Electronic Viewfinder Synchronization and Live View Size Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing imaging devices with electronic view finders face challenges in minimizing display delay and adjusting the size of live view images simultaneously, as reducing display delay leads to desynchronization and increased delay when trying to reduce image size.
Innovation Solution
The imaging device incorporates a signal processing section, display timing control, and blanking time period setting to synchronize the image sensor and display, allowing for reduced display delay and adjustable live view image size by optimizing the reading time of imaging signals through methods like thinning-out reading, increasing the operation clock, and pixel mixture reading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the display delay is reduced by synchronously controlling the image sensor and display section, then the display delay is minimized, but the display size of the live view image cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the frame period into multiple time slots, with a first time slot for reading imaging signals corresponding to the live view image area and a second time slot for reading imaging signals corresponding to other areas. This segmentation allows independent timing control for different display size requirements while maintaining synchronization, resolving the contradiction between minimized display delay and display size adjustability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the reading timing and time slot allocation based on the required display size. When the live view image size needs to be reduced, the system dynamically reconfigures the time slots to allocate appropriate reading time for the smaller image area, enabling both real-time display and size adjustment capability.
2Area of stationary object
If the live view image is reduced in display size and displayed at the center of the display screen, then the display size is reduced, but reading of the imaging signal at the last line is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by completing the reading of imaging signals for the reduced live view image area within the allocated first time slot before the frame period ends. This ensures that even when the image is reduced in size, the reading operation is completed in advance, preventing any delay in the reading speed and maintaining real-time display capability.
3Ease of manufacture
If signal processing is performed by reading imaging signals and writing processed signals into memory, then image processing is achieved, but it takes time causing display delay
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous useful action by overlapping the reading operation in the first time slot with the writing operation in the second time slot. This continuous pipeline processing ensures that signal processing is performed without idle time, achieving both complete signal processing capability and minimized processing time for real-time display.
Data Source
AI summary
The imaging device includes: a first display section that functions as an electronic view finder; a viewing angle setting section that sets a viewing angle of a live view image; a display image generation section that generates a display image which uses the live view image reduced in accordance the viewing angle; a display timing control section; and a blanking time period setting section. The display timing control section synchronizes the image sensor and the first display section in a delay time shorter than a single frame period. The blanking time period setting section sets a blanking time period at the end of the single frame period in accordance with a size of the live view image to be displayed. By completing reading of the imaging signal before start of the blanking time period, synchronization between the timing of driving the image sensor and the timing of performing display on the electronic view finder is maintained.