subject is formed on a CCD imaging element 1 by way of a lens
not shown and converted into an image signal by the CCD imaging element 1.
The image signal is inputted by way of a sample hold AGC (automatic gain
control) circuit 1 and a terminal R of a switch 3 to an analog to digital
(A/D) converter 4, in which it is converted into a digital signal.
The image signal in the form of a digital signal is inputted from a
terminal R of another switch 5 to a camera signal processing circuit 6, in
which camera signal processing such as gamma correction, white balance
adjustment and so forth is applied to the image signal. Thereafter, the
image signal is stored into a first image memory 9 by way of a terminal R
of a further switch 8 under the control of a memory controller 20. The
image signal written in the first image memory 9 corresponds to images in
FIGS. 1(b) to 1(e).
Meanwhile, the output of the switch 8 is inputted to a motion vector
detector 19, in which motion vector detection data, that is, a minimum
value of differences at representative points, an address of the minimum
value and so forth are detected and sent to a microcomputer 18. The
microcomputer 18 thus calculates a motion vector from the motion vector
detection data outputted from the vector detector 19 and outputs a control
signal to the memory controller 20. Here, the motion vector corresponds to
the movements x.sub.1 to x.sub.3 in the horizontal direction in FIGS. 1(b)
to 1(e). It is to be noted that construction and operation of the motion
vector detector 19 and operation of the microcomputer 18 will be
hereinafter described in detail.
The memory controller 20 controls the read address of the first image
memory 9 in response to the control signal outputted from the
microcomputer 18 to perform extraction and reduction processing of the
screens shown in FIGS. 1(b) to 1(e) and inputs a resulted image signal to
a second image memory 10. The second image memory 10 is controlled by the
memory controller 20, and write control for the second image memory 10
illustrated in FIGS. 1(f) to 1(i) is performed when write enable signals
WE.sub.1 to WE.sub.4 illustrated in the waveform diagrams (b) to (e) of
FIG. 2 and corresponding memory addresses are supplied to it.
A panorama image signal is written into the second image memory 10 in this
manner. The panorama image signal stored in the second image memory 10 is
read out and then converted into a composite image signal by a monitor
signal processing circuit 22, whereafter it is converted into an analog
image signal by a digital to analog (D/A) converter 23 and supplied to a
viewfinder 24 so that a panorama image is displayed in the viewfinder 24.
Meanwhile, if the panorama image signal is supplied to an external monitor
or printer (not shown) from a video output terminal 25, then a panorama
image is similarly displayed on the external monitor or by the external
printer.
Further, the panorama image signal read out from the second image memory 10
is processed by recording signal processing such as emphasis, FM
modulation of a brightness signal and low frequency band conversion of a
chroma signal by a recording signal processing circuit 11. Then, an FM
brightness signal and a low frequency band conversion chroma signal thus
obtained are converted into analog signals by a digital to analog (D/A)
converter 12 and then supplied by way of a recording/reproduction
amplifier 13 and a terminal A of a switch 14 to a video head 15, by which
it is recorded onto a video tape 16.
The panorama image signal recorded on the video tape 16 is reproduced by
the video head 15 and inputted from the recording/reproduction amplifier
13 to the analog to digital converter 4 by way of a terminal P of the
switch 3. The image signal is thus converted into a digital signal by the
analog to digital converter 4 and processed by reproduction signal
processing such as FM demodulation and de-emphasis by a reproduction
signal processing circuit 7. When necessary, the output signal of the
reproduction signal processing circuit 7 is subsequently processed by
digital processing such as noise removal processing by the first image
memory 9 and the second image memory 10. Then, the digital signal after
such processing is converted into a composite image signal by the monitor
signal processing circuit 22 and then converted into an analog image
signal by the digital to analog converter 23, whereafter it is supplied to
the viewfinder 24 and the video output terminal 25.
Subsequently, operation of the panorama image producing apparatus when a
panorama image is to be produced upon reproduction of the video tape 16
will be described.
In this instance, the user will manually operate the mode switch 17b to put
the panorama image producing apparatus into a mode in which a panorama
image is produced upon reproduction, and then manually operate the REC
button (not shown) into an on-state to start photographing. Then, when
panning photographing is to be performed, the user will manually operate
the panorama switch 17a into an on-state.
In this instance, the processing until the output of the CCD imaging
processing 1 is inputted to the terminal R of the switch 8 is similar to
that when a panorama image is produced upon recording. The output of the
switch 8 is inputted by way of the first image memory 9 and the second
image memory 10 to the recording signal processing circuit 11 and then
supplied by way of the recording/reproduction amplifier 13 and the
terminal A of the switch 14 to the video head 15 so that it is recorded
onto the video tape 16. Here, the reason why the image signal is passed
through the first image memory 9 or the second memory 10 is that it is
intended to adjust the image signal to a delay time of one field required
for a motion vector detecting operation.
Further, the output of the switch 8 is supplied to the motion vector
detector 19, in which motion vector detection data, that is, a minimum
value of differences among representative points, an address of the
minimum value and so forth are detected and sent to the microcomputer 18.
The microcomputer 18 thus calculates a motion vector from the output of
the vector detector 19 and supplies such motion vector information to a
video subcode processor 21. Further, the microcomputer 18 detects manual
operation of the panorama switch 17a for panning photographing, and
supplies a panning ID (identification) signal to the video subcode
processor 21.
The video subcode processor 21 produces a video subcode from the motion
vector information and the panning ID signal outputted from the
microcomputer 18 and supplies the video subcode to the recording head 15
by way of a terminal B of the switch 14. Changing over of the switch 14 is
performed for each recording track. As a result, a video subcode is
recorded onto a video tape in an alternate relationship with an image
signal for each track. Such video subcode should be recorded, when the
video camera-tape recorder of the panorama image producing apparatus is,
for example, an 8 mm video tape recorder, at a portion of the video tape
between recorded portions of a PCM audio signal and an FM image signal.
FIG. 4 illustrates an example of bit allocation of the video subcode.
Referring to FIG. 4, the video subcode is constituted from 3 words 0, 1
and 2. The bit 7 of the word 0 indicates on/off of panning; bits from the
bit 3 of the word 0 to the bit 2 of the word 1 indicate an X-axis
component (horizontal component) of a motion vector; and bits from the bit
1 of the work 1 to the bit 0 of the word 2 indicate a Y-axis component
(vertical component) of the motion vector.
Subsequently, operation of reproducing an image signal and video subcodes
recorded in such a manner as described above to produce a panorama image
will be described.
In this instance, the user will manually operate a PB button (not shown)
into an on-state to reproduce a signal recorded on the video tape 16 and
visually observe the viewfinder 24. Then, when a subject whose panorama
image the user wants to produce is displayed in the viewfinder 24, the
user will manually operate the panorama switch 17 into an on-state.
The signal reproduced from the video tape 16 by the video head 15 is
inputted from the recording/reproduction amplifier 13 to the analog to
digital converter 4 by way of the terminal P of the switch 3. The signal
is thus converted into a digital signal by the analog to digital converter
4 and then processed by reproduction signal processing such as FM
demodulation and de-emphasis by the reproduction signal processing circuit
7, whereafter it is written into the first image memory 9.
Further, the signal reproduced from the video tape 16 by the video head 15
is inputted to the video subcode processor 21 so that a video subcode
illustrated in FIG. 4 is transmitted from the video subcode processor 21
to the microcomputer 18. The microcomputer 18 thus identifies a panning ID
signal and motion vector information and sends out, when panning is on,
the motion vector to the memory controller 20.
The memory controller 20 controls, for example, as described hereinabove
with reference to FIGS. 1(a) to 1(i) and 2, extraction of an image at the
first image memory and writing of an image signal into the second image
memory 10 in response to the received motion vector to write a panorama
image into the second image memory 10.
The panorama image stored in the second image memory is read out and
converted into a composite image signal by the monitor signal processing
circuit 22 and then converted into an analog image signal by the digital
to analog converter 23. The analog image signal is supplied to and
displayed in the viewfinder 24. Further, the analog image signal may be
supplied from the video output terminal 25 to an external monitor or
printer so that a panorama image may be displayed on the external monitor
or by the external printer.
The reason why a panning ID signal and motion vector information are
recorded as a video subcode upon recording and then utilized upon
reproduction is that, if it is tried to detect a motion vector from a
reproduced image signal, then the accuracy in detection of a motion vector
is degraded because the signal to noise ratio of the reproduced image
signal is decreased when it passes an electromagnetic transducer system
including a video tape and a recording head. It is to be noted that the
panorama image producing apparatus may be modified such that a panning ID
signal is not recorded but the panorama switch 17a is manually operated
into an on-state upon reproduction so as to produce a panorama image.
Subsequently, operation for reproducing an image signal and a video subcode
signal to automatically produce a panorama image will be described with
reference to FIG. 5. In this instance, the user will manually operate the
mode switch 17b to put the panorama image reproducing apparatus into an
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