Photographing apparatus

Abstract

An imaging apparatus comprises a sync signal generating part (6); an imaging part (1) operating based on a sync signal to image and generate picture data; a trigger input part (18) for inputting a trigger signal that instructs a commencement of an imaging operation; and a control part (5) for controlling, based on the sync and trigger signals, the operation of the imaging part. The control part controls the synchronization process performed for imaging a motion picture in synchronism with the sync signal. When a trigger signal is inputted, if the synchronization process is not active, the control part causes a sync signal generating part to immediately stop generating the sync signal. If the synchronization process is active, the control part initializes the synchronization process and then causes the sync signal generating part to stop generating the sync signal and thereafter start generating the sync signal again, and causes the imaging part to start imaging a picture for recording. In this way, the time period from the occurrence of a trigger signal until the commencement of an imaging can be shortened and any large variations can be suppressed independently of the state of the synchronization process.

Description

[0001] The present invention is a divisional application of the following application, and the original application information is as follows: [0002] Application date: August 24, 2005 [0003] Application number: 200580028733.5 [0004] International application number: PCT / JP2005 / 015370 [0005] Name of Invention: Camera Device technical field [0006] The present invention relates to an imaging device having a mechanical shutter or an electronic shutter function, and particularly relates to an imaging device performing an exposure operation triggered by a random external input. Background technique [0007] A conventional imaging device such as a digital still camera has a function of performing an exposure operation (hereinafter referred to as a "random trigger shutter operation") using triggers randomly input to a solid-state imaging element. [0008] Figure 8 It is a time chart illustrating the operation of the random trigger shutter operation disclosed in Patent ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0015] However, in the conventional example described in Patent Document 1, if the input timing of the external trigger (b) and the operation period of the vertical synchronization signal (a) overlap, the reception of the vertical synchronization signal is a factor of interruption, and there is a In the case of processing that is interrupted by the vertical synchronization signal, it will cause multiple interrupts

Therefore, in a system that does not allow multiple interrupts, a delay occurs in the transition to the imaging process by an amount equivalent to the operation period of the vertical synchronization signal.

Furthermore, even in a system that allows multiple interrupts, the processing that is scheduled to be performed within the vertical synchronization signal interrupt processing is performed after the interrupt processing using an external trigger, so there is still a delay in the transition to the imaging processing

[0016] On the other hand, in the conventional example described in Patent Document 2, in the state where the random trigger shutter operation is possible, the vertical synchronous signal is stopped, and the charge readout pulse is also stopped, so the vertical synchronous signal is not received. Influenced by synchronous processing, but because the high-speed draft mode cannot be performed, the captured image cannot be confirmed until an external trigger is input

In addition, when the system as a whole performs processing synchronized with the vertical synchronization signal, it is necessary to change the operation sequence when performing random trigger shutter operations.

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