FAM 18.1
`An MPEG Camera with Tapeless Video Recording
`
`Takuya Imaide, Hiroyasu Otsubo, Toshiro Kinugasa(*), Yoshimichi Kudo(*)
`
`Image & Information Media Systems Division, Hitachi, Ltd.,
`292 Yoshida, Totsuka, Yokohama 244 Japan
`(*)Multimedia Systems R&D Division(MSRD), Hitachi, Ltd.:
`292 Yoshida, Totsuka, Yokohama 244 Japan
`
`Abstract
`A compact MPEG camera has been successhlly developed,
`where PC card (1.8"HDD or Flash card) was used as a recording
`media. This camera enables very quick file access and easy
`connection to PCs.
`
`Introduction
`Watching video on PCs has become popular recently. Rapid
`improvement of processor speed enables better picture quality
`and smoother motion in MPEG-I software decoding. Even editing
`video on PCs is now becoming possible.
`Storage capacity, so far for standard PC users, was a big hurdle
`to deal with video. Capacity trend: 10 times per 4 years, however,
`predicts the capacity hurdle becoming useless.
`Under such environment around PCs, a new video camera for
`PC use was developed.
`
`Design Concept
`In the aspect of PC use, following 3 standards were adopted:
`(1) Standard compression: MPEG-I,
`(2) Standard recording media: PC card-ATA,
`(3) Standard file system: the most popular one, same as conventional
`floppy disks etc., so that users can easily take care of video on PCs.
`On-line connection with PCs, though optional, was also developed.
`Developed technologies are as follows:
`(1) Command set for camera-PC communication,
`(2) Camera side high speed serial communication protocol,
`(3) Adapters to conventional standard buses.
`2nd concept of the camera is dealing with multi-type files:
`(1) MPEG video,
`(2) MPEG audio,
`( 3 ) P E G still pictures,
`(4) Their combinations.
`In case of using 260MB PC card, 20-minute MPEG video & audio,
`4 hour MPEG audio, or more than 3,000 REG pictures can be
`shot and stored. By bringing only one compact camera, users can
`shoot video, audio, and still pictures.
`
`Tapeless is the 3rd concept of the camera, which enables
`convenient quick file access. Browsing and simple editing with
`thumbnail pictures became possible [as shown in figure 21 by
`newly developed in-camera software.
`Circuit Diagram
`Figure 3 shows the circuit diagram of the camera. Standard
`camera processing including NTSCDAL decodedencoder is done
`in "CAMERA DSP"[ 11, and MPEG video encode/decode is done
`in "MPEG CODEC" LSI. MPEG audio encode/decode is done in
`"RISC CPU" with other various control jobs. The CPU, whose
`program is stored in inside Flash memory, works at 54MHz clock.
`MPEG layer-1 monaural was selected in the 1st product for the
`sake of reducing calculation power.
`CCD for video, i.e. line-mixed type CCD[2] for camcorders,
`is commonly used for generating full-frame still pictures. Iris,
`through dynamic control, play the roll of still cameras' shutter[3].
`While the iris being shut, odd and even field pictures are read
`out from the CCD without mixing.
`External video and audio input was designed to be possible,
`but this feature was deleted in the 1st product in order to avoid
`complicated operation.
`
`PC Interface
`The camera connected with a PC acts like a file (or a
`memory), a camera itself, and (possibly) an encoder and/or
`a decoder. Corresponding to these, a command set including
`file (memory) access, camera control, real-time data transfer,
`and their combination was established. Developed interface
`is shown in figure 4.
`
`Conclusion
`Through the development of this new concept camera,
`the authors have strongly recognized again how convenient
`the tapeless camera is. A cost problem on recording media,
`so far remains, will hopehlly be solved in near future.
`References
`(1) Kinugasa et. al., FPM 23.3, ICCE Digest 1996
`(2) Imaide et. al., THAM 11.6, ICCE Digest 1991
`(3) Imaide et. al., WPM 13.3, ICCE Digest 1993
`
`0-7803-3734497 $5.00 Q 1997 IEEE
`
`342
`
`MOB1009
`IPR of U.S. Patent 6,970,183
`
`

`

`Table 1 Features of the
`developed camera
`
`Figure 1 Outlook of the
`developed camera
`
`Figure 3 Circuit diagram
`of the developed camera
`
`r - - - - - - - - - - - - -
`' CAMERA"
`
`I - - - - - - - - - -
`
`I '
`
`Figure 2 In-camera browsing
`(Media-navigation)
`
`Above pictures appear on
`in-camera LCD or on TV set
`By watching those pictures,
`users select or edit files
`
`I
`
`Packets from PC
`
`Packets from M P E G Camera
`
`I
`
`343
`
`Figure 4 Interface with PCs and TV
`
`MOB1009
`IPR of U.S. Patent 6,970,183
`
`